What ARMA is Doing to Support the Roofing Industry

By Adam Cabrera. 

Through awards programs, certifications and collaborations, ARMA is working with contractors to improve the roofing industry. 

In a recent episode of Roofing Road Trips, hosted by Heidi J. Ellsworth, Reed Hitchcock and Aaron Phillips from the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturing Association (ARMA) talk about the organization's mission and efforts to uplift the roofing industry. The conversation covered ARMA's strides in areas such as technical advancements, sustainability, recycling and professional development, providing a holistic perspective on the association's unwavering commitment to the industry. 

Reed, the executive vice president of ARMA, emphasized the need for an interactive relationship with contractors and highlighted ARMA's collaboration with the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). "Where we do a lot of our interaction with contractors is through the NRCA. We don't have contractor members in ARMA, but what we do have is a lot of back and forth and interaction between our technical teams, our marketing teams and what have you," he says. 

Among ARMA's efforts to promote the industry are events like their awards program, which celebrates excellent roofing projects, and NRCA certification made to enhance industry professionalism. The conversation also touched upon ARMA's focus on sustainability, especially the goal to nearly eliminate landfill waste by 2050. 

Aaron, the vice president of technical services, spoke about the exciting possibilities in the recycling process. "I mean, just as we've advanced and increased our activity in this area, we see so many people interested in asphalt roofing materials as a resource from which they can do other things, break it down biologically, separate the components, grind it up and create a material suitable for a whole variety of end markets," he said. 

A highlight of ARMA's work includes updates to the Residential Asphalt Roofing Manual. Aaron shared insights into the revisions, focusing on underlayment and sealed roof decks, and also revealed plans to release a digital copy to suit changing preferences for information access. 

Reed and Aaron also stressed the importance of video content and online resources for homeowners, acknowledging the role of every player in the industry, from manufacturers to distributors. Reed noted, "We're really working a lot lately on our video content online. So we have a number of ARMA videos available on YouTube and linked through our website, updating those, particularly in the area of steep slope with a homeowner focus." 

Listen to the full Roofing Road Trips episode if you want to learn more about the resources ARMA provides and how you can access them.