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President's Message: Perception Is Reality

How someone interprets your email matters more than what you mean

Have a Policy to Review Your Policy

Changes in state laws require a fresh look at drug use policies.

Rock the Block

CM increases profit with pre-designed shear blocking panels.

Put Out the Design Fire Before it Starts

Getting information up front on sprinkler systems can ease the design process.

This Isn’t Your Father’s Truss Bridge

An unusual design project gives this CM international exposure.

Show Them You Care (Bring Pizza if Necessary)

CM builds relationships with students by giving back.
 

Faces of the Industry: Tim Noonan

Cascade Manufacturing Company • Cascade, Iowa

Parting Shots: A Coordinated Effort to Focus on Safety

On May 7-11, construction crews across the nation took part in OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down, an annual opportunity for framers to discuss safety with their employees and emphasize the importance of fall prevention. 

CM Perspective: You’re Selling More Trusses, but Are You Making More Money?

When times are good and business is continually flowing in as it is right now, it’s easy to just keep the foot on the gas pedal and deal with what’s right in front of me. However, I make better decisions when I have the ability to look at the bigger picture. If I am only comparing myself to my past performance or my pre-determined expectations, I’m missing a huge opportunity.

Marijuana and the Component Manufacturer

While marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, as of January 1, 2018, recreational marijuana is legal in nine states and medical marijuana is legal in 29 states. As more states legalize marijuana, for medical or recreational use, component manufacturers are confronted with potentially needing to adapt their drug policies. Since marijuana remains illegal on the federal level, there is no obligation to allow employees to use marijuana off the clock.

2020 SBCA Emerging Leaders Scholarship

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Designed for members of the Structural Building Components Association (SBCA) who are young in the industry and have demonstrated potential leadership in both their individual companies and in the association, the SBCA Emerging Leaders Scholarship will be used to help qualified members defray the costs of attending one or more Open Quarterly Meetings in 2020 so they can experience the work of the Emerging Leaders Committee and the SBCA board in general.  Open Quarterly Meetings in 2020 will be held February 26-28 in Miami, FL; May 18-20 at Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV; and August 4-6 in Park City, UT. Get highlights from past meetings here.

Scholarship recipients who meet the requirements for participation may be invited to join SBCA’s Emerging Leaders Committee, which was created to give the next generation of leaders in the structural building components industry and SBCA an opportunity to meet one another, build lasting relationships, learn from others who will share their experiences and gain a greater depth of knowledge of the industry and its trade association. The intent is to provide sustainability, growth and enthusiasm for member companies and the association.

If you are interested in being considered for a scholarship in 2021, please submit the form below by November 1, 2020.

“Receiving this scholarship has opened up the door to understanding so much more about the industry than I deal with during my daily routine. It has shown me all the different aspects that come into play in running a component manufacturing company from many experienced and established individuals across the country.”

–Kyle May, Regional Manager, G2 National, 2019 SBCA Emerging Leaders Scholarship Recipient

“The experience and connections you make by attending quarterly meetings is unforgettable. You’re connecting with people who have been in the industry for many years and others who are just getting into it. Everyone I have talked to has provided me with great advice and insight on how the industry has changed and how it’s currently changing.”

–Shawnee Gunnett, Structrual Estimator, Big C Lumber, 2019 SBCA Emerging Leaders Scholarship Recipient

Meet the 2020 Scholarship Recipients 

Meet the 2019 Scholarship Recipients 

Plant Tours

People walking through a plant in high visibility vests and hard hats and two men standing next to truss plates

The largest hurdle to hosting a plant tour is having enough time. That's why we continue to create tools like those below to make it as easy as possible to host a tour.

The primary motivation to hosting a plant tour is to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with a supplier, potential customer, a city official, and many others in your community.

SBCA QC & Minimizing Mold

The case summary shown below, from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), rationalizes some homeowner reactions to recent media coverage surrounding [toxic] mold. It is a legitimate fear. It can cause physical harm to sensitive people who are exposed to it. But, the type and amount of harm are uncertain. 

Who's Mold Is It?

The below article is an update of the article, "Who's Mold Is It?" published in the January/February 2003 edition of SBC Magazine.

Dealing with Mold: Component Manufacturers Address Customer Concerns

Builder complaints regarding the growth of surface mold on the lumber contained within wood structural components, while not as frequently encountered as in the past, continue to pose a dilemma in some markets. The dilemma comes in the form of builders either demanding moldfree wood based products, or when mold appears on a component at the jobsite, they are demanding that suppliers provide an immediate remediation (e.g., removal) of the mold, regardless of the cause or the cost. And, where structures are improperly designed or constructed and mold growth appears years later, component manufacturers (CMs) have found themselves into construction defect litigation with various types of complaints being asserted.

Our Legal Reality: Keeping an Eye on Mold (Part 1)

Mold contamination is becoming a nationwide concern among homeowners and builders. Mold in homes and mold lawsuits have gained extensive media coverage from talk shows to feature articles in national publications. Even Erin Brockovich is making news in the mold litigation arena. Insurance companies are becoming increasingly concerned as well. They feel that they are unfairly bearing the brunt of the expense in remediating mold, thereby leading to revisions in homeowner and builder/contractor liability policies.

Our Legal Reality: Keeping an Eye on Mold (Part 2)

Mold can be found almost anywhere and can grow on virtually any substance, provided moisture is present. Several lumber associations are knowledgeable on this topic, including the American Forest & Paper Association's (AF&PA’s) American Wood Council (AWC), the Western Wood Products Association (WWPA), the Canadian Wood Council (CWC), and the Southern Pine Council (SPC). Surface molds, which can come from a variety of sources including airborne spores, feed off of the sugars and starches readily available in wood. Thus mold can and will occur naturally on lumber under certain conditions, normally due to the presence of moisture in or on the wood and warm temperatures. Therefore, component manufacturers and lumber dealers must realize that all lumber and wood components are susceptible to mold growth.