The key to success between roofing contractors and consultants

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Industry experts emphasize the importance of building relationships to foster growth. 

In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, host Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down with Ron Harriman, a veteran in the roofing industry and representative from Benchmark, who shared valuable insights on the evolving relationship between roofing contractors and consultants. Harriman discussed how fostering collaboration and mutual respect between these two groups can drive success for both individual projects and the roofing industry as a whole. 

Benchmark, a roof and pavement consulting firm established in 1983, has long been at the forefront of the roofing industry. Ron explained the firm's role, noting, “The expertise we provide is to help clients understand where they're at with their roof. We also assist them with projects, putting together concepts, plans and specifications, find qualifying roofing contractors to bid on projects or in some cases just negotiating contracts with roofing contractors." 

Having started his career as a crewman and worked his way through various roles including estimator and project manager, Ron has a comprehensive view of the roofing industry. He acknowledges that the relationship between contractors and consultants has historically been strained but stresses that progress is being made. Particularly those that embrace collaboration can accomplish great things with Ron’s main sentiments expressing his belief that positive relationships are crucial to success. 

For contractors who are not yet connected with local roofing consultants, Ron offeres simple but impactful advice: start with a cup of coffee. “Let’s engage with one another, not around a project or a client so much, but let’s have coffee. Tell me your story. I’ll tell you mine,” Ron suggests. He believes that developing trust through these initial conversations can lead to mutually beneficial collaborations. “There’s so much that we can do to help each other that it probably doesn’t take more than one cup of coffee to figure out, oh, I can help you with that.” 

While recognizing that contractors and consultants have distinct roles, Harriman stresses the importance of transparency, honesty and a willingness to help each other. He encouraged professionals in the industry to invest time in building these relationships, as they can lead to significant growth and improved outcomes for all parties involved. Ron concludes, “What you shine light on will ultimately grow.”  

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to learn more about the dynamics between roofing contractors and consultants! 

Photo source: Benchmark