Steel Building has Risen at Georgia Church

During the four nights leading up to the week before Christmas in 2009, approximately 1,800 people traveled to Glenloch Baptist Church, located just south of Roopville, GA, to embark on an outdoor walking tour of the little town of Bethlehem the way it may have appeared on the night of Jesus' birth.

Traveling past actors portraying lepers and beggars crowding the gate of the City of Bethlehem, participants persuaded soldiers to enter in order to register for the census. Beyond the gate, they navigated the marketplace as Mary and Joseph did more than 2000 years ago, while taking in the sights, sounds and smells of days gone past. Before them beckoned shops that sold bread, fruits and vegetables, oil and lamps, spices, and metal ware, as well as a weaver, basket maker and pottery shop.

All around families lived their everyday lives-eating their meals and tending to their animals. A couple named Mary and Joseph, who came to register for the census, took shelter in an animal stall, and Mary delivered a very special child.

At the end of the tour, visitors came upon a tomb. "There they heard about how Jesus came to earth as a babe, grew into a wonderful man who was also God, and gave his life for our sins," says Jo Creel, a member of Glenloch Baptist Church who is in charge of coordinating its creative arts programs. "The best part, which we save for last, is that he is no longer in the tomb. He is risen and lives in each of us who have accepted him as our Lord and Savior."

Creel and a dozen of the church's congregation began the work of transforming the grounds into "One Night in Bethlehem" during the late fall of last year, and part of that transformation included purchasing a pre-fabricated steel structure from SteelMaster Buildings, located in Virginia Beach, VA, to use as the tomb.

"We are always amazed at the creative ways that our customers make use of our buildings," says Michelle Wickum, the marketing director for SteelMaster Buildings. Each building utilizes a clear span design that offers 100 percent usable space along with the ease of construction that is provided by precision-made, pre-engineered building systems.

Creel says that visitors at the event are surprised when they learn what lies underneath the tomb's façade. "I don't think they realize that it is a steel building at all," says Creel. "If and when they do realize it, they are amazed."

The company's steel buildings include all the components necessary to erect a garage, a barn, a storage building, and even a building to be used as a makeshift tomb such as the one at Glenloch Baptist Church. The components are made to precise standards of accuracy for easy assembly, with pre-punched holes and only one size nuts and bolts for the entire building. The pre-engineered buildings are so simple to erect that more than 80 percent of customers construct their own building with huge labor cost savings.

The company's 30-Year Mill-Backed Warranty by ArcelorMittal (NYSE MT) ensures that the congregation at Glenloch Baptist Church can depend on the building during their production of "One Night in Bethlehem" for many years to come as they continue to entertain and enlighten members of their community in their mission to share their ministry with others.

The Old World Cafe's Steel Building

While we love to blog about our customer's steel buildings, it's even better when our customers do it themselves! We recently came across The Old World Cafe's blog and found construction pictures for their SteelMaster Building. The metal building will be used as a test shop for the “micro roastery” located in South Carolina. Construction of the steel building seems to be a one-man show. Check out the picture below of the arches built on the ground…

For this Couple, Steel's All Wright

In Rhinebeck, NY-roughly 400 miles northwest of Mill Run, PA-there is a mini-compound of three steel buildings situated together amongst many trees. One of the buildings functions as a home, the other a garage, and the third a studio.

The three buildings are pleasing enough to look at and all feature a Quonset-style form with arched roofs and many vertical windows that mimic the length of the trees that surround them. A passersby may think it curious that owners Andy Weintraub and his wife chose steel buildings instead of a more customary material like wood, but the Weintraubs had a plan. Whether they realized it at the time or not, that plan utilized ‘organic architecture', a term coined by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

A seven-hour drive from the Weintraubs' home would find them at Mill Run, which is where Wright's most famous structure can be found-one that many say best typifies organic architecture. Known as ‘Fallingwater' or ‘Kaufmann Residence', this private home was commissioned as a nature retreat for the owners, and Wright did not disappoint. By its definition, organic architecture is a philosophy which promotes harmony between human habitation and the natural world through design approaches so sympathetic and well-integrated with its site that buildings, furnishings, and surroundings become part of a unified, interrelated composition.

Fallingwater is built on top of an active waterfall which flows beneath the house. The fireplace hearth in the living room integrates boulders found on the site and upon which the house was built - ledge rock which protrudes up to a foot through the living room floor was left in place to demonstrably link the outside with the inside. The stone floors are waxed, while the hearth is left plain, giving the impression of dry rocks protruding from a stream.

Now, while differences abound between Fallingwater and the Weintraubs' steel residence, the couple's concerted efforts to integrate the inside with the outside point directly to Wright's penchant for organic architecture. But why did the couple begin with a steel building?

"We spent a lot of money on our land and needed to build something that wasn't too expensive," says Weintraub, who bought all three buildings from SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA. "The nice thing about the SteelMaster building is that its simplicity is what allows you to do with it what you will. There are no interior posts or supporting walls so you can divide the space any way you see fit."

SteelMaster offers unique custom solutions for pre fabricated building applications such as architectural design, affordable steel housing, athletic facilities, salt storage, retail stores/business facilities, as well as specialty buildings such as bus stops, smoke shacks, doggie dorms, churches, and more.

"Whether it is a unique application for our standard metal buildings or a design that requires additional support from an architect or engineer, SteelMaster has years of steel building experience in solving building and design challenges," says Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for SteelMaster. "This uniquely qualifies us in the industry to competently address questions and concerns, and then professionally create solutions that will work, structurally, functionally, and aesthetically."

Weintraub says both he and his wife have been actively engaged in building and designing their own homes for their entire marriage-which they will celebrate in August on their 50th wedding anniversary. Being that their SteelMaster home was the seventh that they have built, they had a good idea of what they wanted.

"The SteelMaster structures were designed by my wife and me, and we utilized the sweeping curves of the SteelMaster buildings," says Weintraub. "We wanted a low maintenance, eco-friendly residence and work space which also had some "character", and, to our minds, beauty. We decided to use natural materials found on the property within the house, including stone and trees."

Maintenance-Free is the Key to Steel Buildings

For the past 15 years, State Farm Insurance Agent A. Dean Chelton has hooked up a trailer to his truck and made the long trek from his home in Centerville, PA to Montana to go deer and elk hunting. In recent years, he traded in his canvas pop-up trailer for a fully-equipped travel trailer to bring on his annual expedition.

But instead of leaving it outside and exposed to the sun, wind, rain, sleet, and snow when not in use, Chelton decided it was time to buy a building to store it in. "I always keep my car parked in my garage, so it made sense to do the same for the travel trailer," says Chelton. "I just wasn't comfortable keeping it outside anymore."

When Chelton began researching his options for a storage building, he only had one stipulation-no wood. Already the owner of two wood storage buildings, he was weary of all the maintenance that they required. "I am tired of having to replace the roofs every so often, paint the siding, and a whole host of other things that have to happen to keep the buildings looking good," says Chelton.

During the course of doing research for a new building on the Internet, Chelton came across a picture of a SteelMaster steel building. "Right away I knew I had found my solution-the style was there, but more importantly, a SteelMaster building doesn't require any maintenance."

"With a SteelMaster buildings you don't have to treat it, paint it, or maintain it-all that is left is to enjoy it," says Michelle Wickum, SteelMaster's director of marketing. "The Galvalume Plus coating provides years of maintenance-free use, and the rugged resilient steel will take the bumps and bangs common to a working storage building. In addition, steel does not rot, warp, shrink, or split, and it is non-combustible. Steel's inherent strength resists fire, earthquake, and hurricane damage."

While constructing the building, Chelton hit a few snags along the way, so he called SteelMaster to see if anyone there could help him. "The people I spoke with at SteelMaster-from the receptionist to the salesperson to the engineer—they were all very well informed and provided terrific customer service," says Chelton. From the building itself to the people at SteelMaster, I couldn't be more pleased at how everything turned out. They are a top-notch company with a top-notch product."

In addition to storage buildings, SteelMaster's steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including Garages, Workshops, Carports, Quonsets, Airplane Hangars, RV Storage, Military Buildings, Commercial Warehousing, and Industrial Storageas well as a wide variety of Custom Building applications including Athletic Facilities, Retail Stores, Churches, Bus Stops, Smoke Shacks, Doggie Dorms, and Correctional Facilities.

SteelMaster Honored as Roaring 20

SteelMaster Buildings was recently honored as one of Hampton Road’s Roaring 20. The award recognizes the region’s fastest growing companies that are making significant contributions to our local economy. Read the full write up from Inside Business below…

SteelMaster Buildings

Founded 1982

Business type Manufacturer of arched steel buildings

Based Virginia Beach

Website www.SteelMasterUSA.com

Revenue 5 percent increase in 2008, 6 percent increase in 2009, 30 percent increase in 2010

Employees Numbers not released to public

Whether it’s a luxury home in the Hamptons or a bulk-food warehouse in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, SteelMaster Buildings has sheltered its customers since 1982, and it continues to grow in the U.S. and abroad.

Founder Rhae Adams styled his products after the “Quonset huts” designed for the Navy during World War II.

SteelMaster’s distinctive metal buildings – with their arched structures and corrugated steel exteriors – have been used as garages, carports, airplane hangars, warehouses, government facilities, farm storage buildings, even an animal shelter in Austin, Texas.

Today SteelMaster is forging commercial opportunities overseas. The company hired a full-time international business manager in 2006.

The following year, SteelMaster enrolled in the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s VALET class, a highly selective, two-year exporting program.

International sales – in Taiwan, South Korea, Malta, Angola and other areas – now make up 20 percent of business, compared with less than 5 percent in 2006.

“It was the exception rather than the rule,” Vice President Rob Poellnitz said of SteelMaster’s prior exporting efforts. “About five years ago, we made that a focal part of our business.”

Poellnitz is one of three vice presidents that run SteelMaster’s corporate office in Virginia Beach.

The company’s management ranks have endured upheaval and tragedy in the last decade.

Adams is no longer active in the business, according to Michelle Wickum, marketing director. In the mid-2000s, he passed CEO duties to retired Landmark Communications executive Donald “Pat” Patterson, who guided the ailing company into a new era of promise. Patterson died in 2008.

He laid the foundation, however, for current growth, including a focus on new U.S. clients.

Poellnitz, along with vice presidents Anthony Bueno and Karen Willis, are expanding SteelMaster’s residential and “green” business.

This year, two of the company’s custom-designed homes appeared in The Wall Street Journal and the New York Daily News.

It also completed its first two buildings certified as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design projects.

“SteelMaster Buildings,” Poellnitz said, “is poised for continued growth.”

- Teresa Talerico

Find a Steel Building in Your State!

Have you seen the state pages on SteelMaster’s website? Customers can now find steel buildings in their state via interactive maps. The website displays both a map of the United States as well as an international map for our customers across the globe. With over 40,000 steel buildings on the ground, the maps are a continuous process and will be updated until all of our metal buildings photos have been added. Click on the image below to see the maps…

Letters from Our Customers – XIII

Once you are a satisfied SteelMaster owner, we invite you to join our Partners in Steel referral program.  The program is designed to encourage you to refer friends, family and neighbors to SteelMaster that are interested in purchasing a steel building.  In addition, we will contact you if we have someone in your area that would like to see your building and speak with you about your SteelMaster buildings.  The letter below comes from Chris W. in Emigrant, MT when he signed up to be a member of Partners in Steel.

Our building is a 25 X 40 with three skylights and our own custom designed and framed end walls. We chose the X Model for its different lines (not so industrial or agricultural looking) and its superior snow-load capacity. We live in hilly / mountainous terrain in the Rocky Mountains at 5200 feet elevation, and needed a place to store our garden produce (and tools) in a non-freezing environment through the colder months. We designed the building to include such storage by pouring a 6-foot concrete retaining wall in the north gable end, and backfilling soil to that level. We build a loft for storage of garden equipment with an entry at ground level on the north end, which also serves as the ceiling for our cool root cellar storage area. We will have a workshop in the middle section, and more loft and general storage in the south one third of the building. It is the end of September and we are still finishing the interior, and have furthe r landscaping to do outside.

We began our site preparations in late June, formed the footings and poured the concrete. Once the footings cured we erected two of the building’s panels at the north end, formed the retaining wall tying it into the first erected panel, and poured the wall the end of July. By the first week in August we had assembled the panels in workable sections, and began final assembly of the complete panels as we erected them. It took 3 men and a 13-year old 4 days to get all the panels in place and assembled together.

Once the brackets were installed, we grouted the panels to the foundation, laid in our drain tile around the foundation, back filled, and began constructing the gable end walls and interior.

Bottom line: We are pleased with the structural strength and the aesthetics of our building and will recommend SteelMaster to others.

For More Information About Steel Buildings Visit Steelmasterusa.com

SteelMaster Buildings Now on Google+

Are you on Google+? You need to add SteeMaster Buildings to your circle!

Not only is it a great way to keep up with our most current steel building projects, but we also offer exclusive discounts for our followers. You can view photos of our steel building projects, interact with other fans and watch our videos.

SteelMaster Serves PIN Breakfast

Having been a part of the Hampton Roads area for 30 years now, SteelMaster likes to give back and support the community. One of the organizations that we often work with is People in Need (PIN). Throughout the year, SteelMaster Buildings is a part of several PIN events including PingPong for Poverty. Volunteers from the company (along with family and friends) have also helped with PIN’s weekly Pancake Breakfasts. Check out the picture below to see the team that helped cook breakfast for those in need this past weekend.

 For More Information About Steel Buildings Visit Steelmasterusa.com

Letters from Our Customers - XII

We often receive letters from our customers telling us about their experience with our company, and we greatly appreciate their feedback and love to hear the stories of their buildings.

Below is a letter that we recently received from a couple who was very pleased with their purchase from SteelMaster.

THE ROOKERY - SteelMaster Quonset Hut

Our hangar is built on a pad where WWII Quonset Huts housed Army Air Corp aircraft at John Rodgers Field, which was the first airfield in Hawaii, now also called Kalaeloa Airfield, which is 10 miles from Honolulu International.

Rudy retired at 37 as an ARMY helicopter commander, so the hangar is reminiscent of his Korean experience, although the airfield is now co-joined with Barber’s Point Coast Air Station. The hangar is nested within the Outdoor Naval Air Museum, with numerous army vehicles surrounding it, so the SteelMaster building may be new, but it is nostalgic, none the less. In addition, there is a Viet Nam era Huey UH1 Helicopter that Rudy also flew.

The Quonset is called THE ROOKERY (an aviary for raptors) because it houses RAPTOR TANGO (our experimental aircraft) that we both fly (we also love to tango, hence the name).

We moved out of the Kalaeloa two story WWII hangar (cathedral like), which was an executive military hangar and used for Army Chinooks, now home to many experimental aircraft builders. Since they are creative builders, they were constantly examining the construction of our hangar and consensus is “It really looks great….didn’t think it would go up as quick.” There are two other competitor steel buildings there, but the consensus is the SteelMaster building is top on their list. We have a louver on each end, and the building remains comfortably cool all day in Hawaii. . . . a great design and is completely water proof!

Steel Building has Risen at Georgia Church

During the four nights leading up to the week before Christmas in 2009, approximately 1,800 people traveled to Glenloch Baptist Church, located just south of Roopville, GA, to embark on an outdoor walking tour of the little town of Bethlehem the way it may have appeared on the night of Jesus' birth.

Traveling past actors portraying lepers and beggars crowding the gate of the City of Bethlehem, participants persuaded soldiers to enter in order to register for the census. Beyond the gate, they navigated the marketplace as Mary and Joseph did more than 2000 years ago, while taking in the sights, sounds and smells of days gone past. Before them beckoned shops that sold bread, fruits and vegetables, oil and lamps, spices, and metal ware, as well as a weaver, basket maker and pottery shop.

All around families lived their everyday lives-eating their meals and tending to their animals. A couple named Mary and Joseph, who came to register for the census, took shelter in an animal stall, and Mary delivered a very special child.

At the end of the tour, visitors came upon a tomb. "There they heard about how Jesus came to earth as a babe, grew into a wonderful man who was also God, and gave his life for our sins," says Jo Creel, a member of Glenloch Baptist Church who is in charge of coordinating its creative arts programs. "The best part, which we save for last, is that he is no longer in the tomb. He is risen and lives in each of us who have accepted him as our Lord and Savior."

Creel and a dozen of the church's congregation began the work of transforming the grounds into "One Night in Bethlehem" during the late fall of last year, and part of that transformation included purchasing a pre-fabricated steel structure from SteelMaster Buildings, located in Virginia Beach, VA, to use as the tomb.

"We are always amazed at the creative ways that our customers make use of our buildings," says Michelle Wickum, the marketing director for SteelMaster Buildings. Each building utilizes a clear span design that offers 100 percent usable space along with the ease of construction that is provided by precision-made, pre-engineered building systems.

Creel says that visitors at the event are surprised when they learn what lies underneath the tomb's façade. "I don't think they realize that it is a steel building at all," says Creel. "If and when they do realize it, they are amazed."

The company's steel buildings include all the components necessary to erect a garage, a barn, a storage building, and even a building to be used as a makeshift tomb such as the one at Glenloch Baptist Church. The components are made to precise standards of accuracy for easy assembly, with pre-punched holes and only one size nuts and bolts for the entire building. The pre-engineered buildings are so simple to erect that more than 80 percent of customers construct their own building with huge labor cost savings.

The company's 30-Year Mill-Backed Warranty by ArcelorMittal (NYSE MT) ensures that the congregation at Glenloch Baptist Church can depend on the building during their production of "One Night in Bethlehem" for many years to come as they continue to entertain and enlighten members of their community in their mission to share their ministry with others.

Steel Carport Unlike all the Rest

In almost every town self storage units can be found for those who are looking. While the buildings themselves typically appear to look basically the same, Joan Lucas of Denver, CO knows that just because you’ve seen one self storage unit, doesn’t mean you’ve seen them all. Differences abound, and include the way the buildings are constructed, what materials are used, and the quality of those materials. The same can be said about carports.

As the past president of the Colorado Self Storage Association, Lucas is aware of the importance of building any structure with an appropriate, sturdy, durable material. When she decided to add a carport to her home driveway six months ago, she set about researching which company delivers the best product and decided upon SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA. What follows is a Q & A with Lucas where she explains the Who, What, Where, and Why’s of her newly built carport.

Why did you feel like you needed/wanted a carport?
 I was tired of shoveling snow off of our cars.

How many vehicles do you have that you park under the carport?
 We have two vehicles, but only park one under the carport.

 

What led you to buy a carport from SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA?

 Since I work in the self storage industry, I asked some of the suppliers which companies were good.

Did you put the carport up yourself or hire someone to do it?
I hired a contractor.

How long did it take for the contractor to complete the carport?
It was finished within one week of when he started construction.

How has your experience been with the carport?
Excellent.

Is there one particular instance that stands out in your mind where you were happy that you decided to add a carport?
As soon as we put my car under it the first night!

How was your experience working with SteelMaster?
Excellent – Truly Excellent!

According to Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for SteelMaster Buildings, excellence is the standard the company works diligently to maintain. "SteelMaster Buildings has been in business for 28 years, and during that time we have amassed thousands of satisfied customers, including buildings located in every state in the United States, on six continents, and in more than 40 overseas countries," says Wickum. "Our customers deserve the best that steel has to offer, and that is what we deliver."

Wickum says that the SteelMaster prefab carport is unique to other carports on the market due to its ability to withstand all climate weather conditions while utilizing technology and the simplicity of the design perfected with the company’s buildings.  Their carport features a clear-span, single radius, low-profile arched structure that is supported by a 14 gauge beams and posts system and is available in sizes from 12 feet wide up to 20 feet wide and 18 feet to 40 feet in length.  Height for the steel carport varies from 9 feet to 15 feet depending on the width and length of the selected carport. SteelMaster also offers carports that are completely customizable to a customer’s specific needs. In addition, SteelMaster buildings and carports never have to be treated, painted, or maintained due to a Galvalume Plus coating.

The SteelMaster standard carport has been used for traditional application such as car shelter, truck covers, RV and tractor coverage, and farm equipment protection.  However, the company has designed steel carports for a variety of custom applications including bus stops, tram covers, smoke shacks, metal walkway, and boat lifts.

Increase in Steel Salt Storage Buildings

Despite the warm weather here in Virginia Beach today, winter is just around the corner. As transportation officials prepare for the cold and snow, salt quickly becomes in high demand to keep the roads passable for travelers during the winter months. In fact, in 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that approximately 11 million tons of salt are used on roadways throughout the U.S. every winter.

The salt is effective for two reasons. First, it helps prevent ice from forming in the first place as salt water freezes at a lower temperature than pure water. Second, the salt bits can help break up ice that has already formed. When a car or truck drives over the salt bits, the weight of the vehicle pushes them downward and backward. These physical forces crack and shatter the ice. The friction also melts the ice and snow, allowing more of the salt to dissolve.

In the past, highway departments stockpiled salt outdoors during the winter months. In recent years, environmentalists and scientists have determined that when a salt pile gets wet, the run-off finds its way into nearby streams and lakes or seeps into groundwater supplies. Because of this, salt must now be stockpiled indoors in industrial storage units.

For the Abbruzzese Brothers-a landscape management company in Hilliard, Ohio-and the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the need for a salt storage unit led them to SteelMaster Buildings, a provider of steel buildings and roofing systems located in Virginia Beach, VA.

Their decision to use a steel building to store their salt was based on many factors. Steel does not rot, warp, shrink, or split, and it's non-combustible. Steel is also easier to handle, stronger, and less expensive than any other common building material and weighs up to 60 percent less than wood members, which allows for easier transport and assembly.

Although salt is an extremely corrosive material, steel buildings manufactured by SteelMaster offer 100 percent usable space with a clear span arch design that eliminates beams and trusses, thus allowing for enough room to store a large, high pile of salt. The use of a stem wall foundation provides a raised platform for the walls, which helps create even more space for the salt, keeping it away from coming in contact with the steel structure. Flashing and gussets are also used to prevent the passage of water into the steel structure from any angle-an important component to help ensure that the salt stays dry, as dry salt is not nearly as corrosive as wet salt.

Anthony Moore and his brother Wayne own A & W Leasing Corporation in McKenzie, TN and have seven years experience utilizing SteelMaster steel buildings for salt storage through contracts awarded to them by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).

In 2003, they bought six SteelMaster buildings for TDOT and built them themselves, a process Anthony says was not difficult at all. "SteelMaster buildings are priced right, made of top-quality steel, and are easy to construct," says Anthony. "Since we began building salt storage buildings for TDOT in 2003, we have put up eight SteelMaster buildings altogether for that purpose. Each building stores 2,200 tons of salt, and there is plenty of room for the dump trucks and front end loaders to get in there to dump the salt. I had a person from Pennsylvania call me back in August who was interested in buying a SteelMaster for the same purpose and wanted me to share my experiences with the buildings. I told him that we are very pleased with our eight salt storage units, as are the people at TDOT."

Steel structures for salt storage are becoming even more popular due the recent problems with other types of structures. Last year, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced that 112 of their 146 salt storage structures must be repaired or replaced. The Beaver County Times reported that the steel-framed, engineered fabric building vendor that sold the structures to PennDOT advised that their buildings so not be used during severe weather including snow, sleet and high winds, all common weather elements for Pennsylvania during the winter. The Harrisonburg Patriot News reported that PennDOT would be tearing down and replacing the 112 storage structures because they may be in danger of collapsing.

As opposed to other structures, SteelMaster's steel buildings in particular remain maintenance free for a lifetime thanks to the company's use of Galvalume Plus Coating which offers strength, superior corrosion resistance, and an attractive bright appearance that provides excellent heat reflectivity. Each SteelMaster building also comes with a 30-year mill-backed warranty by ArcelorMittal (NYSE MT). A SteelMaster building's strength also resists fire, earthquake, and hurricane damage. In the spring of 2010, SteelMaster launched its new models that are stronger, better, and cost less than anything else on the market. With these new models, customers benefit from a stronger design that allows for the buildings to withstand higher wind and snow loads in a lower gauge, which allows for significant cost savings.

With thousands of satisfied customers, including buildings located in every state in the U.S., on six continents, and in more than 40 overseas countries, SteelMaster takes pride in knowing its steel buildings have earned the favor of not only the Abbruzzese Brothers and the Tennessee Department of Transportation, but also the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard, Coast Guard, Departments of Corrections, Transportation and Defense, FBI, Public Works, DEA, and the Army Corps of Engineers.

SteelMaster Named Finalist in Export Contest

The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced their Export Video Contest and SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA was named the one of the five finalists representing the Agribusiness category.

In August, the SBA launched the Export Video Contest asking small businesses to submit their exporting stories through YouTube videos for a chance to win prizes and awards towards a future export event. The contest, presented in partnership with Visa and President Obama's National Export Initiative, recognizes successful small business exporters and helps to circulate information about federal tools available to assist U.S. exporters into new markets to grow their companies.

Steelmaster Buildings' winning video was submitted under the Agribusiness Category titled Building Beyond Our Borders highlighting the company's growth in exporting over the past 5 years. The video recounts SteelMaster's exporting story from the time the decision was made to expand exporting efforts through their current business success in international markets. In fact, SteelMaster has been able to expand their distributor network to over 50 countries and has doubled their exporting sales year over year for the past 5 years.

SteelMaster's success in exporting began after reaching out to governmental resources including the SBA, Virginia Export Development Partnership (VEDP), Export-Import Bank, and U.S. Commercial Services.

SteelMaster Vice President Rob Poellnitz acknowledges these organizations for guiding the company through its foray into the global marketplace when the domestic market became saturated by competition and the U.S. dollar weakened. "Initially, we applied for a VEDP-sponsored grant that was available for companies that wanted to expand internationally," says Poellnitz. "It really opened our eyes to what was out there, and we learned a lot from experiences shared by similarly positioned companies. It also helped us develop confidence."

SteelMaster Receives Compass Award

At the recent Virginia Conference on World Trade banquet held in Norfolk, VA., SteelMaster Buildings was awarded the Commonwealth of Virginia Compass Award for Excellence in International Trade. The Compass Award was presented by Paul H. Grossman Jr. from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Emma Granada and Rob Poellnitz accepted on behalf of SteelMaster Buildings.

The Commonwealth of Virginia presents this award to recognize a Virginia business that has excelled in global trade. The award recipient will have increased its international profile while promoting the best interests of its employees and surrounding community, contributing to the economic health and quality of life of Virginians while positively representing the Commonwealth in the international arena.

Construction of Steel Buildings in Haiti

We just received some great photos of a new project under construction in Haiti. New Life Church in Renton, WA purchased three steel buildings to be used to help rebuild Haiti after the devastating earthquake in January 2010. Members of the church are currently in Haiti to construct the three buildings. Two of the buildings will be used as classrooms, while the largest will be a church. Check out the pictures below to see the construction progress of the church…

Increase in Steel Salt Storage Buildings

Despite the warm weather here in Virginia Beach today, winter is just around the corner. As transportation officials prepare for the cold and snow, salt quickly becomes in high demand to keep the roads passable for travelers during the winter months. In fact, in 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that approximately 11 million tons of salt are used on roadways throughout the U.S. every winter.



The salt is effective for two reasons. First, it helps prevent ice from forming in the first place as salt water freezes at a lower temperature than pure water. Second, the salt bits can help break up ice that has already formed. When a car or truck drives over the salt bits, the weight of the vehicle pushes them downward and backward. These physical forces crack and shatter the ice. The friction also melts the ice and snow, allowing more of the salt to dissolve.



In the past, highway departments stockpiled salt outdoors during the winter months. In recent years, environmentalists and scientists have determined that when a salt pile gets wet, the run-off finds its way into nearby streams and lakes or seeps into groundwater supplies. Because of this, salt must now be stockpiled indoors in industrial storage units.



For the Abbruzzese Brothers - a landscape management company in Hilliard, Ohio - and the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the need for a salt storage unit led them to SteelMaster Buildings, a provider of steel buildings and roofing systems located in Virginia Beach, VA.



Their decision to use a steel building to store their salt was based on many factors. Steel does not rot, warp, shrink, or split, and it's non-combustible. Steel is also easier to handle, stronger, and less expensive than any other common building material and weighs up to 60 percent less than wood members, which allows for easier transport and assembly.



Although salt is an extremely corrosive material, steel buildings manufactured by SteelMaster offer 100 percent usable space with a clear span arch design that eliminates beams and trusses, thus allowing for enough room to store a large, high pile of salt. The use of a stem wall foundation provides a raised platform for the walls, which helps create even more space for the salt, keeping it away from coming in contact with the steel structure. Flashing and gussets are also used to prevent the passage of water into the steel structure from any angle - an important component to help ensure that the salt stays dry, as dry salt is not nearly as corrosive as wet salt.



Anthony Moore and his brother Wayne own A & W Leasing Corporation in McKenzie, TN and have seven years experience utilizing SteelMaster steel buildings for salt storage through contracts awarded to them by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).



In 2003, they bought six SteelMaster Buildings for TDOT and built them themselves, a process Anthony says was not difficult at all. "SteelMaster buildings are priced right, made of top-quality steel, and are easy to construct," says Anthony. "Since we began building salt storage buildings for TDOT in 2003, we have put up eight SteelMaster buildings altogether for that purpose. Each building stores 2,200 tons of salt, and there is plenty of room for the dump trucks and front end loaders to get in there to dump the salt. I had a person from Pennsylvania call me back in August who was interested in buying a SteelMaster for the same purpose and wanted me to share my experiences with the buildings. I told him that we are very pleased with our eight salt storage units, as are the people at TDOT."



Steel structures for salt storage are becoming even more popular due the recent problems with other types of structures. Last year, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced that 112 of their 146 salt storage structures must be repaired or replaced. The Beaver County Times reported that the steel-framed, engineered fabric building vendor that sold the structures to PennDOT advised that their buildings so not be used during severe weather including snow, sleet and high winds, all common weather elements for Pennsylvania during the winter. The Harrisonburg Patriot News reported that PennDOT would be tearing down and replacing the 112 storage structures because they may be in danger of collapsing.



As opposed to other structures, SteelMaster's steel buildings in particular remain maintenance free for a lifetime thanks to the company’s use of Galvalume Plus Coating which offers strength, superior corrosion resistance, and an attractive bright appearance that provides excellent heat reflectivity. Each SteelMaster Buildings also comes with a 30-year mill-backed warranty by ArcelorMittal (NYSE MT). A SteelMaster Buildings strength also resists fire, earthquake, and hurricane damage. In the spring of 2010, SteelMaster launched its new models that are stronger, better, and cost less than anything else on the market. With these new models, customers benefit from a stronger design that allows for the buildings to withstand higher wind and snow loads in a lower gauge, which allows for significant cost savings.



With thousands of satisfied customers, including buildings located in every state in the U.S., on six continents, and in more than 40 overseas countries, SteelMaster takes pride in knowing its steel buildings have earned the favor of not only the Abbruzzese Brothers and the Tennessee Department of Transportation, but also the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard, Coast Guard, Departments of Corrections, Transportation and Defense, FBI, Public Works, DEA, and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Steel Equipment Storage Buildings

When it Comes to Building a SteelMaster, There is No Place Like Home.

Smack dab in the middle of the United States is Kansas, which is often called the Heart of America. When many Americans think of Kansas, most likely two things come to mind: the movie "The Wizard of Oz" and tornadoes. But for Robert Williams and his wife who currently live in Olathe, KS, this Midwestern state is their home, so much so that they purchased a 10 acre plot of farm land in Pamona, KS (about 45 miles from Olathe) on which they intend to live out their retirement years.

After the Williams family bought their acreage in Pamona, they decided to build a shop on the property for equipment storage. "Before we bought our storage building, we kept our tractor and other equipment outside in the weather," says Robert.

Kansas is situated in what many consider to be "Tornado Alley" - an area where 90 percent of tornadoes spring to life because it is where cold, dry air from Canada and the Rocky Mountains meets warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and hot, dry air from the Sonoran Desert. The combination of these conditions along with atomospheric instability produces intense thunderstorms which can lead to tornadoes. Ninety-four tornadoes were reported in Kansas during 2010, and the record year for tornadoes in the state was in 2008 with 187 tornadoes confirmed.

With this information in mind, the Williams had to make sure that the storage building they bought could withstand the high winds that come with tornadoes.

"I saw a [SteelMaster building] and liked what I saw, so that is what we purchased to use as our farm storage building," says Robert.

For more than 28 years, SteelMaster Buildings, which is located in Virginia Beach, VA, has manufactured, designed, and supplied pre-fabricated arched steel structures to 40,000 customers located in every state of the United States, in 40 countries, and on seven continents around the world.

"SteelMaster Buildings are engineered for life," says Michelle Wickum, the company's director of marketing. "Our steel buildings are also built to meet the wind loads of their destination whether that's in Kansas or on the coast of Florida. They remain maintenance free for a lifetime thanks to the company's use of Galvalume Plus Coating which offers strength, superior corrosion resistance, and an attractive bright appearance that provides excellent heat reflectivity." Each SteelMaster Building also comes with a 30-year mill-backed warranty by ArcelorMittal (NYSE MT).

Along with the help of his wife and two friends, Robert erected the steel building in November 2009 and finished by building the end walls in June of 2010. "I built the end walls using 2×6 lumber and red metal siding," says Robert. "The floor was poured as a monolithic 6? slab with thickened sides that sit on piers that are 12? diameter and 5 foot deep. The piers are placed every 6 foot around the perimeter of the building. I am pleased that all the material supplied with the building fit as designed, and I am pretty sure it will stand up to most of the weather Kansas can throw at it."

 Robert has this to say to others who are about to begin construction of their own SteelMaster building. "Read the construction manual, and then call the technical department at SteelMaster and tell them the size of your building and question them about the best method of putting the arches together. Also ask them to explain why it is so important to put the small angles on the curved sections to keep the curved sections from growing as you erect it."

In addition to storage buildings, SteelMaster's steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including Garages, Workshops, Carports, Quonsets, Airplane Hangars, RV Storage, Military Buildings, Commercial Warehousing, and Industrial Storageas well as a wide variety of Custom Building applications including Athletic Facilities, Retail Stores, Churches, Bus Stops, Smoke Shacks, Doggie Dorms, and Correctional Facilities.

Visit us for more information at SteelMaster Buildings

Quonset Homes

We often get requests from customers wondering if our steel buildings can be used as a home. Of course they can! Quonset hutshave been used for homes since WWII. Below is a great article that highlights several Quonset Hut homes (including a couple from SteelMaster Buildings).

10 Really Cool Quonset Homes

In this poor housing market, quonset homes are popular with new homeowners as well as for retirees looking for an affordable way to move to a warmer climate. A quonset hut is an arch-style steel building that was used in World War II for equipment storage. Since then, quonset huts have been used as a less expensive metal building for equipment storage in commercial and agricultural settings. In today’s housing market, quonset hut homes are a popular option mainly because they’re less expensive to build or buy than other types of homes, and can be erected in less time.

Visit SteelMaster Buildings for more information.

Steel Building for Malvern Police

Four years ago, Hurricane Dean destroyed the historic police station and courthouse in the St. Elizabeth parish of Jamaica. The Malvern police station is now being replaced with a prefabricated steel building from SteelMaster Buildings. Read the full article from the Jamaica Observer below.

New and different station for stressed-out Malvern police

MALVERN, St Elizabeth - It looks like a large greenhouse or perhaps a warehouse. But police personnel in Malvern aren't complaining.

Four years after Hurricane Dean devastated the historic police station and courthouse, the Malvern police are eagerly awaiting completion of a rectangular, prefabricated galvanised structure just adjacent.

Since Hurricane Dean, law officers in this quiet highlands town have operated from a small, cramped room once used for Petty Sessions Court.

"We are really glad for it (new structure) and looking forward to moving in," District Constable Clifford Findlay, who has served the Malvern police for 27 years, told the Observer West on Monday.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Derrick Cochrane, who heads the Police Area Four comprising St Elizabeth, Manchester and Clarendon, told the Observer West that completion date was set for the end of September.

"I am told that it is 1,800 square feet in size which from the perspective of the police is larger than their previous space," Cochrane said yesterday.

"It will be all inclusive and it will have living accommodation," the Assistant Commissioner added.

"This comes as a great relief to the men and women serving in Malvern who have been greatly challenged for too long and have given yeoman service over all those years of discomfort and inconvenience," Cochrane said.

Efforts yesterday to get word from the Ministry of National Security regarding the cost of the project failed. However, back in 2009 when the foundation for the pre-fabricated building was being built the project cost was estimated by ministry officials at $8.5 million.

Back in 2009, then chief of police in St Elizabeth, Superintendent Merrick Watson, championed the need for a "proper" police station for the Malvern police region.

Describing it as crucial, he said: "We are talking about a very large area between Santa Cruz and Junction, which, while it is not a high crime area has a lot of people residing there including many returning residents. They require the constant presence of the police as a deterrent. So clearly there has to be a police station, properly structured and staffed, up and running," Watson said then.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the new building will not be used for court sessions.

The upper floor of the old building was a primary centre for court sessions in St Elizabeth prior to Hurricane Dean.

It’s unclear what is to be done with the standing shell of the old building. It dates back 120 years.

One man who will never forget the night the Malvern police station and courthouse collapsed under the fury of Hurricane Dean is barber, Cleon Fagan. He was sleeping in his shop as Dean raged. He awoke to find himself buried from toe to chest under rubble, including bricks and large stones from the neighbouring upper floor which housed the courthouse. He managed to dig himself out with a piece of steel and escaped with severe bruising and cuts.

SteelMaster Buildings offers you quality, durability and versatility within an architectural arch design that makes our structures the strongest on earth.

Life Lessons at a Steel

The proverb, "Make hay while the sun shines" is one that dates back to 1546, but the lesson to make the most of an opportunity when it presents itself holds an enduring value to all people, not just farmers.

But that is what Jim Countryman is. He's a farmer, and a grain farmer to boot, although advances in weather forecasting and modern technology afford him greater advantages than those available to his peers living during the 16th century.

Nonetheless, he took a literal approach to the proverb’s figurative meaning in 1991 when he broke ground at his farm in Moville, IA to build an underground trench silo that he used to hold corn silage to feed cattle.

He got good use out of the silo, which is 13' deep, 35' across, and 105' long, for a number of years because there were plenty of cattle milling about that needed to be fed. But times change, and Countryman's silo and many others like it have been sitting empty for a few years, a hollow shell with no purpose.


It occurred to him that wasted space is a wasted opportunity, so he decided to use the empty silo as storage for farming machinery - big farming machinery - specifically, three tractors, a semi truck, a combine, and two combine heads.

"We used to have a canvas cover over it, but many people who did the same had them blow away in windstorms," says Countryman. "I decided to put something up that was better constructed and would last longer."

He did a bit of research on the Internet which led him to SteelMaster Buildings, located in Virginia Beach, VA.

For more than 29 years, the company has manufactured, designed, and supplied pre-fabricated arched steel structures to 40,000 customers located in every state of the United States, in 40 countries, and on six continents around the world.

Michelle Wickum, who is the director of marketing for SteelMaster Buildings, says that their buildings and roofing systems are popular with farmers who depend on the quality of their structures to protect their biggest assets.

"The quality of a SteelMaster Buildings is unrivaled in the marketplace for its rare blend of strength, style, and simplicity, which gives people like Mr. Countryman endless application possibilities" says Wickum. "As a result of our advanced arch technology, there is no need for beams, trusses, or supports. It is just a wide open space, which is perfect for large farming machinery."

Another benefit of a SteelMaster roofing system that Countryman says spoke to him was the cost savings and practicality of being able to construct most of it himself.

"My hired help and I installed the roof," says Countryman. "It took us a week to put it on, and then we had someone else to install the overhead door. I like that the structure is self-supporting and also that everything is precut to size and comes with good blueprints and installation instructions."

Wickum adds that there is no need for Countryman to waste another minute worrying about windstorms.

"SteelMaster steel buildings are engineered to meet the wind loads of their destination," says Wickum. "As opposed to wooden structures, some steel buildings, like the ones sold by SteelMaster Buildings remain maintenance free for a lifetime thanks to the company's use of Galvalume Plus Coating which offers strength, superior corrosion resistance, and an attractive bright appearance that provides excellent heat reflectivity. Each SteelMaster building also comes with a 30-year mill-backed warranty by ArcelorMittal (NYSE MT)."

Countryman says that because there isn’t another building nearby that looks like his now that the SteelMaster roof is in place, he hopes the transformation of his silo will serve to show people what an opportunity they have in SteelMaster.

"They can see that these old silos can now be brought back to good use."

In addition to roofing systems, SteelMaster's steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including homes, farm buildings, garages, workshops, agricultural storage, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, carports, military buildings, commercial warehousing, and industrial storage as well as a wide variety of custom building applications including athletic facilities, retail stores, churches, bus stops, smoke shacks, doggie dorms, and correctional facilities.

It's a World of Wonder a World of Steel

To the average person, walking through the gates of Walt Disney World near Orlando, FL is akin to being sucked into a vortex of sensory overload. There are oversized furry mice miming their way through conversations with children, teacups wildly being strewn about, and upbeat, sing-songy music blanketing the ears of wide-eyed visitors.

But there is another side to this utopian mega park, a side that is everywhere and nowhere depending on where you are looking, and it involves the "Hidden Mickey."

The first Hidden Mickeys were created as an inside joke between Disney employees who 'hid' Mickey Mouse's silhouette in the design and construction of the theme park and resort. There is no concrete number of how many exist, but estimates run well over a thousand. Many people, including Disney's employees who are dubbed "Imagineers" are on a constant hunt for Hidden Mickeys - for them, that is where the magic lies. Sure the rides and the kingdom and the shows are great, but it is what has been cleverly hidden in the infrastructure of the Magic Kingdom that intimates the essence of fun and wonder of the happiest place on Earth.

About an eight hour drive north from Walt Disney World is Gaffney, SC, and that is where Jeff Whelchel lives. A cursory tour around his property doesn’t hold the same kind of blinding excitement that is found at Disney - there are no princesses walking about or thunderous mountains to scale, but there is magic to be found if you know where to look - in a steel shed that Whelchel bought some 10 years ago.

"I needed a good shop for me, my son, and my father to work on some project cars we had purchased," says Whelchel. "We have restored a 1965 Mustang, and although my father has passed away, my son and I have a 1966 Mustang we are currently restoring and a 1995 Ford Truck and a 1955 Oldsmobile that are waiting to be restored."

He says he bought the building from SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA, which has manufactured, designed, and supplied pre-fabricated arched steel structures to 40,000 customers world-wide for more than 29 years.

"I went with a local SteelMaster representative and looked at a SteelMaster building that was already functioning as a fresh market," says Whelchel. "When I saw the building, I loved it, and I was sold. I constructed the building myself, along with my father and my son. I also added a masonry bathroom on the back of the building. Once we got the first set of sections in place, plumb and square, the process was quite easy. All the nuts and bolts it required were time consuming, but the excellent construction made it all worthwhile."

SteelMaster Buildings are known for their durability, versatility, and ease of construction. They are known to withstand hurricanes, never need any maintenance, and for being affordable. But, would anyone go so far as to call the building full of magic or wonder? Whelchel would.

"The fact is my father, my son, and I did most of the work ourselves, and the three of us have the same initials," says Whelchel. “When I poured the entrance ramp up, we each put an initial in the concrete that is a reminder of the great times we all shared (along with a lot of sweat) - I made the "J", my son made the "S", and my father made the "W". Not only did we personalize the building, but it serves as a constant reminder of the great bond we all shared, the memories we made in "OUR" building, and it is a wonderful memorial to my father, whom I love very much."

There probably have been many people who have been inside of Whelchel's SteelMaster building who hadn’t a clue of the "Hidden Mickey" that sat right under their feet because they were too distracted by the unique steel building or the cool cars being restored. But a world of wonder is there in that space, silently telling the story of a love between three generations of men who share a bond stronger than the steel that sheltered their many moments together - and there isn't a Fairy Tale around that can tell a story as magical as that.

SteelMaster Featured in Inside Business

After being honored by the U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award for Virginia as one of 12 companies to watch, SteelMaster Buildings was featured in Inside Business.

A new initiative that recognizes Virginia's thriving small businesses has named two Hampton Roads companies among its "12 to Watch" for 2011. They are SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach and Aromas Specialty Coffees & Gourmet Bakery in Newport News and Williamsburg.

The U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award Program for Virginia launched the initiative this year, honoring the inaugural 12 on Sept. 8 at the 29th Annual Virginia Forum for Excellence in Richmond.

The companies are “on the cusp of major growth,” Virginia SPQA Board Chair Jo Rohr said in a press statement. To qualify, they met rigorous standards from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. They will receive Criteria for Performance Excellence training, mentoring and scholarship participation in Virginia SPQA's Discovery Program.

We asked the local winners - one a Peninsula coffeehouse, the other a Southside firm that manufactures, designs and supplies arched steel structures throughout the U.S. - what to watch for from their companies. Here’s what they said :-

Rob Poellnitz

Vice President

SteelMaster Buildings

www.SteelMasterUSA.com

“We are seeing significant growth in our international markets and are currently working on some interesting projects in Haiti, Africa, Costa Rica, Peru and Uruguay. We have just completed our first two Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified projects, an animal shelter in Austin, Texas, and a manufacturing facility in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

“We are also expanding into new markets with two different housing projects in New York, (which were recently) featured in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Daily News.”