The team at AccuRoof, part of SIG Roofing, are roofing experts supporting contractors in securing tenders through assistance with specifications, training, and compliance. We recently spoke to Kingsley Roofing & Solar, who are part of the AccuRoof ARRC Scheme, to understand how they benefit from the AccuRoof support.
Kingsley Roofing & Solar, based in Moulton Park in Northampton, was established in 2016. Founded by Paul Bone, it now employs twelve direct labour roofers, three key support staff based in the office, plus a bank of roofing sub-contractors.
Like many successful people in the trade, Paul followed his father into the roofing industry. In fact, he completed an initial six months of work experience with SIG Roofing after leaving school. He then joined his father and became a qualified roofer.
Today, his business undertakes all types of roofing projects (except thatching), which are fairly evenly split, with around 40% on flat roofing, 30% on industrial roofing, and 30% on pitched roofs.
They also have a growing solar business, which they started 3 years ago, to support all roofing types. Including solar in their offering was a foresighted move by the company, a way to capitalise on the growing renewables market and a great way to ensure they were future-proofing the business. The way the solar market is evolving, with the decline in slate sales due to new in-roofing systems, the move was a strategic decision. They now partner with Dale Dexeter, a Director on the solar side, who is well-versed in solar and brings electrical credentials too.
On solar, their take-up varies, and equates to a growing 10% of their work at present. In the new build contracts they work on, it is possible that every house requires solar, as they must adopt new technology, and the choice is between solar and air source heat pumps. But on each refurbishment or commercial project, they offer to quote on a solar solution.
SUPPLY
When it comes to supply, Paul has been purchasing products from the SIG Roofing branch in Northampton since he started his business nearly ten years ago. Paul explains that SIG Roofing is a good supplier of roofing materials because it offers a solution for every roofing need. They can provide specifications, attend site visits and support them with training. They have even attended meetings with Kingsley’s customers to help them bring a project to a successful conclusion. The relationship continues to grow, and they now benefit from a Key Account manager at SIG Roofing, Mark Treadwell, to support them. Paul said, “The support we get from Mark is fantastic, he always points us in the right direction”.
Kingsley has been working with AccuRoof, part of SIG Roofing, for around two years. During that time, the team at Kingsley has completed lots of training with them on Armourplan for single-ply and cold-applied liquid roofing, which has been effective in providing various solutions within projects.
Kingsley Roofing is part of the AccuRoof ARRC scheme, a programme that allows its members to gain access to products, tiered training to upskill roofers, and technical advice. They are currently a Silver ARRC member as they have completed over three contracts with AccuRoof.
Their first project with AccuRoof was a site of 50 houses in Fleckney, Leicestershire, which was then covered by the SIG Roofing One Warranty scheme. They also completed three Road Chef restaurant re-roofs, where AccuRoof wrote the full specification for the project and attended the site. Paul is convinced that this is what helped Kingsley secure the project.
They also have a project upcoming in Birmingham, which features a mix of green roofs and incorporates solar power. Paul remarks that Sophia Vass, from AccuRoof, has been outstanding in the lead-up to this project. Sophia has attended meetings with the architects, and they were very impressed with her knowledge, so he is quite confident that he will secure the contract.
When asked overall how AccuRoof helps Kingsley Roofing, Paul said:
“Specification is the key, AccuRoof get specifications done, so when we’re tendering for a project, it just adds a more professional touch to the process. I know that my customer will receive a correct build-up from AccuRoof, conforming to all current British Standards, and that’s what I then use to provide the quotation.
From the client’s point of view, they know they’ve got someone to go back on, and it gives us all confidence that we’ve got it right and everything is covered.”
Last word generally on the roofing industry from Paul: “We need to attract more people into the industry. As with all trades, for too long they have been promoted only to school leavers who are not seen as academically inclined but skilled with their hands. Today, a roofer can earn more than a doctor, and in fewer hours, and that is something that should be promoted in school to offer more people the choice of roofing as a career.”