Supporting current and future contractors

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how Tapco Tools is not only equipping professionals in the field with the tools of success but also getting them into the hands of students.  

Tapco Tools, which is a Westlake Royal Building Products' brand, has spent the last six decades establishing themselves as a leading manufacturer of metal bending products. In that time, they have stayed in tune with the industry as it has grown and shifted. To learn more about the changes they’ve seen and how they are continuing to innovate and support construction professionals today, we caught up with one of their product managers, Adam Clark, for a quick interview at the 2025 International Builders Show,  

Adam shared that metal has become more popular than ever. He explained, “In roofing, you're seeing a ton more of the stone coated metal, the standing seam metal – just a ton of metal roofs out there.” In response to that popularity, you are seeing a lot of contractors wanting to expand their offerings to include metal. This is where Tapco’s innovative brakes and other metal bending tools can be huge assets for professionals.  

Whether it's a ridge cap or a piece of window casement, a metal brake can make your field operations up to 40% more efficient. Adam elaborated, “We’ve calculated it, when you use the brake for bending a couple profiles, like your fascia and wrapping some windows, it takes just 16 homes to pay yourself back for that brake.” So, after 16 homes you're working for free on a brake instead of waiting for an outside shop to deliver products to you. 

In addition to the rise in demand for metal in roofing and construction, Adam and the Tapco team are well aware of the other big demand in the trade professions – labor. In response, they have made it a priority to connect students with Tapco products in order to help incoming professionals develop the skills they need to succeed in the growing metal market. Adam explained, “Westlake and Tapco are always looking to help the future generation of builders out there. One example of what we do is annually donating a complete brake setup to different training and education centers. This just gives those students a great opportunity to learn to bend so that they are prepared to enter this job field.” 

This is just the tip of the iceberg in all that Tapco has and continues to do to support the building professions. Watch the full interview to learn more!