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The American free enterprise system has been the greatest engine for prosperity in world history and has the potential to deliver a promising economic future for our country and around the globe. However, manufacturing in the United States faces significant challenges in an increasingly...

Part One in the Save Money Series Over decades of purchasing for a large component manufacturer and trading as a lumber broker, I bought and sold well over 25,000 loads of lumber. The most valuable asset I brought to the table as the truss plants’ lumber buyer was confidence to purchase...

At its core, Lean means no waste. The original Lean (Six Sigma) concept defines 7 wastes (Muda) that exist in business. All process waste is categorized into one or more of these categories. The rules for these wastes apply in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing industries. Defining and...

It seems that each major hurricane tends to teach those of us in the construction industry some lesson. With Hurricane Andrew, the lessons were the importance of protection from windborne debris, and the importance of proper construction of gable ends. There are two main areas where gable...

After working in the Truss and Component Industry for 4½ decades, I was looking forward to retirement. Fishing when I wanted to, golfing when I wanted to. Well, after getting up at 4 o’clock in the morning for 46 years, it has come to an end. No place to go at 4 am, so I guess...

Dear Anna: A recent long span truss collapse during installation reminded me of the new 2009 (and later) IBC bracing requirements for the Owner of a project with metal plate connected (MPC) wood trusses spanning 60 ft. and greater (churches, schools, commercial, retail, and so on)....

At BCMC, we learned that a recession often follows a presidential election, but that housing may not be much affected this time (per Mark Vintner of Wells Fargo). Many of us shrugged this off, especially after observing the brisk sales activity on the show floor, though our past experience...

Why are we seeing all the code change proposals regarding wood trusses in the current ICC code change/update process? It is true that there were several proposals submitted pertaining to wood truss restraint and bracing and another requiring special inspection of the installed truss...

Our new website has been up and running for a few months now. We are continuing to compile data at www.Square1design.com. As we continue to upload additional technical support documents and new product offerings, we are seeing the traffic grow exponentially. Along with a wealth of information...

Yes, it’s true, I have not been in attendance at many BCMC shows. But over the years, I’ve been involved with lots of them, so I know they can be a lot of work and a lot of fun. Building Community, Making Connections I remember the day that slogan came into being, because I was...