FACT: Roofing companies/ roofing contractors throughout the USA have been working hard for decades in order to be considered honorable, respectful and reliable service providers to ALL consumers... residential-commercial and industrial alike.
BACKGROUND: For decades, like any other business, a small handful of deceitful roofing companies/roofing contractors throughout the USA have so deceived the consumer(s) that the rest of the legitimate, hard-working and reliable roofing companies/roofing contractors have unnecesarilly, unwillingly and INESCAPABLY had to share in the negative limelight of these unscupulous individuals/entities... all contributing to a complete lack of consumer/customer confidence.
OPINION: As a roofing company founder, owner, and supervisor at every level of the roofing contractor business for 34 years and counting, I have had to educate, endure and strive to rise above it all... to weigh every check and balance so that our image brought confidence and reliability to those who sought out our services be it for charity, millions of dollars and everything in between. Every consumer/customer matters to us/me as it is the lifeline of our business.
ACTION in the late 90's: GAF ROOFING CORPORATION (a ROOFING MATERIAL MANUFACTURER), and others following suit almost immediately, took matters into their own hands with regards to attempting to QUALIFY A HAND FULL / SELECT ROOFING COMPANIES/ROOFING CONTRACTORS in regions throughout the USA for the purpose of increasing roofing consumer/customer confidence. Obviously, it made sense to GAF, and other manufacturers as well, that in order to stem the tide of MASS HIGH DOLLAR claims from consumers arising out of POOR INSTALLATIONS supported BY FALSE SALES and WARRANTY/GUARANTY claims through out the roofing process, that it therefore made PERFECT sense to IDENTIFY, ORGANIZE, and QUALIFY the roofing materials, companies and contractors themselves in order to VALIDATE the entire process to the consumer/customer.
FAST FORWARD: The last twenty-years, and at present, have seen GAF, CERTAINTEED, ELK (now owned by GAF), BIRD (owner by CERTAINTEED), Owens Corning, TAMKO, IKO and some others go through an EXHAUSTIVE search in every region of the USA to search out SELECT roofing companies according to the following;
YEARS in business without blemishes within the consumer market
EXPERIENCED in all facets of the roofing business
QUALIFIED personnel at the helm... sales, estimating, installation supervision, follow-up
CONTINUED TRAINING to those roofing companies/ roofing contractors willing to keep pace with technology, science and the requirements of ever unfolding developments within the roofing industry
PAY... PAY... SELECT CONTRACTORS chosen by GAF PAID/PAY GAF to be a part of this program. For GAF, the Program was called the MASTERELITE ROOFING CONTRACTOR PROGRAM... and the author of this article... "ME", PAID GAF $900.00 a year to take part in the program to which I was selected the 1st such select company.
The program came with commitments;
NO "BULLS***" code of business conduct
Must use a very detailed written contract per GAF and/or the governing state
Maintain insurances and licenses
Acquire Building Permits
Follow the manufacturers specifications
Provide written warranty to consumer/customer and register same with GAF... and PAY FOR IT !
Honor your work for two years and up to a Lifetime in some circumstances
Attend CONTINUING EDUCATION
and then some...
"ME" I left GAF's program and joined there competition as GAF's program was going downhill... GAF was allowing anyone in the program, turning it's head to very BAD roofing contractor/roofing company behavior (August 25, 2005/FRONT PAGE BOSTON HERALD/ GAF MASTERELITE CONTRACTORS DIE FROM HEROIN OVERDOSE IN BOSTON COMMON WEARING GAF MASTERELITE CONTRACTOR SHIRTS WHILE AT LUNCH/see UPLOADED PICTURE)... GAF DID NOTHING TO THE ROOFING CONTRACTOR... so, I joined CERTAINTEED... a better quality, more integrity minded, and supervised roofing contractor/consumer program... I have their highest credential as well.
GAF MASTERELITE PROGRAM HAS CONTINUALLY GONE DOWNHILL................. the contributng players;
GAF REPRESENTATIVE DREW PAETOW
GAF CHEIF LEGAL COUNSEL RACHEL ENGELSTEIN
ROOFING CONTRACTOR DAN GIBBS, GIBBS ROOFING COMPANY, GIBBS ROOFING & REMODELING.
EVIDENCE: For years Dan Gibbs of Gibbs Roofing in Marion, MA has been FALSELY ADVERTISING his roofing company/contractor credentials (and VELUX skylight's as well). Dan Gibbs, for years was advertising in PRINT, ONLINE and on his vehicles that he was a HIGHLY CREDENTIALED MASTERELITE ROOFING CONTRACTOR when he was nothing more than a lowly, minor nothing and basic "CERTIFIED" contractor.
What's the difference between MASTERELITE and CERTIFIED? HUGE... Masterelite you have to earn, go to continuing education, pay for, OPERATE LEGALLY (insurance, legal payroll, NO false advertising, pull permits) and the like... "CERTIFIED" ... a couple years experience and you own a couple ladders and sell GAF's material... and you have to EARN your way to MasterElite. AND, you can OFFER and PROVIDE GAF's TOP WARRANTY "GOLDEN PLEDGE" instead of the crap "tear-off" sheet warranty of "SYSTEM'S PLUS".
DAN GIBBS knew nobody would pay attention to a roofing company/roofing contractor with basic experience so HE LIED AND MADE UP HIS OWN GAF CREDENTIALS.
YEARS GO BY: REAL... REAL MASTERELITE CONTRACTORS ARE COMPLAINING TO THE GAF DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE DREW PAETOW THAT GIBBS ROOFING IS LYING ABOUT HIS CREDENTIALS, OPERATING ILLEGALLY IN SOME FASHION AND THAT THEY ARE LOSING BUSINESS TO A PHONY !!!
GAF DOES NOTHING TO DAN GIBBS ROOFING: Gibbs operates for years "bait n switching" credentials and warranties without GAF doing anything about it. GAF knew for years and while they made OTHER LEGITIMATE ROOFING CONTRACTORS TOW THE REQUIRED AND LEGAL OPERATING LINE... GAF REP DREW PAETOW TURNED A BLIND EYE.
GAF CHEIF LEGAL COUNSELOR RACHEL ENGELSTEIN supports GAF REPRESENTATIVE DREW PAETOW'S and GIBBS ROOFING ACTIONS ... why? COMMISSION money to the REP, MATERIAL sales to GAF. NOTE: GAF scolded Gibbs "publicly" until the "heat" calmed down... and then in order to operate "legally", they made GIBBS ROOFING a MasterElite.
WHAT YOU HAVE NOW... is the same bullshit you had prior to 20 years ago... UNSCUPULOUS CONTRACTOR with PHONY CREDENTIALS taking advantage of the consumer/customer... only this time... the UNSCRUPULOUS ROOFING CONTRACTOR IS NOW BACKED BY AN UNSRUPULOUS ROOFING MANUFACTURER IN GAF?GAFMC, GAF REPRESENTATIVE making commisions Drew Paetow all with the blessing of GAF CHEIF LEGAL COUNSEL RACHEL ENGELSTEIN... THEY ALL KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON... ROOFING CONSUMERS IN THE WAREHAM, MARION, ROCHESTER, and MATTAPOISETT AREAS and surrounding communities were BAIT n SWITCHED (original advertising does NOT match the final installations... hundreds of them... Building Permits are missing, etc)
FACT: GAF is operating as the same unscrupulous ROOFING ANYTHING they sought to correct... that's BULLS***!!
"SCHMUCK"... YOU ARE A SCHMUCK if you are 1) considering buying a GAF warrantied roof because you really don't know who is behind the "MASTERELITE" anything, 2) if you bought a roof from Gibbs Roofing and didn't get the LIFETIME, 50 year Golden Pledge MasterElite roof you were baited into buying but did NOT get, 3) if you saw a GAF "CERTIFIED" sign in your front yard upon completion rather than GAF "GOLDEN PLEDGE", 4) if you have NO BUILDING PERMIT... insurance may NOT cover the installation nor may GAF "back" the insrtallation...
IN CLOSING: my name is Skip Schiappa. I own Cape Cod Roofing & Siding. I hold more "certified installerships" regarding roofing than anyone else in the USA. I have ALL the records, photographs and documents to support my comments above. You want a couple... leave your address here.
ONE LAST THING: Today, there is NO shortage of CERTIFIED, REAL CREDENTIALED, HONEST, HARD WORKING, RELIABLE and REPUTABLE ROOFING COMPANIES/ROOFING CONTRACTORS out there to choose from. All roofing products, services and warranties AND COSTS are pretty much standardized these days... there is NO reason to support GAF/GAFMC's phony MASTERELITE ROOFING CONTRACTOR PROGRAM or PAY FOR THEIR WARRANTY... choose wisely... choose honestly... choose for YOUR BENEFIT... NOT GAF's or mine............. choose anybody but GAF... CERTAINTEED SELECT SHINGLE ROOFER PROGRAM across the USA is a great place to start.
F*** YOU GAF... I, and others warned you for years that I'd expose your greed and unscrupulous actions... NOW YOU KNOW... NOW EVERYBODY KNOWS... including the real "MASTERELITES" all over the USA you screwed for years, and the roofing business itself... a desire to make us all look ridiculous.... AGAIN.