BPD
SEPTEMBER 2018
Building Products Digest
THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1982
NEW OSB TECHNOLOGIES • MINING SOCIAL MEDIA DATA • NELMA SPECIAL SECTION
PAGE 36
TREATED WOOD LATTICE: SQUARE DIAMOND PRIVACY LATTICE STRIPS POST CAPS: BALL ACORN SMALL BALL FRENCH GOTHIC PINEAPPLE OCTAGON CONTEMPORARY PRESSURE TREATED FENCE PANELS: DOG EAR STOCKADE BOARD-ON-BOARD SHADOWBOX MINI STOCKADE FENCH GOTHIC ARCH TOP FENCING HALF MOON SCALLOP TOP PRESSURE TREATED FENCE PICKETS PRESSURE TREATED GATES DOG EAR STOCKADE BOARD-ON-BOARD SHADOWBOX SPACED FRENCH GOTHIC PRESSURE TREATED SPLIT RAIL FENCING 2-HOLE 3-HOLE LINE CORNER END PRESSURE TREATED CORRAL BOARD ROUND STOCK FENCING POLE BARN PILING DIMENSIONAL LUMBER PRESSURE TREATED BOARDS KDAT SQUARE-EDGE RADIUS-MILLED EDGE PRESSURE TREATED TIMBERS ROUGH OR DRESSED SIDING LOG CABIN T1-11 RB&B PATTERN STOCK SPECIALTY POSTS PRESSURE TREATED MAILBOX POSTS STANDARD FRENCH GOTHIC DOUBLE V-GROOVE FANCY OCTAGON SLANT TOP PRESSURE TREATED DECK POSTS PRESSURE TREATED PLYWOOD YELLAWOOD COLOR-FULL COLOR INFUSED FACTORY APPLIED WATER REPELLENT YELLAWOOD OUTDOOR FASTENERS STARBORN HIDFAST FASTENMASTER OUTDOOR LIVING TRUCK FLEET SALES SUPPORT MARKETING TRAINING DIFM DIY REPUTATION ACCESSORIES OSRS #1 PRIME #2 PRIME DSS C&BTR 5/4 STANDARD 5/4 PREMIUM AZEK TIMBERTECH JAMES HARDIE AERATIS TANDO EDGEFAST COPPER CARE TENINO SPACEMAKER DEXERDRY FIBERON PRESSURE TREATED DECKING: KILN DRIED AFTER TREATMENT MASTERDECK RAINWOOD YELLAWOOD SELECT KDAT YELLAWOOD SUPERSELECT GLULAM PORCH COLUMNS YELLAWOOD ARCHITECTURAL TRIM KDAT TONGUE AND GROOVE PORCH FLOORING PRESSURE TREATED HANDRAILS PRESSURE TREATED SPINDLES PRESSURE TREATED BALUSTERS SQUARE 2 ENDS BEVEL 1 END SCALLOPED 2 ENDS PRESSURE TREATED STEP STRINGERS PRESSURE TREATED STEP TREADS WITH V-CHANNELS AND BULLNOSE EDGE PRESSURE TREATED WOOD LATTICE: SQUARE DIAMOND PRIVACY LATTICE STRIPS POST CAPS: BALL ACORN SMALL BALL FRENCH GOTHIC PINEAPPLE OCTAGON CONTEMPORARY PRESSURE TREATED FENCE PANELS: DOG EAR STOCKADE BOARD-ON-BOARD SHADOWBOX MINI STOCKADE FENCH GOTHIC ARCH TOP FENCING HALF MOON SCALLOP TOP PRESSURE TREATED FENCE PICKETS PRESSURE TREATED GATES DOG EAR STOCKADE BOARD-ON-BOARD SHADOWBOX SPACED FRENCH GOTHIC PRESSURE TREATED SPLIT RAIL FENCING 2-HOLE 3-HOLE LINE CORNER END PRESSURE TREATED CORRAL BOARD ROUND STOCK FENCING POLE BARN PILING DIMENSIONAL LUMBER PRESSURE TREATED BOARDS KDAT SQUARE-EDGE RADIUS-MILLED EDGE PRESSURE TREATED TIMBERS ROUGH OR DRESSED SIDING LOG CABIN T1-11 RB&B PATTERN STOCK SPECIALTY POSTS PRESSURE TREATED MAILBOX POSTS STANDARD FRENCH GOTHIC DOUBLE V-GROOVE FANCY OCTAGON SLANT TOP PRESSURE TREATED DECK POSTS PRESSURE TREATED PLYWOOD YELLAWOOD COLOR-FULL COLOR INFUSED FACTORY APPLIED WATER REPELLENT YELLAWOOD OUTDOOR FASTENERS STARBORN HIDFAST FASTENMASTER OUTDOOR LIVING TRUCK FLEET SALES SUPPORT MARKETING TRAINING DIFM DIY REPUTATION ACCESSORIES OSRS #1 PRIME #2 PRIME DSS C&BTR 5/4 STANDARD 5/4 PREMIUM AZEK TIMBERTECH JAMES HARDIE AERATIS TANDO EDGEFAST COPPER CARE TENINO SPACEMAKER DEXERDRY FIBERON PRESSURE TREATED DECKING: KILN DRIED AFTER TREATMENT MASTERDECK RAINWOOD YELLAWOOD SELECT KDAT YELLAWOOD SUPERSELECT GLULAM PORCH COLUMNS YELLAWOOD ARCHITECTURAL TRIM KDAT TONGUE AND GROOVE PORCH FLOORING PRESSURE TREATED HANDRAILS PRESSURE TREATED SPINDLES PRESSURE TREATED BALUSTERS SQUARE 2 ENDS BEVEL 1 END SCALLOPED 2 ENDS PRESSURE TREATED STEP STRINGERS PRESSURE TREATED STEP TREADS WITH V-CHANNELS AND BULLNOSE EDGE PRESSURE TREATED WOOD LATTICE: SQUARE DIAMOND PRIVACY LATTICE STRIPS POST CAPS: BALL ACORN SMALL BALL FRENCH GOTHIC PINEAPPLE OCTAGON CONTEMPORARY PRESSURE TREATED FENCE PANELS: DOG EAR STOCKADE BOARD-ONBOARD SHADOWBOX MINI STOCKADE FENCH GOTHIC ARCH TOP FENCING HALF MOON SCALLOP TOP PRESSURE TREATED FENCE PICKETS PRESSURE TREATED GATES DOG EAR STOCKADE BOARD-ON-BOARD SHADOWBOX SPACED FRENCH GOTHIC PRESSURE TREATED SPLIT RAIL FENCING 2-HOLE 3-HOLE LINE CORNER END PRESSURE TREATED CORRAL BOARD ROUND STOCK FENCING POLE BARN PILING DIMENSIONAL LUMBER PRESSURE TREATED BOARDS KDAT SQUARE-EDGE RADIUS-MILLED EDGE PRESSURE TREATED TIMBERS ROUGH OR DRESSED SIDING LOG CABIN T1-11 RB&B PATTERN STOCK SPECIALTY POSTS PRESSURE TREATED MAILBOX POSTS STANDARD FRENCH GOTHIC DOUBLE V-GROOVE FANCY OCTAGON SLANT TOP PRESSURE TREATED DECK POSTS PRESSURE TREATED PLYWOOD YELLAWOOD COLOR-FULL COLOR INFUSED FACTORY APPLIED WATER REPELLENT YELLAWOOD OUTDOOR FASTENERS STARBORN HIDFAST FASTENMASTER OUTDOOR LIVING TRUCK FLEET SALES SUPPORT MARKETING TRAINING DIFM DIY REPUTATION ACCESSORIES OSRS #1 PRIME #2 PRIME DSS C&BTR 5/4 STANDARD 5/4 PREMIUM AZEK TIMBERTECH JAMES HARDIE AERATIS TANDO EDGEFAST COPPER CARE TENINO SPACEMAKER DEXERDRY FIBERON PRESSURE TREATED DECKING: KILN DRIED AFTER TREATMENT MASTERDECK RAINWOOD YELLAWOOD SELECT KDAT YELLAWOOD SUPERSELECT GLULAM PORCH COLUMNS YELLAWOOD ARCHITECTURAL TRIM KDAT TONGUE AND GROOVE PORCH FLOORING PRESSURE TREATED HANDRAILS PRESSURE TREATED SPINDLES PRESSURE TREATED BALUSTERS SQUARE 2 ENDS BEVEL 1 END SCALLOPED 2 ENDS PRESSURE TREATED STEP STRINGERS PRESSURE TREATED STEP TREADS WITH V-CHANNELS AND BULLNOSE EDGE PRESSURE TREATED WOOD LATTICE: SQUARE DIAMOND PRIVACY LATTICE STRIPS POST CAPS: BALL ACORN SMALL BALL FRENCH GOTHIC PINEAPPLE OCTAGON CONTEMPORARY PRESSURE TREATED FENCE PANELS: DOG EAR STOCKADE BOARD-ON-BOARD SHADOWBOX MINI STOCKADE FENCH GOTHIC ARCH TOP FENCING HALF MOON SCALLOP TOP PRESSURE TREATED FENCE PICKETS PRESSURE TREATED GATES DOG EAR STOCKADE BOARD-ON-BOARD SHADOWBOX SPACED FRENCH GOTHIC PRESSURE TREATED SPLIT RAIL FENCING 2-HOLE 3-HOLE LINE CORNER END PRESSURE TREATED CORRAL BOARD ROUND STOCK FENCING POLE BARN PILING DIMENSIONAL LUMBER PRESSURE TREATED BOARDS KDAT SQUARE-EDGE RADIUS-MILLED EDGE PRESSURE TREATED TIMBERS ROUGH OR DRESSED SIDING LOG CABIN T1-11 RB&B PATTERN STOCK SPECIALTY POSTS PRESSURE TREATED MAILBOX POSTS STANDARD FRENCH GOTHIC DOUBLE V-GROOVE FANCY OCTAGON SLANT TOP PRESSURE TREATED DECK POSTS PRESSURE TREATED PLYWOOD YELLAWOOD COLOR-FULL COLOR INFUSED FACTORY APPLIED WATER REPELLENT YELLAWOOD OUTDOOR FASTENERS STARBORN HIDFAST FASTENMASTER OUTDOOR LIVING TRUCK FLEET SALES SUPPORT MARKETING TRAINING DIFM DIY REPUTATION ACCESSORIES OSRS #1 PRIME #2 PRIME DSS C&BTR 5/4 STANDARD 5/4 PREMIUM AZEK TIMBERTECH JAMES HARDIE AERATIS TANDO EDGEFAST COPPER CARE TENINO SPACEMAKER DEXERDRY FIBERON PRESSURE TREATED DECKING: KILN DRIED AFTER TREATMENT MASTERDECK RAINWOOD YELLAWOOD SELECT KDAT YELLAWOOD SUPERSELECT GLULAM PORCH COLUMNS YELLAWOOD ARCHITECTURAL TRIM KDAT TONGUE AND GROOVE PORCH FLOORING PRESSURE TREATED HANDRAILS PRESSURE TREATED SPINDLES PRESSURE TREATED BALUSTERS SQUARE 2 ENDS BEVEL 1 END SCALLOPED 2 ENDS PRESSURE TREATED STEP STRINGERS PRESSURE TREATED STEP TREADS WITH V-CHANNELS AND BULLNOSE EDGE PRESSURE TREATED WOOD LATTICE: SQUARE DIAMOND PRIVACY LATTICE STRIPS POST CAPS: BALL ACORN SMALL BALL FRENCH GOTHIC PINEAPPLE OCTAGON CONTEMPORARY PRESSURE TREATED FENCE PANELS: DOG EAR STOCKADE BOARD-ON-BOARD SHADOWBOX MINI STOCKADE FENCH GOTHIC ARCH TOP FENCING HALF MOON SCALLOP TOP PRESSURE TREATED FENCE PICKETS PRESSURE TREATED GATES DOG EAR STOCKADE BOARD-ON-BOARD SHADOWBOX SPACED FRENCH GOTHIC PRESSURE TREATED SPLIT RAIL FENCING 2-HOLE 3-HOLE LINE CORNER END PRESSURE TREATED CORRAL BOARD ROUND STOCK FENCING POLE BARN PILING DIMENSIONAL LUMBER PRESSURE TREATED BOARDS KDAT SQUARE-EDGE RADIUS-MILLED EDGE PRESSURE TREATED TIMBERS ROUGH OR DRESSED SIDING LOG CABIN T1-11 RB&B PATTERN STOCK SPECIALTY POSTS PRESSURE TREATED MAILBOX POSTS STANDARD FRENCH GOTHIC DOUBLE V-GROOVE FANCY OCTAGON SLANT TOP PRESSURE TREATED DECK POSTS PRESSURE TREATED PLYWOOD YELLAWOOD COLOR-FULL COLOR INFUSED FACTORY APPLIED WATER REPELLENT YELLAWOOD OUTDOOR FASTENERS STARBORN HIDFAST FASTENMASTER OUTDOOR LIVING TRUCK FLEET SALES SUPPORT MARKETING TRAINING DIFM DIY REPUTATION ACCESSORIES OSRS #1 PRIME #2 PRIME DSS C&BTR 5/4 STANDARD 5/4 PREMIUM AZEK TIMBERTECH JAMES HARDIE AERATIS TANDO EDGEFAST COPPER CARE TENINO SPACEMAKER DEXERDRY FIBERON PRESSURE TREATED DECKING: KILN DRIED AFTER TREATMENT MASTERDECK RAINWOOD YELLAWOOD SELECT KDAT YELLAWOOD SUPERSELECT GLULAM PORCH COLUMNS YELLAWOOD ARCHITECTURAL TRIM KDAT TONGUE AND GROOVE PORCH FLOORING PRESSURE TREATED HANDRAILS PRESSURE TREATED SPINDLES PRESSURE TREATED BALUSTERS SQUARE 2 ENDS BEVEL 1 END SCALLOPED 2 ENDS PRESSURE TREATED STEP STRINGERS PRESSURE TREATED STEP TREADS WITH V-CHANNELS AND BULLNOSE EDGE PRESSURE TREATED WOOD LATTICE: SQUARE DIAMOND PRIVACY LATTICE STRIPS POST CAPS: BALL ACORN SMALL BALL FRENCH GOTHIC PINEAPPLE OCTAGON CONTEMPORARY PRESSURE TREATED FENCE PANELS: DOG EAR STOCKADE BOARD-ON-BOARD SHADOWBOX MINI STOCKADE FENCH GOTHIC ARCH TOP FENCING HALF MOON SCALLOP TOP PRESSURE TREATED FENCE PICKETS PRESSURE TREATED GATES DOG EAR STOCKADE BOARD-ON-BOARD SHADOWBOX SPACED FRENCH GOTHIC PRESSURE TREATED SPLIT RAIL FENCING 2-HOLE 3-HOLE LINE CORNER END PRESSURE TREATED CORRAL BOARD ROUND STOCK FENCING POLE BARN PILING DIMENSIONAL LUMBER PRESSURE TREATED
WE HAVE EVERYTHING FOR YOUR ANYTHING. Getting it right has never been easier with the full lineup of high-quality products from Great Southern Wood. And with lots of options, one shipment gets you so much more than YellaWood® brand pressure treated pine. Plus, nobody beats us when it comes to dealer support. Contact your representative to see what the YellaWood® brand can do for your business. Visit YellaWood.com/ForDealers
IF IT DOESN’T HAVE THIS YELLA TAG, YOU DON’T WANT IT.
YellaWood® brand products available in all markets, other product availability varies by region.
YellaWood® brand pressure treated products are treated with preservatives (the “Preservatives”) and preservative methods, and technologies of unrelated third parties. For details regarding the Preservatives, methods, 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.
CONTENTS
September 2018 Volume 37 n Number 9
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Special Issue
Features
Departments
34 NELMA SPOTLIGHT
10 FEATURE STORY
8 ACROSS THE BOARD 22 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE 24 OLSEN ON SALES 26 SELLING WITH KAHLE 28 TRANSFORMING TEAMS 48 MOVERS & SHAKERS 54 NEW PRODUCTS 58 ASSOCIATION UPDATE 60 IN MEMORIAM 60 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 60 TALK BACK 61 ADVERTISERS INDEX 61 DATE BOOK 62 FLASHBACK
WHILE LOOKING BACK ON ITS 85YEAR HISTORY, NORTHEASTERN LUMBER MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION UNVEILS ITS LATEST MARKETING IDEAS.
NEW OSB TECHNOLOGIES OFFER SOLUTIONS TO OLD PROBLEMS
12 INDUSTRY TRENDS
WHAT TO EXPECT IN OSB
14 INDUSTRY TRENDS
THE HIGH COST OF LOW GRADE LUMBER
BPD
SEPTEMBER 2018
Building Products Digest
THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1982
NEW OSB TECHNOLOGIES • MINING SOCIAL MEDIA DATA • NELMA SPECIAL SECTION
16 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW REDWOOD?
18 MARGIN BUILDERS
REDWOOD PERGOLAS BRING LUXURY FINISH TO OUTDOOR PROJECTS
20 MANAGEMENT TIPS PAGE 36 Digest 9-18 Layout.indd 1
8/23/2018 10:00:13 AM
BPD Digitial Edition at www.building-products.com
MINING SOCIAL MEDIA DATA TO BOOST WESTERN RED CEDAR SALES
34 THINKING AHEAD
HOW ONE COMPANY GAMBLED ON ME
The Official Publication of
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September 2018
Building-Products.com
FIRST CHOICE. BEST CHOICE. SM
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Editor Stephanie Ornelas sornelas@building-products.com Contributing Editors Carla Waldemar, James Olsen, Alex Goldfayn, Claudia St. John
Digest 12-17 Layout.qxp_D SigNov03-1-8,41-48 11/16/17 3:28 PM Page 1
Contributors Bob Berlage, Allan Burk, Bobby Byrd, Simon Cameron, Kim Drew, Jessica Hewitt, Bhupinder Jhajj, Paige McAllister, Michelle Overbeck, John Rooks
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Building Products Digest
THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — FOR 35 YEARS
Advertising Sales
(714) 486-2735 Chuck Casey chuck@building-products.com
JANUARY 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
Digest 8-17 Layout.qxp_D SigNov03-1-8,41-48 7/20/17 9:25 AM Page 1
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Eassy on the eyes. Building Easy to o install. Products Digest AUGUST 2017
THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — FOR 35 YEARS
ANNUAL SALES & MARKETING SPECIAL ISSUE
Director of Sales Chuck Casey • chuck@building-products.com Sales & Marketing Coordinator Julie Conlan • jconlan@building-products.com
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DECEMBER 2017
HUFFING AND PUFFING WILL NEVER BLOW OUR HOUSE DOWN ENGINEERED WOOD PRODUCTS g Outdoor Acc ents decorative hardware . Y Yo our customers can easily Introducing nd strength to their outdoor proje ects. The new Simpson Strong--T Tie Outdoor add style an Accents line e of structural connectors featu ures an innovative screw and washer set that combines the ease of installing a screw with the look of a bolt. And, with a black powderr--coa at finish, this hardware offers st yle that’s designed to last. ®
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To lear n mo To ore about Outdoor Accents decorative hardware, visit our web bsite strongtie .c com/outdooraccents or call (800 8 ) 999-5099.
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Patrick Adams padams@building-products.com
©2017 Simpson
Strong-Tie Company Inc. OA16-D
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ACROSS the Board By Patrick Adams
Act like a dog was about 8 years old, growing up in a tough neighborhood. I didn’t have many friends and getting into scuffles was a weekly certainty. Walking to and from school was akin to a tactical exercise of survive, evade, resist and escape. My route to school in the morning took me around our block and by our back fence. It was there I typically ran into my neighborhood’s finest, who one particular morning decided this would not be a good start to my day. After quickly realizing that conversation was not an option, the only other option unfolded in a dirty three-against-one scuffle with kids much older than me. It was not going well and to be honest, most of it is a blur in my memory and hard to distinguish from other days. What I do remember is this morning turning out differently. Unbeknownst to me, our family German shepherd was listening through the fence. She was my pal and honestly, one of the few positive refuges from my childhood. Shortly after the scuffle started, with me very quickly getting outgunned, she literally knocked a section of our 8-ft. back fence down and decided to level the playing field. As I looked up from the ground, the three amigos were looking on in disbelief. In seconds, one was down and two were sprinting away with my dog in chase down the street and around the corner. I got up and tried to chase after her and as I got around the corner, saw her limping back. We walked the rest of the way home, both looking like soldiers returning from war but with a slight smile knowing that our enemies were worst off. What is it about our bond with dogs? Yes, we have family, friends and coworkers. From our earliest years to our senior years, we create bonds with those around us. Due to a variety of factors, some stick around; most do not. In our hearts we want to believe that these relationships are authentic, sincere and will last forever. That people will feel the way about us that we feel about them. We remember our first best friend or our first love because it happened before we became cynics. Before life taught us that sometimes people are cruel. That sometimes, there are conditions or that not everything is a two-way street. But I can make a universally true statement about dogs. They are man’s best friend. Nobody can say they’ve had a dog of any breed where that wasn’t true. No matter their training, their living conditions, or how you treated them, they unconditionally love you and want to make you happy—every day of their lives. They’re up for going for walks with you any time of the day or night, hunting in the worst conditions, hiking through impossible terrain, or
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simply sitting with you during the best and worst times of your life. They never tell your secrets, never judge you, and give you that look that tells you they will happily lay down their life for you should the need arise. I think about that a lot now as a German shepherd joined our family so my kids can have that same experience. But perhaps, it’s more about examples for all of us? Maybe I want them to see what truly unconditional love and devotion looks and feels like. Maybe I need my own good example. Maybe we should all be more like dogs and seek those more like dogs in our friends and staff. A good friend told me a story about when he and his wife were struggling with their marriage, they agreed to live every day by the motto, “Don’t let the dog beat you to it.” It meant basically to be the first to give that smile, that hug or kiss, or to show gratitude simply because that person is important to you—before the dog gets a chance to beat you to it. It’s a wise way to live—like a dog. Loyal, brave, happy with what you have, and showing love unconditionally to those close to you while happily risking your life to protect and serve them. Live like a dog… it kind of makes life a bit easier with that perspective. I know I want to be known as that kind of friend, that husband, that boss. And, even though I know she won’t judge me, I want to try to show I’m worthy of all our “best friend” gives to us. As for “cat people,” all I can say is that I’m very suspicious of you! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful summer full of family, fun and memories that will last a lifetime. As always, I am honored to serve you and this industry!
Patrick S. Adams Publisher/President padams@building-products.com
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September 2018
Building-Products.com
FEATURE Story By Allan Burk, LP Building Products
New OSB technologies offer solutions to old problems f you’re still categorizing OSB as a commodity or treating it as an afterthought, it’s time to rethink your approach. Thanks to advances in manufacturing, OSB has evolved into a category where dealers can sell panels based on builders’ specific needs, from budget to functionality to labor concerns. Options abound, with some premium panels offering performance like never before.
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Addressing Key Challenges Increasingly, OSB isn’t just the home’s structural panels, but a key component to building systems that address more codes or challenges that impact the roof, the walls, and the floors. For example, top of mind with many builders are increasingly stringent energy codes, particularly in California where all new homes must be built net-zero by 2020. Radiant bar-
rier sheathing offers always an exceptional value while blocking up to 97% of radiant heat in the panel from emitting into the home’s attic. Similarly, on the walls, OSB panels with specialty fire coatings are helping builders more easily address both new and old requirements. Panels with a specialty treatment may offer the same structural design values, allowing them to be used for exterior and interior load-bearing wall assemblies, such as party walls, while eliminating extra layers of gypsum, thereby saving material and labor costs.
Higher Quality Underfoot
FIRE-RATED OSB sheathing like LP FlameBlock meets code and provides strength and design flexibility. It can help build fire-rated wall assemblies faster—and at a lower cost—than many common alternatives. (Photos by LP)
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Those same advances are happening at the sub-floor. Dealers now have a range of performance values to offer builders, from commodity panels to several premium options, creating a good-better-best scenario that allows them to match their sub-floor to each project’s individual expectations and budget. High-performance sub-flooring typically offers improved moisture resistance, increased density, and better fastener holding. These attributes can reduce or eliminate the potential for nail pops and movement that can lead to squeaks or cracks in the finished floor above. This evolution to high-performance sub-flooring is particularly crucial today as consumers increasingly Building-Products.com
OSB Producers 2018 North American production of oriented strand board— and prices—continue rising, despite mills already operating at or near full capacity. The difference is that industry capacity has increased over the last 12 months, thanks to new plants coming on line and mothballed facilities returning to service.
LP LEGACY premium sub-flooring is one example of the advancing technology and increasing options for OSB. The panels offer superior moisture resistance, have a “Covered Until It’s Covered” no-sand warranty, and have a high density ideal for installation under hardwood floors and tile.
desire nicer finishes such as hardwood flooring. Many Baby Boomers, for example, are downsizing their homes but still want to splurge on custom finishes that they expect to perform for the long haul. For builders, that should mean paying attention to what’s underneath as much as what’s on top. Those same properties also are helping with labor woes, which the NAHB recently identified as one of builders’ top two challenges this year. Premium OSB sub-flooring typically does not need edge sanding, reducing installation time, and higher performance reduces the likelihood of dreaded callbacks. On the walls, longer-length panels of 9 and 10 ft. equate to fewer joints and may reduce hardware like hurricane clips and straps, shortening installation time while resulting in an overall stronger house.
Selling the Value The focus on performance is only set to continue, as manufacturers are upping the ante on features and benefits that address the challenges both existing and upcoming. For instance, as housing density near metro areas increases, expect solutions that address noise transmission and more options for addressing fire codes. For dealers, these evolving attributes emphasize why helping builders navigate options—and understand the broader picture—is so important. Like many product categories, education can help buyers determine which products will fit their budget and offer the performance they expect. It also can demonstrate how investments in pricier panels can ultimately net savings in the form of reduced installation time and fewer hassles down the road. Savvy dealers should get to know each project’s specific requirements and help customers select products that will ensure performance, steering them away from considerations solely based on price or tradition. And check with your OSB manufacturer for product knowledge sessions, for both staff and customers, to raise awareness of these growing options as well as ensure they’re specifying panels that meet—and exceed—expectations. - A licensed civil engineer specializing in wood engineering, Allan Burk is the supply chain planning manager for LP Building Products’ OSB and EWP business. He has worked in R&D, manufacturing and sales throughout his career in the wood industry. Building-Products.com
Norbord, Toronto, Ont., in the latest quarter increased North American OSB shipments by 9% year-over-year and 10% quarter-over-quarter due to seasonally higher productivity and uptime, as well as additional production from its mill in Huguley, Al., which restarted in late 2017. Overall, its 13 active North American OSB mills are running at 98% of capacity, with Huguley remaining in ramp-up mode. Norbord is currently rebuilding its shuttered facility in Chambord, Quebec, for an eventual restart; expanding capacity in Grande Prairie, Alberta, by 100 million sq. ft. annually; and planning a rebuild and automation of the wood handling section of its Huguley mill, which could add another 100+ million sq. ft. of capacity. Louisiana-Pacific, Nashville, Tn., saw OSB sales rise 18% during the first six months of 2018, with profits jumping over 50%. Its 12 OSB plants in the U.S. and Canada (10 operating) can produce up to 5 billion sq. ft. a year. Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta, Ga., can produce up to 3.7 billion sq. ft. of OSB at its six active plants. Weyerhaeuser, Seattle, Wa., increased sales by 19% in the latest quarter at its six North American OSB mills, while average sales prices rose by 24%. Last year, the plants exceeded their combined listed capacity of 3 billion sq. ft. of OSB by 1%. Huber Engineered Wood, Charlotte, N.C., is now producing OSB products at five facilities, following the springtime restart of its Spring City, Tn., which had been shuttered since 2011. Tolko, Vernon B.C., this past spring restarted its long-dormant OSB mill in High Prairie, Alb., complementing facilities in Meadow Lake, Sask., and Slave Lake, Alb. RoyOMartin, Alexandria, La., this spring brought on line a new OSB plant in Corrigan, Tx., targeting 750 million sq. ft. of production per year and joining plants in Oakdale and Chopin, La. Arbec Forest Products, St. Leonard, P.Q., has about 700 million sq. ft. of OSB capacity at its mills in SaintGeorges-de-Champlain, P.Q., and Miramichi, N.B. The latter is currently undergoing a $10-million upgrade. Langboard can produce up to 440 million sq. ft. of OSB per year at its Quitman, Ga., mill. Forex Amos began production of OSB this spring at its Amos, P.Q., headquarters.
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INDUSTRY Trends By Bobby Byrd, RoyOMartin
What to expect in OSB emand for u.s. housing is trending steadily upward. One reason for this is shifting demographics. Certain key markets are experiencing a significant influx of new residents, creating immediate demand for housing and opportunities for OSB manufacturers to finetune their product mix and market positioning. Additionally, recent numbers show that the average size of a U.S. single-family home is up slightly, and wall heights greater than 8 ft. are becoming more common, furthering the demand for wood products like OSB. There is definitely more demand for OSB products. Although RoyOMartin does not currently produce OSB flooring, our customers often ask for it. More raised floors are being specified by building codes in traditional flood-plain areas, as well as in new flood-prone areas, such as Houston. Structural panels are an efficient building product for raisedfloor applications. As consumers become more energy conscious, more builders are
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opting for radiant barrier laminated to OSB for roof decks. The U.S. Department of Energy and Oakridge National Laboratories have a radiant-barrier calculator that allows consumers and builders in all climate zones the ability to better understand the return on investment of a deckapplied radiant barrier. Calculating the efficiency of a radiant barrier can be complicated; however, with this tool, users can easily answer four questions online and receive their expected ROI. It’s important to note that OSB is not just for the traditional housing market. We are seeing increased demand for OSB in recreational vehicles, manufactured housing, furniture, and transportation-related projects. OSB has the unique ability to be produced in a variety of densities, thicknesses, and dimensions. Furthermore, OSB can be precision trimmed at the manufacturing plant, allowing the sidewall panels to be installed by attaching the bottom plate all the way to the top of the top plate. This eliminates the need for further strapping and offers an ideal structural
DALLAS HOME features RoyOMartin’s newest OSB product, Eclipse Weather Resistant Barrier. (Photos by RoyOMartin)
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OSB PRODUCTS in RoyOMartin’s warehouse in Oakdale, La.
solution for wind-prone areas—like the Gulf Coast—that experience seasonal hurricanes. We’re seeing a few positive indicators: (1) an increase in North American OSB capacity appears imminent, (2) new OSB operations are starting up, and (3) the growth of those operations are spread out over time, as operations begin to stabilize and efficiencies are gained. Each month, we should see improvements at those facilities, and I would agree that over the next five years, we should see a 5-6% increase in capacity. I also think this additional capacity will be disbursed into several market regions—including globally—and that product diversity will increase. As stated earlier, OSB is being discovered as a viable alternative in a variety of industries outside of traditional housing. – Bobby Byrd is director of OSB sales & marketing for RoyOMartin. For more information visit www.royomartin.com. Building-Products.com
INDUSTRY Trends By David Koenig
The high cost of low grade lumber he grades may be considered low, but the demand for it—and consequently the prices for it—are anything but. Pallets, crates and many other industrial applications rely on lowgrade lumber, but at a time of a strong economy and rising orders, material supply appears to be shrinking. One buyer reported that in late spring he visited a massive sawmill in Georgia. The facility was running at maximum capacity, while telling all callers they’d love to sell them lumber, but didn’t have a stick to spare. “The current situation boils down to supply and demand,” explained Annie Montey, a partner at American Pallet, Inc., Oakdale, Ca. “For much
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of 2018, the demand for low grade has exceeded the available supply, causing prices to surge to record levels. Several pallet and crating companies in California that use low grade lumber have had record-setting years and with a strong economy throughout the United States, demand for low grade lumber used for wood packaging has been strong. This has led to supply and demand imbalances that have helped propel prices to record levels.” The supply equation is also constricted by optimization improvements, new technology, and retrofit strategies that have some mills now categorizing less than 5% of their production as low grade.
LOW GRADE lumber for pallets, cratings and other industrial and agricultural uses has increased in price far more quickly than higher grades. (Photo by Custom Forest Products, Spartanburg, S.C.)
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Over the past two-and-a-half years, the lumber composite price has risen about 150%, while the low grade index is up approximately 180%. According to Bob Crews, a broker with Western Lumber Co., Medford, Or., “Years ago we had mostly cutting mills going after more old growth trees, which developed a much higher percentage of Economy and #3 than we do now. Most of our current production is second and third growth trees, which yields 2x4 and 2x6, 4x4 and 4x6, with a much smaller percentage of low grade with the D grade factor being mostly wane. “With all of the modern technology we have now, put together with all the managers’ dreams of more Clears and no Economy coupled up with a larger market for low grade, we have the perfect storm.” In addition, tariffs on Canadian imports have similarly reduced the available supply of low grade lumber and pallet stock in the States, said Mark Berger, lumber buyer for American Pallet. “Couple strong demand with a 20-plus% tariff on your largest source of imported lumber and you’ve got the makings of a supply crunch, which would logically lead to an increase in prices for those products.” A.J. Cheponis, director of sales and marketing for Pallet Consultants Corp., Pompano Beach, Fl., said if you dig deeper, there are many more Building-Products.com
factors contributing to the industrial lumber crisis. They include:
this industry and as such, pipeline builders are willing to pay a premium for these materials.
• There’s less U.S.-based furniture manufacturing today than a decade or two ago. This decreases industrial lumber availability, as industrial lumber is a byproduct of high-grade furniture lumber.
• Rising costs of other raw materials, such as pallet nails, and of shipping, due to higher fuel prices and a shortage of available drivers.
• China is now importing whole logs from the U.S. instead of select premium boards. • More competition for the raw material due to increased home construction. • The industrial workforce has decreased. In spite of automation and technology, not many people are telling their kids to become a logger. • Increased gas and oil pipeline construction in the U.S. has consumed much of the industrial timber. These large timbers, which were normally used for pallet and crate manufacture, are used for temporary roads for cranes and heavy equipment. These timbers are a critical component to
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• More frequent forest fires and rainy seasons are leaving us with less lumber to harvest. Solutions are not easy to come by. “Back when the market crashed in 2007-2008, a lot of lumber mills shuttered up. No one was buying lumber for about four years,” Cheponis said. “A lot of those old mills were center points for a town. They built towns around those mills. I don’t think you can go in and start them back up. It’s not easily done, and building a new one can be hundreds of millions of dollars.” Cheponis said many pallet users are turning from new to used stock, stressing the pool of recycled pallets. “The long-term effects of this will be felt in the forthcoming months and years as the replenishment of new pallets into the recycled pool are dwindling,” he said.
After more than two years of increases, low grade lumber prices have actually cooled in recent weeks, at least for softwoods (hardwood prices have held). Supply remains tight. “Right now,” noted Western Lumber’s Crews, “we have the on-grade market falling off, so time will tell if it falls enough for the low grade users to go after the better yielding on grade wood, which will put the low grade in a tail spin. Quite a dilemma!” American Pallet’s Berger agreed that, after peaking, prices have begun trending toward more reasonable levels. “How far this downturn will go is anyone’s guess,” he said. “In my opinion we will see overall higher price levels in the future, especially if tariffs and strong demand continue. Prices will go up and down, they always do, but I believe that overall, with these factors in place we will see elevated pricing as compared to the recent past. “Sawmills must reduce output to bring lumber supplies back into equilibrium with demand. If you over-produce a market, you’ll drive the price into the ground. Supply and demand must find a balance or you will have price distortions in the market.”
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PRODUCT Spotlight By Bob Berlage and Michelle Overbeck, Big Creek Lumber Co.
How well do you know your redwood? ike many things, the usage of redwood has evolved: In the 1800s to early 1900s redwood was used to create split products. Split pickets, posts, railroad ties, grape stakes, shakes and shingles were used as building materials. Years later, sawn redwood lumber was used primarily for home construction including framing, siding and framing timbers. These days the primary use of redwood is for decking, fencing, outdoor structures, and for fine interior architectural uses. Here are other tid-bits you should know about redwood, its properties, and its history: Redwood was used to make water pipes: In the 1800s redwood was a great choice for making water pipes, flumes and tanks. A benefit of redwood was that the heartwood did not add any flavor to the water as it passed through. Pieces of redwood were placed together and banded; when the wood would get wet, the wood would expand and be a leak proof pipe solution. Redwood is resistant: The heartwood of this species naturally has significant amounts of tannins which make the lumber highly resistant to fungus and insect intrusion. It also has very little resins and oils which makes it fire resistant. If redwood does burn, it burns much slower than other types of wood. Redwood is resistant to rotting and was a common coffin material for many years: When the body of Junipero Serra was exhumed a century after being buried at the Carmel Mission for identification, the redwood coffin was found perfectly intact. Although not as popular, redwood coffins are still available. Redwood can be sustainably harvested for centuries: Coast redwood regenerates naturally by sprouting from the
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stump after a tree is cut. It is also one of the fastest growing conifer trees. If managed properly it can be harvested sustainably for centuries. Redwood lumber is completely renewable and one of the most sustainable building materials available today. California’s redwood forestlands consistently grow more forest mass annually than what is removed by harvesting. Redwood is climate friendly: A U.S. Department of Agriculture study determined that: “Using wood in building products yielded fewer greenhouse gases than other common building materials, such as concrete and steel.” According to the report, which analyzed dozens of peerreviewed scientific studies, 2.1 tons of greenhouse gases were saved for each ton of carbon in wood products versus non-wood materials.” A peer reviewed study found that redwood lumber was especially effective for minimizing the carbon footprint of construction projects. Redwood has been used worldwide: While redwood has been used almost exclusively in California, it has been recognized and utilized worldwide as a premier product. Its natural beauty and durability make it an easy choice. The first surfboards were made out of redwood: In 1885 Hawaiian princes brought surfing from Hawaii to California when they surfed redwood O’lo boards in Santa Cruz, Ca. The nephews of King David Kalakaua made the 17-ft. surfboards themselves. Their surfing caught on and became so popular it changed the course of California history. - Bob Berlage is director of communications and Michelle Overbeck marketing manager for Big Creek Lumber, Davenport, Ca. (www.bigcreeklumber.com). Building-Products.com
MARGIN Builders By Jessica Hewitt, Humboldt Redwood Co.
Redwood pergolas bring luxury finish to outdoor living spaces uilding custom homes for more than 24 years, Palomar Builders prides itself on building each project with the care and quality homeowners expect, with the value and affordability they prize. For its newest community, Salt Creek Heights, in Redding, Ca., Palomar wanted to set the standard with the development’s first home and decided that a pergola would connect with the natural surroundings as well as beckon people from indoors to enjoy the outdoor space. The best material for the project, he discovered, was redwood. “We use only high-grade construction materials, and when it comes down to premium exterior living space,
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there is nothing better than redwood,” said Palomar co-owner Jeb Allen. The backyard of this first home features a custom-designed pool. As Allen considered the options for defining the space around the pool, he knew the pergola would help draw attention to the space. Some other builders, though, would use materials like composite or aluminum. “The real redwood brings the texture, a different feeling, a richer sense,” Allen explained. “It’s more inviting if you’re standing inside the house and look out the window to see this redwood pergola, and further in the background see some of the gorgeous natural surroundings that just perfectly frame the scene.” Allen reached out to Meek’s
CUSTOM BUILDER opted for redwood to craft an eye-catching pergola for the first home at its new development in Redding, Ca. (Photo courtesy Humboldt Redwood Co.)
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Lumber & Hardware, Redding, to find the redwood for the project. Humboldt Redwood was chosen for its aesthetic appeal, as well as the ease with which it supported the custom, sophisticated design. Redwood also underscored some of the sustainable features promoted within this community. With solar panel hookups, tiled roofs, and quartz countertops, the homes already feature products that support sustainable living. Modern forestry practices, including those of Humboldt Redwood, mean that more redwood trees are grown each year than are harvested and additional protections are put in place around old growth stands, flora and fauna, and water courses, to name a few. Redwood is naturally strong and durable, making it the ideal building material for weekend DIYers and career pros like Palomar Builders. The first pergola was so well received by the homeowners, Allen ordered another eight pergola kits and is offering them as a design option when customers visit the Palomar design studio to create their dream homes. “Based on our experiences so far, we can see that more of our customers will appreciate the durability, beauty, and sustainability of redwood timbers used in these pergolas,” Allen explained. - Jessica Hewitt is director of marketing for the Mendocino Family of Companies (Mendocino Forest Products, Mendocino Redwood Co., Humboldt Redwood Co., and Allweather Wood). For more information, visit www.mendoco.com. Building-Products.com
IT ALL STARTS
HERE. NEVER SETTLE. You stock your shelves with the best treated lumber. And your customers depend on you for it. We get it. That’s why our lumber is meticulously treated to standard and inspected by a third party. Call us Type A. But that’s why you can be confident—even with your toughest customers. IT ALL STARTS HERE.
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DECKING | FENCING | RAILING | TIMBERS
MANAGEMENT Tips By Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
Mining social media data to grow WRC sales ining and analyzing data from social media platforms has received a lot of press as of late, and not all of it good. The Facebook – Cambridge Analytica scandal, the Google student data heist, and an alleged election hacking have all illustrated the invasive side of accessing online personal information. However, there are also many non-nefarious, and legal, uses of data gathering and analytics. In particular, data use employed by advertisers and marketers to better target potential customers and increase sales. This is the case in the western red cedar business. The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association represents a significant portion of North America’s WRC manufacturers, distributors and retailers, and supports their members’ business through programs including advocacy, education,
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REAL CEDAR Facebook post targeting DIYers around Father’s Day. (All photos by WRCLA)
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ADS LIKE this were posted on Instagram, monitored for results, and adjusted to optimize results.
and advertising and marketing; of which social media has been playing an increasingly bigger role. Following a downtrend in Real Cedar (the WRCLA’s brand) traffic and Google keyword rankings, the WRCLA’s agency, Bare Advertising and Communications, created a comprehensive audit of their audience for Real Cedar products; what they were looking for, and what would engage them. This became a priority project for the WRCLA as customer retention and revenue in the WRC business were being affected by growing competitive threats from composite materials, and, perhaps more significantly, new softwood lumber duties. The first thing the audit revealed was that while a robust online presence was still key, potential WRC customers were spending less time using search engines like Google, and more time on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to seek information. Much of the reason for this is information on Google can quickly become outdated and thus receive a lower ranking, meaning someone would be less likely to find it in a search. People also generally have more confidence in information and recommendations from peers on social media, and are therefore spending more time on these platforms. Building-Products.com
The key difference in the consumer data that marketers can access from Google and, in particular, Facebook, is the depth and accuracy of personal information. Based on the type of website somebody visits, Google will predict what that person’s age, sex, location and, to a lesser degree, hobbies or interests are. But Facebook has all that plus where you like to go on vacation, how many kids you have, the renovation you did to your house, and everything else based on what you’ve posted. It is this type of information that allows marketers to target potential customers with impressively accurate and relevant ads and posts. To stimulate awareness—and ultimately sales—of Real Cedar, the WRCLA engaged in an analytical breakdown of both the type of content that was generating results, and a holistic analysis of who was engaging with WRC content online. This included looking at specific topics such as who was interested in garden-related topics like how to build a cedar planter box, versus videos on designing and constructing a western red cedar timber frame carport, for example. Facebook and Instagram data was also mined to understand who the base audience on social media was; it was with this information that Real Cedar ads were then tailored to each social media platform with content aimed at audience interests. Each ad also had a specific call to action, either directing traffic to realcedar.com, or liking a specific comment or post. Once the ads were launched, all activity was then monitored to determine which ads were generating the
SHORT VIDEOS were posted on Facebook promoting free downloadable project plans like this WRC tiki bar.
highest results and why, and the tactics were then refined to optimize results. If, for example, an ad promoting downloadable plans for a WRC bench was generating a high percentage of female consumers, ad spending on a male audience would be reallocated to maximize success among women. A tactic known as remarketing was also employed and proved to be very effective at generating awareness and interest in western red cedar products and creating follow-up actions. Remarketing allows a marketer to connect with visitors to their website who may not have made an immediate purchase or enquiry. In the case of the WRCLA, this would be used if a potential customer was interested
in decking, for example, but hadn’t looked for a Real Cedar retailer yet (the assumption being they were still comparing products). It allowed the WRCLA to position targeted Real Cedar ads in front of this defined audience as they browsed elsewhere around the internet. And the results? Web traffic from social media to realcedar.com alone grew by 379% over the same period last year; total visits to the site (from all sources) increased by 23%; Real Cedar followers on Facebook doubled; and followers on Instagram almost tripled. It should be noted that these are all users seeking more information on WRC. All of which illustrates the growing role analytical tools and targeted marketing now play in keeping softwoods like western red cedar in front of customers, particularly in a market crowded with composite competitors. Moving forward, the WRCLA plans to continue monitoring and analyzing who their base audience is, and where to reach them. The use of social media to promote Real Cedar has proven to be ideal, not only in engaging consumers already familiar with the product, but to also expose new customers to the value and benefits of using WRC. Being able to predict what products customers will most likely be interested in by region is also a boon for distributors and retailers, who are able to coordinate efforts with the association to meet demand. – Established in 1954, the WRCLA is the voice of the cedar industry and has members in over 131 locations throughout North America.
Our patented DeckLok® System provides Code Compliant bolted connections at all critical structural locations of your deck. Available in post-manufactured, hot-dip galvanized and 316 stainless steel, DeckLok helps you exceed IRC and IBC 2006, 2009 and 2012 code requirements.
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Ledger Connections: Anchors against deck pullout and collapse, 4,000 lbs. per set.
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Rail Post Connections: Increases connections over 500%.
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Stair Stringer Connections: Provides bolted connection for Stair Stringer to deck substructure.
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COMPETITIVE Intelligence By Carla Waldemar
Build-Rite lives up to its name
DESPITE ITS isolated location, the staff of Wyoming’s Build-Rite Do it Center tries to be forward thinking and mindful of competition outside of the city limits.
hen you think of Wyoming, you think of wide, open spaces—no acres of tract developments, no skyscrapers slicing the pristine skyline—and you’d be right. Rawlins, Wy., where Build-Rite Do it Center stands, is “110 miles from any big city—Laramie, Rock Springs, Casper”—says Matt Arnold, the third-generation (by marriage) owner, who wedded his college sweetheart, who happened to be the boss’s daughter. Six kids later, he’s in the boss’s chair himself, returning after his father-in-law retired three years ago. The outfit he took over had been launched back in the Fifties by the owner of a construction company. He kept encountering difficulties getting the materials he needed, so he launched his own little yard. Since then, it’s changed locations three times, most recently in the Eighties to a 3.5acre spot housing 10,000 sq. ft. of retail space. That’s right-sized to serve this community of 10,000, where Build-Rite is the only act in town, if you don’t count the Farm & Ranch and hardware stores. Its customers
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range from rural ranch and farm owners to an industrial refinery, with its repeated servicing needs, to the local contractor crowd plus the town’s walk-ins. Rawlins’ biggest employers are the state penitentiary located here and Sinclair Wyoming Refinery Co., one of the biggest in the Rocky Mountain region. The railroad, too, Matt adds. New housing? “Rawlins is kind of land-locked, so it can’t expand. So we do home remodeling, additions, barns. A new high school project. Things like that.” Matt welcomes the diversity. He’s here to help with it all. He’d done some construction work, so he knows those ropes. Back when he first started at the yard, he loaded trucks and hauled materials, then moved inside to serve as a salesperson. He took a break and left to start his own construction company. “I built homes for 10 years, so I’ve gained a lot of hands-on experience I can pass on to others.” By the time he and his wife returned on the eve of her father’s retirement, no sooner did he get settled in the boss’s office than the economy crashed. “Everything died,” he recalls. “The energy sector that’s prominent here took a big dive. Lots of people in town got laid off. (In fact, BP just last week laid off another 30.) So I scaled back on the number of employees, from 35 to our present 22, and cut back on a couple of niches. We’d housed a Radio Shack and taken on some clothing lines, but we went back to our roots as a lumberyard. “Our managers had been in place forever—our yard foreman, our inside floor gal—so even though we were short-handed, we carried on. Our goal remains to take pride in opportunities to help everybody with their projects; to provide knowledge so those projects come out right,” Matt declares. Despite being 110 miles from anywhere—yes, there’s competition. “Because we’re an isolated community, people enjoy leaving town on weekends, driving away for entertainment. And while they’re on the road, they’ll pass a big box. “Folks here are very price-conscious—very. And we’re Building-Products.com
THREE GENERATIONS: (Back row, left to right) Current leadership Matt and Maureen Arnold, her parents Janet and Steve Olson, who retired in 2016. (Front row) MarJeanne and founder Linne M. Olson, who passed away in May at age 94.
not the cheapest. We counter that by providing more product info—like how to hang rock siding. People have become extra price-conscious because of the volatile market in the (nearby) oil industry: up and down, boom to bust. It’s tough,” Matt acknowledges. To counter that, he says, “we find the best deals we can. We’re not the cheapest: We carry very nice things— things I’d use in my own home, quality that Walmart and Amazon don’t supply. Our contractors are pretty savvy. They’ve been in business a long time and know what they’re doing. They like that we try to be a little different, carry a higher grade of lumber. (The competition handles cheap, gnarly wood. Ours is nice-looking, and if there’s ever an issue, we take care of it, not put them off.) “Plus,” Matt adds, “I like to introduce new products. Because I built homes for 10 years, and owned a construction company, I have a lot of experience. And I keep up with what’s new, fancier, nicer, easier. I’m very familiar with new products and pass on that information. ‘We used this in my own home,’ I say, and invite them to stop by and take a look. ‘It’s super-easy, so drop by,’ I tell them. “To attract new business, our sales guy visits with people. We had a hailstorm just come through town, so he’s out there. And we use Facebook to draw younger, newer customers. My generation was very hands-on, but younger folks, just out of school, haven’t had that opportuBuilding-Products.com
nity. They’re a little scared to take on a project, so we urge them, ‘Use our advice and help.’ “To draw female shoppers, we highlight Pinterest projects. If they want to build one, we’ll cut the lumber for free. Quite a few women are into it, and they’re every bit as talented and gifted as the guys. A couple of gals in town run a business of home-décor signs, and they buy a lot of wood from us, too. To draw more women shoppers, we’ve added SKUs and tripled our styles of moulding, which is doing really well.” Build-Rite also has won a rep for providing the best Christmas trees and decoration selection in the county every holiday season—“something my father-in-law started,” says Matt, who carries on the tradition by building a winter scene, using a model train set, that takes him over a week to assemble. “We also decorate with poinsettias and trees and add some gift-type items for the season.” The company acquired a second location back in the Eighties in Saratoga, Wy., an even smaller town (pop. 3,000, give or take) 40 miles distant. “We’d already been kind of competing there,” Mike explains. “Saratoga is more of a resort area, with Brush Creek Ranch at the base of the mountains. Ivanka Trump spent a week there. The Kardashians, too. It’s pretty remote, a quiet spot” that draws celebs who seek a private retreat. “Our store there has done really well, especially when the economy was down”—which didn’t deter that deep-pocketed crowd from building second or third homes in Saratoga, eager to get away from the hustle and bustle of Colorado. “And the contractors there are very loyal to us,” Matt adds. “Why do I like working here?” he repeats a reporter’s question. “Coming back when my father-inlaw retired gave me freedom. The flexibility, say, to take off time to attend my kids’ games.” What about those six kids—a fourth generation in the making? “Too soon to tell,” Matt counsels. But he’s got his fingers crossed. Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net September 2018
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OLSEN on Sales By James Olsen
Nudge for the business eing too pushy is the number one fear of underachieving salespeople. Because they are so afraid of being pushy, they don’t push at all. They present product, sometimes speaking about the benefits, but mostly just the price, and then dutifully wait for the customer to decide. They do not attempt to sway the customer one way or the other; they just wait. Master Sellers know when and how to push for the business. It makes all the difference. Master Sellers care about their customers. They see them as partners. They’re winners who want their partners to win too. When customers believe we have their best interest at heart, that we’re not just there for the order, we can push with gusto and our customers welcome and appreciate it.
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Great Service But Not Servile Struggling sellers do everything in their power to mitigate friction. They do this by agreeing with the customer on everything. When the customer side-steps their questions, they let them. This begins the Master/Servant training process. For example: First Call – Qualifying questions Salesperson: “OK. You use 2x4 Utility. Great. How much of that do you use per month?” Customer: “We go through a fair amount.” Salesperson: “Great.” Master Seller: “OK. You use 2x4 Utility. Great. How much of that do you use per month?” Customer: “We go through a fair amount.” Master Seller: “Could you give me a ballpark number? Just an average?” (Keeping the tone casual, but with the expectation of an answer) Customer: “We probably use about five trucks a month.” This may seem like a minor example. It is not. Relationships—and how they will go—are established early, if not immediately. The first salesperson above trains the customer that it’s OK to give vague answers to their questions. Customers will oblige them right up to the moment of close: “OK, thanks for the number. I’ll let you know.” The Master Seller trains the customer from the first interaction that there are no frivolous questions and that we expect a DIRECT answer to our questions. If we do not get a DIRECT answer, we will re-ask our question(s) in as charming a way as possible, but re-ask we will! This trains ALL the Master Seller’s customers to treat them as a partner. (And vice-versa for the subservient seller) When Giving the Price Most sellers give the price and say, “Whaddya think?” or some other weak question asking for the customer’s opinion. Stop doing this and you’ll sell more guaranteed! When we give the price, it’s closing time—ask for the order!
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Customer: “What do have for a price on 2x4 Utility 12’16’?” Servant Seller: “We can get that done for $578/MBF” (Then silence or “Whaddya think?”) Master Seller: “We’ve got a great number on that. We can pick up a car out of ABC for $579/MBF. You love that stock; the tally and the shipment fit your inventory perfectly. What’s your order number?” The closing percentage with the second approach will be much higher, but more important is the fact that the Master Seller trains ALL their customers to EXPECT to be asked for the order when the price is given, while the struggling seller does the opposite. The first approach doesn’t even ask for the order! When We Get the Order The best time to ask for business is right after receiving business. Customer: “OK. I’ll take one of those at $459/MBF for two weeks shipment.” Salesperson: “Thanks, John. I really appreciate the business. Anything else I can get for you?’ Customer: “No. That’ll do me for now. Call me next week and we’ll look at some other stuff.” Master Seller: “Great thanks. John. This is a great deal at $459. We should put another one on for four weeks out. The market is strong, and you love the stock, so do you have one more order number for that one?” Pushing is not the problem. If we are pushing in a professional way, it’s not a push, it’s a nudge. A professional, well prepared, confident nudge that makes all the difference. James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572 james@realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.
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SALES by Kahle By Dave Kahle
Be an astute planner
ere’s one of the foundational principles for sales success: You’ll always be more effective if you think about what you do before you do it. Can you imagine a football team not creating a game plan or not practicing before the big game? A doctor not reviewing the X-rays and the procedure prior to a major surgery or a lawyer barging into a case without having planned it? Of course not. In every event of any importance at all, professional, effective human beings plan and prepare beforehand. It’s an essential step toward success. The same is true for salespeople. If we think about what we do before we do it, provided we think about it in the right way, we’ll significantly improve our performance. Unfortunately, many salespeople are often guilty of the mindset that our intuition and incredible spur-of-the-moment, ad-lib skills will get us by. WRONG! You have a great treasury of wisdom and insight you’ve acquired through a rich set of life experiences. Much of it can be directly applied to your sales job, if you will only tap into it and use it. Of course, you’ll be able to tap into some of that accumulated expertise on the spur of the moment, but you’ll be far more effective if you take the time to tap into it before you get into the situation. If you’re going to be effective, you’ll think about what you do before you do it—about every sales call, every customer, every presentation, every interaction with customers and prospects. Yet it’s not enough to think about what you do before you do it, you must also think about it in the right way. Good planning is a matter of asking yourself the right questions, then answering them with detail and precision. An amazing thing happens when you ask yourself questions—you think of the answers! What sounds so elementary is really a powerful key to unlocking your success. To implement this principle, you’ll need to master two basic processes: the prioritization process and the planning
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process. Prioritization helps you make good decisions about where to spend your time and what to plan. There’s just not enough time in the day for you to plan everything. So, you must first prioritize those things that are important enough to plan. Then follow that up with the planning process. Planning is a matter of asking yourself seven questions, in the right sequence, and answering them in writing. The written answers become your plan. Use this process to plan anything worth planning—your territory, your approach to key accounts, each sales call, your month, your week, etc. Step One. Start with a goal. Ask, “What’s the objective?” Always, the first step in the creation of a plan is the identification of the purpose of the plan. If there’s no purpose, why have a plan? The purpose is your objective. Regardless of what aspect of your business you’re working on, you must begin with an answer to this question. Step Two. Assess the situation. Ask, “What’s the situation?” Describe, as accurately as possible, the current situation as it relates to the area about which you’re thinking. Step Three. Identify the obstacles. Ask, “What will hinder me from achieving the goal? Identifying obstacles will give you incredible confidence and positive power to achieve your goal. Your answers form the next step in the planning process. Step Four. Identify your strengths and resources. Ask “What do I have available to me that I can use to accomplish my goal?” Soberly consider your strengths and your resources. What do you have on your side? Do you have some personal skills that you can apply? Has your company provided you with helpful tools, strategies or competitive advantages? Is there something working in your favor? Step Five. Create an overall plan. Ask, “How am I going to accomplish my objective?” This is the heart of the process. Now, you must consider the best way to reach your goal, taking into consideration the current state of affairs, obstacles you must face, your strengths and assets. Step Six. Identify the materials and tools you’ll need. Ask, “What will I need?” Identify all the tools and materials you’ll need. Step Seven. Create a detailed action plan. Ask “Specifically, what steps should I take?” This requires you to think very specifically, and to create a to-do list precisely identifying each step you’ll need to follow, to put them in sequence, and to assign a deadline completion date to each. When you’ve finished this simple planning process, you’ll have in place a specific strategy for accomplishing your goal, along with a checklist of tasks and dates by which to measure your progress. – Dave Kahle is a high-energy, high-content consultant and instructor who has written 12 books and presented in 47 states and 12 countries (www.davekahle.com). Building-Products.com
Koppers Introduces a New Fire Retardant Treated Wood! • FlamePRO Fire Retardant pressure treated wood products, as described in the ICC Evaluation Services, Inc. ESR-4244, meet all major model building code requirements. • UL Classified with an FR-S Rating for flame spread and smoke development values of 25 or less. • UL GREENGUARD GOLD Certification - The FlamePRO preservative has undergone rigorous testing and met stringent standards for low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Products certified to this criteria are suitable for use in schools, offices, and other sensitive environments. • FlamePRO Fire Retardant pressure treated wood products are backed by a 50 Year Limited Warranty Program from Koppers Performance Chemicals Inc.* • 1 Hour Tested Wall Assembly (ASTM E119) For details refer to ESR Report 4244. • 2 Hour Tested Wall Assembly (ASTM E119) For details refer to ESR Report 4244.
For more information, call 1-800-585-5161 or visit www.kopperspc.com or icc-es.org, ESR Report 4244. * Available at Koppers Performance Chemicals Inc., Attn: Consumer Affairs, P.O. Drawer O, Griffin, Georgia 30224-0249 or visit www.kopperspc.com FlamePRO treated wood products are produced by independently owned and operated wood treating facilities. FlamePRO® is a registered trademark of Koppers Performance Chemicals Inc. © 8/2018
TRANSFORMING Teams By Paige McAllister
Supervisor training
upervisors and managers serve as a company’s direct connection to their employees. The larger the company, the more essential supervisors and managers are for increasing sales and production, implementing company policies and procedures, communicating company goals and values, and handling any issues that arise day to day. Consequentially, these supervisors and managers increase a company’s legal exposure as the company is liable for their actions and words. Whether a supervisor or manager is promoted from within or hired in as a new employee, training is a critical requirement to ensure that the company’s expectations are properly communicated and met. Some areas of training are common sense, but others should be considered to help mitigate liability by (hopefully) preventing unacceptable behavior. Job duty training: Supervisors and managers must understand the duties of those they supervise in order to train, step in if needed, and properly manage expectations. If the supervisor is promoted from within, (s)he probably understands at least some of the job duties as well as company expectations and culture. A new-to-the-company supervisor will need to be trained in both of these areas even if they have experience from a previous company. Supervisors must also learn how to delegate responsibilities and that, even if they can do it quicker or better, they must now mentor other employees and allow them to figure out the best way of doing the job their way. This is often a struggle for newly promoted supervisors and should be considered an area for training and development in order to ease the supervisor’s transition into the new leadership role. Additionally, supervisors need to learn company-specif-
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ic procedures such as scheduling, processing and managing time off, and handling leave requests. Management training: One of the greatest challenges for recently promoted supervisors and managers is making the transition from performing the duties of a job to supervising and managing others to perform those duties. New supervisors should be trained on this new role, particularly how to handle challenging performance issues with employees who may previously have been peers and, conversely, how to avoid favoritism. This transition period is critical to whether the new supervisor will be successful in his or her new role. Safety training: In addition to the OSHA and safety training given to all employees, supervisors require additional training in what actions to take if an employee is injured (providing first aid, assessing equipment for safety, documenting and reporting injury, etc.). They should also be trained in reasonable suspicion drug testing standards and procedures, such as when it is okay to send an employee for testing, what’s the safest way to transport them to the testing facility, and how to document such situations. Unfortunately, supervisors also need to be trained in how to handle workplace violence situations (i.e., what to do during a violence conflict between co-workers or with a customer and employee). Performance management training: Perhaps their most important role, we believe that managers share a co-equal responsibility for their subordinates’ performance.
Q. We want to maintain a safe workplace, free from discrimination and harassment and free from violence. Do you have any recommendations on where to get that training?
A. Of course, we at Affinity HR Group are happy to provide assistance with any training that you may need! Other excellent sources of training materials include your local chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the national SHRM (www.SHRM.org). They can often recommend in-person training and online options as well. Also, for harassment and anti-discrimination training, your local attorney can often provide such training. Finally, for workplace violence and safety training, we recommend contacting your local police department to see what type of business partnerships they can provide. They can often visit onsite to provide ideas on how to create a safe and violence-free workplace. Building-Products.com
This includes: (1) ensuring employees know what is expected of them in their job; (2) ensuring they have all the necessary tools, equipment, training and structure necessary to be successful in their role; (3) providing the ongoing feedback that employees need to ensure they know how they are or are not meeting expectations and what they can do to meet those expectations; and (4) holding employees accountable for the performance standards that you have mutually established. Employees also need to know how what they do contributes to the larger success of the company. Training in critical conversations is always a good idea to ensure supervisors have the tools to have difficult discussions (such as those relating to poor performance, terminations, workplace conflict, etc.). Part of performance management also includes timely progressive discipline. Managers need to be trained on the company’s discipline procedures so they are ready to discipline as soon as an inappropriate or unacceptable action is known. Harassment/sexual harassment/discrimination/retaliation training: In order to maintain a safe and compliant workplace, all employees should receive training on the company’s harassment and discrimination policies. Supervisors require additional training into what to do if they witness this behavior or if they receive a complaint because supervisors are held to a higher standard. How they handle claims of harassing, discriminatory, or retaliatory behavior will have a significant impact not only on the parties involved in the behavior, but also on the company’s exposure to liability. In addition, regular training is an important part of an affirmative defense if there is a complaint. It’s important to know some states go so far as to require that supervisors receive this training annually or bi-annually.
Building-Products.com
Business skills training: Managers often have expanded duties in areas not covered by employee training or experience. This basic business training includes: • Documentation – how to properly document and file any issues, requests, investigations, discipline, performance management, etc., so it can be referred to later if needed. • Communication – how to communicate effectively in multiple formats (in person, over the phone, via email, etc.) with employees, fellow supervisors, vendors, customers, prospective clients, etc. • Project management – how to keep projects on time, on budget, and on track. • Finance/budgets – what do the numbers mean and how to manage the department’s finances. • Computer/software skills – how to use computers or management software more often or in new ways to get the job done, track performance, submit documentation, etc. Finally, it’s good business practice to get a signed acknowledgment from each participant who has participated in training, regardless of which training you conduct. This sort of documentation should be kept in employee personnel files so that you can track employee training and verify to a court of law, should you need to, that you provided the necessary training to ensure a safe and productive workplace. Paige McAllister Affinity HR Group contact@affinityhrgroup.com
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Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta, Ga., will build a new state-of-the-art lumber production facility in AlbanyDougherty County, Ga. Construction on the $150-million, 320,000-sq. ft. mill is scheduled to begin this year with an anticipated start-up in late fall 2019. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to employ more than 130 full-time employees and generate an estimated $5 million in annual payroll. “Albany-Dougherty County is an ideal site for the latest of three new lumber production facilities in the Southeast,” said Fritz Mason, VP and general manager, Georgia-Pacific Lumber. Once in production, the new facility will receive about 180 log trucks a day and produce approximately 300 million bd. ft. of lumber a year.
Premium Shutters, Builders Edge, Foundry Specialty Siding, Grayne Engineered Composite Shingles, Kleer Lumber, Mid-America Siding Components, SturdiMount, Tapco Tools, TruExterior Siding & Trim, Vantage, Versetta Stone, and Wellcraft Egress Systems. “The merging of the Boral and Tapco families has brought together some of the industry’s most well established and well-respected exterior product brands. As we officially re-position the two companies under a single banner, the Tapco company name has been phased out—but its brand legacies remain,” said Joel Charlton, president of Boral Building Products. The Boral Building Products division is headquartered in Wixom, Mi. Products from the 12 brands will continue to be available from the same suppliers and distribution channels.
Martha’s Vineyard Yard Sold
Ply Gem Merging with NCI
Hinckley’s Lumber, Vineyard Haven, Ma., has been sold to real estate investor Larkin Reeves for $2.3 million. The deal includes 1.6 acres with four buildings—a two-story, 11,401sq. ft. office, retail and warehouse building; 4,000-sq. ft. lumber warehouse; 3,500-sq. ft. hardware store; and 2,700-sq. ft. plumbing supply building. Buyer Reeves, who owns about a dozen commercial and residential properties around the island, hopes to keep at least the hardware portion of the business active. The Hinckley family had operated the business on the site for more than 100 years. Early this year, it had scheduled a foreclosure auction, but had it postponed.
Ply Gem, Cary, N.C., and NCI Building Systems, Houston, Tx., have agreed to join forces in a stock-forstock merger, set to close in the fourth quarter of 2018. The company will operate under a name to be determined, and each entity will preserve its existing established brands. It will be headquartered in Cary and retain a significant presence in Houston. NCI chairman James S. Metcalf will serve as chairman and CEO of the combined company, with NCI CEO Donald Riley as CEO of its NCI division. Ply Gem president, chairman and CEO will become chairman emeritus and a special advisor. Ply Gem CFO Shawn Poe will continue as CFO.
Boral Consolidates Brands Under One Division
Expanding into Canada, U.S. Lumber Group, Atlanta, Ga., has agreed to acquire fellow two-step distributor Alexandria Moulding, Alexandria, Ontario. After the deal closes, expected by early October, Alexandria Moulding will continue to be led by its existing management team from its current headquarters in Alexandria, under its existing brand name. Alexandria president and CEO Andre Cholette will join the U.S. Lumber board of directors. U.S. Lumber currently serves over 7,000 pro-dealer and retail customers in 33 U.S. states.
GP Building Mill in Georgia
As part of its ongoing transition following last year’s acquisition of Headwaters Inc., Boral is consolidating its siding, trim, shutters and accessories under a single division—Boral Building Products. The repositioning, which combines Boral’s former Composites group and Headwaters’ Tapco International, preserves some of the industry’s most well-known products and brands while allowing for streamlined internal and external operations. The new Boral Building Products division will serve as the umbrella over 12 brand names: Atlantic
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US Lumber Buying into Alexandria Moulding
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DEALER Briefs Russell Building Supply has broken ground in Auburn, Al., on home center #10, for a late spring opening. Building Supply Inc., Martinsville, Va., has closed with the retirement after 43 years of president Henry Mitchell. Moss Lumber Co., Rogersville, Ar., sustained modest damage from an early morning fire Aug. 7. Caldwell Lumber Co., Columbus, Wi., closed Aug. 31 after 99 years, with the nearing retirement of owners Doug and Tom Caldwell, as well as several key employees. Busy Beaver Home Improvement Centers is opening a new 36,000-sq. ft. store with indoor lumberyard Sept. 14 in New Castle, Pa.—its third of five openings planned for 2018.
Westlake Ace Hardware has signed a lease to open a new 17,977sq. ft. location this fall in Bonner Springs, Ks. Stoneycreek Builders Supply, Shanksville, Pa., has been
acquired from Karl Glessner by longtime employee Lacey Carter.
Smith’s True Value added
store #3 in Ashford, Al.
Northwest Hardware, Roanoke, Va., is switching its nine stores from True Value to Ace affiliation. WW Building Supply submitted plans to replace its current store in Newfane, Vt., with a larger 17,400-sq. ft. facility. Menards opened new megastores Aug. 14 Lake Orion, Mi., and two 15 miles apart in Springfield, Mo., on Aug. 21 (Brett Griffin is store mgr. in East Springfield). Lowe’s opened a new 120,000sq. ft. home center with 32,000-sq. ft. garden center Aug. 16 in Overland Park, Ks. Home Depot will now stock Bosch appliances in its U.S. stores Building-Products.com
Martco Upgrading Chopin Mill RoyOMartin, Alexandria, La., will invest $8 million at its Chopin, La., plywood and solid wood plant to install a new dry kiln designed to increase timber production. RoyOMartin’s modernization efforts in Chopin will include upgrades to scanning software and hardware, and to automated systems, including programmable linear controls and motor variable-frequency drives. Additionally, the company will connect to natural gas pipelines, increase log in-feed and out-feed capacity, and expand the facility’s shipping and finishing area. The addition will add 14 jobs, increasing total employment at the facility to nearly 700. RoyOMartin’s plywood and solid wood facility opened in 1996 with 330 employees. Today, the site employs 680 workers and uses 1.1 million tons of Louisiana pine timber annually. The facility also employs 25 foresters and technicians at its district office on-site.
New Owner Saves WV Yard Marsh Lumber, Clarksburg, W.V., has been purchased by Chuck Kersting, allowing previous owner Arlis Marsh to retire. Marsh, who founded the company in 1989, had considered closing the store by July 31 if he was unable to find a buyer. Kersting will retain the Marsh name—with a tweak. The business will now be known as Marsh Hardware & Building Supply.
L&W Adds 5 Indiana Branches L&W Supply Corp. has purchased five-unit interior building products distributor Rose & Walker Supply, Columbus, In. The addition Rose & Walker’s branches in Bloomington, Columbus, Lafayette, Indianapolis and Terre Haute will bring L&W’s store count to 163 locations in 35 states.
RISI Buys Random Lengths The industry’s leading price reporting agency, Random Lengths, Eugene, Or., has been acquired by London-based Euromoney Institutional Investor, the parent company of RISI, Inc., Boston, Ma., for $18.2 million. Founded in 1944, Random Lengths provides unbiased and consistent price assessments and market reporting for the global wood products industry, with a core focus on the North American lumber and panels markets,
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publishing over 1,500 prices each week. Random Lengths will compliment and expand RISI’s existing wood products price reporting. “Random Lengths is a leading source for prices in the lumber and panel markets, with a rich history of delivering trusted, unbiased insights,” said Daniel Klein, CEO of RISI. “We are excited for customers and the market to receive the most comprehensive offering of pricing data and information across the entire forest products supply chain, through the combination of RISI and Random Lengths, and as a core part of Euromoney’s cross-commodity PRA division.” “Combining Random Lengths with RISI and Euromoney’s commodities price reporting organization is an exciting step,” said Random Lengths president Jon Anderson. “It enables Random Lengths’ customers and the market to continue relying on our price guides and market information, while enhancing Random Lengths’ business with RISI’s and Euromoney’s extensive resources and worldwide footprint.” RISI global head of price reporting Matt Graves will relocate to Eugene to lead the integration, working with Anderson and the Random Lengths team. Both organizations plan to continue their market reporting and publishing schedules as normal.
Lowe’s Pulls Plug on OSH Lowe’s Cos. will close all 99 of its Orchard Supply Hardware stores, including 11 in Florida, by Feb. 1. Its distribution center in Tracy, Ca., will also close. Liquidation sales began Aug. 23 at all locations. Lowe’s purchased the then-72store, San Jose, Ca.-based chain in 2013, hoping its format would create the template for a chain of smaller home centers.
Lumber Family Unloads SelfStorage Facilities The owners of Koopman Lumber & Hardware are getting out of the self-storage business. The Koopman family has sold the self-storage facilities and properties next to its yards in Grafton and Whitinsville, Ma., for $6.6 million to Prime Group Holdings, a national storage facility firm based in New York. Prime owns and manages more than 200 self-storage faciities in 23 states. Koopman has seven stores and two distribution centers in Massachusetts.
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SUPPLIER Briefs J.W. Black Lumber Co. , Corning, Ar., has shut down its mill after 125 years and is selling off its equipment. ABC Supply Co., Beloit, Wi., purchased the assets of 40-year-old roofing distributor Landis Supply, Vineland, N.J. McDowell Lumber, Asheboro, N.C., is updating the edger and trimmer optimization systems with BioLuma scanning technology, to improve accuracy and recovery at its hardwood mill. Lincoln Lumber & Millwork,
Lincoln, Ne., sustained a July 13 fire.
Winona Building Products, Etna Green, In., will start up a new $9-million insulation manufacturing plant in Plymouth, In., by November. The company expects to have four or more production lines running in the facility by 2022. Custom Moulding & Millwork’s shuttered 20,000-sq. ft. facility on 11 acres in Catlett, Va., has been sold for $1.25 million.
Sherwood Lumber, Melville, N.Y., is now distributing KWP EcoSide siding in the Northeast. Armstrong World Industries, Lancaster, Pa., has completed the acquisition of Steel Ceilings, Inc., Johnstown, Oh., manufacturer of
aluminum and stainless metal ceilings. Armstrong also launched a $150 million accelerated share repurchase agreement with Deutsche Bank AG.
Maibec has agreed to sell its lumber division, including sawmills in Masardis Me., and St.-Pamphile, P.Q., to Bois Daaquam , a division of
Groupe Lebel.
Wolf Home Products, York, Pa., launched the Wolf Portrait Siding Visualizer, an interactive, web-based design tool for homeowners and contractors. Anniversaries: Hinchcliff Lumber Co ., Hendricks, W.V., 50th … Kruse Enterprises , Albquerque, N.M., 20th.
Building-Products.com
Maintaining Our Identity Orgill’s philosophy fits the way we do business.
“We’re known as Trico Lumber Co., and our relationship with Orgill lets us keep our identity while helping make us stronger through quality programs and products.” Kyle Morgan l Trico Lumber Co., Texas l An Orgill customer since 2008
A Committed Team
A Quality Product
“One of the biggest factors that helps us be successful is
“One of our biggest concerns when we were thinking about
the team at Orgill, which provides a strong support system.
switching primary distributors was how the change would affect
retailing, it’s all about perpetual motion.”
new lines, and our customers have been very pleased.”
I trust them. When it comes to Orgill’s philosophy about
our largest departments—like paint. I’m very comfortable with the
Location, Location, Location
Progressive Programs
“A big influence on our decision to choose Orgill was its network
“Throughout the conversion of our original store and the new
with timely and accurate delivery.”
that support our goals every step of the way.”
of DCs. We have assured access to Orgill’s products and services
ground-up store, Orgill has provided a multitude of programs
For more information about how Orgill can help you grow your business, contact us today! 1-800-347-2860 ext. 5373 • information@orgill.com • www.orgill.com • Orgill, Inc. 4100 S. Houston Levee Road Collierville, TN 38017
THINKING Ahead By Bhupinder Jhajj, Canadian Wood Products
An unlikely path to the industry How one company took a gamble on me ’ll never forget the first time I saw the words “LUMBER TRADER” written beneath my email signature. It was a powerful and victorious moment, which I was able to relish only after two trying years of pursuit. This goal was achieved not only though persistence and preservation, but also because one of the many firms I interviewed with dug deep enough to see my real potential. Like many Millennials, after university I dabbled in several different sectors before figuring out where I wanted to really be professionally. The light bulb went off the very first time I stepped on a trading floor, after responding to a “business development” opportunity that turned out to be a commodity trader position. I knew at once that this was the only thing I wanted to do. I didn’t get that job—or several others that I chased after that—but I was sold on the promise of it all. The road to success was paved with many, many rejections: it seemed I was either too young or too inexperienced for employers to take a gamble on. I remember taking my resume and walking from firm to firm, trying to pitch someone on
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giving me a chance. Someone finally did, in early 2017, and I began an entry-level position that allowed me to acquire working knowledge of lumber and an understanding of how to interact with suppliers and customers. I knew that I was destined for greater things, but my career just wasn’t moving at the pace that I wanted. While I appreciate my intro-
n September 2018
duction to lumber and will always be grateful for that opportunity to cut my teeth, after six months it was time to move on. I started calling trading companies again, but this time I was able to add some relevant experience to my resume. My big break came in the second half of last year, after running into some employees of Canadian Wood
Building-Products.com
A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association
Products whom I met at Global Buyers Mission 2016. Those connections landed me an audience with the company’s senior officials soon after. The interviews were never really ever too stressful, thanks to the laid-back atmosphere at CWP. Leadership was more focused on uncovering my personality and character than on vetting my knowledge or experience. At the same time, however, I underwent a rigorous background check, credit check, and personality quizzes. While this part of the process was somewhat more stressful, I knew a company that put this much effort in the recruitment process was one that also was interested in hiring the right people and retaining them for the long term. With that in mind, I became heavily invested in making sure I made it past every stage; and, in October, I finally received an offer letter. The ensuing months as a junior trader took me through one of the most demanding learning curves I had ever encountered. My life became memorizing grades, sizes, and markets, etc., and making tons of cold calls. I was equally committed outside of work hours, spending my one-hour commute on Skytrain reading books that I thought would help me to do my job better, including How to Buy and Sell Lumber and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Once I arrived at work, I would list my goals for the day and print them off so I had them in front me at all times. Perhaps my most rewarding habit was my 25/4/1 standard. I decided that every day I would make at least one sale. If I couldn’t make one sale, I would dispatch at least four personalized offers based on conversations that I’d had that day or prior. If I couldn’t find companies to send offers to, I would place at least 25 cold calls trying to get inquires. This way, I could never tell myself I didn’t do enough work that day. I never wanted to get into the habit of neglecting to do my core job, which was making calls and opening customers. As a junior trader, my start was difficult as I strived to balance learning with conveying my new knowledge to customers who had been in the industry for more than 20
years. I eventually opened enough customers to be able to slowly start shipping every month. Although my career in the field has just begun, it already is one of the best and most important journeys of my 25-year-old life. My advice to CEOs, presidents, and HR managers looking to hire fresh young talent is to simply take a chance on people. Through my experiences with rigorous hiring processes—both as an interviewee as well as a marketing company owner shortly after business school—one lesson I’ve learned is that there is zero correlation with how much education or experience someone has and how hard they work. People will surprise you in wonderful ways if you just let them. I have seen awkward newbies take on roles where I did not initially see a fit; but, to my amazement, they went on to outperform workers that I had thought might be more suitable in the position. The best thing a firm can do for young people is to take the first step and extend them the opportunity. In addition, it is important to foster loyalty and keep retention levels up. People can learn lumber jargon, the terms, and tactics, but they can only to a certain point be taught the concept self motivation and hard work. If you can find that characteristic in someone, I say hold them closely before a rival notices that spark and snatches away that young talent and the potential he or she could have brought to the company or industry. - Bhupinder Jhajj is a lumber trader for Canadian Wood Products.
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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Canadian Wood Products lumber trader Bhupinder Jhajj
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NELMA SPECIAL ISSUE
Wood marketing It makes scents ith the continued onslaught of marketing programs aimed at discrediting wood as the most renewable, greenest building product on the market, wood-focused marketing programs are more important than ever. To help raise awareness of their members’ products and assist dealers and retailers with selling eastern white pine, NELMA offers a plethora of tools, materials, and programs designed to educate and promote.
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Here are a few of the most popular options (for a full range of offerings, please visit both www.nelma.org and www.easternwhitepine.org): NelmaTV on YouTube An absolute treasure trove of wood information, from DIY videos, installation videos, and hot topic informational pieces, to NELMA’s starring role on the DIY Network’s Maine Cabin Masters, case histories, and trade show sessions. There’s some-
Smell the Difference Authentic Pine Makes! For long-time readers of this publication, you might remember the NELMA scratch-and-sniff faux perfume ad from 2017, and the cute little air freshener bundled with your March 2018 issue. What’s next? The Evolution of Air Fresheners! Register online for NELMA’s exclusive Retailer Marketing e-newsletter at www.nelma.org/rop and we’ll send you a set of FIVE free air fresheners! Perfect for your car, your office, or your child’s gym bag. One for each grade of eastern white pine, the set includes D&Better, Finish, Premium, Standard, and Industrial. Sign up now!
thing for everyone, from retailers to builders to homeowners. Social Media Everyone’s doing it, and NELMA is no exception! Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube. And who knows... we might be adding another platform or two in the coming year! Spread the Word A strong way to share the gospel about wood: peer reviews. NELMA
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created the idea of Wood Geeks several years ago to draw attention to and celebrate the good people among us who work with wood on a regular basis and love it. Let’s let our Wood Geeks speak for themselves: “All you have to do is look at old public buildings; look at a piece of furniture that’s been passed from one generation to the next. Some of my most prized possessions are pieces of beautiful wood furniture that have been passed down through my family to me.” – Bob Vail, builder “What’s not to like? I like the feel, smell, look, and workability of wood. Wood will never go away… in fact, it’s coming back in popularity with architects and designers.” – Rob Robillard, carpenter and remodeler “My work crew built a beautiful timber frame house a couple of years ago. It was a very unique design that included a doug fir frame along with eastern white pine tongue-and-groove ceilings and walls. Using a local supplier for the pine felt like such an important step in helping promote the use of local products.” – Todd Fratzel, construction engineer “Wood makes sense for the vast majority of homebuilding. Sustainable forestry practices mean we’re no longer
Want to be a Wood Geek?
Answer these five questions and email your answers to info@nelma.org, along with your full name, title and a photo of you.
1. How long have you been working with wood? 2. What about wood do you love and appreciate? 3. Favorite wood project? 4. Best wood project story? 5. Where do you think wood fits into today’s home improvement/building industries?
- Check out our current Wood Geeks at www.easternwhitepine.org!
using lumber faster than it can be replaced, so lumber will be the go-to structural material for the foreseeable future.” – Andy Engel, woodworker “Consistency and depth of information is the key,” noted Jeff Easterling, president of NELMA. “Our goal with all of the programs we offer is to develop and maintain a steady stream of helpful content so there’s always NELMA information out there for the finding.”
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NELMA SPECIAL ISSUE
Virtual tours NELMA’s Door #5 takes you up close and personal with eastern white pine N ELMA’s Virtual Tours, first launched in 2014 and located at easternwhitepine.org, changed the way the industry views case studies. Gone are the days of copy and photos, replaced by interactive views and informational tags. Now the association has taken the next step by offering virtual “doors” for a new audience. “Our goal is to expose the varied uses of eastern white pine to as many of our audiences as possible,” said NELMA president Jeff Easterling. “The Virtual Tour started out as a consumer effort, but quickly morphed into a way to share visuals with the dealer, residential and commercial building side as well. Our newest door represents another foray into the commercial building sector, as we focus on a restaurant!” Located in Portland, Me., the country bar and restaurant is NELMA’s second commercial application to earn a Virtual Tour. Taking the familiar realtor 360° home view and improving upon it with product specifications, the latest virtual tour door showcas-
EASTERN WHITE pine-paneled tavern in Maine is the second commercial application that can be toured virtually at easternwhitepine.org.
es eastern white pine with high-res, 360°, digital photography technology, coupled with easy self-navigation in all directions, resulting in a fun, creative, beautiful tour through the location. Green product icons scattered throughout inform the viewer of actual grade, pattern, and finish used in each focus area. You can almost smell the burgers cooking!
VIRTUAL TOUR provides a 360 view° of the facility’s woody interior.
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A first glance at the restaurant reveals a room filled floor to ceiling with beautiful wood. Follow the green icons to learn more about the 1x6 edge and center bead, standard grade paneling under the bar, covering a long TV wall (and creating a stunning accent for the room), and surrounding the big double doors. Step into a second room—check out even more stunningly beautiful 1x6 on the walls!—and there’s a nice wooden stage, highlighted with speakers trimmed out in 1x4. A few more steps into a well-equipped game room reveals yet a third room draped in the beauty of 1x6 pine. “Everyone knows beautiful eastern white pine is the perfect building product choice for residential construction,” said Easterling. “It’s renewable—can’t get much more green than real wood— it’s beautiful, and it’s durable enough for almost any application. Showcasing a high-use application like this restaurant makes the point that it’s the perfect product choice for a commercial environment, too.” Building-Products.com
NELMA SPECIAL ISSUE
SPFs vs. SPF The facts about SPFs-stamped lumber I n the late 1980s and early 1990s, the lumber industry in the U.S. and Canada redeveloped strength values for all softwood species based upon a more accurate, full-size lumber testing standard. Since the implementation of these new strength values more than 35 years ago, the design and construction industry remain confused about two different sets of numbers for the species groupings designated on a grade stamp as SPFs or SPF. Many still believe that they cannot use SPFs-stamped lumber at all, regardless of application, due to its lower published values… but is this a simple misunderstanding, or is it true? Let’s investigate.
The Facts
Canadian border. Lumber without the lower case “s” indicates that the log source was exclusively Canadian in origin. The “s” designation became necessary to distinguish the two species groupings as a result of separate testing by the U.S. and Canada and, subsequently, different results for strength values. The 10 species within the SPFs grouping, which stretches across the northern regions of the USA, include Red, Black, and White Spruce, Norway Spruce, Balsam Fir, Jack Pine, Red Pine, Engelmann Spruce, Sitka Spruce, and Lodgepole Pine. The Canadian group of species includes Red, Black, and White Spruce, Balsam Fir, Jack Pine, Engelmann Spruce, Lodgepole Pine, and Alpine Fir.
SPF is short for Spruce-Pine-Fir, a grouping of various commercially important species. SPFs is also Spruce-Pine-Fir, but here’s the key to understanding the difference: The lower case “s” indicates that the lumber was produced from logs harvested in the USA, south of the
Are there differences in strength values between SPFs and SPF? Yes. As mentioned previously, lumber from the two groupings was tested separately, under different sampling parameters, resulting in different overall strength values for each group
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NEW TECHNICAL gives the low-down on SPFs-stamped lumber.
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(SPFs in the USA and SPF in Canada). “Pieces of the same species of wood were put through different lumber sampling protocols in each country, and the results for SPFs came out lower than SPF,” shared Jeff Easterling, president of the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association. “It’s been a huge challenge since 1991 for the portion of the lumber industry required to stamp SPFs, dealing with the misinformed customer perception that SPFs-tagged lumber should not be used in certain applications.”
“The idea that the same tree species growing within feet of each other, but separated by a border, and one being considered stronger… is absolutely ridiculous and has caused decades of confusion,” concluded Easterling. “This new SPFs brochure is a long overdue tool that will provide the facts and show that for most typical building applications, SPFs-stamped lum-
ber is the right choice!” For copies of this free technical brochure, you can order online at www.nelma.org, or contact NELMA at (207) 829-6901 or via email at info@nelma.org. Additional information may also be found on our SPFs dedicated website, www.sprucepinefir.com.
The Solution The Facts About SPFs-Stamped Lumber, a brand-new educational piece from NELMA, was created to educate audiences across the building industry—including lumber retailers and wholesalers—as to the actual strength and span capabilities in order to open the door for additional customer consideration of using SPFs lumber.
Six Lumber Properties are assigned strength values: • Fiber Bending • Tension Parallel to Grain • Horizontal Shear • Compression Parallel to Grain • Compression Perpendicular to the Grain • Modulus of Elasticity (MOE)
“Most builders want to use lumber produced from U.S. logs, and this is the information they need to make that educated decision,” Easterling said. “The goal of this brochure is to educate, and to lay to rest—once and for all!—any concept that SPFsstamped lumber is inferior for most applications where SPF is now specified. We’re simply sharing corrective facts.” One of the first technical brochures produced by NELMA, The Facts About SPFs-Stamped Lumber shares basic information about the types of species included in each grouping, differences in strength value comparisons, and span comparisons. Building-Products.com
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NELMA SPECIAL ISSUE
Comic relief
Are robots taking over? ill the trend toward auto-grading in the lumber industry do away with the need for human graders? Never! But this is a common misconception. The industry’s first cartoon, The Adventures of Skip & Wane, was intro-
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duced by NELMA as a marketing tool designed to educate and inform in a droll, entertaining fashion. Always supportive of association efforts, NELMA members recently challenged NELMA to use Skip & Wane to address hot-button industry issues.
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With this latest installment, you’ll see poor Skip misunderstanding the new laser auto-graders in his mill and reacting in a silly way. Stay tuned: there’s more educational information to come on this topic from NELMA.
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Chris LaCourse Sales Associate “The New Guy”
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NELMA SPECIAL ISSUE
Anniversary of note Happy 85th birthday, NELMA! J une 1933. Deep in the middle of the Great Depression. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as part of his New Deal, instituted the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), legislation authorizing the President to regulate industry and permit cartels and monopolies in an attempt to stimulate economic recovery. The Administration believed that government had a critical role to play in the recovery of the country through, among other things, the fostering of trade associations, limited regulation, and support for fair trade practices and democratization of the workplace. The President himself, once the head of a trade association, believed that government promotion of “self-organization” by trade associations was the most effective method for achieving national planning and economic improvement. The NIRA established upwards of 765 industry and supplemental codes for basically every type of industry in
America, including the wood products industry. National, regional, and local code boards had to be established to interpret and enforce NIRA. In short time, the Lumber Code Authority was established to monitor and reinforce the code and its provisions, to include price filing by lumber manufacturers. (Lumber mills were required to file their prices with code authorities and provide advance notice of price changes.) Also included in the provisions: maximum employee work hours, minimum wages, set worker’s wage, field inspections, and forest conservation requirements. And thus, the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (NELMA) was born, created to administer and monitor the provisions of the Lumber Code Authority in the Northeast. Two years later, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the NIRA was unconstitutional. While NELMA’s
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NELMA’S 1941 annual meeting’s industry luncheon was held in New York City, where the association’s headquarters office was located from 1933 to 1970 on Madison Avenue.
CHIEF GRADER for NELMA conducts a lumber grader’s school at a member mill in 1957, explaining the details of what makes the grade. Note the formal business attire even at a remote sawmill.
regional code agency duties were dissolved, the association’s board of directors decided to build upon industry relationships and transformed NELMA into a voluntary trade organization to represent the Northeastern Lumber industry on common issues.
The Export Packaging Program
Changes Through the Years Looking back on the last several decades, Mel Bowman, owner of A.D. Bowman & Sons Lumber in Castle Creek, NY, and NELMA chairman from 1981-1983, remembers the lean years. “The two years I was chairman of NELMA were recession years, and times were tough,” reminisced Bowman. “We always had strong educational programs to offer our members, designed to keep them updated on timely topics and news items. It was a challenge to keep the programs running and control expenses; our goal was always to keep up with the members and be there for them.” Randy Caron, NELMA chairman from 1989 to 1991, was involved with the Association for 33 years and sees one of the biggest changes over the years in the mills themselves. “Once upon a time, NELMA had more than 70 mills as members—they weren’t big production mills, they were smaller, family-type mills,” Caron remembers. “Now there are about 50 mills. But what’s interesting? In the past there were more mills and less lumber produced. Now we have fewer mills, but lumber production numbers keep hitting record levels!” Jeff Easterling became president of NELMA on March 1, 2001, and hit the ground running. “The opportunity to work with the NELMA members was intriguing,” commented Easterling. “It’s a very close-knit, professional organization, the location in Maine was exciting, and it looked like a strong, upward move.” Easterling’s first orders of business: bring the association up to speed technologically, evaluate the existing programs and their strength, and brainstorm on additional added-value items to enhance member services.
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Two months after Easterling became president, an incredible opportunity was dropped on his plate: For NELMA to become part of an international verification standard program developed to reduce the movement of forest-destroying pests globally through wood packaging used in exporting goods. A special meeting of the NELMA
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board of directors was called and the program was approved with the goal of signing on 50 mills in the first year. “We got 50 mills in the first week and 200 the first month!” commented Easterling. The program is now in a mature state as most all companies involved in exporting have signed onto the program as a necessity, rolling along well annually and supporting mills worldwide. The program has been adopted by every civilized country in the world, and due to its very nature and purpose, there will always be a place for it. Caron credits the Export Wood Packaging Program with providing enough additional funding to NELMA to create a full-scale marketing program: “NELMA’s biggest job is to provide services to our member mills. We needed marketing, and the export packaging program gave us the funds to start what’s become a fantastic marketing effort for the association.”
Marketing Eastern White Pine (And Spruce, And Red Pine...) “NELMA is much more of a well-rounded agency now than they were back in the day,” says Caron. “Before, we were just a grading agency. We used to have a little marketing, but not like we do now!” The current award-winning marketing program at NELMA includes advertising, retailer-focused marketing, a significant online and digital presence, and public relations. The first NELMA meeting was held on June 22, 1933, in New York City.
HAPPY GROUP of attendees at NELMA’s 1962 annual meeting is serenaded by accordion at the Chairman’s Reception.
• Thanks to the recent merger with the Northern Softwood Lumber Bureau, NELMA’s inspection footprint now covers 20 states including all of New England and out into the Great Lakes region; • Shepherding Norway spruce through the strength value process, the first new species to undergo testing and gain acceptance since the 1920s, which resulted in Norway spruce being added to the SPFs species grouping. “Adding in these new programs is what persuaded the Lake States to join forces with NELMA,” commented Caron. “It just made sense for the two groups to band together for a stronger, more impactful presence in the U.S.”
Why NELMA? Recent Highlights Among the many successes over the last two decades, Easterling counts the following as the most impactful to the progress of the Association: • NELMA created the first (and still only) proprietary inspection app for iPhone, dramatically improving inspection efficiencies; the technology is upgraded regularly and is now available on various platforms; • Personnel expansion to meet member growth needs and increase ability to quickly and properly answer member requests;
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In a time when associations are sometimes questioned for their continuing validity and value to members, what’s keeping NELMA on a path of continued growth? According to Bowman, it’s common sense: “It’s important for mills to band together to meet the frequent regulations coming down the pike, not to mention increased pressure for competing building materials; it’s a big help to meet people from other legislative territories and share information that helps all of us.” “It’s always been, and still is, about the people,” added Caron. “We all
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help each other, as much as we can.” Bowman agrees: “The members. It’s about the members. You make friends over the years, your families become friends, and maybe you do business with each other. The annual meetings are a great place to pick each other’s brains, talking about emerging technologies and sharing stories in the down times.” When asked about the one biggest challenge affecting the Association, all three agreed that it was the desire to make sure the association remains relevant, both to members and the overall industry. “We want to be visible and viable in a positive way to our members, but beyond them as well, to the rest of the U.S., and our peers in the grade rules writing and inspection industries,” Easterling added. “As with any lumber association or wood resource, it’s a constant challenge to educate people that trees are a truly renewable resource,” commented Bowman. “People still believe it’s bad to cut trees! Educating our audiences with the correct facts seems to be something we continue to tackle year after year.” Looking ahead into the future for NELMA, Caron feels confident about where the association is and where it’s headed. “The programs we have now are what will carry the association well into the future.”
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MOVERS & Shakers Kevin Rooney, ex-Shuqualak Lumber and Scrimtec Industries, is relocating to the Nashville, Tn., area to join Tri-State Forest Products in sales and market development for the central and east Tennessee regions. Carl Torstenson has been promoted from VP-operations for Hines Building Supply to president of fellow US LBM division Wisconsin Building Supply, Green Bay, Wi. Tim Plunkett, ex-Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber, is new to outside sales with BMC, Coppell, Tx. Brian Fisk, ex-Hill’s Ace Hardware, is now owner of Chamblee Ace Hardware, Chamblee, Ga. David Burgess, ex-Homestead Building Systems, is new to component sales for Builders FirstSource, Chester, Va. Philip Keipp has rejoined Huttig Building Products, St. Louis, Mo., as a senior financial consultant. Kelly Hostetter, ex-Hartzell Hardwoods, has been named chief operating officer for Robinson Lumber Co., New Orleans, La. Al Stern has been promoted to president of Matthew Hall Lumber Co., St. Cloud, Mn., succeeding Loren Hall, who passed away July 4. Scott Duncan, ex-The Deck Center/Somerville Lumber, has joined the inside sales staff of Huston Lumber Sales, Oldwick, N.J. Ron Van Winkle has been promoted to VP of operations at McCoy’s Building Supply, San Marcos, Tx. Carlos O. Garcia is now regional mgr., overseeing 11 stores in Central Texas. New store mgrs. include Nicole Brosh, Bastrop, Tx.; Justin Askew, Taylor, Tx.; Horacio Castillo, Corsicana, Tx.; Shaun Chidester, Tomball, Tx.; Tyler Rubio, Universal City, Tx.; and Andre Haddad, Georgetown, Tx. Peter Brady has been named industrial lumber sales mgr. at MJB Wood Group, Irving, Tx. Brian Bradberry, ex-84 Lumber, is new to outside sales from Hull, Ga., with Carter Lumber. Joe Stubler, ex-Hines Supply, is now with Boral Building Products, as territory sales mgr. for Illinois and eastern Iowa.
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Cory Horner, ex-DAP, is the new sales mgr. at Capitol Building Supply, Baltimore, Md. Blaine McMillen has been appointed branch mgr. for Pro Source, Cranberry Township, Pa. Nick Landi, ex-Universal Forest Products, is the new plant mgr. at Lasalle Lumber Co., Urania, La. Dan Pesavento, ex-Hardwoods Inc., is now an inside sales acccount mgr. with BlueLinx, Atlanta, Ga. Mackenzie “Mac” Magruder is new to Keene Building Products, Mayfield Heights, Oh., as a manufacturing engineer. Joining Keene’s Continental Products division are Geoff Lamphier, production mgr., and Colby McCoy, business administrator. Jon Timmerman has been promoted to lumber trader for Do it Best, Fort Wayne, In. Other promotions include Teresa Zuber, lumber clerk; Hugo Ponton, global sales & product development mgr.; Lisa Dudeck, member services coordinator; and Amanda Bentley, Justin Hanford, Leah Kappen, Skiler Lehman, Jake Sittler, and Haley Toliver, consumer marketing specialists. Jordan Elick is a new consumer marketing specialist. Toby Bostwick has been promoted to senior VP of business development at Derby Building Products, parent of the Tando and Novik brands. Mathieu Piché was elevated to research & development mgr., and JeanFrançois Tanguay to customer service mgr. Andrew Wood is now metro Atlanta area mgr. for Eastern Wallboard Supply, Alpharetta, Ga. Tim Dunphy has been named marketing director of underground technologies for Ridgid Tools, Elyria, Oh. Matt Miller is a new hardware sales rep with manufacturers rep The Eisen Group, Wixom, Ma. John Campbell, ex-Water Mill Building Supply, is now branch mgr. for Richards Building Supply, Charleston, S.C. Justin Wood is now logistics mgr. for Townsend Building Supply, Dothan, Al. J.W. Stine, founder of Stine Lumber, Sulphur, La., celebrated his 100th birthday on July 22. Gene Poole is reviewing nepotism policies for Mungus Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.
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BUSY BEAVER Home Improvement Centers organized a naming contest for six recently-born beavers and is sponsoring their exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.
Busy Beaver Backs Baby Beavers Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Busy Beaver Home Improvement Centers has partnered with the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium to help name six newborn beavers and sponsor the beaver exhibit. Busy Beaver’s Facebook fans voted for six top names from a collection of names provided by Busy Beaver employees. More than 1,600 online votes were cast. The winning names are Brennan, Bucky, Busy, Timber, Beverly and Barney. “When we heard about the baby beavers, we were excited to get involved and help name them. We are opening new stores in the region, so our family is growing too! Our new store names are easier however, since they’re based on location,” said Amanda Nestor, marketing coordinator at Busy Beaver. So far in 2018, the retailer has added stores in Grove City and Greenville, Pa., and is about to open in New Castle.
Commercial Insulation Climbing U.S. demand for insulation in the commercial building market is forecast to increase 3.0% annually through 2022 to $3.1 billion, according to a new Freedonia Group report. Gains will be supported by healthy growth in office, retail, lodging and institutional construction, as these structures use insulation intensively concerns about reducing utility costs and minimizing energy consumption the continued acceptance of green building codes such as LEED. Through 2022, foamed plastic and fiberglass insulation will continue to dominate the commercial market. All other insulation materials hold comparatively small market shares. Measured by both weight and value, foamed plastics represent the largest share of the commercial market, seeing widespread use as insulation in low-slope roofing and often specified for use in structures made from concrete. The office insulation market is projected to rise at the fastest pace of all building types through 2022, driven by: • growth in office building construction expenditures • the increasing use of prefabricated concrete structures in office applications, which will boost consumption of rigid fiberglass and polystyrene boards as these product forms can be attached to those components • the expansion of the office building stock, promoting both new and retrofit insulation demand.
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VIEWPoint By Stephen Ondich, Commercial Forest Products
Trees and the ghost of Walt Whitman “A California song! A prophecy and indirection—a thought impalpable, to breathe, as air; A chorus of dryads, fading, departing—or hamadryads departing; A murmuring, fateful, giant voice, out of the earth and sky, Voice of a mighty dying tree in the Redwood forest dense.” – Walt Whitman, Poet/Tree Aficionado ood is recyclable, biodegradable and durable. Sustainable forestry methods were used for decades before “green” was introduced into pop culture as a buzzword. Why does the wood industry take it on the chin? I blame Walt Whitman. Many companies in the wood industry now have policies in place regarding responsible environmental practices. The public wants to know where you rate on the “green” scale. When this movement really started to gain traction in the 1990s, our industry mostly ignored it or pushed back. Unlike the forces lobbying for accountability, our response was not united and we as an industry are still behind the curve—not in actual sustainability practices, but in educating the public regarding how sustainable we are. Our own policy is easy to understand. It is not couched in lofty platitudes or buzzwords. • We work with partners that operate as business entities. We want our partners to be as vested in maintaining their reputation as we are. • All imported woods are brought into the U.S. in compliance with Lacey Act provisions and have been harvested conforming to local and U.S. laws. • All vendors agree to provide us with importation documentation upon request. • If any information develops casting doubt on the legitimacy of a prior wood purchase, we require our suppliers to inform us immediately. • Our wood manufacturing programs are in place to maximize the utilization of the resource. We buy high and low grades of wood. Our goal is to leave only sawdust and memories behind. Even the sawdust is recycled. The memories live on in our Instagram feed.
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In short, we do not want to do anything bad, wrong, illegal or immoral. We won’t work with anyone who does. Many industry veterans come from families who have built their legacy on sustainable forestry practices going back generations. I’m not suggesting they were prescient stalwarts of the modern environmental movement. Sustainability just made sense. It was not about chest thumping or generating press releases. If they scorched the earth and salted the barren land, their days were numbered. They are understandably miffed when people callously discount that reality while fixating on a seal of approval. In terms of sustainability, we have what should be an insurmountable advantage over almost every other consumer product on the planet. When a tree’s life cycle ends either through harvesting or natural causes, new trees grow in its place, even if you—gasp!—clear cut. This cycle is enforced by the laws of nature. It requires no legislation, human intervention, recycling centers, government regulation, or tax subsidies. Even if the felled tree is foolishly left on the ground to rot, there are no resulting toxins or environmental externalities to deal with. Compare this to the energy needed to make/recycle/ dispose of steel beams, plastic, iron ore, or concrete. Also, good luck getting any of those to reproduce organically. This brings me back to Walt Whitman. He recognized trees for the magnificent living organisms they were and are. He wrote about them fondly and sentimentally, in a way that readers still relate to. People like trees and want to be around them. When a tree is no longer there, it evokes a visceral response. (Continued on page 60) Building-Products.com
WRB consists of weatherresistant OSB panels, plus approved 5-inch woven reflective tape. No need to hire a separate company for house wrap installation Less expensive than traditional house wrap
Eclipse Weather Resistant Barrier (WRB)
Cuts installation time in half compared to traditional products
is the new standard in construction panel protection. Ideal for commercial, residential, and single to multi-family, WRB combines housewrap and
Features an exposure rating of 180 days
reflective insulation into a single structural panel, which allows builders to save time and money while
Provides an added R value (when used on brick buildings)
using a product that’s better for the environment.
Available FSC certified National Green Building Standard approved product
FOR MORE INFORMATION
visit royomartin.com or call us at 800-299-5174.
Building-Products.com
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NEW Products
Fire-Resistant I-Joists
Rich, New Hues on Deck
Boise Cascade has developed AJS 24 FMJ, a fire-resistant I-joist for unfinished residential basements. The ready-to-install I-joist is a safer solution for the floor above your basement, with wider nailing surfaces and longer, stronger spans for better floor performance. Joists are lighter than equivalent 2x10 and 2x12 systems and AJS 24 FMJ’s foil-faced insulation board is a critical component for passing stringent ASTM E119 regulations.
AZEK Building Products’ additional new colors for its AZEK Porch line of high performance, capped polymer porch boards are all variegated colors, inspired by exotic hardwoods, with a wire-brushed, natural matte finish to front porches, screened porches, and covered outdoor living rooms. The visually-inspiring colors from the Vintage collection include Mahogany, Dark Hickory, Coastline and Weathered Teak.
n BC.COM (800) 405-5969
n AZEK.COM (877) 275-2935
Measuring Tape That Holds Up Nailers with Ultimate Power DeWalt’s new 23Ga. pin nailer is designed to address common user frustrations associated with 23Ga. pin nailers. Setting 5/8” to 2” nails recessed into oak with the power and adaptability to deliver professional results, this is the ideal tool to fasten materials while keeping nail visibility to a minimum. Featuring the world’s first 23Ga. pin nailer with tool-free jam release mechanism, it quickly and easily clears jammed nails.
Milwaukee Tool’s Stud Tape Measures feature the company’s new EXO360 Blade Technology and feature the longest-lasting blade that is both rip and wear resistant. The technology is combined with a fully reinforced frame and impact-resistant overmold, making the tape measurer durable and long-lasting. The company has also increased the abrasion resistance by 10 times of what they offer today so the numbers won’t wear out.
n DEWALT.COM (800) 433-9258
n MILWAUKEETOOL.COM (800) 729-3878
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Brand Your Underlayment Customization of CertainTeed’s RoofRunner underlayment allows construction companies to brand every jobsite, providing contractors with a new tool that turns each roofing project into a advertisement for their business. Companies can now have their logo printed directly onto the face of the underlayment sheet. The underlayment prominently displays a roofing company’s logo on a 24”-by42” print area that repeats throughout the length of the sheet, offering 1,000 sq. ft. of advertising space per roll. Logos can be printed in up to three colors with a minimum order requirement of four pallets. n CERTAINTEED.COM (800) 233-8990
A Handful of Water Protection In an attempt to make it more convenient to protect balconies and breezeways against water penetration underneath concrete installations, TAMKO is offering a full line of balcony/breezeway products. When used in combination, the products, which include primer, waterproofing membranes, and mastic, can help prevent water intrusion in elevated areas. The waterproofing system can also save contractors time by eliminating the need for corner metal flashings. n TAMKOWATERPROOFING.COM (800) 641-4691
Exotic Hardwood-Look Siding To make it easier to bring the beauty of ipe hardwoods to homes and light commercial buildings, Trespa is adding a new décor to its Trespa Pura NFC siding line: Tropical Ipe. Trespa Pura NFC siding can easily be applied in a modern flush style. The material is easy to handle and to cut to size. The contemporary exterior siding is as durable as it is attractive. It is crafted from up to 70% natural fibers that are impregnated with thermosetting resins, and features a closed surface that ensures optimum weather resistance and UV stability. The siding does not need to be painted or lacquered, and eliminates the worry of unsightly stains or wood rot. It is impact resistant and cleans easily with soap and water. n TRESPA.COM (800) 487-3772
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A Quick and Easy Clean-up The new Bosch 18V Cordless Wet/Dry Vacuum Cleaner offers pro performance for cleanup just about anywhere, including the shop, jobsite and truck—and all without the need to plug in. The 2.6-gallon vacuum offers sustained suction for up to 24 minutes of high-power vacuuming when using a Bosch 18V 6.0 Ah battery. The proprietary canister design features Boschexclusive rotational airflow technology, which helps ensure consistent vacuum performance. Portable, handy and powerful, the Bosch GAS18V-3N vacuum weighs only 10.2 lbs. n BOSCHTOOLS.COM (877) 267-2499
September 2018
Building-Products.com
Classy Polymer Siding ProVia’s new Willowbrook Super Polymer Siding caters to the growing demand for .042” panels due to their increased performance and durability. The siding’s delicate cedar woodgrain finish provides a subtle and sophisticated look. Features include tri-pigment technology, weather barrier shield, half rollover nail guard, high impact resistance, and lifetime limited warrany. The line comes in 22 colors and six profiles: double 5” and double 5” Dutch lap (12’ lengths), double 4.5 and double 4.5” Dutch lap (12’1” and 16’8”), and double 4” and double 4” Dutch lap (12’6” lengths). n PROVIA.COM (888) 728-0316
Nailing Down the Job Senco’s FinishPro 16XP continues to expand its line of professional grade pneumatic finish nailers, offering contractors the increased power and durability necessary to handle jobs using tougher substrates. The 16-gauge tool features a unique, stampedspring EZ-Clear latch system, which produces a tighter drive track, allowing for more power to be transferred into the fastener. This significantly increases the tool’s holding power while virtually eliminating misfires, jamming and downtime. n SENCO.COM (800) 543-4596
Steely Aluminum Windows Western Window Systems has introduced a simulated steel line of energy-smart, thermally broken aluminum windows and doors designed to match the distinctive look of steel. An extension of its recently launched Series 7000 performance family, the new line sports narrow, clean profiles with beveled glass stops and .875” simulated divided lites designed to emulate a steel putty glaze. Crafted with a signature aluminum extrusion design, the windows offer energy-smart solutions such as across-the-board low U-value ratings, low-E, argon-filled dual-pane glass, and a tested design pressure rating of 50. Options such as oversize glass, split finishes, and screens allow for even more design flexibility. n WESTERNWINDOWSYSTEMS.COM (877) 268-1300 Building-Products.com
Thermally-Insulated Openings Ply Gem Windows’ 4880 thermally-insulated patio door for residential and light commercial building projects is a cost effective solution for builders looking to create expansive views and unrestricted access from the indoors to outdoors. The patio door has quickly gained wide praise from builders for its design and superior thermal and impact performance. The door is available in two-, three- and four-panel sliding and pocket configurations and features thermally insulated construction and high-performance glazing packages. n PLYGEM.COM (888) 975-9436 September 2018
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ASSOCIATION Update Building Material Suppliers Association is hosting a series of leadership roundtables this month—a leadership graduate roundtable Sept. 10-11 in Wrightsville, N.C.; leadership development roundtable Sept. 12-14 in Wrightsville; and a CFO roundtable Sept. 17-19 in Traverse City, Mi. Florida Building Material Association will host a blueprint reading seminar Oct. 9 at its headquarters in Mt. Dora, Fl., followed by an executive/finance committee meeting Oct. 18 in Mt. Dora. Northeastern Retail Lumber Association will be installing new chair Rod Wiles of Hammond Lumber Co., Auburn, Me., at its upcoming annual meeting Oct. 19-20 at Omni Mount Washington Resort, Bretton Woods, N.H. Among NRLA affiliates, Western New York Lumber Dealers Association is offering accredited crane certifica-
HOOD LUMBER
Silver Creek, MS
Metcalf, GA Waynesboro, MS Bogalusa, LA
Hood Industries operates four quality Southern Pine sawmills in Mississippi, Louisiana & Georgia, specializing in superior SYP Lumber, providing a full product mix of 2x4 thru 2x12, small timbers, & lengths up to 24’. “We go to great lengths to ensure your satisfaction” Phone 601-264-2559 Fax 601-296-4740
www.hoodindustries.com
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tion training Sept. 12 at PrimeSource Building Products, Rochester, N.Y.; Vermont Retail Lumber Dealers Association’s golf outing & annual meeting are Sept. 18, Okemo Mountain Resort, Ludlow, Vt.; and Lumber Dealers Association of Connecticut’s past presidents dinner is Oct. 5 at Heritage Hotel & Conference Center, Southbury, Ct. Mid-America Lumberman’s Association will hold this year’s fall conference in conjunction with Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association Oct. 4-5 at Omni Interlocken Hotel, Broomfield, Co. The conference will consist of several educational sessions that touch on LBM trends and provide an economic review, as well as an awards ceremony honoring outstand sales professionals. Kentucky Building Materials Association will kick off its annual Jack Congleton Cup golf tournament Oct. 2 at Marriott Griffin Gate Resort Golf Club, Lexington, Ky. Midwest Building Suppliers Association is reminding members to save the date for its upcoming Ryder Cup Gold Challenge Sept. 28 at The Kinglsey Club, Kingsley, Mi. Northwestern Lumber Association’s Paula Siewert Memorial 5k Event will take place Sept. 29 at Monticello VFW Post 8731, Monticello, Mn. The walk was organized to honor former NLA president Paula Siewert, as well as provide financial support to end breast cancer. The following week in Eagan, Mn., the association will host Estimating 1-2-3 on Oct. 9-10, a blueprint reading and material take-off that touches on short-cut formulas aimed to speed up the material take-off process. Estimating 3 takes students beyond to the basic construction take-off. Lumbermen’s Association of Texas & Louisiana will discuss the future of its leadership at its upcoming virtual board of directors meeting Sept. 19. LAT is aiming to raise $25,000 to build a house for a chronically homeless disabled person in Community First! Village, Austin, Tx. In 2016, LAT raised $15,000 to build its first LAT sponsored house; it is home to a Vietnam veteran who is also an avid woodworker. National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association has lined up a pair of top speakers for its annual ProDealer Industry Summit Oct. 17-19 at Radisson Blue Aqua Hotel, Chicago, Il. John Burns, CEO, John Burns Real Estate Consulting, will provide a national housing market overview and forecast. Ed Hudson, director, market research division, Home Innovation Research Labs, will speak on “Trends & Opportunities for Lumber & Building Material Dealers” Forest Economic Advisors has adopted the theme “Stampede to the South” for its 8th annual forest products forum Sept. 25 at World Forestry Center, Portland, Or. Speakers, including Top Wood Jobs LLC’s George Meek, will address the changing landscape in the equipment, residuals, labor and transportation, and their impact on the forest products industry. The forum is presented in conjunction with the Who Will Own the Forest? 14 conference. Building-Products.com
It’s here.
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www.Building-Products.com Another investment in serving the LBM industry since 1922
IN Memoriam Luther “Bud” Wallace, 83, longtime lumber wholesaler, died Aug. 15 in Browns Summit, N.C. After serving in the Army from 1954 to 1956, he began working in the lumber business as a stock boy for Carolina Lumber. He then joined Evans Products, spending 17 years in outside sales to Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Merrill Lynch Lumber moved him to Greensboro, N.C. Bud then worked for Sunset Lumber and for 19 years with ABW Lumber. After retiring, he started his own wholesale company, A Bud Wallace Corp., Browns Summit, in 2002. Jack Howard Dorton Sr., 80, former co-owner of Highland Lumber Co., Fayetteville, N.C., died July 21 in Summersville, W.V. He started in the lumber business in 1959 with Cherry River Lumber, moving on to Georgia-Pacific. From the late 1980s until his retirement, he was part owner of Highland Lumber.
Ghost of Walt Whitman (Continued from page 52)
The public has no such fondness for steel or concrete. They serve their purpose quietly. Not much thought is given to how they exist before and after their use as building products. Similarly, the public is not overly preoccupied with finding out who actually made their Che Guevara
T-shirt, whether they worked of their own free will or were paid a living wage. If their smartphone came from a factory where laborers are worked to the point of suicide, that’s not good but... meh. An odd emotional line is crossed when trees enter into the equation. My hometown city council was recently accosted by an angry mob of residents due to the quiet removal of diseased trees along a popular walking path. All kinds of people who had never delved into city issues previously were demanding answers, calling for inquiries and lashing out angrily at council members. In a rare moment of solidarity, I actually felt bad for the council. To put this in perspective, only a few years earlier our mayor was hauled off and arrested by the FBI. Citizens grumbled, but the toppling of his pay-to-play empire did not generate near the heat of Tree-Gate 2016, as best as I recall. People really like trees. I’m not suggesting that nothing bad happens in our industry. It’s a business like any other. However, by any reasonable measure we have one of the most “green” business models on the planet. Unfortunately, the public narrative is being monopolized by interests largely outside of our industry. They have delivered their message more effectively than we have. Our industry advocacy is too often directed back at ourselves. What does that really accomplish? We need to communicate beyond the echo chamber. The public deserves to
CLASSIFIED Marketplace
– Stephen Ondich is operations mgr. for Commercial Forest Products, Fontana, Ca. (commercialforestproducts.com).
TALK Back VALUES ADDED Patrick, I just read your article (“Heart Still Matters,” Aug. p. 8) and I am glad you listened to your wife. Customers and potential customers do look at where, as well as how we greet them. Thanks for the reminder we all need. After over 40 years of visiting lumber dealers all over the country, I can tell you that thoughtfulness in office and store design makes a big difference, especially to ourselves. Larry W. Adams Robinson Builders Mart Newton, N.C.
PRODUCTS FOR SALE
Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word minimum). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy/headline, $9 per line. Border, $9. Private box, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if art furnished “camera-ready” (advertiser sets type), $65 if we set type. Send ad to Fax 714-486-2745 or david@building-products.com.
WANTED TO BUY
be let in our trade secret. The Truth About Trees is an educational program established by the Hardwood Forest Foundation. It is an excellent resource that I encourage you to check out. The HFF has produced a classroom kit designed to educate students on our Earth-friendliness. If you know teachers or administrators who would use the materials, please contact the HFF to receive a free kit. If your local school district would be appalled by the idea of introducing such industry-based propaganda into their curriculum, please order two kits. These are the children we really need to reach.
WANTED TO BUY
NORTH CAROLINA RELOAD
Shaver Reload, Statesville, NC
• Norfolk Southern Mainline Served • Easy Access to I-85, I-77 & I-40 • Company Owned Truck Fleet • Outdoor and Indoor Storage • 12 Acres Fenced with Security Lighting • 25+ years Reload Experience (704) 872-3148 • Fax (704) 872-3146 Email Tom Lakeman shavers.reload@gmail.com
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DATE Book Listings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend. BC Wood – Sept. 6-8, Global Buyers Mission, Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler, B.C.; www.bcwood.com. The Hardware Conference – Sept. 7-9, JW Marriott, Marco Island, Fl.; www.thehardwareconference.com.
ADVERTISERS Index Combilift [www.combilift.com]
29
Crumpler Plastic Pipe [www.cpp-pipe.com]
50
Deckorators [www.deckorators.com]
9
American Wood Protection Association – Sept. 9-13, technical committee meeting, Boston, Ma.; www.awpa.com.
Do it Best Corp. [www.independentsdoitbest.com]
5
North American Wholesale Lumber Association – Sept. 10-14, Wood Basics, Corvallis, Or.; www.nawla.org.
Durgin & Crowell [www.durginandcrowell.com]
43
World Millwork Alliance – Sept. 11-15, annual convention & show, Memphis, Tn.; www.worldmillworkalliance.com.
Everwood Treatment Co. [www.everwoodtreatment.com]
13
526 Media Group Inc. [www.building-products.com]
59
Vermont Retail Lumber Dealers Assn. – Sept. 18, annual meeting/ golf tournament, Okemo Mountain Resort, Ludlow, Vt.; nrla.org. Southern Pine Inspection Bureau – Sept. 18-19, dry kiln operator course, Pensacola Beach, Fl.; www.spib.org. Construction Suppliers Association – Sept. 19-21, annual convention & expo, Hilton Sandestin Resort, Sandestin, Fl.; www.nrla.org. Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association – Sept. 19-21, annual meeting, Chatham Bars Inn Resort & Spa, Chatham, Ma.; www.nrla.org. Capital Home Show – Sept. 21-23, Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly, Va.; www.capitalhomeshow.com. Composite Panel Association – Sept. 23-25, fall meeting & symposium, JW Marriott, Nashville, Tn.; www.compositepanel.org. Eastern New York Lumber Dealers Association – Sept. 27, annual meeting, Saratoga National Golf Course, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; www.nrla.org. Southern Pine Inspection Bureau – Sept. 27-28, treated wood quality control course, SPIB Laboratory, Pensacola, Fl.; spib.org.
Great Southern Wood [www.yellawood.com]
3, Cover III
Hancock Lumber [www.hancocklumber.com]
41
Hood Industries [www.hoodindustries.com]
58
Koppers Performance Chemicals [kopperspc.com]
27
Limington Lumber [www.limingtonlumber.com]
45
Matthews Marking Systems [www.matthewsmarking.com]
48
Mid Valley Lumber [www.midvalleylumber.com]
50
North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. [www.nawla.org]
55
Norbord [www.norbord.com]
Cover II
Northeastern Lumber Mfrs. Assn. [nelma.com]
Cover I, 36
True Value Co. – Sept. 28-30, Fall Reunion market, Denver, Co.; www.truevaluecompany.com.
Orgill [www.orgill.com]
33
National Hardwood Lumber Association – Oct. 2-4, annual convention & show, Sheraton Centre, Toronto, Ont.; www.nhla.com.
OZCO Building Products [www.ozcobp.com]
31
Pacific Woodtech [www.pacificwoodtech.com]
51
Palram [www.palramamericas.com]
49
Prowood [www.prowoodlumber.com]
19
Mid-America Lumbermens Association – Oct. 3-5, fall leadership conference, Omni Interlocken Resort, Broomfield, Co.; themla.com. Long Island Lumber Association – Oct. 4, annual meeting, Milleridge Inn, Jericho, N.Y.; www.nrla.org. Lumber Dealers Assn. of Connecticut – Oct. 5, past presidents dinner, Heritage Hotel & Conference Center, Southbury, Ct.; nrla.org. New Jersey Building Material Dealers Association – Oct. 9, annual meeting & golf, Neshanic Valley Golf Course, Neshanic Station, N.J.; www.nrla.org. DeckExpo & Remodeling Show – Oct. 9-11, Baltimore, Md.; www. remodelingdeck.com.
Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com]
Cover IV
Richardson Timbers [www.richardsonstimber.com]
15
Robbins Lumber Company [www.rlco.com]
39
Roseburg Forest Products [www.roseburg.com]
25
Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Assn. – Oct. 11, annual meeting, Westin Waltham, Waltham, Ma.; www.nrla.org.
RoyOMartin [www.royomartin.com]
53
Do it Best – Oct. 12-15, fall market, Indianapolis, In.; doitbest.com.
Sandy Neck Traders [www.sntraders.com]
44
Screw Products [www.screw-products.com]
21
National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – Oct. 17-19, industry summit, Chicago, Il.; www.dealer.org.
Seaboard International Forest Products [www.sifp.com]
40
Southern Pine Inspection Bureau – Oct. 17-19, grading course; Oct. 23-24, quality control course; Oct. 25-26, planer operator course, Pensacola Beach, Fl.; www.spib.org.
Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com]
47
Sustainable Forestry Initiative – Oct. 16-18, annual conference, Westminster, Co.; www.sfiprogram.org.
Swanson Group [www.swansongroup.biz]
17
Northeastern Retail Lumber Assn. – Oct. 19, annual meeting, Omni Mount Washington Resort, Bretton Woods, N.H.; www.nrla.org.
Warren Trask [www.wtrask.com]
37
House-Hasson Hardware – Oct. 25-27, market, Sevierville, Tn.; www.househasson.com.
Weyerhaeuser [www.weyerhaeuser.com]
7
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FLASHBack 93 Years Ago This Month
Ninety-three years ago, BPD’s sister publication, The
California Lumber Merchant unveiled a five-point plan for lumberyards to target female customers. (1) Show her what you offer through advertising. According to a survey of 94 women’s clubs, 57% of females favored newspaper advertising, 13% samples, 7% personal letters, 7% personal or telephone calls, 2% demonstrations, and 2% show windows. (2) Write her a nice, sincere letter and invite her to call your office and see for herself that you have just what she wants in a home. (3) Make sure your yard is neat, clean and attractive. (“You know a woman is very particular about her house, and she polishes everything to the last degree when she expects company. She expects the same thing done for her. Your office should be like her parlor. It should be kept so that your woman visitor will feel welcome and at home.”) (4) Have displays and samples ready. (“Remember that a woman likes to make the same job of buying things that a man does of selling things. She loves to bargain, to shop, to prove the thing before she buys it.”) (5) Make ideas and suggestions, but listen to what she wants. (“Only in the last few years when the woman has been considered in the building of homes, have homes really become what they should have been long ago.”)
FOR DECADES, Laminex fir doors were a leading product from Wheeler-Osgood. Its Laminex plant in Tacoma, Wa., was closed in 1950 and dismantled a year after its equipment was auctioned off.
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FRONT COVER of the September 1925 edition of The Merchant spotlighted Lumbermen’s Service Association, a Los Angeles based group offering lumber companies and the industry as a whole merchandising assistance and home plans.
• In other news of September 1925, the Southern Pine Association was lobbying hard to convince leaders in the Chicago market to require that all lumber used in construction be grade-marked. • Its local supply of southern pine timber depleted, Finkbine-Guild Lumber Co. of Mississippi purchased a large stand of redwood timber in Mendocino County, California. Their plan was to use company-owned ships to transport redwood logs from San Francisco Bay through the Panama Canal and on to Gulfport, Ms., where railcars would take them to company-owned mills in Wiggins and D’Lo, Ms. The scheme, however, would require a year to build a sawmill in Rockport, Ca., for squaring the timbers into cants; sawmill logging railroads for transporting the wood to the coast; and in Sausalito, Ca., wharves with steam-powered cable system for transferring logs from shore to ships. And since Rockport was so remote at the time, they also had to build a town to have workers close—including houses, a company store, dining facilities, a school, hotel, barber shop, and hospital. Analysts predicted the new source of supply would keep their five Mississippi mills “in operation for a great many years to come, cutting redwood. Redwood mills in Mississippi are undoubtedly the latest things in lumber.” Unfortunately, the plan was doomed, adding so much cost to each stick of lumber, that the entire company became unprofitable. Finkbine-Guild shut down the Rockport mill in 1927, sold the redwood timberlands to Southern Redwood Co. in 1928, and sold off its Mississippi operations to Wilbe Lumber Co. in 1929. • In the parade to kick off the Elks’ recent national convention in Portland, Or., the Tacoma Lumbermen’s Club sponsored a float featuring a massive Douglas fir log, adorned with a sign reading, “Tacoma, the Lumber Capital of America.” Building-Products.
Natural or Pre-Primed, Our Columns are Predestined to be Admired. Kiln dried after treatment and available in pre-primed or natural, YellaWood® Columns are ready when you are. YellaWood® columns are made from high-grade pressure treated pine for a beautiful appearance and unrivaled strength. Available in natural and pre-primed options,* each column is engineered for greater strength and stability with a hollow core for ease of use in electrical applications. In addition to unbeatable strength, beauty and convenience, you can count on the unmatched reputation and support of the YellaWood® brand. Which means you also get the added support of working with the one brand consumer know and trust.
Columns KILN DRIED AFTER TREATMENT
IF IT DOESN’T HAVE THIS YELLA TAG, YOU DON’t WANT IT.
Learn more at yellawood.com/columns
*Product availability varies by region YellaWood® brand pressure treated products are treated with preservatives (the “Preservatives”) and preservative methods and technologies of unrelated third parties. For details regarding the Preservatives, methods, 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®, the yellow tag and the color yellow as applied to the end of pressure treated wooden columns are federally registered trademarks of Great Southern Wood Preserving, Incorporated.
BPD
Building Products Digest 151 Kalmus Dr. Ste. D200 Costa Mesa, CA 92626-5959
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