Relationships build the business

wasn't another up-and-coming yard for miles, he took it over.

In just 20 years, the outfit has added three more locations-Alexandria, 20 miles north ("where half of our deliveries were going, anyway") and now its headquarters; Parkers Prairie, north another 20 miles along Highway 29, and Brandon, l5 miles westward.

Do it Best, their co-op, helped a bit with layout and projections, but the biggest boon to multiple locations came in-bulk ordering, sure-an even bigger factor: minimizing inventory, says Paul's son, Brian Klinek, today Hilltop's general manager, who heads an organization of 33 employees (treated like family) and 18 trucks (treated like employees).

fxxoverwe BUTLDERS was launched in 2005 in outstate lMinnesota and, from the get-go, left scores of same-old, same-old contractors in the dust.

Revenues for 2010 were $15 million, garnered on mega-projects such as Lakewood Terrace, a $5 million multi-family condominium project, and Grand Arbor, another huge complex focused on senior living-both in Alexandria, Innovative Builders' home base.

How'd you like to be the supplier of choice for such an outfit? To find out which lucky stiff got the business, I called Innovative Builders' c.e.o. Hilltop Lumber, he fired back. And luck didn't enter the picture, either. "They've got the best customer service. Their estimating is accurate, and they deliver on their promise," the boss relates, adding, "and still they came in lower than a couple of other bidders."

Next, I got ahold of Hilltop to see what's the deal-and the one-word answer is "relationships." We'll get to that in a minute, along with a peek at some other pretty spectacular services it offers. First, the backstory:

Hilltop was launched in 1988, when Paul Klinek and his brother, who operated a contracting crew,realized that the pie would get slivered pretty thinly when their sons entered the family business. So, start a second crew, or try something different? A nearby lumberyard was sitting empty in Glenwood, Mn. When Paul's research indicated that there

Ask Brian why he chose to remain in the family business and it's like asking some prince if he'd rather become king or sell insurance: You're to the manner born. As a kid, Brian's dad awoke him every Saturday morning with the non-negotiable message, "Get up. We're going to work." By the time he hit eleven, he was behind a wheel, and when, at 18, he headed to college in Fargo, he majored in business and construction management.

He returned to the Glenwood store in 2000, and in 2003 moved to the Alexandria operation, where he now heads the company. No monumental changes, just a few tweaks of operational systems under his watch.

Hilltop's business is 85Vo pro-a mix of custom homes, remodels and additions. and commercial work-all of which remain fairly robust during our national economic slump, for there's still plenty of call in this area of recreational lakes for summer cabins, retirement homes, and the commercial buildings to support them. But, of course, there's also competition: a nearby Menards and seven independent yards within 20 miles.

What keeps Hilltop ahead of the pack? "What builders like about us is, we carry more inventory; we carry almost any product. And we have two draftsmen on staff, who can deliver on a timely basis," Brian states. Plus, material delivery is not only same-day, but usually same-hour. "Maybe it starts to rain and they have to switch to inside work. Our salespeople will deliver a box of nails or whatever they need."

Why? Because they're pals.

"Relationships," Brian underscores, "are the biggest key. These builders are more than just customers, they're friends. These guys get together outside of work for golf and hunting. They'll meet for lunch on the weekend. Right now, in the middle of winter, they're planning a fishing trip."

So, how do you come up with salespeople like that? By example, Brian indicates. "They watch our long-timers of 20, 30 years-good, personable people-and they fall into the same good habits, get to know their customers' likes and dislikes."

Because Hilltop doesn't install, it's happy to recommend these contractors to homeowners, matching skills to needs. "I know it's a clich6," Brian demurs, "but, it's the people you have that keeps us competitive. You can walk into any of our locations, at any time, and the staff will always be positive and upbeat."

Another leg up: Hilltop's Idea House-the largest in the Midwest. "We were lucky to have high ceilings, so we built house displays: four different buildings, actually, to showcase different sidings: vinyl, wood, steel and fiberglass, with different styles and different colors. We work with Marvin to include their windows and doors, and everything's working: You can open windows. Folks like that, to be able to touch and feel. And our people are able to go through the various choices, all the pros and cons. We stick with good vendors, who keep us informed on new products and updates."

Wait, there's more. Hilltop's Home Design Center, staffed by two professionals, offers a full flooring department: laminate, wood, tile, vinyl, carpet-and two lines of cabinets. Green products? Not so much. They haven't taken off here in this byway of the Upper Midwest, but

Hilltop has gone through the paces to become green-certified, so when the times comes-and it will-it'll be positioned to take the lead.

Hilltop also operates a robust rental service. "It had always been in the back of my mind," explains Brian, "so when a nearby rental store went out of business, we picked up the inventory and the client base and retained two employees. We serve everyone from the d-i-yer who wants lawn and garden equipment to a heavy skid loader for the pro."

Hilltop allocates its advertising dollars to two outlets: booths in home shows and radio ads that call attention to new products and introduce its drafting department, "so people will think of us first. give us an opportunity."

It also hosts an annual customer appreciation dinner with live entertainment, to which customers' spouses and employees are invited, too. Each winter, it also provides contractor classes in everything from new shelving products to lien laws. "We want to give our contractors those tools. We figure, if they're protected, we're protected."

Simple job security, because Brian plans to be here for a long, long time. "I get to deal with a lot of different people, and contractors are a great group of guys: never a dull moment. Always something fun."

Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@ comcast.net

Blizzar d- Battered L u m berya rds Sc ra pe to Recover

As record snowfalls in the Northeast and Midwest turned snow shovels. roof rakes. and ice melt into hot sellers, building material dealers also had to worry about their own properties. Dozens of dealers were forced to shut down at the height of the blizzard, and at least 1l LBM buildings collapsed under the weight of snow accumulating on their roofs.

Wagner Hardware, Glenwood, Mn., was open for business when its roof began to come down Feb. 1. The five employees inside fled, narrowly escaping injury.

The roof collapsed at the main warehouse of D. Baker & Son Lumber Co., Grand Haven, Mi., after hours, on Jan.3l.

"We had some inkling of it happening," said Dick Baker, who recently retired from the family business. "There were cracks and creaks and groans throughout the day." His daughter, Nada Edson, is taking over his share ofthe business.

Earlier that day, snow flattened half of a lumber warehouse at Kelly-Fradet Lumber Mart, E. Longmeadow, Ma., as well as a 16900-sq. ft. equipment building at Bluelinx, Newtown, Ct. Bluelinx was warned that no one should enter any of the other similarly constructed buildings on the property until the snow was removed from their roofs. Four days later, a second structure caved in. Immediately after, workmen scrambled to chop through the ice that had formed on the roof of the main office. Yet, four days later, a third building gave way

On Feb. 2,large sections of the lumber warehouses fell at Cape Cod Lumber Co., Abington, Ma., and Concord Lumber, Concord, Ma. On Feb. 5, a foot of wet snow took down the shed at 84 Lumber, Albemarle County, Va. The next morning.

Tremont Lumber Co., Averill Park, N.Y., discovered its warehouse had crumpled, trapping wood, trucks and equipment inside.

A week later, on Feb. 12, accumulated snow caused a roof collapse at Cedar Creek, Broken Arrow, Ok.

Umber's Do It Best Hardware, Fort Wayne, In., was forced to shut down for one week when melting snow drained through its roof. On Feb. 9, a building inspector condemned the store, primarily because of water draining around its primary electrical box. With help from Do it Best, the owner closed the leaks and reopened his store Feb. 15.

Kansas Yard Changes Hands

Kevin and Haley Crome have acquired Thompson Lumber Co., Marysville, Ks., and renamed the business Crome Lumber.

The new owner plans to computerize the store and scale back his sevenyear-old contracting business.

Bob Thompson, who joined the family business full time in 1967 , and his sister, Karen Dick, bookkeeper since 1999, had owned the yard since 1988. They will stay on, along with longtime employee Virginia Griffee.

Schaad Lumber, Knoxville, Tn., is closing after 87 years, with the retirement of owner John Schaad lll.

BMG West has opened a 15,000 sq. ft. lumberyard on 11 acres in north Houston. Tx.

Fugate Lumber Co., Madisonville, Ky., has closed after 56 years and plans to auction off remaining inventory March 10.

Charles Bahr & Son, Verona, N.J., is liquidating after 87 years.

President John J. Bahr holds out hope to again "be operating in the near future."

Young Lumber, New Castle, De., has closed, after 75 years and three generations of family ownership.

Cramer's

Home Building

Centers is down to four locations with the closure of its store in Portland, Pa, lsanti Hardware Hank, tsanti, Mn., is closing early this month after 96 years.

Waters True Value Hardwafe, Dodge City, Ks., has completed a six-week, haltmillion-dollar remodel that includes wider aisles and new signage, displays, shopping carts, and cashiers' stations.

Ace Hardwat€, Statesville, N.C., has been closed by owner Mike Esposito, and its inventory was transfened to a unit in Winston-Salem, N.C.

This likely is the 10,000-sq. ft. Ace being opened in Winston-Salem this spring by David Brown and Brent Boydston, owners of a S-month-old store in Greensboro, N.C.

Winneshiek True Value.

Decorah, la., opens this month, with Peter Marsing as mgr.; Karen Marsing, garden center mgr., and Jason Marsing, asst. mgr.

Geneva Hardware, Geneva, ll., has relocated to a larger, 36,000-sq. ft. facility about a mile away, while an Ace Hardware franchise plans to take over its vacated 18,000-sq. ft. quarters. Geneva Hardware had been with Ace for years before switching to Do it Best in 2010.

New York Wholesaler's Relocation Provides Room to Expand

Buttolph Lumber is settling into its new, larger home in Schroeppel, N.Y., that it acquired from bankrupt North Pacific.

After 43 years in Jamestown, N.Y., Buttolph moved late last year to the nine-acre facility with a huge warehouse that allows the wholesaler to add pine, cedar and high-end specialty plywood that must be stored indoors.

New Owner Revives Historic Store

14th Street Hardware, Pekin, Il., reopens this month after a remodel by new owner Kriss Brown.

The store had been closed since February 2010, six months after the death of founder Bernard Happach, 98.

New owner Brown, who operates Ace Hardware stores in Peoria and West Peoria, will retain the 5O-year-old business' name. "The store does have a ton of history to it," he said. "That's why it was very valuable for me to retain that name-upgrade it but not disrupt it."

TAMKO Adds Two New Facilities

Tevro, Joplin, Mo., has added an 80000-sg. ft. distribution center on nine acres in Rivera Beach, Fl., and acquired an asphalt processing plant in Inwood, W.V., to supply its roofing facility in Frederick, Md.

Bob McNally, general mgr. in Frederick, will also serve as managing director of the new subsidiary that owns Inwood plant.

Worker Injured in Reload Fire

A Jan.26 fire destroyed an estimated one million bd. ft. of lumber at Herndon Reload, Herndon, Pa., and burned an employee who had to run through flames to safety.

According to the fire chief, the brother of owner Sam Kauffman was using a torch to cut pipes from a boiler when sparks ignited the building. After the room "exploded," the man had to run through flames and suffered burns on his face and arm, but refused treatment.

The fire occurred at one of the two buildings Herndon owns, which are less than a half-mile from each other between the highway and the railroad tracks.

Mid-State Truss Co. is reviving its 18-acre facility in Lakeland, Fl., to treat EcoBlu lumber.

Boones Creek Lumber, Salem, S.C., suffered an early morning fire Jan. 26 that was contained to its debarker building.

Shetler Lumber Co., te Boeuf Township, Pa., lost its maintenance shed in a Jan. 28 blaze.

Richmond lnternational Forest Products. nicnmond, Va., is now handling U.S. sales for SPF producer Kebois Ltd., Ste.-oominique, P.Q.

Boise Cascade's Dcs in Memphis, Tn., and Tulsa, ok., are now distributing Curtner Lumber Go.'s 0zark Natural Paneling in Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kansas, western Kentucky, northwest Alabama, Oklahoma and Missouri.

The product was first launched in December by Boise's Houston, Tx., DC.

Boston Cedar, Holbrook, Ma., is now distributing the complete Railing Dynamics product line.

Parksite has expanded its distribution of Fairway

Vinyl railing systems to New Jersey and the Tri-Cities area (New York City, Hudson Valley, and eastern Pennsylvania). Parksite already stocks Fairway's products at its branches in Ohio and North Carolina.

Wolf, Yorf, Pa., now distributes Deckorators railing systems, balusters, post covers, and caps on the East Coast.

One Tree Distribution, Syracuse, N.Y., is the exclusive Northeast distributor for iLevel by Weyerhaeuser TJ Insulated headers, rim boards, and corners.

American Lumber, Walden, N.Y., is now distributing QuietGluePro and Solstice cellular PVC decking in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.

Siding Maker Adds Brands

Georgia Gulf, Atlanta, Ga., has acquired Exterior Portfolio, Columbus, Oh., from Crane for $72 million, combining it with its Royal Building Products division.

Exterior Portfolio's brands include CraneBoard, Portsmouth Shake, Solid CoRe Siding, and Architectural Essentials.

Dealer Adds New Warehouse

Jackson Lumber & Millwork, Lawrence, Ma., will spend $2 million to remove a 107-year-old building on its property, and replace it with a 23,000-sq. ft. steel, rack-supported warehouse.

"An old mill building is always a risk, with wooden floors and beams in a densely populated area with commercial and residences," said president Al Torrisi. "We are enhancing the property, safety-wise, and the whole block will look real nice when it's completed by late spring or early summer."

He said the company used to assemble doors in the old, three-story building, but found it inefficient due to the slow speed of its aging elevators.

In contrast, the new structure will have more room for additional building material products, including tall racks for lumber, accessible by forklifr.

"When the boom does come back, when we start to see the numbers again, our company will be poised and ready for it." said Tonisi.

Alabama Mill Launches

Power-Packed Partnershi p lverson's Lumber, Montrose, Mi., suspects a Feb. 13 fire that destroyed a lumber pile was intentionally set.

Westervelt Co. has broken ground for a new biomass power plant adjacent to its sawmill in Moundsville, Al., that will generate enough energy for 3,000 homes.

The company currently burns sawdust and excess bark from its sawmill in large boilers that produce steam to heat the company's kilns.

Under the new system, the boilers' steam will power the turbine to produce electricity and then be recycled to heat the kilns.

The generating station, expected to be operational by fall, will be a joint venture between privately owned Westervelt and Alabama Power Co., the state's largest electrical utility.

It will also be the state's first renewable energy project fueled by biomass.

84 Lumber Co. shuttered its yards in Richmond, Va., and WinstonSalem, N.C.

Luhrs True Valuo, Westfail, Pa., is selling its lumber warehouse to Pike County Light & Power to make way for an electric substation, but will retain its nearby Ace Hardware store.

Bill's Hardw?ro, Landover Hills, Md., has closed after 58 vears, due to big box competition.

Costello's Ace Hardware is relocating its Smithtown, N.Y., store to a larger building early next month.

Trails West Hardware. Gardner, Ks., closed Feb. 9 after seven years.

Home Depot has closed underperforming stores in Gentilly, La.; Holland, Mi., and Rocky Mount and Greenville, N.C.

Lowe's opened new stores Jan. 28 in Rosedale, N.Y., and Collierville, Tn., and abandoned plans to build a 1 17,000-sq.-ft. store with 31,000-sq.-ft. garden center in Land O'Lakes, Fl.

Menards opened a new store March I in W. Wichita, Ks. (Mike Anderson, mgr.). An E. Wichita store and two others in Kansas-Salina and Manhattan-will open later this year.

In Ohio, Menards opened a new unit Feb. 1 in Fairfield (Andy Hansen, general mgr.), opens this spring at Northland in Columbus, and has purchased 20 acres in E. Columbus to build another 160,000-sq. ft. store.

In Minnesota, Menards opens in Marshall this spring and closed its 30yearold, 128,00-sq. ft. store in Golden Valley Feb, 18, to give way to a twostory, 250,000-sq. ft. home center to open in spring 2012.

Habitat for Humanity opened a 28,000-sq. ft. Restore-discount LBM outlet March 9 in Aurora, ll.; relocated its units in Slidell, La., and Brainerd, Mn., and is remodeling its stores in Chattanooga, Tn., and Middleburg, Fl.

Enduris Extrusions, Jacksonville, Fl., filed suit against Inteplast Group Ltd,, Livingston, N.J., alleging misappropriation of its trade secrets to produce capped cellular PVC decking.

Oxford Pine Products, Norway, Me.. was destroyed by an accidental fire Feb. 8. Investigators said the mrll was equipped with sprinklers, but they apparently were turned off.

A&M Supply Corp., Alexandria, Va., is relocating its DC to a 102,000sq. ft. facility in Upper Marlboro, Md.

Paul M. Jones Lumber, snow Hill, Md., suffered an estimated $10,000 in damage from a Feb. 16 fire in a sawdust bin.

TruStile Doors LLC, Denver Co., has agreed to acquire the door division ot Woodharbor Doors & Cabinetry, Northwood, la.

Woodharbor Doors will become a subsidiary of TruStile, while Wood-harbor Cabinetry will continue as a separate company under current ownership and management.

Quanex Buildinq Products Corp.. Houston. Tx.. has agreed to acquire insulating glass spacer manufacturer Edgetech, Cambridge, Oh., for $107 million.

Edgetech s 300 employees. including president Mike Hovan, will remain.

AERT's Moistureshield composite decking was ICC-ES certified to have 95% total recycled content.

Hancock Timber Resource Group, Boston. Ma paid Weyerhaeuser Co. $200 million for 82,000 acres of timberlands in southwestern Washington.

Azrr Deck now comes in two new colors-Silver Oak, resembling weathered teak, and warm, golden Cobre.

Tnuxo upgraded www.tamko.com, making it easier for visitors to learn about and ourchase its oroducts online.

New websites: Arauco, Atlanta, Ga., arauco-usa,com Chicago Suburban Lumber Sales, rrait<lin Park, ll., www.chicagosuburbantum0er.c0m.

Authorities lnvesti gate Fatality at New York

Sawmill

OSHA expects its investigutiun of a tirtal rnilling accidcnt at B&B Lr,rnrber. DeWitt. N.Y.. coulcl takc up to six r.nonths.

Thomas O. Pelton. 35. was chan-qing saw blacles on a nrachinc Fcb. 7. when an unknow'in-e co u'orker appafently startcd thc machinc. Pelton was fatallf in.lurcd bcl'orc the ollrcr crrployec could dcucti"'ate thc nrachine.

Cox Switches to New FRTW

Cox Inclustrics is convclting thc cylindcr at Orangcbr-rrg.S.C..it uses to treat fire retarclant treatcd w'ood to Viancc's D-Blazc. efibctive Fcb. 10.

Accordin-l to Matt YaLrn. clirector of salcs and markcting, "Wc have hacl mucl-r success over the llst three decaclcs r-rsing a variety o1' FRTW trcatmcnts. ancl. at Cox. we constantl) cvaluate our prclduct lines to ensure \\'c can ol-l'cr the most value in the nrarketpiace. Our move tcl D-Blazc brings with it rnore stable lrricin-r ancl a slrong list of product f'eatures."

Cor n'ill continue to treat with Arch's Wolmanized dispersccl coppef azolc. and this rnonth expccts to also adcl Viance's Ecol-if'e.

Green Depot Goes National

Grccn Depot, New York. N.Y.. has acquircd three-unit Ecohaus. Scattlc. Wa.. crcating the nation's first coastto-coast sLrppliel of -!treen huilcling matelials.

Grecn Depot opcratcs 10 shor'"rooms. includin-e ninc in the Northeast and onc in Chicago. as well as 33 u arcl.rouse distlibut ion ccntcrs. Ecohaus has loca(ions in Seattle. Poltland. Or., and San Francisco. Ca.

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