Industry News

Cleveland, OH - The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) elected its 2020 Board of Directors at the association’s annual meeting held December 3-4, 2019 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Steve Browning of Vulcan Steel Structures is the incoming chair of the group.

Washington, DC - The Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI) will host a webinar on “Steel Deck on Cold-Formed Steel Framing” on Thursday, December 19, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. EST. The webinar is designed for architects, engineers, building officials and contractors. Participants are eligible for 1.5 PDHs.

Walker, MI - Tubelite Inc. introduces its client development manager trainee program. The program is designed to train aspiring sales professionals to successfully promote Tubelite's storefront, curtainwall, entrances and daylight control systems to glazing contractors and architectural teams.

Kingscourt, Ireland - Global building industry leader Kingspan has announced the launch of a major 10-year strategy to play its part in reducing the world’s carbon emissions by 45% by 2030, as determined in the Paris Agreement, and contribute towards the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

WASHINGTON - Following a two month decline in demand for design services, architecture billings got a bounce in October, according to a new report released from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score in October is 52.0, up from the September score of 49.7.

Cleveland, OH - The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) recently held a one-day workshop on Energy and Sustainability for MBMA members. This symposium, held in Grapevine, TX, on November 6, highlighted current energy and sustainability projects underway through MBMA, as well as information on where the energy standards and codes are headed and how the industry can stay ahead of upcoming changes.

Charlotte, NC – Coated Metals Group (CMG) has announced the opening of a new facility in Charlotte, NC. It becomes the eighth location for the Madison, WI-based company.

Portland, OR - What’s on the home improvement horizon for 2020? Coping with climate extremes, getting creative and achieving better, longer-lasting performance that adds more ROI for the home improvement dollar are all top of mind for U.S. and Canadian homeowners this year, according to the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA).

Olathe, KS - At its annual Fall meeting, which took place at the Magnolia Hotel in Houston, TX on October 23-24, RIMA International posthumously named Robert (Bob) Wadsworth of Innovative Energy as the second-ever recipient of the association's Alexander Schwartz Award. Accepting the award Wadsworth's behalf was son-in-law Jonathon Hagarbome who now runs Innovative Energy with his wife, Bob's grand-daughter, Whitney.

Washington, DC - Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes edged one point lower to 70 in November, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released recently. The past two months mark the highest sentiment levels in 2019.

New Franklin, OH - The Roofing Industry Committee On Weather Issues Inc. (RICOWI) has published its Wind Investigation Report of Hurricane Michael in Florida on October 10, 2018. The purpose of the project was to document the effects of extreme wind impact on a variety of roofing products - including metal roofs on several buildings - and to describe roof assembly performance and modes of damage.

Rosemont, IL - With winter coming, the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) is reminding homeowners to minimize damage to their roof systems by preventing ice buildup during the coldest months.

Hatfield, PA – Laminators Inc. has issued a new 12-page Omega-Lite® ACM Panels & Installation Systems brochure featuring a detailed overview of their Omega-Lite ACM panel and showcasing their various field- and shop-fabricated installation systems.

Cleveland, OH - The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) has released its newest case study, Retail & Wholesale. This 10-page report highlights eight businesses that use metal building systems to thrive in today’s evolving retail and warehouse store market.

Arlington, VA - Construction employment increased by 10,000 jobs in October and by 148,000, or 2.0 percent, over the past 12 months, while construction spending decreased by 2.0 percent from September 2018 to September 2019, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America.

Newton, MA - Known as the “Steel City,” Pittsburgh proved to be a natural fit for METALCON, the metal construction industry’s largest international event. The show was sponsored by locally-based, long-time partners’ United States Steel Corporation (U.S. Steel) and PPG.

Washington, DC - National nonresidential construction spending rose 0.5% in September but is down 0.9% on a year-ago basis, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, spending totaled $775.6 billion, 2.4% lower than the cyclical peak in April 2019.

Pittsburgh, PA - Vorteq Coil Finishers, LLC, a provider of coil coating services for metal products, has announced the acquisition of the assets of Western Metal Decorating of Rancho Cucamonga, CA. The company also announced the relocation of its headquarters from Oconomowoc, WI to Pittsburgh, PA.

Moon Township, PA - CENTRIA®, a leading innovator and manufacturer of advanced building envelope wall and roof panels, integrated components and coating systems, introduces TotalClad™ MW fire-resistant insulated metal wall panels. Building upon its current offering, Micro Planked, the panels are now available in Striated and Heavy Embossed options.

Portland, OR - The new realities of climate extremes are having a major impact on U.S. and Canadian homeowners. But old realities are still standing in the way for some homeowners who want to increase their home’s resiliency. That includes outdated local HOA restrictions that may prevent more protective home improvement practices.