Home Sweet Holmes: A Year In Review
The Powerhouse Brand That Works To "Make It Right"
Angie Lewis, WriterWe did a lot this year — videos, articles, webinars and more — showcasing our contractors and how they’re living their best Asphalt Life.
One of the biggest developments we saw in 2019 was the partnership between 3M and professional contractor and TV host Mike Holmes. These trusted brands are determined to help homeowners eliminate unsightly algae stains from their roofs for good.
Holmes and his team insist on nothing less than the best products for the job and understand what it takes to “Make It Right” the first time. That’s why Atlas shingles featuring 3M Scotchgard™ Protector — including StormMaster® Shake, StormMaster® Slate, Pinnacle® Pristine and Legend® — carry the HOLMES Approved Product designation.
Atlas shingles with Scotchgard Protector are manufactured with a minimum 10% blend of 3M copper-containing granules that inhibit algae growth, preventing ugly black streaks and keeping roofs looking newer longer.
Throughout the year, Atlas championed the brand power of Scotchgard and Holmes. Highlights included the Roof It Right sweepstakes and a variety of Holmes-related social media contests and promotions.
Roof It Right Sweepstakes
This year, Atlas Pro™ contractors had a chance to earn points for attending an Atlas-sponsored event or submitting jobs with eligible Atlas products. Job submissions had to include all of the required components for the Atlas Signature Select® Roofing System and/or Atlas shingles featuring Scotchgard Protector.
The more events and invoices the contractors submitted, the more chances they had to qualify for the grand prize — an all-expense-paid trip to Toronto, Canada, to meet Mike Holmes and his children, fellow pro contractors and TV hosts Mike Holmes Jr. and Sherry Holmes.
On Dec. 2, Atlas randomly drew five winners:
- Parks Davis Jr., AIS Renovations (Grove City, OH)
- Sarah Scepanski, Scepanski Roofing (Norwich, CT)
- Ken Reeves, Reeves Construction (Roebuck, SC)
- Don Hancock, DC Roofing & Exterior (Greenwood, IN)
- Robert McGimsey, Premier South Roofing & Sheet Metal (Baton Rouge, LA)
In early 2020, these lucky contractors will do a photoshoot and group roundtable with the Holmes trio, film a professionally produced video with Mike Holmes to promote their business and tour the facilities of the HGTV and DIY Network stars. They’ll also get to see Niagara Falls and attend a Toronto Blue Jays game against the Cincinnati Reds.
In addition to being the name of the sweepstakes, Roof It Right was the title of a special webisode series with Mike Holmes Jr. and Sherry Holmes. The siblings paired up with Atlas Pro contractors to replace two homeowners’ ugly, streaky roofs with Atlas shingles featuring Scotchgard Protector. (See video above.)
The entire Holmes family also participated in many “call-out” videos about Scotchgard Protector and the Roof It Right sweepstakes.
And Mike Holmes sat down with our own Stan Bastek, national sales director for Atlas, at the 2019 International Roofing Expo (IRE). Holmes explained how contractors can build value in their sales pitch, why they should invest in their employees, and why they need to take pride in their work and own their mistakes. Best of all, we edited the conversation into a video series that we shared on Asphalt Life.
Social Engagement
Embracing Mike Holmes’ “Make It Right” adage, we ran a Facebook campaign asking contractors to submit photos of the worst jobsite hack they’d seen and tell us what they did to fix it.
Two of the respondents included Austin Tex Hanssen, owner of North Shore Roofing and Contracting in Hermantown, MN, and Michele Doning, owner of KNM Construction in Edgerton, KS.
Hanssen showed how he repaired a job with crooked shingles and high nails, and Doning showed how she turned a bad install into a beautiful new Atlas roof. Take a look at their posts below.
We also sent life-size cardboard cutouts of Mike Holmes to some of our contractors and asked them to take pictures with it showing off their Mike Holmes stance.
To get it started, the 10 finalists from the Asphalt Life truck giveaway posed with “Mike” at IRE.
Then, while training the Yankee Home Improvement crew in Chicopee, MA, on StormMaster shingles with Core4™ Technology, Stan Bastek brought out the “special guest” for a photo op.
Illinois distributors Hines Supply, Complete Supply Inc. and Midwest Siding Supply showed off their stances in groups.
And Alliance Consulting & Contracting in Slatington, PA, took its "Mike" to a local home show.
Brian Pelletier, an Atlas sales rep in Illinois, also got in on the act, sharing a pic of Quality Building Supply employees doing their Mike Holmes pose in front of bundles of Pinnacle Pristine shingles. The post was part of a shout-out Pelletier gave the Chicagoland distributor.
“They are always actively seeking any opportunity to show customers what they offer through innovation and differentiation,” he wrote. “That’s where Atlas shingles featuring Scotchgard fit in — not only [do] the products add value to homeowners but to contractors as well.”
New Year’s Reso-ROOF-tion
As we bid farewell to an amazing 2019 with Mike Holmes and all of our valued Pro contractors, we look forward to a new decade of opportunities.
In 2020 and beyond, we resolve to advance our efforts in manufacturing high-quality, innovative roofing products and empowering contractors to build their businesses. We will remain committed to participating in philanthropic projects for those in need. And we will continue to live by our motto: “Live, Roof, Play!”