By The Roofing Brief Team | Last reviewed: October 2026
SOPREMA is a French, family-run building materials group founded in Strasbourg in 1908, and its US arm, SOPREMA, Inc., is an Ohio corporation headquartered in Wadsworth, Ohio. For roofing, it is best known for SOPRALENE SBS-modified bitumen membranes and ALSAN liquid-applied flashings. This review covers who owns it, what the data sheets say, what the warranties cover and exclude, and what a SOPREMA roof costs.
SOPREMA sells commercial systems through trained contractors and distributors, so there is no large US consumer review base to average. This review judges the brand on its published specifications, approvals and warranty documents instead.
SOPREMA key numbers at a glance
The figures below are the ones most people searching for SOPREMA want first. Each comes from SOPREMA’s own US website, a product data sheet (PDS) or a dated press release.
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1908, Strasbourg, France (Charles Geisen) | SOPREMA US, Our History |
| US headquarters | Wadsworth, Ohio, since 1993 (310 Quadral Drive) | SOPREMA US, Our History and Locations |
| US chief executive | Greg Morgan, effective July 1, 2026 (succeeded Tim Kersey) | SOPREMA US press releases, Apr 28 and Jul 1, 2026 |
| Group size | More than 11,200 employees, 128 plants, 23 research centers | SOPREMA US, SOPREMA in Figures |
| FM Very Severe Hail assemblies | More than 2,600 of about 5,700 listed in FM RoofNav (as of July 2020) | Roofing Contractor, citing SOPREMA |
| System warranty remedy | Labor and material with No Dollar Limit (NDL) on Platinum and Standard forms | SOPREMA Forms 101 and 100 (sample, rev. 08/2026) |
What is SOPREMA and who owns it?
SOPREMA is a privately held, family-run group based in Strasbourg, France. Charles Geisen founded it in 1908, his son Pierre Geisen ran it from 1933, and Pierre’s grandson Pierre-Étienne Bindschedler took over in 1992. SOPREMA Canada names Bindschedler as Group President, and SOPREMA USA has publicly called him its Chairman and CEO.
The name is an acronym coined in 1941 for the company’s wartime Avignon operation: SOciété des Produits et Revêtements d’Étanchéité MAmmouth. The mammoth refers to Mammouth, the jute-and-bitumen membrane Geisen developed in 1909. SOPREMA’s US history page lists more than 120 subsidiaries worldwide.
SOPREMA in the United States
SOPREMA Roofing and Waterproofing, Inc. was incorporated in Georgia in 1985, and the US headquarters and first US plant opened in Wadsworth, Ohio, in 1993. The warranty documents name the contracting party as SOPREMA, Inc., an Ohio corporation. Greg Morgan, who joined SOPREMA in 2000 and served as COO, became US CEO on July 1, 2026. Tim Kersey, CEO for more than 14 years, moved to Chief Technical Officer.
SOPREMA’s US locations page lists six sites: Wadsworth, Ohio; Gulfport, Mississippi; Schoolcraft, Michigan; Kansas City, Missouri; Hallandale Beach, Florida; and La Mirada, California.
Brands SOPREMA has absorbed in the US
Several product names on US job sites are now SOPREMA brands. The table lists each acquisition with the year SOPREMA gives on its own history page or in a press release.
| Brand | What it makes | Joined SOPREMA | Status in 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALSAN | Liquid-applied roofing and waterproofing | 1995 | Core SOPREMA line | SOPREMA US history |
| Chem Link | Low-VOC sealants and adhesives (Schoolcraft, MI) | 2016 | Sold as Chem Link by SOPREMA | SOPREMA US history |
| Derbigum / Performance Roof Systems | APP-modified bitumen, adhesives, mastics (Kansas City, MO) | 2018 | Performance Roof Systems brand | SOPREMA US history |
| Tropical Roofing Products (TRP) | Roof coatings, mastics, cements | 2022 | Folded into the SOPREMA brand, completed Jan 5, 2026 | SOPREMA US press releases |
| FURBISH | Green roofs and green walls (Baltimore, MD) | 2022 | Part of SOPREMA | SOPREMA US history |
| SOPREMA Select | Lower-cost professional line, including SBS and APP sheets | Launched 2024 | Active line | SOPREMA US history |
What does SOPREMA make for roofing?
SOPREMA’s US roofing catalog covers SBS-modified bitumen, PMMA and polyurethane liquid-applied membranes, PVC single-ply, roof insulation, coatings and vegetated roofs. The product family names below are the ones in use on soprema.us in October 2026. Older or foreign-market names that appear on some websites are not current US product lines.
| Category | Current US product family | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBS-modified bitumen | SOPRALENE (polyester), ELASTOPHENE (glass fiber), SOPRALAST (aluminum-faced) | Base, ply, cap and flashing sheets; torch, heat-weld, cold adhesive, self-adhered | soprema.us product pages and PDS |
| Liquid-applied | ALSAN RS (PMMA), ALSAN FLASHING (polyurethane-bitumen), ALSAN TRAFIK | Fleece-reinforced membranes and flashings | ALSAN PDS |
| PVC single-ply | SENTINEL P150 (60 mil), SENTINEL P200 (80 mil) | Thermoplastic PVC, ASTM D4434 Type III | SENTINEL PDS |
| Insulation and cover board | SOPRA-ISO, SOPRA-XPS, SOPRABOARD, 2-1 SOPRASMART | Polyiso, XPS and factory-laminated board-plus-base-sheet panels | soprema.us product pages |
| Vegetated roofs | SOPRANATURE | Extensive, semi-intensive, intensive and modular (TOUNDRA BOX) systems | SOPREMA SOPRANATURE page |
| Coatings and maintenance | Former TRP line, such as ETERNA-SIL silicone | Silicone and acrylic coatings, mastics, cements | SOPREMA product pages |
| Below-grade and deck waterproofing | COLPHENE | SBS waterproofing membranes, such as 60 mil COLPHENE 3000 | COLPHENE 3000 PDS |
SOPRALENE and ELASTOPHENE specs from the data sheets
SOPRALENE sheets use a non-woven polyester mat and meet ASTM D6164. ELASTOPHENE sheets use a glass fiber mat and meet ASTM D6163. The typical SOPRALENE base sheet is 118 mils (3.0 mm) thick, and the heavier 250-series and granulated cap sheets are 157 mils (4.0 mm). The SOPRALENE rolls each cover 98 square feet after recommended laps.
SOPREMA introduced SOPRALENE in 1975 and marked its 50th anniversary in a February 2025 release. Grade S in the ASTM designation means a smooth surface, and Grade G means granule-surfaced. Type II under D6164 is the heavier, higher-strength polyester class.
| Product | Role | ASTM | Reinforcement | Typical thickness | Roll / coverage | Roll weight | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOPRALENE FLAM 180 | Base ply, flashing base, heat-welded | D6164 Type I Grade S | Non-woven polyester | 118 mil (3.0 mm) | 32.8 ft x 39.4 in, 98 sq ft | 86 lb | PDS 260622 |
| SOPRALENE FLAM 250 | Base ply, heat-welded | D6164 Type II Grade S | Non-woven polyester | 157 mil (4.0 mm) | 32.8 ft x 39.4 in, 98 sq ft | 110 lb | PDS 260730 |
| ELASTOPHENE FLAM | Base ply, heat-welded | D6163 Type I Grade S | Glass fiber | 118 mil (3.0 mm) | 32.8 ft x 39.4 in, 97.9 sq ft | 87 lb | PDS 260417 |
| SOPRALENE 180 FR GR | Cap sheet, cold adhesive | D6164 Type I Grade G | Non-woven polyester | 157 mil (4.0 mm) | 32.8 ft x 39.4 in, 98 sq ft | 118 lb | PDS 260622 |
| SOPRALAST 50 TV ALU SANDED | Cap or flashing cap, aluminum-faced, cold adhesive | D6298 Type I | Glass scrim | Not listed on product page | Not listed on product page | Not listed | soprema.us product page |
The SOPRALENE FLAM 180 and SOPRALENE 180 FR GR sheets list low-temperature flexibility of minus 15°F and compound stability of 240°F. They carry Miami-Dade NOA 20-0825.11 and HUD MR 1340 on the data sheet. The granulated cap is sold in white, a highly reflective white (SG) and an ECO3 white with 3M smog-reducing granules. The base sheet’s role in the assembly is covered in our guide to base sheet roofing types and specs.
What a 2-ply SOPRALENE roof weighs and how many rolls it takes
A 2-ply SOPRALENE system of FLAM 180 base and 180 FR GR cap needs about 103 rolls of each sheet per 10,000 square feet before waste and flashings. That is roughly 21,000 pounds of membrane, or about 2.1 pounds per square foot, before adhesive. This Roofing Brief estimate uses only the PDS coverage and roll weights.
- Rolls per ply: 10,000 sq ft divided by 98 sq ft per roll is 102.04, so 103 rolls of base and 103 rolls of cap.
- Pallets: the base ships 30 rolls per pallet (4 pallets) and the cap ships 25 per pallet (5 pallets).
- Membrane weight: 103 x 86 lb is 8,858 lb of base, and 103 x 118 lb is 12,154 lb of cap, for 21,012 lb in total.
- Rooftop staging: full pallets weigh 2,630 lb (base) and 3,000 lb (cap) per the PDS, so many crews spread pallets over structural supports. The project engineer sets the actual limits.
- Net mass check: the PDS net mass is 75 plus 109 lb per 100 sq ft, or 1.84 psf. The higher 2.1 psf figure includes the 3 inch side laps and 6 inch end laps.
ALSAN liquid-applied systems: PMMA vs polyurethane-bitumen
SOPREMA sells two kinds of ALSAN liquid flashing for roofs. ALSAN RS 230 FIELD is a two-component PMMA resin that cures in hours, and SOPREMA has made it in Wadsworth since 2018. ALSAN FLASHING is a one-component, no-mix polyurethane-bitumen resin for details and repairs that meets ASTM C836. Both are embedded with a polyester fleece. Our overview of liquid-applied roofing types explains where liquids fit against sheet membranes.
| Attribute | ALSAN RS 230 FIELD | ALSAN FLASHING | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), catalyzed 2% to 6% | Polyurethane-bitumen, single component | ALSAN PDS |
| Package | 20 kg pail | 1 gal and 5 gal pails | ALSAN PDS |
| Coverage | 66 sq ft per 20 kg on a typical sanded base sheet; 57 sq ft on a granulated SBS sheet | 2 gal per 100 sq ft per coat, three coats | ALSAN PDS |
| Cure (at 68°F) | Rainproof in 30 to 45 min (summer grade); fully cured in 3 to 6 hours | Not stated as a cure time on the PDS | ALSAN PDS |
| Application temperature | Summer grade 50°F to 95°F ambient; winter grade 23°F to 68°F | Warm product to 70°F when ambient is below 40°F | ALSAN PDS |
| Reflectivity | SRI 109 initial, 88 at 3 years with signal white additive (CRRC 0772-0046) | Brown, not a reflective finish | ALSAN RS 230 FIELD PDS |
The coverage figures imply about 83 square feet of three-coat ALSAN FLASHING detail per 5 gallon pail (5 gallons divided by 6 gallons per 100 square feet). That is a Roofing Brief calculation, and real consumption rises on rough or vertical surfaces.
SENTINEL PVC, insulation and SOPRANATURE green roofs
SOPREMA’s PVC line is SENTINEL, introduced in the US in 2014. SENTINEL P150 is a 60 mil sheet with at least 30 mils over the scrim, and SENTINEL P200 is 80 mil with at least 40 mils over the scrim. Both meet ASTM D4434 Type III and come in 10 foot wide rolls. They can be mechanically attached, adhered or induction welded.
For insulation, SOPRA-ISO polyiso comes in 20 psi and 25 psi grades (ASTM C1289 Type II, Class 1) in 1 to 4 inch thicknesses. The 2-1 SOPRASMART ISO HD panel factory-laminates an SBS base sheet to a half-inch HD polyiso cover board, so one step installs both layers. SOPRANATURE, launched in 1987, covers extensive, semi-intensive, intensive and modular TOUNDRA BOX vegetated roofs.
FM, UL and code approvals
SOPREMA’s most cited third-party credential is its FM Approvals footprint. A July 2020 Roofing Contractor report said SOPREMA held more than 2,600 of the roughly 5,700 FM Very Severe Hail (VSH) assemblies in RoofNav. A November 2024 SOPREMA article cites 3,134 SBS, 195 APP and 132 PVC FM system approvals across SOPREMA companies.
| Approval or listing | What SOPREMA publishes | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| FM Approvals (RoofNav) | VSH and wind-rated assemblies; 3,134 SBS, 195 APP, 132 PVC approvals (SOPREMA, Nov 2024) | FM RoofNav (login required) |
| UL | TGFU.R11436 Roofing Systems; TGFUC.R11436 Built-Up Roof Covering Materials; TGFU.R21824 (SOPREMA Select) | UL Product iQ |
| Miami-Dade NOA | NOA 20-0825.11 on SOPRALENE, ALSAN RS and SENTINEL data sheets | Miami-Dade Product Control search |
| Florida Product Approval | FBC evaluation reports, re-evaluated each code cycle | floridabuilding.org |
| Los Angeles (LARR) | LARR 26062 (ELASTOPHENE FLAM), LARR 26102 (SENTINEL P150) | LADBS research report search |
| Cool roof (CRRC) | ALSAN RS 230 FIELD with additive, CRRC 0772-0046 | CRRC rated products directory |
An approval belongs to a specific assembly: deck, insulation, attachment and membrane together. A spec that says “SOPREMA, FM approved” without a RoofNav assembly number leaves the hail and wind rating undefined.
SOPREMA warranty: Platinum vs Standard vs product
SOPREMA’s two main roof system warranties both pay labor and material with No Dollar Limit, but they cover different causes. The Platinum Roofing System Warranty (Form 101) covers leaks from manufacturing defects and from the contractor’s workmanship, plus leaks from wind under 74 mph. The Standard Roofing System Warranty (Form 100) covers only manufacturing-defect leaks and excludes both workmanship and wind.
| Term | Platinum (Form 101) | Standard (Form 100) | Limited product warranty (Form 115 / LPR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing-defect leaks | Covered | Covered | Defective product only |
| Contractor workmanship | Covered | Excluded | Not covered |
| Wind | Leaks from wind below 74 mph | Excluded | Not covered |
| Hail, hurricane, tornado | Listed as excluded | Listed as excluded | Not covered |
| Remedy | Labor and material, NDL | Labor and material, NDL | Replacement or refund, capped at invoiced price |
| Term | Set per project | Set per project | 10 years (sealants 1 year) from purchase |
| Disputes | Ohio law; Form 902 process, not litigation | Ohio law; Form 902 process, not litigation | Notice to warrantyclaims@soprema.us |
Source: SOPREMA sample Forms 101 and 100 (rev. 08/2026), Form 115 (07/2024) and Limited Product Warranty, posted on soprema.us. SOPREMA’s project registration form offers terms of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 years, with riders by pre-approval. Read the issued warranty for the actual term, riders and fee.
Both system forms also exclude ponding from inadequate slope or drainage and leaks hidden under rooftop equipment or overburden. The owner must keep the roof up under SOPREMA’s Care and Maintenance Guide (Form 901). The owner can reject the warranty in writing within one year of the start date. Otherwise its terms, including the waiver of consequential damages, become binding.
How a SOPREMA system warranty is issued and claimed
- An authorized SOPREMA contractor registers the project with SOPREMA through the Warranty Hub or a sales representative.
- SOPREMA pre-approves the products, assembly and warranty type (Platinum, Standard or Roof Recover, Form 102) and quotes any warranty fee.
- The contractor installs to the SOPREMA technical manual, and any SOPREMA site visits are limited in scope, per the warranty text.
- SOPREMA issues the warranty with the term, squares and riders filled in. The owner reviews it within the one-year rejection window.
- For a leak, the owner follows Form 900, the warranty claim procedure, and may make emergency repairs at its own cost without voiding coverage.
- Future roof work must use a SOPREMA-authorized contractor, and transfers use SOPREMA’s Warranty Transfer Form.
SOPREMA contractors and where to buy SOPREMA products
SOPREMA’s system warranties require an authorized contractor, and the company trains installers through its Contractor Training Program. Courses at a SOPREMA training center cost $100 per person per course, and on-site courses cost $50. Roofing courses include CT100 (heat-welded SBS), CT107 (liquid flashing), CT120 (adhered SENTINEL PVC) and CT140 (PMMA over an SBS base ply). Owners can ask SOPREMA directly for names of authorized contractors, as the warranty text invites.
Contractors buy SOPREMA through roofing distributors rather than retail stores. SRS Distribution lists SOPREMA as a key supplier, and QXO (the former Beacon) carries SOPRALENE and ALSAN listings. Some coatings and mastics from the former TRP line also sell online in single pails. SOPREMA’s Find a Rep tool and its Sop’Direct app connect buyers with local sales and technical staff.
How much does a SOPREMA roof cost?
SOPREMA does not publish installed prices. Our 2026 Roofing Cost Report puts commercial SBS systems at $7 to $12 per square foot installed, and that is the range we use for a 2-ply SOPRALENE roof. Ply count, attachment method, insulation, tear-off and access move the final figure.
| Scope | Cost basis | Example | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-ply SBS (SOPRALENE base and cap), commercial | $7 to $12 per sq ft installed | 10,000 sq ft: about $70,000 to $120,000 | Roofing Brief 2026 Roofing Cost Report |
| Modified bitumen, all plies and methods | About $4 to $10 per sq ft installed | Lower end 2-ply APP torch; upper end 3-ply | Roofing Brief modified bitumen guide |
| ALSAN RS 230 FIELD resin only | $827.63 per 20 kg pail (one distributor listing, Oct 12, 2026) | About $12.54 per sq ft at 66 sq ft per pail, before catalyst, fleece, primer and labor | Calwa Supply listing; ALSAN RS 230 FIELD PDS |
The PMMA arithmetic explains how ALSAN RS usually gets specified. The resin alone, at about $12.54 per square foot on a typical base sheet, can exceed the installed cost of an entire 2-ply SBS roof. That is why PMMA tends to go on flashings, penetrations, balconies and tight details rather than across large open fields. Distributor prices vary by region and contractor account.
SOPREMA vs Siplast, GAF, Johns Manville and Tremco
SOPREMA is one of five large SBS-modified bitumen suppliers that commercial specifiers often compare. The others are Siplast, GAF, Johns Manville and Tremco. The biggest structural difference is ownership: SOPREMA is the only one of the five still run by its founding family. The ownership and product facts below come from each company’s own website.
| Company | Parent (per its own site) | SBS line | Liquid-applied line | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOPREMA | Family-run SOPREMA Group, Strasbourg | SOPRALENE, ELASTOPHENE | ALSAN RS (PMMA), ALSAN FLASHING | soprema.us, soprema.ca |
| Siplast | Standard Industries (joined 2016) | Paradiene, Veral | Parapro (PMMA roof), Terapro (PMMA trafficked) | siplast.com |
| GAF | Standard Industries | RUBEROID | Not compared here | gaf.com |
| Johns Manville | A Berkshire Hathaway company | DynaBase, DynaLastic, DynaKap, DynaWeld | Not compared here | jm.com |
| Tremco Roofing | RPM International | POWERply, POWERply Endure | Not compared here | tremcoroofing.com, rpminc.com |
Siplast and GAF are sister companies under Standard Industries, which matters when a spec asks for competing bids from “two manufacturers.” Product choice usually comes down to which assemblies hold the FM and UL ratings the building needs, and which local contractors are authorized to install them. For how SBS compares with single-ply, see modified bitumen vs TPO.
Is SOPREMA a good roofing choice? Which system fits
SOPREMA fits best on commercial and institutional low-slope roofs where redundancy, hail ratings and detail work matter. It fits less well on small residential jobs, where buyers rarely see its products and authorized contractors may be scarce. The table maps common situations to the SOPREMA option that SOPREMA’s own documents point toward.
| Your situation | SOPREMA option to ask about | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hail-prone region, insurer wants FM ratings | 2-ply SOPRALENE with a RoofNav VSH assembly number | SOPREMA says it holds more VSH assemblies than any other manufacturer (2020 and 2024 statements) |
| Occupied building, no open flame allowed | Cold-adhesive or self-adhered SOPRALENE caps, such as 180 FR GR | PDS lists cold adhesive application with COLPLY |
| Crowded penetrations, curbs, skylights | ALSAN RS or ALSAN FLASHING details | Liquid flashings conform to odd shapes; ALSAN RS is rainproof in 30 to 60 minutes at 68°F |
| Large open roof, budget first | SENTINEL PVC or SOPREMA Select sheets | 10 foot PVC rolls mean fewer seams; SOPREMA markets the 2024 Select line for cost-conscious applications |
| Owner wants workmanship covered | Platinum (Form 101), not Standard | Standard excludes installation workmanship and wind |
| Plaza deck or green roof | SOPRANATURE over a protected SBS or PMMA membrane | Separate protected-membrane warranties apply |
Two cautions follow from the documents themselves. The base warranty forms list hail among exclusions, so a VSH-rated assembly is not the same as hail warranty coverage unless a rider says so. And the remedy depends on SOPREMA confirming the merits of a claim, so keep maintenance records under Form 901.
Frequently asked questions
What does SOPREMA do?
SOPREMA manufactures roofing, waterproofing, wall protection and civil engineering products. For roofs, its US catalog includes SOPRALENE and ELASTOPHENE SBS-modified bitumen sheets, ALSAN PMMA and polyurethane liquid-applied flashings, SENTINEL PVC membranes, SOPRA-ISO insulation, SOPRANATURE green roof systems and silicone and acrylic coatings. It sells mainly to commercial contractors through distributors, and its system warranties require an authorized SOPREMA contractor.
Is SOPREMA a French company?
Yes. SOPREMA describes itself as a French company founded in 1908 in Strasbourg by Charles Geisen, and the group head office is still in Strasbourg. Its US subsidiary, SOPREMA, Inc., is an Ohio corporation with headquarters in Wadsworth, Ohio, where SOPREMA opened its first US plant in 1993. SOPREMA also runs a separate Canadian business with plants in Quebec and British Columbia.
Who owns SOPREMA?
SOPREMA is a privately held, family-run group. Founder Charles Geisen passed the company to his son Pierre Geisen, who handed management to his grandson Pierre-Étienne Bindschedler in 1992. SOPREMA Canada names Bindschedler as Group President. SOPREMA is not owned by GAF, Standard Industries, Holcim or another roofing manufacturer, and it has bought US brands such as Chem Link, Derbigum and Tropical Roofing Products.
Who is the CEO of SOPREMA?
At group level, Pierre-Étienne Bindschedler leads SOPREMA; SOPREMA Canada calls him Group President and SOPREMA USA has called him Chairman and CEO. In the United States, Greg Morgan became CEO of SOPREMA U.S. on July 1, 2026. He replaced Tim Kersey, who led the US business for more than 14 years and moved to Chief Technical Officer, according to SOPREMA’s April 28, 2026 release.
Where can I buy SOPREMA products?
Contractors buy SOPREMA products through roofing distributors. SRS Distribution lists SOPREMA as a key supplier, and QXO (the former Beacon) carries SOPRALENE and ALSAN listings, with pricing behind a trade login. Some coatings and mastics from the former Tropical Roofing Products line sell online in single pails. Building owners usually buy a SOPREMA roof as an installed system from an authorized SOPREMA contractor.
Where is SOPREMA made?
SOPREMA’s US products come from several plants. Wadsworth, Ohio makes SBS-modified bitumen membranes (since 1993) and PMMA resin (since 2018). Gulfport, Mississippi has made bitumen roofing since 2007, Kansas City, Missouri is home to Performance Roof Systems, and Schoolcraft, Michigan is home to Chem Link. The coatings line added manufacturing in Florida, California and Michigan when SOPREMA bought Tropical Roofing Products in 2022.
What happened to Tropical Roofing Products?
SOPREMA acquired Tropical Roofing Products (TRP), a maker of roof coatings, mastics and cements, in 2022. In October 2025 SOPREMA announced that TRP would move to the SOPREMA brand, and on January 5, 2026 it said the integration was complete. SOPREMA states that product performance did not change; the products now ship in SOPREMA-branded packaging, such as the ETERNA-SIL silicone line.