Special to Florida Construction News
Recognized as a pioneer in manufacturing pre-engineered roof and floor trusses that combine visionary thinking with tried-and-true construction practices, A-1 Industries has taken wall production to the next level with its proprietary EZWALL® Innovative Framing Solution™. Not only does the precut wall kit provide efficiency, cost savings, and cycle times up to 20 percent faster than conventional stick framing methods, it also contributes to reducing approximately $1 billion in home building waste.
“We deliver EZWALL® with virtually no waste, and we see a plethora of products in our future that we can manufacture off-site and deliver,” said John Herring, CEO and Chairman of parent company A-1 Global Holdings, Inc. “When these products are manufactured off-site in the plant, we use every bit of fiber in the wood. What doesn’t go into a truss or a wall, we grind and sell, or it goes into landscaping mulch.”
Commitment to Sustainability
A-1 uses innovative technology and processes as part of its commitment to sustainable production. Amid soaring building material costs, the company utilizes every inch of wood purchased. Usable defective pieces or scraps are salvaged; others are ground up for shavings, landscape mulch, or papermaking. The process recovers more than three truckloads — or more than $100,000 in product — each month.
Efficiency and Cost Savings
For builders concerned about the bottom line, EZWALL® offers multi-tiered advantages versus fabricated paneling and stick framing, where walls are built on-site, and excess wood is tossed into a dumpster for haulage to landfill. EZWALL® offers greater flexibility and adaptability than pre-assembled panels since components are packaged in bundles in the order they are to be used for on-site assembly, which allows leeway for any corrections.
Wood cutting at A-1’s facilities eliminates weather-related delays and minimizes the potential for sawing injuries on the construction site. A-1’s direct lumber mill relationships, more than 47 years of experience, and track record of on-time deliveries provide assurance that work will be completed on schedule.
Comprehensive Support and Advanced Technology
An EZWALL® build starts with an extensive consultation before the first material cut. After inputting dimensions provided by the customer, the company uses proprietary software to visualize shop drawings in two and three dimensions down to the last stud, so builders have a detailed picture of the finished product.
“When you get it out in the field, EZWALL® is incredibly user-friendly,” said Lenny Amato, A-1 Wall Panel Design Manager, who has nurtured the development of the EZWALL® system over the past two years. “If the foundation is off by a few inches, you don’t need to cut the wall panel down. You simply trim the plates. There’s minimal cutting, no measuring, and no marking required. Just nail it in place. The time saved can be used to assemble another panel.”
A-1 designers work with customers to make changes before building begins to avoid job site errors and waste. The company uses state-of-the-art saws and proprietary technology to precision cut, with each piece packaged with easy-to-understand markings.
“We take a lot of time designing it in the bid process, so we don’t have to make as many corrections,” said A-1’s EZWALL® Coordinator Hunter Szynalski. He said builders realize impressive efficiencies. “They’re not paying for wasted material on site and dumpsters to haul it off. They’re not paying for it twice.”
Framing crew costs can be slashed since materials are precut off-site for quick installation, or builders can choose to do more with existing framing staff. Szynalski said cycle time improvements mean eight panels can be assembled in the time needed to build six using stick framing methods.
A Vision for the Future
Guided by its mission, Using Technology to Change the Way America Builds Homes™ and propelled by productivity innovation, A-1 Industries has expanded its footprint and tripled employment to more than 460 people at its headquarters and manufacturing plants in Fort Pierce, Fla. and Bainbridge, Ga.
The company envisions a near future where its fleet of trucks loads up to 200 units daily in just 15 minutes, thanks to cutting-edge technology. Whole House Engineering, an affiliate of A-1, utilizes Building Information Modeling software to streamline workflows, reduce project timelines, and ensure comprehensive and detailed information is accessible throughout the entire project lifecycle.
These innovations have elevated A-1 to the top 5 percent of single-site production for quality and efficiency nationwide, aiding America’s homebuilders in addressing the critical 1.4 million shortfall in new home construction.
