Roofing, Siding, and Insulation Materials

In 2010, 3,958 establishments engaged in the wholesale distribution of roofing and siding and insulation materials, except wood, according to Dun & Bradstreet's Industry Reports. Together these firms employed 40,365 people and generated sales of $6.2 billion. California and Texas were the leading states in terms of employment, with 4,168 and 3,164 employees in the industry, respectively. New Jersey and Massachusetts were almost tied for the top spot in revenues, with $1.78 billion and $1.76 billion in annual sales, respectively, in 2009.

The largest number of establishments (1,257) were reported to specialize in roofing, siding, and insulation; 867 in roofing and siding materials; 456 in insulation materials; 364 in roofing, asphalt, and sheet metal; 246 in siding, except wood; 190 in thermal insulation; 127 in fiberglass building materials; 75 in asphalt felts and coating; 9 in mineral wool insulation materials; and 5 in shingles, except wood.

The wholesale roofing, siding, and insulation industry grew steadily in the early to mid-1990s, with sales rising from $14.4 billion in 1992 to $15.6 billion in 1996, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. At the same time, companies in the industry consolidated--the number of establishments dropped by almost 200 between 1992 and 1996. Despite the decrease in establishments, employment remained relatively stable.

Inextricably tied to the larger construction industry, companies involved in wholesale distribution of roofing, siding, and insulation materials keep a close eye on such key economic indicators as housing starts, which provide a particularly accurate barometer of trends in this support industry. In the mid-1990s, single-family and multifamily housing starts were very strong, rising from 1.0 million in 1991 to 1.4 million in 1994 and 1.6 million in 1999.

The housing market continued to be strong in the early to mid-2000s; there were there were 1.7 million new single-family housing starts in 2007. However, the subprime mortgage crises as well as the economic slowdown in the latter part of the decade brought the housing boom to an end. In 2007, single-family housing starts dropped to 1.05 million, then further declined in 2008 and 2009, from 622,000 to 445,000, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. However, by 2010 the National Association of Home Builders and others were expressing optimism about a slow recovery in the industry.

The wholesale roofing, siding, and insulation industry was highly fragmented, and most companies were small. Roofing businesses most often specialized in either commercial or residential roofing, with commercial roofing accounting for about 70 percent of industry revenues. The largest commercial roofing companies in the early 2010s were Tecta America of Skokie, Illinois, and CentaMark, of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, according to Hoover's.

Overall industry leaders in 2010 included American Builders & Contractors Supply Co. Inc. (ABC Supply), of Beloit, Wisconsin, which supplied builders and contractors with roofing, siding, and other exterior building products. The company reported sales of $3.0 billion in 2009 with 5,800 employees. Beacon Roofing Supply (BRS) of Peabody, Massachusetts, operated about 175 branches in the United States with 2,258 employees. Sales for BRS reached $1.7 billion in 2009. Other major players in the industry included Guardian Building Products Distribution Inc. of Greer, South Carolina, and Patrick Industries Inc., of Elkhart, Indiana.

While many of these establishments were solely concerned with the wholesale distribution of roofing, siding, and insulation materials, publicly held corporations such as Boise Cascade Corp., which had annual sales of $2.9 billion and 4,600 employees, and Owens-Corning, which recorded revenues of $4.8 billion and employed 16,000 employees, also established their presence in the industry via subsidiary divisions.