Rob
Balfanz

Rob Balfanz is the Vice President of Siding, Home Improvement, and Workforce Development at Progressive Foam Technologies, Inc., the company that invented insulated vinyl siding and remains the leading manufacturer of foam insulation products for home exterior siding applications in North America. In this multifaceted role, Rob bridges product strategy, market development, and one of the industry's most critical challenges: building and certifying a workforce capable of meeting the growing demand for energy-efficient exterior building products. Progressive Foam Technologies, founded in 1992 by Patrick Culpepper in Beach City, Ohio, started with a borrowed $200,000 and a small pole building. The company pioneered the concept of contoured foam insulation that bonds behind vinyl siding, and in 1996 launched the first insulated vinyl siding product in collaboration with Crane Performance Siding. Since then, every major vinyl siding manufacturer has adopted the technology, and insulated vinyl siding has been installed on over half a million homes across North America. Today, Progressive Foam's product portfolio includes insulation for vinyl, fiber cement, engineered wood, and steel siding, with flagship products like Fullback V, Fullback FC, and Halfback H2O. Rob joined Progressive Foam in 2023 as Vice President, bringing a deep background in workforce development, operations leadership, and organizational development. His priorities include ensuring that the most in-demand foam-backed and insulated siding profiles are readily available across North America, increasing customer experience and satisfaction in siding and home improvement channels, and working with trade associations to expand the pipeline of educated and certified installation professionals. Prior to Progressive Foam, Rob served as Senior Director of Workforce Development at the Polymeric Exterior Products Association (PEPA) from 2019 to 2023, where he led certification and training programs for the vinyl siding industry. Before that, he was Executive Director of Operations and Workforce Development at FFD National (2016–2019), and held senior operations leadership roles at DHL Supply Chain including Director of Operations and Continuous Improvement Advisor and General Manager of Multi-Site operations. He also served as Chief Operating Officer at Rose Cor Inc. Rob holds a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Society from Purdue University and is based in the Oak Brook, Illinois area. He is recognized across the building products industry as a keynote speaker on workforce development, operational excellence, and change management.