Great to Connect at BCMC and Beyond Ed Serrano BCMC 2025 was a great opportunity to connect with the industry and share insights from our experience in automation. We really enjoyed seeing firsthand how teams are approaching production and exploring new ways to improve efficiency. Thank you to everyone who came to the Vekta booth to chat... Read More November 2025 Issue #17316 Page 73
Redefining Truss Design Freedom with Paragon Paragon Team The 2025 Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC) in Omaha was an incredible week for the Paragon team. [For all photos, See PDF or View in Full Issue.] This annual event brings together the heart of our industry – the innovators, the veterans, and the problem-solvers pushing... Read More November 2025 Issue #17316 Page 78
Looking Toward the Future with Safe Arbor at BCMC Anna Stamm We all know that the Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC) is THE place to go when you want to see the latest and greatest from suppliers to the structural building components industry. Now that BCMC has been combined with the annual Framer’s Summit, the resulting BCMC | FS... Read More November 2025 Issue #17316 Page 84
The True Cost of Ambition Todd Drummond What is a job or career truly worth to you? How do you define your own worth? Imagine knowing, before accepting a new position, that it might cost you something far greater than time — that it could erode your closest relationships, damage your marriage, or distance you from your... Read More November 2025 Issue #17316 Page 90
Slowing Growth and Sticky Inflation Ahead for Q4 Lesko Financial Services Team The U.S. economy entered the Fourth Quarter of the year with fading momentum and increasing caution signs from some indicators, including a weakening labor market, challenging financial realities, and lingering inflation. Analysts are forecasting GDP growth of only 1.9% for the last three months... Read More November 2025 Issue #17316 Page 96
Why PTO Banks Leave Employees Feeling Shortchanged Over the past few decades, many employers have shifted from offering separate vacation, sick time, and holiday benefits to providing a single pool called Paid Time Off (PTO). On the surface, this change is framed as a modern improvement. Employers highlight administrative simplicity, cost... Read More November 2025 Issue #17316 Page 102
Design Connections: Does It Cost Money to Have Happy, Productive Employees? Geordie Secord Before I begin, let me say that I did not always believe that expanded benefits would pay off, or were even possible for most companies. When companies talk about employee benefits, the conversation often turns to cost. Paid vacation, sick leave, parental leave—these all sound like... Read More November 2025 Issue #17316 Page 108
Celebrating a Robust History MSR Lumber Producers Council Almost two years ago, the MSR Lumber Producers Council (MSRLPC) Board of Directors got serious about putting together a comprehensive timeline for the history of the MSR lumber industry. In their experience, it was one of the few topics that, when Googled, came up short on information. Even... Read More November 2025 Issue #17316 Page 117
Design Wall Layouts, Panelize, Break, Build, and Stack with iPanel Alpine Team Within the IntelliVIEW Suite, the iPanel app gives component manufacturers a comprehensive set of tools to design, detail, review, and modify wall panels. From creating wall layouts to reviewing sheathing specs, iPanel simplifies the panel design process to optimize designer efficiency while... Read More November 2025 Issue #17316 Page 123
5 Joist Hanger Mistakes That Could Fail Your Inspection—And How to Avoid Costly Repairs and Callbacks Todd Grevious, PE Joist hangers are simple to install, but ignoring details can cause issues with inspectors and lead to project delays. At our office, we often see the same mistakes repeated—simple errors that are easy to avoid with proper care and following best practices. Here are the five most common... Read More November 2025 Issue #17316 Page 128