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Raising the Roof.

Article Excerpt
Raising the Roof

By Rob Fanjoy

Even in a downturn, roofing manufacturers are looking up

It would be easy to get depressed with the current state of the building industry, with most segments considering themselves lucky to be looking at stagnant growth. But roofing manufacturers are at least one group who are remaining optimistic, and even seeing growth in certain areas of their business. To be sure, most of the roofing category has flattened out recently, but certain product segments are remaining strong and manufacturers are continuing to roll out new and innovative products to meet steady demand -- and even increasing demand in some segments.

Many consumers, especially those in the reroofing markets as opposed to new construction, are looking for more value per dollar -- even if that means a few extra dollars upfront. "Generally speaking in terms of the entire roofing market, demand for high-end products has slowed some, but it is still growing," says Ray Rosewall, president and CEO of DaVinci Roofscapes, manufacturers of synthetic slate and shake roofing. "We seem to be doing particularly well in the replacement roof category."

As homeowners are looking to stretch their dollars, they are becoming more and more astute when it comes to building material choices. They're still willing to pay a little more initially for features that will not...

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