Northeast distributor hits milestone

fweurv-nrvE vEARS a,co, three guys at MacMillan I Bloedel decided to start a company that would distribute western cedar to independent retailers throughout the Northeast.

The three used their skills to start Boston Cedar, based in Holbrook, Ma. "We were like an NFL special team," explained Tony Morgan, who launched the company with Bobby Vasquezi and Rob Ankar. "Robbie was the branch manager. Bobby was the warehouse manager, and I was the sales guy. We each had our special skill, something we were really good at."

"When we started out, we were purely a distributor of cedar products-clapboards, boards, decking and vertical siding," added Vasquezi. "But over the years, the line has changed. Now, there are a lot of alternative products to wood."

Today, the company distributes a full range of quality building products, including Latitudes composite decking, Trademark railing systems, AZEK products, and the Typar Weather Protection System. This year, Abaco decking and Typar Surround have been added to the lineup.

When customers started requesting composite decking, Boston Cedar paid a call to Universal Forest Products, Grand Rapids, Mi., and proposed a partnership. "We were impressed by their vision for how to take our products to market, including partnering with Bobby Orr, NHL Hall of Famer, as the product spokesman," recalled Bill Currie, chairman of the board at UFPI.

"We gave them an exclusive on the composite decking line in their regions," said Currie. "That's not something we do often, or that we offer lightly. But our faith in Boston Cedar has paid off; they have really bolstered the product to a level of prominence that's exemplary in the industry."

Moynihan Lumber, North Reading, Ma., one of Boston Cedar's first customers, is another big supporter. Over the years, owner Gerard Moynihan has been impressed with Boston Cedar's ability to foresee trends. "They predict where the market will be, and they aleft us to the emerging trend by stocking the next great product offering," he said. "It was true when they started to offer PVC products and composite decking."

Tony Shepley, Shepley Wood Products, Hyannis, Ma., agrees. "We've certainly been a happy customer for 25 years," he said. "Trust and loyalty are the cornerstones of everything they do. So, in no small way, that excitement of 25 years ago is still there today."

In today's tough economy, Boston Cedar continues to search for new products that will give their retail partners a competitive edge. "We will also continue to develop sales, training and marketing programs that will meet or exceed our customers needs," explained Joe Cusack, v.p. of sales. "We understand the complexities that the independent LBM dealer of faces."

In 2009, Boston Cedar's founders were named Massachusetts Lumbermen of the Year by the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association. A year before that, the company became FSC-certified and began offering free seminars on green building.

"At no cost to the participating retail yards, we had a green expert present the latest about the green building movement," said sales manager Paul Colliton. "It's these types of dealer service programs that help keep our customers andBoston Cedar out in front of the comoetition."

By fames Olsen