A Company with a Different Approach

In today’s economy, a company’s success hinges on its ability to adapt and improve while remaining true to its principles and core competencies. Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Metal Design Systems Inc. (MDSI) has grown steadily while staying focused on architectural wall cladding systems and solutions.

Founded in 1999 by President and CEO Kreg Tjelmeland, MDSI began as a limited liability company (LLC) before being incorporated in 2002. The company now employs 90 team members. It has an engineering facility in Illinois, an installation facility in Kansas, and occupies a 165,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Cedar Rapids.

As an aluminum composite material (ACM) and specialty materials fabricator, MDSI works directly with architects, general contractors, owners and installers to produce custom-fit ACM wall panel systems, column covers, canopies, branding components and cornices. Its footprint spans throughout the U.S., Canada and Central America. MDSI is more than a material supplier. It offers design assistance, project management, 3-D modeling, computer-aided design (CAD), laser scanning, and installation. Its services are tailored to bring order to an often chaotic construction process.

Standing Apart

Tjelmeland says the company’s approach is what truly sets them apart. “All decisions are based upon three entities: our customers, our employees and our company,” he says. “We take all three into consideration and value the impact on each for all decisions we make. We will never compromise one over another.”

MDSI has a performance-based culture. Tjelmeland says the company focuses on hiring top talent and then on finding their best fit, so they can utilize their strengths and enjoy their work. “MDSI has been very fortunate to have some of the best people in the industry on our team, and it really shows with the outcomes for our customers and their projects,” he adds.

The company brings a different approach to projects-by acknowledging the existence of chaos and implementing tactics that mitigate it throughout the construction cycle. “Our project management team takes a very proactive approach to start each project with an online meeting with our customer to walk through each and every aspect of the job, from the scope of work, details, timelines and the budgets,” Tjelmeland explains. “We pay very close attention to the challenges and the needs of the customer as each job will be different in this aspect. We then go to work on solutions and a high level of communication to ensure we have a solid, well-defined plan to accomplish the project with the best outcome for all involved.”

Listening to customers is very important to understanding their challenges and needs. “As the industry evolves and changes, so do our customer’s needs, and we focus a great amount of time and resources to help them be the most successful,” Tjelmeland says. “Whether its an architect looking for solutions in their design, an owner needing to trim the budget, or an installer in the field, we listen and then provide solutions based directly on what is needed.”

Additionally, the company has learned that having a high level of integrity and servant leadership is what matters most. “We treat others the way we want to be treated and really desire to serve our customers, team members, vendors and everyone we work with day to day,” Tjelmeland says.

Innovative Products

MDSI believes fully in continuing to serve its customers with innovative products, especially amid an increasing demand for performance and complexity in the field.

The Exact+Site Laser Scanning service allows the company to quickly field measure the as-built conditions of a full site in a matter of hours, utilizing one of its experienced field-scan technicians and no additional lift equipment. “We then have a full 3-D model of the entire building, which we use to analyze, to apply the extrusion and panel system, to determine reference points, and to review with the general contractor and plan for any areas that could be problematic,” Tjelmeland explains. “This process delivers accuracy, precision, streamlined fabrication and enhanced communication with the field. This process allowed us to do hundreds of locations over the last three years with tremendous accuracy thus reducing field modifications and lowering installed cost.”

MSDI has refined the Exact-Site 3-D technology to include proprietary software that allows the company to take the panelized 3-D model directly into fabrication. According to Tjelmeland, “This is a huge benefit to our customers because it delivers the exact fit of the materials to the as-built conditions, shortens the lead time for product delivery and allows us to crate panels by elevation.”

Branding

Another aspect of MDSI’s business is facility branding for corporate identity programs. The company’s goal is to bring solutions to give each project a consistent aesthetic brand. To better serve its customers with all of the necessary components of their branding elements, MDSI has expanded its fabrication capacity to include a new welding facility, an overhead crane for the large branding/unitized elements, a paint booth from priming steel structural components and a state-of-the-art Rondo Roller for precise column covers and beam wraps, as well as other radius and complex panels.

Overcoming Challenges

Like many companies, MDSI has faced and overcome many challenges over the years. One of the growing challenges in the industry is the trend toward delegated design and the demands for tested systems to comply with the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) standards and the International Building Code (IBC). “Building codes are changing substantially and system testing is very costly,” explains Tjelmeland. “If codes change as fast as two or three years, testing costs for fabricators and manufacturers in all areas of exterior cladding will become a very high cost of doing business. We continue to work in partnership with manufacturers and fellow fabricators to collaborate on best means to be in compliance and control that these costs.”

“There have been many challenges over the years, and there always will continue to be,” he adds. “Having the ability to recognize and adapt has been a critical element in our success.”