Representatives from Johns Manville’s roofing systems business traveled to Washington D.C. in April to advocate for the roofing industry with members of the United States Congress.
“It is important for Johns Manville to participate annually because we are a large manufacturer in the business and the issues our contractors face are also our issues in the long run,” said Jamie Treglio, marketing manager for roofing systems. “By supporting the industry as a whole, we are helping ensure the future of not only commercial roofing but the entire roofing industry.”
Five Johns Manville employees – Kim Tokarski, Melissa Walker, Arline Fernandez, Jennifer Stone and Justin Maitland – participated in the day to advocate on behalf of several issues including workforce shortages, tax certainty and funding for a government office that will accelerate adoption of cost-effective technologies for energy-efficient residential and commercial buildings.
“These issues were chosen by the NRCA (National Roofing Contractors Association) Roofing Day Advisory Committee [because] they’re issues that unite our entire industry – manufacturers, contractors, distributors, consultants … so that we can speak with one voice on Capitol Hill,” Duane Musser, NRCA NRCA vice president of governmental affairs told RoofingContractor.com.
“I really enjoyed my first Roofing Day in D.C. It was an awesome experience,” said Justin Maitland, a sales representative based in Virginia. “We had a welcome reception, breakfast, and guest speakers before we took buses over to the Capitol.”
In all, more than 220 roofers and roofing supporters spoke to members of Congress to support industry initiatives.
“This year, the sheer size of the group was impressive,” Treglio said. This was back to pre-pandemic proportions.”