Industry News

Arlington, VA – Construction sector employment increased by 19,000 positions in February as all five nonresidential and residential segments of the industry added workers, according to an analysis of new government data the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials warned that growing market uncertainty caused by tariffs and worsening labor shortages caused by evolving immigration policies could undermine future employment growth in the sector.

Cleveland, OH - The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) has added six new members. Waldroop Steel joins as a Building System member, with ARCO Design/Build, Curber Manufacturing, John J. Armitage Co., Nederveld Inc., and St. Louis Screw and Bolt all becoming Associate members.

Vacaville, CA – All Weather Insulated Panels (AWIP) has published a new product catalog with an updated overview of its insulated wall and roof deck systems and specification innovations.

Washington, DC - National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.1% in January, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of data published by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.248 trillion.

Portland, OR — Like prize fighters, the Q4 2024 winner of the Metal Roofing Alliance’s (MRA) Best Residential Roofing Project competition shines the spotlight on a lightweight contender that is proving to punch far beyond its weight class, beating out an industry heavyweight.

Rosemont, IL —The National Roofing Contractors Association has debuted a video encouraging roofing professionals to seek help when they are struggling with mental health. The video, “Be Tough Enough,” raises awareness regarding mental health and suicide prevention in the roofing industry. NRCA now also owns betoughenough.org, which links directly to NRCA’s mental health webpage.

Washington, DC – The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (the Foundation) has released its February 2025 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI-EFI). Overall, confidence in the equipment finance market eased to 66.9, down from the January index of 69.6, after three consecutive months of increases. The index reports a qualitative assessment of both the prevailing business conditions and future expectations as reported by key executives from the $1.3 trillion equipment finance sector.

Washington, DC – Architecture firms reported another decline in billings in January as the AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) was 45.6*. Any score below 50.0 indicates decreasing business conditions.

Virginia Beach, VA - The Reflective Insulation Manufacturers Association International (RIMA-I) announces changes to its Product Verification Program that will take place during 2025.

Chicago, IL – IMETCO, a leading manufacturer of premier metal products for the building envelope, has announced a partnership with BIMsmith, the leading product research platform for building professionals, for the development of new Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools for architects, engineers, and other construction professionals.

Cleveland, OH - The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) presented Dr. Roger A. LaBoube with the 2025 Dr. 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.

Portland, OR - The Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA), in partnership with Metal Coffee Shop, has named a beautiful re-roofing project located in Markham, Ontario, Canada as the winner of its Best Metal Roofing Project competition for fourth quarter of 2024.

McLean, VA — The Copper Development Association (CDA), a U.S.-based, not-for-profit association of the global copper industry, is now accepting submissions for the 2025 North American Copper in Architecture Awards (NACIA).

Chicago, IL – The Metal Construction Association (MCA) has released its 2024 Annual Report, now available on the MCA website. The report highlights MCA’s key achievements throughout the year, including advancements in advocacy, educational resources, and marketing initiatives, all of which have contributed to the continued growth in the metal construction industry.

Colorado Springs, CO - S-5!, a global leader in metal roof attachment solutions, in partnership with National Women in Roofing (NWIR), is excited to announce Leslie Quintanilla of Houston as the recipient of their $2500 scholarship. This support will help her in her pursuit of an HVAC certification at Texas Technical Trade School.

Cleveland, OH - The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) has published the "Fire Resistance Design Guide for Metal Building Systems, Second Edition". This comprehensive resource for fire protection of metal building systems has been updated to reflect the latest codes and research.

Arlington, VA – Construction sector employment increased by 4,000 positions in January as gains in nonresidential construction offset the decline in the residential sector, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials cautioned, however, that tightening labor market conditions may undermine future construction industry hiring.

Allentown, PA - ATAS has promoted Kyle Ferenc, CSI, to Midwest District Sales Manager, effective January 1st. His district includes Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. While overseeing Product Representatives, he will provide a vision for the expansion of that market. This district was created due to the growth ATAS is experiencing in that area, and due to the addition of ATAS’ fourth manufacturing facility which opened in University Park, IL in 2021.

Vacaville, CA – All Weather Insulated Panels (AWIP) is excited to announce its participation in the 2025 International Roofing Expo (IRE), the premier event for roofing and exteriors professionals across North America. The show will take place from February 19-21 in San Antonio.

Chicago, IL – The Metal Construction Association (MCA) presented its Patrick R. Bush Service Award to David Stermer and its Larry A. Swaney Award to James Bush. The awards were announced on January 21 during MCA's 2025 Winter Meeting in Cape Coral, FL.