“Our customers and their end clients have a greater focus on quality workmanship and innovation than they did even five years ago,” says David Eccles-Hall, Architectural Manager for Roofing Industries. “It’s good to see occupants taking a detailed interest in the materials they’re using and having more involvement in the overall building process.”
Roofing Industries is New Zealand’s leading metal roofing and cladding manufacturer, with locally designed and manufactured solutions for both residential and commercial applications. Staffed by experienced roofing professionals, their skilled and close-knit team is delivering superior roll-formed solutions to the construction industry across New Zealand. When Teulo last caught up with Roofing Industries in 2022, David had recently split his growing role with Technical Manager, Tony Rallis, allowing David to prioritise building stronger connections with the industry. “Working in tandem with Tony over the last few years has allowed me to focus more on the architectural side of the business. I’m able to offer better support around detailing; I can also work more closely with local Councils to provide 3D modelling for inspectors to use on-site so they can see the logic of how our systems are being put together.
“We’re always working to update our knowledge base around changes to the New Zealand Building Code (NZBC) and industry codes of practice and standards. The NZ Metal Roofing Manufacturing Code of Practice has become our bible, and Tony and I both sit on their technical committee. Through that work, we’ve developed a rainwater systems calculator informed by NIWA [National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research] that can be used as an alternative to Clause E1 of the NZBC and provides more site-specific detail in a range of weather scenarios.”
Roofing Industries has seen steady growth over the last couple of years, David says, with 16 branches now located across New Zealand. “When I started 14 years ago, we only had six. Despite the overall building market slowing down a little due to higher interest rates and increased compliance requirements, we’ve seen strong growth in the business.”
One highlight of Roofing Industries’ growing presence in the New Zealand market is their new True Oak deep™ profile, David says. “This is an evolution of our True Oak corrugate™ series which is already being widely used by specifiers due to its benefits of lower pitch, versatility, spanning, physical strength and design aesthetic. The True Oak deep™ profile is a bold and revolutionary new commercial and residential corrugated profile with a higher, fuller-shaped trough. It can be manufactured in any length with a wide selection of unpainted substrates or pre-painted Colorcote, Colorsteel and pre-painted aluminium coatings.”
Work continues to innovate and improve upon Roofing Industries’ flagship Eurostyle range, David says. “We’ve just added a lot of detail to the working spec documentation for 3D modelling on our Eurostyle spanlok™. Additionally, we’re giving our Eurostyle epic™ interlocking panel its own name; it’s now Eurostyle panelock™. That’s launching now and I’m currently working on the documentation and technical statements for it.
“We’re also working on our new DRI-CLAD™️ series which features drip-resistant roofing and cladding products manufactured using a cost-effective moisture-absorbing fleece that is factory-applied to the underside of metal sheeting. This provides condensation and moisture control along with additional thermal and acoustic benefits and is suitable for use in many construction projects.”
With recent partner, Roof Logic, Roofing Industries is also increasing its presence in the warm roof space, David says. “We’ve partnered with Roof Logic to produce warm rooves on major projects such as Te Pae convention centre in Christchurch. As their primary supplier, we are working with them to create roofing designs for maximum thermal performance, and to provide the support they need around technical, flashing and material requirements.”
David says his biggest focus for the next 12 months is placing Roofing Industries’ products and systems in front of the market. “We recently completed a successful factory tour in Dunedin, a real milestone for me, as we previously hadn’t done one for a number of years. We now have plans for additional tours across the country. These events allow industry professionals to see how our products are actually formed. We don’t hold a stock of sheets on the floor; everything we produce is made-to-order for a specific job. On the factory tours, we can show architects and designers how our machinery works and give them a better understanding of our profiles. These are afternoon and evening events where industry professionals can join us for a presentation, followed by a chinwag and a drink. The goal is to create nationwide opportunities to show architects and designers how we can translate their vision into something tangible. ”
The next factory tour event will be in Blenheim in May, with further events scheduled in Cromwell, Hamilton, Auckland and Invercargill over the year ahead. To book a place, contact your local branch or email David at davide@roof.co.nz. To learn more about Roofing Industries, visit https://www.roof.co.nz/.
