Emerging from the Tunnel

I see a light at the end of the tunnel! I don’t know about you, but I was tired of being in the trenches. After slogging through year after year for the past six, it was such a huge relief to show up in San Antonio with a feeling of hope for the coming year. What made it even better was that almost everyone I talked to at BCMC this year felt about the same. 

Indeed, the sense of optimism was palpable everywhere you looked on the BCMC show floor. I mean, look at the smiles on our faces! (Pictured left to right: Scott and Ellie Ward, Mike Ruede and Tim Rouch.)

Instead of the past few years where we were focusing on what we could be or should be doing, this year we were talking about what we are actually doing. Everyone seemed to have plenty of work on their books, and a popular topic of conversation was how large our backlogs are getting. I know in our market in the South, multifamily is really picking up strong, and even the tract builders are picking up the pace.

This shift in perception, backed up by a steady growth in business, presented a real momentum changer, both for the BCMC show and for the industry was a whole. The first place it was most evident was in the attitudes of the exhibitors. I talked to several of them, and they all had positive things to say about the mood of the show attendees and the conversations they had with potential customers. 

This year marked a return of equipment to the show floor and vendors weren’t shy about bringing their flashiest, high-tech offerings to wow the crowds. It was a good thing they brought their “A” game, because plenty of component manufacturers showed up looking to purchase. One exhibitor remarked that while in past years everyone seemed crowded around the used-equipment booths, this year the attendees flocked to the newest and brightest.

The best indicator of hope for the coming year is the fact that not only did attendees look and discuss, they also made purchases. Several suppliers expressed surprise and satisfaction at the amount of equipment they sold at the show.

Beyond the exhibits, I think everyone, including myself, was floored by the educational sessions this year. The session evaluations indicated the BCMC Committee hit a home run in choosing the topics they did. As further proof, some of the sessions were standing-room only, including the session on optimization I attended. Session attendees were also treated to a thought-provoking session on lumber grading, and a valuable perspective on the value of a good relationship with your building officials. (See Session Recap article in this issue.) Attendance at the Economic Forecast, which traditionally is good, was record-setting with over 210 crammed into the room to hear the sage words of Jim Dunn, Chair of the Oklahoma City Branch Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

As I reflect back on all that I saw and heard during my stay in San Antonio, the thing that struck me the most was the sense that our industry is at a pivot point. While the improving housing market is a definite positive for all of us, it does create some real challenges: finding enough trainable employees, capturing economic value for the engineering we do, keeping ahead of raw material price increases, and understanding regulatory changes, to name just a few.

This moment is a great opportunity for our industry, and for our trade association, SBCA, to shine. The SBCA Board and its committees are working diligently to develop and offer solutions that can help component manufacturers address these issues head on and experience success. At the same time, the Board is very much focused on the relationship-building that has proven so vital to the growth and vitality of our industry. 

That’s why I really want to encourage you to get involved in SBCA. Kick the tires. Attend the upcoming Open Quarterly Meeting (OQM) in Tucson, AZ. Experience and participate in the Component Manufacturers Roundtable. Just as all those who attended the packed roundtable at BCMC found, it is where the issues that will define our industry going forward are raised and hashed out. I guarantee it is worth the investment to attend.

This year’s BCMC made it clear to me there is a light at the end of the tunnel we have been traveling the past six years. Together, we can emerge from that tunnel with a united purpose and focus that will benefit all of our businesses in a material way.