By Emma Peterson. 

A panel of industry experts discusses the growth and evolution of the roofing industry. 

Earlier this month, The Coffee Shops™ crew headed to the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC)’s 2026 Conference and Trade Show. While there, we had the opportunity to host a special, live Coffee Conversations® that brought contractors and other building envelope experts together for a panel discussion about the show and state of the industry. 

The panel was made up of four incredible professionals: Greg Hlavaty of Western Colloid, Sean Connolly of Walker Consultants, Lauren Morley of R3NG and Dustin Smoot of Terracon Consultants. Together, this panel offers expert insights into all sides of the industry they serve, and how contractors and manufacturers are moving forward into 2026. 

When asked about this year’s show, Greg highlighted the incredible turnout, sharing, “In the past, it was a show that only the big manufacturing firms were at, but today we’re really seeing a great turnout.” Sean had a similar takeaway, adding, “It's bigger and better than ever, I'm seeing more and more manufacturers participating, which is fantastic.” 

One of the main talking points of this year’s show was the significant changes that the building industry has gone through in recent years. Dustin elaborated, “I've been in the industry for about 25 years. I started out as a roofer as a kid. And I’ve seen a lot of change in the way we think about roof performance...” One of the biggest changes being that we now think about how an entire building envelope functions, rather than just thinking about how individual elements perform. This outlook has shifted how brands must market their products and services.  

With this perspective shift, building consultants have become more important than ever.  Lauren explained, “Of course, I try to stay on top of the trends and think about the big picture, but having consultants involved is really helpful. They know what's happening and they know what to design, and I'm lucky that I can just kind of trust them to think about the whole envelope so I can focus on my part.”  

Watch the whole recording from the show to hear more from Greg, Sean, Lauren and Dustin.

By Evelyn Witterholt. 

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

The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)’s National Roofing Week is a great way to spread awareness about all the good things the roofing industry does for the world. Although it took place June 4-10, our readers have been excited about this important week since last month! One of our most-read articles last month was a piece by our writer Anna Lockhart, which highlights this important week and all it entails. 

Solar roofs are still on the rise in the industry, with Tesla solar roofs growing in popularity as well. Another one of our top articles last month was highlighting a recent roofing job from Kelly Roofing where they installed a Tesla solar roof on the island of Nevis in the West Indies!  

Our top-read article last month came to us from Trent Cotney, partner at Adams and Reese, where he outlines Florida's Senate Bill 1718, a.k.a. the Immigration Bill. In this article he details what the bill calls for and what it means for Florida residents and businesses. 

Here are the top 10 articles of May 202 

Honorable Mention (#6-#10): 

10 - Bachman’s Roofing was Named a 2022 GAF Master Elite® 3-Star President's Club Award Winner 

9 - Kelly Roofing Goes Global With First International Tesla Solar Roof 

8 - RoofersCoffeeShop® Announces Opening of 2023 Roofing Industry Trends Survey 

7 - How to Encourage Our Youth to Find Their Calling in the Roofing Industry 

6 - FLOW Roofing and True Metal Supply Partner to Give Away New Metal Roof 

Read the Top 5 articles: 

5 - Roofing Company Owner Discusses the Benefits of GAF's Roofing Academy 

4 - Get Ready for National Roofing Week! 

3 - Upgrade Your Metal Roofing Game With AEP Span's Underlayment HT 

2 - Pacific Coast Building Products Supplies Materials to CIEF Design Build Competition for High School Students 

1 - Florida Immigration Bill Set to Become Law