Library

It was another strong year for markets in 2025, as continued investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence, more Fed rate cuts, and stable economic growth offset higher tariff rates and overall economic volatility. The S&P 500 rose to an all-time high in the fourth quarter as new...

I recently had the opportunity to visit Classic Truss and spend time with Marty Scott, Operations Manager, and Clarence Houk, Design Manager. It was one of those visits that reminds you how much this industry has changed, and how much of that change comes from steady, intentional progress rather...

If you’re a wood truss designer, you know one thing for sure: your workstation is where the magic (or the misery) happens. Long stretches of modeling, preparing quotes, reviewing digital plans, and generating production documents all happen at that desk. And while companies often focus on...

One of the more hotly debated topics in the multi-story wood community is whether wall stud and truss or joist alignment is required over the full height of a building, or whether it is beneficial to allow the framing to be unaligned. Let’s look at the advantages of each at a high level....

Many buildings place mechanical equipment—such as air conditioning units, heaters, or ventilation systems—on the roof. These are known as Roof Top Units (RTUs). Installing this equipment on the roof helps save valuable floor space inside the building. RTUs come in a wide range of...

Simpson Strong-Tie, the leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, marked the grand opening of its newest manufacturing plant, located in Gallatin, Tennessee, with a ribbon cutting, celebration, and tours on Thursday, January 15, 2026. The 500,250-square-foot, $125...

Early design decisions have a lasting impact on how efficiently and effectively a building is constructed. By engaging the professionals who make those decisions, the structural building components industry can create better plans, stronger partnerships, and new opportunities for...

The name “Bill McAlpine” has such resonance in the component industry that when ITW acquired the company and removed his name, they soon found value in returning to the Alpine moniker. There are many reasons McAlpine earned that singular honor, but one of the least recognized is...

Six years ago, I wrote “20 Words for 2020.” I remember it very well, carefully choosing those 20 words that I wished for everyone in the coming year. In many ways, that seems like a very long time ago. That was before the pandemic stole millions of lives from the world. That was...

As housing demand accelerated in the 1960s, builders increasingly turned to trusses. But, lacking better equipment, truss shops had trouble scaling up to fill their orders. Early shops had little more than radial arm saws to cut members and wood tables to assemble them. They had exhausted every...