What's Here...

President's Message

Awards Dinner Recap & Photos

CRA Government Relations Update

April 15 Seminar on Stimulus Package

CRA Items to Note: Colorado Economy, Mar 19 seminar recap, past Board Director announces retirement and Top '08 OSHA Citation.

NRCA Update

2009 CRA Calendar

Welcome New Members

"What The Stimulus Package Means to Colorado Construction"

Wednesday, April 15, 2009
5:00 p.m.

Lakewood Country Club, 6800 West 10th Avenue, Lakewood.

Sponsored by: ASAC, ALCC, AWCI, CGCA, CRA & RMSCA

Click here for complete details.

COLORADO ROOFING ASSOCIATION

1675 Larimer St, Suite 700
P.O. Box 480084
Denver, CO 80248-0084
(303) 892-6966
Fax (303) 892-6322
E-mail: debbie@coloradoroofing.org
Website: www.coloradoroofing.org
Executive Director: Debbie Hathorne
Industrial Expositions, Inc.

Mission Statement
"To promote the ethics, education and image of the roofing industry in the State of Colorado through meetings and actions of the members."

The CRA newsletter is open for member input. We encourage you to submit items that will benefit the members, including new technical updates, community service achievements in your local communities, educational seminars/ workshops, etc. (no sales oriented pieces).

Contact the CRA office for more information at 303-892-6966 ext. 2.

April

Apr 2 - CRA Board Meeting

Apr 15 - CRA & ASAC Sponsored "What the Stimulus Package Means to Colorado Construction," Lakewood Country Club, 5:00pm

May

May 7 - CRA Board Meeting

May 15 - CRA Membership Luncheon;
Comfort Inn at Denver
Merchandise Mart. 11:30 am.
Topic: TBD

WELCOME New Members

Exterior Solutions/Gutter Helmet
4065 S. Eliot Street
Englewood, CO 80110-4396
Ph: 303-789-7900
Roofing Contractor-Res

Interstate Roofing, Inc.
2000 S. Osage Street
Denver, CO 80223-3851
Ph: 303-763-9114
www.interstateroof.com
Roofing Contractor-Res/Com

J & K Roofing, Inc.
13551 W. 43rd Dr., Unit J&K
Golden, CO 80403-7272
Ph: 303-425-7531
www.jkroofing.com
Roofing Contractor-Res/Com

LeafGuard of Colorado
6311 Washington St #A
Denver, CO 80216-1151
Ph: 303-289-1409
www.guttersdenver.com
Contractor - Rain Gutter

The Ramos Roofing Company
29521 East 144th Ave.
Brighton, CO 80603-8870
Ph: 659-8241
www.ramosroofing.com
Roofing Contractor-Res/Com

- 8th Annual Awards Dinner -
February 12, 2009
Recap & Photos

Click here for photo gallery.

Tim Black receives Colorado Roofing Association Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Colorado Roofing Association (CRA) honored Tim Black at their 8th Annual Awards Banquet on February 12th with their esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tim Black says he only has one talent . . .perseverance. But his colleagues know that his talents run far deeper that that!

Tim Black is president and founder of Black Roofing, Inc. in Boulder, Colorado and has over 35 years of experience in roofing. He established the company in 1975 and Black Roofing has since grown to become one of the largest roofing firms in Colorado. Black Roofing, Inc. provides complete roofing and sheet metal services to the commercial, industrial, and residential industries and is capable of designing and installing any conventional roof system covering the entire Front Range community from Ft. Collins to Colorado Springs. With over 90 employees and averaging nearly 2000 jobs a year, Black Roofing is now one of the oldest and well-respected companies in Colorado.

Tim is a native of Boulder and graduate of the University of Colorado. He was destined to be in the roofing industry with both his brother and father in the construction industry. Working for both of them and fellow CRA member Arapahoe Roofing before starting his own company. He says his business has been interesting, challenging and rewarding.

In addition to building a successful roofing business, Tim is dedicated to the industry on both a local and national level. Tim was one of the founding members of the Colorado Roofing Association. He was President of the Colorado Roofing Association from 1997 - 1998, Vice President of the association in 1996 and served on the Board of Directors from 1994 - 2001. He is currently a member of the Awards Dinner Committee and continues to actively support the association with integrity and passion for the industry.

At the national level Tim is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the National Roofing Contractors Association and is a member of their Architectural Sheet Metal Task Force and Government Relations Committee.

Tim has also served as a Board Director of the YMCA of Boulder and is very active in the Battered Women's Shelter.

Tim likes to get away and loves to travel. He is an avid hiker and likes to mountain climb. More importantly, he has been a mentor to many of his friends and associates in the industry and is always there to take a phone call on a colleagues' technical question or to offer some good advice.

Tim has earned this honor through his hard work and dedication to the roofing industry. It is with great pride and respect that we congratulate Tim Black on being the recipient of the 2008 CRA Lifetime Achievement Award.

CRA's Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 2000 to honor outstanding individuals who have contributed to the success, development and continuation of Colorado's roofing industry.

~ Job of the Year award winners ~

The Job of the Year Award is given in four divisions. Winners this year included Academy Roofing, Arapahoe Roofing & Sheet Metal, Black Roofing, Boulder Roofing, Colorado Roofing & Exteriors, D&D Roofing and The Roofing Co.

Boulder Roofing took First Place in Division I with their work on the Net Zero Energy House in Boulder - the ultimate "Built Green" home that produces as much energy as it will use.

Colorado Roofing & Exteriors received a Second Place award in Division I for a private residence in Parker that used the new roofing trend of "Combination Roofing" where both composition shingles and metal roofing are incorporated into the roof design.

With strict guidelines from the Colorado Historical Society and a lot of teamwork, Academy Roofing wins First Place in Division II for their historic and high profile reroof of the 1892 4-story 16/12 pitch roof on the Iliff School of Theology in Denver.

D&D Roofing takes Second Place in Division II for their "heavenly" project at the Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary of Denver that required working with the Pope's Architect and importing the tile roof from Spain.

A "true work of art" provided Black Roofing with a First Place win in Division III for their complicated and complex work at the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown Denver.

The re-roof of the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera earned Arapahoe Roofing and Sheet Metal Second Place in Division III for their mountain re-roof project completed during Vail's snowy winter months and all while the Spa remained open and operational.

Amidst daily emails from the Mayor's office, City Council and Judges, Arapahoe Roofing and Sheet Metal received First Place in Division IV for their high profile reroof of the Denver City & County Building in downtown Denver.

The Roofing Company takes Second Place in Division IV for their complex mountain job that presented them with a challenging and difficult concrete tile roof on The Gates at Beaver Creek.

Congratulations to all the 2008 winners of the 8th Annual Colorado Roofing Association's Awards. Click here for photos of these winning jobs.

The Job of the Year Award was established in 2001 to recognize the outstanding work done by members of the Colorado Roofing Association. These jobs are showcased each February at CRA's Annual Awards Dinner and highlight the work that is being done in the roofing industry and honors the contractors, material distributors and manufacturers who see these projects through to completion.

~ Community Service a big part of 2008 Awards Dinner! ~

Laurie McCaw, Executive Director of Rebuilding Together Metro Denver recognized our 10-year partnership with them in keeping low-income homeowners "warm, safe and dry" each April and presented the CRA with a certificate of appreciation.

Don Eley of Brent's Place Foundation and father of Brent introduced a video highlighting CRA's Flagship Community Service project and our donation of a complete roofing system on the new Brent's Place Hospitality House in Aurora. After the video, Don gave a heartfelt thank you and then presented an award of appreciation to all participating CRA member companies.

Heading into the homestretch, there's some work to be done!

From the Senate:
SB09-95: Senator Tapia's Prompt Pay Bill was killed in committee by the sponsor. The legislation had numerous groups in disagreement surrounding it and had moved away from the original premise of true prompt pay.

SB09-246: The Homeowner Protection Act expands upon the current construction defect laws. We should OPPOSE this bill supported by Scott Sullen, a well-known construction defect attorney. It would allow pre-judgment interest to be paid retroactively to the time that the alleged defect occurred. Current law only allows interest payment from the time of the lawsuit related to the defect. This bill provides a disincentive for homeowners to settle cases promptly due to interest accrual. This in turn lengthens and drives up attorney's fees. A huge detriment to the construction industry! Please contact the following members of the State Veterans & Military Affairs Committee and urge them to VOTE NO on SB246.
bob.bacon.senate@state.co.us
betty.boyd.senate@state.co.us
bill.cadman.senate@state.co.us
suzanne.williams.senate@state.co.us
senatorschultheis@gmail.com

From the House:
HB09-1310: The Employee Misclassification Bill creates a new office to investigate complaints of employers misclassifying employees as independent contractors. Would also require a statewide study to determine the scope of the problem. If enacted, the state would still rely upon other employers reporting such incidence of misclassification - something we know has not been done consistently in the past. This is a union backed bill that I feel should be monitored. Laws already exist and guidelines are already in place regarding employee classification. I'm not sold on the idea that creating a new government agency to oversee a situation that counts on one employer telling on another will solve this problem in our industry.

HB09-1273: The 'Colorado Guaranteed Health Care Act', this bill takes steps toward creating a single-payer government run health care system in Colorado. Does not sufficiently address funding of this system. Depending on your thoughts related to universal health care, you may be interested in monitoring this bill, assigned to the House Business Affairs & Labor committee.

HB09-1149: Having passed through the House and making its way through the Senate, this bill would require commercial homebuilders to offer prospective buyers the option to have the new home include or be pre-wired for cost effective solar energy systems. Would also require the builder to provide a list of local solar installers, which would be maintained and monitored by the Governor's energy office.

HB09-1299: This is the bill that effectively does away with the electoral college in Colorado by entering into an agreement with other states to cast presidential electoral votes for the winner of the national popular vote. I'm amazed that there is not more public discussion about this bill. If passed, it would diminish Colorado's role and voice in federal elections. It has passed out of the House. Please review this bill and voice your opinion if this interests you.

As always, please contact me with any concerns or questions you have.

We must continue to play a part in how our businesses and lives are governed!

Amy Hawkins
CRA Government Relations Chair
303.443.4646 - amy@boulderroof.com

April 15, 2009 Seminar: Stimulus Package & Colorado's Construction Industry

Members of the Colorado Construction Coalition including the American Subcontractors Association of Colorado (ASAC), Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado(ALCC), Association of the Wall & Ceiling Industry (AWCI), Colorado Glazing Contractors Association (CGCA), Colorado Roofing Association (CRA) and the Rocky Mountain Steel Construction Association (RMSCA) have come together to sponsor a seminar and dinner on April 15 titled "What The Stimulus Package Means to Colorado Construction." The featured speaker is Matthew Cheroutes, Director Communications & External Affairs of the Colorado Office of Economic Development.

Why attend? Because construction subcontractors perform more than 80% of the work on a construction project. Join us and learn how the stimulus dollars will impact your business. Subcontractors will hear about how Governor Ritter's Administration will be using these financial resources to grow Colorado, more specifically how will Colorado subcontractors be able to participate in the stimulus package.

The cost to attend is $45/person. ASAC is taking reservations for the seminar. Please complete the reservation form and send with payment made out directly to "ASAC" and mail to their office located at 3575 South Sherman Street #3, Englewood, CO 80113.

Click here for full details (time, location, cost, etc.)

CRA ITEMS TO NOTE

CRA March 19 & 27 Event Recaps, Western Roofing Owner Retires, Scaffolds: Most Cited 2008 OSHA Standard

Despite post-blizzard conditions, over 50 members attended our Mar 27 Lunch featuring Richard Wobbekind.

Richard Wobbekind has been a popular speaker over the years and on Friday, March 27 he once again outlined our current economic climate - both nationally and regionally.

As you might have guessed, the picture isn't pretty.

National Outlook - More than 3/4 of the U.S. Metro Areas are in recession. Homeowners took the hit first and now he predicts we will see more and more retailer closures before all is said and done. Recovery will be slow and will need to start with jobs. Other positive recovery influences will be return of confidence, better balance sheets, better credit markets, housing market bottoms and commodity price stabilization.

Colorado - On the one hand, Wobbekind expects Colorado to continue performing better than the nation as a whole, partly because the state's real estate sector is not getting as hammered as other markets. On the other hand, we are facing negative employment growth and a drop in overall population growth (# of people moving into state). Construction - new residential construction has come to a stand still and foreclosures are up. Wobbekind predicts Colorado will continue to see a dramatic decline in commercial/retail construction as well as established businesses (i.e., big box stores that rely on volume). Wobbekind notes that the Stimulus package could help with government/school projects and of course road construction. Overall, Colorado is affected by the same economic problems facing the nation. Consumers have too much debt and are cutting back, the housing sector is slumping, financial markets have foundered and credit has tightened. Best case scenario for Colorado's recovery is final quarter 2009 but more than likely the turnaround will not come until 2010.

All said and done, attending the seminar was a great way to spend a "snow day." Lots of friendly faces and although the message was not an "uplifting & inspiring" one members left with a better knowledge of where Colorado stands in the whole scheme of things. Richard Wobbekind is a knowledgeable and reliable source of information and great at including just enough humor to make his presentation relevant yet enjoyable. Thanks for a great seminar!

CRA Monroe Porter Seminar on Winning Strategies to Survive in a Slower Market was jam-packed with tips.

On March 19, twenty-eight CRA members participated in this half-day course that offered them realistic information for immediate use. Information that will help seminar attendees become more competitive in the slower market we currently find ourselves in.

Monroe has a true understanding of the industry and great insight into the different ways to approach running a business. He took a 'straight-forward' approach and offered some great advice to our members in several areas - including management, financial, sales, customer relations, etc.

Some key advice Monroe passed on. Be a leader. Leaders make things happen. Maintain your prices - "as the market slows, it can be tough to maintain margins and pricing, but cutting prices and trying to correct the slowdown with more volume can be financial suicide." Monroe’s basic principle is, "to improve profits you have to charge enough for the work you contract to perform." Reduce costs - "improved profit margins can be best achieved through cost reductions, because every dollar of cost cutting goes directly to your bottom line." Continually reevaluate your goals, maintain the right attitude, understand your strengths and weaknesses and keep it simple -- practice the basics.

CRA Past Board Director and Long-Time Member Announces his Retirement.

On Feb 27, 2009, J.E. "Sandy" Sanderson has sold his majority shares in Western Roofing, Inc. to his long time minority shareholder Curtis Nicholson.

Nicholson, who has 14-year with Western Roofing, knows the business and plans to continue along the same path as Sanderson's role in the industry.

The company, Western Roofing, Inc., will continue as a high quality commercial roofing company maintaining the same employees and location in Golden, CO.

We thank Sandy for his past service and commitment to the CRA and wish him the best of luck in his retirement and many happy days on the golf course!

"QuickTips:" Most frequently cited standard in fiscal year 2008 by federal OSHA

Scaffolding (general requirements, construction 29 CFR 1926.451) was the most frequently cited standard in fiscal year 2008. It is also the standard for which OSHA proposed the second highest penalties. OSHA has resources to help employers and employees identify scaffolding hazards and solutions to those hazards. Visit OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Web page on scaffolding and publications page for more information.

Source: www.osha.gov

ITEMS TO NOTE . . . FROM ACROSS THE NATION

NRCA is still making their way through the new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the stimulus package. Details about many of the new spending programs authorized in the legislation are not yet available but should be by the end of this month as federal agencies submit their spending plans. We do know there is much in the bill of interest to the roofing industry.

Some of the particulars include:

• A loss carry-back provision-to five years rather than two-for firms with annual sales of less than $15 million
• More money made available to the Small Business Administration for loans and bonds
• An extension of the investment tax credit for renewable energy, such as wind and solar, at a rate of 30 percent
• A new homeowner tax credit of 30 percent, capped at $1,500 in aggregate, for energy-efficiency improvements, including certain types of roofing materials

And then there is the spending-lots of it. Some is directed to federal agencies for energy improvements to existing facilities. The Department of Defense gets $4.2 billion for that; the General Services Administration gets $4.4 billion. Schools will get money for building improvements, mostly through grants to states. There is money for low-income housing and more money for roads and bridges that will at least help improve employment in the construction industry, which has declined for 20 consecutive months.

There are, of course, issues with the bill. One certain issue is it will take the government some time to figure out how to spend that much money in a reasonable time frame given the paperwork the government imposes on itself before it can spend. Another issue is the money will come in a number of forms-direct disbursements, grants and tax incentives, for example-that make it hard for many businesses to figure it all out. NRCA will help by providing information about spending opportunities as they become available and by having people ready to answer questions.

As if there weren't enough activity in Washington, D.C., the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) has now been introduced in Congress. EFCA would allow unions to organize by getting a majority of eligible employees to sign-or check-cards calling for unionization-without a secret ballot. It also would impose binding arbitration if a contract isn't agreed to within 30 days of the union being authorized.

NRCA believes this is one of the worst pieces of legislation to come before Congress in a long time. However, it is likely to pass the House of Representatives, and the vote in the Senate will come down to a handful of senators; 60 votes are needed to prevent a filibuster. Currently, there may be as many as 55 votes for the measure. This is exactly the time to let your elected officials know how you feel about the bill. And when you do, please copy us.

NRCA University offers free safety training in Denver

Thanks to a grant from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, NRCA will be conducting a number of free safety training seminars during the next two months. One is an OSHA 30-hour course (April 27-30 in Denver); the other is our Focus 4 Safety Program (May 1 in Denver), which addresses hazards OSHA believes account for the most preventable fatalities in the construction industry.

For more information, visit www.nrca.net/nrcauniversity or contact NRCA's Customer Service Department at (866) ASK-NRCA (275-6722) or info@nrca.net.

NRCA vegetative roof systems manual is available

NRCA has released The NRCA Vegetative Roof Systems Manual, Second Edition, which discusses cutting-edge technologies available for vegetative roof systems, including waterproofing systems and their associated components such as root barriers, drainage layers and thermal insulation. The manual also includes best practices for designing and installing extensive, semi-extensive and intensive vegetative roof systems. To purchase The NRCA Vegetative Roof Systems Manual, Second Edition, click here. The manual also can be purchased by calling NRCA's Customer Service Department at (866) ASK-NRCA (275-6722).

Source: NRCA.NET