Contact MBMA


Industry History

In 1956, Wilbur Larkin of Butler Manufacturing brought representatives from thirteen major metal building companies together to discuss the possibility of forming an industry association. They held several meetings to work out the details and, on September 25, 1956, the organization was chartered with Wilbur Larkin as its first chairman. The founding date is October 1 of that year. From those beginnings, MBMA has grown into the technical leader in metal buildings.

Learn about MBMA's history from notable figures that helped build the industry. We held a candid conversation with notable engineer and past Director of Research & Engineering, Mr. Gill Harris in August of 2016. This conversation was recorded as a Podcast and is available by clicking here or it can be listened to below. Be sure to subscribe to the MBMA Podcast to receive updates and new recordings once they become available.



ASSOCIATION HISTORY Click here to read more


A LIFE OF ENGINEERING AND ART
MBMA’s current Director of Research and Engineering, Lee Shoemaker, P.E., Ph.D., was invited to the Ellifritt home in Gainesville, FL. There, Dr. Shoemaker interviewed Dr. Ellifritt about his life with MBMA, his teaching career and his love of art. Dr. Ellifritt unexpectedly passed away a few days later. Click here for some excerpts from their conversation.