The Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA) celebrated 10 years of industry leadership at its Annual Meeting, held in conjunction with the AWCI/INTEX Expo 22, April 4-7, 2022, at the Gaylord Texan Resort + Convention Center, Grapevine, Texas.
Larry Williams, SFIA executive director, welcomed SFIA members, guests and interested persons, citing the occasion as a historic one.
“What the SFIA has accomplished in 10 years is truly extraordinary,” Williams said. “And yet, it represents just the beginning of what we can do together as a steel framing industry.”
Larry Williams, SFIA executive director since 2012.
The decade of time that has passed since the SFIA formed in 2011 has seen growth of cold-formed steel (CFS) framing. In large part, this growth has been due to the unifying efforts of the SFIA.
The SFIA was built on the bedrock of code compliance certification and on all-inclusive, industry-wide participation.
The association is unique in representing the entire steel framing industry — steel mills, steel stud manufacturers, fabricators, building materials suppliers, design professionals and framing contractors.
SFIA membership represents the entire steel framing supply chain.
In just 10 years, the SFIA has championed advocacy, developed a complete set of technical resources for architects, engineers and constructors, and produced a variety of informative case studies, ebooks, articles, webinars and more.
And, its members have shaped the future of cold-formed steel framing.
Filling a Leadership Vacuum
In the 1950s, metal stud manufacturers appeared in droves. In the 1960s, engineers began working on metal-framed mid-rise projects.
By the 2000s, product innovation, and a growing interest among designers to use cold-formed steel, led to a burgeoning market for metal framing in mid-rise construction.
Cold-formed steel is fulfilling a burgeoning market for metal framing in mid-rise construction.
So when the year 2010 arrived, it was time to unite the industry on product quality. Why was that important?
“You have to think about the context of the times,” says Bill Courtney, SFIA President 2011-2014. “The construction industry had been devastated. We had just gotten out of the 2008 financial crisis and for the folks that survived there was some optimism. But everyone was a little bit on shaky legs.”
At AWCI’s fall conference in October 2010, AWCI president Brent Allen and the AWCI Executive Committee decided to start a new association that would be all-inclusive of manufacturers, suppliers and contractors.
The SFIA was incorporated in January 2011. The first annual meeting of SFIA members was held on April 5, 2011, in Las Vegas. Bill Courtney, then with ClarkWestern Building Systems, was the SFIA’s first president. By December 2011 the SFIA had nearly 1,000 members.
SFIA’s growth came rapidly, reaching nearly 1,000 members within 1 year.
Courtney’s membership renewal letter that year said that the SFIA “had done so much in so little time.”
Setting the Bar for Quality
From its beginning, the SFIA helped to put a quality assurance and quality control program in place on behalf of the steel framing industry.
In October 2010, Greg Ralph, then with Dietrich Metal Framing, Randy Daudet of Simpson Strong-Tie and others began developing provisions for steel stud and connector certifications.
The SFIA Code Compliance Certification Program was launched in April 2011.
In April 2011, the SFIA launched the Code Compliance Certification Program — the first true quality assurance program in the industry.
Why was code compliance certification so valuable?
“The compliance program has been very valuable because it helps everyone in the industry, both the manufacturing participants and the end users and distribution who buys the products from us to trust that the products are of a consistent quality and a high quality and a quality we can all believe in and rely on,” says Eric Griswold of State Building Products and SFIA president, 2015-2018.
AWCI endorsed the SFIA compliance program on May 18, 2011. Contractors now had the assurance that SFIA-labeled steel met all relevant codes and standards.
The SFIA Code Compliance Certification Program required manufacturers to document the controls and procedures used during manufacturing to ensure the steel coming off their lines met proper tolerances and shapes.
The SFIA Connector Manufacturing Compliance Certification Program certified the coating weights and mechanical property requirements of manufactured connectors.
Both programs provided quality assurance and were verified by a third-party inspector.
Today, Williams says 83% of the cold-formed steel studs manufactured in the United States are certified by the SFIA. SFIA certification has set the standard for the entire industry.
10 Years of Leadership
In addition to compliance certification, the SFIA has invested heavily in industry education, marketing, advocacy and other services. This investment has included the following programs and services, which represent only a fraction of SFIA has accomplished:
Metal Stud Technical Guides
2022 Technical Guide
In 2012, the SFIA launched its first Product Technical Guide, which has been updated over the years.
Steel Framing Fire Safety Initiative
SFIA Fire Safety Initiative
The SFIA launched the Fire Safety Initiative in 2014 to help owners, municipalities and designers understand steel’s noncombustibility benefits.
Metal Stud Publicity
BuildSteel.org
In 2016, the SFIA invested in BuildSteel.org and later acquired the brand and its platforms.
Steel Framing Contractor and Truss Fabricator Certification
SFIA Certified Professional Contractor and Truss Fabricator programs
In 2018, the SFIA introduced the SFIA Certified Professional Contractor Program, which was followed by the SFIA Certified Professional Truss Fabricator Program.
Free Specification Reviews
SFIA Specifications Review Service
In 2020, the SFIA launchane the SFIA Specifications Review Service, a free resource for architects and specifications writers.
SFIA Member Directory
Product and Provider Directory on BuildSteel.org
In 2021, SFIA launched the Product and Provider Directory on BuildSteel.org, a one-stop shop to find all things cold-formed steel (CFS) related.
Environmental Product Declaration
SFIA Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
In 2022, the SFIA updated its SFIA Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for CFS Framing. Participating manufacturers’ products contribute to credits in the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system.
Arrived with Perfect Timing
Clearly, in 2011, SFIA was born at the right time. And, its leadership has brought value, not just to a small group of players, but to the entire steel framing industry.
“My reflection on the last 10 years is this is just the beginning,” says Williams. “There is so much more that we (SFIA) can do.”
Additional Resources
- SFIA Celebrates its 10-Year Anniversary
- SFIA: Setting the Bar for Quality
- The Steel Framing Industry Reports Big Gains During the Pandemic