Tri-State Metal Roofing Supply Expands With New Manufacturing Plant
by David Flaherty | 9 October 2025 3:46 pm
[1]Tri-State Metal Roofing Supply has expanded into Prescott, Ariz., with a large new manufacturing facility.
Tri-State Metal Roofing Supply has announced its expansion into Prescott, Ariz., with the construction of a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. JEBCO Construction Companies[2], a Northern Arizona general contractor, is leading the project.
Founded in May 2016 in St. George, Utah, Tri-State Metal Roofing Supply was established by partners Kortney Leavitt, Jason Norton, and Kalan Lemon. Together, they bring more than five decades of combined expertise to the manufacturing industry, with Norton contributing more than 30 years of specialized knowledge and Leavitt and Lemon each contributing a decade of experience.
The company supplies a wide range of metal roofing and siding materials, trims, and accessories—including custom trims designed for unique projects. Its products serve everyone from lumber yards and contractors to homeowners and DIY builders.
“Our mission is simple: keep roofs solid and communities strong,” said Norton. “We believe in hard work, honesty, and real relationships. Whether it’s a ranch, a commercial building, or a family home, we want to help people protect what they’ve built with materials that last.”
When deciding where to expand, the partners initially considered other markets but quickly fell in love with Prescott. “The people and the tight-knit community felt like home to us,” said co-owner Kortney Leavitt. “That sense of community is exactly what we want our brand to represent.”
According to a media release, the company also sees Prescott as an ideal hub for sustainable building practices. Unlike shingles and tile, which frequently end up in landfills and can release toxins into the ground, metal roofing is fully recyclable, energy-efficient, and designed to last. Tri-State’s expansion will not only provide cost-effective solutions to local contractors[3] and homeowners but also support long-term sustainability in the region’s construction industry.
For its new Prescott manufacturing facility, Tri-State partnered with JEBCO Construction Companies, led by owner Jeb Johnson. “There were many capable commercial builders in the Prescott area, but with Jeb and his team, we felt an immediate friendship,” said co-owner Lemon. “They’ve been professional, reliable, and an absolute pleasure to work with throughout the process.”
The project is particularly meaningful to both companies. The site was purchased from the family of a longtime Prescott resident who had planned to develop the property but passed away before its completion. Tri-State and JEBCO worked together to reimagine the space, incorporating innovative roofing profiles, custom trims, and a modern design aesthetic. Among the unique touches is Tri-State’s wood grain steel paneling, which replicates the rustic look of barn wood.
The new facility, scheduled to open in 2026, is expected to have a significant impact on the local economy, the company’s media release states.
“We’re in a growth stage,” said Norton. “As Prescott continues to grow, we want to grow right along with it. Our goal is to expand this facility over time, adding options and creating even more jobs for people in the community.” With its strong focus on sustainability, durability, and customer satisfaction, Tri-State Metal Roofing Supply is poised to become a valuable asset to Prescott and the greater Northern Arizona region.
Fall Protection Once Again Tops OSHA’s Most Cited Safety Violations
by David Flaherty | 8 October 2025 2:06 pm
[1]For the 15th straight year, Fall Protect – General Requirements was the most cited safety standard of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration[2] (OSHA) has announced its most frequently cited workplace safety standards for 2025, with Fall Protection – General Requirements topping the list for the 15th straight year.
The preliminary data, revealed during the 2025 National Safety Council (NSC) Safety Congress & Expo—the world’s largest annual gathering of safety professionals—highlights persistent compliance issues and the need for stronger safety efforts across industries.
The Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards are:
1. Fall Protection – General Requirements[3]: 5,914 violations
2. Hazard Communication: 2,546 violations
3. Ladders: 2,405 violations
4. Lockout/Tagout: 2,177 violations
5. Respiratory Protection: 1,953 violations
6. Fall Protection – Training Requirements: 1,907 violations
7. Scaffolding: 1,905 violations
8. Powered Industrial Trucks: 1,826 violations
9. Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection: 1,665 violations
10. Machine Guarding: 1,239 violations
“While progress has been made in many workplaces, the consistency in citation rankings year after year signals there is more work ahead,” said Lorraine Martin, NSC CEO. “The safety community must intensify our efforts to better protect workers and save lives. We can do this through robust training, updated metrics, high-hazard identification, and control implementation, coupled with employee engagement and leadership accountability.”
A more in-depth analysis of the Top 10 violations for fiscal year 2025 will be published in the December edition of Safety+Health magazine, a NSC publication.
Malco Tools Introduces near TurboShear Rotary Panel Cutters
by David Flaherty | 8 October 2025 1:05 pm
[1]Malco Tools’ new TurboShear Rotary Panel Cutters.
Malco Tools,[2] a manufacturer of tools for the HVACR and building construction trades, has announced its new TurboShear Rotary Panel Cutters[3].
According to a company news release, designed for metal construction[4] professionals, Malco’s new TurboShear Rotary Panel Cutter (TSPC1) features dual opposing cutting wheels, designed to self-advance the tool through metal and vinyl material, leaving a clean, precise cut and eliminating hand fatigue associated with forcing blades through metal. A clear sight line allows users to see exactly where they are cutting, ensuring clean, straight cuts every time, in addition to a smooth, quieter operation.
The Roofing Alliance Collaborates with Clemson University on New Education Program
by David Flaherty | 7 October 2025 1:13 pm
[1]The Roofing Alliance has launched Minor in Roofing, a new education program in partnership with Clemson University.
The Roofing Alliance has launched Minor in Roofing—a landmark initiative funded, developed, and driven by the organization in partnership with Clemson University.
Designed and supported by Roofing Alliance members, the minor consists of four courses—Roofing Fundamentals, Roofing Management, Roofing Business Principles, and Leadership, and Sustainable[2] Roofing Practices—totaling 12 credit hours.
“Our members recognized the need to integrate roofing education into construction management programs nationwide, and the Roofing Alliance took the lead to make it happen,” said Alison L. LaValley, CAE, executive director of the Roofing Alliance. “Through our collaboration with Clemson University, we created specialized courses that are already reshaping the educational landscape of our industry.”
Since the program’s inception, more than 250 undergraduate and graduate students have enrolled. The effort has also engaged more than 90 companies as guest lecturers, with over 50 donating roofing materials—further showcasing the industry’s investment in its future leaders.
To expand the program’s reach beyond Clemson, the Roofing Alliance also developed roofing-specific manuals aligned with these courses. The manuals are now available to all construction management programs accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE), ensuring that the Roofing Alliance’s vision for roofing education can be implemented at universities nationwide. The manuals can be purchased using the links below:
Course 1: Roofing Fundamentals: Purchase this course manual[3]. Course 2: Roofing Management: Purchase this course manual.[4] Course 3: Roofing Business and Leadership: Purchase this course manual.[5]
Course Overviews
Roofing Fundamentals: Materials, systems, safety, estimating, and technology.
Roofing Management: Codes, scheduling, risk, crew management, and quality control.
Roofing Business Principles and Leadership: Business operations, leadership, sales, procurement, and innovation
Sustainable Roofing Practices: Sustainability and resiliency in roofing.
Enroll in the classes via the Clemson website[6]. For more information about the Roofing Alliance, visit https://roofingalliance.net/ [7]
In our latest episode of Built with Metal, Metal Construction News Executive Publisher Melanie Kowal sits down with Stephen Gosk, CEO, and Chad Rowe, Director of Business Development at MetalForming – a leading provider of precision equipment for shaping, cutting, and forming metal. You can also listen to this episode where you get your favorite podcasts.
The Benefits of DfMA in the Acceleration of Building Construction
by David Flaherty | 6 October 2025 2:52 pm
[1]Cold-formed steel components are exact, ensuring the dimensional consistency essential for DfMA principles. This precision allows for interchangeability of parts and simplifies assembly processes.
With the increasing global demand for high-quality, quick-to-construct buildings, traditional construction methods are becoming obsolete as new, faster, and technology-enabled building processes gain traction. One key practice gaining attention in the industry is design to manufacture and assembly (DfMA).
The U.S. construction market, which heavily utilizes DfMA principles, was valued at $39.55 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $90.33 billion by 2031, representing a compound annual growth rate of 8.5 percent1[2]. This growth is driven by growing demand for efficient, sustainable construction methods that address labor shortages and quality concerns.
At the same time, the prefabricated construction market experienced significant expansion in a report showing growth from $112.4 billion in 2019 to $153 billion in 20232[3]. Cold-formed steel (CFS) framing represents a substantial portion of this market due to its ideal characteristics for prefabricated applications.
The DfMA methodology addresses critical industry challenges that have hindered the growth of the construction industry to date. Skilled labor shortages, material waste, quality control inconsistencies, and extended construction timelines have increased costs. By moving production to controlled factory environments, DfMA enables greater automation processes, resulting in superior-quality structures at competitive prices.
This article explores the principles of DfMA, the benefits of a design-led construction process, and how businesses can gain advantages when building with DfMA and CFS.
Understanding DfMA
DfMA is a strategic approach that optimizes the design process to enhance efficiency in manufacturing and assembly, ultimately leading to cost savings and faster construction timelines. DfMA is unique because it considers both the manufacturing and assembly processes in the initial design stage by designing building subsystems so they are easy to manufacture (often off-site, in controlled environments) and simple to assemble or install on-site.
Peer-reviewed articles and industry reports (e.g., from the Journal of Industrialized Construction and PMC studies[4]3) regularly cite 20 to 60 percent construction time reductions, 20 to 40 percent cost savings, and labor reductions of more than 70 percent, as typical for DfMA in light gauge steel framing. The methodology optimizes the entire construction process from initial design through final assembly, making it effective for the precision manufacturing capabilities in CFS systems.
DfMA combines two complementary methodologies: design for manufacturing (DfM), which makes components easy and cost-effective, and design for assembly (DfA), which ensures those components are quickly and efficiently assembled, reducing complexity and the number of parts involved. The approach focuses extensively on designing building components that are easier to manufacture and assemble, treating the building as a “product” composed of standardized, repeatable, and interchangeable modules.
Instead of designing something and then figuring out how to build it, DfMA starts by asking, “How can we design this so it’s easy to build from the start?”
As a simple example to show the benefits of a DfMA methodology, imagine designing a flat-pack chair. With a traditional design methodology, a designer creates a beautiful chair, but it requires 20 screws, five tools, and two hours to assemble. With a DfMA design methodology, the same chair is redesigned to use snap-fit joints and just four screws, cutting assembly time to 15 minutes with no tools.
Now apply that same design thinking to cold-formed steel construction.
Traditional design approach
[5]With a traditional design approach, a structural engineer designs a steel frame using standard stud and track profiles.
With a traditional design approach, a structural engineer designs a steel frame using standard stud and track profiles. The design includes many different profiles, sizes, and steel thicknesses. On-site workers must measure, cut, and drill components during installation, which requires more skilled labor, multiple tools, significant material waste, and many days in outside weather conditions.
The result is high costs, long build times, and too much room for error.
A DfMA-optimized design approach
When using a DfMA design approach, the engineer designs the exact requirements for the precise length, width, flange heights, and utility holes. Advanced software automatically generates the notches, swages, fastener holes, and other features needed to make the assembly process highly efficient. The design is sent to a rollforming machine, producing customized pieces with all the assembly features. The profiles are designed to snap, screw, or bolt together easily with minimal tools, little to no manual cutting, and very little material waste. On-site assembly is predictable, precise, fast, and waste-free without reliance on skilled labor.
The result is lower costs, faster installation, and improved quality control.
Accelerate building design and construction
With any construction project, the goal is to simplify processes, minimize costs, stay on schedule, and streamline the overall workflow.
Design-led construction methods use software and manufacturing technology to produce building components with high accuracy. This approach reduces the input from engineers and the need for skilled construction labor, significantly reducing on-site errors and material waste.
These methods typically feature sophisticated, integrated software platforms that automate a project’s design, engineering, manufacturing, and construction. This means most of the project’s skill lies in the design and detailing phases of work.
Cold-formed steel (CFS): The optimal DfMA material
CFS framing serves as an ideal material for DfMA implementation due to several inherent characteristics:
Precision and consistency: CFS components are exact, ensuring the dimensional consistency essential for DfMA principles. This precision allows for interchangeability of parts and simplifies assembly processes.
Dimensional stability: Unlike wood, CFS components do not expand or contract with moisture changes, maintaining their engineered dimensions throughout the construction process.
Lightweight strength: CFS’s superior strength-to-weight ratio enables long spans with minimal material while facilitating easy handling and installation.
Design flexibility: CFS allows for extensive architectural design freedom while adhering to DfMA standardization principles, supporting complex and straightforward building geometries.
Rapid assembly: Computer-controlled manufacturing machines build assembly features into every piece, so they come together quickly and accurately without requiring manual adjustment.
Manufacturing process efficiency
[6]DfMA implementation in light-gauge steel construction represents a proven pathway to significant improvements in construction speed, cost efficiency, and quality control.
Modern steel framing manufacturing uses automated rollforming equipment to translate digital design files directly into fabricated components. This digital-to-physical workflow eliminates translation errors and enables mass customization while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
Key manufacturing advantages include:
Automated production: Rollforming machines can produce components with minimal manual intervention, ensuring consistent quality and dimensional accuracy.
Waste minimization: Precision manufacturing typically achieves more than 99 percent material utilization, eliminating waste to landfills thanks to recyclable steel.
Quality control: Factory-controlled environments enable strict quality assurance protocols impossible to maintain on construction sites.
For example, McDonald’s restaurants use prefabricated steel framing for complete construction in one quarter of the time with an equivalent workforce. The typical cost range for building a McDonald’s is between $1.3 million and $2.3 million. By adopting steel framing, it can cut down the construction timeline by five to six weeks, amounting to savings of $5,000 per week, totaling $25,000 per project, with additional benefits from the earlier start of revenue generation.
Assembly acceleration and labor efficiency
DfMA delivers the most dramatic time savings in the assembly phase. Prefabricated steel panels or modules arrive at job sites ready for installation, requiring basic tools and minimal specialized skills. This approach addresses the critical skilled labor shortage affecting the construction industry.
DfMA methodologies emphasize prefabrication of components in controlled factory environments, which leads to delivery of pre-cut, pre-punched, and partially assembled steel framing modules ready for rapid installation. This off-site preparation significantly reduces the complexity and variability of on-site assembly tasks, allowing crews to work more efficiently with fewer specialized skills required.
Additionally, the precision manufacturing in DfMA-produced CFS components leads to improved on-site fit-up accuracy and fewer field modifications. This quality consistency reduces downtime caused by fitting errors or corrections, which are common in traditional framing. The increased predictability and accuracy of the as-built structure lead to reduced labor for the other trades, including drywall, MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing), and exterior cladding. The resulting effect is faster project completion and better predictability in project scheduling.
Simplified assembly processes also offer safety benefits. The modular, lightweight nature of factory-assembled components reduces physical strain and hazards for construction workers, contributing to improved site safety metrics. Reducing on-site labor hours further decreases exposure to construction site risks.
Summary
DfMA implementation in light-gauge steel construction represents a proven pathway to significant improvements in construction speed, cost efficiency, and quality control for buildings under seven stories. With documented time savings of 20 to 60 percent and 20 to 40 percent cost reductions, this approach addresses critical industry challenges while supporting sustainability objectives. As the U.S. construction industry continues evolving toward more efficient and sustainable practices, DfMA with light-gauge steel construction will likely become increasingly standard for commercial and residential projects seeking competitive speed, cost, and quality advantages.
Ray Bagley is the head of product for FRAMECAD. Bagley has an engineering background and decades of experience in CAD, CAM, and construction technology. His expertise and knowledge are helping drive innovation and delivery of new FRAMECAD products and solutions that accelerate the adoption of manufacturing efficiencies in the construction industry.
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