On the morning of April 22, 2026, Alan Mooney met with Aaron Bennett at the Boise Cascade truss manufacturing facility at 58 Industrial Park Road in Saco for an in-depth look at how modern wood trusses are designed and built. The tour was led by Plant Manager Bill Card, who walked through the facility’s operations starting with the design and production workflow.
From the outset, what stood out was the level of cross-functional capability within the team. Designers, sales staff, and plant managers are all trained to develop truss layouts using MiTek—a platform widely recognized across the industry. This shared skillset creates a more agile and collaborative environment, allowing projects to move efficiently from concept to fabrication while maintaining consistency in design approach.
Bill explained that MiTek, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, is widely recognized as the industry leader in truss plate manufacturing, design software, and automated production equipment. Boise Cascade relies heavily on the MiTek suite, including tools such as Virtual Plant and Production software, to streamline the transition from design to fabrication. This integration allows for efficient coordination between engineering and manufacturing, ensuring that truss designs are not only structurally sound but also optimized for production efficiency.
The tour continued onto the manufacturing floor, where the level of automation and precision was readily apparent. One of the key pieces of equipment observed was the Cyber A/T Saw. With four independently controlled blades, the system can execute multiple cuts in a single pass, including complex angles, compound cuts, and end trimming without the need to reposition the lumber. This allows for simultaneous top and bottom chord cuts, web member preparation, and mitered connections. The result is a significant reduction in handling time, improved consistency across members, and increased overall production efficiency.
In the truss layout stage, Boise Cascade employs the Virtek Laser Projection System, which projects the exact geometry of each truss (and plate size/location) directly onto the assembly tables, eliminating the need for traditional tape measure layout and reducing the potential for human error. The facility also utilizes the Alpine Speed Set Table, an automated system that significantly improves production efficiency; notably, retooling times between truss configurations have been reduced from approximately 20 minutes to just 7 seconds. This dramatic reduction allows for rapid changeover between designs without interrupting workflow, improving throughput while maintaining consistent assembly quality.
Overall, the visit provided valuable insight into how modern truss manufacturing blends software-driven design with advanced automation to deliver consistent, high-quality structural components. To watch some brief videos of the equipment observed during our tour, please visit the links below. Thank you to Bill for taking the time to take us for this great tour and answer our multitude of questions. Although Alan and Bill had never met, it was interesting to hear about the overlap of involvement Alan has had working with people in the industry the Bill knows well.
Cyber A/T Saw (https://www.mitek-us.com/machinery/cyber-at-saw/)
Virtek Laser Projection System (https://www.mitek-us.com/machinery/virtek-trussline/)
Alpine Speed Set Table (SpeedSet Table Automation – Alpine – An ITW Company)
This article was contributed by Aaron Bennett, P.E. of Criterium-Bennett Engineers.