Although they live more than 1,000 miles apart, the connection between Mike Cumming and Kerry Martin is an incredibly strong one. They know they can depend on it, even as the world around them tries its best to tear it down. It is practically indestructible, and that’s because it is made of steel.

1. A Carport Connection Across the Miles
Although they live more than 1,000 miles apart, the connection between Mike Cumming
and Kerry Martin is an incredibly strong one. They know they can depend on it, even as the
world around them tries its best to tear it down. It is practically indestructible, and that’s
because it is made of steel.
Although Cumming and Martin have never met, they are part of a world-wide network of
more than 40,000 people and organizations who all own a SteelMaster building, which is a
pre-fabricated arched steel structure, manufactured and designed by SteelMaster Buildings
in Virginia Beach, VA.
Cumming, who lives in Altoona, PA, first became aware of SteelMaster in 1986 when as a
teenager he helped his father construct one to use to store parts for his company, Cumming
Motors. “We were very satisfied with the high quality of our pre-fabricated steel building,”
says Cumming. “Unfortunately we had to tear it down years later because we needed the
property it was sitting on to expand the main building of the business. I was sad to see it go
because it still looked perfectly new.”
In 2009, Cumming decided he needed a cover for an outdoor wood burning stove that he
uses to heat his home as well as a place to keep the wood dry from any wet weather. “I
was initially going to put up a wood building, but while I was looking around on the Internet
for one, I came across SteelMaster Buildings and remembered the building dad and I built
years ago,” says Cumming.
He bought a carport from the company to cover his wood burning stove and wood, and in
no time at all, the building was up and ready for use. “I remembered how to do it from
putting together the first one with my father, so we got it up in a short amount of time. I
also own a front end loader which made the job a lot easier,” says Cumming. “It turns out
that there was plenty of space left over under the carport so that I am able to fit most of
my truck underneath it as well. If people are looking for an extremely strong carport that
they can build themselves, then this is the one to get.”
More than 1,000 miles away in Lafitte, LA, Kerry Martin was also on the market for a
carport that he and his family could hang out under in the summer, and he decided to buy a

2. Steelmaster Building. “My family and I installed the carport patio ourselves, which included
my 81-year-old dad, my 49-year-old wife, my 14-year-old son, and me. We had it up in
about two days, which was great.”
“Most of our customers assemble and raise the posts, beams, and panels to complete the
construction of their SteelMaster carport without a contractor,” says Michelle Wickum,
SteelMaster’s director of marketing. “Each of our steel carports comes with an easy-to-read
and detailed construction manual to aid in the construction of your new carport. If our
customers have questions during any phase of the assembly process, SteelMaster Building
Specialists and our Customer Service Representatives are always available and ready to
help.”
Now that it is up, Martin and his family sit under it and BBQ and relax as they enjoy the
scenery of the Bayou. “It provides good protection from the sun in the summer and for
rainy days,” says Martin. “I can say the structure is nice looking, sturdy, and very easy to
install. I would recommend this type of Steelmaster structure to anyone to just hang out
under or to protect their car or boat from the weather.”
According to Wickum, the SteelMaster carport is the strongest steel carport in the
marketplace and is built to withstand a wide range of climate conditions.“The unique design
of these carport building kits provides security and durability against things like snow and
hurricane-force winds, while remaining aesthetically pleasing. Ranging from 12 to 20 feet in
width to 18 to 40 feet in length, SteelMaster has a carport kit to fit every need!
In addition to carports, SteelMaster’s steel and metal pre-engineered buildings are designed
for a broad range of residential and commercial applications including garages, workshops,
storage buildings, metal barns, Quonsets, airplane hangars, RV storage, roofing systems,
military buildings, commercial warehousing, and industrial storage as well as a wide variety
of custom building applications including athletic facilities, retail stores, churches, bus stops,
smoke shacks, doggie dorms, and correctional facilities.
For More Information About industrial steel buildings and prefabricated buildings Visit
Steelmasterusa.com