NRCA's partnerships are valuable, helping to efficiently serve its members and the
roofing industry. The association's partnerships remained strong during 2008-09.
NRCA once again partnered with Hanley Wood to hold the 2009 International Roofing
Expo (IRE)® and NRCA's 122nd Annual Convention Feb. 1-5 in Las Vegas. IRE's
trade show had more than 7,400 attendees and 359 exhibiting companies. The convention
included educational programs, and NRCA recognized its newly elected slate of officers
for 2009-10. Other events included the NRCA Luncheon, NRCA Cocktail and Awards Reception,
the National Roofing Legal Resource Center Breakfast and ROOFPAC sporting events.
NRCA's Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing is a separate 501(c)(6) organization
that promotes developing and using environmentally responsible, high-performance
roof systems. Located in Washington, D.C., the center endeavors to advance innovative
solutions to energy and environmental challenges by coordinating and encouraging
objective research; serving as a repository for environmental information; expanding
market opportunities; participating in science-based advocacy; and coordinating
environmental standards and codes.
NRCA continues to work with Rebuilding Together® during its Kickoff to Rebuild
event each year, when volunteers rehabilitate the homes of low-income homeowners
in conjunction with the Super Bowl. NRCA and Rebuilding Together and its more than
200 local and state affiliates also provide roof system repairs for service members,
veterans and military families through two new partnership programs—Heroes
at Home and Serving Those Who Serve. Both programs focus on making necessary repairs,
improvements or modifications to veterans' and soldiers' homes.
NRCA's Affiliate Executives Council is a forum for NRCA affiliate executives, allowing
them to exchange information and ideas and become more involved in NRCA while also
improving communication. The council met in July and during the 2009 International
Roofing Expo in Las Vegas in February to address issues and voice opinions regarding
matters being considered by NRCA's board of directors and committees.
NRCA has continued its partnerships with the Roofing Contractors Association of
California, Mid Atlantic Roofing Contractors Association, Kentucky Roofing Contractors
Association, Arizona Roofing Contractors Association and New Mexico Roofing Contractors
Association. NRCA's responsibilities regarding these partnerships include holding
educational seminars, publishing newsletters, maintaining Web sites and offering
membership discounts.
The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress, which was established within the National
Roofing Foundation to create an endowment fund to serve as a highly focused resource
for the roofing industry and its customers, replaced its previous scholarship program
with the Melvin Kruger Endowed Scholarship Program. The scholarships provide recipients
with $5,000 per year for enrollment in accredited university or vocational programs.
Eligible participants must be employees of NRCA member contractor or supplier companies
or immediate family members of employees of NRCA member contractor or supplier companies.
Scholarships may be renewed annually provided recipients reapply and continue to
meet award criteria.
During NRCA's 122nd Annual Convention, The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress
held its Melvin Kruger Endowed Scholarship Sweepstakes. The sweepstakes netted more
than $16,000 for the Alliance's Melvin Kruger Endowed Scholarship Fund. The sweepstakes
winner was announced during NRCA's cocktail and awards reception, which took place
Feb. 4; LeAnne Sanders, president of Thermo Manufacturing, Lindale, Texas, won the
sweepstakes' grand prize—a 2009 BMW 128i convertible.
In addition, the Alliance released
Identification and Management of Musculoskeletal
Disorders in the Roofing Industry, a report identifying best practices for
reducing repetitive-stress injuries in roofing workers through education; redesign
of work activities; and improved design of tools, equipment and materials. The research
was commissioned by the Alliance and conducted by Thomas E. Glavinich, D.E., P.E.,
associate professor for the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural
Engineering at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. The report intends to promote
a proactive approach to ergonomics through risk management by identifying and mitigating
factors that may contribute to worker injury or illness.
The National Roofing Legal Resource Center (NRLRC), which was established by NRCA
as a separately funded organization in 1979, had 45 new members this year and an
85 percent retention rate. Acting as a legal advocate for roofing contractors, NRLRC
offered new benefits for its members. It developed and distributed a six-part immigration
compliance package that provided information about how to comply with I-9 requirements;
how to respond to a no-match letter from the Social Security Administration; E-verify;
H2B program eligibility; general contractor and subcontractor liability; and Immigration
and Customs Enforcement raids. NRLRC also distributed 12 legal guides called
Sidebar,
which address situations such as what to do when work is suspended for nonpayment,
or how to protect yourself from a former employee disclosing or distributing proprietary
information concerning your company.
NRLRC members received complimentary copies of three new documents as a membership
benefit. The first,
A Comprehensive Guide to Wage and Hour Regulations Affecting
Roofing Contractors, addresses regulations governing minimum wage and overtime
pay requirements, including a discussion about how to calculate the "regular rate"
of pay. The guide also discusses Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations that
set forth the rules for travel time pay, which often are misunderstood. In addition,
this guide addresses the record-keeping requirements under the FLSA.
The second,
A Roofing Contractors Guide to Construction Contracts, addresses
how to identify and understand a contract's critical clauses before signing, giving
a roofing contractor more effective ways to manage risk and reduce claims. The guide
also discusses the rules of contract interpretation, payment terms and scheduling
costs, as well as addresses dispute resolution, mediation and arbitration versus
litigation if a roofing contractor becomes involved with a contract dispute.
The third,
Repair and Service Work Guidance, will be a white paper and includes
two sample forms, including a Service Invoice and Service Authorization Form.
NRLRC's 29th annual seminar, Roofing Issues: Decks to Dockets, was held in Hilton
Head, S.C., Nov. 6-8, 2008. The seminar hosted 100 attendees who learned about legal,
technical and safety issues and shared ideas and best practices.
ConsensusDOCS, contract documents intended to benefit the construction industry
by providing model contract language drafted with industrywide participation, entered
into an agreement with NRCA to offer member pricing on its contract documents series.
The contract documents series includes general contracting (200 Series), collaborative
documents (300 Series), design-build (400 Series), construction management at risk
(500 Series), subcontracting (700 Series) and program management (800 Series).
NRCA held a regional meeting in conjunction with the Metal Construction Association's
(MCA's) 2008 semiannual meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, July 29-31, 2008. During the
joint event, NRCA members attended MCA general sessions and NRCA gave a presentation
about the newly formed Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing. Additionally,
NRCA's 2008-09 President Rob Therrien, president of The Melanson Co. Inc., Keene,
N.H., and Bill Good, NRCA's executive vice president, were at the event to discuss
the center and other NRCA initiatives.
NRCA and BuildSite LLC, Oakland, Calif., partnered to launch The Roofing Industry
Product Center, which became available in February. The Roofing Industry Product
Center is part of an NRCA/BuildSite Industry Information Center, which is accessible
from
www.nrca.net and
www.buildsite.com and acts as an integrated single source for product and
technical information to support NRCA members' daily activities.
The Roofing Industry Product Center is a BuildSite-powered database containing information
about roofing materials manufacturers and their products. The database is searchable
by manufacturer, product category or distributor location and provides links to
important documents such as product data, material safety data sheets, installation
details and International Code Council reports.
NRCA and insurance services firm Norman-Spencer Inc., Lombard, Ill., partnered to
provide an affordable health insurance program for roofing contractors and consultants.
The new membership benefit offers flexible and affordable health insurance benefits
for roofing contractors' and consultants' families, as well as their employees and
their families. The program addresses the needs of individual and small group coverage
with multiple plan options for Health Savings Accounts insurance plans, traditional
PPO health plans and PPO "Light" health plans. Features include an extensive provider
network, three-year rate lock, prescription coverage and deductible options.