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On the surface, your company is selling its people and their expertise in using highly specialized software and equipment to design and manufacture a series of structural components. Additionally, you’re selling your ability to assemble those components as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible and deliver them to the jobsite exactly when the customer needs them.
With respect to your business, what do you dwell on before you go to sleep? What’s the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning? If I were to hazard a guess, I would say the most common answer in our industry right now is related to labor challenges and greater production. Given all we have been learning at the SBCA meetings over the past year, I would argue we also need to be constantly focused on our exposure to risk.
This article will briefly explore how these calls can impact a CM’s bottom line and a few ways in which CMs can proactively work with tradespeople to avoid such issues. Truss repairs can very easily turn a profitable job into a money losing project. The cost incurred with this type of repair goes beyond the price of the materials. Costs for determining the issue for repair, designing the repair, and implementing a repair solution shouldn’t get lost in your accounting books.
“Internships are a perfect way for us to get to know an individual and for the individual to see what a career in the component manufacturing industry would be like. If both sides come to the conclusion that it’s a good fit, it’s a win-win situation and an opportunity for both parties to be successful,” says Mike Petrina, plant manager at Wisconsin Building Supply. “The internship exposes them to a lot of different projects and you can figure out what their strengths and weaknesses are in designing and determine where their passion lies.”
Rick Parrino will tell you that one of the most important business decisions a component manufacturer (CM) can make is to foster new and beneficial relationships with building and fire officials, builders, elected officials, and all other trades. Doing so gives CMs a new lens through which to view the manufacturing and installation of the trusses, wall panels, and engineered products they sell.
An SBC Industry News poll earlier this year engaged our readers in a conversation about giving tours to student groups that resulted in some common themes we thought were worth exploring. The April article explored the primary commonality among those component manufacturers (CMs) that take the time to engage with students: They all simply believe it’s the right thing to do. As we continue to delve into this topic, a second important trait to explore about CMs who host student tours is they all have a willingness to try to engage with local educators.
In May of 2018, Door Creek Church broke ground on their new DeForest Campus just minutes north of Madison, Wisconsin. The church was given ten acres by a local developer in what amounts to a suburb of Madison on the edge of urban reach mixed with strong agricultural ties. Originally, a metal building was designed for the church but costs redirected the church’s architect to wood frame construction.
Although the majority of component manufacturers (CMs) have a website according to our website poll, the question remains: Is your website up-to-date and attractive enough to be effective? We all know there are countless reasons to have a website but just having a website, especially an outdated one, is no longer enough in this day and age to be effective and could in fact detract from your business. To this point, a website redesign could help tap into new business opportunities and be a huge return on investment for your company.
Since I was 14 years old, I just wanted to own my own business. In 1986, I was selling lumber in Texas when the economy collapsed. With the market tanking, they laid off half of the employees. I was fortunate, I was pushed back down to retail sales but I wanted to get back into outside sales. The company’s truss plant began to struggle and I was asked to sell trusses. I said yes, despite not knowing what a truss was, and I have never looked back from there.
When looking at opportunities to increase structural component production capacity through equipment automation, one of the primary examples many point to is the automotive industry. Component manufacturers (CMs) and lumber producers had a chance to tour one of the nation’s most advanced vehicle manufacturing facilities run by Nissan in Smyrna, Tennessee, as part of the 2019 MSR Workshop in April. Plant tours like these give everyone a fresh perspective on production issues.
Having just attended the ProSales 100 Conference in San Antonio this year, one thing is very evident: Builders are looking for off-site construction solutions (wall panels, floor panels, roof trusses, etc.) that will limit the number of tire tracks onsite and help address the skilled labor shortage. The national builders also understand the importance of reviewing their workflow and portfolio of plans to eliminate wasted steps and streamline designs.
Mobile phones are convenient and can even prove useful if an employee needs to call in an accident or another important safety report. Unfortunately, much of the time, mobile phones pose more of a risk to safety than anything else. Combining the use of a mobile phone with driving, operating power tools, or navigating other hazardous work conditions can be dangerous or even deadly.
One of the most significant benefits of SBC Magazine’s new online polling approach is it gives component manufacturers (CMs) a glimpse into how their business model and/or local market compares to the industry as a whole.
Diversity can be a blessing and a challenge. When you look at our entire industry, there are many business models to choose from, and no one way has proven to be the “best” way to operate.
Trusses are engineered components that will perform as intended if installed correctly. However, those who are installing trusses are not always adept in deciphering truss layout drawings.
“Creative problem solving is key, just like when designing trusses, the answer isn’t always so clear. You have to evaluate the situation and come up with a solution to accomplish the goal.”
An informal internship program can be a perfect way to start
SBCA’s Jobsite Package is likely the most economical risk management tool a component manufacturer (CM) can deploy.
A career in component manufacturing offers a “combination of tech and building something with your hands,” says Steve Szymanski of Drexel Truss Systems in Little Chute, Wisconsin.
Charlie was one of the original “four pillars” of Alpine and served as a mentor to many throughout the industry in his almost 50 years in the business.
“Inviting elected officials into our manufacturing plants and building relationships with them can make a world of difference for individual manufacturers and the industry,” says Larry Dix, owner of Apex Truss in Warsaw, Virginia.
Jeff Smith, Trussway’s CEO and president, shares that “it’s crucial to keep your website updated as the ways people want to see things online has changed and current trends and styles of websites have as well.”
Division Manager • G2 National • Sparks, Nevada
Zach (left) with his siblings and his sisters’ dog, Tonks.
Being inducted into the Trussway Hall of Fame is a big deal. Founded in 1972, Trussway has six manufacturing locations spread across the U.S. and services single-family, multi-family, and light-commercial construction segments.
Since I started in this industry a year ago, I have realized there are three major issues that the construction industry is facing: lack of skilled labor, lack of time, and lack of money. Fortunately, components manufacturers (CMs) provide a solution to all three.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), nowhere outside is safe when thunderstorms are in your area.
KA Components’ internship program is a path to a good salary & a place in a unique industry
Welcoming the future of the industry
One CM attends STEM camp to plant the seeds for growing future component manufacturers.
As you hone your WFD tools, one CM shares a reminder: Don’t forget about the importance of developing meaningful relationships with the people right in front of you.