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We all know that Glenn Traylor is a veteran of the components industry possessing a wealth of information and technical advice. What everyone might not know is that he also serves military veterans through his work with the not-for-profit Bugles Across America (BAA). Growing up as an Army...

The Designer Hiring Season is here and now, and with it comes overtime. It may be a Saturday or two, or even some 9–10 hour days. Short term, managing your labor needs with overtime is a great alternative to the expense and risks of hiring another designer. Long term use may cost you a few...

With environmental sustainability becoming the focal point of national discourse, and extreme weather intensifying and occurring more frequently, our buildings need to be sustainable and resilient to mitigate damage to both the built environment and surrounding ecosystem. Researchers are...

For the past three years, the housing industry has bemoaned labor as its primary deterrent to increasing productivity, i.e., housing starts. Framing crews suddenly vanished when detainment and deportation of undocumented workers became more prevalent. The initial impact on the housing...

Simpson Strong-Tie was built on the idea of making strong connections. That concept extends beyond our structural innovations for raising or supporting strong, resilient buildings and communities. We use social media and our two company blogs to have conversations, not only about our products...

Finally, from top to bottom, the building industry is moving to panelize. National builders, like Pulte, are mandating it. Local building supply yards, like 84 Lumber’s, are building them in backyard sheds. And in between, BMC and BFS are shipping knocked-down versions. We laid the...

            When my sister saw the cover of last month’s issue, her first question was—will it be a problem that the person in the photograph has no fall protection? She also was unimpressed with his baseball cap instead of a...

Part IX: Windows into Truss Design Two unstoppable waves merged to form the tsunami that swept over truss design in the 1990s. The first was the mass commercialization of the PC, accelerated by Michael Dell in the late 1980s. The second was the graphical user interface (GUI), exploited by our...

To keep up with our growing business, Square 1 Design and Manufacture is pleased to introduce two new faces this spring. We’ve come on board to help meet the needs of our customers and ensure that everyone receives the best service that our 10-year old company can provide. Now, let me...

Whether your company is a single-location or a huge multi-location operation, 2018 should have been a banner year for profits for your company. Most of my clients were in the high teens and many were in the mid-twenties for net profit to total sales. How well did your company perform in...