Architectural & Structural Metals Manufacturing Industry Profile

Companies in this industry manufacture metal framed windows and doors, sheet metal work, ornamental or architectural metal products, prefabricated metal buildings, and structural metal and metal plate work products. Major companies include Cornerstone Building Brands, Gibraltar Industries, Valmont Industries, as well as units of integrated metal producers such as Arconic, Nucor, and US Steel (all based in the US); ArcelorMittal (Luxembourg); China Baowu Steel Group (China); JFE Steel and Nippon Steel (both based in Japan); and Tata Steel (India).

Demand for structural and architectural metals is driven by global construction activity. Worldwide structural steel sales are expected to rise by about 5.5% per year through 2030, reaching a value of more than $155 billion, according to Grand View Research.

The US architectural and structural metals manufacturing industry consists of about 13,000 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $90 billion.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Architectural and structural metals manufacturers face competition not only from peers within the industry, but also from makers of competing materials, chiefly concrete and wood. Key competitive differentiators include establishing a global presence to take advantage of strong construction spending growth in emerging markets and offering value-added design services. Companies are also tweaking their marketing messaging to better showcase steel's advantages in civil, commercial, and residential construction applications.

Demand depends primarily on the level of construction activity, particularly nonresidential. The profitability of individual companies depends ...