Architectural & Structural Metals Mfrs
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 12,700 metal manufacturers in the US produce structural, ornamental, and architectural metal products, primarily for use in the construction industry. Major product categories include sheet metal work; fabricated structural metal products; ornamental and architectural products; plate work; windows and doors; and prefabricated building and component products. Sheet metal work includes air conditioning ducts and stove pipe; electronic enclosures; roofing and roof drainage equipment; flooring and siding; and culverts, flumes, and irrigation pipe. Fabricated structural metal products include bar joists, concrete reinforcements, and structural metal for bridges.
Seasonal Sales
Sales are seasonal and driven by construction activity, which typically peaks during warmer weather.
Capital-Intensive Operations
Historically, architectural and structural metals manufacturing has been a capital-intensive industry and is becoming more so as the pace of technological change accelerates.
Industry size & Structure
The average architectural and structural metals manufacturer operates out of a single location, employs about 32 workers, and generates $9 million annually.
- The architectural and structural metals manufacturing industry consists of about 12,700 companies, employs 412,000 workers, and generates about $113.6 billion annually.
- The industry is highly fragmented; the top 50 firms account for nearly 28% of industry sales.
- Some large companies are vertically integrated and own and operate raw steel manufacturing facilities, such as mini-mills.
- Large companies include Valmont Industries, Cornerstone Building Brands, OmniMax International (formerly Euramax International), Quanex Building Products, and Gibraltar Industries.
- Commercial construction accounts for the majority of industry sales.
- Structural steel is the most commonly used framing material in the US, and accounts for over half of framing used in non-residential and multi-story (more than four stories) residential construction, according to the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC).
Industry Forecast
Architectural & Structural Metals Mfrs Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Sep 18, 2024 - Flat Prices Amid Rising Payrolls
- Producer prices for architectural and structural metals manufacturers remained essentially flat in July compared to a year ago, down less than 0.2%, after posting a previous flat July-versus-July annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Following a steep runup that began in 2021 and peaked in August 2022, prices haven’t budged much in over a year. By comparison, employment and wages climbed to new highs in July. Employment grew 4% year over year in July to a new high, while average wages at architectural and structural metals manufacturers rose 4.2% over the same period to $26.01 per hour, BLS data show.
- With hail storms on the rise, builders, homeowners, and insurers are looking for ways to protect metal roofs from damage, Metal Construction News (MCN) reports. Stone-coated steel roofing – a type of roofing tile made from Galvalume steel (the most widely used metal in architectural metal roofing) and coated with stone granules applied with acrylic polymer adhesives – is proving an effective shield against hail damage, according to MCN. A steep slope metal roofing solution, stone-coated steel roofing is growing in popularity in the US because of its aesthetics, durability, and weather-resistance capabilities. The roofing tiles are lightweight, while still benefiting from the structural strength of the steel comprising it, making it ideal for use in both new construction and roof retrofits, writes MCN. Of all types of weather-related damage, hail and wind are the leading causes of insurance claims, accounting for nearly 40% of homeowner-originated claims.
- The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) has been awarded a $6.4 million grant to help automate the development of steel product environmental product declarations (EPDs). The grant is part of a nearly $160 million Environmental Protection Agency program to reduce climate pollution from the manufacturing of construction materials and products. AISC in partnership with the University of Massachusetts Amherst will use the fund to reduce the environmental impacts of domestic construction activity, steel production, and product manufacturing by increasing the quality, transparency, and geographic coverage of life cycle inventories and resultant EPDs representing steel products. The AISC was among 38 grantees chosen to address climate change with construction material EPD projects. The project will help a broader range of manufacturers and fabricators (particularly small businesses) generate EPDs that accurately showcase steel’s sustainability, according to AISC.
- Architectural and structural metals manufacturers that source foreign-made steel routed through Mexico face higher supply costs due to new tariffs imposed by the Biden administration, The Fabricator reported in July. To stop China from avoiding import taxes by routing steel and aluminum through Mexico, the US imposed a 25% tariff on Mexican steel that is melted or poured outside North America before being turned into a finished product. Previously, that steel would have entered the US duty-free. Aluminum imports from Mexico will face a tariff of 10% if they contain metal smelted or cast in China, Belarus, Iran, or Russia, the White House said. While US steelmakers have welcomed the higher tariffs, companies that rely on imported steel to manufacture their products generally oppose the tax hike.
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