Will Lorenz - Industry Trends and Expo Highlights - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Will Lorenz of General Coatings. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast.

Intro: Welcome to Roofing Road Trips, the podcast that takes you on a thrilling journey across the world of roofing. From fascinating interviews with roofing experts to on-the-road adventures, we'll uncover the stories, innovations and challenges that shape the rooftops over our heads. So fasten your seat belts and join us as we embark on this exciting roofing road trip. Hello, everyone. My name is Megan Ellsworth here at rooferscoffeeshop.com, and I am so excited. I'm here with my friend Will Lorenz from General Coatings. Hello friend. How are you?

Will Lorenz: Hello, Megan. I'm doing great. Always good to hear from you and see you too.

Megan Ellsworth: Yay. Yeah, it's good to see you too. So we're going to be talking about all sorts of stuff today. We're going to be talking about Western States, Davis Memorial, RCMA. But to get started, I'll just have you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you.

Will Lorenz: All right. Well great. My name is Will Lorenz. I'm president of General Coatings. We're manufacturers of spray foam and roof coatings. So we're in the roofing side of the business and glad to be a part of it. We're members of NRCA, Western States. Seems like every organization at a state level and an SPFA from a spray foam perspective. I'm really glad to just be involved in the industry. And this year, like Roofers Coffee Shop, we joined the Roofing Alliance, so we're excited to be about part of that too.

Megan Ellsworth: Yay. That is so exciting. Congratulations.

Will Lorenz: Thank you. Yeah. What a great organization and just glad to be a part of it and hopefully see some of the magic that they can do with the Clemson University and really try and educate more folks and lift up the roofing industry at least image wise and professionalism with regard to some of the new things that Clemson can teach all of us.

Megan Ellsworth: Agreed. Agreed. Absolutely. So let's dive in. How would you describe the current state of the spray foam industry?

Will Lorenz: So obviously it's a strange year in some sense because we have an election and it tries to distract all of us from what our real jobs are doing, putting roofs on or recovering or restoring roofs with roof coatings. So we've seen a little bit of up and down, let's say in the second quarter. In the third quarter seems to be picking up a little bit. I think most people are stopped focusing in on the election.

They're going to vote, but they're just not going to really let it affect their daily lives anymore. So we're seeing more projects start to look in for maybe the fourth quarter and into '25. So it seems like we survived a little bit of the bubble of uncertainty. But it's been a good year for us and we've seen a lot of opportunities on the roof coating side, particularly acrylics and silicones. And so if you don't have a lot of money to tear off your roof and start over, you're certainly going to restore it with acrylics and silicones and extend the life of it. So we're seeing good opportunities there.

Megan Ellsworth: That's great. Yeah. Completely agree. And there's lots of people that are looking towards that option. Like you said, it's getting more expensive to replace a roof and sometimes you just don't have that option. So coatings are a great place to look.

Will Lorenz: Correct. And one of the things we've been battling as an industry is down in Florida with some of the code changes and the insurance business down there. Hopefully by the end of maybe next year or so we're going to make progress and get coatings back in there the way it should be. It's just crazy down there. They have hurricanes and they need to protect themselves and keep their roofs on, but roof coatings can do a great job at helping save energy and waterproof the roofs. So that's the only weird uncertainty that I would say we've seen this year that we're all trying to battle.

Megan Ellsworth: That's a good one to keep on mind as well. Going off of that, what trends or developments are shaping the trajectory of the industry right now?

Will Lorenz: I think what I get an understanding with most contractors is their homeowners, they're building owners that they're working with want to see two types of options. They want to see something that's definitely an upgrade, something that gives them a better roof circumstance than they have today and then something a bit more cost-effective. So it's really coming down to the roofing contractor and its reputation, its products, its brands that they're using and how well they're able to work with their client as to what their needs are. In the past, I really saw that the contractor or the specifier really drove everything. Now people, they want an option and they want to choose. And so I see our industry being quite flexible and providing good options for people. Roofing is still going well because of being able to put that flexibility in their bids to their customers.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. Totally. Flexibility is key. Absolutely. Especially in a market like Florida, like you said before.

Will Lorenz: Exactly. And so on the spray foam side, California has a recover responsibility that if you put a new roof on or a recover roof, I should say, it has to be R10. And then we understand that come 2025, it goes to R14 and those things are really good for spray foam where a couple inches of spray foam meets R14 so we're pretty excited. That's a good alternative for us. We're right in that space to do well. So we're looking with a great deal of optimism on some of these code changes that people are considering.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. That's great news. Because sometimes those code changes, you'd never know what exactly they're going to bring. So it's good that it's a positive change for you.

Will Lorenz: It is. It is indeed.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah.

Will Lorenz: And then other places like Arizona, I think I remember talking to people earlier in the year and they were all hoping for rain. It seems like people are picking up again, doing good-sized projects. So whether the rain ever made it there or not, people still need good roofs. And the roofing industry has reacted. The ARCA folks have done a really good job of help educate people out there as to the value of roofing, and they're very good, strong associates about spray foam roofing. So we're really glad to be a part of that organization too.

Megan Ellsworth: That's great. Yay. I love how many organizations and associations are getting on board with spray foam and coatings. So looking ahead, going off of that, with all these people getting involved in the coating spray foam industry, what are the anticipated advancements or changes that you see coming to the industry?

Will Lorenz: So on the spray foam side, we have new federal rulings coming in place with regard to transition of blowing agents. So that's the ingredient in the foam that provides the insulation and the expansion properties of the foam. California and many states have been on this low GWP, HFO so we've been on it for years. But other states are going to be mandated to change now federally across the country come January 1st, 2025. So some states like Arizona or Texas that haven't seen that transition now will have to do so because of the EPA's ruling. We think it's actually a better next generation product that's going to have less effect on the climate and save more energy. Our values on our newest products are higher than our old HFC products, so we're really moving forward in a next generation. So that's a big step that's going to happen for us in 2025.

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, that's exciting. Big step. Yay. And it's coming soon. That's always exciting too. You don't have to wait too long. So what are some key attractions or highlights that contractors and manufacturers can look forward to at the Western Roofing Expo this year?

Will Lorenz: Well, for me, I'm always amazed by whatever Trent is doing. He's just a visionary and has such a good insight as to what's going on. And John Kotny or John-

Megan Ellsworth: John Kenny.

Will Lorenz: Kenny. Yes. Yeah. Pardon me. They always have a lot of good things to say. And I think they're both speaking like five or six times it seems like at Western State. So I'm interested in hearing what they're up to and what insight they can provide for us. I think we're hoping for a lot of folks showing up to Las Vegas and being a part of it. We think it's been a good last couple of years. So roofers seem to come to Vegas, enjoy life and hear about next technologies and good companies and we hope to be a part of that discussion with them.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. And I know you will. So maybe what are some specifics on the learning opportunities? What's a standout at the General Coatings Everroof booth that you guys are going to be teaching on?

Will Lorenz: Well, for us on the Everroof side with roof coatings, it's very important substrate preparation. You're putting down 20 mils to 60 mils of roof coating. And if it's done well, it sticks well, it performs, it does the tasks that you want it to do. But if it's marginal or if we don't really explain well the techniques to how to apply it, then we can all see issues. And so it's best that we continue that education there on surface prep and how to install the products. And then on the spray foam side, hey, we're still celebrating some giant ball that happens in Las Vegas. It has a little bit of spray foam on it and telling them that it can do great new projects like that in the entertainment Mecca of Las Vegas.

Megan Ellsworth: Yay. The giant ball. And we're so excited that General Coatings has sponsored the Coffee Conversations live from Western Roofing Expo. I always look forward to the live Coffee Conversations because there's always so much great insight from all the panelists and you will be a panelist. I hear. Very excited to have you back. So what are some things you look forward to chatting about on Coffee Conversations and other people can look forward to?

Will Lorenz: Well, first of all, as a supplier, it's very important for us that we hear what our customers want and what their end customers are saying and what they need. We exist because we've got customers who have a need that all of us suppliers fill, and we have raw material people behind us giving us technologies and resins and foam chemistry that we can then put on roofs and solve the problem.

So first of all, I always want to listen first. I have a tendency to talk first, but I want to listen a little bit and hear some of the good panelists, particularly contractors, about what their concerns are, what they see their opportunities are. But I think all of us are focused on the same thing, which is labor continues to be more difficult, to find more expensive and all of us need to have solutions that don't have 10 people on the roof, but have five people or two people on the roof and give the customer what they're looking for as far as durability and performance and energy savings.

Because you put a roof on 30 years ago, it was just, I don't want the rain coming in. I don't want the snow bothering me. Now they want it to save energy now. They want it to be environmentally responsible now. Now they want it to perform in inclement weather for a long period of time. And I think that's exactly what we're supposed to be providing. Shelter for a long period of time. So it's good to hear from customers about that. And then I'm just excited to hear that the roofing industry continues to grow and mature from the standpoint of its education with people. I'm always a big fan of what Reid Ribble said. That roofers should be proud of being roofers. They do a great job. I like to see that the whole roofing brand, if you will, is raised in consumer eyes.

Megan Ellsworth: Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. I think that is such a special thing that we've all been tasked with recently. And for a generation now really widening the understanding of the roofing industry. And I am excited for you all to talk about that as well on Coffee Conversations and just everything. We have extra panelists to be announced shortly and all sorts of topics that will be announced as well that we'll be talking about. So I'm excited

Will Lorenz: And Heidi and you bring in the best of people. And so it's just really nice to learn. And Charles Antis is always somewhere driving by and raving and celebrating. So maybe Charles will be a part of it too. You never know.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. Maybe we'll wrangle him.

Will Lorenz: Exactly.

Megan Ellsworth: He's slippery. Okay. So can you tell us about the WSRCA's commitment to giving back to the roofing industry because they're great and I've been going since I was little and you've been going forever. Tell us a little bit about it.

Will Lorenz: Well, I think in general, the roofing industry is very fortunate to have very successful entrepreneurs and suppliers who also care about the employees and care about the education of kids and the development of professionals in this trade. And so this memorial fund does a great job of rallying people for a good cause, raising money, having a good time. It's always a great party. And seeing those guys up there with their gear on particularly basically CI services and the Beacon guys are up there really rolling and having a good time. It's just nice. And I always see Heidi up there too. She's up there.

Megan Ellsworth: I know.

Will Lorenz: Getting people to bid more. So we hope to be a part of both bidding on a few things as well as we're participating with an auction item, which we hope will be of interest for people. It's something that happens in Las Vegas. So do Las Vegas.

Megan Ellsworth: Can we talk about your donation? What is it or is it a surprise?

Will Lorenz: No. It's not a surprise. We like to tell the world. We like to have more people go to the Las Vegas Sphere and see the entertainment mecca that is there. So we've got four tickets to that event. I think it's on Tuesday. And it's Postcards from the Edge. It's an amazing visual site sound experience. I saw it and I really think everybody should go and see it. It gives you a great perspective about the world. It's just so big and overwhelming that it's just like something else. It reminds me of where IMAX was like 25 years ago in that it shocked you. This is one of those shocking experiences.

Megan Ellsworth: That's amazing.

Will Lorenz: So we have that as an auction item. Hopefully it gets bid up, brings more in for the fund and has four people go out and have a great time and get more people to go to the Sphere because I think it's just an amazing place to be a part of.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, everyone should definitely go to the auction night. The Davis Memorial Auction night. I believe it's the first night before the expo opens.

Will Lorenz: Sunday.

Megan Ellsworth: Sunday. Yes. Perfect. So everyone should go and bid on the Sphere tickets. I know Roofers Coffee Shop has a silent auction item or a regular auction and everyone just go bid and raise money for scholarships. I was actually a recipient of the Davis Memorial Scholarship when I was in college.

Will Lorenz: Oh, wow.

Megan Ellsworth: And it helped my family a lot, so it's a really great cause. So thank you Will for being a part of that.

Will Lorenz: Well, thank you. Relative to all the members that have been a part of it for a long, long time, I mean decades, we're a relatively new player in this thing, but we're just very glad and honored to be a part of it. And then it's always good to, like I say, give back so that other people can have an opportunity to grow into a trade or just become better educated and do more in society. So we're glad to be a part of that.

Megan Ellsworth: Absolutely. Absolutely. Okay. So for those attending the Western Roofing Expo, what would you say they should expect in terms of networking opportunities and building industry connections?

Will Lorenz: So I think first of all, there's many people there. That's the first thing. So to network, you have to have people as an opportunity. So there's a lot of friendly faces for people to come up and talk to. I think our spray foam and the roof coating industry are excellent individuals with excellent companies. And so talking with them are great places to learn about alternatives to other roof systems.

There's a lot of focus on traditional roof systems or membrane systems, spray foam or roof coatings are great alternatives that do a fine job and perform at the task. So we'd love to see people come by the general coatings booth or the Everroof booth, which is our restoration maintenance coating brand. And love to talk to them about, again, things like substrate preparation, how to do things well, how to install products or just celebrate getting out and getting away from work and living the dream in Vegas.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. I look forward to this show every year because it is just such a special group of people. It's a big show. It'll take you the whole day if not both days to see everything and everyone's just the best. So is there anything else that General Coatings is doing at Western States that we haven't touched on?

Will Lorenz: Not particularly. We do have some people participating in some of the fun events as far as golf and I think shooting. Some of my crews out there having a good time and I'm glad that they're taking customers and enjoying life out there.

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome.

Will Lorenz: I think Western State's sort of like a giant big family so we want to have that part of it too, rather than all seriousness and business. We enjoy the spoils together, I would say.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. I love that. I love that. So I know we're going to trade show season, it's about to get real busy. What other opportunities are there that General Coatings will be at for contractors to come and learn about you all? I know there's MRCA, RCAT, the Arizona show. Where are you guys going to be?

Will Lorenz: We seem to be at almost everywhere. We might have some golf outings coming up with IIBEC here in California and RCA here as well as Arizona Roofing Contractor show coming up in Arizona. And then we're going to be at the RCAT in Texas. We're going to be at the MRCA. I think we just finished a building expo one in Florida. So yes, the show season is upon us. Hurricanes come and so do the roofers.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. So true.

Will Lorenz: And we're really excited about MRCA. I would say after Western States, I think Western States is a premier event for us. MRCA, we recently joined that organization in the last couple of years, but it coattails into our RCMA event up there for the Roof Coating Manufacturers Association.

Megan Ellsworth: Amazing. Yes.

Will Lorenz: And then as a past president, I'm a proponent of working with Roofers Coffee Shop to promote the contractor experience and the contractor education and like to see that we have a contractor panel up there and we can have people learn more about what the contractor expects from manufacturers like ourselves so that the end job is done well and we're all satisfied and warranties can be issued.

Megan Ellsworth: Absolutely. Absolutely. It's very important. So important, and I love how you all put the contractor first so deeply in every aspect.

Will Lorenz: We serve them. We're in business because they see a value in what we can provide as services or products. And what we run and do is learn more of how we can do it better, faster and more efficiently for them. I think that's always the case. We're live in this crazy AI world where they think they're going to replace us all, whether we're A or B or C in the industry and people really matter and their expertise. AI still hasn't got that figured out well enough. Getting a roof partner in the sense of who's installing a roof or a roof partner as a supplier, that good marriage of a relationship really counts to for success. It just can't come on a few megabytes of AI.

Megan Ellsworth: So true. So true. And AI can't put a roof on or lay down some coatings either.

Will Lorenz: That's right. If I see them shingling soon, then I'll be worried, but I don't see that happening for a while.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. Exactly. well, Will, I'm so excited. We'll see you at RCAT and MRCA and the RCMA meetings and Western States, so we're going to hang out lots this fall.

Will Lorenz: Wow, that's fantastic. Well, we'll look forward to it and maybe we'll have to also go to the Sphere again ourselves just to go and celebrate, so why not?

Megan Ellsworth: Yes. Agreed. Everyone go to the Sphere come Sunday night before Western States to the Davis Memorial Auction, and you'll see all of us there and we can all party and have a fun time and bid on some auction items. This has been Roofing Road Trips. Will thank you so much for chatting with me.

Will Lorenz: Thank you, Megan. As always. Thank you.

Outro: Absolutely. I will see everyone else next time on Roofing Road Trips. You can go to rooferscoffeeshop.com and coatingscoffeeshop.com to learn more, and we will see you then.
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