At BCMC 2025, Carlton sat down with Todd Drummond, experienced industry expert and owner of Todd Drummond Consulting, to talk about what’s shaping the next chapter of component manufacturing. Todd has spent nearly 25 years helping companies uncover inefficiencies and increase profits through lean manufacturing principles and data-backed decision-making. His ideas challenge long-held assumptions and point toward a smarter, more open future for truss design and production.
The Changing Landscape of Component Manufacturing
Todd highlights a major shift in the market: consolidation. Over the past decade, mergers and acquisitions have reduced the number of mid-sized independent manufacturers, leaving small independents competing with national players that enjoy advantages in pricing, software, and supply chains.
But rather than dwell on the imbalance, Todd points to innovation as the equalizer. Open software models, like Paragon’s API integrations, allow smaller manufacturers to connect their preferred tools - Appwright for job management, QuickBooks for accounting, and Paragon for design - without being locked into one ecosystem.
Smarter Metrics for Real Profitability
One of Todd’s core messages is simple but profound: board footage isn’t a measure of profitability—time is. He explains how most companies miss out on margin gains because they focus on volume rather than gross margin per man-hour. By tracking labor efficiency and shop utilization more accurately, manufacturers can unlock 3–6 points of profit that often go unnoticed.
As Todd puts it, “When you run the numbers, you’ll find that your ag trusses and custom homes don’t make you the same money. The numbers don’t lie.”
AI, Robotics, and the Next Leap Forward
Todd sees automation and AI not as total threats, but as powerful accelerators. In the next few years, he predicts that one designer could possibly be doing the work of ten, as AI-assisted tools handle layout and engineering in real time. The role of the human designer won’t disappear, but it will shift toward quality control, creativity, and insight.
“AI will take the man out of the middle,” Todd says. “It’s going to happen in every industry, and ours is no exception."
Looking Ahead
As AI advances and open platforms gain ground, independent component manufacturers have more opportunity than ever to compete through innovation rather than scale.
