For many years, Larry Williams, the SFIA’s retired executive director, played a key role in driving innovation, unification and growth in steel framing, setting the stage for the next chapter of this prosperous industry. The following excerpt is from, “Face to Face: Larry Williams,” a Walls & Ceilings article prepared by Don Allen and the W&C Staff.
Larry Williams has been a prominent figure in the steel framing industry, no question about it. His commitment, career, activism and much more has had an impact on the wall and ceiling steel framing community, and produced noticeable change.
His story in the industry begins in the early ‘90s (but really jump-started in 2000), with how he has been a known force for steel framing. Although he spent the early 2000s in Belgium, his roots were planted in the U.S. market around this time and since his return to the States, he’s been the “go-to” person for the industry —through his job and his advocacy. His position as the executive director for the morphing associations showcases the industry’s trust in him as one of the authorities on all things steel framing.
As you will read in the following interview, Williams’s has left his mark on the steel framing industry and the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA). We, as the Voice of the Industry Since 1938, felt there was no time like the present to discuss his important and studied career as he passes his position of executive director on to Don Allen.
Williams will be missed. We are thankful for his time discussing his career and for the wonderful individual that he is.
Larry Williams, pictured here with his wife, Jamie, and daughter, Tessa.
W&C: Tell us briefly about where you are from and your life leading up to a career in steel framing
LW: I’ve lived in a lot of different places in the U.S. and around the world, but I mostly think I’m from Denver and San Francisco. Although my dad worked in the medical field, he was also a pretty good carpenter, plumber and electrician; consequently, I spent a lot of weekends helping him with projects that could’ve included anything from adding a room to the house, installing conduit and wiring, or building cabinets and helping with the finish woodwork for that room.
And for all I knew in the 1960s and 1970s steel was for nails or electrical boxes.
My first real introduction to steel framing didn’t happen until 1992. I was a partner in a San Francisco PR/Marketing agency and one of my clients was U.S. Steel.