Search
Six bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and three half baths. A three-car garage, elevator, theater, exercise room, billiards room, library and six fireplaces. Is this a description of a quaint bed and breakfast? No, it’s a residence, a mansion in fact, in need of a roof. Initial plans for this 18,203 sq ft mansion called for a stick-built roof, but the team at Riverside Roof Truss in Danville, VA, proved the benefits of component construction both conceptually on paper and in the field.
“In the almost five decades I have been in the component manufacturing business, I have never had a lumber mill ask me what I thought they should produce,” said Bob Ward (Southern Components). “They didn’t care what I needed; instead, I had to choose from what they provided.”
While frustrating for component manufacturers like Ward, and less than optimal for both sides, the top-down model of lumber suppliers dictating the lumber properties they sell and essentially telling their customers, “if you do not buy what we produce, we’ll sell it to someone else,” has been standard operating procedure throughout the years.
At the inaugural summit, 71 participants, including key lumber industry leaders, the top five lumber producers in North America, and component manufacturers representing approximately 700 million board feet of U.S. structural lumber purchases, attended.
There was general agreement by those in attendance that the short-term goal of this group was to prepare for upcoming and anticipated Southern Pine design value changes. The aim was to forego the traditional adjustment process that can take years and is typified by the circular questions of component manufacturers asking, “what grades and sizes can you sell me?” and lumber suppliers replying by asking, “what grades and sizes do you need?”
Focusing on that short-term goal, summit participants discussed creating a series of standard grades or design value ranges that manufacturers could use and lumber producers could readily produce.
The invention of the modern-day metal connector plate in the mid-1950s is commonly attributed to A. Carroll Sanford and J. Calvin Juriet. As the baby boomer generation was being launched, houses could not be built fast enough for America’s fledgling families striving to capture the dream of homeownership. Connector plates gave builders a method to assemble homes more quickly and spawned over 50 different types of plate configurations and manufacturers.
Floor systems have long been the bread and butter of building material dealers offering pre-cut structural frame components. Wood product manufacturers have offered dealers tools and support for precision end trim (PET) floor framing for several years, and now are expanding their offerings to encompass other parts of the structure. For example, advances in design and fabrication software are enabling dealers and other fabricators to more efficiently produce PET roof components.
Have you ever wished SBC Magazine had a brief summary of the great stuff inside each issue? Your wish has been granted! This year we are giving Jess Lohse (Rocky Mountain Truss) an advanced copy of the magazine each month and asking him to write down his thoughts about what he reads. Thanks, Jess, for giving us your CM perspective!
Jess Lohse (Rocky Mountain Truss) returns again this month to provide a component manufacturer's perspective on the contents of the new March issue. We hope you enjoy it as much as he seemed to!
As he previewed this month’s issue of SBC Magazine, SBCA Marketing Chair Jess Lohse recognized a trend: communication. Take a sneak peak at his perspective on how the April issue can help you improve communication in your business.
SBCA Marketing Chair Jess Lohse takes a look at this month's issue and finds that it runs an interesting gamut!
SBCA Marketing Chair Jess Lohse ventured to Washington, DC for the first time last month for the SBC Legislative Conference and had a great time learning the ropes on Capitol Hill.
SBCA Marketing Chair Jess Lohse considers "innovative framing" and the potential it holds for the future of component manufacturing.
SBCA Marketing Chair Jess Lohse reflects on the value of our industry's association and looks ahead to BCMC!
SBCA Marketing Committee Chair, Jess Lohse, explores the importance of building relationships in our industry.
SBCA Marketing Committee Chair, Jess Lohse, takes a quick look back at this year's BCMC and anticipates an even better show in Milwaukee in 2015! Will you accept his challenge?
SBCA's Marketing Chair considers the place of social media and how it can enhance, but will never replace, the value of participation in your industry's trade association.
In preparation for spring and another busy year, Jess Lohse suggests taking a look at your various "teams" and how they interact.
Leading up to the March Open Quarterly Meeting (OQM) in Denver, the SBCA Executive Committee started working on an “Emerging Leader” initiative.
As valuable as time is, SBCextra contributor Jess Lohse can’t figure out why our industry gives so much of it away.
How’s your I-joist and floor truss business? SBCA Marketing Committee Chair Jess Lohse wants to know.
Using the lyrics of a golden oldie, Jess Lohse reminds CMs to take charge of their vessels and set a course for success!
In 2016, SBC Magazine will have a new look and feel. Find out how our new approach will benefit your organization in the new year!
This year, SBC Magazine sent writers to many of the education sessions, asked them to interview the presenters, and then give everyone a healthy taste of what they would have learned had they attended those sessions themselves.
Who’s in your social truss network? If you’re like a majority of component manufacturers, your social truss network might be a bit lonely online and off! SBCA President Jess Lohse has a few ideas for how to beef up your network in 2016!
Framing the American Dream data suggests that installing wall panels completes the task of framing a building’s walls in a fifth the time, requires less framer skill and experience, and ultimately results in a product that is more precise.
Reach your builder customers with this short, informative video that highlights the benefits of using wall panels.
Many thanks to MiTek for generously funding the production of this video.
Framing the American Dream data suggests that installing wall panels completes the task of framing a building’s walls in a fifth the time, requires less skill and experience and ultimately allows framing crews to complete more wall projects over time.
Reach your framer customers with this short, informative video that highlights the benefits of using wall panels.
Many thanks to MiTek for generously funding the production of this video.
Not sure how to log in? Check out the FAQs below for more information.
How do I change/reset my password?
You can reset your password by completing our password reset form. Once you have completed the login process, please return to the user login page to log in using your SBCA account.
The Framing the American Dream study shows that a crew can frame two and half homes with structural building components in the time it takes to stick-frame one house.
The Framing the American Dream study shows that a stick-framed house creates nearly 30 times more jobsite waste than a component-framed house.
The Framing the American Dream study shows that it takes 25% less wood product to frame a structure using components.