Chapter I: The Idea One day a certain builder had an idea for a spec house that would be a sure winner. So, he got together with the best architect in the area and began to describe what he wanted. “Mr. Architect,” he said, “I want the house to have a studio...

In 2025, the building component manufacturing industry navigated a landscape defined by paradox: record-breaking investment in high-tech infrastructure alongside sharp contractions in traditional residential segments. As the industry pivots toward 2026, the focus is shifting from...

For Structural Building Component (SBC) manufacturers, 2025 presents a paradox. Demand for housing and commercial structures remains resilient, yet the cost of doing business is climbing. The resurgence of aggressive tariff policies—specifically on steel, aluminum, and Canadian softwood...

The U.S. economy entered the Fourth Quarter of the year with fading momentum and increasing caution signs from some indicators, including a weakening labor market, challenging financial realities, and lingering inflation. Analysts are forecasting GDP growth of only 1.9% for the last three months...

To stay abreast of current trends and future forecasts, I follow many reports and analyses. Most recently, the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s September 2025 Monthly Confidence Index (MCI-EFI) indicates a continued, albeit slightly tempered, positive outlook for the equipment...

Jerome Powell’s late August speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium signals a potential shift in monetary policy that could significantly affect equipment financing for the building component industry. Powell’s remarks, which opened the door to a possible interest rate cut at the...

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...

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...

On/off tariffs, the pending hike in countervailing duties, and Section 232 National Security Investigation (which designates lumber as a “strategic good” on par with automobiles, steel, and aluminum) stalk the wood frame construction industry. Collectively and individually, these...

Encouraging data including a downtick in inflation and the prospect of interest rate cuts early in the year fueled optimism, bolstered by hopes of deregulation and the extension of tax cuts put into place during the first Trump presidency. Stocks rallied on hopes for a new era of positive growth...