SFIA 2026 Annual Meeting Features Newly Approved Certification Program, Industry Awards and More

New Orleans, La. (March 16, 2026) — The 2026 Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA) Annual Meeting and SFIA General Session came to New Orleans in conjunction with BUILD26: AWCI’s Convention + Expo. The SFIA meetings covered the theme: “Supporting Members Through Certification and Industry Alignment,” revealed an approved updated steel framing compliance program and held a special awards ceremony.

SFIA Annual Meeting Addresses Code Compliance

At the SFIA Annual Meeting — held privately at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 342 — association members officially approved updates to SFIA’s Code Compliance Certification Program (C3P). The SFIA C3P applies to cold-formed steel (CFS) framing products.

Attendees of the 2026 Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA) SFIA General Session held in conjunction with BUILD26 in New Orleans watch the 2025 SFIA Awards presentation.

Don Allen

Don Allen, SFIA executive director, discussed what the new C3P changes mean for members amid growing market expectations for resilient, sustainable and code compliant construction.

“The market is demanding buildings that are resilient and sustainable, and non-compliant products and combustible construction threaten those tenets,” Allen said.

Members expressed excitement over the enhanced program, which is expected to reduce the costs of compliance for SFIA’s manufacturing members without any loss to the quality assurance the program sets.

“SFIA’s certification programs and our member base aim to deliver products and systems that give designers and builders confidence in choosing cold-formed steel framing,” Allen said.

Pat Ford

SFIA leadership shared important messaging on why product certification matters to SFIA Annual Meeting attendees.

“Certification supports our manufacturer and contractor-manufacturer members,” said Patrick W. Ford, SFIA technical director.

Ford added: “It strengthens confidence in the supply chain and helps protect the steel framing industry.”

SFIA’s newly updated C3P also reflects shifting expectations across the construction market, where developers, designers and building officials increasingly seek verified products and systems that support resilient, sustainable building practices and dependable performance.

Industry Alignment Through Partnerships

The members attending the 2026 SFIA Annual Meeting also discussed association business and broader context on SFIA’s forward priorities. This included a presentation of SFIA’s recently completed strategic planning and coordination with allied organizations focused on quality and performance in construction.

Jeffrey Klaiman, manager of the Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI) spoke for a few minutes on the “State of the CFSEI,” noting several of the institute’s accomplishments during the prior year.

Don Allen, SFIA executive director, speaks during the 2026 SFIA Annual Meeting in New Orleans about updates to the SFIA C3P program.

SFIA General Session Awards Ceremony

The public was invited to attend the SFIA’s General Session, which was held immediately after the SFIA Annual Meeting. During the General Session, Allen hosted a special ceremony recognizing this year’s SFIA Awards winners — showcasing how steel framing continues to expand design options and improve constructability across building types.

In reflecting on the 2025 SFIA Industry Project and Product Awards, Allen noted several encouraging trends compared with the 2024 winners.

“What stands out this year is the growing versatility of cold-formed steel framing,” Allen said. “The projects show how CFS can handle increasingly complex designs and structural demands. Our Innovative Product award reflects the innovation happening across the steel framing supply chain.”

2025 SFIA Awards — Winners

1. Low-Rise Project: raSmith for the Wind Creek Chicago Southland Casino, East Hazel Crest, Illinois
2. Mid-Rise Project: Negwer Materials and Engineered Steel Products, a division of Negwer Materials, for Kindred Resort / One River Run, Dillon (Keystone), Colorado
3. High-Rise Project: T.J. McCartney, for Allston Labworks, Boston, Massachusetts
4. Efficient Use of CFS Framing: Industrialized Construction Solutions, for West Point II Apartments, Tucson, Arizona
5. Conversion from Another Material: CEMCO for Mullin Transportation Design Center, Pasadena, California
6. Architectural Design Detail: CEMCO for the Populus hotel interior, Denver, Colorado
7. Sustainable Project: Industrialized Construction Solutions, for Sunset & Decatur Industrial Park Phase 1, Las Vegas, Nevada
8. Judges Choice: KHS&S Contractors for Dark Universe at Epic Universe in Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida
9. Innovative Product: StepStuds™ from Horizontal Base Studs, LLC

StepStuds™ from SFIA member Horizontal Base Studs, LLC, is the 2025 Innovative Product Award winner. The product is simple to install — 36 seconds per 8′ piece.

At right wearing a goldenrod colored jacket, Michael Cox, founder and CEO of Horizontal Base Studs LLC, accepts the 2025 Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA) Innovative Product Award for StepStuds™ from SFIA Technical Director Pat Ford during the 2026 SFIA General Session in New Orleans.

At right, Matthew Comber, SE, PE, of Industrialized Construction Solutions accepts one of two SFIA awards the firm received during the 2026 SFIA General Session in New Orleans.

2025 SFIA Awards — Honorable Mentions

1. Low-Rise Project: CEMCO for UCSC Student Housing, Santa Cruz, California
2. Mid-Rise Project: raSmith for The Trade Hotel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
3. High-Rise Project: ClarkDietrich for 24th & Rio Grande Housing, Austin, Texas
4. Architectural Design Detail: Maxan Interior Systems for Westerly 2 — South Tower Canopy, Etobicoke, Ontario

Steel Framing’s Growing Versatility

This year, SFIA introduced an Innovative Product category, recognizing StepStuds™ from Horizontal Base Studs — a product that elevates moisture resistance and installation efficiency in interior framing. The new award category signals SFIA’s increasing emphasis not just on CFS framing project excellence, but also on product innovation within the CFS framing ecosystem.

Allen also observed that winners this year demonstrated greater application breadth and technical sophistication. While 2024’s SFIA Awards focused on nine project categories such as efficient use, conversion from another material and sustainability, the 2025 SFIA Awards slate expanded to recognize architectural design detail, judges’ choice and multi-discipline execution across low-, mid- and high-rise projects.

Left to right: Maura Norlander, Intertek program manager; Pat Ford, SFIA technical director; Don Allen, SFIA executive director; and Charlie Meyers, Intertek senior manager, mingle at BUILD26 in New Orleans.

Jeffrey Klaiman, manager of the Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI), highlights the institute’s accomplishments.

Growing Demand for CFS Solutions

Notable SFIA Awards winners showed how vertically aligned CFS walls can eliminate concrete podiums. Some projects highlighted how CFS can frame curved architectural fenestrations. Others showcase complex structural geometries featuring CFS framing systems. And still other projects addressed immersive design requirements — steps beyond many of last year’s more traditional project typologies.

Collectively, Allen sees these patterns as evidence that SFIA certified cold-formed steel framing continues to push design and performance boundaries.

“Our recognition of both innovative products and versatile project applications reflects growing market demand for CFS solutions,” Allen says.

SFIA is exhibiting at BUILD26: AWCI’s Convention + Expo at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and Hilton New Orleans Riverside on Tuesday, March 17, and Wednesday, March 18. Attendees are encouraged to visit SFIA at booth 631.

SFIA members can attend the Expo trade show for free using the Build26 registration code VIP26.

Additional Resources

• The Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA) Names 13 Recipients of the 2025 Industry Awards
• SFIA Unveils 9 Winners of the 2024 Industry Project Awards
• SFIA Elects Leadership, Presents Awards and Strategy Insights at 2025 SFIA Annual Meeting