Building Products Digest - July 2023

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BUILDING PRODUCTS DIGEST is published monthly at 151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. E200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, (714) 4862735, www.building-products.com, by 526 Media Group, Inc. (a California Corporation). It is an independently owned publication for building products retailers and wholesale distributors in 37 states East of the Rockies. Copyright®2023 by 526 Media Group, Inc. Cover and entire contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission. All Rights Reserved. BPD reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter, and assumes no liability for materials furnished to it. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or persons quoted and not necessarily those of 526 Media Group, Inc. Articles in this magazine are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial, or business management advice.

THE

“—”

------------ BY PATRICK ADAMS

I’VE HAD MANY calls in the middle of the night, and none of them were good. When the phone rang this evening, I knew it wasn’t good news, I just didn’t know how bad. A good friend’s youngest daughter had been killed.

She was just 17 years old, driving with her boyfriend returning from his high school graduation party. There was no alcohol, or drugs. There was no distracted driving while texting on a phone. In fact, he was driving, she was a passenger, and his younger sister was in the back seat while his parents followed in another car. A red light was run by another vehicle and in a second, many lives changed forever. I’ve always taken a weird comfort in bad situations in being able to assess, learn and tell myself, “This is what could have been done differently to change the outcome.” This was not one of those situations because it was a reminder of the stark reality that sometimes, horrible things just happen that are outside of our control.

It shouldn’t matter, but when I say this family is special, it’s an understatement. The parents are amazing in every way… the type of people that make everyone around them better, and happier simply because they are around. All three of their kids are amazing, strong, competitive, kind and funny. But their youngest was truly something amazing.

She was smart and kind, funny and beautiful, competitive and strong. She wore her heart on her sleeve and was never afraid to speak her mind. She was ferociously loyal, stuck up for her friends and the “little guy,” and loved her family.

As I heard the words that she was gone, a million thoughts raced through my mind and yet, there wasn’t a word that seemed appropriate to say, so I sat speechless. Finally, I just said, “I love you, brother.” With that, the call was over and the flood of thoughts began. About me, about my family and friends, and about whether I’m still living with the knowledge that every day is a gift and we’re not assured another chance to say what needs to be said.

I learned as a child, and throughout my adult life, that our time is not a guarantee. Each day is a gift and frankly, I never expected to be around this long. I give thanks every morning I wake up, and every evening before I go to sleep. I give thanks that my family is safe and healthy for another day. But, I think it’s human nature to take our lives for granted.

How many times have we left the house either mad or in a rush? Maybe not taken the time for that extra hug or to sincerely share how much people mean to you before you depart? Maybe put off that call, or visit to a longtime friend or family member? If I told you that today was the last day of your life, what would you say, and to whom?

As we attended her Celebration of Life, I was not surprised that it was being held at her high school gymnasium, as she was a talented athlete who was ferociously competitive and cared about her team. As I looked around, I can almost promise that this gym had never held so many people. It was standing room only. As person after person stood and shared stories of her, it felt more like this day belonged to someone in their senior years. Funny stories, mixed with testimony of how much she impacted lives filled the room over and over again. Each person had their own, amazing experience with her that was somehow all packed into her short 17 years.

While I sat there filled with emotions of heartbreak for my friends having to go on without their amazing daughter, something that was shared with me in my youth came to mind. I was about to start a career and someone who became a mentor said, “Your life is made up of two dates, and a dash. Make the most of the dash.” That was it. On someone in their twenties, it wasn’t as meaningful as it is now. In just 17 short years, she filled that dash with a LOT! She impacted countless people and created a legacy that will live on for far more years than the short few that she was with us.

I could go on, but I hope by now you are thinking not just of your own life, but of those you care most about and questioning, “Do they know how I feel about them? Have I left anything unsaid? Have I done everything I’ve wanted and if my time came, would I pass without regret?” This is what I’ve thought about almost non-stop since that phone call; that our time is short and tomorrow is not a promise. Imagine if you could wake up reminded of this every day, and live your life knowing that not only are you living your fullest life, but also saying and doing everything in your heart with those who mean the most to you?

As I’ve shared in other stories, it’s simple, but not easy. However, some things are worth it and it took my friend’s heartbreaking tragedy to remind me that we should not take the gift of tomorrow for granted. Take an extra minute and give them a hug, or a call, or send an email.

Thank you for the honor of serving you and this great industry. I am humbled by your dedication and support of what we do, as well as allowing me to share my thoughts with you each month. I hope you all have a wonderful summer, building on the legacy of your “dash.”

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

Unrivaled dealer support comes from understanding a high-quality product means nothing if it means headaches to get it on your shelves. For five decades now, we’ve built a trusted reputation for going above and beyond to deliver on the extras that make a difference. Like near-by facilities for timely product deliveries. A seasoned sales support team. Or stand-out advertising that drives higher demand for products. That’s just the beginning of a very long list that only we do. See all the other ways the YellaWood® brand has your back. Visit yellawood.com/for-dealers

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

610,

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

AL 36310.

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.

HOT. HOT. HOT.

FRTW DRAWS MORE INTEREST

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

BY DAVID KOENIG

EVOLVING DEMAND in construction and new regional building code requirements are stoking interest in fire-retardant-treated wood (FRTW).

“There is increased interest in FRTW as specifiers realize and take advantage of both the economic and environmental advantages that FRTW has over other building materials used for code-compliant applications in noncombustible types of construction in the building and fire codes,” notes Hoover Treated Wood Products’ Dave Bueche.

“I believe, with interest rates as high as they are, people are staying in rentals vs. buying or building a single-family home,” offers Todd Schoffstoll, western regional manager for D-Blaze preservative manufacturer Viance. “To meet the demand for rentals there is a lot of multifamily construction occurring at this time, and that type of construction can use a significant amount of FRTW. Single-family homes typically don’t use any FRTW.

“I also think some of the uptick is a result of FRTW being specified more and more as engineers and architects are becoming more knowledgeable about the benefits of FRTW and more codes are requiring it.”

Darren Richardson, VP of sales & business development, United Treating & Distribution, Muscle Shoals,

Al., is seeing the same phenomenon in his region of the country. “The uptick is due to more areas in the Southeast are starting to require FRT in multifamily and commercial projects,” he agrees.

T2Earth, Augusta, Ga.—a joint venture of southern pine producer Pollard Lumber Co., Appling, Ga., and sales/marketing partner International Forest Products, Foxborough, Ma.—just introduced OnWood 1.0, Class A fire-retardant-treated southern yellow pine. Co-founder and CEO Joel Kier described the product as “the first dimensional lumber confirmation of our vision to change the paradigm of treated forestry products. Our innovations will accelerate the world into a sustainably built environment by delivering a treated wood that is unmatched (pun intended) as the highest performing, compellingly priced, eco-friendly wood solution usable across key construction and infrastructure applications.”

The conversation over fire-resistant wood products has been growing for a very long time, according to Watkins Sawmills’ Bill Hendricks. “I have spent 40+ years in the industry,” he says. “I have seen a lot of changes, but being a fire protection officer is my passion. Unfortunately, climate change, drought and wildfires are increasing, but wood is sustainable and renewable. FRTW protects property and saves lives.”

FIRE-RETARDANT-TREATED wood is fast increasing in popularity for multifamily and commercial construction, such as the Filene Center in Virginia. (Photos by Chemco/SaferWood)

As Watkins Sawmills’ technical field rep, Hendricks spends most of his time consulting with code and fire officials to ensure they understand how FRTW products meet all applicable codes. Hendricks says, “The ICC (International Code Council) creates the FRTW codes, which UL uses to certify FRTW products. An independent third-party quality control agency with IAS accreditation verifies product performance against ASTM standards. We are tested constantly, and compliance is strict. You either pass or you fail, and failure is not an option.”

Most interior fire retardants use similar chemicals in varying combinations (guanylurea phosphate and boric acide for FR-1 treatments like Dricon; phosphate, boric acid, and ammonia for FR-2 treatments like D-Blaze and FlamePRO). Viance’s Schoffstoll says, “A good analogy is that FRTW formulations are like motor oil in that they don’t differ significantly amongst brands.”

Chemco, Ferndale, Wa.—a pioneer in exterior FRTW—is reportedly the only company to use a single formula for both exterior and interior FR treatment. “Demand for interior dimensional lumber and plywood treatment is up due to more multifamily construction; however, we are also seeing an increase for exterior FRTW due to statewide adoption of the International Wildland Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) by Washington State effective July 1, 2023,” says Chemco general manager Darin Dalry. “FRTW interest in the Pacific Northwest and Canada is at an all-time high, and we fully expect sustained demand for our TSO as more professionals specify SaferWood.”

Most pressure-impregnated fire-retardant treatments work in a similar fashion—transforming the wood into a product that no longer promotes burning. As AWPA president Colin McCown explains: “In very general terms, fire retardants for wood have one or more mechanisms for slowing down or eliminating the burning process. These include but are not limited to increasing the charring process (char insulates the wood beneath), forming an ultra-thin glassy layer, reducing the flammable gases released during the burning process, creating gases which cool the flames, etc. Each fire-retardant system will have its own mechanism (or two or three) for retarding the burning process—it really depends on the formulation.”

Even though the products may be fully compliant with IBC and IWUIC, FRTW is only part of the solution, according to J. Travis Owens, director of business development

for SaferWood/Chemco. “Another part of the solution is programs like Firewise USA by NFPA. As we learn how to adapt to living with wildfire, community-level participation is required. Consistent messaging from all stakeholders is vital.”

According to ICC, five U.S. states have adopted the IWUIC statewide, along with over 200 jurisdictions in other states. Every year, more than 2 million acres in the U.S. are newly designated as a WUI Zone. As quickly as WUI is growing and building codes are changing to adapt to our new climate reality, there has been a proliferation of products and companies flooding the market—many of which do not meet the strict FRTW testing, manufacturing or reporting requirements. Ensure the FRTW brands you work with have the history, experience and expertise to deliver.

Use our list below to start your conversation about FRTW. “FRTW is serious business,” says Chemco’s Owens, “and those of us in the industry have an obligation to tell the truth and back up claims with evidence because the wood we treat is protecting property and saving lives.” BP

FRTW Brands

INTERIOR

D-Blaze

• Bestway (Cresco, PA; Corland, Gouvernuer, NY; Stony Point, NC)

• Flameproof Companies (Montgomery, IL; Fort Worth, TX; Kinsale, VA; Milwaukee, WI)

• Hixson Lumber Sales (Rochelle, Streator, IL; Hattiesburg, MS; Pleasant Hill, MO; Plumerville, AR; Winnfield, LA; Gilmer, Caddo Mills, Carrollton, Willis, TX)

Dricon FS

• Mid-States Wood Preservers (Simsboro, LA)

FlamePRO

• Biewer Lumber (Seneca, IL; Lansing, MI)

• CM Tucker Lumber (Pageland, SC)

• Culpeper Wood Preservers (Fredericksburg, VA; Columbia, Orangeburg, SC; Athens, NY)

• Great Southern Wood Preserving [FlameFreez] (Covington, GA)

• Maine Wood Treaters (Mechanic Falls, ME)

ProWood FR

• UFP Industries (Hamilton, OH; Moultrie, GA, Saginaw, TX; Windsor, CO)

Pyro-Guard

• Hoover Treated Wood Products (Thomson, GA; Havana, FL; Halifax, NC; Milford, VA; Pine Bluff, AR; Detroit, MI; Oxford, PA; Belington, WV)

EXTERIOR

Exterior Fire-X

• Hoover Treated Wood Products (Pine Bluff, AR; Milford, VA)

NEW REGIONAL building codes are a driving force in the rise of FRTW.

UNLOCK PLYWOOD’S POTENTIAL

AS THE WORLD becomes increasingly aware of the need for sustainable practices, many architects and designers are taking steps to reduce their environmental impact. However, one of the major challenges they face is finding a solution that is both sustainably produced and suitable for each unique project.

While traditional building materials like hardwood and concrete have their merits, an often-overlooked but increasingly popular choice among designers, architects and suppliers is plywood. Offering a remarkable blend of versatility and adaptability, plywood delivers limitless possibili-

DESIGN REVOLUTION

LEADS TO UNUSUAL APPLICATIONS

------------ BY JAIME ALVAREZ

ties beyond the realm of conventional applications.

Industrial Excellence

Plywood has earned a reputation for its reliability in industrial applications, especially with regards to fire safety. Traditional hardwood, if not treated, can be dangerous in industrial settings as it is flammable, but plywood veneers can be individually soaked in a fire-retardant solution and then glued and compressed, making them uniquely fire-resistant and effectively safeguarding a variety of applications, including elevator interiors.

High-rise buildings are becoming commonplace in urban settings which means the demand for elevators is growing in tandem. The risk of electrical and mechanical malfunctions cannot be overstated, and it is essential to take every precaution to avoid potential hazards including fires. Architects, builders and suppliers are increasingly relying on fire-rated plywood panels to ensure the safest possible elevator designs.

Revolutionizing Transportation

In addition to its durability and strength, plywood is extremely lightweight, meaning it can be used in the

WITH GROWING technological innovations coupled with an increasing worldwide commitment to sustainability, e-bikes are now becoming an integral mode of transportation around the world. This innovative e-bike features a plywood base, which is both lightweight and durable.

transportation sector to significantly reduce the overall weight of vehicles, leading to improved fuel efficiency.

RVs and model homes in particular can drastically reduce their overall emissions and costs by using lightweight plywood paneling in their kitchen cabinetry, bed frames, and overhead storage compartments. Plywood is also an increasingly popular choice for boat hulls and bows as it is flexible and helps reduce the overall weight of vessels so they can move through water more efficiently.

Companies such as Evie Bee Designs have gone even further in their mission to explore plywood’s potential creating ElectraPly, an environmentally friendly plywood e-bike.

Retail Redefined

Using digital print technology, companies have further managed to revolutionize plywood’s potential. Garnica, a leading manufacturer in the industry, has developed a product line called Infinity which recreates highly sought-after ve-

neer designs on a premium poplar plywood platform. This innovative solution not only produces stunning and realistic designs but also aligns with the industry’s growing demand for sustainability.

Although their current primary focus is on printing various wood grains and patterns, it is technically possible to print solid colors or even photographs and logos, opening up a world of possibilities for creative minds.

By incorporating digital print technology into their plywood shelving, display units, and fixtures, retailers can effectively recreate the look of hardwood in their spaces without breaking the bank or compromising strength and durability.

Sustainable Design

As the demand for sustainable and versatile building materials continues to grow, responsibly sourced plywood is positioned to play a central role in shaping the future of the industry. The architect and design

community is always looking for ways to obtain LEED certifications for their projects and using sustainably sourced plywood can be a key component in that process.

A widely available alternative to rare and exotic hardwoods which need to be protected, plywood is the ultimate cost-effective and endlessly adaptable solution that suppliers and their clients can count on for everything from interior design to transportation BP

JAIME ALVAREZ

PLYWOOD PANELING, especially when fire-resistant, is ideal for elevator interiors due to its light weight, durability and ability to bear extreme loads.

RETAIL SETTING incorporated Infinity Plywood to add an understated, natural elegance to the space.

Jaime Alvarez is the head of marketing at Garnica (www.garnica. one/en-us). Based in La Rioja, Spain, he oversees marketing initiatives for both the European and North American divisions.

25 YEARS OF PRO DRIVEN INNOVATION

For the last 25 years, FastenMaster has worked side-by-side with top PRO contractors to develop the most innovative structural, decking and framing fastening solutions in the industry. Our American based engineering and manufacturing teams have enabled us to develop cutting-edge fastening solutions that reduce installed cost, increase structural integrity and deliver a superior finished look. That’s why top builders have made FastenMaster their preferred brand, providing them with the confidence they need to take on any project.

THE SECRET SHOPPER

MICHIGAN’S BIG RAPIDS LUMBER & HARDWARE

BY SARA GRAVES

REMINISCENT OF the CBS TV reality show Undercover

Boss, David VanderWeele was on a stealth mission to check out a business without anyone recognizing him.

It was 2020 and VanderWeele was looking for a new business venture when he heard a nearby lumberyard was for sale. The 115-year-old Big Rapids Cash & Carry in Big Rapids, Mi., was up the road an hour, outside of Grand Rapids, Mi., and VanderWeele was interested in seeing how it was run. So, he decided to secret shop the store.

“I came up and secret shopped the store three different times: once as a pain in the backside customer, once as a customer that was normal, and once with my kids running around the store,” he states.

The Big Rapids’ staff took his “tests” in stride. Their professionalism convinced him that he should buy the company from Phil and Bob Daniels, who had previously

taken over the business from their father Jim Daniels. VanderWeele would become the company’s fourth-generation owner.

“I was very impressed with the people that worked here. Their caliber. They were consistent with me each and every time. (The staff was) knowledgeable, friendly. It seemed like the atmosphere was a very positive atmosphere,” VanderWeele explains, adding that he visited the store without Phil Daniels’ knowledge. “He didn’t even know I was coming.”

“This operation, when I secret shopped them, gave me that feeling of premium products, service and people,” he says, something that he was looking for when buying a new company.

At the time, VanderWeele was running a large, national insurance company, overseeing three states. Yet, despite

BIG RAPIDS FAMILY: Left to right, Randy Langworthy, Laurie Foos, Phil Daniels, Sarah Atwell, owner David VanderWeele (in gray), William VanderWeele, Bill Howes, Bobbi Lodholtz, Travis Palmer, Juile Taubitz, and Bart Chupp.

the two companies being drastically different, it didn’t dissuade him from buying the company. “We’re in the people business. It doesn’t matter what the products are or the services, whether it’s an insurance policy; whether it’s spray paint; a 2x4, 8 ft.; a car for that matter. Products don’t matter. My philosophy is: ‘If your business is developed correctly, you’re in the people business, helping to solve problems, helping to make their days better, helping to assist them (to) save time so they can do things that they value more.’ That philosophy has served me very

well over time.” The business was also attractive because VanderWeele’s father had introduced him to the contractor and plumbing business as a child.

In the three years since, with the help of Phil Daniels, who stayed on to assist in the company transition, but who is now ready to retire, VanderWeele has transitioned the company from its previous identity of Big Rapids Cash & Carry to Big Rapids Lumber & Hardware (Big Rapids), a name he feels better suits the direction the company is headed in.

In fact, the staff of 19 people is currently in the process of an overhaul, having added 40% more hardware inventory in the past 90 days by extending its 4-ft. shelves to 7-ft. shelves. Ironically, it was VanderWeele’s early stealth visits to the store that led him to making this change.

In March of 2020, six months before the sale of the business was finalized, VanderWeele says he came to the store two days a week to learn the store, understand its customers, and get a feel for the staff to make sure it was what he wanted to do. It was during his visits one week that he overheard three customers ask if the store sold trailer hitches. A staff member at the time replied, “We’re not a hardware store. We’re a lumberyard.” A similar response was repeated two more times. The next month, VanderWeele said to his staff, “How many people have to ask for a trailer hitch or a trailer hitch ball before we order some?”

“The company was so focused on contractors only, they were missing a whole segment of the market out

BIG RAPIDS is moving on from its longtime “Cash & Carry” name.

there that our competitors were taking advantage of, which is (a DIYer) that needs help with a product, and they don’t want to drive across town,” he adds. “So, I made the decision back then that we would rename the company, Big Rapids Lumber & Hardware. Saying what we do (and) where we do it to me made a little more sense than the classic name from the ’70s, Cash & Carry.”

“I have a (customer) who is a halfa-million-dollar builder who is getting ready to retire,” says VanderWeele, further illustrating his point with a true story. “I can’t snap my fingers and replace that builder from a projection and diversification standpoint. I would rather have 200 $1,000 customers than one $40,000, $50,000, $60,000, or $100,000 customer. There’s more safety in that diversification. So, that’s kind of also what (led) me down the hardware path.”

Presently, the store is undergoing a complete remodel both inside and out with new signage and marketing reflecting the name change and increased focus on hardware. In addition, the company is concentrating on diversifying its business, including adding more products that are geared toward commercial contractors.

“We have some commercial contractors we work with,” VanderWeele explains. “They stop in for their personal needs, but why aren’t they really giving us a shot (for their commercial business)? Again, I go back to my philosophy—we solve problems. If there’s a product somebody wants us to carry and they commit they’ll buy it from us, I don’t care what the product is... I’m not hung up on the products at all. I’ll do anything to make the problem go away for somebody, and, no, I didn’t say in that statement, ‘I’ll be the least expensive.’ I think what happens is people get so caught up in price... versus, again, the people business, solving the problem.”

It is this flexibility in responding to the needs of the local community that has enabled Big Rapids to thrive despite stiff competition in a six-mile radius surrounding the store. And even though there has been a similar business on the company’s same property dating back to 1905, what sets the lumberyard apart from its local competition today is “having the best products compared to everybody else in our industry,” VanderWeele explains. “We carry a much higher grade, different product of lumber than what they carry. That really helps us differentiate ourselves from a product standpoint.”

The yard carries Hem-fir as its dimensional lumber, which, he says, produces a stronger and straighter building foundation material. In addition, they carry the highest-quality-graded lumber that you can buy, which results in the straightest boards with the least number of knots. This is Big Rapids’ stocked product, not a special order.

“You can literally, physically see a huge difference in our bunks of lumber when they’re stacked up, and from the coloring to the straightness of the boards—they aren’t crooked, the ends aren’t split open,” VanderWeele says, adding that it is worth the increase in price when you factor in the reduction in wasted lumber, and fewer warped boards that need replacing in the future.

In addition, Big Rapids has taken it a step further with its unprecedented delivery. The company offers sameday delivery on 85% of its loads for their contractor customers, and a

100% delivery commitment in 24 hours—at no charge to the contractor. Occasionally, this means VanderWeele makes the deliveries himself.

Thankfully, an increase in construction in the Big Rapids area has provided the company with steady business, due in part to more people moving into the area for its country feel and cheaper housing costs, and the heavy vacation property base around the region’s many lakes.

Looking ahead, VanderWeele says Big Rapids will further explore offering more commercial products, wholesaling products, and looking into possibly acquiring more lumber, hardware or kitchen and bath locations.

And whether Big Rapids remains a single location or grows to several locations, VanderWeele says he is confident that it will remain competitive against the area’s big box stores because his customer “wants somebody knowledgeable to talk with. They want somebody to walk them to the aisle. They want somebody to carry their product out to them. They want somebody to explain, ‘Hey I saw this new product.’” Something, he says, his customer won’t find in a 60,000-sq. ft. big box store.

Nevertheless, VanderWeele is not caught up in adding locations as long as he can continue to address the needs of his customers. “If I don’t ever have another location, that’s perfectly fine. If I have two or three, that’s perfectly fine. If I end up with 10 or 20, it’s perfectly fine. It’s meant to be. We’ll go and I’ll do what the customers want me to do.”

And with Big Rapids’ century of experience helping its customers, and a company culture to always put the customer first, it’s no surprise that VanderWeele’s purchase of the company turned out to be a great deal. BP

SARA GRAVES

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

VANDERWEELE’S immediate family is also fully on board.

THE POWER OF SUGGESTION

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

MANY SELLERS who call themselves “relationship sellers” are really in a “master/servant” relationship with their customers. These sellers are raised by nonsalespeople who were the customer their whole lives. And what did these parents/lifetime customers teach their children? “The customer is always right!” I would amend that to “The customer isn’t always right, but they are always a partner and should be treated as such.”

The number one fear of sellers is the fear of being too pushy. Is being too pushy a sales mistake? Absolutely. Overcoming objections is one of the highest selling skill that is delicate and fraught with not a small amount of danger. A student of mine said, “Overcoming objections is hard because it feels like arguing.” I told her, “It feels like arguing because you are not comfortable when you do it, which in turn makes the customer uncomfortable.”

Hustle & Service

When we are new in the industry it is difficult to use the power of suggestion because we don’t know enough to suggest much. In this stage of our relationship (building) with customers, we hustle for them and do our best to cover their specifications.

Many sellers stop developing their sales skills after learning to “hustle and serve.” Some of these salespeople are wildly successful; most of them are charismatic, “charm” sellers. I tell these sellers, “You are going to be successful in sales because

you are so charismatic. You don’t have to do a lot of the things I am teaching you, but if you do add these tools to your arsenal, your success will happen faster and bigger.”

I also tell my students, “If you are Mr. or Mrs. Charisma, good for you. In my experience, the “charisma sellers” are about one in 40. So, statistically speaking, you need to work on your sales technique.”

Hustle and service are very important to succeed in sales, but they are just two of the tools available for us to bring more value to our customers and more sales to ourselves.

The Power of Suggestion

Master Sellers spend time learning the overall industry they sell in and the different industries they sell to. Master Sellers are businesspeople who sell not just slingers of product.

Master Sellers understand their customers’ desired outcome of using products. They also learn the options the industry can provide to delivered that outcome and begin to suggest those options to their customers. Often these suggested products/ options can bring a lot of value to customers. These salespeople set themselves apart from the mass of “product/hustle” sellers. They get out of the “$5/MBF and a cloud of smoke” business.

Because they bring long-term creative business value to their customers, they also get last look on commodity items that are traditionally competitive.

Examples to suggest:

Species. Customers are switching species now more than ever. There will be times in the market where traditionally southern yellow pine markets will be better served by SPF and vice versa. Spruce buyers have many options: WSPF, ESPF, SPF-S, Euro. In addition, some spruce buyers will substitute Hem-fir for spruce if the spreads are right.

Customers have a preference, but if the spreads are right, they often will switch. The Master Seller takes the customer’s inquiry, but comes back with creative options that can make their customers more competitive and profitable.

Another example would be 1x6 D Select DF VS 1x6 D/BTR Fir Larch. If we have a customer who uses 1x6 D Select DF and we can switch them to 1x6 D/BTR Fir Larch, we will be saving them anywhere from $500 to $750/MB depending on the markets for both, but typically D/BTR Fir Larch will trade for much less.

Note: Some products seem like a good alternative but don’t work for the customer’s application, so we may have to send an LTL unit sample before ordering a full truckload. This isn’t a “bait-and switch.” We never send an alternative to a customer without speaking about it up front.

Grades & Yields. We may have a manufacturer who is using a certain grade to make a product. We may be able to suggest an alternative grade that will make them more profitable.

For example, we have a customer buying 2x4 8’ utility and cutting (Continued on page 56)

AI USE IN HR

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

BY PAIGE McALLISTER

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT artificial intelligence (AI) have been everywhere recently. Congress held hearings about it. News outlets have written articles about it, including that content providers have sampled AI’s abilities by having it draft something for them. But how does it impact companies and Human Resources?

According to the Pew Research Center, 62% of Americans believe AI will have a major impact on workers, but only 28% believe it will impact them directly. Unfortunately, AI is already impacting employees, as 4,000 jobs were lost in May 2023 due to AI—the first time AI was listed as a reason for a layoff.

Q. We have two employees who keep complaining about the temperature. One says it is too warm, one says it is too cold. It is a small office so there isn’t a way to allow them to sit in different areas. No one else complains or has an opinion either way. What can we do?

A. Having people in set areas for long periods of time can bring about several sticky issues about personal space and comfort. While some things such as what is displayed on a desk is easier to control, general conditions such as temperature or noise levels can be trickier.

First thing... if employee safety or functionality is impacted by any workplace condition, you need to defer to that above anything else. For example, a server room may need to be kept at a low temperature to keep the equipment cool so the “cold” employee may still be cold.

In this case, I would find a happy- median temperature that most employees are comfortable with. Then allow the employees to flex their personal conditions to make them comfortable. For example, perhaps one can wear sweatshirts or jackets while the other is allowed shortsleeved tops.

Another possibility is that one employee has a medical condition that makes regulating their body temperature difficult. While you do not need to make everyone else miserable with raising or lowering the temperature (that may not seem as “reasonable”), you could discuss other options such as dress code flexibility for allowing them to bring a personal space fan or heater into their area.

Again, safety needs to take precedence, followed by operational needs and the comfort of other employees.

While most of the recent conversation involves AI-generated content, other AI formats have been used in the workplace for a while.

AI in the Hiring Process

AI tools used in the hiring process have been praised for saving hiring managers valuable time and creating a diverse pool of applicants by removing bias from the initial review process. Concerns have been raised that there is unintentional bias built into these tools.

Resume-review tools can use predictive analysis to determine what candidate profile would be the best fit for an open position and then compare received electronic resumes to find the “best available” candidates. However, if a candidate uses certain words or phrases which may not fit the AI tool’s expectations, the candidate will receive a lower evaluation for no real reason.

More concerning are tools which analyze an applicant’s personality, knowledge, and communication skills using recorded responses to interview questions and facial expressions. These tools assess a candidate’s fit for a job by matching them to a profile of the company’s “ideal employee” using appearance, communication skills, speech patterns, body language, personality, etc. However, some of these tools have been found to be biased, eliminating people of certain genders, races, ethnicities, and disabilities by giving lower scores for factors (such as facial structure, accents, hair style, or wearing glasses or head scarves) that do not match the “ideal” parameters in the programming.

Regulations on the use of these tools are already in place. On April 25, four federal agencies—U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Department of Justice (DOJ), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and Federal Trade Commission (FTC)—issued a joint statement addressing the concerns about artificial intelligence and its potential impacts. The statement covered several topics including defining AI, acknowledging its potential positive uses and negative impacts, highlighting potential areas for discrimination, and affirming each agency’s commitment “… to monitor the development and usage of automated systems and promote responsi-

ble innovation…” as well as “… pledge to vigorously use our collective authorities to protect individuals’ rights regardless of whether legal violations occur through traditional means or advanced technologies.”

Illinois, Maryland, and New York City have already passed laws regulating the use of “automated employment decisions tools” in the hiring process, with many other states and cities considering similar laws.

AI-Generated Content

Most of the latest news is around “chatbots” and the AI-generated content they produce. Chatbots, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing, and Google’s Bard, are now available to the public by simply downloading the software or phone app and setting up an account.

In the workplace, chatbots can be used to research topics and to generate content such as policies, procedures, emails, letters, and disciplinary action. On the positive side, AI used for HR purposes can help effectively address legalities, uncomfortable topics, and messages for general audiences. However, AI has also been shown to generate content which lacks empathy, is non-specific, disregards the privacy of others, does not offer face-to-face interactions, or contradicts itself. Asking the same question in different ways could give different results which could complicate or confuse the issue more.

Beyond these concerns are the inherent limitations of chatbots as they are built on a Large Language Model which relies on many available data sources. However, the end results are only as good and valid as the data it references, which is not always valid or accurate. For example, Wikipedia is an often-used resource but, since it relies on user-generated content, it has been proven to be only 80% accurate. In some cases, chatbots have also created their own inaccurate reference material from which to develop and validate an answer even though it is incorrect or fictional.

To build its database, chatbots retain all entered information for future reference by any user. Since users must input specific information to get the best results, they may need to enter sensitive or confidential information or trade secrets which is added to the chatbot’s database. Depending on the information entered and/or the parameters entered by a future user, companies may find their confidential data available to anyone asking the right questions.

Suggested Action to Take Before Using AI

As tools develop and improve, AI will find a place in most workplaces. As you determine how AI will be allowed in your workplace, consider taking the following actions:

• Do your research into AI: Understand what defines AI as well as the advantages and drawbacks to each tool. In addition to the information linked in this article, consider reading other resources to educate yourself as much as possible on AI. For example, two articles about chatbots from the New York Times we found helpful while researching this article were “Chatbot Primer” (five-part series) and “Prompts for More Effective Chatbot Results.” You may also find Conductor’s article about using a chatbot helpful.

• Research your AI tools: Learn what AI is and how it

is incorporated into tools you may use now or may rely on in the future. If you choose to use AI tools, be sure to understand their validity and limitations. For example, if you are going to use virtual analysis of recorded interviews, understand the science behind it, including if the tool has been properly tested to remove implicit biases.

• Establish policies and procedures on AI use: Draft a policy to outline when and how AI can and cannot be used. Include clear statements prohibiting discrimination and revealing confidential information. While the policy can be general to cover any AI, develop exact procedures and expectations as you initiate AI tools.

• Train employees and managers: As you expand the use of AI tools in your company, train your employees and managers when and how to use them properly and legally. Instruct users on what is and is not allowed as well as expectations such as reviewing and fact-checking all content before releasing it or personalizing a letter to an employee or customer. BP

PAIGE McALLISTER

Paige McAllister, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is vice president for compliance with Affinity HR Group. Reach her at (877) 6606400 or contact@affinityhrgroup.com.

VIRTUAL TOUR IS THE PERFECT SHOW-AND-TELL

------------ BY JEFF EASTERLING

WHEN CUSTOMERS walk into your store and want to know how a certain wood might look in their home, how do you illustrate the possibilities? Next time you’re in need of a little eastern white pine show-and-tell tool, check out the NELMA Virtual Tour at www.nelma.org.

First launched in 2014, the Virtual Tour offering has now grown to include six different inspirational vignettes, and we hear there might be a new one launching soon. The Virtual Tour changed the way the industry looked at projects by employing interactive views and informational tags to tell the complete wood application story.

At the core of it, the Virtual Tours take the familiar realtor 360° home view and upgrade it with product specs indicating beautiful interior applications. Designed to spark imagination, the high-res digital photography is partnered with easy self-navigation in all directions, resulting in a fun, creative way to tour multiple rooms within a project, all controlled by the user. Colorful product information icons (that pop up on the wall, ceiling, or floor) are utilized within each room of each project to educate the user as to the actual grade, pattern, and finish used.

Over the years, retailer and consumer reaction to this unique, engaging tour of projects has grown exponentially. The Virtual Tours bring to life multiple wood projects and allows a peek into the beautiful reality of choosing authentic wood.

With the goal of exposing the varied uses of eastern white pine to as many retailers and consumers as possible, the Virtual Tour page on the NELMA website offers six project doors designed to inspire and educate:

• A Modern Home features clean lines, plentiful light, and an airy ambiance showcasing how easily eastern white pine fits into the modern aesthetic;

• The Seaside Cottage brings blues and whites and pops of yellow together to mingle effortlessly with the

décor of a beach home covered floor to ceiling in eastern white pine;

• Nothing says, “let’s go camping!” more than the Modern Cabin filled with real, authentic wood illustrating the versatility of eastern white pine as the perfect building product for any style home;

• A Horse Barn? Absolutely! Commercial properties are among those made all the more beautiful with the inclusion of eastern white pine, and when it comes to a therapy horse barn in New Hampshire, the warm look of real wood is a flawless match with the outdoor vibe;

• A Country Bar offers up a side of natural beauty in a fun, honky-tonk establishment that needs building products high in durability and strength;

• The Friends School in Maine wanted to fully utilize the beautiful eastern white pines that came down to build a new structure, so they included them on the inside and outside of the new building—and even milled them on site.

With the popularity of eastern pine growing in both residential and commercial construction, it’s important to take wood beyond the typical applications and share how it fits into any home, any project. The NELMA Virtual Tour is a slam-dunk easy tool for retailers to use to show their customers the reality of choosing beautiful, natural wood.

JEFF EASTERLING

Jeff Easterling is president of the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association, Cumberland Center, Me. Reach him at info@nelma.org.

ROBBINS PURCHASES PAIR OF PLEASANT RIVER SAWMILLS

Robbins Lumber, Searsmont, Me., has acquired two sawmills in Hancock and Sanford, Me., from Pleasant River Lumber Co.

With the deal, Robbins grows from two eastern white pine mills to four. “This acquisition is a game-changer,” said co-owner Jim Robbins. “We are now a four sawmill/planer mill, biomass power plant, and coatings facility company with an expanded customer base. Our geographic footprint now covers a larger area of our state, and we have a strategic plan to continue investing and growing.”

The 33-acre Sanford site, now known as Robbins Lumber Sanford LLC, includes a sawmill with an annual capacity of 15 million bd. ft., power plant, planing mill, warehouses and storage areas. Pleasant River purchased it from LaValley Lumber in 2012.

The 98-acre Hancock operation, renamed Robbins Lumber Downeast LLC, has an annual capacity of 13 million bd. ft. and was obtained from Crobb Box in 2011.

Robbins plans to retain all 74 Pleasant River employees, increasing its total workforce to 250.

SHERWOOD LUMBER ACQUIRES MIDDLE ATLANTIC WHOLESALE

Sherwood Lumber, Melville, N.Y., has purchased Middle Atlantic Wholesale Lumber (MAWL), Baltimore, Md., expanding its geographic footprint and service capabilities.

Founded in 1977, MAWL serves Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, West Virginia, and beyond.

By combining the strengths of Sherwood Lumber and MAWL, the two companies will create a larger and more diverse distribution network, with an expanded product offering and improved logistics capabilities.

“We are delighted to welcome the exceptional team at MAWL to the Sherwood Lumber family,” said Michael Goodman, director of finance/general counsel at Sherwood Lumber. “This acquisition represents an important step in our growth strategy, enabling us to expand our presence on the East

Coast and provide even better service to our customers. We are excited to combine our expertise and resources with MAWL to create an even stronger platform for growth.”

“With great pride in what MAWL has accomplished under the previous ownership, we are thrilled about the future as MAWL and Sherwood combine as one company,” said Joel Winters, VP and general manager at MAWL. “This strategic move opens up exciting opportunities to further expand our product offerings and better serve our customers.”

CMPC BUYING POWELL VALLEY

In a strategic move to enhance its presence in the U.S., Empresas CMPC SA signed a definitive agreement to acquire Heritage Millworks, which does business as Powell Valley Millwork in Lexington, Ky.

“This is a fundamental step in the history of CMPC,” said chairman Luis Felipe Gazitúa. “Although our products have been marketed in the United States for decades, we will now be able to produce them here, drawing on the experience and know-how of a specialist company like Powell Valley Millwork.”

Radiata pine holds a significant position as one of the most consumed millwork products in the U.S. market. The Powell Valley facilities have the production capacity to supply volume programs across North America plus the location to provide streamlined logistics with robust customer service.

Juan Pablo Pereira Sutil, managing director, CMPC Wood Products, notes, “By combining our production capabilities, we aim to secure a larger market share and introduce a broader range of products, including radiata pine and poplar offerings, while serving our customers with a much stronger value proposition.”

CMPC and Powell Valley have aggressive growth plans in the U.S. and will begin expanding the assets at both production sites to maintain their existing poplar programs and facilitate the introduction of radiata pine manufacturing and distribution from Kentucky. Powell Valley currently employs more than 200 and is hiring more.

Koopman Lumber has opened its 12th location and first on Cape Cod—an 8,759-sq. ft. store in Dennis, Ma., with kitchen & bath showroom, window & door showroom, 9,030-sq. ft. drive-thru lumberyard, and two warehouses totaling 4,759 sq. ft.

McCoy’s Building Supply broke ground on a new retail location with drive-thru lumberyard—its 87th—in Lockhart, Tx.

84 Lumber opened a new location in Morgantown, W.V., managed by J.C. Whitehair.

Grandfather Lumber Co., Pineola, N.C., held a grand opening celebration on May 20.

Bliffert Lumber & Hardware held a June 23 grand re-opening for its newly remodeled yard in Germantown, Wi., featuring an updated layout and expanded product selection.

Fourshee Building Supply, Cadiz, Ky., closed late last month after 70 years of family ownership, attributing the closure to difficulty in finding employees.

Dazey’s Supply held a grand opening celebration May 19-21 at its newest location #7 in Bluffton, In.

L&W Supply has completed the acquisition of Killingly Building Products, with locations in Dayville, Ct., and Providence, R.I.

Mueller Ace Hardware & Home Center, Park Hills, Mo., closed June 9 after 76 years, with the retirement of brother-and-sister owners Mike Upchurch and Vickie Murray.

Salk’s Ace Hardware & Marine is opening store #5 at the former site of Rocky’s Ace Hardware in Pawtucket, R.I.

Carr Hardware is down to six locations with the June 8 closure of its 7-year-old branch in Enfield, Ct.

J&R’s Ace Hardware, Porter, Tx., held a grand reopening celebration May 27 following the expansion of its outdoor living and grilling department.

Anniversaries: Smith Lumber, Valley City, N.D., 100th ... Home Builders Supply Co., Greenville, N.C., 75th ... Flagship Forest Products, Stoughton, Ma., 25th ... FastenMaster, 25th.

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Stock up on Strong-Drive fasteners. Visit go.strongtie.com/strongdrive or call (800) 999-5099.

SDWH TIMBER-HEX HDG Screw

EMPLOYEES BUY CHICAGO’S CLARK DEVON

After 99 years and three generations of family ownership, Clark Devon Hardware, Chicago’s largest independent hardware store, has been sold—to the 65 people who work there.

As its century celebration nears, co-owners and brothers Ken and Ed Walchak, who have headed the growth of this Chicago icon for the past 50 years, chose to sell the company to its employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

“We wanted the business that our father and grandfather built and nurtured to continue while maintaining the reputation, the culture and the commitment to the community and our customers that they taught us,” Ed Walchak explained. “We found the structure of an ESOP was the best way to reward the people who helped us build the business, thus helping create personal wealth while ensuring the long term success of the company.”

Clark Devon Hardware is now 100% employee owned with all the benefits of ownership accruing to its employees, many of whom have been with the company for decades. “We are grateful Ken and Ed considered an ESOP for passing the baton of this amazing business which has built its great reputation for decades,” said Xan Flink, the new CEO. “I hope our stewardship honors them and their family.”

With this transition, Clark Devon’s new employeeowners will join about 14 million employee-owners nationwide in 7,000 companies. Clark Devon becomes one of only 300 ESOPs in Illinois and one of just a handful that operate in the retail space.

EASTERN ENGINEERED OPENING DC IN SC

Eastern Engineered Wood Products, Bethlehem, Pa., plans a new distribution center near Anderson, S.C.

The new site in Pelzer, S.C., will expand the wholesale distributor’s delivery footprint from western Connecticut to north Georgia and eastern Tennessee. The location will service lumber dealers and component

manufacturers in North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Similar to the model for its distribution centers in Bethlehem and Keysville, Va., the new location will be dedicated exclusively to the sale of engineered wood products. Eastern’s commitment to creating an exceptional customer experience ensures that customers can expect accurate, on-time delivery of pieces, job packs, or truckloads in one to two days.

Veteran outside sales representatives Michelle Edens, John Ransom, and Brad Smith will lead the sales effort.

“We’ve recognized for some time now that our high-service model would be well suited for customers in this market,” said EEWP president Todd Lindsey. “We are excited about the opportunity to introduce our unique value proposition in this new territory and to simplify what customers often consider one of their most complex product offerings.”

------------| SUPPLIER BRIEFS

Millwood opened a 40,000-sq. ft. facility—its 38th— near Huntsville, Al.

Ambassador Supply, Fort Wayne, In., has purchased metal building manufacturer Straight Line Metal Buildings, Brookshire, Tx.

White Cap has acquired concrete accessories supplier Tri-Boro Construction Supplies, Dallastown, Pa.

IKO will construct a $270-million, 300,000-sq. ft. manufacturing complex in Maxville, Fl., that will include facilities for asphalt shingles, insulation board, and commercial rolled roofing. Construction will begin later this year and take two to three years.

Logan Lumber Co., Tampa, Fl., is now distributing Tropical Forest Products’ Black Label brand of tropical hardwoods.

Parksite is expanding its partnership with Tando Composites to distribute the full TandoStone product line within their Maryland and North Carolina distribution markets.

Sherwood Lumber, Melville, N.Y., is now an exclusive premier distributor of TYPAR products in the Tristate, mid-Atlantic, and select New England states.

Cameron Ashley Building Products has been named the exclusive, full-line wholesale distribution for TimberHP, Madison, Me., the first dry-process wood fiber insulation manufacturer in North America.

BlueLinx is now distributing Louisiana-Pacific’s LP SmartSide products in the Southeast from its DC’s in Jacksonville, Tampa and Lakeland, Fl. BlueLinx now stocks LP SmartSide in 11 locations across three regions.

Benjamin Obdyke, Hosham, Pa., is transitioning to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Key-Link Fencing & Railing, New Holland, Pa., has achieved PCI 4000 certification by the Powder Coating Institute.

Pau Lope Co., Cape Canaveral, Fl., has expanded its hardwood species offerings. Now in addition to ipé, the company also offers massaraduba, cumaru, garapa, tigerwood and—from Indonesia—red, yellow and brown balau.

GOING FROM family-owned to employee-owned (ESOP) changes up the business model for long-established Clark Devon Hardware store. Third generation coowners Ken Walchak (left) and Ed Walchak (right) pass the baton to newly named CEO Xan “Sean” Flink.

James Brookover, ex-LMC, has been named VP of purchasing for Tibbetts Lumber Co., Clearwater, Fl. Ron Yeager has been promoted to VP of sales-South region.

Andy Konieczka has been promoted to executive vice president-building products at Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta, Ga.

John Beers III succeeds him as president of GP’s panels business and will fill his seat on the APA board of trustees.

Mike Elmore has been appointed Southern regional sales mgr. for Culpeper Wood Preservers, Culpeper, Va. Brad Marks is now Northeast regional sales mgr., and Jim Powell, Midwest regional sales mgr.

Mick Yilek has been appointed branch mgr. at Gilcrest Jewett Lumber Co., Belle Plaine, Ia.

James Kircaldie, ex-Chapman Lumber, rejoined Interstate + Lakeland Lumber, Westport, Ct., in window sales.

Tyler Schlitzkus is new to contractor sales at Flynn Lumber & Supply Co., Gladwin, Mi.

Piyush Hajariwala, ex-Lowe’s, has been appointed store mgr. of Sutherlands Lumber & Building Materials, Pearl, Ms.

Rob Julander has joined the outside sales team at Leachman Lumber Co., Des Moines, Ia.

Matthew Gray has been promoted to assistant branch mgr. of Richards Building Supply, Columbus, Oh.

Neil Crosby, ex-McCormack Building Supply, is the new metal sales mgr. at Ware-Butler Building Supply, Waterville, Me.

Jason Lewis has joined Digger Specialties, Inc., Bremen, In., in territory building products sales for DSI’s north central region, covering North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Stephen Crane is Envision Outdoor Living Products’ new regional sales mgr. for Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Joe Stubler, ex-Boral, is now Envision’s regional sales mgr. for Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa.

James Kushner is new to sales at Evanston Lumber, Evanston, Il.

Steven Ray has been named plant mgr. of Hoover Treated Wood Products in Detroit, Mi.

Christopher Wilks, ex-National Nail, rejoined ABC Supply as branch mgr. in Pensacola, Fl. Other new mgrs.: Chad Stewart, Springfield, Mo.; Colton Smith, Hot Springs, Ar.; Kip Reinheimer, Baltimore, Md.; Mitch Cook, Annapolis, Md.; Keith Nicoli, Berlin, Ct.; Matthew Ridenour, Manchester, Ct.; Steven Litaker, Fort Lauderdale, Fl.; Kyle Marrs, Orlando, Fl.; Dwight McGriff, Pompano Beach, Fl.; Jake Payovich, Goshen, In.; Scott Adams, Wichita, Ks.; Robert Dougherty, Springfield, Ma.; Ashlen Blythe, Battle Creek, Mi.; Derrick Jacobson, Mankato, Mn.; Tiffany Rudar, Rochester, Mn.; John McLaughlin, Bergenfield, N.J.; Ian O’Neill, Mentor, Oh.; Jake Beeman, Columbia, S.C.; Brandon Davis, Chattanooga, Tn.; and Ryan Haws, Tyler, Tx.

Brian Botham, ex-Stanley Black & Decker, is now with PrimeSource Building Products, as Cornelius, N.C.-based major account executive.

Phil Carbone is a new window specialist with Builders FirstSource, North Charleston, S.C.

Andrew Greenspan, ex-SRS Distribution, has been named South Division district sales mgr. for Beacon Building Products, Herndon, Va.

Brett Ledford, ex-U.S. Lumber, is now in outside sales for Contract Lumber, Atlanta, Ga.

Weston White has joined 84 Lumber, Holbrook, Ma., as a mgr. trainee.

Alex Gay, ex-Builders FirstSource, is new to Fortress Building Products, Garland, Tx., as a technical sales specialist.

Garret Nicholl is now sales mgr. & business development mgr. for Best Door & Window, Huntsville, Oh.

Gina Della, Pella Windows & Doors of Wisconsin, Waukesha, Wi., has been promoted to VP of sales & marketing.

Dan Gratien is a new Syracuse, N.Y.-based territory sales mgr. for Cameron Ashley Building Products.

Craig Carter, ex-Universal Supply, is new to outside sales with Woodhaven Lumber & Millwork, Lakewood, N.J.

Haley Oswald, Louisiana-Pacific, Nashville, Tn., was promoted to sales analytics & market insights mgr. Jacob Montooth is new as pricing mgr. Jake Holbrook, ex-Owens Corning, joins LP as San Antonio, Tx.-based territory sales mgr.

Travis Kissell is new to lumber sales at Kerber Farms Lumber Co., Guilford, Vt.

Ryan Donegan was named business development mgr. for L&W Supply’s Northeast Region, focusing on New England. Gretchen Ray is branch mgr. in Springfield, Va.

John Brinker has rejoined Do it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, In., as a forest product trader. Robin Bredemeyer is a new merchandise mgr. Gabe Arnold has been promoted to LBM product sales mgr.-traders, treated & EWP.

Steven Heath has moved to U.S. Lumber, Raleigh, N.C., as a retail channel sales associate.

Brandon Bishop was promoted to VP of merchandising for McCoy’s Building Supply, San Marcos, Tx. Melanie Rae is now VP of people development, benefits & training.

Dean Hartrick, ex-ABC Supply, has joined Empire Moulding & Millwork, as territory sales mgr. for Southeast Florida. Holden Gilman is now territory sales mgr. for Virginia.

Karttikay Moudgil, Huber Engineered Woods, Commerce, Ga., has been promoted to director of innovation.

Elizabeth Phillips has been named marketing mgr. for Mason’s Mill & Lumber, Houston, Tx.

Trent Kauffman has been promoted to director of merchandising for Hardlines Distribution Alliance.

Alfonso Muñoz was appointed chief strategy & growth officer for Garnica’s North American team, Wilmington, De. Niels Boelema is now chief commercial officer; Jorge Farulla, logistics mgr.; Freya Hannah, sales rep for Canada/U.S.; and Patrick Nosler, sales rep for the Midwest.

David W. Cripe, Whitmore Ace Hardware, Wilmington, Il., and Eric W. Lauterbach, president of Peet’s Coffee, have been elected to Ace Hardware’s board of directors. Matthew Mazzone, Mazzone Hardware, New York, N.Y., and Karen May were re-elected to the board.

Mark Torrisi, president, Jackson Lumber & Millwork, Lawrence, Ma., was elected chairman of the board for LMC.

Michael Lee, ex-Enerpac, joined Benjamin Obdyke, Horsham, Pa., as market development mgr. for the mid-Atlantic.

James “Jamie” Crawford, ABC Supply, Salisbury, Md., and Charles “Chuck” Morgan, Lynchburg, Va., received the company’s annual Ken Hendricks Award.

Moe DeGrasse bagged a job in the lawn & garden department of Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

USING GLULAM IN RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION

GLULAM IS AN engineered product composed of wood laminations (commonly referred to as lams) that are bonded together with adhesives. Glulam has greater strength and stiffness than dimension lumber of comparable size, and the glulam manufacturing process allows for a wide variety of sizes, shapes and appearances to be produced that can meet virtually any residential building need, concealed or exposed.

Glulam Selection

Glulam beams are commonly available in stock sizes that are manufactured for a variety of residential applications. Stock beams, manufactured in common dimensions, are cut to length when the beam is ordered from a distributor or dealer. Typical stock beam widths used in residential construction include: 3-1/8”, 3-1/2”, 5-1/8”, and 5-1/2”.

Appearance Classifications

Glulam is available in a range of appearances, all having the same structural characteristics for a given strength grade. Glulam appearance classifications are:

• Framing. A classification that denotes the member is intended only for use in concealed applications. Beams with this appearance classification are provided in widths designed to fit flush with 2x4 and 2x6 wall framing.

Framing-L is the same as Framing but denotes that laminated veneer lumber (LVL) has been used for the outer tension laminations.

• Industrial. Used for concealed applications or where appearance is not of primary importance. Industrial-L is the same as Industrial but denotes that LVL has been used for the outer tension laminations.

(Continued on next page)

GLULAM is glue-laminated into a wide variety of sizes, shapes and appearances to meet virtually any residential building need, concealed or exposed (Images by APA)

• Architectural. The appearance of choice in applications where members are exposed to view, because they have a smooth, attractive finish. Stock beams are often supplied with this appearance so they may be exposed to view in the finished structure.

• Premium. Available only as a custom order where finished appearance is of primary importance.

Trademarks and Acceptances

Glulam beams manufactured by members of APA –The Engineered Wood Association are certified with the APA trademark. The mark signifies that the manufacturer is committed to a rigorous program of quality verification and testing and that products are manufactured in conformance with ANSI A190.1. The APA trademark is recognized by all major model building codes.

Interior Wall Opening Headers

In homes requiring large interior openings between rooms, glulam headers are an ideal choice to span these openings. Their dimensional stability minimizes problems with warping or twisting, and they can fit the size and design load requirements of a wide variety of openings. In most cases, glulam can be specified to fit the dimensions of other wood wall framing components. Attachments to the other wood components or framing are simple wood-to-wood connections that do not require the use of special tools that are normally required when steel beams are used in the same application.

Floor Beams

Glulam floor beams are easier to work with than comparable steel beams. It is easy to connect other wood floor framing components to glulam because the wood-to-wood connections can be made with standard carpentry tools and fasteners. Nailers are not needed, as with steel beams, and nail-on joist hangers can easily be accommodated. Unlike large solid sawn or built-up timber beams, glulam will exhibit minimal shrinkage and warping, which ensures a level floor surface. In addition, due to the excellent fastener-holding capability of glulam, floors have minimal nail popping and fewer squeaks.

Concealed or Exposed

Glulam floor beams can be installed within the floor joist cavity if a concealed application is desired. Many stocking distributors inventory glulam in I-joist compatible depths (IJC) for use with I-joist framing systems, but most standard depth stock beams can easily be used in a concealed floor application with minimal furring. They can also be partially concealed in the floor joist cavity or left completely exposed below the floor framing, adding increased aesthetic value to the room below.

Roof Beams

Ridge Beams

Headers

Glulam headers can span long distances and are available in many sizes to accommodate spanning both the openings and the adjacent wall framing for windows, doors and garage doors. Stock glulam beams are cut to length when purchased, eliminating jobsite waste and expense.

Garage Door Headers

Glulam can span distances long enough to allow garage door openings for up to three cars. Full-length glulam headers that span the opening and extend over the adjacent end walls also provide an excellent surface for heavy nailing of wood structural panels. This increases the rigidity of the wall and adds shear and racking resistance to the structure.

Sliding Door and Window Opening Headers

In window and sliding glass door headers, glulam beams provide high dimensional stability and high strength values. A single long-length piece of glulam, supplied to the jobsite with the other glulam framing members, can easily be cut to length to provide headers for all major window and door openings.

In ridge beams, the long span capability of glulam allows for more open and airy designs, fewer walls and the high ceilings often desired in modern residential construction. Glulam’s high load and long span capacities minimize the need for interior wall and column supports. Because glulam can be supplied with an architectural appearance, it can be left exposed to add to the aesthetic value of the house.

Rafter Beams

Glulam can also be specified for exposed rafter beams that span from the ridge beam to the perimeter wall framing of the room. These beams can extend past the wall to create a covered roof overhang, if required. These beam extensions should not be directly exposed to the elements and should be covered by an extension of the roof. End caps or fascia members should be used to cover the beam ends. As with ridge beams, interior exposed glulam rafters add the warm, natural appeal of wood to the aesthetic value of a house.

Find more information on using glulam in residential construction, including design and specification guidance, at www.apawood.org. BP

1923

1929

This was Roy’s mantra as he began building the business buying 6,500 acres of the Black Lake timber block. Through his vision, Martin Timberlands L.L.C. practices sustainable forestry on its nearly 600,000 acres of timberland today.

1933

After rebuilding after the first fire in 1933, the sawmill in Castor, Louisiana, opens again and thrives, but burns down six years later.

1948

RoyOMartin used the last mule team to haul logs in Louisiana, moving on permanently to modern trucks and vehicles.

1950

The Martin family presents The Martin Public Library to the citizens of Pineville, LA.

“Buy land and hold land because they don’t make any more land.”

Roy Otis Martin of Elkhart, Indiana, purchases Creston Lumber Mill in Alexandria, Louisiana, for $32,000. He names it Roy O. Martin Lumber Company.

HOW TO SELECT AND SPECIFY CROSS-LAMINATED TIMBER

CROSS-LAMINATED TIMBER (CLT) is a prefabricated, solid engineered mass timber panel. CLT is manufactured with kiln-dried lumber boards or structural composite lumber (SCL) laminated in alternating directions and bonded with structural adhesives to form a solid, straight, rectangular panel. Panels are comprised of an odd number of layers, usually three to seven.

While at the mill, CLT panels are cut to size, including door and window openings, with a state-of-the-art CNC router that can make complex cuts with high precision. CLT panel size varies by manufacturer, but typical widths are 2 ft., 4 ft., 8 ft., and 10 ft., with a thickness of 20” or less and a length of up to 60 ft.

Applications

CLT is frequently used in multi-story mass timber structures, with concrete podiums and other types of buildings. CLT may be used in the construction of a wide variety of structural elements, such as structural and non-structural wall elements; floor/ceiling, parapet wall and roof elements; pre-insulated wall and roof sections; and solid partitions with or without interior finishes. CLT’s high load-bearing properties extend its applicability to the construction of bridges, carports, ancillary buildings and wood/concrete composite ceilings. Other applications include cantilevered floors/balconies, loadbearing elevator shafts and stairs.

Advantages

CLT is proving to be a highly advantageous alternative to conventional materials like concrete, masonry or steel, especially in multifamily and commercial construction.

• CLT is lightweight yet incredibly strong with superior acoustic, fire, seismic and thermal performance.

• CLT provides design flexibility and low environmental impacts.

• CLT offers fast construction times and easy installation, with virtually no onsite waste. Because CLT is prefabricated, most components arrive ready to assemble and fewer joints are needed between elements, enabling faster construction.

• CLT delivers incredible strength. Its crosswise arrangement of board layers lends integral structural stability to the panel, considerably increases dimensional stability and ensures uniform load transfer to all sides for excellent structural capacities.

Selecting and Specifying

When selecting and specifying CLT, there are several key characteristics to consider, including allowable design capacities, grades, laminations and adhesives.

Allowable Design Capacities

There are five basic “E” grades, six “V” grades, and

CLT is proving to be a valuable alternative to concrete, masonry and steel, especially in multifamily and commercial. (Images by APA)

three “S” grades for CLT products and layups. “E,” “V” and “S” indicate a CLT grade with layup of E-rated or machine stress rated (MSR) laminations, visually graded laminations or structural composite lumber (SCL) in the longitudinal layers, respectively. Visually graded or SCL laminations are used in the transverse layers for both “E” and “V” grades and “S” grades, respectively. Custom layups of CLT are also permitted, as stipulated in ANSI/APA PRG 320, Standard for Performance-Rated Cross-Laminated Timber.

The allowable stress design (ASD) reference design capacities for CLT grades with layups of three, five and seven layers are shown in ANSI/APA PRG 320. The ASD capacities for different CLT products, including custom grades and layups, are typically published in APA Product Reports or manufacturers’ literature.

Trademarks and Acceptance

CLT that bears the APA trademark is manufactured by North American producers whose products have been successfully qualified and certified to ANSI/APA PRG 320. This was developed based on the consensus standard development process of APA as a standards developer accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The ANSI/APA PRG 320 standard is recognized in the International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC) in the U.S. and is required for using the design provisions specified in the National Design Specification for Wood Construction (NDS). In Canada, ANSI/APA PRG 320 is recognized by the National Building Code (NBC) when the product is applied in designs that meet the requirements of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) O86, Engineering Design in Wood.

Chapter 10 of the 2018 NDS provides design procedures, reference design values and other information for CLT, while engineering design of connections using dowel-type fasteners in CLT is covered in Chapter 12 of the 2018 NDS. The 2021 IBC includes 3 new construction types IV-A, IV-B and IV-C allowing Mass Timber to 18 stories. CLT is also recognized in the IRC. Clause 8 in the CSA O86 provides design procedures, resistance values and other information for CLT used in Canada.

Laminations

Any softwood lumber species or species combinations recognized by American Lumber Standard Committee under PS 20 or Canadian Lumber Standards Accreditation Board under CSA O141 with a minimum published specific gravity of 0.35 are permitted for use in CLT, provided that other requirements specified in ANSI/APA PRG 320 are satisfied. SCL should meet the requirements of ASTM D5456, Standard Specification for Evaluation of Structural Composite Lumber Products, and have an “equivalent specific gravity” of 0.35 or higher.

Lumber grades are required to be at least 1200f-1.2E MSR or visually graded No. 2 in the longitudinal layers and visual graded No. 3 in the transverse layers.

Moisture content is required to be 12 ± 3% for lumber and 8 ± 3% for SCL at the time of CLT manufacturing unless a lower moisture content is specifically qualified in accordance with the standard.

Adhesives

In the U.S., adhesives used for CLT manufacturing are required to meet ANSI 405, Standard for Adhesives for Use in Structural Glued Laminated Timber, with the exception that some gluebond durability tests are not required. This is because CLT manufactured according to ANSI/APA PRG 320 is limited to dry service conditions, and some gluebond durability tests are designed for adhesives in exterior applications. In Canada, CLT adhesives must meet the requirements of CSA O112.10. In both the U.S. and Canada, CLT adhesives must meet ASTM D7247 for heat durability and CSA O177, small-scale flame test. In addition, CLT adhesives must comply with the requirements for elevated temperature performance in accordance with the full-scale compartment fire test specified in Annex B of ANSI/APA PRG 320.

CLT Specification Guide

CLT shall be furnished and installed in accordance with the recommendations provided by the CLT manufacturer and the engineering drawing approved by the engineer of record. Permissible details shall be in accordance with the engineering drawing.

Manufacture

1. Materials, Manufacture and Quality Assurance — Product quality shall conform to ANSI/APA PRG 320, Standard for Performance-Rated Cross-Laminated Timber.

2. Trademarks — CLT products conforming to ANSI/ APA PRG 320, Standard for Performance Rated Cross-Laminated Timber, shall be marked with CLT grade, CLT thickness or identification, mill name or identification number, the APA logo and “ANSI/APA PRG 320.” The top face of custom CLT panels with unbalanced layup used for roof or floor shall be marked with “TOP” stamp.

3. Protection for Shipment — Members shall be protected with a water-resistant covering for shipment.

Find more information on the selection and specification of CLT and other structural engineered wood products in the APA Engineered Wood Construction Guide, available as a free download at www.apawood.org. BP

CHOOSING PERFORMANCE RATED I-JOISTS

APA PERFORMANCE Rated I-joists (PRI) provide a high-quality and high-performance alternative to dimension lumber joists in various applications. The APA Performance Rated I-joist is an “I”-shaped engineered wood structural member that is prefabricated using sawn or structural composite lumber flanges and wood structural panel webs, bonded together with exterior-type adhesives. APA PRIs are simple to specify and easy to install, making them an easy choice.

Look for the Mark of Quality

The APA trademark signifies that the I-joist manufacturer is committed to the strict quality standards of APA, and that PRIs are manufactured in conformance with PRI-400, Performance Standard for Residential I-Joists. APA’s rigorous program of quality verification and testing is designed to assure consistent and reliable product performance.

PRI-400 brings product standardization while providing for a multitude of design and construction situations. The standard provides design information for numerous types and sizes of I-joists. This allows specifiers and builders to select and use I-joists from various APA

member manufacturers, using just one set of design and installation criteria. Because PRIs can be selected based on their allowable span for uniformly loaded glue-nailed floors, it is easy to incorporate them into your design.

APA PRIs are manufactured to strict tolerances with the following characteristics:

• Flanges are either sawn lumber or structural composite lumber, such as LVL. The top flange is of the same type and grade of material as the bottom flange. The net flange size depends on the joist series.

• Webs consist of wood structural panels, which can be plywood or oriented strand board (OSB). All panels are classified as Exposure 1 or Exterior and are Performance Category 3/8 or greater.

• All PRIs are assembled using exterior-type, heatdurable adhesives per ASTM D2559 and D7247.

• APA PRIs are available in four depths: 9-1/2”, 11-7/8”, 14”, and 16”.

• PRIs of the same depth are manufactured with various flange widths; flange width is an important design consideration when specifying hangers.

• Most plants supply I-joists to distributors and dealers

PERFORMANCE Rated I-joists are a high-performance alternative to dimension lumber in various applications. (Images by APA)

in lengths up to 60 ft. These are then cut to frequently used lengths, such as from 16 to 36 ft. in 2-ft. increments for jobsite delivery. Check with your local supplier for availability.

Typical Floor Framing Notes

• Except for cutting to length, I-joist flanges should never be cut, drilled or notched.

• Install I-joists so that top and bottom flanges are within 1/2” of true vertical alignment.

• Concentrated loads should only be applied to the top surface of the top flange. Concentrated loads should not be suspended from the bottom flange, with the exception of light loads like ceiling fans or light fixtures.

• I-joists must be protected from weather prior to installation.

• I-joists must not be used in applications where they will be permanently exposed to weather, or where they will reach a moisture content of 16% or greater, such as in swimming pool or hot tub areas. They must not be installed where they will remain in direct contact with concrete or masonry.

• End bearing length must be at least 1-3/4”. For multiple span joists, intermediate bearing length must be at least 3-1/2”.

• Ends of floor joists shall be restrained to prevent rollover. Use APA Performance Rated Rim Board or I-joist blocking panels.

• I-joists installed beneath bearing walls perpendicular to the joists shall have full-depth blocking panels, APA Performance Rated Rim Board, or squash blocks (cripple blocks) to transfer gravity loads from above the floor system to the wall or foundation below.

• For I-joists installed directly beneath bearing walls parallel to the joists or used as rim board or blocking panels, the maximum allowable vertical load using a single I-joist is 2,000 plf, and 4,000 plf if double I-joists are used.

• Provide continuous lateral support to prevent rotation and buckling.

• See APA’s Performance Rated I-Joist Roof Framing Details for roof framing and construction details.

Find visual guidance and detailed span ratings, installation specifics, cantilever designs, architectural specifications and engineering design properties in APA’s Performance Rated I-Joists: Design and Construction Guide. This and other referenced publications are available for free download at www.apawood.org. BP

MASS TIMBER MARKET QUICKENS

BY BILL PARSONS, WOODWORKS - WOOD PRODUCTS COUNCIL

OVER THE PAST 15 years, we’ve seen the use of wood in structures expand considerably with the new mass timber market category. Wood has gained ground in the multifamily, commercial and institutional segments, and, despite a proliferation of larger and taller light-frame wood projects, the acceleration of mass timber is outpacing the growth of other systems. The urgency surrounding the carbon impact of construction has also amplified interest in wood as a sustainable solution.

Despite supply chain disruptions, rising interest rates and other challenges slowing construction, there are still opportunities for increased wood use—and mass timber is well-positioned as a high-performance/cost-competitive structural solution.

Growth by Market

As an organization that provides education and project support to developers and design/construction teams, WoodWorks has seen firsthand the incredible interest in mass timber buildings. As of March 31, 809 multifamily, commercial or institutional mass timber projects were under construction or built in the U.S., and 944 were in design.

In the multifamily market, the trend toward greater density and urbanization in all major metropolitan areas is leading to an increase in multifamily projects and more design variation. Buildings with five or more stories of light-frame construction have become common, and more designers are exploring mass timber and hybrid

solutions—e.g., with mass timber floor and roof systems and light-frame walls.

Initial gains in the commercial and institutional market segments involved buildings similar in design to multifamily projects—e.g., hotels, motels and student housing—but the performance capabilities of mass timber and growing interest in products such as CLT have led to a much more diverse range. Mass timber has also become a significant draw for developers who want to attract quality, long-term tenants and for design teams eager to explore the creative potential.

The education and student housing segments have also shown continued growth, with 31 projects under construction or built. This includes groundbreaking university projects across the country, such as the John W. Olver Design Building at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, Oregon State University Cascades Edward J. Ray Hall, Michigan State University STEM Teaching & Learning Facility, and University of Washington Founders Hall.

Innovative wood products and building technologies are also taking wood to new heights and opening markets that have previously been out of reach for wood solutions. Changes approved for the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) allow wood buildings up to 18 stories, and amendments to the 2024 IBC will expand the allowable percentage of exposed wood ceilings in buildings 12 stories or less. There are currently 11 tall mass timber

(Continued on page 44)

TIMBER HOUSE, a six-story residential project in Brooklyn, N.Y., with glulam panels, columns and beams (Photo by Travis Markable)

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

BUILD TALL WITH POWER COLUMN ®

POWER COLUMN® FEATURES

• Fast, easy one piece installation

• Complement to Mass Timber wood framing systems

• Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI®) Certified

• Excellent fire resistance

• Manufactured with superior strength southern yellow pine MSR Lumber

• Available in range of appearance grades for structural and architectural applications

• Superior alternative for Tall Wall applications

• Load path solution for Engineered Beam and Header Products

• Framing members such as Power Beam® can easily be attached to Power Column® with simple connection detailing

HOUSING INDUSTRY OUTLOOK RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION INSUFFICIENT TO EASE HOUSING SHORTAGE

------------ BY JOE K. ELLING

LAGGING THE HISTORICALLY low levels of home building and apartment construction since 2008, housing industry analysts estimate there is a shortage in the stock of housing units ranging from 1.7 million to 3 million. The demand for new housing units equals the sum of household growth, replacement of housing units lost due to disaster or demolition, and vacation homes. Over the last three years, annual household growth in the U.S. averaged roughly 1.3 million. Annual estimates of the other factors driving the demand for new housing units are not available, but the common assumption is that the sum of these factors totals 300,000 per year. Housing starts plus mobile home shipments over the last three years have averaged 1.6 million units, about equal to the demand for new housing units. Therefore, no progress has been made to chip away at the shortage of housing units to start the decade.

Is the Federal Reserve done tightening?

One factor critical to the outlook for residential construction is what one wants to believe about the direction of monetary policy on the part of the Federal Reserve. After 15 years of what must be called nontraditional monetary policy, which contributed to the surge of inflation in the second half of 2021 and continued into 2022, policy makers at the Federal Reserve seem to have the resolve to do what it takes to bring inflation back to 2% on a sustainable basis. The prevailing wisdom seems

to be that the 25-basis-point increase in the federal funds rate enacted on May 3 is the last increase and the Fed will start to ease its policy stance sometime in the second half of 2023.

To believe that, one must accept policy makers at the Fed are convinced that inflation is on the path to 2% inflation. However, recent inflation data contradicts that notion. As measured by the GDP deflator, inflation in the last three quarters has run near 4% at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, double the desired target rate of 2%. (See chart below.) Upward pressure on labor costs

continues. Hourly wage gains are running at a 4.5% rate, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates labor productivity in the first quarter of 2023 was down 0.9% from the first quarter of 2022. Unless wage gains slow, which is hard to see happening with the unemployment rate at 3.5%, and labor productivity growth improves, then it is unlikely to see inflation coming down to 2% in the next six to nine months. This means the Federal Reserve is unlikely to be in the mode of loosening monetary policy in the second half of 2023.

Affordability challenge persists

The tightening of monetary policy contributed to the surge in the rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage from the 3% range in 2021 and the first quarter of 2022 to 6.5% since the fourth quarter of 2022.

could afford just 38% of the homes sold in the fourth quarter of 2022. This marked a record low for this measure created in 2012 by the NAHB economics group staff.

Homebuilders have been offering incentives, such as mortgage rate buydowns, to generate sales. This is evident in the sales increase in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the fourth quarter of 2022, as shown in the chart above. Compared to the first quarter of 2022, though, sales were still down 14%. Given the high likelihood that the rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage will remain in the 6.5% range through 2023, it appears homebuilders will have to maintain their incentive programs to generate sales.

Record number of apartments under construction

This dramatically reduced the number of potential home buyers that could qualify for a mortgage to purchase a new home and is reflected in the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Opportunity Index. The Opportunity Index measures the percentage of homes sold in each quarter of a year that a family earning the median family income could afford under a common set of mortgage qualification rules. As shown in chart below, the Opportunity Index averaged 61% from 2017 to 2020, and since has been on a downward trend due to the rise in the mortgage rate and higher home prices. At the end of 2022, the Opportunity Index was a record low of 38, meaning a family earning the median family income

In 2021 and 2022, multifamily starts averaged 511,000 per year. This marks the highest two-year average for multifamily starts since 1986-87. Multifamily starts in the first quarter of 2023 averaged a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 555,000 units. At the end of March, there were 958,000 multifamily units under construction. (See chart below.) The last time there was this number of multifamily units under construction was November 1973.

Concerns about future rents with so many rental units coming on the market in the next two years, high interest rates and falling building values, the prevailing wisdom is that multifamily starts will be falling over the course of 2023 and into 2024.

(Continued on next page)

2023 HOUSING INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

(Continued from previous page)

Housing starts below trend in 2023 and 2024

The affordability challenge is expected to keep single-family starts in the neighborhood of 850,000 units in 2023 and 2024, down from one million units in 2022. Given the first quarter multifamily starts rate of 555,000 units, and falling throughout the year, multifamily starts are projected to total 510,000 units in 2023 and fall to 450,000 units in 2024. The sum of these two equals 1.36 million and 1.3 million starts in 2023 and 2024, respectively. (See chart at right.)

At the start of this discussion, it was said that trend demand for new housing units is 1.6 million. Assuming mobile home shipments of 100,000, additional new units added to the housing stock will run below trend. This means no progress has been made in alleviating the estimated shortage of housing units. This suggests there is an upside to the outlook for residential construction if, and it is a big if, there are changes in zoning laws and

MARKET FOR MASS TIMBER QUICKENS

(Continued from page 40)

projects built or under construction, and WoodWorks is assisting on more than 200 projects at that scale.

Education and Support

These trends are positive, but the opportunity is still significant. Every year, about 17,000 buildings could be built with wood by code, but are built in other materials. In most cases, it costs about the same to build with wood, and yet the environmental benefits are significant. This underscores the need for continued education and outreach to help people understand where wood is permitted by code and assist designers with the more demanding requirements of larger projects. WoodWorks has provided technical support on over 75% of the mass timber projects constructed in the U.S. to date.

Through the development of education and resources, WoodWorks bridges knowledge gaps on topics critical to project success. We also have programs that tackle specific areas of need—such as mass timber insurance, construction management, and installation training. To demonstrate how mass timber meets pro forma expectations across various project subtypes, we collaborate with developers to create business case studies that

other policies implemented that lower the cost of building homes and apartments. BP

– Joe K. Elling is the director of market research for APA – The Engineered Wood Association.

share transparent financial data.

Research developed by the USDA Forest Service Forest Products Lab and others is also contributing to innovative building design. An example is the 10-story mass timber structure being tested on the world’s largest outdoor shake table at the University of California – San Diego. WoodWorks has and will continue providing education that allows the results to be used by engineers designing buildings in high-seismic areas.

The WoodWorks Innovation Network (WIN) is another resource, a user-driven, online network of projects and professionals created to facilitate collaboration among companies and individuals using innovative wood building systems and technologies. WIN’s searchable map can be used to research hundreds of projects and their teams, while its directory can be used to identify companies and individuals with specific types of experience, including manufacturers.

Historically, the U.S. single-family housing market has represented one of the world’s most robust markets for wood. With design teams turning to larger light-frame and mass timber buildings, supported by the strategic combination of education and project assistance, the U.S. is poised to develop equally robust markets for these products in the multifamily, commercial and institutional sectors. BP

APA RELEASES 2023 STRUCTURAL PANEL & ENGINEERED WOOD YEARBOOK

The 2023 Structural Panel & Engineered Wood Yearbook has been released by APA – The Engineered Wood Association. The Yearbook includes an analysis of the U.S., Canadian and global economies, focusing on factors that impact demand for engineered wood products across several market segments as a basis for forecasting expected production of engineered wood products. In addition to the analysis and forecast, it also includes historical data on engineered wood production. Topics examined include:

• Outlook and production statistics for structural panels (OSB and plywood), including historical data

• North American imports and exports

• Residential construction in the U.S. and Canada (new and repair/remodel)

• Nonresidential and industrial markets

• EWP demand and production (glued laminated timber, I-joists and laminated veneer lumber)

Included is a full 2023 market forecast, including all market segments, production outlook, and statistical data.

THE ROLE OF ENGINEERED WOOD IN SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURES

THE INCREASING THREAT of climate change has more and more building owners and homebuyers considering the sustainability of their structures and the role construction plays in global warming and use of our natural resources.

What makes a sustainable structure?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, green building is the practice of maximizing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use resources—energy, water and materials—while minimizing impacts on human health and the environment through the complete building lifecycle, from siting, design and construction, to operation, renovation and reuse.

Green building programs and codes first emerged in the 1980s, and as they have evolved, so have their targets. As global warming intensifies, an increased emphasis has been placed on reducing carbon emissions.

Architecture 2030 notes that the building and construction sectors account for nearly 50% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions—which are responsible for global warming and climate change. The current building energy code only addresses operational energy but not the impacts of embodied energy/carbon

in building materials.

How do we compare building materials?

Embodied carbon, or materials carbon, refers to emissions related to construction and building materials. These embodied emissions encompass all greenhouse gas emissions that arise from the extraction, manufacture, transport, installation, maintenance and disposal of building materials.

Reducing the embodied carbon in buildings requires understanding the carbon footprint of the materials that go into them. Carbon accounting is the process of calculating overall greenhouse gas emissions associated with the building materials—how much carbon is sequestered into materials (the process of capturing, securing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere) versus how much greenhouse gases are emitted during extraction, manufacturing, construction and eventual demolition and disposal, as well as emissions during habitation.

If sequestration and emissions are equally balanced, the project is carbon neutral or even carbon negative. Carbon neutrality can be accomplished in several ways,

(Continued on page 48)

ENGINEERED WOOD contributes significantly to making a structure sustainable. (Photo by APA)

“Growing beyond measure.”

EWP IN SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURES

(Continued from page 46)

but often begins with a design that incorporates carbon sequestering materials, such as engineered wood.

Engineered Wood Products and Embodied Carbon

Compared to steel and concrete, engineered wood products typically result in far less emissions because they don’t require drastic changes to the material’s original form and because wood manufacturers often use wood waste to power the manufacturing process, reducing the use of fossil fuels, which have high carbon emissions.

In addition, wood naturally sequesters carbon. Modern forestry standards ensure a continuous cycle of growing, harvesting and replanting of trees. These newly replanted trees absorb more carbon at a faster rate than old, slower-growing trees. It’s this lifecycle of planting, growing, harvesting, sequestering carbon in buildings and replanting that makes wood an excellent sustainable resource.

The Sustainability Benefits of Engineered Wood

Engineered wood products (EWP) not only offer the lower embodied carbon and carbon sequestration benefits of wood, but they provide additional green building benefits including:

• Due to how they are made, engineered wood products can be produced from small-dimension lumber. Engineered wood products therefore also optimize timber resource utilization.

• Engineered wood products are predictable, so there’s less shrinkage, consistent dimensions, less crowning, etc.—and, therefore, less waste.

• Many engineered wood products are available in custom and longer lengths and can be ordered in pre-cut framing packages, all of which further reduce waste.

• EWP manufacturing involves a lower-energy-use process that is more energy efficient than the manufacture of non-wood structural products that typically require a greater level of processing from the raw materials to the final product.

The carbon savings add up quickly when we compare wood floor systems to steel floor systems and wood wall systems to concrete wall systems. According to the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM), choosing wood floor assemblies over steel can avoid approximately 22 lbs. of CO2 for every square foot of floor, while choosing wood wall assemblies over concrete can avoid about 15 lbs. of CO2 for every square foot of wall area.

Using wood building materials can reduce the net carbon impact of a project in many ways, particularly because wood emits significantly less CO2 from production than other materials. If carbon storage capabilities are factored in, the benefits of wood become even more significant.

Watch APA – The Engineered Wood Association’s on-demand webinar “Sustainable Structures Built with Engineered Wood,” for a deeper dive into engineered wood’s role in reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment. Visit www.apawood.org/webinars. BP

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

Sample the variety and versatility of eastern white pine.

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

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

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

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

Ever see a paint swatch for wood grades? Scan here to see it. Simply open the camera on your smartphone or tablet, and hold it over this image.

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SOUTHERN TREATERS GET NEW EQUIPMENT

This summer, IWT-Moldrup is supplying three larger treatment plants in the U.S. with integrated semi- or fully automated material handling systems.

The install at Stewarts Wood Products, Danbury, N.C., includes hydraulic tilting of the pressure vessel, as well as semi-automatic material handling and automated hydraulic in the pressure vessels clamps to keep the wood from floating during the treating cycle. This will provide a drier treated wood and avoid contact between operators and freshly treated wood at the end of the process.

Southeast Forest Products, Louisville, Al., is getting a similar plant to add to its existing treating facilities, whereas late this summer Le Moyen Sawmill, Bunkie, La., will receive a fully automated material handling system. It will not require an extensive sealed concrete drip-pad, since drip-trays are integrated into the material handling system.

Lone Moldrup, CEO of IWT-Moldrup, noted that the plant can be operated by a single operator eight hours a day and, due to the automatic handling system, has an annual capacity of more than 40 million bd. ft.

Over the past three generations, Danish treating equipment manufacturer IWT-Moldrup has supplied more than 1,200 treating plants worldwide. The turnkey solutions are sold through IWT-Moldrup’s U.S. representative, American Wood Technologies, Atlanta, Ga.

G-P COMPLETES TEXAS MEGA-MILL

Georgia-Pacific held a private ribbon cutting June 21 at its Pineland, Tx., facility to mark the completion of an expansion and improvement project that reportedly has created the largest sawmill in the South.

The mill, which has been operating for more than 100 years, recently finished the $120-million, more-thanyear-long overhaul.

Among the improvements were replacing the old 1960s stud mill, the 1960s high-speed planer, and the 1960s continuous dry kiln with modern equipment, and expanding the log storage yard with a new debarking and processing line. G-P also increased available log truck deliveries from 250 to 300 per day, and upped annual production capacity of dimensional lumber from 380 to 450 million bd. ft.

ROSEBURG TO CLOSE PARTICLEBOARD MILL

Roseburg will permanently end operations at its Taylorsville, Ms., particleboard plant on Aug. 21, after agreeing to sell the facility to an unnamed forest products company for an alternate use.

Roseburg bought the plant from Georgia-Pacific in 2006. It is now among the oldest particleboard mills in North America, and the plant’s press equipment and technology have aged to the point that it can no longer compete with newer domestic particleboard mills and the influx of imported products.

The plant currently employs about 100 workers.

Roseburg will continue producing particleboard in Simsboro, La.

MERCER TAKES OVER STRUCTURLAM

Mercer Mass Timber, Spokane Valley, Wa., acquired Structurlam Mass Timber Corp. and its subsidiaries. Upon close of the deal on June 15, Mercer immediately took possession and continued the operation of Structurlam’s manufacturing facilities, which will now operate under the Mercer Mass Timber brand, including production facilities in Conway, Ar., and Penticton, B.C.

Mercer Mass Timber now holds all of Structurlam’s brand assets, product and project portfolios, and intellectual property.

“This acquisition will allow us to offer our customers a wider range of mass timber products, and to better support their projects with the addition of more cross laminated timber capacity and glulam production capabilities,” said Mercer senior VP Brian Merwin. “Our goal is to become a one-stop shop for all mass timber needs.”

The addition expands Mercer’s expertise, geographic reach, market share, and production capacity for CLT, while adding glulam capabilities (19 million bd. ft.).

Mercer’s hope is that along with increased market share will come greater sway in the standardization of product specifications for mass timber in North America.

LUMMUS ADDS TINY HOME SHOWROOM

Lummus Supply recently opened a new showroom at its Acworth, Ga., location, showcasing two tiny homes.

Both tiny houses measure 20’x12” and feature the latest windows, doors and materials from James Hardie, Nichiha, Sierra Pacific, Windsor, Quaker, Western Windows/Doors, Therma Tru, Lindsay, Precision Millwork, Wholesale Iron and more. “These are the Cadillac of tiny homes,” said Ashlyn Lummus.

IWT-MOLDRUP is currently installing new pressure treating operations for three Southern lumber companies.

LUMMUS SUPPLY, Acworth, Ga., completed a showroom May 11 showing off two 240-sq. ft. tiny homes.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

FRT EWP

Rosboro Co. has launched a new fire-retardant-treated (FRT) glulam product designed for Type III construction.

Rosboro X-Rim FRT is UL Classified, carries APA certified design values, and is backed with factory warranties from Rosboro and Hoover Treated Wood Products. Building codes require FRT wood to be used in certain wall assemblies, but until now the only available FRT materials were framing lumber and plywood.

As reportedly the only code accepted EWP framing solution for FRT wall assemblies, the product removes the need for costly detailing and eliminates the risk of unapproved treatments being red-tagged.

X-Rim FRT is available in 3-1/2” and 5-1/2” widths to match wall framing, in depths compatible with all floor framing systems.

ROSBORO.COM

(888) 393-2304

T TIME

Sporting a popular T-shaped top rail, Trex Select T-Rail composite railing system is designed to make the beauty and convenience of Trex’s composite and aluminum railing available to a wider audience with pricing that competes head-to-head with PVC vinyl railing.

Engineered for ease, efficiency and economic value, it has a classic T design on top with a choice of two infill options: square composite balusters in Classic White for a cohesive, coordinated look, or round aluminum balusters in Charcoal Black for a more modern contrast. Fullspan top and bottom rails in Classic White are offered in 36” and 42” heights and 6’ and 8’ lengths.

The system uses a low-profile, underside bracket system for quick, easy assembly.

TREX.COM

(800) 289-8739 ,

LADDER-TOP STORAGE

Werner’s new Lock-In Tool Bag clicks onto the top of LockTop ladders to safely store and access a wide range of tools.

A shoulder strap adds safety while allowing for three points of contact while climbing. Made with water-resistant material for harsh conditions on the jobsite, the bag has interior and exterior pockets with velcro closure. A removable divider allows for precise tool organization, while a tool clip adds storage outside the bag.

WERNERLADDER.COM

(888) 523-3371

OUTDOOR ELECTRIC LIFT TRUCKS

Raymond has introduced two lift trucks designed for emissions-free electric performance and outdoor capability: the 4800 and 4810 80-volt sit-down counterbalanced trucks. The new pneumatic series provides all the needed capacities from 4,000 to 11,000 lbs.

Both models feature the Raymond Performance Stability System, which offers a high level of vehicle control for reduced damage to goods and facilities. Both give users an ergonomically designed operator station featuring a full-suspension and fully adjustable seat with an attached armrest and fingertip hydraulic controls with factory sideshift.

RAYMONDCORP.COM

(800) 235-7200

3/16” (DCF403) and 1/4” (DCF414) Rivet Tools can fasten hundreds of rivets per charge with optimal pulling force.

The tools are lightweight yet powerful, with toolfree nose piece changes for ease of use. Model DCF403’s brushless motor delivers up to 2,100 lb. force (lbf) of pulling force with a 0.98” stroke length and can tackle up to 800 3/16” stainless steel rivets per charge. DCF414 offers up to 4,500 lbf of pulling force with a 1.18” stroke length to fasten up to 300 1/4” stainless steel rivets per charge.

An on-board nose piece provides storage, while a mandrel collector catches rivets after each shot.

DEWALT.COM

(800) 433-9258

VERSATILE ELECTRIC FORKLIFT

Combilift’s new Combi-CB70E is the shortest 7t capacity counterbalance truck on the market, while also benefitting from multi-directional ability, enabling the versatile space-saving handling of long and bulky loads.

Its large, super-elastic tires and compact wheelbase make it ideally suited for the demands of the lumber industry. With a 7,000kg/15,500-lb. lift capacity, it has an impressively small footprint as well as exceptional manueverability for performing in confined spaces.

Features in the gas-strut-suspension cab include generous glazing for all-round visibility, tilting steering column, hydraulic steering, and Grammer MSG65 seat.

COMBILIFT.COM

(877) 266-2456

Photo Credit Island Timber Frame Ltd.

UPGRADED RAILING

Rail Shield PVC rail covering system is now compatible with Titan Building Products’ Snap’n Lock Baluster system for a smooth, transitional look.

Rail Shield covers mate perfectly with Snap’n Lock connectors to virtually eliminate maintenance on the flat surfaces of the upper and lower rails of a deck railing. It elevates a wood railing near to vinyl clad and aluminum.

Snap’n Lock reportedly is catching on fast across the U.S. and Canada due to its speed of installation for new construction and in upgrading old railings.

TITANBP.COM

(866) 577-8868

E-WALKIE STACKER

Toyota Material Handling’s new electric Tora-Max Walkie Stacker offers supreme versatility, accessibility and load stability.

Designed with the versatility to handle light-duty loads, it includes pinwheel capability to easily navigate tight aisles and compact spaces with optimal comfort and control. Six mast options and adjustable base legs provide additional stability and allow operators to fine tune the equipment to stack a variety of load sizes within the model’s 2,600-lb. capacity. Ergonomic hand grips, fingertip controls, and directional thumb wheels sustain productivity levels while ensuring operator comfort.

The stacker also has a 24V lithium-ion battery, built-in charger, and LCD battery indicator screen.

TOYOTAFORKLIFT.COM

(800) 794-5438

SMOOTH IT OVER

New Rock Patch filler, level and resurfacer from Daich Coatings makes it easier to fill holes, cracks and pitted surfaces

Made with a tough polymer/ stone formula, the pre-mixed compound comes out of the container ready to use. It requires no mixing and can be used as a prep work step on interior and exterior surfaces. Simply stir and apply.

It doesn’t dry quickly like concrete, so users can take their time smoothing it in before letting it slowly dry to a rock-hard surface.

DAICHCOATINGS.COM

(866) 463-2424

LONG BRICK VENEER

Eldorado Stone has introduced LoreioBrick, a new long-format brick profile inspired by ancient Roman architecture.

Designed for modern spaces, employing linear dimensions and a neutral color palette accented with earthy tones, it has textural details, slender cuts, and soft gradients that come together to create a contemporary yet balanced visual element.

Offered in four earthy-toned colors, it has a 1.62” height and 20.25” length—dimensions that are half the height of most traditional bricks.

ELDORADOSTONE.COM

(800) 925-1491

PRO POUNDING

Stiletto’s Trimbone Titanium Hammer is designed with specialized features for finish carpentry, including mallet caps, replaceable steel faces, and replaceable colored grips that provide a personalized touch for the user.

It’s intended to hit like steel, but is built with all-titanium construction to minimize harmful recoil shock and provide users with maximum productivity, since it weighs 45% less than a standard steel hammer.

Equipped with a compact D-face, the hammer can fit in tight spaces. The trim claw is ideal for pulling a wide range of nails and prying trim and moulding. Located on the side of the tool is a 180° nail puller ideal for easily pulling carpentry nail sizes from 2D to 16D (1” to 3-1/2”).

Replaceable colored grips and steel faces extend the life of the hammer, while also allowing pros to personalize their hammer. Grips come in five different colors.

STILETTO.COM

(800) 987-1849

HUBER PICKS MISSISSIPPI FOR OSB PLANT

Huber Engineered Woods will build its new oriented strand board facility on 550 acres in Shuqualak, Ms.

The plant, HEW’s sixth, will increase the company’s production of ZIP System and AdvanTech structural panels, and provide over 150 new jobs to the area.

Earlier this year, HEW was set to go forward with the $400-million project in Cohasset, Mn., but pulled out after anticipating lengthy delays.

SENCO OPENS GLOBAL HQ IN CINCINNATI

Senco Industrial Tools, manufacturer of fasteners and power fastening tools, has opened its official global headquarters in Cincinnati, Oh. The newly renovated facility will bring employees from all Senco divisions under the same roof, allowing closer collaboration and improved quality control, as well as fostering innovation.

The grand opening follows an extensive expansion and renovation of the company’s production facility that began in 2021. Prior to completion, the 500,000sq. ft. facility was home to Senco’s manufacturing plant, where Senco nails and staples have been made since the 1970s, as well as the company’s engineering and product management teams.

The renovation project added 32,000 sq. ft. of new office space for business operations staff, including executive, sales, marketing, and administrative teams. Senco employs 400 American workers, about 80% of whom are now headquartered at the new facility.

DATE BOOK

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

Southeast Building Conference – July 19-20, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; www.sebcshow.com.

Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. – July 23-26, annual conference, Cloister at Sea Island, Sea Island, Ga.; www.slma.org.

New Hampshire Retail Lumber Association – July 24, annual golf outing, Atkinson Resort & Country Club, Atkinson, N.H.; www.nrla.org. AWFS Fair – July 25-28, Anaheim, Ca.; www.awfsfair.org.

Building Material Suppliers Association – July 27-30, summer conference, Westin, Chattanooga, Tn.; www.mybmsa.org.

Northwestern Lumber Association – July 31-Aug. 3, Heritage Roundtable, Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland, Me.; www.nlassn.org. Orgill – July 31-Aug. 13, summer online buying event; www.orgill.com.

Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Association – Aug. 7, annual golf outing, Pinehills Golf Club, Plymouth, Ma.; www.nrla.org.

Midwest Building Suppliers Association – Aug. 10, Sycamore Scramble golf outing, Anderson Country Club, Anderson, In.; www.thembsa.org.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – Aug. 17, regional meeting, Minneapolis, Mn.; www.nawla.org.

Southern Pressure Treaters Association – Aug. 17-19, summer meeting, Henderson Beach Resort, Destin, Fl.; www.spta.org.

The Hardware Conference – Aug. 17-19, Marco Island, Fl.; www. thehardwareconference.com.

Mid-States Distributing – Aug. 18-20, Fall Rendezvous, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Az.; www.msdist.com.

The complex also features 8,000 sq. ft. of newly renovated and optimized manufacturing space, including a dedicated assembly line for Senco’s new built-in-theUSA pneumatic framing nailers.

In 2017, Senco was acquired by Japan’s Kyocera Corp., which has invested millions of dollars in the Cincinnati facility to support manufacturing equipment and research and development projects over the past four years.

The construction project began in January 2022 and was recently completed with all Cincinnati-based employees now working from the updated facility. Besides office and manufacturing space, the new location is designed to have a campus-like atmosphere that inspires employees’ personal and professional development and engagement. It includes a cafeteria serving hot meals, and a dedicated training, product education and innovation center.

A grand opening ceremony was held on May 25.

Northeastern Young Lumber Execs – Aug. 22-23, summer outing, Hershey, Pa.; www.nrla.org.

Building Material Suppliers Association – Aug. 23-25, roundtable, Cleveland, Oh.; www.mybmsa.org.

Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo – Aug. 23-25, Music City Center, Nashville, Tn.; www.sfpaexpo.com.

Florida Hardware – Aug. 25-26, fall dealer market, Renaissance at SeaWorld, Orlando, Fl.; www.floridahardware.com.

Midwest Building Suppliers Association – Aug. 31, White Pine Classic golf outing, Tullymore Golf Resort, Stanwood, Mi.; www.thembsa.org.

National Hardwood Lumber Association – Sept. 6-8, intro to hardwood grading course, Memphis, Tn.; www.nhla.com.

BC Wood – Sept. 7-9, Global Buyers Mission, Whistler, B.C.; bcwood.com. Do it Best – Sept. 8-11, fall market, Indianapolis, In.; www.doitbest.com.

Hoo-Hoo International – Sept. 8-11, international convention, hosted by Cowichan Valley Club, Vancouver, B.C.; www.hoohoo.org.

Northwestern Lumber Association – Sept. 12-13, Legacy Group 2 roundtable, Jordan, Mn.; www.nlassn.org.

True Value – Sept. 13-16, Fall Reunion show, George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Tx.; www.truevaluecompany.com.

Blish-Mize – Sept. 15-16, fall market, Overland Park, Ks.; blishmize.com.

Kentucky Wood Expo – Sept. 15-16, Lexington, Ky.; www.kfia.org.

American Wood Protection Association – Sept. 17-21, fall technical committee meetings, Le Meridien Downtown, Denver, Co.; awpa.com.

Lumbermen’s Association of Texas – Sept. 18-20, annual convention & expo, Live! By Lowe’s, Arlington, Tx.; www.lat.org.

Kentucky Building Materials Assn. – Sept. 19-20, blueprint reading & material take-off class, Belterra Resort, Florence, In.; www.kbma.net.

SENCO has completed renovation of its Cincinnati, Oh., production facility to allow consolidation of all divisions into a new global headquarters.

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

WANTED TO BUY WANTED TO BUY

MEMORIAM

Bobbie Edward Schiel, 88, owner and co-founder of Eastex Forest Products, Houston, Tx., died May 18.

He co-founded Eastex in 1964 as a cash & carry supplier to homebuilders. He added a treating facility in 1987, which grew to 70% of his business.

Peter S. Edwards, retired head of Brookside Lumber Co., Bethel Park, Pa., passed away June 13 at age 102.

After graduating from Colgate University in 1942, he served as a 1st lieutenant in the Army Air Corps during World War II. Pete then returned to his father’s lumber company, becoming president in the 1950s and chairm in the 1980s. He retired in 2020.

James A. Yankie, 94, founder of Yankie Lumber Co., Evensville, Tn., died May 21 after a fall in the park.

He served in the Korean War and graduated from the University of Tennessee. Jim and his father opened Yankie Lumber in Little Rock, Ar., before he relocated to Tennessee, where he continued in operation until 1979. He then joined Tennessee Asphalt, Knoxville, Tn., retiring at age 79.

Edmund “Blake” Barker, 81, Southern lumberman, died June 5.

He started in the industry in 1957 with Peeler Hardware Co., Macon, Ga., staying on through his education at the University of Georgia, until he became general manager of Univer-

sal Forest Products, Auburdale, Fl., in 1972. Blake served as project manager with Great Southern Wood Preserving, Abbeville, Al., from 1990 to 2008, and launched Lumber Logic Inc. in 1995. After retiring, he obtained his real estate license and worked with Ingram Land & Development, Dothan, Al.

Ralph Herman Twenter, 92, retired co-owner of Twenter Lumber Co., Pilot Grove, Mo., died May 23. Ralph operated the lumberyard with his late wife, JoAnn, for 36 years.

David E. Bardo, 75, formerly with Your Building Center, Bloomsburg, Pa., died May 26. Dave previously worked at Wickes Lumber, and retired from YBC in 2009.

William C. DuPont, 66, longtime inside contractor salesman for Curtis Lumber Co., Ballston Spa, N.Y., passed away unexpectedly on May 14.

Paul Truman Halvorsen, 85, former owner of Halvorsen Lumber Co., Arcadia, Wi., died May 20.

After working for Bluff City Lumber, Stillwater, Mn., Paul purchased Halvorsen Lumber Co. in 1974, which he sold to his sons in 2007.

OLSEN ON SALES: SUGGESTIVE POWER

MBF per usable piece. ($450 x 1.15).

If we can find them a high-quality economy for $390/MBF that gets a 75% yield, they would only be paying $487/MBF per usable piece ($390 x 1.25). This is a savings of $800 a truckload. (We would have to calculate the time lost on broken pieces in production and waste removal, but in theory a money-saver for our customer.)

Spreads. Some customers will switch products, lengths, species and grades based on spreads. They may prefer SPF to SYP, but will switch if the spread is right. Master Sellers know what the spreads must be for their customers to switch, and study those spreads daily.

Hustle, Service and Suggesting

Hustle and service are important elements of value that we bring to our customers. Master Sellers hustle, give great service (as partners, not servants!), and also bring value by suggesting more competitive products and options to their customers.

JAMES OLSEN

James Olsen is principal of Reality Sales Training, Portland, Or. Call him at (503) 544-3572 or email james@ realitysalestraining.com. them to 48” pieces. Let’s say they are paying $450/MBF and getting an 85% yield. Net they are paying $517/

(Continued from page 20)

one

largest and most trusted distributors in the building industry.

a huge inventory of materials available at substantially competitive prices along with a team of experienced experts, ready to get you what you need.

We have treating facilities in Junction City, OR, Woodland, CA and two in Fontana, CA along with our distribution and manufacturing facility in Sacramento, CA. With more than 20 trucks in our fleet, California Cascade delivers value to your business with prompt, economical and timely delivery. Rail spurs are available at all locations to minimize shipping costs for large projects, will call pickup is available at all locations.

Our reputation has been built upon the success of our customers and we look forward to sharing our years of experience with you.

FLASHBACK: 1933 BOAT IN A BOX

NINETY YEARS ago, BPD sister publication The California Lumber Merchant reported on a profitable new niche for lumber dealers: knockeddown redwood boats.

According to The Merchant of July 1, 1933, “Lumber dealers in all parts of the country are finding ‘Noyo’ knocked-down redwood boats a profitable sideline. Made by the Union Lumber Co. of San Francisco, these

boats were designed by some of the foremost boat designers in the country.

The boat illustrated on this page is the ‘Lazy Days’ rowboat, designed to ensure maximum safety and strength with greatest comfort, and is perfectly suited for camp, resort or any place a rowboat is used. Weight is 215 lbs. The lumber used in its construction is specially selected, straight-grained,

Union Lumber attempted to expand the market for redwood by featuring varied applications in its ads, such as on the front cover of the July 15, 1933 California Lumber Merchant

Clear Heart redwood. A complete set of directions for assembling the boats is furnished, and the customer is assured that the job of assembling is very simple. A heavy construction type for hard usage is also manufactured by the Union Lumber Co., with 13/16” side boards and bottom planks. Total weight: 250 lbs.

The Noyo Outboard ‘Scootabout’ weighs 190 lbs., and is scientifically designed to plane the water by one of the foremost hull designers in the country. It develops an amazing speed for her type. Lightweight and graceful without sacrificing strength, she is sturdily built to withstand the vibrations of high speed. Made of the highest quality materials, including hardwood knees and stern, this boat can be readily and accurately assembled in a few hours of spare time.

The boats are shipped knocked-down in a crate. Each piece is stenciled with its name for easy identification.”

Other manufacturers—including Hammond Lumber Co. (see ad at left)—quickly jumped in, as well.

UNION LUMBER’S ‘Lazy Days’ Noyo Rowboat kit was sold through lumberyards across the country.

HAMMOND LUMBER got into the RTA redwood boat craze by devising collapsible Fold-Flat brand boats for easy transport.