Cold-formed steel manufacturers, suppliers and contractors have formed the Steel Framing Industry Association, which will be headquartered in northern Virginia and opened for business Jan. 10, 2011.
“The SFIA will unify our industry and help make all our businesses more successful through a number of initiatives. The SFIA will advocate on behalf of companies in the cold-formed steel framing industry to expand the market through code compliance, promotion, education and innovation,” said SFIA interim President Bill Courtney of ClarkWestern Building Systems, West Chester, Ohio.
According to SFIA interim Vice President Kennon Whaley of Montgomery, Ala.-based Southeastern Stud & Components Inc., “SFIA will be an inclusive, industry-wide association because membership is open to CFS product manufacturers, steel mills, coil coaters, steel coil suppliers, connector and accessory manufacturers, panel and truss manufacturers, equipment and tool manufacturers, supplier/distributor yards, design professionals and contractors.”
“SFIA will also provide peace of mind to all stakeholders in the CFS industry by implementing an independent third-party code compliance certification program for exterior and interior framing products in early 2011. The program is open to the more than 70 CFS product manufacturers and will ensure that products produced by SFIA manufacturing members meet all applicable building codes. Also, SFIA is planning to develop an independent third-party code compliance certification program for framing accessories,” said SFIA interim Secretary John Roberts of Dietrich Metal Framing, Columbus, Ohio.
According to SFIA interim Treasurer Ray Frobosilo of Edison, N.J.-based Super Stud Building Products Inc., “We feel that SFIA will be in the best position to promote innovation and improve competition with lumber and masonry products, and will be in an excellent position to fund important research.”
SFIA will be guided by a board of directors that will meet a minimum of two times each year, once in fall and once at AWCI’s Convention & INTEX Expo. The board and officers will be elected at the first membership meeting on April 5, 2011, in Las Vegas. The board consists of four officers, two small, two medium and two large CFS product manufacturers, one steel mill, one supplier/distributor and one contractor.
For more information, please write to info@steelindustryassociation.org.
