Tips to Buying Metal Roofing

A recent article by Metal Construction News noted the challenges of the supply chain of America's top metal roofing manufacturers.  While the construction industry supply chain is having its problems, there is no question of the trickle down impacts to the rest of the specialty markets including metal roofing.  U.S. suppliers are concerned of the how such challenges are impacted by the infiltration of international competition and getting consumers to stay home when purchasing metal roofing. Also, new players in the market have long time metal roofing companies cautiously optimistic on what the future holds for their industry.

What will rule the day?  

One answer-the establishment of minimum requirements for metal roofing quality.  

US manufacturers remain under the constant barrage of products introduced into the American marketplace from all over the world.  Keeping bad metal out keeps the bad experiences out.  Performance is key here.  Process is just as important with an eye on pre-treatment, metal coating and substrate gauge.  Finally, experience is probably the single most important variable that a consumer must take into consideration before buying a metal roof-little experience means greater cost down the road for the unsuspecting building owner or facility manager.

Key to protecting both the consumer and this important U.S. market is education.  Writers on this topic are saying that consumers need to understand the language of metal and the metal roofing industry needs to raise awareness among consumers of the benefits of metal roofing as well as the importance of choosing the right contractor. 

Quality contractors also need to educate the marketplace as well.  Can they certify the coating, paint warranties, steel thickness and quality? Is there documentation to support the quality levels? The Metal Construction Association (MCA) has an established a certification program for metal roofing. According to Executive Director of the MCA Jeff Henry the program currently has 45 metal roofing products certified among a handful of manufacturers. If the program is expanded, industry experts believe such action will  ensure the industry doesn't suffer from adverse publicity because of poor metal roof performance.  

Bottom line-Contractors need to work with experienced, long-term providers who stand behind their work.

To find out more about how GET, LLC, through our metal building partners can help with your next steel building or aluminum roofing project, give us a call at 671-483-0789 or our website at www.get-guam.com for more information.    

WomenInBusinessGuide.com-A Look Into Guam's Woman Owned Small Businesses

GET, LLC is so very proud to be a part of the Guam Women's Chamber of Commerce-who just celebrated its one year anniversary this week-the National Association of Women in Construction and now to be involved with the newest and complete source for reaching Woman Owned Businesses in Guam-www.womeninbusinessguide.com. 

A project in collaboration with the Bank of Guam and the Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Network, this new on-line guide can take you right to the heart and soul of 76, and counting, of Micronesia's leading service and supply entities driven by island matriarchs who are leading a wave in building the new economy in Guam and the region. 

We would like to give kudos to the Center's WIB Coordinator Denise Mendiola-Herslet and her talented intern Julianna Hattig for getting this off the ground and taking the e-Presence to this point.   

WomeninBusinessGuide.com is a simple site. Easy to navigate.  The on-line directory spans the gamut in business categories.  Need a doctor? Retail? Contractors and Construction? It is all here.  And all women.

There is many other woman-owned businesses that have yet to get their information in and we expect this to be a work in progress for many days, weeks and years to come.  This invaluable link speaks volumes to where the economic engine of progress on Guam is headed. 

GET, LLC is so very proud to be able to assist in the project and we encourage each of you reading this blog to check out this new site.  And don't forget that when you are considering a service or need a product for your next project at home or at your respective business that you visit www.womeninbusinessguide.com and of course www.get-guam.com for more on how we all can help. For more information, please give us a call at 671-797-0789 for more information on the related products and services we provide-though our friends at Terex/Genie, Deco Lighting, Independence LED Lighting, Savoy Furniture, Cisco Systems, Panduit, Fiber Optic Marketplace LLC and Grainger.

Housing Market Gets Boost From Home Depot

New York-based Home & Textiles Today is reporting that with demand from building contractors rising and consumers beginning to step up investment in their homes, Home Depot said it expects the pace of same-store sales to accelerate in the second half of 2014.

The newspaper of the home textiles industry says that the Atlanta, Georgia-based home improvement retailer’s second quarter net income jumped 16.7% to $2.1 billion, or $1.52 per share for the quarter that ended on August 3, 2014. Sales rose 5.7% to $23.8 billion. Consolidated comps climbed 5.8%, with same-store sales for the U.S. operation up 6.4%.

"In the second quarter, our spring seasonal business rebounded, and we saw strong performance in the core of the store and across all of our geographies," said Home Depot Chairman and CEO Frank Blake.

Forbes Magazine reported on the Home Depot outlook as less a sign of good things ahead in the housing market than it was a sign that the company is just operating well.

“This strong performance gives us further confidence that Home Depot can handle a slower paced housing market recovery on strong execution,” said Citi analyst Kate McShane.

GET,LLC has worked on a number of federal projects with the home improvement retailer this year.  A strong outlook is welcome news for stockholders and expect the end of the year to get better for them.

To learn more about the other products and services that GET, LLC provides, please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or call us at 671-483-0789 to discuss solutions for your important construction needs-All Made in America!!!

Terex "I Make America" Initiative Roll Out

GET, LLC is proud to be a partner with Terex.  And while, we are unable to attend the CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2014 Show in Las Vegas next week due to other obligations, we wanted to continue sharing with you more of the great news about the happenings at Gold Lot Booth #1047.  This blogger has focused on the new equipment that will be showcased at the annual industry show in recent weeks, and now Terex will be taking the show up a notch come March 4, 2014.

Every day, millions of hard-working American contractors put their fingerprint on America’s infrastructure. They build the roads, bridges, public transport systems and port facilities that fuel the powerful American economic engine.

In 2010, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) started the I Make America campaign, an advocacy program designed, in part, to make Congressional leaders more aware of the importance infrastructure plays in the economic strength of the United States. On a typical day, about 43 million tons of goods valued at $29 billion move on the nation’s interconnected transportation network. The lack of investment in surface transportation infrastructure has broad implications for the ability of U.S. equipment manufacturers to stay economically competitive with other countries, given today’s global marketplace.

Terex is a longstanding supporter of I Make America. To raise awareness and funds for this program, Terex will encourage team members and attendees at CONEXPO to put their fingerprint on the Terex I Make America work of art at their Booth.

“We invite all show attendees to stop by our booth in the Gold Lot and help us create this I Make America masterpiece," said Terex Chairman and  CEO Ron DeFeo,

Over 40 Terex machines will be featured in the company’s 50,000 square foot display including the Terex tapestry as part of the I Make America Project.

People can follow the progress made daily on the artwork by liking the Terex Corporation Facebook page – facebook.com/TerexCorporation.

You know, we at GET, LLC have already done that-see our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/getguam. We all should get behind the I Make America effort.

We understand that at the end of the show, Terex will hand over the infrastructure  artwork to AEM in order to further support the I Make America program. Good stuff, huh? If you are going to CONEXPO, put the Terex Booth and the top of your list of places to see there.

If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, please drop GET, LLC a line via our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-797-0789-your authorized Terex/Genie Representative for Guam and Micronesia.

Federal Workforce Numbers Poses Challenges for Contractors-Job Loss = Federal Fund Decline?

President of Allen Federal Business Partners Larry Allen wrote recently that the U.S. Government's Civil Service workforce shrunk by nearly 80,000 positions in 2013- continuing what he called, "a trend in which more people leave the government than come on board."  The Virginia-based Allen, also an consultant to Cisco Distribution Giant-Comstor, wrote in his Blog with Cisco Partners like GET, LLC, that the total federal workforce, including active duty military personnel, now stands at 4.3 million people and that the size of the workforce is expected to continue its contraction, including in the military, as activities in Afghanistan wind down. 

Does this mean that the pace of job loss is expected to slow? Allen wrote:

"...This phenomena poses many challenges for companies selling to the federal government.

First, there are fewer people to sell to.  Does your firm sell hardware or services priced by the seat?  Your business may have to look harder and diversify in order to succeed.  We have already seen agencies, for example, write provisions into contracts for software that require contractors to reduce their fees in the event that fewer licenses are purchased or if some are cancelled due to workforce reductions.  This makes up-front discussions with customers all the more important so that you firm understands how to make smart pricing decisions.

Service sellers may have an easier time as the missions of government certainly aren’t going away.  Despite political rhetoric, the fact remains that citizens expect government services.  If the feds themselves aren’t providing it, contractors will have to.

No matter what you’re selling, however, budget constraints will still be a reality."

GET, LLC stands with Allen in that we all should take proactive steps to ensure our federal customers are making the best buying decisions and provide as much assistance as possible to help facilitate such. The more we all understand and share the historical knowledge and program experience with our federal customer's contracting teams, both will succeed.  Thanks Larry for the words of advice.

GET, LLC is a proud Cisco Registered Partner providing the latest Cisco products and services direct to businesses and organizations. For more on the benefits that our Partnership can bring to you and your respective business contact us at 671-483-0789 or at www.get-guam.com.