Commercial Building Products Pioneer Richard Zegelbone Receives Prestigious RCMA Martin A. Davis Industry Leadership Award

Hallandale, Florida – April 3, 2013 - Tropical Roofing Products, a national manufacturer of quality commercial building products and innovative solutions for the professional roofer, announced today the Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association (RCMA) has awarded Richard Zegelbone, President at Tropical Roofing Products, as the recipient of the RCMA’s prestigious Martin A. Davis Industry Leadership Award for 2012.

“Richard has been a committed member since day one of the organization. He is a former President of the RCMA and was one of the charter members since RCMA’s inception.  He is an individual worthy of this award for his continued commitment to this organization from the beginning.” Says Jeffrey Blank; RCMA president.

Named for the late Martin A. Davis, one of RMCA’s visionary founding members, the prestigious Industry Leadership Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association. The award is presented annually to an individual, selected by his or her peers, who has exemplified outstanding service and made significant contributions to the roof coatings industry.

Richard Zegelbone is the 29th recipient of the Martin A. Davis Industry Leadership Award and was presented with this honor at this year’s RCMA Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla.   A member of the RCMA since its inception, Richard attended the very first meeting at the Doral in Miami in the early 80’s. Richard has held a variety of RCMA board seats; designated as Treasurer, Vice President and then President of the Association.

About Tropical Roofing Products

For over 60 years, Tropical Roofing Products has supplied the industrial and commercial marketplace with the most dependable roofing materials on the market.  They develop superior roofing products including new asphalt and sustainable elastomeric coating products at their nationwide manufacturing facilities located in Florida, California and Texas.  With the professional contractor and distributor at the forefront of product development efforts, Tropical Roofing Products prides themselves on their hands-on approach to the manufacturing process.  For more information, please visit: http://TropicalRoofingProducts.com.

About RCMA

The Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association (RCMA) is the national trade association representing manufacturers of cold applied protective roof coatings and cements and suppliers of products, equipment, and/or services to and for the industry. RCMA is committed to continually improving performance and quality of roofing. For additional information, contact RCMA at (202) 591-2452 or visit the RCMA website at www.roofcoatings.org.

Commercial Roofing Products Manufacturer; Tropical Roofing Products Hires New General Manager for La Mirada, California Plant

Tropical Roofing Products, a national manufacturer of quality building products and innovative solutions for the professional roofer, has appointed Harry El Kara as their new General Manager for the California manufacturing plant located in La Mirada. 

“We’re pleased to have Harry join Tropical and welcome his experience and expertise in assembling a world-class manufacturing team,” said Richard Zegelbone, president of Tropical Roofing Products. “Our best-in-class products begin with the people that ensure quality in manufacturing, and Harry’s leadership in that area will be crucial to meeting the needs of our customers and our company’s future growth.”

Harry will be responsible for all operational aspects of the California manufacturing plant, which include; materials management, production, product quality, service and safety – with a focus on continual plant improvements and stream-lining efficiencies.

Harry’s experience includes an MBA in Business, a BSEE in Engineering, and knowledge in managing operations for more than 20 years. In addition to his most recent role as a plant manager for Bay Cities, Harry also held number of key technical, managerial, and operational positions with GAF Materials Corporation during a career that spanned for over 14 years.

Harry explains: “I am excited about this challenge and working in a new environment. Tropical’s manufacturing processes impress me, as does the high level of expertise I have witnessed at the company. I look forward to being a part of this positive team and having the opportunity to help move Tropical forward.”

About Tropical Roofing Products

For over 60 years, Tropical Roofing Products has supplied the industrial and commercial marketplace with the most dependable roofing materials on the market.  They develop superior roofing products including new asphalt and sustainable elastomeric coating products at their nationwide manufacturing facilities located in Florida, California and Texas.  With the professional contractor and distributor at the forefront of product development efforts, Tropical Roofing Products prides themselves on their hands-on approach to the manufacturing process.

For more information, please visit: http://TropicalRoofingProducts.com.

The History of Tropical Roofing Products

Tropical was started in 1952 in Hallandale, Florida, by George Gleason, the cousin of Jackie Gleason. George ran the small, rural, company as part manufacture and also part distributor. However, as the landscape in Florida began to shift from rural to urban, the Gleason’s decided to put the company up for sale.

George Gleason sold the company to two women who had just gotten out of the Marine Corps. At this time, the company began to transform into a low end, price oriented company. Mostly selling driveway sealer to travelers, the company did not have the best reputation in the industry and had many tumultuous years.

Meanwhile, Richard Zegelbone was the youngest of 7 children born in Pittsfield, MA to Mr. and Mrs. Jack Zegelbone, and was the first child in the family to attend college.  Jack was a chemical engineer for various companies around the country, and eventually took a job at a friend’s family business in Des Moines, Iowa. However, after his friend died, the sons running the family business fired Jack. Out of work at 63, Jack moved around the country and eventually to Miami Beach. After searching for a while, Jack took a job for minimum wage working the sales counter at the company owned by the two Marine Corps women. While working the sales counter, Jack knew that the women were about to go out of business, and decided to take his life savings of $20,000 and buy the company from them.  At that moment he called his son Richard, who had just graduated from college and was set to go to law school in the fall, and asked him to help run the company.

Richard worked various positions within the company, starting at the ground level in the warehouse and operating the forklift. As the Zegelbone’s took over the company, they started producing better quality products and professional grade materials. By creating better materials for their customers, the Zegelbone’s began selling product all over the state of Florida. By joining many different trade organizations, creating better materials, and adding organization throughout the company, Tropical began to shed their old and negative reputation.

Being active in trade organizations led Richard Zegelbone to meet a family with a similar manufacturing family business in Los Angeles, California. In 2001, Richard negotiated with the family, and bought the California facility to launch Tropical Roofing Products nationwide. A year later, Tropical Roofing Products expanded once again, and moved into a facility in Port Arthur, Texas.

Tropical Roofing Products has been successful in this industry for one simple reason; we develop good quality materials - moving away from old hazardous materials, and creating new products such as the PowerGel^TM structure.  Tropical Roofing Products continues to develop and create new asphalt and sustainable elastomeric coating products for our nationwide distribution demands.

For over 50 years, Tropical Roofing Products has supplied the industrial and commercial marketplace with the most dependable commercial roofing materials on the market.  More information can be found on our website: http://TropicalRoofingProducts.com.

Tropical Roofing Products Gains National Attention with Miami-Dade County Approval of Roof Maintenance Coating System

With the professional contractor and distributor at the forefront of product development efforts, Tropical Roofing Products prides themselves on their hands-on approach to the manufacturing process

HALLANDALE, FL. – APRIL 25, 2012 - Tropical Roofing Products, a national manufacturer of quality roofing products and innovative solutions for the professional roofer, announced today that they have received approval from Miami-Dade County for their Roof Maintenance Coating System. This recent milestone puts Tropical Roofing Products in an elite group of industry manufacturers who continually strive to improve the quality of their roofing products.

In order to receive approval for an entire roof maintenance coating system, Miami-Dade County conducts numerous tests, including extensive third party testing. The complete roof maintenance coating system is tested as a package, rather than by specific, individual products. Receiving an approval for a complete system makes the permitting process easier for the contractor, as well as the municipality.

Richard Zegelbone, President of Tropical Roofing Products has this to say; “Instead of requiring a contractor to submit individual NOA’s for each product used on a job, Tropical Roofing Products’ new system approval allows the contractor to submit one NOA for the entire roof maintenance coating system.”

Tropical Roofing Products is a well-recognized, nationwide industrial and commercial roofing material manufacturer. For over 50 years, Tropical Roofing Products has provided the market with innovative, yet dependable roofing materials. With the professional contractor and distributor at the forefront of product development efforts, Tropical Roofing Products prides themselves on their hands-on approach to the manufacturing process.

“We’re delighted to be one of few roof coating manufacturers to receive an approval for a complete roof maintenance coating system. At the very core of our business is the contractor, and we value any way we are able to alleviate stress from our customers.”  Richard Zegelbone said in closing.

About Tropical Roofing Products

For over 50 years, Tropical Roofing Products has supplied the industrial and commercial marketplace with the most dependable commercial roofing materials on the market. They develop superior roofing products at all three nationwide manufacturing facilities. This hands-on relationship with the manufacturing process gives an in-depth knowledge of every product that is developed and sold. For more information, please visit: http://tropicalroofingproducts.com.