Western Roofing Expo 2024 Recap
WSRCA Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Association & the Expo
by Marcus Dodson, Publisher
The Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA) hosted its 50th Annual Western Roofing Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, September 28-October 1, 2024. This was an extraordinary landmark for the association, with this not only being the 50th annual expo but also the 50th anniversary of the association. The trade show returned to the Paris®-Las Vegas and contractors, sales reps, manufacturers, and more were excited to gather and celebrate this landmark for the WSRCA at the highly anticipated event. Once again, the industry’s finest came out to the entertainment capital of the world to network, learn, and have some fun. According to the WSRCA, more than 4,000 attendees came together for the Western Roofing Expo 2024, and everyone was excited to connect face-to-face and hear from leading experts, educators, and colleagues. Popular highlights once again were the golf and sporting clays tournaments, silent auction, and two days of seminars and demonstrations.
Gala
The expo kicked off the momentous 50th anniversary of the WSRCA with a celebratory gala that paid homage to all of its former Presidents. Many past Presidents were there in attendance, and honor and recognition were given to the Presidents that were unable to attend or are no longer with us. Wayne Mullis, the first President of the WSRCA, and John Zamrzla, the second President of the WSRCA, were both in attendance. The gala was a wonderful homage to the association, with a cocktail bar, buffet dinner, and slideshow of the past presidents. Those who were in attendance were encouraged to speak on stage about the success and progress the association has made in the last 50 years.
Tournaments
Before the Western Roofing Expo 2024 seminars and demonstrations began on the trade show floor, the Davis Memorial Foundation hosted its annual golf and sporting clays tournaments. On Sunday, September 29, a sold out number of 128 golfers attended the golf tournament, which was held at Revere Golf Club in Henderson, Nevada. Golfers traversed through the rugged desert canyons and valleys of the Las Vegas foothills and enjoyed breathtaking views of the skyline and the mountain landscapes beyond. The winners were: flight one, first place, Brad Ramey, Robert Alvarez, Scott Tomlin, and Jared Crisologo; flight two, first place, Jerry Bold, Lee Mosbrucker, and Dean Baumgartner; men’s closest to the pin, Mark Taylor; women’s closest to the pin, Rozalyn Jennings; men’s longest drive, John Smart; and women’s longest drive, Bree King.
The Pro Gun Club hosted the sporting clays tournament that same morning, which was once again an exhilarating start to the Western Roofing Expo 2024. The winners were: flight one, first place, Craig Lott; and flight two, first place, Frank Padilla. Alongside the tournament, participants were encouraged to take part in a poker run as they made their stops. The winning hands came from Cameron Murrin with a royal flush and Sam Dennis with four of a kind, and both winners received gift cards to Bass Pro Shop.
The Roofing Games™ were held on Tuesday, which included the steep-slope nailing competition, sponsored by Malarkey Roofing Products®. Contestants competed in a timed event showcasing their individual asphalt-shingle nailing skills and a chance to win a cash prize. The participants were judged on accuracy, aesthetics, speed, and workmanship. The winner was Nelson Friesen of Northern Sky Roofing, Kelowna, British Columbia, who completed the tasks in 1:52. This was Friesen’s second year in a row winning the Roofing Games, making him the man to beat for next year.
Scholarship & Fundraisers
An elegant black and gold welcome party and lively-silent auction on Sunday night was a great way to kick off the Western Roofing Expo 2024. The night was a huge success full of fantastic donated items, such as hunting trips, vacations, electronics, jewelry, and roofing-related products. The lively-silent auction was sponsored by GAF.
The Davis Memorial Foundation celebrated another astounding year of fundraising and was able to award ten $5,000 scholarships to the following deserving recipients: Alexander Rasmusen, Oklahoma City University; Ava Bernard, University of Mississippi; David Rueter, Colorado School of Mines; Elijah Duke, Los Angeles Trade Technical School; Marysue Hauser, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs; Maura Mulligan, Colorado State University; Niklas Choate, Ottawa University Surpise; Valeria Lopez, Gonzaga University; Zachary Klein, Coconino Community College; and Zuleima Flores, Oregon State University.
Trade Show
Attendees were invited to walk the trade show floor on Sunday and Monday. Roofing professionals moved from booth to booth as they watched demonstrations, listened to seminars, and tested out products from some of the leading industry manufacturers, distributers, and suppliers of roof-related products, materials, equipment, and services, many only available in the Western market.
Seminars
Monday and Tuesday were also filled with a diverse and exciting selection of seminars. The educational programs at the Western Roofing Expo 2024 were designed by WSRCA contractors to help members be better roofing contractors and business people. This year, the Western Roofing Expo 2024 focused on a variety of topics that covered a broad spectrum of interests including: The History of Roofing 2024; Attic Ventilation Best Practices, Tips, and Solutions from Across North America; Moisture Impact on Roofing and Waterproofing Assemblies; Edge Protection/Barrier Systems – When Working at Height; Until You Have Robots, You Need Employees: Top Five Employment Issues in the Roofing Industry; Is My Roofing Company a Target for Acquisition, and What Do I Need to Know?; From Classroom to Rooftop: Hiring and Integrating Construction Management Graduates; Proactively Address Moisture in Roof Assemblies; When Codes Are in Conflict: Building Science and Life Safety in Wood Framed Construction; Reducing a Building’s Energy Use with Its Roof; Design Issues in Roofing: A Legal Perspective; Protecting Your Bottom Line: Insurance Strategies for Effective Risk Transfer in Contracts; The Need for Training in the Roofing Industry; WSRCA Young Roofing Professionals’ Annual Discussion: Career Advancement; The Top Ten Low Slope Detail Errors Made by Roofing Contractors, Observed by Roof Consultants; Steep-Slope Roofs, Making Them Watertight; Roofing Safety Essentials: Compliance with OSHA Regulations; Employee or Independent Contractor? An Update on the Misclassification Issue Under the FLSA and NLRA; Scaling Your Operations for Economic Conditions; Are You Ready to Sell Your Business? How Much is it Worth?; Commercial Roofing Academy; Ventilation Concepts and Troubleshooting Techniques; Empowering Leaders: Safety and Risk Management in Your Organization; State of the Industry; Responding to OSHA: From Inspection to Citation; and Navigating the Path to Excellence in Roofing Field Operations.
Annual Luncheons
The Legislative Luncheon was held on Monday with keynote speakers Craig Brightup and McKay Daniels. As a Washington insider, Brightup provided his views and information on how new legislation is affecting the roofing and waterproofing industries. Daniels, the CEO of the National Roofing Contractors Association, shared his invaluable insight into the future of the roofing industry.
Tuesday’s Annual Luncheon featured Anthony Robles, winner of the 2011 NCAA Wrestling National Championship. Robles was born with only one leg, but he managed to persevere through the struggles that came with that to pursue wrestling. Attendees thoroughly enjoyed his inspiring talk about defying the odds.
Awards
For his outstanding efforts in recruiting potential members to join the WSRCA, Scott Riopelle of Interstate Roofing won the 2024 Wrangler of the Year award. A custom-made belt buckle commemorated his first win. Immediately following the luncheon entertainment, WSRCA presented its annual awards. Board Member of the Year went to Stephanie Baird. Travis Nelson of Brown Roofing was awarded the Outstanding Service Award. Trent Cotney was inducted into the WSRCA Hall of Fame.
New Officers
The elected officers this year are as follows: Kris Hitesman, President; Stan Robinson, Senior Vice President; Austin Barnhardt, Vice President; Tyler Canaday, Vice President; Ron Lloyd, Vice President; Hillary McPartlon, Vice President; and Mike Wakerling, Immediate Former President.
Western Roofing Expo 2025
While next year’s expo will not be celebrating such an important landmark for the WSRCA, the Western Roofing Expo Convention and Trade Show will return to the Paris-Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, September 28-30, 2025 for what should be another sold-out show. For more information, contact the WSRCA at (800) 725-0333.
