Key Cold-Formed Steel Framing Associations to Form Coalition
09/16/2013 - Four key trade associations representing the steel stud industry have joined together to promote the use of cold-formed steel framing in construction.
Four key trade associations representing the steel stud industry have joined together to promote the use of cold-formed steel framing in construction. Representatives from the Steel Stud Manufacturers Association (SSMA); the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA); the Certified Steel Stud Association (CSSA); and the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), met in Chicago last week to establish a coalition to address market threats initiated by the lumber and masonry industries in recent years, particularly in the mid-rise construction market.
The coalition developed a plan to work together on research, code advocacy and promotion of the cold-formed steel framing industry. The coalition’s mission—to increase the demand for cold-formed steel in the construction sector—will be further discussed at a follow-on meeting on 17 September.
“The cold-formed steel framing market is an important one for our steel company investors, and we are committed to working with like-minded construction partners to increase demand,” said Robert J. Wills, SMDI’s vice president of construction. “We applaud the leadership and vision exhibited by our partners in this collaborative effort, and we look forward to working with them to achieve the objectives that we discussed.”
The Steel Stud Manufacturers Association is based in Chicago, Ill. The Steel Framing Industry Association is based in Washington, D.C. The Certified Steel Stud Association is based in New York, N.Y.
The Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI) is based in Washington, D.C. SMDI grows and maintains the use of steel through strategies that promote cost-effective solutions in the automotive, construction and container markets, as well as for new growth opportunities in emerging steel markets.
AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI is comprised of 24 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and 125 associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. AISI member companies represent over three-quarters of both U.S. and North American steel capacity.
