By Emma Peterson. 

SRS Distribution keeps contractors equipped with the roofing materials and building products they need to rebuild in the aftermath of storms. 

By virtue of size and environmental diversity, the United States sees a lot of storms and natural phenomena. From tornadoes East of the Rocky Mountains and hurricanes over the Atlantic to hail in the Midwest, flooding in the South and fires on the West Coast, Mother Nature makes sure to test the strength of our communities each year. And the first line of defense between our people and a storm? The roofs above our heads!  

Roofers are some of the first people on the ground when it comes time to start rebuilding in the aftermath of a natural disaster. And helping them respond and repair efficiently are distributors like SRS Distribution.  

SRS is one of the United States’ leading distributors of roofing materials and building products. Through the acquisition of supply partners around the country, SRS has built a network of support for contractors that seamlessly and efficiently connect them to the tools and supplies they need to help their communities whether any storm. 

And taking it a step further, through the Raise the Roof foundation, SRS brings “disaster relief, recovery and restoration to individuals and their communities” through partnerships with organizations like Minuteman Disaster Response, DARV, Habitat for Humanity Disaster Relief and local roofing companies. 

Are you helping your community rebuild or getting ready to provide support through the summer storm season? Find an SRS Distribution branch near you to get the supplies you need! 

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Learn how integrated attachment systems help contractors secure rooftop equipment, meet code requirements and ensure system performance. 

At the International Roofing Expo (IRE) in Las Vegas, one challenge came into clear focus for contractors and manufacturers alike; how to secure rooftop equipment in a way that meets evolving code requirements without compromising the roof itself. For Anchor Products, that challenge is driving greater attention to integrated attachment systems that are designed to improve speed, simplify installation and support long-term performance. Speaking on The Coffee Shops™ sound stage sponsored by SRS Distribution, Mark Vargas, director of business development for Anchor Products, and Justin Smith, national sales manager, described how the company’s systems are designed to replace more traditional rooftop attachment methods. “Our product line is all about attachments for everything on the roof,” Justin said, pointing to solutions developed for single-ply thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) roof systems. 

The value of these products lies in consolidation. Instead of relying on wood sleepers, ballast blocks or separate flashing details, the attachment integrates directly into the roof assembly. Justin described it as a watertight maintenance-free solution that is both heavy and strong. By combining multiple functions into one system, the approach can help contractors reduce installation time while lowering the overall cost of attachment. 

At the same time, performance is only part of the story. According to Mark and Justin, code compliance is becoming an increasingly important factor in how rooftop equipment is supported. As standards continue to change, systems that once relied on non-penetrating supports or counterweight designs are being replaced by attachment methods intended to meet stricter wind and safety requirements. As Justin stated, “Code is the big driver.” 

That shift is also creating a need for better coordination across trades. While roofing contractors may already understand how these systems work within warranted roof assemblies, Mark said that familiarity is often less common in other sectors. “We bridge that gap,” he said, noting that certified roofers are essential to proper installation and warranty protection. 

As wind exposure and weather risk continue to affect more parts of the country, secure rooftop attachment is becoming a more urgent part of overall roof design. For contractors, systems that support compliance while protecting roof performance are becoming increasingly important in the field. 

Watch the full interview to learn more about integrated attachment systems that help contractors secure rooftop equipment, meet evolving code requirements and improve installation efficiency!

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Why roofing contractors are moving toward a single end-to-end platform and how Atlas AI is designed to turn unified data into measurable business insight. 

Roofing contractors are not looking to add more technology to their operations just for the sake of it. They are looking for smarter systems that can work seamlessly together, getting the most out of modern innovations to help streamline their work. During conversations from The Coffee Shops™ sound stage at the International Roofing Expo (IRE), ServiceTitan leaders Chris Petros and Vishal Laddha each noted that the industry is at an inflection point. As companies grow, the opportunity to replace disconnected tools with a more unified approach that strengthens visibility and control is too great to pass up. When data is centralized and workflows are aligned, reporting becomes faster and production is easier to track. Instead of friction, contractors gain clarity at the exact moment they need it most. 

Chris, chief operating officer at ServiceTitan, said contractors are looking for standardized, system-driven operations. He described ServiceTitan as “a business management software that helps roofing contractors really improve their day-to-day operations,” built by turning proven best practices into product features that support sales, margins and customer experience. That standardization begins at the top of the funnel. “People spend money on marketing; they want to convert those leads into booked appointments,” Chris said. From there, contractors want structured in-home presentations, multiple pricing options and clear job tracking that carries through production and closeout. 

Vishal, who leads strategy for exteriors, said many contractors still rely on “three, four, five different softwares” to manage those steps. That fragmentation limits what automation and artificial intelligence can actually deliver. “Having all of your data in a single ecosystem is very important in order for that AI to truly be able to make recommendations on your business,” he said. 

Both leaders pointed to Atlas, ServiceTitan’s AI platform, as the next step in that evolution. Chris explained that Atlas is focused on practical applications that contractors can use immediately in their day-to-day operations, rather than experimental or theoretical tools. Vishal added that AI is designed to function much like a chief of staff for business owners, surfacing key performance insights automatically and delivering answers about sales, operations and productivity without requiring custom dashboards or manual report building. 

To make a single-platform strategy practical for roofing contractors, ServiceTitan has built integrations with major industry partners, including what many refer to as “the big three” distributors, ABC Supply, QXO and SRS Distribution, along with measurement providers that deliver roof reports and estimating data. By connecting ordering, measurements, scheduling and reporting within one ecosystem, contractors can reduce manual entry and minimize communication gaps between the office and the field. At IRE, Chris said many discussions centered on production discipline and capacity planning, particularly “keeping their crews fully utilized and staying ahead of production.” Ultimately, the objective is not just streamlined data but stronger execution, giving contractors the visibility and structure needed to grow without losing control. 

Watch the interviews to learn more about how a single end-to-end platform powered by Atlas AI can help roofing contractors unify their data, streamline operations and gain real-time insight into performance! 

By Emma Peterson. 

Separating the myths from fact when it comes to artificial intelligence and how it actually boosts businesses.  

Recently, wherever you turn, there seems to be a new artificial intelligence (AI) solution or software getting pushed on you. It’s a lot to take in, and it can be hard to figure out what is actually a useful addition to your toolbox. To learn more about how to productively incorporate AI programs in your operations, Megan Ellsworth sat down with Patrick Garcia of SRS Distribution and Fred Castonguay of Reworked.ai for an episode of Coffee Conversations®. 

Being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of AI tools that are on the market is not an uncommon experience. Fred calls this AI fatigue, saying, “Owners and general managers are bombarded with AI this and AI that. It causes a lot of fatigue. But, through all that noise, there are actually practical applications of AI that can help drive value in your business.” 

For Patrick, finding those applications is all about understanding the capabilities of AI. He shared, “There is a lot of hype, but it’s key to understand what AI can and cannot do. Someone once told me early on to think of it as a glorified autofill. And that’s not to say that it isn’t a powerful productivity tool, but it is still a tool, and you need to find how it works in your operations.” Fred emphasized, “AI is a tool, one which works on specific pain points. They don’t fix broken foundational processes. So, before a roofing company starts looking at programs, I would encourage a significant amount of introspection on the company structure. Because when people try to use one tool, in this case AI, to fix an entire broken process, it just amplifies the issue, makes it worse and wastes time/money.” 

For context, an example of a broken process would be not getting leads, and an example of a pain point would be managing your speed to lead. Where not getting leads is a much bigger issue that takes reorganization and possible personnel retraining, speed to lead is something that AI could help with.  

Listen to the podcast or Watch the recording to learn more about incorporating AI-powered tools into your business.  

By Emma Peterson. 

Elliot Emann shares his roofing journey on the Stories from the Roof podcast. 

Through our Stories from the Roof podcast series, we get the chance to sit down with roofing professionals from across the industry to talk about their businesses and careers. And in a lot of them, we’ve had the opportunity to hear all about how they unexpectedly fell in love with the roofing industry. One such story comes from Elliot Emann, the owner of Washington Roofing & Construction in Missouri, who recently joined us on Stories from the Roof to share his journey.  

Elliot originally graduated from McKendree University with the plan to work in medical sales. He explained, “Out of college, I lived in Omaha, Nebraska, for a year working at Cardinal Health. There, I basically helped independent pharmacies compete with bigger competitors.” 

Later, he found himself moving back to Missouri where he got involved in construction. This was actually a return to the industry for Elliot, as he worked at the same company his dad retired from (Heavy Highway) during the summer breaks while in college. It was while he was working there that a friend started a holiday lighting company that eventually branched out into the roofing industry. Elliot recalled, “He really started taking off with lighting and then got to start in the roofing because the two trades kind of complement each other. And he would call me like every two weeks while I was busting my butt in the construction industry to tell me how he's just killing it.” 

His friend’s great experience in the roofing industry is what piqued Elliot’s interest in going into roofing full-time. So, in 2021 he put in his two-weeks to jump into roofing. He started out as a salesperson, learning the ropes. He explained, “I worked with another contractor, I was with them for about three years. And in the last two years that I worked there, I did a lot of new business, closer to 10 million in new business.” Eventually, Elliot felt he was ready to take the next step and started building a network of subs and other professionals to work with him. And, in 2024, Washington Roofing & Construction was born. 

Looking back at his entire journey, Elliot couldn’t be happier to have ended up in roofing. He shared, “I started the company only five years after being in the industry. I was a field engineer for heavy highway construction prior to that, and I love roofing so much. I like the work, it's easy to spend long days, long nights just putting everything into this. It's a great industry, full of great people.”  

Learn more about Elliot and his company by listening to the whole podcast episode!

Por Jessica Bravo.  

Los artículos más leídos de abril reflejan educación continua, apoyo comunitario, innovación tecnológica y gestión eficiente. 

Durante el mes de abril, RoofersCoffeeShop presentó una variedad de contenidos relevantes para la industria de roofing, con ciertos artículos que captaron el interés de muchos y se posicionaron entre los más leídos. 

El artículo más leído del mes resaltó la participación de RoofersCoffeeShop y en eventos organizados por CertainTeed. Estos encuentros conectaron a contratistas, dueños de empresas y profesionales de la industria que forman parte de su programa de credenciales. Este programa está diseñado para impulsar a los contratistas al siguiente nivel mediante educación continua y certificaciones. El éxito de este artículo refleja el gran interés de los lectores en cómo la educación está ayudando, especialmente al contratista latino, a crecer profesionalmente y fortalecer sus negocios. 

El segundo artículo más leído del mes, titulado “Rompiendo estereotipos, construyendo carreras”, habla sobre la iniciativa en la industria para que jóvenes tuvieran la oportunidad de conocer de cerca los oficios y explorar oportunidades profesionales dentro del sector. Este tipo de esfuerzos no solo ayuda a cambiar la percepción de la industria, sino que también abre la puerta a nuevas generaciones interesadas en construir una carrera en el mundo de roofing. 

Otro de los artículos relata la historia de cómo dos compañías de techado se unieron para ayudar a un veterano que necesitaba un techo nuevo. En el reportaje, Kelly Street de Owens Corning expresó, “nos encanta retribuir a los veteranos que han sacrificado tanto por nuestro país; es una pequeña manera de mostrarles agradecimiento.” Este tipo de historias conmovedoras continúan siendo una parte esencial en la industria.  

Además, los lectores mostraron gran interés en conocer cómo Roof Hub está ayudando a los contratistas a organizar mejor sus proyectos de techado. El artículo, basado en un episodio de Almuerzo y Aprendizaje, explica cómo esta plataforma, desarrollada por SRS Distribution, está transformando la gestión de proyectos en la industria. Julián aportó información valiosa sobre las herramientas disponibles para optimizar operaciones. 

Finalmente, otro de los artículos más leídos abordó un tema fundamental para quienes inician o gestionan una empresa de roofing: el verdadero costo de cada trabajador. Durante un episodio de La Voz de los Ruferos, Teresa Ramírez de Southeast Staffing Agency habla cómo muchos contratistas suelen subestimar este aspecto, costo real de la mano de obra y considerando todos los factores que impactan en la rentabilidad del negocio. 

Mas contenido que informe, inspire y ayude a los profesionales de la industria por venir; no se lo pierdan.  

¡Lee los artículos más leídos de abril! 

5 – Mas allá del material y la oficina

4 – Tecnología que simplifica la gestión de materiales y entregas

3 – “Realmente necesitábamos una victoria” 

2 – Rompiendo estereotipos, construyendo carreras

1 – El crecimiento del contratista latino empieza con educación

By Jesse Sanchez. 

How this contractor-designed rubber pipe collar continues to solve a common roofing problem across new construction and repair projects. 

Live from the International Roofing Expo (IRE) in Las Vegas, Karen Edwards welcomed Wil-Mar Products representatives Stuart Pendleton and Michael Bothman to The Coffee Shops™ Sound Stage sponsored by SRS Distribution. The three sat down for a conversation focused on products shaped directly by contractor experience from the Wil-Mar brand.  

Wil-Mar Products was founded in the early 1990s and remains focused on a single core solution. The company’s primary product is a rubber roof pipe collar designed to slide over existing vent pipes to create a seal or provide a long-term repair when traditional flashings fail. The collars are made to fit pipe sizes ranging from three-quarters of an inch to four inches. That origin story continues to resonate with contractors in the field. As Stuart explained, crews previously relied on temporary fixes that rarely held up over time. “They were using tape, they were using caulking, they were using mastics and they would just all fail over time,” he said.  

The rubber pipe collar is commonly used across a wide range of applications, including new construction, replacement roofs and re-roofing projects. It is also frequently installed as a repair solution when other types of pipe flashing have already failed. In practice, the appeal is its simplicity. The collar slides up and over the pipe, providing a straightforward installation that does not require additional sealants or complex detailing. 

Wil-Mar Products are sold through roofing distribution and shipped nationwide. While much of the company’s customer base is located in the Bay Area, contractors and distributors across the nation have access to the product. 

For contractors interested in trying the pipe collar firsthand, the brand offers free samples through its directory listing. Sample sets include multiple sizes, giving crews the opportunity to test the product on real jobsites before committing. As Michael noted, “We’ll send you a free sample for you to try out and take a look at and of course call us with any questions.”  

Watch the full interview to learn more about how a contractor-designed rubber pipe collar provides a simple, long-term solution for preventing leaks at roof penetrations!

By Jesse Sanchez.  

Learn how new roofing tools improve efficiency, reduce jobsite risks and streamline cleanup for contractors.  

At the 2026 International Roofing Expo (IRE), contractors gathered to explore solutions that address one of the industry’s most persistent challenges; balancing efficiency with jobsite safety and cleanliness. During a live interview on the The Coffee Shops™ sound stage sponsored by SRS Distribution, Karen Edwards spoke with Heath Hicks of The Catch-All about a new lineup of tools shaped by firsthand roofing experience.  

Heath emphasized that each product stems from real jobsite frustrations rather than theoretical design. “My partner Eric and I are really just trying to solve the problems that we face in roofing on a daily basis,” Heath said. That practical focus was evident across the company’s latest innovations.  

One of the most notable developments is a self-leveling roof bucket designed to stabilize tools and materials on sloped surfaces. By adhering securely to the roof, the bucket helps prevent equipment from sliding, reducing interruptions and allowing crews to work more efficiently without constantly repositioning their tools.  

That same emphasis on workflow improvement extends to jobsite cleanup. Heath introduced the Sweeper Bin, a companion product for magnetic rollers used to collect nails. Instead of stopping frequently to empty a full magnet or creating piles that must be gathered later, crews can quickly deposit collected debris into the bin and continue working. “It makes clean up so much faster,” Heath said, adding that the system also helps ensure fewer nails are left behind.  

In addition to improving efficiency, the company is also addressing common installation challenges. A newly developed step flashing product integrates a self-sealing membrane gasket, making it easier to meet code requirements while reducing the likelihood of leaks around chimneys and roof-to-wall transitions.  

Together, these innovations reflect a broader shift toward tools that not only improve production but also protect the homeowner’s property. By reducing damage, minimizing callbacks and improving overall jobsite performance, contractors can deliver a higher level of service. 

Watch the full interview to learn more about how innovative roofing tools can improve efficiency, enhance safety and simplify jobsite cleanup!

By Emma Peterson. 

How roofing supply partners like CDS are helping contractors adapt to a connected world with digital tools. 

We are currently in what some experts are calling “the digital age.” This era is characterized by the rapid development of technology-based tools that fundamentally change how we access information, share knowledge and interact with the world. The advent of this digital age has touched almost every part of our lives; from the way we shop for products to how we keep up with friends and fulfill work assignments. And it has impacted every sector of the building envelope, even more traditional trades like the roofing industry. 

In this article, we dive into how broader tech integration is impacting the roofing supply chain and how companies, like Commercial Distribution Specialists (CDS), are leveraging digital tools to better support their customers.  

What are CDS 

Commercial Distribution Specialists (CDS) is a designation given to SRS Distribution locations that specialize in carrying commercial roofing products. As such, the teams at these locations are experts in low-slope roofing and can help you with everything from product selection to on-the-job problem solving!  

How they serve contractors in the digital age 

One of the most significant changes to our world in the digital age is the increased speed of communication. From phone calls to texts and beyond, contacting another person has never been easier or more efficient. And this expediency of communication is something that CDS uses to better serve their contractor customers. 

CDS locations have will-call programs that help contractors get critical products efficiently. Through these programs, all you have to do is call a CDS location for supplies, and you will be able to pick them up (stock allowing) in just 30 minutes! This speed of service is more than just convenience; it can be a critical support element to keeping your projects on schedule.  

Learn more about the support CDS offers contractors in the digital age.

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Learn how contractors are using planning and communication to navigate labor pressures and position for growth in 2026. 

Labor challenges are not new to roofing, but the stakes surrounding them continue to rise. At the International Roofing Expo (IRE), contractors and industry partners acknowledged that workforce constraints are reshaping how projects are planned, staffed and executed. Speaking on the RoofersCoffeeShop® sound stage sponsored by SRS Distribution, Vince Ellison, president of Benchmark, described labor as a long-standing issue that now carries greater operational complexity. Shifting schedules, tighter margins and increased coordination across stakeholders have raised the cost of miscommunication. 

“First of all, there's no magic bullet,” Vince said. That reality, he explained, places greater responsibility on preparation and planning. Contractors cannot rely on last year’s assumptions or informal coordination. Instead, they must anticipate workflow demands, maintain consistent communication with clients and align early with manufacturers, consultants and other project partners. 

When communication falters, the impact compounds quickly. A minor delay in materials or staffing can ripple through an entire project timeline. Conversely, proactive communication allows teams to adjust before small disruptions escalate into costly setbacks. Events such as IRE provide a concentrated opportunity to reinforce those relationships. For Benchmark, the show offers a chance to meet with long-standing partners and newer contacts alike. “When our team comes out here, we get to meet with so many contractors,” Vince said. “In one trip, we can meet with 10, 15, 20 contractors that we've been working with for the last year or maybe the last 20 years.” 

As the industry looks toward 2026, Vince anticipates growth but stresses adaptability. “In 2026 we believe there is going to be growth. I would say the lesson that we learned in 2025 was to anticipate change, but don't let that stop you,” he said. For contractors, growth will depend less on quick solutions and more on disciplined planning, steady communication and the ability to adjust as conditions evolve. 

Learn more about planning for growth amid change at IRE 2026 and how contractors are strengthening communication and preparation to navigate labor pressures in the year ahead!