Planning and projects under way, including 2014 Expo /
By Rick Hess Chair, NFBA Board of Directors /
The NFBA Board of Directors is moving ahead on several fronts — all with the purpose of serving the needs of NFBA members and advancing the post-frame construction industry.
Planning for the 2014 expo
The National Frame Building Association’s Convention Planning Committee and national staff members have been hard at work planning for the 2014 Frame Building Expo to be held March 5–7 in Nashville, Tenn.
In 2014 NFBA is offering four educational tracks: Management; Sales and Marketing; Technical Knowledge; and Skills Training. Sessions in the Management, Sales and Marketing, and Technical Knowledge tracks will be held in a classroom environment. The Skills Training sessions are planned as hands-on interactive sessions to be held on the show floor of the exhibit hall.
NFBA is also introducing a mobile event app at the 2014 expo. Smartphone users will be able to access the conference schedule, educational session agenda material and exhibitor listings on their mobile device.
Make plans now to attend and keep reading your NFBA Member E-Newsletter and future issues of Frame Building News for announcements about program topics, speakers and other exciting features of the 2014 expo.
NFBA board actions
At its June meeting, the NFBA board decided to allocate resources to the following business priorities:
• enhancing the Frame Building Expo
• stabilizing NFBA’s financial position
• increasing NFBA membership and the value of membership through the development of a comprehensive curriculum of educational content
• right-sizing the Post-Frame Market Initiative
• building NFBA’s technical resources.
In view of the nature and scope of NFBA’s business priorities, the board amended the strategic plan in order to include a goal addressing NFBA’s financial stability and to modify an existing goal that emphasizes the delivery of continuing professional development opportunities for post-frame industry professionals. The changes will lead to the following outcomes:
• maintaining the major elements of the current strategic plan
• providing a single comprehensive plan that addresses the most critical issues faced by NFBA
• providing clear organizational focus and direction for the alignment of resources with priorities
• more accurately defining the points of emphasis in the priorities for action.
The board also approved a new dues structure effective July 1, 2013. The changes place a higher dues obligation on the larger builder members; set branch and dealer fees at a level that provides value to them, while taking into account the costs associated with membership fulfillment; and create a tiered structure in the supplier category.
NFBA’s Technical and Research Committee update
The T&R Committee met at NFBA headquarters in Glenview, Ill., on May 29. The ongoing research and educational programs the committee administers were the primary topics.
• Insurance underwriting: risk factors and insurability — A T&R task group created a draft document identifying specific areas of concern that arise when a post-frame building is constructed in an agricultural setting. This type of construction is generally not required to conform to local codes.
During the T&R Committee meeting several additional points were made that will be incorporated into the current draft, and the revised document will be reviewed with insurance industry representatives prior to its release. The end goal is threefold: (1) to identify risk factors in post-frame construction so the insurance industry can better judge the construction quality, (2) to identify areas of construction for which NFBA training programs could better prepare the insurance industry to inspect post-frame buildings, and (3) to determine whether certain buildings that are constructed according to industry best practices and with attention to these risk factors can qualify for lower insurance premiums.
• Revision of the Post-Frame Building Design Manual — The current Post-Frame Building Design Manual was written in 2000 and included performance requirements and standard practices that were then current. Construction requirements, practices and techniques have changed since then, and NFBA identified the need for an updated manual. The manual is being rewritten, updated and significantly enhanced under the guidance of the T&R Committee. The committee hopes to have the final document ready for publication by the end of 2013.
• Other projects — The T&R Commit-tee is also involved in the execution of several educational and technical projects, including the recognition of fire-rated assemblies using post-frame construction and completion of the rated assemblies (3-, 2-, and 1-hour) for post-frame construction by Underwriters Laboratories.
Stay in touch!
As always, I welcome your feedback and suggestions on ways NFBA can serve you better. Please stay in touch! FBN
Rick Hess is chair of the NFBA Board of Directors and general manager of the Specialty Division of CB Structures Inc., New Holland, Pa. He can be reached at RHess@cbstructuresinc.com.