Anna Stamm

Advertiser Forum: Employment: Livelihood or Commodity?

Anna Stamm

Last month’s article by Thom, “The Cost of Convenience: How Offshore and Remote Design are Undermining the Future of the Truss Industry,” generated a fair amount of feedback, and that feedback was generally fair. But, let’s unpack some additional dynamics. The central...

#17312 Cover image
July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 6
Thom McAnally

The New Hiring-Zone: A Smart Way to Hire in a Tight Industry

Let’s face it—finding the right people in the offsite construction industry isn’t getting easier. Whether you’re searching for a seasoned truss designer, a sharp estimator, or a dependable production manager, the usual massive job boards don’t cut it. That’s...

#17312 Cover image
July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 82
Geordie Secord

Design Connections: Beating the Big Job Board Blues

Geordie Secord

When you’re job hunting or looking to hire, you’ve got choices. Lots of them. You can go with the big-name job boards that everyone knows about, or you can try something different—something more personal. The experience you get depends entirely on which path you choose, and the...

#17312 Cover image
July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 88
Thom McAnally

The Cost of Convenience: How Offshore and Remote Design are Undermining the Future of the Truss Industry

Over the past two decades, the truss industry has quietly engineered a crisis of its own making. In the pursuit of flexibility and cost efficiency, companies have embraced remote designers and offshore design firms. Although these shifts solve immediate staffing needs, they’re slowly...

#17311 Cover image
June 2025
Issue #17311
Page 82
Geordie Secord

Why Designers Should Get Out of the Office (and Into the Field)

Geordie Secord

Last month’s article, “What You Learn on the Floor,” talks about the benefits of having design staff spend some time in the shop. There’s a lot to learn there—and gaining a real appreciation for what the production team does can be eye-opening for designers, whether...

#17311 Cover image
June 2025
Issue #17311
Page 90
Thom McAnally

Standards of Performance for Manufacturing and Their Role in Annual Reviews

Manufacturing operations rely on efficiency and accuracy. But is that limited to the literal manufacturing process only, or can companies take the same logical approach to evaluating all aspects of employee performance?  A well-defined set of Standards of Performance ensures employees...

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April 2025
Issue #17309
Page 114
Thom McAnally

The Benefits of a 32-Hour Workweek for Truss Designers

Truss manufacturers looking to attract younger truss designers might want to think outside of the box. We have found one key issue affecting many Gen-Z truss designers and have a solution that may help entice them to your company—offering a Gen-Z-preferred workweek. Consider this: Gen-Z...

#17308 Cover image
March 2025
Issue #17308
Page 100
Geordie Secord

Design Connections: Addressing the Truss Designer Shortage

Geordie Secord

For many years, there has been a great deal of discussion at industry events, in component industry board rooms, and even in this publication about a looming shortage of design technicians. So, what is behind the wood truss designer shortage and why is it such a pressing issue? And, how can we...

#17308 Cover image
March 2025
Issue #17308
Page 108
Steph Karlstad

A Core Artery of Your Truss Plant

Steph Karlstad

In every truss plant, there are three main arteries: the Truss Design Department, Production & Operations, and Sales. While all are vital, the design department is where everything begins—and where you need to keep your pulse. The production floor will build what shows up on their...

#17307 Cover image
February 2025
Issue #17307
Page 90
Thom McAnally

Reasons Why Truss Designers Leave Their Jobs

Truss manufacturers rely heavily on skilled and experienced professionals, especially truss designers. Yet, retaining these technical workers is a common challenge. Here’s what we have learned over the past few years on why truss designers often leave their jobs, focusing on the most...

#17307 Cover image
February 2025
Issue #17307
Page 98
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