Providence also performs a variety of structural design and analysis work, successfully providing solutions for many projects, including retaining walls, residential framing, commercial building framing, light-gage steel fabrication drawings, metal building retrofits and additions, mezzanines, and seismic anchors and restraints. |
| | | | | | | | | |
Providence has designed numerous foundations for a variety of structures. Its foundation design expertise includes metal building foundations, traditional building construction foundations, atypical foundations for residential structures, tower foundations, and sign foundations for a variety of uses and applications. |
| | | | | | | | | |
Providence has also designed and drafted full building plans for several applications. When subcontracting with local professional firms, Providence has the ability to provide basic architectural, mechanical, electrical, and detailed civil and structural design services for these facilities. |
| | | | | | | | | |
Providence has reviewed designs by manufacturers for a variety of structures and structural components, including retaining walls, radio towers, tower foundations, sign foundations, timber trusses, light-gage steel trusses, and light-gage steel beams. This service enables clients to take generic designs and have them certified and approved for construction in the desired locality. |
| | | | | | | | | |
Distribution Methods of Products and Services | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
The Company's sales are primarily retail, directly to contractors and do-it-yourself homeowners in Virginia and North Carolina. Approximately 90% of the Company's sales are wholesale to lumberyards, home improvement stores, hardware stores, and plumbing and electrical suppliers in Virginia and North Carolina, including Lowe's and 84 Lumber. Metwood relies primarily on its own sales force to generate sales; additionally, however, the Company has distributors in Virginia, New York, Oklahoma, Arizona, Colorado and Pennsylvania and also utilizes the salespeople of wholesale yards stocking the Company's products as an additional sales force. Metwood intends to continue expanding the wholesale marketing of its unique products to retailers and to license the Company's technology and products to increase its distribution outside of Virginia, North Carolina and the South. |
| | | | | | | | | |
Status of Publicly Announced New Products or Services | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
The Company has acquired four new patents through assignment from Robert M. Callahan and Ronald B. Shiflett, the patent holders. All four patents reflect various modifications to the Company's Joist Reinforcing Bracket which will make it even easier for tradesmen to insert utility conduits through wood joists. |
|
Seasonality of Market |
|
The Company's sales can be subject to seasonal impacts, as its products are used in residential and commercial construction projects which tend to be at peak levels in Virginia and North Carolina between the months of March and October. Accordingly, the Company's sales tend to be greater in its fourth and first fiscal quarters. However, the Company is expanding into less weather-sensitive markets, such as Florida, Georgia, Arizona, South Carolina and Alabama in order to ameliorate seasonality factors. The Company builds an inventory of its products throughout the winter and spring to support its sales season. |