The destructive hurricanes of the past two years, coupled with a sustained residential construction boom, have fueled the exceptionally high demand for roof tiles in Florida where thousands of residents are in need of roof repairs.

In response, roof tile manufacturers are building new plants that are expected to begin production this year and focus primarily on supplying the Florida market.

"The tile roofing industry is making a huge investment in order to meet the unprecedented demand for roof tile in Florida," Charles McGrath, managing director of the Tile Roofing Institute (TRI), said. "All the new facilities will be coming online this year in order to meet the Florida market's needs in the months and years to come."

Concrete and clay tile roofing continues to be preferred by homeowners in the Southeast, based on aesthetics, as well as its resistance to severe weather.

Tile roofing is one of a few select roofing systems that is proven, with proper installation, to withstand sustained winds of 150 miles per hour.

New roof tile plants currently planned or underway include:
Entegra — Company plans to begin production at its fourth Florida concrete roof tile plant in Okeechobee, Fla. in the spring.

Hanson Roof Tile — Company is currently building a new concrete roof tile plant in Sanderson, Fla. that will be completed in the fall.

This will be Hanson's fourth plant in Florida and will initially produce 300,000 roof tiles annually.

MonierLIfetile — Company plans to start construction on its fourth Florida concrete roof tile plant this year.

The plant will be located in Lake Wales, Fla. on the same site as the company's existing facility.

When completed, the plant will increase production at this site by 40 percent.

U.S. Tile — The company's newest clay roof tile plant is being built in the country of Trinidad, in partnership with Caribbean conglomerate ANSA McAL Group. Most tiles from the plant will be exported to the Florida market and sold by third-party distributors. The plant is scheduled to begin production this month.

The tile roofing industry is also optimistic that the U.S. cement shortages that have negatively affected roof tile production will begin to ease with the announcement that the government is reducing tariffs on the import of cement from Mexico.