Fall Newsletter 2019
A letter from Advanced Roofing’s founder and President, Rob Kornahrens
On the heels of a busy rainy season, Advanced Roofing, Inc. (ARI) continues to drive this momentum into the fall with a strong demand for roofing, solar energy and HVAC projects throughout Florida. We have much to look forward to in the coming months as we cap off an excellent 36th year in business.
Let’s take a look at a few of the highlights of this year so far:
Company Highlights in 2019
In 2019, we built on the hard work and success that has been our foundation for 36 years. As we look towards the future, we will continue to make investments in our company and people that include:
- Nova Southeastern University’s H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business Business Hall of Fame inducted ARI founder Rob Kornahrens, the College’s highest honor.
- 500 Employee Milestone: ARI hired its 500th employee over the summer marking the largest number of employees in our company history.
- Philanthropy: ARI raised over $39,000 for the MS. Bike Ride and $8,000 for the Broward Heart Walk Foundation.
- MSC Electric Aqusition: ARI and AGT aquire Davie, Florida based Electrical Contractor MSC Electric.
- New Ft. Lauderdale Service Building Opens: ARI celebrates the opening of its new 3,600-square-foot service building.
- New Jacksonville Office Purchase: ARI purchases a new office in Jacksonville, Florida to better serve customers in the North Florida area.
Roofing Updates & Trends
Currently, we have the largest backlog of re-roofing projects in our company history. Sales are strong, and we are experiencing remarkable growth in all market segments. We completed many high-profile re-roofing projects this year that include jobs for Publix Supermarkets in Palm Harbor, Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Rapallo North Condominium in West Palm Beach, the historic Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. Our service business is up as well across the state as we continue to improve our roof asset management program and invest in new office buildings and service vehicles.
When it comes to the economy, we could potentially see a pullback in late 2020. We feel confident that our businesses will not be impacted and our government, education, and health care clients should see an increase in their budgets. The condominium and commercial real estate markets will keep up their pace, as well.
In commercial roofing product trends, liquid-applied flashings are a newer solution to seal around flat roof penetrations and other challenging areas where a membrane may be less efficient. With a speedy cure time of 20-25 minutes, these systems can provide a high-performance waterproof surface for commercial roofs with challenging conditions.
Hurricanes continue to threaten our safety, as our friends in the Bahamas unfortunately experienced firsthand with Dorian, so be sure to stay prepared and maintain your roof systems year-round. Preventive maintenance and repairs are your best defense to ensure your buildings can withstand the volatile weather.
Solar Updates & Trends
Solar continues to be in high demand this year aided by the 30% Federal Tax incentives, which will wind down in 2020 and beyond. With more Fortune 500 and high-profile companies committing to carbon neutrality, the need to produce clean energy is pushing demand for commercial solar power to record levels in Florida. We also see commercial roofing projects develop into joint solar and roofing projects. By combining two solutions into one, customers can receive a discounted rate on their investment, making solar economically viable. Some of our key projects this year include re-roofing and installing 24 rooftop solar arrays at Beacon Hill Apartments in Orlando, and installing a massive 973,200 kwh solar carport for United Therapeutics at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.
To meet the growing demand for solar in Florida, Advanced Green Technologies (AGT) acquired Davie-based electrical contractor MSC Electric Inc. this spring. MSC Electric has been a longtime subcontractor of AGT on major commercial re-roofing and solar energy projects throughout South Florida. Adding MSC’s proven talent to our team enables us to streamline schedules, control costs, and be a single source for our commercial clients looking to meet renewable energy goals or update roofs with more durable, energy-efficient systems. This acquisition is helping us vertically integrate our company, and we expect revenues to grow with MSC Electric in the mix.
HVAC Updates & Trends
With record-breaking heat, this summer and a substantial backlog of projects, our HVAC division was extremely busy. Some of this year’s key projects include a chiller replacement at McNab Elementary in Pompano Beach, a retrofit at Quiet Waters Elementary in Deerfield Beach, and a chilled-water retrofit at the City of Lauderhill Police Department. With cooler weather right around the corner, the team encourages clients to schedule maintenance, repairs, and change-out work soon to ensure the comfort of their building occupants. Now is the perfect time to start scheduling 2020 projects, especially those with longer lead items.
Our People
Our success is only made possible by our outstanding team of dedicated employees. We recently reached a gratifying milestone as we hired our 500th employee this summer, marking the most significant number of team members in our company’s 36-year history. Very few companies reach this milestone, so we are very proud of our long-term associates as well as the recruits we have coming in. By using training and recruitment methods that are innovative, our goal is to overcome the construction industry’s shortage of skilled labor and fill more than 100 open positions by 2020.
Through our innovative approach to solving the labor shortage in our industry, the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) selected Advanced Roofing CEO, Rob Kornahrens to join the board of directors where he will help lead efforts on the Government Affairs Committee and Roofing Day Committee.
“I am looking forward to joining 400 other contractors from around the country in Washington, D.C. for Roofing Day next spring”, mentioned Mr. Kornahrens. This will be our third year coming together to show legislators the urgent need for regulatory reform, technical educational programs, and immigration reform to get more legal workers through the H2B Program and keep our existing 24 TPS employees. I am proud to be on the committee to make next year’s Roofing Day the best one yet.
I am also proud of a new two-week training boot camp targeted at high school students and veterans to enhance our existing workforce. They will work in the field for six months and then will be eligible for the ABC Roofing Apprenticeship Program. A reminder – recommendations to the ABC Roofing Apprenticeship Program are appreciated; please email careers@advancedroofing.com if you know of anyone. Jim Carmeci, ARI Trainer, and Clay Thomas, ARI Project Manager, are doing an outstanding job working on more training programs for the field and service departments across the state. They are also forming a committee to create our training program for potential construction managers, so be on the lookout for more information on this initiative soon.
Awards and Recognition
ARI founder and CEO, Rob Kornahrens, had the honor of being inducted earlier this year into Nova Southeastern University‘s H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business Business Hall of Fame, the College’s highest honor. “It was amazing to be recognized alongside fellow business leaders Rita Case, president and chief operating officer of Rick Case Automotive Group, and Arlene Pecora, president and chief operating officer of Signature Grand,” said Rob. “I am astounded by those who have received this award before me and look forward to being joined by future business leaders in sharing this legacy of people who have left their mark on the entrepreneurship community in South Florida.”- Florida Trend Recognizes Rob Kornahrens as one of Florida’s 500 Most Influential Business Leaders in 2019.
- ARI earned 1st place honors in the Low Slope roofing category from the Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association for its outstanding quality at the Rapallo North Condominium in West Palm Beach, and 2nd place honors in the craftsmanship category for solutions at the Royal Caribbean Terminal at the Port of Miami. Congratulations to everyone who worked on these projects!
- The South Florida Business Journal ranks Advanced Roofing as a top commercial roofing company in South Florida, and #36 on its list of 2019 Top 100 Private Companies.
- Solar Power World Magazine ranked Advanced Green Technologies #1 Commercial EPC in Florida with 2 MW installed; #217 overall out of 500 companies in the United States.
Advanced in the Community
The community continues to be the heart of our company. ARI’s participation in the annual National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s “Bike MS” event, near and dear to my heart, was a great success once again this year raising nearly $40,000 for the organization. Our team earned the Top Team Average. Special congratulations go out to our partner Bruce Silvera with Freeport Construction, who was named the Top Fundraiser. Together we have worked to change the world for people with MS by raising over $630,000 since our participation in the ride began 16 years ago. I am equally proud of ARI’s participation in the Broward Heart Walk; together we raised $8,500 this year to help cure heart disease. A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who donated.
Following Hurricane Dorian this summer, Advanced Roofing and friends helped with a donation for the Bahamas disaster relief. Mike and Rob Kornahrens were instrumental in coordinating efforts to send supplies in the ARI fishing boat and company airplane (see video). We are also involved in supporting multiple initiatives to aid the Bahamas in its recovery, including Samaritan’s Purse, Hope for Hopetown, missionresolve.org, and Guy Harvey Hurricane Dorian Relief Effort. Should you have the means to support, you can purchase a Bahamas Strong t-shirt from Guy Harvey, click here.
Looking Forward
As we move into the new year, we will continue to grow our business statewide in Florida while maintaining our commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and safety. We hired more account managers. purchased new fleet vehicles, and added office buildings in Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, and Jacksonville to provide our customers with over-the-top service.
With the holidays coming near, I look forward to spending time with our ARI family as we take part in annual traditions like Hot-Kettle turkey for Thanksgiving and the Winterfest Boat Parade. Be sure to look out for our boat in this year’s parade on December 14th, 2019.
I am immensely proud of the work we do and the people we do it with. We’ll keep you updated as our story continues to unfold. Follow us on social media for weekly updates and behind the scenes photos of our roofing and solar projects.
Tags:
You may also like
Emergency Roofing Solutions for Florida Businesses: Finding a Reliable Commercial Roof Repair Contractor
IntroductionFinding a Reliable Commercial Roof Repair ContractorFlorida's weather conditions are unpredictable, representing a great challenge for companies, mainly when roofing emergencies occur. For this reason, being prepared to deal with unexpected roof problems...
Ensuring Longevity and Durability: Best Practices for Commercial Roof Repair in Florida
IntroductionBest Practices for Commercial Roof Repair in FloridaDo you want to optimize the durability of your roof? If so, you should know that it is not enough to use high-quality materials during installation; there is much more to take care of. The roof is a...
Celebrating 40 Remarkable Years: Advanced Roofing’s Anniversary
A Salute to Our Customers and Employees for Crafting Advanced Roofing Inc.'s Legacy As we reflect on the past four decades, it's evident that Advanced Roofing Inc.'s incredible journey from a modest beginning to one of the nation's leading roofing and solar...