Showing up for advocacy matters

By Dani Sheehan. 

Roofing Day in D.C. 2025 offered a glimpse of what real progress can look like: passionate professionals sharing real-world insights to help shape better policy. 

Each spring, roofing professionals from across the country head to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the issues that matter most to their businesses and their communities. Roofing Day in D.C. 2025 was no exception — bringing together contractors, manufacturers and association leaders to meet with lawmakers and make their voices heard. For Will Lorenz, president of General Coatings Manufacturing Corp and longtime board member of both the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) and Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA), this year marked his seventh time in attendance. For Frank Mortl, SPFA’s executive director, it was his second time in attendance. 

“It’s always great to show a consistent face and be here in front of our representatives and senators and tell them how important the NRCA’s mission is and talk about the labor issues and tax policy issues our industry is seeing,” Will emphasized. 

Labor, tax policy and training 

Among the most pressing issues discussed were the labor shortage, tax fairness for small businesses and the need for increased funding for Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. These are concerns felt across the roofing industry, and Will emphasized how interconnected they are when it comes to building a successful business. “To grow opportunities for the roofing contractors, we have to have sufficient labor. We have to have high-quality employees that are well-trained, so we need funding for CTE training,” he explained. “And we need equitable tax policies so that small businesses, the real engines of America, can compete effectively with large corporations. Some of these policies have been incredibly disruptive for small business owners.” 

Face-to-face advocacy still matters 

Frank echoed the value of in-person advocacy, noting that while emails and phone calls have their place, nothing beats face-to-face engagement with elected officials. “It wasn’t just a one-way street,” he shared. “We were able to take in their questions, their concerns and identify how it all fits into the big picture — particularly when it comes to roofing, keeping folks safe and keeping folks dry. If it doesn’t have a roof, it’s a fence. And that really resonated with them.” 

He added that bipartisan cooperation was a theme that emerged from several meetings with lawmakers. “We met with senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle,” he said. According to Will, “There’s a real desire to find common ground, and NRCA did a great job preparing us to have productive conversations.” 

“There’s a coordinated effort that allows us to be fully educated as advocates,” Frank emphasized. “And once you’re in those rooms, it becomes clear — democracy still works when we show up and engage.” 

Watch the full interview to learn more about how the spray foam industry is working to move the needle in the right direction.