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Suppose you want an effective incentive program that improves productivity, saves your company labor cost, and rewards your most valued production crews with additional wages. Perhaps you also want to improve the accuracy of your production scheduling that allows for a proper understanding of...

Mill cuts are common in our lumber today, especially with machine evaluated lumber, so it is important to know how they should be addressed and used in your product. Mill cuts are random saw cuts or planer cuts not intended to have been made. Sometimes they do not present a problem. Other...

Information is the key to almost everything. In our lives and in our jobs, we rely on obtaining pertinent and accurate details so that we can make informed decisions. In our industry, we are heavily reliant on information and details from each customer, whether they are a homeowner, a building...

When people ask me what my profession is, I say that I’m an inventor. Inventing machines and equipment to improve production and remove bottlenecks has been my focus for decades. Now, I’m pleased to debut a new piece of equipment – the Stud Driller. Save Time, Labor, and...

Every year, I assist with, on average, 20 plant upgrades. Although each one is unique, they have certain things in common. Most importantly, these component manufacturers have agreed that they want to capture greater efficiencies and maximize their production with customized and optimized best...

The Olympics are underway, football is around the corner, and that means trade show season is about to begin. Everyone loves a good competition on sports trivia, so why not one on industry trivia? It’s time to test your industry knowledge! Who invented the first metal truss connector...

Driving across the Interstates with my rig in tow, it makes me think about the amount of equipment that will soon be hitting the roads on the way the BCMC. Although the Building Component Manufacturers Conference is still two months away, I’m certain that exhibitors’ plans are well...

I-joists dominate the joist market due to their high material efficiency and low manufacturing cost. However, this product has disadvantages, including difficulty in HVAC installations and the possibility of bottom chord support only. Therefore, the market would pay a considerable premium for a...

BFS says roughly 100 of its 550 facilities make or add value to products, from its ReadyFrame system and truss plants to window making and door shops. BFS’ presentations to analysts regularly emphasize the company’s manufacturing and value-added capabilities, which the company says...

The last couple of years have served up ample opportunities to be reminded of the futility of following the herd. The industry is still reeling from its hypnotic inventory accumulation at the insistence of home builders’ demands to not leave them under supplied. Some of our members took...