Press Release

ARMA Forms Quality Commercial Asphalt Roofing Council
New Initiative to Focus on Promotion of BUR/Modified Bitumen Roofing & Systems

[Washington, DC] – The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association [ARMA] has announced an innovative promotion initiative for Built-Up Roofing (BUR) and Modified Bitumen commercial roofing under the direction of a newly formed Quality Commercial Asphalt Roofing Council, or QARC.

The aggressive communications strategy is designed to assist BUR/modified bitumen producer and suppliers to this industry by raising awareness of high-quality asphalt roofing systems to key decision-makers. The Council will pursue this strategy through a two-phase, three-year promotion program.

The new Council has designated Robert Almon, President  of Mid-States Asphalt and Cant Strip, Inc., Tuscaloosa, AL, as chairman, and Todd Ziems, Business Manager  for Low Slope Commercial Roofing, Owens Corning, Toledo, OH, as Council vice chair.

“The mission of the Council,” according to ARMA executive vice president Russell K. Snyder “is to promote quality asphalt built-up and modified bitumen roofing systems to raise the awareness of time proven quality commercial asphalt roofing systems.” Council Chair Robert Almon commented, “The time has come to be proactive as an industry and cooperatively through ARMA to promote the positive advantages of specifying and installing a quality commercial asphalt roofing system.”

The Council, which formally organized earlier this year, approved the communications strategy at ARMA’s Summer Committee Meetings in Toronto, in August. T he communications program will be run by Kellen Communications, which has a longstanding working relationship with the organization. “Kellen has more than 60 years of public relations experience in the commercial roofing industry, serving ARMA as well as individual roofing product manufacturers,” Kellen vice president Michael Morris noted. “ This gives us a unique and advantageous position to assist the Quality Commercial Asphalt Roofing Council.”

The Council initiative is a cooperative effort under ARMA comprised of asphalt roofing interests, including roll goods producers, asphalt suppliers, equipment manufacturers, packaging suppliers and others. The program is also open to current ARMA BUR and modified bitumen manufacturing member companies. In a significant related development, ARMA has adjusted its dues structure for Associate members to make this opportunity attractive to a larger group of (potential) parties. The communications program will be funded through a separate annual fee.

The Council will convene as part of the semi-annual ARMA meetings, held in March and August. The next meeting will be held March 13-16, 2006 in Sacramento, CA, with the Council committee meeting scheduled for Monday, March 13, 2006.

For information about ARMA, the QARC initiative, or joining either organization, contact ARMA headquarters at: 202-207-0917; or visit: www.asphaltroofing.org.

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