BPD April 2017 by 526 Media Group

APRIL 2017

BPD

Building Products Digest

THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — FOR 35 YEARS

THE LATEST IN PRESSURE TREATED WOOD • HARDWARE • EWP ON THE HORIZON

MicroPro® Brand Pressure Treated Wood Products with Micronized Copper Preservative Technology

Available for Above Ground & Ground Contact Applications. Joists and beams shall be treated to (UC4A) Ground Contact General Use when they are difficult to maintain, repair or replace and are critical to the performance and safety of the structure. – 2016 American Wood Preservers Association (AWPA) Book of Standards

MicroPro pressure treated wood products are produced by independently owned and operated wood treating facilities. MicroPro pressure treated wood products are treated with Micronized Copper Azole. MicroPro® is a registered trademark of Koppers Performance Chemicals Inc. Colors shown in photo images may differ from actual product samples. © 3/2017

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CONTENTS April 2017

Volume 36 n Number 4

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Special Report

Special Features

Departments

11 TOP 15 WOOD TREATERS

10 FEATURE STORY

8 ACROSS THE BOARD 22 OLSEN ON SALES 24 EVANGELIST MARKETING 40 ASSOCIATION UPDATE 42 APP WATCH 44 MOVERS & SHAKERS 46 SELLING WITH KAHLE 48 NEW PRODUCTS 70 IN MEMORIAM 70 ADVERTISERS INDEX 71 DATE BOOK 72 TALK BACK 72 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 73 FLASHBACK

MINI-PROFILES OF U.S. WOOD PRESERVING COMPANIES WITH

UNDERSTANDING TREATED WOOD

12 INDUSTRY TRENDS

AT LEAST THREE LOCATIONS

TREATER BUNDLES DECK KITS

14 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

SPECIFYING FRT WOOD

16 MARGIN BUILDERS

BARN DOOR TRACK HARDWARE

APRIL 2017

BPD

20 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

Building Products Digest

THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — FOR 35 YEARS

THE LATEST IN PRESSURE TREATED WOOD • HARDWARE • EWP ON THE HORIZON

OHIO DEALER UP TO CHALLENGES

MicroPro® Brand Pressure Treated Wood Products with Micronized Copper Preservative Technology

34 RISI VIEWPOINT

CHANGES ON THE HORIZON FOR PARTICLEBOARD INDUSTRY?

38 NAWLA: THINKING AHEAD

– 2016 American Wood Preservers Association (AWPA) Book of Standards

MILLENNIALS IN THE WORKPLACE

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56 EVENT RECAP

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April 2017

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Vice President Shelly Smith Adams sadams@building-products.com Publishers Emeritus Alan Oakes, David Cutler Managing Editor David Koenig • david@building-products.com Editor Stephanie Ornelas sornelas@building-products.com Contributing Editors Carla Waldemar, James Olsen, Alex Goldfayn, Dave Kahle Contributors Butch Bernhardt, Jase DeBoer, John Golesh, Rodney Hardison, Steve Honeyman, Devin Stuart

NOVEMBER 2016

BPD

JANUARY 2017

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Building Products Digest

INDUSTRY NEWS & MONEY-MAKING STRATEGIES FOR LUMBER & BUILDING MATERIAL DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS

THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — FOR 35 YEARS

FALL DECKING SPECIAL ISSUE • TREATED WOOD SPEC TOOLS • LVL BEAMS

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

Director of Sales Chuck Casey • chuck@building-products.com

DECEMBER 2016

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Building Products Digest

Eassy on the eyes. Easy to o install.

INDUSTRY NEWS & MONEY-MAKING STRATEGIES FOR LUMBER & BUILDING MATERIAL DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS

Sales & Marketing Coordinator Chelsea Hiers chiers@building-products.com

2017 DECKING & RAILING BUYERS GUIDE • NAWLA TRADERS MARKET RECAP

New AWPA Standards for Treated Wood

Advertising Sales

There is an important change in the U1 Standards establishing new guidelines for wood treated to UC4A Ground Contact General Use. As an example, joists and beams shall be treated to UC4A (ground contact when they are diffcult to maintain, repair or replace and are critical to the performance and safety of the entire system.

(714) 486-2735 Chuck Casey chuck@building-products.com

For more information visit

kopperspc.com

Introducing g Outdoor Acc ents decorative hardware . Y Yo our customers can easily add style an nd strength to their outdoor projects. The new Simpson Strong--T Tie Outdoor Accents line e of structural connectors featu ures an innovative screw and washer set that combines the ease of installing a screw with the look of a bolt. And, with a black powderr--coa at finish, this hardware offers st yle that’s designed to last. ®

Patrick Adams padams@building-products.com

To lear n mo To ore about Outdoor Accents decorative hardware, visit our web bsite strongtie .c com/outdooraccents or call (800) 999-5099.

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Phone (714) 486-2735 Fax 714-486-2745 BUILDING PRODUCTS DIGEST is published monthly at 151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. D200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, (714) 486-2735, Fax 714-486-2745, www.building-products.com, by 526 Media Group, Inc. (a California Corporation). It is an independently owned publication for building products retailers and wholesale distributors in 37 states East of the Rockies. Copyright®2017 by 526 Media Group, Inc. Cover and entire contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission. All Rights Reserved. BPD reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter, and assumes no liability for materials furnished to it. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or persons quoted and not necessarily those of 526 Media Group, Inc. Articles in this magazine are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial, or business management advice.

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ACROSS the Board By Patrick Adams

Adapt or die

is inevitable. I can’t think of anything ACME Buggy Whips could have done to adapt to a changing marketplace and remain relevant. I suppose the same goes for Eastman Kodak and Blockbuster Video. I’m also not exactly sure why I seem to get so upset when I see a company go away other than, in many cases, it’s a part of our history that is becoming, well, history. So, today you’re going to hear me go on a rant. Although we have watched the “end” coming now for a decade in the hands of an arrogant “suit” who is completely disconnected from the world around him unless his spreadsheet tells him so, Sears & Roebuck is an unnecessary victim. Other than Ford, Winchester and Levi’s, I can’t think of a more American company than Sears. Sears helped settle the West. At one point, you could order a car or a house from the Sears catalog! It was a national sign of the beginning of the holidays when the Sears Christmas catalog arrived on our doorstep with a thud and so began the weeks-long dreaming marathon of all the things that Santa might bring to us. As we grew older, the weekly ads of tools, appliances and other household necessities were reminders of our chore list. There was a time when if you needed new tires, a car battery, tools, a mattress, house paint, or appliances, there simply was no logical alternative to going to your trusted Sears. The employees actually knew what they were talking about and you could trust them to steer you in the right direction. Many “experts” will be armchair quarterbacks and in hindsight blame the likes of Amazon, Costco and Best Buy for their demise. However, I would argue that vacuum of need in the marketplace would not have existed had Sears adapted to a changing world. For this, I fault their leadership. Arrogance and fear crippled them from trying new things, from assuring the next generation found the same value as their parents and from believing that those in the grand Sears Tower might too find themselves irrelevant. For a decade, Sears “leadership” has believed the way to turnaround is to assume a staggering amount of debt, lay off senior experienced staff, sell prime property, and now begin auctioning off their prized brands. This is a “turnaround plan”? For the record, I realize that I am being a bit of an armchair quarterback, too. I have led many organizations over the years and I too have made judgment errors on strategy. Our company is 95 years old and compared to some in our industry, it is only middle-aged! During that time, we’ve made a few mistakes and I know you have as well. The difference as I see it is OMETIMES THE END

this: I try to quickly learn from my mistakes, I’m never afraid to admit that I was wrong, and I firmly believe there is an equally high risk of demise from not doing anything different! Just because a formula works for a while is in no way an indication of the likeliness of it working in the future. In attending colleges and talking with our recent grads, there is too much weight placed on the “formula” learned from textbooks and the “process” by which you start or run a business. I watch my daughter sometimes learn the “how” of the step-by-step math problem, but not the “why” of the overarching concept itself. In my opinion, the heart of the business resides in the why. Without the why, how do you plot the path forward and have the drive to persevere? To their leadership now, Sears is just a spreadsheet. To Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck, it was their passion and their attempt to help the everyday man improve their lives. While these things can’t be measured on spreadsheets, in my opinion it is the heart of a business that gives it the will to survive and to make the tough decisions. I wonder what Sears would be like if family still ran it with the goal of helping their customers and valued employees? I know I have a clear idea of why we do what we do as a company. And like many of the companies in this great industry, I also have a clear idea of how we will continue to adapt, improve and continue to serve our customers and employees. “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” – Albert Einstein

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

Building Products Digest

April 2017

Building-Products.com

FEATURE Story By Jase DeBoer, ProWood

Keys to understanding treated lumber Embrace General Use Wood

PRESSURE TREATED continues to be called on for use in the vast majority of decking projects. (All photos courtesy ProWood)

just stand the test of time. In a world of ever-changing composites and polymers, one material remains dominant. Pressure treated lumber. Understanding and educating customers on the differences in treated lumber is critical for dealers, and will ultimately result in increased sales and reputation. OME THINGS

Treated Lumber is King As more and more homeowners look at decks as extensions of their home, the variety of low maintenance and wood-alternative decking and railing options continue to grow and diversify. Despite the recent growth of alternative materials for decking and railing, treated lumber is king. Recent studies indicate over 95% of decks use

Building Products Digest

pressure treated lumber for the understructure, and over 70% of decks use treated lumber for the decking. With new treatment technologies and changes in standards, it also starts with the dealer. Homeowners, DIYers and professional builders all count on their dealers to offer the best product, and to recommend the right product for their projects. This comes with a great deal of responsibility, but also a great opportunity to educate customers and grow sales. There are differences in treated lumber, and customers need to be aware of the options. Whether deciding on what type of treated lumber to stock or simply recommending the right product for a project, here are some factors dealers should consider: April 2017

With treated lumber being the dominant material for deck under-structures, understanding how your customer intends to use the lumber is an incredibly important discussion. Treated wood is often sold without knowing the intended use. There are varying levels of treatment retentions that are appropriate for different uses; however, many customers see the word “treated” and assume the material will hold up in any outdoor application. For that reason, many dealers are embracing the notion of carrying Ground Contact/General Use treated lumber to eliminate confusion and ensure their customers are covered. This takes away guess work, builds credibility, and promotes safety. According to AWPA standards, Ground Contact/General Use treated lumber should be used if any of the following apply to the project: • The lumber is difficult to replace or maintain • The lumber is critical to the integrity of the structure • The lumber is 6” or less from the ground—or touching the ground • The lumber will be subject to inadequate ventilation • The lumber will be exposed to frequent or prolonged moisture

Know Your Options Treated lumber presents a variety of options. There are different preservatives used for treatment, and at varying levels. The most common preservatives are copper-based and help the wood resist insect and termite infestation as well as rot and decay. Some manufacturers offer options that add additional value to the treated lumber: Building-Products.com

Color-treated lumber is a great option in markets that want the natural look and beauty of cedar or redwood, but desire the lasting benefits of treated southern yellow pine. KDAT lumber (kiln dried after treatment) is lighter than standard treated lumber, less likely to warp or twist, and allows builders to measure, cut and build more accurately. Other specialty treatment options are available such as borate treatment or fire retardant.

Research Code Compliance & Warranties Treated lumber should be treated to a reputable standard and also be inspected by a third party. The combination of these two elements indicates building code compliance. Dealers can easily find this information on the lumber end tag. Having a third party inspect boards at random is more credible than an inspection done by the manufacturer, and is required as part of building code compliance. Many manufacturers will offer a lifetime limited warranty on treated lumber. However, it is important for dealers to understand the details of those warranties—especially the definition of the term “limited.” Some may only warrant treated lumber used in “Above Ground/Light Duty” applications. Some warranties may not cover treated lumber that has been custom cut to make stair stringers. Dealers should ensure their customers are getting the proper protection.

Work with a Trusted Partner Dealers need a trusted partner to help them win. It’s not just about product—it’s about product, service, expertise and relationships. It’s about deliveries being on time— every time. It’s about selection and options. It’s about marketing support to help educate customers and drive sales. It’s about experienced representatives that go the extra mile. It’s about manufacturers who stand behind their product and believe they only win when their dealers win. Dealers should never settle for anything less. With pressure treated lumber remaining the dominant material used for decks, it’s important for dealers to be educated about the differences in treated lumber—both for deciding which treated lumber to stock, and to be a source of education and guidance for homeowners, DIYers and building professionals alike. The right treated lumber used in the appropriate application will result in a beautiful, safe deck or outdoor structure that will last for years. – Jase DeBoer is a category marketing mgr. for ProWood (www.prowood.com), a Universal Forest Products brand of pressure treated lumber.

2017

T op 15 Pressure Treaters The following are the 15 wood preserving companies in the U.S. that operate at least three locations. They are ordered by the number of treating plants they operate, NOT by production volumes.

Universal Forest Products, Grand Rapids, Mi., with the addition of five of Robbins Manufacturing’s six treating plants, now runs 24 treating plants nationwide, offering ProWood branded MCA, CA-C, borates, FRT, water repellent, and colorants. Great Southern Wood Preserving, Abbeville, Al., operates 14 treating plants in the South, Midwest, and midAtlantic. Treatments offered are ACQ, MCA, borates, CCA, FRT, water repellent, and colorants, marketed as YellaWood, YellaWood Select, YellaWood SuperSelect, N-Durz, FlameFreez, MasterDeck and RainWood. Cox Industries, Orangeburg, S.C., operates 13 treating facilities—four of them produce residential products, while the others specialize in industrials. Nearly all are all in the Southeast/mid-Atlantic. Treatments include CA, CCA, penta, QNap, FRT, and water repellent. Spartanburg Forest Products, Greer, S.C., has 10 treating plants in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Tennessee, the Carolinas, and Virginia, using MCA, CA-C, EL2 and water repellent. Hixson Lumber Sales, Pine Bluff, Ar., operates 10 treating plants in the Central U.S., from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, up through Arkansas, and into northern Illinois. Treatments include CCA, ACQ, MCA, borates, FRT and water repellent. Hoover Treated Wood Products, Thomson, Ga., now operates nine treating facilities in all regions of the U.S., after recently taking over Coastal Treated Products’ plants in Weldon, N.C.; Belington, W.V.; and Oxford, Pa. Best known for its fire retardant treatments, Pyro-Guard and Exterior FireX, Hoover also offers ACQ, MCA, CCA and other industrials. McFarland Cascade, Tacoma, Wa., owned by Stella Jones, last year acquired three industrial plants in Louisiana and one in Texas to bring its total to six U.S. treating facilities. The other three offer residential preservatives. Treatments cover CA-C, ACQ, borates, CCA, penta, QNap, penta, and creosote. Bestway Enterprises has five plants from the Northeast down to North Carolina, using MCA, FRT and CCA. Culpeper Wood Preservers, Culpeper, Va., has five treating facilities—four in the mid-Altantic, one in Shelbyville, In. Each offers a different mix of MCA, borates and/or CCA.

COLOR-TREATED lumber is ideal for customers who desire the look of redwood or cedar, as well as the added durability of pressure treatment.

Allweather Wood , Washougal, Wa., part of the Mendocino family of companies, is the largest water-borne wood treater west of the Mississippi, with four plants employ(Continued on page 13)

INDUSTRY Trends By David Koenig

Kits help treater sell more deck components A

M IDWESTERN WOOD treater has devised a glulam post-and-beam kit that makes it easier for contractors to build decks—and even simpler for dealers to sell them the components. “With the increasing size and complexity of decks, contractors were looking for ways to minimize the obstruction caused by multiple support posts,” explained Pat Bischel, president of Northern Crossarm Co., Chippewa Falls, Wi. “As we introduced our Brown KDAT (kiln dried after treatment) pressure treated wood, we began to get requests for a match-

ONCE PRICE/one SKU covers all components needed to build a support structure for an elevated deck. (All photos courtesy Northern Crossarm Co.)

Building Products Digest

ing beam. As a result of those requests, we developed a kit that would be comprised of matching colored posts, a beam, and hardware. This meant one inventory item containing matching components necessary to support an elevated deck.” To determine which components would be offered in the kits, Northern Crossarm’s goal was to provide the dealer and the contractor a package that could be delivered to the jobsite, containing the basic components to support a deck package. “We looked to simplify the process by over-engineering the components in order to minimize inventory items a dealer would need to stock,” he said. For dealers, the kits are easy to inventory and simplify the sales process due to fewer SKUs. Pulling orders becomes a one-step process, rather than having to send a yard person out to round up multiple items.

And, with the kit, both contractor and dealer can be assured that the materials used in this portion of the project are properly engineered. “Dealers and contractors love the idea of purchasing one product that provides the major components of the framing package,” Bischel noted. “Contractors and homeowners like the finished look the brown posts, beam, and hardware offer the completed deck. The homeowner also likes the unobstructed views and access provided by only having two support posts for each beam.” Each kit includes one southern yellow pine glulam beam and two posts, treated with MCA to ground contact and colored brown; two powder-coated brown beam-to-post connection brackets; and 25 powder-coated brown joist hangers. Beam dimensions are all 5-1/4” by 15-1/8”, in 16’, 20’, or 24’ lengths. The 5-1/4” by 5-1/4” posts

DEALERS HAVE found that an assembled kit with signage can catch contractors’ attention and increase sales. April 2017

Building-Products.com

come in a standard 12’ length. Long posts can be special ordered. The kits initially were offered just with a 20-ft. beam, but—due to customers’ requests—a shorter and a longer option were introduced. Bischel expects to eventually add other sizes,

as well. The kits are being distributed in the Midwest by Northern Crossarm and Boise Cascade, Lakeville, Mn., and in the West by Rocky Mountain Wood Protection, Denver, Co., and Snavely Forest Products, Denver.

Top 15 Treaters (Continued from page 11)

ing ACQ, CA, borates, PTI, CCA, ACZA, FRT, and water repellent.

Sunbelt Forest Products, Bartow, Fl., treats with CA-C, borates, EL2 and water repellent from four facilities in the Southeast. Fortress Wood Products’ three North Carolina plants treat with CA-C, MCA, CCA, FRT and water repellent.

Biewer Lumber, Lansing, Mi., operates three Great Lakes States treating plants, drawing on MCA, ACQ, CA, FRT and water repellent. Conrad Forest Products , North Bend, Or., serves 13 western states from two plants in Oregon and one in California, offering CA, borates, ACZA, CCA, QNap, penta, creosote, interior and exterior FRT, and Bluwood.

THE KITS are able to clear a span up to 24 ft. and do not require extra posts for support that traditionally obstruct views in walkout type applications.

Building-Products.com

April 2017

Southeast Wood Treating, Montgomery, Al., owns three treating plants in the South/Central U.S., offering CA-C, EL2 and water repellents.

Building Products Digest

PRODUCT Spotlight By Rodney Hardison, Lonza Wood Protection

Protecting wood from fire

Specifying FRTW T

ODAY , WOOD CONTINUES to be widely used in all types of building applications and is a valuable, renewable resource. Thanks to advances in technology, there are a variety of treatments available that render it less vulnerable to decay, insects and fire. As a building material, wood has a high ratio of strength to weight and a remarkable record for durability and performance as a structural material. It is a natural insulator, stores carbon, and consumes less energy to produce

than other building materials. Fire has always been a threat to wood, but fire retardants have a proven track record of protecting wood from flame spread or preventing wood from supporting its own combustion. Designers have long sought protection for the building, its contents and most importantly, for the building occupants. In the early 1900s, New York was the first city to adopt the use of fire retardant treated wood (FRTW) as an alternative to non-combustible construction. Since their early devel-

opment, many different types of fire retardant products have been innovated to protect wood, including products used in pressure-treatment facilities that push the chemical into the wood cell as well as recent advancements of surface applied treatments. While these types of fire retardant products exhibit some form of reduced combustibility, the acceptance criteria, required by the building code, is not the same for pressure impregnated FRTW and surface applied coatings. Pressure impregnated FRTW products are commonly used in many different structures including schools, multi-family homes, hotels, airports, shopping centers, sports stadiums, and convention centers. One example, Lonzaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dricon FRTW, is a product applied using a pressure treatment process. The Dricon preservative, along with other FRT wood products, must meet the requirements for demonstrating compliance with the building code, which can be found in an ICC Evaluation service document (AC66, Acceptance Criteria for Fire Retardant Treated Wood).

Testing

PLYWOOD AND lumber treated with proven fire retardants have a track record of protecting structures from flame spread. (All photos courtesy Lonza Wood Protection)

Building Products Digest

April 2017

Some of the most common questions about FRT Wood surround flame spread characteristics, smoke development indices, design values and how to use these products in a rated assembly. The test used to determine flame spread and smoke development is the ASTM E 84, Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building-Products.com

Building Materials (“ASTM E 84”). ASTM E 84, also known as the Tunnel Test, compares surface burning characteristics of tested materials to those of asbestos cement board and untreated red oak lumber. A rating of 0 is assigned to asbestos cement board and a rating of 100 is assigned to untreated red oak flooring. Flame spread ratings of various species of untreated lumber range from 60 to 230. A flame spread index of 25 meets Class A requirements. During this test, smoke emissions are also measured and ratings are assigned to ensure that smoke development is equal to or less than 450. Many fire retardant products have a smoke development index equal to or less than 25. This is important since many believe smoke to be the number one killer in a fire event. In the tunnel test, wood is placed over a burner shooting a 4.5-foot flame along the underside of the wood. Flame spread and smoke development ratings are established during the first 10 minutes. However, the 10-minute test must be extended to 30 minutes and the flame spread not progress more than 10.5 ft. beyond the burners to meet the requirements of AC 66. Published in 2011, ASTM E 2768, Standard Test Method for Extended Duration Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials (30-minute Tunnel Test) (“ASTM E 2768) was developed as a separate protocol. The purpose of this fire-test-response standard is to evaluate the ability of a product to limit the surface spread of flame when evaluated for 30 minutes. This fire-test-response standard uses the apparatus and procedure of Test Method ASTM E 84 with the total test period extended to 30 minutes. ASTM E 2768 was originally intended to be a stand-alone 30 minute test for FRTW and essentially replace ASTM E 84 extended. However, it was revised to include other materials and was never adopted into the IBC/IRC.

than ever before when FRTW construction is substituted for hourly rated steel or concrete construction. Some model codes and local building officials will accept the Component Additive Method (“CAM”) for calculating fire resistance in lieu of actual assembly testing. The CAM concept entails adding the resistance rating of individual components to qualify the resistance rating of the assembly. The lumber and plywood used in rated assemblies or CAM listings are usually not identified as being untreated or FRTW, but the model codes generally do require that any wood used in noncombustible types of construction be treated with a fire retardant. For more information on CAM, view the brochure, “Component Additive Method (CAM) for Calculating and Demonstrating Assembly Fire Endurance,” Publication T20 at www.awc.org/Publications/dca/dca4/DCA4.pd. Fire retardants offer many advantages over other methods of protection from flame spread and smoke development. Because of the tested performance of certain products, specifiers and architects can design with confidence and flexibility. Building owners and designers alike can have the confidence and peace of mind that comes with using the right FRT wood. – Rodney Hardison is senior manager, portfolio management for Lonza Wood Protection (www.wolmanizedwood.com).

Specifying FRT Wood and Labeling Not all products have the same design values and attributes. Specifiers should always review a product Evaluation Service Report (ESR) and make sure the ink stamp on the FRT Wood has all of the required information. Therefore, design professionals should be aware that product substitution carries with it significant risks. In accordance with AC 66 each piece of FRT Wood is required to be marked with an ink stamp bearing the ESR number, classification mark of a qualified testing laboratory, categorizing its surface burning (flame spread and smoke developed) characteristics. The mark further identifies the name and location of the treating plant and shows that the material complies with AWPA standards, has been dried after treatment, and qualifies as an Interior Type A, low hygroscopic product. A sample ink stamp is shown below.

Fire Ratings Fire ratings in hours are typically assigned to doors, walls, or deck assemblies, following testing in accordance with ASTM E 119 and E 136. References such as the Underwriters Laboratories “Fire Resistance Directory” specifically point out that FRTW may be substituted for untreated wood in any rated assembly. FRTW can be used in place of untreated wood in many of these designs and will enable the use of these assemblies in many building construction types that do not permit untreated wood. These new construction assemblies provide greater savings Building-Products.com

FIRE RETARDANTS offer distinct advantages over other methods of protection from flame spread and smoke development. April 2017

Building Products Digest

MARGIN Builders By John Golesh, Goldberg Brothers

Stocking tips for barn door track hardware F

any home design magazine and you’re likely to see at least one home with barn doors in it. This eye-catching alternative to traditional hinge-mounted doors is hot with homeowners who want to personalize their homes with distinctive features. What’s more, homes for sale with “barn door” in their listing sold for 13% more than expected and 57 days faster, according to research by Zillow Digs. In light of this trend, homeowners and builders increasingly are asking dealers about barn door track hardware. As with virtually any building product, if you don’t stock it, you’re at risk of losing the sale to your competitor down the street who does stock it, or to the big box store on the edge of town, or an internet retailer. If you’re considering stocking barn door track hardware, read on for tips to be successful with this product segment. LIP THROUGH

Stocking Essentials When it comes to stocking barn door track hardware, dealers frequently ask three questions: • What sizes should we carry? • Which colors are most popular? • What are the price options? Fortunately, with barn door track hardware, stocking a few SKUs will take care of 90% of customers’ needs.

Sizes Popular sizes are hardware packs of tracks and rollers in 1-3/8” and 1-3/4” dimensions, which fit interior doors from most door manufacturers. Barn door track lengths of 5’, 6’, 7’ and 8’

Building Products Digest

DESIGNERS are using barn door track hardware to create unique features, such as this corner entryway to a room. (All photos courtesy Goldberg Brothers)

are sufficient for most door widths and applications, including for single and double doors and nested doors.

Colors Manufacturers offer barn door track hardware in a wide range of colors and finishes, from copper and chrome to white, brown, red and blue, among others. When beginning to stock barn door track hardware, it is usually sufficient to start with black, as that fits with virtually any home décor—from modern to rustic. Other colors can be offered via custom order until such time as you find which colors are most popular in your market and would be good to add to your stock. April 2017

Pricing Similar to most building products, barn door track hardware is available in a wide range of prices and quality. As the old saying goes, “you get what you pay for.” As long as you’re working with a reputable manufacturer, their standard hardware will provide well-crafted products at a reasonable price. Some manufacturers also offer quality products with economical pricing for larger, multi-door projects, such as for multi-family housing, which is beneficial to stock for a range of price options. Across sizes, colors, pricing and more, such as accessories, a key to success with track hardware is to Building-Products.com

BARN DOOR track hardware complements virtually any style, including modern homes.

FOR A RUSTIC look, combine a traditional wood barn door design with barn door track hardware.

choose a manufacturer that will work with you to tailor a stocking order to your and your market’s specific needs.

Domestic or Import? In the push to stay competitive with big box stores and internet retailers, stocking low-price import hardware can seem appealing. However, you and your customers will feel a clear difference with American-made barn door track hardware, which is noticeably more solid and substantial. In addition to the goodwill created with customers by stocking made-in-the-USA products, domestic-based manufacturers are better able to deliver custom orders—and to deliver them quickly—allowing you to meet virtually any customer need without having to stock a plethora of SKUs.

Open a New Window of Opportunity Beyond being used for a wide range of interior door applications, barn door track hardware is also used for other decorative and functional applications. These include for interior window shutters, and cabinet and entertainment center doors, among other uses. Products like the Goldberg Brothers Shutter Series provide easy-to-install kits that enable stylish and space-saving barn doors in place of draperies and cabinet doors. Such kits enable dealers to grow their business in at least three ways. The first is by going after the lucrative window covering market, which LBM dealers traditionally have not participated in. The second is by expanding your millwork sales, as interior shutters on barn door track hardware typically require four shutters per window compared to two faux shutters mounted on the exterior of each window. Third is by enabling an add-on to your window sales, potentially including as profitable bundled products of hardware and windows. From HGTV to popular home improvement magazines and social media sites, barn doors have captured homeowners’ imaginations. Stocking well-crafted American barn door track hardware can be a non-space intensive way to expand your offerings and grow your business in serving this hot design trend. – John Golesh is president of Goldberg Brothers (www.goldbergbrothers.com), a Denver, Co.-based company specializing in American-made barn door track hardware.

Building Products Digest

April 2017

BARN DOORS provide a visually interesting and space-saving alternative to traditional out-swing doors on cabinets and entertainment centers.

SHUTTER-STYLE barn door track hardware provides a way to grow your millwork sales. Building-Products.com

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COMPETITIVE Intelligence By Carla Waldemar

Challenges = opportunities for small town dealer A

RCHBOLD, A TINY town tucked into the northwest corner of Ohio, is reached by a trickle of asphalt off the grand Ohio Turnpike. Tiny, yes, but backwater? Oh, no. The town of 4,300, punching far about its weight in economic stats, boasts over 4,000 jobs. Hundreds of them sprout from titan industries like Sauder, the world’s largest manufacturer of ready-to-assemble furniture. Seventeen, from Lugbill. Lugbill Supply Center’s niche, right from the outset in 1962, was furnishing and erecting pre-engineered buildings manufactured by Varco Pruden Buildings. It’s what brought Dave Nafziger to town—well, back to the town he’d said goodbye to after college—when he accepted the job as Lugbill’s president in 2002. “I owned a construction company in a western suburb of Chicago, where we also utilized VP pre-engineered buildings. Knowing that, the company’s board asked me to visit and consider working here (as my dad had for 40 years).” Maybe it was the sweet, well-kept community. Maybe it was the family heritage. Or maybe they spiked his KoolAid. Whatever: One look and he and his wife, Deb, agreed. They sold the Illinois business in two weeks and their home in three days and headed over. (Today Deb is one of those 17 employees. And one of their sons is another.) One of Dave’s first ventures was to launch a wholesale plumbing company and a commercial plumbing contracting company in tandem with the building supply operation. “I

LUGBILL SUPPLY Center owner Dave Nafziger has had to continuously evolve his 55-year-old business, adding new ventures—and selling some—when an opporunity surfaces.

Building Products Digest

April 2017

CHANGES ALSO occurred at home, where the Nafziger family adopted siblings from Haiti.

sold those in 2012 to our competitor as their fourteenth location. They were profitable, and we were able to sell at the right time, so we could focus on our core.” That core was Varco. It freed him to multiply those ops. “We have one customer in town that has used us for more than 6 million sq. ft. of manufacturing and warehouse space. I’ve also put up buildings from Kalamazoo, Mi., to Clanton, Al. We’re currently working on a $3.5 million project for another customer. We do anything from a 60by-90-ft. ag building to a 1.5 million-sq. ft. distribution center. We provide steel and do some construction management—that’s what brings me to the table—but I won’t compete and go heads against our own commercial customers.” The niche provides about a nice portion of the company’s income, “and it’s just me, supervising, and I can travel. It’s a nice profit center.” Lugbills doesn’t neglect its local contractors, however. There’s plenty of TLC to go around. These pros constitute 70% of the operation’s accounts—pleased, Dave says, by the staff’s depth of product knowledge and pride in service. “Our pros tell me they could drive 25 miles to Lowe’s or Menards and find shingles, say, for $3 cheaper, but they realize that doesn’t make sense. Here, it’s all about relationships: We help them. We introduce them to new products and innovations. We host a contractors’ breakfast with our vendors and a contractors’ night with prizes. We deliver with a boom trick. We offer rebates for keeping their accounts current and send out checks. We also send checks at the end of the year if they’ve met their goals of annual buying. Plus, they’re all friends. It’s all about relationships,” he repeats with vigor. “When I came back here after Building-Products.com

NORTHWESTERN OHIO yard continues longtime niche: furnishing and erecting Varco Pruden pre-engineered buildings.

18 years, I saw some of the same contractors I’d known. Folks stay loyal. And we work hard for that: anything to keep them in front of us, and us in front of them.” Lugbill also enjoys a strong agricultural market, especially in the post-frame construction business. And it heeds its walk-in trade, too—that important 30%, whether local handymen or the burgeoning female market, for which it’s recently added a new paint center and extended its home goods section. “Two ladies on staff, too,” Dave adds. Speaking of staff: Among those 17, Dave just handed out two 40-year awards, one for 35 years, one for 15, and another for 10, explaining, “We have very little turnover.” A huge reason is how these folks are treated, which is what the boss defines as “servant leadership”—asking nothing of the staff he wouldn’t do, himself. “The Golden Rule applies all across the board. And we’re very family-friendly. If your kid’s got a softball game at 4:00, it’s ‘Go! Be with your family!’ They know they won’t get rich being in this industry, but we offer things that are more important.” Dave hires for attitude, not aptitude. “Give me someone with a great outlook on life and the desire to be a servant leader, and I will take them over a grizzled industry veteran with a negative attitude.” His 24-year-old son buys that. Utilizing his degree in PR and marketing, “he gets the whole technology thing,” says Dad. “He built our website and handles advertising and social media”—largely a robust Facebook presence, juiced to introduce new products and build Lugbill’s brand, and it’s paying off by attracting a new, younger market. “He’s doing all that stuff I hate,” shivers Dave, the president. These days Dave the president is also Dave the owner. “I knew the partners were talking about selling the business—they’d sent the financials to a competitor in Indiana—or even shutting it down, and I just couldn’t stand the thought of the business not being here in Archbold any longer, let alone what would happen to our employees. So we prayed about pushing everything we owned into the center of the table and jumping all in. “It was the right thing to do. It was a three-year process, and the local bank was willing to partner with us. As president, I had access to all the information. And Deb and I were newly empty-nesters (and loving it), with two boys either married or in college.” But one big decision overtook another. Deb had made her first trip to Haiti at the same time. She came back, Dave reports “with the inkling that the Lord was asking us to adopt a brother and sister. God’s timing and sense of humor were evident as we closed on the financials of the business and brought the kids, then ages 13 and 8, home to us within Building-Products.com

about two weeks of each other. But,” he’s quick to add, “we have a ton of support from our employees and our church family,” where the couple had absorbed its message about caring for widows and children: “Crazy! Adopting kids when I was 50! But we were called to do that crazy thing.” As Lugbill’s new owner, Dave knew that some changes would be required, “and change is difficult in this industry,” he understood. “I looked at co-ops, and joining one was the best decision I ever made. It changed the way we buy and do things. We got a lot better at merchandising. We use Margin Master, and we increase our margins one point a year by rounding up [the price tags] to our advantage, which customers don’t object to, but also doesn’t ruin your reputation for low prices, compared with the boxes. We also updated our computer system. Change,” he reiterates, “is necessary to remain viable. It’s hard, I know, for an employee to stand there in front of a customer and have to adapt to something new. But it’s vital.” A customer survey prompted more tweaks. “The main thing we learned from the survey was that we were not so smart,” he laughs. “In fact, we’d outsmarted ourselves by using just-in-time purchasing.” The result was half-empty shelves, which left customers the impression that Lugbill was going out of business. “We have a 12,000-sq. ft. showroom, and now the message is ‘Fill those pegs!’” More changes yet were prompted by the recent recession, during which “We paid some pretty high tuition—and I don’t want that to happen again. We’re doing a better job at preparing for those eventualities by keeping an eye on our staffing levels and expenses. We weren’t prepared for 2008. We were overstaffed. But we didn’t resort to layoffs. Now, through attrition, we’re leaner. We also learned to buy smarter—to negotiate better terms with our vendors. The formula now is pretty simple,” he says: “Sell more at better margins, and manage the cost structure.” It’s paid off. “In the future, as we alleviate some of our debt service, here’s how we want to split those profits: a portion to employees, a portion rolled back into the business, and a portion to missions, the community, and the church. That’s what drove us to succeed and purchase the business in 2013,” Dave explains, “and why we get up and do what we do every day.” Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net April 2017

Building Products Digest

OLSEN On Sales By James Olsen

Relationship selling absolutely will accelerate the trust factor with customers. Warm calls are great calls. • Competence. We need to show competence early with customers. We need to know what we are good at and demonstrate it as early as possible.

First-Call Relationship Acceleration

I ASK sellers, “What is your sales approach or style?,” 99% of them say they are “relationship sellers.” Ask an experienced veteran what it takes to be successful in sales and they’ll say it’s a “relationship” business. What does relationship selling mean? To most sellers it means, “I’ll be as nice as possible, give great service, and hope the customer likes me best.” This strategy works, but doesn’t ensure the number one supplier position in the long run and doesn’t produce immediate results in the short run. HEN

Accelerating Realtionships Our human DNA screams for us to go slow in developing relationships. Our ancestors survived because they made the correct choices on the alliances they made. While our DNA screams for prudence, our companies and bosses scream for immediate, if not sooner, results. Our challenge is to fight our human nature and that of our clients, and create high-trust relationships, quickly. There are three things that will accelerate our (hightrust) relationships with clients faster: • Naive confidence. As unnatural as it may seem, we as sellers need to approach each encounter with customers, especially early in the relationship, with a naive confidence that they are going to do business with us. We may know in our hearts and minds that many people are going to say no early in the relationship, but we need to act like they are going to buy from us. Too many sellers act and sound as if the customer is going to say no and, lo and behold, they do. If we act “positively naive,” will customers say no to us? Yes, they will. But they will say yes sooner. We, as sellers, have a problem acting like people will trust us early because, even though we want people to trust us and buy from us early in the relationship, we empathize—too much—with their feeling of “let’s-wait-and-see-how-itworks-out.” All too human, but working against us. • References. Humans—our customers—want, need and deserve references. When we supply a letter of reference from a satisfied customer in a competitive market, we

Building Products Digest

April 2017

The first call is not a sales call. We are qualifying our potential account. We are not trying to (overly) prove ourselves to them. If they fit our profile we know we can help them. If we act like we are trying too hard to sell them on the first call, we will fall into the “order-grubbing” pile of needy salespeople that are just around for the order. Resist all efforts by the customer or yourself to sell on the initial call. This shows confidence and competence and allows us to listen to the real needs of customers to set up a meaningful second call. Note: First call follow-up email and reference letters are critical for relationship acceleration.

Second-Call Relationship Acceleration Our first and second call work together. Our goals on the first call are to find out does our customer: • Buy what we sell • Buy it the way we sell it • Buy enough Most sellers have to re-prospect the customer on the second call, which is irritating and frustrating to the customer—not a good way to start (accelerate) a relationship. If they qualify, we know we can help them so on the second call we act in a positively naive way, meaning, acting like we believe they are going to buy from us. We project this in everything we say, especially in our tone, that we expect them to buy from us. We are going to come into the second call positively/ naively assumptively, expecting our customer to buy from us. Will many of them say no? Yes. But many will also feel and remember that feeling of “I-know-we-aregoing-to-do-business” for the third call and beyond. Creating relationships takes time. Keeping our attitude open and positive early will accelerate the relationships as we build and grow our business. James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572 james@realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com

EVANGELIST Marketing By Alex Goldfayn

Key Revenue Indicators W

it all away, sales growth almost always comes down to just a few consistently repeating behaviors. The question is, which behaviors? This depends on your company, but they almost always come down to communications actions. That is, the more you talk to your customers—across all available channels—the more they will buy from you. The key, then, is to identify what these behaviors are for you, and then to track and measure them. I like developing Key Revenue Indicators (KRI) for my clients. These are the measures—or counts—of the communications behaviors that we determine lead most immediately to revenue growth. Imagine having a dashboard of a few key behaviors, measured across your company, that give you an instant snapshot of whether you are on track to grow. My clients who have such a dashboard enjoy two key and powerful advantages: • They ability to plan for strategic growth. Once we know what leads to sales growth, we track the counts of these behaviors and we know how much growth we can expect this year! How powerful is that?! There’s a massive difference between proactive strategic growth, which you can turn up and down as needed, like a rheostat, and the random, impossible-to-plan-for growth that happens when you’re reactively taking incoming orders all day. • The second key advantage you get when you have a KRI dashboard is peace of mind. You can sleep easy at night, knowing your business is on track to gain the growth you need this year because your staff is executing the communications that you know will lead to more sales. Having predictable revenue growth is a highly enjoyable way to live. So, let’s dive in: which communications behaviors determine growth? HEN YOU BOIL

Key Revenue Indicators First, a note: this list is all-inclusive. That is, you don’t need all of these indicators. You need around three. The question is, which of these activities will most easily generate the highest number of new sales for you? Also, as you read through these, think about quantities. How many, per person per day, do you think you need to implement? Proactive Phone Calls: Tom, it’s Matt. I was thinking about you, it has been a while since we talked. How are you? What are you working on these days? How can I help? The key with these is that they are proactive. That is,

Building Products Digest

April 2017

you’re not answering the phone, taking orders. You’re picking up the phone to call people you can help. Asking for the Business: Should we write it up? Frankly, if you’re talking to a customer, you should pivot to the sale every… single… time. They’re on the phone with you—ask to help them! The Did You Know Question: Did you know we also do x, y, or z? Your average customer only knows about 20% of what they can buy from you. Imagine if you grow this number by just 10%, which is actually an increase in awareness of 50%! Quote and Proposal Follow-Ups: Tom, where are you at on that quote you asked for? I sent it last week. We have it in stock, but I have another customer asking about it. Do you still need it? My three-step quote follow-up system closes 20% of all out-standing quotes! This is free money. Asking for Referfals: Tom, who do you know, like yourself, who would benefit from working with you like you do? Or… Who would I enjoy working with as much as I enjoy working with you? People love giving referrals. All we need to do is ask them. Conferences and Conventions: How many new customers or orders do you pick up at a conference or convention? Do you need to exhibit or sponsor? How many do you need to do each year? Gatherings of Customers and Prospects: Think about events that bring your customers and prospects together. Let them meet each other and interact with each other. Does this grow your business? How much? Pick your top three actions. And it’s perfectly reasonable if your actions aren’t on this list. What are yours? How many do you have to do in a month, week, day? How will you track it, so can always know where you stand with your strategic, planned revenue growth. Because that’s the goal: having a tool that will inform you with certainty that you will make more money this year, next year, and as long as you wish. Alex Goldfayn The Revenue Growth Consultancy alex@evangelistmktg.com Building-Products.com

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Kentuckyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square Deal Lumber Closes

Blaze Claims Century-and-aHalf Indiana Lumberyard

Three-generation, family-owned Kentucky dealer Square Deal Lumber Co. closed its three lumberyards March 3 after 126 years. Properties in Glasgow, Horse Cave, and Cave City, Ky., have been sold to companies in industries unrelated to building materials. Founded in 1891, Square Deal had also operated a yard in Park City, Ky., until closing it in 2012 and a millwork shop in Glasgow until selling it in 2014.

Fifth-generation Yarnelle Lumber Co., Wabash, In., was completely destroyed in a quickly spreading fire March 5. Jill Yarnelle, wife of owner Ken Yarnelle, said she does not expect to rebuild the 152-year-old business. Authorities are searching for a cause, though the Yarnelles said they heard a buzzing noise emanating from a fuse box upon discovering the fire.

DEALER Briefs Chic Lumber Co., Wentzville, Mo., suffered damage to its warehouse and a loaded delivery truck as a tornado ripped through the area March 6. Junction Building Supply, DeKalb Junction, N.Y., is seeking a zoning variance to allow construction of a second store in Gouverneur, N.Y. Goddard Ace Hardware , Goddard, Ks., is opening this month in a 7,500 sq. ft. space (Russ Lowen, owner). Eames Hardware, Richmond, Va., is liquidating after 43 years, with the retirement of owners Bob and Patrick Eames. Park Ace Hardware , Park Rapids, Mn., has been purchased by Jeff Cwikla, longtime manager of Ace on the Lake, Bemidji, Mn. Brad Dahn, owner since 1989, has retired. Ace Hardware franchisee Steve Tyre has purchased a 20,000-sq. ft. building in Plainwell, Mi. 84 Lumber will invest $3.9 million repurposing its shuttered retail store in Winchester, Va., as a truss plant. Gloversville True Value Hardware , Gloversville, N.Y., has closed after 14 years.

T&M Hardware, Ellwood City, Pa., is expanding its store and parking lot. Westlake Ace Hardware has remodeled its 40-year-old location in Jefferson City, Mo. BMC Stock Holdings, Atlanta, Ga., launched a public offering of over 5 million shares of its common stock to select stockholders, including affiliates of The Gores Group and Davidson Kempner Capital Management. No shares of common stock are being sold by BMC. Northeast Ace Hardwares in Old Forge and South Abington, Pa., have added U-Haul rentals. Anniversaries: Gates Lumber , Brooklyn, N.Y., 90th â&#x20AC;Ś Builders , Kearney, Mo., 40th.

Building Products Digest

April 2017

Building-Products.com

AWPA OK’s Micronized Wood In the coming weeks, wood treated with micronized preservatives will officially be AWPA standardized, with the publication of the next American Wood Protection Association Book of Standards. Previously, there were AWPA standards for the chemicals, but not for wood products treated with those chemicals. Instead, preservative manufacturers Lonza and Koppers maintained ICC-ES reports to establish and certify appropriate retention levels. Now, wood treaters using either of the two systems of micronized copper azole (MCA and MCA-C) will be able to legally claim conformance of their treated wood to AWPA Standard U1. Nonetheless, Lonza will renew its ICC-ES report for at least one more year, to provide its customers with an extended transition period and an additional option for production of a code-compliant product, since the retention levels in their report and those approved by AWPA are higher in some cases.

SUPPLIER Briefs Amerhart, Green Bay, Wi., opened a new warehouse last month in Grand Rapids, at Mi. Culpeper Wood Products , Columbia, S.C., has added a dry kiln.

Viance’s Ecolife Stabilized Weather-Resistant Wood is now being carried at 84 Lumber locations. Ackerson-Stevens Inc ., Ware Shoals, S.C., will invest $490,000 upgrading its current millwork equipment and expanding into an adjacent 30,000-sq. ft. facility. The expansion should be completed by second quarter 2018. PPG upped its bid to buy AkzoNobel to reflect a 40% premium over stock value after its earlier offer was rebuffed. RoyOMartin has rebranded its Eclipse product lines to stress they are entire systems offering multiple uses. Eclipse Reflective Housewrap has been renamed Eclipse OSB Wall System. Eclipse Radiant Barrier Roof Sheathing is now Eclipse OSB Radiant Barrier. Guardian Building Products is now supplying Universal Forest Products’ Deckorators Vault and Frontier composite decking lines throughout the East from its distribution centers in Boston, Ma.; Waterville, Me.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Baltimore, Md.

Cedar Creek, Grand Rapids, Mi., has begun stocking Roseburg engineered wood product. BlueLinx’s DCs in San Antonio and Houston, Tx., have added Boral Versetta Stone mortarless stone veneer to their stock, joining Boral TruExterior siding & trim, which they began carrying last year. Forest Products Supply’s locations in Columbus, Oh., and Indianapolis, In., are now carrying the full line of Derby Building Products’ TandoShake and TandoStone product lines. 28

Building Products Digest

April 2017

Koppers will also continue to reference ICC-ES. Its retentions did not change for Above Ground (.06) and Ground Contact (.15). Producers can not switch to AWPA end tags until the changes to AWPA U1 are effective and until they conform to the updated retentions and other AWPA standards and procedures.

Missouri Dealer Clears Way for Chain Hamel & Rowe Ace Hardware, De Soto, Mo., is slated to close this spring and re-open with a new owner. Nine-unit Cotton’s Ace Hardware is purchasing the building and in June will start moving in, hoping to have the doors back open by Labor Day. Jeff Solomon, manager of Cotton’s Ace Hardware in Eureka, Mo., and a De Soto resident, will manage the De Soto branch when it opens. In the meantime, Hamel & Rowe owner Steve Rowe will continue liquidating his inventory until late May.

Yard Reopens after Roof Collapse Williams Lumber, Rhinebeck, N.Y., has reopened—but only partially—after the store’s roof collapsed March 15 from the weight of snow from a previous storm. According to the Rhinebeck Fire Department, the roof collapsed while employees and customers were inside the store, pinning one person who was quickly freed and did not receive any injuries. The section of the roof collapse was approximately 125ft. by-30 ft., leaving a huge, gaping hole. Since the collapse, the store remains closed, but the lumberyard has reopened to contractors and customers and for deliveries.

UFPI Closes on Purchase of Treater, Hardwood Producer Universal Forest Products, Grand Rapids, Mi., has closed on the purchase of assets of hardwood component manufacturer Quality Hardwood Sales, Nappanee, In., and wood treater Robbins Manufacturing Co., Tampa, Fl. The latter deal includes five of Robbins’ six treating plants in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Robbins will continue operating its facility in Tarrytown, Fl. Quality Hardwood becomes Universal’s first operation devoted to hardwood products and will provide Quality with the opportunity to grow its customer base and product offering. Founded in 2001, Quality notched sales of $30 million in 2016. The current management team will remain.

Michigan True Value Chain Takes Over Do it Best Store Steve and Beth Ward of Wards Do it Best Hardware in Hamburg Township, Mi., are heading into retirement after 30 years after selling the business to three-unit Peter’s True Value Hardware. New owner Peter Grebeck, whose grandfather founded the chain 70 years ago, also operates stores in Milford, Livonia and South Lyon. He plans some changes, like adding new garden and hardware products and minor remodeling to improve the store’s layout. The Wards, owners since 1986, had not been looking to sell, but the offer came along and the timing was right. The sale does not include a neighboring rental shop, Ward’s Equipment Rental, which will continue to be owned and operated by the their son, Andy Ward. Building-Products.com

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PRIVACY WINDOWS, such as Hy-Lite’s Baroque (left) and Geometric Octagon (right), bring much-needed light to typically darker rooms.

Dealers Open Up to Privacy Windows Dealers are finding an opening in selling privacy windows to homeowners looking to add light to windowless spaces, such as laundry rooms, nurseries, and master bedroom walk-in closets. “Too many smaller rooms in the home are constructed with no ventilation or light coming in,” says Roger Murphy, president of block/window manufacturer Hy-Lite, Pensacola, Fl. “It’s really so easy to add light into a room. There doesn’t need to be much wall space to accommodate a transom acrylic block window placed above laundry machines or an oval decorative glass window in a hallway.” Murphy points out that privacy window units are easy to maintain while bringing natural sunlight into the home. “From basement hopper windows made of acrylic block to

a Mission-style transom window in a shower, these units fill our instinctive desire to add light to dark places and connect us with the outdoors,” he says. “The beauty of privacy windows is that they do indeed protect the privacy of the person inside the home. The obscure nature of these windows bring diffused light into the house while keeping prying eyes out.” Some of their most popular styles of smaller privacy windows include the Geometric style (an octagon-shaped window) and the oval-shaped Floral and Radiance windows. “These small windows, when installed in small rooms, can make a big impact,” says Murphy. “Their stylish designs accent the rooms plus allow natural light to infiltrate a guest bathroom, home office or laundry room.”

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Building Products Digest

April 2017

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Treaters Mount New Effort on FRTW Recognizing the growing demand housing starts have nearly tripled over infused into the wood are designed to for fire retardant-treated wood, treatthe past seven years. In 2016, multislow the spread of fire and reduce ing companies with Western Wood family starts comprised 36% of all smoke, allowing sufficient time for Preservers Institute have agreed to housing starts vs. 20% in 2009. occupants to escape the structure. support a new education and promoThe new program will educate The fire retardants used by western tion program for these wood products. architects, specifiers and others on the treaters that will be highlighted in the Sales of fire retardant-infused (FR) many benefits of wood pressure treatprogram include D-Blaze, Dricon wood have increased strongly in ed with fire retardants. The retardants and FirePro for interior uses and recent years, fueled by risExterior Fire-X for exterior ing multifamily housing, applications. multistory wood structures A new website will be and low-rise hotel/motel launched in early summer construction. FR lumber and other publications and and plywood are often used materials supporting the in code-approved applicaspecification and use of FR tions such as outer and wood will be developed. The common walls in wood website and materials will construction. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also used supplement the information in wood roof and rafter available from preservative systems, which can elimicompanies for their respecnate the need for sprinkler tive fire retardants. systems in some construcWWPI also will continue tion. to advocate the use of presMultifamily has been a sure treated FRTW before bright spot in housing conregulators and building code struction since the depths ROBUST MULTIFAMILY construction has been a boon to manufacturers officials. of the Great Recession in and sellers of fire retardant treated wood. (FirePro photo by Koppers 2008-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;09. Multiple-unit Performance Chemicals)

Online Model Advises PTW Use Near Water A new, user friendly online tool will help those selling and using preserved wood in or around water and sensitive environments. Work was completed this winter on an online Preserved Wood Environmental Assessment Modeling Tool. The online model is hosted by Oregon State University on a website at wwpi.info/enviromodel. There is a patchwork of local, state and federal regulations that can affect the use of preserved wood near or in water, from industrial marine pilings to recreational docks on lakes and rivers. The new online model allows users to assess one of 11 preservatives based on the conditions where it will be used, including fresh water or salt water. As the information is entered on the wood exposed to water and the conditions of the water, sediment and rainfall, the model determines whether it has a high, medium or no impact on water quality. Data can be entered in either Imperial or metric

Building Products Digest

NEW ONLINE model allows users to assess preservatives based on where they will be used.

measurements. The impact statements generated by the model correspond with the determinations defined by the federal NOAA Fisheries agency. A full report showing detailed data on the assessment can be created to gain approval from local regulators. Users can also register and save assessments on speApril 2017

cific projects for later use. With the online model completed, Western Wood Preservers Institute and OSU will conduct workshops for regulators to explain how the model works and detail the lack of risks in using preserved wood in and near water.

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YellaWood® brand pressure treated products are treated with preservatives (the “Preservatives”) and preservative methods, systems, and technologies of unrelated third parties. For details regarding the Preservatives, methods, systems, and technologies used by Great Southern Wood Preserving, Incorporated, see www.yellawood.com/preservative or write us at P.O. Box 610, Abbeville, AL 36310. Ask dealer for warranty details. For warranty or for important handling and other information concerning our products including the appropriate Safety Data Sheet (SDS), please visit us at www.yellawood.com/warranties or write us at P.O. Box 610, Abbeville, AL 36310. YellaWood® and the yellow tag are federally registered trademarks of Great Southern Wood Preserving, Incorporated. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are used with their permission. *Availability varies by region. YellaWood® available in all markets.

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RISI Viewpoint By Steve Honeyman, RISI

Does new mill spell changes on the horizon for particleboard industry? T

HE 21ST CENTURY has been rough on the North American particleboard market. Around the turn of the century, substitution for MDF ate into particleboard demand levels as MDF gained popularity. Then, just as things appeared to be turning up for particleboard, the global recession hit in 2008. All wood products were negatively affected by this downturn, but particleboard demand fell to levels unseen in almost 30 years. And now, as the market recovers, there is a very real risk that capacity may be added faster than the market can bear, forcing the closure of additional North American mills. After peaking in 2000, North American particleboard demand fell in nine of the following eleven years. As

Building Products Digest

a result of this decade of decline in the particleboard market, many mills were permanently shut down. North American operational capacity in 2013 was estimated to have been at its lowest level since the 1970s, having fallen more than 47% from its 2002 peak. Operational capacity fell well below nameplate capacity as the mills that were still in operation were not running at full capacity. With the recovery in residential construction in recent years, particleboard demand has begun to recover as well. North American demand in 2016 was up more than 16% from the 2011 trough. While this is a positive sign for domestic producers, it hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t directly translated into increased demand for all North American pro-

April 2017

ducers. When adjusted for imports, demand on North American mills in 2016 had risen only 12.5% from cyclical lows, and reported shipments have increased just 9.7%. Clearly offshore imports have risen and taken market share from domestic producers, growing from less than 2% of total demand in 2009-2013 to 5% in 2016. Even though particleboard prices have remained steady over the past few years, the strong U.S. dollar has made North America an attractive market for foreign exporters. Despite the limited growth in particleboard demand and excess capacity hanging over the market, there has already been a major announcement of capacity expansion in North America. Arauco North America announced it will be opening North Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest continuous press particleboard mill in Grayling, Mi., in 2018. This is the first greenfield mill the North American market has seen since 2001. Building-Products.com

With a reported capacity of 424 MMSF (750 MCM), the new mill will increase the nameplate capacity level of the North American market by 9%. Given the massive size of the announced Grayling mill, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fair to question the ability of the market to absorb this additional capacity. The new mill will not have a full year of operation until 2019, so there is time for market demand to grow enough to absorb the additional capacity, but even assuming strong growth in the coming years, there will likely be additional slack in the market. In 2016, the ratio of North American demand to nameplate capacity levels was 78%. Assuming average annual growth of 5% in North American particleboard demand between 2017 and 2019, the ratio of demand to nameplate capacity without Grayling would be 90% in 2019, but with the addition of the mill the ratio is forecast at just 83%. Should the market underperform or the U.S. dollar continue to strengthen, the result could be even more unused capacity. Capacity greatly exceeding demand means that producers will lack pricing power. Particleboard producers have already been operating at narrow margins, and with anticipated increases in input costs they will need the ability to raise prices or their margins will narrow further. The Grayling mill will be outfitted with new machinery and will likely have a lower operating cost than mills currently in operation with older equipment. It is also located in a region where average costs are lower and prices are higher. Since 2010, particleboard prices in the U.S. West have been significantly lower than in the U.S. East. Due to the elevated wood fiber prices in the U.S. West, average variable costs of production are higher for this region. With higher costs and lower prices, it is the U.S. West that has the narrowest operating margins and would therefore be at the highest risk of capacity closure should the market remain oversupplied for an extended period of time. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Steven Honeyman, economist, wood products, for RISI, is the author of the Particleboard and MDF Panel Commentary and co-author of the North American Wood Panels 5-Year Forecast and the North American Wood Panels 15-Year Forecast. Based in Bedford, Ma., he can be reached at (781) 734-8908 or shoneyman@risi.com. Building-Products.com

April 2017

Building Products Digest

Ace Climbs to 5,000 Stores Worldwide

WHERE E THE LUMBER R INDUSTR RY GROWS ACCESS OVER 20,00 00 LUMBER COMPANIE A S GET CREDIT RAT TINGS & REPORT TS USE DYNAMIC SEARCH TOOLS

Ace Hardware Corp. has surpassed the 5,000 mark in its global store count, the co-op announced during its recent spring convention in Atlanta, Ga. “At a time when a majority of brick and mortar retailers are facing declining store counts, decreased customer transactions, stalling sales and massive layoffs, I’m delighted to share that Ace’s global store count has surpassed 5,000 locations,” said John Venhuizen, Ace president and CEO. Ace Hardware stores can be found around the world, from Indonesia to Nicaragua and Anchorage, Ak., to Miami, Fl. Stores can be found in more than 60 countries and in all 50 U.S. states. The 5,000th store to join the Ace organization is owned by Tim and Kerri Jacobs. The Jacobs family has acquired the 140-year-old WeakleyWatson hardware store in Brownwood, Tx., and will be affiliated with Ace going forward. Internationally, Ace retailers are opening stores throughout Asia, Latin America and the Middle east, along with new markets being explored from all corners of the globe. News of milestone comes on the heels of a significant period of growth for the 93-year-old retailer. It just completed its fourth consecutive year of increased customer transactions, five years in a row of net new store growth, and seven years in a row of increased same-store sales. In 2016 alone, Ace opened 207 new stores around the world, generating an estimated 4,000 new retail jobs, adding to the existing 100,000 redvested associates that deliver helpful service daily in Ace stores. Ace also estimates that in 2016, its familyowned businesses paid more than $3

billion in wages and generated more than $750 million in operating income. New store growth at Ace is generated through three main vehicles; first, from existing Ace stores that decide to branch out and open additional stores; second, from competitor hardware stores that decide to affiliate with Ace; and third, from new investors, individuals entering the industry for the first time. Looking ahead, Ace plans to continue its growth momentum by opening more than 150 new stores in the U.S. in 2017. Continuing its focus on 20/20 Vision, the company’s longterm retail growth strategy, Ace will continue to equip its retail store owners with proven strategies designed to strengthen their existing business and, in many cases, open new stores. This summer, Ace retail stores will celebrate the brand’s 5,000th store milestone with an in-store promotion for customers. A social media campaign to showcase the unique and individual stories of Ace stores is also planned.

ECi Adds Builder Software ECi Software Solutions, Fort Worth, Tx., has acquired Mark Systems, Mount Holly, N.J., maker of the Integrated Homebuilder Management System, Internet TookKit, and LotVue. Scott Duman, president and CEO of Mark Systems, has been named president of ECi’s Residential Construction Group under its Building & Construction Division. With the addition of Mark Systems, ECi now serves more than 3,200 customers in the lumber, building and construction, and hardware industries.

LUMBER BLUE BOOK Learn more at lumberbluebook.com 630-668-3500

Building Products Digest

April 2017

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THINKING Ahead By Devin Stuart, Roseburg

Millennials in the workplace Perceptions and realities A

INDUSTRY events and NAWLA regional meetings, I’m one of the youngest people in the room and one of the very few young women. On the trade-show floor, I’ve had attendees approach to ask, “Do you really work for Roseburg?” and “Does your father work in the industry?” These questions aren’t mean-spirited; rather, they stem from genuine curiosity and express a small amount of surprise and excitement to find me, a Millennial woman, doing a job that some may call decidedly un-Millennial. You may have read articles on social media sites or seen the stereotypes in television and film. The archetypal Millennial is lazy, entitled, and intent on breaking trail and doing things their own way. They want extra compensation for entrylevel work; they want to work from home; and, of course, they want their participation trophies. They befuddle bosses, confound their older coworkers, and complicate hiring managers’ jobs. Name the stereotype, and someone has voiced it—not just about Millennials, but also about those who came before them. Each generT

Building Products Digest

ation finds a variation of these flaws within the young people of the time; the only difference now is the use of the Internet to propagate these perceptions. Subsequently, young people sometimes enter workplaces that have unrealistic or unfair expectations of them. Putting employees in a box, regardless of their age, only limits their potential to help the company grow and innovate.

April 2017

As an aging industry, wood products stands to reap considerable benefits by cultivating the energy and ingenuity of its youngest members. And with Millennials expected to comprise three-quarters of the overall workforce by 2025, it’s a wheel that’s already been set in motion.

Misconceptions A common perception of Millennials is that they lack ambi-

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A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association

tion and they don’t want to settle down and buy a house. This could be chalked up to a lack of personal drive, or it could be wariness due to years of poor economic conditions. However, doesn’t every generation struggle to balance opportunity with safety, and growth with stability? Within the workplace, most people across generations have similar goals and aspirations, with the differences lying in how those objectives are realized. For example, the belief that Millennials are tethered to their phones may ring true, but it’s this same fluency in technology that allows us to keep pace with the innovation necessary to do our jobs. Technology is rapidly evolving, and savvy workers of any generation will be well-suited to adapt to changes in technology and their environment at large. Like every generation entering the workforce, we bring a new set of eyes to old problems. Combining the fresh perspective of rookie workers with the practical experience and knowledge of tenured employees, an intergenerational workplace can both perfect outdated processes and pass on best practices to the next generation. In order to be part of the solution, however, Millennials must do their part to step up as well. It can be difficult to feel like an equal when you work with people your parent’s age. Likewise, it may be challenging for colleagues to take you seriously when you remind them of their child. To establish themselves and gain credibility with coworkers, young people first have to earn that credibility. Commitment and follow-through should be practiced by every employee, but Millennials in particular must learn to embody dependability if they want respect. Coming prepared to work each day and doing what you say you’re going to do is the most important step in building trust. If you do your job well, you’ll make your colleagues’ jobs easier and make yourself invaluable.

jectory with the company and providing resources to help them succeed shows young people that their position won’t just be another job—it can blossom into a fruitful career. Companies can invest in the long-term success of Millennial employees by encouraging their personal and professional growth. Attending industry events and NAWLA meetings is a fantastic way to help Millennials feel more invested in their company and the wood products industry as a whole. Veteran employees can introduce newer coworkers to peers and friends within the industry at these events, forging relationships that help support a long and rewarding career.

Problem Solving

– Devin Stuart is marketing product manager for Roseburg Forest Products, Springfield, Or. (www.roseburg.com), and a member of NAWLA’s Marketing Committee.

However, even uniquely talented Millennials can present a level of risk to some companies. It’s no secret that we’re known as the job-hopping generation. According to a 2016 Gallup poll, 60% of employed Millennials are open to new job opportunities, compared with 45% of non-Millennials. For many businesses, this indicates that a significant portion of their young workforce doesn’t envision a future with them. This doesn’t have to be the case. Most Millennials still crave job security and financial stability, so an uncertain future or lack of upward mobility in their current position may drive them to seek greener pastures elsewhere. From day one at Roseburg, my path forward was clear, and having a vision of the opportunities ahead gave me goals to work toward. Outlining a new employee’s potential tra-

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Coming Together Many generational stereotypes stem from expectations that one generation should act exactly the same as its predecessors despite being influenced by vastly different environments. However, Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers were dealt different sets of cards—none of us will play the same hand at the same time. Still, we’re drawing from the same deck, and we share more than we think we do. The idea that everyone in a generation acts the same as their peers is not the most useful way to conceptualize the workforce. There are some blanket differences between generations, but I find these distinctions pale in comparison to the stark similarities they share. Maybe Millennials don’t really want to pay for cable or have a landline, but on the macro scale, our desires match those of Gen Xers and the Baby Boomers. We want the opportunity for growth, job security, and a reasonable work-life balance. Regardless of generation, people want to work under great management in careers that challenge and reward them. We want to see our companies and our industry grow and flourish, and we want to be part of the 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 www.nawla.org.

April 2017

Building Products Digest

ASSOCIATION Update Building Material Suppliers Association relocated to new offices in Matthews, N.C. BMSA is sponsoring a dealer roundtable April 19-21 in Asheville, N.C.; sales manager roundtable April 27-28 in Charlotte, N.C.; and leadership development roundtable May 9-10 in Nashville, Tn. Kentucky Building Materials Association is gearing up for its annual convention and product expo May 2-3 at The Marriott River Center, Covington, Ky. On the agenda: are “Knowing Yourself & Others,” an educational session featuring Ken Wilbanks, and tours of three local suppliers—Arling Lumber, Dyke Industries, and PrimeSource. Mid-America Lumbermens Association’s 29th annual Missouri Swing-into-Spring event will be May 4-5 at Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. Activities include Master’s Bass Fishing Tournament, Top Shot 9 Pin Bowling Tournament, Steak and Chop Fry, and Bean Bag Tournament. Proceeds will benefit the Missouri Lumbermens Scholarship Fund. Northwestern Lumber Association has booked Casey Voorhees to present a blueprint reading and material takeoff workshop April 11-12 in Grand Forks, Mn. Northeastern Loggers Association is hosting two upcoming shows—the annual Loggers Expo May 19-20 in Bangor, Me., and the new Loggers Plus Expo April 21-22 at Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, Bloomsburg, Pa.

Northeastern Young Lumber Execs is getting ready for its spring leadership conference April 27-29 at Portsmouth Harbor Events & Conference Center, Portsmouth, N.H. Rick Davis will present “Sales Leadership Up and Down the Chain of Command.” Eastern Building Material Dealers Association plans a regional member meeting for April 12 in Wilmington, De., and Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Association will hold its past presidents/board members lunch April 25, MIT Endicott House, Dedham, Ma. Construction Suppliers Association will hold a 10hour OSHA course—part one of a two-part construction safety seminar—May 4-5 in Tyrone, Ga. Transload Distribution Association’s 25th annual conference is May 2-4 at KC Marriott Country Club Plaza, Kansas City, Mo. North American Wholesale Lumber Association is holding its Southeast regional meeting May 4 in Birmingham, Al.

Talbert Purchases NC Property Talbert Building Supply Co., Roxboro, N.C., paid $800,000 to acquire its current 8.35-acre property in Asheboro, N.C., from previous operator Hedgecock Builders Supply Co. Talbert, which also has locations in Roxboro, Durham, N.C., and Clarksville, Va., took over operation of the Asheboro yard two years ago, but had been renting it. Once they realized they liked the location for the long term, they decided to buy, which will also allow them to modernize its the buildings. Hedgecock still operates a yard in Walnut Cove, N.C.

New Lumberyard for Maryland Town • Build larger raised decks with fewer support columns • IPBC with Permethrin protects underpinning from elements, wood-ingesting insects and fungi • 24FV5/M1 Balanced Layup • AWPA Use Category UC3B • 30-Year Limited Warranty

The village of Elkton, Md., will sell local businessman Terry Heck more than an acre of property west of town for $5001, to develop into a lumberyard. The Elkton Planning Commission must rezone it from residential to commercial in order for the sale to take place. Heck previously owned a roofing company for 36 years.

Hancock Adds Timberlands Hancock Timber Resource Group, Boston, Ma., has completed the acquisition of approximately 25,000 acres of timberlands in Alabama from Rayonier, Jacksonville, Fl. The is a follow-on to another deal completed in late 2016, where Hancock bought 37,000 acres of timberlands in Mississippi and Alabama from Rayonier. In total, Hancock now manages nearly six million acres of timberland worldwide, including 1.8 million acres in the U.S. South.

Depot Reunites Wandering Pig

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Home Depot, Portage, Mi., received an unexpected visitor March 9—a lost pig the employees dubbed “Hamlet.” After a strong wind damaged the fence surrounding its nearby home, the black and white pig got loose and wandered into the store. A Home Depot cashier posted a photo of the pig on the Kalamazoo Area Lost Pets Facebook group, which helped locate the pet’s rightful owner about two weeks later.

April 2017

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1245 Easton Road Bethlehem, PA 18015

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Building Products Digest

NY’s Curtis Lumber Feted for Work with Students Curtis Lumber Co., Ballston Spa, N.Y., was honored by the local school district for partnering with its new Work Based Learning program. The program offers opportunities for high school students to gain supervised, hands-on experience in the working world, so they can develop skills and better prepare them to enter the workforce once they graduate. Curtis was one of two local organizations to provide students with a meaningful worksite during the program’s first year.

The business will be supported by distribution centers in St. Louis, Mo.; Milwaukee, Wi.; and Dallas, Tx.; with planned expansions in Chicago, Il., and Houston, Tx. Mid-States Wholesale Lumber Co., Oklahoma City, Ok.—already a distributor for Fortress Deck sister companies OZCO Building Products and Fortress Railing Products—has added distribution of Infinity and Hulk lines in Oklahoma. J.M. Thomas Forest Products, Denver, Co., was a part of the soft launch of the Fortress Deck business into Colorado last year and will expand to a full launch this year.

Fortress Deck Makes Moves through Central U.S.

G-P Settles Huber Lawsuit

Fortress Deck, Dallas, Tx., is partnering with three distributes to bulk up sales of Infinity composite decking and Hulk clips and fasteners throughout the central U.S. Hallmark Building Supplies, Waukesha, Wi., opened a new decking division expressly to distribute Fortress products in Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.

Georgia-Pacific Wood Products, Atlanta, Ga., has signed a patent license agreement with Huber Engineered Woods, Charlotte, N.C., to settle litigation related to GP’s ForceField System products. Huber, the maker of ZIP Systembranded products, has a portfolio of patents and related pending applications for a structural roof and wall system incorporating water resistant and air barrier technologies that streamline the weatherization process. These

technologies provide an advantaged means to weatherize a home. The confidential settlement terms grant to GP a license to offer its ForceField System products with the payment of an undisclosed upfront amount and ongoing royalties. “Our license with Huber provides GP with the flexibility to meet our customers’ needs for products that install more quickly than housewrap,” said G-P’s Clarence Young, VP of OSB. “We are pleased to bring closure to the lawsuit with Huber so that we can continue to serve our customers with innovative products that solve real challenges in the building community.”

APP Watch

App: Shingle Styles Produced by: TAMKO Price: Free Platforms: iOS and Android tablets TAMKO Building Products has launched version 3.0 of its Shingle Styles app. The visualizer—which enables homeowners and contractors to experience Tamko shingles—has been made portable and accessible on popular platforms. Improvements in the visualizer make it easier to explore color and style. In addition, the visualizer now functions without a Wi-Fi connection. When connected to a network or Wi-Fi, additional features are available such as product details and other links to the company’s newly refreshed website. The content, information and images on Shingle Styles focus on color and style. – Download from iTunes App Store or GooglePlay

Building Products Digest

April 2017

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MOVERS & Shakers Mike Hammond has been promoted to president and CEO of Hammond Lumber Co., Belgrade, Me. He succeeds his father, Don Hammond, president since 1997, who will now serve as VP. Keith Williams, ex-Canfor Southern Pine, has joined the sales team at Everwood Treatment, Spanish Fort, Al., handling inside sales for south Alabama and Florida Panhandle. David Hennington, ex-Gutchess Lumber, is the new sales mgr. at Dixie Plywood & Lumber, Nashville, Tn. Bryan Kubitz, ex-US Lumber, is new to International Beams, Sarasota, Fl., as VP of sales. Robin Brockner has been named general mgr. of Cedar Creek’s Madison, Wi., distribution center. Brian Smith, ex-84 Lumber, has joined the sales team at Builders FirstSource/ProBuild, Apex, N.C. Lisa Hamblet, BMC Stock Holdings, Atlanta, Ga., is adding pro remodeling to her responsibilities and assuming the title of executive VPeBusiness & pro remodeling. Michael Pritikin, ex-US LBM, has rejoined BMC, Raleigh, N.C., as senior lumber trader & risk mgr. Jon Knudson, ex-Harris Hardwoods, has joined MacDonald & Owen Lumber, Sparta, Wi., as senior buyer of green lumber for its Luck, Wi., facility, as well as handling some kiln dried lumber purchasing and sales. Larry Thornton, ex-United Forest Products, is the new mill mgr. at Interfor, Georgetown, S.C. Angie Kieta is now Madison, Wi., market development mgr. for LP Building Products. John D. Enlow has been appointed president and CEO of Deltic Timber Corp., El Dorado, Ar. Alan Wall has been named VP of sales at Holden Humphrey Co., Easthampton, Ma. Sarah Durkalski has joined Carter Lumber, Kent, Oh., as a buyer. Barry Lung is a new truss designer in Winchester, Oh. John Tisera, ex-HD Supply, has moved to BlueLinx, Atlanta, Ga., as senior VP of sales & marketing. Bret Thompson, ex-Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber, is now market mgr. with Forest Building Materials, Oklahoma City, Ok.

Building Products Digest

Kimberly Watts, RoyOMartin, Alexandria, La., after four years in customer support has been named a sales representative. Katie Kiepura, ex-Robert Bosch Tool Corp., is now a merchant with Ace Hardware Corp., Oak Brook, Il. Mark Kelley, ex-Integrity, is new to commercial door sales with RDL Supply, Dallas, Tx. Larry McCoy is a new technical sales rep with Certified Wood Products, Maple Lake, Mn. Al Murray has been promoted to U.S. national sales mgr.-MDF for Arauco North America, Atlanta, Ga., directing sales for its four U.S. MDF mills. Tex Giddens was named project director for Arauco’s planned particleboard plant in Grayling, Mi., leading on-site construction activities. Phil Pierot is now national sales mgr.-particleboard and John Verzino, national sales mgr.-TFL; Lloyd Hotchkiss will serve as plant mgr. to prepare the Grayling facility for start-up and full-time manufacturing operations. With construction to begin this spring, the $400-million, 820,000-sq. ft. facility should be completed by late 2018. Joshua Edmondson, ex-84 Lumber, is now a Northeast branch truss specialist for Simpson Strong-Tie, covering the Columbus, Oh., area. Kyle Gault, ex-Cardinal Building Materials, has joined the inside sales team at Arrowhead Building Supply, Wentzville, Mo. Mike McCrobie has been promoted to chief procurement officer for 84 Lumber Co., Eighty Four, Pa. Brad Johnson was appointed logistics & sales coordinator at Hiwassee Builders Supply, Athens, Tn. Chris Almstead, Lowe’s, was promoted to market director for Dallas, Tx., area stores. Mark Nuckolls transferred from Springfield, Mo., to Gainesville, Fl., as store mgr. John Short is new to Huttig Building Products, St. Louis, Mo., as VP of human resources. Erik Ryll, exLyon & Billard, joined Huttig in Newington, Ct., in outside sales. Mandi Tamburello, ex-Russin Lumber, is a new N.Y.-based territory mgr. wtih 7D Wholesale. Michael Landa, HD Supply/White Cap, is now area operations mgr. for New York and New Jersey. April 2017

Robert Yurk, ex-Acme Building Materials, has been made branch mgr. of Beacon Roofing Supply, Detroit, Mi. Shane Burnworth has been promoted to merchandise mgr. for farm & ranch with Do it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, In. Julie Lowe is the new business mgr. for Smart Building Supply, Cincinnati, Oh. Benoit Bazin has been appointed president and CEO of CertainTeed Corp., Malvern, Pa., succeeding John Crowe, who retired at the end of 2016. Erin Graham has joined Southern Forest Products Association, New Orleans, La., as communications director, working with VP of communications Richard Wallace as he prepares for retirement at the end of the year. Fred Stimpson, president of Canfor Southern Pine, Mobile, Al., was elected to the American Wood Council board to complete the twoyear term of Aubra Anthony, who recently retired from Anthony Forest Products. Josh Poole, Tremco, and Will Lorenz, General Coatings Manufacturing, were elected to the Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association board of directors. Matt Lendzinski, Dow Chemical, received RCMA’s Nelligan Industry Statesman Award. Ryan Blad, 838 Coatings, won the Emerging Leader Award. Thomas Gennarelli, director of logistics & planning, Roseburg Forest Products, was elected president of the Pacific Northwest Association of Rail Shippers. Elizabeth Wheeler, Parksite, Batavia, Il., was presented with the 2017 Illinois ESOP Employee of the Year Award by the state chapter of the ESOP Association. Jeff Nobers, former head of PR for 84 Lumber, is now executive director of the Builders Guild of Western Pennsylvania. Natalie Martin Monroe, corporate environmental mgr., RoyOMartin, Alexandria, La., will be presented the Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering & Production) Ahead Award this month in Washington, D.C. Mike Raffone has been amplified to public speaker for Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus. Building-Products.com

www.MADWOOD.com

SELLING with Kahle By Dave Kahle

Build a professional rep with your customers I

JUST FIRED my accountants. They really hadn’t done anything wrong. They were responsive when I called. They appeared to keep up with the latest information in their profession. Their work was neat, accurate and timely. Their prices were fair. They conducted themselves professionally. But, I fired them anyway. Here’s why. While they consistently reacted professionally, they never, ever pro-acted. They never came to me with an idea, never offered a suggestion that I didn’t first initiate. Never suggested a change for my benefit. I wanted someone to think about me, to hold my best interests up before their regular scrutiny, to extend themselves in order to keep me at the forefront. My life insurance agent, on the other hand, makes it a point of contacting me at least twice a year, more likely three or four times. While there always is a bit of self-interest motivating these contacts (he always asks for referrals), I always take his calls. He can be counted on to share ideas with me based on his knowledge of my business and my personal affairs. I don’t know if he has ever tried to sell me something I didn’t need (like more life insurance), but he has consistently demonstrated that he’s thinking of me by making recommendations and exposing me to ideas that I would not have had otherwise. He recently, right out of the blue, approached me with an idea for a different kind of business retirement plan. Only one of 100 people qualifies for this kind of plan. But, he knew me well enough to know that my business did, and to make it a point to educate me about it. Hmmm. Keeping my interests at the forefront… knowing me and my business well enough to be able to regularly scan the horizon and find things that would fit me… proactively presenting solutions and ideas that would benefit me and my business. Could there be a lesson in here somewhere? Of course. People like to know that you are thinking of them. (Observe the greeting card industry, which is built on that thought.) They like to know that you are considering their interests. They want you to understand their businesses well enough that you can scan the horizon, and spot

Building Products Digest

April 2017

things that may help them. When they consistently see that in the people from whom they buy, they quickly develop loyalty to those people. Why is that important? You know that it is far more difficult to see your customers today than it was just a few years ago. People just don’t have the time to spend with salespeople today. Their jobs are more demanding, their task lists are overwhelming. More and more, they are asking the question, “Why should I see you?” Ultimately, the answer to that question will, to a great degree, determine your success. They will make the decision to spend time with you based on what they think of you, and what they expect to get from the time they invest with you. In other words, they make the decision based on your reputation. In the long run, your reputation will be your greatest asset. While there are lots of other elements to your reputation, you develop that reputation in large measure by your proven and consistent ability to show that you are thinking of them. That doesn’t mean that you show up every month and leave them a catalogue, or that you regularly spew samples of the latest gadget on their desk. It’s not a “throw a lot of mud against the wall and see if anything sticks” approach. The world is full of salespeople who focus on their product instead of the customer. Don’t do that. Rather, spend time coming to know their business goals and objectives and finding products, services and ideas that you believe will help them—whether you sell them or not. Then make a point of showing those to them and explaining exactly how you think your recommendation will help them reach their goals. Do this, sincerely, regularly and with forethought and sensitivity. In return, they’ll come to respect you. They’ll see you as an important and integral part of their business. You’ll develop a reputation as a valuable professional. In the long run, nothing is more valuable. – Dave Kahle is a sales trainer, presenter and author of 12 books, including the best-selling How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime. Reach him at (616) 451-9377 or dave@davekahle.com. Building-Products.com

NEW Products

Next-Gen Decking Vintage Trim Stands Out Universal Forest Products has a new paneling and trim product if a vintage, rustic look is what your customers are looking for. The UFP-Edge Rustic collection features new lumber that has been distressed, primed and painted to have the authentic look and feel of vintage barn wood. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s available in both 1x6 shiplap interior siding up to 12 ft. long and 1x4 trim boards up to 8 ft. long, with several color options.

n UFPEDGE.COM

The next generation Kebony Clear is here and offers a complete line of clear-grain decking and cladding products for both residential, public and commercial applications. Made from thermally-modified radiata pine and developed expressly for outdoor installations that require a clear, premium-looking finish, its look works well for sustainable, modern decks, facades and landscape architecture projects.

n KEBONY.COM/US (416) 538 3325

(800) 598-9663

Secured Foundation

Groovy Decking Royal Building Products has added to its Zuri Premium composite decking line with Zuri Grooved Boards. The boards offer key features to make any deck builderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life easy such as fastener application with pre-threaded screws for fast installation. Zuri Premium Decking offers the classic beauty of exotic wood with minimal maintenance issues.

To make it easier for contractors to secure older homes to their foundations, Simpson Strong-Tie has launched two next-generation foundation plates that provide higher strength than before, giving installers greater spacing flexibility when attaching first-floor framing to the foundation. The plates are specifically designed for locations with limited vertical clearance.

n ROYALBUILDINGPRODUCTS.COM

n STRONGTIE.COM

(855) 769-2585

Building Products Digest

April 2017

(800) 999-5099

Building-Products.com

CONNECT

LEARN

CREATE T

REG GIONAL MEEETINGS

Easy Installation Where It Matters DuPontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tyvek Protec roofing underlayments are lightweight and durable, making them a good secondary moisture layer and easy to install. Tyvek Protec 120 160 and 200 are designed with increasing durability and strength. The products are suitable for professional roofing and exterior contractors in new construction or re-roofing projects as a secondary water barrier on steep-sloped roofs under asphalt shingle, tile, metal, cedar or slate.

n DUPONT.COM (302) 774-1000

Access trennding industry insight and participate in valuable networkingg opportunities with local custoomers and suppliers inn your area. Attend onne of the upcoming NAW WLA RRegional meetings: Vancouver: April 27 Birmingham: May 4 San Diego: D June 27

Learn more and register at www.naw wla.org/regionals 50

Building Products Digest

April 2017

A New Gold Coat Sto Corp. has introduced StoGuard Gold Coat TA, a trowel-applied version of Gold Coat vapor-permeable air barrier membrane for StoTherm ci systems. Gold Coat TA is troweled directly onto vertical above-grade wall sheathing and concrete masonry. The coating also functions as a waterproof air barrier when combined with StoGuard joint and rough opening treatment.

n STOCORP.COM (800) 221-2397

Building-Products.com

A Comprehensive Lumber Industr y Introduction

Self-Adhering Flashing

WOOD O BAS SICS

TAMKO’s TW-105 flashing is comprised of a selfadhering rubberized asphalt sheet membrane with a polymer film on the surface and a removable split release film on the adhesive side. An accessory product used for balcony and breezeway detail, it works in conjunction with TAMKO’s TW-60 self-adhered sheet waterproofing membrane, TWM-1 Mastic and TWP-1 Quick Dry Primer or TWP-2 Water Based Primer. n TAMKO.COM (800) 641-4691

Summer and Fall Reggistration Ope p n Prepare Your New Hires for Success Summer Virginia T Teech July 17-20, 2017

Fall Oregon State Universit y September 11-14, 2017

Visit nawla.org / WoodBasics to learn more and register. 52

Building Products Digest

April 2017

Ceiling Revolution PennBarry has kicked off Zephyr Revolution, a line of precision ceiling, inline and wall-mount exhaust fans that are both quiet and powerful. Featuring direct drive EC motors, precision-tuned centrifugal wheels, and a CFD optimized inlet, the exhaust fans are capable of achieving airflow and pressure performance of units more than twice its size. The fans’ class-leading size, weight and power make them an ideal choice for space-constrained applications.

n PENNBARRY.COM (972) 212-4700

Building-Products.com

Waterborne Acrylic Urethane Enamel

Robust exterior waterborne performance for siding, molding, and trim Aquacron 200 waterborne acrylic urethane enamel delivers long-lasting protection over substrates where adhesion often proves difficult. • Factory-applied coatings so substrates are ready to go before they arrive at the jobsite • Works on primed wood, fiberglass, plastics, vinyl, and composites • Excellent resilience, durability, color stability, and chemical resistance • Available in a wide variey of colors • Meets AAMA 2603, 613, and 623 and WDMA TM-11, TM-12, and TM-14 specifications • VOCs < 2.0 lbs./gal. • Can be formulated with heat-reflective pigments To learn more, visit ppgmachineappliedcoatings.com or call 1.877.622.4277.

Bits of Strength To keep up with the pace of the evolving industry, Bosch developed Impact Tough Impact Driver Bits— upgraded with design functionality and toughness to deliver 10 time more life than standard impact bits. The line includes an impact-rated line of screw driving bits, double-ended bits, nut setters, sockets and bit holders, each enhanced to handle next-gen high torque impact drivers.

n BOSCHTOOLS.COM (877) 267-2499

Darker Hues that Stand Out Hickory is a popular light brown hue with natural wood tone variegation and an attractive color option for Deckorators Vault composite decking. The color stands well on its own and also pairs perfectly darker brown hues. Made with patented Eovations technology, Deckorators Vault is a viable wood-alternative that offers ultimate stability.

n DECKORATORS.COM (800) 332-5724

Wrap it Up The patent-pending TAB Wrapper Tornado line of orbital wrapping machines from TAB Industries cocoons palletized loads in multiple layers of plastic film to create a fully enclosed, weather-resistant barrier against the elements. This allows valuable products to be stored on their pallets outdoors and in semi-enclosed areas without fear of rust, contact damage or deterioration.

n TABWRAPPER.COM (610) 921-0012

Shine On Floor Coating Dur-A-Flex, Inc. expanded its Accelera Fast-Track Flooring family with the introduction of Accelera S. The product is a smooth, high-gloss floor system consisting of two coats of a single pigmented material, each coat offering cure times as fast as two hours. The system replaces the customary primer, base coat and topcoat—a three-day process of the past— and allows contractors to complete a full floor system, prep through topcoat, in as little as a single day.

When searching for a way to hold a bit securely in place during fastening applications, turn to Milwaukee’s Shockwave locking bit holders. The tool creates as secure a lock as needed in certain applications and is strong and durable featuring two magnets to maximize magnetic transfer and holding power to the fastener.

n DUR-A-FLEX.COM

n MILWAUKEETOOL.COM

(877) 251-5418

Building Products Digest

Locking Bit Holders

(800) 729-3878

April 2017

Building-Products.com

April 2017

Building Products Digest

NAWLA comes together at Leadership Summit North American Wholesale Lumber Association’s annual Leadership Summit was nothing short of a success as members from all over the country came to Westin La Paloma Resort, Tucson, Az., March 12-14. After settling in at the “ice breaker” reception, a joint board of directors and committees session took place where Rob Hruby, Aly Kingsley, Anthony Muck, and Steve Rustja were honored for their service to the association. Presenters included Nick Arkle, CEO, Gorman Brothers;

Steve Bobb, CMO, BNSF Railroad; Jim Cline, president and CEO of Trex Co.; Matthew Missad, CEO, Universal Forest Products; Dick Molpus, president, Molpus Woodlands Group; and Claudia St. John, Affinity HR Group. The event was capped by a “Legends of Lumber” panel moderated by Grant Phillips, Collins, and featuring Steve Boyd, Manufacturers Reserve Supply; Steve Weekes, Weekes Forest Products; and Steve Killgore, Roseburg.

AT THE SUMMIT [1] Rob Hruby, Aly Kingsley, Anthony Muck, and Steve Rustja were honored for their service to the association. [2] Jim Houser, Anthony Muck, and Bob McSorley accepted a trophy from Ian McLean (in green) following the Wine, Dine + Nine event. [3] Margie & Dan Semsak. [4] David Seymour, Alden Robbins. [5] Walker & Jeannie Russell, Jeff Norman. [6] Mary Lou Carlson, Buck Hutchison. [7] Anthony Muck, Marc Saracco. [8] Joshua Tyler. [9] Iain MacDonald, Mike & Dawn Holm, Chris Knowles, Susana MacDonald. [10] Kyle & Kelly Little, Heather & Aaron Sulzer. [11] Mike Mordell, Tom Corrick, Jason Ringblom. [12] Tom Gennarelli, Darrell Dudley. [13] Mark & Gail Kelly. (More photos on next 2 pages)

Building Products Digest

April 2017

Building-Products.com

NAWLA LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Photos by BPD

NAWLA (continued from previous page) keynote presentation on “A Key Link for Supply Chains” was delivered by [14] BNSF chief marketing officer Steve Bobb. [15] Sally & Steve Killgore. [16] Ashlee Cribb, Walter Woliver. [17] Paul Owen, Ben Barclay, Brett & Karen Slaughter. [18] Kent & Marcy Beveridge, Carly Building-Products.com

& Kevin Dodds. [19] Jim Robbins Sr., Phil Duke. [20] Mike McCollum, Sabrina Enright. [21] Bart Bartholomew, Heather Sulzer. [22] Joshua Goodman, Aaron Sulzer. [23] Ricardo Roman, Sean Kelly. [24] Robb Shrader, Ben Barclay. [25] Ashley Cribb, Walter Woliver. [26] Mark Erikson, Mark Auxier. [27] Cindy & Jim April 2017

McGinnis, Carli & Davis McGinnis. [28] Bill & Kathy Price. [29] Jason Ringblom, Harris Gant. [30] Claudia St. John, Mark Wells. [31] Kellie Radzik, Jim Houser. [32] Brad & Barry Schneider, Mary Ann & John Stockhausen, Lawrence Newton. [33] Bob McSorley. (More photos on next page) n

Building Products Digest

NAWLA LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Photos by BPD

NAWLAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LEADERSHIP Summit (continued) wrapped up with a Legends of Lumber Panel [34] moderated by Grant Phillips and featuring Steve Weekes, Steve Kilgore, and Steve Boyd. [35] Cal German, Mary Jo Nyblad. [36] Sally Killgore, Jim Enright. [37] Kathy Price, Shenell Phillips, Brandi Reeves, Dawn Holm. [38]

Building Products Digest

Shelly Elston, John Stockhausen. [39] David & Daphne Cox. [40] Curt Stuckey, Henry German. [41] Susana & Iain MacDonald. [42] Warren Reeves, Dave Destiche. [43] Tom LeVere, Shenell & Grant Phillips. [44] Mike Mordell, Craig Sichling. [45] Michael Pritikin, Thomes Black, Scott Elston. [46] David Jeffers, April 2017

Gary Dzurka. [47] David Fortin, Greg Porcaro. [48] Samantha Rustja, Steven & Elizabeth Rustja, Evan Srustjad. [49] Brad & Karin Schneider. [50] Jodi & Todd Lindsey. [51] Julie & Ian McLean. [52] Brandon Desyatuik, Jared Carroll, Morgan Wellens. [53] Kim & Nick Fitzgerald, Jen & Lee Schull, Michael Wade. Building-Products.com

NAWLA NORTHEAST REGIONAL Photos by BPD

NORTH American Wholesale Lumber Association held its Northeast regional meeting Feb. 14 in Providence, R.I. Guests were able to hear from industry experts [1] Joe Bognoche, Roger

Fossett, Kyle Little. [2] Jeff Dill, Reed Rediger. [3] Jefferey Hardy. [4] Roger Fossett, Carl Lamb. [5] Jon Begnoche, Brian Pershyn. [6] Bill Sweeney, Matt Pedrone. [7] Matt Duprey, Ian

McLean. [8] Jeffrey Hardy, Adam Russin. [9] Chuck Gaede. [10] John Lewis, Reed Rediger. [11] James Mortimer, John Smart. [12] Mike Goodman, Robert McGorley. [13] Harris Gant, Alden Robbins. [14] Henry German, Josh Goodman. [15] Kyle Little, Donna Whitaker. [16] John Fijalkowski, Mike McLaughlin. [17] Chris Thoms, Tonia Tibbetts.

Building Products Digest

April 2017

Building-Products.com

LMC sets new records LMC dealers gained market share and hit new heights in 2016, president John Somerville shared during its annual meeting in New Orleans, La. LMC year-end dealer purchases exceeded $3.8 billion—a 13.4% increase over 2015 and an all-time record year in the co-op’s history.

Nineteen new stockholder companies joined LMC in 2016, while existing dealers added 32 new locations. The strong numbers contributed to a bustling atmosphere on the show floor March 8-10. Dealers took advantage of pallet buys, extended dating, and “at show only” specials.

A New Products Area featured nearly 100 entries. Best New Product Awards recognized Coeur d’Alene Wood’s Xcelerated Barnwood (1st place), Simpson Strong-Tie’s Outdoor Accents decorative hardware (2nd), and Huber Engineered Woods’ AdvanTech Subfloor Adhesive (3rd).

LMC: [1] Harris Gant, Andy Chatman. [2] Marty Hawkins, Eddie Cox. [3] Phil Fortson, Chuck Colston, Bradley Marks. [4] Greg Bates, Sue Cuming. [5] Sam McMurry, Michael Dorman, Julie Baker, Ryan Williams, Barron Shiel, John

Kipp. [6] Paul Watterson, Johnny Martin. [7] Wayne Miller, Kelly Matthews. [8] Tony Butler, Curt Allen, Richie LeBlanc. [9] Jim Dudley, Jeff Womack. [10] Eric Ortiz, Bob Maeda. [11] Mark McLean, Bob Dando, Ashlee Cribb, Malory

Hillhouse. [12] Dennis McWhirter. [13] Craig Little, Bill Schlottman. [14] Todd Lund, Randy “Chip” Chippeaux. [15] Joe Angelo, Barbara Hart, Mark Dwyer. (More photos on next two pages)

Building-Products.com

April 2017

Building Products Digest

LMC Photos by BPD

LMC (continued from previous page): [16] Scott Ballantyne, Paul McRae, Daniel Quillian. [17] Steve Firko, John Smith. [18] Greg Sinclair, Andy Faircloth. [19] Dean Clark, Rich Coster. [20] Blair Buchanan, Kristen Lockhart, Phil Harman. [21] Chris Bartimioli, Chad

Building Products Digest

Warren. [22] Rob Endres, Craig Evans, Mark Swinth. [23] Tess Lindsey. [24] Kelly Jones, Lou Taback, Darin Curran. [25] Paul Waldon, John Branstetter. [26] Don Wineland, James Morris. [27] John Fitzgerald, Rich Kessler, Roger Dankel. [28] Jake Nansel, Derek Hall, April 2017

Don James, Christian Skarring, Bryan Hoexum. [29] Bart Bender, Donna Whitaker, Rick Fortunaso. [30] Bobby Massingill, David Mobley, Paul DuPont. [31] Chris Levey. [32] Tom Miclea, Kevin Brennan, Michael Grant. (More photos on next page) Building-Products.com

LMC Photos by BPD

MORE LMC (continued from previous pages): [33] Andy Williams, Brett Shuler. [34] Kris Lewis, Rob Endres, Leslie Southwick. [35] Jerrett Long, Wade Wheeler. [36] Jeff Relken, Mike Ryan, Mark Foltz, Jack Delaney, Russ Buttilana, Jonathan Wierengo. [37] Corey Wardle, Rick Friesen, Mark Stevenson. [38] Jay Smith, Roelif Loveland, Joe Guinta.

Complete Wood Protection BoraSol MC™ for Surface MOLD & MILDEW … Long Lasting

BoraSol WP® for Wood Boring Insects & Interior Wood Rot … Permanently

SEE the Advantages Safe Effective Economical ®

www.qualityborate.com Building-Products.com

3690 Orange Place • Suite 495 • Cleveland, OH 44122 Toll-Free 866-BORATES (267-2837) • Fax 216-464-8619

April 2017

Building Products Digest

New products debut at NRLA Expo First-time exhibitors took home the Best Latest Products awards at the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association’s 123rd annual LBM Expo ’17. Held Feb. 15-17 at the Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, R.I., NRLA promotes the expo as the largest regional gathering of LBM retailers in the country.

Building Products Digest

Expo attendees voted new product prizes for Monadnock Millwork, West Swanzey, N.H, for its Interior Barn Door Shutters, while EcoPoxy, Manitoba, Canada, was recognized for its UVPoxy commercial-grade epoxy engineered for exotic woods, live-edge furniture, slab finishing, table, bar, and countertops.

April 2017

Next year, NRLA will return to Providence for its 124th annual LBM Expo ’18 Feb. 14-16, 2018. EXPO ATTENDEES: [1] Gary Wesson, Dan Hagedorn. [2] Dan Semsak, Gary Parshall, Bill Sweeney. [3] Brad Wanzenberg, Robert Clark, Chuck Jessup, Kevin Smith, Brian Pershyn. [4] Scott Nowatzki, Michael Barrett. (More photos on next three pages)

Building-Products.com

NRLA EXPO Photos by BPD

AT THE NRLA EXPO (continued from previous page): [5] Lane Draper, Scott Gamble, Chris Kollwitz. [6] Matthew Hungerford. [7] Kevin Brockmyre, Tim Lloyd, Roger Szotko. [8] Scott Rolufs, Paul Harris, Pat McGovern. [9] Michael Grant. [10] Tom Spilane, Sarah Bell, Building-Products.com

Dave Safirstein. [11] Todd Greer. [12] Matt Veroneau, Hannah Knapp, Brad Morrow, Jeff Osborne. [13] Jim Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill. [14] Kurt Schluter, Greg Gallagher, Ryan Black, Lou Daviau, Steve Noor, Brett Belair. [15] Adam Maki. [16] Steve Getsiv, Joshua Kaye, Brett Kelly, April 2017

Michael Kelly. [17] Brad Eberhart, Andrew Golder. [18] Gearoid Hogan. [19] Larry Boyts, John Finnegan. [20] Darrell McFarland, Chris Boyts. [21] Steve Bloome, Chris Lowery. (More photos on next two pages) n

Building Products Digest

NRLA EXPO Photos by BPD

NRLA EXPO exhibitors were out in force (continued from previous two pages): [22] Spence Walker, Joe Siemion, John Junod, Kevin Stanton, Gunnar Brinck. [23] Cindy McCarville, Earl Downing. [24] Jim Houser. [25] Benjamin Kauffman, Len Moscowitz, Peter Krihak, Amos Kauffman, David Catlett. [26] Ken Trainor. [27] Tom Murray, Bruce Smith. [28] Phil Fortson, Ben Artale. [29] Greg Fitz, Donna Whitaker,

Building Products Digest

April 2017

Marc Osborne. [30] Ed Acker, Chris Pete. [31] Jamie Souza, Jason Hanna. [32] Paul Frazier, Dave Patch. [33] Dan Carrier, Jake Webb, Dean Limberger. [34] Bob McSorley, Patrick Regan, Bob Lemieux. [35] Mike Mellor, Adam Russin, Terry Hraniotis. [36] Clint Darnell. [37] Brett Shuler, Michael Mariotti, Bill Watson. (More photos on next page) Building-Products.com

NRLA EXPO Photos by BPD

NRLA (continued from previous three pages): [38] Jim Bennett, Sean Riley. [39] Greg Tuttle, Josh Goodman, Jason Rastad, Chris Burns, Mikey Goodman. [40] Chris DeGuzman, Andrdew Furjanic, David Brennan, Mike Catalina, Jeff Semprini. [41] Rod Bedard, Len Moscowitz. [42] Rich Hicks, Glen Terhune, Tom August, Kyle Izzi. [43] Pete Fisher, Sam McMurry, John Beers Jr. [44] Tom Handley, Rob Williams, Chuck Handley.

– Serving the industry for over 30 years – Phone: 800-763-0139 • Fax: 864-699-3101

www.spartanburgforestproducts.com Building-Products.com

April 2017

Building Products Digest

Southern producers converge

SOUTHEASTERN Lumber Manufacturers Association and Southern Forest Products Association hosted over 200 attendees for a joint spring meeting & expo March 8-10 in New Orleans, La. [1] Kerlin Drake, Tony Sheffield. [2] Dan Weimar, Tim Daniels. [3] Danny White, Bob Tweedy. [4] Kenneth Bland, Neil Sherman. [5] Furman & Jeannie Brodie, Will Telligman. [6] John Quast, Mark Richardson, Joe Patton. [7] Bob Tweedy, Allyn Ford. [8] Tim Lowrimore, Larry Slaton,

Building Products Digest

April 2017

Claude Gregory. [9] Jack Jordan, Robert Glowinski. [10] Steve Singleton, Mark Partyka. [11] Pam & Richard Wallace, Rebecca & William Almond. [12] Bryant Beadles, Fernanda Vale, Crystal Collier, Thomas Mende. [13] Andrew Miller, Jeff Jordan, Stephen Lovett. [14] Kim & Jim Olson, Gary Miller. [15] Gina & Hunter McShan. [16] Lisa Thomas, Emily DeMilliano, Lisa Hunter. (More photos on next page) Building-Products.com

SLMA / SFPA Photos by BPD

AT THE SFPA/SLMA EXPO (continued from previous page): [17] Patrick Harrigan, Bill Craig. [18] Beverly & J.D. Hankins. [19] Dennis Scianna, Sarah McLawhorn. [20] Doug Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rourke, Scott Vande Linde. [21] Chad Smit, Alexis Sivcovich, Alan Robbins. [22] Barry Blade, Pete Johnson. [23] David Ivy, Steve Mason. [24] David Summerfield, Barry Sullivan. [25] Mario Angel, Robert Hunter, Todd Kurle. [26] Will Griffin, Carl Shaffer. Building-Products.com

[27] Claire & Chip Porter. [28] Timothy & Caroline Dauzat, Doug Boykin. [29] Jerry Hingle, Theresa Penfield, Eric Gee. [30] Chris Matier, Kenzie Church. [31] John Pfeffer, Bryan Smalley. [32] Kimberli Scott, Chris Kollwitz. [33] David Tucker, Beverly Knight. [34] Sylvain Lefebvre, Pierre Compagna. [35] Craig Myers, Dave Adams. [36] Tami & Kerry Kessler, Linda Patch. April 2017

Building Products Digest

IN Memoriam

ADVERTISERS Index Anthony Forest Products [www.anthonyforest.com]

Camo [www.camofasteners.com]

Cox Industries [www.coxwood.com]

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

Deckorators [www.deckorators.com]

Eastern Engineered Wood Products [www.eewp.com]

Everwood Treatment Co. [www.everwoodtreatment.com]

Feeney [www.feeneyinc.com]

Great Southern Wood Preserving [www.yellawood.com]

Hoover Treated Wood Products [www.frtw.com]

International Beams [www.internationalbeams.com]

Cover II

Jordan Lumber [www.jordanlumber.com]

Kop-Coat Inc. [kop-coat.com]

Koppers Peformance Chemicals [www.kopperspc.com]

Cover I

Lonza [www.wolmanizedwood.com]

Lumber Blue Book [www.lumberbluebook.com]

Madison Wood Preservers [www.madwood.com]

Masisa

National Hardware Show [www.nationalhardwareshow.com]

National Nail [www.nationalnail.com]

NewTechWood [www.newtechwood.com/taller]

Norbord [www.norbord.com]

North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. [www.nawla.org] 50, 52 PPG [www.ppgmachineappliedcoatings.com]

ProWood [www.prowoodlumber.com/dealer]

Quality Borate Co. [www.qualityborate.com]

REA Jet [www.reajetus.com]

RFP Lumber [www.rfplumber.com]

Roseburg Forest Products [www.roseburg.com]

RoyOMartin [www.royomartin.com]

Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com]

Siskiyou Forest Products [www.siskiyouforestproducts.com] 35 Southern Forest Products Association [www.sfpa.org]

Spartanburg Forest Products [spartanburgforestproducts.com] 67 Swanson Group Sales Co. [www.swansongroupinc.com]

Tando Building Products [www.tandobp.com]

Viance [www.treatedwood.com]

Building Products Digest

Samuel David Stotlar, 89, co-owner of Bob Stotlar Lumber, Marion, Il., died March 14. After serving in the Navel Air Corps during World War II, he resumed his studies and graduated from the University of Illinois with a business/marketing degree in 1949, then a second degree from Southern Illinois University in 1951. He then joined the family’s lumberyard in Herrin, Il., which purchased a second location in Marion in 1963. He spent 10 years on the Illinois Lumber Dealers Association board of directors. Roger Alexius Staab, 82, former owner of Hays City Lumber, Hays, Ks., died March 3 in Hays. He worked for Schwaller Lumber Co., Hays, before operating his own yard. Dennis Paul Hagerty, 53, former salesman with Building Products Inc., Waterloo, Ia., passed away Feb. 25, five years after receiving a bone marrow transplant due to leukemia. Previously he managed Spahn & Rose Lumber Co.’s yard in Warren, Il., before moving to sales with Amerhart, Sun Prairie, Wi. Joel Adamson, 62, Atlanta, Ga.-based eastern sales manager for Pacific MDF Products, Rocklin, Ca., died Feb. 20 after a fight with cancer. He joined PacTrim in 2000, coming from MacMillan Bloedel. Vaughn C. Hofmeier, 82, longtime Kansas lumberyard manager, died Jan. 2. After working as assistant manager for Home Lumber, Junction City, he managed Lake Superior Lumber, Elyria; Galva Lumber Co., Galva; and in 1972 Morrison Building Supply, Assaria and later Salina. He stayed on when Payless Cashways acquired Morrison’s and retired in 1998. William Fletcher “W.F.” Worrell Jr., 81, retired executive with Union Camp Corp. (now International Paper), Jacksonville, Fl., died March 7 in Clermont, Fl. After serving in the U.S. Army, he joined Union Camp in 1958, retiring 35 years later. In 1972, he earned a law degree from Lasalle University. He also served with the Southern Forest Products, Georgia Forestry Association, American Pulpwood Association, National Industrial Transportation League, and Florida Forestry Association.

74-76, Cover III, Cover IV

Weyerhaeuser [www.weyerhaeuser.com/distribution]

J. Kenneth Burge, 90, former president and board chairman of Home Lumber Co., Winston-Salem, N.C., and its sister companies, died March 6. During World War II, he served in the U.S Army in the Philippine Islands. After graduating from North Carolina State University in 1950, he joined his father’s Floyd S. Burge Construction Co. as an architectural engineer. In 1962, he was promoted to head the firm and related companies Home Lumber, Burge Enterprises, and BB&L. He retired in 1989.

April 2017

Merlin Michael Kruchten Jr., 72, retired lumber salesman in Andover, Mn., died Feb. 28. Building-Products.com

DATE Book Listings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend. Kentucky Forest Industries Association – April 4-6, annual meeting, Embassy Suites, Lexington, Ky.; www.kfia.org. Coverings – April 4-7, Orlando, Fl.; www.coverings.com. Eastern Building Material Dealers Association – April 5, regional member meeting, Clyde’s, Columbia, Md.; www.nrla.org.

Construction Suppliers Association – May 4-5, 10-hour OSHA safety course, BlueLinx Learning Center, Tyrone, Ga.; (678) 674-1860; www.gocsa.com. East Coast Builders Conference – May 4-5, Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta Ga.; (727) 480-3785; www.ecbcshow.com. Forest Investment Conference – May 4-5, Park Plaza Hotel, London; (713) 644-1495; information@risi.com. Mid-America Lumbermens Association – May 4-5, Missouri Swing into Spring, Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.; www.themla.com.

International Wood Products Association – April 5-7, annual convention, San Fransisco, Ca.; (703) 820-6696; www.iwpawood.org.

Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Association – May 7-9, annual convention, Hilton New Orleans Riverside, New Orleans, La.; (703) 435-2900; www.hpva.org.

Lumbermen’s Assn. of Texas & Louisiana – April 5-7, annual convention, Gaylord Texan Resort, Grapevine, Tx; www.lat.org.

Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Assn. – May 7-9, annual convention, Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, Ponte Vedra, Fl.; www.kcma.org.

Northeastern Retail Lumber Association – April 5-7, roundtable, Hilton Stamford Hotel, Stamford, Ct.; www.nrla.org.

Eastern Building Material Dealers Association – May 9, western golf outing, The Ranch Golf Club, Southwick, Ma.; www.nrla.org.

American Wood Protection Association – April 9-11, annual meeting, Encore at Wynn, Las Vegas, Nv.; www.awpa.com.

Building Material Suppliers Association – May 9-10, leadership development roundtable, Nashville, Tn.; www.mybmsa.org.

Northwestern Lumber Association – April 11-12, blueprint reading, Grand Forks, Mn.; (763) 544-6822; www.nlassn.org.

National Hardware Show – May 9-11, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; (888) 425-9377; www.nationalhardwareshow.com.

Wallace Hardware Co. – April 11-13, dealer market, LeConte Center, Pigeon Forge, Tn.; (800) 776-0976; www.wallacehardware.com

Peak Auctioneering – May 13, LBM auction, Howard County Fairgrounds, Baltimore, Md.; (800) 245-9690; www.peakauction.com.

National Wood Flooring Association – April 11-14, conference & wood flooring expo, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Nv.; (800) 422-4556; www.woodfloors.org.

Northwestern Lumber Association – May 15-17, blueprint reading, Minnesota TBA; (763) 544-6822; www.nlassn.org.

Eastern Building Material Dealers Association – April 12, regional member meeting, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, De.; www.nrla.org. Florida Building Material Association – April 13, building material takeoff workshop, FBMA Hq., Mount Dora, Fl.; www.fbma.org. Building Material Suppliers Association – April 19-21, dealer roundtable, Asheville, N.C.; www.mybmsa.org.

Florida Building Material Association – May 16, blueprint reading seminar, FBMA Hq., Mount Dora, Fl.; www.fbma.org. Northeastern Loggers Assn. – May 19-20, expo, Cross Insurance Center, Bangor, Me.; (800) 318-7561; www.northernlogger.com. Do it Best Corp. – May 19-22, spring market, Indianapolis Convention Center, Indianapolis, In.; (260) 748-5300; www.doitbestcorp.com.

Northeastern Loggers Association – April 21-22, loggers plus expo, Bloomsburg Fair Grounds, Bloomsburg, Pa.; (800) 318-7561; www.northernlogger.com. Peak Auctioneering – April 22, LBM auction, Orange County Fairgrounds, Middletown, N.Y.; www.peakauction.com. Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Assn. – April 25, past presidents luncheon, MIT Endicott House, Dedham, Ma.; www.nrla.org. Eastern Building Material Dealers Association – April 26, The Dime, Allentown, Pa.; www.nrla.org. North American Building Material Distribution Association – April 26-28, woodworking industry conference, Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs, Ca.; (888) 747-7862; www.nbmda.org. Building Material Suppliers Association – April 27-28, sales manager roundtable, Charlotte, N.C.; www.mybmsa.org. Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association – April 29May 3, annual convention & exhibitors showcase, Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City, Ut. (847) 680-3500; www.mheda.org. Composite Panel Assn. – April 30-May 3, spring meeting, Grand Fiesta Americana, Los Cabos, Mexico; www.compositepanel.org. Kentucky Building Material Association – May 1, intro to building material sales; May 2-3, blueprint reading & material takeoff workshop; May 2-3, annual convention & expo, Marriott Rivercenter, Covington, Ky.; (502) 245-6730; www.kbma.net. Transload Distribution Assn. – May 2-4, conference, KC Marriot Country Club Plaza, Kansas City, Mo.; www.transload.org. Northeastern Young Lumber Execs – May 3, spring leadership conference, Wyndham Historic District, Philadelphia, Pa.; (518) 2861010; www.nrla.org. North American Wholesale Lumber Association – May 4, regional meeting, Birmingham, Al.; (800) 527-8258; www.nawla.org. Building-Products.com

April 2017

Building Products Digest

TALK Back We welcome your feedback. Send comments to letters@building-products.com.

PARTING WORDS Nice article about Kent Marks (“Final Words of Advice,” BPD, March 2017, p. 8). I knew him the last 10 years or so, golfed with him in Idaho, and you are correct in your assessment. What I find interesting about the lumber industry is that there are also subsets of the industry. Some of us (including Kent) are in the engineered lumber subset and everyone truly knows everyone. Nick Fitzgerald, Branch Manager BPI Lumber & Engineered Wood Council Bluffs, Ia. Thank you for the article on Kent Marks. Kent had a unique way of making me feel a part of his team and I honestly hadn’t known him very long. He was truly a special person with an uncanny appeal. He will be greatly missed. Andrew Cook Dairyman’s Supply Co. Mayfield, Ky. Patrick, thank you so much for writing the piece on Kent Marks. What a shock to all of us and, as you say, we never know what tomorrow

brings. Untimely deaths always set us back, but they also cause us to reflect on what’s important and how we live out our daily lives—a final parting gift from Kent. I just ran into him at IBS and he seemed so happy. May he rest in peace. Steve Killgore, Senior VP Roseburg Forest Products Springfield, Or. As always, you never disappoint with your opening letter to the members. Sorry for the loss of your friend and colleague to the industry. Anthony Muck DMSi Omaha, Ne. I just opened the March addition and my eyes teared up. I was a great friend of Kent; we started to work together when he was at BlueLinx and I was at Murphy Co. We both shared a common interest in EWP products, but our friendship was much deeper. We were much like college buddies or high school mates. We talked about basketball, he loved the sport as I do, vacations, family and general life issues. Kent was a big personality who loved people, the industry, he especially loved his wife and kids, and was excited to be a new grandpa. I miss him dearly, and I think of our conver-

sations often. Thank you for the tribute to Kent. As I reflect on my career in the wood products industry, I know one thing is for sure—it is about the people. I have made a commitment to myself to make sure I recognize, support and reach out to my friends in this industry and acknowledge their impact on my career and life. As you say, “Don’t wait to share what’s on your mind or heart because you never know what tomorrow will bring.” Thank you and Godspeed, Kent. Jim Enright, President/CEO Pacific Woodtech Corp. Burlington Wa.

CEDAR CORRECTION I had to call your attention to the caption under the picture of 4x4 western red cedar on page 11 of your recent March publication stating that the product in the picture is 10x10 timbers. It’s quite obvious that if they were 10x10, the units would be almost 8 ft. wide and 8 ft. tall. At least you know we are reading your magazine! Jim Sherman Hall Forest Products. Puyallup Wa.

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April 2017

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FLASHBack 80 Years Ago This Month

B PD’s sister publication, The California Lumber Merchant, served as not only an educational tool to the industry, but something that brought professionals together as a community. Through club updates, memorials of dear industry friends, and news on where fellow peers were going, the magazine made an impact. While one might think a lot has changed in 80 years, today, Building Products Digest still makes it a point to bring the LBM industry together through event coverage and personnel changes in “Movers and Shakers.” Here are a few other things that were covered 80 years ago: • A Los Angeles, Ca., lumber wholesaler appeared in the picture Maytime, starring Nelson Eddy, making him the lumber industry's only moving picture star. Arthur Twohy of L.A.’s Albion Lumber bought and collected vintage automobiles as a hobby when he was approached by several producers. Turns out his cars were in high demand by film productions everywhere who wanted to portray “oldschool” scenes, thus making Twohy a star.

LONG BEFORE days of advanced graphic design, companies had to be extra clever with their advertisements to stand out and highlight their product’s best features. Here, Curtis Silentite Windows of Clinton, Ia., wanted to prove to Merchant readers just how durable its products were. “At Cincinnati, a 5-year-old Curtis Silentite unit took a flood bath for five days in the Pierson Lumber Company’s office. When they lifted it out of the muck, it worked as well as before,” the ad read.

• The Lumber Clerks and Lumbermen’s Union, San Franscisco local, made a demand for a 33-hour week and an increase in wages. The lumber dealers were opposed to anything less than the present 44hour week which had been in effect for six months, contending that such a short week would inflict a hardship on firms in the business of merchandising lumber and building materials. • The California redwood was named the official state tree of California by legislative enactment. The motive behind the bill was simply to direct attention to the unique characteristics and qualities of redwood, and to stimulate a greater interest in its beauty, its usefulness and its value to California.

APRIL 1937 edition of The California Lumber Merchant focused on redwood among other industry topics.

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• A new use for redwood was found by an eastern novelty manufacturer, who stood out by making adjustable stilts from redwood, which he branded as “Our Gang Stilts.” The name was used by courtesy of the Hal Roach Studios, producer of the Our Gang/Little Rascals comedy shorts, which intended to feature the stilts in one of the gang’s comedies. The manufacturer said it chose redwood because it is one of the lightest softwoods.

LITTLE RASCAL Alfalfa Switzer tries out the Our Gang-branded stilts, produced from California redwood and adjustable 3-1/2”wide cast-iron steps.

April 2017

Building Products Digest