Three of the five winning Projects of the Year– presented by SEAA in April 2024 to members from Arizona, Georgia, and Kentucky– shared common challenges of space constraints and difficult site access.

In Atlanta, Georgia, Porter Steel, Inc., had to deliver materials for an 8,625 lb AESS staircase to be installed between 9th and 10th floors of an office building using a 5 ft x 8 ft elevator. Likewise, All Things Metal faced setting structural steel by hand in the basement and upper floors of a 100 year-old building conversion into a posh boutique hotel. Located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, the building was hemmed in on one side by a light rail line.

​At 691+ tons of steel erected, Cumberland Steel Company’s project was on a larger scale than the other two. However, they faced similar difficulties building an immersive sports, entertainment and arts venue in The Colony, Texas. The jobsite location was not much larger than the overall footprint of the structure itself, and had residential buildings on two sides, access roads that could not be shut down, and several other active projects surrounding it.

Maintaining profits and keeping jobs on track is not easy in the construction industry. There are bills to pay, materials to order, teams to manage and everything else in between. That’s why you need accurate, real-time Work in Progress (WIP) reports to keep projects running smoothly—and to grow your bottom-line profit.

Work in Progress (WIP) is an essential part of construction accounting. It calculates the progress of all ongoing work, allowing you to see what’s been done and what’s left to do—helping you manage budgets effectively. This information can then be used to generate reports and track project development using “percentage complete” figures.

Digital transformation is changing customer experiences, business models, and operations across most industries. In steel construction, contractors can analyze digital data from past accidents to help build a culture that continuously improves safety. That kind of safety culture prevents accidents, saves lives, and reduces the likelihood of lawsuits.

Establishing an effective process for continuous safety improvement requires contractors to transform compliance-based mindsets to a holistic view of safety culture. Companies can use advanced tools like risk analytics to look at the causes of past incidents in order to reduce or eliminate them in future. In a true safety culture, legal compliance is a natural outcome instead of the primary driver.

​The correlation between physical and mental health is a topic worth discussing as the construction industry faces high suicide and substance use disorder rates. A recent article published by Conexpo-Con/Agg quoted Carol Nixon, PhD, research health scientist, NIOSH Spokane Mining Research Division.

She said: “Manual labor increases risk of work-related injuries and strain; and pain is the most common reason for receiving an opioid prescription. Opioids are extremely addictive. It can take just five days to become addicted.”
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“The high rates of substance use disorder and overdose in industries like construction and mining are not an indictment of the workers who take these jobs,” Nixon says. “Rather, this is an urgent call to identify workplace factors that may contribute to these devastating outcomes and how those may be modified to prevent illness, injury and death and promote employee health and well-being.”

Lifting over Manhattan
Metropolitan Walters, a steel erector in the Tri-State area, faced a unique challenge when working on a project for the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. The jobsite was located above FDR Drive and was surrounded on all sides by water, roadways, and buildings. Steel and other supplies had to be barged in and lifted by tower crane.

Full Brim Face Shield from Studson
STUDSON has announced three face shields, the Arc Flash Tint Welding Shield, the Clear Shield, and the Shade 5 Green Tint Shield.

No Welding Required for Simpson Strong-Tie’s Yield-Link® Brace Connection
​Simpson Strong-Tie’s Yield-Link® Brace Connection (YLBC) for structural steel applications is used to dissipate energy through a fuse connection, creating a resilient steel frame that protects beams, columns, and braces during seismic and wind events.

JLG Upgrades 40 ft Class Scissor Lift
The new ES4046 electric scissor lift from JLG Industries boasts 40 percent more duty cycles than its predecessor R4045.

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ALP Industries, Brooksville, Florida, distributes quality industrial lifting products. Referred by: Jack
Nix, Shelby Erectors

Big Box Erectors LLC, Avon, Indiana, provides expert steel erection services for warehouses nationwide.

Cascade Nut & Bolt Inc., Salem, Oregon, is a commercial fastener distributor.

Castillo Iron Works Inc., Bronx, New York, specializes in all steel work including fabrication, stairs,
steel beams and columns.

Engineered Supply, LLC, Bayport, Minnesota, provides expertise in roof anchor points, wall anchor
points, rigging sleeves, and davit arms.

Greco Steel Products, Inc., Springdale, Pennsylvania, is a fabricating and detailing shop that also
includes design and erection capabilities.

Henderson Fab, Loganville, Georgia, is an AISC Certified Fabricator and Erector for new construction and tenant improvements in the manufacturing, warehousing, cold storage, entertainment, and data storage market sectors. Referred by: Duke Perry, Gardner-Watson Studs

High Structural Erectors LLC, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, erects a wide variety of steel and precast structures and specializes in precast concrete parking garages and architectural precast building cladding.

Infra-Metals, Newtown, Pennsylvania, features products ranging from beams and tubes to sheets,
channels and expanded metal, and processing capabilities include everything from cutting and drilling to blasting and painting. Referred by: Jack Nix, Shelby Erectors

See the full list of new members and more by clicking the button below.

SEAA announces that Victor Garcia and Lee Shaw have been named to the association’s board of directors for three-years terms that began in July 2023. “As our membership extends west, we value the input these directors have about the interests and needs of fabricators and erectors based in western states,” said R. Pete Gum, Executive Director.

Steven Beemsterboer, a Project Manager for Metropolitan Steel, was the First-Place winner for his lift plans of an ongoing project for the Chicago Department of Transportation. The company is erecting the steel for Damen Greenline Station, a rapid transit station, expected to open in 2024.

Makita U.S.A. has released eight new grinders for a wide range of applications. The release includes five 5-inch grinders and three 4 1-/2-inch grinders.

Magni America introduces TH 5,5.24 fixed boom telehandler with maximum lifting height of 78’5” and lifting capacity of 12,100 pounds. The telehandler is equipped with standard 4-wheel drive and three types of steering (front, 4-wheel, and crab) to provide maneuverability on rough terrain.

Hilti North America recently released the FX 3-A Cordless stud fusion system to help revolutionize fastening on steel. The cordless stud fusion is up to 75 percent faster than traditional welding methods and is a fully mobile and autonomous system with no power cables needed.

Technical skills are important when hiring, but so are soft skills. When it comes to communication, engagement, and critical thinking, do you know what to look for when interviewing to make sure you get someone with the soft skills your team needs?

Lincoln Electric has added a cutting-edge new product to its education lineup. The Voyage™ Arc Virtual Reality Welding Headset is an interactive, immersive classroom platform that introduces students to welding fundamentals.

Quality control is not just about plans and processes. It’s also about where the rubber meets the road, or in the case of steel fabrication and erection, where the arc meets the metal.

If there’s one thing we know about training, it’s that actually doing something is more effective than talking about it. We can talk about how helping your staff develop their skills–investing in their success as an individual–cuts down on attrition. We can talk about how important it is that everyone on a team knows what their quality management system does and how it works. But doing is more effective than talking–and people who do it know more than people who talk about it. The seven people you’ll meet here do steel construction quality training on a regular basis. Every shop or jobsite is different, but these lessons have broad applicability. Read on for their tips, tricks,
and lessons learned.

Construction in manufacturing and infrastructure remains strong, while the commercial sector is lagging, according to Engineering News-Record’s 2023 2Q survey of its Top 400 Contractors. And despite the Federal Reserve’s efforts, respondents reported concern regarding the general economic outlook. However, contractors remain busy — many report a higher-than-normal backlog of projects and demand for their services. These conditions add up to a competitive construction market with some unprecedented stressors.

Current market conditions
ENR surveyed construction executives between May 15 and June 26 and published its report in July 2023. Using the results, the publication rated the current market outlook a 40 on its 100-point Construction Industry Confidence Index, which quantifies how confident these executives feel about the state of the market now, in three to six months, and in 12 to 18 months. This rating is down four points from the previous quarter.

In the last three years, SEAA has tripled its benefits programs and doubled in-person networking events. “By offering more opportunities for our members to connect and the chance to tap new hiring, training, and business resources, we are giving contractors the tools they are seeking to better run their businesses,” said R. Pete Gum, Executive Director.

The average membership fee is $1,640, while the value of services available to members is greater than $30,000 annually. “Whether you are already a member, but not taking full advantage of the resources available to you, or you are not yet a member, this information is for you,” said Jack Nix, Chief Operations Officers for Shelby Erectors and Chairman of the Membership Committee.

Shared connections
Every association says the primary benefit of participation is the networking, but members of SEAA say it best themselves. SEAA holds an annual Convention & Trade Show that rotates between east
and west locations. The 2024 event is April 2-5 in Glendale, Arizona. Other opportunities to meet include regional Meet & Greet receptions and Peer Group discussions that take place in conjunction with summer, fall, and winter Board of Directors meetings held at various locations around the country. The Dave Schulz Memorial Golf Tournament is a fundraiser event held every fall. It also alternates between east and west. “Our company is where it is today because of the networking through SEAA. For 25 years, SEAA has contributed to my personal growth as a business owner and the overall improvement of our company. Other members willingly answer questions pertaining to industry standards, OSHA regulations, subcontract language, and more,” said David Deem, President of Deem Structural Services and President of SEAA (2022-2024).

Worker safety is consistently one of the top priorities on any construction project, and with good reason. Since 2008, construction has experienced more total deaths than any other industry, and that figure doesn’t include fatalities from suicide. Our industry also has higher injury rates than most other professions, and unfortunately, safety costs.

The industry loses $5 billion annually due to construction-related deaths. The number is measured by lost productivity, loss of family income, and pain and suffering, according to the Midwest Economic Policy Institute.

However, today’s safety and training leaders recognize the impact of investing in creating a culture of safety. During a panel discussion at the 2023 Convention & Trade Show in St. Augustine, Florida, attendees were able to hear from the 2023 World Class Safety Excellence and Craft Training Excellence Winners.

The Safety Excellence Award went to seven SEAA member companies in three categories. Recipients were selected based on evaluations of their EMR ratings, OSHA 300 statistics, and safety program processes over the last three years.

Scoring was based on points assigned to a multi-criteria analysis, conducted in blind review by members of SEAA’s Safety & Education Committee. Applicants were evaluated on the portability of credentials, availability of apprenticeship programs, training, and recruitment efforts, in comparison to other companies of similar size.

“Good safety records, comprehensive training aligned with long-term career paths, and awards recognitions, are among the criteria that prospective employees consider when deciding where to apply. Beyond the inherent value of being a safe company, it’s also a great marketing tool in a highly competitive market,” said outgoing Safety & Education Committee Chairman Bryan McClure, during the panel. The following are excerpts from the panel discussion.

In the contemporary workplace, the era of one-sizefits-all instructional paradigms is effectively over. This is particularly the case in complex, high-stakes industries like steel erection. In such fields, training isn’t a mere formality but a crucial process that ensures not only competency but also safety. A misstep or misunderstanding can result in serious injury or even loss of life, making the stakes exceedingly high.

In-house trainers can be more effective when they take a comprehensive approach and understand their audience.

In the 21st century, steel erection training requires more than rote learning. Workers require a deep understanding and practical application of complex principles, ranging from physics to safety regulations. The risks of getting it wrong are not just financial but can be human as well. With increasing technological complexity and a more diverse workforce, the one-size-fits-all model has become obsolete.

Adapting content and delivery
Today’s workforce is incredibly diverse, not only in terms of demographic factors like age, ethnicity, and educational background but also in terms of learning styles. According to the Cone of Learning developed by Edgar Dale, the retention rate for different types of educational activities varies widely. For instance, people generally remember only 10% of what they read but as much as 90% of what they do or teach others.

​Emerging technologies such as augmented and virtual reality offer unprecedented opportunities to adapt training to individual needs and to integrate more hands-on learning. For example, virtual reality scenarios can simulate the high-risk, high-stakes environment of a steel erection project, providing workers with a safe space to practice skills and procedures. A 2020 study by Price Waterhouse highlighted that trainees retained over 80% of the material through virtual reality training, compared to much lower retention rates for traditional methods. Moreover, this kind of training can be completed in a fraction of the time, leading to cost savings and quicker deployment of skilled workers.

The Dave Schulz Memorial Golf Tournament returned to the Lonnie Poole golf course at NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina, for the first time since the tournament was named for former SEAA President (2018-2019) and 2009 Person of the Year Dave Schulz. Schulz passed away in 2020.

“This homecoming would not have been complete without Cindy Schulz, Dave’s widow, and former president of Schulz Iron Works,” said David Deem, current SEAA President. Deem sported red tennis shoes in honor of Dave Schulz, who was a huge supporter of North Carolina State University and was frequently seen wearing red tennis shoes, even with a suit and tie.

Scheduled for April 2-5 in Glendale, Arizona, SEAA’s 2024 Convention and Trade Show will feature a variety of education sessions, plenty of networking opportunities, the George R. Pocock Memorial Golf Tournament, a Pickleball Tournament at Chicken and Pickle, and so much more.

Keep in mind that The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will be held April 6-8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. This means that hotel rooms are at a premium. Registering and reserving your room early is highly recommended. When the SEAA block is full, we will not be able to get additional rooms. Discounts end on January 31, 2024.

SEAA has named Keri Goldstein as its Director of Membership & Business Development. In this new role, Goldstein will work with the board of directors and committees. She is responsible for member recruitment and retention programs.

SEAA has joined other industry association stakeholders of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP). Over 5,000 people working in construction die by suicide each year. That’s five times more than the annual number of jobsite fatalities.

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