Promoting Metal Building and Industry Development

by Paul Deffenbaugh | 3 April 2023 12:00 am

Attendees benefitted from the keynote delivered by Chris Kuehl, managing director, Armada Corporate Intelligence[1]. Kuehl discussed a myriad of topics including supply chain issues, inflation and recession concerns, and labor availability. While slower than usual, 2 to 2.5% growth is projected for this year. Consequently, to remain profitable, this will force companies to really focus on managing their businesses.

Now that the 179D Commercial Building Energy-Efficiency Tax Deduction Act has gone into law, architects and building owners can take advantage of major incentives for energy-efficient retrofits in commercial buildings.

He also noted that friend-shoring, i.e., sourcing from countries with shared values to tap global markets while mitigating risk, is an evolving trend. Reshoring initiatives are strong, though they are being affected by transportation challenges and the labor shortage.

During the meeting’s Future Leaders’ discussion, the panel encouraged Gen Z and Millennials to network, both inside the industry and out, and to seek mentorship. With a “come early and stay late” disposition, young professionals are best poised to grow and succeed in their professional ambitions.

Meanwhile, the sustainability panel delved into definitions of sustainability and how different companies are proactively pursuing eco-friendly manufacturing. A few key points included recognition that steel is the most recycled product on the planet and that while energy consumption and its source is important to sustainability, it’s not everything. The group also acknowledged the growth in solar energy from 0.3% of the market to 3% and rapidly increasing.

Another highlight was LeeAnn Slattery, sales support manager at ATAS International Inc.[2], Allentown, Pa., receiving the Patrick R. Bush Service Award for her MCA marketing efforts as part of the MCA development committee. In addition, Scott Kriner, former MCA technical consultant, received the Patrick R. Bush Award. Sadly, Kriner recently passed away.

Looking forward, MCA’s Summer Meeting will take place June 11-13, 2023, at the Rosemont Hilton near Chicago O’Hare airport. Attendees will benefit from valuable insights into industry trends, networking opportunities and educational programming.

Inflation Reduction Act

Now that the 179D Commercial Building Energy-Efficiency Tax Deduction Act has gone into law, architects and building owners can take advantage of major incentives for energy-efficient retrofits in commercial buildings.

As compared to the federal government’s previous energy efficiency program, which offered reductions of up to $1.88 per square foot for buildings 50% more energy efficient than a comparable building, the new law offers a $5 per square foot reduction with a lower threshold of being 25% more energy efficient than a comparable building. Another noted difference is the previous requirement limiting owners to apply just once over their building’s lifetime has changed to once every three years.

Taking advantage of these first-cost investment incentives, building owners can upgrade their buildings with metal roofing and cladding, then benefit from years of operational cost savings.

In fact, in an MCA white paper on the energy savings and environmental benefits of retrofitting U.S. K-12 schools with metal roofs, billions of dollars in long-term savings were calculated through extended roof service life, decreased maintenance costs and reduced heating and cooling energy expenditures.

By extending such renovations to other building sectors, and with the newer technologies incorporated in today’s cutting-edge metal building systems, the potential savings and benefits to the building owner accrues exponentially.

Another expanded incentive, as part of the in this latest round of legislation, is a 30% tax credit for the installation of photovoltaic systems through the Solar Investment Tax Credit. Metal roofing’s durability and longevity makes it an ideal choice for rooftop solar installations.

The bottom line is that the metal construction market is well poised to play a major role in the surge of building renovation projects anticipated from these federal incentives.

Doing Business in Uncertain Times

While the economic forecast is relatively good, the jury is still out regarding a possible impending recession. Now more than ever, the industry stands to benefit from working together to more effectively activate the power of association.

MCA membership enables metal building manufacturers, distributors, contractors, roll formers, fabricators, accessory vendors and professional organizations to be a part of the conversation on issues impacting the industry.

To encourage membership, new categories have been added such as weather barrier manufacturers and enhanced appeal for regional distributors and regional roll formers. MCA members benefit from opportunities to develop skills and knowledge, bring exposure to their company and amplify their voice in the industry. Members can more easily network with industry leaders throughout the supply chain, stay up to date on the latest technology, code changes, sustainability and the like, and take part in collaborative research and marketing strategies.

As the pursuit of encouraging, publicizing and educating the building industry about the benefits of metal construction continues, MCA invites you to be a part of it.

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Jeff Henry, MBA, CAE, is the executive director of the Metal Construction Association. He leads MCA’s staff in supporting industry members and elevating the use of metal in construction. For more information, go to www.metalconstruction.org[3].

Source URL: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/articles/promoting-metal-building-and-industry-development/

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