Tag Archives: metal industry

METALCON 2014: Denver, Here We Come

Colorado Convention Center WEB
I See What You Mean; Sculptor:  Steve Largent

By: John Ryan, Metal Construction Association

MCA staff is gearing up for METALCON 2014 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, from October 1-3, 2014. Be sure to stop by our booth (#1542) and say hello. We’ll have MCA technical directors Scott Kriner and Andy WIlliams in the booth to answer any technical questions you may have. And the 2014 MCA Chairman’s Award Winners will be announced at the end of the day on October 1st, and will be featured in our booth for the remainder of the show. Click here to view past winners.

We hope to see you there! And be sure to visit these MCA Members at METALCON 2014, or visit MCA’s Product Locator:

MCA Member Booth #
Metal Construction Association 1542
ABC Supply Co Inc 314
Akzo Nobel Coatings Inc 1621
Alcoa Architectural Products 214
Arkema Inc 729
ATAS International Inc 814
Atlas Bolt & Screw Company 1814
Bradbury Co Inc 615
Central States Mfg Inc 2010
CENTRIA 1524
DesignandBuildwithMetal.com 425
DI Roof Seamers 1339
Drexel Metals Inc 821
Dura Coat Products Inc 1400
Englert Inc 806
Fabral 1615
Firestone Building Products 602
Flexospan Inc 1446
Gerard Roofing Technologies 1729
GSSI Sealants Inc 424
Isaiah Industries Inc 711
MBCI 1406
McElroy Metal 621
Metal Sales Manufacturing Corp 1829
METALFORMING Inc 1006
Metl-Span 1417
Northclad Sheet Metal 2104
Petersen Aluminum Corp 1517
PPG Industries Inc 1712
Precoat Metals 1414
RHEINZINK America Inc 1738
Roof Hugger Inc 1739
S-5! 810
Sealtite Building Fasteners 817
SFS Intec Inc 1329
Sheffield Metals International 203
Solvay North America 1915
TAMKO Building Products Inc 1221
Umicore Building Products USA Inc 1821
Valspar Corp 1411
Wismarq Corporation 2014

Trade Associations with Ties to Metal Discuss Collaboration

By Jane Martinsons, Metal Construction Association

2014SummerMeeting-OpeningSession3 croppedLet’s assume that collaboration among trade associations whose members work with metal building materials, including wall and roof panels, will help them thrive in a construction industry marked by consolidation. The question is, where should collaborative efforts start?

The answer appears to be education, according to a panel discussion held at the MCA Summer Meeting on June 23–25, 2014, in Rosemont, IL.

Leaders from six trade associations met with MCA members and guests to discuss where best to pool their resources to help grow the metal construction market, and possibly their own memberships. Time and again, the discussion turned to education.

Panelists included leaders from the Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA), the Metal Building Contractors & Erectors Association (MBCEA), the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA), the National Coil Coating Association (NCCA), the National Frame Building Association (NFBA), and the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA).

MCA Board Member Roger Sieja, director of market development for Wismarq Corporation, moderated the discussion.

During the discussion, several panelists and attendees pointed to the need to educate the building community—particularly architects, specifiers, engineers, and board members of local municipal commissions—on current codes, regulations, and design trends.

Some panelists pointed out that, currently, education is done on a project-by-project basis, so having readily available, widely accepted educational tools on these issues would be useful to their own association members and the entire industry.

“Once [city commissioners]learn what they can actual do [with metal], they are more agreeable and realize that they have been too strict” in limiting the use of metal  in building exteriors in their areas, said Lee Shoemaker, director, research and engineering,  MBMA. “If [the issue] came up more often, we would probably come up with a program to address it more directly, but it happens only occasionally. We give members tools to help address it locally, but it is hard to do from a national trade association vantage point.”

MBMA promotes the design and construction of metal building systems in the low-rise, non-residential building marketplace. According to Shoemaker, MBMA devotes half of its budget to addressing technical issues of building systems.

Ken Gieseke, chair-elect of NFBA, agreed that broader education on the local level is needed.  “We’ve done one-on-one education with [our own city commission], taking pictures of jobs that show that metal is attractive and pointing out [limits to] their codes,” he said. “Getting tools to help us as an industry would be huge.”

NFBA has more than 700 members, including contractors, suppliers, and design professionals. The association seeks to expand the use of post-frame construction, educate builders and decision makers on post-frame construction, provide technical research, and market the benefits of post-frame construction.

The panelists also stressed the need to promote the benefits of using metal on building exteriors to the entire industry, including consumers.

Tom Wadsworth of DASMA said that, “thanks to coil coaters,” highly durable steel and aluminum garage doors now resemble wood ones, but are less expensive and easier to maintain on the part of consumers. DASMA works to create a unified force among its memberships of manufacturers of door and access systems, develop standards, influence building codes, expand its market, and educate the door systems industry.

Likewise, MBMA’s Shoemaker noted that metal buildings with wide clear spans offer superior durability to other construction types, particularly in adverse weather conditions. Getting out messages like this to influencers of construction and consumers is key to growing the industry, he said.

2014SummerMeeting-OpeningSession4croppedThe groups represented at the meeting vary greatly in size and educational offerings, with the 128-year-old NRCA being by far the largest with 3,500 members in the U.S. and abroad   and a $12 million annual budget, a vast array of training and educational programs, and its own Political Action Committee.  NRCA helps its members contend with government regulations and is active in the codes arena.

However, all the groups represented on the panel promote professionalism and provide education and training to their members, and some provide accreditation.

The 52-year-old NCCA, which has about 100 members, promotes the growth of pre-painted metal.  It serves as the voice of the coil coating industry for technical, promotional, education, and regulatory matters.

The 46-year-old MBCEA provides, among other things, national standardized testing and apprenticeship and accreditation programs. It has seen a 30% jump in its membership of metal building contractors and erectors over the past year, according to MBCEA President Gary Smith.

As the panel concluded, it was clear that this discussion was, itself, only a start. Sieja said that MCA would welcome an opportunity to discuss collaboration further at meetings sponsored by these groups.

 

 

 

 

AIA Economist Bullish on Nonresidential Construction Activity

By: Jane Martinsons, Metal Construction Association

Kermit Baker, AIAKermit Baker, chief economist for the American Institute of Architects in Washington, DC, told attendees at the recent MCA Annual Meeting in Clearwater Beach, FL, that although nonresidential construction has been slow to recover from a steep downturn in 2013, several emerging signs point to increased activity throughout 2014.

As a guest speaker at the January meeting, Baker noted several leading economic indicators that point to an improving economy, including that housing starts have accelerated in recent months and that house prices, which continue to recover, have gained back more than 40% of their losses. He also said that net household growth has been dominated by renters in recent years, pushing down the rate of ownership.

“The housing recovery is well underway, but production levels are still below long-term potential,” Baker said, adding that a rate of 1.6–1.8 million housing starts per year is still years away.

Despite the positive market fundamentals, there have been modest gains in spending on nonresidential buildings, Baker said. He noted that the nonresidential construction sector faces several challenges and opportunities, including that recovery to date remains modest, with little improvement over past year; commercial property values are recovering “nicely”; and real estate market fundamentals, such as vacancies and rents, remain positive for most commercial market segments.

Meanwhile, architecture billings point to emerging upturn in nonresidential building activity. “Even with slowdown toward the end of last year architecture billings are in the midst of an upturn, with the strongest growth since the recession began,” Baker said.

Baker added that construction spending should see solid single-digit growth in 2014, with recovery continuing into 2015.

Plans for the MCA Summer Meeting, set for June 23–25 at the Westin O’Hare in Rosemont, IL, are underway. Online hotel reservations and a preliminary program schedule are now available. For more information, visit the Events page on the MCA website.

Visit MCA–and 44 MCA Member Companies–at METALCON

By: John Ryan, Metal Construction Association

METALCON kicks off on Tuesday, October 1st. Be sure to stop by Metal Construction Association‘s (MCA) booth (#1553) to see a roofing assembly that illustrates a variety of sustainable technologies, and get the latest technical developments and case studies available. On display will also be MCA’s new website: www.metalconstruction.org.

And be sure to visit one of the 44 MCA member companies that are exhibiting at METALCON for the latest product developments in the metal construction industry.

Company Name                                                  Booth #

ABC Supply                                                            1730
Akzo Nobel Coatings, Inc.                                    621
Alcoa Architectural Products                              1232
Aluminum Association                                         512
Arkema, Inc.                                                           1436
ATAS International, Inc                                         1615
Atlas Bolt & Screw                                                 1439
The Bradbury Company                                       1121
Central States Manufacturing Inc.                       901
CENTRIA                                                                   1030
Classic Metal Roofing Systems                             1131
(Isaiah Industries)        
DesignandBuildwithMetal.com                            528
Drexel Metals                                                          1807
Dura Coat Products, Inc.                                       635
Englert, Inc.                                                              921
Everlast Metals                                                       1835
Fabral                                                                       1637
Firestone Building Products                                 1015
FLEXOSPAN Inc.                                                      1341
GSSI Sealants Inc.                                                   1933
ITW Buildex                                                             1731
MBCI                                                                         1221
McElroy Metal, Inc.                                                  827
Metal Construction News                                      702
Metal Roofing Magazine                                        2246
Metal Sales Manufacturing Corp.                        1332
METALFORMING, Inc.                                             1421
Metl-Span                                                                 1138
Petersen Aluminum Corp.                                     1033
PPG Industries Inc.                                                  1321
Precoat Metals                                                         1725
RHEINZINK America Inc.                                         943
Roof Hugger, Inc.                                                     1143
SFS Intec, Inc.                                                           1132
Sheffield Metals                                                       1609
Solvay                                                                         904
Steel Dynamics                                                         647
Steelscape                                                                 721
TAMKO Building Products Inc.                               833
Triangle Fastener Corp.                                           747
U.S. Steel Corp.                                                        1830
Umicore Building Products USA, Inc.                   1054
Valspar Corporation                                               1001
Vicwest                                                                      821

We hope to see you at METALCON!

MetalCon

Stop By and See Us at the AIA National Convention

Building Leaders

By: John Ryan, Metal Construction Association

The AIA National Convention is right around the corner, and the Metal Construction Association (MCA) is excited to expand its presence at the show this year. We’re not just planning to take up more floor space this year (though we will be bringing a shiny new display), we’re also excited to offer a new showfloor educational program for AIA CE credits.

So stop by booth 1303 within the Metal Pavillion between June 20-22, 2013 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver to say hello, and see some of the exciting things MCA has to offer.

In the booth you’ll be able to see a mock roof and attic assembly that will demonstrate the energy efficiency of metal roofs compared to a conventional asphalt shingle roof. We’re also bringing along some of our favorite case studies and technical articles, and, of course, we’ll be there to answer questions.

We hope you’ve signed up for Scott Kriner’s seminar: “Metal Roofing: The Perfect Platform for Solar Technologies,” in which you will learn about metal roofing and photovoltaic systems, and why the two are an ideal pairing in new and retrofit applications. Scott, MCA’s technical director, will conduct the session on the convention showfloor in CE Theatre B (booth 4156) on Thursday, June 20, from 12:30 – 1:30 pm. We’ve heard that it’s sold out, but you may want to double check with AIA on-site, or feel free to stop by the booth to speak with Scott and find out when the course will be offered via free webinar.

We’re looking forward to being in Denver next week, and hope you’ll stop by to see us at booth 1303.

And be sure to check back here over the next couple of weeks–we’ll try to post some fun examples of of our favorite metal construction projects in Denver.

Got Metal Construction Questions? We’ve Got Ask-The-Experts Answers

When it comes to new commercial construction, it’s helpful for architects and engineers to have reliable resources at their disposal for questions related to planning, designing, and building. The Metal Construction Association’s Ask The Experts is an online discussion forum for exchanging technical information concerning the use of metal in commercial construction, including general material and metal installation questions.

This spring has been a big season for new commercial construction projects and MCA has seen some trends with forum questions and discussions related to the following topics:

• Choosing Metal for Commercial Construction: New commercial construction can take a lot of building research between owners, architects, and engineers. For questions related to ‘choosing metal’, this topic is great for viewing previous discussions on metal being the best solution for commercial construction, types of metal, and more.

• Metal Installation: Installing metal for commercial construction can be a complex task for all engineers and contractors involved. For questions related to ‘metal structure installation’, this topic is great for viewing previous discussions on metal wall and roof installation.

• Metal Construction Engineering: Commercial engineering is a major part of the construction process with technical and strategic planning. For questions related to ‘metal construction engineering’, this topic is great for viewing previous discussions on testing, metal application, and diaphragms.

• Metal Maintenance: Building commercial structures with any material leads building owners to speculate on life expectancy, maintenance, and upkeep. For questions related to ‘metal building maintenance’, this topic is great for viewing previous discussions on common maintenance issues and weather myths.

• Metal Wall Panels: A popular commercial construction addition is metal wall panels. For questions related to ‘metal wall panels’, this topic is great for viewing previous discussions on Insulated Metal Panels (IMPs), manufacturers, and alternative wall solutions.

Find helpful metal construction discussions and create new topics for our expert panel. For more information related to these popular topics this season, please visit the Ask The Experts forum today.

Kriner to Present at Energy Efficient Roofing Conference on April 8

Energy Roofing Conference LogoAttending the Energy Efficient Roofing Conference in Charlotte, NC, next week? Don’t miss Scott Kriner’s presentation on the integrated energy efficient metal roof retrofit system at Goodfellow Air Force Base, San Angelo, TX.

“This Department of Defense (DOD) demonstration project is a result of the $1 million Environmental Security Technology Certification Program grant, which was awarded to a team of industry professionals representing metal roofing, retrofitting, solar technologies, insulation, and the Metal Construction Association  (MCA),” said Kriner, MCA technical director. Results of the installation are expected later this year.

Kriner will be presenting on Monday, April 8, from 3:50–4:10 pm. At 4:30 pm he will serve as a panelist in a Q&A session.

By: John Ryan, Metal Construction Association

Just to close the loop on our recent glut of posts about solar power and metal roofs, we are pleased to share a Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) report released today that states that 2012 was a record year for solar installation, as reported by CNN.

In 2012 more than 3.3 gigawatts of solar power were installed, which is enough to power about 500,000 homes. That is a 76% increase from 2011, and the industry expects another record year for solar power installations in 2013.

“There were 16 million solar panels installed in the U.S. last year – more than 2 panels per second of the work day – and every one of these panels was bolted down by a member of the U.S. workforce,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. “We’ve brought more new solar online in 2012 than in the three prior years combined.”

See below for some fun facts about the Top 10 Solar States, and visit SEIA for an executive summary of the full report.

Related Posts:

Top 10 Solar States

Metal Construction Blogs Provide Valuable Perspective

By Cathy Szmurlo, Metal Construction Association

Several members of the Metal Construction Association, which consists of manufacturers and suppliers of metal roof and wall components, have jumped on the blogging band wagon. By adding their input on products, projects, industry issues and current events to the blogosphere, these companies are providing a valuable resource to architects and building owners. We hope you’ll check out these members’ blogs for additional insights, and add them to your reading list:

  • Alpolic Mitsubishi Plastics Composites America – Descriptions of company case studies, news and projects as well as views on compelling metal architecture, design and sustainability projects.
  • American Iron and Steel Institute – Institute news and viewpoints on national and international issues affecting the steel industry.
  • Classic Metal Roofing Systems – Issues and benefits regarding metal roofing for residential building projects.
  • Copper Development Association – News and views regarding the use of copper in specific industry categories, including building construction.
  • Drexel Metals — Photos and videos along with viewpoints on company metal roofing products and projects.
  • Englert  – Metal roof and wall panel project commentary and insight on industry issues.
  • Kingspan – News and winning entries for Generation Kingspan™ Student Architectural Competition – a competition for students of architecture.
  • MBCI – Insights on metal roofing and wall issues such as the green movement, LEED, solar roofing and PV.
  • Metal Construction News – Industry news and views from publication staff.
  • Metalforming USA – Company and industry news from architectural machinery manufacturer.
  • Metalmag – Metal construction industry viewpoints from online magazine.
  • Miller Clapperton – Company, project and business opinion from this MCM fabricator.
  • Petersen Aluminum – Descriptive project articles and photos on a variety of company metal roofing projects.
  • Rigid Global Buildings – Company news and events from this metal building, roof and wall panel manufacturer.

Metal Construction Industry Experts Eye Growth in 2013

By: John Ryan, Metal Construction Association

According to a “State of the Metal Construction Industry” report published by Metal Construction News recently, modest growth is expected for the industry in 2013. Viewpoints from several industry experts were included in the report, and most agreed that residential construction would be a key growth driver for the industry in the near-term, with additional highlights including manufacturing facilities and the energy sector.

Though the panel of experts is optimistic, there are some threats to the growth and profitability of the industry. The two biggest threats come as no surprise: continued economic uncertainty and a challenging political environment.

Other highlights from the state of the industry report include insights on building green, how technology is changing the industry, and outlooks on how the industry will evolve over the next 10 years.

For the full “State of the Metal Construction Industry” report, visit Metal Construction News.