Invaluable training from an industry expert

By Emma Peterson.  

Learn from John Kenney’s decades of experience and insights through Cotney Consulting Group’s accessible online training programs!  

Through our work reporting on the world of roofing, The Coffee Shops™ crew get the chance to talk to experts and leaders from all across the industry. One of those experts that we’ve had the honor to work with especially closely is John Kenney.  

John is the CEO of Cotney Consulting Group and has over four decades of history working in the roofing industry. He is also incredibly passionate about and involved in industry organizations, sitting on the board of Board of Directors for RT3 (Roofing Technology Think Tank) and a participating member of National Women in Roofing’s Membership Committee.  And the best part? John is actively working on sharing his knowledge and experience with the rest of the roofing industry through Cotney Consulting Group’s training programs!  

To learn more about these programs, Megan Ellsworth sat down with John for an episode of Roofing Road Trips®. First, they discussed what inspired John to start these structured trainings. He shared:  

What pushed me into building the structure training programs was actually seeing the same problems repeat themselves at different companies. It's kind of like Einstein's theory. If we continue to do the same thing over and over, we're not going to get a different result. So, what I saw was estimators promoted without training, which makes sense as it’s very hard to train in-house with estimators because there's so much going on, but also sets them and the company up for disaster. They're expected to manage their people without any type of leadership tools whatsoever.  

Having noticed this issue cropping up in businesses all over the industry, John decided to create the training that they’re missing in an accessible, online format that can be fit into their busy schedules. He explained, “The reason I made them online is because it's learning at your own pace. And as we all know in this industry, you're busy. And this is something you can do for a couple hours at night. You can do it on your lunch break because it can be done very easily.” 

Currently, there are a few of John’s different programs already available to professionals – Estimating sales, project management, superintendent resources, service/maintenance, business operations and leadership skills. Each of these tracks are designed to stand on their own. John elaborated, “Online training allowed me to take all the decades that I've been in this business with my real-world experience and put it into lessons... each track is built to stand on its own. So, I have three or four different programs in estimating itself, and you don't have to take all of them at once. You take them when you're ready.” 

The result? Higher-skilled roofing professionals that not only succeed in their own careers but boost the business they’re a part of.  

Want to learn more about John’s training programs? Listen to the whole podcast or explore Cotney’s training page.