Automation on the Factory Floor Wendy Boyd I’ve had many conversations with manufacturers across the structural building components industry lately, and the topic that keeps coming up is automation. And it’s no surprise – automation is no longer a futuristic concept. It’s here, and it’s delivering real... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 17
Improve Your Efficiency with a Hain Sub Component Nailer Leonard Hain With the continuing growth of wall panel production, everyone is looking for ways to improve their efficiency. An important place to look when you’re considering your options—speeding up subcomponent production! If you want to increase your efficiency, take a look at the new video... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 40
“OBBB” and “AII” Inspiration to Feed the Beast! Edmond Lim, P.Eng. Both the US’ One Big Beautiful Bill Section 179 and Canada’s Accelerated Investment Incentive are designed to stimulate economic growth by encouraging businesses to invest in new equipment and technology by providing upfront tax relief. How’s that for Inspiration to Feed the... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 46
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
Future-Proofing Off-Site Construction: Why Flexibility is Key in the Age of Value-Added Manufacturing Dario Schmidt In today’s rapidly evolving construction industry, manufacturers face a growing imperative to do more with less—less labor, less waste, and less downtime. Traditionally, dedicated machines have been used for specific tasks like cutting or marking. While effective for current needs,... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 64
Celebrating Growth at Element Equipment Marco Gagnon Element Equipment is one component of GOW Group, an end-to-end metal fabrication company that serves several industries. In July, we were thrilled to celebrate the grand opening of our new GOW office! [For all photos, See PDF or View in Full Issue.] This was a far cry from our humble start in... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 77
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
Beyond the Booth: Real Conversations, Real Solutions at BCMC 2025 Wendy Boyd In the world of frame and truss manufacturing, there aren’t many events that gather the industry in quite the same way as the annual Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC). It’s a touchpoint – not just for showcasing machinery and equipment, but for sharing ideas,... Read More July 2025 Issue #17312 Page 17
The Time for Improvement is Always Now Todd Drummond The summer build season is upon us, so the familiar daily time constraint challenges are back. Yet this summer build season is not like the past few years. In many regions, sales are not as strong, so margins are dropping to keep the sales volume needed to remain profitable. During the winter... Read More July 2025 Issue #17312 Page 24
To Precut or Not to Precut? That is the Question Casey Harless Close your eyes and imagine yourself walking through a component manufacturer’s facility. As you do this, some will see a facility with a relatively well-automated wall panel line, in which full sheets of OSB, gypsum, ZIP, etc. are being applied to the wall in line and the router on the... Read More July 2025 Issue #17312 Page 56