Roofing with metal provides customers with a long-lasting and sustainable product. Roofing professionals who use rollformed metal panels can go a step beyond and meet customer demand for a range of color and profile options, ensuring the roof will look as good as it performs. While these benefits may seem exclusive to the people living under them, they can also extend to the fabricators themselves.
One often overlooked benefit of fabricating and installing metal roofs is the potential to become a certified regional manufacturer. But what does that mean exactly? Regional manufacturing is a think-local approach to construction. When a roofing company joins an association of regional manufacturers, it can focus on doing what it does best: building local market connections and endlessly reliable roofs. The national supplier, in turn, supports the business’ end goals. For example, through Drexel Metals’ certified regional manufacturer program, they help local roofing businesses provide world-class service by providing:
By becoming a certified regional manufacturer, a roofing contractor can rest assured knowing their materials will be consistently durable, beautiful and delivered on time. This eliminates having to source materials from different suppliers, whose quality may differ. Suppliers like Drexel Metals fully test, engineer and back their products to maintain standards. It also helps ensure that a roofing project will stay on a predictable timeline—even when supply chain issues arise.
One of metal roofing’s greatest strengths is its ability to provide a variety of profiles and looks—like this church in Florida. However, its versatility can leave even the most seasoned roofing veterans nervous about unfamiliar builds. Regional manufacturers have direct access to a team of experienced representatives in person, online and over the phone. If unsure about a part of a project, a contractor can quickly reach out for guidance and material solutions.
Because regional manufacturers have access to the latest metal roof fabricating equipment, they can receive pre-formed metal coil and sheets onsite and roll them to the desired profile then and there. This allows suppliers to ship materials more efficiently and with a substantially lower risk of damage. As such, roofing professionals can receive materials in days instead of weeks and without the hassle of having to order more to replace damaged goods, both of which drastically reduce lead times to keep a project on or ahead of schedule.
Another benefit of being able to receive coils and sheets directly from a national supplier is that contractors will not accumulate an excess number of unused profiles. They can make the profiles they need and save the materials for their next project, meaning the installers will maximize the use of their materials and labor. This helps meet a variety of designs without having to wait for a specific profile to be shipped. Further, it can also help fabricators adapt if a customer changes the profile they want after material orders have been placed.
Most importantly, regional manufacturers can take advantage of the full suite of warranties and customer service offered by their supplier. Rather than having to negotiate with companies that may not have a contractor’s bottom line in mind, roofing professionals can work as a partner with their supplier to ensure their customers are satisfied. This approach helps ensure a contractor is as covered as their customers. It also improves any roofing fabricator’s ability to provide quality customer service since they can leverage a full team of dedicated and experienced professionals.
These five benefits are just the beginning. Regional manufacturers can also receive marketing support, machine maintenance, sales leads and increased sustainability benefits. When roofing contractors are looking for a supplier-partner, they should look for a company that has a proven track record of supporting the success of its network of local manufacturers.
Drexel has over 20 years of experience with regional manufacturing. More than 100 fabricators have experienced the benefits of partnering with this metal roofing supplier. As Michael Shaul of RLS Contractors and member of Drexel’s association of regional manufacturers states, “It’s great for a small, local company like us to have the Drexel name backing our products. Because we are a small regional company, we can turn jobs around quickly in our area, which is a big plus.”
