Builders will discover new ideas to incorporate into their designs and recommend to their clients at the annual Wisconsin Frame Builders Conference and Tour, Jan. 12-13 at the Radisson Hotel in La Crosse.

The Jan. 12 WFBA tour will look at post frame buildings in the area, with a focus on the variety of applications of post frame construction. Stops will include a sign shop, car service center, motorcycle shop, veterinary clinic, car dealership, custom cabinet shop, and a freestall barn and milking parlor complex.

At the Jan. 13 conference, speakers from the University of Wisconsin, University of Minnesota, and private industry will cover construction tolerances, milking center ventilation design, outdoor air-quality considerations in manure handling, and concrete restoration and protection. Chuck Vander Kooi will mix business strategy and humor in talks on contractors” greatest risks, negotiating construction projects, and “Egg Sucking Dog: How to recognize employees with a bad attitude and how to deal with them.”

Registration is $230 for the two-day program ($130 for WFBA members), $85 for the tour only, or $115 for the conference only. Lodging is not included in the registration fees. Enrollment deadline is Monday, Dec. 28. For registration information, contact the CALS Conference Office, (608) 263-1672, FAX (608) 262-5088. For program information, contact Brian Holmes, (608) 262-0096, or David Kammel, (608) 262-9776, at UW-Madison”s Department of Biological Systems Engineering.