Developing Strategy When Faced with a Pandemic Ben Hershey Our roles as managers and owners sometimes feels as though we are constantly changing over the past several decades, but how we planned and strategized sped up dramatically after the 2008 global financial crisis. Managers who understood the need to be a strategic leader and a disruption... Read More September 2020 Issue #12254 Page 26
Flying Trusses and Delivering Results David Boyce We’ve dubbed the photo on this month’s cover “flying trusses,” because that’s how it can appear when you’re delivering an outstanding product in a limited space. But space concerns have never stopped our team at Lowder. [For all photos, See PDF or View in Full... Read More September 2020 Issue #12254 Page 74
The Last Word: The Last Word on 2020 BCMC – Virtually! Joe Kannapell In place of this year’s BCMC, why not travel virtually to several Shows, beginning in Louisville in 1972… Arriving at the sprawling Fairgrounds from the Colonel Sanders Inn, I walked through a maze of modular home sections and finally found our 8x10 booth. All the... Read More September 2020 Issue #12254 Page 140
Everyday Heroes are Real Bill Blades The component manufacturing business is full of great people who care about the well-being of others—and here is tremendous proof of that. On Thursday, July 16, Rene Granados from CraneCo in Glendale, AZ was expecting an ordinary drive to work. Instead, he witnessed a truck cross over... Read More August 2020 Issue #12253 Page 130
The Last Word: The Last Word on Our Defenders Joe Kannapell The time was right to bring the defenders of our freedom together to honor one of their own, especially since they were under attack across the nation. The poignant occasion was to honor Sgt. Thomas Brennan with the blessing of a mortgage-free home. This was the culmination of a three-year... Read More August 2020 Issue #12253 Page 131
The Battle Within Our Operations Ben Hershey Does this conversation sound familiar? “How fast can we reliably supply that component job to our customer?” asks the sales manager. “And don’t make us look like fools by telling me a date that will never be met or is too far out!” “I will tell you how... Read More July 2020 Issue #12252 Page 26
The Last Word: The Last Word on a Smooth Transition Joe Kannapell Not by choice in 1989, I transitioned from being behind a CM’s desk around to the front of the desk as a supplier. My old company took me back, despite the “blemishes” on my record as a plant manager. On my first day in the field, I picked up a 1987 Ford Taurus from outside our... Read More July 2020 Issue #12252 Page 135
Advertiser Forum: The Perils of Perspective Anna Stamm A few times in May, I have been asked if I would write my June column on the COVID-19 crisis. My answer has been, “I’m not sure.” Obviously, we all have many thoughts and feelings on the topic. We all are confronting the challenges in our lives each day. We all have strong... Read More June 2020 Issue #12251 Page 6
Change the Way You Lead Meetings and Listen Ben Hershey As a team, we have been providing both in-person and virtual visits for all of our potential and current clients with projects underway. After a recent virtual training week, a company owner called me and told me how much he appreciated that I listened to his team and did not over talk or force... Read More June 2020 Issue #12251 Page 44
Teamwork and Friendship Benefit the Whole Mike Wisnefski The average American works 8.8 hours a day, 44 hours per week. The average entrepreneur works 63% more than that. So, when I had the idea for a tech start-up designed to transact raw materials, specifically lumber and wood products right now, you better believe I wanted to like the people that I... Read More June 2020 Issue #12251 Page 104