Investing in the future with metal

By Jenny Yu.  

At IRE, Carlisle Architectural Metals shares how metal material performance, design and resilience are shaping the future. 

At the 2026 International Roofing Expo, Heidi J. Ellsworth met with Mike Weis, vice president of sales for Carlisle Architectural Metals (CAM). CAM brings together five established metal brands under one umbrella. “CAM is comprised of five different brands. Five different metal brands,” Mike explained. “Petersen Aluminum Corporation (PAC), Drexel Metals, Metal-Era, Hickman Edge Systems and Citadel Architectural Products.” While CAM serves as the parent organization, Mike emphasized that each brand maintains its own identity. “We are still very brand focused because every one of the brands provides its own value and has its own niche and its own market focus.” 

With over 25 years working in the industry, Mike has witnessed the exponential rise of metal in the roofing industry firsthand. “The significance of it is substantial,” Mike stated. “You can talk about sustainability, performance, visual aesthetics, design solutions, ease of install, longevity of product — so many reasons why metal has become more impactful to the architectural industry.” 

One of the main factors driving the accelerated adoption of metal is the extreme weather taking place nationwide, from fires on the west coast to hurricanes on the east coast. “If you think about Florida down in the southeast, all that hurricane work, you have to design a structure that can withstand that,” Mike said. He added that rigorous testing remains critical, noting, “That’s why testing is so important. We’re always going to invest in testing and always try to make sure that we’re helping create a safe building, that we’re providing a safe solution.” 

Along with impressive durability and weather-resistant properties, with metal, you don’t have to sacrifice design and aesthetics for performance. “There’s this new digital print technology that’s out there,” Mike explained. “You can create wood grains, you can create marble-looking finishes, you can produce a weathering aspect. Architects are really driving this. They like to make sure they're maintaining the original design intent of some of these buildings. You can do so many things with metal.” 

As contractors move beyond traditional roofing into full building envelope solutions, Mike emphasized that metal is here to stay. “Metal is going to continue to grow,” Mike said. “Carlisle is investing in the right way, and we’re proud to be a part of it.” 

Watch the interview to learn more about how CAM is helping lead the industry into the realm of metal.