President's Message: Shaping the Future Together

There are Many Great Achievements to Celebrate as We Reflect and Plan Ahead

Happy New Year! As we welcome 2025, it’s a great time to reflect on the incredible progress and accomplishments of the past year. For SBCA, 2024 was a year of growth, collaboration, and innovation for our industry, and the achievements we’ve made together are a testament to the dedication, passion, and hard work of every member of our community. As we embark on another exciting year, let’s take a moment to celebrate our successes, learn from our challenges, and look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead. Together, we will continue to strengthen our industry and set the stage for even greater accomplishments in 2025 and beyond.

As part of our ongoing commitment to providing resources that are even more valuable to our members, we’ve continued to evolve in ways that directly support the needs of our industry. One of the key changes has been the hiring of new staff in the roles of Director of Education with Ashley Baker, Director of Business Development with Abby Langenberg, Technical Director with Greg Greenlee, P. E., Software Support Specialist with Shannon Ambelang, Executive Assistant with Nikki Hilton, Quality Assurance Auditor with Richard Gallo, and Safety Coordinator with Corey Lane. We have also had several position transitions with Jennifer Gustafson promoted to Director of Finance, Christine Wagner promoted to Director of Communications, and Sean Shields promoted to Director of Marketing. These additions and position changes are already making a significant impact, helping us enhance the services, tools, and resources that we offer to our members. 

One of the standout accomplishments of 2024 was the incredible success of the BCMC (Building Component Manufacturers Conference). As you’ll read about in this issue, BCMC 2024 exceeded expectations in every way. My heartfelt congratulations go out to everyone who made this event possible, from the dedicated staff, members, and the SBCA Board of Directors, to the BCMC Committee, convention center staff, and the many individuals who were onsite. It truly takes a village to pull off an event of this magnitude, and each and every contributor played a vital role in its success.

The energy and enthusiasm generated at BCMC 2024 have already set the stage for next year’s event, and I cannot wait to bring this industry together again in Omaha, NE, September 29-October 3, 2025. Omaha is a fantastic city, and I might be a little biased in saying that, since it’s the city I call home, but there’s no doubt that it will provide an exciting backdrop for another memorable conference.

SBCA hosts various other in-person events throughout the year in addition to BCMC. This past year saw a great turnout for the Open Quarterly Meetings (OQMs) – with over 100 attendees at each OQM, SBCA and NFC members and non-members met in Fort Worth, TX, Asheville, NC, and Bellevue, WA. These in-person events were packed with a wealth of valuable content, such as economic forecasts, education sessions, and various panels. Attendees appreciated the strong educational offerings at the meetings and the ability to get more involved. SBCA OQMs continue to strengthen and improve each year, and it is imperative to SBCA that we provide the best experiences to members to ensure these events are valuable. Be sure to look for more information on the upcoming 2025 OQMs in Charleston, SC, Washington, D.C., and Napa Valley, CA.

We are especially looking forward to the Washington, D.C. OQM in June. In the last few years, SBCA has been part of HUD’s Innovative Housing Showcase on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., which typically takes place the second weekend in June (June 6-8). This OQM will ideally line up with HUD’s event and hopefully afford SBCA members the opportunity to partake in legislative activities as we’ve done in the past. Our goal is for as many members as possible, from CMs to suppliers to framers, to get involved. With thousands of people from far and wide walking the National Mall every day, it is the perfect opportunity to promote and advocate for the use of structural building components and framing methodologies in the broader construction industry. This is the place to spread the word about what we do. The event reaches everyone from legislators, policymakers, and business leaders to architects, the general public, and people involved in the industry. Active participation in the association, its events, and its resources is a critical tool for CMs, framers, suppliers, and more. It is participation in these various efforts that will aid in the success of each of our businesses and the adoption of structural building components in the general construction industry. So, let’s take this time and make sure that we are there to help promote what we all do day in and day out.

At the close of 2024, the SBCA Board of Directors met in Maryland at the Home Innovation Research Labs facility. At this meeting, the Board was focused on reviewing 2024 and planning for 2025. We approved the 2025 budget, with many exciting projects, new hires, and activities afoot; we also reviewed the strategic plan and our progress within it, and have set goals for 2025 so we can continue to lead the association forward with great success.

This association and industry are comprised of many talented, passionate, and dedicated people. Each year, we recognize some of them with the SBCA Industry Awards and I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to congratulate and thank them for their continued support and dedication to not only their own companies, but also to the industry as a whole and SBCA. Congratulations to Gene Frogale, BJ Louws, Michael Schwitter, and Norm McKenna (see more on page 18). We are appreciative and grateful for everything each of you do. 

There are many more wonderful things SBCA has accomplished throughout 2024, but I sadly cannot cover them all here. Check out the SBCA website and the 2024 Annual Report at www.sbcacomponents.com to learn more about what we achieved in 2024. The new year looks bright, and we are enthusiastic about what that means for both the association and the overall industry. It’s a new day in America and we are ready to hit the ground running. Full steam ahead! Thank you, everyone, for all your hard work and dedication.  

Jeff Taake, SBCA President