The Last Word: The Last Word on Remarkably Important People Joe Kannapell Countless outstanding individuals have built this industry. Sadly, two of them have recently passed away: Don Butcher, co-founder of Heart Truss & Engineering, and Craig Aufderhar, Sales Executive of Trussway. Please read more of their exemplary personal lives via the links below. But also,... Read More March 2021 Issue #13260 Page 135
Advertiser Forum: Missing Cards and Speaking Up Anna Stamm As the holiday season recedes to our memories, I find myself wondering: “Will I ever receive my missing Christmas cards?” Yes, I know for a fact that at least two Christmas cards are still out there, somewhere. Maybe they’re in a sorting facility. Maybe they were... Read More February 2021 Issue #13259 Page 6
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XV: Hex Heads Joe Kannapell A “hex” descended upon the component saw business at BCMC in 1981. Fortunately, this hex turned out to be a good “spell,” one that quickened the search for a machine that could cut any piece. Speed Cut, Inc. introduced the Timbermill, a 6-bladed (or hex-headed) solution... Read More February 2021 Issue #13259 Page 10
Ink Jet Printing — An Absolute Necessity for Every Panel Shop Cullen Ellis Being in this industry for the last 16 years, I’ve been inside many panel fabrication shops. The one thing they all have in common is the requirement to accurately cut and mark wall components which are then put together as a complete frame. The original and most simple way to achieve this... Read More February 2021 Issue #13259 Page 17
Insider’s Secrets for the Buying/Selling of Component, Modular, and LBM Companies Todd Drummond Our industry has been changing in a big way. Independents once dominated our industry, but now through mergers and acquisitions, that is no longer the case. Right now, some of the people reading this article are either contemplating or in actual talks about selling their business. From... Read More February 2021 Issue #13259 Page 31
Does Your Truss Plant Understand the Importance of Tooth Count? Glenn Traylor On a recent truss plant visit, I watched a group of truss builders quickly assembling a structural gable truss. Most of the webs had been installed and the builders were top and back plating the truss. As I approached the builders, they relaxed their pace just a notch as I walked up to the web... Read More February 2021 Issue #13259 Page 39
Rise to Operational Challenges Ben Hershey Last month’s article, Change Impact, talks about what impact changes at your company will have this year. Well, after 2020 and the challenges we faced, especially for the operations-intensive companies in our industry, it... Read More February 2021 Issue #13259 Page 46
Raising the Bar for Design Efficiency Tracy Roe At Eagle Metal, our TrueBuild® software gives you an efficiency advantage. Our leading parametric 3D capabilities and app-free model sharing makes visualization painless and gives our customers more time to build. In the next two installments, we will explore some cutting edge, efficiency... Read More February 2021 Issue #13259 Page 56
Alpine Embarks on a New Era of Information Sharing John Croll Component manufacturers (CMs) are continually challenged with improving communication with customers and collaboration between teams. It is essential for design and production teams to receive live updates regarding orders, project lead times, and ongoing trends to operate at full capacity.... Read More February 2021 Issue #13259 Page 62
Massive Moves for Mass Timber Chris Scott Mass Timber, CLT, and Solid Wood are all terms that you have been increasingly hearing. As the Virtual International Mass Timber Conference is approaching (March 30 – April 1), let’s take a closer look at Mass Timber and how Stiles Machinery continues to strengthen and position... Read More February 2021 Issue #13259 Page 71