DATE Book

Lrstlngs are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations wrfh sponsor before making plans to aftend.

lllinois Lumber & Material Dealers Assn. - Feb. 9-10, convention, Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, ll.; (800) 252-8641; www.ilmda.org.

Wisconsin Retail Lumber Association - Feb. 10-11, annual convention & meeting, Kalahari Resort & Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells, Wi.; (262) 250-1835; www.wrlamsi.com.

Florida Hardware Co. - Feb. 13-14, market, Ramada Celebration, Kissimmee, Fl.; (90a) 783-1650; www.floridahardware.com.

South Dakota Retail Lumberman's Association - Feb. 16-17, annual convention, Best Western Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center, Sioux Falls, S.D.; (605) 665-5089; www.sawbucks.us.

Construction Safeg Council - Feb. 16-18, annual safety conference & Expo, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, I l. ; (800) 552-7 7 44; www. bu ildsafe.org.

Northeastern Retail Lumber Association - Feb. 16-18. blueorint readying & estimating classes, Best Western Carriage House, Watertown, N.Y.; www.nda.org.

National Frame Building Association - Feb. 17-18, frame building expo, Kentucky Convention Center, Louisville, Ky.; (800) 5576957; www.nfba.org.

American Fence Association - Feb. 17-19, FenceTech & DeckTech, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; (800) 822-4342; www.americanfenceassociation.com

National Wooden Pallet & Container Association - Feb. 20-23, annual leadership conference, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Orlando, Fl.; (703) 51 9-61 04; www.nwpca.com.

Nationaf Roofing Gontractors Assn. - Feb.22-24, annual convention, New Orleans, La.; (847) 299-9070; www.nrca.net.

Long lsland Lumber Association - Feb. 23, Microsoft Essentials seminar, Super Enterprises, Melville, N.Y.; www.nrla.org.

Progressive Affiliated Lumbermen Co.Op - Feb. 23-25, annual conference & buyers mart, Rosen Plaza Hotel, Orlando, Fl.; (800) 748-8900; www.pal-coop.com.

Florida BuiHing Material Association - Feb. 24.26, winter education conference, One Ocean Resort Hotel & Spa, Atlantic Beach, Fl.; (352) 383-0366: www,fbma.org,

Appafachian Hardwood Manufacturers Association - Feb. 24-28, annual convention, Long Boat Key Club, Long Boat Key, Fl.; (336) 885-8315; www.appalachianwood,org.

Western New York Lumber Dealers Assn. - Feb. 25, customer service seminar, Radisson Hotel, Rochester, N.Y.; www.nrla.org.

Orgiff fnc. - Feb. 25-27, spring market, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; (901) 754-8850; www.orgill.com.

Greenprints - March 1-2, conference & show, Sheraton Downtown, Atlanta, Ga.; (404) 872-3549; turlttw.greenprints.org.

Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Assn. - March 2-4, blueprint reading & estimating classes, Courtyard Boston Raynham, Raynham, Ma. ; www.nrla.org.

Michigan Lumber & Building Materials Association - March 3.4, Pro Building Showcase, Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mt. Pleasant, Mi. ; (5 1 7) 394-5225; www. mlbma.org.

Lumbermens Merchandising Corp. - March 3-6, annual meeting, Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, Ut.; (610) 2937000; www.lmc.net.

Northwestern Lumber Association - March 4-5, lowa lumber convention, Maniott, Coralville, la.; (763) 544-6822; www.nlassn.org.

HDW Inc, - March 6-7, spring dealer market, Jackson Convention Center, Jackson, Mi.; (318) 686-8527; www.hdwinc.com.

Long-Lewis Hardware - March 6-7, market, Montgomery Civic Center, Montgomery, Al. ; (205) 322-2561 : www.longJewis.com.

North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. - March 7.11, University of Industrial Distribution, University Place Conference Center & Hotel, Indianapolis, In.; (800) 527-8258; www.nawla.org.

American Institute of Timber Construction - March 8-9. annual meeting, Lago Mar Resort & Club, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.; (303) 7929559; www.aitc-glulam.org.

Wood Technology Show - March 9-10, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Or.; (800) 933-8735; www.woodwideweb.com.

Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association - March 10, annual meeting, Renaissance Hotel, Tampa, Fl.; (412) 323-9320; www.cypressrnT0.org.

Northwestern Lumber Association - March 10-1 1 , Nebraska lumber dealers convention, Embassy Suites, La Vista, Nb.; (763) 544-6822; www. nlassn.org.

Hardwood Manufacturers Association - March 10-12, national conference & expo, Renaissance Hotel, Tampa, Fl.; (412) 8290770; www.hmamembers.org.

ENAP Inc. - March 11-12, annual meeting & show, Marriott Downtown, Louisville, Ky.; (845) 564-4900; www.enap.com.

National Lumber & Building Material Dealers AssociationMarch 15-17, legislative conference & green building forum, Marriott, Washington, D.C.; (800) 634-8645; www.dealer.org.

Window & Door Manufacturers Assn. - March 15-18, legislative conference, Washington, D.C.; (800) 223-2301; www.nwwda.org.

Capitol Industrial Woodworking Expo - March 18-19, Fredricksburg Expo & Conference Center, Fredricksburg, Va.; (828) 459-9894.

Blish.Mize Co, - March 19-20, market, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, Ks.; (800) 995-0525; www.blishmize.com.

True Value Co. - March 19-21, spring market, McCormick Place, Chicago, ll.; (773) 695-5000; www.truevaluecompany.com.

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Cole Hardware's signatufe promotions are works of art. Literally. The San Francisco, Ca., chain's four locations use imaginative window displaysbrooms hung diagonally for Halloween, a "Louvre" exhibit featuring famous artwork recreated in hardware, a farmer's market filled with colorful "produce," and shiny disco balls for the holidays-to bring in customers and boost sales.

"Everything we put in there, we have to sell," said employee Noelle Nicks, who's been in charge of window displays for the past 10 years. She came to Cole after working as an engineer at a large firm, but has no art training. Today, her business card reads "Visual Merchandising Manager & Curator of All Things Hardware."

For a farmer's market window, Nicks said, "we actually made fruits and vegetables from hardware," though galvanized tubs had to stand in for bushel baskets. "You know the swirl fluorescents? There's one in orange, so we put green zip ties on so they looked like carrots."

In the Louvre window, yellow-edged saw blades became flower petals in a recreation of Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" painting. "It's all about putting the fancy with the mundane," she said, "the coffee press next to the drain strainer."

Rick Karps, who owns Cole with his 93-year-old father, said that before Noelle took over the job, an outside vendor made sure the windows were "clean, filled with product in a pleasing manner, but boring." He said customers now look forward to the changing displays and even offer suggestions for future installations.

Ideas from displays are also used in other promotional materials. Van Gogh's vase of sunflowers became a peel-off coupon (for 50Vo off an item of $50 or less) that appeared on the cover of a local phone book.

But Cole hasn't stopped at window displays. Another recent promotion delivers special coupons and discounts to the cell phones of customers who sign up for the text service. Frequent shopper club members receive special postcards with money-savings opportunities each month, a copy of the Hardware Hotline newsletter, and a 5Vo annual dividend on purchases.

ADVERTISERS lndex I

For more informalion on advertisers, call them directly or visit their websites [in brackets].

Anthony Forest Products [www.anthonyforest.com] .................25

Arch Wood Protection [www.wolmanizedwood.com].........Cover I

Biewer Lumber [www.biewerselect.com]

California Timberline...... ...............4

Capital [www.capital-lumber.com]................................................40

Coastal Plywood [www.coastalplywood.com]........................,....43

Crumpler Plastic Pipe [wvw.cpp-pipe.com]..............................,.35

Deck-lt Spacers [www,woodpileproducts.com] .,........................48

Elder Wood Preserving [www.eldenroodpreserving.com] ........37

Enduris [www.enduris.com]

Fasco America [www.fascoamerica.com].,...,...,..........................26

Fletcher Wood Solutions [www.tenonusa,com] ,.,.,.,.....................9

Great Southern Wood Preserving [www.yellawood.com] ............7

GRK Fasteners [www.grkfasteners.com].....................................34

Hankins Inc. [www.hankinsinc.com] lpe Clip Co., The [www,ipeclip,com]........,..,....,..,.......,..............,.,44

Lumbermens Association of Texas [www.lat.org] .......,,...........,.23

Master Mark Plastics [www.rhinodeck.com]..,,..,..,..........,,......,.,.28

Matthews Marking Products [www.matthewsmarking.com] ......30

Maze Nails [www.mazenails.com]

Osmose [www.osmose.com] ................ .....Cover ll

Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com],............,..,................27

Richardson Timbers [www.timbersonline.com] ..........................41

RlSl [www.risiinfo.com/crows] , .....,......................45

Roseburg Forest Products [www,rfpco.com] ,.............................21

Selkirk [www.se1kirkcedar,c0m1,...,...,........,,...,,..........,....,............39

Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com]...,...............................19

Siskiyou Forest Products [www.siskiyouforestproducts.com] .33

Sunbeft [www.sunbeltracks.com]......... ..............42

Universal Fastener Outsourcing [www.91 1 -nails.com] ..............32

Viance [www.treatedwood.com] ..........................,........................13

Western Red Cedar Lumber Assn. [www.wrcla.org] ........Cover lV

Wynndel Lumber [www.wynndellumber.com],...,........................31