Montana Roofing Contractors Kick off 2022 with Annual Tradeshow

By Heidi J. Ellsworth, RCS President 

The RoofersCoffeeShop® team was a part of the recent Montana Roofing Association (MRA) show in Bozman, Montana.   

Roofing contractors are continuing to find their way out of the crazy times of COVID-19. With events opening and networking being live, contractors are turning again towards their local and state associations and their tradeshows. With a good turnout of roofing professionals from all over the state, contractors met to network, attend educational classes and volunteer time to grow their association. 

Focusing on current issues influencing the roofing industry, educational classes focused on the future of the workforce, workers compensation, cold weather considerations and safety training. Keynote speakers included Joe Stassi from Carlisle talking about the material shortage update and myself, Heidi J. Ellsworth, sharing the history and future of National Women in Roofing along with information on the growing digital space around RoofersCoffeeShop. 

The Future of the Workforce seminar was very engaging with a panel including Kathleen O’Leary, formerly of the Montana Department of Labor, Morgan Thiel of Thiel Brothers Roofing and the upcoming president of the MRA, Joe Stassi and myself. The conversation focused on the need for diversity of gender, age and ethnicity encouraged by an inclusive roofing industry.   

The conversation focused around creating a culture that welcomes more diversity as the need for labor and talent continues to increase. Montana has one of the lowest unemployment rates and one of the fastest growing economies so the need for recruitment of talent into the roofing industry is dire.   

During the afternoon, the tradeshow portion featured manufactures and distributors from around the country. They all see the growing market in Montana both in the populated markets of Billings and Bozman but also throughout the state as the energy industries continue to prosper along with growing tourism.

The MRA Annual member meeting concluded the 2-day event with roofing professionals working on the future growth of the association. Led by current MRA president, Jake Magalsky of Ace Roofing, the group worked on plans for a Montana Roofing Day in Helena, MT this March along with their annual Golf Tournament this summer. Membership growth for the association was a key topic as it is for all roofing associations. 

Membership continues to be a focus with an emphasis on explaining how important it is for roofing companies to be involved with their local, state, regional and national associations. State associations are critical for helping with state regulations and laws that can create make-or-break scenarios for companies. In Montana, as noted earlier, the worker comp issue is causing ongoing problems for roofing companies. They are also working on state funding issues that may affect upcoming projects along with building code regulations. 

The MRA is also working towards welcoming new roofing professionals who are starting their own roofing businesses. The need for mentorship and collaboration to keep high levels of performance in roofing is critical and a main focus of any state association.   

The Montana event ended with a meeting of the newly formed Montana National Women in Roofing council. Women roofing professionals met for a luncheon lead by the Council Chair, Morgan Thiel. They are growing the council to include women and men from across the state to help grow interest in women joining the roofing industry. The networking and growth of this council will continue to help not only recruitment but also retention of Montana roofing professionals. 

Learn more about the Montana Roofing Association by visiting their RoofersCoffeeShop directory or visit MontanaRoofers.org.