Is It Possible to Learn From Mistakes? Glenn Traylor Early in my career, I had the opportunity to teach woodworking. For five years at North Carolina State University, I served as both a student and a faculty member within the University Student Center. I arrived with extensive knowledge of woodworking, and during my first week, I met two... Read More January 2026 Issue #18318 Page 19
Using Smart Machinery to Help Your Team Do Its Best Work Wendy Boyd As we start a new year, many frame and truss manufacturers are focusing on a familiar challenge – how to support their teams, maintain output, and continue delivering a quality product in a labor market that’s tighter and more competitive than ever. While technology and automation... Read More January 2026 Issue #18318 Page 29
Building for Success!! MiTek Staff As we enter 2026, with the excitement of the holidays behind us, we ask ourselves, what do we need to do to ensure that the best is yet to come? In reflecting on the start of another year, we have asked ourselves, what do we need to do to succeed? How can we do things better? How can we be... Read More January 2026 Issue #18318 Page 39
When the Going Gets Tough, Innovate! Edmond Lim, P.Eng. In 2013, I launched LimTek Solutions with a clear mission: to promote, market, and sell Enventek’s groundbreaking truss manufacturing technology, first developed in 2007. For over a decade, it’s been full steam ahead and we have cultivated an impressive Feed the Beast! customer base.... Read More January 2026 Issue #18318 Page 48
A Fable For Our Time Charlie Vaccaro Chapter I: The Idea One day a certain builder had an idea for a spec house that would be a sure winner. So, he got together with the best architect in the area and began to describe what he wanted. “Mr. Architect,” he said, “I want the house to have a studio... Read More January 2026 Issue #18318 Page 50
The OODA Loop and the New Reality of the Truss and Wall Panel Industry Todd Drummond The OODA Loop, developed by U.S. Air Force Colonel John Boyd, stands for Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. While often discussed as a tactical framework, its real value lies at the organizational level. The OODA Loop describes how companies perceive reality, interpret information, make decisions,... Read More January 2026 Issue #18318 Page 62
Finding the Common Chord Paragon Team Most people assume the hardest problems they deal with are theirs alone. That assumption quietly shapes how work gets done. You fix the issue in front of you, adjust a process, add another spreadsheet, or patch a handoff between design and production, then move on. Rarely do you pause to ask... Read More January 2026 Issue #18318 Page 75
Why the Future of the Truss Industry Belongs to Teams With Visibility Kenneth Sewell Every truss manufacturer knows this moment. A job should be moving forward, but it isn’t. Sales thinks design has it. Design is waiting on information. Production is asking for answers. Someone opens a file only to realize it is outdated. Nobody feels negligent, yet nothing is... Read More January 2026 Issue #18318 Page 84
A 2025 Recap and a Look at 2026 Carl Villella In 2025, the building component manufacturing industry navigated a landscape defined by paradox: record-breaking investment in high-tech infrastructure alongside sharp contractions in traditional residential segments. As the industry pivots toward 2026, the focus is shifting from... Read More January 2026 Issue #18318 Page 95
New Fire-Rated One- and Two-Hour Wall Assemblies Paul Schmidt Have you heard the big news? In December, TechWood unveiled two new fire-rated wall assemblies that not only meet IBC/IRC code-compliant fire protection for residential and commercial construction, but exceed code, adding exclusive protections against mold, rot, and termites while stabilizing... Read More January 2026 Issue #18318 Page 102