Home Building Technology, Part VIII: The Engineering Advantage Joe Kannapell, PE Where is the best location to start a business — the easiest place or the toughest? Choosing the easiest means you may or may not “have what it takes” to succeed in the toughest markets. But, by choosing the toughest, you may “set yourself up” to market yourself... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313
Strategic Capital Investment: Leveraging Section 179 Expansion and Multi-Entity Structures in the Building Component Manufacturing Industry Post-OBBBA Carl Villella The recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, marks a transformative moment for U.S. tax policy, particularly for capital-intensive sectors like building component manufacturing. This comprehensive legislation significantly expands Section 179... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 83
Economic Outlook: Resilience and Uncertainty Lesko Financial Services Team The first half of this year ended with the U.S. economy showing a resilience that forecasters weren’t expecting. Solid growth in earnings and jobs, plus a rebound after the chaos of early tariff announcements, powered past the pessimism and steep market declines of April and helped the... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 92
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
Advertiser Forum: Employment: Livelihood or Commodity? Anna Stamm Last month’s article by Thom, “The Cost of Convenience: How Offshore and Remote Design are Undermining the Future of the Truss Industry,” generated a fair amount of feedback, and that feedback was generally fair. But, let’s unpack some additional dynamics. The central... Read More July 2025 Issue #17312 Page 6
Home Building Technology, Part VII: Carol Sanford’s Quantum Leap Joe Kannapell, PE Carol Sanford came of age during the 1920s, inspired by his inventive father, during one of the most inventive periods in American history. He grew up in Canton, OH, then a center of steel and stamping industries. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati and an architectural school in... Read More July 2025 Issue #17312 Page 10
Fueling Growth: How Equipment Financing Aligns with U.S. Business Optimism Carl Villella U.S. businesses are feeling optimistic, with nearly half expecting economic improvement in the next 12 months. This four-year high in confidence, despite inflation and tariff concerns, is translating into a strong desire for growth. A remarkable 66% of middle-market companies and 36% of small... Read More July 2025 Issue #17312 Page 75
MSR Workshop: Relax, Connect, Learn MSR Lumber Producers Council The MSR Workshop headed west to Idaho this spring to a resort destination that lived up to its reputation! The annual event hosted by the MSR Lumber Producers Council in late April welcomed 68 attendees, including five guests, to the Coeur d’Alene Resort for three days of networking,... Read More July 2025 Issue #17312 Page 96
Home Building Technology, Part VI: The Original Wood Truss Manufacturers Joe Kannapell, PE Although last month’s article in this series, “Home Building Technology, Part V: Early Truss Connection Innovators,” brought our story up to the post-war time period, we would be remiss without acknowledging the original truss manufacturers in greater detail. A small group of... Read More June 2025 Issue #17311 Page 10
The Benefits of Working with a Consultative Finance Professional Carl Villella Consultative financing for wood component manufacturers goes beyond simple loans. It’s about understanding the industry’s unique challenges—like high equipment costs, raw material volatility, and market sensitivity—to offer tailored financial solutions. A consultative... Read More June 2025 Issue #17311 Page 67