Monarch Metal’s new online configurator gives contractors, fabricators, installers, and purchasing teams a faster way to order aluminum Z Clips with the exact length and hole pattern their project requires.

RONKONKOMA, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Monarch Metal Inc., a leading manufacturer of architectural metal solutions for more than 30 years, announced the launch of Build Your Custom Z Clip, a new online configurator that lets customers create custom aluminum Z Clips and rails directly from the product page. Customers choose the profile, finished length, hole size, and spacing they need, review the configuration and pricing, and add it directly to their cart.

Not every project fits a standard rail length or hole pattern. An installation might require a specific finished length, a different fastener size, tighter hole spacing, or a rail with no holes at all. Build Your Custom Z Clip puts those choices on the product page so customers can configure the rail they need without submitting a quote request or working through specifications by email.

The configurator is available on six Monarch aluminum Z Clip profiles: the MF625, MF375, and MF250, along with the high load capacity MFSTR-0375, MFSTR-050, and MFSTR-075.

Custom rails can be configured from 1.5 inches to 12 feet in 0.125-inch increments for the length of the rail or clip. Customers select one of the available hole diameters for the profile or choose No Holes, then set hole spacing in 0.5-inch increments, with the maximum spacing adjusting automatically to the rail length. The configurator determines how many holes fit the selected rail and centers the pattern so the lead-in at both ends is equal. A live Configuration Summary shows the finished length, hole size, hole count, spacing, lead-in, price per rail, quantity, and total price before the order is placed.

Custom does not always mean a custom part is needed. If a configuration exactly matches a Monarch stock rail that is currently available, the configurator displays a stock option notice with a direct way to select it instead. The comparison checks rail length, hole size, and hole spacing, so a configuration is only identified as stock when the specifications actually match.

“Every installation is different, and a standard rail length or hole pattern does not always fit the job,” said Brandon Bingham, CEO of Monarch Metal Inc. “Build Your Custom Z Clip gives our customers the exact rail their project calls for without the back and forth of a quote request. They configure it, see the price, and add it to the cart, and most custom orders ship within two days. With locations in New York, Texas, and Nevada, we are positioned to get custom rails to job sites across the country quickly.”

Build Your Custom Z Clip is designed for projects that call for something outside the standard options, including panel installations that require rails cut to exact layout dimensions, millwork and cabinetry where custom lengths reduce cutting in the shop or field, architectural applications with specific fastening requirements, and fabrication work where rails are ordered without holes for in-house drilling or machining. Regular stock options remain available on the same product pages.

The configurator is built for both desktop and mobile. On phones and tablets, the layout stacks into a single column and replaces sliders with large plus and minus controls for easier adjustment on a touchscreen. Custom and stock products can be added to the same cart, and the specifications for each custom rail stay with the item through checkout, order confirmation, and order emails.

For more information or to build a custom Z Clip, visit https://www.monarchmetal.com/products/monarch-z-clips/.

About Monarch Metal Inc.

For over 30 years, Monarch Metal Inc. has been a trusted manufacturer of high-quality architectural metal products, custom aluminum extrusions, and panel hanging systems, specializing in aluminum Z Clips, panel mounting systems, and interior wall and ceiling panel solutions. The company is known for precision-engineered components that support efficient installation, long-term durability, and clean, concealed finishes across commercial and architectural applications. Through continuous product innovation and a commitment to quality, Monarch Metal Inc. remains a leading resource for architects, designers, and contractors seeking reliable panel mounting and metal fabrication solutions.

Media Contact

Brian Oakes, Monarch Metal Inc., 1 6317503000, boakes@monarchmetal.com, https://www.monarchmetal.com

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SOURCE Monarch Metal Inc.

STAMFORD, Conn., Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Olympus Partners is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to sell MEI Industrial Solutions (“MEI”) to 26North Partners LP. MEI is a scaled national provider of equipment execution services including rigging, machinery moving, industrial storage, millwrighting, custom crating and integrated logistics. The company serves blue-chip customers across data centers, semiconductors and other industrial end markets, with nearly 2,500 employees across the U.S.

Under Olympus’ ownership, MEI underwent a transformative expansion, growing its footprint from 16 to 30 operating locations and entering key new markets including Chicago, Miami, Providence and Richmond, while quadrupling its indoor storage capacity to over 10 million square feet and executing seven strategic acquisitions. To drive this growth, Olympus partnered with CEO Doug Dayton, who was hired during Olympus’ ownership period, to strengthen the commercial organization, establish a regional leadership structure backed by robust corporate infrastructure and maintain a rigorous commitment to an industry-leading safety program.

“Our investment in MEI was anchored in a strong business model and an exceptionally talented team,” said Sam Greenberg, Partner at Olympus. “By making targeted investments in both leadership and technology, the Company has integrated its geographic footprint into a unified national platform, delivering a level of service quality and consistency unprecedented in the industry. We are incredibly proud of what Doug and the team have built and look forward to following MEI’s next chapter of growth.”

“The MEI team executed exceptionally well, capturing substantial market share in high-growth end markets while rapidly launching new services to meet evolving customer needs,” added Dave Cardenas, Managing Partner at Olympus. “Crucially, they achieved this expansion while maintaining an industry-leading safety record. We couldn’t be prouder of our partnership with Doug and the entire company.”

“The growth MEI has experienced over the past three years is a testament to the extraordinary people across our organization and our strong partnership with Olympus,” said Doug Dayton, CEO of MEI. “They’ve supported us in making the investments necessary to become a true industry leader while staying grounded in the values that have always made MEI successful: safety, accountability, and delivering for our customers. I’m grateful for their confidence in our team and excited to build on this momentum with 26North as we enter our next chapter of growth.”

The Olympus team included Dave Cardenas, Sam Greenberg, George Swenson, Marty Durkin, and Tanaya Bhakat. Lazard served as financial advisor to MEI and Olympus, led by George Fisher and Bob Frost. Baird also served as a financial advisor.

ABOUT OLYMPUS PARTNERS

Olympus Partners is a private equity firm focused on providing equity capital for middle market management buyouts and for growing companies. Olympus manages in excess of $12 billion mainly on behalf of corporate pension funds, endowment funds and state-sponsored retirement programs. Founded in 1988, Olympus is an active, long-term investor across a broad range of industries including business services, food services, consumer products, healthcare services, financial services, industrial services and manufacturing.

ABOUT MEI INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS

MEI Industrial Solutions moves, stores and installs critical equipment for customers in the data center, semiconductor, EV and battery, aerospace and defense, life sciences and pharmaceutical, and industrial manufacturing markets. Its services include rigging, machinery moving and setting, storage and staging, crating and export packaging, and specialized logistics. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, MEI operates 30 locations across the United States. For more information, visit www.meiindustrialsolutions.com.

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SOURCE Olympus Partners

New capabilities help research teams move beyond the interview to explore, connect and act on qualitative insight

WEST CHESTER, Pa., Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trellist, Inc. and Twentify today announced the latest evolution of Quals.ai, the AI-powered qualitative research platform created by Twentify and available in the U.S. through Trellist’s exclusive distribution partnership.

The latest release expands what research teams can do with qualitative research, from the initial conversation through analysis, exploration and action. Quals.ai brings research setup, recruitment, AI-moderated interviews, analysis, reporting and further exploration together in one platform. The new capabilities extend that experience beyond the interview itself, making it easier to keep working with research, connect it to existing systems and put the customer’s voice to work.

“The opportunity with Quals.ai goes beyond conducting interviews faster. With Story, SmartAsk™, API access, and new research workflow tools, teams can now pull keywords, sentiment, and other insights straight from the verbatims, on demand and directly inside tools like Claude. That opens the door to personalized messaging and other proven direct response techniques that put the customer’s own voice to work and drive measurable lift. It’s part of our commitment to being results-oriented and maximizing the ROI of qualitative research. As Twentify’s exclusive U.S. distribution partner, we’re excited to bring these capabilities to organizations looking for a faster, more flexible way to understand their customers, employees and markets.”

— Thomas Atadan, VP of New Business, Product and AI Solutions, Trellist

More Ways to Work With Research

One of the biggest additions is Story, which turns the findings from an individual Quals.ai project into a visual narrative. Rather than relying solely on a standard research summary, Story gives teams a more tailored way to understand what matters in a particular study and communicate those findings to colleagues and stakeholders.

SmartAsk™ extends the value of the research even further. Once interviews are complete, researchers can continue exploring the findings, ask new questions, investigate themes, identify potential actions and develop additional outputs from the same underlying research. As new business questions emerge, teams can return to the research rather than treating the final report as the end of the process.

The Quals.ai public API is now live, allowing organizations to retrieve their own project and interview data, including transcripts, and connect qualitative research with existing systems and workflows. This can support internal research repositories, dashboards, reporting and analysis environments, as well as other business applications. It also opens up new ways to work directly with verbatims, including pulling keywords, sentiment and other insights on demand.

The release also gives researchers more control over how Quals.ai supports their work. Custom moderator profiles allow teams to shape the style of AI-led interviews, including casualness, brevity, directness, engagement and creativity, while custom instructions can align the moderator with a particular research approach or brand tone. New workspace tools include Interview Assistant, which transcribes live interviews and suggests the next question; an Operations Dashboard for monitoring interview activity and completion; and configurable AI Scanner Rules for research quality controls.

From Faster Research to More Useful Research

Quals.ai was designed to help organizations conduct qualitative research faster through AI-moderated conversations with real people. The platform supports text and voice interviews and can deliver qualitative insights in as little as 24 hours.

This latest release builds on that speed by addressing a broader challenge: what happens after the conversations are over?

Research no longer has to end with an analysis and a presentation. With Story, SmartAsk™, API access and expanded research tools, teams can continue exploring what people said, connect those findings to the systems they already use, and bring the customer’s own language into downstream work.

The result is a more flexible approach to qualitative research — one that moves from question, to conversation, to insight, to action, while making more of the underlying research available along the way.

To learn more about Quals.ai or request a demo, visit Trellist | Quals.ai.

About Quals.ai

Quals.ai is an AI-powered qualitative research platform created by Twentify. It enables organizations to conduct AI-moderated qualitative interviews with real human participants, analyze research and generate actionable insights.

Trellist, Inc. is Twentify’s exclusive U.S. distribution partner for Quals.ai, providing strategy, research design, implementation, onboarding and ongoing support to U.S. organizations and agency partners.

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SOURCE Trellist Marketing and Technology