By Jenny Yu.  

Dataforma and O’Hara’s Son Roofing show how partnership leads to practical, powerful tools. 

In this episode of CoatingsCast™, Karen Edwards spoke with Kim Baxter of O’Hara’s Son Roofing (OSR) and Brian Cook of Dataforma about how contractor feedback is shaping smarter software decisions across the roofing industry. 

For contractors, choosing the right management platform is a high-stakes decision. To make the most informed decision, the OSR team considered their options wisely. “There was a lot of software brought to the table, and a lot of software out there that does a lot of stuff,” Kim stated. “We listened to every single one, sent everybody through the ringer and tested them. It's not a very easy decision, because once you're in and you get everything in there, you'd better have made the right decision.” That diligence ultimately led OSR to Dataforma, where functionality and flexibility aligned with real operational needs. 

Brian highlighted that one of the most common reactions contractors have is surprise at the platform’s scope and affordability. “When they see our pricing, they're almost shocked. They're like, ‘There's no way you can do all these things that we need for this price.’ I'm like, ‘Well, we do,’” he said. “You have a timecard, daily job reports, a service module and a production module. We're about to release a full sales module for people that have separate sales CRM — you don't need those now, and the price point doesn't have to be crazy.” 

A key theme of the discussion was Dataforma’s commitment to user-driven development. Brian recalled how OSR’s feedback directly influenced platform improvements. “I remember doing all the demos with OSR, and you would hear them ask questions and you're like, ‘not only is that a great question, but that's also a great idea for a functionality upgrade,’” he said. 

One feature that stood out was Dataforma’s lock functionality, which Kim described as transformative for managing access and accountability. “When you've got the lock feature in Dataforma, you can lock it to however many people you want,” she explained. “It's just streamlined things for us. It's working. Everybody's on board, and we all work together really, really well.” 

As Dataforma continues to evolve, Brian said the focus is on modernization and integration. “We're making some big changes at Dataforma,” he shared. “We know we have this great foundation and great functionality. Let's get rid of clicks. Let's make it more updated for the 21st century. More integrations.” 

Read the first article in this series, Listen to the podcast or Watch the recording to learn more about how collaboration between software providers and contractors can drive meaningful progress across the industry. 

By Jesse Sanchez. 

One contractor’s search for a truly all-in-one tool led to a surprising standout find. 

When Kim Baxter joined O’Hara’s Son Roofing (OSR), she was tasked with an ambitious goal: build a national service program nearly from scratch. But before she could do that, she had to tackle something far less glamorous, finding the right software for the job. And that turned out to be a bigger deal than anyone expected. “We were looking for something that would do everything for us,” Kim said on this episode of CoatingsCast, hosted by Karen Edwards. “We only had nine employees. We needed something that would do accounting and production and service and work with our contractors.” The OSR team scoured the market, digging into platforms big and small. But no singular system seemed to check every box, until they came across Dataforma.  

“Dataforma is the only one that could do every single thing we needed it to do,” Kim said. “It was time saving for us and it was just all-encompassing.” That all-in-one capability is exactly what Brian Cook, senior vice president at Dataforma, says sets them apart. “We didn’t try to build a software fast,” Brian explained. “It was built over two years really just to be for our company.” 

Brian’s background is steeped in the roofing industry. He spent six years traveling across the country, visiting contractors weekly. That on-the-ground experience shaped Dataforma into what it is today, a platform designed from real jobsite challenges. The software’s strength lies in its ability to silo and scale. “If I run the Tampa, Florida office, I only need to see Tampa,” Brian said. “But if I’m the owner, I can run reports on the entire company or on each individual division.” 

For OSR, those capabilities weren’t just nice to have, they were essential as the company rapidly grew its footprint. And Kim didn’t hold back when it came to championing the switch. “I pulled Luke aside at one point and I said, ‘How loud do you want me to be about software?’” she recalled. “And he goes, ‘You be as loud as you need to be.’” That endorsement from leadership helped seal the deal and, according to Kim, they haven’t looked back since. 

Listen to the podcast or Watch the conversation to learn more about how OSR and Dataforma are building a smarter future together and what’s next for the software! 

Industry Leader of the Year, Associate of the Year and Golden Hammer Award winners honored at NTRCA Awards Gala.

The North Texas Roofing Contractors Association (NTRCA) – a regional association whose mission is to serve our roofing professional members promoting ethical standards, insights, innovation and education – announces this year’s board of directors and award winners. 

During the NTRCA Awards Banquet, held February 8, 2025, at the iconic Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas, the winners of the annual Industry Leader of the Year award and the Associate of the Year award were announced and recognized for their significant contributions to the North Texas roofing industry. Past winners meet annually to choose each year’s new honoree in each category. 

The Industry Leader of the Year honor, the association's most prestigious recognition, was awarded to Holly Green, president and owner of Brettco Roofing. The Associate of the Year honor was awarded to Cindy Gebbia with Thermafoam. 

The 2025 NTRCA board members were also sworn in during the NTRCA Awards Banquet. The 2025 board members include: 

• President: Bret Foster - Bret Foster Roofing Inc. 
• Past president: Tina Hall - Joe Hall Roofing and Contracting 
• President-elect: Chris Arrington - Arrington Roofing Co. Inc. 
• Treasurer: Danielle Begley - Texas Roof Management Inc 
• Anthony Applegate - Banner Roofing & Construction LLC 
• Ida Buttarazzi-Meals - Certainteed 
• Casandra Greenwell - ABC Supply 
• Jeff Loud - Roadrunner Roofing Supply 
• Justin Minor - Beacon Roofing Supply 
• Vinny Munnia - SRS Building Products 
• Jimmy Porch - Myriad Roofing & Waterproofing 
• Wesley Quenichet - Local Hero Roofing LLC 
• Nick Sookiasian - IKO 
• Renee Urso - O'Hara's Son Roofing 
• Chase Walker - GAF 
• Kirk Scott - Scott Exteriors 
• Karen Ensley - Ensley Benitez Law PC 
• Kristin Lonergan - Champion Commercial Insurance 

The Golden Hammer Awards celebrate exceptional projects that exemplify craftsmanship, innovation, safety, and solutions to unique logistical challenges. This year’s recipients were: 

Residential project winners 

• Springtree Restoration: Lakewood Castle Project 
• Elite Roofing and Home Restoration: Fox Glen Project 
• BRM Roofing and Construction Services: Hampton Style Colleyville Project 

Commercial project winners 

• DT Roofing: Cowtown Coliseum - Fort Worth Stockyards Project 
• Supreme Roofing: Hangars 1 and 2 Project 
• KPost Company: Maple Terrace Project 

Residential community service winners 

• Paradigm Roofing: Red, White and Roof: 4th of July Veteran Support Project 
• Roof Experts: Veteran Wins Free Roof Project 
• PROCO Roofing: Tenderfoot Project 

Residential metal winners 

• Graham Construction and Roofing: Graham Residence Project 
• Joe Hall Roofing and Contracting: EDCO Arrow Line Slate Project 
• Absolute Construction: Frisco Concrete Tile to Metal Re-Roof Project 

Commercial metal winners 

• Anchor Roofing Systems: Mason County Courthouse Project PROCO Commercial Roofing: Baylor Football Ops Center Project 
• MRB Contractors: Zion Lutheran Church Project 

Residential tile winners 

• Haro Roofing: Project Ash Bluff 
• Scott Exteriors: Meadowood Ludowici Project 
• Joe Hall Roofing and Contracting: Eagle Mountain Lake Villa Project 

Residential innovations winners 

• Paradigm Roofing: Seaside Tesla Solar Roof Project 
• Joe Hall Roofing and Contracting: Historic Fort Worth Home Restoration Project 
• Ramon Roofing: Highland Park Project 

Commercial innovations winner 

• Arrington Roofing Co. Inc.: Our Redeemer Lutheran Bell Tower Dome Project 

Commercial new construction winners 

• Anchor Roofing Systems: The Paul & Alejandra Foster Baylor Basketball Arena Project 
• Sun Commercial Roofs: Terry Black’s Barbecue Fort Worth Project 

The NTRCA continues to celebrate innovation and craftsmanship, setting the standard for roofing excellence across North Texas. Congratulations to all winners and honorees for their outstanding contributions to the roofing industry! 

Sponsors for this year’s Annual NTRCA Awards Gala included: Beacon Building Products as lead sponsor, and specialty sponsors ABC Supply, GAF, SRS Building Products, CertainTeed, Elite Roofing and Home Restoration, Ensley Benitez Law PC, IB Roof Systems, IKO, Owens Corning Sales LLC, Polyglass, Roadrunner Roofing Supply, ThermaFoam LLC and Unity Insurance Partners. Rock N’Roll theme sponsors for the evening were EcoStar LLC, EDCO Products, Myriad Roofing & Waterproofing and Roofers Going Digital. Table sponsors included Anchor Roofing Systems LLC, Arrington Roofing Co. Inc., Atlas Roofing, DT Roofing LLC, H&R General Construction, Haro Roofing, Joe Hall Roofing & Contracting, KPost Roofing & Waterproofing, MRB Contractors LLC, Paradigm Roofing Co., PROCO Roofing & Construction, Spec Building Materials Corporation, Springtree Restoration LLC, Sun Commercial Roofs Inc. and Supreme Roofing. Half tables were sponsored by Absolute Construction, Conner-Legrand Inc., Elite Roofing and Home Restoration, Graham Construction and Roofing, Local Hero Roofing LLC and Roof Experts. 

To learn more, visit www.ntrca.com.

About North Texas Roofing Contractors Association 

The North Texas Roofing Contractors Association (NTRCA) is a resource for professional roofing contractors and associates working and doing business in North Texas. NTRCA also serves as a resource for individuals and businesses looking for qualified and competent roofing contractors. Roofing professionals must meet NTRCA eligibility requirements and agree to adhere to the NTRCA code of ethics to be members of the organization. NTRCA provides educational training sessions, mentoring, networking and community service opportunities for its members. For more information, please visit www.ntrca.com.