What a ride it has been for the vast majority of the component manufacturing (CM) for wood trusses and wall panels in North America the past few years. The demand for new homes outpaced the supply capacity of most homebuilders and those who suppy them. This record-breaking rate of building...

Our industry is experiencing unprecedented times. Never before has production capacity been at such a premium. We have seen different markets get active in the past but nothing like this. Right now in the United States, manufacturers can’t keep up with the demand for metal plate connected...

I am, or was, an off-site construction manufacturing turnaround guy. I believe in Lean and 6-Sigma in concept, but I also know that implementing them within a company is hard. Not allowing people to slip back into their old ways is even harder. Many programs go by the wayside once management...

Expanding the manufacturing capacity within the component manufacturing (CM) industry for wood trusses and wall panels is at a fever pitch. The overwhelming majority of CMs have the same limited capacity issue trying to keep up with sales, which led to excellent record-breaking sales volumes and...

We have spent the last few months talking about management software being flexible. No two operations are exactly the same, so why should your software be the same? Our team has built TrueBuild® Job Management from the ground up with adaptability at its core. From the very basic to the...

Last year should have been a record profit year for wood truss and wall panel component manufacturers (CM). Many of my clients have mid to upper-twenties EBITA. A few made it to the mid-thirties of their total sales. Yet, so many find this hard to believe. Too many believe mid to high teens for...

There has been a big push to reduce labor. In response, more than one equipment vendor has suggested that component manufacturers (CM) should purchase linear saws directly tied to roof gantry tables. The idea is simple: fewer crew members and more automation to increase efficiencies and reduce...

One of the most efficient and popular tax breaks for small to midsize businesses is the Section 179 tax deduction, and if you’re not currently taking advantage of it, you should certainly consider doing so. Here is how it is defined: Section 179 is an immediate expense deduction that...

Economic studies prepared by the multinational professional services company, KPMG, show that the pace of job gains has slowed due to the Delta variant and is leading to a reduction of economic activity in the 3rd Quarter of 2021. KPMG lowered its 3rd Quarter GDP growth numbers from 6.4% to...

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article written by Josh Mitchell, the economy is holding up quite well. “Resilient” is the word he used to describe the situation. “Households have plenty of money,” he quotes a chief economist as saying. While travel has...