Director's Message: Making Components Part of the Conversation

If We Don’t Say It, No One Will

So, What do You Do?

How often do you find yourself explaining what you do for a living? When I was a truss manufacturer, I would often find myself talking to others about the differences between trusses and trusts, and that I wasn’t in banking. Once I cleared up the difference, people often had a puzzled look on their faces, not understanding how their home was constructed or the degree of engineering that goes into putting a roof above people’s heads. Currently as SBCA’s Executive Director, I’m still explaining what trusses and components are, but with the added difficulty of simultaneously explaining the basics of a trade association. But why are we regularly explaining such a vital piece of construction to so many people who rely on our products every day of their lives? 

That’s exactly the question I asked myself in talking with Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner. While exhibiting at the Innovative Housing Showcase back in September 2025, I had several opportunities to talk with Secretary Turner, and listened intently over several days as he discussed challenges facing the housing and construction industries. He spoke of solutions including modular, cross laminated timber, 3D printing, and manufactured housing, among others. Noticeably absent from his list of solutions were components, even though they are exactly the prescription to what currently ails the construction industry. The term components was not in his vocabulary.

We have nobody to blame but ourselves, as the industry has engrained itself in modern American construction but has done so in the most unassuming way. Roof trusses offer such a compelling value proposition that builders and developers know they need them, but don’t know much more about the product itself or the industry that produces them. While that allows for a compelling degree of roof truss production, our other products like wall panels and floor trusses are often overlooked and not front of mind for decision-makers, and consequently not used even though they contain their own compelling value propositions. 

If I were to ask a dozen component manufacturers (CMs) about their competition, I would most likely hear about the CM across town, down the street, or the next city over. That isn’t wrong either, but as an industry, we face competition from competing methods in a more inconspicuous manner. The decision to use an alternative to components is likely made before the CM ever knows about the project, assuming they ever know! Components are losing out on being used not by commission, but by omission. The opportunity for a sale and use is too often simply skipped, missed, or overlooked. And that’s why driving awareness around components is so important. Collectively and continually, we as an industry need to promote the benefits of roof trusses, floor trusses, wall panels, and other components to ensure they are part of the conversation at the right time with whomever is making the decision. 

Towards that end, SBCA is taking action this year with the introduction of SBCA Component Craft. It is an effort to talk directly to decision-makers throughout the supply chain, including architects, residential designers, engineers, code officials, builders, and others who influence decision making in single-family and multi-family housing projects. We aim to provide a day and a half of education at four locations across the country that introduce specifiers to SBCA, the tremendous amount of content we have available, and engage them with SBCA’s Knowledge Center. 

We have nobody to blame but ourselves as the industry has engrained itself in modern American construction but has done so in the most unassuming way. 

Once specifiers are more familiar with and better educated about components, it stands that they will be more likely to include them in their projects. It isn’t simply about more roof trusses, but more wall panels, more floor trusses, more floor cassettes, and utilizing them in combinations that allow them to design more predictable projects with improved timelines. Through our efforts, we aim to increase market share for all components allowing for better markets for CMs to deliver to.

Recognizing that we have a problem is the first step in correcting it. I hope you’ll notice SBCA leading the effort in the coming months and years to define components and influence the vocabulary of everyone throughout the construction industry. This effort isn’t for the CM to develop their vocabulary, but on behalf of the CM to help grow market share for components and further the usage of component combinations. After all, SBCA is the Voice of the Component Manufacturing Industry. It’s time for our voice to be louder and heard with greater effect throughout the construction industry.  

Jess Lohse
Executive Director