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A CITY

Company Profiles Begin on PG 32INSIDE: 2016 INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHTS

MRCA Rolls Out Royal Treatment in K.C.

Helping Rebuild Detroit One Roof at a Time

Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing Takes Texas’ Landmark Love Field to New Heights

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JANUARY 2016RoofingContractor.com

REMODELED AND REBORN

Stay Safe with These Winter Roofing Tips PG 20

SPOTLIGHTS2 0 1 6

32 RoofingContractor.com :: January 2016

SPOTLIGHTSH

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32 RoofingContractor.com :: January 2016

ABC Supply

Co. Inc.

Finding New Ways to Better Serve Roofing Contractors

For more than 30 years, ABC Sup-

ply has delivered the high-quality

products and expert service that

make it easier for contractors to grow

their businesses. As the largest whole-

sale distributor of roofing in the United

States and one of the nation’s largest

distributors of siding, windows and

other select exterior building products,

ABC constantly finds new ways to bet-

ter serve customers.

ABC Supply’s commitment to con-

tractors starts with a team of more than

9,000 associates, all specially trained

to tackle even the most challenging

jobs with proven solutions. From mate-

rial selection, to order placement and

delivery, associates consistently deliver

accurate, seamless service from start

to finish. This dedication was recently

honored with ABC’s ninth Gallup Great

Workplace Award, which recognizes

organizations with the most enthusias-

tic and committed workforces. It is one

of only three companies in the world to

have earned the honor every year since

the award’s inception in 2007.

To complement the expert support

provided in-store, ABC Supply recently

introduced a new online program that

provides access to ABC’s products and

pricing 24/7. ABC Connect allows con-

tractors to build material lists, create

estimates and submit orders in real

time, whether they’re working from the

office, at home or from a jobsite. Cus-

tomers can keep their businesses mov-

ing when and where it is convenient for

them—not just during normal business

hours. ABC Supply is focused on giving

customers unique tools that help them

save time and money. ABC’s Freedom

Programs provide value-added market-

ing services that allow contractors to

get the word out about their businesses

through targeted mail, websites, mar-

keting starter kits, job site signs or in-

home finance.

Solution Centers in ABC branches

feature comprehensive product dis-

plays, making them an ideal place for

contractors to review projects and

samples with their customers. ABC

Supply partners with industry-leading

manufacturers to carry an assortment

of roofing materials for low-slope and

steep-slope applications. ABC also car-

ries a wide variety of siding, windows,

doors, gutters and

rainware and decking

and railing products.

The ABC Supply

Catalog Division

offers more than

6,000 high-quality

tools and specialty

items, including hand

and power tools,

fasteners, caulks,

sealants, ventilation,

safety equipment,

apparel and acces-

sories.With more than

600 locations nation-

wide, ABC Supply

provides easy access

to the support, prod-

ucts and expertise

customers can’t find

anywhere else. In 2016 and beyond,

ABC plans to continue its service area

expansion to become an even stronger

and more convenient partner to con-

tractors. Visit www.abcsupply.com for more

information about ABC Supply or to

find a branch nearby.

Amid the boarded-up buildings and blighted street corners that are all too familiar in Detroit is

a place where learning, inspiration and hope still thrive. Located virtually at the center of the Osborn Neighborhood just south of Detroit’s infamous 8 Mile Road, the Osborn High School campus serves more than 1,200 students in three separate learning academies operated by the Detroit Public Schools.

Just five years ago, Osborn was closed for financial considerations that overshadowed poor academic performance and safety concerns. It reopened within a year but remained known as a drop-out factory, sporting a graduation rate among the lowest in the country.

But now, despite Detroit’s historic bankruptcy and the school district’s own emerging debt and fiscal crisis, nearly 80 percent of all students earn a diploma.

And it’s among the noteworthy positives people talk about when they evaluate ‘new’ Detroit.

“Not long ago, this zip code was home to one of the most violent zip codes in the entire country, and the residents in this community said they were going to change that,” said Chris Lambert, a pastor who recently moved to Detroit from its sprawling suburbs. “This has been a huge turnaround.”

Osborn RebornLambert, and the thousands

of others he’s mobilized, hope to continue the momentum and be part of Detroit’s rebirth. Life Remodeled, a nonprofit organization he founded in 2011, has been turning the physical challenges presented by Detroit’s older neighborhoods into positives.

Life Remodeled focuses on blight removal, neighborhood beautification

and community networking with the idea that improving community anchors, like schools, increases the likelihood of making sustainable changes.

Each year, Lambert and his team propose one large-scale improvement project. Last summer, they focused their attention on the 4.5 square miles that comprise the Osborn Neighborhood, with the high school and Pulaski Elementary at the center.

“When we invest in a neighborhood, we look for two things: significant need and radical hope,” Lambert explained. “If you drive around this neighborhood, you will see it’s the most blighted in Detroit. That can change.”

In August, more than 9,500 volunteers worked alongside neighborhood residents to clear up 302 city blocks of dense, overgrown brush, board up 472 vacant homes and remodel 21 family homes of current and future Osborn students.

A CITY

REMODELEDAND REBORN

Roofing Contractors, Distributors and Manufacturers Help Detroit’s Renaissance One Roof at a Time

By Art Aisner

Reprinted with permission from Roofing Contractor, January 2016 © 2016, BNP Media. Reprinted with permission from Roofing Contractor, January 2016 © 2016, BNP Media.

In all, the project consisted of an estimated $5 million in donated materials, equipment and in-kind labor from 250 corporate and non-profit sponsors. Major renovations to the high school gym floor, media center, cafeteria, hallways and critical classrooms were completed.

Several roofing contractors, distributors and manufacturers joined the effort to help complete what many considered the most important aspect of the entire initiative — the Osborn High School roof. After years of weathering and neglect, the roof had multiple leaks, rippling underlayment and water pooling throughout its six different elevations. During the winter and spring months, it was common for students to have to wear outdoor gear while in class to stay warm, and dodge buckets collecting water in the hallways and even some classrooms.

Life Remodeled Vice President Dom Morelli, a Detroit-area roofing specialist with more than 30 years of experience, said it should have been replaced 25 years ago, and added that the sense of urgency could not be understated.

“Roofing is important not because of the materials, but it’s the value of what’s underneath the roof,” he said. “No student should go to a school and have to dodge raindrops. They should have a safe environment and be focused on what school is all about: education, learning and a commitment to working together as one.”

In its decaying state, Morelli estimated replacing the roof would cost the cash-strapped school district roughly

$2.4 million. However, through Life Remodeled’s partnerships, organizers reduced the cost to $900,000. The district pledged $300,000 toward the roof, but the majority of the project was completed via savings from:

• A & Z Roofing, which handled the library/media center roof.

• Above All Enterprises, which completed numerous roof repairs.

• Lutz Roofing, which re-roofed the gym.

• Priest Construction, which handled repairs and the majority of residential roofs.

• Royal Roofing, which donated labor to roof the cafeteria, home economics room and additional classrooms.

• Schena Roofing and Sheet Metal Inc., which focused on the Osborn lower roof area.

Together, the contractors contributed the labor and tools to cover most of the 156,000-square-foot roof with a 60 Mil EPDM Roofing System from Carlisle Syntec Systems, 2001 Company, and ERC Company, Morelli said. The polymer-based wind-vented system carries a 20-year warranty.

“Giving back is a big part of who we are as a company, and we’re very excited to be part of this effort,” said Tony Schena, president of Schena Roofing in Chesterfield, Mich. “Our job now is to do it and make sure it’s done right, the correct way so it will perform the way the district needs it to.”

Several companies within the roofing industry also donated significant amounts of materials to make the project successful, including: Allied Building Products; Firestone Building Products; North Coast Commercial Roofing Systems; TAMKO Building Products; and Tri-Built.

Life Remodeled is planning its next big project for summer 2016 and is still seeking donations and volunteers. Visit www.liferemodeled.com or call 313-744-3052 to make a contribution or register. All contributions are tax deductible.

Art Aisner is editor of Roofing Contractor. He can be reached at 248-244-6497 or aisnera@bnpmedia.com.

› Photos Courtesy of Life Remodeled.

REMODELEDAND REBORN

Reprinted with permission from Roofing Contractor, January 2016 © 2016, BNP Media.

DENBY COMMUNITY PROJECTIn 2016, Life Remodeled and about 10,000 volunteers will team with residents, businesses and community organizations in Denby on Detroit’s east side to remove blight, beautify, and remodel at least 50 homes in the community.

To accomplish the home renovations, we need manufacturers, roofing, siding and window contractors, general contractors, suppliers and more to make this a reality. Insulation, gutters, painting, caulking and furnaces are other jobs for which skilled labor and materials are also needed.

In 2015, several roofing contractors donated labor, discounted and free material to help re-roof Osborn High School, where students were literally dodging rain drops and puddles inside the school on rainy days. There were also other contractors that installed new roofs on neighborhood homes.

Will you join the scores of contractors and businesses already on board?

MORE INFORMATION:Sharon@LifeRemodeled.comWWW.LIFEREMODELED.com

remodeling lives one neighborhood at a time