As Mass Timber Expands, Ironworkers Step in to Fill Labor Gap

In September, the number of multifamily, commercial, and institutional mass timber projects under construction or completed had increased by more than fivefold from seven years ago, according to WoodWorks, a nonprofit that supports contractors in the mass timber sector, Construction Dive reported (10-16-25).

As demand grows, industry leaders are asking who will supply the skilled labor to assemble these large-scale timber structures. Ironworkers say they are well positioned to fill the gap. “We have that heavy rigging skill set to be able to assemble any kind of skeleton framing for a building,” said Eric Dean, general president of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Iron Workers.

Coby Foust, president of Washington-based Foust Fab & Erectors, said his firm’s experience in steel erection translates well to mass timber. His company worked on Walmart’s 1-million-square-foot Bentonville, Arkansas, headquarters, which used 21,000 m³ of CLT and glulam.

“We look at mass timber, there’s nobody better suited to establish the hoisting, placement and overall job flow of a structural project as an ironworker,” Foust said.

Ironworkers are preparing for rising demand by adding mass timber training. Thirty-five Iron Workers locals now use timber mockups in apprenticeship programs, and Foust Fab & Erectors offers similar hybrid models to help crews gain hands-on familiarity with the material.