NRCA's partnerships are valuable, helping to efficiently serve its members and the
roofing industry. The association's partnerships remained strong during 2009-10.
NRCA once again partnered with Hanley Wood to hold the 2010 International Roofing
Expo (IRE)® and NRCA's 123rd Annual Convention Feb. 20-24 in New Orleans. IRE's
trade show had nearly 7,000 attendees and 380 exhibiting companies. The convention
included educational programs, and NRCA recognized its newly elected slate of officers
for 2010-11. Other events included the NRCA Luncheon, NRCA Cocktail and Awards Reception,
National Roofing Legal Resource Center Breakfast, and ROOFPAC silent auction and
sporting clays tournament.
Additionally, NRCA and Rebuilding Together® New Orleans held the first Community
Service Day Feb. 21 to give back to the New Orleans community. Seventy-seven volunteers
renovated five homes in New Orleans' Holly Grove neighborhood that were damaged
by Hurricane Katrina.
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 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 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'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 during NRCA's Midyear Meetings in May 2009
and the 2010 International Roofing Expo in New Orleans 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 websites and offering
membership discounts.
The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress is a separate but related educational
and research organization of NRCA.
The Alliance has allocated more than $3 million in funding to conduct research and
educational projects that support high-quality programs for roofing contractors;
ensure timely and forward-thinking industry responses to major economic and technological
issues; and enhance the long-term viability and attractiveness of the industry for
roofing workers.
It awarded a $750,000 grant to the Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing
to co-sponsor the development of RoofPoint,™ a new guideline and rating system
for selecting roof systems that maximize energy efficiency and minimize environmental
impact.
In 2009, the Alliance approved funding for two new projects. A field performance
study of photovoltaic (PV) roofs in Florida involved a survey of owners and contractors
responsible for 6,000 solar installations in the state. The study will monitor ongoing
field performance of PV roof systems. The Alliance also approved funding for research
intended to clarify the results of testing conducted by the Asphalt Roofing Environmental
Council to explore potential effects of type IV BUR asphalt fumes.
Through its Melvin Kruger Endowed Scholarship Program, the Alliance awarded the
first three scholarships for the 2009-10 school year to Jennifer Baxter, Addie Kuhn
and Laura Stabile and approved five renewals from the previous scholarship program.
The scholarship recipients received $5,000 each for their enrollment in accredited
universities. 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. The scholarships may be renewed annually provided recipients
reapply and continue to meet award criteria.
Established by NRCA as a separately funded organization in 1979, the National Roofing
Legal Resource Center (NRLRC) acts as a legal advocate for roofing contractors throughout
the U.S. NRLRC recruited 38 new members this year, as well as had an 83 percent
retention rate and a total membership of 405.
During the 2010 IRE, NRLRC held its annual breakfast program, Catastrophic Roofing
Failures Contractors Have Experienced. During the breakfast, NRLRC's expert panel
educated roofing contractors regarding how to limit their liability and protect
themselves from various legal, technical and employment problems, including condensation
problems related to white single-ply membranes; how to comply with the new energy
codes when they conflict with building codes; responsibility for building-code compliance
for PV and vegetative roof systems and how liability is and can be shifted; and
managing risk that is inherent when using fume-emitting products.
NRLRC members received complimentary copies of three new documents as a membership
benefit. A Roofing Contractor's Guide to Fume Claims,
A Guide to Obtaining Payment
and Contract Provisions, Volume II.
NRLRC's 30th annual seminar, Roofing Issues: Decks to Dockets, was held in Los Cabos,
Mexico, Nov. 5-7, 2009. The seminar hosted 80 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, has
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 and BuildSite LLC, Oakland, Calif., offer The Roofing Industry Product Center
as 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., provide an
affordable health insurance program for roofing contractors and consultants. The
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.
NRCA partnered with Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants (MMIC) Inc., Orland Park,
Ill., to offer NRCA members a free, no obligation health insurance quote. To participate,
NRCA members complete a proposal request form at
www.mmicinsurance.com/NRCA and submit it to MMIC. When MMIC receives the
form, it selects two insurance companies based on the applicant's needs, location
and number of employees. Within 48 hours, MMIC evaluates and negotiates with the
two insurance companies to tailor a plan that best fits the applicant's needs and
e-mails the applicant a proposal with rates and benefit comparisons.