Library

Wendy Boyd

From Blade to Data: Can Cutting Become a Measurable, Optimized System?

Wendy Boyd

Walk into most structural component manufacturing facilities across North America and you’ll see a familiar contrast: highly sophisticated design software upstream, increasingly automated assembly downstream — and somewhere in the middle, cutting processes that still rely heavily on...

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May 2026
Issue #18322
Page 29
Jeff Vance, PE

Drag Trusses: The Hidden Component of Lateral Systems

Jeff Vance

I had a chance not long ago to grab coffee with an old college roommate. We’re both engineers by trade, but our careers took different paths — he went into structural consulting, while I went into component design, working with wood trusses. As often happens, the conversation quickly...

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May 2026
Issue #18322
Page 38
Alpine Team

Find Good People and Grow Old With Them

Alpine Team

Six decades of partnership, practical innovation, and growth: That is the legacy Alpine® celebrates as it marks its 60th anniversary. Turning the big 6-0 is something that hits some people hard, while others consider themselves lucky to reach that milestone. But a business in a competitive...

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May 2026
Issue #18322
Page 48
Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

Dump and Chase is Just-in-Time

Edmond Lim, P.Eng.

In hockey, “Dump and Chase” is highly effective depending on how deep the puck is dumped into the opposing team’s defensive zone, and how hard the dumping team will chase and fight to get back possession of the puck. The strategy is to physically punish the defending team and...

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May 2026
Issue #18322
Page 58
ROGworx Team

Come Meet the ROGworx Badger

ROGworx Team

We know how great the Badger EWP Processing Center is, and now you can come see it in action too. We’re pleased to offer LIVE demos in Emporia, VA, Lavonia, GA, and Columbia, MO. Just contact us to schedule a tour. Here are a few reasons why you should check it out: The Badger...

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May 2026
Issue #18322
Page 67
Todd Drummond

Profit Leaks Where Work Is Not Visible Enough to Control

Todd Drummond

When business gets tougher, hidden weaknesses stop being minor frustrations and start becoming profit leaks. Leaders cannot afford recurring quality issues, unclear job status, missed follow-up, or managers spending hours chasing information that should already be visible. Most companies do...

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May 2026
Issue #18322
Page 75
Zach Hubbs

Aligning Paragon’s Leadership for Growth

Zach Hubbs

Stepping into the CEO role at Paragon comes at an interesting moment, both for our company and for the building components industry as a whole. Paragon recently turned ten years old. In software, especially software aimed at a domain as technically demanding as structural components, most of...

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May 2026
Issue #18322
Page 88
Garry Roehr

Take a HyperLeap with AMT Robotics

Garry Roehr

Last month, in “Say Hello to AMT Robotics,” I introduced our Datum Squaring Table. This month, I’d like to focus on our HyperLeap Sheathing Bridge. You’ll find that our modular approach allows you to install the machine that best suits your current needs while giving...

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May 2026
Issue #18322
Page 99
Jeff Haider

Building Future Builders and Truss Designers

Jeff Haider

Many of us have sought ways to help grow the next generation of builders, and I’m fortunate to work with a local program doing just that. The Bakken Area Skills Center (BASC) in Watford City, ND is committed to empowering individuals through career and technical education, fostering a...

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May 2026
Issue #18322
Page 107
Thom McAnally

Who’s Ghosting Who?

Ghosting has become a common occurrence, but in the hiring world, it carries real consequences. At its core, ghosting happens when one party simply stops responding, even though a level of engagement had been established. In the building components manufacturing industry, and in my role as a...

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May 2026
Issue #18322
Page 114
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