Armstrong Expands Wood Product Portfolio with Acquisition of Canadian-based Geometrik

BNP Media Unveils IgniteDemand: A Data-Driven Platform Redefining B2B Demand Generation

Spackle by Dave Coverly

People News

Performance Contracting Opens New Location in Detroit to Better Serve Local Customers

CertainTeed Opens Call for Entries for its 8th Saint-Gobain Gypsum Trophy Awards

Construction Job Openings Plummet to 10-Year Low, ABC Reports Sharp Industry Slowdown

McClure Wins 2025 CFSEI Design Excellence Award for Univ. of Florida Project

Performance Contracting Opens New Location in Detroit to Better Serve Local Customers 

Performance Contracting has announced the opening of an office in Detroit, cementing its presence in the city for the long term. The Performance Contracting Detroit branch offers a comprehensive range of integrated services including metal stud and drywall, acoustical and specialty ceilings, cleanroom construction, exterior cladding, insulated metal panels, and other specialty solutions.  

“We are able to offer Detroit customers a wide variety of specialty construction services under one roof, one contract, and one team—a team that’s been doing this at a high level for decades,” explained Matt Houtman, Construction Manager at the Performance Contracting Detroit office.  

Although Performance Contracting’s brick-and-mortar building is new to Detroit, the union specialty self-perform contractor is no stranger to the area. The Detroit crew includes long-term team members who are originally from the area and know the market, and are invested in building a successful future of growth in the region.  

“Our senior project manager and I both have roots in Michigan and we’re happy to be back in this thriving community,” added Houtman. “We have existing customers in the Detroit area that we’ll now be able to better serve. At the same time, the new location allows us to help with projects of all sizes in the region, and we’re excited about making more connections through those opportunities.”  

Performance Contracting is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 specialty contractors in the U.S. and often ranked as the #1 Wall and Ceiling contractor nationwide. And, with additional preconstruction design and prefabrication services, Performance Contracting’s integrated service offerings can provide a comprehensive solution to streamline projects and increase overall efficiency.  

The Detroit team is available via phone at (248) 419-4773 or visit the branch’s site for more information at performancecontracting.com/branch/Detroit-commercial. 

CertainTeed Opens Call for Entries for its 8th Saint-Gobain Gypsum Trophy Awards 

The spotlight is on craftsmanship, creativity, and construction excellence as CertainTeed, North America’s leading brand in building materials, proudly announces the opening of submissions for the 8th Saint-Gobain Gypsum National Trophy Awards. 

This prestigious biennial competition honors the most visionary and skillfully executed drywall projects across the U.S. and Canada—projects that push boundaries and set new standards in design, sustainability, and performance using Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed gypsum products and solutions. 

Since its inception in 2012, the Trophy has become a hallmark of excellence in the industry. Now, drywall contractors are invited to submit their standout residential and non-residential projects for a chance to be recognized among the best in the business. A distinguished panel of industry experts will evaluate entries based on innovation, sustainability, comfort, safety, aesthetics, and modularity—core values that reflect Saint-Gobain & CertainTeed’s mission to Making the World a Better Home. 

The celebration culminates in a high-profile awards ceremony at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, Calif., from September 29 to October 1, 2026, where finalists and winners will be honored in front of their peers and industry leaders. 

“The North American Gypsum Trophy is our way of celebrating the incredible talent and dedication of our contractor partners,” said Matthew P. Byrne, vice president of sales, CertainTeed Interior Products Group. “It’s more than an award—it’s a platform to showcase how drywall craftsmanship can elevate architectural design and leave a lasting impact.” 

Submissions are open now through May 1, 2026. Any project completed by the deadline is eligible. Full submission guidelines and entry details are available at certainteed.com/trophy. 

Winners of the CertainTeed Gypsum Trophy will earn the honor of representing North America on the world stage at the 15th Saint-Gobain Gypsum International Trophy Awards, competing alongside top projects from around the globe. 

For more information on CertainTeed Gypsum and its products, please visit our website at certainteed.com/drywall. 

Construction Job Openings Plummet to 10-Year Low, ABC Reports Sharp Industry Slowdown 

The U.S. construction industry reported 188,000 job openings at the end of August, marking the lowest level in more than a decade, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. 

JOLTS defines a job opening as an unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. The number of available construction jobs fell by 115,000 from July and 116,000 year over year, signaling a sharp slowdown in hiring demand. 

“Construction job openings plunged in August, falling to the lowest rate in over a decade,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “While this data series can fluctuate month to month, the steep drop in openings aligns with other indicators—such as construction spending and employment—which have also declined in recent months. Contractors remain cautiously optimistic about the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, but the latest data makes it clear that the industry is currently contracting.” 

McClure Wins 2025 CFSEI Design Excellence Award for Univ. of Florida Project 

The University of Florida’s Malachowsky Hall for Data Science and Information Technology in Gainesville, Florida, features more than 170,000 square feet of exterior cold-formed steel non-bearing panels. The key partners—specialty engineering firm McClure, panel fabricator Kenpat and steel panel installer N-RG Cladding—collaborated closely to build the eight-story facility. 

The partners coordinated the design and construction of a fully prefabricated CFS non-bearing panels. The system integrates 3D volumetric modular cladding panels with CFS wall panels. The team secured the panels to the concrete-reinforced main structure. Using only a few strategically placed, high-capacity connections helped speed the installation. 

The Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute presented the project with First Place: Municipal in the 2025 CFSEI Design Excellence Awards. Lauren Gutknecht of McClure submitted the entry. 

McClure designed and detailed the exterior prefabricated CFS panels and 3-D volumetric aluminum façade panels. 

The specialty engineering firm created prefabricated panel details allowing each installation to “drop in” seamlessly to the previous, accelerating installation and reducing field labor. The firm also created multistory prefabricated panels. Each panel had connections only to the ‘jamb’ element. Since the building has stepping panel locations, this required coordinating the CFS vertical and horizontal movement joints.  

To validate design assumptions before full-scale implementation, the engineers developed a standalone CFS mockup. The mockup included a cantilevered soffit. McClure also designed identical jamb and beam system for each panel. The design allowed crews to swap the window modules and wall modules, ensuring efficient and redundant construction. 

For installation, the McClure team produced color- and symbol-coordinated drawings that conveyed attachment locations and illustrated how panels interacted with one another. This descriptive system enabled McClure to efficiently coordinate 22 uniquely engineered and attached panel layouts during installation. 

Finally, the engineers designed the aluminum cladding and its coordinated attachment to the perimeters and opening framing of the CFS panel system. Crews used preinstalled lock-in rails on each panel’s jamb members to quickly drop in the aluminum cladding panels for a finished exterior. These concentrated forces transferred directly to the jambs and window framing. 

Thus, the engineers had to carefully coordinate the CFS system to carry the loads. This design prevented engineers from having to design the typical wall framing for wind pressures. 

The project’s modular approach enabled rapid installation, minimized field joints and delivered a watertight enclosure. 

The McClure engineers designed large multi-story panels as full-height assemblies to limit joints and expedite construction. Each panel’s primary load-carrying jamb members attached to the structure at eight feet on center with horizontal box headers spanning between jambs. 

A highly adaptable “wall module” system allowed standardized interior wall modules to be swapped for opening modules wherever needed. By keeping the jambs and header framing consistent both openings and solid wall sections could be mass-produced and interchanged, ensuring repeatability of detailing. 

An engineered hoisting system with mid-span pick points lifted the panels into place and safely rotated them vertically. Crews secured the panels with high-capacity seismic bypass clips from SFIA member Simpson Strong-Tie. They fastened the clips to Hilti anchor channels, which were cast into the concrete. With jamb and header systems incorporated across all panels (including solid wall segments) connections to the structure were limited to eight feet on center, accelerating installation. McClure used BIM to align the high-strength panel connections with the anchors. Each multi-story panel required only four high-capacity clips. This significantly reduced the number of attachments. 

The team coordinated the prefabricated aluminum cladding system with the CFS framework. Preinstalled lock-in rails on each panel’s jamb members allowed cladding panels to be quickly dropped in completing the finished exterior. The design transferred these concentrated forces directly to the CFS system, preventing the typical wall framing from needing wind-pressure design. 

The University of Florida’s Malachowsky Hall for Data Science and Information Technology exemplifies McClure’s commitment to innovation in cold-formed steel design. By incorporating modular prefabrication, standardized components and high-capacity connections, the team delivered an advanced building envelope. 

Close coordination across engineering, CFS wall panels, cladding systems and cast-in-place anchors minimized construction issues. Crews installed additional anchors on a few panels due to misalignment and made trim angle adjustments on corner panels. This project is a testament to fulfilling complex architectural visions through the precision and efficiency of prefabricated construction. 

Armstrong Expands Wood Product Portfolio with Acquisition of Canadian-based Geometrik 

Armstrong World Industries announced that it has acquired Geometrik Manufacturing Inc. Based in Kelowna, British Columbia, Geometrik is a Canadian designer and manufacturer of wood acoustical ceiling and wall systems made from multiple wood species, including Western Hemlock. 

“We are excited to welcome Geometrik to the Armstrong family and to significantly expand our wood manufacturing capabilities and product portfolio in Canada and the U.S. with sought-after wood species like Western Hemlock,” said Armstrong World Industries CEO and President, Vic Grizzle. “We know designers and architects are drawn to the warmth of wood looks and biophilic design as demand for our products in this category has continued to grow.  

“By combining the creative designs and manufacturing capabilities of Geometrik with Armstrong’s existing wood capabilities and best-in-class service platform, we expect to accelerate our growth in this rapidly expanding category and deliver more of these innovative, inspiring solutions to customers across North America,” Grizzle added.  

Founded in 2007 by Vladimir and Nataliya Bolshakov, Geometrik has built a broad portfolio of wood ceiling and specialty wall solutions using a variety of wood species along with various stains, perforations, shapes, and sizes. The company currently offers nine different wood products across several types of acoustical ceiling and wall systems and a curated palette of 12 standard and custom wood finishes. These offerings bring a wide range of Western Hemlock solutions to Armstrong’s Architectural Specialties portfolio. 

“We are excited to join forces with Armstrong to grow our position in Canada and the U.S.,” said Geometrik CEO and President, Vladimir Bolshakov. “With our shared focus on creativity and innovation, we look forward to bringing inspiring solutions to more customers.”    

With the addition of Geometrik, Armstrong has now completed 13 Architectural Specialties acquisitions since 2016. The company funded the acquisition with available casc hall from Geometrik is now part of Armstrong's portfolio line. For more information visit armstrongceilings.com/Geometrik. 

BNP Media Unveils IgniteDemand: A Data-Driven Platform Redefining B2B Demand Generation 

BNP Media announced the launch of IgniteDemand, a demand generation and nurturing platform built to transform how businesses engage prospects, accelerate pipelines, and drive measurable growth. Early campaigns are already delivering standout results: in just three months of a six-month pilot, a client generated 330+ qualified leads and achieved engagement rates double the industry benchmark, enabling sales teams to connect faster and convert pipelines more efficiently. 

“At BNP Media, we're redefining what it means to be a B2B marketing partner. IgniteDemand delivers not just leads, but intelligence that accelerates sales velocity,” said Tagg Henderson, Co-Chief Executive Officer of BNP Media. “It’s about helping businesses engage deeper, grow faster, and gain more ROI from their marketing and advertising.” 

IgniteDemand moves beyond traditional lead-gen programs that delay delivery or lack actionable insight. Instead, the platform equips B2B companies with real-time intelligence and always-on nurturing, backed by BNP Media's trusted editorial expertise and highly engaged professional communities across 35+ industries. 

Key benefits include: 

• Speed: 24-hour lead scoring & delivery while interest is highest 
• Precision: Behavioral intelligence & affinity pools for sharper targeting 
• Scale: Multi-channel nurturing across email, web, webinars, and more 
• Acceleration: Faster, data-driven sales follow-ups 
• Clarity: AI-powered insights & real-time dashboards 

IgniteDemand represents a cornerstone in BNP Media's evolution from a trusted B2B publisher to a strategic growth partner, offering businesses subscription-like marketing outcomes rather than static campaigns. 

“B2B media has evolved to empower our audience to connect with and through our content,” added Henderson. “IgniteDemand delivers quality leads by connecting advertisers with truly engaged prospects, leveraging our engaged communities and our authentic content. The results truly speak for themselves and I’m proud of what we're now able to do for our advertisers. It’s helping us drive industries forward, which remains the driving mission of our company.”