Millions of Dollars for New Equipment and Building Investments are Being Wasted Todd Drummond Expanding the manufacturing capacity within the component manufacturing (CM) industry for wood trusses and wall panels is at a fever pitch. The overwhelming majority of CMs have the same limited capacity issue trying to keep up with sales, which led to excellent record-breaking sales volumes and... Read More March 2022 Issue #14272 Page 35
Has More Automation Resulted in Too Little Information to the Truss Builder? Glenn Traylor Today’s technology has made life easier for the truss designer and others in the truss fabrication process. In the early days of the truss industry, we used, reused, and modified existing designs to create new designs using paper, pencil, and a handy Smoley’s Book. Soon we graduated... Read More March 2022 Issue #14272 Page 43
Get Ready for ‘No Slowing Down’ at BCMC 2022 Tracy Roe The 2022 International Builders Show (IBS) has come and gone, so that means it’s time to start making plans for the Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC)! Currently, I have the privilege of serving on the BCMC Committee, so I was present for the 2021 inaugural ribbon... Read More March 2022 Issue #14272 Page 48
Increasing Efficiency Gains From Plant Optimization Edmond Lim, P.Eng. My January article, Optimize Your Saw with a Lumber PickLine, focused on “Feeding the Beast!” and replacing inefficient, expensive, and labor-intensive “forklift lumber picking” with our improved material handling system. Then, my February article, Threading the Needle... Read More March 2022 Issue #14272 Page 54
The Economic Outlook for 2022 Carl Villella The economic outlook for 2022 appears to be a positive one, according to reports prepared by firms such a Deloitte, Capital Group, and Edward Jones. All agree that the 2020 market downturn was short-lived, and that the economy is continuing on the upswing that has been going on for the past... Read More March 2022 Issue #14272 Page 61
How to Build Strong Employer/Employee Relationships Don Groom Building a strong employer/employee relationship is probably one of the biggest challenges that leaders face in any organization. I have never met any manager or leader of any company who does not want to improve in this area. There are so many books, seminars, and other resource materials... Read More March 2022 Issue #14272 Page 66
In Memoriam: The Lasting Impression of Dickie Vail I am just one of many people who had the privilege of calling Richard “Dickie” Vail my friend. Working with him over the years as a recruiter at TheJobLine.com, while he was at Trussway and then at Panel Truss, I was always impressed with his exceptionally detailed questioning about... Read More March 2022 Issue #14272 Page 76
My Take-Aways from the Massive 2022 IBS February’s International Builders Show (IBS) in Orlando, Florida was massive in both size and content. I consider myself lucky to have gotten a press pass to the IBS. I say lucky not because the pass was obtained, any good trade show will offer that to increase exposure for the show and... Read More March 2022 Issue #14272 Page 84
All Things Wood: Structural Design Topics in Wood Construction Course Frank Woeste After a three-year absence, Virginia Tech is offering its popular two-day course on topics related to wood construction. On May 17–18 in Blacksburg, VA, the Structural Design Topics in Wood Construction course will address wood truss design, in-service performance, and installation... Read More March 2022 Issue #14272 Page 90
Workshop Tour Adds Layer of Unique Learning for All MSR Lumber Producers Council Burton Lumber to welcome 2022 attendees to their Salt Lake City facility! “One of the main reasons I attend the MSR Workshop is because the event format always includes an opportunity to take a tour, to see or learn something new,” says Kyle Gibbons. “I think it’s what... Read More March 2022 Issue #14272 Page 102