Industry News

Portland, OR – Driven by a strong and growing residential metal roofing market, the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA), the leading nonprofit trade organization representing the industry in the U.S. and Canada, has grown its ranks for 2026, adding to both its manufacturer and contractor memberships.

Arlington, VA – Construction employment declined by 11,000 jobs in February, with decreases in both residential and nonresidential segments, according to an analysis of new government data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. The decline follows stronger hiring in January than previously reported and suggests contractors are becoming more cautious about adding workers amid uncertainty about materials prices and demand for projects.

DeLand, FL – Kingspan Insulated Panels North America has announced a partnership with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (DRR), a renowned team with a rich legacy in motorsports. Together, the duo will enter veteran driver Conor Daly in the No. 23 DRR Chevrolet Dallara Firestone car in the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 24, at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS).

Schaumburg, IL – The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) has formalized its 2027 conference events schedule, which includes a return to an exclusively in-person Summer Summit. The in-person Summer Summit will take place May 10-12 at the Hilton Downtown Tampa in Tampa, FL. The FGIA Southeast Region Summit will immediately follow on May 13 in the same location.

Oklahoma City, OK – Meeting the needs of contractors has always been Flex-Ability Concepts’ focus. Its latest offering, Slotted Flex-C Trac, adds slotted legs for deflection to the original Flex-C Trac. This gives framing contractors an additional method to create high-quality curved walls, columns and S-curves in specific applications.

Wausau, Wisconsin – Apogee Architectural Metals has named Jacob Johnson as vice president of sales for the western and southern regions. He will report directly to company president Troy Johnson (no relation), and work closely with Jon Close, who continues in his role as vice president of sales. In his new position, Jacob Johnson will serve as a core member of Apogee Architectural Metals’ leadership team assisting in shaping enterprise strategy, operating priorities and long-term growth decisions.

Cleveland, OH – The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) presented Dr. Benjamin Schafer with the 2026 Duane S. Ellifritt Research Award. Named after MBMA’s original director of research and engineering, this honor is given annually to a researcher whose contributions led to advancements within the metal building systems industry. Dr. Schafer accepted the award at the 2026 MBMA Research Symposium in Orlando, FL. Dr. Schafer is the Willard and Lillian Hackerman Professor of Civil and Systems Engineering and the Director of the Ralph O’Connor Sustainability Energy Institute (ROSEI) at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Washington, DC – The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index® (ABI) dropped to 43.8 in January, down from 47.1 in December, signaling a greater number of firms experienced a decline in billings compared to the previous month. The billings index is a monthly measure of business conditions as reported by member firms of the American Institute of Architects.

Morrilton, AR – In 2026, BITEC, Inc. is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Founded in 1986 by Bruce Shealey, who recently retired after serving the roofing industry for 60 years, BITEC has its roots in a modified bitumen technology that originated in Italy.

Vacaville, CA – All Weather Insulated Panels (AWIP) is proud to announce the launch of its fully refreshed website, designed to elevate user experience and better serve customers, partners, and the industry. AWIP has also unveiled its new domain, awip.com.

Schaumburg, IL – The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) has updated the Aluminum Material Council (AMC) portion of its site with webpages covering aluminum-focused sustainability. This new industry resource discusses the life cycle of aluminum fenestration products and the recyclability of that material. View it at FGIAonline.org/AMCsustainability.

West Chester, OH – ClarkDietrich has unveiled a new version if its iTools app, featuring design and navigation improvements. Launched in 2013, ClarkDietrich iTools is a free online resource (accessible on desktop and mobile) for architects and contractors who are evaluating purchasing decisions and product selection for steel framing projects, providing access to design lookup tools, ClipExpress products, cost-saving calculators, sustainability options and product submittals.

Dublin, Ireland – Kingspan, a global leader in high-performance insulation and building envelope solutions, has announced its collaboration with Buildner on the eleventh edition of the MICROHOME competition, offering a $115,000 prize fund.

Channahon, IL — VALTO Engineered Materials, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-quality fiberglass reinforced panels (FRP), has introduced GLASBOND with an ASTM E84 Class A Fire Performance rating for its peel-and-stick panel and trim profile system. Class A per ASTM E84 is the highest fire-resistance rating requirement, common on many assembly and institutional occupancies where FRP is specified, including hospitals and schools.

Allentown, PA – ATAS International, a leading manufacturer of premier metal roofing, wall panels, ceilings, and accessories, has expanded its offering of prepainted aluminum flat sheets and coils to include thicknesses up to .118 inches. This strategic enhancement provides architects, fabricators and contractors with greater design flexibility and structural performance for demanding applications.

Washington, DC – The Equipment Leasing & Finance Association (ELFA) has released its February 2026 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI), revealing confidence in the equipment finance market rose to 67.6, up from 64.6 in January, and the highest level since January 2025. The index provides a qualitative assessment from key executives in the $1.3 trillion equipment finance industry.

Chicago, IL – The Metal Construction Association (MCA) has released its 2025 Annual Report. Interested persons are invited to read, download, and share the report now to see MCA’s key achievements throughout the year and the industry leaders who made them possible.

Nashville, TN – Elevate recently celebrated its 2026 Master Contractors at their annual rewards trip, held February 10-13 at the Grand Velas Riviera Maya in Mexico. The Master Contractor program, which recognizes the most elite commercial roofing contractors across North America, remains one of the industry’s most established contractor designations. Elevate is a premium commercial roofing systems manufacturer and part of the Amrize family of brands.

Oklahoma City, OK – The students in the Construction Management Technology program at Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) in Appleton, Wisconsin are learning about curved walls, soffits and ceilings, thanks to a generous donation of product by Flex-Ability Concepts. By using donated Flex-C Trac and Flex-C Arch, the students have the opportunity to discover how a metal framing track curved by hand saves time and money—while improving safety—compared with traditional curved framing methods.

Brookshire, TX – Straight Line Metal Buildings is pleased to announce the appointment of Sean Weda as its new general manager.