American Modern Launches Roof Farm Research Project at Ohio Headquarters

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Amelia, OH – May 19, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — American Modern Insurance Group®, a leading specialty insurer, today announced it is working with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), a research and communications association solely supported by the property insurance industry, on a research project to help determine how weather in the northern part of the U.S. impacts a variety of roofing materials through the installation of a roof aging farm on its Amelia, Ohio campus.

The roof farm consists of four 15’ x 15’ structures each equipped with multiple panels that will be evaluated over time to determine which kinds of roofs better resist weather damage and how different climates play a part. A solar-powered on-site weather station will continually collect data, documenting temperatures, humidity and solar radiation levels.

The roof aging study will be conducted over a 25-year period with roofs being studied every 5, 10, 15 and 20 years. Additional roof farms will be added in other geographic locations over time to expand the amount of climate exposure data.

“This project will help American Modern and IBHS learn more about roofing materials and promote construction standards that can over time help homeowners save money on roof repairs and replacements,” said Kevin Randall, senior vice president property and casualty for American Modern. “A bonus is that these structures can be used by our employees  as a covered area to enjoy lunch outside during nice weather.”

To mark the launching of the project, American Modern is holding a grand opening at the roof farm site, located at its headquarters in Amelia, on Wednesday, May 20th. Company employees are being invited to take part in a variety of activities planned around the opening, and executives from both American Modern and IBHS will make remarks.

The American Modern roof farm is part of a larger program to study the performance of aging roofs when subjected to different climates over extended periods of time. American Modern’s headquarters is the third organization to install a roof farm, joining IBHS, which has one on its Research Center campus in Richburg, South Carolina, and American Family Insurance, which has a roof farm at its headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin.

We know that roofing is impacted by aging, but this is the first research project that addresses the long-term effects of aging on roof performance,” said Dr. Tanya Brown, IBHS lead research engineer and director of hail research. “Many roofing products are known to degrade over time, depending on the local environment. Controlled aging of roofs in various climates along with systematic testing of wind and impact resistance at five-year intervals will provide us with the data needed to improve vulnerability assessments.”

“American Modern is a valued member of IBHS and a terrific ally on a number of projects. We are very appreciative they are participating in this particular research effort by installing a roof aging farm on their campus,” Brown continued.

To learn more about the roof aging farm project, click here.

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About American Modern Insurance Group
American Modern is a widely recognized specialty insurance leader with more than 48 years of experience. The company delivers specialized products and services for residential property–like manufactured homes and specialty dwellings–and for consumers in the recreational market, including owners of boats, personal watercraft, classic cars, motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles. The company also provides products and services to protect financial institutions and their customers.

American is licensed in all 50 states through six property and casualty companies, which are part of an insurance group that enjoys an A+ (superior) rating by the A.M. Best Company, a leading independent insurance analyst.  These companies insure more than 1.7 million policyholders countrywide and have been recognized as a Best Place to Work by the Cincinnati Business Courier and a Top Workplace by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

About the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)
IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific research and communications organization supported by the property insurance industry. The organization works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks on residential and commercial property by conducting building science research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparedness practices.

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