Sprayfoam 2016 Kicks Off in Central Florida

ORLANDO, FL– February 11, 2016 –The Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance’s (SPFA) 2016 Sprayfoam Convention & Expo got underway yesterday, and SprayFoam.com was on site covering and partaking in all the action. In order to stay up-to-date with the newest trends and latest advancements in the SPF trade, numerous industry members made their way to the Rosen Centre Hotel in sunny Orlando, Florida to attend the show. Regarded as the spray foam industry’s premier annual event, Sprayfoam 2016 presented two new benchmarks: a record high attendance, as well as the highest number of sponsors ever since the event’s inaugural installment.

The convention actually had two days of pre-convention events, from February 8-9, that revolved around the SPFA Professional Certification Program (PCP). The events included exam preparations, written exams, and field exams. On February 9, there two additional, special events: a reception that recognized women's leadership in the SPF industry and a golf tournament, which was held at Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course. 
The primary convention events began yesterday morning with the General Session, which interwove speakers from the SPFA and the convention’s sponsors, including Lapolla’s David Feitl, Graco’s Nick Pagano, PMC’s Michael Kolibas, Fomo’s Doug Caffoe, and Honeywell’s Laura Reinhard.

The attending crowd was welcomed by SPFA Executive Director Kurt Riesenberg, who emphasized the importance of the aforementioned growing number of SPFA Convention & Expo sponsors.

“The show has increased its reach and our sponsors made that happen,” said Riesenberg.“It is directly through them that we’ve achieved a record high attendance and grown our number of educational sessions.”

The General Session progressed with SPFA President Dennis Vandewater delivered his Welcome Address, in which he recognized the SPFA staff, and subsequently paid tribute to late former SPFA President Sig Hall. Vandewater ‘s address was followed by a special education session by Allison Bailes discussing the impact of closed-cell spray foam on the environment. The General Session came to a close with Richard Rawlings’ keynote speech. Rawlings, of Gas Monkey Garage and Discovery Channel’s Fast N’ Loud fame, addressed spray foam contractors, manufacturers, and suppliers alike by stating that a key to success lies in producing the best possible product that will stand the test of time.

The morning transitioned into the Breakout Sessions, which covered topics including safety, innovation, ventilation and moisture control, sales, roofing, building science, air barriers, and SPF in metal buildings
The Breakout Sessions were followed by the Contractor Industry Excellence Awards Luncheon, which featured the following award recipients:

Commercial Wall

•  Winner – Nova Spray Foam for their work on Virts Farmers Market and Restaurant.
•  Runner-Up – West Roofing Systems, Inc. for their work on Ferrolux Gibraltar Facility Rehabilitation and Expansion.

Residential Wall

•  Winner – USI for their work on NextGen Net Zero/Healthy House.
•  Runner-Up – Polyseal for their work on Point Lay Housing.

Roof Foam, Greater Than 40,000 sq. ft.

•  Winner – Central Coating Company for their work on Bee Sweet Citrus – SPF Roofing and Solar Project.
•  Runner-Up – Arizona Foam & Spray for their work on @51 Apartments.

Roof Foam, Less Than 40,000 sq. ft.

•  Winner – Wedge Roofing for their work on Small Precision Tools – USA Facility.
•  Runner-Up – RPC Industries, Inc. for their work on Automation Controls, Inc. Quonset Hut Roofing.

Specialty Application

•  Winner – RPC Industries, Inc. (JACKCRETE Division) for their work on RuhRPumpen Facility.
•  Runner-Up – Smart Seal Foam for their work on Landmark Structures Metal Panels.

RELATED Two Weeks Until the 2016 SPFA Convention & Expo, Sprayfoam 2016 Announces Keynote Speaker Richard Rawlings, Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance Recognizes CertainTeed Insulation with Supplier Company Accreditation

When the luncheon concluded, the exhibit hall opened to the convention’s purportedly record crowd (based on record pre-registrations). The exhibit hall features a total of 90 booths. While exhibitors showcased their newest technologies, SprayFoam.com announced the third, second, and first place winners of the first-ever Coolest, Sexiest Spray Foam Rig Contest, which was sponsored by Spray Foam Systems and Quadrant Technologies. The finalists were:

•  Third Place: Warren Merrell of Thermo Dynamic Insulation, LLC.
•  Second Place: Jeremy Leman of Sealtite Insulation.
•  First Place: Jordan Webinger of Complete Comfort Spray Foam.

Check in tomorrow for SprayFoam.com’s coverage of Day 2 of Sprayfoam 2016 Convention & Expo.