Clyde Fredrickson, a CM in the remote reaches of South Dakota, was determined to find a cheaper solution to the $250,000+ auto-jigging systems. So, he worked through several alternate ways to shorten setup times, like printing out Jigset coordinates, and moving pucks manually to designated...

Gene Toombs, the man who made MiTek, passed away suddenly September 25. He was 79 years old. When he came to us at age 49, there was no MiTek, just a conflicted company offering old software and obsolete machines. How could he help us, I wondered, when I first met him at our failing plant...

I remember it clearly; I was in the Lounge at Portland International Airport when I got a call from Joe Kannapell. Joe was going to be sharing with the MiTek team in the next day that he would be officially retiring at the end of 2020; Joe has been a part of the industry for more than 46 years....

Four roof truss innovators have changed our industry, from its beginning to the present day. Their names may be largely unknown now, but their work lives on and is worth assessing. The most notable is A. Carroll Sanford, whose machines are still cranking out trusses (see my March 2020...

As housing boomed in the mid-1980s, truss plants needed better equipment. Among those was Heart Truss and Engineering in Michigan. Heart was also benefitting from booming auto plants nearby. Their production head, Bob LePoire, pondered how to keep up. Bob’s boss and Heart’s...

The roller gantry dominates today’s truss production, but it hasn’t always done so, despite the fact that it hasn’t changed much over sixty years. The reason for its relatively slow ascendency is found in its origins and in its adaptations over this period. And along the way...

Why reflect on the oft-derided C-Clamp as it fades into truss industry oblivion? Because it holds the world record for truss production, unmatched yet, even by robots. And although it debuted half a century ago, its design has never been equaled. And remarkably, this deceptively simple machine...

Part VII: A Computer for Every Designer In 1980, for the first time, I witnessed the PC doing trusses. Then, over the next 10 years, I watched that machine take over every designer’s desktop. Getting to that end, though, wasn’t easy. Unprecedented technological change roiled our...

I was usually the voice on the other side of the phone or computer during my 13 years with WTCA/SBCA, but Ken Cloyd was a person I had the pleasure to meet face-to-face. And believe me, you don’t forget meeting Kenny. Even though it’s been nearly two years since we’ve had an...

I know not a steadier and more upright leader than Thomas J. Manenti, who elevated his company from good to great over his 40-year tenure. His characteristic humility and aplomb enabled him to navigate most of his career among strong egos. Tom is the consummate people person who transformed...