The National Frame Builders Association recently elected new members to its Board of Directors, and among that list was Linda Young Vap, co-owner of Vap Construction based in northwest Kansas. The elections were held during the NFBA Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky in March.
Linda’s husband, Jeff, founded the construction company more than 25 years ago. When Linda moved to Kansas in 2002 after the two were married, she dove in head first to modernize the business and explore new opportunities. That’s when the company started specializing in post frame buildings.
“We developed a lot of our own post frame building concepts after meeting with engineers and listening to our customers to create designs that were functional, adaptable, durable, and attractive too,” Linda says. “I began my career as a teacher in California, and had no idea that I would find myself running a regional construction corporation twenty years later. But we love what we do, and this industry is growing rapidly. I’m proud to be a part of it.”
The National Frame Builders Association’s mission is to influence the market to choose post frame construction by advancing quality, performance, and value provided by NFBA and its members. And part of that service to the industry includes developing strategies to overcome issues that might be holding companies back. The Board of Directors focuses on advancing the understanding of frame building, as well as developing resources to serve members as they do business in today’s complex marketplace.
“Because of my background in education, I have been assigned to the Membership Committee, which is responsible for developing and implementing programs that provide solutions to the challenges faced by the business members,” Linda says. “Workforce development is a huge issue in the construction industry, so we are focusing on developing a curriculum for post frame construction to supplement high school and vocational school trade programs, as well as creating an accredited post-frame crew member certification program.”
Linda will serve a 3-year term on the NFBA before coming up for re-election. Outside of work, Linda is involved in numerous volunteer activities, including helping to spearhead the growing food and music festival known as Smokin’ on the Beaver BBQ Festival. She and her husband, Jeff, live in Atwood, Kansas and also operate Vap Cattle Company, LLC. When they aren’t working, they enjoy spending as much time as they can with their grandchildren.