SBCA Leadership Spotlight: Jerry Vulgaris

Jerry Vulgaris is an At-Large Representative of the SBCA Board of Directors and has been involved with the association for over 30 years. Throughout his involvement, Jerry has previously served on the BCMC Committee and as a Board Member, but he first got involved because of his father, Lee Vulgaris, who was involved with WTCA at the time. He suggested Jerry get engaged at the local level, and he did, which was when the WTCA-Northeast chapter was forming. Jerry found it interesting to witness several competitors go from being awkwardly and uncomfortably social to becoming friends in a short timeframe. This made Jerry realize what an association and what SBCA (formerly WTCA) is all about. This is one of his favorite parts of the association – how it brings people together for a unified goal, in addition to the camaraderie of the association and the people who make up the industry.  

As a member of the Board and a member of SBCA, Jerry’s goals are to help the association grow membership and continue fostering and improving the relationships between component manufacturers and framers. With over three decades of association participation and dedication, Jerry was honored with the Dick Bowman Award in 2015 and is a Top Chord Club Lifetime Member, having earned 37 total points in the TCC program.  

As a fourth-generation family member in the industry, Jerry was practically born into it. As a kid, he worked in various entry-level positions in the plant during summers, providing him with great multi-segmented construction experience. After high school, Jerry earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Boston University and held real estate licenses in MA, FL, and CA. In 1993, a few years after graduating, he officially joined the truss industry through his family’s business, Reliable Truss Co. Inc.  

Through working with many great leaders and pioneers of the truss industry, working in several markets including New England, California, and Florida, and having previously held the roles of Senior Director of Business Development for MHA Building Systems and Senior Project Manager at Colt Builders, Jerry brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his current role at A-1 Industries as the Vice President of Sales, where he’s worked for over three years. In this role, Jerry oversees and manages all sales in Florida and the Southeast U.S. He is also part of the A-1 Leadership Team involved in interdepartmental collaboration focused on running and growing the business.  

Outside of work and the association, Jerry enjoys scuba diving, working out, fishing, and skiing. An interesting fact about Jerry is that he was present and participated in the “Fall of the Berlin Wall” in 1989. Jerry’s passion for family and travel brings joy and balance to his life. He and his wife, Julie, of 20 years, have two children: Sloan, a freshman at the University of Florida, and Gerard, who just entered the 8th grade. Jerry can be reached at info@sbcacomponents.com.