It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of a good friend, longtime CRA member and colleague in the roofing industry. 

Our deepest sympathy & condolences to his family, friends and former associates and co-workers.

Alfredo M. Ramos passed away at home, surrounded by family, on February 16, 2026, after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.

He devoted 38 years to the roofing industry, beginning his career in 1974 with Doyle Roof Masters in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After relocating to Fort Collins, Colorado, he continued his work with B&M Roofing and later with The Douglas Colony Group, retiring in 2012. In retirement, he remained active as a consultant for his son’s business, The Ramos Roofing Company.

Beyond his profession, Alfredo had a lifelong passion for horses, a love that began in his youth. He enjoyed traveling in his later years and treasured time spent with his family.

Alfredo was a devoted husband, father and patriarch. He is survived by his wife, Amada; his sons, Alfredo Ramos Jr. and Ismael Ramos; his daughters, Gina, Elizabeth and Maura; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A man devoted to family and roofing. He will be deeply missed.

Memorial information

Services will be held on Friday, February 27, 2026 with details as follows:

Mass

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

715 Cabrini Dr.

Lafayette, CO 80026

Reception

1:30 p.m.

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

715 Cabrini Dr.

Lafayette, CO 80026

Reception will begin immediately after the graveside.

Obituary/share condolences: Click to view full obituary notice.

By Heidi J. Ellsworth.

Colorado Roofing Association warns roofing contractors of real estate scams.

Roofing contractors are being warned of a growing scam trend that targets homes listed for sale. According to the Colorado Roofing Association (CRA), fraudulent individuals are posing as property owners or their representatives to authorize roofing work on homes that are listed for sale. Once the work begins or is completed, these fraudsters disappear without paying, leaving contractors unpaid and homeowners unaware that any work was authorized in the first place.

The scam typically unfolds when a contractor is contacted via email or text message by someone claiming to be a relative of the homeowner or the representative of a company that owns the home. These contacts may include urgent requests for roof repairs or replacements, often using pressure tactics to rush the job, when, in reality, the person has no legal right to request the work. After the work is performed, contractors are left chasing payments from clients who turn out to be fictitious or unrelated to the actual ownership of the property.

What makes these scams particularly effective is the timing. When a home is listed for sale, there is often urgency surrounding inspections and repairs. Fraudsters take advantage of this urgency to convince contractors that their work is needed immediately, and that payment will follow once the sale goes through. In some cases, the actual homeowner or real estate agent may not be aware that a contractor has even been on the property.

To protect against these scams, roofing professionals are advised to take a few critical steps. First, always verify the identity of the person requesting the work. If the property is listed, contact the official listing agent and check public property records to ensure that the person making the request has authority. It is also essential to require signed contracts that clearly outline the scope of work, payment terms and the name of the authorized property owner. Never begin work based solely on text or email correspondence, especially if the client avoids phone calls or refuses to meet in person.

Avoid starting work without a deposit and be cautious of clients who resist traditional business practices such as written agreements or proof of ownership. Always communicate through official channels and keep detailed records of all correspondence and agreements. If you suspect fraud, report it immediately to local authorities and notify your local association or similar industry associations so that other professionals are warned.

These fraudulent individuals continue to develop their tactics, and it is just not in Colorado. Awareness and due diligence remain the best defense. By staying informed, verifying client identities and following secure business practices, roofing contractors can protect themselves while ensuring that legitimate homeowners and agents are served with professionalism and trust.

It is with great sadness that we report the loss of a good friend, longtime CRA Member and colleague in the roofing industry.

The family of Guy E. Smith announced his unexpected passing on December 26, 2024 at the age of 65. He died at home of a sudden heart attack. Our deepest sympathy and condolences to his family, friends and former associates and co-workers.

Born in Clovis, New Mexico, Guy moved to Colorado in 1990 and became the owner/president of GBS Enterprises Roofing. He started his career on a tear-off crew over 40 years ago and worked his way up to become the successful owner of his company, which he founded in 1998 and ran for 35 years. A long-time member of the Colorado Roofing Association (CRA), Guy was a respected figure in the state’s roofing community.

Outside of roofing, he had a passion for anything with a motor, including tractors, motorcycles and boats. He cherished family moments at Ute Lake and loved grilling steaks for his loved ones. Most recently, he enjoyed his vacation home in Cape Coral, Florida.

Guy was a loving father, husband and patriarch, leaving behind his wife Barbara, son Taylor (Taris), daughter Savanah, stepchildren Andrea (Adam) and David (Carly) and many grandchildren. He is also survived by his brothers David (Teri) and Larry, stepmother Yvonne, stepsister LaRonda and numerous nieces and nephews.

Guy was a dedicated Christian, finding peace in Bible reading, which he shared with his son Taylor daily. His spiritual growth in his final year brought great comfort to his family. Guy always gave a friendly hello and made everyone feel welcome. He will be greatly missed. May he rest in peace.

A service will be held on Friday, January 10th, at 2:00 p.m. at Summit Church in Sedalia, Colorado. For those unable to attend in person, Guy’s service will be live-streamed at the following link: Guy Smith Service Live-Stream. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Guy's name to Compassion International, an organization he and Barbara supported for years.

By Evelyn Witterholt. 

Bob Behrends Roofing, LLC has agreed to donate time and labor to the organization’s ‘Roof Over Your Head’ program. 

Everybody needs a roof, but when the roof you have needs repairs and you’re low on funds, this can be a difficult situation. With some asphalt roofs costing around $9,000 — and more if you include labor — this is not feasible for many homeowners. That’s why the Colorado Roofing Association (CRA) and Habitat for Humanity have created the ‘Roof Over Your Head’ program to give back to their community with no-cost roof repairs and replacements. Bob Behrends Roofing, LLC, is one of many roofing companies that has donated their time to the cause. 

The mission of the ‘Roof Over Your Head’ program is to help families in Colorado who are in need of roof replacements. The goal of the program is to connect Habitat for Humanity building projects with local contractors who will help families get a roof over their heads. Bob Behrends Roofing has donated time and expertise to help a Loveland resident get a new roof installed with GAF shingles.  

Bob Behrends Roofing, LLC is a well-known roofing contractor in the Colorado region. They are a Platinum Preferred Roofing Contractor of Owens Corning and a TAMKO MasterCraft Pro Certified Contractor. They have also worked with Owens Corning for their Roof Deployment Program, which helps military families across the nation get new roofs at no cost to them. 

Doug Kerstetter, an estimator and warehouse manager at Bob Behrends, has stated that their company loves giving back to a community that has done so much for them. "We appreciate our local communities supporting us," he said. “Helping those in need, is our way of giving back." 

Photo credit: Colorado Roofing Association

By Cass Jacoby. 

The 22nd Annual Colorado Roofing Association Trade Show is happening January 26, 2023! 

RoofersCoffeeShop® will be at the Colorado Roofing Association  (CRA) Tradeshow this January 26, will you? This year's CRA Trade Show will be held at the Arapahoe County Events Center in Aurora, Colorado. The tradeshow is a great way for members of the roofing industry to get connected, find new products and services and meet potential customers. It is completely free to attend, and registration is open! 

The CRA show is a great opportunity to make contacts with over 1,000 installers, builders, architects, manufacturers and applicators of roofing products and services.  New and veteran roofers alike can benefit from seeing what is cutting edge at this tradeshow. 

CIUs (Continuing Involvement Requirement for Members) are required for current and new contractor CRA members.  Continuing education allows contractors to advance and improve in their profession.  Attending the show will earn a member one CIU per person, and partaking in the trade show seminar earns CRA members two CIUs per person. 

 You won’t want to miss this event! From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. come see new roofing materials, installation techniques, solar and PV products/ applications, safety products and business management solutions! Be sure to sign-up and save your spot for these workshops: 

• 11:30 a.m. --  CertainTeed Impact Resistance 

• 1:00 p.m.  -- CRA Membership! What's in it for me? 

• 1:30 p.m. -- Experience Titan presented by TAMKO 

• 2:00 p.m. – Maximize Efficiency with Roofing Software with AccuLynx 

Admission to this show is free!  A complimentary lunch buffet and refreshments will also be available to all attendees and vendors.   Registration for the trade show closes at 8:00 p.m. (MST) on January 25, 2023.  

Register today and save your spot for the premier roofing tradeshow of Colorado!  

Learn more about CRA in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit coloradoroofing.org. 

About Cass  

Cass works as a reporter/writer for RoofersCoffeeShop, AskARoofer and MetalCoffeeShop. When she isn’t writing about roofs, she is putting her Master degree to work writing about movies and dancing with her plants.

By Evelyn Witterholt, RCS Reporter.

Learn about the recent changes to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s emergency temporary standard for vaccine mandates in the workplace. 

In November 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it would enact an emergency temporary standard (ETS) for employers to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine. The ETS required employers with 100 or more employees to implement a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy or a weekly testing and mask policy.  

However, as of January 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to temporarily block OSHA from enforcing the ETS. According to the Associated Press, “The court’s conservative majority concluded the administration overstepped its authority by seeking to impose the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s vaccine-or-test rule on U.S. businesses with at least 100 employees.” OSHA still requires a mandate for most health care workers. 

The decision was made with six of the justices in the majority and three dissenting. A copy of the Supreme Court’s decision can be found here. 

As for the future of the ruling on the ETS, a few trade associations have made statements: 

The Colorado Roofing Association stated, “The stay will be in place pending the final disposition of the case by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and disposition of any further appeal of the Sixth Circuit’s forthcoming decision to the Supreme Court.”  

The National Roofing Contractors Association released a statement saying, “It is NRCA’s understanding the litigation will go back to the full 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, which will proceed with further consideration of the lawsuit and provide a ruling on whether the ETS will be allowed to proceed or be struck down permanently. Timing on when such a decision might happen is unclear.” 

Stay up to date with the latest roofing industry news when you sign up for the RCS Week in Roofing e-news.

By Karen L. Edwards, RCS Editor. 

Here’s what’s trending on RoofersCoffeeShop®(RCS) this past month. 

In looking at our most popular articles for the month of September, our visitors were most interested in the topics that are hot in the roofing industry – material shortages, warranty costs and vaccine mandates.  

We strive to bring the latest happening to you surrounding these hot topics and industry pain points. Check out the articles to hear from the experts at Cotney – Attorneys and Consultants and the Roofing Technology Think Tank on these issues.  

Also important in September was suicide awareness month. Our own Colin Sheehan wrote a very informative and eye-opening article about changes that we can make in our own companies to change the culture and hopefully put an end to the tragedy of suicide.  

Emergency preparedness information was also a popular topic which is fitting as we navigate the 2021 hurricane season. If you didn’t get the chance to read any of these articles yet, follow the links below to check them out.  

Honorable Mention (#6-#10) 

10 - Grow Your Knowledge at Western Roofing Expo 2021 

9 - 4 Technological Approaches to the Material Shortages That Give You Back Some Control 

8 - Colorado’s NWiR Look Toward the Future and Female Leadership 

7 - Use Inspections to Instill Customer Confidence 

6 - President Biden Issues Sweeping Vaccine Mandate for U.S. Workers

Read the Top 5 articles: 

5 - Change the Culture and Save Lives 

4 - Are You Prepared for an Emergency? 

3 - GCP Applied Technologies Prepares Supplies for Louisiana Rebuilding Efforts 

2 – METALCON Announces Top Products Award Winners 

1 – Manufacturers No Longer Honoring Warranty Flat Rates and Discounts

Get the top news each week in your inbox when you sign up for the Week in Review email newsletter.

By Cass Jacoby, RCS Reporter.  

NWiR Northern Colorado and Denver Council hosted a nationwide member meeting addressing proactive planning and celebrating women in the industry. 

In June 22, the National Women in Roofing Northern Colorado and Denver council held a meeting with over 35 attendees in state and many out-of-state attendees attending virtually. The meeting featured a panel conversation with representatives from each sector of the roofing industry. Jennifer Ford-Smith of Johns Manville, Anna Poe of Gulf Eagle Supply and Suzie Boyd of Academy Roofing Inc. All represented manufacturing, distribution and contracting perspectives for the “Managing the Unexpected & Proactive Planning to Finish 2021 Strong” panel.  

Cotney Consulting Group’s Lee Lipniskis, moderated the conversation, covering the state of the industry today and how, as an industry, we can prepare for the upcoming months. NWiR reports that the top three takeaways from the conversation were: 

• Communication is key. 

• We must remain a community and work together even if it means reaching out to a competitor.  

• Thinking outside the box for non-traditional solutions, like offering a temporary roof to a client when material is delayed. 

Numerous other solutions were proposed, and many hard questions answered with honest answers.   

In addition to a powerhouse panel, the NWiR member spotlight was on Beacon Building Products Female Roofing Professional of the Year Nominee Stephanie Pouse of Brahma Roofing and Construction. Stephanie lit up the room with her enthusiastic energy. Stephanie spoke on how she got into roofing by going with her father to his construction sites for “take your daughter to work day.” She also shared her experience being a nominee for Female Professional of the Year Award.  

NWiR in Northern Colorado and Denver says they are so excited to have her as part of the Colorado council. 

The Female Professional of the Year Award sheds light on women in the industry who have faced adversity and persevered to go the extra mile for customers, co-workers and their communities, celebrating how women in the industry strengthen and inspire others. 

Colorado Roofing Association President Suzie Boyd said in the July newsletter, “It gives me great hope for our roofing industry to see all of these bright ladies adding so much to what we all do each day. I am so proud of all the inroads we’ve made in roofing and I know we’ll see more progress in the years ahead. The road hasn’t always been easy, but the ladies have just kept showing up!” 

As a fellow Coloradoan, I am proud to see so many amazing women in my hometown market and the ripples of impact they have on the roofing industry. 

Learn more about NWiR in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit www.nationalwomeninroofing.org.

By Cass Jacoby, RCS Reporter.  

My day beat for beat at the CRA Tradeshow. 

8:30 a.m. — Today is the day! Very little captures the excitement of a field trip when you are an adult, but going to a tradeshow on a workday comes pretty close. Set up started at 9, but at around 8:30 my friends (and co-workers), Megan and Colin picked me up to go get coffee (it’s more than a brand, it’s a lifestyle). “This will be” plays on the radio and we all sing along as we make our way to Empowerment Field.  

9:00 a.m. — Megan, Colin and I arrive at Empowerment Field caffeinated and ready for a day of learning about roofing innovations and saying hello to the roofing community. After ten minutes of “looking for our table” (mainly getting distracted by everyone else’s cool swag) we find the promised land: table 88. We grab our tent, sandbags and swag from the car and basically run to set up our station.  

With the temperature outside already nearing the 80’s we broke out our brand-new red tent. We set up the frame with the tarp around it and in a beautiful act of teamwork popped up our giant palace of a tent. Home sweet home.  

9:30 a.m. — I put on my long-sleeved RCS t-shirt, truly believing that I would wear it all day in the heat, and marveled at the box of goodies we had. Megan focused on hanging a sign in the back of the tent as Colin and I set up the table with mountains of RCS swag. We had bumper stickers, koozies, pens, golf tees, magnets, coasters, pins, sticky notes, window stickers, fandana's and, the most prized object on the table, the RCS lunchbox we were raffling off.  

Happy with the look of our booth we had a small photo shoot. Then the announcer came on the microphone... 

10:00 a.m. — The CRA Tradeshow had begun! I looked around and realized all those empty tables from earlier were now covered by tents, fully stocked with demonstrations and swag with smiling faces behind them. I discovered we could put our magnets on the metal parts of our tent and did some last-minute decorating.  

People started to trickle in, coming up to our booth and asking us about RoofersCoffeeShop®. “We are where the industry meets,” Megan (or as Colin and I dubbed her: mini-Heidi) proudly announced to people curious about our booth, giving them a little taste of what the Coffee Shop has to offer.  

I took notes from what a seasoned pro of industry shows Megan is, mentally flagging good talking points.  

Colin, our videographer tapped on my shoulder, “I have the camera all set up, let’s go explore some booths!” I grab some of our bookmarks with our website on them and head off into the show with Colin. 

10:30 a.m. — Looking back to see a supportive thumbs up from Megan, Colin and I set off to find the coolest booth at the CRA (besides RCS of course). We headed first over to Malarkey’s booth. I told the man working at the booth that Colin and I had just finished writing a handful of articles about their smog-resistant, recycled shingles and the company's green initiatives. “It is so cool that you use old tires to make shingles,” I say. “It sure beats them sitting in a landfill,” the man replies.  

Then we headed over to DaVinci Roofscapes, where I got to see their composite slate up close — I even got to touch it! I take notes on the different panels for future article reference, writing down maybe twelve synonyms of “wood-like” and trying to note all the color options.  

Then we headed over to Beacon, where we said a quick hello and filmed a little bit of their booth. I compliment them on their matching polo shirts and they tell me I am brave for rocking my long-sleeved shirt in the 90-degree heat.  

Colin and I decide to head back to the tent to apply some more sunscreen, and so that I can (sadly) change out of my RCS shirt in exchange for pinning a bunch of RCS pins and stickers to a shorter sleeved shirt.   

11:30 a.m. — Megan is all smiles at the tent and is giggling with a few patrons. “We got some business cards for our raffle!” she reports. “We got some footage!” Colin says back.  

I respectfully fold up my RCS shirt. Megan is itching to go out and get some interviews, so I man the table as my friends' head towards the front of the show to go look at the Sashco caulking demo (complete with an ever-raining roof display). 

11:40 a.m. — A kind gentleman is walking around the CRA making sure people have on sunscreen, I tell him thank you for reminding me to reapply and put on my now third layer of sunscreen. While manning the booth I tell a couple of patrons about our RCS club and how they can generate more leads by being able to answer homeowner questions directly on our sister site AskARoofer. I hand out quite a few of our bookmarks detailing the program and encourage people to check out our website.  

Our friends at Beacon approach the tent, jokingly asking if they could film me and asking where our cameraman went. I tell them that Colin and Megan are over on the other side of the tradeshow, but to look out for them so we can grab some more footage. As they are a member of R-club, I offer them our exclusive pin and they happily apply them to their polos. I talk to them a bit more about podcasts and RLW’s at RoofersCoffeeShop and then they took some of our golf tees while remarking, “Tournaments are coming up!”  

12:15 p.m. — Colin and Megan come back with great news, they just got some stellar interviews and saw some cool displays. “Cotney has a nerf gun shooter for swag, what a cool idea,” Colin says. “National Women in Roofing has a booth and they talked to us for a while,” Megan says, setting down her collected swag from being a sharpshooter over at Cotney. I happily report back that I have had some lovely conversations, and the sun is officially high enough so that our table is covered in the shade.  

“No more emerging from the shadows to talk about our cool window decals!” I joke. Colin heads to the car to get his hat as Megan pulls out an ABC Supply branded sunscreen stick and reminds me to apply sunscreen on my hands. “You look a little red,” she says. “I think it’s the reflection of our tent!” I reply. We run tests and discover the tent does give off a bit of a red glow. “We are super dedicated to wearing our company colors,” I joke.  

Colin returns to the booth looking fashionable in a cowboy hat. Picking up the camera, I ask who wants to come with me to explore the west side of the show. Megan happily volunteers and we head towards the SRS booth.  

12:40 p.m. — Megan and I film the SRS booth and say our hellos. We both decide that the bucket hat that they are giving away is of the most prized items of swag we have seen and decide we would both like one. We grab our bucket hats and happily put them on, “Do I look like Paddington the Bear?” I ask. “Yes,” says Megan. “In the absolute best way.” We giggle over towards the Estimating Edge booth.  

“You both just lit up this side of the tradeshow,” the man at Estimating Edge says. We thank him for the compliment and mention that we just finished a great podcast with Estimating Edge for RoofersCoffeeShop. “We love RoofersCoffeeShop!” he replies. “We have to get a picture!” Megan and I pose for some pictures and happily chat about the newer features of Estimating Edge.  

Megan and I then visited DECRA, IKO and GAF (under their tent printed to look like a shingled roof!) before deciding we will have to return to the tent to drop off the swag we have been acquiring.  

1:00 p.m. — It's lunch time! Megan grabs our included lunch while Colin and I hydrate. We all power up to sandwiches and cookies the size of our face. Megan surprises us with some drinks from the bar and we all fit our RoofersCoffeeShop coozies on them, excited to rock more merch. We toast to RoofersCoffeeShop and a really fun day (and also that we all grew out of our middle school haircuts).  

A little boy pushing his own stroller runs up to our booth and I hand him a roofing respect sticker. He tries to stick it to his shirt without taking off the film on the back. I ask if I can help and then ceremoniously place the sticker on his shirt. He gives me a big grin, then takes the sticker off his shirt, sticks it to his forehead and runs off to show his dad. “We couldn’t ask for better marketing than that,” I smile.  

1:30 p.m. — We continue to take turns going back the tradeshow while reminding people that we are raffling off our lunchboxes. I go to see the Sashco demonstration for myself and try to figure out the magic behind the ever-rainy roof they have set up.  

With only thirty minutes left of the show, the announcer is almost constantly announcing winners to raffles and directing winners to their prizes. We all start itching to pull a business card out of our mason jar and discover who won the lunchboxes the more prizes we hear.  

1:45 p.m. — We can’t take it anymore! We pull two business cards and Megan runs off to the CRA tent to have the winners announced. When she comes back Colin makes sure to call our winners and direct them to our booth. Megan and I make sure we are easy to find by dancing out front of our tent.  

2:00 p.m. — With the tradeshow done and the lunchboxes given away, it's time to move out. Everyone starts to pack up their swag and their tents, and within ten minutes the field is nearly clear. Megan, Colin and I take our packed-up tent and boxes and head to the car, excited to feel some much needed AC and riding high from how lucky we are to have such a fun day of friends, sun and roofing be a part of our job. 

Stay up to date with the latest roofing industry news when you sign up for the RCS Week in Roofing e-news.

By Colin Sheehan, RCS Reporter. 

Showcase your products and services, build your network and share your company with the industry at CRA’s annual trade show. 

The Colorado Roofing Association (CRA) is gearing up for their annual Table Top Trade Show, set to take place on June 4, 2021 at Empower Field in Denver. This trade show provides you with the opportunity to connect with hundreds of members in the roofing and construction industries including fellow roofing contractors, installers, builders, architects, manufacturers and more. 

You can also check out the latest roofing materials, installation techniques, solar and PV products/ applications, safety products and business management solutions like versatile roofing software applications, innovative technology products, trash and debris removal services and more.  

Other benefits include: 

• Outdoor event with COVID-19 safety precautions 

• Low-cost opportunity 

• Short time frame 

• Prime networking 

• Learn about new products and/or services 

• Complimentary lunch 

Additionally, a large percentage of the proceeds from the trade show will be used for charitable outreach. One of the charities receiving funds from the trade show is the CRA Rob McReynolds’ Raise the Roof Charity Fund, which provides needed roofs to deserving homeowners and non-profits each year. 

This Colorado-based trade show allows for exhibitors to meet with potential customers, distribute information about their products and services and receive educational materials on the latest equipment used in roofing and the construction industry at large.  

Stop by the RoofersCoffeeShop® booth and be sure to visit our partners too: 

• ABC Supply Co.  

• AccuLynx  

• Beacon Roofing Supply   

• CertainTeed Roofing Products  

• Cotney Attorneys & Consultants  

• Duro-Last Roofing  

• GAF  

• GCP Applied Technologies  

• ICP Building Solutions Group / APOC  

• IKO Industries  

• Johns Manville  

• National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)  

• National Women in Roofing (NWIR)  

• Polyglass  

• Quarrix Building Products  

• Sashco  

• Sherwin Williams  

• Western Colloid 

Register now for the CRA Trade Show.  

Find more information about the show here.