Gulf Coast Supply’s Ray Bowen Discusses the Advantages of Metal Roofing with Business America Media

Ocala, FL (PRWEB) June 23, 2012

Ray Bowen started with Gulf Coast Supply & Manufacturing, LLC, (http://www.GulfCoastSupply.com) as a youngster building portable storage units, and later moved into sales. As Gulf Coast’s Director of Sales and Corporate Development, he was an ideal choice to talk with Business America media host Lisa Porter about the advantages of metal roofing.

The interview is available as a podcast at http://www.BMBC.tv/shows/315.

When asked by Porter to describe the Florida-based company, here’s what Bowen said:

“Gulf Coast Supply and Manufacturing is the largest manufacturer of residential metal roofing in the state of Florida. We manufacture 11 different profiles of metal roofing and provide that directly to contractors and do-it-yourselfers throughout Florida, the Southeast and the Caribbean, as well.”

Bowen noted that Gulf Coast does not sell through distributors, such as “big box” stores, but instead takes a “factory direct” approach.

“We deal directly with the people who are putting the metal roofs on,” he said, adding that the company’s motto is “Made here. Made now. Made to last.”

According to Bowen, “Our company was created in 1995 as a local supplier in North Central Florida. In 2001 we began to manufacture our own metal roofing systems.”

The company’s turning point came in 2004 when a flurry of hurricanes hit Florida.

“When the storms hit the state, a lot of homeowners had their roofs blown off, and a lot of those roofs had asphalt shingles,” Bowen said, adding that homeowners noticed that hardly any metal roofing was directly affected by the storms.

“Almost overnight our company went from being a local manufacturer to statewide,” he said. “Consumers suddenly began to want metal roofing on their homes, and demand skyrocketed in a short amount of time.”

During the interview, Porter noted that a survey by McGraw-Hill Construction Analytics indicated that market share of metal roofing doubled in just 10 years. She asked Bowen, “Why?”

“The reason is that today’s consumer is more educated than at any time in history,” he said, adding that because of the Internet consumers have access to data about roofing products, including which are more wind resistant and which represent better value.

“They don’t just want a roof that looks good and keeps them dry,” he said. “They want something to save them money on their energy bills.”

Bowen also pointed out the environmental impact of asphalt vs. metal shingles.

“Metal roofing is among the most environmental friendly choices that a consumer can make,” he said, explaining that roofs made from metal are 100 percent recyclable.

Referencing the Metal Roofing Alliance, Bowen said that enough asphalt shingles are sent to landfills each year to fill a line of tractor-trailers that would stretch from New York to Los Angeles, back to New York, and then on to Chicago.

When Porter asked about color choices, Bowen responded that Gulf Coast has “30 different colors in stock,” and that specialty colors can be ordered.

Gulf Coast Supply has three convenient locations to serves architects, contractors and homeowners in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama.

GCS Headquarters – 4020 SW 449th Street, Horseshoe Beach, FL 32648

GCS Alachua – 14480 NW US Highway 441, Alachua, FL 32615

GCS Stuart – 8701 SW Old Kansas Ave., Stuart, FL 34997

In addition, the company will be at Booths 842-843 June 27-30 at the Florida Roofing & Sheet Metal Expo in Orlando.

For more information about the company and its various products, call toll-free 1 (888) 393-0335 or visit http://www.GulfCoastSupply.com, https://Twitter.com/#!/GulfCoastSupply or http://www.Facebook.com/GulfCoastSupply.

ABOUT: Gulf Coast Supply & Manufacturing, LLC, is headquartered at 4020 SW 449th Street in Horseshoe Beach, FL, 32648. It is a Better Business Bureau-accredited company with a perfect A+ rating. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The local number is (352) 498-0778; the fax is (352) 498-7852.

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