Building legacies and curtain calls

By Robert Tiffin. 

A message from Robert Tiffin as his two-year term as MBCEA president wraps up.

Editor's note: This letter, written by MBCEA president and Silvercote national accounts manager Robert Tiffin, was originally sent out as a part of the Metal Building Contractors & Erectors Association (MBCEA) December 2025 newsletter.

Greetings!

As my two‑year term as president ends, I reflect not only on our amazing association, its new processes for future MBCEA and chapter growth, but also on the art of endings. Great finales, whether in construction or television, are less about closure and more about legacy.

Take MASH’s* legendary farewell, “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” (1983). Just as Hawkeye and company packed up the 4077, we too dismantle scaffolds of this leadership, knowing the structures we leave behind will outlast the war stories. Their bittersweet blend of humor and gravity mirrors our own: the laughter of conferences, the weight of industry challenges and the pride of service to you, our members.

Fast‑forward to Cheers (1993), where Sam Malone turns off the lights of his bar, reminding us that leadership is less about the building itself and more about the community it shelters. Like Sam, I have learned that our association thrives not on steel alone, but on the camaraderie of all those who make every project a shared toast.

And then there’s The Office (2013), where ordinary workdays became extraordinary stories. Its finale celebrated the beauty of finding meaning in the transactional. Likewise, our daily blueprints/drawing; meetings, erecting frames, tightening bolts, etc. becomes remarkable when viewed through the lens of collective achievement.

So, as I sign off, I do so with gratitude and wit: Endings are not exits, they are foundations. The scope of my presidency closed, but the certificate of occupancy is ready for David Leinbach, in the building of the next two years.

My first thank you is for you Sasha, alone. With great spirit, and downright grit, you have pushed, pulled, laughed and “oh Roberted” me as part of a wonderful team, with even better results. Truly, an amazing partnership when you let me think it was. LOL. A sincere, and most certain thank you.

Thank you, each of you, our members, for the honour of your time, your support, as we did reach new heights together, forever solidifying the legacy of the MBCEA. Fade to …Before I go, the registration for the 57th Annual MBCEA Conference and MBMA Spring Meeting is open.

Ok, now fade to black.  

Be safe, be great,
Robert Tiffin