For decades Alaska’s leaders have been calling for economic diversification with manufacturing of products other than our natural resources. Alaskans are mindful of shipping costs of everyday products and on-line ads that promise free shipping, until you get to the check out where Alaska & Hawaii are not included. At their open house last week North Star Metals Inc. showcased their new metal roofing manufacturing plant just north of Soldotna on the Sterling Hwy. where you now will be able to buy a new roof directly from a local manufacturer and you can pick it up yourself. “The mission of North Star Metals Inc. is to manufacture, sell and distribute high quality products and offer unsurpassed service as we honor God by serving our fellow man,” states general manager Marc Yoder. North Star Metals values stewardship, integrity, responsibility, quality and service. “Our customers are the life of our business. We will strive to provide fast, reliable and efficient delivery of our products,” he said.

Their grand opening June 6th featured a free lunch and a showcase of their cutting edge metal technology for manufacturing a variety of colored metal roofs.“We buy flat metal coils that weigh about 8,000 pounds and are close to 4,000 lineal feet; we have twelve different colors choose from and we make the sheets to meet customer specifications. We load the coil on to the machine and then we run the flat coil stock and cut it to the desired length. The metal piece then goes through the roll-former, which forms the ridges, and comes out the other end as a roofing panel,” explained Yoder. Local manufacturing has many advantages in addition to lower cost. Whether you are replacing your old shingle roof, repairing an existing one or want a roof for your custom built home, North Star can make the custom cuts and adjustments to fit your specifications. “It is all custom cut, so say you have an angle on your roof, we can cut each piece to be shorter and fit that angle so you aren’t paying for a lot of extra footage that you aren’t going to use” said Yoder.

Not only is metal roofing cost effective and fire resistant, North Star Metals roofs come with a 40 year warrantee. Whether you are a major commercial contractor or a do-it-yourselfer just needing some siding or trim, you’ll want to meet Marc Yoder his brothers and family at the new North Star Metals on the Sterling Hwy. just outside of Soldotna.

To celebrate their grand opening contractor discounted pricing will apply for everyone through the month of June. You can visit their office Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or give them a call at 907-260-3500, or check out their new website: northstarmetalsinc.com.