Todd Drummond

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...

#17313 Cover image
August 2025
Issue #17313
Page 26
Ben Hershey

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...

#17313 Cover image
August 2025
Issue #17313
Page 52
Thom McAnally

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...

#17313 Cover image
August 2025
Issue #17313
Page 98
Geordie Secord

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...

#17313 Cover image
August 2025
Issue #17313
Page 104
Joe Kannapell, PE

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...

#17313 Cover image
August 2025
Issue #17313
Page 176
Joe Kannapell, PE

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....

#17306 Cover image
January 2025
Issue #17306
Page 172
Todd Drummond

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...

#16304 Cover image
November 2024
Issue #16304
Page 26
Thom McAnally

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...

#16302 Cover image
September 2024
Issue #16302
Page 98
Karissa Louie

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...

#16302 Cover image
September 2024
Issue #16302
Page 122
Todd Drummond

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...

#16296 Cover image
March 2024
Issue #16296
Page 24
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