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When it comes to finding the right industry-experienced person to fill a key role, like a designer or plant manager, you have several options. You can DIY and network with employees and industry contacts, engage a recruiter, or place ads and screen candidates internally. I can’t speak to...

Eighteen teams from colleges throughout the Southwest United States and Hawaii gained hands-on experience in wood design and construction during the second annual Timber-Strong Design Build competition. AWC joined APA–The Engineered Wood Products Association (APA) and Simpson Strong-Tie...

Undoubtedly, many people are now thinking: Is there a difference between a lumber procurement professional and a lumber buyer? I am a Lumber Procurement Professional. I’ve been around the business since I was 15 years old and now I’m 64 (you can do the math). I have worked as a buyer...

In this article, we follow up on our April 17 webinar, Meeting Braced-Wall Requirements: A New Portal Frame Solution, by answering some of the interesting questions raised by attendees. During the webinar, we discussed how the Strong-Wall site-built portal frame system (PFS) provides...

The advantages of open-web floor trusses are beginning to decelerate the growth of EWP. Though I-Joist sales per housing start have increased about 6% over the last two years, the trend has slowed considerably. Some of the small gain is due to the continuation of the replacement of solid-sawn...

It’s natural to strategize in our daily lives. We try to plan our actions to produce the optimal results. We may not be successful as often as we’d like, but we attempt to maximize our time and effort. So, what about the times when people take it a little too far? Embellishing or...

Part X: Windows Works Its Magic When David McQuinn recommended Windows to MiTek’s management in 1990, few expected that Microsoft could compete with the two giants of the computer industry: Hewlett Packard and IBM. HP was the dominant provider of engineering computers. For a decade, its...

I think the answer to the title’s question is the same as the answer to “am I beautiful.” Those who know me are screaming, “the answer is NO,” but the correct answer should be, “It’s in the eye of the beholder.” I believe knowledge and experience...

My wife recently saw a book online (direct from the publisher) that she thought I would enjoy reading: “Lean Production for Competitive Advantage,” by John Nichols. There was, though, a funny thing about the book; it was printed upside down compared to the binding. I considered...

The requirement is: an inspector will, on average, inspect one critical plate for every inspection made during a week. That requirement is the baseline number for the quantity of critical inspections to perform—but because some trusses do not have critical plates, it’s necessary to...