This has been a busy summer for everyone, with a lot to be proud of and thankful for! Not only did the United States commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle landing on the moon and successfully returning to earth; all of us at Duro-Last continue to celebrate the success our loyal customers are having around the country! More on Apollo 11 later.
I have had the opportunity to visit many contractors this year, in fact over 75 so far, and the theme is pretty consistent wherever I go; business is strong and the US and Canadian economies are growing. Building owners are more demanding and becoming more sophisticated in their questions, and the biggest limiting factor for growth is the lack of consistent labor along with an aging work force. The average age of a roofing employee continues to get older every year.
We continue to believe that the solution to our evolving industry is the custom-fabricated Duro-Last Roofing System. In addition to the Time off the Roof™ solutions for contractors, we consistently see examples where the Duro-Last PVC systems you install hold up better than commodity products like TPO and EPDM. With features like enhanced thickness over scrim, robust anti-wicking scrim, prefabricated accessories, more Quality Assurance Technical Representatives per square-foot sold and 40 plus years of experience doing what we do, it’s no wonder the custom-fabricated Duro-Last Roofing System stands out from the competition. But we don’t stop there; Duro-Last offers over 70 different membrane options, and when coupled with our EXCEPTIONAL® Metals products we have a solution for every need! That’s from Edge-to-Edge and Deck-to-Sky™!
Finally, with six Duro-Last manufacturing plants and three distribution centers throughout North America, over 90% of our customers typically receive their orders within a one-day ship point. We are clearly excited about the solutions we have to offer and hope you are as well!
Now back to Apollo 11. I’ve often wondered what the “Help Wanted” ad for that mission looked like. Perhaps it included phrases like “must like working outdoors, not afraid of heights, safety focused, willing to travel to different locations frequently, no two days will always be the same, requires flexibility, work as a team, on the job problem solving skills.” Many of these phrases can also describe the roofing industry that we all work in. I recognize it’s difficult to compare almost anything to the life of an Apollo 11 astronaut! Certainly they received far more public fame than the typical roofing company, but what we do is really no less important. With well over 2 billion square feet of Duro-Last sold since our inception, you have protected countless hospitals, schools, police stations, businesses and homes! What you do is integral to the infrastructure of North America, and we collectively provide a livelihood for thousands of families! The economic ripple effect is massive! These are not small accomplishments, and all of you should continue to be proud to the work you do every day as well. Thanks for all you do!
On behalf of everyone at Duro-Last, we know we are fortunate to be your partner! I look forward to welcoming you in Phoenix at our National Sales Seminar in January.
