Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, S-5! has added a branch office in Germany and acquired distributors in Germany, Canada, Sweden, and Switzerland.
S-5! produces utility clamps that attach to standing seam metal roofs without penetrating the paneling. The German office, located in Weil der Stadt (near Stuttgart), has already contracted for a major photovoltaic project near Nuremberg. Distributors in Germany include Rheinzink (in Dattein), eurosafesolutions (in Herne), Barth, Renningen (near Stuttgart), and Weit, Otto Wolff (Munich). Canadian distributors are ACCUFORM (in Edmonton, Alberta) and Bird Stairs (in Moncton, New Brunswick). The distributor in Sweden is Bjarnes. In Switzerland, the Cava company will distribute S-5! products. The S-5! office in Bavaria will handle all sales and distribution for central and southern Europe as well as warehousing and marketing of S-5! Clamps and accessories for snow retention, photovoltaic and other utility applications. Also the German office will provide technical training for a rapidly growing list of S-5! distributors.
According to S-5! founder, Rob Haddock: “Expansion off-shore is an important validation of our company鈥檚 products 鈥� the snow retention device, for instance. In these countries where snowfall is significant and where their domestic technologies are unable to provide the level of control our product offers, we are able to fill the void. We have designed the device not only to maximize the control of snow migration but also to add an esthetic element to the structure. The finish-matching feature is very appealing to architects and roof designers.”
S-5! clamps were used in the massive solar panel installation at the Google campus in Mountain View, California and the Rodney Strong Vineyards, in Sonoma County. According to S-5!, the concept of combining photovoltaic rays with standing-seam metal roofing is growing because a long-standing metal roof has the 30-year life expectancy consistent with that of crystalline PV modules. Also, the S-5!-PV Kit makes mounting the clamps quick and convenient. The attachment clamp and round-point setscrews enable the entire installation without a single penetration through the standing seam metal roof鈥檚 surface.
S-5! has a long history of inventing and producing zero-penetration clamps for metal roofs. Haddock, with a long career as a roofing professional, was frustrated by products that were difficult to install or performed poorly over time, so he designed the S-5!聛 lineup of clamps.
The company plans to continue developing new products and adding distributors across the globe.