In off-site manufacturing, change is inevitable. What is not inevitable is losing money because of it. The change order is not red tape. It is protection. It protects the company, the client, the project schedule, and even the salesperson who worked hard to land the job. Consider how a...

For decades, Automated Builder was more than a trade magazine. It was “The Source” for industrialized, off-site, and systems-built housing, linking manufacturers, suppliers, and innovators across the country. Longtime readers will remember that the publication began under the earlier...

I recently had the opportunity to visit Classic Truss and spend time with Marty Scott, Operations Manager, and Clarence Houk, Design Manager. It was one of those visits that reminds you how much this industry has changed, and how much of that change comes from steady, intentional progress rather...

Meetings are a necessary part of running any business. They can align teams, solve problems, and move projects forward. But in many organizations, meetings have quietly grown out of control. What once served a clear purpose has, over time, turned into a standing calendar block that exists simply...

For many professionals, career growth stalls not because of a lack of talent, but because of geography. Dead-end companies with no advancement paths don’t have to fight to keep people when employees limit their search to commuting distance. The truth is simple: if you want to break out of...

Over the past few decades, many employers have shifted from offering separate vacation, sick time, and holiday benefits to providing a single pool called Paid Time Off (PTO). On the surface, this change is framed as a modern improvement. Employers highlight administrative simplicity, cost...

The building components industry has always relied on people—skilled truss designers, estimators, plant managers, contractors, and subcontractors who understand the pace and complexity of modern construction. Finding those people, however, has often been a challenge. Generic job boards are...

Over the past several weeks, recruiting activity in the truss and wall panel design space has picked up in a way that’s hard to ignore. More design professionals are registering on The JobLine and exploring opportunities. The increase is not overwhelming—skilled candidates are still...

It’s August. The heat is relentless, the humidity unforgiving, and your design team is running as hot as a NASCAR pit crew in Alabama. Project timelines are tight, customer expectations are high, and every minute counts. So when someone suggests bringing in a new designer, it can feel like...

Let’s face it—finding the right people in the offsite construction industry isn’t getting easier. Whether you’re searching for a seasoned truss designer, a sharp estimator, or a dependable production manager, the usual massive job boards don’t cut it. That’s...