Meet the Team: An Interview with Marlin Fisher
Out of sight, out of mind. This is how most large companies and manufacturing facilities think when it comes to their roofing systems. But a roof is one of a company’s largest assets, and it protects 100 percent of its other assets! A roof protects a company’s employees and products. So, if you’re looking to be proactive when it comes to maintaining your roof, and you want to partner with a roofing company to create a commercial roof maintenance plan, how do you know who to choose? One of the things that can aid you in making this decision is to know more about the roofing company—their philosophy, work ethic, and the team members that will be working with you.
As such, we wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to Marlin Fisher, Vice President of Field Service for Capital Roof Care (CRC) and Capital Coating, who has worked with Capital Coating/CRC for more than 10 years. He started his career by working in the field and moved his way up through the ranks, holding various positions including head administrator and field service manager. All of this experience has provided Marlin with a unique perspective on the roofing industry and what’s required for a properly functioning roof.
We recently met with Marlin and asked him some questions. Here are his responses, so you can learn about him and what makes Capital Roof Care unique among other roofing companies in central Pennsylvania.
Tell me a little bit about Capital Roof Care:
Capital Roof Care was developed about a year ago as a stand-alone division of our parent company, Capital Coating. Although our family business began as Capital Painting, the company changed its name to Capital Coating in 2004 to better reflect all the services we provide, which still includes painting, as well as roof coatings, epoxy floor coatings, and sandblasting for commercial businesses. It’s exciting that we’ve grown to be a full-building aspect protection company!
Our Goals: near-term, we would like to be recognized as the experts in roof care in our region, which is the area within a two-hour radius of Lancaster County, Pa.; long-term, we would like to start establishing CRC satellite branches in the tri-state area—Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware.
What are some of the industries you serve?
The primary industries we serve are larger corporations, manufacturing facilities, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and property managers that intend to hold onto their buildings for more than 40 years.
What makes Capital Roof Care unique from other commercial roofing companies?
At CRC, we have more than 20 years of experience in commercial building roof types and a consulting approach. Our desire is to help our customers make the right decision for their roof. We want to extend the longevity of their roof and help them to take care of it. When it comes to deciding “can a roof be repaired instead of replaced,” we work hard to repair the roof. We recognize that roofing systems are one of the largest purchases a company will make, so we seek to extend the life of our customers’ commercial roofs for as long as possible.
What have been some of the most challenging roofing projects you have encountered and why?
We haven’t really encountered any really challenging projects. One of our biggest general challenges revolves around coordination. On most jobs, we are working with different companies for installation and are also coordinating with other tradesmen.
Our second biggest general challenge is working within our clients’ budgets. If a roof is destroyed or too far gone and the company doesn’t have money to fix it, they ask us to help them come up with a solution until they can pay for a full repair or replacement. As a result, a big goal we have with each of our customers is to provide them with projections of future issues and cost estimates, so they factor this information into their future budget. The best way to do this is by having an annual commercial roof assessment and roof service agreement.
How can facility owners and managers get the most out of their building’s roof?
The industry standard is you will get a 20 percent life extension on your roof if you maintain it properly. So, for example, if you have a spray foam roof and it’s compromised, the roof will be destroyed, and you will have to replace it. But, if you conduct regular inspections, and the inspector sees something that needs to be patched or replaced, these issues can be repaired before a problem occurs, and you can save the entire roof.
Our goal with each customer is to extend the life of their roof. By catching issues early, it’s cheaper than when a big repair is required. Prevention also eliminates emergency roofing services. Some buildings are hyper-sensitive and can’t have any water leaks because drips can damage the equipment inside the building. If a manufacturing facility, for example, must shut down, it will also result in lost production, and revenue. Roof leaks can also damage the products that are being manufactured. As a result, manufacturing facilities are acutely aware of how water will affect production and downtime.
How can choices in roofing design and materials improve the energy efficiency for the entire facility?
Roofing design and materials can make a massive difference in the energy efficiency of a facility. Achieving energy efficiency occurs during the initial roof design or during a restoration. Since Capital Roof Care has extensive coating expertise, helping businesses achieve energy efficiency is our specialty. Companies can obtain better insulation values depending on what’s installed. For example, how many inches of foam are in a roof is significant. A roofing membrane’s color also has a big impact on making the facility hot or cold. If a roofing membrane is white or silver it reflects heat, making a facility cooler. On the other hand, if a roof coating is black, it will absorb heat, making the facility warmer.
What are some of the advantages of a roof care service plan?
By having a roof maintenance plan in place, facilities can get 20 percent more life out of their roofing system. Moreover, by being proactive and addressing issues before they become problems, businesses won’t be put in a position to pay for issues they don’t have budgeted. By being preemptive, companies can spread out their roofing expenses over the course of several years, instead of spending it all one time on an emergency roof repair service.
The decision to repair or replace a commercial roof is never easy. It involves evaluating the overall condition of the commercial roof, considering long-term costs, and factoring in the future plans for your property. Consulting with roofing professionals like Capital Roof Care to conduct an annual roof inspection and setting up a commercial roof maintenance plan will give you peace of mind and help save your company money in the long run. For more information contact Capital Roof Care.