Collaboration

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July 13, 2016 | Filed under: Newsletter Articles,Uncategorized

We hope this finds you well. Here in the United States, July is what we often think of as our “red, white, and blue month.” Thoughts turn to patriotism and our nation’s history as we celebrate Independence Day each July 4. In honor of this holiday, we want to share a special story in our nation’s history – a story about 2 people joining forces to form an independent nation.

“Collaboration” is one of our Core Values here at Classic Metal Roofing Systems and, while we will tell you in a bit how that affects our behavior and actions, we first want to share a story of Collaboration that affected our nation’s history. This is the story of how General George Washington of the fledgling nation of colonies and French nobleman and soldier Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau (Rochambeau) worked together to lead to the victory at Yorktown that assured American independence.

In 1780, Rochambeau led a French fleet carrying approximately 5,000 soldiers to Rhode Island in order to aid the Americans in their revolution. The fleet arrived at its destination in July. Two days after his arrival, Rochambeau sent a letter to Washington regarding their new alliance. Washington knew that France would be a valuable ally and wrote back to welcome Rochambeau.

Two months later, the two men met in person and discussed their plans to attack the British. While Washington believed that an assault on British-occupied New York City would be the best option, Rochambeau thought that this would be too risky and that it would be wise to attack somewhere along the Chesapeake Bay. However, Rochambeau did not voice his opinion until May of 1781 when they were already about to prepare to invade New York. Over a period of 3 months, the men spent time planning their attack and sending scouts to gather information about the city’s defenses.

In August of 1781, Washington was starting to doubt that the assault on New York City would have favorable results. When he heard that another major French fleet was headed towards the Chesapeake, Washington made the final decision to bring Rochambeau’s troops to Virginia along with about 2,000 of his own men.

The British caught word that the Americans and French were stationing troops near the Chesapeake Bay and decided to send a fleet to attack their camps. Fortunately, the American and French troops outnumbered their assailants and decimated their fleet at Yorktown, Virginia. Cornwallis, a British army officer, surrendered and the Americans won the Revolutionary War soon afterward. After the war, Washington and Rochambeau continued to exchange letters. Their friendship lasted for 10 years.

While this story of collaboration helped to build the United States, Classic Metal Roofing Systems sees it as our responsibility to collaborate with others and help spread the benefits of residential metal roofing in North America and beyond. As part of our Core Value of Collaboration, our statement is that “We do not exist as an island. Our Corporate Mission is achieved through maximizing relationships with others including vendors, customers, competitors, and non-profit organizations.” Some of the ways in which we live this out include:

Vendors – by working with our valued suppliers, we have done such things as introduce heat-reflective coatings to residential metal roofing, bring high-performance synthetic underlayments to the USA, and develop our proprietary PVDF powder finish that offers enhanced beauty and durability.

Customers – our focus on customers helps to ensure personalized service and successful roofing projects. In this age of often poor and impersonal customer service, we know that it is only by working closely and directly with our customers, including distributors, contractors, and property owners, that we are able to really impact how the world roofs its homes.

Competitors – over the years, we have developed close relationships with many of our manufacturing competitors. This has allowed us all to strive together for high quality products with the development of industry standards. It also has brought the development of the Metal Roofing Alliance and other trade organizations.

Non-profit organizations – Classic Metal Roofing Systems has a strong history of “giving back” to the community where we live through service and other support. Several of our team members volunteer for a variety of area ministries that serve those in need. Additionally, 1 day each week, we have team members staffing a local food pantry.

Great things happen when people work together. Continuing in the tradition of General Washington and Rochambeau, we have a commitment to do whatever we can to work with those around us for the betterment of all.

Thank you for your past interest in Classic Metal Roofing Systems. We are here to always answer your questions, and provide information that will help you to make wise decisions for the roofing and ventilation aspects of your homes. Please call us at 1-800-543-8938 or contact us and expect a prompt, courteous, and helpful response.

Best Wishes For A Great July!