SPRING 1999
METAL SPECIALTIES: YOUNG, DYNAMIC AND DEDICATED TO EXCELLENCE IN ARCHITECTURAL SHEET METAL SERVICES!
The Metal Specialties Management Team: Seated, L-R: Anthony Vento & Russell Deaton, Co-Owners. Standing, L-R: Rick Laskowski, Purchasing Manager ; Dayna Deaton, Office Manager and David Kotch, Vice-President, Sales.
A
lthough Metal Specialties is relatively young in terms of years in business, they have established an impressive record of constant growth and excellence in architectural metal panel installations. During the early nineteen eighties, Anthony Vento and Russell Deatonestablished a business partnership to fabricate and install tubular aluminum framed canvas-covered awnings and canopies. As design became more complex and larger in scale, heavier-gauge cold-formed steel framing was often required and frequently, a more durable facing material such as prefinished steel standing seam panels was specified. By the late nineteen eighties, design firms began to specify architectural standing seam panels for mansard and fascia systems and the two partners made the switch to metal. It was a project involving a large quantity of structural low-slope standing seam roof panels on public transit bus sheds and curved standing seam panels applied to equipment screens which provided the impetus for Metal Specialties to become a major contender in the Houston, Texas architectural metal market. Not many firms were capable of forming and installing curved radius standing seam panels. Notes Anthony Vento, "The requirement for curved panels was the decisive factor in our choosing Berridge Manufacturing Company as our supplier". During the next few years, architectural metal panels grew in popularity in the Houston area and Metal Specialties kept pace by adding staff. David Kotch joined the firm as Sales and Estimating Manager and Dayna Deaton was hired as Office Manager. Other key employees added during the nineties include Rick Laskowski, Purchasing; Michael Deaton, Shop Foreman; Albert Chavez, Field Foreman and Josh Deaton, CAD Drafting. While the company still did some special ornamental metal work, the emphasis shifted toward large-scale commercial standing seam metal roofing projects. Berridge Manufacturing Company's wide range of site-forming equipment and capabilities was a key factor in Metal Specialties' growth. Anthony Vento and Russell Deaton put it this way: "Site-Forming enables us to be more responsive to the customer. Since we don't have to take field measurements then wait for materials, we can begin installing when the customer is ready!" Over the past couple of years, several large educational projects have contributed to Metal Specialties' growth. One such project, Hightower High School, used continuous-length Berridge Zee-Lock Standing Seam Panels which were 230'-0" in length. If ordinary factory-formed panels had been used, five or more endlap splices with screw penetrations would have been required. Special capabilities afforded by Berridge's single-source prefinished coil, portable roll formers, roof accessories and technical support have helped Metal Specialties capitalize on these and other growth opportunities.