Georgia Component Manufacturers Association (GCMA)
 Georgia Component Manufacturers Association (GCMA)
c/o Tryge B. Anderson, Chapter President
TrussMart Building Components
170 Elan Ct • Midway, GA 31320
912/884-4094 • 912/884-9506 fax
Email Tryge
SBCA and Chapter Membership Application (699 KB)
CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS APPEARING IN STRUCTURAL BUILDING COMPONENTS MAGAZINE:
November 2007
The July Georgia Chapter meeting opened with a discussion of meeting times and topics. The general agreement was that lunch meetings were preferable, so the chapter will plan accordingly in the future. Everyone was encouraged to attend the next Joint Alabama/Georgia/Kentucky/Tennessee Chapter meeting on January 24, 2008, since it is always a very worthwhile and educational event.
The presentation at the July chapter meeting was given by Sean Shields of WTCA staff. Focusing on today’s component industry and a look to the future, the presentation encouraged members to pursue new innovations and improve efficiency as they weather the economic downturn. It also emphasized the many programs and resources available from WTCA to support component manufacturers. The presentation concluded with a lengthy discussion and Q&A on the new Structural Building Components Research Institute (SBCRI). Everyone at the meeting was very excited about the opportunities the new testing facility presented to the industry
June/July 2007
In March, the Georgia Chapter held it annual driver training event—Safety Is No Accident. All driver and traffic managers were urged to attend and the chapter supplied the lunch. Presented by the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety and the Department of Transportation, this event was a success again.
Turnout was strong for the Georgia Chapter’s April meeting as well. The attendees were promised a presentation on the Georgia Building Code, which Tom Zgraggen, PE of Aries Engineering delivered. Tom covered many aspects of the code, including a comparison of IBC 2000 and IBC 2006, references to BCSI and ANSI/TPI 1-2002, deck ledger connections, gable end framing and the overall effect of the new code on the component industry in the state. Members were encouraged to give a copy of the truss submittal package to the building designer in addition to the general contractor. It was also suggested that building designers be referred to The Load Guide (TLG) for determining loads that the component manufacturer is not responsible to define.
December 2006
In October, the Georgia Chapter welcomed Immigration Attorney Chuck Kuck as the guest speaker. The informative presentation examined many facets of the immigration situation in our country, and industry, including: our unusual immigration laws; seven different kinds of temporary visas; the worker shortage; various legislative bills in Congress; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.); the importance of an I-9 self-audit; and “No Match” Rule changes. Mr. Kuck is well regarded in his field and the attendees thanked him for his excellent presentation. His presentation was recommended to several other chapters in the area, and plans are underway for him to be the speaker at the joint North Carolina/South Carolina Chapter meeting in March and the Alabama Chapter meeting in April.
The next chapter meeting for Georgia will be the Joint Alabama/Georgia/Kentucky/Tennessee Chapter meeting on January 25 in Chattanooga, TN. The speaker for this meeting is to be announced.
April 2006
For the second year in a row, the Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee Chapters held a joint chapter meeting in Chattanooga, TN. The guest speaker for this January meeting was WTCA Legal Counsel Kent Pagel. Speaking on “Successfully Negotiating an Acceptable Customer Contract,” Mr. Pagel did not disappoint the audience. His presentation focused on the following elements:
General considerations to follow when reviewing a customer's proposed purchase order or subcontract agreement
A review of problematic provisions from a sample agreement
Guidelines on how to address problematic provisions
In addition, a preview was shown of his new program for WTCA, ORisk: Online Risk and Liability Management. The meeting also offered the opportunity for members to discuss industry issues with neighboring chapters and share their experiences. For example, members of both the Alabama and Tennessee Chapters have encountered requests for sealed placement diagrams. The draft WTCA Tech Note for Alabama was reviewed and it was decided that a similar Tech Note would be drafted for Tennessee. Everyone in attendance agreed that the evening was time very well spent.
June 2005
The Georgia Chapter held two events in April. First was the quarterly chapter meeting in Buford, GA on April 19. The guest presenter was Larry Marler, Construction Suppliers Association. Larry reviewed and updated chapter members on workers compensation, including controlling workers compensation costs, customer contracts vs. workers compensation, waiver of subrogation-worker’s compensation policies, promoting a safe and healthy workplace, and implementing a manageable workers compensation program. Then on April 23, Truss Systems in Oxford, GA hosted the chapter's annual driver training seminar. The chapter's most popular program, this half-day training was taught by instructors from the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety. Certificates of participation were distributed to all attendees following the seminar.
April 2005
The Georgia Chapter held a very successful Joint Chapter Meeting on February 11 in Chattanooga, TN. Approximately forty members from all four chapters participated in the meeting and dinner. Featuring a roundtable discussion on issues of interest to members, the evening could not have gone better. The discussion included the BSCI series of documents, sealed placement plans and electronic seals, the new Truss Load Guide, whole house design, contracts and warranties, and third party inspections. Chapter members were able to strengthen their relationship with WTCA staff and each other, and they may have begun an annual joint meeting tradition.
March 2004
At its January meeting, the Georgia Chapter welcomed Jay Edgar of WTCA staff. Jay spoke on many of the new developments at WTCA including the Building Component Safety Information (BCSI) series, the multitude of courses available online through WTCA’s Truss Knowledge Online (TKO) system and the latest advances in in-plant QC. Glenn Traylor of Alpine purchased copies of the BCSI 1-03 booklet for everyone at the meeting. In addition, chapter members considered having WTCA staff handle its administration.
January/February 2003
At its fall meeting, the Georgia Chapter discussed several items including The Fire Performance of Wood Trusses CD and the work by CSCI. Chapter members agreed to review the WTCA Policies By Committee document so they can vote to approve these policies as a chapter. The evening’s presentation was on mold, with guest speaker Mark McCormick of the Southern Forest Products Association. The next meeting will be held on January 14 at the Wingate Hotel, and the topic will be lumber grading and inspections.
August 2002
At its spring meeting, the Georgia Chapter approved a new slate of chapter officers: Jay Asgari as President, Butch Dickson as Vice President, Daniel McCarthy as Secretary/Treasurer, and Mike McCloud and Glenn Traylor as board members. At the following meeting, the topic was risk management and the guest speakers were H. Fielder Martin and Deborah S. Butura of Shapiro Fussell Wedge Smotherman Martin and Price, LLP, an Atlanta-based national construction law firm. The program focused on basic contract and lien issues as well as risk management. Chapter members were encouraged to invite guests from non-member companies in the hope of raising awareness about the issues and group involvement. Turnout was good, the program was very informative, and everyone agreed the evening was time well spent. Mr. Martin and Ms. Butura graciously stayed afterwards to answer additional questions from the group. The next meeting is scheduled for October 8 at the Wingate Hotel in Buford. The chapter is continuing to solicit opinions from manufacturers on which topics they find most interesting and would like covered at subsequent chapter meetings.
June/July 2002
The Georgia Chapter held its spring meeting in April. The special guest was Ryan Dexter of WTCA staff. Ryan distributed many new publication samples from WTCA and discussed the latest projects in development. In addition, the PowerPoint® presentation of the WTCA Winter Open Quarterly Meetings was reviewed. Chapter members also helped work the WTCA booth at the Atlanta Wood Solutions Fair the following day.
April 2002
At the Georgia Chapter’s January meeting, a new slate of Board Members was nominated. The accepted nominations were: Jay Asgari, Glenn Traylor, Dan McCarthy, Butch Dickson, and Mike McCloud. The speaker for the evening was Charles Vaccaro who gave an exciting talk on “The Human Side of Selling.” Interspersed with a little story-telling, it was a great program for any company that has an interest in sales. Charlie’s presentation provided several pointers to the salesperson, regardless of your experience and self-assurance of your sales ability.
November 2001
The Georgia Chapter’s September meeting featured a roundtable discussion on installed sales. Chapter members discussed ways to stay competitive and bring value-added work back to the truss plant. Advice on how truss manufacturers could move beyond pure manufacturing and include installation of wall components and trusses was shared. In addition, the high meeting turnout led to fruitful discussions in several other areas. Chapter members noted increasing requests for sealed placement plans. The chapter will monitor this trend and see what action members may need to take as a group to address this. The meeting also touched on DOT regulations. The new representative to the WTCA Board of Directors was ratified—Jim Finkenhoefer of Truss Systems. Importantly, the chapter also discussed ways that members can work together to satisfy customers. For example, a member may “partner” with another to complete a project, such as buying wall panels from a fellow manufacturer instead of providing trusses only. In this way, all of the customer’s needs are fulfilled and the use of components is guaranteed. Instead of treating each other as pure competitors, chapter members may work together to assure the increased use of all structural building components regardless of what components individual plants are able to provide. All members expect to benefit from increased customer satisfaction and the growing reputation of component manufacturing.
CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS APPEARING IN WOODWORDS MAGAZINE:
April 2001
The next meeting of the Georgia Chapter will be held on April 10 at the Holiday Inn Express in Duluth, GA. On the schedule is a review of the changes in the chapter’s by-laws. Also, the new chapter web site and updates will be discussed.
November 1999
GCMA's August 10th meeting focused on the topic of consolidating wood waste. The chapter hosted a Level I Truss Technician Training Course in Atlanta. In November, WTCA staff will give a seminar for the Metro Atlanta inspectors.
June/July 1999
The Georgia Component Manufacturers Association met at the SETMA conference on April 30. The next meeting in July will address waste problems, continuing education and liability issues. The chapter will potentially sponsor a Risk Management Seminar next year. A Truss Technician Training™ Course is scheduled in Atlanta on October 26-30. On November 9, the chapter will put on an educational program for the Metro Atlanta Inspectors Association.
The chapter has elected new board members. Their top priority for 1999 is giving a program for inspectors in the Atlanta area.
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