A Versatile Metal Panel for Every Project

McElroy Metal's Don Gonzalez tells us all about their 238T panel lines and its amazing versatility.

Editor's note: The following is a conversation between McElroy Metal's Regional Sales Manager Don Gonzalez, and RoofersCoffeeShop® President Heidi Ellsworth. You can watch the interview or read the transcript below.

Heidi Ellsworth: We are back again, and I have to tell you, the show is, you can look out here, people are coming by. This is one busy show. We are at the Western Roofing Expo and we are in Las Vegas at the RoofersCoffeeShop sound stage. I am here with Don Gonzalez with McElroy Metal. Welcome.

Don Gonzalez: Well, thank you. Thanks for having me. I appreciate it.

Heidi Ellsworth: First time on the sound stage?

Don Gonzalez: First time. This might be the pinnacle of my career right here. I don't know.

Heidi Ellsworth: Well, we were just talking about the podcast and everything, and made my day because you listen to our podcast, so that's so great.

Don Gonzalez: I'm a big fan of you guys, yes.

Heidi Ellsworth: Oh, thank you. Thank you. So, okay, let's talk before we get, I want to hear what's going on in your booth and everything, but let's talk first about the explosion in the growth of metal roofing and walls.

Don Gonzalez: Yeah, it's been a tremendous few years that we've been a part of and it's been great. It's a growing category in many different aspects, where I would say probably one of our biggest one is the self-storage. That's been very big, that has been.

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. Oh yeah.

Don Gonzalez: And the solar structures, it's been phenomenal.

Heidi Ellsworth: I mean, you want a metal roof under those solar arrays.

Don Gonzalez: Yeah.

Heidi Ellsworth: It just makes sense, right?

Don Gonzalez: Yeah.

Heidi Ellsworth: I mean, the longevity, durability, everything.

Don Gonzalez: That's right. Yeah, no, it's been great. And a new and up and coming one is the residential market. I think we've got to get a lot of the architects and a lot of the engineers to really start looking at ways that they can use metal roofing on residential.

Heidi Ellsworth: I think so too, because what we're seeing is, just at the Legislative Luncheon they were talking about all the money that's coming into the market for solar, and all the contractors were there, and metal is the right product.

Don Gonzalez: Yeah, I'm a little biased when it comes to that, but I think metal's the way to go with putting solar on residential. It's a really good application.

Heidi Ellsworth: I think so too.

Don Gonzalez: Yeah.

Heidi Ellsworth: I think so too. Okay, so, and you know what, I should have started this at the beginning, but I sometimes get really excited about all these topics. So tell us about you and McElroy, and what you do and all that, so everybody knows who you are and the company.

Don Gonzalez: Okay. Yeah, my name's Don Gonzalez. I've been with McElroy for a little over six years now. I've been in the industry since 1993, so I'm kind of dating myself with that.

Heidi Ellsworth: That's when I started too.

Don Gonzalez: Is that right?

Heidi Ellsworth: Yes.

Don Gonzalez: Oh, wow. We're together.

Heidi Ellsworth: There we go, yeah.

Don Gonzalez: So yeah, 1993 is when I started just as a laborer in the roofing industry, and I've been here now for several years. McElroy's been around since 1963. Just going to get ready to celebrate our 60th birthday.

Heidi Ellsworth: That's so cool.

Don Gonzalez: It's family owned, third generation, and we've got about 13 plants nationwide, 27 service centers nationwide, and another 45 Metal Marts.

Heidi Ellsworth: Metal Marts.

Don Gonzalez: So we're all throughout the United States, and we should be able to service just about everybody.

Heidi Ellsworth: I just have watched your growth. I actually wrote for you guys back in the day, back around there that 2000 time, did some writing for you.

Don Gonzalez: Really?

Heidi Ellsworth: With Ken, and just you guys have such a great company and you're just solid. It's so cool, and all the things. What do you have in your booth today that people are coming by and looking at and talking about?

Don Gonzalez: Yeah, so I've got my West Coast representatives out here that service all our Western United States. We've got our 238T panel line, which is an amazing product that we sell for residential. Could be on a home, it could be a multimillion dollar commercial project as well.

Heidi Ellsworth: Oh wow, okay.

Don Gonzalez: And it's a really neat panel. You got to come out and see that, along with some others that are out there as well, so come by.

Heidi Ellsworth: And what's your booth number? Do we know?

Don Gonzalez: Well, you're putting me-

Heidi Ellsworth: Do we know? I don't know.

Don Gonzalez: You're putting me on the spot.

Heidi Ellsworth: I meant to ask you beforehand, so that's okay. You'll find them. They're here on the show floor, and like I said, it's really busy. But you know where else they can find you and find out information? On MetalCoffeeShop.

Don Gonzalez: That's right. Stop by the MetalCoffeeShop booth and they'll point you in the right direction.

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah, we'll get you there. So yeah, MetalCoffeeShop, McElroy is on there with a full directory, and articles. We have a lot of your articles on RoofersCoffeeShop too. So many great things, and I just think with everything that's happening with the metal industry, the demand from homeowners and where we're going, you guys are in the perfect spot.

Don Gonzalez: Yeah, I think there's a lot of savings, there's a lot of product benefits for going metal. I mean, I could sit here and talk to you for about another 20 minutes on the advantages of going metal over anything else, but it's really, come on by the booth and we'll tell you all about it.

Heidi Ellsworth: Okay, great. Don, thank you. You did great for your first time here. We loved having you.

Don Gonzalez: Well, thanks for having me.

Heidi Ellsworth: Thank you for being here. And thank you all for listening. Stay tuned, we've got more coming. It is going great here at Western States and so we'll look forward to the next interview. See you soon.

Learn more about McElroy Metal in their directory or visit www.mcelroymetal.com.