The Merchant March 2019

The

MERCHANT

MARCH 2019

Magazine

THE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1922

CALIFORNIA REDWOOD • HARDWOODS •

REGIONAL WOODS SPECIAL ISSUE

• CYPRESS • WESTERN RED CEDAR

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CONTENTS

March 2019 Volume 98 n Number 3

Stay connected between issues with www.building-products.com

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Special Report

Features

Departments

30 THINKING AHEAD

10 INDUSTRY TRENDS

8 ACROSS THE BOARD 20 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE 22 OLSEN ON SALES 24 THE REVENUE GROWTH HABIT 26 TRANSFORMING TEAMS 34 MOVERS & SHAKERS 36 SELLING WITH KAHLE 42 NEW PRODUCTS 51 DATE BOOK 52 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 52 ASSOCIATION UPDATE 52 IN MEMORIAM 53 ADVERTISERS INDEX 54 FLASHBACK

NAWLA CONTINUES ITS SERIES

ON GROOMING THE LUMBER INDUSTRY’S

NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS.

REDWOOD GETTING UPDATED LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

12 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

HAVE CONFIDENCE IN REDWOOD

14 FEATURE STORY

STAYING NIMBLE TO PROMOTE WRC

The

MERCHANT

MARCH 2019

Magazine

THE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1922

CALIFORNIA REDWOOD • HARDWOODS •

REGIONAL WOODS SPECIAL ISSUE

• CYPRESS • WESTERN RED CEDAR

16 MARGIN BUILDERS

IMPACTFUL UPGRADES WITH CYPRESS

18 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

A REGIONAL LOOK AT NORTH AMERICAN HARDWOODS

40 MARGIN BUILDERS

POWER UP YOUR RENTAL DEPARTMENT

Merchant 3-19 Layout.indd 1

2/20/2019 4:33:09 PM

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47 EVENT RECAP

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ACROSS the Board

By Patrick Adams

How good are you? t was another good evening with some “patio time”— code word for a group of guys from a variety of backgrounds who sometimes get together on my back patio and share cigars, whiskey, red meat, and, especially, wisdom and stories of our “past lives.” It’s kind of my form of therapy, I suppose.

In the midst of laughter and in some cases, wide eyes or a raised eyebrow, the question was posed, “How good are you?”

And away we went… It’s an interesting question to ponder.

Not in the Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods sense, but rather have you ever done anything to your “limit” that proves just how good you actually are? What your “limit” really is? This question was posed by someone who had been through the Navy’s BUDS course—three times!

I think there was a time when these tests were a normal part of survival—“survival of the fittest” they used to say. But now in our domesticated, urban lives how often are we truly tested? Everyone speculates about what they would do in the thick of “it,” but I can attest that you truly never know until you throw yourself into that situation.

I watch my kids and I think they are the closest modern equivalent to what I’m talking about. To my wife’s dismay (and my enjoyment), their feats involving the tests of risk and reward are epic. When you sit back and study them, this is what they’re doing—testing themselves. Learning from failure. Getting up and doing it again, and again, and again.

Once they conquer that, they move onto the next challenge, albeit more bruised but nevertheless still determined.

I think in all of us, there’s a hard-wired desire for this test.

To truly know what we’re made of and whether we could do “it.” Of course, as you age, this is balanced by things we call responsibility and maturity and caution and fear. But, does this conservative approach lead to us being our “best selves?”

Can we live a full life of satisfaction and peace without knowing for certain what we’re capable of at our jobs, in our relationships, or in our personal hobbies and passions?

This friend has a premise, and in fact it’s become more of a mantra, that if we are not engaged in a fight for something, then we are not living. He claims that we were built to fight and without it, all of the rewards of the preparation, the perseverance, the struggles, and the coming out the other side are impossible to realize in our comfortable, domesticated lives. He challenges to find the thing that you fear the most or least want to do, and make yourself do it just once and see

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what happens. I smile when he rants about this, because I can relate to it and he is correct.

We all know this on some level. Whether it was a bully at school, cramming for finals, or grinding out a come-frombehind victory on the ballfield, everyone has experienced a glimpse of this. But then, as we grow older and accumulate more things, we grow “conservative.” We exercise “risk avoidance.” We “play it safe.” The sphere of our world begins to shrink, as does who we are.

What about our family? Our staff? Our community?

What if part of our own challenge is to help those around us discover their own best selves and to show them that their boundaries are far more limitless than they realized? Do you remember that split-second when you taught your child how to ride a bike? When you were running beside them, but not actually holding the seat and they looked down and realized they could do it on their own? That’s the “aha moment” when you discovered you could actually do it! Why does that have to stop?

So, I’ve thought about the things I’d rather not do. The things I’m scared of or the things I’ve put off. But now I’m doing more than just thinking—I’m doing! Think right now: what would be your least favorite thing to do right now? What have you been putting off for the past year (or years)?

Get up… and DO IT… RIGHT NOW!!!

I am grateful to serve this great industry and be surrounded by some of the most amazing people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. Part of that service is helping each other to be the very best we can at all we do! Spring is right around the corner… make it a good one!

Patrick S. Adams Publisher/President padams@526mediagroup.com

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Massive support base.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

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INDUSTRY Trends

By Charlie Jourdain

Redwood getting updated Life Cycle Assessment oday, many building products boast about their environmental benefits. Relatively few, however, back up such claims with scientific evidence. For decades, the California redwood industry has supported its claims with scientific data.

Redwood lumber has long been prized for its beauty, natural durability and dimensional stability.

A major study has also confirmed redwood’s status as the premier environmental choice for decking.

The study found that the production of redwood decking, as opposed to the production of wood plastic composite and vinyl decking products, which increase carbon output into the atmosphere, absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere storing or sequestering it in the wood fiber. This reduces the potential for global warming.

Redwood was also found to be vastly superior to synthetic alternatives when it comes to much lower levels of air and water pollution produced during manufacture.

The 2013 study, Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Redwood Decking, was conducted by an independent organization, the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Material (CORRIM). The data generated from the study was the basis for developing an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for redwood decking. EPDs present standardized, transparent, verifiable and comparable information for use

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BIG CREEK’S Janet Webb schools Life Cycle Assessment expert Kamalakanta “KK” Sahoo on redwood lumber grades and properties.

by developers of green building codes, specifiers, architects and consumers about the environmental impacts of the building materials they use. EPDs are prepared by independent thirdparty organizations, in this case, UL Environment, in accordance with

March 2019

internationally recognized standards.

In 2018, CORRIM began conducting a new Life Cycle Assessment to update its 2013 study. The study requires collecting and analyzing a tremendous amount of data encompassing redwood Building-Products.com

timber harvesting practices, lumber manufacturing processes, energy consumption, by-product output and air and water emissions. Data collected includes such things as log volume input, lumber and by-product output, electricity and fuel usage, and the use of ancillary products ranging from hydraulic fluids to plastic strapping. A cooperating member of CORRIM, the USDA Forest Products Lab, sent Kamalakanta Sahoo (who goes by KK), a post-doctoral Research Fellow and LCA expert, to the redwood region during the first week of December 2018 to gather data.

Redwood sawmills cooperating in the research include Big Creek Lumber Company, Humboldt Sawmill Co. and Mendocino Forest Products. The level of detail required was encompassing. Dean Kerstetter, executive vice president of Humboldt Sawmill Co., stated, “We generally have data on log input and lumber and biproduct output at our fingertips, but it takes time to come up with how many gallons of various lubricants or amount of other supplies we consume on an annual basis, and we had to go through hundreds of pages of reports to provide CORRIM with the data they need.”

“Energy consumption for all of our processes, including dry kilns, in addition to energy production from our biomass cogeneration plant has all been provided for this LCA project,” added Mike Richardson, Humboldt’s director of operations.

The study has been funded through the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities. The $200-million dollar endowment came into being as part of the 2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement between the U.S. and Canada. A portion of those funds are dedicated to projects addressing the sustainability of forests as sources of building materials.

The American Wood Council, which published the initial Environmental Products Declaration for redwood decking, will use the new Life Cycle Assessment study to publish a revised EPD for all redwood lumber, including fencing, decking and timbers. According to Jessica Hewitt, director of marketing for Mendocino Forest Products, “This whole process may be complex, but in addition to our Forest Stewardship Council certification, the redwood lumber Environmental Product Declaration form the basis for our Building-Products.com

environmental stewardship and sustainability messaging.”

Janet Webb, president of Big Creek Lumber, agrees that “redwood is an amazing resource and all of these cooperating redwood producers have a really great story to tell.”

For access to the 2013 Redwood Decking EPD or to learn more about EPDs in general, go to www.awc.

org/sustainability/epd. The new Life Cycle Assessment and revised EPD for Redwood Lumber will become available in late 2019 and should reconfirm the environmental benefits of using redwood lumber.

– Charlie Jourdain is manager of business development for Mendocino Forest Products, Ukiah, Ca. (mfp.com).

HUMBOLDT SAWMILL CO. director of operations Mike Richardson and KK review mounds of data need for the preparation of the redwood lumber Life Cycle Assessment report.

KK AND Richardson observe primary log breakdown at Humboldt Sawmill’s small-log headrig.

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PRODUCT Spotlight

By Bob Berlage

Why you can be confident in redwood ver the millennia, mankind has learned how to adapt natural materials for countless purposes. One of the most basic and important pursuits has been the development of building materials. As we have progressed over time and our technology has advanced, we now have many different kinds of building materials. Some of these have very specific applications and some can be used for multiple purposes.

Coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) products are one of our more remarkable building options. Its heartwood contains tannins that make it naturally resistant to insect infestation and decay. It is resistant to ultraviolet radiation, more so than other wood species. Compared to many other building materials, it is lightweight, amazingly strong, and easy to cut, drill and shape. Redwood products include decking, fencing, siding, landscape boards, decorative trim, timbers, outdoor furniture, and milling byproducts, such as chips, bark and landscape mulch.

According to the California State Fire Marshal’s Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Areas Building Standards, redwood decking meets wildland fire standards. This assessment has been substantiated by testing conducted by the University of California Forest Products Laboratory, as well as by tests conducted by Underwriters Laboratories.

Redwood is both sustainable and renewable. Trees do not require energy sources to grow other than sunlight.

During their growth they sequester carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. In relation to other building materials, trees renew rapidly, generally achieving harvestable size in less than 100 years. When managed properly, coastal redwood forests can actually increase in forest mass despite periodic commercial harvesting.

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Forest Service produced a report which found that

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using wood in building products yielded fewer greenhouse gases than other common building materials, such as concrete and steel. According to the report, which analyzed dozens of peer-reviewed scientific studies, 2.1 tons of greenhouse gases were saved for each ton of carbon in wood products versus non-wood materials.

“This study confirms what many environmental scientists have been saying for years,” U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.

“Wood should be a major component of American building and energy design. The use of wood provides substantial environmental benefits, provides incentives for private landowners to maintain forestland, and provides a critical source of jobs in rural America.”

“The argument that somehow non-wood construction materials are ultimately better for carbon emissions than wood products is not supported by our research,” said David Cleaves, the U.S. Forest Service climate change advisor. “Trees removed in an environmentally responsible way allow forests to continue to sequester carbon through new forest growth. Wood products continue to benefit the environment by storing carbon long after the building has been constructed.”

Redwood is also recyclable, and the end of its usefulness as a finished product it has the ability to decay naturally in a non-harmful manner.

Contractors, homeowners, architects and building inspectors can be confident that using wood—and in particular using coastal redwood lumber—is a practical, affordable and environmentally responsible approach to building needs.

– Bob Berlage is communications director for Big Creek Lumber, Davenport, Ca. (www.big-creek.com).

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FEATURE Story

By Simon Cameron

Staying nimble to promote western red cedar

s anyone working in the softwood industry would agree, 2018 was a predictable and uneventful year.

Bet that got your attention. In reality, few industries experienced the levels of turbulence that softwoods, and in particular western red cedar, did.

Last year the industry was rocked by a number of factors including tariff-inflated prices, distributor consolidation, just-in-time inventory, and inventory management issues, to name a few. An additional change on the horizon is the

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WESTERN red cedar was used for the front steps of This Old House’s 2018 Idea House in Rhode Island. (Photos courtesy WRCLA)

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advent of the “Amazon model” of purchase and delivery, whereby consumers order online and accept delivery sight-unseen. While this hasn’t become the norm for large WRC orders, it’s common for many building products and is changing consumer behaviour.

The biggest disruption to the softwood market, however, is the growth of composite competitive products. Substitute products have increased in popularity over the years due to improved performance, closer price parity, and heavy advertising and promotion. There is also a growing misperception that these products are environmentally friendly because they use recycled materials, and that they require little or no maintenance.

As the voice and advocate of the western red cedar industry, the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association is addressing these issues and working to mitigate changing consumer behaviour and competitive threats, all with the goal of keeping WRC top of mind with consumers and professionals, and continuing to keep member manufacturers, distributors and retailers busy.

The association employs a targeted, multi-platform approach that includes print and tv advertising, online, product placement, outreach, and social media; the latter of which has seen exponential growth over the last few years.

The WRCLA utilizes tracking and data analysis from social media platforms and websites to target potential customers and specific groups that are most likely to be planning a renovation or project, or considering buying building materials, with a high degree of accuracy.

By understanding who the audience is, and what their attitudes are to subjects like material price, natural versus composite, or how easy it is to install, for example, content can be tailored to each platform to address interests or concerns and dramatically affect results.

This approach grew web traffic from social media platforms 402% in 2018, and has resulted in over half a million site visits, and almost one million page views. More significantly in terms of cedar sales however, is that of these visitors, a high percentage then went to the retailor locator to find a member retailer.

Growing awareness of WRC has always been key to staying competitive, and the association employs a number of tactics. Last year they negotiated several product integration opportunities to expand their audience. One in Building-Products.com

particular with This Old House resulted in WRC featuring prominently in high-value applications in their 2018 Idea House in Narraganasett, R.I. In exchange for materials, Real Cedar was promoted in a 17-page magazine feature in the November 2018 issue, on their social media platforms to their 3.5 million monthly followers, online, and in the upcoming spring 2019 national TV episode of the show.

The WRCLA also targets influencers like the architectural community, both by creating Continuing Education Unit courses, learning sessions, and outreach.

Their involvement with this group resulted in the 7,210seat CHS Field in St. Paul, Mn., being clad in WRC. Designed to be the greenest ballpark in America, the stadium uses cedar extensively for its appearance, durability and acoustic properties, and the wood is the exterior’s central visual feature and most striking characteristic. Were it not for the influence of WRCLA field reps and members, the project would be clad in an alternative product.

By advocating for western red cedar and providing extensive education and consultation on installation and grain orientation, the decision was made by CHS Field’s owners and their architectural firms to use real cedar. As a result, the stadium is a visual showcase, and has been awarded by the American Institute of Architects for its excellence in architecture, interior architecture, and urban design.

Although the market is changing and almost impossible to predict, the WRCLA is able to adhere to a strategic communications plan but act in a proactive and nimble fashion to leverage market opportunities and keep the Real Cedar light on for consumers and professionals, and member manufacturers, distributors and retailers.

Established in 1954, the WRCLA has members in over 131 locations throughout North America.

Building-Products.com

IDEA HOUSE’S porch and ceiling were also crafted from WRC.

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MARGIN Builders

By Ian Faight

High-impact upgrades with southern cypress hen it comes to interior home designs, trends are constantly changing. But if there’s one thing that never seems to go out of style, it’s natural wood. Lumber dealers, especially those who deal in cypress, are backing up that claim as they are experiencing a welcomed trend: increased demand.

And for good reasons, too.

“Wood has been an essential building material for centuries; it’s stood the test of time,” says Mark Tuck of Gates Milling, Gatesville, N.C. “And even as design trends change over the years, cypress is proving to be a complementary fit in any architectural style and in creative ways—indoors and out.

With cypress, the possibilities really are endless.”

Here are a few trendy ways cypress is making an impact.

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Accent Walls

For those looking to add personal style and aesthetic warmth to rooms in their homes, accent walls are a popular addition. They’re stylish, customizable and affordable.

“Cypress is widely available in a variety of visual grades, making it perfect for interior applications,” says Brian Meier, Cypress Rose Sawmill, Homerville, Ga. “For accent walls, pecky cypress in a shiplap pattern is very popular because of the unique look it provides with its intriguing pockets and holes. Plus, cypress can be painted, stained, or whitewashed to complement any interior design scheme, but the wood’s real beauty shines when it’s left unfinished.”

Tuck adds, “Demand for cypress in tongue-and-groove v-joint patterns has remained steady, but we have seen a significant progression toward both tongue-and-groove and shiplap patterns with a nickel gap. In our area, homeowners are typically looking for

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THE RICH GRAIN pattern that cypress offers makes for great statement ceilings, a growing trend that’s becoming more noticeable in modern homes. (Photo courtesy SMCA)

full-room paneling, but there’s been a rise in accent wall and wainscoting applications.

Statement Ceilings

Another trendy home upgrade involves ceiling treatments. And while crown moulding can add some character to a space, today’s homeowners are taking it a step further and installing statement ceilings.

“From great rooms to bedrooms and kitchens to dining rooms, adding wood elements to a ceiling can have a dramatic effect on a room,” Meier says.

“With its rich grain pattern and natural honey-like tones, cypress is a natural choice for ceiling treatments. A simple plank ceiling can provide a clean, finished look to a room, but we’re seeing cypress beams being used as accents to enhance both vaulted and flat applications as well.”

Siding with Cypress

As homeowners look to remodel or build new, wood siding is seeing a revival in the marketplace. And

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cypress is one of the most popular products, thanks to its good looks and natural ability to withstand nature.

According to the Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association, cypress trees produce a resin in their heartwood while they’re growing. This resin acts as a natural preservative, making cypress products naturally resistant to decay and insect infestation, without the need for pressure treating.

“Cypress offers proven outdoor performance,” says Sheppard Haggerty, Williams Lumber Co. of North Carolina, Rocky Mount, N.C. “Over the last several months, we have seen a continued interest in cypress siding.

Standard beveled and rabbeted beveled patterns have been the most popular.

But the interesting thing is we are seeing it used in more new construction compared to previous years.”

– For more information on how cypress is making an impact in new and remodeled homes, visit cypressinfo.org.

Building-Products.com

PRODUCT Spotlight

By Don Barton

ALDER is the dominant species of Northwest Hardwoods’ Longview, Wa., operation and its five other western mills. (All photos by Northwest Hardwoods)

A regional look at North American hardwoods atural hardwoods offer sustainability, authenticity and comforting natural beauty. The added bonus?

They are all derived from a material straight from the soil.

In fact, North American hardwoods are among the most plentiful and well-managed resources in the world.

These hardwoods come from various growing regions, which encompass states within the Western, Glacial and Appalachian portions of North America. Growing region may not seem like a big deal, but each area brings specific qualities and characteristics to the wood thanks to regionspecific factors such as climate.

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Western Region: Versatility & Beauty

Within the Western hardwoods growing region, one species is quickly gaining popularity in the global wood industry, particularly among cabinetry and furniture makers: alder.

Alder, which offers a combination of workability, versatility and beauty, grows within the southern British Columbia to Northern California areas. It’s a relatively small tree that only reaches about 90 to 100 ft. in height at maturity, with a trunk diameter of up to 5-1/2 ft.

The tree’s small size means that boards are typically narrow. But, what alder may lack in size, it makes up in usability, workability and beauty.

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What makes alder so popular is that it’s a fairly straight grained wood with uniform texture and has the visual appeal of cherry, maple or birch. And while it yields narrower boards, there is little difference or color variation between the heartwood and sapwood. Alder also provides: • Workability: alder is excellent for machining, turning, surfacing, drilling, boring, carving and molding • Versatility: alder can be nailed without splitting, screwed without pre-drilling, and glues well • Beauty: alder is sandable to a smooth finish, paintable and stainable (it is ideal for light or natural finishes and offers a warm honey color when finished naturally) Alder can be used to deliver a knotty, rustic or distressed appearance, in addition to beautiful color, making it ideal for use in a broad range of applications, such as cabinets, doors and paneling, mouldings and millwork, furniture, picture frames, toys, interior joinery, and other specialty wood products.

But, while the use of alder is on trend and on the rise, it’s not the only hardwood option.

Glacial Region: Texture & Color

The Glacial growing region—consisting of states from Wisconsin up north to Maine—offers tree species that can tolerate shade and growing under low light conditions. The Building-Products.com

cally reject such an offer. As a result, the buyers face ‘adverse selection’—the only sellers who will accept $750 are those unloading lemons.

“Smart buyers foresee this problem. Knowing they could be buying a lemon, they offer only $500. Sellers of the lemons end up with the same price they would have received were there no ambiguity. But the peaches all stay in the garage. “Information asymmetry” kills the market for good cars.”

Structural wood panel buyers rely upon qualified inspection and testing agencies like the APA to routinely test and certify the quality of the products they buy. This creates an incentive for individual panel producers to “push” the standard. A passage from Ackerloff’s famous paper: HARD MAPLE is popular throughout the Glacial Region.

“There are many markets in which buyers use some market statistic to judge the quality of prospective purchaslong, winter climate, coupled with a shorttosummer es. Infrigid this case there is an incentive for sellers market season, produces hardwoods with tight rings. poor quality merchandise, since thevery returns forgrowth good quality This creates lumber with outstanding color and fine texture, accrue mainly to the entire group whose statistic is affected which is ideal applications from furniture, rather than to thefor individual seller. ranging As a result there tends to cabinetry and doors flooring,quality paneling more. be a reduction in thetoaverage of and goods and also the region supplies nine primary, widely used species, sizeThis of the market.” including: ash, basswood, cherry,industry hickory,production hard maple,techred When the industry is young, oak, soft maple, white oak andmaterials walnut. are relatively homonologies vary little and raw geneous (e.g., OSB), this isn’t a major problem. But it is a Appalachian Region: Superior serious problem when the inspection and Quality testing agencies Spanning several states, including find it difficult or impossible to keep upOhio, with Pennsylvania, a very rapidly North Carolina, Virginia West Virginia, the changing industry. An exampleand would be today’s overlaid Appalachian region produces a wide of hardwoods Douglas fir plywood industry.

Thererange are rapid changes species—all in common: quality. underway onwith bothone thething demand side (e.g.,superior much higher alkaThanks to the region’s climate conditions—warm linity concrete mixes are now essentially “pulping” consummers that and assist tree growth, and much coolerreduced spring form panels) on with the supply side (e.g.,

and fall seasons with colddense, winters, which fir allow that growth supplies of small-knot, Douglas veneers).

The to be gradual—hardwoods the aAppalachian “market for lemons” is likelyfrom having major effect region on the feature tight growth rings, strong fibers, and consistent size of this market today. colors and grain textures. This leads to strength, durability and beauty in the lumber, in addition excellent width and Overcoming the Market fortoLemons longHow length cancharacteristics. individual panel producers overcome this Primary species includetheir ash,industry’s cherry, hard red “lemons market” problem, “racemaple, to the botoak, whiteindustry oak, basswood, beech,They birch,can walnut, tom,”soft andmaple, depressed sales levels? offer poplar and hickory,product whichperformance are great forguarantees. high-end furniture, company-specific millwork, and paneling, and more.

Anothercabinetry, approachdoors, is to flooring more aggressively brand prodNoInmatter region they come from, there areclearly many ucts. eitherthe case, the mill’s products need to be North American species as to we choose from. differentiated fromhardwoods their competitors’; discovered The decision as to which one to use comes down to the earlier, industry-wide, third-party quality certification is application andnot overall qualityLike and look of the project. important but sufficient. car buyers, panel buyers won’t chance paying peach prices when they may actually Don Barton is vice be –buying a “dressed up”president lemon. of sales and marketing for Northwest Hardwoods, Tacoma, Wa. (northwesthardwoods.com).

For some structural panel producers, product differentiation requires a major change in company culture. For instance, it is very difficult to produce innovative, differentiated products for the end use market if the company doesn’t also adapt a different supplier-buyer mindset. Supplierpartners are often critical to the structural wood panel producer’s differentiation.

As industry competition comes to focus more and more upon only one of the “4P’s of marketing”—price— “lemons” tend to proliferate and industry sales volume tends to decline.

– Roy Nott is president of Surfactor Americas LLC, Aberdeen, Wa., a German-owned producer of overlays, glue films, and press cleaning films for the global wood panel industry, with manufacturing operations in Finland, Germany and Malaysia. Reach him CHERRY is among the major hardwoods of the Appalachian Region. at roy.nott@surfactor.com.

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March2017 2019 n The The Merchant Magazine n September

19 15

COMPETITIVE Intelligence

By Carla Waldemar

A for Endurance 3

h, there’s no such thing as tracts here,” explains Robert Ashley, president and CEO of Triple A Building Center, hunkered in the far-far-northern tip of New York State. “Our builders might do one or two houses a year. We’re the largest county in the state (larger than Rhode Island), but we only see 10 to 20 housing starts a year. The per capita income here is one of the lowest in the entire country,” he underscores.

“To keep in business, we need to look at all facets—a lot of remodeling, plus the prison system. Lots of small contractors working as weekend warriors. So, we look to serve the whole gamut, including hardware.”

The area’s fortunes—for good or for not-so—are tied to that of Alcoa, the major player here. “During the downturn,” Rob recounts, “they decided to pull out, and everything slid down. Everybody closed their checkbooks: the ripple effect. Finally, the state gave them $42 million to stay open three years. And today, the government tariffs are helping. Alcoa’s now doing well, getting business back.”

“The economy’s kind of different here,” he explains.

“When other parts of the country slowed down in 2008, we went up. But when they bounced back, we shrank. Because of”—again—“Alcoa.”

But Rob never bailed. For one thing, he’s too young to retire. For another, the lumber business is all he’s ever known. And loved.

The family business got its start when Rob’s dad was in college and Uncle Johnny picked up a yard that was for sale. “My dad took over, one year after getting his accounting degree. He bought it in 1955. In 1971, he moved to Massena and started Triple A—built it from scratch. In 1976 he purchased a second location in nearby Canton, and another in Potsdam in 1978.”

So Rob—today’s second-generation owner—grew up amid the sawdust. “I rode along in the trucks when I was six or seven. They paid me $1 a day, and I thought I was rich!” he laughs. He worked during school vacations, moving up the chain from delivery to an inside slot. In 1985, when I finished college, I was actually running the company. I’d sunk my feet in the ground. I got married in 1987 and had a son (who’s now in the business) in 1989.

“O

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“When I took over at age 25, most of the staff was older, had been with the company long before I had. I was hearing, ‘He’s too young. Never make it.’ To counter that, I got competitive and was determined to prove them wrong.” Maybe Rob couldn’t buy entire carloads of this and that, “but I showed vendors why it was good for them to do business with us anyway—as the largest building materials outfit in the area—because of our product knowledge and good people.

“Because of that, we experienced low turnover.

(However, now we’re seeing some growing pains as those managers are aging and nearing retirement.) Because I viewed myself as pretty young, I looked to the managers for knowledge. With that frame of mind, I also continue to learn from our younger employees, even if I’m the boss.

It’s a trust factor; we’re all on the same team.”

These days that staff numbers 48 (scaled down from 72 in the company’s heyday). They represent quality hires, in large part because Triple A has a job application form that’s—gulp!—12 pages long. “Long, but meaningful!” insists Rob. “We use it as a sorting tool, so instead of talking to 30 people, we interview the top three. This leads to long-timers, which in turn helps us with product knowledge.”

During the winter slowdown, November through March, training becomes intensive. Wisdom Wednesdays are held in conjunction with vendors—half-day sessions that are available to contractor customers, too—dealing with, for instance, shingles, “the pluses and minuses. Also, we participate in training with our co-op and the NRLA. We want to get across the message that knowledge isn’t useful knowledge unless you pass it on rather than jealously guard your turf.

“We hold directors meetings, too—for, say, marketing, HR, etc. And managers meetings, where we sit down to hash things through. Our managers are enabled to make OTJ decisions because I trust them. If I disagree, I’ll talk it through with them later. And they help decide on product lines. Take,” he offers, “caulking. All three locations need to stock the same one brand so we don’t lose our bulk buying power. But if a manager wants to add a second line, he Building-Products.com

TRIPLE A undertook top-to-bottom remodels of all three of its stores—Potsdam (opposite page), Massena (above left), and Camden, N.Y. (above right)— in the same year, though each has a different focus.

can choose to do so.”

Triple A’s three locations are otherwise run “totally separately. Potsdam is a contractor yard. Camden is the building materials location, plus a showroom. And Massena has a home center with décor, flooring, etc., and a very good following in the whole county. Massena is Alcoa’s base and the other two are college towns. Our contractors will visit all three stores in a week’s time. We deliver within a 60-mile radius, which keeps our trucks busy in summer months,” Rob adds.

“We remodeled all three stores in 2015. We’d been doing updates every five years or so, but those had always been somewhat independent of each other. So in 2015, we decided to go full-blast at all three, giving them the same exterior look, similar interiors and products. (We do a lot of transfers between them for next-day pick-up, too.)

“The effect on our employees was great! It brought us back together. A morale-booster. Back into the same family. It helped develop our team by including all three locations in ‘This is the vision.’”

Customers experienced the same positive reaction. “We added bright outdoor lighting, too. ‘Nice new store,’ a firsttime customer told me. ‘Not new. We’ve been here since 1975.’ So, yes, it’s bringing in new people. After the grand opening last spring, we’re definitely seeing more foot traffic, and everything will flow from there.”

Keeping the momentum going, Triple A hosts Ladies Nights in all three locations, complete with coat check, wine tasting, and hors d’oeuvres. It also holds contractors’ breakfasts and dinners. And why do those pros gravitate to Triple A? Low staff turnover plays a big role.

(Consider employee Mike Pollack, who signed on in 1976 and now serves as a manager of the Massena store. He’s kept records of transactions ever since, “which helps our contractors immensely when doing research. He goes the extra mile,” swears his boss.)

“Plus,” Rob continues, “the pros know I’m always here—one of the first in the door in the morning and last one out at night. I keep an open door, and they know they can come to me for satisfaction: They have confidence in that.”

Always on the lookout for ways to improve his game, Rob is a big fan of roundtables, held throughout the counBuilding-Products.com

try. “I can ask a question—say, should I take on xxx new line?—and get an answer from West Virginia and have confidence in it. And if something were to happen to me, my son and wife could call these people for help with the business.”

To keep tabs on the competition, Triple A conducts customer surveys, does price checks, and monitors rivals’ websites. Sales associates keep their ears open, too, and report any scuttlebutt.

But there have been times when Rob refused to listen to “expert advice” in favor of his gut instinct. “We’d learned that a Home Depot was going to open in Massena in 45 days and were told by advisors how it would set us back by 50% and to prepare for the worst.” Rob’s reaction: “Nope, we’ve got a good location and good people. We can handle our own. Other independents around here shut down when they heard the news, but instead we started our remodel.

We kept our good guys and picked up their key employees.

And after Home Depot opened, our sales went up! We saw trucks come out of their parking lot and head up the hill to us.”

Speaking of trucks: Canada lies just a few miles north, and with the American dollar doing better than theirs, Triple A found that Canadians would ask for packages (Amazon, etc.) to be delivered to the Massena store for pick-up (18,000 to 24,000 packages a year). “It creates great foot traffic for the store; we sell them tires galore, for instance.”

Thus, Triple A has muscled through some challenging economic situations. Today there’s light at the end of the tunnel, shining off all those bright Alcoa products. “With that company growing again, employment is up all over—the ripple effect once more. There’s all the more reason to play the game, deciding to fight; take on different niches.”

Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net March 2019

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OLSEN on Sales

By James Olsen

Promotional sales calls

any sellers are so afraid of the NO that they don’t even ask for the business. They say a version of, “Do you need anything today?,” hoping the customer will do all the seller’s work for them. Others have a bad case of “BeatAround-the-Bush-itis;” they talk about and around the product, but never ask for the order! These approaches irritate and/or bore customers, which does not lead to business.

While the selling process should not be adversarial, customers have a part to play and, as sellers, we have our part to play. Most relationships have a Stopper (Yin) and a Goer (Yang). We are the Yang in the relationship. Our part is to promote products and ideas to our customers. We cannot serve our way to the top of a sales business.

M

Expert vs. Winging It

Master Sellers are experts; they make it look easy.

Struggling sellers confuse this expertise with “winging it” and try to do the same, which leads to unorganized, uninspired sales calls. Pre-call preparation is a must for great, promotional sales calls. Pre-call preparations include: • A product or products to promote. Ideally, we are ready to promote all the items our customer could buy from us ready to promote on every call.

• Minimum three reasons what we are promoting is a good deal. We don’t want to overwhelm the customer, so we give three positive reasons at a time. We can use the same three reasons again, but it’s nice to have more and different reasons our proposal is a good idea when we start to overcome objections.

• Psych up! We must convince ourselves that what we are proposing is a good deal. If we don’t speak with conviction, our customers will not be convinced.

• Make a note to ask for the order and three to five ways to ask.

Promotional Sales Call

After the introductory small talk…

Us: “So Susan, I was thinking about our inventory situation on 2x4. Based on our last conversation, we won’t be needing any to come in until the first of April, right?”

Susan: “That’s about right.”

Us: “Perfect. We just bought a block of 2x4 for midMarch shipment that will arrive to you exactly when you need it. We’ve also got great tally flexibility and the kind of quality you need. We’ve been going through four cars a month, so why don’t we put four on?”

Susan: “What’s the price?”

Us: “That’s the best part, Susan. We’ve got these at $435/MBF, which is a fantastic price, so why don’t we put these on?”

Susan: “I think I’ll just wait. Our business is slow right

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now and the market is coming off, so I’ll just wait. Call me in a couple weeks and we’ll see.”

Us: “Susan, that’s what everyone is doing, holding off.

And that’s why we were able to pick these up at such a great price. You had a record year in 2018 and you’re going to have another great year in 2019. Spring is right around the corner. Let’s put these on.”

Susan: “I’m just going to wait.”

Us: “Last week you told me we were down to two cars unsold on the yard, right?”

Susan: “That’s about right.”

Us: “How much of that is left?”

Susan: “I’d have to check.”

Us: “Can you pull it up now?”

Susan: “I guess so. I’ve got about a car and a half left.”

Us: “So we’re moving about a half a car a week even in the depth of winter. Like I said, spring is around the corner.

Your business is going to pick up. Even at current usage levels we’re going to be cutting it close for April, so why don’t we at least put three on?”

Susan: “I don’t know. This market scares me.”

Us: “Scared money doesn’t win, Susan. The market has come off $100/MBF and we are within 5% of the 10-year low on 2x4, so let’s put on two and call it even.”

Susan: “I’ll take one.”

Us: “Thanks for the one. I’ve also got a great deal on some 2x6…”

Susan: “No. That’s enough for one day. My order number is 324. Call me tomorrow.”

Most sellers think this kind of call is impossible. Master Sellers disagree and profit for it.

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

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THE REVENUE Growth Habit

By Alex Goldfayn

Silence is money

ant to know the most underutilized technique in sales? Silence. That’s right. Not talking is a rare commodity in the sales profession. In fact, salespeople are constantly talking at your customers.

Here’s what I mean by silence. Silence is: • Asking for a referral and waiting for the answer.

• Asking for a testimonial and waiting until the customer answers.

• Asking for the business and not speaking until the customer responds.

Silence means not filling the pauses with your nervous chatter. Too much money is lost when you fill the pauses with nervous chatter.

W

Why We Are Not Silent

Why do we talk into the silences? Because we are nervous. We don’t “do” silence because we think the customer is unhappy, or uncomfortable, when he is quiet. In actuality, he is merely thinking, and when we jump into that pause, we interrupt his decision-making.

Let your customer think and consider your question. Let them answer. Then, you go.

How to Be Silent

Here are two ways to use silence to your advantage.

Ask a Question and Then WAIT. Here is how to be silent: Ask a direct selling question—like the did you know question or the reverse did you know question or a closing question—and then stop. And wait.

If you are together with the customer, just look at them, and blink. Breathe. Be confident and comfortable. Count to 100 if you must. Sing a song in your head. (When my kids were younger, I’d have them sing their ABCs while they washed their hands with soap. Otherwise, they’d just touch the water with their fingertips and then turn off the water.)

Do what you have to do to not talk first!

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During Conversation. The other powerful use of silence is within a conversation, during the back and forth. When the other person finishes up what they’re saying, don’t start talking right away. Wait two beats. If they don’t say anything else, then you start. You will find that the other person may jump back into that silence with something you wouldn’t have even known to ask about.

Many times during my testimonial calls with the customers of my clients, there are long pauses because I take notes while the other person speaks. And because they talk faster than I can type, I am frequently catching up with what they are saying. So, as I type, I simply say, “Catching up,” and the other person almost always says, “No problem” or “Take your time.”

But then, in approximately half of these pauses—which is multiple times per phone call!—the customer jumps back into the silence and volunteers information I would have had no idea to ask about. Something like: “And then there was the time he got in his car and drove the product over here. How amazing is that?!” There’s no way I could have inquired about this if the customer did not bring it up.

It works the same in conversation. The customer might say, “Well, we’ve got that project at the school that you know about already.”

You: (One-thousand-one, one-thousand-two...)

Customer: “But we ran into a problem that you might be able to help us with ...”

That’s how this works. Don’t be the person who starts talking before the customer finishes their sentence. You will find many people communicate this way. They can’t wait to tell you their piece. That’s insecurity and discomfort coming through in their portion of the conversation. I find this with about one-third of the people I talk to.

That’s okay. I still pause before taking my turn in the conversation. And they think of additional things to say during the silences that are often of high value to me. Use silence to help the other person think of new things to share with you.

Silence is rare. Silence is a sign of confidence. Silence is a feature of an advanced and outstanding salesperson. Use silence.

Because silence is money.

– This article is an excerpt from Alex Goldfayn’s latest book, the 2018 Wall Street Journal best seller, Selling Boldly.

Alex Goldfayn Revenue Growth Consultancy alex@evangelistmktg.com (847) 459-6322 Building-Products.com

TRANSFORMING Teams

By Paige McAllister

Time to talk about pay!

ecruiting new employees and retaining current employees were difficult tasks for many employers during 2018. And 2019 will continue to present many of the same challenges. The decade since the Great Recession has seen high unemployment rates, slow job growth, and slower wage growth. But all that is changing—and changing fast. Here’s why:

R

Number of New Jobs

The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the economy added 304,000 jobs in January 2019. That is a huge number and is the 100th consecutive month of job gains. The hospitality, retail and health care sectors experienced particularly strong growth during 2018.

Unemployment

The U.S. unemployment rate is currently 4.0%. This represents a slight increase over the previous three months, but is still considered by the U.S. Department of Labor to be full employment. If you operate in a high-growth metropolitan area, the unemployment rate may be even lower.

Q. We have an employee who would like to bring a ser-

vice dog to work with her. Do we have to allow this?

A. Well, the question of whether you “have to” depends.

Under the Americans With Disabilities Act, which applies to companies with 15 or more employees, an employer should attempt to provide a “reasonable accommodation” to a person with a qualified disability. The act defines what types of conditions would qualify as a disability. If the individual is eyesight impaired and allowing her to bring a dog to work does not create an “undue hardship” to your company, then yes, providing that accommodation would be reasonable.

It’s a slippery slope from there. What types of animals are service animals? What level of mental health ailment would qualify someone as having a disability? Our best advice is to get some validation from a medical provider for the need for the accommodation and the benefit it would provide and allow the accommodation as you deem appropriate.

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Wage Growth

After a decade of very slow growth, average wages in the U.S. increased about 3.2% in 2018. In high-growth urban areas such as Seattle and San Jose, wages increased almost 7%. The large number of entry level jobs created in the hospitality and retail sectors, combined with a low unemployment rate, has raised wages for these positions.

Retailers such as Amazon and Target now pay all employees, including part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers, a minimum wage of $15.00 an hour.

Minimum Wage

The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour has not been increased since 2009. Although the current Congress may consider an increase, in the absence of concrete activity many states and municipalities have taken steps to increase minimum wage levels. In addition to actual increases in the minimum wage, several states have passed or are considering legislation that will index the minimum wage to the rate of inflation while other states are considering regional minimum wage legislation to address cost of living differences in different areas of a state.

These are just some of the challenges employers face in this tight labor market. Unfortunately, these are complex problems that require creative, flexible solutions. Here are some steps to take to keep your compensation competitive in 2019 and beyond:

1. Review Paid Salaries

If you hired new employees during 2018, chances are you had to hire them at higher salaries—maybe higher than Building-Products.com

the salaries of current employees doing the same work.

Successful compensation programs are both externally competitive and internally equitable.

If you have new hires earning more than experienced employees, you have an internal equity issue. That is best addressed by reviewing all paid salaries and making adjustments as needed. And don’t rely on the fact that you have a policy that prohibits employees from discussing salary—it’s illegal to prohibit them and those conversations will happen anyway.

2. Review Salary Structures and Related Policies and Procedures If you operate with a more formal salary structure (pay bands or salary grades), it may be time to review and update these. We generally recommend a review every three years or so—to ensure both external competitiveness and internal equity.

And some of your policies and procedures may be outdated as well. It’s common to give new employees an increase after six months, but some employers are giving an increase after three months and another after nine months to increase retention. This can be particularly effective with entry level employees, where turnover during the first six months of employment frequently exceeds 50%.

3. Get Informed about Pay Equity

Since women currently earn only about 80 cents for each dollar earned by their male counterparts, starting salaries based on past compensation often perpetuate this inequity.

To address this, several states and municipalities have already passed legislation prohibiting these types of application and interview questions. Look for more of this type of legislation to take effect in 2019—39 states are currently considering it.

4. Get Creative With One-Time Payments

If you’re attempting to recruit a new employee who wants a higher salary than you want to pay, consider paying a one-time signing bonus as part or all of the salary differential. These can be structured as single or multiple payments and will help to minimize any internal equity issues.

And maybe 2019 is the year to think about developing and implementing a variable, performance-based incentive program. A recent survey reported that 90% of for-profit companies and 76% of nonprofit organizations use some type of variable compensation to supplement their base pay plans. Increasingly, these plans include employees at all levels in the organization.

Bottom line: Now is the time to rethink your compensation policies and programs to prepare for the recruitment and retention challenges of 2019 and beyond. Of course, if you need any help with your compensation needs, give Affinity HR Group a call!

Of course, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at Affinity HR Group.

Susan Pale, CCP Affinity HR Group contact@affinityhrgroup.com Building-Products.com

Don’t get caught with squeaky floors.

BECK Fastener Group®, SubLoc®, SCRAIL® and FASCO America® are registered trademarks of the Raimund BECK KG.

Master Distributor:

FASCO America Inc. 800-239-8665 | www.fascoamerica.com

March 2019

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HDI Buys Far West Plywood

Hardwoods Distribution has purchased Far West Plywood, Northridge, Ca., through its subsidiary Hardwoods Specialty Products.

Far West, which will operate under the Hardwoods brand name going forward, is a single site wholesale distributor located in Northridge, from where they distribute architectural building products to customers that fabricate end products to commercial, industrial, retail, residential and institutional construction markets.

The company has completed eight acquisitions in the last eight years, adding over $565 million of annual sales.

With the acquisition, HDI now has added 30 distribution centers to its distribution network in the past eight years, bringing to 63 distribution centers servicing the North American Market.

New Building Material Distributor Opens in OC

Lake City, Ut. Other key BuildersMax employees include chief operating officer Guy Selleck, salesman Ron MacAskill, and chief financial officer Matthew Gokalp.

Hardware Store “Pops Up” One Year After Blaze

A year after San Francisco’s Papenhausen Hardware was destroyed by fire, the business has temporarily reopened in a “pop-up location” a few doors away.

Store manager Karl Aguilar said the primary reason for the makeshift location is to keep the loyal staff working, since the insurance only covered their wages for one year after the Jan. 23, 2018, blaze.

Papenhausen expects to move into its former, newly rebuilt location by May or June.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Colorado Siblings Add Second Hardware Store

Natural stone importer/wholesaler Elchin Mirzayev has launched a new building materials distribution business—BuildersMax—out of the same Anaheim, Ca., facilities as his Stonex Tile.

The new company specializes in Trex composite, Mangaris hardwood, MOSO and Dasso bamboo decking, Miratec and Kleer trimboard, natural stone siding, and a variety of kitchen & bath products.

Mirzayev will serve as president, while continuing to lead Stonex and Containers Direct Tile & Stone, Salt

Siblings Kay McCarty and Chuck Quenon, operators of Buena Vista True Value, Buena Vista, Co., opened Gypsum Ace Hardware, Gypsum, Co., on Jan. 22.

In addition to general hardware, the 15,000-sq. ft. store also offers utility trailer sales, propane, and Colorado Parks & Wildlife licenses.

Their family, including parents Max and Arlene Quenon, had previously operated Summit Lumber Co., before selling the lumberyards in Eagle and Buena Vista to Alpine Lumber in 2005.

CORRECTION Patrick Adams’ article “Tools of Your Trade” (Feb., page 8) posed the question: “Are YOU constantly investing in updating the tools of your trade or are you still ‘dragging logs out of the forest with horses?’”

Collins Companies, Portland, Or., does both. “Um, trying not to be offended here,” emailed Collins’ Cami Waner. “Meet Bob. This is what we do on occasion in sensitive habitat. I know. Collins... we are different, in a good way. Now giddy up, back to work!”

SUPPLIER Briefs Builders’ Supply, Twentynine Palms, Ca., suffered damage from a Jan. 30 fire.

The cause is under investigation.

Chico True Value Hardware

is opening next month in Chico, Ca. Owner Gary Powers’ 10,000-sq. ft. storefront is across the street from a just-shuttered Orchard Supply Hardware.

Capital Lumber, Salt Lake City, Ut., is now distributing Vista Railing Systems’ aluminum, cable, glass and wood railing products to dealers in Utah, Idaho and parts of Wyoming.

BMD (Building Material Distributors), Perris, Ca., is now distributing TAMKO’s Envision composite decking throughout Southern California.

OrePac Building Products

inked a lease for an additional 20,000 sq. ft. of space in Denver, Co.

Boise Cascade, Boise, Id., will sell its plywood operations in Moncure, N.C., to Southern Veneer Products, Fitzgerald, Ga. Western Forest Products, Vancouver, B.C., has completed its acquisition of Columbia Vista Corp., Vancouver, Wa. ECi Software Solutions, Fort Worth, Tx., was certified as a Great Place to Work for the second straight year, based on ratings provided by employees via anonymous surveys.

Combilift’s Combi-PPT powered pallet truck is a finalist for the International Intralogistics & Forklift Truck of the Year Award.

RoyOMartin, Alexandria, La., is partnering with Operation Finally Home to provide homes and home modifications for wounded, ill and injured veterans using products made and donated

by RoyOMartin.

Habitat for Humanity is moving its ReStore discount LBM outlet in Sisters, Or., to a new storefront.

MEET BOB

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Freedonia Group forecasts fiber cement siding demand to increase 3.6% annually through 2022.

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by Formosan and subterranean termites and numerous household insects and pests, as well as fungal decay. Hi-bor borate treated wood is also backed by a 20 year limited warranty*.

FirePro® brand fire retardant treated wood is treated with a patented formulation that contains no phosphates and has been shown to exhibit exceptional fire performance properties without compromising other critical engineering properties such as strength, durability, corrosivity, and hygroscopicity. FirePro treated wood is also backed by a 50 year limited warranty*.

Weekes Dips Into Industrials

Weekes Forest Products, St. Paul, Mn., has launched a Construction & Utility Division with sales offices in Oregon, Michigan and Virginia as well as strategically placed inventory throughout the United States.

It will supply treated utility poles in Douglas fir, western red cedar, and southern yellow pine, and all treatments including creosote, copper naphthenate, pentachlorophenol, and CCA. It will also supply crane mats, treated pilings, and other treated material used for industrial projects.

The group will be led by general manager Joe Passadore, ex-Pacific Lumber Resources, who will be based at the office in Lake Oswego, Or. Daniel Rasor, ex-Biewer, is a new account mgr. in Grand Rapids, Mi.

AZEK Moves Headquarters

The AZEK Co. has relocated from Skokie, Il., to a new headquarters and training center in Chicago.

“We feel this location really speaks to who we are as a company—it’s modern while remaining accessible,” said CEO Jesse Singh. “It also gives us the opportunity to showcase our products in a unique light. Be it AZEK Building Products’ decking and cladding at reception to the bathroom partitions from Scranton Products, we are really proud of this new work environment. Also, as we continue to grow, we are confident this new space will help us attract and retain Chicago’s top talent.”

The new 20,000-sq. ft. office features an open, functional design that is conducive to collaboration. Inspired by the tranquility of great outdoor living, Harley Ellis Devereaux designed a “coastal calm” space that utilizes AZEK’s own products to create the essence of being outside.

“We’re not a decking company. We’re an imagination company,” said Jeanine Gaffke, chief marketing officer.

“Every inch of our new office speaks to the design innovation we can deliver to homeowners.”

It also features The Yard, an additional 2,200-sq. ft. training and event center. The space makes it even easier for guests, including the country’s top contractors, to receive hands-on installation training and comprehensive product education. The Yard is set to open in early spring.

True Value Chief Keynoting NHS Advance Guard® borate pressure treated lumber is recommended for sill plate, furring strips, joists, studs, roof trusses, blocking, rafters, beams, and other framing applications. Advance Guard is also recommended for fascia, trim, wall sheathing, roof sheathing, and sub-floors. Advance Guard borate pressure treated lumber is also backed by a lifetime limited warranty*.

Providing Customer Satisfaction in All We Do

P.O. Box 75 • McMinnville, OR 97128 503-434-5450 • FAX: 888-TSO-WOOD (888-876-9663) 28770 Dike Road • Rainier OR 97048 503-556-1297 • Fax: 503-556-1709 * See product warranty for details. Hi-bor®, FirePro® and Advance Guard® treated wood products are produced by independently owned and operated wood treating facilities. Hi-bor®, FirePro® and Advance Guard® are registered trademarks of Koppers, Inc. ©10/2014

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March 2019 10/27/14 4:14:53 PM

True Value Co. president and CEO John Hartmann has agreed to be a keynote speaker at the National Hardware Show May 7 in Las Vegas.

Entitled “Unlocking True Value,” Hartmann’s address will highlight how returning the majority of its members’ equity has offered retailers the opportunity to invest in their business as they know best and how a new company structure has enabled True Value to accelerate strategic investments without cutting into retailers’ profits.

Before joining True Value in 2013, Hartmann served as CEO of New Zealand-based co-op Mitre 10, following nine years in business development and operational roles at Home Depot and HD Supply.

“We are honored to welcome John Hartmann as one of our keynote speakers,” said Rich Russo, industry VP for the show. “John’s extensive experience will inspire exciting conversation between retailers and manufacturers about the ever-changing hardware and home landscape. NHS will most definitely be a must-attend place for our industry to learn about trends and innovations in the hardware space and beyond!”

Building-Products.com

THINKING Ahead

By David Brown, Universal Forest Products

“Classy” new way to groom tomorrow’s lumber leaders ast fall, I found myself on one end of a videoconference, using a PowerPoint presentation to describe the ins and outs of how to sell lumber. While that’s not so unusual—we at Universal Forest Products often do this type of thing to orient new trainees—the difference was the audience taking notes on the other side of the screen.

Collectively, the 12 to 15 fresh young faces looking back at me represented the first class to enter—and eventually to complete—the UFPI Business School’s Degree Program.

They came out of the program with two years of classroom learning; practical, on-the-job training that they could apply immediately; and a head start on their careers in this industry. Since then, two more classes of hand-picked students are currently digging into this exciting opportunity—which benefits both them and us!

Here’s how it works in a nutshell: Although anyone can apply, Degree Program students tend to fall into one of two groups. Often, they are go-getters who want the opportunity to learn but may not be positioned financially to attend a tra-

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ditional four-year college. In addition, eager self-starters who would rather skip the university experience and get right into the nitty-gritty of the business are prime candidates.

Whatever walk of life they come from, those accepted for participation

undergo an immersive curriculum that exposes them to various aspects of the business in general—including finance, entrepreneurship, and marketing—while also teaching them about the culture at UFPI specifically and giving them a solid foundation on which to build their professional growth and advancement. Any

March 2019

way you look at it, our program gets participants a proverbial foot in the door—and without spending a dime!

Financial Perks Create a Win-Win

Perhaps the biggest selling point of the Degree Program is the cost: there is none. Nope, that’s not a typo—students get two years of invaluable instruction and experience, for free. There’s no tuition, and no student loans hanging over their heads for years to come. Not only do participants not have to pay for this education, they also have the opportunity to actually bring in some income during their enrollment.

That’s because, as part of the curriculum, they will spend part of their time in one of our 130 plants scattered throughout the country, applying what they learned in the classroom and getting hands-on training in sales and management, production and purchasing. Students may spend time working in the yard, using the machines to make lumber, and observing the truck loading/unloading processes. They’ll take inside sales calls, learning to provide quotes to big-box retailers, for example; and

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A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association

About 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.

they’ll also hit the road with outside sales reps to get a feel for what their days are like. These periodic assignments are essentially paid internships, making the Degree Program a “learn and earn” experience.

When not pulling down a paycheck from their work in our facilities, students are in the books, so to speak. Aside from their on-the-job exposures, they’re also getting face-to-face classroom instruction from the experts in our company about our business specifically and business in general. Again, they are also privy to video presentations like the ones that I and other members of the purchasing department delivered in the fall. Departments companywide, from sales to accounts payable, also contribute to the learning experience. There are homework, tests and, at the end of two years, a graduation ceremony and degree.

It is certainly a gamble to provide this education free of cost, so we try to hedge that bet by selecting the applicants that we believe are most likely to be successful— those who are eager and excited to work and who appear to be committed to their career track. Aside from that, we hope the business landscape at UFPI will be incentive enough to win their loyalty. We are a fast-growing $4 billion international company, with locations throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. In addition to endless opportunities for career advancement, employees enjoy other perks that come with working for a large company, including stock benefits and relocation offers.

It costs money to train new workers, and pulling from the pool of graduates from the Degree Program can help alleviate some of that cost. What cost remains is well worth it for the right employees, and is considered in investment that can set the company up with a pipeline of talent to draw from as we continue to grow. Students, in exchange, can forge a quicker path to professional success and get a competitive edge over traditional college students who have less or no real-world experience. With only one graduating class under our belt, there may not be a lot of hard data yet to back up those assumptions, but things are looking good from where I sit.

– David Brown is SYP buyer for Universal Forest Products, Union City, Ga. (www.ufpi.com).

What Happens Next

Even before they have degree in hand, students are researching UPFI job opportunities and making important connections. Although some may receive offers even before graduation, they will complete the program before shifting into those roles. When they find a position that matches their interests, they arrange for an interview.

Immediate placement is not guaranteed, but the advance know-how that graduates have gives them a leg up over the average applicant off the street or straight out of college. If I was a general manager at one of our plants and I had a person that had gone through this process and learned about our culture and company—what we do and how we do it—that’s somebody I’d want to work for me.

Potentially, that’s also somebody another company might want as well. The kind of knowledge, skills, and work experience our students gain is valuable and could easily be applied elsewhere, although naturally it is our goal to retain these students and have them pursue a career within our company.

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MOVERS & Shakers Scott Gaskin has been promoted to president of Capital Lumber Co., Phoenix, Az., succeeding Sam Sanregret, who will serve as executive VP after 15 years as president.

Dustin “Dusty” Binkerd, ex-Stanley Black & Decker, has joined OrePac Building Products, Wilsonville, Or., as corporate purchaser.

Tyler Garrett has been promoted to president & CEO of Moscow & Pullman Building Supply, Moscow, Id. Robert Fletcher has been elevated to mill mgr. at Collins’ Chester, Ca., facility.

Brad Pomroy, Weyerhaeuser Co., Seattle, Wa., has been promoted to director of innovation.

Bart Bartholomew, ex-Sherwood Lumber, is now senior VP of West Coast trading for Atlantic Forest Products’ new office in Lake Oswego, Or. Shannon Mendez, ex-Sherwood, is new to sales and purchasing at Atlantic’s office near Stockton, Ca. Jonathan Schmidt has joined Forest Products Distributors, Rapid City, S.D., in international sourcing and sales, based in Bellevue, Wa. Andrew Liliequist, ex-Frontier Door & Cabinet, has joined Windows, Doors & More, Seattle, Wa., as business mgr.

Kate Michael, ex-Simpson Door, is new to inside sales at Boise Cascade, Seattle, Wa. Duane Evans has been promoted to senior VP and general mgr. of Port Blakely PLS International, Longview, Wa. Jason Garrod, ex-US LBM, is new to sales at L&W Supply, Las Vegas, Nv.

CLASS PICTURE: Philadelphia’s renowned Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania played host to 47 LBM dealers from 20 states, who came together Jan. 13-18 for the LMC Executive Education Program.

Neal Ewald, Green Diamond Resource Co., Seattle, Wa., has been promoted to chief operating officer.

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David Caldwell, ex-Orchard Supply Hardware, has moved to Ace Hardware Corp., as Visalia, Ca.based retail development project mgr.

Andy Swallow has been named mgr. of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Jackson Hole, Wy., succeeding Kevin Spence.

Shanna Wheeler, RedBuilt, Boise, Id., has been promoted to controller.

Joe Holcombe, ex-Boral, has been appointed national sales mgr. for Benjamin Obdyke, Horsham, Pa. Rachelle Shendow is now marketing mgr. for Derby Building Products.

Wayne Guthrie has been added to the board of advisors at Woodtone, Chilliwack, B.C. Roy O. Martin III, RoyOMartin, Alexandria, La., will be honored by Louisiana Public Broadcasting as a 2019 Louisiana Legend.

Charity Case is the new junior salesperson at Mungus Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Freres Gets Patents for MPP

Freres Lumber Co., Lyons, Or., was granted a Canadian patent for its Mass Plywood Panel (MPP), reportedly the only mass timber panel constructed entirely from Structural Composite Lumber (SCL).

The company received the Canadian patent the day after the hard copy of their U.S. patent arrived in the mail. Patents have also been granted in Australia and New Zealand.

Additionally, Freres received fire test results from Southwest Research Institute, verifying that MPP demonstrates the necessary life safety fire protection performance for single- and multi-family, and multi-story structures up to 18 stories high.

“Freres Lumber has spent the last three years researching, developing and testing MPP, and our hard work has come to fruition with the patents being awarded and industry tests verifying the strength, safety and versatility of this product,” said VP Tyler Freres. “The ASTM E119 and E84 tests are rigorous tests that exposed the panels to intensely hot flames. The test results allow designers and developers to use MPP in buildings that require fire resistance ratings.”

Building-Products.com

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SELLING with Kahle

By Dave Kahle

Break out of comfort zones omfort zones, the bane of the B2B salesperson. I believe the loss of productivity and sales effectiveness caused by the limitations of comfort zones is so widespread that it could be the number one problem for salespeople.

A comfort zone is some aspect of a salesperson’s job with which they are more comfortable than others. It could be that they are only comfortable with some market segments, and uncomfortable with others.

For example, they may be comfortable calling on businesses, but uncomfortable calling on schools. Or they may be comfortable calling on production managers, but uncomfortable calling on CFOs. Or they may be comfortable selling one product to the point where they ignore opportunities for others.

And, finally, salespeople form comfort zones associated with the processes and tools they use. You may be very comfortable using a paper calendar, and not at all comfortable using a laptop and the company’s new CRM system.

There is nothing wrong with comfort zones, per se.

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They are just the job-related expression of human nature.

Naturally we tend to be more comfortable with certain people, places, and things than others. That comfort comes from a combination of our unique skills intertwined with our experiences. The combination of those two things leads

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us to a position: This person, or market, or product, or process feels more comfortable to us than another one.

The problem is the converse of comfort zones—“uncomfort” zones. The problem isn’t that you are comfortable with some element of your job; it is that you are uncomfortable with others. There’s nothing wrong with being comfortable calling on schools, for example. The problem comes when you are uncomfortable calling on businesses. There’s nothing wrong with being comfortable calling on production managers. The problem comes when you are uncomfortable calling on CFOs. It’s not so much the lack of comfort that is the problem.

It is the fact that the uncomfortable feeling leads to a conscious avoidance of the uncomfortable and that, then, leads to a lack of action. And the lack of action is the problem.

So, what to do? It has been my experience that comfort is built on the base of confidence. And confidence comes from only two sources: experience and practice. So, ultimately, you must, to overcome your discomfort, practice or gain experience in the uncomfortable thing or situation.

Here are specific actions you can take to help your sales reps overcome their lack of comfort with certain markets.

1. Create experience. Give a specific direction. Some salespeople will respond positively to something like, “I want you to call on 10 new businesses over the next two weeks. I don’t care if you sell anything. I just want you to learn. Fill out a little call report that indicates what you did, and more importantly what you learned about that market and yourself as a result of each call. I’ll talk with you about them after you’ve completed them.”

In this case, you are forcing the salesperson into the uncomfortable area and stimulating thoughtful learning. I guarantee you he/she will be more comfortable and confi-

dent with the new market after those 10 calls than before.

2. Help them tip toe into the experience. Some salespeople just won’t be ready to jump right into the water. You may have to lead them a bit. In that case, you can either have them come with you as you make calls into the new market, or, assign them to ride with someone who is comfortable in that market, and watch as he/she makes calls.

Again, after each call, I’d ask for a call report detailing the two items listed above. After a few calls, you can then implement strategy number one, above.

If you don’t see yourself pulling off these strategies, fall back on practice.

3. Bring them into the office for a training session on the product, market, customer or process that causes discomfort. Help them learn about it by educating them in the details of that subject. For example, if the problem is discomfort with a market, help them learn as much as possible about that market: how big, how many people, who makes the decisions, what their problems are, what their objectives typically are, what they are likely to say, etc.

Build their knowledge, understanding that lack of knowledge contributes to lack of confidence. But don’t stop there. Help them practice by role-playing various scenarios.

Comment on the role-plays and help them learn from them.

If you do this effectively, at some point they will begin to gain confidence in their ability to handle that market, or person, or product, etc. That confidence will spill over into action. And that action will lead to them developing comfort in what was previously a place of the opposite.

– Dave Kahle is a high-content consultant, instructor and author of 12 books, including How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime. Reach him at dave@davekahle.com.

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INDUSTRY Trends

By Kim Drew

What’s next for lumber grading?

IRVING LUMBER employees consult their automated grader system to ensure maximum productivity and customer ROI.

he more things change, the more they stay the same: the old adage is true in many situations and industries, to include, perhaps surprisingly, lumber grading.

“The lumber grading industry is expanding to include more and more technological integration into the process,” according to Jeff Easterling, president of the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association. “However, the myth of

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automated equipment taking grading jobs away from human beings is clearly inaccurate, as more and more mills are turning to computer advances that actually compliment their grading personnel.”

Automated lumber grading, in which machinery that uses optical and computer technology actually grades lumber, is catching on in the Northeast and Great Lakes areas—but the success of these advanced systems are only as good as the data input and continual monitoring Susan Coulombe, the general manager for cedar, pine and hardwood for Irving Forest Products, installed auto-grading equipment and technology manufactured by Lucidyne in 2014 at their Dixfield mill. Lucidyne was chosen because of their experience with board mills, and because industry contacts were already using them and reporting good successes.

“We looked at several other options, but in the end it was the match between their linear scanner and our mill layout that won us over,” commented Coulombe. “First and foremost, consistency is our number one goal: We grade to our customers’ specifications, and accuracy is paramount.

With the constant struggle to find qualified labor, combined with the reality of asking a human to make split-second decisions at faster speeds—all while meeting or exceeding NELMA grading standards—we realized we needed to make a change in order to grow.”

Adding the auto scanner allowed Irving to reach their goal of adding a third weekend shift.

Easterling shares a little about what he sees happening with his member mills: “It took a while to get to this point, because the initial technology just could not accurately be applied to appearance graded lumber. Additional advancements were needed to address the complexities of what factors into appearance grades such as eastern white pine versus construction graded lumber; now that technology is here, and our members that use it seem pleased!”

The Human Factor

“Even with the advances in grading technology, mills will always need certified, trained individuals who are grade-rule experts to utilize the technology,” Easterling Building-Products.com

said.

“Every now and then a little rumor pops up that auto Lakes, this number is expected to grow a bit over the next • Gazebos – providing more shelter scanners are taking the place few years. than a pergola, gazebos offerofagood pointpeople, and that’s just not retreat the case.”

“The technology isn’t for everyone,” he concluded. “For of and greater protection Coulombe agrees: “Whenisolating we started this journey, we smaller mills, the ROI won’t ever be there—and they will from the elements without knew it would be a big change for our folks; our graders are continue to be successful. For our larger ones, this may inhabitants. some of our best employees, valued and important pieces of be something more of them may consider in the years to Exposed Timber the to lose any of them. our• organization, and structures we didn’t –want come.” natural colorwe and grain of redwood In our case, took former line graders and put them in “The technology will continue to improve, and we timbers a solid support to atheir expertise close at roles like lend scanner technician to keep expect to see more industry peers getting on board,” said greater hand.” structural design.

Coulombe. “Is it worth it for Irving Forest Products?

Without a doubt. The benefits far outweigh the challenges, • Decks – a redwood deck can last and the equipment we’ve chosen is helping us to better aChallenges lifetime when Along it’s builtthe and Way mainAs is often the case with technology, there were chalserve our customers’ ever-changing needs, and that’s what tained well. lenges as the new tools were implemented at Irving Forest it’s really all about.”

• Planters – non-toxic and had all natProducts.

Initial technology issues with identifying ural, is ideal for garden decay redwood due to its color, among other things. The installation boxes planters hold flowering processand required lotsto of checking by people—lots of man SFI Growing Certification of Family Lands plants, herbs, vegetable hours—to geteven it started andgardens. up and running accurately.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Constant checks were the name of the game for a while, but American Forest Foundation have formed a new part• Furniture – any form of seating, Coulombe says all those issuesthearepromise in the past. nership to grow the amount of certified family and tables, benches deliver key to success new technology is to assign other small holdings in North America. of a“The comfortable place towith gather when someone to take ownership of the program or equipment Under their new Small Lands Group Certification built with redwood. and really usher it through the quality control checks, the Module, companies to the SFIdesign Fibermaterials Sourcing INCREASINGLY backyard builders are realizing that thecertified best contemporary aren’t • Arbors – create memorable trancalls with the manufacturer, etc.,” Coulombe Standard will be able to form a new type of certificagrowncommented. in the lab, but out in unfiltered nature. sitions one part atofthis a yard to will the never be set-it-and“Precisefrom technology level tion group to certify small lands within their wood and next with just redwood forget-it; whenarbors. you think you’ve hit that sweet spot, a fiber supply area.

Hewitttois the director of marketis the top choice among landscaping fleck of dirt on the lens shows up as a defect.

It’s a constant The Module will –beJessica submitted Programme Among the trends emerging in ingof at Forest Humboldt Redwood Company.

HRC trends.

It is a choice any consumer process, but worth the effort.” for the Endorsement Certification (PEFC) for landscaping design, there’s no better is working to cultivate afiber lasting legacy of can make with confidence, and reafapproval this spring.

Upon approval, produced fit for bringing beauty, color and presresponsible and firm their wise decision year after To Each Own from lands certifiedenvironmentally under the program will beforestry certified ence into anHis outdoor space than redsourcing, manufacturing, and distribution year.

By Easterling’s estimates, maybe 10% of NELMA mills for both PEFC and SFI labels and chain-of-custody wood.

Combined with its longevity, of top-quality redwood lumber products. use auto grading equipment.

With the technology still fairsystems. and environmental qualities, redwood ly new to the lumber industry in the Northeast and Great

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39 15

MARGIN Builders

By Ethan Smith

Strategies to power up your rental department of machinery for diverse jobs.

If customers understand that they stand to gain such impactful benefits, the rental side of your dealership will have consumers lined up around the block—communicate these advantages every chance you get! And remember that another great way to connect with interested renters is to make sure that you not only provide listings on your own website, but also place your inventory on leading third-party equipment rental markets like EquipmentTrader.com.

FISHERS Do it Center, Fishers, In., offers more than 250 items at its Rental Center, everything from party rentals to excavating equipment.

2. Understand the Consumer’s Job. What project do they want to complete? Which piece of equipment that you offer for-rent could complete the task? Understanding the consumer’s job and being able to provide suggestions makes you a reliable source for equipment rentals, boosting your chances of earning repeat business and referrals.

of interested buyers. Developing a high-quality pool of potential renters is made easier when you use your advertising materials to clearly communicate the benefits of rentals for consumers. While the industry is growing, not every potential customer may understand that renting for consumers (1) is affordable, (2) is simple, (3) provides flexibility during changing circumstances or emergencies, (4) offers consistently up-to-date machinery, (5) allows them to test drive equipment before choosing to buy, and (6) provides opportunities to expand the reach of their own business with access to a wide selection

3 . Know the Time. Typically, equipment should be in use 60-70% of the time to be worth the purchase price. How often does the consumer plan to use a piece of equipment? If it’s more than 65%, you may want to direct them toward making a purchase.

If it’s less, renting is likely the right choice. Consumers will appreciate your expert guidance and your reputation for being a dealer with the customer’s best interest at heart will grow. Plus, knowing the exact amount of time they need a machine can help determine the length of a rental, helping you draw up the appropriate contract.

ealers that that offer equipment and tool rentals should develop and implement effective and appropriate strategies for connecting with renters and providing a high-quality rental experience.

An ethical and efficient rental operation will keep customers coming back, increase your chances for referrals, and maximize the earning potential of the rental side of your business.

Here are nine best practices for rental departments:

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1. Market those Rentals! As a dealer, you want to do everything you can to get your products in front 40

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4 . Study the Economy. Renting during economic uncertainty can save consumers from expensive purchases of machines that could end up unused and collecting rust when the jobs dry up. By keeping tabs on economic performance indicators, you’ll know the best recommendations to make to consumers and the ideal times to successfully advertise for your equipment rentals.

5. Measure the Competition. What other equipment rental businesses are available to customers in your local market? What specific equipment rental inventory are those other dealerships offering? Do they advertising only on their own website, or are they also on third-party equipment rental markets? Taking time to comprehensively track your competition and their available products lets you know how much of the market share you can expect to corner, what it will take to make your rental packages competitive, and how to best market your own dealership and the unique inventory and services you provide.

6. Provide transparent quality. As a dealer, your reputation is your most important commodity, which means trust and authenticity are paramount to your business model. There are a number of ways that you can use transparency to build your brand as a reputable dealership: (a) Allows consumers to inspect the equipment. Allow this examination to occur at every level, including mechanical and components. You provide high-quality machinery, so showing it off to the consumer can only boost your credibility as a leading provider. (b) Offer to provide its history. Involved contractors and other renters will often want to understand how the equipment has been used and cared for in the past. It’s likely you track equipment rental telematics, so offer the equipment’s use record, maintenance schedule, and repair records, which prove you provide machinery that is well cared-for.

Finally, make sure the machine has been properly certified for use. Uncertified equipment is not only a turn-off for consumers, it may also be unsafe and even illegal! (c) Be transparent about yourself. Knowing a rental dealer has a good reputation can give customers greater confidence in renting equipment from the dealership, and there are many ways consumers may research dealers.

Allowing, and even encouraging, potential renters to ask around, look you up online, conduct a business background check, and confirm your ownership of the equipment shows that you have nothing to hide and that you’re a reliable business partner. (d) Be clear about the contract. What is the full cost to rent? Does that include insurance for damages or theft, transportation fees, or fuel surcharges? How long do renters get the machine for? How do renters acquire and return the equipment? Are there late fees? Who is responsible for maintenance and repairs? What are the billing policies?

Who is permitted to use the rented equipment? Being up-front and clear about contractual questions like these helps you fully communicate the costs and risks consumers incur when renting the machine, and hopefully prevents any misunderstandings or legal issues.

7. Look at Long-Term. Decide if you will offer any discounts for long-term rentals. After all, a long-term rental guarantees profitable business for your dealership for a prolonged amount of time. Long-term rentals can be good for renters too, since they ensure the equipment is available when needed while still avoiding the full cost of purchase Building-Products.com

BOTELLO Lumber, Mashpee, Ma., has one of the region’s largest rental departments, offering a large selection of Bobcats and other heavy equipment, as well as tools, grills and even a lobster pot.

and ownership. Advertising these benefits, along with a discount, could be a popular rental package and strong revenue-source for your dealership.

8. Offer Training. As a dealer who would likely prefer to have rented-out equipment returned back to your dealership in the same condition it left, be sure renters know how to properly use a piece of machinery. Misusing equipment can be very unsafe and non-contractual use can make renters liable for damages, so they should appreciate any instruction you can provide about proper machine use.

And if you really want to provide quality service for consumers, consider putting together safety training courses for the equipment you sell and rent. This is the type of service that can really make you an expert and leader in your local market.

9. Provide Contact Information. If there is a problem with a rental machine, who should a renter contact? What are your hours of operation, and what is your response time? Is there a customer service or help-line to call? Do you want renters to call you directly? Breakdowns and emergency situations can be stressful, so clearly-provided contact information for you and/or your dealership can help renters keep their work on track and can preserve their loyalty to your dealership despite any issues. Just knowing you’re looking out for them can go a long way with equipment renters and helps insulate your reputation from problems that are inevitable with any machine or business.

Of course, there are likely many more recommendations that could be made for dealers wishing to start or grow a rental business. However, the overarching theme of these best practices should be clear: that the best dealers, the ones who craft a sterling reputation for quality service, are those who adopt a hands-on approach. Getting to know and serve renters on a personal basis, and anticipating and addressing issues before they ever arise, may admittedly take up quite a bit of time. Yet your growing reputation as a trusted and respected leader in the equipment rental market—and the resulting boost in business and profits from that reputation—make all the effort worth it.

– Ethan Smith is content curator for Equipment Trader, Norfolk, Va. (www.equipmenttrader.com).

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NEW Products

The Perfect Seal for Every Opening

New Composite Siding DaVinci Roofscapes’ new line of composite siding, DaVinci Hand-Split Shake Siding, features the appearance of authentic cedar shakes and is available in eight colors.

Each tile in the siding line is 18” tall with a 5/8” thickness, and comes in 8” or 10” widths. The 10”wide pieces have a simulated keyway to give the appearance of 4”- and 6”-wide shakes placed together to provide a multi-width appearance. n DAVINCIROOFSCAPES.COM (800) 328-4624

High-Density Cover Boards

TAMKO’s TW Flash-N-Wrap Pro is designed to help ensure a tight seal around window and door perimeters to keep moisture out, reduce airflow, and improve energy efficiency.

Featuring a treated release film on the adhesive side of the flashing, the product installs easily and adheres firmly. The self-adhering flashing has been tested to meet our strict endurance requirements allowing it to be left exposed for up to 180 days. n TAMKOWATERPROOFING.COM (800) 641-4691

Weathered Grey Trimboard

ProtectoR HD High Density Polyiso Cover Board

by Johns Manville provides excellent protection and can save time and expense for contractors. With a closed cell polyiso foam core and inorganic coated glass facers, the high-density cover board has a Grade 1 compressive strength and an R-value of 2.5.

The product offers excellent resistance to moisture, hail, wind uplift, and puncture, plus its light weight makes it easy to handle.

Versatex Building Products’ Canvas Series of authentic-looking, wood-toned PVC trimboards are designed to address issues architects and builders face when turning to rustic, vintage textures for outdoor ceilings that shelter entries, patios and decks.

Dubbed Weathered Grey, it closely simulates the pale color, matte surface, and deep texture of upcycled cedar planks. Profiles are sold in 18-ft. lengths, while bed mould or 4” crown mouldings are sold in 16-ft. lengths.

n JM.COM (800) 654-3103

n VERSATEX.COM (724) 854-1111

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Building-Products.com

The Ultimate Tool Combo Unconventional Fasteners The newly patented 1Shot steel stud anchor eliminates the labor-intensive need to insert solid backing behind drywall, delivering serious grip and unmistakable holding power in an otherwise light duty material.

Unlike standard fasteners, the 1Shot anchor penetrates thin steel studs and holds them tight. The fastener is a quick and easy way to install cabinets or wall hangings in steel-stud homes and offices. n STEELSTUDANCHOR.COM (416) 663-7468

DeWalt’s new Fully-Automatic .27 Caliber Powder-Actuated tool is supported with a compatible line of newly-designed and independently-tested CSI (Concrete, Steel, & I-Beam) fasteners. This combination of tool and fasteners is the company’s premium, low-velocity direct fastening system designed for structural use in steel and concrete applications.

The tool is powered by a standard .27 caliber load safety strip and is compatible with current DeWalt powder-actuated fasteners. n DEWALT.COM (800) 433-9258

Backed in Black.

COMPLETELY UNPRINTED

YOUR OPEN-JOINT CLADDING DESERVES A SLEEK PROTECTION LAYER

LONG-TERM E XPOSURE R ATING

Our commercial-grade InvisiWrap™ UV building wrap lives to make cladding pop while providing premium protection from moisture.

Visit BenjaminObdyke.com for the full story.

1-L AYER APPLICATION*

*Sorry, felt paper, we can do better.

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Adjustable Rafter Hanger

Kolbe Windows & Doors’ newest series of products, Forgent Series, is a high-performance product line constructed of Glastra–a hybrid of fiberglass and UV-stable polymer formulated for strength and resilience.

Multi-chambered Glastra extrusions in an advanced ladder design add strength and promote energy efficiency.

Simpson Strong-Tie’s patent-pending LSSR slopeable, skewable rafter hanger is the first product designed to allow retrofit installation after rafter systems have been assembled in place, helping contractors accelerate job sequencing for improved productivity.

The field-adjustable LSSR features an enhanced flange design allowing for skew adjustments from 0° to 45°. The hanger features an easily adjusted swivel stirrup that attaches to both sides of an I-joist for a stronger connection.

n KOLBEWINDOWS.COM (715) 842-5666

n STRONGTIE.COM (800) 999-5099

Hybrid Windows

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Building-Products.com

No Mix Insulation The Ruskin ADC105 addressable damper controller meets NFPA 80 and 105 life safety remote damper testing requirements and it’s an addressable module that works with SIMPLEX ES fire alarm panels.

With the ADC105 connected to the fire alarm system, it allows continuous monitoring and alarm capability if something should go wrong. The device also allows for the periodic testing that is required in NFPA 80 and NFPA 105.

Icynene-Lapolla’s all new Icynene OC No-Mix insulation is an open-cell spray foam solution for both homes and commercial structures. The high-performance material is notable for providing enhanced energy efficiency, long-term energy cost savings and an easy no-mix application.

The product is ideal for application in critical insulation areas within the structure, including cavity walls, crawl spaces and attics (both vented and unvented) as well as floor, ceiling and interior roof assemblies.

n RUSKIN.COM (816) 761-7476

n ICYNENE-LAPOLLA.COM (800) 758-7325

Continuous Flame Monitoring

Your Partner for Western Species We own 440,000 acres of sustainably managed redwood and Douglas-fir timberlands in Northern California and operate two sawmills in Scotia and Ukiah, California. In addition to our redwood and Douglas-fir capabilites, our pressure treated business is the largest waterborne wood preserving operation in the Western U.S. We operate four wood preserving plants with locations in Coos Bay and White City, Oregon, Loveland, Colorado, and Washougal, Washington. Three distribution centers with locations in Fontana and Woodland, California, and Ferndale, Washington enable us to package and ship customer orders quickly and efficiently.

Redwood

We invite you to learn more about our product lines, operations, and inspirational projects built with our wood. Please visit MendoCo.com.

Douglas-fir Building-Products.com

Pressure Treated March 2019

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Humboldt crab feast HUMBOLDT HOO-HOO Club drew its biggest crowd in years [1] for its annual Crab Feed Jan. 31 at The Lodge in Eureka, Ca. [2] HooHoo International Snark of the Universe Jack Miller made the trek from Boston to attend the event. [3] Rod Kautz. [4] Danny Osborne, Colby Pyzer, John Morrison. [5] Max Jones, Alex Cousins, Ron Hansen, Janne Jones, Mark Berger. [6] Tim Effraimson, Vince Vierra. [7] Brian Pierce,

Don Bratcher. [8] Tom Conroy, George Albertson. [9] Alex Cousins, Jeff Squires. [10] Richard Strong, Chris Caldwell. [11] Chris Tritschler, Troy Bailey. [12] Gary Alto, Gary Knight, Frank Schmidbauer. [13] Matt Trullinger, Doug Willis, Tim Hummel. [14] Tim Mastterson, Roxanne Celentano.

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2019 LUMBERMAN of the Year Award (continued from previous page) was presented to [15] Lee Iorg. [16] Cameron Cole, Mark Borghesani, George Hammann, Gene Pietila, Mike Boone. [17] Justin Lena, Ubaldo Ruiz. [18] Dave Dahlen, Mike Vinum, Bob McFarland. [19] Joshua Howes, Mark Mensinger, Luke Sandoval. [20] Ben Rist, Art Reid, Grant Phillips, Kevin Dodds, Jake Moriniti. [21] Jeff Waltz, Mike Stone, Rich Bonfiglio. [22] Raymond Weidner, Steve Culbertson. [23] Danny Sosa,

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Rudy Ramos, Mike Desimoni. [24] Jean Henning, Tom Von Moos, Stacey Jones. [25] Lou Lindgren, Carl Christofferson. [26] Bob Kuester, Todd Lund. [27] Randy Huffman, Annie Montey. [28] David Jones, Pamela & Mike Harley. [29] Mike Forbes, Ray Joy, Justin Hinckley. [30] Bruce Burton, George Schmidbauer, Rob Harrison, Shira Burton, Ed Cunningham.

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EUREKA! Humboldt Hoo-Hoo Crab Feeders (continued from two previous pages): [31] Raymond Luther. [32] Joe Buttice, Ron Hansen, Brian Johnson Jim Maloney. [33] Ed Cunningham, Kent Mulking, Dan Henninger. [34] Mark Mensinger, Ken Dunham. [35] John Pasqualetto, Bill Sullivan. [36] Brian Morrey, Tanka Chase, Robb Starrett, Craig

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Smalley. [37] Liz Carter, Randee Pittman, Rich Graham, Nikki Bird, Shira McGaw. [38] Kevin Nice, Norm Carlin, Pat Zan. [39] Laurie Creech, Jim Frodsham. [40] Betsy Bendix, Robert Lockhart, Mike Callahan. [41] Kent & Cindy Bond, Rich Giacone.

C&E LUMBER COMPANY 1 1/2” to 12” Diameter in Stock.

SPE CIA L Q UO TE S

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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Hoo-Hoo Club hosted a speaker meeting Feb. 13 at Los Serranos Country Club, Chino Hills, Ca. [1] West Coast Lumber & Building Materials Association’s Ken Dunham delivered a forecast after the group shared dinner. “So much of the work we do is about trust and relationships,” said Dunham. “We’re different than most industries, and I think we’re better for it.” [2] Jared Stamper, Larry Christensen. [3] Jose Jimenez, Edwardo Rodriguez, Louie Mendez, Mark Huff. [4] John Assman, Mark Huff, Troy Huff. [5] Jonathan Shelton, Chris Huntington. [6] James Maddox, Al Reed. [7] Stephanie

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& Chris Richardson. [8] Austin Nesbitt, Thomasyne Salazar. [9] Freddie Martinez, John Pasqualetto, Rob Keyes. [10] Craig Larson, Bert McKee, Jonathan Shelton. [11] Mike Nicholson, Pat McCumber. [12] Taggart Whittaker, Rod Kautz, Dan Lucero. [13] Kamal & Melanie Hindi. [14] Ken Dunham, Marcia Nicholson. [15] Doug Willis, Ryan Lauterborn. [16] Mike Nicholson, Stephanie Ornelas. [17] Taggart Whittaker, Craig Larson, Dan Lucero, Doug Willis, Rod Kautz, Steven Olson, Michael Ochoa, Chris Couwenberg, Austin Nesbitt, Thomasyne Salazar.

Building-Products.com

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

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – March 8, golf, Chino Hills, Ca.; www.lahlc.net.

Tacoma Remodeling Expo – March 8-10, Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center, Tacoma, Wa.; www.homeshowcenter.com.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – March 10-12, Leadership Summit, Tucson, Az.; www.nawla.org.

Western Wood Products Association – March 10-12, annual meeting, Phoenix, Az.; www.wwpa.org.

University of Innovative Distribution – March 10-13, Indianapolis, In.; www.univid.org.

National Wooden Pallet & Container Association – March 13-15, annual conference, San Diego, Ca.; www.palletcentral.com.

American Fence Association – March 13-16, FenceTech/DeckTech shows, Indianapolis, In.; www.americanfenceassociation.com.

Redwood Region Logging Conference – March 14-16, Eureka, Ca.; www.rrlc.net.

888-807-2580 Bend, OR

www.pelicanbayfp.com

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – March 14, annual expo, Denver, Co.; www.mslbmda.org.

DISTRIBUTION LOCATIONS Colton / Fontana / Modesto / Salinas / Stockton, CA

Washington Contract Loggers Association – March 15-16, annual meeting, Skamania, Wa.; www.loggers.com.

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

Pasadena Home Show – March 16-17, Pasadena Convention Center, Pasadena, Ca.; www.pasadenahomeshow.com.

San Joe Home Show – March 16-17, McEnery Convention Center, San Jose, Ca.; www.homeshowsanjose.com.

International Mass Timber Conference – March 19, Portland, Or.; www.masstimberconference.com.

Montreal Wood Convention – March 19-21, Fairmont Queen Elizabeth, Montreal, P.Q.; www.montrealwoodconvention.com.

LMC – March 21-23, annual meeting, San Diego, Ca.; www.lmc.net.

Western Building Material Association – March 26-27, estimating workshop, Olympia, Wa.; www.wbma.org.

Ace Hardware Corp. – March 26-28, spring convention, Orlando, Fl.; www.acehardware.com.

“Focused on the future with respect for tradition”

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

A nation’s pride you can build on.

APA-The Engineered Wood Association – March 27-28, marketing advisory committee meeting, Plano, Tx.; www.apawood.org.

Oregon State University’s – March 27-28, structural plywood & veneer-based composites short course, Corvallis, Or.; wbc.vt.edu.

National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – April 1-3, legislative conference, Washington, D.C.; www.dealer.org.

Window & Door Manufacturers Association – April 1-3, legislative conference, Washington, D.C.; www.wdma.com.

International Wood Products Association – April 3-5, World of Wood, Tucson, Az.; www.iwpawood.org.

Manufacturers of 6 million bd. ft. monthly of

Associated Building Material Distributors – April 4-7, convention, Scottsdale, Az.; www.abmda.com.

• 5/4 & 6/4 Ponderosa Pine Shop • 4/4 Premium Pine Board Programs

Moulding & Millwork Producers Association – April 8-10, Millwork Marketplace, San Antonio, Tx.; www.wmmpa.com.

State-of-the-Art Hewmill & Headrig Mill Contact Sheldon Howell

Coverings – April 9-12, Orlando, Fl.; www.coverings.com.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – April 11, meeting, Orange, Ca.; www.lahlc.net.

West Coast Lumber & Building Material Assn. – April 11, golf tournament, Black Gold, Yorba Linda, Ca.; lumberassociation.com.

Portland House & Outdoor Living Show – April 12-14, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Or.; www.homeshowcenter.com.

Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo Club – April 17, board meeting, Tacoma, Wa.; tbilski614@aol.com.

Building-Products.com

(509) 874-1163

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

www.yakama-forest.com

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CLASSIFIED Marketplace Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word minimum).

Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy/headline, $9 per line. Border, $9. Private box, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if art furnished “camera-ready” (advertiser sets type), $65 if we set type.

Checks payable to 526 Media Group.

Send ad to dkoenig@526mediagroup. com. Deadline: 18th of previous month.

Questions? Call (714) 486-2735.

HELP WANTED

OUTSIDE SALES REPRESENTATIVE Hoover Treated Wood Products, Inc., the premier manufacturer of fire-retardant treated wood, is seeking an Outside Sales Representative. The ideal candidate is a motivated, success-driven professional with excellent communication and presentation skills located in the west, preferably near a western airport hub. A college degree with at least 5 years of documented sales success is strongly preferred. Building product channel sales and lumber or plywood sales experience is a valued attribute. This position is responsible for growing profitable sales through Hoover’s network of wholesale distribution partners. The candidate must possess the technical acumen to communicate the varied product and service benefits that define the Hoover brand. This position requires significant overnight travel.

Hoover Treated Wood Products, Inc., offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental, life and disability insurance, 401(k), paid holidays and vacation as well as annual bonus, profit sharing, and tuition reimbursement. Submit résumé to hr@frtw.com; no phone calls please.

• Desired Skills and Experience • Written and oral communication • Verbal Presentation • Organization • Success driven • Willing to travel (overnight) extensively • Knowledge of commodity lumber and plywood markets • Channel sales experience • Experience utilizing a CRM solution • Proficient in computer applications (Microsoft Office Suite/G-Suite)

North American Wholesale Lumber Association welcomes members to its upcoming leadership summit in conjunction with Western Wood Products Association’s annual meeting March 10-12 at The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, Tucson, Az. n

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National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors elected new officers during its recent Executive Summit in Washington, D.C. George Pattee, Parksite, Batavia, Il., is the new chairman, succeeding Joseph C. Nettemeyer, Valin Corp., San Jose, Ca. Chairman-elect is Douglas W. York, Ewing Irrigation Products; 1st vice chairman Michael Medart, Medart Engine & Marine; 2nd vice chairman Jeff McLendon, U.S. Lumber Group; secretary Kevin Short, Polymershapes.

National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association has opened registration for its spring meeting and legislative conference April 1-3 at The Wink Hotel, Washington, D.C. The meeting will consist of several breakout sessions, a welcome reception, silent auction, and keynote speakers who will give their perspectives on U.S. trade policy.

Western Building Material Association will host a blueprint reading & material take-off course March 26-27 in Olympia, Wa. Led by Casey Voorhees, the class will cover topics like scale usage, floor layout, estimating formulas and material applications.

West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association kicks off its annual Southern California Golf Tournament April 11 at Black Gold Golf Club, Yorba Linda, Ca. Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club will meet for golf March 8 in Chino Hills, Ca. Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo Club’s next board meeting will take place March 20 in Tacoma, Wa.

ASSOCIATION Update

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The event will allow decision makers from across the forest products industry to build knowledge on relevant management topics and key trends during educational sessions, while connecting with their peers.

International Wood Products Association is reminding members to save the date for its 63rd annual World of Wood convention April 3-5 at Loews Ventana Canyon, Tucson, Az. Moulding & Millwork Producers Association plans to hold its annual business meeting for April 7-10 at

March 2019

the Omni La Mansion Del Rio, San Antonio, Tx. Sessions will cover millwork supply, trends and market changes in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.

National Wood Pallet & Container Association’s annual leadership conference and expo is just around the corner on March 13-15 at Manchester Grant Hyatt San Diego, San Diego, Ca. Over 600 attendees will have access to keynote speakers, a lively trade show, a spouse reception and educational workshops.

IN Memoriam Donald Grinnell Almy, 86, cofounder of Continental Forest Products, Lake Oswego, Or., died Dec. 14.

After attending the University of Oregon, he began his career in lumber sales in 1958. In 1961, he and Bryan Arbuckle formed Continental Forest Products.

James D. “Bim” Maiden, 86, former operator of Maiden Lumber Co., Cody, Wy., died Feb. 20 in Cody.

Fresh out of high school in 1950, he went to work for Ziggler Lumber Co., Spokane, Wa., later transferring to Billings, Mt. In 1964, he and his wife Hilda opened Maiden Lumber. They sold the company to United Building Centers in 1980.

James Lewis Reece, 85, former general manager of West Coast Forest Products, Arlington, Wa., died Feb. 3.

His career in lumber manufacturing spanned five decades.

Robert Thomas “Bob” Coats, 82, a forester for NW Management, Moscow, Id., passed away Jan. 16, less than two months after being diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma.

He started in his 66-year-long career as a forester at age 16, working for the U.S. Forest Service in Landmark, Id. After graduating from the University of Idaho with a forestry degree in 1959, he spent 13 years with the State of Idaho Lands Department, then became resource manager for Evergreen Forest Products, New Meadows, Id., in 1978.

From 1991 to 2001, he was resource manager for Guy Bennett Lumber from 1991 to 2001, then returned to Evergreen Forest Products. Four years later, he joined NW Management.

Building-Products.com

ADVERTISERS Index Page 45

Allweather Wood www.allweatherwood.com

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Benjamin Obdyke At Royal Pacific www.benjaminobdyke.com

5

Norbord www.norbord.com

44 North American you’ll pay no more, but get extra. We guarantee it.Wholesale Lumber Assn. www.nawla.org

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Big Creek Lumber www.bigcreeklumber.com

9

Pacific Woodtech www.pacificwoodtech.com

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Building-Products.com www.building-products.com

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Pelican Bay Forest Products www.pelicanbayfp.com

3

C&C Resources www.ccresourcesinc.com

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PPG TrueFinish Building Products www.pppgmachineappliedcoatings.com

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C&E Lumber www.lodgepolepine.com Hi-bor® Borate Pressure Treated Wood

17, Cover III

Cover I

30 All We Do. Capital Lumber Providing Customer Satisfaction in

FirePro® Fire Retardant Treated Wood

Redwood Empire ® Advance Guardwww.redwoodemp.com Borate Pressure Treated Wood Royal Pacific Industries

P.O. Box 75 • McMinnville, OR 97128 • 503-434-5450 • FAX: 888-TSO-WOOD (888-876-9663)

28770 Dike Road • Rainier OR 97048 • 503-556-1297 • Fax: 503-556-1709 www.capital-lumber.com

* See product warranty for details. Hi-bor, FirePro and Advance Guard treated wood products are produced by independently owned and operated wood treating facilities. Hi-bor®, FirePro ® and Advance Guard® are registered trademarks of Koppers Performance Chemicals Inc. ©1/2019

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Simpson Strong-Tie 1/21/19 5:53 PM www.strongtie.com

Fasco America www.fascoamerica.com

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Siskiyou Forest Products www.siskiyouforestproducts.com

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526 Media Group www.building-products.com

31

Swanson Group Sales Co. www.swansongroupinc.com

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Fontana Wholesale Lumber www.fontanawholesalelumber.com

36, 37

Timber Products Co. www.timberproducts.com

15

Grabber Construction Products www.grabberman.com

13

Universal Forest Products www.ufpedge.com

39

Huff Lumber Co. www.hufflumber.net

Cover IV

Viance www.treatedwood.com

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Humboldt Redwood www.getredwood.com

25

Western Woods Inc. www.westernwoodsinc.com

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Jones Wholesale Lumber www.joneswholesale.com

7

Weyerhaeuser Distribution www.weyerhaeuser.com

Cover II

Maze Nails www.mazenails.com

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Yakama Forest Products www.yakamaforestproducts.com

Cover IV

D-Blaze Royal Pacific Merchant half page ad 1_19.indd www.treatedwood.com

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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 Building-Products.com

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FLASHBack 88 Years Ago This Month

E ighty-eight

years ago, The California Lumber Merchant announced that at its upcoming 29th annual meeting in Chicago, the National Lumber Manufacturers Association would unveil aggressive plans for the future.

After nearly 18 months of severe recession, the association cited leading economists who predicted a rebound, though one that would be marked by low prices, narrow margins, and intense competition.

Alas, the Depression instead worsened and lasted close to another decade.

In other news of April 1931: • The National Lumber Manufacturers Association launched an “Old House” promotional campaign, with a series of attractive point-ofpurchase sales booklets to encourage homeowners to modernize their “Old House.” Bob Vila would not be born for another 15 years.

• Police finally captured fugitive Robert B. Allen, the former secretary-manager of Seattle’s West Coast Lumbermen’s Association, after a four-year manhunt. He had been sought since 1927 on a suspicion of misappropriating the association’s funds. Cornered in Miami, Allen gave himself up to authorities and was to be brought to Seattle for trial.

• Capitalizing on the latest trend toward “packaged” goods, the Oregon-Washington Plywood Co. began offering its Plylock wallboard

WRAPPING Plylock wallboard protected it from surface scratches and chipped corners.

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PLASTER WALL BOARD was the hot product in April of 1931, including Schumacher Wall Board Corp.’s fireproof and soundproof Schumite brand, as seen on the cover of The Merchant Magazine.

in dust-proof bundles.

They packed Plylock 10 panels to the bundle, in two different widths and four different lengths.

The panels were securely wrapped in heavy paper with ends precisely folded to create an impenetrable barrier. Strips of wood protected the edges, and the entire bundle was held firmly by steel bailing bands.

Based in Portland, Or., OregonWashington Plywood was created a year earlier with the consolidation of four Northwest plywood mills—Tacoma Veneer, Portland Manufacturing Co., Walton Veneer, and Eliott Bay Mill. The facilities had a combined yearly capacity of 150 million bd. ft.

During sales calls pitching its Grip Lath wallboard, Schumacher’s reps found that prospective customers uniformly doubted its lofty product claims.

So the company rigged a series of contraptions from 2x4s to test the unusual characteristics of its products.

The testing devices were left in the open air, to subject the products to the full force of nature. They were also hooked up to 100-lb. sandbags, underwent adhesion tests, and were sprayed with water. And the same products were left in place for months so visitors could see for themselves no long-term cracking, warping or other damage.

• Schumacher Wall Board Corp. built a demonstration showroom behind its Los Angeles offices, which the company nicknamed its “We Show ’em Department.”

• Retail lumberyards sponsored a series of radio addresses on various stations extolling “The Romance of Redwood.”

March 2019

Building-Products.com

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The Merchant Magazine n

March 2019

Building-Products.com