MCA and five partner associations — included data from the key associations: the American Iron & Steel Institute, the Aluminum Association, Metal Roofing Alliance, National Frame Builders Association and the National Coil Coaters Association — began working in in 2009 to compile the data. The study’s purpose was to create a custom market model using standard measures in order to track industry growth over time.

Study results reflected growth in both the residential and commercial sectors. In the residential market, use of metal roofing grew 7.1 percent in new construction and 4.1 percent in replacement roofing. In the commercial sector, metal roofing grew 9.7 percent in the five-year period. The industry also saw an 8.7 percent growth in metal wall panels in commercial building during this same time period.

“We are encouraged by this data because as the economy continues to improve and construction volumes further recover, we see even greater opportunities for growth in metal building materials,” said John Ryan, MCA’s director of marketing. “Metal meets the requirements of today’s builders from environmental responsibility to ease of construction to durability.”

MCA credits much of this growth to the metal industry’s efforts to educate the design community about the long-term value of metal roof and wall products.

 MCA officials say key benefits of metal products include: energy efficiency and performance, green construction certification, aesthetic appeal, lifecycle cost, durability and speedy construction.