John D'Annunzio, former chief operating officer of Independent Roof Testing and Consulting Services, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., is now president and sole proprietor of IRT. Under his leadership, IRT is expanding its material testing and design support services with additional offices in Mississippi, Puerto Rico and Michigan.

With greater demand for product testing and design consulting after the wave of major devastating storms in multiple states, IRT is expanding its material property testing. Roofing tiles, roof systems and other crucial building materials can be tested to ensure that they can withstand variable wind and rain situations. In addition, IRT is now focusing more attention on its design consulting services. Working with architects and contractors prior to and during a building's construction can help to avoid major flaws that will impede the development process and the ultimate use of the facility.

IRT is a Florida-certified testing agency and is also Miami-Dade certified. Currently, IRT is acquiring international accreditation for material testing.

D'Annunzio is a regular contributor toW&C.