Industry News

Moundridge, — The Bradbury Group, a global leader in the design and manufacture of roll forming and coil processing equipment, announced it has acquired the assets of Press Room Equipment Co., (PRE) a leading provider of press feed and coil handling equipment based in Springfield, MO.

Washington, DC - The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has updated AISI S310, North American Standard for the Design of Profiled Steel Diaphragm Panels. This standard, first published in 2013, provides design provisions for diaphragms consisting of profiled steel panels which include fluted profiles and cellular panel profiles.

Washington, DC – The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (the Foundation) has released the December 2023 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI-EFI). The index reports a qualitative assessment of both the prevailing business conditions and expectations for the future as reported by key executives from the $1 trillion equipment finance sector. Overall, confidence in the equipment finance market is 42.5, steady with the November index of 42.8.

Washington, DC – The American Institute of Architects' AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) remained below 50 for the fourth consecutive month in November, 2023. The score of 45.3 increased by one point from October, indicating slightly fewer firms reporting a decline in billings. The report also found inquiries for future projects rising.

Houston, TX – Westlake Royal Roofing Solutions™, a leader in efficient and resilient roofing systems and components, has released a new CEU continuing education course for architects about roofing underlayment. The course, The Importance of Roof Underlayment for Energy Efficiency and Fire Resistance, explores the roof underlayment as an integral part of the total roof system design and educates architects on the performance, benefits, fire resistance and weather resilience of various underlayment types.

Hatfield, PA – Laminators Incorporated has received notice from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations indicating that the application for Florida Product Approval (FPA) has been approved for the 2023 Florida Building Code (FBC). Laminators’ Omega-Lite® ACM panels and applicable installation systems are approved for use in all Florida jurisdictions requiring FPA, including the High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) with a wind load design pressure of +/- 120 pounds per square foot.

Cleveland, OH - The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) has released its 2023 annual report: “Metal Building Systems – A Sustainable Future”. It focuses on the sustainability and resiliency of metal building systems and how MBMA and its members continue to lead the industry in developing new and better solutions to advance metal building system design and manufacture.

Washington, DC - Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes rose three points to 37 in December, according to the recent National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released on December 18, 2023.

Washington, DC - Construction input prices decreased 0.3% in November compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data.

Taipei, Taiwan - DuPont (NYSE:DD) announces that Coryor Surface Treatment Company Ltd. and Nippon Paint Taiwan introduced a series of new offerings including printed Tedlar® PVF solutions and PVF coating at the Taipei Building Show, the largest building materials exhibition in Taiwan.

Colorado Springs, CO – S-5!, a global leader of metal roof attachments, was issued 21 new patents in 2023, bringing its total number of patent issuances to 133 since the company’s first product was patented in 1991.

Tokyo & Pittsburgh--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nippon Steel Corporation (NSC) (TSE: 5401), Japan’s largest steelmaker and one of the world’s leading steel manufacturers, and United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) ("U. S. Steel”), a leading steel producer with competitive advantages in low-cost iron ore, mini mill steelmaking, and best-in-class finishing capabilities, have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which NSC will acquire U. S. Steel in an all-cash transaction at $55.00 per share.

Toronto, ON - Samco Machinery played a role in the success of a high school team competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition. The Pink Titans robotics team of David & Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, Ontario, earned the Autonomous Award Event at the Ontario District Humber College event and advanced to the playoff rounds.

Arlington, VA — Construction sector job gains slowed in November as firms added only 2,000 jobs, but wages for hourly employees accelerated and the number of unfilled positions reached record highs in October, the Associated General Contractors of America reported in analyzing latest government data. Association officials said the new figures indicate the slowdown in hiring is likely because of workforce shortages instead of declining need for labor.

Nashville, TN – Elevate™, a leading commercial roofing, wall and lining systems provider, has strategically reoriented its U.S. Sales organization and leadership team. The Elevate internal U.S. Sales team is now organized into East and West divisions, each led by a Senior Sales Director. The newly created role of Vice President of Supply Chain & Customer Experience will focus on end-to-end optimization, collaboration across the organization, and providing exceptional service to customers. Elevate implemented these changes to reinforce the commitment to improved customer centricity and provide more regionally focused customer support.

Allentown, PA – Continuing their popular metal wall panel installation seminars in 2024, ATAS International announces the dates and locations for those sessions. Locations include Allentown, PA; Mesa, AZ; and University Park, IL.

Moundridge, KS — The Bradbury Group hosted the Annual Bradbury Golf Tournament at Hesston Golf Course in Hesston, KS, in late October, with the goal of raising money to help support local food banks. It was a great opportunity to get employees, vendors and customers together to support a very worthy cause.

Cleveland, OH - The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) has announced its 2024 board of directors. Mark Van Dyken of Nucor Building Systems will continue to serve as the association's Chair.

Elk Grove Village, IL - The new PAC-CLAD Board and Batten wall panel system from Petersen expands the creative options for designers and specifiers of exterior cladding systems. The Board and Batten system uses concealed fasteners to maintain clean lines and a rhythmic pattern of alternating wide vertical boards and narrower elevated battens.

Washington, DC, November 16, 2023 – The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (the Foundation) has released its November 2023 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI-EFI). The index reports a qualitative assessment of both the prevailing business conditions and expectations for the future as reported by key executives from the $1 trillion equipment finance sector. Overall, confidence in the equipment finance market is 42.8, an increase from the October index of 40.1.