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Article
2008 June/July
- True House views SCORE certification as an opportunity for continuing education.
- The company has reached the Achiever level and continues to pursue Elite.
- By taking part in the programs that make up SCORE, there have been culture changes and fewer back charges.
Article
2008 June/July
- Carbon dioxide emissions are believed to be a major contributing factor to global warming.
- Congressional proposals to limit carbon dioxide emissions of businesses are called “cap and trade” energy bills.
- Cap and trade policies would increase energy costs for companies and possibly even residences.
- United States’ businesses would be at a competitive disadvantage to nations not operating under CO2 regulations if cap and trade legislation is passed by Congress.
Article
2008 June/July
- Deltec Homes, Inc. has a strong commitment to delivering a quality energy efficient home to its customers while lessening its environmental impact.
- With almost 300 photovoltaic solar panels its roof, Deltec produces 66,000 kW-hr each year.
- The company replaced all light fixtures with energy efficient fluorescent lighting to cut down on energy costs.
- CEO David Hall said focusing on environmental stewardship has met customers’ needs and made the company more profitable.
Article
2008 June/July
- When doing a material take-off for wall panels, identify the different wall types for each level.
- Wall panel manufacturers should have a pricing method that accounts for direct labor costs and plant overhead costs before adding a material markup and profit margin.
Article
2008 August
- BCMC allows you to keep up to date on industry happenings while strategically planning for your business.
- Discussing the state of the industry with peers at BCMC helps you gain perspective on how to endure the market.
- Attend a new CM roundtable on Tuesday called “Planning, Evaluating and Adjusting—Your Business Lifeline.”
Article
2008 August
- Safe delivery and off-loading practices are an important part of material handling.
- Safety Zone products from WTCA are designed for delivery drivers to use as safety and risk management tools on the jobsite.
- The Safety Zone Delivery & Off-load Inspection Reports help drivers to document critical information about component delivery.
Article
2008 August
- The Wisconsin Truss Manufacturers Association (WTCA’s Wisconsin Chap-ter) presented two live TTWs to a local homebuilders association.
- The attendees earned CEUs for attending the day-long presentation.
- Chapter President Steve Johnson said that in addition to the information presented, the event highlighted the benefits of being a WTMA member.
- WTMA members held a meeting the following week at WTCA and toured the new SBCRI facility.
Article
2008 August
- You can use a few simple talking points to explain the inherent “green” qualities of building components.
- The wood you purchase comes from one of the Earth’s most renewable resources—trees.
- Steel is the most recyclable material that exists; this includes everything from nails to connectors to cold-formed steel trusses to connector plates.
Article
2008 August
- One way to boost your bottom line and satisfy customer demand is selling non-stocked items.
- Special orders generally turn faster and carry higher margins than regular sales.
- An ERP system can help manage special orders and maximize profit.
Article
2008 August
- A massive custom home in the Florida panhandle called for long-span radius trusses that were designed and built by Builders FirstSource.
- The job was especially challenging because the 68-foot trusses were curved on both the bottom and top chords.
- The BFS team took special precautions when building the trusses to prevent workers’ injuries and damage to the trusses.
Article
2008 August
- It is not correct to assume that a truss designed with the least amount of board footage will always result in the most economic option.
- There is a point where the board footage cost of the high grade smaller member equals the cost of a larger, lower grade board.
Article
2008 August
- Identify primary and secondary customers, most likely the general and framer.
- Some framers have the perception that panelizers are taking work from them, when in reality panels give them the ability to do more work because of decreased cycle times.
- Long-term marketing of wall panel products is best accomplished with comparisons of on-site versus off-site framing cycle times.
Article
2008 Sept/Oct
- A new booklet for handling, installing, restraining and bracing of cold-formed steel trusses is now available. \
- CFSBCSI is organized into six chapters, each of which exists separately as a Summary Sheets
- The CFS Jobsite Package is a graphical presentation of CFSBCSI concepts for ease of use in the field.
Article
2008 Sept/Oct
- Making sound business decisions in this business cycle provides no guarantee of business success.
- We must recast the notion of diversification and find creative new ways to serve customers.
- Beyond evaluating sales and product lines, defining clear objectives and consulting with industry peers for ideas are important exercises.
Article
2008 Sept/Oct
- Stock Building Supply helped to design and build a showy chapel addition.
- The use of components became interesting when the structural engineer decided that the significant horizontal deflection inherent in steep pitched scis
Article
2008 Sept/Oct
- The most likely causes for OSHA to drop in are an employee complaint or a programmed inspection.
- Something you can do now is to identify authorized employer and employee reps who would accompany an inspector during a walkthro
Article
2008 Sept/Oct
- One component manufacturer found out that supplying green-built trusses can be very costly.
- Eco-certifiers like FSC and SFI impose strict chain of custody requirements on secondary lumber product manufacturers like CMs.
Article
2008 Sept/Oct
- Learn more about who will be exhibiting at this year's show in Denver, CO.
Article
2008 November
- A new booklet for handling, installing, restraining and bracing of cold-formed steel trusses is now available. \
- CFSBCSI is organized into six chapters, each of which exists separately as a Summary Sheets
- The CFS Jobsite Package is a graphical presentation of CFSBCSI concepts for ease of use in the field.
Article
2008 December
- A manufacturer was asked to build “green” components though there was no intention for the project to be green certified.
- If this happens to you, ask the specifier and builder why “green” wood is desired.
- Consider supplying two bids for the job: one with regular components and one with “green” components.
Article
2008 December
- Balancing quality control and efficiency in the shop is more important than ever before.
- In-Plant WTCA QC program is one tool that manufacturers are using to manage quality, efficiency and cost at the same time.
- One of the greatest benefits the program is the information available to managers that helps them make informed business decisions.