The GAF Latinos in Roofing expo has been empowering Latino roofing professionals since its inception in 2022. Each year, the events see steady growth as word spreads about the learning and growth opportunities for Spanish American contractors.
While GAF has hosted trainings and events for contractors for many years, those events were traditionally presented entirely in English. GAF Manager of CARE Training Operations Alan Lopez recognized an opportunity to better meet Latino contractors' needs when he saw the growing number of Spanish-speaking contractors at the trainings. He worked with his team to develop the Latinos in Roofing Expo, which features information and educational sessions presented entirely in Spanish.
Two Latinos in Roofing expos took place in 2024: one in June in the Los Angeles area and one in September in Oklahoma, just across the border from Texas. The Oklahoma expo was one of the biggest yet, with an estimated 600 roofing professionals and GAF partners in attendance.
Increasing Focus on Business Acumen
Lopez notes that many contractors attending the Latinos in Roofing expos were once installers or subcontractors who have decided to start their own roofing businesses. "About 95% of them are coming from the installation world, so a lot of business acumen is not inherent," he explains. "We are able to help them with business classes, finance classes, understanding cashflow and how to generate it, to track it, teach them a little bit about profit and loss."
Contractor feedback has been great, with many noting that the educational sessions delivered in Spanish have contributed to their ability to learn. "Most of us speak Spanish and English too, but I guess that many of us find it easier to understand things in our own language, we have questions in our own language," one attendee explains. "The fact that they answer us in our language is something very powerful."
Lopez says a powerful attraction for attendees is that the expo isn't a sales pitch for GAF products but truly an educational offering to help contractors become better business owners. "This is not about GAF, it's about the individual businesses and how they can grow," he explains. "If you end up buying GAF, great, that's fabulous. But if you don't, at least you're going to know who helped you grow your business, who gave you the education."
Tailoring Education to Contractors' Needs
Having previously hosted events in the Texas area, Lopez says the GAF team took a thoughtful approach when planning the latest event. They reached out to contractors in and around the area to discover what information and training they desired. There was overwhelming interest in better understanding how to navigate insurance claims, which makes sense given the large number of hail and severe weather events that impact the area.
"We offered a class taught by one of our good partners, Luis Velásquez from Entrenandos Latinos in Roofing," notes Lopez. "Luis is a GAF Master Elite contractor in Kentucky and does a lot of training for contractors. He trained on the etiquette of storm restoration work from how to respond to a storm, how to knock on doors, how to identify damage, how to present the estimate to the homeowner, and how to work with the insurance company."
In addition, the expo featured breakout sessions with GAF partner SFY, who introduced and explained the software insurance companies use for storm restoration work. Lopez shares that the SFY team focused on the intricacies of entering a roofing estimate within the software so users can work with both the insurance company and the homeowner.
In addition to Velásquez, the expos tap into the growing number of Latino GAF Master Elite contractors to assist in educating the attendees. "We always want to hear from our contractors that have been there and done that," says Lopez. "One of our great Master Elite contractors from Arkansas, Marcos Sierra, spoke about the importance of becoming a certified contractor. Attendees appreciate hearing from the contractor's perspective rather than GAF's perspective."
Continuing to Transform and Grow Roofing Businesses
While the expo has only been held since 2022, it's already provided significant value to the contractor community. These positive experiences have translated into business success for many Latino roofing professionals in attendance, and dozens have made return trips. "This is the third time I attended the expo of Latinos in Roofing with GAF," says one recent attendee. "The reasons why I have come back are: first, to meet my colleagues who work in other places in the US; second, every time I come here, I learn new things; and third, to refine, refine, and refine my company."
GAF is committed to helping Latino roofing professionals find success in the industry. In addition to in-person events, the company offers a full slate of resources to support this growing sector of contractors. Explore the educational resources and networking opportunities on the GAF Latinos in Roofing webpage.
