Metal Architecture, Jan 2021

metalarchitecture com January 2021 METAL ARCHITECTURE 19 de globalization efforts But capacity utilization rates among manufacturing sub sectors will need to increase well past the 70 levels theyve generally been stuck at before expectations of expansion plans can be given much free rein The food and beverage manufacturing sub sector which employs more people than the motor vehicle and parts industry may be a special case Highprofile and debilitating coronavirus outbreaks at labor intensive meat packing plants will force processing line modifications More cold storage capacity has also come to the forefront as a necessity Additionally the positive outlook for single family suburban home building is good news for manufacturing All the items going into making a new residence comfortable e g appliances electronics HVAC systems etc roll off plant production lines Also worthy of mention of course is that heightened single family construction laid out in grids is of benefit to all manner of infrastructure suppliers including road builders and sewer and water main contractors Alex Carrick is chief economist for Cincinnati based ConstructConnect He is an awarded author of thousands of articles and is regularly quoted in major news outlets Endure Todays Challenges and Be Stronger Tomorrow By Tony Bouquot General Manager Metal Building Manufacturers Association If 2020 showed us anything it is that no matter what the predictions or forecasts it is in all of our best interests to advocate educate train and promote the industry through steady collective and cohesive efforts Even in the face of unpredictable circumstances the more we work to overcome challenges together the stronger and more resilient the industry will be in 2021 and beyond Renee Ramey is the executive director of the Metal Roofing Alliance MRA where she is responsible for the daily management of the MRAs ongoing marketing programs aimed at increasing metal roofings residential market share Ramey has more than 20 years of marketing and management experience One of the roles of an association manager is to be a cheerleader for his industry After technical projects marketing is the second largest line item in the Metal Building Manufacturers Association MBMA budget But even the most enthusiastic cheerleader would be forgiven for feeling a bit pessimistic at the end of 2020 However reflecting on the state of the metal building industry Im 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 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 vaccines began rolling out to hospitals 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 irTAL in December metal building manufacturers have already seen a shift in the market MBMAs statistical data is showing 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 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 There are still tough months ahead but as Pasley said our industry is resilient I have no doubt that we will endure todays challenges and be stronger Tony Bouquot is the general manager of the Metal Building Manufacturers Association 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