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SAGINAW, Mich. – Duro-Last’s annual National Sales Seminar, held January 22 through 24 at Loews Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood, California, welcomed more than 1,200 guests representing more than 230 certified Duro-Last roofing contractor companies. The highly-anticipated event was packed with educational sessions, networking, company news and product announcements. It is also a time to celebrate the work and accomplishments of 2022.
“Our 38th annual sales seminar in Hollywood was an event unlike any other in the roofing industry,” Duro-Last CEO Tom Saeli said. “It is an opportunity to celebrate, educate and learn from and with our contractors. We set records for square footage produced and sold in 2022, and we’re optimistic about 2023. The time we spend at Seminar each year with our contractors ensures we understand their upcoming needs, and it gives us an opportunity to achieve our mission – to ‘wow our customers all ways always.’”
Duro-Last’s 2022 Contractor of the Year is Royalty Roofing from Seymour, Indiana.
Royalty Roofing earned the Contractor of the Year distinction for its exceptional work, attention to detail, customer service and outstanding sales throughout 2022. Royalty Roofing, an authorized Duro-Last contractor for more than 25 years, also earned the distinction of being the first-ever recipient of the Duro-Last Platinum Eagle Award based on exceptional sales for 2022.
Additionally, six project awards were presented to contractors in the following categories
Recognizing the project that best utilizes all aspects of a Duro-Last Roofing System and demonstrates a dedication to outstanding workmanship, best practices, innovation and customer service.
Contractor: Mid-Western Commercial Roofers from Mobile, Alabama
Project: First Baptist Church in Biloxi, Mississippi
Contractor: Mid-Western Commercial Roofers
Project: First Baptist Church
Location: Biloxi, Mississippi
Square Feet: 120,000
Products: Duro-Fleece® charcoal 60 mil membrane, Duro-Tuff® charcoal 60 mil vinyl rib membrane, Duro-Guard® ISO, Duro-Grip® CR 20 HFO Adhesive, ½” Duro-Guard® DEXcell® cover board, vents, stacks, drains, caulk, custom skirt and vinyl-coated drip edge.
Just west of the Interstate 100 and I-10 interchange in north Biloxi, the steeple from First Baptist Church shines brighter toward the sky. Admittedly, a power wash helped. On a sunny day as tens of thousands of cars drive by, there’s a bright reflection coming off one of the largest vinyl rib roofs in the country. Inside, the people of First Baptist Church gather under this roof, because, in the words of Pastor Smokey Gibson, “We are better together.”
Leaks plagued this building for years; a 2015 Facebook post shows a volunteer melting tar to temporarily patch a 60-foot gully, and contractors were hired to replace rotting board. A new roof is a significant expense for the church, but in 2021 Hurricane Ida forced the project. The high winds blew off shingles and the deluge of rain led to more than 1,000 ceiling tiles falling to the floor inside; which is ironic, given there are almost 1,000 members of the church. With a new roof to pay for, they launched a three-year “Under This Roof” fundraising campaign.
“This job was so special to us because it’s right here locally and everybody sees it every day coming down the interstate,” said George Bock, owner of Mid-Western Commercial Roofers. “And with the size of the church and with the visibility of it, we did not want to make any mistakes.”
The shingle roof was torn off, and Duro-Guard ISO cover board was fastened to the roof deck. Duro-Guard DEXcell cover board was glued to the ISO to eliminate the risk of fasteners showing through the membrane layers. Duro-Grip CR 20 HFO Adhesive was sprayed to adhere Duro-Fleece 60 mil membrane.
Mid-Western worked closely with Duro-Last® in the planning stage so once installed, the Duro-Tuff charcoal 60 mil vinyl rib membrane would look like a metal roof with ribs. The rolls were installed from top to bottom without any seams butting. Side laps were hidden by running close to a rib.
“We spent a lot of extra time, probably twice the amount of normal labor on this roof to put the ribs on,” Bock said. “We had to do a lot of unique things to it, because it was so large [120,000 square feet], and because everyone is looking at it.”
The project, using all Duro-Last products from Edge-to-Edge & Deck-to-Sky™, took two months to install 90,000 linear feet of ribs, completing one section at a time. The Mid-Western crew did not want any mistakes, so if Duro-Grip Adhesive splattered onto the Duro-Fleece membrane it was removed and replaced. The terminations include a custom-fabricated skirt, vinyl-coated drip edge, vents and stacks.
“We wanted it to be a showpiece to be proud of,” Bock said. “With over 1,000 members of First Baptist Church looking at it every day, we knew we could face a harsh crowd, especially after they had just put up with 1,000 leaks. So now, not only does it look good, but it is leak free.”
With a 20-year NDL Warranty, this building will be leak free and a place for thousands to gather, worship and be better together for years to come.
Recognizing the project that best utilizes Duro-Last’s custom-fabricated membrane and accessories throughout the roofing system.
Contractor: Damschroder Roofing from Freemont, Ohio
Project: Arch Building, The Andersons in Maumee, Ohio
Contractor: Damschroder Roofing
Project Arch Building, The Andersons
Location: Maumee, Ohio
Square Feet: 43,254
Products: Duro-Last® custom-fabricated tan 50 mil membrane, Duro-Guard® XPS insulation, Duro-Last stainless-steel fasteners, curbs, stacks and custom end caps, stainless-steel vented ridge caps, parapet flashings, galvanized roof anchors, EXCEPTIONAL® Metals’ stainless-steel plates, EXCEPTIONAL Metals’ 2-Piece Base, T-Edge skirt.
Jim Collins, owner of The Andersons, Inc., grew weary of the maintenance and expense of replacing asphalt shingles that would fly off the arch building after a windstorm. In 2021, Collins determined protecting 61,000 tons of dry fertilizer was worth investing in a new roof. He knew Damschroder Roofing would be up for the job.
“In this case, they couldn’t get shingles to stay on the roof because every time they’d have a windstorm they’d lose shingles,” said Dana Howell, president of Damschroder Roofing. “So they were getting nickeled and dimed with replacements and maintenance.”
The arch building defies the typical low-slope or flat roof of many Duro-Last membrane installs. However, Damschroder knew the new roof needed to stand up to strong Midwest winds and last a minimum of 25 years. Shingles would not work; they would fly off again. Collins was sold on the recommendation of a Duro-Last Roofing System: a custom-fabricated membrane to minimize on-site welds with mechanically fastened stainless-steel fasteners and edge metals. Stainless steel withstands the corrosiveness of the fertilizer.
The biggest challenge and number one priority during this project was the safety of the installers. Because of the pitch of the roof, a tie-off was required for the entirety of the job. Many mornings the crew faced a slippery slope from morning dew.
“We have phenomenal installers who literally repel from the ridge down when they do these types of installs,” Howell said. “They’re mountain climbers. They’re very, very good at it.”
The Duro-Last Roofing System was installed over the entire roof deck, up and over the parapet walls for complete encapsulation, including vent flashings and terminations. The roof deck was cut along the peak and replaced with new stainless-steel vented ridge caps. Vinyl siding was removed from parapet walls and Duro-Guard XPS fan-fold insulation was installed to reduce heat escape and protect it from moisture penetration before the Duro-Last membrane was installed.
Duro-Last’s custom-fabricated rolls are designed to easily roll down a flat roof. One challenge of this job was the logistics of getting, and keeping, the 5-foot wide rolls of tan 50 mil Duro-Last membrane secured on the ridge because of the roof’s pitch. It required a crane capable of reaching the height and width of the building, and installing temporary safety tie-off D-rings for the removal of the existing roof and installation of the new.
Stainless-steel fasteners were used, tying into a shingle-covered addition. Terminations include a 3” welding arched drip edge of 100 mil aluminum along the vertical perimeter, and 3” stainless-steel T-Edge for the lower perimeter edges. For extra support, four new galvanized roof anchors were installed.
After the membrane was installed, the parapet walls were re-covered with vinyl siding to maintain aesthetics, connecting the arch to the recent addition.
“We were able to accomplish the task and it was fun,” Howell said. “I’m not sure that the installers would say it was fun, but they did what they do best and they hit it out of the park.”
Recognizing the project that best utilizes Duro-Last products for the entire roofing system – from Edge-to-Edge & Deck-to-Sky.
Contractor: Old South Construction Company from Wetumpka, Alabama
Project: Riverton Intermediate School in Huntsville, Alabama
Contractor: Old South Construction Company
Project: Riverton Intermediate School
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Square Feet: 140,000
Products: Duro-Tuff® charcoal 50 mil standing rib membrane, 1/2” Duro-Guard® DEXcell® cover board, Duro-Guard® EPS Flute Fill, Duro-Last Solvent-Grip® Adhesive, 1 1/2″ Duro-Guard Poly ISO, Duro-Grip® CR-20 (HFO) polyurethane foam adhesive, EXCEPTIONAL® Metals’ Vinyl-Coated Drip Edge, DX-style gutters, downspouts
It’s hard for students to learn in a classroom with buckets catching water dripping from a leaking roof. Yet, classes continued in a computer lab at Riverton Intermediate School, home to approximately 800 fourth, fifth and sixth-grade students. There were leaks throughout the building, and an Old South Construction Company inspection showed why: The 20-year-old standing seam metal roof and gutters were rusted.
As a general contractor for the State of Alabama, Old South has created its niche over the past eight years completing more than 175 projects on school and community buildings. Many school projects are done during summer break to avoid additional congestion at drop-off and pick-up points with the added ease of working on an empty building. Riverton has an active summer program so there is no time when the building is not occupied. Old South collaborated with Joe Cuzzort, Madison County School System director of operations, to obtain the proper security identification and safety protocols to work among students and staff.
“It was vital to get those leaks stopped as quickly as possible,” said Richard Peake, senior project manager at Old South Construction.
The building’s distinct rooflines were enhanced with the old standing seam metal roof, a look Riverton wanted to keep as they considered options for the new roof. Old South proposed two options. The first, which was what the district initially wanted, was to replace the standing seam metal. The second, a more budget-friendly choice, was to convert the standing seam to a flute fill retrofit. After some negotiation, Old South proposed the retrofit vinyl rib system with the appearance of standing seam panels and was awarded the project.
The 140,000-square-foot building required 1 ½” Duro-Guard EPS Flute Fill insulation mechanically installed directly over the existing standing seam metal roof. It was covered with ½” Duro-Guard DEXcell cover board adhered with Duro-Grip CR-20 (HFO) adhesive and then 50 mil charcoal Duro-Tuff adhered with Duro-Last Solvent-Grip Adhesive. The vinyl ribs were heat welded to the membrane giving the appearance of a standing seam roof system.
“We ended up installing over 77,800 linear feet of vinyl rib, along with several custom-fabricated HVAC curbs,” Peake said. “We used EXCEPTIONAL Metals’ eave trims, gutters, downspouts, fascias and soffits. So, it is a complete system from Duro-Last, literally Edge-to-Edge, Deck-to-Sky.”
The project required 4,000 linear feet of EXCEPTIONAL Metals’ vinyl-coated drip edge, 2,700 linear feet of DX-style gutters and 1,500 linear feet of 4-by-5 downspouts.
With a 20-Year NDL Warranty from Duro-Last®, Riverton Intermediate School no longer needs to place buckets around classrooms when it rains. The students in the computer classroom are smiling; maybe not only because the leaks have stopped, but because they’re in front of a screen.
“I think the biggest advantage of the Duro-Last Roofing System is that we are a one-stop shop,” said Peake. “From gutters, downspouts, fascia, soffit and membrane to what goes directly on the deck. In addition, we have a single warranty, which is a huge advantage for the building owner. As a contractor, we can choose to do business with anyone. But we choose Duro-Last because Duro-Last supports us like no one else does.”
Recognizing the project that best utilizes EXCEPTIONAL® Metals metal roofing and wall panels.
Contractor: PMR Roofing from Dallas
Project: Val Verde County Courthouse in Del Rio, Texas
Contractor: PMR Roofing
Project: Val Verde County Courthouse
Location: Del Rio, Texas
Square Feet: 6,500
Products: Duro-Fleece® 60 mil membrane, Duro-Grip® CR 20 HFO Adhesive, EXCEPTIONAL® Metals’ EM BattenLok® HS 24-gauge standing seam roof panels, EXCEPTIONAL Metals’ EM CraftsmanTM Series roof panels, AllTerm® 6” 2-piece compression metal cleat and cover.
The Texas Historical Commission historical marker outside Val Verde County Courthouse represents its construction in 1887 and redesign in 1915. So, when the roof was damaged in March 2020 by the second-largest hail storm to hit Del Rio, not just any material could replace the octagonal dome.
4T Partnership, a consulting firm specializing in assisting government entities with building projects, tapped PMR Roofing from Dallas for the emergency response to stop leaks and begin restoration on behalf of the Texas Municipal League (TML), and its insurer, the Texas Association of Counties (TAC).
PMR, a vetted contractor for TML and TAC, knew they had to find the perfect balance of preserving the historical aesthetics of the courthouse while protecting the roof from damage if similar storms hit the area again. PMR also had experience working on historic courthouses and was prepared when the Texas Historical Commission reviewed the scope, plans and specs before work could start.
“We had to find a color that matched as closely possible,” said Quentan Tobolka, PMR Roofing president. “The metal that had been on the courthouse had been there for over 50 years. It was zinc, all welded together. We had to find a solution that would offer a 20-year weathertight warranty while still maintaining the standards of the Texas Historical Commission and meeting local regulations.”
The match was the EM Craftsman Series silver metallic from EXCEPTIONAL Metals. It met the approval of the Texas Historical Committee. And the 20-year warranty from Duro-Last covers the entire roofing assembly while also falling under the guidelines from TML and TAC.
One of the biggest challenges of this job is that Del Rio is a small city on the banks of the Rio Grande, which serves as the border between the U.S. and Mexico. The project required a portable roll-forming machine on-site to create the radius, tapered and curved panels on the octagonal dome.
“Getting the equipment there to bend these panels and get the radius just right on all of the batten strips and on our trim metal was quite challenging,” Tobolka said. “You have to go through a border checkpoint; you’re right on the border when you’re working in Del Rio. You’re not in a booming metropolis with everything immediately available to you.”
PMR tore off the previous roof and installed a Factory Mutual severe hail assembly that will protect the building for decades to come. They covered the deck with Duro-Fleece 60 mil membrane adhered using Duro-Grip CR 20 HFO Adhesive. The artistry of bending the EXCEPTIONAL Metals’ Craftsman Series panels for the dome took several weeks. The metal roof drains onto a low slope roof with 24-gauge EM BattenLok HS standing seam roof panels and parapet walls with internal drains and scuppers. The roof was finished with AllTerm® 6” 2-piece compression metal cleats, covers and corners.
“If you’re looking at that roof from the air and looking at all the angles, that’s a work of art,” Tobolka said. “This project was not many square feet, but it took us several weeks to get it done perfectly, to have the battens bent perfectly so that everything just seamed perfectly together. It was a lot of attention to detail and true craftsmanship to get it done right.”
Recognizing the project that best utilizes Duro-Last roll good products.
Contractor: Great Lakes Roofing and Insulation Systems, Inc. from Sault Saint Marie, Michigan
Project: Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Michigan
Contractor: Great Lakes Roofing and Insulation Systems, Inc.
Project: Treetops Resort
Location: Gaylord, Michigan
Square Feet: 34,503
Products: Duro-Guard® EPS Flute Fill, 1½” Duro-Guard Poly ISO, Duro-Last® Snow Diverter, Duro-Tuff® green 50 mil membrane, stacks and curbs; EXCEPTIONAL® Metals’ MX-6 24-gauge gutters, downspouts, EXCEPTIONAL Metals’ T-Edge 8” Classic Green; U-Anchor® accessory kit.
Nestled among the rolling hills of northern Michigan, Treetops Resort is known as a golfing mecca in the summer and for its powdery downhill skiing slopes in the winter. These natural surroundings on a resort with 207 hotel rooms and a Convention Center with 25,000 sq. ft. of meeting space make it an attractive destination. However, keeping guests comfortable in the Convention Center was almost … impossible.
Poor insulation in the Convention Center meant excessive heat loss even as HVAC units worked overtime to keep the thermostats cozy when the temperatures dropped outside. In 2019, leaks started in the metal roof and Doug Hoeh, director of maintenance at Treetops, reached out to Great Lakes Roofing and Insulation for an estimate to fix the roof.
At the same time, Hoeh knew something larger was being planned. Treetops General Manager Barry Owens had a vision to make improvements the guests would see and feel while reducing the resort’s carbon footprint. The Convention Center roof and insulation were part of a property-wide comprehensive energy efficiency upgrade that utilized $2.9 million in Property Assessment Clean Energy (PACE) financing. Otsego County, where Treetops is located, created a countywide PACE district in 2017, allowing property owners to receive 100% up-front financing for energy-saving projects that are repaid by a property tax special assessment.
“Part of the PACT requirements is increased R-value,” said Kevin Kenney, owner of Great Lakes Roofing and Insulation. Initially, he sent an insulation specialist to inspect the project. The inspection showed the problem was two-fold: the building was insulated with fiberglass insulation wrapped in plastic, leaving no options to insulate from the inside; the other problem was the layer of plastic on the attic floor and scattered buckets collecting water from leaks. “We were able to solve their roofing and insulation problem at the same time.”
In late 2019, Kenney presented Treetops with a proposal for a Duro-Last metal retrofit system using all Duro-Last® products from Edge-to-Edge and Deck-to-Sky™: Duro-Guard EPS 1 ½” Flute Fill, two layers of 1 ½” Duro-Guard Poly ISO, Duro-Tuff green 50 mil membrane, stacks, curbs, EXCEPTIONAL Metals’ gutters, downspouts, T-Edge, snow diverter and Anchor Products.
“The green fit with their scheme here at Treetops, so they loved that approach,” Kenney said. “But then, they said they wanted something to make it ‘pop.’ We said, ‘Well, Duro-Last offers rooftop logos.’”
The contract was awarded to Great Lakes in 2019. Between COVID-19 hitting in 2020 and frost on decks many mornings in September and October, the roof was eventually installed in 2021, and the logo was completed in the spring of 2022.
This was Kenney’s crew’s first logo install, and his pride shows.
“We were able to spread it out, tape it down, and basically weld it down,” he said. “My guys scratched their heads because it was a lot of welding. As you can see, it’s a pretty intricate logo.”
Not only does the new roof look amazing, Hoeh said the HVAC systems and energy usage has decreased 25%.
Back to Owen’s vision.
“Barry said to me the other day that when he leaves this property, that’ll be [the Convention Center] what he will be remembered by the most,” Kenney said. “No more leaks. And even more important than no more leaks, which is very important in and of itself, is there is no more heat loss.”
Sometimes visions can be a little wild and crazy, but with the support of Great Lakes Roofing, Owen was able to realize his vision … a roof that pops and reduces the resort’s carbon footprint.
Recognizing the project that best utilizes Duro-Last products or services to reduce the environmental impact of the building.
Contractor: Royalty Roofing Inc.
Project: Crothersville Junior/Senior High School in Crothersville, Indiana
Contractor: Royalty Roofing
Project: Crothersville Junior/Senior High School
Location: Crothersville, Indiana
Square Feet: 136,177
Products Duro-Last® 60 mil membrane, Duro-Guard® EPS fan fold board, Roof Trak® III Walkway Pad, Two-Way Air Vents, corners, caulk, vinyl fascia bar, fasteners, custom-fabricated curbs, drains and stacks; U-Anchor U2400 anchors
When Royalty Roofing received the bid request from Crothersville Junior/Senior High School, it was deja vu for two Royalty employees. President Andy Royalty and vice president Darrell Couch both knew the building well – it’s where they graduated high school.
The roof was 20 years old and in need of replacement. With federal money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act available and time running out to use it, Crothersville started looking at options.
“We want to make sure we don’t have leaks when it rains,” said Dr. Chrystal Street, Crothersville Community School Corporation superintendent. “We want to make sure that no water is coming in. Safety is the utmost importance, and our roof is part of a strong foundation for us.”
Crothersville contracted with PSG Energy Group of Indianapolis for ways to be more energy efficient, open to the idea of using sustainable, renewable sources; and also looking for ways to save taxpayer money. The PSG study recommended adding solar panels could reduce the district’s $104,000 annual electric bill by as much as 85%.
“Sustainability is very important to Royalty Roofing because we find a great deal of our customers are embracing sustainability,” said Jacob Newkirk, Royalty Roofing national sales manager. “We are providing a product that is way ahead of its time. John R Burt [founder of Duro-Last® Inc.] was exceptional in his entrepreneurship of creating a company that stands in the forefront of sustainability.”
The Crothersville roof has multiple sections with four types of deck material: metal, gypsum, concrete and Tectum®. Royalty knew from early core tests the partial tear-off had sections with two or three layers, while others had one. The layers were removed down to the existing poly iso board, and the material was sent to Duro-Last for recycling. Recycle Your Roof is a program where Duro-Last takes back mechanically-attached PVC roofs at the end of their useful life and reprocesses the material into other products such as Roof Trak Walkway Pads, PROFLEX® concrete expansion joints and Protect-All® flooring.
Duro-Guard EPS fan fold board was applied with Duro-Last 60 mil membrane over top. More than 150 U-Anchor U2400 anchors were mechanically fastened to mount the 3 feet by 6 feet panels, and 800 Roof Trak pads were welded to make the walkways between solar panels safer. The old roof had areas of ponding water, so more drains were added to get water off the roof and away from the solar panels.
The tight project timeline was a challenge.
“We completed this project in 28 working days,” Newkirk said. “Using Duro-Last custom-fabricated sheets made the process of installing this roof very, very easy. It allowed our guys to move a lot faster than if they were installing any other product.
In addition to the custom membrane, the stacks, curbs and drains were prefabricated at Duro-Last before arriving at the job site to lessen rooftop installation time.
The Edge-to-Edge & Deck-to-Sky™ model of having all material from one supplier was also vital to Royalty hitting the project deadline.
“We’re finding in very competitive situations over the last two years that Duro-Last stands head and shoulders above the other manufacturers— in manufacturing and delivery— of a complete system for jobs needed in a timely manner,” said Dale Sventeck, Royalty Roofing vice president of corporate sales.
The solar panels, installed over the summer by PSG, started converting the sun’s energy into power for the district in August. Street said it will likely be six to eight months before the school sees substantial savings. But the savings will come.
As for Royalty and Couch, this is where it all started; two young men with a dream of becoming entrepreneurs. With a 20-year material and labor warranty on the roof of their alma mater, the only reason they should visit the school now is to cheer on the Crothersville Tigers!
About Duro-Last Inc.
Known as the “World’s Best Roof®”, Duro-Last Inc. is the world’s largest manufacturer of custom-fabricated, thermoplastic single-ply roofing systems. Factory-controlled custom-fabrication can eliminate up to 85% of field seams, resulting in lower on-site labor costs and easier installation. Duro-Last’s roofing systems are sustainable and durable. More than two billion square feet of Duro-Last membrane has been installed throughout North America. Duro-Last is headquartered in Saginaw, Michigan, with additional manufacturing facilities in Grants Pass, Oregon; Jackson, Mississippi; Sigourney, Iowa; Carrollton, Texas; and Ludlow, Massachusetts. For more information on Duro-Last, call 888.301.7712 or visit www.duro-last.com.
Contact: Holly Roenicke,
Marketing Communications Manager
989.758.1076
hroenick@duro-last.com
Headquarters | 525 Morley Drive, Saginaw, MI 48601 | 888.301.7712
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