double duty after expansion

f)ouar-nc cApActry might seem odd in today's business l-lenvironment, but the move does provide eB Corp., Salmon, Id., with a competitive advantage during tough times, as well as positions the glulam manufacturer for explosive growth once the economy turns around.

Business was booming back in 2005 when eB decided to expand. "Our ability to meet customer demand was chal- lenged, and we had to undertake the expansion to maintain our high level of customer service," admitted Dennis Lentz, director of marketing. "We expanded so we could take on new customers and take better care of existing customers. We were running against the walls in production. you wait a long time before you change format, and we had run that way for a long time."

At such times, he said, "you have two choices: you can enlarge your existing facility or you can build a new one. We did a little bit of both. We doubled our operations, but in a separate, adjacent building. If something happened, like a fire, we'd still have a full operation."

The expansion did not require huge purchases of new equipment, since QB had gradually been accumulating machinery over the years from mill closures and other opportunities.

Both facilities feature identical capabilities. They can produce over 1.5 million bd. ft. per week, such as stock beams, custom beams, arches, curves, tapers, bevels, glulam trusses, and other custom fabrication including metal fasteners and attaching hardware. In fact, QB recently became the first timber fabricator to be certified by the American Institute of Timber Construction.

QB uses softwood species such as Douglas fir, western red cedar, Alaskan yellow cedar, and southern yellow pine.

Although the economy had begun slowing by the time the expansion was completed at the end of 2001 , having twin facilities at its disposal provides QB with a great luxury. "We run both," Lentz said. "You can't let the machinery sit for long periods, so we switch back and forth. It minimizes lead times for customers, and minimizes interruptions. We can now take on large projects without disrupting everything else. Before, if we took on a 25-truckload order for a special building, it would take a big bite out of our production."

QB now has the flexibility to roll out new products, such as full-width garage door headers, and improved ones, such as large custom beams up to 120 ft. long and 100 inches deep.

"We can also break into new business segments, such as utilities, whereas before we were primarily residential and commercial," Lentz added. "We produce utility poles and utility transmission fabrication."

The move provides QB with a wide range of capabilities that offer solutions for a wider range of customers, whether for the residential, commercial, or utilities market.