Up until the last few years, a fabricator/installer in our metal construction industry could essentially provide a single product, do it well, and be competitive. That was what we did with Metal Composite Material for many years and most of our readers can probably relate in some way. That has all changed though as designers have become increasingly more likely to call for multiple metal products on a single project and as general contractors seek single-source vendors for all claddings. The pictures below nicely illustrate a building completed in 2005 versus a common design we see now on the other building, which we are finishing this summer.
This shift has necessitated that fabricator/installers acquire new knowledge for accurately estimating and installing products that are not their “bread and butter.” For example, we have had to learn about color offerings, minimum requirements, setup charges, mitered corners, short sheet charges, and thickness/gauge selection when pricing jobs to bid that specify insulated and single skin wall claddings. We have also had to gain at least a working knowledge of louvers and sunscreens. From a job-site standpoint, our crews have traditionally installed shop-fabricated panels that require very minimal, if any, field modification. Now they are called upon to cut panels on-site, often in less than ideal conditions. This has not been an easy transition, but we can honestly say that there’s really not any metal product that we are scared to bid right now. There were missteps in the beginning, sure, but what choice did we have but to pursue new avenues? It was either cling to the past and become extinct, or attempt to stay current and keep providing for more than 100 families who rely on this company’s existence.
Scott Stafford is the head estimator at The Miller-Clapperton Partnership Inc. in Austell, Ga. For more information, visit www.millerclapperton.com.