Here Is What People Were Saying...

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>>Matthew DiNenna of JJD Urethane Company in Pennsylvania said he finds the PCP courses, test and field exams "very informative. It is a good thing that the industry is getting standards. It can only help!" He enjoys the networking at the show, talking to other contractors and finding out what works for them. It is also a good place to find out "where the industry is going." He said his company is trying to expand a bit, but isn’t sure about taking the financial leap. "We did good last year," but it costs a lot of money to expand and buy new equipment, he said.

 

>>Wayne Clegg of Spray Seal out of Iowa participated in the Field Exams, and took his turn explaining some of the ins and outs of gun care, maintenance and cleaning as Bruce Schenke of Premium Spray Products and Jerry Pollard of Intech looked on.

>>Bob Heller of Service Partners said they brought a big rig to the Field Exams to use for testing and also some equipment for the trade show floor. "Hopefully, we’ll sell all the equipment so we don’t have to bring it home!" he said. He added that they have already sold a lot of equipment at Sprayfoam 2015. "I like SPF! It’s what I do."

 

>>Will Parker, tech manager at Gaco Western, said, "We use this program (SPFA PCP) for all our contractors. And we also come to the show for the weather and kinship." A whole crew will be at the show this week: Mark Fortney, Building Science Engineer; Tom Sojak, VP Wall Foam; Chuck Skalski, Commercial VP; Peter Davis, CEO & Owner; Tom Schuman, wall foam sales; John Bemas, wall foam sales; plus sales reps from the commercial division. 

>>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!" 

>>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."

>>Ty Penningon: "You have to be lucky and be prepared."

>>During the reception for Ty Pennington on Tuesday night, Nancy Vandewater, wife of SPFA President Dennis Vandewater, said Ty worked with her brother in the city of West DesMoines, Iowa. "It was fun to connect with him about that."

>>Brad Houlden of Houlden Contracting Inc. said, after talking to Ty, "I appreciate his commitment. He has a commitment to helping people and making it better, and he does both with SPF.

>>Ty Penningon: "That is what is so great about SPF; it is a healthier option."

>>Kristopher Costas of Carlisle out of Pennsylvania said he went to a Breakout Session on Tuesday about SPF roofing and said, "It was engaging and there was lot of audience participation." Co-worker Earl Buzzard also went to a couple of Breakout Sessions and mentioned the OSHA one was particularly "well done and had good content."

>>Tryg Waterhouse of Graco said, "Our ultimate goal is better quality SPF products. We try to remove the leverage other companies would have against SPF."

>>Ty Penningon: "I think we should come up with our own board of people that are competent in the field and can say, ‘This is a quality home. This is practical and it will work.’

>>Rick Duncan, SPFA Technical Director, said, "The industry is growing at a 7% annual rate."

>>Mary Bogden of Honeywell said, "This year was the highest number of entries (for the Contractor Awards). We had 67 entries."

>>Stephen Davis of Sustainable Consulting Group said, "The quality of the networking at Sprayfoam 2015 is fantastic. If they are a player in the industry, they are here. If they are a serious about their business, they are here. The quality of people here is outstanding; they are the decision-makers."

>>John Bender of Diamond Sprayfoam out of California said, ‘We have to come. We have so many companies we serve on the Internet. Every year, we meet people we only deal with by phone. The attendance this year is good. However, it is the quality of the attendees that makes it worthwhile. The ones we see here are the ones that buy the spray gun or the new machine. They want to stay up to date on what’s going to make their job easier."

>>Dale Harrison of Summit Engineering & Consulting out of Florida said he attended a Breakout Session on Thursday entitled, "Overcoming Objections in Promoting SPF Roofing," which "was interesting." He was familiar with much of what was shared, and especially agreed with one of the comments: "SPF is highly underrated."

>>Peter Davis of Gaco Western said, "We pledged to get 300 contractors PCP certified. We didn’t get to that number yet so we are initiating a new offer: We will pay for you to do the certification program. As long as you buy our foam, we will pay for you to do this. There is no reason for you NOT to be certified. It is the future. If we don’t do it ourselves, some government agency will force us to do it. If we are paying for it, what’s stopping you?"

>> Mike Bennett of Honeywell Safety Products out of Ohio said, "We made a lot of contacts at the show this year."

>>Scott Partlo of Rhino Linings out of California said, "It’s been a wonderful show. I love venues like this where we can meet other industry professionals."

>>Jim Osborn of Osborn Contract Services, Inc. out of South Carolina said, "I am thinking about getting into SPF, which is why I am here. I am currently into polyurea, coatings and linings, and infrastructure repair, among other things. I came with the purpose of deciding whether to get into the foam business. I have not been scared away."

>>Ivan Stoltzfus of Commercial Roof Coatings out of Iowa said, "This is first year I’ve ever attended the show. I enjoyed it. The Breakout Sessions were helpful and I’ve done a lot of networking. We’ve been in the business for 32 years."

>>Jamie Holt of Honeywell Safety Products out of Texas said, "There were lots of friendly people at the SPFA show, which isn't always the case with shows!" 

 

 

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