Hurricane-Devastated Facilities Turn to Metal Sales to Rebuild

After Hurricane Rita devastated Cameron Parish, LA in September 2005, the community turned tragedy into opportunity by contracting six new sustainable civic facilities that are complete with Metal Sales Manufacturing roof, wall, and fascia metal panels.

The Louisville facility of Metal Sales Manufacturing Corporation (Louisville, KY) turned tragedy into opportunity by contracting six new sustainable civic facilities after Hurricane Rita devastated Cameron Parish, LA in September 2005.

Metal Sales, the premier nationwide provider of metal panels for the building and construction industry, provided roofing and soffit panels for the Cameron Parish School Board office building, two fire stations, and the parish’s East Annex. Soon-to-be-completed projects include the West Annex and a community recreation facility, which will also feature their products. “It’s a good feeling to contribute to the reconstruction of Cameron Parish,” says George Marx, the regional vice president of the central region for Metal Sales. “Being specified to these projects is a testament to the strength of our panels and we are proud to provide that type of reliability to an area that has overcome such tragedy.”

Hurricane Rita was the most intense hurricane ever to be observed in the Gulf of Mexico, and the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. As a result, Cameron Parish sustained immense property and land damage, and lost about 30 percent of its population due to hurricane-related relocation between 2000 and 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Tragedy struck the parish again in 2008, when Hurricane Ike, the third-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the U.S, hit it. However, the leaders of Cameron Parish have continuously demonstrated a commitment to rebuilding the area by initiating a host of ambitious construction projects.

“For projects in this area, it is extremely critical to use durable materials that can withstand 130 mile-per-hour hurricane wind loads,” says Gayle Zembower, the lead architect at C. Gayle Zembower Architect, Inc. (Lake Charles, LA). “Having used Metal Sales products before, we knew that we could trust them to hold up well against the elements. In fact, we used one of their roofs on a building that was destroyed by a hurricane a few years ago, and the metal panels were the only part of the building that survived. We didn’t even lose a screw.”

Panels chosen for these projects include Striated Magna-Loc 90, Flat Soffit, and Striated Magna-Loc 180 in colors such as Zinc Grey, Linen White, Patriot Red, Sandstone, and Dark Bronze. All panels are 16 in  wide and 22 ga, as the project team desired a heavier product for added durability. Currently, there are nearly 30,000 sq ft of their panels spanning the new facilities in Cameron Parish, with more to be added as the future projects undergo construction.

“All panels have installed seamlessly so far, and we don’t expect any problems on upcoming installations,” says Nickey Priola, the president of Priola Construction (Lake Charles, LA), “We like to work with them whenever possible because they offer competitive pricing, provide exceptional customer service, and deliver a high-quality product.”

Zembower served as architect for the Cameron Parish School Board office building, the fire stations, and the upcoming recreation facility. Randy M. Goodloe Architect (Lake Charles, LA) served as architect for the East Annex and the West Annex, which is still in progress. Priola Construction served as installer for the Cameron Parish School Board office building, the recreation facility, and the West Annex. Shannon Smith Construction, Lake Charles, LA, provided installation for the fire stations and Lewing Construction, Lake Charles, LA, provided installation for the East Annex.

Metal Sales Manufacturing operates 20 facilities throughout the U.S. that manufacture roof, wall and fascia metal panels for architectural, commercial, industrial, agricultural and residential building projects.

www.metalsales.us.com