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The phone rang this morning and the caller said that “they had a real quick question.” They went on to ask if “standard truss plates could be used with pressure treated lumber?” Hmmmm…the questions that some questions prompt. It sort of reminds me of the...

Obviously, we all make decisions based on value. Cost vs. benefit. Risk vs. reward. But too often, we are all encouraged to think of value only in terms of dollars and cents. Too be sure, money plays a big part, but it’s not always simple and straightforward. Building...

Bearing lubrication is essential to the longevity of the equipment’s lifespan. Proper lubrication will assist in reducing bearing failures and keep the production equipment producing revenue. There are many factors that contribute to inadequate lubrication, today we will focus on just...

Industry’s averages for net-profits-to-sales ratio: Below average – 0% to 9% Average – 10% to 12% Common to see – 13% to 19% High return more common than most know– Greater than 20% (No B.S.) Do you know how well your company did in comparison to...

That was my reaction when I realized last week that 2016 was right around the corner. Well, actually I hit a stark realization around the middle of December when I had a birthday and could not figure out how I got here. You know, to this place in time. It seems like yesterday that I was a hairy...

A couple of weeks ago Thom McAnally, publisher of Component Advertiser, asked if I would write a summary of how following Layman's Lumber Guide Forecasts helped/ or could have helped you in 2015. My first inclination was to create the graph below to determine that 37 of 52 weeks, our lumber...

This time of year, when most job changes occur, we need to especially engage our remote employees. We must nurture, retain and recruit more of these people who don’t have an office, but have become the backbone of many companies. Truss designers, bookkeepers, and IT people increasingly...

Exempt Structures, can I really do anything I (or the customer) wants when no one is looking over my proverbial shoulder? This question would be funny, if it were not so sad. Exactly what are exempt structures exempt from? Many jurisdictions make accessory buildings (storage sheds,...

When I left Wisconsin for Oklahoma, I was looking forward to new surroundings. (If you can overlook the tornado risk, the weather is fantastic.) The hard part though was leaving an industry I’d called home for thirteen years. I missed going to work and doing my best to provide as much...

Sometimes we lose focus of the main goal of creating more net profit for the company by focusing too much on one aspect of our business. Too often individuals focus too much on perceived labor efficiencies while limiting their overall capacities. Does reducing labor cost always produce more net...