News From the Steel Buildings Industry: Client Successes, Global Sustainable Steel Club, and More
We’ve been keeping an eye on the metal buildings, steel, and construction industries, so you don’t have to. Catch the highlights in our industry news round-up.
Hello from MSC! The steel buildings industry has been busy recently, and we know you’re probably busy yourself, so we’ve put together a news roundup to keep you updated on all things steel and construction that have been going on recently—including a little love for some of our clients.
The path to eco-friendly steel
Several exciting moves are being made towards sustainability in the steel industry that were published recently.
Researchers looking into the environmental and health impact of the world’s largest producer of steel are charting a way to a sustainable transformation for the industry. In China, a new study published in Science Direct looks at air pollutants tied to iron and steel production while making recommendations for environmental improvements.
The study identified key areas to reduce the environmental and health impacts of the industry by focusing on energy-efficient technologies and advanced techniques combined with ultra-low emission standards.
Compared to other steel-producing regions like the U.S. and Europe, China is lagging behind when it comes to the environmental impact of its processes, a fascinating article, Analysis: China’s steel industry needs time to transition, explains. It’s a great read. If you’re interested in the broader steel-producing market, check it out!
The journey to fossil-free
At the same time, global technology company ABB published a white paper and presented a webinar on the journey to fossil-free steel with Steel Times International last month, covering the challenges and benefits of decarbonizing the steel industry.
Ron Ashburn, executive director of the Association for Iron and Steel Technology, spoke optimistically about the four main challenges to the steel industry: carbon capture and utilization, the use of low/zero-carbon fuels, hydrogen usage, and electrification.
He sees the technologies evolving and sustainable progress on the horizon, making the challenges “very solvable.” Check out the event highlights here.
Net zero steel in Canada
A Canadian exploration company, Canada Nickel Company Inc. intends to build two new net-zero carbon processing facilities—one for stainless steel and alloy and the other for nickel—in Ontario. Both facilities are slated to be the largest of their kind in Canada and provide a source of critical minerals for the electric vehicles industry.
Canada Nickel plans to capture and store all carbon emissions from both plants at its planned Crawford mine.
Global sustainable steel club
In Germany, 11 states have expressed support for a European Union/United States alliance in the steel market after a January 29 meeting. The proposed alliance would be intended to promote fair trading and support the decarbonization of the steel industry.
The idea of an international consortium between the EU and the US goes back several years now. In 2022, the Biden administration proposed a first draft of the trade agreement that would levy tariffs on metals produced in environmentally harmful ways, as well as reduce China’s ability to undercut the American and European markets.
Industry growth
The pre-engineered metal buildings market is on the rise. Back in October, market research firm Consegic Business Intelligence forecasted that the pre-engineered buildings market will grow at a 4.3% compound annual growth rate from 2023-2031. This is thanks, in part, to an increased demand for modular construction combined with government initiatives in the construction sector.
U.S. and Canada 2024 Construction Trends Report
A new report from JLL forecasting the year in construction in the U.S. and Canada says things are looking up for the industry, thanks to the slowing cost of materials and a reduction in supply chain issues. So, while there has been a sharp increase in the cost of construction in the last few years, that price tag is stabilizing as the inflation rate drops from a 40-year high in 2022. Notably, Western Canada was hit less hard than Eastern Canada.
The forecast is hopeful that by spring 2024, we’ll start to see more construction projects being picked up in Canada, which is great news for us in the steel building industry and our many clients and partners.
According to a recent article from RBC Climate, Canada has all of the ingredients to become a leader in the mass timber market, helping to lower emissions in the building sector.
MSC is proud to have worked with many fantastic timber suppliers in Western Canada. See how our metal building projects can benefit wood suppliers:
- Woodco Industries Ltd. - Barriere, B.C.
MSC erected a total of five metal buildings for this repeat customer. Two buildings total of 9,264 sq. ft. in 2017, two more totaling 7,776 sq. ft. in 2019, and one more 4,320 sq. ft. steel building in 2022. - Gilbert Smith Forest Products - Barriere, B.C.
We brought our experienced crew to GSF to bring their 31,210 sq. ft. vision to life. - Babine Forest Products - Burns Lake, B.C.
MSC designed, supplied, and installed nine buildings totaling 60,000 sq. ft. on a tight timeline for Babine Forest products.
MSC clients in the news
We love to see our clients and partners thrive. While we can’t take the credit as we’re providing metal buildings, it’s always a good feeling to know that we’ve been able to support our fantastic clients in the form of durable, custom steel buildings as they focus on what they do best.
Kicking Horse Coffee - best medium roast
One of our repeat customers, Kicking Horse Coffee in Invermere, B.C., was named one of the 13 best ground coffees of 2024 by The Spruce Eats. This award-winning food outlet is built off of 25 years of recipe archives, and an editorial team that knows what tastes good, so we’re stoked to see Kicking Horse Coffee receive some love for their hard work.
MSC constructed two main steel building projects with Kicking Horse, the first in 2009 which was a 40,000 square-foot addition to their existing roasting/production facility, then a small but complex addition between two existing buildings.
Congratulations!
Victoria Gold Corp. - 55% increase in gold production
The year is off to a shining start for Victoria Gold Corp’s Eagle Gold Mine in Whitehorse—which kicked off 2024 with a 55 percent increase in gold production, Mining News North reported. The surge surprised the mining company, as wildfires forced a two-week closure and evacuation of the operations in July. The East McQuesten fire came within 4,000 metres of the facilities, but there was no resulting damage.
MSC had the absolute pleasure of spending time up north in the Yukon completing a 14,070 sq. ft. truck shop for the mine over a summer and fall. Working in remote locations is one of our specialties, and we can’t wait to return to the Yukon this year.
Built to withstand extreme conditions, this metal shop building includes:
- Insulated metal panel roof and walls
- A custom-sealed wash bay complete with epoxy-coated columns
- Various two-hour fire-rated walls
- Heavy-duty industrial door canopies
- Rubber industrial truck doors
- 25-tonne bridge crane
That’s all for this round-up of steel building and industry news. We hope you found some interesting insights and takeaways.
Metal Structure Concepts has been designing and constructing steel buildings across Canada for over 20 years. From retail spaces to warehouses to wineries and more, we are the experts for your next project. Contact us today for a free quote.