Sept. 28, 2026
Gary Davidson | 09282026
Guest: Gary Davidson
Host: Randy Chaffee
Producer / Director / Co-Host: Wes Wyatt
đź“Ś Episode Overview & Intro Chat
- Show Intro & Banter:
- Randy and Wes kick off the show on a classic three-episode recording streak ("rack and stack"), discussing early-morning starts (taking calls before 7:00 AM with building clients in Maine) and a shared love for the industry.
- Wes highlights the impressive wall of academic and professional accolades visible over Gary’s shoulder—which Gary humbly credits mostly to his wife, a retired professor with a doctorate from the University of Northern Iowa. Both Randy and Gary credit their spouses for supporting them throughout their decades as road warriors.
- Welcoming Gary Davidson:
- Randy welcomes long-time colleague Gary Davidson, highlighting his decades of leadership, high-level national accounts management, and deep repository of "tribal knowledge" across the roll forming and building materials sectors.
📜 Gary’s Industry Origins & The Shift from Integrated Mills
- Starting in Distribution (1970s):
- While earning his education degree at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, Gary worked in the warehouse at La Crosse Steel Roofing (now a Cameron Ashley location) physically unloading Strongpanel (National Steel/Granite City) out of rail boxcars.
- After graduating, he took an outside sales territory covering Northeast Iowa, working with early legacy specifications (such as heavy 0.0187" decimal thickness and G90 zinc coatings).
- The Demise of Integrated Steel Mills:
- In the 1970s and early 1980s, the metal roofing market was dominated by large integrated steel mills (National Steel, Wheeling Corrugating, and Republic Steel) that sold standard-length panels through multi-step distribution channels.
- The Fabricator Revolution: Regional fabricators and roll formers like Gifford-Hill (which was later acquired by the Mackin family to become Metal Sales) and competitors like McElroy and Fabral completely disrupted the market by offering:
- Custom cut-to-length panels.
- Direct job-site crane/boom delivery.
- Broad palettes of painted colors.
- The Double-Digit Interest Rate Shift: In the early 1980s, when borrowing rates surged into the double digits, stocking lumber dealers (such as Great Plains Supply's 127 locations) could no longer afford to sit on massive inventories of crated steel. Having cut-to-length steel delivered in 7 to 10 days made the fabricator model the new industry standard.
🏗️ Evolution of Metal: Coatings, Profiles, & Modern Markets
- Substrates & Innovations:
- The market evolved from bare galvanized panels and lead-head nails with neoprene washers to advanced screw fasteners and Galvalume substrates (pioneered early in Iowa by Doug Fuller of Midland Metals).
- Panel offerings ballooned from basic 3-foot ag panels to over 75+ specialized profiles, textured paints, and exotic architectural coatings.
- The Residential & Post-Frame Boom:
- Residential Growth: According to data from the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA), metal roofing market share has expanded significantly (tracking around 18% of residential reroofing) as homeowners look for long-term alternatives to asphalt shingles.
- Metal Siding & Barndominiums: The rise of board-and-batten metal siding, shouses, and barndominiums allows builders to sell complete metal building envelopes—providing a lifetime, low-maintenance exterior rather than just the roof.
- Influence of Plain Communities: Gary and Randy credit Amish and Mennonite crews and manufacturers across rural America with mainstreaming metal roofing and siding on Main Street residential and light-commercial buildings.
🤝 Sales Acumen: Life-Cycle Cost & Asking the Right Questions
- Selling Life-Cycle Cost Over Upfront Price:
- While metal roofing and siding carry a higher initial price tag than asphalt, Gary and Randy emphasize that top sales professionals must sell the total life-cycle investment.
- Paying slightly more upfront eliminates replacing an asphalt roof two or three times over the next 30 to 50 years.
- Moving Beyond Features and Benefits:
- When a customer asks for a linear-foot or square-foot price, inexperienced salespeople simply quote a number and let the customer walk away.
- Qualify the Application: Reps must ask questions upfront: Is this for an animal barn, an interior liner, a garage, or living quarters?
- Randy cites Ben Gay III’s core sales principle: people buy from those they know, like, trust, and feel safe with. You build that trust not by rattling off paint gauges, but by listening to how the customer plans to use the space (echoing Craig Jackson of RAM Buildings: "We don't sell boxes; we sell a space").
🎙️ Current Work & Should-Ask Question (SAQ)
- Current Role at Fortified Building Solutions:
- Gary currently serves as a specialized consultant with Fortified Building Solutions, focusing primarily on strategic support and relationship continuity for their largest national accounts.
- The SAQ (Should-Ask Question): The Platinum Rule:
- The Philosophy Gary Leaves with Listeners: Shift focus from the Golden Rule to the Platinum Rule.
- The Platinum Rule: "Treat customers the way they want to be treated."
- Sales success comes from uncovering each specific customer's definition of value, understanding how they make money, and tailoring your service to meet their unique needs rather than imposing your own preferences.
đź’ˇ Key Takeaway
"The metal industry didn't grow by sticking with the status quo—it grew by adapting to customer needs with custom lengths, faster delivery, and superior products. In sales, apply the Platinum Rule: stop pitching product specs, ask the right questions, and treat customers the way they want to be treated."
Gary Davidson:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-davidson-20776228/
Shield Wall Media:
Randy Chaffee:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/randychaffee/
https://www.facebook.com/therandychaffee
Source One Marketing:
https://www.sourceonemarketingllc.com
Building Wins:
Wes Wyatt: