Holcim looks to ‘Elevate' roofing business with brand makeover

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The transition of Firestone Building Products' roofing, wall and lining systems to a new brand under the Holcim family of products is complete.

Holcim has announced that Firestone Building Products, acquired from Bridgestone in April 2021, is now Holcim's Building Envelope division, and Elevate is the new name for Firestone roofing, wall and lining systems. More than 2,000 employees comprise the Building Envelope division, roughly 95 percent of them having joined directly from Firestone Building Products last year. Holcim's range of building envelope solutions includes a portfolio of respected brands that provide breakthrough roofing, wall, lining, and waterpoofing solutions for commercial and residential customers around the world.

The acquisition was made to help Holcim diversify into the building materials sector, particularly roofing, said Jamie Gentoso, global head of solutions and productions for Holcim. Traditionally the Switzerland-based company focused on the concrete and cement business. However, under the new Elevate brand, Gentoso says customers experience the same high-level focus on products and service.

The Elevate brand name is on trusted products like RubberGard EPDM and UltraPly TPO, which originated under Firestone. The same network of licensed applicators and industry-leading warranties remain in place.

In addition to Elevate, other brands under Holcim include Gaco, which produces silicone, foam, acrylic and urethane waterproofing and insulation solutions; GenFlex roofing systems and components; and Malarkey Roofing Products, a manufacturer of sustainable, high-performance roofing shingles for commercial and residential structures. Holcim completed the acquisition of Malarkey Roofing Products March 1 and expects to achieve $4 billion in net sales from roofing by 2025. The addition of Malarkey includes its 500 employees and two U.S.-based plants and Portland, Ore., headquarters.

"We wanted to diversify and lower our capital-intensive focus," Gentoso said. "Getting into the roofing repair and restoration market is a strong strategic move for us." The acquisition allowed Holcim to invest further in environmentally sustainable, long-term products that meet the needs of many customers, she added. It also frees up cash flow to support other corporate investments.

The year-long brand integration plan was necessary because the acquisition included a three-year hold on the Firestone Building Products and Firestone brands. The new brand is being trademarked in more than 70 countries and plenty of time is needed to complete this task. The Holcim team also wanted to complete the branding within 12-15 months because there are many licenses and certificates that need to be updated.

As part of the branding initiative, agency team members interviewed employees, stakeholders, clients and others to help develop a solution that would meet external and internal needs. It was determined "Elevate" spoke to the innovation and quality of products Holcim offers to the market. While the core of the company remains the same, Holcim's building envelope division will be committed to developing the highest quality products and processes globally, raising the standards of building solutions by ensuring they are both innovative and sustainable, while also addressing local needs.

"What's most important about our brand is that the products and people have not changed," Gentoso said. "We wanted our own team to be comfortable with the brand before we marketed it (to clients) and that is exactly what happened. There were some strong emotions with the (old Firestone) brand, but we were able to communicate what we wanted to with the Elevate brand."

Spreading the word about the Elevate brand commenced as soon as the announcement was made in early June 2022. Clients and other stakeholders are being notified through traditional public relations, social media, direct contacts, digital marketing, paid advertisements and more. The goal was to create "hype" before, during and after the announcement, Gentoso said. These efforts include meeting with some of the division's largest customers.

"We've been very creative and thorough in our approach," Gentoso said.

Holcim will conduct more than $8 billion of business in the North American building materials market this year, Gentoso said. Its target audience is largely roofing contractors, but it also works directly with building owners, company operations executives and buyers of commercial roofs.

Holcim's Building Envelope division anticipates ongoing growth, including one new plant per year in North America. It currently operates 13 plants in the U.S., with a new one opening later this year in Salt Lake City. Another two plants are located in Europe. The company anticipates ongoing growth in green roofs and other sustainable products because of governmental mandates in Europe and a growing number of similar mandates, first in Canada and eventually in the U.S., Gentoso said.

The brand change also will be accompanied by a modernization of Holcim's Building Envelope division, which includes more investments in digitization, automation, a larger sales and marketing group, and the more efficient use of marketing data used to make informed decisions, Gentoso said. "We also want to hire a more diverse work force," she said. "About 24 percent of our work force is female and we can do better there and in other areas."