Elevate Membrane Systems, Formerly Firestone, on Canton Roofs

If a facilities manager mentions Firestone roofing on an older building's paperwork, that history is now part of Elevate — the commercial roofing business formerly known as Firestone Building Products, now operating under its parent company Holcim. It's worth explaining that name change plainly, because a lot of the older warranty and product documentation we run into in Stark County still says Firestone.

The Firestone Name Stark County Knew, Under New Ownership

Firestone Building Products built a long track record in commercial single-ply roofing, and its RubberGard EPDM line was among the early, widely adopted EPDM products that helped establish rubber membrane as a mainstream commercial roofing choice. After Holcim's acquisition of the business, the roofing division was rebranded to Elevate, though the underlying manufacturing operations and product families carried forward under the new name. For a building with an existing Firestone warranty, that coverage doesn't disappear because of the rebrand — the manufacturer behind it is now Elevate under Holcim ownership.

We flag this for owners specifically because warranty claims and product documentation on older roofs sometimes still reference the Firestone name, and knowing the connection avoids confusion when working through a claim or scheduling a manufacturer-required inspection.

Core Product Lines

RubberGard remains Elevate's EPDM product line, available in black and white formulations across the standard thickness range. UltraPly is their TPO membrane line, covering the mechanically attached, fully adhered, and induction-welded installation approaches we use on most reroof and recover projects. Elevate also produces PVC membrane and a range of insulation and accessory products that round out a complete roof assembly under one manufacturer.

Why EPDM Legacy Matters on Older Roofs

Given the RubberGard product's long history, a meaningful share of the aging EPDM roofs we inspect and service across Stark County's manufacturing-era building stock trace back to Firestone-era installations. That history is actually useful on service calls — the product's known long-term behavior, including how seams age and where flashing details tend to need attention decades in, gives us a solid baseline for what to expect on a roof of a given age.

• RubberGard EPDM — black and white, long manufacturing history dating to early commercial EPDM adoption
• UltraPly TPO — standard single-ply option across common attachment methods
• PVC membrane products for grease and chemical-exposure applications
• Full accessory and insulation lines available within the same manufacturer system
• Older Firestone-branded warranties remain valid under Elevate as the successor manufacturer

What the Ownership Change Means for an Existing Firestone Warranty

Owners with an existing Firestone warranty sometimes worry the rebrand affects their coverage. In our experience working with these systems, warranty obligations transfer to the successor entity rather than voiding — but we still recommend confirming the specific terms and any required documentation directly, especially on older roofs where paperwork may need updating to reflect current contact and inspection procedures.

We don't handle warranty administration on the manufacturer's behalf, but we can help identify what documentation exists on a given roof and point an owner toward the right process for a claim or transfer question.

How We Evaluate Elevate Against Other Manufacturers

RubberGard's long field history is a genuine point in its favor for EPDM specifically — there's a long track record of real-world performance data behind it. For TPO, UltraPly performs comparably to other established manufacturers' single-ply lines, and we choose based on project-specific factors like thickness options and accessory compatibility rather than assuming one manufacturer is universally superior.

Insulation and Fastening Components

Elevate also manufactures roof insulation board and the fastening and adhesive components engineered to work within their tested assemblies. Keeping insulation, fasteners, and membrane within one manufacturer's tested system is standard practice on any full Elevate spec, since wind-uplift ratings and warranty terms are typically based on the complete assembly performing together rather than the membrane alone. On a recover project going back over an existing Elevate or Firestone-era roof, matching the insulation and attachment approach to what's already in place often simplifies the transition.

Service Calls on Older RubberGard Roofs

A meaningful part of our EPDM service work in Stark County involves roofs installed under the Firestone name well before the Elevate rebrand — buildings from the manufacturing boom decades ago that are now well past their original install date. On those roofs, we've found the RubberGard membrane field itself often remains in workable condition even as seams and flashings need attention, which is a pattern consistent with EPDM generally rather than specific to this manufacturer. Knowing the product's documented long-term behavior helps us set realistic expectations with owners about what a repair versus replacement conversation should look like on a roof of a given age.

Questions About Elevate and the Firestone Transition

Is my old Firestone roofing warranty still valid?

In most cases the warranty obligation carries forward to Elevate as the successor manufacturer, but we recommend confirming your specific policy terms directly rather than assuming, particularly on older documentation.

Why does my roof inspection report reference both Firestone and Elevate?

That's normal during the transition period — older installation records and product documentation predate the rebrand, while current material and warranty paperwork uses the Elevate name for the same underlying manufacturer.

Is RubberGard EPDM still being manufactured, or was it discontinued in the rebrand?

RubberGard continues as Elevate's EPDM product line under the new company name — the rebrand changed the corporate identity, not the underlying product lineup.

Does Elevate make a heavier-duty membrane similar to 80-mil options from other manufacturers?

Yes, both the RubberGard EPDM and UltraPly TPO lines are available across a range of thicknesses suited to different traffic and exposure levels.

Should I be concerned about long-term manufacturer support given the ownership change?

Holcim is a large, established building materials company, and Elevate operates as a continuing commercial roofing manufacturer under that ownership. We haven't seen the transition affect material availability or warranty administration on the projects we've serviced.

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