Dealers Use Special Events Sell Engineered Wood

Retailers and distributors that want to promote engineered wood to their customers are getting assistance from suppliers who subsidize builder barbecues, golf outings, in-store trade shows, and other special events.

Weyerhaeuser Co.'s customer service center in Houston, Tx., actively promotes engineered wood through the company's TrusJoist division. Weyerhaeuser's Mike Tompkins says glulams, LVL, I-joists and parallel strand lumber are gaining marketshare with many custom and tract home builders. The company assists dealer customers with special events such as barbecues and golf outings through its First Choice Builders Program.

"The new high-strength glulams and other engineered products add value in the construction process and are well entrenched in the marketplace for headers, floor and roof framing," he says. He notes that homeowners are becoming much more knowledgeable about engineered wood due to Weyerhaeuser's education programs at local home and garden shows.

Olshan Lumber serves the Houston market by training its builder reps to make frequent visits to the job sites of its builder customers. Engineered wood is gaining marketshare each year, according to Marcus Fikac. "Builders are using more glulams because they have greater confidence in an engineered product-they also reduce call-backs," he says. Olshan gets help from suppliers such as Weyerhaeuser for its training program.

"Most of our engineered wood is purchased by custom home builders, rather than contractors who build tract homes," Fikac adds. "We find more of them are preferring the new higher strength glulams." Many of the beams are used as headers and also as center beams in cathedral ceiling homes.

Sales of engineered wood are increasing each year as glulams and Ijoists gain marketshare through the rest of the Southeast. Glen Hobbs, Wholesale Wood Products. Dothan. Al., says his sales staff takes advantage of training classes conducted by International Paper and Anthony Forest Products.

Dealers can submit floor plans and drawings to Wholesale Wood for technical assistance in writing specs or answering engineering type questions. The firm doesn't sponsor special group type "customer education" events, but its salespeople spend a lot of time in the field calling on retailers and builders.

FLEET of golf carts gets undenilay lor Henson Lumber Co.'s annual golf outing in Cresson, Tx., which helps strengthen bonds with builder customers and vendors.

Henson Lumber Co., Cresson, Tx., sponsors an annual golf tournament attended by about 60 builder customers and 40 vendors. "It's just a day of fun to help build relationships with our customers," says Casey Wallace. "We don't talk a lot of business, but it pays off in continuing orders throughout the year."

Several suppliers help subsidize the event, donating cash and door prizes. He says, "We start with a box lunch and then provide golf carts, greens fees, refreshments and prizes as well as merchandise certificates which customers can use to buy golf equipment in the pro shop." Total cost of the event is about $7.000.

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