Adjustable Hanger or Custom Hanger — You Make the Call Randy Shackelford It would be a lot simpler for designing engineers if structural connections were always for members at right angles to one another. Often, connections have to be designed for supported members that are at a skewed or sloped angle rather than perpendicular to the header. In these cases, the... Read More December 2019 Issue #11245 Page 104
The Last Word: The Last Word on Thanksgiving Joe Kannapell Let’s give thanks to this component industry, for still paying us after all these 50+ years. While so many others have been laid off or retired early, we are still standing tall. Even as the lifeblood of our industry, housing starts, are down 50% since I came on board. Even as four major... Read More December 2019 Issue #11245 Page 125
Advertiser Forum: Cheers to Good Times in Columbus Anna Stamm The weather was pleasant, the accommodations were good, and the people were awesome. I must admit – my “Countdown to BCMC” series got me excited about the show, and I’m very glad I went! To everyone who gave me a warm welcome – Thank you! To everyone who... Read More November 2019 Issue #11244 Page 6
Epilogue to 50 Years of Truss Design Innovation: Designing Great Software Joe Kannapell Reviewing our 50-year journey tells us much about software. Now let’s recap how good software becomes great: 1. Continuity of development: Note our three distinct programs, each one totally rewritten to tackle larger objectives. Yet each was based on 15+ years of experience with the... Read More November 2019 Issue #11244 Page 8
BCMC – The Great Show of 2019 Chris Scott The BCMC 2019 in Columbus, Ohio was a throwback to the “not to be missed” shows of the early 2000s. It was an amazing turnout for attendees and exhibitors alike and the energy displayed by all was contagious, making the two days on the floor fly by. Every attendee that we spoke to... Read More November 2019 Issue #11244 Page 14
Set the Course of Your Business Ben Hershey Many of us just returned from this year’s BCMC show. How appropriate it was to be in Columbus, a city named after a visionary who discovered the new world, and the theme was “Set Your Course.” In your business, no matter the role you serve, you have a chance to set the course... Read More November 2019 Issue #11244 Page 26
How Smooth are Your Splices? Glenn Traylor Quality trusses with smooth splices help ensure quality ceilings and floor finishes, but several factors may affect their execution. It’s generally understood by most truss builders that, while creating chord splices on any truss, it’s important to maintain a flush plane surface... Read More November 2019 Issue #11244 Page 38
Investment in Employee Training, Not Just Equipment Todd Drummond Is your company’s budget only for new equipment, but no formal training for your employees? Any time you think about investing for productivity gains, often the first thing that comes to mind is investing in new equipment. All too often, we think we see the situation clearly and can make... Read More November 2019 Issue #11244 Page 47
You speak, Vekta listens. Ed Serrano An 8-bunk PackFeeder that takes up virtually NO extra space! Few people likely realize that many, actually most, of Vekta’s great ideas and innovations originated with our customers. At the BCMC in Columbus, Ohio, Vekta’s MD Ed Serrano was chatting with a long-standing Vekta... Read More November 2019 Issue #11244 Page 58
Triad 60 Year Anniversary! TRIAD / Merrick Machine Company Team On behalf of the TRIAD sales department, we would like to thank our customers for supporting us over the course of our 60 Years in business. We would also like to thank and recognize the entire TRIAD team for all their efforts in preparing for, and participating in, the 2019 BCMC Trade Show; for... Read More November 2019 Issue #11244 Page 70