Affectionately dubbed 3.0, the latest generation of Enventek’s NEXPLATE injects Formula 1-style velocity to truss build tables. Building on the foundation of version 2.0 — which debuted last year at the Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC) in Omaha — NEXPLATE 3.0...

After more than 30 years of recruiting in the structural building components industry, along with my own background in offsite manufacturing, I have learned that hiring someone is only the beginning. Keeping them is where many companies struggle. One of the biggest complaints I hear from...

Last month’s article, “Is Your Tribal Knowledge Retiring or Expired?”, addresses the “Single Point of Failure” — the realization that your plant’s most valuable intellectual property is currently walking out the door every day at 5:00 PM in the head of a...

It’s the middle of summer at a jobsite for a new school in the South and construction workers are on scaffolding to install windows on the second floor. Outside temperatures are topping 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidity is unbearable. Yet, the project must be completed in time for...

When we launched JAX over 2½ years ago, we knew we were building something special even though JAX breaks no new ground in technology. JAX uses a proven industrial-grade material handling system combined with vacuum-operated lumber pickup heads, which can be configured in multiple ways to...

Let’s face it: growth is exciting, scary, and a great problem to tackle. But in component manufacturing, increased demand can quickly expose pressure points on the floor. What once felt smooth starts to feel tight. Work in progress (WIP) builds up and becomes expensive. Teams must work...

For inspiration to Feed the Beast! in 2026, the mandate is clear to automate, however, the path to automation looks different depending on your starting point. Let’s compare two standout 2025 LimTek installations—a greenfield plant and a modernizing retrofit—to see how...

Board foot has been used for decades in component manufacturing, and it still serves its purpose for sales reporting, legacy KPIs, and corporate roll ups. There is no need to abandon it. But for scheduling, pricing, and determining how much work a plant can actually handle, board foot alone will...

When your team is set up right, performance takes care of itself. In manufacturing, it’s easy to assume better results come from pushing harder – longer shifts, tighter schedules, more pressure on the floor. But the highest performing plants know something different: real performance...

Whether you’re facing a Polar Vortex, a Snowmageddon, or just another pending storm, a wintry winter forecast can strike fear in anyone. But the good news is that a Lumber PickLine will make it even easier for you to cope with these tricky situations. [For all photos, See PDF or View...