In this solo episode of Verify In Field, host Jacob Edmond reflects on the first ever Engineering Summit at AWI Spring Leadership in Las Vegas. What started as an idea to fill a long standing gap in the industry quickly turned into a record setting event with more than 200 attendees focused on one topic that has long been overlooked at conferences: Engineering.
Jacob shares where the idea came from, why engineering has historically been left out of industry conversations, and how this summit became a turning point for both AWI and the millwork community. More than just an event recap, this episode dives into the deeper issue facing shops across the country. Engineering is the bottleneck, and most companies are still trying to figure out how to solve it.
About This Episode
Unlike a typical interview format, this is a transparent and reflective solo session. Jacob walks through the inspiration behind the summit, the planning process, the speakers who helped bring it to life, and the unexpected lessons that came out of it. From engineering throughput and training challenges to AI adoption and leadership evolution, this conversation offers a candid look at where the industry stands and where it needs to go.
What You Will Learn
- Why engineering is the most consistent bottleneck in millwork shops.
Across the board, companies report that getting work from sales through engineering and into production is the biggest constraint on growth. - How the Engineering Summit filled a major industry blind spot.
While conferences typically focus on ownership, sales, or project management, this event was built specifically for engineers and individual contributors. - Why training engineers is fundamentally broken.
There is no clear development path in the industry, and more engineers are retiring than entering the field. - The shift from technical sessions to strategic leadership conversations.
The summit evolved from software specific ideas into high level discussions about management, process, and leadership. - The importance of engineering community.
Many engineers work in isolation. The summit created space for networking, shared struggles, and peer learning. - How AI is reshaping engineering workflows.
Conversations at the summit sparked new experimentation with tools like Claude and renewed focus on AI for operational analytics and technical development. - Why innovation adoption is still inconsistent across the industry.
Even with advanced tools available, many shops struggle to fully adopt existing software and technology. - What true partnership means in millwork.
Moving from drafting provider to engineering partner requires investing in people, process, and long term capability. - How growth shifts internal bottlenecks.
As companies grow, constraints move. Leadership must continually evolve to meet new stages of development. - Why industry events matter more than most people realize.
Getting outside the shop walls creates perspective shifts, new connections, and long term collaboration opportunities.
Key Insight
Engineering is not just a technical function. It is a strategic lever for growth.
If shops want to scale, improve margins, and reduce operational friction, they must invest in engineering capacity, leadership, training, and community.
Final Thoughts
This episode is a reminder that industry evolution does not happen by accident. It happens when people identify a blind spot and choose to act. The Engineering Summit was created to elevate engineers, strengthen community, and spark better conversations around process, leadership, and innovation.
For shop owners, operations leaders, and engineers alike, the message is clear. The future of millwork depends on raising the level of engineering across the industry.
Listen to the full episode here.
Where to Learn More
AWI National Website: https://awinet.org/
Verify in Field Podcast: https://vifpodcast.com/
Jacob´s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobedmond/
