Rebuilding Relationships, Advancing Advocacy
Amplifying the Voice of the Industry
By Christine Wagner
In June, SBCA members visited Capitol Hill for the 2025 Legislative Fly-In. It was a full day of activity, where both individuals and groups, including members of SBCA Leadership, met with members of Congress and/or their staff. In total, there were about 20 meetings, with about half of them taking place directly with lawmakers themselves.
SBCA Leadership Group on Capitol Hill for the 2025 SBCA Legislative Fly-in. Pictured (left to right): Scott Ward, Ellie Ward, Larry Dix II, Jess Lohse, Jeff Taake, Chris Tatge, Gene Frogale, and Rick Parrino.
From state-specific breakfasts with delegations from Nebraska and Montana to in-depth conversations about housing affordability and legislation with various congressional staff, to high-level discussions with lawmakers like Senator Chuck Grassley (IA), Representative Brad Knott (NC), Representative Mark Pocan (WI), Representative Adam Smith (WA), and Representative Zach Nunn (IA), participants delivered a unified message: The structural building components industry is vital to housing, jobs, and the economy, and it deserves a seat, a voice, at the table.
SBCA Members meet with congressional staff to discuss legislation, tariffs, immigration, and the structural building components industry. Pictured (left to right): Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK)’s Legislative Director, Rob Sar, Christine Wagner, Andrew Johnson, Scott Miller, Kim Ten Clay, and Meranda Ory.
This was the first Fly-in in over a decade, and it was imperative to begin to rebuild and reform relationships at the national level with lawmakers. As the voice of the structural building components industry, we need to make sure our presence is made in D.C.
“Our visit to the Capitol was a great success. Meeting directly with staff and members of Congress and the Senate allowed us to advocate for priorities that benefit our members and their communities,” says Jeff Taake, current/outgoing SBCA President and VP of Manufacturing and Commercial Sales, Regional Manager, at Mead Lumber. “The strong engagement we received reaffirmed the importance of our message and the value of continued dialogue at the federal level.”
Advocating in Action
One of SBCA’s goals is to increase the adoption of structural components, such as roof trusses, floor trusses, and wall panels, across the country and help various groups, including builders, code officials, and lawmakers, understand why this is the best way to frame.
SBCA advocates to raise awareness about industry-specific issues and promote positive change for component manufacturing and home building at the federal level. We want to build relationships with policymakers, become a trusted resource, and share the knowledge and benefits of building with components and how they can positively impact the overall construction and housing industry.
SBCA Members meet with Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI). Pictured (left to right): Rick Parrino, Pocan Staff, Rick Moto, Gene Frogale, Representative Mark Pocan, Chris Tatge, Larry Dix II, Sandun Dasanayake.
We discussed topics such as tariffs, immigration, and making housing more affordable and attainable. The goal was not only to raise awareness about how these issues impact our industry, but also to offer solutions and position SBCA as a resource lawmakers can turn to when crafting legislation or making decisions.
These advocacy efforts also help us demonstrate the critical role structural building components and framing play in creating jobs, improving building safety, providing affordable and sustainable housing, and driving economic growth.
“Participating in legislative advocacy in Washington, D.C. was an empowering experience,” says Chris Johnson, SBCA Member and AVP with Toll Brothers. “I had the opportunity to visit numerous congressional offices and engage directly with lawmakers, including several members of Congress and a U.S. Senator. These conversations were a critical step in ensuring that the voices of our industry are heard on Capitol Hill.”
Offense vs. Defense
A key takeaway from this year’s Fly-In was the reminder that if we don’t participate in these conversations, we risk always playing defense. Sometimes that’s necessary, but we’d rather be proactive when possible. By building relationships now, we’re setting ourselves up to be the resource lawmakers, agencies, industry professionals, and other organizations turn to when drafting policy, making code changes, funding housing initiatives, or considering regulations that impact construction. This way, we can help guide change instead of letting change happen to us.
SBCA Members meet with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Pictured (left to right): Luke Wiesen, Jess Lohse, Rick Parrino, Senator Grassley, Seth Shepherd, Zach Shepherd, and Andrew Shepherd.
This Fly-In was a key opportunity to be on the offense. By being present, building new relationships, and reinforcing existing ones, we positioned the structural framing industry, SBCA, and its members as leaders in solving challenges related to housing, labor shortages, and construction innovation.
Getting Involved
Advocacy isn’t confined to Washington, D.C. You don’t have to walk the halls of Capitol Hill to make a difference. Getting involved locally, whether through an SBCA chapter, your city’s code council, or by building relationships with your local elected officials, fire and safety officials, or inspectors and code officials, is just as, if not more, important. A great way to start is by inviting your local representatives to your facility for a tour to show them what you do and how you contribute to and impact your community and the greater industry.
“For years I’ve worked on building better relationships with my local, state, and federal lawmakers in an effort to help our industry stay relevant when it comes to decisions they’re making,” says Scott Ward, member of the SBCA Board of Directors and Owner of Southern Components, Inc. “SBCA’s recent visit to the Hill is another great example of how we can collectively do just that. Just when you think that your voice isn’t heard or that you are not big enough to make a difference, you’ll end up developing certain connections with individuals who will listen and take note of the importance of why you are there. It’s definitely worth the time and energy that I’ve put into it.”
SBCA Members meet with Representative Adam Smith (D-WA). Pictured (left to right): BJ Louws, Christine Wagner, Representative Adam Smith, Sue Pagel, Kent Pagel, Rick Moto, Chris Johnson, Luke Wiesen.
Looking Ahead
Regardless of whether there are hot-button issues at the forefront, we should always be advocating for what this industry and SBCA members do. Looking ahead, we are focused on how to best build relationships with lawmakers, agencies, and other groups to have a voice with them and to be a trusted resource for them to rely on. From builders and code officials to legislators and agency leaders, we want everyone to understand why this is the most efficient, sustainable, and scalable way to frame a structure – why it is the best way to frame.
“Sometimes it takes years to get back the investment, but you will never get a return if you don’t invest yourself in something,” says Rick Parrino, SBCA Advocacy Committee Chair and Location Manager with Lumber Specialties. “I am lucky enough to live in a state where our representatives have similar values and beliefs in free trade and support the Housing Industry. I walked in at the right time and had the right issues that were on their radars, which made it look easy, even though it wasn’t and it took a lot of effort and work to make any changes, like with the lumber tariffs 20 years ago. The good thing is we have the relationship built and are moving forward.”
Whether you’re a component manufacturer, framer, supplier, or allied partner, this is your business, and your industry. The success of our industry depends on how well we tell our story and how effectively we advocate for the benefits of building with components.
This Fly-In was a significant milestone, but it’s only the beginning. We need your voice, engagement, and leadership to keep the momentum going. The future of this industry is full of possibilities, and it’s up to all of us, SBCA, our members, and our partners, to ensure that we continue to grow and thrive in the years to come. We are the voice of the structural building components industry – let’s make sure it is heard.
Reach out to me directly if you would like more information, need help getting started, want to connect with others doing similar advocacy work, or are interested in joining the SBCA Advocacy Committee. I’m happy to help. I can be reached at cwagner@sbcacomponents.com or 224-236-3724.