Big Returns from Investing in SBCA Events

Having been in the truss business for over 40 years, I often think I know just about all there is to know. However, as I continue to engage with the friends I’ve made through SBCA and listen to how they solve problems, I continue to broaden my perspective on how to tackle issues.

For example, at the recent SBCA meeting in Baltimore, we had a chance to visit one of the most innovative truss manufacturing plants in the country. The things we observed prompted several component manufacturers (CMs) to share their experiences from other truss facility walk-throughs, and I heard a number of risk and cost savings ideas I wouldn’t have run across anywhere else. In fact, the discussion was so good the SBCA board plans to incorporate plant tours into future SBCA meetings whenever possible.

Here are just a few things I came home from Baltimore with: First, I had thought the air clamping on our floor truss machine was as good as it gets. Two minutes into the tour, I learned there was a better way to do it. Next, I noticed the way floor truss bundles were banded. The method I witnessed could solve a material handling problem that has been an issue in my plant for years. It would likely save us money as well!

Later in the day, we discussed how to properly guard a radial arm saw, an issue many of us face because it’s a saw almost everyone in the industry has. The owner of a company that had paid a significant OSHA fine for insufficient guarding graciously explained how to solve the problem. Being a part of that conversation likely saved everyone in the room from similar fines and made our workplaces safer. We even got into a broader discussion of how to prepare for an OSHA inspection and steps we can take to limit our employees’ exposure to injuries and our companies’ exposure to fines.

I know you’ve heard me (and other SBCA presidents) encourage you to attend SBCA’s national meetings as well as local chapter gatherings. Maybe you’ve wondered what return you might see on the investment of getting involved. I can attest that the observations I made on the plant tour, as well as the conversations I had afterward, were invaluable. And that was just the beginning.

Another topic we covered at the meeting was risk management. We talked about the benefits of sending a jobsite package on every delivery, and the challenge of ensuring that the people who need them actually get them. Our industry’s duty is to inform customers of proper handling of the products we supply, but how can we know this good information gets into the right hands?

One strategy SBCA is currently developing is an electronic jobsite package. A digital document can be created for a specific job, included with truss design drawings and other project-specific materials, and emailed to everyone involved in the project, creating a record to prove you’ve delivered the information to your customer.

Finally, we spent a considerable amount of time talking about our industry’s workforce development struggles and the concerns many CMs have with U.S. immigration policy and this administration’s current focus on enforcement. We know the rules we must follow to operate in accordance with government regulations, but there is less certainty that everyone working for us has the right documents. Are you prepared for an I-9 audit? I’ve heard of companies needing to replace workers who have been with the business for 10 to 15 years. We’re already struggling to find good help in our plants; this is an issue that will continue to have a big impact on how we do business.

The last SBCA meeting was a good reminder for me of how much I think I know, and how often I discover I wasn’t as informed as I thought. More than ever, as building code, regulatory and material supply issues arise one after another, we all need to be fully aware of what we don’t know. SBCA meetings are the best place for us to find out exactly what we might be overlooking.