President's Message: The Association in Action
Driving Forward with Excellence, Innovation, & Strategy
We are just months away from the upcoming Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC) and Framer Summit, and it is shaping up to be an exciting event! This event will take place October 7-11, 2024, and registration is currently open. We will be returning to Milwaukee, WI, for the first time since 2018. The mix of innovations, speakers, vendors, networking opportunities, and entertaining activities promises to make it a valuable experience for all attendees. The framer exhibitors will be integrated onto the show floor again so all attendees can experience and enjoy everything the show has to offer. We are excited to welcome back Todd Tomalak with Zonda who will be providing an economic forecast, and for the first time at BCMC, Daymond John, The People’s Shark, will kick off the show as its keynote speaker.
The return of the SBCA Innovation Grant highlights our commitment to recognize and promote innovation within the industry. Each grant winner will be featured on the show floor and BCMC attendees will have the opportunity to vote for the SBCA’s People’s Choice Solution for 2024. Additionally, the educational sessions catered to manufacturers and framers underscore the event’s focus on knowledge-sharing and professional development.
With the success of SBCA’s 40th Anniversary Celebration last year, we will be hosting a dinner on the evening of Tuesday, October 9, 2024, for those who would like to get together to celebrate our industry. There will be fundraising activities during the dinner, and the proceeds will go to the SBCA Foundation & Endowment to bolster their charitable activities.
BCMC is the largest and most critical show for our industry. It’s impressive to see the efforts made by the SBCA staff, BCMC Committee, and association members that make the event a success. I want to thank all those involved for their ideas, organization, and time commitment before, during, and after the show.
It is also important to remind ourselves that there is always more happening behind the scenes in addition to BCMC, Open Quarterly Meetings, and various other events held throughout the year. I want to give special thanks to SBCA’s staff who continue to make everything run smoothly all the while making progress on SBCA’s Strategic Plan.
This past April, as part of SBCA’s effort to Innovate and Adapt (SBCA Strategic Plan Pillar 2), eight SBCA members and staff traveled abroad for the first-ever SBCA Offsite European Tour to check out the European market to compare their methods of component manufacturing and onsite construction compared to the United States. Those who went have said what a great experience it was to see how others are building, manufacturing, and handling safety (see pages 16-24 for more info).
In an effort to Demonstrate Expertise (SBCA Strategic Plan Pillar 3), SBCA returned to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the third year in a row, for HUD’s Innovative Housing Showcase. For this event, SBCA, with the help of 84 Lumber, NFC, and many others, built a two-story home on the National Mall in under eight hours. This showcased the many benefits and efficiencies that structural building components provide to the construction industry. With over 2,500 people, from lawmakers and agency heads to builders and the public, having walked through SBCA’s structure, we were able to share the knowledge and the many benefits these offsite structural framing solutions can offer. After the show ended, the two-story house was disassembled and delivered to Waynesboro, VA, where it was donated to Habitat for Humanity. Once ready for building, the structure will become two single-family houses for two deserving families in need.
While in Washington, D.C., SBCA also participated in NAHB’s visits with Congressional lawmakers, descending on Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress, build working relationships with their staff, and show support for this industry. As part of SBCA’s plan to Demonstrate Expertise (SBCA Strategic Plan Pillar 3), SBCA needed to be a part of these meetings to ensure that our part of the industry is being advocated for and heard. This is just one of many actions SBCA is taking to ensure that structural building components have a voice in the conversation and, more importantly, offer solutions to housing issues.
Furthermore, the SBCA has committed to focus on education during in-person events such as the May Open Quarterly Meeting in Asheville, NC, which shows a commitment to keeping members informed and engaged. We started the meeting with a presentation from the Education Committee on Quality Control and Quality Assurance. This was followed by presentations from experts, Dr. Diana Hun and Dr. Katie Copenhaver from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. They talked about innovations they are working on that could have potential implications for the industry. It was positive to hear that their presentations sparked meaningful discussions among attendees. These kinds of exchanges often lead to new ideas, collaborations, and advancements within the industry.
On another note, SBCA has implemented a new Learning Management System for the SBCA Academy, enhancing its course and training offerings. Please visit https://academy.sbcacomponents.com/ to learn more about what is available.
A lot is going on here at SBCA and we are excited to continue our work at providing value and resources to SBCA and NFC membership, the construction industry, and beyond. If you want to get more involved, please reach out to SBCA staff at info@sbcacomponents.com. I, along with the SBCA staff, look forward to seeing you in Milwaukee for this year’s BCMC.
Jeff Taake, SBCA President