Learning New Things from the Old World

What Fourteen Days Inside Europe’s Component Manufacturing Industry Taught Us

By Abby Langenberg

FOR FOURTEEN DAYS THIS PAST APRIL, a group of SBCA members, staff, and industry leaders traveled across Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Ireland to experience Europe’s component manufacturing industry firsthand.

Over the course of the tour, the group visited seven component manufacturers (CMs), three equipment manufacturers, one plate supplier, and one sawmill. They also participated in roundtable dinners and countless informal conversations that became just as valuable as the facility tours themselves. The purpose of this full itinerary was simple: to observe how the European industry operates, understand what is working well, and bring meaningful insights home to strengthen conversations and decision-making in North America.

What became clear early on was that while Europe and the U.S. share many of the same challenges — labor shortages, automation, efficiency, and software integration — the way those challenges are approached can look very different depending on market structure, regulation, and culture.

The Conversations Between the Stops

True to other SBCA events, some of the most valuable learning on this tour happened not during scheduled plant visits, but in transit. On buses, over meals, and during the downtime between stops, CMs, framers, suppliers, and industry leaders naturally fell into conversations that were honest, practical, and often candid. People discussed workforce challenges, compared operational approaches, and shared how they were adapting to the pressures still present in their day-to-day operations back home.

Stepping outside of normal routines created space for those conversations to happen freely and organically. Without production schedules and overflowing inboxes competing for attention, people had time to think more broadly — and to listen with a different perspective.

“It was great to hang out with others in the industry, talk shop, and see new things,” says 2026 tour participant, Justin Richardson with Richco Structures. “While everything isn’t completely relatable to the way we do things, it provides perspective and clarity in what we do and how we look at our industry in total.”

“BEING ABLE TO TRAVEL OVERSEAS, HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHERS IN OUR INDUSTRY THAT SHARE OUR PASSION, AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE WHOLE TRIP ARE THINGS I WILL REMEMBER FOREVER. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THE TOUR TO THE REST OF THE SBCA MEMBERSHIP.” 
— Justin Richardson, Richco Structures, 2026 Tour Participant

That kind of peer exchange is difficult to replicate in any other setting. It is not structured like a conference session, or curated like a panel discussion, but industry professionals informally learning from one another in real time.

Scandinavia: Precision, Intention, and Nothing Wasted

The group’s first week in Finland, Sweden, and Denmark set the tone for much of what followed. Across nearly every facility, there was a clear sense of intentionality. Workspaces were organized with purpose, processes were highly structured, and every step in production appeared thoughtfully refined over time.

At first glance, some operations seemed slower than what many U.S. manufacturers are accustomed to. But that perception changed quickly as the group examined the results. What initially seemed like slower production was, in fact, a disciplined production designed to reduce errors, eliminate rework, and maximize consistency.

Market structure plays a major role in enabling that approach. With far fewer housing starts than in the U.S., Scandinavian manufacturers are not forced into the same high-volume cycles. That reduces urgency on a per project basis, allowing for deeper optimization and precision. That mindset is especially visible in their zero-waste philosophy. Across facilities, nearly all utilized materials had designated secondary uses. If lumber could not be used in its primary form, it was redirected into engineered products, biomass fuel, or other applications.

One of the most memorable stops of the trip was a sawmill that demonstrated this philosophy in real time. Watching a raw log enter one end of the facility and emerge as finished lumber — guided almost entirely by automation — was remarkable for the group to witness. “It was interesting to see how everything was sorted and how the log turns into lumber by the end of its trip through their manufacturing facility,” says Justin.

We also saw design elements at the Scandinavian component manufacturers that sparked immediate discussion among U.S. attendees, including an “isolation bridge” integrated into truss systems. The feature creates a dedicated service cavity for mechanical systems while also providing a walkable surface after installation — a small detail that generated meaningful conversation about how similar ideas might work in U.S. facilities.

Automation in Action

At Palsgaard Spær, a truss manufacturer in Denmark, we observed the Trussmatic line — an advanced example of automated truss manufacturing currently in use in the U.S. — operating live in production.

From saws and conveyors to robotic plating, the process is nearly touchless from raw lumber to finished truss. One operator oversees the entire line, stepping in only when the system identifies an issue. The level of consistency and efficiency was immediately apparent, as was the scale of investment required to achieve it.

But what stood out in particular was what happened before production even began. While the factory floor is becoming increasingly automated in the U.S., upstream processes such as design, engineering, and load analysis still rely heavily on human expertise. As software and AI tools continue to evolve, attendees discussed how upstream stages may eventually become just as transformative as automation on the production floor itself.

Germany: World-Class Equipment and High-Performance Walls

Week Two began in Germany, where the group encountered a noticeably different construction culture. The facilities were exceptionally clean and highly controlled, reflecting deeply established operational standards. Material flow was optimized, space was efficiently used, and there was a clear expectation of consistency at every stage. Two of the tour’s most impactful visits were to Hundegger and WEINMANN, both equipment manufacturers based in Germany that work closely with offsite construction and component manufacturers.

At Hundegger, a German manufacturer specializing in precision CNC machinery and automated timber processing systems, we saw precision cutting systems that demonstrated both versatility and scalability. What stood out most was not the technology itself, but how adaptable it was across different stages of automation. For many attendees, it reframed automation not as a single leap, but as a progression from start to finish.

At WEINMANN, a German company known for advanced prefabrication equipment and automated wall panel systems, we observed one of the most advanced automated wall panel systems on the tour. The integration across framing, sheathing, and insulation was seamless and highly controlled. Perhaps most memorable was the opportunity to see technologies still in development inside WEINMANN’s research and development area. It offered a rare glimpse into where panelized construction may be headed before those technologies fully reach the market.

German wall systems are heavily driven by performance standards. Thick, highly engineered panels are designed to meet the aggressive energy requirements that have shaped the market for decades. The takeaway for U.S. manufacturers may not be to replicate these processes outright, but to recognize what made them possible in the first place. When asked why their systems were built this way, the answer was almost always the same: regulations. Building codes and energy efficiency requirements didn’t just set a standard — they created the conditions for sustained innovation, consistency, and investment in offsite manufacturing throughout Europe.

Ireland: Familiar Market, Forward-Thinking Approach

For many U.S. participants, Ireland felt the most comparable to the U.S. industry. Housing styles closely resemble portions of the American market, particularly dense townhome developments, and the production rhythm felt more aligned with active U.S. facilities. Irish manufacturers are highly focused on throughput and speed, and their operations clearly reflect that priority.

One big difference was that closed wall panel systems are central to their approach. Rather than delivering open frames, Irish manufacturers ship fully enclosed, insulated panels designed to reduce variability and risk on the jobsite. Every step — from sealing joints to protecting windows — is controlled within the factory environment.

At NUA Manufacturing, an Irish offsite construction and timber frame manufacturer, one of the most memorable visits of the trip, the openness of the team stood out immediately. “My favorite part of the tour was NUA because of how switched-on Gabriel Prior is, and how much he had to share,” says 2026 tour participant, Desmond Ebanks with CSDI Truss Plant.

That willingness to engage openly and discuss both successes and challenges was something we experienced consistently across all five countries.

A Pattern Worth Noting

Across every country the group visited, one pattern appeared repeatedly: when asked why their manufacturing systems were designed a certain way, the answer often came back to government regulation. Government standards were one of the most consistent drivers of the innovations the group observed.

In the U.S., where codes can vary widely across jurisdictions, innovation tends to be more market-driven and fragmented. That contrast raises an important question as codes continue to evolve: how might regulatory consistency, or the lack of it, shape the next phase of offsite construction?

“These tours are more of a conversation starter than anything else,” says 2026 tour participant, Amir Ahmadi with Wescana Industries, Inc. “We may see something new or not, or we may learn something, but the best part is that we start thinking about our own operations and how we do what we do.”

That reflection captures something important about tours like this: the goal is not replication. It is about gaining broader perspective in order to think and plan more effectively for the future.

What the Group Brought Home

Despite regional differences, the core challenges facing the industry remain remarkably similar across continents: labor shortages, automation adoption, and increasing complexity in design and software systems. That realization alone was valuable, because it reinforced that the conversations taking place in the U.S. are not isolated, but rather part of a much larger global industrial shift.

The group also brought home tangible examples of processes already operating successfully elsewhere: zerowaste production systems, highly automated truss lines, and closed-panel delivery models that are currently standard practice in parts of Europe.

For anyone considering whether a tour like this is worth the investment of time and travel, the sentiments of many group members echo those of Brendalee Scott-Novak of CSDI Truss Plant, says it was, “An incredible experience, and a critical reminder that failure to stay abreast of the industry will lead to obsolescence.”