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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...

In this follow up to our July webinar, Innovations in Strength and Versatility: Overview of the Strong-Wall® High-Strength Wood Shearwall, we answer some of the interesting questions raised by attendees. During the webinar, we discussed the new Simpson Strong-Tie® Strong-Wall...

Is component manufacturing ripe for disruption? Two foreign-backed entities came to our shores and tried to do just that for six years: Katerra with billions and Blueprint Robotics with many millions. Both were going to teach us how to build better, but with entirely different approaches. Out...

I am perpetually amazed, but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, at the way I am treated sometimes. I am an adult who is capable of communicating with others in person, on the phone, and electronically. I expect conversations to develop in a certain way, as I am sure everyone does. I...

Before the Cyber Saw was introduced, I saw its PLC “brain” control the machines on a GM assembly line. From the conference room at General Electric’s PLC factory, I was able to watch a live display of the automation systems it powered. While most were “Greek” to me,...

As the lumber commodity remains exponentially higher than the previous 5 years, we all question the sanity behind the market. We also ask ourselves: how can we remain competitive within our own markets? Lumber optimization begins at the forestry level, managing the plantations for 40 years or...

Understanding the do’s and don’ts for component manufacturing (CM) equipment purchasing (wood trusses and wall panels) can save or waste your company 100’s of thousands of dollars at the time of purchase and long after. Everyone knows the building economy is on fire, so it...

On a recent plant visit, we came across a situation that is hopefully rare. The truss builders had hand-cut floor truss webs at the table in several places because the webs provided with the cutting were mis-cut. The result: a truss that might “look” okay but would not be safe to...