Skip to content
MarketScale
‹ Back to IndustriesEngineering & Construction

One Company’s Story of Surviving and Thriving in AEC

There’s no such thing as an overnight success. No one knows this better than today’s guest on the AEC Podcast, Ron Tamlyn, co-owner of worldwide building products supplier Tamlyn. He joined us on the podcast to recount the story of Tamlyn, from its humble beginning, to its uncertain moments, to its prosperous now. Tamlyn’s…

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Engineering & Construction teams put it to work with Partner & Channel Enablement.

Share

Get featured

Want to get featured in MarketScale Engineering & Construction?

Create a free MarketScale workspace and get your company's expertise featured across our Engineering & Construction coverage. No credit card, no demo required.

Request an invite

There’s no such thing as an overnight success. No one knows this better than today’s guest on the AEC Podcast, Ron Tamlyn, co-owner of worldwide building products supplier Tamlyn.

He joined us on the podcast to recount the story of Tamlyn, from its humble beginning, to its uncertain moments, to its prosperous now. Tamlyn’s story is one of many for small business owners in this industry, but the expertise, determination, and business acumen that the Tamlyn team had are what set it apart from the beginning.

With $800 of borrowed seed money and a desire to provide for his family, Ron’s father, Ron Sr., launched the small company in 1971 in the modest garage of his 1,100-square-foot Bellaire, Texas home with his wife, Jean.

“He would go out and sell product, order it, and then go in the back room of our house to box it up and deliver it,” Ron said. “One day when I was 10 years old, he dumped a box of aluminum ply clips in my bedroom and said to count out 500 pieces. That was the beginning of Tamlyn.”

Ron Sr. was a Purple Heart recipient from the Battle of Iwo Jima and parlayed a little bit of military wisdom into the company’s approach to keeping up with large competitors.

“Dad would say, ‘Once you’ve had bullets flying at you, nothing will scare you,’” Ron said. “We’ve taken that to mean that we don’t have to be afraid of the big boys. We can run faster than them, and make turns quicker than them in a lot of ways.”

Through the years, Tamlyn has built a loyal customer base that values the faith-driven principles of the company and its leadership. With his father’s wisdom in mind, Ron took the reins of Tamlyn to lead it into the next generation, understanding that business is a journey.

“My dad said, ‘Learn from your failures, move on, and hopefully not make the same mistakes,’” Ron said.

Give this podcast a listen to learn how one man and one company’s journey reflects some of the hardest truths and most exciting opportunities within the AEC industry.

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the AEC Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @AECMKSL

Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale

LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Engineering & Construction starts with a company putting its project engineers, superintendents, and estimators on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Owners shortlist firms they already trust, and your field leaders become the reason your name is on that list.

Get your team featuredSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

Follow Engineering & Construction Insights

Get new expert content in your inbox.

Engineering & Construction: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Engineering & Construction buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. See how AI describes your company today, and where competitors show up instead.

Free workspace

You just read one Engineering & Construction expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your project engineers, superintendents, and estimators into the articles, video, and social content Engineering & Construction buyers are searching for. Create a free workspace and see it with your own people. No credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What you get, free

Your own MarketScale Studio workspace
One video edit a month, on us
AI writing, editing, and publishing tools
In-platform coaching to learn the system

More Engineering & Construction Insights

FAB 40 highlights top U.S. metal fabricators, including acquisitive Cadrex

The Fabricator’s 2023 FAB 40 ranks U.S. metal fabricators by reported revenue. PR Newswire reported Cadrex Manufacturing Solutions debuted at No. 2 with $480 million in 2022 revenue after a series of acquisitions, while MEC again held No. 1 with $539.4 million.

  • 01PR Newswire reported Cadrex Manufacturing Solutions entered The Fabricator’s 2023 FAB 40 at No. 2 after a series of acquisitions.
  • 02MEC’s long-running No. 1 position, with $539.4 million in reported 2022 revenue, reinforces what scale and repeatable process look like at the top of the list, according to PR Newswire.
  • 03PR Newswire flagged both material price inflation and demand as drivers of record revenues, buyers should press suppliers on what portion of growth was pricing versus volume.

Sep 6, 2026

HUD backs a 24-month study on mass-timber modules that ship and stack faster

HUD backs a 24-month study on mass-timber modules that ship and stack faster

HUD funded a 24-month Washington State University project on hybrid mass-timber modular housing. It targets transportability and faster site assembly. A 2023 Journal of Building Engineering review says 2D modular CLT tends to ship farther and build faster than 3D.

  • 01If transportation is the cost driver, HUD’s study plan points straight at the spec: treat the truck interface, tie-downs, and lifting points as part of the structural module design, not afterthought hardware.
  • 02The most actionable design fork in the CLT modular literature is 2D versus 3D: according to a 2023 Journal of Building Engineering review, 2D modules are typically moved longer distances and assembled faster on average.
  • 03Owners who want future change-of-use optionality can start writing it into module grids and connection details now. HUD-backed research is explicitly testing modules that can be repurposed across occupancies over their lifetime.

Sep 6, 2026

HUD’s 24-month mass timber modular project goes after the cost driver: shipping the modules

HUD’s 24-month mass timber modular project goes after the cost driver: shipping the modules

HUD is funding a 24-month Washington State University project to redesign modular housing modules around transport and fast site assembly. Shipping is the design constraint. A 2023 Journal of Building Engineering review of 2009–2021 modular CLT projects suggests faster construction timelines, but logistics choices still decide feasibility.

  • 01In modular housing, transportation is becoming a first-order engineering spec, the module that is cheapest to build can still be the most expensive to move.
  • 02The 2023 review found 2D modular CLT projects were, on average, transported farther and built faster than 3D ones, so configuration choice shapes both transport reach and install time.

Sep 5, 2026

Explore More Engineering & Construction Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Engineering & Construction.

Browse Engineering & Construction Hub

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Engineering & Construction and beyond.

Book a 15-minute demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512