International and MCA LIVE from METALCON 2024! - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Leanne from ATAS International. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast.

Intro: Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the Metal Coffee Shop Sound Stage. My name's Karen Edwards. We are live at METALCON 2024 on Halloween. And, Leanne, welcome.

Leanne: Yes, thank you.

Karen Edwards: Leanne is from ATAS International.

Leanne: Yep.

Karen Edwards: Just tell us real quickly a little bit about ATAS and what you do there.

Leanne: Okay. Well, ATAS International is a company that's over 60 years old now in the industry. We are a manufacturer of metal roofing, metal wall cladding, ceilings, soffits. Basically, you name it when it comes to metal. Most of what we make is either manufactured in aluminum or steel, but we also can form copper, zinc and stainless steel.

Karen Edwards: Nice. Nice. Yeah, we did an interview yesterday with ATAS and talked all about the cool interior stuff that you guys are doing, so check that out on our playlist. But today, Leanne is going to talk to us a little bit about associations and specifically the Metal Contractors Association. You're very involved.

Leanne: Yes. I've been with the MCA, which is the Metal Construction Association, for several years now. Our company as a whole has been very involved for many, many years. But I am now the treasurer of the association and as of January, I'll be chair elect for a couple years.

Karen Edwards: Nice.

Leanne: And then maybe their first female chair in a couple years after that.

Karen Edwards: That is super exciting. I didn't know that. Thank you for sharing that with everybody.

Leanne: Yeah.

Karen Edwards: Wow.

Leanne: Yeah. So with the MCA, we're trying to get more women involved in our association and one thing that we did recently, we're forming a program, it's going to be called Women In Metal Construction. It's a program under the MCA, so it's not a separate membership or anything like that, but it's something to add value for our female members and to attract more women to the industry. Some networking association opportunities of course, but also education opportunities. We plan on launching some webinars for that audience, and it could be education on technical matters, but also either professional or personal development.

Karen Edwards: That's really cool. We had yesterday morning, the networking event here at METALCON, which Metal and Mimosas and that was fabulous.

Leanne: It was. This was our second year with Metal and Mimosas. Last year, we had about 50 women sign up. This year, 80 women signed up and we're shooting for over 100 next year. So please join us if you didn't join us this year. Or come on back.

Karen Edwards: Yeah. It was really nice. It was a nice breakfast. Sit down, have a mimosa, network with your table. And then we had a speaker, Stacee from the Barndominium company and she shared her story and it was just the right amount of time, the right amount of information and a great way to start the day. Yeah.

Leanne: Yep. So we do plan on bringing that back. Toying with the idea of maybe instead of having something in the morning, maybe have something the evening before. We're still kind of working out logistics, but we'll keep you posted with that.

Karen Edwards: Yeah, yeah. So what else is going on with MCA?

Leanne: With the MCA, we've got our winter meeting coming up in Cape Coral, Florida. That's towards the end of January. And if you go to MetalConstruction.org, that's where you can find out all kinds of details on that event.

Karen Edwards: And anyone can go, right?

Leanne: Yeah, anyone could go. You don't have to be a member. If you're considering membership and you want to come and check out a meeting, I would suggest our winter meeting.

Karen Edwards: It's in Florida.

Leanne: Especially if you live in cold climates. It's a nice way to get away and get warm, learn more about the association.

Karen Edwards: And getting involved. What would you say to someone who is maybe thinking about it but not sure what they'll get out of it?

Leanne: Well, again, almost any association within our industry will allow you to attend one or more of their meetings as a non-member, just to dip your toe in the water and see if it's something that makes sense for you. Not only is there cost to joining associations, which a lot of times your employer will cover those costs if you ask for it. Don't assume that you have to pay for this yourself. But not only the cost, but the time involved, too. So you can join and just be a member and attend meetings, but from my perspective, I've always experienced that the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. So if you can volunteer for a committee and get involved that way, that's going to pay for itself many times over.

Karen Edwards: Yeah. I agree. I agree. There's so many networking opportunities, learning opportunities, career development opportunities. We were chatting before we went live and talking about National Women In Roofing.

Leanne: Yep.

Karen Edwards: So it's great to see that MCA is reaching out to be more inclusive and have a group just for women and for those opportunities.

Leanne: Right. Yeah.

Karen Edwards: Yeah. So National Women In Roofing is here at the show with the booth.

Leanne: Yes, they are. There's National Women In Roofing and the Association for Women In Metal Industries, they're also here. And they have a broader range. It's all things metal versus Women In Roofing, of course is all about roofing.

Karen Edwards: Roofing. Yeah. Yeah.

Leanne: Yeah.

Karen Edwards: So, yeah, these are great organizations. Pick one. Right?

Leanne: Right.

Karen Edwards: Try it and see what happens, and then you may discover that there's so much benefit that you're going to want to be members of more than one.

Leanne: Definitely.

Karen Edwards: Yeah. Wow. Leanne, thank you so much for being here.

Leanne: Well, thanks for having me.

Karen Edwards: Yeah. And hopefully we'll see you guys at maybe the winter meeting.

Leanne: Yep.

Outro: But if you can't make it, just follow along with Metal Coffee Shop, because we'll be sending you photos and sharing on social media everything that's happening in the industry. Thanks for watching, and we will see you next time.