Looking Back at 2017

At IKO, 2017 was a busy and successful year for our company and those we serve. We introduced product innovations and new packaging. We expanded our digital presence and social media reach. We also created new homeowner portfolios for contractors to use as an in-home selling tool and revamped their associated marketing collateral. Find out more about what we’ve done and stay tuned for even more exciting initiatives in store for 2018!

As a leader in the residential and commercial roofing industry, IKO is always looking toward the latest trends and customer preferences. 2017 was no different. IKO introduced various new residential and commercial roofing solutions.

New residential roofing product innovations included:

• We expanded our color offerings for our IKO Dynasty^® shingles with ArmourZone^® to a total of 11 diverse, high-definition options that suit any architectural style.
• Our popular IKO Nordic™ IR shingles now feature ArmourZone technology for high- wind resistance and ease of installation.
• The newest additions to the IKO PRO4™ roofing component system, IKO Ultra HP^® and IKO UltraHP^® IR High Profile Ridge Cap Shingles, provide enhanced aesthetics, roofline protection and ease of installation to pair seamlessly with IKO’s popular premium and performance shingles.
• Our standard IKO Hip and Ridge™ Shingles product line was consolidated. It now offers new color blends and color names. These color blends are meant to draw out one or more key tones from shingle blends in order to accent the overall shingle color.
• IKO Cambridge™ Cool Colors, which can be used to comply with California’s 2016 Title 24 Part 6 – Cool Roof Requirements, was expanded to include the newest color, Amber Burst. The shingles are now offered in five dramatic color options, available throughout California with additional limited availability in surrounding West Coast states.

New commercial roofing and building envelope product innovations included:

• Two new IKO building envelope products, including a self-adhering, primerless, vapor-permeable membrane solution, IKO AquaBarrier™ VP Self-Adhering Vapour Permeable Membrane and the AquaBarrier AVB Air/Vapour Barrier self-adhering non-permeable membrane, which provides superior performance in wall assemblies where an air and vapor barrier is required.
• Introduction of a new specialty cover board for commercial roofing projects, IKO ShieldBase™ 180 Laminated Cover Board, which offers a lightweight, durable 2-in-1 composite layer cover board solution, for versatility and ease of installation for commercial roofing applications.
• PLUS the rebranding of our packaging under the “Roofing Elevated” banner included some important changes to make it easier for our distributors and their staff, as well as our contractors. We simplified the 4-digit year and date code and made it easier to see from a distance, facilitating stock rotation. Uncluttered graphics, icons and color-coding further enhanced the look and functionality. Another addition was a QR code so installers could quickly find online English, French, Spanish, Polish, Punjabi and Chinese installation instructions.

We were also busy in the online space this year, expanding our digital presence to continue better serving the needs of our customers.

First, we launched a completely redesigned website for our North American Commercial Products Division, hosted at www.iko.com/comm. The revamped site now provides better digital access to IKO’s full suite of commercial roofing, building envelope and bridge, deck and waterproofing systems, including product and technical information, application guides, draft specifications and much more.

Also, we recently launched the official IKO Roofing Instagram page. Be sure to follow us to stay up-to-date on the latest roofing news, trade shows, trends, contests, giveaways, IKO news and products, and more!

To help homeowners make better-informed choices about our products, we regrouped our residential lines under three categories: Premium, Architectural and Performance shingles. Then we redesigned our product literature not only to promote the “IKO. Roofing elevated” positioning but to highlight the color blend options. Research has shown that one of the greatest challenges homeowners face in selecting shingles is in choosing a color so we made that the focus of our new literature. The brochures for each shingle category are based on “Beauty you can see. Quality you can feel. Performance you can trust”. The full-color product brochures have been warmly and enthusiastically received by homeowners and contractors alike.

For the contractor side, we produced 2-sided sell sheets that simplified the competitive advantages and product features using icons and standard templates for easy use and reference.

Catch us at the International Roofing Expo in 2018 for an interactive experience, the latest in new product innovations and more!

In the meantime, stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Houzz, YouTube and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest education and news from IKO.