DATE Book

Llsfrngs are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations wtth sponsor before making plans to attend.

Lumbermen's Association of Texas - April 8-10, annual convention, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, Tx.; (800) 749-5862; www.lat.org.

National Hardwood Lumber Association - April 11-14, leadership program, Memphis, Tn.; April 12-15, lumber grading course, Connellsville, Pa.; (901) 377-1818; www.nhla.com.

Western New York Lumber Dealers Association - April 13, customer service seminar, Radisson, Rochester, N.Y.; (518) 2861010; www.nrla.org.

National Paint & Goatings Association - April 13-15, annual meeting & technical conference, Charlotte, N.C.; (202) 462-6272.

Northeast Window & Door Association - April 14, spring education meeting, Washington, D.C. ; (609) 7994900; www.nwda.net.

Northeastern Young Lumber Execs - April 14, board meeting; April 15, spring conference, Mashantucket, Ct.; (518) 286-1010; www.nna.0rg.

Virginia Tech - April 14, lean manufacturing workshops, Princeton, W.V.; April 15, Abingdon, Va.; www.woodscience.vt.edu,

National Kitchen & Bath Assn, - April 16-18, annual show, McCormick Place, Chicago, ll.; (800) 843-6522, www.nkba.org.

American Hardware Manufacturers Association - April 18-21, hardlines technology forum, Renaissance Hotel, Schaumburg, ll.; (847) 605-1 025; www.ahma.org.

Transload Distribution Assn. - April 19-20, conference, DoubleTree, San Antonio, Tx.; (503) 6564282; www.transload.org.

Structural Insulated Panel Assn. -April 19-22, annual conference, Hilton Indian Lakes, Chicago, ll.; (253) 858-7472; www.sips.org.

Forest Products Society - April20-22, Smallwood conference, Hot Springs, Ar.; (608) 231-1361 ; www.forestprod.org.

Mid-America Lumbermens Association - April 20, area meetings, Moberly, Mo.;April21, St. Louis, Mo.;April22, Jefferson City, Mo.; (800) 7 47 -6529; www.themla.com.

Mid-Hudson Lumber Dealers Association - April 21, Decking 101 seminar, Newburgh, N.Y.; (518) 286-1010; www.nrla.org.

Kentucky Building Materials Assn. - April 2'l-23, convention & expo, Hilton, Lexington, Ky.; (800) 844-1774; www.kbma.net.

Woodworking Machinery Industry Assn, - April 21-24, conference, Monterey, Ca,; (410) 931-8100; www.wmia.org.

Florida Building Material Association - April 22, regional meet ing, Tampa, Fl.; (352) 383-0366; www.fbma.org.

Material Handling lndustry of America - April 26-29, annual expo, l-X Center, Cleveland, Oh.; (70a) 676-1 190; www.mhia.org.

Twin Cities Hoo-Hoo Club - April 27, dinner & meeting, Grumpy's, Roseville, Mn.; (61 2) 490-8583.

International Wood Products Association - April 28-30, annual convention, Eden Roc Hotel, Miami Beach, Fl.; (703) 820-6696; www.iwpawood.org.

New England lndustrial Woodworking Expo - April 30-May 1, Connecticut Expo Center, Hartford, Ct.; (828) 459-9894.

Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association - May 15, annual convention, Marriott Marco lsland Resort & Spa, Marco lsland, Fl.; (847) 680-3500; www.mheda.org.

Gomposite Panel Association - May 2-4, spring meeting, Hyatt Regency, Bonita Springs, Fl.; (301 ) 670-0604; www.pbmdf.com.

Paint & Decorating Retailers Assn. - May 4-6, show, Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; (800) 737-0107: www.pdra.org

Virginia Tech - May 6, lean manufacturing workshops, Danville, Va.; May 12, Virginia Beach, Va.; www.woodscience.vt.edu.

Northeastern Loggers Association - May 7-8, equipment expo, Champlain Valley Expo Center, Essex Junction, Vt.; (800) 3187561 ; www.northernlogger.com.

National Retail Federation - May 10-12, leadership conference, Washington, D.C. ; (202) 7 83-7 97 1 : www.nrf .com.

Wallace Hardware - May 11-13, spring market, Convention Center, Gatlinburg, Tn.; (423) 586-5650; www.wallace-hardware.com.

Construction Specifications Institute - May 11-14, annual convention, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pa., (301 ) 670-0604; www.csinet.org.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association - May 13, regional meeting, Boston, Ma. ; (800) 527-8258; www.nawla.org.

Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association - May 13.14, annual convention, Hyatt Regency, Boston, Ma.; (207) 829-6901; www.netma.0rg.

Do lt Best Corp. - May 15-17, spring market, lndiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, In.; (260) 748-5300; www.doitbest.com.

National Association of Home Builders - May 16-18, green building conference, Raleigh, N.C.; (800) 368-5242; www.nahb.com.

Kitchen Gabinet Manufacturers Association - May 16-19, annual convention, Wild Dunes Resort, lsle of Palms, S.C.; (703) 2641690; www.kcma.org.

Florida Building Material Association - llay 20-21, poker & golf tournaments, Arlington Ridge Golf Club, Leesburg, Fl.; (352) 3830366; www.fbma.org.

Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Association - May 21, summer outing, Chatham, Ma.; (518) 286-1010; www.nrla.org.

The stereotype is often true: rhe big box store comes to town and monopolizes sales of the most popular building materials throughout the area, leaving generations-old mom-and-pop shops to survive on peddling slower-moving, oddball items to an ever-shrinking clientele.

Certainly the Satterfield family, owners of 88-yearold Rollier's Hardware, Pittsburgh, Pa., noticed sales holding strong for hard+o-find items the mass retailers wouldn't carry, such as Christmas lights with brown and white wires to be used for weddings and outdoor decoration, cedar oil for restoring cedar-lined closets, and cast iron drain covers.

So instead of fighting the trend by abandoning the unique hardware stock, the Satterfields decided to expose their quirky wares to a worldwide audience via the Internet.

In 2007 , Brett and Derek Satterfield launched HardToFindltems.com, as both a complement to Rollier's storefront and as a way to expand their sales prospects beyond the Pittsburgh city limits.

Key tools in reaching buyers have been Google's Adwords program and an Amazon.com seller account.

"Most people generally view technology in a negative light when comparing small businesses to corporations," said Brett. "While technology has allowed large corporations to run much more efficiently, it has allowed small businesses to compete nationally and internationally with only a nominal investment."

The Satterfields' $6,000 investment became $1.3 million in revenue in 2OO9 and is now on pace to generate sales of $3 million a year.

How Much Wood ls in the Woods?

(Conrinued from page 9) ments all but dried up from the midpoint of the last decade to the cyclical low in 2009. Those investment groups with high debt leverage have been and will continue to be under pressure to harvest no matter what the prices are. But those investment groups with little or no debt can pull the timber off the market and wait for better prices.

However, this policy provides investors with no cash flow. Once prices do recover, there will be pressure on these owners to earn some money to pay investors. Against a backdrop of moderate demand in coming years, this dynamic will help to keep timber prices below previous peak levels.

For a detailed analysis of the impacts of the recent developments on lumber, panel and timber markets, please see the following just-released RISI publications: North American Lumber Forecast - lS-Year, North American Wood Panels Forecast - lS-Year. and North American Timber Forecast - lS-Year.

* Robert Berg is principal lumber economist for RISI. Reach him at bberg@risi.com.

ADVERTISERS Index I

For morr infcrmation on advertisers, call them diredly or visit the ir websites [in bracketsl.

Advantage Trim & Lumber [wwuadvantagelumber.com]..........49

Anthony Forest Products [www.anthonyforest.com]........C0ver ll

Arch [wrvw.wolmanizedwood.com] .....,.,.....,., 13, 15, 17,'lg, 21, 23

Auto.Stak Systems [www.autostak.com]..........,.......................,.,36

Biewer Lumber [www.biewerselect.com].......................................3

Boozer Beam [www.boozerbeam.com] ...,,...........s

Capital [www.capital.lumber.com].,........,.....,............,..................28

CedarCreekWholesale Inc. [www,cedarcreek.com] .................U

Crumpler Plastic Pipe [www.cpp.pipe.com] ................................45

Eastern Engineered Wood Products [www.eewp.com] ..........,...29

Elder Wood Preserving [www.elderwoodpreserving,com] .......,..7

Fiberon LLC [www.fiberondecking.com] .,.,.......3S

Fletcher Wood Solutions [www.tenonusa.com] ..........................34

Fry Wholesale Lumber............ .........,...................53

Great Southern Wood Preserving [www.yellawood.com] ..........37

Hood Industries [www,hoodindustries.com] .......,....,...,..............43

Hoover Treated Wood Products [www.frtw.com] .............Cover lV

Jackson & Langford Wholesale Lumber LLP,.....................,.,.,....,4

Matthews Marking Products [www.matthewsmarking.com] ......40

New South [www.gator.guard.com],......... .........,31

Nordic Engineered Wood Products [www.nordicewp.com].........8

Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. [www.nelma.org]...42

Osmose [www.osmose.com] ...Gover I

Peak Auctioneering [www.peakauction,com] .............,................46

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual [www.plmins.com]...........,..42

Qualig Borate Co. [www,qualityborate,com] ..............,.,.............32

Richard Landry Lumber Sales Inc.

Richardson Timbers [www.timbersonline,com] .............,.....,.,....38

Rosboro [www.rosboro.com] ................ ..............47

Roseburg Forest Products [www.rfpco.com]........,.....,.....Cover lll

RoyOMartin [www.royomartin.com]

Simpson Strong.Tie [www.strongtie.com].................,,.,.,.,.,........30

Siskiyou Forest Products [www.siskiyouforestproducts.com] .39

Snider lndustries [www.sniderindustries.com] .......................,.,.48

Sunbelt [www.sunbeltracks.com]

Tank Fab [www.tankfab.com]

Viance [www.treatedwood.coml ...............,

Wynndel Lumber [www.wynndellumber.com],.,....................,.....41