BPD June 2021

BPD

JUNE 2021

Building Products Digest

THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1982

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- With Quality Pressure Treated Lumber -

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CONTENTS

June 2021 Volume 40 n Number 6

Stay connected between issues with www.building-products.com

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Special Focus

Features

Departments

36 SOUTHERN PINE

10 MARGIN BUILDERS

PULLS TOGETHER EVERYTHING LUMBER

12 FEATURE STORY

8 ACROSS THE BOARD 20 OLSEN ON SALES 22 TRANSFORMING TEAMS 24 LUMBER 411 34 MOVERS & SHAKERS 40 NEW PRODUCTS 47 DATEBOOK 48 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 48 TALKBACK 48 IN MEMORIAM 49 ADVERTISERS INDEX 50 FLASHBACK

SOUTHERN FOREST PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION DEALERS WILL NEED TO FIND, SOURCE AND

DEALERS BIG INTO PORTABLE STACK RACKS

PROMPTED BY THE PANDEMIC, LBM RETAILERS MOVE QUICKLY TO E-COMMERCE

SELL SOUTHERN PINE.

14 LBM TECH

THE RISE OF WEB-BASED APPS

BPD

16 INDUSTRY TRENDS

JUNE 2021

Building Products Digest

INDUSTRY BUSINESSES QUICKEN ADOPTION OF NEW TECH

THE VOICE OF THE LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1982

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18 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

SOUTH CAROLINA’S SOUTHERN LUMBER & MILLWORK ENJOYS FRUITS OF ITS UPDATED DOOR & WINDOW SHOWROOM

CHOOSE GREATNESS w i l d h o g p r o d u c t s . c o m Digest 6-21 Layout.indd 1

5/24/2021 8:02:38 AM

32 THINKING AHEAD WITH NAWLA

BPD Digital Edition at www.building-products.com

The Official Publication of

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n Building Products Digest n June 2021

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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®2021 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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isisavailable ed requester U.S.-baseddealers dealersand and availableon onaaqualifi qualified requesterbasis basis to to senior senior management of U.S.-based distributors materials, distributorsspecializing specializingininlumber lumberand andbuilding building materialsand andtotoothers othersatatthe therate rateofof$22 $22 per peryear. year.Subscribe Subscribe now now by emailing emailing info@526mediagroup.com info@building-products.comororcalling calling714.486.2735.

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ACROSS the Board

By Patrick Adams

Making memories

remember years before we had kids, my wife and I were sitting around talking about some good friends of ours and their kids. It seemed that every weekend they were on the move with trips, excursions or sports. Anytime we asked them about why they didn’t just take a rest once in a while, they simply responded, “We’re making memories.”

We would always look at each other and shrug our shoulders in confusion.

I have many memories from my childhood and I’d rather forget them all. My wife also has many memories, but they are what I would call “traditional”—a play session in the backyard, a funny situation that happened during family dinner, or a major event in life. As I entered my adult life, things quickly changed. While technically I remember a lot of that time, none came from the deliberate act of “making memories.” In fact, I wouldn’t be sad if I forgot most of it.

Once we had kids, we thought more about making memories for the kids and our family. Our schedule started filling with camping trips and the mini adventures that we thought a childhood should be filled with. In a social media-like strategy, I suppose we are crafting what we want our children to recollect someday as a testimony to what great parents we were.

As I read what I’ve written, that sounds like regret. It isn’t. I don’t have regrets in life, am proud of what I’ve done and appreciate having learned from my hardships. But as we grow older, we become more aware of our mortality and things like our legacy. I consider what I will think about in my final years and whether, in that wisdom, will I smile or frown? Those that are left behind, will they smile or frown in thinking about me?

I thought about this recently as a close group of friends offered an invite to me. It was a simple invitation that caused me to think far more than it should have. “Come with us to Pebble Beach for the weekend to play golf.” And there it was and the “curse of being me” took off—should I take a weekend away from the family just for me? That felt selfish.

If I’m going to a five-star resort, it should be with my wife, not the group of savages who invited me! It felt excessive…

I don’t need to play somewhere that charges that much just for a round of golf!

But, peer pressure and a wonderful spouse got the better of me and we were on our way. Those who know me claim I have only “one speed,” that I’m pretty “neutral,” always aware, and always thinking. That quickly changed. As we drove up the coast, jokes, stories and banter had me laughing more than I can ever remember. We pulled into Pebble

I

Beach and reality hit me square in the jaw—I’m about to play Pebble Beach! Before I knew it, I had played Spyglass and Pebble Beach, and we were on our way home.

The drive back was more quiet and thoughtful. I thought that this was something I would NEVER forget. The beauty and history were indescribable. Every shot I made felt as if I had to make it count because it was important. Sharing this with true friends is what made this experience a memory rather than just a round of golf. That was when I was flooded with the power of it all. How fortunate I am to have a wife who encouraged me to do this, friends who bullied me into it, the health to be able to do it, and the means to be able to have this experience.

While some may think this was memorable because of the cost, it wasn’t. It was the experience, and the emotion of it all. It was sharing that experience with a group of people I care about. It was the peace of knowing that those who love me truly wanted me to do because they care about me. I thought about all of this a lot on the drive back.

As much as we are consumed with investing in our education, our business, our careers, and our retirement, we also need to invest in making memories. Not simply for the memory itself, but in what it does to you as a person. I came back not just happy, but was reminded of how incredibly grateful I am for the life I have. I came back a slightly better version of myself because of those memories of a weekend.

So, stop what you’re doing. Think about the first thing that comes to mind after reading this, and then go do it!

While there will always be a million good reasons to not do something, being able to make a meaningful memory should be reason enough to do it anyway. As the markets remain strong and things slowly return to this new version of normal, I hope happy memories find you soon.

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

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Building-Products.com

YellaWood® brand pressure treated pine is sought after by all the best builders, especially those with leather tails, buck teeth and nature’s highest building standards. Our proven reputation for having high quality products drives demand for the Yella Tag. The five-star service and unrivaled support of the YellaWood® brand puts dealers in position to meet their customer’s specific needs. See how the YellaWood® brand delivers at YellaWood.com.

IF IT DOESN’T HAVE THIS YELLA TAG, YOU DON’T WANT IT.

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.

INDUSTRY Trends

By David Koenig

PORTABLE stacking racks are the hottest trend in material handling. They can be used to store, stage and ship materials, particularly doors and windows. (Photo by Krauter Auto-Stak)

Dealers clamor for portable stacking racks ortable stacking racks for millwork and other building materials are not new, but over the last two years—and particularly the last two months—demand for the storage devices among dealers has gone through the roof.

“These are a growing trend, but not a new idea,” noted Travis Darnell, of CT Darnell/Sunbelt Rack. “We first developed this rack for GeorgiaPacific back in the late ’90s and have been successfully selling it ever since. We have many thousands out in the field that successfully improve millwork operations throughout North America.”

Over the last 10 years, Krauter Auto-Stak has increased its portable stacking rack sales tenfold, to the point it has been maintaining an inventory and turning two truckloads a month, holding 2,000 racks apiece. In April, it had to order four truckloads.

In May, it ordered eight truckloads

P

ALTHOUGH designed for windows, doors and other millwork items, the racks accommodate a wide range of products including bagged goods, engineered lumber products, cabinetry, pailed goods, and much more. (Photo by Krauter Auto-Stak)

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Building-Products.com

and by the time the shipment arrived, seven of the eight had already been sold.

Chris Krauter attributes the growth to the overall trend toward containerization in shipping. “Look at the railroads—you rarely see boxcars any more. They’re mostly piggybacks with containers on top,” he explains.

“The container is left intact from manufacturer straight to end-user. It cuts down on handling.”

Dealers are discovering that portable stacking racks can serve the same purpose, which is especially valuable in decreasing opportunities for damaging expensive windows and doors.

Instead of unloading the delivery from the millwork manufacturer, storing it by hand, later loading it on to a delivery truck, and ultimately unloading it at the jobsite, the product goes straight into a rack, where it remains all the way to the builder.

“They will load each order into a portable stacking rack, mark it off, and stack them up like sardines in a very small area. Some dealers even grid the floors off—that’s A1, A2, B1, B2, so they can keep track of where each job is,” Krauter explains. “When the customer is ready, they’ll drop off their kitted order at the jobsite using a three-wheeled

forklift on the back of their flatbed. Sometimes, they’ll even leave the rack behind and drive off, saying they’ll return next week to pick up their frames.”

Krauter Auto-Stak originally offered a single standardsized rack measuring 45” wide, 90” long, and 94” high, which are large enough to accommodate a 6x8 door that’s framed out and still fit inside a box van. But two years ago it introduced a “tall boy” model, measuring 110” high, to store the increasingly prevalent 8-ft.-tall residential doors.

“You can get an 8-ft. door in a 94” rack but then you can’t stack it,” Krauter explained. “Twenty percent of our portable stacking racks are now 110”, and the last two truckloads we sent out were nothing but tall boys.”

Traditionally, the racks have been U-shaped, like a baseball backstop. The product is placed inside and strapped in across the front. Krauter has begun also adding backstops in front, which can be used to create shelves for holding another level of windows.

The racks can also be used for kitchen cabinets, rolled roofing, and other building products. Dealers are seemingly finding new uses by the day. “A guy will buy one and come back and buy a half-dozen,” Krauter says. “It’s like cigarettes—they can’t stop!”

MILLWORK RACKS can be stacked up to three levels high. (Photo by Krauter Auto-Stak)

SUNBELT RACK’S millwork stack racks can hold 3,000 lb. each, even when stacked. (Photo by CT Darnell/Sunbelt Rack)

Building-Products.com

June 2021 n Building Products Digest n

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FEATURE Story

By Ted McNamara

OVER THE last year, the pace has skyrocketed for LBM dealers adding new e-commerce web presences. The revamped sites allow users to submit orders and quotes online, with their purchases moving into a shopping cart like that shown above. (Image by BuilderWire)

LBM dealers move quickly to e-commerce rior to the pandemic, there were a limited number of LBM companies with e-commerce sites, as most felt a basic web presence was sufficient. Over the last 15 months, the pandemic has dramatically shifted the LBM industry’s focus to seek out technology solutions in order to provide online access to both their account holding customers (B2B), and a true e-commerce experience for the local consumers (B2C) looking to purchase materials online and schedule a delivery.

There are many examples of e-commerce growth in the LBM industry, but none show it more than the pure number of inquiries BuilderWire has seen recently. In the first quarter of 2021, we signed on almost 30 new LBM clients. The companies range from multi-location distribution companies to smaller one-location lumberyards or hardware stores. The new desire to allow their customers secure, online access to view AR balances, make online payments, check inventory via an e-catalog, and even place an order for customer pickup or delivery has never been more apparent.

Dealers are also now looking to add credit card payment options to capture new local business with delivery. Dealers were caught off guard when the pandemic hit. Consumers were demanding online ordering and the dealers quickly pivoted to find ways to make online e-commerce work for their business and this new demand.

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2000-2010

BuilderWire was founded in the early 2000s. At the time, our industry was extremely resistant towards technological

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change, especially building a web presence that showed pricing online. Early on, a major issue for LBM dealers trying to implement e-commerce was the nonexistent access to the data contained in the dealer’s ERP software. Most major ERP companies hadn’t thought about giving external access to data using web services or APIs to pull the data.

Once we finally had reliable access to data, the few LBM companies that started using e-commerce had strict rules of who could or could not access the online portal. Most early adopters of e-commerce only allowed their top and loyal customers access to their web portal. Companies were not interested in promoting their brands online, social media was still in its infant stages, and mobile friendly sites didn’t even exist yet.

2010-2015

LBM dealers were once again caught off guard with the rapid adoption of web-enabled mobile phones. Any prior investment made into their web presence was now completely outdated. Today, about 65% of traffic on a dealer’s website comes from a mobile device. It was crucial that websites became responsive to any device the end user was using. This caused most dealers to rebuild their websites to allow functionality on a mobile phone.

The rebuilds allowed dealers to incorporate more e-commerce into their websites, and we saw an increase of clients wanting online product catalogs. Our platform directly connects to our clients’ “back-office computer” to pull product information from the ERPs. This feed allows the dealer to Building-Products.com

build a fully integrated product catalog that is maintained completely within their ERP. Any changes made in the back-office computer would push to the website, giving dealers a dynamic data driven web store (1:1 ratio with the website). The adoption of e-commerce was still limited, but access to ERP data was improving. Social media was around at this point, but not prominent in the LBM industry by any stretch of the word.

2015-2020

Customers started to see the benefits of channelizing their e-commerce efforts. Mobile sites were very important by this time. If your website couldn’t be viewed on a phone, it was a problem.

Customers began to open up to the idea of B2B e-commerce, mainly selling to the loyal customers that are in their stores every day, rather than opening up the catalog to everyone. Over the course of these years, many companies opened e-commerce stores and websites started accepting payments over the internet.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram had taken off.

They are used both as a point of contact, as well as a source for general information or information about the products that they sell.

2020-2021 The pandemic has altered the way virtually all LBM businesses are able to operate. Dealers are really pushing to adopt a more powerful, user friendly, and well merchandised online store.

This listing is all of the functionally requested to be developed since the pandemic started: 1. ACH – Bank-to-bank bill payments for account holders to pay statement balances or select invoices.

2. Developed curbside pickup functionality in which dealers meet clients curbside with the order placed online.

3. Builder Dash functionality, which allows for a select product group to be delivered within two hours of ordering.

4. Locker integration for touchless pick up with bar code sent the mobile phone and scanned at the locker.

5. Online training portal – A large U.S. wholesaler is using the platform to train and educate their LBM customers on selling specific products.

6. GEO targeting so we can offer localized delivery to clients using credit cards and shipped on company trucks.

7. Curri Integration – Curri is an on-demand delivery service for lumberyards. Think UBER Eats for lumber deliveries. It offers a two-hour delivery.

Building-Products.com

8. We are currently developing a web-based product configuration system to allow configuration of interior/ exterior doors on our client’s website.

9. We offer countless shipping options and we are integrated with UPS, FedEx, USPS and multiple common carrier shipping companies that allow our clients to ship across the country.

10. Online scheduling for kitchen designers allowing the client to view the available time slots open and set up an appointment with the kitchen design team.

11. Multi language support – Some of our clients are near a significant population of Spanish speaking customers.

The system allows the user to toggle between languages.

12. Video/Media Library – Dealers can upload training/products videos.

13. Split Shopping Cart – This allows dealers to offer for sale both in stock items and special-order items in the same shopping cart. If an end-user orders a few items that are in stock and a few items that are special order, the shopping cart gets split into two shopping carts and two orders submitted.

14. Search Engine Optimization & Reputation Management – LBM dealers now understand the importance of driving traffic to their website. There is no added value from a website that does not gain any new traffic/business. SEO is used to drive organic traffic to the website. Using various SEO techniques with on-page optimization helps dealer’s sites get the highest possible raking on Google, Bing and other search engines.

Another important realization is

off page reputation management work is required. One bad Yelp, Google or Facebook post can tarnish the brand and image of the dealer. LBM dealers are more focused on gaining good reviews and comments on the off-page sites.

15. Social Media Feeds – There are many benefits to having your website linked to social media pages. Whether there is a promotion on a product or a new educational blog post, having the website directly connected to a company’s socials is a tactic used to increase traffic. It provides more “entryways” to a website, meaning the website will show up in search results more often.

The global pandemic unexpectedly created a boom for dealers selling lumber. It also showed how unprepared dealers were in allowing e-commerce access for clients. This recognition came at a perfect time in the evolution of e-commerce capabilities for dealers.

The younger generation has influenced their company leaders to apply technological change and e-commerce capabilities. API’s and web services have become robust in being able to access dealers’ data. And, e-commerce software has become less expensive, more functional, and easier to deploy.

The thinking is: you can buy anything online, why not building materials?

The global pandemic was the catalyst that changed the thinking from “we want this in the future” to “we absolutely need this now.”

– Ted McNamara is business development manager for BuilderWire, Inc. (www. builderwire.com).

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LBM Tech

By Holden Melia

The rise of web-based apps usiness is complicated and the workforce of today expects the technology they work with to play nicely together. Along with mobile applications and APIs, webbuilt computer software has risen in popularity in recent years, with web apps (also called cloud-based apps) replacing desktop apps to become a powerful business tool.

Web-based applications are a type of software you access through a web browser, such as Google. Instead of installing a program that lives in your computer’s memory, you can interact with it via remote server.

Confused yet? Think about the analogy of DVDs vs Netflix. If you’re using a DVD player to watch movies, you own the machine. If you want more DVDs or updated device technology, you buy a new machine and new DVDs (unless you’re still having them delivered by snail mail, but... really!?). By contrast, if you’re watching movies with Netflix, you log onto your web browser and stream whatever you want.

B

Advantages of Web-Based Apps Portability. Of the advantages of web-based apps over desktop, portability is front and center. Even before COVID hit, people were working from home more. In our industry, salespeople are on job sites and in warehouses more than they’re sitting in the office. On-the-go technology is essential.

Talent Attraction. Having modern technology is one of the ways employers can recruit and retain talent. This is especially true for new grads who are used to paying bills, ordering groceries, seeing doctors, even filing taxes through the web. Businesses who have web-based apps to help employees do their jobs are seen as more relevant, desirable employers than those who don’t.

Customization. Web-based apps often use something called decoupling, which means the front end (the part the user sees) is separate from the back end (the logic and “guts” of the program). This is a win for two reasons. First, it’s easier and faster for developers to make changes to the front end. Second, it’s easier for businesses to customize the appli-

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cation. For instance, a business could use the logic (or back end) of a mobile picking app but design an interface that’s easier for their employees to use.

No Installation. The fact that cloud-based apps come without IT overhead costs like software installation is a huge win, especially for a company with many employees. Not having to pay developers to code for different operating systems is another one. For employees, logging in and working anywhere makes their jobs easier.

Urban Planning for the Web. These are some of the reasons why DMSi has embarked on a journey to get Agility ERP to the web. It’s no small undertaking. The project involves migrating over 1,400 existing windows to web-based versions, as well as building new modules such as Agility Analytics and Installed Sales directly on the web.

It’s a little like urban planning. We’ve had to think about the whole user experience (how traffic flows, where the parks should be) before breaking ground. In tech terms, that means being extremely thoughtful about a user’s experience, identifying how modules fit together, and how information flows.

Providing a simple and intuitive user interface for a complex business application is all about balance.

Going Forward There are ways to start leveraging web-based apps without totally disrupting business. There may be web-based versions of programs you’re already using, like Microsoft Office. There are also a host of new web-based business tools that allow employees to collaborate in new and intuitive ways, like Slack and Microsoft Teams.

Finally, if you’re looking to bring new technology into your business such as a CRM program, make web-based access a selection criterion.

– Holden Melia is vice president of product management, sales & marketing with DMSi, provider of business software for the lumber and building materials industry (www.dmsi.com).

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INDUSTRY Trends

By Jason Parchomchuk

THE PANDEMIC has forced LBM dealers and wholesalers to adopt new technology to keep their businesses going.

LBM businesses quicken adoption of new tech he last year involved a lot of change in every industry, and LBM was not immune. We’ve seen challenges and even more swift evolution. On the bright side, building suppliers have prepared for the worst, positioning themselves in a better spot than ever before to respond to worst-case-scenario situations. As we look ahead to the upcoming year, the LBM industry will see a few distinct changes.

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Cloud has never been more important

With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, building supply businesses are seeing an even bigger need for cloud software technology solutions that enable business continuity—allowing for the ability to be productive and respond to customer needs no matter where they are— whether they are working remotely, physically distanced in the store or on a job site.

Cloud software solutions have been game-changing for many organizations, and they perform in a variety of different ways that enable employees to work remotely and physically distance in the store, yard or on the job site. Mobile apps have also become very important as they enable business transactions anytime, anywhere—speeding up a process that once took days. We have also seen many customers develop robust web stores and customer portals as the demand increases. With more remote workers comes more remote customers, and fully developed web stores and customer portals are integral in enhancing the user experience.

Ultimately, cloud software has been for a significant evolution for businesses in the LBM industry, and we’re only seeing that become more and more true. As businesses need to reevaluate their own customers, using data from cloud software will help them understand which customers are the most and least profitable and understand buying

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patterns. The wide-range use of cloud software means there are more flexible ways to meet customers’ needs—customer portals are now becoming the mainstay, where as before, customers would have relied on in-person engagements much more often.

There is a sharp rise in digitized supply chains The building supply industry as a whole is moving toward digitized supply chains to better connect all stakeholders—the yard, the warehouse, the store, the jobsite, manufacturing and delivery. This level of digital integration has been accelerated by the pandemic, since it offers the most seamless model and the best customer experience since it connects every aspect of a transaction—from order status and production status, to warehouse fulfillment status and delivery status.

Businesses are looking for tools that best enable their employees to be productive and respond to customer needs no matter where they are. With supply chain disruption, pricing volatility, and strategic pricing, analytics and forecasting is even more crucial to maintain profitability and help thwart issues. Customers are looking for flexible, safe options to do business with their suppliers—via mobile, online ordering and payment, curbside delivery.

The building supply industry is increasing its adoption of e-commerce software tools Building supply businesses want self-service capabilities when it comes to placing orders online, viewing account information, or making payments. For this reason, online customer portals are becoming even more mainstay, including e-commerce tools such as web stores, curbside pick-up and delivery, payment links, credit card surcharges, and more.

In a lot of cases, the solutions mentioned above had Building-Products.com

already been developed, but the pandemic has forced clients to realize it’s time to adopt them. The use of e-commerce tools has grown significantly in the past year—an eMarketer report found that U.S. e-commerce sales was projected to reach $794.50 billion in 2020, up 32.4% year over year. As the pandemic continues to push businesses to stay onlineonly, it’s likely that the e-commerce trends will continue in the same direction in nearly every industry. That being said, it’s critical that an LBM dealer have data visibility, and these tools are helping the industry move forward in the face of the digital revolution.

Evaluating business through analytics When times are busy and customer orders are tacking up, a robust, user-friendly analytics system is one of the best tools a business can have. Without total, end-to-end visibility with orders, businesses are forced to shoot from the hip when it comes to managing inventory and preparing for high demands. Every supplier sits on a mountain of data, but it doesn’t need to be a cumbersome pile of numbers. The right technology helps them wrangle data to fulfill business needs.

Building-Products.com

Business are looking for tools and analytics such as Market Basket Analysis, Customer Stratification, Company Stress Tests, and more to evaluate and manage ongoing demands.

Knowing which customers and products are the best by investigating not just their profits, but their relationships and affiliations to other aspects of the business, allows resources to be focused on where they are most valuable.

Mere months in and 2021 has already proven to be just as unpredictable as the year prior. Across industries, COVID-19 has reinforced the need for a technological shift at a pace never seen before. As businesses in the LBM world face the future, powerful new digital capabilities, utilizing the cloud in ways never done before, and enhancing business methods with e-commerce tools will be critical to success.

– Jason Parchomchuk is product manager at Epicor Software Corp. (www.epicor.com).

June 2021 n Building Products Digest n

17

COMPETITIVE Intelligence

By Carla Waldemar

FIRST CLASS: South Carolina’s Southern Lumber & Millwork recently updated its door & window showroom.

Southern comfort

obody thought about lumber in the beginning. Back in 1940, Herman Albrecht Jr., a vocational school shop instructor, used his backyard garage as a workshop for woodworking commissions from friends and neighbors. A year later he’d run out of space and took over a warehouse on King Street in Charleston, S.C.’s historic downtown.

Here he added 2x4s and such, to satisfy customers’ requests.

Those bits and pieces of lumber grew to require storage in neighboring warehouses throughout downtown, spurring Herman to purchase seven acres in 1945 and build what grew into a cluster of buildings to house the robust outfit which still reigns right there today.

Fast forward to 2009, when “the business went in the opposite direction,” recalls his grandson, Thad Shuler, who today serves as president of what’s mushroomed into Southern Lumber & Millwork Corp. “It got into framing— just in time for the recession,” he laughs. “This provided

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the opportunity at the front end [of construction], where millwork, at the back end, was harder to sell.” Thus, “a chance to compete for the larger portion of a home.”

A window and door shop was added in 2009, “after our framing adventure,” Thad recounts. “At that time, Stock Lumber was closing several of its locations, so their rep came to us with the idea—and thank God we listened.”

(Another laugh) “We teamed up with Andersen and Marvin and some vinyl window lines, and now this niche represents 30% of our total sales. We’ve been two times Andersen’s Dealer of the Year, and our Marvin sales tripled last year.”

Which called for a brand-new millwork showroom. “We work very hard with architects as well as builders, so, with the coronavirus, many of them are working from home, and this new building also offers them conference rooms where they can bring their clients. Our customers are 95% pros, building new custom homes and working in the remodeling market, which currently is very, very strong.

“It also sets us apart from the competition—which is terrible, terrible, terrible! Too much! Lots of chains, plus three or four independents.” But demand keeps growing, too. “People keep moving into Charleston in big numbers from California, Ohio, wherever, because the cost of living is much lower here; you can have a far nicer house for your money.”

So contractors are scrambling, and Southern knows that their time is money. “They love our quality, our service, our vendors. Plus, pick-up time for them is only about five minutes. We’ll have will-call on the drive-thru rack within an hour, which has been instrumental in 85% of sales from back of truck. Our OTIF [on time, in full] record is 98%,” Thad has earned a right to brag.

But then a funny thing happened on the way to the Building-Products.com

LUSHLY designed rooms within the showroom display samples of the company’s craftsmanship, while doubling as conference spaces for builders’ clients.

forum—er, bank. Along came an out-of-the-blue notice from the South Carolina Department of Transportation, notifying the company that it would require two of the outfit’s seven acres for its highway program. This necessitated launching a construction project that lasted three-and-a-half “very stressful” years, Thad shudders. “Of our 15 buildings, 10 were demolished and five remodeled— certainly not normal, but we persevered right through. We had to move all our shop equipment—63 years worth of machinery. The irony is,” he pauses, “that our customers had no idea that all this was going on, because we worked on it from the back of the site, where they never visited.”

Southern’s top-quality service continued without a ripple.

“The positive impact of the story,” Thad continues, “is how well we kept doing. The reality check, in 2013, was that we’d just experienced our three best years; coming out of the recession, sales were great. And we’d gained from some of the changes—gained some efficiencies. We moved our Design Center to the front of the property, creating new efficiency in in-and-out. Today, we’re better off: new facilities, less maintenance.”

Employee count has risen to 130—a good thing, too.

“With that number, we have more flexibility. Turnover is down because we’re getting better at ‘right person/right seat.’ After an onboarding process, training kicks in— anywhere from two weeks for the yard to two years to groom management. We compete for good workers not only with other lumberyards, but with the big boys here, like Boeing. Our employees like the way we take care of our people, such things as increasing PTO.” The company also provides learning opportunities for students with an interest in millwork and carpentry.

“Our people are happy,” Thad declares. “They stay on 20, 30, 40 years; they become our family. Our customers benefit from that, too. They love our knowledge and service. We’re not the cheapest, and some of them are very price-sensitive. Yet with the volume we do, we can become very, very competitive. They also like that even when we had to shrink our acreage, we didn’t shrink our SKUs. And now, thanks to the new buildings, our lumber is stored in a covered structure to preserve quality.”

Southern also continues to operate a thriving millwork shop, geared to replicate the details in Charleston’s old, historic home—mouldings, mantels, countertops, all on display in the new showroom. It has supplied millwork Building-Products.com

throughout Charleston, including a walkway bridge to Magnolia Gardens and The Citadel’s Ring.

These specialties also are marketed on social media, Thad reports. “We’ve been putting a lot of energy and effort into it in the past five years, with Facebook and Instagram postings daily. We used them to announce our Rock the Block party, which introduced our remodeled showroom. Our ‘coming out’ party drew 500 people,” he reports. “Prospective customers liked what they saw, like our roof-covered lumber, which makes us stand out from our competitors.”

With the recession in the rear-view, “We’ve had 11 years that have been the best years ever,” Thad reiterates—even the painful times where “we grew too much too fast. Not fun. But now we’re in a good, stable spot. The housing market is very strong.”

Then along came the virus. “People are looking for bigger homes to house their home offices. The corona virus changed both the demographics and the dynamics; you need to make decisions quickly—such as, if you need another truck, you just buy another truck.”

Or if you need a second location, pow! You open a second location. That’s what Southern Lumber did recently, on land just a half-mile down the street. “We’d looked for land for a couple of years because our window and door sales had run out of capacity. This allows us to spread out; otherwise, we’d have to have gone vertical to keep up.

We’d had 10,000 sq. ft. for W&D; now we’ve got 20,000.”

And Thad couldn’t be happier, even though this vision of his future wasn’t in his game plan. He’d been living in Europe for seven years when his family let him know they needed him back home. “They offered me a great career opportunity. I’d been married two years by then. My wife and I decided it was time to return to Southern living.” And to Southern Lumber.

That’s what’s called a win/win.

Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net June 2021 n Building Products Digest n

19

OLSEN on Sales

By James Olsen

Conquering sales fears Fear of the No

ales is not an intellectual endeavor. All of my students have more than enough intelligence to do their job. The reason some do better, faster than others is because they conquer their fears faster. What are the “fears” that hold salespeople back?

S

Fear of Being Too Pushy

The first exercise I do with every team I work with is to make two columns. I title one “Negatives” and the other “Positives.” Above the two columns I write “Salespeople Are:.” Ninety-five percent of the time the number one response in the negative column is “Pushy.” Why do I do this exercise first? Because the fear of being pushy is the number one problem of struggling sellers!

Because these sellers are so afraid of being pushy, they pull their punches at every stage of the sales process and get treated badly because of it. They are not proud of what they do, and it shows. More than showing it, the customers can FEEL it. If we walk and talk like second class citizens, the world—our customers—will treat us that way! It’s easy to say no to someone who doesn’t believe in themselves.

We do not need to be pushy to be great salespeople.

We need to be persistent and consistent when contacting customers and potential customers. We need to understand our value proposition and be able to stand up for it (push?) throughout the sales process. A great customer of mine, Sven Melbo, says, “You have to have a backbone to be a good salesperson.” I couldn’t agree more. Sales is a mirror.

If we will not stand up for ourselves and our product, our customers won’t either.

I’m Sorry to Bother You But We interrupt people’s lives. Especially when we are looking for new business. They are not expecting our call.

We don’t have an appointment. But we call or show up anyway. Many sellers talk and carry themselves like an intruder, and thus are treated like an intruder. Master Sellers are there to help. They know they bring value. They act as if people will be glad to talk with them and in most cases, get treated that way.

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We didn’t like NO at 2 years old, at 10, or at 15. We still don’t like it. It’s natural. But as professional salespeople we need to train ourselves to LOVE the NO. We need to expect it and be comfortable with it. Our job doesn’t really start until the customer says no.

Because sellers are afraid of the NO, they don’t ask for the order. Ninety percent of the salespeople you will compete against today do not ask for the order. The problem is that presenting product and letting the customer decide without asking for the order works. Fearful salespeople get orders all the time just four times less than the Master Sellers around them (think yearly income 50K vs. 200K).

When we don’t ask for the business, we send the message that we don’t want it and we don’t think we deserve it.

Fear of Success I have students that have hated “The Man” for so long they don’t want to be “The Man” or “The Woman.” Change is stressful. Even if the change is making more money. I’ve had several students who, as they became more successful as salespeople had frictions in their relationships. One in particular had financial problems for years pursuing a noble career helping others. He then became a very successful salesperson, which gave him more confidence, which in turn changed the dynamics of his relationship with his wife.

She wanted him to go back to being financially strapped!

They worked it out, but these kinds of things happen.

Fear of Failure “Scared money doesn’t win” nor does it sell. Sales is a transfer of emotion. Salespeople that are afraid to lose make customers uncomfortable. It’s like a bad comedian. All we want them to do is stop and get off the stage.

Salespeople who are afraid of losing lose more often because of it.

We need to be unrealistic in our heads and our hearts. We need to convince ourselves—before we call—that everyone will want to do business with us. We need to be “positively, naively assumptive.”

Conquering our sales fears is enjoyable and profitable.

James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572 james@realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com

TRANSFORMING Teams

By Paige McAllister

Diversity, equality and inclusion:

LGBTQ+ employees

ederal and in some instances state and local law protects several groups of people in the workplace based on their sexual or gender identity. Given the newness of these protections, as well as the diversity of characteristics and people within this group, some employers are finding it difficult to know how to react to and accommodate the needs of this group.

Definitions: LGBTQ+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer with the “+” representing the numerous other sexualities and gender identities covered by this broad term. While employers are not required to know all of the terms, they are required to be accepting, treat an employee equally, and protect them from discrimination, harassment or retaliation.

DEI is a term encapsulating the goals companies should have when creating policies, procedures and practices with respect to employees in any protected group (including race, national origin, age and/or LGBTQ+). While descriptions vary slightly from source-to-source, common definitions include (as found at DEI Expert Hub): Diversity – Having different types of people from a wide range of identities with different perspectives, experiences, etc.

Inclusion – Putting diversity into action by creating an environment of involvement, respect and connection – where the richness of ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives are harnessed to create value.

F

Q. We are reopening the office and have some employees who are vaccinated while others are not. Do we have to implement any different procedures or policies?

A. Our best recommendation is to follow the current guidelines established by the CDC, OSHA and other health & safety experts. Right now, their guidance includes maintaining most of the safety procedures implemented last year: social distancing (possibly with barriers), wearing masks when walking through the workplace or within 6 ft. of others, limited use of common areas, hand washing/sanitizing, and regular disinfecting of the workplace. This guidance is the same for vaccinated and unvaccinated people, so you do not need to implement different policies based on an employee’s vaccination status or philosophy.

In situations where CDC guidance differs for vaccinated and unvaccinated people, such as the need to quarantine after travel or exposure to someone with COVID-19, you can implement different procedures as long as you are not targeting or discriminating against a particular group.

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Equity – Removing the predictability of success or failure that currently correlates with any social or cultural factor, examining biases, and creating inclusive environments.

The Basics – Legal Protection On June 15, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark 6-3 decision that includes sexual orientation, including LGBTQ+ employees, as protected under Title VII. This means that terminating or taking other negative employment actions against an LGTBQ employee based on their sexual or gender identity constitutes sex discrimination and therefore is against the law. While several states, counties, and cities had these protections prior to the ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision makes it the law for every employer who falls under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (which applies to most employers).

In response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, the minimum action all employers should take is to: ● Review and revise their non-discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, and non-retaliation policies to include protections for LGBTQ+ groups relating to sexual orientation, gender expression, and transitioning status. ● Update other policies that may be impacted (directly or indirectly) by sex and gender stereotypes, such as dress code, benefit coverage, job requirements, and leave entitlement. ● Ensure all policies and procedures are applied equally to both sexes without regard to sexual orientation, gender identity, or transgender status. ● Train all managers and employees that any and all discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, and retaliation violates the law and therefore company policy, including the newly-protected groups. ● Enforce all policies fairly and discipline any employee, manager, client, or vendor who discriminates, intentionally or unintentionally, against an employee in a group protected under Title VII or any other law such as ADA, ADEA, USERRA, and IRCA. Building-Products.com

Beyond legalities, we encourage our clients to go further than simply “following the law” to experience added benefits. According to research, fostering DEI within the workplace has been found to increase company cash flow by 2.3 times, revenue by 19%, and team performance by 30%.

Additional research shows that employees in an inclusive organization have higher job satisfaction, lower turnover, higher productivity, higher employee morale, improved creativity and innovation, improved problem solving, increased organizational flexibility, and all-around better quality of work life. By hiring, training, and promoting employees so they are active participants in policy and decision-making, employers have ready access to various perspectives, ideas, and experiences to strengthen their business practices.

Examine your policies, practices and procedures for places of improvement in preparation for an employee asking for accommodation. Some accommodations may include: ● Use the name they prefer, even if different than what is on their documentation. ● Use their preferred pronouns which could be “he/him/ his,” “she/her/hers,” “they/them/theirs,” or none at all. ● Offer assistance when a person is transitioning into the gender they identify with from the one of their birth. This may be offering a private bathroom or updating their email address. ● Allow flexibility in your dress code to allow individuals to wear clothing according to their preference rather than their gender identity or gender of their birth. ● Extend that flexibility to your personal appearance policy with regards to hair styles, makeup, behavior, voice or body characteristics.

You should be understanding and respectful, asking for their guidance and help along the way. Your goal should be to learn to make a better workplace for them and everyone else. Remember, it is not the responsibility of the LGBTQ+ community to teach you—it is your responsibility to learn.

Some critical don’ts include: ● Do not assume anything and do not treat all LGBTQ+ employees the same. Let each LGBTQ+ employee ask and explain, then come up with a plan together. ● Do not allow other employees to gossip or treat LGBTQ+ employees differently or exclude them from workplace interactions. ● Do not allow managers to overlook LGBTQ+ employees when it comes to advancement, training and salary increases. Performance should be evaluated fairly and consistently based on essential job-based aspects, not preferences or stereotypes. ● Do not allow third-parties such as clients and vendors to harass or discriminate against your LGBTQ+ employees.

As with other protected groups, you are responsible to protect employees from harassment, discrimination, or sexual harassment from anyone, even non-employees.

By actively creating more opportunities and fostering a productive environment for LGBTQ+ employees, you will reap tangible benefits. Being open to the possibilities will allow you to discover new ways to grow your business and keep your best employees.

Paige McAllister, SPHR Affinity HR Group contact@affinityhrgroup.com Building-Products.com

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Building-Products.com or info@526mediagroup.com June 2021 n Building Products Digest n

23

LUMBER 411

By Jeff Easterling

A Special Series from Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association

Hey, retailers:

How much do you REALLY know about wood? o, you sell a lot of wood. Perhaps multiple species.

You know what your customers want when they come in and ask for wood—but how deep is your true wood knowledge? If you were an accountant or a lawyer or an engineer, chances are high you would need to meet an annual total of training hours. Professional development and staying on top of product knowledge is the key to a successful sale. Luckily, your friends at the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association have the answer for you.

S

ations and today meets the requirements of a renewable and sustainable building material.

You’ll learn about the overall contribution of eastern white pine to the wood market, grading rules, wood products, and multiple end-use interior and exterior applications. The AEC Daily class is certified by 21 professional organizations, including the AIA and USBGC, in case a few continuing education credit hours are needed.

And at the end of the program? Well, you’ll be a wood master able to discuss not only the characteristics of eastern white pine, but where it grows, nationwide availability, the various grades, the multiple patterns and profiles produced, and to summarize the environmental impact of choosing wood as a construction material.

The Results Are In: This Class Is a Hit!

Back in 2016, NELMA and AEC Daily, the largest online source of building material continuing education coursework, combined forces to create an online course focusing on eastern white pine. While wood holds steady as one of the most popular building products on the market (we SO get that!), the fact is that education remains an important part of the selling process. Tastes and styles change (had we even heard the term “modern farmhouse” 10 years ago?), which is always the case as colors and materials drift in and out of favor. But, wood is always a constant. Ever since Jamestown more than 400 years ago, people have chosen and used wood. Which is why there’s always something new to learn, and education remains a priority.

The AEC Daily class focuses in on what retailers truly need to know about eastern white pine presented in seven short easy-to-follow sections: starting with its amazing New England history and moving into today’s most popular home improvement uses, the class takes the student on a tour of sustainable management, how and why the forest industry is stronger than before, and how this light, strong wood species has been used for gener-

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Since launching, the results have been higher and stronger than anyone at NELMA expected: we’ve had entire mills take the class, entire architect staffs, and even interior designers. Wood is gaining—and continuing to strengthen—its strong foothold in the industry, if results are any indication. To date, more than 1,550 individuals have downloaded the course!

Jump In and Learn More!

NELMA invites all retailers to take the plunge and sign up for this no-fee one-hour class. Join the ranks of architects, contractors, engineers, interior designers, mill owners, mill employees, and many more who have pushed themselves to grow and learn more about eastern white pine. For what it’s worth: the class received more “excellent” ratings than any other ranking option. The class is easily accessed through the AEC Daily page at www.aecdaily.com then type in “eastern white pine” in the search bar. After a quick registration, you are ready to start the course. It doesn’t take up much of your all-important work time.

But the payoff? Extraordinary. Be the retailer whose staff knows so much about wood that other retailers call you for knowledge!

– Jeff Easterling is president of Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association. Reach him at info@nelma.org.

Building-Products.com

Eastern White Pine Mills Unite Robbins Lumber, Searsmont, Me., has acquired Limington Lumber Co., East Baldwin, Me., a second-generation manufacturer of eastern white pine.

Limington will operate as Robbins Lumber East Baldwin, LLC with management and operations staying under the guidance of Win Smith.

RESERVE SUPPLY of Central New York’s Syracuse location is now operating as Cameron Ashley Building Products following its acquisition.

Cameron Ashley Adds Reserve Supply Cameron Ashley Building Products has acquired dealer co-op Reserve Supply of Central New York, Syracuse, N.Y. “We are excited to begin serving customers in the central New York area,” said Cameron Ashley president and CEO Donny DeMarie. “We are committed to satisfying our new customers with not only their current product selections like lumber, but also expanding customers’ access to our top supplier brands of roofing, gypsum, insulation and siding.”

BSF Purchases 2-Unit Detroit Dealer

Builders FirstSource purchased the assets of John’s Lumber, with its two locations in the greater Detroit metro area.

John’s Lumber was founded by Roy Aggeler in 1947 and had remained family-owned and operated ever since.

“I’m happy to welcome Bill Brys and all of his team members to Builders FirstSource,” said BSF CEO Dave Flitman.

“Additionally, the acquisition provides scale that will benefit our 14 current locations throughout Michigan and allow for expansion in our value-added product offerings.

Hancock Reunites with Marvin Following its latest acquisition of Lapointe Lumber, Augusta, Me., Hancock Lumber is opting to bring back the full line of Marvin products to all 11 of its lumberyards in Maine and New Hampshire.

“This really is a complete circle of business,” noted Hancock president/CEO Paul Wainman. “For over two decades our eastern white pine sawmills have supplied Marvin with pine boards that their manufacturing teams remanufacture to use for components in their products.”

DEALER Briefs Johnson Cashway Lumber, Gering, Ne., has moved into a new facility next door. Co-owner Andy Doll also partnered with Ben and Kerri Dishman to remodel the old building, where a new Ace Hardware soft-opened April 19.

Panther Valley Lumber, Lansford, Pa., is closing after 42 years with the retirement of owner Bob Davidovich.

Bowie Lumber & Ace Hardware, Bowie, Tx., continues operating its lumberyard with plans to rebuild its store, which was destroyed by an April 19 fire.

ABC Builders Supply Co., Chester, Va., has been acquired by 250-unit Foundation Building Materials, Santa Ana, Ca., and renamed FBM Chester.

Franklinville True Value Hardware, Franklinville, N.Y., has been opened by Pete and Sherrill Sciortino.

Westlake Ace Hardware will start construction late this year on a 15,000-sq. ft. branch in Liberty, Mo. Ace Hardware franchisees Roger and Sherry Clouse opened their 10th location in Alma, Mi. True Value Hardware, Clarion, Pa., was reopened by 89-year-old owner George Shirley, following a yearlong COVID closure.

Bedford Ace Hardware, Bedford, Ma., has been opened by Charlie Katis (Dan Riedy, mgr.).

Henkle’s Ace Hardware, Webb City, Mo., added a

branch in Joplin, Mo.

JW Niederauer Inc. opened its seventh Ace Hardware April 1 in Hartford, S.D. (Scott Schrader, manager).

Kirkwood Ace Hardware, Bismarck, N.D., added a garden center.

Danielsville Hardware, Danielsville, Ga., is closing its doors with the retirement of Steve Canup, owner since 1989.

Menards got the go-ahead to build a 157,000-sq. ft. store with garden center and 38,000-sq. ft. warehouse space on 23 acres in Granger, Oh. 26

n Building Products Digest n June 2021

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To learn more about how Pipeline LBM can help your business run more smoothly, visit go.strongtie.com/lbm or call (800) 999-5099. © 2021 Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. LBMPL21

US LBM Buys Higginbotham US LBM has acquired Comanche, Tx.-based Higginbotham Brothers, a 140-year-old dealer with 38 locations in Texas and two in Oklahoma. With this acquisition, US LBM now operates more than 320 locations nationwide.

Higginbotham Brothers dates to 1881, when the company opened its first general store in Texas. Today, Higginbotham Brothers supplies professional builders, remodelers and do-it-yourselfers with lumber and a deep catalog of specialty building products, including hardware, windows, doors, plumbing materials and interior/exterior paint, from its 40 locations across Texas and

Oklahoma. Corby Biddle will continue to lead Higginbotham Brothers’ day-today operations as president and general manager.

EWP Specialist Adding DC Eastern Engineered Wood Products broke ground on a new distribution center on 32 acres near Keysville, Va. Construction will be completed later this year. The facility will consist of offices, cutting buildings, a drive-thru storage building, and vertical racking.

Approximately 22 acres of the site will be finished for inventory lay-down.

It will replace a smaller facility the company is leasing in Emporia, Va.

SUPPLIER Briefs SRS Distribution opened nine greenfield locations, including building products branches in Athens and Tifton, Ga.; Gulfport, Ms.; Portsmouth, N.H.; Pensacola, Fl.; Kalamazoo, Mi.; Lakeville, Mn.; and Lancaster, Pa.; and a Heritage Landscape Supply in The Villages, Fl. East Alabama Lumber Co ., LaFayette, Al., will rebuild after its sawmill was torched in an April 23 fire caused by an exploding air compressor.

Independence Lumber, with hardwood sawmills in Elkin, N.C., and Independence, Va., had a stalking bid of $4 million for its assets accepted by a federal receiver. An auction to solicit overbids was scheduled for late May. Sutherland Hardwoods , Burgettstown, Pa., lost one structure in a May 10 fire.

Allied Midwest Merchandisers, South Falls, S.D., is now distributing Barrette’s DuraLife decking and railing lines to dealers in South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota.

Tri-State Forest Products , Springfield, Oh., is now distributing Silvermine Stone’s mortarless stone veneer in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Silvermine recently received an evaluation report (ESR #4787) from ICC-ES, confirming the products meet code requirements.

Wolf Home Products, York, Pa., is a new distributor of RISE Building Products’ synthetic fiber-based siding in much of the East Coast.

M-D Building Products , Oklahoma City, Ok., bought the assets of Cardinal Aluminum Co., Louisville, Ky., and subsidiaries Cardinal Architectural and Designer Moulding. alumiLAST producer Endurable Building Products, Brooklyn Center, Mn., was acquired by UFP. MiTek Inc. rebranded SidePlate Connection Designs, Ultra-Span Floor & Roof Trusses, and Benson Glass and Curtain Walls under the MiTek name.

Glenn Rieder LLC, Milwaukee, Wi., has purchased Palm City Millwork, Palm City, Fl. 28

n Building Products Digest n June 2021

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Ware-Butler Buys 3 Maine Yards Ware-Butler Building Supply and its parent company, Pleasant River Lumber, have purchased three venerable Maine dealers—Phinney Lumber in Gorham, Puiia Lumber Co. in Mexico, and Jordan Lumber Co. in Kingfield.

Phinney Lumber, opened in 1928, became a Ware-Butler Building Supply location on April 15, with Mike Phinney staying on as general manager.

Puiia Lumber, founded in 1953, became a Ware-Butler on April 16, taking over for prior owner/GM Tom Puiia.

Jordan Lumber, started in the 1960s, changed hands at the end of May and retains the Jordan name as well as longtime general manager Jonathan Jordan.

Hankins, Interfor Expand Sawmills Two Southeastern lumber mills are expanding big time.

Hankins Lumber will invest over $12 million in its Grenada, Ms., sawmill to add a small-log operation, Hankins Timbers. The addition will produce about 40 million bd. ft. per year.

Interfor will invest $30 million to increase capacity at its Perry, Ga., sawmill. Construction will start in fall and should be complete by next spring.

Green Bay Rebrands as DuxxBak Composite Decking Seeking to capitalize on the water-shedding namesake of its patented compound, Green Bay Decking, Green Bay, Wi., has rebranded as DuxxBak Composite Decking.

Several of its decking lines have also been rebranded in an effort to bring a more streamlined, quality-centered theme.

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n Building Products Digest n June 2021

GREEN BAY DECKING is renaming the company after its signature, water-shedding product.

The composite decking’s base compound, from which all its decking products are manufactured, consists of virgin high density polyethylene, rice hulls, and Biodac—a proprietary element that acts to scientifically strengthen the compound.

It comes in four distinct profiles: DuxxBak Dekk; Optima Dekk and Optima Dekk LT; I.Dekk and I.Dekk HD; and Commercial Dekk.

Walpole Outdoors Expands in Maine

Walpole Outdoors, a leading provider of wood and AZEK solid cellular PVC outdoor structures, has expanded its manufacturing facility in Pittsfield, Me. The additional 9,000-sq. ft. space will build upon its existing 90,000-sq. ft. manufacturing footprint in Maine, with the goal of increasing capacity, improving efficiency, and reducing costs. The new space includes manufacturing areas, as well as two additional loading docks, which will allow increased freight capacity.

“This expansion is going to be critical for us,” said Robert Hayes, VP of manufacturing. “We had begun to outgrow our existing space, so this will allow us to innovate and meet the rising demand for Walpole products in the marketplace.”

The increased space will also add as many as 20 jobs.

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THINKING Ahead

By Carl Lamb

Leaving the pandemic better than before hen the COVID-19 pandemic blew up, we at Snavely Forest Products knew that sitting passively by in hopes the crisis would work itself out wasn’t a realistic solution.

Hope is not a plan!

With that in mind, our company began making decisions and operating from two distinct, but parallel mindsets. First, we looked at the outbreak through the lens of what steps did we need to take immediately to address the circumstances at hand.

And, second, we envisioned what kind of company we wanted to be as we emerged on the other side of this calamity.

W

Over-Communication Early On We sprang into action at once, assembling a COVID team whose purpose it was to ensure that Snavely—which has locations throughout the U.S.—remained in compliance with local, state, and federal pandemic requirements. Just as importantly, we recognized the need to educate our employees.

Although we quickly reduced office occupancy in the branches to 10% or less of staff, as a distribution business our front-line workers also include material handlers and drivers who don’t have the option of working remotely. Product has to get onto the trucks, and the drivers have to deliver to our customers. The workers show-

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n Building Products Digest n June 2021

ing up every day on site to handle these key tasks are the heroes of our organization, and we owed it to them to make sure they were safer here than anywhere else.

Not only that, we knew it was important to keep them in the loop as to what Snavely was doing to achieve that goal—what protocols were being put into place, and why. Even today, when the world has largely settled into its “new normal,” our COO provides a quarterly update on what’s going on and what’s been done in response. But our overarching goal at the onset of the pandemic was to communicate, even over-communi-

cate, to our people. Because of the CDC-recommended procedures and processes implemented, and because of all the internal discussion surrounding those actions, we got to a point very quickly where the fear of the unknown started to die down. And that was good. With a workforce that was reassured of their safety on the job, we were free to focus on business even as we stayed on top of all of the requirements.

Improving for the Future At the same time that one team— consisting of our director of safety,

Building-Products.com

A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association

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 how NAWLA can help your business at nawla.org.

some executive leadership, materials handlers, and operations managers—worked diligently on safety and compliance, we had another that was dedicated to mapping out Snavely’s exit from the crisis. What do we look like coming out of the pandemic? What do we want to look like coming out of the pandemic? How can we improve?

Technological enhancements surfaced as a huge part of the answer to those questions, as we tried to figure out how to make our sales and marketing team more effective while working remote. One of the most impactful improvements was the adoption of an adaptive phone system. It rings right through users’ computers at home as though they’re sitting at their desk in the office. In addition, video chats on Teams and Zoom also made a lot of tasks very easy, allowing us to be face-to-face with our shareholders, customers, and vendors.

As this panel continues its work, Snavely is also exploring how to do more digital marketing, different ways of putting presentations together, electronic PODs, and automated systems. With the progress we’ve already made on the technology front, our remote workers are just as connected and, in my opinion, more productive than ever before.

These changes have been good not only for the employees, but for the company as well. While our existing employees are thriving in the work-from-home culture, Snavely is finding that technology facilitates onboarding and training without a need to be in the office. Labor continues to be a challenge for this industry, and qualified candidates are in demand everywhere, so being able to say that a candidate’s physical location may not matter so much is an enviable position to be in. You don’t have to have somebody commuting an hour or 45 minutes each way if the job doesn’t demand it.

In addition to the gains derived through technological innovations, our company is also getting feedback directly from customers on how to improve. Instead of a general, routine check-in to see if everything’s okay, we’re asking questions like: • What’s the most important thing customers need from us right now?

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• How can we help during these uncertain times?

• What do they expect us to do differently today than we normally do or that we’re doing right now?

• What challenges do they expect to face during the recovery period and how do we help them there?

The Other Side of the Pandemic If you had told me a year ago that my work day would come to look like this—50% videoconferencing, for example—I would’ve said, “No way.” But that’s what it’s transformed to. If you had told me that not only are we going to be hit with this pandemic, but we’re going to move our employees to working from home and take our sales force off the road—but that business is going to better than it was before—I never would’ve believed that, either. But that’s a fact, too.

The pandemic forced a lot of changes; but at the end of the day, our business is still a relationship business— although how we manage those relationships may look a little different. Still, it doesn’t matter which portion of building materials we’re talking about, if you’ve done a good job with your vendors in treating them as partners and talking openly and honestly, you get through the challenges (like the current shortage of supply). It may not always be easy, but you’re going to make it work.

That’s why NAWLA and similar organizations are so important. As the world begins to open back up, an in-person Traders Market is a strong possibility this year; and if it happens, it’ll represent a prime opportunity to cultivate some of those all-important relationships. There’s a major pent-up demand to get back to seeing people in person, even as we’ve managed to make everything work in the interim.

With video conferencing, it’s true that you can walk away with some sense of a personal connection. You can see and read the body language of the person on the other side of the screen, so you get “some of it.” But being in person, you get “all of it.” There’s no substitute for that.

– Carl Lamb is a shareholder and vice president of Eastern Operations for Snavely Forest Products, Pittsburgh, Pa. Learn more at snavelyforestproducts.com.

June 2021 n Building Products Digest n

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MOVERS & Shakers

Kevin Silveira, ex-National Lumber Co., has joined The Lester Group, Martinsville, Va., as vice president.

Jack Mackin has been named president of Concord Lumber Corp., Littleton, Ma. Tim Lancaster, who had been acting CEO, will stay on as a member of the board of directors, serving alongside CFO David Perry and Duncan Facey. Ed Schatz will continue as chairman of the board.

Will Norman, ex-UFP, is the new general mgr. of operations for Carter Lumber, Oakwood, Ga.

Bob Lane has retired after 45 years in the SYP business, the last 35 years as sales mgr. for The Timbermen Inc. of Camak, Ga.

Paul Ryan has been promoted to president and CEO of LMC, Wayne, Pa. He succeeds John Somerville, who is retiring this month after 11 years with LMC.

Mark Hayes has been appointed president of Kodiak Building Partners divisions Forest Tek Lumber, Tavernier, Fl., and Overseas Lumber Supply, Big Pine Key, Fl. He succeeds Jamie Brown, who resigned to pursue other interests.

Mike Pastore, following Spartanburg Forest Products being acquired by UFP, has become UFP Retail Solutions’ national accounts sales mgr. to Home Depot.

Gregg Argall has been promoted to VP of national accounts for BlueLinx, Marietta, Ga. Dave Zelch, ex-SherwinWilliams, is now general mgr. of BlueLinx’s branches in Minneapolis and Duluth, Mn.

Adam Biggs has been promoted to branch mgr. at Richards Building Supply, South Bend, In.

Bryan McCarty has joined the outside sales team at Ritter Lumber & Millwork, Lufkin, Tx. John Collier is new to sales at Blue Water Lumber Co., Daphne, Al. Casey Carey, ex-LS Building Products, is now customer relations mgr. for Wilson Lumber Co., Huntsville, Al. Jason Stanley, ex-Northwest Hardwoods, is now operations mgr. of Collins’ Kane Hardwood division in Kane, Pa.

Saratoga Forest Management – Producer of the widely renowned “Saratoga Straights” ESLP premium #2 8-9’ PET. When you want the best, you know where to go.

Tim Callahan has been named chairman of the board of Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co., Philadelphia, Pa.

Paul Conley, ex-El & El Wood Products, has joined DW Distribution, DeSoto, Tx., as VP of door fabrication.

Matthew Ackley, ex-USG, has joined Cornerstone Building Brands, Cary, N.C., as president, engineered building systems.

Bobby Chamberlain has joined Do it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, In., as an LBM business development mgr. Also new are merchandise coordinator Elyssa Pozorski and consumer marketing specialists Megan Millsap and Wes Schooley. Recently promoted: Michael McCoy, global sourcing merchandise mgr.; Ryan Robie, rental program mgr.; Carolyn Rorick, LBM operations specialist; and Lauren Wilson, safety & general merchandise mgr.

Goshen Forest Products – Producer of small log products in GRDF, specializing in 2x4 thru 4x8 in 8-9-10’ PET #1 & #2.

CALL TYRONE KONECNY & HIS TEAM AT 801-893-9900 We’re here to serve you and have fun doing it!

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n Building Products Digest n June 2021

Utah Lumber Company – A versatile, multi-faceted company specializing in commodity and industrial lumber products.

Building-Products.com

Brian Jack transferred from 84 Lumber, Raleigh-Durham, N.C., to Summerville, S.C., as operations mgr. Jacob Sherrill was promoted to sales coordinator in Winter Garden, Fl. Blair Madison is a new field merchandiser in 84, Pa. Phil Utech has joined the inside sales staff at Wm. B. Morse Lumber Co., Rochester, N.Y. Andy Gubbe, ex-Guardian, is new to inside sales at Huttig Building Products, Dallas, Tx. Erin Johnson, ex-ProSource Wholesale, is now with Louisiana-Pacific, as a territory sales mgr. for Central Texas.

James Thomas has been promoted to Midwest territory sales mgr. for Noise Barriers, Lake Forest, Il. Justin Malohn is new as engineering mgr. Lindsey Moore is now senior project mgr., and Kris Barnebey, project mgr.

Jonathan Bennet, ex-Home Depot, was appointed executive VP and chief commercial officer at Beacon, Herndon, Va. Brian Wanke, ex-Allied Building Products, is now Beacon branch mgr. in Howell, Mi. Lorna D. Christie has resigned after five years as CEO of the National Hardwood Lumber Association, Memphis, Tn. The NHLA executive committee is working on a transition plan.

Robert Fouquet, ex-Ainsworth/ Norbord, and Ernesto Wagner joined Forest Economic Advisors, Littleton, Ma., as partners. Fouquet, based in Vancouver, B.C., will cover engineered wood products; Wagner will cover South America.

Jim Bishop, Vesta Lee Lumber, Bonner Springs, Ks., was elected chair of the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association, succeeding Bob Sanford, Sanford & Hawley, Unionville, Ct. Mark Zemrowski, Von Tobel, Valparaiso, In., is now vice chair, and Sandy Zelka, Curtis Lumber, Ballston Spa, N.Y., is treasurer.

LMC’s John Somerville received NLBMDA’s Lifetime Distinguished Service Award.

Helena Handbasket has been named financial advisor to Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Building-Products.com

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SPECIAL Focus

By Julia Milrod

SOUTHERNPINE.COM is equipped with plenty resources to help dealers find and source the products they need.

Southern pine resources for making the sale he Southern Forest Products Association represents southern pine producers large and small and is ready to help dealers boost their sales with services the organization has provided since 1915. Both durable and versatile, southern pine is the natural choice for any customer, and SFPA has abundant resources to help dealers sell more of it.

T

Build with the Best Homeowners are always looking for ways to maximize their living space and enjoy the great outdoors at home, even more so over the past year.

A well-constructed southern pine deck creates a natural extension of a home while offering a restful outdoor place to spend time with family. Contractors can offer many different design choices from simple, compact structures to

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elaborate multi-level decks with fully functional outdoor kitchens.

Both consumers and builders enjoy the look and feel of real wood, and treated southern pine remains one of the most durable, cost-conscious solutions for outdoor projects. Southern pine’s superior treatability makes it the preferred species when pressure treatment with wood preservatives is required.

Today’s pressure-treated wood products are manufactured with preservatives that are safe for use around people, plants and pets. Pressure treatment provides long-term resistance to decay and termite attack, with no components that are considered hazardous under the Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Pressure-treated southern pine products are economical, sustainable and renewable—important selling points in today’s market.

n Building Products Digest n June 2021

A well-educated sales team that understands deck design is an invaluable asset that can help close and enhance sales. Whether you are bringing your salespeople up to speed, or just refreshing their memory, SFPA offers resources that can help. Visit the Publications page on SouthernPine.com and download a free copy of Southern Pine Decks and Porches, a 12-page illustrated guide to building a safe, code-compliant deck.

Southern Pine Decks and Porches conveniently downloads to your computer as a PDF file, so you can distribute it digitally to your sales team, or print it out and keep it at your counter to share with customers. It covers the entire process, from footings and posts to framing the deck, plus finishing and maintenance. References are made to the Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide from the American Building-Products.com

Wood Council, geared to professional deck builders and handy DIYers.

SouthernPineDecks.com can be used by dealers as a virtual training module for new hires. The content covers deck and porch construction from start to finish. If customers challenge you on the merits of composite decking, check out the page “Wood vs. Composites” from the home page’s footer and learn all the advantages of using real wood for any outdoor project.

Flood Protection with Raised Floor Homes As summer approaches, concerns about flooding are at the top of many homebuliders’ minds. A raised wood floor home provides the solution to homebuilding in hurricane- and floodprone areas, and durable southern pine lumber is the ideal construction material. A raised wood floor home elevates the living space off the ground, isolating it from moisture and pests. Elevating a structure reduces flood insurance premiums and can enhance the home’s energy efficiency. Aside from offering flood protection by elevating the home, a raised wood floor foundation can also help manage a community’s risk of flooding in the first place. Unlike slabfill developments which alter the natu-

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A DECK made of strong southern yellow pine adds value and function to any backyard.

ral floodplain, raised wood floor foundations do not displace rising water and support floodplain management.

The southern pine industry is prepared to satisfy orders with a high-quality lumber product and the Southern Forest Products Association is ready to help builders and homeowners with the

information they need to build raised wood floor foundations.

Raised Wood Floor Foundations – Design & Construction Guide SFPA’s booklet Raised Wood Floor Foundations – Design & Construction Guide is publicly available as a free

June 2021 n Building Products Digest n

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gation and extensive details. Raised Floor Living’s expertise in the industry serves lumber dealers with helpful resources like dynamic charts, tables, and diagrams. RaisedFloorLiving.com is also searchable, for easy access to information.

Do your customers have questions about building their new home using a raised wood floor foundation? The homeowner side of RaisedFloorLiving.com, explains the features and benefits of building raised, all in simple terms. Check out the Getting Started page and find a list of questions property owners frequently ask an architect or homebuilder before beginning construction of a custom home.

Online Resources RAISEDFLOORLIVING.COM is a unique two-sided website that offers comprehensive information about raised wood floor foundations to both homeowners and homebuilders.

PDF download from the Publications page of SouthernPine. com. This 16-page publication is aimed at homebuilders, architects, engineers and specifiers. It explains how to build to a higher standard with a raised wood floor foundation, outlining the many advantages offered by building a wood floor system above grade, including long-term durability and trouble-free performance.

An introductory section covers site conditions, soil properties, design considerations and connections. Properly designed and constructed, a raised wood floor foundation accommodates all design loads and transfers those loads to the soil without excessive settlement.

Eight 3-D illustrations detail the assembly of foundation types, both pier-and-beam and continuous stemwall on various types of footings. Information about insulated closed crawlspaces is also included.

RaisedFloorLiving.com – for Homebuliders & Homebuyers SFPA’s website, RaisedFloorLiving.com, is a unique, two-sided information hub for both homebuilders and homebuyers about all the advantages and specifications to build off grade. The homebuilders’ side of the website serves as portal for building professionals, satisfying the needs of its users by striking a perfect balance between clear and logical navi-

S p a r km

The SFPA has a wide variety of online resources, all easily accessible from the homepage of SouthernPine.com. These tools have been helping dealers for years and are just a few clicks away!

Product Locator If you need to adjust your product mix to suit demand or there is a product needed to complete your inventor, the Product Locator at SouthernPine.com is the tool for you.

The online Product Locator directs dealers and distributors to manufacturers in their states. Users can select from over 400 lumber products and specify sizes and lengths, grades, or even packaging preferences.

Lumber Purchase Inquiry Need to quickly source a quantity of southern pine materials? The Lumber Purchase Inquiry on the homepage of SouthernPine.com is your pathway to getting quotes from interested mills.

Board Foot Calculator SouthernPine.com features a handy Board Foot Calculator. The perfect tool for dealers wanting to quickly total up orders or the yard’s inventory.

Publications SFPA’s extensive Lumber Library is available for free download on the Publications page on SouthernPine.com.

Here, dozens of informative pamphlets and brochures cover a wide range of topics from sustainability to marine construction.

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s

Phone: (870) 678-2277 • Fax: (870) 678-2522

www.raywhitelumber.com The White Family – Serving the Lumber Industry for Five Generations

High Quality Arkansas Southern Yellow Pine Boards, Pattern Stock and 5/4 Square Edge, Flooring, Beaded Ceiling, 105, 116, 117, 119, 122, 131, 139, 5/4x12 Nosing.

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n Building Products Digest n June 2021

Building-Products.com

NEW Products

Longer Post Warranties Easy on the Knees The ToughBuilt GelFit Stabilizer Knee Pads redefine how professionals use their knee pads.

The patented, rock-steady kneepad system allows the Stabilizer SnapShell to be removed entirely or interchanged with other SnapShells to create the exact kneepad you want for the job. Its unique construction creates a wide footprint to the front, sides and rear to eliminate tipping-over, create a stable, comfortable feel, and decrease pressure on the ankles.

The ergonomic gel and foam design incorporates the natural shape of the knee and upper shin, maximizing pressure distribution and providing comfort throughout the day. The EVA elastic leg straps can comfortably maintain its position without cutting off the circulation or being tied behind the knee. n TOUGHBUILT.COM/KNEE-PADS (800) 288-4695

Viewrail fluoropolymer powder coatings are now warranted for 10 years against color fading, adhesion, chalking and corrosion as a result of finish failure in all future interior and exterior installations.

For the first five years, Viewrail will either refund the purchase price, repair or replace the entire system under warranty. In years six through 10, the warranty covers only the affected product, and is prorated from 90% to 50%. The warranty includes all coastal and non-coastal locations on aluminum posts.

Viewrail standard powder coatings on aluminum are now warranted for five years in interior and one year in exterior installations. The new warranty covers locations more than five miles from a body of salt water, and includes color retention, chalk resistance, and gloss retention.

A brushed finish on 2205 stainless steel is now warranted for 10 years against structural corrosion when more than five miles from a body of salt water. n VIEWRAIL.COM (866) 261-8013

Elite Cedar Siding DeWalt has introduced the Flexvolt 20V/60V MAX 15.0 Ah battery, the highest capacity lithium ion battery in its cordless system.

The battery is designed to provide maximum runtime in heavy-duty commercial applications including concrete and masonry, metalworking, building and remodeling. It utilizes patented technology to automatically switch voltage in accordance with the tool it is paired with. n DEWALT.COM (800) 433-9258

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n Building Products Digest n June 2021

Deck Membrane Designer Duradek has updated Dek-Vision, the first online design tool for vinyl membranes, to include a video tutorial, Duradek’s newest color (Legacy Cedarwood), and to be accessible at dek-vision.com.

The free tool comes pre-loaded with eight deck image options that cover a variety of the most common deck types, allowing users to experiment with railing color, siding and all 26 colors and 10 patterns of Duradek vinyl deck membranes. n DEK-VISION.COM (800) 338-3568 Building-Products.com

Building-Products.com

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New Infills for Commercial Railings

Blinds Spot ODL’s new Blink Entry Doorglass features high-performance blinds elegantly sandwiched between two panes of tempered safety glass.

Designed for hinged entry doors and sidelights, the blinds have no dangling cords, providing an attractive, safe option for homeowners with pets or young children. Since the blinds are enclosed between two panes of glass, they never need to be dusted, decreasing allergens in the home.

Six colors, three doorglass frames, and multiple standard widths and lengths are available.

Two new infill options—mesh and glass inserts— have been added to Trex Commercial Products’ Signature aluminum railing line, joining traditional picket-style.

The new infill options feature one-piece rail designs that can accommodate either 304 stainless steel Trex mesh panels or 1/4” tempered glass panes.

Sections can be installed with a continuously graspable rail. They come in Charcoal Black, Bronze or Classic White, with a durable powder coating for to improve color retention and corrosion resistance.

n ODL.COM (800) 253-3900

n TREXCOMMERCIAL.COM (877) 215-7245

– Serving the industry for over 30 years – Phone:

800-763-0139

• Fax: 864-699-3101

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n Building Products Digest n June 2021

Building-Products.com

Uncertainty Makes It Hard to Know When to Buy But Idaho Timber’s Just-In-Time Service Makes it Easy: n Get just what you want right when you want it, in highly mixed trucks of

dimension, studs and special trims. Delivered mill-direct in 24 to 48 hours, you can profitably sell each load before a market move impacts its value. n Your inventory turns 4 times faster with our just-in-time truck service than if

you buy railcars. Reload costs are eliminated and you can have a truckload sold and on your A/R before payment is even due. All this does wonders for cash flow. And fast, mixed trucks make it easy to keep stock in balance. n Lumber metered in by truck takes 80% less space and capital than when

supplied by car. With all that space and cash freed up, your wood may all fit under roof where it will yard better and sell better, and you’ll have room and funds for higher margin products to further improve your bottom line.

Idaho Timber’s just-in-time service accelerates inventory turns and shrinks carrying costs. When your lumber consistently turns this quickly and profitably, your risk from market moves is so minimal you can confidently replenish stock at any time.

Maximum Performance. Minimum Risk.

(800) 654-8110 Building-Products.com

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Customized Stair Part Collections It’s a Wrap Simpson Strong-Tie has added a new decorative post base wrap to its Outdoor Accents line of code-listed wood connectors and fasteners. Enhance the appearance of post base connections and add design flair by enclosing them in the new post wrap that fits around most nominal 4x4 and 6x6 post bases.

Made of black composite, they feature the arched profile of the Outdoor Accents Mission Collection.

The four-piece cover easily screws together outside the post base, with no need for drilling.

Crown Heritage Stair Co. has introduced its latest collection concept: Design Your Own customizable stair parts, beginning with Design Your Own Primed Newel Posts with stain grade cap and trim options.

Customers can pick from six handcrafted solid wood newel posts. Sculpted with an automated digital router for perfect edges, the posts are primed with multiple coats of premium primer. Three cap and trim options are offered in four species of unfinished hardwood. As an added feature, designs can be accentuated with primed post sleeves.

n STRONGTIE.COM/OUTDOORACCENTS (800) 999-5099

n CROWNHERITAGE.COM (800) 745-5931

NEWTECHWOOD COMPOSITE DECKING & SIDING • Stain, scratch and fade resistant • made of 95% recycled materials • capped all 4 sides for maximum protection • decking is dual-sided unlike most composites • 25 year transferrable warranty

Lee Roy Jordan Lumber Company is now distributing NewTechWood NewTechWood composite composite siding siding and and decking. decking.

DALLAS/FORT WORTH AREA CALL CALL 214-357-7317 214-357-7317

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n Building Products Digest n June 2021

USA USA 1-877-533-7695 1-877-533-7695 Building-Products.com

Helping you find the elusive lumber customer.

Visit Nelma4Retailers.com for marketing tools designed to help you attract more customers.

Download or order educational materials, brochures, and design tools that can help your sales team sell more Eastern White Pine and SPFs wood products.

MARKETING BROCHURES DESIGN TOOLS POSTERS

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO TECHNICAL BROCHURES SOCIAL PROMOTIONAL ITEMS

Nelma4Retailers.com

NORTHEASTERN LUMBER MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

THE NEXT GENERATION IN VIRTUAL EVENTS

Forget “normal,” create something better.

The future of events is both live and digital.

Let’s create something better together.

“The best digital event I’ve attended since the pandemic began.”

- KURT WESTURLUND

Tradeshows National Sales Meetings New Product Launches Open Houses VIP Customer Events

LEA R N M OR E www.526.events

C ONT AC T Padams@526mediagroup.com

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

Lumber Dealers Association of Connecticut – June 2, golf outing, Oxford Greens, Oxford, Ct.; www.nrla.org.

Peak Auctioneering – June 3-5, online LBM auction, pick up from Wilson County Expo Center, Lebanon, Tn.; www.peakauction.com.

PA Timber Show – June 4-5, forest products equipment & technology expo, Pennsylvania Furnace, Pa.; www.agsci.psu.edu.

Building Material Suppliers Association – June 8, intro to building material sales; June 9-10, blueprint reading & material take-off, Nashville, Tn.; www.mybmsa.org.

Lumbermen’s Association of Texas – June 8-9, LUMPAC golf tournament & Texas unity dinner, Waco, Tx.; www.lat.org.

Northwestern Lumber Association – June 9, Northeast golf outing, Eagle, Ne.; June 10, Iowa golf outing, Ames, Ia.; www.nlassn.org.

Peak Auctioneering – June 12, LBM auction, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, Il.; June 19, LBM auction, Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, Berea, Oh.; www.peakauction.com.

Retail Lumber Dealers Association of Maine – June 22, golf outing, Belgrade Lakes Golf Club, Belgrade Lakes, Me.; www.nrla.org.

Peak Auctioneering – June 24, LBM auction, Peak Auctioneering, Kansas City, Mo.; www.peakauction.com.

Coverings – July 7-9, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; www.coverings.com.

National Wood Flooring Expo – July 7-9, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; www.nwfaexpo.org.

Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Assn. – July 8-11, annual convention & show, Beau Rivage, Biloxi, Ms.; www.mlmalumber.com.

Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association – July 11-14, annual conference, JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, Marco Island, Fl.; www.slma.org.

Rhode Island Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association –July 14, golf outing & clambake, Green Valley Country Club & Kempenaar’s Clambake Club, Portsmouth, R.I.; www.nrla.org.

New Hampshire Retail Lumber Association – July 15, golf outing, Lake Sunapee Country Club, New London, N.H.; www.nrla.org.

Southeast Building Conference – July 15-16, Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, Kissimmee, Fl.; www.sebcshow.com.

Central New York Retail Lumber Dealers Assn. – July 17, Day at the Races, Oswego Speedway, Oswego, N.Y.; www.nrla.org.

Mid-Hudson Lumber Dealers Association – July 19, golf outing, Powelton Country Club, Newburgh, N.Y.; www.nrla.org.

Atlanta Build Expo – July 21-22, Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta, Ga.; www.buildexpousa.com.

Building Material Suppliers Association – July 22-25, summer conference, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; mybmsa.org.

American Wood Protection Assn. – July 27-29, in-person/online annual meeting, Nashville, Tn.; www.awpa.com.

Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Assn. – Aug. 2, eastern golf outing, Pinehills Golf Club, Plymouth, Ma.; www.nrla.org.

Michigan Assn. of Timbermen – Aug. 5-6, annual meeting, Bavarian Inn Lodge, Frankenmuth, Mi.; www.michigantimbermen.com.

New Jersey Building Material Association – Aug. 9, annual meeting, Neshanic Valley, N.J.; www.nrla.org.

Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo – Aug. 11-13, presented by Southern Forest Products Association, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga.; www.sfpaexpo.com.

Wallace Hardware – Aug. 11-13, dealer market, LeConte Center, Pigeon Forge, Tn.; www.wallacehardware.com.

Building-Products.com

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CLASSIFIED Marketplace

PRODUCTS FOR SALE

Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word minimum). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy/headline, $9 per line. Border, $9. Private box, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if art furnished “camera-ready” (advertiser sets type), $65 if we set type.

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NY’s Ward Transitions to Worker-Owned The employees of New York’s Ward Lumber have made history by purchasing the 130-year-old business as a worker-owned cooperative.

The business, with locations in Jay and Malone, N.Y., employs over 50 local people, has been in Jay Ward’s family for four generations. “Every business is going to go through a transition, whether that is by design or default,” said Ward, who will continue as CEO. “Rather than choose liquidation or selling to some other business that would change the culture, I wanted to look at employee ownership.

Not included in the deal is Ward Pine Mill, the manufacturing division which is operated by Jay’s brother, Jeff Ward.

Ward Pine Mill became an independent business in 2017 and is not included in the employee ownership transaction.

Two Fires Strike NY Mill Berry Brothers Lumber, Adams, N.Y., suffered two fires in three weeks.

The first blaze, on April 27, caused minor damage to its mulched wood facility. Then on May 19, a piece of machinery that makes shavings caught fire.

Both fires were contained quickly by local firefighters.

Chester Gets Veneer Dryer Boise Cascade in Chester, S.C., has ordered its third veneer dryer system from USNR. The 14-section, steam-heated M-72 jet dryer includes unloader, GSc2000 scanning system, Sequoia Sentry moisture detector, and four-bin random/ sheet stacker. The spike belt stacker is

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designed to process 40 redried sheets per minute. Two longer M-72 dryers will primarily dry green veneer sheets, with the new shorter 14-section dryer and stacking system processing redry, random, and some green veneer sheets.

IN Memoriam Randall Lloyd “Randy” Skinner, 76, president of Tahlequah Lumber Co., Tahlequah, Ok., died April 28.

A 1971 graduated of Tulsa University, he joined his father-in-law’s lumber business in 1981 as a manager. He also acquired Pryor Lumber, Pryor, Ok., in 2008 and Wagoner Lumber, Wagoner, Ok., in 2015.

Randy served on the boards of the Oklahoma Lumberman’s Assocation and Do it Best Corp.

Lester D. Jantz, 92, co-owner of Jantz Lumber Co., McPherson, Ks., died May 1.

A U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, he joined Lake Superior Lumber in 1955. In 1966, the name changed to Harris Lumber. Lester served as partner to Harold Harris, Warner Harris, and Harold Schlender until 1985, when he and his wife, Shirley, bought the yard and changed the name.

He was a past president and director of the Kansas Lumber Association, and former director of the Mid-America Lumbermens Association.

Robert W. “Bob” Gove, 90, former owner of Gove Lumber Co., Beverly, Ma., died April 27.

After graduating from the University of New Hampshire, he served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He then

n Building Products Digest n June 2021

spent 65 years with the family business, until closing it in 2013. Bob also served as director of the Massachusetts Lumber Dealers Association.

Edward J. “Ed” Shannon Jr., 86, former owner of Shannon Lumber Co., Chicago, Il., passed away April 25.

After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1957 and spending two years as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Ed joined his father at Shannon Lumber. He eventually took over and ran the company until his retirement in 2012.

Robert Ezra “Buck” Dickinson, 95, co-founder of Dickinson Brothers Lumber Co., Spotsylvania, Va., passed away April 30 after suffering a stroke.

An Army veteran of World War II, he started a sawmill in 1948 that he would operate for 37 years. In 1959, Buck and his brother Earl started Dickinson Brothers, selling the yard in 1994.

TALK Back WHAT REALLY MATTERS Patrick, once again, you waste no time getting to the root of what really matters (“God, Country, Family... and Less Important Things,” April, p. 8).

Thanks for providing an antidote of inspired clarity and truth, in the midst of confusion, deception and fear.

Your opening editorial “Across the Board” is always reread here several times, by me, my family, and anyone who will take the time to read it when I ask them to “check this guy out!”

Jamie Emmer Lumber Marketing Services Hope, Id. Building-Products.com

NRLA Cutting Ties with NLBMDA

Northeastern Retail Lumber Association is disaffiliating with the National Lumber & Building Materials Association and will provide its own federal legislative and regulatory services, effective Aug. 10.

NRLA said its “decision was made following a year of discussions resulting in NLBMDA adopting changes that are not aligned with NLBMDA’s or NRLA’s mission.”

NLBMDA fired back that NRLA’s move “ignores the

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accomplishments of the past year, divides the industry, and reduces its political influence at a critical time.”

NRLA will instead partner with Construction Suppliers Association, which itself broke off from NLBMDA early this year, to represent their memberships on federal legislative and regulatory matters. The groups will work together to hire a federal lobbyist and create an industry-specific name for their advocacy efforts that is not NRLA- or CSA-specific.

CSA represents over 320 retail locations in five Southern states, NRLA over 860 locations in 11 Northeastern states.

ADVERTISERS Index

17

Boise Cascade Building Materials Distribution www.bc.com/distribution

21

Regal ideas www.regalideas.com

30

Combilift www.combilift.com

31

Seneca www.senecasawmill.com

47

Crumpler Plastic Pipe www.cpp-pipe.com

27

Simpson Strong-Tie www.strongtie.com

28

CT Darnell Construction www.ct-darnell.com

35

Siskiyou Forest Products www.siskiyouforestproducts.com

3

Everwood Treatment Co. www.everwoodtreatment.com

26

Southern Pine Inspection Bureau www.spib.org

46

526 Events www.526.events

42

Spartanburg Forest Products www.spartanburgforestproducts.com

9

Great Southern Wood Preserving www.yellawood.com

41

Swanson Group Sales Co. www.swansongroup.biz

43

Idaho Timber www.idahotimber.com

25

Timber Products www.timberproducts.com

47

Jordan Lumber www.jordanlumber.com

13

TIVA Building Products www.tivabp.com

44

Lee Roy Jordan Lumber Co. www.lrjlumber.com

34

Utah Lumber Co. www.utahlumber.com

5

Manufacturers Reserve Supply www.mrslumber.com

Cover II

West Fraser www.westfraser.com/osb

Cover III

North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. www.nawla.org

37

Westervelt Lumber www.westerveltlumber.com

45

Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. www.nelma.org

7

Weyerhaeuser www.weyerhaeuser.com

39

Orgill www.orgill.com

Cover I

Wild Hog Railing www.wildhograiling.com

29

Palram Americas www.palighttrimboard.com

38

Ray White Lumber Co. www.raywhitelumber.com

15, Cover IV

Redwood Empire www.buyredwood.com

Building-Products.com

Welcome Aboard!

BPD is excited to introduce to our readers a new first-time advertiser, Utah Lumber, and its affiliates Saratoga Forest Management and Goshen Forest Products.

Learn more at www.utahlumber.com.

June 2021 n Building Products Digest n

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FLASHBack 67 Years Ago This Month

1954 marked a revelation for lumber dealers, as the

June 1954 issue of BPD’s sister publication—The California Lumber Merchant—featured numerous reports chronicling the sudden emerge of a vast new “do-it-yourself” market.

U.S. Plywood Corp., for one, was stunned with the results of a survey of users of its own products.

According to advertising director R.S. Lowell, “We made the startling discovery that 42% of the interviewed users of hardwood paneling had installed the materials themselves!”

James Corbet, longtime sales manager for Western Pine Supply, was leaving the wholesale business to open up his own “home craftsman store” in Larkspur, Ca., catering to the “homeowner, do-it-yourself man, and hobbyist.” His 4,500-sq. ft. store would stock plain and decorative plywoods, power tools, lumber for shelving, cabinet work, moulding, fencing, paint, BBQ equipment, hardware, housewares and garden supplies. His wife, Beth, would help run the housewares department.

They’d keep the store open six full days a week, plus Sunday mornings.

THE JUNE 1954 issue spotlighted White Brothers, which to this day mills hardwood millwork in Oakland, Ca., at age 149.

In other news of 67 years ago: • The Masonite Corp. of Ukiah, Ca., became the largest tree-farm owner in the Redwood Region after having 68,274 acres of local forestlands certified by the California Redwood Association.

• Building material suppliers along the West Coast were excited to hear California Governor Goodwin Knight announce that the state would spend $1 billion over the next six years building schools—at a rate of 100 new classrooms every week until 1960. He also expected to spend $150 million in 1954 on highway construction.

• The Gypsum Association launched a special merchandising program designed to help LBM dealers “get the biggest possible share” of the $7-billion-ayear “Add-a-Room” market. Supplementing the merchandising of individual gypsum manufacturers, the association began distributing a series of Add-a-Room mailing pieces to more than 23,000 dealers.

• The Association of American Railroads reported that the amount of forest products purchased by the nation’s Class I railroads in 1953 totaled $176 million, with crossties accounting for the biggest share.

More than $96 million was spent on treated and untreated ties, representing about 55% of the railroads’ total expenditures on wood products. They also paid $25.4 million for switch and bridge ties and timber, $43 million for rough and finished lumber, and $11.2 million for other forest products.

BLUE DIAMOND CORP.—no relation to the almond growers—operated a gypsum mine in Blue Diamond, Nv., to supply its adjacent wallboard factory. In time, the mine was sold to James Hardie, which sold the plant to BPB in 2002.

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n Building Products Digest n June 2021

• Pickering Lumber Corp., Standard, Ca., sold to the State of California a 2,115-acre tract in Tuolumne County, on which stands one of the most beautiful groves of Sequoia Gigantea trees in existence. The $2.8 million purchase was made possible by a $1 million donation by John D. Rockefeller.

Days earlier, Pickering traded its Sugar Pine Memorial Grove in Tuolumne County to the federal government for the cutting rights to a nearby tract.

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Building Products Digest 1 5 1 K a lm u s D r . S te . E 2 0 0 C o st a M e sa , C A 9 2 6 2 6 - 5 9 5 9

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