A Recommendation Report

Comtech Industries

Date: April 10, 2000
To: Maria Lopes, Executive Vice President
From: Joe Jacobs, General Manager, Operations

Re: Recommendation to Hire Slater Roofing to Repair the
Warehouse Roof

I recommend that we sign a contract with Slater Roofing to
repair the warehouse roof. Slater submitted the lowest bid,
$61, 750, for a polymer roof and guarantees the work for 20
years.

Four industrial roofers inspected the roof last week and
submitted bids for the job. The lowest bidder, Jones
Industrial Roofing, claims the roof can be patched and that
most of the existing flashing can be salvaged and reused.
Jones would patch the roof for $9,600, or install a new tar
roof for $33,500.

The other roofers disagree with Jones's appraisal. Our tar-
and-gravel roof already has been patched four times in eight
years, and they agree that the only way to guarantee we
won't have problems within a year or so is to strip the roof
and to apply polymer sheets and new flashing. Because they
have had problems with tar roofs, none of them would submit
a bid for such a roof.

After researching the polymer roofing system installed by
the three roofers, I agree with their appraisal. Polymer
sheets are extremely durable and are heat-sealed at all
joints to prevent leakage. Although more expensive than a
tar-and-gravel roof, a polymer-coated roof is guaranteed
for 20 years. Jones would give only a one-year guarantee
for the hot-tar patching, 10 years for a new tar-and-gravel
roof.

I checked with five companies for whom Slater has installed
roofs, and all are satisfied with the firm's workmanship and
the polymer coating. Two companies report that, after 8
years, the polymer sheeting shows no sign of deterioration,
and they have had no leaks.

Because we desperately need a dry warehouse, I recommend we
sign a contract with Slater Roofing, the lowest bidder for
the polymer system. (See the attached bids.) If you can
get the board's approval at the Wednesday meeting, Slater
could start the job on May 9 and would guarantee completion
by May 18.

Attachments: Roofing bids from Jones Industrial Roofing,
Slater Roofing, Ramguard Construction, and Polymer Sheeting.

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