Component Connection

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.

Kirk Grundahl, SBCA executive director, and Evan Protexter, SBCA engineer, discuss the benefits of quality control (QC) in the component manufacturing industry and how it has evolved over the years. Kirk has been involved in QC for metal-plate connected wood trusses since the early 1980's in setting up an industry-specific Third-Party Inspection program. Evan has been heavily involved in the QC pr...

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.

Sean Shields interviews Jason Blenker on transitioning the general contracting family business into Blenker Companies which operates five independently run businesses. This podcast is part of a series looking at how component manufacturers across the country are innovating to take advantage of opportunities in today's market. Blenker Building Systems is located in Amherst, WI and delivers componen...

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.

Sean Shields interviews Dean Rana on growing his business and overcoming challenges facing his market and the industry. This podcast is part of a series looking at how component manufacturers across the country are innovating to take advantage of opportunities in today's market. Truss Fab is a single facility out of Glendale, AZ and the largest component manufacturer in Arizona with sales territor...

Scott Ward is the owner of Southern Components and a past president of SBCA and currently an Executive Committee member and QC Committee chair. In 2016 Scott was inducted into the SBCA Hall of Fame and won the 2014 SBC Industry Leadership Award. Scott also served on the Management Committee as chair.