METAL CONSTRUCTION NEWS;  May 2006; By  Kristy Vogelpohl (Full Article)

Span Construction & Engineering, based in Madera, CA, has been a leader in the metal building industry for many years. After a short, one-year hiatus, Span is back on top as MCN’s Top Metal Builder Of 2005. To achieve this distinction, Span completed 8,645,900 sq. ft. of metal buildings in 2005, while also purchasing 34,738 tons of steel for those projects; both totals were record amounts.

In 2005, Span reached a major mile­stone by being the first builder in the in­dustry to purchase $400 million of steel building products since the founding of the company.

Here at Metal Construction News we were curious about what’s been happen­ing with Span since we last profiled the company two years ago. The following is what Span’s founder and president, King Husein, had to say.

MCN: What is different about Span today than when we talked two years ago?

King Husein, P.E., president, Span Construction & Engineering: 2004 was a difficult year for Span. In 2005 we regained stability in our business. Besides building projects in North America, we also construct­ed a project in Bristol,UK, and are exploring carefully opportunities in other countries. We con­tinue to focus on the broad range of clients that we have developed over the years.

MCN: In 2004, we understand that you switched your manufacturer affiliation to Butler Mfg. How has the relationship with Butler worked out since the switch?

Husein: We are proud to be associated with Butler Mfg. The Butler name is syn­onymous with metal buildings. The sup­port of Bluescope Steel to Butler is very important to the future growth of our companies. The transition for Span to Butler was challenging during the first year; mainly due to the closure of their large manufacturing plant in Galesburg, IL, and the start up of their new plant in Jackson, TN. With the transition behind us, Butler and Span are now working to­gether as a successful team.

MCN: There has been a lot of concern in the industry about the increasing need for worker training. Is this something you address through Span University? Can you tell us a little about Span University?

Husein: Worker training coupled with safety are the necessary elements in exe­cuting a project successfully in the field. Worker training and safety training are provided to each of our workers at Span University. Here we provide textbook as well as hands on training on the important phases of field safety, steel erection, insu­lation and sheeting installation. The train­ing includes special attention to details such as roof penetrations, gutter system, end laps, ridge conditions, flashings and roof seaming. The training has signifi­cantly improved the quality of our work as well as our safety record.

Some of Span’s most respected col leagues share their views on King Husein and Span Construction’s influence on the industry.

Chuck A. Haselbacher, chief operat­ing officer, VP Buildings: “While we were sorry to see King leave our formal organization, his suc­cess as a general contractor and a fan­chised builder of our products has been enormously beneficial to our company. During his career, King Husein has sup­plied over $350 million worth of our company’s products to thousands of sat­isfied building owners. King is the first and only builder in the entire industry to achieve this milestone. Recognizing that our products represent less than 25% of the total construction cost of most proj­ects, it is readily apparent that King and Span Construction is the premier builder in our industry.”

Marvin L. “Buzz” Oates, founder, Buzz Oates Construction L.P.: “King’s contribution has positively impacted our construction process by al­lowing us to successfully offer our clients an efficient, superior product that carries an extended roof system warranty. In fact, we have been so pleased with this system that we often choose to pay sub­stantially more for it compared to a con­ventional framing and roof system to benefit from the faith and confidence we have in King’s products and services.”

Tom Walker, executive vice presi­dent of construction and distribution, Costco Wholesale: “King is unique in many ways. He is the only contractor that has constructed 42 million sq. ft. of projects for Costco Wholesale to date, and is able to facilitate the necessary resources, including man­power, not only in the U.S. and its terri­tories, but also in other countries, such as Canada, Mexico, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.”

Tom Walker, executive vice presi­dent of construction and distribution, Costco Wholesale: “King is unique in many ways. He is the only contractor that has constructed 42 million sq. ft. of projects for Costco Wholesale to date, and is able to facilitate the necessary resources, including man­power, not only in the U.S. and its terri­tories, but also in other countries, such as Canada, Mexico, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.”