Central States has what you need

By Emma Peterson. 

For contractors looking to get started in the metal market, Central States is a great place to start. 

Whether it’s in commercial or residential applications, metal is on the rise in the roofing and building products industry. To learn about how contractors can get involved with this growing market, Heidi J. Ellsworth hosted Andrew Wilson from Central States for an episode of Roofing Road Trips®. Andrew is the VP of innovation and product engineering at Central States. In his own words, “I'm responsible for looking at the things that are coming up, trying to find better systems, making sure that we have the right product range to meet our customer's needs and generally drive things forward.” This puts him at the forefront of the work Central States is doing in the metal market, making him the perfect one to talk to about the growth of this sector and how contractors can get involved.  

Across the board, there has been a distinct rise in interest in metal. Andrew cites this growth to the growing awareness of the benefits metal brings. He shares, “Metal just has that big advantage of the durability being so much better. A metal roof is going to last a lot longer than an asphalt roof. Even without severe weather it's going to last longer.” This is attractive to both home and building owners and insurance carriers because they aren’t having to pay for a new roof as frequently.  

In addition to this, new products and innovations have made metal far more versatile than it was three decades ago. Andrew gave an example from Central States’ portfolio, sharing, “We really started with exposed fastener panels, which were originally used in agriculture. Today, we have several different profiles for different looks for different regional and architectural preferences.” In addition to their exposed fastener panels, Central States offers standing seam (their Horizon Lock) profiles that create even more options for residential uses of metal panels.  

Overall, the breadth of their offerings is not only a testament to how far metal has come, but it also makes them the perfect resource for contractors in the field. Andrew elaborated, “We've upgraded quite a lot in terms of our knowledge and support for metal in the last several years. We want to try and help people be more successful because if our customers win, then we win.” This support includes resources like online design tools and educational opportunities. Andrew shared, “At the end of the day, we want to help people understand the different metal options out there. A lot of people think the differences between the different panel types is purely cosmetic and it's not the case. At Central States, we provide our contractors with a place where they can come and ask questions; to actually get advice on what's the right solution for their different projects.” 

Read the transcript or Listen to the full episode to learn more about Central States and how they partner with contractors to help them succeed in the metal market.