Vince Kiteley - Introduction to American Building Components - PODCAST TRANSCRIPTION

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Vince Kiteley from American Building Components (ABC Metals). You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast. 

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Hello, and welcome to another MetalCast from MetalCoffeeShop. My name is Heidi Ellsworth, and we're here today to talk of course about metal, metal construction. And I have at invited Vince Kiteley with ABC Metals to join us today to tell us a little bit about them. I've been having so much fun with our MetalCast of meeting all of our great manufacturers and fabricators out there. So Vince, welcome to the show.

Vince Kiteley: Thank you, Heidi. Appreciate being here.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: I am really excited. I learn something every single time we do one of these MetalCast's and I think this one is going to be even more so. So let's get started with maybe first if you could introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you.

Vince Kiteley: Sure. So my name is Vince Kiteley. I've been with American Building Components now for roughly six years, working mostly in the Northeast arena. Currently, I oversee our Northeast region for what we call RMR, which is Residential Metal Roofing, which is a group and portion of the overall Cornerstone Building Brands company. And so I oversee a group of district sales managers that are basically our feet on the street working with our dealers and customers to bring them the great quality that we produce.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: I would love for you to share more about the official name, American Building Components, I know we all drop it down to ABC, but if you could tell us a little bit about American Building Components, the history and just about the company.

Vince Kiteley: Sure. So it's actually one of the oldest metal manufacturing companies that's been around. It was started back in 1908 along the Ohio River, just outside of Cincinnati. And over the many years to go, it changed some ownerships and everything, but the biggest change to it was when it was part of the MBCI, which is our sister company, and part of Cornerstone, in 2020 Cornerstone Building Brands came about, and that was from a merger of NCI Building Systems and then also Ply Gem. And so that company came about, and really Cornerstone was formed in 2020, which is really a great package portfolio of metal companies that really support and drive communities developments, really encompassing anything to do with metal from a roofing wall structural perspective. And then the biggest development recently is last year in 2022 the company was taken private by our owner, and so now we are on a new journey where we're really looking at growing the company, growing the markets for the different segments and everything, and really developing us into a premier provider of metal.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Talk about great timing, with the growth of metal and how the market share just continues to increase, especially I see it all the time on the roofing side, but across the board siding everywhere, this is a great time for American Building components and all of your brands to bring all that together. Who is your main audience really and how do you interact with them? And I guess we're going to talk because you have so many different brands, you have a lot of different audiences, and maybe you can run us through that.

Vince Kiteley: There are a lot of different audiences and each of the different brands of which American Building Components is really in what we call the residential agricultural community, along with some other brands that we have, Union Corrugating, Reed's Metals, Metals Depot, those particular brands focus into that market. So we're really working with the local lumber yards, the local roofing supply houses, wholesalers. Typically, a lot of them are dealing in the other type of roofing materials, asphalt, shingles, et cetera, but those are going to be our main focus and customers that we go after. The markets that are utilizing it would be, again, residential is huge. We're starting to see good growth in the residential market. I think a lot of stereotypes from the past where, oh, metal roofing is for chicken poops and outside sheds and barns and stuff, and so it's really taken a turn and what we see is a house on a block will put metal on.

And with all the different varieties and colors and styles, there's something to fit everybody's taste or needs, the rest of the neighborhood starts all of a sudden going, "Oh, wow, that looks really nice. It's not what I thought." And there's also a lot of great benefits from it by going to metal versus going to one of the other materials that are available. And then also, especially in certain markets, agriculture is very big, whether it's chicken houses, cow barns, farming barns for different types of arenas. It could be horse, it could be just about anything, anything that is shelter, whether it's food grain, the actual animals, the production processes, metal is a great avenue for it and is a huge part of our business overall. So we really focus on those local suppliers that are there.

A lot of times it's a single lumber yard that's two, three generations serving their community, but we also work with large national dealers. So some of the big dealers that are nationwide, locations everywhere, we of course work with them, but we do work through our dealers. We don't go direct to the consumer. So any consumers that are looking to get our materials, have us do a project, they would work through one of our dealers.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: I have to tell you, I grew up under a metal roof, I helped put metal roofs on barns with my dad who was a general contractor, I love the beauty of it, and what you're seeing right now with the barndominiums, that big trend. What are you seeing with the growth in metal? I just mentioned barn condominiums and you're talking about the residential, but overall, how do you see the market in the metal construction industry growing?

Vince Kiteley: I still believe that it will continue to grow. So if we look back, the last study that I've seen in 2021 metal was about 17% of the roofing market, so there's a huge growth opportunity, and as people understand it and understand the values of it, the benefits, things like class A fire rating, so you think about all the wildfires in the west and other areas, homes that are in those areas we're starting to see more growth, especially in the west because of that. You also get class four hail rating, a little bit more, so in certain areas, certain insurance companies will give a discount to homeowners that do have a metal roof, so that's helping spur along some growth. Wind load of 80 as long as installed properly, you've got that protection against it. So there are benefits versus, I'll say, a traditional shingle house where those types of elements can cause damage to a roof, causing obviously stress and pain for the families, but also insurance costs and such where metal will help in that direction.

And where we're seeing it in larger developments, single family home or multifamily homes is really we're seeing it more and more on accent roofs, so little porch coverings, over window awnings, just accents here and there within the design to add that element to it, which is also leading large builders to look more into metal as a whole. The other piece we're seeing is high-end homes, so some of our different standing seam material profiles that are out there, yes, it's more expensive, but it also has a very high end elegant look that a lot of those homeowners are now looking for, wanting, that's a little different. And so not only the benefits of the material itself, but the aesthetics of it. And really in the commercial side, which has seen great growth, that's been a big piece of it. The architectural type panels that are available through our sister brands that allow companies to have metal both on the sidings and the roof besides the roof, it gives them a whole different aspect of how they could design architecturally and make the buildings and structures look and feel.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: You're seeing it everywhere. And I love those architectural accents. I think they look so cool. And I'm seeing some of those architectural accents inside. They're starting to use metal... Well, I was just at a place right here by us and they had metal accents inside the building on little miniature roofs and different things. It just looks cool.

Vince Kiteley: And we're seeing a little bit more bars, museums, different types of places that are going to have consumers inside. And it's to your point, it's that extra wall, that extra look that just adds some pizzazz, I'll say, to it.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Exactly.

Vince Kiteley: And really give it a neat look. The other nice thing, in architectural especially, is open ceilings where you see the structure or you see the materials and it just has a different feel and look that people are going towards which metal is making very possible.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Just with the energy savings, with the push for solar, metal is such a perfect solution, I'm hearing a lot about, what are you seeing along that lines with the environmental part of it?

Vince Kiteley: We do see quite a bit of it, and people are starting to understand. I think one of the myths is you put a metal roof on your roof, it's going to absorb the heat and cause your house to be hotter and or colder in the winter and stuff, and it's actually the opposite. The paint system we use and the way that it's done, it actually is reflected, so it actually reflects off the heat and is a cooler type of material for your roof with your insulation and your underlayments and stuff. And so it's actually a benefit and people are seeing that there is a benefit to their costs on a basis versus a shingle roof, which if you think of an asphalt roof, that's an oil-based product that's going to absorb and it absorbs and holds the heat. And so it's one of the things that some people, and especially in the northeast, black lately has become very popular as a color for usage.

And in the beginning we would hear, "Oh, no, no, that's going to be too hot in the summer and everything else." And it's like, "No, no, no, it will reflect it, it actually will not create that." And so the savings as a whole. The other piece too is a shingle roof, a typical 25-year shingle roof, will last you 15 to 20 years on average, and a metal roof, properly cared for, although the industry standard is about 40 year warranty, will last 40 plus years, the metal will not go away. So you're saving from an environmental, the tearing out of all the other roof replacements, your labor costs, where does that shingle go to once it's torn off typically are dumps. And so now we're not causing more to that, we're actually benefiting, and the person, the homeowner or business gets a long-term beautiful roof that will last.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: It makes so much sense environmentally and just the beauty of it. And I have to tell you, I've seen that same trend in black and to be able to have a black roof that reflects, that's pretty amazing. You just don't get that with the other products. We actually have a black roof too. I like black. Speaking of that, with trends and everything that's going on, talk to us about any new products that have been introduced or that you plan to introduce. I'd love to hear about that.

Vince Kiteley: So most of our products are pretty established, so we haven't come out with any new profiles in the last few years. The most recent probably was what we call our Retro-R, which is really a commercial panel. Our panel is a very popular commercial panel for roofs that are out there, and if they have issues and some of those are getting very old and needing replacement, that panel will just lay over the top of it, so there's no need to tear it off, you don't have to disrupt the business underneath. Everything can continue running. It's a very straightforward, simple process of replacing and it just overlays.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Wow.

Vince Kiteley: And so it's a product that's been out for a little while, but that's probably one of our newer products that have been out. Really where we're focusing on is from a technology infrastructure how we are bringing our services and products to the market quicker and faster to allow our customers to be able to react to their customers even quicker and make it a seamless transaction between customers and us, giving them multiple ways of how they can interact with us on a quick basis. With technology changing so quickly and everything, that's really where our focus is going into the future is how do we make that even better, more seamless, and easier for our customers.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Well, with what we just went through with the material shortages out there, that kind of customer service, that kind of communication is in high demand, and so kudos to you and to the team. That's exactly what we're hearing all the time is they want communications, they want to be able to get it fast, they want to be able to communicate to their customers. I don't think there's anything more important right now.

Vince Kiteley: No. And speed of service and ease of service in a way is really what is differentiating companies from it. Yes, we're nationwide, we have plants all across the country, we can reach customers, we have national customers that that's a vital part of because we can take care of their plants and their customers in different parts of the country, but we also need to do it in a way that it's all interactive and easy for them 24/7. We have a very robust e-commerce system called Shop ABC, or shop now. Last night we just launched a brand new American Building Components website, which is much more interactive, flowing, giving the customer the material or the information they need to make it very simple for them to find the products, the information, and whether it's specs or ideas for them.

The homeowner, we keep them in mind because we know that the consumer's going to come to our website, so we have things like visualization programs where they can go in and basically put in what their house looks like and then they can change colors on the roof, on the trims so they can visually see, oh, what will this look like. Because a lot of times you walk into a store, and even with us you have a little metal chip sample and it's hard to really what does that look like, and so we've added a lot of projects, visualizations and stuff that people can see this is what it looks like once it's on a completed roof and such, so they get that idea of what it's going to be to them. And then our distributors, through the website, consumers can find a distributor.

So they can punch in their zip code and quickly find a distributor in their area so they can go to them, distributors can go to the website, and they want to sell the ABC, or American Building Components, products, they can sign up. And so there's a form to get signed up, a district sales manager will be in touch with them, and we'll work through to make sure that they have the right materials and supplies in order to take care of their customers. So there's a lot of great avenues, and, I'll say, systems and types of programs that we're putting in place to just make it easier and easier on our customers, which will make it easier for them to sell to their customers and grow their business, which is really our goal. If we can make it as easy on them, they'll be easier on their customers, we'll be the choice for supplying them and we'll all grow.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Smart. And congratulations on the new website. I know how much that takes.

Vince Kiteley: The marketing team has put in many, many, many hours, and it looks beautiful, it is very, very interactive, and it's just a great format, and I think people will be very, very pleased with it.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Congratulations. And I agree, I don't think there's anything more important right now than that top level customer service. And I love the fact that you have a visualizer. I like to go out and put my house in and see what things are going to look like, and so visualizers are just so popular right now. It helps the research that homeowners and building owners are doing long before they actually talk to a contractor about installing it, I think it's changing the game. And so being able to have that kind of great site with all the tools for homeowners, I think it makes a big difference and it really helps out the contractors on the homeowners know what they want.

Vince Kiteley: It does. A lot of times people ask me, "What's our biggest obstacle that we have to overcome?" And I think the biggest obstacle is the informing the end user, the homeowner, of what are the differences out there within the metals that are being offered. There are thousands of companies out there that roll metal for roofing, and they're not obviously all the same. Depending on the material, the thickness, the gauge, the quality of the paint system, is it domestic steel, is it import steel, there's a lot of differences that now homeowners can research on and determine what it is, versus relying just on a contractor who may be just relying on who's got the cheapest price. And at Cornerstone as a whole, we don't lead with price. We lead with the quality of our products, we lead with the quality of our service, and then we're competitive in the markets, but we want to make sure that people understand what they're getting is the quality.

And there's many times where we run up against somebody and they're just like, "Oh, this is just so much less." It's like, "Do you understand what you're getting?" And once we educate them, they change their mind. They're willing to spend that extra two, three, $500 to have a quality piece that they're not going in five years have to suddenly go, "Oh, I probably should have spent that extra dollar."

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Exactly.

Vince Kiteley: And so that's probably the biggest piece that we have to overcome in a way, because there are so many just single small entities that purchase metal from just about anywhere and everywhere, so it's not the consistency. And that's one of the great things about American Building Components and the Cornerstone Building Brands is we are a national large company that deals directly with the mills and therefore our products we can always guarantee the quality of them as they go out.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: And the paint and the coatings with Sherwin-Williams, you want to be backed by companies like yours, like Sherwin-Williams, all those top-notch metal, yeah, I agree. Because you already said earlier that 40 plus year roof, that's what you should be getting.

Vince Kiteley: Yes, exactly. If you get a roof now my age, it should outlast me. I should never have to worry about it again. Unfortunately I do have a shingle roof on my house cause of HOA restrictions, but I'm sure I'll be replacing that at some point and hopefully be able to get them to change the rules. But it's going to last, it will be there forever. And I think now, especially with just the aesthetic beauty of all the different types of profiles and things that are available, we have something for everyone to meet their needs and then really help the environment, help looks and feels for communities, and really make it last a lifetime that really saves money in their pockets.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: So how can contractors work? We have a lot of contractors watching this right now and listening to it, how can they work with American Building Components to really grow their business and to make sure they're offering that quality on performance products?

Vince Kiteley: So a couple ways. One, they can go directly to the website, which is abcmetalroofing.com, and there is a find a distributor link up on the upper right. Click on that, put their zip code in, they can find local distributors which are going by either lumber yards, roofing wholesalers, roofing dealers that they would be able to then work through to get our products. If they don't see something, they can contact us and we can work with them on who's in their local markets to work with that particular dealer. There are some dealers here and there that we haven't worked with or they're new, and so therefore we're always looking to bring them on board and show them all the great things that we can do and how we can help them increase their business. And so they can reach out directly through the website and then we'll be in contact with them to find the best way of how we can help service them.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: And you offer all kinds of support to those contractors too?

Vince Kiteley: We do. Through the website, there are all kinds of documentation, specs, there's CAD drawings if they want, those types of... There's PDFs, we do full detail, trim details, to allow them to see... Or to show them, I should say, exactly how our recommendation is of adding the trim to the roofs. There are videos on certain profiles that they can watch how to install, there are classes they can go to become certified by us. So there's lots of different features and benefits and stuff through the website that they can access that will help them along the way. Along with a lot of our district sales managers have been in the industry for quite a few years. They understand the products, they understand the situations that builders will come into, can help with different resolutions and stuff and how things go together. So they do do job site visits quite often working with the contractors that are the end contractors directly, which is another benefit and support from our dealers.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: There's nothing more important than training. With what we're dealing with labor and trying to bring more people into the industry, training is more important than it's ever been, and so kudos, that is great to be able to do job site and to have classes. Vince, thank you. Thank you so much for sharing. Again, I've learned a lot today. I really love your product, the R-Panel, did I say that right? That goes over an existing roof?

Vince Kiteley: Retro-R.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Retro-R, sorry.

Vince Kiteley: Yep, you're good.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: I find that very interesting, so we'll have to talk more about that. But, of course, everybody can find that information on MetalCoffeeShop, so we're on the ABC Metals, American Building Components, directory. So Vince, thank you so much for being here today.

Vince Kiteley: Oh, you're welcome, Heidi. It was my pleasure. Thank you for inviting me.

Heidi J. Ellsworth: Thank you. And thank you all for listening. This is the kind of stuff we're going to continue to bring to you, learning about the metal manufacturers who are out there, what they can provide, how they can help you grow your business, that's what MetalCast is all about. So be sure to check out the ABC Metals, American Building Components, directory along with MBCI. There's a number of other directories there that are part of that Cornerstone, so check it all out on MetalCoffeeShop. Also, be sure to listen to all of our MetalCast's under the read, listen and watch navigation, look for MetalCast and you can watch all of them or listen to them on your favorite podcast channel. Be sure to subscribe and set the notifications along with MetalCoffeeShop YouTube channel where you can catch us in video. So we will be seeing all of you next time on MetalCast.