Industry News

Washington, DC – Following a nine-month stretch of positive billings, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) showed no increase in design activity in January. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the January ABI score was 49.9, down from a mark of 52.7 in December.

Raleigh, NC – VMZINC®-US, the international brand name of rolled zinc products manufactured and sold by the Building Products Unit of the Umicore group, has announced the release of the newest issue of Archizinc Trophy magazine. Produced as a special edition of Focus on Zinc, VMZINC's international architecture magazine, Archizinc Trophy showcases the winners of the sixth VMZINC® Archizinc Trophy Awards.

Rosemont, IL - Lindy Ryan, senior vice president of Tecta America Southeast LLC, Sanford, FL, has been elected the next president of the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). Ryan, who will be the first woman in NRCA history to assume the role of president, will serve for the 2015-16 fiscal year. She was elected during NRCA's 128h Annual Convention held Feb. 24-26 in New Orleans.

Indianapolis, IN – Firestone Building Products Company, LLC, a leading manufacturer and supplier of a comprehensive “Roots to Rooftops” product portfolio, has released the list of its 2015 Master Contractor Award winners. The winning firms – 256 in all – were from throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, and had demonstrated their excellence in installation, quality of work and customer service.

Woburn, MA – Key RHEINZINK installers recently attended an advanced training workshop aimed at increasing knowledge and skill in fabrication and detailing techniques. The three-day session was led by Lou Rondeau, RHEINZINK America’s National Applications Training Manager, and Andre Schwabe, Trainer from RHEINZINK’s parent company in Germany.

Eufaula, AL - American Buildings Company (ABC), a leading domestic and international manufacturer and marketer of high-quality metal building systems for industrial, commercial, and institutional construction markets, announces the addition of Millwright Construction LLC of Alda, Nebraska and Hughes Construction Services of Ozark, Alabama to its national network of Builders.

Trinity, FL - Fall Protection Distributors LLC has announced the release of the SSRA1 standing seam roof anchor. Engineered to revolutionize fall protection anchorage attachment on standing seam roofs, the patented, non-penetrating design of the new life-saving device is unique to the industry. It consists of a solid 6061-T6 aluminum body with 12 stainless steel set screws. The standard assembly also includes a 5,000 lbs.-certified d-ring for single man attachment.

Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Industries’ (NYSE:PPG) industrial coatings business has introduced Envirocron® HTE (high-transfer-efficiency) powder coating, featuring a proprietary bisphenol A (BPA)-free polyester formulation that is designed to have a faster application build rate than traditional polyester coatings while providing more uniform coverage on complex parts and surfaces and reducing material waste.

Minneapolis, MN – Valspar has announced its development of an ASTM-compliant graffiti-resistant system, which has been tested and approved for all Valspar Coil and Extrusion building products. With communities around the world affected by the defacement, graffiti resistance and removal solutions are needed more than ever, Valspar has aligned with Graffiti Removal Services (GRS) to create a sustainable, cost-effective system.

Raleigh, NC – The Nonresidential Construction Index from FMI rose two points in Q1 and now stands at 64.8. This normally is a positive economic sign. However, construction companies are facing the challenge of having enough people to keep up with increasing backlogs, warns Phil Warner, researcher for FMI.

Fairfax, MN - The Budweiser Clydesdales have been known to pull a few kegs of beer in their day. Fast forward to the 21st Century and TurboTap USA and its sister company, Bar Pods USA, have introduced a new way to transport the King of Beers—or any other adult beverage— to large events where people gather. Just as importantly, they provide the means to quickly and efficiently serve it.

Kansas City, MO - Butler Manufacturing™ has grown its corporate accounts team, adding Maryna Tov as a global corporate accounts manager.

Indianapolis, IN - Firestone Building Products Company, LLC (Firestone), a leading manufacturer and supplier of a comprehensive “Roots to Rooftops” product portfolio, has announced Brian O’Neil as the company's new Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Lancaster, PA – Fabral, a supplier of metal for building envelopes, has announced the promotion of Scott Abraham to Territory Sales Manager for the regions of northwest Minnesota and North Dakota. Abraham has worked at Fabral since February 2014 as Business Development Manager and now transitions into this position bringing more than ten years of industry experience and knowledge.

Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Industries’ (NYSE:PPG) coil and building products group announced that its digital Architectural Metal Coatings Binder is now available for download in the Apple® App Store℠ online.

Washington, DC - The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Standards Council announces that it has selected four winning research proposals for its 2015 Small Project Fellowship Program. AISI’s Small Project Fellowship Program was launched in 2014 to identify and provide funding for research projects that will significantly impact the reliability, performance, and cost-competitiveness of cold-formed steel (CFS) framing products in a variety of end-use applications.

Eufaula, AL - American Buildings Company (ABC), a leading domestic and international manufacturer and marketer of high-quality metal building systems for industrial, commercial, and institutional construction markets, announces the addition of B & A Construction and Design of Huntingburg, Indiana to its national network of Builders.

Elk Grove Village, IL - Petersen Aluminum Corp. is celebrating its 50th anniversary by honoring the first five decades of company history as it prepares for a bright future. Maurice “Maury” Petersen founded the company on Feb. 15, 1965 as an aluminum distributor in Chicago, then worked with his son Mike as the company grew to become one of the construction industry’s premier architectural metals manufacturers.

Louisville, KY - Engineered Commercial Roof Edge Systems, a new brochure from Drexel Metals, offers architects and contractors an array of watertight solutions for specifying and installing perimeter edge systems.

Lewisville, TX - Jeff Irwin, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Architectural Panel Division at Metl-Span, was the recipient of the 2015 Patrick R. Bush Award presented at the Metal Construction Association winter meeting in Palm Springs, CA in January.