The Grit Blueprint

Stop Competing On Price, Value Is The Real Differentiator: Gary Davidson, Metal Sales

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Price pressure is loud at the counter, especially when a local roll former can make a panel that looks identical to a premium option. I spoke with Gary Davidson from Metal Sales to cut through the noise and explain how dealers and contractors turn “why does it cost more here?” into a confident YES using proof, not hype. From Texas Windstorm and UL impact ratings to paint chemistry that actually resists fade and chalk, Gary lays out the specifics your team needs to sell metal roofing on performance and lifecycle value instead of a race to the bottom.

Gary shares how Metal Sales supports co‑op members with territory managers, inside sales, and free estimating, so newer counter staff can quote accurately, choose the right profiles, and avoid costly reorders. We also explore where demand is growing fastest: residential roofs, modern farmhouses, and the rise of barnominiums and shouses, plus how wind and fire resilience give metal a clear edge in challenging climates.

If you serve farm and ranch, residential, or light commercial work, this conversation gives you practical language, training angles, and customer education tools to close more confidently. Use lifecycle cost to reframe price, show verified testing to bolster trust, and match profiles to project goals so buyers feel guided, not pushed.

Topics we covered:
• Metal roofing as a value play beyond first cost
• Difference between premium panels and local roll formers
• Texas Windstorm, UL impact data, and verifiable ratings
• Paint system choices and why PVDF outlasts basic polyesters
• Training, free estimates, and sales enablement for members
• Product breadth across ag, residential, commercial, and architectural
• Lifecycle cost versus sticker price for homeowners
• Barnominiums and shouses as growing residential trends
• Wind and fire performance as key decision drivers
• How to engage territory managers and inside sales support

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Stefanie Couch:

How do I tell them the answer to this why it's more expensive here question? And if it's a better product and you can sell the story of why it is more expensive, but it's also going to be better long term.

Gary Davidson:

If the end user sets our product side by side with the regional local role farmer, you can't tell the difference. It looks like metal rough thing. But behind that, the value proposition is a lot of testing, Texas wind storm impact ratings that we do behind the scenes that we have to educate the member on so they can talk to the end user about that to differentiate them from the other competitors.

Stefanie Couch:

Absolutely. And when your sales team is really educated to do that for you at the counter, that's how you we all win. And the homeowner wins, or the contractor that's selling them also wins. Welcome to the Grit Blueprint Podcast, the playbook for building unmistakable brands that grow, lead, and last in the built world. I'm Stephanie Couch, the founder of Grit Blueprint, and I'm a lifelong building industry insider. I was raised here, built my career here, and now my team and I help others win here. The truth is, you can be the best option in your space and still lose to someone else who simply shows up better and more consistently. Each week on the Grit Blueprint, I'm going to show you how to stand out, earn trust, and turn your brand into a competitive advantage that lasts. If you're ready to be seen, known, chosen, and become unmistakable, you're in the right place. Let's get started. Welcome to the Grit Blueprint Podcast. I'm your host, Stephanie Couch. And today I'm here. We are on the Saturday of Do It Best Market. I'm here with Gary Davidson from Metal Sales. Welcome to the show, Gary.

Gary Davidson:

Stephanie, thank you for having me. I appreciate it.

Stefanie Couch:

And we're actually going to call this rock and roll with Gary D because we were just talking that actually you should have your own radio show, and it would be a rock and roll channel. And I I was mentioning I got ready this morning to ACDC Thunderstruck. So I feel like I'm ready for this interview. Are you ready?

Gary Davidson:

I am all set.

Stefanie Couch:

Well, you are here as one of the amazing vendors here, a gold sponsor of the LBM booth, and we are going to talk about all the cool things that Metal Sales does. But I want to start with you. Tell me a little bit about you and your career in this amazing industry. How long have you been with Metal Sales and what do you do for them?

Gary Davidson:

Well, I started with Metal Sales in uh 1984, a long time ago. So that's really gonna kind of date me. Um, and I've held several different roles with the company. Uh started out as a territory sales manager, and then uh actually had some responsibility for some salespeople for a period of time, and then uh went into national accounts and that's what I'm involved with today.

Stefanie Couch:

Okay, so for somebody who maybe doesn't know, what is the role of a national accounts manager? What's your day-to-day like?

Gary Davidson:

The national account manager is really the liaison, if you will, between uh the customer, do it best, true value, and uh and metal sales. We kind of connect the dots, we um develop programs for for the co-op and really kind of facilitate the relationship tree, if you will, the different levels of management and and employees and connect those those two companies together so we work effectively.

Stefanie Couch:

Partnerships and relationships are so important in our business, and I think it's the hallmark of a great person that's been in this industry a long time. You probably have a lot of relationships. Tell me a little bit about how Metal Sales works with Do It Best, because they're a co-op, the largest co-op in the world. And you guys have 21 locations and facilities all over the U.S. You've been in business over 60 years. You sell metal roofing. Tell me all the things that you guys do and what you sell at Metal Sales.

Gary Davidson:

Well, the the name metal sales in itself is somewhat of a misnomer because we'll have customers call us, do it best members, and uh want to quote on rebar or remesh and maybe drywall studs. And quite honestly, we don't sell any of those products. We sell and manufacture metal roofing and siding for different uh market segments agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial, architectural. So it's it's uh important that the members understand what we do rather than what we don't do.

Stefanie Couch:

So I love it. I have this big dream, Gary. I want a big farm with a bunch of highland cows. So when I get ready to build that big barn for all my cows I'm gonna have one day, I'm gonna call you. Do you make hot pink metal?

Gary Davidson:

Uh not yet, but uh I I think we could color match your outfit here.

Stefanie Couch:

So you're saying there's a chance, huh?

Gary Davidson:

There's a chance.

Stefanie Couch:

I love it. I'm gonna hold you to that, Gary.

Gary Davidson:

Well, what's interesting along with that note, for example, camouflage. That's camel is big these days, and uh metal sales, along with other manufacturers, offer a camel color. So anything can be done.

Stefanie Couch:

I love it. Well, I'm gonna hold you to that. So don't worry, I'll call you in a few years when I'm ready. Well, I want to hear a little bit more about how you're working with members. So we're here at the Do Best Market. There is action happening everywhere. There's people and kids and all people walking around buying things, learning about the new products and the things that you do. So, how do you work with the co-op? And for a dealer or member that maybe wants to collaborate with metal sales, what is that like? What's the process?

Gary Davidson:

Well, I I think I don't think I know what has made us successful, the partnership between metal sales and do it best true value, has really been the engagement. And by that, what I mean by that is that we have territory sales managers out in the field throughout the country. They work out of these 21 different facilities. Yeah. And every day, Stephanie, what they're doing is that they're out there calling on the members. That is really the key. And then in some cases, we may know the member even better than Do It Best and True Value.

Stefanie Couch:

Absolutely.

Gary Davidson:

So the engagement, understanding the purpose of what that member is doing or what they want to do is really the key to the success.

Stefanie Couch:

Yeah, and you guys actually were a 2021 top vendor or do it best, and you've been a longtime partner of them. Uh with the true value acquisition and all the things that have changed, have you seen a lot of the true value members excited about this partnership that they have now with you guys through them?

Gary Davidson:

The relationship that we have with with uh do it best really started many years ago back with HWI and our own hardware. So it's been a long relationship, a long history. As far as the uh true value uh merger acquisition, if you will, we're kind of in the fetal stages of that. There's a lot of things going on. Um, I don't think that we've had the full impact of what that means yet. Sure. Now, in true value, the emphasis has really been more on the hard line side rather than the LBM side.

Stefanie Couch:

Yeah.

Gary Davidson:

So we're really trying to sort through who the LBM members are versus the hard lines.

Stefanie Couch:

Yeah, I think there's a lot of lumberyards out there though that are true values, and I I think they're really excited about what Do It Best group can offer in this category. So I'm I'm pumped about that. You have a lot of areas, I'm sure, of the US that are more metal roofing or metal siding and all of those things. Are there certain ways that you work with farm and ranch versus other types of you know packages? I know you mentioned that you're doing commercial, you're doing residential, all those things. Tell me a little bit about the product lines.

Gary Davidson:

Well, one of the um advantages for the members, uh do it best in true value, is the wide array of products, channel profiles that we offer, which is like over 75 different ones. So and again, they serve those various markets that we just talked about. So that's really one of our strengths. And the members have access to all those products. We don't um restrict them from buying different different types of products. So the fact that they have access to all those products gives them opportunities to service the different markets.

Stefanie Couch:

Yeah, that's great. And I think a lot of times people don't know, uh, they don't know if they have a resource that's also an expert. And I think with your team and the do it best team, you have experts that even if the person at the counter at these lo locations maybe isn't super familiar with metal roofing or siding, they can call and use those resources. So it's always great. You know, I remember when I actually worked in my dad's lumber yard, we sold a lot of metal roofing because I was in North Georgia. So uh we we have a lot of cabins there, a lot of chicken houses, a lot of farmland. And, you know, it can be really intimidating if you're not sure exactly what to sell people and you don't want to order the wrong links or any of those things. So I think having a resource that can help you make sure you get it right is always a powerful asset.

Gary Davidson:

I know that training uh product knowledge is really the key. Um, when the customer comes in, the product that we sell is very price sensitive. So you have to be competitive. And if you're not, you have to have these resources at your fingertips to convince that customer why they should buy from you.

Stefanie Couch:

Absolutely.

Gary Davidson:

So training and having access to the different resources, um, having access to our territory salespeople, our inside salespeople, our estimators. We do estimates free of charge every day for the members.

Stefanie Couch:

Yeah.

Gary Davidson:

So that's a key thing, too, to help them sell the product.

Stefanie Couch:

Wow. Yeah, and I know that training as we get more younger people, the older generation has been in it so long, they know these products, but as we get more younger people that are selling and doing this at the counter, it is even more important that we have amazing resources. This episode of the Grit Blueprint Podcast was sponsored by Do It Best Group. Do It Best Group is the largest co-op in the world, and they help independent hardware and lumber yards all over North America win. Do It Best offers services, products, and people that can help you win long term. They are the champion of independence. Gary, one of the things I'm seeing a lot, and I know you probably are too, I'd love to get your opinion on is how people go to market, especially with metal roofing and siding, has changed. It's pretty affordable comparatively to set up a local metal roofing manufacturing facility. And I've seen a lot of them out there, a lot of local people that set this up and start. How do you at Metal Sales set members up to compete with that? What's the value proposition that you're giving them to go out and compete with that local person who set up a manu manufacturing facility in their hometown? How do you compete with that and help them win?

Gary Davidson:

Stephanie, again, I think one of the biggest challenges that us and do it best and true value face is a proliferation of regional and local role formers that your members have to compete against. So we sell our product through traditional avenues of distribution. It goes to the lumber yards, lumber yards sell to the contractor, and then it goes to the end user. Well, with these um local and regional roll farmers it costs very little to get into making metal roofing. So if the end user sets our product side by side with the regional local roll farmer, you can't tell the difference. It looks like metal roofing. But behind that, the value proposition is a lot of testing, Texas windstorm, impact ratings, um, UL testing that we do behind the scenes that we have to educate the member on so they can uh talk to the end user about that to differentiate them from the uh the the other competitors.

Stefanie Couch:

Absolutely. What about paint coatings and and warranties and things like that?

Gary Davidson:

Fantastic question. Um there are different uh levels of paint systems, polyester, siliconized polyester, kinar. The coating is probably along the the paint film, if you will, along with the coating underneath the paint, is very important to understand that and all the the durability and lasting of the product.

Stefanie Couch:

Yeah. And I think also when you are at a counter selling something and someone comes in with a price, you want to be able to figure out, like you said, how do I tell them the answer to this, why it's more expensive here question. And if it's a better product and you can sell the story of why it is more expensive, but it's also going to be better long term. You think about a roof, I think about this a lot. There are certain projects that are not easily undone and you do not want to have to purchase them more than one time. You know, I don't wake up in the morning and say, oh, I hope I get to spend X amount on replacing my roof every few years, right? You don't want to do that. A metal roof or an asphalt roof is a pretty large investment and you want it to last for a long time. So if you spend an extra hundred, five hundred thousand dollars, but get a much better product, like with standing seam, the warranty on that, and you don't have to change out screws because the washers have gone bad and corrupted over time. Um, my dad, we grew up in a log home. So he had hunter green metal roofing, but it was just 5V. So it was overlap with screws. And I remember when we had to change out those screws, ooh, Gary, there was a lot of my dad doesn't cuss, but there's a lot of harsh words said. He was not happy. He he got someone to do it, but it would leak, it would have all those problems. So if you can afford standing seam or you can afford these things and you're investing for 30 years, 50 years, it's worth, I think it's worth considering. And when your sales team is really educated to do that for you at the counter, that's that's how you we all win. And the homeowner wins, or the contractor that's selling that also wins. So you guys at Metal Sales have those programs and you're helping do it best to give it to their members to show them how to sell, what to train on, and why your product's actually better.

Gary Davidson:

Yeah, the a roof is your most important investment. And to your point, the upfront cost of a metal roof versus other building materials is going to be more. Yeah. So you really want to talk about the lifecycle cost with that. You may have to replace this other roof twice uh for the time period that you'll have the metal roof. So it's important to understand that and make sure the customer's aware of that.

Stefanie Couch:

Yeah, and I do see a lot more metal roofs coming into the market. So I think I think, like you said, that trajectory is going to continue. You know, there may be some rules with HOAs and things like that where you can't have them. Right. But there's a lot of people that have a piece of land and they want to build a home and they should know that metal roofing is a great option. I agree wholeheartedly.

Gary Davidson:

Yeah, one of the biggest things going right now in the in the trend is what we call barn dominiums or shouses.

Stefanie Couch:

Yeah.

Gary Davidson:

Shous is a combination of a shop and a house.

Stefanie Couch:

Yeah.

Gary Davidson:

And these structures are just beautiful.

Stefanie Couch:

They are.

Gary Davidson:

It's one structure that people live in, and um, it serves multiple functions.

Stefanie Couch:

I lived in Texas for two years, so I know all about barn dominions, but I have never heard the word shouses until you just said it. So I now I will know from now on, Gary. So you taught me something today. Uh, how big is this? What's the difference between a barn dominum and a shouse? Is there a size difference or just whatever you decide to call it?

Gary Davidson:

No, it's just a different terminology. Yeah.

Stefanie Couch:

Well, a shouse sounds like something that I might get sent to if I talk back a little too much, you know, or if I need a quiet moment in the backyard. There you go. Yeah, barn dominionums are super cool. Um, I think they're one of the neatest things because you think about a barn dominion traditionally, it's, you know, it's like, oh, it's a barn. But a lot of times now you walk in these things and they're, like you said, immaculate. They're beautiful, two stories. Um, you know, you can get one that looks more modern. You can get one that looks more like a farm or a country house. So there's a lot of options. And I've even seen actually, you know, as you're scrolling on Instagram, you see all these cool things. But I was, I was watching a barnominium builder and I believe he was in Texas, and he's actually using metal roofing on his inside of his porches because wasp and birds and all these things were messing up the wood or the underlayment. So he's just using that as underlayment in his instead of a wood, he's using metal. And I had never seen that. It looks super cool. So it was like metal on metal on metal. It was a metal salesman's dream, Gary. Uh that they're doing it. So I think people should look into this as affordable housing becomes less affordable. Barnuminiums are are still a lot more in the it. They're, I think they're a little less expensive to build, and they're really great homes, especially if you're in a place like Texas where it's pretty flat and you can pour a slab and just pop up some metal.

Gary Davidson:

Absolutely. I love it.

Stefanie Couch:

What do you think when you look at where we are today and where our industry is heading, you've been in this a long time. You've been doing this. I'm sure you've seen so many changes. And thinking about where things are going, what excites you the most about the future of our industry?

Gary Davidson:

One of the biggest potential markets is residential. You know, our products have, and you mentioned a minute ago, um, have been used in the agricultural market segment. That's not really a growth opportunity that's that's kind of shrinking. So one of the exciting parts is the opportunities with residential. The metal roofing uh alliance, MRA, tracks the progress of the percentage of metal roofing to asphalt every year. Sure. And it's about 18% right now, and it continues to grow every year.

Stefanie Couch:

Yeah, especially in zones with hurricanes or any type of uh weather, you know, you've got a lot more protection there, especially with something like a standing seam metal. You know, you've got a lot more options to really have a better protection on your home.

Gary Davidson:

We see a lot of wind in different parts of the country where our and not to knock asphalt, they're king, they're not going away. Sure. But um customers get tired of them blowing off and they they want an option, a different product, and metal meets that need. And not only that, you we see all these fires across the country. Yeah, that's a big thing too. A class A fire rating. Metal will withstand those uh challenges much better than that.

Stefanie Couch:

Yeah, one ember on a piece of asphalt roof is scary business for sure. I love a metal roof. I've always uh thought that a metal roof with a white farmhouse with a galvaloom. I like galvaloom. I'm old school. Um, if I can't have hot pink, Gary, which we've already negotiated, I will remind you again. But Galvaloom metal roofing, standing seam with a white farmhouse, it's pretty awesome. Americana. It's hard to beat.

Gary Davidson:

It's a great look.

Stefanie Couch:

It is for sure. All right. Well, I really appreciate you joining me on the podcast. If someone wants to work with you and your team and they are going to be looking for metal roofing, they want that training, they want those resources, they should reach out to you or their do it best uh trader that is dealing with them, and they can come and see you at the market if they're here, or they can reach out to you and the do it best team. So thank you for joining me today, Gary.

Gary Davidson:

It's my pleasure, Stephanie. Thank you for having me.

Stefanie Couch:

Hope you have a great show. Maybe you can go play some rock and roll at your booth. You would probably bring all the people. To the booth if you brought some ACDC out or I look forward to it. Yeah, absolutely. See you there. Thank you for joining us on the Grit Blueprint Podcast, and we'll see you on the next episode. Thank you for listening to the Grit Blueprint Podcast. If this episode helped you think a little differently about how to show up, share it with someone in your building world who needs it. If you're ready to turn visibility into growth, then head to gritblueprint.com to learn more and book a call to talk to us about your growth strategy. Until next time, stay unmistakable.

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Stefanie Couch

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