A collective of cold-formed steel manufacturers, suppliers and contractors have formed the Steel Framing Industry Association. Open officially on January 10, the association will be headquartered in Northern Virginia.

“The SFIA will unify our industry and help make all our businesses more successful through a number of initiatives,” said SFIA interim President Bill Courtney (ClarkWestern Building Systems). “The SFIA will advocate on behalf of companies in the Cold Formed Steel Framing Industry to expand the market through code compliance, promotion, education and innovation.”

According to SFIA interim Vice President Kennon Whaley (Southeastern Stud & Components Inc.), “SFIA will be an inclusive, industry-wide association because membership is open to CFS product manufacturers, steel mills, coil coaters, steel coil suppliers, connector and accessory manufacturers, panel and truss manufacturers, equipment and tool manufacturers, supplier/distributor yards, design professionals and contractors.”

According to Interim Secretary John Roberts (Dietrich Metal Framing), the association will implement an independent, third-party code compliance certification program for exterior and interior framing products early this year. The program is open to the more than 70 CFS product manufacturers and will ensure that products produced by manufacturing members meet all applicable building codes. Also, the association is planning to develop an independent third-party code compliance certification program for framing accessories.

The SFIA will be guided by a Board of Directors that will meet a minimum of two times each year. The Board of Directors and Officers will be elected at the first membership meeting on April 5, 2011, in Las Vegas, during the AWCI Convention and INTEX Expo. The board will consist of four officers, two small, two medium and two large CFS product manufacturers, one steel mill, one supplier/distributor and one contractor.