Editor's Message: A Lot Has Changed

Yet, the mission of the magazine has remained steadfast

A lot has changed since 2011. While the Great Recession had ended, the housing market crash that started it was still near the bottom, and component manufacturers (CMs) across the country were closing their doors or selling their businesses for pennies on the dollar. It was a time when iron sharpened iron, and CMs who survived did so with equal parts wisdom, business acumen, and luck.

It was a difficult time to be part of the SBCA staff. Several members of the SBCA Board lost their jobs or their companies. The same was true for SBCA’s state chapters, as the core leadership of several of these regional groups left the industry. Friends disappeared off the SBCA radar at an almost constant rate. Fortunately though, SBCA continued to play a vital role in helping connect the CMs that remained. It facilitated many opportunities for them to share their struggles and the solutions they implemented to overcome the challenges many faced.

It was in this environment that I assumed the role as managing editor of this publication. At the time, it was clear the mission of SBCA Magazine was to be a beacon for the industry. To share the stories of individual CMs and shine a light on best practices being implemented throughout the industry to increase efficiency, lower costs, and grow market share through innovative framing solutions.

In one of the first issues, the cover feature focused on mobile tablets and how they were being used by early adopters in the industry to share information with workers on the production floor, with customers in their offices, and with framers and building officials on the jobsite. Thirteen years later, tablets and phones are everywhere, but back then it difficult to find a handful of CMs to talk to about their best practices. While not exactly prophetic, many of the uses for tablets highlighted in that article are mainstream practices today.

A few issues later we covered an emerging architectural phenomenon called the “Texas Donut,” multi-use structures with parking and retail on the first few floors of concrete with wood residential framing built on top of it. Today, this type of “podium” construction is one of the leading forms of multi-family construction in the U.S., and many CMs have benefited from their rise because they’ve converted what would have been traditionally steel and concrete structures into light-frame wood framing.

SBCA Magazine has continued that approach through to today. Covering everything from engineering and manufacturing marvels to workforce development and safety-focused stories. If there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that every CM in the country has a story to tell and a way of doing things that their peers would benefit from knowing. The goal of SBCA Magazine is to discover those ways and share them with the broader industry. Everyone benefits as a result.

There are other publications out there to get information about the housing industry, lumber and building material dealers, and even truss manufacturing. But SBCA Magazine is the only publication that is focused on connecting one CM to another through their own words and experiences. As the primary communication vehicle of the SBCA, it is committed to always serving the best interests of the CM. No other publication can claim the same thing.

As I transition into a new role within SBCA and place the reigns of this magazine into another’s very capable hands, my hope is that CMs across the country will continue to view this publication as a vital source of ideas, trends, information, and best practices from CMs to CMs. Please also continue to share your ideas with us at editor@sbcacomponents.com. 

Sean D. Shields, Managing Editor