SteelMaster Buildings – The Best is Yet to Be

Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Blackadar are among the ranks of the very, very happy SteelMaster customers. Part of this joy stems from managing to make some extra bucks here and there by participating in SteelMaster’s Partner-in-Steel (PIS) program.

“It’s not difficult for me to recommend SteelMaster’s buildings and service to other folks!” exclaims Vernon. “And, the unexpected checks from people mentioning my name when they buy a building, well that doesn’t hurt my feelings either! Am I a happy customer? You bet I am!”

Vernon, like all SteelMaster Customers has a story to share. Originally from Massachusetts, he started his college tenure at Ohio State University with his sights set on becoming a veterinarian. When he learned the course changed the nature of its requirements for Ohio residency, he switched majors and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Dairy Science. This was “back in the day”, according to Vernon.

His father purchased over 500 acres in Lithia, Florida, located about 30 miles east of Tampa. He made good use of the knowledge he garnered while in college, since Vernon and his family milked 425 cows three times a day for 34 years. One can not argue this as good, honest, hard-work. Even though taking care of the Dairy Farm and cattle was a successful family venture, the best for Vernon was yet to be.

He now spends most of his time in his SteelMaster 40’x60’ Workshop where he owns and operates Lithia Woodworks, LLC. Working on the farm instilled a relentless work ethic in Vernon, but his “gift”, as he refers to it, was handed down to him through his grandfather on his mother’s side. His grandfather owned a woodworking shop in Nova Scotia and crafted fine furniture.

Building and re-finishing hand-made furniture and woodworking projects has become Vernon’s passion, and he has built quite a name for himself. He has been featured in magazines and newspapers. His original works are works of art and can be viewed on-line at www.incra.com/product_photogallery_vernon.html . He is a testament to someone who not only makes a living doing what he loves, but is doing it without any formal training whatsoever.

“My only problem is I cannot say no to anyone,” laughed Vernon. “Today, I am working on re-finishing the wood on the stock of a gun for someone.”

Vernon is not unlike the folks in the Virginia Beach home office of SteelMaster in this regard. They have trouble with the “no” word too, unless it is used as part of “No problem!” And the team at SteelMaster shares exuberance for what they do and willingness to please each customer – just like Vernon does.

SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-fabricated arched buildings are perfect for storing whatever tools of the trade customers utilize. The unencumbered clear span design is perfect for safely protecting materials like the various types of wood Vernon uses for his designs. Another big plus is not having posts inside to have to navigate around when he is working. As Vernon put it, “Hey, I figured if SteelMaster is good enough to provide buildings for Cape Canaveral, then they would be good enough for me!”

Vernon sounded confident when he said, “I had an insurance agent come to the property not too long ago to provide quotes for me. Our home is 50 years old, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. We have been lucky here and dodged some terrible hurricanes, but if one ever comes through Tampa Bay, you can bet I’ll be taking cover in my SteelMaster building.”

Vernon said he posed an off-the-record question to the insurance agent while he was there. “If a hurricane was to come into the bay, if you were me, would you stay in this house – or this SteelMaster building?”

The agent looked at the house, turned and looked 350 feet over to the SteelMaster buildings, scratched his head and said, “Well, if I were you, I would definitely hunker down in your workshop building there, not your house.”

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, roofing systems, 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.

Due largely in part to the SteelMaster brand being unmatched by anyone else in the industry, excellence in customer service and the PIS referral program, SteelMaster recently celebrated its 30-year Anniversary. There are also the people like the Blackadar’s to thank for our success. Here’s to your continued success too, Vernon! The best is still yet to be.

WWII Aircraft Restoration Soars in Steel

For people who are not familiar with warbird restoration, a conversation with Tom Reilly will leave their head spinning with his cyclonic references to numbers and letters that together form a powerful torrent of history.

A warbird is a term used to describe vintage military aircraft, typically from the World War II era, and Reilly has been restoring them for 40 years.

More specifically, he has performed 34 major restorations which included ten B-25s, three B-17s, one B-24, one F4U Corsair, a P-40, and nine T-6 (SNJ) aircraft.

To the average layperson, what all those numbers and letters boil down to is that Reilly knows his stuff, which was evident to the legions of people who visited the Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum in Kissimmee, FL.

In 1985, Reilly bared the belly of his passion for bomber-type aircrafts when he opened the doors to this popular attraction where visitors could get a bird’s-eye view of a restoration in progress as well as his vast collection of aircrafts and related memorabilia.

Some 20 years later, Hurricane Charley ravaged the museum to the point that Reilly had had enough of the weather’s seemingly endless assault on Kissimmee, which is a suburb of Orlando.

"I shut the business down after Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne tore through the place, one right after the other," says Reilly. "It felt like Kissimmee had a big bull’s eye on it that every hurricane was gunning for."

But for Reilly, when one door (or in his case, a hangar) closed, another one opened, which is why now he can be found in Douglas, GA heading up a intensive restoration project for a company he founded called the B-25 Group on the North American Aviation XP-82 Twin Mustang prototype. This aircraft is only one of two that still exist in civilian hands, and he and his team have been working on restoring it to fly once again since 2008.

According to the project website (www.xp-82twinmustangproject.com), they have made significant progress in bringing the XP-82 back to flying status, having completed the left-hand and right-hand fuselages, both engine mounts, top cowlings, horizontal, elevator, both aft fuselage extensions and verticals, center flap, and landing gear. They are heavy into the rebuild of the ailerons (four), rudders, and center section. Nixon’s Vintage V-12s has both right-hand and left-hand engines complete, and MT Propeller delivered the two propellers, a right-hand and counter-rotating left-hand.

It was earlier this year when Reilly realized there was one big piece of the puzzle he desperately needed before he and his crew could continue to properly restore the XP-82—space.

They initially had set up shop in a Quonset hut-styled WWII hangar located north of the Fixed Based Operator at the Douglas Municipal Airport that was built in 1940 and used as a flight-training base for 10,000 men during World War II.

"That hangar became so full that we had to have our own facility when we started assembling," says Reilly. "I knew I wanted the new building to have the same Quonset hut look and to be made of steel, so I started contacting companies that sold what I was looking for—and SteelMaster Buildings was one of them."

For more than 29 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.

"I was talking to four or five different steel building manufacturers, and quality and price were definitely things that I was comparing," says Reilly. "But ultimately I went with SteelMaster because of the comfort level I had dealing with a salesman there named Rob Cass. I was impressed by how straight-forward he is and how knowledgeable he is about the buildings. He didn’t give me any high-pressured sales pitch, but with a product that is manufactured as well as a SteelMaster buildings is, that type of nonsense isn’t necessary."

According to SteelMaster’s Director of Marketing Michelle Wickum, most customers assemble and raise their buildings without a contractor, which adds to their cost effectiveness.

"Our buildings are sensibly designed so that assembly is straightforward and uncomplicated—you definitely don’t have to be someone of Mr. Reilly’s skill level and expertise to put it up," says Wickum. "There is only a one-size nut and bolt system to work with, and an easy-to-read and detailed construction manual, YouTube videos, and of course people like Rob Cass are always available to assist during any phase of the assembly process."

Four of Reilly’s employees had his SteelMaster building up in no time, and he is there almost every day with his crew working on the restoration of the XP-82.

"I am constantly thinking about this aircraft and planning for the next step and then the step after that," says Reilly. "We are getting the restoration perfect, right down to the smallest detail."

Reilly and the crew found some interesting notes on the prototype parts prior to restoration, apparently between co-workers to communicate with each other between shifts during the war, such as "426 AD 4-6 rivet goes here" (complete with an arrow) and "John, I will have the tickets for you tomorrow for the theatre."

Reilly’s crew documented and saved the graffiti to reapply it to the newly painted interior surfaces, and they have even gone as far as spectrographing the different colors of paints throughout the interior of the aircraft, duplicating the colors exactly. They also found and purchased the original WW II 442 head-style rivets to use in the restoration.

"I’ve been doing this work for 40 years, and I can’t imagine ever not doing it. But, I’d never be where I am without the many, many people who have helped me and lent their support throughout this journey, especially when it comes to this project—it’s been the greatest ride ever."

SteelMaster RV Storage

What Goes Up Doesn’t Always Come Down - Especially a SteelMaster Buildings

Mike Zamora knows a thing or two about construction. As the owner of Michael Zamora Construction, Mike runs a successful small company based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

As a construction contractor, Mike and his crew can handle any type of small construction project. They have been hired to build everything from carports to room additions. It takes a lot to impress them.

Last year, Mike found himself in the market for a carport for his personal Recreational Vehicle. He had high expectations for this carport. He wanted an attractive building - one that was also cost-effective, durable, and one that would not take too much time to erect. His RV Storage carport would need to stand the test of time too. Even though fully capable of custom-building his own, after he researched SteelMaster buildings, nothing else would suffice.

Mike found out, as do most SteelMaster customers, that dealing with the Virginia Beach based company was not a high pressure experience. He found the staff to be friendly, professional and knowledgeable about the SteelMaster brand.

In Mike’s words, "My experience with everyone I came into contact with at SteelMaster was incredible. I enjoyed the whole experience, and am very impressed with the staff and the product. I cannot wait to do more business with SteelMaster!"

The only snag in the whole process was obtaining a building permit. Mike said everyone there was curious and showed such interest in the drawings he brought to obtain his permit, it took him more time than usual.

Mike said, "The people at the city permit office were simply amazed at the carport plans. Actually, they said they never saw anything quite like a SteelMaster carport. But it was a good thing, they were remarkably impressed."

"Well, around these parts," added Mike, "I have seen more than one building (carports included) that had to be torn down because they did not meet city ordinance construction codes. I was glad to have my SteelMaster carport go up, knowing it was not going to have to come down. Basically, since I’ve been through the permit process, the next guy (hopefully that will be me!) will have it easy. The people in the permit office love SteelMaster now, almost as much as I do."

As one would expect, Mike and his crew constructed his carport. "Everything fit together perfectly, just like the design drawings. We had it up and even hooked up electrical for the lights I installed in no time flat," Mike said.

Mike is a SteelMaster Partner in Steel (PIS). Good thing, because he plans to be doing a lot of business with SteelMaster in the near future.

"My goal is to be the construction company in Albuquerque with a name for putting up these SteelMaster buildings and carports. As a matter of fact, I am going to refer them to my customers. SteelMaster is a product I can stand behind if people choose my company to construct them. They are certainly easy enough for anyone to install. But I’m thinking of the people out there who prefer to hire someone. Maybe they’re not into building or just don’t have the time. That’s where we can come in," Mike said.

And SteelMaster is hoping Mike will make some good extra money through his referrals. Once someone is a SteelMaster customer, they can sign up on our website to become a PIS. By doing so, when a new customer calls, mentions your name, and ultimately purchases their own building, a check is issued to the PIS who referred them.

SteelMaster remains grateful for its word of mouth referrals. Nothing is better advertising than a satisfied SteelMaster customer. SteelMaster celebrated its 30-year Anniversary last month. This milestone marked over 40,000 satisfied customers with SteelMaster buildings constructed worldwide on six continents, in over 50 countries, and every state in the United States.

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, roofing systems, 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.

SteelMaster is proud to have a construction specialist like Mr. Michael Zamora of Michael Zamora Construction as a SteelMaster Building owner, a satisfied customer, and a new Partner in Steel.

Steel Buildings Used for Custom Art Studio in NY

Check out this great story about how three SteelMaster buildings were used to design a custom art studio that features Chinese art in upstate New York!
The Art of Steel

Upstate New York’s picturesque landscape is a milieu of the unexpected. It is a place where evenly plowed fields collide with patches of brilliantly colored wildflowers, and the highest mountain peaks descend sharply into deep, yielding lakes.

Tucked into these surroundings is a parcel of privately-owned land where the region’s confluence of elements has been utilized and built upon. It is here that East meets West and grass meets steel.

Welcome to the Art Farm.

In the spring of 2008, Christophe Mao, the director of Chambers Fine Art in New York, saw the realization of his vision to create a structure for contemporary Chinese art in upstate New York that was functional and, in effect, a piece of art itself.

The new Chambers Fine Art building is a storage facility as well as a venue for Chinese artists to display their work. It is constructed from precision-engineered corrugated steel that was custom made by SteelMaster, a purveyor of high quality steel arch buildings and roofing systems based in Virginia Beach, VA.

"After discussion with my architects in China and Switzerland, we settled on steel as the most cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing material for the effect we wanted to achieve,” says Mao. "The SteelMaster product was chosen for its lightness, durability, and strength—facilitating the creation of open spaces without internal support.”

According to Simon Frommenwiler, an architect with HHF architects in Switzerland, who designed the space in conjunction with artist Ai Weiwei, the abstract metallic outer appearance of the building complements a group of existing sculptures that are situated throughout the property. "Using one material simplified the process, and SteelMaster was very cost effective,” says Frommenwiler. "When we realized we could use the material to create something that looks like a sculpture, we were sold.”

Exteriorly, the three separate SteelMaster buildings that make up the space were put on a solid concrete slab that follows the existing grade of the land. The three buildings and levels are connected through a continuous cascading ramp in the middle axis. This middle hallway with its ramp works as access for all spaces, allows an easy way of exchanging big pieces of art between storage and showrooms, and works at the same time as a picture gallery.

Interiorly, the ceilings are covered with soft, white PVC batting which creates the illusion of a cozy pillow top. "We wanted it very soft and bright on the inside to create a quiet and cool space,” says Frommenwiler.

For delicate goods such as paintings, consistent indoor temperatures are needed, which is a challenge in upstate New York because of the enormous changes in temperatures. The batting and the SteelMaster structures create a hermetically closed and insulated envelope that conserves the indoor climate and supports it when necessary.

"I am very satisfied both with the close relationship between the material used - steel and internal insulation - and the concept of the architects,” says Mao. "For people that are considering building a structure, I recommend they give steel serious consideration as an alternative to more commonly used materials.”

SteelMaster Named 2012 VA Exporter of the Year

SteelMaster has been named the 2012 Virginia Exporter of the Year by the Small Business Administration. The company will be honored during Small Business Week on Friday, May 18th in Richmond, VA. Read the full press release below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SBA Announces 2012 Small Business Award Winners

RICHMOND, Va. – Nine people have been selected to receive awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration's Richmond, Virginia District Office, at the annual Small Business Awards Luncheon in Richmond, on Friday, May 18. The Richmond District Office territory includes all of Virginia except the counties of Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church which are covered by SBA's Metropolitan Washington District Office.

Each year the President of the United States designates one week as National Small Business Week in recognition of the small business community's contribution to the American economy. The 2012 observance of National Small Business Week is May 20-22 in Washington, D.C. where more than 100 outstanding small business owners from around the country will be honored and the National Small Business Person of the Year will be announced.

Virginia's Small Business Week event, to be held at The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond on Friday, May 18th, will honor Virginia's Small Business Persons of the Year along with five other award winners. Nominations for all of the awards were accepted last fall, and winners were selected by an independent panel of judges.

Those to be honored at the annual Small Business Awards Luncheon include:

2012 VIRGINIA SMALL BUSINESS PERSONS OF THE YEAR
Jonathan L. Hagmaier, C.E.O.; Mary V. Hagmaier, Director of Corporate Relations;
Matthew Muller, Solutions Architect, Jacob E. Gibson, VP of Business Development
Interactive Achievement, Inc.
Roanoke, VA

2012 VIRGINIA FINANCIAL SERVICES CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
Tanner A. Collins, Jr.
Senior Vice President & Regional Executive Officer
REDC Community Capital Group, Inc.
Richmond, VA

2012 VIRGINIA EXPORTER OF THE YEAR
Robert Patrick Poellnitz
Steelmaster Buildings, LLC
Virginia Beach, VA

2012 VIRGINIA VETERAN SMALL BUSINESS CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
Perry C. Casto, Jr., Colonel, U.S. Army (retired)
Amissville, VA

2012 VIRGINIA JEFFREY BUTLAND FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Dennis D. Clem, President
Clem's Garage, Inc.
Stephens City, VA

2012 VIRGINIA YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Jennifer Leah Jackson, Owner
River City Cleaning
Richmond, VA

"The individuals we are honoring on May 18th represent the finest traits of American entrepreneurial spirit and we are proud to recognize their accomplishments," said Jayne E. Armstrong, District Director of SBA's Richmond, Virginia District Office, congratulating all of the award winners.

For additional information on National Small Business Week festivities, and for a list of winners, visit http://www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com. Additional information on the 2012 Virginia Small Business Awards Luncheon is available at www.sba.gov/va. For more information about all of the SBA's programs for small businesses, visit the SBA's extensive web site at www.sba.gov.

For More Information About SteelMaster Buildings Visit Steelmasterusa.com

New England Man Builds his Cave out of Steel

Popularized by the book "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus", author John Gray introduced readers to the concept that men need a space to retreat and reboot, otherwise known as their "cave."

John Bottcher of Brockton, MA built a cave of sorts for himself when this past June he bought a 10' x 16' steel arched building which he uses as a gym and a workshop. "It looks like a military Quonset hut and is the perfect shape for maximum freedom of overhead space," says Bottcher. "When I get too old for the gym, it will become a carport." In the meantime, Bottcher says that because the building is located on the same property as his home, he plans on surrounding it with bushes and flowers this coming summer and grow ivy over it.

Bottcher says that he is in the building every day, which currently houses a punching bag, weight bench, Universal Machine, table saw, tool rack, band saw, and garden tools. "I chose to buy a SteelMaster buildings because it met my three main criteria: I needed the arch height, which is perfect for overhead work; I wanted something that wouldn't mold, bend, rot, or require upkeep; and the SteelMaster building is less expensive than any wood structure of its size."

"Mr. Bottcher's decision to build this structure with steel was a wise one because he will never have to worry about any maintenance issues," says Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for SteelMaster Buildings. "Steel does not rot, warp, shrink, or split, and it's non-combustible. As opposed to wooden 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)."

Another aspect of the SteelMaster building that Bottcher appreciates is that he was able to put it up himself without hiring a contractor. "My father and I put it together," says Bottcher. "We are very strong men; three to four people would have been ideal, but it can be done by two with average "handy-man" ability. I leveled the foundation first, erected it using common sense, spread stone mulch and then topped it off with rubber flooring. By staking the foundation so that the structure can push against it, I made up for the lack of a proper, solid foundation. And, if I want to expand, I would just order additional pieces and add them on."

Each SteelMaster steel building includes all the components necessary to erect a garage, a barn, a storage building or building for almost any purpose. These components are made to precise standards of accuracy for easy assembly with pre-punched holes and only one size nut and bolt for the entire building. "Our prefabricated buildings are so simple to erect that over 80 percent of our customers construct their own building with huge labor cost savings," says Wickum.

For Bottcher, specific elements of the building make it a hit with him. "The price was worth the space, and it is better than shingled structures. It is strong—I walk on top of it. It withstands New England weather, and animals can't degrade it. The coating prevents rust and scrapes—I will die of old age before the structure shows wear. It doesn't require insulation, and it is almost soundproof."

With more than 40,000 satisfied customers, including buildings located in every state in the United States, on six continents, and in more than 40 overseas countries, SteelMaster takes pride in knowing its steel buildings have earned the favor of people like Mr. Bottcher.

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 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.

SteelMaster Awards

As SteelMaster continues to celebrate our 30th Anniversary this year, we thought we would take a look back at our successes from last year. Please take a moment to celebrate with us. Without our customers, we would not be where we are today. Thank you!

December 2011
2011 Metal Construction News Building and Roofing Awards – 1st Place Winner- Best Metal Roofing

Metal Construction News honored SteelMaster Buildings with the Best Metal Roofing award for the Arc House project in East Hampton, NY. The Arc House is custom designed home with a SteelMaster arched corrugated metal roofing system.

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October 2011
SBA / VISA Export Video Contest – 1st Place Winner

The Export Video Contest promoted the advantages of exporting and increase awareness of government assistance available to small business exporters. VISA, which co-sponsored the contest, provided the funding for the cash award to the winners.

The contest was open to small businesses that had completed at least one export transaction. Each participant submitted one educational video of three minutes or less, highlighting how they had ventured into and achieved success with exporting.

Watch the video here.

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October 2011
The Roaring 20

Award to 20 Hampton Roads’ fastest growing, most dynamic businesses that have shown determination, perseverance and fortitude even in challenging economic times. The companies must be headquartered in the Hampton Roads area and established prior to fiscal year 2008, realized gross revenues of at least $2 million in 2011 and experience three years of growth.

- Award featured in Inside Business.
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October 2011
Commonwealth of Virginia Compass Award

SteelMaster Buildings was awarded the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Compass Award for Excellence in International Trade. The Compass Award was presented by Paul H. Grossman Jr. from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. The purpose of the award is to recognize companies that have excelled in global trade 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.

12 To Watch Small Businesses in Virginia

12toWatchThe “12 to Watch” is an initiative of the United States Senate Productivity and Quality Award Program for Virginia (Virginia SPQA). The criteria to become one of the twelve considers—among other factors—a small business’s position today relative to high level requirements of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Baldridge Criteria for Performance Excellence, as articulated through Virginia SPQA’s Discovery Program. Small businesses selected to be one of the twelve are considered to be those poised for positive and sustainable job growth in the Commonwealth. This initiative supports and recognizes their abilities.

- Award featured in a press release from Virginia Department of Business Assistance, United States Small Business Administration, National Federation of Independent Business, Office of the Lieutenant Governor, and Commonwealth of Virginia.

July 2011
SteelMaster Home and Workshop Featured in NY Daily News

The SteelMaster home located in Rhinebeck, NY and built in 1998 was featured in the NY Daily News.
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June 2011
SteelMaster Home Featured in Wall Street Journal

The Arc House by Maziar Behrooz located in East Hampton, NY was recently featured in the Real Estate section of the Wall Street Journal.
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April 2011
Top 10 Companies to Watch in Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads Chamber’s Top 10 to Watch award was presented to ten rising new companies or companies that have entered a new market or introduced a new product.

- Award featured in Inside Business.

January 2011
The UPS Growth through Global Trade Award

Recognizes the company as the top U.S. business with fewer than 500 employees that most effectively exports to international markets. UPS created the award in 2010 while conducting a series of export seminars targeting small- and medium-sized businesses established to encourage participation in President Barack Obama’s National Export Initiative (NEI) to double U.S. exports by 2015—an increase that will support two million jobs in America

- Award featured in World Trade Magazine and Metal Construction News.
- Recognition letter received from Governor McDonnell.

Salt Storage Solutions

As a mild winter comes to an end, many municipalities are left with an excessive amount of road salt that they never had to use this past winter. Most towns know how much salt they go through during a season and order accordingly. However, under their contracts they have a minimum quantity that must be fulfilled. Many of the towns have yet to meet that minimum. That means that not only will they have to store the salt they have on-hand, they will also have to order more and find room to keep it.

SteelMaster salt storage buildings offer an economical solution to save road salt for the following winter. Our steel storage buildings offer:

    Clear-span design provides maximum storage capacity without obstruction.
    Galvalume Plus steel creates a maintenance-free building able to withstand harsh weather conditions.
    Simple construction allows for rapid assembly, easy relocation and expansion.

To learn more about SteelMaster’s salt storage buildings, download our free product guide.

SteelMaster is Now on Pinterest

SteelMaster Buildings is now on Pinterest. Follow Elizabeth to see quonsets (both old and new), unique homes, new uses for shipping containers and other various projects that we think are interesting. Click the button below to start following us today!

SteelMaster Serves Customer’s Needs

Mike Zaveta is excited about being one of SteelMaster's newest "Partners in Steel" (PIS). He has every confidence SteelMaster will do right by anyone he sends their way, especially since his experience has been positive in every way, shape and form.

Mike owns and operates TAZ Custom Machining from his SteelMaster Type A, 40'x60' Workshop located on his property in O'Brien, Florida. He has built quite a reputation for himself as a premiere tool and dye maker, so he can spot a top-knotch operation when he sees one. Tool and dye makers stand at the pyramid of experience and skill within the manufacturing industry – as does the SteelMaster brand of prefabricated steel and metal arched buildings. This is something the two companies have in common, which is one reason SteelMaster ranks at the top of his list.

When asked about his experience with SteelMaster, he has plenty of examples to relay regarding how well he was treated and the superior quality of his building. Oh sure, there may be some wannabe's out there, but nothing else on the market even comes close to the SteelMaster product and unparalleled customer service.

"I was so impressed with the engineers at SteelMaster. I gave them details for two different sized end doors I already had which I wanted to install on my building. They designed my workshop perfectly to my specifications and both doors were easily aligned and installed with no problem," said Mike.

"I did have a little scare though," Mike laughed. "I borrowed a John Deere tractor from one of my friends for the day of my building kit delivery. Here I was, ready and waiting when the 18-wheeler showed up – on time. I took one look on the truck bed and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. I quickly told the driver he would have to move to another, much larger area in order for me to unload the mountain of steel on the back of the truck."

The driver said, "Not to worry, sir… yours is the first delivery of three I have on this truck… all of this is not for you!"

"Needless to say, (after I resumed a normal breathing pattern again) I was very relieved to hear him say this," said Mike. "I was thinking, what in the world have I taken on here… so many pieces!"

"This is just one of the ways SteelMaster passes on savings to our customers," said Michelle Wickum, SteelMaster's Director of Marketing. "Whenever possible, we take extra effort to ensure our deliveries on time to our customers and geographically truck-load friendly."

"My building took two weekends to complete with the help of friends," said Mike. "I was amazed at how exact the bolt holes were, which made aligning them a snap! Me and another guy attached one of my doors and I completed the other one by myself.

Mike added, "We assembled three roof panels on the ground and connected them to the side walls. After only three panels were up, the steel arch was so stable and strong, that section alone held the weight of a grown man – who stayed up there as he was handed more to bolt down. We were in awe!"

"The SteelMaster team was right there for me every step of the way, and then some," said Mike.

"Weeks after my building was up and functional, one of my neighbors was having difficulty assembling a storage shed he purchased from some "brand x" company. He couldn't get anything lined up and I don't even know if he had assembly directions. He couldn't reach his salesperson by phone. Well, I didn't know if they could help me or not, but I called SteelMaster. Even though it wasn't their building, even though my neighbor wasn't their customer, they actually gave us some direction and tips on how we could accomplish this task. Now that is beyond customer service! I highly recommend SteelMaster to everyone. If only my neighbor had talked to me first!" said Mike.

This is just the way SteelMaster does business. We like what we do and we like helping people. We like making new friends along the way. We like keeping in touch with them before, during and after the sale. It's who we are, and one of the reasons we are happy to have celebrated our 30th anniversary last month.

SteelMaster's steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including workshops and storage, just like the one Mike Zaveta enjoys.
SteelMaster designs also include projects for homes, farm buildings, garages, workshops, agricultural storage, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems, 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.

According to Michelle Wickum, "SteelMaster is not just about prefabricated steel and metal arched buildings and bolts, we are in the people business. And we do not mind one bit mixing business with friendship, as a matter of fact, we prefer it that way."

SteelMaster Stands Strong through Tornado

A Special News Bulletin
Where does SteelMaster come in the picture after the recent onslaught of Tornadoes? Read on to find out…

Suffice it to say there are no ample words on behalf of our SteelMaster family which adequately convey our heart-felt condolences for those who are dealing with incomprehensible losses, and for the welfare of the many victims who survived the recent severe storms and tornadoes. At SteelMaster, we are fortunate to make a lot of friends along the way in our profession. We get to know most of our customers on a personal level and we have no barriers between our business dealings and valued friendships, nor do we wish to distinguish the two. We share our grief with our friends. We offer our thoughts, our prayers and resources as we hold all affected in the light.

Doomsday prophets started spreading the fear a couple of years ago. In case you have not heard, you may want to note the following date. The end of the world according to the ancient Mayan calendar is supposed to take place on 12-21-12.

It is a good thing we survived the end of the world back on December 31, 1999. When the clock struck midnight, everything from our toaster ovens to our vehicles to nuclear power plants were supposed to go "kaput" because the world’s micro-chips were not created to withstand the "000" date at the turn of the century.

Ironically, the end of the world comes when we least expect it. The end of the world to each of us is actually when our world comes to a screeching halt. Unfortunately, for some, the end of the world did come last week.

"High Risk" for Severe Weather
Just before 8am EST, NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC), upgraded their outlook for March 2 to include a "high risk" area to include parts of Kentucky and middle Tennessee. The area was subsequently expanded into southern Indiana, southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky just before noon.

Marty Mullins, a SteelMaster customer and Partner in Steel (PIS) called us right away to let us know how his two SteelMaster Storage Sheds fared through some particularly rough weather last Friday. He and his family reside in Jonesville, Virginia, a small town in Lee County with a population of 985. Jonesville is located at the southwestern tip of Virginia and is situated smack-dab, 35 miles between both Kentucky and Tennessee.

Marty and his wife, their 12 year-old daughter, and 21 year-old son knew the drill. The family left their 28’x60’ double-wide mobile (slab foundation) home and headed to his parents house only one mile away to seek shelter in their basement until the severe storms had passed. Conditions were conducive for formulation of tornadoes. Various "Watches" and "Warnings" were posted, updated, and when expired, more posted to take their place. At the least, they were expecting high winds and heavy rain. It was around 8:35 pm Friday evening.

As they visited with his parents they were keenly aware of the heavy rain as it made its way through. It did not seem bad enough to head to the basement, so they just continued to enjoy their visit. At around 11:45 pm, all watches and warnings had expired, and the Mullins family decided to head home, Marty remembers remarking, "I can’t wait to climb in bed and get some sleep – I’m bushed!"

But sleep would not come for Marty until a day and a half later.

An eerie silence came over them as they neared what Marty thought was his driveway. As they made the turn they were astonished to find their home demolished, completely off its foundation, with the roof peeled back as if a huge can-opener got to it.

Then, a miracle amongst the debris…their two beloved "wiener dogs" (dachshunds) were found alive and very happy to be reunited with the other humans from the house. (Marty said they do not understand they are dogs.)

When light came the next morning, Marty was able to ascertain the full scope of the damage. Amazingly, he had the where-with-all about him to take pictures for insurance purposes. What he captured through his camera tells the story of the hideous nature of a monster hit and miss tornado.

Marty would later come to find out this particular storm cell and tornado originated in Nashville, Tennessee, and made a straight line through Knoxville, ending up in Jonesville, leaving a path of hit and miss debacle in various cities and towns in its wake. The storm took out a couple more homes in Jonesville before it ended there. The National Weather Service has confirmed this particular cell was, in fact, the longest ever recorded. At 200 yards wide, it lasted nearly five hours. To shed some perspective, it is very rare for a tornado to even last one hour.

The tornado that tore through Marty’s home and property was rated an F-1 (winds of 95-100 mph) by the National Weather Service (NWS). An F-1 is nightmarish enough, but Marty’s not entirely convinced it was not an F-2 or F-3. It took the NWS a week to rate the tornado due to its scope. Experts determine the F-factor based upon the severity of the destruction by using an instrument called a "debris counter". This method is typically used when there were no other scientific means available to pinpoint the wind velocity during the actual event.

Out of their home and belongings, 99% of anything breakable was broken. They did find three whole dinner plates. They were also able to rummage through and save most of their clothes. Pictures which were once hung "just so" were strewn all over their property along with other household items. They also salvaged a couple of pieces water-soaked furniture. Their barn and the heavy equipment once inside – destroyed. Marty’s ’40 Model GMC, smashed in by the demise of the barn roof.

Marty Mullins is an optimist though. His strength is inspiring. His concern is his family and how they are dealing with the devastation. "Hey… my family and I survived. I’ve got insurance too. My 12 year-old is handling this as well as can be expected. I mean, my wife and I are doing our best to explain how this happened, but it’s hard, you know? My 21 year-old is taking things well, I think. My wife and I are just waiting for the insurance adjuster to let us know how much we will have to start to rebuild our lives."

Marty added, "When I looked around at my property, the destruction was indescribable – except for two things…These two things would be a SteelMaster 25’x32’ shed purchased back in 1993, and a second 20’x30’ SteelMaster shed we bought around Thanksgiving a year ago. I really could not believe my eyes."

"I was amazed. Even though I have experience as a welder/fabricator, I work on cranes now. All of my industrial tools and equipment I’ve accumulated over the years are worth thousands, including a new air compressor I just paid a grand for – these items were spared thanks to my SteelMaster buildings. I also kept my truck garaged in one and it is still drivable…thank God. And both of my SteelMaster buildings are still standing. One of them took a serious licking and only has some dents at the top of one corner and a couple of bolts missing. I think this is amazing. I still can’t believe it!" said Marty.

Marty is such a SteelMaster fan, he is seriously considering building a SteelMaster home, instead of going the traditional route when he re-builds.

Many of us watched anxiously with bated breath as live television coverage unfolded the trauma of the aftermath a week ago last Saturday. Some of us had to fight the urge to hop in our vehicles to seek out and punch reporters attempting to interview survivors, still wandering aimlessly in shock, "Can you put into words for our viewers at home how you feel right now?"

Many of us were moved to tears, moved to help by sending checks and supplies, moved to pray, and moved to hug our spouse, and/or significant other, and our children a little closer and tighter. This was quickly becoming another tragic event to add to the long list of disasters our world has endured preceding this one. Some of us even fought feelings of denial, and were thankful it did not happen to us or our family. Some of us felt guilty for thinking that.

The death toll stands at a sobering 39. Angel Babcock, 15 months old, was found alive in a field near her family’s home in New Pekin, Indiana. She passed away while in the hospital, a heart-wrenching reminder of the wrath of what is being hailed as the worst tornado outbreak ever recorded for the month of March (1).

Stephanie Decker, 36, of Henryville, Indiana, lost one leg above the knee and the other above the ankle, according to her husband Joe. She was last reported as being in serious but stable condition at a Kentucky hospital. She wrapped her children in a blanket and tied them to her as she used her body to shelter them. The couple’s 8-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter also survived Friday’s storm, due to their mother’s quick-thinking and selflessness (2).

The end may come and go to others, as news and headlines switch over to the next big weather event or relevant stuff like what the Kardashians are up to, and which celebrity entered re-hab again.

But to those who perished or lost loved ones, lost their homes, their pets, their livelihood, and family photos and heirlooms… it was indeed the end of their world, or at least the world came to a screeching halt… if your name happens to be Marty Mullins.

In closing, Marty said, "I have to look at the big picture. I know God had a hand in this tornado, and I know He has a plan. We don’t know all the answers, but God does. I may not be the most religious man in the world, but this experience certainly makes me want to be a better man."

Construction Tips: Lighting Options

There are two main options for providing light to your steel building.  Whether or not you will be running electricity to your building can be a determining factor for what kind of lighting you end up using.  For those who are not using electricity or those who are looking to supplement with natural lighting, skylights are the best option. Skylights provide the opportunity to take advantage of nature’s resources while giving you the ability to walk into your steel building and not have to turn on the lights. This environmentally friendly option can be placed in the roof panels, end wall panels, or sliding doors. While there are several color options, the most common are clear and off-white. Clear skylights allow the most light through while providing the highest level of UV protection.

Electrical lighting options can also be installed in metal buildings. Fluorescent bulbs are commonly used when a large area needs to illuminated or to provide focused light for a workspace. If electrical lighting is used, it is commonly used in conjuction with skylights to reduce energy use.

Volunteers Reminisce About Building Steel Shed

…A Look Back to 2003

Terry Redman, President of the "Volunteer Friends of Shamrock Park", a chapter of the 501{c}3 group, "Friends of Sarasota County Parks" organization, recently touched base with SteelMaster to reflect upon his good memories of building their storage facility. He also commented on how happy he has been since he made the decision and chose the SteelMaster steel and metal arched pre-fabricated structure for their volunteer tools, vehicles and supplies.

"Oh my goodness, I remember constructing the building like it was yesterday," Terry said. "Using the plans and instructions SteelMaster supplied, it took us maybe a week to construct the building. The plans and specifications we received were clear and easy. Building it was actually a lot of fun!"

Terry Redman said he would be remiss if he did not mention how great the SteelMaster team has been and cannot speak highly enough about SteelMaster and each one of his fellow volunteers.

"We had about a dozen volunteers, including the assistance of one amazing lady in particular whom I cannot leave out of the story," said Terry. "This lady does not mind the Florida heat, getting her hands dirty, and is no stranger to hard work. She was there every day, on a ladder tightening bolts or holding ropes to keep sections in place."

By the way, this remarkable woman, Bessie Kofsky weighs all of 90 pounds and is 89 years young. Bessie was Shamrock Park's first volunteer has been there from the time it was built in 1994 and is still there almost every day. She serves on several volunteer beautification committees, does park maintenance/weeding, worked on bird banding projects, and participates in garden clubs, (and, let's not forget –helped build a SteelMaster Storage Shed!) She's a hard-worker to say the least, and although she never complains, she's usually sporting a band-aide or two. Bessie leaves her younger counter-parts in her dust – often scratching their head in amazement. She is a dedicated volunteer and according to Terry, Bessie inspires everyone who meets her.

"I also want you know our shed is a beautiful addition to the Shamrock Park," says Roger. "It is situated right beside the community center in a high profile area, not tucked away somewhere out of sight on the premises. Since it is not like most sheds that end up looking faded and rusty, it blends in beautifully with the rest of the park, and allows our volunteers easy access to the building and supplies within it."

Whether it's a need for residential or commercial storage, SteelMaster pre-fabricated sheds provide storage buildings to meet every application," touts Michelle Wickum, SteelMaster's Director of Marketing.
"SteelMaster prefabricated sheds feature a flexible clear span design, allowing maximum space efficiency. Our metal building sheds are easy to assemble and provide years of maintenance free use."

Many of us envy those living in Florida and dream of retiring there someday and living the good life. The vast array of beaches, swaying palm trees, and gorgeous weather, does hold a certain allure. But just like anywhere one chooses to live in the United States, along with the good, comes some form of precarious weather. And for Florida, that means tropical storms and hurricanes.

Roger added, "Since 2003, we had to deal with Hurricane Charlie, and other storms – either directly or indirectly. Either way, it is never fun. Our SteelMaster Building has already proved its worth. It looks as good as the day we finished putting it up and is definitely serving its purpose."

"SteelMaster buildings are engineered for life," said Wickum. "Our Steel Arched Buildings are designed to meet the wind loads of their destination. Our buildings are made with consideration given to climatological factors in order to provide protection from water, freezing temperatures, fire, and even hurricane-force winds."

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, roofing systems, 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.

"Would I recommend a SteelMaster Building to others? Absolutely!" said Roger. Only thing is, they cannot have our Bessie to help them build it. Sorry, but she's ours!"

SteelMaster Hangar Kit Delivery

Rocky Take-Off Leads to Smooth Landing

Roger Edwards of Anchor, Florida has quite the story regarding his SteelMaster experience. Thankfully, Roger Edwards also has a great sense of humor and realizes sometimes things do not always go as planned.

Perhaps being a seasoned pilot and owning his own plane may have a little something to do with his attitude. Pilots realize weather can change on a dime. They know turbulent departures can lead to clear, blue skies and a smooth and safe landing. In a metaphorical sense, that sums up Roger's building delivery, assembly and ultimate pride and satisfaction with his 40'x45' SteelMaster airplane hangar.

His decision to buy a SteelMaster buildings was not part of the glitch. During his tenure as a pilot, he came across and admired several SteelMaster hangars and storage facilities. Roger met a SteelMaster rep during an Air Show in Lakeland, Florida where SteelMaster had an exhibit booth. Roger enjoyed talking to the rep, describing him as "friendly, yet professional". That was where he decided to get straight to the brass tacks and purchase his own pre-fabricated steel, Quonset-styled hangar.

The 18-wheeler semi that delivered his SteelMaster kit was right on schedule. Getting the materials to the area Roger wanted them to be unloaded on his property was a different story. Roger's neighbor saw the truck coming and warned him, "I'm telling you now Roger, that driver is not going to make it all the way down this driveway in that 18-wheeler!"

The driver looked over the situation and said, "I think I can manage this."

And he did.

Roger seems reasonable and said upfront, "I'm sure they (SteelMaster) told me I would need to have help to unload the materials, but I probably forgot and consequently, I did not have any help available – other than my tractor."

Again, the driver of the 18-wheeler lamented a moment and then said, "Well, actually I'm not supposed to help with unloading materials, but I see you are alone here, so I will make an exception and help you out."

As fate would have it, a few minutes later, the driver endured a cut on his leg worthy of bragging rights, but not bad enough for these two men to stop unloading the precious cargo onto Roger's tractor. The driver simply applied a big piece of duct tape over the cut and proceeded.

After Roger's SteelMaster kit was completely unloaded, the driver reviewed the damage to his leg. It was still bleeding. At that point, Roger insisted on returning the favor and took him to an urgent care facility, with the result being several stitches.

The driver had one more delivery scheduled for the day. It was another SteelMaster pre-fabricated steel building kit going to its new home in Tampa. He had already called the customer to advise he would be later than anticipated, and would stay in touch. Roger and the driver shook hands thanking each other for their respective help, and the driver started back down the driveway in his big rig.

But the driver did not get very far.

He got stuck in the thick, sand of the Floridian driveway – just like Roger's neighbor said would happen.

After many, many attempts and help from others to assist the driver to get on the road, the sun was setting and the situation was not looking so good. The driver called the customer again and said to expect him first thing in the morning.

The driver spent the night in the driveway in his rig, and it took two tractors and a truck to get the driver on the road the next morning. Unfortunately, we do not have the name of the truck driver to sing his praises – yet.

Fortunately for Roger, he enlisted the help of a neighbor (another proud SteelMaster Building owner), a contractor and helper to assemble his hangar. The contractor poured a slab foundation and secured bolts into the slab. Roger admits to struggling a bit with the roof and when their man-made scaffolding did not cut it, they ended up renting a one-person lift to get the first segments of the arches in place. The rest was a snap.

Although many SteelMaster customers do not find a lift as a necessity when building their buildings, Roger recommends one. He also advises that customers need to be aware they need help to unload their kit from the delivery truck, a point he says he may have missed when talking to his sales rep. "And…, said Roger, Keep in mind some of the edges are very sharp!"

Even though Roger's delivery day did not go as expected, he is ultimately thrilled with his hangar. He said he appreciates the support and follow up he has received from the SteelMaster team. Roger emphasized, "Hey, don't get me wrong – I love my hangar! It is a nice-looking building too, and it should last forever! And I would definitely recommend SteelMaster to others!"

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, roofing systems, 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.

SteelMaster is celebrating its 30-year Anniversary this month. This milestone marks over 40,000 satisfied customers with SteelMaster buildings constructed worldwide on six continents, in over 50 countries, and throughout the United States.

Construction Tips: What is Galvalume Plus

Galvalume Plus was created in the late 1990's as an improvement to the standard coated steel product of the time, Galvalume. Instead of the oily finish that came with Galvalume, Galvalume Plus features a thin, clear, dry organic coating. This coating eliminates the need for conventional chemical treatment and vanishing oil while providing a bright, attractive appearance with a gentle sheen. The entire SteelMaster arch and endwall system is made with Galvalume Plus offering our customers excellent heat reflectivity and corrosion resistance. To learn more about Galvalume Plus, submit your question below.
For More information About Steel Buildings and Steelmaster Buildings Visit Steelmasterusa.com

Illinois Couple See the Beauty in Steel Carport

Talking with David and Becky Drinkwater of Beach Park, IL, their pride is palpable as they discuss an addition they made to their homestead two years ago.

"It's just so beautiful," they both say, almost in unison. "We've gotten so many compliments from everyone who sees it."

Some may be surprised to learn that the impetus for the excited lilt in their voices is a steel carport that stands in their driveway and protects their car. "Becky and I were talking about purchasing a carport to park our new car under, and we agreed that we didn't want to have to look at or deal with a poorly constructed, ugly, box-shaped thing sitting in our driveway," says David. "We live on more than two acres of land that looks like a beautiful park, and we didn't want to build a garage or any structure that would take away from that park-like environment-we wanted it to remain open."

 After visiting various home improvement chain stores, the Drinkwaters were losing hope that they would ever find something that was affordable and met their aesthetic standards.  "One day we were on the Internet, and we happened upon SteelMaster Buildings," says David. "After researching their product and talking to a few folks who work there, we knew we found what we were looking for."

Located in Virginia Beach, VA, SteelMaster Buildings has 30 years of experience designing and producing steel and metal pre-engineered arch buildings for a broad range of residential and commercial applications, including carports.

"The SteelMaster Ultimate Carport is the strongest steel carport in the marketplace and is built to withstand a variety of climate conditions while at the same time has a unique, pleasing look about it and offers 100 percent usable space, thanks to the arch design," says Michelle Wickum, SteelMaster's director of marketing.

For the Drinkwaters, the arch of the carport is a thing of beauty. "Aesthetically, the arch of the roof looks really cool to us," says David. "Plus I love the quality of it. It is a powerful, really strongly built structure. I'm convinced that if we were hit with a hurricane, the house would blow away, but the carport would stay right where it is." Betsy says she couldn't agree more. "When you drive up to it, it's so beautiful, and everyone remarks about that."

In fact, the Drinkwaters believed so strongly in the beauty of their carport that they submitted photos of it into SteelMaster's 2010 spring photo contest. "They were one of the five runner ups for that contest," says Wickum. "The photograph of the carport was chosen as it was an excellent representation of the strength of SteelMaster carports.  In fact, we liked the photo so much that we featured the Drinkwaters' carport in our 2011 calendar."

When David submitted his photos, he also wrote a few paragraphs about their carport that really expresses it all:

The arch design of the carport is what I find most exciting and visually attractive.  It is also extremely strong and very well built.  One could not want for a more aesthetically pleasing and substantial carport anywhere in the world.  One could safely say that I was greatly impressed by the product and the customer support that was provided during its construction.

It was very helpful to have your staff explain construction techniques that would help me make my carport square and level and fit together properly.  Rich often was the person I called the most. He told me how to build a wooden template to set down on the sonotubes so that I could suspend my J-bolts into the wet concrete. 

I procured a laser level to make all my sonotubes level.  I did that at dusk to see the red line on the sonotubes and then traced them with a marker and cut them off with a jigsaw.  I mixed all my concrete by hand with a hoe and wheelbarrow.  It took about 70 bags of concrete to fill the four sonotubes.  It tested my manhood. I have a cordless impact driver that was indispensable in torquing all the nuts down to specs.

I only had one assistant, the woman of my dreams and my sweetheart, Becky, who was indispensable. 

With thousands of satisfied customers, including buildings located in every state in the United States, on six continents, and in more than 40 overseas countries, SteelMaster takes pride in knowing its steel buildings have earned the favor of people like the Drinkwaters.

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 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.

Steel Barn had Horses Chomping at their Bits

SteelMaster customers, Mr. and Mrs. Welford can tell you a thing or two about Tennessee Walkers and Painter horses. They are quick to tell you how lovable and intelligent their horses are, and how they have uncanny personality traits that liken them to people.

They also know an attractive and practical building application when they see one. Residing just 80 miles from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, they feel fortunate their lives and the lives of their horses were spared during Hurricane Katrina. Although their property suffered the wrath of this horrific storm, and they lost tons of poplar trees, they have no intent of letting any lousy hurricane force them from the sanctuary of their land.

Patricia Welford was delightfully accommodating about discussing their SteelMaster buildings experience. She also believes if horses could talk, they would say they could hardly wait to get situated into their new barn, or "horsey condos." Patricia said, "Our horses were lingering around as close as they could get without being in harm's way during construction. It was as if somehow they knew they were getting new stalls. They were chomping at their bits, and I could tell they wanted to kick the workers out even before the building was finished."

The Welfords hired a local contractor to build their SteelMaster 40' x 100' multi-purpose barn for their horses. Camp Shelby, the state owned/operated installation for active and reserve Army National Guardsmen is located nearby.

"Since the barn has the arched Quonset roof, our contractor was familiar with the style because he had experience with similar buildings at the military compound. After speaking with SteelMaster's construction specialist in the Virginia Beach, Virginia home office, not only was he impressed, but ready and able to assemble the barn," Patricia said.

Several factors led the Welfords to choose SteelMaster. They envisioned their barn and had ideas of their own to incorporate. Their building had to have lots of open space. They had been there and done that, and learned from experience. After they ran the gamut on-line and were aware of what they and other horse-owners were working with, SteelMaster proved to be the surprisingly affordable way to go for such a grand-scale building, investment, and labor of love.
They incorporated several ingenious ideas into their new barn and they absolutely love it (as do their horses!). They are the all the rage with their friends who also raise and breed horses (word gets around when you own a SteelMaster buildings.) The Welfords are kind folk and encouraged us to share their ideas with other SteelMaster customers who may benefit from their design.

First of all, they had heavy-duty roll up doors installed on each end. They have six horse stalls, 14'x16' instead of the stereotypical 12'x12' stall. Their barn includes a hay room, tack room (to store their saddles, bridles, etc.), AND an inside wash rack area with an in-ground drain. They are also in the process of hanging up lights in the clear span down the middle of the ceiling.

Patricia was glad to be able to make good use of the wood from the poplar trees they lost during Katrina. They had the trees cut into corral panels for use as partitions for each of the six stables.

"The best part is the corral panels each have gates that can be opened and moved when necessary. Due to the fact the Quonset ceiling is so high, and the panels work so well, we had no need for heavy posts which are awkward to navigate around and once installed, posts are in for good. We can just drive our tractor inside the barn to scoop out and clean each stall and replace the hay so much easier than before," Patricia said.

"Not many horse owners have the luxury of everything they need being under one roof", Patricia added. When the weather is inclement, our horses do not even need to leave the barn to be fed and groomed."

"SteelMaster buildings are engineered for life," says Michelle Wickum, SteelMaster's Director of Marketing. "Our Steel Arched Buildings are designed to meet the wind loads of their destination whether located in Florida, Mississippi or the Bahamas. Our buildings are made with consideration given to climatological elements in order to provide protection from hurricane-force winds, water, freezing temperatures, and even fire."
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, roofing systems, 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.

SteelMaster is happy to have the Welfords (and their beautiful horses!) as satisfied customers and our "Partners in Steel." Sounds like their horses are a little bit spoiled. But if they could talk, they would probably say, "Neighhhhh! We are not that spoiled."

SteelMaster Storage Sheds

Not only about storage, it's about safety too.

Most of us can attest to how quickly our garages can become filled with overflow from our homes. Few of us, it seems, actually get to use their garage for its originally intended purpose - our vehicles. Most of us succumb to parking in the driveway, or even curbside out on the street.

Mr. and Mrs. Gerard Regnier of Fremont, California found their three-car garage getting a bit over-crowded. Gerard realized he did not have ample room anymore for his work shop space for home projects.

Even though Gerard is not a carpenter by trade, he was amazed at how easily his SteelMaster 12' x 12' Storage Sheds was to assemble.

Actually, SteelMaster was amazed and applauds Gerard for using up scraps from his Storage Shed kit to help customize the inside of his building.

It was easy for the Regniers to ascertain their need for additional storage on their property. Their need was based on an understandable concern over storage of flammables and consumables in a safe and secure area, and not in the garage attached to their home. They also needed something that could be built on a slight grade and not be an eyesore to their property. These concerns are what steered them toward choosing a SteelMaster building.

Gerard wrote to us and explained how he customized his storage shed:

"Thanks largely to SteelMaster's accurate bill of materials and unique building plan, my building came out great. I designed and constructed a wood floor which fit perfectly to the building. It was easy to anchor securely.

Over the doorway opening, I constructed a 4'x10' overhead storage area. With the high ceiling, there is still plenty of room left to crawl around up there. In the clear arched space on both sides of the doorway opening, I constructed four foot wide storage shelves that go all the way up to overhead storage. I made each shelf following the contours of the inside of the building. Utilizing this space adds a lot of additional storage depth to each shelf, and prevents items from falling behind the shelf.

I also made two large, swinging wood doors for the building front. They are secured from the inside with cane bolts and a lock on the outside. Over the doorway opening, I made an overhang to keep weather away from the doors. To build it, I utilized one of the left-over spacer straps and salvaged some of the cut-off sheet metal. The overall cost of the overhang shelf was zero.

The high arched ceiling is a real plus. It allows for vertical storage of ten foot long boards utilizing just a small floor footprint. In a building with an eight-foot ceiling, floor-space would be quickly consumed.

My wife and I constructed the majority of the building. My brother-in-law and my grandson helped some too. It was great having family in on it. Construction was a lot of work, but in the end it was well worth the effort."

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, roofing systems, 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.

SteelMaster welcomes Gerard Regnier as our newest "Partner in Steel (PIS)". He said he would definitely send some customers our way. By becoming a PIS, this ensures Gerard cash rewards for any of his referrals that purchase a building from us. Gerard seems to think this is a pretty good gig, especially since he has no problem bragging about how much he loves his SteelMaster Storage Sheds.

Vacation at a Steel

Steelmaster

Judging by the relaxed tone of Anthony McGinnis' voice, it would be fair to assume he was anticipating an upcoming vacation to a remote getaway where he could unwind without a care in the world-and in many respects, he was.

The fact that he owns the remote getaway and that it is situated a mere 10 feet from his home in Pine Hill, AL means McGinnis will save a bundle in air fare, hotel rooms, and rental cars when the need to get away from it all strikes.

"It is a place that I will use as a garage/showroom of sorts for my cars and motorcycle," says McGinnis. "I also partitioned off a section of the building for an area that I call my man room. It will hold my pool table, a wood heater, a TV-basically it will be a sports room."

The building McGinnis is referring to is made by SteelMaster Buildings, which is 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 seven continents around the world.

Michelle Wickum is SteelMaster's director of marketing and says that the company's buildings are popular for a variety of reasons, including their unmatched durability. "Steel does not rot, warp, shrink, or split, and it is non-combustible," says Wickum. "SteelMaster buildings are easier to handle, stronger, and less expensive than any other common building materials. Steel's inherent strength resists fire, earthquake, and hurricane damage, and steel components weigh up to 60 percent less than wood members."

In deciding to build a steel building, McGinnis says that durability factored in as well as cost, ease of construction, and aesthetics.

"My home has a metal roof," says McGinnis. "The area where I chose to put up the building sits below the house, so when you come up the drive you can see both structures, and it just looks wonderful. The doors on my SteelMaster are painted white, and they stand out. It just works."

McGinnis completed most of the work on the building before he left Alabama to live in Washington for a couple of months to work on a contract project. While he has been away, a couple serious storms blew through the area.

"My neighbor watches out over my property, and I called him after this last storm to make sure the SteelMaster buildings was ok. He said that it has held up great, which is a big load off my mind since all of my cars and my motorcycle are parked inside under lock and key. I really wasn't that concerned though because I could tell that the building was incredibly stable while building it."

McGinnis says it took him and a couple of friends about two weeks to put together the building in their spare time-a process that went very smoothly thanks to the videos that SteelMaster has posted on its YouTube Channel.

"They have videos that show the process step-by-step, and I watched many of those before I started doing anything. I also took note of the equipment that various people use in the videos, and made sure we had the different items on site when it came time for us to start building. I also had a few conversations with the SteelMaster reps and found them to be very knowledgeable and helpful."

Wickum says that the company prides itself on offering consumers a reliable, quality building that they can build themselves.

"Most of our customers assemble and raise the arches to complete the construction of their SteelMaster building without a contractor," says Wickum. "Each steel building comes with an easy-to-read and detailed construction manual to aid in the construction. Also, our buildings use a one-size nut and bolt system as the only fastener as well as precision-fit components, so assembling a new SteelMaster building is that much easier."

McGinnis says that he loves his building so much that he is already planning on buying another one.

"This time I am going to attach the steel building to my home and use it solely as a garage, and I am going to turn the existing garage into a family room," says McGinnis. "I can't wait to get back home to finish up the first building and then get started on the second!"

In addition to ‘man rooms' and garages, SteelMaster's steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including homes, farm buildings, workshops, agricultural storage, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems, 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.