The Merchant - Dec 2022

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER

Patrick Adams padams@526mediagroup.com

VICE PRESIDENT Shelly Smith Adams sadams@526mediagroup.com

PUBLISHERS EMERITUS

David Cutler, Alan Oakes

MANAGING EDITOR

David Koenig dkoenig@526mediagroup.com

SENIOR EDITOR

Sara Graves sgraves@526mediagroup.com

COLUMNISTS

James Olsen, Samantha Stallings, Claudia St. John, Dave Kahle

CONTRIBUTORS

Amy Androff, Laura Murray, Susan Palé

ADVERTISING SALES

(714) 486-2735 Chuck Casey ccasey@526mediagroup.com Nick Kosan nkosan@526mediagroup.com

VIRTUAL EVENTS

Alek Olson • aolson@526mediagroup.com

CIRCULATION/SUPPORT info@526mediagroup.com

A PUBLICATION OF 526 MEDIA GROUP, INC.

151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. E200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Phone (714) 486-2735

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POSTMASTER Send address changes to The Merchant Magazine, 151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. E200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. The Merchant Magazine (ISSN 7399723) (USPS 796-560) is published monthly at 151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. E200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 by 526 Media Group, 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®2022 by 526 Media Group, Inc. Cover and entire contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission. All Rights Reserved. We reserve the right to accept or reject any edi torial or advertising matter, and assumes no liability for materials furnished to it. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or persons quoted and not necessarily those of 526 Media Group, Inc. Articles are intended for informa tional purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial or business management advice.

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IT GOES FAST

BY PATRICK ADAMS

I’M BEING REMINDED by my wife that my daughter’s 12th birthday is right around the corner and we need to plan something “special” because she has that curse of a birthday just three days before Christmas. I fall deep into thought about that. She is 5’3” now and was just recruit ed as a setter for a club volleyball travel team. The things that we talk about when I pick up the kids from school require more brain power on my part—and restraint. I’m trying to become that “wise” father who listens, doesn’t react, and only offers wise perspective when it is perfectly appropriate so that she continues talking to me.

My son just turned 6 in October. Overnight he went from this goofy little guy where my wife and I were con stantly asking ourselves, “Is this really our kid?” to the other day doing something that surprised even me. I was cutting down some firewood for our outdoor fireplace. He came up and asked if he could help. While I was cutting, I pointed to a significant pile of logs and said, “You can take all of those back to the fireplace and stack them in the storage bin,” and went back to my cutting thinking he wouldn’t even attempt it—or would tap out quickly. As I fin ished cutting, I looked back and noticed there was no pile of logs other than what I had most recently cut. He came around the corner, dirty with several small cuts on his arms and one on his foot from wrestling with the wood. I asked him where all the wood was. He calmly replied, “In the storage bin where you asked, Dad.”

I was out at the shooting range recently running drills with a few guys a fair bit younger than me. This never made a difference before because years of experience and the calm of knowing that “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast” is always the mantra when shooting and always wins out. However today, it seemed that “slow” was just slow. By the end of our day, I was tired wondering if this was just an off day, or has time finally caught up to me?

It is an interesting perspective being the age that we are and having kids that are 12 and 6. While I never cease to be thankful for our family, those whose standard mantra of “Oh, kids will keep you young,” never had kids at our age! While perhaps it’s just that we are very busy individuals between the business, the kids and life in

general, I’m beginning to wonder how it is that time has passed so quickly.

In just another six years, my daughter will be away to begin her adult life. How is this even possible? It seems like yesterday that I was in the delivery room and the doctor asked that life-changing question: “How are you doing there, Dad?” As the song says, nobody had ever called me that before, and my life was forever changed at that moment.

It seems not long before that, but it was actually 20 years ago on May 26 (or 5/26, the root of “526” Media Group, which actually began when we started dating 30 years ago) that I stood at the head of that aisle watching my wife to be walk toward me by her father. The weight of watching her walk toward me and the flood of emotions will never leave me as I said my vows with every word landing heavy on my heart as a lifetime commitment to serve and protect her and our family to be.

I don’t have any regrets as I know how precious life is, and how quickly it passes. I would not do anything differ ently as I’m proud that I’ve reprioritized my life to allow “life” and “family” to have an equal priority to work and other things that would compete for attention. However, in spite of all of the warnings from elders, I can’t believe how fast it goes.

As we close on another year in what feels like record time, take a moment. Go somewhere quiet where you won’t be distracted. Close your eyes and take in your life and all of your blessings. Smile at your successes and laugh at your mistakes that gave you the lessons nec essary to move ahead. Open your eyes and look at your watch. That took only a minute. Use your time wisely, because it goes fast.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season full of happiness, gratitude and safety. Look after yourselves and those you love. Thank you for the great honor of serving you and this industry.

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

REVOLUTIONARY WOOD PRODUCTS BUILD THE GREENER WORLD OF TOMORROW

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

BY LAURA MURRAY & AMY ANDROFF

THIS YEAR has highlighted the remarkable and demanding challenges of wildfire season, the devastating effects of climate change, and the importance of main taining healthy, resilient forests.

All over the country, decades of fire suppression, long-term drought and insect infestation have created a buildup of dry forest material—of dry low-value wood. This buildup of flammable material drives the catastroph ic fires that have been affecting our western states. Prescribed fire, mechanical thinning, and pile burning are all solutions used by the Forest Service to address this excess of biomass buildup. But the problem is bigger than any single remedy.

Forest Service researchers are thinking outside of the box to tackle this problem from every angle. What if there was a way to use this low-value wood, or “waste,” to create innovative green products?

This is where nanocellulose comes in. Cellulose is a basic building block of wood and is key to keeping plants and trees upright. It has some miraculous properties that we are just beginning to understand, and the scientists at Forest Products Laboratory have been working on a whole host of creative applications that apply nanocel lulose—cellulose in its smallest form—to create win/win solutions for local economies, land managers, climate change and industry.

Robert Moon, a materials research engineer at the lab, envisions a unique and sustainable future with this tiny yet mighty material revolutionizing fabrication technology.

“Nanocellulose can be produced from a wide variety of low-value cellulose source materials, such as invasive plant and tree species, reclaimed wood from fire restoration, downed timber from hurricanes, recycled cellulose (e.g., paper/pulp, cotton textiles), agricultural and forestry waste streams (e.g., fruit pulps, husks, sawdust, pulp mill sludge, textiles),” Moon said. “This aspect is important as nanocellulose production can help address other societal problems, such as land and waste management issues.”

Furthermore, cellulose nanomaterials are a catalyst for sustainable, pioneering material technology in the bio- and circular economy.

FOREST SERVICE scientists and program staff worked with several public and private partners to install cellulose nanocrystals-enhanced concrete beams in the Moffett Creek Bridge in Siskiyou County, Ca., to demonstrate its application in bridges. The team is also looking at replacing bridges destroyed in California forest fires with CNC-enhanced concrete. (Photo by Liz Bowen)

Moon explained, “Cellulose nanomaterials are inspir ing innovation in cellulose science, technology and prod uct development. Their unique combination of character istics—high function across a broad range of properties, biodegradable, sustainable, non-toxic, biocompatible—can be produced globally and at industrial quantities.”

Ken Zwick, assistant director of wood fiber and com posites, agrees and sees a future without a petrochem ical-based economy. “Nanocellulose is going to help us transition from a petrochemical-based economy to a renewable forest product-based economy by replacing plastics and improving material performance,” he said.

When incorporated into other materials, nanocellulose lends incredible strength requiring less emissions-inten sive material. For example, adding cellulose nanocrystals to concrete improves its strength, and since less concrete is needed to achieve the same structural integrity, less of it gets used, which lowers emissions associated with concrete production. (Cement, an ingredient of concrete, is the third largest industrial source of pollution.)

From adding nanocellulose to fiberglass and auto mobile tires to plastics and electronic components, researchers are imagining and producing unique solu tions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while thinning overcrowded forests to create a healthier, resilient forest economy.

Zwick sees a bright, green future with nanocellulose playing an important role: “Nanocellulose is going to help combat climate change in three important ways. First, it is going to make materials like cement stronger and bet ter so you need less of them and less energy to produce them. Second, nanocellulose will sequester carbon from the forest directly in long-lived materials like car parts, tires and cement. And finally, it is going to help pay for forest restoration work that will keep forests healthy and growing and reduce catastrophic wildfires.”

With 193 million acres of public land making up 19% of all forests across the country, the Forest Service is a key player in national efforts to mitigate climate change. In a very direct way, the Forest Service’s healthy forest initiatives impact the vitality, integrity and expanse of forests, one of nature’s most powerful climate regulators.

Wood is not just the building material used by our ancestors, wood and forest products are the futuristic material of tomorrow. And the possibilities—trees fabri cating our greener future—are literally limitless. MM

STUDENTS GENERATE electricity while they walk the floors of the student union building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Made mostly from recycled wood pulp, the flooring captures the energy of footsteps and turns it into usable electricity. (Photo by Adrienne Nienow)

CAN YOU SUCCESSFULLY SELL PAINT ONLINE?

BY DAVID KOENIG

OVER THE PREVIOUS five years, online sales of paint in the U.S. have grown an average of 2.4% a year, according to a recent study by IBISWorld. However, indications are sales may have peaked, and are forecast to decline 1.6% this year. Consequently, while many con sumers would enjoy the convenience of buying online, a variety of factors make paint an imperfect product for the Internet.

A spokesperson for Do it Best noted that sales are complicated by potential difficulties in shipping. “Certain states don’t allow some paint products to be shipped into their states. If caught, sellers face severe fines. This requires them to understand the nuances of legislation for each state. Plus, a gallon of paint is heavy (costly to

ONLINE PAINT SALES IN THE U.S.

ship) and can break open in shipping, resulting in a loss for the seller and a likely fine by the shipper. And it’s difficult to refund/replace if the customer doesn’t like the color or result.

“At least at Do it Best, our perspective is that paint is nearly Amazon-proof. A successful purchase is done in person... at least for now.”

The majority of online paint sales made by Do it Best retailers are of the pre-mixed variety, like Rust-Oleum. “Very little business is done with traditional paint bases that need to be tinted before they are shipped,” the spokesperson confirmed.

As well, much of the public is wary of buying paint online. An earlier study identified the three main ob stacles for consumers: (1) they want to see the colors in person and how they look on their walls, (2) it’s easier to ask for selection advice in person, and (3) it’s easier to

INNOVATIONS SUCH AS peel-and-stick samples that can be mailed to homes have made it easier than ever for consumers to shop for paint without ever leaving their homes. (Photo by Sherwin-Williams)

find everything they need at hand once they step into a physical paint department.

That said, major paint manu facturers, big-box retailers, and an increasing number of independents do sell paint online. Here’s how they make it work:

For those who could use some help selecting a color: Some manufacturers offer paint samples, chips and fan decks online. Or consumers can use apps that help them visualize how different colors will look in their room. SherwinWilliams will send consumers up to ten 2”x3” color chips for free and charges $3.95 for 8”x8” peel-andstick samples.

What if they need a color match? With apps like Behr ColorSmart, consumers can upload a picture of their existing room and the app will automatically match it to the closest hue available.

What if they buy it and don’t like it? Most retailers hold online sales to the same refund policy as for in-store purchases (which frequently

BEHR provides such tools as a color selector, sheen guide, and paint calculator to ease buying online.

means no returns on custom-tinted or mixed paint).

And, most importantly, what if they wish to avoid the hassles of

shipping? Do what most online shop pers are already doing: Purchase your paint online and then just swing by the store to pick it up. MM

THE KIDS ARE BACK IN TOWN

BY SARA GRAVES

THE ANNUAL Arkansas Goat Festival brought in nearly 10,000 people to Perryville this year. Show casing the latest in goat costumes and a “Nannies at Night” goat lingerie show, it’s a lot for a small town outside of Little Rock that has one grocery store, two convenience stores, and has never had enough traffic to earn its first stoplight.

“It’s remarkable how many people are attracted to the idea of going to a goat festival,” says Bill Weiss, who retired as a co-owner of Perryville’s Weiss Lumber & Building Supply in July after the company was sold to Nation’s Best in March. “To me, (there’s) such a contrast of what things are usually like—and then you get a goat festival and 10,000 people show up for it. I guess there’s not many places you can go and talk about goats with other people.”

When goats aren’t parading through town, Perryville is a much quieter place. With nearly 1,700 peo ple calling it home, and the Razor back football season a close second to deer season as the most popular activity of its townspeople, everyone knows if you want to know anything, you should ask the folks at Weiss Lumber.

“I will go to the grocery store and there’s all my customers,” says Bill, who retired after 45 years onto eight acres near the Arkansas River, about 16 miles outside of Perryville. “They’re asking me, ‘Are you going to be in this afternoon?’ I say, ‘No, I’m retired now.’”

This isn’t new for Bill, however, recollecting the calls he used to regularly receive at Weiss Lumber. “‘That store next to you, Bill, what’s their phone number?’ or, ‘What’s the score on the football game last night?’”

And if the phones weren’t ring ing, Bill was often catching up with his customers or guests, including Henry Graydon, a local writer for a small turkey hunter publication who liked to sit on the bench inside Weiss Lumber talking with Bill and co-own er Jack Weiss. His articles often featured a rundown of all the people who came into the store.

Weiss Lumber has always been a stable place to come to. With the same employees working there since 1995 and Weiss family members at the helm, relationship, service, community, and competitive pricing have been the keys to the company’s success.

“We knew we were dealing with a small state population, and we better keep as much of it as best as we can,” Bill says. “We also knew that there were only so many people we could attract a little bit farther away than our county.”

In fact, up until 15 years ago, Perry County, which Perryville resides

ANNUAL GOAT FESTIVAL multiplies the headcount in Perryville, Ar., by six times, quite a change for the usually sleepy town Weiss Lumber has called home for more than 50 years. (Photo by Scott Hunter)

in, had a very stable population— people didn’t move in or out of the county, Bill explains. Weiss Lumber, therefore, focused on making sure “we retained anyone that we could get into the doors—we (had to) keep them happy. We always emphasized being friends, tried to figure out who you got coming in, called them by name—just the typical skills that

most businesses with any longevity learn.”

Community connection was an other big part of customer retention. “We always supported the football, basketball—anything that was going on in the entire county. We were active as volunteer firefighters,” Bill says.

And although Weiss hasn’t faced a lot of competition since it was founded by Bill’s father, Donald “Don” Weiss in 1964, there was one Perryville lumberyard/ready-mixed concrete business in the early ’80s that taught Weiss Lumber how to compete. “We learned that we had to make ourselves as attractive as we could,” Bill recalls. “We very pointed ly tried to make sure that we were competitive to what most people were looking for.” Bill admits they may not have been “necessarily the cheapest,” but at least, when a guy walked in, “he knew he was getting a competitive price,” he says.

Then a few years ago, the direc tion of the company changed after Bill’s brother, Jack, retired on Janu ary 1, 2021, after 44 years with the business. Bill could see that his “days were numbered,” and he had to do something. Bill contacted Nation’s Best because he was attracted to the idea that “we could maintain the city tie.”

Having finalized the sale, Weiss Lumber, with its deep roots in Per ryville, continues to thrive. Jack’s son, Russell Weiss, is the manager/ supervisor. “We tried to make sure that everything remained the same— that was important to us. It’s still Weiss Lumber, but it’s a little differ ent version of it,” Bill adds. “They are still trying to maintain the commu nity, backing the football, school, anything to do in town.”

Meanwhile, life in Perryville goes on. Bill and 64 other graduates of the 1965 high school class are get ting excited about their upcoming re union—the biggest class to come out of Perryville at the time. But, it’s not like they don’t see each other often. And if they do miss one another in town, they can always ask someone at Weiss Lumber to “tell Roger to give me a call.” MM

SARA GRAVES

A LONGTIME Do it Best member, Weiss Lumber was acquired by Do it Best-affiliated dealer Nation’s Best earlier this year.

LOCALS FEEL welcomed by the long-standing staff, including (left to right) Chris McNeil, Seth Farnam, Russell Weiss, now-retired Bill Weiss, and Mary Wray.

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

SALES TONES

BY JAMES OLSEN

WHAT WE SAY is important. There is a right time to ask questions, follow up questions and a right time to close. But more important than what we say is how we say it. We may say the coolest thing in the world, but if we sound nervous, too aggressive, or uncertain even if what we are saying is true, it will be difficult for our potential customers to believe and buy from us.

Goosebumps

We cannot control goosebumps. We can’t stop them from coming any more than we can make them happen. Goose bumps are involuntarily triggered in the “flight or fight” part of our brain, the amygdala. This is the part of the brain that our tone(s) speak to, so if our tone is bad our customers can’t help but be reluctant to buy, and if our tone is good, they can’t help but want to buy from us.

Tone for Receptionists

Most salespeople are professionally polite with receptionists—they are not rude—but the majority treat the recep tionist like furniture; they even call them “gate keepers”!

The Master Seller’s tone is friendly, warm and not in a hurry when speak ing with the receptionist. Their pace is slower and more deliberate than normal. They have a slight smile on their face. This makes it easier for the receptionist to understand the voice they are hearing for the first time.

Master Seller: “Good morning. This is Sarah Hopson with ABC Wholesale out of Jonesboro, Ar. How are you today?” Moving our intonation up on the “you” makes it sincere. Maybe some small talk, depending on the vibe from the recep

tionist then... “Could you tell me who does your lumber buying please?”

Students often ask me, “Why do I have to tell them who I’m with and where I’m calling from?” Because the recep tionist wants to know, even if they don’t know they want to know, so now we have scratched an itch they didn’t know they had! It also helps us stand out from the crowd of salespeople who don’t do it.

Tone for Promotion

When we are proposing something to our customers we should have a tone of excitement. Jordan Belfort calls it “Bot tled Enthusiasm,” meaning we sound en thusiastic but not exaggeratedly so. With an upbeat tone, we should give them several reasons what we are proposing is a good deal.

Tone for Closing

After we give the customer the reasons what we are promoting is a good deal we change our tone from excite ment to a positively assumptive tone. We sound like we know they are going to say yes. This is part of our pre-call psyche up. We must convince ourselves that what we are offering is a good deal—enthusi asm—and then we must convince our selves before the call that the customer will say yes.

The “We know they are going to say yes” tone is not arrogant; it is a what I call a “positively naïve” tone. It’s the tone we use when we offer a friend something we know they are going to say yes to.

This sounds simple, but after getting a series of “no’s” many sellers start to sound the opposite. They have what I call the “You’re probably not going to buy

this but…” tone. That’s why positive precall self-talk is important.

Overcoming Objections Tone

The highest level of technical sales skills is overcoming an objection and closing. When a customer gives us an objection we:

1. Don’t say anything! Many sellers say things like, “OK” or “Gotcha” even before the customer has finished the objection! Don’t. This means, “You’re right, I give up.”

2. Count to three. This makes the customer feel they we have heard them and are considering what they have said. In addition, customers will often restart with the real objection if we are patient.

3. Then we say, “I completely under stand what you are saying, but let me tell you why in this circumstance we should put this together.”

Our tone is relaxed and sincere. If we are nervous, overly aggressive, or whiny, the chances of overcoming the objection and closing are infinitesimally small.

Vary Our Tone

Monotone is a killer in sales. We don’t have to be sing-songy, but we must vary our tone, or we will bore our customers.

JAMES OLSEN

544-3572

James Olsen is principal of Reality Sales Training, Portland, Or. Call him at (503)

or email james@realitysalestraining.com.

REDWOOD

DECKING

Composite can’t compare.

Like the foods we buy, when it comes to decking, we want natural and real. Redwood is always available in abundance of options. So stock the shelves! Unlike mass-produced and inferior products, Redwood is strong, reliable and possesses many qualities not found in artificial products. They maintain temperatures that are comfortable in all climates.

Redwood Empire stocks several grades and sizing options of Redwood.

IS THE SOLUTION THEM, OR IS IT ME?

BY DAVE KAHLE

IN THIS RAPIDLY changing economy, everyone is looking for a simple fix for dealing with the uncer tainty of our economic environment. It seems like few are happy with their situations. And all but a few point their fingers at the changing econo my and vibrant competitive environ ment as the source of their dismay.

Humans must have a genetic incli nation to blame things outside of our control for our situations. We lament our fate and cast ourselves as vic tims. If only someone else would fix it. Maybe the government will make everything good again.

Unfortunately, as long as our gaze is directed at “them” (market con ditions that have changed and are outside of our control), we will never free ourselves from the constraints on our income and prosperity. We can’t do anything about “them.”

The real secret to improving our conditions is to work on “us.” James Allen said, “Men are often interested in improving their circumstance, but are unwilling to improve themselves, they therefore remain bound.”

What was true 100 years ago is still true today. Salespeople, sales manag ers, and executives must look inward for solutions to their problems.

Salespeople must understand that it was OK just a few years ago to “have your own style of selling,” to never invest in your own improve ment, to make your living off of your existing relationships. Today, all of these are obsolete ideas that must be changed. It’s time to look inward and work on yourself.

To effectively deal with the changing economy, salespeople must become more strategic and thoughtful about the investment of their sales time, and they must bring value both to the customer and to their employers in every sales call. They must view their jobs as pro fessions, not just jobs, and become serious about improving themselves. In many cases, salespeople will have to gain new skills in working from a home office and running sales calls via phone and video technology.

Likewise, sales managers must stop coddling salespeople who aren’t committed to continuous improve ment and greater productivity. They need to hold them accountable for practical expectations of growth and development. They need to put in place practices that call for quan tifiable expectations on the part of their sales team, regular measure ments, and greater thoughtfulness and strategic planning.

Sales managers must look inward, understanding that their chances of success are dependent on them, not the market, understanding they can do it better, and doing it better brings better results. They must ex amine their sales forces and use this window of opportunity to weed out salespeople who have no interest in developing and who don’t have the capability to succeed as a profession al salesperson. Now is the time to review the bottom third of their sales forces and seek to upgrade.

Sales executives need to rec ognize that the current state of the

economy, and the resulting impact on the attitudes and perspectives of employees, has delivered a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to make significant changes in the structure of the sales force.

Recall just a little over a year ago. To make wholesale changes in sales territories, account responsibilities, the roles of the inside and outside salesperson, sales management practices, compensation plans, and expectations for continuous im provement—all of these initiatives would have been met with resistance from the majority of the sales force. Today, most are willingly coopera tive, aware they can be replaced if they don’t follow your lead.

CEOs and CSOs who look inward and use this window of opportunity to streamline and rationalize their sales systems will increase their productivity and lay the groundwork for disproportional growth when the economy turns up.

The world is full of victims who lament their condition and blame sources outside of their control. Leaders accept their responsibility to look inward and improve themselves.

DAVE KAHLE

Dave Kahle is a leading sales authority, having written 12 books and presented in 47 states and 11 countries. For more information, visit davekahle.com.

COMPENSATION PLANNING FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

------------ BY SUSAN PALÉ

UNDERSTANDING COMPENSATION is critical to staying competitive in today’s volatile labor market. As we prepare for 2023, real wage growth is a concept that is particularly important.

Overall wages are projected to increase 4.0% or more during 2022. Although this is the largest projected in crease in several years, the current inflation rate of 8.5% (the highest recorded in 40 years) results in negative wage growth for many employee groups.

Q. A few of my employees have shown up for work sick. I appreciate their dedication, but I’d rather they not come to work when ill. Can I send them home and require that they use their sick leave?

A. Yes, you can. Recognize that there may be reasons why employees are showing up sick that might include:

• Not wanting to use sick or paid-time-off leave

• Not being able to afford the lost wages due to illness

• Fear that the workload will become overwhelming if work is missed

• Fear of disappointing the boss

If you do send them home, reassure them that you want them to take the time to recover and that you will help to ensure their work gets done. Remind them that sick leave is offered so that they will stay home when they are sick. And if they are worried about lost wages, try to identify ways for them to make up the time once they return to health.

Consider allowing them to work from home temporarily if that is an option given their job duties and other opera tional considerations such as security, access to needed information, etc.

Remember, some states and cities require employees receive paid sick time and that some sick time, even if unpaid, is protected time off.

Real wages/income is calculated by dividing the current wage by 1 plus the current inflation rate. For an employee currently making $40,000, the individual’s real income is reduced to $36,866 when the current inflation rate is considered.

Staying competitive requires both short- and longterm planning. Some of the things you’ll need to think about include:

Salary Administration

Organizations frequently spend a lot of time (and money) setting starting salaries for new hires, developing salary ranges to accommodate new positions, and even developing and implementing formal salary structures. All of these are positive steps, but often they are imple mented and abandoned. To remain competitive, ongoing salary administration is required. This includes:

SALARY REVIEWS should be performed annually, more frequently when recruiting and/or retention issues occur. Hopefully, you’ve done some market pricing during the year to give you a baseline understanding of salaries in your competitive market(s).

Combined with market pricing information, regular salary reviews will help to identify pockets of salary compression (e. g., new hires making more than long service employees doing the same work), the range of pay for employees performing the same work relative to performance and length of service, and other potential pay equity issues.

SALARY RANGE AND SALARY STRUCTURE REVIEWS are also a critical piece of successful salary administration. If you’ve developed salary ranges or more formal salary structures, you’ve most likely based them on market information. But the market can change

quickly. It is important to review and update those ranges and structures regularly. Affinity HR Group usually recommends this review be done every other year.

SALARY BUDGETS are the third important component to successful salary administration. Many orga nizations don’t prepare any type of salary budget, but those who want to anticipate future salary expenditures often prepare an annual salary budget that includes:

• Performance based and across the board salary increases (more on those below)

STAYING COMPETITIVE

ee service anniversary. Awarding all increases at once has become a more commonly used approach, since it allows the organization the oppor tunity to view all employees at once and award increases that align with salary increase budget parameters.

When salary increase budgets are low (they’ve averaged around 3% for the last several years), it can become challenging to award true pay for performance increases. For example, a top performer earning $60,000 might get a 5% increase ($3000). An average performer earning the same might get a 3% increase ($1800). After taxes, etc., there isn’t a lot of difference.

solely on an employee’s length of service with an organization. There is generally no performance com ponent to these increases, which are often mandated by contractual agreement. These types of increases are most common in government and education.

COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT (COLA) salary increases are linked to a rise in the cost of goods and services. They are designed to help employees maintain (rather than increase) their purchasing power.

REQUIRES

BOTH SHORT- AND

LONG-

TERM PLANNING.

• Salary increases to address inequities as the result of reviews of paid salaries

• Salary increases to address ineq uities as the result of reviews of sala ry ranges and/or salary structures

• Anticipated payouts under bonus and incentive plans

Salary Increases

Once you’ve completed the basic salary administration activities de scribed above, it’s time to think about salary increases. There are dozens of types of salary increases; some of the most common (and those that affect the most employees) are described below:

PAY FOR PERFORMANCE or MERIT INCREASES are common in all types of organizations. These increases are generally awarded for successful achievement of some measurable criteria. These criteria may be established and communicat ed in a formal performance review form or by less formal notes, discus sions, etc.

Most organizations using a pay for performance increase system will award increases based on some type of schedule—end of year, end of organization’s fiscal year, or employ

ACROSS-THE-BOARD salary increases are generally given to all employees on a scheduled basis— most often at the end of the calendar year or the organization’s fiscal year. Often, the amount is determined based on the organization’s past performance, rather than determined through an advance salary planning/ budgeting process.

These increases are usually awarded as a percentage of base salary, and all employees generally receive the same percentage.

Giving all employees the same increased amount can perpetuate pay inequities that may exist in an organization.

LONGEVITY or LENGTH OF SERVICE salary increases are based

In the past, these increases have often been awarded to all employees. They are now used less frequently, because of vast differences in local and regional pay markets (e.g., pay in San Jose, Ca., is approximately 41% higher than the national aver age). The increase in the number of remote workers in multiple locations also reduces the effectiveness of this type of salary increase.

SUSAN PALÉ

Susan Palé,

Reach her at (877) 660-6400 or contact@affinityhrgroup.com.

CCP, is vice president for compensation with Affinity HR Group.

EAGLE BUYING OREGON PALLET MILL

Eagle Forest Products, Eagle, Id., is purchasing the lumber manufacturing plant of Family Pallet Lumber, Tangent, Or. This purchase will close by year end and will result in a significant increase in production at this facility going forward.

John Peaslee, previously with Idaho Timber, will serve as general manager of manufacturing operations for Eagle Forest in Tangent.

Eagle Forest Products is a lumber manufacturing and marketing company with production facili-

ties in Tangent and Roseburg, Or.; Greenleaf, Wi.; Magnolia, Ar.; and Piedmont, Al.

The company also has sales and distribution operations in Eagle, Id.; Montgomery, Tx.; and Chesapeake, Va.

ROYAL PLYWOOD NOW OFFERING LAMINATION SERVICES IN ARIZONA

Royal Plywood Co., Cerritos, Ca., has started up a new Black Bros. cold lamination press at its Chandler, Az., facility.

The press is now fully operation-

al for lamination services, offering a wide variety of cores and HPL to fit specific projects’ needs, including Formica, Arborite, Nevamar, Pionite, Wilsonart and many more.

An in-house press allows Royal to provide quick turnaround times for in-stock items. Panels are created ready-to-install to customers’ unique specifications, saving them time, minimizing labor, and cutting labor costs.

SUPPLIER BRIEFS

Ganahl Lumber, Anaheim, Ca., has completed its purchase of 84-year-old Northridge Lumber Co., Northridge, Ca., from Patrick and Timothy Hawthorne.

HPM Building Supply, Keaau, Hi., added a West Coast distribution center in Fife, Wa.

CALI Floors, San Diego, Ca., opened its first custombuilt distribution center in Summerville, S.C., with additional DCs in the works.

Digger Specialties is now branding its columns as Westbury Columns.

Wahoo Decks has rebranded as Wahoo Building Products, reflecting its broadening product offerings and customer base.

National Nail’s Stinger EXO Synthetic Underlayment was recently listed as an acceptable alternative to roofing underlayment by the Texas Department of Insurance.

Hampton Lumber, Portland, Or., has created a $100,000 Hampton Lumber Scholarship endowment to aid students in Tillamook Bay Community College’s forestry and manufacturing and industrial technology (MIT) programs.

US LBM will once again be the title sponsor of the Pac12 US LBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge. The college basketball quadruple-header will be held in Dallas, Tx., Dec. 18.

HPM OPENS FIRST DESIGN CENTER ON MAUI

L U M B E R S E R V I C E

R E E L 1321 N. Kraemer Blvd. (Box 879), Anaheim, Ca. 92806 Fax 714-630-3190 ( 7 1 4 ) 6 3 2 1 9 8 8 • ( 8 0 0 ) 6 7 5 R E E L 3518 Chicago Ave., Riverside, Ca. 92507 (951) 781-0564 w w w. r e e l l u m b e r. c o m

W h o l e s a l e I n d u s t r i a l L u m b e r • P i n e • P l y w o o d • M o u l d i n g s • H a r d w o o d L u m b e r

After a major renovation, Miyake–HPM Building Supply opened its first full-service Home Design Center in Maui on Nov. 5, adding a wide array of kitchen, bath flooring, window and door product displays and design inspiration on the newly renovated second story of the Miyake–HPM branch in Kihei, Hi.

The design center spans more than 3,800 sq. ft. and features cabinets, countertops, flooring, plumbing and lighting fixtures, doors, windows, and finish hardware, with brands such as Bellmont Cabinets, Cosentino, Daltile, Delta, Milgard Windows & Doors, Pacific American Lumber/Radianz, Simpson Door, and Amerock.

It is Miyake–HPM’s fifth Home Design Center.

Problem Seeker

ROSEBURG RESTARTS WEED VENEER MILL

Seek Thermal’s newest thermal imaging technol ogy, Seek Shot and Seek ShotPRO, allows profes sionals to identify leaks, electrical shorts, mechanical faults and energy loss as a way to assess the health of a structure in a non-destructive manner.

Roseburg Forest Products resumed full operations of its veneer manufacturing plant in Weed, Ca., on Nov. 9, more than two months after the devastating Mill Fire on Sept. 2.

Happy Holidays!

The device can save readers time and money by identifying otherwise “unseen” problems. This could relate to water damage, leaking pipes, electrical or HVAC malfunctions, or a loss of thermal energy due to poor insulation or construction.

The plant’s 145 employees returned to full schedules after implementing new safety procedures, installing new ash-handling equipment, and conducting routine maintenance and planned capital improvements. Specifically, Roseburg:

• Removed the mill’s “ash mixer” that a manufactur er designed to mix and cool the mill’s ash with water.

• Installed a replacement mixer to mix the ash with water and cool the ash.

• Updated how the mill produces, stores and removes its ash from the new ash mixer.

• Updated emergency response processes.

• Conducted team member trainings for handling ash with the replacement ash mixer and a new storage facility.

S p e c i a l i s t s i n H a r d w o o d M i l l i n g • O l i v e r S t r a i t o p l a n e r • S t r a i g h t L i n e & M u l t i p l e R i p s • S t i c k e r s • N e w m a n S t r a i g h t K n i f e P l a n e r

it, as high cost where I they have to neighbor will boost 20-year, $6clinic provide “You still as we knows it who you that discompany—one manager. a color two So, our here as formed an sons) to picture market REGAL CUSTOM MILLWORK 301 E. Santa Ana St., Anaheim, Ca. 92805 (714) 632-2488 • Fax 714-776-1673 Reel Lumber Service and Regal Custom Millwork are affiliated companies w w w. r e e l l u m b e r. c o m

“We carefully considered the concerns our neighbors, regulators, investigators and our community may have had about the resumption of full operations,” said Pete Hillan, spokesperson for Roseburg. “We’ve trained our team members, tested the equipment, and updated our operational protocols so that we are confident in safely resuming operations.”

CalFire and the Siskiyou County Sheriff have not issued the results of their investigations into the cause of the Mill Fire.

Choose Your Garage Style

ABC SUPPLY BUYS KAYCAN’S US DC’S

Three months after purchasing siding manufacturer/ distributor Kaycan, St.-Gobain has sold Kaycan’s U.S. distribution unit to ABC Supply.

Haas Door’s new SelectView option allows cus tomers to place windows in almost any location they desire in a garage door. Designed to provide more aesthetic choices for garage doors to complement home styles, the system helps the user achieve their personal design goals.

The deal includes 24 branches in 14 states, including two in the West—Seattle and Spokane, Wa.

Not included are its manufacturing facilities nor its 30 distribution centers in Canada.

The system also provides options for windows in the bottom section of the garage door. This allows for glass to be used in all panels of the garage door, giving the look of an aluminum rail door, but providing two additional options. Decorative, specialty glass, and inserts are also available.

The acquired branches will run as ABC Supply loca tions focused on distributing Kaycan-branded products as well as other complementary building products and accessories.

n HAASDOOR.COM (866) 637-3667

Maryann Concannon is a new lumber & plywood trader at Concannon Lumber Co., Portland, Or.

Travis Sisco, ex-Builders FirstSource, has joined Boise Cascade, Woodinville, Wa., as commodity product mgr.

Mike Richardson, ex-Humboldt Redwood, has been named chief operating officer of Belco Forest Products, Shelton, Wa.

Jack Latchford, ex-Jackson’s Hardware, rejoined Rafael Lumber, San Rafael, Ca., as mgr. and contractor sales rep.

Kyle Cabana, ex-White Cap, is new to PrimeSource Building Products, as Littleton, Co.-based business development mgr. for the Rockies.

Clint Carter has been promoted to senior VP of Direct Lumber & Door of Colorado, Denver, Co.

Scott Morrison has been named VP of continuouis improvement for Kodiak Building Partners, Highlands Ranch, Co.

Scott Gascho has been promoted to VP of sales at Hampton Lumber, Portland, Or.

Larry Broadfoot has been promoted to chief operating officer for Collins, Portland, Or.

Cole Chrisman is a new lumber trader at Eagle Forest Products, Boise, Id.

David Martinez, ex-BuildersMax, is now a purchasing & merchan dising mgr. for Ganahl Lumber, Anaheim, Ca. Greg Alvarez, ex-BMC, has moved to Ganahl in Torrance, Ca., as customer service supervisor.

Jesse Short, Idaho Forest Group, Coeur d’Alene, Id., has been promoted to director of Idaho lumber production.

Lucus Romero has been appointed chief information officer for Alpine Lumber, Denver, Co.

Shasta Waltner is a new merchandising specialist with Stillwater Lumber, Columbus, Mt.

Carl Schmidt has been promoted to assistant general mgr. at Foxworth Galbraith Lumber Co., Gilbert, Az. Justin Monday, ex-Annandale Millwork, joined Fox-Gal as a new lumber estimator.

Eric Tejada, HPM Building Supply, Keaau, Hi., was promoted to assistant buyer.

Joe Sedgwick has been named chief financial officer for Marvin, Warroad, Mn.

Ashlee Cribb, PotlatchDeltic, Spokane, Wa., was elected chair of APA’s Board of Trustees, succeeding Roy O. Martin III. Doug Asano, Roseburg Forest Products, is now vice chair. New to the board are Stephen Williams, Western Forest Products, and Richie LeBlanc, Hunt Forest Products.

Diana Hendricks, chair, ABC Supply, Beloit, Wi., was named to the board of Home for Our Troops.

Owen Monet is now handling accounts payable for Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

David Aguilar

Antonio Avina

Alfredo Becerra

Paul Blevins

Norm Boucher

Edward Butz

Jose Chicas

Rosario Chicas

Dominic Cosolo

Kasia Cross

Karen Currie

Steve Daugherty

Nick Ferguson

Martin Gallicia

Javier Garcia

Ricardo Garcia

Fidenceo Gomez

Hector Gonzalez

Larry Greene

Elvira Hernandez

Chris Hexberg

Pedro Martinez

Joe McCarron

Bert McKee

Reynaldo Merlan Brad Mortensen

Rafael Pantoja

George Parden

Timoteo Paredes

Michael Parrella

Peter Parrella

Kurt Peterson

Eduardo Pierre

Janet Pimentel

Nestor Pimentel

Yolanda Rodriguez

Leticia Roman Alex Romero Kelly Ross John Tirre Antonio Vargas Enrique Vargas Christopher Velasco Oscar Villegas

Pamela Winters

DESIGNERS SET TRENDS IN KITCHEN & BATH

National Kitchen & Bath Associa tion released its 2023 Design Trends research report, providing insight into the styles, colors, product fea tures, materials and technology that will dominate K&B design over the next two to three years.

“Kitchens and baths are bigger and more involved,” said NKBA head of research Tricia Zach. “The study revealed that consumers want spac es to be multi-functional to meet their at-home work, education and entertaining needs.”

Other key findings of the report:

Vibrant Design. Bold colors, ac cents and mixed materials/themes are increasingly a factor in kitchens and baths. This includes combining design styles for an updated feel, mixing warmer natural tones (less gray and white, more medium wood tones), using richer colors (coastal blues, greens, organic neutrals), and employing bold accents through art work, wallpaper and backsplashes.

Sustainability Matters. Manu facturers’ sustainability practices are becoming more important to designers as they recommend prod

ucts to clients, such as 100% LED lighting, energy-efficient appliances, VOC-free paints, increased natural light via Low-E windows, and EPA WaterSense faucets.

Expanded Spaces. Designers are breaking down walls to expand spaces to add function or conceal clutter. For kitchens, this means adding larger or double islands and walk-in pantries; for baths, it means adding a closet, dressing area, and/ or sitting room.

Wellness Drives Design. This is especially true in the primary bath, where designers are creating spa-like experiences as a retreat for the mind and body. Earthy, muted colors and light wood tones create calming designs. Spa-like features in showers include large custom seats, multiple showerheads, and steam/ thermostatic showers.

Tech to Make Life Easier. Tech nology continues to play a growing, but functional role in the kitchen and bath. Expect to see more app/ voice controls for lighting, water, and floor temperatures, as well as humidity monitoring; smart appli ances; and whole house systems.

BIG PUSH is underway to turn baths into spacious spas. (Photo by Diaz/NKBA)

RESIDENTIAL SIDING

FIBER CEMENT

Arcitell

Arcitell.com

Allura

Allurausa.com

Fiber cement siding – Allura Lap, Allura Panel, Allura Shakes

American Fiber Cement Corp.

Americanfibecement.com

Fiber cement siding panels – Cembrit Deco, Cembrit Patina, Cembrit Patina Inline, Cembrit Patina Rough, Cembrit Solid, Cembrit Transparent, Cembrit Cover, Cembrit Minerit HD

GAF

Gaf.com

WeatherSide – Emphasis, Profile, Purit

James Hardie

Jameshardie.com

Fiber cement siding – HardiePlank Lap, Hardie Architectural Panel, Hardie Shingle, Hardie Panel Vertical

Nichiha

Nichiha.com

Fiber cement siding – Architectural Wall Panels, Plank Siding (Savannah, Sierra)

Woodtone

Woodtone.com

Fiber cement siding – RusticSeries (Lap, Shake, Panel), Chrometallics (with metallic coating)

POLYMER

Qora Panels – Ashlar Stone, Cut LedgeStone TightStack

AZEK

Azekexteriors.com

AZEK Capped Polymer Cladding AZEK Siding

CertainTeed

Certainteed.com Cedar Impressions

Continental Manufacturing Sidingmfg.com Polymer Siding

Novik

Division of Derby Building Products Novik.com

NovikStone – Artisan Cut AC, Dry Stack Stone DS, Carrara Collection, Sacked Stone, Premium Hand Cut Stone, Fieldstone

NovikShake – RoughSawn, HandSplit, Northern Perfection, Half Round

Ply Gem

Division of Cornerstone Building Brands Plygem.com

Polymer Stone Veneer – Canyon Ledge, Cascade Ledge, Colonial Brick, Cut Cobblestone, Fieldstone, Manorstone, Shadow Ledgestone, True Stack

Tando Building Products

Division of Derby Building Products

Tandobp.com

TandoStone – Stacked Stone, Creek Ledgestone

Beach House Shake – Sandcastle, Pacifica, Atlantica, Hatteras

TandoShake – Cape Cod Perfection, RoughSawn Cedar Single, RoughSawn Dual, Rustic Cedar 9, Hand Split Shake

Westlake Royal Building Products

Westlakeroyalbuildingproducts.com Atlas Stone

NON-WOOD COMPOSITE

Division of Associated Materials

Ascendcompositecladding.com Ascend Composite Cladding

Chelsea Building Products

Everlastsiding.com

Everlast – Horizontal Lap, Board & Batten

DaVinci Roofscapes

Division of Westlake Royal Davinciroofscapes.com

DaVinci Shake – Hand Split Shake Siding

Gentek

Division of Associated Materials Gentekinc.com

Align Composite Cladding

Modern Mill

Modern-mill.com

ACRE Siding – Shiplap, Board & Batten

Resysta

Resystausa.com Composite Siding & Cladding

RISE Building Products

Risebuildingproducts.com

RISE Siding

WOOD COMPOSITE

Fiberon

Fiberondecking.com Wildwood Cladding

Fortress Building Products

Fortressbp.com Capped Composite Cladding Boards –Apex, Infinit

Geolam

Usa.geolam.com Vertigo 5010 Composite Cladding

KWP Products

Kwpproducts.com

Eco-Side Vertical Siding – Stratford, Provincial, Board & Batten

NewTech Woods

Newtechwood.com

Composite siding – All Weather Siding, European Style Siding

Trex

Trex.com

Trex Cladding

ENGINEERED WOOD

Collins

Truwoodsiding.com

Truwood – Lap, Panel

KWP Products

Kwpproducts.com

Eco-Side – Lap Siding (Bold, Prestige, Rustics, Classic), Shake Siding (Hampton Shake, Woodbury Staggered), Naturetech

Louisiana-Pacifi

Lpcorp.com

LP SmartSide – Lap Siding, Panel & Vertical Siding, Shakes

Pacific ood Laminates

Socomi.com

APA 303 Series Specialty Plywood Siding

Swanson Group Swansongroup.biz Superior Hardwood Siding – plywood

Trespa

Trespa.com

Pura NFC Siding – wood core with HPL

WOOD Accsys

Accoya.com

Accoya Modified ood Siding

Cedar Valley

Cedar-valley.com

Single Course Panels – western red cedar

Frasierview Cedar Products

Frasierviewcedar.com Western Red Cedar Siding

Kebony

Us.kebony.com Modified ood Cladding

Miller Shingle Co. Millershingle.com Western Red Cedar Shakes/Shingles

Nova USA Novausawood.com ExoClad Hardwood Siding

Oy Lunawood

Porcupinewood.com Lunawood Façade – modified wood sidin

Pacific estern Wood Works

Pwww.ca Western Red Cedar Siding

Pinnacle Panel

Pwww.ca

Pinnacle Panel – WRC single course panel

Porcupine Wood Products

Porcupinewood.com

Western Red Cedar Siding – Green, KD

Roseburg

Roseburg.com Wood Siding – Douglas-fi, DuraTemp

Sawarne Lumber

Sawarne.com

Western Red Cedar Siding – Bevel, Channel, Board & Batten, Clear T&G, Special Pattern

Shakertown

Shakertown.com

Western Red Cedar Siding – Craftsman Panel, Cedar Cove Shingles, Dolly Varden T&G, Fancy Cut Shingles, Tahoe Shingle Panel

Teal Jones Group

Tealjones.com

Western Red Cedar Shingle Panels

Tripp Lumber

Tripplumber.com

Long Cabin Siding – Hand Hewn, Log Cabin Siding, Log Cabin Siding with Vertical Corner

Timber Siding – Hand Hewn with Chinking, Smooth Pine, Square Channel Wavy Edge Bevel siding – Dark Stain, Weathered Finish

UFP Industries

Ufpedge.com UFP-Edge Siding

Vancouver Specialty Cedar Vanspec.com Western Red Cedar Siding

Watkins Sawmills Watkinsawmills.com Western Red Cedar Sidewall Shingles

Western Forest Products Watkinsawmills.com

WFP TrueStyle Siding – western red cedar

BAMBOO

DassoXTR

Dassoxtr.com

Fused Bamboo Rainscreen Siding

MOSO

Moso-bamboo.com Bamboo X-treme Rainscreen Siding

CELLULAR PVC

Jain Building Products

Jainbuildingproducts.com

NuCedar – Shingles, Vertical Siding, Fancy Cut Shingles

Westlake Royal

Westlakeroyalbuildingproducts.com

Celect – Smooth, Clapboard, Shake, Board & Batten

Wolf

Wolfhomeproducts.com

Portrait Siding

Fused Bamboo Rainscreen Siding

VINYL

tion, Eclipse, Western Extreme, Cedar Discovery, Charleston Beaded), Variform (Vortex Extreme, Camden Pointe, American Herald, Ashton Heights, American Tradition, Contractor’s Choice, Heritage Cedar, Board & Batten, Victoria Harbor), Ply Gem Performance (Board & Batten, Transformations, Cedar Dimensions, Dimensions, Progressions, Colonial Beaded)

ProVia

Provia.com

Alside

Division of Associated Materials Alside.com

Siding – Charter Oak Reinforced Premium, Odyssey Plus Premium, Coventry, Conquest Quality, Williamsport Colonial Beaded Premium, Brighton Beaded, Board & Batten Vertical, Carter Oak Soffit & ertical, Alliance T4 Premium

CertainTeed

Certainteed.com

Siding – Board & Batten, Carolina Beaded, Cedarboards, Encore, Mainstreet, Monogram, Northwoods, Restoration Classic, Wolverine American Legend

Continental Manufacturing

Sidingmfg.com

Supreme PVC Siding

Gentek

Division of Associated Materials Gentekinc.com

Siding – ChamClad, Sequoia Select, Board & Batten Ultra-Premium, Fair Oaks, Concord, Driftwood II

Kaycan

Kaycan.com

Lap Siding – Beaded Plank, DaVinci, Hardwood Valley II, Ocean Park XL, Platinum, Prova, Richmond Bevel, Timberlake, Verona Collection

Vertical Siding

Shake Siding – Perfection Shingles

Mitten Building Products

Division of Cornerstone Building Brands

Mittensiding.com

Siding – Sentry, Sentry Variegated, Highland, Oregon Pride

Ply Gem

Division of Cornerstone Building Brands

Plygem.com

Siding – Mastic (Carvedwood•44, Mill Creek, Structure Home Insulation, Quest, Board + Batten Designer Series, Ova-

Siding – Cedar Peaks (Double Lap, Double Dutch Lap, Beaded, Board & Batten), HeartTech (Double Lap, Double Dutch Lap), Timberbay (Single Rough-Sawn, Dual Rough-Sawn, Single Staggered), Ultra (Double Lap, Double Dutch Lap), Willowbrook (Double Lap)

Westlake Royal

Westlakeroyalbuildingproducts.com

Siding – Exterior Portfolio (Premium, Signature, Classic), Foundry Specialty Siding (Shake, Shingle), Royal Vinyl (Premium, Prime, Traditional)

Kaycan

Kaycan.com

Altix Siding

ALUMINUM

Urbanix Cladding

Gentek

Division of Associated Materials Gentekinc.com

Siding – Cedarwood, Deluxe, Longboard, Woodgrain

Ply Gem

Division of Cornerstone Building Brands

Plygem.com

Siding – Mastic (Envoy, Endurance), Variform

Westlake Royal

Westlakeroyalbuildingproducts.com

Cedar Renditions

INSULATED VINYL

Alside

Division of Associated Materials Alside.com Insulated Siding – Prodigy, Charter Oak Energy Elite

Gentek

Division of Associated Materials Gentekinc.com Sequoia Select EnFusion

Kaycan

Kaycan.com Insulated Siding – Montebello Log Siding, Ocean Park Ultra XL, Richmond Ultra

Ply Gem

Division of Cornerstone Building Brands Plygem.com Mastic Structure Home Insulation System

ProVia

Provia.com

CedarMAX – Single, Double, Triple Dutch Lap, Board & Batten

POLY-ASH

Westlake Royal

Westlakeroyalbuildingproducts.com TruExterior – Craftsman, Board & Batten

STEEL Alside

Division of Associated Materials Alside.com

Satinwood Siding – Select Seamless Steel Coil, Select Siding with Kynar Coating

Edco Products

Edcoproducts.com

Siding – Traditional Lap, Dutchlap, Vertical, Shake

Gentek

Division of Associated Materials Gentekinc.com

Siding – Distinction, Moderno, Sierra Steel Ultra Premium, SteelSide

Klauer Manufacturing

Klauer.com

Siding – Classic, Elite, Prestige

Ply Gem

Division of Cornerstone Building Brands

Plygem.com

Siding – Seamless, Lap, Board & Batten

Quality Edge

Qualityedge.com

TruCedar Siding – Double, Single, Single Dutch Lap, Board & Batten, Shake Sidewall

Vesta Siding – Plank

MANUFACTURED STONE

CertainTeed

Certainteed.com

Stonefacade

ClipStone

Myclipstone.com

ClipStone – Classic, ProPanel

Coronado Stone Products

Coronado.com

Waypost Stone Siding

Waypoststonesiding.com

Manufactured Stone Panels

Westlake Royal

Westlakeroyalbuildingproducts.com

Manufactured Stone Siding – Versetta Stone (Ledgestone, Tight-Cut, Carved Block), Cultured Stone (Ashlar, Brick, Irregular, Ledge, Large Format), StoneCraft (Cobblestone, Fieldstone, Heritage, Laurel Cavern Ledge, Ledge stone), Eldorado Stone (Stone, Brick)

RESIDENTIAL ROOFING

ASPHALT SHINGLES

Atlas Roofing Corp

Atlasroofing.co

Asphalt Shingles – Briarwood Pro, Castlebrook, GlassMaster, Legend, Pinnacle Pristine, ProLam, StormMaster

CertainTeed

Certainteed.com

Asphalt Shingles – Belmont, Carriage House, Grand Manor, Highland, Northgate, Patriot, Presidential, XT Hip & Ridge – Cedar Crest, Mountain Ridge, Shadow Ridge, Shangle Ridge

GAF

Gaf.com

Asphalt Shingles – Timberline, 3-Tab

IKO

Iko.com

Asphalt Shingles – Architectural, Designer, Performance, Traditional

Malarkey

Roofing Poducts

Malarkeyroofing.co

NEX Asphalt Shingles – Architectural (Ecoasis, Highlander, Legacy, Vista), Designer (Windsor), 3-Tab (Dura-Seal)

Owens Corning

Owenscorning.com

Asphalt Shingles – Berkshire, Duration, Oakridge, Supreme, Woodcrest, Woodmoor

Hip & Ridge – Berkshire, DecoRidge

PABCO Roofing Poducts

Pabcoroofing.co

Asphalt Shingles – Architectural (Premier, Prestige), Signature Cut (Cascade, Paramount), Solar Reflective (California Cool, Hawaii Cool & Clean, Premier Radiance), 3-Tab-Tahoma

TAMKO Roofing Poducts

Tamko.com

Asphalt Shingles – Elite Glass-Seal, Heritage, Heritage Vintage, StormFighter, Titan

COMPOSITE

Brava Roof Tile

Bravarooftile.com

Composite Tile – Cedar Shake, Slate Roofing Tile, Spanish Barel Tile

DaVinci Roofscapes

Division of Westlake Royal Building Products Davinciroofscapes.com

DaVinci Slate – Multi-Width, Single-Width, Bellaforte, Province, Inspire

DaVinci Shake – Multi-Width, SingleWidth, Bellaforte, Select Shake

EcoStar

Ecostarllc.com

Composite Roofing – Empire Niagara Shake, Majestic Niagara Shake, Majestic Niagara Slate, Empire Niagara Slate, Empire Shake, Empire Slate, Seneca Shake, Majestic Slate

Enviroshake

Enviroshake.com Enviroshake Enviroslate Enviroshingle

CLAY/CONCRETE

Vande Hey Raleigh

Vrmtile.com

Concrete Tile – Slate, Custom Brushed, Shake, Cotswold Stone, High Barrel, Riviera, Turrets, English Shingle

Westlake Royal Westlakeroyalroofing.co

Clay Tile – US Tile Clay Roofing Poducts

Concrete Rile – Newpoint

STEEL/STONE-COATED

Edco Products

Edcoproducts.com

Steel Roofing – Infiniti extured Shake, ArrowLine Shake, ArrowLine Slate, Generations HD

TAMKO Roofing Poducts

Tamko.com

MetalWorks Steel Shingles – AstonWood, StoneCrest Slate, StoneCrest Tile

Tilcor Roofing System

Tilcor.com

Stone-Coated Steel Panels – Antica, Craftsman. Shake, CF Shingle, CF Shake

Westlake Royal

Westlakeroyalroofing.co

Unified Stone-Coated Roofin – PineCrest Shake, Granite-Ridge Shingle, Cottage Shingle, Barrel-Vault Tile, Pacific Til

SLATE

American Slate Co. Americanslate.com

Cupa Pizarras

Cupapizarras.com

Roofing Slat – Grey, Black, Rough, Smooth

Evergreen Slate Co. Evergreenslate.com

GAF Gaf.com

TruSlate

WOOD Miller Shingle Co. Millershingle.com

Western Red Cedar Sidewall Panels

Teal Jones Group

Tealjones.com

Western Red Cedar Shingles & Shakes

Watkins Sawmills

Watkinsawmills.com

Western Red Cedar – Handsplit & Resawn Shakes, Tapersawn Shakes, Shingles

ENHANCED TRACTION DECKING

Deckorators’ new Vista Composite Decking features vertical grain variegation with enhanced traction and slip resistance.

Available in four colors—Ironwood, Driftwood, Silverwood, and Dunewood—in 12’, 16’, and 20’ lengths in solid- and grooved-edge profiles, the Vista line offers ulti mate design flexibility, including the option to effortlessly mix-and-match two or more colors to create a custom outdoor space.

DECKORATORS.COM (800) 556-8449

DECK STEP LIGHT

The new DekPro EFFEX Louvered Step Light pro vides the classic louvered light design with three tiers of lights cascading down onto the stair tread.

Measuring 4-1/4”x3-1/2”, the light mounts flat against the riser and only requires a 1” diameter hole to run the wires. There is no bulky back box. Two quick-connect leads make wiring easy. Fixtures feature warm white LED lights with durable aluminum pow der-coated housings.

It’s available in three colors (Absolute Black, Cocoa Bronze, Dream White) to match DekPro Prestige Aluminum Railing.

DEKPROMFG.COM

(800) 335-5909

RAIL LINES

MoistureShield’s new Solid Core Composite Series Railing and Compass Series Aluminum Railing add a contemporary, sophisticated look to any deck design.

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SEALED & DELIVERED

LP Building Solutions’ new LP WeatherLogic Seam & Flashing Sealant is designed for easy and effective sheathing adhesion with premium moisture manage ment technology.

Certified to AAMA 714-19 and VOC-compliant, it is the only liquid-applied sealant approved to seal the panel joints between LP WeatherLogic panels as part of the LP WeatherLogic system. The sealant can also be used to flash window and door openings, material transitions, and penetrations of any shape.

It has joint movement of +/-50% for added flexibility, 10–15-minute tooling time, 110-minute surface tack time, and—depending on conditions—will cure in 24 hours.

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COMPOSITE DECK SCREWS

New SPAX composite deck screws are engineered with an undercut head to prevent mushrooming and provide a clean finish into PVC, capstock and com posite deck boards.

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EASY CABLE RAIL

Barrette Outdoor Living has introduced an innova tive horizontal cable railing system that reportedly can install 38% faster than leading competitors with fewer SKUs that need to be ordered.

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With its modern, industrial design, Elevation Rail offers a continuous top rail for both stair and level appli cations. Its adjustable panels that span up to 6’ wide enable the railing to be installed indoors or outdoors without obstructing views. There are no special tools or fasteners required to install Elevation Rail.

BARRETTEOUTDOORLIVING.COM (877) 265-2220

IT’S A WRAP

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s g sooffttwwood spe ood specciieess. . It thrives in some of the most productive timberlands in the world. Redwood is known for its timeless durability without the use of chemicals. Due to its flawless formation, there has never been a Redwood recall. There is a grade of Redwood for every application, every budget, and every customer. “Growing beyond measure.” Call or visit us today. Our family of Redwood timberland owners will continue to be your reputable and reliable source of Redwood.

EXCITEMENT HIGH AT NAWLA TRADERS MARKET

The energy was off the charts at the North American Wholesale Lumber Association’s 2022 Traders Market in Phoenix, Az.

Held Nov. 9-11 at the Phoenix Convention Center, the show was enlivened by the highest attendance and booth count at a Traders Market in recent memory. Fittingly, the doors opened following a keynote presentation with one of the world’s foremost memory experts, Ron White.

He followed an industry forecast delivered by Paul Jannke, a principal of Forest Economic Advisors.

Next year’s Traders Market will be held Nov. 8-10, 2023, in Columbus, Oh., preceded in the spring by NAW LA’s annual Leadership Summit (March 12-14 in Palm Desert, Ca.), Executive Management Institute (April 24-28 in Chicago), and Wood Basics Course (May 8-11 in Vancou ver, B.C.).

EXHIBITORS included [1] Chris Knowles, Tom Gennarelli, Daniel Libolt, Steve Killgore, Kendall Conroy, Pat Lynch. [2] Ken Scott, Brent Gwatney. [3] Lauren

Pruett, Pat Zan. [4] Greg Hexberg, Doug Willis, Jeff Donahoo. [5] Michael Parrella, Janet & Nestor Pimentel. (More photos on next three pages)

NAWLA chairman Bill Price opens the 2022 Traders Market

TRADERS MARKETEERS (continued from previous page): [6] Jeff Easterling, Rose Braden. [7] Shane Glascock, Craig Combs, Britney Gabriel, William Ramos, David Jeffers. [8] Lisa Martin, Jamie Kreiser. [9] Scott Lewis, Jim Vandegrift. [10] Jonathan Fry, Molly Bull.

11] Larry Boyts, Eric Reppermund.

12] Ted Dergousoff, Mike McInnes, Adam Cooley.

13] Chuck Hayes, Mark Reum, Doug DeLuca, Anne Haakenson.

] Sean Coughlin, Melody Konecny.

[15] Matt Campbell, Greg Johnson, Joe Buttice. [16] Bill Warfield, Rob Young.

17] Bill Hurst, Hayley Lumsden, Matt Parker. [18] Tyler Martinez-Bobb, Steve Rigdon, Sheldon Howell, Jim Carroll. [19] Ralph Schmidt, Mark Romano, Andrew Romano. [20] Robin Gardner, Emily Russ. [21] Charles Andre, Susan Cho, Steve Firko.

Photos by The Merchant Magazine

NAWLA TRADERS MARKET attendees (continued from previous pages):

Cami Waner, Bob Maeda, Larry Broadfoot, Joe La Berge, Dean Johnson, Marilyn Hendrick, Stefan Lyren. [23] Mark Swinth, Mike Taron, Brett Slaughter, Breanne Marsh, Terry Rasmussen, Aaron Fleming. [24] Kathy Apps, Larry Yepez. [25] Jeffery Hardy, Matt Duprey, Aaron Schulte, Jack Bowen. [26] Matt Johnson, Leslie Southwick, Nick Johnson. [27] Benoit Nieuwenhuys,

Jason Bolstan, Jordan Lynch, Anthony Muck. [28] Patrick Price, Lauren Holm, Bill Price. [29] Danny Osborne, Emily Beckley, Rob Rowe. [30] Laura Flores, Jonathan Martikaireh, Joe Riner, Pete Krakowski. [31] Amanda Humann, Dawn Flynn. [32] Kristie McCurdy, Tricia Dauzat, Paul Pfingsten, Kelly Matthews, Connie Baker. (More photos on next page)

Photos by The Merchant Magazine

previous pages): [33] Paul Quandt, Tetiana Larson. [34] Patrick Keenan, Anthony Rooney. [35] Kevin Dodds, Grant Phillips. [36] Matthew Bruce, Jay Penney. [37] Chase Morrison, Krissy Danielsen, Mark Westlake, John Morrison. [38] Brooke Peterson, Brad Scheider, Eric Matute. [39] Alden Robbins, John Ritz, Jim Robbins. [40] Jeff Fantozzi, Ed Langley. [41] Todd Lindsey, Doug Colson. [42] Mark Saracco, Derek Cone, Anthony Luongo. [43] Terry Rasmussen, Mark Kelly. [44] Laura Ganatos, Chuck Dotson. [45] Akaashi, Khan, Stan Weiland, Andrea Pearce, Steve Rhone, Terry Fangrad. [46] Matt Rossi, Rick Kapres. [47] Sam Parker, Scott Parker. [48] Cassidy & Jeff Bowers. [49] Memory expert Ron White.

Photos by The Merchant Magazine

BIG SHOTS AT WCLBMA ANNUAL

West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association pulled out all the stops for its recent annual meeting in San Diego, compiling a star-studded lineup that attracted three times the attendees as its last go-round in 2019. Headlining was basketball legend Bill Walton, who encouraged dealers to

“Rise to the Challenge.” Chief among the packed sessions was a “Future of the Lumber Industry” panel discussion with leaders from two of the West’s biggest producers, Sierra-Pacific and Swanson Group, and two of its premier dealers, Central Valley and DixieLine/ Builders FirstSource.

SUPERSTAR [1] Bill Walton. [2] Chris Swanson, Steve Swanson. [3] Chris Lucchetti, Phil Sabagala, Antony Homenock. [4] George Emmerson, Matt Saunders. [5] Victor Fresca, Steve Patterson. [6] Nathan Bucey, Charlene Valene, Ron Schneider. [7] Greg Stout, Natalie Daniel. [8] Nick Burckel, Derek Campbell. [9] Barrett Burt, Thomas

Stremlau. [10] Jim Taft, Thom Wright. [11] Tom von Moos, Jill & Chris Gaylor. [12] Randy Richards, Mo Shearer, Brandon Deasee. [13] Donna & Augie Venezia. [14] Rozalyn Jennings, Brian Gonzales. [15] Jodi & Brian Bunt. [16] Darrell Chrapko, LeighAnne Magin, Ryan Mitchell. [17] Steve Patterson, Matt Endriss. (More on next page)

] Amanda & Brian Rocha.

[26] Alexis Trevino, Joyce Russell, Roslyn Fogarty. [27] Jim & Cheryl Taft, Elliot Piltzer.

[28] Renee Miles, Marte Ehrig. [29] Brooke & Cory Boisoneau. [30] John McConlogue, Jose Lopez, Brandon Chelini.

[31] Lauren Pruett, Emily Morgan. [32] Pat Zan, Raegan

Sen. Brian Jones, NLBMDA’s Jacob Carter, Calforest’s Matt Dias. [20] Brett & Demi Hagen. [21] J.D. Saunders, Victor Hausmaninger, Sean Fogarty. [22] Lisa Pardini, Joe Morin, Kennan Pardini. [23] Ryan Pessah, John Ehrig. [24] James Wiley, Tom Hogan, Emily Morgan, Tim To. [25

Stratton.

Photos by The Merchant Magazine

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS (continued from previous page) included [18] The Future of the Lumber Industry panel discussion with George Emmerson, Steve Patterson, Steve Swanson, Chris Swanson, Victor Fresca, and [19] Legislation & Regulations discussion with WWPI’s Ryan Pessah, Sen. John Moorlach,

STRONG SHOWING FOR NBMDA

than 1,000 distribution professionals to a 100+ exhibit showfloor in the basement of the Hyatt Regency.

The confab, held Nov. 1-3 in Chicago, attracted more

Next year’s NBMDA/NAFCD joint annual convention is set for Nov. 14-16, 2023, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Co.

BIG SHOW for NBMDA: [1] Kevin Gammonley, Paul Vella. [2] Derek Campbell, Phil Lail. [3] Greg Pray, John Hampton, Todd Vogelsinger. [4] Rick Habusta, Jay Tanner. [5] Mike Funk, Patrick Cowan. [6] Michael Smith, Matt McGraw, Marco Buttafava. [7] Scott Flom, Mike Finn, Will Cook. [8] Judd Wyatt, Jan Fitzpatrick, Matthias Bulla, Mike Raysakis, Tom Kipp. [9] Tenzin Youdon, Keith

Au. [10] James Long, Michael Wilkerson, Lorne Smith. [11] Matt Jarret, Michael Fabri, Jeff Allspach. [12] Garrett Litalien, Kyle Bressler. [13] Andrew Day. [14] Jennifer Wood, Harleen Pandha. [15] Leo Forrest. [16] Kevin Gammonley, Matthew Huber.

North American Building Material Distribution Association once again teamed with the North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors to deliver an action-packed annual convention.

THOUGH Deck Expo recently shared just a fraction of the Las Vegas Convention Center as its companion International Pool/Spa/Patio Expo, it delivered a flood of deck-focused attendees. [1] Ken Scott, Brent Gwatney. [2] Greg Stout, Rob Holthaus, A.J. Jesiolowski. [3] Danny Cordova, Joe Wetzel, Leif Edelman, Shaun Jennings, Maytal Oskar, Todd Noonan. [4] Eric Theroux, Joe Jacklin, Kevin Gault, Jason Russell, Andrew Pantiledes, Wes Kain. [5] David Roggy, Tom McMahon. [6] Garrett Watson, Angie Matthews. [7] Brent Ross, Loren Graber, Robert Ramsey. [8] Kurt Hogard, Jonathan Winaker. [9] Henry Canales, Robert Knecht, Joseph Lovett, Jeremiah Windle, Tom Wylie, Bob Gleason, Garrett Joyner. [10] David Szilezy, Chad Mack, Ken Hotchkiss, Steve Gress, Gary Kauffman, Chris Boyts, Mary Gearhart, Jeremy White. (Continued on next page)

DECK INDUSTRY VENDORS (continued from previous page) showed their stuff at Deck Expo 2022 in Las Vegas: [11] Douglas Hopper, Jay Penney, Erika Kaempfer, Mark Brown, Jason Boeschen. [12] Gary Maulin, Chuck Casey. [13] David Frick, Angel Kamerzell, Matt Hungerford. [14] Mark Aromi, Alan O’Neill, Steve Stone. [15] Scott Hensley, Rachel Holland, Billy Viars, Ruben Felix, Kenny Redman, Scott Fischer. [16] Doug Gillikin, Danny Trebelhorn.

17] Kyle Graf, Wayne Hilton. [18] John Bridges, Randy Hogbin. [19] Butch Bernhardt, Jay Poppe. [20] Hunter Varney, Taylor Varney, Blake Carter, Ethan Margolis, Jason Varney, Carley Englert, Nick Larr, Michelle Hendricks, Jared Glick, Jamie Risley, Dan Pettit, Tyler Erickson (back row unknown).

21] Jes Alarcon, Patrick Striebel. [22] Pat & Julie Noonan, Mike Kunard. [23] Shannon Kennedy, Ashley Vanderwall.

Photos by The Merchant Magazine

Andrew Louis “Andy” Ersek, 85, former treasurer and controller for South Bay Forest Products, Orange, Ca., died Oct. 27 in Fullerton, Ca.

He received a degree in account ing from California State University, Long Beach, then worked for LinBrook Lumber, Anaheim, Ca., before joining South Bay.

Andy was instrumental in keeping alive the “Good Guys” Friday lunch time gathering of lumbermen, which celebrated its 50th anniversary the day after his passing.

Delfino A. Basurto, 76, Imperial Valley lumberman, died Aug. 23.

After graduating from high school in 1965, he worked for Imperial Lum ber, Imperial, Ca., working his way up to manager. He transferred to Impe rial’s branch in Calipatria, Ca., in 1974 and later started his own business, Big D & Sons, Calipatria. He retired in 2012.

Jerry Hamilton, 82, former owner of Mid-Valley Lumber & Builders Sup ply, Willows, Ca., died Nov. 8.

He and his wife, Mary, purchased their first lumberyard in Willows in 1979, later opening branches in Williams and Colusa, Ca. They sold the yards and retired in 2004.

Richard Brownson Keller, 93, Pacific Northwest forest and paper products executive, died Sept. 13 due to complications from a fall.

Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and uncle, Dick won appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1950. Medically unable to commis sion, he pursued a business degree at the Harvard Business School, graduating in 1952 as a Baker Scholar. After a short stint as a trainee with Simpson Logging Co., Shelton, Wa., Dick exchanged his boots for a suit, becoming assistant to Gen. Lewis Pick, vice-chairman of the board of Georgia Pacific Corp., Olympia, Wa. In 1954, he

became the first employee of Western Kraft Corp., Albany, Or. From manager of its Beaverton, Or., corrugated box plant, he rose to general manager, and ultimately divisional VP.

In 1967 Western Kraft merged with Willamette Valley Lumber Co. to form Willamette Industries, Portland, Or. Dick became senior VP of Willamette in 1970 and a director in 1975, when he was named president of Western Paper parent Keller Enterprises.

Ronald Allen “Ron” Gelbrich, 73, Northwest timberlands manager, passed away on Oct. 25.

He started at Crown-Zellerbach maintaining boomsticks with his uncle along the Columbia River. He worked his way up with Crown, as a log scaler in Astoria, Or.; quality control manager in Tillamook, Or.; and chip supply man ager at Wauna, Or. In 1980, he became woods supply manager for Louisi ana-Pacific in Ketchikan, Ak. In 2002, Ron went on to manage operations for Cascade Hardwoods in Washington.

1 1/2” to 12” Diameter in Stock.

BlueLinx www.bluelinx.com 48

C&E Lumber Co. www.celumber.com 22

CT Darnell/Sunbelt Rack www.sunbelt-rack.com 5

FastenMaster www.fastenmaster.com 19, 27

Huff Lumber Co. www.hufflumber.com Cover II

Humboldt Sawmill www.mendoco.com 35 Idaho Timber Cover I

International Wood Products www.iwpllc.com 13

Jones Wholesale Lumber Co. www.joneswholesale.com 45

NAWLA www.nawla.org 25

Orgill www.orgill.com 26

Parr Lumber www.parrlumberchino.com 36

Pelican Bay Forest Products www.pelicanbayfp.com 17, 37

Redwood Empire www.buyredwood.com 24

Reel Lumber Service www.reellumber.com 33

RoyOMartin www.royomartin.com Cover IV

Simpson Strong-Tie www.strongtie.com 28

Swanson Group Sales Co. www.swansongroup.biz 11

Timber Products Co. www.timberproducts.com 21

TIVA Building Products www.tivabp.com 23

UFP Industries www.ufpedge.com 3

West Fraser www.westfraser.com/osb Cover III

Western Woods, Inc. www.westernwoods.com 7

Weyerhaeuser Distribution www.weyerhaeuser.com/distribution

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

Western Pallet Association – Jan. 13-17, annual meeting, Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, Ca.; www.westernpallet.org.

Associated California Loggers – Jan. 17-19, annual meeting, Peppermill Resort Spa Casino, Reno, Nv.; www.californialoggers.com.

American Wood Protection Association – Jan. 19, winter executive committee meeting, Birmingham, Al.; www.awpa.com.

Lodi Home Improvement Show – Jan. 21-23, Lodi Grape Festival Grounds, Lodi, Ca.; www.metroexpositions.com.

Sacramento Hoo-Hoo Club – Jan. 24, initiation meeting, Sacramento, Ca.; jeff.squires@paccoast.com.

Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club – Jan. 25, Industry Night, Broiler Steak House, Ukiah, Ca.; www.hoohoo.org.

Mid-States Distributing – Jan. 25-26, Winter Rendezvous, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Az.; www.msdist.com.

Humboldt Hoo-Hoo Club – Jan. 26, annual crab feed, Elks Lodge, Eureka, Ca.; www.hoohoo.org.

San Diego Home Improvement Expo – Jan. 28-29, Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar, Ca.; www.sandiegohomeimprovementexpo.com.

International Builders Show/Kitchen & Bath Industry Show – Jan. 31-Feb. 2, sponsored by National Association of Home Builders and National Kitchen & Bath Association, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; www.buildersshow.com.

International Surface Event – Jan. 31-Feb. 2, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; www.intlsurfaceevent.com.

National Association of Wholesale Distributors – Jan. 31-Feb. 2, executive summit, Fairmont Hotel, Washington, D.C.; www.naw.org.

National Hardware Show – Jan. 31-Feb. 2, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; www.nationalhardwareshow.com.

BUDMA – Jan. 31-Feb. 3, international construction & architecture fair, Poznan, Poland; www.budma.pl.

Northern Utah Home Show – Feb. 3-4, Davis Conference Center, Layton, Ut.; www.northernutahhomeshow.com.

Colorado Springs Home & Landscape Expo – Feb. 3-5, Norris-Penrose Event Center, Colorado Springs, Co.; www.homecentershow.com.

Orgill – Feb. 9-11, spring dealer market, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, La.; www.orgill.com.

Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference – Feb. 9-11, Shasta District Fairgrounds, Anderson, Ca.; www.sclcexpo.com.

Sacramento Hoo-Hoo Club – Feb. 11, Valentines dinner & dance, Delta King Riverboat, Old Sacramento, Ca.; jeff.squires@paccoast.com.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – Feb. 15, election meeting/golf, Los Serranos Country Club, Chino, Ca.; www.hoohoo117.org.

Cameron Ashley Building Products – Feb. 21-24, dealer show, Royal Pacific Universal, Orlando, Fl.; www.cameronashleybp.com.

Western Building Material Association – Feb. 22-23, sales/marketing conference, Portland, Or.; www.wbma.org.

Western Wood Preservers Association – Feb. 22-23, winter meeting, Westin Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego, Ca.; www.wwpinstitute.org.

Frame Building Expo – Feb. 22-24, sponsored by National Frame Builders Association, Kentucky International Convention Center, Louisville, Ky.; www.nfba.org.

Oregon Logging Conference – Feb. 23-25, Lane County Events Center & Fairgrounds, Eugene, Or.; www.oregonloggingconference.com.

LBM Advantage – Feb. 27-March 1, annual buying show & shareholders meeting, Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando, Fl.; lbmadvantage.com.

American Fence Association – Feb. 28-March 3, FenceTech, Oklahoma City, Ok.; www.americanfenceassociation.com.

FLASHBACK: 1957 HOLIDAY GIFT

SIXTY-FIVE YEARS ago this month, The California Lumber Mer chant reported an amazing Christ mas gift—a lumber company donated an entire town to military veterans.

International Paper Co.’s LongBell Division presented to the Vet erans of Foreign Wars the then-35year-old Northern California logging town of Tennant. The complete ly-equipped, 100-acre site once had a population of 800, but cleared out once the local woods were exhaust ed of timber and the railroad pulled up stakes.

Tennant was founded in 1922 as logging headquarters to serve the sawmill in Weed, Ca., located about 40 miles to the southwest. At least 3.5 billion bd. ft. of logs moved through the town in its lifetime to the Weed sawmill. The town at one time had its own railroad running about 70 miles east into Modoc County. At the height of operations, 12 locomotives and 300 cars were needed to keep the Weed mill in logs. The logging camp was named for the late J.D. Tennant, vice-presi dent and general manager of west ern operations for Long-Bell.

Tennant was never a rough town, like other logging camps. It was a planned community where loggers lived with their families. Its homes had lawns and fenced yards in a pine tree setting with a breath-tak ing view of snow-covered, 14-161-ft. Mount Shasta.

VFW officials intended to use the site “as a home for pensioned veter

ans” and possibly a boys’ summer camp.

In other news of 65 years ago:

• Two of San Diego’s strongest LBM dealers—Dixie Lumber & Sup ply and Arline Lumber Co.—joined forces, to be known effective Jan. 1, 1958, as DixieLine Lumber Co.

Dixie closed up its 44-year-old yard in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood, two of its co-owners retired, and the third (Bill Cowling Sr.) partnered with Arline owner Robert Sutton to form the new busi ness at Arline’s more modern facili ty. Cowling, who had been secretary and general manager of Dixie since 1926, became president, Sutton VP, and Bill Cowing Jr., secretary-trea surer and assistant manager of the retail yard.

DixieLine would grow to 12 loca tions by 2003 when Cowling Jr. sold it to Lanoga (later part of ProBuild, now Builders FirstSource).

• Wood preserving was on the rise—but little of it for lumber. An AWPA report noted that in 1956, 325 plants treated 257.9 million cubic ft. of wood, including piles (21%), poles (l5%), switch ties (11%), crossarms (8%), and lumber and timbers (4%).

• Weyerhaeuser unveiled its mega-lift... the largest lift truck on the West Coast, capable of hoisting as high as a two-story house all the lumber an average U.S. citizen would use in eight years.

The Merchant likened the behe moth to a gigantic hermit crab with

outstretched pincers, overhead an tennae, and carrying its own house on its back. In use at Weyerhaeuser Timber Co.’s sawmill in Raymond, Wa., the lift’s 8-ft. “pincers” slid under 2O-ton stacks of lumber as it unloaded a rail car in four trips in less than 15 minutes. The 26-ton truck with 128-hp engine could move forward or backward with equal ease, and travel up to 16 mph.

• National Building Material Distributors Association held its 6th annual meeting, attracting 538 at tendees from 42 states to Chicago.

The highlight: a luncheon round table on “New Products I Have Found Profitable,” in which whole sale distributors shared how they were diversifying their lines into “specialty products” that carried higher-than-average markups.

• Los Angeles’ Martin Plywood Co., having just celebrated its 10th anniversary and in need of twice as much room as it currently held, moved into a new 32,000-sq. ft. warehouse in the City of Commerce. Today, the facility is operated by US Polymers to manufacture DuraMax vinyl building products.

In December of 1957, West Coast sister wholesalers Gordon MacBeath Hardwood and L.J. Carr & Co. sent out their Christmas greetings on the front cover of The California Lumber Merchant.

The latest additions to our high-performance fasteners.