Faces of the Industry: Greg Griggs

What’s your story?

“I started in this industry in 1980, working a summer job as a catcher in the saw department of a small truss plant in Columbia, Missouri, where my father worked as an outside sales representative. From there, I worked through and learned every position on the production floor. In 1982, my father decided to venture into his own component manufacturing company. I followed and continued my industry experience, moving into operations management and design.” Greg later worked for Toll Brothers, Stock Lumber Company, Stock Building Supply and ProBuild prior to his current position at Builders FirstSource.

Did you plan to stay in the industry?

“In 1980, I wasn’t looking that far ahead! As my experience and knowledge of the industry grew, so did my passion for the construction industry, specifically toward component manufacturing.”

What do you like best about what you do?

“It’s very rewarding to see how our industry contributes to the construction process.” Greg enjoys seeing how components can make building more efficient and contribute to the structural integrity of today’s complex building projects.

“One of the other things that I really like about the industry is the camaraderie. Every day we go to work as respected competitors, but in some instances we separate ourselves from that competitiveness and work together for the betterment of the industry as a whole.”

What challenges lie ahead for the industry?

“Our main challenge today is: how do we broaden the knowledge of our industry on a global basis? If somebody on the street asks you what you do and you say, ‘I work for a roofing business,’ they know what you do. When you say, ‘I’m the general manager of a truss company, they say, ‘what’s a truss?’ Our challenge is: how do we make our industry more familiar to the general public, and how do we attract, educate and excite the next generation to foster greater engagement in our industry? We also need to continue to educate the market on a global level about what we do and what the advantages are of building with components.”

What else do you think about when you consider where the industry is headed?

“What’s the next wave of automation? We started with a totally manual cutting and build process, and we’ve now progressed into an era of automated equipment—what’s next?”

When you’re not thinking about trusses, what keeps you busy?

“First and foremost, family. I became a grandfather two years ago and take full advantage of every minute I can spend with my new best buddy, as well as with my entire family. I also have a passion for deep sea fishing—I’m always searching for the big one, and I enjoy the peace and quiet of a little hunting from time to time.”