GAF Energy's solar product, Timberline Solar, has been approved for installation in Los Angeles County after a multi-month review and evaluation by the Research Section of the Department of Public Works Building and Safety Division.

The review means Timberline Solar meets or exceeds the county's 2023 Codes for Electrical, Residential, Building, Green Building, Existing Building, and the 2022 Building Energy Efficiency Standards. According to GAF Energy, Timberline Solar, launched in 2022, remains the only solar roof covering certified to UL 7103 as a Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Roof Covering. Timberline Solar meets a Class A fire rating under UL 790 and ASTM E108, reflecting the highest possible standard for fire resistance. GAF Energy produces Timberline Solar at the company's R&D and manufacturing facility in San Jose, Calif.

"In designing Timberline Solar, we put safety and durability first. We know that is what homeowners care the most about — and, as a team, we are committed to making the safest and most durable solar roof on the market," said Martin DeBono, president of GAF Energy. "In the last year, Timberline Solar has been approved for tough standards in wind, snow, and fire."

The Timberline Solar Energy Shingle has less than a quarter-inch depth and integrates with traditional shingles to create a sleek and attractive look. Timberline Solar meets a host of rigorous third-party safety standards covering both roofing and solar. The solar roof has received more than 30 design and innovation awards and honors.

Beacon announced the launch of its third annual North American Female Roofing Professional of the Year campaign, which will recognize the impact of women in the roofing industry across the U.S. and Canada.

The roofing distributor encourages the public to nominate a female roofing professional who has demonstrated excellence, a commitment to putting people first, making every day safer, doing the right thing, and building for her customers, co-workers, and community.

The campaign accepts nominations through April 10. Five finalists will be announced in May, and members of the public will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite finalists. Beacon will announce the winner and runners-up in June. The five winners will receive prize money to support further professional development, such as attending the International Roofing Expo.

“Women are an essential part of the roofing industry, and continue to deliver excellent customer service, innovation and dedication to core values in the varied roles they serve in the roofing industry,” said Christine Reddy, Beacon’s executive vice president and general counsel. “Beacon recognizes the importance of women in our industry, and this campaign was created to spotlight their significant contributions. We hope that you take a moment to nominate a woman in roofing, so that we can share their inspiring stories of values-based leadership.”

Last year’s winner, Michelle Mulder, owns Nailed It Roofing in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. Her passion for roofing inspired her to start Nailed It Roofing in 2015; it has been one of the top roofing companies in North Bay for the past seven years.

“I was thrilled to be recognized by Beacon, my local community and my colleagues with this award,” said Mulder. “I applaud Beacon for empowering women in the roofing industry. I hope my story and the others that Beacon has shared inspire others to pursue a position in the industry.”

Nominate a female roofing professional either on the campaign website or by submitting an e-mail to FemaleRoofingContest@becn.com. Nominations must include a short biography, a photo and why the nominee should be named Female Roofing Professional of the Year.

To learn more about the contest and read the official rules, visit go.becn.com/femaleroofpro/rules.

JobNimbus announced its first Roofing Industry Benchmark. This report is an in-depth look at business practices and processes for companies in the roofing industry. This milestone is a major move for JobNimbus to continue to make roofers heroes.

“This benchmark gives great insight to any roofing business owner,” says Ben Hodson, CEO at JobNimbus. “You want to see where you stack up compared to everyone else in the industry? This is where to go.”

JobNimbus gathered this data from hundreds of current roofing business owners in the United States through a 45-question survey to find industry standards and tips to help contractors succeed.

This news comes in the wake of many recent initiatives and accomplishments for the company, including:

• Brand-new mobile app with a 4.7 rating with over 2,000 ratings
• New texting feature for roofers
• New method for collecting payments from customers

The report is available at jobnimbus.com/peak-performance.

Oregon-based Malarkey Roofing Products, a member of the Holcim Building Envelope, announced the addition of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to its shingle lines.

“RFID tracking on our products has many obvious benefits for the logistics and production at Malarkey Roofing Products," said Nancy Teague, vice president of engineering. "They will help us continue to streamline our operations and support customers in the near term. Looking further, the ability to track the lifecycle of our products not only validates our superior quality and performance value proposition, but also greatly advances our efforts in circular roofing.”

RFID tags are small microchips commonly used in modern hotel room keys or anti-theft devices at clothing stores. Unlike barcodes, RFID tags can be read by a device even if covered by an object or otherwise not visible. Additionally, tags are readable inside a shipping container, quickly providing information in bulk rather than one at a time.

According to Malarkey, this technology aids its team with increased feedback in shingle production. RFID tags tie with a time stamp to more accurately track material for quality information. The manufacturer says the tags can provide improved data regarding finished product inventories and the use of raw materials.

Roofing material distributors and contractors can scan the shingles to get the unique tag I.D.s for the tags within the pallet. Insurance companies may also benefit from the new RFID tags in Malarkey products by the ability to better identify shingles for claims. The data can confirm roof identification for warranty registration and additional customer service.

The company is piloting the embedded RFID tags in shingles and shingle bundles from Malarkey’s Oklahoma City plant; its Portland and South Gate facilities will soon follow.

In future phases, Malarkey intends to associate these numbers with sales orders, allowing the company to verify outbound shipments and match their receipt with the order.

DaVinci^® Roofscapes, a part of Westlake Royal Building Products™ USA Inc., has introduced an online portal for members of its DaVinci Masterpiece Contractors program. The new portal grants around-the-clock access to rebates, marketing tools and sales support materials to DaVinci’s top-tier installers.

“We’ve added a wide variety of new marketing materials to our program that our DaVinci Masterpiece Contractors can customize for their local sales efforts,” says Wendy Bruch with DaVinci Roofscapes. “Everything from a series of educational consumer newsletters, to social media messaging, to digital ads, are now available to educate homeowners on the value of composite shake and slate roofing. These materials are conveniently located in the portal so that our DaVinci Masterpiece Contractors can access them at any time, day or night, to work on their marketing campaigns.”

Other elements available in the portal include branded promotional items, event home programs, sales kits and lead programs. In a release, DaVinci says completing project registration forms and gaining access to rebate information are "key site elements." The online portal also has educational and training programs, webinars, installation guides and tips.

“This comprehensive portal is set up like an a la carte menu,” says Bruch. “It’s designed to feed the needs of roofers hungry to build sales with a wide range of tactics."

Bruch added, optimistically, that as DaVinci enhances the program, more industry professionals will join the DaVinci Masterpiece Contractors program.

"When they do, they’ll discover we’re ready to fully support them in growing their business with outstanding products and programs," she said.