Editor's Message

Promote Your Problems (and how you solve them every day)

I recently had a conversation with John Holland, head of IT for Clearspan Components, and he pointed out that if there’s one thing the component industry has a lot of, it’s problems

10-4 on the I-9

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is continuing efforts to strictly enforce regulations pertaining to Form I-9. USCIS states the I-9 “is used for verifying the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. All U.S. employers must ensure proper completion of Form I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States.”

Guard Your Back (and your extremities)

In June, Managing Editor Sean Shields met with career civil servants in the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) offices. The group was led by the director of the General Industry and Agricultural Enforcement Department, Art Buchanan, who has now served under five administrations. He had a very important message for the component manufacturing (CM) industry: OSHA is looking very closely at machine safeguards and employees’ personal protective equipment (PPE). Why? Buchanan shared three main reasons behind OSHA’s current level of scrutiny.

Does Everyone Know How You Make a Truss?

Do all the builders, contractors, framers, fire officials, building inspectors and lawmakers in your market understand what makes your products so great? Do they know why using components is the best way to frame? If you’re answering “no” (which is very likely), it’s time for a tour.

Fountain of Youth

Contrary to the popular marketing slogan, not everything that happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas, like the “youth movement” that unexpectedly sprang up during those two days of discussion. What started as a frank observation that industry leadership needs greater participation and buy-in from the younger generations led to several productive ideas on how to begin achieving that goal.

Best Practices Provide a Best-Case Scenario

SBCA’s library of technical design and installation best practices has been expanded over the past year to help CMs navigate a wide array of code-related challenges in their markets.

Overwhelming Opportunity

It’s hard to find the right words to describe the International Builders Show (IBS) held this past January at the Orlando convention center. Enormous? Chaotic? Bewildering? Maybe all three. That description sheds some light on why the housing industry is as fragmented as it is.

Let SBCA Take You to the Next Level in 2017

SBCA is helping CMs take advantage of technology in the office and on the jobsite.

You Make This Industry Great

You have a lot more to offer the component manufacturing industry than you think. Beyond the skills and experience that allow you to do your job well, you have knowledge and a unique perspective from which other component manufacturers (CMs) could benefit. The pages of this issue are filled with tips, tricks and lessons learned, shared by speakers and attendees alike during the education sessions at BCMC this past October in Knoxville.

Know Your Labor Market

If you’re one of the hundreds of component manufacturers (CMs) currently challenged by finding and retaining a large enough skilled workforce to accomplish your business goals, there are no wrong answers to these questions. The only strategy to avoid is making decisions without good information.