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Overwhelming Opportunity

It’s hard to find the right words to describe the International Builders Show (IBS) held this past January at the Orlando convention center. Enormous? Chaotic? Bewildering? Maybe all three. That description sheds some light on why the housing industry is as fragmented as it is.

The Right Tools in the Toolbox

Sometimes it’s hard to start a conversation. You know what you want to say, you think you know how the person you’re talking to will react, and yet finding the words to get the ball rolling and respond to the questions you know you’ll get is tough.

Making a Case for Continuous Change

It takes good communication to keep an ongoing upgrade process on track.
Chris Cozart, director of manufacturing systems for Builders FirstSource in Denver, Colorado, believes everyone’s input is needed to build employee buy-in throughout the company and to successfully implement change. 

A Designer’s Guide to PTW

Quality marks are not substitutes for grade marks—PTW will include both!

Metal plate connected wood trusses are sometimes used in applications or environments that require the trusses to be designed and constructed with chemically treated lumber. The two most common types of chemically treated wood used in trusses are preservative treated wood (PTW) and fire retardant treated wood (FRTW).

Seeing the Big Picture in Small Spaces

Just as there’s no one-size-fits-all housing solution, there’s no one-size-fits-all business model for CMs. For the sky-high prices and seasonal swings in the Greater Yellowstone area, tiny houses are uniquely suited to the needs of both buyers and builders.
Teton Truss Tiny Houses

Building Buy-in

Last June, Truss Components of Washington started doing something unconventional: holding regular meetings of production, design and office employees. General Manager Chad Johnson and Production Manager William Blankenship reflected on their six-month-old experiment, sharing why and how they brought these groups together and what the meetings have accomplished.

Looking for Technical Talent? Go back to your alma mater.

The best way to find future designers is to meet them where they are: in school.

“It’s too broad of a statement to say we post job openings on the internet. The type of position we are seeking determines where the ad is placed,” explained John Holland, of Clearspan Components, Inc. “For example, when seeking technical employees, there are all kinds of stratifications.”

Faces of the Industry: Keith Walden

Riverside has been rebuilt as a successful business—twice!

Parting Shots

Scott Ward & Gary Weaver

Alabama

Addressing Product Innovation, Code Approval and Professional Engineering

The “alternative materials, designs or methods of construction,” found in the building code are often misunderstood, leading to the statement: “I need an ICC report.”

Alaska

Addressing Product Innovation, Code Approval and Professional Engineering

The “alternative materials, designs or methods of construction,” found in the building code are often misunderstood, leading to the statement: “I need an ICC report.”

Arizona

Addressing Product Innovation, Code Approval and Professional Engineering

The “alternative materials, designs or methods of construction,” found in the building code are often misunderstood, leading to the statement: “I need an ICC report.”

Arkansas

Addressing Product Innovation, Code Approval and Professional Engineering

The “alternative materials, designs or methods of construction,” found in the building code are often misunderstood, leading to the statement: “I need an ICC report.”

Colorado

Addressing Product Innovation, Code Approval and Professional Engineering

The “alternative materials, designs or methods of construction,” found in the building code are often misunderstood, leading to the statement: “I need an ICC report.”

Connecticut

Addressing Product Innovation, Code Approval and Professional Engineering

The “alternative materials, designs or methods of construction,” found in the building code are often misunderstood, leading to the statement: “I need an ICC report.”

Delaware

Addressing Product Innovation, Code Approval and Professional Engineering

The “alternative materials, designs or methods of construction,” found in the building code are often misunderstood, leading to the statement: “I need an ICC report.”

Georgia

Addressing Product Innovation, Code Approval and Professional Engineering

The “alternative materials, designs or methods of construction,” found in the building code are often misunderstood, leading to the statement: “I need an ICC report.”