Still changing, after all these years

The past two decades have seen dramatic changes in every aspect of society. The roofing industry has certainly reflected these dynamic times through revolutionary changes of its own that popularized flexible roof membrane systems. For more than a decade, flexible roof membranes have commanded a significant part of the total commercial roofing market.

SPRI, the organization representing sheet membrane and component suppliers to the commercial roofing industry, recently marked its own 20th anniversary at its annual conference, held in San Diego.

Still very much a forward-thinking organization, SPRI's keynote speaker at its annual conference, themed "Set Sail for Success," was an expert on dealing with change. Management consultant Pat Lynch shared a number of his secrets for success, including: "Hang out with people who scare you, who intimidate you, who have bigger boxes and are doing the new, cutting edge things." Changing times

SPRI was officially founded on November 8, 1981, but its first annual conference was held in January 1982 at the Doral Hotel in Miami, FL. SPRI's founders represented about 25 different companies. Now, SPRI's membership includes more than double that number. SPRI's ninth president, John Busch, formerly with Johns Manville, Denver, presented a recap at this conference on the organization's first 20 years. Busch observed, "SPRI's real strength is that it worked on issues from an overall industry approach. SPRI has built its reputation on its technical expertise."

SPRI's diverse membership is part of its strength, believes Technical Director Dave Roodvoets, who's been involved with the association as both a member and staffer. "SPRI brings together suppliers of roof membranes, fasteners, adhesives, insulation, resins, reinforcements and stabilizers, among others. It's amazing what positive results can happen when a collective group like this has so much expertise to share. We have a general enthusiasm to address problems that affect the industry as a whole. When SPRI members sit around a meeting table and focus on issues, much good can come from that effort to work together.

"Contractors benefit," Roodvoets adds, "because over the years, SPRI has contributed to improvements in products and in methods of installation. "Also high on the list of SPRI's accomplishments," Roodvoets continues, "would be the updating of its "Wind Load Design Guide for Low-Slope Membrane Systems' to bring it in line with the latest recommendations from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in ASCE 7-98. If a contractor uses the calculations outlined in the SPRI document's tables, it's possible that he could reduce installation costs." This guide can be ordered as either a stand-alone item or as part of SPRI's comprehensive reference document, "Flexible Membrane Roofing: A Professional's Guide to Specifications." Furthermore, the "Professional's Guide," now in its sixth edition, is available in a convenient, easy-to-use CD-ROM format.

2002 officers, chairs SPRI's new president, who is also a long-time association member, is John Clifton, vice president and general counsel at Carlisle SynTec Inc., Carlisle, PA. He previously served as the association's president in 1997-98.

"It's a unique honor to be asked to once again help steer SPRI as the association enters its third decade," Clifton says. "Looking back on where SPRI has come from in the past 20 years," he remembers, "I see dramatic progress from flexible roof membrane systems being the new kids on the block to quickly becoming the dominant factor in the commercial roofing industry. Over the years, SPRI has quietly established itself as a force in the roofing industry.

"By choice, most of SPRI's initiatives have been on the technical front," Clifton reports. "Most notably, these include the three ANSI/SPRI national standards we have jointly developed with the America National Standards Institute (ANSI). Specifically, these standards are: ANSI/SPRI RP-4 on wind design, ANSI/SPRI FX-1 on fastener pullout resistance and ANSI/SPRI ES-1 on edge metal systems. "SPRI has made a name for itself by building industry allies and working toward consensus," he notes. Immediate past President Stan Choiniere agrees. "I really believe SPRI has brought manufacturers together to work for the betterment of the whole roofing industry. Furthermore, with all our standards development and research work, I think SPRI has become a recognized technical leader in the roofing community."

In fact, in keeping with ANSI requirements, these joint ANSI/SPRI standards are updated and recanvassed every five years. Currently, RP-4 is going through this process.

And new this year is SPRI's reorganization of its Technical Committee into issue-oriented task forces to work on specific projects, such as standards development for roof drains, seam integrity, and modified bitumen adhesive technology. Also on the 2002 agenda, Clifton adds, is the upgrading of SPRI's statistics reporting program and the unveiling of SPRI's new wind design seminar. SPRI's next annual conference will be held in January 2003 at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

For more information, contact SPRI at 200 Reservoir St.-Ste. 309A, Needham, MA 02494; Tel.: 781-444-0242; Fax: 781-444-6111; E-mail: info@spri.org; Web: www.spri.org.

This article previously appeared in the May 2002 edition of RSI Magazine.

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