Innovator of Building Tools Wins Award

Jim I. Merrick is a housing pioneer and innovator, but his name has a zero recognition factor with virtually all housing consumers and most experts.

Merrick, founder and chairman of Triad/Merrick Machine Co., Alda, Neb., has been named winner of the 1986 James R. Price/Automation in Housing & Manufactured Home Dealer Achievement in Housing Award. He was honored for inventing automated machine tools for housing production.

His first invention, in 1960, was a window frame machine. He went on to develop wall panel fabrication machines, fastening equipment and sub-component machines.