Success! But We’re Not Done Yet
BCMC 2022 was amazing and points to an incredible 2023
BCMC 2022 was a huge success. It was our best-attended show since 2006, with 50 percent higher attendance than in 2021 You could feel the energy in the crowd from the very beginning, with a record number of participants at the Industry Roundtables on Tuesday night and almost 800 people attending the kick- off session on Wednesday morning! I knew they were there to hear NFL legend Emmitt Smith, but it was still exhilarating to get up and speak to such a large group about SBCA’s accomplishments before Emmitt hit the stage.
Speaking of SBCA accomplishments, there are several to highlight, including exceeding our goal of reaching 800 members and rolling out the new Digital QC program. I was proud to share SBCA’s efforts to bring the industry closer together and deliver greater value. These things didn’t happen in a vacuum. It took a lot of effort from our members, our staff, and our vendors to get it all done, but we did it!
At the show, I appreciated the opportunity to interact with our new members and first-time BCMC attendees. I had some great conversations and gained additional perspectives on how SBCA can provide value to component manufacturers (CMs) and the market. To that end, I’d like to share what I believe some of our primary goals should be for the next year.
First, I think it is important for SBCA to invest in refreshing our online education programs. Effective training is vital to the growth and success of our operations. Whether it’s for new production staff, truss designers, truck drivers, office staff, or managers, SBCA’s training programs offer valuable insights into industry best practices and should be an integral part of everyone’s onboarding and continuous training approaches.
The challenge is that while the subject material in SBCA’s training programs is great, the delivery system has fallen behind the times. Today, you can go on YouTube and learn how to smoke a perfect beef brisket. I’ve been working on this skill for years, and the most effective tool I’ve found to help me improve are the videos other enthusiasts post on how they do everything from preparing rubs and marinades to ensuring a constant temperature throughout the smoke. It’s informative and it’s really easy to follow.
That’s what today’s new hires expect. They grew up immersed in the internet and online videos, so we need to offer them training programs that follow suit. This year, SBCA will modernize our most popular online training programs, starting with Truss Technician Training (TTT) and Truss Manufacturing Orientation (TMO).
Second, I want our association to leverage its close relationships with framers through the National Framers Council (NFC), and plate manufacturers through the Truss Plate Institute (TPI), and take a hard look at revising the Building Component Safety Information (BCSI) handbook. BCSI is an incredibly useful document and is our industry’s best tool in reducing installation and handling issues in the field. Our goal this year is to develop new ways to deliver the excellent content in BCSI so it is easier for framers in the field to interact with and implement.
Finally, when I mentioned that we exceeded our membership growth goal for the year, I should have said that we actually blew past it. Incredibly, as I write this, we have 824 members! I may be getting myself in trouble here, but I think we need to continue to focus on membership growth. I want to strive for 900 members by BCMC next year and I think we can get there. SBCA represents everyone in the industry and provides great value to every CM. We just need to continue our efforts to help non-members see and understand everything they’re missing out on by not being members.
If you know of any CMs or suppliers who aren’t members, please email me at president@sbcacomponents.com, so I can have an opportunity to have a conversation with them.
About the Author: Gene Frogale, SBCA President