Prior to enrollment in the LEED certification program, one must meet stringent eligibility criteria in order to participate. Passing the final exam is also no easy task.

William’s qualification for program enrollment was supported by the fact that he has already designed two LEED-certified SteelMaster green buildings. The first one is World Resource Company in Taiwan, and the second is the City of Austin’s Animal Shelter in Texas.

William stated, “With my interest in all areas of green building structures and alternative green solutions, it was a conscious decision on my part to pursue the LEED course and credentials. For SteelMaster, it was the viable next step and market-driven decision for us to continue on our path as the leader in green steel buildings world-wide. There may be other companies that construct what they refer to as green buildings, but I am confident SteelMaster is the only steel building company with this knowledge, experience and certification to offer our partners and customers.”

The mission of an LEED professional is to select appropriate products that comply with targeted credits for LEED certification, to integrate products into high-performance systems, documentation of product compliance with credit requirements, and working on coherent strategies to attain the ultimate in green performance results.

Further, the GBCI has been credited for undergoing the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accreditation Process for personnel certification agencies. They comply entirely with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

SteelMaster will be participating in the annual American Institute of Architects (AIA) Convention and Design Expo, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C., May 17-19, in Booth #1312. William Swafford will be in attendance along with other members of their Senior Management Team.
William is officially now amongst the elite ranks of other LEED professional title holders. They are widely recognized as some of the most qualified, educated and influential green building professionals around the world.

William Swafford has been employed with SteelMaster for nine years. He also attended Longwood College where he obtained his Degree in Marketing and Business Administration. He currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Well, the dog didn’t intentionally do it. The fact that he inadvertently set fire to Michael and Robin Novotny’s two-story garage on Easter Sunday of 2007 was all because he mistook the riding lawn mower for a chew toy, causing the electrical wires to become mangled.

It was the day before Easter when Michael positioned the lawn mower in front of his garage, with the expectation that he would tackle the mess the dog made to the wiring in the next couple of days. What he didn’t expect was the smell of burning wood and the noise of a crackling fire that greeted him when he headed outside the next day around noon.

“I looked up and saw my garage roof on fire,” says Michael, who, along with his wife, lives in Ironton, MN. “I ran into the house and told my wife to call the fire department. I managed to get her new car out, but I felt so bad that she lost everything she had upstairs in the old garage—things like her china, the first rocking chair I got her when we had our first baby, and most of the things our kids made when they were in school. The fire chief figured that the lawn mower may have started the fire as there was no electricity in the garage, and I never did anything with flammable items in there.”

When the insurance company told Michael that he could only build a one story garage to replace the one that burned down, he decided to get a metal building this time around. Drawn to the shape of a Quonset hut, he contacted a few businesses that advertised that style of building, but none of them were able to sell him one that fit the dimensions of his existing foundation and floor—that is until he contacted SteelMaster Buildings, which is located in Virginia Beach, VA.

“I live on a small piece of property in the country, and I am next to an environmental lake,” says Michael. “There are many rules for building in this area, and I got permission from the county that I live in to build on the exact floor and footing—but not an inch bigger either way. When I called SteelMaster the person I dealt with asked the engineers if they could build a garage to fit those strict measurements, and then he called back in an hour and said that they could. I ordered a garage right away, and in about four weeks, the semi met me on the main road not far from my home. I invited the driver for lunch, and my wife made us something to eat as the driver was hoping to make it to Montana by night. He was a neat fellow from Canada, and we had a nice visit. Since I had time to spare while waiting for my garage to come, I watched the SteelMaster videos on construction and read the paper work, so I was good to go!”

For more than 29 years, SteelMaster Buildings has manufactured, designed, and supplied pre-fabricated arched steel structures to 40,000 customers located in every state of the United States, in 40 countries, and on seven continents around the world.

Michelle Wickum is the director of marketing for SteelMaster and says that Michael made a wise decision when he chose to build his second garage with steel.

“Steel does not rot, warp, shrink, or split, and it is non-combustible,” says Wickum. “SteelMaster buildings are easier to handle, stronger, and less expensive than any other common garage building materials. Steel’s inherent strength resists fire, earthquake, and hurricane damage. Steel components weigh up to 60 percent less than wood members, and all steel products are repeatedly recyclable.”

In addition, Wickum says that the arch design of the building as well as the clear-span, truss-less interior provides people with the option to customize the building however they like.

So even though Michael was not able to have a second story, he was able to have the space.

“My old garage was huge upstairs—it could have been a dance floor,” says Michael. “But, as big as it was, I didn’t have it filled. I don’t think I ever would have. With my SteelMaster, I built a small work space in the new garage and some overhead storage—and I have plenty of room to spare.”

While Michael says that he is proud of his building, he is especially proud of the wooden end walls—a product of his craftsmanship.

“I ordered the garage without end walls as I was pretty sure that I could make them, and I wanted them to match the house as best as I could. I like a little challenge so I came up with bending the 2×4’s by cutting into them half way and it worked great! The garage is 24′x32′, and I put both car doors in the small end and an entrance door too! I had to use 8′ car doors, but I had just enough room.

While Minnesota is known for its intense winters, Michael says that the building hasn’t had so much as a leak after the four years since it was constructed. In fact, he is so thrilled with his SteelMaster building all around, that he has applied for a permit to build an additional garage.

“I want to do this before there are any more restrictions in my area, and I have been pre-approved and am doing a little planning,” says Michael. “I would like to put up an 18′x50′ or a 20′ x 50′ storage and greenhouse, and I have a new idea on finishing one end of this building to make it unique!”

In addition to garages, SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including homes, farm buildings, workshops, agricultural storage, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems, carports, military buildings, commercial warehousing, and industrial storage as well as a wide variety of custom building applications including athletic facilities, retail stores, churches, bus stops, smoke shacks, doggie dorms, and correctional facilities.

By Brenda H. Welch

Brenda is a freelance writer and editor living in Hampton Roads, VA

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For those who work at SteelMaster Buildings in Virginia Beach, VA, that gratification is often multiplied many times through a word-of-mouth domino effect.

For more than 29 years, SteelMaster Buildings has manufactured, designed, and supplied pre-fabricated arched steel structures to 40,000 customers located in every state of the United States, in 40 countries, and on seven continents around the world.

“A large percentage of our business is the result of referrals,” says Michelle Wickum, the director of marketing for SteelMaster Buildings. “Our customers are so pleased to find an affordable, well-made building, and they appreciate the stellar customer service they receive so much that they can’t wait to share their experiences with friends and family.”

This was the case with Jonathan Rella of Medford, NY. Rella owns Rella Coal, which is Suffolk County’s only full service fuel dealer that offers stoves and furnaces that utilize coal, pellets, or wood.

It was seven years ago when he began considering upgrading his businesses storage space to something other than sea containers. He learned about SteelMaster after spotting an ad for the company in the back of a hunting magazine.

“I visited the company’s website, and after I looked around for a bit, I realized that was it for me,” says Rella. “I didn’t want any other building but that one, so I didn’t look at any others. I liked the first one so much I talked my father into getting one too and we both use them for our business which are located side-by-side on the property.”

Because of the size of each of their buildings, they are able to pull large trucks and forklifts directly inside, which is handy when the weather is acting up or they have a lot of material to unload.

Also, due to their location on Long Island where they are surrounded by water, a steel structure was the obvious solution to their storage needs.

“A wood building could crack, splinter, rot, and end up being infested with pests,” tells Wickum. “None of those things take place with a SteelMaster building. Steel’s intrinsic strength resists fire, earthquake, and hurricane damage also.”

Rella is very aware of the downfalls of owning a wooden building and also is keen to the damage that pests can do. He is planning on buying another SteelMaster building to house his vehicles, quads, lawnmowers, tools, and the like at the family’s vacation home upstate in the Catskill Mountains.

“Instead of building yet another wooden structure to replace our current one that porcupines can and will chew, we decided to get another SteelMaster building which will send those little buggers back into the woods to search for food elsewhere,” says Rella.

In fact, porcupines are part of a long list of things that Rella doesn’t need to worry about when owning a SteelMaster building.

“SteelMaster buildings are engineered for life and come with a 30-year mill-backed warranty by ArcelorMittal (NYSE MT),” says Wickum. “They remain maintenance free for a lifetime thanks to the company’s use of Galvalume Plus Coating which offers strength, superior corrosion resistance, and an attractive bright appearance that provides excellent heat reflectivity.”

SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including homes, farm buildings, garages, workshops, agricultural storage, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems, carports, military buildings, commercial warehousing, and industrial storage as well as a wide variety of custom building applications including athletic facilities, retail stores, churches, bus stops, smoke shacks, doggie dorms, and correctional facilities.

Written by Brenda H. Welch
Brenda is a freelance writer and editor living in Hampton Roads, VA

For more information about SteelMaster Buildings, click below.

Emma will be speaking during the Export Forum: Take Your Business Global event on Monday, May 21. The forum (also available via webcast) will allow Emma to share her knowledge of exporting and expanding SteelMaster’s customer reach in key overseas markets. Read her full bio here.

SteelMaster was invited to participate in the forum after winning the SBA’s Export Video Contest last fall and Virginia Exporter of the Year Award this spring. To learn more about SteelMaster’s exporting story, watch the winning video, Building Beyond Our Borders, on YouTube.

Ralph’s auto salvage yard became quite the hullabaloo, when onlookers would stop, stare, and question what was going on when the bright, shiny-new, 30’x40’ SteelMaster Storage Building was under construction back in 2001. It was as if the circus had come to town.

That was 11 years, four hurricanes (three direct hits), and many a “pick and pull” ago. With folks getting more mileage out of their vehicles these days, supplying hard-to-find auto parts is big business. In particular, there is a huge demand for used auto parts. Ralph Foss and the crew at All Auto realized spending a little to keep many of these rare parts safe, secure and out of harrowing weather was not a luxury, but a necessity.

Ralph boasts, “Through all the rough weather we’ve experienced here in Florida, our SteelMaster shed has not even sprang the first leak. We get winds off the Atlantic Ocean and Indian River here too. I have not noticed one bit of corrosion on our building – which we were actually anticipating.”

SteelMaster buildings are coated with Galvalume Plus. This product was created in the late 1990’s as an improvement to the original Galvalume – which, although not a bad product for its time, it contained an oily finish. Galvalume Plus features a thin, clear, dry organic coating. This coating eliminates the need for conventional chemical treatment and vanishing oil while providing a bright, attractive appearance with heat reflectivity and protection from corrosion.

Michelle Wickum, SteelMaster’s Director of Marketing said, “SteelMaster steel and metal pre-fabricated arched buildings are built to last. Each comes with a 30-year warranty, backed by our steel plant. They are made to withstand the elements – whether encountering hurricane-force winds, torrential rain, heat, or snow.

SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including homes, farm buildings, garages, workshops, agricultural storage, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems, carports, military buildings, commercial warehousing, and industrial storage as well as a wide variety of custom building applications including athletic facilities, retail stores, churches, bus stops, smoke shacks, doggie dorms, and correctional facilities.

Ralph added, “My experience with SteelMaster was great in every possible way. I would recommend them to anyone. Construction was a breeze too. It only took two people five days to construct our building – and that was working maybe four hours a day in-between waiting on customers.”

Ralph also shared an interesting story with us. “During construction, we got a visit from our local City Codes Inspector. We were not aware of any special zoning restrictions or requirements. He told us our storage shed would have to be torn down, since we were not zoned for another ‘permanent building’ at our location. Our SteelMaster Shed was already bolted down to its foundation. Pulling him aside, I explained that our SteelMaster Shed is portable, since it could be taken apart and reconstructed if the need dictated. This seemed to appease him, and we were allowed to keep our building.”

Actually, most SteelMaster Buildings can be considered portable. This is just another reason our customers love their buildings. Disassembly and reassembly is certainly possible, dependent upon whether permanence is a factor during initial construction. Many customers have shared how they have assembled, disassembled and reassembled in another location. This is one reason why SteelMaster is proud to have customers like Ralph Foss of All Auto Salvage, NASA and the United States Government.

You are in good company Ralph. And SteelMaster remains grateful for your business and wishes you continued success at yours!

~ written by Tammy Kistler
(Tammy is a freelance writer and resides in Hampton Roads, VA)

If you knew Sergey Brin, you would know this remarkable photo is actually unremarkable. The brilliant search engine guru is also sporting a pair of his high-tech Google Glasses, unveiled last month as the latest in digitally enhanced spectacles. It is only fitting Sergey would be carrying a SteelMaster lunchbox too. After all, the two companies have a lot more in common than one might think.

Google and SteelMaster Buildings are both big, successful companies and they share the distinction of being pioneers in their respective fields. Both companies also believe “going green” is more than just a hip catch-phrase. To SteelMaster, this picture says a thousand words. To sum it up, there may be an important lesson in this for us all.

When someone like Sergey Brin, a gazillionaire, who could easily trump the Trump, carries his lunch to work in a reusable lunchbox instead of brown-bagging, it is proof positive he cares about being environmentally friendly.

The fact he is carrying a SteelMaster lunchbox, is not only because he is a fan of SteelMaster, but he is Sergey Brin after all – and he carries it just because he can.

Or, could it also be perhaps Sergey is branching out and setting a new fashion trend?

Our passion for our buildings is shared with over 40,000 satisfied customers worldwide, including buildings located in every state in the United States, on 6 continents and in over 40 countries.

Setting apart SteelMaster from other steel building companies is our commitment to the highest quality materials, sophisticated engineering and best customer service in the industry.   With all great companies, come great employees.  We are very proud of the team of individuals in place to serve your needs.  From educating you about our structures to assisting you with the installation of your SteelMaster building, we are always here for you.  To learn more about us and what we are all about, please click below to learn about who we are and what we do.

We look forward to serving you.

The SteelMaster Crew

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