ROSEMONT, Ill. — The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) invites all roofing industry professionals to come together virtually for Roofing Day in D.C. 2021, held March 23-24. The annual event provides an opportunity for the industry to speak with one voice regarding key government policy issues.

Roofing Day in D.C. brings together roofing contractors, distributors, manufacturers and other industry professionals from throughout the U.S. to voice the industry’s priorities to lawmakers. It is crucial members of Congress hear about the critical issues facing the roofing industry.

All roofing business owners and employees are urged to participate in this year’s event. Participants will meet virtually with members of Congress and congressional staff to discuss federal issues of importance to the roofing industry: increased funding for career and technical education to address workforce shortages; inclusion of a strong buildings component in infrastructure legislation; and immigration reform that meets the roofing industry’s current and future workforce needs. These issues were selected with input from the Roofing Day Advisory Committee, which consists of NRCA members and representatives from other industry organizations involved in Roofing Day in D.C. 2021.

For additional information about Roofing Day in D.C. 2021 and registration instructions, visit nrca.net/advocacy/roofingday or contact NRCA’s Washington, D.C., office at 800-338-5765.

NRCA Encourages All Industry Stakeholders to Virtually Attend Roofing Day in D.C. 2021

MCA Honors Ed Karper, Karl Hielscher with Member Service Awards

CHICAGO — The Metal Construction Association (MCA) presented its annual Patrick R. Bush Service Award to Ed Karper and Larry A. Swaney Award to Karl Hielscher in appreciation for their service to the association and the metal construction industry. The awards were given on Feb. 3 during MCA's Winter Meeting, which was held virtually.

Patrick R. Bush Award
This award recognizes an MCA member who recently made significant volunteer contributions to the MCA. It was established to honor Pat Bush, an influential long-time MCA board member.

The 2021 recipient, Karper, has held many volunteer leadership roles on behalf of MCA. Among the positions Karper has held are chairman, vice chairman, treasurer/finance committee chair, METALCON liaison chair, and program committee vice-chair. Karper is also an original member of the Metal Initiative team, and also a member of the original certification committee. He also was a member of the Ohio congressional lobbying group on behalf of the MCA for Energy Star® federal tax credits program and the MCA representative to the Washington State Roofing Task Force for rainwater runoff.

“To say that Ed has been a major contributor to MCA and the entire metal industry is an understatement,” said James Bush, MCA’s executive committee chairman. “The list of his roles might be long but it’s nothing compared to his accomplishments. This recognition is well deserved!” 

Larry A. Swaney Award

Named for one of MCA’s founders and its first president, this award has been bestowed upon outstanding industry professionals for their contributions to the success of the association and the betterment of the metal construction industry. This year's award goes to Hielscher.

Elected to MCA’s board in 2009, Hielscher served through many board positions before serving as chair in 2014 and 2015. His service to MCA is unique, because he moved beyond the volunteer leadership position to become MCA’s executive director from 2016 until his retirement in 2020.

“Karl always put the association and its work first, and when it was time to buckle down, he really got things done," said Bush. "In addition to his own work ethic, Karl helped others make progress on MCA matters by helping everyone find common ground, even when there were disagreements. MCA and the metal industry have benefited enormously from Karl’s dedication and commitment.”

NWIR and CRCA Team Up to Form Canadian NWIR Council

OTTAWA, Canada — The Canadian Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA) announced that it has partnered with the National Women in Roofing (NWiR) to establish a Canadian council of the organization.

CRCA is looking forward to help NWiR establish itself in Canada and provide its four pillars of service to women involved in the roofing industry. NWiR’s four pillars are:

• Mentoring: mentor and empower women in the roofing industry to achieve excellence in their chosen careers.
• Education: Create high-quality learning programs and experiences for men and women to build successful businesses and careers in roofing.
• Networking: provide opportunities to interact with women in the roofing industry, creating strong, long-lasting and supportive networks.
• Recruiting: reach beyond traditional recruitment strategies to attract and hire women who will bring diverse backgrounds, talents and experiences to the roofing industry.

CRCA is also pleased to announce that Wendy Fraser, CRCA’s technical manager, has joined the board of directors of NWiR’s Canadian council and will also serve as the membership chair.

“I look forward to growing the outreach and support of the NWiR to the entire Canadian roofing industry,” said Fraser.

The Board of Directors for the NWiR Canadian council is being established, led by Chairperson Lillianne Dunstall. Dunstall worked for Tremco for over 17 years before retiring as vice president, North American Business Ops and Canadian Roofing. She has been involved in NWiR since its inception in 2016 and is excited to begin a Canadian council.

“I am so impressed with the organization that when this opportunity presented itself, I had to come out of retirement and hop on board,” Dunstall said.

MRA Launches Best Residential Metal Roofing Project Competition for 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) has kicked off its 2021 Best Residential Metal Roofing Project quarterly competition and this year, the opportunity to enter is open to both the trades and homeowners.

Designed to honor the most stylish, creative and effective use of metal roofing, the MRA will select one winner each quarter based on project appearance, performance and originality/use of materials. Interested participants may upload their project photo along with a 200-word or less description for why their metal roofing project is worthy of top honors online at metalroofing.com. Winners will be highlighted on MRA’s website and digital channels and will receive a $200 prize. MRA’s quarterly honorees for 2021 will be selected in March, June, September and December and only residential metal roofing projects in the U.S. and Canada will be considered (see MRA website for specific details and rules).

“Homeowners tell us how much they love their metal roof and what a difference it has made to their home,” said Renee Ramey, MRA executive director. “This competition is designed to show off how quality metal roofing is being used in amazing ways — from accentuating beautiful architectural style to effectively boosting a home’s long-lasting resiliency and protection.”

Last year’s winners of MRA’s Best Residential Metal Roofing competition demonstrate the variety and uniqueness of past entries received. They included the installation of a new metal roof on a historic Georgetown, Texas home built in the 1890s that is on the National Register of Historic Places, completed by Texas Traditions Roofing and Sheffield Metals (Q1 winner); a metal roof replacement designed for extreme winter storm protection for a 1992 contemporary craftsman home in New Hampshire, completed by New England Metal Systems and Drexel Metals (Q2 winner); the installation of a new metal roof on a 10 year-old Tulsa, Okla. home whose original asphalt roof had been severely damaged by hail, completed by Boral Steel and NICHTECH (Q-3 winner); and an incredible ultra-modern, curved metal roof installed on a newly-constructed home in Austin, Texas, designed by Bercy Chen Studio and completed by Green Knight Metal Roofing and McElroy Metal (Q-4 winner).

“Architects, builders, contractors and homeowners take a lot of pride in the decision to use a quality metal roof and that dedication to excellence shows in the great work being done out there. We look forward to seeing what this year has in store when it comes to outstanding metal roofing projects,” said Ramey.

For more information about how to enter MRA’s “Best Residential Metal Roofing Project” competition, visit www.metalroofing.com.