BPD April 2023

THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN

DEALER’S GUIDE TO PRESSURE TREATED WOOD: HOW TO SOURCE • HOW TO SELL • TOP TREATERS

April 2023

SALES TEAM & WORKFORCE

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By using our pressure treated lumber, you can be confident that you are using the highest quality product backed by one of the largest producers in the industry.

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We understand the need for a wide variety of products. All our energy and resources are employed to serve our dealers to help ensure their growth and success.

We

and Do it Best makes it happen.

GROWING

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER

Patrick Adams padams@526mediagroup.com

VICE PRESIDENT

Shelly Smith Adams sadams@526mediagroup.com

PUBLISHER EMERITUS

Alan Oakes

MANAGING EDITOR David Koenig dkoenig@526mediagroup.com

SENIOR EDITOR

Sara Graves sgraves@526mediagroup.com

COLUMNISTS

James Olsen, Kim Drew, Claudia St. John, Dave Kahle

CONTRIBUTORS

Butch Bernhardt, Allison DeFord, Kari Gaviria, Paige McAllister, Kim Merritt, Belinda Remley

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BUILDING PRODUCTS DIGEST is published monthly at 151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. E200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, (714) 4862735, 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®2023 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.

ACTIVE LEADERSHIP

BY PATRICK ADAMS

LATELY, “LEADERSHIP” seems to be something that keeps hitting me in the back of the head, but I don’t seem to really notice. Every day, all around me are little reminders of the importance of “leadership” and yet, it didn’t really hit home until I attended a recent event.

There, surrounded by some of the pillars and legends of our great industry, I caught up with friends, and heroes. I listened to several presentations that emphasized the importance of leadership. I spoke with friends who just a few years ago started their business that is now thriving under their unconventional style of leadership in this industry. As I retired for the evening in my hotel room, the nightly news recounted speeches and actions from our nation’s “leaders.”

I used to consider myself a better-than-average leader, who has seen and been led by a few great leaders. I also spent considerable time in my younger years studying great leaders, being inspired by them, and then trying to emulate them in some way that would then bring out greatness in the teams I led. However, as I’ve grown older and I reflect in an honest moment, I think I’ve become a lazy leader. My team is partially to blame for this because they are great in what they do and I know they will get it done. I know the business well and know how to do the tasks that I am accountable for. However, those tasks are now what I’m talking about when discussing leadership.

As I am now studying this, I think to illustrate my point I can describe that there are “leaders,” and there are “drivers.” Drivers go from point A to point B. They make data-driven decisions on purchases, payments, acquisitions and expansion. They make sure the business is solid, sign the checks, and make tough decisions when they need to be made. That is what leaders do, but that is not “leadership.”

When I think of whether or not I am a good leader, I consider our U.S. military Special Forces. I think of my staff as a team and if they were deployed on a mission today, would they operate efficiently, effectively and as a cohesive unit? If one went down, would the others fill that gap of specialized training? As the mission evolved

dynamically, would my team improvise and adapt to still accomplish the mission? This is what true leadership looks like; equipping a team to do this very thing.

At this recent event, I listened to a speaker who is the CEO of a publicly traded company. From his presentation, I concluded that he viewed the majority of his job to be how to bring out the best from every individual in his company. He felt that it was his job as a leader to adapt and improvise solutions for each of his employees’ needs that limited their performance. His job was to motivate, inspire and educate this team, and that if he was successful in this effort, the business would thrive.

This was what I always used to consider my role as a leader to be. To be accessible, predictable, transparent and inspirational. For my team to always know how grateful I was for their efforts, but also to inspire them to grow in their positions and their role within the team. Over time, I’ve gotten lazy. I do what I do, they do what they do, and as a result, we’re a “team”? No, it’s not that easy. Yes, a business can survive on this. Yes, you can make a profit with this approach. But I would argue that you will never be great and, you will leave money and employee retention and productivity on the table.

Regardless of the role you are in, you are a leader. Whether or not anyone looks up to you today, there is an opportunity for them to look up to you tomorrow. At work, at home, or in your community. We need more true leaders who view the majority of their role is to make others around them better. It was a humbling slap in the face of my shortcomings, but one I welcome because I’m still around to do better tomorrow.

So ask yourself: are you a leader or are you an active leader? I now know which I want to be and am reinvesting in becoming it again in all areas of my life. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes and hope you do the same!

Thank you all for the privilege of serving this great industry.

PATRICK S. ADAMS, Publisher/President padams@526mediagroup.com

LONG

WITH POWER

POWER PRESERVED GLULAM® FEATURES

• Manufactured with superior strength southern yellow pine MSR Lumber.

• Offered in two oil-borne preservative treatments: Clear-Guard™ and Cop-Guard®.

• Fast, easy, one-piece installation that’s more efficient than bolting or nailing multi-ply dimension or structural composite lumber members together.

• Excellent choice for decks, boardwalks, pergolas, covered porches and demanding environments such as bridges, highway sound barriers, railroad cross ties, and floating docks.

• 25-year warranty from the treater.

Anthony Forest Products is part of the Canfor Group of Companies

A DEALER’S GUIDE TO SELLING TREATED WOOD

IMAGE BY BB&S TRATED LUMBER OF NEW ENGLAND

WOOD

TREATER UPDATE

CONSOLIDATION QUICKENS

IT MAY BE hard to believe, but over the past year, somehow the pace of consolidation got even more frenzied in the wood treating industry.

Stella-Jones, Allweather Wood, Great Southern Wood Preserving, Koppers and Culpeper Wood Preservers were among those that increased their holdings.

No one was more active than Culpeper, which last year purchased four other treaters—all located in regions they had already been supplying.

“As we continue to grow, the goal is to get closer to the customers and regions we want to service,” said director of business development Chris Brown. “We have been looking at our footprint and really filling in the gaps strategically

where it makes sense. We are not trying to just get bigger. But as the consolidation trend has ramped up the past few years, we have been presented with opportunities. Some of those have made sense and some, of course, have not.”

Brown added, “When you have this ‘consolidation movement’ as we have seen, it really starts to narrow the field down. This creates opportunities to expand your product mix, but also to gain more market share due to competition. The gain of market share equates to needing additional production capacity or product offerings in order to serve your customer.”

That pursuit among treaters of greater market share is a business reality sure to continue. BP

2023 Top Treaters

Stella-Jones has 12 pole-peeling plants and 43 treating facilities (27 of them in the U.S.) following its purchase last year of Texas Electric Cooperatives’ wood utility pole plant in Jasper, Tx. Treatments include CCA, creosote, CuNap, borates, MCA, CA and ACQ.

UFP Industries has 221 affilted operations in nine countries, including 22 treating plants from Colorado eastward, primarily along the East Coast, Midwest and Texas. Treatments include ProWood brand MCA, CA-C, borates and FRTW. UFP also owns Sunbelt Forest Products, Bartow, Fl., which operates 11 plants in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic regions, utilizing Ecolife, TimberSaver borates, Preserve CA, Preserve Plus CA with water repellent, Wolman E MCA with BARamine technology.

Doman Building Materials, Vancouver, B.C., in addition to its seven CanWel treating plants in Canada and vast distribution operations throughout North America, has 23 treating facilities in the U.S. under its Hixson Lumber Sales, Honsador, and California Cascade divisions.

Culpeper Wood Preservers, Culpeper, Va., has quickly grown to 17 facilities that extend from the Southeast to the Northeast through the Midwest. Over the last year, it acquired four plants—formerly H.M. Stauffer & Sons, eola, Pa.; Northeast Treaters, Belchertown, Ma., and Athens, N.Y.; and Koppers Utility & Industrial Products, Sweetwater, Tn. Treatments include MicroPro MCA, Advance Guard borates, CCA, FlamePro interior FRTW, and CAC.

Great Southern Wood Preserving, Abbeville, Al., is among the nation’s highest volume treaters from its 15 facilities throughout the South, Midwest and Eastern Seaboard—the latest acquired last year from Escue Wood Preserving, Millwood, Ky. Its YellaWood brand family of products includes YellaWood Select and SuperSelect KDAT products, YellaWood Columns, MasterDeck decking, and Rainwood with water repellent, plus fencing, railing, specialty products, fasteners, joist tape, stains and sealants. Treatments are MCA, borates, FRTW, CCA and CA-C.

Koppers Utility & Industrial Products, a division of Koppers Holdings, operates 11 industrial plants, concentrated in the Southeast plus Arbuckle, Ca., treating with CCA, penta, CuNap, and creosote. It just purchased Swanson Group’s 70-acre former mill site in Glendale, Or., which it is currently converting to its own uses.

Hoover Treated Wood Products, Thomson, Ga., is best known as an originator of fieretardant treatments, but also has 10 of its own treating plants, from coast to coast, offering Pyro-Guard interior FRTW, Exterior Fire-X exterior FRTW, CCA, permethrin/IPBC-based Clear-Guard, Cop-Guard CuNap, Micro-Guard MCA, and Dura-Guard ACQ.

Allweather Wood is the largest waterborne preservative-treated lumber manufacturer and distributor in the western U.S., with six treating plants in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Utah, having just acquired Utah Wood Treating, Woods Cross, Ut. Treatments include borates, CA-C, CCA, MCA and interior FRTW.

Bestway, Cortland, N.Y., has four treating plants (in New York, Pennsylvania and North Carolina) that offer olmanized Outdoor Wood, Wolmanized Heavy Duty CCA, and D-Blaze interior FRTW.

Fortress Wood Products’ three plants in North Carolina produce MicroPro MCA and CCA, including KDAT.

Biewer Lumber’s three treating plants (in Lansing, Mi.; Seneca, Il.; and Prentice, Wi.) have a combined annual capacity of 350 million bd. ft. of CA-C, MCA and FlamePro FRTW. The company is currently investing in facility upgrades to increase production capacity.

Southeast Forest Products, Montgomery, Al., operates three treating plants in Louisville and Nauvoo, Al., and Richmond, In., utilizing CA-C, Ecolife, MCA and borates.

C.M. Tucker Lumber, Pageland, S.C., runs three plants in the Carolinas, treating fencing, decking, lumber and plywood with Ecolife, Preserve CA, Wolmanized MCA, and FlamePro interior fie retardant.

Conrad Forest Products treats in North Bend and Rainier, Or., and Arbuckle, Ca., using Wolmanized Heavy Duty CCA, Chemonite ACZA, Wolmanized Outdoor Wood CA-C, Sillbor/ FrameGuard borates, interior and exterior FRTW, and QNap.

The following 14 companies are those that operate at least three treating plants in the U.S. They are ordered by number of facilities, not by production volumes.

THE ENGINEERING BEHIND TREATED WOOD

BY BELINDA REMLEY

TECHNOLOGY AROUND the world both in industry and in everyday life has changed greatly over the past century. We have moved from horse drawn wagons, cars that crank, and party line telephones to supersonic jets, cars that drive themselves, and phones that we carry in our pockets, giving us access to family and friends and the world. Of course, we cannot talk about the innovative leaps made in engineering, design, and technology without talking about those successes within the wood

INNOVATIONS IN THE TREATING PROCESS HAVE LED TO BENEFITS TO THE SUPPLY CHAIN

products industry as well.

Everything from the preservative formulation to the treatment process has been innovated to improve the way wood is preserved, making the process more streamlined, cost efficient, and precise. While the treatment of wood has been around since even before the 1920s when Dr. Wolman improved the process, engineers since have made the process even better.

“The industry as a whole has made huge leaps surrounding the way wood is treated,” says Justin Mackender, senior engineering manager for Arxada’s Wood Protection Business Unit. Arxada, along with other preservative manufacturers, has worked closely with treaters to innovate plant upgrades that make preserving wood safer, more reliable and more efficient.

The actual process of treating timbers, lumber, etc., so that those building materials will last longer, began centuries ago when builders used pitch and tar to coat wood. In the last century, the coating (dipping and spraying) processes have been improved and pressure treating was developed. Pressure treatment is a simple concept that is executed in an ever-advancing process by which wood is pushed into a pressure vessel that is closed off and sealed. The preservative is pulled into the vessel by vacuum, where it is then forced into the wood by pressures up to 190 psi. The pressure time is scientifically determined and monitored carefully to ensure the correct amount of wood preservatives are pressed into the wood. Once the wood is impregnated, a final vacuum reclaims the excess preservative to be used for the next batch of wood to be preserved.

MANY TREATERS use double-door pressure vessels to improve efficiency within their treatment process. (Photos by Arxada)

“THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE HAS MADE HUGE LEAPS SURROUNDING THE WAY WOOD IS TREATED.”

“The system has been effective for decades,” explains Justin. “However, we have worked to improve it through physical plant upgrades and through the use of computer systems.”

One major improvement is the use of quick opening doors. In the past, the doors on the pressure treatment cylinder were bolted closed. This caused the treater to have to tighten and loosen the bolts by hand both before and after the treating cycle. With hydraulically operated, quick opening doors, the doors can be remotely closed and opened, allowing the treater to be safely away from the vessel when it is first opened.

“This equipment improvement was innovated originally for the safety of plant team members,” Justin says. “However it also reduces the time it takes to treat wood because opening and closing the 8’ (or larger) doors by hand with a wrench takes time and lessens efficiency between treating cycles.”

Justin, whose team builds one to two plants per year, explains that

research and implementation of new treating processes are key steps when designing new facilities or when retrofitting current plants with better equipment. “We know how to

make a plant hum. By considering important design decisions, such as process flow, equipment, production requirements, and the commodity (utility poles, piling, lumber, timbers)

JUST AS WHEN the outdoor living revolution began in the 1970s, decks today are built with long-lasting, beautiful, natural wood preserved in an industry motivated to push improvements in product and process.

that will be treated, we can optimize the production process.” His team thinks about what would make a plant both efficient and fast, yet also a safe environment in which to work.

“Most plants today are designed with a double door vessel,” says Justin. “Wood to be treated is loaded onto the tram into one end of the cylinder then pushed out the other end of the pressure vessel when the treating process is completed. This reduces the change over time and increases the number of charges a plant can do in one day.”

Recently, United Treating & Distribution (UTD) in Muscle Shoals, Al., retrofitted their cylinder to include a door at both ends. “Our efficiency has improved by about 27%,” says Casey Epperson, UTD’s vice president of operations. “That means a couple of important things for us. We can treat more wood in the same amount of time. Also, we can offer a better work/life balance to our team members. This new efficiency has allowed us to work fewer weekends and extended shifts; yet, we are able to get the same quality treated wood to our retailers and dealers in a timely manner.”

Other treating plant improve-

ments include maximizing equipment capabilities to speed the treating process. “Our design specs always include blowback to empty a cylinder instead of a transfer pump, which is much quicker,” adds Justin.

Another innovation in the treating process involves using a speed-controlled pressure pump and eductor to empty pressure vessel during final vacuum. This eliminates the final drain step and decreases charge time. Additionally, automated preservative mixing systems blend multiple chemistries into a single work tank for the next batch of wood to be preserved.

“The list of treating plant improvements goes on,” says Justin. “Tank agitation provides uniform treating solution concentrations and reduces fallout, yielding a cleaner, more consistent treating. We also recommend, in some cases, chiller systems to reduce the impact that high temperatures can have on some preservative systems.”

“Of course, the treating process could not be nearly as effective as it is,” says Casey, “without the use of a good control system.” UTD uses the Treat Right system designed by Arxada. In addition to ensuring the wood is treated properly, the system

has an additional component called Treat Right BI, a data driven dashboard. “With Treat Right BI we are able to monitor our entire treating process. We can tell when our cycles are most efficient. We study each step of treatment to determine if we need to adjust our system or if we need to fix a piece of equipment. Using a computerized system has saved us time and money by allowing us to analyze data on our treating history and identify trends that can help us treat better.”

Justin says that equipment is not the only concern and is not the only place where plants have benefitted from innovations. Treaters have made improvements in protecting their employees by providing better air quality and ventilation systems. Because worker safety is paramount, the Personal Protective Equipment worn by treaters has also become more defined because it serves as necessary protection for treaters when operating within the confines of the plant.

And what do all these improvements and innovations mean to the wood industry as a whole? “Treaters treat better in less time ensuring retailers and dealers receive the treated wood they need to keep their shelves stocked,” says Justin.

Due in great part to the innovations in the treating process, preserved wood is still the most widely used building material for backyard projects. It is widely available, created from nature’s sustainable building block, and enhanced to be long lasting at efficient plants. Justin concludes, “Outdoor living is always in style and modern treating plants make sure that lumber aisles will have what the consumer needs to build backyard projects.” BP

BELINDA REMLEY

TREATING OPERATOR Ryan Gann with United Treating & Distribution, uses Arxada’s Treat Right computer system to ensure that the preservation of lumber is accurate and timely.

Belinda Remley is a marketing professional with Arxada in the Wood Protection business unit. She has been promoting wood and the protection of wood for 30 years (www.wolmanizedwood.com).

SOURCING TREATED LUMBER

------------ BY KARI GAVIRIA

IF YOU AREN’T asking your customer, “What are you using it for?” on a regular basis, you’re doing it wrong. It’s highlighted and underlined in the second paragraph on the first page of the Treated Lumber for Dummies handbook.

Okay. There isn’t actually a Treated Lumber for Dummies handbook. But, if we are being honest, there probably should be.

Treated lumber isn’t a flashy new product, and consumers aren’t chomping at the bit to discuss something that’s been in play since the 1940s. Regardless, regulations, best practice standards, and applications continue to evolve. Education is not only relevant but critical to the health of our industry. For treated lumber, the use category needs to match the application for project success.

“Creating an outdoor living space” used to mean building the same cookie cutter, 10x10 deck to grill a few burgers. These days, decks have been rebranded as extensions of million-dollar homes. Some of these folks have nicer decks than they have living rooms. Amenities and aesthetics play a crucial role in the overall vibe consumers are aiming to achieve. Yes, that’s right, decks are a vibe.

Do you know what decks, docks and fences all have in common? They are expensive to build for a home-

THE GREATS, THE GOODS, AND THE ORDINARIES

ries: The Greats, The Goods, and The Ordinaries. I purposefully avoided using the word “bad” because the knowledge void isn’t intentional.

Ordinary folks: Take orders.

Good folks: Ask questions.

Great folks: Know the answers.

See it in action:

Contractor: “I need 8x8x12’s”

Ordinary Sales Rep: “We don’t have that in stock.”

Good Sales Rep: “I’ll call and ask what’s available.”

owner, and it can be a real ego bruiser the second go round when products are improperly installed–not to mention a liability and a safety hazard. That’s why something as easy as asking “What are you using it for?” should be a mandatory value proposition sown into your business model. Not to mention all the additional items your customer will purchase that they did not know they needed before they started the project–joist tape or end coat solution anyone? Why aren’t your employees asking the right questions during the sale? Two reasons: (1) Either they are intrinsically lazy and their shift ends in 15 minutes, or (2) they truly don’t comprehend the importance of the questions. To best explain this, consider fitting every industry professional into one of three catego-

Great Sales Rep: “We can special order it. What are you using it for?”

Contractor: “A dock.”

That changes the game now, doesn’t it? You now have the opportunity to follow up—fresh, salt or brackish water? These things matter. Chapter two of the Treated Lumber for Dummies handbook should be titled, “Treaters Don’t Put Tags on Lumber for Fun.” Each tag lists, in tiny print, a retention standard and a use category. These categories uniquely define where you can use the product. In this scenario, The Goods aren’t afraid to ask but, The Greats already know what options exist.

Apply the same logic to the contractors:

Ordinary Contractor: “I need 8x8x12’s.”

Good Contractor: “I need 8x8x12’s for a dock.”

Great Contractor: “I need 8x8x12’s for a dock, and the job requires UC4C.”

Sales Rep: “Let me call my treater and get you a quote.”

More often than not, you’ll witness one of The Greats asking for a specific use category, for example UC4C. Retailers, read this next line carefully. Stop losing out on sales because you don’t have the material on the ground. I promise that your on-ground inventory doesn’t account for even half of what treaters have to offer. It is your duty to pick up the phone and ask someone. Make sure you are prepared to tell them, for the love of all things lumber, what it is being used for. Treaters are the industry experts on the application of their product. They know how to get what you need, or at the very least, can provide an alternative solution.

No matter which side of the counter you are on, it is important that you recognize the sheer magnitude of these interactions. Pinpoint if you are speaking to one of The Ordinaries, The Goods, or The Greats. Take a moment to selfreflect. Which one are you? Ordinary, Good or Great? Then the next time you find yourself standing across from someone who says, “We don’t stock that,” without ever asking any questions or offering to make a phone call, put your items down on the counter and run. Run for your life.

Want the cold hard truth? Stop wasting your time with Ordinary folks expecting extraordinary results. The Greats are plentiful in our industry. It’s your job to find them. BP

KARI GAVIRIA

Kari Gaviria is president of Madison Wood Preservers, Madison, Va. (www.madwood.com).

QUALITY CONTROL FREAKS!

------------ KIM MERRITT

TO SAY THAT the treated wood industry is obsessed with quality control is likely not an overstatement. From a widespread, concerted effort in the ongoing improvement of standards-writing to the rigorous in-plant quality control work performed daily by treated wood producers to the exacting audits performed routinely by third-party inspection agencies, the industry spends a lot of time focusing, yes, even obsessing over quality control!

For starters, The American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) serves as the standards-writing organization for treated wood. The AWPA maintains active task groups and committees to continuously review standardized methods to define required elements of in-plant quality control (IQC) and the mechanisms third-party agencies use to evaluate audit findings.

As noted above, AWPA Standards, while voluntary, establish minimum requirements for manufacturers of treated wood to

QUALITY CONTROL REQUIREMENTS FOR TREATED WOOD PRODUCERS

maintain strict in-plant quality control procedures. These procedures ensure that pressure treated wood products are manufactured in a controlled process to help prevent material damage and provide valuable data for the plant quality control team to determine if their treated products meet required quality specifications.

As a third-party inspection agency, one of the first things we must do when auditing the success of a treated wood producer’s quality management system is to evaluate a plant’s conformance to these industry-approved IQC requirements. The AWPA Standards define this in-plant quality system as “Process” and “Product” IQC elements. Each required Process and Product element plays a significant role in the overall in-plant quality system.

Finally, third-party audits also include the inspection of treated wood products to determine if a plant is meeting minimum treat-

ment specifications. Procedures are also in place to provide a means for third-party agencies to assist the plant in developing corrective action when IQC or treatment deficiencies are identified.

While we constantly strive to advance our evaluation methods, this system provides a level playing field among all participating producers and gives quality assurance to the consumers of our products! In the meantime, we will continue to focus, OK, maybe even obsess a little bit, on how to continue to improve! BP

KIM MERRITT

Kim Merritt is director of the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau Treated Division and its Western Division, Western Wood Services (www.spib.org).

FLURRY OF INTEREST IN FRTW

PARDON THE PUN, but interest in learning about fire-retardanttreated wood products continues to run hot.

For decades, fire retardant wood has been used in commercial and multifamily construction, most often as a substitute for non-combustible materials as allowed by building codes. Destructive wildfires in the West in recent years have prompted homeowners and others to look into pressure-treated fire retardant wood, particularly in areas with wildlandurban interface (WUI) regulations.

Visits to the website FireResistantWood.org, administered by Western Wood Preservers Institute (WWPI), increased by some 30 percent in 2022. The number of people viewing the site has increased by double-digit percentages since it debuted in 2018.

Many of those coming to the site were seeking information on fire-rated assemblies. These include pre-designed wall, floor and ceiling assemblies that have been tested for their fire resistance. Fire retardant manufacturers conduct the tests on such assemblies constructed from wood treated with their formulations.

Typically the assemblies are rated as one or two hours, which describes how long the assembly will maintain its structural capabilities when exposed to fire. During testing by an independent laboratory, an assembly is loaded to 100% of its design load and then exposed to flames

MORE SEEKING INFO ON FIRE RETARDANT WOOD PRODUCTS, ASSEMBLIES

to determine its endurance performance. Each assembly prescribes the list of materials used, including the insulation, gypsum board and even fasteners.

WWPI has seen a growing number of requests for wood that is both preservative- and fire-retardanttreated, most often for outdoor applications. However, there is no way to pressure treat for the vastly different protections.

Fire retardants for interior applications may contain components such as borates, which are used as preservatives. Check with the specific fire retardant manufacturer for more

information on the formulation’s preservative properties.

While there are exterior fire retardants available, they are formulated to maintain the fire protection performance when exposed to the elements. As such, they don’t offer the same protections against insects and decay fungi found in preservatives.

Architects, designers and specifiers also are seeking more in-depth information on fire retardant wood. Online courses developed by WWPI set new records for downloads in 2022.

(Continued on page 64)

DEMAND for fire-retardant-treated wood is growing in the West for use beyond traditional projects like commercial and multifamily structures. A record number of visitors have visited fire-retardant-treated websites and online education resources.

NO, PRESERVED WOOD IS NOT KILLING THE BEES

------------ BY BUTCH BERNHARDT

The problem is the neonic that’s in the formulation for some wood preservatives has little or no chance to impact bees. Through treating, the preservative is integrated into the wood fiber. As there is a very small amount of the neonic present within the wood product, there is virtually no chance it could affect bees, even if they land on the wood after it’s installed.

Most of the proposed measures are so broad they fail to make any distinction in the many ways neonics are used. That has forced the treating industry to seek exemptions for the preserved wood industry.

“In some ways, it’s like playing whack-a-mole... once you get an exemption in one state, another neonic ban pops up in the neighboring state,” said Ryan Pessah, government relations director for Western Wood Preservers Institute. WWPI is working with the national Treated Wood Council to monitor and respond to the legislation before it becomes law, working with bill authors to include exemptions for preserved wood.

IT’S TOUGH to be named Karen when your name has become an internet meme about demanding, entitled people. Preserved wood makers are learning that such ‘guilt by association’ is not exclusive to the Karens of the world.

In the past few years, politicians in states across the country have introduced legislation to ban or restrict the use of neonicotinoids, also known as neonics. These are a class of insecticides used in farms and other agricultural areas that are believed to be one of the main causes in the death of pollinators, including bees. Since January 2020, there have been more than 100 bills introduced in state legislatures across the country that restrict the use of neonics.

For preserved wood, one ingredient in some preservatives, imidacloprid, is classified as a neonic. Given the broad restrictions detailed in many of the bills, the legislation could eliminate the production and use of preservatives that contain neonics.

While many of these bills fail to get passed, Pessah says it’s important to be proactive and advocate changes earlier rather than later should they become law. He said in most cases, lawmakers who sponsor the bills have been receptive.

“Once they hear the facts when it comes to neonics and wood preserving, almost all of the bill sponsors agree to make changes that exempt the application of wood preservatives and preserved wood products from their bill,” Pessah remarked.

WWPI has responded to 20 bills introduced in western states to restrict the use of neonics. Nearly all of these bills failed to pass, but they show up again in the next legislative session.

For those selling preservative-treated wood products, you can assure your customers the only way that wood can kill bees is if it falls on them. BP

– Butch Bernhardt is deputy director of the Western Wood Preservers Institute (wwpinstitute.org).

EFFORTS to protect bees by banning certain insecticides can have unintended consequences. Wood treaters are responding to more than 100 bills in state legislatures that could impact some wood preservatives, even those that don’t impact bees.

PLANTING SEEDS FOR THE WOOD INDUSTRY’S FUTURE

------------

BY ALLISON DeFORD

AS SOMEONE whose business is driven by wood— buying, selling, or processing—you understand the growth cycles involved in maintaining a supply of product and the life cycle of forestry. Trees must be planted, nurtured, then harvested.

At the North American Forest Foundation, a similar philosophy drives our mission to change hearts and minds about sustainable forestry and wood products, for good.

Education, promotion and advocacy are the primary ways the non-profit NAFF supports the forest products industry. Dispelling the myths and false messaging, and teaching science-based facts about sustainable forestry and the value of wood products are our main activities to help the next generation understand the benefits.

Today’s kids—the consumers, industry leaders and

talent of the future—need a generous dose of truth about wood, trees and forest products. That’s where NAFF comes in. We meet the kids where they are, bringing engaging curriculum and lessons into the classroom to help kids become #exTREEemelysmart.

Our Truth About Trees kits are designed to be age-appropriate and are provided free to classroom teachers of grades K-3. Teachers can use the program with more than one classroom and do so over multiple years. The lessons work together with the traveling Forever Forest children’s museum exhibit, in partnership with the Omaha Children’s Museum.

We have a goal to educate 1 million kids by 2030. Plans are in place and we are well on the way to accomplishing our goal. The Forever Forest exhibit saw 148,000 visitors in 2021 alone, with a cumulative attendance of over 630,000 people.

Teachers are thrilled with the kits. Bryan Haecker, a teacher from Texas, says: “Your amazing kit helps me teach my at-risk students all about hardwoods, softwoods, properties of wood, deforestation, reforestation, sustainable materials for constructing projects and buildings in a way that makes the learning more enjoyable and understandable.”

Building on the success of the elementary school program, we’re currently seeking corporate sponsorship for development of an interactive junior high smartphone/ tablet app, scheduled to launch in 2024.

This critical age, grades 6-8, is a period when kids are often beginning to explore career and continuing education paths. The program’s curriculum, with an engaging game format, is intended to increase their awareness of the possibilities in the forest products industry and provide learning opportunities designed for their level.

Helping kids learn the truth about trees is a task that takes many hands and minds to accomplish. NAFF has more than 600 supporters and there are plenty of opportunities for you or your company to get involved:

• Volunteer to help teach the kit in the classroom—a worthwhile experience, highly recommended by mem-

TRUTH ABOUT About Trees kits are available for free to teachers of grades K-3. The kits contain lessons and materials that underscore the importance of trees and wood products in everyday life.

bers of our board who have taken that opportunity.

• Become a corporate sponsor of the Jr. High App and reach potentially 12 million students with the truth about trees

• Help us reach 50,000 students through our Earth Month Kit Drive in April and Back to School Kit drive in August by making a donation today:

o $100 = educates 200 students

o $500 = educates 1,000 students

o $1,000 = educates 2,000 students

o $10,000 = Jr. High App Sponsor (12 million students) BP

ALLISON DeFORD

Allison DeFord is the executive director of the North American Forest Foundation. For more information on NAFF and its education initiatives, go to www. northamericanforestfoundation.org.

EDUCATION initiatives by the North American Forest Foundation have a goal of reaching 1 million children by 2030 with important information about sustainable forestry and the value of wood products.

SEALING THE DEAL

BY SARA GRAVES

IT WASN’T TOO long ago when a farmer’s word and his handshake were as binding as any signed contract. And though business is conducted differently today, for some companies, such as Farmer’s Building, Feed & Garden Supply, doing business honestly with others in mind is still how you seal the deal.

“My dad had many connections in the community… when he gave his word on something, he did it and he completed it and I think that there was a lot of respect in that sense,” said Mark Stutzman, second-generation owner of Grants Pass, Or.,-based Farmer’s. “My dad taught me that you’re only as good as your word, and if you can’t live on what you say that you’re going to do then you won’t be as successful as what you would be if you continue down that road.”

Having been raised in Grants Pass watching his father and mother, Leon and Luella Stutzman, run the company in the early 1960s, Mark knows what it takes to build a successful company.

“I have put sweat equity into it. There was no job that could not be handled by us boys. We would separate the lumber out because at the time when I was a young boy, it would come in multiple stacks of 8s-14s in one stack and you would have to divide it out, and then it would come in 16s-20s and you would have to measure that all out. Then, of course, the mills started doing that themselves when they had the green chains, but those were

part of the jobs that we did.”

Sixty years later, the Stutzman family has been involved with the company all but two years since it was founded. Leon and the pastor of the family’s church originally coowned the hardware store until the pastor sold his shares of the company to Leon.

The Stutzman family currently owns 100% of the business. Leon and Luella own a little over 50%, while Mark owns just under 50% of the business. “I have been managing the store full time since my oldest brother passed away in 2016. I run this business and I run the other two (sister companies) as well—Illinois

Valley Building Supply (Cave Junction, Or.) and Rogue Truss Systems (Grants Pass). I have all three of them now under me.”

Mark’s children are also involved in the business. His son, Grant, manages the marketing and advertising for the company, his eldest son is currently working at the truss plant along with his son-in-law, and his daughter, Mollie, who recently graduated from high school, is helping with advertising and social media.

Although the company has traditionally been stronger on the contractor side, it has more recently focused on the retail end. “We’ve switched more to a retail side now

ALTHOUGH it’s traditionally been stronger with pros, Farmer’s Building Supply has been increasing its focus on consumers of late. (Photo by Mollie Stutzman)

and have opened a garden center. We have added a door shop and rental, and repair different things in order to continue to drive people to the store,” Mark said.

All along, however, there’s been one large obstacle standing in their way to attract more customers—the Rogue River—which bisects Grants Pass.

“One thing about our store has been that we have been separated from downtown Grants Pass for our entire existence,” Mark explained. “The community of Grants Pass is separated by the Rogue River, which runs right in the middle of it. The city has worked to keep the businesses downtown vibrant and that’s been good, but I think they have missed a lot of us who have been on the other side of the river who have been a part of the community.”

Thankfully, things are looking up. “The town is starting to grow our way and so we’ve been in the heart of a lot of the uptake on the building and stuff… but as those people have gotten a little older, we’re having to work much harder in order to contin

ue to attract people to come to the store.”

Yet, it’s the company’s honest approach to business and how they treat their customers, going above and beyond as much as possible to make others feel good, that has enabled Farmer’s to continue to attract new customers and retain its existing clientele.

“I almost always try to say good morning to somebody just to initiate a conversation or to talk to them and let them know that they are valuable,” Mark said. “Our customers are not just a number—they’re a valuable piece of the community and we want to serve them.”

He added, “We want to treat everyone the same way that we would like to be treated. Dad would go

SECOND-GENERATION owner Mark Stutzman “lives to serve.” (Photo by Jillian Anderson)

business for the company to pursue.

One successful addition has been the horse tack and equine supplies. Farmer’s staffer Danielle Sandgren loves horses and knows a lot about them. She encouraged the company to market to that specialized clientele. Today, the tack section is the most popular tack section in the area, according to Grant. “People come and seek it out specifically from all around. (Danielle), who works it, does a phenomenal job. We get a number of customers because we add in some of those niche markets.”

“I think sometimes finding those key individuals to put into those departments to run them helps us grow ourselves as to who we are,” Mark added.

Another way the company has grown is by responding to the needs of the surrounding communities.

Illinois Valley Building Supply, for instance, in the city of Cave Junction, is approximately 30 miles from Grants Pass. Illinois Valley only has two hardware stores, but one full lumberyard. The building supply store is the only full lumberyard dealer in the city. A transfer truck services the location every day.

Similarly, the Rogue Truss Systems plant was started after the local residents complained to Leon that they weren’t satisfied with the existing truss business owner in their community. Those customers asked

Leon, “Why don’t you put up a truss plant? Let us buy trusses from you.”

Today, the truss plant services as far north as Roseburg, Or., nearly 70 miles away, and can accommodate trusses as large as 80 ft. “We’re about the only facility in the Southern Oregon area that can make something that big,” Mark added.

It was the company’s adaptability that helped Farmer’s succeed even when the competition entered the Grants Pass area. For instance, when Home Depot moved into town, people said Farmer’s was going to have a tough time competing. But Farmer’s knew differently.

“They’re on the other side of the river and their location is not very good. It’s tough to get into where things are at, and people do not like to cross the bridge because they know in town, it’s a headache. That’s why more stuff is coming to this side,” Mark explained.

Similarly, when the Grange Co-op moved right across the street, Leon asked Mark, “What are we going to do to fight those guys?” Mark’s reply was: “We’re going to let (them) bring the customers to us.”

And they did. When the Grange Co-op customers heard there was a feed store across the street, they began coming to Farmer’s. “We worked those customers as they stopped in, and we began to make lifelong friends that way and to service them

the way that we do it out of what we’ve learned here at Farmer’s,” Mark added.

Yet, the Stutzmans never failed to show their competition respect.

“I went to school with one of the guys that’s a competitor in my town,” Mark explained. “He and I have never sparred words (with) each other. We know what it is to take one another’s customers away and we do it by the old fashioned way—the hard work of going after them and trying to service them and not bashing one another.”

Looking ahead, Mark said the company would like to grow the truss and the retail side of the business. In addition, it is looking to modernize its store, and improve its security systems. And although the company is taking notes from big box stores, Grant said, “We are trying not to adopt a big box store look because that would really play with who we are as an entity—it would really affect our soul and what people have known us to be—but we’re certainly taking some big box ideas and adapting them and making them Farmer’s appropriate.”

The company is also getting ready for its 50th anniversary on June 17 in Illinois Valley. “We made our (Farmer’s) anniversary about the community because the community has supported us for 60 years,” Grant said. “We’re going to do the same thing out in the Illinois Valley for the 50th anniversary. It’s going to be Illinois Valley Building Supply’s 50th, but it’s also going to be 50 years in the Illinois Valley—and here’s how the Illinois Valley has grown.”

It should be quite the anniversary celebration if the Stutzman family has anything to say about it. As the Stutzmans would tell you, “We’ll get ’er done because you only have what your word is.” BP

OREGON DEALER tries to be a light to its community. (Photo by Mollie Stutzman)

SARA GRAVES

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

THE IMPORTANT FIRST CALL

------------ BY JAMES OLSEN

OUR FIRST CALL to a potential customer has more to do with how much business we will do with them than any other call. Can we dig out of the hole of a poor first call? Yes. I did it for years. But it takes a lot more time to overcome a bad first call. This is why when Master Sellers lose a big account they still have great years. Master Sellers know how to make a great first call that impresses potential customers.

Many sellers are so nervous and disorganized on their first call that they do the opposite. They turn off potential new customers. In addition, because the first call goes poorly and the proper information is not gathered, the second call is usually a re-prospect call, aggravating the buyer, or the seller offers something on the second call that the customer doesn’t use, which also leaves a negative impression.

Qualification — Not a Sales Call

Prospect calls are not sales calls. Most customers aren’t going to buy from us on a first call. It is a bit more common for distribution sellers because they can sell smaller quantities to local customers, but for sellers of truckload quantities to customers in regions all over the country, it is highly unlikely. The purpose of our first call is to qualify the account. Do they buy what we sell, do they buy it the way we sell it and do they buy enough?

We need to find out:

(1) What are the main three items you bring in?

(2) What grade(s) do you buy that in?

(3) What species?

(4) Mill preference: Are there any

mills you can’t use/prefer?

(5) Quantity per month?

This is 13 questions if we only find out their main three items. This is the minimum number of questions because there will often be follow up/ nuances to the answers—for example, if they use SPF: “Can they use Eastern/ Western/Euro/SPF-S?”

This is why it is important to ask a narrowing question (“What are your main three items you buy in truckload quantities?”). Most customers will give us three to five minutes, so we must be clear and concise with our questions.

If, after we have qualified the customer thoroughly we want to ask, “Is there anything you are looking for today?,” it is OK but only after having qualified the customer.

What’s Your Price On...?

If the customer asks this question before we’ve qualified them, we say, “Susan, I’d love to sell you something today, but that really isn’t the purpose of my call. I’m calling to find out a little bit more about you and your company to see if we will be a good fit going forward. After we find out the main items you’re bringing in, if you want to give me an inquiry, I’ll be glad to work up a professional quote for you.” Then continue qualifying the account.

WSIBFU? Moments

On every prospect call there will be a “Why Should I Buy From You?” moment. Customers will rarely ask this question directly, but in other ways:

• “Where are you calling me from?”

• “I buy direct.”

• “I’m happy with my current supplier.”

• “Your company burned me in the past.”

This is where we need to be prepared to tell our potential customer why they should do business with us. Most sellers wing it. And it sounds like it. I tell my students, “You’re smart enough to wing it and your customers are smart enough to know you are winging it!”

Many students will say, “I don’t want to sound scripted.” I tell them, “Your favorite singer, actor, comedian and athlete are all scripted. It’s called professional preparation.”

Master Sellers have planned for and are ready to impress their potential customers with their answer.

“We are a 35-person sales team. We move 50 million bd. ft. of lumber every month to the most competitive accounts in the nation. In addition, we are the largest importer of XYZ product. Because we move so much volume and because of the contracts we have in place, we get highly competitive pricing that we pass on to customers just like you.”

JAMES OLSEN

Olsen is principal of Reality Sales Training, Portland, Or. Call him at (503) 544-3572 or email james@ realitysalestraining.com.

James

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3 QUESTIONS: PELICAN BAY FOREST PRODUCTS’ RON HANSON

RON HANSON, president of wholesaler Pelican Bay Forest Products, Bend, Or., has seen the lumber industry at its highest highs and lowest lows and, after 52 years, continues to appreciate it all.

1 How did you get started in the industry?

Hanson: I started in 1971 working in sawmills during summer breaks while attending Oregon State University. My dad, Walt, managed mills and was a lumberman his entire career. My brother Doug and I are fourth-generation lumbermen and my daughter, Angie, whom I work with, is a fifth-generation lumberperson. I majored in history, but I knew I wanted to be in lumber sales. It took me seven long years to complete my education, as I continued to work in the lumber industry while pursuing my degree. My dad bragged to all his friends that I graduated from OSU in three terms: Nixon, Ford and Carter!

I started wholesaling lumber in 1979 at Forest City. What a great company to work for. I loved selling lumber and knew it would be my career. I’ve never had a day I didn’t want to go to work. I have no retirement plans to date and hope to never completely retire as I get paid to talk with my friends every day.

2 What have been the greatest challenges over the years?

Hanson: I’ve been very fortunate to start two wholesale companies. Our first was Pan Pacific Forest Products, which we started in 1987 and grew to over 50 traders. We were young, and it was exciting to build the company—great memories! I did not own that company and left in 1999 to start Pelican Bay Forest Products, which I do own. It’s been an awesome privilege to work with great traders and phenomenal administrative personnel, including my wife, Joni. We have also built terrific relationships with suppliers, customers and our bankers.

Both companies grew faster than our money supply. Until the last few years, cash flow has always been our biggest challenge. There have been a lot of sleepless nights over the years worrying about paying our suppliers on time, but we persevered and got it done. Electronic transfer of funds will create a challenge when cash flow tightens again. At this time, we have a $15-million credit line, which allows us to be competitive with larger trading floors. We have not borrowed any money for the last six months. Our industry is in the best financial shape I can ever remember. Business has been much easier the last few years, but it looks like we will have some challenges over the next couple years with a possible recession.

Another challenge our industry has is recruiting younger people.

Looking at trading floors a few years ago, we were an aging industry. Luckily we have reversed that trend and we now have the youngest group that we’ve had in 20 years. I continue to see that same trend at industry functions as well. It’s a great business for younger people with unlimited potential for careers.

3 What’s the story behind Pelican Bay?

Hanson: Pelican Bay was a lumber company in Klamath Falls, Or. I was born there and had family that worked at the mill. I just liked the name and decided to use it when we started in 2000. We’ve been able to grow to over 20 traders selling lumber across the U.S. and Canada. We have a great group of senior traders and young traders. Everybody’s different, with all types of personalities, and we all get along—this helps breed success.

As our wholesale industry has morphed, we have become a more valuable partner to the suppliers and customers. We, as wholesalers, provide an important function in the distribution of forest products. What a great Industry to be a part of for 52 years.

– Send suggestions for future interviews to David Koenig at dkoenig@526mediagroup.com.

Pelican Bay Forest Products’ Ron Hanson and Joni, his wife of 47 years

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EMPLOYEE RETENTION

------------

BY PAIGE McALLISTER

MOST EMPLOYERS have felt the impacts of the tight labor market. Employees have been resigning at a rate of over 4 million per month for over a year. Low unemployment rates continue across the country. The labor market participation rates are reduced by 8 million employees due to factors like COVID, immigration, and employees who have left the workforce.

Adding to this, the impacts of replacing an existing employee can run up to two times that position’s salary and result in lost productivity as well as lower morale from other employees while that position remains open.

All of these factors make retaining current employees a proactive measure employers should prioritize in 2023 and beyond.

While the possibilities are unlimited as to what you can offer and what your employees will find valuable, here are some ideas to consider depending on your workforce, goals, and budget:

Compensation

• Increase wages or salaries

• Offer bonuses (“just because,” performance, retention, referral)

• Offer commission opportunities

• Restructure compensation

Considerations: While there may be a positive impact to increased wages or salaries at first, the impact may be short-lived once the increase is divided per paycheck or has been long-spent. This is especially pronounced given the increasing costs of living that many employees face.

Benefits

• Offer additional traditional plans (medical, dental, vision, life, STD, LTD)

• Add creative benefits (pet insurance, cancer coverage, long-term care insurance, college savings program, health advocate, HSA/FSA)

• Offer an employee assistance program (EAP)

• Offer a retirement savings plan or profit-sharing program

• Increase employer-paid portion toward premiums or 401(k)-matching

Considerations: Employees value protections that fit their life; however, different employees have different needs so it will be harder to find a one-size-fits-all solution. Better coverage often means more cost to the company and the employees, which may limit options and participation. Also, new or changing benefit plans usually require more time and effort to research and implement.

Time Off

• Give more paid time off (vacation, sick, personal days, holidays, “unlimited”)

• Make current paid time off more flexible (allow carry-over, require less notice)

• Add “personal holidays” so employees can recognize holidays or events that are important to their religion, culture or lifestyle without using vacation

• Offer creative time off (pet bereavement, school activities, volunteering, blood, organ or bone marrow donation)

Considerations: Small time-off policies can be easier and quicker to implement and may give more impact throughout the year as they help employees with their work-life balance. However, different employees will value different time off. And, you need to make sure that this time off can be balanced with meeting operational demands.

Perks

• Offer healthy-at-work options (healthy snacks, vending machines, desk or office exercise equipment, scheduled walk breaks)

• Implement socially-conscious programs (recycling, community service days, fundraiser walk teams)

• Offer cost- or time-savings programs (free or discounted parking or public transportation, warehouse store memberships, on-site car detailing, errand-runner services, vendor/supplier partner discounts)

• Offer life-balance perks (gym memberships, daycare

options, healthy-living programs)

• Create incentive programs (anniversary, performance)

Considerations: These efforts can help employees balance their work and life demands. Some of these are low-cost and can be implemented easily, but you may need to combine with other offerings for all employees to find some value.

As you can see, there are numerous and varied efforts you can take to try to retain your employees—some quick and inexpensive, others are more costly and take more time to coordinate.

Critical Steps in Creating an Effective Retention Strategy

While spontaneous perks are great, retention is not a one-time fix. It must be a strategy that is developed and changed as needed to reflect workforce trends, company needs, and your employees as individuals.

• Determine what your employees will appreciate. Get feedback from a variety of employees and managers to better understand what they want and need. Realize it may differ by department, position, and employee. Do not ask if you do not intend to do anything—this may make engagement worse if you create expectations and never follow through. If you cannot take the actions suggested, explain that so employees know their concerns were heard.

• Assess all factors including operational needs, workforce structure, budget, and timeline to make sure that what you offer is feasible now and, if applicable, in the future. Work out the pros and cons of each before committing.

• Formalize the actions or changes you want to implement, creating policies and procedures as needed.

• Announce the actions or changes to employees, giving them all of the information they need to know. Use this as an opportunity to communicate your appreciation for your employees and the value they bring to the company.

• Follow-up to assess if the actions or changes made the impact you wanted, or any at all. Did employees value it? Were employees able to use it or benefit from it? Did it make them want to stay? Were they more

engaged?

• Continue to listen to employees’ concerns and try to offer what you can to keep them engaged using their skills, talents and abilities for you instead of looking for another job.

A Final Thought

While you may not be able to find one perfect solution that all employees value, the fact that you are making an effort to show your employees your appreciation may be the best retention strategy there is. A simple and personal “thank you” can

go a long way in keeping your valued employees from leaving you when you need them most.

PAIGE McALLISTER

Storing millwork can be tough. Size variation, custom orders, temperature sensitivity—all can add to the challenges suppliers face as they seek efficient onsite storage solutions. That’s why Greg Zuern decided to try something completely different. Together with CT Darnell and Sunbelt Rack, Zuern Building Products consolidated all their millwork into one reimagined building for maximum efficiency. The results speak for themselves. Thanks to this change, they saw:

50% faster pick times

$8MM more in deliveries with fewer trucks and drivers

Maximized inventory efficiency and increased SKU count by over 15%

Paige McAllister, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is vice president for compliance with Affinity HR Group. Reach her at (877) 660-6400 or contact@affinityhrgroup.com.

MAKING THEIR MARK: WOMEN IN THE LUMBER

------------ BY KIM DREW

WOMEN’S HISTORY Month (celebrated in March) is all about recognizing and celebrating the contribution of women to society, across the board. Originally concepted in 1978 in California, the effort caught on so much that in 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first proclamation for Women’s History Week. Congress followed soon after, creating a national recognition. Within six years, the outreach was expanded to cover the entire month of March.

In what is quite accurately seen as an industry that is predominantly male, how do women fit into the lumber industry?

When it comes to the lumber industry as a whole, the Northeast has always been a leader, and our celebration of women in the industry is no exception. A Fall 2022 Audubon Magazine article (“Who Runs the Forest? Increasingly, in the Southeast, It’s Women”) shares multiple examples of new communities of women who manage their trees with economic and ecosystem sustainability in mind.

Back in 2014, the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (NELMA), together with Irving Forest Products, created an educational video entitled Making Their Mark: Women in the Lumber Mill Industry. The video spotlights interview excerpts with several women in leadership positions within Irving, their challenges, and their growth opportunities.

Among the highlights:

• At Irving, women hold all levels of jobs, from team leader on the manufacturing line to general manager of the mill.

• The roles that women take on within the site are quite diverse: there are women in the log yard who are scaling, there are women graders, women packagers and shippers.

• Word of mouth is key to growth: Irving touts multiple sisters, mother/ daughter pairs, and friend combinations among their female employees. Given that both Irving mills are in small communities, once word gets out that the mills are a good place to work, interest grows.

• As one employee states perfectly:

A SPECIAL SERIES FROM

“Don’t be intimidated… don’t let it stop you from doing something that you’re going to probably enjoy and be good at. Don’t doubt yourself.”

Support for and celebration of women in the lumber industry is growing, as companies develop female-specific programs and encourage and elevate women to greater roles. A few examples:

Recently, 84 Lumber used social media to spotlight current and future roles for women in the lumber industry as part of the National Association of Women in Construction’s Women in Construction Week. Sharing content across multiple channels, the goal of the content was to provide the information needed to recruit women for new roles and celebrate women currently in lumber leadership roles.

The Maine Cabin Masters, a super-popular cabin improvement show on the Magnolia Network now in its ninth season, recently celebrated the only female carpenter on their crew by spotlighting her on an episode of their “From the Woodshed” podcast. Sara Dostie, who is also a holistic massage therapist and educator, is celebrating her third year on the MCM crew; prior to that, she was a subcontractor for her builder father for six years.

If the past several years is any indication, the number of women employed in the lumber industry will continue to grow. And as long as employers ensure that women are supported and encouraged, there’s no limit to what can be accomplished. BP

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO VIEW THE VIDEO MAKING THEIR MARK: WOMEN IN THE LUMBER MILL INDUSTRY

MINNESOTA COMPETITORS UNITE

Cook County Home Center, Grand Marais, Mn., acquired the assets of local competitor Sawtooth Lumber.

Sawtooth Lumber will become the Westside branch of Cook County Home Center, which is located just east of Grand Marais. The new Westside location will serve as the receiving location for all building supplies. The Eastside location will remain the Ace Hardware Store and self-service lumberyard with most of its current building supply inventory.

“We were outgrowing our Eastside location,” said Cook County president Nate Sheils. “This acquisition gives us more space, consolidates the buying power of the two lumberyards, and allows us to manage a larger inventory. That is a real benefit for our contractor customers and vendors.”

Customer deliveries from the lumberyard will originate at the Westside location, allowing for maximum consolidation of jobsite deliveries, improving delivery efficiency and timeliness.

Tom Junker, Sawtooth’s former owner, will continue to operate his family’s other lumberyards, Voyageur Lumber in Ely, Junker’s Lumber in Littlefork, and Porky’s Building Supply in Eveleth, Mn.

Cook County Home Center is owned by Sheils and Jeff Buetow, who acquired the business—formerly Superior Lumber—in 2015.

Buetow said the “acquisition allows us to continue the growth of our business. And we plan to continue providing our hardware store and lumberyard customers with all the best products and service.”

LAMPE & MALPHRUS UPGRADES MILL

USNR is replacing the headrig system at Lampe & Malphrus Lumber Co., Smithfield, N.C., with a new end dogging carriage line.

The new system includes log infeed using belts, chains, and ending screws; Pinnacle feeder; USNR carriage optimization with LASAR; reciprocating EDC with rotation; conical chip-heads with board and cant separators; single pass resaw; inertial separator to separate the split cants; and numerous belted and chain transfers.

The upgrade comes on the heels of another significant investment for Lampe & Malphrus—installation early this year of a new Optimized Edger line.

COLONY ACQUIRES NEW SOUTH

Colony Hardware, Orange, Ct., has purchased 11-unit distributor New South Construction Supply, Greenville, S.C.

Founded in 1981, New South operates locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. They now join Colony’s 59 branches in the Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Mid-South and Florida.

FORESTRY EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTOR EXPANDS TO HOUSTON

Ontario, Canada-based forestry equipment manufacturer Woodland Mills has added a distribution center in Houston, Tx.

The warehouse joins existing warehouses in Portland, Or.; Buffalo, N.Y.; and Canada to give the company 100,000 sq. ft. of operating space in North America.

The new Houston location will allow Woodland Mills to utilize Port Houston, giving the company a third port of entry in the U.S. This diversity will help enhance shipping efficiency and mitigate the impacts of elevated port congestion. Regional consumers will no longer have to wait for their orders to ship from the Oregon or New York locations.

“You hear about the price of gas, the price of diesel, and all the surcharges,” said co-founder Neil Bramley. “That was our big driver— not wanting to charge the customer more freight to do the same thing.”

DISTRIBUTOR MSI ADDING NORFOLK AREA DC

M S International broke ground on a new 548,000-sq. ft. distribution center in Suffolk, Va., targeting a late summer 2024 completion.

This facility will focus on regional distribution of flooring, countertop, wall tile, and hardscaping products that are imported through the Port of Norfolk.

“This new hub distribution center will dramatically improve our longterm distribution capabilities across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest,” said MSI president Rup Shah.

Lechner Lumber is moving to a more accessible location in Sioux City, Ia.

Shoemaker Lumber Co., Ocean City, N.J., is seeking approval to build a new warehouse to consolidate several smaller storage areas.

Blue Ridge Lumber, Blairstown, N.J., now operates nine locations with its purchase of 97-year-old Gumble Bros. Home Centers, Tafton, Pa. Longtime owners Dana and Susan Gumble are retiring.

Carter Lumber will open a $26-million, 120,000-sq. ft. facility in Johnsonville, S.C., to manufacture roof/floor trusses, pre-hang interior doors, and warehouse mouldings.

Ace Hardware stores in Mahomet and Gibson City, Il., have been purchased by Chris Amir from the Hood family. The newly acquired locations will now sell lumber.

Becker Hardware, Colts Neck, N.J., is shutting down late this month after 120 years.

Coltrain Home & Hardware, Ayden, N.C., has been opened by Sarah Coltrain.

Gillman’s Ace Hardware, Chicago, Il., closed after 75 years.

Westlake Ace Hardware held a March 24-26 grand opening at its new 14,000-sq. ft. branch in Raleigh, N.C. (Scott Jones, general mgr.).

Beug’s Ace Hardware, Detroit Lakes, Mn., has been acquired from brothers Bruce and Mark Beug by Park Rapids Ace Hardware owner Jeff Cwikla, who plans to relocate to a larger facility next year.

Lowe’s is opening import warehouses to store off-season goods, such as outdoor furniture, to free up space in other logistics centers and reduce mark-downs at stores.

Menards is adding a self-storage facility adjacent to its Greenwood, In., home center.

Pack’s Hardware, Smithville, Mo., was honored as Business of the Year, and store manager Sheryl Stang as Employee of the Year by the local Chamber of Commerce.

Anniversaries: Solenberger’s True Value, Winchester, Va., 135th ... San Antonio Lumber Co., San Antonio, Fl., 100th ... Schneider Hardware, West Orange, N.J., 100th Siwek Lumber, Jordan, Mn., 90th.

anYthing else

is playing with fire.

anYthing else is playing with fire.

You demand safe, quality products with the same relentless standards as we do. And that’s why you choose ProWood® FR. The structural durability of our fire-retardant treated lumber and plywood has been verified by certified engineers to ensure we are providing you with high-quality code-compliant products.

ABC Supply opened a branch in Lakeville, Mn., managed by Brett Coleman.

Beacon added a greenfield location in West Bend, Wi.

SRS Distribution has acquired distributor Exteriors Inc., Bowling Green, Ky., from founder Samir Rastoder, who will continue to lead the branch.

Sherwood Lumber, Melville, N.Y., is expanding its services to Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Albany, N.Y., with a new five-day-a-week delivery service.

U-C Coatings, LLC, Buffalo, N.Y., is now the exclusive authorized distributor of Breeze Dried lumber drying sticks in the U.S. for lessthan-truckload quantities.

R/W Specialties is now distributing Fortress Building Products’ Total Solution (decking, railing, fencing, framing, lighting, fasteners, cladding and pergolas) to the Midwest from its recently acquired locations in Missouri.

BlueLinx is expanding its partnership with Louisiana-Pacific to include distribution of LP SmartSide Trim & Siding, and SmartSide ExpertFinish Trim & Siding in the Southeast and Midwest from its DC’s in Atlanta, Ga.; Omaha, Ne.; and Pensacola, Fl.

Russin, Montgomery, N.Y., is now distributing UFP-Edge’s Thermally Modified Wood Collection siding in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Gray Tools is improving its U.S. distribution by adding warehouse space in Brooklyn Park, Mn.

APCO Siding & Window Co. is moving to a larger facility in Columbus, Oh., that includes 33,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space.

Modern Mill, Fernwood, Ms., was named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023.

LBM Advantage, New Windsor, N.Y., was named one of the 2023 Best Companies to Work for in New York by the New York State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management, Best Companies Group, and the Rochester Business Journal.

EGGER EXPANDS TFL PRODUCTION

EGGER Wood Products started production on a third lamination line at its thermally fused laminate (TFL) facility in Lexington, N.C.

The $21-million investment will expand the company’s TFL production capacity by 50%, increasing production to more than 155 million sq. ft. per year, and alleviate supply chain and logistical challenges for customers.

EGGER has also announced an additional $22 million investment to install a decorative paper impregnation line. This new line will supply locally-produced, resin-infused decorative papers to the lamination lines, allowing the company to have greater production flexibility to better meet the needs of its customers. Construction is expected to be completed this summer.

“Currently, we import impregnated papers from our manufacturing facility in St. Johann in Tyrol, Austria,” said Markus Frevert, plant manager for production. “Ideally, the impregnated papers should be laminated within six months for optimal quality. Local impregnation will eliminate up to three months of shipping time, resulting in a longer lifespan for the papers, which will significantly reduce waste and costs, improve our service for special orders and shorten lead times.”

SUNBELT UNVEILS NEW LOOK

Sunbelt Forest Products, Bartow, Fl., has unveiled a new logo and redesigned website reflecting its enhanced offerings in the wake of two years of unprecedented company expansion.

In 2021, Sunbelt acquired Spartanburg Forest Products, growing to 12 locations as far north as Maine. Sunbelt also has been diversifying its product offerings, adding Deckorators brand decking and accessories, Outdoor Essentials fence, lawn, and garden products, and

UFP Edge line of siding, pattern and trim. An expansion into non-lumber products is being piloted in select markets.

“With our new products, we are prepared to provide optimized personal service to our customers of all sizes,” says Sunbelt president Ken DelleDonne. “Our goal is that every truckload from Sunbelt Forest Products will deliver a wide variety of building materials designed to meet each customers’ needs.”

The new website will highlight the augmented product selection while effectively directing customers—contractors and consumers alike—to the entire line of premium quality pressure treated fencing and decking products. The redesigned website will also contain a new blog and a wide variety of collaborative and knowledge-based service programs designed to promote growth for our customers.

NOVO ROLLS OUT CUSTOM MOULDINGS ON DEMAND

Novo Building Products is introducing Custom Mouldings On Demand, a new program offering custom and short-run moulding orders supplied through its Empire Moulding & Millwork and Southwest Moulding & Millwork divisions.

The new program is in response to increased demand from residential builders and contractors for smaller runs of top-quality wood mouldings. The new program allows customers to choose from 500 different existing profiles or to submit virtually any custom profile design. Mouldings are available in a variety of wood species and a wide range of sizes.

“Our Custom Mouldings on Demand program allows us to make virtually any moulding our customers need,” said Nathan McCarly, director of sales - SE pro dealer division at Empire Moulding & Millwork. “This is one more way that we can be the ‘Easy Button’ for our dealers and by extension the builder, remodeler and homeowner customers that they serve.”

Other key features:

• Minimum run of only 3,000 lineal ft.

• Choose from 500+ available

• Ability to match sample mouldings or CAD drawings

Pat Moretti has been promoted to president of Ricci Lumber, Portsmouth, N.H., a division of Kodiak Building Partners. He succeeds Ed Hayes

Florian Knappe has joined Hancock Lumber Co., Casco, Me., as chief financial officer. Paul Wainman will transition from president and CFO to president and CEO. Kevin Hancock will continue as chairman.

Patrick Gallagher has been promoted to director of sales-building products/Eastern U.S. for Digger Specialties, Bremen, In. Ken Hotchkiss, mid-Atlantic territory mgr., has retired after a lengthy industry career, the last 15 years with DSI.

Don Viscio has been promoted to chief administrative officer for Tibbetts Lumber, Clearwater, Fl. He replaces Bobby Fehr, who is retiring after serving 50 years with Tibbetts and predecessor Cox Lumber Co.

Cullen Akin, former marketing director for Tiffin Motorhomes, has joined United Treating & Distribution, Muscle Shoals, Al., as an inside sales rep and marketing lead.

Chuck Mailloux, ex-Warner Robins, has rejoined US LBM as location mgr. for Wisconsin Building Supply in Plover and Wausau, Wi.

Ronnie Shelton, ex-AZEK, has been named general mgr. of Hackmann Lumber, St. Charles, Mo.

Richard Ferro has joined Benjamin Obdyke, Horsham, Pa., as market development mgr. for the mid-Atlantic region, including New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.

Levi Walters, Weekes Forest Products, Comstock Park, Mi., has been promoted to national accounts rep.

Reggie Van Prooyen has joined the sales team at Midwest Industrial Lumber, Grand Rapids, Mi.

David Neal has been promoted to president of GeorgiaPacific Gypsum, Atlanta, Ga. He succeeds Brent Paugh

Bob Carson, LBM Advantage’s VP of Southern operations, has retired after 49 years in the industry.

Tim Parks was promoted to director of kitchen, bath & lighting development at Curtis Lumber Co., Ballston Spa, N.Y.

Allison Almond, ex-Professional Builders Supply, has joined the inside sales team at Fortress Wood Products, Martinsville, Va.

Dan Dietlin has been appointed director of continuous improvement at Do it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, In. Audrey Clark is new as communications project mgr.; James Fisher, continuous improvement leader; Torrie Meriwether, outbound logistics services coordinator; and Adam Vaughn, associate merchandise mgr. Adam Brown is now territory sales mgr. in Lansing, Mi.

Dave Rumbaugh has been promoted to VP of logistics & specialty purchasing for 84 Lumber, Eighty Four, Pa. Maxie Williamson is new to construction sales in Georgetown, Ky.

William “Billy” Bastek has been appointed executive VP of merchandising for Home Depot, Atlanta, Ga.

Noelle J. Oas has been named executive VP of human resources for Fastenal Co., Winona, Mn. She succeeds Reyne K. Wisecup, who recently retired after 34 years with the company.

Mike Wothe has been promoted to executive VP of operations for PGT Innovations, North Venice, Fl. Debbie LaPinska is now chief customer officer; Rachel Evans, senior VP of HR; Bob Keller, senior VP of R&D, product innovation & technology; Eric Kowalewski, president of operations–Southeast region; and Mark Yeandle, president of operations–Western region.

Malorie Drugg has been promoted to VP of marketing for Marvin, Warroad, Mn. Tim Kasten is now VP of sales and David Goulet, VP of research & development and product management.

Kevin Britt, McCray Lumber, Kansas City, Mo., has been promoted to outside sales.

Tom Ford is new to Spahn & Rose Lumber Co., Dubuque, Ia., as VP of supply chain & IT. Kristelle VanDerBeek is a new designer/drafter in DeWitt, Ia.

Warren Deaton, Kelly Bros. Lumber, Covington, Ky., has been promoted to inside sales.

Holden Gilman has moved to Empire Moulding & Millwork, as Richmond, Va.-based territory account mgr. for Virginia. Mark Williams, ex-Alexandria Moulding, has returned to Empire as a territory sales mgr.

Josh Winkel is a new territory account rep with Trex, based in Beacon Falls, Ct. Johnny Myers was promoted to distribution regional mgr. in Winchester, Va.

Eric Irwin, ex-Nystrom, is now business development mgr. with Hallmark Building Supplies, Minneapolis, Mn.

Jim Miller, Premier Building Supply, Springhill, Ks., has been promoted to assistant general mgr.

Jaclyn Harrison has been appointed executive VP of human resources at ODL, Inc., Zeeland, Mi.

Dean Rio is new to sales at Evergreen Door & Window, Evergreen Park, Il.

70 attendees to a special

Event in Milford, Ma., to recognize the unique talents that women bring to its workforce, talk about empowerment and growth within the industry, and provide an opportunity to build connections. Helping to make the event happen were (back row, left to right) Koopman brand/engagement manager Sarah Thomas, moderator Alex Carlton, CFO Denise Brookhouse, and panelists (front row, l-r) North Atlantic’s Debra Torres, Hancock Lumber’s Terrie McDaniel, Bach Builders’ Nikki Bach, and Elevate’s Michelle Lemoi.

Mark Orlando has been promoted to VP, sales for Sto Corp., Atlanta, Ga. Claudia Mueller is now director, marketing communications, replacing Michelle Leader, who has retired after nearly 12 years with the company.

Otto Graf is now signing the checks at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus

KOOPMAN LUMBER drew

Women’s

“Growing beyond measure.”

WOOD TREATMENT ANALYSIS

NEX QC, Rigaku’s AWPA standard A9-compliant analyzer, combines unmatched versatility with affordability for the wood preservation industry.

The analyzer is compact and does not require an external PC. It features an intuitive icon-driven touchscreen interface and a built-in printer, making it easy to use and convenient for users.

NEX QC supports a wide range of treatment formulations and sample types, allowing users to test all wood preservatives and pigments using one instrument. No customization is required to accommodate different applications, giving users complete flexibility in treatments employed and measured, including pigments, or adjusting to future applications.

The analyzers are manufactured by Applied Rigaku Technologies and backed by a two-year warranty.

RIGAKUEDXRF.COM/WOOD

(512) 225-1796

NEXT-GEN COMPOSITE DECKING

Armadillo’s new Evolution composite decking features sophisticated, nuanced colors and richer, deeper grain, for premium aesthetics and performance.

The line offers an unprecedented Armadillo Golden Promise warranty, providiing non-prorated coverage for 50 years and five years labor coverage. It also includes automatic one-time transferability for homeowners when they sell their home. Commercial uses have a 20-year, non-prorated warranty with two years of labor.

Boasting a deeper embossing and multiple color streaking, the line comes in six colors: Bourbon, Firewood, Linen, Mesa, Steel Wool, and Twilight.

ARMADILLODECK.COM

(320) 243-7318

PRECAST CONCRETE SKIRT BOARD

Perma-Column’s new precast concrete skirt boards feature an innovative hybrid concrete-wood design that eliminates all wood contact with the ground.

Ideal for post-frame foundations, the boards are consistent—their precise 2x8 dimensions allow for high tolerances and ease of installation.

PERMACOLUMN.COM

(800) 622-7190

UPDATED HURRICANE TIE

Simpson Strong-Tie has released the H1A next-generation hurricane tie, designed to install with fewer, shorter nails and achieve higher allowable uplift and F2 loads to meet the building safety needs of homes in seismic and high-wind regions of the country.

A code-listed and tested update to the original H1 connector and designed for nominal 2x lumber, the H1A features innovative embossments that add stiffness for improved allowable uplift and lateral loads. In addition to providing strength and versatility, the tie installs quickly and easily with 1-1/2” nails, eliminating the need to use two different nail sizes in the same connector and reducing both the length and overall number of nails required.

It is available in standard G90 galvanization or with ZMAX coating for corrosion resistance.

STRONGTIE.COM/H1A

(800) 999-5099

HARDWOOD DECK ACCESSORIES

Known for its Premium Select Architectural-Grade ipé and other tropical hardwoods, Tropical Forest Products is adding a full line of Black Label Professional Grade Accessories.

Accessories include Clad Clip and Pro Deck Clip systems; Ipé + Marine Oil Finishes, Wood Cleaner, Brightener and End Sealer; and a Tool Kit complete with everything needed for installing a hardwood project.

BLACKLABELWOOD.COM

(855) 344-4500

REVOLUTIONARY TILE CUTTER

A new all-in-one precision workstation from Arrow Fastener allows ceiling installation professionals to cut acoustic ceiling tiles in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost with precise results and minimal waste while also decreasing jobsite accidents.

RevealCut changes how hundreds of thousands of acoustic ceiling tiles are cut every day by eliminating the need to cut tiles with a straight edge and a utility knife and delivering up to 80% in labor savings. A typical 2-ft. ceiling tile can be cut to size and finished with a factory-grade profiled edge in less than 30 seconds.

The device comes in two convenient sizes: one for 2-ft. tiles and a larger version for up to 4-ft. tiles. It cuts 98% of all common ceiling tile sizes with ease and efficiency by using an integrated precision-cutting blade system to cut factory-grade profiled edges.

REVEALCUT.COM

(800) 776-2228

REENGINEERED ROOFING

GAF has reengineered and relaunched its Timberline UHD (Ultra High Definition) shingles as Timberline UHDZ shingles.

In addition to GAF’s Dual Shadow Line, which creates beautiful sunset shadows all day long, all UHDZ shingles now include features seen in the top-selling Timberline HDZ, like the innovative LayerLock technology and StrikeZone nailing area, making them easier and faster to install.

Shingles are thicker and about 20% heavier than the HDZ, feature 10% more time-release algae-fighting technology, and offer a 30-year StainGuard Plus Pro limited warranty against blue-green algae discoloration.

Colors include Charcoal, Weathered Wood, Pewter Gray, Barkwood, Slate and Shakewood.

GAF.COM/UHDZ

(877) 423-7663

HOME SECURITY SOLAR LIGHT

Equipped with a high efficiency solar panel, STKR’s EZ Home Security Solar lights turn on and off automatically at dusk and dawn and can be fully recharged in just eight hours of full sunlight.

The lights clip on to most gutters in seconds with no tools or wiring required. Their FLEXIT Spot Light LED heads can be angled independently to cast light where needed most.

STKRCONCEPTS.COM

(704) 508-1031

NAWLA LEADERS MEET UP

NORTH AMERICAN Wholesale Lumber Association pulled together decision-makers from coast to coast for its annual NAWLA Leadership Summit March 12-14 at the JW Marriott Desert Resort & Spa, Palm Desert, Ca.

The engaging three-day program provided lumber wholesalers with insight into trends and best practices from industry leaders to help grow revenue, reduce costs, and improve their company’s performance.

8

LUMBER INDUSTRY LEADERS

[1] John Morrison, Mark Westlake.

[2] Patricia Morrison, Michael Welch, Paige Westlake. [3] Natalie Heacock, Chelsea Zucccato. [4] Carl & Vicki Lamb. [5] Dan Semsak, Clark Spitzer. [6] Rob Latham, Jim McGinnis. [7] Warren Reeves, Grant Phillips. [8] Steve Rhone, Rick Ekstein. [9] Marc, Sammy & Kelly Saracco. [10] Patrick Price, Kathy & Bill Price. [11] Sam Sanregret.

(More photos on next page)

BLUELINX president/CEO Dwight Gibson spoke on “Culture as a Catalyst for Performance.”

(continued from previous page): [ ] Josh Goodman, Kyle Little. [13] Scott & Karen Lewis, Jim Robbins, Sr. [14] Mark & Gail Kelly, Karen & Brett Slaughter. [15] Kim & Tony Lucas, Judy Haney, Mike Mann, Margie Semsak. [16] Donna & Larry Boyts, Todd London. [17] Pino Pucci, Aly Kingsley, Thomas Mende, Dustin Jalbert, Cameron Waner, Abby Meek. [18]

Kevin Dodds, Ryan Kline. [19] Jim & Cindy McGinnis, Karli & Davis McGinnis, Lori & Bobby Byrd. [20] Bill DeGroat, David Bernstein. [21] Jim & Sabrina Enright. [22] Trent & Steve Williams, Patrick & Sarah Price, Jennifer & Jason McGahee. [23] Amy & Alden Robbins, Dave Destiche. [24] Mark Avery, Chris Knowles. [25] Nick & Kim Fitzgerald.

DO IT BEST POWERS UP MEMBERS DO IT BEST POWERS UP MEMBERS

DO IT BEST welcomed memberowners, prospective members, and vendors to Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center for its spring market March 11-13.

While there were many things to

get members excited about powering up their businesses—from tremendous deals, training and networking opportunities, to exclusive events— the greatest buzz was generated by the introduction of a powerful new

ecommerce strategy and platform to drive sales online and in-store.

Newly-promoted VP of ecommerce Allison Flatjord introduced the state-of-the-art ecommerce solution.

Another hot item was Solutions in Action—a full-size home center on the market floor featuring best industry practices for merchandising, lighting, layout and branding.

AT DO IT BEST’S market: [1] Ian Rowe, Sacha Hampton, Chris Perez. [2] James Elijah, James Morris. [3] Darin Harter, John Kemper, Dan Martin, Daryl Johnson, Cyndi Chandler, Mike Bond, Rod Wynn. [4] Doug Mans, Jean Fahy, Pete Mans. [5] Matt Richards, Emily Sivick, Jacob Sauntinez. [6] Mike Hake, Ted Beach. [7] Curtis Haugen, Dave Seeley, Ryan Helwig, Tim Pappas. [8] Kristi Kaufman, Carl Dent, Alisha Simpson.

(More on next page)

VP OF LBM Russ Kathrein updated members on Do it Best’s fast growth.

IT BEST

DOING

(continued from previous page): [9] Jesse Sarenana, Travis Garner, Tod Kintz. [10] Kari Ann Ezzell, Stefanie Couch. [11] Alberto Guerra, Anthony Khoury. [12] Frank Demarinis, Huda Kahn. [13] Zach Van Landingham, Jamie Valencia. [14] Katrina Hudy, Nick Burckel, Renae Kovell. [15] Todd Klingel, Jeff Pott, Adam Gargano. [16] Steve May, Jeff Dunbar,

Brad Seelig. [17] Gabe Arnold, Chris Brown, Rob Williams. [18] Stefanie Snyder, Angela Nevers, Rob Everson. [19] David Metviner, Rob Freon, Bradley Templeton. [20] Doug Arndt, John Glades. [21] Jen & Rob Miller. [22] Sean Armantrout, Mark Dyke, Larry Bournias. [23] Jeri Redd, Jacob Lightsey, Jennifer Davie.

LMC SHIFTS TO HIGH GEAR AT ANNUAL

DEALERS AND suppliers from across the country raced to Charlotte, N.C., March 8-10 for the 2023 LMC Annual.

Over three days, LMC dealers networked with the biggest names in the industry, made purchases for the upcoming peak building season, participated in educational sessions, and tackled the shared problems facing the industry in the future.

Kicking off the event, LMC president & CEO Paul Ryan reported stable growth for LMC in 2022 with $7.8 billion in purchases, despite deflation in wood products. He also welcomed 25 new dealers to the LMC network in 2022. This year’s winner of the

best new product was AdvanTech X-Factor Subflooring from Huber Engineered Woods, second place was Generac’s Portable Power Station, and third place was Onward’s EVO Sliding Barndoor System.

To top off the event, attendees trekked to the NASCAR Hall of Fame for a big party, testing their skills in the race car simulators and exploring the hands-on exhibits. “The King” himself, Richard Petty, then detailed incredible stories from his 35-year career, afterwards welcoming attendees on stage for a photo opportunity.

The 2024 Annual will take place in Houston, Tx., March 4-6, 2024.

ATTENDEES [1] stream into LMC’s annual meeting. [2] Kevin Brewer, Winston Strawn. [3] Craig Little, Rylie Joachim, Bill Schlottman. [4] Todd Nodine, Sondra Jones, Greg Hodge. [5] Brandon Sawyer, Dave Bartholomew. [6] Drew Kennedy,

Mark Allison. [7] Matt Wylie, Evan Doherty, Matt Osterlund, Jon Baker. [8] Annamarie Genther, Amy Bilovsky. [9] Chip Brittain, Joe Angelo, Bill Nocerino. [10] Todd Nowels, Troy Allen, Paul Dupont. (More photos on next two pages)

VENDORS at LMC annual meeting (continued) included Team Culpeper [ ] Bill Johnston, Travis Rogers, Brad Marks, Alec Mecoinis, Jim Powell, Frank Hanlon, Larry Lang, David Anderson, Robert Ford. [12] Ryan Murdoch, David Lewis, Susan Cuming, Chris Ford, Vern Dando, Scott Stubbington, Scott Vande Linde, Jeff Hodge. [13] Mike

[

[

McCloud, Marty Hawkins.

14] Kristie McCurdy, Scott & Lacy Townsend, Kelly Matthews, Wayne Miller.

15] Bull van Sickle,

Adrienne Kazarian, Kimberly Roberts, Jason Quenzer, Corbin Rinehart, Sean Pasell. [16] Damien Fallin, Jim Sakai. [17] Mark Swinth, Lindsay Olson, Rob Endres, David Olson. [18] Pamela & Robert Johnson, Scott Brown. [19] Dylan Harvey, Dean Clark, Daniel Quillian. [20] Kelly Robertson, Beth Blount, Larraine Russ, Doc Smith.

(More photos on next page)

Photos by BPD

LMC ANNUAL MEETING (continued): [21] John Fisher, Ben Artale, Lee & Colin Schifflett. [22] Brett Vick, Scott Sheppard, Luke Bennett. [23] Jenny Brawley, Tim Parker. [24] Kenny Woodard, Bob Smith, Tunstall Inge. [25] Kevin Smith, Daniel Libolt. [26] Lindy Wheat, Matt Schoettle, Donna Whitaker. [27] Rich Gomersall, Graham Thick, Brian Lynch. [28] Jeff Parker, Tom Salshutz. [29]

Curt Allen, Robbie Temple, Tony Butler. [30] Jamie Moulton, Ian Penney. [31] Travis Maddox, Andy Faircloth. [32] Bryan & June Strickland. [33] Whitney Staudachez, Kelsey Hapner. [34] Cole & Carlie Richeson. [35] Paul Kluemperg, Mark Stover. [36] Jimmy Welch, Megan McMurray, Pat Coddington. [37] Andy Mitchell, Breezy Mitchell, Ryan Cornutt. [38] Julie Jozwik, Matthew Tevelde.

#1 Inventory Management Profit Strategy:

Stock No More Than Needed to Properly Service Demand

This practice is crucial to profitability. Here’s why:

n Every day that excess inventory is owned, it is either costing interest on borrowed money, which increases expense, or it is preventing the earning of interest on owned money, which decreases income. Whether capital is borrowed or owned, excess inventory is always eroding profitability.

n Let’s say a yard has sales volume of 110,000 BF/month. If brought in all at once by car, the inventory can turn once a month if needs are correctly projected. But if metered in by truck in 27,500 BF increments at one load per week as actually needed, that inventory will turn 4 times per month – and tie up only 1/4 as much cash.

n Now suppose this yard pays for the car 10 days after shipment and delivery takes 3 weeks. It paid for 4 times the inventory it needed, and won’t see any of it for 11 more days. But if it buys by truck with quick delivery, every stick could be sold before the invoice even comes due. In fact, three truckloads could be sold this way before the car could even have arrived, again using only 1/4 the capital.

n This strategy dependably multiplies turns and GMROI, dramatically improves cashflow, cuts carrying costs and frees up both capital and space for more profitable use. Margins are maintained through market moves and downside risk is significantly reduced because the inventory is turning faster than price changes can affect its value. There’s less inventory to count, and stock stays fresher, too.

BIG WINNERS AT BMSA EXPO

Building Material Suppliers Association enlisted Kevin Hancock, CEO of Hancock Lumber, Casco, Me., to speak on dispersing power in an era of shared leadership during its annual Learning Exchange & LBM Expo Feb. 15-16 in Hickory, N.C:

Other speakers included consultant/retired LMC VP of finance & tech Dave Gonze, on important financial benchmarks to watch in your business, and sales expert Brian McCauley.

Appointed by the executive committee were associate committee chairman Daniel Baatz, Metrie; education committee chairman Jay Dickens, The Lester Group; and board member Mike Henry, Henry Lumber Co., Marion, Oh.

Big winners at the show were:

• Dealer of the Year Award: Terry Lahoski, Terry Lumber, Peninsula, Oh.

• Supplier of the Year Award: Crumpler Plastic Pipe, Roseboro, N.C.

• Best Booth Award: Fortress Wood Products, Martinsville, Va.

• $4,000 Grand Prizes: Rob Powell, Smith Phillips, Winston Salem, N.C., and Hunter Edwards, Lamberth Building Supply, White Stone, Va.

• Yard & Delivery/Estimating Series Class Prizes: George Dixon, Barry Home Center, Abingdon, Va. ($200); Deshawn Haliburton, Richards Building Supply, Winston Salem, N.C. ($200); Owen Whitlock, Berlin G. Myers Lumber, Summerville, S.C. ($50); and Steve Mitchell, Siewers Lumber & Millwork, Richmond, Va. ($50).

DEALER OF THE YEAR [1] Terry Lahoski, Terry Lumber, Peninsula, Oh., with BMSA chariman Danny Wright. [2] Supplier of the Year Crumpler Plastic Pipe’s Jeff Bullock, Jonathan Mathias, Barry Litchfield. [3] David Anderson, Bobby Gusler. [4] Best Booth Award winner Fortress Wood Products’ Owen Scott, Tim

Parker, Jenny Brawley, Zach Crews, Robert Clarke. [5] Matt Black, David Morris. [6] Cliff Allen, Don Hunter, Scott Stamper. [6] Jason Tindell, Ike Padgett, Dave Hunt, Clint Taylor. [7] Beth & Grant Roberts. [8] Mark Smith, Freddy Siewers.

[10] Mike Elmore, Jeremy Good. [11] Tom Kirk. (Photos by BMSA)

11

Read grade rules, span details, and get new promotional ideas for your business.

Sample the variety and versatility of eastern white pine.

Reach more customers by getting listed on NELMA’s Retailer Directory.

Listen to and watch product installation and comparison videos, plus grade representations.

Plastic, concrete or pine? Learn why consumers prefer natural over fabricated.

Use all your senses. Visit nelma.org for all things eastern white pine, spruce-pine-fir and other softwood species grown in the Northeast and Great Lakes region.

Ever wonder what the difference between SPF and SPFs stamped lumber is? Scan here to see. Simply open the camera on your smartphone or tablet, and hold it over this image.

@NortheasternLumberMfg

@WoodInspiration

@wood_inspiration1933

Listings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend.

Composite Panel Association – April 16-19, spring meeting, Westin La Paloma, Tucson, Az.; www.compositepanel.org.

Montreal Wood Convention – April 18-20, Fairmont Queen Elizabeth, Montreal, P.Q.; www.montrealwoodconvention.com.

Coverings – April 18-21, Orlando, Fl.; www.coverings.com.

Associated Building Material Distributors – April 20-23, annual meeting, Omni Championsgate, Orlando, Fl.; www.abmda.com.

National Hardwood Lumber Association – April 24-26, intro to hardwood grading course, Memphis, Tn.; www.nhla.com.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – April 24-28, Executive Management Institute, Chicago, Il.; www.nawla.org.

Woodworking Industry Conference – April 25-28, Hotel Del Coronado, San Diego, Ca.; www.woodworkingindustryconference.com.

Virginia Forestry Summmit – April 26-28, Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg, Va.; www.forestrysummit.com.

Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association – April 29May 3, Grand Hyatt, Nashville, Tn.; www.mheda.org.

LBM Advantage – April 30-May 3, NextGen Leadership Conference, Omni Charlotte Hotel, Charlotte, N.C.; www.lbmadvantage.com.

Transload Distribution Association – May 1-4, annual conference, Las Vegas, Nv.; www.tdana.com.

National Wood Flooring Expo – May 2-4, Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, Wi.; www.nwfaexpo.org.

Appalachian Lumbermen’s Club – May 4-7, annual beach meeting, Avista Resort, North Myrtle Beach, S.C.; www.lumberclub.org.

International Hardware Fair Italy – May 5-6, Fiera di Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy; www.hardwarefair-italy.com.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – May 8-11, Wood Basics Course, Vancouver, B.C.; www.nawla.org.

Orgill – May 8-21, summer online buying event; www.orgill.com.

SFI – May 13-19, annual conference, Vancouver, B.C.; www.forest.org.

LIGNA – May 15-19, woodworking fair, Hannover Fairground, Hannover, Germany; www.ligna.de.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – May 17, Southeast regional meeting, Birmingham, Al.; www.nawla.org.

Western Red Cedar Lumber Association – May 17-19, Cedar Summit, Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort, Victoria, B.C.; www.realcedar.com.

Northeastern Forest Products Equipment Expo – May 19-20, Cross Insurance Center, Bangor, Me.; www.northernlogger.com.

Decorative Hardwoods Assn. – May 24-26, annual meeting, Wyndham Grand, Clearwater Beach, Fl.; www.decorativehardwoods.org.

North American Rail Shippers Association – May 24-26, annual meeting, Chicago, Il.; www.railshippers.com.

Forest Products Society – June 6-8, international conference, Morgantown, W.V.; www.fpsconference.org.

Forest Economic Advisors – June 7-8, Global Softwood Log & Lumber Conference, Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver, B.C.; www.getfea.com.

Florida Building Material Alliance – June 7-9, summer conference, Mission Inn Resort & Club, Howey-in-the-Hills, Fl.; www.fbma.org.

National Lawn & Garden Show – June 13-14, Crowne Plaza, Chicago, Il.; www.nlgshow.com.

World Conference on Timber Engineering – June 19-22, Oslo, Norway; www.wcte2023.org.

Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Association – June 22-25, convention & trade show, Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Biloxi, Ms.; www.mlmalumber.com.

CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE

Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word minimum). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy/headline, $9 per line. Border, $9. Column inch rate: $65 per inch. Deadline: 10th of the previous month. Questions? Call (714) 486-2735.

WANTED TO BUY WANTED TO BUY

Darrell Mackey “Buddy” Bean, 77, owner and president of Hatfield Lumber, Hatfield, Ar., died March 9.

Michael R. “Mike” Durand, 67, co-founder and owner of Coventry Lumber, Coventry, R.I., died Feb. 22.

Mike was just 8 years old when he began working in his uncle and grandfather’s shop, B & B Cabinet. While studying carpentry in high school, he also worked framing homes until graduating in 1974. He then went on to work for his late uncle Lionel Beauchaine at Coventry Millwork, where he helped launch Coventry Lumber in 1978. He bought both businesses from his uncle in 1985, and sold Coventry Lumber in 2013. Mike also owned Eagle Lumber Co., Warwick, R.I.

Raymond Andy Page, 85, former co-owner of Page Builders Supply Co., Ocean Springs, Ms., died Jan. 29.

He attended the University of Southern Mississippi before becoming a partner in the family business, helping operate it until it closed.

Larry Ray VanCise, 70, owner of VanCise Lumber Co., Centerville, Pa., died of cancer March 9.

Before operating his own lumberyard, Larry worked for Eager Beaver Lumber Co., True Temper, Rex Carpenter Packing Co., and Tanner Lumber.

James Lester “Jim” Tanner, 68, co-owner of Tanner Lumber Co., Elkins, W.V., passed away March 9.

Growing up, Jim worked with both his parents in a family-owned sawmill business. While attending college in the mid-1970s, he operated Tanner Lumber. He closed the company to

FLURRY OF INTEREST IN FRTW

(Continued from page 22)

The courses are available on two online education platforms, AEC Daily and Architectural Record’s Continuing Education Center. Each course offers a one-hour continuing education credit, or CEU, from as many as 25 different organizations, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA), National Assn. of Home Builders (NAHB) and the International Code Council (ICC).

Some 655 visitors downloaded and took the AEC Daily course for CEU credits in 2022. The Architectural Record version of the course, which went online in April 2022, recorded 549 downloads for the year. Nearly half of the Architectural Record downloads came in December alone.

Both courses provide an overview of fire-retardant-treated wood, including its history, the treating process, the types of retardants available and the code requirements

work for Cydon Lumber Co. and learn all facets of the lumber business.

In 1984, Jim and his wife, Helen, relaunched Tanner Lumber Co. In 1988, they purchased Herman Lumber Co., Portage, Pa., and added Tanner Lumber yards in Wilmore, Pa., in 1989 and in Norton, W.V., in 1998.

for using fire retardant wood in construction.

The increased interest has brought out promoters of field applied fire retardant coatings for wood already in place. However, such products are not approved for use in the building code.

The International Building Code has specific language on what is allowed for fire retardant wood. The code defines fire-retardant-treated wood as “wood products impregnated with chemicals by a pressure process.” It further states: “The use of paints, coating, stains or other surface treatments are not an approved method of protection as required.”

For more detailed information on fire-retardant-treated wood, go online to www.FireResistantWood. org. The site includes links to the top fire retardant manufacturers for pressure treating, as well as a list of treaters offering these products. BP

– Butch Bernhardt is deputy director of the Western Wood Preservers Institute (wwpinstitute.org).

engineered wood product on the market 3000Fb-300Fv-2.1E installation - 3 1/2” and 5 1/2” Timber wood framing systems Initiative (SFI®) Certified resistance superior strength MSR Lumber high-strength solution for structural applications

PLM EXPANDS TO HARDWARE STORES

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Group is launching an innovative insurance product tailored to the unique needs of hardware stores. HardwareXpress provides fast, convenient and comprehensive coverage including property, general liability, auto inland marine, umbrella, employment practices liability, cyber liability, crime, business income, and workers’ compensation.

“With HardwareXpress from PLM, we hope to help our insureds navigate uncertainties with confidence that they have the insurance coverage they need to fit their unique set of risk exposures,” said John K. Smith, President and CEO.

HardwareXpress is designed for business owners with a single location, up to $3 million in total insurable value, up to $2 million in annual sales, and with four autos or fewer under ownership. Workers’ comp coverage is placed by Allied Building Material Agency, PLM’s in-house wholesale brokerage.

FLASHBACK: 1973 IT’S A PEOPLE BUSINESS

FIFTY YEARS ago this month, Otto H. Grigg, managing director of the Pacific Southwest Hardware Association, took to the pages of BPD sister publication The Merchant Magazine to share a timeless reminder of the secret to success in our industry: its people.

In the April 1973 issue, Grigg wrote:

“Every day I am reminded that although our members are labeled as being in the hardware business—actually we are all in the people business.

If a sale is missed, probably it isn’t the product that is at fault, it is the salesman. If a shipment is late or short, it is the order filler or the shipping clerk or the transportation employee. If a machine breaks down, probably it isn’t the machine that is at fault, it is the people who fabricated or assembled the machine. If a warranty is vague or inadequate, it isn’t the warranty that is at fault, it is the people who set the warranty terms.

It is a people business. People are at the root of every success or failure, every victory or defeat. People are the producers and people are the consumers. In view of this, it is unfortunate that we spend so much time on products and mechanical things in our business and so little time on people—especially our employees.

Andrew Carnegie is quoted as saying that he could lose all of his money and all of his mills and factories, but if he kept his people, he would soon regain his wealth. He knew the value of loyal, industrious, enthusiastic employees.

1972 closed as one of the most profitable years in the history of this industry. 1973 appears to have the potential for even greater success and profit. As we start into this new horizon, spend some thinking and planning on how you are going to handle your most important asset— the people that make up your staff.

If you have an employee who is doing a poor job, ask yourself who hired him and who trained him and who pays him. You did—so is he doing a poor job—or are you?

• Do you tell your employees what you expect of them? Do you ever actually tell them or put it in writing what you want them to do? Think about that. Do you ever tell them what you expect of them?

• Do you meet with your employees periodically and tell them what your business plans are for the next month and next year and five years from now?

• Do you tell them how the business is doing and where they have done well and where improvement must be made and how you propose to do it?

• Do you keep them informed and make them feel that they are an essential part of your business and tell them that their success depends on the success of the business?

• Do you remind them of the benefits they receive in addition to their salary—Social Security, unemployment compensation, health and life insurance, vacation pay, sick leave, coffee breaks, store discounts, and many more?

• Do you tell them in dollars and cents how much these fringe benefits amount to in addition to their salary?

Survey after survey has shown a feeling of belonging, a feeling of being needed and appreciated is a greater incentive to employees than money alone. Do you make them feel they belong and are needed, and appreciated?

If you don’t, you’re missing a great opportunity to cash in. It doesn’t cost much money and it doesn’t take much time for you to communicate these things to your employees, and it will return you rewards of loyalty and enthusiasm and increased sales and profits that money alone cannot buy.

Remember, you are in the people business—and people make your business—they are the key not to, but of success.

Keep Selling!”

The April 1973 front cover of BPD sister publication The Merchant Magazine sp otlighted American Forest Products Corp., San Francisco, Ca., which was acquired by Georgia-Pacific in 1988.

Otto Grigg

It’s simple: when you’re responsible for meeting building codes, you want to slow the spread of flames from the ground up. That’s why D-Blaze fire retardant wood has been the choice of builders from the Sears Tower to the One World Trade Center. It’s so good at its job, you’d think it was installed by firefighters.

TREATEDWOOD.COM/PRODUCTS/D-BLAZE