Here Is What People Are Saying...

During the SPFA PCP courses and written and field exams on Tuesday, there was a lot of talking going on, in addition to learning! Here is what some of your fellow contractors and industry professionals are saying...   

>>Laura Reinhard, Global Business Manager, Spray Polyurethane Foam, Honeywell, said, "At the show our aim is to promote Honeywell’s Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent. We are excited about the response we’ve had from major systems houses. Another big promotion at the event is the idea of using Solstice LBA as a wall foam as well as in roofing. For the Field Exams we provided the booth for the wall systems tests, while Lapolla provided Solstice LBA for the spray booths. The booth has an air pressure system, venting and is ready for sprayfoam. It was shipped from Buffalo, N.Y., with the help of David Wilkes, who was instrumental in making it happen." 

>>Ken Wells of Elite Insulation & Polypro LLC out of Virginia said he hasn’t been to SPFA’s expo for a few years, but "I was at a point where I needed to network and talk to other people in the industry. Plus, there are many new things I need to see!"

>>When asked about the future of SPF, Dan Taylor of Taylor’d Communications said, "We are going to continue to see more adoption of alternatives to HFC blowing agents, such as ultra-low global warming potential HFO technology, as we continue to improve on the environmental front. Clients want performance too, so if we can do both at a competitive price, we are meeting the demand that is out there."

>>Ben Arnold of Chromaflo Technologies said, "We want to let the SPF industry know colorants are available for their technology and educate them on the benefits of color and how it can help them distinguish themselves from their competitors and increase their brand awareness." 

>>Norm Bahr of American Foam Experts in California said they come to the SPFA show because "We buy foam and we need to continue to pay attention to new equipment and foam." 

>>Tyler Fiske of Anchor Insulation, who is also a room monitor at Sprayfoam 2015, gave this explanation as to why SPFA PCP courses and exams are so important: "It's like going to see a chiropractor. You may not know you are out of whack until you go. The courses and tests help keep you aligned with doing things the right way." 

>>Grant Urban of Demilec said, "SPF is on the uptake. It has been a rough couple of years, but it is coming back up. There is a lot of opportunity!" 

>>"It’s close, and I go to the sessions for information. For my SPF company, I do HERS ratings, and there was one class that piqued my interest, "Understanding the Relationship Between Relative Humidity, Air Temperature, Dew Point Temperature and Air Movement Through a House" by Nikki Kruger. Brett Dillon is speaking here too. He did my HERS rating training for me years ago. It was great. It was a 9-week college course packed into 6 days. Actually, because 2 days were for testing, it was closer to 4 days! It was tough." 

>>Bob Blomquist from The Insulation Place out of North Dakota said, "We come (to the SPFA show) just about every year. It is a fun time and a learning experience." Added Laura Blomquist, "The SPFA expo offers them a time to learn about new rules and regulations as well as new products." Bob was on his way to the golf tournament and looked like a serious contender as he rolled his golf clubs to the waiting transportation bus. 

>>Eric Bentson of Sprayfoam Equipment Manufacturing in Louisiana, said they come to the SPFA show for a lot of reasons, including running into friends. "I really enjoy seeing the guys at PMC," said Bentson. "Also, our company is very innovative. We like putting new things on the market and seeing the new needs of the customer. We enjoy coming up with creative ideas on how to cure issues. We like to think out of the box in the way we identify and solve problems."

>>Topping the list for attendee-who-came-the-farthest (at least of the people I spoke with) was Nash Harris from Spray Foam Solutions in Melbourne, Australia. "In Australia, the SPF issue is not as big as it is here. Events of this sort don’t take place. The only way to be part of the industry is to be here," said Harris. However, he added, "The industry is growing in Australia. Plus, we (as a company) do a lot of education and shows." 

>>Marvin Fortuna of Cook Coatings Inc. said he is doing some testing at the show. He did Field Exams for Roofing, which he said went well. Cary Cook, the president of Cook Coatings Inc., is also at the show and was the decision-maker when it came to Fortuna entering the SPFA PCP courses and exams. "Specs are coming out requiring you have a masters applicator certification to bid on some jobs, especially the public works ones but for private ones as well." Cook said all of his applicators have some sort of certification from SPFA, but he will be looking into making sure everyone is up to date with the SPFA PCP credentials too. "I think the testing was comprehensive."

>>Chelsea Whitley of Spray Foam Systems out of Georgia took four PCP tests at Sprayfoam 2015. "It was challenging," she admitted, though part of that was because they have an App that contains all the formulas, which they use in the office for bidding jobs. In the exams, "we had to figure it out without the App." Meghan Peters, also of Spray Foam Systems, took the exams as well. She said she soared through the tests, but took a couple of "hits" toward the end. "I had them all right until the end!" she said.

>>Jim Durovick of JS Sprayfoam in Alberta, Canada, is here at the SPFA show taking part in the PCP courses, including the SPF Insulation Project Manager one. While discussing some of the points addressed in the course, he commented on how some competitors don’t seem to understand how it all works. "They are cutting it so tight (when drafting bids) that they are going under. However, until that does happen, it makes it hard for the guys who are trying to do it legitimately without cutting corners." 

>>Alan Chavez, Senior Project Manager/Estimator at MASCO Contractor Services in Albuquerque, N.M., and co-worker Ben Jesus Martinez said they came to the SPFA show because "We want to learn more about SPF," said Alan. "We are taking the Project Manager course as we are both new to the SPF industry. We both came from the drywall industry and used to be competitors, even! We are trying to soak in what we can about the sprayfoam industry. It is more complicated than the drywall industry!" Ben explained, "We have a lot of different products and materials now, such as fireproofing, sealants, waterproofing, air barriers, etc." He said the course has been beneficial, thus far. "There were some helpful tips about R values and the capabilities of the products."

>>Roseanne Mitchell, CEO of Western Urethane Systems out of Canada, said, "It’s my first time at the show. We are here to look at equipment and at what different spray polyurethane foams are available."