Tom Manenti, Outgoing Chairman of MiTek Industries, Inc. Joe Kannapell I know not a steadier and more upright leader than Thomas J. Manenti, who elevated his company from good to great over his 40-year tenure. His characteristic humility and aplomb enabled him to navigate most of his career among strong egos. Tom is the consummate people person who transformed... Read More December 2017 Issue #10221 Page 6
Automating Wall Panel Production Joe Kannapell To expedite the adoption of pre-built wall panels, shop labor must be significantly lower than site labor. That means replacing hand-nailing, measuring, cutting, and manhandling with practices that have been proven in truss fabrication. In addition, major builders and reluctant framers demand... Read More December 2017 Issue #10221 Page 20
The Last Word: Don’t Forget, Hire the Vet Joe Kannapell Have you hired any military veterans lately, as have many component plants across the country? You will find that they generally have gained the skills, work ethic, and leadership for your supervisory and technical positions. But you will also encounter plenty of competition for the good ones,... Read More December 2017 Issue #10221 Page 99
BCMC 2017 Omaha Joe Kannapell This year’s Show, some 45 years after my first, brought some amazing revelations. The most awesome sight was an actual working truss plant on the Show floor. The most intriguing experience was being transported inside a robotic plant. And, the most welcome sounds were good economic... Read More November 2017 Issue #10220 Page 6
Trusses and Mechanical Systems Joe Kannapell Truss designers be aware: energy codes are changing HVAC systems. Until recently, duct layouts were designed like truss layouts of the 1970s – hand-drawn on blue prints. Since Building Officials don’t require residential heating/AC layouts, you may have not known of collisions until... Read More November 2017 Issue #10220 Page 19
The Last Word: BCMC Athletics – A Perfectly Roaring Success Joe Kannapell Look at these folks in the picture (I am not naming names) and tell me that they look like a bunch of sterling athletes. None of them excels at running, all are just trying to maintain reasonable conditioning, while having a little fun. One has lost 30 pounds in the last year when he started... Read More November 2017 Issue #10220 Page 97
BCMC Innovations Joe Kannapell The quickening of innovation will be on display at BCMC this month, and, undoubtedly, so will be the uptake. Suppliers use this platform to launch new products, sometimes rather humbly. Art DePauw sold his prototype “automated” saw to two industry giants, Charlie Barnes and Dave... Read More October 2017 Issue #10219 Page 6
The Last Word: The Last Word on Fitness Joe Kannapell Only one part of our being can be fairly gauged: our physical heath. Our other parts—the mental, emotional, or spiritual aspects don’t register on any objective scale. But if we get a handle on that one part, we do gain insight on the others. We can gain this data via our... Read More October 2017 Issue #10219 Page 103
Wall Panel Designer Primer Joe Kannapell In the 1960s, Ed Ryan set basic standards for panelizing walls, and for decades his homebuilding company (now NVR Inc.) followed his lead. His standards also made it easy for us to provide his wall panel equipment. The name we gave it, “Panel-Rite,” would have pleased Ed, since he... Read More September 2017 Issue #10218 Page 6
The Last Word: Straightening Crooked Southern Pine Joe Kannapell 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... Read More September 2017 Issue #10218 Page 90