Quality, productivity, and speed are intertwined and impact each other. My previous article, Where is Your Focus on Manufacturing?, emphasizes that improving quality starts with implementation of the ANSI/TPI 1 standard—and, with that process, you will improve proficiency and speed. The...

As plans for the 2023 MSR Workshop come together, MSRLPC President and Workshop Committee Chair George Hamilton says members are getting excited to host another memorable event. “We are looking forward to experiencing San Antonio and all that our meeting venue has to offer,” says...

Recently after receiving a phone call from a client, I reflected on our conversation. I was a little caught off guard with the direction the conversation took and felt like I needed to make a few issues clear. And, it has led me to reflect on boundaries and guidelines – why they exist and...

Once again, Virginia Tech will be offering its popular two-day course on topics related to wood construction. This year’s course, to be held on April 26–27, will focus on practical code-conforming design of wood structures based on provisions of the 2018 National Design...

In our October article, Because Good Ingredients Matter, we focus on the word quality and the many ways that MSR lumber has become synonymous with high quality structural building components. Having laid the groundwork for why MSR has become so important for optimizing truss designs and an...

I remember the Great Recession and how many displaced candidates we had. Some stayed active but many went their way, finding new industries and career paths. From where I sat, it was 5 years of trying to find jobs for folks, knowing it was like finding a needle in a haystack. Single Family was...

Reading Thom’s article in last month’s issue, “JobLine Turns 30!”, brought back many great memories of the times I have worked with him. I’ve known Thom for over 25 years and worked with him numerous times, with one of our best projects being the training business...

When I think about JobLine turning 30, my first thought is: how did time go by so fast. Then again, with everything we have done over the years, it makes me smile. We’ve achieved a lot, from pioneering the Candidate Profile, which gives employers a “first interview” and...

I once had the sales representative for a software company looking to secure our business tell me that, in his view, being a truss designer (or panel designer) was like taking a never-ending math test in which any score less than 100% was failure. He was certainly of the “old school”...

Months of planning and preparation are about to pay off as our industry gathers for the #1 event of the year – the Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC)! Being held the week of September 12 in Columbus, OH, the event is jam-packed with educational opportunities, social events,...