Strengthen and Rebuild with Vekta Ed Serrano For Vekta USA, for our customers, suppliers, and the whole world, 2020 was a challenging year! For us, our strength as a global team was tested as we worked all hours to stay connected and support our US customers. In 2021, the pandemic is still causing chaos, with lumber shortages, supply chain... Read More October 2021 Issue #13267 Page 66
My Cutting-Edge Tour at Triad In our May issue, I began this series From the Road, inviting everyone along the course of our cross-country adventure to connect with me for an in-person visit. Recently, I was pleased to tour Merrick Machine Co. in Alda, Nebraska, the home of Triad Machinery. Arriving at the industrial park... Read More October 2021 Issue #13267 Page 82
The Last Word: Coming of Age at BCMC Joe Kannapell What I experienced at the truss industry’s first trade show was the bare bones beginning of fifty years of industry progress. But, at first glance in 1971, it didn’t seem so, as I found only a handful of 8x10 booths, tucked in the corner of the Louisville Fairgrounds. Yet plenty of... Read More October 2021 Issue #13267 Page 132
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XXII: Linear Saw Convergence Joe Kannapell In the 1990s, two small town entrepreneurs tackled vexing cutting problems, but from very different angles, and their innovations set the table for today’s linear saw industry. Jim Urmson, working in Mt. Dora, Florida, population 14,000, started from the ground up, aiming to automate his... Read More September 2021 Issue #13266 Page 10
Spida Meets Your Requirements Head On Sean Hubbard Recently, in lieu of my 15-year-old son destroying my personal vehicle while working through drivers education, I decided it was safer to purchase a vehicle specifically for him. For several months, I browsed the internet, visited car lots, and test drove cars. Eventually, this became such a... Read More September 2021 Issue #13266 Page 19
Panels Plus Goes Platinum: Creating the Platinum Series Automated Sheathing Bridge Blaire Matthees Some exciting developments have been in the works at Panels Plus. Not only are we launching a new product, but we’re also launching an entirely new product category, the Platinum Series, that is focused on increased automation. Our team is thrilled to announce the addition of the Platinum... Read More September 2021 Issue #13266 Page 78
The Last Word: The Last Word on Making the Cut Joe Kannapell Why did most of today’s saw technology come from small shops and not from large machinery companies? And how could just a handful of not well-known people, working in remote locations, make such a difference? Until recent years, they didn’t make much money. Most sold their businesses... Read More September 2021 Issue #13266 Page 142
Advertiser Forum: Bring On the Ideas Anna Stamm Some have complained that our magazine articles include advertorial content—but that simply means that they have misunderstood the purpose of our forum. Unlike an association that is supposed to speak with a united voice, our forum encourages everyone to speak with their own voice. We are... Read More August 2021 Issue #13265 Page 6
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XXI: Rebirth of the Linear Saw Joe Kannapell Entering the new Millennium, the linear fed saw needed to be reborn. Though CMs had boosted productivity with bolted-on improvements to their Metra-Cut type saws, they still couldn’t keep up with automated component saws. Yet they remained an essential part of the saw shop, even though... Read More August 2021 Issue #13265 Page 10
A New Invention for Working Smarter Leonard Hain When people ask me what my profession is, I say that I’m an inventor. Inventing machines and equipment to improve production and remove bottlenecks has been my focus for decades. Now, I’m pleased to debut a new piece of equipment – the Stud Driller. Save Time, Labor, and... Read More August 2021 Issue #13265 Page 57