Cal Jureit’s truss testing experience was but the first of three consequential steps that led him to invent the modern truss connector plate. Jureit’s second step was joining Truss Fabrications, Inc. (TFI), which furthered his knowledge of truss manufacturing, and focused his efforts...

Even in slower years, you can benefit, both professionally and personally, from attending the Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC), as I have. Some gains may accrue over a longer period of time, but there are always people to meet and things to see at the Show. Even if your company...

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...

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...

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...

In late May, I was fortunate to travel to Germany on a quest to discover processes that could advance the state of the art of component manufacturing. Driving 90 miles from Munich’s 6 million people, I passed several quaint villages with businesses bordering the Autobahn, each separated by...

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...

Nearly 20 years after the Tibbetts family sold Cox Lumber to Home Depot, a crowd of onlookers gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of Tibbetts Lumber’s soon-to-be largest truss plant, which will be located in Zephyrhills, Florida. This event demonstrated the on-going confidence of...

Three midcentury forces converged to form the truss business we know today. First came the deluge of demand for affordable housing after World War II. Then came the prefabbers who addressed that need with trusses. And finally came the connector that made trusses into a blockbuster...

We are fortunate to work in this great industry and to have many ways to give back to our communities. We were given a reminder of that on April 8, 2025, at a very important dedication. We felt the excitement as we entered the crowded shell of what will become the Langetree Community Center...