By Emma Peterson. 

How succession planning and fractional advisors help owners secure their legacy and their company’s future.  

In the trades, businesses often start as small, family-owned operations. And when these businesses are small, it’s natural that many owners find themselves wearing multiple hats and managing a seemingly endless list of day-to-day tasks. But as any company grows, it becomes necessary for that to change. This change is what Kristen McAlister of Cerius Executives stopped by The Coffee Shops™ to talk about in an episode of Contractor Outlook™.  

Letting go of a business that you’ve poured blood, sweat and tears into can be hard. But if you want your business to thrive long-term, planning for that letting go, for that succession, is key. Kristen explained, “Whether you're looking to pass your business onto the next generation or the next owner, succession planning is key. And the key to good planning is thinking of your legacy as the team you’ve built, not yourself.” 

What does this mean? Building a legacy means building something that outlasts you. And the way you do that as a company owner is to hire a team that can run your business without you managing every little thing. So, how do you learn to take that step back? That’s something that Kristen and the Cerius team help owners do all the time! She shared:  

We are placing a lot of experts in businesses for interim positions as fractional advisors. In this role, these experts come in for however much time the owner wants, whether that’s five hours a month or a full 40 hours a week, and are there to help them decouple themselves from the business, so it’s less reliant on them. And we're still keeping that legacy that they started the company with; we’re just figuring out how to make it so the owner could go on a multi-week vacation or eventually retire and know their legacy will live on. 

And to be clear, these fractional advisors are not placed to take over from the people who have built the company. In fact, in many cases Kristen has seen them help with the handover to original employees or team members. She noted,“A lot of owners want to hand the company to an operations person who’s grown up in the company. And we’ll put a fractional advisor in place to work alongside that person, to make sure they have the tools and skills needed to succeed. Like on-the-job coaching. And then when that person is confident and comfortable, the advisor leaves them to carry on the legacy.”  

Want to learn more about how fractional advisors can help with succession planning? Listen to the episode or Watch the recording!

The 2026 Trends Survey, sponsored by QXO, captures insight into the pressures roofing contractors are navigating and the goals guiding their businesses. 

RoofersCoffeeShop®, the award-winning place where the industry meets for technology, information and everyday business, announces the opening of its latest Roofing Industry Trends Survey, sponsored by QXO. Now in its tenth year, the Trends Survey seeks contractor perspectives on the factors influencing business performance, including workforce training, AI adoption, technology gaps, hiring efforts, immigration challenges and keeping skilled employees. 

“We are committed to understanding the realities contractors face, the changes shaping the market and the resources that can help them succeed,” said Heidi J. Ellsworth, president/CEO of RoofersCoffeeShop. “This survey is one way we can capture the challenges, opportunities and trends shaping the market in real time. When contractors share what they are seeing every day, it gives the entire industry a clearer picture of their challenges, helping us identify where support is needed and how we can better serve the industry moving forward.”  

The 2026 Trends Survey is designed to discover the key business challenges contractors are facing, from operational issues to workforce demands, while also examining the digital tools and platforms they are leveraging to improve efficiency. The survey covers a variety of contractor needs, including training, software and marketing tactics, and offers an in-depth look at how strategies for lead generation, recruitment and retention are influencing business success. 

Since 2016, RCS has been surveying contractors and has created seven Trends Reports, each focusing on the industry's biggest challenges, identifying key business priorities and providing an overview of the sector's overall health. 

Contractors are urged to take the 2026 Trends Survey today!

About RoofersCoffeeShop 

As an award-winning website and online community, RoofersCoffeeShop is committed to being a roofing professional advocate by supplying consistent information, education and communication avenues for all roofing professionals, and especially contractors, while promoting the positive growth, education and success of the roofing industry overall. Visitors to the site continue to find excellent opportunities for sharing information while participating in important ongoing conversations concerning new technologies, safety and the overall roofing trade. From the rooftop to the board room, RoofersCoffeeShop.com is “Where the Industry Meets!” For more information, visit www.rooferscoffeeshop.com. 

About QXO 

QXO is the largest publicly traded distributor of roofing, waterproofing, and complementary building products in the United States. The company plans to become the tech-enabled leader in the $800 billion building products distribution industry and generate outsized value for shareholders. QXO is targeting $50 billion in annual revenues within the next decade through accretive acquisitions and organic growth. Visit www.qxo.com for more information. 

As both hyperscale developers and civil infrastructure projects prioritize resilient, low-carbon materials, slag cement is uniquely positioned to remain at the forefront of modern concrete construction.

The Slag Cement Association (SCA) announced a landmark achievement for the industry, with U.S. slag cement shipments reaching a historic high of more than 4 million metric tons in 2025. This record-setting milestone signals a decisive shift toward next-generation construction materials that deliver enhanced durability, long-term performance and a substantially lower environmental impact. It reflects not only growing demand, but a broader industry commitment to building smarter and more sustainably at scale.

Momentum extended beyond slag cement alone, with blended cements containing slag experiencing unprecedented growth. Shipments increased 18% in 2025, contributing to a compound annual growth rate of nearly 6% since 2020. Together, these gains highlight a clear and accelerating transformation across the concrete industry driven by performance, innovation and the urgent need for more sustainable infrastructure solutions.

“This record-breaking year was bolstered by a significant expansion of our membership,” said Nick Brimley, SCA marketing and membership director. “Beginning in 2024, the SCA welcomed four new suppliers, CalPortland, Silvi Materials, Texas Lehigh Cement and Sathi USA. Their addition has greatly enhanced the industry's capacity to meet the rising demand for slag cement across the U.S. market.”

A primary driver for this surge is the rapid development of global digital infrastructure. Hyperscalers are increasingly specifying slag cement for massive data center campuses to meet aggressive sustainability targets while ensuring long-term structural integrity. Because slag cement provides enhanced resistance to environmental stressors and lower embodied carbon, it has become a preferred material for the heavy-duty foundations and complex structural requirements of the tech and artificial intelligence sectors.

Looking ahead, the SCA expects these volumes to remain on a steady upward trajectory. As both hyperscale developers and civil infrastructure projects prioritize resilient, low-carbon materials, slag cement is uniquely positioned to remain at the forefront of modern concrete construction.

About The Slag Cement Association

The Slag Cement Association serves as the leading source of knowledge for slag cement and slag blended cements through promotion, education and technology development.

By Emma Peterson. 

Denver Riggleman shares his thoughts on how AI will impact jobs and the larger workforce. 

As AI and automation increasingly become present in our daily lives, a common concern is that these technologies will take jobs away from people. This type of concern is not new. Every time a new technology is introduced, people naturally have hesitation and fear how things will change. And it does change things; think about the now-obsolete jobs like switchboard operators and projectionists. But it’s also important to remember that the technology that took over for those roles also made new opportunities. 

To look at how AI might change our workplace, both in creating jobs and taking over certain roles, Heidi J. Ellsworth spoke with Denver Riggleman, the co-founder and CEO of Hootl, for an episode of Contractor Outlook all about AI.  

The honest truth is that AI might take away some jobs, just like how technological advancements over the years have changed the roles necessary for operation. Denver shared, “I'm going to be very blunt, AI will take jobs that automation can automate. Take call centers, for example. I would say in the next 15 to 20 years, they will be all AI regardless.” But at the same time, automation is also a powerful tool for enabling businesses to grow and hire more employees in other sectors. Denver explained:  

Say you ‘lose’ 10 jobs at the admin processing level because AI is automating the mundane tasks. You now have the payroll space to hire people or have the people that were working those jobs change focus to working on higher-skill level tasks. And then with more people working on those higher-level tasks, you’re able to expand your gross revenue with a higher margin. 

In other words, AI might take over certain roles. By taking those mundane and tedious tasks off of people’s plates, however, it allows them to work on high-level tasks that not only are more engaging for them but also can help your company grow. And company growth often goes hand-in-hand with hiring new employees.  

Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recording to hear more insights into the role of AI in our workforce. 

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn about the partnership between the Roofing Alliance and Ronald McDonald House. 

In 2017, Charles Antis of KPost Roofing and Waterproofing stood up in a Roofing Alliance meeting and suggested a nationwide project where roofers could adopt Ronald McDonald House programs. Our very own Heidi J. Ellsworth was there that day and has seen how that idea has grown over the last decade. To talk about this initiative, she hosted Katie Fitzgerald, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Global, for an episode of Contractor Outlook.  

Ronald McDonald House dates back to the 1970s when a renowned pediatric oncologist named Dr. Audrey Evans realized that many of the families of her patients at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia had nowhere to stay during treatment. For families who traveled especially far for their child’s treatment, some would even sleep in waiting room chairs or on hospital floors, just to be close  

In partnership with McDonald’s and the Philadelphia Eagles, she opened the first Ronald McDonald House, which provided families with free housing so they could be close to their children and the life-saving treatment they needed. Today, there are over 400 Housesin 60countries and regions.  

The growth was incredible, but with that growth came support needs. Katie explained:  

In the United States alone, our 165 standalone Houses, which are safe havens of comprehensive support for families with social services, emotional support, meals, transportation, art therapy and even schooling, take up around six million square feet of physical infrastructure. That’s a lot to take care of and honestly, our organization is very lean. Our Houses need help with the day-to-day operations, let alone the bigger maintenance tasks. 

It's that need that Charles’ idea aimed to fill, and the best part is it worked! Heidi shared some of her first-hand experience of what the mobilization looked like after Charles’ presentation to the Roofing Alliance in 2017, saying, “Contractors were calling contractors across the country. Someone from Philadelphia was calling someone in Oregon or Washington or wherever it may be and saying, ‘Hey, we're doing this here. You guys really should think about this.’ And it was because they shared their stories of supporting Ronald McDonald House and how powerful it was that a lot of people were able to get involved, adopt and be a part of this big program.” 

For Katie and broader Ronald McDonald House System, that mobilization was game changing. She explained, “I think since that time, there's been over $3 million of support for everything from maintenance to full-on roof replacement. The partnership is saving our nonprofit partners who perform this work tremendous amounts of money that they can put into the family instead. It’s been amazing... And one of the best parts is just seeing roofers all over the country fall in love with our mission and go beyond the roof to help. I know roofers around the country have been involved in other sorts of activities to take care of the houses beyond the roofs — fundraising, volunteering, collecting holiday gifts and more! They’re really connected with this mission so beautifully and we need the help.” 

Listen to the newscast or Watch the whole episode for more about how contractors all over are supporting Ronald McDonald House’s incredible mission. 

By Emma Peterson. 

How the Farnsworth Group fosters business growth by helping contractors and other professionals better understand the market around them. 

One of the hardest parts of running a business is balancing the day-to-day tasks while also working on big picture planning. To dive into how data can help you run your company, Eric Voyer, a senior consultant at the Farnsworth Group, came by for an episode of Contractor Outlook™.  

The Farnsworth Group is a consulting firm that serves two primary functions – to provide insight into the industry on a whole and to help customers utilize that information in their businesses. As Eric put it, “We help manufacturers, retailers, trade associations and other professionals in the building products and home improvement space answer questions. They come to us with challenges and then it's our job to help them try and sort that out in a strategic fashion and just answer the question of how they can get more business based on their understanding macrotrends in the larger industry.”  

In our conversation with him, Eric highlighted two macrotrends that the Farnsworth Group consultants are talking to their clients about:  

    The rise of data centers: Overall, there have been some drops in construction, specifically on the commercial side. Eric shared, “It used to be that commercial construction was running around $80-70 million, now it's dropped somewhere around half of that.” But what’s really interesting is the rise of data centers as the loss replacer in this sector. This not only is rewarding businesses that build new data centers, but also those who work with the infrastructure around the data center, like distributors of copper and HVAC inspectors.  

    Overall uncertainty: We’re all probably sick of this word, but uncertainty really is one of the biggest trends that Farnsworth Group is helping their clients navigate. Eric explained, “We're seeing drops on a regular basis because people just don't know. Are we going to have tariffs? Are we not going to have tariffs? Are we going to have material shortages? Just this month we saw a 40% increase in diesel cost that we couldn’t have predicted two months ago.” 

These trends are just two examples of the key areas of focus that the Farnsworth Group is able to identify as a third-party consulting firm. And by identifying them, they are able to help their clients find an effective balance between managing their day-to-day operations and the long-term success of their companies. 

Listen to the newscast or Watch the recording to learn more!  

By Emma Peterson. 

April showers bring...a lot of interesting articles to The Coffee Shops™!  

As we leave the month of April behind and look towards May’s summer sunshine and peak construction season, we wanted to take a moment to look back at all the articles we published in the last month that captured our readers’ interests. And there were a lot – over 300 in fact! To make it easier to look back at the highlights, we’ve put together this list of the top ten!  

One such article shared a huge announcement from The Coffee Shops™ – We’re partnering with International Federation of the Roofing Trade (IFD)! This partnership is part of our international initiative and goal of fostering global collaboration on our sites. As Gary Howes, IFD board member explained, “By working together, [The Coffee Shops and IFD are] creating more opportunities for contractors, manufacturers and young professionals to connect, learn from one another and strengthen the future of the roofing industry on a truly international level.”  

Also on the top ten list were a variety of articles about the importance of community care and giving back! Writer Jenny Yu shared two heartwarming stories of roofers using their workmanship and talent for good! One highlighted the joint efforts between Rebuilding Together Philadelphia and a local contractor to fix the roof of a family’s home. The other was about YellowBall Roofing and Solar's donation of a new roof to Cherly and Marty Ash of Billings, Montana.  

In addition to these individual stories, Dani Sheehan wrote an article based on our Contractor Outlook Newscast with Ronald McDonald House Global President & CEO Katie Fitzgerald. Dani’s article dives into how contractors are working with Ronald McDonald House to donate their time, skills or resources to families in need. 

The top ten articles of April 2026 

10 - How contractors are supporting families through partnership with Ronald McDonald House by Dani Sheehan 

9 - Turning new hires into long-term talent by Emma Peterson 

8 - The importance of thinking outside the box by Emma Peterson 

7 - 4 practical takeaways on what AI use looks like in practice 

6 - What first-time attendees can expect at Roofing Day by Dani Sheehan 

5 - RoofersCoffeeShop® partners with International Federation of the Roofing Trade to strengthen global roofing connections 

4 - Improving performance in products and processes by Emma Peterson 

3 - Veteran surprised with free new roof by Jenny Yu 

2 - Neighbors helping neighbors by Jenny Yu 

1 - Extension cord safety for roofers by Cotney Consulting Group

By Dani Sheehan. 

See how you can donate time, skills or resources to support an incredible cause. 

Our industry is built on protecting what matters most, and roofing contractors across the country are finding a deeper purpose through their work with Ronald McDonald House. In a recent episode of Contractor Outlook™, Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down with the President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Global, Katie Fitzgerald, to learn more about the organization's history and its powerful partnership with the Roofing Alliance. 

As Katie explains, Ronald McDonald House was born out of a very real and painful gap in the healthcare system. Families traveling for lifesaving treatment had nowhere to go, and in some cases, were forced to make impossible decisions. That changed in 1974 with the creation of the first Ronald McDonald House: a place where families could stay, free of charge, while their child received care.  

“Our whole mission is to make sure that we’re supporting families so that they can support their children on what is without question the most unimaginable healthcare journey,” Katie emphasizes. Today, that mission spans more than 400 Ronald McDonald House programs in over 60 countries. But these spaces are more than temporary housing. They are fully integrated support systems designed to carry families through the hardest moment of their lives. 

A simple realization, a powerful industry response 

For the roofing industry, involvement began with a straightforward, but deeply human, realization. Katie shares, “When you think about Ronald McDonald House, we have millions of square feet of physical infrastructure. And our houses are these safe havens of comprehensive support for families... I think there was this ‘aha’ moment – all these Houses have roofs. And as nonprofit organizations, we really need support from the broader community.” 

Across the United States, Ronald McDonald House locations require constant upkeep to remain safe, comfortable and fully operational. But for a nonprofit, those costs can quickly pull resources away from the families who need their support the most. That “aha moment,” as Katie describes it, helped spark a partnership with the Roofing Alliance in 2017, in large part thanks to Charles Antis. 

“The idea was to have the Roofing Alliance, its members, come together and make sure that all 165 standalone houses in the United States got support – everything from maintenance to roof replacements,” Katie continues. 

What followed has been nearly a decade of hands-on support and a measurable impact. “There’s been over $3 million of in-kind support... which is obviously saving our nonprofit partners tremendous amounts of money that they can put into their families,” Katie explains. 

From inspections and repairs to reroofing projects, contractors have helped preserve these homes, ensuring they remain safe, reliable havens for families in crisis. 

A model worth building on 

“If you go into a Ronald McDonal House or you get a chance to meet a family, you are hooked... You can’t not want to do more,” Katie shares. Contractors who initially show up for a project often find themselves returning in new ways, driven by the families they meet and the stories they hear. Across the country, roofing professionals are stepping beyond the jobsite to support Houses in ways that reflect the heart of the industry: 

• Preparing and serving meals for families 
• Hosting fundraising events like golf tournaments 
• Volunteering during holidays and special events 
• Helping with day-to-day operations and upkeep 

The value contractors bring is felt not only in their technical skills, but also in their willingness to show up, lend a hand and invest in their communities. 

The partnership between Ronald McDonald House and the roofing industry is a powerful example of what can happen when professionals align their expertise with a greater purpose. At its core, it’s about stability, safety and giving families one less thing to worry about during the most difficult time in their lives. As Katie’s perspective makes clear, sometimes all it takes is stepping inside a House to understand the impact, and to realize just how much more there is to build. 

Listen to the full podcast episode to learn more about this incredible partnership and find a way to make a difference in your own community.

By Dani Sheehan. 

What began as a simple idea quickly became something much bigger: a shared effort powered by generosity, teamwork and the belief that even small acts of kindness can create lasting impact. 

At The Coffee Shops™, community means showing up for neighbors, lending a hand when it’s needed and using our collective reach to make a real difference. Throughout the beginning of 2026, we ran a nationwide food and supply drive, where crew members and our partners across the country gathered pantry staples, hygiene products and everyday essentials for local food banks and community organizations. 

With crew members and supporters participating from multiple regions, donations were delivered to organizations helping families, children, students and individuals facing food insecurity. From in-person drop-offs to online contributions through Amazon wishlists, the drive made it easy for people to take part however they could. 

A crew united by compassion 

For many crew members, participating in the drive was deeply personal. Drake Porter, industry relations coordinator, shared: 

I love giving back! The opportunity to give to those in my community that needing everyday basics warms my heart. Kindness doesn't have to be complicated. The simplest act — providing a pair of socks — can mean the world to someone. 

Emma Richardson, account manager, was integral in bringing this drive together and reflected on why taking action was so important: 

It was important to me to run a food drive because food insecurity is a critical issue in my community. Late last year, the strain on local resources reached a breaking point, and we were forced to confront the fragility of systems so many people depend on for survival. While we couldn't fix everything, it was impossible to do nothing. Our food drive is a drop in a very large ocean, but strong communities are built on collective effort, and this is an exciting first step! 

In Bend, Oregon, Lauren White, our editor-in-chief, saw firsthand what can happen when communities collaborate. She shared: 

Being a part of this supply drive for our local communities has been a meaningful experience. It's amazing to see our crew come together to support so many different groups of people. The Central Oregon National Women in Roofing council agreed to partner with The Coffee Shops (TCS) to help further expand the reach of this drive and we received a lot of donations here! Having the Amazon wishlist was really convenient for people who weren't able to drop items off at a physical location. 

We wish we could have donated to all of the organizations in Central Oregon who are serving our neighbors in need. We decided to donate our supplies to The Giving Plate because of their mission: ‘To end hunger by reimagining what food relief looks like, creating a place where guests feel seen and cared for. A community that affirms every person’s inherent worth and dignity.’ They also have a food pantry for kids (Kid's Korner & Kid’s Korner Mobile Pantry) as well as provide weekend food bags for K-12 students in over 30 Bend/La Pine schools with food for the weekend to eliminate gaps in access to food.  

I dropped off the donations at The Giving Plate, and they were very happy to receive all of the food items and travel size shampoo and conditioner bottles that were donated by various people in Central Oregon. 

I'm proud of our efforts and grateful to be a small part in the TCS Supply Drive and look forward to even more supply drives in the future! 

For Emma Peterson, senior content developer, the drive also connected to personal experience: 

Food resources like food banks and pantries are so important. I remember how game-changing the local one was for me when I was in school, and last fall truly showed how crucial these community programs are to our neighbors’ wellbeing. This drive was a great opportunity to pay it forward after the help I have received and support the communities around us. 

More than a donation drive 

While the boxes of food and supplies made a tangible difference, this effort was about more than what was collected. It highlights connection, coworkers rallying around a cause, partners stepping up to help and communities seeing that they are not alone. 

We’re incredibly grateful to every person who donated, shared the drive, partnered locally or helped coordinate efforts behind the scenes. Your generosity turned a company initiative into something truly meaningful. 

The need for community support continues year-round. We hope this effort inspires others to look around their own neighborhoods and ask how they can help, whether that means donating food, volunteering time or supporting local organizations doing essential work every day. 

We believe strong communities are built when people show up for one another. Thanks to our crew and supporters nationwide, that belief was put into action.

By Emma Peterson. 

Solve business issues with innovative management strategies like fractional executive placement. 

In 2024, Forbes Business Review contributor James Nelson wrote, “In a world that often seems saturated with industries and players, it might seem hard to stand out from the rest. While building an A level team and managing your time well may be a great start to high performance, there can also be benefits from thinking outside the box. If you take on this mindset, it could help you move to a new level in your profession and business.” But what does this out-of-the-box thinking actually look like in 2026? To find out, we hosted Kristen McAlister, the owner of Cerius Executives, for an episode of Contractor Outlook™.  

Through her work with Cerius, Kristen uses over three decades of business experience to empower professionals with practical strategies and tools needed to succeed in the long term. In her own words, she helps people “set aside titles and job descriptions so that they can really see what your company’s current problems and challenges are. Once that is done, then we help you find the right solution.” 

Cerius specializes in fractional executive placement. This is the innovative business practice of temporarily placing experienced executives into high-level positions like CEO and CFO. By doing this, companies can get crucial insights about high-level strategy and leadership without the cost of hiring a high-level executive full-time.  Kristen explained, “The whole idea is really matchmaking. We start with your company by identifying what you need. Then we find an executive that is an expert in solving that who will get your company unstuck and back to growing.” 

While this might seem a bit out-of-the-box when it comes to business strategies, it works. Kristen shared an example:  

One of my favorite stories is about an engineering construction client. His business was struggling and he was worried because he had issues in the past. A couple decades ago he had to file for bankruptcy. So, we connected him with a CFO who worked just 10 hours a month with him. And once he had that individual there, they did start whiteboarding and were able to see that the job costing was off. That’s where the problem was and from there, he was able to adjust and avoid the trap he fell into 20 years ago.  

Listen to the episode or Watch the recording to learn more about Kristen, Cerius and how they help professionals boost their businesses by thinking outside of the box.