By Emma Peterson.

As SkillsUSA celebrates its 62nd year, we take a look at all the work they have done for students around the country.

In a new episode of Contractor Outlook™, Heidi J. Ellsworth got the chance to sit down with Chelle Travis, the executive director of SkillsUSA. SkillsUSA is the number one workforce development organization for students in the United States. They serve over 440,000 students and educators with programs in over 130 occupational areas (ranging from cake decorating to construction).

The mission of SkillsUSA is simple, as Chelle put it, “Our mission is to empower students to become skilled professionals, career ready leaders and responsible community members.”

How do they do that? Through a series of events and programming carefully designed to give “students the opportunity to put not only their technical skills, but also their very important workplace and personal skills into practice.” A great example of this type of event is their annual championships!

The SkillsUSA championship brings their organization together to give students a stage to showcase their skills and talents! Chelle gave some details on the event, sharing, “It is 31 football fields of skilled competition under one roof, alongside a tradeshow where business and industry partners and associations have the opportunity to engage with our future skill professionals.”

And the best part? It’s working. Since their founding back in the 1960s, millions of young people have found pathways to success in the trades. Looking back at it, Chelle shared some thoughts:

We're now entering into year sixty-two. And we couldn’t be more proud of our six decades strengthening the connection between education and industry so that students understand the opportunities available to them and are set up for successful careers when they enter into the workforce.

Listen to the whole Contractor Outlook or Watch the conversation with Chelle to learn more about SkillsUSA!

In this RoofersCoffeeShop® Coffee Conversations®, sponsored by SRS Distribution, we are joined by Brandi McElhaney, show manager at Informa and Keenan Perry, director of field & event marketing at SRS Distribution and Jon Goodman from NRCA. They will share the history and continued growth of the International Roofing Expo (IRE) while highlighting what will make the 2027 show stand out. From new products and innovations on the expo floor to education, networking and special events, the panel will cover the opportunities attendees won’t want to miss. They’ll also offer practical advice for first-time attendees, discuss efforts to create a welcoming industry experience and share what roofing professionals can do now to prepare for IRE 2027.

Watch on YouTube.

By Emma Peterson. 

SRS Distribution’s support for contractors extends beyond material supply, helping teams improve efficiency, manage risk and deliver stronger project outcomes. 

In this modern day and age, roofing distributors play a much larger role than just stocking shelves – they act as strategic partners. When contractors have proper distributor support, it becomes easier for them to keep projects on time, control their margins and serve their customers.  

How does a partnership with a distributor do all this? Take a look at a few examples of what SRS Distribution’s commercial teams do to support their customers:  

• Planning assistance: Before your project even starts, the SRS commercial team is ready to offer assistance. From helping you specify the best products for your scenario to figuring out jobsite delivery timelines, they offer contractors incredibly valuable support that make your job easier. 
• Crew support: SRS also hosts training events throughout the year that give your team the opportunity to stay informed on the newest roofing technologies and industry standards. These events cover everything from sales tools to equipment introductions. 
• Product delivery: Not only do SRS Distribution locations stock a variety of high-quality products from leading manufacturers like Carlisle, Johns Manville, GAF, Elevate and Versico, but they also are connected to one of the nation’s largest distributor network complete with a professional delivery fleet. This means that no matter what you need, whether it’s weather-resistant materials or high-tech products, they’ll get it to you.  
• Installation advice: Still have questions after the products are delivered to the job? SRS’ team is still there for you! They are well-trained on giving installations insights as well as guiding you through things like submittals and warranty paperwork. 

At the end of the day, it’s this type of above and beyond support that helps contractors keep projects on track even as supply chains and regulations make managing a business harder. 

Learn more about how a distributor like SRS supports their contractors.

By Emma Peterson. 

Find out how this program helps you “find the work, win the work and get the work done.” 

SRS Distribution’s Roof Hub program is one of the most valuable tools contractors have at their disposal today. Not only does it offer a space for you to manage all your projects and customers in one digital command center, but it also features integrations with leading programs like JobNimbus, Eagleview, Acculynx, Roofr and Leap so that you can streamline your entire workflow. 

In order to help contractors make sure they are getting the most out of their Roof Hub account, the Roof Hub team hosts a regular webinar on Wednesday’s at 1 p.m. CT (11 a.m. PT and 2 p.m. ET) that teaches contractors how to use Roof Hub to:  

• Simplify their operations and save time through order and delivery management features. 
• Generate accurate, optimized material lists quickly and efficiently with smart templates so that errors are avoided before materials hit the jobsite. 
• Prioritize your schedule by staying on top of orders and deliveries with Roof Hub tracking. 
• Cut down on calls to your branch with live inventory updates and smart substituting technology.  
• Keep momentum going by organizing all your job details in one spot.  

Overall, if you want to set up your Roof Hub account in a way that keeps your team efficient and at ease through every project, you want to attend this webinar!  

Don’t miss out register now and take your business to the next level.

By Emma Peterson.

How one man traded a badge for a business plan and built a company grounded in integrity, accountability and service.

In a new Stories from the Roof podcast sponsored by SRS Distribution, Megan Ellsworth hosts David Nye, the chief growth officer of and former president of Peak Roofing Partners and founder of Skymark Roofing, to hear about the journey that brought him to this current point in his career.

Before entering the roofing industry, David's story actually started in law enforcement. He explained, “I was a deputy sheriff in in Orange County, Florida for about ten years.”

The career turning point for David came when he got transported to the hospital during a shift due to heat exhaustion. He recalled:

I was chatting with the paramedic in the back, and he was telling me that he did roofing as a side job. It piqued my interest, and he actually ended up inviting me out to work with him. He put me in sales, and I remember being stressed and telling him didn't know anything about roofing sales. But his partner actually sat me down and helped me realize that it wasn’t that different from what I’d been doing. People are people and my job, both as an officer and as a salesman, was to find out what their issues were and help them find a solution.

Eventually, in 2017, David founded Skymark. Reflecting on his journey, David is just thankful for how much his mentors have taught him. He shared, “Through all my experiences in this industry, I feel that the biggest thing I’ve learned is what leadership really is. And it’s service. As a leader, you serve the people with you and when you serve them well, they’ll take care of the company and your clients.”

Listen to the whole episode or Watch the interview with David on demand.

By Emma Peterson. 

Experienced distribution partners play an important role in helping contractors manage site constraints, moving materials efficiently and keeping projects progressing without unnecessary delays. 

When contractors try to plan ahead for issues on the jobsite, they often are thinking about things like weather delays and unexpected additional repairs. What they don’t often think about is the staging process. However, this process can easily make or break a project. Nick Fryer explained how staging impacts your entire project in an article for Roads and Bridges:  

Construction sites are connected. It’s why one mistake can have such far-reaching consequences. Bad staging that blocks an access route for a day might not seem like a big deal, but it can lead to deliveries being delayed, construction vehicles getting stuck and the whole schedule being thrown off as a result. 

So, how do you avoid your entire project getting thrown off by site constraints and material delivery issues? The best thing you can do is partner with the right distributor. Take SRS Distribution for example.  

Their teams are specifically trained for handling the logistics of delivering to commercial jobsites. This means that they are already expecting site constraints and have time-tested solutions to overcome them. The SRS team also has a comprehensive fleet of trucks and knuckle booms, ensuring that your materials don’t just make it to your jobsite, they make it to where they need to be on the jobsite – whether that’s on the ground or on the roof.  

This type of support can be game-changing in the field. As the writers behind RoofCon put it, “The movement of materials from delivery to installation represents one of the biggest opportunities for efficiency gains in roofing projects. Creating a smooth flow requires careful coordination between suppliers, delivery crews and roofing teams.” 

September 24, 2026 - 10 a.m. ET | 7 a.m. PT

In this RoofersCoffeeShop® Coffee Conversations®, sponsored by SRS Distribution, we are joined by Brandi McElhaney, show manager at Informa and Keenan Perry, director of field & event marketing at SRS Distribution. They will share the history and continued growth of the International Roofing Expo (IRE) while highlighting what will make the 2027 show stand out. From new products and innovations on the expo floor to education, networking and special events, the panel will cover the opportunities attendees won’t want to miss. They’ll also offer practical advice for first-time attendees, discuss efforts to create a welcoming industry experience and share what roofing professionals can do now to prepare for IRE 2027.

Register today!

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn about how major acquisitions, emerging technologies and evolving supply chains are changing the competitive landscape for contractors, manufacturers and distributors alike. 

Paul Trombitas is a partner at FMI Corporation, a consulting firm specifically focused on providing insight and data to the engineering, construction and built environment fields. He stopped by The Coffee Shops® for a recent episode of Contractor Outlook™, sponsored by SRS Distribution, to talk about the ways the industry has evolved and grown.  

The main thing that Paul has noticed recently is the restructuring of the supply side of the industry. He shared, “Think about Home Depot with SRS, GMS, QXO, Lowe's. There’s been a lot of major acquisitions in the supply sector.” And with a restructuring of this scale, the impact and effects will not only be felt by suppliers and distributors, but it will also be felt by contractors and manufacturers. Paul explained, “With distributors and suppliers consolidating at this scale, it has potentially significant downstream effects. And I think for contractors and firms, there's going to be a gap between those who are adjusting and those that are not.” 

What has created this consolidation dynamic in the industry? Paul points to technological advancements, adding, “The proliferation of AI and other technologies like eCommerce have really changed all industries, including ours. And I think that these suppliers have been able to implement these tools in a way that fosters growth and scaling that creates the consolidation we’re seeing.” 

In other words, technology’s continual development has enabled the restructuring of our supply chains, which subsequently changes how everyone in the building products sector conducts business. The best advice Paul has? Adapt with the change. He shared, “I think that competitiveness is going to be a really big pain point for those that aren’t adopting and changing.” 

Want to learn more? Listen to the episode or Watch the recording on YouTube!  

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how Woodchuck AI is helping contractors turn construction waste, like lumber products, into savings and renewable energy. 

In a new episode of Contractor Outlook™ sponsored by SRS Distribution Inc., Heidi J. Ellsworth talks with Todd Thomas about how his company, Woodchuck AI, is helping contractors manage job site waste more efficiently. This is now the third year that Woodchuck has been operating. Their story starts back in Michigan with North Star Clean Energy, the state public utility renewable energy branch. Todd recalled, “North Star Clean Energy does solar farms, wind farms and bioenergy (burning biomass to generate electricity) facilities in the state of Michigan. And their goal is to get the state off petroleum products, which requires finding a large source of energy.” 

Looking at this issue, Todd and his team turned their gaze to what’s going to waste in our landfills and if there was a solution there. What they found was that in a single year, “the United States sent forty-two million tons of wood waste from construction sites to the landfill.” Not only is this a waste of a biomaterial that could be used to fuel our energy needs, it’s also expensive. Todd explained, “When we send things to landfills, we’re usually paying two dollars to bury one dollar's worth of material. That adds up. Across the entire United States we spent two billion dollars to bury one billion dollars worth of materials in landfills just last year.”  

And from there Woodchuck AI was born. Todd described how they fit into this story, sharing, “Woodchuck works with construction and manufacturing companies to divert their waste from landfills and instead convert it into biomass that can be used to generate renewable energy.” 

What does this look like on the job site? It looks like unique containers for each material, one for wood, one for plastic, one for cardboard and one for metal. From there, as a construction crew works in the field, they simply take a few extra moments to sort their debris as they go. Helping them is an AI-powered camera in each container, which alerts them when material is mixed up and put in the wrong place.  

Once the containers are filled, the Woodchuck team is able to take them to places, like North Star Clean Energy, that can use the materials to create more energy. The best part? Taking the time to sort doesn’t just help contractors feel better about their environmental impact, it also helps their bottom line. Todd explained:  

When you have all your debris and materials mixed together, it costs you money to have someone haul it away. But by sorting it and having us take it, you avoid those costs entirely... In general, our clients save 30%-40% by working with us! 

With this type of monetary savings, combined with the knowledge that you are helping build a more renewable, sustainable future, working with Woodchuck becomes a no brainer. 

Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recording to learn more!  

By Emma Peterson. 

Insights on the market trends, construction activity and opportunities driving today's commercial roofing landscape. 

In a new RoofersCoffeeShop® Coffee Conversations®, Megan Ellsworth sat down with a panel of experts from across the commercial roofing industry to discuss the current market state. 

Chad Burhrman, the VP of commercial roofing at SRS Distribution, opened the conversation with some of his current observations about the commercial roofing market, sharing, “To distill it down, I would say it’s healthy, but selective. And what I mean by that is some sectors are really strong, like re-roofing, but others are struggling more, like new construction.” 

This assessment, of an overall healthy market with some challenges facing it, was echoed by Vince Ellison, the president of the roof and paving consulting company Benchmark. In his own words, “I think there's reason for a lot of optimism, but there's also a little bit of tension as well... A lot of things seem to be on hold right now. We’ve followed up with a lot of clients, and they’ll tell us they’re waiting for something and are close but not quite there.”  

This concept of projects being on hold and the tension it is causing is something Dean Jagusch, owner and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based Wagner Roofing Company has experienced firsthand. He described it, saying:  

The first quarter for us was really hard. We had a real winter out here in the mid-Atlantic and everything slowed down and was put on hold. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t work... On the reroofing side we’ve seen continued activity and resilience, especially around critical infrastructure like senior living, higher education, etc. 

Chad Schreppel, the national director of sales at Versico Roofing Systems, closed out the conversation with some thoughts about the industry's struggles over the past few years, adding some additional context. “The way I would describe the commercial roofing space, in 2026 and beyond, is resilient... The last ‘normal’ year in roofing was probably in 2019 before COVID,” he explained. “It can feel really overwhelming looking at things like the inflation rising due to the conflict in the Middle East and the transportation challenges we’re facing, but I always remind people, we’re resilient. Our market is resilient.”  

Listen to the whole Coffee Conversation or Watch the recording of it on YouTube to hear more from this expert panel!