There are many truss manufacturers in the marketplace today. Why should I choose Metalite over the others?

There are many factors that make Metalite unique in our industry. First, Metalite™ has been fabricating and installing cold-formed steel trusses for over twenty years. That's longer than all of our major competitors' experience combined. Second, Metalite is not simply a truss fabricator. We are a subcontractor specializing in the fabrication and installation of cold-formed steel roof trusses. Unlike our competitors, who are mainly fabricators who subcontract out the installation to others, we install our systems with our own experienced employees.

Why does Metalite prefer to fabricate the trusses on site, rather than in a shop?

There are many reasons that Metalite prefers to fabricate our trusses on site. The simplest answer to that question is that is the way we have always done it. It has worked for twenty years so why change? Fabricating on site allows us to build large trusses in one piece, rather than breaking them up into two, three or more pieces to allow for shipping. This results in a better, stronger truss and also saves money in installation costs.

Is quality control an issue with site built trusses?

Our competitors are out there trying to convince Architects and General Contractors that shop built trusses are somehow better than those that are fabricated on site. The reality is that the quality of the truss is not a function of where the fabrication takes place. What matters most is who is doing the fabrication and what methods are utilized in the process. Whether we choose to fabricate on site or in the shop, our trusses are built to exacting specifications in jig templates using methods that have been developed over the last twenty years. Our quality control is unmatched in our industry. In fact, it is our firm belief that quality control is actually maximized by properly site fabricating the trusses. For a comparison, CLICK HERE.

Then why are some saying that shop fabricated trusses are better?

The answer to that question is simple. Most of our competitors build trusses from materials supplied to them by companies that got their start in the wood truss industry. These companies are setting up fabricators according to the business model of the wood truss industry, which requires the fabricators to shop build the trusses. Unfortunately for them, it is generally more expensive to shop build a truss in several pieces, ship it, and re-assemble it during the installation process than it is to site build a single truss and install it. By claiming that a shop built truss is better, they are trying to justify the extra cost required to do business their way.

What type of field supervision does Metalite provide on your projects?

Metalite currently employs approximately fifty field personnel who are supervised by 5 field Superintendents and two General Superintendents. Each of our field Supers have at least 10 years experience and our General superintendents have at least 25 years under their belts.

Is safety an important issue?

Safety is considered a critical issue on all of our projects. Our field personnel are thoroughly trained in all aspects of OSHA safety requirements and strictly follow the requirements of our safety manual. Our Field Superintendents conduct regular safety meetings with our employees in addition to those required by the General Contractor.

What type of services does Metalite provide to General Contractors and Architects?

Metalite is a subcontractor specializing in the fabrication and installation of steel roof trusses and roof deck systems. As such, we provide a full range of services to our customers including free estimates for any job, preliminary budgeting, assistance in project design and in writing specifications, and complete engineering of our systems.

Who performs the Engineering for Metalite?

This is one of many key areas that separates Metalite from our competition. The majority of truss fabricators do not perform any in
house engineering for their systems. Instead, they employ a truss designer whose primary job is to provide a set of shop drawings. The
shop drawings are then sent to the manufacturer who provides an engineer's seal, based solely on the engineering data provided to them by the truss designer. The Engineer stamping the drawings never even reviews the contract drawings for compliance. In contrast, Metalite's
shop drawings are prepared and sealed by our Structural Engineers from the contract drawings. This not only provides our customers a quality set of shop drawings on every project, but also insures that the Engineer that stamps the drawings has thoroughly reviewed the contract documents in the process.

Some are saying that the top and bottom chords must be symmetrical about the YY axis to prevent twisting of the trusses. Is this true?

Absolutely not. This is an attempt by a certain manufacturer to lock up a spec for their product because there are very few truss shapes on the market that can actually meet this requirement. When properly engineered, the eccentricities of any truss shape are taken into account and any potential for twisting are eliminated in the design process. Metalite has installed millions of square feet of trusses and we have never encountered any problems associated with twisting of the trusses.

When I type in "metalite.com" into my web browser I get a link to another truss manufacturer. Is Metalite associated with that company?

No. We are not sure why this company has chosen to use our name as a link to their website. However, we consider it a compliment. You can bet that it™s no accident that this has occurred. If they were not aware of our tremendous reputation then surely they would not want their name associated with ours. It is our guess that they are simply trying to trick people into believing that our two companies are associated with one another in hopes of enhancing the reputation of their company.