By Shield Wall Media Staff
We just came back from the first ever Post Frame Builder Show. One of the great things is the opportunity to talk to builders, dealers, manufacturers, and various professionals in our corner of the construction industry. One question that always comes up is “How is the industry doing?” Is business up or down, busy or slow, and what is next?
Many factors can affect the business climate in the short-term, especially in an election year. The general impression was that Q2 was slower than Q1, with no specific reasons given for the decrease. The story seemed similar across the various markets we serve.
Since we are generating data for the industry, this presented an excellent opportunity to validate or disprove what people were saying. In late June, we sent a survey on business climate, comparing Q1 and Q2. The results were interesting.
Rural Builder includes a wide cross-section of construction, different building types, end users, and is the broadest selection of contractors of our magazines.
Looking at data across the different areas, the perception among builders and contractors seems validated.
Post-frame construction seemed to experience the largest downturn of the groups we sampled. 9% reported that Q2 2024 was down over 25% vs. Q1 2024. This was the only group reporting a decrease of 25% or more. Interestingly, 45% of post-frame builders reported an increase of less than 25% for the same period. Post-frame also experienced similar results comparing Q2 2024 to Q2 2023 and when asked whether Q2 2024 met expectations.
The positive segments were roll forming/metal forming and stick-built. Both were positive or neutral, not reflecting a slowdown. RB
