Industry News

Washington, DC – Business conditions at architecture firms who are members of the American Institute of Architects weakened further in May. The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index® (ABI) declined to its lowest level since January, with a score of 44.5.

Lake Forest, IL – Kingspan Light + Air North America and Solatube International have launched a new digital Design Guide, “The Benefits of Daylighting in Architectural Design,” alongside a dedicated Daylighting Hub. Together, these resources provide architects and specifiers with a comprehensive, evidence-based toolkit for integrating natural light into both modern buildings and retrofit applications.

Moundridge, KS – The commitment to delivering world-class customer service remains at the heart of everything The Bradbury Group aims to do. As customer needs continue to evolve, Bradbury is investing in expanded facilities, enhanced technology and additional resources to ensure the company can provide the highest level of support for years to come.

Arlington, VA – Construction firms added 11,000 jobs in June and 64,000 over 12 months, as pay for craft workers climbed faster than for production workers overall, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of latest government data. Association officials cautioned, however, that future construction job gains are at risk unless Congress acts quickly to pass new highway and transit legislation before the current law expires on Sept. 30.

Newton, MA – As the metal construction industry navigates shifting market conditions, evolving building codes, workforce challenges and increasing performance demands, METALCON 2026 will bring together the associations helping shape its future through education, technical expertise and collaboration.

Beloit, WI – Low-slope roofing manufacturer MuleHide has hired four new territory managers to lead the company's sales and support efforts in Tennessee; Alabama and Mississippi; Northern California; and West Central and Southwest Florida markets.

West Chester, OH – ClarkDietrich, the nation’s largest manufacturer of cold-formed steel framing products, has introduced two new barrier mesh wall systems with third-party testing for impact resistance. The 9-gauge (BM50-9-Modified) and 13-gauge (BM50-13- Modified) barrier mesh systems achieved an ASTM F2322 impact resistance Grade 3 and Grade 4, respectively, within a cold-formed steel framed assembly. The Grade 4 assembly was framed with 54 mil CFS studs spaced at 16" on center, while the Grade 3 assembly used 97 mil CFS framing spaced at 12" on center.

Schaumburg, IL – The Metal Construction Association (MCA) is proud to announce the recipients of scholarships through the 2026 MCA Scholarship Program, supporting the educational goals of employees of MCA member companies and their families.

Kennesaw, GA – Direct Metals®, an international specialty metal and fiberglass service center with headquarters in Georgia and a warehouse in Wisconsin, is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Laurel, MT – Wood’s Powr-Grip (WPG), a global leader in vacuum lifting technology for more than 60 years, is proud to introduce the Powr-Lift 1600™, a new telehandler with integrated vacuum lifter, designed to help contractors handle large glass and other non-porous materials with greater safety, precision and efficiency.

Wausau, WI – Apogee Architectural Metals has announced Peter Dyer as its regional sales manager for the company’s newly established Northwest region. In his new role, Dyer is overseeing sales and market development efforts across Washington, Oregon, Alaska, northern California and western Nevada.

Schaumburg, IL – The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) has released an updated suite of documents describing test procedures and performance requirements for pigmented organic coatings applied to aluminum extrusions and panels for architectural products. All three specifications are now available for purchase in the FGIA online store. This update provides additional guidance on the pretreatment conversion coatings. The trio was last updated in 2022.

DeLand, FL – Kingspan Insulated Panels North America has released its annual Sustainability Report, recapping its North American project milestones for 2025. The report marks the fourth annual update on Kingspan’s Planet Passionate program and the halfway point in the company’s 10-year sustainability journey.

Newton, MA – As architects and design professionals face growing pressure to make smarter decisions about carbon, code compliance, material performance and long-term resilience, METALCON is expanding its Design District programming for 2026 with a new education lineup centered on the issues shaping today's built environment.

Itasca, IL – The Roofing Alliance has announced its Board of Trustees for 2026-2027. Sherri Miles of J.D. Miles & Sons Inc., Chesapeake, Virginia, will serve as president and John Campbell of Eagle Roofing Products, Rialto, California will serve as vice president.

Spanish Fork, UT – OSH Cut CEO Caleb Chamberlain announced recently that the company is nearing completion of a second U.S. factory. The company is investing $10 million to equip the 70,000 sq. ft. plant, which will be located in the the greater Cincinnati area. It is expected to employ 70 workers and will provide on-demand metal fabrication.

Washington, DC – The Equipment Leasing & Finance Association (ELFA) has released its June 2026 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI), revealing confidence in the equipment finance market is 63.7, an increase from the May index of 59.9, and the second consecutive increase since the start of the war in Iran. The index provides a qualitative assessment from key executives in the $1.3 trillion equipment finance industry.

Beloit, WI – Low-slope roofing manufacturer MuleHide has promoted Alejandra (‘Ale”) Mahecha Bader to field technical manager. She had served as a technical field representative in Florida since joining MuleHide in 2024.

Nashville, TN – Elevate™, a premier brand of commercial roofing systems and part of the Amrize family of brands, has released a LEED v5 Credit Guide, among the first roofing-specific resources to help architects, designers, and builders navigate the updated LEED framework ahead of LEED v4 and v4.1 registrations sunsetting on June 30, 2027.

Mason, OH – Clopay Corporation, North America’s largest manufacturer of residential and commercial garage doors, is introducing C-Power™-enabled Click-to-Conceal™ Panels on its aluminum and glass Avante® and Avante® Sleek doors as well as commercial Models 904 and 906.