My First 25 Years Covering Metal Construction And Design

By Shawn Zuver, editorial/content director

It’s sometimes hard for me to realize that it’s been 25 years—August 13, 1985, to be precise—since I started covering the metal construction and design markets. Back in 1985, Ronald Reagan was starting his second term in the White House, the Dow Jones Industrials Average closed higher than 1,300 for the first time, the Chicago Bears were on their way to a Super Bowl victory, personal computers were still in their relative infancy, and cell phones were years away from reaching masses of people.

The time since 1985 represents nearly all of my adult years and slightly more than half of my entire life, yet it seems like such a short time ago that I started working as a staff writer for trade publications involved in the use of metal products by designers and contractors. I might feel a bit more self-conscious about how long it's been if my business partners - Bob Fittro and John Garvey - hadn't been with me nearly every step of the way.

In honor of the past quarter-century, I’ve put together a list of 25 things that I’ve learned about the metal construction industry.

1. Metal building systems are excellent for low-rise buildings. This seems like a no-brainer to me now, but when I entered the industry in 1985 I still thought of metal buildings as boxy steel structures that served a function while offering negligible, if any, aesthetics. I soon found that I was wrong about the aesthetics that can be achieved by metal buildings.

2. Metal roofing is great for new structures. A variety of colors, profiles and styles—coupled with outstanding performance—are among the many reasons.

3. Metal roofing is also great for retrofit projects. Whether installed over existing pitched or flat roofs, reroofing with metal panels is usually a cost-effective choice that can decades to a structure’s life.

4. Metal wall panels and systems offer many advantages for both new and retrofit buildings. Like metal roofing, the product choices for metal wall panels are endless and the benefits are many.

5. Cost is always a question. As I’ve noted in other columns, this is usually one of the first things that I’m asked about metal products. It’s a fair question, but it’s extremely difficult to answer without addressing many variables.

6. Metal products sometimes can provide the lowest installed cost. Relative to other materials that might be considered, metal offerings can be the most economical in initial cost.

7. More importantly, metal construction products typically offer the best value. When the entire life-cycle cost analysis is completed, metal products always fare well.

8. Even more importantly, quality should be the ultimate concern on any project. This includes the quality of products used, quality of design work, and quality of installation. If the quality is inferior, low cost is not an advantage. In my opinion, the high quality of metal construction products makes them a great choice.

9. Metal roofing’s appeal is more mainstream than many people realize. This has hit me several times in the past year on the front page of my hometown newspaper, as architect drawings of two new junior high schools and a new high school technical center show that they’ve all been designed with standing seam metal roofs. Like metal buildings, metal roofing was a product that never really caught my attention until I started covering this industry. Today, however, I see metal roofs everywhere I look on all types of residential, commercial, institutional and industrial buildings.

10. Just when I think I’ve seen everything in the way of colors and coatings for metal panels, something new comes along. Stone and camouflage patterns for metal walls are a couple examples that come to mind, and I can’t wait to see what else lies ahead.

11. Metal products usually stand up well in extreme conditions. As evidenced by follow-up studies after hurricanes and earthquakes, metal building systems, roofing and walls stand up well to natural disasters when codes are followed and products are designed and installed according to manufacturer guidelines.

12. When it comes to recycling, metal construction products are trend-setters. Long before anyone was championing “green” construction and “sustainability”, the recycling benefits of steel, aluminum and other metal construction materials was well known. Today’s new metal roof, for example, may have had a prior life as some other product—like a car or truck—and it may have yet another, decades from now when it eventually goes beyond its useful lifespan.

13. Research on new products, systems and technology—including green and sustainability initiatives—is ongoing. Whether led by product suppliers or trade associations, the collective effort is remarkable and has positioned the industry for a bright future with efforts such as solar collection and rain harvesting used in conjunction with metal products.

14. Cooperation is a key to success. I’m always encouraged by the all-for-one spirit displayed at meetings of trade associations like the Metal Construction Association, Metal Building Manufacturers Association, Steel Framing Alliance and Metal Roofing Alliance, and through programs like The Metal Initiative.

15. A strong industry trade show is a catalyst for growth. Since its founding in 1991, the annual METALCON show has brought together thousands of design and construction professionals to learn more about the industry. It’s a tremendous vehicle for anyone interested in metal construction and design.

16. Purlins are for roofs, girts are for walls. This is one of the first things that I learned, relating to the secondary framing members (typically zee or cee shapes) onto which metal roof and wall panels are attached. The real significance is that there is a specific vocabulary for metal construction products, as well as a broad host of architectural terms and a lexicon that applies to general construction. Not surprisingly, it’s helpful to understand industry-specific terms.

17. Many people are eager to learn. We see this every day on DesignandBuildwithMetal.com as visitors from around the world search through our Technical Articles, Advantages Of Metal, Green Products and other sections that are dedicated to providing reference material on a vast range of topics.

18. Education never ends. This is especially true of the architectural community where AIA members are required to complete courses each year to maintain their professional credentials. There are many programs concerning metal construction materials and processes that are available to meet these annual requirements.

19. Good photos really are worth 1,000 words…probably much more. While detailed project information is always appreciated by readers, decent project photos can tell much more in an instant. Photos also create an indelible memory that stays in the minds of architects, building owners and contractors for years to come.

20. Repeat business is extremely important in metal construction and design. As in any industry, the key to earning that repeat business is based on prior relationships. I’ve witnessed this as a primary focus of every successful design firm, contractor and product supplier.

21. The market for metal products has no geographic boundaries. When I started in the mid-‘80s, there was not a lot of thought given to markets for metal construction products outside the U.S. It’s not that they didn’t exist, but for the most part those regions were served by local suppliers. Today, at the METALCON show or a Metal Construction Association meeting, to give a couple examples, we see a real international flavor. It’s not uncommon for companies from other countries to now have vibrant operations in the United States, while there are many U.S.-based product manufacturers who also distribute products abroad or have facilities in those locations.

22. Nobody ever truly leaves the metal construction industry. Even though people may retire or move on to other careers, they seem to always come back at one time or another—sometimes years later—to pop in at a trade show or industry meeting. We also find that they continue to receive our weekly email newsletters, and drop us a note now and then. There seems to be some sort of magnetic pull that never quite lets go.

23. Economic cycles will come and go. Having experienced a few dramatic recessions affecting U.S. construction markets in the past 25 years, I’d expect that we’ll see more of them in the future. I’m also confident that each time the metal construction and design communities will continue to weather the storm and emerge stronger.

24. Technology is ever-changing and improving. There has been no end to the innovations that have been introduced in metal construction products in the past 25 years, and I expect this will always be the case. Likewise, the means of distributing information—brochures, spec sheets, case studies, news, directories, etc.—is also changing. In 1985 everything needed to be printed, today virtually everything is available on desktop and laptop computers. The future will see the continued move to handheld devices and other means that many of us probably don’t even envision at this time.

25. The enjoyment that I get from my work is directly proportional to the people I’m dealing with. I love what I do and I owe a great deal of this to my previously-mentioned business partners, Bob Fittro and John Garvey. I’ve known Bob since 1984 when we were both working at a small daily newspaper in Ohio, and he followed me to work on trade publications covering the metal construction and design industry—just a few weeks after I got started in 1985. John joined us there less than a year later and I’ve enjoyed professional and personal relationships with both of them ever since. Bob is the most inquisitive person I've ever known and has an uncanny memory of seemingly every project he's ever seen, while John is certainly one of the most engaging and memorable people in our industry despite (or, more likely, because of) his astounding ability to turn a two-minute joke into a half-hour odyssey; I look forward to many more years working with them. I’ve also had the pleasure of making acquaintances and friends of countless product suppliers, trade association members, architects, contractors and a wide range of others from around the world. The relationships are unquestionably the best part of this business.

The past 25 years have been great, and they’re just the start. I look forward to seeing the future evolution and innovations that will come in metal construction and design.

Shawn Zuver is editorial/content director for DesignandBuildwithMetal.com. He has been covering the metal construction industry, including residential and non-residential construction, since 1985. To contact Shawn, call (419) 581-2051 or email shawnz@designandbuildwithmetal.com.

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