Four key trade associations representing the steel stud industry have joined together to promote the use of cold-formed steel framing in construction. Representatives from the Steel Stud Manufacturers Association; the Steel Framing Industry Association; the Certified Steel Stud Association; and the Steel Market Development Institute, a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute, met in Chicago last week to establish a coalition to address market threats initiated by the lumber and masonry industries in recent years, particularly in the mid-rise construction market.

The coalition developed a plan to work together on research, code advocacy and promotion of the cold-formed steel framing industry.  The coalition’s mission—to increase the demand for cold-formed steel in the construction sector—will be further discussed at a follow-on meeting on September 17.

“The cold-formed steel framing market is an important one for our steel company investors, and we are committed to working with like-minded construction partners to increase demand,” said Robert J. Wills, SMDI’s vice president of construction. “We applaud the leadership and vision exhibited by our partners in this collaborative effort, and we look forward to working with them to achieve the objectives that we discussed.”