SBCA Leadership Spotlight: Rick Parrino

Rick Parrino is an At-Large Representative of the SBCA Board of Directors and has been involved in the association with attending his first BCMC in 1993, his first meeting in 1999, and serving as a Board Member for 24 years. He also serves as the Chair of SBCA’s Advocacy Committee, in addition to serving on SBCA’s Safety Committee, QC Committee, BCMC Committee, and Past Presidents Council. 

With such an expansive history in the industry, Rick has many goals for SBCA and its members, one being for members to become more involved in the design of projects with their customers in order to help them build a better product and do it more efficiently. “There is nothing tougher than telling a customer we can’t build their home the way it was drawn because it isn’t possible or won’t look the way they intended,” says Rick. “Component manufacturers have an opportunity to help their customers create sound structures by getting involved in the design side of the project. We can be a trusted advisor in the building process.”  

Having been involved in SBCA for multiple decades, there are many aspects that are favorites for Rick. The in-person meetings, the speakers that present at them, meeting new people and hearing how they got into the industry, and sharing past experiences are just naming a few. Rick exclaims that he learns something at every meeting he attends, from board-only to BCMC to Open Quarterly Meetings. SBCA has provided Rick the opportunity to not only learn from his peers but also make lifelong friends with them. Being part of an association that is driven to make the industry better tomorrow than it is today and to work with such a great group of people is an honor for Rick. “They have made me better at what I do and hopefully a better person for it. Now, it is about paying them all and the industry back.”  

Over his tenure in the association, Rick held the role of SBCA President for 2014-2015, has participated in BCMC Builds in Indianapolis, New Orleans, New Braunfels, and Charlotte, and has been recognized for his dedication and commitment as a recipient of the SBCA Leadership Award in 2012, the Dwight Hikel Humanitarian Award in 2020, in addition to being inducted into the SBCA Hall of Fame in 2017. Beyond SBCA, Rick is involved in the Home Builders Associations of Greater Des Moines, the Mid Iowa Code Consortium Council, the Iowa Association of Building Officials, the Central Iowa Code Consortium, Habitat for Humanity, and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves.  

At the start of his career, after receiving his Certificate in Automotive Mechanics from the Wyoming Technical Institute, Rick went on to hold various roles within the component industry - from a laborer, journeyman, and production manager to plant manager, operations manager, and location manager, he possesses great experience. Rick is now the General Manager at Plum Building Systems, a division of Gilcrest/Jewett Lumber and a US LBM Company. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the company’s safety policies and guidelines, developing production processes and procedures with his team, and monitoring production output and efficiencies daily.  

Beyond work and SBCA, Rick enjoys fishing with family and friends, traveling with his wife, Sue, landscaping, framing, woodworking, and getting back to his roots of working on cars. Rick also loves spending time with his six grandchildren and has taught each of them how to swim. Rick can be reached at info@sbcacomponents.com.