Fall 2020 News

In September, Tamko Building Products LLC celebrated 75 years in business. Employee events at its downtown operations facility in Joplin, Missouri, included a picnic. Tamko was born in 1944, when founders E.L. and Mary Ethel Craig named their new roofing company “Tamko” as an acronym of the first letters of the states they believed would be their sales territory — Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Over the next 75 years, the company grew from one small location to one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of roofing, with more than 20 facilities across the U.S., a host of building products, and nationwide distribution.

In March, Wichita-based Epro Services acquired Kingfield Construction Products. 

Epro markets composite water-proofing, methane mitigation, and vapor intrusion systems, and the acquisition expands both its product and service offerings and its footprint in the marketplace.

Based in Minneapolis and founded in 2013, Kingfield delivers waterproofing solutions for high-end residential, infrastructure, and large-scale civil and commercial construction.

“Protecting the building envelope continues to be a top priority for specifiers, which means their demands for innovation are evolving,” said David Polk, CEO of Epro Services. “Our acquisition of Kingfield increases our ability to meet and exceed those expectations with unique technologies that stand alone or augment our field-installed composite systems.”

Polk adds that he’s impressed with the people at Kingfield as well. “They’re smart, experienced professionals who will enable us to provide a new standard of excellence during the design and installation phase for customers.”

Scott Schendel, president of Kingfield, says, “At Kingfield, we take pride in what we’ve developed and introduced to the marketplace over the past seven years, because we know it has brought value to a variety of industries and to a wide array of customers. Epro’s acquisition of Kingfield opens the next chapter for the soon-to-be combined company, putting our technologies at play on a much larger stage. I’m proud of our team and where we’re headed.”

Full integration of the two companies is expected to be complete by the end of 2020.

National Coatings Corporation (NCC), a manufacturer of energy-efficient elastomeric roof and wall coatings, announced that 16 of their roof coating products meet stringent standards related to air quality and low VOC requirements in southern California. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) is the agency responsible for regulating air pollution in the South Coast Air Basin in southern California and creates the regional blueprint for bringing the area into compliance with the clean air standards established by national and state governmental legislation. National Coatings offers 16 “super-compliant” coatings with VOC levels below 10 grams per liter.

“We have worked very hard over the years to limit the VOC levels in our coatings to not only comply with local standards but to greatly exceed the requirements,” said Shawn Collins, president of National Coatings  “Our 16 ‘super-compliant’ coatings include base and top roof coatings as well as our wall coating. This is a great achievement for us, and we are proud to offer these products to our customers.”

U.S. Waterproofing is launching U.S. Remediation, a new commercial business in response to Covid-19. U.S. Remediation is a professional disinfection company specializing in decontaminating offices, retail properties, warehouses, and other building and workspaces in the greater Chicago area. Using EPA-approved disinfectants that are safe and effective against coronaviruses, including coronavirus and other types of pathogens, U.S. Remediation provides three levels of disinfection, including preventive, deep cleaning, and reactive decontamination after a documented case of Covid-19. More information is available on the company website.

Sika has acquired Modern Waterproofing Group, a leading manufacturer of roofing and waterproofing systems in Egypt. The acquisition supplements and rounds off the product portfolio of Sika Egypt and offers new opportunities for growth in the Egyptian construction market. The acquired business generates annual sales of $28 million. Modern Waterproofing is based in Cairo with a production facility in Badr City. It manufactures solutions for the waterproofing and roofing markets, focusing on a comprehensive range of modified bitumen membranes. As complementary products, the company also offers liquid coatings and insulation boards. The acquisition will extend and complete Sika Egypt’s offering of roofing, waterproofing, and building envelope systems. The production site will strengthen the local supply chain and the technical know-how as well as offer the possibility to efficiently serve other African countries. 

Rhino Waterproofing Solutions has expanded with Rhino Exterior Solutions, which offers home services such as roofing, stucco remediation, and installation and upgrades for siding, windows, and doors. Rhino Waterproofing and Exterior Solutions serves areas in Pennsylvania, providing its customers with basement waterproofing, mold remediation, foundation, and structural repairs, roofs, stucco remediation, and windows, siding, and doors to protect homes inside and out.

The performing arts center in Albany’s historic Empire State Plaza—nicknamed “The Egg” for its unique white curved roof—was named “Project of the Year” by Kemper System America, Inc.

Originally built in 1978, The Egg is home to two theaters totaling 1,432 seats, with a massive curved concrete roof that sits on a pedestal anchored to a reinforced concrete beam that extends six stories below the plaza. 

A durable and dependable roof system was essential, but it also needed to match the aesthetics of the original roof, and help lower energy use by reflecting back the rays of the summer sun.  They chose a cold liquid-applied reinforced membrane system sold under the brand name Kemperol.

“We selected the Kemperol system for four main reasons,” said Bell & Spina principal Dennis Spina. “One was geometry: The roof goes from completely flat to a 6.5/12 pitch. Second, we liked that it was a ‘no odor’ resin system. We also wanted a monolithic look since the roof is visible from offices above. Finally, we liked the history and longevity of the product, and the fact that it could be recoated.” 

The roof was named “Cool Roof of the Year” by Kemper.  “We want to recognize the outstanding efforts of those involved in restoring the integrity of this cultural landmark and preserving it for years to come,” said Kemper System director of sales Joe Hoekzema. 

The Canadian subsidiary of Garland Industries was recently awarded a contract to provide roofing and waterproofing materials to a number of public sector organizations across Canada.

The three-year contract, with an option to extend the term for an additional period of up to two years, officially took effect April 1, 2020, and obligates Garland/DBS Canada to provide waterproofing products and services to municipalities, academics, school boards, and health and social services organizations.   

“Kinetic GPO is proud to partner with Garland/DBS Canada on this contract to offer roofing and waterproofing services and materials to our members,” said Chris Penny, CEO of Kinetic GPO. 

Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO) are widely used–especially in the medical and education sectors—to increase the purchasing power of entities by leveraging combined purchasing volumes and offering its portfolio to a full range of Canadian broader public sector entities.

Labor needs in the roofing industry are projected to rise by 12% annually.  To meet this need, NCCER has partnered with the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA).

NCCER is a nonprofit education foundation created in 1996 as The National Center for Construction Education and Research. It was developed with the support of more than 125 construction CEOs and academic leaders who united to create a standardized training and credentialing program for the construction industry.

The new partnership is intended to create a career path from education to certification. “NCCER is proud to partner with NRCA to enhance the training of roofing craft professionals,” states Boyd Worsham, president. “The roofing industry is an essential sector of construction — every facility, from school to church to home, has a roof, yet it is a craft area that is frequently under-recognized. In addition to expanding our curriculum, we also aim to highlight the critical role of these craft professionals in our society.”

The NCCER and NRCA partnership will also help increase consumer confidence that these certified craft professionals have the knowledge and skills to do the job well. 

 “NRCA is excited to partner with NCCER because of their strong commitment to workforce development that is inclusive of both low- and steep-slope roofing installation,” states Nick Sabino, president of Deer Park Roofing Inc., Cincinnati, and NRCA’s chairman of the board. “The partnership also will raise awareness for careers in roofing, enhance installer professionalism, and increase the number of ProCertified applicators in the industry.”