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Brett Kinny

Jigging is a Software Problem Now

Brett Kinny

Spec sheets for truss assembly machinery describe the press: tonnage, roller diameter, table length. They say less about the software, yet on an automated table the software decides where the pucks go, where the truss sits, how much of the table is in use, and what happens when the next truss...

#18328 Cover image
November 2026
Issue #18328
Page 29
Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

SpeedStack is a Process Organization Marvel

Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

In truss manufacturing, productivity depends on more than cutting lumber quickly — it depends on delivering the right material to the right table in the right sequence. Enventek’s SpeedStack software brings order to this critical handoff, helping plants combine the efficiency of...

#18328 Cover image
November 2026
Issue #18328
Page 40
Carl Villella

The Strategic Advantage of Payment Deferrals for Equipment Purchases

Carl Villella

As the fourth quarter unfolds, component manufacturers and industrial operators face a critical strategic window. Balancing year-end tax planning with ongoing liquidity requirements is a delicate undertaking. For businesses looking to expand production capacity or replace aging machinery right...

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November 2026
Issue #18328
Page 89
Joe Kannapell, PE

The Last Word: The Shape of Truss Plates

Joe Kannapell, PE

The shape of today’s truss plates was greatly influenced by their little-understood production processes. While these processes involve proprietary methods, their underlying technology was conceived decades ago in the tool and die shops and the punch press plants across America, and both...

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November 2026
Issue #18328
Page 188
Cullen Ellis

Resilience, Innovation and Connection at BCMC

Cullen Ellis

It was great to attend another BCMC this year in Columbus, reconnect with so many incredible people from across the country and around the world, and see the projects and innovations that continue to drive our industry forward. For nearly two decades, I have attended this show in a variety of...

#18327 Cover image
October 2026
Issue #18327
Page 29
Alison Karrer

The Legacy of Visionary Tommy Wood

Alison Karrer

Seeing everyone at BCMC and talking about how far we’ve come as an industry, I was reminded of what a visionary we had in Tommy Wood. Like FedEx founder Fred Smith, Tommy was born and raised in Marks, Mississippi — a small-town beginning for a man with big ideas. Lowell Thomas...

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October 2026
Issue #18327
Page 58
Garry Roehr

Bauhaus Philosophy

Garry Roehr

In 1919, Walter Gropius founded an art and design school in Germany that merged fine arts with craftsmanship and mass production. He established a cross-disciplinary approach and a philosophy that form follows function which has shaped modern architecture, furniture, and graphic design. An...

#18327 Cover image
October 2026
Issue #18327
Page 109
Carl Villella

Q4 Tax Strategy For Component Manufacturers

Carl Villella

As the fourth quarter gets underway, component manufacturers and truss builders are assessing annual balance sheets and planning strategic investments for the coming year. In an industry driven by continuous innovation — from automated truss assembly tables and automated saws to advanced...

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October 2026
Issue #18327
Page 117
Thom McAnally

Familiar Faces and New Technology at BCMC

It had been a while since my last visit to BCMC, and I went to Columbus looking forward to catching up with people, seeing what was new, and spending some time around the equipment that keeps our industry moving. I eventually found nearly everyone I hoped to see, although finding my way around...

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October 2026
Issue #18327
Page 124
Wendy Boyd

Truss Production, Reimagined

Wendy Boyd

Truss production has changed dramatically over the past few decades. What once relied heavily on manual jig systems, operator experience, and physically demanding processes has steadily evolved into a more connected, automated, and data-driven environment. Today, elements such as software,...

#18326 Cover image
September 2026
Issue #18326
Page 29
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