With the recent passing of Tom Denig, which was not long after Gene Toombs’, we should take a moment to reflect on their stunning success, gained while working separately and together. They both took over highly technical companies in the early 1990s, Denig at Trus Joist and Toombs at...

It wasn’t enough for Jack Schmitt, President of Truswal, to introduce wood-web floor trusses. He also had to demonstrate how to build them, and that required a special machine. Schmitt turned to his trusted associate, Carl Virta, to come up with a process, and Carl knew who could help him....

Among the first advocates for floor trusses were two men who would later create an acclaimed component plant. Dwight Hikel and Chris Ditzel made early inroads at Fort McHenry Lumber, such that Ditzel declared in 1972, “I think we will be eventually doing 2-1/2 times the volume in floor...

Floor trusses have been golden for the component industry for over half a century, and their origin is worth recounting and celebrating. Because of their flexibility and utility, wood trusses dominate apartment construction and have taken it up to 5 stories. Getting there, however, has required...

Alpine’s iCommand® IntelliSheets takes business management to the next level, saving time with tools created for designers and managers. Originally introduced with IntelliVIEW® 22.02 software release, IntelliSheets creates custom job lists, tracks progress, and shares live reports...

It’s worth recounting the 25 productive years that culminated in the establishment of WTCA/SBCA. Thanks to the leadership of some outstanding men, and their early embrace of technology, the component industry came together to claim its rightful place in the building industry, but it...

Four distinctly different types of truss plates came onto the market in the 1950s, but only two made it into the 1960s: the short toothed and the long toothed, neither requiring nails. These two types continued to evolve over the next decade, although along distinctly different paths, and under...

Last month’s article, Spida Machinery’s Automated Apollo Saw—Evolution, talks about the development of Spida saws from the CSS to the Apollo. For decades, Spida has been known for cutting-edge technology in our cutting equipment. This month, I’d like to take a closer look...

May 1st means that early-bird registration has opened, so it’s time to start planning your trip to join us in Indianapolis for this year’s Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC)! As a member of SBCA’s BCMC Committee, I always have a personal stake in the success...

Skills shortages, increased costs, margin pressures, and continued demand for new builds across the housing market have in recent years accelerated the focus on automating the prefabrication of lumber wall frames, roof trusses, and lumber floors. Today, the prefabrication of lumber wall frames...