Would an Expert Mentor Strengthen Your Business?
Qualtim’s family of companies includes a wide range of staff expertise available to deploy on behalf of your business. How? By developing personalized mentoring and training based on your company’s needs.
Our personalized mentoring/training programs can take one of two approaches:
- Topic specific: We establish a small group of no more than 20 industry professionals interested in one of the areas of staff expertise listed below. The group meets to define an agenda of discussion topics and sets a meeting schedule. The goal is a consistent group dynamic so that each meeting can build on past discussions.
- Company specific: We work with you to define your company’s needs and/or pain points. You identify the team members who will work with the appropriate Qualtim staff member to develop an agenda of topics designed to meet training goals and provide pertinent solutions to business challenges. This approach is designed to be more proprietary (and therefore confidential) in nature and could include activities such as reviewing the technical department business plan, addressing unique company opportunities for innovation, looking at ways to re-think market outreach, and/or evaluating the work of any business department to improve company profitability.
As a business serving the building materials industry over the last 40 years, we have had hundreds of opportunities to develop relationships and provide business support or training on a wide range of topics. Our mentoring approach is intended to be interactive, where the value gained comes from focusing on one pain point, sharing relevant knowledge, and then digging into potential solutions.
We encourage you to consider how our industry expertise can help you challenge traditional thinking and emerge from each discussion with fresh ideas for improvement and creativity. Please call Trish Kutz at 608-310-6768 or contact us for a customized proposal. Special pricing will apply through the first quarter of 2022.
Get to know a few of our staff experts:
Jim Vogt has four decades of component design experience in the building materials industry, beginning with Trus Joist Corporation in open-web trusses, LVL, and I-joists. Jim created the original content for the Truss Technician Training (TTT) program (Levels I-III), and has extensive experience performing truss design, truss repair, and truss bracing design. He also possesses ANSI/TPI 1 and forest products expertise and has provided engineering and technical support and training – both in-person and virtually – on a wide range of technical topics.
Larry Wainright started in the industry in 1985 with his own construction company for 10 years, followed by 20 years as the Design Supervisor and Estimating Manager for Trussway in Sparta, MI, before joining our team in 2006. His knowledge spans the entire construction process, with particular expertise in the model building code process, which he employs to help innovative companies navigate code compliance and approvals.
John Fredrick has 25 years of experience as an Engineering Manager for two component manufacturers (Imperial Components and Seigle’s) where he managed all aspects of the design department, responsible for as many as 12 truss designers at any one time. He provided engineering analysis and structural design of components used in residential and small commercial wood projects (joists, rafters, beams, columns, headers, trusses, walls, etc.). John has recently become very involved in the testing and building design services we provide, where this experience allows him to view opportunities from a unique expert vantage point.
Ryan Dexter has been with the Qualtim family of companies since 2000, focused on truss and specialty engineering. He undertakes professional engineering evaluations of various structural framing, building envelope and related engineering products, designs and materials of construction. He provides technical support and training – both in-person and virtually – on many engineering topics. Having reviewed and sealed over a million truss design drawings over the years, Ryan has lots to share in terms of design issues, quality control and bracing.
Kirk Grundahl has four decades of innovation and market development experience, beginning with the development of two P.H. Bowman truss plates in 1978, followed by SpacejoistTE, SmartComponents, and TrusWal’s I-joists. His primary passion is assisting companies with their ideas and helping to refine them into products that compete well in their target markets. This process is built upon understanding the innovation business model that includes assessing customer needs, R&D testing/analysis, generating attributes that match needs, design processes, regulatory compliance, methods of construction, and cash flow.
I am Qualtim’s General Manager and our manufacturing and supply chain mentor. Starting in my family’s business in the late 1980s, my entire career has focused on improving efficiencies across the component manufacturing, construction, and building material industries. My experience is with Imperial Components, TrusWal, Windsor Building Systems, and Qualtim, and includes the creation of a state-of-the-art testing facility, now called the Center for Building Innovation (CBI). I am involved in the ongoing development of CBI’s equipment and software and support the growth of DrJ’s truss design, truss repair, specialty engineering, and building design services.
Whether you would like to participate in an industry small group or pursue a proprietary business mentoring initiative, we are here to build relationships and share knowledge to help power your company’s success.