40 years shaped by contractor feedback

By Jesse Sanchez. 

How contractor input drove one manufacturer’s expansion into a complete roofing systems provider. 

At the International Roofing Expo (IRE) in Las Vegas, BITEC® marked its 40th anniversary with a clear message: its growth from a modified bitumen producer to a full systems manufacturer has been driven by listening to contractors. Speaking from The Coffee Shops™ sound stage, Shane Millwood, vice president of sales and marketing, and Joel Shealey, president of the company, reflected on that milestone and the strategy behind it. The company began in 1986 focused on modified bitumen. Over the past several years, however, it has expanded its offerings well beyond its original product line, signaling a steady and deliberate evolution centered around meeting customer needs. 

That expansion did not happen overnight. It was a deliberate shift in how the company approaches the market and its customers. Joel shared, “In the last five or six years we’ve really expanded our offerings with almost anything from the deck up; coatings, cover boards, insulation, fasteners, single plies. So, it’s a complete line of offerings today.” The decision to expand offerings effectively answered the call for what contractors were asking for in the field. 

For BITEC®, responding to contractor demand is not simply a product strategy; it is a guiding principle. “We are passionate about bringing the most value from a manufacturer standpoint to the contractor level and we must hear and listen to their demands whether they’re actually saying, ‘Hey, you got to do this or not.’ We hear it,” Shane said.  

Joel emphasized, “The contractors are our customers. You have to listen to your customers.” That mindset shapes more than the product lineup. In practical terms, it also influences how the company approaches service and delivery. President Joel Shealey said their focus includes strengthening technical support, sales engagement and logistics to make it easier for contractors to get what they need, when they need it. “We’re unique in that we’ve got the ability to send almost anything on one truck to a job,” Joel said. 

By combining expanded product lines with technical support and streamlined delivery, BITEC® is positioning itself as a single-source partner. After four decades, the company’s direction remains straightforward: listen first, then build solutions that meet contractor needs. 

Watch the full interview to learn more about how 40 years shaped by contractor feedback and how BITEC® built a complete roofing system by listening first and delivering what contractors need!