Library

Affectionately dubbed 3.0, the latest generation of Enventek’s NEXPLATE injects Formula 1-style velocity to truss build tables. Building on the foundation of version 2.0 — which debuted last year at the Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC) in Omaha — NEXPLATE 3.0...

Approximately 50 companies again made the trip this year, from across the US, Canada, and Brazil, to view Triad wall panel, sub-component, and stair manufacturing equipment as well as the Ruvo line of interior pre-hung door equipment at the Triad/Ruvo (Merrick Machine Company) National Trade...

One of the most common problems in component manufacturing is not that companies lack effort, experience, or good people. The problem is that many companies are still trying to price, schedule, and measure labor using methods that were never accurate enough for the decisions being made. Board...

Component manufacturing is a constant balancing act. People, timelines, communication, production realities, and customer expectations, all at once. Estimators are trying to turn quotes around faster, designers are solving problems that keep getting more complex, and production teams are...

How fast should a wall panel line be? A lot faster than it takes to frame on site. Sure, if the framing and sheathing speed is the same as on site there are still savings in reducing overall build time and the accompanying finance and insurance costs. But, framing on site doesn’t require...

Perhaps you’ve seen our company name or maybe you’ve watched my episode of The Common Chord by Paragon, People First Innovation in Truss Design. But if we haven’t met, let me introduce myself. I’m Jarred Frescura, Managing Partner and Director of Design Services for...

For component manufacturers, maintaining a competitive edge requires a delicate balance between engineering excellence and savvy capital deployment. High-precision machinery and automated lines are the lifeblood of our shops, but acquiring them demands significant capital. That’s why...

After more than 30 years of recruiting in the structural building components industry, along with my own background in offsite manufacturing, I have learned that hiring someone is only the beginning. Keeping them is where many companies struggle. One of the biggest complaints I hear from...

Last month’s article, “Is Your Tribal Knowledge Retiring or Expired?”, addresses the “Single Point of Failure” — the realization that your plant’s most valuable intellectual property is currently walking out the door every day at 5:00 PM in the head of a...

It’s the middle of summer at a jobsite for a new school in the South and construction workers are on scaffolding to install windows on the second floor. Outside temperatures are topping 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidity is unbearable. Yet, the project must be completed in time for...