This week, St. Patrick's Day comes along -- as a guy with the last name O'Neill, I do enjoy this holiday -- but the "wearing of the green" takes on a whole different meaning for me these days. I cannot even hear the word 'green' without immediately thinking of sustainability and eco-friendly products. And in this industry, that means metal buildings, metal roofing, metal wall systems and all the associated metal accessories.
While the people within our industry have intimate knowledge of just how 'green' metal building materials are and can be, one of the most important efforts happening throughout the metal construction industry --from coast to coast -- is the education of builders, contractors, specifiers and owner/developers about the true green benefits of metal buildings. As an industry we need to spread the word and reinforce the sustainable benefits of metal buildings, not just the recyclability of the materials (which should not be underestimated) but also the energy savings that can be achieved by using metal building materials when properly installed and insulated.
To that end, more and more companies across many industries now have employees with titles like Chief Sustainability Officer, Sustainability Manager, Director of Sustainability, Environmental Policy Manager, or Director of Environment, Energy & Safety, to name a few.
Are these simply added functions and responsibilities that have already been assumed by an individual or individuals at your company (minus the trendy title), or is there a need for such a position in your operation?
We'd like to know exactly how metal building manufacturers, suppliers and contractors are reacting to this evolving business climate, so please e-mail me with your comments, thoughts and opinions: boneill@moderntrade.com.
Metal Construction News Editorial Director Brendan O'Neill shares his thoughts and analysis on the issues and trends facing the metal construction industry.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Good Signs for the Industry
Last week's International Roofing Expo in New Orleans was the first big-time metal construction trade show since last fall's Metalcon. Like many, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, as the down economy of 2009 has extended into 2010, although by some reports in our industry we are already starting to see signs of recovery.
That said, the 2010 budgets for trade show exhibition, travel and attendance were no doubt determined using 2009's revenue numbers, which would point to a down year for nearly all industry events.
As a result, I was pleasantly surprised as I walked onto the tradeshow floor at IRE and saw aisles filled not only with quality metal roofing companies, but with attendees talking business and looking to make or maintain relationships.
I can say with complete confidence that, other than Greenbuild, which is benefitting from the popularity of the green building trend/movement, the 2010 International Roofing Expo was the best trade show I've attended in the last two years. There was a buzz about the event; attendees were packing the aisles; and virtually every exhibitor I spoke with said they not only had great foot traffic, but were receiving a large number of high-quality leads.
In addition, the conference program offered strong educational opportunities and, maybe even more important, they all appeared to be well attended. Even the last session on the final day of the show -- a presentation by Rob Haddock on PV systems and standing seam metal roofs -- had roughly 40-50 people in the audience, which is a very strong number.
From start to finish, this year's IRE show was a wonderful event, and it might prove to be just the kick-start to 2010 that our industry needed.
Find videos from the IRE show floor and also a peak at Rob Haddock's conference session on PV and standing seam metal roofs on our video page: http://www.moderntrade.com/Default.aspx?PublicationID=2&Video=Yes
Follow us on Twitter @MetalConstruct
To comment, email boneill@moderntrade.com.
That said, the 2010 budgets for trade show exhibition, travel and attendance were no doubt determined using 2009's revenue numbers, which would point to a down year for nearly all industry events.
As a result, I was pleasantly surprised as I walked onto the tradeshow floor at IRE and saw aisles filled not only with quality metal roofing companies, but with attendees talking business and looking to make or maintain relationships.
I can say with complete confidence that, other than Greenbuild, which is benefitting from the popularity of the green building trend/movement, the 2010 International Roofing Expo was the best trade show I've attended in the last two years. There was a buzz about the event; attendees were packing the aisles; and virtually every exhibitor I spoke with said they not only had great foot traffic, but were receiving a large number of high-quality leads.
In addition, the conference program offered strong educational opportunities and, maybe even more important, they all appeared to be well attended. Even the last session on the final day of the show -- a presentation by Rob Haddock on PV systems and standing seam metal roofs -- had roughly 40-50 people in the audience, which is a very strong number.
From start to finish, this year's IRE show was a wonderful event, and it might prove to be just the kick-start to 2010 that our industry needed.
Find videos from the IRE show floor and also a peak at Rob Haddock's conference session on PV and standing seam metal roofs on our video page: http://www.moderntrade.com/Default.aspx?PublicationID=2&Video=Yes
Follow us on Twitter @MetalConstruct
To comment, email boneill@moderntrade.com.