Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
A monumental moment for the North American building materials industry, the Building Materials Careers Association of North America (BMCANA) launched on July 8, 2025. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to addressing the talent shortage in the building materials industry, making the sector North America’s most desirable career destination by 2030.
“The building materials industry has been the backbone of North American construction and innovation for generations, yet we’ve struggled to communicate our incredible career opportunities to the next generation of talent,” says Paul Huffman, association president. “BMCANA represents a fundamental shift in how our industry approaches talent attraction and retention.”
BMCANA’s strategy features a digital platform designed to bridge the gap between career opportunities and unreached talent pools. The association has the goal of driving over 10,000 monthly job board engagements by 2026, addressing the workforce pressures as experienced professionals retire and younger generations career aspirations trend towards other industries.
“Our industry offers incredible diversity—from advanced manufacturing and logistics to sales, marketing and executive leadership,” says Donna Gerrits, industry veteran and BMCANA executive board member, “BMCANA will showcase these opportunities while helping employers become destinations of choice for top talent.”
BMCANA focuses on five strategic pillars: talent attraction and awareness, employer excellence and development, advocacy and industry promotion, a professional innovation network and digital hub innovation.
“This isn’t just about filling job openings—it’s about building careers, communities and the future of our industry,” says Scott Ride, BMCANA board executive. “BMCANA represents our collective commitment to ensuring the building materials sector thrives for generations to come.”
For individuals looking to gain retail skills in the building materials industry, the North American Hardware and Paint Association’s Basic Training in Building Materials Retailing series of courses cover basic product knowledge in eight core building materials departments. Each course outlines the benefits and features of basic products and key selling skills. To learn more and enroll in these courses, visit NHPA’s training store.
