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In 2015, SBC Magazine will embark on an ambitious project. In each of its nine issues, we will begin to record the history of the components industry through the eyes of several of its early pioneers.
Design efficiency is critical, but it can’t overshadow design quality.
"If I have one hand in the oven, and my other hand is in the freezer, on average, I would think I’m doing alright!” This was a typical analogy used by Dr. Stanley K. Suddarth, Ph.D., P.E., in this case, to demonstrate the potential problems associated with using averages in calculations. When Stan Suddarth passed away on June 9, 2011, in Newburg, Oregon, he left behind a significant legacy in academia and the structural building components industry. In 1986, he was one of the first two inductees into the SBCA Hall of Fame in recognition of his considerable contributions to the industry.
- The challenges of turnover leave some CMs hesitant about justifying the costs of training programs, such as SBCA’s TTT.
- It’s worth implementing new strategies for retaining employees, such as reconsidering previous policies that may be hurting your company under current conditions. An example includes careful consideration when an employee makes a special request before automatically saying “no.”
- SBCA President Scott Ward calls on CMs to share their thoughts on employee retention; send suggestions to Emily Patterson.
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.
Integra learns the benefit of giving a plant tour to young people.
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.
Challenge yourself and your team to look for opportunities for improvement this winter so you can weather many winters to come.
Meet four individuals recently recognized as industry leaders by their peers.
Welcoming the future of the industry
Everyone has had something to teach me, and I’ve already received an education that will last the rest of my life.
- Determining production cycle time, the amount of time required to process an order from start to finish, is key to meeting customer needs.
- The old paradigm suggested that similar jobs be manufactured at the same time; the new paradigm focuses on meeting customer needs with a “just in time” mentality as efficiently as possible.
- Is an urgent request viewed as a pain-in-the-neck rush job or an opportunity to exceed expectations and have a customer for life?
Take raw ore, throw it into the fires of hell & out comes steel.
- In just under 10 years, BCSI has evolved from the booklet into Summary Sheets, JOBSITE PACKAGES, online courses and the much larger book.
- Including the JOBSITE PACKAGE or BCSI book on invoices is an excellent best practice in case a project heads in the wrong direction.
- SBCA Chapters have developed great relationships and reaped many benefits for their time and effort through BCSI educational programs in their markets.
When PDJ Components opened its doors for a plant tour, it was an education for everyone.
- In order for a company to grow successfully, it needs to evaluate its current situation and costs accurately and be able to articulate what the company wants to grow into.
- To improve production areas, start with the “5S” approach: sort, straighten, scrub/sanitize, schedule and finally, score the result.
- The right people, the right customers, the right vendors, and most importantly, the right motives grow a successful business.
A builder’s perspective on how CMs can grow market share
Do you ever find yourself watching a commercial, thinking “what the heck are they selling?”
Student Day at BCMC is an opportunity to bring components to life for students.
You may have noticed the emergence of a new phrase to describe the use of components in certain parts of the country. A method referred to as “offsite framing” is catching on in California, Florida, and other areas of high volume housing production. New techniques always produce mixed emotions of fear, uncertainty, opportunity, excitement, and more.
Learn how one seasoned framer/CM team was primed to shine on a project like this.
Two skills every CM needs to get stuff done
Local school or community events that connect employers with job-seekers provide a focused opportunity to talk with many potential employees in a short period of time and can be a valuable way to promote why your company is a great place to work.
Chris Cozart of Builders FirstSource, John Holland of Clearspan Components, Greg Dahlstrom of Villaume Industries and Jason Hikel of Shelter Systems—all members of SBCA’s IT committee—used their BCMC presentation to cover several aspects of managing your company’s technology needs: change management, effective documentation, cybersecurity and industrial hardware.
The Iowa Truss Manufacturer’s Association (ITMA) has a long history of reaching out to our state lawmakers in Des Moines, building relationships and advocating for issues that affect our businesses. From our status as a “right to work” state to prevailing and minimum wages issues, we’ve been successful in the past in helping our Iowa legislators understand how changes they proposed would negatively impact our ability to attract and retain an adequate workforce.
The 2018 Major League Baseball season just got underway a few days ago, and with it, opportunities for component manufacturers across the country to get together, share best practices, learn about new trends, socialize and relax.
We will look back at 2020 as the Year of the Pivot.