My favorite place to meet with a customer is on the job site. Always has been. I started in this industry approximately 20 years ago as a young truss salesman for UFP in Southern California. My training consisted of building trusses in the yard, creating estimates, and completing engineering packages with our design team. I enjoyed all of it, but the last part of my training was, hands down, my favorite: providing on-site field services to repair damaged or mis-installed trusses and wall panels.
Looking back, I wasn’t good at any of those tasks. As the first few months of my career passed, I knew I needed to add more direct value to my customers beyond the general knowledge I picked up during my new hire training. My company had great value: great support staff, on time deliveries, responsive customer service, etc. But my value as the new guy was limited.
I decided to spend as much time as I could with the most experienced field repairman. He let me borrow his tools and allowed me to get to work learning how to fix trusses. I still wasn’t very good at it, but I earned his respect and, more importantly, the respect of my customers. One of them even invited me to his office to learn how to read plans. This only further added to the value I could bring to my customers, including on the job site.
Throughout my career, I’ve held onto the lessons I learned during that foundational stage. One of my key responsibilities with MiTek involves engaging with the Design, Make, and Build communities to develop tools and resources that enable efficient utilization of off-site construction methodologies. In this role, I take every opportunity to be on site and see the products and services we provide in partnership with our CM customers on display. Not a single thing we do at MiTek would be possible without our customers and their customers.
On a recent site visit in Northern California, I decided to snap a few quick images with my cell phone. [For all photos, See PDF or View in Full Issue.] The images show how effective our Posi-Strut floor truss system is in shallow depth applications, even when running a high volume of utility lines through the open web area. This project consists of 716 apartment units within 4 floors on 4 different buildings. Known as “The Sevens,” it used the 11-7/8” deep Posi (Model PS12i). The project was designed using an I-Joist system, but, not long before construction was set to begin, Palisade Builders and their sub-contractor, Ciara Construction, requested a change to Top Chord Bearing Posi-Strut floor trusses. This required connecting different parts and people in the construction process together to work toward a shared goal – something that is part of the MiTek DNA. We were able to provide the proper guidance to all members of the project team, both as partners and as subject matter experts.
Through discussions with TCA Architects and DCI Engineers, we uncovered a need to develop a new ICC-ES Listing Report (ESL-1388) to achieve a fire-rated assembly equivalent to what was originally accounted for in the design. Each team acted swiftly and was successful at meeting the needs of each stakeholder of the project to make this change from I-Joist to floor trusses within the right timeline. Thankfully this project team was able to rely on the capable hands of an experienced Component Manufacturer in Reno Truss. From design of the trusses to fabrication and delivery, each step was handled with precision and attention to detail with a key understanding of the customer’s needs. Like many of our capable CM customers, they delivered.
As we enter September, the project is nearing completion. I have been privileged to hear firsthand from several members of the team what their impression of this experience – switching from an I-joist to an open web solution like Posi-Strut – has been.
To me, it’s the words of Palisade Builders that sum it up best: “We are all about efficiency! That is why we use MiTek. Their Posi-Strut floor truss system seamlessly integrates structural support with space for MEP services, revolutionizing the way these essential elements are installed. This innovative design allows for efficient routing of electrical wiring, plumbing systems, and HVAC.”
Couldn’t agree more. To learn more about how you can add value to your customers with floor trusses, send me a note at landon.boucher@mii.com.