April 2005 www.sbcmag.info Plus, 2005 Membership listings for WTCA, SCDA & STCA! Do Cut. it all with MiTek. Panel. MiTek’s design software, connector products, and component Project. manufacturing equipment offer the best in cost-reduction and production efficiencies. Whether you need a saw, a press, a material handling system, a special piece of equipment, or anything else for component manufacturing, MiTek has a solution for you. A variety of choices in all categories – with options that complement Assemble. Handle. your existing operation. ™ ™ CYBER TRACKER Smart ROOF A/T LASER PROJECTION SYSTEMS CRANE MiTek® TCT ROOF TRUSS ROLLER PRESS MT C OMPONENT SAW S•A•W FLOOR PLATES FLOOR TRUSST ROLLERRACKER PRESS ™ Framer ™ Layout Power ¤ Nail-on-the-Fly Panel Assembly TM JackRabbit WalPlus +™ TM THE Creating the Advantage. Now. TM 314.434.1200 • www.mii.com METAL FRAMING,LLC All rights reserved Holdings, Inc. ©2004 MiTek A Dietrich/MiTek Joint Venture For reader service, go to www.sbcmag.info/mitek.htm TM April 2005 • www.sbcmag.info contents MEMBERSHIP LISTING 28 DELETED FROM PDF. Behind the Scenes of ABC’s FOR CURRENT LISTINGs Extreme Makeover: Home Edition PLEASE VISIT: by Libby Walters www.woodtruss.com Get the “real” story on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, from the perspective of Woodinville Lumber employees who worked around the clock to pull off a major miracle for a family in need. 42 Truss Plant Tours: A New Perspective by Molly E. Butz Plant tours are incredible learning experiences. Learn more about how to harness the power of your plant for educating your marketplace. 48 The Road to Re-entry: Walk a Mile… (Part 2 of 3) by Libby Walters Read the profiles of ex-felons now employed with Stark Truss Company and Bluegrass Truss Company. 38 Find out how they survived their re-entry into 88 the community after prison. Association Synergy Puts The Adult Learning Model: Think Like a Child the “Root” in Grassroots by Carl Schoening by SBC Staff With age comes wisdom—as well as the reluctance WTCA and TPI are working together on your behalf! to change and learn. Don’t let adult logic take away Discover why this association synergy is the foundation your curiosity and desire to constantly learn; for grassroots in the industry. think like a child! See page 101 for details about exciting Departments Industry News developments at www.sbcmag.info! Adventures in Advocacy 94 Columns Chapter Corner 96 Editor’s Message • The Need for People Power, Not Powerful People 7 Calendar of Events 97 Publisher’s Message • Association Teamwork Provides Grassroots Foundation 10 Builder Banter 98 Technical Q&A • Tips for Homeowners: Removing Interior Walls 12 Industry News & Data 100 Safety Scene • Keeping Your Plant Safe by Keeping It Tidy 14 In Memoriam 101 BCMC 2005 • Exhibitor Registration: Marketing Made Easy Online 18 Classified Ads 102 Wood Truss Council of America Update 20 Advertiser Index 104 For reader service, go to www.sbcmag.info/holtec.htm Code Connection • Building Code Involvement at National & Chapter Levels 22 Parting Shots 106 April 2005 Structural Building Components Magazine www.sbcmag.info 5 SBC Magazine Advertisers Sponsor the Growth of the Editor’s Message The Need for People Power, Structural Building Not Powerful People Components Industry! by Kendall Hoyd hanks, Libby. Another subject about which I am supposed to write, but 20052005 GoldGold AdvertisersAdvertisers “We need to talk about grassroots T know little or nothing. Yes, it is true that if I were to write about the few (advertisers appearing in all 9 issues) politics because it is truly the only things I do know anything about, the reader would be much worse off indeed, but ADT A Viking Company* Monet DeSauw* kind in which we component still, writing about this idea of “grassroots” is going to be a stretch for yours truly. Alpine Engineered Products* MSR Lumber Producers Council* manufacturers, by and large, It’s a political term, and it has to do with politics at a local or personal level, as A-NU-Prospect* Open Joist 2000* can participate.” opposed to politics as we often think about it—in centers of power and conducted BCMC* Panels Plus* by powerful people and interests. I think right about here is where I start to clue Commerical Machinery Pratt Industries into why Libby thinks it is a good idea to cover this subject in this issue. We need Fabricators* Qualtim, Inc.* to talk about grassroots politics because it is truly the only kind in which we com- Deacom, Inc. Rand Manufacturing* ponent manufacturers, by and large, can participate. Eagle Metal Products* Robbins Engineering* The Hain Company* Simpson Strong-Tie Co.* In my seven years of being involved with WTCA, I have met smart people, rich Holtec (USA) Corp.* Southern Pine Council* people, creative people, successful people, funny people, helpful people, and a lot Intelligent Building Systems* Stiles Machinery, Inc.* of wonderful people. I’m going to be frank with you; however, I haven’t met any Klaisler Manufacturing Corp.* Tolleson Lumber Co. Inc.* powerful people. Let’s be honest with ourselves. We don’t have any. As wonderful The Koskovich Company* Truswal Systems Corp.* and rewarding as it is, being president, executive director, or anything else of Lakeside Trailer* Turb - O - Web USA, Inc.* WTCA doesn’t get your calls to the White House returned. The easy thing to do, Mango Tech USA* USP Structural Connectors* having faced that realization, is to throw in the towel and leave the politicking to MiTek Industries* Wood Truss Council of America* the Powerful People, of whom we don’t know any. We stick to building our truss- es and wall panels, and flow along with the course of political events that we can’t 2005 Silver Advertisers control or influence. The alternative is to believe in the power of grassroots poli- (advertisers appearing in at least 5 issues) tics, which is to say, believe in one’s ability to have an influence over the course Canfor Precision Equipment Manufacturing of political events by the simple act of getting involved in some way, and estab- Finnforest USA* Princeton Delivery Systems lishing a person-to-person relationship with an honest-to-goodness Powerful International Paper - Wood Division Triad/Merrick Machine Co.* Person, such as a U.S. congressional representative. Maximizer Technologies, LLC* Tryco/Untha International, Inc.* (a component of The Fitzgerald Group, LLC) I wish I could tell you a story that concludes with a “David and Goliath” sort of Building ending. One in which one individual took on well-funded special interest groups 20052005 BronzeBronze AdvertisersAdvertisers and defeated their selfish and ruinous intentions by standing up, forcing his or her (advertisers appearing in at least 3 issues) way into the halls of power, and winning a brutal battle. I’d like that, but I don’t Hundegger USA LC TADANO America Corporation personally know any stories like that, and the ones I do know, actually happened Lacey-Harmer Company Temple-Inland in movies that you have probably already seen. NUCONSTEEL™ Vecoplan LLC Safety Speed Cut Manufacturing WEIMA America Inc. Nonetheless, I’m going to relate to you a story of which I do have first-hand knowl- the edge. For the last three years I have visited Washington, DC as part of our annual Thank you to these companies for their “a bunch of truss guys and gals go to Washington” effort (aka SBC’s Legislative significant support and sponsorship of at a glance Conference, see page 23 for details). In each of those three years, WTCA staff structural building component industry programs! has done an outstanding job making the process very easy for me. Lining up ❑ Our industry does not have any “Powerful appointments with my congressman and both Senators’ offices and preparing TM People,” but we can make a difference in me with materials that outlined how some of the important issues then in front of our industry by meeting with our legisla- decision-makers affect component manufacturers. Some examples are softwood Industry tors locally. We do not need to be power- lumber trade negotiations, tort reform and OSHA regulations. In each of those three ful to make a difference. years, I met with one of my actual Senators, and a staff member in the other two ❑ Like the grassroots in your lawn, compo- offices. My Congressman, Butch Otter (does that sound like an Idaho name or nent manufacturers are many and mostly what?!) was unable to meet—quite possibly as the primary issue I wished to For more information about our 2005 Program Advertisers small, but in aggregate, our influence can address related to fair trade, which is before the Senate for consideration as or advertising in general, visit the SBC web site at be powerful. opposed to the House. I was able to meet with the same really nice (read unfail- www.sbcmag.info, or call 608/310-6723. Together Continued on page 8 *Indicates Charter Advertiser Status • Listing based on contracts received as of 3/10/05. April 2005 Structural Building Components Magazine www.sbcmag.info 7 TM Editor’s Message Continued from page 7 ingly polite) staff member all three years who attentively heard me Sales, Tech Support, out, and duly noted my position on these important issues. I’m not going to lie to you—at the time this seemed to me like a waste of Publisher Spares & Installation time, especially after strike three. Truss Publications, Inc. 6300 Enterprise Lane, Suite 200 • Madison, WI 53719 Last summer, a staff member from Congressman Otter’s Boise office Phone: 608/310-6706 • Fax: 608/271-7006 called me and asked if the Congressman could schedule a visit to our [email protected] • www.sbcmag.info plant.