Supply Chain Disruptions Sean Hubbard Today’s environment has created supply chain disruptions throughout the world. Nearly every customer and supplier I have spoken with over the last few months has indicated production delays are prevalent or imminent. Of course, the pandemic has caused much of the recent impact, while the... Read More March 2021 Issue #13260 Page 17
Lumber Briefs: Lumber Market Forecast Matt Layman Looking Around the Corner LEST WE NOT FORGET... the current lumber market condition is the by-product of a major disruption, not a lasting trend. The disruption consists of the following. Accelerated millennial transition from urban to suburban areas. This has created another... Read More March 2021 Issue #13260 Page 98
The Dilemma Facing Modular Construction Today Gary Fleisher As more builders, developers, and customers begin using modular construction instead of just thinking about it, the existing modular housing industry is being pushed, pulled, and thrown into a new reality. Too Much Demand! How can that be a bad thing? It can if there are very few new... Read More March 2021 Issue #13260 Page 102
‘Tsunami of Freight’ Points to Supply-Chain Holdups Lingering Past Spring Craig Webb Traffic jams at America’s ports, railroad terminals, and trucking centers all indicate that the supply headaches you suffered last year are likely to continue until deep into spring. Products from China that you sell are most at risk, but goods produced in North America also are having... Read More March 2021 Issue #13260 Page 104
Rise to Operational Challenges Ben Hershey Last month’s article, Change Impact, talks about what impact changes at your company will have this year. Well, after 2020 and the challenges we faced, especially for the operations-intensive companies in our industry, it... Read More February 2021 Issue #13259 Page 46
The Hiring Waves After the 2020 recruiting season just about came to a stop in March, I saw a ray of hope early in November. While I hoped to see the usual limited activity before the holidays, I wasn’t holding my breath. Instead, it came in the form of a tsunami. The first week of November was refreshing,... Read More February 2021 Issue #13259 Page 80
Lumber Briefs: Softwood Framing Lumber Market Forecast Matt Layman COVID’s 2021 Reverse Impact Let’s see if we can get this one right. A member recently requested that I forecast when the misses were going to happen. Sounds difficult, but not impossible. COVID 2020 was a once in a lifetime paradigm shift in our learning curve. To date, I have... Read More February 2021 Issue #13259 Page 96
Take a Break from Everyday Business to Rejuvenate Gary Fleisher The Off-Site construction industry is having a great year despite COVID-19. Most builders and developers are too busy working with new buyers, planning projects, and doing all the “in your face” work that needs to be done right now to worry much about next month, let alone next... Read More January 2021 Issue #13258 Page 94
Lumber Briefs: Lumber Market Forecast Matt Layman America’s Achilles Heel I want to drift off topic for a bit. Last week we were advised that the U.S. was under a massive cyber attack. As of today, Sunday December 20, the attack is on-going, there is no determination of who is responsible, how deep the attack has penetrated, how to... Read More January 2021 Issue #13258 Page 106
The Last Word: Last Word on Floor Trusses Joe Kannapell Retired now from MiTek (but not from this magazine), it is a fitting time to thank all of you I have been honored to serve. I was fortunate to have started about the time floor trusses were being introduced, and to have seen them revolutionize apartment building. In December, I observed four... Read More January 2021 Issue #13258 Page 140