In this episode, Margaret Whelan, founder and CEO of Whelan Advisory Capital Markets, sheds light on what is driving investment into the component manufacturing industry and integration within the construction supply chain.

EP 84: Whelan Discusses What is Driving Industry Investment

In this episode, Rachel Hoops, B2B Sales Manager for Lumbermens Merchandising Corporation (LMC), shares how their components group has grown rapidly in partnering up their component manufacturing and LBM members for mutual benefit. Rachel also shares the emerging trends they see in the market and what may lie ahead for the LMC component group.

EP 83: Hoops Expounds on Benefits of Lumber & Truss Cooperative

In this episode, John Herring, CEO of A-1 Industries in Fort Pierce, Florida, explores the challenges he faced in opening a new, state-of-the-art facility for today that is also built to accommodate long-term growth. John also weighs in on what it takes to get into the component manufacturing business today.

EP 82: Herring on Opening a New Facility in Today’s Environment

In this episode, John Herring, CEO of A-1 Industries in Fort Pierce, Florida, explores what the industry was like in the early 1970s in the industry’s birthplace. John also shares how his mindset changed about running a component manufacturing company after the housing bubble burst in the mid-2000s.

EP 81: Herring Shares Mindset Change After Housing Crash

In this episode, Barry Dixon, owner and CEO of True House in Jacksonville, Florida, and BJ Louws, president of Louws Truss in Ferndale, Washington, share why, as they seek to automate and innovate, they have invested time and resources in looking overseas. They also share what motivates them to push their family businesses forward to continually improve.

EP 80: Dixon and Louws on Looking Overseas for Automation

In this episode, Jeff Smith, president and CEO of Trussway, shares how Trussway is celebrating 50 years of business and the ways they focus on supporting, training, and recognizing the value of their employees. Jeff also talks about how they interface with their customers to ensure they have the best experience possible.

EP 79: Smith Shares Trussway’s Focus After 50 Years

In this episode, Brian Kerkhoff, president of KA Components in Otterbein, Indiana, talks about how they strive to build trust and loyalty with their customers and how their non-integrated model serves LBMs well.

EP 78: Kerkhoff on Building Customer Loyalty

In this episode, Brian Kerkhoff, president of KA Components in Otterbein, Indiana, shares their approach to offering just the right structural framing products to their customers and why they have chosen to only work directly with LBMs.

EP 77: Kerkhoff on the Benefits of the Two-Step Model

In this episode, Jess Lohse, SBCA’s executive director, announces the Digital QC program is now available to all component manufacturers and is free to all SBCA members. Jess shares how this new software will benefit CMs and allow them to harness the full potential of robust QC data.

EP 76: Lohse Announces Arrival of Digital QC and its Advantages

In this episode, Jimmy Broach, President and CEO of Atlantic Building Components in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, talks about the challenges of bringing a new plant online and getting another generation involved in the family business.

EP 75: Broach on Starting a New Truss Plant

SBCA's podcast focuses on everything from production and marketing best practices to risk management and leadership tips.  We are interviewing fellow component manufacturers and industry experts and teasing out valuable nuggets you can use to improve your company.

A great job of diving into the off-site manufacturing of structural building components.  Industry leaders share their thoughts on what works.

Great industry insights

Component Connection

Gene Frogale

Jeff Taake

Gene Frogale is the president of Annandale Millwork &amp; Allied Systems in Winchester, Virginia, and Jeff Taake is the vice president of manufacturing and commercial sales at Mead Lumber Co. with component operations throughout the upper Midwest.  Listen as Gene and Jeff relate on how their organizations have reacted to COVID-19 and their outlooks for the immediate future in the component manufacturing industry post-COVID-19.

EP 23: Gene Frogale and Jeff Taake Discuss COVID-19 Impacts on Operations

Gene Frogale and his brother Rob are co-presidents of Annandale Millwork &amp; Allied Systems in Winchester, Virginia. Gene shares the history behind their family-owned business and how his comprehensive approach to sales and marketing has been influential in its success. As SBCA's current treasurer and membership committee chair, Gene also explains how the association has helped to grow the industry and impact his business.

EP 13: Gene Frogale Shares His Approach to Component Sales and Marketing

Mike Bugbee

Mike Bugbee, part owner of Oregon Truss in Salem, Oregon, shares his perspectives on the evolution of the component manufacturing industry through the lens of his long career at Simpson Strong-Tie. He explains how his relationships with early pioneers in component manufacturing helped influence today’s industry, and how his sales approach can help component manufacturers expand their markets today.

EP 24: Mike Bugbee Discusses the Industry’s Evolution and Approach to Sales

Barry Dixon

Barry is the owner and CEO of True House in Jacksonville, Florida, and is an early adopter of technology and automation in the component manufacturing industry. Barry shares why his business has integrated up and down the supply chain over the years to make it more successful. He also provides guidance on how to evaluate opportunities for integration to better serve your customers.

EP 10: Barry Dixon Discusses Business Approaches to Integration & Automation

Mike Ruede

Scott Ward

Mike Ruede and Scott Ward discuss the various challenges the COVID-19 Coronavirus has created for their businesses and what they are doing to overcome them.  Mike is the COO of A-1 Roof Trusses in Fort Pierce, Florida, and Scott is an owner at Southern Components located in Shreveport, Louisiana.  Listen as they share insights, best practices and their outlook beyond this pandemic.

EP 22: Mike Ruede and Scott Ward Share Business Changes Due to COVID-19

Richard Brown

Jim Finkenhoefer

Richard Brown and Jim Finkenhoefer met in 1986 at a Georgia Component Manufacturers Association meeting and later partnered in operating Truss Systems, a wood and cold-formed steel component manufacturing plant in Oxford, Georgia. In this podcast, these two entrepreneurs share how they successfully ran a truss plant together for almost 30 years on nothing more than a hand-shake agreement and remain friends today.

EP 11: Richard Brown & Jim Finkenhoefer Discuss Business Practices & Their Successful Partnership

Joe Hikel

Steve Stroder

Joe Hikel and Steve Stroder discuss their reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic and how they're leading their businesses through the various challenges they've faced in recent weeks. Joe is the CEO and President of Shelter Systems Limited and Steve Stroder is the CEO and President of California TrusFrame. They provide insights into how the remainder of 2020 will look and how their companies will be impacted by what they are learning today.

EP 21: Joe Hikel and Steve Stroder on COVID-19 Business Practices and Reactions

Sean Shields

BJ Louws, president of Louws Truss in Ferndale, Washington, discusses the family business and how structural components became part of their operations. He also digs into lean concepts and how they have proved a cost-effective way to be more competitive and innovative.

EP 7: BJ Louws Discusses Lean Manufacturing & Innovation Opportunities with Sean Shields

Greg Griggs

Sean Shields and Greg Griggs explore the latest efforts of SBCA to help component manufacturers grow market share and take advantage of opportunities in today's market. Greg has been in the industry for 35 years and is the senior vice president of manufacturing for Builder's FirstSource. He is the current SBCA president and has been chair of the marketing committee the past four years.

EP 3: Sean Shields Talks With Current SBCA President Greg Griggs

Angie and her daughter, Ashley, share their experiences as women in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Both Angie and Ashley work at California TrusFrame (CTF), which is based in Murrieta, CA and has five locations throughout the state. Angie has 26 years of experience in the industry and currently serves as vice president of supply chain. Ashley has been a sales representative for CTF since 2017.

EP 9: Angie & Ashley Stroder Share Their Perspectives About the Industry

Kirk Grundahl

Matt Layman

Matt Layman, president of Layman's Lumber Guide, discusses current lumber market trends with SBCA Executive Director, Kirk Grundahl. Matt has worked in lumber commodities for nearly four decades and uses his real-world experience to analyze and forecast the lumber market.

EP 8: Matt Layman Discusses Lumber Market Trends with Kirk Grundahl

Larry Dix

SBCA president Greg Griggs, Builders FirstSource, and SBCA board member Larry Dix, Apex Truss, discuss the value they receive from face-to-face meetings. Both Greg and Larry share similar thoughts on how important relationship building and networking has been for their companies and their careers.

EP 5: Greg Griggs & Larry Dix Discuss Value of Face-to-Face Meetings

SBCA President Mike Ruede shares his thoughts on what component manufacturers could do to better promote their businesses and how SBCA’s strategic plan fits in. Mike is the executive vice president and chief operating officer at A-1 Roof Trusses in Fort Pierce, Florida and this is his second term as SBCA president (he previously served as president in 2002). Mike also shares his history in the industry and explains how he believes the industry needs to change in order to grow and prosper.

EP 14: SBCA President Mike Ruede Shares Thoughts on How to Better Promote Your Business

Scott Arquilla

Scott Arquilla, former co-owner, vice president, and COO of Best Homes, Inc.,  shares how his family got started in the homebuilding industry and the unique challenges they faced operating in the Chicago market. Scott discusses why he got involved in SBCA and what prompted him to join the Board of Directors in 1997.  While SBCA president in 2003, his truss plant burned to the ground. He reflects on what he would have done differently to both prepare for and recover from the disaster and offers advice to component manufacturers.

EP 19: Scott Arquilla Reflects on Running a Successful Business in Chicago

Dean DeHoog

Dean DeHoog is the director of manufacturing for Standard Building Systems, a US LBM company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His extensive experience and unique journey informs his powerful perspective on the industry's strengths and current challenges. Dean shares his own approach to management and gives insight into the US LBM culture.

EP 16: Dean DeHoog Discusses Business Culture and Management Best Practices

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