Shuffleboard Helps CMs Solve Industry Challenges
Attendees from across the country converged on San Diego, CA for a week of discussion about critical industry topics, mixed with some fun as a battle amongst members ensued on the shuffleboard courts.
With over 90 registered attendees, SBCA’s first meeting of 2019 saw the most number of component manufacturers (CMs) and industry suppliers in recent memory. The week kicked off with a California Chapter meeting where, among many topics, a spirited conversation took place regarding the regional practice of planing the bottom chord of trusses to provide a flat gypsum wallboard appearance. With a lot of disbelief and bewilderment that the practice continues in Southern California, CMs are beginning to engage California framers to find solutions to curb the practice.
SBCA Committees met midweek to discuss and act on a myriad of topics and ongoing work by SBCA members and staff. The association’s Marketing Committee is actively pushing more information out to encourage CMs to host plant tours, as well as promote their work and products using the CM Toolbox (a member-only resource) and www.bestwaytoframe.com.
Membership Committee members continue to seek out and implement strategies to encourage CMs to join the association. If there are CMs who are not members, contact SBCA staff to add them to our recruitment list and we will reach out to them regarding the value and benefits of joining SBCA.
Quality control continues to be a significant priority for the association. The QC Committee met and discussed the importance of In-Plant QC, SBCA’s 3rd Party Inspection Program, and the ongoing testing on weathered trusses and its effects.
The Emerging Leaders Committee also met to continue their great work, including the planning of a leadership development training event at SBCA’s second set of meetings in Fort Worth, Texas June 4 – 6.
The OQM was the first for JoAnn Gidley, Operations Truss Manager for BMC in Austin, Texas, who felt the week was informative and an overall good time.
“I really enjoyed meeting people in the industry and understanding what their struggles are. Hearing about the innovative ideas they are coming up with and general conversations about work in general tends to bring more information to the industry,” she said. “Knowing who is out there and the struggles that are going on in their world is reassuring, and it’s exciting to hear what they are hearing and learning or just their perspective on things.”
Gidley, and a handful of her BMC colleagues made a point to attend the meetings for many reasons, one of which is to network with other CMs because their company is growing.
“I believe in the fact that you are only as good as the people next to you,” JoAnn said. “One of the better ways to be engaged is to go out into those settings and sit around the table and talk to people in the industry and learn from them, and just be engaged.”
Gidley, along with Bill Howard with MiTek, took home the championship title for SBCA’s inaugural shuffleboard tournament. The pair faced off against SBCA president Greg Griggs, of Builders FirstSource, and Tom Kurowski, of US LBM, for the top prize while Michael Schwitter, of Alpine, an ITW Company, and Howard Gauger, with Carpenter Contractors of America, took home 3rd place beating out Kevin Kraft, of Alpine, an ITW Company, and Tim Noonan, of Cascade Manufacturing Co. The tournament concluded with a luau on the beach of Mission Bay. The weeks’ festivities wrapped up with the SBCA board meeting where board members heard updates on the steel industry a detailed discussion on the negative impacts of ransom-ware cyber-attacks, a push for CMs to participate in the confidential Financial Performance Survey, and much more.
Finally, the BCMC Committee is well on its way to hosting an even larger event this year in Columbus, Ohio. With this year’s theme, “Set Your Course,” the association already has over 45,000 square feet of exhibitor space and a video capturing the excitement for the event more than 8 months away.
