It had been a while since my last visit to BCMC, and I went to Columbus looking forward to catching up with people, seeing what was new, and spending some time around the equipment that keeps our industry moving. I eventually found nearly everyone I hoped to see, although finding my way around the show floor took a little practice. [For all photos, See PDF or View in Full Issue.]
My first impression was that the show felt smaller than I remembered when there were many more equipment demonstrations on site. This year, some exhibitors who previously brought machinery used smaller booths with monitors and videos to show their equipment in operation. But that being said, there was still plenty to see.
The booths were modern, and exhibitors used their space efficiently. Technology was evident in both the products and the way companies presented them. A video can show an entire production line that would never fit in a booth, although I still enjoy seeing a machine up close.
To me, these more restrained displays seemed consistent with the uncertainty and cautiousness our industry is confronting at this time. Tariff uncertainty, unstable costs, and labor issues are familiar concerns, but they seemed to weigh more heavily this year. Even so, there was plenty of investment in new ideas on display at the show.
Plates, Software, and Solid Construction
One product that really caught my attention was Enventek’s NexPlate truss plate dispenser. It works directly with software to dispense plates in batches for each truss. Watching it, I was impressed by its speed, scalability, and how easy it seemed to load.
It was also built like a brick. That matters in a manufacturing environment, where equipment needs to stand up to daily use. The combination of software integration and sturdy construction made this one of the memorable stops on my visit. The accompanying picture features Ed Lim and our editor, Anna Stamm.
MiTek was another important stop. I have worked with them through both JobLine and The Advertiser for many years. They were among the magazine’s earliest advertisers and have supported it almost from the beginning.
The MiTek booth offered a broad look at the company, from software to production equipment and even a small house demonstrating their fasteners and hardware. The people there were accommodating and took time to help me understand several of their newer products.
The equipment pictured with me is the Ranger lumber retrieval system that MiTek acquired from Acer this year. Its overhead picking system retrieves boards and transfers them to the saw’s infeed. I did not see it operating during my visit, but seeing the installation up close helped put the equipment’s size and arrangement into perspective.
Wall Panels and Production Automation
Panels Plus was busy when I stopped by, and I did not have an opportunity for a detailed discussion about their machines. I did get a picture beside their wall panel equipment display, with the tool bridge and its controls visible.
Their equipment has brought truss machinery and automation into wall panel and floor cassette production. The display gave me an opportunity to look at the equipment even without a lengthy conversation.
Vekta’s booth provided another view of production automation. Their product range includes lumber feeding, sawing, delivery, and truss stacking solutions. Their displays emphasized the connections between these steps, an important consideration for manufacturers evaluating how equipment will fit into their plants.
From Manufacturing to Delivery
CT Darnell represented another side of the industry: the facilities where all this production takes place. They have a long history of building truss plants. With so much attention given to the machinery inside a building, their booth was a reminder of the experience required to create the building itself.
At Precision Equipment Manufacturing, I took a closer look at their gooseneck trailers. My impression was that they were well made without relying on massive structural members that would add excessive weight.
They struck me as a practical balance of quality construction and economy. That was an observation from walking around the display, but it was something I appreciated. The photo also shows their roller arrangement and remote control display.
Triad brought back memories of my visit to their Nebraska facility a few years ago, when I received an inside tour of their operation. Their vertical integration impressed me then, from laser cutting to manufacturing some of the machines used to make their machines.
Russ Merrick is a visionary, and the skill of his team shows in the finished products. From the designers to the people building the equipment, they produce machines I have come to respect. Triad is also a longtime advertiser, making this another opportunity to reconnect with people whose work I know beyond the show floor.
Catching Up with Longtime Friends
At Wood Tech Systems, I had a chance to catch up with Jay Halteman, Jim Mavrakes, and the team. They have been with The Advertiser since the beginning, and it was good to spend time with longtime friends.
Those relationships are a large part of what makes BCMC worthwhile for me. We communicate throughout the year, but the show gives us an opportunity to reconnect in person. There is something valuable about putting down the phone and spending a few minutes together on the floor.
I left BCMC glad I had returned. The show has evolved since years past, and the advances in technology were clear. Just as valuable were the familiar faces and the opportunity to meet in person again. And, I enjoyed meeting new friends too. For me, it was the combination of conversations and equipment that made the trip such as success.
Thank you to everyone who took these photos and sent them to me for use in our pages!
I can’t close out without a special mention for Rod and Leonard Wasserman of Wasserman & Associates. We go back to 2008, the beginning of The Advertiser, and have shared many steak dinners during BCMC. Rod, Leonard, my “adopted dad” Don Coleman, and I would love catching up every year. Wasserman & Associates is undoubtedly the main reason The Advertiser exists today. Back then, during the Great Recession, our pages started as a weekly newsletter with classified ads from Wasserman and Wood Truss Systems. By 2010, when the economy was recovering and JobLine was booming, I was burned out on a weekly newsletter (and I’m sure the guys were tired of weekly updates too.) When I told Rod and Leonard I couldn’t keep it up, they simply said, in a Midwestern matter-of-fact suggestion, why not make it a monthly magazine. I thank them for giving me the ability to keep going. Five years later, I recruited Anna to join me, and the rest, as they say, is history.