Alpha: The revolutionary framing system

By Elevate Structures. 

There’s a reason this product took home the ISS 2025 Best of Business Most Innovative Product Award!  

The inside self-storage industry is bustling with innovation and new practices, consistently bringing professionals new solutions to upgrade their customers’ experiences. One such innovation is turning heads: the Alpha Framing System. From Elevate Structures, a Central States Manufacturing company, the Alpha Framing System brings contractors a quality engineered structural solution designed to bring reliability and durability to primary framing.  

A proven system with a national footprint  

Alpha is a modular light-gauge steel framing system designed to install like a post-and-beam structure that can span up to 18”. The process is straightforward and repeatable: base plates are set, columns are installed, beams are placed and decking is added – delivering a clean, efficient sequence that accelerates framing while minimizing on-site complexity. 

Installed in over 450 buildings nationwide, Alpha has delivered repeatable results in diverse climates, spaces and market conditions. With a six to eight-person crew, builders can install up to 15,000 square feet per week, making Alpha one of the fastest framing systems in the industry. 

Why does this matter? In construction, delays are expensive. Labor shortages, scheduling gaps and site confusion are constant threats. Alpha helps solve these challenges with a simplified system that reduces dependencies on multiple trades and minimizes the number of handoffs. That speed translates directly into earlier openings, faster revenue generation and reduced labor costs. 

Designed by builders  

With Elevate’s decades of experience and expertise, the Alpha system was designed to eliminate common primary framing headaches like inconsistent steel quality – such as varying gauges, improper galvanization or out-of-spec components that can cause delays, structural concerns or rework – along with time-consuming install methods and misaligned components. Every Alpha package comes pre-assembled and pre-punched to match your exact job, eliminating guesswork and re-work in the field. 

“We’re not just providing framing. We’re offering a repeatable process that delivers project certainty” says Richard Allen, president of Elevate Structures. 

The advantage of a vertically integrated partner 

As a division of Central States Manufacturing, Elevate Structures isn’t reliant on third-party steel producers or outsourced logistics. Our vertically integrated supply chain means we own the process – from steel mill to manufacturing, logistics, engineering, pre-construction and construction. That means fewer disruptions, more control and giving our partners unmatched reliability and responsiveness. Elevate is 100% employee-owned, which means every project is powered by a dedicated regional service team that’s personally invested in delivering excellence. 

Storage is our foundation – now we’re building on it 

While Alpha has become the framing standard in self-storage, its value is rapidly being recognized in other sectors like living spaces, hospitality and education – sectors where speed, design efficiency and site predictability are critical. Our Alpha System is a strong fit for: 

• Repetitive layouts like hotels, apartments or dorms 
• Tight timelines with fixed turnover dates (think: school year start) 
• Design-build projects where collaboration with the architect and GC early can solve challenges before they hit the field 

Built to be better 

When it comes to framing, builders want fewer delays, tighter scopes and predictable outcomes. Alpha ensures cleaner installs, faster timelines and a stronger system built to outperform in the field.  With 450+ successful projects, employee-owners who care, more collaborative partnerships and leadership that personally shows up we deliver on our mission for every project: on-site, on-schedule, all the time. 

Original article and image source: Elevate Structures