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
The Development of the Truss Plate, Part II: Cal Jureit’s Invention Joe Kannapell Civil engineer Cal Jureit had moved on from wood structures to concrete foundations, but not completely. While he was engaged with the problem of building houses on Miami’s marshes near the Everglades, he had left the problem of wood connections unresolved. Perhaps his ongoing work on Dade... Read More September 2022 Issue #14278 Page 10
The Spida Showcase of Products at BCMC Wendy Boyd Spida has put together the most wonderful range of machinery to see at BCMC 2022 — we’ll have an extensive showcase of products to ensure your production is streamlined and ready to face your bottle-necks head on! If you’re ready to become less dependent on your fluctuating... Read More September 2022 Issue #14278 Page 19
Four Commonly Held Practices That Cause Companies to Lose Millions in Net Profits Todd Drummond These four commonly held practices within the component industry (wood truss and wall panels manufacturing) are actually causing millions in lost profits. None of these practices should be acceptable, and all are correctable. Is your company ready to make lean manufacturing continuous... Read More September 2022 Issue #14278 Page 24
Are You on Target for Quality? Glenn Traylor Is your operation on target when it comes to quality? September is your chance to find out! At BCMC Omaha last year, our Timber Products Inspection booth gave all attendees the chance to test their skills and acumen for Quality Assurance. This year at BCMC Columbus on September... Read More September 2022 Issue #14278 Page 31