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WHAT DECK BUILDERS WANT FROM THEIR SUPPLIERS • SELLING RAILINGS
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Building Products Digest
FEBRUARY 2021
THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1982
WHAT DECK BUILDERS WANT FROM THEIR SUPPLIERS • SELLING RAILINGS
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CONTENTS
February 2021 Volume 40 n Number 2
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Special Report
Features
Departments
36 WHAT DECK BUILDERS WANT
12 MARGIN BUILDERS
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EXPANSIVE SURVEY OF DECK CONTRACTORS
FENCING STOCKING STRATEGIES TO GROW PROFIT MARGINS
REVEALS WHAT THEY MOST WANT FROM
THEIR RETAIL SUPPLIER—AND HOW PRIORITIES HAVE CHANGED IN THE AGE OF
COVID
14 INDUSTRY TRENDS
BECOME A RAILING COLOR EXPERT
18 FIRST PERSON BPD
MADISON PRESIDENT LOOKS BACK ON 40 YEARS OF WOOD PRESERVING
Building Products Digest
FEBRUARY 2021
THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1982
WHAT DECK BUILDERS WANT FROM THEIR SUPPLIERS • SELLING RAILINGS
20 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
THE APA TRADEMARK EXPLAINED
38 MOVERS & SHAKERS 42 NEW PRODUCTS 48 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE
28 TRANSFORMING TEAMS
49 DATEBOOK
36 THINKING AHEAD
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48 IN MEMORIAM
MANDATING THE VACCINE
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24 OLSEN ON SALES
22 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE
KENTUCKIANA DEALER KEEPS GROWING
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ACROSS the Board By Patrick Adams
Bravery and hope T
and past year have been interesting is an understatement. I had my article for this month written and finished. Ready to turn in and be done. hat would have been the easy thing to do, and perhaps, I should have. Perhaps I should have ignored the things that I was feeling as I saw protesters turn into terrorists in this great country of mine. From Portland to Washington in the past year, I watched as my fellow Americans raged. Perhaps I should have ignored the constant stream of posts and shares and retweets of half truths from my “friends” on both sides of the aisle, all while safe behind their eyboards and yet, when we are face to face, those conversations never come up because it would be “rude.” Perhaps I should forget about the sacrifices that those who came before us made, and with us and ahead of us will ma e in exchange for this thing we call America. Perhaps I should but last night, I watched as our nation again transitioned to a new administration peacefully. ne side was happy, the other not. ne side was hopeful, the other in despair. And before the night was out, the tide of battle shifted degrees and some channels declared war while the others called for peace. And in all of that, I happened to loo over and see my children and it made me cry. hey were watching all of this, and listening, and studying, and processing. Not as ing uestions, but nevertheless absorbing it all. As I ve traveled the world, I ve seen other cultures. I ve seen what happens when what adults rage about translates into the perceptions of children. In some regions, we call it “radicalization” and once these children grow, there is no reversing it. My daughter came home from school and, at years old, said a group of ids ept pressuring her to learn who their parents voted for and proceeded to go through a very gruesome list of things that our new President apparently supports. As much as for some of us, there is nothing that would have us turn on our family or denounce our God, there is a growing list of things that apparently hold the same weight. So as I write this, I m as ing myself why this weighs so heavy on my heart It s because I love my family and I love this country. I don t say those things lightly they are what give me life and part of my very being. It is easy to sit behind a eyboard and rage about things that may or may not be convenient truths. It s easy to complain about the beliefs and policies of one administration versus anoth-
padams
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n Building Products Digest n February 2021
er. It s easy to do nothing. But I ve never ta en the easy road in life and as a result, I ve been blessed. It ta es bravery and hope to ta e the tough path. o be an example. o lead. It s easy to tear down others, but tough to build up everyone regardless of whether you agree with them or not. It s tough sometimes to see the bright side of things. It s tough to be a role model. It s tough to put in the wor behind the statement, “I want my children to be better off than me.” But that s what brave and hopeful men do. So today, I choose to focus on the that we all have in common with each other our hope for a better future, our love for our family and our dedication to this country. oday, I choose to try to be brave for my children, my wife, and my friends and neighbors regardless of the things we might not have in common. If we can all sit together and root for a “good game” in spite of supporting rival teams, can t we do the same in life for the good of this country When we are typing, can t we first as ourselves if we would scream this in a crowded room or our neighborhood corner before we share it Can t we hold ourselves first to a higher standard before we choose to udge others to that standard Perhaps I should have turned in the other article this month and let this feeling pass. Perhaps I should ust eep my opinions to myself. But perhaps, I should try to be an example for the sa e of my children that our “gang” is not left or right, but America. ur life has been blessed under both administration s leadership, and we have seen hardship under both. But regardless, our destiny has been at our hands and our willingness to ta e the tough path. I wish all of you the very best in family, health, life and business as our country begins this new chapter. As always, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve this great industry and all of you.
Patrick S. Adams Publisher President mediagroup.com Building-Products.com
FEATURE Story By David Koenig
MOST DECK builders aren’t shopping every job—they have a favorite lumberyard they turn to whom they trust to give them a fair price. There are more important criteria for selecting their favorite.
What deck builders want from their go-to supplier Priorities change in the age of COVID T “Availability is the best ability” has never been more true for dec ing suppliers, at least according to their builder customers loo ing to navigate recent material shortages. aving what a dec builder wants in stoc or being able to uic ly get it has become the most important criteria in selecting a supplier, according to a recent Instagram poll of dec builders by our sister publication Deck Specialist. Availability was deemed most important by . of respondents, besting Service . , Selection , Price . , and Product nowledge . . ther factors, including Location, Credit erms, and Loyalty Program, totaled . . “ uring C I , availability is now and all else is secondary as we ust can t get product,” said Pete Ciraldi, Professional Building Services, Salem, N. . “We spend four
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n Building Products Digest n February 2021
times the administrative time trying to ac uire stoc , usually have to get from multiple suppliers, and they are short on stoc , as well.” he change is a recent one, according to Ciraldi. “PreC I , we never had availability issues we weren t able to wor around, so we would always loo for multiple factors. Never ust one. Price and service were e ual in our boo it didn t matter how cheap the products were if they came in damaged, wrong, short count, etc. If I had to send a truc and an hourly employee, the lost additional productivity of pulling someone off the crew would be a chaser. Because of the volume we would do during our busy season, we d use multiple suppliers that carried a wide selection instead of ust one with a larger footprint. Most of the larger companies do not stoc all product lines and would have to bring things in anyway.” Building-Products.com
oe agen, All ec ed ut, Cincinnati, h., proposed that the top two criteria are related. “ he main reason we use our supplier is customer service and product availability,” agen said. “Not having products on the ground results in special order items that can result in ma or ob delays. We also get free deliveries and pic -ups due to our large volume we do with them. Suppliers that offer per s li e that for their loyal customer base will always be successful in my opinion. Even though they are a bit more expensive, I would rather use them than shop around. With a busy schedule, we don t have time to clip coupons for materials, so using a company that values us li e a partner is very important.” As an added benefit, agen said, “we also have our clients use their showroom when selecting materials and have an outside sales rep that deals directly with our clients. his helps in the event the guys at the counter that wor there ma e commission and we could lose a ob if a client went in there and then they recommend another builder that buys directly from them.” A good supplier is understanding when things don t go according to plan. agen explained, “ here have been many times that we were short on materials due to errors in estimating on my end or even from our sales rep accidentally eying in the list incorrectly but they always step up and ma e it a priority to get us what we need right away to eep the pro ects moving forward. We also li e the fact that they stoc the full line of our favorite dec ing brand, ec orators oyage, and they have a large selection of other uality products, as well.”
Looking for a Partner
om ac ues, ic ory ic ory ec s, undas, nt., has also found that nothing is more valuable than nurturing a partnership between supplier and customer. “Most important is having a good relationship with the supplier,” ac ues said. “We realize they have to ma e money, too, so they have s in in the game. When issues arose this summer, we were the ones that still got product. We loo long-term, rather than s ueezing them for a penny or two.” is company, the largest dec building franchise in Canada, rarely changes suppliers because they wor so hard to provide everything he needs from them. “We have a fairly complicated formula for whom we choose as suppliers,” ac ues said. “ f course, price is important, and service. hey must offer a good warranty, and a manufacturer s labor warranty. here must be a good color selection the product easy to wor with, but not easy to scratch. So it s a combination of factors, some weighing more than others.” Favorite suppliers can be relied upon not only to have product, but to have answers. “What I value the most and it seems li e a dying art is the supplier s nowledge of what they re selling,” shared Lance Sniat ows i, ec Innovators, Midlothian, a. “I have found that in my mar et people ust don t now the product, which leads to mis-ordering and timely mista es that have been a problem lately.” ec builders are construction professionals and they expect their suppliers to be experts in what they do. “In my line of business time is money,” said im uigley, uigley ec s, Madison, Wi. “When I have a uestion on a particular product and when I call the lumberyard, the salesperson has the answer. When we need materials delivered on short notice, in most cases the lumberyard can get it out to us. he lumberyards have an ongoing relationship with manufacturBuilding-Products.com
ers reps, where the rep calls on the lumberyards on a regular basis and eeps the lumberyard personnel up to date on new or upcoming products. It s a whole relationship thing where it s e ually as important to the local supplier that my business survives and remains profitable, as it is to their business surviving and remaining profitable.”
A Two-Way Street
Builders are willing to go the extra mile if they feel their lumberyard will do the same. “We try to eep it a one-stop shop as much as we can,” said Michael Scott, Simcoe ec s, Barrie, nt. “We wor with a lumberyard that is roughly one hour away, because we receive the best service from them. ur contractor manager goes above and beyond to eep everything organized. Not everything is perfect, but if something isn t right, it s dealt with uic ly. We price-chec a couple times a year ust to ma e sure we are paying comparable prices. Most of the time pricing is on point, but the odd time we will have to ad ust things.”
Deck Builders’ #1 Reason for Choosing a Supplier Product Knowledge Service
Price
Selection Other Availability
– Courtesy Deck Specialist
What Niagara Falls dec -building franchisee Peter Secord most appreciates about buying through ic ory ic ory ec s lumberyard is “they do an excellent ob of eeping us informed on pricing and supply issues prior to changes and shortages.” eith Fry, Amazing ec s, Ambler, Pa., echoed a familiar refrain “ ne-hundred-percent service is first. hey must be able to handle a few fire drills throughout the year. Product availability is second they need to be able to supply material with a day or two notice.” Lumberyards that can chec all the boxes will have customers for life. February 2021 n Building Products Digest n
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MARGIN Builders By Tom Leahy
Don’t forget fencing! Stocking strategies for g ing t a gins of today s fic le economic landscape, one thing holds true Americans are spending more time and money than ever before commissioning building professionals to create design-centric outdoor living spaces. In an industry brea down of the most sought-after products, the fence a once overloo ed element of an outdoor living space has become the rising star of the bac yard e uation. A fence can not only extend a homeowner s personal design aesthetic to the property line, but also offers a needed privacy solution amid the newfound desire to revive underappreciated bac yard living spaces.
A
Underscoring this trend, the chief economist at Porch.com has trac ed a increase in fence installation services over the last year. In addition to a meteoric rise in fencing pro ects, a ouzz study reported a yearover-year ump in searches for dec , patio and porch professionals, with a sharp uptic in dec ing and railing installations. In short, Americans fervor for outdoor home improvement has hit a historically high level and shows no signs of slowing down. So, that poses the uestion, is the channel prepared to meet the continued demand for outdoor living products in
MIXED MATERIALS: Fortress Estate ornamental privacy fencing combines classic ornamental steel fencing with wood or composite pickets. (Photos by Fortress Building Products)
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n Building Products Digest n February 2021
Prepare for increased demand in outdoor living product categories to win customers. he country s burgeoning interest in outdoor home improvement caught many dealers and distributors at footed in the first half of . Some were left emptyhanded or pressed to pay a premium to stoc their yard, as existing inventory uic ly cleared. Admittedly, it was unnerving to purchase product amid a volatile economic climate. owever, it was our experience that those who had su cient inventory in stoc saw it move. Ahead of prime building season, dealers and distributors can move forward with confidence by evaluating their stoc ing strategies. Preparation is ey to not only handle the in ux in demand, but to also win over customers in today s competitive maretplace. his includes stoc ing product for the entire bac yard pac age, and with it, fencing solutions. For example, if a customer wal s onto a dealer yard to purchase dec ing and railing product but isn t able to complete the bac yard build with fencing, they will spend their money at the lot down the street. We can t stress this enough don t let customers wal away. Introduce products with familiar value propositions to stay ahead of the competition Because fencing has gained heavy traction across the outdoor living category, we recommend stoc ing this product ahead of pea building season. Building-Products.com
o its advantage, this perimeter line solution offers dealers and distributors a relatively low barrier to entry when it comes bringing on and selling the product. ards that are already e uipped to house building products of similar shape and size, li e railing, are typically able to also accommodate fencing. What s more, dealer and distributor staff that are already well-versed in railing product categories will be able to confidently spea to fencing. wo indred products, railing and fencing sing to comparable value propositions, including their shared ability to safely enclose an open-air space in style and provide desired privacy. Bearing shared purpose in mind, fencing can be an easy add on product to sell customers that are loo ing to purchase the total outdoor solution. Consider industry trends and evolving buyer preferences before stocking fencing products. oday s offerings have come far from the golden days of white pic et fence Americana. So, when considering which types of fencing solutions to bring on, don t be afraid to introduce a new material. he country s zeal for outdoor home improvement pro ects coupled with lumber supply shortages led many building professionals to turn to wood-alternative building materials. ptions such as aluminum, steel and composite have gained big play, as availability often surpassed customer loyalty to lumber over the course of last year. Not to mention, these alternative materials have brought awareness to the fact that performance and aesthetics can be twofold in the building products industry there is no need to sacrifice one value proposition for the other. It may be time to consider stoc ing such options that provide depth of inventory and hold the potential to drive more sales. Look to cost-effective products that move, like aluminum fencing. he once unassuming and hard-to-install aluminum systems have been replaced with easily ad ustable, low maintenance options that bring effortless style to both traditional and modern homes. oday s lightweight panels can be installed uic ly and can typically accommodate grade changes across an uneven landscape. his premium design exibility was not always available however, recent technology advances enable rails to follow the ground while the pic ets stay vertical. An economical solution to have in stoc , some of today s aluminum fencing manufacturers bac their offerings with a limited lifetime warranty to maximize investments up and down the channel. Stock steel fencing options for customers seeking a high-design look and enhanced durability in one product. i cult for unwanted visitors to scale, especially when topped with finials, ornamental steel fence systems compare favorably with sought-after wrought iron and masonry builds. Select steel fencing manufacturers are also bringing one of the most pronounced design trends the use of mixed materials to the outdoor living space with hybrid privacy fencing systems. hese pair the strength of fully welded steel with composite or wood pic ets for a contemporary loo that stands guard and stands out. oday s design-centric solutions not only help your customers curate personalized open-air spaces, but also drive more and higher sales in the process. Keep an eye on horizontal fence options, an emerging trend among homeowners with a design-oriented mindset. Providing a modern loo with clean lines and near-total privacy, horizontal fences lend truth to the truism of “good fences ma e good neighbors.” When pic ets are oriented Building-Products.com
WHILE the rigidity of a traditional welded fence requires stair-stepping of panels on hills and slopes, a rackable fence like Fortress’ Versai ornamental steel fencing adjusts to follow the contour of the landscape.
horizontally, they offer an aesthetically pleasing visual for homeowners on both sides of the fence literally . Select composite fence manufacturers offer horizontal options that deliver the old-school charm that wood provides without the propensity to decompose from the effects of weathering. Such options satisfy buyer s design-oriented preferences and bolster channel reputability, ma ing the case for wood alternative building products. Capitalize on the continued boom in outdoor home renovation spending in 2021 and grow profit margins. We re confident that assessing stoc ing options ahead of prime building season holds the ey to a profitable year for all. With attention paid to wood alternative fencing materials, dealers and distributors can offer customers the missing piece of the bac yard e uation meeting demand for high-design perimeter solutions. In turn, the channel can maximize profit margins and capitalize on this unprecedented boom in outdoor home improvement spending. – Tom Leahy is the director, channel sales at Fortress Building Products. Leahy has extensive experience in sales, marketing and product management across the building materials industry. He currently leads the sales organization for Fortress, working directly with the one-step wholesale distribution to better serve customers and support product expansion both inside and outside of the fence category (www.fortressbp.com).
February 2021 n Building Products Digest n
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INDUSTRY Trends By David Koenig
PURPLE? NO PROBLEM! Aluminum railing manufacturers can create near limitless custom colors using powder coatings. (Photo by Duradek)
Become a deck railing color expert Selling from the growing spectrum of options white vinyl railings on every dec have given way to a rainbow of railing colors, enabled by the latest manufacturing technologies and the expanding imaginations of designers. With now near-unlimited options, how can dealers help guide customers to the best color choice for their dec railing pro ect “Choosing the right railing defines your home, and selecting the right color is as important on the outside of the home as it is on the inside,” says Andrew Pantelides, P of mareting and business development for Regal ideas. “When it comes to doors, trim, shutters and furniture, the color trends we are seeing are ones of eye-catching colors that define personality and style. More and more homeowners are viewing their outdoor spaces as an extension of their indoors.” Certainly, railing color choice is a critical decision in planning a pro ect. When you wal out onto a dec , your eyes are usually going to see the railing first. According to Steven Phillips, product manager in charge of railing for rex, “ ur focus is on ma ing sure consumers have safe but inspiring choices that complement any dec ing
T
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n Building Products Digest n February 2021
color. Earth tones li e intage Lantern a chocolate brown compliment safer choices li e Classic White and Charcoal Blac . Softer tones li e Rope Swing and Gravel Path give consumers more outside-the-box options that aren t too polarizing. owever, ma ing sure the channel can support inventory re uirements is always critical, so the color palette has to be selected carefully.” Fairway s aluminum systems come in three different colors, steel railings in two, and cellular P C in white. “ hose three railing technologies aluminum, steel and cellular P C cover three color categories in blac , bronze and white, which represent about of mar et demand,” said Chase Moritz, mar eting manager for parent Envision ec ing. “Within those technologies, we offer varying finish options as well. extured colors are some of our fastest growing products.” SpecRail has been twea ing its color options based on customer feedbac . Standard colors for its aluminum railings are blac , white and bronze. he company used to offer green and sandstone as standard, but they were discontinued due to lac of demand. “Blac is the prominent color for both our Building-Products.com
railing and fence products by far,” shared oseph Moriarty, new business development manager. “ epending on certain regions of the country, white is preferable. Bronze is still popular and a viable preference for many pro ects.” SpecRail also offers custom colors, usually “one-offs” to meet the re uirements of certain obs. Recently, custom red has been popular. “Customers provide a RA color code,” Moriarty said. “ hese situations re uire a specific supplier uote on coating material and our set-up process time based on pro ect volume.”
Making theISChoice CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY on a new TFL plant in Klamath Falls,
Or.,Before to meet choosing growing demand in thecolor, West. dealers should understand a railing the customer s style and home architecture including materiWilsonart Expands inthey West als used li e wood or composite,TFL and how use their outWilsonart Engineered Surfaces broken on door area. RailF s Brenda Collonshas says, “ his ground will li ely a newa thermally laminate (TFL)style facilitydointhey Klamath drive customersfused selection of railing want Falls, Or. to blend in, ma ing a la e or mountain view the the railing Expected operational by July 2021, the hero, or stand to outbe as fully a design feature And will the outdoor new be facility feature a quick-cycle press, which will area used will for entertainment, family including children, significantly increase production capabilities on the West pets and older adults its , games or pool use nce style Coast. has been chosen, colors can complement the decision. Colors offerings tremendous evo“Our e moods, whichhave drivesgarnered the preference of stocsupport versus from both specifiers and design.” fabricators,” said Ron Ubertini, custom colors for the final VP-product management. is a key part ofcolor, that ista Railing Systems Eri “TFL Flic agrees “Building offering, and this next expansion is apreference continuation of into our geographic environment, and personal all go strategy enable usprocess. to meetAsgrowing demand and White better the colortoselection an example, Gloss serve our customers.” tends to be very popular in coastal areas as a general rule. More urban environments might tend to have color schemes where a Gloss Blac is more a fit.the extured finishes such Lowe’s Bulking Upof in West as To extured are certainly rising popularity as well meet Blac fast-growing demand forinbuilding materials, based changing color Centers, schemes Mooresville, and the factN.C., that they Lowe’supon Home Improvement will are easier eep clean in some cases than the glossmuch colors.” invest $1.7tobillion to update its supply chain—with of
the expansion centered across the western United States. Over the past 18 months, Lowe’s opened more than a dozen facilities, including in Riverside, Ca. Over the coming year and a half, the chain is expected to open 50 more cross-dock terminals, seven bulk distribution centers, and four e-commerce fulfillment centers. It recently inked deals for new distribution space in California, Arizona and Washington, among other states. In October, Lowe’s opened a West Coast e-commerce fulfillment center in Mira Loma, Ca., said to improve two-day deliveries. Lowe’s has leased 116,934-sq. ft. in a new industrial park in Gilbert, Az., to open a distribution and fulfillment center in early 2021. It reportedly also agreed to lease 1.2 million sq. ft. at the GORGEOUS VIEWS Northwest are maximized with railings that blend into the Benaroya Pacific Regional Logistics Center in background. (Photo by Regal ideas) Winlock, Wa. o simplify the railing selection process, rex s PhilSecond-Hand Reopens lips suggests using one Lumberyard of what rex calls the “three Cs” to achieve a successful dec ing and railing pairing in Flagstaff Coordinate. oufor cannearly nevernine go wrong by selecting railAfter being closed years, E.R.I.C. Building ing in theFlagstaff, same shade dec ing darowner. brown railSupply, Az., as hasyour reopened with i.e., a new ingConstruction for a dar brown decveteran , or light gray Dahozy railing topurchased compleindustry Darwin ment light gray creates a cozy, well-coordinated the business andboards. inventory,his and reopened in early October after loo and of is aprepping great approach for ris -averse a month the long-vacant space.homeowners. He admits their Contrast. If you finding a perfect match for current collection of have used,trouble recycled and discarded building the dec ing if yourmore customer is open to trying something materials will orrequire time to organize, so initially will different consider a contrasting railing color, as blacto be closed on Mondays through Wednesdays as itsuch continues or white. are classic options that complement virtually “clean up Both and organize.” anyDahozy, outdoor49, setting. Classic loo years s crisp against deep moved to the white area two ago looking to brown boards is idealafter for highlighting dec sand debuy or dec start his ownand business, a career as aawelder sign and features. Alternately, residential/commercial fencer. if you re wor ing with lighter
Deck Building Solutions • 866-767-1850 • www.suredrive.com • sales@suredrive.com Building-Products.com 32 n The Merchant Magazine
n
November 2020
February 2021 n Building Products Digest n 15 Building-Products.com
WITH 12 STANDARD colors (above), Diggers Industries believes it has an option to coordinate its aluminum railings with any outdoor space. Note how (at right) the darker railings play off the gray deck. (Images by DSI)
colored dec ing, a contrasted loo can be achieved by selecting dar er railing. ar colors give a dec a modern loo and feel. hey also are a good choice for clients loo ing to showcase their home s natural surroundings since dar railings tend to visually blend into the bac ground. Customize. For design-savvy homeowners loo ing for the distinctive, go for a completely customized loo . on t be afraid to mix colors and materials, such as combining dar aluminum railing and balusters with white composite posts, to create a dramatic loo that delivers a sophisticated mixture of texture and color. ther tips o optimize a great view, thin balusters finished in blac are a good choice as they tend to optically blend into the environment, putting more visual emphasis on the natural surroundings. Save thic er, tightly spaced balusters for a not-so-appealing view or to deter nosy neighbors. Rails should naturally blend with the environment. his brings the feeling of being closer to nature. So not only consider how the railings play off of the dec and home, but also how they loo facing away, into nature. Railings should define a space naturally vs. becoming an obtrusive barrier. ar colors, li e blac and bronze, tend to blend in with a structure from afar, while white and lighter colors will stand out in contrast to the home. Colors with more gloss retention typically have less U brea down fading than matte finish colors. Gloss finishes re ect more sunlight, so in a very sunny area, a textured finish on aluminum is often a better choice Chec on the finish. ow does it loo and feel oes it leave fingerprints, or stain A textured finish affects both loo and feel. According to Regal
16
ideas Pantelides, “ ur textured finish provides a depth of richness to the paint as the light shines on it.” Rarely do you see high-end railing materials that are glossy and shiny. rex s aluminum and composite railings feature matte finishes that add a rich loo to an overall pro ect.
Pick a Color, Any Color
Atlantis Rail offers two cable railing systems with different color options the N A II aluminum cable railing system in white, blac and bronze, and the Spectrum System stainless steel cable railing system with stainless steel s uare posts powder-coated blac , pure white, metallic silver, dar brown, light brown, or pebble gray. In recent years, Atlantis Rail has started to offer color options due to customer demand. “For a long time we only offered a brushed or polished stainless steel finish,” said mar eting manager Carey ic s. “We are offering much lower maintenance options for adding color to railing systems versus painted wood. he color options that we offer are neutral and blend nicely with many different designs and environments. “It is definitely a customer preference as to which color they choose, but we have noticed that with exterior color palettes expanding, including window trims, customers are loo ing to match their railing to their trim. Also, color selection depends on the style that the customer wants to showcase. If the railing is on the ocean, some customers opt for a white cable railing system to give a nautical feel. If the railing was going on a residence in the mountains or woods, the customer may opt for a blac or dar brown railing system so as to blend with nature and not interfere with the environment.” he proliferation of literally hun-
n Building Products Digest n February 2021
dreds of different dec railing colors is primarily attribute to advances in powder-coating. urade s aluminum railings come in standard and over custom colors. “ he ability to provide custom colors in railing and fencing products is important to ensure a good match to a home s window coverings or window sidings,” notes Blair oliday, urarail sales manager. “ he most important thing is using a super durable powder for the finish.” igger Specialties, Inc. offers standard AAMA colors for its Westbury aluminum railing, A A andrail, and B Series balusters in its PolyRail vinyl railing line, chosen specifically to play off homeowners dec s, homes, gardens and yards. “We believe your outdoor living space should match your style and color palette,” explains mar eting manager Mary Gearhart. “Every year the dec ing industry adds colors to their dec ing options, paint companies add colors to their exterior home colors, and vinyl siding companies add new color options to their color offerings. We have a standard color that can accent the colors in your outdoor living space. But you don t have to stop there SI offers a custom color program for all our aluminum products. ou provide a color sample, we match it to an AAMA color.” Ultimately, the most important factor is what loo s good to the client. “It really is a matter of personal preference and aesthetics,” said eremiah ershberger, product manager for Superior Plastics, which provides vinyl railing in three colors and aluminum in four. “We offer so many colors because people li e to have options for a customized railing, but all of our aluminum and vinyl colors are powder-coated or manufactured to last, so it really doesn t matter from a functional perspective.” Building-Products.com
®
FIRST Person With Steve Lillard
Treated right
Madison Wood president looks back on 40 years in wood preserving S L will be retiring at the end of the year as president of Madison Wood, Madison, a. e started in the yard in , moved to sales months later, was promoted to sales manager in , P of sales in , and president in . is longevity and rise “from the ground up” serve as a testament to the lumber industry and an inspiration to others that through hard wor and dedication, they too can climb the ladder to success. Lillard loo s bac and ahead with BPD Tell us about joining Madison Wood. I started at Madison Wood in stac ing lumber by hand for an hour. Bac then we didn t have ob titles li e we do today. I would have been considered “manual staging.” Within two wee s, they graduated me to operating a for lift. I was years old at the time and had ust graduated from irginia ech with a forestry degree. What was your favorite part about your position? I ve really en oyed seeing our ideas become reality. We ve witnessed significant growth through the years, most of which began with pencil, paper and a dream. With a lot of collaboration and elbow grease, we were able to bring those visions to life. I ve always said that I have “sawdust in my blood.” It has been fun to watch my fellow co-wor ers develop that same love for this industry. Did you ever want to give up? What made you stay? My first wee I nearly wal ed off the yard. aving a degree, I assumed I should start out at a des in an air-conditioned, furnished o ce. Stac ing heavy timbers by hand seemed degrading. hat Friday afternoon, William Price CE , Bill Price s father sent me
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STEVE LILLARD
to the store to buy six beers. he six managers sat down and we had a beer while discussing the wee . For some reason, that made it all seem special. hat s when I realized what it was li e to wor for a family-owned business. What’s your favorite thing about Madison Wood? he people. Whether employees, suppliers or customers, they all brought something special to the table. Which of your supervisors taught you the most? Bill Price, the current CE of Madison Wood. hrough his guidance and mentorship, I was given the opportunity to learn on the y. e put his trust in me to run his company, and supported me through thic and thin. I was the first president that was not related to the original owners. I had big shoes to fill. What insight would you give to the person who takes your place? here is always going to be someone not happy for some reason. Focusing on those can mas the good things that you do everyday for those that are happy. What was the hardest year the company faced and how did your team endure? Wow. here have been many
n Building Products Digest n February 2021
tough years. he recession of comes to mind, though we were able to survive. I m proud to report that since we ve never had a layoff. he toughest year to navigate had to be . With C I , in March, we didn t now if we would remain open. hat was especially hard on me because I ve always felt responsible for the wellbeing of our employees and their families. In April, when the wood industry was classified as essential, our people responded and performed at a level I have never witnessed. We faced challenge after challenge. With the support of our customers, a lot of communication and planning, they were able to turn into a record year for the company. What is the greatest lesson you learned as an employee? Patience, hard wor , and dedication are noticed more than you can ever imagine. As a manager? Ma ing decisions can be di cult. I as ed Bill Price once how he handles situations that seem to be in that gray area. is advice “Go bac to your heart for the answer.” I ve held onto that advice dearly through the years and it reminds me why I chose to wor for a company that advocates for high morals and values. As the president? Ma e decisions as a team. It s a lot easier to get the horse and wagon across the finish line when everyone is pushing from behind. What’s next for you? I will ta e an advisory role in the company on a part-time basis for a couple of years to ensure a smooth transition. I hope to spend more time with my four grandsons. Maybe wor on my golf handicap, and get bac into hunting and fishing. I will certainly be ta ing my Cuda out for a spin more often. Building-Products.com
PRODUCT Spotlight By Robin West
The APA panel trademark explained APA provides a lot of useful information for builders and specifiers. APA trademar ed panels are suitable for a variety of end uses including sub ooring, single-layer ooring, wall and roof sheathing, ceiling dec sheathing and more. Panels can be manufactured in a variety of finishes, thic nesses and bond classifications depending on the intended application. APA Performance Rated Panels are easy to use and specify since the recommended end use and other helpful information is clearly indicated in the trademar located on the panel. APA he Engineered Wood Association provides guidance on interpreting the APA trademar to help you select and specify the right panel for the ob.
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1. Panel Grade
Structural panel grades are generally identified in terms of the plywood veneer grades used on the face and bac of the panel e.g., A-B, B-C , or by a name suggesting the panel s intended end use e.g., APA Rated Sheathing, APA Rated Sturd-I-Floor also nown as single oor . eneer grades define veneer attributes in terms of natural unrepaired growth characteristics and allowable number and
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n Building Products Digest n February 2021
size of repairs that may be made during manufacture. he highest uality veneer grade commonly available is A. he minimum grade of veneer permitted in Exterior plywood is C-grade. -grade veneer is only permitted to be used in panels intended for applications protected from long-term exposure to weather.
2. Span Rating
he span rating for APA Rated Sheathing is presented as two numbers separated by a slash. he left-hand number is the maximum recommended center-to-center spacing for supports in inches when the panel is used for roof sheathing with long dimensions across supports. he right-hand number is the maximum center-to-center spacing of supports in inches when the panel is used for sub ooring with the long dimension across supports. he span rating on APA Rated Sturd-I-Floor underlayment and APA Rated Siding panels appears as a single number. Span ratings for APA Rated Sturdi-I-Floor and underlayment panels, li e those for APA Rated Sheathing, are based on application of the panel with the long dimension or strength axis across three or more supports.
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n lassi ati n APA trademar ed panels may be produced in two moisture-resistant bond classifications Exterior and Exposure . he classifications are based on the severity and duration of weather and moisture exposure the panels are designed to withstand, and the wood materials and adhesives used in manufacture. Exterior Panels ave bonds capable of withstanding repeated wetting and redrying or long-term exposure to weather or other conditions of similar severity. Exposure 1 Panels Suitable for uses not involving longterm exposure to weather. Panels classified as Exposure are intended to resist the effects of moisture on structural performance during construction or similar conditions. Exposure panels may also be used when exposure to the outdoors is protected from direct exposure, such as the underside of panels at roof overhangs, although appearance characteristics of the panel grade should also be considered. Exposure panels are made with the same exterior adhesives used in Exterior panels. owever, because other panel compositional factors may affect bond performance, only Exterior panels should be used for long-term exposure to the weather.
5. Decimal Thickness Declaration
his value is generally at or near the lower tolerance specified in PS or PS .
6. Mill Number
Manufacturing mill identification number.
7. Product Standard
An industry product manufacturing or performance specification. oluntary Product Standard PS for Structural Plywood was developed cooperatively by the plywood industry and U.S. epartment of Commerce. oluntary Product Standard PS - , Performance Standard for Wood Structural Panels, establishes performance criteria for specific designated construction applications.
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8. Performance Category
he term “Performance Category” is a panel designation related to the panel thic ness range that is lin ed to the nominal panel thic ness designations used in the International Building Code IBC and International Residential Code IRC . 9. Siding Face Grade he grade identification of siding face based on the number of repairs and appearance characteristics. 10. Group Number Structural plywood can be manufactured from over species of wood. hese species are divided based on strength and stiffness into five groups under PS . Strongest species are in Group , the next strongest in Group and so on. he group number that appears in the trademar on some APA trademar ed panels, primarily panels with no span rating, is based on the species used for face and bac veneers or upon e uivalent strength testing of the panel. Chec local availability if a particular species is desired. 11. HUD Recognition Recognition of wood-based Performance Rated panels is contained in Use of Materials Bulletin UM- . 12. Panel Grade–Canadian Standard Some APA panels are manufactured to both U.S. and Canadian standards and carry a dual mar , as shown in the Rated Sheathing mar above. ther panels may carry a single mar for either the U.S. or Canadian standard. 13. Panel Mark Rating and end-use designation, Canadian standard. In the Canadian span mar ing, the “R” signifies roofs and the “F” represents sub oors. 14. Canadian Construction Sheathing Standard 15. Panel Face Orientation Indicator – Learn more and download a free printable copy of APA’s panel trademark guide at www.apawood.org.
February 2021 n Building Products Digest n
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COMPETITIVE Intelligence By Carla Waldemar
Go, Kentuckiana!
gurus advise us strivers to learn a new word a day. Well, today is Monday, and my new word is entuc iana. It s the location of PC ome Center, based in New Albany, In. right across the hio River from
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Louisville, y. Get it “I can loo out my window and see the city s yline right now,” declares owner avid Stemler. e wandered into the industry bac in soon after college by signing on at an outfit called PC Paneling
AT PC, David Stemler quickly transitioned from the outfit’s first employee to its owner.
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n Building Products Digest n February 2021
the company s first hire. ne of his initial tas s was helping in the move from a converted bowling alley into a former ice-house down the street, which meant trundling the inventory Armstrong ceilings, plastic moulding and such by hand, for lac of a for lift. he next move, in the mids, was to what once was a rollers ating rin to accommodate the outfit s increased inventory, which now included lumber, windows and doors, moulding and trim. When the company s owner died unexpectedly in , avid, now , was faced with a choice to ma e in a hurry buy the business, or wor for somebody else. Easy decision, save for one fact he young man had no cash. With the help of his former boss s estate and an Andersen Windows distributor, he was able to ta e over the company and all it entailed including the dubious privilege of wor ing -hour wee s . Seven years later, PC had again outgrown its footprint and sought yet-another site. his time, no ice house, no s ating rin avid decided to build from the ground up. Since then, than s to three expansions, it now occupies , s . ft. upon seven acres, and its employee count of has mushroomed to over manning what s become the largest independent, family-owned showroom in entuc iana. But why stop there In , avid purchased a former Stoc Building Supply yard in Sellersburg, In., minutes and a world away. “ ou don t want to do that,” insiders counseled. But he did. Why “Because it was so cheap ” avid laughs. And so lucrative, he might add. he . -acre site anchors a , s . ft. building in what s now entuc iana s biggest locally-owner lumber and hardware Building-Products.com
A PERFECT COMPLEMENT to its sister lumberyard location in Sellersburg, PC’s home center in New Albany has expanded three times to become the largest kitchen, bath, window and door showroom in the region.
store where Louisville s contractors cross the river to purchase their lumber and a whole lot more. “ he two stores complement each other they re not the same mar et,” attests avid. “ hey couldn t be more different,” he points out. he New Albany store carries everything from the ground up except drywall. It woos the ladies with its showroom displays of cabinets, itchens, lighting. he site in Sellersburg draws contractor customers with “big piles of lumber a large pro lumberyard, with millwor and such one store plush, the other rough, a mom-and-pop-type atmosphere,” he explains. “We mar et bac and forth. Sellersburg is li e a large neighborhood hardware store, friendly and helpful. It got us through the recent down-time. he right people there turned it around.” Spea ing of people “We hire for a good personality, then offer training. We tell them, he more you now, the more you re valuable, and the more money you can ma e. ” PC deals primarily with contractor customers nearly of business is driven by pros. et in avid added a glitzy new showroom, as if catering to wal -ins. Again, why “For the Wow Factor,” he explains. “ o give people confidence in us. wo hundred thousand dollars of Andersen and Marvin displays and a lovely s ylight. Plus, if we ever have another recession , it s something to fall bac on.” Meanwhile, he s got the pros in his poc et those builders and remodelers of custom homes are going crazy with new business in these days of C I . “ ur outside salesmen are a big in uence in bringing in the big-volume builders. hey re relationship people,” declares the boss. “We ta e super-care of our customers, and do things right if we screw up, we say so. And we now the customer is always right even when he isn t . Word-ofmouth is our best advertising because our builders are in love with us and they tal to each other.” PC s contractor customers have proved loyal allies. “ hey li e us because,” avid stops to ponder “one, we re the only independent left in the metro. ur service is superb. We scramble to ma e good on on-time, in-full deliveries.” PC also rewards its strongest pros with trips li e s iing in Colorado or sailing in warm waters “paid Building-Products.com
for
out of my poc et, not vendors .” Worried about any competition Worried might not be the right word annoyed is more li e it when potential customers blindly head to the many boxes populating Louisville “yet they expect so much more service from us than the mediocre level they get for what they consider the supposedly cheaper prices at the boxes.” here s a huge difference, however. “We re not corporate-owned, so we can ma e decisions on the y. We try to do things right no shortcuts. We wor on continuous improvements and treating customers with respect. We continue to learn, though it s not always easy we re always wor ing on it.” If only the economy would cooperate, right “Appraisals and prices on homes are sliding downward, but still we re having a record year. han s to C I , customers want dec s, outdoor spaces, more home pro ects. Lovely, if we can get the materials et the rising price of lumber, by supply-and-demand, has helped us good margins. ur city brags about a casino gambling boat on the river, but with lumber prices changing twice a wee , I don t need a boat to gamble ” he laughs. avid, , is far from counting the days years until retirement. “I have no ids, so the business is my baby, my family. I li e to build things, to see the pretty showroom, so I have no interest in selling out. I m not staying in it for the money I love to give money away, to the Salvation Army, to cancer funds. I gave out green light bulbs for a C I -awareness cause. My plan for the company is, to eventually give half of it to my employees and half to the trust of a charity.” In the meantime, it s full steam ahead and another record-setting year, with a few twea s along the way to ensure PC s continued success “I ve learned that you can t be everything to everybody Stic to your niche ” Carla Waldemar cwaldemar comcast.net February 2021 n Building Products Digest n
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OLSEN on Sales By James Olsen
It’s emotional
is emotional. We decide with our hearts and then ustify our decisions with our “logical” brain. Change ma es us uncomfortable. A worldwide pandemic and social upheaval represent big, emotion-laden change for all of us. Staying focused with so much clamoring for our attention is a challenge. We must set limits on how much we are going to pay attention to the outside world, if at all, during wor hours and stay on tas vs. staying on the internet worrying and tal ing about things beyond our control. Sales is a transfer of emotion. Master Sellers control theirs. ne of the earmar s of a great seller is that we can t tell what ind of day they are having. Master Sellers plan their wor and wor their plan. hey don t let the outside world affect how they perform. f course, they prefer to have good days than poor days, but they now how to stay on course. Many sellers are ruled by their emotions. If they are having a tough time in their personal lives, their sales performance shows it. he Master Seller eeps their life in compartments. he Master Seller uses wor as a refuge when things in their personal lives are wobbling. Master Sellers now how to put on their “happy face” when it s game time.
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Prospecting—It’s Emotional
Prospecting is arguably the most di cult thing we do. It ta es emotional fortitude to call prospects a day and maybe find two potential customers. Master Sellers embrace the challenge, while most sellers don t prospect in any ind of professional, focused way. hey seldom prospect, therefore aren t uid when they do it, thus getting poor results, which creates the vicious circle of poor results, reluctance and non-performance for bringing in new business. Most sellers prospect when it s slow or when they lose a big account. Master Sellers have a disciplined, scheduled approach to prospecting as part of their overall plan of attac .
Overcoming Objections—It’s Emotional
Most sellers don t as for the order When I first started, I read a boo by om op ins that said that of sellers don t as for the order. I couldn t believe it. aving coached salespeople for years, I have to agree with that number. Most sellers do a form of the following Quotron “Mrs. Customer, I have a car of x s I can get into you at MBF, what d ya thin ”
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n Building Products Digest n February 2021
Customer “ han s for the number. I appreciate it. I ll let you now.”
Since they don t as for the order, these sellers never have to overcome an ob ection, because they never get them another vicious circle of non-performance. he Master Seller as s for the order every time and is ready and willing, intellectually, and more importantly, emotionally, to overcome ob ections. vercoming ob ections is a low-percentage business. nce a customer has said no, it will be more di cult to get them to say yes, but Master Sellers do it every day. But even a closing percentage on ob ections will produce and extra . orders per day in a -call day. Multiply . x wor ing days extra order a month, which is why Master Sellers ma e four times the average.
Closing—It’s Emotional
We ma e two emotional mista es in closing. First, we are too nervous and timid. hese emotions are transferred directly to the customer, ma ing them nervous and timid also. Wanting the order too badly is the other emotional mista e. his ma es us too aggressive, which is off-putting, sends the message that we don t care, and is easy to say no to. Master Sellers are positively, naively assumptive. hey are relaxed because they now why their deal is good for the customer and they now the customer will say yes. his is the dichotomy of the Master Seller they are realistic in nowing that not everyone will say yes, but their positive self-tal and attitude ignore that “realistic” fact.
Sales—It’s Emotional
I tell my students, “We re not going to smart our way to the top of the sales business.” We wor much harder than the average and we relate to our customers on a human emotional level while controlling our own... emotions. James Olsen Reality Sales raining ames realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com
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TRANSFORMING Teams By Claudia St. John
Mandating the vaccine a close, we started fielding uestions from clients about whether they could re uire employees to obtain a C I - vaccine as a condition of employment. hese uestions were spar ed by the initial rollout of vaccinations for front-line health care wor ers and nursing home residents and the alarming spi e of C I infections across the country during the holiday season. While vaccination of the general population is still a few months away, many of our clients have been deemed essential businesses and therefore will li ely have access to the vaccine ahead of the general population. So while the uestion of whether to re uire a C I vaccine isn t imminent for most businesses, now is the time to thin about what your strategy will be.
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Can employers require employees to get vaccinated? he answer to this uestion essentially is yes. In ecember, the EE C issued guidance stating that a C I vaccine, administered by an employer or a third-party administrator on behalf of an employer is not a medical examination and is permissible. While the EE C deemed such a re uirement permissible, they stated that employers should have a well-articulated business reason for re uiring the vaccine, such as the need to protect the health of employees or clients, or the need to travel, wor with vulnerable populations, or wor in close uarters with others. he EE C also cautioned that employers must provide “reasonable accommodation” to employees who either are unable to receive a vaccine due to a medical condition or due to a “sincerely held religious belief.” A reasonable accommodation may include allowing an employee to wor from home, isolate from other wor ers, or signifi-
Q. Can I as an employer require my employees to get a vaccine for COVID?
A. Yes, the EEOC recently advised that employers are within their rights to require a COVID vaccine as a condition of employment. Employers must, however, provide reasonable accommodation for those who cannot take the vaccine due either to a medical condition or to a sincerely held religious belief as provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. At this point, our recommendation to employers is to start with a positive, voluntary program before wading into the challenges posed by mandating the vaccine. Of course, we encourage employers to seek our advice or the advice of legal counsel before moving forward with a policy. 28
n Building Products Digest n February 2021
cantly ad ust wor duties to provide protections from the general employee population. Under the Americans with isabilities Act A A and itle II of the Civil Rights Act, employers must allow reasonable accommodations such as these as long as providing the accommodation doesn t cause “undue hardship” for the employer. he EE C also cautioned employers who plan on re uiring a vaccination to be careful not to violate employees rights when as ing the sort of health screening uestions that will li ely be necessary in order to ensure there are no underlying medical reasons for which the employee should not receive a vaccine. Because of this, the EE C advises that employers should consider ma ing vaccinations voluntary or should have a third party administer all aspects of the vaccination process. Along the same lines, if the employer plans to re uire proof of vaccination, they need to ta e care not to pursue the reasons why an employee was unable to obtain the vaccine. hat s unless they can argue that the employer had a reasonable belief that the employee s refusal to provide their own protected medical information concerning their inability to receive the vaccine poses a significant ris of substantial harm to the health or safety of the individual or others. In other words, be ready for a lawsuit. o be safe, if an employer elects to re uire a C I vaccine, they must Exercise care in administering the vaccine and consider outsourcing the entire process to a third party Refrain from as ing any unnecessary health screening uestions eep confidential any medical information received from employees, and Be prepared to engage with any employees who re uest accommodation or see an exemption from the vaccination due to medical or religious reasons. We strongly encourage employers to also lead by examBuilding-Products.com
ple in their approach to ta ing the vaccine and, thereafter, to continue to maintain safe social distancing and use of PPE. In the case of employees re uiring reasonable accommodation, you should consider and review each case carefully before ta ing an adverse action against an employee for failing to obtain a vaccine. It is also important not to substitute your wants and opinions for those of the employee s doctor who is ma ing the determination on whether the employee should receive the vaccine. And for those who cannot ta e the vaccine, it is important not to discriminate, retaliate, harass or otherwise disadvantage the employee in terms of ob duties and pay as a result of their inability to get inoculated. Also be careful to eep all information confidential and not communicate who has and has not been vaccinated. Finally, if you are considering re uiring a vaccine, you may want to ta e stoc of how your employees responded to many of the precautionary measures you may have re uired over the past few months, including following social distancing protocols, consistent and appropriate wearing of mas s, and overall compliance with the safety protocols put in place since the outbrea of C I . If maintaining a safe wor force was challenging, you can anticipate the issues related to mandating, communicating, educating, trac ing and accommodating employees during this process will be e ually if not more challenging. Just because they can require a vaccine, doesn’t mean they should. ur advice for employers is to ta e steps toward encouraging vaccines before they decide to mandate them. For a number of reasons, employees may be reluctant to get a vaccine either because of legitimate health concerns or religious beliefs, or because of personal beliefs, privacy issues, and or political concerns. While mandating the vaccine may be ultimately appropriate, we advise employers to encourage vaccines as a first step. If ta ing this approach, employers could Encourage vaccinations as part of a larger wor place wellness campaign, supported by goals and challenges and positive incentives Provide educational campaigns for employees to address concerns, including perhaps inviting a medical professional to address employees confidential health concerns Give employees time off with pay to obtain the vaccine and, if necessary, to convalesce from the inoculation, and Lead by example by ta ing the first vaccine and celebrating the first step toward beating the pandemic. We’re not out of the woods yet. Finally, although the end of the pandemic seems within sight, we are still battling the highest level of infections at any point since the pandemic started. he virus is increasingly contagious if not virulent and even those who get vaccines will still need to mas and socially distance until more about the disease can be learned. For the time being, stay vigilant in protecting your employees, your clients, and your communities and spend some time now imagining how you and your employees will celebrate when this wretched disease is behind us Claudia St. John SP R, S RM-SCP, President A nity R Group contact a nityhrgroup.com Building-Products.com
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LUMBER 411
A Special Series from Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association
By Jeff Easterling
Unique uses for wood: NH riding facility short brea from our traditional wood information and ta e a pee at a uni ue end use of eastern white pine a therapeutic horse riding program. In New ampshire s Connecticut River alley, close to the ermont border, Full Circle Farm has been in business since ecember . While firmly established as a successful horse riding facility, a new owner had a larger vision expand
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existing services to include a therapeutic riding program. he farm is something to behold the -acre property offers anything and everything riders of all levels could want a variety of riding trails criss-cross the property and are groomed regularly. otting the landscape are large paddoc s, three barns, wash stalls, a tac room, water complex, cross country field, galloping trac , outdoor rings,
and indoor riding arena. Services at the farm include riding lessons for all s ill levels, full-service horse boarding, and specialized clinics. he three barns hold upwards of stalls combined, many with dropdown grills to allow the horses to socialize with visitors in the aisles. A heated tac room ta es a little of the edge off winter riding, while large loc ers, itchenettes and accessible bathrooms are present throughout the property.
A Necessary Expansion
OUT OF THE GAIT: Eastern white pine was used generously in new horse riding facility.
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Launched in April , Full Circle Farm s year-round therapeutic riding program is designed for both children and adults, and offers mounted and unmounted activities. o accomplish the growth of the program, the indoor riding arena was chosen for expansion. riginally constructed in , the metal building measured x . he vision was to build in lifts, waiting areas, and additional elements to allow the expansion of the program, with an eye to basic provisions li e a space for guests to tac their horse in the same barn in which they would ride, while protecting them from the elements. elping bring the vision to life local partners La alley Building Supply and im Martin of ames Martin Builders. ogether, the team concepted, designed, and constructed an addition to the indoor arena. Completed in the spring of , the new spaces are useful and beautiful. A much-needed itchenette and accessible bathroom were added
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to the first floor, along with three stalls for riders to ready their horses indoors. A new wooden lift and ramp allow riders to mount horses with ease, while friends and family chec out the action from a gorgeous observation dec .
Why Wood?
Featured throughout the new addition is eastern white pine. a e a closer loo at the ceilings, walls, itchen and office you ll see this beautiful, natural, renewable, local product adds beauty, strength and elegance to every surface. Additionally, the natural loo only found in real wood adds authenticity to outdoor activity structures li e the indoor riding arena addition. “ he interior wood gives this structure a soft loo . It s a warm feeling, with a nice finished loo ,” adds Martin. “We d used eastern white pine before on two structures at the farm, and it was easy and fast to install. Choosing this beautiful product again was a no-brainer.” When it came to product specifics, the team chose New ampshirebased urgin Crowell s Enhance product. Pre-coated, U -cured eastern white pine paneling products ma e the warmth of wood easy, safe, practical and affordable. Martin appreciated the readiness of the product “ he high grade is second to none. We wanted the addition completed uic ly, which is why we chose this pre-coated eastern white pine product. he super-high- uality of the wood e ualed our overall goals in building the addition We wanted the best of the best, for the best. Everything here is wood wood is calming, wood is comforting. Loo ing at a Sheetroc wall can be arring now our guests, visitors, and employees are surrounded by natural warmth. Any installation is easy when you have a great product It s perfect.” With approximately , bd. ft. of x premium grade eastern white pine installed in the indoor riding arena, Martin ac nowledged that he s wor ed with wood his entire career, with no plans to change anytime soon “It s all I now ” – Jeff Easterling is president of Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. Reach him at info@nelma.org.
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In , Madison, a.-based MWP Building Supply merged with Blue Ridge Builders Supply in Crozet and Blue Ridge Paint ecorating Store in Charlottesville. All three locations are now adopting the new name, new logo on signage, truc s and advertising, and new tagline “Count on Cardinal.” POST-MERGER, Virginia chain is taking on a new name for all three locations.
MWP Blue Ridge Now Cardinal
wo years after a merger, threeunit irginia chain MWP Blue Ridge Building Supply is rebranding as Cardinal ome Center.
Culpeper Purchases Massachusetts Treating Plant
C u l p e p e r Wo o d P r e s e r v e r s , Culpeper, a., has ac uired Bestway s treating plant in Lancaster, Ma., which will now operate as Culpeper Wood of New England.
With the ac uisition, Culpeper Wood Preservers now has treating plants and one column manufacturing facility that serve states from Georgia to Chicago to Maine. “ We a r e e x c i t e d a b o u t t h i s opportunity and strategic addition to our company. We will have access to new mar ets and further expand our footprint in the Northeast,” noted Culpeper president onathan en ins. “As we head into our th year, we will continue to build our business on the partnerships we have forged with both our vendors and customers.”
DEALER Briefs Eldredge Lumber & Hardware, York, Me., acquired distributor Selectwood, Portsmouth, N.H. Westlake Ace Hardware is opening a 16,600-sq. ft. store in Derby, Ks., in July. 84 Lumber opened a 60,000-sq. ft. door shop in Dallas, Tx. The first co-branded Andersen
Windows + Doors x 84 Lumber showroom in Rockville, Md.
Beardstown True Value Hardware , Beardstown, Il., will relocate to the former site of R&H Farm & Home by March 1. Orion True Value Hardware, Orion, Il., was acquired by new owners, who plan to stock lumber and plywood.
How Southern Lumber’s acreage went down, but its
business went up.
Costello’s Ace Hardware Sip’s Ace Paint & Hardware , Long Branch, N.J., has purchased
When the SC Highway Department took two of Southern Lumber’s seven acres, the owners wanted to keep operating in their shrunken space without shrinking their SKUs. We analyzed their inventory and how their customers interacted with it. Then we reconfigured their yard down to every bin and slot and rebuilt it vertically on the remaining five acres. They operated with minimal disruptions throughout the process, did more business in a smaller space, and had their three best years ever.
Watch the video for the full story at sunbelt-rack.com/stories
as its 37th location. It will rebrand as Costello’s Ace in 2022.
Heins Hardware, Port Austin, Mi., was sold by Ray and Lisa Heins to Thumb Cooling & Heating. Ace Hardware is adding a new
branch in Alma, Mi.
Henkle’s Ace Hardware , Webb City, Mo., is targeting an April 1 opening of a 10,000-sq. ft. sister store in Joplin, Mo. Lowe’s Outlet Store is opening
in Irving, Tx.
CT-Darnell.com
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800-353-0892
© WTD Holdings, Inc., 2021. All rights reserved.
L&W Supply Corp. bought Building
four-unit Merrimack Supply, Merrimack, N.H.
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Being Independent
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“Working with Orgill, we have the freedom to be Hooten’s Hardware, not a generic cookie-cutter store. We run the business the way we know it needs to be run.” Kirk Reams l Hooten’s Hardware, Texas l An Orgill customer since 2005
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Deals Net US LBM 9 More Locations
Within days of each other, US LBM closed on two more ac uisitions of large multi-location dealers five-unit Gilcrest ewett Lumber Co. in Iowa and four-unit ennings Builders Supply ardware in western North Carolina. For more than years, Gilcrest ewett has been nown as Iowa s “home building head uarters,” operating four retail yards, along with a truss and component plant, serving the es Moines, Iowa City, and Cedar Rapids metro areas. he entire Gilcrest ewett leadership team will remain with the company, including Sumner Worth, who will serve as president and general manager, and Ric hompson, who will serve as senior vice president of sales. “Gilcrest ewett boasts a strong team and is a name nown for longevity, uality and innovation to not only customers in Iowa, but also across the building materials industry,” said US LBM CE L. . Gibson. “Adding Gilcrest ewett grows our manufacturing capabilities in Iowa and expands our specialty building products distribution networ into ma or metropolitan mar ets in Iowa.” Founded in , ennings Builders Supply ardware stoc s a full range of building materials, providing its customers with a one-stop-shop solution for custom home building and remodeling pro ects. In addition to supplying building professionals with windows, dec ing, flooring, cabinetry, siding, lumber and engineered wood products, ennings also provides customers with added value services, including design, installation and custom woodwor and interior doors. “Partnering with US LBM positions our brand for growth and presents a great opportunity for our associates,” said Glenn oy, who will continue to lead ennings day-today operations as president and general manager. In addition to ennings Builders Supply ardware, US LBM s operations in the Carolinas include GBS Builders Supply, Maner Builders Supply, Myrtle Beach Building Supply, and Par er s Building Supply.
ACS Purchases Wisconsin Dealer
American Construction Source, Springfield, Mo., has ac uired Builder s Resource Group, udson, Wi. Serving customers for more than years, Builder s Resource Group operates a sales o ce and design center in udson and a distribution center in Woodville, Wi. hey will now operate under ACS s Arrow Building Center brand. ACS now has more than locations in nine states.
Biewer Plans Second Sawmill in South
Biewer Lumber, St. Clair, Mi., plans a new state-of-theart sawmill in Winona, Ms. its second sawmill in the state. With start-up expected by anuary , the Winona facility will be modeled after Biewer s five-year-old mill in Newton, Ms. “My family s passion for the lumber industry has prompted this expansion in the south. here is no better place to grow the business than the fiber-rich state of Mississippi,” said im Biewer, president and CE .
Jaeger Lumber Acquires NJ Dealer
aeger Lumber has ac uired West Essex Building Supply, erona, N. ., expanding the seven-unit chain further north and east into the state. Li e aeger Lumber, West Essex was founded in and caters to the same customer base of high-end builders and remodelers.
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NEWS Briefs Collums Lumber, Allendale, S.C., is updating its log line this spring with a new Extended Length Infeed and Quad Roll Log Turner. Sherwood Lumber , Melville, N.Y., has begun Building Products’ Everlast
distributing Chelsea siding in the Northeast.
Dealers Choice , Columbia, S.C., is now selling Everlast throughout South Carolina and the southern portion of North Carolina. Sierra Forest Products, Chicago Division, is now a full-line distributor of Uniboard Canada’s TFL, HPL, particleboard and MDF panels.
MI Windows & Doors, Gratz, Pa., has acquired vinyl replacement window manufacturer Sunrise Windows & Doors, Temperance, Mi. Atlas Roofing Corp. is about to begin construction on a new shingle laminating line at its Ardmore, Ok., plant. Oldcastle APG has acquired regional L&G products manufacturer CST, Elk River, Mn. Innovative Chemical Products has acquired Gardner-Gibson, Tampa, Fl., manufacturer of liquidapplied roof coatings, driveway sealers, and specialty paints.
Watermill Group , Lexington, Ma., has acquired Ontario-based distributor/remanufacturer Weston Forest. Bridgestone Americas is selling its Firestone Building Products division to Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim for $3.4 billion. Wood Products Unlimited, Brainerd, Mn., has been sold by Don and Alan Andres to long-time employees Ryan Aanes and Todd Pietila. Rambler Wood Products will invest $7.6 million to establish a 300,000-sq. ft. value-added wood products manufacturing facility in Saint Paul, Va. Versatex Building Products presented its annual Versatexcellence Awards to Distributor of the Year Coastal Forest Products, Bow, N.H.; Fabricator of the Year Intex Millwork Solutions, Mays Landing, N.J.; Distributor Sales Rep of the Year Terry Bartley, U.S. Lumber, Altoona, Pa.; and National Dealer of the Year Contractor Express, Long Island, N.Y. Fiberon this month is launching the Fiberon Virtual Experience, an online venue for introducing new products, sharing education, and equipping dealers with sales tools. Benjamin Obdyke has relaunched its website— www.benjaminobdyke.com—with new features, eye-catching aesthetics, and enhanced functionality. The Roofing Alliance, the foundation of the National Roofing Contractors Association, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Building-Products.com
REDWOOD Composite can’t compare. Like the foods we buy, when it comes to decking, we want natural and real.
Redwood is always available in abundance of options. So stock the shelves! Unlike mass-produced and inferior products, Redwood is strong, reliable and possesses many qualities not found in artificial products. They maintain temperatures that are comfortable in all climates. Redwood Empire stocks several grades and sizing options of Redwood.
Call us at 707.894.4241 Visit us at buyRedwood.com
THINKING Ahead By Harris Gant & Michael Calloway
Processing the pandemic industry saw C I - coming but when it did show up, ECM , Inc. was ready. As a process-driven company, the culture of our business from inception has been to have procedures in place guiding everything we do, in every imaginable situation. We figure out the best way to do things and then we have everybody do it that exact best way every time. a ing on the pandemic was no exception. aving a system, and having trust in that system, allowed us to pivot swiftly and seamlessly or relatively so. Early recognition of the enormity of the crisis prompted immediate action. A deep-seated commitment to ta e care of our employees formed and guided the processes we implemented, and transparent channels of communication ept everybody on the same page company-wide.
N
“This Thing Is Real, and We Need to Get Ready�
nce it became clear that the public health threat was here for the long haul, the company new it needed to get out in front of the problem rather than wait for the inevitable to happen. In the earliest meetings, it was warned repeatedly that it was not a matter of if, but when, ECM , Inc. would have an issue related to the crisis. o head off trouble, the first move was to leverage established processes. Although developed with tornadoes, wildfires, and similar events in mind, our isaster Recovery Center became a central component of the early pandemic response. By March, we had sent about half of our customer service representatives to that alternative wor site, located in our manufacturing plant across town. E uipped with a duplicate server that mirrors the server in our corporate o ce in Wil esboro, N.C., that facility allowed our CSRs to plug in and eep wor ing without disruption while also providing a simple social-distancing solution.
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 nawla.org.
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o thin the ran s even more, many others uic ly transitioned to remote wor from home. It was already S P for each employee to have a company-issued laptop and to ta e that device home every night, so that made the changeover a lot smoother than what some other businesses experienced. Existing processes would only carry us so far, though. uring a presidential briefing on the virus, it really dawned on us that this thing is real and we need to get ready. We new we needed a C I -specific plan. With that in mind, we assembled a crisis management team, made up of all the operating company and division presidents. he team met daily to report such information as what was happening in the different operating companies and whether there were any potential cases of infection. At the same time, we set about putting together response protocols for cases where an employee exhibits symptoms at wor or called in after exhibiting symptoms at home. Following C C guidelines, detailed processes, procedures, and scenarios were defined. he management team and supervisors within our locations were provided training, coaching, and tal ing points to prepare their teams and eep everyone informed. We also had tabletop drills so that we new exactly what we were going to do when we had our first positive case. hat wouldn t happen until uly. As it turned out, one of our customers had a positive case first and it unfortunately ended with a fatality. When the customer was sidelined for a wee because its people were afraid to go to wor , we at ECM , Inc. realized that ob one for us was going to be to protect our employees and ma e them feel safe to wor . hat was the guiding principle of all our C I policies and procedures.
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A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association
Inspirational Vet to Keynote NAWLA Virtual Summit North American Wholesale Lumber Association has enlisted inspirational military veteran John Kriesel to keynote its 2021 Leadership Summit: The Virtual Experience on March 16. In “Still Standing. Still Smiling,” Kriesel will share how the power of an amazing support system, positive attitude, and sense of humor can save your life, literally. After being pronounced dead by doctors three times after an explosion attack while serving the military in Iraq, he found that the accident and then transition to civilian life gave him a new perspective on life. Attendees can learn how to bounce back stronger than ever, no matter your lifechanging situation. The Leadership Summit will present more than five hours of thought-provoking and motivational education sessions, and leave you with actionable ideas and business strategies to boost your business in 2021. Other highlights will include icebreaker networking sessions, roundtable discussions, and Women of Lumber panel. Find more info at www.nawla.org.
started from the ground up on those inds of platforms. Not surprisingly, company laptops also lac ed the camera feature. hat was another thing that we did have to go out and invest in, but it was a relatively uic and easy fix. It too a little longer to get up to speed on our C I specific S Ps. Based on C C guidelines, for instance, early on we were shutting facilities down, deep cleaning, and restarting operations the next day when positive cases surfaced at a location. After doing so three times in a single wee , it became clear that this approach wasn t sustainable. It also sun in that the time frame between when somebody got tested for C I and when they received their results too as long as days. With an employee out of the facility for seven to days after testing positive, however, there really was no need for a shutdown and deep cleaning. Instead sparing no expense we contracted with a testing lab so that we could get results bac in as soon as three days and targeted cleaning to areas the infected employee occupied. We were able to remain in operation in the meantime, but only after navigating the learning curve.
The Takeaway Employee Care
We were designated as an essential business and, therefore, not told to shut down, but we still had a duty to protect our employees. hat s really the ey eeping employees safe and ma ing them feel comfortable, not only with the process but with the wor environment. aily wipe-downs of contact surfaces began as early as February, followed by symptom and temperature chec s. ur process dictated that if someone was symptomatic or if there was a chance that they might be carrying the virus, we would get them out of the building, uarantine them for a period of time, and test them. he company also embraced transparent communication, providing regular updates to employees as well as trainings, posters, and the li e. We did a lot to communicate to staff and, as a result, they were confident we new what was going on and had their best interests at heart.
ur ta eaway from this pandemic experience is to trust in the process. Because it does wor . id we have a couple of challenges we had to navigate Sure. But if you ve got the right people in place and the right processes in place, all it ta es is a twea here and there. ECM , Inc. too this approach, and we didn t miss a beat. – Harris Gant (below right) is product manager, and Michael Calloway (below left) is safety, health & environmental manager for ECMD, Inc., North Wilkesboro, N.C. (www.ecmd. com). Divisions include EastCoast Mouldings, Klumb Forest Products, Crown Heritage Stairs, ECMD Distribution, and Arndt & Herman Building Products.
Challenges
While our process-centric nature helped soften the blow of the pandemic to some extent, that doesn t mean we were without hurdles including some ad ustments in how we did business. ECM , Inc. is highly reliant on technology, as distribution centers and sales teams conduct business in real time, with very little paper ow, but this is also a very people-oriented industry where territory reps and sales associates traditionally gravitate toward face-to-face interaction. Forced to telecommute and fall bac on telephone contact, we found ourselves having to teach many employees the art of oom and Go- o Meetings. Most didn t even now what that was, so we Building-Products.com
February 2021 n Building Products Digest n
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MOVERS & Shakers John Somerville, president and CE , LMC, is retiring in une after years in the industry. Matt Lyle has been promoted to Central Region P and George Zarick to East Region P for BlueLinx, Marietta, Ga. Cory Dukehart succeeds aric as general mgr. of branches in Frederic , Md., and enville, N. . Ben Crim, P of engineering environmental management for ood Industries, attiesburg, Ms., has retired after years with the company. Skylar Wilson has oined Russin Lumber, Montgomery, N. ., as Fair aven, N. .-based outside sales rep for the state of New ersey. Matt Kaufman has been named P of sales for Palmeronavin, Columbus, h., overseeing both its Building Materials and oor divisions. Gary Wilson has been appointed general mgr. of Alexander Lumber, Champaign, Il. Bill Cummings has been extended to CE of Alexander Lumber, Aurora, Il. e had been serving as interim CE since Russ Kathrein stepped down in uly. Shara Gamble has been promoted to P of sales mar eting for Envision Building Products, Lamar, Mo. Rodney Devaney has oined ec s oc s Lumber Co., Fort Lauderdale, Fl., as general mgr. Tanner Knox is new as assistant mgr. in Charleston, S.C. Kristie McCurdy, ex-Woodgrain Millwor , has oined Roy Martin, Alexandria, La., as a senior sales rep. Bobby Byrd, director of SB sales, was re-elected to a two-year term on the board of directors of the Re ective Insulation Manufacturers Association International. Brian Miller has been named operations mgr. of Building Products Inc. s Council Bluffs, Ia., branch. Joe Weston has been promoted to P of cost forecasting pricing and Rich Scalise to P of inventory management at Lumber Co., Eighty Four, Pa.
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n Building Products Digest n February 2021
Steve Hansen has been promoted to P of purchasing for Professional Builders Supply, Cary, N.C. Jack Rogers is new to Forest Mar et, Charlotte, N.C., as bio sales mgr. Steve Hansen was promoted to executive P of purchasing for Professional Builders Supply, Morrisville, N.C. Ben Skoog, ex-Articell LLC, has oined o it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, In., as director of brand integration. Michelle Baker was promoted to sales support coordinator. New to IB are Autumn McDermott, as a stoc representative Brian Schneider, sales support coordinator and Chris Snyder, associate merchandise mgr. Ernie Couillard was promoted to president of Regal ideas Inc., elta, B.C. Quinton Weber is now director of sales U.S. Clifton Phelps, director of sales Canada and Jim Topliss, director of commercial development U.S. Joanne Corum, senior P and chief information o cer, McCoy s Building Supply, San Marcos, x., recently was honored as Austin, x., I Executive of the ear by Inno ech and the Austin chapter of the Society for Information Management. Kris Tellball is now handling forecasting for MungusFungus Forest Products, according to co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.
New Store Banks on Drive-Thru Window
A former ban has been converted into the newest rue alue location, retaining its drive-thru window to serve virus-cautious customers. Customers at Isthmus rue alue ardware opened a month ago in Madison, Wi. can order items over the phone, pay for it electronically, and then pic it up without getting out of their vehicle. he business opened nearly three years after the closure of the downtown Madison s last remaining hardware store, orn ardware. ason Shaw and Greg Norman wor ed at orn before deciding to open Isthmus. hey have signed a seven-year lease on the , -s . ft. building.
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THE POSSIBILITIES KEEP GROWING:
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“Growing beyond measure.” Call or visit us today. Our family of Redwood timberland owners will continue to be your reputable and reliable source of Redwood.
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Envision Decking Links Up with Fairway Railings
Envision Building Products, Lamar, Mo., has purchased Fairway Architectural Railing Solutions, seeing Fairway s railing repertoire as a perfect complement to its composite dec ing. “We believe this is the right partnership to meet the evolving needs of our customers while furthering our ability to create best-in-class outdoor products and achieve our vision in becoming the undisputed mar et share leader of non-wood railing in the U.S. mar et,” said Fairway CE Greg Bur holder.
Fairway s existing management team will remain in place and its current product lines will continue to be offered under the Fairway brand, with Fairway also having the ability to provide its customers access to Envision composite dec ing. Envision will li ewise be able to offer its customers access to the suite of Fairway railing products. “ his ac uisition expands Envision s footprint in the outdoor living category and will not only increase mar et reach but will also provide operational efficiencies,” said Shara Gamble, P of Envision sales mar eting. “ he
individual strengths of each company are complementary and will have a positive impact on our combined service and product offerings.” he ac uisition provides railing solutions in vinyl, aluminum, steel, composite, and cellular P C.
Boise Cascade Adds Texas Door Shop
Boise Cascade Co. has opened a new door shop in the ouston mar et. he , -s . ft. facility will serve approximately customers from the Building Materials istribution s ouston istribution Center. It will assemble herma- ru exterior doors, with PrismaGuard premium stain and paint finishing options, as well as Simpson wood entry and interior pre-hung door units. Boise Cascade expects to start producing doors in the third uarter of . “We are very excited about the opportunity to expand our capabilities with herma- ru to support our dealers in the ouston and surrounding mar ets, as well as the western half of Louisiana,” said Ric alfmann, ouston branch manager. “ ur allas door shop opened in May of and is ramping up nicely we will begin servicing the ouston mar et from allas later this uarter in preparation of the opening of our new ouston facility.” he addition represents Boise Cascade s ninth door shop in the U.S., and second in exas. herma- ru is a ey supplier to all nine.
New Mississippi Sawmill Orders Equipment
imberland Investment Resources pro ects a first uarter start-up of its new greenfield mill in Corinth, Ms. perating as Mission Forest Products, the -million facility will produce million bd. ft. annually of southern pine products. In the second half of , USNR will begin installing e uipment, including a Mill ra lumber flow management system, edger Maximizer positioning infeed, three-saw edger with top reman head and close coupled pic er tailer, and edger optimizer with BioLuma L sensors. wo Uni ow continuous dry ilns with eight-grate green fuel burners and iln Boss control system will be implemented. In the planer mill, USNR will install a G automated grading system, with a Win ally sorter management system.
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Building-Products.com
NEW Products
3D Embossed Composite Decking Hail Defense Georgia-Pacific has launched ens ec Storm Prime Roof Board, the first high-performance gypsum roof coverboard designed to help prepare commercial rooftops to hold tough under the dangers of impact and puncture caused by very severe hail conditions. hrough the benefits integration of ens ec Prime with E NIC echnology, the roof board helps structures to meet the FM Global ery Severe ail Standard while simultaneously enhancing assembly protection. n BUIL GP.C M -
Composite Prime the U. . s leading brand of sustainable composite dec ing is now loo ing for distribution throughout the U.S. ec ual dec ing is embossed and features a protective capped layer, which is dual-sided, offering a reversible two-color option that provides the opportunity to lay a dec with contrasting colors. he material is slip resistant, and does not rot, splinter or re uire any further treatments or sealants. he British manufacturer employs the latest technology to provide the loo and feel of wood in products that are maintenance-free, durable and safe for high-tra c areas in both residential and heavy grade commercial developments. Made from FSCcertified oa wood our and recycled plastics, each s uare meter of sustainable composite dec ing contains the e uivalent of more than plastic bottles. n C MP SI E-PRIME.C M -
Balusters in a Snap Snap n Loc Baluster its from itan Building Products reportedly install faster than any comparable system on the mar et. he secret is the ingenious sideways “snap” and “loc ” connectors that speed up new construction or retro fitting old wood pic et railings. hey pair perfectly with itan s hidden fastener x Shadow Rail connectors and the residentially engineered x and x surface-mounted itan Post Anchor. n
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n Building Products Digest n February 2021
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n lls
R I by Barrette utdoor Living has added two new decorative infill patterns Chippendale and Freeport to its Finyl Line vinyl railing portfolio. he new infill panels are preassembled and wor with Finyl Line s traditional - op top rail profile. Both infill patterns are available in white ” high panels and are offered in , and level lengths. n R IRAIL.C M -
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Helping you find the elusive lumber customer.
Visit Nelma4Retailers.com for marketing tools designed to help you attract more customers. Download or order educational materials, brochures, and design tools that can help your sales team sell more Eastern White Pine and SPFs wood products. MARKETING BROCHURES DESIGN TOOLS POSTERS
INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO TECHNICAL BROCHURES SOCIAL PROMOTIONAL ITEMS
Nelma4Retailers.com
NORTHEASTERN LUMBER MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
Wood on Steel
Cool Running uraLife ec ing from Barrette utdoor Living now offers the Cool rac Advantage providing performance, durability and strength. While all composite dec s will absorb heat, Cool rac is engineered to stay much cooler than other composite dec boards. Featuring a polypropylene cap, the dec boards are over cooler than traditional composite dec ing and significantly more slip resistant. n
URALIFE EC ING.C M -
Simpson Strong- ie s new WBAC wood-bac ing steel connector helps eliminate alignment issues and reduce installation time in connecting wood bac ing to cold-formed steel studs. Meeting demand for an allin-one wood-to-CFS connector for interior and finish applications, the WBAC provides a strong, easy-to-install, versatile solution ideal for heavy wall hangings li e cabinets, shelves and handrails, with a fastening pattern and rolled tabs for extra strength and stiffness. Fabricated from G galvanized steel and available in two sizes to fit - ” and - ” or ” anges, it attaches easily to either grade lumber or ” fire-rated board.
Charred Millwork From sustainably harvested larch, cedar, ouglas fir, and reclaimed oa , to thermally modified Accoya wood, Pioneer Millwor s has expanded its popular Shou Sugi Ban product lineup with over new offerings for both exterior siding and interior cladding applications. he products feature deeply charred textures and “alligator li e” scaling, with a deep blac , iridescent color palette that will cool and weather over time when exposed to the elements. n PI NEERMILLW R S.C M -
n S R NG IE.C M WBAC -
A Touch of Glass Look Natural Bellafort , avinci Roofscapes most affordable sha e product, now comes in the three Nature Crafted Collection colors Blac a , Aged Cedar, and Mossy Cedar. Available previously on Multi-Width and Single-Width Sha e composite roof tiles, the new colors replicate different progressive aging processes found on real sha e shingles. n
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Mask On lein ools new reusable face mas protects against non-harmful common airborne irritants, on and off the obsite. ented for breathing comfort, the Reusable Face Mas with Replaceable Filters features ad ustable head and nec straps, and a nose clip for proper fit. n
n Building Products Digest n February 2021
LEIN
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herma- ru is now offering EnLiten flush-glazed privacy and textured glass on its FiberClassic Mahogany Collection of doors and sidelites in on-trend Sha er-style options. Rooted in classic Americana with recognizable ties to Craftsman design, Sha er-style doors are now available in a rich mahogany grain. S uared recessed panels give a nod to the door s Sha er roots while creating a clean, casual aesthetic. n
ERMA RU.C M Building-Products.com
The Virtual Experience March 16-17, 2021
Learn more or register at NAWLA.org
Spray Foam Upgrade AP has optimized its premium one and two-component ouch n Foam Professional and ouch n Seal spray foam products to provide superior insulating properties and lessen the impact on the environment with a lower Global Warming Potential. he reformulated foam its, developed to meet changing hydro uorocarbon regulatory re uirements in low-pressure polyurethane spray foams, offer an improved R-value of . . hey meet all codes, regulatory re uirements, and are ICC and CCMC listed. For improved spray foam application, AP has also introduced the new Anti-Crossover Applicator and improved static mixer nozzles. n
Lights Up Boral North America s new indred Fire Bowls feature a patent-pending brass burner system that uses half the fuel of conventional fire rings, yet produces higher ames and brighter appearance. Bowls come complete with lava roc and matchlit components and are made from strong, glass-fiber reinforced concrete. hey are available in four colors with either oned or ravertine finish. n M
IN RE LI ING.C M -
AP.C M -
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n Building Products Digest n February 2021
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IN Memoriam Jackson William “J.W.” Stine, founder of -branch Stine Lumber, Sulphur, La., passed away ec. . e was . A graduate of Northwestern State University, he became a Bpilot during World War II, ying over missions in the European heater. Upon returning home from war in , he opened a construction firm, which would eventually become Stine Lumber. Dana G. Fitzpatrick, , former president, CE and chairman of Fitzpatric Weller, Ellicottville, N. ., died ec. . After receiving an economics degree from the University of Notre ame in , he spent two years as an o cer in the Navy. e then began a -year career in forest products. e had served as chairman of the American ardwood Export Council and National Forest Products Association, and on the board of N LA, ardwood Manufacturers Association, and American Forest Paper Association.
Trex Caps $200M Expansion
rex is entering celebrating an historic milestone the start-up of its new irginia production facility to culminate a -million expansion program. “For every company there are moments that are history ma ing, and this is definitely one of those for rex,” said Bryan Fairban s, president and CE . “ han s to the foresight and
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confidence of the rex team and our board of directors to invest in this capacity expansion, we are embar ing upon the next era of growth for our company.” In une of , rex announced plans to invest million in the infrastructure, people and processes to up capacity in both of its plants. At the center of the plan is approximately , s . ft. of newly constructed manufacturing and support facilities dedicated to producing rex dec ing. he state-ofthe-art manufacturing plant, ad acent to the company s existing Winchester, a., campus, features approximately , cubic yards of concrete in its foundation, , s . ft. of exterior precast, , tons of structural steel, and million linear ft. of wiring. “ his will be the most productive and efficient composite dec ing facility designed for maximum output,” emphasized Adam ambanini, president of rex Residential Products. “ he building is e uipped with state-of-the-art, proprietary extrusion technology that allows us to manufacture rex dec ing using recycled content, with an emphasis on uality and energye cient systems.” rex also improved production capabilities and capacity at its manufacturing site in Fernley, Nv., where new lines were installed and made operational in une of . Combined, the expansions will increase production capacity by approximately while adding new obs.
n Building Products Digest n February 2021
NLBMDA, BMSA, LMC, Mass Timber Events Pivot to Virtual
espite holding on to hope that they could proceed with a live event, in anuary several more groups made the call to move their spring events online, including National Lumber Building Material ealers Association, Building Material Suppliers Association, LMC and the Mass imber Conference. NLBM A had already postponed its Industry Summit from last fall to this April in Washington, .C. It now will be held virtually May - . BMSA, in place of its in-person Learning Exchange, will hold a irtual Learning Exchange Feb. - , with a similar line-up of presenters, panel discussions, and software users groups. LMC s wee long annual meeting originally planned for Phoenix, Az. will be virtual from March - . It will feature familiar events in a digital setting with virtual booths, education seminars, a eynote spea er, new products, new program opportunities, and the ability to meet with LMC dealers in a virtual platform. his is the first time that the buying group s annual meeting will be held virtually, but last year it successfully hosted the first virtual editions of the ardware Express in August and the LMC Expo in November, both brea ing attendance records. Similarly, the th Annual International Mass imber Conference will be virtual, March April and expects the change to drive even greater global attendance. ver attendees from countries are already registered. Building-Products.com
Page
ADVERTISERS Index
47
TurboClip www.turboclipusa.com
40
U-C Coatings www.uccoatings.com
21
American Wood Technology www.americanwoodtechnology.com
47
Armadillo Deck www.armadillodeck.com
7
Boozer Laminated Beam Co. www.boozerbeam.com
38
Coastal Plywood www.coastalplywood.com
Building Material Suppliers Association – Feb. 2-3, Virtual Learning Exchange; www.mybmsa.org.
46
Crumpler Plastic Pipe www.cpp-pipe.com
32
CT Darnell www.ct-darnell.com
Northwestern Lumber Association and Mid-America Lumbermens Association – Feb. 2-3, World Discovery digital conference; www. nlassn.org.
9
Culpeper Wood www.culpeperwood.com
17
Everwood Treatment Co. www.everwoodtreatment.com
DATE Book Listings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend.
Illinois Lumber & Material Dealers Association – Feb. 4-5, online expo; www.ilmda.com. Orgill – Feb. 8-19, virtual spring market; www.orgill.com. International Builder’s Show – Feb. 9-11, sponsored by National Association of Home Builders, virtual IBS; www.buildersshow.com. Kitchen & Bath Industry Show – Feb. 9-11, virtual KBIS; www.kbis. com.
29
Fasco America www.fascoamerica.com
26-27
Great Southern Wood Preserving www.yellawood.com
25
Koppers Performance Chemicals www.kopperspc.com
True Value Co. – Feb. 19-20, 2021 Spring V-union virtual show; www. truevaluecompany.com.
Cover I
Lonza www.wolmanizedwood.com
LBM Advantage – Feb. 22-24, virtual annual buying show & shareholders meeting; www.lbmadvantage.com.
Cover IV
Madison Wood www.madwood.com
5
Manufacturers Reserve Supply www.mrslumber.com
Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers – Feb. 24-28, annual meeting, Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, Ponte Vedra, Fl.; www. appalachianhardwood.org.
Cover II
Norbord www.norbord.com
Oklahoma City Spring Remodel & Landscape Show – Feb. 26-28, Oklahoma City, Ok.; www.homecentershow.com.
45
North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. www.nawla.org
43
Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. www.nelma.org
Peak Auctioneering – Feb. 11-13, Kansas City online LBM auction; www.peakauction.com. Mid-America Lumbermens Association – Feb. 17, sales seminars, Brentwood, Mo.; Feb. 18, Kansas City, Mo.; www.themla.com.
Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance – Feb. 23-25, virtual annual conference, www.fgiaonline.org.
Orlando Home & Garden Show – Feb. 26-28, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; www.showtechnology.com. Peak Auctioneering – Feb. 27, live LBM auction, Howard County Fairgrounds, Baltimore, Md.; www.peakauction.com. Frame Building Expo – March 3-5, sponsored by National Frame Building Association, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Nashville, Tn.; www.nfba.org.
33
Orgill www.orgill.com
35, 39
Redwood Empire www.buyredwood.com
3
Regal ideas www.regalideas.com
Forest Economic Advisors – March 11, virtual Global Softwood Log & Lumber Conference, www.getfea.com.
Cover III
Simpson Strong-Tie www.strongtie.com
University of Innovative Distribution – March 13-17, virtual conference; www.univid.org.
31
Siskiyou Forest Products www.siskiyouforestproducts.com
15
Sure Drive USA www.suredrive.com
41
Swanson Group Sales Co. www.swansongroup.biz
19
Timber Products Co. www.timberproducts.com
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Building-Products.com
Do it Best – March 7-19, virtual spring market; www.doitbest.com. Ace Hardware Corp. – March 9-12, virtual spring convention; www. acehardware.com.
Structural Insulated Panel Association – March 16-18, virtual annual meeting; www.sips.org. Blish-Mize – March 18-20, 150th anniversary spring buying market, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, Ks.; www. blishmize.com. LMC – March 22-26, virtual annual meeting; www.lmc.net. Mid-America Lumbermens Association – March 24, LBM marketing symposium, St. Louis, Mo.; www.themla.com. International Mass Timber Conference – March 30-April 1, virtual conference; www.masstimberconference.com. February 2021 n Building Products Digest n
49
FLASHBack 90 Years Ago This Month
N
inety years ago this month, in February of , BPD’s sister publication, The California Lumber Merchant, noted that despite the hardships of the Great epression, many lumbermen were still doing great business including one Arthur E. wohy, president of Los Angeles wohy Lumber Co. The Merchant too a loo at wohy s growing “anti ue” car collection. Nowadays, it wouldn t be unusual to see a -year-old vehicle ambling down the highway. But in , automobiles of that same age were considered prehistoric. wohy s collection included about “anti uities,” which he loaned to the Los Angeles Museum in Exposition Par , displayed at car shows, and rented to movie studios. Among his prized specimens were a Winton, a twocylinder Buic , a homas Flyer, and a single-cylinder Pierce-Arrow that bore the mar “ Pierce-Arrow” on its hood perhaps the only time an auto manufacturer advertised that its car was even older than its actual age. wohy noted that his vintage vehicles were safer than modern models, since they usually topped out at a top speed of mph. But they also made a lot more noise.
THE FEBRUARY 1931 front magazine cover was sponsored by plaster wallboard manufacturer Schumacher Wall Board Corp.
wohy s aynes-Apperson had no horn, which he said at the time was optional and unnecessary. “In fact, a horn on any of those early-day cars was a pure extravagance,” the article concluded. “Anybody who couldn t have heard them coming at least three bloc s away was hopelessly deaf.” wohy also held a number of horse-drawn vehicles from the s on his ranch near Fresno, Ca. In other news Union Lumber Co., Fort Bragg, Ca., decided to twea its mascot “Red” Wood in its ads for
the duration of the epression depicting him with his coat off and wearing the broadest of smiles (see below). Artist Sherman A. Bishop noted that “Red s shirt sleeves are rolled up too, and that he won t put on his coat again until it can be said the business depression has been definitely left behind.” Construction crews in Seattle, Wa., unearthed a sound western red cedar log that experts estimated had been buried for between , and , years. Scientists at the University of Washington speculated that the log washed down from the mountain slope during the glacial age. he tree from which the log came probably was between and years old before it was uprooted. he log had been pressed to an elliptical shape by the tremendous weight of the ancient glacier, but the characteristics of the present day cedar trees were easily traced in the rings and texture of the prehistoric log. A section of the log was sawn off and ta en to the university s forestry laboratory for further study. Cedar logs had previously been found sound after lying buried in swamps for centuries, but never thousands of years.
UNION LUMBER encouraged the industry to get down to business by tweaking its mascot from its January 1931 (left) to February advertisement (right).
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n Building Products Digest n February 2021
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