ACROSS THE BOARD

IT GOES FAST

------------ BY PATRICK ADAMS

I’M BEING REMINDED by my wife that my daughter’s 12th birthday is right around the corner and we need to plan something “special” because she has that curse of a birthday just three days before Christmas. I fall deep into thought about that. She is 5’3” now and was just recruited as a setter for a club volleyball travel team. The things that we talk about when I pick up the kids from school require more brain power on my part—and restraint. I’m trying to become that “wise” father who listens, doesn’t react, and only offers wise perspective when it is perfectly appropriate so that she continues talking to me.

My son just turned 6 in October. Overnight he went from this goofy little guy where my wife and I were constantly asking ourselves, “Is this really our kid?” to the other day doing something that surprised even me. I was cutting down some firewood for our outdoor fireplace. He came up and asked if he could help. While I was cutting, I pointed to a significant pile of logs and said, “You can take all of those back to the fireplace and stack them in the storage bin,” and went back to my cutting thinking he wouldn’t even attempt it—or would tap out quickly. As I finished cutting, I looked back and noticed there was no pile of logs other than what I had most recently cut. He came around the corner, dirty with several small cuts on his arms and one on his foot from wrestling with the wood. I asked him where all the wood was. He calmly replied, “In the storage bin where you asked, Dad.”

I was out at the shooting range recently running drills with a few guys a fair bit younger than me. This never made a difference before because years of experience and the calm of knowing that “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast” is always the mantra when shooting and always wins out. However today, it seemed that “slow” was just slow. By the end of our day, I was tired wondering if this was just an off day, or has time finally caught up to me?

It is an interesting perspective being the age that we are and having kids that are 12 and 6. While I never cease to be thankful for our family, those whose standard mantra of “Oh, kids will keep you young,” never had kids at our age! While perhaps it’s just that we are very busy individuals between the business, the kids and life in general, I’m beginning to wonder how it is that time has passed so quickly.

In just another six years, my daughter will be away to begin her adult life. How is this even possible? It seems like yesterday that I was in the delivery room and the doctor asked that life-changing question: “How are you doing there, Dad?” As the song says, nobody had ever called me that before, and my life was forever changed at that moment.

It seems not long before that, but it was actually 20 years ago on May 26 (or 5/26, the root of “526” Media Group, which actually began when we started dating 30 years ago) that I stood at the head of that aisle watching my wife to be walk toward me by her father. The weight of watching her walk toward me and the flood of emotions will never leave me as I said my vows with every word landing heavy on my heart as a lifetime commitment to serve and protect her and our family to be.

I don’t have any regrets as I know how precious life is, and how quickly it passes. I would not do anything differently as I’m proud that I’ve reprioritized my life to allow “life” and “family” to have an equal priority to work and other things that would compete for attention. However, in spite of all of the warnings from elders, I can’t believe how fast it goes.

As we close on another year in what feels like record time, take a moment. Go somewhere quiet where you won’t be distracted. Close your eyes and take in your life and all of your blessings. Smile at your successes and laugh at your mistakes that gave you the lessons necessary to move ahead. Open your eyes and look at your watch. That took only a minute. Use your time wisely, because it goes fast.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season full of happiness, gratitude and safety. Look after yourselves and those you love. Thank you for the great honor of serving you and this industry.

REVOLUTIONARY WOOD PRODUCTS BUILD THE GREENER WORLD OF TOMORROW

------------ BY LAURA MURRAY & AMY ANDROFF

THIS YEAR has highlighted the remarkable and demanding challenges of wildfire season, the devastating effects of climate change, and the importance of maintaining healthy, resilient forests.

All over the country, decades of fire suppression, long-term drought and insect infestation have created a buildup of dry forest material—of dry low-value wood. This buildup of flammable material drives the catastrophic fires that have been affecting our western states. Prescribed fire, mechanical thinning, and pile burning are all solutions used by the Forest Service to address this excess of biomass buildup. But the problem is bigger than any single remedy.

Forest Service researchers are thinking outside of the box to tackle this problem from every angle. What if there was a way to use this low-value wood, or “waste,” to create innovative green products?

This is where nanocellulose comes in. Cellulose is a basic building block of wood and is key to keeping plants and trees upright. It has some miraculous properties that we are just beginning to understand, and the scientists at Forest Products Laboratory have been working on a whole host of creative applications that apply nanocellulose—cellulose in its smallest form—to create win/win solutions for local economies, land managers, climate change and industry.

Robert Moon, a materials research engineer at the lab, envisions a unique and sustainable future with this tiny yet mighty material revolutionizing fabrication technology.

“Nanocellulose can be produced from a wide variety of low-value cellulose source materials, such as invasive plant and tree species, reclaimed wood from fire restoration, downed timber from hurricanes, recycled cellulose (e.g., paper/pulp, cotton textiles), agricultural and forestry waste streams (e.g., fruit pulps, husks, sawdust, pulp mill sludge, textiles),” Moon said. “This aspect is important as nanocellulose production can help address other societal problems, such as land and waste management issues.”

Furthermore, cellulose nanomaterials are a catalyst for sustainable, pioneering material technology in the bio- and circular economy.

Moon explained, “Cellulose nanomaterials are inspiring innovation in cellulose science, technology and product development. Their unique combination of characteristics—high function across a broad range of properties, biodegradable, sustainable, non-toxic, biocompatible—can be produced globally and at industrial quantities.”

FOREST SERVICE scientists and program staff worked with several public and private partners to install cellulose nanocrystals-enhanced concrete beams in the Moffett Creek Bridge in Siskiyou County, Ca., to demonstrate its application in bridges. The team is also looking at replacing bridges destroyed in California forest fires with CNC-enhanced concrete. (Photo by Liz Bowen)

Ken Zwick, assistant director of wood fiber and composites, agrees and sees a future without a petrochemical-based economy. “Nanocellulose is going to help us transition from a petrochemical-based economy to a renewable forest product-based economy by replacing plastics and improving material performance,” he said.

When incorporated into other materials, nanocellulose lends incredible strength requiring less emissions-intensive material. For example, adding cellulose nanocrystals to concrete improves its strength, and since less concrete is needed to achieve the same structural integrity, less of it gets used, which lowers emissions associated with concrete production. (Cement, an ingredient of concrete, is the third largest industrial source of pollution.)

From adding nanocellulose to fiberglass and automobile tires to plastics and electronic components, researchers are imagining and producing unique solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while thinning overcrowded forests to create a healthier, resilient forest economy.

Zwick sees a bright, green future with nanocellulose playing an important role: “Nanocellulose is going to help combat climate change in three important ways. First, it is going to make materials like cement stronger and better so you need less of them and less energy to produce them. Second, nanocellulose will sequester carbon from the forest directly in long-lived materials like car parts, tires and cement. And finally, it is going to help pay for forest restoration work that will keep forests healthy and growing and reduce catastrophic wildfires.”

STUDENTS GENERATE electricity while they walk the floors of the student union building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Made mostly from recycled wood pulp, the flooring captures the energy of footsteps and turns it into usable electricity. (Photo by Adrienne Nienow)

With 193 million acres of public land making up 19% of all forests across the country, the Forest Service is a key player in national efforts to mitigate climate change. In a very direct way, the Forest Service’s healthy forest initiatives impact the vitality, integrity and expanse of forests, one of nature’s most powerful climate regulators.

Wood is not just the building material used by our ancestors, wood and forest products are the futuristic material of tomorrow. And the possibilities—trees fabricating our greener future—are literally limitless. BP

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CAN YOU SUCCESSFULLY SELL PAINT ONLINE?

------------ BY DAVID KOENIG

OVER THE PREVIOUS five years, online sales of paint in the U.S. have grown an average of 2.4% a year, according to a recent study by IBISWorld. However, indications are sales may have peaked, and are forecast to decline 1.6% this year.

Consequently, while many consumers would enjoy the convenience of buying online, a variety of factors make paint an imperfect product for the Internet.

A spokesperson for Do it Best noted that sales are complicated by potential difficulties in shipping. “Certain states don’t allow some paint products to be shipped

ONLINE PAINT SALES IN THE U.S.

INNOVATIONS SUCH AS peel-and-stick samples that can be mailed to homes have made it easier than ever for consumers to shop for paint without ever leaving their homes. (Photo by Sherwin-Williams) into their states. If caught, sellers face severe fines. This requires them to understand the nuances of legislation for each state. Plus, a gallon of paint is heavy (costly to ship) and can break open in shipping, resulting in a loss for the seller and a likely fine by the shipper. And it’s difficult to refund/replace if the customer doesn’t like the color or result.

“At least at Do it Best, our perspective is that paint is nearly Amazon-proof. A successful purchase is done in person... at least for now.”

The majority of online paint sales made by Do it Best retailers are of the pre-mixed variety, like Rust-Oleum. “Very little business is done with traditional paint bases that need to be tinted before they are shipped,” the spokesperson confirmed.

As well, much of the public is wary of buying paint online. An earlier study identified the three main obstacles for consumers: (1) they want to see the colors in person and how they look on their walls, (2) it’s easier to ask for selection advice in person, and (3) it’s easier to find everything they need at hand once they step into a physical paint department.

That said, major paint manufacturers, big-box retailers, and an increasing number of independents do sell paint online. Here’s how they make it work:

For those who could use some help selecting a color: Some manufacturers offer paint samples, chips and fan decks online. Or

consumers can use apps that help them visualize how different colors will look in their room. SherwinWilliams will send consumers up to ten 2”x3” color chips for free and charges $3.95 for 8”x8” peel-andstick samples.

What if they need a color match? With apps like Behr ColorSmart, consumers can upload a picture of their existing room and the app will automatically match it to the closest hue available.

What if they buy it and don’t like it? Most retailers hold online sales to the same refund policy as for in-store purchases (which frequently means no returns on custom-tinted or mixed paint).

And, most importantly, what if they wish to avoid the hassles of shipping? Do what most online shoppers are already doing: Purchase your paint online and then just swing by the store to pick it up. BP

“PAINT IS NEARLY AMAZON-PROOF. A SUCCESSFUL PURCHASE IS DONE IN PERSON... AT LEAST FOR NOW”

THE KIDS ARE BACK IN TOWN

------------ BY SARA GRAVES

THE ANNUAL Arkansas Goat Festival brought in nearly 10,000 people to Perryville this year. Showcasing the latest in goat costumes and a “Nannies at Night” goat lingerie show, it’s a lot for a small town outside of Little Rock that has one grocery store, two convenience stores, and has never had enough traffic to earn its first stoplight.

“It’s remarkable how many people are attracted to the idea of going to a goat festival,” says Bill Weiss, who retired as a co-owner of Perryville’s Weiss Lumber & Building Supply in July after the company was sold to Nation’s Best in March. “To me, (there’s) such a contrast of what things are usually like—and then you get a goat festival and 10,000 people show up for it. I guess there’s not many places you can go and talk about goats with other people.”

When goats aren’t parading through town, Perryville is a much quieter place. With nearly 1,700 people calling it home, and the Razorback football season a close second to deer season as the most popular activity of its townspeople, everyone knows if you want to know anything, you should ask the folks at Weiss Lumber.

“I will go to the grocery store and there’s all my customers,” says Bill, who retired after 45 years onto eight acres near the Arkansas River, about 16 miles outside of Perryville. “They’re asking me, ‘Are you going to be in this afternoon?’ I say, ‘No, I’m retired now.’”

ANNUAL GOAT FESTIVAL multiplies the headcount in Perryville, Ar., by six times, quite a change for the usually sleepy town Weiss Lumber has called home for more than 50 years. (Photo by Scott Hunter)

This isn’t new for Bill, however, recollecting the calls he used to regularly receive at Weiss Lumber. “‘That store next to you, Bill, what’s their phone number?’ or, ‘What’s the score on the football game last night?’”

And if the phones weren’t ringing, Bill was often catching up with his customers or guests, including Henry Graydon, a local writer for a small turkey hunter publication who liked to sit on the bench inside Weiss Lumber talking with Bill and co-owner Jack Weiss. His articles often featured a rundown of all the people who came into the store.

Weiss Lumber has always been a stable place to come to. With the same employees working there since 1995 and Weiss family members at the helm, relationship, service, community, and competitive pricing have been the keys to the company’s success.

“We knew we were dealing with a small state population, and we better keep as much of it as best as we can,” Bill says. “We also knew that there were only so many people we could attract a little bit farther away than our county.”

In fact, up until 15 years ago, Perry County, which Perryville resides

A LONGTIME Do it Best member, Weiss Lumber was acquired by Do it Best-affiliated dealer Nation’s Best earlier this year.

LOCALS FEEL welcomed by the long-standing staff, including (left to right) Chris McNeil, Seth Farnam, Russell Weiss, now-retired Bill Weiss, and Mary Wray.

And although Weiss hasn’t faced a lot of competition since it was founded by Bill’s father, Donald “Don” Weiss in 1964, there was one Perryville lumberyard/ready-mixed concrete business in the early ’80s that taught Weiss Lumber how to compete. “We learned that we had to make ourselves as attractive as we could,” Bill recalls. “We very pointedly tried to make sure that we were competitive to what most people were looking for.” Bill admits they may not have been “necessarily the cheapest,” but at least, when a guy walked in, “he knew he was getting a competitive price,” he says.

Then a few years ago, the direction of the company changed after Bill’s brother, Jack, retired on January 1, 2021, after 44 years with the business. Bill could see that his “days were numbered,” and he had to do something. Bill contacted Nation’s Best because he was attracted to the idea that “we could maintain the city tie.”

Having finalized the sale, Weiss Lumber, with its deep roots in Perryville, continues to thrive. Jack’s son, Russell Weiss, is the manager/ supervisor. “We tried to make sure that everything remained the same— that was important to us. It’s still Weiss Lumber, but it’s a little different version of it,” Bill adds. “They are still trying to maintain the community, backing the football, school, anything to do in town.”

Meanwhile, life in Perryville goes on. Bill and 64 other graduates of the 1965 high school class are getting excited about their upcoming reunion—the biggest class to come out of Perryville at the time. But, it’s not like they don’t see each other often. And if they do miss one another in town, they can always ask someone at Weiss Lumber to “tell Roger to give me a call.” BP

in, had a very stable population— people didn’t move in or out of the county, Bill explains. Weiss Lumber, therefore, focused on making sure “we retained anyone that we could get into the doors—we (had to) keep them happy. We always emphasized being friends, tried to figure out who you got coming in, called them by name—just the typical skills that most businesses with any longevity learn.”

Community connection was another big part of customer retention. “We always supported the football, basketball—anything that was going on in the entire county. We were active as volunteer firefighters,” Bill says.

SARA GRAVES

Sara Graves, senior editor, is interested in your story. Contact her at sgraves@526mediagroup.com.