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.

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.

SDWS FRAMING Screw

Multipurpose, indoor/outdoor wood projects

SDWS TIMBER Screw

Multipurpose wood applications including ledgers and mass timber

SDPW DEFLECTOR Screw

Non-load bearing wall connections to truss/joists