Adam Cabrera: Welcome to Roofing Road Trips, the podcast that takes you on a thrilling journey across the world of roofing. From fascinating interviews with roofing experts to on-the-road adventures, we'll uncover the stories, innovations, and challenges that shape the rooftops over our heads. So fasten your seat belts and join us as we embark on this exciting roofing road trip. Hello, everyone. Welcome back to a roofing road trip episode here brought to you by RoofersCoffeeshop.com. I'm your host, Megan Ellsworth, and today I am here with Jesse Parkinson from ICO. And we're talking about contractor events, practical education, strategic partnerships, and how that all can help roofing companies build stronger, better businesses. So, Jesse, welcome to the show. Thank you very much. Thanks for having me. Absolutely. I'm glad to get to know you more and learn about all of ICO's amazing offerings. So let's dive right in and have you just introduce yourself and tell us about what you do at ICO. Sure, thanks. So I'm my name's Jesse Parkinson. I'm a marketing services manager here at ICO. my responsibilities primarily lie in the Roof Pro program. So that's our loyalty program. And I run our contractor events. We do about between six and eight events throughout North America every year. wow we and we move cities and we just try to get around the country and talk to contractors and provide them some useful education. I also run our partnership programs for the Roof Pro program. So any kind of partnership that can help our contractors add a bit of value, whether that's through discounts or or specific programs, so I would be setting those all up for the program. Awesome. Amazing. so how has ICO's approach to contractor education and support evolved as the needs of the roofing businesses that you you manufacture for have changed? Yeah, that's a good question. I think You know, with with the industry changing through, you know, new technology or yeah new skills that are needed to to accommodate contractors to scale their businesses, we're always looking for new partners or new educational opportunities. So what we always say is like we're our f the loyalty program is basically to help contractors grow their business. So whatever way we can support that, that's what we're trying to do. So For looking at new tech that can help them grow or diversifying their their portfolio or training or whatever it may be. We're always looking for those opportunities to help our contractors. So it's just it's just a matter of kind of seeing where the industry is, hearing from some of our contractors. They'll give us feedback, they'll tell us what they need support with, hearing from our our our sales team and just trying to accommodate that the best we can. Yeah. That's huge. being able to take that feedback from your customers and your sales team and people that are boots on the ground, you know, and be able to work with it and make something that really works for your customers. Yeah, exactly. I mean, we're always taking feedback like like we meet with our sales team every month. We're having meetings with contractors. At all these events, we're sitting there talking to contractors and just figuring out some pain points. What are the issues and how we can help them solve them for sure. Yeah. What are some of the big challenges you're seeing contractors face today when they're you know trying to strengthen their current business and explore new opportunities, grow. What are they running into? Well, I think first of all, it's it's trying to like the business processes that they're running with because, you know, in order to scale up, you really need to like solidify your business processes and and usually that means adopting some of the new tech, whether that's CRM, where that's o offering financing, whether that's like scaling your HR to be able to hire. So these are some things that we're seeing. Like you it's not necessarily that you can't grow without those items, but they can definitely support any kind of scaling of a roofing business. And there's also like the fact of the matter is there's a lot of competition. So you know being able to div differentiate your brand And being able to to get leads and to follow up quickly and to schedule appointments, I think are all pretty crucial to to helping businesses grow. So that's why, you know, when we do our training events, we try to include a little bit of everything. So there's some sales training, there's usually some marketing training, and then of course product knowledge and product training. So we just want to try to give let some tools that touch on every aspect of the business. That can eventually help roofers grow their businesses. Yeah. Yeah. It it's it's so great. And I was just at the Western States show and so many contractors were telling me that what they're looking for in a manufacturing partner is someone that's actually a partner, you know, helping them grow, looking for opportunities for them to grow, and someone that they can kind of lean on in time when times are a little harder. And when a a job is a little bit harder or if they a customer is having a hard time. So it's huge that you guys really really take into account feedback from your customers, feedback from your sales team and you grow with them and are looking for new opportunities for them to to latch on to. Exactly. Yeah, I I agree with that and and like with our sales team, like One of their main things is they're very responsive to their customers. So they're always gonna pick up the phone, they're always gonna meet if anything comes up and they're just gonna be there. And that's sort of a testament to to the way the company works is we're we're thinking about the contractors first. So we wanna make sure that they have the tools they need. Yeah. Okay. So tell us about some of the contractor events that you're in charge of. I know you have the po profit power series. what do you hope contractors take away from these workshops? You know, how do you d determine which topics will deliver the most value? Give us the nitty-gritty. Sure, sure. Yeah, I mean, we're constantly adjusting the way we run those those events. and it's really just based on what's happening in the market. So I'll I'll speak a bit about the the the one coming up in Chicago. So for this this upcoming one in November, we decided we wanted to pull in some of our other products. So we're we're including ICO Metals. In the mix and also our commercial So what that does is it while these events are primarily focused on residential roofers, we're hoping that it gives them access to a bit of information and a bit of hands on training. Yeah. With both metals, with and with commercial, so that hey, if they're interested, if they want to sort of expand their offerings, they can do that through us. And so our our medals team, they're like they're always setting up training. So they'll do on site training for people and and commercial likewise. And so the idea with this event is j just to give them a little introduction to those two lines. And, you know, if they're interested in pursuing that, adding that to their portfolio, they can. Yeah. And then of course we always try to get some some speakers that really know what they're talking about. And so for this one in Chicago, we're bringing in Matthew Mulholland as our keynote speaker. Cool. Yeah. So we we like Matt. He he's done a couple of our events. He's super knowledgeable about anything related to the insurance industry. so yeah, we're happy to have him again and we're pretty we're pretty excited about it. That's great. That's great. So how often do you do these profit power series events? We well, we do we spread them out throughout the year. Yeah. we do between two and three in Canada, and that's usually in the winter. and then we we do between five or six in throughout the US. Mm-hmm. and so and those are normally in the in the spring, couple in the summer, and then of course now in the fall we're d we're going to Chicago. Yeah. But I think like the idea is definitely it's education focused, but we also bring in like the element of networking as well. So we want guys who are coming to the events, yes, to learn but also to have a bit of fun. Yeah. So for example, like A lot of the ones that we've done throughout the US, we've done them at ballparks. Nice. So we'll go, we'll learn, we'll have some food, a quick happy hour, then we'll we'll go out on the field and and hit balls or stuff like that. Cool. So people are having fun, they're meeting other roofers, they're meeting members of our team, our speakers. And so for the one in Chicago, we're gonna be doing it at the Blackhawks Ice Center. So that's the facility where the the Blackhawks practice. And then after the the presentations and the dinner, then we walk over and we're gonna watch the Blackhawks game. Amazing. And the game is pretty special because it's the it's actually the centennial game for the Blackhawks. It'll be a hundred years ago on that day that they faced the the Toronto Maple Leafs in their first game ever. And for this one, they'll be playing against the Maple Leafs again. So we're pretty excited about that. That's Really cool. That's I'm a hockey fan, so that's really cool. wow. Okay, so I'd love to ask at these events, how do you engage the contractors to chat with one another and talk about what's going on and have create that kind of conversation starter so that they can kind of start the networking? Yeah, I think a lot of that comes down to the speakers that we bring in. so we we try to really tell our speakers to to try to get all the contractors involved in the conversation. Yeah. And we've had some great speakers in the past. For example, Steve Bunin, who's a is a former ESPN anchor, he'll come in and he'll have like a workshop where he's talking about language and how you speak to the homeowner and then he does some role playing and he does he gets people up on stage. And so this is the type of thing that we like. There's there a bit of engagement for those that want to And it kind of starts conversations and then you know we have a bunch of breaks and then we're having dinner. and then so we we just try to create that environment where people are comfortable talking to each other, sharing tips. I know they're not gonna share everything, you know, people people are sometimes with the processes, but if they feel comfortable with it, then that's fine as well. We've also had ICO Roof Pros speak at these events well as well. So some Some of our contractors who are really successful, they've they've really scaled up their business. if they're willing, then they'll come and share their story with with our other roofers as well. So I find that that is really beneficial when you can see one of your peers and how they've grown and then learn directly from them, from their experience. So we we're all you know, it kinda sounds like we're all over the place, but there's really method to the madness. We're really trying to to give roofers Content, insights, and some educational material that they could take away and they can use in their own business. Yeah, that's huge. So I know you all also partner with Clemson University for educational events. Can you kind of talk about that partnership with me? Sure. So we partnered with Clemson University's roofing program. Yeah. which is in conjunction with the Roofing Alliance. Mm-hmm. we partnered with them about a year ago and And what what that gives our roofers is a pretty hefty discount on tuition for the program. no way. It's it's really a great program. They're they're drawing all all their content, all their teachings from industry professionals. And so I like to say they have the best roofing education program in the country, like hands down. Yep. So for a time we were building out a lot of our educational content ourselves, and then we We thought, well, wait, you know, they're doing this and they're obviously very doing a very good job of it. Yeah. So we decided to partner with them to be able to offer our Roof Pros that program. And then we also invite them to some of our events. So we've had Daval, who runs the the roofing education program there. He's spoken at a couple of our events. He's an excellent speaker. So He brings that sort of academic background, but a lot of history, a lot of knowledge to the roofing industry. and people have really enjoyed his talks. So we'll continue doing that in the future with them and we'll look at different ways that we can collaborate with their roofing program. That's really cool. It's so cool to see a huge manufacturer like yourself work with Clemson and really honing in on the importance of education and and Providing that discounted tuition, that's huge for a lot of contractors, their families. So that's really cool. And what it does also is it gives business owners the opportunity to offer training to their crew, right? Exactly. If their crew are looking to to expand in roofing, they want to learn more. Offering that is kind of a differentiator. Like, hey, you're gonna get access to the best roofing education program, they're gonna get a certificate from from Clemson. Upon completion. And you know, it it kind of sets them up for success in the future. So we we we definitely like to su recommend that to to our contractors to to have a look into that. That's so cool. I love it. Okay. So for residential roofers interested, like you said at the beginning, in adding metal, going into commercial roofing, or just exploring other products, what should they consider? Before expanding their offerings and capabilities. What are some of the things they need to think about? Well, I think there's definitely the training aspect because, you know, a residential roofer might not understand the kind of the installation methods for for metal. It it's quite a bit different, right? So being able to access that training prior to that to understand how it works, to understand the workforce needed. What kind of labor is needed, I think, is is definitely a starting point. And that's why I say like our our Icon Metals team are always willing to kind of travel somewhere to to provide crew training. So that's a good start. And and and same with commercial, I mean, it it's really about understanding the industry and then seeing if that's something that you're gonna be able to to expand with. Mm-hmm. And then also just building the relationships with with the teams that would offer that. So again, with the c our commercial team or the the metals team and really understanding the resources or sort of the logistics that are needed to be able to do it successfully. But I think for any any roofing contractor that's growing and wants to and wants to kind of expand, I th I think it's always worth the look to to add different different products to the portfolio. And that and that's what we're trying to do with these events is just give them that option. You know, they might not want to, they might want to just stay with residential and and and with asphalt, that's fine. But if if they are looking to expand, we want to be able to provide the resources for them. Yeah. I love it. I love it. So the Roof Pro program, you all use, you know, obviously your industry partnerships through Clemson. You have tons of member resources, partner discounts. Can you kind of talk through a little bit of the other offerings you guys have through the Roof Pro program for your contractors? beyond beyond the partnerships in education, you mean? Yeah, yes. Sorry. Okay. no, that's fine. I well, I think one of a couple of the main things with the Roof Pro program is is definitely money. So everybody likes money. Right. So we do have rebates for for shingle purchases. So you know Depending on the on the volume that's purchased, there's rebate checks that go out throughout the year. another interesting thing is we have marketing funds. some people call them co-op funds. Cool. So that's you know, again, a percentage of of all purchases go towards marketing funds. And that's separate of the rebate. And so that's to help contractors with any kind of expenses they're they're incurring for marketing, whether it's like wrapping their trucks or buying radio ads or or online advertising. Basically they just they accumulate the funds, they go and pay for something and we reimburse them with their marketing funds. Wow. So it's that's good for businesses that are growing and, you know, for for marketing, it takes a bit of an investment. So if we're if we're gonna provide some of that support for them, you know, we definitely we definitely think it's worth it. But yeah, a lot of a lot of our contractors love that. Some of them, you know, some of the bigger players have accumulated so much that they're buying trucks for their crews with marketing funds. Like we're pretty lenient with what we like the with what we allow. Wow. but it's it that's definitely one of the big benefits. and then yeah, like you said, the events, the partnerships that we have, like we have You know, any kind of roofing adjacent company we have partnerships with, whether it's like financing or CRMs or tools, you name it. So and we're always trying to expand that as well. So that's why when I'm at one these shows, I was at the I was also at the Western States Fair. I'm just looking around at new partners, chatting with people, seeing what's what's cool, what's new. Yeah. What can really benefit our roofers. Yeah. That's amazing. That is so cool that you have the marketing funds. because like you said, That can be a big drain, right? And in both like mentally and like fiscally. so being able to have a partner in that is huge. That's amazing. Yep. So for contractors out there that are listening to this that want to learn more about ICO's events, the Roof Pro program, educational opportunities, where should they go to get started? I think the best spot to go is is you know, ICO.com. slash N A, that that's the the main ICO site and then there's a little tab there for for professionals. So you just click on that and then you can see, you know, everything to do with the Roof Pro program, the benefits, and a and a bunch of other resources as well. They could si if they want if they're interested in signing up for the Roof Pro program, they can right there. It takes about five, ten minutes to just fill out a a form or whatever and then get started. And there's no reason not to. I mean if you're if you're installing ICO, you There's you could start at tier one, which there's no annual fee. And then just by doing that, you have access to your rebates right away. And then you you can come to the events and everything like that. So I definitely recommend anyone who who's interested in ICO to have a look at the website and and just to check out what the RoofPro program is all about. And also, just a quick plug for ICO Metals, they just launched their new website. Yes. And that's all tied in as well. So I recommend if anyone's interested in in metals to go check that new website. It's pretty awesome. Yeah, go check it out. I had the pleasure of chatting with Diana from ICO Metals at Western States. And yeah, what a great line of products you all have over there. So everyone go check that out on the ICO directory as well. You can go learn about all this good stuff on their directory on rooferscoffeeshop dot com as well. Jesse, thank you so much for talking to me today. And I learned so much about your partnership with Clemson, everything with the Roof Pro program. So thank you. Yeah, thanks for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. Absolutely. Everyone please go to the ICO directory again on rooferscoffeeshop.com and we'll see you next time on the next roofing road trip. 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