By Emma Peterson. 

From safety and compliance to training and engagement, human resources plays a vital role in the long-term success of roofing businesses. 

Human resources (HR) is sometimes a part of running a business that might be overlooked. But it is one of the most important departments for building positive company cultures and navigating the current labor shortages/challenges. In a new Roofing Road Trips® podcast, Karen Edwards visits with Terri Davidson to dive into the importance of HR.  

Terri is the senior HR business partner at Tremco WTI, which puts her in charge of around 1,200 people across the nation. In her opinion, the importance of HR is multifaceted. First, she highlighted its role in safety and compliance, sharing, “The number one thing HR does is make sure that you’re care of safety and compliance in relation to your workers.”  

She then touched on how HR departments manage talent acquisition and onboarding as well as training and development. As Terri put it, “Something else HR takes lead on is talent acquisition and onboarding. Think about it, the first people your new recruits will talk to are the hiring managers (often HR managers) and its those interactions that will make them feel welcomed and encourage them to join your organization.”  

As for training and development, that’s another area where HR takes the lead. Terri explained:  

Especially with the labor challenges, retention is key. And a big part of retaining your talent is investing in them. And here at WTI, it’s my HR team that does a lot of the work, putting a lot of pro projects and programs together to improve employee engagement and help our individual employees grow and succeed. And I’ve seen firsthand how much those efforts have paid off in terms of engagement and retention.  

Overall, while building your HR department might not seem as fun as integrating new estimating or sales tools, it is an invaluable investment into the long-term success of your business.  

Listen to the whole podcast or Watch the recorded episode to learn more about the importance of building a strong HR department. 

By Emma Peterson. 

A fan array retrofit helped a children's hospital enhance indoor air quality, maintain continuous operation and save millions. 

With patients coming in every day with different health conditions and often compromised immune systems, clean air is a key part of a successful treatment. As an OpenMedScience article explains: 

Air quality plays a pivotal role in patient outcomes, especially in surgical rooms, intensive care units (ICUs) and specialized wards like oncology or neonatal care...Research published in clinical journals has shown that improved ventilation and filtration protocols have a direct correlation with decreased infection rates in critical-care units. This doesn’t just enhance patient safety; it also lowers the burden on staff, who can then concentrate on essential care rather than responding to preventable infections. 

With this context, it’s no wonder that when an Orlando Children’s Hospital came to the WTI PureAir team needing help with their aging HVAC system, the stakes could not have been higher. When looking at their situation, the WTI PureAir team discovered that five of the facility’s critical air handler units (AHUs) needed help. Complicating the situation were “strict engineering demands, financial limitations, temporary spot cooling and the need to minimize facility downtime.” 

The solution that the WTI PureAir team came up with was a fan array retrofit. This retrofit solution saw the old blowers removed and replaced with multiple smaller Q-PAC fans. This solution met the need to perform the work with little to no disruption to the young patients and dedicated staff of the hospital. Further, it didn't just restore the HVAC system to prior operational levels but improved them. The WTI PureAir team explained:  

The fan array system adapts to its conditions, so if one fan fails, the others compensate to maintain operation. The metal drain pans and exterior of the AHUs were coated in an anti-microbial and corrosion-resistant coating for lasting health and safety.   

Best of all, the restoration came in at a fraction of the cost that a full replacement would require, saving the hospital millions of dollars. The project is a prime example of how a mechanical restoration can provide a seamless solution to even the most demanding, strictly constrained projects.  

Read more about the project yourself!

By Emma Peterson. 

Industry leaders explain why creating a culture of belonging benefits employees, companies and the future of roofing. 

June was Pride Month and here at The Coffee Shops™ we celebrated with a special Pride Month Coffee Conversations all about how roofing companies can create inclusive environments within their businesses and the industry overall. The episode was hosted by Heidi and Megan Ellsworth and featured Tremco’s Elise Vue and Maureen Greeves alongside National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)’s Amy Staska.  

The episode opened with a discussion of what Pride means. Elise, who has been a part of the industry for a decade now, explained her perspective, saying, “Pride Month, for me personally, has meant an opportunity to not only share my story, but also ask friends and colleagues about themselves and to celebrate the different journeys that brought people to our industry and community.” 

And by being welcoming and opening to those different journeys through conversations, events and other support programs, we can build a stronger industry through inclusion. Amy, who first started at NRCA in 1997, has seen the importance of inclusion firsthand, explaining:  

Being welcoming and accepting is powerful just because it is the right thing to do. But it is also important for any industry that needs people badly. I used to talk to contractors about women in the industry, and they’d be talking about how desperate they were for talent but they also weren’t helping make 50% of the population feel welcome working here. And with the LGBTQ+ community, you have a similar thing. There are a whole bunch of people out there and we can bring them into our industry if we create places where people are not only comfortable to work at but feel like they are embraced. 

Maureen, a 17-year industry veteran, added to Amy’s point, “We're all starving to get people into our industry and keep them here. And the best way to retain anyone is to make them feel safe, comfortable and valued. So, when we talk about pride and inclusion and why it matters, it’s not just the right thing to do, it’s directly tied to the growth and success of our entire industry. Because when you have happy, thriving and engaged people, profits and production are going to go up.” 

Want to learn more about building a more inclusive and thriving industry? Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recording.  

By Emma Peterson. 

Get industry insights, education opportunities and more this June in Rosemont, Illinois. 

The Metal Construction Association (MCA)’s annual summer meeting is returning to Rosemont, Illinois this June! Taking place June 23-24, 2026, this meeting is meant to help your team stay ahead with industry insights, practical education and high-value networking opportunities.  

This year, the keynote speaker will be Johnny Quinn, sharing a talk all about Unstoppable Momentum. There will also be a new dual-track education system that allows your team to “choose their own education adventure." One track focuses on the business and technical side of roofing with information about codes, standards and a report from the Metal Roofing Alliance.  

The other track is perfect for your marketing and sales specialists and features to sessions hosted by The Coffee Shops™ own Karen Edwards! In one, Karen will moderate a panel all about hiring and retaining talent featuring Amy Staska from National Roofing Contractors Association alongside Mandy McIntyre and Maureen Greeves from Tremco WTI. The other session, a panel titled “Modern Marketing That Moves Metal,” will see Karen discussing how marketing has shifted from relationship-driven to relationship plus digital visibility with Sean McFarland and Mark Carlisle. 

These sessions are great examples of the type of expert insights you will have access to by attending the 2026 MCA Summer Meeting. And you will also have the opportunity to go beyond just listening to these experts speak, as MCA has organized powerful networking opportunities that allow attendees to “build relationships across the metal construction supply chain in a relaxed setting.” An example of these networking opportunities is the Chicago Dogs vs. Cleburne Railroaders baseball game outing on Tuesday, June 23 (additional $25 fee at registration). 

Ready to boost your professional development and set your team up for success in the second half of the year? Get registered to attend the 2026 MCS Summer Meeting (and take advantage of discounts when multiple attendees register from the same company).

Por Emma Peterson, traducido por Alberto Torres 

Celebra el Mes del Orgullo escuchando a profesionales LGBTQ+ de la industria hablar sobre autenticidad, comunidad e inclusión. 

Al acercarnos al Mes del Orgullo, reflexionamos sobre algunas de las conversaciones que hemos tenido la oportunidad de compartir con diferentes profesionales de la industria del roofing pertenecientes a la comunidad LGBTQIA+. Estas historias nos han permitido conocer experiencias, desafíos y perspectivas que ayudan a construir una industria más inclusiva y donde la autenticidad también tiene un espacio. Una de esas conversaciones tuvo lugar el año pasado durante un episodio especial de Coffee Conversations, donde profesionales del sector compartieron cómo su identidad, experiencias y orgullo han influido en su camino dentro de la industria.  

En este episodio, patrocinado por Tremco WTI, RoofersCoffeeShop® celebra el Mes del Orgullo con una conversación especial sobre autenticidad en la industria del roofing. Megan Ellsworth conversa con Maureen Greeves y Justin Ray de Tremco, Sarah Lechowich de True North Roofing y Joshua Adams de Roof Scout sobre la conexión entre la excelencia profesional y el orgullo queer. Durante el panel, cada invitado compartió parte de su experiencia en la industria y la importancia de crear espacios donde la diversidad y la inclusión sean valoradas. 

Maureen, originaria de Cleveland, Ohio, ha trabajado en la industria del roofing por más de 13 años. Compartió parte de su trayectoria: “Tuve la fortuna de llegar a la industria del roofing desde una empresa donde podía ser abierta y sentirme orgullosa de quien soy, y donde mis compañeros estuvieron junto a mi esposa y a mí cuando tuvimos a nuestros hijos.” Para ella, el cambio hacia Tremco fue algo que le generó nervios, pero encontró una comunidad que la recibió con los brazos abiertos. 

Justin, paralegal corporativo de Tremco, compartió una experiencia similar a la de Maureen. Explicó, “He estado con Tremco por dos años y tengo una calcomanía del orgullo en la parte trasera de mi carro. Recuerdo que la primera vez que fui a la oficina pensé: ‘¿Debería quitarla? No lo sé… es una compañía de construcción.’” Sin embargo, encontró una comunidad que lo recibió y le permitió mostrarse auténticamente. 

A diferencia de Maureen y Justin, quienes llegaron a la industria más adelante, Josh creció alrededor del roofing. Compartió algunas reflexiones sobre lo que la comunidad LGBTQIA+ aporta al lugar de trabajo: “Comparten un mensaje interno sobre ser auténticos que puede influir en todos. Sin importar en qué parte del espectro estés, llevar autenticidad al lugar de trabajo es algo que las personas perciben y que se contagia.” También enfatizó que esto beneficia a todos dentro de la empresa, tanto a la comunidad LGBTQ+ como a sus aliados, porque la autenticidad conduce a un mejor trabajo. 

Sarah, propietaria de True North Roofing en Minnesota, también destacó cómo la identidad queer y la autenticidad benefician tanto a las empresas como a la industria en general. Explicó: “Creo que ser una empresa liderada por una mujer y también una empresa liderada por una persona queer significa no evitar esos espacios. Intento crear un entorno donde las personas se sientan vistas, valoradas y escuchadas, tanto dentro de mi empresa como entre mis clientes y propietarios de viviendas.” Al crear estos espacios, busca que todos se sientan más cómodos para trabajar mejor juntos. 

Este año, National Women in Roofing (NWIR) celebrará el Mes del Orgullo con una marcha virtual que se llevará a cabo junio 25 de 2026, donde compartirán historias para seguir construyendo un espacio donde todos se sientan valorados y bienvenidos. 

Escucha la conversación completa o mira el webinar para conocer más sobre cómo estos panelistas están haciendo roofing con orgullo. Registrate para participar en la marcha virtual del Mes del Orgullo.

By The Coffee Shops™. 

This project shows how air handler restoration can reduce disruption while helping preserve capital budgets. 

For many facilities, aging heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment can create a difficult choice: Invest in a full replacement that requires partial or complete building shut down or find a way to extend equipment life without disrupting occupants. Keep reading to learn about how a large suburban hospital in Tampa Bay worked with WTI’s Pure Air Control Services to do the latter.  

The 479-bed hospital was working with SiteLogIQ on energy and performance surveys aimed at improving facility operations. During that process, two air handler units (AHUs) serving Labor and Delivery rooms in The Women’s Center, The Baby Suites were identified as candidates for replacement because of degraded conditions and performance. 

Replacing the units, however, presented challenges. Their location inside the penthouse would have added cost, time and facility disruption. Instead, the project team determined that the units could be restored through WTI | Pure Air Control Services’ HVAC New Life program. 

The restoration was completed through phased services performed over consecutive nights, allowing work to progress without loss of supply air during normal operating hours. The process began with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuuming inside the units. Airflow resistance readings were then taken across the cooling coils through a Coil Cleanliness Verification (CCV) test. 

After masking off the unit interiors, crews used WTI Pure Air’s proprietary PURE-Steam process to sanitize the units and deep clean the cooling coils. The process used bio-enzyme treatments and high-temperature, low-pressure steam to address debris lodged in the coils. Follow-up CCV readings were taken after cleaning to monitor improvements. 

The project also included refinishing metal components, including condensate pans and exteriors, with high-performance, multi-part polyurethane coatings designed for HVAC equipment. The coatings are antimicrobial, corrosion resistant and low odor. Finally, the AHUs were retrofitted with new outside air dampers and upgraded controls. 

According to the project profile, replacing the two units would have cost $350,000 or more. Restoration through HVAC New Life cost $84,000, saving $266,000 in capital and creating a 76% capital avoidance. 

Original photos source: Tremco WTI | Pure Air Control Services

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how intentional training and care builds teams that grow and succeed in the long-term.  

As labor shortages continue and workforce expectations shift, companies can no longer afford to treat onboarding as a minor checklist or training as a one-time event. Instead, they must find ways to consistently care for the crew members and help their teams grow. To discuss this topic, Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down for an episode of Coffee Conversations® with Amy Staska, Maureen Greeves and Mandy McIntyre.  

These women were the perfect panel to talk to about investing in your team. Amy is the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)’s VP of workforce development; Maureen is Tremco Roofing’s director of field operations; and Mandy is WTI's CM development manager. Out of the gate, one of the most important things they highlighted was that labor retention is not a one-size-fits-all situation. 

Amy explained, “Finding ways to retain talent is not going to be a one-size-fits-all conversation. Take training, for example. People like learning new skills that can help advance their careers. But the format of that training needs to be comfortable for each individual.” For example, some people love the convenience of online training, where others find it disconnected and hard to work with. If you truly want to retain talent, you need to invest in your people as individuals.  

And retaining talent really should be your goal. Not only does it make your team stronger culturally, but it is also important for your long-term finances. Maureen explained, “The recruiting process and the onboarding process can cost companies anywhere between $5,000 to $6,000 on the low end and up to upwards of $10,000 to $12,000 on a high end.  For one person. So, retaining talent long term isn’t just about keeping talent and expertise, though that is key, it’s also about avoiding turnover and the high expenses that come with that.”  

So, how do you start bringing this intentionality into your operations? It doesn’t have to be that complicated. Mandy gave some examples of how you can meet your team where they are, sharing, “Start with just basic conversations. Ask people how's it going, how the first week was, the second week, etc. Because if you're not having those conversations and they end up leaving, you’ll never know why or if you could have changed something simple and retained their talent.” 

Learn more about intentional, individualized retention strategies by listening to the whole episode.

By Emma Peterson. 

Dive into the key role that company culture plays in building and retaining top talent.  

At the core of the roofing industry are the people who represent and advocate for it. Our businesses are all about serving customers, and a strong, talented internal team is the key to success. But building that team can be hard in an industry that has a seemingly constant labor shortage. To learn more about building and retaining a base of reliable employees, Heidi J. Ellsworth hosted Amy Staska, the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)’s VP of workforce development; Maureen Greeves, Tremco Roofing’s director of field operations; and Mandy McIntyre, WTI's CM development manager for an episode of Coffee Conversations®. 

Retention is a key part of a successful business. Amy explained, “When people leave, you’re not only losing their specific talents, but you’re also losing money and having to spend more time and energy to recruit a replacement for them.”  

So, how do you build a company that people want to stay at? It’s all about building a company culture that is comfortable and supportive. Amy elaborated, “I'm a huge proponent of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and truly believe that when people feel like they're safe and secure, when they feel like they belong, they're going to be able to work better and they're going to stay.” 

A simple way to start building such a culture i by having individual conversations with employees. Mandy shared:  

A lot of building a culture that retains employees is having one-on-one, face-to-face time, where you touch base with new hires, get to know them as a person and see how things are going. It sounds small, but it really goes a long way to build that psychological safety, build that confidence and build engagement. That is the foundation for a strong culture.  

This is something that Maureen and the team at Tremco are working to implement in their operations. She explained, “Culture starts at the top, and our president James McDonald takes the time to have what he calls ‘James unfiltered calls.’ In these calls he talks to individuals in the company at the field technician/foreman level to hear what’s going on, to know them as people and build that culture that retain people.”  

Want to learn more about building a culture of retention? Tune in to the whole podcast with Amy, Mandy and Maureen!

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn about engaging and retaining new hires through intentional training. 

In a new episode of Coffee Conversations®, Heidi J. Ellsworth is joined by a panel of industry leaders to talk about the importance of contractors helping new hires engage and connect with their company. This panel included Amy Staska, the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)’s VP of workforce development; Maureen Greeves, Tremco Roofing’s director of field operations; and Mandy McIntyre, WTI's CM development manager.  

Amy has been with the NRCA for over 20 years, and bringing new talent to the roofing industry has been a top concern during her tenure. She explained, “Training’s not cheap and a lot of contractors worry about if new hires are going to stick around...” The problem with this is that it creates a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy where contractors hold new hires at an arm’s length to make sure they’re serious about the job, and new hires are unable to show their interest in the job because of that distance.  

So, how do you build a company that can avoid this pattern? Mandy shared, “I think the industry sometimes forgets about the human component of hiring. Those new people have emotions, they have goals, they have questions, they have fears and if you can cultivate people to be the best versions of themselves, that’s when you’re going to engage them and retain talent.” 

The key to cultivating them into the best version of themselves? Intentionality. Amy explained:  

At NRCA, we talk constantly about the idea of doing intentional training. It’s impossible to train all your new people to be experts immediately. But if you work towards conversational competence, so that someone can go up onto a roof and at least is going to understand a little bit of what's happening, and will be able to have better conversations with the crew there, they’re going to be more connected to your company and more likely to stay to keep learning. 

This is something that Maureen and the others on her team at Tremco have implemented over the last couple of decades. She shared, “We grew very fast, and one of the downsides of that is you can lose some of that intentionality that Amy mentioned. We realized that was happening, so we made changes.” Some changes were bigger, like hiring Mandy into her current role, but others were smaller, like opening conversations. Maureen elaborated, “We started simply talking to people and making sure they knew that they were a part of something bigger. And just that has been tremendous.”  

Mandy summed the entire conversation up well, saying, “At the end of the day, it's all about actions and feelings. If you're having a problem retaining people and recruiting people, take a good, hard look at what's going on and make some intentional changes to help people belong.” 

Watch the entire Coffee Conversation to hear more of Amy, Mandy and Maureen’s discussion.

By Emma Peterson. 

Through the RISE program, Tremco WTI builds roofers – not just roofs. 

One of the amazing things about the roofing industry is that it welcomes people from all backgrounds. Whether you have decades of experience in an adjacent trade or roofing is the first trade you are joining, the roofing community will take you in and help you grow. This type of mentorship has always been a priority for Weatherproofing Technologies Inc (WTI), which is a subsidiary of Tremco. To learn more about how WTI finds and develops individuals’ talents, Heidi J. Ellsworth hosted James McDonald, WTI’s VP, and Maureen Greeves, their director of field operations, for an episode of Roofing Road Trips®. 

WTI hosts a variety of programs designed to introduce people to roofing and connect them with the training and mentorship needed to succeed. One of their major programs is called RISE (Roofing Individuals Succeed through Education). This program centers its operations around the idea that culture comes before everything else. James explained, “First and foremost, we're always looking for a cultural fit...I'd say that the traditional roofing requirements that most people are looking for are well down our list. Because we can train, that's what we do...We've created a culture here at WTI that we believe in; we know that it works. We all rise together. So, first and foremost we’re looking for people that will fit into that team.” 

Through the RISE program, individuals that want to be a part of the WTI culture start by participating in intensive training. Maureen shared, “Our apprentices in the RISE program get access to Tremco University. It's on-demand trainings that they can consume when they're on the road, when they're at home. We lead with safety and then give them an introduction of roofing.” In combination with the learning they are doing, these apprentices spend on-the-job hours learning as they work. As they work more hours, they can grow into new positions. Maureen explained, “You can come in with zero experience and, for curious and courageous people, you can work hard and learn quickly...And at the end of their journey, when they're done with all their phases, they end up with a journeyman card that they take with them.” 

That card is a huge accomplishment that has started many life-long careers. James shared, “It's impacting their lives, I've met with some individuals in the field that have come through this program and the joy and love for their jobs is second to none.” 

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to learn more about RISE and WTI’s other training programs.