BPD
PRESERVED WOOD SPECIAL ISSUE EWP SUCCESSION PLANNING APRIL 2015
Building Products Digest
INDUSTRY NEWS & MONEY-MAKING STRATEGIES FOR LUMBER & BUILDING MATERIAL DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS
www.accoya.com
WOOD WITHOUT COMPROMISE
Ideal for windows, doors, siding, decking and many more applications.
German Embassy Washington DC, USA
Kelowna Marina Kelowna, Canada
FEATURES & BENEFITS Accoya® wood is produced from sustainably sourced, fast growing wood and manufactured using Accsys’ proprietary patented acetylation process from surface to core.
OUTSTANDING DURABILITY
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PERFECT FOR COATING
NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL WOOD
NATURALLY INSULATING
EXCELLENT MACHINABILITY
INSECT BARRIER
CONSISTENT QUALITY THROUGHOUT
UV RESISTANT
FROM SUSTAINABLE SOURCES
RETAINED STRENGTH & HARDNESS
NON-TOXIC & RECYCLABLE
Accoya® and the Trimarque Device are registered trademarks owned by Titan Wood Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Accsys Technologies PLC, and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.
BPD
April 2015
Volume 34 Number 2
Building Products Digest
BPD
Building Products Digest www.building-products.com
A publication of 526 Media Group, Inc.
151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. D200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
President/Publisher Patrick Adams padams@building-products.com Vice President Shelly Smith Adams sadams@building-products.com Co-Publisher Alan Oakes ajoakes@aol.com Publisher Emeritus David Cutler Editor/Production Manager David Koenig david@building-products.com Associate Editor Stephanie Ornelas sornelas@building-products.com Contributing Editors Carla Waldemar, James Olsen Advertising Sales Manager Chuck Casey chuck@building-products.com
Special Features
In Every Issue
9 FEATURE STORY
TREATER ROLLS OUT MOBILE TRAINING
10 SPECIAL FOCUS
WOOD HOLDS ITS OWN IN DECKING
11 SPECIAL FOCUS
FASTENERS INTEGRAL TO PROPER TREATED WOOD PERFORMANCE
12 SPECIAL FOCUS
COLORIZED TREATED WOOD
14 SPECIAL FOCUS
CHECK THE END TAG
16 SPECIAL FOCUS
NEW WEBSITE EXTOLS TREATED WOOD
18 INDUSTRY TRENDS
ENGINEERED WOOD GOES GREEN
20 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
GLULAM & THE NEW HOME
50 PHOTO RECAP: LMC
6 ACROSS THE BOARD 22 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE 24 OLSEN ON SALES 30 NAWLA–THINKING AHEAD 38 FAMILY BUSINESS 40 APP WATCH 42 MOVERS & SHAKERS 44 NEW PRODUCTS 49 ASSOCIATION UPDATE 52 IN MEMORIAM 52 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 53 DATE BOOK 54 IDEA FILE 54 ADVERTISERS INDEX
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Building Products Digest
THIS MONTH’S EDITION AS WELL BACK ISSUES OF BPD CAN BE VIEWED DIGITALLY AT BUILDING-PRODUCTS.COM
AS
April 2015
Circulation Manager Heather Kelly hkelly@building-products.com
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BUILDING PRODUCTS DIGEST is published monthly at 151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. D200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, (714) 486-2735, Fax 714-486-2745, www.building-products.com, by 526 Media Group, Inc. (a California Corporation). It is an independently owned publication for building products retailers and wholesale distributors in 37 states East of the Rockies. Copyright®2015 by 526 Media Group, Inc. Cover and entire contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission. All Rights Reserved. BPD reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter, and assumes no liability for materials furnished to it.
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ACROSS the Board By Patrick Adams
In the shadows of giants
I
GREW UP in the shadows of giants, but it was not until recently that I got to see them up close. Not in D.C. or New York, but in Orange County, Ca., reside the now shuttered Tustin Marine Corps Air Station and home of two blimp hangars. These are not just blimp hangars; they are the largest wooden structures ever made and contain the largest covered, unobstructed open space of any structure in the world. When I was a child, we would drive by them during our daily errands and I would stare in awe. I would ask my parents how they were built and why they were there. My curiosity would build every time we drove by as I asked the same questions hoping to get more detail to quench my curiosity. It comes as no surprise that they were constructed by the Greatest Generation early in World War II. They were built to house the Pacific region’s military blimps that patrolled the coastline of the West after the U.S. entered the war following the attack on Pearl Harbor. They are each 17 stories high, over 1,000 ft. long, 300 ft. wide, and made entirely of almost 3 million bd. ft. of treated Oregon Douglas fir, providing over 6.8 acres of floor space per hangar. This unprecedented feat was performed by extraordinary men who were challenged to build something great, something lasting, and something made of wood because steel was unavailable during wartime. Each was completed in just six months. These structures served our country through WWII for our blimp fleet and eventually as the region’s primary military helicopter base until it was selected for closure in 1999. As I walked through these empty giants, the echoes of over seven decades of tales reminded me of the challenge our industry now faces. As I hear about the growing retirement of the skilled craftsmen and problem solvers of the Greatest Generation that have built our industry and great country, we are faced with how to recruit and retain the next generation into our industry. However, the challenge is indeed greater than that. The challenge is the how and the why and the real giants are the men who built these hangars and in fact, the greatest country on Earth. Our industry and the companies that make it were not built on what and when. The true skill and heart of our industry is because of the how and the why, and because of this, it is not just about replacing retired vacancies but filling them with the skill and values of those before us. There are not recruiting firms or training strategies that provide these things and without them, we risk falling victim to the same mediocrity and shortcuts that have tarnished many other once great industries. I think back on my career and remember being surrounded by eager young executives, hungry to make their mark whose biggest questions were “What are my goals?” and “When do you want it delivered by?” I remember at times asking the same questions I did as a child. “Why is that your goal?” “How did you accomplish that before?” I also remember my elders not always having the time or patience to answer those questions and preferred the more expedient questions instead. A lot of debate is taking place over these hangars and their planned demise to erect
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single-family tract housing in their place. While I’m a big fan of new housing, I can’t help but compare the demolition of these giants and the examples they provide us to the potential loss in our industry if time is not taken to teach the next generation the lessons that are truly important and make our industry so special. Ours is not an industry that can be measured exclusively by a spreadsheet that undoubtedly would show this acreage would best be valued by hundreds of new homes instead of two structures that currently have no economical use. At BPD, I am now consumed with how to help with this industry’s challenge by providing an outlet for the “how” and the “why” to ensure this great legacy is continued for generations to come. How to live up to the examples that have preceded us. Not because it is an economical strategy, but because this legacy is the greatest asset we have and it is what our industry still stands for. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this topic and how together, we can help to create another “Greatest Generation” that will serve our industry for decades to come. I thank you in advance for your support and look forward to serving you all. Patrick S. Adams Publisher/President padams@building-products.com
DESPITE being listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated National Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks as one of the largest freestanding wooden structures in the world, Hangar No. 2 at the former Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin, Ca., faces an uncertain future.
– Serving the industry for over 30 years – Phone: 800-763-0139 • Fax: 864-699-3101
www.spartanburgforestproducts.com Building-Products.com
April 2015
Building Products Digest
7
Ideal for deck beams and columns, raised floor construction, coastal construction, boardwalks and pier/beam foundations.
■ Backed by a 25-year warranty as strong as our products
■ Stock widths of 2 7/16”, 3 1/2” and 5 1/4”
■ 2400F - 1.8E Industrial Appearance Grade
■ Meets FEMA’s guidelines for “Flood Resistant Materials”
■ I-Joist compatible and framing lumber depths
■ Treated for above ground and ground contact applications
FEATURE Story Promoting Treated Wood
Wood treater rolls out mobile training
E
T REATMENT C O ., Spanish Fort, Al., is hitting the road with a spiffy new truck and trailer—one that delivers industry training and promotes the company. The idea came from the wood treater’s past involvement in motorsports. The company would bring its Nascar racing trailer and equipment to customer appreciation events, providing direct interaction with contractors and the general public. At the same time, Everwood began noticing an up-tick in misapplications of treated wood due to a lack of understanding of the rising number of preservatives and treatment levels. “We want to change that,” said Everwood president Jay Hudson. “By utilizing this type of mobile training unit, we can empower the public with the knowledge they need in our industry. I believe other pressure treated wood providers will follow our lead and offer training as well.” So the company decided to bring the training to distributors, retailers and their customers. Everwood purchased a new Peterbilt 579 truck and a 53-ft. Competition race trailer, which it stripped down to the outer panels and had its on-site fabrication shop build a full interior. They equipped it with six flatscreen TVs, multiple Bluray players, 1000-watt sound system, two refrigerators, a computer network with four laptops, and restroom. The truck will also visit trade shows and conventions to offer free training to attendees. “Our focus is to bring training to several different venues, whether it’s customer appreciation day at a local hardware store or a planned neighborhood development location,” explained Steve Cheatham. The training session will introduce the treatment process, provide an overview of the usage categories for VERWOOD
Building-Products.com
treated wood, explain what type of fasteners to use and how to decide what treatment level is needed based on its end use. Attendees will be provided with brochures that include ICC code approvals and AWPA standards.
“I feel this new innovative idea for training will give retailers, contractors and the general public the tools and knowledge they need to make sound purchasing decisions in the treated wood market,” Hudson said.
CUSTOM TRAILER goes on-site to deliver training on proper installation of treated wood, in a highend environment that’s both promotional and educational.
INSIDE, contractors receive video-based installation training. April 2015
Building Products Digest
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SPECIAL Focus By Debbi Lewis, Arch Wood Protection
Real wood holds its own in decking market R
EAL WOOD continues to hold up well against competition from wood/plastic composites for the construction of decks. Here’s why: Treated wood decks cost less and retain more of their value than decks built of composites. The annual Cost vs. Value Report by Remodeling magazine compares the average cost of 36 popular remodeling projects with the value those projects retain at resale. For 2015—and since the two were first compared—the cost-value ratio of wood decks was higher than decks
built of composites, with wood decks recouping 80.5% of their cost versus 68% for composite decks. Plus, according to the study, composite decks cost 50% more than wood decks from the outset. (For the record, only three of the 36 projects examined in the study showed a higher costvalue ratio than wood decks.) People vote with their wallets, and the relative economy of wood bodes well for its future. According to a Principia report, the price spread between wood-alternatives and wood
TREATED WOOD decks cost less and retain more of their value than decks built of composites.
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has increased to the point “where current composite retail prices are pushing toward levels where further penetration against wood is constrained.” Still, value is not the only reason that wood still commands the major share of the decking market: Environmental advantages, new technologies, aesthetics, and relative ease of use also factor in.
Environmental Advantages
After being ignored by the green building community for years, wood is finally gaining recognition for its environmental attributes. In 2011, the federal government helped when the U.S. Department of Agriculture conceded what people in the forest products industry have known for a long time – using wood is good for the environment. Southern yellow pine used in the residential decking market is renewable, biodegradable, and sustainably harvested. Treated SYP is also a natural and environmentally responsible choice: it’s made from wood, a renewable resource, and treatment extends the life of the wood. These wood materials serve as carbon sinks over the entire life of the product and beyond. Life cycle assessments (LCAs) of these natural wood products confirm their environmental benefits. LCAs have shown scientifically the environmental advantages of copper azoleand ACQ-treated wood over woodplastic composites. These studies confirm that copper-azole and ACQ-treated wood use less energy and Building-Products.com
resources, have a lower environmental impact, decrease greenhouse gas levels, and offset fossil fuel use, when compared to wood-plastic composites. Furthermore, wood treated with nonmetallic, carbon-based preservatives and appropriate for above ground use is now readily available as well.
Technological Advantages
New technologies are helping real wood products maintain a leading position in the market as well. Treated wood products have been improved with additional colors and additives to improve performance. Though availability is limited, modified acetylated wood has also been introduced that enhances durability and stability of wood for above ground applications. One recent advance in treated wood is the new BARamine technolo-
gy from Arch Wood Protection. BARamine is an umbrella of proprietary additives selectively added to Wolmanized wood treatment by a growing number of licensed producers. The technology adds a broader range of resistance—including defense against certain copper-tolerant fungi—and improves preservative penetration. As an added benefit, wood treated with BARamine technology offers a cleaner, brighter appearance due to greater solution stability. Patent applications covering the BARamine technology were filed in 2011, and global patents are now pending. Suppliers of wood decking will continue to benefit from its popularity among many consumers and contractors who still prefer the aesthetics of natural wood. The high tensile
strength of wood allows wood—when properly treated—to be used for structural support beams where composite materials cannot. Decks built of wood can be rehabilitated by sanding and repainting or staining whereas composites cannot. And wood is easier to work with; it’s lightweight and offers excellent workability with common construction tools, plus a comfort factor among construction professionals who are accustomed to working with it. Add to these benefits value and environmental advantages, and one can see why wood continues to be the leading product in the decking market. – Debbi Lewis is a marketing specialist with Arch Wood Protection, a Lonza company, Atlanta, Ga. Reach her at debbi.lewis@lonza.com.
Fasteners key to proper treated wood performance
T
“for the want of a nail, the kingdom was lost” certainly applies to selecting the right fasteners when working with preservative-treated wood. Today’s preservatives contain more copper than treatments used in the past. The ions in the copper carried in a preservative can create a chemical reaction with the steel in a nail, screw, bolt or other hardware. Since preserved wood is typically used where there is regular exposure to moisture, water may add to the chemical reaction between the two metals and cause corrosion and staining. Because of this, treaters and preservative manufacturers recommend that fasteners and hardware be hotdipped galvanized steel, stainless steel, silicon bronze, or copper. Building codes list the same requirements, with an exception for borate-treated wood such as sill plates, which can be used with standard steel fasteners. The most commonly used fasteners for preserved wood are hot-dipped galvanized steel, which are typically dull gray in appearance. These are made by dipping the fasteners under high temperatures to bond a protective coating of zinc to the steel. Hot-dipped galvanized fasteners are recommended for use with all preservatives, including those containing ammonia such as ACQ and ACZA. In 2014, fastener manufacturer Simpson Strong-Tie revised its recommendations and noted its in-house testing “concluded that there is no significant difference in corrosion activity in galvanized steel in contact with treatments with or without ammonia.” Stainless steel is a popular corrosion resistant material used for fasteners. Considered the highest quality, HE OLD ADAGE
Building-Products.com
HOT-DIPPED galvanized nails are among the most popular choices for pressure treated wood.
stainless steel is more expensive than comparable hotdipped galvanized products. However, more cost-effective stainless steel products have come on the market in recent years. In areas where there is extensive exposure to moisture or salt water, stainless steel is the preferred choice. While silicon bronze and copper fasteners are approved by building codes, they are typically used only for special applications. For more information on recommended fasteners for preserved wood, go to www.preservedwood.org.
April 2015
Building Products Digest
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SPECIAL Focus Colorized Treated Wood
Preserved wood stakes claim in the color game
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industry is experiencing increased consumer demand for color, most likely due in some part to the composites industry introducing color choices to the market. Consequently, many treated lumber suppliers are expanding their product lines to ensure color options are available to their retail accounts. Eco Chemical, a manufacturer of waterborne paints and stains in the Pacific Northwest, acknowledges that although the pressure treating process and the pigments necessary for staining the treated lumber have existed for a while, putting the two together is a relatively new concept that has gained popularity in the U.S., particularly west of the Rockies. “The technology itself is old, but in-plant high-speed stain lines for pressure-treated lumber have only been around for 25 years,” said Mark Cheirrett, president of Eco Chemical, HE PRESERVED WOOD
noting people have been staining their wood decks by hand for about a century. Homeowners are increasingly choosing stained treated lumber. Producers who have invested in their ability to produce stained products have been profitably expanding into stained fencing, rails and decking products. Staining has become an essential value-added dimension of their business. Both Cheirrett and Eco Chemical’s head chemist, Walt Sadowski, credit the rise in commercial popularity of pre-stained products to both aesthetic and practical advantages. The two compare it to painting the walls in your home: the final appearance is enhanced and the painted surface is protected, since stain improves the look of the treated wood while also offering additional surface protection and enhancing the wood’s resistance
HIGH-SPEED staining lines add color to wood prior to going to the preservative treating process. Many wood treaters are considering pre-stains as part of their branding.
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April 2015
to natural degradation. “It just looks better and feels more natural,” Sadowski said. “Yet, it also protects the wood. The pigments block the UVs. Otherwise, the wood will degrade. Staining the wood is a winwin.” With producers staining the wood, the process is done more efficiently at a lower cost, and customers are able to get the appearance they want, along with better water holdout, protection and durability. Cheirrett emphasizes the importance of the cosmetic aspect as being more than just visually appealing, however. “Color is becoming a ‘brand’ identifier. Most retailers as customers have their own colors, so when you look out in the yard, you can see who’s buying what and where it’s going. But the difference in colors can be very subtle in some cases. It’s not the same color,” Cheirrett explained. While there is typically an additional cost associated with staining pressure treated wood, the incorporation of a water-based staining step in the treatment process can usually be accomplished with minimum disruption. The difference in price for the consumer is insignificant, according to Cheirrett, compared to cost of purchasing unstained wood and doing the staining themselves. Unstained wood will turn gray within a month, whereas properly stained wood won’t require maintenance for several years. Composite materials, usually a combination of recycled polyethylene and wood fibers, have emerged in the last decade as an alternative to wood for decking surfaces. These products pose some competition for pressureBuilding-Products.com
treated wood products in terms of required maintenance and life expectancy. Cheirrett stresses, however, these expected advantages come at a higher initial cost. In fact, leading composite brands of decking can cost twice as much as treated wood, and ultimately, even these higher priced composites will need to be refinished or replaced at some point. A homeowner faced with refinishing a composite deck will be taking on a substantial project, said Cheirrett. Thorough surface preparation will be essential to ensure adhesion when applying new paint to what is essentially a non-porous plastic surface. Even the best preparation and choice of paint will eventually lead to chipping—something that can be avoided with stained wood. Cheirrett also points to the environmental advantages that wood offers, as a renewable and biodegradable resource. An early concern that deterred distributors and retailers from offering color products was how the color would hold up in an outdoor environment. Initial coloring was attempted with dyes instead of high quality stains, resulting in early fading due to UV and general weather exposure. Fading is no longer an issue however, when using wood stains incorporating high quality iron oxide pigments. These pigments, which will not discolor even when exposed to UV radiation over time, have a history of proven longevity. “Iron oxides are in the Sistine Chapel. They’re in hieroglyphics. They’re natural, because it’s iron that’s already rusted—once it’s rusted, it can’t rust anymore!” Sadowski said. Continuous improvements in the formulation of wood stains have been steady and impressive. In Eco Chemical’s case, one recent development is a hybrid product that can deliver virtually all of the performance features of an oil-based alkyd at a substantially lower cost and with far fewer potential environmental consequences. Stained treated lumber has realized broad acceptance and growing market preference over unstained alternatives, particularly in the western states and provinces. But the majority of markets in North America still lack a primary champion and producer. Eastern retailers have been showing increased interest in this market opportunity, with big Building-Products.com
box stores, such as Home Depot and Lowes, leading the way. The benefits of including a staining step in manufacturing pressure treated lumber hold substantial value for manufacturers, dealers, and their cus-
tomers. With the growth in demand for pre-stained lumber in the western states, the beauty and added protection of stain appear to provide solid ground for the continued growth of demand for these products across the country.
HIGH-VOLUME stain mixing tanks at Eco Chemical can create a variety of colors and hues for wood staining as part of the preserving process.
ECO CHEMICAL chemist Walt Sadowski (left) and president Mark Cheirrett discuss new formulations in the lab. Both agree that adding color to wood as part of the treatment process can add value to the products. April 2015
Building Products Digest
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SPECIAL Focus WWPI on Preserved Wood
Check the end
for preserved wood information
T
HE BEST WAY to identify the preserved wood product stocked in your lumberyard is to look at the end of the piece. Preserved wood products sold in retail locations carry an end label offering important information about the wood. While these end labels may look differently based on the manufacturer, all have common elements found in every label. A key element on every label is the exposure condition, such as Above Ground or Ground Contact. This is often accompanied by the specific American Wood Protection Association Use Category designation. AWPA Use Categories range from UC1 to UC5. The higher the number, the more demanding the exposure. Wood treated for interior use, including sill plates, carry a UC1 or UC2 rating. These products are usually treated with borates for protection against insects.
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Outdoor decking products are typically rated as UC3B while those used in contact with the ground carry a UC4A or UC4B designation. For Western treated wood products, such as Douglas Fir and Hem-Fir, ground contact treated products will also be incised, with small slits cut into the wood to allow the preservative to penetrate more deeply into the wood. The UC5 category is used for pilings, timbers and other products which may be immersed in fresh or salt water, the most demanding exposures. AWPA standards and building codes require the CheckMark quality indicator, along with the logo of the third-party inspection agency. This mark indicates the product was treated to national consensus standards for the amount of preservative in the product as well as the depth of penetration into the wood. These products are also regularly monitored to ensure the proper quality control is maintained.
April 2015
Wood that has been approved for use by the International Code Council will show an ICC-ES logo instead of the check mark. The specific preservative and the retention level, or amount of preservative as measured in pounds per square foot (pcf), will be shown on the end label. Many preservatives are sold under their brand name and the logo or name of the brand will also appear on the label. Labels also show the name of the treating company where the wood was processed. An overview of the warranty for the wood can be found on the back of the label, with a website link to review more detailed information. Understanding end labels on preserved wood can lead to better sales, as salespeople will be able to guide customers to products that will perform and provide a long service life for the specific use.
Building-Products.com
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SPECIAL Focus Treated Wood Online
New website extols value, benefits of treated wood
WWPI has launched a new, consumer-friendly website to promote preserved wood.
T
HE LONG LIFE and versatility of preservative treated wood takes center stage in a new, consumerfriendly website. Preservedwood.org is designed as a one-stop resource for all pressuretreated wood products. Under the theme “Wood That Lasts,” the fullfeatured website offers basic information on preserved wood for consumers as well as sophisticated tools for specifiers and others. “It’s critical that we teach consumers, specifiers, regulators and those selling our products about preserved wood,” said Dallin Brooks, executive director of Western Wood Preservers Institute, which is hosting
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Building Products Digest
the site. “Preserved wood has a great story and this site lets us tell that story better.” Visitors can learn how wood is preservative treated and view a video on the treating process. They can explore the many preservatives that are available today and how they are used. The Use Category system, which is essential for specifying preserved wood, is fully explained. The CheckMark section explains how to read end labels on preserved wood products and details the third-party inspection that assures the quality of the preservative treating. The Aquatics section provides an April 2015
extensive overview of the tools available for specifying preserved wood in aquatic or sensitive environments. Visitors can download the free Environmental Assessment Model, an Excel spreadsheet that has earned approval by federal and state agencies. The model is a flexible tool that can estimate potential migration of chemicals from preserved wood in water for 11 of the most commonly used preservatives. A How To section details the recommended fasteners for use with preserved wood, how to field treat preserved wood to meet building codes and information on handling and disposing preserved wood. For those in California, visitors can get a list of approved landfills and review the state regulations for preserved wood disposal. Information on how to specify using WWPI’s Best Management Practices, or BMPs, is available for review on the site. BMPs are recommended guidelines for the production and installation of preserved wood in aquatic and sensitive environments to balance providing needed protection with minimizing the use of preservatives above required standards. Lumberyards stocking treated wood products can be listed in the Treated Lumber Yards Nearby section. The searchable list also appears on the Treated Wood Guide smartphone app. A full Technical Library is available on the site, featuring downloadable publications on specifying, product use, environment, aquatics, fireretardant treating and disposal. Building-Products.com
SPECIAL Focus Treated Wood App
Boost preserved wood sales with updated app P
ROVIDING KNOWLEDGE ABLE service is a great
way for building product retailers to differentiate from big box stores. To pump up treated wood sales, you can put key product information right at your salespeople’s fingertips with a revised smartphone app. The free Treated Wood Guide smartphone app has been updated with new sections to help customers choose the right preserved wood product for the right application. Developed by Western Wood Preservers Institute, the app is available for Apple, Android and Windows smartphones and tablets. Understanding Use Categories is important in selecting the proper treated product. Salespeople can go to the AWPA Use Category System utility and in a few taps find the products and required retentions in the commonly used preservatives available today. In the new Find by Exposure tab, users can start with the conditions where the treated wood will be used and determine what product types are available in the various preservatives. Explaining about the preservatives used in treated products is simple with the Preservatives tab, which details the ingredients in today’s preservatives and how they are safely used in other consumer products. An expanded FAQ or Frequently Asked Questions section provide answers to 37 of the most common questions about using preserved wood, from how long it lasts to comparisons with plastic composite products. A new Use Tips section offers practical information on handling, field treating, fastening and disposing of used preserved wood products. The CheckMark section explains how to read end labels on preserved wood products and what the information represents. The presence of the CheckMark logo indicates the product has been treated to national consensus standards and are approved for use under building codes. The Treated Wood Guide app is the only app available with information on all treated lumber products produced in the western U.S. WWPI offers free webinar training for Building-Products.com
lumberyards that want to train their sales personnel on how to use the app. Contact info@wwpinstitute.org for more information on the training.
HOOD LUMBER “Long and Strong”
Specializing in quality Southern Pine Lumber, ALL treated with anti-mold protection. We provide a full product mix of 2x4 thru 2x12, small timbers, and lengths up to 24 feet, from mills in Mississippi and Georgia.
Phone 601-264-2559 Fax 601-296-4740
www.hoodindustries.com April 2015
Building Products Digest
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INDUSTRY Trends By Charlie Robinson, Huber Engineered Woods
Engineered wood goes green
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—smart thermostats, LED lighting, smart irrigation systems—engineered wood remains a sustainable building material. In terms of natural insulation, wood is extremely efficient. It acts as a natural barrier against heat and cold, boosting a home’s energy efficiency. As demand for engineered wood products grows in the next few years, we anticipate a greater need for more high-tech wood products. According to the USGBC, most consumers will pay more for green homes and expect to see a return on green construction elements in the form of energy savings. Some also view eco-friendly features as luxury items. After investing in energy efficient materials in their homes, consumers see an immediate benefit in their monthly energy bills. Knowing a
product is going to improve their monthly bottom line makes the decision to purchase energy efficient products easy. But the sustainability story of engineered wood products doesn’t start with the consumer. It begins much earlier, during the manufacturing process. Wood, which is 100% biodegradable, is a naturally occurring product. The sun powers the production of trees, rather than finite resources, which are the first step in creating engineered wood materials. In the mill where engineered wood materials are processed, waste is minimal. For example, at Huber’s mills, just 2% of waste is produced and most of it is recycled. Wood is also a major source of energy at many mills, as it is recycled to power the kilns. To save energy, many wood processing sites are located close to the forests and communities where wood is sourced. This cuts down on fuel needed to transport raw materials to the mills, decreasing the cradle-tograve environmental impact of engineered wood. Do consumers care about a green manufacturing process? You bet they do. In a recent Nielsen survey, more than half of the respondents claimed they would pay extra for products produced by companies that are committed to a positive environmental impact. With mounting evidence to back engineered wood as a green material, suppliers are left to tell their sustainability stories.
THE GROWING DEMAND for engineered wood products will continue and there will be a greater need for more high-tech wood products like Huber’s ZIP System R-sheathing, which includes a preattached poly-iso insulation to provide a higher R-value to the structure.
– Charlie Robinson is v.p. of marketing at Huber Engineered Wood. Reach him at charlie.robinson@huber.com.
HE BEST TIME to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is today. That Chinese proverb certainly depicts today’s movement toward greener, more sustainable construction. Green building has steadily grown over the past few decades and now accounts for more than 20% of all commercial real estate construction, according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). And an astounding 62% of single-family homes being built today are incorporating green elements. Both trend lines are expected to continue their upward trajectories. What does this mean? For one thing, we can expect greater demand for green building products like engineered wood materials. Even with all the high-tech green gadgets that are now readily available
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April 2015
Building-Products.com
PRODUCT Spotlight By APA–The Engineered Wood Association
Glulam and the new home
S
TRONG , STABLE and capable of short and long spans, glulam beams provide designers and builders virtually unlimited design flexibility for single-family and multi-family homes. In residential construction, glulam beams are often chosen for their beauty in exposed designs, such as rafters in vaulted ceilings or long clear-span ridge beams. But the large majority of glulam beams are hidden in structural applications, such as floor beams and
headers. Stock beams, readily available from distributors and retail lumberyards throughout North America, are inventoried in widths of 3-1/8, 3-1/2, 5-1/8, 5-1/2, and 6-3/4 inches with depths ranging from 9 to 24 inches. The most common uses for stock glulam beams in residential construction are: Floor Beams. Glulam is manufactured from kiln-dried lumber, so
shrinkage and warping are minimized. Builders like the fact that glulam is manufactured with no camber or a very slight camber that produces a consistent, level floor. Glulam also has excellent fastener-holding capabilities, which means a firm subfloor that will resist nail pops or squeaks when combined with an APA-recommended glued floor system. Glulam is readily available in Ijoist-compatible (IJC) depths to easily permit flush framing without special furring. I-joist-compatible beams are supplied in depths of 9-1/2, 11-7/8, 14, and 16 inches to match the depths of Ijoists used in residential construction. Garage Door Headers. Glulam garage door headers span distances long enough for two- and three-carwide garage doors. The dimensional stability of glulam also ensures the garage door frame is straight and true. A common width of glulam garage door headers is 3-1/2 inches, which fits conventional 2x4 wall construction. For 2x6 wall construction, a 51/2-inch-wide glulam beam provides the perfect fit. Ridge & Rafter Beams. The open, airy designs and high ceilings common in today’s homes make glulam a great choice for ridge beam applications. They can span long distances and carry virtually any design load. Sloping glulam rafter beams are the perfect complement to ridge beams in exposed applications. Columns. Glulam columns are straight and dimensionally true, ensuring that framing will stay straight and stable. What’s more, architecturalgrade columns can be left exposed as an architectural feature. Today tall walls are more popular with designers and homeowners. Long continuous glulam columns can extend from bottom plate to top plate and won’t fold at the “hinge” created by platform framing. The strength of the full-length glulam will counter the tendency of tall balloon-framed walls to flex. Window Headers. For large and small window and door openings, glulam headers provide added stability versus built-up dimension lumber, helping to prevent movement of the window or door frame, minimizing wall cracks.
STOCK GLULAM beams managed much of the buildings’ load requirements at the Westend garden apartment project in Denver, Co., including the headers over windows, doors and garage doors.
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– For more information on glulam uses, visit www.apawood.org/glulam. Building-Products.com
COMPETITIVE Intelligence By Carla Waldemar
Small beats sprawl
P
ICTURE THIS, straight off a Gen X sit-com on your TV screen: trendy L.A.’s even-trendier La Brea neighborhood, vibrating with flagrantly creative, artistic young urbanites. Then picture this, as a new business venture rising among its wine bars and boutiques: a hardware store. What’s wrong with this picture? Nothing. It represents the dawn of Orchard Supply Hardware’s new “urban retail format.” Since its La Brea launch a year ago, the store’s ticket average is running 14% higher than in the traditional branches of the outfit launched in 1931 in San Jose and now encompassing over 70 stores in California and Oregon. But this isn’t your papa’s traditional go-to. The venture represents the crest of the wave of the future. “We saw the potential of the evolved home center,” says Bob Teller, senior vice president of merchandise and market-
ing, “a journey toward an upscale (but affordable), advanced hardware store, selling to a different demographic. The 30,000-sq. ft. footprint fits a niche that’s not addressed by the bigger, 4550,000-sq. ft. stores, so we saw lots of opportunity in an underserved market: urban locations with the right model, right products and right strategy.” And La Brea, with its demographics of hip condo- and apartmentdwellers, fits the ticket. Its “urban retail” design serves residents’ crying need for, among other vitals, paint (Benjamin Moore is OSH’s brand of choice); materials for repair and remodeling projects; and an urban garden center. To top it all, there’s a rooftop parking lot for customers. (This is L.A., after all, where a car is considered dearer than a spouse). Maybe that’s fitting, because the building was formerly a car dealership—a find because “space is at a
OPENING DAY customers packed OSH’s new-format store in Los Angeles’ La Brea neighborhood.
premium in California, and it’s expensive,” Teller testifies. “The front windows provide lots of wonderful light,” he boasts, before cringing at the floor plan. “Despite being big—30,000 sq. ft.—the space is long and narrow, like a bowling alley, which doesn’t lend itself to categorization,” he notes. “It took micro-sorting to adjust and fit into the space. We got our store-planning crew together and decided to merchandise… up. It’s 97 ft. rather than 54, to draw interest: to use the space above the selling space for creative displays to indicate we’re wellstocked. It looks creative, but it’s still very, very shoppable—still looks very, very open. With 55,000 SKUs we had to be creative and use a possible drawback to our benefit.” And just what products to stock? The first step solving that conundrum involved smart research. “We had to learn a completely different customer base, and a different product mix than typical, for this repair-and-maintenance customer,” Teller says. “It’s ever-evolving, but we started out by spending time in the community. People were walking dogs, so we knew pet items would be big.” Sure, some assumptions proved a little off, but the team was quick to tweak things. “We thought customers wouldn’t buy lumber and building materials, but, after feedback, we realized we needed more. We needed dimension lumber, convenience lumber, and basic mouldings. And pellets!” he adds in amazement. “There’s no need for stoves here, but they were using the pellets for pet bedding. Hardware is very popular, as we expected, but we were surprised that
PAINT CAN lid collage adds to the new store’s young urban vibe.
the commercial cleaning segment wasn’t. Turns out, they wanted organic products instead, so we downgraded [the original lines] and upgraded the organics.” And…gardening? In hyper-urban, hyper-crowded L.A.? “We went back and forth on that. Would there be a need? But hey, with a company name like Orchard…,” he laughs. So they included a 3,800-sq. ft. outdoor nursery, and it’s going gangbusters, selling “as much or more per square foot as our other stores. Here we carry pre-potted succulents and container pots. People come in seeking different ideas, and our staff is very imaginative.” Speaking of staff: La Brea has 80 employees—hired, Teller says, from the neighborhood—“and they trained us, with a lot of local information, which fits our ‘neighbors helping neighbors’ philosophy. We learned that more of our shoppers here are women, in higher-income brackets, who own or rent nearby.” The store incorporated Orchard’s Workbench program, launched four years ago as an in-store site for services like knife-sharpening, key- and glass-cutting and such, “to fit our image as a full-service store rather than DIY. It’s evolved into a solution center,” he reports. “Our C.A.R.E. program is a crucial part of our training process—not just product knowledge and selling, but assistance with a customer’s needs. Each store is led by a Quarterback. Customers are greeted at the door and asked about their project. The greeter is equipped with a radio, so he radios the associate in the appropriate department that a guest is coming his way.” Feedback is laced with “I love the store!” comments, but those were earned after first creatively luring them onto the premises. “The neighborhood didn’t know exactly what Orchard was all about; this is a new market, so we got the word out by holding a Happy Hour event, announced via social media, mailers and a targeted email list. We offered refreshments, music, and give-aways, and it generated a lot of interest. People unfamiliar with the organization discovBuilding-Products.com
ered we’re much more than a traditional hardware store— full service, lots of know-how. “They’d expected to pay more than at a store outside of town, but we didn’t raise our price to ‘city level’ (though we have to pay more for labor here). Our margins are similar to those in our other stores.” Tickets, as we noted, are running 14% higher than at the traditional branches, “which surprised us, because we don’t carry big-ticket items here, like patio sets or big mowers. Instead, it’s more items in the basket,” Teller explains. There’s a small but loyal pro business, too, based on Orchard’s trusted name. Aiming to serve local contractors, “we walked a plumber through our lines and asked him ‘What are we missing?’” Nada. “They know we know our stuff, and with our founding in 1931, we have a long history. Now, we’ll take specialty hardware to the next level.” (Orchard was bought by Lowe’s in 2013, but the parent company respects the strong business. “They let us alone, and that’s a huge bonus,” says Teller.) “I’ve been in the business 30 years,” he continues, “and it’s kind of cool, what we’re doing here. There are not many new ideas in this industry (they stopped with the big-box format), so this is a success. This is what we are!” Future plans? “We’ll take every opportunity when we find urban space in a prime location—but suburban locations as well,” he adds, “the right mix and the right demographic. And the field is wide open. Nobody else is playing in the space we are!” Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net April 2015
Building Products Digest
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OLSEN On Sales By James Olsen
Our most charming best
I
TRADED LUMBER for 17 years and did it wrong for eight of them. I lagged behind my compatriots, which caused me anguish and shame. Described charitably as “direct” in my communication style, I made enough calls and asked for the order enough; but I didn’t spend too much time thinking about how others felt or wanted to communicate. I assumed everyone spoke and thought like I did and was in just as big a hurry. Did I mention I was also a know-it-all? In desperation, I started to listen to the great traders around me. I put my ego in my back pocket and started studying the art of sales. When I started slowing down, listening and talking to my customers about what they wanted to talk about, I doubled my sales in less than a year and never looked back.
Dedo, Dale & McNutt
Three men influenced me most in my search for the seemingly elusive charm. Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People is a blueprint that delivers on the promise of its title. Matt Dierdorff is one of the most charming people I’ve ever met. I traded with Matt for several years and was able to watch the master work in many different settings. Matt taught me to say, “There you go…” when someone says something you might disagree with—instead of my erstwhile favorite: argue with them. Steve McNulty was a guy I trained who became a much better trader than me. “See it, say it” was one of his many contributions to my charm school training. Steve’s contention was that we have many opportunities to give our customers compliments without being fake. When you see something that can be complimented, say it.
The First 14 Seconds
I listen to 200 taped sales calls a month. Rapport, trust, connection, interaction and liking all happen in the first 14 seconds! “Hello, this is Suzanne Super with Big Lumber out of Portland, Or. Is this John Smith?” (We say this with our best mix of confidence and friendliness, as if speaking to an old friend or favorite aunt.) “Yes it is” (It is important to listen with big ears to the volume, speed, joviality or seriousness of this response. We want to match our speech to that of the customer.) “How are you today?”
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Building Products Digest
April 2015
“I’m fine.” (We must listen with our “emotional” ears. Many sellers rifle through these important first interactions with potential customers. These sellers will tell you customers are difficult to get on the phone, hard to start a conversation with, etc.) If the customer responds with something negative, follow up! Many sellers are afraid to delve in. This is a mistake. Many times our customers want to talk to us. They are sending us a conscious or subconscious cry for help and we reject them; it doesn’t build rapport. Examples: “Okay.” “Just okay?” “Tired.” “Were you up late?” “Didn’t you sleep well?” “Sigh.” “What’s going on?” Any time someone sighs, they are thinking of something worrisome. Important: Whatever the customer’s response, pause… and then respond. Do not rush to business at this juncture. If we rush we will sound insincere. This goes for the whole greeting process. Slow down and be your most charming best. They know why we called. They came to the phone. So relax. We’re not wasting time. We’re only 14 seconds in, for crying out loud!
“Feelings” Are for Barry Manilow
How we feel on any given day or on any given call is irrelevant. “So, you’re sayin’ I gotta be in a good mood every day?” No, just on work days. What is relevant is that we project, on every call, our most charming best attitude with everyone we meet. Many sellers are only charming with the buyer; while they might not be out-and-out rude to the other people at the account, they often treat them as furniture. Most of us are pretty darn good (and a lot more difficult to say no to) when we are at our most charming best. Many of us are guarded in our personal life. We can be introverts or thinkers. “Opening up” and “being charming,” while natural to some, is work for us. Well, get to work. It pays huge dividends. James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572 james@realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com
US LBM Buys Lampert’s
US LBM Holdings has acquired 33-unit Lampert Lumber, St. Paul, Mn. Lampert’s was founded in 1887 and fourth-generation owner Dan Fesler, nearing retirement age, had been looking for a suitor that would allow the company to remain Lampert’s. “We chose US LBM because they will be the best steward of our family business and legacy,” said Fesler, who will stay on as an advisor. Bob Egan will continue as president, overseeing the existing team. US LBM had already served Minnesota and Wisconsin with its Lyman Lumber division, but adding Lampert’s expands the chain into Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
G-P Takes Over Rocky Creek
RoyOMartin has completed the sale of its Rocky Creek Lumber operations in Mexia, Al., to Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta, Ga. Built in 2001 and acquired by RoyOMartin in 2006, the facility produces southern yellow pine dimension lumber, heavy studs, squares/timbers, and barn timbers.
Interfor Closes Simpson Deal
Interfor has completed the acquisition of four sawmills from Simpson Lumber Co., increasing its annual lumber production capacity by 30% to 3.1 billion bd. ft. Interfor paid $94.7 million for sawmills in Longview and Tacoma (Commencement Bay), Wa.; Meldrim, Ga.; and Georgetown, S.C. Following the sale, Tacoma, Wa.based Simpson Lumber will retain Simpson Door Co. and continue its strategic review of its lumber operations in Shelton, Wa. Dave McEntee is the new president of Simpson Lumber. Betsy Stauffer, Simpson’s general counsel, is now also president of Simpson Investment Co. Allan Trinkwald is vice chair.
Timberline Buys Location #4
Three-unit Timberline Enterprises, Gloucester, Ma., agreed to buy the assets of Hughes Lumber Co., Billerica, Ma. Timberline CEO Christopher Costello expects to be operating out of the new facility soon after the deal closes, set for May 1.
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DEALER Briefs Matt’s Building Materials
opened store #3 March 4 in Palmview, Tx.—its first new location since 1971.
Morrow-Gill Lumber Co. , Sand Springs, Ok., is closing after 61 years, with the retirement of secondgeneration owner Vicki Sisney. Sanford & Hawley, Unionville, Ct., bought Rogers Sash & Door, Newington, Ct., from Ralph Sager. Building 9 is building a new 42,000-sq. ft. store in Sharon, Oh., to replace its Akron, Oh., operation before its lease runs out this summer. Professional Builders Supply , Morrisville, N.C., added a new branch in North Charleston, S.C. (Dwayne Farrell, market president).
Frattalone’s Ace Hardware
purchased a new site in Arden Hills, Mn., for a larger corporate headquarters and off-season goods storage.
Warsaw Ace Hardware , Warsaw, N.Y., was forced to close for several weeks after its roof buckled under heavy snow March 4. MH Harden Hardware, Wetumpka, Al., is closing after 70 years. Nelson True Value, Prairie du Chien, Wi., has broken ground on a larger replacement store, targeting a Nov. 1 completion. Norris Ace Home Center , Henderson, Ky., is closing next month after 145 years, with the retirements of longtime leaders Seton W. Norris III and Ron Moore. Speier Ace Hardware, Louisville, Ky., has been acquired by Joda Pyle from Kevin Katz, whose father-inlaw opened the store in 1944. Menards proposed a new location in Olathe, Ks., and closed its Bridgeview, Il., store March 20. The structure is being torn down and replaced with a larger, two-story building by next spring. Habitat for Humanity is relocating its ReStore discount LBM outlets in Savannah, Ga., and Williston, Vt., to larger facilities. The new Williston site was formerly occupied by Lacillade Lumber. Building-Products.com
Building-Products.com
April 2015
Building Products Digest
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Koopman Picks Up Seventh Yard
Koopman Lumber, Whitinsville, Ma., has purchased 128-year-old Lamson Lumber, Hudson, Ma., as its seventh location. To head the Hudson yard, Koopman has appointed its most experienced manager, Dave Wiersma, who has been with the 75-year-old chain for over 40 years.
Fire Consumes Lumber Warehouse
Shaw Stewart Lumber, Minneapolis, Mn., was nearly destroyed by a fire March 7, which engulfed a one-story warehouse. The property was locked up when the fire started just around 11:00 p.m. More than 30 firefighters were called to help put out the flames after a pedestrian reported seeing smoke in the area. Authorities believe that alcohol was a contributing factor after arson investigators found shards of a broken vodka bottle they say was used to smash the front window of the building’s showroom, according to police Sgt. Sean McKenna. Officials said it was too soon for a damage estimate.
Plywood Mill Starts Rebuild
A year after being destroyed by a tornado, Winston Plywood has begun rebuilding its plywood manufacturing plant in Louisville, Ms. The rebuilt facility will feature improvements to both lathe lines and existing veneer dryers, plus the addition of a new six-deck, 20-section veneer dryer, veneer handling machinery, stacking equipment, controls, and dryer feeding and unloading systems.
• Build larger raised decks with fewer support columns • Copper 8 Quinolinolate protects underpinning from elements, wood-ingesting insects and fungi • 24FV5/M1 Balanced Layup • AWPA Use Category UC3B • 30-Year Limited Warranty
SUPPLIER Briefs Northwest Hardwoods, Tacoma, Wa., has completed the acquisition of Industrial Timber & Lumber Co., Beachwood, Oh., operator of two hardwood mills, four concentration yards, and a dedicated service center in Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Homer Gregory Lumber Co., Morehead, Ky., lost a
warehouse in a March 5 fire.
Harold White’s Lumber, Morehead, Ky., suffered a fire at its maintenance garage Feb. 21 that set off multiple explosions. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze. Fitzgerald Lumber, Fitzgerald, Va., sustained damage to a debarker and a maintenance shop in a March 13 fire. Sturgeon Millwork & Lumber Co., Vulcan, Mi., suf-
fered heavy damage in a March 13 fire.
Reeb Millwork, Fountain Hill, Pa., next year will open a 175,000-sq. ft. door and frame assembly plant and warehouse in south Bethlehem, Pa. Offices and a showroom may eventually be added, as the former Bethlehem Steel facility has room to expand to 720,000 sq. ft. Hamel Forest Products, Custer, Wi., suffered minor damage in a Feb. 28 roof fire, sparked by a stray ember from a boiler. Masco Corp., Taylor, Mi., will spin off its installation companies later this year as TopBuild Corp., to be based in central Florida and listed under the ticker symbold BLD. Comprised of its Masco Contractor Services and Service Partners divisions, it will have over 190 installation branches and 70 distribution centers, headed by Jerry Volas as CEO, Robert Buck as president, and John Peterson as CFO. Johns Manville, Denver, Co., has increased capacity by 20% at its TPO commercial roofing plant in Scottsboro, Al. Weyerhaeuser Distribution , Naperville, Il., and Russin Lumber, Montgomery, N.Y., are now distributing KWP’s Eco-Side engineered wood siding and trim. Allura’s ColorMax prefinished color system now incorporates PPG Paints’ coating technology, providing an excellent finish, more choices in styles and textures, and the broadest selection of solid and semi-transparent colors. The factory-finish is backed by a 15-year warranty, while the fiber cement products themselves carry a 50-year transferrable warranty. PPG has rebranded its Sikkens wood finish division as Sikkens ProLuxe.
1245 Easton Road Bethlehem, PA 18015
(800) 700-4788 (484) 853-3100
eewp.com
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Weston Forest, Mississauga, Ont., was recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies program for 2014. Anniversaries: Curtis Lumber Co., Ballston Spa, N.Y., 125th … Poole Lumber Co ., Covington, La., 70th … ABS Distribution–Dallas, Coppell, Tx., 1st.
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YellaWood® brand pressure treated products are treated with preservatives (the “Preservatives”) and preservative methods, systems, and technologies of unrelated third parties. For details regarding the Preservatives, methods, systems, and technologies used by Great Southern Wood Preserving, Incorporated, see www.yellawood.com/preservative or write us at P.O. Box 610, Abbeville, AL 36310. Ask dealer for warranty details. For warranty or for important handling and other information concerning our products including the appropriate Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), please visit us at www.yellawood.com/warranties or write us at P.O. Box 610, Abbeville, AL 36310. YellaWood® and the yellow tag are federally registered trademarks of Great Southern Wood Preserving, Incorporated.
THINKING Ahead By Jim Shalvoy, VP of Marketing, Cedar Creek, & NAWLA Communications Committee Member
Looking back to the future
Your guide to succession planning I F TOMORROW your company abruptly lost a key employee, what would happen? Would the business carry on uninterrupted or would it scramble to find a new leader while struggling to regain its footing? In another scenario, what would happen if you, the founder or owner, made a conscious decision to exit your business, either due to retirement or some other reason? Would your business able to carry on as before? These seemingly different questions are interrelated, as their answers greatly impact the continuity and the value of your business. Having a well thought out succession plan will prepare you to answer those questions when the time comes and can turn tricky exit transitions into an opportunity to capitalize on your lifelong investment. Making time for succession planning can be a challenge that’s often neglected in the rigors and distractions of day-today business. However, planning for the future is a present need that will maximize the current and future value of your organization. Succession planning is an important topic for the wholesale lumber industry right now, as we face—like many other trade industries—an aging leadership population. Many Baby Boomers who started, inherited or manage a business are now reaching retirement age. Often, the next
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generation family member is not interested in or capable of filling the shoes of the retiring leader. Unfortunately, our industry hasn’t always been proactive in attracting the best young talent, giving rise to the imminent need for succession planning. For a business to be able to weather the departure of a key manager or owner, the succeeding management team must possess the same level of passion for the industry, the drive to succeed and business skills necessary to sustain a winning enterprise. When you get down to the business of succession, there are two major components to consider: How can a leader assure that the organization has the talent pool to survive the exit of a key manager or retiring owner? How can an owner best capitalize on the sale of his or her company? The answer to these two questions will help get you started on your own succession plan.
The “Durable” Organization: Create a Promotable Bench
If a business creates a deep “bench” of promotable employees, it will be able to continually thrive during the natural attrition that takes place within the ranks. However, from the perspective of a future buyer, a formal employee develop-
April 2015
ment program and a deep talent pool also adds tangible value. In most cases, the new owners don’t want the entire company’s “brain trust” to leave with the departing owner. Most companies have some version of a leadership development program, even if they don’t identify it as such. It’s natural for leaders to entrust their high achievers with broader assignments, in addition to grooming them for positions of increasing responsibility. Sometimes this is an informal process within an organization. Formalize it. Even if you’re a small company and it’s a simple program, employees will be motivated by knowing where they fall on the organization career path.
Selling the Company: What Are Your Options?
For owners looking to exit their business, selling to a strategic buyer, to a financial investor or to their employees are several options to get equity out while securing the future of the organization. Selling to a strategic buyer is a common way for exiting owners to divest assets. Most of the time, the buyer will be a company you are already familiar with, such as a direct competitor or a similar company outside your trading area. Since you are both in the same business, candor between you both will be
Building-Products.com
A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association
based on mutual knowledge of the industry and reputation. They will have a keen understanding of your business, so be sure to cover your bases by taking a look at the advice
Succession Plans
Several NAWLA-member executives contributed their succession planning recommendations:
“Identify promotable employees for specific jobs, so when an opening develops, you are prepared. You don’t want to have to scramble when a key position opens.” — D. Wayne Trousdale, CEO, Cedar Creek “Establish a leadership development program that challenges topperforming employees, helps them to develop new skills and enables the company to better evaluate their future potential.” — Craig Johnston, CEO, Forest City Trading Group “Try to create a blend of hiring from within and from the outside to balance maintaining your company’s culture with bringing in new ideas.” — Trent Balog, CEO, Taiga Building Products “Create internships with local colleges to introduce your company to upcoming graduates.” — Craig Johnston, Forest City Trading Group
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presented later in this article. A private equity firm, or financial buyer, looking to invest in the business will usually want an experienced management team in place. Pursuing this plan allows the incumbent owner to extract his or her equity out of the business. Then, the owner may exit the business entirely or, as is often the case, the owner may stay on with the company in a key leadership role. The due diligence associated with this type of transaction can be time consuming over the short term. While the acquiring firm will perform its due diligence about your company, do your part as well by learning about the investment group to ensure that they are the best fit for your employees and operations. An owner can share stock with their employees via an Employee Stock Option Program, which enables employees to become investors in the business through a retirement fund. Due to specific financial and reporting requirements, it’s important to look into hiring a financial planning firm that specializes ESOPs. Despite certain tax benefits, it is more cumbersome for the divesting owner than an outright sale of the company.
Your Succession Checklist
matter what path your organization decides to take, cultivate a strong management team that is well prepared for the future. The new owners will want to see a hard-working group of leaders who know the local market and the operations. Provide training and leadership development programs to help them excel. Clean up your books. Have your CPA go through all your financial records and ensure that your books are in perfect order. For a potential buyer, sloppy or incomplete financials can be a debilitating red flag. Make sure your inventory is shipshape. Get rid of your dead stock items now. They will only be a distraction later. Repair your premises. The actual brick and mortar assets also need to be in top working order. If your offices or warehouses are in a state of disrepair, fix them now or be prepared for the expense to come out of the sales price. Planning for the future of your organization is a challenging and exciting time. It provides an opportunity to look at the best means to grow your business and empower your employees. – Jim Shalvoy is v.p. of marketing for Cedar Creek, LLC and a member of NAWLA’s communications committee.
Whatever your company’s best strategy is to ensure a robust future, there are a few additional boxes to check before pursuing a sale. Whether you are considering turning your business over to a family member, your employees or an external buyer, you’ll want to ensure that everything is functioning smoothly. In doing so, you will maximize the sales price and pass along a business that is primed for continued success. When preparing for any major succession changes, allow plenty of time. It takes the right circumstance and timing for even the best-laid plans to germinate. Take a look at the following advice to get your company ready for the future: It’s all about the people. No
April 2015
Discuss These Challenges with Industry Peers
For those already affiliated with NAWLA, I encourage you to join or start a 10 Group so that you can continue to build relationships and host conversations with peers about trends and challenges such as succession planning that lumber suppliers and wholesalers face every day. While these groups meet in-person at NAWLA events such as the Traders Market and Leadership Summit, you can reach out to another 10 Group member whenever you need his or her counsel. Learn more and get involved at www.nawla.org.
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Martco Selects Texas for OSB Plant
Martco LLC, Alexandria, La., will begin construction this summer on a new OSB plant in Corrigan, Tx. The facility is expected to start up by the fall of 2017 and employ 165 people. Corrigan OSB, LLC will complement Martco’s existing wood-product manufacturing plants in Oakdale, La. (OSB); Chopin, La. (plywood); and Mexia, Al. (lumber and timbers).
ABC Absorbs Iowa Distributor
ABC Supply Co., Beloit, Wi., has acquired the assets of the exterior building products division of The Ar-Jay Center, Cedar Rapids, Ia. The deal includes Ar-Jay’s siding, window and door business, which will be integrated into ABC’s Cedar Rapids branch. Ar-Jay sales associates specializing in exterior building products will join ABC Supply’s Cedar Rapids team. “We’re excited to be expanding our capabilities in these categories and to be bringing additional industry veterans to our team,” said Jim Welch, v.p. of ABC Supply’s Midwest Region. “This will make us an even stronger partner to our existing customers, and we look forward to welcoming contractors who have been working with The ArJay Center and having an opportunity to provide them with ABC’s high level of customer service.”
Milgard Opens Up in Texas
Milgard Windows & Doors, Tacoma, Wa., has opened new manufacturing facilities in Grand Prairie, Tx. “Texas is attractive to us for many reasons, including its
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tremendous housing market growth,” noted Randy Buchanan, general manager of the Texas operations. “We’ve found Texas to have a very business friendly environment and have enjoyed strengthening our partnerships with local dealers and trade professionals.” Later this year, Milgard will release several new products “designed specifically for the Texas market,” said Buchanan. “We recognize our customers in Texas have specific desires concerning not only functionally, but also in terms of aesthetic options to complement the architectural style of Texas homes.” A grand opening is set for April 9, although production began a month earlier.
TRUE VALUE TREATERS: True Value Co. held its spring show March 7-9 in Dallas, Tx., with vendors including Everwood Treatment’s Jeramy Simmons, Arch Wood Protection’s Kirk Hammond, Madison Wood Preservers’ Kari Gaviria, and Everwood’s Steve Cheatham.
Building-Products.com
TimberSIL Loses Court Case
A Virginia judge has removed Karen Slimak as manager of Timber Treatment Technologies, Greenville, S.C., the company she founded a decade ago to produce TimberSIL glass-infused wood. Although she was permitted to “retain membership” in TTT, Slimak was also forced to pay back $225,000 that had been diverted to another company she owned, $75,000 in tax penalties, and nearly $5,000 to former employees on breach-of-contract claims. She also lost her $200-million
counter-suit accusing former employees and investors of allegedly conspiring to destroy her business by stealing its trade secrets to form competiting companies. Shareholders, however, who have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the company, called it a “hollow victory,” since they received nothing. TTT’s phone is no longer in service and its manufacturing plant has been idled. Over the years, TTT was also sued by distributors, plagued by complaints of product issues, and changed its sodium silicate formula.
Eco Expands in Northeast
Eco Building Products’ Eco Red Shield Advanced Framing Lumber is becoming even easier to get in the Northeast. Sherwood Lumber, Islandia, N.Y., is now distributing Eco Red Shield throughout the region. In addition, to keep pace with the increased demand, Eco’s Fair Lawn, N.J., facility recently added a third shift and is making plans to add automated equipment that will increase production ten-fold.
Norbord/Ainsworth OSB Mega-Merger Nears Close
Norbord, Toronto, Ont., and Ainsworth Lumber Co., Vancouver, B.C., expected their proposed merger would close by March 31, 2015, after passing a final hurdle—a review by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Under the deal, Norbord will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Ainsworth in an allshare transaction.
E&H Buys Ohio Dealer
Plain Olde True Value Hardware, Canton, Oh., has been sold by Tom Burke, who is retiring after 30 years in hardware. New owner E&H Hardware Group, Wooster, Oh., will sell off the inventory and fixtures by May, then begin a full remodel and conversion to Ace Hardware.
ACCOYA modified wood was chosen as the primary material for refurbishing the porch during a massive rehabilitation of Theodore Roosevelt’s Sagamore Hill house in Oyster Bay, N.Y. Built in 1885, the “Summer White House” is one of the most popular destinations in the national park system, with tens of thousands of visitors each year. Accoya was selected for its sustainability, durability, stability and compatibility with the original porch materials. The home will reopen in July.
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Building-Products.com
Snow Buries Maine Dealer
EBS Building Supplies, Orland, Me., is weighing its options after its warehouse roof caved in under the weight of 5 ft. of snow. In the short term, EBS was receiving plywood, drywall and other buried products from other branches and stacking them inside the entrance of the store, as it considered whether to set up a temporary tent or shed on property. In the long term, a settlement with the insurance company will determine whether it repairs or replaces the damaged structure.
Penn Lumber Museum Spruced Up
The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, Ulysses, Pa., officially reopened April 1, as it nears completion of a multimillion-dollar, multi-year remodel/expansion. Dating back to the late 1960s as an effort by the PennYork Lumbeman’s Club, the museum now features an expansive visitor’s center that showcases a comprehensive history of the lumber heritage in Pennsylvania from the beginning of the industry to present. The finishing touches are being put on a new interpretive exhibition area, set to open in mid-May. According to Lumber Museum acting administrator Charlie Fox, The Lumber Museum’s mission is to collect, preserve and interpret the history of the state’s forests and forest industries and their role in the cultural and economic growth of Pennsylvania and nation for citizens and visitors. Fox noted that the addition to the main exhibition area makes the museum more accessible, allowing for an exhibit that could be changed every three months. What’s more, the visitor’s center will be open year-round.
FORMER BPD publisher David Cutler and his prize possession were recently profiled by the Orange County Register. Since retiring in 2001, Cutler has devoted considerable time (and funds) tending to a pristine 1954 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe, which was purchased new by his mother.
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3690 Orange Place • Suite 495 • Cleveland, OH 44122 Toll-Free 866-BORATES (267-2837) • Fax 216-464-8619
Building-Products.com
FAMILY Business By Bill Babb
Life insurance in the family business
I
like many of our family business clients, you may feel that your life insurance needs have changed in the time since you purchased your policy. Relaxed estate tax laws and our new economic realities could mean that coverage you purchased for the purpose of paying estate taxes or to fund a buy-sell agreement may be more or less than you currently need. So the question is: just how does a family owned business member go about assessing his insurance needs? F YOU ARE
The first step is a policy audit. If you are a trustee of a trust-owned policy, one of your fiduciary responsibilities is to ensure that the trust assets are prudently managed; therefore a regular review of needs—and options available to satisfy those needs—is strongly advised. Partly because of the way life insurance commissions favor sales over ongoing service and partly because life policy reporting rules are much less stringent than most other investment products, family business advisors and their clients are usually quite unaware of how the policies are performing. If issued 10+ years ago, it is likely the illustration you were shown when you purchased the policy is not reflective of today’s reality due to dramatically lower interest rates. This means that, unless something changes rather dramatically, you could very well outlive your insurance policy! What if I now have sufficient liquid assets to pay estate taxes? If, for estate planning or other reasons, you no longer
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have a need for the life insurance coverage, simply evaluate the policy as you would any other asset in your investment portfolio. We know two things about life insurance: death benefits are (1) guaranteed and (2) income tax free IF the ownership/beneficiary arrangement was properly executed. The only question is the timing of when your beneficiary will receive the benefit. New polices typically have a 4%6% annual return on the death benefit if you live to normal life expectancy. Mature policies generally have a return significantly higher than that. If you can afford to pay the premium, the policy may very well be a great deal for your heirs. If, on the other hand, the owner/beneficiary designations or other technical aspects are not properly structured, your heirs could be in for quite a shock! What if I don’t want to pay any more premiums? You have several options that may be available to you: 1. Surrender the policy for the cash value. If you have loans against the policy, beware. You could trigger an ugly income tax event upon surrender. 2. If you have a whole life policy, you could convert it to a “reduced paid-up” policy. You would then have a reduced death benefit policy which would require no future premium. 3. Exchange your policy for an annuity to deliver a lifetime of income. This option would allow you to convert the policy cash value to an income stream and, if properly structured, can be done without triggering immediate income tax. 4. Sell the policy to a third party. Did you know that there are institutional buyers of existing life insurance policies? Depending upon your age and life expectancy, a third party might pay significantly more for your policy than the insurance company would upon surrender. Even a term insurance policy may be of interest to some buyers, so seek advice before allowing a policy to lapse for no value! A life insurance contract is valuable property and needs to be monitored and managed like any other financial asset. Carefully consider your personal and family business needs and objectives before making decisions. And, if you need help in evaluating the product’s performance, get it! These financial instruments and the rules governing them are much too complicated to make their examination a do-ityourself project. – Bill Babb is a senior consultant at The Family Business Institute, Raleigh, N.C.; www.familybusinessinstitute.com. Building-Products.com
Working for you.
Teresa Clark Engineered Wood Shipping Supervisor, 12 yrs.
Engineered Wood Products Real Wood Siding www.Roseburg.com 800.245.1115
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Lumber
Softwood Plywood |
Particleboard
and owner Eric Bayer. “We pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service and that fits well with GMS. We cannot wait to get started.” Founded in 1971, GMS is the largest distributor of drywall, acoustical ceilings, and other specialty building materials in the U.S., operating more than 150 distribution centers nationwide.
APP Watch
GREAT SOUTHERN is getting a new customized transfer deck at its Conyers, Ga., treating facility.
Wood Treater Adding New Transfer Deck System Tank Fab, Inc., Rocky Point, N.C., is installing a new transfer deck system at Great Southern Wood Preserving’s Conyers, Ga. The system is custom made to fit into the plant’s existing production flow and also includes the design and manufacture of new tram carts to move pressure treated wood into and out of the autoclave. The new carts hold more product during each production cycle. The project is expected to be completed this spring. Tank Fab specializes in the manufacture of custom-designed autoclave systems and specialty equipment for various industries, including aerospace, aerated concrete, fiber cement,
and rubber hose. Yet its ties are deepest to the wood treating industry. In fact, Tank Fab was formed by the founder of WoodTec, which designed, fabricated and installed about half of the active treating plants in the U.S.
GMS Buying Ohio Valley
Gypsum Management & Supply, Tucker, Ga., has agreed to acquire Ohio Valley Building Products, Wheeling, W.V. Ohio Valley will be the 34th wholly owned subsidiary of GMS, expanding the chain into West Virginia, western Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio. “I am very excited to join with GMS,” said Ohio Valley president
App: CUTLIST PLUS Produced by: BRIDGEWOOD DESIGN Price: Free Platforms: iOS, Android A new app from Bridgewood Design LLC makes diagrams accessible and portable no matter if the user is in a hardware store or lumberyard. The app allows professional users to view their cutting diagrams and shopping lists on handheld devices. Users can transfer optimized cutting diagrams, parts and bill of materials created on the CutList Plus desktop software to the apps via Drop Box or email. Checkboxes allow users to keep track of parts cut and materials purchased. Althought the app is free, CutList Plus offers expanded editions, ranging from the $39 express package, which allows diagrams to be created for up to 25 different parts, to the $499 Platinum Edition, which allows professionals to handle unlimited part per project. – Download from iTunes App Store or Google Play
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Building-Products.com
MOVERS & Shakers Mark Bice is now Southeast real estate & acquisition mgr. for Potlatch Corp., Spokane, Wa. He is based in Birmingham, Al. Charles Moore has been promoted to purchasing buyer at 84 Lumber Co., Eighty Four, Pa. Matt Healey is now cost forecast analyst. Jeremy Mitchell, Lancaster, Oh., and Greg Dunn, Somerset, Pa, are new co-mgrs. New mgr. trainees include Robert Ferencuha, Mount Pleasant, Pa.; Corey Metheny, Bridgeport, W.V.; and Matthew Barnes, Painesville, Oh. Clark Spitzer, v.p. of marketing, Snavely Forest Products, Pittsburgh, Pa., has added the title of senior v.p. New named v.p.s are Bryan Kirit, general mgr., Greensboro, N.C., and Carl Lamb, now also general mgr. of the newly combined Baltimore, Md., and Snavely International divisions. Kellie Radzik is now CFO, and Mary Piplica, controller/treasurer. Ben Hebert is new to the lumber sales department at Hood Industries, Hattiesburg, Ms.
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Michael Flood has been promoted to president of New England Building Supply, Boston, Ma. Jan Marrs has been named area general mgr. for Weyerhaeuser Distribution, Richmond, Va. New to the location are Tim Reed, outside sales; Paul Bryant, product specialist; and Andrew Little, Danelle Wilder, and Martina Martinez, inside sales. Thomas B. Highley has been named president and CEO of Guardian Building Products, Greenville, S.C., succeeding Steven Ziessler, who led the company since 2011. Tim Morgan, ex-Tuttle Lumber, is now a territory mgr. with BlueLinx, Tulsa, Ok. Jim Gould, lumber buyer, BlueLinx, Atlanta, Ga., has retired after 45 years in the business, most of it with BlueLinx and Georgia-Pacific. Wade Fenske, ex-Royal Supply, has been named general mgr. of ProBuild, Detroit Lakes, Mn. Shawn Schillinger has been named store mgr. of Home Depot, Columbia, S.C.
April 2015
Thomas Carlile, who recently retired as CEO of Boise Cascade, Boise, Id., has been named chairman, succeeding Duane McDougall. Michael Surace, ex-Pella, has joined the outside sales team at Florence Building Materials, Huntington, N.Y. Christopher Athari, ex-CertainTeed, has joined Hoover Treated Wood Products, as marketing rep for the Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fl., area. Chad Giese, North Central territory mgr., Fasco America, Muscle Shoals, Al., has added the role of new product specialist. Gary Ward is new as Bedford, Tx.based Southwest territory mgr. Steven Steinbacher, ex-Windward Sales, is now in window and door sales with National Lumber Co., Baltimore, Md. Craig Davis, ex-ECMD, is new to outside sales at Builders FirstSource, Richmond, Tx. James Robbins, ex-Stock Building Supply, is a new sales coordinator in Greensboro, N.C. Ryan Knippel, ex-JGA/Beacon, is now Atlanta territory mgr. with Guardian Building Products Distribution, Peachtree City, Ga.
Building-Products.com
Delbert Tanner will replace Robert Evans as chairman of Huttig Building Products, St. Louis, Mo., after the company’s annual meeting April 27. Nick Dunaway has been promoted to branch mgr. at Allied Building Products, Columbus, Oh. Joe and Chris Flyzik have retired and after 30 years have sold Wilson’s Hardware, Lansdale, Pa., to Charles and Toni Venezia. Greg Brooks, Building Supply Channel, New Albany, In., was elected to the board of The Lester Group, Martinsville, Va. Dillard Jones, who retired last year as Lester Group president, was named an honorary director. Todd Cardinal, ex-ProBuild, is new to sales at Lyman Lumber Co., Chanhassen, Mn. Yale Geftic has joined the inside sales force at Phoenix Manufacturing, Ocean, N.J. Nick Thomas, ex-Valspar, is now in inside sales with Therma Tru, Maumee, Oh. Michael McNally, ex-The Building Center, has joined the sales team at Professional Builders Supply, Charlotte, N.C. Steve Traczyk, ex-Napco, is new to Versatex Building Products, Pittsburgh, Pa., as regional sales mgr. for western Pa., Oh., Ky., W.V., and In. Jeffrey Dahdah is now regional market development specialist in Florida. Sarah Schram has been named brand mgr. for Wayne Dalton, Lewisville, Tx. Phillip Cooke, ex-Guardian Building Products, has joined AmesburyTruth, Owatonna, Mn., as Statesville, N.C.-based channel sales mgr. Nancy Szankowski has joined KNIPEX Tools, Arlington Heights, Il., as senior marketing specialist. Vicki Worden has been named executive director of the Green Building Initiative. Bart Bender, ex-Ainsworth, has been appointed senior v.p.-sales & marketing for Interfor, Vancouver, B.C. He succeeds Steven Hofer, who is now senior v.p.-U.S. Northwest operations. Kent C. Strait is administering the new vision insurance program at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.
Building-Products.com
April 2015
Building Products Digest
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NEW Products
Siding with Stability
Multi-Purpose Paint Sprayers
Titan’s FlexSpray HandHeld is a multi-tool used for painting pros with a combination of power, control and versatility. The handheld delivers the power of an airless sprayer with the control of an HVLP. It is capable of spraying all types of coatings for interior, exterior and fine finishing jobs. TITANTOOL.COM (800) 526-5362
Boral’s new TruExterior Trim Skirt Board is designed to complement a variety of siding products including pine, cedar and fiber cement. The product creates the required clearance between siding and grade. It is suitable for ground contact, won’t rot, crack or split with moisture, and maintains the utmost level of dimensional stability. Available in 6” and 8” widths and two thicknesses, the skirt board comes with either a smooth or woodgrain textured face. BORALAMERICA.COM (404) 524-3075
Modern Windows, Old-Style Look
Dewalt’s DCS391L1 Circular Saw Kit is designed with a central motor that delivers power and speed, making the most demanding cuts possible with ease. Its high-strength and lightweight magnesium shoe provides job site durability for long- term cut accuracy, and optimized rubber over-molded comfort grip delivers optimal balance and control.
The Next Generation Ultimate Double Hung window by Marvin Windows & Doors meets Energy Star’s stringent requirements for the Most Efficient designation. The window is traditional-looking, but combines modern state-of-the-art technology with Marvin’s craftsmanship. The window’s multi-point locking system locks directly into the jamb, preventing draftiness and improving structural performance, resulting in a more air-tight window.
DEWALT.COM (800) 433-9258
MARVIN.COM (888) 537-7828
Dominating Power Saws
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Building-Products.com
Reversible Plywood Beadboard
Patriot Timber Products’ RevBead reversible plywood beadboard represents a new and revolutionary concept in plywood beadboard. The face has a clear, smooth radiata pine veneer with a 2” oncenter V-bead pattern, ideal for stain-grade applications. The reverse side has a primed surface with a 1.6” on-center V-bead pattern ready to use for paint-grade applications. REVBEAD.COM (336) 299-7755
Can Take the Heat
ToughRock Fireguard X and Fireguard C gypsum boards are designed for direct mechanical attachment to wood or metal framing in building assemblies with a designated fire-resistant rating. The noncombustible, dimensionally stable gypsum core has been reinforced with glass fibers, increasing its strength and resistance to the passage of heat. BUILDGP.COM (800) 225-6119 Building-Products.com
April 2015
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Pumped Up Business Software
Epicor BisTrack version 4.5 has been released, featuring over 1,100 improvements that simplify the management of a LBM business. Key new features include product batches (for quickly segregating inventory into specific lots or locations), sub-assembly manufacturing and scheduling kits (to streamline all facets of door and millwork production, from sales order entry to complex, multilocation manufacturing and scheduling), Smart Click functionality (to customize the way dealers work with their data), and offline point of sale (to run POS checkouts in an offline mode, so dealers can keep the doors open and maintain business continuity during emergencies or periods of network disconnect).
Integrity Composites, the manufacturer of DuraLife Decking and Railing products, now offers a new variegated hardwood color for its MVP decking line. Charcoal Grey joins three other colors in the line. The hue is a multi-chromatic color and has a sleek, dark tone.
EPICOR.COM
DURALIFEDECKING.COM
(888) 463-4700
Charcoal Hue Deck
(207) 571- 0775
beautify
Clean contemporary lines. Simple to assemble ProBuilt™ railings from BW Creative www.bwcreativerailings.com
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Building-Products.com
Wood Products with Craftman Finish
KEM Aqua Earth Tones exterior siding topcoat by SherwinWilliams provides a blend of two tones that creates a multi-hued, natural look rather than a flat painted surface. The hue is designed for application on composite and fiber cement siding and trim and is available in 21 unique colors. FYPON.COM (800) 446-3040
Cutting-edge Ladders
Werner’s Fiberglass Podium Ladder features an extra-large standing platform, allowing the user to face any direction. Its wrap-around guardrail provides an extra point of contact, and a HolsterTop organizes tools at the top of the ladder where they are needed. WERNERCO.COM (800) 825-5382
Fast-Dry Concrete
DriTac Eco-DriBloc Premium Green Moisture Control & Adhesive Isolation Membrane by DriTac Flooring Products is made for resilient flooring installations. A fast-drying, single-component concrete moisture control system, installers are able to apply a moisture mitigation system and install their resilient floor on the same day with only a three-hour dry time.
A high-density PVC crosshead pediment profile from Versatex is easy to cut, miter and install, and is compatible with standard millwork tools, techniques and materials. The product is individually wrapped in 16-ft. lengths with a smooth matte finish.
DRITAC.COM (973) 614-9000
VERSATEX.COM (724) 857-1111
Building-Products.com
Brushless Drywall
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Unique Doors & Vintage Accents
Signet Fiberglass Entry Doors by ProVia evoke days of yesteryear, and offers authenticity with the accents—Speakeasy, Hinge Straps, and Calvos. Made of durable flat black aluminum, the features can be combined with Knotty Alder for the ultimate rustic or antique style.
PROVIAPRODUCTS.COM (800) 669-4711
Patented Siding Installation
TRAP-LOC’s technology offers the only patented wood siding system that’s exclusively designed with a profile that hides the fasteners as it’s installed from the top down. The result is a reliable, durable, lowmaintenance siding with a clean look. The system stands up to the harshest conditions and makes installation fast and easy.
ALJOMA.COM/TRAP-LOC (713) 774-1775
Waterproofing Stain in a Can
Thompson’s WaterSeal is now offering new line extension—a waterproofing exterior stain in a convenient aerosol can. The line comes in five colors, which correspond to the colors in Thompson’s waterproofing stain line. The stain is great for small projects, such as window boxes or planters. The product can also be used for railings on a deck makeover.
THOMPSONSWATERSEAL.COM (800) 367-6297
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Building-Products.com
ASSOCIATION Update Florida Building Material Association will be hosting a board meeting and Texas Hold ’em poker tournament April 9, followed by a golf tournament April 10 at Orange Lake Country Club, Kissimmee, Fl. A material take-off seminar is set for April 15 in Mount Dora, Fl. Illinois Lumber & Material Dealers Association has drafted Western Building Material Association’s Casey Voorhees to lead a pair of seminars at Scheels, Springfield, Il.—introduction to building material sales May 12 and blueprint reading & material take-off May 13-14. Northwestern Lumber Association also has WBMA’s Casey Voorhees presenting blueprint reading & material take-off seminars—April 22-23 in Fargo, N.D., and May 20-21 in Eagan, Mn. Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Association plans its first Past Presidents, Past Board Members, & Friends luncheon April 28 at the Algonquin Club of Boston, Ma. MRLDA’s western golf outing is May 4 at Oak Ridge Golf Club, Feeding Hills, Ma.
Decking, Railings Rising
Southern Forest Products Association reported that shipments of southern pine lumber shipments have increased for the fifth straight year, climbing 5% in 2014 to 15.79 billion bd. ft. Association of Millwork Distributors is now going by World Millwork Alliance. The association will be hosting plant tours April 19-20 at their location in Houston, Tx. Following the tours will be a golf tournament at Wild Cat Golf Club, Houston, Tx. Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America is gearing up for its woodworking industry conference April 2124, at Grand Hyatt San Antonio, San Antonio, Tx. National Wood Flooring Association will celebrate its 30th anniversary at their annual conference and wood flooring expo April 28-May 1 in St. Louis, Mo. Expo attendance has been growing 30% per year over the last three years.
North American residential decking and railing demand should rise 4.5% annually through 2018, to 3.5 billion linear feet worth nearly $5 billion, according to a new Principia report. “Growing demand due to the recovering housing industry combined with consumer preference for better performing products will continue to push technology advances in product development and interest from new entrants, from wood to synthetics,” said Principia’s Steve Van Kouteren. Wood’s share of the decking market has grown during the past five years. Yet, of late, a stronger economy and increased discretionary spending have boosted more expensive alternative materials. In addition, the introduction of goodbetter-best lineups of price and performance is enticing consumers to upgrade to synthetics. Manufacturers are also developing better designed and customizable railing systems, and having success with non-traditional materials, such as aluminum.
New Jersey Building Materials Dealers Association is holding regional meetings to April 16 at Rams Head Inn, Galloway, N.J., and April 30 at LaGriglia, Kenilworth, N.J. Kentucky Building Materials Association’s annual convention & expo will be April 16-17 at Belterra Casino & Hotel, Florence, In. Mid-America Lumbermens Association kicks off its annual Missouri Swing-into-Spring event April 30May 1 at Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. Activities include the Show-Me Scramble golf tournament, bass tournament, trap shoot, and steak fry. Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association is hosting its annual convention April 18-22 at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country, San Antonio, Tx. Speakers will cover industry trends and best practices in management, recruiting, selling, demographics and technology. Building-Products.com
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Building Products Digest
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LMC ANNUAL Photos by BPD
80 YEARS IN THE MAKING: Lumbermens Merchandising Corp. celebrated its 80th annual tradeshow March 4-6 at Sands Expo Center & Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas, Nv. [1] Leslie Southwick, Kris Lewis. [2] Jeremy Hoel, Jeff Green, Mike Butler. [3] Jeremy Johnson, Jay Wrenn. [4] Pat Patranella, Ryan Williams, Mike Carey Dave Klekamp. [5] Jim Vandegrift, Cole Richeson. [6] Grant Phillips, Kevin Dodds, Mark Mitchell. [7] Rick Kessler, Nate Johnson. [8]
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Dale Mollenhauer, John Quinn. [9] Dave Safirstein, Jack Opdyke, Dennis Sullivan. [10] Bo Bryant. [11] Chuck Casey, Lisa Martin. [12] Susan & Neal Grubbs. [13] Bob Green. [14] Greg Elliott, P.J. Ashy, Michael Ashy, Lynn Barnett. [15] Natasha Warren, David Welborn. [16] Darin Curran, Lou Taback, Scott Marshall, David Strang. [17] Kathleen Tell, Lou Scarfo, Denise Stack. [18] Roy Deans, Steve Grohowalski. (More photos on next page) Building-Products.com
LMC ANNUAL Photos by BPD
MORE LMC: [19] John Assman, Steve Gaeckle, Bob Appelgate, Malory Hillhouse, Gary Pittman. [20] Pete Schiffers, Keith Abbott. [21] Joe Angelo, Barbara Hart, Bob Mai. [22] John Smith, Steve Firko. [23] Ken Jolliffe, Bob Mackie. [24] Mark & Erika Swinth, Brett Slaughter. [25] Phil Herman, Gary Roth, Steve Page. [26] Jim Powell. [27] Terry Secrest, Wayne Miller, Colby Mayeaux. [28] Susie & Bob Goldstein. [29] Greg Wilkinson, Tony Weinmuller. [30] Jim Caldwell, Jonathan Wiereago, Jack Delany. [31] Jimmy Welch, Mike Rasmussen. [32] Mark Dippel, Andy Faircloth. [33] Scott Ballantyne, Lorraine Fincher, Andrea Cowell, Rick Fortunaso, Jennifer Raworth. [34] Larry Lang. [35] Earl Downing, Reed Rediger. [36] Stephen McCarthy, Jay McCarthy, Praveen Sood, Kellen Driscoll. Building-Products.com
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IN Memoriam Theodore C. “Ted” Bloch, 87, founder of Bloch Lumber Co., chicago, Il., died Feb. 15 after an 18-month battle with lung cancer. He founded the company in 1959, later adding offices in Arizona, Ohio, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Colorado. The business was acquired by Sherwood Lumber in 2009. In 1968, he became a member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and headed the committee that created the first lumber futures contract. He remained an active member of CME’s Forest Products Committee for decades, and in 1996 co-authored the original OSB contract. He served as vice chairman of the North American Wholesale Lumber Association from 1976 to 1978, as chairman from 1979 to 1980, and was a faculty member during the early years of NAWLA’s wood marketing seminars.
Robert G. Cheatham, 92, former president of Farmer’s Lumber & Supply Co., Polo, Il., died March 6 in Polo. During World War II, he served as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Robert became manager of Patterson Lumber Co., Franklin Grove and Marengo, Il. He bought Farmer’s Lumber in 1960. He and Herbert Faber later launched Cedar Forest Products Co., Polo, to design and produce western red cedar log homes. He sold the business in 1988 and retired. He was 1979-1980 president of the Illinois Lumber Materials Dealers Association and served on its board of directors for 10 years. Robert Starr “Bob” Bootay Jr., vice president and general manager of the distribution group at Babcock Lumber Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., died Feb. 28. He spent over 40 years in the industry, the last 35 with Babcock.
CLASSIFIED Marketplace Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word min.). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy/headline, $9 per line. Border, $9. Private box, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if art furnished “cameraready” (advertiser sets type), $65 if we set type. Questions? Call (714) 486-2735. Send ad to Fax 714-486-2745 or david@ building-products.com. Checks payable to 526 Media Group. Deadline: 18th of previous month.
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(704) 278-9291 • Fax (704) 278-9304 Cleveland, N.C. email steve.twiford@gmail.com or shavers.reload@gmail.com
WANTED TO BUY
WANTED TO BUY
PRODUCTS FOR SALE Your Southern Yellow Pine Timber Connection Specializing in 6x6, 6x8, 8x8, 10x10
Eugene William “Gene” Longhofer, 79, longtime Texas lumber dealer, died March 13. He worked for Rounds & Porter Lumber Co. before joining Henson’s Lumber Co., Cresson, Tx. He retired earlier this year. He was a past president and Lumberman of the Year of the Fort Worth Lumberman’s Association. Arthur W. Cottrell, 95, co-owner of Cottrell Lumber Co., Centralia, Ks., died March 4 in Centralia. He earned two Bronze Stars for his service in the infantry during World War II, participating in the D-Day invasion and the Battle of the Bulge. He operated the yard for 25 years. John William Weller Sr., 85, former owner of Ney Lumber Co., Ney, Oh., died March 13 in Toledo, Oh. He began working for his father’s lumber company as a boy, eventually becoming sole owner until he retired. Gary William Eustice, 52, salesman at Northwest Building Supply, Andover, N.J., died March 11. Claude Reese, 88, longtime owner of Reese’s Ace Hardware, Soddy Daisy, Tn., died March 12. Mary Ann Pederson, 84, former co-owner of Decorative Building Supply, Azle, Tx., died Feb. 19. She and her husband, Oscar Pederson, opened the company in Fort Worth, Tx., before moving it to Azle. She also served as secretary of the Fort Worth Home Builders Association. Margaret-Helen Jones Wood, 66, former retail salesperson at Line Lumber Co., Medford, Ma., died Feb. 6 after a long illness. Kevin Green, 54, a salesman with Modern Builders Supply, Akron, Oh., for over 30 years, died March 12. Paul Andrew Nichols, 50, lumber salesman with Webber Ace Hardware, Dover-Foxcroft, Me., died Feb. 7. He served in the U.S. Army from 1980 to 1984. James “Arvous” Guinn, 85, owner of Arvous Guinn Flooring, Amarillo, Tx., died March 12. He spent 55 years at Witt Builders Supply, Amarillo, before starting his own business. He retired in 2010.
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Building Products Digest
April 2015
Building-Products.com
DATE Book Listings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend. Lumbermen’s Association of Texas & Louisiana – April 8-9, annual convention, Moody Gardens Resort & Convention Center, Galveston, Tx.; (800) 749-5862; www.lat.org. Wallace Hardware – April 8-10, spring market, Pigeon Forge, Tn.; (800) 776-0976; www.wallacehardware.com. Florida Building Material Assn. – April 9, board meeting & poker tournament; April 10, golf tournament, Orange Lake Country Club, Kissimmee, Fl.; www.fbma.org. Northwestern Lumber Assn. – April 11, arena football meet, Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Ia.; (763) 544-6822; www.nlassn.org. Peak Auctioneering – April 11, LBM auction, Indianapolis, In.; (800) 245-9690; www.peakauction.com. American Wood Protection Assn. – April 12-14, annual meeting, Omni Grove Park Inn, Ashville, N.C.; www.awpa.com. Florida Building Material Assn. – April 15, material take-off seminar, Mount Dora, Fl.; www.fbma.org. New Jersey Building Materials Dealers Assn. – April 16, meeting, Rams Head Inn, Galloway, N.J.; www.nrla.org. Kentucky Building Materials Assn. – April 16-17, convention & expo, Belterra Casino Resort, Florence, In.; www.kbma.net.
Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Assn. – April 28, special luncheon, Algonquin Club, Boston, Ma.; (518) 286-1010; www.nrla.org. National Wood Flooring Association – April 28-May 1, conference & wood flooring expo, Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Mo.; (800) 422-4556; www.woodfloors.org. New Jersey Building Materials Dealers Assn. – April 30, meeting, La Griglia, Kenilworth, N.J.; www.nrla.org. International Wood Composites Symposium – April 30-May 1, Seattle, Wa.; (800) 942-4978; www.woodsymposium.wsu.ed. Mid-America Lumbermens Assn. – April 30-May 1, Missouri Swing-into-Spring & Show-Me Scramble, Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.; (800) 747-6529; www.themla.org. Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Assn. – May 4, western golf outing, Oak Ridge Golf Club, Feeding Hills, Ma.; (518) 2861010; www.nrla.org. National Hardware Show – May 5-7, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; (888) 425-9377; www.nationalhardwareshow.com. Peak Auctioneering – May 9, LBM auction, Howard County Fairgrounds, Baltimore, Md.; www.peakauction.com. Illinois Lumber & Material Dealers Assn. – May 12, LBM sales workshop; May 13-14, blueprint reading & material take-off class, Scheels, Springfield, Il.; (217) 544-5405; www.ilmda.com.
Material Handling Equipment Distributors Assn. – April 18-22, annual convention & show, San Antonio, Tx.; www.mheda.org.
Northeastern Loggers Association – May 15-16 , equipment expo, Cross Insurance Center, Bangor, Me.; (800) 318-7561; www. northernlogger.com.
World Millwork Alliance – April 19-22, plant tours and golf event, Houston, Tx.; (727) 372-3665; www.amdweb.com.
Peak Auctioneering – May 16, LBM auction, Metrolina Tradeshow Expo, Charlotte, N.C.; (800) 245-9690; www.peakauction.com.
Moulding & Millwork Producers Assn. – April 19-23, annual business meeting, Sonoma, Ca.; (800) 550-7889; www.wmmpa.com.
Do it Best Corp. – May 16-18, spring market, Convention Center, Indianapolis, In.; (260) 748-5300; www.doitbestcorp.com.
Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America – April 21-24, woodworking conference, Grand Hyatt San Antonio, San Antonio, Tx.; (443) 640-1052; www.wmma.org.
Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Association – May 17-19, annual convention, Monterey Resort & Spa, Monterey, Ca.; (703) 4352900; www.hpva.org.
Northwestern Lumber Association – April 22-23, blueprint reading & material take-off workshop, Fargo, N.D.; (763) 544-6822; www.nlassn.org.
Transload Distribution Association – May 19-21, conference, Westin on Canal, New Orleans, Il.; (503) 656-4282; www.transload.org.
Peak Auctioneering – April 25, LBM auction, Prince William County Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, In.; (800) 245-9690; www.peakauction.com.
Northwestern Lumber Association – May 20-21, blueprint reading & material take-off workshop, Eagan, Mn.; (763) 544-6822; www.nlassn.org.
Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association – April 26-28, annual convention, Meritge, Napa, Ca.; (703) 264-1690; www.kcma.org.
Peak Auctioneering – May 30, LBM auction, Garden State Convention Center, Somerset. N.J.; (503) 656-4282; www.transload.org.
Building-Products.com
April 2015
Building Products Digest
53
ADVERTISERS Index
IDEA File
Accoya [www.accoya.com] .............................................................3
Hardware Happy Hour
AGS Stainless Inc. [www.agsstainless.com/mmag] ...................47 Allura [www.allurausa.com] ..........................................................35 Anthony Forest Products [www.anthonyforest.com] ...................8 Arch Wood Protection [www.wolmanizedwood.com].................33 AZEK [www.azek.com].....................................................................5 Blue Book Services [www.bluebookservices.com] ......................6 B.W. Creative Railing Systems [www.bwcreativerailings.com] .43
In an attempt to draw in customers in a more appealing way, Cole Hardware, San Francisco, Ca., kicked off the spring season with Hardware Happy Hour March 18, a special event held strictly between the hours of 5-8 p.m. The event was designed to bring in more foot traffic in the afternoon, as well as bring a sense of community between the store’s customers. Guests were able to enjoy a glass of wine, chocolate, and save $10 on a $20 purchase with a coupon available from the company’s website and all five of their Bay Area locations. Guests were also able to create a fun planter with any salvaged household item. “We encouraged customers to bring in any old item to be transformed into a planter with personality: an old boot, a teakettle, a rustic watering can—you name it,” said Renato Geslani Jr., manager of the downtown San Francisco location. The store supplied the soil and up to five succulents to help reinvent the items. Renato wanted to make sure each guest left with something to add a unique flair to their homes, much like the hardware store itself. “Hardware Happy Hour is great idea for the business because the ‘fun, event’ aspect is not only good for foot traffic, but provides a more positive and personal experience and our customers like that. Plus, they get to to save some money with the coupons,” Renato explained. Customers were thrilled but not surprised when the event was announced for all five locations, as the hardware store is known to have a charismatic way of selling products. The company has developed quite an online presence and customers praise the hardware store for their uniqueness and extensive inventory on review sites such as Yelp.com. “Our store has made a name for itself with our excellent customer service but it’s a two-way street,” Renato said. “We would not have come this far if it weren’t for the support of the city and our loyal customers.” Since the original Cole Hardware store was purchased in 1959, owner Dave Karp sought to treat every customer like a friend, a loved one. Karp went on to build Cole Hardware into one of the busiest hardware stores in San Francisco. The company creates events like Hardware Happy Hour to keep the unique and friendly theme of each store, abiding by Karp’s motto, “There are no strangers here, just friends we haven’t met.” 54
Building Products Digest
April 2015
Crumpler Plastic Pipe [www.cpp-pipe.com] ................................48 DeckWise [www.deckwise.com] ...................................................26 Diamond Pier [www.diamondpier.com]........................................42 Eastern Engineered Wood Products [www.eewp.com] ..............28 Everwood Treatment Co. [everwoodtreatment.com] ........Cover III Feeney [www.feeneyinc.com] .......................................................15 Great Southern Wood Preserving [www.yellawood.com] ..........29 Hood Distribution [www.hooddistribution.com]..........................17 Hoover Treated Wood Products [www.frtw.com]........................41 Interfor [www.interfor.com] ...........................................................34 International Beams [www.internationalbeams.com]........Cover II Jordan Lumber [jordanlumber.com].............................................40 Kop-Coat [www.kop-coat.com] .....................................................21 Koppers [koppersperformancechemicals.com]..................Cover I Maze Nails [www.mazenails.com].................................................19 Pennsylvania & Indiana Lumbermens Mutual [plmilm.com]......45 Quality Borate Co. [www.qualityborate.com] ..............................36 Roseburg Forest Products [www.roseburg.com] .......................39 RoyOMartin [www.royomartin.com] .............................................37 Sherwood Lumber [www.sherwoodlumber.com]........................32 Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com]...................................25 Siskiyou Forest Products [www.siskiyouforestproducts.com] .43 Snider Industries [www.sniderindustries.com] ...........................53 Southern Forest Products Association [www.sfpa.org].............49 Spartanburg Forest Products [spartanburgforestproducts.com].7 Swanson Group Sales Co. [www.swansongroupinc.com].........27 Tri-State Lumber [www.homanindustries.com]...........................48 Viance [www.treatedwood.com].........................................Cover IV Building-Products.com