Where Are They Now? Quonset, Mitchell Engineering, Steelox & Others

By Shawn Zuver, editorial/content director

From time to time, each of us becomes nostalgic, taking a look back to think about things that took place in the past. I’ve had a lot of exposure to this over the past couple years as people in the metal construction industry—some whom I haven’t talked with for a decade or more—discover that my partners and I have left the print magazine world to venture into electronic media.

I recently spoke to someone who was reminiscing about our first meeting back in the 1980s, when we both were affiliated with other companies. During our conversation, we reviewed several mutual friends we’d encountered in our professional lives, and updated each other on their current positions. It was a fun conversation which led me to think about companies and trade associations that have evolved over time. With that in mind, in this column I’ll take a look back at the metal construction industry by re-visiting some companies that are often difficult to find because of name changes.

At one time or another, most of us—whether architect, contractor, building owner, product supplier or student—have probably encountered a company name in the metal construction industry that we just can’t locate. I’d like to offer up nearly a quarter of a century of industry experience, combined with an affinity for industry trivia, in this meager attempt to help.

Digging Up Metal Construction Names From The Past

Aluma Shield. A big name in the in insulated metal panel market for walls and roofs, to find their products today go to Kingspan Insulated Panels.

ASC Omega and ASC Pacific. The current ASC Profiles has its roots in these companies, which supplied metal roofing and wall components.

Binkley. If you’re looking for Binkley, specialists in curved metal panels, cast your sights today on Floline Architectural Systems.

Chemseco. A well-known sealant supplier for metal buildings, walls and roofing, can now be found at Sika Corp.

Copper Sales. Famous for its metal panels and related offers, the company’s metal roof systems can be found at Firestone Building Products and the wall panel systems and related products are part of Firestone Metal Products/UNA-CLAD.

Cuckler. One of my favorite industry trivia questions, Cuckler became an LSI (Lear Siegler) company and the metal building manufacturer can now be traced to Star Building Systems.

Engineered Components Inc. A well-known supplier of metal roofing and other components based out of the Houston area, the company was later known as ECI Building Components. It became part of MBCI, a division of NCI Building Systems.

H.H. Robertson. CENTRIA, who today is a leading worldwide supplier of metal roofing and walls, traces its lineage back to the venerable H.H. Robertson, E.G. Smith and Steelite Corp.  E.G. Smith (Elwin G. Smith Co.) had merged with Steelite Corp. to become Smith/Steelite; that company then merged with H.H. Robertson and is now known as CENTRIA. You may also see a reference to Cyclops Corp. linked to the Smith name.

Lamit Industries. This company’s Benchmark Architectural Systems division is now Kingspan Benchmark—still a leading manufacturer of insulated metal panels. Kingspan Benchmark is part of the Kingspan Insulated Panels group.

Mitchell Engineering. One of the most frequently-asked “where are they now?” questions that I have received through the years has been about Mitchell Engineering. To find their descendants today, look to Ceco Building Systems.

North American Steel Framing Alliance. The “North American” has since been dropped, reflecting the group’s worldwide reach, to become Steel Framing Alliance. In its early days, today’s SFA was part of the American Iron & Steel Institute’s Residential Advisory Group—as were the roofing members who brought together today’s Metal Roofing Alliance.

Pennwalt Corporation. Two suppliers of resin used in coatings find their roots in this company—Solvay Solexis and Arkema. Solvay Solexis is recognized for its Hylar 5000 resin. Arkema, formerly known as Atofina, is well-known in the metal construction industry for its Kynar, Kynar 500 and Kynar Aquatec brands.

Quonset™. A legendary name in construction, Quonset™ buildings or “huts” are often associated with military barracks and structures, as well as for agricultural and other uses. Today, Quonset™ is a trademark of VP Buildings, a BlueScope Steel company.

Steelox. At various times, Steelox supplied metal roofing and metal buildings, but it’s in metal roofing where the name has its biggest recognition. Today, Steelox roofing is offered by MBCI, a division of NCI Building Systems.

Stran. Another legendary name in metal buildings, Stran became part of VP Buildings, a BlueScope Steel Company.

Systems Builders Association. Today’s Metal Building Contractors & Erectors Association (MBCEA) had been known for many years as the Systems Builders Association, and before that it was the Metal Building Dealers Association.

TIMA. Formerly known and the Thermal Insulation Manufacturers Association, today the group is familiar as the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA).

Vincent Metals. Their roofing and wall products can be found today at Ryerson.

That’s my list, for now at least. I offer my sincere apologies if I’m a bit off on any of the information that appears here. I’m working from memory, so please send me a quick email or call me and I’ll be sure to correct any misinformation. If you have others that aren’t mentioned here, send those as well—I know that this only scratches the surface and there’s always room for a sequel.

You can easily locate current manufacturers and suppliers by checking out our Supplier Directory. For trade groups, our Associations section is the perfect place to track down information.

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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