News

First Roofing Company to Offer Customers Comprehensive Warranty Package Backed by Captive Insurance Company

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 27, 2012

Vancouver, BC– Penfolds Roofing announced today that it will launch a standalone captive insurance company, PRI Warranty Corporation, on August 1. The primary purpose of PRI Warranty Corporation is to provide full and complete support of all warranties issued by Penfolds Roofing to its customers to provide total peace of mind. This insurance coverage comes at no additional cost to the Penfolds Roofing Customers.

Penfolds Roofing is the first and only roofing company in Canada to form its own captive insurance company. PRI Warranty Corporation is managed by Aon Insurance Managers and is regulated by FICOM, the regulatory agency of the provincial Ministry of Finance that is responsible for regulating the pension, financial services and real estate sectors in British Columbia.

Captive insurance companies have the specific objective of insuring risks related to their parent company. PRI Warranty Corporation will cover all the warranties that are issued by Penfolds Roofing Inc. for the entire period of the warranty.

“PRI Warranty Corporation will give Penfolds customers absolute peace of mind about the long-term reliability of their investment in a new roof,” said Ken Mayhew, President of Penfolds Roofing. “I hear from unhappy homeowners all the time about ‘horror stories’ with other roofing companies. They offer some kind of warranty on their labour and pass on the manufacturers’ limited warranty to the customer. All too often these are worthless pieces of paper; especially in recent years where manufacturers’ warranties have been extended without any improvement to the product itself—and now have extensive limitations. These often prove to be of little or no value; especially when combined with the transience of some roofing companies in the current economy.”

“No thorough ‘umbrella’ roofing insurance has ever existed. PRI Warranty Corporation gives customers absolute confidence in the integrity and longevity of one of the biggest investments they’ll make in their home. We are proud to now offer a truly Iron Clad Warranty to all our customers at no additional cost,” Mayhew continued.

This innovative and unique warranty service is another example of the dedication to quality and customer service that has created 75 years of business success for Penfolds Roofing. Penfolds is the largest roofing company in B.C. and completes about 1,000 installations each year. The Company was founded in 1937 with its core value deeply ingrained in thorough, quality installations throughout its history.

The current owner, Ken Mayhew, acquired Penfolds in 1990 and has since built it to a team of 125 employees. Penfolds remains family owned and, in fact, Ken’s son Shaun has also been involved in Penfolds from a very young age. Shaun has taken an active role since graduating from BCIT eight years ago. During this time, he has been learning the business by working his way through various positions and is currently the marketing and sales manager.

Ken credits a team approach and dedication to customer service for Penfolds’ success.

“Most roofing companies are small operations that use contractors, often on a job-by-job basis, rather than employees. Penfolds has long-term employees who participate in the company’s own Training School for roofing installers and technical advisors to ensure high quality roof installations and courteous, trustworthy service delivered by a dedicated team to roofing clients from Abbotsford to Whistler.”

Another example of Penfolds innovation is its exclusive rights to the rubber shake EcoRoof®. This environmentally friendly product will keep an average 400 tires from the landfill for every home and features a transferable, non-pro-rated warranty for 50 years. Available in a number of different colours, these shakes replicate the rich and appealing look of traditional wood roofing, but with a more durable, recycled product instead of wood. Earlier this year at the BC Home Show, Penfolds launched the EcoRoof Medium Shake and Slate system: a slimmer profile and 20% less expensive evolution of the previous, thicker shakes. The durability of the product and attractive pricing has made it extremely popular: fully 40% of all new Penfolds installations now use EcoRoof products.

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For more information please contact:
Karen Cook
604-551-9074
karen@cookpublicrelations.com

or

Brenda Jones
604-312-1070
brenda.jones@telus.net

“I was extremely disappointed and concerned to learn that some of our employees were found not to be wearing appropriate safety equipment while working on a roofing job last year, despite extensive training and stringent internal policies and procedures. We take the safety of our workers and work sites very seriously and are grateful that no one was injured as a result of this irresponsible behavior.

The workers’ employment was terminated as a result of this incident.

To give context to the significance of this fine, it should be noted that WorkSafe BC administrative penalties are based on a percentage of the employer’s overall payroll and are not based on the risk of the cited incident. We have about 150 employees and a few subcontractor crews, with some seasonal fluctuation, as opposed to our competitors in the industry who primarily utilize subcontractors. Therefore, our fines are larger than those resulting from some other companies’ incidents which involved serious accidents or even fatalities.

I am very proud of the fact that there has not been one fatality or serious accident in the 22 years that I have owned the company. We have also had two independent reviews of our safety policies and procedures in the past 12-months. First, WorkSafe BC ordered one in June where we scored an astonishing 100%. The second was a thorough audit that was conducted by the B.C. Constructed Safety Alliance in September 2011 on which we scored 98.7%.

We have an excellent team who are all equally committed to providing a safe work environment for all our workers. Because we care about our employees’ safety, we have rigorous health and safety policies and procedures in place. We provide very thorough training and orientation to all our employees, along with regular monitoring and reinforcement at all our job sites. Employees who do not follow our policies and procedures face immediate dismissal depending on the infraction.

As a result of the relevant incident, I have added several new components to our Safety Program including quarterly safety meetings chaired by me; an annual financial incentive program for crew leaders and field supervisors to reinforce full compliance with our program and improved job site supervision.

I would be pleased to discuss any of this further.”

Ken Mayhew
Penfolds Roofing Inc.
T: 604.254.4663

Canadian Builders January – March 2012

Penfolds Roofing’s hottest seller – the EcoRoof. This brilliant roofing material is made from worn-out tires. It is impervious to splits, dents, or cracks. The most important thing about this roofing material is that it is probably the only roof an owner will ever need to put on a building. Read more of the Canadian Builders Quarterly’s interview with Ken Mayhew and learn more about his innovative company.

Global News, November 23, 2010

Builders launch 15th Annual Campaign

The Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association (GVHBA) has launched its 15th annual Coats for Kids campaign in support of the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau, a group whose many initiatives help to provide a brighter Christmas for families in need.

In addition to the GVHBA office, 34 member companies at 47 locations in 13 municipalities will serve as coat drop-off sites from November 15 – 30.

“Last year the response to Coats for Kids was heartwarming as Lower Mainland residents donated more than 3,000 coats, scarves, gloves, blankets and new unwrapped toys and gifts for distribution to children, teenagers and adults,” said GVHBA Chairman Todd Senft.

“I am delighted so many prominent members of our association are participating,” said Senft.

Drop-off locations for Coats for Kids Campaign are available throughout the Lower Mainland, including at Vancouver’s Penfolds Roofing office at 1262 Vernon Dr., Vancouver. Drop-off times are: Monday-Friday 7:30 am-5 pm; Saturday 9 am-2 pm. See the full list of locations (59KB PDF)

Global News coverage about the underground economy

Global News coverage about roofing and fire prevention – July 26, 2010

Lower Mainland used tire collection blitz to run April 21-22, 2008

VANCOUVER – Over 550 used tires will be collected and removed from Metro Vancouver regional homes and yards during an April 21-22, 2008, door-to-door blitz. Spearheaded by Vancouver’s Penfolds Roofing, The Big Eco Tire Toss! campaign offers free, door-to-door used-tire pick-up in an effort to get used tires out of residential backyards, garages and basements.

Many Lower Mainland residents were stuck with used tires in January 2008 and after the Metro Vancouver regional district enacted a landfill ban on used passenger and truck vehicle tires. However, until the Tire Stewardship BC fully implements its Return to Retailer program that aims to have 400 B.C. retailers equipped to receive all used tires and hold them for collection by a recycler, the only other option for residents is to discard the tires illegally, or to haul their used tires to a City of Vancouver transfer station during operating hours.

“We fully support the landfill ban, but we also recognized the problem now faced by residents,” says Penfolds Roofing president Ken Mayhew. “We decided to offer a solution and in the process educate people on the importance of tire recycling and the variety of items that can be built from the used rubber.”

Items manufactured from used tire rubber include the base for artificial turf fields, fatigue mats for the dairy industry and innovative new products like Penfold’s EcoRoof® Rubber Shakes. For every roof replaced with EcoRoof® Rubber Shakes, 450 old tires are removed from the landfill. Annually, that’s about 20,000 tires diverted into a high-quality, lasting product.

“The Big Eco Tire Toss program has generated such a great response – and has been such an overwhelming success – we were forced to close off requests for used tire pick up a couple days early,” says Mayhew. “We are now ready to begin our used tire collection blitz on April 21.”

Penfold’s Big Eco Tire Toss trailer will be travelling to residences between Lions Bay, White Rock and the Fraser Valley collecting used tires and delivering them to recycling centres for rendering and chipping. “Ultimately, some of this previous waste material we are collecting will be used in our EcoRoof® Rubber Shake product, says Mayhew. “Better recycled and reused than burnt and buried.”

Mayhew says the Big Eco Tire Toss has been so popular and well received; he plans to make it an annual April event.

“We at Penfolds Roofing are pleased to do our part for the community – and for Mother Earth.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Penfolds Roofing
Ken Mayhew President
(604) 254-4663
Website: www.penfoldsroofing.com

Metro Vancouver’s January 2008 landfill ban on passenger and truck vehicle tires has left many residents with used tires in their yards, garages.

VANCOUVER – Residents of the Metro Vancouver regional district are surprised to learn that their used vehicle tires are no longer being accepted as waste items at Vancouver landfills. To help out, and to make a difference in the community and on the environment, Penfolds Roofing is offering a free used tire collection service this April.

“Old tires are no longer being burned or buried at a landfill,” says Penfolds Roofing president Ken Mayhew. “Instead, used tires are being recycled into a variety of items, ranging from the base for artificial turf fields to fatigue mats for the dairy industry to roofing tiles.”

However, until the Tire Stewardship BC fully implements its Return to Retailer program that aims to have 400 B.C. retailers equipped to receive all used tires and hold them for collection by a recycler, the only other option for residents is to haul their used tires to a City of Vancouver transfer station during operating hours. Four tires can be dropped off, but they must be placed into one of several recycling bins.

Penfolds Roofing, which is promoting The Big Eco Tire Toss! used-tire pick up program across the Lower Mainland, is discovering residents with used tires have no idea on how to dispose of them safely and legally.

“We are finding that a lot of residents have used tires and most do not have the time to research a drop off location, drive to a transfer station and then wait in line,” says Mayhew. “The fact we will arrive at their home and collect up to six used tires free of charge has generated a great response.”

To participate in The Big Eco Tire Toss! – and have up to six used tires per residence collected free of charge – residents between Abbotsford, White Rock and Lion’s Bay should visit www.penfoldsroofing.com and register. Participants can also register to win a new set of tires and a vehicle tune up by Minit-Tune & Brake Auto Centre.

The Big Eco Tire Toss event will culminate April 21-22 when Penfolds Roofing will travel through the Lower Mainland collecting hundreds of used tires.

“Many of these tires will eventually be chipped and recycled into innovative new products such as Penfold’s EcoRoof® Rubber Shakes,” says Mayhew. For every roof replaced with EcoRoof® Rubber Shakes, 450 old tires are removed from the landfill. Annually, that’s about 20,000 tires diverted into a high quality, lasting product.

“We see a great opportunity in diverting former waste items back into the production stream. It benefits the community and the environment, says Mayhew. “So far, the response to The Big Eco Tire Toss! has been awesome.”

For media interviews, please contact:
Ken Mayhew
President
Penfolds Roofing
Phone 604-254-4663