Sustainability all around

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how Progressive Materials supports sustainability, both in business and on the roof. 

When we talk about sustainable practices, the first thing that comes to many people’s minds are energy-efficient practices; things like installing solar panels and reflective roof coatings. These are a huge part of moving to a more sustainable future, but sustainable practices can also refer to the things like restoration and hiring practices. In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Heidi J. Ellsworth spoke to Matt Clarke about how Progressive Materials is embracing sustainability in all aspects of their operations. 

On the roof, Progressive Materials designs products that create cost-effective alternatives to tearing off and fully replacing a roof. Matt explained, “People are realizing that coatings are not only the sustainable option, but they are also a cost-effective alternative to tearing off roofs because with coatings we only have to replace what's bad, and we can restore it and get you another life cycle out of it.” This not only reduces the amount of old product being removed and ending up in landfills, but it also reduces the number of new products needing to be produced, creating a more efficient roofing lifecycle, both in terms of economics and sustainability.  

Working with this model is also more sustainable for companies. Matt explained, “Many companies are having labor issues where they're not able to find guys. You need six or seven guys to tear a roof off. In comparison, you can get away with a couple less guys by doing a coating.” This saves the contractor from stress and allows them to take on more jobs, creating more restored roofs instead. Progressive Materials truly believes in building a more sustainable future through their business practices and environmentally friendly installation methods.  

One of the ways they support this mission is through their educational programs. Matt explained, “We have a full-time trainer that can do field site, on-site training for contractors. We have a couple of people that do AIAs and a bi-weekly educational seminar called PMU. All of that really helps everybody understand the positives behind the systems and the direction we're heading.” 

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to learn more about Progressive Materials and their mission in supporting sustainability efforts in the roofing industry.