LUMBER 411

A Special Series from Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association

Hey, retailers:

How much do you REALLY know about wood?

So, 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.

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 generations 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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 fi rst 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 offi ces, cutting buildings, a drive-thru storage building, and vertical racking. Approximately 22 acres of the site will be fi nished for inventory lay-down.

It will replace a smaller facility the company is leasing in Emporia, Va. SRS Distribution opened nine

greenfi eld 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 fi re 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 fi re.

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, confi rming 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.

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 Kingfi eld.

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 eff ort to bring a more streamlined, quality-centered theme.

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 scientifi cally strengthen the compound.

It comes in four distinct profi les: 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 Pittsfi eld, 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 effi ciency, 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.