Two linear saws were set to battle one other at BCMC: Alpine’s, never having operated in a truss plant, vs. TCT’s, running in 10 truss plants. But few expected the competition at the 2002 Show. Alpine’s entry was the result of a crash effort, largely behind the scenes, to one-up the TCT. The TCT had proven itself mainly in Florida but wasn’t well known elsewhere. And although the two saws were within eyesight of each other on the Columbus, Ohio show floor, the TCT wasn’t well positioned, buried in the back of Klaisler’s booth. But as activity accelerated on the Show floor, most attendees were drawn into this unanticipated rivalry, and they quickly got up to speed on the contenders.
A lot had happened since the TCT debuted at the Louisville Show in 2001. Housing starts had risen 15%, CMs were busy, and several would be buying machinery at BCMC; how much was yet to be determined. Some were deterred by the sticker shock of seeing new equipment breach the $100,000 mark. And many were distracted by the allure of the computerized component saws, which only recently had come of age. The sheer bulk of Koskovich’s Auto Omni, MiTek’s Cyber, and Alpine’s AutoMill displays, and their imposing 30-inch blades, dwarfed the closed boxes of the TCT and Alpine linear saws. Those without a linear saw in their booth sought to deflect interest in them by touting output volumes, conveniently omitting productivity per man hour discussions. Even Alpine may have inadvertently confused some saw prospects by displaying an upgraded component saw, the AutoMill SC, next to their linear saw.
Meanwhile, Jim Urmson’s TCTs were now being shipped across the country, and CMs were doing things they’d never before done with them. Users discovered that they could buy long lengths of #3 2x4s at a very advantageous price. These boards used to be rejected on QC concerns, but, when chopped into short lengths, their quality became acceptable. And, if adjacent saw cuts lined up, yields increased significantly. The message that “waste from the TCT would fit into a small scrap box” began resonating across the truss world. Of course, an Alpine linear saw could lay claim to these same benefits, if and when it proved itself. Normally that could only happen when their saw had an exemplary track record at a truss plant. But this Show would challenge that paradigm.
Now as the 2002 BCMC opened for business, the seminal moment for the Alpine challenger arrived. Surprisingly, at that critical juncture, onlookers found none other than Dave McAdoo, Alpine’s Director of Engineering, poised to feed a board into a large boxy enclosure emblazoned with “ALS.” He warmed up the onlookers by bevel cutting a six-inch floor truss web. Then came the piece-de-resistance, the nearly perfect long scarf cut. Dave recalled the scene as follows:
“…crowds gathered around the tiny window of the ALS. Every so often, however, something unheard of would happen. It was usually when the saw successfully made a clean 36” long scarf cut with a perfect 1/4” butt cut. They actually cheered as if their favorite quarterback had just made a Hail Mary touchdown pass to win the game in the final seconds. I will never forget that as long as I live.”
At that moment, Randy Yost, Alpine’s South Florida Sales rep, began hatching a plan to get the ALS field tested so that he could fulfill his commitment to “sell 10 in year one.” As he looked across the aisle, he saw little activity at the TCT exhibit. But Jim Urmson seemed undeterred, believing that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Unwittingly, Alpine had just validated Urmson’s raison d’être, his reason for inventing the linear saw. And Alpine still had to successfully field test their invention.
In just three days in October 2002, the ALS ignited the demand for linear saws that the TCT had been stimulating for the past two years. That demand quickly elicited competitive responses. Jerry Koskovich, whose Auto-Omni had been overshadowed for the first time at a BCMC, had to reassess his opinion of the linear saw. He had not been initially impressed with the TCT, but now the ALS got him thinking of extending his Mini-Miser to handle roof trusses. MiTek realized they had to act quickly, not having any idea that such a saw could be developed in 105 days, or even 2–3 years, and they sought an alliance with Jim Urmson, whose agreement with Klaisler was due to run out. Even overseas suppliers Hundegger and Vekta entered the fray. The linear saw was poised and ready to transform not only the saw shop, but even the way trusses were designed in the office and assembled on the table.
Next Month:
Optimization Redefined