b'Presidents MessageThe Contractors Advocate since 1949Mark Langer, MRCA PresidentI m pleased to report that we had a very productive round of Board and Committee Meetings this April in St. Louis.We also hosted a reception for the St. Louis Roofing Industry and I was pleased by the support we are receiving from our members there.As a result of these meetings, plans are being finalized for our St. Louis Conference and Expo on October 16-18.This Conference is shaping up to be one of the strongest that I can remember. Not only did the committees do a great job in suggesting timely, hard-hitting session topics, but the Advisory Council and the Convention Promotion Committee have done great work putting together a strong schedule of events that you wont want to miss! Im also very encouraged to see SEVERAL different interactive demo and display areas being added to the Expo floor including the Tennsmith/MRCA Metal Shop, the Steep Slope University, and the T&R Triangle. Theres going to be a lot of action and excitement this year and I challenge ALL of our exhibitors to make this show even more interactive for our contractors.In other news, the applications are now online for the newly combined Safety Awards Program and ELITE Roofing Contractor Program.For a single fee, and in a single online application process, you can get a personalized written analysis to improve key aspects of your safety program and ELITE marketing and business management tools to help you set yourself apart from the competition. Applications are online now at www.mrca.org.Its well worth the time and investment to fill one out.Also look for notice on a new fundraising campaign for the MRCA Foundation. The Foundation has been dedicated to improving the roofing industry through education, research, and academic scholarships for many years and now its time for us all to band together and take the Foundation to the next level.Please consider making a long-term pledge this year to help us continue our work.As always, please let me or our MRCA Staff know if there is anything youd like to see the MRCA pursue and what your company needs to help you be successful.Were proud to be The Contractors Advocate since 1949.Sincerely,Mark E. Langer2017 MRCA PresidentLanger Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc.mlanger@langer-roofing.com4 www.mrca.orgMidwest Roofer'