SBCA’s Closer Ties with NAHB Yielding Positive Results

Over the past 16 months, SBCA has endeavored to build a more collaborative relationship with the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), and those efforts are beginning to pay dividends to the component manufacturing industry. 

SBCA started by working more closely with the NAHB’s Building Systems Councils (BSC), which yielded opportunities to give presentations to builders at the 2022 International Builders Show (IBS) this past February.  Since then, SBCA has become a full member of the BSC, and Executive Director Jess Lohse has been invited to serve on their Board of Trustees.  Further, SBCA has been invited to develop a series of educational programs for builders interested in offsite construction at the Building Systems Housing Summit, to be held September 18-20, in Atlanta, Georgia. 

NAHB also personally invited SBCA to partner with them as they focus on offsite construction during the 2022 Innovative Housing Showcase. This high-profile, three-day event on the National Mall in Washinton, D.C., will feature new building technologies and housing solutions that are making housing more innovative, resilient, and affordable. SBCA and its members will be showcased in a central exhibit that will illustrate the many advantages roof trusses, floor trusses, and wall panels provide to builders and the public when it comes to reducing construction cycle times, jobsite labor, building materials, and waste.  

Much has been discussed recently regarding a truss bracing IRC code change that could have harmed component manufacturers. It is significant the NAHB agreed to actively lobby against this provision. To further engage the component manufacturing industry in this arena, NAHB has formally invited Howard Gauger (Carpentry Contractors of America) to represent SBCA and serve on their 2022 Building Codes and Standards Subcommittee (BCSSC). This appointment will allow Howard to proactively share the industry’s perspectives on how code changes may impact our industry’s ability to help home builders construct cost-efficient structures. 

Finally, SBCA is in the process of developing proposals for education sessions on the main stage of IBS 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada, which will give our industry a bigger opportunity to talk directly with builders about the advantages of structural building components. If you have any suggestions on content you think SBCA needs to bring before buildings at IBS next year, or would like to participate in a potential education session, please contact Sean Shields.