Home Building Technology, Part VI: The Original Wood Truss Manufacturers Joe Kannapell, PE Although last month’s article in this series, “Home Building Technology, Part V: Early Truss Connection Innovators,” brought our story up to the post-war time period, we would be remiss without acknowledging the original truss manufacturers in greater detail. A small group of... Read More June 2025 Issue #17311 Page 10
The Benefits of Working with a Consultative Finance Professional Carl Villella Consultative financing for wood component manufacturers goes beyond simple loans. It’s about understanding the industry’s unique challenges—like high equipment costs, raw material volatility, and market sensitivity—to offer tailored financial solutions. A consultative... Read More June 2025 Issue #17311 Page 67
Truss-Making Companies on Webb Analytics’ 2025 Construction Supply 150 Struggled Amid Tough Times Craig Webb Component manufacturers had to work hard to stay level in 2024, hurt by a big drop in multifamily construction and a modest decline in lumber prices, Webb Analytics’ latest Construction Supply 150 reveals. The 34 of the report’s 150 companies that sell trusses saw their collective... Read More June 2025 Issue #17311 Page 98
The Last Word: Knowing When to Hold ‘Em Joe Kannapell, PE Nearly 20 years after the Tibbetts family sold Cox Lumber to Home Depot, a crowd of onlookers gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of Tibbetts Lumber’s soon-to-be largest truss plant, which will be located in Zephyrhills, Florida. This event demonstrated the on-going confidence of... Read More June 2025 Issue #17311 Page 170
2025 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook Carl Villella As we transition into spring, now is a good time to assess the dynamics of our current economic outlook. Earlier Optimism and Shifting Factors It is important to recall that the initial outlook for 2025 was more optimistic. This earlier sentiment was largely predicated on expectations of... Read More May 2025 Issue #17310 Page 103
Tariffs, Countervailing Duties, and More: Optimizing Production Requires Optimizing the Inputs to Production Valerie Hansen On/off tariffs, the pending hike in countervailing duties, and Section 232 National Security Investigation (which designates lumber as a “strategic good” on par with automobiles, steel, and aluminum) stalk the wood frame construction industry. Collectively and individually, these... Read More May 2025 Issue #17310 Page 112
Economic Outlook: Uncertainty and Volatility Lesko Financial Services Team Encouraging data including a downtick in inflation and the prospect of interest rate cuts early in the year fueled optimism, bolstered by hopes of deregulation and the extension of tax cuts put into place during the first Trump presidency. Stocks rallied on hopes for a new era of positive growth... Read More May 2025 Issue #17310 Page 118
Home Building Technology, Part IV: The $6,000 Question Joe Kannapell, PE Unions opposed it, builders dismissed it, but the American homebuyer would embrace prefabricated housing as soon as they could afford it. Despite fierce opposition, the government made it a reality by allowing FHA financing on prefabricated homes with loans of $6,000 or less. In announcing this... Read More April 2025 Issue #17309 Page 10
Tariff Pressures Squeeze Wood Building Component Manufacturers, Financial Solutions Sought Carl Villella Wood building component manufacturers are facing increasing financial pressures as tariffs and supply chain disruptions drive up the cost of essential materials and equipment. Industry insiders report rising concerns over the impact on production costs and project timelines. The Key... Read More April 2025 Issue #17309 Page 85
Component Industry’s Latest Nightmare: Tariffs Valerie Hansen Today, 93% of America’s new homes are built of wood-frame construction. If fully enacted, the implemented and pending tariffs will reduce lumber supply and trigger an increase in lumber price, resulting in a one–two punch for the wood-frame construction industry. As we once again... Read More April 2025 Issue #17309 Page 100