Six sides, one company: SOPREMA’s commitment to the entire building envelope

By Emma Peterson. 

SOPREMA’s contractor‑driven development process leads to high‑performance solutions for roofing, waterproofing and beyond. 

In 1908, Charles Geisen founded Les Usines Alsaciennes d’Émulsions (Alsatian Emulsion Factory) in Strasbourg, France. The following year, his company produced the first waterproof roofing membrane, made out of fabric dipped in hot bitumen. Fast-forward to today, Charles’ legacy lives on in SOPREMA and extends far beyond that one roofing product. To learn about SOPREMA’s products for the entire building envelope, we sat down with Darci Kunard, their national sales manager, for an episode of Roofing Road Trips®.  

For the last 100 years, SOPREMA has been leading the way when it comes to high-quality performance products. This is because of their dedication to continual improvement and innovation. Darci explained, “We are constantly looking for ways to add to our portfolio. To do this, and make sure we are building the products that contractors now and in the future will need, we conduct these types of events with contractors who say tell us what they need.”  

The result of this dedication is an extensive and comprehensive portfolio of products that can be used on all parts of the building envelope, not just the roof! Darci emphasized this:  

We are committed to all six sides of the building. So that's really our go-to-market strategy. We offer sealants and adhesives that can be used in everything from your below-grade waterproofing and air barriers to waterproofing membranes and roofing as well as the building’s interior. We have something for every application. 

Further, their portfolio doesn’t only include products that are great for new construction projects; they also have options that are perfect for service and maintenance purposes. Darci explained, “We supply many of the service and maintenance departments out there because they know that they can trust the ChemLink brand products to be on their truck and it can be used with any substrate.” 

At the end of the day, SOPREMA’s goal has and will always be to help contractors solve problems. As Darci put it, “We love talking to contractors, hearing what issues they have and helping them find a solution. Maybe that’s a product already in our portfolio they didn’t know about or maybe it’s building something new... This is just something that we're really strong and passionate about.” 

Listen to the whole episode with Darci to learn more about SOPREMA and how they serve contractors.