Build your network at METALCON 2024

By Emma Peterson. 

Don’t miss the Training Zone and your chance to find community, training and expert advice all in one spot! 

It’s time to finalize your travel plans to make sure you get to Atlanta, Georgia for METALCON at the end of October! This is the place to be for all things metal, with an incredible trade show taking place October 30-November 1 showcasing everything from solar to substrate to management services and more! Further, the show hosts a variety of educational opportunities and is a great space to meet members of the industry and learn from experts like John Sheridan. John owns Sheridan Metal Resources LLC, which focuses on selling tools and training professionals in the field. He is well-known in the industry for being a master of all things training.  

John’s journey started in the 1990s, when a friend started repping VMZINC, a French company. He explained, “VMZINC and RHEINZINK were the first two from Europe to come to the U.S. They had a totally different philosophy of different systems, different installation methods, tools, etc. So they started to do trainings in the U.S. in the early 2000s and I started going to them.” By 2003 John was one of their trainers and he hasn’t looked back since, sharing, “Over the years through training I created this monster of a network and from that network more diverse trainings about different products, different groups of people, different disciplines, all kinds of things grew.” 

One part of the network that John has surrounded himself with is the Sherwin Williams MetalVue program. This program connects manufacturers, contractors and other industry professionals to promote and support the metal business. He explained, “It's a pretty involved program by Sherwin-Williams and we are just a small part of that program on the training side of things. So we try to promote training and Sherwin-Williams likes the idea of that because you can raise sales all you want, but if you don't have qualified people to do the work, then your sales won’t work.” That philosophy is why Sherwin-Williams is sending John to host their Training Zone at METALCON 2024! 

This is the second year that the Training Zone has been run at METALCON. The space is sponsored by VM Building Solutions, Dri-Design, Helix Metals, Roofinox, Malco Tools and Mazzonetto. John shared, “We were fortunate enough last year to do the Training Zone in Las Vegas. It went so well that they're giving us a space that's twice as big.” This is a can’t miss part of METALCON, with a whole list of industry heavy weights like Drexel Metals and Watts Removal Products at the booth ready to help visitors with everything from demos to questions. John explained, “Anybody walking by can stop in and check out whatever they want to check out. We'll have several different manufacturers in that space and all of those are going to be hands on. So, anybody who wants to jump in and join us when we're installing something, they're welcome to come in and poke around and play with the tools, ask us questions, etc.” There will even be representatives from National Roofing Contractors Association there as part of a cross-training/promoting initiative! 

And if you’re interested in becoming a part of the incredible MetalVue network, this is the place to get all your questions answered! John highly recommends prioritizing spending time in these community and networking spaces, sharing, “We don't very often get into the same space and have a chance to share information. You know, take your time, walk the show, stop and talk to people and gain some knowledge and use that knowledge to build a network.” 

If you haven’t already registered for METALCON 2024, do so today!