Metal — the hottest topic in Chicago during the MCA Summer Meeting

By Karen L. Edwards 

Metal Construction Association (MCA) members gathered in Rosemont, Illinois to learn about the latest happenings in the metal construction industry.  

Current economic landscape 

The summer meeting kicked off with a keynote presentation from the Chief Economist of Armada Corporation, Chris Kuehl, who shared updates on the economic landscape with the caveat that where it stands in the morning is not necessarily where it will stand at the end of the day — or even tomorrow.  

Chris shared his thoughts on three different tariff scenarios, with the most likely one being that average tariffs stabilize at eight to 12 percent alongside approximately $150 billion in generated U.S. exports driven by non-tariff barrier removals. A second scenario with moderate probability sees average tariffs inflate to 15-18 percent, but 40 percent of imports would find exemptions.  

The third, and least likely, scenario would be a full rollback of tariffs. This would only kick-in if there were an extreme economic recession along with data that showed dire economic consequences from the current U.S. and China tariff pressures. This has very little political support as it would represent a failure by the Trump administration.   

Chris also shared insights into some of the most recent changes that have happened on the global stage and some key players to watch. The 90-day deal with China saw tariffs on Chinese goods reduced from 145% to 30% (20% connected to fentanyl and 10% universal). We’ve also seen good news for the auto industry for Mexico, Canada, Japan and South Korea but details are still fuzzy. He notes that key world players to keep an eye on are Giorgia Meloni from Italy and Claudia Scheinbaum from Mexico. 

Technical updates 

MCA Technical Director Bob Zabcik shared updates on MCA’s technical efforts, including working on the renewal of MCA’s Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). 

The Resilience Metal Council is a new committee from MCA that was created in part due to an increased focus on fire resistance spurred by the recent devastating fires experienced in Maui, Hawaii, and Los Angeles, California, and the growing spread of wildfires in general. MCA is working with IBHS and the Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Incidents (RICOWI) to investigate this growing issue.  

Early studies show that simple modifications can have a dramatic impact on reducing the spread and devastation of wildfires – including keeping mulch away from the side of the home and stopping wooden fences from connecting to the house. Having a five-foot buffer zone between combustibles and the home can make a difference. The team is focusing on how neighborhoods and communities can come together to implement best practices for fire resistance. Building materials play a role too, which is why MCA has established this new council that can help study and educate the populace on the beneficial fire resiliency that metal adds to a building.  

MCA Market Study  

Paul Trombitas from FMI Corporation took the stage to share takeaways from this year’s MCA Market Study. Over 100 companies were surveyed with 45+ interviews conducted to determine the current climate and predict growth, from 2025 through 2029.  

In residential metal roofing in 2025, there’s 3.8 billion square feet of metal that represents 84% of the total metal roofing market. Nonresidential makes up 780 million square feet representing 31% of the total market. Paul explained that when they compared growth in square footage of total roofs in each of the segments versus metal roof growth, metal has outperformed every segment from a growth standpoint. 

Metal walls in 2025 are projected at 340 million square feet, with commercial and institutional segments showing significant growth. A lot of this growth is being driven by data centers, and it is estimated we are seeing one new data center a week in the U.S.  

The study has identified challenges and opportunities in the metal roofing and wall market, finding that there is a lack of consistent brand presence in the metal roof and wall market, with many firms still buying and forming products on-site. There is, however, potential for growth if we focus on education, familiarity and specifications. 

MRA updates 

The Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) shared an exciting new initiative that they are undertaking to promote metal roofing to the consumer market, targeting home and building owners. They have strategically partnered with influencers like Bob Vila and Dwell Magazine to help showcase the benefits of metal roofing.  

With a recent website redesign and the development of quick-hitting infographics for social media, the MRA has seen success in increasing its reach and clicks from consumers wanting to know more about metal as an option for their roofing needs.  

Council roundtables highlight day two 

The MCA has councils within its organization that focus on specific areas of metal construction, including roofing, accessories, insulated metal panels, retrofits, metal composite material (MCM) panels and more.  

Members broke into small groups to identify initiatives that their council could focus on over the next year to help educate and advance the metal construction industry overall. Look for some good projects to emerge over the next year from these dedicated councils.  

Reconnecting at METALCON 2025 

While many of these councils will be meeting virtually over the next few months, you can count on everyone being at METALCON in October 2025 when MCA members will be hosting some training demos and reconnecting. Leading up to METALCON, be sure to tune into the METALCON Live webinar series to stay on top of the latest in metal and sign up to get our Week in Metal eNews to get your weekly recap!