BPD April 2018 by 526 Media Group

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APRIL 2018

Building Products Digest

THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1982

WOOD TREATERS’ STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS • SELLING ENGINEERED WOOD

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CONTENTS

April 2018 Volume 37 n Number 4

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Feature Story

Special This Month

Departments

10 Top Treaters Q&A

20 Industry Trends

8 Across the Board 26 Competitive Intelligence 28 Olsen on Sales 30 The Revenue Growth Habit 32 Transforming Teams 42 Movers & Shakers 48 Selling with Kahle 52 New Products 64 Association Update 66 In Memoriam 68 Classified Marketplace 68 Advertisers Index 69 Date Book 70 FlashBack

Leading wood preserving

Preserved Wood Still the Choice for Informed Consumers

companies share their strategies and challenges

22 Product Spotlight

What’s in the Preserved Wood You Sell Today?

24 Margin Builders

Sell Engineered Wood Floors as a System—Not Components

40 NAWLA: Thinking Ahead

Start ’em Young: How OSU Engages Youth in Forest Products Education

58 Event Recap

Snow Doesn’t Slow NRLA Expo

BPD Digitial Edition at www.building-products.com

62 Event Recap

Orgill Works Magic in Orlando

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Building Products Digest President/Publisher Patrick Adams padams@building-products.com Vice President Shelly Smith Adams sadams@building-products.com Publishers Emeritus Alan Oakes, David Cutler Managing Editor David Koenig • david@building-products.com Editor Stephanie Ornelas sornelas@building-products.com

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DECEMBER 2017

Building Products Digest

THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — FOR 35 YEARS

LBM MERCHANDISING TIPS • PROTECT YOUR DATA • EWP BUYERS GUIDE

2017: THE YEAR AHEAD • SOUTHERN PINE UPDATE • IMPORT DUTY CONFLICT

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Contributors Butch Bernhardt, Kelly Harmon, Chris Knowles, Michelle Maller, Paige McAllister

JANUARY 2017

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Eassy on the eyes. Building Easy to o install. Products Digest AUGUST 2017

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April 2018

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ACROSS the Board

By Patrick Adams

You can’t buy time imes are good. As I travel to industry events, I’m reminded with each discussion to cherish the good times like these. As I get home from each trip or even each night home from the office, I look forward to my kids dropping what they’re doing and running up with big hugs and shouts of “Daddy!” while I get that smile from my amazing partner in this journey. Times are good. Then I received a call. When I saw the caller ID, something in me instantly changed, not because I wasn’t happy to pick up the phone from this friend, but because something about the timing was odd. I didn’t answer in my normal joking way and he didn’t either. In that neutral, ex-military voice that I’ve become familiar with, he shared that a dear friend of ours had just passed two hours earlier of a sudden heart attack during a casual, local hike. He spent time in the U.S. Marines, almost 30 years with our local police department, over 20 with his wife and two daughters, and recently retired from service, excited about what his “next chapter” would hold. In fact, we were just texting last night about getting together for some “patio time” (guy code for my So. Ca. back patio where 12 months a year, close groups get together for whiskey, cigars and talk about the important things in life). He talked about traveling the world with his wife, had a cruise already planned, and joked about how his teenage daughters wanted to sit this one out because they’re at the age where “it’s not cool to hang with Mom and Dad.” But this isn’t an obituary. There are times of my life that have been rougher than most imagine, and times that have been better than most anyone deserves. I’ve lost a lot people in my life and, as well, have been blessed with the birth of two of the most amazing children anyone could hope for with a woman I adore as much as the day I met her over 26 years ago. Because of this, some advice someone gave me when I was too young to understand stuck with me: “You can always make more money, but you can’t buy time.” I’ve spent my life working with people. Some work hard and others don’t. Some are passionate about their jobs, others not. However almost all of them had plans. “When I retire, I’m going to learn how to play the guitar.” “After my next promotion, I’m going to take my wife on that trip.” “When I’m done with this season of travel, I’m going to take the kids camping.” But there is also a saying that while we make plans, God laughs. Right now, that saying sounds

kind of cruel, because I know what is left behind and it’s countless people whom this individual has impacted selflessly for the better, who looked forward to hearing about his next chapter that is now over at a very young age. It makes me consider my own priorities and whether they are in alignment with my actions. If my family is most important, do my actions show them this? Is there anything so important that there was a morning that I rushed out the door without one more round of hugs from the kids and my wife? Even if I’m tired, am I really too tired to go out with my daughter and kick the ball for 10 minutes given I’m lucky enough to get to go to bed that evening and do it all over again? The “good times” aren’t measured by sales or the economy or your bank balance. I think they are measured by how well you use the only true gift that has been given to you: time. There is a saying that you die twice—once when you stop breathing, and again later when somebody mentions your name for the final time. Live a life of love, service and purpose to make sure that your legacy is one filled with reasons to celebrate and remember a life well lived. “If today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?” ~ Steve Jobs

Patrick S. Adams Publisher/President padams@building-products.com

Building Products Digest n

April 2018

Building-Products.com

FEATURE Story

By David Koenig

Great Southern Wood

Top Treaters Q&A Leaders share their strategies and challenges Great Southern Wood, Abbeville, Al., is rapidly approaching its 50th anniversary. Over the last decade, the company has grown its footprint beyond the Southeast to supply YellaWood brand products in 27 states, the District of Columbia, and internationally.

Great Southern Wood

What differentiates your company from other treaters? Jimmy Rane, CEO: YellaWood is recognized as an expert in pressure treated pine by both dealers and consumers. We service a diverse dealer base and provide extensive sales, marketing and logistics support to help them operate efficiently while also providing their customers with outstanding products. We pride ourselves on listening to our dealers and then putting those insights into action. An example of this is our YellaWood columns, which we developed in response to requests from our dealers for a column product, made from high-grade lumber, that also

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April 2018

has structural durability and a beautiful appearance. The strength ratings of our columns rival more expensive PVC and composite options at a budget-friendly price. They also have a hollow core that makes them lighter weight and provides increased structural stability, while also allowing for hidden electrical wiring. We’ve expanded our offerings from commodity lumber to a sophisticated array of options like our YellaWood brand KDAT and high-grade YellaWood SuperSelect and MasterDeck. With these products, we help consumers create a truly personalized outdoor living experience. We also provide dealers access to a variety of well-respected building products, such as James Hardie, AZEK and TimberTech decking, railing and trim, Fortress railing, and Tando siding to ensure they can get what they need, when they need it. This broad product portfolio, paired with our world-class logistics, means another company’s custom order is business as usual for us. This combination of sales, marketing, convenience and accessibility sets us apart. How does technology play a part in your business strategy? Technology has allowed us to adapt to how we do business. While we know personal recommendations from consumers will always be critical to a dealer’s success, there’s a greater opportunity to connect both online and via mobile. We’ve developed a number of consumer-friendly resources—many of which can be found on YellaWood.com—that help consumers visualize or plan their next project. We’ve also invested in data-driven decision-making, which helps to inform our approach to business and to the customer experience. Building-Products.com

How are you incorporating energy efficiency in your business practices? We believe in creating pressure treated products that are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Dealers want to align themselves with brands that prioritize sustainability and with YellaWood brand products, that’s exactly what they get. Our products have earned a number of environmental certifications including the Environmentally Preferable Product certification from Scientific Certification Systems, the UL-GreenGuard Gold certification and accumulates points towards the National Green Building Certification. What are the biggest changes you’ve made of late? Homeowners are taking a more active role in the planning and building process. They have more resources at their disposal and therefore, are more knowledgeable about the style they want to create and the building materials it will take to bring that vision to life. So, as they’ve learned more about the availability of grades of lumber, we’ve identified an opportunity to create and provide a vast array of products through special orders. Also, as the building codes have evolved to require ground contact treated lumber in more applications, our inventory has evolved to include more dimensions treated for these uses. We’re also continuing to explore ways to leverage technology to help our dealers manage their inventories more effectively. What concerns you and what excites you about the future of the treating industry? We’re excited about the opportunity to help homeowners and dealers reimagine their futures. Whether you’re a homeowner who is building the deck of your dreams or a dealer that wants to build your business, we want to help make that happen.

Fortress Wood Products, Martinsville, Va., oper-

ates three treating plants serving lumber dealers, building product distributors, and wholesalers in the Carolinas, eastern Tennessee, West Virginia, and the mid-Atlantic states.

2018

Top Treaters

The following are the 14 wood preserving companies in the U.S. that operate at least three locations. They are ordered by the number of treating plants they operate, NOT by production volumes.

Universal Forest Products, Grand Rapids, Mi., owns 24 treating plants across the U.S., offering ProWood branded MCA, CA-C, borates, FRT, water repellent, and colorants. Great Southern Wood Preserving, Abbeville, Al., has 14 treating plants in the South, Midwest and mid-Atlantic, offering a wide range of YellaWood branded treatments. Hixson Lumber Sales, Pine Bluff, Ar., has 10 treating plants in the Central U.S., from Texas to northern Illinois. Treatments include CCA, ACQ, MCA, borates, FRT and water repellent. Culpeper Wood Preservers, Culpeper, Va., is growing to nine treating locations, with the addition of Cox Industries’ four residential plants. Primarily in the mid-Altantic, each offers a different mix of MCA, borates and/or CCA. Hoover Treated Wood Products , Thomson, Ga., has nine treating plants from coast to coast. Best known for its Pyro-Guard and Exterior Fire-X treatments, Hoover also offers ACQ, MCA, CCA and other industrials. Spartanburg Forest Products, Greer, S.C., has eight treating plants in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Tennessee, the Carolinas, and Virginia, using MCA, CA-C, EL2 and water repellent. McFarland Cascade, Tacoma, Wa., owned by Stella Jones, operates three residential treatment plants in the West and three industrial plants in Louisiana and Texas. Treatments include CA-C, ACQ, borates, CCA, penta, QNap, penta, and creosote. Bestway Enterprises has five plants from the Northeast to North Carolina, using MCA, FRT and CCA. Allweather Wood, Washougal, Wa., a Mendocino company, is the largest water-borne wood treater west of the Mississippi, with five plants employing ACQ, CA, borates, PTI, CCA, ACZA, FRT, and water repellent. Biewer Lumber, Lansing, Mi., produces a range of treated products, drawing on MCA, ACQ, CA, FRT and water repellent, at three Great Lakes States treating plants, supplemented by a Dricon-only FRT facility in Athens, N.Y.

Jim Dudley

What differentiates your company from other treaters? Jim Dudley, president: There are two distinctions that set Fortress apart from others in our market. First, quality of product. For many of our customers pressure treated is one of their top product categories. We are sensitive to the fact that materials used in the construction of outdoor projects are primarily judged on the visual appearance of the lumber. Customers expect to be supplied with a consisBuilding-Products.com

Sunbelt Forest Products, Bartow, Fl., treats with CA-C, borates, EL2 and water repellent from two facilities in Florida and two in Alabama. Fortress Wood Products’ three North Carolina plants treat with CA-C, MCA, CCA, FRT and water repellent. Conrad Forest Products, North Bend, Or., serves 13 western states from two plants in Oregon and one in California, offering CA, borates, ACZA, CCA, QNap, penta, creosote, interior and exterior FRT, and Bluwood. April 2018

Building Products Digest n

this as an opportunity to transition our customers toward more Ground Contact treated material. We felt that as a quality supplier it was the right move. The majority of our customers supply the professional building contractor who do not want product issues. Having GC available from their building material supplier gives them a product that can be used virtually anywhere on a residential construction project. The change required us to do things differently at our production facilities as well. We made the necessary adjustments and never looked back. Fortress promoted a marketing/education campaign in support of our customers and the outcome was well received from our clients and their customers. Now it is business as usual. Fortress does not resist change, we embrace it.

Fortress Wood Products

tent product that will meet their clients expectations. This requires us to partner with specific mills to achieve our goal of satisfying in regards to appearance. As a component of our commitment to quality we also are very sensitive to our treating process. We constantly sample and test our products to ensure we are providing properly preserved wood products in the market. Second, the team at Fortress has created a reputation that demonstrates its dedication to quality and service. I am struck by the fact that throughout our organization team members ask for feedback so they can improve our company. The team exchanges information quickly across departments to adapt our processes in support of our customers. They are never satisfied with status quo. How does technology play a part in your business strategy? We are using data in our business to leverage measurable metrics to improve profitability. For example Fortress has automated our treating process control systems at all of our facilities. This has allowed us to create a data set to optimize the usage of the preservatives and additives we use in our pressure treating processes. Having a history of all the treating cycles that records varying preservative solutions strengths, pressure and vacuum times assists in predictions of future production. Our goal is to precisely treat each charge quickly and efficiently. How are you incorporating energy efficiency in your business practices? Fortress has incorporated energy conservation in different aspects of our business. Our drivers have an incentive to maximize fuel conservation in our dedicated fleet. We have a program where the operators share in the savings they create from operating their trucks efficiently. Minimizing idling, using cruise control, and properly inflated tires are a few examples that can make a big difference over time to create a cost savings. As existing light fixtures are replaced at our facilities, we are upgrading to LED technology. As equipment motors are replaced we look for more energy-efficient options. Our automated process control systems minimize the amount of electricity used during production by automatically switching through the treating cycle. In a year’s time these practices reduce our costs and fall to the bottom line. What are the biggest changes you’ve made of late? When the AWPA clarified the standard change on the use of Above Ground in certain applications. Fortress used

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April 2018

What concerns you and what excites you about the future of the treating industry? My concern is anyone engaging in alleged activities that undermines the integrity of our industry. The majority of wood preserving companies follow prescribed standards to produce products that are safe and reliable to use. When a company cuts corners, it affects our entire industry negatively. We have a number of different associations and groups that work to keep our industry strong. Many of my peers and I have careers spanning decades. I’m excited to see a new generation enter our industry. They are our future. There is little doubt that as this young talent enters into the wood preservation field they can create a career that is enjoyable, fulfilling and lasting.

United Treating & Distribution, Muscle Shoals, Al., serves two distinct markets. Its building products department services retail and contractor lumberyards in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky and Georgia. Its industrial department services specialized industrial customers, including manufacturers of portable barns and utility trailers in the South and Midwest.

Chad Epperson

What differentiates your company from other treaters? Chad Epperson, CEO: Our brand commitment is what sets us apart from other wood treaters. Our commitment is “committed to striving to do what we say we will do while delivering good news fast and bad news faster.” We have our brand commitment, mission/vision, and values on the walls of our offices and throughout our plant and facility. The service we offer our customers is simply delivering the customer service and respect we would want to receive. When something goes wrong, we are going to let you know quickly and provide a solution that will serve the customer Building-Products.com

United Treating & Distribution

in an honorable way. We want our customers to know they can always count on what we say. We have spent a great deal of time investing in our team members so that our brand commitment and mission/vision/values is lived out every day. How does technology play a part in your business strategy? The business management software system we use is programmed by our full-time IT manager. Our system is customized to meet the specific needs for not only our company, but the needs of each department and even individual users. We have been able to integrate our system with other licensed software solutions so that we have the capacity to extract and compile data from all systems in one location. Having the capability to set and track goals that are meaningful to us when we measure and evaluate our performance has been crucial to the success of our company. Our system allows us to quickly expose weaknesses and identify strengths in specific areas of our company. We see this as an opportunity to invest in our team members with additional skills and training. In order to serve our customers excellently, we need to invest in our team members. Our mission/vision is to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;Committed to glorifying God while serving and treating our team members, customers, suppliers, families and communities the way we want to be treated.â&#x20AC;? Technology allows us to work more cohesively together as a team. How are you incorporating energy-efficiency in your business practices? We have remodeled a majority of our offices and facility. During that remodel we invested in LED lighting in our plant and offices. We have upgraded to an energy efficient heating and cooling system. We have also redesigned the layout of our yard to make routes shorter for our forklift drivers to use less fuel and work more efficiently. The treating system we use has a closed loop system that allows us to reuse water after each charge. What are the biggest changes youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made of late? We have recently purchased the property next door. This has significantly added to the footprint of our company and we are very excited about the opportunity to grow and add products to the distribution side of our business. The additional yardage from this purchase has allowed us to redesign the yard to help work more efficiently. We have added new products lines such as, MoistureShield composite decking Building-Products.com

April 2018

Building Products Digest n

and Durapine columns, which will help better serve our customers by having more of the products they sell. We have restructured and expanded our sales and marketing team. Our outside sales team and freight trucks now have UTD branded vehicles. The majority of our dimension and decking products are treated to ground contact. What concerns you and what excites you about the future of the treating industry? Opportunity to add value to our customers and to become more than the treated wood supplier excites us. We want to deliver more than a product, we want to impact lives. We want to serve and glorify God by serving people. Everwood Treatment

Everwood Treatment Co., Spanish Fort, Al., has

served the Caribbean, Mexico and the Southeastern U.S. for more than 30 years.

Steve Cheatham

What differentiates your company from other treaters? Steve Cheatham, sales manager: Everwood Treatment Co. is a family-owned, single location with the ability to react to changing schedules, natural disasters and customer demands. We supply Micronized copper azole, EraWood, CCA and borate treatments to cover most applications. We also have over 40,000 sq. ft. of remanufacturing and multiple kilns for KDAT service. Everwood is a one-stop shop making your supply chain more streamlined. How does technology play a part in your business strategy? Since the late ’80s Everwood has developed our own software to meet the needs of the ever changing logistics in the International and Domestic markets. Our programmers are constantly adding to the production software to ensure products are ready by the needed deadline. Everwood’s QC department analyzes and records data well beyond the required industry standards. How are you incorporating energy efficiency in your business practices? Everwood is continuously looking for ways to improve energy efficiency. Our current facility sits on over 60 acres and we are in the process of converting all current lighting to LED units. What are the biggest changes you’ve made of late? The biggest change we’ve seen in the past few years is the lack of available freight carriers. Last year we purchased a new fleet of Peterbilts and this year we continue adding

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April 2018

more trucks and trailers. In the past we were able to rely on common carriers to move large portions of our out bound freight, but lately it has been a challenge. Like the old saying goes, if you want something done right, you better do it yourself. What concerns you and what excites you about the future of the treating industry? Our top two concerns are probably the same ones that everyone in our industry struggles with, transportation and succession planning. The average age of a truck driver is around 50 and many of them are now retiring. The lack of qualified drivers has some projections showing a need for as many as 100,000 drivers this year. We are constantly looking for ways to increase driver retention. Our group of treaters and wholesalers are not getting any younger. When you go to AWPA and NAWLA meetings, the next generation is always a topic of conversation. I entered into the lumber industry over 20 years ago and the group that came with me has now become the older guys. The next generation is more excited by technology and social media, but we need them to see they can make a great career in our industry.

Madison Wood Preservers, Madison, Va., is a single-site wood preserver stocking a full line of pressure treated lumber and agricultural products for quality-focused independent retail lumberyards and farm supply stores in the Northeast.

Kari Gaviria

What differentiates your company from other treaters? Kari Gaviria, account manager: Named World’s Greatest Lumber Treater on national TV in 2016, Madison Building-Products.com

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operates out of only one location which surpasses the quality of our competition. Because we are smaller to scale and quality-focused, Madison does not have to purchase wood based on quantity. We only buy from select mills that meet high quality standards, every load arrives tarped protected from the elements and is then checked into our main warehouse. That indoor space is about 180,000 sq. ft. (almost 4.5 acres) and houses the majority of untreated and treated lumber ensuring freshness and a bright, consistent color. We take pride in going the extra mile to make sure our customers are getting an end product that meets and exceeds expectation. How does technology play a part in your business strategy? Technology is a forever growing part of our business strategy. Continuous upgrades ensure a first class product for our customers. Our treating equipment includes the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest pumps, which enables us to treat up to 1 million bd. ft. of lumber in a single day. We utilize barcode technology to document a detailed history from the day a unit is received to the moment it leaves the facility and everywhere between. When wifi becomes more readily available on the yards of our retailers, this already integrated barcode technology will allow for an entirely new outlook on inventory management. We also focus heavily on employee engagement and enticing young professionals to join the industry. Last year we implemented a 360 tour on our website along with a new communication system for employees by adding flat screen TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in each break room that display relevant topics, policies, safety reminders and upcoming events. An in-house monthly workshop for manager trainees (MADskillz) was developed, which introduces new ideas and concepts to the business continuously. It keeps us on our toes and forces us to adapt in efforts to accommodate future generations. How are you incorporating energy efficiency in your business practices?

Treated lumber, at its core, is a fundamentally sustainable and renewable resource. Our technological advances as a company focus around maintaining energy efficiency. All new construction and plans are thoroughly researched in efforts to implement ways that remain true to our environmentally friendly business strategy. From something as basic as having the plastic bands and chopped steel recycled, even the bark and peelings getting turned to mulch. To more complicated processes of reusing/remixing the preservative solution and using recycled oil, transmission and hydraulic fluid as a heat source for the new maintenance facility. Madison makes every attempt to reprocess whenever possible. What are the biggest changes youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made of late? From a physical perspective we have put big projects in play to continue the development of our award winning facility. Recently, employees have enjoyed the results of the brand new 10,000-sq. ft. maintenance facility. Not only was this upgrade crucial to decrease turnaround times on repairs, but it also plays a huge role in enticing young professionals with mechanic backgrounds to join the Madison team. As we put the finishing touches on another expansion, a new indoor stacker, we hope to drastically increase productivity rates along with improving accuracy due to the operative friendly design. In 2016 the decision was made to no longer stock lumber at above ground retention in efforts to prevent misapplication. Two new programs were also implemented with the goal of being proactively educational: the Madwood Certified Installer program and our wellrecognized Madword blog. As a mid-sized but well equipped wood treater, we continue to analyze our facility in order to improve the future of the business full-circle. What concerns you and what excites you about the future of the treating industry? Looking forward, there are several things that excite us about the future of the treating industry that used to be of

Madison Wood

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concern. The first topic of course being misapplication. Due to our transition to all Ground Contact in 2016, we no longer have to worry about improper use damaging our user’s reputation. Topic two would revolve around locating the next generation of leaders in the industry. Our team specifically has a lot of young professional talent. It has been awesome to see them learn and grow under the guys that have been in the industry for decades. Madison Wood is determined to remain authentic and hold true to our high quality reputation. The evolution of leadership and technology has allowed us to become better communicators, educators and advocators in our field. We are taking that same “gentleman’s handshake” mentality to the next level.

Escue Wood Preserving, Millwood, Ky., targets residential, commercial and agricultural markets in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri and areas of West Virginia.

Chris Brown

What differentiates your company from other treaters? Chris Brown, sales manager: First and foremost, our company is family owned and we have been in business for over 38 years. As such, ownership is actively involved in all aspects of day-to-day business. We also own the fleet of trucks used in our operation. This enables us to deliver to our customers in a timely manner. Our company has recently expanded the facilities in accordance with our mission to provide quality product and service to our customers. We have significantly grown enabling us to store, maintain and ship product quickly and efficiently to satisfy our customers. Although we can ship in volume, we never lose sight of quality product and excellent customer service. Being a family-owned business, we believe in educating our customers on the products we provide and keep communications open with them for this reason. Another improvement to our service was to install a lumber stacker which created the opportunity to provide smaller unit sizes to our customers instead of the standard mill pack sizes generally offered in the past. How does technology play a part in your business strategy? As a technology-based company, from production/procurement, distribution, delivery and office accounting, we grow our business with a look to the future. The software used will prevent mistakes by ensuring the orders for customers are filled specifically as requested preventing exces-

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sive paperwork that hinders growth. Our software is specific to our business needs and aids us in running smoothly. Our redesigned website enables the promotion of education to customers and end-users of our product. Social media is also embraced by keeping the focus on education. We are better able to stay in touch with our customers by increasing our email delivery instead of relying solely on fax or mail. The production of online videos for continued education and training on usage of our product has proven very valuable to our business. To increase the number of contacts for our eNewsletter, we continue to focus on gathering leads/customer information. How are you incorporating energy efficiency in your business practices? Using energy-efficient heating alternatives, we strive to maintain our reputation of using energy responsibly. From recycling toner and ink cartridges to the power management of office machines and equipment, it is our goal to be aware and conservative in energy management. What are the biggest changes you’ve made of late? Over the last one to two years, our company has strived to maintain standards put forth by the AWPA, as well as conforming to retention levels for MCA. The reason for this is understood within our industry. As put forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, we have embraced the ELD Mandate. Changing the ways, and finding new ways, of educating our customers was given higher focus. Our goal is to ensure that our products are used in the proper application and continuing customer education is important toward that goal. Also, within the last one to two years, we have done a major expansion to our treated yard enabling us to keep more inventory on and available to our customers.

Escue Wood Preserving

What concerns you and what excites you about the future of the treating industry? There are several concerns referring to the future of this industry. The improper use of product by the end user is something we want to prevent. Use of continuing education is paramount in decreasing this. Another concern would be the ever-rising cost of lumber and the cost of treatment of the lumber. Due to ELD mandate, freight issues create cause for concern in our industry. Excitement is generated by growing opportunities to educate the end-user on retention levels and proper application. Other reasons for excitement are having approval of MCA by the AWPA and following the housing industry projections for the future. Building-Products.com

INDUSTRY Trends

By Western Wood Preservers Institute

Preserved wood still the choice for informed consumers

hether taking on a project themselves or hiring professional contractors to handle the job, many consumers have slipped from the realm of uninformed to inquiring, self-educated project owners. Educational tools that are readily available online have led consumers to learn how to fix minor issues, know when those issues are too big to tackle and, most importantly perhaps, understand the difference between those two types of projects. Whether doing it themselves or hiring a contractor, consumers also do their homework to know and understand what materials are available for their projects. According to a recent study, just over half of DIYers and most Pros spent some time researching pressure treated wood prior to purchase. Knowing that consumers are seeking knowledge, dealers and retailers have the unique opportunity to aid in

RAISED BED gardens and other manageable backyard projects are great options for preserved wood.

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the consumer education by recommending the right material for the job. As it has been for decades, beautiful, natural preserved wood is the material of choice for many outdoor projects. Professionals and do-it-yourselfers agree: nearly 60% of projects built by backyard contractors are created using presure treated wood. The most popular of those projects is decks, but consumers also build smaller, less involved projects such as picnic tables, benches, and raised bed gardens. Do-it-yourselfer Andy Nash agrees. About 10 years ago as a novice weekend warrior, he chose to use preserved wood to build his raised bed gardens. “I did some research, looked at some garden plans online, and decided that I would attempt to build a raised bed. By the time we moved into our next house, I felt very confident when I built my second set of gardens. It just took a few boards of Wolmanized Outdoor Wood (2x6s and 4x4s), screws, and a few tools that I have on hand.” Andy said he built two raised bed gardens in just a few hours. The good thing, he adds, is that the planter beds can be used year after year because they are built using Ground Contact preserved wood. Besides being built from natural, long-lasting preserved wood, raised beds have additional advantages. “My raised beds drain well,” says Andy. “And, I can plant earlier in the season because the off-the-ground beds warm quickly. That leads to a longer, more fruitful harvest.” Andy also explains that the raised bed gardens are a project he can handle, but the expansion of his deck is not. “It’s time to bring in the professionals when it comes to working a large project like my deck,” Andy says. “Although I’ve done my research, I count on my contractor to know what preserved wood I need for each part of the addition.” Contractors, like do-it-yourselfers, have done their homework and continue to rely on preserved wood as a flexible building material that is easy to work with and provides a real wood finish that you just can’t mimic with alternative materials. However, contractors and DIYers cannot arbitrarily choose what preserved wood to install. According to Building-Products.com

Jay Hilsenbeck, residential product manager of Lonza Wood Protection, choosing the right wood for its intended use is imperative for a finished project to last. Jay explains that consumers can either purchase Above Ground or Ground Contact preserved wood for their project. “This decision rests on the severity of the exposure conditions of the wood during its service. Ground Contact preserved wood is treated to a higher retention level than Above Ground,” explains Jay. “That simply means there is more preservative in ground contact preserved wood to offer necessary protection for more demanding end uses like raised beds.” Further guidelines say that Above Ground preserved wood is intended for the parts of a project that are at least 6 inches above the ground, where the wood dries easily, and where it is well-ventilated around all the boards. While Ground Contact preserved wood is versatile enough to be used in almost any application, it must be used in applications where the wood • will come in contact with or be within 6 inches of the ground or fresh water • is critical to the structure and difficult to repair or replace • is in certain physically above ground uses exposed to harsher conditions such as prolonged contact with

soil, vegetation or sprinklers “As an example, deck boards that are not subject to prolonged wetting from sprinklers and have good air flow around them can be treated to Above Ground retentions,” Jay further explains. “Decking understructure such as posts, joists, and ledger boards should be treated to Ground Contact retentions.” Once any outdoor project is completed and being enjoyed, it is worth noting that some maintenance is necessary just as an owner would maintain a car with regular oil changes. Similarly, homeowners can easily and inexpensively perform maintenance on their decks or other backyard projects. Recommendations include cleaning and applying a surface water repellent every couple of years to keep the project looking beautiful. However, for projects such as decks to maintain that just-built appearance or to change the color as styles change, staining every few years is recommended. For this year, Andy says the only real work he will have to perform is working the garden soil, choosing whether or not he wants a different mix of vegetables and herbs, and then planting. To see plans for projects such as a raised bed garden or a storage bench, visit www.wolmanizedwood.com/ plans.

Mobile Treated Wood App Updated Put the most current information on preserved wood products at your fingertips with the newly revised Treated Wood Guide app for smartphones and tablets. The free app is available for Apple iOS and Google Android phones and tablets. Introduced in 2014, the app underwent a complete makeover late last year. Revisions include a new color scheme and updated photos of products in use. The Use Category Specifications was updated to reflect the 2017 AWPA Book of Standards, which included changes in the UC3B and UC4A use categories and recommended uses. The Model section now features updated information on the new online Environmental Modelling Assessment Tool, while the Fire Retardants section includes links to the new FR products website. Under Use Tips, the Disposal section includes a current list of approved California landfills for treated wood waste.

Building-Products.com

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PRODUCT Spotlight

By Western Wood Preservers Institute

What’s in the preserved wood you sell today?

TODAY’S WOOD preservatives are both safe and effective.

t’s a question that comes up regularly in the lumber and plywood aisle: “Just what is in the treatments for preserved wood products?” That may be followed by: “And are they safe?” Preservatives have evolved since the 1970s, when preserved wood products were first sold in retail locations. Despite this evolution, there are still many misperceptions about preservatives used in treating. Before tackling those questions, it is helpful to understand why we pressure treat wood products. Wood, of course, is a natural material and has unique qualities that make it an excellent building material. But Mother Nature can be a cruel mistress, seeking to decompose organic materials and return them to the earth

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to support new growth. Decay fungi and insects are part of the cycle of breaking down wood fiber once it’s no longer part of a living tree. While that may be great for nature, you don’t want that to happen to wood that is a structural element in your home or outdoor living area. The most effective protection for wood is to infuse it with preservatives and keep fungi and insects from eating it. Pressure treating the wood extends the service life from a few years to decades, helping ensure sustainable forests.

Preservative Ingredients

One common misperception is that preservatives are poison. In reality, preservatives prevent fungi or insects from degrading the wood by creating

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a long-lasting disinfectant barrier. Copper serves as the chief ingredient. Today’s preservatives contain as much as 50% to 97% soluble or micronized copper. Most decay fungi, termites and other organisms don’t eat wood containing copper. While copper is effective, some organisms are tolerant to the element. So mixed with the copper are biocides and fungicides to enhance the protection. All of these are suspended in water, which carries preservatives into the wood when pressure is applied. Two types of biocides are commonly used in preservatives: azoles and quaternary compounds. These chemicals aren’t used exclusively for wood preservatives; they are also found in a host of consumer products. Azoles are antifungal chemicals used with a number of natural products. They include propiconizole, also used on fruits, vegetables and nuts, and tebuconazole, used on flowers, shrubs and other agricultural products. Quaternary compounds are found in cleaners and disinfectants, as well as hair and body products. These biocides and others, such as DCOI, are effective in protecting wood on their own. Carbon-based wood preservatives, such as PTI and EL2, contain no copper and rely on the protective characteristics of the biocides.

In the Mix

These compounds aren’t simply mixed together and sold to treaters. Preservative manufacturers thoroughly research, test and monitor the formulations to ensure effectiveness when infused into wood. Building-Products.com

Each preservative must be approved by the EPA, which requires extensive toxicological reviews to determine any potential human health or environmental risk. National consensus standards administered by the American Wood Protection Association determine the amount of preservative required in the wood to protect it for its intended end use. This process helps promote the safety of preserved wood by providing a balance between protecting the wood and minimizing the amount of preservative that may move into the environment. So how much preservative is in the wood? In most cases, it is less than 1% of the weight of the wood. Preservative treating also enhanc-

es the sustainability of wood. Over the decades the wood can remain in service, a new tree can be grown to replace it in the future. Compared to alternative materials, life cycle science shows preserved wood has far fewer impacts on the environment. When taken together, preserved wood products are indeed safe. Of course, use common sense precautions when handling preserved wood. The requirements are the same for treated wood and untreated wood: wear gloves and long-sleeved shirts, and avoid inhaling sawdust by wearing a dust mask when cutting or drilling. Preserved wood is a safe, reliable and environmentally responsible building product that can provide decades of protection and enjoyment.

New Website Highlights FRTW

Sales of fire retardant treated lumber and plywood have grown strongly in recent years, fueled by rising apartment, condo and hotel construction. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now a new website designed to help distributors increase sales and answer questions about the products. The site offers detailed information about FRTW products produced by treating companies in the West. Visitors can learn how FR wood is made, how it works, and where they can source it for projects. Serving as a one-stop site for FR wood, information is available on both interior and exterior fire retardants. There are links to FRTW brands, complete with basic information from specification guides to Safety Data Sheets. Other sections explore the extensive testing for fire retardants necessary for Building-Products.com

gaining code certification, as well as the required quality marks on FR wood and what they mean. Particularly helpful for distributors is the treating vs. coating section, which highlights the important differences between pressure treating and surface coatings, and the specific language in the building codes that require pressure treating for fire retardants. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a section detailing references in the International Building Code that permit the use of FR lumber and plywood for specific applications. A full Technical Library is also available, with downloadable publications that can be used to educate customers and support FR wood use. Check out the hottest website on wood that stands up to fire: www. FireResistantWood.org. April 2018

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MARGIN Builders

By Kelly Harmon, LP Building Products

Beyond product:

Sell engineered wood floors as a system I n recent years, manufacturers have been unveiling engineered wood products that move the category far beyond commodity status. Innovations abound as products continue to address more and more builder challenges while making homes efficient and durable. These include premium subfloor panels with superior moisture resistance, I-joists with a wide range of stiffnesses, and fire-rated wall panels. But unlike a category such as faucets or light fixtures, engineered wood products should be viewed as a floor system, not individual components. In floor systems, for example, product selection, how those products are spaced, and how they are installed all combine to predetermine expected performance. This includes whether the floor feels bouncy, whether it squeaks when walked on, and whether the island shakes as the homeowner walks past. Considering the whole system lets dealers and their customers sell buyers on performance and, perhaps, higher performance levels. It’s also a way for dealers to differentiate their services as they help builders prevent callbacks and create positive word of mouth.

A System Approach

In thinking of the floor as a system, all of the products—from the OSB to I-joists, beams and rim joists—come together to deliver predictable performance that can meet the builder’s and homeowner’s expectations. A premium subfloor over properly spaced, stiffer I-joists, for example, can help reduce deflection that shakes china cabinets or causes nail pops and cracked floor tiles. Premium subflooring also has a higher density to help keep fasteners in place.

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THINKING OF product components—such as LP Legacy premium subflooring and LP SolidStart I-joists—as a system can help builders meet buyer expectations for floor performance.

Builders can design to code minimum or work with their manufacturer and dealer to step up to higher deflection limits, such as L/480, which will provide a stiffer floor with less deflection. To design this floor, one looks at on-center spacing, the strength and stiffness of the I-joist, the quality and density of the subfloor, etc. For example, if the builder wants to ensure deflection remains under ¼ inch, he can specify 16” on-center spacing. Stiffness can also be improved by selecting a higher-quality subfloor, such as a premium panel in a 23/32-inch thickness. Determining target performance levels requires getting to know the customer, the house itself, and, ultimately, the customer’s budget and expectations. A track home on a strict budget likely will call for a more basic, code-minimum floor system. A 6,000–sq. ft., $1 million custom homebuyer, on the other hand, will expect a more solid feel underfoot.

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The kitchen is also more likely to have a large, heavy island that can put more load on the floor and amplify problems.

Consider Two Scenarios:

Scenario 1, a tract home with laminate flooring and without a kitchen island. Cost is a key factor in the design of this floor system, so the manufacturer or dealer will value engineer the system, looking at increasing on-center spacing for joists, looking for the least expensive I-joist that meets all the required code minimums, utilize an I-joist as rim closure (when applicable), and use columns or piers to break spans up so that smaller support beams may be used. A commodity subfloor product may be selected, one that will still perform over time, but should not be exposed to the elements for long periods. Scenario 2, a high-end custom home with a large kitchen island and slate flooring. Depending upon the span, Building-Products.com

these floors could be designed with either a stiffer series I-joist (which means more volume of wood or a higher grade of wood in the flanges), with closer on-center spacing of the floor joists, or both tactics. The stiffer joist and tighter spacing account for the additional loads from the slate flooring and the island, and would result in a more solid-feeling floor, with less bounce, for the homeowner, as well as less likelihood of the slate cracking. Thinking as a system can allow for product and design compromises. For example, using a premium subfloor panel APA-rated with a higher stiffness could allow the builder to move from 16-inch o.c. spacing to 19.2 or 24, reducing the number of I-joists needed while still maintaining a solid feeling underfoot and the integrity of the finished flooring above. The process also may reveal efficiencies in making product swaps. Take LSL, which is an alternative to LVL and a more practical option in some systems. LSL uses more of the log and is versatile for use in sill plates, headers, beams, hip and valley rafters, floor

joists, and more. It also is often less expensive, a consideration when designing floor systems based on both budget and performance expectations.

Tools & Resources

Manufacturers are making the systems approach easier through a range of resources, from one-on-one consultation to performance-based assemblies to software programs that can do much of the work for you. Full CAD-based design software allows the dealer to create 3-D drawings of the frame, edit product selections, and see how systems perform under loads. Single-member sizing programs are a quick way to determine how a joist will perform under load in each scenario. The dealer can then take those results as documentation to the builder and code official. No matter the method or the result, optimizing floor performance is ideal for dealers to provide a unique service offering to builder customers. - Kelly Harmon is national product manager at LP Building Products. Learn more at www.lpcorp.com.

SOFTWARE PROGRAMS help dealers and builders design the floor system to meet both code requirements and performance metrics. For example, the output above shows a multi-span I-joist designed at 16â&#x20AC;? o.c. which, coupled with a high-performance subfloor, would be suitable for a custom home application. (Photos courtesy LP)

IN THIS illustration, joists are designed at 19.2â&#x20AC;? o.c. for a value-engineered solution. This design uses LSL for stair openings and flush beams to reduce cost and may be suitable for a tract home. The floor performance could be improved by upgrading to a high-performance subfloor. Building-Products.com

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COMPETITIVE Intelligence

By Carla Waldemar

ON THE EVE of its 85th anniversary, Hiawatha Lumber, Minneapolis, Mn., was in serious need of some TLC.

Ladies’ Day hose readers blessed with total recall may remember this column’s story in the March 2017 issue about a yard called Siwek Lumber. The lumberyard has been in business since 1933, right here in my hometown of Minneapolis, Mn., and the only company I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing in person for this column, rather than by telephone. So when I came upon an ad in a local paper—this time for a Hiawatha Lumber Co., launched a wee bit later—1940—I hurried to the website to decide if it were story-worthy. Turnaround! New owners! Yes! But wait: The new owners’ names were… Siwek. Soooo, what happened? Did the Siwek VPs—brothers Dave and Tom, grandsons of recently-deceased owner Joe—acquire another yard? A resounding “No.” The boys are still doing what they do best, managing that longtime family enterprise in the city’s Northeast sector. Hiawatha—in the southwest quadrant of the city—was acquired in May 2016 by a troika of women. Women all named Siwek. And, save one, novices at management. Okay, that’s a story. Hiawatha’s new owners, Jan and Lisa Siwek, proved to be wives of those Siwek brothers, and Pat Siwek Murzyn is their sister. Pat had served “upstairs,” as they put it, as company secretary/treasurer, while Lisa was often tapped to put her mediating skills to work with John, the patriarch—her father in law (who could be set in his ways, the family noted). Pat now serves as Hiawatha’s president, with Lisa covering accounts receivable/payable. Jan, meanwhile, had been holding down perhaps the most challenging job of all—managing a household of four kids. Could she handle an outside career? A desk she needed to inhabit early every workday morning as marketing manager for the company? After raising four teenagers, she told everybody, nothing to it: Piece of cake. She’s also been a quick study for stints at the front counter. They all have. OTJ is the most effective training tool

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around here, when it comes to products, vendors and customers. Their primary mentor is GM John Skoglund, who tells me the company’s backstory. The outfit began in 1940, when a guy named Denny, rumored to earn his living building and delivering chicken coops, partnered up with a friend to start a yard to serve the local pros. Back then, the railroad track that still anchors the site delivered all the yard’s materials, which needed to be unloaded by hand—no trucks, no forklift. But by 2016, Denny, the kid who started out here in his 20s, was now a kid no longer; at 78, he was more than ready to retire. Yet he wanted someone to continue the business—wanted it to remain a lumberyard. Word got around—call it “networking” if you wish— and the Siwek brothers got wind of the opportunity. But they didn’t seek just another satellite: Rather, “something different. Let’s approach the girls.” Lisa got a tutorial in “yard stuff” and equipment from Dave, and everybody turned to GM Skoglund with their questions. John, at 21, had wandered into the yard in search of something or other. He walked out with a job. “I liked what I saw, so I asked to see the owner. I asked him if he were hiring. ‘Can you lift a panel of Sheetrock?’ the boss countered.” John boasted, “I can pick up two!” Which he did, and, passing the job test, was hired on the spot. He worked as yard help, then driver, then inside. “I gained the respect of the old gentleman. If you followed through, that meant something to him, and he was a great mentor”—as John, himself, proves to be today. Hiawatha’s staff now numbers nine, all of whom swap hats whenever needed. The new owners have hired a dedicated high-school kid who worked summers, then was invited to stay on after graduation. He’s from the neighborhood. So are most of Hiawatha’s customers, many of whom are DIYers living nearby and are strong believers in supporting independents and buying local. Says Jan, “They see we’re here every day and that that’s where their money is going, not to a box.” Building-Products.com

THREE SIWEK women stepped in to take over the business in 2016 and transform it into a design showcase.

Adds John, “They’re loyal to us because of our good service. They know they can expect a little more. If there’s ever an issue, we take care of it. And they know that when they return, they’ll see 100% of the same people working here.” Those shoppers also arrive from all over the metro, and from across the nearby Mississippi River, in neighboring St. Paul. And the suburbs. Exurbs, too. “There are fewer and fewer family yards around these days, so people will drive to support them,” John declares, “and we [yards] help each other out. Our industry is a tight-knit community— you know everybody: the reps, the other yards. It’s a brotherhood. Even Home Depot sends customers to us because we stock items they don’t, like moulding, stair parts, entry doors. And we’re an exclusive Marvin Windows dealer,” proud to partner with a Minnesota company, with— ahem—another woman at the helm. Of course, the Siwek connection pays off in JIT deliveries of a product on which either yard has run short. However, “our inventory’s not the same,” says Jan. “We serve different markets, especially when it comes to contractors” (Two-thirds of Hiawatha’s clients are walk-ins; the reverse is true at Siwek’s.) “People appreciate that if we don’t have something, we’ll go for help; we don’t just hang up the phone, and they really respect that.” Husbands Tom and Dave lent insight on both merchandising and making the most of the site. The ladies signed on primed to listen to their customers. Following their bidding, “We’ve increased SKUs, added more moulding. When we took over, inventory was down—way down.” (“When you see empty shelves, what do you think?” John adds. “It was hard.”) When it comes to lumber, the company stresses quality, he says. “We’re known for it. We buy prime goods, the best we can get. Redwood is big. And joining a buying co-op provided a huge assist.” Those walk-in customers, Hiawatha’s bread and butter, are building custom homes here and there, but primarily they’re doing remodels, additions, decks, garages—all the fix-ups that benefit an aging neighborhood. “We’re selling a large number of entry doors, stair parts, and those mouldings,” Jan reports, “and broadened our line of hardware.” Why do the locals like shopping here? “Customer service is number one. So is quality. Believe me,” both swear, Building-Products.com

“they come in informed. They’ve already checked everything online.” Online? That’s marketing director Jan’s wheelhouse. She’s learning, and learning fast. “We’re redoing our Facebook presence. An improved website will be a big part of it. And Instagram! It’s huge! We show lots of product videos.” She was also in charge of planning the annual Contractor Day—vendors, products, lunch—and handled the recent Open House that introduced the new ownership, advertised by fliers, newspaper announcements, and email. “We had barbecues, face painting, a bouncy castle, lots of drawings and prizes.” And yes, Jan agrees, it drew scores of new customer. “Definitely!” she smiles. “They didn’t realize they could just walk in.” John is pleased with the transition. “Jan’s been wonderful. It’s comfortable, not a lot of drama.” Not like during the recent recession, right? He allows, “It. Wasn’t. Pretty. Everything pretty much stopped. But I will say, we had such good, loyal customers. I reached out, made total contact with every one,” scouring for business. “Vendors, too. If we couldn’t pay, they’d say ‘Okay, another 30 days.’” Ladies, what surprises came with this new assignment? Not, they swear, the situations of the not-too-distant past, where customers would demand to speak to “the real boss”—the one who shaves each morning. Instead, recalls Jan, the big adjustment was “for me, the need to be at work, and on time, every day—and working on the computer. Bookkeeping. Pat pretty much knew everything from her former role. Lisa is on a learning curve, too—things like medical insurance, etc.” Worth it? A resounding yes. One reason: “South Minneapolis is like a small town in a big city. For instance, our neighbor, Rosie. We automatically shovel her driveway, so for the holidays she brought in Christmas treats.” You won’t find that at a big box.

Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net April 2018

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OLSEN on Sales

By James Olsen

Curiosity cured the cat

ne of the bad raps sellers get is that we are “Just there for the order.” We are there for the order, but what else are we there for? We are there to make long-term business relationships with our customers. Figuring out if the relationship with each customer will work takes time and circumstances to test it. On a call by call basis, how do we push for the order without being pushy? By acting in a caring way. How do we show we care? How do we let the customer know/feel that we care while we are trying to get the business? By asking questions! We in the lumber industry are market driven, so information is power. Those that buy from us will give us information as well as those who don’t. Customers who don’t buy from us often will give us more information than those who do. Master Sellers dig in on objections. They learn more about how to sell the customer who is giving them the objection and use the information to sell others. Most sellers don’t probe enough so each call is Groundhog Day all over again.

Your Price Is Too High

We will get this objection until the end of time. How will we handle it? Most sellers say two things with a defeated tone: (1) Oh. Where do I need to be? (2) What are you buying? The first response gives all the power to the customer and the second says, “I’m just here for the order.” Both are F-/terrible responses. “Really, wow. We’ve been selling well at this price. What are you thinking on price?” We discuss prices with customers and work together to agree on what will work. When the customer says our price is too high we need to dig in on the details: (1) Did they buy the better price? If not, why? (2) If so, what exactly—tally, price, shipment, stock and

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quantity—did they buy and would they buy more with the same details? (One out of 10 will say yes to this question! Ask it and get a couple more orders a day.) (3) When did they hear or buy at that price? If it was three weeks ago in a rising market… we need to know. (4) What are you paying for that item out of distribution? (5) Where was everybody else? Was I the outlier or was the salesperson who got the order the outlier? (6) What does that purchase do to their average cost? The devil and the angel are in the details. “I’m okay right now. I’ve got too much stock. I’m going to wait. Call me in the spring.” These sentences are meaningless and give us zero information. If we don’t dig in on these objections we deserve what we get. (1) “I’ve got in my notes that you are using four trucks a month. Do you have 12 trucks bought?” (2) “How low do you let your inventory go before you do buy back?” (3) “If we could extend the shipment to work with your inventory turn, could we put a couple on?” (4) “Alright. We won’t be looking at 2x4 until the first week in June, is that right?” Whether the customer buys or not, set a firm appointment, based on the information gathered, to talk and do business on that item in the future. The firm appointment is key. “Okay, we won’t be needing 2x4 until the end of July. I will babysit the market on that item with that in mind.”

Horseshoes, Hand Grenades & Sales

The perfect item at the perfect price doesn’t exist. Most sellers are shot down by a single objection! Master Sellers know perfection probably won’t get the order, getting close enough will, so they are curious and dig in on objections. Do they sell their customers every time? No. Do they show their customers they care on every call? Yes. Master Sellers are curious about what customers want and will do everything possible to get it for them. They work with customers to get as close as possible to perfection (what the customer wants). The curious seller knows more about their customers and their markets and sells more because of it. James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572 james@realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com

Building-Products.com

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THE REVENUE Growth Habit

By Alex Goldfayn

Fear vs. confidence f you sell, fear has probably cost you, personally, millions of dollars. If you work for a company that generates $5 million in annual revenue, fear has cost your firm tens of millions of dollars over the years. If the company is a $20-million business, fear has cost the firm hundreds of millions of dollars over the years. And if the company does $100 million annually, the total lost is in the billions. But this is just individual firms. If we think about the sales lost across industries, or neighborhoods, cities, states and nations, over years and decades, we’re talking about many trillions. This includes the immense amount of money salespeople have lost out on in take-home pay and in vacations not taken; the losses to the local economy not injected with this money; the investments businesses have not made, thereby hurting their suppliers; and the customers not helped. I know the impact of fear on sales because I’ve worked with hundreds of companies and thousands of salespeople on the topic of revenue growth. Fear is the reason we don’t pick up the phone. Fear is the reason we don’t ask for the business. Fear is the reason we don’t do the work we know we should be doing to help our customers know. If you find yourself avoiding something, the reason is almost always fear.

The Opposite of Fear in Sales

The opposite of fear is confidence. It should be no surprise that confident salespeople outsell fearful ones. Confident humans outperform fearful ones. At work and also at life. If you don’t feel confident, talk to your happy customers, and ask them what their favorite things are about working with you. They will tell you. And it will be the absolute truth. Confidence and fear are ways of thinking. Boldness and meekness are the behavioral manifestations of these ways of thinking. That is, people who think confidently behave boldly, but people who think fearfully behave meekly. So, how do confident salespeople think differently from fearful salespeople? In almost every way. But here are a few of the most important areas: • The confident salesperson believes the customer is lucky to be hearing from her. The fearful one believes she is lucky the customer picked up the phone. • The confident salesperson thinks it’s highly likely he will get the business, because he is excellent, and the customer knows it. The fearful one thinks it’s unlikely he will get the business. He is afraid he will not only miss out on this piece of business, but that the customer will fire him if he asks for the business at all.

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• The confident salesperson believes the customer deserves to benefit from her great value, and that she owes it to the customer to offer him additional products, services and value. But the fearful salesperson believes she is bothering the customer, and does not want to seem needy, or annoying, or pestering. As a consequence, she prefers to stay out of the way. • The confident salesperson believes there are many additional ways he can help customers beyond what they are buying now. The fearful salesperson thinks that the customer will ask for it if they need to, and so tends to stay out of the way. • The confident salesperson is driven to provide as much value to the customer as possible. The fearful salesperson’s goal is to avoid being yelled at by the customer.

Where Confidence Comes From

Confidence comes from knowing how good you are and behaving accordingly. Confidence comes from listening to your happy customers speak warmly and positively about you. Confidence comes from both a history of success as well as experiencing quick early wins during a new pursuit. You will find that customers are quite happy to hear from you when you proactively call them. Confidence can be chosen and then further developed. Choose confidence. It pays better. – The preceding is an excerpt from Alex Goldfayn’s new book, Selling Boldly. Alex Goldfayn Revenue Growth Consultancy alex@evangelistmktg.com (847) 459-6322 Building-Products.com

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By Paige McAllister

Violence at work

How to keep your employees safe R ecent events in the world have many employers thinking about gun violence and what appropriate measures to take to ensure their workplace is a safe place for employees, clients, vendors and all others who enter. While protecting against gun violence at work is a serious, important, and timely topic, violence at work in general is equally important and worthy of discussion. Workplace violence is defined by OSHA as any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs on the work site. The general types of violence experienced at work include random criminal acts, violence by a co-worker, customer or client, or violence resulting from a personal situation (i.e., domestic violence or stalking). Violence can involve employees, supervisors, customers, contractors, vendors, visitors or strangers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2016 there were 792 incidents of intentional injury, 500 resulting in homicide; this represents an increase of 23% and 20% respectively over the prior year. Other incidents of workplace violence not typically reported or included in the statistics above include fighting, confrontation, berating, arguing and sexual assault. The impact on employees can include physical or psychological harm, absences, medical costs, and long-term stress or anxiety. Although an estimated 2 million American workers are impacted by workplace violence each year, only 25% of companies spend time and resources to make a plan and take preventative action.

Q. With all of the talk about gun violence, do I have the right as an employer to prohibit anyone from bringing a firearm on our property?

A. While most states allow an employer the right to prohibit firearms in the actual workplace, 22 states allow employees with appropriate carry/conceal licenses to store their guns in their vehicles while the vehicle is parked in a worksite parking lot. The following states have â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parking Lot Storageâ&#x20AC;? laws that give employees the right to keep firearms when parked on employer-owned property: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. 32

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While workplace violence can occur at any company in any industry or location, jobs that involve exchanging money in public, serving alcohol, working with volatile or unstable people, working alone or in isolated areas, working late at night, or working in a high-crime area carry more risk. Healthcare professionals, public service workers, customer service employees, teachers, janitorial staff, and law enforcement officers have the highest risk due to a combination of factors. Companies can feel impacts including property damage, loss of inventory, reduction in staff, increased security and insurance costs, legal exposure and costs, damage to a companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation, or an inability to operate business for some time. Companies should take measures to protect employees and help prevent or reduce the chance of incident, escalation and harm. These measures can help:

1. Company Policies: Strong, well-worded policies send a powerful message to employees and give you a formidable basis to prevent workplace violence or to be able to stop it before it escalates. Be sure your handbook has essential policies including workplace safety, weapons, searches, harassment/sexual harassment, visitors, code of conduct, and disciplinary action. Ensure every employee receives a handbook and signs an acknowledgement of receipt stating they will comply with all the policies. And if you are missing any of these policies, now is the time to put them in place and, again, have employees acknowledge the new policy once it is implemented. 2. Hiring Practices: Knowing who you are hiring allows you get an understanding of who will be working with you before they enter your workplace. Incorporating comprehensive criminal background checks and conducting professional and personal reference checks will allow you Building-Products.com

to gather information about a potential employee’s past and disposition. While you may not find out everything, it is an important step to minimize your exposure to a claim of negligent hire.

3. Disciplinary Action: Take a zero-tolerance stance on violence, threats, harassment or intimidation. Do not allow a situation to escalate or be repeated by stepping in as soon as it is known. If it involves two employees, separate, investigate and take decisive disciplinary action. If a non-employee is involved, have the individual removed and prevent the individual from coming back. If a vendor, contractor or client is involved, review the business relationship. Companies can have legal exposure to negligent retention claims if employees or business relationships are maintained after knowledge of violent or threatening behavior. 4. Security Measures: Implement practices to help keep your work site and employees safe. Install security cameras and a security system with keys or access badges. Make sure no one works alone if possible. Hire security guards. Assess the location before committing to a work space. Keep minimal money on hand. Post signs stating measures taken to deter offenders. 5. Prohibit Weapons: Create and enforce a zero-tolerance no-weapons policy as strict as possible to cover all weapons including firearms, knives and explosives. In most states you can restrict weapons completely from company property and company vehicles. However, some states require permitted gun owners to be allowed to leave their firearms locked and out of sight in their personal vehicle in the parking lot.

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6. Safety Program: Create a thorough safety program covering any situation. Include procedures, contacts, phone numbers, forms, etc. Outline the expectations, roles and responsibilities of employees and managers. Make sure employees know they can call 9-1-1 whenever they feel the need. Communicate this plan to everyone and make sure they know where to find the information if needed. The Department of Labor and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have comprehensive programs online that you can pull information from to develop yours. 7. Conduct Training: Train employees what to do if faced with different situations, so they don’t need to make uneducated decisions in the moment. Consider bringing in experts to provide active shooter situation training such as the “Run. Hide. Fight” concept promoted by the DHS. 8. Benefit Programs: Assess your benefit offerings to include programs that employees would need if faced with workplace violence. Along with Workers’ Comp, health and disability insurance, consider offering an Employee Assistance Program or legal insurance. Proactive planning, policies, action and training are not only good business sense to minimize exposure, but are vital to keeping your employees and workplace safe. Paige McAllister Affinity HR Group contact@affinityhrgroup.com

April 2018

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True Value Member Retailers Mull Sale of Co-op

True Value member retailers will vote April 13 on whether to sell a majority stake in the Chicago-based company to a private equity firm, moving it away from its traditional co-op structure. If approved, the deal would give Acon Investments, Washington, D.C., 70% ownership in a new True Value operating company, effective April 18. True Value’s 4,400 current retail members would own the remaining 30% and receive $229 million for their invested capital, including in promissory notes and dividends. Current members will continue to have access to the True Value brand and services. But True Value would be free to sell its products to anyone, without them being forced to purchase True Value stock.

BMC Buying Delaware’s Shone

BMC Stock Holdings, Atlanta, Ga., is acquiring three-unit W.E. Shone Co., the leading supplier of building materials in Delaware. “With an attractive customer profile, including strong relationships with custom homebuilders and pro-

fessional remodelers, Shone Lumber is an excellent addition to our service capabilities in the Mid Atlantic region,” said Dave Keltner, interim BMC president and CEO. “Strategic tuck-in acquisitions, such as this one, are an important part of our strategy to improve our margin profile through the growth of our value-added offerings and the enhancement of our customer mix.” Founded by Bill Shone in 1957, Shone Lumber is now led by Bill’s son, John Shone, who will remain with BMC. Shone’s three facilities— in Georgetown, Middletown and Newark, De.—consist of a combined 110,000 sq. ft. of assembly, warehouse and showroom space, and last year generated net sales of roughly $70 million.

South Carolina’s Ingram Lumber Expands Operations

Charles Ingram Lumber, Effingham, S.C., is investing $33 million to expand its operations. It will add a new dry kiln capable of drying 70 million bd. ft. annually and begin construction on a new manufacturing line at its sawmill.

DEALER Briefs F.L. Davis Ace Hardware is opening a new location next month in Pea Ridge, Ar. (Caitlin Baker, mgr.). Ricklin’s Hardware, Narberth, Pa., closes its doors for good April 28 after 105 years. Longtime owner Jed Riddell shuttered sister store Suburban Hardware, Bryn Mawr, Pa., last year. Meridian Ace Hardware , North Hills, Ms., was opened Feb. 16 by Majure Office & Trucking, a division of Fred’s Discount Stores (Shane Haygood, store mgr.). Fairhaven True Value Hardware, New Bedford, Ma., is closing

after 62 years, with the retirement of owners Bob and Mike Chandler.

Great Lakes Ace acquired Tiffin Ace Hardware, Tiffin, Oh.

Jim and Marilyn Deats, owners for more than 57 years, are retiring, but their son, Bryan Deats will stay on, overseeing operations in Tiffin as well as a new Great Lakes Ace that opened in March in Fostoria, Oh.

Ace Hardware & Paint , Chaska, Mn., shut its doors March 17 after eight years. Nuts & Bolts is closing its Roach Hardware store in North Topeka, Ks., by the end of the month.

True Value Hardware, Janesville, Wi., is liquidating after 50 years and is expected to close by May. Tami Larson, owner since 1996, has been unable to sell the business, so will put the building up for sale instead. Ace Hardware is opening a 10,080-sq. ft. store in Altamonte Springs, Fl., owned by Lloyd Ramjit. FA Church Hardware, Geneva, N.Y., is winding down operations after 86 years. Peninsula Ace Hardware , Williamsburg, Va., is relocating to a similarly sized but more visible location. Anniversaries: Manatee Lumber, Oneco, Fl., 70th ... Martin’s Hardware, South Lyon, Mi., 50th ... Harrison Valley Hardware, Harrison Valley, Pa., 1st.

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BlueLinx Merging with Cedar Creek

BlueLinx, Atlanta, Ga., has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Cedar Creek, Oklahoma City, Ok., from Charlesbank Capital Partners, Boston, Ma., for $413 million. The deal, consisting of approximately $345 million in cash and $68 million in capital leases, has been unanimously approved by BlueLinx’s board and is expected to close before the end of April. Together, the wholesalers supply 15,000 retail, specialty distribution and industrial customers in 40 states with over 50,000 branded and private-label SKUs from 70 locations, with combined revenue of $3.2 billion in 2017. “The combination will significantly enhance our product portfolio by providing greater breadth and depth of building products and services for our customers and suppliers across our markets,” said Mitch Lewis, president and CEO of BlueLinx. “This transaction will create a leading U.S. wholesale distributor of building and industrial products, and significantly enhance the value that we can deliver to our customers, as well as our supplier partners, and end-market consumers.” Lewis will continue as CEO of the combined company, which will remain headquartered in Atlanta. Alex Averitt, CEO of Cedar Creek, will become COO of BlueLinx and D. Wayne Trousdale, chairman of Cedar Creek, will become vice chairman of the operating companies. Initially, the parent company will remain named BlueLinx and Cedar Creek will retain its name in its locations. Established in 1977, Cedar Creek operates 31 locations—23 of which have been opened or acquired since the firm was purchased by Charlesbank Capital in 2010.

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Canfor Greenlights Georgia Sawmill

Canfor Corp., Vancouver, B.C., will build a new, stateof-the-art sawmill in Washington, Ga. Strategically located near its existing glulam facility in Washington, the new mill will cost roughly $120 million and have a production capacity of 275 million bd. ft. Construction will begin in the second quarter of 2018, with official startup projected for the third quarter of 2019.

Busy Beaver Opens First of 5

Pittsburgh-based Busy Beaver has opened a new, 50,000 sq. ft. location in Grove City, Pa., with a grand opening event planned for April 7. It’s the first of five new Busy Beavers planned for 2018. The new home improvement center features an expanded seasonal department, indoor lumberyard, farm and ranch department, and designated contractor service center. Currently, the chain operates 18 stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

Jones Buys Mississippi Mill

Jones Lumber Co., Columbia, Ms., has purchased Rives & Reynolds Lumber, Natchez, Ms., allowing the company to expand its offerings by adding grade lumber to its production capabilities and opening up sales to the international market. Jones Lumber has multiple locations throughout Mississippi that are focused on building hardwood mats. The addition of this mill in Natchez will allow Jones to expand its geographic footprint and diversify into the grade lumber business.

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ECMD Acquires Klumb Lumber ECMD Inc. North Wilkesboro, N.C., has purchased Loxley, Al.-based Klumb Lumber, a leading distributor of specialty building products in the Gulf Coast and Southeast. “Klumb’s heritage of leaning into relationships and building long-term trust with their customers and suppliers meshes perfectly with the core values established by our founder Allen Dyer,” said ECMD CEO Joe Woods. “We are excited to extend our footprint into the deep South and Gulf Coast.” ECMD will continue the Klumb Lumber & Forest Products name, as

well as all five Klumb distribution centers—Loxley; Covington, Ga.; Gulfport, Ms.; Greeneville, Tn.; and Tyler, Tx. ECMD now services 46 states under the banners East Coast Mouldings, Crown Heritage, Arndt & Herman Building Products, ECMD Distribution, and Klumb Lumber & Forest Products. There are no changes to the branch leadership. Co-president Steve Funchess agreed to remain and lead the Loxley branch, while co-president Vicki O’Neill will not stay on. Klumb Lumber was established

in 1945 by Roy Klumb in Crystal Springs, Ms. Shortly thereafter, his son Buddy Klumb took over and built it into a major regional distributor.

SUPPLIER Briefs Forestland Group agreed to sell its Anderson-Tully Lumber mill in Vicksburg, Ms., to an unnamed buyer. The deal is set to close May 15.

Lumberman’s Wholesale Distributors, Nashville, Tn., agreed to be acquired by Boise Cascade, Boise, Id.

Woodgrain Distribution , Atlanta, Ga., is opening a new millwork distribution center late this spring in Jackson, Ms. Harvey Building Products, Waltham, Ma., has purchased 25-yearold vinyl window and patio door manufacturer Thermo-Tech Windows & Doors, Sauk Rapids, Mn.

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Rex Lumber, Brookhaven, Ms., after updating its existing horizontal shape sawing gang, is now adding profiling to this process. Weyerhaeuser Distribution

now stocks the full line of Fiberon decking and Symmetry railing products at its distribution center in Houston, Tx.

Manufacturers Reserve Supply, Irvington, N.J., is now distributing James Hardie fiber

cement products to New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Connecticut.

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Parksite added Boral’s Versetta Stone at its North Brunswick, N.J., DC. The mortarless stone veneer is already stocked at its Baltimore, Md., and Apex, N.C., locations. Mid-Atlantic Millwork Sales, Falls Church, Va., now reps Digger Specialties’ DSI Columns in eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Long Island. WM Cramer Lumber Co ., Connelly Springs, N.C., suffered a warehouse fire Feb. 18. L.J. Smith , Bowerstown, Oh., launched a new website at ljsmith.com. Building-Products.com

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THINKING Ahead

By Chris Knowles and Michelle Maller, Oregon State University

Start ’em young

How Oregon State University is engaging youth in forest products education e’ve heard them all. “You’re just clear-cutting.” “There won’t be any forests left.” “What about climate change?” “Cutting down trees is awful.” Pursuing a livelihood in the forest products industry opens one up to being a sounding board for these and so many other misconceptions about this work. Conversations around renewability, reforestation, and forest management are few and far between: unless we start them. For us, working at the collegiate level at an institution highly-regarded for its forestry program, affords the opportunity to both educate students about our business and to hear first-hand what the next generation of labor, both those interested in renewable materials and those in other fields of study, believe to be true about the forest products industry. We consider ourselves at the forefront of breaking many of those misconceptions, by educating the students in our programs.

Perception vs. Reality

Mika Donahue is an undergraduate student at Oregon State, studying renewable materials. She is smart, enthusiastic and insightful. Mika grew up in Vancouver, Wa., at her family’s business, RLD Company, a provider of independent timber and

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OREGON STATE undergrad Mika Donahue grew up at her grandfather’s business, RLD Co., Vancouver, Wa.

glulam fabrication. Founded in 1984 by her grandfather, RLD has manufactured product for notable and impressive projects in its relatively short history, like the Hiroshima Bridge and the Pavilion at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

April 2018

Interestingly, though, it wasn’t growing up in the lumber yard that solidified a future in forest products for Mika. It was a TED Talk. “While I have always loved the structural aesthetic of wood structures, it wasn’t until I watched a TED Talk from Vancouver-based architect Michael Green regarding the environmental necessity of mass timber building that I really found my spark. Learning about wood’s ability to sequester carbon and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions added a whole new level of importance to my understanding of forestry and wood construction; it set the stage for my academic pursuits,” she said. Mika now finds herself talking with her peers about this perception vs. reality problem our industry tends to have, and she’s encouraged that the up-and-coming generation is so open-minded. “My generation is acutely aware of environmental impact. When I take even a few moments to explain reforestation, or phasing out concrete and steel for wood products, the light bulb goes on for them.” Nearing graduation, Mika is encouraged, but realistic. She recognizes the lofty role she plays in educating her peers both to understand the forest products industry, and to

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A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association

recruit them to the field. “People looking for a fancy, bigcity work environment might be disappointed to end up in a rural part of Washington or Oregon in their 20s,” she said. It’s important to ensure these people see the longterm potential in a career in forest products.

On Campus

That drive to make the world a better place is a common theme among students enrolled in our undergraduate program at Oregon State University. For the most part, our students come in knowing very little about what’s possible in the industry. It’s up to us to help them forge a path to working in a field where they view their company as sustainable and working to preserve the environment. Our undergraduate program provides four tracks from which to choose: science and engineering; marketing and management; art and design; and advanced wood manufacturing. Selecting the most enticing track means each student is on the path to a very distinct part of the lumber Wood Magic Oregon is only possible with financial donations, and the more we receive, the more kids we can invite to the experience. If you or your company is interested in supporting Wood Magic Oregon, please reach out to Michelle Maller at michelle.maller@oregonstate.edu or (541) 737-4529.

products business. Ten years ago, we found that most of our students were heading toward the manufacturing side. Today, we see people going toward all four of these disciplines, to corners of the wood products industry they may not have even known existed. How do we identify and recruit these students to help fill the next generation of forest products industry professionals? It’s a very organic, boots-on-the-ground sort of approach. Our location in Oregon means we’re in the middle of one of the most active forest production regions of the country. Still, this doesn’t always translate to kids like Mika becoming young adults who know what we do and why. Much of our time is invested in career technical education (CTE) students at the high school level all across Oregon and Washington. These students have already demonstrated interest in hands-on work, and a willingness to learn outside of the traditional classroom setting. The teachers of these CTE programs are integral to our student recruitment efforts. They will invite us to visit their classes to present about careers in the forest products industry. They will participate in professional development opportunities that we offer for CTE teachers, during which they learn what the OSU College of Forestry is, and enhance their own knowledge and careers. Taking the message of our program back to their

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students results in heightened interest, and ultimately, more students enrolling than in the past. We’re still working to overcome the public perception that the forest product industry is clearcutting. It doesn’t take long for our students to become stewards of the truth, but it remains an uphill battle to educate the public at large. One student at a time, they grab onto the beauty of what we do, and we hope, spread the word.

Wood Magic

We’re finding it vital to begin educating children long before they consider a major in the College of Forestry. At OSU, we host an interactive program on wood as a resource, designed to educate third and fourth graders about science and technology relative to wood and wood products. Hosted both on-campus and in underserved areas of Portland, Oregon Wood Magic is a three-and-ahalf hour program where kids work through 13 stations, each with a different theme (e.g., common forest products, wood burning, protection from termites, durability, basic engineering concepts). The 10-minute stations are taught by volunteers: professors, grad students, and top-tier undergrads in our program. The students learn basics of wood production and renewability, often correcting misconceptions they may have picked up prior to our program. The faculty and OSU student volunteers really enjoy these days as much as the kids do. A ‘controlled chaos’ environment is a welcome break from the usual day-to-day of campus life. For many of these kids, it’s their first exposure to a college campus and secondary education. It’s not realistic to think that Wood Magic will recruit all its participating kids to a future in the lumber industry, but we believe educating them on the truth of what we do and how we’re making a difference, is memorable and invaluable. – Chris Knowles is associate professor, wood science & engineering at Oregon State University and Michelle Maller is internship & education coordinator, wood science & engineering at Oregon State University.

About NAWLA North American Wholesale Lumber Association is the association that delivers unparalleled access to relationships and resources that improve business strategy and performance through sales growth, cost savings, and operational efficiencies for wholesalers and manufacturers of forest products and other building materials that conduct business in North America. Learn more about how NAWLA can help your business at www.nawla.org.

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MOVERS & Shakers Kyle Pearson has joined the trading sales team at Biewer Lumber, St. Clair, Mi. John Freeman, ex-Andrews Trading Co., is now with Arkansas Wholesale Lumber, Searcy, Ar., as commodity SPF and stud buyer. Lonnie Brazell, ex-The Building Center, has joined Builders FirstSource, Charlotte, N.C., as sales product mgr. Leroy Lunsford has been promoted to general mgr. of BFS’s Nashville, Tn., gypsum & roofing and Springhill, Tn., gypsum locations. Bob McKerrow is new to PrimeSource Building Products, as merchandiser for 24 Home Depot and Lowe’s stores in the Buffalo/Rochester, N.Y., area. Reid Manning has been promoted to sales mgr. of Harrigan Lumber Co., Monroeville, Al. He succeeds Gary Rice, who has retired after more than 40 years in the business. Dexter Schwartz has joined the inside sales team at Stenerson Lumber, Detroit Lakes, Mn. Matthew Hodjera has joined Kebony, St. Clair, Mi., as technical & special projects mgr. for the US. Alan Jaye has been appointed procurement mgr. for Rex Lumber Co.’s new sawmill now under construction in Pike County, Al. Jeanine M. Gaffke has been named chief marketing officer for AZEK Building Products, Skokie, Il. Mark DeMarco, ex-Russin Lumber, is now regional sales mgr. for the upper mid-Atlantic region, based in Hammonton, N.J., and Tom Beaty, ex-Stonhard, is now AZEK’s Gulf Coast territory mgr., based in Mobile, Al. Tim Rainwater, ex-Klumb Lumber, is now in sales & purchasing with Argo, Flowood, Ms. Jini Lee is a new product development specialist at Dixie Lumber & Plywood, Orlando, Fl. Andrew Smucker, Superior Plastic Products, New Holland, Pa., has been promoted to outside sales rep covering the expanded territory of Maryland, Delaware, and northeastern and eastern Virginia. Rob Fifield, ex-Granite State Specialties, is a new millwork specialist with Eldredge Lumber & Hardware, Kennebunk, Me.

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Jessica Gilbert is new to inside sales with Boise Cascade, Baltimore, Md. Tony Arena is now sales mgr. and Peter Grable product mgr. for Knipex Tools, Buffalo Grove, Il. Rick Rominger has joined Chelsea Building Products, Oakmont, Pa., as product mgr. for Everlast siding and other specialty products. Russell Hawkins, ex-Marvin Windows & Doors, has rejoined Wayne Dalton, as district sales mgr. for the Chicago area. Michelle Lane has been named executive director at Firestone Building Products, Nashville, Tn. Erin Oliver is new to Richards Building Supply Co., Greer, S.C., as assistant mgr. Brian Kauke has joined Keene Building Products and Dependale LLC, Mayfield Heights, Oh., as territory sales mgr. for Illinois and Wisconsin. Tyler Baier is the new territory sales mgr. the Carolinas. Leslie Bodnar has been appointed chief marketing officer for ECi Software Solutions, Fort Worth, Tx. Patricia Yulkowski, CEO, Total Door Systems, Waterford, Mi., was elected president of the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association. Mike Kamouyerou, co-mgr., 84 Lumber, Greenville, S.C., was honored as the chain’s 2017 Rookie of the Year. Jason Ringblom, executive VP-OSB, Louisiana-Pacific, Nashville, Tn., has been elected to the APA– Engineered Wood Association board of trustees, along with Andrew Konieczka, Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta, Ga.; Mike Brown, Boise Cascade, Boise, Id.; and Bruce Alexander, Norbord. Trustees leaving the APA board include Mike Dawson, Norbord; Mark Leutters, G-P; Mary Jo Nyblad, Boise Cascade; and Brad Southern, LP. Ralph Cross, PPG Architectural Coatings, Dallas, Tx., and Michael Murphy, Louisiana-Pacific, San Antonio, Tx., were honored with induction into the McCoy’s Building Supply Partner Hall of Fame. Joaquin Pneumonia is finally taking a sick day at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

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G-P Building Larger Mill in Georgia

Georgia‐Pacific, Atlanta, Ga., will build a new softwood lumber production facility next to its existing lumber mill in Warren County, Ga. Construction of the $135-million, 340,000‐sq. ft. plant is scheduled to begin in the summer, with an anticipated startup in spring 2019. G-P’s adjacent sawmill, built in the 1970s, will continue full operations until the new facility is completed. The new mill will offer advanced technology and triple the capacity. Once in production, the new plant will receive 185 truckloads of pine logs each day and produce about 350 million bd. ft. of lumber annually.

Jeld-Wen Adds 2 Businesses, Loses CEO

Jeld-Wen, Charlotte, N.C., agreed to buy millwork distributor/producer American Building Supply, Sacramento, Ca., and completed the purchase of Australian manufacturer A&L Windows, at the same time it parted ways with president and CEO Mark Beck. Beck departed after 27 months by mutual agreement with the company. Kirk S. Hachigian, chairman of the board and former CEO, will assume his duties while the board conducts a search for a new CEO. Formed in 1985, American Building Supply distributes door, millwork and hardware products from centers in California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, Georgia, Colorado, Texas and Hawaii. Its Doormerica division manufactures a range of decorative, specialty and architectural doors, including the Millennium Door series. “The acquisition of ABS aligns perfectly with our strat-

egy to expand our door capabilities with value-added services and customized full door systems,” said John Linker, senior VP. “With ABS’s capabilities in quick-ship customizable configurations, hardware options, and specialized component offerings, we will improve our service offerings and lead times for our channel partners.” Additionally, Jeld-Wen closed on its acquisition of A&L, a leading Australian manufacturer of residential aluminum windows and patio doors, founded in 1980.

Hunt, Tolko Team to Build SYP Mill

Hunt Forest Products, Ruston, La., and Tolko Industries, Vernon, B.C., are teaming to build a $115-million, state-ofthe-art sawmill in Urania, La. The mill, operating under the name LaSalle Lumber Co., will be 50% owned by Tolko, but managed and operated on a daily basis by Hunt. Construction is set to begin this month, with start-up early next year. It will employ 110. It marks Tolko’s first venture into the U.S.

CLT Producer Expanding

Months after announcing it would build a second CLT manufacturing plant in Montana, Columbia Fallsbased SmartLam is searching for a site in Maine to build a new manufacturing facility, to meet rising demand for cross-laminated timber in the East. SmartLam secured a $3 million grant from the non-profit Maine Technology Institute to assist with the $23.5 million construction cost. It is expected to finalize its site choice within the next month. SmartLam currently produces more than 1 million bd. ft. of CLT per month.

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To learn more about the Simpson Strong-Tie ® MPBZ – now available in 4x, 6x and 8x sizes, visit go.strongtie.com/mpbz or call (800) 999-5099.

Pergola design by foreverredwood.com

Iowa Yard Buys Local Competitor

One-hundred-year-old Meuser Lumber Co., Guttenberg, Ia., has acquired the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other longtime building material retailer, 118-year-old Kuempel Hardware. Co-owner Tom Kuempel was ready to retire. Meuser intends to retain the Kuempel name, but switch its affiliation from True Value to Do it Best, giving both locations similar inventory.

Rex Selects Alabama for 4th Mill

Rex Lumber Co., Graceville, Fl., has begun site preparation and expects to break ground June 1 on a new $110-million sawmill in Troy, Al. The state-of-the-art facility will produce at least 240 million bd. ft. of southern yellow pine annually and employ more than 110. Rex currently operates two sawmills in Florida and one in Brookhaven, Ms., together producing 575 million bd. ft. per year.

Cox Adding Treating Plants

Cox Industries, Orangeburg, S.C., has acquired Langdale Forest Productsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pole treating plant in Sweetwater, Tn., and will lease Langdaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s peeling operation in Chauncey, Ga. In addition, Langdale will continue treating poles and pilings at its Valdosta, Ga., operation exclusively for Cox. Other Langdale lumber, OSB and millwork operations and divisions are unaffected by the deal. The Valdosta operation will continue to be run by Langdale employees under a joint operating agreement for the production of poles and piling. Chauncey will be run by Cox employees.

Building Products Digest n

April 2018

Healthy Outlook for Siding Demand

U.S. demand for siding will continue to grow through 2021 due to increased construction activity, primarily in the South and West, according to a new Freedonia study. A rise in residential re-siding projects will further aid growth. Vinyl will remain the leading siding material due to its continued popularity in the single-family housing market. The large stock of homes with vinyl siding also will support replacement demand, as homeowners often replace their existing siding with the same materials. Fiber cement is projected to increase its share of the siding market going forward, as consumers increasingly opt for this material because of its durability and ability to mimic the appearance of higher cost materials. In addition to natural wood, this includes brick and stone siding, which vinyl is unable to mimic. Additional improvements in fiber cement product design will allow even better imitation of products like cedar shakes or lap panels, further boosting share gains. Stucco siding is forecast to register the fastest percentage gains through 2021, driven by growth in construction, particularly in the West and parts of the South, where the material is most popular because of a long tradition of use on buildings that demonstrate a Spanish colonial influence. The residential market will post larger gains through 2021 than the commercial market in both volume and value terms. A rise in the number of home renovation projects will boost product demand, as homeowners replace damaged siding or switch to more durable, low-maintenance siding materials. Growth will benefit in particular suppliers of vinyl, fiber cement, and stucco siding, which account for two-thirds of the residential market total.

Building-Products.com

SELLING with Kahle

By Dave Kahle

Just listen!

recently came across research confirming what many of us in the profession of educating salespeople have known for years: that purchasers would be “much more likely” to buy from a salesperson if that salesperson would just “listen” to the customer. The survey found that some of the worst offenders were experienced salespeople. Listening is one of the four fundamental competencies of a professional salesperson, and yet, the profession is, in general, so poor at it that most customers remark on our inability to do it well. Wow! If there is anyone I wouldn’t want thinking I was a poor listener, my customers would be towards the top of the list. Why is listening such a powerful sales competency? In my book Question Your Way to Sales Success, I describe a number of reasons. Here are a few. First, it is our primary way of digging beneath the surface of a customer’s needs and uncovering deeper and more powerful needs and motivations. That makes it a primary tool—of which the skillful use separates the master salespeople from the mediocre. For example, it doesn’t take any skill whatsoever to pick up an RFQ, a set of blueprints, or to write down a list of what the customer says he needs. You don’t have to be a master listener to do that. But to dig deeper and uncover deeper issues, that takes the ability to listen. Here’s an example. In a routine sales call with a regular customer, the customer says, “We’re thinking of going to X product. What’s your price?” Lots of salespeople would look up the price and provide it. There. Job done.

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The master would hear the words “Thinking of going…” and dig a little deeper. “What makes you interested in that?” he says. The customer replies: “Well, we’re looking for a solution for a problem with our widget production line, and one of the key operators mentioned it as a possibility.” “I see. What sort of problem are you having in that production line?” “An abnormally high reject rate.” “I may have some other solutions. Can I talk to your production manager?” I don’t have to take this scenario much further to make the point. A visit with the production supervisor could very well result in a deeper understanding of the problem and the development of an alternative solution with a whole lot more gross margin to it. The master salesperson, exercising excellent listening skills, hears opportunities where many salespeople don’t. Listening is the primary tool for digging deeper and uncovering deeper and more significant issues in our customers. But that’s not all. When we listen, we send a powerful message that we care about the other person. Conversely, when we don’t listen, we send the message that our agenda is far more important than the customer’s trivial ideas and issues. That makes effective listening one of the all time great relationship-building devices. Listening requires us to take in information, ideas and opinions that are outside our comforts zones. It is, therefore, one of the primary tools we use to grow intellectually, to broaden our views, and ultimately, to become wiser and more knowledgeable. If we never listen to someone with a different perspective, we never consider the possibility that we might be wrong. From a salesperson’s perspective, the more we listen, the more different positions, motivations, opinions and nuances we are able to understand and accommodate. The wiser and more capable we become. Since we are able to understand an ever-growing panoply of positions and opinions, we are able to feel a rapport with more and more customers, and move closer to a consensus position with them. Listening positions us as a consultant—not a peddler— in the eyes of the customer. Ultimately, listening provides us our competitive edge. So, how do we do it better? Here are two specific techniques to help you improve your listening effectiveness. (Continued on page 50) Building-Products.com

Just Listen! (Continued from page 48)

1. Listen constructively.

My wife is a crisis counselor. She talks about “listening empathetically.” That means she listens in order to understand what a person is feeling. That is very appropriate for that type of work. However, we are salespeople. It is more important that we listen “constructively.” Think of “constructively—construction—building.” We need to listen for things upon which to build. Listen for opportunities, problems, opinions, etc., on which we can build our solutions. One way to do this is to plant a couple of questions into our mind before every sales call. These are questions for which we want to gain the answer. You could, for example, say to yourself before a sales call, “What is the one thing that is this customer’s most pressing challenge today?” And, you could ask yourself, “On what basis will this customer make the decision to buy or not?” By planting those questions into your mind, you sharpen

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your sensitivity to what the customer says, enabling you to listen more constructively to the customer’s conversation.

April 2018

Discipline yourself to build the habit of responding to your customer’s comments. Here’s how we think the sales interview should go. a. We ask a question. b. The customer answers. c. We ask another question. When you exercise the habit of responding, you change the format. Now, it goes like this: a. We ask a question. b. The customer answers. c. We respond to the answer. d. We now ask another question. Notice that we have intervened in the process with something we call a “response.” A response is a verbal or non-verbal signal that we send to the customer that we are listening, and accepting what the customer says. It flatters the customer, makes him/her feel good about answering, and encourages him/her to answer in more depth and detail. Here are two powerful responses: A. Select one or two words out of the customer’s conversation, and repeat them back to the customer, nodding your head. Here’s an example. You ask the question, “Which of these challenges are most pressing for you?” The customer responds by talking for a few moments about his challenges. When he pauses, you say, “back orders” and nod your head. “Back orders” was one of the issues he talked about. You just repeated it, and nodded your head. That’s a powerful response because it shows the customer that you have listened to the point that you have captured and repeated one of his main thoughts. That feels good to the customer and conditions him to answer the next question with even more depth and detail. Just as importantly, since you were focused on finding a key word or two to repeat, you had to listen to the customer’s conversation! This technique forced you to listen more effectively, and made the customer feel good in the process. B. Summarize and rephrase what the customer has said, and repeat it back to him. This is similar to the one or two word techniques discussed earlier, only more intense. When the customer has finished answering your question, you say something like this: “Let me see if I understand you correctly. In other words, what you are saying is....” Paraphrase and give him back your understanding of what he just said. Like the prior technique, this is a powerful tool because it forces you to listen, engages the customer, and seeks agreement. Using this a couple of times in the sales interview will make the customer feel good about you, ensure that you understand him, and create an atmosphere of agreement. Ultimately, your ability to listen more effectively evolves out of your discipline to apply these techniques regularly and methodically. If you’re going to listen more effectively, you must first make the commitment to expend the effort. – Dave Kahle has presented in 47 states and 11 countries, and has written 12 books including the new Good Book on Business. Reach him via davekahle.com.

Building-Products.com

April 2018

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NEW Products

Hassle-Free Trimboards

Modern Nickel Gap Trim

CertainTeed’s new WP4 Nickel Gap trim profile has been added as part of the company’s Restoration Millwork cellular PVC trim collection. The modern profile features reversible panels pre-cut with the WP4 groove on one side and a 1/4” nickel gap on the other, creating two design options on one board to perfectly accent any home style. Panels also include a TightLap design to provide a larger nailing area for easy installation and a seamless finish.

Peel ’n Neat by Versatex is a new packaging option designed to keep PVC trimboards clean during transport, storage and installation. The product is a tough, clear film that can be factory-applied to 5/8”, 4/4” and 5/4” boards, 4” through 16” wide, in 18’ lengths. The product also solves the problem of keeping these valuable surfaces pristine at every stage—in handling, after pallets are broken for sale, and while installers do their work. n VERSATEX.COM (724) 857-1111

n CERTAINTEED.COM (800) 233-8990

High-Tech Forklifts

Helpful Lasers

Leica DISTO X-series of laser measuring tools combines innovation with extreme robustness. The new laser distance meters withstand drop tests from a height of 2 meters, are dust and water-protected, and are suitable for rugged job site conditions. With the help of the Leica DST 360 adapter for point-to-point measurements and the new Disto Plan app, the trio of products offers the optimum solution for simple distance measurement.

Raymond’s new series of Reach-Fork trucks is integrated with technologies and telematics for an enhanced operator experience and increased warehouse productivity. The trucks feature an industry-exclusive 7” multifunction color display with touchscreen functionality and an intuitive interface. Designed for superior performance and productivity, trucks are engineered with fewer parts and durable components with superior lift, lower, acceleration and travel speeds.

n LASERS.LEICA-GEOSYSTEMS.COM (877) 412-7467

n RAYMONDCORP.COM (800) 235-7200

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April 2018

Building-Products.com

HAVE IT ALL IN ONE HAUL. One shipment from Great Southern Wood gets you so much more than

YellaWood® brand pressure treated pine. Contact your YellaWood® representative to see which brands are available in your area.*

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 Safety Data Sheet (SDS), 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. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are used with their permission. *Availability varies by region. YellaWood® available in all markets.

YellaWood.com/ForDealers

Rod Rail

Quick-Install Deck Clips

The new Step-Clip hidden fastening system works with all DuraLife grooved decking products to reduce deck installation time up to 50%. Step-Clip is a patent pending, proprietary, easyto-install system that features 1-5/8”-wide, 23”-long interlocking polypropylene strips that hold four deck boards each. To install, align the tabs on the strips to the joist and then secure them with a roofing nail gun or hammer. With the strips in place, add the boards by inserting one side into the clip and then stepping on the other edge to lock it securely into place. The system spaces the boards appropriately and covers the width of the joist to shield it from water damage, rot and decay.

Minimalist, sturdy and thoroughly modern, new Trex Signature Rod Rail brings sleek commercial design to the backyard. It offers long lengths and the view-optimizing aspects of cable railing, but with the strength of aluminum for a chic look to rival any urban rooftop. Rod Rail can be installed with a continuously graspable rail option for added safety, comfort and functionality, for a clean, sleek aesthetic. It comes in three color combinations: Black/Platinum, Bronze/ Platinum, and Black/Black, can be customized with cocktail top rail options. It is available in complete kits, in 36” and 42” heights, and 6’ and 8’ lengths. Trex Signature railing is backed by a 25-year Limited Warranty. n TREX.COM (800) 289-8739

n DURALIFEDECKING.COM (800)866-8101

Bolt Busters

Milwaukee Tool is expanding its Hand Tool line with its new Bolt Cutters, available in 14” and 24”. The cutters are designed with forged steel blades and bolts that won’t loosen—translating to more cuts and longer life. Also included in the lineup are two adaptable bolt cutters with Powermove Extendable Arms, allowing the user to extend the arms for more power and versatility. n MILWAUKEETOOL.COM (800) 729-3878

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Green XPS Insulation

Kingspan Insulation is expanding its GreenGuard extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation board product offering with additional thicknesses of 3” and 4” in select 25, 40 and 60 psi compressive strength boards, and a new four-sided routed drainage channel board. The new products help to round out Kingspan’s GreenGuard line in commercial markets such as roofing, cold storage, and various below grade and vertical wall applications. n KINGSPANINSULATION.US (678) 589-7320

April 2018

Building-Products.

A Blended Finish

ExoShield wood finish is designed with a blend of pure Tung oil, trans-oxide pigments and fungicide and provides a vast amount of protection and coverage to any deck. Offered in five colors with more on the way, it features a penetrating natural oil with UV color stabilityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;appropriate for hardwoods such as ipe, cumaru, batu, mahogany and other exterior wood projects. n NOVAUSAWOOD.COM (800) 598-5245

Brickmould Upgrade

MI Windows & Doors added a Brickmould accessory to upgrade its 1556 Double-Hung awning and casement windows. A decorative touch around the exterior of a window frame, it combines the look of wood trim with the easier care and lower maintenance of vinyl. n MIWINDOWS.COM (717) 365-3300 Building-Products.com

April 2018

Building Products Digest n

Perforated Starter Shingle

TAMKO Building Products’ new Perforated Starter shingle is made from fiberglass mat coated with asphalt and surfaced with ceramic granules. The course shingle is a solution to roofing contractors’ needs for an easy-to-install starter strip prior to shingle application. The perforation ensures that contractors no longer lose time field cutting shingles to the appropriate size while reducing related waste. The shingle is intended for application to the eave or rake edge of a roof to assist with proper alignment of the shingle course. n TAMKO.COM (800) 641-4691

Powerful Primers & Stains

PPG’s new portfolio of factory-applied primers, finishes and stains have the ability to coat every edge, angle and groove to ensure thorough performance for every coated piece. The line includes PPG MachineCoat Plus and PPG MachineCoat exterior finish coatings for wood substrates, and PPG DuraColor exterior finish coatings for fiber cement and composite substrates. The coatings are engineered to protect against harsh exterior exposure and ultraviolet degradation, and are formulated to deliver excellent adhesion, color retention, and film flexibility. n PPGMACHINEAPPLIEDCOATINGS.COM (877) 622-4277

Why compromise? We didn’t.

Openings with Comfort The Best Exterior Wood Finish Pure Tung Oil | UV Blocker | Low VOC Transoxide Pigments | Fungicide

@novausawood 503-419-6407

Building Products Digest n

novausawood.com

April 2018

Alside has launched its 1700 and 1900 New Construction Vinyl Window Collection. The line achieves class-leading PG/DP ratings while providing comfort and reduced energy costs. The windows target today’s single and multi-family builder and provide the precise level of style and performance needed for any region. n ALSIDE.COM (800) 922-6009 Building-Products.com

NAWLA NE REGIONAL

Photos by BPD

3 MEMBERS OF the North American Wholesale Lumber Association met Feb. 13 at Courtyard Providence Downtown, Providence, R.I., for its Northeast regional meeting, which included [1] a keynote address from Dan North, chief economist for Euler Hermes North America, the world’s oldest and largest credit insurance company. [2] Attendees listened intently as North presented an “Outlook for the North American Economy.” [3] Mike Goodman, Dave Jara, Kyle Little, William Giguere. [4] Doug Colson, Todd Lindsey. [5] Wade Buick, Brian Pershyn. [6] Members were also given an opportunity to network and catch up with colleagues at cocktail receptions before and after the presentation.

Building-Products.com

April 2018

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NRLA makes a big splash with LBM Expo Northeastern Retail Lumber Association hosted its LBM Expo Feb. 14-16 at the Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, R.I. The show kicked off with an LBM Expo Business Connect reception where guests were able to reach out to and share with one another about their products and services. While educational seminars highlighted digital transformation and growing your bottom line, attendees heard from remodeling consultant Shawn McCadden, Reed Kneale of OC Cluss Lumber, and Neal Furman, National Lumber. Attendees also had access to dinner receptions and cocktail hours for networking.

10 ON THE NRLA SHOW FLOOR: [1] Attendees were given a chance to explore a lively tradeshow floor. [2] Alex Darrah, B. Manning, Jeff Easterling. [3] Sarah Bell, Chris Jean. [4] Robin

Building Products Digest n

Gardner, Emily James. [5] Blair McLeod, Ken Trainor. [6] Brian Betz. [7] John Morse, John Diehl. [8] Andrew Pantelides. [9] Rob Williams. [10] Brett Mollenhaeur, Derek Cossette, Zach

April 2018

Emmerick, Gavin Pedrotty, Tom Ellerbrook, Ernie Gasbarino. (More photos on next 2 pages) Building-Products.com

NRLA LBM EXPO

Photos by BPD

24 EXHIBITORS (continued from previous page) included [11] Phil Barrett, Jamie Souza, Jason Ramaley. [12] Tom Murray, Bruce Smith, Tom DuPont, Tim Svarczkopf. [13] Patrick Hanulak, Andy Viger, David Jeffers, Sharon Bird. [14] Rob Healy. [15] Brian Pershyn, Clint Darnell. [16] Tom Glauber, William Giguere, Lindsay Robidoux, Andrew Goodman, Mike Goodman. [17] Rick Karpes, Jack Curry. [18] Rob Ingram, James Building-Products.com

25 Carlson, John Marshall, Mike Morris. [19] Mike Eglin. [20] Andrew Ryan, Justin Mitchell. [21] Chris Sohigian, Michael Grant. [22] Lucas Howard, Bob Lemieux, Bob McSorley. [23] Dave Patch, Michael Vincent. [24] Lane Draper, Beth Nixon, Todd Palmatier. [25] Dave Collis, John Lusby, Lonnie Wilson. (More photos on next page) April 2018

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NRLA LBM EXPO

Photos by BPD

30 MORE NRLA (continued from previous pages): [26] Jay Meschino, Mark Ritz. [27] Greg McCourt. [28] Bob Loew, Brett Shuler, Bryan Kubitz. [29]

Matt Hungerford. [30] Ben Kauffman, David Catleltt, Peter Krihak, Tim Wiley, Scott Crowe.

THE FINAL FOUR competes in the CAMO Screw Off! deck fastening competition at the NRLA LBM Expo in Providence, R.I.

Pro’s show their speed at LBM Expo

NRLA’s LBM Expo in Providence, R.I., provided the stage Feb. 14 for National Nail’s annual CAMO Screw Off! deck fastening competition. Otis Nelson of Modern Roofing & Siding, Ashland, Me., won the Grand Prize: a 2017 Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Representing his dealer, SW Collins, Presque Isle, Me., where he first qualified, Nelson beat out 28 other competitors in the action-packed event. There were 42 contractors who qualified from local lumberyard events this past summer and summer. During the show, finalists faced off in a series of speed competitions with the winner moving on to the next round. The “Elite 8” then battled down to two finalists, with Nelson recording a winning time of 41.5 seconds. The other finalists were awarded cash prizes. David Orgain, Birdseye Building Co. (representing his dealer, Richmond Home Supply, Richmond, Vt.), won $1,500; Robert Smart, Building Smart Inc. (Hammond Lumber, Brunswick, Me.), $500; and Nathan Demers, Perkins Quality Construction (Mahoney’s Building Supply, Mattapoisett, Ma.), $500. “We couldn’t have planned a more successful event,” said W. Scott Baker, CEO, National Nail. “The competi-

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April 2018

tion was intense—everyone came to win, with many of the contractors practicing for months.” Designed by National Nail to provide hands-on experience with its CAMO Deck Edge Fastening system, qualifying contests were hosted by its stocking dealers. In the coming months, National Nail will announce details for the next round of CAMO Screw Off! events.

GRAND PRIZE winner of a 2017 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, Otis Nelson, Modern Roofing & Siding, Ashland, Me.

Building-Products.com

Orgill works magic in Orlando Independent home improvement retailers from around the world gathered recently in Orlando, Fl., for the Orgill spring dealer market. The show covered nearly 1 million sq. ft. of the Orange County Convention Center, providing plenty of room for thousands of vendors attending the event to show off their latest products—and for dealers to take advantage of market-only special buys displayed throughout the cavernous hall. Around the perimeter were a number of promotional areas, including Door Busters, Pallet Buys, and New Items. “We always look forward to our Dealer Markets because they give us the opportunity to interact with our customers and provide them with a wide range of products, programs and services to drive their businesses,” said Ron Beal, chairman, president and CEO. “We’re excited to share all that Orgill has to offer.”

Mark you calendars for the next one. Orgill’s fall dealer market is set for Aug. 23-25 at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nv.

IN THE CENTER [1] of the show floor was a 17,000-sq. ft. Retail Services area, where dealers could meet with Orgill representatives and learn more about programs such as Market Driven Retailing, Smart Start, and 8 9 Hardware 101. [2] Ron Beal, Byrne Whitehead, Eric Divelbiss, Randy Williams. [3] Stephen Keltner, Gregg Overman. [4] Jim Winn, Sam Esler, Jon Heun, Chip Manger, Richard Bilton, Greg Groenhout. [5] Jamie Kreiser. [6] Scott Marshall, Drew Bellem. [7] Travis

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April 2018

10 Shelton, Bob O’Neill, Christy Packett, Skyelar & Daielle Shelton. [8] Mark Helland, Jacek Romanski. [9] Greg Stine, Chris Freader. [10] Todd Steen, Aaron Hubbard. (More photos on next page) Building-Products.com

ORGILL SPRING MARKET

Photos by BPD

ORGILL MARKET (continued from previous page) featured [11] Michelle Kelly and Angel Menchaca McKrola addressing “10 Secrets to Successful Retail Events.” [12] Mark Stevenson, Tammy Minnis, John Johnson, Rick Friesen. [13] Kevin McGoey, John O’Connell, Greg Ciampa. [14] Maximilian Rensburg, Rene Jensen. [15] Ron Millman, Phil Heck. [16] Michael Morris, Katrice Bonner, Karen Meredith, Theresia Merriweather, Building-Products.com

27 Melissa DeFer, Owen Ray. [17] Brett Vick, Adam DeLoach. [18] Angel Menchaca McKrola, Jordan Hughes. [19] Parker Nelson, Jennifer Sithole, Lee Paine. [20] Logan Moon, Keith Foxx. [21] Rick Kost. [22] Barron Shiel, Zane Cowman. [23] Bruce Hilty, Rick Stout, Robert Hilty. [24] Ernie Couilard, Butch Peterson. [25] Phill Lahr, Melissa Schneider. [26] Rob Crawford, Kevin Roberts. [27] Curt Selby, Rick Bearden. April 2018

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ASSOCIATION Update North American Wholesale Lumber Association executive director Marc Saracco will step down later this year, due to his relocation to Los Angeles. NAWLA’s executive committe and board are working with management group SmithBucklin to identify a successor. The NAWLA Leadership Summit is set for April 8-10 at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Spa & Resort, Austin, Tx. Kentucky Building Materials Association is preparing for its annual convention and product expo April 25-26 at Belterra Casino Resort, Florence, In. World-renowned mentalist Richard Osterlind will speak at the keynote lunch. The event also includes a trap shoot competition at Elk Creek, golf, and cocktail and breakfast receptions. Northwestern Lumber Association has seminars filling the entire spring. In Golden Valley, Mn., a course on OSHA-DOT for management is set for April 9, followed by an HR-Lien LawLegal session April 10. At Wilderness Territory/Glacier Canyon Conference Center, Wisconsin Dells, Wi., Future Lumber Leaders meeting is April 11, with a special order/project management course April 12.

At Mead Lumber’s corporate office in Columbus, Ne., a fleet management & DOT class is April 24 and an OSHA/ yard safety class April 25. Builders Association of Twin Cities, Roseville, Mn., will host an Estimating 1-2-3 workshop May 14-16, and Marvin Windows & Doors, Eagan, Mn., will be the site of a Future Lumber Leaders roundtable April 20. Finally, in Des Moines, Ia., NLA is encouraging members and their spouses, children, contractors and key personnel to enjoy an Iowa Cubs baseball outing April 21 at Principle Park. Florida Building Material Association has booked legendary University of Florida football coach Steve Spurrier to keynote the kickoff breakfast Aug. 23 for its upcoming convention and show at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort & Convention Center, Orlando, Fl. Construction Suppliers Association is holding a reception and dinner meeting April 12 at Bricktown Brewery, Oklahoma City, Ok., where president Jim Moody will preview upcoming dealer roundtables, store manager roundtables, and Next Generation Learning Groups available to Oklahoma members. The evening will end with Bad Axe Throwing.

Mid-America Lumbermens Association is hosting two spring estimating workshops—April 18-19 at Forest Products Supply, Newton, Ks., and May 7-8 at MiTek’s regional office in St. Louis, Mo. The workshops will focus on the success of a material supplier and the ability to generate quick and accurate estimates. MLA will also hold a board meeting May 2 in Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. Building Material Suppliers Association is staging a leadership development roundtable April 18-20 in Nashville, Tn. Northeastern Retail Lumber Association will hold a spring roundtable April 18-20 at the Hotel Northampton, Northampton, Ma. Upcoming affiliate events include Lumber Dealers Association of Connecticut legislative reception April 18 in Hartford, Ct.; Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers’ Past Presidents Luncheon April 24, Dedham, Ma.; Rhode Island Lumber & Building Materials Dealers dinner meeting April 25, Kingstown Bowl, Kingstown, R.I.; and Northeastern Young Lumber Execs spring leadership conference April 25-26, Foxwoods Resort & Casino, Mashantucket, Ct. Kentucky Forest Industry Association has chosen “Working Together for Tomorrow” as the theme for its annual meeting April 10-12 at Polo Fields Golf & Country Club, Louisville, Ky. The event will kick off with a golf scramble and the following day guests will have a chance to attend breakout sessions featuring the Kentucky Statewide Wood Energy Team and Kentucky Department of Energy Development speaking about current wood energy projects and funding. Composite Panel Association is getting ready for its spring meeting April 22-25 at Fairmont Empress, Victoria, B.C.

MASSACHUSETTS STATE Senator Julian Cyr (at right) recently toured Mid-Cape Home Centers’ South Dennis, Ma., location and met with company leaders including president Jack Stevenson, to discuss the needs of small businesses in the area. Mid-Cape hosted the Senator as part of the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association’s Legislative Yard Tour initiative, which connects lumberyards throughout the region with their elected officials in order to share the needs of local businesses.

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April 2018

Transload Distribution Association is gearing up for its annual conference May 1-2 at Landsdowne Resort & Spa, Leesburg, Va. TDA will focus on “Capitalizing on Supply Chain Trends,” in addition to providing attendees with engaging keynote speakers and opportunities for networking. Building-Products.com

Building-Products.com

April 2018

Building Products Digest n

IN Memoriam Joseph Orgill III, retired chairman and president of Orgill, Inc., Memphis, Tn., died March 12 after a brief illness. He was 80. A 1959 graduate of Yale University, he joined Orgill Brothers & Co. as a salesman and later served as president from 1968 to 1980 and chairman of the board until 2005. Allierose Patricia Galt “Patsy” Steves, chairwoman of the board of Steves and Sons, San Antonio, Tx., died Feb. 18. She was 90. Joseph L. “Joe” Burgoyne III, 62, VP of Ideal Concrete Block Co., Waltham, Ma., died from a heart attack suffered Feb. 16 while attending the NRLA show in Providence, R.I. Although he started stocking shelves for the family business when he was 12, he officially joined the family business in 1975. He handled sales and marketing for the concrete block company and helped run the associated True Value store. He chaired the Massachusetts Retail Lumber Association’s legislative committee, and was named its Lumber Person of the Year in

2008. He was also an active member of the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association, Massachusetts Building Congress, and New England Concrete Masonry Association. He was a past Deputy Supreme 9 of Hoo-Hoo International and president of the Harry L. Folsom Club. James Howard Stenerson, 87, retired general manager, secretary and treasurer of Stenerson Lumber Co., Moorhead, Mn., passed away March 11 following a two-year struggle with mastocytosis, a rare blood disorder. After serving in the Army during the Korean War, he graduated from Concordia College in 1953. Having worked for the family lumber business since he was 14, he became manager of its Gonvick, Mn., yard in 1954, returning to oversee the Moorhead facility in 1960. He retired as Moorhead GM in 1996, but continued his mentorship with Stenerson Lumber through 2017. Robert Pennington, 58, lumber and futures trader at Mid-America Forest Products, Memphis, Tn., died Feb. 5.

FORKLIFT manufacturer Raymond’s new Virtual Reality Simulator helps train both novice and experienced lift truck operators, using an existing vehicle.

Virtual Reality Simulator Trains Forklift Drivers The Raymond Corp. has launched a Virtual Reality Simulator to serve as a supplemental tool to assist in the development of new and existing forklift operators. The simulator allows the user to enter a simulated warehousing envi-

Building Products Digest n

ronment utilizing an existing Raymond forklift truck by plugging into the company’s patent-pending Simulation Port. After the vehicle is no longer needed for instruction, the sPort can be disconnected and the forklift can be placed back into operation in the warehouse.

April 2018

After graduating from the University of Mississippi, he entered the industry in 1982 in outside sales with Planters Lumber, before moving to Dyke Industries as regional sales rep in 1987. He then operated his own yard, Pontotoc Building Materials, Pontotoc, Ms., from 1991 to 1999, before joining Mid-America in 1999. Frank J. Heidler III, 89, third-generation owner of Heidler Hardwood Lumber, Chicago, Il., died March 4. A University of Michigan grad, he was a past president of the Hardwood Distributors Association and director of the National Hardwood Lumber Association. Albert Bruce Curtis Jr., 87, former Southern regional manager for Potlatch, Memphis, Tn., died Feb. 10. He worked as a logger before serving before serving in the Air Force during the Korean War. After, he returned to the woods and to the Univesity of Idaho. After getting a second degree from Mississippi College in 1958, he joined Potlatch in sales. In 1969, he was named president of Cascade Pacific Corp., Lake Oswego, Or., until forming his own company, Curtis Forest Products, in 1982. Leveraging existing assets eliminates the need to purchase or store purpose-built training trucks. The tool allows operators to become familiar and comfortable with the forklift and its controls prior to operating within the physical warehousing environment, thus building confidence and avoiding potential incidents. The simulator is preloaded with forklift lesson modules for reach, orderpicker, and stand-up counterbalanced lift trucks. Each truck model will include a series of guided lessons that increase in complexity and build upon principles learned in earlier lessons, providing the user with a consistent experience all while reinforcing desired behaviors. An instructor’s panel allows the instructor to see exactly what the operator sees through three vantage points for optimal instructor visibility. This allows the instructor to provide realtime feedback to the operator. The simulator will collect and generate an operator report, documenting the operators’ progress and communicating to the instructor which areas need to be focused on and reinforced. Building-Products.com

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ADVERTISERS Index

Masisa [www.masisa.com]

Building-Products.com [www.building-products.com]

National Hardware Show [www.nationalhardwareshow.com] 65

CMPC [www.selex.cl.com]

North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. [nawla.org] 13, 61, 69

Combilift [www.combilift.com]

Norbord [www.norbord.com]

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

Nova USA Wood [www.novausawood.com]

Culpeper Wood [www.culpeperwood.com]

Ozco Building Products [www.ozcobp.com]

DassoXTR [www.dassoxtr.com]

Pacific Woodtech [www.pacificwoodtech.com]

Deckorators [www.deckorators.com]

PPG Architectual Coatings [www.ppgac.com]

Do it Best [www.doitbest.com]

ProWood [www.prowoodlumber.com]

Eco-Chemical [www.ecochemical.com]

Roseburg Forest Products [www.roseburg.com]

Everwood Treatment Co. [www.everwoodtreatment.com]

RoyOMartin [www.royomartin.com]

526 Media Group Inc. [www.building-products.com]

Screw Products [www.screw-products.com]

Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com]

Great Southern Wood [www.yellawood.com]

Cover I, 53

Hood Industries [www.hoodindustries.com]

Siskiyou Forest Products [www.siskiyouforestproducts.com] 55

Cover IV

Spartanburg Forest Products [spartanburgforestproducts.com] 44

Hoover Treated Wood [www.frtw.com] International Beams [www.internationalbeams.com]

Cover II

Swanson Group Inc. [www.swansongroupinc.com]

Jordan Lumber [www.jordanlumber.com]

TradeTec Computer Systems [www.tradetec.com]

Koppers Performance Chemicals [www.kopperspc.com]

United Treating & Distribution [unitedtreating.com]

21, 23, 25

Lonza [www.lonza.com]

Cover III

Madison Wood [www.madwood.com]

Building Products Digest n

49 April 2018

Universal Forest Products [www.prowoodlumber.com]

Weyerhaeuser [www.weyerhaeuser.com]

7 Building-Products.com

DATE Book Listings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend. Lumbermens Association of Texas – April 4-5, annual convention & buying show, JW Marriott, San Antonio, Tx.; www.lat.org. Southern Pine Inspection Bureau – April 5-7, planer operator course, Charles Ingram Lumber, Effingham, S.C.; www.spib.org. Peak LBM Auction – April 7, Louisville, Ky.; www.peakauction.com. North American Wholesale Lumber Association – April 8-10, Leadership Summit, Austin, Tx.; www.nawla.org. Kentucky Forest Industries Association – April 10-12, annual meeting, Louisville, Ky.; www.kfia.org. Northwestern Lumber Association – April 11, Wisconsin lumber dealers leadership conference; April 12, special order/project management seminar, Wisconsin Dells, Wi.; www.nlassn.org. National Wood Flooring Expo – April 11-14, sponsored by National Wood Flooring Association, Tampa, Fl.; www.nwfaexpo.org. Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo – April 13-14, Atlanta, Ga.; www.pelice-expo.com. Peak LBM Auction – April 14, Concord, N.J.; www.peakauction.com. Forest Resources Association – April 16-18, annual meeting, New Orleans, La.; www.forestresources.org. Associated Building Material Distributors – April 19-22, convention, Orlando, Fl.; www.abmda.com. American Wood Protection Association – April 22-24, annual meeting, Seattle, Wa.; www.awpa.com. Composite Panel Association – April 22-25, spring meeting, Victoria, B.C.; www.compositepanel.org. Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Association – April 24, Past Presidents luncheon, Dedham, Ma.; www.nrla.org. Moulding & Millwork Producers Association – May 1-3, annual meeting, San Diego, Ca.; www.wmmpa.com. Woodworking Industry Conference – May 1-4, Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, Maui, Hi.; www.wmia.org. Mid-America Lumbermens Association – May 3-4, Swing into Spring, Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.; www.themla.com. Material Handling Equipment & Distribution Association – May 5-9, annual convention & show, Miami Beach, Fl.; www.mheda.org. Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Association – May 6-8, spring conference, Kiawah Island, S.C.; www.hpva.org. Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Association – May 8, western golf outing, Southwick, Ma.; www.nrla.org. National Hardware Show – May 8-10, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; www.nationalhardwareshow.com. Coverings – May 8-11, Atlanta, Ga.; www.coverings.com. Western Red Cedar Lumber Association – May 9-11, Cedar Summit, Victoria, B.C.; www.realcedar.com. North American Wholesale Lumber Association – May 10, regional meeting, Birmingham, Al.; www.nawla.org. Peak LBM Auction – May 12, W. Friendship, Md.; peakauction.com. Northeastern Loggers Association – May 11-12, Loggers Expo, Essex Junction, Vt.; www.northernlogger.com. Northwestern Lumber Association – May 14-16, estimating class, Roseville, Mn.; www.nlassn.org. Do it Best – May 18-21, spring market, Indianapolis Convention Center, Indianapolis, In.; www.doitbest.com. North American Wholesale Lumber Association May 21-25, Wood Basics course, Blacksburg, Va.; www.nawla.org. Building-Products.com

April 2018

Building Products Digest n

FLASHBack

90 Years Ago This Month

N inety years ago, BPD’s sister publication, The

California Lumber Merchant, ran an in-depth feature on the growing uses of plywood in the fledgling airplane industry. Built-up plywoods could be machined for minimum weight as well as the required strength for use in small “speed planes” for both commercial and passenger flying. Many such planes were being built almost entirely out of laminated plywoods, except for the landing gear and motor mount. Large quantities of plywood were also being used for the interior finish of the cabins in passenger aircraft. Top species were spruce, Port Orford cedar, walnut, gum, balsa, birch and Doug fir. California was proving to be an aeronautic hotbed, with its ideal conditions for PLYWOOD was flying high in aircraft. aviation: the state boasted 70 airports, 50 flying schools, and a sunny climate for yearround flying. There were 27 manufacturing plants in the Los Angeles area alone devoted to the airplane industry, manufacturing either aircraft or aircraft parts. • A glance at the April 1928 issue showed more trouble on the roads than in the skies. Over the preceding week, one lumberman—J.H. Gunny, a manager at Diamond Match Co., Chico, Ca.—was killed in an auto accident, and a second—Jimmy Atkinson, sales manager for San Francisco’s Chas. R. McCormick Lumber—barely escaped with his life when a reckless motorist forced his vehicle off the road. His company car was a total loss and his employer replaced it with a new Buick coupe. Days later, fellow Bay Area lumberman Andrew Nelson was driving through Oakland when a baseball suddenly came crashing through his windshield. Nelson was driving past St. Mary’s College while the baseball team was practicing. (He was accompanied on the trip by his fiancee, whose friend cracked “that the young lady must have experienced a strange feeling when she found folks throwing things at her future husband.”) • That same month, four of the largest plywood manufacturers on the West Coast merged to form the Pacific Coast Plywood Manufacturers, Inc., based in Seattle. With the plywood market quickly expanding in size and uses, the firms figured combining each of their niches would allow them to serve most every user, while reducing sales, manufacturing and distribution costs. The four companies—Elliott Bay Mill Co., Seattle; Walton Veneer Co., Everett, Wa.; Washington Veneer Co., Olympia, Wa.; and Portland Manufacturing Co., Portland, Or.—together produced about 35% of the

Building Products Digest n

April 2018

SCHUMACHER Wallboard promoted its Grip Lath plaster lath on the cover of the April 1928 Merchant.

nation’s fir and spruce plywood. Their next move was quickly adding district offices across the country, starting in Chicago, New York City, Kansas City, and San Francisco. Unfortunately, the mega-expansion was poorly timed. Eighteen months later, the stock market crashed and PCPM folded. • Ten West Coast fir door manufacturers jointly formed the Western Door Manufacturers’ Association, headquartered in Tacoma. The group planned an extensive advertising campaign, and agreed to brand all their doors with the letters “WDMA.” Shortly after the stock market crash, the WDMA would be no more, as well. • Holmes-Eureka Lumber Co. hatched a new marketing gimmick. It armed its salesmen with business cards made of two-ply redwood laminated on a hard paper core. “This card is so thin as to be transparent, and is so pliable that it can be wrapped around a lead pencil,” the company reported. “It illustrates that redwood can be cut or sliced as thin as possibly any other wood.”

LAMINEX waterproof wood doors sponsored a full-color insert—an expensive rarity in the advertising world of 1928.

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