A “Move To Metal” at METALCON 2008 (December 2008)

A select group of architects, building owners and contractors were chosen to participate in the special Move to Metal program at the 18th annual METALCON International held Oct. 1-3 at the Baltimore Convention Center, and the program seems to have made an impression. “When these [metal] systems are designed and installed properly, they yield excellent service life with a minimum of maintenance,” said Chris Cross of Basil Associates, Northfield, Ill. Cross’ company provides architectural design, planning and engineering services for a broad spectrum of building types. Another attendee, Andy Hoover of The BEST Consultant Inc. in Suwanee, Ga., said that his colleagues should consider using metal for a variety of projects. “While no product is the right answer for all applications, metal certainly brings a lot of benefits in many situations and locations,” he said, adding that he was surprised to learn of the relative ease of properly constructing and maintaining metal systems. Both Cross and Hoover said they plan to use metal to meet their customers’ needs in the future. To qualify for this program, applicants had to be involved in non-residential projects, have limited or no previous experience with using metal in their projects and have not previously attended METALCON. The Move to Metal program was co-sponsored by the Metal Construction Association, Glen Ellyn, Ill.; METALCON International; and The Metal Initiative, a national industry marketing program.