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Increase Profit
Reduce Waste
Fix What’s Broken
Lean Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering for Truss and Wall Panel Operations
Three Ways TDC Helps You Increase Profit — Fast
Most truss and wall panel operations don’t have a labor problem.
They have a clarity problem.
Pricing is based on guesses.
Training is inconsistent.
Equipment decisions are driven by vendors.
And leadership spends more time answering the same questions than improving performance.
TDC fixes that — across every department, not just the shop floor.
Below are the three primary ways companies engage TDC, depending on where they are today.
Option 1: Consultation & Training
The Fastest Path to Measurable Profit Improvement
This is the full engagement — and where the biggest gains occur.
TDC conducts a focused on-site consultation, paired with full training, time standards, and a clear roadmap for execution.
There are no endless weeks of billing.
No vague reports.
No theoretical recommendations.
What to Expect
- Manufacturing, Sales, Design, and Admin reviewed together
- Bottlenecks identified and eliminated
- Labor, pricing, and workflow aligned
- Equipment, facility, and material flow recommendations
- Practical productivity incentive structures
- Clear priorities and execution steps
Typical Results
- 3–6 point net profit increases are common
- Some clients achieve 10+ point gains
- Typical client net profit ratios reach 20–30% during strong cycles
A minimum gain of 3 net profit points is a very low bar for TDC.
Contact TDC for consultation details
Option 2: Training Materials (No On-Site Required)
Fix the Knowledge Gap Without the Consulting Engagement
Many clients start here — and are shocked by the depth.
TDC’s lean manufacturing training materials are:
- Clear
- Practical
- Unbiased
- Built specifically for wood truss and wall panel operations
This is not theory.
It’s exactly how high-performing operations actually run.
What the Training Covers
- Manufacturing, Sales, Design, and Administration
- Productivity improvement in every department
- Reduced mistakes and improved quality
- Shorter training time for new employees
- Elimination of up to 80% of repeated daily questions
- Clear expectations and standardized best practices
This option is ideal if you want:
- Immediate improvement
- Internal alignment
- Better pricing discipline
- Without an on-site engagement
Contact TDC to request a sample of the training material
Option 3: Time Standards
Accurate Labor. Accurate Pricing. Predictable Profit.
If your pricing, scheduling, or labor estimates feel unreliable, this is where clarity begins.
TDC’s Wood Truss Manufacturing Time Standards are built using proper industrial engineering motion and time study methods — not averages, guesses, or vendor benchmarks.
What You Get
- Proven time units based on Work Minutes, R.E., and S.U.
- Reliable labor cost estimations
- Productivity scheduling you can trust
- Accurate shop efficiency measurement
- Support for incentive-based productivity programs
- Pricing based on time utilization (renting your manufacturing capacity) — not flawed markup formulas
Why This Matters
Most plants underprice work without realizing it.
Others overload labor without understanding true capacity.
Time standards eliminate both.
Available with or without a full consultation
Far more reliable than any generic or vendor-based method
Learn More: Truss Manufacturing Time Standards
Equipment, Facility & Vendor-Neutral Recommendations
Avoid the Mistakes That Cost Tens — or Hundreds — of Thousands
TDC is 100% unbiased.
No referral fees.
No plate vendor commissions.
No equipment kickbacks.
Why This Is Critical
TDC routinely sees:
- Tens of thousands wasted on poor equipment selection
- Millions spent on facilities with built-in constraints
- Layouts that limit future expansion from day one
All of this is avoidable.
What TDC Provides
- Equipment selection based on your workflow
- Building size and layout guidance
- Material flow optimization
- Expansion-ready designs
- ROI-focused decision making
The right decision once is far cheaper than fixing it later.
New Startups & Greenfield Operations
Build It Right — Before the First Board Is Cut
For new truss and wall panel startups, TDC provides Prospectus Report Services covering:
- Equipment selection
- Facility size and layout
- Labor models
- Financial ratios
- Software considerations
- Capacity planning
- Growth constraints
This service alone has saved clients tens of thousands of dollars — and years of operational frustration.
The Bottom Line
TDC doesn’t just improve manufacturing.
TDC improves how the entire company operates.
Across:
- Sales
- Design
- Manufacturing
- Administration
The result is fewer surprises, better decisions, higher productivity — and more profit.
Clear thinking beats harder work.
Clarity beats chaos.
And execution beats theory — every time.
Contact TDC for detail
Joe Tepe –Components – Division Manager, Co-Owner
Loveland, Ohio
In recent years, the market for component manufacturing businesses has changed drastically. Our industry has become extremely competitive. The drop in construction has caused manufacturers to reduce prices as far as possible in order to “get the job.” During this time, we are forced to question our estimating techniques. We believe that a critical key to success is the ability to identify our true cost on every job that we estimate. We have to be aware of the point at which the job is no longer profitable.
Todd provided us with time standards which were specific to the equipment that we use. This information allowed us to estimate our jobs with a dramatically increased level of accuracy on each project, regardless of its level of complexity. The time standards also gave us the information to measure our production and establish target output for each workstation in our shop.
Todd also offered suggestions for lean manufacturing practices, marketing, quality control, production, and design incentives. We continue to implement his ideas, which have received positive feedback from our customers. Each has resulted in improvements to our operations.
I recommend Todd’s consultation to any truss manufacturer, even during this difficult market. The expense of the consult was money well spent in improving our profitability.
Chris and Elsie Troyer
Owners / Pres.
Longhorn Truss LLC - Lott, TX
When we hired Todd Drummond Consulting to come in and review our operation, we felt like our operation needed to get a better handle on production and true costs. At least, that was the initial intention to be. We have been a successful truss company in central Texas since 2003, but like everyone, we are always looking for ways to improve. Investing in Todd’s services was not something we did on a whim, but we are glad we did.
The Shop employees were skeptical at first, but over the week, they became enthusiastic about the concepts and ideas that he taught everyone. Todd took lean manufacturing and broke it down to the simple concept of “Work smarter, not harder.” His consulting services covered not only manufacturing but costing, sales, and even better employee management practices. Both concepts and practical suggestions were presented that our people were willing to embrace.
Todd helped us take a fresh look at how the different parts of the manufacturing process work, identified some bottlenecks, moved some equipment, and through that were able to streamline the flow of materials through the plant. These changes in material placement and many other practical ideas have had a positive impact on production speed. When he explained the reasons, it became very apparent, and once we did it, it made a difference.
One area that was not to be overlooked that he helped us with is labor estimation and costing using man-minutes instead of board footage. Better bidding and labor estimations have their own rewards, which have benefitted us. However, because we are able to have better means of labor estimations using man-minutes, we were able to implement a production bonus program. Which has had a very positive effect on employee morale and, therefore, on speed, and quality, of production.
It has been a few years since his consultation, but even now, we still occasionally look over the material he provided to make further improvements. If your company is looking for an honest assessment and looking for ideas for improvement, look no further than Mr. Drummond’s services. He actually does just what he says he can to help you, but only if you are willing to take a chance and hire his services.
Thank you, Todd!
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