Career Moves and Relocation In the past, relocation was an acceptable means to advance, find a better place to live, better benefits, or better compensation. Myself, I found relocation helped me advance from a mid-level manager to a multiplant GM at a young age. The downside is I had to move several times, uprooting my... Read More June 2020 Issue #12251 Page 107
Innovations in Modular Construction Not For Everyone Gary Fleisher The 2008 housing recession ended with many East Coast modular home factories closed forever along with scores of independent new home builders, both site and modular. There were no buyers looking for new custom homes. Then in 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast of the United States... Read More May 2020 Issue #12250 Page 92
Lumber Briefs: Softwood Framing Lumber Market Forecast Matt Layman LLG Crystal Ball Says Speedy Recovery I do not forecast the lumber market, rather how and when folks who buy, sell, and produce lumber will act or react. As for the economy and its recovery from this pandemic disruption, I only need to remember and expect one thing. Economies are consumer... Read More May 2020 Issue #12250 Page 102
The Last Word: A Tale of Two Texas Trussers Joe Kannapell, PE Larry Dix and I had to leave Texas to find jobs in the 1980s, as oil had crashed, and no one was buying our trusses. Back then, oil was $25. Today, they’re giving it away. Both Larry and I landed and recovered in Virginia, where government spending levels out the economy (we hope)! No... Read More May 2020 Issue #12250 Page 131
The Hiring Zone: A Typical Spring Hiring Season? The Coronavirus is changing our landscape so fast that the three articles I wrote within the last week are no longer applicable. Because of this, I’ve decided to just give some facts and opinions from my vantage point at TheJobLine.com. First, as of March 24th, we have not... Read More April 2020 Issue #12249 Page 94
8 Intrinsic Values of Modular Home Construction Gary Fleisher Whenever a site builder asks me why they should go modular, they are really asking me how they can make more money going modular. Some of them are long time site builders that have looked at converting to modular construction and just can’t bring themselves to pull the trigger. It’s... Read More April 2020 Issue #12249 Page 98
The 2020 World of Modular The Modular Building Institute's 37th Annual Convention & Tradeshow at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Florida The Modular Building Institute graciously allowed The Advertiser to cover its 37th Annual World of Modular Convention and Tradeshow held March 9-12, 2020 in Orlando,... Read More April 2020 Issue #12249 Page 102
Lumber Briefs: Lumber Market Quarantine? Matt Layman March 29, 2020 We are just days away from the sharpest lumber market price reversal ever experienced. It began last week with unreasonable mill panic selling in an attempt to secure short-term operational cash and a $50 drop. Next week and the following week, there will government mandated... Read More April 2020 Issue #12249 Page 110
The Last Word: Not My Last Word Joe Kannapell, PE From four stories up, I realized how far wood components have come. I was atop 170,000 sq. ft. of trusses, viewing the Minneapolis Basilica, and couldn’t help thinking back 47 years to my first jobsite visit. [See PDF or View in Full Issue for photos.] Back then, floor trusses were brand... Read More April 2020 Issue #12249 Page 145
This Chart Helps Spur Mega-Millions in Off-Site Construction Investments—But Can It Be Trusted? Craig Webb Go to a meeting about modular construction, mass timber, and other off-site components manufacturing and odds are one of the speakers will show this chart [See PDF or View in Full Issue]. I’ve been to events where four consecutive speakers showcased it in their presentations. Some of these... Read More March 2020 Issue #12248 Page 90