Lean Manufacturing Only Works with the Best Employee Management Practices Todd Drummond Anyone with any training in lean practice has heard of standard terms such as the Five “S” and “Just in Time.” What is not discussed often enough is that lean principles are based on healthy management and employee relations, which is the foundation of the... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 26
What a Flight on Japan Airlines Taught Me About Visual Safety Culture Ben Hershey On a recent trip from Seattle to Vietnam via Tokyo, I flew on Japan Airlines and was struck by more than just the exceptional hospitality. What stood out most was their disciplined safety culture, specifically how their flight attendants conducted safety checks. As they walked the cabin before... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 52
Designer Hiring Blues in the Summer It’s August. The heat is relentless, the humidity unforgiving, and your design team is running as hot as a NASCAR pit crew in Alabama. Project timelines are tight, customer expectations are high, and every minute counts. So when someone suggests bringing in a new designer, it can feel like... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 98
Design Connections: Onboarding Designers: What They Really Need to Know Geordie Secord When a new designer comes on board—especially one with experience—there’s a good chance the onboarding process involves setting up their computer, pointing them to the right network folders, handing them a relatively simple job, and giving them a vague suggestion to “jump... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 104
The Last Word: Finding Your Place in a Great Industry Joe Kannapell, PE Touring two plants in July, I couldn’t help wondering which would be a better place to work in the current slowdown. Both are privately owned businesses that are being managed by second-generation owners. Plant “A” is in a stable, rust belt market, and plant “B” is... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 176
The Last Word: Rural Cousins in the Truss Business — The Last Chapter Joe Kannapell, PE In 1990, when Dickie Vail traveled from his shuttered Virginia plant to his job interview in Burlington, NC, he didn’t have much going for him. He was 35 and broke, and he was meeting Carroll Shoffner, a 57-year-old mega-millionaire who owned over a dozen highly efficient truss plants.... Read More January 2025 Issue #17306 Page 172
A Case Study for Transforming Profits Through Employment Practices Todd Drummond The following is a summary of the seminar I gave at this year’s BCMC show on October 8th, 2024. If your mind is open, I am handing you pure gold to help your company meet the challenges negatively affecting everyone now and in the coming years. Case Study —Building Material Supply... Read More November 2024 Issue #16304 Page 26
Is Customer Service Still Important? In the past, businesses prided themselves on exceptional customer service, especially in addressing warranty claims and service lapses promptly and effectively. Unfortunately, recent years, particularly since COVID, have seen a significant decline in this vital aspect of business. Take, for... Read More September 2024 Issue #16302 Page 98
Celebrating Do What You Can Day: Our Partnership with ACE Mentorship Karissa Louie We’re thrilled to announce another successful Do What You Can Day, our annual companywide event dedicated to giving back to our communities. This year, we’re especially excited about our partnership with the ACE Mentor Program of America, which aligns perfectly with our commitment to... Read More September 2024 Issue #16302 Page 122
Straight Talk About Labor Shortages and Costs Todd Drummond I have had the same conversations with so many executives concerning the tight labor market and rising labor costs. There is good and bad news concerning this subject. First, the good news is that you can be assured that high labor costs and a tight labor market are not only affecting your... Read More March 2024 Issue #16296 Page 24