Since 1974, AWCI’s Construction Dimensions has empowered readers with essential insights and practical advice on wall and ceiling construction.
In the 1970s, the International Association of Wall and Ceiling Contractors (IAWCC , now AWCI) adopted a broad view of wall and ceiling construction. The industry had diversified to include lines of trade beyond lath and plaster. Plastering contractors were rapidly expanding their services to include drywall, metal framing, fireproofing, acoustical ceiling tiles and more. The association wanted its magazine to cover this industry wide expansion.
Birth of Construction Dimensions
Plastering Industries was IAWCC’s (AWCI’s) official magazine and had been for decades. It was produced monthly under contract by a separate publisher, rather than in-house. But for some reason in the early 1970s, the magazine’s publisher veered from covering the industry’s diverse product lines and focused instead on lath and plaster systems.
Displeased with this editorial direction, the IAWCC’s Continuing Study Council said in a 1972 report: “We recommend that either the magazine…faithfully follow the diversified position of IAWCC 100 percent or lose the privilege and right to use the designation of ‘Official Publication.’”
Two years later, in December 1974, IAWCC (AWCI) launched its own magazine—Construction Dimensions. The timing was significant. With economic uncertainty following the 1973 oil crisis and the government’s efforts to stabilize inflation, many industries were retrenching. But IAWCC (AWCI) saw opportunity. The launch of Construction Dimensions was not just a response to industry needs; it was a bold move to unite contractors through a single, authoritative voice.
“The average wall and ceiling contractor no longer limits himself to a single specialty,” wrote IAWCC President E.M. Ratliff in “The President’s Comments” of Construction Dimensions’ first issue of December 1974.
Whereas other magazines might focus on specific lines of trade, Construction Dimensions would cover wall and ceiling construction in its entirety. Ratliff wrote about “the remarkable range of our industry magazine,” which included “acoustical systems, exterior curtain walls, demountable partitions, drywall, fireproofing, flooring, lathing and plastering.”
The 1970s: Unification
As wall and ceiling contractors diversified, two industry trade associations merged—the IAWCC (now AWCI) and the Gypsum Drywall Contractors International (GDCI). Construction Dimensions brought the topic of industry unification to the fore.
“There is a whole new concept of contracting being formed, and it’s in its infancy,” plasterer Vito J. Arsena, president of Acme-Arsena Company Inc., Cleveland, and IAWCC/GDCI president, 1976–1977, told Construction Dimensions in October 1975.
Plasterers like Arsena felt a kinship with drywall contractors, Construction Dimensions noted. Drywallers, for their part, advocated for industry unification.
“We should be able to stop…some of the animosity among contractors who are really moving toward the same type of business,” Theodore J. Vogle, GDCI president, 1975–1976, told Construction Dimensions in July 1976.
The merger had a positive effect on the new association’s communications. Construction Dimensions published a broad base of articles that included coverage of association conventions, contractor profiles and in-depth building category reviews. Here are a few headlines from Construction Dimensions that illustrate the innovations of the 1970s:
● “Construction Lasers: Lighting the Way”—November 1975, Construction Dimensions
● “Taping Tools: Still a Ways to Go”—July 1976, Construction Dimensions
The 1980s: Industry Growth
As the 1980s began, the wall and ceiling construction industry enjoyed an unexpected boom. Despite a surplus of office space from overbuilding in the 1970s, and a residential construction growth spurt that outpaced actual housing needs, AWCI member contractors reported revenue increases in the 1980s. The question was: how?
One factor was the 1970s’ energy crisis, which pushed homeowners and commercial property owners alike to seek greater energy efficiency. This sparked a wave of 1980s remodeling. AWCI member contractors targeted commercial property owners, while also pursuing new opportunities.
Panelization was on the rise. Exterior prefabricated panel systems represented “the most significant growth opportunity to come along in many, many years,” Construction Dimensions said in the June 1980 article, “Panelization Shows Appeal.” AWCI offered a March 1980 seminar on panelization in Phoenix, Arizona, which drew over 160 industry professionals, Construction Dimensions noted.
The 1982 Annual Business Volume Survey of AWCI contractor members, conducted by Construction Dimensions, appeared in the July 1982 issue. Of 141 responding firms, total business volume reached $743.6 million in 1981, a 16.5 percent increase from the $638.2 million reported in 1980. (The actual increase was much smaller because the dollar figures hadn’t been adjusted for the high inflation at the time.)
By 1985, the average AWCI member contractor employed 32 workers and generated $3.28 million in annual revenue, according to the 1985 AWCI Membership Needs Assessment Survey. Collectively, AWCI members produced total receipts of $3.45 billion, the survey said.
Thus, AWCI member contractors were growing, and AWCI’s 1985 Annual Convention in Kansas City saw a record number of attendees.
“More than 1,800 wall and ceiling contractors, their wives, guests, visitors, manufacturers and suppliers, and friends of the industry showed up for the wall and ceiling industry’s once-a-year get together,” Construction Dimensions noted in its May 1985 issue.
During the 1980s, Construction Dimensions continued profiling AWCI member firms. Mississippi’s F.L. Crane & Sons, Inc., was featured in July 1986—the article highlighting the firm’s practice of stocking building materials to more promptly service its projects. “We convinced manufacturers to sell direct to us and we warehoused the materials,” Jimmie U. Crane, then F.L. Crane president, told Construction Dimensions.
Throughout the 1980s, Construction Dimensions articles showed readers how to invest in themselves and in the future. Here are a few of the decade’s headlines:
● “AWCI Lifetime Membership: Your Key to a Profitable Future”—February 1986, Construction Dimensions
● “‘Acoustics’ Is a Word for Opportunity”—December 1988, Construction Dimensions
● “Treatment of Mold and Mildew on Gypsum Board”—January 1989, Construction Dimensions
The 1990s: Expanding Opportunities
The 1990s brought further industry expansion and reasons for applause.
AWCI celebrated its 75th anniversary during the 1992 Wall and Ceiling Exposition in Washington, DC. The event included a retirement dinner for Joe M. Baker Jr., AWCI’s executive vice president, who had served the association for 37 years.
“Some 400 of Joe’s friends and business acquaintances came to pay tribute to him,” the May 1992 Construction Dimensions said. “The highlight of the evening came when Joe was presented with the Pinnacle Award, AWCI’s highest honor, in a surprise ceremony.”
Construction Dimensions singled out in its pages leaders who proved to be ahead of their time. Stephen R. Baker, president of Baker Drywall Co. in Texas, and AWCI president, 1996–1997, for example, told the magazine in March 1993: “We keep hearing about the impending labor shortage, but I think it has already hit us, at least here in Dallas. … We must address this problem as an industry.”
Construction Dimensions’ repertoire included articles tailored to specific firms. A January 1994 Construction Dimensions article entitled, “The Outlook for Family Construction Firms in the Mid-90s,” for example, helped level the playing field for family business owners. “The successful 1990s family construction firm will overcome [the competition] by adopting more formal business practices,” Construction Dimensions said. “They will minimize risky business practices and be able to track nearly every expense item in precise detail. Many will have to develop a reputation for quality or ‘niche’ specialties that set them apart from larger competitors.”
During the 1990s, demand for cold-formed steel framing surged. A 1992 court order brought logging in old-growth forests to a standstill, The New York Times noted. The July 1995 issue of Construction Dimensions said, “steel is taking place of the cement block backwall.” Why? “Because it’s lightweight, it’s easy to engineer, easy to construct and lends itself to panelization.”
Meanwhile, exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS) grew in popularity during the ’90s. AWCI led efforts to certify professionals in EIFS applications, and Construction Dimensions published articles to help EIFS contractors improve their processes.
As was customary, Construction Dimensions continued to publish reports on AWCI’s conventions. Here are outtakes from the magazine’s 1990s convention reports:
● “Education sessions [at AWCI’s 76th annual convention] included ‘How to Train, Motivate and Retain Employees,’… and ‘Ceiling Restorations.’”—May 1993, Construction Dimensions
● “The Annual Auction of the Foundation of the Wall and Ceiling Industry generated $56,000.”—May 1996, Construction Dimensions
● “The winning project is the Columbia (SC) Airport Concourse [for AWCI’s first-ever Excellence in Construction award].”—June 1997, Construction Dimensions
The 2000s: Exceptional Times
The 2000s brought a cascade of challenges to wall and ceiling construction, reshaping the labor force and supply chains.
In 2001, security concerns following 9/11 altered U.S. immigration policy by shutting down the flow of workers from Mexico and Latin America. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina disrupted material supplies. And the Great Recession that began in 2008 wiped out 1.6 million construction jobs; James M. Keller, AWCI president, 2008–2009, called 2008 the worst economic year since 1931.
The exceptional times called for exceptional leaders, and Construction Dimensions published their thoughts regularly in the 2000s.
Mikel Poellinger of Poellinger, Inc., La Crosse, Wisconsin, AWCI president, 2000–2001, and the 2015 AWCI Pinnacle Award winner, told Construction Dimensions in August 2000 that he never leaves an AWCI convention without making new friends who become life-long influencers. “We have the best contractors and suppliers in the industry,” Poellinger told Construction Dimensions.
In 2003, Ken Navratil of J&B Acoustical in Mansfield, Ohio, AWCI president, 2003–2004, and the 2016 AWCI Pinnacle Award winner, wrote in his President’s Message of December 2003 that AWCI brings an extended family to every member. “This extension of the typical definition of family has created a genuine support group,” Navratil wrote in Construction Dimensions. “It is one’s willingness to become involved and make a difference in our industry that leads to these close bonds.”
In August 2006, Mike Heering of F.L. Crane in Mississippi, AWCI president, 2006-2007, and the 2017 AWCI Pinnacle Award winner, wrote in Construction Dimensions: “It is up to us to educate the work force of tomorrow, and there are many ways to achieve it.” Heering then provided practical steps to enhance a firm’s training programs.
Of course, Construction Dimensions did more than just publish what its presidents had to say. It kept readers informed through carefully researched articles that addressed project management, the changing workforce, sustainability and more. For example:
● “Managing in Uncertain Times: Six Key Steps”—May 2002, Construction Dimensions
● “Errors in Estimating (and How to Avoid Them)”—December 2005, Construction Dimensions
● “Demystifying the Millennials”—December 2008, Construction Dimensions
● “What Does It Take to Build a Green Wall?”—September 2009, Construction Dimensions
The 2010s: A Bright Outlook
In 2010, AWCI’s Construction Dimensions ran a headline that captured the mood of the time: “The Storm Continues.” The Great Recession had tightened its grip on the economy with no sign of letting go.
The recession hit the wall and ceiling industry hard. For example, prior to the Great Recession, Poellinger, Inc. was used to winning 25 to 30 percent of its bids and had a volume of about $10 million a year. “Last year we struggled to do $3 million. We bid on an all-time record of $40 million worth of projects—only to get less than 10 percent of the work,” Poellinger told Construction Dimensions in February 2010.
Speaking of the tight lines of credit at the time, Jeff Burley, CEO and president of B&B Interior Systems Inc., in Florida, and AWCI president 2012–2013, told Construction Dimensions: “Developers may not have the dough to build.”
By December 2013, the outlook had brightened. “Count on growth,” Construction Dimensions told readers about the 2014 economy. “There has been a significant increase in bidding activity and project starts since the fourth quarter 2012, and it’s being sustained,” Lee R. Zaretzky, president of Ronsco, Inc., in New York, told Construction Dimensions.
As the economy improved each year, Construction Dimensions ran articles that helped AWCI member contractors not only plan for a boom in projects, but also better understand the latest construction technologies. For example:
● “Workforce Management: Time to Accelerate” showed readers how to “put trained workers in the field faster”—July 2015, Construction Dimensions
● “Information: How Much Do You Need?” helped contractors to better manage their project data—June 2015, Construction Dimensions
● “Building with Holograms” revealed how AWCI member contractors were using augmented reality—August 2018, Construction Dimensions
Of course, the highlight of the decade was AWCI’s 100-year anniversary in 2018—chronicled both in the AWCI book, Celebrating 100 Years of Industry Growth with the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry, and in Construction Dimensions.
Construction Dimensions covered the milestone with a series of articles. They included: “100 Years of Ceilings and Walls” (August 2017), “The Evolution of Manufacturing Supply” (September 2017), “The Time Capsule—Preparing for AWCI’s Bicentennial in 2118” (December 2017), “A Look Back 25 Years: AWCI’s Last Quarter Century Has Been Nothing Short of Exceptional” (January 2018) and “A Brief History of AWCI” (February 2018).
Steven A. Etkin, AWCI’s former executive vice president and CEO, told Construction Dimensions in January 2018: “AWCI is now highly regarded by members of our industry as providing valuable technical and product information, education and training, industry contacts and the collaborations essential to operating a successful business.”
The 2020s: Time for Change
The year 2019 marked a new era for AWCI and Construction Dimensions.
“As you read this column, we have already chosen our new executive vice president and CEO,” wrote Nancy Brinkerhoff, AWCI’s first female president, 2019–2020, in the September 2019 issue of Construction Dimensions. Michael F. Stark, CAE, a long-time construction association executive, succeeded Etkin, who retired as executive vice president and CEO of AWCI and FWCI. As Stark took over AWCI’s helm on September 9, 2019, he also become the new publisher of Construction Dimensions.
“I look forward to continuing AWCI traditions while introducing new initiatives in key areas such as communications, membership, and industry outreach and advocacy,” said Stark in a Construction Dimensions article about his appointment.
During the 2020s, many capable new voices emerged. The March 2022 issue of Construction Dimensions focused on the industry’s next generation of leaders. AWCI had launched the Emerging Leaders Program, and the magazine profiled three rising leaders: Dan Wies of Wies Drywall and Construction Corp. in Missouri, Kyle Yu of California Drywall and Brittni Daley-Grishaeva or Daley’s Drywall & Taping, Inc., in California.
Construction Dimensions continues to provide readers with practical advice:
● “Technology: Is the Future Now?”—May 2021, Construction Dimensions
● “How to Manage Tight Schedules”—August 2023, Construction Dimensions
● “Unlocking the Power of EIFS Knowledge”—March 2024, Construction Dimensions
● “15 Safety Tips to Prepare Crews for the Heat”—June 2024, Construction Dimensions
Today, the magazine you’re holding is more robust and published bimonthly. And yet, Construction Dimensions content is expanding its reach by appearing in more formats, including email newsletters and social media posts. This growth is only natural. As AWCI evolves, so too are its communication programs—and Construction Dimensions is evolving right along with them.
Mark L. Johnson writes regularly about the wall and ceiling industry. You can reach him at linkedin.com/in/markjohnsoncommunications.
