Endure Today’s Challenges and Be Stronger Tomorrow

by Paul Deffenbaugh | 4 January 2021 12:00 am

However, reflecting on the state of the metal building industry, I’m reminded of the Spartan cheerleaders sketches from Saturday Night Live in the mid-90s. No matter how bad things were going around them at the chess tournament, outcast cheerleaders, Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri, were always able to come up with the perfect cheer.

In the case of 2020, the perfect cheer is the coronavirus vaccine. As I stated during my two appearances on METALCON[9]Live this year, there is no economic or political fix for our sluggish economy. The sluggish economy is the result of a medical issue, and a medical issue requires a medical solution. This week, that solution began rolling out to hospitals around the country in the form of the Pfizer vaccine.

The good news is we are poised for a speedy recovery. As economist Anirban Basu, pointed out recently in his keynote address at the MBMA annual meeting, there are many reasons to be optimistic for 2021. Job growth, money supply, low inflation, a strong stock market and increased permitting activity all point to a strong and relatively quick recovery for our industry.

Will things be different on the other side of this pandemic? Absolutely. As 2020 MBMA chairman Steve Browning wrote in his column for Metal Construction News in December, metal building manufacturers have already seen a shift in the market. MBMA’s proprietary statistical data is showing an increased demand for larger buildings being used for warehouse and distribution centers to support the shift toward e-commerce. Modification and repurposing of existing metal buildings is also on the rise as owners are adapting to the virtual workforce.

At our annual meeting, we welcomed a new chairman for 2021: Greg Pasley, Ph.d., CEO, BlueScope Buildings North America[10]. Pasley echoed this positive outlook, citing the resiliency of the metal building industry. He spoke about the committee update presentations at the meeting and how the important work of the MBMA has us on a good path not just to sustain but to grow our industry in 2021 and beyond.

There are still some tough months ahead, but as Pasley said, our industry is resilient. I have no doubt that we will endure today’s challenges and be stronger as a result.

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Tony Bouquot is the general manager of the Metal Building Manufacturers Association[11] (MBMA). He leads MBMA in its mission to provide research, leadership and education that increases the prominence and use of metal building systems. Bouquot is a 28-year veteran of the building products industry.

Source URL: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/articles/endure-todays-challenges-and-be-stronger-tomorrow/

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