Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association 2021 Review.
2021 was a year of incredible growth for the SMA. Like most people, we were thrown head first into the digital world when the pandemic hit in 2020. We pivoted to meet the needs of our members by learning, growing and embracing the digital space so we could continue to provide exceptional opportunities for our membership, virtually.
We held Lunch and Learns, Social Hours and Workshop Tours online including Shop Tours of 8 different companies. While we all agree the in-person experience cannot be replaced, the video tours were just what we needed to receive inspiration in 2021 as we learned great information from our hosts.
Also in 2021, the SMA saw a long-term dream become reality with the approval of the AWI SMA 0643 Wood Stair, Handrail and Guard Systems standard. What began as a conversation between to members over 20 years ago, morphed into an approved American National Standards Institute standard thanks to the Architectural Woodworking Institute (AWI) Technical Committee and the SMA Quality Standards Committee.
Another great initiative created this year is the Mentorship Program. It focuses on knowledge sharing for the betterment of the stair industry. This initiative has opened up the lines of communication between novice and expert stairbuilders.
Additionally, we improved the SMA Code Certification Program. We updated the Glossary or Stair Terminology and also created a 3D Stair Anatomy model to help users better understand the various parts of a stair. And, we have produced a stair video with the help our of our members in an effort to show the incredible trade that is stairbuilding and stair part manufacturing.