The National Frame Building Association (NFBA) began 45 years ago when a group of Midwestern post-frame (pole) builders gathered in Chicago to mount a challenge to pending changes in the Indiana building code which would have threatened the post-frame industry. This group, along with interested engineers and architects, was able to prove the structural reliability of pole building construction, and the rest is history.
I first heard of the NFBA in the mid-1980’s and joined as the association’s first and only western member. The first NFBA Expo I attended was at Hershey, PA in 1987 and just a few years later, at the Expo at Hilton Head, SC I was elected to the association’s board of directors.
Early NFBA events were often poorly attended. However, over the years, the association gradually has built its membership, as well as value to its members.
The 2014 Frame Building Expo is being held at the Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, TN; March 5-7. This year’s event promises to be a blockbuster, as exhibitor booth space for the trade show was sold out in mid-October 2013 – exceeding the sold space of both of the most recent prior Expos (2013 in Memphis and 2012 in St. Louis). As a result of the early sell out, more space was added to meet the needs of vendors.
Most certainly potential pole building owners are not going to be attending an event such as this. The 2014 Frame Building Expo affords me the ability to meet face-to-face with the hundreds of manufacturers and suppliers who exhibit. I will be finding out the industry’s latest and greatest innovations, as well as gathering more in depth information on existing products. As a result, I (as well as my fellow Hansen Pole Buildings’ team mates) will be able to evaluate products, and if we find “the better mousetrap”, will be able to integrate it into our offerings . We do the homework, so our clients don’t have to.
Look for future articles here on products from the Frame Building Expo. For more information on the National Frame Building Association, visit: www.nfba.org
