Growth happens when we come together, listen, understand and put into practice what we’ve learned from each other. That’s what we witnessed at FRAMECAD’s Customer Network Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, last month, and that was our simple vision from its inception – to connect with customers, display our genuine care, and that we’re sincerely listening, whether it’s rave reviews or opportunities for improvement.
56 customers joined us on September 13-14, 2023, for presentations on customer success, software and equipment updates, new products, Q&A’s, customer highlights and the incredible stories of how they’re using FRAMECAD to change the industry and at large, the world. Attendees had the treat of hearing from experts across the industry – from David Del Monte of Orlando Steel Frames discussing lean manufacturing to Hector Nieto of USG Mexico introducing Structo-Steel.
Amidst the backdrop of demonstrations and conversation lies the true power of these two days in the desert – the built connections and community. This wasn’t by accident. In the very nature of FRAMECAD, is the framework for a network. The people that participated truly responded to this desire. It just so happened, it’s their desire too.
“The FRAMECAD business is really to create the world's biggest network of people using a common platform for steel framing. The challenge with new technology is if you're just using it in isolation, it's hard to get traction. The more we work together as one team and one FRAMECAD and the more we collaborate, the more successful we'll all be,” said our founder, Mark Taylor, during the opening of the event.
What followed were three fantastic highlights across the next few days—a session, an industry update, and a customer filling a significant need in the world of cold formed steel (CFS). If you missed the event, we’d love to invite you into these special revelations.
1: Breakout Sessions
The first impactful moment was a breakout session that inspired honesty and growth. Before enjoying lunch, customers were asked: “What do we need to improve in design, manufacture, and build?” Within an hour, we had received a substantial amount of vital research into the themes of challenges for cold formed steel users today and given direction on where to focus our future efforts to meet these needs.
It was clear that a specific obstacle to cold formed steel use was at the top of mind for many in the room - education. It’s true that timber and concrete are commonly considered in traditional buildings before steel, especially as steel is often left out of academic programs. Further, across the industry at large, there is a need for more detailers, which speaks to the need for more robust training.
2: Educational Opportunities
Event leaders and attendees alike were thrilled to hear about the hard work customer Rose Anne Kings and her team at Orange Coast College are up to in academia. A professor emeritus of an architecture program, Kings searched for a sustainable building program that would allow her students to design, manufacture, and build a project in a single semester. The options appeared grim until she discovered FRAMECAD, applied for a grant and outfitted her courses with a full FRAMECAD set-up and certifications. Currently, her students are participating in a Sustainability Decathlon in Orange County where as many as 250,000 attendees are expected. Kings is also working to compile her entire coursework to share publicly so that other schools can train students in cold formed steel and FRAMECAD.
3: Insurance Benefits
Our final highlight came from a customer presentation by Stanley Adwell at Intellisteel. He shared an insider scoop on a new benefit to building with steel framing from insurance companies, which was an impactful moment of the event.
During a conversation with an insurance company leader, Adwell learned that 67 percent of their loss pay-out was based on catastrophic loss, water intrusion, and termites. The insurance company personnel revealed the billions of dollars of annual loss before asking, “Are you telling me that I can effectually reduce a substantial part of my claims out on these top three line items?” Adwell nodded, pointing him towards cold formed steel. Within two weeks, the director and owner of the company visited Intellisteel’s factory and were so convinced by the cost-saving benefits of cold formed steel’s impermeability that they promised to go to market for them. Since then, Adwell has found enormous success with customers whose projects were “already shovel ready in wood” converting to steel framing. “A large reason why? The insurance line item alone. Just that. Hard costs as well.”
It's impossible to accurately measure the transformative impact that these two days of dialoguing with each other held. It wasn’t simply a time of information sharing and networking - it was layers deeper. True bonds were formed. True insight was shared with generosity. True laughter was found during meals, storytelling, and having fun at Top Golf. The Customer Event spoke to a future that further encourages uplifting each other and continues to revolutionize the industry. When one of us rises, we all do. We sincerely hope you’ll be able to join us next time.
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