Jena Jackson - Viral Wood Grain Steel: TikTok to Reality - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Jena Jackson of Indiana Metal. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast.

Intro: Hello, and welcome to another episode of MetalCast from MetalCoffeeShop. My name's Karen Edwards, and today I am joined by Jena Jackson from Indiana Metal and we're going to be talking all about their viral wood grain steel. And when I say viral, I mean viral. So Jena, welcome. It's great to have you here.

Jena Jackson: Hi, thanks, yes. Thanks so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.

Karen Edwards: Awesome. So just for our listeners, can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what you do and maybe a little about Indiana Metal?

Jena Jackson: Sure. Yeah. I am Jena Jackson and I work at Indiana Metal. We are located in Central Indiana. We are a supply house. We also install pole barn packs. We are all about helping the contractor with their metal roofing, their metal siding offerings. We want to make metal as easy as shingles for everybody. We want to increase awareness of metal and just give everybody the quality that they deserve on their house and their projects.

Karen Edwards: Awesome, thank you. So there is a product that Indiana Metal has that is wood grain steel, and I've not seen it in person, but I've seen plenty of pictures of it and it is just gorgeous.

Jena Jackson: It's awesome.

Karen Edwards: And you guys put a TikTok up that showcased the metal and it took off and went viral.

Jena Jackson: Yes, yes. We've actually had, I think, three or four TikToks go viral with that product. We carry it in two different colors. We carry a barnwood and a rough cedar, and they just look awesome. Pictures, honestly, don't do it justice. When you're in front of it, it's so hard to tell that it's not even wood. I mean, you would never know that it was steel until you touched it. And it has just been amazing and such a fan favorite on TikTok.

Karen Edwards: Wow. So it really is beautiful and like I said, I've not seen it in person, but I really want to. I'm just curious, what inspired Indiana Metal to develop this wood grain steel?

Jena Jackson: Well, we get it from our steel supplier and when they first came to me and said that they were going to be selling this master coil, I knew it was going to be special. The first time I saw it, I loved it, I wanted it. And it's just something that's different than anything around here. We try at Indiana Metal to always be kind of on the cutting edge, kind of looking for new trends, seeing what our customers want, what our contractors can give their customers that's a little bit different and as soon as I saw it, I knew that this was something that was going to be such a game changer for so many homeowners, so many contractors, so much new construction.

Karen Edwards: Wow. So what's been the result of these TikToks that people love? Do you think that's really led to an increase in interest?

Jena Jackson: For sure. Yes, I do. Every time we put a TikTok out with it, we get leads from all over the country, even outside of the country. A lot of people in Canada love this product. We have shipped it all over the United States. We're constantly sending out samples to people. So Karen, if you want a sample, let me know. We'll send it your way. But yes, we have really, really had a wide reach, mostly because of TikTok because it's just such an easy way to connect with so many people with the same interests.

Karen Edwards: Yeah. So I'm curious, you sent us a video and hopefully maybe we can put it in here and show you guys, of how this has been moving around the country based on the TikToks really.

Jena Jackson: Yeah, yeah, definitely. Yes. We've gone, I believe, as far as the western part of Montana with some, which from Indiana is quite a haul, but these people see the TikToks and they can't find it anywhere else. They're calling us for this product. And people have done some really amazing, beautiful projects with it and we get lucky sometimes, they send us pictures of their projects and then we're able to feature those on TikTok or on our website. And it's just great to see it go from a master coil to somebody's home. It's great to see that whole transformation.

Karen Edwards: So how does that wood grain pattern get applied to the steel?

Jena Jackson: It is done on an HD printer. It's the first HD print line in North America, and it's a great application. It only repeats every 32 feet, so that is game changing. There have been some other wood grain steels around previously, but those patterns, I believe, repeated more like every 24 inches to 32 inches. And this is every 32 feet. So the pattern is going to repeat, but chances are you're never going to know. It really replicates wood. In the printing process they scan a real piece of wood to get that look, to replicate it and you can tell, in the final quality, you can tell that they really did their homework and tried to make this as realistic as possible.

Karen Edwards: So talk a little bit about durability. When you say it's HD printed, I think, "Oh gosh, is it going to wear off in a couple of years?" What kind of warranty, lifespan does this have and will it fade? Let's talk about those things.

Jena Jackson: So it comes with a 20-year manufacturer vertical paint warranty, HD coating warranty. It's all Class 4 impact resistant steel, so it's going to hold up in the elements. You have that 20-year warranty against fade protection. So you really get the look of wood, the warmth of wood, the texture of wood that so many people want, but you get the long-lasting benefits of steel without the upkeep.

Karen Edwards: How are contractors buying this from you and are they buying it in the coil and forming it themselves?

Jena Jackson: No, so we do a lot of board and batten with it. We get a ton of people who want board and batten for accents on their gables or other accents. So that's a very popular product. We do a lot of the flush front siding with it that a lot of people are using as porch roofs, soffit even. And then we also do a lot of just the standard screw-down ag panel, the 36-inch wide screw-down ag panel and people are using it as siding on cabins or anywhere they want that rustic feel, they're using that as their siding.

Karen Edwards: Are there any special considerations for installation to consider?

Jena Jackson: No, just vertical application is the recommended application, but other than that, really the sky's the limit. You can use it inside, you can use it outside. We do a lot of porch roofs with it. It's been a really versatile product that can really help people boost that curb appeal.

Karen Edwards: And what's the feedback like from customers, from contractors?

Jena Jackson: It's great. It's great. We've done a few projects that have really stood out. There is a YouTuber, I believe his handle is NYAMillennial. He's pretty popular on YouTube. He is restoring a castle that's on the Ohio River, so it's about four hours away from where we are, but it's a legit castle. He's restoring it to be an Airbnb and he found us on, I believe it was TikTok where he found us and he came here and got his siding for it. He went with barnwood, but he's been putting it on this castle and it overlooks the Ohio River. It's beautiful and he just loves it. We had another customer in Iowa that took an old gas station and was restoring it into an ice cream parlor, and he got both patterns of the wood grain actually and he mixed them. So he mixed the barnwood and the cedar and it looked great.

I honestly wasn't sure how those two woods would complement each other. Looked great, and he was going for that rustic old-timey ice cream kind of feel and it just looks awesome. So we've had some really, really fun projects that we've been able to be a part of. A lot of really great feedback from people. People who don't want to worry about carpenter bees in their wood outside or people who don't want to stain their wood all the time. This is really perfect for those people to kind of get that look they want without having to constantly be a slave to the outside of their house.

Karen Edwards: And we're hearing on the news every day about the wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, in California. And in parts of the country, you want that wooden look, but you want to protect your house from burning embers. I think that that would be a huge plus in those parts of the country.

Jena Jackson: Yeah, that's a really good point. We don't have a lot of wildfires in Indiana, so I sometimes don't think about those. But yeah, that was a really great point that this would be a perfect solution for.

Karen Edwards: And because Indiana is in your name and you're located in Indiana, but that doesn't mean you can't get this...

Jena Jackson: Oh no, for sure.

Karen Edwards: ... Anywhere.

Jena Jackson: We go all over the country, like I said, we've been to Montana with it. We can go anywhere. So you're not limited to just Indiana, you don't have to come here and pick up. We can still deliver and it can go wherever it needs to go.

Karen Edwards: I'm curious when I see this beautiful wood and I want to use it, but I might need a little bit of help in figuring out the best way to use it or the best color. Are there only the two patterns right now?

Jena Jackson: So no, there are more than two patterns. Right now we're only stocking the two patterns, but we're looking to grow that. So we've had a lot of interest in the camo realtree kind of option. And that's something that it's not wood grain, but it's printed in the same kind of HD way. So we've had a lot of interest in that. That's something that we're looking to possibly add. And then all the time new prints of the wood grain are coming out. They have some really pretty ones that just came out and we are definitely interested in growing this selection that we have and trying to just bring more and more of it because we love it so much here.

Karen Edwards: And back to design. It's beautiful, I want to use it, but I'm not really sure how to configure it or where to put it. Do you get inquiries or work with a lot of maybe architects or those kind of folks who are creating the look?

Jena Jackson: Yeah, we do. We get a lot of blueprints for new construction where this has been specced that we can help with. We also help a lot of people just kind of figure out how this could fit with their vibe if they don't have an architect or it's just a remodel and they're kind of DIY-ing it. So we can definitely help figure out where that fits, where it would be best and look good for your house and your budget.

Karen Edwards: Alrighty. So you should visit TikTok and check out the videos. I did watch one this morning before we got on because I wanted to see it and it was really, really gorgeous and I see why it's gaining so much attention and popularity.

Jena Jackson: Yeah. Well, thank you so much.

Karen Edwards: What should anybody know? You mentioned a warranty, I believe it's 20 years, is that what you said?

Jena Jackson: Yeah. 20 years.

Karen Edwards: And then what does maintenance look like? Does it require ongoing cleaning?

Jena Jackson: No.

Karen Edwards: Nope.

Jena Jackson: No maintenance. You can pressure wash it once a year if you need to, if you want to. But other than that, there's really no maintenance to it. You install it and you forget about it.

Karen Edwards: And you just admire it.

Jena Jackson: Yep. You do.

Karen Edwards: All right. So I know you said you're looking to grow and expand and offer more options. What kind of timing are we looking at? Would that be something for 2025 maybe we can expect to see some new options?

Jena Jackson: Yeah, I would say first quarter of 2025 look for some new colors and then we'll still have the same barnwood and cedar that everybody loves. And then hopefully a couple new ones too.

Karen Edwards: That's really awesome. Any other options for looking like nature? Metal is amazing because you can do so many things with it, and I know the wood is really popular, but what else is out there that people could consider?

Jena Jackson: This HD print line has really opened up a ton of possibilities for people who are looking for something other than your traditional barn metal. And I know that our supplier is looking to add maybe some stone options. I've read possibly some brick options. I think that's coming down the line as well. But there's just ever-changing, ever-growing options coming to help people basically buy back time that they don't have to spend maintaining their houses.

Karen Edwards: Yeah, that's really cool. And then the durability that comes with it is just incredible. So what's the best way for people to get in touch with you?

Jena Jackson: They can call us, send us an email, sales@indianametal.com or send us a message. We're on all the social media platforms. We're very active there. We love to chat. We try to respond to all the comments, as many as we can anyway. So yeah, just reach out however's best and we would love to help anybody with their projects.

Karen Edwards: Awesome. Well, when you have 22,000 views and likes and shares, it is hard to respond to all the comments. But yeah. And Indiana Metal also has a full directory on MetalCoffeeShop.com. So if you missed any of that you can head over to MetalCoffeeShop and check it out. It has their contact information and everything you need to know as well as photos of this beautiful product. Jena, thank you so much for being here today and sharing about this.

Jena Jackson: Yes, thank you so much for having me.

Karen Edwards: Yeah, I'm excited to look up even more of those TikToks because it just really, really blows you away and I love that it's taken off for you.

Jena Jackson: Yes, thank you so much.

Outro: All right, thank you all for listening to this episode of MetalCast. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so that you don't miss an episode. And we hope to see you next time. Thanks, everybody. Thanks, Jena.