When The Truss Company purchased its first RetroC component saw in 2014, the company was understandably skeptical. At the time, the RetroC was still a relatively new product, and some questioned whether it could hold up in a high-volume production environment. The saw would be expected to operate for three shifts a day, cut over 30,000 board feet per shift, and remain accurate and easy to maintain. At one point, the head of maintenance jokingly remarked that the machine probably would not last a year under that kind of workload.
More than a decade later, that original RetroC is still used daily and remains an integral part of a fleet that has grown to seven saws operating across multiple facilities. That proven track record has shifted the conversation from initial purchase price to something far more important: total cost of ownership. A component saw’s true cost includes more than the amount shown on the original invoice. Maintenance, replacement parts, downtime, employee training, productivity, usable life, and resale value all affect what the equipment ultimately costs a truss plant.
For The Truss Company, the long-term benefits of the RetroC are worth a closer look. With more than 56 combined years of operation, The Truss Company has spent just under $70,000 on parts — an average of only about $1,200 per saw annually. Throughout that time, its RetroCs have remained fast, accurate, and reliable.
The RetroC also benefits from Enventek’s long-term approach to equipment ownership: continually improving and supporting existing machines rather than requiring customers to replace them every five or ten years to gain access to the latest features and capabilities. As a result, RetroCs rarely appear on the used-equipment market — and those that have become available have sold for more than $200,000. For owners who purchased their saws five to ten years ago for approximately $250,000 to $300,000, that retained value represents remarkably low depreciation after years of production.
After purchasing seven RetroC saws over eight years, The Truss Company’s experience demonstrates that the lowest-cost machine is not necessarily the one with the lowest purchase price. It is the machine that continues cutting day in and day out while requiring the least amount of time and money to keep it operating. What began as a cautious investment has become a long-term example of what total cost of ownership really means. For The Truss Company, the true value of the RetroC is not found in a single line item or purchase price on a spreadsheet. It is found in years of dependable operation, manageable parts costs, continued improvements, and equipment that retains its usefulness and value long after many other machines would have been replaced.