Roof lifting may see rise in recession

- Apr 6, 2010

Projects that raise the roofs of existing industrial buildings are not only environmentally friendly, conserving existing building materials, they’re also a good fit for recessionary times.

Projects that raise the roofs of existing industrial buildings are not only environmentally friendly, conserving existing building materials, they’re also a good fit for recessionary times. Compared to building an entirely new structure, roof raising can save 25% to 50% on costs, according to Rooflifters (Booth 4161), a firm that specializes in raising the roofs of existing buildings.

“You can double or triple storage space for a fraction of the cost of building new,” said Marty Shiff, CEO of Rooflifters [www.rooflifters.com]. Roof raising is often desirable for operations that are in older industrial buildings with 14-foot high roofs, but that want a roof higher than 30 feet to accommodate double or triple the rack height.

While Rooflifters stresses the green aspects of preserving existing buildings rather than sending those materials to landfills, Shiff believes the recessionary times could see more companies taking a second look at roof raising projects on existing structures, with cost savings as driving factor. “These a cost-conscious times,” he said.

Rooflifters has been in business since the late 1980s, and its projects have raised about 7 million square feet in roofs. At ProMat, says Shiff, Rooflifters is putting more emphasis on networking with suppliers of racks and lift trucks, since those suppliers often are involved in clients’ need to gain vertical storage capacity. Previously, Rooflifters worked primarily with commercial real estate agents to find clients, said Shiff, but increasingly seeks equipment vendors as partners.

For more information visit: www.rooflifters.com
Or call: 1-866-331-6150