If You Build It, They Will Come

On the way home from another successful Dave Schulz Memorial Golf Tournament (thanks to all participants and sponsors, and congrats to Ron Coleman for the first ever hole in one winner), I found myself thinking about the progress SEAA has made since the pandemic.

In my first Perspective as President, I promised to keep the momentum going that I was lucky enough to inherit. Over the last three years a team of volunteers— board members and committee members—have worked hard to increase value for our members.

The kick start to better things

The trials and tribulations of the 2019-2020 pandemic gave us the kick start we needed to look at this association with a fresh point of view. Priorities get re-aligned when so many of us were facing the loss of life, economic hardships, and depression. As an association, we were dealing with cancelled events, financial challenges, and a search for a new Executive Director. The Executive Committee commissioned a survey of our members to gauge what is important to us.

We then hired a consultant to evaluate the results. The report was used to create a job description for a new Executive Director that aligned with our goals. My thanks to all that were involved in the process, particularly Geoff Kress, (SEAA President, 2020-2022), for his leadership during that time.

After a lengthy search and evaluation of many qualified candidates we found our leader in Pete Gum, who came on board in July of 2021. During the process, it was apparent that SEAA was respected throughout the industry due to the number of qualified candidates that applied. It was not a hard choice, as Pete was a unanimous decision and by all accounts, the correct one.

One of his first tasks was to spearhead a rewrite of our bylaws, which were outdated, contradictory, and inconsistent with North Carolina law. In addition, we now have a membership manual that defines our goals and expectations and can be easily revised as needed.

Upon review of the membership survey, ranking high in importance to members was the ability to interact with our peers. So, despite still navigating the uncertainties of the pandemic, SEAA was one of the first construction trade associations to hold an in-person convention in October 2021 in Orlando, Fla, which was quickly followed by one in April 2022, which was the 50th Anniversary of this organization. It was a risky move, but one that proved successful.

The value of networking

An outside observer’s viewpoint is often enlightening. Each of our keynote speakers—professionals who see all kinds of industry groups—have told me how apparent it is that this industry group, while we may be competitors, genuinely like each other’s company. We are more “peer group” than “trade association,” which is why the membership committee, led by President Elect Jack Nix, established local peer group discussions in conjunction with our quarterly board meetings and Meet & Greet receptions.

A common topic during these peer group discussions is the current skilled trade shortage and the attrition of our labor pool. The good news is attitudes are changing about working in the trades. In January 2022 we held our first career fair in conjunction with Adaptive Construction Services in Houston, Texas, followed by another a year later with GMF Steel Group in Lakeland, Florida. Both events were well attended with lots of engagement by students participating in the many “hands on” stations provided by SEAA members and vendors. GMF has committed to hosting again in 2024 and SEAA will participate once again. Look for more to come in other regions as well.

Reflecting back to how the pandemic gave us renewed direction, the association leaders decided to stop tabling discussions and instead act and spend money to put tangible benefits in place to help our members. One of the biggest of these projects was the creation of more than 80 custom training videos, available for free to members. Read more about this on page 28.

All of this has contributed to a 30% increase in membership in the last two years alone. When exploring avenues for growth the common theme was evident; provide value to our members. The good news is the more membership grows, the more value we can provide. Not only because of increased capital to provide more services, but also because the talent pool available to tap in our collective “peer group” increases. Lastly, I would like to welcome Keri Goldstein to our staff as Director of Membership & Business Development to assist in that regard.

While many of the benefits we’ve outlined are for members, there are few we share with anyone—in hopes that you’ll decide to stick around. Peer Group discussions and Meet & Greet receptions are open to anyone in the industry. We will gather next on January 25, 2024, at the Renaissance Hotel in Glendale, Arizona, where we will return to in April for our Convention & Trade Show. Your continued engagement ensures that SEAA will stay Steel Strong in the future. •