2015 was a big year for our Spring Hill, KS location. Our Millard Lumber Spring Hill location became SCORE (Structural Components Operations Reaching for Excellence) certified and was named Business of the Year in Manufacturing by the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce. We interviewed Luke Wiesen, General Manager at our Spring Hill facility to learn more.
Luke Wiesen, General Manager at Spring Hill, giving Spring Hill High School students a tour of our Spring Hill facility.
Q: What does it mean to you to be named Business of the Year in Manufacturing by the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce?
A: Being the Manufacturing Business of the Year shows our commitment not only to our Employees, but also to the community of Spring Hill. This also shows the City of Spring Hill’s commitment to Millard Lumber and their desire for us to grow as a part of the Community.
Q: How will being named Business of the Year in Manufacturing impact business?
A: This will show current employees and potential employees that we are committed to our employees and know that having a fun, energetic, and dynamic culture is key to having a great Team! This will promote good conversation about Millard Lumber, not only for the employees, but for the community.
Q: How will being named Business of the Year in Manufacturing impact Millard Lumber’s reputation in the Spring Hill community?
A: The Community of Spring Hill will know we are here to assist anyone from simply replacing a door in their existing home, to building a new home.
Q: What does becoming SCORE certified entail?
A: Being SCORE Certified by the WTCA (Wood Truss Council of America) shows that we are committed to building an above average truss. We put a higher standard to everything we do, being SCORE Certified proves that we care about quality before speed. This gives our customers the comfort of knowing we put the extra time into ensuring our trusses are inspected for quality in the plant, so they don’t have to in the field.
Q: Did you face any obstacles in becoming SCORE certified? If yes, explain.
A: Yes, in order to become SCORE Certified, our Designers had to pass the WTCA Truss Technician Training Level 1. It is a complicated course that works through Truss Math, Configuration, and the overall understanding of the Truss Industry. All four did an amazing job, showing dedication and determination, they all passed in the High 90 percentage and are currently working on becoming Level II Certified. We also had to employ a full time QC individual that is required to inspect several truss on a daily basis and report this back to the TPI (Truss Plate Institute) and the WTCA. The TPI then sends out a monthly inspection Agent to review the work and to confirm we are following all rules and regulation set forth by the TPI. This took several months of training and education to understand the entire process.
Q: How does being SCORE certified differentiate you from your local competition?
A: Millard Lumber is one of nine companies nationwide that is SCORE Certified, which speaks for itself.
Q: Briefly recap Spring Hill’s goal over the last year.
A: To partner with good trade partners in order to bring advanced framing techniques to the Kansas City area. Educating the KC area on the proper use of Components and the savings they can bring to any build. With the lack of labor, Components will be a large part of the industry as the demand for additional housing continues to grow and the lack of labor continues to become more difficult. We as Millard Lumber want to be at the forefront in bringing new advanced products to the market. From Huber Engineered Wood Products, to TetraGrip Fasteners, we want to be the first to introduce new products that ultimately assist the builder in every step of the building process.
We asked Sharon Mitchell, President and CEO of the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce, about Millard Lumber’s relationship with Spring Hill. “Millard Lumber has positively impacted Spring Hill in many ways. From hosting exchange student families in the company cafeteria, to supporting our Chamber of Commerce activities, to involvement with our city’s holiday celebration, to most importantly providing a local, quality place of employment for our residents, Millard has quickly woven itself in to the fabric of who we are in Spring Hill. Luke Wiesen and his family have embraced our Spring Hill personality and have been eager to dig in and participate in the hard work of community building with the city, school system and business environment. They have also hired well respected professionals and young people from the area to further support and embrace the community.
Millard Lumber was named our 2015 Chamber Manufacturing Business of the Year. This award is not presented every year, but only when a business truly provides outstanding participation and support of the Chamber, and the business environment as a whole. This award is selected by the Chamber board and business membership. Previous to 2015, the award had not been given since 2009.”
We are extremely proud of everything our Spring Hill location has accomplished this year and look forward to seeing all they do in 2016.