The January/February issue of SBC Magazine showcases a lot of the tasks I like to focus on during the slower winter months. As business ebbs, which it always does here in Montana when we get sub-zero temps and snow accumulation, I have the opportunity to “attack” our operation with a fine-toothed comb. The past few years have taught me to “Act like Scrooge, but Care like Santa,” meaning it’s important to our operation to look at every expense but think about all the people our business touches: employees, customers, suppliers (and the owners, of course)!
Kent Pagel wrote an interesting article on Professional Services Endorsements and how they effect CM’s insurance policies. While I’ll let Kent get into the specifics, it reminds me of a conversation I had with my insurance agent a few months back. After attending an OQM and sitting through the Management Committee meeting where professional services endorsements were discussed, I called my agent to learn more about our specific policy. After a few days of phone tag, and question and answer rounds with the carrier, my agent finally asked why I wanted to know this information. It started an important dialogue, and I now know a lot more about our policy and what to expect in an unfortunate circumstance. I urge you to read the article and then call your insurance agent, you’re likely to know a lot more about your policy and how the insurance company views your business!
A must read for designers, specifically newer designers, is Frankie Ferrero’s piece on structural fascia. While more advanced designers may have a clear understanding of the concept and load application, a review is always worthwhile. I recommend highlighting this story for your design staff and if you happen to be a designer reading this, I recommend creating a shortcut to the online edition and storing it in a folder on your desktop for future reference.
Scott Ward cracks me up. Maybe it’s the southern accent, but he’s one of the few people whom I read their writing and hear their voice in my head as I’m going. If you read last issue’s Editor’s Message, and know Scott personally, you’ll know exactly what I mean. This month he outlines the key points with the National Framers Council and the great work being done to improve our customer’s (framers) businesses. If you’re not yet familiar with the NFC, I recommend this article to get you going.
“Transparent Understanding of the Rules Clarifies the Path to Innovative & Value-Added Engineering” - well, if that isn’t a mouthful, I don’t know what is. While it may seem like intimidating “engineer” speak, it is really a great segue into what I believe will become a series of articles on where our industry is going. Component manufacturers, traditionally truss manufacturers, have historically been the type to challenge the norm. We changed how roofs are built when we started plating together 2x4s. We revolutionized roof design with our computers and computer-aided software. We’re going to make housing more affordable and easier to build through efficiency and fair markets for materials. Kirk Grundahl is underscoring this issue as he highlights the current inefficiencies in lumber design values and the unfair advantage OSB has over rival solutions. If you’re not currently building wall panels, read Kirk’s writings and efforts over the next few months and years; his work will make it easier for you to be more competitive with wall panels and trusses in the future. If you are building wall panels, you need to be cheering him on!
Since I was a kid I’ve always wondered why roofs and floors could be built with trusses but walls were never plated together. California TrusFrame and Smart Components must have asked the same question. Their premise is rooted in driving additional value into the products they supply to their customers, and they’ve certainly thought out-of-the box with their offering. I’ve seen their product in commercials, and heard a lot about it over the years, but this issue’s article does a nice job of illustrating how they brought the product to market and how they were able to adapt to the shrinking California economy a few years back.
I recommend flipping to this article first, if nothing else to pique your interest and get you thinking about how you can deliver a better product to your customer.