WB Components began operations around 1984, when members of the Willowbank Hutterite Colony in Edgeley, North Dakota were approached by a man selling a truss table taken from a defunct plant. The colony purchased the table and began producing trusses from there under the leadership of Dan Wipf, originally a truss plant manager and now in Inside Sales & Design. WB eventually teamed up with supplier Alpine ITW (Illinois Tool Works), which provided engineering software and plates for the trusses, two necessary steps to expand the company’s operations. Today, WB services projects and clients across America, with a roster of remote staff members to oversee and facilitate national operations.

The North Dakota head of Truss Design & Sales, Jeff Haider, explains that the business is steadily growing and improving its processes while also reinvesting back into the Hutterite colony. Many of WB’s operations are performed in-house: the company manufactures, engineers, and designs its own stackers for trusses; loads and unloads products from two different rail spurs via its own fleet of Peterbilt semi-trucks and a half-dozen pickup trucks; and builds its own columns in-house. 2024 also saw the addition of an in-house automated truck washing station to help keep the fleet running clean.

Furthermore, the company’s operations include a degree of automation in its layouts, table setups, and saws, which allows it to label each piece of wood processed to designate its future purpose and destination. WB even repurposes its wood scraps into turkey bedding that it then re-sells, a practice that many other truss plants simply don’t think to do. Haider says that, when it comes to sustainability and smart solutions like this, “we were green before green was a thing.”

This decade has been a busy one for the company. In 2020, WB built a 56,000-square-foot lumber storage building from the ground up, one that boasts a modern interior with temperature control, the latter being important for both wood quality and morale for employees during the notoriously subzero North Dakota winters. This warehouse has improved overall wood quality as it allows WB not to have to store its main resource outside.

WB sports a quarter mile of storage for its trusses; whereas a lot of other plants can be very tight in space, WB has the capacity to build up to 115-foot clear span trusses in wood. “We have never come close to running out of space,” Haider says. The space is also filled with multiple pallet handlers and forklifts that allow for quick loading and unloading of trusses, which pairs well with its transport fleet that is ready to haul to any state.

Haider says that 2024 turned out to be a great year for WB, with sales on par with the equally successful 2023. The company would not have had such success, Haider says, without being open to traveling across the country to find interesting work, such as big building jobs in the Kansas area. “It’s knowing our market and knowing what to do to get those sales,” he tells us.

Amid this mounting success, there are still some challenges to overcome. Haider says that a challenge in working with Hutterites is that they are not concerned about advertising the business, insisting only on word-of-mouth. This is why partnerships with organizations like NDAB (North Dakota Association of Builders) and NDRLA (North Dakota Retail Lumberman’s Association) are incredibly important, as both have afforded the company access to networking and personal training within the industry, as well as a demonstrable uptick in sales in the North Dakota area. Haider says that the growth of WB wouldn’t be possible without partner organizations like these, and the company is very grateful for them.

Another aspect of being a Hutterite business is that WB lacks options for bringing in new talent, as the colony does not generally hire workers from outside its own collective or others nearby. A challenge going forward will be in producing more volume during the year’s busy times with the same amount of people. This will also mean an increased focus on and improvement of communication amongst the company’s remote employees across the country. In the past, WB opened its doors to other truss plants eager to research its warehousing and storage, plants that WB now often partners with and that have similarly opened their own doors.

WB Components has also had to continue adapting to changes in the lumber industry. In recent years, certain commodity prices have been better than others and projects in the home area of North Dakota were a bit sporadic. Haider says that not every area was great for business in 2024 with the economy struggling—especially in areas like housing—but WB was able to find its niche to operate in and ended up having a good year despite it all.

A crucial factor for the company is the presidential change from Joe Biden to Donald Trump and the potential for lumber tariffs to be imposed by the new administration. The lumber market has fluctuated because of this uncertainty, but with WB’s large storage facility, it can order multiple rail cars of wood and store it indoors safely for a long time. Historically, North Dakota has not had much trouble during national situations like the 2008 housing crisis thanks to its robust local industries (i.e. oil and the Air Force), and WB has not faced a big crunch itself. The Sentinel Missile Project also has a strong presence in the state and is promising to bring infrastructure and more than 500 new families to the area.

Haider says that business is generally slow for WB at the start of the year until about April, when business picks up considerably until roughly November. To keep its business growing, WB will look to find more work in the slow winter times so as not to be in a deficit by the time April comes around. The company is confident that President Trump will do a good job for the lumber industry in lifting American bans on logging in certain areas, which will give companies like WB timberland for wood that is close by and allow it to not depend on Canadian lumber; however, WB does enjoy working with the superior Canadian lumber product and Haider hopes the tariff situation can be resolved.

Automation will also play a big role in WB’s future. Automated tables that need less manpower to work and other options could be gamechangers, but there have been hiccups with the adoption of automation in the truss industry so far this decade. With the hope that these problems will be fixed and more options will be available, automation will likely represent the company’s next big investment.

Haider says that 2025 is expected to be an incredible year for WB Components. While Haider himself says that he didn’t understand a lot about the Hutterite community before starting work with the company, he says that they have made him feel like he is part of a family thanks to a strong sense of closeness. This attitude is what the company will be bringing forward as it looks to take steps into the automation space while maintaining the same high quality of service that America has expected from it since the 1980s.

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Now comprising 1,400 members in North Dakota and more than 140,000 members nationwide who drive value for their local, state, and national economies, NDAB and its members are doing their part to ensure the growing demands for construction are met, which is no easy feat given the challenges before them.

While financing and interest rates have cooled the market demand in North Dakota to some degree, the state is also experiencing strong growth in the natural resource, transportation, and agricultural sectors, which is exacerbating the labor crunch. The lack of talent, paired with other legislative and regulatory changes, means that the need for an organization like NDAB is greater than ever.

Adding value for members
The North Dakota Association of Builders (NDAB) was born out of the desire to enhance the public image of the home building industry in the state, but the scope of its role has evolved over time. Today, it serves as a place for local builders associations to come together and acts as a conduit between its members, the industry, and the various levels of government, serving as an advocative force where decisions are made that directly impact the industry.

“Most of the state associations across the country for builders were founded to enhance the image of the home building industry across the state and to work together to address building codes and other laws impacting the industry,” explains NDAB Chief Executive Officer Brittney Roehrich.

The organization brings six local associations under a single governing body, including the Western Area Builders Association, Minot Association of Builders, Forx Builders Association, Dickinson Area Home Builders Association, Building Industry Association of the Red River Valley, and the Bismarck-Mandan Home Builders Association.

The year after its founding, NDAB was officially chartered by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), support that Roehrich credits as being second to none. “There is always help available for any questions or concerns from our membership or staff. It truly makes a difference to have the support and help with answering hard questions our membership may be looking for.”

And becoming a member is easy. When a company becomes a member of their local builders association, they automatically become a member of NDAB, and by virtue of that membership, NAHB as well. There are three membership levels: builder membership, associate membership, and affiliate membership, and each plays an important role in the sector.

“Builders are the heart and soul of the home builders association,” says Roehrich. “Builder members are directly involved in building homes—they include small-volume builders, production builders, light commercial builders, and remodelers.”

Associate members make up the majority of members and represent suppliers to the industry, service providers, and manufacturers that support the growth and success of the industry while gaining valuable access to a strong network to build relationships and showcase their products and services while enjoying a feedback loop whereby they can align their offerings with the needs of the market.

Affiliate members are employees of Builder and Associate members who earn the same rewards of membership but at a lower cost. Each group is representative of an important industry cohort, and through the NDAB, members can work together to address legislative matters such as building codes and other laws that impact the strength of the industry.

Members can also attain professional recognition, not only through the relationship with NAHB, but through the opportunity for certification. Members can become a North Dakota Professional Builder (NDPB) or Associate (NDPA) through NDAB, certifications which stand out in a competitive market. Members also have access to discounts from major retailers, rebate programs, and most importantly, a voice and a presence at various levels of government.

A strong and growing network
In the construction industry, competition is fierce, especially when it comes to securing talent. While being a member of NDAB can’t manifest workers in an instant to solve the labor crunch, what it can do is present a positive public image and leverage its professional network to build opportunities for its members. For instance, NDAB maintains relationships with local, regional, and state schools and training centers, encouraging the next generation of workers to join the industry and ensuring that the needs of the sector are being met.

NDAB’s relationship with the North Dakota Association of Realtors is another important connection that can enhance the strength of its members, particularly as appraisal values can sometimes be lower than the actual cost to build the home in the first place, which contributes to underinvestment in the market. This is particularly important as a significant challenge facing the industry has been underinvestment in single-family homes, which has further contributed to the shortfall in supply and to higher housing prices.

Smart policies lead to stronger outcomes, and the NDAB is at the forefront of these efforts to create a pro-building economic environment in the state. From appraisals to improved access to financing, the organization will continue to forge ahead, leveraging its partnerships and reinforcing its network.

Further, through its relationships with organizations like North Dakota Housing Finance Agency, Community Services, Building Officials Association, Secretary of State’s Office, Workforce Safety and Insurance, Job Service of North Dakota, Housing & Urban Development (HUD), Fannie Mae, and Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), NDAB creates positive relationships and opens lines of communication to produce collaborative solutions.

It also creates opportunities for this collaboration to take place. Some of the organization’s upcoming events are the Area 10 Leadership Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, April 16 – 17; the Summer Social and Board Meeting in Minot, July 29 – 30; and the Annual Banquet and Fall Board Meeting, the year’s gala event in Grand Forks, November 4 – 5, where industry leaders will be recognized and the awards of the year can be celebrated.

“These serve as great opportunities to celebrate the successes of the industry and come together to ensure that information is being disseminated and the voices of the industry are being heard,” says NDAB President and Owner of McCody Concrete Products Inc., Bob Horab.

A unified voice in advocacy
One of the greatest values derived from membership is representation and advocacy at the legislative level. NDAB has member representatives on local, state, and national committees acting as a strong voice and advocate for Builder and Associate members to protect the industry and advance its interests.

Understanding that there are hundreds of bills introduced at each biennial session of the North Dakota Legislative Session that could have major implications for the industry and its members, NDAB ensures that it keeps legislators informed about the needs of its members and vice versa, keeping its members apprised of the changes coming down the pipeline. The organization also supports candidates that will have the sector’s best interests at heart.

“We work to reduce regulations and ensure workable building codes for our members. We also have a member that’s on the State Building Code Council and he updates us at our board meetings. We also have partnerships with related organizations,” notes Roehrich. NDAB-PAC is the organization’s political action committee that provides non-partisan support for local, state, and federal candidates who support the building industry. BUILD-PAC is the national arm of the organization that works to elect pro-housing and pro-business candidates to Congress.

Indeed, the organization pays close attention to code and regulatory issues at every level to remain at the leading edge of the industry, keeping its members up to date and educated—because knowledge, in this case, is certainly power.

“Being able to stay on top of this, where you’ve got multiple jurisdictions coming up with new ordinances and codes and regulations, I think is beneficial with 1,400 members within the state. There are a lot of eyes on what’s going on, such that we can address or support or work to eliminate some of the regulations that become harmful for the building industry,” Horab explains.

Empowering the industry
Through its work, NDAB is empowering its members and the broader industry to succeed. Members can gain valuable leadership opportunities through involvement with the organization, and the more hands doing the work, the greater the ability to have a positive impact.

As it continues to grow both its membership and its presence, the NDAB will continue to identify ways that its members can be better supported. From stronger advocacy to seats at more tables, it will continue to be a conduit of knowledge, a source of education, a place for networking, and a tireless advocate for its members where it is needed the most to ensure the viability and profitability of the sector for years to come.

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