The Merchant Magazine - October 2012

MERCHANT

ONLINE PORTALS FOR LBM EXTERIOR TRIM TRADERS MARKET PREVIEW

The

OCTOBER 2012

Magazine

THE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS – SINCE 1922

Building-Products.com

October 2012 The Merchant Magazine

3

The

MERCHANT

Special Features 7 FEATURE STORY MANAGING LBM SALES WITH WEB PORTALS

10 INDUSTRY TRENDS EVOLUTION OF MANMADE EXTERIOR TRIM

12 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT USE COLOR TO SELL HARDWOOD FLOORING

16 MANAGEMENT TIPS TIPS ON IMPORTING EXOTIC HARDWOOD

16A SPECIAL INSERT NAWLA TRADERS MARKET PREVIEW

25 PHOTO RECAP: WESTERN CEDAR 26 PHOTO RECAP: BC WOOD

4

The Merchant Magazine October 2012

In Every Issue 6 TOTALLY RANDOM 17 OLSEN ON SALES 20 MOVERS & SHAKERS 22 NEW PRODUCTS 24 ASSOCIATION UPDATE 28 IN MEMORIAM 28 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 29 DATE BOOK 30 IDEA FILE 30 ADVERTISERS INDEX

October 2012

Volume 91 Number 4

Magazine

Online BREAKING NEWS, PHOTO DOWNLOADS, & THE MERCHANT: DIGITAL VERSION BUILDING-PRODUCTS.COM CHANGE OF ADDRESS Send address label from recent issue, new address and 9-digit zip to address below.

POSTMASTER Send address changes to The Merchant Magazine, 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660-1872.

The Merchant Magazine (ISSN 7399723) (USPS 796-560) is published monthly at 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660-1872 by Cutler Publishing, Inc. Periodicals Postage paid at Newport Beach, Ca., and additional post offices. It is an independently-owned publication for the retail, wholesale and distribution levels of the lumber and building products markets in 13 western states.

Copyright速2012 by Cutler Publishing, Inc. Cover and entire contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission. All Rights Reserved. It reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter, and assumes no liability for materials furnished to it.

Building-Products.com

TOTALLY Random

By Alan Oakes

These days you have to be an office politician

M

ask me, “Don’t you miss working for a big company and all its benefits?” The answer is emphatically, “No.” Nobody could quite understand it when I walked away 12 years ago. Even I looked at myself and said I must be crazy!

But the truth is, I knew that I did not have the stomach or acumen to be the politician I sadly needed to be to survive in what was tantamount to me putting my head through a brick wall over and over again and expecting a different result each time.

In today’s workplace, office politics suggests favoritism, self promotion, and backstabbing. In the end, sadly, we all see it and often succumb to it. Of course, office politics is not new, but it seems to be worse than ever. Perhaps due to the limited opportunities for growth in most companies, self aggrandizement seems to be necessary to get ahead or keep your job. If you do not participate, you run the risk of losing your job and career path. We all see it and watch it often succeed, although it may sicken us inside.

The reality is that most people do not have a choice and have to come to terms with it. Jobs are hard to find. Most people find a coping mechanism and a way to join in.

As a management leader you have to recognize that it exists in your organization and your management team. Develop your own skills to manage it and be careful how you foster it. Politics can be positive. Frankly, when done properly, most people appreciate and even admire it. But we also observe over our business life the unfair side of things, when someone gets an undeserved pay raise or is promoted over someone else obviously due to sucking up to the boss.

One of the issues I struggled with was, who do you believe? When I have an idea, I ask for opinions. Then whose opinion do I trust? Critical is identifying who is telling me what they think I want to hear and who is too scared to speak up.

I recently read a definition of political skill as the ability to understand and effectively influence others for personal or organizational benefit. So using my 80/20 rule, I have observed that most office politics has been 80% for personal benefit and 20% for organizational benefit. I often think how great it would be and what success a manager or company would have if it were reversed to 80% for organizational benefit and 20% for personal. How could your company unlock its true potential if BS could be minimized?

Being good at positive politics is about being able to adjust your behavior to different people and situations, and being able to build support for your views in a way that lets peers become believers. When you have that skill, you become a real winner. In fact, exceptional political skills become invisible to everyone else. That’s because you are seen to be real, authentic, smart and effective—as opposed to manipulative and full of it. And there lies the issue in too many companies—that type of person is not encouraged by those above who are protecting their turf. Rarely are we so lucky to work with a political, organization-focused colleague or manager, but how many times in our career do we end up working for the self-serving one? And, sadly, over my career I have observed the latter succeed over and over again without ever getting found out.

To be a good leader in these situations, you have to think before you speak and really lay out your presentation of an idea. You must manage and massage it up and downwards for institutional buy in, and involve the “influencers” in the decision process. The end result is that the best decisions get made, there are better relationships, and more cooperation. This political style is seen as positive, not negative, and perhaps sets you up for the next promotion or review, and everyone will applaud when you are successful. The good news is that you didn’t have to step on anyone, and that certainly feels better when you look at yourself in the mirror every day.

Y FRIENDS OFTEN

Alan Oakes, Publisher ajoakes@aol.com

6

The Merchant Magazine October 2012

The

MERCHANT

Magazine

www.building-products.com

A publication of Cutler Publishing

4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, CA 92660

Publisher Alan Oakes ajoakes@aol.com

Publisher Emeritus David Cutler

Director of Editorial & Production David Koenig dkoenig@building-products.com Editor Karen Debats kdebats@building-products.com Contributing Editors Dwight Curran James Olsen Jay Tompt Carla Waldemar

Advertising Sales Manager Chuck Casey ccasey@building-products.com

Administration Director/Secretary Marie Oakes mfpoakes@aol.com Circulation Manager Heather Kelly hkelly@building-products.com

How to Advertise

Chuck Casey Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 ccasey@building-products.com

Alan Oakes www.building-products.com Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 ajoakes@aol.com

CLASSIFIED David Koenig Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 dkoenig@building-products.com

How to Subscribe

SUBSCRIPTIONS Heather Kelly Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 hkelly@building-products.com or send a check to 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, CA 92660 U.S.A.: One year (12 issues), $22 Two years, $36 Three years, $50

FOREIGN (Per year, paid in advance in US funds): Surface-Canada or Mexico, $48 Other countries, $60 Air rates also available.

SINGLE COPIES $4 + shipping BACK ISSUES $5 + shipping

Building-Products.com

FEATURE Story

By Randall N. Olejnik, Cilio Technologies

Dealers use online portals to manage installed sales

M

sales orders remains a thorny problem for home improvement retailers and their trading partners. These orders typically require another company to supply material and build/fabricate/install the purchased products.

Whether it’s for countertops, cabinets, floors, doors, windows or other products, order information may be scattered across a complex network of individual store locations, manufacturers, distributors, fabricators and installers.

As a result, network partners have no end-to-end visibility of order status and spend excessive time and cost tracking order progress. Today’s paper-based solutions slow down order fulfillment, lead to errors and delays, and compromise the customer experience.

ANAGING INSTALLED

New Technologies for Installed Sales

Cloud computing promises to be a game-changer for participants in the installed sales channel. By enabling easy access to a shared repository of information—a “partner portal”—cloud-based solutions create communication centers that integrate internal and external partners’ business processes using secured web technologies. This gives everyone in the network total visibility into the order— from creation to completion.

The good news is that it is easy and cost-efficient to participate in a partner portal when the solution is hosted in the cloud. This particular flavor of cloud is called software-asa-service (SaaS) and it has several characteristics.

First of all, it resides on the Internet and can be accessed through your browser—anywhere, anytime. Implementation is as easy as flipping a switch (well, almost). There will be others using the service to check on the status of orders or enter new information, just as you can, but your information is highly secure. Since the service is hosted by external parties outside your organization’s firewalls, it doesn’t require hardware or software purchases or need IT

What’s a “Partner Portal”?

A web-based application that provides manufacturers’ established partners (such as a distributor, dealer or installer) with direct, private access to marketing resources, pricing and sales info, technical details, support, etc.

Building-Products.com

WEB-BASED PORTAL from Cilio automates the installed sales process.

support or ongoing maintenance—a huge benefit.

You pay for what you use on a subscription model and can increase usage with only marginal cost increments.

That’s the beauty of SaaS: fast start, low learning curve, minimal cost, no IT headache, pay for what you use.

While the economics of a SaaS-based solution are impressive enough, the story gets really compelling when you look at the business benefits. Every member of the October 2012 The Merchant Magazine

7

trading network derives benefit through a shared partner portal for installed sales:

Retailers/Dealers

The partner portal for a retailer/ dealer represents a tracking and communication tool with all partners, from the time the order is placed to the time it is installed and completed. This includes consumers, for whom the retailer/dealer is their contact point.

Having the portal eliminates many inquiries because consumers can answer questions themselves through the portal.

The portal for the retailer/dealer typically represents an order configurator, which can be used to price the job and eventually enter it into the portal for distribution. A partner portal will trigger the invoicing and payment to all other partners on the system, and sales analytics will improve warranty

processing.

The retailer/dealer can leverage the relationships of the manufacturer of the material by using the fabricator/installers chosen by the manufacturer. This means that a retailer/dealer does not have to set up individual relationships with fabricators and installers for payment terms; this makes it easier for a retailer/dealer to enter a market where they didn’t have a presence before.

Manufacturers

Oftentimes, the manufacturer is the sponsor of a partner portal because he has much to gain. A partner portal allows the manufacturer to not only sell product but also build a network of dealers, fabricators, installers and distributors whose combined force is used to sell his products.

As a communication tool, the partner portal represents a low cost

method of sharing information with other partners. This includes distributing price lists, high priority notes, MSDS, product specifications, promotions, survey questionnaires, and a variety of brochures and collateral information.

As a secured web application, all partners must establish their own logins and passwords. Consequently, the portal always knows its audience, so promotions, pricing, and special offers can be directed to the individual, zip code, geographic area, or any pre-defined group. Importantly, the portal can provide an immediate view into the impact of the new promotion and/or price.

Gone are the days when a manufacturer announced a special promotion or price and had to judge its effectiveness based on orders for material at distribution centers. A partner portal lets the manufacturer see the actual

New portal for engineered wood

Boise Cascade EWP is among the latest building material manufacturers to launch an online portal to help dealers manage their businesses.

Formally introduced earlier this year, the BC CONNECT portal grew out of a companywide reevaluation of its service offerings that began

about two-and-a-half years ago.

“We had developed a suite of dealer tools over the past seven to 10 years, but each tool was developed to stand alone, for a particular use or for a particular type of customer,” said Dan Carter, manager of design & processing systems. “We

USING THE TOOLS on Boise Cascade’s new portal, users can now optimize inventoried lengths and batch several jobs for the most cost-competitive job packs.

8

The Merchant Magazine October 2012

needed a platform that would pull all the tools together.”

Last October, Boise Cascade equipped one of its largest customers with a beta version of the system. Four months later, BC CONNECT was offered to all Boise Cascade EWP customers. Currently, more than two-thirds of them are using or transitioning to the system.

“The response has been overwhelming,” said Carter.

BC C ONNECT provides dealers with instant access to an engineered wood product design and business management platform, combining data, tools, processes and cloudbased applications.

Dealers can run more efficient design departments using its central design platform, integrated wholehouse design, and automatic load distribution to improve speed and accuracy of design and specification.

BC CONNECT mates to next-generation BC FRAMER, enhancing designers’ ability to optimize engineered wood products in residential structural design and boost their productivity. It is a single-location repository of information to reduce errors, eliminate re-drawing by different business units, and save resources.

With best-in-industry file integration, a change made in one area Building-Products.com

retail sales as they occur.

Having visibility to the retail sales orders serves as a planning tool for the manufacturer, which is especially important when availability of material is constrained. The partner portal provides the manufacturer with the ability to process orders electronically, thereby reducing costs.

The portal uses the manufacturer’s network of distributors, from company owned and operated to public warehouses, and tracks rebates to distributors where material was priced differently from the manufacturer for a particular sales channel. Sales analytics helps stay on top of warranty processing, too.

tor enjoys an electronic automated order entry regardless of how the order was entered by other partners.

The portal converts data into many different formats for integration to the partners’ business systems, which includes distributing pricing and promotions, managing rebates paid to the distributor by the manufacturer, warranty processing, and sales analytics.

automatically updates everywhere.

The portal can improve management of projects by knowing the design queue and design resources and applying them efficiently.

Projects in queue can be checked and updated quickly, and files and projects can be quickly located with the new project search engine.

Building options management is streamlined, so jobs that took hours may only take minutes. Salespeople can log in to prepare materials lists and quotes from remote locations.

Project-related documents are managed quickly.

All dealers can now optimize inventoried lengths, batch jobs, and generate usable material with minimum cut waste for most cost-competitive cut packs. BC C ONNECT integrates BC FRAMER design files and optimizes them against inventory on hand for efficient use of inventory. Dealers can optimize job packs whether they do automated processing, pull/ship, or cut with a chainsaw.

Dealers can manage the inventory profile to align with the design queue, workload and staffing, to lower inventory costs and improve turns and profitability. Stocking levels can be managed automatically, generating replenishment orders, emailing purchase orders, and adjusting inventory. Reports go to purchasing, and reconciliation

reports compare actual to perpetual.

Formula-based estimating is quick, easy and accurate, with competitive job pack pricing and optimized cutting and waste virtually eliminated. Access to correct dimensions makes it easier to estimate wall framing, roof systems, and other products to improve productivity of design personnel and increase order size.

A revolutionary cloud-based support center gives dealers their own “My Support” ticket system, provid-

Distributors

The distributor may be part of the manufacturer’s operation, an independent, or a public warehouse. Regardless of the circumstances, the distribu-

Building-Products.com

Fabricators/Installers

The biggest benefit to the fabricator/installer is a constant flow of orders from the sales channels he is connected to. This reduces selling time and keeps his funnel full.

The fabricator/installer leverages the relationships built and invested into by the manufacturer to build his business. He will have a closer communication channel opened and can get quicker replies from the manufacturer, distributor, and retailer/dealer.

As with all partners on the portal, the fabricator/installer enjoys the analytics of sales and material purchases, plus the inherent ability to track warranty processing.

Time to Think Out of the Box

The way it’s been isn’t the way it always has to be. Enabling technology like SaaS solutions based on cloud technology pave the way for a new way of doing things in installed sales.

Partner portal solutions are out there.

The best news is that they solve real business problems for real business users—fast, economically, and with minimal organizational disruption.

– Randall N. Olejnik, is founder and c.e.o. of Cilio Technologies, Brookfield, Wi., creator of the Cilio Partners Portal deployed in the installed sales and special order sales marketplace. Reach him via www.ciliotech.com.

ing assistance from trained professionals and maintaining a record of help ticket status. A resource library is available 24/7 with webinars, selfhelp videos, engineering presentations, product knowledge, marketing tools, and support.

As databases populate, BC CONNECT will increasingly provide dealers with up-to-the-minute analytics showing where they’re losing time and money—with information accessible even from remote locations.

PORTAL provides access to the second-generation BC FRAMER II, which permits users to optimize design files against all inventory on hand.

October 2012 The Merchant Magazine

9

INDUSTRY Trends

By Tom Zimmerman, Boral TruExterior Trim

The rapid evolution and acceptance of manmade exterior trim

T

of wood exterior trim and increase in manmade alternatives has resulted in many new products being brought to market in the last several years.

While many of these products have proven to be positive for the environment, their performance levels continue to evolve. Early wood-replacement products generated a lot of hype due to their use of recycled materials, but the price point for these products was typically higher than the mainstream and the performance and aesthetics didn’t always compare to the tried and true materials. These frustrations quickly hindered the acceptance of these prodHE DECREASING USE

ucts and often limited the audience to the “green� builder. Typically someone who was willing to pay more for a recycled product to accommodate their different set of building practices inevitably had to accept a different set of performance expectations.

This narrow audience for these products forced manufacturers to innovate their approach by creating offerings that not only fit into a sustainable classification, but that truly addressed the needs of the mainstream customer base of builders, remodelers and installers.

Consider the early days of composite decking. This innovative material

MANMADE products, such as Boral TruExterior Trim, reportedly last longer with lower maintenance than natural materials, while offering greater consistency with virtually no moisture cycling or absorption. It can easily be installed with traditional wood working tools and methods, can be painted any color, and does not require end-sealing, back priming, or special adhesives to limit movement.

10

The Merchant Magazine October 2012

touted extremely high levels of recycled content and lower maintenance, but its price point, installation practices, and overall aesthetics significantly reduced its immediate acceptance. Over time, manufacturers developed products that better addressed the needs and desires of a broader audience. These products have improved greatly, the value moving away from a focus on recycled materials and rot resistance to a more robust offering that includes stylish aesthetics, long-term performance, and other guards against the effects of Mother Nature.

Like composite decking, the exterior trim market has also undergone a major evolution over recent years.

With many products comprising the category and multiple representative materials offered, builders and remodelers face a plethora of options.

However, the choices they are making when choosing trim have changed dramatically in the recent past.

Historically, wood trim has been the preferred option, but the performance of wood can be a problem.

With cupping and twisting, paint failure, bleeding of knots and stains, and rotting all prevalent issues that plague wood trim, the ongoing cost and maintenance requirements are high. These factors, coupled with the advent of new trim products made from other materials, have shifted the use of wood trim from 98% of the market in 1992 to 60% in 2007, with a forecast of less than 50% over the next few years.

The new trim products that have come onto the scene and contributed to the marked shift away from wood Building-Products.com

are varied and have evolved over time.

Early products aimed to solve the issue of rot commonly faced with wood, but these products lacked aesthetic appeal and had many installation issues. The evolution of trim products continues and vast performance improvements have been made, yet some manmade products suffer from installation issues that ironically lead back to rot and other problems.

Engineered and hardboard trim products perform better than wood, yet still wick moisture. Aluminium coil wrap trim provides comparatively limited aesthetics. Fiber cement trim requires guards against moisture contact and poses some handling issues due to weight, shorter lengths, and workability.

More recently, the focus has been PVC trim, which outperforms many other products in workability and performance, yet comes at the highest cost of any of the options and is not typically considered green. While the U.S. Green Building Council has softened its once-harsh stance against PVC, the sustainable building authority does not consider it a green product given its long lifespan.

New alternatives exist. One product

Building-Products.com

pushing the exterior trim marketplace forward in both sustainability and performance is a new category of exterior trim products referred to as “polyash.” It is produced from a proprietary blend of polymers and fly-ash (a byproduct of the coal burning process used to generate electricity) and, as such, offers a great sustainability story. Boral TruExterior Trim has been certified by Scientific Certification Systems to contain a minimum of 70% recycled content—one of the highest amounts in any trim—and is also the only trim product to receive a Cradle-to-Cradle Certified Silver designation by MBDC. With manmade products like this coming to market, builders and remodelers now have access to new trim options that are sustainable, easyto-install, high-performance products.

Considering the new innovations, it is likely that demand for wood trim will continue to decline, while manufacturers continue to innovate and improve the performance levels of alternatives.

– Tom Zimmerman is director of sales and marketing for Boral TruExterior Trim.

Reach him at (678) 639-7004 or via www.boraltruexterior.com.

October 2012 The Merchant Magazine

11

PRODUCT Spotlight Hardwood Flooring

By Michael Martin, National Wood Flooring Association

Sell hardwood flooring’s diverse color palette

W

HEN CUSTOMERS come to you looking for hardwood flooring, they usually have specific colors in mind that will complement their home décor. Your job is to

JANKA HARDNESS SCALE

12

The Merchant Magazine October 2012

make certain that you direct them to the wood flooring products that will best meet their needs.

Today, wood floors come in a variety of colors, styles and price ranges. Helping customers choose the right floor is simply a matter of deciding which look they like best, and making sure it fits their décor, lifestyle, and budget.

Light-colored wood floors like ash and maple make a room appear more open and airy. These woods typically lend themselves to a more clean and modern look.

Medium-colored wood floors like hickory and oak make a room appear more warm and cozy. These woods typically lend themselves to a more comfortable and casual look.

Dark-colored wood floors like mahogany and walnut make a room appear more stately and refined. These woods typically lend themselves to a more traditional and formal look.

New to the wood flooring scene, however, are exotic wood species, which can run the gamut of colors: • Bubinga, which originates in Africa, can appear pink, red or reddish brown with purple streaks or veins.

• Australian cypress ranges from cream-colored sapwood to honey-gold heartwood, with dark brown knot holes throughout. It looks similar to knotty pine, but is much harder.

• Santos mahogany, which originates in South America, is a dark reddish brown.

• Purpleheart, which originates in Mexico, has a brown heartwood that will age to a deep purple or purplish brown.

• Burmese teak, which originates in Asia, varies from a yellowish brown to a dark golden brown.

• For a totally unique look, wenge, which originates in Africa, will age to a very deep brown, almost black, color.

Needless to say, there literally are hundreds of wood species available today that can accommodate any decorating style, but with so many choices available, how can you encourage your customers to think outside the box and consider all the options available to them, especially if their minds are made up when they first walk through your showroom door? One of the easiest ways is to have them “try it before they buy it” virtually.

The National Wood Flooring Association offers a virtual “Design Your Room” feature on its consumer website at www.woodfloors.org. Using this interactive feature, your Building-Products.com

DIFFERENT TYPES and tones of hardwood species create dramatically different looks, such as this solid Brazilian cherry parquet floor with accent blocks of wenge, maple and red oak, creating a custom basket weave pattern.

(Images by National Wood Flooring Association)

customers can try a variety of wood flooring species in several room settings, including a living room, dining room, bedroom, child’s room, bathroom, and hallway.

They can choose the species, finish, width, grade and construction of the flooring with just one click. They can even change the wall color to more-closely match their own home décor, and can position the flooring vertically or horizontally or even diagonally to get a better feel for how that can affect the mood and look of a room.

Once your customer has decided on a species, you will need to make sure that the species will perform adequately based on their lifestyle. For example, a home with three young children and a large dog will have different wood flooring needs than a home with an older, retired couple with no pets. The young family will need to select a species that will stand up to the rigorous foot traffic it will likely get during its lifetime in the home, and it is your job to steer them in the right direction. For instance, if they love the look of domestic black cherry wood flooring, which is ranked at 950 on the Janka hardness scale (see chart on previous page), they might want to know that Brazilian cherry is ranked much higher at 2,820—nearly three times the hardness of the domestic species.

As you can see, there is a lot more to choosing a wood floor than color alone. Educating yourself to help your customers make good wood flooring choices will result in happy customers, and repeat business.

– Michael Martin is c.e.o. of the National Wood Flooring Association, a not-for-profit trade association serving more than 3,100 wood flooring professionals worldwide. Reach him at michaelm@nwfa.org or (800) 422-4556.

Building-Products.com

October 2012 The Merchant Magazine

13

COMPETITIVE Intelligence

By Carla Waldemar

Doubling up

A

nutty as a fruitcake… or crazy like a fox? Just as a mounting number of lumberyards are going out of business, Dale Hardware is adding one. What gives?

It’s what happens if you listen to your customers when they tell you what they want. “It’s one of the things we had in the back of our minds,” says Garth Smith, president of Dale Hardware in Fremont, a small East Bay community in California. “They’d come in and say, ‘It would be nice if we could pick up (plywood, 2x4s, fill in the blank) while we’re here”—onestop shopping, and Garth is not a guy to say no to business—“but we never had the means, or the space, to do it.”

He’s talking about the enterprise launched in 1953 by his father, a salesman of hard goods who thought he could transfer his know-how and be his own boss—after all, he knew wholesale, he knew distributors, he knew store operations, so could store ownership be that hard? He launched a RE THESE GUYS

5,000-sq. ft. operation with a staff numbering fewer than the fingers on one hand and did just fine. So well, in fact, that the facility was enlarged eight times over the ensuing years, as the business moved locations three times (but always in the same block) when the necessity for expansion beckoned.

The latest and greatest expansion, under Garth’s watch, doubles—doubles!—the size of the operation to nearly 100,000 sq. ft., adding new room to grow its garden center, retail operation, and add a covered, drivethrough lumberyard. And the neatest part of the venture is that it was accomplished using $8 million from a federal stimulation bond program.

Still, why now?

“Sales had been stagnant. And for years we’d been bulging at the seams.

We felt there were various commodities we could do a good job on, but we had no space. So we thought, ‘Hey! Not a bad time to make a move!’ We

based it on three things: (1) money was cheap; (2), we had the pick of the litter when it comes to hiring contractors; and (3) when the economy turned around, we’d be ready.”

And, talk about timing: “Coincidentally, we had the traditional financing in place, but then the Feds actually came to us. Shortly before we got started, we were contacted by city and county people, alerting us that a grant award was available ‘for exactly what you’re doing.’” The government bond initiative was aimed to create jobs and grow businesses, and that’s exactly how it’s panning out.

“We were mandated to increase employees, and we’ve added 18 so far and are still at it,” Garth happily reports—“mostly people with retail experience, but not necessarily in our industry. For instance, our new garden center now stocks live plants—new for us—so we hired two people with that special expertise, and for the lumberyard, a new manager, who’s in the process of hiring and training his staff and selecting the inventory.” The new lumberyard will service additions and renovations—“that’s what’s selling, not huge apartment buildings.”

At Dale, with its staff of 115, Garth explains, “employees may specialize in a particular department, but are encouraged to learn as much about every product as possible. The key to all retail,” he believes, “is hiring people who really like to be around people—who are comfortable talking to somebody, not uncomfortable if they don’t know all the answers—instead, ‘Let’s go find out.’ People who like people make a shopper’s experience

EXPANSION has doubled the size of Fremont, Ca., dealer Dale Hardware.

14

The Merchant Magazine October 2012

Building-Products.com

SPACIOUS INTERIOR, including an attached nursery, provides customers with everything they’re looking for.

pleasant,” he’s convinced.

And just who shops here? Commercial/industrial, contractors, walk-in warriors: all of the above, he says, and all are served by the same philosophy, “the one we hang our hat on, that we always pride ourselves on service. On our expertise, like hardware stores have done since their inception in the 1800s, and we’ve always stayed the course. We offer expertise in the ancillary parts and pieces of a major purchase. We pick up the pieces, whether we sell you a 49cent widget or a $490 package. Sure, we’ve had competitors like Home Depot, Lowe’s and Orchard Supply near us since the ’80s, but they haven’t hurt our business.”

Still, the product lines are targeted more for the pros than walk-ins, he does admit, but he finds the operation picks up retail business this way, too. As he sees it, “What we stock for the pros lends itself to impress the d-i-yer. He sees this and thinks, ‘This guy really knows his business!’ whether he needs that particular item or not.”

The commercial/industrial thrust of the operation—fully 50% of Dale’s revenue—merits its own division, called DCIS—Dale Commercial & Industrial Services—spawned 20 years ago, with its separate outside sales staff dedicated to calling on municipality functions, such as the school board and water board. It’s like a turnkey operation, monitored by Dale, which stocks those clients’ maintenance inventory at jobsites or facilities “so they don’t have to send maintenance crews out for their standard needs, but can turn to their in-house stash,” Garth explains. “They can phone in an order and we’ll have it pulled and ready for pick-up or shipped. It saves them money, but—more important—it saves them time. If your $20-an-hour maintenance guy is idle for a couple of hours, that’s costly. Plus, this way they can have a little more control over him. It’s been a very good business for us. The past three or four years have been a little soft when budgets really tightened, but you can always try to sell more—pick up adjacent pieces of the pie.”

Meanwhile, the company finds the best way to attract new contractors to its list is by word of mouth. “It’s a very difficult market to advertise to, but once we become aware of them, we treat them well: in-house charge accounts, visits to jobsites or shops.” Custom builders are pretty much extinct in Fremont because precious little land remains unbuilt. And in this economy, Garth finds, “those that called themselves builders back in 2005 are now remodelers, Building-Products.com

because big projects aren’t feeding the family; and remodelers are now at the fix-it end of the business. Those who had a very narrow niche have had to expand and open the door to other pieces.”

Same goes for Dale. With the recent major expansion, the outfit has added live plants to the offerings its Garden Center carries, such as fertilizer, sprinklers, and tools. The retail floor expansion has allowed it to add 25,000 SKUs since June 2011, increasing both breadth and depth of lines—“a much larger fastener selection; paints by Benjamin Moore in addition to Ace; and showers, bathtubs, vanities and toilets.”

Dale already had a vibrant kitchen and bath showroom, called Water Concepts, operating in a separate building on the same parking lot since the ’80s, offering “nicely displayed, upscale products—more decorative, the higher end.” Now, with the main store’s expansion, it’s added the “good” to Water Concept’s “better, best,” to capture everyman’s remodeling project.

Speaking of projects, check out the company’s spiffy, active website (www.dale-hardware.com), monitored by its marketing department. “I don’t believe in e-commerce for us, so why a website?” Garth beats me to the question.

“Why should people visit it if they can’t buy there? So we talked about what would entice them, kicked it around” and came up with—well, see for yourself: how-to info, top projects to undertake, new and/or top-selling products, personal chats with department gurus. Let’s just call it a “top of mind” endeavor.

And when folks are ready to plunk down the plastic, they’ll find Dale conveniently open Saturdays and Sundays, too—“you can’t be in business in California without that,” Garth allows. While sales had been “pretty flat” for a while, since the newly remodeled store opened in October 2011, “business has been up very, very substantially,” he reports.

“We’re attracting more people, and a broader customer base. We’re very happy.”

Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net

October 2012 The Merchant Magazine

15

MANAGEMENT Tips Lacey Act Compliance Strategies

Tips on importing exotic hardwoods

G

IBSON GUITAR’S recent settlement with the Department of Justice— which included thousand of dollars in fines—highlights the need for companies to use “due care” when purchasing and importing exotic hardwoods.

“The agreement should be a wakeup call for companies thinking about importing illegally logged wood, that the government is going to take violations of the Lacey Act very seriously,” says Jameson French, c.e.o., Northland Forest Products, Troy, Va. He’s also a board member of the Hardwood Federation, which worked to get tough new amendments to the Lacey Act passed in May 2008.

“Fair enforcement of the Lacey Act—the world’s first ban on the importation of illegally sourced

wood—is important to ensure that the wood comes into the U.S. from legal sources,” says Adam Grant, senior associate at the World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C. “We are hopeful that this case will provide incentive to other wood product providers—and their suppliers—to engage in legal purchasing of wood and help protect endangered forests.”

Federal agents raided Gibson’s manufacturing plant in Nashville, Tn., in November 2009, amid allegations that the company purchased and imported illegally harvested wood from India and Madagascar. After three years of investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, Gibson agreed to: • pay a $300,000 penalty;

Wood Tracking Technologies

A new technology allows DNA testing of wood to ensure products are not illegally harvested and imported.

“This is like CSI meets save the planet,” says Jonathan Geach, executive director of Singapore-based Double Helix Tracking Technologies, which started in 2008—the same year the Lacey Act was amended.

The technology promises to end common problems in the marketplace: mislabeling, lying about origin, or substituting one type of wood for another.

Right now, experts say, the weakest link is between the forest and the sawmill, where stolen or illegally logged wood can be mixed with legal wood.

“The DNA is in every cell in a wood product and you can’t falsify that DNA,” says the company’s chief scientific officer, Andrew Lowe, who developed the tracking technology in his lab at the

16

The Merchant Magazine October 2012

University of Adelaide, Australia.

By early 2011, Mr. Lowe was able to extract degraded DNA from decades-old wood and get accurate results. That led to an increase in business, which should increase even more when tougher new laws take affect next year in Europe.

Within two years, DoubleHelix hopes to license the DNA-extraction technique to accredited laboratories globally, to help stamp out illegal wood. The company’s ultimate goal is to make DNA testing so cheap that all companies will use it.

DNA testing is already aiding prosecutions, says Shelley Gardner, illegal logging program coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service. “Any time we’ve gone to court, they’ve plea-bargained because the DNA was already such a deterrent, and these are just small cases,” she says. “When you start talking about real trade, I think it could have a big impact.”

• make a $50,000 community service payment to the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, to be used “to promote the conservation, identification, and propagation of protected tree species;” • relinquish its civil claims to wood seized by the government during the investigation, including Madagascar ebony valued at $261,844, and • implement a detailed program to strengthen compliance controls and procedures.

In addition, Gibson accepted responsibility for importing illegal wood, not exercising due care in checking the source of the wood, and not acting on prior knowledge that legal ebony was difficult or impossible to source from Madagascar. In return, the government will not pursue criminal charges against the company or its employees, provided that Gibson carries out its compliance obligations and commits no future violations.

Under the Lacey Act, companies must exercise due care and understand the origin of its forest products, because a violation can occur at almost any point in the supply chain.

Gibson’s compliance program offers pointers for companies looking to avoid similar problems. Highlights include: • annual training for all purchasing staff, • disciplinary action for staff who fail to follow policies on legal wood procurement, • requesting sample documentation from suppliers to ensure it satisfies Lacey Act requirements, • adherence to a detailed procurement checklist and maintenance of related records, and • verification of foreign laws and licenses with in-country legal professionals or knowledgeable third parties.

À

Tear out this handy planning guide to use at NAWLA Traders Market

Building-Products.com

BPD

Building Products Digest

The

MERCHANT

Magazine

PRESENT

TRADERS’ PREVIEW

2012

PLANNING GUIDE FOR THE

NAWLA TRADERS MARKET

®

Sponsored by the North American Wholesale Lumber Association November 7-9 • Hyatt Regency • Chicago, Il.

TRADERS’ PREVIEW 2012 PLANNING GUIDE FOR THE

NAWLA TRADERS MARKET®

November 7-9 • Hyatt Regency • Chicago, Il.

4 6 7 8 12 14 32 36

NAWLA president’s welcome Home, sweet home Chicago Schedule of events

4

Kahle: It’s all about the risk Traders Market exhibitor list Traders Market show floor Key to attracting qualified employees

8

Meet the exhibitors

TRADERS PREVIEW is published annually at 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660, (949) 852-1990, Fax 949-852-0231, www.building-products.com, by Cutler Publishing Inc. (a California Corporation), publisher of Building Products Digest and The Merchant Magazine. Copyright®2012 by Cutler Publishing Inc. Cover and entire contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission. To advertise in next yearʼs Tradersʼ Preview, call Alan Oakes or Chuck Casey at (949) 852-1990. This supplement is published in conjunction with the NAWLA Traders Market.

To Attend the NAWLA Traders Market

The NAWLA Traders Market has strictly enforced policies relative to exhibitor eligibility and general delegate qualifications. These policies are stipulated on the meeting registration form available at www.nawla.org.

Anyone with questions about the attendance policy or any other aspect of the event should contact NAWLA, (800) 527-8258, (847) 870-7470, Fax 847-870-0201, or info@nawla.org.

Building-Products.com

12

October 2012

•

Traders’ Preview

•

3

Join the network

INCE ITS START in 1996, NAWLA Traders Market has become a signature event within the lumber industry and the premier industry tradeshow. No other show can come close to providing the value of Traders Market. The networking and business opportunities are unmatched.

S

Other shows consist primarily of service and machinery providers, but not Traders Market. If you are looking to sell a lumber product, looking for new suppliers, or wanting to expand to new networks, this is the place to be. It represents the crucial link in the supply chain. The show is about lumber and lumber products.

The tradeshow floor is the center of the Traders Market, with over 240 booths devoted to the manufacturing and distributing of lumber and related building materials. Most show activities take place on the floor, including the New Products Showcase and Networking Central. The floor has events scheduled on it to increase traffic and improve exhibitors’ access to customers. Each exhibitor has a company description in the Market Guide and is named in the exhibitors list available online.

At the 2012 Traders Market, you will see some familiar features and a few new ones. The schedule once again allows attendees to return home for the weekend or stay and enjoy some downtime after the show. The New Product Showcase returns after a second successful year. The Magellan Network program breakfast will feature an expert presentation on the industry in China. Part of the success of Traders Market is that people know what to plan around.

There are some changes, though. The most evident one is the addition of the GenNext Education Session & Luncheon on Wednesday. We started the special focus on the industry’s next generation of leaders during the 2011 Traders Market and continued it at the 2012 Leadership Conference. At this luncheon, attendees will get a chance to network with their peers and hear an excellent presenter speak about being your best when it matters most. Not a member of GenNext? Don’t worry. Everyone is welcome. Make sure you sign up to meet the future of this great industry.

We are certain the 2012 Traders Market will live up to the show’s excellent reputation as a business focused event. But we don’t want you to wait another year to attend a NAWLA event.

NAWLA has a new Leadership Conference in the spring. Earlier this year, some of the top executives and managers in the lumber industry had the chance to hear speakers like Billy Beane and Lt. Gen. Russel Honore talk about what it takes to be a successful leader. During the day, the schedule was packed with educational panels on some of the most pressing issues of the day.

Don’t miss the 2013 Leadership Conference at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fl. Members and non-members are welcome at the Leadership Conference.

We hope to see you in Chicago Gary Vitale NAWLA President/C.E.O.

4

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

Building-Products.com

Home sweet home

NAWLA streamlines program to mark return to Chicago

OLLOWING LAST YEAR’S successful show in Las Vegas, NAWLA Traders Market is returning to its home base of Chicago, simultaneously paring back on the number of business and educational sessions to focus more clearly on the event’s primary objective: networking.

The agenda does, however, feature several don’t-miss events: • Grand Opening Luncheon with Keynote Presenter: Chicago comedian Greg Schwem Thurs. Nov. 8, 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m.

F

• New Product Showcase Open during show floor hours:

Thurs. Nov. 8, 1:30-5 p.m., and Fri. Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Western Red Cedar Lumber Association Panel Discussion: “Positioning Western Red Cedar for Increased Usage in the U.S. Market” Fri. Nov. 9, 7-9 a.m.

Following opening remarks by WRCLA chairman Jeff Derby, Softwood Lumber Board chief marketing officer Cees de Jager will outline a new approach to marketing appearance grade softwoods.

Other presentations include a WRCLA Architect Wood Awards program, a case study on promoting

western cedar in North America, McGraw Hill’s Bill Madden on architect outreach initiatives, and Hill+Knowlton Strategies’ Brian Coddington.

• Magellan Network Breakfast & Program with Russ Taylor Fri. Nov. 9, 8:30-10 a.m.

The Magellan Network Program is a signature event of the Traders Market. Geared to members interested in global trade, the event includes expert speakers and networking possibilities. It focuses on both import and export issues, softwood and hardwood products.

This year welcomes back past presenter Russ Taylor, president of International Wood Markets Group, Vancouver, B.C., this time addressing the latest developments in the China market and what the outlook holds for North American lumber and log exporters.

Attendance requires separate registration and fee ($99 per person for NAWLA members, $125 for nonmembers). Breakfast is included.

• GenNext Luncheon & Program: “Emotional Intelligence & Being Your Best When It Matters Most” Wed. Nov. 7, 1-3 p.m.

Motivational speaker Bill Benjamin leads a highly interactive session on improving individuals’ performance and leadership to benefit their companies, co-workers, and

6

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

Building-Products.com

Schedule of Events Wednesday, November 7

8-9 a.m. Executive meeting 8-9:30 a.m. Committee meetings 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Board of directors meeting (invitation only) 12-7 p.m. Registration open 1-3 p.m. GenNext lunch & program: “Emotional Intelligence & Being Your Best When It Matters Most” (separate admission)

1-5 p.m. 10 Group activities 1-5 p.m. Exhibitor set-up 1:15-3:30 p.m. Board meeting continued (invitation only) 3-4 p.m. Communications committee meeting 5-6 p.m. Committee reception & 10year awards (invitation only) 5:30-7 p.m. Networking cocktail reception

Thursday, November 8

6:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Registration open 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Exhibitor set-up 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Grand opening luncheon, featuring chairmanʼs welcome, presidentʼs address, and keynote presentation 1:30-5 p.m. Traders Market open, including Networking Central & New Product Showcase 5:30-7 p.m. Networking cocktail reception

Friday, November 9

7-9 a.m. Western Red Cedar Lumber Association session 7:30-11:30 a.m. Registration open 8:30-10 a.m. Magellan Club breakfast & program (separate admission) 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Traders Market open 11:30-1 p.m. Lunch on show floor 3-7 p.m. Exhibitor dismantle

careers, even in the midst of high pressure and difficult situations.

Participants will gain a renewed sense of energy and confidence, a greater sense of “what’s possible,” and the real tools to get them there.

Attendance requires separate registration and fee ($99 per person for NAWLA members, $125 for nonmembers). Lunch is included.

Building-Products.com

Call It The Fun Side of Cedar.

Who says siding has to be all about straight lines and uniform color?

Specialty profiles of Western Red Cedar siding such as Haida Skirl add personality and individuality to your home. And that’s something no cement or plastic siding can do. Western Red Cedar gives you natural durability, long lasting street appeal and surprisingly little maintenance.

Which leaves more time for the fun things in life.

Make the right choice for your business, your customers and your environment. Western Red Cedar offers dependable performance, unmatched beauty and superior environmental credentials to composite decking and other man-made products. The choice of discerning builders and consumers alike, Western Red Cedar adds warmth, character and value to projects and significant returns to your business.

1.866.778.9096 www.wrcla.org To learn more about Haida Skirl or to place an order, contact us at 604-437-3434 or info@haidaforest.com

www.haidaforest.com THIS AD WAS DEVELOPED AS PART OF THE WRCLA’S JOINT PROMOTION PROGRAM. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE WRCLA.

October 2012

•

Traders’ Preview

•

7

It’s all about the risk OMETIMES IT IS so frustrating. You know you have a better product than the one your prospect is currently using. Your price is attractive, your service is outstanding. If the prospect would switch to your solution, you know they’d be delighted. You’d save them money, smooth out their processes, reduce their inventory, and generally make their life simpler.

So, why won’t they switch? Are people really that stupid? Or, is it you? Did you do something to put them off?

While there are some circumstances where the answers would be yes to the questions above, the most likely answer is something totally different. The reason they won’t switch is likely not their IQ, nor your deodorant. It is the risk!

Risk is several things. First, it is often the number one issue in the mind of the customer, particularly when the account has no history with your company. That makes it the number one issue to address in the sales process.

Risk is what the customer perceives it to be. In other words, it’s not anything quantifiable, like the price or delivery of your offer. It’s not objective or tangible.

Instead, it is much more insidious, lurking underneath almost every conversation between you and your prospect.

Because risk rises out of fear, risk is often not mentioned.

To acknowledge risk is to admit fear. To admit fear is, in many people’s minds, to expose weaknesses. No one wants to look weak.

Risk is the answer to these two questions:

S

“What happens to the company if they make the wrong decision?”

1.

“What happens to the individual who is making the decision, if he/she makes the wrong decision?”

Risk is the combination of the financial, social, emotional and time costs that the company and the individual decision-maker will bear as a result of making a mistake.

Here’s how I help people in my seminars understand risk. Two examples. Let’s say that on the way home tonight, your spouse calls you on the cell phone and explains that some friends are coming over for the evening.

You need to stop at the grocery store on the way home and pick up some disposable cups so that you’ll have something in which to serve the drinks.

You stop at the grocery store, rush in, and see brand A

2.

8

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

By Dave Kahle

and brand B. You select brand B, scoot through the express lane, and arrive home just a few moments before your guests are scheduled to arrive. Your spouse has a pitcher of margaritas mixed up, and you pour yourself one in the disposable cup you just bought. As you raise it to your lips to take a sip, you discover a leak in the bottom. You quickly grab another cup, pour the contents of the defective cup into that one, and raise it to your mouth. Oops! A leak in that one, too. One after the other, you discover that every one of the cups you bought is defective.

Now, imagine yourself in this situation. What price are you paying for your mistake?

I don’t know about you, but in my house, I’d be the recipient of some negative emotion from my spouse. There would be a social and emotional price to pay. I’d also have to invest additional time, running back to the store to fix the problem with another bag of disposable cups. And, I’d have to pay for them, so there would be some financial costs.

All of this over a simple little purchase, in which you made a mistake. Even so, when you compare the risk of this decision with all possible decisions you could make in your life, this one has relatively little risk.

Here’s a simple exercise to help you understand this concept. Draw a short vertical line. At the top of the line write the number 25. At the bottom, write the number zero.

Now on a scale of 0 to 25, where would you put the risk of buying a package of disposable cups? It’s close to zero.

(Please turn to page 10)

Building-Products.com

It’s All About the Risk (Continued from page 8)

Now, let’s compare that with a risk on the other end of the equation. For a number of years, I had an international adoption agency as a client.

Consider a young lady in a crisis pregnancy. What is the risk involved as she contemplates releasing her unborn child to adoption? Certainly a lifetime of consequences for at least four people. On our 0 to 25 scale, most people would rate it as a 25.

This risk is at the opposite end of the spectrum.

The point here is that different decisions carry with them different degrees of risk. Now, put yourself in the shoes of the individual who is making the decision to buy your products. What happens to that person if he or she makes a mistake?

Now I know you are thinking that you and your company will make it right, so that there really is no risk.

But that’s your perspective, not your prospect’s. He doesn’t know that you’ll make things right. Even if you say it, he still doesn’t necessarily believe it.

So, put yourself in his shoes, and see the situation through his eyes. On the 0 to 25 scale, how much risk does he accept when he says “yes” to you?

Here’s an easy way of calculating it. Just ask yourself what happens to that individual if you, or your company, mess up.

Hopefully, you now have a different perspective on that prospective customer for whom your pricing is attractive and your product is better.

Your net impact on the customer would be positive, but he won’t buy.

It’s not about the price, it’s not about the quality, and it’s not about the service. It’s all about the risk!

If the risk to that person is high, the way to make the sale is to reduce that risk.

Here are three strategies for reducing the risk.

Develop a closer personal relationship.

The greater the relationship, the less the risk. The lesser the relationship, the greater the risk. That’s why they would prefer to buy a less effective product at a higher price from the salesperson who has been calling on

1.

them for years.

Focus not on reducing the price, but rather on increasing the relationship.

2. Make the deal tangible.

The more vague and intangible the purchase, the more risky. Take all the imagination out of the buy. Bring

them into your facility so they can see that you really do have an office/production facility. Take them to a location where the machine is being used by someone else. Hand them certificates of warranty instead of just telling them. Show them pictures of the product being used.

Look at every aspect of your offer, and think about how you can make this piece more tangible and objective.

3. Use proof.

What is "proof?” Someone else, other than you, saying something about your product, company or service. Proof is letters of recommendation from other customers, photographs of other customers using your product or service, testimonials, case studies, lists of clients, thirdparty studies, copies of articles from trade journals, etc. Anything you can find that in any way adds substance by someone else, even if it is remote and only distantly connected to your offer, will go a long way to reducing the risk.

The concept of risk and its role in the buyer’s mind is one of the most powerful concepts in the world of B2B sales. Taking it into account and planning to reduce the risk of every decision will be one of your most powerful sales strategies.

– Dave Kahle, “The Growth Coach,” is a sales consultant, trainer and author of a free monthly ezine—“Thinking About Sales”—as well as seven books, including his latest, How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime. Reach him at (800) 331-1287; www.davekahle.com.

10

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

Building-Products.com

thick skin. strong core. any environment.

Hard capstock shell protects your deckboard on all 4 sides. 100% Cellular core with no voids adds strength.

Endeck—where beauty and strength come together.

Isn’t that what customers are really looking for—a gorgeous deck that can endure the punishment of time? Endeck capped cellular PVC decking is slip-resistant, impervious to stains and scratches, plus it stands up to the daily torture from pets, kids, and neighbors who drag heavy deck furniture from one end to the other.

Endeck is covered by a Limited Lifetime Warranty and comes in six colors—three monochromatic and three variegated—with fascia to match or contrast. You’ll need railing, of course—and Enrail® is the perfect complement to Endeck.

www.endeck.com See us at The Remodeling Show s October 10 -12 s Booth #2506

2012 NAWLA Traders Market

Exhibitor List

A&A Contract Customs Brokers 605 Blaine, Wa. Offers customs brokerage, freight forwarding, and warehousing.

Advanced Building Products 306 Springvale, Me. Designs and manufactures residential and commercial masonry flashings.

Ainsworth Group of Cos. 700 Vancouver, B.C. Commodity and specialty OSB products include Durastrand flooring, Thermastrand radiant barrier roof sheathing, Durastrand rimboard, and SteadiTred stair tread panels.

Anglo American Cedar Products 532 Mission, B.C. Supplier of WRC shakes and shingles.

Ante-Holz GmbH Hessen, Germany European softwood sawmills.

734

Anthony Forest Products Co. 619 Box 1877, El Dorado, Ar. 71731; (870) 862-3414; Fax 870-863-4296; www.anthonyforest.com. Booth contact: Chris Webb.

Operates a SP mill in Urbana, Ar.; wood chip mills in Plain Dealing, La., and Troup, Tx.; engineered wood laminating plants in El Dorado and Washington, Ga., and I-joist facility in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada.

Arrow Reload Systems 636 Kamloops, B.C. Arrow Transportation division with reloads throughout Canada and the U.S. Asia Building Materials Ltd. Hilton Head Island, S.C. Chinese millwork supplier.

202

Atlas Trading International 802 Beaverton, Or. Supplier of high quality lumber and panel products worldwide and exclusive sales agent for SYP producer Thomasville Lumber Co., Thomasville, Al.

12

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

(As of 9-10-2012)

Balfour Lumber Co. 104 Moultrie, Ga. Southern yellow pine lumber producer.

Benjamin Obdyke 704 400 Babylon Rd., Ste. A, Horsham, Pa. 19044; (800) 523-5261; Fax 215-672-3731; info@benjaminobdyke.com; www.benjaminobdyke.com.

Residential building products, including HydroGap drainable housewrap, Home Slicker rainscreens, Cedar Breather roof underlayment, and Roll Vent, Rapid Ridge, and Xtractor Vent ridge ventilation products.

Bennett Lumber Products 419 Princeton, Id. Facilities in Princeton, Id., and Clarkston, Wa., produce 4/4 & 8/4 lumber and oversee timberland in Idaho and Washington.

Biewer Lumber 528 St. Clair. Mi. Operator of sawmills, treating plants, and a composite plant.

822 Binderholz Deutschland GmbH Fugen, Austria European manufacturer of sawn timber, planed goods, glulam, solid wood panels, and MDF boards.

Bitterroot Valley Forest Products Missoula, Mt. Largest specialty mill in Montana.

BLG Cargo Logistics Bremen, Germany Specialized logistics solutions.

713 307

Blue Book Services 724 845 E. Geneva Rd., Carol Stream, Il. 60188; (630) 668-3500; Fax 630-668-0303; info@bluebookservices.com; www.bluebookservices.com. Contacts: Mark Erickson, Kathi Orlowski, Jim Carr.

Blue Book Services is the industry’s

source for credit and marketing information about companies that buy lumber, including wholesalers, secondary manufacturers, and retail lumberyards. Subscribers have unlimited access to Blue Book’s comprehensive online database to find new accounts.

Company pay indicators and in-depth business reports identify a company’s recent pay history. As demand for lumber increases, Blue Book Services is a dependable and affordable solution to reduce credit risk and find new accounts.

BNSF Railway 632 Ft. Worth, Tx. Railway across 28 states and two provinces.

Boise Cascade 403 Boise, Id. Manufacturer and distributor of lumber, panels and engineered wood.

BPD–Building Products Digest 221 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660; (949) 852-1990; Fax 949-852-0231; www.building-products. com. Contacts: Alan Oakes, Chuck Casey.

Premier monthly news magazine for lumber and building material dealers and distributors east of the Rockies.

118 BPWood Richmond, B.C. Focuses on lumber specialties such as fascia, trimboards, FG and FJEG products, and OEM wood components.

Calculated Structural Designs 411 Calgary, Alb. Software development company providing enterprise solutions for the engineered wood, architect, design and building industries.

Caliper 611 Princeton, N.J. Management consulting firm focused on selecting and developing top performers.

Building-Products.com

Visit us at Traders Market Booth 208

Calvert Co. 209 Vancouver, Wa. Producer of glulams, arches and trusses.

Cambium Group 205, 207 Caledon, Ont. Decorative outdoor wood products.

Canadian Forest Products Ltd. 806 Vancouver, B.C. North America’s largest SPF lumber producer and one of Canada’s largest structural panel producers.

C&D Lumber 706 1182 Pruner Rd., P.O. Box 27, Riddle, Or. 97469; (541) 874-2281; Fax 541-8742385; cdinfo@cdlumber.com; www. cdlumber.com.

After more than 100 years and now in its fourth generation of family ownership, C&D is the largest U.S. manufacturer of Port Orford cedar products. Its mill uses computerized, state-of-the-art technology to produce old-world craftsmanship and highest quality wood products, including Premium Exposed brand timbers and lum-

ber, Appearance Plus Port Orford and incense cedar decking, patterns, siding, and Douglas fir surfaced products.

Carrier Lumber 736 Prince George, B.C. Producer of over 200 million bd. ft. per year, specializing in SPF.

Cersosimo Lumber Co. 422 Brattleboro, Vt. New England’s largest producer of hardwoods and eastern white pine lumber.

Clearwood Manufacturing Maple Ridge, B.C. Douglas fir finished products.

406

CMI–CraftMaster Manufacturing Chicago, Il. Interior door manufacturer.

529

CM Maderera 412 Coronel, Chile Clear fingerjoint radiata pine boards from Chile.

CMPC 333 Santiago, Chile Produces solid wood products, sawn wood, remanufactured products, plywood, lumber, wood chips, and pulp from timberlands in Chile and Argentina.

C.M. Tucker Lumber Cos. Pageland, S.C. SYP sawmill and pressure treater.

621

Coastal Plywood Co. 407 Box 1128, Havana, Fl. 32333; (800) 359-6432; (850) 539-6432; Fax 850-5396799; Email dforbes@coastalplywood. com; www.coastalplywood.com.

Coastal Plywood Co. is committed to providing the best value in southern pine plywood products. Its manufacturing plants implement the latest quality control improvement programs, so products will excel in appearance and performance. Its sales staff is responsive to customer needs throughout the purchasing process, from inquiry through delivery. Coastal offers an extensive product line that includes Performance Rated Sheathing, AC, BC, BB

Show Floor

for 2012 NAWLA Traders Market at Hyatt Regency Chicago

14

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

Building-Products.com

DMSi 705 17002 Marcy St., Omaha, Ne. 68118; (402) 330-6620; dmsi@dmsi.com; www. dmsi.com.

DMSi’s flagship software, Agility, is built with inherent lumber industry functionality, including tallies, tags, reman, integrated viewers, dispatch, drop ships, mill sytem integration, freight/fuel accounting, accurate costing, and inventory control.

O&ES Plyform, Sturd-I-Floor underlayment, classic beaded interior siding, and SolarPly radiant barrier roof sheathing.

Collins Cos., The 402 Portland, Or. Family-owned since 1855, with FSC-certified forests in Pennsylvania, California and Oregon, producing hardwoods, softwoods, pine particleboard, engineered wood siding and trim.

Columbia Cedar 501 Kettle Falls, Wa. Western red cedar decking, siding, fencing, paneling.

16

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

Conifex Timber 527 Fort St. James, B.C. Timber harvesting, reforestation, forest management, sawmilling logs into lumber and wood chips, and lumber finishing.

Contechem Inc. 220 St. Johns, Or. Providers of Britewood sapstain-control products, Brite-Seal clear wax end-seal, and Sol-Brite iron stain control.

Diacon Technologies Ltd. 521 Richmond, B.C. Preservatives, sealants, anti-sapstains, and lumber waxes.

Duckback Products 533 Box 980, Chico, Ca. 95927; (800) 8255382; Fax 530-343-3283; jcooper@ superdeck.com; www.superdeck.com.

Booth contact: John Cooper.

Serving prefinishers throughout the U.S. and Canada since 2000, Duckback’s commercial sales division provides expert advice and individualized programs for prefinishers of all sizes. The Duckback product line includes premium quality acrylic-based coatings such as heavy duty primers and solid color professional finish, plus a variety of Superdeck oil-based wood stains.

Sales support includes personal visits to customer’s facility, lab assistance, marketing materials, and direct contact with Duckback’s manufacturing plant. Orders are normally shipped within 24 hours, with delivery from a choice of warehouses shipped to arrive at customer’s facility in about three business days.

Dunkley Lumber Ltd. Prince George, B.C. SPF producer.

600

Building-Products.com

Durgin & Crowell Lumber Co. New London, N.H. KD eastern white pine manufacturer.

218

Eagle Plywood Specialties Harrisburg, Oh. APA-certified panels and plywood.

430

EACOM Timber Corp.

Montreal, P.Q. Sawmills and reman facility.

839

Eco Chemical 233 6600 Ursula Pl. S., Seattle, Wa. 98108; (800) 677-7930; (206) 448-7930; mark@ ecochemical.com; www.ecochemical.com.

Largest producer of waterborne wood stains for the wood preserving industry.

Elk Creek Forest Products McMinnville, Or. Distributor of lumber and plywood.

836

Enduris Extrusion 723 7167 Old Kings Rd. No.; Jacksonville, Fl. 32219; (888) 329-7428; Fax 877-7783366; info@endecking.com; endeck.com.

Enduris has been manufacturing the highest quality code-approved cellular PVC decking, code-approved vinyl railing, lineals for vinyl fencing, vinyl gates, and all associated accessories since 1998.

Whether a classic deck, a modern fence, or hefty railing, Enduris offers a two-layer process that is guaranteed to provide the appearance and quality our customers require. To ensure perfection, the outer

layer optimizes aesthetics, while the internal layer is built for strength and durability.

Enduris decking and railing products exceed AC10 and AC 174 standards, and are CCRR-0144 approved.

Enduris has a serious commitment to customer service. Quality materials and workmanship, significant inventory position, and product innovation are assured. A limited lifetime warranty guarantees product performance.

Fiberon 710 New London, N.C. Producer of Fiberon composite decking, railing and fencing, combining the beauty of real wood with high durability.

Filler King Co. 425 Homedale, Id. Manufacturer of laminated random length roof decking, laminated long length roof decking, and Douglas fir and Alaskan yellow cedar laminated wood beams.

Florida East Coast Railway 728 St. Augustine, Fl. Operating a 351-mile regional freight railroad from Jacksonville to Miami.

Forest Products Distributors 709 Rapid City, S.D. Pine dimension, boards and timbers, with reman, priming and treating plants.

ForesTel/NAWLA TeleLink 304 Portland, Or. Voice, data, broadband, Internet services.

Forest2Market 204 14045 Ballantyne Corporate Pl., Ste. 150, Charlotte, N.C. 28277; (704) 5401440; Fax 704-540-6301; www.forest2market. com; http://blog.forest2market.com.

Mill2Market is the southern yellow pine industry’s only transaction-based market reporting service. Forest2Market knows that SYP markets are built transaction by transaction by the individuals who buy and sell lumber every day. As a result, it collects every transaction conducted by 100% of its subscribers, aggregates that data using volume-weighted average prices, and reports it back to subscribers. With the analysis derived from this data, Mill2Market subscribers make better-informed tactical and strategic business decisions. The Market2Mill product line includes: • Weekly market analytics (week-overweek price change, weekly volume change, market price variation, mid-week price trend, and mid-week volume trend) that inform the tactical marketing and pricing decisions subscribers need to make in the week ahead.

• Historical trend information (from 2009-present) that allows subscribers to track prices over time and identify seasonal trends.

• A quarterly benchmark tool that provides the data customers need to improve their performance against the market and make longer term strategic decisions.

Forest2Market introduced its Mill2Market southern yellow pine lumber market report in 2009. The first issue was one page long and contained 76 market

18

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

Building-Products.com

metrics. Today, less than three years later, the report includes 17 pages of data and 1,566 market metrics. Specifically, the reports now include: • Dimension lumber—MSR-2400, #1, #2 Prime, #2, #3 and #4 • Timbers—#1 and #2 • Decking—premium and standard Forest2Market is the leader in the forest and wood products industries for data-based solutions and raw material benchmarks. An independent provider of market information, Forest2Market has a long track record of delivering value to its customers. Its mill customers believed so strongly in its approach to data collection and market analysis that they asked it to develop Mill2Market and bring the same level of transparency to the lumber market.

Fraser Specialty Products 711 Edmundston, N.B. Manufactures factory-finished wood products, including Fraser Wood Siding and Nextrim.

Fraserview Cedar Products Surrey, B.C. Prefabricated fence and lattice panels.

300

Gilbert Smith Forest Products 622 Barriere, B.C. Manufacturer of western red cedar lumber.

Gorman Bros. Lumber Ltd. 105 Westbank, B.C. Whitewood and appearance spruce and lodgepole pine boards.

20

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

825 Great Southern Wood Preserving Abbeville, Al. Fifteen full-service treating plants specializing in YellaWood brand southern yellow pine.

GRK Fasteners 610 Thunder Bay, Ont. Designer and manufacturer of proprietary nails, screws and other construction fasteners.

Haida Forest Products Ltd. 421 8818 Greenall Ave., Burnaby, B.C. V5J 3M7; (866) 553-9663; (604) 437-3434; Fax 604-437-7222; info@haidaforest.com; www.haidaforest.com.

Established in 1951, Haida Forest Products Ltd. is a specialist in western red cedar, with over 60 years experience manufacturing and distributing premium cedar sidings, paneling and lumber products for North American, European and Asian markets.

Haida specializes in wavy edge bevel siding, straight edge bevel siding, tongue & groove paneling, channel siding, log cabin siding, clear S4S and S1S2E finish, as well as decking, posts and timbers in Architectural Knotty and Clear grades. All of its premium grade products are sold under our Haida brand, including Haida Skirl wavy edge siding.

Hampton Lumber Sales 809 9600 SW Barnes Rd., Ste. 200, Portland, Or. 97225; (503) 203-6512; www. hamptonaffiliates.com. Booth contact: Mike

Phillips.

Products offered to North American and global customers include 2”-8” and larger commodity lumber sizes in Douglas fir (green and KD), Hem-fir, and SPF in grades ranging from Econ through MSR. Available lengths are 6’-40’ with long length dimension up to 28’. Furring strips, premium grade lumber, metric sizes, attached battens, plywood/OSB panels, imported board items and other specialty wood products complement the overall product mix.

519 Hancock Lumber Co. Casco, Me. Largest producer of eastern white pine in the U.S. and one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of pattern stock.

Hardel Mutual Plywood Corp.

315 Chehalis, Wa. Full line of sanded panels, 303 plywood sidings, marine grade, and sheathing panels.

Hoover Treated Wood Products 322 Thomson, Ga. Provider of Pyro-Guard interior fire retardant treated wood, Exterior Fire-X exterior fire retardant treated wood, and wood preserved with CCA, Dura-Guard, Cop-8, Cop-Guard, Copper-Azole, and Micro-Guard. Services include TSO and KDAT. Hy Mark Wood Mfg. 819 Blaine, Wa. Western red cedar boards, siding and specialties.

Building-Products.com

729 Idaho Forest Group 4447 E. Chilco Rd., Athol, Id. 83801; (877) 434-6455; (208) 762-6630; Fax 208762-6631; www.idahoforestgroup.com.

Idaho Forest Group (IFG) is the largest producer of lumber from the Inland Northwest. Currently, IFG operates four sawmills in northern Idaho with production capacity of 1 billion bd. ft.—and growing.

Species include white fir, hem-fir, Doug fir, larch, SPF, ponderosa pine, white pine, Englemann spruce, lodgepole pine, and western red cedar. Offers a wide range of products and grades in sizes ranging from 1x4 thru 1x12 boards to 2x3 thru 2x12 8’20’ dimension and 2x3-2x6 8’-9’ studs. IFG also offers custom services, such as private labeling, end branding, half packs, bar coding, specified tallies, custom sizes, and custom grades.

IFG’s Idaho Forest Gold line of specialty products (including inland western red cedar) products are kiln dried inland fiber, ensuring unsurpassed stability, consistency and reliability. As an added feature, IFG products are available FSC certified.

Idaho Timber Corp.

418 Fort Worth, Tx. Manufacturing plants producing 70 million bd. ft. of lumber products per month, including ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, white fir, spruce, southern yellow pine and cedar.

Imperial Shake Co. 638 Maple Ridge, B.C. Western red cedar shake and shingle sawmill.

22

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

Integrity Composites 144 Biddeford, Me. Producer of DuraLife composite decking and railing.

InterFor 518 Vancouver, B.C. Sawmills and timberlands throughout Canada, Oregon and Washington, with a manufacturing capacity of 1.65 million bd. ft. of lumber annually.

InterWrap 310 Mission, B.C. Supplier of coated woven wood packaging and lumber wrap.

INTL FCStone 624 Chicago, Il. Advisory services in commodities, capital markets, currencies, and asset management.

Irving Forest Products Dixfield, Me. Eastern white pine sawmill.

823

ISIS Wood Product Solutions 804 Langley, B.C. Inventory, sales and production software for mills, remans and wholesalers.

Jensen Inc., Norman G. 404 Blaine, Wa. Consulting services for import and export.

Kalesnikoff Lumber Co. 520 Thrums, B.C. Specialty sawmill producing high quality certified wood products.

Klausner Group 431 Myrtle Beach, S.C. The group’s five plants make it the second largest sawmill company in Europe.

Kleer Lumber Westfield, Ma. Cellular PVC trimboard.

117

Kop-Coat 733 Pittsburgh, Pa. Preservatives to protect logs, lumber, millwork, composite panels, and EWP from termites, decay, moisture, mold and sapstain.

KP Software Systems 820 W. Vancouver, B.C. Software solutions for wood production, sales, distribution and shipping.

Lazy S Lumber/Columbia Cedar 500 Beavercreek, Or. Western red cedar siding, paneling and decking.

Leslie Forest Products Ltd. 815 Delta, B.C. WRC, hemlock, DF, SPF manufacturer.

Lignum Forest Products 626 Vancouver, B.C. Marketer and distributor of MSR and other lumber products for the residential and industrial structural building components industry.

Limington Lumber 722 East Baldwin, Me. Bandsawn eastern white pine boards and pattern stock.

Building-Products.com

Lonza Wood Protection (formerly Arch Wood Protection) 413 5660 New Northside Dr., Ste. 1100, Atlanta, Ga. 30328; (678) 627-2000; Fax 678-627-2095; www.wolmanizedwood. com. Booth contact: Kris Owen.

Nearing the first year anniversary of its acquisition, Lonza Wood Protection (formerly Arch Wood Protection, Inc.) manufactures preservatives and other wood protection chemicals that enhance the features of forest products. The company produces a broad range of pressure treatments, and licenses the production of long-established brands such as Wolmanized Outdoor wood and Dricon fire retardant treated wood. It introduced carbon-based preservatives in its Wolmanized EraWood lumber. A focus of the Lonza booth will be the company’s line of AntiBlu surface treatments, applied by spray or dipping to protect logs, lumber and posts against mold, sapstain, fungi and moisture.

LP Building Products 415 Nashville, Tn. World’s largest producer of OSB, plus other building products.

LWO Corp.

318 3841 N Columbia Blvd, Portland, Or. 97217; (800) 459-8718; (503) 286-5372; dhungerford@lwocorp.com; lwocorp.com.

Booth contact: Darrell Hungerford.

Woodway Lattice is the industry standard for quality. Woodway’s exacting, rugged standards are the only commercial lattice standards based on the Western Wood Products Association Lath Grading Rules. Woodway is proud to be the best selling premium grade lattice in the U.S. In addition to lattice, Woodway offers innovative outdoor building solutions, including Moderna panel screen, authentic post caps, unique EZ Rail pre-built deck rail, architectural railing, post cladding, wainscoting, solid-wood paneling, and professional grade fence panels and gates.

Products feature American craftsmanship in the finest durable woods—western red cedar, Douglas fir, redwood, and mahogany.

433 MadWood Lumber Birmingham, Al. Importer of pine and hardwood lumber and cut-stock from Europe, Russia, South America, and North America.

Maibec Industries 805 Ste.-Foy, P.Q. SPF dimension, MSR and white cedar shingles, and treated lattice.

Manke Lumber Co. 409 1717 Marine View Dr., Tacoma, Wa. 98422; (800) 426-8488; (253) 572-6252; Fax 253-383-2489; www.mankelumber. com.

Manke Lumber is family-owned and has been serving the needs of the lumber industry since 1953. The company takes pride in milling and stocking quality lumber in a full range of commodity sizes and larger dimension timbers, as well as a wide variety of

Building-Products.com

www.Roseburg.com

Engineered Wood Products

Quality Engineered Wood Products for today’s builder® Lyle Lee has been building custom homes for over 20 years. Here is what he has to say about Roseburg’s Engineered Wood Products.

“When building a quality home, it’s important for all the framing materials to match. In other words come together as specified in the design plans. If the framing is off by even a ¼ of an inch, it can cost me thousands of dollars in time and materials.

I find Roseburg’s RFPI®-Joist and RigidLam® LVL to be very consistent in width and depth. When I use Roseburg’s RFPI®-Joist, my floors are more level, stiffer and truer, making my job much easier.

This home is 6,000 square feet so I used I Joist and LVL from several different units and the manufacturing consistency was exactly the same. If you want to maximize your profit, I would recommend using Roseburg’s Engineered Wood Products”.

Lyle Lee L. Lee Building Company

TF 800-245-1115 Engineered Wood Products | Real Wood Siding | Softwood Plywood | Lumber RFPI®, RigidLam®, RigidRim® and Quality Engineered Wood Products for today’s builder® are registered trademarks of Roseburg Forest Products, Roseburg, Oregon

October 2012

•

Traders’ Preview

•

23

treated lumber products. It manufactures primarily Douglas fir and western hemlock.

Located in the Port of Tacoma, Manke has ready access to deep water shipping, rail heads, and trucking terminals for longer haul loads. Manke operates its own fleet of trucks, offering straight or mixed loads by truck, rail or sea.

Manning Diversified Forest Products 818 Hotchkiss, Alb. SPF sawmill, planer mill, and remanufacturing facility.

Mary’s River Lumber Co. 414 4515 NE Elliot Circle, Corvallis, Or. 97330; (800) 523-2052; www.marysriverlumber.com. Booth contacts: Don Dye, Raymond Luther, Larry Petree.

Mary’s River Lumber Company has grown to be the nation’s leader in the manufacture of western red cedar random length specialty lumber products.

Since its inception in 1974, Mary’s River has emphasized consistent high quality products and service to customers throughout the world. With sawmills, kilns and finishing plants in both Oregon and Washington, Mary’s River is your reliable source of second growth, tight-knotted WRC—from fencing to bevel siding, fascia boards to tongue-and-groove paneling.

Mary’s River Lumber Co.’s goal is to become your business partner by offering quality products, information, and reliable service.

24

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

Mason Forest Products 424 Hattiesburg, Ms. Southern yellow pine dimension, flooring, veneer, and plywood.

Matra 725 St. Martin P.Q. Manufacturer of fingerjointed eastern white pine trim and siding for interior and exterior applications.

Maze Nails 623 100 Church St., Peru, Il. 61354; (800) 435-5949; Fax 815-223-7585. www.mazenails.com.

Manufacturer of 100% Made in the U.S.A. specialty nails, Stormguard double hot-dipped galvanized nails, and a complete line of stainless steel nails.

McFarland Cascade 405 Tacoma, Wa. Producer of pressure treated wood, composite decking, solar LED post caps, and Terratec post caps.

McShan Lumber Co. 718 McShan, Al. Producer of quality SYP products since 1907, including high grade, stepping, patterns and export.

Merchant Magazine, The 221 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660; (949) 852-1990; Fax 949-852-0231; www.building-products.

com. Booth contacts: Alan Oakes, Chuck Casey.

Since 1922, the West’s leading monthly news magazine for lumber and building material dealers and distributors.

Metsa Wood (formerly Finnforest USA) 537 Roseville, Mi. Distributes Master Plank LVL throughout North America.

Mid Valley Lumber Specialties 703 Aldergrove, B.C. Remanufacturer of western red cedar fascia, decking, timbers, fencing, rails, posts and lattice.

Murphy Co. 838 412 W. Central, Sutherlin, Or. 97479; (541) 459-4545; Fax 541-459-4546; www.murphyplywood.com.

For over 100 years, Murphy Co. has manufactured wood products for discerning customers that demand quality from softwood and hardwood plywood, western species veneer, and private label Douglas fir laminated veneer lumber. All Murphy plants are located in Oregon and Washington, serving customers throughout North America and various export locations worldwide.

National Nail Corp.

Grand Rapids, Mi. Nail manufacturer and distributor.

427

Building-Products.com

Neiman Enterprises 604 Hulett, Wy. Third-generation family business consisting of three sawmills—Devils Tower Forest Products, Hulett, Wy.; Rushmore Forest Products, Hill City, S.D., and Spearfish Forest Products, Spearfish, S.D. Nordic Engineered Wood 423 Windsor Stn., Ste. 504, 1100 Ave. des Canadiens-de-Montréal, Montreal, P.Q. H3B 2S2; (514) 871-8526; Fax 514-8719789; info@nordicewp.com; nordicewp. com.

Nordic manufactures building products for home and commercial applications. The company manages over 2 million acres of timberlands and maintains capacities of 140 million linear ft. of I-joist and 50 million board ft. of glulam production. Nordic is also certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

High density black spruce forms the base for Nordic products. Known for its high strength to weight ratio and consistent

Building-Products.com

fiber quality, Nordic’s black spruce is ideal for engineered wood products. Nordic’s beams, headers, columns and tall wall studs feature an exclusive EnviroLam technology: a unique process that minimizes waste and optimizes fiber use.

Nordic X-LAM cross-laminated timber panels are the company’s latest energy-efficient, innovative solution to heavier and costlier precast concrete and conventional steel and concrete construction techniques.

Nordic lam decking offers additional benefits to commercial construction. Wood decking allows for greater beam spacing, making it ideal for multi-story structures.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association 201 Rolling Meadows, Il. International association of over 650 leading forest products and building material industry wholesalers, manufacturers and affiliated companies throughout the U.S. and Canada.

NAWLA members serve as the unifying force for efficient LBM distribution.

Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association 112 272 Tuttle Rd., Cumberland Center, Me. 04021; (207) 829-6901; Fax 207-829-4293; info@nelma.org; www.nelma.org.

Rules writing agency for eastern white pine lumber; grading authority for eastern spruce, balsam fir, SPF, and other commercial eastern softwoods, and marketing voice for Northeast’s wood products industry.

NorSask Forest Products 726 Meadow Lake, Sk. Saskatchewan's largest sawmill and the largest First Nations-owned forest products company in Canada.

North Enderby Timber 631 Enderby, B.C. Western red cedar decking, siding, fencing and fascia boards since 1984.

Oregon Industrial Lumber Products 803 Springfield, Or. Remanufacturer of Douglas fir products.

October 2012

•

Traders’ Preview

•

25

Private label LVL and wood I-beams made from Douglas fir.

539 Partners Dimensional Services LLC Elwood, Il. Logistics services for Chicagoland areas.

Osmose 522 Buffalo, N.Y. Supplier of wood preserving chemicals, such as MicroPro, NatureWood, Advance Guard, Hi-Bor, and FirePro. Pacific Coast Cedar Products Maple Ridge, B.C. Specializing in cedar shingles.

730

Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau 336 Federal Way, Wa. Private, nonprofit lumber quality-control

26

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

inspection agency.

Pacific Western Wood Works 629 Delta, B.C. Value-added western red cedar outdoor products.

Pacific Wood Laminates 811 Brookings, Or. Veneer, plywood, specialties, and LVL. Pacific Woodtech Corp.

Boise, Id.

301

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co. 325 1 Commerce Sq., 2005 Market St., Ste. 1200, Philadelphia, Pa. 19103; (800) 7521895; Fax 215-625-9097; plmins.com.

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance specializes in property and casualty insurance for the lumber, woodworking and building material industries.

Established in 1895, it has over a century of industry knowledge and expertise. Today, PLM provides protection for some 6,000 businesses in over 47 states. Its primary lines include Property, General Liability, Inland Marine, Business Automobile, Commercial Excess Liability, and Equipment Breakdown coverages. PLM offers competitive rates, loss control programs, and prompt claims response and handling. It is financially strong and carries an A.M. Best rating of A (excellent).

Designated NAWLA’s Approved & Recommended Property/Casualty Underwriter for members, PLM has provided a safety group dividend plan since 2000.

Plum Creek 628 Columbia Falls, Mt. Timberlands and Northwest mills, producing boards, solid and F/J studs, SYP dimension, plywood and MDF.

Building-Products.com

Plycem USA 323 10945 State Bridge Rd., Ste. 401-304, Alpharetta, Ga. 30022; (678) 517-4851; Fax 866-792-0079; www.plycemtrim.com.

Contact: Tom Taylor, Jessica Navascues.

Plycem fiber cement exterior trim delivers versatility with a reversible trim that complements any siding and architecture.

Plycem is an excellent trim for use in residential, commercial, and multifamily projects. The manufacturing process includes using both post industrial and post consumer recycled materials. It is primed on all six sides, has a Class 1 (A) flame spread rating, and is impervious to wood boring insects and does not rot.

Plycem has added a new shipping location in Oakland, Ca., in addition to its Houston, Tx., and Savannah, Ga., locations.

Porcupine Wood Products Ltd. 708 Salmo, B.C. Clears, decking, dimension, fascia, fencing.

Potlatch Corp.

715 Lewiston, Id. Producer of dimension lumber, industrial plywood, particleboard, OSB, studs.

Power Wood Corp.

219 Surrey, B.C. Manufacturer of western red cedar clears, patterns, dimension, timbers and poles.

PPG Machine Applied Coatings 719 1 PPG Pl., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15272; (877) 622-4277; www.ppg.com.

Originator and leader in machine coating technology provides value-added wood and composite performance solutions. This includes research and development, production support, and factory finish marketing programs with a nationally known product.

Probyn Group 428 TMI, 3507 Northpark Dr., Centralia, Wa. 98531; (800) 599-5596; Fax 360-7367566; www.tubafor.com. AJ Forest Products, Box 3831, Garibaldi Highlands, B.C. V0N 1T0; (604) 898-3712; Fax 604-8989312; www.ajforest.com. Probyn Export, 350-601 6th St., New Westminster, B.C. V3L 3C1; (604) 526-8546; Fax 604-5268565; www.probynexport.com. Booth contacts: Jeff Cook, Dave Cochenour, Todd Shipp, Jason Mann, Chris Boyd.

Probyn Group’s manufacturing operations are based in Washington state and British Columbia and produce more than 225 million bd. ft. of western red cedar per year. Company divisions include Probyn Log, TMI Forest Products, AJ Forest Products, Probyn Export, Raintree Specialties, West Coast Moulding, and several other joint venture partnerships.

TMI is the largest volume coastal western red cedar facility in the world, and the only fence producer that exclusively markets the product in the U.S.A. AJ Forest Products is a specialty western red cedar timber mill, known for procuring and merchandising the finest logs to manufacture timbers for America’s premium luxury homes.

Probyn Export is a leading exporter of

Building-Products.com

October 2012

•

Traders’ Preview

•

27

lumber and wood-related building products to buyers in most major markets around the world.

Progressive Rail Inc./ Carload Connection 739 Lakeville, Mn. Transportation, warehouse and logistics.

Quebec Wood Export Bureau 227 Quebec City, P.Q. Nonprofit organization showcasing wood products from 200+ manufacturers in Quebec.

Redwood Empire 208 10 Madrone Ave., Morgan Hill, Ca. 95037; (800) 800-5609; Fax 408-778-1076; www.redwoodemp.com.

Redwood Empire is one of the nation’s largest producers of redwood products. The company ships redwood decking, fencing, lattice panels, siding, posts and timbers throughout North America by rail and LTL. Redwood Empire operates sawmills and remanufacturing facilities in Northern California, with drying kilns and abundant covered storage on site.

Redwood Empire also manufactures pre-fabricated Sequoia fence panels, lattice toppers, and super-strong gorilla lattice panels for quick and easy privacy anywhere.

The company’s location in the heart of California’s “redwood empire” region gives it easy access to high-quality logs from sustainably managed forests.

Redwood Empire also distributes

28

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

Brazilian hardwood decking through its Morgan Hill, Ca., distribution center. The company features one on the nation’s largest inventories of Lacey Act-compliant ipé, tigerwood and cumaru hardwood decking.

Redwood Empire is a division of Pacific States Industries, a family of companies that includes Pacific States Plywood and Pacific States Treating.

Re-Transportation Co. Lake Hopatcong, N.J. Transportation and logistics.

232

Rex Lumber 526 Graceville, Fl. Southern yellow pine lumber manufacturer for over eight decades.

Rhino Deck by Master Mark Plastics 525 Albany, Mn. Rhino Deck composite decking and a composite white rail system with a vinyl overlay.

Rielly Industrial Lumber W. Vancouver, B.C. WRC decking and specialties.

Robbins Lumber, Inc. Searsmont, Me. Eastern white pine manufacturer.

214 320

Roland Boulanger & CIE Ltee.

634 Warwick, P.Q. Manufacturer and distributor of mouldings and components.

Rosboro 612 Box 20, 2509 Main St., Springfield, Or. 97477; (888) 393-2304; (541) 746-8411; Fax 541-726-0972; www.rosboro.com.

Formed in 1939 and operating its own sawmills and planers in the Pacific Northwest, Rosboro is today one of the country’s most respected forest products companies and trusted suppliers of studs, plywood and glulam.

Its latest new product is X-Beam, the first full framing-width, architecturalappearance glulam, now available in conventional and I-joist compatible depths, including 2x10 and 2x12, the preferred choice for headers and floor systems.

Manufactured in the U.S. with value engineering in mind, X-Beam saves time by matching standard framing widths and is 20% to 30% less expensive than other engineered wood products, making it the cost effective EWP that doesn’t compromise on performance. For greater convenience, XBeam can be combined in mixed loads of Rosboro veneer, lumber and glulam, with swift on-the-ground delivery in 25 states.

Roseburg Forest Products 613, 615 Box 1088, Roseburg, Or. 97470; (541) 679-3311; (800) 245-1115; Fax 541-6792543; www.roseburg.com. Booth contacts: Allyn Ford, Steve Killgore, Mickey Brown, Bob Berch, Mike McCollum, Gary Pittman, Mark McLean, John Assman.

For 75 years, Roseburg Forest Products, based in Dillard, Or., has been a family-

Building-Products.com

owned manufacturer of engineered wood products, lumber, plywood, particleboard and specialty panels. The company owns and manages over 600,000 acres of timberlands in the western U.S. and operates manufacturing facilities in the West and South.

As a NAWLA Single Source Producer, Roseburg offers mixed product shipment opportunities, integrated manufacturing facilities, flexible sales and marketing options, dependable supply of quality products, third-party certified forest management, efficient production, products that meet or exceed industry standards, skilled and knowledgeable manufacturing and customer service, broad product mix from one source, and broad mix of GreenBuild, FSCcertified, and NAUF products.

Operations include a sawmill, softwood and hardwood plywood, particleboard and decorative surface plants in Dillard, Or.; plywood plants in Coquille and Riddle, Or.; particleboard plants in Missoula, Mt.; Louisville and Taylorsville, Ms., and Simsboro La.; EWP plant in Riddle, Or., and four decorative thermally-fused melamine facilities in Dillard, Simsboro, Missoula, and Oxford, Ms.

SaverSystems 331 Richmond, In. Water repellents for wood, masonry and concrete.

Sawarne Lumber Co. Ltd. 601 Richmond, B.C. WRC siding, paneling, boards, dimension, decking, fencing.

Scotch-Gulf Lumber 206 Mobile, Al. Saws, treats, and remanufactures wood products.

Selkirk Specialty Wood 133 Revelstoke, B.C. Specializes in manufacture of a wide range of kiln dried and green western red cedar products in Clear and Knotty grades, including 7/8” boards, KD decking, patterns and fingerjoint.

Seneca Sawmill Co. 618 Eugene, Or. Over 350 million ft. of dimension, lumber and studs a year.

Serpentine Cedar Ltd. 721 Fort Langley, B.C. Manufacturing and distributing cedar shakes for more than 30 years.

Shasta Green Inc. 420 35586-A Hwy. 299E, Burney, Ca. 96013; (530) 335-4924; Fax 530-335-4949; www.shastagreen.com.

Located in the heart of Northern California’s commercial timber country, Shasta Green’s goal is to become the finest small log sawmill in the region. Its primary product line includes ponderosa pine, white

RoyOMartin 303 Box 1110, Alexandria, La. 71309; (800) 299-5174; royomartin.com. Booth contacts: Bobby Byrd, Lori Byrd, Joe Mackay Manufacturer of superior wood products, such as southern pine OSB and plywood, lumber and timbers, and treated utility poles and piling. RoyOMartin is the brand name of Martin Companies LLC, a group of family-owned, professionally managed forestry and wood product-manufacturing companies based in Alexandria, La. Founded in 1923, RoyOMartin operates three manufacturing facilities in Louisiana (OSB, plywood, poles and piling), one in Alabama (lumber and timber), and a pole yard in Arkansas. In addition to manufacturing a wide variety of wood products, RoyOMartin also manages over 580,000 acres of FSC-certified timberland in Louisiana, making it one of the largest private landowners in the South.

RoyOMartin offers a variety of highquality wood products—all of which are FSC certified—including: Eclipse Radiant Barrier OSB panels for use on both roof and sidewall applications; TuffStrandXL OSB panels in 9' and 10'; WindBrace extendedlength OSB sidewall panels for use in hurricane-prone areas; SmartPour MDO and GreenCore Plyform for concrete forming; a full line of premium SmartCore southern pine plywood, including AA, AB, AC, BC, siding, and other industrial grades; lumber and timbers; poles and piling, and landscape timbers.

608 Ryan Forest Products Winnipeg, Mb. Manufacturer of premium quality wood lattice panels since 1988.

Samuel Strapping Systems 720 Toronto, Ont. Innovative packaging and unitizing solutions.

Building-Products.com

October 2012

•

Traders’ Preview

•

29

fir, and Douglas fir 2x4 through 2x12 dimension lumber. Secondary products include ponderosa pine 6/4 Commons and Industrials, and air dried incense cedar 2x4 through 2x12 Rough. Specialty cedar lumber is also available.

Sierra Pacific Industries 633 Redding, Ca. Sawmills, millwork plants, reman, window/door plant, timberlands.

Simpson Lumber Co. 432 Tacoma, Wa. Producer of Douglas fir, hemlock and SYP dimension.

Sinclar Enterprises Ltd. 408 Prince George, B.C. Remanufacturer and sales agents for B.C. stud mills.

Skana Forest Products Ltd. 614 Richmond, B.C. Manufacturer of high-quality dimension lumber.

Snavely International Forest Products 530 Pittsburgh, Pa. Manufacturer and importer of softwood lumber and specialties.

Snider Industries 332 Box 668, Marshall, Tx. 75671; (903) 938-9727; www.sniderindustries.com.

Snider Industries manufactures approximately 50 million ft. of southern yellow pine 1-inch lumber annually. The product is available in varying patterns, all #2 and D & Better.

Sodra Timber AB Skogsudden, Sweden Eight European sawmills.

735

Softwood Forest Products Buyer Memphis, Tn.

701

Softwood Export Council 106 Tigard, Or. Nonprofit council of U.S. softwood grading agencies, industry trade associations, state export development agencies, and others.

732 Southern Cross Forest Products Mosgiel, N.Z. Second-largest processor and remanufacturer of clearwood pine products in New Zealand.

Spruceland Millworks 625 Surrey, B.C. SPF fingerjointed studs, dimension, components and fencing.

Starborn Industries 727 Avenel, N.J. HeadCote stainless steel screws with colorcoated heads and Smart-Bit pre-drilling and countersinking tool.

Stimson Lumber Co. 714 Portland, Or. DF and hem-fir studs, lumber, studs, plywood, hardboard, Duratemp hardboard siding, and StimPro inland red cedar products.

30

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

Sunbelt 531 2255 Justin Trail, Alpharetta, Ga. 30004; (770) 569-2244; (800) 353-0892; Fax 770-569-9944; clint@sunbeltracks. com; www.sunbeltracks.com. Contact: Clint Darnell.

Sunbelt is a design-build general contractor and material handling distributor with over 25 years of experience working with LBM dealers, distributors, manufacturers and wholesalers. Sunbelt’s knowledge and experience ensures its rack storage systems and ground-up metal building solutions provide operational efficiency and real cost savings to LBM businesses.

Sunset Moulding Co. 309 Yuba City, Ca. Produces moulding and millwork in wood and Suntrim MDF.

Synergy Wood Products 738 Sanford, Fl. Prefinished cypress products for ceiling and wall applications.

Taupo Wood Solutions 313 Grand Rapids, Mi. Importer of radiata pine mouldings from New Zealand.

Teal-Jones Group, The 602 Surrey, B.C. Western red cedar shingles, lumber, paneling and siding.

Terminal Forest Products Ltd. 213 Vancouver, B.C. Northwest timberlands and lumber mills, specializing in premium western red cedar products since 1962.

Teton West Lumber 319 Cheyenne, Wy. Five sawmills, remanufacturing facility, and reloads.

Tiger Deck LLC 810 Wilson, Or. KD hardwood decking, porch flooring, siding, paneling, interior flooring, and hidden deck fastening system.

Timber Holdings USA 813 Wauwatosa, Mi. Distributor of Iron Woods exotic hardwood decking.

TimberTech 305 Wilmington, Oh. Composite decking, railing and fencing.

Tolko Marketing & Sales Ltd. 712 Vernon, B.C. Studs, MSR, dimension, veneer, plywood and OSB. TradeTec Computer Systems Ltd. 212 Parksville, B.C. Developer of the intuitive Log Inventory System and Lumber Inventory System and provider of a complete solution from standing timber to distribution of value-added products and everywhere in the middle.

Trinity River Lumber Co. 524 Weaverville, Ca. Sawmill providing finished Douglas fir and

Building-Products.com

hem-fir products.

Tri-Pro Cedar Products 807 Oldtown, Id. Manufacturer of green and KD cedar products, including decking, siding, patterns and trim.

Tri-State Lumber Co. 410 Fulton, Ms. Southern yellow pine poles, timbers and treated stock.

Ty-Lan Enterprises, Inc. 330 London, Ont. Developer of the Shadoetrack under-deck fastening system.

Union Pacific Railroad 814 Omaha, Ne. Largest railroad in North America, operating in the western two-thirds of the U.S.

Vaagen Bros. Lumber 324 Colville, Wa. Commons, selects, light framing, MSR dimensions, radius edge decking, structural joists and planks, studs, cedar products.

Versatex Trimboard 702 400 Steel St., Aliquippa, Pa. 15001; (724) 857-1111; Fax 724-857-1171; www.versatex.com.

Versatex Trimboard makes trim smarter. Its products are created from cellular PVC in the industry’s most state-of-theart manufacturing facility. Whether for trim, fascia, soffit or a decorative exterior moulding piece, the manufacturing process provides a product that features the real look and craftsmanship of premium lumber without the moisture problems of wood.

Products include trimboards, sheet, cornerboards, vented soffit system, one-piece column wrap, T&G beaded profiles, and mouldings.

Versatex also has an innovative Stealth Trim System, which features cornerboards and window surrounds that will allow for faster and more aesthetically pleasing installation time. The 3/4" pockets will accommodate nearly any siding product, including fiber cement, cedar and vinyl.

Versatex also carries a skirtboard that is the answer to meeting code requiring 6" ground or deck clearance for fiber cement siding as well as composite and wood siding.

429 Waldun Group Maple Ridge, B.C. Western red cedar roofing, siding, lumber, deck and garden components.

Watkins Sawmills Ltd. 321 Maple Ridge, B.C. Producer of western red cedar shakes and shingles.

Weaber Lumber 620 Lebanon, Pa. Oak and poplar S4S boards, moulding, stair parts, and flooring.

Welco Lumber Corp.

821 Vancouver, B.C. Provider of a wide variety of wood commodities and specialty items.

Building-Products.com

West Bay Forest Products & Mfg. New Westminster, B.C. Sawmills, reman and specialty plants.

302

Western Forest Products Inc. 400 Duncan, B.C. Coastal B.C.’s largest woodland operator and lumber producer.

West Fraser Mills Ltd. 326 Quesnel, B.C. Integrated wood products company producing lumber, wood chips, LVL, MDF, plywood and pulp.

Western Wood Products Association 801 Portland, Or. Represents softwood lumber manufacturers in 12 western states including Alaska.

Westervelt Lumber 812 P.O. Box 4899, Tuscaloosa, Al. 35404; (205) 562-5896; Fax 205-562-5814; www.westerveltlumber.com.

Westervelt is a southern yellow pine sawmill located in Moundville, Al., producing 1" boards, dimension lumber, 5/4x6 RED, and timbers. Annual production capacity is 215 million bd. ft. Also runs 1" and 2" patterns.

Westshore Specialties 401 Delta, B.C. Western red cedar and Alaskan yellow cedar remanufactured products.

Weyerhaeuser Co. 837 Federal Way, Wa. One of world’s largest forest products companies.

WoodPro Software Inc. 523 Richmond, B.C. Fully integrated inventory and financial management software system.

Woodtone Building Products 312 Chilliwack, B.C. Producer of coated exterior wood products, including RealWood exterior products, certified Class A FireGuard trim and fascia, RusticSeries, GreenShield anti-mold coating, ColorGuard factory coating, and AbsoluteCedar western red cedar.

426 Yakama Forest Products 3191 Wesley Rd., White Swan, Wa. 98952; (509) 874-1163; Fax 509-874-1162; www.yakama-forest.com.

Yakama Forest Products is known as one of the industry’s highest quality producers of ponderosa pine shop & moulding, 4/4 pine boards, and radius edge decking.

YFP harvests timber off the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountain range, and produces 10 million bd. ft. per month.

YFP is constantly working to develop a larger, quality conscious customer base and always uses sustainable forestry practices.

Zip-O-Log Mills 311 Eugene, Or. Producer of Douglas fir posts, beams, timbers, joists, stringers, ties, and domestic clears.

October 2012

•

Traders’ Preview

•

31

The key to attracting qualified employees to the wholesale industry MONG WHOLESALE distribution industry executives, there is one universal issue that is almost always discussed—“How do we attract top-quality people to handle

A

32

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

By Mark W. Kramer, Laird Plastics

the challenges our industry and our companies will face?”

Survey after survey indicates that attracting top-quality sales and management-potential employees remains

a key concern for distribution executives. If attracting sufficient numbers of qualified people remains such a challenge, it begs the question: “What can we, individually and collectively, do about it?”

As an industry, we have tended to attract employees from within our own lines of trade. Certainly, recruiting occurs outside of our sectors within the wholesale distribution industry and also outside of wholesale distribution altogether. Many executives discuss frustration with such tactics failing to produce long-term sales and management-level success.

Another important, long-term source for qualified employees is to hire those with only “first job” or university-level experience. It is with this source of bright and talented young people—who can be trained in the culture, values, and expectations of a company—that I would argue our industry has achieved less than it could—or should.

One of the primary reasons for this overall lack of success is the fact that the target audience is largely unaware of the wholesale distribution industry and what it offers in terms of career path opportunity. There are exceptions, of course, and this is not written as an indictment so much as a personal realization from my own recent recruiting attempts at the university level.

There are two fundamental components to attracting quality university graduates to sales and/or management-development positions. The first is that the target candidates must understand who we are and how our industry’s value proposition fits within their career plans. This focuses on three questions: What is our industry’s image? How widely is it known?

How well is it understood?

Second, our industry must be prepared to train and develop these young people and bring them along from an academic environment into Building-Products.com

the full breach of capitalism. This focuses on finding the right university graduates we seek for the positions in question.

Many large distributors do recruit directly from college campuses, and they are well-known companies within the academic community of those schools. Less appreciated, in my view, is the wholesale distribution industry among many college programs that are preparing well-trained graduates for the exact positions we claim to be seeking.

With regard to sales positions, more than 50 universities and colleges now have specific curriculums devoted in whole or part to instruction in the art and science of “selling.” Leading programs such as the one at the Florida State Sales Institute have made available within its School of Business an entire degree program in Selling.

Many others provide multi-year instruction in selling and related disciplines, addressing one of the key concerns raised by industry members—namely, that they don’t have the time and/or resources to train someone “how to sell.”

These young people exit their schools knowledgeable in the basic underpinning of all business success and profitability—how to sell a product or service. This grounding, I find, puts them well ahead of their peers in terms of being prepared for longer-term supervisory or management-level training as well.

The wholesale distribution industry’s value proposition for these young people is directly on target with their reported career goals and aspirations. Surveys of university graduates indicate that while some level of remuneration is always important, graduates seem to have five primary concerns when seeking an employer: • the quality of the organization they will join • the organization’s values and purpose

• the interest the organization will take in their training and development

• the flexibility of the job role and their personal ability to become empowered • their ability to “make a difference” sooner than later.

The importance of what we do as distributors for both society and our industry, the pace and variety with which (Please turn to next page)

Building-Products.com

October 2012

•

Traders’ Preview

•

33

Key to Attracting Qualified Employees (Continued from previous page)

we execute our mission, and the operating environments that I have observed in dozens of wholesaler-distributors collectively position us as an ideal home for these young people.

Our industry is the embodiment of fast-paced action, flexible job roles, and empowerment and decision making close to the customer with products and services that define the modern lifestyle. Yet, our frustrations

seem to continue and the numbers of new employees from such source groups remain relatively small by comparison. How can we change this?

We can work at this challenge on two levels. At the industry level, various associations are working together to better understand the depth of the problem and how others have approached the “awareness” and “communication” issues. NAW has gained valuable insights and the early indications are that further work to understand how our industry can engage in positive outreach is warranted. There are interesting angles to

be pursued that will involve web technologies, educational support, collateral materials, and the latest industry information always available where it is most needed.

At the company level, I have found that direct engagement with a university that supports sales-based education can produce great benefit. This, of course, takes time and effort to develop the right relationships and to make you, the distributor, visible within a school’s program. It also requires a long-term commitment to the young people you bring on board at your firm, in terms of job responsibilities, further training, and career mentoring.

The advantages of refining our industry’s value proposition and improving the extent and quality of our employee outreach will be significant. Many of the future’s most talented people are basing their career decisions on perceptions of various industries that they formed long before their moment of decision. If we are to win the hiring battle against other high-profile and highly attractive industry choices, we will have to work for it. We will have to understand the priority that this effort must have in the allocation of our time as executives, and we must be prepared to tackle this as a long-term process, not a defined project.

My conversations with other executives suggest that the timing is right for “right now,” the need is real, and the opportunity for us to do better is very realistic.

– Mark Kramer is president and c.e.o. of plastics distribution company Laird Plastics, Santa Fe Springs, Ca., and 2012 chairman of the board for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors.

34

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

Building-Products.com

Distributors Cautiously Optimistic

Middle-market distributors are growing, but that growth—and the optimism that accompanies it—is tempered by a number of influences, including the continued housing crisis, rising commodity prices, competition from low-cost-country vendors, the health care law, and faltering economies abroad, according to a new report from McGladrey and NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence.

“Despite their concerns, distributors are generally optimistic about their own business prospects in the next 12 months, with 95% reporting that their organizations are thriving or holding steady,” said McGladrey’s Karen Kurek.

“Distributor sales generally are growing (81% increased sales over the past year), although they are expected to grow at a much slower rate in the coming year.”

Most distributors expect costs in many categories to increase in the next 12 months, particularly in areas such as transportation and machinery. Some expect transportation and fuel costs to rise by more than 10%. Consequently, distributors are implementing a number of tactics to maintain profitability, including lowering their costs through operational efficiencies (81%) and improving processes within their supply chains. Most distributors (90%) also plan to increase prices in the coming months—an average of 5.1% for goods and 3.8% for services.

Other key findings include: Employment – A majority of firms plan to increase employment in the next 12 months. Finding new hires, though, could pose issues for some distributors. Roughly one-third report that they find the skilled talent they require only some of the time or rarely. Many are launching their own training and development programs to address skills gaps. Nearly half will focus on adding personnel to customer service/support functions. With a growing workforce, of course, comes an expected rise in costs for wages, benefits and other variable compensation.

Process Improvements – Distributors will increase investments in process improvements this year compared to last. Thriving organizations are more likely to increase these investments than firms that are holding steady or declining. Thriving firms also are more likely to have increased productivity in the past year.

Customer Satisfaction – Customer satisfaction is a primary objective of process improvement, with 83% of respondents ranking it at the top of the list. Cost reduction, quality improvement, enhanced speed/timeliness, and other objectives were mentioned, as well.

Inventories – Inventories will increase at nearly onehalf of distributors, with 7% expecting inventories to be increased by more than 10%. Most distributors also will increase capital equipment spending in the next 12 months.

Information Technology – IT is critical as distributors grow their organizations and broaden their supply chains.

Two-thirds report at least moderate use of business analytics companywide or among senior leadership, primarily to forecast customer demand and identify market opportunities. Over half of distributors use social media, and slightly less than half use cloud computing. While these and other IT applications can pose security concerns, surprisingly few distributors believe their information or data is at risk.

Value-Added Services – Virtually all distributors now offer value-added services to customers, but the industry as a whole is still focused on products for driving revenues— almost half of distributors report that new products are extremely important or important to company growth.

Building-Products.com

WHAT YOU WANT. WHEN YOU NEED IT. Timbers Green & K.D. Export

Dimension Lumber Treated Products Domestic

Manke Lumber Company is familyowned and has been serving the needs of the lumber industry since 1953. We take pride in milling and stocking quality lumber in a full range of commodity sizes and larger dimension timbers. We also answer your market needs for a wide variety of treated lumber products.

Our forest products are milled from carefully harvested Northwest trees ready for distribution to you—on time and at the right price.

Located in the Port of Tacoma, we have ready access to deep water shipping, rail heads or trucking terminals for longer haul loads. Manke operates its own fleet of trucks and is at your service for straight or mixed loads by truck, rail or sea.

We manufacture primarily Douglas fir and western hemlock, including • 2x4 thru 2x12, Lengths 8-20’ • 3x4 thru 3x12, Lengths 8-26’ • 4x4 and wider, Lengths 8-26’ • 6x6 and wider, Lengths 8-26’ • 8x8 and wider, Lengths 8-26’ • Timber sizes up to 12x12

Manke Lumber Company Call 1-800-426-8488 1717 Marine View Dr., Tacoma, WA 98422

Phone 253- 572-6252

Fax 253-383-2489

www.mankelumber.com

October 2012

•

Traders’ Preview

•

35

Meet the Exhibitor Benjamin Obdyke

Benjamin Obdyke will show HydroGap Drainable Housewrap as part of the New Products Showcase at the 2012 NAWLA Traders Market.

HydroGap is now the construction market’s top-performing drainable housewrap. It drains moisture from wall assemblies at least twice as fast as the leading drainable housewrap and removes 100 times more bulk water than standard housewrap.

HydroGap Drainable Housewrap combines a water-resistant barrier and drainage system into one application.

Unlike typical housewraps that are either woven or non-woven materials comprising one or two layers, it comprises a tri-laminate substrate, with the moisture barrier protected between two non-woven layers. This composition creates a product with superior strength and water hold-out vs. competitive products.

The patent-pending spacer design on the housewrap surface creates a 1 mm gap between the structure’s sheathing and cladding materials,

Meet the Exhibitor Blue Book Services

A leading credit and marketing information agency since 1901, Blue Book Services has been serving the lumber industry since 2009. It provides lumber sellers with a dependable, affordable and industry-specific resource to make the best credit decisions and safely expand their customer base. The company helps clients reduce credit risk and find new accounts.

Blue Book’s team of professionals collect, validate, and report information on lumber companies throughout the supply chain, including accounts receivable aging data/trends, financial ratings, company ownership changes, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcies, and personnel changes.

Blue Book’s online directory (www.lumberbluebook.com) provides comprehensive data on softwood and hardwood lumber companies throughout North America.

36

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

thereby promoting drainage that is twice as fast as other drainable housewraps. The unique design also allows for the housewrap to be installed in any direction while maintaining its positive drainage capability. It also provides excellent enhanced drainage around window sills.

HydroGap has a number of features that benefit builders and contractors.

Besides the potential of labor saving based on its multi-directional installation possibilities, the convenient 500sq. ft. size rolls allow for easy oneman installation identical to standard housewrap installation. The low proMills, secondary manufacturers, wholesalers, retail lumberyards, and industrial accounts are all included and can be easily searched by geographic location, business classification, pay indicator, or species/products handled. With unlimited search capabilities, Blue Book Members can explore new market segments and identify potential business connections.

Pay indicators, for example, are based on aggregate trade feedback submitted by each buyer’s trade suppliers and offer a snapshot of pay practices for both new and existing customers. In-depth business reports provide detailed information on a company’s pay trends, enhanced with Equifax commercial data.

A recommended and approved

file of the drainage space eliminates the need for design changes in the assembly. In addition, the easy-to-cut product requires no special tools for installation and does not need to be taped at the seams, further reducing cost and labor.

HydroGap drains at 96%, meeting ASTM E2273, the standard test method for determining drainage efficiency of wall assemblies. It also exceeds AC38 for water-resistive barriers, including the new drainage provision.

It is available nationally through a network of authorized distributors. service provider of NAWLA, Blue Book’s commitment to the lumber industry is demonstrated through active participation at industry events.

“Economists who have spoken at industry conventions this year all forecast an increasing demand for lumber,” says president and c.e.o. Jim Carr.

“As this occurs, lumber sellers can count on Blue Book Services to help in their credit approval and monitoring processes.”

Motivated by the ambition to have a broad, industry perspective not found elsewhere, a wide range of companies—handling hardwood to softwood—are contributing the necessary files, typically on a monthly basis.

Building-Products.com

Meet the Exhibitor C&D Lumber

C&D’s roots reach to 1890, when Alford Johnson built his first sawmill in Southern Oregon. In 1943, the Johnson family built a mill near the Coos and Douglas County lines. With a nod to its geography, the operation became C&D Lumber Co. Its motto— Great People, Great Products, Great Customers—is the driving force behind its success.

The company is proud of what it’s been able to achieve during its 100plus years in business. For C&D, the key to success has always been our people, products, and customers.

Additionally, it embraces innovative thinking and ideas to continue to enhance its business. Manufacturing improvements are common practice.

Today, its facility produces high quality lumber products in more than 100 different product lines and sizes.

C&D Lumber maintains the reputation of offering quality lumber products, craftsmanship, and service in Douglas fir, incense cedar, and Port Orford cedar.

Building-Products.com

In Douglas fir, it offers a full line of surfaced lumber that includes 2” dimension lumber and 4” and 6” timbers. Plus, its top-of-the-line Premium Exposed rough-sawn timbers and 2” lumber have become the preferred products for open-beamed construction.

In cedar, it offers lines of premium and classic decking products. It also offers a line of rustic patterns, and a variety of cedar lumber dimensional products ideal for many types of remanufacturing.

Mutually beneficial relationships with our customers are the driving force behind the company’s success.

Its sales follow-up and shipping are possibly the best in the industry.

C&D values providing beneficial marketing to our customers, using tools like its comprehensive company website (www.cdlumber.com) and monthly eNewsletter, MillWrite. It also works hand-and-hand with its customers to provide customized marketing tools to support their sales efforts.

C&D is focused on finding ways it can continue its long and storied history of being an employer people are

proud to work for and a manufacturer of high quality lumber products.

The company believes its future is bright because of the dedication and commitment of its employees, the demand for quality lumber products, its close proximity to efficient shipping routes, and its location right in the middle of a rich source for raw material.

October 2012

•

Traders’ Preview

•

37

Meet the Exhibitor Duckback Products

Duckback Products was founded over 30 years ago by a handful of people with a simple idea: formulate a superior exterior stain that would both beautify and protect wood decks, siding, fences, and other outdoor investments. These “Ducks,” as they called themselves, were committed to making extremely high quality coatings that would protect wood from harsh ultraviolet rays and shed rainfall like water off a duck’s back.

The Ducks shunned the stability that established businesses could provide, preferring the risk of a start-up that would allow them to create a culture founded on innovative thinking and the freedom to create new, unique products in a staid industry.

Spearheading the business with next-to-no funding and used equipment from a defunct paint company, the Ducks relied on their passion to create excellent products that would perform well in all of the varied climactic regions of their native California. From the deep snow and below-freezing temperatures of the Tahoe/Donner basin, through the wet and foggy coast lands of Northern California, to the hot and arid desert lands of Palm Springs, Duckback

Meet the Exhibitor Forest2Market

Forest2Market has built a comprehensive set of products and services that provide market price and key market performance metrics for the wholesale lumber market, including weekly market analysis and quarterly mill benchmarking reports.

With Mill2Market, Forest2Market has taken a fundamentally different approach to delivering the market metrics the lumber industry needs. Customers use Mill2Market to better understand their market position, to make better-informed decisions, and to measure the effects of those decisions on performance.

With accurate market analysis, users can: • make better-informed production and sales resource allocation

38

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

stains were designed to perform in every climate and the company’s success relied on this feature.

Year after year, the products proved their performance on multimillion dollar wood-sided homes and decks. Word of this performance spread quickly, and the Ducks knew they were on to something.

As the company’s reputation grew, so did the company, all the while maintaining its passion for excellent products and customer service.

Several of the original employees still work at Duckback and continue to refer to themselves as Ducks. This

decisions, • assess performance against the broader market, • improve net sales realizations, • and base purchase and sales negotiations on value, not price.

Correcting the deficiencies of survey-based price reports, Mill2Market delivers over 1,500 lumber market performance indicators: • volume weighted average prices • price variation (price spread that accounts for volume) • full and split week volume and price trend indicators • by grade and length (including MSR & mixed loads): dimensioned lumber , decking, and timbers Forest2Market is committed to delivering the most accurate, credible, and quantitative market insight

group acknowledges that the varied climates of California and the strict regulatory climate that they operate in is what truly prepared them for their expansion to the rest of the country and Canada.

Today, Duckback manufactures more than 25 unique coatings and surface prep products. The company continues with its culture of innovation, creativity, and excellence of both products and service. Whatever your outdoor coatings needs are, Duckback has the quality products to meet and exceed them.

to our lumber industry customers.

The company is laser-focused on maintaining customers’ confidence in our results, because it collects 100% of actual transactions from 100% of its participants, subjects all data submissions to periodic audit, and maintains customer confidentiality at all times. Results are available to participants only, who must supply transaction data to receive the reports.

Building-Products.com

Meet the Exhibitor Endeck

Endeck capped cellular PVC Decking is stronger, inside and out, offering reversibility and scratch, mold, and slip resistance, plus ClassA flame spread. It is cooler under foot, even on those really hot days, plus it’s code approved.

The product can be installed with most hidden fastening systems, or with color-matched fasteners. The companion PVC-capped Encore railing is also code approved for safety and quality and comes in three styles.

Endeck co-extruded decking is all PVC and is CCRR certified (CCRR#0144) to meet or exceed stringent AC10 and AC174 standards.

This decking is engineered to resist sagging that can occur with wood and ordinary composite decking. It is lighter in weight than composite or wood deck boards, but has greater strength, impact resistance, and durability. A proprietary process gives Endeck a more uniform cell structure, eliminating voids commonly seen in other PVC decking.

Endeck employs a tougher cap-

stock, for years of proven weatherability. The PVC compounds in Endeck are tougher, too, and help it stand up against foot traffic better. It is embossed on both sides, in 1” x 51/2” decking and matching 7/16” x 11-7/8” fascia.

The Endeck Forest series is definitely a strong statement—with a deeply embossed wood grain and subtle variegated colors usually found only in the most expensive, exotic

hardwoods. The manufacturing process allows for consistent color from piece to piece, but the color variations are as random as those found in nature.

Endeck Woodland series decking colors complement the home and landscape in three attractive colors: ashwood, beechwood, and olivewood.

The complete Endeck PVC decking line is covered by a lifetime limited warranty.

Respecting the forest, honoring the past, building the future.

A nation’s pride you can build on.

8 sit Vi s at 31 u th o Bo

Manufacturers of 10 million bd. ft. monthly of • 5/4 & 6/4 Ponderosa Pine Shop • 4/4 Premium Pine Board Programs State-of-the-Art Hewmill & Headrig Mill Contact Sheldon Howell

Alicia Beltran

(509) 874-1163

(509) 874-1168

Yakama Forest Products 3191 Wesley Rd., White Swan, WA 98952 Fax 509-874-1162

www.yakama-forest.com Building-Products.com

Contractors who know quality, know Woodway. Offering Woodway products drives profitable sales and enhances your reputation. Contact us today to get started.

The best Lattice and more.

Now offering Moderna Screen & Deck Squares.

October 2012

•

Traders’ Preview

•

39

Meet the Exhibitor Haida Forest Products Haida Forest Products became a separate and distinct operating company during a planned re-structuring in September 1989. Previous to that date, the company had operated as the remanufacturing division of Mill & Timber Products Ltd., which started in 1951.

Its manufacturing operation is located on five acres of land in Burnaby, B.C. The plant is 20 minutes from Vancouver International Airport and 25 minutes from downtown Vancouver. The site contains offices, warehouses, dry kilns, manufacturing equipment, and storage.

For 61 years, the company has operated from the same location, specializing in “Haida” brand western red cedar sidings, panellings, and specialty products.

Haida Forest Products has made significant contributions to the development and demand for western red cedar over the years, and also to its subsequent increased value.

It was one of the first companies to

kiln-dry knotty grades of cedar siding and to develop hot-melt glue technology to permi-fuse knotty grades. The company has continuously upgraded its equipment and facilities, and today employs the latest in moulding technology.

The firm produces more than 100 specialty and architectural products. It also produces decking, outdoor products, and specialty timbers—as well as Haida Skirl wavy edge siding.

Haida is committed to producing the highest quality western red cedar products. Critical to this goal are the people who work at Haida. Over 50% of our manufacturing crew have 25 years or more with the company.

Over 80% of our salaried staff have more than 30 years of seniority.

One-hundred percent of Haida’s employees have a total commitment to producing the finest products available in the cedar industry.

Meet the Exhibitor Hampton Lumber Sales

Hampton Affiliates is a family-owned forest products business employing 1,300 people, primarily in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia.

The company owns 90,000 acres of U.S. timberland and manages 120,000 hectares (296,526 acres) of public timberland in British Columbia. These timberlands supply only a portion of the raw materials processed at Hampton’s eight sawmills, so the company relies on public and private timber purchases for the remaining log volume.

Hampton’s sawmills have normal production capacity of 2.3 billion bd. ft. of green and dry Doug fir, hem-fir and SPF dimension lumber and stud products. Advanced machinery and equipment are controlled from computeroperated machine centers, ensuring the most productive use of each log.

Staying competitive also means training and retaining a skilled and highly motivated work force. Hampton’s company culture is focused on doing business in a safe and sustainable manner, so all capital improvement projects address safety, energy efficiency, and environmental concerns.

Hampton’s Portland, Or.- and Vancouver, B.C.-based sales team market Hampton mill production, plus another 2.0 BBF of outside lumber and panels globally.

Hampton, with its ongoing customer service focus, has

40

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

its own transportation department to provide truck and rail service from its mills to its customers and/or reloads.

The nature of the business makes Pacific Northwest timber availability a constant concern to Hampton.

Despite numerous studies showing standing timber inventories growing year after year, environmental activists continue to promote a “no harvest” agenda.

Oregonians are seeing the social and financial effects on rural counties from the lockdown of public forests, since these forests make up 60% of Oregon’s land base.

President Theodore Roosevelt created the National Forests to be used sustainably to create jobs and build the homes required by our nation. Instead, these forests have become unhealthy due to lack of active management, with mortality from fires and insect damage exceeding harvest volumes.

Building-Products.com

Meet the Exhibitor Maze Nails

Since being featured on Diane Sawyer’s ABC TV series Made in America, customers and proud Americans from every part of the country have called and emailed in strong support of Maze Nails’ commitment to making quality nails in the U.S. Maze is one of just a few remaining nail manufacturers in this country. According to company president Roelif Loveland, “People are delighted to hear they can still buy nails that are made in the U.S.A.—and we’re delighted to make them!”

The Made in America series focused on keeping jobs in America, encouraging the rebuilding of America with American products. If builders, contractors, and remodelers simply purchased 5% more U.S.-made building products, 220,000 jobs would be created right here at home. If every lumberyard across the U.S. ordered two more boxes (100-lbs.) of Maze nails this year, the company could hire another 20 workers at its modern plant in Peru, Il. Maze is the largest maker of specialty nails in the U.S., producing truckloads of double hot-dipped galvanized and stainless steel nails for a variety of applications. It manufactures quality nails for asphalt and fiberglass shingle roofing, post frame construction, fiber cement siding, cedar and redwood siding, cedar shakes and shingles, PVC trim products, decking, fencing, and log home and timber frame construction. Maze also manufactures a complete line of stainless steel nails for marine and coastal applications.

Maze STORMGUARD nails are double hot-dipped galvanized steel with a thick coating of zinc for maximum corrosion-resistance, meeting and exceeding the ASTM A153 specification for hot-dip galvanizing.

Maze Nails are manufactured within all OSHA and EPA guidelines. The company uses high carbon steel to produce nails that are stronger than import nails—eliminating breaks and bends. Its nails are made from recycled, remelted steel (unlike import nails which use a significant amount of mined ore in the production of nails) and are certified environmentally friendly and qualify for LEED points and certification.

Building-Products.com

October 2012

•

Traders’ Preview

•

41

Meet the Exhibitor Mary’s River Lumber

Mary’s River Lumber Company, a family-owned manufacturer of western red cedar, was founded in 1974. It is located in the prime growing region for western red cedar, the coastal belt of Oregon and Washington, with headquarters in Corvallis, Or. The company has manufacturing and shipping operations at Corvallis and Philomath, Or., and Montesano and Elma, Wa. An industry leader, it developed and implemented innovative sawmill and finishing systems designed for creating optimum value in western red cedar.

Excellent service starts with product availability and ontime delivery. Mary’s River is small enough that its sales team works directly with production to provide the product customers need when they need it. And, it is big enough to stand behind its products with outstanding support after the sale.

Mary’s River offers a full range of red cedar products that includes dimension in rough 2x4 through 6x6 up to 12”, and S4S 2x4 up to 12”, lengths to 20’. Its siding patterns are bevel, tongue & groove, and shiplap in standard

widths. The T&G is popular for paneling applications.

The company’s full decking lines are Select Deck in eased-edge and radius-edge in 5/4x4 and 5/4x6, and Best Deck in 1/4” radius 1 3/8”x6” with kerfed back. Boards ideal for fascia, window trim, and architectural accents are available in rough or S4S2E in 1x2 through 12” and 5/4x 2 through 12”. Mary’s River offers a complete fencing program in square-top and dog-eared rough or smooth fencing in lengths up to 8’.

Meet the Exhibitor Nordic Engineered Wood

For over 50 years, Nordic Engineered Wood has specialized in the manufacture of black sprucebased products for the residential and commercial building markets.

Since 1961, our family-owned company has focused on providing quality wood products for the everchanging market, which has meant staying at the forefront of innovation and customer service. It is the industry’s source for sustainable wood solutions.

Today, Nordic is known as a premiere solid-sawn I-joist producer, with proprietary small-block technology, consistent in-line tension testing, and the emergence of the first laminated solid-sawn flange joist, the NI-90x I-joist series. The company’s exclusive ENVIRO LAM process makes use of previously underutilized wood to maximize fiber yield. High-density black spruce fiber is the main ingredient in Nordic products because the species is lighter in weight than most other species, and is known for having fewer natural defects.

Nordic’s family of engineered wood products allows discriminating specifiers to fully utilize one of the most substantial collections of

42

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

sustainable wood solutions available from a single manufacturing source.

The company’s 250-acre facility includes manufacturing capacities of 140 million linear ft. of I-joists, 50 million bd. ft. of glued laminated products, and 205 million bd. ft. of dimensional lumber. Certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, it harvests lumber from 2 million acres of timberland managed through a meticulous environmental management system.

Nordic Engineered Wood has been marketing Nordic Joist and Nordic Lam products since 2000.

Attention to product development,

quality, and exceptional service have allowed the company to grow into a supplier of international scope.

Demand for more refined architectural solutions has led to the creation of Nordic Wood Structures, which offers a whole new complement of straight and curved beams: X-LAM cross-laminated timber, plus arches and decking for use in non-residential projects.

Nordic’s in-house architectural and engineering services redefine the potential for engineered wood construction in timber structures, industrial buildings, sports facilities, office complexes, and bridges.

Building-Products.com

working industries, and has grown to include building material dealers, sawmills, manufacturers, and distributors. It provides protection for approximately 6,000 businesses nationwide.

Its primary lines include property, general liability, inland marine, business automobile, commercial excess liability, and equipment breakdown—a mix that is designed to protect every aspect of one’s business.

PLM has strong ties to the wood

industry and has worked very hard at maintaining its commitment to its customers and the wood niche. While other insurance companies may come in and out of the wood niche, PLM remains wholly focused on the wood industry. It offers competitive rates, loss control programs, and prompt claims response and handling. The company is financially strong and carries an A.M. Best rating of A(excellent).

PLM is an organization focused on the customer. Through its staff and the expertise of its field and loss control representatives, it is able to provide a high level of personalized service to suit the unique needs of each of its customers.

cled materials—into tight layers that will withstand years of weather exposure.

At the worksite, there is no need for specialized tools because Plycem fiber cement trim can be cut and installed with the same tools traditionally used with wood products.

With its reversible and smoothtextured surface, Plycem trim complements any siding product used

today. Machined square edges ensure the clean look of high-end construction and complement any style of architecture.

A wide variety of available widths and thicknesses make it the right choice for a wide variety of applications—exterior corners, windows, columns, and doors—adding grace and elegance to any style of architecture.

Meet the Exhibitor Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company In the autumn of 1895, a group of lumber dealers and woodworkers from several eastern states met to discuss issues of mutual concern. One hot topic was insurance coverage and the high rates being charged to members of their industries by stock insurance companies of the time. The result was the establishment of Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Fire Insurance Company.

More than 100 years later, the company continues as Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company. It still writes specialized coverages for the lumber and wood-

Meet the Exhibitor Plycem Since 2005, Plycem USA has offered a different alternative: a broad line of fiber cement exterior trims that are good-looking and durable, weather and insect resistant, and environmentally friendly. Our products offer the look of wood, without the maintenance.

Plycem’s technology is differentiated by its outstanding workability, since sand or silica is not used in the manufacturing process. Temperature-controlled curing and drying adheres the refined fibers and cement—an amalgamation of postindustrial and post-consumer recy-

PLYCEM c.e.o. Jessica Navascues and national sales manager Tom Taylor.

Building-Products.com

October 2012

•

Traders’ Preview

•

43

Meet the Exhibitor PPG

For many businesses, “going green” often means sacrificing quality for the sake of the environment. For the factory finish business on tanninproducing woods, moving to an all acrylic system using PPG Seal Grip MC primer can actually improve production and efficiency, with product performance no different than the traditional alkyds you’re used to.

PPG’s dedicated research and development team spent years developing and testing Seal Grip MC, which utilizes a specially formulated acrylic latex that blocks and seals tannin stains as well as traditional alkyds. It has excellent adhesion and, when used in conjunction with PPG Machinepure primer, offers good block resistance so it can be machine coated.

Combined with faster dry times and the ability to force cure, gone are the days of leaving boards on racks in the warehouse to dry overnight. This gives users an opportunity to provide faster turn-around times and increase production, all while eliminating solvents and minimizing odor and waste.

“Our primary requirement when formulating this product was its ability to successfully block and seal tannin stains. We’ve tested it against numerous products and Seal Grip MC blocks and seals these stains as well as any product we’ve seen,” states Beth Kirol, PPG technical manager.

Vern Glover, owner of Northern Priming and Pre-Stain, Kersey, Co., adds, “We’re really pleased with how well Seal Grip MC blocks and seals

tannins. We machine apply, brush, and spray, and it performs as promised. It really made moving to a water-based system easy.”

PPG is a pioneering force in the machine applied coatings industry, with more than 80 years of experience and commitment to research and development. It constantly strives to earn the title of the most trusted name in the industry.

as a leader in forestry management and one of the premier businesses in the industry. He developed a foundation of success for the group by leading, rather than simply managing. He created a culture of profitability, while maintaining a business with integrity and responsibilities to our sustainable forests.

The Probyn Group’s export division recently provided western red cedar to the Velodrome at the summer Olympics in London.

“The games were a remarkable opportunity for the entire world to view our sustainable products and has been very exciting for our company,” president Peter Fograscher says. “It was a privilege to represent the province by providing western red cedar to the Olympics.”

The group’s manufacturing operations, based in Washington state

and British Columbia, produce more than 225 million bd. ft. of western red cedar per annum. Company divisions include Probyn Log, TMI Forest Products, AJ Forest Products, Probyn Export, Raintree Specialties, West Coast Moulding, and several other joint venture partnerships.

TMI is the largest volume coastal western red cedar facility in the world, and the only fence producer that exclusively markets the product in the U.S.A. AJ Forest Products is a specialty western red cedar timber mill, known for procuring and merchandising the finest logs to manufacture timbers for America’s premium luxury homes.

Probyn Export is a leading exporter of lumber and wood-related building products to buyers in most major markets around the world.

Meet the Exhibitor Probyn Group

The Probyn Group is a privately owned and integrated forest company headquartered in New Westminster, B.C., founded in 1969 by Ed Probyn.

Ed has established the company

WESTERN RED CEDAR was featured in the construction of the Velodrome at the 2012 Olympics in London.

44

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

Building-Products.com

Meet the Exhibitor Redwood Empire

Redwood Empire manufactures and distributes a full line of top-quality redwood products, including decking, fencing, lattice panels, accessories, siding, posts and timbers. The familyowned company operates sawmills and remanufacturing facilities in Northern California, and offers truck and railcar service to expedite distribution to lumber dealers nationwide.

Redwood Empire offers green, air seasoned, and kiln-dried redwood in virtually all grades, including uppers.

Its custom-engineered facilities enable the company to produce luxury moldings and trim, in addition to a full line of decking and fencing products, upper grade siding, and ceiling patterns. Redwood Empire also has drying kilns and plenty of covered storage on site.

Its location in the heart of California’s “redwood empire” region gives the company easy access to high-quality logs from sustainably managed forests. Products are then fine-milled close to the source in an integrated, quality-controlled environment.

Redwood Empire’s sawmill features twin head rigs and a fully integrated fence production line. Its prefabricated Sequoia fence panels are available in 4- and 6-ft. widths, with pre-sized posts and gates also available. The company also manufactures fence-topping lattice panels and superstrong gorilla lattice panels for quick and easy privacy anywhere.

“Redwood is sustainable, strong and long-lasting,” says Sean Burch, Redwood Empire’s general manager.

“Redwood has proven its durability.

It’s a legendary natural product and offers the best value in decking.

Redwood’s strength and resistance to the elements make it ideal for virtually any outdoor application.”

Redwood Empire also distributes Brazilian hardwood decking through its Morgan Hill, Ca., distribution center. The company features one of the country’s largest inventories of ipé, tigerwood and cumaru, all Lacey Act compliant.

Redwood Empire has been providing quality lumber products and outstanding service to lumber dealers for more than 40 years. The company is one of the largest producers of redwood products annually.

Meet the Exhibitor Rosboro

Since 1939, Rosboro has evolved from a small lumber company to a vertically integrated forest products firm. Today, it operates a stud and dimension mill, plywood and veneer plant, and three glulam plants. It now has European CE certification, in addition to APA and CSA. Stud products include 8’, 9’ and 10’ trims in KD and green fir, as well as KDHF. The stud product offering has been expanded to include green 3” and 4” in 8’, 9’ and 10’ trims. Its dimension mill cuts lam stock, dimension, and 4” timbers.

Rosboro is known as a quality sheathing manufacturer specializing in 8’, 9’ and 10’ panels. In 2009, equipment was added to expand the offering to include MDO, thick panels, and T&G capabilities.

Rosboro has grown into North America’s largest glulam manufacturer with an extensive product offering that includes high-strength Building-Products.com

BigBeam, Rosboro Treated Glulam, Custom Glulam, and X-Beam, the first architectural glulam in full 31/2” and 5-1/2” widths that match standard wall framing.

Over these seven decades, a few essential attributes have remained the same. Rosboro still provides

family wage jobs with benefits to Oregonians. It continues to manufacture its industry-leading lumber, plywood and engineered wood products in the U.S.A. And it still stakes its reputation and the company’s future on responsibly managing its forestlands in the Pacific Northwest.

October 2012

•

Traders’ Preview

•

45

Meet the Exhibitor RoyOMartin

Completed in 2007, RoyOMartin’s $270 million mill in Oakdale, La., is one of the largest OSB manufacturing facilities in North America. Its technologically advanced equipment is capable of annually producing 750 million square ft. (3/8” basis) of OSB products, in thicknesses from 7/16” to 23/32” and lengths of 8’ to 12’.

RoyOMartin’s TuffStrand XL OSB is recognized in the marketplace as a strong and durable building component that retains excellent dimensional properties. TuffStrand XL is available in extended lengths of 9’ and 10’, allowing builders and contractors to cut down on material waste and valuable labor time, compared to traditional 8’panels.

Eclipse Radiant Barrier is a costeffective and energy-efficient roofsheathing system that produces a superior radiant barrier from heat sources such as the sun. These panels help control attic climate, thus reducing energy costs.

Eclipse Energy Guard is a reflec-

tive-insulation panel for sidewall applications. Used with approved tape to seal seams and corners, this product is an effective solution to ensure a superior thermo/vapor sidewall building system that replaces traditional house wrap. Additionally, it holds a Class “B” fire rating. With the radiant barrier already applied to the structural panel, construction time and costs are significantly reduced. Both Eclipse products have earned thirdparty verification from RIMA-I. RoyOMartin also offers panels for improved uplift and shear. WindBrace

is an extended-length sidewall panel used in hurricane-prone areas. Easy to install, these panels are 1 1/8” longer than regular panels, allowing builders to tie the top plate to the bottom plate in a single sill-to-plate structural panel. This uninterrupted structure eliminates horizontal joints, creating greater wall strength. WindBrace is offered in lengths of 97 1/8”, 109 1/8”, 121 1/8”, and 145 1/8”.

All RoyOMartin OSB products are APA rated and can hold Forest Stewardship Council and European CE certifications.

Meet the Exhibitor Versatex

Versatex Trimboards uses the tagline “Trim Smarter” to summarize its entire approach to the marketplace. In business since 2004, the company has experienced exceptional growth by creating a smarter alternative in the expanding cellular PVC trim product category.

Based in Aliquippa, Pa., a suburb of Pittsburgh, it is an Americanowned and American-made company that combines the manufacturing prowess of a large company with the feel of a family-owned business.

This approach provides customers with the highest quality PVC trim available, coupled with the comfort of knowing intimately who they are doing business with.

Versatex may not be the biggest company in PVC trim, but is the only company completely focused on the category. This focus enables it to stay on top of the ever-changing market and be the most innovative manufacturer in the market.

46

•

Traders’ Preview

•

October 2012

Versatex offers the most complete line of products in the PVC trim category. From trimboard, sheet, cornerboards, T&G profiles, mouldings, soffit products, and column wraps, to our revolutionary Stealth Trim System, no one offers more.

Also, no one is more flexible, as Versatex offers cut-to-length and cut-to-width options in all of its products in less than full unit quantities. We also feature Smart Packs and Mixed Nuts Units, which are

half units and blended units, respectively, designed to reduce inventory burdens on customers.

Products come with industry-best tolerances and a 30-year fully transferable warranty. All are backed by third-party independent testing, as required by national code listing CCRR-0149. These features have enabled Versatex to grow dramatically in a tough market and given it the ability to attract some of the premier lumberyards in the country as stocking dealers of Versatex.

Building-Products.com

OLSEN On Sales

By James Olsen

Assumptive selling

W

assumptive. We project/infect our customers with our expectations. Sellers who struggle enter into conversations and meetings as if they are going to be treated poorly and alas their assumption is correct—they are treated poorly. These same salespeople will blame poor treatment on the customer (What a jerk!) when they are bringing this treatment on themselves.

Salespeople are consistent across all industries. They do not want to be put in the category of the pushy or arrogant seller. They don’t want to be that guy. No one likes a pushy salesperson and no one wants to be one.

Many sellers are so worried about being thought of as pushy or arrogant, they err on the other side of the equation. They bend over backwards not to be. Many of these sellers are ashamed of being salespeople. This negatively assumptive attitude is not lost on customers. These salespeople walk around with a sign that says, “I don’t like me, you probably don’t like me, so treat me badly,” and many customers oblige them.

E ARE ALWAYS

Positive Assumption

Let’s begin by psyching ourselves up. Brian Tracey says we should sit in the car or at our desk before a big call and say, “I like myself, I like myself, I like myself.” I agree and would add, “This customer is going to love me.”

Master sellers project/infect their customers with the feeling: “We are going to do business together and you are going to love it.” On the phone, relax (blow the air out).

Smile—buy a mirror, put it on your desk in front of you, and smile! Use a radio voice—smooth, calm and confident.

In person, relax, shoulders back. Do not flutter or wring your hands. Have a notepad and a pen ready and take notes when the customer talks. Do not shuffle your feet. Do not jiggle change. Do not play with hair or touch any body part.

Do not look at your watch or cell phone.

Smile as if you were the client’s long-lost college roommate. Be friendly and open with all people at the account, not just the buyer. This shows confidence and will also help with nerves. Make good eye contact without staring. Make it a “sit down” meeting. Do not start “selling” until you are sitting. Sit side-by-side with customer if possible. If sideby-side is not possible, try to sit to the customer’s right—be their “right-hand-man.” If the table has two heads (not round) and it is a call to a group, try to sit at one of the heads across from the prime decision-maker.

Break bread. We eat with friends and family. Do not underestimate the value of having a meal with customers.

Assumptive Prospecting

At the end of a qualified prospect call, we say, “Sarah, I know/feel we are going to be a great fit. I look forward to working with you” Not “I hope we can get together on Building-Products.com

something” or “I know you already have great suppliers, I just want the opportunity to earn your business.” (By the way, when we ask for the opportunity that’s often all we get, an opportunity, but no business. We want the business, so say so.)

In the inquiry stage of the sales process, we must act as if the order is already ours. Our attitude is, “Let’s find out what we need and put this thing together.” Not “Okay, John, I understand what you need. Let me go work out the specs and hopefully I can come back with a number that is cheap enough.”

Assumptive Opening

“Good morning, Pete. I’ve got exactly what we’ve been looking for.”

“Jerry, you are going to love this deal!”

Assumptive Closing

Customer: “When can that ship?”

Us: “We have many options, when do you (better yet, we) need this to ship?”

Customer: “Next week.”

Us: “What’s your order number?”

Assumptive Living

We are in control of the assumptions we make about our customers and how we will be treated. Let’s assume we are great, and live like it.

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

October 2012 The Merchant Magazine

17

DEALER Briefs

Astoria Builders Supply, Astoria, Or., and sister company Gearhart Builders Supply, Gearhart, Or., permanently closed Sept. 18, following bankruptcy filings and week-long liquidation sales. The remaining assets of the 65year-old company are set to auctioned off this month.

St. Johns Ace Hardware, St. Johns (Portland), Or., was opened Aug. 28 by Mike Johnson.

Dolan’s Lumber is down to four locations after closing its yard in Benicia, Ca., and selling the property.

Mercer Island True Value, Mercer Island, Wa., may

be forced to relocate in 2013.

Davis Ace Hardware added a 4,000-sq. ft. Aggie Ace, Davis, Ca.—its first location not downtown.

Hometown Hardware & Garden, Downey, Ca., has been launched by c.e.o. Greg Fuller, c.o.o. Rob Morck, and c.f.o. Ray Brown, all ex-All American Home Center, which closed in December.

BMC, Boise, Id., will begin selling Fiberon products from its stores.

Berkeley Ace Hardware, Berkeley, Ca., has decided against relocating, despite imminent construction of a 205-unit residential development that could disrupt business.

Higgins Liquidates, But Will Return

After 129 years, J.E. Higgins Lumber, Livermore, Ca., has closed its remaining branches and liquidated the company.

Former sales manager John Parr purchased certain assets and intellectual property, including the Higgins name, and intends to reopen the company at its Livermore office this fall.

The company began closing its Higgins Lumber and Golden State Flooring branches in late spring, although Golden State offices in San Diego and San Jose, Ca., have since reopened under new ownership (see Aug., p. 23).

Tests Confirm DF Design Values

Recent testing of Douglas fir-larch lumber suggests no changes are needed to the species’ published design values.

The test plan was formulated by Western Wood Products Association in cooperation with other western lumber agencies and approved last year by the American Lumber Standard Committee board of review. The plan required destructive testing of 360 pieces in bending and 360 pieces in tension of Doug fir-larch No. 2 2x4 lumber.

Preliminary analysis of the 2012 test data indicates higher (+5.5%) bending strength, (+5.0%) tensile strength, and (+8.1%) stiffness properties than those established in the 1980s North American In-Grade lumber testing program, indicating the continued viability of current design values.

The published lumber design values are based on the InGrade lumber testing program. Professor Robert Fountain of Portland State University provided statistical support for the testing program. A total of 36 representative mills were selected for lumber sample collection from the Douglas fir

and western larch production region. The test lumber samples were representative of the lumber volume destined for the marketplace.

A report of the results will be submitted to the ALSC board of review for confirmation at their meeting this month.

The testing of western species lumber is conducted periodically to monitor for changes, to allow for timely actions to be taken if needed to support western lumber products.

Reprieve for Malheur Lumber

Malheur Lumber’s sawmill in John Day, Or., will not close Nov. 1—as previously announced—because the U.S. Forest Service has a plan to make more timber available from the nearby national forest.

Under the new plan, the U.S. Forest Service will use $5 million in federal funds to speed up timber sales and increase forest restoration projects in the 1.7 million-acre Malheur National Forest. The goal is to make about 60 million bd. ft. of timber available for the fiscal years 2013 and 2014.

“I can sell all the pine we can possibly produce, assuming it’s the right size,” said Bruce Daucsavage, president of the mill’s corporate parent, the Ochoco Lumber Co. He said that the mill needs 33 million bd. ft. of pine greater than 8 inches in diameter per year to keep operating.

Experts said that some of the new timber will be too small—and much would be Douglas fir and grand fir rather than pine—but the remainder will probably keep the John Day sawmill operating. It might even provide enough timber to reopen a Prairie Wood Products stud mill in nearby Prairie City, Or., that closed four years ago.

SUPPLIER Briefs

BMD relocated its Walnut Creek, Ca., operation to a new office in Concord, Ca.

Neiman Enterprises, Hulett, Wy., acquired the former Intermountain Resources sawmill in Montrose, Co., and restarted the plant as Montrose Forest Resources.

Cerro Pacific Lumber, Redwood Valley, Ca., suffered

an early morning fire Sept. 20.

Epicor Software Corp., Dublin, Ca., has agreed to Business Systems from Marlin

acquire Solarsoft Equity Partners.

Pinkwood will start production March 4, 2013, at a recently acquired I-joist plant in Calgary, Alb. With an annual capacity of 60 million linear ft., the facility will produce I-joists protected with Pinkshield mold-, moistureand fire-resistant coating and distributed by Taiga Building Products.

Weyerhaeuser, Federal Way, Wa., has introduced a free Parallam+Deck Beam sizer app for iPhones and iPads.

The latest version of its Javelin design software includes new features that enable users to create structural frame plans easier and quicker.

Thunderbolt Wood Treating , Riverbank, Ca., relaunched its website at www.thunderboltwoodtreating.com.

MOVERS & Shakers

John Pasqualetto has been promoted to director of sales & purchasing for Jones Wholesale Lumber Co., Lynwood, Ca. Bob McBride, ex-Coos Head Forest Products/Durawood Treating, is now senior sales rep for Pacific States Treating, Weed, Ca. David C. Leding, ex-Flakeboard, has joined Warm Springs Composite Products, Portland, Or., to lead its North American sales and marketing efforts.

Kristin Stelle, ex-TimberTech, is new to outside sales at International Wood Products, Clackamas, Or. Bill Brooks is new to Central Valley Builders Supply, Woodland, Ca., as contractor sales mgr.

Jim McAllister, ex-Dayspring Hardwood & Moulding, has been named sales mgr. for the panel division of Columbia Cedar, Kettle Falls, Wa. Mike Herrema has joined the sales team at Disdero Lumber, Clackamas, Or.

COLOR

QaX]Vb ^dc cWT QTPdch ^U h^da f^^S

4R^ 2WT\XRP[ f^^S bcPX]b PaT P VaTPc RW^XRT U^a \PX]cPX]X]V cWT QTPdch P]S X]cTVaXch ^U h^da f^^S _a^SdRcb >da [^f E>2 bcPX]b PaT Rdbc^\XiTS U^a TPRW Rdbc^\Ta P]S _a^eXST TgRT[[T]c DE _a^cTRcX^]

ecochemical PAINT + STAINS

C74 8==>E0C>A 8= 42> 5A84=3;H ?08=C BC08=B

TR^RWT\XRP[ R^\ k ' %&& &("

20

The Merchant Magazine October 2012

Jim Bloxham, ex-Apple Blossom Moulding & Millworks, is new to millwork sales at Ashby Lumber, Concord, Ca. Kevin Smith, ex-Jim White Group, is new to softwood plywood sales at Roseburg Forest Products, Roseburg, Or. Derek Thorson, ex-Lowe’s, is a new outside sales rep for national accounts at American Building Supply, Phoenix, Az. Brad Wilson has been named v.p.logistics & transportation for Pacific Coast Building Products, Rancho Cordova, Ca. Penny Wise and Owen Money have joined the accounting department at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

New Lumber Tax in California

California Governor Jerry Brown approved new legislation calling for a 1% additional sales tax on lumber products, to be collected at the retail lumber level. The new tax is expected to be in place by January 1, 2013. “California’s laws have saddled our timber industry with costly burdens while giving out-of-state competitors a free ride—but that stops today,� said Brown. “This legislation enacts serious bipartisan reform to even the playing field to protect California’s timber-industry jobs.�

The new legislation, AB 1492, was introduced by timber landowners and others concerned that California laws give an unfair advantage to lumber products from less-regulated timber producers based out of state. It also provides for lesser liability to landowners for damages from wildfires.

It would also raise an estimated $30 million annually to pay for regulatory oversight, including $1.5 million for the Department of Fish & Games’ timber harvest review program.

While the new law requires the additional tax to be collected at the retail level, it also includes provisions to reimburse retailers for costs associated with collection of the assessment. “Lumber product� refers to a product in which wood or wood fiber is a principal component part (10% of the total content by volume), including engineered wood. It does not include furniture, paper products, indoor flooring, bark or cork products, firewood, or other products not typically regarded as lumber products.

Building-Products.com

Initial products include basement windows and patio doors, but will expand to decking and fencing.

Skyreach Expanding Rapidly

PHOENIX customer service center has been purchased by Peterman Lumber.

Peterman Expands to Arizona

Peterman Lumber, Fontana, Ca., opened a new distribution facility Sept. 10 in Phoenix, Az. The new 16,000-sq. ft. facility accommodates up to a half-milliondollars in inventory. Jeff Tonder is manager, with Gene Byrer and Brittney Skinner in sales.

Peterman also operates an 11-acre complex in Fontana and a DC in Las Vegas, Nv., which in August moved into larger, 35,000-sq. ft. quarters.

Oregon Mill Runs Out of Logs

Warm Springs Forest Products, Warm Springs, Or., will temporarily shut down from mid-November to early next year because its yearly allotment of timber—38 million bd. ft.—has been processed.

During the lull in production, the tribe will begin a $4.6-million upgrade of the mill’s biomass system. Logging is to resume in December, with lumber production back up in February.

AZEK Parent Buying Decking Competitor TimberTech

A ZEK Building Products parent CPG International, Scranton, Pa., agreed to buy TimberTech, Wilmington, Oh., from the Crane Group.

According to CPG chief executive officer Eric K. Jungbluth, “The ultimate goal is for our AZEK business and TimberTech to join forces. We believe this powerful combination will not only create the largest manufacturer in the trim, decking and railing market, but will also create a premier company in the industry as both entities manufacture highly engineered outdoor living solution products that offer exceptional aesthetics, performance and longevity.”

The deal was expected to close by the end of September.

Building-Products.com

Extruded PVC building products manufacturer Skyreach L&S Extrusions Corp. is aggressively expanding manufacturing and distribution across North America.

Relaunched last year by Hong Kong’s Liansu, Skyreach started with an extrusion plant in Vaughan, Ont., and has since added a warehouse and fabrication facility in Orange, Ca. Regional warehouses and manufacturing plants are set to open later this year in Chicago, Il., and next year in Dallas, Tx., and the mid-Atlantic area.

BlueLinx Sells California DC

BlueLinx Holdings has sold its 235,000-sq. ft. distribution center in Newark, Ca., for $17.7 million.

“We plan to relocate in the surrounding area by the end of the year to continue serving the Northern California market,” said c.f.o. Doug Goforth.

“The sale of this property strengthens our balance sheet and positions us to strategically grow our business.”

Old World Craftsmanship In Today’s Designs

Hand Hewn Distressed Timbers Geo. M. Huff Lumber Company is now offering Hand Hewn Distressed Timbers in a variety of sizes, shapes and lengths.

All our distressed beams are WCLIB grade stamped and will meet structural and architectural applications. All are hand tooled and can be ordered with custom stains and Old World finishes.

We can supply timbers to any specification, whether it is Dense, Free of Heart Center, #1/Btr, Select Structural, Green or RFV Kiln Dried.

When a plan calls for exposed posts and timbers, count on us to provide you with a product that will last a lifetime.

Combine our selection of Douglas fir timbers along with our skilled milling staff and you’ve got one of the best resources in Southern California.

HUFF LUMBER COMPANY SANTA FE SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

800-347-4833

October 2012 The Merchant Magazine

21

NEW Products

Exterior Wood Stain

Synthetic Underlayment

Eco Chemical’s Eco Hybrid exterior wood stain combines the benefits of oil- and water-based stains.

The low-VOC stain offers UV protection, resists chemicals, dries faster to reduce production times, and weathers without cracking, peeling or blistering.

Atlas Roofing’s Summit synthetic underlayment is coated to resist exposure to water and UV rays for at least six months.

Made from a lightweight woven polypropylene fabric for steep-slope applications, it is packaged in 10 square rolls weighing less than 30 lbs. each.

ECOCHEMICAL.COM (800) 677-7930

ATLASROOFING.COM (800) 388-6134

OSB Insulator

GreenGuard Plygood R-2 sheathing from Pactiv provides continuous insulation over OSB. Each board has an extruded polystyrene foam core and durable film facers. It comes 4’x8’ and 4’x9’— and 7/16” thick.

Finish for Fiber Cement Siding

SoPro factory coating from Duckback Products is formulated for pre-finishing of fiber cement siding.

The coating has outstanding color retention, superior chalk resistance, and good scuff and mar resistance.

GREENGUARD.PACTIV.COM

SUPERDECK.COM

(800) 241-4402

(800) 825-5382

TREATERS

WITH INTEGRITY, TAKING CARE OF TOMORROW’S NEEDS TODAY

ACQ ACQPreserve • Borates D-Blaze® Interior Fire Retardant Heat Treating ISPM 15 Compliant • Custom Drying Rail Served BNSF • TPI Third Party Inspected FSC Certified SCS-COC-002513

909-350-1214 15500 Valencia Ave. (Box 1070), Fontana, CA 92335 Fax 909-350-9623 • email – sales@fontanawholesalelumber.com

www.fontanawholesalelumber.com

22

The Merchant Magazine October 2012

Building-Products.com

Sealed on Stone

ChemMasters’ new sealer can protect stamped concrete, exposed aggregate, terrazzo, and manmade or natural stone.

The low-VOC product dries slowly for easier application and to eliminate bubbles. It has a high gloss wet look, yet also resists solvents, acids, alkalis, gasoline, oils and grease.

Structural Screws

Strong Drive SDW structural wood screws from Simpson Strong-Tie fasten trusses and rafters to wall top plates.

A fully threaded shank provides a secure connection between the roof and framing members. A cap-style head countersinks fully into the double top plate to avoid interference with drywall or finish work.

CHEMMASTERS.NET (800) 486-7866

STRONGTIE.COM/FASTEN (800) 999-5099

Protect Wood, Etc.

BoraSol-MC from Quality Borate Co. provides long-lasting protection against mold, mildew, and algae, both inside and outside of the home.

The water-soluble solution can be brushed or sprayed onto a variety of surfaces, including most wood products, wallboard, shingles, and concrete.

It can also be applied with BoralSol-WP, which protects wood from boring insects and wood rot. Both products reportedly conform to all EPA regulations and AWPA standards.

QUALITYBORATE.COM (866) 267-2837

Building-Products.com

5625 Arville St., Ste. C-D Las Vegas, NV 89118 (702) 430-3433 Fax (702) 430-3440

10330 Elm Ave., Fontana, CA 92337 (800) 244-1696 • (909) 357-7730 Fax (909) 357-7743 860 S. 67th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85043 (855) 551-2627 (623) 936-2627 Fax (623) 936-5214

Exclusive to Las Vegas

NEVAMAR Established 1979

Visit our website for all material needs

www.petermanlumber.com

High Pressure Laminates

STARON Solid Surfaces

FSC® CERTIFIED MATERIAL AVAILABLE $8 MILLION INVENTORY Domestic & Exotic Hardwoods, Softwoods, Panel Products, Laminates, Shutter Parts, Cabinet Hardware, Flooring, Custom & Architectural Mouldings, Custom Milling, & Many More Building & Decorative-Related Products

We are open to the public!

Visit our customer service centers in Fontana, CA • Las Vegas, NV • Phoenix, AZ Proudly Serving the Southwest • California, Nevada & Arizona October 2012 The Merchant Magazine

23

ASSOCIATION Update

West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association’s 2nd Growth group holds its annual holiday meeting Dec. 6 at Embassy Suites, Brea, Ca. Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association scheduled its annual holiday party for Dec. 7 in the Mile High Stadium Club at Invesco Field, Denver, Co.

tributor relationship expert Robert Nadeau, selling and sales leadership veteran Jim Pancero, and economic forecaster Alan Beaulieu, with updated economic insights that directly affect the building materials and floor

covering industries.

Political consultant and former White House press secretary Dana Perino, co-host of Fox’s The Five, will deliver the keynote address, “The Political Realities—Right Now.”

Portland Wholesale Lumber Association will ring out the old year with a Dec. 7 Christmas luncheon at Embassy Suites Hotel, Portland, Or.

APA-The Engineered Wood Association will incorporate clay shooting, golf and tennis tournaments into its Nov. 11-13 annual meeting at Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Fl.

North American Building Material Distribution Association is teaming with the North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors to present a joint annual convention Nov. 13-15 in Orlando, Fl. Speakers include manufacturer-dis-

24

The Merchant Magazine October 2012

LOS ANGELES Hardwood Lumberman’s Club gathered Sept. 13 at Roscoe’s, Fullerton, Ca. (L-r) Mike Bohnhoff, Tom Escherich, Steve Ondich, Nathan Osborn, Charley Bohnhoff, Walter Ralston (kneeling), Charley James, Dan Bohannon, Christa Bohnhoff, Mark Michie, Dennis Johnston, Bill Fitzgerald, Bruce Jauman, Walter Maas, Dale Bohannon

Building-Products.com

WESTERN RED CEDAR Photos by The Merchant Magazine

WESTERN RED CEDAR Lumber Association’s Cedar Summit kicked off BC Wood’s Global Buyers Mission Sept. 5 in Whistler, B.C. [1] Don Demens, Helena Jehnichen, Carl Dyck, Jack Draper. [2] Carlos Furtado, Wayne Miller, Ryan Furtado. [3] David Jeffers, Craig Combs. [4] Al Fortune, Steve Hickman, Jeff Derby. [5] Ron Enyeart, Linda Elliott. [6]

Brad Meeker, Doug Nelson. [7] Bill Brown, Jake van Schothorst, Brent Stuart. [8] Asa Johnson, Skip Dierdor, Greg Louden, Karl Wagner, Trevor Park. [9] Ben Meachen, David Hughes. [10] Wendell McLeod, Russ Nixon. [11] Joe Petree, Brad Kirkbride. [12] David Bond, Jim Gillis.

Superior Service, Products & Support 100% of the Time

Distributed By

P.O. Box 1802, Medford, OR 97501 • Fax 541-535-3288

(541) 535-3465 • www.normandist.com Building-Products.com

October 2012 The Merchant Magazine

25

BC WOOD Photos by The Merchant Magazine

BC WOOD hosted its annual Global Buyers Mission Sept. 6-8 at the Whistler Conference Center, Whistler, B.C. [1] Archie Rafter, Ron Andersen.

[2] David Hughes, Mike Pidlisecky, Ben Good. [3] Mike Friesen, Bill Dumont. [4] Brad Flitton, Ben Meachen, Jeff Derby, Ryan Furtado, John Shook. [5] Peter Alexander, Lance Humphrey. [6] Dan Wasmuth, Don Slack, Gary Gill, Joe Petree. [7] John Fijalkowski, Ben Klementovicz, David Bernstein. [8] Robert Marusic, Jack Heavenor, Scott Stockton. [9] Shannon Mott, Alan Oakes. [10] Glen & Kari Kump, Foster Coulson. [11]

John & Deborah Kruks. [12] Curtis Walker, John Brissette. [13] Al Huber, Blair Nutting.

(More photos on next page)

C&E LUMBER COMPANY

1 1/2” to 12” Diameter in Stock.

SPECIAL QUOTES

26

The Merchant Magazine October 2012

Building-Products.com

BC WOOD Photos by The Merchant Magazine

MORE BC WOOD (continued from previous page): [1] Gary Fallin, Chuck Martineau, Duncan Fairclough. [2] Bryan Lundstrom, Al Fortune. [3] Craig Combs, David Jeffers. [4] Graham Picard, Ted Dergousoff, Terry

Wholesale Industrial Lumber

REEL

LUMBER SERVICE

1321 N. Kraemer Blvd. (Box 879), Anaheim, Ca. 92806 Fax 714-630-3190 (714) 632-1988 • (800) 675-REEL 3518 Chicago Ave., Riverside, Ca. 92507

(951) 781-0564

www.reellumber.com Building-Products.com

Gaines. [5] Gordon Catherwood. [6] Rob Mitchell. [7] Tyson Palmer, Dennis Wight. [8] Peter Grant. [9] Brett Li, Laura Chalke, Shane Carphin.

[10] Peter Dickson, Mack Magee. [11] Corey Scott, Griffin Augustian.

A

t Reel Lumber Service, we supply domestic and foreign hardwoods.

Our products and services include: • Hardwood Lumber & Pine • Hardwood Plywood & Veneers • Melamine Plywood • Hardwood Moulding (alder, cherry, mahogany, MDF, maple, red oak, paint grade, pecan hickory, white oak, walnut, beech) • Milling (moulding profiles, S2S, SLR1E, SLR2E, & resawn lumber) • Woodworking Accessories (appliques, ornaments, butcher blocks, corbels, etc.)

• Woodworking Supplies (deft finishes, color putty, adhesives, etc.)

O

ur products are widely used in interior finish carpentry, furniture, cabinetry and hundreds of industrial and manufacturing applications. We stock a complete line of complementary products to complete virtually any woodworking or millwork project.

October 2012 The Merchant Magazine

27

IN Memoriam

James Richard Rauch, 79, former operator of Rauch Lumber Co., Troy, Id., died Sept. 9 in Coeur d’Alene, Id. He started working at the family business in 1942 at age 10 and relocated to Potlatch, Id., when Bennett Lumber Co., Princeton, Id., bought the company in 1969. In 1987, he moved to New Mexico to help the Mescalaro Indians start up a sawmill, selling lumber for Mescalero Forest Products, Mescalero, N.M., until he

retired in 1992.

He served in the U.S. Army.

John Lloyd “Jack” Ruble, 89, retired owner of Ruble Forest Products, Eugene, Or., died Sept. 2 in Bend, Or. During World War II, he served in the Army. Afterward, he finished his studies at the University of Oregon and graduated with a B.S. in economics.

He was involved in the lumber industry for many years, serving as principal at several lumber brokerage

firms. He started his own company in 1964 and retired from the business in 1986.

Robert Bruce “Bob” Taylor, 91, retired Oregon lumberman, died of cancer Sept. 15 in Eugene, Or. After serving as a U.S. Army master sergeant in Okinawa during World War II, he graduated from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1948 and began his career in lumber sales at Timberlane Lumber Co., Eugene. He retired from A&R Lumber Sales, Junction City, Or.

CLASSIFIED Marketplace Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word min.). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy or headline, $9 per line. Border, $9.

Private box, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if art furnished “camera-ready” (advertiser sets the type), $65 if we set type. Send ad to Fax 949-8520231 or dkoenig@ building-products.com. For more info, call (949) 852-

1990. Make checks payable to Cutler Publishing. Deadline: 18th of previous month.

To reply to ads with private box numbers, send correspondence to box number shown, c/o The Merchant. Names of advertisers using a box number cannot be released.

Order Blank

PRODUCTS FOR SALE

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING – Fax to 949-852-0231 or email to dkoenig@building-products.com – Cost: $1.20 per word

Name ______________________ Phone (

) ______________

Address ______________________________________________

City ______________________ State ____ Zip _______-_____

¢ each JOB SITE 7,000 at 16SIGNS

NAIL APRONS ¢ each 1,000 at 89PLANNERS CONTRACTOR

PRINTED WITH YOUR LOGO

L.I.INDUSTRIES FAX718-793-4316 973-455-7217 FAX

800-526-6465

COPY ________________________________________________

apronaz@aol.com www.apronsupply.com

______________________________________________________

Is this your copy?

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

The

MERCHANT Magazine Get your own every month.

______________________________________________________

Contact Heather at (949) 852-1990

______________________________________________________

Latest Breaking Industry News

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

28

CARPENTER PENCILS

The Merchant Magazine October 2012

HKelly@building-products.com

Updated Daily

Check out building-products.com Building-Products.com

DATE Book

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

Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club – Oct. 12, golf tournament & bbq, Ukiah Golf Course, Ukiah, Ca.; blackbarthoohoo181.org.

Do it Best Corp. – Oct. 13-15, fall market, Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, In.; (260) 748-5300; www.doitbestcorp.com.

American Architectural Manufacturers Association – Oct. 14-17, national fall conference, Hyatt Regency Tamaya, Albuquerque, N.M.; (847) 303-5664; www.aamanet.org.

Door & Hardware Institute – Oct. 17-18, annual conference & expo, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nv.; (703) 222-2010; dhi.org.

Lumber Association of California & Nevada – Oct. 18-19, annual convention, Monterey, Ca.; (800) 266-4344; www.lumberassociation.org.

North American Building Material Distribution Association – Nov. 13-15, annual convention, Hilton, Orlando, Fl.; (888) 7477862; www.nbmda.org.

Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club – Nov. 14, initiation meeting, La Hacienda Restaurant, Cloverdale, Ca.; blackbarthoohoo181.org.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – Nov. 14, dinner & speaker meeting, Anaheim Hills, Ca.; (760) 324-0842; hoohoo117.org.

U.S. Green Building Council – Nov. 14-16, Greenbuild conference & expo, San Francisco, Ca.; (800) 795-1747; www.usgbc.com.

West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association – Dec. 6, 2nd Growth holiday meeting, Embassy Suites, Brea, Ca.; (916) 235-7490; lumberassociation.org.

JLC Live Residential Construction Show – Dec. 6-7, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Or.; (972) 536-6461; northwest. jlclive.com.

Remodeling & Decorating Show – Oct. 20-21, Orange County Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa, Ca.; (818) 557-2950; www.thehomeshow.com.

Composite Decking & Railing Conference – Oct. 22-23, Atlanta, Ga.; www.deckrailconference.com.

Green Industry & Equipment Expo – Oct. 24-26, Kentucky Fair & Expo Center, Louisville, Ky.; (800) 558-8767; www.gie-expo.com.

National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – Nov. 24-26, pro dealer summit, Westin, Savannah, Ga.; (202) 3671169; www.prodealer.com.

American Lumber Standard Committee – Nov. 2, annual meeting, San Francisco, Ca.; www.alsc.org.

Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Assn. – Nov. 4-5, annual convention & show, Orlando, Fl.; (800) 352-2981; stafda.org.

Western Wood Preservers Institute – Nov. 4-7, annual meeting, Grand Wailea Resort, Wailea, Maui, Hi.; (800) 729-9663; www.wwpinstitute.com.

Washington Forest Protection Association – Nov. 7, annual meeting, Olympia, Wa.; www.wfpa.org.

Building Industry Show – Nov. 7-8, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, Ca.; (909) 396-9993; www.buildingindustryshow.com.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – Nov. 7-9, Traders Market, Hyatt Regency, Chicago, Il.; (800) 527-8258; www.lumber.org.

Celebrating 45 years of fine hardwood manufacture and distribution For the finest service in the industry, call on Swaner for a steady, reliable source of quality hardwood products at competitive prices.

• Hardwood Lumber / S4S • Hardwood Plywood • Custom Hardwood Moulding • Custom Hardwood Flooring

THUNDERBOLT WOOD TREATING

Pacific Logging Congress – Nov. 8-10, convention, Tucson, Az.; (425) 413-2808; pacificloggingconference.org.

APA-The Engineered Wood Association – Nov. 9-13, annual meeting, Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island, Fl.; (253) 565-6600; www.apawood.org.

5 West Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, Ca. 91502 Fax 818-846-3662

(800) 368-1108

…Quality Wood Treating Services Since 1977 “We Treat Wood Right”…

www.thunderboltwoodtreating.com

Treating Services Only (TSO)

Central California Location 3400 Patterson Rd., Riverbank, Ca. 95367 Sacramento, CA

ACQ • CCA • BORATES D-BLAZE® • ACZA (CHEMONITE®))

Bob Palacioz, sales/marketing mgr. • bob@thunderboltwoodtreating.com (916) 402-3248 • Fax (916) 339-2477

Heat Treating • Drying Services (KD, KDAT) Marine Piling • Staining Service • Rail Siding (BNSF) Coating Serv ice: MFI-SLO8 Marine Grade Spray Polyurea Coating

Marine & Industrial S ales Miguel Gutierrez • miguel@thunderboltwoodtreating.com (209) 747-7773 • Fax (209) 451-0425

Building-Products.com

October 2012 The Merchant Magazine

29

IDEA File Fiddle Me This

GRAND OLE OPRY stars perform at Handy Hardware, Franklin, Tn. (Photo by Donna O’Neill)

A hardware store outside Nashville, Tn., is bringing family-friendly entertainment to the neighborhood—and increasing its sales.

“Viva Nash Vegas” is the title of the free music and comedy show that plays out in the back of Handy Hardware, Franklin, Tn., every two weeks, on Saturday mornings.

“You have to find your niche and go for it,” says manager Andy Willoughby, whose father has owned the store for the past 20 years. “I’ve got a lot of unique things in the store.”

Unique might be an understatement. An Elvis doll sits on a stuffed bobcat, near weed trimmers, old-time washboards, raccoon traps, metal detectors, and a display of Civil War-era bullets. Also on display—and for sale—are Viva Nash Vegas T-shirts and posters.

The show is the brainchild of George Hamilton V— who grew up at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville—and his friend, William Covington, a sheet-metal worker.

Hamilton, who’s recorded several albums and still tours Europe, wanted to perform closer to his home in Franklin.

When the two men approached Willoughby, he readily agreed to the idea, but had no idea it would be so popular. “It’s just amazing how much business it’s brought me,” he says. “It’s increased my business by 68% on Saturdays.”

The most recent show had an appreciative audience of about 50, some of whom sat on folding chairs near the cans of paint and boxes of nails. “It’s brought in lots of new customers,” says Willoughby. “ Many shop during and after the show, and also return during the week.”

Hamilton and Covington are always looking for stars who don’t mind performing near home improvement products. So far, Grand Old Opry favorites such as George Hamilton IV, Michael Kelsh, and Al Goll have performed here. Another favorite was Jeannie C. Riley, who sang a version of her classic “Harper Valley P.T.A.” “We like entertaining and we like country music,” says Covington. “We wanted to share it with everybody.”

30

The Merchant Magazine October 2012

ADVERTISERS Index For more information on advertisers, call them directly or visit their websites [in brackets].

Advantage Trim & Lumber [www.advantagelumber.com] ................11 Ainsworth [www.ainsworth.ca].......................................................18-19 Arch/Lonza [www.wolmanizedwood.com] .................................Cover I Benjamin Obdyke [www.benjaminobdyke.com] ............................TM32 Blue Book Services [www.bluebookservices.com] .......................TM34 Bodyguard [www.bodyguardwood.com]...................................Cover II Boise Cascade [www.bcewp.com] ......................................................11 Cabot [www.cabotfactoryfinish.com]..............................................TM15 C&D Lumber Co. [www.cdlumber.com] ..........................................TM28 C&E Lumber Co. [www.lodgepolepine.com] ......................................26 Coastal Plywood [www.coastalplywood.com] ...............................TM10 Collins [www.truwoodsiding.com] .................................................8A-8B Distribution Management Systems Inc. [www.dmsi.com] ............TM25 Eco Chemical [www.ecochemical.com]..............................................20 El & El Wood Products [www.elandelwoodproducts.com]......Cover II Enduris [www.enduris.com].............................................................TM11 Forest2Market [www.forest2market.com].......................................TM33 Fontana Wholesale Lumber [www.fontanawholesalelumber.com]..22 GRK Fasteners [www.grkfasteners.com] ...........................................13 Haida Forest Products [www.haidaforest.com] ...............................TM7 Huff Lumber Co.....................................................................................21 Idaho Forest Group [www.idahoforestgroup.com]........................TM48 Jaaco Corp. [www.jaaco.com] ...............................................................3 J.M. Thomas Forest Products [www.thomasforest.com]....................4 Keller Lumber Co. .................................................................................23 LWO Corp. [www.lwocorp.com]. .....................................................TM39 Manke Lumber Co. [www.mankelumber.com] ...............................TM35 Mary’s River Lumber [www.marysriverlumber.com] .....................TM20 Maze Nails [www.mazenails.com] .....................................................TM2 Murphy Co. [www.murphyplywood.com] .........................................TM5 Nordic Engineered Wood Products [www.nordicewp.com] .........TM29 Norman Distribution Inc. [www.normandist.com] .............................25 North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. [www.nawla.org]........TM41 Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. [www.nelma.org] .....TM32 PPG Industries [www.ppg.com] ......................................................TM17 Pacific Wood Preserving Cos. [www.pacificwood.com] ...................24 Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance [plmins.com]........TM27 Peterman Lumber Inc. [www.petermanlumber.com] .........................23 Plycem USA [www.plycemtrim.com]...............................................TM19 Probyn Group [www.probynltd.com] ................................................TM9 Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com] ...................................TM13 Reel Lumber Service [www.reellumber.com] .....................................27 Regal Custom Millwork.........................................................................27 Rosboro [www.rosboro.com]...........................................................TM26 Roseburg Forest Products [www.rfpco.com].................................TM23 RoyOMartin [www.royomartin.com]................................................TM47 Shasta Green [www.shastagreen.com]...........................................TM32 Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com] ...............................Cover III Skyreach L&S Extrusions Corp. [www.skyreachls.com] ....................3 Snider Industries [www.sniderindustries.com]................................TM3 Sunbelt [www.sunbeltracks.com]....................................................TM16 Swaner Hardwood Co. [www.swanerhardwood.com] .......................29 Swanson Group Sales Co. [www.swansongroupinc.com].....Cover IV Taiga Building Products Inc...................................................................5 Thunderbolt Wood Treating [thunderboltwoodtreating.com]...........29 Versatex [www.versatex.com] .........................................................TM21 Viance [www.treatedwood.com] ............................................................5 Western Red Cedar Lumber Assn. [www.wrcla.org] ........TM7, TM30-31 Yakama Forest Products [www.yakama-forest.com] ....................TM39 Building-Products.com

The

MERCHANT

Magazine