LIVE from FRSA with MetalForming - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Chad Rowe of MetalForming. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast.

Intro: Hello everyone, and welcome back. My name's Karen Edwards, and I am coming to you with Chad from Metal Forming, live from the FRSA show.

Chad Rowe: Good morning everybody.

Karen Edwards: And Chad works for Metal Forming, I said that.

Chad Rowe: Yes.

Karen Edwards: But tell everybody what you do there.

Chad Rowe: Yeah, so I'm Chad Rowe, been with Metal Forming now, this is my something 24th ish year and I'm primarily in outside sales as a representative. But because I've been with the company for a long time, I still support a lot of different roles-

Karen Edwards: Right?

Chad Rowe: ... as many of us do-

Karen Edwards: Yeah.

Chad Rowe: ... in today's age and time. So once you've had certain history, people remember [inaudible 00:00:41]-

Karen Edwards: Say, "Oh, yeah, Chad knows about that. Let's pull him in here." Right? So, okay. This is day two of the show, and there are a lot of people in attendance, right?

Chad Rowe: It's been a very, very well attended show.

Karen Edwards: Yeah.

Chad Rowe: Very well attended.

Karen Edwards: The show floor is busy. And you know what I'm seeing lots of out there? Is lots of metal.

Chad Rowe: There is. There is a lot of metal. I've had several conversations recently that so many new products, that over the years nobody ever thought, "Hey, could I get this in metal?"

Karen Edwards: Right?

Chad Rowe: We've been talking a lot about the different finishes and the different styles that you can get now, the wood grain looks, the different coatings. So that's really important, or special, to Metal Forming as a provider of standing seam roll forming panels and other wall panels, as well as our hot new Board and Batten profile.

Karen Edwards: Right?

Chad Rowe: That is all of the rage.

Karen Edwards: Oh, boy. That's really trending.

Chad Rowe: It is. And being able to have that in a sustainable metal, with the different wood grain looks, has really been very attractive to contractors.

Karen Edwards: Yeah.

Chad Rowe: Yes.

Karen Edwards: So are you finding that there's ... Are you talking to more contractors that are saying, "Hey, I need to be doing metal. How do I get started? What should I be looking at?" Or is it more, "I just want to expand and do more"?

Chad Rowe: Yes. So, Florida is a little bit unique from the rest of the United States. And if you ask most Floridians, I think they would agree. They're proud of themselves, and they do operate a little bit differently.

But over the last several years, there has been a big demand and push for a lot of re-roofing from a lot of these storms that have happened.

Karen Edwards: Right.

Chad Rowe: One of the key things that's happened from all of this is customers, or manufacturers that are been in place have looked to how do I become more efficient so that I can produce more with the same amount of people that I have.

Karen Edwards: Oh yeah.

Chad Rowe: As well as the companies that have said, "You know, I've been buying material for all these years, maybe it is time for me to look at getting my own equipment and starting up my own shop."

Karen Edwards: Yeah.

Chad Rowe: Because while the distribution guys are working on being more efficient, there's still a lead time.

Karen Edwards: Yeah.

Chad Rowe: There's still a lag time. And, at times, that can be devastating to some contractors.

Karen Edwards: Right. Yeah, if you have your own shop, you can make it on demand.

Chad Rowe: Yes, absolutely. So take control of your own project. And sometimes that decision is not necessarily always a financial decision of "how do I make more money?" it's "how do I support my customers better and control my job site?" I can cut down that lead time. I can produce just in time.
The real big win is when somebody needs one piece-

Karen Edwards: Oh.

Chad Rowe: ... or two pieces. If I have to go back to that distributor again, I may have to wait for those.

Karen Edwards: Right.

Chad Rowe: But if I have my own equipment, I can absolutely make that one piece-

Karen Edwards: Yeah.

Chad Rowe: ... on demand. With all of today's technology that's in place, those jobs, those specific profiles, are all saved in a computer system somewhere.

Karen Edwards: Right?

Chad Rowe: Could even be in the computer on the folding machine. So all I need to do is open up that same exact profile and repeat and make it.

Karen Edwards: Wow.

Chad Rowe: No thinking involved.

Karen Edwards: You make it sound so simple.

Chad Rowe: It is. It's just that easy.

Karen Edwards: Well, but it can ... I think, you know, it's using technology and it's the computer and how hard is that to learn and how do you support a contractor in learning?

Chad Rowe: Yeah. So Metal Forming really expresses, both to our employees and to our customers, that we are one partner, that we want to be your trusted expert. So in those settings, there's a lot more to talk about than just those pieces of equipment to get going.

Karen Edwards: Right.

Chad Rowe: There's a lot of intangibles, and that's where Metal Forming really can come in and help support somebody who's just setting up a new shop. What are the other things that I need to talk about and look at? Specifically with the equipment, the technology exists today that utilizes technology that's been proven over the years and as our workforce is becoming more technologically advanced-

Karen Edwards: Right.

Chad Rowe: ... the younger people get excited about the technology.

Karen Edwards: They want to use computers. Yeah.

Chad Rowe: The nice thing is they might not be familiar with the metal industry itself, but because we're using those same touchscreen and pinch and gesture movements on the touchscreens, they're able to just pick it up and do it-

Karen Edwards: Right.

Chad Rowe: ... because it's familiar to them.

Karen Edwards: Right.

Chad Rowe: They've lived their lives with technology.

Karen Edwards: Right. Yeah, I know.

Chad Rowe: So we try to provide that solution that's enticing to that younger workforce.

Karen Edwards: Nice. Well, if you're watching this at home, and you're thinking about stopping out at the show today, we still have four hours left.

Chad Rowe: We do.

Karen Edwards: We're going until three o'clock. You guys have machines here. You have a nice big booth space.

Chad Rowe: Yes, ma'am.

Karen Edwards: I know it's on the right side of the hall. Do you remember the number?

Chad Rowe: No, I don't. I have no idea.

Karen Edwards: You'll see them.

Chad Rowe: Maybe it's on my badge.

Karen Edwards: Look for the big machines.

Chad Rowe: Yeah.

Karen Edwards: Oh, it's-

Chad Rowe: 1417.

Karen Edwards: ... 1417.

Chad Rowe: We've just been advised. New incoming information.

Karen Edwards: Breaking.

Chad Rowe: Metal Forming's booth is in 1417. Come by and see us. We do-

Karen Edwards: Swing by.

Chad Rowe: We do have portable wall forming, we have hand brakes, we have curving machines, we have folders, we have shears and we have a good time.

Karen Edwards: Yes. That's most important.

Chad Rowe: Absolutely.

Karen Edwards: Well, Chad, it's been great talking to you.

Chad Rowe: Yeah.

Karen Edwards: Thank you for being here.

Chad Rowe: Absolutely. Thank you for having me, Karen.

Karen Edwards: Yeah. And thank you for watching. If you're not able to get out to the show today, don't worry. Metal Forming has a full directory on rooferscoffeeshop.com, so you can go out there and check it out and it has all your contact information, how to get in touch and everything you need to know.

Chad Rowe: If you're ready today, give us a call. If you're thinking about it, give us a call. We can help.

Outro: Thanks, Chad, so much. Thank you all for watching. Don't go anywhere because we are coming to you very soon again. Take-