SBCA Approves Several Changes at Buffalo OQM

Over 140 component manufacturers, suppliers, and guests attended SBCA’s summer Open Quarterly Meeting (OQM) in Buffalo, New York, July 25-27. Over the course of those three days, attendees engaged in several roundtable discussions, networking events, and meetings to move the industry forward. 

The meeting kicked off Tuesday afternoon with an overview and update of SBCA’s 2023-2027 Strategic Plan. SBCA executive director, Jess Lohse, walked everyone through progress made on several initiatives centered on membership growth, increasing innovation in the industry, and educational content development. After the overview, SBCA legal counsel, Kent Pagel, presided over a CM-only roundtable to continue an ongoing discussion on raw material utilization and how to help CMs best use resources at their disposal. 

On Wednesday, everyone participated in a series of topical industry roundtables designed to encourage open discussion of best practices and facilitate collaborative problem solving on current challenges. Topics ranged from wall panel manufacturing to workforce culture development, and the robust conversations led several participants to remark that the roundtables continue to be one of the most valuable aspects of the OQMs. In the afternoon, participants attended a Buffalo Bison’s baseball game, a AAA farm team for the Toronto Blue Jays.  

At the Board of Directors meeting on Thursday morning, several important association developments occurred.  

First, the Board approved the recommendation of the Nominating Committee to appoint BJ Louws, Louws Truss, as the incoming secretary of SBCA. His two-year term as Secretary will start in September at BCMC | FS. In becoming an officer, BJ will also join the SBCA Executive Committee. 

Second, the Board approved the creation of a standing Education Committee to oversee a comprehensive strategy for development and offering educational content and events throughout the year from OQMs and BCMC | FS to regional and virtual events. 

Third, the Board approved the transition of the Emerging Leaders Committee into the SBCA Launchpad. This change will reflect a new approach by the association to offer a more standardized approach and curriculum to members looking to become more active in the association. 

Finally, the Board approved a request by the SBCA Illinois chapter to dissolve as a separate organization and join SBCA under its umbrella of state Chapters. 

Staff provided a lot of good news regarding the upcoming BCMC | FS show in Indianapolis, Indiana, September 18-22. This year, the show floor will grow to 65,000 square feet, with 124 exhibitors. This growth represents a return of 98% of loyal exhibitors, and 24 first-time exhibitors. The BCMC | FS Early Bird registration discount ends at midnight on Friday, August 4. 

One significant new development to the BCMC | FS show is the addition of exhibitor-led education session on Tuesday afternoon just prior to the Industry Roundtables and happy hours. This is the first year SBCA has solicited proposals for education provided by suppliers and twelve companies submitted proposals. A panel of CMs judged the proposals, which were redacted to hide the identity of the companies, and they chose the following sessions: 

• Title: The Current Market Transition of Construction: Prefabrication and Building Automation 

• Presenting Company: Stiles Machinery 

• Title: Unleashing the Potential: Panel Discussion on Robotics and the Evolution of Component Factories 

• Presenting Company: 4Ward Solutions Group 

• Panelist Company: House of Design 
• Panelist Company: Trussmatic 
• Panelist Company: Randek 
• Panelist Company: Brave Control Solutions 

• Title: Trends in Capital Availability and M&A for Component Manufactures 

• Presenting Company: Whelan Advisory 

• Title: Increasing Profits: Relating Everything to Work Minutes 

• Presenting Company: Todd Drummond Consulting 

• Title: The Future is Now: Unpacking Digital Transformation for Truss Manufacturers 

• Presenting Company: Q4US 

Everyone is welcome to attend the next SBCA Board of Directors meeting at the conclusion of BCMC | FS on Friday, September 22, in Indianapolis, Indiana.