By The Coffee Shops™.

At the 2026 MCA Winter Meeting, Alex Chausovsky delivered a powerful message about navigating a year of modest growth and heightened uncertainty.  

Alex Chausovsky’s insights for the Metal Construction Association (MCA) centered on adaptability, proactive planning and leveraging relationships to build resilience. Here’s what leaders should take away from his presentation. 

Data over emotion 

Alex stressed that decisions must be grounded in facts, not fear or speculation. “Don’t allow your fear, emotion, anxiety or water cooler talk drive decisions. Look at the data, understand what is reliable, what is not and then make your decisions based on that.” In a volatile environment, data-driven strategies are the foundation for success. 

Growth won’t come to you 

For companies satisfied with 1–2% volume growth, the market will likely deliver that by year-end. But for those aiming higher, Alex was clear: “You’ve got to actually get out there and take it. You gotta hustle.”  

Market share gains and new customer acquisition will be essential for outperforming in 2026. Leaders must actively pursue opportunities rather than wait for them to appear. 

Plan for multiple futures 

One of Alex’s most strategic recommendations was scenario planning. “Probably the biggest strategic thing that you can start doing long term is not just have one plan. Have multiple plans for multiple scenarios and be willing to pivot depending on what happens.” Flexibility and readiness to adapt will separate thriving businesses from those that struggle. 

Communication is your competitive edge 

In a complex market, strong relationships matter more than ever. Alex advised doubling communication with customers and supply chain partners. “If you double the rate of communication, that really elevates the relationship from a transactional one to a value-added partnership.”  

Sharing insights and asking for feedback builds trust and creates resilience when conditions turn challenging. 

Control what you can 

While external factors remain unpredictable, businesses can control their internal actions. Protect margins, pivot toward out-performing sectors and embrace nimbleness. “Doing business as you’ve always done is probably not going to get you to where you need to be,” Alex warned. Leaders must be willing to rethink traditional approaches. 

Invest in productivity 

Finally, Alex urged companies to evaluate their efficiency by asking, “Are we doing things in the smartest, most efficient, most productive way possible?” Technology investments and process improvements can deliver significant performance gains even when the market is stagnant. Research potential ROI and implement changes that drive measurable results. 

The bottom line? 2026 may not be a year of explosive growth, but it can be a year of strategic wins. By focusing on data, hustling for new opportunities, planning for multiple scenarios, strengthening relationships and investing in productivity, businesses can position themselves to thrive in uncertainty. 

By The Coffee Shops™.

Understanding how tariffs will impact the metal construction industry is important for business leaders to plan for success.   

At the 2026 Metal Construction Association Winter Meeting, economic analyst Alex Chausovsky delivered a sobering assessment of the evolving U.S. tariff landscape under President Trump’s second term. His remarks highlighted a dramatic shift in strategy compared to Trump’s first term, with far-reaching implications for businesses and global alliances. 

A lone-wolf approach to tariffs 

“The biggest difference in my view,” Alex explained, “is that he [Trump] no longer cares or even desires to get anyone's support or backing on this course of action. He's decided, 'I'm going to go at it alone.'” 

Since January 2025, the administration has implemented roughly 75 tariff actions, all through executive orders. This unilateral approach even bypasses traditional party support. “He doesn’t even need the backing of his own Republican Party,” Alex noted. “He’s just saying, 'Executive order, I decided, I’m gonna do this.'” 

One recent example: a 25% tariff on any country doing business with Iran, announced via tweet. “It’s very difficult to actually answer, well, what does ‘doing business with Iran’ mean? How do you apply that?” Alex said, underscoring the ambiguity and complexity of enforcement. 

Tariffs as a geopolitical tool 

Unlike Trump’s first term, which focused on reducing trade deficits, tariffs now serve broader geopolitical aims. “We’re talking about things like critical minerals for the Chinese, immigration and drug trade in North America, NATO defense spending and even internal politics in Brazil,” Alex explained. 

This expansion of negotiating points introduces significant risks. “The biggest risk factor we’re facing right now,” he warned, “is an alienation of our traditional allies… pushing them into the very welcoming and open arms of our main adversaries, namely countries like China and Russia.” 

He cited India’s recent overtures toward Beijing and Moscow as an alarming example saying, “Prime Minister Modi was seen at a summit in Beijing recently, being very friendly — beyond normal levels — with President Xi and President Putin. That is not the kind of thing we want to maintain over time.” 

Legal challenges and what’s next 

Currently, three major tariff categories dominate U.S. trade policy: 

• IEEPA tariffs: Country-specific, via executive order
• Section 232 tariffs: Product-specific, requiring congressional investigation
• Section 301 tariffs: Targeting anti-dumping practices, primarily against China

But the legal foundation of IEEPA tariffs is under scrutiny. “We could have an imminent ruling from the Supreme Court that says IEEPA tariffs are unconstitutional,” Alex revealed. If overturned, the government faces a logistical nightmare, he says. “We’ve collected something like $130 billion worth of tariffs, and there is no process that exists right now for the government to pay that money back.” 

Impact on businesses and inflation 

For companies hoping tariffs will disappear, Alex was blunt. “They’re not going anywhere. 2026 is going to just have an evolution of the tariff landscape.” Expect new tariffs on critical sectors like semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, robotics and industrial machinery — categories that could significantly affect manufacturing and construction. 

The economic ripple effect is clear. “My expectation is, we probably end the year somewhere in that 3% to 5% range for inflation,” he said, citing the shift from companies absorbing tariff costs to passing them on to customers. “The bulk of the impact of tariffs is still out in front of us.” 

The bottom line 

Alex’s advice to businesses is to focus on profitability, not just revenue growth. “You don’t want to have customers and business opportunities where it’s actually costing you money to do business,” he cautioned. With tariffs reshaping global trade and inflationary pressures mounting, vigilance and adaptability will be critical for survival in 2026. 

By Dani Sheehan.

Understand how the economy is impacting the roofing and construction sectors to remain resilient through the end of the year.

Looking ahead to the rest of 2025, the economic picture offers a mix of steady growth, shifting consumer sentiment and industry-specific slowdowns. Determined to understand how these changes will or will not affect the roofing industry, Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down with Alex Chausovsky, director of analytics and consulting at the Bundy Group, in a recent Contractor Outlook to uncover his economic insights.

The Bundy Goup is a small boutique investment bank, and in Alex’s role, he provides direction to his clients on where the economy is headed, assists business leaders and owners in sales, acquisitions and capital financing. He shared, “My career has really been focused around one simple concept, which is how can I help people who are responsible for making business decisions, leverage data and an objective analysis in order to make the best quality decision?” From the macroeconomic environment and technological trends to labor market conditions and geopolitical developments, they all have an impact, and he helps people understand what they should be doing in response to the landscape.

Navigating slowing construction

In light of recent government decisions around the end of Q1 and moving into Q2 of this year, Alex described the construction industry as being “on the back side of the business cycle,” with most segments experiencing a slowdown since their peak in early to mid-2023. “The residential market has obviously been significantly affected by the interest rate environment,” he shared, with single-family housing particularly weak. “Multifamily was more robust, but that’s starting to slow pretty dramatically too.”

Non-residential construction, including metal buildings, is also slowing, especially in manufacturing and traditional office space. However, Alex highlighted two big areas of opportunity:

1. Data center construction: Driven by the demand for computing power and AI infrastructure, data centers are fueling both new construction and retrofits of vacant office space. Alex shared, “That opportunity is going to be very advantageous for the metal construction sector... regardless of what happens in the macro environment.”
2. Semiconductor manufacturing: Investment in U.S.-based semiconductor facilities continues, particularly in regions working to reduce reliance on imports.

Alex believes the economy is not in crisis, but it’s entering a more complex phase. While core construction segments may see a dip in momentum, savvy contractors can focus on resilient pockets of growth like tech-related construction and advanced manufacturing builds. “If we can contain the uncertainty, sentiment should bounce back and we should continue to see growth,” Alex noted.

In the meantime, staying informed, flexible and ready to pivot toward emerging markets will be the key to weathering the second half of 2025.

Read the transcript, Listen to the podcast or Watch the webinar to learn more about Alex Chausovsky’s outlook on recent economic trends.