Good Connections Magazine

G O O D CO N N E C T I O N S | S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 2 SUMMER 2015 Publishers Note: Good Connections is published by Alpine for its customers and associates, and for builders, architects, building officials and others interested in the building components industry. At Alpine, "Good Connections" means not only the quality products and services we offer, but also the connections that are the heart of our industry. We appreciate any story ideas, project photos or other suggestions that you have to make this an even better publication. For more information, contact John Mandel, Marketing Communications Manager, at (800) 521-9790, ext. 3834 or jmandel@alpineitw.com. K evin Kraft is the engineering director for ITW's new Residential Construction Design Center in Lake Forest, Illinois, where he leads the research and development of innovative fastener and connector systems for the wood- to-wood construction market. He previously served as research and development manager at the ITW Technology Center in Glenview, Illinois. ITW's business strategy is built on a foun- dation of "Customer-Back Innovation" that has fueled decades of growth. It focuses on building relationships with end users, business partners and customers to develop deep knowledge and insights around their key needs and pain points. Working innova tion from "the customer back" sets ITW apart, and it is these customer insights and learnings that drive new product development. We recently established the Residential Construction Design Center to assist us in working more closely with customers and showcasing our solutions. Accessible to customers, business partners and industry influencers, this state-of-the-art facility centralizes our engineering resources. It offers a wide spectrum of testing capabilities, and is designed to foster collaboration and innovation. The Residential Construction Design Center is already helping us accelerate the introduction of new fastener technologies and products that save cus- tomers time and money. The facility also supports the development efforts of threaded fasteners made by sister brands GRK and Tapcon. In addition, the Residential Construction Design Center will enable us to engage proactively with material suppliers, industry influencers and codes/standards organizations to positively shape building practices. We intend to leverage our many technical competencies to make the facility a renowned center of excellence. Another objective of the Residential Design Center is to address major challenges such as the shortage of labor in the con- struction industry, impact of building code changes and other important issues. UPDATE FROM THE ENGINEERING DIRECTOR How We Are Shaping the Future Today By Kevin Kraft, Engineering Director, ITW Residential Construction Design Center Good Connections To that end, we have assembled a skilled team with deep industry expertise and broad technical skills. They are enthusiastic about collaborating to develop novel solutions that bolster Alpine's and Paslode's outstanding industry reputations. All of us at the Residential Construction Design Center are excited about the many benefits this new resource provides to our Alpine and Paslode partners and customers, ITW sister companies and the entire construction industry. If you would like to learn more about the Residential Construction Design Center and how we can assist you, feel free to contact me at kevin.kraft@itwresidential.com. n The new Residential Construction Design Center showcases the latest technologies and testing capabilities for the residential construction market.

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