b'Presidents Message OIRCABoard of DirectorsPresident Tony Pocobene Atlantic Roofers Ontario Ltd.First Vice President Doug Maikawa Trio Roofing Systems Inc.Past President Mark Mollison Conestoga Roofing & Sheet Metal Ltd.Treasurer Peter Serino Soprema Inc.Director John Petrachek Atlas-Apex RoofingDirector Ian Moriarty Carlisle SynTecDirector Joel Dandele Dantech Building Technologies Inc.Director Darcy Beites Douro Roofing & Sheet Metal Contractors Ltd.Director Mark Agius Flynn Canada Ltd.Director Stephen Patti Flynn Canada Ltd.Director Ron Foran Forans Roofing & Sheetmetal Ltd.Director Jeff Roy French Brothers Roofing (Belleville) Inc.Director Mike Godfrey Godfrey Roofing Inc.Disturbing Trends ONTARIO ROOFING NEWS is a market-ing and information periodical published for the Ontario Industrial Roofing Contractors Association by MediaEdge Publishing. Advertising in ONTARIO ROOFING NEWSBy Tony Pocobene, President, OIRCA is restricted to the member companies of OIRCA.Published for:in the Roofing Industry Ontario Industrial Roofing Contractors Association940 The East Mall, Suite 301Etobicoke, ON l M9B 6J7Tel: (416) 695-4114 l Toll Free: 1 (888) 33-OIRCAoirca@ontarioroofing.comwww.ontarioroofing.comPublished by:O ver the years we have witnessed suppliers and procurers in ourmaterials they manufacture, requiring the roofer to break down labour33 South Station St. l North York, ON l M9N 2B2industry introduce uncustomary methods of doing business. I re- and materials (in their bid) and making them responsible for additional member when, back in the early- to mid-2000s, we witnessed thequantities, even though they are not supplying the products. Tel: (866) 480-4717 l Email: robertt@mediaedge.caintroduction of reverse auction bidding to the construction industry.With these bids, the manufacturer essentially acts as designer, speci-With that system, bidders could elect to resubmit below the initial low531 Marion St. l Winnipeg, MB l R2J 0J9fier, supplier and general contractor. What is most alarming is the factTel: (866) 201-3096 l Fax: (204) 480-4420bid for a defined period of time. The process could be repeated severalthat publicly funded entities, such as hospitals, have embraced this sortwww.mediaedgepublishing.comtimes until no one is left to undercut the lowest quoted price. of practice. One particular manufacturer takes the formula one stepPresident It was a process that seemed to work quite well for acquiring toiletKevin Brownbeyond by using their own forces to provide maintenance and repairSenior Vice President l Publisher paper or paper towels, but for construction services, which are a greatservices on these installations.Robert Thompsondeal more complex, it just didnt add up. The uproar from the con- Director, Business Development struction industry eventually buried the concept, with most equatingContracting, no matter the trade, is a complex juggling act whichMichael Bellcombines several processes and procedures, including bidding, mate- Branch Manager it to be unethical and similar in nature to bid-shopping. rial handling, job site management including scheduling and occupa- Nancie PrivAnother disturbing fashion that has come and gone in our indus- tional health and safety, system installation, dealing with the owner,Editor try over the years is the movement toward manufacturers selling theirJustyne EsseryGraphic Designer products directly to the building owner, bypassing the sub-contractorGC, Ministry of Labour and so on. Marisa Giesbrecht in this case, the roofing contractor. Manufacturers produce products and systems, and they do it quiteSales Executive well. They are not contractors, and they should stay out of contracting.Pat JohnstonInyearsgonebywehaveobservedschoolboards,governmentAll rights reserved. The contents of this publication may departments and even retailers try this strategy on for size. In everyAt OIRCA we have a very thorough qualification and review processnot be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, case these projects were compromised with a hard lesson learned andthat we use to screen new member applicants. Our roofers are the bestwithout the prior consent of the publisher. Published October 2020a return to the more conventional approach of the roofing contractorin the industry. Publication Agreement #40787580supplying and installing the roofing system.Building owners should be wary of this system where manufacturers Ontario Roofing News is printed on 10%Recently we have experienced U.S.-based manufacturers introduc- overstep their bounds and tread into the world on contracting. Otherspost-consumer FSC certified paper using soyabased inks. When necessary to mail an issueing single-source bidding systems, whereby they essentially act as gen- have tried itthe experiment eventually fails and they find themselvesin an enclosure, we use an environmentally-friendly,100% oxo-degradable poly-wrap.eral contractors but carry the process one step further by supplying thereturning to the tried-and-true construction process. 6ONTARIO ROOFING NEWSISSUE 3 2020 THE ONLY SOURCE FOR PROFESSIONAL ICI ROOFING CONTRACTORS IN ONTARIO ORN'