Power in Unity: Why Trade Associations Matter

By Ted Sherritt, ISFA President

Webster defines trade associations as “an association of tradesmen, businessmen, or manufacturers in a particular trade or industry for the protection and advancement of their common interests.” In the case of the ISFA, we comprise all three groups, but our priority is our tradespeople — our fabricator members.

ISFA’s mission is to promote the surfacing industry through education, standards, resources, camaraderie and safety; our vision is to be recognized as the expert and authority serving the fabricators and professionals of the surfaces industry. We value innovation, dependability, integrity and serving others.

ISFA brings fabricators, installers and vendors together to share best practices, embrace innovations and build meaningful relationships. We are a community dedicated to practical learning, collaborative solutions and advancing the industry. We are your gateway to a network that transforms competition into collaboration.

A perfect example of this commitment to our fabricators is the work ISFA and the Natural Stone Institute (NSI) are doing to protect the industry from overbearing governmental regulations in California regarding silica safety. The issue is real; workers are getting sick due to unethical and unsafe business practices in a few regions of the state. These new regulations could significantly impact how all companies in North America operate, even if they are not experiencing employee health issues. California’s fabrication safety regulations will be studied and used as a model (if not adopted outright) by other states in the United States. I urge you to pay attention to what is happening in California and stay informed on this issue. It is imperative for your business’s long-term success and the safety of your employees.

ISFA and NSI are working on education and awareness programs that will form part of the employee safety framework used in California regulations going forward. Countless hours of work on fabricators’ behalf have been invested to ensure the regulations protect our workers without putting an undue and unstainable burden on the fabrication industry. It’s been a balancing act and is far from complete, but we are making progress.

And even though AB 3043 is on hold for 2024, it’ll resurface in 2025, so we continue to advance our charge by:

• Gathering scientific evidence that supports or refutes the use of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health rules around Permissible Exposure Limits and Action Levels with respect to air quality and worker safety.

• Clarifying and reviewing the current literature on silicosis.

• Educating the governing bodies that make the regulations.

• Developing and delivering silica safety training.

• Educating all industry professionals about the effects of respirable crystalline silica and its direct link to silicosis.

To advance and protect our industry, we must keep charging ahead. ISFA is fortunate to have a great complement of staff to tackle some of these tasks, and we are grateful for their dedication to our membership. In addition, our association is governed by a volunteer board of directors that comprises 15 fabricator and associate member partners. This volunteer board oversees ISFA through newly adopted processes that adhere to the Entrepreneurial Operating System while referring to a strategic framework and accountability chart. We participate in monthly meetings — virtual and in person — and take on additional tasks as needed.

To advance and protect the surfacing industry, we need an active and participatory board to lead the cause. It is that time of year when we scout for new voices, new perspectives and stewards of our industry. Maybe that’s you — a dedicated individual who wants to help govern ISFA and thereby impact the trajectory of our industry.

If you are interested in serving on ISFA’s board of directors, please reach out to our CEO, Marissa Bankert, or me to learn how you can serve. As Margaret Mead said so well, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”