You may be aware of the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA), but do you know what we can do for you? We have changed a lot in the past few years. We are no longer your grandfather’s MBMA, and we are continuing to evolve with a focus on overcoming barriers and blazing new trails to grow our members’ presence in the construction industry. If you haven’t been active in MBMA, you are missing an opportunity to leverage benefits available to members, associates, builders, owners and architects of metal building systems.
Our charge is to provide leadership, research and education that increase the prominence and usage of metal building systems. We are here to advocate metal building systems as the premier solution for performance, aesthetics and sustainability in low-rise building construction.
In accomplishing this mission, we create an abundance of high-quality research and materials.
Here are some examples that may be useful to you:
- A robust website, re-engineered last year, to provide in-depth resources for anyone interested in metal buildings.
- A webinar program to educate anyone interested in energy savings and fire protection.
- Technical manuals on subjects ranging from sustainability to metal roofing to seismic design.
- Free literature, including case studies, research findings and practical information on insurance issues, safety and so much more.
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MBMA’s strategic plans focus on initiatives to impact, influence and innovate. These involve:
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Now in our second year of a three-year strategic plan, we have turned a corner and see a very bright future ahead. Rather than looking inward, we are reaching out in new and exciting ways. We’ll soon implement an educational component that will extend into the universities. We will help train the next generation of engineers, architects and construction professionals so they can take advantage of the many inherent benefits of metal building solutions.
We are also engaging our associate members more fully. Associates comprise companies that provide products or services to metal building manufacturers and designers. Last December, we announced our first winner of the Innovation Award for associate members. Dale Nelson’s (Roof Hugger, Lutz, Fla.) winning idea will lead to side-by-side performance testing of metal and other types of roofing to provide objective information for anyone in need of a new roof. It’s this kind of impact and influence we value in our associate members, and we want to help them implement creative ideas that can lead to industry- building solutions for the future.
We’re also looking out for the industry by implementing forward-thinking ideas. How do we influence banks and financial institutions to grasp the vision that metal buildings are highvalue investments? How do we grow the MBMA pie even more rapidly now that metal building solutions rank as the primary construction option for low-rise non-residential buildings? How can we help businesses in our industry accomplish more together than they can on their own as a result of our powerful association? How can we overcome old ideas, perceptions and attitudes to leverage metal building prestige to a new level?
If your company is an MBMA member, I hope you will personally jump in and work with us to turn these bold aspirations into actions and results. We have dozens of opportunities for you to participate in committees, research and leadership. If your company is not an MBMA member, it’s time to think about it; to take a new look at a refreshed organization with vision and determination. Your firm can build on what we are creating when you partner with us for a bright industry future.
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Tom Gilligan is chairman of the Cleveland-based Metal Building Manufacturers Association. More information about the association is available at www.mbma.com.
