Getting Started with CNC Automation Steve Shrader Ah, ‘tis the season. Sure, you traditionally hear that expression around wintertime, but we’re talking about a different season altogether: BCMC Season! Which means Shopping Season! It’s that season when CMs start to study automation and equipment that gains automation.... Read More October 2022 Issue #14279 Page 80
Added Value From Your Funding Source Carl Villella It’s important to explore your options when considering the financing of your business equipment. There are a number of financing companies out there, as well as local banks, and it’s likely that the rates and additional interest charges will differ. Do you go with the... Read More October 2022 Issue #14279 Page 86
Because Good Ingredients Matter MSR Lumber Producers Council Since the 1960s, fabricators have used machine stress rated (MSR) lumber of all species to improve the performance and reliability of their engineered components and structures. Nowadays, you don’t have to look far to find a successful component manufacturer who relies heavily on MSR... Read More October 2022 Issue #14279 Page 90
The Best Laid Plans I had planned to start writing a series about building a new home and large workshop... but things have not gone as planned. Day one in moving my RV from Florida to southern Indiana to use as our base camp, I had to grab some things out of storage. Searching my large storage slot filled with... Read More October 2022 Issue #14279 Page 95
Design Connections: Are We Selling Trusses or Lumber? Geordie Secord It is common for truss plants to be owned at least in part by a lumber yard. This relationship should, at least in theory, provide for a great business relationship. The lumber yard can focus on relationships with the builders, home owners, and developers knowing that they have a dedicated... Read More October 2022 Issue #14279 Page 98
Building a 100-Year Company Michael Fagan On September 20, A-1 Industries, a leading manufacturer of pre-engineered wood trusses in the Southeastern United States and the Caribbean, celebrated our 45th anniversary with the launch of a new corporate video and a special day of appreciation for our employees at the Fort Pierce, FL and... Read More October 2022 Issue #14279 Page 102
LBM’s Pace of Deals Hasn’t Slowed But Fewer Yards Are Involved Craig Webb Year-to-date, the construction supply community has had 97 deals made by 50 buyers. At this same point in 2021, Webb Analytics counted 102 deals by 50 buyers. So much for predictions of a slowdown in M&A in 2022. What’s different is the size of the deals: A total of 255 yards have... Read More October 2022 Issue #14279 Page 106
Hurricane Andrew — a 30-Year-Old Learning Experience Randy Shackelford This August marked the 30th anniversary of the Florida landfall of Hurricane Andrew, one of the most damaging, and influential, hurricanes ever to hit the United States. Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida with Category 5 winds early on the morning of August 24, 1992. Andrew caused damages of $25... Read More October 2022 Issue #14279 Page 122
The Last Word: The Last Word on The First Trade Show Joe Kannapell After this year’s BCMC, it’s worth considering how far our industry has progressed since we first went to a trade show. The year was 1958, and the National Association of Home Builders Show (NAHB now IBS) was the only way to reach a national audience. Fortunately, we had one... Read More October 2022 Issue #14279 Page 142
September is for Celebrating Anna Stamm For the structural building components industry, the excitement has come early this year—instead of the usual October dates for the Building Component Manufacturers Conference, BCMC is being held in September! Celebrating the Industry Hands down, BCMC offers the best opportunity for... Read More September 2022 Issue #14278 Page 6