Seeing everyone at BCMC and talking about how far we’ve come as an industry, I was reminded of what a visionary we had in Tommy Wood. Like FedEx founder Fred Smith, Tommy was born and raised in Marks, Mississippi — a small-town beginning for a man with big ideas. Lowell Thomas “Tommy” Wood earned an associate degree in drafting from Northwest Community College, then built the rest of his remarkable expertise through determination and self-study. From unassuming beginnings, who could have foreseen that he would give us the foundation in the wall panel industry that we continue to build upon today? [For all images, See PDF or View in Full Issue.]
Hired in 1978, Tommy advanced to lead the engineering department at Pacific Buildings in Marks, Mississippi. Founded by the Self family in June 1968, the company manufactured trusses and wall panels alongside its California sister company, Pacific Modules, Inc. This is where Tommy met Ted Dasher of Birmingham, Alabama, creator of the DOS-based software program The Plan, a wall panel design solution. They partnered to improve the software, where Tommy introduced the parent-child relationship, which we all know as Dynamic Modeling: “Where you go, I will follow.” This concept became a cornerstone of the software and influenced the industry immensely.
In 1986, Tommy and his wife moved to Birmingham, where he joined Ted Dasher’s company as a consultant to advance the software’s functionality and sales. He drafted specifications on many platform enhancements while traveling nationwide to support sales, becoming the public face of the company. His industry expertise, charm, and quick wit helped him connect with audiences and earn their attention and respect.
By anticipating evolving industry demands, Tommy helped shape The Plan into a versatile solution for manufacturers nationwide. That vision gained momentum in 1987, when Ted Dasher & Associates hired the remarkably talented young programmer Clark Padgett. Clark played a pivotal role in turning Tommy’s ambitious concepts into reality. Around the same time, Tommy developed and patented the “Light Bar,” an LED system mounted to framing tables that displayed the locations of inserts and studs while eliminating the need for a costly marking saw — a bright idea in every sense of the phrase. Adopted by wall panel manufacturers across the industry, the Light Bar remains in use today.
In 1989, a contract dispute arose after Tommy helped increase company sales but was not granted the partnership he had been promised. While Ted shifted his focus to selling and leasing hardware, Tommy left the company and founded Comsoft in Trussville, Alabama, in 1990. Clark joined him, seeing an exciting opportunity to develop a new solution as the platform supporting The Plan approached its limits. Guided by Tommy, Clark, the unsung hero in this story, spent the next year and a half working intensively in Tommy’s basement to program a highly dynamic software product. This dynamic duo was magic together; they were Simon and Garfunkel, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla; I could go on but you get the idea.
Through the relationships he built during his travels, along with his welcoming, humble manner and passion for the industry, Tommy secured support for his software vision from several companies — an impressive achievement. Each placed their trust in his reputation, foresight, and commitment to the industry. In return, he provided them with software for as long as they remained in business and retained ownership of their companies. Their backing supplied the capital Tommy and Clark needed to develop and launch their product — and a new software star was born named WallBuilder.
Through his relationship with Jerry Koskovich of Koskovich Company, Tommy was introduced to Alan Kearon of Pryda in Melbourne, Australia, in the early 1990s. Pryda needed a solution to its wall panel production challenges. Impressed by Tommy’s vision and software, Alan formed an alliance with him, and Pryda adopted the software for its market. This was especially notable because Australian framing methods differ significantly from those used in the United States. Although WallBuilder was already flexible enough to meet many of Pryda’s design requirements, Clark used his expertise to expand WallBuilder’s capabilities by adding functionality such as noggins and notched plates for studs.
Tommy and Clark also developed Plant Net, a pioneering paperless system that delivered information directly to key wall panel workstations while tracking production time. First installed and tested at Hoida in De Pere, Wisconsin, Plant Net continues to be used across the United States and Canada today. Its capabilities went well beyond sending WallBuilder files to the production floor: it also interpreted Hoida’s MiTek truss files for cutting and assembly. And the innovation did not stop there. Plant Net integrated with equipment such as TigerStop, the Light Bar, and, later, the automatic stops on Basic Automation’s wall panel component and framing tables.
Driven by a passion for innovation, Tommy continued expanding his vision after successfully launching his software and gaining market share very quickly. Then in 1996, drawing on his experience with Triad, he purchased Carlson Systems’ wall panel equipment in Omaha, Nebraska, and relocated his business from Trussville, Alabama, to Memphis, Tennessee. There, he hired Doug Dodd, and together they improved the newly acquired equipment. Tommy then founded Basic Automation and transformed the Carlson product line. He redesigned the subcomponent nailer all the way through to the multitool bridge and paired a Tiger Stop measuring system with an upcut Hamilton or Vista saw to create an affordable, software-driven cutting solution.
As Tommy’s vision expanded, so did his involvement in automation. He formed a relationship with Makron, a Finnish manufacturer of automated wall panel equipment. The opportunity emerged when one of Tommy’s customers, Glaize Components of Winchester, Virginia, purchased several machines, requiring Plant Net software to communicate effectively. Within a short time, Clark worked his magic and the task was completed. This began a lasting alliance with Makron and eventually led to his acquisition of the exclusive North American sales rights for its Plant Net-driven equipment line — another example of how Tommy turned an unexpected challenge into an industry-changing opportunity. So, you think that would be the end of the story, but it was not! Next, he hired several engineers and developed his own fully automated line called IntelliFrame.
By 2000, Tommy’s growing vision needed a bigger home. He moved the operation to a much larger facility in Southaven, Mississippi, bringing Basic Automation and Comsoft together under one roof as Intelligent Building Systems. Three years later, Truswal acquired the company, setting the stage for a new integrated software platform. Clark then worked his programming magic, merged the two software products in record time, two months for prime time — and closing one remarkable chapter while opening the next.
Tommy’s energy seemed boundless, fueled by a genuine desire to give his customers the very best. Whether demonstrating his software or helping someone choose the right equipment or solution for their operation, he had a special gift for making people feel valued, capable, and heard. For Tommy, success was never simply about money; it was about building lasting relationships throughout the remarkable industry of component manufacturing.
What Made Tommy Special
Tommy’s software innovations and equipment designs attracted widespread industry interest and inspired many others. MiTek even sought to acquire his business, but Tommy chose Truswal because its values aligned with his own.
He often emphasized that the framing table was the most profitable station and developed solutions to keep production flowing, including running a mixture of exterior and interior wall panels on a single framing line.
Tommy was not only a software genius and production expert, but also a gifted teacher who shared his knowledge without ever making it feel like a lesson. Genuine and engaging, he commanded attention through self-deprecating anecdotes, jokes, and industry stories, using his wit to make complex ideas memorable. Because he truly lived and breathed the industry, he could evaluate every aspect of an operation — including product type, expected volume and growth, available space, and upfront capital — to recommend the right balance of equipment, labor, automation, and manual processes.
One of Tommy’s most memorable qualities was his compassion and generosity. He supported many causes, including the Taunton Family Children’s Home in Wewahitchka, Florida and the ISUS Trade & Technology Prep Community School in Dayton, Ohio. That alternative high school helped redirect young people by providing hands-on education in trades, construction technology, and manufacturing.
No article could fully capture every side of Tommy. Beyond his contributions to the industry, he was a devoted father, a true friend, and a barbecue enthusiast who even hosted a booth at the Memphis in May barbecue contest. He loved fishing, hunting, the great outdoors, and music — a passion complemented by his beautiful voice. It is easy to overlook the person behind the accomplishments, but there was far more to Tommy than most could imagine. Although we lost him far too soon, his humility, generosity, and vision live on in the industry he dedicated his life to improving.
While writing this article, I spoke with Tommy’s wife, Judy, who shared one of his favorite sayings: “If you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind.” That perfectly captured Tommy — he was always moving forward. I love and miss you, Tommy!