The Last Word: The Last Word on Panelization – Floor Panels are Coming Joe Kannapell Framing a house in one day will require floor panels, or “cassettes” in modern parlance. So be ready for this final phase in componentization, creating new opportunities, more computerization, and… Low-boy or drop-deck flatbed trailers to minimize trips to job. Extra... Read More January 2020 Issue #12246 Page 129
Small Investments Can Garner Huge Gains for Productivity for Your Sales Team Todd Drummond Last month’s article, “Investment in Employee Training, Not Just Equipment,” produced a lot of good responses from many readers. Now it is time to offer real solutions to help your company improve productivity and reduce costly errors for your sales team and also all of the... Read More December 2019 Issue #11245 Page 27
How to Ensure Your Choice of Linear Saw is a ‘Cut’ Above the Rest Ed Serrano Investment: [ɪnˈvɛs(t)m(ə)nt] NOUN: a thing that is worth buying because it may be profitable or useful in the future. Automating your truss and frame plant is an investment in your business and your future. Today, the American market has the benefit of having a number of linear saw... Read More December 2019 Issue #11245 Page 45
Will Automation Always be a Distant Dream for Modular Housing? Gary Fleisher Recently I heard, once again, a speaker supporting total automation of the modular production process while comparing modular housing with automobile production lines. Let me put this to rest for hopefully the last time. Modular housing is not anything like the auto industry. There are two... Read More December 2019 Issue #11245 Page 84
Epilogue to 50 Years of Truss Design Innovation: Designing Great Software Joe Kannapell Reviewing our 50-year journey tells us much about software. Now let’s recap how good software becomes great: 1. Continuity of development: Note our three distinct programs, each one totally rewritten to tackle larger objectives. Yet each was based on 15+ years of experience with the... Read More November 2019 Issue #11244 Page 8
BCMC – The Great Show of 2019 Chris Scott The BCMC 2019 in Columbus, Ohio was a throwback to the “not to be missed” shows of the early 2000s. It was an amazing turnout for attendees and exhibitors alike and the energy displayed by all was contagious, making the two days on the floor fly by. Every attendee that we spoke to... Read More November 2019 Issue #11244 Page 14
Investment in Employee Training, Not Just Equipment Todd Drummond Is your company’s budget only for new equipment, but no formal training for your employees? Any time you think about investing for productivity gains, often the first thing that comes to mind is investing in new equipment. All too often, we think we see the situation clearly and can make... Read More November 2019 Issue #11244 Page 47
You speak, Vekta listens. Ed Serrano An 8-bunk PackFeeder that takes up virtually NO extra space! Few people likely realize that many, actually most, of Vekta’s great ideas and innovations originated with our customers. At the BCMC in Columbus, Ohio, Vekta’s MD Ed Serrano was chatting with a long-standing Vekta... Read More November 2019 Issue #11244 Page 58
Triad 60 Year Anniversary! TRIAD / Merrick Machine Company Team On behalf of the TRIAD sales department, we would like to thank our customers for supporting us over the course of our 60 Years in business. We would also like to thank and recognize the entire TRIAD team for all their efforts in preparing for, and participating in, the 2019 BCMC Trade Show; for... Read More November 2019 Issue #11244 Page 70
Celebrating 50 Years of Truss Design Innovation, Part XV Joe Kannapell Part XV: Busted at Bahama Breeze Finally, we would know if we won the business, when we were summoned to a Bahama Breeze restaurant outside Atlanta. Had we been busted for showing “not ready for prime time” software, defying MiTek policy? Over lunch we were told that ITW had been... Read More October 2019 Issue #11243 Page 8