October 8, 2007

(Chicago, IL) - The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) have jointly decided to end AISC’s sponsorship of the Metal Building Certification Program effective December 31, 2008, or 12 months from the date of the final participant’s 2008 audit, whichever comes later.

“AISC is focusing its certification efforts on its revitalized fabrication, erection, and bridge certification programs,” explained Roger Ferch, president of AISC. The termination of this Program is not a reflection on the quality or importance of this Certification Program, but rather reflects a concentration by AISC on its core market and participants. “The timing of the transition is designed to give MBMA time to transition to a new sponsor,” Ferch explained.

“MBMA is currently in the process of selecting a new sponsor/administrator for the Program, and anticipates that transition to the revised Metal Building Certification Program under this new sponsor will be seamless, and that there will be no interruption in a company’s certification,” explained Bill Savitz, chairman of MBMA.

The Metal Building Certification Program began in 1989 and currently has 91 participants. The Program is often referenced in project specifications and is designed to assure that certified companies have the manufacturing and engineering capabilities necessary to design and fabricate a quality metal building system.

Both Ferch and Savitz stressed that the two organizations have valued their relationship and expect to continue working together on a variety of future projects. Currently, the two organizations are working jointly on a Tapered Member Design Guide as well as seismic research.

For more information on the current Certification programs, visit www.aisc.org/certification. For more information on metal buildings, please visit www.mbma.com.