The
MERCHANT
MARCH 2016
Magazine
THE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS – SINCE 1922
REGIONAL WOODS: REDWOOD & WESTERN RED CEDAR • FASTENER UPDATE
An Open View to More Revenue
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March 2016
The
Volume 94 Number 9
MERCHANT
The
MERCHANT
Magazine
www.building-products.com
A publication of 526 Media Group, Inc.
Magazine
151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. D200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
President/Publisher Patrick Adams padams@building-products.com Vice President Shelly Smith Adams sadams@building-products.com Publishers Emeritus David Cutler Alan Oakes Managing Editor David Koenig david@building-products.com Editor Stephanie Ornelas sornelas@building-products.com Contributing Editors Carla Waldemar, James Olsen Director of Sales Chuck Casey chuck@building-products.com
Special Features 8 FEATURE STORY
THE CHANGING FACE OF FASTENERS
10 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
6 ACROSS THE BOARD
How to Advertise
16 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE 20 EVANGELIST MARKETING
12 INDUSTRY TRENDS
38 MOVERS & SHAKERS
HOW KNOTTY CEDAR GOT ITS GROOVE BACK
40 APP WATCH
14 MARGIN BUILDERS
MOBILE TOOL KIT HELPS DEALERS MARKET WESTERN RED CEDAR
28 NAWLA–THINKING AHEAD
BRAND IS THE NEW PRODUCT— HOW TO FORTIFY YOUR MARKETING
50 PHOTO RECAP: NAWLA NW
NORTHWEST REGIONAL IN PORTLAND BOISE CASCADE-RIVERSIDE’S ANNUAL GOLF EVENT
Circulation Manager Heather Kelly hkelly@building-products.com
18 OLSEN ON SALES
SUSTAINABLE DESIGNS: REDWOOD MEETS CALIFORNIAGROWN INSPIRATION
52 PHOTO RECAP: SOCAL GOLF
In Every Issue
44 NEW PRODUCTS 55 ASSOCIATION UPDATE 56 IN MEMORIAM 56 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 56 ADVERTISERS INDEX 57 DATE BOOK 58 FLASHBACK
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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, 151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. D200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. The Merchant Magazine (ISSN 7399723) (USPS 796560) is published monthly at 151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. D200, 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®2016 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. It reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter, and assumes no liability for materials furnished to it.
ACROSS the Board By Patrick Adams
Simple, but not easy
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I are at that amazing stage of parenting when EVERYTHING seems fun and exciting to our 5-year-old daughter. Want to try soccer? YES! How about music lessons? ABSOLUTELY! This enthusiasm lasts until about five minutes into the first session when she realizes that being great at these things takes work. This brings us to a recent sunny morning where I let her ride with me for a few holes of golf. After explaining the rules, she replied, “That’s easy!” Just hit the little white ball into the hole… easy! I hit and missed the green on this par 3. Her reply? “Daddy, it’s so easy… you’re not very good at golf!” True perhaps, but that’s not really the point. I helped her get onto the green with her ball, but from there, it was a series of so many putts that she eventually picked up her ball and dropped it into the cup. She stood there and stared at the ball in the cup for a bit as I walked up to her and asked, “What do you think of golf?” Her reply: “It’s not easy.” Call me crazy, but it’s important to me that my daughter and those I care about have full lives where they are passionate about things. I’ve found that the things I’m most passionate about and fulfilled by are not easy. We sat down on the green by the cup (I have an even longer story about how this was possible) and I asked her, “Do you know the difference between easy and simple?” She thought about this a long time and replied, “They seem kind of the same, but they’re not.” Y WIFE AND
Most things in life are simple. Go to work and get a paycheck. Meet someone, get married, and live happily ever after. Meet a customer, get the order, and do business until you both retire. Hit a little white ball into a hole. All very simple concepts… that are not easy to execute successfully. In fact, I would argue that the most meaningful things in life are the simplest concepts but are the farthest from easy and if they were easy, they wouldn’t mean so much to us. Why does our wedding anniversary mean so much? Why do I feel so proud when a customer continues to do business with us? Why do I have the weeklong celebration already planned out for the day that I ever hit a hole in one? Because it is an event that celebrates a simple concept that was not easy to achieve. As my daughter and I sat on the green and pondered simple versus easy, I explained to her that Daddy’s life hasn’t been easy, having her wasn’t easy, and providing for and protecting our family, friends and employees is not easy. But I told her that is the exact reason why Daddy is so happy. She thought about that for a long while and finally responded: “Remember when we went for that long hike up the mountain with Mommy?” “Of course I do,” I replied. “That’s simple… we were just walking,” she said. “But that wasn’t easy… it was REALLY HARD!” I asked her how she felt when she got to the top. “I felt like a big girl… it made me happy!” Ah, parenting… so simple! My golf game on the other hand…. I’m grateful for all of the simple things in life, which are not easy but give me the greatest rewards. What all of us do in this industry is a simple concept, but rarely is easy. I think this is the greatest lesson we can teach the next generation—that just because it is a simple concept and that some of us make it look easy, this comes from a lifetime of hard work! “Success is simple. Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time.” ~ Arnold H. Glasow
Patrick S. Adams Publisher/President padams@building-products.com
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Building-Products.com
FEATURE Story By Clark Allen, Simpson Strong-Tie
The changing face of fasteners
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metal connectors, fasteners and anchors have traditionally been used as a system to connect the roof, floors and foundation together. However, new structural fasteners designed for wind-uplift restraint provide easier, cost-effective alternatives for builders. When used together as a system with anchor bolts at the foundation, these truss and floor-to-floor screws provide a reliable, safe and economical solution for creating a continuous load path and resisting wind uplift.
ODAY’S NEW
fasteners address specific application and installation needs, providing contractors with more opportunity than ever to use a product that’s specially designed for their job. Auto-Feed screw driving systems increase productivity and reduce fatigue. Drywall, subflooring, wood, composite or metal decking, metal roofing and siding can be challenging to install precisely and quickly. Newer auto-feed screw driving systems, however, offer installers several great advantages to make installing these types of materials easier. These new systems are rapidly becoming the tools of choice, replacing traditional handdriven screws and cumbersome pneumatic nailers. Auto-feed screw driving systems provide speed, reliability and power. They also allow installers to stand up while driving fasteners. This helps reduce worker fatigue, is easier on backs and knees, and saves time. In addition, these systems eliminate the need to handle individual screws, allowing installers to work faster (there are no dropped screws that can scratch or dimple panels) and reduce costs. A major advantage of screws is that they draw materials together tightly. This is especially helpful with subfloor installation because screws reduce the chance of squeaks—a common frustration for homeowners. And no squeaks mean less headaches for contractors from callbacks and cost overruns. Auto-feed screw driving systems
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ACHIEVING the same cost savings in coastal regions where building codes require the use of structural pilings, is one area that’s harder. This floor-to-floor screw is designed to simplify the wind-uplift restraint connection while providing superior performance over the life of the structure. (Photo of Strong-Drive SDWF courtesy Simpson Strong-Tie)
are easy to use, durable and designed for a wide variety of fastening applications, including agricultural postframe buildings and new and replacement residential roofing projects. Fastener strips allow hands-free screw advancement and virtually eliminate fastener waste, making them ideal for metal roofing and siding. Fasteners for continuous load path connections. Tried-and-true
March 2016
Fasteners for harsh environments. While newer fasteners are helping contractors save time and money in many types of construction, one area that has been harder to achieve the same cost savings is in coastal regions where building codes require the use of structural pilings. These newer code changes were adopted by coastal communities after the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy and have increased the number of bolted connections required for building structural piles. For decades, bolts have been used for pile construction to ensure a structurally sound connection. However, these types of bolted connections are not easy to install in the field. And the more difficult the connection is to make, the more costly it becomes, along with increasing the risk that it won’t be installed correctly. Many pile connections have beams on each side of the pile. This means installers have to make sure the predrilled hole for the bolt is properly aligned through the pile and beams. This process is time consuming and Building-Products.com
takes considerable strength and skill to perform properly and safely, particularly when on a lift or suspended 15 feet off the ground. Given the large size of these piles, which can be 12-14” thick, the installer also has to add the washer and tighten the bolt while blind to the back of the assembly. It can take several minutes per fastener to get the job done right. These conditions have created a great need in the field for a better alternative. A safer solution would be a screw that’s specifically designed for the severe corrosive environments found in heavy-duty marine and coastal applications. Without having to predrill, aligning the wood posts is simpler and installation can be done from one side in a few seconds, rather than the minutes required when using a separate bolt, washer and nut. These types of screws are designed to replace ¾" and 5/8" bolt/washer/nut assemblies in piers, boardwalks, structural pilings and docks. Other innovative fastener features. Many value-added design features add up to making today’s fasteners better than ever. Low torque points, aggressive thread pitches and specialized head designs all work together to improve speed and efficiency, resulting in lower installation costs. Lower torque installation also means contractors have the option of using convenient cordless tools. Anything that speeds up installation—while preserving safety and quality—is a boon to installers. When tasks that used to take minutes are reduced to a matter of seconds, the hours add up quickly. Today’s new fasteners can result in considerable savings to the bottom line—and that’s what contractors like to hear.
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 cement siding 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.realcedar.com
To learn more about Haida Skirl or to place an order, contact us at 604-437-3434, toll free 1-866-553-9663 or info@haidaforest.com
– Clark Allen is the Senior project manager at Simpson Strong-Tie. He can be reached via www.strong-tie.com.
www.haidaforest.com
Building-Products.com
March 2016
The Merchant Magazine
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INDUSTRY Trends By Charlie Jourdain, California Redwood Association
Redwood meets California-grown inspiration I
DON’T HAVE to tell you that California has a reputation for leading the nation in mandating some of the most rigorous energy standards. From transportation to water consumption, energy use to waste generation, the prevailing wisdom is “do more with less.” The recent adoption of rules that require all new residential construction to be net-zero by the year 2020 and all new commercial construction to be net-zero by the year 2030 underscores the value assigned to that axiom. It also opens new opportunities for us in the building products industry to lead by example and to encourage further innovation. Last year, the California Redwood Association and its member companies supplied redwood to the California Polytechnic design team entering the Solar Decathlon competition. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, this competition challenges collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered homes that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive. The Cal Poly team’s 2015 design, INhouse, emphasized an efficient, performance-based design, providing a quality, cost conscious home made predominantly of locally
CAL POLY’S entry in the recent Solar Decathlon, INhouse, emphasized efficient design and locally sourced materials. (Photos courtesy CRA)
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SOLAR-POWERED design home heavily relied on redwood and other locally sourced materials.
sourced materials. Redwood helped the team accomplish a number of project goals: • Use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified products where possible: All California redwood grown for lumber is certified according to FSC standards. • Locally source building materials: the project site was located a short travel distance from the lumberyard, making redwood an even more natural material choice for this California home. • Incorporate passive elements to reduce the active cooling load while providing a comfortable living environment: One of the primary shading strategies used a redwood screen, patterned as a solar thermal map of the house to maximize the efficiency of the shade screen. The end result reduced cooling loads by almost 5%. • Merge design aesthetics with naturally long-lasting materials: the tannins in redwood help keep the wood dry, fire-resistant, and resist decay. Solar Cal Poly team member Jin Lee explained, “With redwood, intelligent design choices can merge with the aesthetic and practical desires of a space, and manifest it within a single material. Oiled or natural, living or lumber, the redwood will continue its legacy of grandness, and put us another step closer to a sustainable standard.” For CRA’s redwood members, supporting this team was a sound business decision. According to Architecture Building-Products.com
A Century of Redwood
REDWOOD for INhouse was supplied by the California Redwood Association and its producer members.
2030’s report, “The Roadmap to Zero Emissions,” approximately 60% of the built environment will be built and rebuilt around the world in the next two decades. The kind of inspiration that will help drive that building and rebuilding comes from competitions just like Solar Decathlon. Creating the next-generation building innovation doesn’t require brand new building materials. One of the reasons products like redwood continue to be used is because of their naturally long-lasting and sustainable qualities. The sustainable future is a bright one for redwood. – Charlie Jourdain is president of the California Redwood Association. Reach him at charlie@calredwood.org or (888) CAL-REDWOOD.
The California Redwood Association is celebrating its centennial in 2016. This century mark is notable for how the CRA has shifted perceptions of this remarkable tree and helped secure an evergreen future for its lumber products. Now one of the oldest trade associations in the forest products industry, the California Redwood Association first began as a collaborative effort to promote redwood products during the 1915 PanamaPacific Exposition. Today, the CRA helps promote the benefits of redwood lumber while also protecting the unique characteristics of the land best suited to grow lumber that would meet the association’s highest quality standards. From the start, the CRA has helped define the unparalleled qualities naturally inherent to redwood not found in any other softwood species. From early findings that showed how redwood’s inherent grain and fiber strength made it more resistant to warping and cupping as well as decay-resistant to more recently proving the carbonneutral qualities of a redwood deck’s lifecycle, the CRA and its members continue to share facts about redwood that prove what redwood growers have known all
along: the strength and beauty of redwood can’t be found anywhere else on earth. As an example of this uniqueness, from the beginning redwood’s renowned fire resistance has been proven in real life testimonials as well as tested and proven in the laboratory. Continued testing by the CRA has resulted in the ability of redwood decking and siding to be accepted for use naturally throughout California’s wildland urban interface fire zones. The CRA also has steadfastly supported California forestry regulations that have set high standards for sustainability and resource conservation; these laws are considered the most stringent in the world. In fact, a study by California Polytechnic University–San Luis Obispo found that California’s forestry regulations proved that point. Today, all CRA members’ product-producing redwood forests are certified sustainable under FSC. With a well-thought-out strategy for managing forestlands designated for producing redwood lumber, they are positioned to grow and harvest lumber that will be affordable and abundant for the next 100 years.
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March 2016
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INDUSTRY Trends By Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
How knotty got its groove back
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HAT DO YOU do when you have an abundance of sustainably harvested, quality product that some mistakenly consider second-rate? Make like Real Cedar and reposition your product as a first-rate option in a surging revival movement. For decades, building materials with naturally occurring character marks were generally frowned upon in the world of modern design. Everything had to be streamlined and
flawless. Not anymore. There’s been a huge return to authentic aesthetics and the embracement of natural materials. As such, architects want wood that looks like… well, wood! This is where the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association comes in. The non-profit organization represents 27 reputable producers of Real Cedar products, and instantly recognized this organic shift as an opportunity. Since then, WRCLA has been
SELECT KNOTTY western red cedar is the start of this Aptos Retreat by Cass Calder Smith.
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putting their Select Knotty Real Cedar at the forefront of its marketing initiatives. Suffice to say, it’s paid off. Select Knotty is now the go-to choice for architects looking to juxtapose their clean, sharp lines with a warm, textured building material. “Well, we’ve always known our Select Knotty is a beautiful product,” explains WRCLA managing director, Jack Draper. “So the challenge was convincing architects, because lets
(Photo by Paul Dyer) Building-Products.com
“TREE HOUSE” by Matt Fajkus Architecture (top, photo by Brian Mihealsick) incorporates knotty into its extremely contemporary design, as does luxurious project beneath it by Sandrin Leung Design (photo by Ana Sandrin).
face it—they only ever chose knotty grades for one of two reasons: Either they wanted a more cost-effective product or they wanted to create a ‘rustic’ look. It’s only the last few years that architects and builders have started specifying knotty for its contemporary appeal.” A great example of this growing trend is the Tree House by Matt Fajkus Architecture. There was a time when a funky white residential project like this would have featured almost all man-made materials and then maybe some pristinely clear cedar trim. But as Fajkus explains in a recent Real Cedar blog post, the prominently featured knotty cedar was key to creating a crisp and truly contemporary façade. Building-Products.com
“The knots in this case added a desired texture and contrast to the clean and minimal massing of the white stucco on the house,” he says. “In terms of composition, the wood provides a warmth and richness that complements the concrete floors, stucco volumes, and clean-lined geometry of the overall massing of the home.” In addition to siding applications, we’re seeing a lot more knotty cedar in modern landscaping projects. Naturally, one of the main reasons is that knotty grades of western red cedar boast the same top performing, weather resistant properties as clear grades, only at a significantly lower coast. But there’s more to it than that. Now more than ever, homeowners are starting to truly appreciate the
visual impact of naturally occurring character marks on their decking, fencing and pergolas. And that’s no accident. WRCLA has worked especially hard at showcasing the unmistakable beauty and versatility of Select Knotty in outdoor living spaces. So other than savings and visual impact, what are these ‘knotty converts’ getting when then choose this particular grade of western red cedar? “Like all Real Cedar customers, they’re getting an eco friendly product that’s naturally resistant to rot, decay and insects,” says Draper. “They’re also getting a product that’s low maintenance, long lasting and accepts and holds a wide range of finishes. But most of all, they’re just getting a really beautiful product.”
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MARGIN Builders WRCLA’s DIY on the Fly App
The Real Cedar mobile toolkit
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desk looking up best practices. That’s probably the last thing most builders want to be doing. But the reality is projects don’t always go according to plan. Whether it’s a client wanting to change a major design component after a project’s underway or the weather not cooperating, builders need the flexibility to adapt quickly without jeopardizing the quality of their work or their deadline. And that’s exactly what the Real Cedar Mobile Toolkit offers them. Developed by the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association, this digital howto handbook is designed for builders on the go. Hardware stores, lumberyards, job sites, toolsheds, workshops—wherever their projects take them, the Real Cedar app is there to provide fast facts on planning, specifying, installing, finishing and more. Bonus: It’s free, easy to use, and availHAINED TO A
able on iTunes and Google Play. It’s not just for builders either. It’s also an excellent tool for retailers. For example, if a customer comes in to a building supply store with a quick decking span question, staffers equipped with the Real Cedar app can look that info up in a matter of seconds. In turn, this high-tech resource is another way for lumber distributors to indirectly ensure customer satisfaction—i.e., they can rest assured end users are getting the right product for their projects. Plus, from a marketing perspective, WRCLA’s new “DIY on the Fly” app just makes sense given the rapid growth of mobile use. According to a recent report, 41% of RealCedar.com traffic comes from smartphone and tablets, which is up 35% from the previous year. But is this “pocket pro” a good fit
BUILDERS and dealers now have a handy app that provides fast facts on planning, specifying, installing and finishing their western red cedar projects.
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for the lumber industry? Short answer: yes. WRCLA made sure of it. Before going to market, Real Cedar reps took the app out for an extended test drive. The feedback was very positive. “The response was great right from the get-go,” says Paul Mackie (a.k.a. Mr. Cedar). “I knew we had a winner the first time I was on site with an architect who needed to recalculate his siding coverage. Building was set to begin later that week, so time and money were of the essence. And we were able to figure it out right away at the touch of a finger.” Another way the Real Cedar app benefits WRCLA members is the geolocator showing the Real Cedar retailers closest to a builder’s current location. “Yes, it always helps when people know where to buy your product,” says Mackie with a laugh, before adding, “Seriously though, a lot of builders already know that western red cedar is sustainably harvested in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Idaho, but what some don’t realize is that Real Cedar products are carried in building supply stores throughout North America. So what this app does is connect those customers with our products a whole lot faster.” Building-Products.com
COMPETITIVE Intelligence By Carla Waldemar
Success times two
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T ’ S D ECEMBER , the lumberyard’s proverbial slow season, which created a problem for Walter Dreyer. “Sorry,” he apologized for needing to reschedule a phone conversation; he’s extra-busy. Nice problem. Not a new one, however. It’s been busy at Dreyer’s Lumber & Hardware in Chatham, N.J., ever since he bought the business 23 years ago. For decades Walter had been working the wholesale lumber side and, as a favor to one of his customers going out of business, spread the word among the other yards he called on
that the man’s Chatham operation was for sale. But all he heard from them was, “Nothing happening there. No inventory. Not a good idea.” Sharing the story around the dinner table one night with his two post-college sons, the boys had a suggestion to offer: “Why don’t we buy it?” “So,” says a blindsided Walter, “we talked; we put a deal together—and here we are, 23 years later.” Sure, he knew dimensional lumber, plywood, what have you—but little about the nuts and bolts of running a retail operation. Feet to the fire: What to do? “As a wholesaler,” he explains,
ONLINE MOULDING, millwork and building materials catalog is at the heart of Dreyer’s Lumber’s new website.
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“I had developed a lot of good friends among my customers. So I called them and asked questions: ‘Should I buy this product?’ ‘What’s the answer to….?’ And that’s what’s unique about this industry,” he declares. “Operations help each other. You’re competitors, but also friends. Plus, “he notes, “whatever town you’re in— unlike many other businesses—the local lumberyard is always a community fixture. People count on it. “I knew the basic products to stock,” he continues—“framing lumber, pine, cedar siding. So, start with the basics. I added hardware, became a True Value dealer, and [later] added 15,000 square feet of store and showroom, so that created a lot of opportunity and reasons for homeowners to come in. Women,” he knows, “are the decision-makers when it comes to where to spend the money, so having a showroom offering displays became a big asset—not only for us, but for our contractor customers, who could bring their clients in and hand them over. There are not a lot of places showing folks four or five window lines, and it’s hard for folks to make a decision just by looking at catalogues.” Yet Dreyer’s has enthusiastically— make that, realistically—entered the 21st century with a state-of-the-art website that includes a vast online moulding, millwork and building materials catalog. Clearly Walter has been paying attention to the digital age. “It’s so different from generations back—today, two people working, less time to shop, so they use the Internet.” (Check out www.dreyerslumber.com, as customers do, for everything from ordering info to howto videos.) The company’s phone-hold message also doubles as a savvy marBuilding-Products.com
keting tool. But that is Now. Back to Then: “When I bought the business, there was little-to-nothing in the way of materials. Instead of its pine #2, we now stock prime and AZEK, along with I-beams, the basics of lumber. We kept adding on— plumbing, electrical, fancy hardware. It’s become one-stop shopping.” Sales climbed. And they shot up again, with the addition in 2003 of the new showroom—not exactly a walk in the park to accomplish. “We used four trailers sandwiched together—2,000 sq. ft.—for 13 months during construction. We thought we’d lose 15% of our business by this, but”— surprise—“instead we increased it 15%! We’d gone back and forth over when is the best time to build—when it’s busy or when it’s slow. The answer is,” he’s discovered, “there’s no right time, so just do it.” Dreyer’s added a couple of kitchen designers to man (woman?) the new showroom, bringing the building’s total to 28 on staff. That’s a lot of people to train, Walter, so… any thoughts on that?
You bet. “One of the biggest issues in the industry today is finding young people who want to work in the lumber business,” he reports a fact you readers know all too well. How to go about it? “You have to pay them a living wage, starting out. And, send them to classes—those offered by window companies, hardware companies, etc. The more educated the folks at the counter are, the better help you can give your customers—and that’s vital today, because those customers have so many more choices, including the Internet. Have somebody there to explain the different hardware finishes, for instance.” Women—those family spenders he’s astutely courting— love the new addition. No more messy site. “They come in with white pants and don’t get dirty. It’s friendly, well-lit. Items facing the right way on the shelf (“How hard is that?”)—his big complaint when shopping elsewhere. The staff is trained to offer help—not just point, but walk folks over, then show them multiple choices and explain the differences. “That’s what’s called ‘service.’” Walter notes, with a touch of irony. “And people appreciate it more today, when they’re not getting as much elsewhere, or when they buy online. But when it comes to the home, it’s tough to buy online. People want to see it, and to understand it—for instance in windows, a true divided light vs. a simulated one. And our contractors love bringing their own customers here.” That’ll help keep you ahead of the competition. And there’s plenty of it near Chatham—“nine other retail locations in a 10-mile circle, including the big boxes.” Dreyer’s keeps a step (or three) ahead by tending to its clientele. “That’s number one. Retail yards can offer much better serBuilding-Products.com
vice than the boxes because we know what we’re talking about; you’re not dealing with a part-timer who works four hours. Here you get your questions answered, and by the same people this week as will be working next week—not like the stores on the highway.” To retain his contractor business (80% of Dreyer’s transactions), again the answer is service: “A pro will call in the morning, not with ‘I need…’ but ‘How soon?’ They’re not planning ahead. So we turn it around. We’ve got the people and equipment—14 trucks—to deliver. We do require a $300 minimum purchase, because, when you figure it out, it probably costs us $100 to make the delivery, in employee time, gas, the loading and unloading and heading back again.” Another smart solution: a second store. Rather than requiring a 55-mile drive for customers, or Dreyer’s trucks, in 2014 Walter opened a second store in Oakhurst, N.J. Same old story: a location in business for 88 years was selling out as its current owner, age 83, opted for well-earned retirement. “A supplier called to let me know, so I decided to take a look.” Another dog, turns out. “He hadn’t done much in the last seven, eight years.” But what the heck? When others saw a dump, Walter envisioned a location. As in “location, location, location.” “It was closer to the Jersey shore, so badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy. There’d be business from that storm for us for the next 15 years. Two years afterward, people were just getting started, because of delays in insurance payments or decision-making, whatever. So we bought the store, cleaned it up, threw most of the product in the Dumpster. Then we stocked it with products similar to the Chatham store. Yet, there are some differences. The new store sold more LSL studs in one year than we had in the past 20 years in Chatham, for instance.” Both communities are affluent and growing, Walter discloses—lots of new construction as well as additions. “The Chatham location is on a direct line to Manhattan, close to Wall Street, so there are lots of knock-downs being rebuilt (which is becoming key in New Jersey) to connect to Midtown. So, no, we didn’t feel the recession here,” he says. But he watched how other yards reacted. “They were cutting down on inventory so dramatically—a big mistake,” he figures. “Customers would come in here and ask, ‘Do you have…?’ and were shocked when we actually said ‘yes.’ But,” he laughs, “that’s our business! You can’t do business from an empty wagon!” As an aside, Walter notes that back in the 1950s, the state boasted 650 yards. Today, 113. What about the future? “The tragedy today is, so many yards today are going out of business, with no family members to take over. One of the biggest problems,” he says, “is that the cost of the land a yard is on is so great that no one can afford to buy it.” But he’s not concerned. “I enjoy working here; I always have. And my sons are capable of running the business if I’m not there, so I don’t have to worry.”
Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net March 2016
The Merchant Magazine
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OLSEN On Sales By James Olsen
Warm vs. pleasant
O
is pleasant. Our favorite grandma is warm. Our mailman is pleasant. Our pastor, priest or rabbi is warm. Who are we closer to? Who do we trust more? What do we need as sellers to be successful? A competitive advantage. Sellers who struggle overestimate the importance of competence vs. confidence and caring. Competence is not a competitive advantage! We are not competing against the incompetent! Product and market knowledge are overrated. Without warmth they mean little to our customers. Competence is just the sit-down money. It does not guarantee success. Pleasant: friendly, agreeable, amiable, nice, genial, cordial, likable, amicable, good-humored, good-natured, personable; hospitable, approachable, gracious, courteous, polite, obliging, helpful, considerate; charming, lovely, delightful, sweet, sympathetic, simpatico. Warm: friendly, cordial, amiable, genial, kind, fond; welcoming, hospitable, benevolent, benign, charitable; sincere, genuine, wholehearted, heartfelt, enthusiastic, hearty. Many sellers confuse being pleasant with being warm, and their results suffer for it. Our customers are looking for three things: Competence: Do we know what we are doing? Do we do what we say we will and do we do it on time? Confidence: Do WE believe what we’re saying? Confidence inspires. Confidence is contagious. Confidence sells. Caring: Humans, our customers, like and need to feel cared about. They will ask us to help them breathe before they ask us to care for them—meaning we must give them something they never ask us for but need and want: warmth. UR FAVORITE WAITRESS
How Do I Warm Up?
Our Greeting. Warmth and rapport happen (or don’t) in the first 14 seconds of our interaction with others. Don’t mail in the initial “How are you?” with anyone at our target account. Many sellers, while not out and out rude to the receptionist, treat them like furniture—pleasant—but they don’t treat them like an important human. Huge mistake.
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Receptionists are allies or blockers; it’s up to us. We identify ourselves (in our warmest voice): “Good morning, this is Jamey Smith from Big Bad Lumber Co., out of Osh Kosh, Wi. They tell me you do the lumber buying, is that correct?” So many sellers don’t identify themselves, their company, or where they are calling from. This leaves the customer wondering about this information until we give it. Even if they continue speaking with us, it’s nagging in the back of their mind: who is this and where are they from? The weather. I first learned this reading Larry King’s book How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. I thought it was a little too obvious, people wouldn’t engage. I was wrong. Asking about the weather is magical. “So how’s the weather in Austin this morning?” Even the grumpiest curmudgeon will warm up taking about the weather. We have been talking about the weather since our beginnings; it’s in our DNA. Weather, even more than sports, is something we can talk about with little chance of conflict. What do you do for fun? People like to talk about themselves. Business talk is important. Talking about what our customers do for fun is important also.
Why Aren’t We Warmer?
Many of us are guarded in our “regular, non-selling” life. Why are we guarded? Some of us are naturally reserved. Some of us have had bad experiences causing us to be distrustful and protective of our feelings. Some of us are very attractive (whew—missed me). Attractive people are guarded because (in real life) any friendliness can be over-interpreted and acted on, so these people hold back a little. Some of us were raised to be tough and silent. Whatever our reason(s) for being guarded, we must lose them. We are warm and open with our customers. This is an active pursuit. Not being unpleasant is not the same as being warm. Does a tepid shower feel better than a hot shower? Of course not. And a tepid sales call doesn’t feel better than a warm one either! We are all selling in hyper-competitive markets. We need an edge. We need look no further than our hearts. When we open them up to others, they cannot help but open theirs to us. If we want to ultimate competitive advantage in sales, we only need to warm up. James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572 james@realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com
EVANGELIST Marketing By Alex Goldfayn
The promise of perseverance “M
ANY OF LIFE’S failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas Edison said that. And he’s a man who knew a thing or two about failure. This is one of my favorite quotes in the world. Because all of us can think of times in our lives when we’d had enough, when we were ready to quit, but we didn’t. We tried again. Just one more time. And it was enough. As Edison said, that one extra effort is often the difference between success and failure. Recently, my new book, The Revenue Growth Habit, was selected as the Sales Book of the Year for 2015 by the business retailer 800-CEO-Read. Also, Forbes selected it as one of the top business books of the year. This makes me particularly happy because the publishing industry rejected my book more than 50 times, over years, before I found it a home with the excellent publisher John Wiley & Sons. In fact, Wiley itself rejected my book twice before it finally bought it. Even the editor who eventually bought it had said no before I called him again, against my own agent’s advice, and sold him the book. Here’s the thing for those of us working on revenue growth: No never really means no. It simply means not at this moment. So we must give people another moment to say yes. If the buyer isn’t buying, don’t quit on him. Try again. Then again. And again. The beauty of our work is that we only really need one yes! The number of rejections don’t matter, because we only need one yes. In fact, one of the revenue growth techniques I’ve been teaching a lot lately focuses on going back to everyone who told you no in the last year, and restarting the conversation. “Listen, Tom, I know we tried to connect on this last year, but here we are in 2016—should we revisit that conversation?” Another powerful revenue growth technique is to follow up on quotes and proposals. The customer asked you to write up a quote. You dropped what you were doing and did it. The customer doesn’t respond. (Silence!) I teach a simple three-email follow-up technique that closes 20% of these quotes and proposals that you don’t hear back about. What are we talking about here? We’re systematizing and formalizing perseverance. Last April I was speaking at a convention and one of the other speakers was the legendary psychologist and author, Martin Seligman. During his speech, he said something I will always remember: His research has found that perseverance and resilience are twice as important to success as talent is. That is, perseverance and resilience are two-thirds of the equation to success, and talent is just one-third.
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Think about the power of this. Last year, we moved homes. In the backyard of the old house were two maple trees my wife and I planted when my children were born. These were important trees to us, deeply meaningful, and we wanted to bring them with us to the new house. Turns out, when you’re moving established trees, you can’t just have people dig it up with shovels. You need what they call a hydraulic tree spade to do the work. This is a huge piece of machinery, mounted on a flatbed truck the size and weight of a cement mixer. In the Chicago area, where we live, there are maybe a dozen of these companies. I called them all. They all told me no. They didn’t want to do a little backyard project. They do golf courses, parking lots, and office complexes. One guy agreed, but emailed me the night before the work was to be done to cancel. The closing on the old house was now days away. I had spent six weeks looking for a company to help us with the trees with no luck. My wife told me to give it up and buy a couple new trees (we could have planted a forest for what this service costs!). My parents told me to give it up, and even the tree people told me to just buy some new trees. This wouldn’t work for me. I wanted these trees. So I started calling companies in Wisconsin. It took another dozen calls to find somebody to do it. We got the trees moved. They’re in the front yard now, closest to the sidewalk and the street, for everyone passing by to enjoy. After the trees were moved, my wife said to me, “I don’t know anybody else who would have persevered like this to get these trees here.” Revenue growth is the same way. Anything worth having is the same way. People will always tell us no. We must simply give them—or someone else—another opportunity to say yes. Try again. Then again. We only need one yes. Keep trying until you get the yes. And you will get the yes. – Alex Goldfayn is CEO of The Evangelist Marketing Institute, a revenue growth consultancy, and author of The Revenue Growth Habit. Visit www.evangelistmktg.com. Alex Goldfayn CEO, Evangelist Marketing Institute www.evangelistmktg.com Building-Products.com
OrePac Acquires Bridger
DEALER Briefs Valley Distributors, Turlock, Ca., closed suddenly in late January after 48 years in business. Nilsen Co., Eureka, Ca., opened a feed/hardware store/lumberyard Feb. 16 in Arcata, Ca., at the former site of McKenny’s Do It Best Building Center. The facility was built new by McKenny’s in February 2013, but abruptly closed two years later. Orchard Supply Hardware
held a grand opening Feb. 20 to show off its newly remodeled store in Capitola, Ca. OSH spent $2.4 million on a new layout with wider aisles, brighter, more energy-efficient lights, and new paint, air conditioning, and check stands.
Home Depot will expand deliv-
ery services from Las Vegas, Nv., and other test markets to more than 800 U.S. stores by Memorial Day.
Foxworth Galbraith Lumber Co., Woodland Park, Co., was hon-
ored as Business of the Year by the local Chamber of Commerce.
Ace Hardware Corp ., Oak Brook, Il., was ranked No. 1 in its category on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list, as well as No. 14 overall out of more than 462,500 businesses. In 2015 alone, 158 new Ace Hardware stores opened in the U.S., bringing Ace’s worldwide store count to more than 4,800 retail locations. Anniversaries: HomCo Lumber & Hardware, Flagstaff, Az., 40th.
OrePac Building Products, Wilsonville, Or., has acquired specialty building product wholesaler Bridger Forest Products, Belgrade, Mt. Founded in 1995, Bridger supplies Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming markets. OrePac had been serving much of the territory—short of Rapid City, S.D.—from its surrounding DCs in Spokane, Boise and Denver, but thought it could improve and expand service by having a physical base there, according to Mike Betz, VP of sales & marketing. It becomes OrePac’s eleventh distribution center and will retain the Bridger name at least for now. Former owners Mike Hull and Steve Comer will stay on. Kelly Keeling, general manager for OrePac in Spokane, will also assume oversight of the new branch.
U.S., Canada Restart Softwood Tariff Talks
The first talks toward possibly renewing a Softwood Lumber Trade Agreement between the U.S. and Canada have begun, according to Canadian trade minister Chrystia Freeland. Canadian negotiators visited Washington, D.C., in mid-February to discuss a new deal over selling Canadian forest products in the U.S. The prior 10-year pact ended in October, but as part of the deal, the U.S. is restricted from placing new duties on Canadian softwood producers for 12 months after its expiration.
Idaho Welcomes Pair of Aces
Two new Ace Hardware stores held by separate owners are settling in Rathdrum and in Idaho Springs, Id. In Rathdrum, a full-service Ace Hardware store and garden center
Redwood • Western Red Cedar
opened Feb 17. The 20,000-sq. ft. building includes a store downstairs as well as a conference room and offices upstairs, and an outdoor garden center attached. The store will offer outdoor power equipment, fasteners, paints, small engine servicing and pet and animal products. Owner Brett Seright and his family also own the Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene locations and have been operating them since 1979 and 2009. Meanwhile, in Idaho Falls, Dan’s Ace Hardware opened its fifth branch March 3. Dan Moldenhauer and his brothers also operate Aces in Rexburg, St. Anthony, and Lava Hot Springs, Id., plus Garden City, Ut. He said the process from conception to opening of the new 12,000-sq. ft. location took about eight months. Moldenhauer’s father and grandfather started the company in 1975 in Soda Springs, although that site has since been sold.
Do it Best Stores Combine
Four-unit Henery Do it Best Hardware, Port Townsend, Wa., has agreed to buy Sebo’s Do it Best Hardware & Rental, Anacortes, Wa. Sebo’s Dave and Valerie Sem have owned the store since 1987. Matthew Henery expects to retain the Sebo’s name for the short term, but may later transition it to Henery Hardware. “We recognize that Sebo’s is very well respected in Anacortes, so we are not in any hurry to change the name,” he said. “But we also see value in a consistent brand image across all of our locations.” In the meantime, to make the new location more in line with the others, he anticipates beefing up Sebo’s lawn and garden department this spring.
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Citing a log shortage, Rough & Ready Lumber Co. has shut down its Cave Junction, Or., sawmill for the second time in three years. The closure was termed temporary, although co-owner Jennifer Phillippi is uncertain when it could be restarted. Nineteen workers were initially laid off when the mill shut down Feb. 12; planing and shipping operations were expected to continue another six to seven weeks, after which another 40 employees were to lose their jobs. Phillippi said the 95-year-old mill was operating smoothly and notching production records when it ran out of wood to process. It had previously closed in April 2013, but restarted in March 2014 after Rough & Ready secured $4 million in tax credits and loans to refinance and renovate the facility.
Wey o
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Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, Wa., has completed its merger with Plum Creek Timber Co., Seattle, Wa. The combined company retains the Weyerhaeuser name and continues to be traded under the WY ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange. The combined company owns more than 13 million acres of diverse and productive timberlands and operates 38 wood products manufacturing facilities across the country. “This is an exciting day for Weyerhaeuser as we bring together the best assets and talent in the industry,” said Doyle R. Simons, president and CEO. “In the coming months, we will be relentlessly focused on creating value for our shareholders by capturing cost synergies, leveraging our scale, sharing best practices, delivering the most value from every acre and driving operational excellence. I look forward to being part of this outstanding team as we work together to be the world’s premier timber, land and forest products company.” Five Plum Creek directors and eight pre-closing Weyerhaeuser directors make up the new board, including non-executive chairman Rick R. Holley, David P. Bozeman, Mark A. Emmert, Sara Grootwassink Lewis, John I. Kieckhefer, John F. Morgan Sr., Nicole W. Piasecki, Marc F. Racicot, Lawrence A. Selzer, Doyle R. Simons, D. Michael Steuert, Kim Williams, and Charles R. Williamson.
SUPPLIER Briefs Good Earth Power AZ’s Lumberjack Mill in Heber, Az., will move to three-shift, 24/7 operation on March 7. Mendocino Redwood Co., Ukiah, Ca., achieved Forest Stewardship Council certification for its
228,000-acre forest in Mendocino and Sonoma counties for the 15th consecutive year.
Sierra Pacific Industries’ planned greenfield stud mill in Shelton, Wa., will feature two vertical shape saw lines and horizontal resaw infeed and outfeed, supplied by USNR / Söderhamn Eriksson. Boise Cascade, Boise, Id., has added a new Tall Wall design capability in the release of the next generation of its BC CALC analysis software for engineered wood products. 24
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Building-Products.com
ap o A re ho De n rom De e n n
Decking capped cellular PVC decking from its Kleer Lumber division, but all mention of the line was recently removed from its website.
e
The Tapco Group, Wixom, Mi., has acquired Monroe, Oh.-based extruder Deceuninck North America’s Clubhouse Deck and Rail products. Deceuninck will instead focus on its core vinyl and fiberglass window and door operations. To keep up with demand in the West, the company began construction last fall on a $22.5million, 150,000-sq. ft. pultruded millwork product facility in Fernley, Nv. Clubhouse 100% PVC decking features variegated grains, colors and patterns to authentically replicate the look of hardwoods. The vinyl railing features SunShield technology to provide a limited lifetime warranty with 25-year fade and stain coverage. “Our main objectives are to provide quality products with exclusive, leading edge technology, best-of-class marketing programs, and an unrivaled customer experience” said Tapco’s president/CEO Dave Ulmer. “Adding upscale exterior product lines such as Clubhouse Deck & Rail to The Tapco Group is a sure way to achieve those objectives on a consistent basis.” Tapco had been selling Kleer
er
ement tay Hot
U.S. demand for fiber cement products is expected to grow 6% annually through 2019 to 2.9 billion sq. ft., valued at $2.2 billion, according to a new Freedonia Group forecast. Rebounding construction expenditures—particularly residential—will fortify demand. Growth in new housing construction will be by far the biggest driver of fiber cement product demand growth, as use of fiber cement siding—the most popular application for fiber cement—continues to gain market share nationally. Growth in fiber cement siding use in single-family housing will be supported by the material’s high market penetration in the West and the South, the regions that will experience the strongest levels of growth in population and housing starts going forward. While new housing demand for fiber cement products will increase at the fastest pace through 2019, residential improvement and repair will con-
tinue to account for a larger portion of residential demand. Sales of existing homes will generate demand for fiber cement products as homeowners look to increase the values of their properties before going to market. Renovation activities like bathroom and kitchen remodeling will support demand for fiber cement backerboard. Even when properties are not changing hands, fiber cement products will make inroads in re-siding and exterior trim applications. Non-residential fiber cement product demand is forecast to grow 5.8% annually through 2019 to 710 million sq. ft. Though driven primarily by rebounding construction, demand for fiber cement siding and exterior trim will also benefit from a design trend in commercial buildings that favors a more authentic, exposed-wood exterior. Manufacturers have responded by developing new wood-like products aimed at commercial buildings. Siding accounts for nearly 70% of fiber cement product demand. Backerboard is the second largest application in the U.S., but is projected to have only modest growth in market penetration through the forecast years.
Thank you for 70 years of business!
The co mpany ’s first Comp truck a White surplus any M3 Sco Mo ut b from th e Vete ought for $5 tor ran’s P refere 00 nce Ac t
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THINKING Ahead By Mark McLean, Roseburg Forest Products
rand is the new product
C
ONGRATULATIONS ! You survived the Great Recession. Like many companies in lean years, you might have achieved cost savings by slashing your marketing budget. If that’s true, now is the time to start building it back up. But when you invest in marketing this time around, consider what you might do differently. Here at Roseburg, we have traditionally focused on product marketing. What that meant, practically speaking, is that we centered our promotional and advertising activities on our product lines. Two years ago, after internal deliberations and consultation with our agency partner, we decided to take a different tact. Products are still important (after all, someone has to buy something for a company to stay in business), but our front-line marketing activities have shifted from product marketing to brand-building. Telling our company’s story has become just as important as listing the products we sell. Here’s another way to look at it: Let’s say you’re an auto manufacturer. From a product-marketing perspective, you want to distinguish your vehicles from others.
A o t
AW A
NAWLA (North American Wholesale Lumber Association) is the association that delivers unparalleled access to relationships and resources that improve business strategy and performance through sales growth, cost savings, and operational efficiencies for wholesalers and manufacturers of forest products and other building materials that conduct business in North America. Learn more about how NAWLA can help your business at www.nawla.org.
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That can mean the difference between a truck and a convertible, or the difference between two different trucks or two different convertibles. With a brand-marketing approach, you want to distinguish your entire company from others. In our previous example, it’s the difference between buying a car from Audi, Ford, GM and so on. Why should you focus on brand-building? Before the Internet, it may have been advantageous to promote your products in ads, especially print magazines. They were a customer’s main source of information, so in a sense you had a captive audience. Things have changed to the point where you could say advertising has become “opt-in.” Customers have many sources of information, so the pur-
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A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association
etwor
earn
To hear additional marketing tips from peers like Mark, you are encouraged to attend NAWLA’s 2016 Leadership Summit: Where Industry Decision Makers Grow, March 13-15 at the Westin Mission Hills in Palm Springs, Ca. You will build knowledge on relevant management topics and key trends in education sessions and connect with peers through multiple networking events. You will leave with proven best practices, cost-saving measures and new or renewed relationships with customers, prospects and suppliers. Learn more or register at www.nawla.org. pose of advertising has changed. Now as far as I’m concerned, the whole reason for marketing communications is to make people aware of your company. An awareness of who you are precedes detailed knowledge about your products. There’s even more to it than that. A strong brand can make a difference to the bottom line. In the 1980s, Dr. David Aaker popularized the concept of business equity, which he defined as “a set of brand assets and liabilities linked to a brand name and symbol, which add to or subtract from the value provided by a product or service.” In theory, brand equity can reduce advertising costs over the long run, as your brand becomes a stand-in for all the benefits you were trying to promote. Or it can help reduce customer turnover by fostering long-term loyalty to your brand. So when I say customers should know ‘who you are,’ I don’t mean simply the name of your company. Your new challenge is to forge an
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emotional relationship between your brand and potential buyers. You want to be the first company that they think of when they need something. That’s difficult to do if you’re just talking about products. When we decided to emphasize our brand, what we really wanted was to tell our story, to let people understand who we are and to communicate our values. Did I mention that brand marketing only works if you’re clear about your story and your values? Before taking your message to the marketplace, think about what you stand for. At Roseburg, we operate around three values. One is “sawdust in the veins,” which means our employees need to have a passion for this industry. Two is “handshake integrity,” by which we mean that you say what you’re going to do and do what you say. The third value is “driven to win.” For us to communicate those values meant talking about our employees. People relate to people, not to ‘products.’ So we decided to launch a promotional campaign that highlighted our employees. For our “Working for You” campaign, we ran advertisements on various platforms. Each ad featured a photo of an employee, their name and title, and an invitation to visit our website, where buyers could read detailed stories. When customers come to your website, it’s an opportunity to deepen their connection with your brand. The experience they have browsing your website is part of the brandbuilding process. A clearly organized, well-designed, easy-to-navigate site supports a positive perception of your brand. At the same time, a site that’s difficult to use will reflect negatively on your brand. And onward from there. Once you start thinking about your brand, you can see how it touches everything in your company. So take a
good look at yours and think about how you can build on it this year. – Mark McLean is director of marketing for Roseburg Forest roducts, Roseburg, Or., and a member of AWLA’s marketing committee.
March 2016
(Sources prophet.com blog)
o e to ort y o r ar et n trate
• Buyers have more product choices than ever. Set yourself apart with a strong, identifiable brand that buyers come to trust. • The industry’s workforce is aging. Start developing a plan to attract the next generation before key employees start retiring.
perat ona
• If your marketing and sales departments are the same, try separating them. With a budget dedicated just for marketing, companies are forced take more action on the marketing side then if it’s rolled up into sales. • If you partner with a marketing agency, look for one with industry experience or at least a passion for understanding how the supply chain works.
a t a
• Make it easy for prospective buyers to order samples and literature online by implementing an e-commerce solution. And get ready for the day that online ordering is the norm. • Try hosting how-to videos on your website and YouTube channel. Short videos are a powerful way to educate buyers about your company and products. They’re easy to digest and share through social media platforms.
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LESSON LEARNED Attendees are finding that with the second annual Contractor College, it’s never too late to hit the books... again.
ree
hoo
It
ontra tor
Contractors made their way back to the classroom January 29 when Big Creek Lumber, Santa Cruz, Ca., hosted its 2nd annual Contractor College at Seascape Golf Course, Aptos, Ca. Free to all contractors, the event featured presentations covering a wide variety of topics to help business thrive in the ever-changing world. A vendor fair and excellent prizes were some additional features of the event. Keynotes by guest speakers gave insight to the industry and included Clark Malak, a labor and employment attorney; Charlie
tomer
Jourdain, California Redwood Association; Barbara Mason, Santa Cruz County economic development coordinator; and Sam Marcoux and Darwin Waite, Simpson Strong-Tie.
A
r n InterWrap
Owens Corning, Toledo, Oh., has agreed to acquire lumber packaging and roof underlayment manufacturer InterWrap, Vancouver, B.C., for $450 million. “InterWrap is a pioneer in the synthetic underlayment and packaging industries,” said Brian Chambers,
president of Owens Corning’s roofing components business. “Owens Corning has a proud history of innovating in building materials, and the addition of the InterWrap team will enhance our ability to expand into new applications and markets to create value for our customers.” InterWrap primarily produces synthetic roofing underlayment, including the Titanium and RhinoRoof brands, and lumber and metal packaging products, including the Duramet and WeatherPro brands.
Mid-Columbia Lumber LLC 710C Street • Culver OR 97734 Phone: 541-475-7241 • Fax: 541-475-7242 www.mid-columbialumber.com
on an t or te oo an Wa on tr t on
t
• 2x4 through 2x12 up to 60’ • Engineered to equal strength of solid sawn lumber • Stays straighter than solid sawn lumber • Certified Exterior Joints / HRA
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o t
or
oor
on tr
t on
• Engineered Joists & Rim Boards – the perfect solution to fire code changes onta t Christy Hollenback 541-279-6525 christy@mid-columbialumber.com
Building-Products.com
LMC sent 40 dealers to Wharton for an intense MBA-style course designed specifically for up-and-coming talent.
Dea er
o to
ne
’e
n Wh tt er
hoo
Over 40 LMC dealers attended a week of executive education Jan. 10-15 at the renowned Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. LMC and the leadership team of Aspiring Leaders collaborated with Wharton Executive Education to create a dynamic program designed to expose dealers to the newest core concepts of business, and then empower them to apply these concepts in their own businesses. The curriculum was built to meet the unique needs of LMC dealers who are currently managing the business or will in the future. The program’s content is based on Wharton Executive “Advancing Business Acumen” program, consisting of interactive lectures, case studies, simulations, self-assessments, and faculty and peer dialogue. Each day dealers worked together in different teams, giving each attendee the chance to learn from fellow dealers across the country by working to solve real life problems. Whether someone was looking to improve financial acumen, strategic planning, organizational & collaborative behaviors, or learning how to integrate strategy and finance, the program covered it all. “The coursework was relevant to our industry,” noted Neal Fruman, National Lumber Co., Baltimore, Md. “It was very interesting and thought provoking with lots of great people to engage with.”
H
na y
Construction of a proposed 90,000-sq. ft. shopping center in Whittier, Ca., that will include an Orchard Supply Hardware store was finally approved on a 4-0 vote by the planning commission Feb. 22, after lengthy delays. Construction is expected to begin in April, and the store could open by the end of the year. One councilman had delayed the project after the planning commission initially approved it a month earlier. He said he was not satisfied with the information he received about the planning commission meeting in January and thought it needed more attention. As a result, Minnesotabased developer Oppidan, which is in escrow to purchase the property from Richardson Properties, was granted five changes from city rules set down by the site plan.
COMING NEXT MONTH
in the April issue of The Merchant Magazine
The Top Pressure Treaters 34
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March 2016
Building-Products.com
om
t
n
ar er
omp e
Multi-directional forklift innovator Combilift will invest $50 million over the next two years building a new 430,000-sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Ireland. The expansion will enable Combilift to proceed with its plan to double its current $190 million turnover and add 200 new jobs over the next five years. Combilift has recently purchased 100 acres to build the complex, which will also include a research & development center and adjoining offices. Since 2005, Combilift USA, Greensboro, N.C., has delivered over 5,000 units in North America.
Woo
reater
yn
ore
ant
Stella-Jones subsidiary McFarland Cascade Holdings, Tacoma, Wa., has agreed to purchase two additional treating companies, Kasatchie in Louisiana and Lufkin Creosoting Co. in Texas. Both deals should close in April. Lufkin Creosoting produces treated poles and timbers in Lufkin, Tx., notching $34.2 million in sales last year. Kisatchie produces treated poles, pilings and timbers in Noble and Pineville, La., with combined 2015 sales of $51.8 million. The purchase is for parent company 440 Investments LLC, which includes Kisatchie Treating, Kisatchie Pole & Piling, Kisatchie Trucking, and Kisatchie Midnight Express. Stella-Jones currently operates 27 wood treating facilities in the U.S. and Canada.
Woo tone
Up yner y a
Woodtone, Chilliwack, B.C., has purchased Synergy Pacific Engineered Timber Ltd., Armstrong, B.C.
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Synergy produces premium building products and components, both engineered and solid fiber. Products have been sold under Synergy’s own uattro brand as well as under Woodtone’s RealPost and RealCorner brands. “This acquisition locks in the supply of two of our key products—RealPost and RealCorner—as we continue to grow market share across North America,” said Chris Young, principal of Woodtone. “We are excited to further grow Synergy’s product offerings and market reach.” Fellow principal Kevin Young noted, “The manufacturing facilities and equipment acquired through this deal provide key capabilities for future product development and growth.”
at ona
a
pen
o thwe t D
National Nail has added new distribution centers in Rancho Cucamonga, Ca., and Carrollton, Tx. The California facility will provide the company with increased distribution capabilities in the states of California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Alaska and Hawaii, while the Texas facility serves Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, Colorado, and Arkansas. “Our entrance into these market areas is a significant move for us as we continue to expand our role as a brand and roofing channel leader,” said W. Scott Baker, president/CEO. “The need for this facility is simple: our West Coast and Southwest markets are demanding access to our brands and our representation.” The distribution in both markets will initially be focused on the roofing wholesale channel and others demanding the Stinger and Pro-Fit brands.
Building-Products.com
MOVERS & Shakers ick e, CEO, Seneca Sawmill Co., Eugene, Or., is retiring after 43 years with the company. Gary uckles, ex-BlueLinx, is a new OSB panel trader/product mgr. at Boise Cascade Distribution, Lathrop, Ca., covering Northern California and northern Nevada. Craig elson, ex-ProBuild, has joined Alpine Lumber, Parker, Co. ick Palmiter has been named mgr. of Idaho Forest Group’s remanufacturing division in LaClede, Id. James Mortimer assumes some of his lumber sales duties at Coeur d’Alene, Id., headquarters. evi Smith is now vice president of operations with Franklin Building Supply, Boise, Id. Mark Gallant, ex-ProBuild, joined Decra Roofing Systems, Corona, Ca., as VP-marketing, America. Philip Ast, ex-Sierra Forest Products, is new to outside sales for National Wood Products, Denver, Co. o anke, ex-Mohawk Industries, joined Deck Supply Warehouse, Sebastopol, Ca., as territory mgr. for Northern California.
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Thomas Corrick, CEO, Boise Cascade, Boise, Id., was elected to the board of directors. ichard iola was named senior VP of sales & marketing-Building Materials Distribution; Mike rown, VP of operations-Wood Products; Mary Jo y lad, VP of commodity sales & marketing-Wood Products; and ate Jorgenson, VP-EWP. Shanon Williamson, Orchard Supply Hardware, San Jose, Ca., has been promoted to VP of retail support services. Jesse Anaya, ex-Allied Building Products, has been appointed director of waterproofing with America Roofing Supply, Los Angeles, Ca. Trent auffman has joined PRO Group, Denver, Co., as merchandise mgr. for electrical, home hardware, and lawn & garden. ane Miller, Roofline Supply & Delivery, San Jose, Ca., has been promoted to operations mgr. rian enshalo, ex-Johns Manville, is now Aurora, Co.-based project sales mgr. with Renewal by Andersen of Colorado.
March 2016
Paul yan is the new senior VP of finance & technology for LMC, Wayne, Pa., succeeding ave Gon e, who retires next month after 38 years with the buying group. John iggins, Huntington Beach, Ca., was named regional sales mgr. for Dryvit Systems, West Warwick, R.I., overseeing California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. Josh upe is a new Orting, Wa.-based technnical sales associate for Washington and Oregon. Paul vans, divisional sales director, BMC Stock Holdings, Atlanta, Ga., was named NAHB’s 2015 Educator of the Year. John Smith, president and CEO, Pennsylvania & Indiana Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Cos., Philadelphia, Pa., and his wife, Julie, will participate in “Brave the Shave” to benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, shaving their heads to show solidarity with children fighting cancer. Donations can be made at www.stbaldricks.org/participants/johnsmith. Isadore elle is new to builders hardware sales at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., ugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus report.
Building-Products.com
ew A e
APP Watch
om n to o
Plans are in the works for a new Ace Hardware in Lodi, Ca. The company has signed a lease for a smallformat, neighborhood hardware store to likely open this fall, said John Godi, president of Stone Bros. Management. Stone Bros. owns Lakewood Mall, a neighborhood shopping center in Lodi, where Ace has agreed to establish a store of 9,000 sq. ft. between the existing stores. Godi said Stone Bros. had considered a number of possibilities in filling the vacant space at its center, but the Ace project proved the best match.
App ames Hardie D App Produced by James Hardie Price Free Platforms Apple iOS A new app provides accurate measurements of siding, trim, soffit and windows and a 360., 3D home rendering using smartphone photos. It reduces the guesswork of job estimates and provides 95 accuracy, eliminating the need to manually re-measure. It also lets users interchange exterior elements like windows and view in 20+ different colors. Do nload from iTunes
pe t A e o re at ort an A e
tart n
A 40-year-old man is accused of starting a fire by throwing a Molotov cocktail at Powell Villa Ace Hardware, Portland, Or. Kim Hwan Chong was arrested on Feb. 14 and remains lodged in the Multnomah County Inverness Jail. According to Portland Fire Lt. Rich Tyler, the investigation started on Feb. 11 when Portland Fire responded to reports of a growing fire
at Powell Villa. Damages have not yet been reported but no injuries were reported. Chong is accused of throwing the flaming cocktail at the outside wall of the business. His bail has been set at $250,000.
er e ey A e or e to
o e
Berkeley Ace Hardware, Berkeley, Ca., is being forced out of its home and no official moving date has been set. Owner Bill Carpenter said the building is being demolished, which is why they are required to move. The current store has 16,000 sq. ft. of space and the new store will have about 11,000 sq. ft. The store will move less than a half a mile north of its original location and will likely open sometime in the spring, depending on when the new premises are ready. Founded in 1895, Berkeley Hardware was purchased by Carpenter’s father-in-law, Charles Judy, in 1945 and moved its present location in 1965. Judy died in 1997 and his daughter and son-in-law, Virginia and Bill Carpenter, have run the store together since about 2000.
Finally, a composite decking that doesn't look like plastic! Introducing Naturale composite decking by NewTechWood. Same UltraShield technology you trust, with the natural look you want, in a wide variety of unique colors.
Visit www.newtechwood.com or call us at 866-728-5273 for more information Distributed by
AMERICAN LUMBER CO. INC. #1 American Way, Walden, NY 12586 Ph: 800-277-0222
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Building-Products.com
Building-Products.com
March 2016
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NEW Products
nflatable Helper
The Winbag is an inflatable, hand-operated, fiber-reinforced air cushion that can be used to replace shims and wedges in a range of applications. It provides a maximum pressure of up to 220 lbs.
WINBAGUSA.COM
A
ug- ree
utdoors
The NuTone Haven Backyard Lighting & Mosquito Repellent System provides odorless, silent, invisible mosquito protection. Homeowners also have the option to choose fixtures with low-voltage landscape lighting.
NUTONE.COM
(800) 573-8841
Composite Siding
Constructed with reinforced polymer composite, AZEK Siding offers low weight, high strength, easy installation, integrated water management, superior aesthetics, and durability. At just over 6 lbs. per 12-ft.long board, it weighs up to 40% less than most fiber cement siding, making it easy to handle, transport and install—even with a one-man crew. Gravity Lock technology speeds up installation and ensures that each piece is locked in place. It features a natural matte finish with the look of rough-cut cedar. Three pre-finished colors are offered, along with a primed option that can be customized onsite. All finished colors are chemically bonded to planks for enhanced performance that will look rich for years.
AZEK.COM
(877) 275-2935
J&L HEAT TREATING SERVICE Fast & Courteous Service
— Centrally located between I-5 & 99 in Stockton, CA — Call John at (209)
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March 2016
595-2141 — j.fauria@sbcglobal.net Building-Products.com
PPG MACHINECOAT PLUS ST EXTERIOR FINISH ÂŽ
SEMI-TRANSPARENT SYSTEM FOR WOOD
STANDARD SEMI-TRANSPARENT SYSTEM*
CEDAR SANDSTONE BASECOAT
MAHOGANY MAPLE REDWOOD WALNUT
PPG introduces a new semi-transparent system that combines the protection of a solid color ďŹ nish with the appearance of a semi-transparent stain.
PRODUCT FEATURES t 100% acrylic latex t Machine application formula for better overall consistency versus ďŹ eld application t Formulated with high durability pigments for maximum UV performance t Varied basecoat colors offer a wide range of color options t Excellent color retention
ASK PPG ABOUT DURACOLORÂŽ ST FOR FIBER CEMENT AND COMPOSITES
* Samples are shown with 1 coat of Sandstone Basecoat and 2 coats of Semi-Transparent Finish. These samples were all lab applied. 11( "SDIJUFDUVSBM 'JOJTIFT *OD t 0OF 11( 1MBDF t 1JUUTCVSHI 1" t t XXX QQHQSP DPN t XXX QQHNBDIJOFBQQMJFEDPBUJOHT DPN t NBDIBQQJOGP!QQH DPN The PPG logo is a registered trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. MachineCoat and DuraColor are registered trademarks of PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc.
rywall Repair
Stones with Tones
it
Boral Stone added two new colors to its easy-to-install Versetta Stone panelized stone veneer line—Mission Point and Graphite. Mission Point combines light gray and blues for a softer approach, while the more dramatic Graphite boasts a blend of near-black grays with occasional whitewashed stones. Both colors come in Tight Cut or Ledgestone textures.
Abatron’s new crack repair kit for drywall and plaster quickly and easily makes invisible, permanent repairs to cracked walls and ceilings. Krack Kote requires no sanding, and can be applied and painted in under an hour. The specially formulated acrylic emulsion retains its flexibility as it dries without shrinking, allowing it to move as the wall moves, leaving a seamless repair that will not reopen. Each kit repairs 20 ft. of cracks.
Ryvyr brings Colonial appeal to the bathroom with its new James bath furniture collection. The freestanding bath cabinets and matching mirror are featured in a dark English chestnut finish dressed up with rustic hardware. Boasting an Americana vibe and a rich woodgrain, the style is suitable for traditional and transitional bathrooms alike, and is sturdily crafted with solid wood.
BORALAMERICA.COM
ABATRON.COM
RYVYR.COM
(800) 445-1754
(800) 255-1727
Classic anities
(866) 395-8113
Santa Fe Springs, Ca • www.hufflumber.net
(800) 347-4833 EWP •
Big Timbers/Long Lengths
• Distressed Wood • D-Blaze® FRTW
Wholesale distributor of a wide range of Big Timbers & Long Lengths, including
DOUGLAS FIR – #2&BTR & SEL STR Green/Dry DF S4S Dimensional Lumber 2×4 – 2×14 up to 32’ #2&BTR DF S4S 3×4 – 3×12 to 24’ & 4×4 – 4×14 #1&BTR DF S4S 6×6 – 6×14 Larger pieces available depending on current inventory
Rough Timbers 3×4 – 3×12 (8’ to 40’) 4×4 – 4×12 (8 to 40’) 6×6 – 6×12 (8’ to 40’) 8×8 – 8×12 (8’ to 40’) 10×10 – 10×12 (8’ to 40’) 12×12 ( 8’ to 40’) Up to 16’ x 24’ – 48’
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the finest timbers available, delivered to customers accurately, honestly & on time.
Building-Products.com
Roof
anufactured Stone with Style
lends
Desert Sunset Luxor Panel by Environmental StoneWorks represents the architect’s vision of blending the home with the natural setting of its mountain range surroundings. Designed to represent where rustic charm meets modern style, the warm color and texture of the panel has a soft, grounding effect that pairs flawlessly with contemporary design. The panel is also available in Taupe and Cream.
DaVinci Roofscapes has launched four new EcoBlend options to reflect sunlight and heat away from a home or commercial structure. The new color blends meet the stringent requirements to receive Energy Star designations, are approved by the Cool Roof Rating Council and meet Title 24 requirements for California. Color blends for EcoBlend polymer shake and slate roofs now include tahoe, autumn, brownstone and slate gray.
ESTONEWORKS.COM
DAVINCIROOFSCAPES.COM (800) 328-4624
(800) 891-5402
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
909-350-1214 15500 Valencia Ave. (Box 1070), Fontana, CA 92335 Fax 909-350-9623 • email – fwl-fwp@pacbell.net
www.fontanawholesalelumber.com
Specializing in Flatbed & Van Freight for over 10 years
4911 Warner Ave., Ste. 205, Huntington Beach, CA 92649 Phone (714) 840-5366 • Fax 714-840-1933
www.straight-line-transport.com “A Load We Transport Is a Load off Your Mind” 46
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March 2016
Building-Products.com
Sophisticated Spirals
The new Trex Spiral Stairs collection is designed to enhance the beauty of any backyard, while providing a functional, space-saving alternative to standard stairs. The system is offered in both aluminum and galvanized steel models.
TRE .COM
(800) 289-8739
The
ltimate Screw
Simpson Strong-Tie is expanding its Deck-Drive DCU Composite screw product line to include two stainless-steel versions, providing pros and DIYers with deck screws that offer added corrosion resistance in marine or high-exposure environments. The two new screws require no predrilling and provide a smooth, clean finish. One is made from Type 305 stainless steel, offering additional corrosion resistance in wet areas such as freshwater rivers and lakes; the other is made from Type 316 stainless steel and is designed for severe exposure conditions.
STRONGTIE.COM (800) 999-5099
Building-Products.com
March 2016
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Respecting the forest, honoring the past, building the future. A nation’s pride you can build on.
Manufacturers of 6 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
(509) 874-1163
Yakama Forest Products
3191 Wesley Rd., White Swan, WA 98952 Fax 509-874-1162
www.yakama-forest.com
A
ni ue lement to
ecking
The versatile and attractive StartLight solar light by AGS Stainless Steel adds a unique element of interest to any deck or outdoor area. A one-piece stainless steel shell holds a water resistant LED light assembly with rechargeable NiMH battery. The top-mounted solar cell is sloped for efficiency and visual appeal. Perfect for decks, stairs and pathways, the light installs easily to wood, composite, metal and more.
AGSSTAINLESS.COM (206) 842-9492
888-807-2580 Bend, OR
www.pelicanbayfp.com DISTRIBUTION LOCATIONS Colton / Fontana / Modesto / Salinas / Stockton, CA PRODUCTS & SERVICES Framing Lumber / Pallet Stock / Industrial Lumber / Softwoods Hardwoods / Cedar / Fencing / Decking / Redwood Custom Cut Stock / Treated Lumber / Tile Battens 3-Hole & Slotted Vents / Custom Cutting / Remanufacturing Heat Treating / Fire & CCA Treating
“Focused on the future with respect for tradition”
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verlasting
inyl
ecking
EverNew vinyl decking is virtually maintenancefree, easy to install, won’t split, warp or rot and will never need painting, scraping or sanding. The vinyl decking has a hollow vinyl profile with an easy-to-clean, non-porous surface said not to stain, scratch or fade.
CERTAINTEED.COM (800) 233-8990
Building-Products.com
Sheathing Shield
Georgia-Pacific’s ForceField Air & Water Barrier System keeps potentially harmful water out of a structure during construction— and for the life of the building. The system consists of engineered wood sheathing panels laminated with a proprietary air and water barrier.
GPFORCEFIELD.COM (404) 652-4000
ntryways for a Craftsman
Barrington Fiberglass Entry Doors by Masonite now offers the Craftsman Entry Door, in oak and mahogany textures. It combines two popular styles to complement traditional and modern homes. The entryways feature Barrington’s recessed flat three-panel design and Marco textured glass with antique black caming. The doors measure 36 by 80 inches with sidelites of 12 by 80 inches or 14 by 80 inches.
MASONITE.COM (866) 736-7322
Building-Products.com
March 2016
The Merchant Magazine
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Photos by The Merchant
NAWLA PORTLAND REGIONAL
For a video update on NAWLA and how it’s continuing to impact the industry, visit wwww.building-products.com
NORTH AMERICAN Wholesale Lumber Association’s recent Pacific Northwest regional meeting in Portland, Or., offered networking opportunities and a live panel featuring 1 Mark Porter, Hampton Lumber Sales Steve Killgore, Roseburg Forest Products Eric Schooler, Collins Cos. and moderator Kevin Dodds. 2 Steve Killgore, Scott Gascho.
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Jim McGinnis, Ian Mclean. 4 Mark Saracco, Kevin Dodds, Scott Elston. 5 Bree Wolfram, Nathaniel Bruce, Sarah Townsend. 6 Mark Young. Jonathan Domack, Shawn Batis. Leslie Southwick, Grant Phillips, Kris Lewis. 9 Jerry Lawson, Aly Kingsley. 10 Kris Lewis, J.T. Taylor. 11 Mason Virnig, Shelley Perrie. 12 Tom Ficklin, Tom Gennarelli. 1 Mark
March 2016
Mitchell, Tim Atkinson. 14 Timm Locke. 15 Joe Buttice, Brian Thomas, Bre Wolfram. 16 Steve Loebner. 1 Trent Johnson, Trent Thompson, Brent Lawrence. 1 Alexandra Dickey, Auna Godinez. 19 Christy Biron, Terry Haddix. 20 Mario Alfonso, Loren Wohlgemuth. 21 Kevin Daugherty, Chris Barker. (More photos on ne t page) Building-Products.com
NAWLA PORTLAND REGIONAL Photos by The Merchant
MORE NAWLA (continued from previous page) 22 Norm Persons, Joe La Berge, Jonathan Dombeck. 2 Mark Porter, Jon Anderson. 24 Mary Jo Nyblad, Judy Haney, David Bernstein. 25 Preston Johnson, John Grove. 26 Tyson Sands, David Smith. 2 Pat Lynch, Mark McLeon, Tom Gennarelli. 2 Brian Kirwan, Mark Auxier. 29 Lee Jimerson, David Stallcop, Gordon King, Jim Adams. 0 Nathaniel Building-Products.com
Bruce, Bart Bartholomew. 1 Scott Elston, Jim McGinnis, Wayne Holm. 2 Matt Hungerford, Loren Wohlgemuth, Darrell Hungerford, Mario Alfonse. Maria Frigo. 4 Sean Kilgore, David Lee. 5 Kevin Monette, Jack Donovan, Scott Sunday. 6 John Grove, Grant Phillips. Eric Hansen. Kevin Dodds, Bob Maeda. 9 Dan Semsak, Mike McCollum, Gary Pittman. 40 Kalayna Crook, Dallas Reid. March 2016
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BOISE CASCADE annual golf tournament Feb. 19 in Yorba Linda, Ca., gave guests ample opportunities for networking and industry fellowship. 1 Tom Beall , Lynn Bethrum, Ed Kliem. 2 Bob Golding, Bill Sullivan. Torry Grube, Seth Porter. 4 Craig Crafton, Miguel Hernandez. 5 Robbie Brunner, Frank
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Gonzalez. 6 Ryan Williams. Moses Saenz, John Lawrence, Sergio Paz, Victor Fresca. Ed Miron, Richard Strachan. 9 Mike Leon, Ron Collins. 10 Scott Whitman, Eric Grandeen. 11 Ed Russell, Will Lone. 12 Norbert Lado, Chris Gross. 1 Frank Bader, Tim Farrell. 14 Jesse Jackson, Jim March 2016
Nicodemus. 15 Kim Wood, Rick Avery, Lance Devol. 16 Jim Giehl, Matt Satterlee. 1 Vern O’Connor. 1 Craig Huendorff, Bob Derham. 19 Angel Cano, Brian Armstrong. 20 Ted Boicourt, Tiffany Mendoza, Rolando Noriega. 21 Tino Benavidez. (More photos on ne t t o pages) Building-Products.com
BOISE CASCADE GOLF Photos by The Merchant
GOLF (continued) 22 Pat McCumber, Tom Foote. 2 Bart Weber, Jeff Norihiro. 24 Monika Bartko, Dean Costello. 25 Victor Martinez, Jose Covarrubias. 26 Alfie Henshaw, Ryan Lauterborn. 2 Brad Moultin, Israel Valdez. 2 Juan Barrajas, Pedro Estevez. 29 Chris McDonough. 0 Steve Building-Products.com
Sadler. 1 Pete Meichtry, Deonn DeFord. 2 Samantha Winstead, Denise Bough. Amanda Nichols, Cindy Richardson. 4 Matt Latendresse. 5 Cipi Covarrubias, Valente Covarrubias. 6 Matt Manke, Mark Huff. Troy Huff, Andrew Manke. Fernando Gonzalez, Mike Olsen. 9 Gary Carpendale,
Shawn Knight, Tyrone Smith, Wayne Murry. 40 Mike Born, Adam Kenney. 41 Moe Shearer. 42 Rudy Peralta. 4 Andrew VanLeesten, Kenny Martinez. 44 Joe Morin, Heath Stai. Joe Lozano. 45 Paul Maag, Jeff Slevers. 46 Bryan Simon, Brandon Wulf. (More photos on ne t page)
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BOISE CASCADE GOLF Photos by The Merchant
GOLF (continued from previous pages) 4 Guy Selleck, Ashton Avarell. 4 Louis Rojas, Mike Kemp, Ray Torres. 49 Brian Callaway, Steve King, Kevin Ulibarri. 50 Erik Shinn, Chris Johnson, Steve Schroeder, Damien Simpson. 51 Chris Rebolledo, Chad Cutlip.
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52 Dan Croker, Ron Hillman. 5 Scott Middaugh, Rex Klopfer, Chris Wischmann, Rick Deen. 54 Shane Schicke, Greg Kantzalis, John Cook. 55 Darin Myers, Jon Delangis. 56 Barry Pino, Jason Womack. 5 Jeff Heise, Carlton Jennings. 5 Carlos March 2016
Gonzalez, Mike Plutner. 59 Bill McBroom, Ryan Mitchell. 60 Debbie Mike uezambra. 61 Rock Lee, Fabio Gaipa. 62 Rick Porter, Keith Lyng. 6 Robert Clarke, Ed Nichols. 64 Don Liesy, Warren Warren. 65 Jeff Dahl, Bill Shadden. 66 Tom Martin, Ryan Treffers. Building-Products.com
ASSOCIATION Update Western uilding Material Association is staging an introduction to building material sales class April 5 and an estimating workshop April 6-7 at the Red Lion Hotel, Boise, Id. A safety managers workshop is set for April 28 at WBMA’s Kincaid Learning Center, Olympia, Wa. West Coast um er uilding Material Association will donate the net proceeds of its April 14 golf tournament at Black Gold Golf Club, Yorba Linda, Ca., to the Wounded Warrior Project. orth American Wholesale um er Association is readying for its Leadership Summit at The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa, Palm Springs, Ca., March 13-15. At the three-day event, attendees will gain knowledge on how to grow their businesses and network. Keynotes and educational seminars will highlight best practices, cost-saving measures, and improving relationships with customers, prospects and suppliers. Confirmed presenters
include executives from Arauco, Boise Cascade, West Fraser, and Klausner. Western Wood Products Association will host its annual meeting concurrently with NAWLA’s Leadership Summit March 12-14 at The Westin in Palm Springs. Day one will kick off with a luncheon and several committee meetings, and on day two guests can compete in the 18-hole golf challenge and enjoy a reception co-hosted with NAWLA. A WWPA economic forecast concludes day three. edwood egion ogging Conference has chosen “Redwood in our Past, Redwood Today, Redwood in our Future” as a theme for its 78th annual conference March 17-19 in Ukiah, Ca. In addition to Education Day for local schools and chainsaw carving exhibitions, which are both free, the event will have portable sawmill demonstrations, career day for high school and college students, and a log
loader competition. A golf tournament and ladies’ luncheon will keep guests busy networking; wildlife shows and historical displays will be throughout the event and scholarship opportunities will be available. The conference will also be hosting The Voice–Logger Style, where show guests have signed up as contestants and will perform in a singing competition much like the hit show. ational um er uilding Material ealers Association invites dealer members to meet with business colleagues, national leaders, and association leadership at its annual legislative conference April 18-20 in Washington, D.C. International Wood Products Association will host its 60th annual convention and World of Wood exhibition April 6-8 at the JW Marriott, Austin, Tx. The convention provides access to over 300 importers, U.S. manufacturers, exporters, wholesalers, offshore suppliers and service providers to the global wood products industry from nearly 30 countries.
We’re happy to spend another century here…
…So you can enjoy the view here We’ve dedicated 100 years to carefully nurturing and responsibly managing the land where Redwood thrives. Today, Redwood is abundantly available, thriving, and very affordable, and thanks to our member companies, will be around for generations to come.
REAL. STRONG. REDWOOD. To find out more about natural outdoor living, or to get inspired, visit us at RealStrongRedwood.com. Building-Products.com
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IN Memoriam Willard oy Friesen, 98, former owner of Lebanon Lumber, Lebanon, Or., died Jan. 22 in Salem, Or. While in high school, he started work at his father’s Salem Box Co., Salem, assisting him until the late 1950s. He then worked for various lumber companies in Washington, Oregon, and Southern California, including Palletainer Corp., Long Beach, and Crown Lumber Co., Crescent City, Ca., before buying Lebanon Lumber in 1961. He sold the mill to Willamette Industries in 1974. James arvey ones, 83, former president and CEO of Mountain Fir Lumber, Portland, Or., died Dec. 25. He served on the board of the National Railroad Tie Association and as president of the Western Forestry Products Association. He was named 1981 Business Leader of the Year by the local Chamber of Commerce and 1982 Oregon Business Leader of the Year by Associated Oregon Industries.
ernardo ela osa acanay, 76, retired sales and purchasing agent for MidPac Lumber Co., Honolulu, Hi., died Jan. 18 in Honolulu. arold Christianson “Chris llicott, 97, former Georgia-Pacific marketing executive, died Feb. 8 in Portland, Or. After serving as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, he joined Georgia-Pacific in 1951 as director of advertising and promotion. He was promoted to assistant vice president of advertising and public relations, director of industry affairs in
1970, and director of corporate communications in 1977. During 1974, he was also director of corporate communications for Louisiana-Pacific. He retired from G-P in 1980. He served as chairman of promotions for APA from 1974 to 1975, president of the American Hardboard Association in 1975, and president of the American Wood Council from 1976 to 1978. urt Paul uhn, 79, retired 40year lumber broker in the Portland, Or., area, died Dec. 27 after a short battle with cancer.
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ADVERTISERS Index Allweather Wood www.allweatherwood.com ............................
NewTechWood www.newtechwood.com ...................................40
Arch Wood Protection www.wolmanizedwood.com .................45
Norman Distribution Inc. www.normandist.com .......................11
Big Creek Lumber Co. www.big-creek.com ...............................26
Nu Forest Products www.nuforestproducts.com ................ 0- 1
California Redwood Association www.calredwood.org ...........55
Pelican Bay Forest Products www.pelicanbayfp.com ..............4
Capital Lumber www.capital-lumber.com .........................Cover I
Pennsylvania & Indiana Lumbermans www.plmilm.com .........49
Deck Supply Warehouse www.decksupplywarehouse.com ....2
PPG Architectural Coatings www.ppgac.com ...........................4
Diacon Technologies www.diacon.com ...............................19, 21
Redwood Empire www.redwoodemp.com ...............................5,
Fasco America www.fascoamerica.com .................................... 4
Reliable Wholesale Lumber Inc. www.rwli.com ........................ 6
Feeney www.feeneyinc.com .........................................................
RFP Lumber www.rfplumber.com ..............................................22
Fiberon www.fiberondecking.com .............................................2
Roseburg www.roseburg.com .........................................Cover IV
Fontana Wholesale Lumber fontanawholesalelumber.com .....46
Simpson Strong-Tie www.strongtie.com ...................................
Haida Forest Products www.haidaforest.com .............................9
Siskiyou Forest Products www.siskiyouforestproducts.com .4
Huff Lumber Co. www.hufflumber.net .......................................44
Snavely Forest Products www.snavelyforest.com ...................25
Humboldt Redwood www.getredwood.com ..............................
Straight Line Transport www.straight-line-transport.com .......46
&L Heat Treating Service .............................................................42
Swanson Group Sales Co. www.swansongroupinc.com .........41
ones Wholesale Lumber www. oneswholesale.com ..............
Universal Forest Products www.ufpedge.com .......................... 5
Keller Lumber www.kellerlumbercompany.com .......................42
Viance www.treatedwood.com ..........................................Cover II
Kop-Coat www.kop-coat.com ...........................................Cover III
Weyerhaeuser www.weyerhaeuser.com .................................... 9
Maze Nails www.mazenails.com .................................................15
Woodway www.woodwayproducts.com ....................................24
Mid-Columbia Lumber www.mid-columbialumber.com ........... 2
Yakama Forest Products www.yakama-forest.com ..................4
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date book istings are often submitted months in advance. Al ays verify dates and locations ith sponsor before making plans to attend. LMC – March 9-11, annual meeting, Orlando, Fl. www.lmc.net. Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – March 10, spring golf tournament, Los Serranos Country Club, Chino Hills, Ca. www.lahlc.net. Western Wood Products Association – March 12-14, annual meeting, Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort and Spa, Rancho Mirage, Ca. (503) 224-3930 www.wwpa.org. North American Wholesale Lumber Association – March 1 -15, Leadership Summit, Westin Mission Hills, Palm Springs, Ca. (800) 527-8258 www.nawla.org Greenprints – March 15-16, Atlanta, Ga. www.greenprints.org. Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club –March 16 , speaker meeting golf, Anaheim Hills, Ca. nicholson.men@gmail.com. Redwood Region Logging Conference – March 1 -19, Ukiah, Ca. (707) 443-4091 www.rrlc.net. Mass Timber Conference –March 22-24 , Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront, Portland, Or. (406) 546-5977 www.masstimberconference.com. Structural Insulated Panel Association –April 4-6, annual meeting conference, San Juan, Puerto Pico. (253) 858-7472 www.sips.org. Window & Door Manufacturers Association – April 4- 6, legislative conference, Renaissance Dupont Hotel, Washington D.C. (800) 223-2301 www.wdma.com. Moulding & Millwork Producers Association – April 4- , annual businessmeeting, Marriott Key West Beachside, Key West, Fl. (800) 550-7889 www.wmmpa.com.
Western Building Material Association –April 5 , intro to building material sales class April 6- , estimating workshop, Red Lion Hotel, Boise, Id. (360) 943-3054 www.wbma.org. International Wood Products Association – April 5- , annual World of Wood convention, JW Marriott, Austin, Tx.. (703) 8206696 www.iwpawood.org. Woodworking Industry Conference – April 1 -15, CasaManga Marriott Cancun Resort, Cancun, Mexico www.wmma.org. Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – April 14, election night, Moreno’s, Orange, Ca. www.lahlc.net. West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association – April 14, golf tournament, Black Gold Golf Course, Yorba Linda, Ca. (800) 266-4344 www.lumberassociation.org. Composite Panel Association – April 1 -20, spring meeting, Westin La Paloma Resort Spa, Tucson, Az. (703) 724-1128 www.compositepanel.com. National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – April 1 -20, legislative conference spring meeting, Washington, D.C. (800) 634-8645 www.dealer.org. North American Wholesale Lumber Assn.– April 21, regional meeting, Vancouver, B.C. (800) 527-8258 www.nawla.org. International Wood Composites Symposium – April 22-21, Seattle, Wa. (800) 942-4978 www.woodsymposium.wsu.edu. Transload Distribution Association – April 26-29, conference, Carefree Resort Conference, Carefree, Az. (503) 656-4282 www.transload.org. Olympic Logging Conference – April 2 - 29, Fairmont Empress Hotel, Victoria, B.C. www.olympicloggingconference.com National Wood Flooring Association – April 2 - 0, conference wood flooring expo, Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, N.C. (800) 422-4556 www.woodfloors.org.
coMing: sPring decking issUe Be part of our BIGGEST DECKING ISSUE of the year! This May, The Merchant Magazine will present its annual Spring Decking Issue, packed with: • sales & marketing tips to boost your sales of Outdoor Living products • hottest category trends to capitalize on • news on decking, railing & fencing Plus, this issue will feature a Special Section compiled by NAWLA aimed at improving your lumber wholesaling operations. to advertise in this MUst-read issUe, contact (714) 486-2735 Patrick adaMs – PadaMs@bUilding-ProdUcts.coM or chUck casey – chUck@bUilding-ProdUcts.coM
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March 2016
The Merchant Magazine
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Flashback 55 Years Ago This Month
Skyrocketing redwood demand, with orders—and consequently production—up sharply at all 11 major redwood mills, was the big news in The California Lumber Merchant back in March of 1961. Among other headlines: • In Springfield, Or., GeorgiaPacific was starting up the world’s largest plywood press to crank out “the plywood of the future.” Not only were the facility and its record-sized hot press huge, they were also totally high tech, introducing “a completely new process for laminating wood” and “the first continuous process for making plywood.” Within minutes, on a continuous basis, green veneers moved directly from the log into the 41-ft.-high, 60-opening press and were heat bonded with dry glue and outside layers of resin-impregnated G-P Kraft pulp into a permanently bonded and completely dry panel ready for shipment. The finished Fiber-Ply panels, produced at a rate of 2.6 million sq. ft. a month, had two more plys than
regular plywood, including a tough, built-in, smooth surface on both sides that eliminated the need for a paint undercoat, prevented checking, and minimized grain raise. The plant closed in 1989 due to log shortages. • With all that new plywood production coming on line, G-P needed dealers to do their part and sell it, so G-P concurrently rolled out a new promotional program to help retailers create a “supermarket atmosphere.” New sales aids included pennants, indoor and outdoor banners, and display cards, all themed to promote “A Parade of Plywood Values.” • United States Plywood Corp. was putting the finishing touches on the largest particleboard plant east of the Mississippi—a massive facility in South Boston, Va., capable of
MARCH 1961 issue of The California umber Merchant spotlighted Rounds Lumber Co., sales agent for sister company Rockport Redwood Co. G-P purchased the Rockport timberlands in 1968 and five years later spun them off as part of LouisianaPacific. Mendocino Redwood bought the lands in 1998.
producing 30 million sq. ft. a year of 3/4” Novoply, its patented paricle flakeboard. When combined with its 50-million-sq.-ft.-a-year Novoply facility in Anderson, Ca., US Plywood would become the world’s largest producer of particleboard.
BY 1961, Hollow Tree Lumber Co. was one of timber industry’s big success stories. In short order, the owners had bought sawmills from three different companies, installed new technology, and insisted on putting out consistent, high quality products. In 1962, at the company’s peak, it was purchased by Oregon-Washington Plywood Co., Hartsdale, N.Y. Most of the assets were picked up by Longview Fiber Corp. in 1965, and then, in 1973, by newly formed LouisianaPacific. LP, however, had no use for the sawmills and they were dismantled. The Hollow Tree reman plant in Ukiah survives, as part of Mendocino Redwood Co. on Hollow Tree Road.
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• Certain-teed Products Corp. struck a deal with fellow insulation producer Johns Manville Corp. to manufacture Bestwall Certain-teed insulation board products at JM’s plant in Klamath Fallas, Or. Certain-teed had been making insulation board for the West at its fiberboard plant in Diboll, Tx. The deal was the beginning of a wider, long-term sales and production agreement between the two manufacturers. • Putting up “upwards of a quarter of a million dollars,” Fisher Lumber Co., Santa Monica, Ca., purchased the then-12-year-old Malibu Lumber, Malibu, Ca.
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