USG officially introduces Chris Macey as CEO.

Today USG Corporation marks the official leadership transition of Chris Macey to president and chief executive officer. Chris Macey, a 30-year industry veteran who recently served as USG’s chief operating officer, takes the helm following a planned succession process first announced earlier this year.

“I am honored to lead USG at such a pivotal moment,” said Chris Macey, president and CEO of USG Corporation. “Having spent 20 years with this company and three decades in this industry, I know that our customer-first culture is our greatest strength. My focus is on maintaining our momentum and ensuring we stay the course on the strategy that has made us an industry leader.”

During his two decades at USG, Macey has held leadership roles in every major North American division, including serving as president of USG’s Gypsum division and leading the company’s Canadian (CGC) and Latin American (USG LATAM) businesses.

Christopher Griffin, who served as president and CEO and led the company through a period of transformation and growth, will remain as CEO Emeritus through June 30, 2026, supporting the final phase of the transition. “It’s been the honor of my career to lead USG and work alongside such talented people. With Chris Macey at the helm, I know the company’s future is in excellent hands,” said Griffin.

With the leadership transition effective today, USG remains focused on its core priorities of safety, manufacturing innovation and being the best and easiest building materials manufacturer to do business with across its footprint of more than 70 facilities in North America. As the company enters its 125th year of operation, this transition marks the beginning of USG’s next chapter of growth and industry leadership. 

About USG Corporation

USG Corporation, an industry-leading manufacturer of building products and innovative solutions, is the parent company of CGC and USG LATAM. Headquartered in Chicago, we serve construction markets around the world with wall, ceiling, flooring, sheathing and roofing products that enable our customers to build the outstanding spaces where people live, work and play. For additional information, visit usg.com.

About Knauf Group

The Knauf Group is the parent company of USG. As a global manufacturer of building materials and construction systems, Knauf employs more than 42,000 employees across 300+ production facilities and sales organizations in 90+ countries. For more information, visit: knauf.com/en.

CEO Christopher Griffin will retire June 30, 2026, after more than 30 years at USG Corporation.

USG Corporation, North America’s leading building materials manufacturer, today announced that President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Christopher Griffin will retire later this year after more than 30 years of service to USG. Concurrent with this news, USG’s Board of Directors and owner Knauf Group, have appointed Christopher Macey — currently USG’s chief operating officer (COO) — as president and CEO, effective April 1, 2026.

Celebrating a legacy of Lleadership as USG approaches its 125th year

Mr. Griffin’s retirement marks the conclusion of a distinguished career spanning more than 35 years in the building materials industry, including over 30 years with USG Corporation and its subsidiaries. Since his appointment as CEO in 2019 following the company’s acquisition by Knauf Group, Mr. Griffin has overseen a period of historic growth, industry-leading innovation and consistent operational excellence across North America.

"It has been the honor of my professional life to lead USG and work alongside the most talented team in the industry," said Christopher Griffin, outgoing president and CEO of USG Corporation. "Since I joined nearly three decades ago, we have lived up to our reputation for innovation while investing in our people, modernizing our facilities, and being the best and easiest building materials manufacturer to do business with for our customers. As we approach USG’s 125th anniversary, I am proud of what we have accomplished together and am confident the company is well positioned for its next chapter of growth over the next century.”

Under Mr. Griffin’s leadership, USG successfully navigated its transition to a privately held company under Knauf ownership, while significantly expanding its market-leading positions in wallboard and ceilings. His tenure has been defined by a "customer-first" philosophy and a commitment to safety and employee engagement that has consistently surpassed industry benchmarks.

“On behalf of the Knauf family and USG’s Board of Directors, I want to sincerely thank Mr. Griffin for his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to our people, our customers and our performance. He leaves the company well positioned for the future,” said Dr. Uwe Knotzer, general partner of Knauf Group. “We warmly welcome Christopher Macey as USG’s next president and CEO and look forward to working with him to build on our momentum and continue delivering for customers and communities across North America.”

A leader for the next chapter

Mr. Macey brings more than 30 years of experience in the building materials industry and a strong record of operational leadership and commercial execution. Most recently, he served as chief operating officer at USG, where he led the company's manufacturing, supply chain and digital transformation initiatives. Previously, Mr. Macey served in several senior leadership roles, leading CGC (Canada) and USG Mexico/LATAM, and more recently, as including president of USG’s Gypsum Division.

In his new role as president and CEO, Mr. Macey will be responsible for driving USG’s strategic priorities, including continued investment in manufacturing, customer service excellence and talent development across the business. Incoming president and CEO, Christopher Macey said: “USG’s rich history and reputation for excellence are well known in our sector. I am grateful for the strong foundation Chris Griffin and the USG team have established, and I look forward to working together as we continue to serve our customers and innovate for the future.”

Additional quotes

"The appointment of Chris Macey as CEO ensures that our relationship-first approach to business remains our top priority. Chris has been a vital partner to our Latin American operations for years. His transition to president and CEO of USG is a win for our customers and our people, and we are excited to keep winning together under his leadership." — Fernando Fernandez, president, USG LATAM

“Chris Macey’s deep history with the Canadian business gives our team at CGC immense confidence as he takes on this new role as president and CEO of USG Corporation. Having led the Canadian business himself, Mr. Macey understands our unique customer needs in the market. We look forward to building on the momentum established under Christopher Griffin’s leadership and continuing our growth across Canada.” — Steve Youngblut, president, CGC Inc.

About USG Corporation

USG Corporation, an industry-leading manufacturer of building products and innovative solutions, is the parent company of CGC and USG LATAM. Headquartered in Chicago, we serve construction markets around the world with wall, ceiling, flooring, sheathing and roofing products that enable our customers to build the outstanding spaces where people live, work and play. For additional information, visit usg.com.

About Knauf Group

The Knauf Group is the parent company of USG. As a global manufacturer of building materials and construction systems, Knauf employs more than 42,000 employees across 300+ production facilities and sales organizations in 90+ countries. For more information, visit: knauf.com/en.

By Emma Peterson. 

From fire resitance to very severe hail ratings, learn how USG has built a catalogue of products that can take on whatever elements are thrown at them.  

Recently, The Coffee Shops™ crew hosted a sound stage, sponsored by Western Colloid, at the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC)’s 2026 Convention. One of the incredible guests that stopped by to chat with us was Rob Cox, the technical sales manager at USG Securock.  

Rob opened the conversation by highlighting the alignment between USG and IIBEC’s missions, sharing, “We produce higher performance cover board products that add value to a roof system. So we’re really focused on making roof systems more resilient, which goes hand-in-hand with what the IIBEC engineers and consultants are doing.” 

And when it comes to roofing cover boards, USG offers one of the most comprehensive catalogues of products. Rob explained, “We have five different coverboards, so each one has its own place. And, depending on what type of building is being worked on, each has its place. Some are ideal for high-traffic and puncture resistance, where others are better against fire or handling a high wind zone.”  

In fact, USG recently announced an expansion of their catalogue with the development of the cover boards that can pass a very severe hail test (not being punctured or damaged when a 2-inch ball of ice hits the board at 160 feet/second). Rob spoke a bit about this, explaining, “Over the last few years, we’ve seen the very severe hail map grow in terms of what regions are impacted...And so we made a board that can be put underneath a membrane to protect the insulation on a roof, which is actually one of the most expensive parts of the roofing system!”  

Learn more about USG’s coverboards and the Weather Defense Board by watching the whole interview with Rob.

By Emma Peterson. 

Join The Coffee Shops™ crew and our industry partners in Sacramento for four days of education, innovation and industry connection. 

The Coffee Shops™ crew is putting the finishing touches on our travel plans to get to Sacramento, California March 12–15, 2026 for the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC)’s International Convention and we want to see you at our booth and soundstage, sponsored by Western Colloid!  

This year’s show is predicted to host “1,700 consultants, architects, engineers, design professionals and other experts” for four days of learning, networking and more! With national sponsors like Carlisle, Elevate™, GAF, IB Roof Systems™, Johns Manville, Polyglass USA Inc., Sika Corporation, SOPREMA and Versico, this show is a must-attend for professionals in all parts of the roofing world.  

Expert-led education  

This show gives attendees a chance to learn from a variety of industry leaders and experts through their cutting-edge education sessions. Here are some of the incredible presenters that will be at this year’s show:  

• Trent Cotney of Adams and Reese will be hosting a “State of the Industry” session that will explore contract provisions and other emerging regulatory trends.  
• Darren Perry of SOPREMA has a session that discusses how low slope roofing can be enhanced in response to severe climate risks. 
• Amrize’s National Technical Manager Victor Rosenthal and Project Manager Rachael DeMeio will be teaching about trends in roof re-cover applications this year. 
• Jennifer Stephan from Benchmark’s session will dive into the world of Refrigerated Processing and Cold Storage Operations in relation to industrial roofing projects.  

Check out the full speaker list online!

An expo floor route 

The Coffee Shops crew will be on the expo floor hosting a soundstage at booth #1113! Here’s just a few of the other Coffee Shops friends and partners that can be found on IIBEC’s 2026 International Convention expo floor:  

• All Weather Insulated Panels (booth #1216) 
• Anchor Products (booth #907)  
• ATAS International (booth #728)  
• BITEC Inc. (booth #1023) 
• Brava Tile (booth #208) 
• CertainTeed (booth #227)  
• General Coatings Manufacturing (booth #926) 
• H.B. Fuller (booth #113) 
• ICP Building Solutions Group (booth #133) 
• IKO Industries (booth #426) 
• Leister (booth #619) 
• Malarkey Roofing Products (booth #213) 
• MuleHide (booth #814) 
• Roof Hugger (booth #707) 
• S-5! (booth #1019) 
• Sheffield Metals International (booth #625) 
• Sherwin Williams Roofing Solutions (booth #422) 
• Tremco (booth #321) 
• USG Securock (booth #401) 
• Western Colloid (booth #923) 
• Westlake Royal Roofing Solutions (booth #433) 

Explore the full expo floor map!

Register today and make sure you stop by to say hi to us and our industry friends at the IIBEC’s 2026 International Convention!

By Jenny Yu. 

Building enclosure professionals won’t want to miss out on this annual industry event!   

The International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC) is gearing up for its 2026 International Convention and Trade Show, set to take place March 12–15 in Sacramento, California, at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center. This annual event draws building enclosure professionals, including roofing consultants, architects, engineers and product manufacturers, for education, networking and industry insights. Registration is now open, with early rates available through February 6, 2026.  

Attendees will find a robust program that includes educational sessions covering topics ranging from roofing, waterproofing, sustainability and codes, as well as other related topics designed to advance professional knowledge and earn continuing education hours. A two-day trade show with more than 140 exhibiting companies will spotlight the latest roofing, exterior wall and building enclosure products and services. Participants can connect with manufacturers, consultants and peers on the show floor, which also features product demonstrations and sponsored receptions. The Coffee Shops™ will be there with a sound stage sponsored by Western Colloid — be sure to stop by! 

Beyond the exhibit hall, IIBEC has arranged a wide variety of exciting activities for attendees to participate in. The schedule opens with auxiliary seminars and networking opportunities on March 12, followed by formal welcome receptions, an annual awards ceremony and specialty events such as a golf tournament and an emerging professionals reception. The convention also hosts the Excellence in Building Enclosure Consulting (EBEC) Awards on March 14, recognizing outstanding achievements in the field. 

Hotel accommodations are available in the Sacramento area to assist attendees in securing convenient lodging near the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center. IIBEC has secured official room blocks at the Hyatt Regency, Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel, Residence Inn and The Citizen Hotel. Early planning is encouraged, as Sacramento draws visitors from across the United States and beyond for this premier industry gathering. 

A wide range of sponsorship packages are still available, each including prominent recognition and unique opportunities for memorable convention engagement. Current sponsors include Carlisle, Elevate™, GAF, Johns Manville, Polyglass, Sika, SOPREMA and Versico Roofing Systems (platinum sponsors); Anchor Products, H.B. Fuller, IB Roof Systems™ and USG Securock® Brand (gold sponsors); and Georgia-Pacific Building Products.   

Register today to secure early registration and explore the latest developments in roofing, waterproofing and building enclosure design!

By Heidi J. Ellsworth.

Building enclosure professionals across the industry are making plans to gather in Sacramento, California, March 12–15, 2026.

Hosted by the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC), the annual IIBEC International Convention & Trade Show brings together consultants, contractors, manufacturers and service providers focused on roofing, waterproofing and total building enclosure performance. With more than 20 education sessions and a trade show featuring over 140 manufacturers and service providers, the event delivers valuable insight, technical expertise and meaningful industry connection.

The convention runs Thursday, March 12 through Sunday, March 15, with the auxiliary seminar taking place on Thursday and the trade show floor openi on both Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14. From education to exhibits to networking, the week is designed to help professionals strengthen their knowledge and expand their relationships.

One of the featured moments of the week will be the opening ceremony and keynote presentation on Friday, March 13 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Attendees will hear from Brett Culp, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and keynote speaker, presenting Superhero Leadership in Uncertain Times. His message focuses on purpose-driven leadership, authenticity and service during moments of change, offering inspiration that resonates far beyond the conference hall.

Throughout the convention, attendees will also have the opportunity to connect during a full schedule of networking events including the RCI-IIBEC Foundation golf tournament, welcome reception, regional meetings, trade show receptions, awards ceremony, emerging professionals networking event, foundation live auction and the President’s Annual Banquet. These gatherings create valuable opportunities to build relationships that strengthen careers and businesses long after the event concludes.

The trade show floor will once again feature leading manufacturers and service providers supporting the building enclosure industry. RoofersCoffeeShop is proud to have partners participating as sponsors at the conference, including Carlisle Construction Materials, Elevate, GAF, Johns Manville, Sika, SOPREMA, Versico Roofing Systems, Anchor Products, H.B. Fuller, IB Roof Systems and USG. Their continued involvement reflects a shared commitment to education, innovation and long-term industry advancement.

Adding to the energy of the event, The Coffee Shops™ will once again host a full sound stage on the trade show floor sponsored by Western Colloid, interviewing consultants, contractors and exhibitors throughout the conference. These live conversations will spotlight industry trends, real-world challenges and the voices shaping the future of the building enclosure and roofing communities.

Overall, the 2026 IIBEC International Convention & Trade Show delivers a powerful combination of education, innovation and connection in one place. Whether your focus is technical expertise, professional development or expanding your industry network, this event offers insight and opportunity at every level.

And time is running out to take advantage of early registration pricing. The early registration deadline is February 6, 2026, and once it passes, rates are set to increase. Hotel rooms at the official convention hotels are also filling quickly, making now the best time to finalize travel plans.

Register now to secure early pricing, book your hotel before availability is gone and join building enclosure professionals from across the country in Sacramento. Be part of the conversations shaping the future of the industry.

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Anson Johnson, VP Gypsum Materials and Jeff Grimland, Director of Manufacturing of USG’s Securock®. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast.

Intro: Welcome to Roofing Road Trips, the podcast that takes you on a thrilling journey across the world of roofing. From fascinating interviews with roofing experts, to on-the-road adventures, we'll uncover the stories, innovations and challenges that shape the rooftops over our heads. So fasten your seatbelts and  join us as we embark on this exciting Roofing Road Trip. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Hello and  welcome to another Roofing Road Trips from RoofersCoffeeShop. My name is Heidi Ellsworth and  we are here today to talk about one of the age-old, most important things that you can do as a roofing company and  that is great relationships with your manufacturers. Really getting to know them to understand how it all works, how it all comes together, because it only can make your business better. So we have brought the experts from USG, Anson Johnson, VP of Gypsum Materials and  Jeff Grimland, Director of Manufacturing, to have this conversation today. I'm so excited. Welcome, gentlemen. 

Anson Johnson: Well, Heidi, thank you so much. I think I can speak for Jeff and I, we're super excited to be here. Fans of the show and  we're looking forward to the conversation today. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Oh, I love that. Fans of the show, I don't hear that too often. That's kind of nice. Thank you, that's awesome. Well, let's start with some introductions. So Anson, if you could start, if you can introduce yourself, tell us what you do with USG. 

Anson Johnson: Certainly. So my name is Anson Johnson, I serve USG as the Vice President of Gypsum Materials. So Gypsum Materials includes all of our amazing roofing products, our tile backing products and  our flooring products. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Nice. And Jeff? 

Jeff Grimland: Yeah, my name's Jeff Grimland. I've been with the company 27 years, Director of Manufacturing for Wallboard on the West Coast and throughout the South. I make quite a few of the products that Anson and his team distribute and sell and  for those listeners on the call. 

Heidi Ellsworth: That is so cool, I love it. I love that it's fact too, you two are really good friends and working together and friends when you... This industry is so special about that, we make lifelong friends working in, whether it's cover boards, roofing, whatever it may be, it really does build those relationships. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I would love it if Anson, maybe you could start and tell us just a little bit about USG and really, just kind of set that stage for the connection with the Knauf group and USG and your roles there. I think I'd like everyone to hear a little bit about that. 

Anson Johnson: Yeah, absolutely. So USG is known for our products, we make amazing products for ceilings, we make amazing products for shelter and roofing and flooring. And as you know, we have the term Sheetrock that we own. And so Sheetrock and Wallboard products are what we're really known for. 

Anson Johnson: About six years ago, USG was purchased by a German private company called Knauf and  Knauf has been a great partner to purchase us. Many of their processes and the way they run business globally has influenced how we do things here in the US. So you couple a partnership with Knauf and our new CEO, Chris Griffin, USG is set up for success. 

Heidi Ellsworth: That was great. And first of all, I want to say sorry I said it wrong, Knauf. I want to make sure we get that right. But Jeff, also, as you're talking about 27 years, you've seen a lot happen. You've seen the growth of and just the explosion of your business and everything out there. Talk to us a little bit about the products and where you've come from in your 27 years. 

Jeff Grimland: Yeah, so I'll start with just me in the 27 years first and  then I'll go to products and have Anson help me. But I'd be remiss if I didn't start with, I've been married 30 years, my wife has been along for the entire USG journey. We have relocated seven times with the company. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Wow. 

Jeff Grimland: We've lived on both coasts, Chicago, Texas, Utah. And we have two kids. Our daughter was born in Utah, our son was born as we went through Chicago area. So we've seen a lot and  as far as the products and how all this thing gets rolling, I remember the first time I was asked to make a glass faced panel in a manufacturing plant on a Sheetrock line. And as he stated, we make Sheetrock, everybody else makes drywall. Sheetrock is our proud name, very proud of it. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Love it. 

Jeff Grimland: And so that was a heck of a learning curve, to go from a paper-faced product to glass, but we figured it out and  since then it's just really exploded into additional offerings with roofing. And we make ExoAir here at our Jacksonville plant as an example and  I'm here with Anson at our Jacksonville facility at the very moment, where we just came out of the plant 30 minutes ago. Had to get rid of our hard hats and so on for this call, but I'll let him handle the products and so on, but it's just been a great ride with the company and I've learned a lot and seen a lot. And I've been in this current role for two years. And the relationships with our customer is very important. Well, the relationships with our business partners are just as important. And so, I'm thrilled that Anson was able to travel with me to our facility here in Florida this week and  I'll hand over to you for product discussion. 

Anson Johnson: Yeah, I think one of the keys for USG is our commitment to innovation. USG is over 100 years old, but even during difficult times, 2007, 2008 when housing was down and roofing was down, we've continued to innovate. So I'm super proud that we're going to release a very severe hail board, which is part of our roofing catalog. And we've just made it our mission to commit to innovating and we're not satisfied with our products. We continue to make them better, we continue to improve the performance and the sustainability of those products. And it's really driving us to a place where we want to be in the future. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah and  contractors know that. I mean, when you really talk about the contractors, they know your commitment, they know the people behind all these innovations and  that to me is exciting. I would love to hear from both of you what you're excited about in 2025, because a lot of things are happening. So Anson, I see you nodding yes. 

Anson Johnson: Sure. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Share with me some of the things you're excited about for this year. 

Anson Johnson: Yeah, we're excited this year for a few things. We are looking to partner with firms building across the United States. And so, data centers are popping up all over. We have brought to the table, we are a company that can solve the inside of the data center. We make data center panels and data center rooms and components. We make the ceilings, we do the roofing and  we can do poured flooring and different applications. So, as these very important needed infrastructure projects are occurring across the US, we are absolutely partnering with firms to show them our capabilities. We have the manufacturing depth, Jeff can talk a little bit about that. We have a network that can support those builders and those contractors. And so, we're excited about the future. It's a difficult time. I think people are curious, should we build now or should we build later? There's some hesitation in the market, but those who are embracing it, we are there to partner with them. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Well, data centers aren't going away, they are only growing. So it's really, either you're going to get in front of it or you're going to get a little run over. And so, I love hearing how every part of that building inside and out envelope that you are touching and bringing quality products to. 

Anson Johnson: Yeah, we're excited about that. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah and  so Jeff, I mean, that has to be exciting thinking about the products that your teams are making manufacturing and they're going into some of our critical infrastructure. 

Jeff Grimland: Absolutely. I mean, you see the sign behind, Make a Home, Make Tomorrow a home for Everyone. That's a way that it's a purpose for us outside and inside the company. And so when we're looking outside the company, how we support the end users of our product, the contractors, the customers, but also internal. And we really strive for our employees making the product, servicing the equipment that's making the product, mechanics, electricians, programmers, operators and  so on, the folks shipping the product. We want them to understand what the end user needs it for, how they're using it, their pain points, so that we can bring that back into the plant and learn from it to help the end user and the contractors have a better experience. And so I mean, that's what excites me is we're the business partners. We partner up to make the business stream better, we're partnering with our customers to make it better and  the end user. And then folks like yourself on this call, I mean, this is part of our story. Right? It's strengthening relationships to provide a better service. 

Heidi Ellsworth: And when you talk about part of the story, I'm going to date myself just a little bit, but I remember when Securock was launched into the market 20 years ago. I was there, I was working with manufacturers rubs, the excitement about the Securock. So 20 years later, when you really think about everything that you've done when it comes to severe weather, when it comes to just building integrity, I mean, that's pretty exciting. So Anson, kind of talk a little bit about that. That's a big marker. 

Anson Johnson: Yeah, it is. We're happy to celebrate that 20 year anniversary, but again, we're not done innovating. We continue to look at the future and  one of the data points that sticks out for us is weather patterns in the United States are changing. They are absolutely changing and  so we need to be ahead of that. We need to be the company that can produce products that solve for problems of hail and very severe hail that the Midwest will encounter most of that weather pattern. And that that is a pretty big slice of the country that is teed up for that. So we want to ensure that we have the right products to deal with that and make our customers successful. One of the real tenets of our company moving forward is making our customer successful. So we are really focused on the customer, our own performance, our people and our future, but those customers are really part of our next generation of, how do we continue to evolve this company? 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah, I mean, when you have the customer and the installers, all of those folks as in mind for the future, that's when the products really take off. I mean, because everybody's working together. And it's interesting, Anson, because I know that you worked over in Europe with Knauf and leadership. I've just been really involved with lately with a number of competitions and getting involved with the associations over in Europe, the IFD. And I've seen a lot that continues to come over to the US of things that we're learning and then also kind of vice versa. What was some of your experiences kind of seeing both sides? 

Anson Johnson: Yeah, I was able to spend about 18 months in Germany in a small town that is the headquarters in Bavaria of our parent company, Knauf. And so, the Knauf organization is solving problems throughout the entire world. The addition of USG to be part of that organization has now allowed us to take on North America under that same umbrella. 

Anson Johnson: So the Knauf organization, Jeff just talked about our purpose as a company, we have a purpose and  we're really focused on ensuring the customers have the right products, continued innovation. The innovation team in Iphofen, Germany and  our innovation team here in Illinois, we have really collaborated. And so we're taking the best of both of the scientists, the engineers, the PhDs in both of those places and  made it and harnessed that power for the entire company. So it's really about combining our forces, having a global footprint to solve our customers' problems. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah, that's really, again, bringing it back to the customers and having the right products for them to provide the best buildings, the best infrastructure, all of that. 

Heidi Ellsworth: One of the things that I find really interesting that's going on and  Jeff, I have some questions around you around manufacturing, but that is just this whole growth of AI, artificial intelligence. And really, how it's impacting us because I think some people think there's nothing, then other people are like, it's everything. Give us a little insight. How is that really starting to impact the manufacturing side of your business? 

Jeff Grimland: Sure, sure. So a perfect example is we're using vision systems to monitor parts of the process and the programming behind the vision system is aware, knows what the standard is. And if material's out of place, employees aren't where they're supposed to be or whatever the case, we can control the machinery based on what the cameras are seeing. That's just one example and  that's leading to a safer work environment to help us take care of our employees. It's leading to a cleaner work environment. It's leading to a more efficient environment and  leads to higher grade quality product to the end user because it's keeping us in control of the machinery at a higher level. And that's just one example. 

Jeff Grimland: A second example would be a forklift safety. We are constantly striving to make pedestrian and forklift safety interactions, either eliminate those and  where we can 100% eliminate, use AI technology and other end devices to control the forklift to actually be able to get the forklift to stop moving or to reduce power, things of that nature. And so, we're partnering up with well-known forklift companies to pursue some of these activities. And some of that technology exists off the shelf, we are working with a couple of suppliers to generate that next level of activity. And so, AI is the future and we're having some fun with it. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah, I'm actually kind of fascinated here because I thought about, I've been on plant tours where I see it, using video to videotape the production and then having AI check that. And so instead of always having the quality control of humans, now we have at such a higher level. So that vision system, I was kind of expecting to hear something like that, but when you say forklifts, I'm like, wow, now that's really focused in on your employees and the protection and safety. That's really impressive. 

Jeff Grimland: Look, absolutely. And you know what? Those in the field that are handling material with forklifts, our end users, the distributors, a lot of this technology is available off the shelf as well and  we want everyone using this. There's more accidents with forklifts and pedestrians in the United States than people realize. Very serious accidents, it's a very high injury rate. And so we're focused on it as a company and we're not the only ones, but I would encourage all forklift using companies to focus in on this where appropriate. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah, I mean, that makes so much sense, the safety and being able to use technology like that and AI. So as we kind of move on with that, it seems like, I love the fact that you are focused in on innovation, safety, taking care of your customers and  really knowing those customers overall. How does such a large firm, how does such a large company continue to do that innovation? I mean, coming up with the thoughts of... I mean and  I am sure a lot of it's data, that these are things we have to focus on, but really, what are some of your strategies? And Anson, maybe we'll start with you, your strategies for to be able to keep innovating like you all do? 

Anson Johnson: Yeah. Well, it takes a couple of different forms. One, innovation has been a core competency for USG. Like as I mentioned earlier, even in those lean years of 2007, 2008, 2009, we never lost our commitment to innovate on our products. So in Libertyville, Illinois, we have our corporate innovation center and there's almost 100 people there- 

Heidi Ellsworth: Wow. 

Anson Johnson: ... dedicated to the innovation of all of our products. And they range from PhDs to engineers to leadership. It's a very large range of people working together to innovate around our products. So, innovation at the corporate level has always been there and will continue to do so. 

Anson Johnson: When we talk about our manufacturing facilities, we're never happy with where we currently are when it comes to things like safety. Jeff can talk about safety at our firm. We are absolutely focused on safety, have been since the inception of the firm, but even more so now. And so maybe you can throw in a little on safety because I think it is, I won't do it justice. It's so built into the DNA of who we are and it's so important. 

Jeff Grimland: Yeah, absolutely, I can tell a quick story on this. Incident I went out to a large conference room on the corner of the plant this morning at 8:00 AM and helped kick off what we call fundamentals of safety. And these are hourly supervisors and up, we've trained hundreds of people this year, hundreds of people every year on this type of program. And so we've got supervisors from roughly six different facilities in the United States that travel to Florida to spend three days with our safety, some of our safety experts, some of our leadership experts, to learn about how to be courageous and how to observe safety, how to implement the rules appropriately and  how to look out for one another. And so, that's probably the best way to describe it. There's an investment in our people that never stops on safety. 

Anson Johnson: It's not something that we just throw out there as a corporate buzzword. It's part of our DNA. Every person who works here, that's a badge of honor and  we take safety pretty seriously. 

Jeff Grimland: Yeah. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I think a lot of times people don't realize how much in common we have. Right? So if you think about roofing companies, what are some of their biggest challenges? Safety, labor, installation, having the right products, having trusted partners like you talked about before. So as you guys are talking about this, I really love that. I think every contractor out there right now can relate, safety, safety, safety. Right? It's the number one thing. What are some of the biggest challenges that you think manufacturing, along with safety, of course, manufacturing contractors are both experiencing? Jeff, let's start with you. What are some of those challenges that you're also seeing out there with the contractors? 

Jeff Grimland: Yeah, so the largest challenge we have seen since COVID, I'll keep it to that timeframe, has been just turnover, just keeping valuable employees within the company. And we have doubled down our efforts as an organization, working very closely with HR, employee relations, manufacturing leadership, our corporate LT, this the full group and  we are laser focused on improving that and  we've made great results. 

Jeff Grimland: Things that we have focused on is improving work-life balance.People want a life outside of work too and  they want also a predictable work schedule. So we've worked on just being like, we call it 10-day schedule compliance, but it's trying to let our teams that are making product know this is what the next 10 days looks like for you, just as an example. So and  we've also worked on compensation benefits and all of that and  we're pleased with the results. We're not done, we're not done, but we are pleased with the results. 

Jeff Grimland: And through these efforts, we're also seeing, we do engagement surveys on an annual basis. It's one of the ways that we want to hear from our employees, not the only, but it's one of. And we're seeing our engagement go up because of these activities. And we were also just listed as a great place to work, we just got certified as a great place to work. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I love it. 

Jeff Grimland: Literally two weeks ago. So not only are we making it a better place to work and improving retention and lowering turnover, the folks that are with us are having a better experience. And it's not a destination, that's a journey and  we're making progress. 

Anson Johnson: Yeah and  I think the other thing I would add to that is we're trying really hard to listen to our customers. Quick example is, we make four by eight sheets of roofing material and  many of our customers came and said, "We need that cut in half. We need four by fours because of roof placement and weight and traversing across the roof." And so, we're listening. We are trying to listen to our contractors, our customers and  how can we make them more successful? We can't meet that in every market every time, but we are listening and trying to solve their problems as well. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. I love that, because I think that's really where the cross section comes in that you're trying to take care of your customers, the contractors. The contractors are trying to take care of their customers, the building owners. And really, when you put all this together, it makes this beautiful triangle of success, what can happen out there and as we put things together. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I know and  one things I wanted to touch on earlier too is, I know when it comes to contractors, just like you said, Anson, the different sizes, listening to them, what do they need? But there's also with the labor shortage, with the change in the types of labor with the technology on the roof, there is this need for increased productivity too. And so I would love for you to talk just a little bit about your UltraLight and how that is really changing things for the contractors out there and how you're really hearing them on what they need to increase that productivity and safety for their workers. 

Anson Johnson: Yeah. 

Jeff Grimland: So, I'll hit on it briefly. I spent a three-year stint as a regional quality manager here in Florida 15, 16 years ago. And then I went on to be the plant manager of our Torrance, California's facility and  was able to observe in real time the acceptance of UltraLight in the field. And it still baffles me to this day to think about someone carrying a four by eight panel by themself, because when I started with a company, that really wasn't the case. I mean, you could do it, but it wasn't like it is today. And then that UltraLight technology is working its way through many of our product families and product offerings. And customers appear to like it and they appear to be more efficient and productive because of it. 

Anson Johnson: Yeah, if a product's 30% lighter, you can hang a lot more of it in the same amount of time. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Anson Johnson: That was one of the things that we listened to our customers and said, "We have to make this easier. We have to make changes for certain markets that demand this." And so I think again, it's our commitment to innovating and listening to our customers. 

Heidi Ellsworth: And it really comes back down to everything we've talked about so far. Extreme weather, how do you make it more durable on the roof? Light or UltraLight? How do you make it easier to install but still perform? I mean, those are kind of innovations that... And I'm sorry, but I got to go back because I just love the fact how you said, "Even 2007, 2008, I was out in the field, I was selling, I was a regional manager." I remember how hard it was to keep things going and  so for you to be so committed to innovation during that time of the Great Recession too and  then through COVID, everything else that we've had, that just says so much for your company. 

Anson Johnson: Yeah, I do think it's one of the pinnacles of our success. We have not ever took our foot off the accelerator of innovation and  it's helped us innovate through these difficult periods and time when our customers had different demands. 

Heidi Ellsworth: It's so good. Okay, one thing that I know about you guys and that I would love for you to comment on, is that USG has four pillars of strategy, right? And those pillars are really a lot of what helps with the innovation that we're talking about. I think these pillars are so critical and really kind of speak to why you are so successful and  I'll just say them here real quick. Customers, people, performance and committed to future generations, which I think is my favorite. Anson, you're just nodding. Can you talk a little bit about how you use those every day? And then Jeff, how you use those in manufacturing, how it really kind of forms that base culture of your company? 

Anson Johnson: Yeah. I think we talked about our purpose statement and these four pillars align perfectly under our purpose statement. And so what I love about what we're doing at USG is, every employee could recite our purpose and those four areas. And so when you think about getting everyone to row the boat at the same time with a cadence, we know those things, we understand them. When we go to meet about whether it's product delivery or whether it's product innovation or product sales, we look at it through those lenses. What do our customers need? We are laser focused on what that customer needs. And the others that we talked about, people and performance and committed to our future generations. When you have that framework, your decisions just simply get better. We look through that framework and we make better decisions whether we should discontinue a product, yes or no? Should we purchase this entity, yes or no? It really aligns those four core values for us. 

Jeff Grimland: Yeah and  I want to hop in because we are turned this direction for a reason, because on this wall I see four pillars. I see our customers, our people, our performance and  our future. This wall is a CI wall, it's continuous improvement wall and  there's copies of the business plan, there's a reflection process, there's an accountability board. And we are working diligently to stay aligned with our leadership team from the top, our owners, leadership team and  all the way to the entry level employee that's been with us six months, to all have the same focus on these items. 

Jeff Grimland: And I'll give you one teaser from that. Under committed to future generations, that includes sustainability. There was a conversation in this room today during the manager reflection meeting, so you have all your department managers and plant manager. And there was a need for some capital investment to help reduce water consumption in one part of the process. That leads to, of course, less water usage but also less energy on the other side of the process, less energy and all that can be done with the same strength characteristics and the same performance characteristics because we're partnering up with our technical resources in the company, including our innovation center to run trials and all this and figure out the right way to do it.And so those pillars are not just for this consumption, those pillars are consumption all the way across the board. And when you walk into our manufacturing plants throughout North America, you're going to see a very, very similar continuous improvement mindset around those four pillars. 

Anson Johnson: Yeah. 

Heidi Ellsworth: That's incredible. And it really takes us right back to really the core and  that is your customers and that relationship with your customers, because who doesn't want to hear that you care about future generations, right? Who doesn't? That you care about your people, that you care about your customers, that you care about performance. I just think all of that really comes back to that customer and that customer success. 

Heidi Ellsworth: So, one of the things I would love to hear from you two is, we talked about what are you most excited about in 2025. But what are some of the exciting opportunities in manufacturing that is happening right now? And Jeff, let's start with you, that contractors can benefit from, knowing that they're coming from these pillars, they're coming from these core values. What are you bringing in? What should contractors get excited about? 

Jeff Grimland: I'll take a stab at one. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Okay. 

Jeff Grimland: I don't want to tip the hat to some innovation or something that's taking place in the background because that's happening all the time. It's happening everywhere in our company and it's happening all the time. 

Jeff Grimland: But one that customers can be excited about, is we are focusing highly on metrics around delivery time. Just, the customer's ordering it, when do they want it, as compared to when do we get it to them? There's so many moving parts to that, truck slots, product available at the time of order, is product scheduling for production? There's a lot of people working on that in the background and that is something, I'm looking at it right now on this wall on the other side that I can't show you. I'm looking right at it. And that's just one example. We want to improve that, we want to improve getting it to the customer, the end user when they need it, when they want it, quickly, safely and  things like that. So, I don't know if that's a fair thing. 

Anson Johnson: Oh, it totally is and  it's under this umbrella called the perfect order. We analyze all of that and  that's a key metric from the CEO down. The perfect order is, there is a statistic published every month on how we're doing, green, yellow or  red, in relation to the perfect order. 

Anson Johnson: But I think the other thing that I will say is, Jeff and I sat down today and said, "How do we ensure that the products we make are in the right places so that our contractors can have them when they want them?" Every firm out there is trying to do just in time. I don't want to get a bunch of inventory and sit on it. And so, we have a robust supply chain organization at our firm and we're looking at, how do we ensure that we have some metrics around the right products in the right places at the right times?And so we found some things today where a couple of our warehouses were a little thin on product that we said, "Hey, let's talk with supply chain. Let's enter into this conversation and figure out what's best for USG. Not for me or Jeff, but what's best for the company." So I think we're committed to what our customers need, where they need it and when they need it. 

Anson Johnson: We're not perfect. We have a lot of work to do, but we have really smart people that have worked here 27 years focused on things like that because it matters. It matters to us and  all things under that customer pillar are real. 

Heidi Ellsworth: You just made a lot of contractors very happy, in the perfect order, knowing nothing's perfect, but the fact that you are striving for that. That, as you all know better than I do, that is one of the most important things for a contractor is to be able to get their product when they need it and start the job on time and deliver. 

Anson Johnson: Yeah and  we do not have it perfect. So please, when we use that term, that's because we want to approach that perfection. Our CEO demands that and  it's the right thing to do. It should be very simple. Our customers want good quality products that we manufacture. They should be able to call our amazing customer service center or contact us online to get those products and  then we deliver them when they want them and invoice them properly. It sounds very simple, but it's very complicated, but we're trying to make that simpler, more simple every day. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah, I just love that. I love all of this. And so for those contractors out there who are like, this rocks, as pun intended. But as they're trying to stay, what's some of the things that they can do, contractors can do with your team to stay connected, to really be able to get more connected to build those relationships? What are some of the things that they can do right now? 

Anson Johnson: Yeah, I'll take a stab at that, Jeff. Our customer service center is amazing. And when we did a study on roofing earlier this year, we wanted to find out how we could be better, how we could go into markets that needed our products. So we did a survey and  we didn't plan for this but the survey came back and said, "USG's customer service department is amazing. The people there are fantastic. They provide what we need. It's nice to pick up the phone and get a person. A person who's friendly, polite, knowledgeable and  can answer questions and deliver." So we're very proud of our customer service center. We're also improving our digital customer experience. A lot of people want to reach out to us digitally. That is something we are absolutely listening to our customers and trying to tune that equation to get us where we need to go. 

Anson Johnson: So I think I would say we want to hear, we want to listen from those amazing contractors and the people that use our products. And then we need to make changes that help drive their business, our business, to make us both successful. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Jeff Grimland: Absolutely and  what I'll add to it is in the last couple of weeks we had a sales manager, sales reps in the state of Texas and  a lot of end users that travel to our Sweetwater, Texas plant, they spend a day in the facility. We mine the rock on site and go all the way to finished product being loaded on trucks and leaving the facility. And so the contractors, customers and the sales folks tour the entire facility. And then as crazy as it may sound, they then go down to the world's largest rattlesnake roundup and get to the snake handling and all things like that and  so it's a big draw for that facility. 

Jeff Grimland: But what the groups get out of it both directions is a conversation about how to make things better. You get to learn what each other's doing and then have a conversation on how to make it better. And this has been going on for several years, five, 10 years and  it's cool. And so that type of opportunity as far as the roundup is not available everywhere, but the plant tour is and  that's something that can be worked out with the sales organization, probably be the number one contact for that. 

Anson Johnson: Yeah and  in our innovation center in Libertyville, if folks are local to that, we open that up at a few points during the year to go through and see firsthand how we're innovating our products. So I think that's another example of us being committed to that process. The campus is very impressive and it's working, it's been working for us. 

Heidi Ellsworth: All I know is, sign me up. I want to do a plant tour and I want to go to the innovation center, love that kind of stuff. One of my favorite things are plant tours and  I know, a little nerdy, but love to see how it works and how everything is made. I mean, I think for every contractor out there, get in touch with your local rep, get in touch, right? You can get them online, you can obviously find USG on RoofersCoffeeShop in their directory and  ask, get a plant tour. And if you're in the right part of the country, do the rattlesnake roundup. I'm not sure about that one, Jeff. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Well, the one last thing that I also know about the two of you that I have to ask as we're going into spring and it is getting a little bit nicer outside. I understand you are both Harley riders and  so how is the spring weather looking and are the bikes out yet? 

Anson Johnson: The spring weather in Illinois is still kind of on its way in, but my bike's ready to go and I'm sure yours has been out numerous times down in Texas. 

Jeff Grimland: Yeah, so my wife and kids and I ride dirt bikes as well. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Oh my, there you go. 

Jeff Grimland: All four of us and  it's dirt bike season year round. And so we're already doing the single track enduro and  I was on a motorcycle just this past weekend. And had both my kids for spring break, they're both college age. Their spring breaks didn't align, but they were able to overlap for three or four days. So we spent that three or four days on dirt bikes and  so, life is good. 

Anson Johnson: Yeah. 

Jeff Grimland: And [inaudible 00:37:48]- 

Heidi Ellsworth: As we keep talking about how much alike you are with contractors, right there. That said it all. 

Jeff Grimland: And then I have to say, I get up Saturday morning and take my first big trip of the year. We're headed out to New Mexico on adventure bikes and we ride... And your contractors need to Google this, BDR, back country discovery routes. And so I'll be riding the New Mexico BDR for five, six days starting Saturday. 

Jeff Grimland: So we sleep, you get up and make your coffee in the morning in a Jetboil and  then you ride all day and then you sleep on the ground and get up, make coffee in the Jetboil and  hit repeat. Life is good. 

Anson Johnson: Wow. I had no idea you're that cool. 

Jeff Grimland: I'm not. I just like riding a motorcycle. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I love it. Well, from innovation to the customer relations to bike riding, I have to tell you, you guys got it all. Thank you so much for spending time with me today. This has just been delightful and I'm excited for contractors to get to know you better. 

Anson Johnson: Thanks for having us on the show, Heidi. 

Jeff Grimland: Nice to meet you. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Nice to meet you. Thank you so much. And please check out the USG directory, all this information is on there along with some other great podcasts. I have to tell you, USG keeps bringing the best podcasts, so informative, I just love them. So please check that out, along with all of our podcasts under the read, listen, watch navigation Under Roofing Road Trips. Be sure to subscribe and set your notifications so you don't miss a single episode. We'll be seeing you next time on Roofing Road Trips. 

Outro: If you've enjoyed the ride, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and join us on every roofing adventure. Make sure to visit RoofersCoffeeShop.com to learn more. Thanks for tuning in and  we'll catch you on the next Roofing Road Trip. 

By Emma Peterson.

Hear all about the Canadian Roofing Expo from Alex Tolle and Megan Ellsworth!

This was the first year that The Coffee Shops™ crew have made it to the Canadian Roofing Contractor’s Association (CRCA)’s biannual Roofing Expo. This is Canada’s only dedicated show for roofing systems and technologies and features over 150 exhibitors, education sessions and demonstrations. This also marked the release of our Canadian domain site, rooferscoffeeshop.ca!  

While there, Alex Tolle and Megan Ellsworth (with Zane DeLuccie running camera) made sure to livestream and showcase the incredible expo! From interviews with friends and partners in Canada, like S-5! and TRA Snow and Sun, to a live episode of Roofing Road Trips®, they brought the show to anyone who wasn’t able to be there in person.  

Near the end of the show, as everything was winding down, they also made sure to take a moment to share some of their highlights of the show. For one, just exploring the Canadian market in person was an invaluable opportunity. Alex explained, “It’s amazing seeing so many new people that we don't get to see in the States very often and learning about what's different in Canada versus the U.S. The energy in here is great, I heard yesterday they had 2,200 registrations, which is a lot higher than previous years!”  

One of those differences that Alex and Megan noticed was the emphasis on green roofing in Canada. Alex elaborated, “One of the biggest differences that I noticed was there's a big push for green roofing. There were probably four or five booths that are just promoting vegetation on the roof or some other sort of green roof and it's fascinating.” One of these booths even happened to be running a demonstration near our booth! Megan shared a bit of what they saw, saying, “They were doing demos using SOPREMA low slope drains and also USG coverboards. The demo showcased how you put a layer of coverboard, then a layer of ice and water shield, then another layer of what looked like felt and then the layer of the vegetation. It was really cool to see.”  

Megan also got the chance to chat with a few people about this push for green roofing and found out that it’s not just fueled by the roofing industry, city and provincial policies are also pushing for it. Megan explained, “I learned new builds in Toronto and in the Ontario province specifically now are required to have at least 50% either green roof or solar reflective roof.”

Make sure to watch Alex and Megan's entire recap to learn more about their highlights of CRE 2025! Also, you can check out all their livestreams on demand on the RoofersCoffeeShop® YouTube channel.

With a history of innovation and a focus on future-proofing, the USG Securock® Brand Roof Board portfolio continues to set the bar for high-performance roof cover boards.

 
USG Securock® Brand Roof Board Portfolio

USG Corporation (“USG”) — an industry-leading manufacturer of building materials and innovative solutions — is proud to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Securock® Brand Roof Boards, a milestone that reflects two decades of innovation, resilience and performance in the roofing industry. Since its introduction, Securock® Brand has evolved into a trusted and comprehensive building envelope portfolio, helping contractors and specifiers future-proof roofs across North America with its high-performing roof board solutions.

“When we launched Securock® Brand Gypsum-Fiber Roof Board in 2005, we set out to solve real-world challenges in roofing — durability, moisture resistance and severe weather protection,” said Anson Johnson, vice president, Gypsum Materials, USG Corporation. “Twenty years later, we’re proud that Securock® Brand continues to deliver and exceed those promises.”

Securock® Brand has continually pushed the boundaries of what roofing materials can achieve. Today, the product line includes four distinct roof cover boards, each engineered to meet evolving performance standards for fire, mold and moisture resistance, impact protection and ease of installation.

“For 20 years, Securock® Brand has helped roofing professionals deliver higher-performing roof systems with greater speed, safety and confidence,” said Derrick Hutchinson, director of sales, Roofing, USG Corporation. “And we’re just getting started.”

A legacy of solving industry challenges

Securock® Brand entered the market at a time when the industry was dominated by a single gypsum cover board option. USG’s entry brought not only competition but transformation — delivering improved puncture resistance, stronger bond strength and higher wind uplift ratings with fewer fasteners.

One of its key innovations lies in the proprietary homogeneous formulation of Securock® Brand Gypsum-Fiber Roof Board. Unlike traditional cover boards that include facers, Gypsum-Fiber Roof Board features a no-facer design that eliminates the risk of delamination and enhances bond strength across the roofing system. This unique construction delivers superior compressive strength and long-term durability — critical advantages for high-performance roofing applications that demand consistent, reliable protection.

 
USG Securock® Brand Gypsum-Fiber Roof Board

Another key innovation that sets Securock® Brand apart is its UltraLight technology. Designed with jobsite efficiency in mind, Securock® Brand UltraLight Coated and Uncoated Glass-Mat Roof Boards are up to 18% lighter than competitive products — an advantage that pays off in both speed and safety. 

“Lighter boards mean crews can move faster with less fatigue, reducing strain and helping mitigate risk during installation,” said Hutchinson. “For contractors facing tight timelines and labor challenges, this innovation supports greater productivity without sacrificing performance standards.” 

 
Securock® Brand UltraLight Coated Glass-Mat Roof Board being installed at the Terminal 5 expansion of the Chicago O’Hare International Airport

"Securock® Brand Roof Boards helped redefine what a cover board can do," said Johnson. "We came into this industry being innovative, enhancing the resiliency and longevity of roofing systems for years to come.”

Future-proofing the next generation of roofs

Today’s environment demands even more from building materials — especially in the face of more frequent and extreme weather events. That’s where Securock® Brand Roof Board’s “Future-Proof Your Roof” message takes center stage.

“Weather resilience is a business-critical factor now,” said Hutchinson. “We’re engineering our boards not just to pass tests, but to help customers plan for what's next. That includes lighter materials, smarter installation strategies and long-term value.”

To stay ahead of trends, USG invites customers to its Corporate Innovation Center to engage directly with USG’s technical teams, sharing insights that help shape next-gen product development.

 
Puncture durability demonstration comparing a ½ in. HD ISO cover board and a ½ in. Securock® Brand Gypsum-Fiber Roof Board, illustrating Securock® Brand Roof Boards’ superior resistance to damage.

Looking ahead and leading forward

As the roofing industry pushes toward lower carbon emissions and higher durability standards, USG plans to continue leading the charge. With the expertise of its manufacturer reps in the field and a growing portfolio of performance-driven products, the company is focused on listening to customers, anticipating their challenges and delivering the tools they need to succeed.

“We’ve spent the last 20 years innovating alongside our customers,” said Johnson. “Our goal for the next 20 is to stay at the forefront of performance, safety and sustainability — building not just better roofs, but a better industry.”

For more on USG’s vision for the future of roofing — and to explore the full Securock® Brand roof board portfolio, technical specs and project resources — visit usg.com/roofcoverboard. 

About USG Corporation

USG Corporation is an industry-leading manufacturer of building products and innovative solutions. Headquartered in Chicago, USG serves construction markets worldwide through its Gypsum and Ceilings businesses in the U.S., Canada and Latin America. USG wall, ceiling, flooring, sheathing, roofing and interior finishing products enable customers to build outstanding spaces where people live, work and play. For additional information, visit www.usg.com. 

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Senior Director of Supply Chain Matt Sylvester and Senior Director of Procurement Matthias Ruegge from USG. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast.

Intro: Welcome to Roofing Road Trips, the podcast that takes you on a thrilling journey across the world of roofing. From fascinating interviews with roofing experts to on the road adventures, we'll uncover the stories, innovations and challenges that shape the rooftops over our heads. So fasten your seat belts and join us as we embark on this exciting roofing road trip.

Hello and welcome to Roofing Road Trips from Roofer's Coffee Shop. My name is Heidi Ellsworth and one of the topics for the last five years has been supply chain and what's happening out there. We see a lot of great progress, but we really don't know. So we asked the experts at USG to come and visit with us about supply chain and really building a resilient supply chain, which is important for everyone's business. So I am very happy to welcome Matt Sylvester and Mattias Ruegge to the show. Welcome, gentlemen.

Matt Sylvester: Thank you.

Mattias Ruegge: Good afternoon.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: I think I said that it should be Ruegge. Is that right, Mattias?

Mattias Ruegge: That's perfect. Absolutely, you nailed.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: I'm getting close here. That is great. Well, let's start with some introductions. So Matt, can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your role at USG?

Matt Sylvester: Yeah, my name's Matt Sylvester. I'm the senior director of supply chain at USG Supply chain has different functions depending on what company you work with. For USG, it really consists of supply chain planning, the operations, inbound-outbound logistics and transportation. We manage from a geographical standpoint everything in the US and Canada. That includes our full product portfolio, Sheetrock brand products and Sheetrock brand roughing products, two examples. And I've been with the company for 24 years.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: 24 years. Wow. Congratulations. That's awesome. Mattias, if you could introduce yourself and tell us what's your role with USG.

Mattias Ruegge: Absolutely. So first of all, thanks for the invitation. I'm very honored to be here, Heidi and nice to meet you. So my name is Mattias Ruegge and we were going back and forth on the pronunciation. German name, originally from Germany, moved to the US in 2011. I'm the senior director of procurement, responsible for procuring all our raw materials in North America that go into basically all our final products. So that includes our roughing products, but also Sheetrock and so forth.

We're also responsible for capital procurement services, all the indirect side and also energy. I joined USG three years ago basically at the height of the supply chain disruptions. So that was an interesting start and we talk about resiliency today. So that was really a start, that was basically putting out fires on a day-to-day basis. So excited to talk about this today,

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Really, I mean, you came in, I mean talk about coming into the battle as the battle was going. That was everything. And I think a lot of times contractors don't always, I realize they do realize it, but maybe even as consumers, we don't realize how much goes in. It's not just getting that product to us, but it's everything that goes into that product also. So I'm excited to talk about that. So Matt, let's start with you. Can you tell us a bit about supply chains? What are some of the components that people are less aware of, kind of like what we're talking about? How does that all work?

Matt Sylvester: Yeah, so I'll focus on manufacturing specifically. That's kind of my area of expertise, but I would just say overall they have very long tentacles. So they're not contained within USG. We're dealing with our suppliers, our suppliers' suppliers. We're dealing with our customers and at times our customers' customers. So it's very broad. I would say, when I look at USG, one of the critical supply chain decisions we've made is to be vertically integrated in some parts of our businesses. We control our rock supply, we control our paper supply. So those key raw materials where you need ownership, we've made those investments.

On the manufacturing standpoint, I would say people are very aware of the outbound logistics quite a bit, especially contractors. Is a truck showing up on time? Are all the products available at the time I order? But it's really the inbound piece that takes the most amount of work, making sure that we have the raw materials in place at our plants to produce the products. If we miss a truck or raw material and we shut a plant down, it doesn't matter if we don't have a truck on the outbound side.

So we manage 80 different vehicle types. We do everything, rail, barge, lakers, trains, trucks. And the other thing we have is a nationwide footprint. So we don't have a nationwide manufacturing footprint for all of our products, but some of the products we do and we're able to utilize that from a warehousing perspective to redistribute our inventories and put them in place closer to the market so they're more readily available when the customer wants them.

And the other thing that I think may be a blind spot for some people when they think about supply chain is how much time we spend on planning. Planning and supply chain is huge. We have monthly plans, weekly plans, daily plans and this really helps us execute. And then when things go wrong, creating all those plans allows us to understand our constraints. We talk with sales on regular basis, understand customer needs. So when issues arise, we're able to make quick decisions and work our way out of any hole we may be in hopefully before it impacts our customers.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Having a little bit of a crystal ball is really important, isn't it, Matt?

Matt Sylvester: Yeah, sometimes that crystal ball can be pretty foggy. The other thing that you always hear the bad things about supply chains, it can actually be a very rewarding career as well. If you like solving problems, you like being in the middle of the day to day, the hustle, it can be very rewarding as well.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Yeah, it sounds fun. It's like a big puzzle, making sure that it all works together. Mattias, talk to us a little bit about what Matt's saying and that is sourcing it to make sure everything is getting manufactured, the plants are running, everything is, talk to us a little bit about that.

Mattias Ruegge: So we're basically moving upstream in our supply chain really towards our suppliers. And the way you have to picture this is we have hundreds of suppliers with the raw materials and very different things from recycled paper, from minerals, metals, additives, chemical additives and so forth. And all these supply chains look very, very different. And so we have very short and local supply chains for our minerals especially. So these are heavy low-value products in many cases. Think of calcium carbonates or other minerals that go into our products. And then you have chemical additives, for example, that are globally sourced and these suppliers in Asia or Europe are also sourcing globally. So much extended supply chains with a lot of potential breakpoints and also risks. And they're dealing with very different risks than for example, a local small supplier that is close by. So this is basically what you have to think of in terms of managing risks and also how diverse the different parties and supply chains we are dealing with are. That helps.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: So what are some of the things, I mean we know Covid, we're just going to put that out there. Covid was a disruptor. But it goes a lot deeper than that of why it was a disruptor. So Matt, what are some of the things that can disrupt that supply chain that maybe us as consumers, contractors, we just aren't aware of some of those disruptions.

Matt Sylvester: So there's a lot of things that can go wrong within supply chain. One of the things I talk to my team about is really controlling the controllables. So no self-inflicted wounds. Working with our customers and understanding demand and demand spikes that may be coming up. That's something within our control. Capital planning and the downtime. So we spend millions and millions of dollars investing in our network of plants. So how we manage those investments, when plants go down, how we manage the inventories around that are all within our control.

And then just unplanned downtime. Manufacturing plants, they're not 100% reliable. You should expect them to go down and putting standard work and stuff around that. And really controlling the controllables before it gets to the customer is our primary focus. But then there's the other non-controllables. The COVIDs, the transportation rail embargoes, high rivers, labor strikes, port strikes and weather and hurricane season. So one of the things, you can't plan for a hurricane per se, but you know they're going to come and you know they're going to come between August and November. And you know it's either going to hit on the Gulf Coast or the East Coast or the United States are the higher risk. So how do you mitigate that and bring in raw materials, make sure you have healthy inventories across your network heading into those seasons, making sure that your capital plans have already been executed for the plants close to the ports are all key in just managing disruptions that may come.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: There's a lot of disruptions. I mean all those things you just mentioned, I'm like going, yeah, it's all the stuff we see in the news every night. One of the things you didn't mention and Mattias would love, we won't get into really the politics, but there's a lot that goes on too that disruptions that can come from geopolitics or even from international.

Mattias Ruegge: No, that's right. And also for those you can't prepare a hundred percent. So the way we typically try to think about this is 70% planning and the rest is just scrambling. And this really starts early on when we look at our different raw material categories, we try to think of how critical is this raw material really for what we are doing? How critical is it for the performance of our product? And then how many options are out there? Can we easily switch? How critical are the suppliers that we're working with? How long does it take you to qualify a new supplier, for example?

So based on that and really doing that planning work helps us to identify the critical points in our supply chain and also the suppliers that are extremely important that we want to plan around and we want to have deep relationships and partnerships to make sure that some of those risks are mitigated.

I mean, talking about global implications, we're talking about tariffs, we're talking about potential political instability in certain countries, export limitations and so forth. This is something we try to plan poor so that we always, if for example, we have a supplier from a more risky region, that we also have a secondary supplier or a threat supplier that is maybe more closer by or in another country so that we can easily switch, if it helps.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Yeah, it does because it really has me thinking through a lot of this. And I know when we went through the material shortages and the supply chain after Covid, how important it was, Matt, for contractors to be aware of this and to have... I love what you just said, Matthias, about building relationships with your suppliers, but then also how important it is for contractors to build relationships with their suppliers and really how that can go. So maybe Matt, talk a little bit about contractors understanding disruptions, understanding how important the relationships are to kind of work together to get past those.

Matt Sylvester: So one of the processes we have in place to help get contractor and customer feedback is our sales and operations planning process. So every month we'll sit down in a meeting with Tiffany and Derek, who's our director of sales for our roofing products and really understand what their customers are wanting in terms of demand, skew mix, geographical location, so we can run that through our operating models and put that inventory in place for when they want it. So that communication that comes from the customers directly gets passed on to supply chains, we're able to execute. So I would say that's key.

Another thing, when you're doing planning, we're not going to be able to correct all the issues. There are going to be times when things go wrong, but companies that really focus on planning and resiliency shouldn't be blindsided. So hopefully we can give you as much of a heads-up as possible if we think we are going to have a delay. So that communication does work both ways. So you can better plan labor, crane times, whatever's impacting the job site.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Put that through. What are, kind of taking that next step. So as contractors are understanding their suppliers, understanding what they're doing, what are some of the practices that you all have put into place to make the supply chain more resilient? I think it's important that contractors actually understand what does help that and that they can ask those questions as they're making decisions on who they're going to work with.

Matt Sylvester: So I just touched on the sales and operations planning, so that is a key one. But then we also do daily production planning. We do daily transportation planning. Some products have to be railed three weeks in advance to get to the market so they can be shipped. So there is a long lead time in terms of just distributing product to the market.
And then good inventory planning, having healthy inventories is key, especially when you look at our roofing demand. It's highly cyclical. So you see a peak in the summertime, it trails off in the winter, but that's not the same in every geography. Florida is much different than Northeast. So understanding all of those trends allows us to position our inventories better. So if you have jobs that may be outside of those trends or a unique product that you don't buy that much, that information would be extremely helpful when we're thinking about how we're managing our operations and positioning our inventory.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: And what about the moving away, I know before Covid we very much were becoming a just-in-time with manufacturing planning, but now we're moving away from that a little bit. It seems like there's a little bit of a balancing going on there. Matthias or Matt?

Mattias Ruegge: I think the balancing is actually an important word or an important concept because obviously you can mitigate all risks, not all risks, but you can a lot of risks by throwing a lot of money at it. But at the same time we also want to be cost-competitive. So with everything we do, we always have to manage the trade-off between cost and supply resiliency. So for example, if you split up your volumes and I'm talking from a supplier perspective, you split up your volumes, so you get less discounts. So you always have to balance these and you have multiple of these trade-offs that you have to keep in mind.

So really for those critical items on the sourcing side that I just mentioned earlier, it's really important to have long-term partnerships. So really investing into those long-term partnerships, having commitments, volume commitments, long-term, actually going even beyond that and jointly develop new products, joint innovation, close integration on an RD side. So those are things that really help you develop relationships that when you're being punched in the face by an emergency, help you to really get out of this and mitigate and manage the situation appropriately.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: And Matt, kind of to that point when we're looking at getting it to the contractors and you mentioned this before but I kind of want to hit on it again, is that network, that network of warehouses, of manufacturing and of having enough inventory so it's not just in time in case anything happens. Talk to us a little bit about that. Because that seems like there's a lot of planning.

Matt Sylvester: So it is a lot of planning. The reason you do it is, one, to have inventory in place on the customer places the order, but you also understand all your constraints. How many rails can a warehouse receive in a week? So how long it's going to take to build up the inventory? So when are the plants going to have to produce the product? So that's all balancing. And we've got 46 plants, I think 176 production lines that we're balancing the entire network of U.S. and Canada. So it's really understanding all the constraints and building the plan in place so you can produce the raw material, have the right raw materials, produce the right finished good and place them appropriately for when the customer does place the order.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: One of the things we hit on just lately at the very beginning, but I think is well worth coming back to because when I think about and Mattias, I'm coming back to you because I think about some of the chemicals that weren't available after the freezes in Texas a couple of years ago and that really was the polyiso world, I believe, where that was hit. But natural disasters, I mean from snow and freezes that shut down plants to earthquakes to everything. And we're not talking just in the US-Canada, we're talking internationally that you're having to juggle to make sure that all of those natural disasters you're working around them. Talk a little bit about that and dealing with managing that.

Mattias Ruegge: So again, I think as I said earlier, I think it's all about the preparation sometimes years in advance, to make sure that for those critical raw materials that we really deem important to our product's performance, that we have backup plans so that we can switch. And that's also, that requires us to work with our suppliers, but also with our own formulators, with our R&D departments. But when the situation hits, when it actually happens. So you try to be ready, it hits and then you're able to either move to another supplier. If you can't, sometimes that's not that easy. It doesn't work immediately.

So what that requires really in those situations is close collaboration internally with our supply chain colleagues, with manufacturing, with our R&D colleagues to really make sure that we find an immediate response. And that requires sometimes some scrambling, but just making sure that we have open communication channels internally, everybody knows what needs to be done and who does what in order to make sure that we have products for our customers available. So there's not a single solution to it. But again, the 30% scrambling, you can also prepare for that by having emergency forums and platforms that you use. But it's really about open communication, collaboration and having a sense of urgency.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: And when you're looking forward and into the future of everything. I know one of the things is also innovation. Innovation that maybe it's time to change and use more common materials or having to switch. As you're looking at things right now and you're looking years in the future and you know that these chemicals are not going to be mined, maybe there's some problems, different things. How do you go about that innovation with you getting back with Matt working and I mean obviously all your scientists and everything.

Mattias Ruegge: So for us, giving you one example, a big theme for us is sustainability. So really coming up with innovation that is driving sustainability and sustainable final products. And that very often requires to reformulate and come up with solutions that are not there yet. So that's an important thing where we also have to rely on our suppliers to be innovative and come up with solutions and then we have to see if these solutions that they're proposing are actually performing as we need them to perform to actually make our customers happy.

So there's a lot of collaboration, again, collaboration is a word that I can probably use a hundred times a day between our teams, between our suppliers, our CSE, our manufacturing teams and Matt's supply chain teams to make sure that we keep the performance or even, I mean ideally enhance the performance of our products with sustainability in mind. So we want to reduce our CO2 emissions, but also have red list chemical free products. So those are important objectives where we need our suppliers to also contribute.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Matt?

Matt Sylvester: Yeah, I was going to say, when we think about agility and resiliency, our innovation team plays a huge role in that. They're able to reformulate quickly. Sometimes they have formulations already on the shelves, maybe they're a little bit higher cost, we're not using them, but that gives us an option to trade into. So we're not running our plants out of materials. It just may be a different formulation change or maybe a different supplier. So that really helps us a lot when you have specific issues like say around latex or something like that.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: And I like how you're both saying sometimes just the requirements of the industry, of the market, especially around sustainability or energy, those things are changing. So Matt, I'd really love you to share with the contractors out there, what they can do to be that great partner, to really help giving those insights, not just real quick for what's happening on jobs and stuff, but also what they're seeing from trends from the architects. I know you have a whole division on that, but how is some of that handled and what can people do?

Matt Sylvester: So one, timely and clear communication. So if they see things that could be innovative or if they're having issues, I bring those up with your sales reps, let them bring that back to our CIC so they can see if there's something we can do to help navigate any pains that they're feeling in the marketplace and on the job sites.

But then also if you got large jobs coming up, even if you understand that you need X amount of trucks over a certain period, getting that into our hands sooner allows us to prepare for it better and then we can manage the job and track it with our sales group. So if delays change or it gets bumped out a month or two, it's already in our planning process, it's already on our schedule to produce, it's already in our schedule to redistribute and ship to the customer. So I would just say timely, clear communication in terms of what you want and need and that's going to help us service you the best.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: And I know over the last couple of years, the contractors who have worked closely with their manufacturers who've worked closely with you, Matt and your team and Mattias, they are the ones who actually came out of a lot of the supply chain issues ahead and they were able to deliver to their building owners and to their customers or at least have that clear, concise communication because they knew. Mattias is saying how important it's for you to have that deep great relationship with your vendors and suppliers is the exact same thing for the contractors. So talk to us a little bit about contractors taking the time to build those relationships so that when these things do happen, you can work together as partners.

Mattias Ruegge: I can tell you, and it's not necessarily not talking about the immediate emergency where you have an immediate supply risk. But I think what I would encourage, what we are expecting from our suppliers also, but really makes the difference is to not only talk about the immediate product that they're using from us and think about, "Hey, what do you not like or what can be improved?" But really talk more generally and think more generally about the pain points that they're facing on a job site. So what keeps them up at night? What is something that they really need to be addressed somehow? And maybe they don't even necessarily think about us as a solution provider or someone who can actually solve for that problem, but maybe if we think outside the box, we find a totally different way of coming up with an innovative product that addresses their solution.

I think we have some good examples also in other business units and also the roofing side, but this is what we are expecting from our suppliers. Really having joint innovation sessions where we are talking about pain points and then coming up with creative solutions. Not all of them are valid at the end, but this open innovation or this open pain point sharing and discussing these pain points really leads to sometimes very unexpected outcomes. And so I think that's the long-term view, but the short-term view is always open communication. If you have an emergency, just reach out immediately, say what you need and what the issues are so that we can address.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: So one of the things, Matt, that you said early on and I just want to kind of end on that, is how enjoyable your job is. I love hearing that. That is just so fun. So really as you are solving the puzzles of the supply chains and the resiliency of supply chains, and I guess my final thing is some final thoughts to the contractors out there about this kind of unseen part of the business that is just so critical to their success. Basically your thoughts to the contractors on really understanding the supply chain that really they don't see a whole lot of, they don't get to see that part of the business and what a great job you all do.

Matt Sylvester: So sometimes I take that as a compliment. Sometimes when you get no feedback, that's a compliment that things are going right. Hopefully we're getting the negative feedback if things go wrong. So we can put corrective actions in place. But I would just say it's also important when you see things done well or you see something that you liked that was done, provide that feedback too because that's going to help us in terms of continuous improvement, training with our employees, et cetera. It is really going to go a long way and it might be something that we can replicate and scale across the network as well, whether it's for a certain contractor or a certain segment of our business.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: I love it. Great advice.

Mattias Ruegge: I can tell you, Heidi, on the sourcing side, procurement side, we are a bit detached from the contractors. We are a bit further upstream. But if you're working in a customer-centric organization and you learn about a win and you've contributed to the win, even though you're further upstream and you have helped something materialize or helped out to get to a great outcome, that's the most motivating thing and that really excites the teams. And I think also within USG the customer-centricity and that orientation towards the end customer who really uses our products and helping them win is super rewarding.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Okay, I love this podcast. This is something we don't get to do very often to really dive in and talk about this and how important it is to the industry. So I want to just say thank you to both of you. I have learned a lot, so informational and thank you for keeping the wheels rolling. Thank you for making everything happen in the industry.

Matt Sylvester: All right, thank you.

Mattias Ruegge: Absolute pleasure. Thank you, Heidi, it was great to meet you.

Outro: Thank you. Great to meet both of you. I look forward to talking again in the future. And for everybody out there listening, please check out the USG directory. See who your sales reps are, get that relationship and get the information back because you can obviously hear from this podcast that there is a lot of contractor-driven innovation going on at USG and it's exactly where you need to be. So check it out and get all that information. Also, please be sure to check out all of our podcasts under the read, listen, watch navigation, be sure to subscribe and set your notifications so you don't miss a single episode. We'll be seeing you next time on Roofing Road trips.

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