If the roofing industry had a face, it would have to be Bill Good’s. Part of the National Roofing Contractors Association for more than 40 years, Good has served as the organization’s CEO for the past 28 years. He retired from NRCA at the end of 2016, but will stay on part-time until June to help incoming CEO, Reid Ribble, make the transition.
As Good readies for his next chapter, here’s a look back at his years with NRCA — and a look forward to where he sees the industry (and himself) going.
After almost 30 years, what made you decide to retire now?
The roofing industry is coming off of a couple really solid years, we don’t have any significant infighting and the staff is in a great place. So – it all just sort of clicked, and after 28 years I also knew it would be healthy for both me and NRCA to make the change.
What NRCA positions did you hold before becoming CEO?
I was lucky enough to join NRCA when it was still a relatively small organization. My initial job description included a number of activities that eventually grew into full-time jobs of their own: publishing our magazine, managing our trade show, developing educational programs and recruiting new members.
What are the most important impacts you feel NRCA has had on the roofing industry since you became CEO?
The roofing industry has always struggled with its image; there are storm-chasers, fly-by-night contractors and even the recently convicted Charleston shooter is named Roof. So I hope that NRCA has helped to promote the idea of professionalism in our industry, and I genuinely believe we give our members the tools to become more professional in the way they run their businesses – through education and training, through networking and by aligning ourselves with good causes.
What would you say was your biggest accomplishment as CEO and why?
I’m very proud of the fact that I’m leaving behind a fantastic staff; in fact, the current staff is by far the best we’ve ever had. The 10 senior staff members who report to me have an average tenure of 22 years; that’s experience that’s impossible to replace.
What project or projects are you leaving unfinished as you leave NRCA?
The big unfinished project is building a structured, recognized, credential-based worker training program that the industry sorely needs. There is some really good training that happens in the roofing industry today — and there is some really poor training, too. We badly need a training program every contractor can buy into – not only for the sake of training, but also because we need it to recruit the kind of people we want into the trade.
What is the most significant change you’ve seen in the industry in your nearly 30 years with NRCA?
There are two. One is what we refer to as the “green building” movement, and its impact on our industry. 30 years ago, roofing technology was primarily concerned with keeping water out of buildings. Today, we talk about long-term thermal properties, reflectivity, vegetative roof systems and the integration of photovoltaics into roof systems. That’s a profound change.
The second is the natural vertical integration of the industry. When I started here, contractors, distributors and manufacturers were often fighting one another. Happily, the industry is moving much closer to alignment in all sectors.
What is the biggest challenge you see the industry facing in the years ahead and why?
Without question, the biggest challenge we face is finding workers – at all levels of our members’ operations. Demographic forces are working against us – we’re getting older as a country – and roofing isn’t a good post-retirement career. Our field workforce today is almost 60 percent Latino, and our national immigration policy is a mess. We don’t have a recognized training program. And while roofing is demanding work, we haven’t succeeded in telling the story of how rewarding it can be, and what kinds of career opportunities it offers.
What gives you hope for the future of roofing and why?
For whatever reason, the roofing industry attracts amazing people. They work hard; they enjoy learning from one another; they have enormous hearts; and they are survivors. And then, of course, we know there will always be a demand for our products and services. It’s hard to imagine advances in building technology that don’t include well-performing roofs.
What gives you concern for the future of roofing and why?
It’s a complicated business. For many contractors, roofing is the easiest part of their operation and too much time is taken up with regulatory compliance, human resource issues, plaintiff attorneys and the like. I’ve heard more than one of our members say that if he had it to do over again, he’d choose another line of work. That concerns me.
What are your plans for the future now that you’re leaving NRCA?
One thing I’ve learned about this industry is that no one ever leaves it completely. I hope to remain engaged, though in a smaller role, and try some other things, too. I’ll have the opportunity to teach; I’ll have the opportunity to do some volunteer work; and after 30-plus years of being on the road more than 100 days a year, I’m looking forward to not traveling.
