Industry News

Wausau, WI – Apogee Architectural Metals has appointed Rama Menon as vice president of product management and marketing. He will focus on growing and sustaining the company’s North American market leadership for its Alumicor, EFCO, Linetec, Tubelite and Wausau Window brands.

Arlington, VA – Construction employment climbed by 26,000 jobs in March, with gains in both residential and nonresidential segments, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that the gains were welcome news, but the fact construction pay continues to be well above other sectors is a sign firms are struggling to find enough qualified workers.

DeLand, FL – Kingspan Insulated Panels North America, a leader in high-performance building materials, has announced the completion of its newly renovated and expanded North American headquarters in DeLand, Florida.

Chicago, IL – Atlas Tube, a Zekelman company, has expanded its Shuriken® Structural Nut Keeper line, introducing additional size options and integrations within the HSS Connections Hub™ to make it easier than ever to use Hollow Structural Sections (HSS) in steel projects.

Wilmington, DE – Tenmat, a recognized leader in passive fire protection, is pleased to announce the completion of another successful NFPA285 test incorporating Tenmat’s FF102/50 Intumescent Fireblocking and Hoover Architectural Solutions, LLC’s (HAS) Reynobond® 4mm FR Aluminum Composite Material (ACM).

Hatfield, PA – Laminators Incorporated, a leading full-service manufacturer of architectural specialty, sign, and OEM solutions, announces that its AdaptaClad™ RS system has achieved expanded NFPA 285 compliance, marking a significant advancement in the system’s validated performance within fire-resistive wall assemblies.

Washington, DC – Architecture firm billings showed signs of stabilization in February after months of decline, with an AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index® (ABI) score of 49.4—up from 43.8 in January, indicating only a slight majority of firms reported declining billings.

Beloit, WI – Low-slope roofing manufacturer MuleHide has promoted Nick Musel to territory manager - Mid-Atlantic. He joined the company in 2019 and most recently served as technical field manager.

Boucherville, Quebec – Norbec has announced the appointment of Allan Monello as Regional Sales Manager – Building Envelope and Controlled Environments, covering the Southeast United States. He is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Washington, DC, March 19, 2026 – The Equipment Leasing & Finance Association (ELFA) today released its March 2026 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI), revealing confidence in the equipment finance market is 61.0, a decrease from 67.6 in February, but within range of index levels over the past nine months. The index provides a qualitative assessment from key executives in the $1.3 trillion equipment finance industry.

Allentown, PA – ATAS International has named Andrew Seigel, CSI, Mark Oyer, and Angel Colon as the 2025 recipients of ATAS' annual Malan S. Parker Award, which recognizes the top ATAS sales professionals each year. All three are first-time recipients.

Toronto, Ontario, CAN – Previously serving customers from Ontario to the Atlantic Coast, Alumicor has expanded Cass Dvorak’s sales territory to now include the Greater Toronto Area. Sought out for his expertise and recognized for building strong customer relationships, Dvorak will focus on growing connections, elevating service and enhancing the experience for all Alumicor customers.

Green Bay, WI – Bay Insulation Systems, one of North America's leading suppliers of metal building insulation and systems, has been named a 2025 Platinum Award Winner for the National Insulation Association's Safety Excellence Award in the Metal Building Laminator category. The honor was presented at NIA's 70th Annual Convention, and it represents the highest tier of recognition the association offers in the program.

Moundridge, KS – Bradbury Group Australia, a member of The Bradbury Group, has completed an innovative, cutting-edge board and batten machine as part of a 3x1 blank-fed trim line, designed for efficiency and long-term durability. The system operates using a simple on/off motor, with speed controlled via a potentiometer. Because the line is blank-fed, material can be processed as quickly as the operator can feed it, maximizing throughput.

Portland, OR – The Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) has announced two winners in its Best Residential Metal Roofing competition for the first quarter of 2026. One was a home in Possum Kingdom, Texas, whose original hail-damaged Galvalume metal roof was replaced with copper, and the second was a newly constructed home in Promontory, Utah. It features a metal roof that was fabricated and installed to be as durable as it is attractive.

Laurel, MT – Wood’s Powr-Grip (WPG) has announced the promotions of Shane Anderson to Senior Web Developer and added Eric Skyler as Web Developer.

Sharon, PA – Zekelman Industries, a leading independent steel pipe and tube manufacturer in North America and a pioneer in integrated real estate development, has announced that Jean-Marc “JM” Athanassiadis will take over as Division President for the company’s Sharon Tube business unit. Athanassiadis replaces Dan Reilly who is set to retire after nearly seven years leading the company.

Schaumburg, IL – The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) has released an updated comprehensive manual covering the care and handling of architectural aluminum products through project completion. AAMA CW-10-26, Care and Handling of Architectural Aluminum from Shop to Site, an FGIA document, is now available for purchase in the FGIA online store. This document was last updated in 2015.

Pittsburgh, PA – PPG (NYSE:PPG) has announced the launch of PPG AQUACRON® Waterborne Shop Primers (WSP) for structural steel. This breakthrough technology is suitable for all climates and combines rapid curing with a smooth finish and low volatile organic compounds* (VOCs), delivering a balance of properties unmatched in existing waterborne primers.

Kennesaw, GA – Direct Metals®, an international steel service center with headquarters in Kennesaw, Georgia, and a warehouse in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, has put into service a new state-of-the-art shear.