It’s been an interesting time for the economy in general and our industry in particular, with business levels dropping significantly after reaching record peaks. Between pandemic upheaval, supply chain issues and inflation, we’ve all faced more than our share of ups and downs. In Engineering News Record’s recent 2023 forecast, it cites FMI’s Jay Bowman as saying that, although we’re primed for an economic slowdown, data centers, manufacturing plants and warehouses won’t be “tied to the overall economic outlook.” That’s a positive point for us since those sectors depend heavily on metal building systems.
What will the future bring in the metal building industry?
From my perspective, I believe this is a time for proceeding cautiously and focusing on internal operations and operational excellence. It’s a good time to put an emphasis on people, processes and productivity. Further, the labor shortage is truly forcing innovation, which is a good thing and will help us make better companies for the future. In addition, recent tech layoffs may be a silver lining for us, with innovative, curiosity-minded technology professionals considering careers in companies like ours that still make things.
The new Net Promoter Score survey will provide members with a concrete measurement of the satisfaction of their customers verses an industry average.
By the Numbers, Let’s Grow the Industry. Metal building shipments in 2022 were relatively flat verses 2021 with just under 1.1 million tons shipped both years. However, digging deeper into the Metal Building Manufacturers Association’s (MBMA) proprietary statistical data, upwards of 20% of those 2022 shipments came from backlogs rather than new orders. The good news is most MBMA member companies had a healthy backlog to tap into. According to MBMA’s monthly business conditions survey, most members are expecting this slowdown in orders to continue through the first quarter of 2023 with relief finally coming in Q2 and the second half of the year.
During this challenging period, MBMA members are taking the proactive step of rolling out a new quarterly statistical survey measuring customer satisfaction. The new Net Promoter Score survey will provide members with a concrete measurement of the satisfaction of their customers verses an industry average. As any good statistician knows, you can’t improve what you can’t measure.
Who Don’t You Know? As we all work through these interesting times together, I encourage you to attend the joint conferences of Metal Building Contractors and Erectors Association (MBCEA) and MBMA in Nashville, Tenn., May 8-10. These two industry-leading associations come together once a year and create a great environment where metal building people throughout the industry get out from behind their computer screens to meet, talk, learn and build relationships. From building manufacturers and suppliers to contractors and erectors, everyone benefits from these gatherings. I’ve been there many times and can verify that it’s an unparalleled opportunity. I hope to see you there!
Future Watching. Who will be designing the most innovative metal buildings 20 years from now? We don’t know. But what we do know is that we’re helping to stimulate that talent with MBMA’s annual student design competition. We began the program last year and were very pleased with the enthusiasm and creativity of the students. This year, the number of participating schools tripled, and we also broke the competition into divisions to separate the undergrad and graduate level submissions. Check it out at mbmaeducation.org.
While you’re there, be sure to download the free architectural folios under the resources tab. These in-depth documents focus on a particular metal building project and its architectural design. They’re packed with insights from architects, owners, builders and other team members. Use these in your own employee growth and education programs and share them with your industry colleagues and clients.
Honoring the Incredible. MBMA has established an award that will be given annually to a researcher in recognition of their contributions to the advancement of metal building systems. The award is named in honor of Dr. Duane S. Ellifritt, MBMA’s first director of research and engineering. The first recipient was introduced at MBMA’s Annual Research Symposium on February 22. He is Dr. Thomas Murray, the Montague Betts Professor of Structural Steel Design Professor Emeritus at Virginia Tech. You can read more about him and his innovative contributions to the metal building industry at blog.mbma.com.
Plan Ahead! There’s one thing for sure about 2023 that we can all agree on: it’s time to embrace change. Time to think beyond the norm and look for ways to further embrace the breakneck pace of technology growth and learn to look at our industry in out-of-the-box ways. Join with MBMA to think in new ways. Reach out to us with your ideas and visions at mbma@mbma.com.
Mark Van Dyken is chairman of the Metal Building Manufacturers Association. More information about the association is available at www.mbma.com.
