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September Surge...Normal What exactly is the September Surge? It is an increase in lumber buying, reversing from summer inventory liquidation to inventory accumulation to prepare for autumn. Weather begins to improve after August’s sweltering heat and humidity-restricting jobsite...

Five full-scale mass timber fire tests in a multi-story apartment building have been completed with promising results. The International Code Council Ad-hoc Committee on Tall Wood Buildings provided the five fire scenarios that were tested in each of the two one-bedroom apartments constructed...

Back in 2006, we created a compensation calculator using data gained since we started recruiting back in 1992. Multiple factors go into determining total compensation and we have calculators for Truss Designers, Sales Reps, and General Managers in the Truss Manufacturing Industry. Every year, we...

Truss repair is one of the most frequently asked about truss topics. Not surprisingly, when we asked for suggested truss topics in a truss blog, truss repair made the list. Because the summer months bring about a peak in new construction – and plenty of truss repairs to go along with it...

Finally we are learning what the Canadians figured out: how to maximize the use of Southern Pine (SP) lumber. We are advancing truss equipment while they are transforming sawmills to enhance the quality of this once too-crooked product. The Canadians are replaying the strategy that enabled...

I doubt I’m alone in this experience—you’ve just had a success of some sort and you’re feeling good about it . . . so something else goes wrong. After every high, a low will follow. The universe may be trying to keep things in balance, but it would be nice to be able to...

A funny thing happened after Toll Brothers erected this “Board Foot Display” in their wall panel plant. Toll workers didn’t complain. In fact, they actually asked for digital readouts at their individual work stations. Hats off to Keith Fell, Toll’s Director of...

Have you have taken the time to consider some of the most innovative machinery for building walls on the market today? The Spida wall extruder is not just a machine, it is a shift in the way we think about how walls are prefabricated in the industry. The production line has been around for a...

For many companies, properly staffing and retaining employees to meet their needs is a never-ending struggle. Let’s summarize what human resources gurus require years of training to understand and disseminate it to the masses for better results. Let us start by understanding some basic...

The answer might surprise you. During the course of fabricating trusses, on occasion a plate is not completely pressed. As the truss comes out of the finish roller or hydraulic press, the plate sometimes does not get pressed all the way. Sometimes the plate is missed or removed and up plated....