How Much Do You Know About Insulation? Greg Watson Insulation is a fundamental element in providing thermal comfort within a building’s indoor environment. Utilizing the correct, high performing insulant and the “fabric first” approach to building design allows light-frame system manufacturers to achieve low u-values through... Read More May 2022 Issue #14274 Page 106
Advertiser Forum: Like Painting the House Anna Stamm As I began my spring backyard clean-up in the same place where I always start, a story about my grandfather’s annual effort to paint his house came to mind. Is it right that we always start in the same place? Would a different approach be beneficial this time, or next time? More Work... Read More April 2022 Issue #14273 Page 6
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XXIX: Linear Saws: Out of the Box Joe Kannapell A second sales pro reacted to Jim Urmson’s Florida saw blitz, the redoubtable (now deceased) Jere Broedling. Few knew Florida CMs better than Jere, first as Gang Nail’s sales manager, then as Bemax salesman, and finally as a MiTek rep. Like Randy Yost, he relentlessly prodded his... Read More April 2022 Issue #14273 Page 10
Spida’s Personal Approach to Service and Installation Chad Wickham Starting in the maintenance field in the mid-1980s was an eye opener for me, to say the least I was very green. The manager of the truss plant could see I had mechanical aptitude and was driven to learn – but he also saw that I had no practical experience about troubleshooting machinery.... Read More April 2022 Issue #14273 Page 19
Who is the Most Important Person in Your Truss Operation? Glenn Traylor Who is the most important person in your truss operation? The designer who creates the projects? The guy who signs the check? Without sales there is no business, so is it sales? Let’s make an argument for someone you might take for granted. There is a person who looks at every job –... Read More April 2022 Issue #14273 Page 43
TrueBuild® Batch – Every Minute Counts Tracy Roe Our industry is experiencing unprecedented times. Never before has production capacity been at such a premium. We have seen different markets get active in the past but nothing like this. Right now in the United States, manufacturers can’t keep up with the demand for metal plate connected... Read More April 2022 Issue #14273 Page 48
Innovation in Action at Vekta Ed Serrano In business today, it is necessary to be agile and responsive to change. But, to have that real edge – the ability to truly set yourself apart – you need to be unique. Your solutions need to define I-N-N-O-V-A-T-I-O-N. As a company, Vekta defines innovation. By reviewing how the... Read More April 2022 Issue #14273 Page 54
How Lasers Help Alleviate Labor and Production Constraints Jim Mavrakes In 2002, our company was responsible for outfitting a complete component plant in Asia where we learned the true value of the statement, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” The visual nature of lasers bridged an absolute language barrier between our team and the local folks who... Read More April 2022 Issue #14273 Page 68
Building Transformative Supply Chain Management Relationships I am, or was, an off-site construction manufacturing turnaround guy. I believe in Lean and 6-Sigma in concept, but I also know that implementing them within a company is hard. Not allowing people to slip back into their old ways is even harder. Many programs go by the wayside once management... Read More April 2022 Issue #14273 Page 78
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Greg Watson The term “MMC” may be heard more and more regularly these days, but what does it mean? Simply described, modern methods of construction centers around off-site construction practices, some of which may be innovative, allowing for mass production in a factory setting. As a... Read More April 2022 Issue #14273 Page 107