Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 8

33 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 8 Another area where the company is having to deal with material shortages is buying pre- engineered products like steel decking and joists – those prices have risen over 400 percent. “There’s a major shortage of joists because of the massive demand coming from Amazon and other e-commerce operations that are building fulfillment centers at a rapid rate,” says Barrera. “Because of this demand, if you want to buy a joist today, you won’t get it until June next year.” Although Barrera expects steel prices to plateau over the next few months, the company isn’t waiting around. By working with engineers, they are finding alternatives for steel products that are currently unavailable or too expensive. For example, using roofing beams instead of joists allows them to offer clients a shorter lead time on project completion dates. Despite these challenges, Sharon Suggs sees a bright future ahead of the company. Her vision is to see the family business thrive, even as others shutter – something she hopes her son, Joey, will accomplish when his turn at the helm arrives. For Barrera, he believes the company’s future will depend a lot on what happens in the market over the next few years. “Although we’ll see more state and federal projects coming in, we hope private projects will pick up as steel and adjacent prices stabilize and fall,” he shares. “Meanwhile, we’ll continue working on our backlog and supporting our operations as we solidify our current good position.” ALLSTATE STEEL COMPANY L E T S B U I L D M O R E LLS Steel Erectors is a LLC owned by third and forth generation of Iron workers. We are committed to meet your deadlines while working safe to complete your next project. 25 N Market St #226 Jacksonville FL 32202 (336) 554-5516 www.llssteelerectors.com