By Emma Peterson. 

How adding Storm Breaker™ coatings can help contractors open new revenue streams and extend customer relationships. 

To help contractors expand their portfolios, BITEC developed a roof coating line, Storm Breaker™. This line is perfect for both restoration and maintenance projects, having been proven to extend roof life and improve building energy efficiency. To learn more about how you can expand your offerings by incorporating Strom Breaker™ coatings into your business model, we hosted BITEC’s President, Joel Shealey, for an episode of Roofing Road Trips®. 

Why expand your market? 

Being able to offer both reroofing and restoration services is a powerful way to boost your business. Not only does having a wide portfolio of solutions prepare you to serve the needs of any client that you meet, it also can create opportunities to add value for existing customers. Joel gave an example, sharing, “If you add coating restoration to your reroofing systems, you can then go into your records and contact customers you put roofs on 10+ years ago to talk to them about extending the life of their building.” Overall, expanding your portfolio is a great way to build and maintain your relationship with past customers and set yourself up as their one-stop roofing shop.  

Finding the right products 

If you’re wanting to add coatings to your offerings, BITEC’s Storm Breaker™ line is a great place to start. Why? For one, it’s a complete line with everything from silicone and SEBS products to acrylics and urethanes. And not only are all of these product offerings as durable and high-quality as BITEC’s other industry-leading reroofing systems, they are also very energy efficient, which is huge as the building standards and codes continue to grow stricter about reflectivity and emissivity. Joel explained:  

Our coatings offer high reflectivity and low emissivity, which is great for a few reasons. One, it helps you meet regulations like Title 24 in California. Two, it makes your building more comfortable. We’ve coated some of our manufacturing plants and you can feel a temperature difference between the coated buildings and the non-coated. Three, if you go with a coating like our Storm Breaker SEBS, it’s incredibly low permeance, so you don't have to worry about any moisture infiltration or exfiltration. 

And the best part? When you use BITEC’s Storm Breaker™ line you’re getting more than just products – you’re getting support from a team of experts and leaders. Joel explained, “We take the time to make sure that they understand what they're getting into...We want to help them find the best system for their project, based on their client’s goals and needs, and then make sure they have both the products and the training they need to succeed.” 

Why does the BITEC team put all this effort into working with the contractors and connecting them with training? They know that their products rely on their contractors being confident and skilled to succeed in the long term. As Joel put it, “Contractors have a world of experience, but even the most experienced roofers need help sometimes, especially if they’re expanding into new markets. And that’s what our team is here to do – help. Because when there's a partnership between the contractor and the manufacturer, it creates an opportunity for both to win.” 

Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recording to learn more about expanding your portfolio with BITEC.  

By Emma Peterson. 

BITEC®’s Shane Millwood discusses the importance of helping contractors understand proper product selection and installation practices. 

With the advent of new, more powerful products like BITEC®’s Storm Breaker™ coating system, the coatings market has never been more popular among contractors and building owners . But with that popularity comes a growing need for proper installation and maintenance training. Connecting contractors to the education resources they need to succeed with coatings is something that the team at BITEC® is passionate about. To learn more about how they foster these connections, Shane Millwood, BITEC®’s VP of sales and marketing, stopped by The Coffee Shops™ for an interview.  

When roof restorations are done properly – the roof surface is cleaned, the right coating is chosen, installation follows manufacturer recommendations and it has ample time to set – they are a powerful tool for extending the life of a roof assembly. But when coatings are applied improperly, they are likely to fail prematurely and create more extensive (and expensive) issues. In our interview with Shane, he highlighted education as the factor that separates a proper and improper installation, sharing, “A true roof restoration involves more than just slapping a coating on it. There's a lot of steps to go through and I think one of the challenges we see today is a lack of education about these steps.” 

Where should contractors and installers be looking for this game-changing education? Start with trusted associations like the Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association and manufacturers like BITEC®. Shane shared a bit about how his team educates their contractors about best practices:  

Our team works hard on education. We work with our contractors to teach them about proper evaluation of the roof they are on... Further, we will never just blindly recommend our product for every roof. Instead, we bring an educational piece to our contractors. We might show them three options and explain the pros and cons of each, but that final decision is theirs. 

Why is this education aspect so important to the BITEC® team? Shane put it simply, “When the quality of restoration projects go down, it’s bad for everyone.” By helping foster education and awareness, BITEC® is not only protecting their market, they are building a better industry for everyone.  

By Emma Peterson. 

How factors like climate and durability needs determine the best roofing solution. 

These days, there are so many different roofing products available on the market that it can be hard to know which one to use for each project. To learn about how to make the best choice for your customer needs, Heidi J. Ellsworth brought Shane Millwood, VP of sales and marketing for BITEC, on for an episode of Roofing Road Trips®. 

BITEC was originally founded by Bruce Shealy with a focus on modified bitumen roofing membranes, having expanded into full system manufacturer with a wide portfolio of mod bit, single ply, coating and repair products in recent years. In his role with the company, Shane has had the opportunity to work with a variety of the brand’s product offerings, gaining a wealth of knowledge about how to choose the right product for your project needs. He explained:  

We're a full systems manufacturer and we love partnering with contractors. A lot of our partners ask us what the difference is or why should we use PVC versus TPO. What we always tell them is that it’s a combo of performance needs and user preference. Each product has a different makeup that will impact how it holds up under certain conditions.  

Those conditions can be everything from the regional weather patterns to the classification of the building itself. By matching the system to both the performance needs and user preference, contractors can make an informed decision in choosing the best product for the job. Shane shared an example of this in action, explaining, “If you’ve got a building that has a billion dollars worth of gear inside of it, you’re going to want a system that’s multi-ply, so you have redundancy and better protection. But if you have a building that doesn't house as valuable or costly materials, it might be more cost-effective and efficient to choose a system with less redundancy.”  

Want to learn more about choosing the right product for your next project? Listen to the episode or Watch the recording!  

By Emma Peterson. 

BITEC® has grown alongside the mod bit market with a focus on product quality, reliability and contractor success. 

The story of BITEC® has been intertwined with the modified bitumen (mod bit) market since their founding back in 1986 by Bruce Shealey. Since then, they have continued to develop and grow their product line, serving the market as a reliable, trusted source for quality products. To learn about this development and the growth of the overall market, we invited Shane Millwood, BITEC®’s VP of sales and marketing, for a quick interview.  

Shane started by sharing what he knew about Bruce’s motivations to start a company based on producing mod bit:  

I was told that Bruce was really motivated to make the best roofing products he could. And when he looked at the market around him, he realized he could do that with mod bit...Our mod bit systems are on the next level of quality as each product that makes up our system is tested to be reliably high performing. 

It is this reliability that has kept contractors coming back to BITEC® over the last few decades. Shane explained, “Our systems perform fantastically. Our contractors are always talking about the efficiency they have with BITEC® because of our product consistency. For example, when you take a meter-wide roll, ours always roll out straight and don’t curl like some others on the market might.” 

As for that larger market, it has shifted in the 30-40 years since BITEC®’s founding. Shane recalled, “30 years ago, the modified bitumen roofing landscape looked completely different than it does today. In today’s roofing landscape, it’s a much smaller percentage than it used to be.” But just because the market space is smaller, doesn’t mean that mod bit isn’t an important roofing option. As Shane pointed out:  

There's still a huge opportunity for modifieds across the roofing industry. Here at BITEC®, we sell modifieds every single day. One thing that mod bits are popular for is the data centers because they offer multiple plies of waterproofing that protects the billions of dollars' worth of equipment in those buildings. 

And more plies of waterproofing are just the start of the benefits of BITEC®’s mod bit. Other benefits range from proven long-term performance to superior UV and weather resistance.  

Want to learn more about the advantages of BITEC®’s mod bit? Visit www.bitec.com/products/bur-modified-bitumen-roofing-systems. 

By Emma Peterson. 

A look at the rich history behind one of the biggest providers of quality commercial roofing products.  

This year marks four decades since BITEC was founded and in that time, BITEC has introduced multiple industry-leading innovations and built a resounding reputation of quality. To reflect on BITEC’s 40 years of history, Heidi J. Ellsworth invited Joel Shealey, BITEC’s president, to sit down for an episode of Roofing Road Trips®. 

Heidi and Joel’s conversation started by going back to 1986 when everything began. Joel shared:  

In the early 1980s, my dad, Bruce Shealey, and his friend David Allen were working at an Italian company, which is where they learned about using APP, atactic polypropylene, in asphalt to create a great modified product...My dad loved this technology, and so when he and David decided to split off and make BITEC a few years later, modified systems are what he focused on. 

The first product that Bruce and David created was a smooth APP, with the goal of introducing the American market to European-style mod bit. Joel shared why that was such an ambitious goal:  

In America, we’re all about speed and efficiency; we want to get the most bang for our buck. And sometimes the goal of making things cheaper accidentally causes a drop in quality. What my dad wanted to do was create products for the American market that last 30-some odd years like the European products.  

And once they figured out APP, they naturally began expanding their offerings. Joel gave some examples, sharing, “As more companies got technology and SBS became more prevalent, they created an SBS formula. And then they got into the reinforcements, which used things like fiberglass and polyester.”  

Today, BITEC offers a full suite of products that include everything from improved versions of those early APP and SBS membranes to acrylic, silicone and urethane coatings. As Joel put it, “We have grown to offer pretty much everything from the deck up, we've got a little something for almost everybody in the commercial space.” 

Listen to the whole recording or Watch the episode to learn more about BITEC and how they’ve built a legacy of high-quality, long-lasting products.  

By Emma Peterson. 

Joel Shealy discusses how market challenges and customer needs have shaped BITEC's modern offerings. 

In a new Roofing Road Trips®, we had the opportunity to chat with Joel Shealy about how BITEC has differentiated themselves from the crowd and built a 40-year-long legacy of quality and care. Joel is the current president of BITEC, having taken over the role from his father, who founded the company back in 1986. 

And from that first year, the BITEC team has always prioritized what their contractors need. A great example of this is how BITEC grew beyond their modified bitumen roots to include a variety of commercial roof coatings. BITEC’s first venture into the world of coatings was an acrylic offering in the early 2000s. But the big moment for their coatings development came in 2020 when the roofing industry began to feel the pressure of COVID-19-related material shortages. Joel shared: 

We stuck with just the acrylic for a while, but what really pushed us to dive further into the restoration/preservation market was COVID and the supply challenges that emerged around then. We took it as an opportunity to expand our offerings to include silicone and SEBS coatings. And then we acquired Viking Products Group at the end of 2023, which brought the urethane offering to our portfolio. 

Today, BITEC’s coatings line, Storm Breaker™, is known for its “durability, weather resistance and long-term value.” And the development of this line was exactly what BITEC’s customers wanted and needed. As Joel put it, “In recent years, we’ve seen a lot of our contractors find their way to coatings because they’re such a great way to preserve relationships with end users and don’t have a big barrier to entry. And we’re proud to be filling that need for our customers.”  

Learn more about the development of BITEC’s Storm Breaker ™ coatings by Listening to the whole episode or Watching the recording!  

By Emma Peterson. 

BITEC’s comprehensive single-ply solutions deliver the durability and efficiency your projects demand. 

If you’re looking for products that you can trust to add long-term value and protection to your next low-slope roofing project, look no further than BITEC’s StrongHold™ line. The single-ply roofing systems have been carefully engineered with durable membranes and advanced adhesives that deliver easy installation, efficiency and peace of mind. Learn more about each of the StrongHold™ systems:  

• TPO: For projects that need a cost-effective and energy efficient roof, StrongHold™ TPO membranes are a great choice. Available in multiple thicknesses, this roofing system is made of a BITEC propriety formula that mixes thermoplastic polyolefin and Aramid yarns. The result of this design is a versatile product that provides excellent weathering performance and exceeds the criteria of ASTM D6878 Standard Specification for Thermoplastic Polyolefin-Based Sheet Roofing. 
• PVC: As for StrongHold™ PVC membranes, the BITEC team has created a “proprietary PVC-based membrane formulation, which contains patented ultra-high-strength Aramid yarns.” This combination allows StrongHold™ PVC to perform in even the most demanding environments, such as facilities working with chemicals or areas that experience dramatic temperature changes.  
• KEE: Want a highly flexible membrane that resists plasticizer loss and delivers long-term chemical, UV, and heat resistance? The StrongHold™ KEE (ketone ethylene ester) will deliver what you are looking for. With exceptional weldability and a patented design, this product was built for the harshest rooftop conditions.  
• Adhesives and accessories: Tying everything together are the additional products that BITEC produces to work with these systems. The StrongHold™ line of accessories includes everything from low-rise foam adhesives to specialized flashing solutions. The throughline of all these different products? They all work seamlessly with StrongHold™ membranes and provide “critical support for long-term roof performance.” 

As you can see, if you have a single-ply need, BITEC has a solution for you in their StrongHold™ line. Contact the BITEC team to learn more about working with each product.

BITEC, Inc. recently introduced a number of new or improved restoration and maintenance products.

In response to contractor requests for low- and zero-VOC formulations of its most popular adhesives, primers, sealants and coatings BITEC, Inc. recently introduced a number of new or improved restoration and maintenance products. 

The StrongHold™ line of TPO, PVC and KEE formulations now includes reduced-VOC primers, bonding adhesives; an EPDM single-sided bonding adhesive; an ultra-low-VOC pump-grade insulation adhesive; and a VOC-free foamable adhesive.

The Storm Breaker™ coating line has been upgraded with a low-VOC, two-component epoxy primer that is compatible with a wide range of coating types.

In the RepairBOSS®  line of roof repair solutions, BITEC now offers low-VOC liquid and EPDM repair materials, as well as low-VOC sealants.

The entire line of ElastoPav® sealants is now low-VOC and includes stand-alone repair products as well as sealants designed to work with StrongHold coatings.

According to Jessica Lacerda, product manager for BITEC, “Our west coast business is growing, and adapting our most popular products for compliance with California environmental standards has been a priority in recent months. We’re proud to be rolling out a number of environmentally responsible materials across a variety of our product lines.”

About BITEC

BITEC, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and distributor of some of the industry’s highest quality solutions for low-slope roofs in North America, including APP, SBS, PVC, KEE, and a wide selection of coatings and ancillary products. For more information, visit https://BITEC.com/ or call 800.535.8597.

Por Emma Peterson, traducido por Jessica Bravo.  

Descubre los eventos, seminarios y expositores que formarán parte del Western Roofing Expo 2026. 

Mantenerse al día en la industria del roofing puede ser todo un desafío. Ya sea enfrentando tormentas cada vez más intensas en el campo o lidiando con la escasez de mano de obra y materiales desde la oficina, contar con la información y las herramientas adecuadas es clave para seguir siendo competitivo. Afortunadamente, la Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA) organiza cada año el Western Roofing Expo (WRE), un evento de dos días diseñado para ayudar a los profesionales del roofing a enfrentar estos retos y conocer las últimas tendencias de la industria. 

Considerado uno de los principales eventos regionales de roofing e impermeabilización, el WRE ofrece una exposición comercial de dos días, más de 30 seminarios educativos, almuerzos especializados, la competencia The Roofing Games™, torneos de golf y tiro deportivo (sporting clays), una subasta en vivo, demostraciones de productos y mucho más. Este año, el evento se llevará a cabo del 27 al 29 de septiembre de 2026 en el Paris Las Vegas, en Las Vegas, Nevada. 

El corazón del evento 

Las principales actividades se desarrollarán el lunes 28 y martes 29 de septiembre, con un programa que incluye 30 seminarios educativos, dos almuerzos especializados y un piso de exhibición con acceso gratuito para contratistas. 

Los seminarios del WRE son una excelente oportunidad para fortalecer conocimientos tanto técnicos como empresariales. Especialistas de toda la industria compartirán información sobre administración de negocios, tendencias del mercado, innovación y desarrollo técnico. Los asistentes también encontrarán rostros conocidos de la familia de The Coffee Shops™, entre ellos Trent Cotney de Adams and Reese, Amparo Sancen de Latinos En Roofing, John Kenney de Cotney Consulting Group y la presidenta de RoofersCoffeeShop®, Heidi J. Ellsworth. 

WSRCA ha preparado dos almuerzos especialmente pensados para los asistentes. El primero será el lunes, de 11:30 a.m. a 1:00 p.m., patrocinado por National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). Durante esta sesión, Craig Brightup, de The Brightup Group, y Chad Collins, de NRCA, analizarán las decisiones más recientes en Washington D.C. y cómo podrían afectar a la industria del roofing. 

El segundo almuerzo se realizará el martes, también de 11:30 a.m. a 1:00 p.m., con el patrocinio de Malarkey Roofing Products. En esta ocasión, los asistentes escucharán a la conferencista principal del WRE 2026, Shereen Thor, una comediante convertida en coach de liderazgo que ha trabajado con organizaciones como Google, Pandora, Slack, Safe Place for Youth y The Social Justice Learning Institute. Su conferencia ofrecerá herramientas útiles tanto para empresarios como para profesionales en cualquier etapa de su carrera. 

El piso de exhibición estará abierto el lunes y el martes. Esta será una excelente oportunidad para conocer las últimas innovaciones y tecnologías de la industria, ya que habrá demostraciones de productos cada hora. En ese mismo escenario de demostraciones también regresarán los esperados Roofing Games el martes. 

La exposición comercial también brinda la oportunidad de conversar con representantes de empresas líderes de la industria. ¿La mejor parte? ¡La entrada al piso de exhibición es GRATUITA para contratistas y roofers! Estaremos en el booth 12, así que no dejes de visitarnos para saludarnos. Además, muchos de nuestros amigos de la industria también estarán presentes, entre ellos Anchor Products (815), APOC (609), BITEC (151), Brava Roof Tile (840), Carlisle Architectural Metals (509), Drexel Metals (509), Equipter (826), Integrity Insurance & Bonding (360), Lakeside Construction Fasteners (154), New Tech Machinery (356), PABCO Roofing Products (703), Rocket Equipment (638), RoofScope (822), Sentry Building Innovations (150) and VELUX (361). 

Eventos adicionales y más 

Además de las actividades principales de los dos días, habrá eventos adicionales tanto antes (domingo 27 de septiembre) como después (miércoles 30 de septiembre). Davis Memorial Foundation organizará dos torneos, uno de tiro deportivo (sporting clays) y otro de golf. Los fondos recaudados en estos eventos se destinarán directamente al fondo de becas de Davis Memorial Foundation. Gracias a este programa, más de 195 estudiantes de preparatoria, licenciatura y posgrado han recibido apoyo para continuar con sus estudios. Estos eventos cuentan con un registro y una cuota de participación independientes. 

Miércoles 30 de septiembre, el International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC) llevará a cabo una jornada especial de capacitación de 9:00 a.m. a 2:30 p.m. Este evento ayudará a los asistentes a fortalecer sus conocimientos sobre la industria de la envolvente del edificio (building enclosure). El programa incluye dos cursos: uno sobre los fundamentos de los sistemas de techado y otro enfocado en las actualizaciones más importantes de los códigos internacionales de construcción. El registro y la cuota para esta jornada de capacitación son independientes del registro general del evento. 

Regístrate y asegura tu lugar 

El registro para el WRE 2026 ya está abierto. Puedes registrarte en línea. El evento se llevará a cabo del 27 al 29 de septiembre de 2026 en el Paris Las Vegas, en Las Vegas, Nevada. Al celebrarse en el Paris Las Vegas, existen diversas opciones de hospedaje cercanas. WSRCA ha negociado tarifas preferenciales en el Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood y Horseshoe Hotel, con habitaciones disponibles desde $91 dólares por noche. 

¿No estás seguro de que el costo del registro se ajuste a tu presupuesto? RoofersCoffeeShop®, en colaboración con Western Colloid, llevará a cinco profesionales al evento sin costo. Al participar en nuestro concurso, tendrás la oportunidad de ganar un pase con acceso a la exposición comercial, el almuerzo anual, el contenido en español, las sesiones educativas y el almuerzo legislativo. 

¡Conoce más sobre el WRE 2026!

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn about all the events, seminars and exhibitors that will be at this year’s Western Roofing Expo. 

Navigating today’s roofing industry can be a bit of a challenge. Whether you’re facing more extreme storms in the field or juggling labor issues and material shortages in the office, it can be hard to stay up to date with the information and tools you need to succeed. Luckily, the Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA) hosts a two-day event designed to help professionals handle all those issues and more – Western Roofing Expo (WRE).  

This premier regional roofing and waterproofing event boasts a two-day trade show, over two dozen education seminars, multiple engaging luncheons, The Roofing Games™ shingling competition, golf and sporting clays tournaments, a live auction, product demonstrations and more! Keep reading to learn about what to expect from this year’s show, which will be held September 27-29, 2026 at the Paris Las Vegas! 

The core of the show 

The core of the show occurs on Monday (9/28) and Tuesday (9/29) with 30 seminars planned, two luncheons organized and a trade show floor that is free for contractors to attend. 

The seminars at WRE are a great way to upgrade your skills! Experts from across the industry will be teaching about everything from business management to technical developments. And if you’re a part of The Coffee Shops™ family, there will be a lot of familiar faces like Trent Cotney of Adams and Reese, Amparo Sancen from Latinos En Roofing, John Kenney from Cotney Consulting Group and our very own president, Heidi J. Ellsworth!  

As for the luncheons, WSRCA has organized two invaluable luncheons for WRE attendees. The first will be hosted on Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and is presented by the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group, and Chad Collins, NRCA, will take this opportunity to talk to attendees about the key developments in Washington D.C. that are impacting the roofing industry.  

The second luncheon will run at the same time (11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) on Tuesday and is sponsored by Malarkey Roofing Products. This luncheon gives attendees an opportunity to hear from the WRE 2026 keynote speaker – Shereen Thor. Shereen is a comedian turned coach who has worked with organizations like Google, Pandora, Slack, Safe Place For Youth and The Social Justice Learning Institute. Her keynote will be a great resource to professionals and business owners in all parts of their careers.  

And last but not least, the trade show floor will be open both Monday and Tuesday. This is a great opportunity to see the latest innovations and newest technology in the industry as product demos will be hosted on the hour. At that same demo stage there will also be the return of the much-anticipated Roofing Games on Tuesday!  

The trade show is a great opportunity to talk to representatives of leading companies around the industry. And the best part? The exhibit floor is FREE for contractors and roofers to attend! We’ll be in booth 12, so make sure to stop by and say hi, and we have countless industry friends who will be around the floor, such as Anchor Products (815), APOC (609), BITEC (151), Brava Roof Tile (840), Carlisle Architectural Metals (509), Drexel Metals (509), Equipter (826), Integrity Insurance & Bonding (360), Lakeside Construction Fasteners (154), New Tech Machinery (356), PABCO Roofing Products (703), Rocket Equipment (638), RoofScope (822), Sentry Building Innovations (150) and VELUX (361). 

Additional events and more 

In addition to the core two days, there are extra events both before (Sunday, 9/27) and after (Wednesday, 9/30). On Sunday, the Davis Memorial Foundation will host two tournaments, one sporting clays tournament and one golf tournament. The proceeds from these events go directly to the Davis Memorial Foundation Scholarship Fund. The scholarships from this fund have helped more than 195 aspiring high school, undergraduate and graduate students pursue their dreams. These events have their own registration and their own fees. 

And on that Wednesday, the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants will host a special education day. This event runs from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will elevate attendees’ expertise in the building enclosure industry. It features two courses, one about the fundamentals of roof assemblies and the other highlighting key updates to international codes. The registration and fees for this education day are separate from general registration. 

Get registered and reserved 

Registration for the 2026 WRE is now open! You can register online, again the show will be held at the Paris in Las Vegas, Nevada from September 27-29, 2026. Being at the Paris, there are many options for hotels nearby. WSRCA has worked specifically with the Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood and Horseshoe Hotel to get discounted room blocks that start as low as $91.  

Not sure if you can make the registration fee work in your budget? RoofersCoffeeShop® is partnering with Western Colloid to send five professionals to the show for free! By entering our contest, you get the chance to win an all-inclusive pass to the show, which gives you access to the trade show, annual luncheon, en Español content, educational sessions and the legislative luncheon.  

Learn more about the 2026 WRE show!