Rachel Hoover & Morgan Thiel - The Montana Roofing Expo 2025 - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Rachel Hoover and Morgan Thiel of Montana Roofing Association. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast.

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Alex Tolle: Hello everybody. I'm Alex Tolle with rooferscoffeeshop.com, and I am here for another Roofing Road trips with my good friends in Montana. I have Morgan Thiel and Rachel Hoover. How are you guys?

Rachel Hoover: Doing great. Excited to be here. Thanks for having us.

Morgan Thiel: Yeah, good. Thank you, Alex.

Alex Tolle: Thank you. I'll go ahead and let you guys introduce yourselves. Morgan, who are you and what is your role in the association?

Morgan Thiel: Yeah, I'm Morgan Thiel. I'm the current president of the Montana Roofing Association, and I'm a project coordinator at Thiel Brothers Roofing in Sydney, Montana.

Alex Tolle: Amazing. Thank you. And Rachel?

Rachel Hoover: My name is Rachel Hoover. I am the vice president of the Montana Roofing Association and the chair for this year's convention, and I work as the director of marketing for a local roofing company called Ace Roofing here in Bozeman, Montana.

Alex Tolle: I love it. And in case you guys miss that, that's two women that are running this association and that is the coolest thing ever. So I just have to brag about it and we'll talk about it a little bit more here in a bit, so when is the expo and what are some of the main highlights of the 2025 expo?

Rachel Hoover: Yeah, our annual expo is going to be happening in January this upcoming year. It's January 14th through the 16th, so it's a Tuesday through a Thursday and we have a lot of exciting things happening at this one. We have some really great speakers coming from both the NRCA, and then we also have a great speaker from Carlisle coming to speak about metal. And then we've been working on a program with the Montana State Fund, a safety program that we're going to be rolling out at convention and we're very excited about it. It's been a work in progress, and so the big reveal is going to be at our convention this year.

Alex Tolle: Amazing. So that first day safety program, is that the one that's in partnership with the Montana State Fund?

Rachel Hoover: Oh, yes. Yeah, that's right. And I'll actually let Morgan speak a little bit more about it. Her family has been very involved in working on this program and getting it off the ground, and so we're very excited about it, but she can speak a little bit more to it.

Morgan Thiel: Yeah, we are really excited about it. So actually at our annual Helena day when our association goes to our state capitol to talk to people there about roofing issues, it was brought to our attention that the number of injuries for people on their first day on the roof is rising and they were wondering if we had any insight as to why that'd be happening. So that conversation spurred this idea to create a program that would really emphasize safety for people on their first day on the roof, which could be the most dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Yeah. And so our political committee and the Montana State Fund have been working together to develop this program. We're really excited to release it at the convention this year, and hopefully a lot of contractors in Montana and maybe other states can use it to increase safety in their companies.

Alex Tolle: Amazing. It is so important to have such a big emphasis on safety, and I love that you guys have this program this year because I know a lot of times people are like, "Oh, it's okay. We will be fine." But then accidents happen. You have to be prepared for those. And so knowing what equipment to use and where to use it is so, so important.

Rachel Hoover: Yeah. I think just equipping our business owners to be able to deal with their employees on day one, setting them up for success, I think is definitely something we're passionate about, is just making sure people have the tools they need to operate efficiently and safely.

Alex Tolle: Yeah. And most importantly, it's a job, but you want to go home every day to your family and be able to come to work the next day. So preventing those injuries is so important.

Morgan Thiel: Absolutely. And that's really important to our members in the MRA too, is how can we do that, get everyone home safely at the end of the day.

Alex Tolle: I love it. So how can contractors and exhibitors, maybe first time attendees use this expo to build valuable connections and partnerships?

Rachel Hoover: Yeah, I think our expo is always about bringing together the contractors with suppliers, manufacturers. It's about connecting our businesses across Montana to see how we can support each other better, and offering tools, resources, all of that. But then also connecting them with our exhibitors, our suppliers, manufacturers, to get the latest and greatest on what's going on in the industry and new products maybe. So I think it's a great opportunity to bring people together, have some opportunity to just have some dialogue, learn about new trends, what's happening on a national level as well as what's happening on a state level. So a lot of really good information, a lot of opportunities for networking and connection.

Morgan Thiel: Yeah. And we're a big state too, so when we can all come together and be in the same building for a few days, that's very rare. So it's a great chance to be able to see the faces in the roofing industry of Montana all together without having to drive hundreds of hundreds of miles.

Alex Tolle: Yeah, so my first time at MRA was last, well, this year, 2024. And it's so amazing to see everybody come together from really so far away and just connect. It's like you guys are all just old friends, you know each other so well and it's so cool to see those connections and anybody new to MRA is going to love being a part of it for sure.

Rachel Hoover: Yeah, it's pretty incredible also that we have so many of our founding members just still a part of it, still very involved. And so it's cool seeing the older generation with the newer generation and passing along knowledge and also talking from experience of what they've already had to deal with in the industry in our state. So it's a great opportunity to connect with people who are seasoned and know what's going on.

Alex Tolle: So can you talk about any of the special guest speakers that are going to be presenting this year?

Rachel Hoover: Yeah, so one of our speakers is going to be Brian Partyka with Carlisle. Actually, it was a connection that came through the Thiels. We're very excited about it, he's going to be speaking on metal. He's been in the industry a long time, so we're really excited about that. That's going to be one of our seminars. I can let Morgan speak a little bit more to him and a little bit about that training too.

Morgan Thiel: Yeah, Brian is an expert in that industry. He's just moved up in Carlisle too, to a new position. I should double check what that is, but he's a vice president of something now. But yeah, he had a conversation with my dad once who's been roofing for over 50 years and he was giving him some feedback on different things he needs to avoid or they'll damage his metal on his roof and his building. And my dad hadn't heard of them, most of them and he was floored. He said, "We've got to get the guy to our convention to share this information." So excited to bring that to the convention this year.

Alex Tolle: Yeah, amazing. Is there a big increase in metal roofing in Montana?

Morgan Thiel: I don't know if I'd say an increase or at least in Eastern Montana, but it's definitely something people want on their buildings.

Alex Tolle: Yeah.

Rachel Hoover: Yeah. And I think it's definitely something that our association and our contractors do work with and whether or not it's just roofing or siding as well, anything that has to do with the care and installation of metal properly to make sure that we're extending the life of our products, I think is great knowledge to have. So we're super excited to have him. Other speakers we're having, we're going to be having some representatives from the NRCA coming out. We're offering a technical training. It's going to the SerDa torch training, so that will be happening on Wednesday of our convention.

Rachel Hoover: It's a great, great certification to get and it's usually pretty tricky to get too. And so having those trainers come out to do that training with us, we're very excited to be partnering with them. In addition to that, they're also going to be coming to speak to us about the NRCA pro certification, which is just, yeah, we're excited to just get a little bit more information, education for our contractors. And again, just looking at things from a national level as well of what are the trends, where are things moving within our industry? And so we're very excited about that as well.

Alex Tolle: That's great to be able to bring all those resources to Montana because a lot of those resources are based in other states, and so to be able to bring it right to the contractors, that's so helpful.

Rachel Hoover: Yeah, we love the support that we've received from a national and regional level from some of these larger associations. It's amazing to feel like they're backing us and we want to come and support us and support us on a local level. So we're very, very excited about that.

Alex Tolle: Great. So we already talked about it, but there's a noticeable increase in women taking on leadership roles in the roofing industry. Can you share a little bit more about how you're leading the Montana Roofing Association and some of the impacts that you guys have made?

Morgan Thiel: I think that's so good to hear that more women are getting involved in leadership positions because there's plenty of room for it. I know the industry in Montana has been really receptive to that and really wanting to engage women in the industry. It was just a matter of how, and so seeing more and more join is really encouraging. Like I said, our association has been so welcoming as a woman in a male dominated industry, I've been really blessed to be in good circumstances where I haven't had to face a lot of hardships I know some women do encounter. So also really grateful to those women who paved the way for that. But yeah, I was serving as the vice president before becoming president this year and it just felt like whether you're a female, male, whatever, it was just our turn to take on that leadership role. Our whole group has been really supportive and really involved. So yeah, just our turn to keep a good thing going in Montana.

Alex Tolle: Yeah, and you're doing great.

Morgan Thiel: Thank you.

Rachel Hoover: Morgan does a lot. She has a lot on her plate, and she's run the association so well. I know that, yeah, all the support we have from everybody has been... I second what she said, I feel like we've felt very supported, but Morgan especially, just want to brag on her for a minute. She has so much on her plate. She also just won her local election, which is so exciting. So moving into yet another role, and she just does everything with such grace and probably one of the most hardworking people I know. And so I love being surrounded by women who, you look at them and you're like, "I want to be them when I grow up." So I love that, I think that we do see that a lot in this industry. The women who are rising to leadership just do it so well and carry so much and carry it with such grace. So I love to see that. Also, Morgan is also the chapter head for National Women in Roofing for our region.

Alex Tolle: Wow.

Rachel Hoover: That's something that also we're going to be having a get together at our convention. We always close out our convention with a luncheon with National Women in Roofing and encourage other women in the industry to get connected to each other just because we really are such a resource to each other and figuring out there are unique challenges that come with this industry and figuring out how we can support each other better. But the other thing, and Morgan and I have talked about this as well, is I think the second part of your question I think was how did more women get involved and see this as a career opportunity and a good path?

Rachel Hoover: And I think that that's something that we've talked about a lot is how do we educate the next generation, men and women both. And so I think this year especially, we've been working on fostering a relationship with Skills USA to work on how do we get into schools and start talking about this as an opportunity for young girls and boys as a potential path for them. Because it really is a great career and there's so much opportunity in this industry and within the state, but also nationally. So that's been a focus for us, and they'll be present at our convention as well and so we're excited about that.

Alex Tolle: That's amazing. Yeah. I think that there's starting to be a shift of people realizing that you don't have to go to a university and get a degree and go into business. You can go to a trade school and learn a great skill and make a career out of that and still make money and make a great life for yourself. So I think that's so important that you're getting in front of the young people to share that message.

Morgan Thiel: Yeah. Well, and even, yeah, there are so many great trades you can do that with. And roofing is fantastic because you don't even need to go to a trade school. You go through your four-ish year apprenticeship. You're paid while you're being trained. You come out of it making pretty good money. You get a hands-on job outside in the outdoors. And I don't know a single contractor who wouldn't take more women or young people on their crews. And there's definitely tasks that women are more naturally suited to, and there's definitely room for anyone who wants to be in the roofing industry to be in there. Yeah.

Alex Tolle: And who wouldn't want to be a roofer in Montana? You're up on the roof looking at beautiful mountains all the time. Come on, it doesn't get much better than that.

Rachel Hoover: We really get the best views.

Alex Tolle: Yeah. And the winters are nice too, because it's cold and you probably have five feet of snow.

Rachel Hoover: Oh, yeah.

Alex Tolle: Yeah. You get a little break in the winter.

Rachel Hoover: You get to stay inside a little bit. Yeah, it's nice. It's definitely nice.

Morgan Thiel: Some skiing, some snowboarding.

Alex Tolle: Yeah. That's awesome. It sounds like a win-win to me. So how does attending the expo help professionals stay competitive and informed about the latest innovations?

Rachel Hoover: Do you want to speak to this, Morgan?

Morgan Thiel: Yeah, I can. When Rachel's brought up several groups that we're bringing in this year, we really make an effort to bring in relevant information to people. So if you can't make it to the big national shows, which are great and even the Western states ones, if you can't make it to those, we want to bring as much information to you at our local convention as we can. So we make a real effort to bring in relevant information and products and people and let you make connections here without having to travel.

Alex Tolle: Yeah. Yeah. Anything else you wanted to add to that, Rachel?

Rachel Hoover: No, I think she nailed it. I think that, yeah and what we hit on before is I think that the more support you can have in this industry, in any industry really, for people who have been in the industry for a long time and have seen it all, I think that that can also just help you learn from other people's mistakes, figure out just ways that you can be better in your own business. And so we definitely take that into account when planning our seminars and planning our trainings. How do we support people and their crews and their guys to get what they need so they're ready to hit the ground running in the new year?

Alex Tolle: Great.

Morgan Thiel: We have so much depth and knowledge in our association too. We have companies who are in their third generation of operation, and then we have brand new companies who have just started and then everywhere in between. So lots of knowledge, lots of connections and just a really great place to be learn and improve. And not to mention, we mentioned our political committee earlier, but we try to stay in touch with what's going on in our capitol and how that's going to affect the industry, building codes, wages, all that stuff. So yeah, we really try to keep a pulse on what's important to Montana roofers and bring that to our convention as much as we possibly can.

Rachel Hoover: Yeah.

Alex Tolle: That's amazing. What advice would you give to anyone considering attending the 2025 Montana Roofing expo, maybe for the first time?

Rachel Hoover: Just do it. Sign up, come see us. It's going to be a really good time. It's going to be... And it's typically our slow season, so take a couple of days away, come to Billings, connect with other roofers. Hear about the latest in the industry. It's worthwhile, even if you've never attended before, come check it out. We're going to have some great speakers. And we're going to have some fun as well. We have a really fun gala the first night and some fun activities, but really there's a lot of really good education. There's a lot of good connections to be made, so it's worthwhile to come.

Morgan Thiel: Yeah, absolutely. It's worth your time. It's worth the energy. We know it's a drive. I have to drive at least four hours every year, and it's always worth it for us to come. So yeah, make the time if you possibly can and we'd love to see you there. I'd also like to say Rachel's done a great job with this convention. She's the vice president right now, it's been so great getting to step into this leadership position with her. And I will say working with her on the convention last year and then seeing her just take it on this year has been really, really great. She's doing a great job, and I'm really excited to see how this event turns out and hopefully the next one and maybe the one after. We'll see.

Alex Tolle: That's amazing.

Rachel Hoover: We're very excited about it.

Alex Tolle: Yes, I can tell. I love it. Well, and I'll add too, I went for the first time in 2024 and just the people there, the community there, like I said, you're just old friends. Even me being new to it, I just felt like I was just with all my best friends, it was such a good time. Everybody is so focused on helping each other and setting the business and the rivalry aside and just helping each other learn and sharing tips and tricks, whether it's about marketing or actually putting on the roof, everything, just the vibe there is amazing.

Rachel Hoover: I love to hear that.

Morgan Thiel: Thank you. Yeah. And we're excited to have you.

Rachel Hoover: Great [inaudible 00:17:03] from Alex too.

Alex Tolle: Thank you. I know, I'm so excited.

Rachel Hoover: You're coming again this year.

Alex Tolle: Yes.

Rachel Hoover: Yeah, we love having Roofers Coffee Shop.

Alex Tolle: Thank you.

Morgan Thiel: I'm so glad to hear that that's what you felt coming in as a first time visitor because yeah, our whole goal is, like you said, setting aside the differences, the competition and just what could we do to raise the standard of roofing in the state for a company and for building owners and roof owners, just for everyone.

Alex Tolle: Yeah. And you do a great job of it.

Morgan Thiel: Thank you.

Alex Tolle: So share with me some of the details about the early bird registration and where can people sign up, get more information about the expo?

Rachel Hoover: Yeah, so our registration is currently live on our website. You can find it through any of our socials. We're on Instagram, Facebook, so our links are in our bios there. But you can visit montanaroofers.org and it's going to be just right on the first page. First thing you see, you can click the button to register. We have registration for both our vendors and for our contractors, but there's a discount if you register before December 15th. So hop on there, register yourself. If you're bringing any people from your company, make sure to register them as well. There's also details about, we have a block for the hotels there too, if you want to stay on site at the convention, which I highly recommend, great hotel, but all of that is on our site. So go visit it, register there. It's super easy.

Alex Tolle: And you can always find all that information as well on their directory, on rooferscoffeeshop.com in the events. You'll be seeing it all over the place and probably in the description of this podcast, you'll be able to find it. All right, well Morgan, Rachel, thank you so, so much for recording with me today. This has been a wealth of knowledge. I'm so excited to see you guys in a couple of months. It's going to be here before we know it, so I can't wait. Thank you again and we will catch you on the next Roofing Road Trips.

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