Albert Runels (A.R.) Ginn, a long-time employee of NCI Building Systems Inc. (now Cornerstone Building Brands) and MBCI, passed away on January 7, 2021 in Cypress, Texas. Before retiring from NCI in 2007, Ginn spent an impressive 48 years championing the metal construction industry. He started his career as an assistant on the shop floor at Metallic Building Co., Houston, back in 1959, before joining A&S Building Systems. In 1969, Ginn returned to Metallic as vice president of operations, before founding MBCI with his brother and business partners in July 1976.
MBCI became a leading supplier of metal building components to the pre-engineered metal building industry and was the first major manufacturer to use prepainted Galvalume for its panels. In 1987, Ginn started the company on a vertical integration strategy by acquiring both light-gauge and heavy-gauge coil coating facilities, and in 1990, acquired American Building Components, Nicholasville, Ky. In 1995, he led a joint venture for a state-of-the-art coating facility in Jackson, Miss.
Ginn was instrumental in the merger of MBCI and NCI Building Systems, and in 2000 became chairman of the board, and CEO in 2003. He stepped down as CEO in December 2006 and retired at the end of 2007.
In 2016, Ginn was inducted into the Metal Construction Hall of Fame. In discussing Ginn’s contributions for the Metal Construction Hall of Fame, Bill Coleman, president of MBCI, said, “A.R. was truly a visionary kind of guy. MBCI became one of the nation’s leading providers of metal building components, a leader in innovative product development, and establishing a revolutionary weathertightness program that protected building owners.”
Added John Lawrence, a 2012 Hall of Fame inductee, “A.R. is one of the smartest guys I know. The metal construction industry is what it is today because he championed it.”
“A.R. was an innovator of products and the manufacturing processes, many that are broadly adopted today,” Coleman added. “As a result of his efforts and promotion, metal panels have advanced to become an accepted energy-efficient solution for non-residential construction by both owners and the architectural community.”
Ginn is survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Ollie Lynn Ginn, son Kelly Ginn (Becki) and children Madison (Cory) and Karter (Courtney), daughters Tracy Dandy (Mark) and sons Joshua (Wea) and Jacob (Rebekah), Julie Casburn and daughters Katie (Shane), Sarah and Shelby and Ginger Ziebold (Brent) daughter Mia. A.R. and Ollie son, Albert Ryan “Crew” Ginn passed away in 2015 at the age of 29. Ginn is also survived by 12 great grandchildren, his brother, Russell E. Ginn (Beverly) and numerous other relatives.
