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In an industry that requires competition and innovation, one man separated himself from all the others for over forty years: Dwight Hikel. Many in the industry know his story but some may not. Shelter Systems Limited started out as a small, 14,000-square-foot plant in 1976 and has grown into a cutting edge, 120,000-square-foot truss manufacturing facility. That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident.
- Examine each operational area for changes that could help improve overall economics.
- Make sure the design department is up to date on price changes of stock lengths of lumber, especially changes due to design value adjustments.
- Factor customer needs into optimization, along with producing a more efficient truss using less material and plant labor.
- A repair may not be needed if, after adding the holes, visually graded lumber still meets an adequate grade according to the appropriate grading criteria.
- The Combined Stress Index (CSI) is the summation of axial and bending stresses divided by their respective allowable stresses, which represents the structural “efficiency” of the member; the CSI shall not exceed 1.00.
- Coordinating with trades before construction is a good way to avoid holes and notches in trusses, and the costly repairs associated with them.
If you knew Bob Halteman, founder of Wood Truss Systems, or ever interacted with him, you knew he wasn’t a salesman. Sure, his job (and the purpose of his company) was to sell fabrication equipment to the structural components industry, but he wasn’t in sales. He was in solutions.
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!
Consider for a moment the basics of manufacturing a truss. Based on SBCA’s 2012 Financial Performance Survey, lumber accounts for roughly 40 percent of the total cost. Plates account for about eight percent of the total cost. Design and production labor account for 30 percent, and delivery, sales and overhead account for the remaining 22 percent (these are rough industry averages). All other things being equal, if you could decrease your lumber costs by a few percentage points while raising your plate costs a small amount, would you take the trade-off?
- When the IRC provides a solution that cannot be supported by testing of real buildings in a code-compliant application of braced walls, more accurate and technically correct engineered solutions will never be able to compete.
- There is some resistance in the market to establishing standard factors for product equivalency or system performance because it may result in non-wood products graining an advantage over traditional OSB market share.
- A top testing priority for SBCA is “Framing the American Dream III,” which seeks to test a typical stick framed roof and compare its performance to an identical engineered truss roof.
- The IRC and IBC codes allow for buildings to be built based on specific rules.
- The use of trusses fit right into these prescriptive requirements.
- It is important to have an understanding of the prescriptive requirements so that one knows when the load paths become complex enough that a more detailed look at the flow of loads to the foundation is needed.
- Imagine taking a horizontal slice of a hard-boiled egg and looking at it from the top. Now imagine designing roof trusses to fit on top of that shape and completing the job within budget.
- Pioneer came up with the idea of drawing the trusses first in CAD to represent the roof in true 3D.
- Paul Lenauer credited technology with making this project possible, while the project’s architect credits structural building components with helping make his vision a reality.
Communication is key to a successful construction project.
Building an effective and efficient production team goes well beyond finding the right people. If you’re taking the time to assess new hires to start a career path in the truss industry, you must also take the time to properly motivate those employees by implementing and maintaining free flowing engagement throughout your company’s structure, top-down and bottom-up. This webinar will take a closer look at how applying an understanding of human needs to employee engagement can transform your company’s culture.
Sean Shields interviews Dean Rana on growing his business and overcoming challenges facing his market and the industry. This podcast is part of a series looking at how component manufacturers across the country are innovating to take advantage of opportunities in today's market. Truss Fab is a single facility out of Glendale, AZ and the largest component manufacturer in Arizona with sales territory extending throughout Arizona, southern Nevada, and southern California.
Innovation is a word that is currently criticized in the business world for being over utilized. However, I would argue its actual application is being seriously underutilized in our own industry.
- Combining fiber reinforcement with finger jointed lumber could be a win for both the lumber and component industries.
- With in-line framing, CMs can remove studs and plate material, and spread the stud spacing out to 24", which, in some cases, allows for better insulation methods.
- The key to new product development is generating sales revenue immediately by establishing design values and engineering reports that give assurance of the product’s equivalent code-compliant performance.
It’s not often that a component manufacturer (CM) is asked to do a project that publicly displays the components they design and manufacture. If done right, these opportunities have the potential to positively represent the industry to the entire community.
The BFS design team in Shelby, Alabama “collaborate on anything that doesn’t sit right,” says Thom Patton. One result: a roof that rests perfectly on a school building after a simplified build and easy install process.
- SCORE’s focus on best practices and risk management helps protect the component business and saves CMs on precious training resources.
- In an effort to make the program and costs more understandable, SCORE certification requirements have been streamlined, while still focusing on industry best practices that matter most to CM customers.
- The new package pricing gives CMs the opportunity to meet SCORE requirements, at a reduced cost, and begin to reap the benefits from key SBCA programs and products.
How two CMs approach data, and the important role it plays
According to an online survey of component manufacturers (CMs), 96 percent of respondents indicated they have had a plumber damage or modify their products after installation.
Ever have one of those component jobs where everything went exactly to plan, only to have a hiccup at the last moment?
A cybersecurity attack can happen quickly and be devastating
A best practice for building designers: find a friend to check your load paths.
What to do when bearing capacity is insufficient
When designed and installed correctly, components can greatly reduce the time and materials required to frame a structure.
Increasingly, today’s consumers and prospective employees are starting with the internet to learn about a company. What they find on the web generally leaves a significant first impression. Given this, there is a multitude of valuable reasons to have an attractive web presence.
A sideline in heavy timber is a striking support to the main business of Rehkemper & Son.
In today’s tight labor market, component manufacturers are competing with a variety of different industries for the same people. Since every new hire’s assimilation into the plant’s value chain has an immediate impact on its efficiency and the team members that operate it, it is imperative that we try and get the best fit possible. In order to stop the revolving door of production employees, a company must hire smarter. To do so, it must first align its mindset on how to best identify ideal people with ideal behaviors.
SBCA is involved with “In-plant Quality Control” programs to fulfill its mission of members gaining the knowledge and power to run successful, growing, profitable companies offering a compelling competitive advantage in the marketplace for their customers and professional growth for employees.
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.