Search
Article
2008 May
- Shelter Systems Limited believes that SCORE certification is one way to protect the company.
- The company embraced the requirements of SCORE, even when it came to implementing WTCA programs that they wouldn’t have voluntarily chosen to use.
- Operation Safety and ORisk are programs that delivered surprising benefits to Shelter.
Article
2008 May
- Becoming certified under a green building standard is a growing national trend for public schools and other government buildings.
- Under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED, using CFS trusses can earn one or two points for a project under credits 4.1 and 4.2.
- Verifying that CFS supplied for a job qualifies for LEED points is not tedious for CMs.
Article
2008 May
- TPI 1-2007 will be referenced in the 2009 International Building Code and International Residential Code.
- The TPI 1 Project Committee consisted of about 50 individuals representing the industry.
- The changes that have been made to TPI 1 will make for a more user-friendly document.
- The mandatory net section lumber limit on tension introduced into a wood member was replaced by a non-mandatory user note recommending a limit of 2300 pounds/inch.
Article
2008 May
- Jerry Koskovich, an inventor of automated solutions for truss plants, retired from the industry this year.
- Koskovich’s first automated component saw was installed at Villaume Industries in 1985.
- Koskovich is grateful to many people in the industry and will continue to consult for The Koskovich Company.
Article
2008 May
- TTW online presentations offer affordability and convenience for professionals in the building community.
- Architect Mike Koehl found the TTW on fire assemblies very useful.
- Engineer Tom Jank said his bracing questions for a project he was working on were answered by the online TTWs he viewed.
- Professionals can view TTWs at no charge; quizzes for CEU credit cost $25 per presentation.
Article
2008 May
- Quality assurance is process oriented while quality control is product oriented.
- Essentially, QA/QC is a proactive effort to protect and sustain your company name, your company products, and your company profit margins. Think of a QA/QC program as a firewall against defects.
- You can begin by establishing “Perfor-mance Criteria” required by each department to complete a given task.
Article
2008 June/July
- When you compare the value and the cost of attending BCMC, you find that there many reasons to make the trip.
- WTCA component manufacturer members pay $175 for their first full registration and $140 for each additional.
- With a wide variety of characters in the industry, BCMC is entertaining!
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