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Building Products Digest

MAY 2020

THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1982

DECKING & RAILING SPECIAL ISSUE • STRENGTHENING YOUR WORKFORCE • WORDS OF HOPE

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CONTENTS

May 2020 Volume 39 n Number 5

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10 Features

35 NAWLA SPECIAL SECTION

10 FEATURE STORY

ON HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR ENTIRE WORKFORCE, FROM NEW HIRE TO

Departments

INFILL OPTIONS FOR EXTERIOR RAILINGS: COMPARING CABLE, GLASS, BAR, MESH

14 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

WHY THE SUBSTRUCTURE IS THE MOST CRITICAL PART OF ANY DECK

SEASONED VET ON UP TO TOP EXEC

16 MARGIN BUILDERS BPD

Building Products Digest

USE THIS AGE-OLD TOOL TO SELL HARDWOOD DECKING

MAY 2020

THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1982

DECKING & RAILING SPECIAL ISSUE • STRENGTHENING YOUR WORKFORCE • WORDS OF HOPE

REDWOOD

18 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

IDAHO DEALER STAYS PROACTIVE

24 TRANSFORMING TEAMS

WHAT TO DO WHEN COVID-19 COMES TO YOUR WORKPLACE

Composite can’t compare. Like the foods we buy, when it comes to decking, we want natural and real.

Call us at 707.894.4241 Visit us at buyRedwood.com

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32 THINKING AHEAD

PINING FOR A PURPOSE

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8 ACROSS THE BOARD 20 OLSEN ON SALES 22 SELLING WITH KAHLE 26 LUMBER 411 50 MOVERS & SHAKERS 52 NEW PRODUCTS 60 IN MEMORIAM 60 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 61 ADVERTISERS INDEX 62 FLASHBACK

56 WORDS OF HOPE

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BUILDING PRODUCTS DIGEST is published monthly at 151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. E200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, (714) 486-2735, 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®2020 by 526 Media Group, Inc. Cover and entire contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission. All Rights Reserved. BPD reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter, and assumes no liability for materials furnished to it. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or persons quoted and not necessarily those of 526 Media Group, Inc. Articles in this magazine are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial, or business management advice.

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ACROSS the Board By Patrick Adams

A revaluation of life F or the first time in my publishing career, things are moving so quickly that I need to start every article destined for print with “as of this date....” I’ve grown old enough now that I can say that life moves much quicker than it used to and with two young children, the pace is almost immeasurable. But almost overnight it seems, the entire planet has changed. For the first time in human history, it may be possible that every person on Earth is thinking the same thing. When will it end? Will I catch it and if so will I die? Can I keep my family safe? Will we have a business or job when this is over? Will toilet paper ever come back into stock? This weekend I was at home with my family and it struck me that this was not unique. All across the world, people were home with their families. A good friend who is a local police officer had commented to me that “crime is almost non-existent right now.” Is it that even the bad guys are afraid of catching the virus or is it more that everyone is more focused on family, safety and getting through this? As humans, we are closer to universal now than perhaps any time since the dawn of man. Yes, there is still huge disparity in standards of living, healthcare and access to basic means. But for the first time in a long time, Americans, and the world are sitting down to the dinner table every night as a family and giving thanks for “basic” things like health, food and loved ones. Entire families are going for walks and playing in the yard. Rather than exotic birthday parties that cost thousands, kids are getting what can be made at home and celebrating with close family. Joy now takes form as you walk into a grocery store and find milk and eggs for your family. Through this process, we are rediscovering what truly matters to us. I saw something posted the other day that struck me: “In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.” Perhaps this is more akin to a global revaluation of life as it was, and what it might be moving forward. The virus will end very soon and all of this will be behind us. But, they say that it takes 30 days to create a new “habit.” I wonder what our new habits will be? Did this time teach us anything about what is truly valuable? Will these new habits stick, or slowly fade away to be replaced by those old things that we once thought were valuable? It’s ironic that just a month or two ago I wrote about how challenging it is for me to teach things like gratitude and being humble to two young children who have never

gone without. Now two months later, they are going without many things they used to do and I’m not sure we’ve ever been this happy as a family. Every night’s dinner prayer weighs heavily with thanks and requests of health, safety and happiness that have taken on a new reality. Uneaten portions of food are saved, and savored as left overs for a future meal. “Friends” are not what’s listed on social media, but rather those who send a text as simple as, “I’m at the store and they have eggs, do you need any?” I am keenly aware of the blessings in my life, before and especially now. I know that if I or my family were sick now, my view would be different. If we had lost our business or healthcare, my perspective would be focused on other things. But, I am thankful in this time that perhaps I have made a revaluation of my life and what truly brings happiness. The virus will end soon. The economic and social impact will also end and this will be behind us. I do hope however that there will be lasting memory of how fragile all of this that we have is, how much we have in common with the world and just how grateful you can be from something as simple as family dinner, and health, and true friends. In the meantime, we are blessed with the support of an amazing industry. We have shifted all of our resources toward serving this industry and each of you through these challenging times. Times like this are not about rate sheets or contracts. Although we are deemed “essential businesses,” none of us have survived as long as we have by taking things lightly. Let us know how we can help you in these times so that we may all celebrate better times together! Take care of yourselves, your family, and your team.

Patrick S. Adams Publisher/President padams@526mediagroup.com

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FEATURE Story By David Koenig

Infill insight A closer look at cable, glass, bar and mesh railings eeting designers’ seemingly unquenchable desire to add style and open up views, deck railing manufacturers are now offering a wide range

of infill options light years beyond the plain wooden balusters of old. Building Products Digest asked experts in the hottest infill categories—

cable, glass, bar and mesh—to share the advantages, intricacies and future potential of each.

Is cable rail most commonly sold in premanufactured panels, as a ready-to-assemble kit that includes rails and cable, or separately as infill? Is it stocked in standard widths/lengths or made to order? Cable railing is primarily sold in kits or assemblies in stockable, predetermined lengths that are typically field-trimmable. It can also be sold with loose fittings and bulk spools of cable for ultimate field flexibility, and made-to-order to meet customer provided specifications and dimensions.

CABLE RAILING Brad Adsit, director of product development, Feeney, Inc.

What’s the major attraction of

cable railing? Cable railing is an attractive, low-profile infill material that lets homeowners enjoy their view with minimal visual disruption. It has a contemporary, streamlined look that complements a wide range of architectural styles, making it a versatile railing option. In addition, it can be very easy

Building Products Digest n

to install, is manufactured from highly durable and recyclable materials, and requires minimal maintenance. What railing materials are typically used for cable railing? Cable railing can be installed in metal frames—including aluminum, steel and stainless steel—or in wood or composite wrapped wood frames.

May 2020

Is cable railing typically installed with special tools or techniques? There are a variety of available cable railing fittings, ranging from very easy to moderately complex to install. Specially designed tension fittings and quick-connect fittings can simplify installation. In general, the most popular cable rail assemblies can be installed with basic carpentry tools. What does the future hold? We believe cable railing is here to stay as an architectural staple in the market, due to its timeless design, elegant appearance, ease of installation, durability and recyclable content, relative to other railing infill options. Homeowners want to be able to optimize their view, and cable railing makes that possible in a functional, aesthetically pleasing way.

•

Building-Products.com

to install, and that is simply not the case. After most installations, customers typically remark how much easier the glass is to install than originally anticipated. If the project is well planned and the measurements are accurate, installing glass railing is easier than building the deck itself. If you can do trim work, you can install glass railing. A miter saw, a level, and an impact driver are typically all the tools needed. A good manufacturer will supply detailed installation instructions in both video and written formats.

GLASS RAILING TJ Jacobs, glass project manager, Viewrail

hat’s the major attraction of glass railing? Glass provides a solid and secure barrier for decks and railings that most infill does not. Glass, after all, is transparent, and the attachment devices are small and discreet, leaving a solid wall of protection and an unobstructed view.

owner define the type of glass and the selection of fastening system. Are they typically installed with special tools or techniques? There seems to be a stigma that glass is especially difficult or tricky

What does the future hold for exterior glass railings? In fact, residential glass railing is just now starting to accelerate. Metal railings have been considered the “modern railing” for the past five to 10 years. The market is just now becoming aware of glass railing as a viable option. That being said, we are seeing a large increase in demand for our frame-less glass railing. These railing systems provide the cleanest view, and often the easiest installation.

•

What railing materials are combined with the glass panels? The most common structural metals are stainless steel or aluminum, but we also find that some people prefer wood posts. For the panels themselves, 1/2” tempered or 9/16” laminated glass is typical. The main drivers are the clients’ aesthetic value and the existing condition of the deck. Are glass panels frequently stocked in standard widths or are they always made to order? The vast majority of glass panels are “made to order” primarily because scoring and cutting glass on a jobsite is not an easy task. It’s critical that each glass panel is cut to the precise size required because, unlike wood or cable or stainless steel rod infill materials, there’s very limited flexibility on the jobsite. Is special glass or treatment required? In short, no. Local building codes and the preference of the building Building-Products.com

BAR RAILING Kevin Harris, director-sales & marketing, AGS Stainless

hat’s the major attraction of bar railing? Today, many homeowners are looking to minimize obstruction of the area

surrounding their deck. Bar rail is the perfect choice to achieve that goal. Historically, the most common

May 2020

(Continued on next page) n

Building Products Digest n

material used for railing is wood, and the most common infill material has been wood pickets, which can be rather hard to see through. Using glass panels for the railing infill is a popular choice because it will open up the view from your deck; however, glass traditionally requires a significant amount of cleaning to keep it looking good. Cable and bar rail offer the homeowner a nice alternative to glass rail, and they have really grown in popularity. While both cable and bar rail minimize obstruction of the surrounding area, bar rail is typically viewed as a more elegant look than cable. With bar rail, the homeowner can also eliminate the periodic re-tensioning of the runs that cable rail systems require.

Is bar railing available as both in-ﬁll kits and as premanufactured panels? Are they frequently stocked in standard widths or are they more often made to order? A bar rail system for your home can be purchased online, bought from a retailer, or they can be custom-designed for your home and then fabricated by a metal fabricator who’s local to you or prefabricated (all cutting and welding is done offsite) by a national railing manufacturer. Depending on the manufacturer you choose, this railing style is available in panels or as individual system components. They are typically stocked in standard widths, but custom sizing is available.

What materials are typically used to produce the bars? The most common materials used for bar rail are carbon steel (usually painted or galvanized), aluminum (usually powder-coated), and stainless steel (typically a brushed, satin finish).

Is bar railing typically installed with special tools or techniques? Where bar rail is sold as a kit you may choose to handle the installation yourself. For example, with kits you will typically need to cut some of the system components to the correct

length. The tools you may need would be: A drill, drill bit, combination wrench, level, box knife, measuring tape, hex nut driver, impact wrench, painters tape and an L-wrench. If you choose to have your bar rail system custom-designed and produced by a local metal fabricator, the fabricator will handle the installation. If you choose to have your bar rail system custom-designed and then prefabricated, the manufacturer will ship the railing to you ready-to-be-installed with just a few simple hand tools. What does the future hold for bar railing? The future for bar rail is bright. Principia Consulting predicts that the market for deck and railing products will continue to grow as consumers have shown an increased appetite for higher-end deck and railing products. Bar rail offers consumers a clean, beautiful look that is more elegant than cable and requires less ongoing maintenance.

•

Wire mesh is typically welded or woven steel wire; however, it can also be produced using stainless steel and aluminum. Are mesh railing panels frequently stocked in standard widths or are they more often made to order? Pre-designed panels are typically made in stock at local lumberyards in conventional railing sizes 3x6 and 3x8. Agricultural panels which are only galvanized are normally 5x16 and require a tremendous amount of work to have them project ready

MESH RAILING Craig Smalley, product specialist, Wild Hog Railing

hat’s the major attraction of mesh railing? Number one, visibility. Consumers want to enjoy their view, and not have it obstructed by bulky balusters. Number two, cost. Because of the relatively low linear foot cost of wire

Building Products Digest n

mesh and the ease of install, it has become the go-to infill product What materials are typically used to produce the mesh and what type of railing materials do they typically ﬁll?

May 2020

Are the panels typically installed with special tools or techniques? What’s great about wire mesh panels is the amount of customization and creativity that can be used in using the panel. For railing the most typical install is picture framing the panel in place or using an aluminum track system. What does the future hold for metal mesh railings? I think the future is really exciting for wire mesh. It continues to be a hot design item and because of its versatility on all types of applications, I see wire mesh having a longer life cycle than other railing products.

Building-Products.com

PRODUCT Spotlight By ThinkWood

Why the substructure is the most critical part of any deck Posts are then anchored into the concrete to provide a solid, strong structure on which you can build your deck. Ledger boards are sturdy pieces of lumber that are used to attach the deck to the frame of the house. These boards must be attached to a solid structure. Some structures to avoid are brick veneers, overhangs, chimneys or bay windows. Joists are pieces of wood that are used to support the framework of the deck as well. A general rule of thumb: the larger the deck, the larger the joists.

2. What makes for a sound substructure?

PRESSURE TREATED wood is the typical choice for the often overlooked but most important elements of any deck: the footings, posts, ledger boards, and joists. (Photos by Think Wood)

hen most people think of a deck, they often picture the exterior design and visible elements—railings, floor boards, and aesthetics of natural wood. But, the most important part of any deck is the part that isn’t seen: its substructure. A deck’s substructure provides the framework that holds up the deck. It includes everything beneath the floorboards and railings that keeps a deck strong and safe. To help you understand just how critical the substructure is, some common questions are addressed below.

1. What are the components of a deck substructure? A deck’s substructure is made up of footings, posts, ledger boards and joists. Footings provide the foundation for the deck. To build the footing, you start by pouring concrete deep enough into the ground that it goes below the frost line (the maximum depth of ground below which soil does not freeze in winter).

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May 2020

There are a few critical items to keep in mind when building a deck substructure. Firstly, builders should always make sure they are following their local building codes. That’ll ensure they do things like make sure the footings are deep enough into the ground to provide sufficient support and that the posts on top of the footings are spaced out correctly. Typically, posts are about 6 feet apart, but it’s also worth checking with the American Wood Council DCA6 guidelines, because everyone’s deck is different. Depending on the area, builders can take extra precautions against water damage by applying an ice and water shield product that will protect the timbers from moisture, water or ice damage. Flashing, the metal guard that directs water away from sensitive areas, will help protect the deck from water damage as well.

3. What type of wood is needed to build a substructure? Pressure treated lumber is best for the substructure. Make sure to use the correct category of treated lumber— it’s got to be rated for ground contact. Learn about the proper use categories at www.awpa.com. According to the North American Retail Hardware Association, pressure treated lumber is the go-to choice for your deck substructure, and what contractors overwhelmingly use. This is due to its load-bearing strength and affordability. Building-Products.com

A few ﬁnal tips for your deck building customers

Deck builders should keep these things in mind: • When it comes to joists, the

WHAT’S UNDERNEATH the deck counts just as much as what’s on top.

Building-Products.com

bigger, the better. So suggest a size up if it is in their budget. If a span table or calculator shows they need 2x8 joists, perhaps offer 2x10. • Install ledger boards with structural screws rather than nailing them to the house. This is a common mistake among DIY builders. Nails will not offer the support a deck needs, so they must invest in screws with high torque and strength. • Get a building permit. In doing so, they’ll be forced to go through the same process as a professional builder and will therefore have to get all the details right before building your deck’s framework. • When in doubt, ask a professional. Even homeowners who consider themselves DIY gurus should

not hesitate to ask a professional contractor’s advice, as it will help in the end. Since it’s difficult to rebuild the substructure once it is constructed, build it correctly the first time around. While this may sound like a daunting task, so long as they take into account the AWC DCA6 guidelines, their local building codes, and ask a pro when necessary—they’ll have all the right tools in their toolbox, so to speak! – Think Wood promotes the economic, environmental and societal benefits of using softwood lumber in commercial, community and non-residential building applications (www.thinkwood.com). The program is primarily funded by the Softwood Lumber Board.

May 2020

Building Products Digest n

MARGIN Builders By David Koenig

Hard Test

Eastern White Pine Redwood

Building Products Digest n

Janka Hardness Scale

Incense Cedar Hemlock Cypress Chestnut Alaskan Yellow Cedar Red Alder Port Orford Cedar

uiding customers to the right wood decking depends on what they place the greatest priority on— durability, price, aesthetics or ease of installation. You can use a centuryold test as a tool to tell (and sell) the difference. The Janka Hardness Scale is commonly used in the hardwood flooring industry to measure species’ density to determine which are best suited for use as flooring. It can be equally handy for decking. Invented by Austrian researcher Gabriel Janka in 1906, the Janka method of measuring hardness starts with embedding a small steel ball into wood, until the ball reaches halfway of its 0.444” diameter, noting the poundsforce (lbf) required. For example, walnut has a Janka rating of 1010, meaning it took 1,010 lbs. of force to embed the steel ball halfway into the sample piece of walnut. The higher the Janka rating, the denser the wood and, therefore, the more dent-, scratch- and wearresistant it will be. In cases where wear resistance is most important, such as for commercial boardwalks, suggest a high-density species like ipe. Keep in mind, however, that extreme hardness won’t appeal to every deck buyer and deck builder. In fact, sometimes high density is a negative selling point, since higher Janka-rated species are typically more difficult to nail, screw, sand and saw. Some of the most common wood species used for decking—southern pine, Douglas fir, and western red cedar—all rate low on the Janka scale, but are easy to work with. Despite its advanced age, the Janka scale remains a valuable sales tool.

350 380 450 470 500 510 540 580 590 590 590 660 690 770 800 870 910 950 995 1000 1010 1136 1180 1260 1290 1300 1320 1360 1380 1450 1510 1575 1630 1650 1700 1780 1820 1820 1840 1910 1940 1980 2160 2345

Western Red Cedar

Use the Janka Scale to sell hardwood decking

Janka Hardness Rating

Decking Species

Larch Douglas Fir Shortleaf SYP Sycamore Honduran Mahogany Longleaf SYP Paper Birch Black Cherry Sakura Teak Black Walnut Cocobolo Carbonized Bamboo Yellow Birch Red Oak (Northern) American Beech White Ash White Oak Natural Bamboo Hard/Sugar Maple Sapele/Sapelli Zebrawood Wenge Garapa Locust Rosewood Hickory Pecan Merbau Jarrah Cameron Bubinga Tigerwood Mesquite Brazilian Cherry/Jatoba Brazilian Mahogany Bloodwood Angelim Pedra Brazilian Redwood

2690 2697 2900 3040 3190 3540 3684

Cumaru/Brazilian Teak Ipe/Brazilian Walnut Janka Hardness Scale

May 2020

0 Softest

1000

2000

3000

4000 Hardest

Building-Products.com

COMPETITIVE Intelligence By Carla Waldemar

Proactive by choice his is an “If you build it…” story. Select Source, of Kimberly, Id. (pop. 3,000), has realized a double-digit gain in sales every single year since it debuted in 2009. (And recession-battered 2009, as the owners remind us, was not an auspicious year to launch a business.) Give two guys a lot of credit, then. First, Lance Godfrey, a painter and son of a painter who’d always wanted to own a hardware/home improvement store, so he built one from scratch in Kimberly, which had been without one since a former outfit went out of business in the early 2000s. Second, Lance’s young son, Morgan, who joined his dad early on in the enterprise (sans a resume in the industry, just like his father) and by brains and brawn had earned the title of retail manager by 2016. Select Source’s contractor customers represent close to 70% of its sales in Kimberly, which serves as a bedroom community to rapidly-growing Twin Falls, Id. Lance foresaw a future in supplying these pros with drywall and rolled an operation in Twin Falls into his new store. Good move: “We do sell a lot of drywall for the town’s new homes,” his son reports. The company also added a line of synthetic stucco, after Lance, the former painter, got a call from Total Wall (just as Sherwin Williams got rid of its line of the product), asking if he’d consider becoming the area’s new stucco rep. “Our drywall line was doing well, but the new stucco line even eclipsed the drywall sales,” Morgan testifies. (The two niches represent over half of Select Source’s revenue.) “Stucco,” explains Morgan, “is a very unique avenue. It requires a lot of attention to detail—just like matching paint

IDAHO DEALER actively seeks to find out from its customers what else it can supply and how it can do its job better.

Building Products Digest n

May 2020

colors. And consistency. So many of our customers were doing it incorrectly that we created a showroom for them, showcasing colors and textures. I made a wall of how-to’s for doors, windows and rooflines, showing what they were supposed to do.” Nonetheless, those double-digit sales hikes have never been a cakewalk. Morgan’s biggest frustration is that the town’s support has been gradual, he reports. The doors have been open for 10 years, but he still hears “I never knew you were here!” Word of mouth is starting to change that, plus marketing by fliers in the mail. “People are finally recognizing that we’re a good company; we’re now getting repeat retail customers. And,” as Morgan emphasizes, “we have products in stock for them today, rather than having to wait for an Amazon delivery.” Expansion was key. “We remodeled in 2017 and went from 9,000 sq. ft. to 12,000 sq. ft. by opening a hole in the wall. It allowed us to expand some categories and offer more power tools. Now we’re looking at opening a warehouse.” Sales are way up, but Morgan’s not one to nap on the job. “To keep up, you’ve got to add new products. Or not,” he adds. “Maybe shrink. Get rid of what doesn’t sell, and expand good departments with yet more product, better selection, things the community expects. For instance, in drywall, we carry everything you’d ever want. But— fireplaces? Maybe not. You’ve got to pick and choose. We’re constantly doing what’s right. “You’ve got to be proactive, not reactive in this business. Reactive is a bad thing (and what we ourselves were doing when I first came on). Now, we prepare for the future—have enough products so we don’t get yelled at.” Why do contractors like dealing with Select Source? “Well, we focus really hard on taking care of them, giving excellent service (though our prices may not be the best). We provide the consistency they’re looking for—with stucco, for instance, you can’t have a bucket of one color, the next a little different color and the next, different again. Plus, we offer organization: All their orders from past years are saved so they can match the color if they need to. “The drywall guys like us for the same reason: consistency. And we’re transparent with our prices; they know where they’re at. We carry everything they need: You can come in for an oddball item and we’ve got it. One-stop shopping.” Building-Products.com

FATHER-AND-SON co-owners Morgan and Lance Godfrey built their business from scratch.

Walk-ins are just as well-served. For instance? “A farmer needs his tractor fixed, and we’re on top of it: We get him in and out. We let them know that they’re our top priority.” Employees are top priority, too. But that wasn’t always the situation. Turnover was high. Hiring was haphazard. “When I first starting here,” Morgan looks back, “we’d just hire anybody and then leave it to them to figure things out. We needed to address this, and I worked hard at it. I wrote a policy handbook so they’d know what to expect, and I initiated employee training, which included having a new hire connect with a veteran staffer to gain skills. I started monthly employee meetings, which include a training segment.” Result: sales and satisfaction both rocketed. “Nowadays, the whole crew gets along; there’s not a lot of pressure. They work really well together. And we’re not like some businesses where the owner never shows up; the guys see me all over the place. I scrub the bathroom floor, same as them. “What I look for in a hire are two things. One, personality, enthusiasm. Working good with my group. A team player. And two, they’ve also got to fit on my bus. For instance, I’ve already got good color matchers, good eyes, attention to detail, so I’m not hiring for that. But I do need a good accountant when ours retires. I used to hire anybody breathing, but now I let them know what I’m looking for, and don’t hire him if there’s not a slot for him in the business. The last thing you need,” he cautions, “is someone without a purpose.” Without a purpose? Morgan would never occupy that niche, not in a million years. “Hardware is so awesome!” he declares. “I work in one of the best industries in the world! I love the opportunity to communicate with people, with our contractors—the same 40, 50 guys. You chat, you grow relationships. You talk about problems. And with the DIYer, you’ve got a wonderful diversity. It’s fun to fix their problems and weird requests. It’s fun, also, to figure out improvements and new ways to do things—like lighting selections, where the market’s changing and you need to stay on top of it. Building-Products.com

“At the end of the day, it’s all about my employees,” Morgan is convinced. “I know that for a fact, that this is not a one-man show. I delegate—and my folks are good at [stepping up].” Morgan was honored this past year as one of the North American Retail Hardware Association’s Young Retailers of the Year, which only served to reinforce his passion. “Everyone involved was so sharing, so willing to help. If, for instance, you talked about working on an employee manual, they’d say, ‘Here! Take mine!’ Or if I mentioned ‘I’m doing this….,’ they’d pitch in with ‘Well, have you also thought about this? Lemme help you.’” Morgan walks that kind of talk all around town in Kimberly. “We help our fellow businesses because I think I live in the best community on earth, and I want to do anything I can to make it better.” He joined the Kimberly Business Owners Association and took over coordination of members’ advertising to render it more cost-effective. He also advocated its gift certificate program to boost local shipping. Does this dynamo ever take time off from work? Well, sure. He has a hobby: “I visit other stores all the time! And I’m constantly evaluating, ‘Are they pro-active or re-active?’” Easy to guess where his sympathies lie. Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net

May 2020

Building Products Digest n

OLSEN on Sales By James Olsen

Top-down selling n every relationship there is a “goer” and a “stopper.” If you are in a relationship you know who you are. There is always the person who is saying, “Let’s go for it!” and the other who is saying, “Let’s think about it.” In sales, we are the “goer.” We the sellers are the Yang in our Yin-Yang relationship with our customers. For some of us, this is natural, for others we will have to push ourselves to fulfill this role. Most sellers have only a vague idea how much their customers are buying. Master Sellers find out by asking! Once we find out how much our customers are buying, we need to promote to their maximum need. Many sellers are merely “selling” their accounts. They are taking what the account gives them. The Master Seller’s goal is to dominate (read: sell the most to, if not all they buy to) their accounts. We want to turn our accounts into “bad, no buy” accounts for other sellers. Every time our competitors call, OUR account says, “Sorry, don’t need anything right now.” This is the ultimate competitive advantage. Top-down selling is the way to achieve this goal.

Top-Down Selling

We know our customer is buying ten trucks of studs per month. Whether they buy from us on each call or not, we are talking to them about their inventory turns and those ten trucks of studs on every call. We promote their total upcoming need every time we call them. Many sellers are calling with just one item and only one of that item on each call. The Master Seller calls with the maximum usage on every call. The fallback position from one is zero; the fallback position from 10 is nine, then eight, then seven, etc. Our closing percentage is based on how many times we ask for the order. When we promote the maximum and sell down from there, we give ourselves multiple opportunities to close. Our last sentence will be, “Okay, well let’s at least put on one for insurance.”

Anchoring

In negotiation there is an old adage, “Whoever throws out the first number loses.” This is not true. If the person who throws out the first number throws out a number that is high enough, with confidence, and moves down from there, he will win. Starting with one and moving up feels like, “Would you like to spend some money, more money, or even more money?” Our customers are emotional beings. How we make them feel during the sales process is the difference between Master Sellers and the rest. Anchoring a higher number, whether it is price or volume, is the way to get our customers to commit to more.

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May 2020

The sales process doesn’t start until the customer says no. Most sellers try to give the lowest number up front. They leave themselves with no room to negotiate. They leave no room for the customer to “win” by getting a better deal. Master Sellers want to be high. If the customer takes their first offer, they know they have left money on the table! Master Sellers are comfortable with the negotiation process. They know they can negotiate and win.

Apartment Buildings or Houses?

Selling one or selling 10 takes the same amount of work and expertise. I sold an account for 15 years. For the first five, I promoted one at a time on every call. I sold the account one at a time. For the next five years I promoted two to five at a time. I sold two to five. For the last five years I promoted blocks of 20 on every call. Did I sell the account 20 on every call? No, but I did sell blocks of 20 every four to six weeks. I still got the onesy-twosy, threesy-fivesy orders, but the blocks of 20 turned them into my best account. Did the account change? No. My approach changed. When I started promoting volume, they started buying volume. Our accounts can’t and won’t do our job for us. We are the Yang. They are taking what we are promoting to them. We find out how much our accounts can and will buy, and promote the maximum volume to them on every call. James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572 james@realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com

SELLING WITH Kahle By Dave Kahle

Sales managers’ most common mistake n most organizations, sales managers are the essential bridge between the company’s sales goals and the realization of those goals. The gritty day-to-day interactions between the salespeople and their customers are frequently filtered through the perspective of the sales manager on their way up the ladder. The aspirations and strategies of the company’s management must be imprinted by the realism of the sales manager as they come down from above. Sales managers are the conductors who carefully orchestrate the entanglement of the salespeople with management. It’s an incredibly important and difficult job. Unfortunately, it is often the most under-trained job in the entire organization. Instead of providing information on the best practices and processes of the job, most companies hope their sales managers will have learned enough during their days as a field sales person to provide some roadmap as to how to do this job well. Alas, only a small percentage of untrained sales managers ever really figure it out, arriving by trial and error and after hours of study at the best practices of an effective sales manager. The overwhelming majority find themselves caught up in the urgencies of the moment, the tempting details of all the transactions, and the continuing onslaught of crises, and are never able to set in place a systematic blueprint for their success. The net result? Few salespeople are effectively managed. All parties—executive management, sales manager, and salespeople—bounce from one frustration to another. Company objectives are met frequently by happenstance, sales people are not developed to their fullest potential and sales managers lurch from one crisis to another. Certain common mistakes often arise out of this unhealthy situation, chief among them: lack of an organized training and development system. No profession in the world expects the serious practitioners of that profession to figure it out by themselves. Quite the contrary. Every profession has determined some minimal acceptable course of study, and typically has some event which signals the entry into that profession. It is for this reason that teachers, EMTs and ministers are licensed, and why attorneys must pass the bar exam, accountants must pass their certification exam, etc. Unfortunately, that is rarely true of salespeople. In only the leading companies is there some required course of study for entry level salespeople, and some event which signifies the successful completion of that study and their

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May 2020

entry into the profession. To even think this way is so outside of the reality of most sales managers that I can almost hear half of the readers of this article snickering over their coffee. “Some standard for allowing people into the job?” Incredible thought. But if you don’t insist on it, you’ll continue to labor with a hit-or-miss sales force where every hire is ultimately a shot in the dark. No profession in the world expects that, once someone has become qualified to enter the profession, they then no longer need to invest in their own development. And every profession has expectations of the practitioners’ regular need to systematically improve himself or herself. Can you imagine a teacher who never attends an in-service training? A nurse who never invests in continuing development? A minister who never goes back to school? A doctor who never attends a conference? Even if such lackadaisical professionals could keep their jobs, you would not want them to have anything to do with your family. You would never put your health in the hands of a doctor who hadn’t updated himself since med school. You would not want your children taught by the teacher who hadn’t learned anything since graduation. You would never put your lawsuit in the hands of an attorney who had never bothered to keep current. The examples can go on and on. But you get the idea. Professionals who don’t regularly invest in their own development are relegated to the dregs of the market. So, why is it that the overwhelming majority of sales managers do not require regular and systematic involvement in continuous development events for their charges? It may be that they don’t see their salespeople (or themselves) as professionals. Or, it may be that they have never thought about it that way. Regardless of the reason, the reality of this malady is that the quality of the sales force is not nearly what it could be, if only the sales managers required some minimum standard for their entry-level people, and then regular and continuous development of those who were on the inside. The wise sales manager will assemble a system for the education and development of his salespeople. Address this miscue and you’ll be well on your way to outstanding success in sales management. – Dave Kahle is a sales consultant, presenter author of 12 books, including How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime (www. davekahle.com). Building-Products.com

TRANSFORMING Teams By Paige McAllister

What to do when COVID-19 comes to your workplace ith the number of coronavirus cases growing exponentially across the country, most companies can expect to have at least one of their employees diagnosed with COVID-19, if they haven’t already. By establishing and communicating clear expectations and procedures now, you will help your employees know what to do to stay healthy and what to do if someone becomes sick.

If an employee is sick outside of work, require them to stay home. If an employee arrives at work with symptoms, including a fever, send them home immediately. Common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of smell or taste, and/or gastrointestinal issues. Employees with a combination of these symptoms should contact their personal health care provider and, if possible, use the CDC’s Self Checker. Require documentation from the employee’s health care provider whenever possible, including leave time needed and release back to work. If they can get tested, request the results as soon as possible. Advise employees they must stay at home until they are fever-free for 72 hours without medication and at least seven days from the onset of symptoms, and/or until given a release to work by their health care provider.

Q. It is Q: We have an employee whose daughter tested positive for COVID-19. Her daughter is now feeling better and my employee would like to come back to work, but I want to make sure she is not carrying the virus. What do you advise? A. That’s wonderful news that her daughter is fully recovered. That said, your employee could still have acquired COVID-19 and may not be showing symptoms yet. The CDC states that, to be safe, an employee should be quarantined for 14 days from the date of exposure to ensure she isn’t infected and contagious. I would check with your daughter’s doctor to determine the date when she would no longer be contagious. The CDC recommends two negative COVID-19 tests taken no less than 24 hours apart to confirm an individual is no longer contagious. The best bet is to start your employee’s 14 day quarantine from the estimated date that the employee’s daughter was last contagious. If possible, have her work at home in the meantime and wear protective gear (masks, gloves) when in public. As always, keep checking the CDC site as their recommendations are changing as they learn more about the virus. Stay healthy!

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May 2020

Provide employees leave (paid or unpaid) as required under Families First Coronavirus Relief Act, state paid time off and disability laws, and your company policies. If an employee with symptoms and/or having been diagnosed with COVID-19 has worked recently: Notify other employees as soon as you know of a possibility of exposure; do not wait for a confirmed test result, which may never come. Inform employees, especially those who had regular and sustained contact. Advise employees of where the sick employee was and on what date so they can determine their risk of exposure and, if necessary, self-quarantine for 14 days to see if they exhibit symptoms. You must keep the sick employee’s confidentiality, but you can state: “We have been notified that an employee who worked in [our facility/xxx department/etc.] on [date] [has symptoms of/has been diagnosed with/is being tested for] COVID-19. We are taking the proper precautions and will notify you of any updates as they become available. Anyone who displays symptoms and who may have had regular and sustained contact in this area at the same time should contact [title of contact] immediately.” If the sick employee was in the workplace within seven days: Close off areas used by the sick person; open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area for at least 24 hours or as long as possible. Clean and disinfect all areas used by the sick person, such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment like tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote Building-Products.com

controls, and ATM machines. When cleaning an area where a sick employee was: • Wear disposable gloves and gowns for all tasks in the cleaning process, including handling trash. • Gloves and gowns should be removed carefully to avoid contamination of the wearer and the surrounding area. • Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds immediately after removing gloves and after contact with a sick employee. If it has been more than seven days since the sick person visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary, but continue routine cleaning and disinfection. Follow the same protocols if you learn that a sick vendor or customer recently visited your workplace. Practice prevention now to minimize possible spread of germs through contact with sick employees, vendors, and customers later. Encourage employees to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer regularly and to avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth. Observe social distancing, avoiding close contact with other employees, customers, and vendors. • maintain at least 6 feet of distance at all times; • hold meetings in open-door, open-air rooms; • allow employees to work remotely when possible; • provide for staggered schedules or minimize employees in the workplace at the same time; • limit or restrict business travel; • implement video conferencing when possible; • close common areas such as break rooms and lunch rooms; • require employees to eat at their desks, outside or in their vehicles; • limit number of people in the restroom at one time; and • prohibit scheduled or impromptu gatherings or minimize number with a gathered group to allow room for proper distancing. Regularly clean and disinfect surfaces with company-provided products: • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks. Use gloves when cleaning. • If surfaces are dirty, clean them using detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection. Clean soft surfaces such as carpeted floors, rugs, and drapes using soap and water or with cleaners appropriate for use on those surfaces. • Disinfect with an EPA-registered disinfectant or use alcohol-based wipes or sprays containing at least 70% alcohol and dry surface thoroughly. Prohibit unnecessary visitors until further notice. Designate open area for necessary visitors including vendors, delivery people, or customers. Post notifications of procedures to be followed by vendors, customers, visitors, or delivery people.

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Continue to follow guidance provided by the experts at CDC, OSHA and WHO. Paige McAllister, SPHR Affinity HR Group contact@affinityhrgroup.com Building-Products.com

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May 2020

Building Products Digest n

LUMBER 411

A Special Series from Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association

By Jeff Easterling

Sustainability and forestry f you’ve watched a certain Dr. Suess movie, chances are you harbor more than one misconception about the health and well-being of forests in the United States. But be careful what you believe! Let’s take a look at the softwood lumber facts, straight from the USDA. Maine. Well-known as the most forested state, Maine contains an estimated 17.6 million acres of forestland that covers 89% of the state, according to the most recent USDA data from 2016. This total overall acreage hasn’t grown or shrunk much at all since 2011. What’s interesting? Between 2012-2016, lumber mills in Maine produced a whopping total of 3.41 billion bd. ft. of lumber. The overall percentage of forested land hasn’t changed, and the forest and lumber industries are growing. Halfway across the country in Minnesota, the state’s 17.7 million acres of forest land (covering approximately 35% of the state) increased by 1.7%—that’s 755,000 acres—from 2012 to 2017. The forest in Minnesota is growing, while during the same time lumber mills across the state cranked out 702 million bd. ft. of lumber. Heading down south deep into the nation’s wood basket, Georgia—the third largest softwood lumber producing state in the U.S.—has seen its forest land remain relatively constant (as of 2016 USDA data). Georgia’s forest area totaled 24.6 million acres, with areas of large-diameter forest stands increasing. During the 2015-2016 time

THIS USDA FOREST SERVICE image shows the growth of forest land throughout the U.S.

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May 2020

frame, mills in Georgia produced 5.01 billion bd. ft. total. As an FYI, if we translate these production numbers into real market figures: For a 2,000-sq. ft. home, approximately 16,000 bd. ft. of lumber is used. What’s the takeaway? Forested land in the U.S. is increasing or maintaining, while the lumber industry is still going strong. What’s the secret? Strong replanting programs and well-managed forests. Up in Maine, the state’s Healthy Forest Program works to find ways to increase active forest management in partnership with family forest owners. Georgia’s Conservation Reserve Program (combined with other efforts) is responsible for the growth of large-diameter stands, which now make up 41.2% of the forestry land in the state. And following a decline, Minnesota’s healthy forest land has been increasing steadily since the 1970s. Just for fun, let’s dig deeper and see what trees are the most popular in each of the three states. In Minnesota, the forests are mostly aspen/birch and spruce/fir, with oak/hickory coming in a distance third. Two primary groups constitute Maine forest land: maple/beech/birch and spruce/fir. A close third? The white/red/jack pine group. In Georgia, it’s all loblolly pine, all the time, followed by slash pine and then sweetgum. A few of our favorite most-asked questions: Are forests shrinking? No. On average, the forest industry plants 2.5-3 trees annually for each one harvested. In fact, there are more forests in the U.S. today than there were when Thomas Jefferson drank tea at Monticello. Will we ever run out of wood? Not in this lifetime, or that of our children, or even their children’s children. Wood is naturally renewable: it’s not a finite product, and it’s not even close to disappearing. It is the only renewable building material. Bottom line: our forests are growing, expanding and healthy—which is good news to those of us who live among them. So go ahead and print those emails; we’ll grow even more trees. – Jeff Easterling is president of Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association. Reach him at info@nelma.org.

Building-Products.com

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

Vermont Dealers Delay Merger

The proposed sale of four-unit Vermont dealer Allen Lumber Co. to six-unit r.k. Miles Inc. has been postponed 10 months, due to the state’s current stay-at-home order. The deal, signed in January and originally set to close March 31, is being pushed back until the end of November. According to president Joe Miles, state-mandated emergency restrictions on gatherings prevented the training of staff and the upgrading of systems. Allen branches in Barre, Montpelier, St. Johnsbury and Waitsfield, Vt., were supposed to begin operating under the r.k. Miles name effective April 1. Preparations for the transition continue, with the intention of finalizing the deal on or near Nov. 30. Based in Manchester, Vt., r.k. Miles operates four yards in Vermont and two in Massachusetts.

Virus Fells Ohio Lumberyard

Unable to withstand the impact of the coronavirus, Granville Lumber Co., Granville, Oh., permanently closed its doors March 31—days shy of its 70th anniversary. The company, owned since 2013 by Ambassador Enterprises, Fort Wayne, In., had been struggling in recent years due to increased competition from big box stores and a contracting labor pool, but the drop in business due to the pandemic was the “crowning blow.” Staffers were filling back orders into early April, while the owners contemplated how to dispose of remaining inventory and what to do with the property. Some services will be absorbed by sister company Country Metals, Shiloh, Oh. Granville’s GM and former president Dave Rutledge may retire.

Workers Sue After Klausner Shutters U.S. Sawmills

Days after the March 16 closing of its two Southeastern U.S. sawmills, Klausner was hit with a class action sawmill charging employees were not given proper advance notice nor were they paid in full. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Jacksonville, Fl., on behalf of workers at Klausner Lumber One, Live Oak, Fl., and sister mill Klausner Lumber Two, Halifax County, N.C. According to the suit, filed against the two sawmills, Klausner Holdings USA, CEO Leopold Stephan, and CFO Christoph Schaetz, Klausner called

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its foreign management team back to its home base in Austria shortly before the closures. On the Monday that the workers were informed of the shutdown, they allegedly were told that on the following Friday they’d be paid for that full week, as well as for the previous week. They claim they were subsequently paid for neither. The suit also alleges Klausner failed to provide the legally required 60 days advance notice of their termination. First announced in 2012, the Florida mill opened in 2014, the North Carolina facility in 2018.

SC Warehouse Burns Down

Pawleys Island Lumber, Pawleys Island, S.C., lost a 7,300-sq. ft. millwork warehouse, a truck, and two forklifts in an early morning fire April 16. The three-alarm blaze started shortly before 4 a.m. the building that was the original home of the lumber company. Firefighters were able to prevent it from spreading to a nearby lumber shed and the main building. The cause is under investigation.

Roxboro Mill Drops I-Joists

Boise Cascade has permanently curtailed its I-joist production facility in Roxboro, N.C., although inventory shipment could extend into the fall. “The I-line team has worked diligently and safely every day. However, costs at Roxboro are not where they need to be in comparison to other Boise Cascade mills. That fact, in conjunction with single-family housing market trends, have led us to this difficult decision,” said Chris Seymour, VP of manufacturing operations.

Preservative Maker Backs Oﬀ Plan to Produce Penta

Weeks after announcing it would begin production of the industrial wood preservative pentachlorophenol, Gulbrandsen Chemicals has scrapped the proposed expansion at its Orangeburg, S.C., facility. Gulbrandsen backed off after state environmental officials said they could not promise a timely permitting process. The company hoped to meet demand for the preservative after KMG-Bermuth—currently the only North American producer—ceases production of penta at the end of next year (see April, page 22). Treaters that use penta, most commonly on utility poles, are once again in limbo and likely will have to begin evaluating alternative chemicals.

May 2020

DEALER Briefs The Lester Group is getting New River Valley Building Supply, Christiansburg,

ready to open

Va. Manager is Tal Sexton, ex-Smith Mt. Lake Building Supply.

Williams Lumber & Home Centers is down to seven locations

after shuttering its 12-year-old branch in Hyde Park, N.Y.

Fox Building Supply, Oklahoma City, Ok., suffered severe damage—including total destruction of its lumber warehouses—in an April 4 blaze of undetermined origin. Beverly’s Ace Hardware , Gainesville, Ga., has been opened by brothers Matt and Mark Beverly. Built from the ground up, the twostory, 29,000-sq. ft. store includes a greenhouse, 5,000-sq. ft. Bass Pro outdoor sports area, and 5,000-sq. ft. Hallmark Gold Crown section. Hardymon Lumber, Maysville, Ky., was destroyed by a late-night fire April 12. Chenevert True Value, Baton Rouge, La., closed permanently on March 21 after 47 years. Owner Ron Chenevert and several key members of his crew had planned to retire later this year, but the coronavirus outbreak sped up his timeline. Jacobson’s Ace Hardware

has opened in the former Eau Claire, Wi., home of Thompson’s True Value Hardware.

Jones Hardware, West Charlotte, N.C., relocated April 13 to larger quarters in Stanley, N.C., under the new name Stanley Hardware

& Feed.

Ace Hardware , League City, Tx., was opened March 2 by Keyur Amir. Zuern Building Products

has acquired Window Design Center’s showrooms in Madison and Delafield, Wi. The new Window Design Center from Zuern division will be led by Jeff Van De Hey.

Building-Products.com

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Arauco Scraps MDF Plant in SC

Arauco is permanently closing its MDF production facility in Bennettsville, S.C., effective May 18. Customers will be supported from its other MDF facilities. In March, the Bennettsville mill was idled related to market conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A month later, the company opted to make the closure permanent, as it compared its older manufacturing platform to its other more advanced MDF platforms.

Lowe’s Worker Dies of COVID-19

An employee at Lowe’s in Harper Woods, Mi., has died from coronavirus, prompting the store to send home managers and colleagues who worked alongside the victim. Those who “worked closely with this individual over a period of time” were put on paid leave. The store was extensively cleaned per CDC guidelines, with the interior remaining closed to customers and operations moving to online ordering and curbside pick-up. Lowe’s also closed its Columbus, Ms., store for two days of “extensive cleaning” after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus on March 31.

TAMKO is developing new tools and expanding in-home functionality to help contractors and dealers do business at a distance.

TAMKO Ups Tools to Close Deals Minus In-Person Contact

TAMKO Building Products, Joplin, Mo., has launched new measurement and 3D modeling technology on its website to offer contractors and dealers solutions for continuing business in a world concerned about social distancing. The new functionality of TAMKO’s Shingle Styles Visualizer enables customers to order realistic roof visualizations, 3D models, and accurate roof measurement reports powered by the EagleView technology, now available to customers at a discount and no need for a monthly subscription. Info available on the visualizer includes roof dimensions, areas, slopes, and roof squares, enabling a contact-free process for design, estimation and bidding. “Virtual technology like this is more important than ever,” said Stephen McNally, VP of sales & marketing. “We are developing new resources for our contractors and dealers to help them operate and grow their businesses during this difficult time.”

Decking Programs Get Upgrades

Two major decking manufacturers—Deckorators and Fortress Building Products—are taking their preferred deck contractor programs to another next level. Deckorators introduced Deckorators Certified Elite, the highest recognition level for its growing deck contractor

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May 2020

partnership and rewards program. Elite status is based on volume, quality, growth and partnership by market. Deck builders who achieve Elite status receive all the benefits of Certified Pro program membership, plus elevated representation on Deckorators.com, qualified local sales leads, marketing partnership opportunities, eligibility for Certified Pro Spotlight video and social media promotion, participation in product development collaboration and feedback, and the opportunity to attend the annual Pro Summit, an all-inclusive trip for top point-earning pros. Deckorators also increased rewards for all Certified Pros across product lines. They now earn 3% back in rewards points for all Deckorators purchases logged to their account—an increase of 1-2% over past rewards depending on product category. Also new for 2020, U.S.-based Certified Pros now have the option to take advantage of discounted leads through the Deckorators HomeAdvisor program. Fortress Building Products, Garland, Tx., also recently unveiled its revitalized Fortress Preferred Program. The preferred program will give U.S. and Canadian building professionals helpful resources for their business through lead generation, along with the ability to confidently promote and install Fortress best-in-class products. “Fortress Preferred members will be offered a quality customer experience through every step of the design and building process,” said Toby Bostwick, VP of product & brand. By becoming a program member, customers will also receive instant enrollment in the Fortress Preferred Incentive Rewards Program. Members receive such benefits as the ability to access a wide range of marketing tools including, samples, literature, and branded merchandise. Members will also be able to tap into a five-year Limited Labor coverage on eligible Fortress Building Products and gain an official Fortress Preferred Certificate and Labor Acknowledgment for homeowners. Program enrollment is open to customers based in the United States and Canada. “Professionals that become members of the Fortress Preferred Program will have priority lead referrals and support from our expert team of Fortress Sales and Customer Care Representatives,” Bostwick said.

SUPPLIER Briefs Avon Plastics’ Armadillo decking, TurboClip fasteners, Grid Axcents lattice, Quix interlocking tile, and Master Mark lawn and garden are now being distributed throughout the central Midwest region by East Side Lumberyard Supply, Herrin and East St. Louis, Il., and in the Carolinas, Georgia and Virginia by High Mountain Building Supply, Charlotte and Columbus, N.C. J. Gibson McIlvain Co., White Marsh, Md., had fire crews respond to sawdust fires in a hopper on March 13 and again on April 19. Kebony announced that, due to fortuitous pre-ordering, it has ample radiata pine in inventory to fill orders for thermally modified wood decking and cladding at least into the summer. Correction: Bell Lumber & Pole Co., Minneapolis, Mn., did not acquire AmeriTies West (April, p. 52), but rather signed an agreement for the Oregon facility to custom treat poles from its western peeling operations. Building-Products.com

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THINKING Ahead By Gavy Gosal, Western Forest Products

Ohhh, SNAP!

arrived in the lumber industry, a couple of years shy of my 40th birthday, through a weird evolution of events. The dynamics actually remind me of a game I played as part of the ground crew at Air Canada. With a fourdays-on/four-days-off schedule, my team members and I put our own spin on the game SNAP! to decide where to spend our free time. The first pair of cards we matched, we simply headed to the gate corresponding with that number and caught the next flight out—just for the heck of it. Luck of the draw landed us as close as small towns in British Columbia and as far away as Amsterdam. I admit that I loved the flight benefits and travel, but what was I really doing working at an airline? I started at Air Canada part-time while studying for a sociology degree but ended up spending the better part of a decade there, with no real plan for the future. When downsizing and layoffs hit airlines after 9/11, I found myself in a new round of SNAP!, job edition. This time, the cards randomly pointed toward insurance. I had no background in the sector, but carved out a 10-year managerial career anyway. Again, just for the heck of it. While I was successful, I never really felt like the insurance business was for me—it didn’t match who I was as a person.

Pining for a Purpose

The next change came when, as luck would have it, a family member introduced me to the owner of a local western red cedar sawmill. I confessed my reservations about the job I’d been doing for 10 years, and when he started telling me about his industry, something clicked. The look on his face, the way he described his job—it all exuded something that I wanted for myself: passion for my work. That conversation sparked a series of conversations with his company, Sawarne Lumber, about joining the small, family-run operation. And, in the end, I jumped onboard! But, this time, it wasn’t just for the heck of it. Unlike my last SNAP! career move, a lot of deliberate thought

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went into the decision to transition into a completely new profession at age 38. I received a great start to my lumber career with Sawarne and eventually moved on to my current sales position with Western Forest Products. I’m now six years in to this business, and I’ve never had any regret. I’ve gotten so much out of this industry: passion for the products, passion for the people I work with, passion for the genuine nature of the business, and passion for the TRUST that defines it. It’s one of those industries where you can still close a million-dollar deal with a handshake. I guess we don’t handshake anymore; maybe now it’s going to be a fist bump! But what I’m saying is that there’s honor in it, and that’s something that really spoke to me. It was less about what I was selling and more about whether I kept my commitment. I found all of that, and more, in lumber. The inherent nature of the industry has changed me for the better, for instance, making me a more organized, confident, and flexible person. The one thing that you can count on in this business is that everything’s not going to go as planned. In insurance, I knew what each day was going to look like. But in lumber, it’s always a different day. You have to consider how to navigate a fire season, how to navigate snow storms and, now for example, how

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A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association

to navigate this situation with COVID-19. You almost have to be like a Marine; the military branch’s mantra of “Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome” is very much applicable to the lumber industry. There’s always a challenge that you have to try to overcome, so you have to stay on your toes. And the thing is, you’ll want to overcome it. Because, well, passion.

All the Feels

Working in this industry is so much more than the job description. There’s an emotional investment, too. So, even when I’m not on the clock, wood is still a huge part of my life. So much so that I even have an Instagram account (cedarguy) dedicated to learning more about my new profession and sharing what I’ve learned so far. I find a lot of the content for that when my wife and I hike and go trail running here in British Columbia, in the same forests that have been harvested and then replanted. Those activities take us into the forest, as does the group I joined that makes trail repairs. Often, we’re using western red cedar—a product that my company produces—to lay out the planks on walkways. There’s a lot in pride in those kind of experiences, and a feeling of connectivity. As another example, a customer of a customer once took me on a drive to a beautiful park while I was visiting Tulsa, Ok. The centerpiece was called The Gathering Place, an amazing wooden structure assembled into a space designed to bring the community together. “See where we’re sitting right now?” my host asked. “It’s gorgeous,” I agreed. “Well,” he went on, “these are the timbers that I bought from you and that the city of Tulsa used to make this place.” That’s probably one of the coolest moments in my lumber career so far, but I suspect there will be many more.

Looking Forward, Not Back

It took me long enough; but now that I’m here, I’m not following the SNAP! method any longer. I’m nowhere near done with my cedar sales role at Western Forest Products, but there are always options to do more. This is such a supportive industry—from the courses offered by NAWLA, to the customers and even competitors who want to see you succeed, to the lifelong friendships made at events such as Traders Market—so I know that anything is possible. There are so many exciting things that are yet to come in this industry, and I want to be a part of it all. You should, too. Technology, an area where lumber has lagged, is introducing new roles and new opportunities to participate in what will become a movement. The industry is also gearing up for big efforts when it comes to environmental protection, partnerships with First Nations communities, adoption of an Amazon-style model of business, and the advent of revolutionary mass timber structures and wooden high-rise developments, just to name a few. All I can say is, oh SNAP!—I’m here for it. – Gavy Gosal is a cedar sales representative at Western Forest Products, Vancouver, B.C. (www.westernforest.com).

About NAWLA North American Wholesale Lumber Association is the association that delivers unparalleled access to relationships and resources that improve business strategy and performance through sales growth, cost savings, and operational efficiencies for wholesalers and manufacturers of forest products and other building materials that conduct business in North America. Learn more about how NAWLA can help your business at nawla.org.

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NAWLA ON STRENGTHENING YOUR WORKFORCE

Creating a workforce that sticks with you By Vickie Crews-Anderson ccording to a 2018 Salary. com survey, the manufacturing and distribution industry has a retention rate of 80%, which puts it above industries such as hospitality and healthcare. That and similar studies find companies that retain motivated employees are able to reduce expenses and boost productivity and morale. UFP Industries (formerly Universal Forest Products) has been beating the industry trend for a number of years. “The last time I looked, we had an 85% retention level,” says David Brown, a southern yellow pine buyer at UFP Industries. “Some stay a few years and move on, but most of the people we’ve hired have stuck with us.” Brown attributes their success, in part, to a 12-week training program that follows a thoughtful screening process. UFP Industries leverages all the typical channels for seeking out new employees—career fairs at college campuses, online job boards and employee referrals—and recruits out of the corporate headquarters in Grand Rapids, Mi., and its purchasing offices in Union City, Ga., and Windsor, Co. “We’re growing company that’s looking for people all the time. Hopefully we hire the right people; I think we have been,” Brown says. “We don’t specifically look for majors that align to roles. I’ve been in the industry since I got out of college, but I didn’t know anything about lumber at that time, and I’m still learning. Our philosophy is to hire a good quality person, with a strong work ethic, who wants to learn, is outgoing, and wants to get ahead in

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UFP’S ONBOARDING of new hires includes giving them a base of knowledge at the NAWLA Wood Basics Course.

life. We can teach everything else.” The UFP Industries interview process includes phone screening, an in-person interview and the Caliper Profile test (for salaried employees) to assess fit in the company. If the candidate is a good match, an offer is made. “We can hire in the purchasing department, sales—there is always a need, and production – people who want to work in the plant and run various product lines, depending on the plant,” Brown explains. “At this point, we ask if there is something a new hire is leaning toward if he or she would prefer to look into different areas. Sometimes this changes in the middle of training.”

The 12-week training program starts on an employee’s first day, with each “class” typically consisting of between one and three new hires. New hire classes are held in both the Georgia and Colorado offices. Each employee is assigned a mentor (usually a buyer), and provided with a new hire booklet that includes a detailed schedule, learning objectives or outcomes, and assignments for the duration of the program. Program participants add notes and handouts to their booklet, which can then serve as a resource for the rest of their UFP Industries career. Trainees spend a few weeks in purchasing office departments such as

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southern yellow pine, transportation, Canadian and West Coast lumber species, and panels, learning the essential functions and tools of each, from looking up products and creating purchase orders on the computer system to finding and booking trucks. Each week, new hires walk the yard or plant and come back with three questions for mentors, and sit in on the market calls. The trainees are taken on a sawmill visit to see how lumber is made, from log to finished product, and given reading assignments from the Buying & Selling of Softwood Lumber & Panels and other Random Lengths publications. New hires also learn what Brown calls “lumber math,” how to figure board footage, cuts and yields, to determine pricing. Once new hires are knowledgeable with the UFP Industries systems, the department they’re working in will have them call mills for quotes or assist with purchasing. Usually mill sales people are given a heads-up before trainees call them, since they can be a little more timid than tenured employees. Brown says, “We feel the more we can teach about how the product is made and where comes from, and how it gets to you, including the different species and grades, before you get in sales or production world, the more you have a step up on someone just out of college. You’re not going to be an expert in 12 weeks when you leave; the idea is to give you a taste.” Every Friday during the 12-week period, each new employee is asked to write a recap of everything they’ve learned that week that is sent to his or her mentor, along with vice presidents and general managers at UFP Industries plants. “These recaps are a great selling tool after the

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NAWLA’S WOOD Basics Course is a four-day immersion class that includes classroom teaching as well as learning in the field, including at mills and in the forest.

program to get a permanent job. When a manager is looking to hire, and reads a recap he or she thinks is strong, that manager will call the mentor or department and ask for thoughts, and to see if that candidate is interested in and could do a good job in that manager’s area. Ninety-five percent of these trainees go into production or sales—the areas of greatest need—from there.” “We do try to send all our new hires to the North American Wholesale Lumber Association Wood Basics Course,” Brown says. “If a new employee is in training during the same time as the course is taking place in the spring or fall, we have sent them to those classes. All have come back and said it was great.” NAWLA’s Wood Basics Course is a four-day immersion class, typically offered twice each year, that includes both classroom training and field operations to teach industry new hires about the entire spectrum of the forest products industry: from seed to tree, from production to sales. Classes cover all the topics relevant to success in a forest products industry firm, such as sales training, product segmentation, price & cost trends, logistics & transportation, and forest management & operations. Instructors are recognized experts in their respective fields, including those from Oregon State University and Virginia Tech. Brown notes that while theirs is a time-consuming approach to training, is expected in addition to regular responsibilities, and takes the participation of the entire office to ensure the success of this training program, it is appreciated by his colleagues. “Everyone is on board with the program. It has been very beneficial when the person starts with their new position at one of our plants. We’re 12 years into the current program, and continue to refine it every year. It’s been pretty successful. It’s neat to see 22 or 23-year-olds come through, and try to help them find their career path. It’s even better talking to them later and seeing how they’re doing. I’ve been a mentor to seven or eight people, and try to check in with them two to three times a year. I’ve got former trainees all over the country now—from Florida to California, who have established jobs and started families. I’m always here if they need anything.” Building-Products.com

NAWLA ON STRENGTHENING YOUR WORKFORCE

Setting your workforce up for success By Steven Rustja

t Weston Forest, we have three corporate goals that guide everything we do: Culture, Commitment and Growth. Our culture is to create opportunity for all our employees. We want to make sure that our customers, both internal and external, have a great customer experience, and that our staff enjoy coming to work. We are committed to fostering a safe working environment for our employees, one where individuals are held accountable for their actions and are dedicated to continuous improvement. We are also committed to growth: Personal, professional and sales. These corporate goals drive all decisions the executive team makes when investing in our greatest asset, our people. It starts off the moment you are hired. Our full-time in-house trainer ensures that we have an extensive training plan in place for all new

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hires so they can be successful in their roles. Training is not always easy. Training takes time. Training takes a commitment from everyone in the organization to make sure that all new hires are proficient in their jobs. The time we spend onboarding ranges anywhere from a couple weeks to six months, depending on the complexity of the role. It is crucial to resist the urge to rush someone into a new position. If you take the time to train people properly, they are happier in their role and become better employees. We don’t stop training our staff once they’ve learned their jobs. Weston Forest fosters a culture of opportunity. During our performance reviews, we ask every employee what his or her aspirations are. It then becomes incumbent upon us to give our staff the tools to progress throughout our organization. This is one area where you

May 2020

will clearly see our commitment to continuous improvement. We have people at all levels in our company going through training programs to either make them better in their current roles or to prepare them for future ones. This includes laborers hoping to become team leads, salespeople wanting to improve their results, managers wanting to become executives, and even our president wanting to hone his skills. I, myself, am eagerly anticipating NAWLA’s revamped Executive Management Institute course at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in January 2021. Many of our staff are also very active in associations like the North American Wholesale Lumber Association. We currently have several people volunteering on NAWLA committees. In addition, many of our sales managers also work on associations in the industries they serve. We find that doing this volunteer work pays dividends in the growth of our employees. My personal experiences as chair of the Leadership Summit Committee, 10 Group member, and a member of the NAWLA board of directors have given me invaluable knowledge, experience and connections that have developed me both personally and professionally. Training your staff for future roles means nothing if you can’t give them the opportunity to progress within the organization. Succession planning is not for executives looking to retire, but rather, permeates the entire organization. If you want to move up, you need to find and train your successor. Our employees are not fearful of training their replacement; they are committed to doing so. Building-Products.com

This is also where we involve a bit of science. Everyone who works for, or applies to, Weston Forest, completes a behavioral assessment called The Predictive Index. The Predictive Index measures a person’s motivating drivers and needs. In addition, every role at Weston has been profiled so that we can match the right candidates to the right role. We also use this tool to identify future career paths for our employees. If, for example, we hire a laborer that exhibits the traits that would make him a successful salesperson, and he is interested in the role, we then give him the roadmap to get into sales. Communication is also very important to our company. Every manager communicates with each staff member daily, either one-on-one or with team meetings. Formal performance reviews are completed semi-annually. Additionally, we have weekly meetings with managers from all departments to review successes, challenges and metrics from the previous week. We also hold company town hall meetings for all our staff where we share the previous-quarter results, as well as present

the goals for the next quarter. Most people spend more time in the office than they do at home, so we want our staff to enjoy coming to work. Having a fun and safe working environment where people take pride in working is important to us. Last year, we completed a renovation of our entire office area, giving our employees just that. We added features like new LED lighting, workstations, computer monitors, ergonomic chairs, gourmet coffee, an exercise room and even a game room. In addition, we have added over 30 TVs throughout the building that feature information such as birthdays, company announcements, important department dashboards, news stations, and the occasional sporting event. We hold regular company events not only to thank our staff for their hard work, but also foster relationships and have fun. These include company barbecues, boat cruises, escape rooms, axe-throwing, and an annual holiday party where staff are encouraged to bring their significant others. These initiatives, among others,

have allowed us to be repeat winners of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures Award. They take time, effort and money, but they have been critical to our past successes and are vital to our future ones. Collectively they instill Weston Forest’s core values in all our employees. They are: • Entrepreneurial organization committed to continuous improvement • We do what we say • Inspiring personal and professional growth • Your success is our success • More than just a place to work • Results matter, but people matter more Making sure all our employees are properly trained for their roles, committed to the success of our company, willing to invest in themselves for future growth, aware of our results and corporate goals, and happy and proud to come to work ensures that Weston can live up to our tagline “You’ll love doing business with us.” – Steven Rustja is VP-trading for Weston Forest, Mississauga, Ont., and a member of the 2020 NAWLA board.

– Serving the industry for over 30 years – Phone:

800-763-0139

• Fax: 864-699-3101

www.spartanburgforestproducts.com Building-Products.com

May 2020

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NAWLA ON STRENGTHENING YOUR WORKFORCE

Helping your workforce navigate uncertainty By Darcy Mercer believe the Forest City Trading Group has done an outstanding job at navigating the rapid changes brought about by COVID-19. I was impressed by how quickly we moved and how flexible our leadership has been in providing alternate work solutions. Throughout this time of uncertainty, I’ve seen a lot of leadership best practices displayed by our CEO and operating presidents that have been used as a framework for managing our group of companies. Here are some of those lessons.

Lead by Example

From the start, our company acted decisively and with responsibility. On March 13, U.S. President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency and the Forest City Trading Group took notice. The decision was made that we needed to work from home— all 10 operating companies—without a system for doing it. We needed to do it, and we needed to do it quickly. Within a week, almost everyone from the organization was working from home. Prior to this situation, a lot of restrictions were in place around working remotely, and it hadn’t yet been determined how to give staff access to the technology we needed to work from home. I wasn’t able to work from home effectively March 12, but by March 18, our IT department had researched solutions and provided the technology so that I could. At that point, we were using Zoom to get everyone on board and Building-Products.com

comfortable with our new technology. The IT manager and I used Zoom to provide training about how to access information online and in a visual way. Our company needed a platform to communicate quickly and efficiently, and it was delivered.

Maintain Your Culture

Sometimes, it’s the little things. When we were in the office together, the operations team participated in a daily movie quote challenge. We’ve continued to do that, but now we encourage participation from significant others. It’s nice because we recognize that some people have their partners working right next to them.

We have also developed a wellness challenge aimed at encouraging people to be active for 30 minutes each day and to be mindful about eating well-balanced, healthy meals. This is in addition to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) we provide all staff with confidential counseling, legal support and other resources at no cost to employees. We make sure our people have access to office supplies, by sending them to their homes if needed, so they are organized and prepared in their “work offices.” When we first started Zoom, we were allowed to participate without video. Now, the video is heavily used because people are excited to see each

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other’s faces. When someone pops on video, it’s a community event, and people get very excited.

Demonstrate Flexibility

We recognize that some of our operations team don’t have as much to do, so we’re finding small projects that we usually would never have the time to get to. This way, we’re able to use their time and skills effectively so they feel engaged, valued and recognized, even if their day feels slower than a “regular” one. This is part of recognizing that the current work structure is different. There is a certain amount of uncertainty about a job if you’re not proving yourself and contributing at 110%. We want people to work a reasonable amount, but we are not expecting them to work 24/7 because their laptop is there. That would be unreasonable. To be fair, there are people whose jobs and companies are busier than ever, but most companies are not operating at full capacity right now. We have rookies and trainees in early stages of development with our company who are finding this situation more challenging because they rely more on senior staff for support and guidance. We do special calls twice each week specifically for those in the development phase to provide them with the resources they need. We’ve found different ways, through online resources and Zoom, to continue to provide trainees with opportunities to learn and develop. We communicate

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where we’re at in the training process and let them know that we’re not slowing down. This continued training and development allows our newest employees to feel good working from home.

Communicate—A Lot

Communication has been our most important tool to navigate these uncertain times. Our organization’s leaders have communicated with positivity and transparency since the beginning. They’ve shared detail with us on our financial position and our capacity to weather this storm. They’ve let us know that we are going to get through this. They’ve also communicated the challenges ahead of us. We’ve worked together to identify the risks we have as a company and outlined a plan of how to get to a better place. It wasn’t sugar coated, it was presented as steps to manage the things that can really hurt us. Our leaders clearly believe that allowing our employees to understand the furrows means we can help in overcoming them. That turns the challenge into an opportunity where everyone is working together. People are so tied to their jobs, and their sense of self is often tied to that. Engaging and empowering employees in problem solving allows them to be a part of the solution. All the way from the top, they are tracking and communicating wins. The bar is different. Our leadership communicates where we are good— recognizing it’s not as good as

May 2020

before—and supports it as a win. They ask people what’s new that’s happened, and people are encouraged to talk about what’s going well for them. Those are really nice things to communicate right now. We’re actively and proactively working through these times. We also have regular daily group conversations to check in, in addition to different levels of leadership checking in with individuals to make sure they’re managing and doing OK, and to see if they have concerns. We went immediately to Slack to allow everyone to interact more effectively. The big question right now is what our next steps look like. We’ve been honest that this is a situation that evolves every day, and we’re not in a position to communicate when people will go back to the office. We want to make sure first and foremost that we are taking care of everyone. We have communicated that there is no urgency or stress associated with the return to our offices. Based on our transparent and open communications to date, we know that we have credibility with that message. This open, transparent and engaging communication has allowed our people feel empowered and to navigate through these times of uncertainty. – Darcy Mercer is training and development manager for Olympic Industries, Vancouver, B.C., and a 20192020 NAWLA Young Emerging Lumber Professional.

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NAWLA ON STRENGTHENING YOUR WORKFORCE

Renewing your workforce to regenerate the industry By Scott Parker he forest products industry is just one of many that is struggling to recruit, engage and retain the talent its companies need to achieve continued growth and success. Before the current global health situation disrupted many work environments, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Data reported that the mining and logging, wholesale and retail trade and manufacturing industry sectors were among the ones with the greatest labor shortages, with more open jobs than people seeking work. Unfortunately, the forest products industry continues to face perceptions that it is antiquated, environmentally unfriendly and lacking in diversity. It is rare that young professionals enter into it without prior knowledge of the industry through their schooling, family or colleague connections. To ensure today’s employers are able to secure the right talent to advance their firms, a new approach must be employed. In a national survey last summer of college students (undergraduate and graduate) commissioned by NAWLA, we sought to better understand the reasons behind these misconceptions so that the association and its members could collaborate to more effectively overcome them. The survey asked—both at the start and the end—if the participants would be interested in a career in the wood products industry. During the survey, those respondents were shown a series of statements about the breadth of lucrative and fulfilling careers, and the

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opportunities to develop life-long relationships with diverse and passionate practitioners. With some brief introductory information, we were able to increase those indicating “yes” to interest in a career in the wood products industry from 9% at the start of the survey to 21% at the end. After completing the survey, another 70% indicated “maybe” to the same question. One respondent said, “I haven’t really considered the wood industry before mainly because I have always thought of it as an older industry or something from the past. However, upon looking over that information I do have to recognize that wood is still a large part of our society and serves a large function. It is also possible that the wood industry could provide fulfilling work.” This promising data leads us to believe that, with a concerted educational outreach effort employing a number of tactics to reach job seekers or those soon entering the labor market, we could easily improve perception and drive students to investigate career opportunities in the forest products industry. For several years, NAWLA has supported the Forever Forest Initiative,

May 2020

a national traveling exhibit that explores how people use the forest to live, work and play in harmony. Families who visit the exhibit can learn about sustainability, selective harvesting and everyday products made from trees. Since 2017, more than 400,000 people had already toured the exhibit. NAWLA is proud to work with other industry leaders to educate younger children about forestry so that they do not develop the perceptions we are challenged with by the time many people reach adulthood. Now NAWLA will be expanding the scope of our efforts to reach high school and college students. This spring, NAWLA will be launching a website (careersinlumber. com) and marketing campaign (Many branches. One industry.) to educate and inspire young job seekers to include the lumber industry in their career search. This campaign will include advertising and educational content on new digital platforms, collaboration with educators and employers and career fair participation. The most valuable asset of this website and campaign is the job board, where all of the available jobs in our diverse industry will listed for Building-Products.com

potential applicants. We’ll be featuring job listings that many young job seekers may not consider as part of the wood products industry, including jobs in accounting, engineering, chemistry, IT, architecture, material design, furnishings, aviation, automotive and other novel job types. The website also features educational videos, “how I got here” stories from NAWLA members about their path to a lumber industry job and other related articles showcasing technology and innovation within the industry. When the campaign launches to job seekers, we want to make sure any available positions at forest products industry companies are listed. We’ll be featuring some of the more unexpected jobs to gain attention before the brief attention span of most job seekers evaporates. For the remainder of 2020, NAWLA members will receive an unlimited number of basic postings on the job board, and non-members can post for a nominal fee. By creating this central hub of industry job postings, you are not only filling vacancies at

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your firms with open-minded young professionals, you are helping to support efforts to do so across the industry. With those job posts, you are encouraged to add to each listing that your post is NAWLA approved. You can also help ensure the success of this campaign by following Many branches. One industry on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, and encouraging others to do the same. In the coming weeks and months, NAWLA will also be providing Many branches. One industry “campaign in a box” materials industry firms can use at upcoming tradeshows to help us spread the word and exponentially increase the reach of our campaign. Featuring brochures and leave-behind materials, this kit makes it easy for you to dispel common misconceptions about careers in the forest products industry and connect with those who are unfamiliar with the critical role your company plays in our economy and the world we live in. For educators at high schools and similar education institutions, NAWLA

will provide a Many branches. One industry education packet to help create interest and excitement about this industry in students. Teaching aids like handouts, worksheets and PowerPoint presentations, and a student workbook will contain information and guidance on industry careers, and encourage teachers to talk about sustainability. Materials for campuses and career centers that reinforce this packet will be provided as well. At NAWLA, we know and have long asserted that ours is an industry that offers a diverse pool of lucrative and rewarding careers, the opportunity to leverage technological advances and countless chances to establish a network that supports you your entire career. We are confident that those who hear that message through the Many branches. One industry campaign will open their mind to the possibilities that await them at one of our industry firms. To learn more about the Many branches. One industry campaign or post a job, visit careersinlumber.com. – Scott Parker is executive director of NAWLA.

May 2020

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NAWLA ON STRENGTHENING YOUR WORKFORCE

Supporting your executive workforce By Tom Le Vere aving been a student of the North American Wholesale Lumber Association Executive Management Institute (EMI) 20-plus years ago, I can attest to the value of this unique course. The binder from the course I attended in 1997—and the insight I gained—have accompanied me throughout my career and served as a reference many times since. Many of my 20 classmates from EMI at the University of Virginia are also now senior executives at industryleading firms. The friendships I formed with these individuals have stood the test of time, and today I consider these people not only friends, but invaluable resources that I can reach out to when I have a problem or a question. What I only came to fully appreciate later in my career about my EMI experience was how rare it truly was to find relevant education for emerging lumber and building materials industry executives, and for my company to be able to make a significant investment in my participation. That knowledge has made me appreciate EMI even more and commit to providing this opportunity to newer industry executives. In recent years as a NAWLA board member, I’ve made developing an experience that mirrors my own— but with a focus on today’s business challenges—a key area of focus during my year as NAWLA chair. As I’ve spoken with others across the industry, a common theme that has emerged on the topic of executive education is that while many traditional executive-level

Building-Products.com

training programs excel at honing cognitive and technical skills, they rarely incorporate instruction on or application of other competencies senior professionals also truly need. These include how to collaborate and communicate and how to network with and influence others toward achieving a common objective. After seeing these ideas reinforced in a recent article from the Harvard Business Review (March-April 2019), I’ve concluded this isn’t a challenge unique to our industry. Additionally, many business schools, for-profit universities or consultancies offer training programs that aren’t customized to the needs of an individual and their organization, or to the industry within which

executives must apply their learnings. The nuances of how those businesses and people operate, share challenges and areas of opportunity, and the types of resources being managed and consumed, influence the skills needed to successfully lead those businesses through an evolving landscape. These factors are further complicated by a lack of alignment between the objectives of individuals and their employers when it comes to executive-focused professional development. Countless studies have shown that employees say training is important and they are willing to pursue it—even in their free time—to improve job performance. However, those same individuals need to see how the opportunity supports their

THE KNOWLEDGE—and friendships—gleaned from attending the NAWLA Executive Management Institute can last a lifetime. May 2020

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NEXT SESSION’S attendees will be treated to a revamped program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago, Jan. 31-Feb. 5, 2021.

own career goals to truly engage in and benefit from such programs. Their employers need to recognize that this training can’t be replaced by a strong mentor, professional network or years of experience alone. When some or all of those conditions exist, executive-level training programs do not consistently deliver the desired return on a company’s investment, which can be significant. In fact, according to that same article, half of senior leaders believe that their talent development efforts don’t adequately build critical skills and organizational capabilities. This is astounding to me when we know that effective training programs have such a vast array of potential benefits for an employer. This void in effective executivelevel training was echoed by NAWLA members in a 2019 survey focused on assessing unmet educational and professional development needs. They are seeking more training and support for those in executive management from the same organization they turn to for orienting their new hires to the forest products industry through courses such as Wood Basics. S o w h e n N AW L A s t a r t e d investigating a revamped EMI course to address our member needs, we sought to address these perceived shortcomings with the delivery of a program that integrates the needs, challenges and areas of opportunity for the forest products industry throughout the course, while providing

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an immersive educational experience where participants can master and integrate tools for leading their organizations in a constantly evolving business environment. In light of the current circumstances brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic, this content never has had a greater relevancy. After a thorough review process, NAWLA established a partnership this spring with the one of the world’s top-ranked business schools, the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago, to offer the next EMI Jan. 31-Feb. 5, 2021. To help us overcome the challenges cited by my peers related to industry and individual relevancy, NAWLA has established a task force of executive-level volunteers from both the mill and the wholesaler sides of our industry. These volunteers will work closely in the coming months with the experienced instructional designers from the Kellogg School to build out the customized program that is ultimately taught by renowned educators from the school early next year. Over the course of five days, 2021 EMI participants will explore case studies, participate in interactive lectures, share their personal stories and experiences, engage in dynamic readings, network with fellow industry executives, collaborate in small group exercises, and connect the dots through guided reflections. By

May 2020

equipping top-performing executives to make decisions and take strategic action based upon both traditional and innovative business practices, this course will help achieve the professional development objectives of both an individual and their organization. To ensure that participants leave with the skills they will immediately apply upon their return to their offices, the program (and all instruction) is organized around the top themes and challenges forest product industry executives frequently encounter and coach others on: strategy (including finance, strategic alliances, and data and analytics), human capital (including talent management and development, diversity and inclusion, collaboration and compensation), innovation (including design thinking and service operations), negotiation (including decision making/ problem solving, conflict resolution, influence and values) and managing change (with a special emphasis on understanding culture). The 2021 EMI course will be limited 35 attendees to allow for that personalized educational experience, with countless chances for participants to build and strengthen their professional network and create relationships that last their entire careers. NAWLA recognizes that this course is a significant investment for both the executive-level participant and his or her employer. But I assure you that the short-term costs are well outweighed by the long-term benefits you will derive by sending the people who are charged with your company’s long-term successful performance. I value and have benefited from my experience with EMI more than words can express. I am confident the person(s) you select for this opportunity will return with knowledge, connections, experiences and new perspectives that your company will benefit from for decades to come. Registration for the 2021 revamped course opened earlier this month, and the preliminary program details are currently available nawla.org. Additional details will be available in the coming months. – To m L e Ve re , p re s i d e n t a n d shareholder, Weekes Forest Products, St. Paul, Mn., is 2020 chair of the North American Wholesale Lumber Association. Building-Products.com

CO LU M B U S ,

O H I O

N OV E M B E R

R E G I S T E R N O W AT nawla.org

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MOVERS & Shakers Mike Lemon has retired after more than 40 years with Morsches Builders Mart, Warsaw, In. Steve Lemmon succeeds him as director of purchasing. Bill Ross, ex-Fiberon, joined Fortress Building Products, Garland, Tx., as director of the composite category. Gerald Richards has been appointed store mgr. of McCoy’s Building Supply, Vicksburg, Ms. Jay Dickens has been promoted to CEO of The Lester Group, Martinsville, Va. He succeeds Jim O’Brien, who has retired after 10 years and becomes co-chairman alongside his predecessor, George W. Lester II.

Chris Kempa has been promoted to CEO of True Value Co., Chicago, Il., succeeding John Hartmann, who remains on the board. CFO Deb O’Connor has added the title of president. Frank A. Lonegro, ex-CSX, has been appointed executive VP and CFO of Beacon Building Products, Herndon, Va., taking over for Joseph Nowicki. Frankie Jordan is now CEO of Washington Woodworking Co., Landover, Md., succeeding Ken Lauer, who retired after 36 years. Bryon Madras is new as VP of preconstruction and head of the estimating department.

Bryan H. Fairbanks has been promoted to president and CEO at Trex Co., Winchester, Va., replacing James E. Cline, who becomes chairman of the board. Dennis Schemm is now VP and CFO.

Troy Brown, Kretz Lumber, Antigo, Wi., was elected president of the Hardwood Manufacturers Association, succeeding Bob Miller, Frank Miller Lumber, Union City, In. Tommy Petzoldt, East Perry Lumber, Frohna, Mo., is now VP. They are joined on the executive committee by Hal Mitchell, Atlanta Hardwood Corp.; Norm Steffy, Cummings Lumber; Brian Schilling, Pike Lumber Co.; Wayne Law, New River Hardwoods; and Tom Gerow, Wagner Millwork. New directors are Scott Ferland, Maine Woods Co.; Geoﬀ Henderson, Anderson-Tully Co.; Jon Johnson, Timber Products Co.; Robert Kaebnick, Hartzell Hardwoods; and Craig Miller, Battle Lumber. New to the HMA NextGen Leaders Council are Parker Dukas, Abenaki Timber Corp.; Chad Ervin, Jones Lumber Co.; and Chris Rider, Atlanta Hardwood. Frank Miller’s Bob Miller will serve as council coordinator.

Jason Wetzel has joined Do it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, In., as an associate merchandise mgr. Jeri Schindler is new as customer service department lead.

Walter Walcarpitz is new to flooring sales at MungusFungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Bill Warfield, ex-Boral Building Products, has joined Benjamin Obdyke, Horsham, Pa., as district sales mgr. for New England, based in Shelton, Ct. Rich Kelly, ex-Norse Building Products, is new to Buechel Stone, Chilton, Wi., as territory sales specialist in Illinois. He will be following the footsteps of Bill McConnell, who is retiring at the end of the year. Jeﬀ Key has joined Atlas Roofing Corp., Atlanta, Ga., as director of marketing.

Deck Building Solutions • 866-767-1850 • www.suredrive.com • sales@suredrive.com

Building Products Digest n

May 2020

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Helping you find the elusive lumber customer.

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NORTHEASTERN LUMBER MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

NEW Products

Dark Frames

Hickory Composite Decking Royal Building Products has expanded the colors of Zuri Premium Decking to include Hickory, a true mid-tone brown. The new shade is the sixth color offering in the line, which already includes Chestnut, Walnut, Pecan, Brazilia and Weathered Gray. The decking line combines the natural beauty and warmth of exotic hardwood with the unsurpassed durability and exceptionally low-maintenance requirements of PVC. Its PVC substrate is capped with a photo-realistic wood-grain print and a clear acrylic that resists stains, scratches, fading and moisture. All Zuri products are backed by a 25-year Color Fastness Warranty against color shifting.

YKK AP America has added a black finish to its StyleView window and door line. The black exterior laminate window provides a dark exterior option with a white vinyl interior. It comes in multiple grille profiles and grid styles including single-hung, casement, picture, geometric, transom, awning, as well as a sliding door. Four times thicker than paint, exterior laminate is designed to provide surface protection for the full life of the window. The finishes resist UV degradation, do not fade or chalk, and resist moisture and dryness– even in the most extreme weather conditions. n YKKAP.COM (678) 838-6000

n ROYALBUILDINGPRODUCTS.COM/ZURI (855) 769-2585

All-in-One Drill/Driver

Viewrail now offers an expanded line of glass railing perfect for indoor and outdoor locations. All are designed to hide every possible piece of hardware and every possible fastener. Yet the solid glass panels provide safety and make a very effective windbreak. Frameless side-mount, base rail, and standoff pin glass systems utilize 1/2” tempered and 9/16” laminated glass, while framed systems (with posts) accept 3/8” and 1/2” tempered or 9/16” laminated glass.

Bosch’s Chameleon 18V FlexiClick 5-in-1 Drill/ Driver System delivers power, speed and runtime to tackle even the toughest jobs for professionals looking for a high-torque, connected-ready tool. At its core are a 1/4” hex bit holder with quick release and four pro-grade attachments—three that are included in the kit and one that’s sold separately. Included are a 1/2” keyless right-angle chuck attachment, offset angle attachment, and 1/2” keyless all metal chuck attachment. The optional attachment can transform the drill into an SDS-plus rotary hammer for drilling in concrete and other tough materials. The drill offers Bluetooth connectivity via a connectivity module (sold separately), kickback control, precision clutch, and efficient EC Brushless motor.

n VIEWRAIL.COM (866) 213-3585

n BOSCHTOOLS.COM (877) 267-2499

Glass Rails

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May 2020

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Gray Days for Decking Nova USA Wood Products has expanded the palette of its ExoShield Wood Stain with the addition of new Platinum and Antique Bronze colors. Formulated to provide long-lasting protection for decking and siding, the new hues join Natural, Mahogany, Walnut and Black Walnut. The new colors are differing shades of gray. Antique Bronze offers a slightly darker, softer tone with olive tinges that emulate an aging barn. Platinum has a silvery luster that resembles aged tropical hardwoods. n NOVAUSAWOOD.COM (503) 419-6407

Versatile Level Klein Tools’ new Laser Line Bubble Level functions as both a torpedo level and a laser level, with a v-groove and strong magnetic base to make it functional such tasks as hanging pipe rack, identifying obstacles for long pipe runs, and measuring bend locations into and out of electrical boxes. Its crisp laser projects up to 75 ft., with three easy-to-read vials to identify horizontal and cross at 0-degree level and vertical at 90-degree. The removable leveling stand has thumb screws for manual leveling on uneven surfaces, while its high-visibility orange cast aluminum body is easy to see on conduit and at jobsites.

Wider Gate Brackets Wider brackets to mount gate hardware to 4” and 6” fence posts have been designed by D&D Technologies to dramatically reduce post flexing. The wider brackets on the Shut It mounts enable anchor points to be positioned at the sides, rather than the center, of the fence post. This delivers increased stability and decreased flexing, which in turn reduces wear and tear on the post. Available in both aluminum and steel, the new brackets can handle gate loads up to 1,000 lbs. The high-temperature sealed bearings can be powder coated, to blend in seamlessly. n DDTECH.COM (800) 726-0888

n KLEINTOOLS.COM (847) 821-5617

Stylish Deck Screw AnchorMark’s new stainless steel decking screws feature a self-drilling tip that makes installation in hardwood decking and cladding quick and easy. Their small-head diameter and underhead pockets ensure heads sink cleanly and easily. Grooved shafts add strength, and the wood is protected from tearing or splitting by the drill tip. n ANCHORMARKUSA.COM (949) 413-7084 Building-Products.com

May 2020

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Deck Posts That Last ICC-approved and guaranteed for life, PermaColumn deck posts provide a precast concrete alternative to cast-in-place concrete piers and embedded wood posts. The precast concrete deck posts install quickly and easily with traditional construction methods, without the hassle of pouring concrete on the jobsite. They elevate wood posts above ground, eliminating rot. Posts come in 4”x4” and 6”x6” configurations in lengths of 30” and 40”. Uplift anchors and 12” column extenders are available. n PERMACOLUMN.COM (800) 622-7190

Vibrant Capped Composite Green Bay Decking’s Capped DuxxBak water shedding deck board is now offered in its proprietary dual-embossed Optima variegated colors. The result is a beautiful, watertight deck that drains outside the deck footprint, providing one of the most affordable options to create a functional dry space under decks, balconies and walkways. Available in five robust, convincing capped colors, the Optima finish offers a realistic depth of grain in a beautiful wood-look finish, and has one of the most slip-resistant surfaces in the market. n GREENBAYDECKING.COM (877) 804-0137

Cordless Counterparts Simpson Strong-Tie has introduced lightweight cordless versions of its popular Quik Drive auto-feed driver system for collated fasteners. Designed to improve speed, reliability and user comfort for a variety of fastening applications, the new cordless system features quick-loading screw strips, precise countersink adjustment, and patented Quik Drive auto-advance mechanism. Three kits are offered—PRO300SG2 decking system, PRO250G2 subfloor system, and PRO200SG2 multipurpose system. They include a 2,000-rpm DeWalt driver motor with an adapter to connect systems for 20V cordless operation. The weight on extension tubes has also been reduced to offset battery weight and permit comfortable stand-up driving. n GO.STRONGTIE.COM/QUIKDRIVECORDLESS (800) 999-5099

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May 2020

Streamlined Commercial Railing Trex Signature railing lives up to its name by affording architects and developers the flexibility and confidence to create truly distinctive spaces. The streamlined, unobtrusive design features panels with traditional balusters that visibly blend with the natural surroundings to optimize sightlines from patios, balconies, decks or public walkways. Continuously graspable rail options are available for added safety, comfort and functionality. The pres-assembled aluminum panels feature a durable powder coating in black, bronze or white. n TREXCOMMERCIAL.COM (877) 215-7245

Building-Products.com

Words of Hope Most other months, these pages would be filled with photos of hundreds of industry professionals attending the latest key industry events. But with all large gatherings currently

Alden J. Robbins Robbins Lumber Inc.

I enjoy reading BPD’s messages of hope and optimism from industry leaders during these times. You can see how times of trial can truly bring out the best, such as how the Greatest Generation was born out of WWII. I have my Airstreamer set up in my driveway right now, and have been living in it for a couple weeks, as I continue to keep the mill operating. I have a son who suffers from respiratory issues, and in an effort to protect them I have decided to self isolate.

Stephen Ondich Commercial Forest Products

If nothing else, this pandemic has reinforced a couple of important lessons: (1) Nothing is more important than the health of you and your loved ones. (2) Resilience is a choice. Curling up in the fetal position and waiting it out is a poor option. Clearly, it’s possible to safely stay connected in this post COVID-19 world. I am seeing it happen in all kinds of new ways each day. Businesses are going to operate differently from here on out, no doubt. You can keep social distance AND maintain social persistence. Time to get creative. The apple cart is turned over. If you’re waiting to put the cart upright, the apples may disappear.

Jim Enright Pacific Woodtech Corp.

PWT continues to be fully operational, as we continue to follow best practices at the Burlington factory to keep our employees safe and employed. Thanks goes to our entire operations team for their commitment to communication with the PWT team and our critical suppliers. We continue to receive orders, produce product, ship product, and receive inbound shipments of raw materials. All the employees at PWT appreciate our fantastic customer base, and your efforts to remain open and serve the essential building industry during these uncertain times.

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May 2020

on hold, BPD went to readers’ places of business—or homes offices, asking to share how they are coping and to offer words of encouragement to others.

Ted Ellis Idaho Timber

As we react to the daily changes in our lives, we are filled with knowledge of the frail nature of our world. I know this due to the fact that for a brief time this virus, and the actions taken to control it, had stolen my joy and filled my heart with concern, anger and anxiety. After considering this and thinking of the people we hope to protect, my wife Cozette and I have joined many others in reaching out to our neighbors and family who should not venture out. We have found joy in the outbursts of gratitude from those who receive acts of kindness. Their responses remind me of 9-11 when so many people forgot about their daily hustle and bustle to take a moment to lift each other, thereby creating a kinder, gentler world for at least a period of time. This year is filled with opportunity—however, not in the normal sense, but in the opportunity to look another in the eyes and speak a kind word of support. Can we have this be the remembrance of this trial? Please consider and together we will change the world. One action and kind gesture at a time.

Eric Degenfelder UC Coatings

I am a runner, and to me this feels like a strange half marathon. It’s a 13-week change period that we are taking day by day, mile by mile. The problem is the course has lots of unseen hills and twists and turns. We don’t know completely what the course looks like but we are figuring it out, with the goal of keeping reliable service and supply to our customers. Our team is talking with our wood products customers on a daily basis— communicating on current operations, outlook and product needs. The responses are highly varied. A few sites have shut down. Others are on reduced production, and are figuring out how to protect inventory. But some have actually increased production of lumber and

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wood products. The situation is very dynamic, but our standard is to ship every order on time and in full, and so far we are meeting that goal across the country from all three of our plants. Our #1 goal is to keep our people safe and to do our part to slow spread of the virus. We have instituted spilt-shifts in production, work from home for everyone else, twice daily cleaning procedures, daily health check-ins for every employee, and other measures. Finally, be a Victor, not a Victim. Keep moving the ball ahead. This spirit keeps us focused, motivated and engaged with our customers.

Tom Le Vere Weekes Forest Products

As the NAWLA 2020 chair, I’ve unexpectedly been tasked with leading our 127-year-old organization through an interesting time. I can understand why some of my colleagues are feeling concerned or overwhelmed by the negative news right now. With an industry that has weathered world wars, the Great Depression, recessions and pandemics, I have the utmost confidence that we will ultimately come through the current situation as well. By saying this, I mean in no way to diminish the tangible impacts you and your employees may be feeling right now. But I’m also seeing reasons to feel hopeful about the recovery, which I anticipate to be soon forthcoming, and know we are likely to feel less strain than other industries between then and now. Look for the many positive indicators for our industry, and share them every chance you get.

Steve Killgore Timber Products

I am an optimist by nature, and I believe that there will be a recovery. While there will be sadness for those lost and the hardships endured, there will also be hope of a new beginning. As we all look to the future, I am consoled by the words, “This too shall pass.”

Chad Epperson United Treating & Distribution Our Vision Statement is “Committed to glorifying God while serving & treating our team members, customers, suppliers, families & communities the way we want to be treated.” In the midst of this pandemic, people are suffering, but it gives all of us an opportunity to love on people and help others. During this challenging time, showing people how much we genuinely care about them can, and will, make a lasting impact, and it is more important now than ever. We are still operating and are here to serve our customers and our industry. We have modified our procedures and are being Building-Products.com

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mindful to make smart decisions for our team members’, customers’ and suppliers’ health and well-being. We are continuously monitoring the situation and have made every effort to educate ourselves. We are fully committed to working together, but what that looks like today may look different tomorrow. In uncertain times we do know every trial has a purpose. God is not surprised or unconcerned by the events happening in our world today. We know that God is in control, and our hope is in Jesus Christ. We are standing in hope, not fear, for we know faith produces endurance. We can endure this trial together and find the good in this situation. For every negative there will be multiple positives. We all must shift our perspective to look for the good. This is my youngest son, Zach’s, senior year. My wife pointed out to me that even if Zach is missing out on the yearend activities, we are so blessed to have this extra time to spend with him before he moves on to his next journey in life. I am so blessed to be a part of an industry that IS essential. Now, more than ever, it is essential we have hope and help each other. Look for solutions. Focus on the good. Prayerfully engage with your teams to unlock the creativity God has given us.

Ryan Kline Disdero Lumber

These are unprecedented times and there is no roadmap to tell us how to manage through the challenges thrown at us day after day. Many of us are working from home, our office staff, and yard personnel are under strict social distance rules, no visitors, drivers must remain in trucks, etc. This will pass; we just need to stay positive and continue to work with our customers and suppliers, so everyone gets through this best as possible.

Brett McCutcheon Beck America

We’ve been in business for over 110 years and this truly is an unprecedented time. BECK America has always prided itself on its wide breath of product offering for tools and we are confident that the demand in the construction industry will quickly rebound. We continue to remain open for business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our current operating hours and shipping timelines are unchanged, enabling us to offer the best service possible during this challenging time. We are using our finely-tuned logistic network to assist our customers who are working through warehouse closures by drop shipping directly to their customers.

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May 2020

David Thom Bruce Bauer Lumber & Supply

“Sharing is caring” is a phrase that many of us are familiar with. Those of us who have children may have taught them the message as they grew up. There are many stories of people who are rising to the occasion to help out those who are not well off. The phrase First Responder comes to mind. In my opinion, this is not just a fireman or a policeman. This is anyone who lends a hand in a time of need. There is a song by Tim McGraw about being “Humble and Kind.” My son gave me a plaque for Christmas with those same words. If you are out walking like many people these days, remember to smile or say something kind. That other person might be in desperate need of some kindness.

Roderick Kabel DeckWise

DeckWise is doing our best to social distance, manufacture our decking products, and ship to every customer that is still operational. We are blessed to be open, and we continue to keep our staff healthy and our customers happy.

Jeff Easterling NELMA

Up here in New England, it’s business close to usual for the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association. Our HQ is open and running, as we’ve been blessed with enough space for our small staff to maintain distance while continuing to work for our members. On the grading side, work continues although we are limiting one-on-one interaction in both our export packaging and mill services. Lumber to be graded is traditionally kept in a warehouse or yard well away from individuals, which allows our inspections to continue at mills that remain open to visitors. While up-close grader training has been temporarily suspended, at the end of the day, we’re still on the forefront performing our duties of consumer protection via quality control. Last year NELMA introduced LiveChat as a communication option on www.nelma.com. That simple decision is paying off in spades. Customers of wood products across the board are reaching out to NELMA in record numbers. Perhaps evaluate your customer communication tools and consider adding your own instant online communication app. Rest assured that we will make it through this short-term situation. But let’s be real, the lumber industry can be a roller coaster on any given day! Yet we always come out the other side strong, determined and ready to meet the demands of every customer. It’s what we do. Building-Products.com

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IN Memoriam

CLASSIFIED Marketplace

John Robert “Bob” Knecht, 96, former head of Knecht Industries, Rapid City, S.D., passed away April 3. After serving as an officer in the U.S. Maritime Service during World War II, he completed his education at Iowa State College in Ames, Ia. He then returned to Rapid City to work with his father and brothers at Knecht Lumber. He rose to become CEO of Knecht Industries from 1963 to 1979. Jack Arthur Dildine, 79, lumber executive, died March 26 in Sebring, Fl. In the 1960s, he worked in lumber sales for Busy Beaver Building Centers, Altoona, Pa. He moved to Ohio in 1971, where he was promoted over all Busy Beaver locations in central Ohio. He later served as an executive with ArlingtonBlaine Lumber Sales, Columbus, Oh., and Strait & Lamp Lumber, Hebron, Oh. He retired in 2004. William Milliken “Bill” Moody Jr., 67, former president and owner of Rufus Deering Lumber Co., Portland, Me., died March 18. After graduating from the University of Maine, he joined the family lumber business, taking the helm when his father retired. He shut it down in 2016. He was a past president of the Retail Lumber Dealers Association of Maine.

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Harold G. Altenberger, longtime Wisconsin lumberman, died April 3. He was 92. He served as an Army medic during World War II. He began his lumber sales career in 1953 and for many years co-owned Mt. Horeb Lumber Co., Mount Horeb, Wi. He retired as sales manager for Brunsell Brothers Lumber & Millwork, Mount Horeb.

Lumber. Several years later, he and Paul Hoops bought the company and changed the named. Gerken later became sole owner and managed the lumberyard until closing it in 1988.

William C. “Bill” Thompson, 80, former owner of Danville Lumber Co., Danville, W.V, passed away April 16. He graduated from Morris Harvey College and spent two years in the U.S. Army before spending 50 years running Danville Lumber. George Murray Seal Jr., retired Maryland-based purchasing agent, died April 6—six weeks shy of 101. After earning a business degree from Johns Hopkins University, he served as an officer in the U.S. Army during World War II. He then worked in lumber sales for Stebbins Anderson Co., Towson, Md., and O’Connor Lumber, Essex, Md. In 1965, he joined Triangle Pacific Forest Products as a buyer in Silver Spring, Md., retiring in 1981. Charles Thomas Chandler, 86, retired Texas lumberman, died April 2. He spent 14 years managing the family businesses Cameron Lumber, Cameron, Tx., and Chandler Paint, Austin. He then worked as a buyer for Yowell Lumber, Killeen, Tx., and at yards in Waco, DeSoto and Duncanville.

Building Products Digest n

William Harris “Willie” McRae, 65, former owner of Ellerbe Lumber Co., Ellerbe, N.C., died April 2. Arnold “Arnie” Gerken, 87, prior owner of Hamler Lumber & Builders Supply, Hamler, Oh., died March 29. He worked as a carpenter until he entered the Army, rising to corporal. Back from Korea, he joined Panning

May 2020

Bernard A. Brady, 88, former co-owner of Deer River Lumber Co., Carthage, N.Y., died April 16. An Army veteran, he joined Nichol’s Sawmill in 1960. He and partner Paul Baker bought the mill in 1968 and renamed it. He retired in 1995. Lawrence D. “Dee” Martin, 81, owner of Taconic Builders Supply, Great Barrington, Ma., died April 3. Marietta R. Hampton, 85, former owner of Vick’s Hardware & Lumber, Ashland City, Tn., died March 22. Building-Products.com

ADVERTISERS Index Page 59

BPD e-Weekly www.building-products.com

Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. www.nelma.com

C&C Wood Products www.ccwoodproducts.com

Overseas Hardwoods Co. www.ohc.net

CMPC www.cmpcmaderas.com

Cover II

Pacific Woodtech www.pacificwoodtech.com

Crumpler Plastic Pipe www.cpp-pipe.com

Do it Best www.doitbestlbm.com

Perma-Column www.permacolumn.com

Everwood Treatment Co. www.everwoodtreatment.com

ProWood www.prowoodlumber.com

Fasco www.fasco-tools.com

Cover III

RailFX www.railfx.com

526 Media Group www.building-products.com

Cover I, 29

Redwood Empire www.buyredwood.com

Great Southern Wood Preserving www.yellawood.com

Cover IV

Simpson Strong-Tie www.strongtie.com

Idaho Timber www.idahotimber.com

Snider Industries www.sniderindustries.com

Jordan Lumber www.jordanlumber.com

Southern Forest Products Association www.spib.org

Kebony www.kebony.com

Spartanburg Forest Products www.spartanburgforestproducts.com

Lonza Wood Protection www.wolmanizedwood.com

Sure Drive www.suredrive.com

Manufacturers Reserve Supply www.mrslumber.com

Swanson Group Sales Co. www.swansongroup.biz

PEBLIO

Peblio www.peblio.com

Deck Building Solutions • 866-767-1850 • www.suredrive.com • sales@suredrive.com

Matthews Marking Systems www.matthewsmarking.com

Timber Products Co. www.timberproducts.com

Norbord www.norbord.com

Versatex www.versatex.com

49, 57

North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. www.nawla.org

Weyerhaeuser Co. www.weyerhaeuser.com

Coming Next Month Building-Products.com

th Anniversary Special Issue May 2020

Building Products Digest n

FLASHBack 85 Years Ago This Month

THE MAY 1935 cover spotlighted Sudden & Christensen, San Francisco, Ca., which owned its own shipping ﬂeet and several sawmills, acted as purchasing agent for other cargo haulers and mills, and oversaw the West Coast retail chain Christensen Lumber Co.

Eighty-five years ago this month, in May of 1935,

BPD’s sister publication, The California Lumber Merchant, reported on the heady comeback the construction industry and the economy were making as they finally began clawing out of the Great Depression. The turnabout was thanks in part to the 1934 passage of the National Housing Act, which the Federal Housing Administration hoped would make home ownership more affordable and stimulate other sectors of the economy. The stimulus seemed to work. In less than a year, housing starts, lumber production, and lumber prices had all rebounded from all-time lows. Suddenly, housing shows were in vogue across the country, some attracting hundreds of thousands of homeowners and industry professionals alike. In Los Angeles, investors quickly built the 110,000sq. ft. Pan-Pacific Auditorium, initially to house the National Housing Exposition. The two-story, steel-frame building, with its iconic art deco entry, was constructed in five weeks at a cost of $125,000. It was finished just in time to host the Expo May 18 to June 2, 1935. The show featured 200 exhibits, including a fully furnished, 1,700-sq. ft. ranch-style House of Tomorrow, complete with two bedrooms, dining room, kitchen, pantry, living room, trellised brick patio, and two-car garage.

Building Products Digest n

May 2020

Along the show floor, optimism reigned supreme. Although the auditorium closed shortly after the opening of the larger Los Angeles Convention Center in 1972, its memorable entrance lives on as the inspiration for the Disney Hollywood Studios theme park in Orlando, which opened May 1, 1989. Three weeks later, the actual Pan-Pacific burned to the ground. Back in May 1935, brisk business, rising lumber demand, and mills humming around the clock did contribute to one negative consequence, as more than 30,000 sawmill workers and longshoremen in the Pacific Northwest went out on strike. Virtually all Douglas fir lumber and plywood mills went dark, in addition to several redwood and pine facilities. The striking workers demanded a raise to 75 cents per hour (up from 42.5 cents), union recognition, and overtime if they worked more than 30 hours in a week. Demand quickly shifted to southern pine mills in the South, as well as sawmills in British Columbia. Dozens of mills in Oregon and Washington remained closed for more than three months, until, one by one, some facilities began restarting—some with union exemptions, most without. In all, it took 15 weeks to get a compromise approved by members of the Sawmill & Timber Workers’ Union, and get all the striking employees back to work.

THE REVIVAL of home building was a major impetus for the construction of Los Angeles’ Pan-Pacific Auditorium.

Building-Products.com

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