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MAY 2019

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

HEAT UP YOUR DECKING & RAILING SALES • EXTERIOR TRIM • NAWLA SPECIAL ISSUE

Built-in fire protection. It’s simple: when you’re responsible for meeting building codes, you want to slow the spread of flames from the ground up. That’s why D-Blaze fire retardant wood has been the choice of builders from the Sears Tower to One World Trade Center. It’s so good at its job, you’d think it was installed by firefighters. TREATEDWOOD.COM/DBLAZE

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BEST OF BOTH WORLDS Some think of Do it Best as the industry leader in hardware distribution and retailing expertise. Others know Do it Best as the co-op that serves the largest and most successful lumber dealers in the country. The fact is, both are correct. Do it Best is the only co-op that serves as a single-source provider while leading the industry in both hardware and LBM. Why do we work so hard to maintain relationships, deliver proven programs and support members with dedicated expertise on both sides of the industry? Because we want to give all members a simpler, streamlined ordering process, backed by strategic purchasing power and sophisticated business strategies. As a result, we offer incredible opportunities for growth, regardless of the types of customers our members serve. It’s an approach that has proven to be just as successful for single-location retailers as it is for large, multi-location businesses. From LBM to Hardware, Do it Best is focused on being the first and best choice in everything we do. “At Do it Best, we want to help growth-minded entrepreneurs serve their customers with outstanding service and unbeatable selection.” — Nick Talarico

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Call us today at 888-DO IT BEST (364-8237). independentsdoitbest.com

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CONTENTS

May 2019 Volume 98 n Number 5

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Special Section

Features

Departments

38 NAWLA ON LABOR

10 FEATURE STORY

8 ACROSS THE BOARD 22 OLSEN ON SALES 24 THE REVENUE GROWTH HABIT 26 TRANSFORMING TEAMS 32 MOVERS & SHAKERS 56 SELLING WITH KAHLE 58 NEW PRODUCTS 70 ASSOCIATION UPDATE 71 DATE BOOK 72 IN MEMORIAM 72 TALK BACK 73 ADVERTISERS INDEX 74 FLASHBACK

WITH THE INDUSTRY FACING A SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIED LABOR, EXPERTS SHARE HOW FORWARD-THINKING COMPANIES ARE RESTOCKING, RETAINING & EQUIPPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF EMPLOYEES, PRESENTED BY THE NORTH AMERICAN WHOLESALE LUMBER ASSOCIATION

COMPOSITE DECKING GETS STYLISH

12 MARGIN BUILDERS

MINOR DECKING UPGRADES THAT DELIVER MAJOR RETURNS

14 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

OPTIONS IN RAILING INFILL

16 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT The

MERCHANT

DECK TILES VS. DECK BOARDS

MAY 2019

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

HEAT UP YOUR DECKING & RAILING SALES • EXTERIOR TRIM • NAWLA SPECIAL ISSUE

18 INDUSTRY TRENDS

DECKING FORECAST LOOKS STRONG

20 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

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ACROSS the Board By Patrick Adams

I don’t say it enough y family and I were out this weekend enjoying the fact that spring has finally broken through this long winter (yes, even in “sunny” California)! We were walking along when I noticed my daughter quickly break from the pack and start walking in the other direction. At 8 years old, this caused my wife’s instincts to jump to attention only to have me grab her arm and say, “Let’s watch what happens.” She approached a police officer who was standing by his car. She walked up to him, said something, shook his hand, and then broke the handshake and gave him a hug and came walking back. I kept looking past her to the officer, whose eyes were locked on her, then to me. With a quick nod, wave and maybe a little more shine to his eyes than normal, I knew what happened. I don’t think you can say “thank you” enough. I often write that I am grateful—every day. For my family, for all the ways I’ve been blessed, for my staff, and for this great industry that I’m fortunate enough to serve. But, I haven’t said “thank you” enough to you—our readers. I started in B2B publishing a long time ago and fell in love with it because it allowed you to do several things in just one job—learn EVERYTHING about an industry, serve a grateful audience, and be in a business that has to completely reinvent itself every month! An old boss once told me, “We’re only as good as our last issue. Readers are fickle and if you let your passion fade even for a month, they’ll stop reading you and never come back.” These days, saying you’re in “the media business” doesn’t have the reaction that it used to. Spreadsheets, opinion and shortsightedness have gotten in the way of a trade that used to pride itself on integrity, service and ethics. Imagine if the American Journal of Medicine decided to start selling “advertorials” disguised as their own published content used to advise the medical community on a new drug or procedure! They say “print is going away and nobody reads any more.” They say “digital is what everyone cares about.” I believe that people still care about what they are passionate about and if you provide them with something valuable, then they ask for more! People still read; they just don’t read poorly written junk. People still read print; for things they care most about… like their careers and livelihood. We have, and continue to invest in improving our publications that date back to 1922 in their service to this industry. Yes, some of that improvement is investing in digital assets like our digital versions of the publication, our e-newsletters, our websites, our social media platforms, and our agency services that provide valuable assets to you.

But, the most important investments have been in the tools that allow us to gather and publish the most valuable news, information and trends that you need to make decisions! We don’t take shortcuts because neither do you! We don’t look for the cheap or easy route because neither do you! Simply put, we are the best at what we do because you demand it and for that, I am thankful. I am thankful that as we travel personally to over 100 industry events each year to gather news and information that countless numbers of you have come up and simply shared, “I love your magazine,” or “I read your magazine cover to cover every month.” Like that officer that gave me a simple nod and wave with a slight tear in his eye after my daughter went up to simply thank him for his service and for keeping her safe, a “thank you” goes a long way! These publications are like children to us. We care for them, are protective of them and are proud of them. When you say “thank you” to us, it means the world to a team that truly agonizes over every word that is published to make it the very best it can be for the month in its service to you. So, when I say “thank you,” it isn’t the kind of thank you that is shared when someone holds open a door. It is a THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart for allowing us to serve you and in return, allowing us to serve our own family and community by doing what we love. Your support is our only goal and it is because of your support that we continue to have a thriving business in these odd days of “roller coaster media.” Thank you.

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

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FEATURE Story By Jase DeBoer

Composite decking gets infusion of style ust a few short years ago, composite decking style options were limited. Most of the composite decking choices available to builders and their clients featured solid colors, traditional woodgrain patterns, and standard embossing. Those days are gone. Driven by homeowner demand for low-maintenance decks that blend with their home, décor and lifestyle, the decking industry is in the midst of an inspiring expansion of composite decking colors, streaking and surface textures.

Makers of composite decking are refining their manufacturing processes and product lines to deliver more—and more beautiful—decking selections. The evidence is all over Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. Following are some of the emerging trends in composite decking colors, variegation and embossing in 2019.

Colors Turn Darker, Richer

According to Pantone View home + interiors 2019, colors ranging from “rich Cappuccino and Chocolate to spicy Chili Pepper and Cayenne” will be popular color choices for interior design. Those tastefully bold colors are also flowing into outdoor living. The same red-brown and golden brown colors that will adorn accent walls, countertops and indoor flooring are now widely available as composite decking colors. They provide exciting options as coordination between indoor and outdoor spaces continues to increase. Red-brown and golden brown are part of an overall composite decking industry trend toward darker, richer and more natural color palettes. Picture framing boards, breaker boards, and contemporary railing styles can provide aesthetically pleasing contrast. While composite decking colors have come a long way, gray continues to be the mainstay. Homeowners in coastal regions tend to gravitate toward lighter grays, while those who live inland often prefer darker gray decking.

Streaking Goes Viral

THE DECKING industry is in the midst of an inspiring expansion of composite decking colors, streaking and surface textures. (Photo of Deckorators Voyage line)

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Color streaking in composite deck boards can contrast base colors to replicate the appearance of natural wood, such as exotic tropical hardwoods. This color streaking, also known as variegation, adds design nuance to a low-maintenance deck. Today there are a wide variety of streaking patterns available to create visual interest and to help conceal scratches and dirt on the deck surface. Two trend-forward options that offer especially authentic looks are vertical-grain variegation and flat-grain variegation. Vertical grain variegation approximates the appearance of the highest quality wood. Flat-grain variegation, or Building-Products.com

cathedral variegation, creates a varied pattern of “V” shapes, or cathedrals, for another premium look.

Texture Adds Finishing Touch

The growth in the number of composite decking style options is not confined solely to color and color streaking. Developments in surface texture have opened up new opportunities for deck builders to offer clients unique design possibilities and added peace of mind. With the trend toward bringing interior design to outdoor living, some manufacturers have introduced textured composite decking with an enhanced wood-grain pattern that mimics not only the weathered appearance but also the texture of popular distressed hardwood flooring. Enhanced traction on the deck surface is another homeowner want that manufacturers are addressing with textured composite decking options. Deckorators recently introduced slip resistant Voyage composite decking, which has dimpled embossing for 34% or greater surface traction than other leading composite brands. The added slip resistance can offer any homeowner peace of mind. However, it is especially useful for

WITH THE TREND toward bringing interior design to outdoor living, some manufacturers have introduced textured composite decking with an enhanced woodgrain pattern that mimics not only the weathered appearance, but also the texture of distressed hardwood flooring. (Photo by Dan Milford, DW Elite Decks)

pools, spas, lake houses and other applications in and around water. Deck builders have a spectrum of new color, streaking and texture options to help them personalize the look and feel of a client’s outdoor living space. Consider partnering with

brands that offer a trend-forward board selection and an industry-leading warranty. – Jase DeBoer is senior category marketing manager for Deckorators, a Universal Forest Products Inc. brand (www.deckorators.com).

With the trend toward bringing interior design to outdoor living, some manufacturers have introduced textured composite decking with an enhanced woodgrain pattern that mimics not only the weathered appearance, but also the texture of distressed hardwood flooring. (Photo by Dan Milford, DW Elite Decks)

Deck Building Solutions • 866-767-1850 • www.suredrive.com • sales@suredrive.com Building-Products.com

May 2019

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MARGIN Builders By Sal Serbin

3 minor decking upgrades

that deliver major returns uilding a deck is unquestionably one of the best investments a homeowner can make. In fact, aggregator Bankrate.com ranks it as #4 on their list of renovations that return the most at resale. According to the latest remodeling cost vs. value report, a homeowner can expect to recoup around 76% of the cost of building a wood deck and 69% of a composite deck when the time comes to sell their home. To help your customers make the most of their outdoor spaces and maximize their return on investment, consider recommending the following upgrades—all of which are easy to sell, simple to install and add meaningful value to a deck… and to your bottom line.

1. Deck Flashing Tape

Homeowners today have access to high-performance deck boards warrantied to last for decades. But most decking substructures begin to show signs of decay within the first 10 years. This is because the vast majority of substructures are built using wood, which is susceptible to damage from moisture and exposure to outdoor elements. Easily one of wood’s worst enemies, moisture contributes to mold growth and can accelerate structural deterioration. When joists and beams are exposed, water seeps into screw holes and sits on the wood causing it to rot and the

screws to rust. Additionally, the natural expansion and contraction of wood due to seasonal freezing and thawing can cause beams to split and weaken over time, posing serious safety concerns. Deck flashing tape is a simple and cost-effective way to protect wood from the damaging effects of weather and time. Designed to shield wooden joists and beams from moisture that can lead to rot and decay, it also acts as a barrier between wood and galvanized metal and helps deck screws and fasteners hold longer and stronger for enhanced structural integrity. Even better, it’s affordable. To protect an average-size 20’x12’ deck with flashing tape costs less than $100, making it a no-brainer for homeowners and contractors who want to ensure that the substructure lasts as long as the decking it supports. It makes especially good sense for protecting the foundations of today’s high-performance composite decks that are warrantied to last 20+ years. There are two primary options when it comes to deck flashing tapes—asphalt-based and butyl tape. Although asphalt-based tape is generally less expensive than butyl tape, it tends to dry out more quickly, curl up, and hold water. My preference is for butyl tape, which has several advantages over asphalt-based tape. It is stickier, endures less staining and performs better in a wider range of temperatures. Butyl tape also is more pliable than asphalt-based tape, which allows it to create a tighter seal around screws to prevent water from infiltrating the screw holes.

2. Deck Drainage

PEEL-AND-STICK deck tapes like Trex Protect offer simple application, require almost no trimming, and are designed specifically to work on horizontal and vertical surfaces.

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To protect an elevated deck from moisture damage, consider specifying an under-deck drainage system. Using a network for troughs and downspouts, these systems capture and divert water away from a deck, not only preserving the substructure but also making the area under the deck useable for storage or as additional living area. Once protected, dry space beneath an elevated deck can be outfitted with everything from furniture to lighting fixtures, ceiling fans, gas lines and entertainment components. Keep in mind, however, that any wiring or fixtures should still be UL-approved for use in wet locations. Building-Products.com

There are two main categories of drainage systems available, depending on whether they’re installed above or below the joists. For optimal protection and aesthetics, above-thejoist systems use a rubberized membrane that drapes down into each joist bay. The membrane pieces are shaped so that they can be stapled to the top of the joists, yet hang lower at one end of the joist bay to encourage drainage. When the joists cantilever past a beam, separate pieces are installed on each side of the beam, with each sloped to direct water to a gutter on the inner face of the beam. The main advantage to this type of system is that it protects the entire substructure—including the joists—from water damage and deterioration. It also allows homeowners to put any kind of decorative ceiling or soffit on the underside of the joists, making it a good option for customers who want a completely finished look. Although an under-deck drainage system adds a few more dollars to a deck construction project, most homeowners feel it is well worth the investment. After the first rainfall, they quickly realize the value of having dry outdoor living space to enjoy when the weather takes a turn for the worse. No need to cancel a party because of rain; guests can still enjoy being outdoors without worrying about getting

PLUG-AND-PLAY assembly makes many options in deck lighting quick and easy to install.

wet. Additionally, protecting the structural integrity of the substructure affords homeowners added peace of mind and satisfaction that can lead to referrals and more business.

3. Deck Lighting

Another “bright” idea for adding versatility and value to a deck is with lighting. Dimmable LED lights incorporated into post caps, railings and stairs can increase safety and security while also enhancing ambiance and extending the time that homeowners can spend enjoying their outdoor space. All three of these upgrades add considerable function and value to a deck project without adding a lot of time or cost. For homeowners, this translates into greater satisfaction and increased ROI. For builders, they are great ways to earn more profit. Assuming a margin of 20% on a 325-sq. ft. deck, a builder could potentially earn a few thousand dollars more by adding an under-deck drainage system and a ceiling to a project. Over time, these minor add-ons can have a major impact a company’s overall revenue. DECK DRAINAGE can be installed above or, as with RainEscape, below the joists.

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– A TrexPro Platinum deck builder, Sal Serbin has operated Colorado Redwood Decks, Centennial, Co., since 1985 (www. coloradoredwooddecks.com).

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PRODUCT Spotlight By Kat Benton

Wow customers with railing inﬁll options hen you look at a deck what’s the first thing you typically notice? In many cases, it’s the railings. Railings not only add an element of protection to decks and stairs, but also help to personalize and differentiate an outdoor space. Alternative infill solutions are becoming more popular as builders and homeowners look for ways to seamlessly tie together outdoor living spaces with a home’s design aesthetic to create an integrated look that is both functional and stylish. Following are several railing infill options that can take outdoor spaces to the next level, transforming them from ordinary to statement-making.

Panel Infill

Designer panel infill is one of the newer infill options. Beyond longevity and ease of care, one of the most appealing benefits of panel infill is that it gives homeowners a number of ways to coordinate their railings with their existing exterior design theme. Alternatively, a railing with an inter-

esting panel infill can serve as the foundational element within an outdoor living space, helping to set the tone for the rest of the space. The ability to mix-and-match the panel infill with other infill options, such as horizontal or vertical cable railing, glass, and pickets, further expands the design possibilities–and allows homeowners to make a more personalized statement.

Horizontal & Vertical Cable Infill

An infill type that continues to gain traction is stainless steel cable infill. Its clean-lined aesthetic enables homeowners to enjoy unimpeded views from their deck, which is especially important in cases where the deck showcases a beautiful view. Many homeowners are drawn to cable infill for its minimalist look—think slender cables and hidden fittings that virtually disappear—as well as for its versatility. Not only is cable infill compatible with multiple railing types, including wood, metal and composite-sleeved railings, but it also works with a vari-

CABLE INFILL is compatible with multiple railing types, including wood, metal and composite-sleeved railings. It also works with a variety of architectural styles, from rustic to transitional to contemporary, much like Feeney’s CableRail. (Photo: Mark McClish for Feeney)

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ety of architectural styles, from rustic to transitional to contemporary. And, like stainless steel and aluminum panel infill, cable railing is durable and low maintenance. It also promotes air flow across the deck area, which is desirable in warmer climates.

Glass Infill

Clear tempered glass panels offer a sleek look and unfettered sight lines, enabling those on the deck to “look through” the infill to the view beyond. Although this type of infill can create the illusion of no railing, it requires regular cleaning to maintain a clear view. Homeowners who want more privacy can opt for glass infill with varying degrees of tint. This helps to manage light flow. In addition, this type of infill can provide a full or partial wind break, which can be beneficial in coastal or mountain settings.

Vertical Pickets

Like vertical cable infill, vertical pickets can bring clean-lined elegance to a deck by drawing the eye upward and out towards the view and, at the same time, add vertical support. While pickets can be found in several materials that add architectural interest—for example, wood and rod iron—aluminum pickets, in particular, are a great low maintenance option that also deliver long-term durability. Complete aluminum railing systems are available and can be powder coated in a range of colors for added visual appeal and personalization.” With so many stylish and versatile infill options, the sky’s the limit when it comes to railing design. Whatever infill type is selected, it’s possible to create a deck with a view. – Kat Benton is senior PR account executive for Feeney railing division. For more information, visit feeneyinc.com. Building-Products.com

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PRODUCT Spotlight By Steve Getsiv

Should deck builders choose tiles over boards? The most common problem is that many applications require a hardwood deck built very close to the ground or built on a flat surface such as a roof top or deck with a dry space underneath. In this situation, wood decking material has little space to breathe, since ventilation is severely limited. If the installer chose to use 1x6 or 5/4x6 nominal boards, the end result will usually be cupped and warped boards. The reason this occurs has nothing to do with the quality of the wood itself and everything to do with the moisture differential created by inadequate ventilation between the tops and bottoms of the deck boards.

Narrow vs. Wide Boards

NOVA offers wood deck tiles in naturally durable batu hardwood, and also supplies a proprietary tung oil wood finish called ExoShield. (Photo by Nova USA Wood)

ood deck tiles have become a popular option in lieu of standard long length deck boards, especially in close-to-ground applications. Most manufacturers of deck boards do not recommend installation without at least 16” of clearance for ventilation and air flow. Standard long length deck boards are generally provided in 8’ through 20’ lengths as compared to deck tiles, which are typically 24” x 24” or smaller. Critical installation factors could encourage the use of interlocking wood deck tiles in place of regular deck boards.

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Whether to use narrow or wide boards is the most critical decision when planning to install a wood deck with minimal ventilation below the boards. Most decking suppliers of exotic tropical hardwoods such as ipe, cumaru, batu and mahogany will recommend a minimum of 36” of space below the deck boards as well as adequate openings (50% minimum) around the perimeter of the deck when installing 1x6 and 5/4x6 so that the entire structure can breathe. If moisture is not adequately removed from the underside of the boards, cupping and distortion will always occur. If the install is closer to the ground than 36” or for installations over flat surfaces such as rooftops, we always recommend using 1x4 or 5/4x4 nominal deck boards. And yet, we still require at least 12” of ventilation space below the deck boards for our warranty and guarantee to be effective. This 12” space minimum works fine for most decks built over a concrete pad but it doesn’t work in all situations and will rarely work on a rooftop deck or if you happen to be building a deck on a flat surface with a dry space below. Nominal 1x4 or 5/4x4 should always be used when building a deck between 12” and 36” off the ground.

Why Tiles Might Be the Best Choice

Wood decking tiles are generally manufactured not out of 4” or 6” nominal boards, but out of 3” nominal boards— 1x3’s with a typical net width of only 2-1/2”! Of course they are more stable when exposed to uneven moisture between the top and bottom! Wood deck tiles generally have these individual 1x3 nominal boards spaced with about Building-Products.com

1/4” between boards. This allows for normal swelling and shrinkage over the seasons without letting the boards swell to the point of cutting off air flow and ventilation from top to bottom. Interlocking deck tiles are also very easy to remove if necessary because they generally snap together with plastic connectors at the corners. Most deck tiles will have an index hole drilled in each corner to allow for securely tightening the tile to the plastic connectors. The connectors themselves allow for a reasonable gap of 3/16” to 1/4” between tiles.

Finishing Touches

We strongly recommend that all wood deck tiles—as well as wood deck boards—be finished with a high quality penetrating oil finish on both sides before installation. Finishing the underside has nothing to do with beauty and everything to do with inhibiting the flow of moisture into and out of the wood from the under side. Oil-based finishes are generally superior to water-based finishes. When it comes to oil-based finishes, tung oil finishes are superior to linseed oil or vegetable oil finishes, because tung oil dries harder and more flexible and won’t evaporate

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over time. If you use a water-based product, be sure it has nanotechnology sealing properties. An extreme approach, but one we have recommended, is to wax the bottom side of the deck tiles before installation. Some end seal products, such as Anchor Seal by UC Coatings, are waxes that should not evaporate over time and will give the bottom side of the deck tiles permanent protection from moisture penetration. Some contractors who install 1x4 or 5/4x4 deck boards in very close to ground applications with under 12” of ventilation will wax the bottom sides of their boards prior to installation. This practice maximizes the long term life of deck boards in these close-to-ground applications. Will water rot your wood deck tiles or boards? That depends. If a naturally durable hardwood such as ipe, cumaru or batu is used, then no, water won’t rot your boards. However, this doesn’t apply to meranti, cambara, cedar, redwood, pine or any other wood that doesn’t come with at least a 25-year warranty against rot and decay. – Steve Getsiv is CEO of Nova USA Wood Products, Beaverton, Or. Reach him via www.novausawood.com.

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INDUSTRY Trends By Steven Schlesser

Decking forecast looks strong or the past two years, home builders across the country have enjoyed robust profits fueled by rising prices for new homes. The strength in the economy has allowed lumber producers and wholesalers to successfully pass on price increases to their customers. Normally, in good times, builders expect a 10% operating margin, two percentage points over what has been the median for the last 25 years. Unfortunately this “forward motion” in the housing industry was slowed by a crash in lumber and panel prices in the fourth quarter (suddenly overstuffed inventory was worth a lot less) and a leveling off of prices for newly built homes.

These concerns, however, do not impact the decking industry as directly as they do new housing. Deck building arises both from new home construction as well as from existing remodeling. Generally, the increase in Canadian cedar prices during most of last year forced deck builders towards composite and hardwood decking. Overall, deck building and new home construction remain strong. Economists were pleasantly surprised by the jobs numbers reported in January—over 300,000 new jobs added to the U.S. economy—which boomerangs to more activity up and down the private sector. From our discussions with wholesalers, we forecast price stability in

HARDWOOD DECKING should remain in high demand, although rising prices may be on the horizon. (Photo by Kayu International)

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cedar decking, modest increases in composites (especially in the second quarter), and eventual increases in exotic hardwood decking from South America (mostly ipe) and Southeast Asia (species from the mahogany family). Price increases in exotic wood generally arise from log shortages, bad weather, and increased demand. Home builders will find that in addition to softwood lumber prices returning to 2018 levels, labor costs, too, are on the rise. The construction industry unemployment rate, at 6.3% during the first half of 2018, has fallen back to its levels during the housing boom. According to a new report by the U.S. Labor Department, the “quits rate”—that is, the share of workers voluntarily leaving construction jobs, a sign they think they can get new jobs easily—stood at 2.5% last March and April, the highest since early 2008. In the manufactured housing industry, managers are struggling with low volume floor output (even though demand for manufactured homes is strong) primarily because plants cannot keep a steady workforce in place. In the old days, mobile home producers turned a blind eye to Social Security numbers submitted by prospective employees. Now all documentation is carefully scrutinized. Although wages are up to $14 to $18 an hour, manufactured housing producers find ever-increasing turnover. If anything, the official figures may understate how tight the market has become for an overall construction industry that has traditionally relied heavily on illegal immigrants. It is not surprising that the decreasing numbers of illegal immigrants crossing the border would stress the labor market. According to Pew Research, illegal immigrants account for about 13% of construction workers, and in some areas, that figure may be significantly higher. For example, nearly a third of the brick and masonry workers are here illegally and these are not just Hispanic workers, but often Russians or other Eastern Europeans. The more important issue is how these trends affect the overall housing market, which was certainly one of the bright spots in 2018 and should not be overlooked. After all, housing helps drive spending on everything from cars to decks, lighting, hot tubs, paint, primer, cabinets and couches. – Steven Schlesser is a hardwood specialist for Kayu International, Wilsonville, Or. (www.kayu.com). Building-Products.com

COMPETITIVE Intelligence By Carla Waldemar

100 years of gratitude

MICHIGAN DEALER is appreciative for the opportunity to serve its community for a century.

hortly past the dawn of the last century, Fred Graves, who ran a lumberyard in Wisconsin, got the urge to move to Jonesville, Mi., to help a cousin in the yard he owned. By 1919, Fred had bought him out. Fast forward through several generations to send a Happy 100th Anniversary greeting to his fifth-generation heirs and present owners of Jonesville Lumber, brothers Ben and Abe Graves. A couple of generations later, their father, James Graves, moved the operation across the street—taking it down piece by piece, then reassembling it on higher ground and—bright idea!— adding the first-ever drive-thru in the entire state, as part of a complete store remodel. (The original building had served as everything from a diner to a gas station to a car dealership). A bit earlier, back in 1986, James installed—gasp!—a computer, which caused “a little push and pull with the older guys, who were used to writing each and every order up by hand. A big change. And no regrets! Zero!” attests James’ son, Ben. Ten years ago he and his brother Abe took over the day-to-day, with Ben running the warehouse and purchasing, and Abe the sales and hardware side. This year,

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the brothers bought out their dad, who refuses to sink into the La-Z-Boy. Says he, “What retirement? I have a farm and Angus cattle to manage.” “It’s simply a change of venue,” agrees Ben, who at 40 holds up his half of the fifth generation. “I grew up at the end of a broom; it’s pretty much what I always thought I’d do. I like the links with the community, the builders, the salesmen. You fall into it, and it turns out to be a very satisfying job.” Jonesville, a town of 2,500, sits in what Ben describes as a blue-collar county—“very resilient. If the economy’s bad in the country, it’s okay here. If it’s good elsewhere, it’s also okay here. There’s a lot of new construction, a bounce-back from 2008 when the bottom dropped out. Back then, homeowners didn’t sell and move up; they remodeled, and that business carried us. With the rebound, they’re back into new construction, and custom homes are our specialty.” Their customer base is heavy to pros (80/20), “but our DIY trade is also a huge part of our business,” Ben says. “When a customer walks in, we get to him as fast as we possibly can. We’re very service-oriented; our salespeople are very knowledgeable

May 2019

(some have 40 years in the business) and highly skilled: It’s our Number One attribute. Back in 1997, when we saw the writing on the wall, we decided to focus on ‘How can we service our customers better?’ So Jim bought a boom truck, and we couldn’t keep it off the road. So he bought a truck with a mounted forklift. Couldn’t keep it in the yard, either. So he bought another one. We can provide rooftop delivery, drywall delivery. For lake homes, we can get in sideways when needed. Our whole warehouse crew is focused on getting the product out.” That crew is a vital part of a staff of 20 full-timers which includes five salesmen. “Their job is—to sell!” Ben announces emphatic, assigning them a back-up of two fellows in-house who run support for them. “Our salesmen are confident! And they know a lot! I’ve got salesman who are driven! If you’ve got those attributes, it’ll happen for you. They know what’s going on.” Staff training occurs in winter, when business slows down, and cements the relationships that bloom.” It’s a family-owned business, where we work 10-hour days together: They see more of each other than they do of their families, and it carries over. You’ve got to find the right blend of guys who work together. It’s a team that makes it go, working for common goals. It’s a beautiful thing,” he adds. And those satisfied employees stay on. Why? “We’re fifth-generation owners” who aren’t going anywhere. “We’ve always done the right thing, never micro-manage. We give them a lot of freedom, but we also expect a lot of work. We treat everyone like family and use their time fairly. If you stay loyal to your employees, they’ll stay loyal to you. That’s a lesson I’ve learned from past generations, to do the right thing,” he underscores the company’s mantra. He points to a staffer named Gordon Shaw, recently deceased, who signed on back in Ben’s Building-Products.com

great-grandfather’s time. “He worked here 60 years. He retired lots of times but kept on coming back.” That proves, in his mind, “You don’t need to reinvent the wheel; just follow the blueprint.” Works for customers, too. “If the customer wins, everybody wins. We make sure that, when they leave, they’ve had a good experience. When we spot them down an aisle, it’s ‘Hey!’ so they don’t have to walk up and ask; it takes that task out of their hands. We jump up when they come in. “Ladies,” he responds to a reporter’s question, “are a huge part of our business: Kitchen & Bath—we have a kitchen specialist and design packages. Tile. If they want something, they’re gonna get it,” he pledges. “We make sure that they feel comfortable. Talk down to them? There’s no place for that!” Jonesville Lumber offers one-stop shopping—but, like the boom truck and the computer, today that’s old news. “That’s always been the case. We offer windows, garage doors, steel siding and roofing, shingles, hardware,” and the list goes on. “Yet, lumber is a huge—huge!—part of our business. Again, we don’t reinvent the wheel, just tweak it.” And heed customers’ suggestions. “We get feedback. We welcome the good, but also the bad. We don’t take it personally; it shows us how we can improve.” That’s the recipe for success, which Ben rephrases as “Everybody can make money, but how do you keep it? Be there and fill their needs. Stay financially solvent with your bank: You’ve got freedom if you don’t have a large credit line. If you manage labor. And materials. We weathered the downturn by watching expenses, but at the same time, keeping our equipment up. And by maintaining salesmen, keeping their motivation strong.” Competition? It’s not what it used to be. “Not long ago,

every town in the county had a lumberyard. Unfortunately, starting in 2004, the independents started closing down. Then in 1991, the Carter chain moved in. But we did what they couldn’t do—offer customer service: salesmen, estimators. We didn’t subscribe to the corporate mentality. Before we say no, we look at the options. We service our customers the way an independent, family-owned operation can. So in 2010, Carter closed their doors, while we weathered the storm. We don’t take any pleasure in their closing. Zero!” Ben attests. “Twenty people lost their jobs. But I give credit to Jim [Graves], who lived up to his ideals.” And those involve giving back to the community. “We sponsor youth activities—schools, sports, 4H. Kids will be the leaders of the future.” Jonesville’s own future looks bright, maybe thanks to the brothers’ own kids. “Abe has two daughters and I have three kids, including a daughter who’s turning 15.” (Hint to daughter: Expect a broom as a birthday present.) “I won’t pressure my kids to go into the business, same as nobody pressured me, or my father. I wasn’t expected to be here, but it was expected that, whatever I did, I do it 110%. “I’m 40 years old, and I’m staying put. Absolutely! Forever! This is my life. It’s an honest living, working with great people. There’s not a single day I say, ‘I’ve got to go to work.’ It’s very gratifying.” Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net

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OLSEN on Sales By James Olsen

Controlling the call

he majority of sellers are too nervous, under-prepared, or just don’t now how to control sales conversations. Most don’t even think they should. “Why would I try to control the conversation? I’m a relationship seller; I want to get along with my customers in a smooth, non-confrontational way. If I try to control the call it will make my customers uncomfortable.” The opposite is true and Master Sellers know it. The person who is uncomfortable is the struggling salesperson. Customers love it when a seller knows exactly what their value proposition is and can promote it in a passionate way. Sellers who are “waiting for the customer to buy” make the buyer do all the work. The Master Seller makes it easy to say yes by having all the reasons why what they’re promoting is a good deal, with many options that will work.

Changing the Subject

When customers start talking about negative things many sellers commiserate with them. Master Sellers agree a little, then segue to something positive. Customer: “Aw, heck with this rain we won’t be buying anything till June.” Quotron (in a weak, whiny tone): “I know it’s terrible. It’s raining all over the country. We are slow, too. Is there anything you need?” Vs.: Customer: “Aw, heck with this rain we won’t be buying anything till June.” Master Seller: “And that’s exactly why I called you, Tom. We’ve got a program on the 2x4 104 5/8 you like. We put these together for late May shipment. We’ve got a great price on them. How many can you use?”

Questions = Control = Sales

The person asking the questions is controlling the call. Most sellers answer customer questions like dutiful school children responding to the principal of their grade school; they answer, then wait for the next question. Master Sellers answer the question and ask a question of their own. Customer: “What’s your price on 2x4 92 5/8” today?” Quotron: “$450/MBF” Customer: “When can they ship?” Quotron: “Two weeks or sooner.” Customer: “OK, thanks. I appreciate it. I’ll let you know.” Vs.: Customer: “What’s your price on 2x4 92 5/8” today?” Master Seller: “We’ve got some great deals on studs today. How many do you need?” Customer: “One for quick and one for three weeks out.” Master Seller: “I can do those shipments. Do you have

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some order numbers for me?” Customer: “What’s the price?” Master Seller: “That’s the best part. We can get these into you at $450/MBF, which is a great deal in this market. Do you want to put those on?” In the example the Master Seller waits to give the price and ask for the order until he knows exactly what the customer is looking for. Note: Our closing percentage isn’t based on calls made, emails sent, or questions answered— but on how many times we ask for the order per year.

Non-Answer Answers

A non-answer answer is an answer that sides-steps our question. To control our calls, we need to be aware of non-answers and deal with them. Quotron: “Tom, I’ve got a great deal on some studs, how many do you need?” Customer: “I’m OK on studs for now.” Quotron: “How long can you wait before you have to buy?” Customer: “I guess we’ll be alright for a bit.” Vs.: Master Seller: “Tom, I’ve got a great deal on some studs, how many can you use?” Customer: “I’m OK on studs for now.” Master Seller: “How long can you wait before you have to buy?” Customer: “I guess we’ll be alright for a bit.” Master Seller: “Tom, I’ve got in my notes that you’re going through about six trucks a month, so how many studs do you have on the yard?” Customer: “I’d have to check my inventory.” Master Seller: “Tom, you’re at your desk, why don’t we pull it up now?” The Master Seller now has a chance to get an order. In addition, knowing the customer’s inventory on studs sets up the next call, whether we get the order or not, whereas the Quotron is in the dark on this call and the next… and the next…. When we control our calls, we control our destiny. James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572 james@realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com

THE REVENUE Growth Habit By Alex Goldfayn

Thousands of failures

e’re moving homes, and my wife has been on a shredding mission. While reviewing file boxes that have not been opened in many years, she came across my first business head shots, taken about 20 years ago. As a working adult, I’ve never had a job, never had a paycheck paid by somebody else. Because I’ve always been in business, I’ve never had a resume. But I’ve always had headshots. These were the first. Amazingly, my wife found not only the prints but also the negatives they came from and even the slides. (Some of you reading this have never seen film negatives.) I am looking at these photos as I write this. They are spread out on my desk, just above my keyboard. They are in a fancy office that my attorney or accountant let me use. The photographer did our wedding pictures too, because these were taken around that time. The kid in the pictures is eager, enthusiastic and also terrified. I felt, at once, on top of the world, but also I had no clue how I’d cover payroll that next month. Or the one after that. I was running a computer consulting company, and I had employees back then. And they were far more adept at managing me than I was at managing them. I didn’t really know what I was doing—operating by feel—but I had to make it look like I knew exactly what to do. There has been a lot of failure since these pictures were taken. Thousands of failures. Thousands of learning opportunities. Thousands of growth moments. That business imploded when the Internet bubble burst about a year after the photos were taken. Then it took several business iterations, thousands of published and newsletter articles, hundreds of television appearances, hundreds of radio interviews, thousands of speeches, and about 15 years to develop my consulting practice. We were out of money multiple times during this

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extended period. There were moments when my wife believed in me more than I believed in myself. And as any salesperson knows, the customer can feel uncertainty, meekness and fear. Similarly, the customer can feel confidence, optimism and enthusiasm. Negativity is just as contagious as positivity. Somewhere in this process, I actively chose positivity and optimism. This is what I sell now. And clients pay good money for it. In fact, as my clients apply my principles of selling boldly and begin bringing these traits of enthusiasm and value to their customers, they find that their customers also pay good money for these traits. You will find that you are the only one who brings positivity value proactively to your customers. Everyone else— the competition!—only calls with problems and issues. About five years ago my solo consulting practice surpassed seven figures for the first time. Last year, it tripled that amount. And my fourth book, Selling Boldly, hit the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. This year, my business will grow bigger still. Why? Because of all the failures. All the learning. And, most importantly, all the perseverance. I’ve developed a perseverance habit, which has become the foundation on which my business has been built. It has become the defining characteristic of my life. Perseverance in prospecting. Perseverance in setting the meetings. Perseverance in following up. Perseverance in digging out of holes, and there have been many. A middle-aged man recently said to me, “I’ve never failed at anything in my life.” And I immediately thought that he has not attempted anything challenging or interesting in his life. Salespeople fail. Entrepreneurs fail. Executives fail. But then we succeed. First we fail. Then we persevere. Then we succeed. The ones who don’t succeed are the ones who don’t persevere enough. Either they don’t try enough times to make this way work, or they don’t try hard enough to find an alternate way. The kid in the photos had no idea of the failures and challenges that lay ahead. The grown man with graying hair writing this today is grateful as hell for them. Alex Goldfayn Revenue Growth Consultancy alex@evangelistmktg.com (847) 459-6322 Building-Products.com

TRANSFORMING Teams By Claudia St. John

Cool ideas to attract and engage employees or many years, and to this day, I am asked to speak about how to hire top talent. For quite a while, millennials in the workplace was a hot topic. Last year, the subject of how to avoid and address sexual harassment in the workplace was a major theme. This year, the subject everyone wants to talk about is how to attract and retain employees. So this month I’m going to give you five cool ideas for doing just that. But before I do, I want to offer one of the best resources that I know of for improving employee engagement. It comes from the Gallup Organization. For more than 30 years, Gallup has studied the key elements that highlyengaged employees say are most important to them at work. This resulted in the Q12 index—the 12 elements of a job that are tied most closely to engagement and business performance. These elements are listed below in order of importance, with the first being the most important element: 1. I know what’s expected of me at work. 2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right. 3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day. 4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work. 5. My supervisor or someone at work seems to care about me as a person. 6. There is someone at work who encourages my development. 7. At work, my opinions seem to count. 8. The mission or purpose of my organization makes me feel my job is important. 9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing good quality work.

Q. How would offering Student Loan Repayment as a benefit work? Is there any tax favorability to it? A. In a tight labor market and with a large percentage of

new hires carrying student loan debt, this is a great benefit to recruit new hires. Whether it’s paying a portion of the debt every month or paying off chunks of debt at a time, it helps employees alleviate the burden of debt. The benefits are fully taxable to the employee and to you, so there’s no tax advantage. But unlike salary, you will not be paying FICA or other employment taxes on the amount.

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10. I have a best friend at work. 11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress. 12. This last year, I have had opportunities to learn and grow. What I love about this list is what’s not on it—pay. Bottom line: compensation does not improve employee engagement. What is on this list are factors that, with the expense of just time and effort from leadership, can truly transform a corporate culture. If you focus on communicating expectations and direction, celebrating relationships, providing opportunities for growth, and listening and providing feedback, employees will be engaged. Spend time with this list. What could you do better? But what about those potential employees who you are trying to entice to join your company? Here are some ideas on how to attract them:

1. Ask employees what matters most to them.

You already have amazing employees. What do they love most about their jobs? Is it the autonomy? Is it the delish food you put out in the lunch room? Is it the wonderful clients you have? Promote what makes yours a great company and get your employees engaged in recruiting more talent just like them. And if you offer an employee referral program (and you should), make it meaningful. By that I mean $500 to $1,000 if the hire lasts a year. Buy swag—promote your employees and candidates like a university promotes prospective students—give them Building-Products.com

the mug and the hat and the t-shirt. Make them feel a part of the team before you’ve even hired them!

2. Help your talent alleviate their debt.

Whether it’s an entry-level blue-collar worker or a recent grad with an MBA, young workers today are saddled with incredible debt, either in the form of credit card debt or student loans. They also question whether Social Security will be there for them when it’s their time to retire. Offer to help pay their debt once they meet certain milestones such as length of service or performance level. You may even be able to offer a little less in salary for that huge piece of mind. There are companies to help you structure the benefit such as Tuition.io, Futurefuel.io, and Vault. And if you offer a retirement plan, teach your young workers about it and the massive benefits of compound interest. Chances are, they may not know how it works.

3. Offer flexibility.

Study after study show that employees truly value the ability to work from home on occasion and most would like to be able to do so one day a week. Offer this as a perk. For your service workers such as cleaning staff, sometimes life happens. A child gets sick or a family emergency arises. Workers facing these situations often become a no-call, no-show because they know there are no benefits allowing them to take time to take care of what’s happening in their life. Reach out to them. Let them know you understand and that if their situation changes, you’d like to have them back.

4. Remember the Dream Manager.

In his wonderful book The Dream Manager, Matthew Kelly describes a real-life situation where a janitorial company dramatically reduced the turnover of its cleaning crew simply by hiring someone to listen to the dreams of employees and helping them develop a strategy to make those dreams a reality. The act of listening is a powerful tool that can transform lives and your corporate culture. Ask your prospective employees what their dreams are and help them to achieve those dreams. They may leave you in the end, but they will appreciate you forever, and you’ll have no trouble attracting new employees with fresh dreams.

5. Offer sabbaticals.

I know, I know. I get grief every time I raise this, but hear me out. What if, after five years of service, you were offered the opportunity to take some time off, say a month or six weeks, to do anything you want? To travel, to study painting, to visit long-lost family, to write that book! You’d stay with that company! With no added cost to you (you’ll still have the same payroll and will only have to realign duties for a period of time), you can create loyalty and memories for a lifetime! Who doesn’t want that? I’m sorry if you thought I was going to talk about zip lines in the warehouse or baristas in the break room. But really, when it comes to attracting and retaining talent, it starts with you. It starts with the Q12 and listening to your employees. Today talent can get any job. Make them want yours. Your commitment to them and their dreams and needs will do just that. Claudia St. John Affinity HR Group claudia@affinityhrgroup.com Building-Products.com

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Davis Ace Sold to Crown

Davis Ace Hardware and Aggie Ace Hardware, Davis, Ca., have been sold to Crown Hardware, Huntington Beach, Ca. The deal was expected to close in late April. The stores’ names will not be changed. Northern California is a new market for Crown, which has 13 other stores in California (eight in Orange County, two in the Inland Empire, and three near San Diego), plus one in Hawaii and two in Lake Havasu City, Az. Former owner Jennifer Anderson, who has been the president of Davis Ace since the 1960s, said she and her

husband are selling the store because their children are firmly committed to their individual career directions, making it difficult for the store to stay in the family. Her family had been involved with Davis Ace since 1914.

G-P Winds Down in Coos Bay

Georgia Pacific Wood Products is closing its lumber mill in Coos Bay, Or., citing overseas competition for logs and unreliable rail service. The 25-year-old mill stopped production on April 4, but the first of the 111 employees won’t begin to be laid off until early June.

SUPPLIER Briefs Sutherland Lumber has purchased a vacated Kmart building in Riverton, Wy., to open a new store by the fall. Brandon Powell will manage. Metzger’s Ace Hardware

this month opens the 14,000sq. ft. University Plaza Ace Hardware, Kent, Oh., to be co-managed by A.J. and Elliott Metzger.

Strand Ace Hardware , Escalon, Ca., is opening a second store at a former Orchard Supply Hardware site in Modesto, Ca. Ganahl Lumber, Costa Mesa, Ca., was recently presented the Pillar of Costa Mesa Award by the local Chamber of Commerce. Habitat for Humanity is relocating its ReStore outlet in Anchorage, Ak., from a 3,600-sq. ft. to a 15,000-sq. ft. space. Beacon Roofing Supply has opened new greenfield branches in Fresno, Ca., and Reno, Nv. Sierra Truss, Willard, Ut., has been acquired by Sunroc Building Materials, Lindon, Ut. Capital Lumber, Portland, Or., is now distributing MOSO’s X-treme product line of bamboo decking, siding and accessory products in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Sylvanix Outdoor Products, Seattle, Wa., has signed Disdero Lumber Co., Clackamas, Or., to distribute its composite decking in Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Conifex Timber , Vancouver, B.C., completed the sale of Lignum Forest Products to Canwel Building Materials Group Ltd. The $11.5-million deal includes approximately $10.5 million for working capital. MI Windows & Doors , Prescott Valley, Az., received a Leadership Award from the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety & Health, for going “above and beyond in maintaining workplace safety.”

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May 2019

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Trex Begins Allocating Deck Shipments to Western Distributors

A rocky roll-out for Trex’s new Enhance 2.0 composite decking has thrown its Fernley, Nv., manufacturing plant behind schedule and forced the manufacturer to begin allocating shipments of all lines to its distributors in the West. Quality issues forced Trex to modify the the design of its “C level” board, but the delays created a backlog of orders that outpaced the western plant’s capacity. To catch up, in May the Fernley facility began to ship a restricted quantity of product to distributors, based on their average percentage of purchases in the region. Trex deduced that, while not ideal, this solution would supply distributors with a known quantity each month and a steady flow of material into their branches. Distributors will have monthly deadlines to order product, approximately five weeks before that month’s allotment will be shipped out. New orders must also be product specific, to avoid mixing different lines on the same truck. In addition, to maximize production, Fernley began limiting the colors on some of its decking lines. During the allocation period, the facility will produce Transcend only in Tree House, Vintage Lantern, and Gravel Path; Select in Pebble Grey, Saddle, Winchester Grey, and Woodland Brown; Enhance Basics in Clam Shell and Saddle; and Enhance Naturals in Coastal Bluff, Toasted Sand, Foggy Wharf, and Rock Harbor. The entire line of Transcend Tropics will continue to be available. The program will be reevaluated later in the summer. Trex’s primary distributors in the region include Boise Cascade, Capital Lumber, and International Wood Products.

SOCAL WOOD GUYS recently held its first annual golf outing at the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, Ca. Golfers included (left to right) Mark Huff, Scott Whitman, Jack Ohanian, Danny Andrea, Chad Huffman, Matt Manke, Jon Hagen, Andrew Manke, Rick Deen, Cameron Deen, J.D. Dombec, and Troy Huff. Building-Products.com

MOVERS & Shakers Ashlee Cribb has been named senior VP/chief commercial officer for Roseburg Forest Products, Springfield, Or., overseeing the newly restructured Commercial organization. As part of the reorganization, Jim Buffington is now business general mgr.; Tom Wardach, director of national accounts; and Phil Pierot, business director-composites & decorative. Gary Hayes is now business mgr. for Roseburg’s softwood plywood and lumber business.

Robert Waterhouse has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Grabber Construction Products, Highland, Ut. He replaces Roland Snyder, who is retiring.

Tom Gennarelli, ex-Roseburg, has joined Timber Products Co., Springfield, Or., as vice president of TP Trucking & transportation.

Katie Cava, Weyerhaeuser, Seattle, Wa., has been promoted to corporate sustainability mgr.

Paul Robinson, ex-Timber Products Co., has joined the sales team at Weyerhaeuser, Columbia Falls, Mt. John Garrod, ex-Associated Building Supply, is back at Alpine Windowerks, San Diego, Ca., as general mgr.

Merlin Miller is the new general mgr. of MacBeath Hardwood’s Salt Lake City, Ut., distribution yard.

Peter Fleming, ex-Sherwood Lumber, is now a senior sales specialist with Atlantic Forest Products, Truckee, Ca.

Greg Hayes has been appointed global category mgr.-lumber with KATERRA, Phoenix, Az.

Brittany Grothey is new to inside sales at PrimeSource Building Products, Sumner, Wa.

Tom Lovlien, ex-Idaho Timber, has been named VP of Woodgrain Lumber and Composites Division, Fruitland, Id.

Roberto Gonsalves, Lowe’s Home Improvement, has been promoted to district mgr. for the San Francisco Bay Area.

INTRODUCING PACIFIC

Trandon Moy has been named store mgr. of Home Depot, Seattle, Wa. Scott Prowell, ex-Murphy Veneer, is now plant mgr. at Boise Cascade, Elgin, Or. Joseph Hayes is a new truss designer at Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber, Colorado Springs, Co. Patrick McMahon is now Corvallis, Or.-based architectural product rep for Innotech Windows & Doors Langley, B.C. Ryan Pessah has been tabbed as director of government relations for the Western Wood Preservers Institute, Vancouver, Wa. Emmanuel Laval, ex-James Hardie, is new to R&D/new product development at The AZEK Co., Chicago, Il. Maggie Hardy, president, 84 Lumber, Eightyfour, Pa., married Shawn Knox March 30 in Aspen, Co. Voorhees A. Jollygoodfellow is celebrating his 50th anniversary with Mungus Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

CEDAR DECKING

Our Pacific TruRed Cedar Decking is a proprietary select grade of coastal Western red cedar which has been manufactured to strict quality tolerances to ensure a uniquely premium tight-knot product. Pacific TruRed is custom cut from select second growth logs which are sourced from Vancouver Island, B.C. After cutting, the rough cedar is sorted for quality prior to kiln drying (KD) to an average moisture content of 15%. Once the moisture content of the complete kiln charge has been confirmed, the KD rough lumber is moved to our finishing mill where it is sorted again to remove any pieces degraded in the kiln prior to dressing, trimming and packaging. The result of this quality-intensive process is our Pacific TruRed Cedar Decking: Truly, a Decking Product for the Discerning Homeowner.

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CEDAR DECKING 32

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Sun to Set in 2020 for Santa Monica’s Fisher Lumber

Fisher Hardware and Lumber, Santa Monica, Ca., will close its doors next year due to pending increases in rental costs. The news was confirmed by owner Erik Jorgensborg, who’s been with the company since 1975. Jorgensborg told the Daily Press that the property is up for sale and their lease is up next year. Founded in 1923, Fisher currently employs 10 people and is slated to close August 15, 2020.

Westlake Ace Comes West

Westlake Ace Hardware, which owns and operates 124 Ace stores in 10 Midwestern states, will lease former Orchard Supply Hardware stores in northeast Fresno and Woodland, Ca. Based in Kansas City, Mo., Westlake is currently remodeling the two stores, which will be its first locations in California.

Franklin Building Truss Plant

Franklin Building Supply, Boise, Id., has broken ground on a 24,000-sq. ft. truss plant in Jerome, Id., that will replace and consolidate operations that currently occupy five buildings nearby. The current Jerome location was purchased in 1999 from Volco Lumber. The new facility will allow all local employees to work under the same roof and bring in more automation, increasing capacity.

US LBM Acquires Vegas Specialty Dealer

US LBM Holdings, LLC has acquired Las Vegas, Nv.-based BM Windows, which provides distribution, sales and installation services for windows and doors to customers in Las Vegas and Reno in Nevada. BM Windows will operate as a unit of US LBM’s Desert Companies. Led by president Terry Ono, Desert joined US LBM in 2014 and is a leading supplier of lumber, engineered wood, fasteners, roof and floor truss systems and more to residential homebuilders and contractors in the Las Vegas market. US LBM purchased BM Windows from owners Jim and Rich Urello, who will remain with the company as president and VP, respectively. “The addition of a specialty dealer in BM Windows strengthens our position and expands our product offering in an important existing market for us,” said US LBM president and CEO L.T. Gibson. Building-Products.com

May 2019

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MARGIN Builders By Aaron Sims

Trim job Why and how to sell exterior packages A home is a compilation of hundreds of decisions and thousands of products. So when it comes to the exterior, focusing your sales approaches on the whole cohesive package— and showing builders, remodelers, and their homeowners what those packages look like—may improve your opportunities to increase upgrades, boost efficiencies, and further satisfy customers. Here are a few factors to consider:

rather than a sum of individual parts. Builders can send buyers to your store to view available products in combination, which is less overwhelming than choosing siding, then trim, then windows. They can get a vision for what the finished product will look like on their home and likely feel better about their decision. This in turn may help reduce change orders down the road that can create hassles for both you and the contractor.

fill gaps in your product offering. For example, stone has historically been a material most dealers do not offer, but stone siding products that install like traditional panel siding offer the opportunity to keep that stone business in house. And by incorporating those products into a systems approach to selling, you can sell the builder on trying that new siding to ensure a cohesive look and to meet buyer demand for multi-textured facades.

Instill buyer confidence: When the exterior is sold as a package, buyers can see what they’re getting as a whole and how it works together,

Keep business in-house: Consulting with your manufacturer partners about what you sell versus what more they can provide may help

Better-looking exteriors: Considering the full façade and thinking of the whole palette collectively may help builders create more varied, engaging streetscapes and avoid cookie-cutter looks. It also allows for visualization and experimentation with on-trend colors, texture blending, and materials using stocked products. More upgrades: Similarly, if buyers can see the possibilities of how different products blend on their home, it’s likely they might fall in love with the look—and the upgrades used to make that look—even if it means upping their budget.

CREATING FAÇADE displays, or even inspiration boards like this one, can help builders and buyers visualize how products come together on their homes. This display shows how Boral’s Color Harmony portfolios of siding, trim, shutter, and stone brands combine for on-trend looks.

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Single source: Though portfolios can be created across manufacturers, selling multiple lines from a single manufacturer or brand can add economies of scale because you’re working with the same rep, the same contacts for the PO, and a familiar process. This also means it’s easier to expand to additional product lines, Building-Products.com

with paperwork hoopsAs to ajump callyless reject such anoroffer. result, the buyers face supplies of small-knot, dense, Douglas fir veneers). The through the beginning.only In addition, ‘adverse atselection’—the sellers who will accept $750 “market for lemons” is likely having a major effect on the contractors may be more willing to try are those unloading lemons. size of this market today. something if it’s from athis company “Smart new buyers foresee problem. Knowing they they know, use, andthey trust.offer only $500. Sellers of couldalready be buying a lemon, Overcoming the Market for Lemons the lemons end up with the same price they would have How can individual panel producers overcome this Promoting Packages received were there no ambiguity. But the peaches all stay “lemons market” problem, their industry’s “race to the botThegarage. easiest“Information way to focusasymmetry” selling on kills the market for in the tom,” and depressed industry sales levels? They can offer the goodwhole cars.” façade instead of one-off company-specific product performance guarantees. product selection to create packages Structural woodis panel buyers rely upon qualified inspecAnother approach is to more aggressively brand prodthat are testing easy to choose and to routinely test and tion and agencies likefrom the APA ucts. In either case, the mill’s products need to be clearly customize. certify the quality of the products they buy. This creates an differentiated from their competitors’; as we discovered Here are few ways to do that: incentive fora individual panel producers to “push” the stanearlier, industry-wide, third-party quality certification is D eAv epassage l o p pfrom r o d uAckerloff’s c t p a l e t famous t e s : paper: dard. important but not sufficient. Like car buyers, panel buyers Collaborate with yourmarkets manufacturers “There are many in which buyers use some won’t chance paying peach prices when they may actually to create product of prospective market statistic to judgeportfolios the quality of purchas-tools, such be buying a “dressed up” lemon. ONLINE DESIGN as Boral’s Virtual Remodeler, allow dealers, their customers, and es. In this case there lines is an and incentive to market coordinated product colorsfor sellers some structural producers, differentiahomeowners to visualize what For homes will look like withpanel different siding andproduct trim products. Once a is determined, makes ordering simple. poor quality returns design for good quality a materials that can be merchandise, sold as is, since with the stock tion list requires a major change in company culture. For accrue mainly or to with the entire group whose statistic is affected instance, it is very difficult to produce innovative, differenmodifications, upgrades. rather than to thethis individual As a result there tends to tiated products for the end use market if the company doesCoordinate processseller. between instead trying piece With so many moving parts, it is so be a reduction in the average andofalso the to visualize n’t alsoand adapt a different supplier-buyer mindset. Supplierdifferent manufacturers, such quality as yourof goods together individual parts. easy for thestructural product selection process size of the market.” partners are often critical to the wood panel prosiding/trim supplier and your window to become stressful for customers, Whentothe industry is young, production techducer’s differentiation. vendor, ensure cohesive looksindustry and Leverage software: Several professional and consumer nologies compatibility. vary little and raw materials are relatively homoAs industry competition comes to focus more andalike. more material manufacturers also offer visualization exterior collectively, geneous (e.g., OSB), this isn’t a major problem. But it is a upon only one of Considering the “4P’s ofthe marketing”—price— that automate the process— Inspire customers: those and tools rather thanand a sum of parts,sales can ease the serious problem when Showcase the inspection testing agencies “lemons” tend to proliferate industry volume homeowners select the siding, trim, palettes and portfolios in a way that find it difficult or impossible to keep up with a very rapidly process while offering direct benefits tends to decline. and stone, and then the reveals how end products will look on be shutters, changing industry. An example would today’s overlaid to your bottom line. – Roy Nottthe is president of Surfactor Americas LLC, Aberdeen, computer shows them how the home, whether via simple binders Douglas fir plywood industry. There are rapid changes producer of overlays, glue films, and press combinations will Wa., looka German-owned on their with images, glossy – Aaron Sims is regional business underway on both the lookbooks, demand sidewall (e.g., much higher alkafilms for wood panel industry, with manufachomes. Once a groupcleaning of products is the global vignettes, or inspiration boards. manager for the Southeast with Boral linity concrete mixes are now essentially “pulping” conturing can operations in Finland, Germany and Malaysia. Reach him chosen, the dealer often get a This makes it easy for them to Building Products, Atlanta, Ga. (www. form panels) and on the supply side (e.g., much reduced at roy.nott@surfactor.com. material list for easy ordering. boralbuildingproducts.com). choose an overall look they want

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TR ADERS

MARKET

October 16-18, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ San Antonio, TX

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trader

NAWLA Spotlight By Sheldon Doss

Trucking “Band-aid” doesn’t stop the bleed

IT LOOKS LIKE it will take more than higher wages to solve the labor shortage in hauling.

bout this time in 2018, the lumber industry and other businesses were feeling hamstrung by an ongoing transportation “crisis” blamed largely on a scarcity of truck drivers. A year later, some organizations—including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA)—are suggesting in press reports that the shortage is nothing more than a myth. The real problem, they insist, is wages. Are they right? Well, yes… and no. There’s no denying that transportation companies—and, by extension, the industries we serve—have been feeling the pain. At Doss Logistics, an asset-based flatbed provider and nationwide brokerage based on the West Coast, the impact really began to show 18 months ago. Through regular communication and consultation, we worked with our partners, including lumber companies, to mitigate rate fluctuations and other issues as best as possible. We also greatly increased

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overall driver pay for our operations. The tactic worked, with noticeable improvement over the last quarter or so. With other carriers likely taking similar steps, the driver shortage appears to have settled down a bit as those higher wages have trickled throughout the industry. Signs of a pickup may seem to validate the opinions of some naysayers; but throwing money at the problem won’t make it go away—not entirely, anyway. That’s because wages are not the only factor at work.

Looking for a Cure

The systemic issue that will continue to work against the industry despite higher wages is the fact that drivers are “aging out,” and nothing has been done to correct the overall trajectory of the problem. This is especially true for long-haul routes. There simply are not enough newcomers filling the void. Hiring officers everywhere are turning to previously underrepresent-

ed groups such as immigrants, ex-felons, and women—as long as they are legally licensed and qualified for the job—but that hasn’t padded the rosters enough return transport to a comfortable place. The industry’s biggest hopes for a turnaround may lie with the younger generation. There is even federal legislation, known as the DRIVE-Safe Act, that promises to alleviate the dilemma by letting 18-year-olds get behind the wheel for interstate hauls. Certainly, there may be some great candidates from this group; but the proposal, which previously failed to gain traction, is dogged by safety concerns. Most industry information indicates that the risk of inexperience would probably outweigh the benefit. At some point, new technology may catch up and compensate for the inexperience of very young drivers, and they perhaps can become a bigger force in the Class A segment. For now, though, handing them the keys to a vehicle of that size is probably more risk than most firms are willing to assume.

Complications

Even with the other available pools of candidates out there, transportation companies face additional roadblocks. Issues like regulation, insurance, and litigation continue to add to the instability. With insurance, for example, drivers obviously must satisfy certain qualifications, such as having a clean driving record even before they get into the industry. In addition, there’s a whole other layer of insurance disqualifications. It used to be that only something as serious as a DUI charge would discourage a transportation line from bringing on a driver. Today, the list of exclusionary acts has grown significantly to include

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everything from failure to appear to distracted driving— even if the violation occurs outside of the work setting. It all ties into the litigation. If a driver is found to be at fault for an accident involving a personal vehicle, for instance, that is discoverable information. It’s difficult for the trucking company to argue that the offenses and behaviors linked to the personal vehicle are not also issues that occur on the job. That candidate, therefore, might not be a judicious hiring choice. As for regulation, the conflicting nature of some state and federal laws create confusion, yet another barrier to entry. Let’s use the hot-button issue of marijuana legalization as an example. The right to smoke pot—which is now allowed in a growing number of states but is still illegal from a Department of Transportation standpoint—could become a deal-breaker for some job prospects who want to indulge in this activity during their own free time. As another example, state and local laws can also affect wages. “Piece-pay” wage styles may compensate drivers according to a combination of miles, hours, drops, etc. State and municipal laws, however, can complicate that payment structure by mandating hourly pay, overtime or “equivalents,” even when it’s not required under federal statutes.

How Do We Heal?

Interestingly, with all the various barriers to entry that keep the employment cycle from running smoothly as older drivers age out of the system, it still mostly comes back around to wage, like both the BLS and OOIDA suggest. It is both a differentiator and a motivator.

Even as we acknowledge those realities, however, it is important to also recognize that wages are not the problem and/or solution in totality. There is a systemic issue that has yet to be addressed or corrected, and that concerns replacement of the wave of retiring drivers. Therefore, while the immediacy of the driver shortage may have eased somewhat in early 2019, we at Doss believe that the periods of distress will continue—sparked by an economic event or other catalyst—unless the underlying problem is resolved. To avoid a repeat, transportation must make itself more appealing to younger people. Yes, that means increasing wages. As we at Doss see it, the money is still slightly below where it should be for the work that it is, especially for long-haul. Plenty of other jobs pay near the same level but are less difficult to break into and to maintain. Salaries also should reflect, for example, what it really means for a long-haul driver to be home only intermittently. At the same time, with a growing preference for shorter hauls, carriers would do well to restructure routes and shorten shifts when and where possible to give drivers more home time. Not least of all, there is a need for regulatory stabilization at the local, state, and federal levels, delivered through uniform and reliable enforcement. Otherwise, we can expect to see continued wage volatility—hopefully less severe—and a similar sense of long-term instability when it comes to the driver shortage. – Sheldon Doss is general manager of Doss Logistics, Santa Rosa, Ca., with 10 locations across five western states (www. mydoss.com).

elkcreekforest.com (503) 474-4446

Over 17 million BF inventory Kiln Dried stock 2"x4" - 16"x16" up to 40' Custom Timbers - Green and Dry Outstanding Customer Service

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NAWLA Spotlight By Clark Spitzer

The door is always open for a career in LBM

e’ve been talking this year about the different, sometimes convoluted, routes that bring people into the world of wholesale lumber. A consistent theme is emerging, which suggests that once you do find your way in, there’s no looking back. Or, as the saying goes: once the sawdust gets in your veins, you’re here forever. I find that to be a true statement, and it has everything to do with the culture of this industry. One of the greatest assets is the people, a realization that dawned on me right away when I joined Pittsburghbased Snavely Forest Products roughly 25 years ago. I was fortunate to find in Steve Snavely and his family the support I needed to make mistakes, learn from them, and grow. While Steve is special to me and my journey, this industry is full of people just like him: honest, hard workers who believe in doing the right thing and taking care of one another. It’s all about figuring out where you belong, company-wise and career-wise. And that’s the other best thing: there is a huge spectrum of options for both.

Something for Everyone

I realized at an early age that the construction scene was for me. I worked in many facets of the industry, from residential framing and HVAC installation and repair to management of a truss plant and sales work at a major manufacturer. I was about 35 years old when I started my career in distribution, with no family connection to the industry and no college degree. The beauty of it was that, in this business, the welcome mat is out and the doors are wide open for folks from all different walks of life. You can cross the threshold regardless of whether you have some education or

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multiple degrees, whether you have a background in wood or not, and whether you are a newcomer to the workforce or someone with years of experience elsewhere. Of course, when you talk about building materials, wood is what naturally comes to mind. But it encompasses so much more than that. If you look at building materials from cradle to grave, from the time the tree is planted to the time that the builder sells a house, it’s all right here. If it happens that you do want to work in the woods and plant trees, you can do that. If you’d rather make a living in IT, you can do that here as well. There’s something for you if you’re interested in HR, if you’re an accounting whiz, or if logistics is your thing. If you want to work in a Fortune 100 publicly held company, we have those; but if a small mom-and-pop business is more your speed, we have plenty of those, too.

Pass It On

The point I’m trying to make is that the lumber industry is a “destination” career, and this is a concept that we need to start promoting more—to the younger generations, in particular. For too long, we’ve been tolerating the notion that this sector is not a sexy or glitzy powerhouse like Google or Microsoft. But at the end of the day, it has plenty going for it, including staying power. We’ll never stop building houses, and we have to have a supply chain. Most importantly, you don’t have to fit a certain mold to belong. There is an inclusionary culture where anyone can come in, choose a career track, and take it where they want. It’s important to get this message out—especially in the trades and junior colleges, where there may be some lack of awareness

May 2019

about the wide range of possibilities under the building materials umbrella. What education you don’t already have, for example, you can acquire once you’re here. It’s more about having a desire to succeed, a willingness to work hard, an understanding of how to treat people, and knowing how to have fun while you’re doing it. Young people need to know that. Traders Market, presented each fall by the North American Wholesale Lumber Association, hopes to spread the word to some special guests at the 2019 show in San Antonio. The event provides a golden opportunity for insiders to learn the ropes, connect with peers, and build their networks. It’s also a perfect way to introduce outsiders to the industry. For the first time, Friday-only show passes will be offered to local college students. This pilot program will give them a close-up look into what the industry is all about, how the people interact, and the qualities that define the culture. What they’re sure to see is folks of all stripes, firms of all sizes, and jobs that run the gamut. And what they’re certain to find, should they tread on the welcome mat and walk through the door, are people—like the Steve Snavelys of the world—and organizations—like NAWLA—that will help them carve out their own space in this industry and make it their own. – Clark Spitzer is chief operations officer at Snavely Forest Products, Pittsburgh, Pa. (www.snavelyforestproducts.com), and chairman of the NAWLA Traders Market committee. Building-Products.com

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In it for the long haul. Our commitment to the lumber and building materials industry began more than 40 years ago. The knowledge weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gained is put into software that elevates each aspect of your operation, including partnerships. Our vendor interfaces keep you connected to streamline processes, reduce errors and optimize inventory. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another way we help keep your business moving forward. Today and for always.

Visit DMSi.com

NAWLA Spotlight By Michelle Maller & Ashley Plagmann

What are we looking for? ne of the most pressing topics in the wood products industry is how to entice young people to want to work in the industry. The challenge of attracting talent to forest products has huge implications on the industry as we move forward and needs to be addressed before it’s too late. However, the question remains: How can the industry attract and retain young people? In working closely with students over the last six years, I’ve been able to glean information about what is driving their decisions as far as companies to seek out for employment. At the most basic levels, the following areas are the most talked about, the most urgent, and possibly the easiest to address as a starting point.

Language

One of the areas that causes the most concern with young people is the language used for recruitment purposes. A perfect example of this is using the word “sexy” to describe the industry in any manner. This is weird, off-putting, and just not a good practice. Equating an industry with a word that should not be used outside of the bedroom is something to avoid. But it isn’t just this word, it’s the use of language that is either too casual or too complex. Young people don’t want to hear your hip way to describe your company; they want to know what you do. They want to know what your environmental policies are, what your corporate culture is, how they can see themselves in your company. And they also don’t want to have to decipher what acronyms mean or have to Google the terms you are using in your product descriptions. Use language that is comfortable, real, and to the point. The succinct nature of real talk can be a Building-Products.com

selling point for your company. “I want to know exactly what the company does, what they sell, and what their business philosophy is,” said Brent McGrath, OSU Wood Science and Engineering (WSE) student.

Culture

In this case, culture refers to a company’s efforts to create a workplace environment that is conducive to team work, self-directed work, collaborative approaches to projects, unique or interesting benefits, and a variety of other factors. Does a company prefer a traditional 9-5 format, or is there room for flexibility? Do you consider offsite team building activities a positive consumption of time, or would you prefer to have your employees attend a training in-house to build comradery? Considering a remote working policy could attract younger employees who prefer to be able to work from

home, or to be able to work while traveling. “I would like to be able to travel and maintain employment at the same company. The ability to work while on the road is probably the most important thing to me,” said Jacob Newton, another WSE student. Another aspect of culture that is important to young people entering the workforce is diversity. Do a variety of employees from all walks of life work at your company? Is this a priority to your organization? Diversity may be more difficult to accomplish in an industry that historically has not been diverse, but companies that are making strides in this area are more attractive to emerging professionals.

Investment in the Company

Another element of company culture is ownership. This doesn’t necessarily mean employees are stock-

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holders or have a financial incentive to stay, but rather that they feel like their contributions to the company are valued, respected and encouraged. Feeling proud of the company you work for and the job you do is a significant element of retention. This includes a company’s commitment to being a good environmental steward, community involvement, providing employees with incentives to participate in community service, and providing ample opportunities for professional development. When a young person feels like their contributions are recognized and encouraged, they are more likely to stay long term with said company. “I would be turned off of a company if they didn’t listen to new ideas and weren’t open to innovation,” said Adam Chavez, WSE student.

Mentoring

Landing a new position in a company you are largely unfamiliar with can be daunting. But entering the same situation with the added benefit of a relatable mentor to help guide one through the first foundational years can be a strong factor in staying long term. The isolation of being new is hard to overcome if the element of social ability is lacking. For those new employees that are unsure and perhaps under prepared, having someone to reach out to can be the difference between an employee that leaves after a year and one who stays on for five years or more. As educators, we get a lot of feedback from companies that entering employees are sometimes lacking in soft skills. This is largely true because there are aspects of the wood

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products industry that are impossible to teach until you are actually there. The recurring theme is that they didn’t learn the smaller industry details such as acronyms used, terms that companies call certain products, and some of the nuances that cannot be taught prior to being in the industry. Adding a mentor into the mix of an onboarding process provides a new employee a resource, without the fear of looking uneducated and stupid. This is a matter of investment, investing into your younger employees to retain them for a longer period of time. And it should start before the new employee even steps foot into the company. Reaching out prior to employment can have a lasting impact on potential employees and drive them to ultimately choose to pursue employment with the companies that offered this personalized touch. The loyalty built from these relationships can be the determining factor in a decision to stay or to start looking elsewhere. It all goes back to culture, and in this case, a strong mentoring program can show the impact of the cultural shift to caring and nurturing an employee. This may sound like too much “touchy-feely fluff” for a company to take on. But to young people today, this isn’t just about a job. This is about life. About taking pride in the job they do, being fulfilled by the company and the position they are in, and feeling like they are working in an industry that is affecting change in the world we live in. – Michelle Maller is internship and education coordinator and Ashley Plagmann is a renewable materials undergraduate student in the Department of Wood Science and Engineering at Oregon State University (OSU).

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NAWLA Spotlight By Anthony Muck

Retention is key n the ever-changing field of lumber, finding loyal talent, in it for the long haul, is the key to keeping a successful business today. Last year, I wrote an article discussing DMSi’s strategic hiring process and reflected on the importance of finding the right person for the right job. While finding the best candidate is important in the initial hire, using tools to connect with that employee throughout their time at your company ensures the best people will stick around.

A Bird’s Eye View

Before DMSi makes a hire, we know exactly the type of employee we need. We find out by having an outside consulting firm do an annual review of our company as a whole. Too often, companies solely take inventory of their product but not of their staff. Promotions and staff changes can leave holes in staff strengths. This yearly review allows us to see the entire shape of our company from an outside perspective, learn how the staff and departments have changed over

the past year, and discover the type of strengths needed in our next hire. Once we know who we are looking for, we find them. For over thirty years, we have relied on the OAD LLC’s character-trait survey to help us find the right person. The OAD Survey is a highly accurate personality assessment instrument designed to offer insight to how a prospective employee might think or react under different scenarios. Once we weave through the selected candidates’ profile, we invite each qualified person to an in-person interview and use the applicant’s character trait profile to guide the conversation to confirm the applicant matches on paper and in real life. From there candidates who have desirable profiles for the open slot and appear to be a good fit for the DMSi culture advance to the next stage of the interview. The third stage is a second in-person interview with as many as three to five additional company representatives. Those who the interviewees believe would be a good fit for the role

Gallup Strength Finder

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and company culture advance to the final interview—a face-to-face with our executive vice president, president, or owner. We hire the best candidate, but don’t stop using our hiring tools once they begin employment.

DMSi on Retaining

Here is a fun fact: Since we published our first article on hiring in March 2018, DMSi has had minimal attrition. Internally, people have been promoted and changed departments or jobs, but very few employees have left DMSi for a competitor, and we have increased our staff by 20. The OAD LLC’s character-trait survey is one tool we use to ensure our high employee retention rate. After making the initial hire, we continue to use it as a tool throughout an employee’s tenure to better develop their skills. We do this in two ways. First, we acknowledge that no profile is good or bad, just different. People have different strengths that make them successful. We place candidates in roles that cater to those strengths. Second, we make all profiles are public. After the initial hire, we place all results on our internal intranet. All employees at the company can look up any other employees’ character-trait profile at their discretion. This openness helps our staff get to know one another and helps co-workers find out how to best communicate and work with each other. For example, when pairing two employees to go out and meet a customer—and say one of them already has a solid relationship with the customer—we might pair a new hire natural extravert to accompany the seaBuilding-Products.com

soned employee, someone who would be comfortable in that situation. On the contrary, if one employee has a strength another does not, we might pair them together on certain projects to create the potential for growth in both employees. Besides the OAD LLC trait survey, we also use other supplemental material such as the Gallup StrengthsFinder to find out more about the strengths our employees can bring to their role. The Gallup StrengthFinder is a character strength test developed by the Gallup Organization. The test breaks down 34 possible talent traits and provides you with your top five. Achiever, positivity, communication, competition, and woo (winning over others) are just a few of the possible talent strengths the Gallup StrengthFinder may reveal. Self-awareness and understanding of natural talents provides true insights into the core reasons behind an employeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success. The most effective employees are those who understand their strengths and behaviors. By encouraging employees to focus on their strengths, they can identify their talents and enjoy personal and career success. Practicing self-awareness, these people are best able to develop strategies to meet and exceed the demands of their daily lives. We use engagement surveys to find out what our employees want and strive to create a culture with solid work/life balance. Throughout the year, we host employee events such as bowling activities, holiday parties, and mini-golf tournaments to celebrate our successes throughout the year. With 152 employees and growing, we are constantly looking for ways to further our employee development.

No One-Size-Fits-All Model

The OAD LLC character-trait survey and Gallup StrengthFinder work for DMSi; however, each company is different and your company must create a strategy specific to its particular needs. The key is to encourage your employees to seek self-awareness while taking an outward look at your company as a whole. Find what you need and go after it. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Anthony Muck is manager of customer support for DMSi, Omaha, Ne. (dmsi.com). Building-Products.com

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Join us at NAWLA, Booth 823

Wood Reimagined Engineered Wood Products / Studs & Timbers Real Wood Siding / Softwood Plywood Roseburg.com

800.245.1115

NAWLA Spotlight By North American Wholesale Lumber Association

Everything is bigger in Texas

The 2019 Traders Market is no exception!

he North American Wholesale Lumber Association’s annual Traders Market is a well-known, mustattend industry event known for its networking and business opportunities. And this year, NAWLA wants you to THINK BIGGER! Set for the first time in San Antonio, Traders Market, taking place October 16-18, is expanding the tradeshow floor and moving into the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. This larger tradeshow floor provides the chance to grow the show, offer more opportunities, and truly make Traders Market the place to be. “We’re very excited about the 2019 tradeshow and the potential it has to be a truly powerful event for many of our members,” said 2019 Traders Market committee chair Clark Spitzer, Snavely Forest Products, Pittsburgh, Pa. “Traders Market has always been

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the best place to network and do business, and this year, more than ever, it will be your one-stop shop for access to the best connections, education and comradery in our industry. I’m really looking forward to what San Antonio has in store for NAWLA this fall!” Although the tradeshow floor is the star of the event, there are plenty of opportunities to mingle and connect with colleagues off of the floor, too. Attend the evening receptions to continue conversations, meet new colleagues in a relaxed setting, and, of course, have some fun! Thursday’s luncheon will start the day off with great energy featuring keynote speaker Jamie Clarke, performance coach for the NHL hockey team the Washington Capitals, renowned Everest adventurer, and CEO of LiveOutThere.com. Jamie’s insights will challenge

you to consider your own Everest and how you can overcome obstacles and achieve success.

One-Stop Shop

You think you have been to the NAWLA Traders Market, but not like this. With more than 30,000 sq. ft. of tradeshow floor, the 2019 show will offer even more networking and education opportunities directly on the showfloor. Exhibitors. The floor will be packed with nearly 280 exhibitors from across North America and beyond. Meet face-to-face with current and prospective customers and suppliers all under one roof. Demo Pavilion. New this year, the Demo Pavilion will allow exhibitors to showcase new products in short, 15-minute presentations. The pavilion will be situated directly on the

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showfloor, so you do not have to go far! Learning Lounge. Bigger and better than before, the Learning Lounge will present quick-hit, educational sessions covering industry hot topics and challenges. Hear from a wide variety speakers including leaders, up-andcomers, and women making an impact. Networking Central. Located in the center of the floor, this central hub is the perfect place to recharge your devices while continuing conversations and catching-up with friends and colleagues. Meeting Rooms. An added feature to the floor this year are private meeting rooms companies can rent to talk with customers. This provides the convenience of a quiet meeting space without having to leave the show floor!

San Antonio Sites

A welcomed shift in climate from the previous year’s events in Chicago, make the most of San Antonio’s warm October weather. The iconic riverwalk, just steps away from the convention center and hotels, provides the perfect venue to entertain clients and grab dinner and drinks after tradeshow hours. Enjoy authentic Tex-Mex cuisine, live music, vibrant nightlife, and more all in downtown San Antonio. Of course, Traders Market would not be complete without an evening gathering at the BIG Bar and this year’s BIGGER Bar, located in the NAWLA hotel, is a great place to pick-up conversations and make new friends.

A New Opportunity for Sales Skills

Jump-start your Traders Market experience by attending NAWLA Sales Advantage on Wednesday, October 16.

Respecting the forest, honoring the past, building the future. A nation’s pride you can build on.

This one-day, pre-conference sales seminar will equip you with skills and insights that you can immediately apply on the tradeshow floor. Sales and training expert Rob Jolles will discuss not just the “how to” but also “why to” so you can create real, lasting change in your company and sales. Whether you are a first-time attendee or an industry veteran, you will benefit from this workshop and see a change in your ability to close more deals. This workshop is limited to 40 participants and you can easily add it to your Traders Market registration.

What Others Are Saying

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

(509) 874-1163

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

www.yakama-forest.com

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May 2019

“Best show in the industry, bar none. I’ve made more connections at the Traders Market that have directly resulted in new business than could have ever been accomplished any other way. Most of the connections have become personal friends and have remained business partners through changes in employers on both sides. Jobs and employers change, but trusted relationships never do, and many of mine are a direct result of NAWLA and the Traders Market.” – Harris Grant, ECMD, Inc. “The NAWLA Traders Market has become the premier event in our industry. We belong to many associations, but none offer the ability to meet with so many customers and vendors in one location.” – Steve Cheatham, Everwood Treatment Co. “When we attend the NAWLA Traders Market, we ALWAYS come away with an opportunity to grow our volume. The quality of the people that attend is top-notch.” – Chris Macfarlane, Hood Distribution NAWLA is stepping it up this year with a bigger and better Traders Market that you won’t want to miss. Visit www.nawla.org/TradersMarket to learn more and register. See you in San Antonio this October! Building-Products.com

You can rely on Timber Products Company for softwood plywood products made to your precise specifications. With specialty glues and the most advanced sanders available, our team can fabricate custom panels for just about any project. We can even engineer panels to meet your specific needs, including panels up to five feet wide, ten feet long and 1 15/32" thick. Contact us today to order your custom-engineered panels from the company with more than 100 years of experience.

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NAWLA Spotlight By North American Wholesale Lumber Association

NAWLA brings a sales advantage to San Antonio our new space in San Antonio. Plus, attendees can expect to step onto the Traders Market show floor with new strategies and skills to put to the test.

The Speaker he North American Wholesale Lumber Association is thrilled to add dedicated education, focused specifically on sales, to its plans for 2019. NAWLA is pleased to present the inaugural Sales Advantage, a Forest Products Sales Seminar, on Oct. 16 in San Antonio. Focused 100% on sales, the class will help attendees sharpen sales skills, master how to close more (and bigger) deals, and learn to foster the relationships that drive success. While those natural skills of relationship-building are honed with years of experience, this one-day pre-conference workshop to Traders Market will provide additional context and tactics to supplement any sales strategy.

Speaking at Sales Advantage is sales and training expert Rob Jolles, a best-selling author whose books include How To Run Seminars & Workshops and Customer Centered Selling (a business best seller that spent eight weeks at #1, over 100 weeks in the top 20, and is on the national Business Best Seller list). With over 30 years of experience teaching people how to change minds, his programs on influence and per-

Why at Traders Market

Since 1996, Traders Market has held a unique position among LBM tradeshows as the only one focused almost exclusively on the lumber supply chain. Exhibitors include companies that manufacture lumber and lumber-related products. Traders Market features eight hours of tradeshow floor time where attendees can buy and sell product, and network with members of the industry. By participating in Sales Advantage, attendees will have additional time to network with each other, and have an early introduction to

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suasion are in global demand, reaching organizations in North America, Europe, Africa and the Far East. He shows clients not just “how to” but also “why to,” and stirs individuals and companies to create real, lasting change. Rob not only successfully sold for both the New York Life Insurance Co. and Xerox Corp., two of the most respected sales institutions in the nation; he managed their training as well. He co-created the Xerox Institute of Customer Education; was instrumental in creating, delivering, and managing Xerox’s highly touted customer sales training programs; and was responsible for the training of all sales trainers within Xerox for over seven years. These programs, along with his staff of former Xerox sales trainers, have allowed him to amass a client list that reads like a Who’s Who of Fortune 500 companies, including Toyota, Disney, NASA, Nortel, a dozen universities, and over 50 financial institutions.

How to Attend

SALES TRAINER Rob Jolles will teach, entertain and inspire during this year’s NAWLA Traders Market.

May 2019

Sales Advantage is open to anyone planning to attend Traders Market, which is open only to those at current NAWLA member companies. Limited to just 40 participants, the small-group setting will be an ideal size to foster an atmosphere of learning and energize attendees. To attend, add Sales Advantage when you register for Traders Market on NAWLA’s website at www.nawla. org/tradersmarket. Building-Products.com

The safer way to attach a deck through brick veneer. Tie deck ledgers directly to framing with the BVLZ brick veneer ledger connector. Connecting a wood deck ledger to a home that has a brick or masonry veneer requires a solution tested for strength and safety. Our new BVLZ ledger connector kit installs directly through the mortar into structural framing and eliminates the need to remove large sections of brick veneer. To learn more, visit go.strongtie.com/bvlz or call (800) 999-5099.

ÂŠ 2019

Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. BVLZ19

Billion Board Foot Club Expands

FEA Canada has released its annual “Billion Board Foot Club” list of top global lumber companies, once again led by West Fraser. As it has been since 2007, West Fraser is the world’s largest softwood lumber producer. In 2018, the company manufactured 6.6 billion bd. ft. Fifteen firms made the list with a combined production of 36.7 billion bd. ft. in 2018—up more than 1.1 billion ft. from 2017’s 35.6 billion bd. ft. Global lumber production of the entire industry in 2018 reached 223 billion bd. ft. last

year, an 8% increase. The 15 largest sawmilling companies’ marketshare dipped slightly to about 16%. On 2018’s leaderboard, West Fraser was followed by Canfor, Weyerhaeuser, Interfor and Georgia-Pacific. Although four of the top 10 largest global producers are based in British Columbia, all of them now possess substantial sawmilling operations in the U.S. In fact, they now operate more facilities in the States than north of the border. Collectively, the four firms own 49 U.S. sawmills (including joint ventures) vs. 38 in Canada.

GANAHL LUMBER celebrated one year at its new location in Costa Mesa, Ca., April 16 with a small product showcase by vendors (left photo). The new 65,000-sq. ft. retail building was built next to its smaller original yard.

SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA •

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DISTRESSED WOOD

• D-BLAZE® FRTW

WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTOR OF A WIDE RANGE OF DISTRESSED TIMBERS, INCLUDING

WCLIB GRADED DISTRESSED AND HAND HEWN BEAMS CUSTOM DISTRESSED & HAND HEWN WORK ON ANY SIZE, LENGTH OR SPECIES OF LUMBER. WE ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH CUSTOMERS TO ACHIEVE THEIR DESIRED CUSTOM LOOK

SAMPLES ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUESTS.

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May 2019

THE FINEST TIMBERS AVAILABLE, DELIVERED TO CUSTOMERS ACCURATELY, HONESTLY & ON TIME.

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The long wait is over.

New PPG MACHINECOAT® waterborne weathering stain gives new cedar a uniform, weathered look in an accelerated time frame* Machine applied to new cedar shingles, PPG TRUEFINISH® Machinecoat waterborne weathering stain provides a low-VOC alternative to our traditional solvent-based Machinecoat alkyd weathering stain.

Initial appearance

Whitish-gray when applied, the stain lightens over a sixto-nine-month period, giving the appearance of aged cedar that blends more naturally into its surroundings. The faux-weathered appearance lasts long enough to bridge the time period until the cedar begins to age and fade naturally. To learn more, visit ppgmachineappliedcoatings.com or call 1-877-622-4277.

6 months

* Color change duration can vary due to timing, seasons and uneven exposure to sunlight. The PPG Logo and PPG TrueFinish are registered trademarks and We protect and beautify the world is a trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. Machinecoat is a registered trademark of PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc. ©2019 PPG Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.

9 months

SELLING with Kahle By Dave Kahle

Why good salespeople often make mediocre sales managers e’ve all done it. Promoted a good salesperson, often our best, to sales manager. My files are full of cases where the results were below expectations for everyone involved. Principals and CSOs are often disappointed in the lack of results, and the sales managers are confused and frustrated with the lack of achievement of their teams. A variation on this theme usually produces even more angst. A good salesperson, without any real management experience, is hired from outside the company to fill a sales manager position. When these decisions go bad, the hurt feelings, negative attitudes, and difficult situations which result can be ugly. Not that this is always the case. Many CSOs and executives rose through the ranks in just this fashion, contributing exceptionally at every stage. But, these cases are generally the exception, not the rule. The rule is that few good salespeople make good sales managers. Why is that? Consider the unique blend of strengths and aptitudes that mark the character of an exceptional salesperson. Exceptional salespeople often have very high standards for them-

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May 2019

selves and everyone around them. They’re highly focused on the customer, often to the detriment of relationships with colleagues. It’s not unusual for your star salesperson to irritate and frustrate the people in the operational side of the business, with a brusque, demanding attitude. After all, they think, I’m extending myself to take care of my customers, why shouldn’t I expect everyone else to do so?

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When they become sales managers, they expect all of their salespeople to be just as hard driving and achievement oriented as they were. Unfortunately the reality is that most of their salespeople don’t share the same degree of drive and perfectionism that they had. If they did, they would have been promoted to sales manager. That means that the sales manager often is frustrated with the performance and attitudes of his charges, and confused as to how to change them. The exceptional salesperson is often an independent character, who thrives in a climate where he can make his own decisions, determine his own call patterns, and spend time by himself. Alas, he loses almost all of that when he is promoted to sales manager. He’s expected to work a consistent, well defined work week, to spend a certain number of hours in the office, and to fulfill certain administrative functions. The freedom to make his own decisions, to determine his own days, is gone. So, he often struggles with how to adjust to this new work environment and still be productive. Whereas before he was clearly and independently responsible for his results, now he must achieve his results through other people. Too often, he defaults to a view of his job wherein he becomes the “super salesperson,” taking over accounts, projects and sales calls from his less talented charges. This creates frustration on all parts. The exceptional salesperson has the ability and propensity to see every situation optimistically, overlooking all the obstacles and concentrating on the potential in every account. That is a necessary element to the sales personality. Without it, he couldn’t weather all the rejection and frustration inherent in the sales job. That personality strength which serves him well as a sales person is, however, a major obstacle to his success as a sales manager. When it comes to hiring a new salesperson, he finds himself viewing every candidate through those same optimistic eyes. The moral of the story? While you may think that your best salesperson can make a great sales manager, the chances of success are small. Find a sales manager, and leave your salesperson to do what he/she does well. – Dave Kahle is a consultant, instructor and author of 12 books, including How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime. Reach him at dave@davekahle.com. Building-Products.com

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NEW Products

Herringbone Patterns with Ease New pre-cut thermally modified decking modules from Thermory feature undermounting strips that perfectly align boards to create stunning herringbone patterns. The system reportedly allows builders to install a herringbone-patterned deck in less than a third of the time it would otherwise take. Joists rest a standard 16” apart, and no extra framing is needed. All stainless steel screws needed for installation are included with the decking modules. Herringbone by Thermory uses Benchmark white ash, heat and steam treated to provide superior stability and resistance to rot and termites.

Brighter Rail Systems Atlantis Rail has expanded their line of Micro Star LED lights to include an LED light bar. The product fits neatly under a flat handrail and is compatible with Atlantis Rail’s railing systems, including the Spectrum and NOVA II cable railing systems. The light bar is both a functional and creative lighting alternative with a variety of interior or exterior lighting applications. It features a flexible LED light strip of natural white LED lights set into a powder-coated aluminum channel with a clear plastic lens and is ideal for mounting to the underside of flat handrails for surface illumination.

n THERMORY.COM (372) 606-2903

n ATLANTISRAIL.COM (508) 732-9191

Lock It In

New Shakes with a Traditional Look

The new LokkLatch 3 Plus by D&D Technologies fills the need for a residential gate latch that locks and unlocks from both sides of the gate, features a smaller footprint, and is easy to install. It is a mid-level complement to D&D’s popular LokkLatch line, which includes the general purpose LokkLatch and the dual lockable LokkLatch Deluxe.

DaVinci Roofscapes has added a fourth shake profile to its roofing offerings: DaVinci Select Shake. Created with the authentic look of real cedar shake taken from natural wood profiles, the multi-width shake tiles resemble a traditional cedar shake look. Available in 8” and 10” widths, each shake tile is 22” long and has a 5/8” thickness.

n DDTECHGLOBAL.COM (800) 716-0888

n DAVINCIROOFSCAPES.COM (800) 238-4624

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Convenient Project Lighting Dewalt’s new Tool Connect All-Purpose Light is an LED that emits 5,000 lumens of natural white light. It features Bluetooth connectivity that provides tracking and setting control through the free mobile Tool Connect app. Users can also fine-tune light output to match their environment with the All-Purpose Light’s three variable brightness settings. n DEWALT.COM (800) 433-9258

Level Up Kapro Tools’ Magnetic Stud Layout Level is designed with magnetic stud slots at 16” and 24” that allow users to easily and accurately install wood and metal studs. Its heavy-duty aluminum profile includes two break-proof, solid acrylic vials with an accuracy of 0.0005”/1” and a milled surface with rare earth magnets. The revolutionary Plumbsite dual view offers plumb leveling at a much higher accuracy than a standard plumb vial. n KAPRODRYWALL.COM (920) 648-2900

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Protective Storage Solutions KNAACKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Safety Kage can be hoisted by crane across a jobsite and from deck to deck, saving pros time and energy. It stores fall protection and safety gear, while protecting it from harsh conditions. n KNAACK.COM

Safe, Secure Handrails Digger Specialties is now offering Westbury ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant aluminum handrails through lumberyards and distributors. Featuring the superior durability of aluminum, the versatile components and accessories provide a safety solution for ramps, stairways, decks and a variety of other applications. The handrails are designed for use in residential and commercial projects and are offered in a variety of lengths and accessories allowing for customized handrails. n DIGGERSPECIALTIES.COM (800) 446-7659

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Dig Deeper Boral Windowsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; new gliding patio door system features customizable two-, three-, and four-panel configurations up to 8 ft. high and totaling up to 16 ft. wide. The flexibility and large sizes are ideal for creating seamless indoor-outdoor connections and increasing ventilation and daylight infiltration.

ASV Holdings new radial-lift RT-65 Posi-Track compact track loader is built with with maximum serviceability and ASVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s patented Posi-Track undercarriage for superior performance. The CTL is ideal for digging and ground engagement work in construction, excavation, landscaping, snow-clearing, and rental applications. It features a rated operating capacity of 1,925 lbs. and a tipping load of 5,500 lbs.

n BORALBUILDINGPRODUCTS.COM (800) 521-8486

n ASVI.COM (800) 205-9913

Gliding Doors

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May 2019

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Crystal-Clear Sealant

Durable Composite Railing

Ultra Clear Flexible all-purpose waterproof sealant from DAP provides a clearer-than-silicone finish that stays extra clear with no hazing or yellowing. Made for a broad range of interior and exterior projects, the sealant stays permanently flexible, even in cold weather, providing a 100% waterproof and weatherproof seal to keep out water, air and moisture for years without cracking or breaking down.

TherraWood North America’s new wood-plastic composite railings are made from a unique blend of PVC, wood fiber, and other proprietary components to create an elegant, cost-effective, durable and safe alternative to wood. They are low-maintenance, rot proof, and resistant to insect and UV damage. Colors/textures include hazelnut brown, olive green, tropical brown, stone gray, anthracite, almond beige, and ivory white.

n DAP.COM (888) 327-8477

n THERRAWOOD.COM

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

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Saws With Versatility

Fewer Nails, Faster Installation Simpson Strong-Tie’s patent-pending CSHP high-performance coiled strap is the only coiled strap designed with a raised embossment for faster installations using fewer nails and shorter straps. This results in reduced cost and improved jobsite efficiency for builders and contractors. The product can easily be cut to length at the jobsite for a wide range of floor-to-floor, drag strut, and other tension load transfer and positive-tie strapping applications. The incorporation of a raised embossment makes the strap easier to install using standard pneumatic nailers, while providing increased rigidity and strength for designers and specifiers in need of higher allowable loads.

The new Roamwild Multi Pull Saw Pro consists of a double-edged single high quality Japanese steel thin blade. One is a general carpentry cutting edge, and the other a unique fine cutting edge. This gives the saw immense versatility and can be used for almost any cutting job or precision work. Unlike traditional Japanese pull saws, the tool’s design makes it far more durable and user friendly. n ROAM-WILD.COM

Since 1980

n STRONGTIE.COM (800) 999-5099

The Most Stable & Beau�ful Hardwood Decking & Cladding Available • Environmentally friendly manufacturing process • Made from American hardwoods • JEM™ (Joint End Matched) Machined End Joints • Thermal modiﬁca�on stabilizes the wood, making it 7 �mes less likely to warp, check, bow, cup, twist, expand or contract

888-807-2580 Bend, OR

www.pelicanbayfp.com DISTRIBUTION LOCATIONS Colton / Fontana / Modesto / Salinas / Stockton, CA PRODUCTS & SERVICES Framing Lumber / Pallet Stock / Industrial Lumber / Softwoods Hardwoods / Cedar / Fencing / Decking / Redwood Custom Cut Stock / Treated Lumber / Tile Battens 3-Hole & Slotted Vents / Custom Cutting / Remanufacturing Heat Treating / Fire & CCA Treating

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LMC dealers ride the wave

Dealers from across the country came together for a unique buying and networking opportunity at LMC’s 84th annual meeting March 21-23 in San Diego, Ca. “It’s a buying show, we come out to buy, buy, buy,” said Dan Groth, HomeCo Lumber & Hardware, Flagstaff, Az. “We come out to see how LMC has been doing for the whole year. There’s a lot of good vendors and the show is more relaxed than some of your typical buying shows.” The New Products area featured nearly 100 products from more than 60 LMC suppliers. Taking home the top prize, as voted by the LMC dealers attending the

show, was the CAMO Drive deck fastening tool from National Nail. Second place went to SKILSAW Power Tools’ 16” Worm Drive Carpentry Chain Saw, and third was awarded to Delaney Hardware’s Deadbolt Z-Wave Smart Touchpad with Camera Bridge. Educational sessions covered social media marketing, leading in the artificial intelligence age, brand management, employee loyalty and retention, and recruiting. New this year was an exciting roundtable offered by LMC’s Component Alliance—a newly reinvigorated group of dealers that are involved in truss manufacturing. Facilitators from Mitek,

“RIDE THE WAVE” [1] themed LMC’s annual meeting in San Diego. [2] Pepper the robot, Virginia Fritsche. [3] Mark Dippel, Tammy Donato. [4] Del Krusenstjerna, Mark Swinth. [5] Matt Anderson, David Welborn. [6] Jeremy Gardner, Rick Friesen, Tammy Minnis, Steve Semmler. [7] Paul

Canfor and Interfor led discussions of hot topics in the industry. The middle evening, LMC hosted a special event aboard the USS Midway. Guests enjoyed tours of the ship, flight simulators, and antique aircrafts, culminating in an exciting fireworks display sponsored by Huber Engineered Woods.

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14 Watterson, Shannon Herrity, Blake Keitzman. [8] Chris Barenstsen, Jim Solic, Moss Pettigrew. [9] Pete Waldron, Lisa Martin. [10] Mike Cavell, Zach Lewis. [11] Eugene McCann, Ken Radcliff. [12] Chad Warren, James LaVitola. [13] Rich LaBelle, Jay Wrenn. [14] Matt Black, Brandon Barnes. Building-Products.com

Photos by The Merchant Magazine

LMC ANNUAL MEETING

MORE LMC exhibitors (continued from previous page): [15] Kelly Jones, Ivan Navarro, Shane Hilt, and Gordan Landell show off Grabber Construction Productsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; new tools. [16] Jordan Lynch, Cindy McCarville, Kyle Yost. [17] Kevin Smith, Craig Crafton. [18] Greg Bates, Sue Cuming, Brandon Natale. [19] Wayne Miller, Kelly Matthews. [20] Curt Allen, Tony Butler, Richie LeBlanc. [21] Micah Orr, Danny Andrea, Building-Products.com

Phil Herman, Blair Buchanan, Brian Paul. [22] Jim Powell, Jim Dudley, Brad Marks. [23] Lee Jimerson, Ryan Cornutt. [24] Mike Gower, Kenny Woodard. [25] Dennis McWhirter. [26] Doug Hopper, Joell Penney, Jay Penney. [27] Mike Tester, Michele Murtaugh, Warren Schuckies, John Fisher. [28] Orjan McCarty, Ken Robinson, Rich Mills. [29] Eddie Crosslin, Steve Firko, Susan Cho, Alan Duke. May 2019

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Southland Swing Time

MAKE A WISH Foundation received a portion of the proceeds from West Coast Lumber & Building Material Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s golf tourney April 11 in Yorba Linda, Ca. [1] Joe Morin, John Lopez, Deonn Deford, Keith Hitchcock. [2] Brian Hurdle, Amy Frena, Lavell Williams. [3] Doug Willis, Austin Nesbitt, Steve Mitchell, Michael Ochoa, Chris Couwenberg. [4] Mo Shearer, Jeff Wampler. [5] Joe DeRoest, Kevin McLernon, Al Reed, Gary Roffers. [6] Rick Friesen, Ken Dunham. [7] Mitchell Morse, Walter Frederick, Myles Ramsey, Mike Smith. [8] Zoey Stapenhorst, Betsy Bendix. [9] Chase Roman, Bob Nagle, Sean Cummings, Craig Crafton. [10] Shannon Meacham, Roy Rouse. [11] Melanie Hindi. [12] A Huff Lumber Polo stands in for a late scratch, with Bill Sullivan, David Abbott, Sal Castillo, Barrett Burt. (More photos on next two pages)

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May 2019

Building-Products.com

WCLBMA GOLF

Photos by The Merchant Magazine

SO. CAL. TOURNEY competitors (continued from previous page) [13] Michelle Mix, Jackie Vega, Bill Gaita, Ara Koh. [14] Jason Schulze, Connor Warren, Steve Force, Daniel Hines. [15] Seth Porter, Dan May. [16] Ryan Lauterborn, Larry Christensen. [17] John Seely, Scott Middaugh, Paul Corso, John Pasqualetto. [18] Marc Weaver, Danny Sosa. [19] Tom von Moos, Thom Wright. [20] Pete Meichtry, Clyde Jennings, John Allen, Russ Primrose. [21] John Eversoll, AC Galeon, Building-Products.com

28 Cory Cunningham, Art Conchas. [22] Patrick McClure, Ross Kelley, Ben Wysocki, Nigel Nootbaar. [23] Chris Freeman, Scott Murray, Jon Schroeder, Marc Saracco. [24] Pete Ganahl, Kevin Magers, Sheldon Doss, Grant Pearsall. [25] Joe Allotta, Matt Latendresse, Tyler Wood. [26] Adam Doss. [27] Todd Beaman, Jeff Morrison. [28] Charlene Valine, Glenda DeFrange. (More photos on next page) May 2019

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WCLBMA GOLF Photos by The Merchant Magazine

WCLBMA GOLFERS (continued from two previous pages): [29] Raymond Luther, Bill Young, Jennifer Burford, Sal Camarda. [30] James Lavitola, Pat Woolstenhulme, Tim Kennedy, Jack Butler. [31] Jason McCook. [32] Kris Schroeder, Jake Peppard, Matt Perine. [33] Mike Elliott, Jeff Morss, Robert Clarke, Steve Flores. [34] Jacqueline Palazzo. [35] Gavin Morris, Damien Simpson, Chris Johnson. [36] Tim Hummell. [37] Joe Canale, Chris Skibba, Greg Hexberg. [38] Ted Smith, Frank

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May 2019

44 Huerta, John Mayhew, Carlton Jennings, Ed Russell, Bryan Backstrom, Mike Nicholson, Mark Davis. [39] Jean Henning, Matt Trullinger. [40] Brian Bunt, Kristina Notrica, Dave Rogers, Stephen Schroeder, Alex Uniack, Geoff Gardner. [41] Jonathan Shelton, Garrett Backstrom. [42] Terry Rasmussen, Lance Ford, Frank Bader. [43] Jeff Bender. [44] Rolando Robles, David Iblings, Richard Rios, Rudy Lopez.

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ASSOCIATION Update Western Building Materials Association is reminding members to save the date for its upcoming midyear meeting in Seattle, Wa., July 23. WBMA is also presenting a Group Three roundtable July 28-29 in Ketchikan, Ak. Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association is hosting Building Materials 101, a training course for those new in the industry or for those who need a refresh, May 21 in Albuquerque, N.M. A blueprint and estimating workshop will follow May 22-23 in Albuquerque. West Coast Lumber & Building Materials Association has just finalized the details of its upcoming 2nd Growth Mill Tour May 19-21 in Eugene, Or. Guests should plan on arriving into Eugene on Sunday May 19, as the tour will start early Monday morning. The tour bus will depart the Valley River Inn, Eugene, and will begin with an early group breakfast at the hotel. The group will head to Riddle and

tour C&D Lumber, Herbert Lumber, Dillard Lumber, and Riddle Plywood. On Tuesday the group will tour Rosboro, Zip-O-Log Mill, and Seneca Sawmill. WCLBMA also plans a golf tournament just a few weeks later at Rancho Solano Golf Course, Fairfield, Ca., June 6. A portion of this year’s net proceeds will be donated to MakeA-Wish Foundation. Lunch and an awards presentation will follow. Hoo-Hoo International meetings coming up include a Tacoma-Olympia Club board meeting May 15, Tacoma, Wa.; Southern California Club’s 13th annual Don Gregson Memorial Golf Tournament June 7, Chino, Ca.; Willamette Valley Hoo-Hoo Club golf outing June 7, Eugene, Or.; and Tacoma-Olympia Club election meeting June 4, Tacoma. Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club is inviting members to Anaheim, Ca., to see an Angels game June 15. A few weeks later the group will meet in Newport Beach, Ca., for a Duffy boat cruise.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association will host a Wood Basics Course at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va., May 20-24. The class is designed to provide companies the best value and option to ensure its employees have the tools and knowledge to help them succeed. Western Red Cedar Lumber Association is inviting members to attend its Cedar Summit May 15-17 at Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort, Kelowna, B.C. The event will offer educational sessions as well as social events for networking. Forest Product Society will host its 73rd international convention in conjunction with the Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga., June 25-28. The event will bring together hundreds of scientists, design professionals, managers, decision-makers, and others from academia, government, nonprofits, and industry sectors to discuss the state of forest products research and learn about innovations in the field. Students in wood science are also encouraged to attend.

13th Annual

Don Gregson Memorial Golf Tournament Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club 117 proudly invites you to our 13th annual Don Gregson Memorial Golf Tournament. Please join club members and our 12 Marine guests from 29 Palms Combat Center and Camp Pendleton Wounded Warrior Battalion June 7, 2018, at the Los Serranos Country Club in Chino.

Support a Great Cause

June 7

Los Serranos CC, Chino, CA. For reservations or sponsorships, contact Michael Nicholson, (323) 559-1958 or nicholson.men@gmail.com. A sign-up sheet and payment options can be found on the club website: hoohoo117.org. Raffle prize donations gratefully accepted.

The fee for each player is $134.99. Tee signs are available at $124.99 each. You may sponsor a Marine for $124.99. There will be a club-sponsored Closest to the Pin Contest for all par 3’s. A donation putting contest will be held prior to tee-off.

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May 2019

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DATE Book Listings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend. North Cascade Hoo Hoo Club – May 15, Spring Scramble golf tournament, Avalon Golf Links, Burlington, Wa.; www.hoohoo230.com. Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo Club – May 15, board meeting, Tacoma, Wa.; May 17, golf, Orting, Wa.; tbilski614@aol.com. Western Red Cedar Lumber Association – May 15-17, Cedar Summit, Kelowna, B.C.; www.realcedar.com. Auburn Spring Home Show – May 17-19, Gold Country Fairgrounds, Auburn, Ca.; www.auburnhomeshows.com. Do it Best – May 17-20, spring market, Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, In.; www.doitbest.com. North American Wholesale Lumber Association – May 20-24, Wood Basics course, Blacksburg, Va.; www.nawla.org. Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – May 21, building materials 101 training; May 22-23, blueprint & estimating workshop, Albuquerque, N.M.; www.mslbmda.org. LIGNA Woodworking Fair – May 27-31, Messegelande Hannover, Hannover, Germany; www.ligna.de. PCBC – May 30-31, Moscone Center, San Francisco, Ca.; pcbc.com. South Bay Home & Garden Show – May 31-June 2, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, Ca.; homeshowconsultants.com. Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – June 1, Women in Industry Leadership Conference, Fossil Trace Golf Club, Golden, Co.; www.mslbmda.org. Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo Club – June 4, election meeting, Tacoma, Wa.; tbilski614@aol.com. West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association – June 6, Northern California Golf Tournament, Rancho Solano Golf Course, Fairfield, Ca.; www.lumberassociatoin.org. Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – June 7, 13th annual Don Gregson Memorial Golf Tournament, Los Serranos Country Club, Chino, Ca.; www.hoohoo117.org. Western Roofing Expo – June 9-11, Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nv.; www.wsrca.com. National Lawn & Garden Show – June 11-12, St. Louis, Mo.; www. nlgshow.com. Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo Club – June 19, board meeting, Tacoma, Wa.; tbilski614@aol.com. Western Wood Preservers Institute – June 23-25, summer meeting, Banff, Alberta, Canada; www.wwpinstitute.org. Window & Door Manufacturers Association – June 23-25, technical conference, Minneapolis, Mn.; www.wdma.com. Forest Products Society – June 25-28, international convention, Atlanta, Ga.; www.forestprod.org. Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo – June 26-29, Atlanta, Ga.; www.sfpaexpo.com. Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – July 10, Front Range Golf Tournament, Fossil Trace Golf Club, Golden, Co.; www.mslbmda.org. Los Angeles Hardwood Lumbermens Club – July 13, Duffy cruise, Newport Beach, Ca.; www.lahlc.net. West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association – July 18-19, 2nd Growth Summer Conference, Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, Ca.; www.lumberassociation.org. Fresno Home Show – July 19-21, Fresno Fairgrounds, Fresno, Ca.; www.fresnoshows.com. Western Building Material Association – July 23, mid-year meetings, Seattle, Wa.; July 28-29, roundtable, Ketchikan, Ak.; www. wbma.org. Building-Products.com

May 2019

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IN Memoriam

Fire Strikes 2 LBM Businesses in Stockton

Ronald Truman “Ron” Fallert, 77, president and chief executive officer, South Coast Lumber Co., Brookings, Or., died April 8 from a sudden-onset brain tumor. After receiving a business degree from Southern Oregon University in 1965, he entered management at International Paper before returning to the family business, SCL, in 1973. He started as general manager and soon became president and CEO, overseeing the acquisition of Agnew Holdings and Brookings Plywood, and construction of a new sawmill and LVL plant. Michael J. Beckley succeeds him as president and CEO. Robert Russell “Bob” VonBargen, shake and shingle trader with South Sound Investments, Shelton, Wa., died March 6. He was 72. He spent more than 30 years in the industry. Dave Sauers, 67, veteran Riverside, Ca., lumber salesman, died March 24. He spent over 40 years in the industry, including with Vandermeer Forest Products, his own Dave Sauers Lumber, co-owning TBT Sales, and finally joining the Marathon Forest Products division of Welco Lumber in 2008. Percy Keck, 82, longtime Spokane Valley lumberman, died April 9. After serving in the Army, he went on work for U.S. Plywood, Champion Building Products, Missoula Forest Products, Alpine Lumber, and retired from Exchange Lumber.

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A six-alarm fire in Stockton, Ca., caused millions of dollars in damage to a Masonite door plant and California Pallets lumberyard. The early morning April 23 blaze also downed several utility lines, caused a power outage in the area, and sent one firefighter to the hospital. The California Pallets site was formerly owned by San Joaquin Lumber.

Door Maker Exits California

Due to the costs of doing business in the state, Panoramic Doors has relocated its headquarters and manufacturing operations from Oceanside, Ca., to Fort Worth, Tx. The new facility features the main offices, folding patio door plant, and a showroom. Recently named CEO Ted Rock anticipates the move will help the business more than double in size. Panoramic will retain a sales and service facility in California, as well as manufacturing plants in Nevada and North Carolina.

Lumberyard Gets a Leg Up

On April 22, an employee of Redwood Empire, Cloverdale, Ca., discovered a tennis-shoe wearing prosthetic leg in the lumberyard, looking as if it had dropped out of the sky. It had. After visiting the nearby Cloverdale Municipal Airport, sheriff’s deputies learned that a skydiver, 39-year-old Dion Callaway, had taken a 10,000-ft. jump the day before and landed minus his artificial leg. Later that day, they were able to reunite Callaway with his prosthetic, valued at $15,000. “He jokingly quipped that this was his second leg lost while skydiving,” according the sheriff’s office. Callaway, who estimates he’s skydived more than 500 times since 2003, shattered his heel in a landing at the Cloverdale airport two years ago, eventually requiring amputation, according to a local news release. The leg fell on a pile of sawdust in the lumberyard and was not damaged.

Boise Cascade Sues Pot Shop Over Familiar Logo

Boise Cascade, Boise, Id., filed suit April 17 against New England Treatment Access, Franklin, Ma., alleging that the marijuana dispensary is infringing on its trademark by using a similar logo. Attorneys for Boise Cascade contend NETA markets its products under May 2019

Boise Cascade Logo

NETA Logo

a “confusingly similar tree-in-a-circle logo,” often presented in a “nearly identical” green color to the one Boise Cascade has used for decades. Boise’s fear is that NETA’s use of the logo is likely to cause confusion, mistake, or will deceive customers and potential customers into seeing some affiliation between the two companies, the lawsuit writes. The lawsuit charges NETA with trademark infringement, unfair trade practices, injury to business reputation, and other related charges. Boise Cascade is asking a judge to stop NETA from using its logo and award damages and attorneys’ fees. According to attorney David Viens, who represents Boise Cascade in the case, the 62-year-old lumber company will protect its tree-in-a-circle trademark it’s had for over half a century.

Shoplifter Stuffs Chainsaw Down Pants

Police are looking for a man who stole a chainsaw from RG Equipment, Fresno, Ca. Security footage caught the older man putting the chainsaw down his pants and walking out of the store on April 3. The store manager noted he took off in a pick-up truck.

TALK Back IXNAY ON THE SEXY I wanted to send you a heartfelt thank you for your “Across the Board” article (“The Power of a Word,” April p. 8) this month! I have been saying this for YEARS, and as a female in the industry who is also trying to get young people to come into the industry, this is a giant step forward. I hate it so much when lumber people use the term (“sexy”) to describe anything related to industry. Quite frankly, it is gross. So, on behalf of all young people in the industry…THANK YOU!!!! Michelle Maller, Internship & Education Coordinator Department of Wood Science and Engineering, Oregon State University Corvallis, Or. Building-Products.com

customers. In fact, we are so proud of our products and our service, we stand behind them 100% and strive to grow our own business through building our customers.

ADVERTISERS Index

Pelican Bay Forest Products www.pelicanbayfp.com

Atlantis Rail Systems www.atlantisrail.com

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance www.plmins.com

Big Creek Lumber www.bigcreeklumber.com

PPG TrueFinish Building Products www.ppgmachineappliedcoatings.com

California Cascade Industries www.californiacascade.com

Cover III

Redwood Empire www.buyredwood.com

C&C Resources www.ccresourcesinc.com

Roseburg Forest Products www.roseburg.com

Capital Lumber www.capital-lumber.com

RoyOMartin www.royomartin.com

DMSi www.dmsi.com

Seneca www.senecasawmill.com

Do it Best Corp. www.doitbestcorp.com

Simpson Strong-Tie www.strongtie.com

Elk Creek Forest Products www.elkcreekforest.com

Siskiyou Forest Products www.siskiyouforestproducts.com

Fasco America www.fascoamerica.com

Snider Industries www.sniderindustries.com

Fontana Wholesale Lumber www.fontanawholesalelumber.com

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club www.hoohoo117.org

Grabber Construction Products www.grabberman.com

Sure Drive USA www.suredrive.com Swanson Group Sales Co. www.swansongroupinc.com

California Cascade Building Materials is fully equipped for remanufacturing and distribution. Our state-of-the-art plants are fully equipped with everything needed to complete your order from re-saw, to planing, to moulding, to kiln drying.

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With more than 20 trucks in our fleet and treating facilities in both Northern and Southern California, California Cascade provides value to your business with prompt, economical and timely delivery.

We have provided unparalleled service to building products retailers in the Western United States for over 40 years!

NatureWood products are treated with Alkaline Copper Quaternary Compounds. NatureWood® is a registered trademark of Koppers Performance Chemicals Inc. © 1/2017

1/26/17 3:36 PM

Huff Lumber Co. www.hufflumber.net

Inteplast Group www.inteplast.com

International Wood Products www.iwpllc.com

Trex www.trex.com

201905 Mervhant half page ad.indd 1

Timber Products Co. www.timberproducts.com

Deck Building Solutions • 866-767-1850 • www.suredrive.com • sales@suredrive.com

3/22/19 14:50

JM Thomas Forest Products www.thomasforest.com

Cover IV

TruWood/Collins Products LLC www.truwoodsiding.com

Jones Wholesale Lumber www.joneswholesale.com

UC Coatings www.uccoatings.com

Lonza Wood Protection www.lonzawoodprotection.com

9, 25

Universal Forest Products www.prowood.com

17, 57

MCL Lumber Products www.mid-columbialumber.com

Versatex www.versatex.com

MOSO www.moso.eu

Cover I

Viance www.treatedwood.com

Mount Storm Forest Products www.mountstorm.com

Western Woods Inc. www.westernwoodsinc.com

Norbord www.norbord.com

Weyerhaeuser Distribution www.weyerhaeuser.com

36, 71

North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. www.nawla.org

Woodway Products www.woodwayproducts.com

Cover II

Pacific Woodtech www.pacificwoodtech.com

Yakama Forest Products www.yakamaforestproducts.com

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May 2019

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FLASHBack 90 Years Ago This Month

Ninety years ago, the May 1929

edition of The California Lumber Merchant went out to lumberyards, filled with uplifting news on almost every page. Among the sunny reports: • Nearly 200 employees of lumber manufacturing giant Chas. R. McCormick Lumber and the McCormick Steamship Co. and their guests sailed on one of the companies’ vessels to Paradise Cove in Marin, Ca., for their fourth annual company picnic. The program included relay races (of the dash, three-legged, and wheelbarrow variety), swimming, dancing contests (waltz and varsity drag), a baseball tournament, and an outdoor barbecue. • French Lumber, Haywarden, Ia., held its annual Open House Day, inviting “every man, woman and child in this whole selling territory” to a day of fun and no sales. In fact, customers were not allowed to buy anything even if they wanted to. (They could get quotes on request, but had to return at a later date if they wanted to make a purchase.) The first 100 women who arrived received a free can of oak stain. Every child was given a free movie

GRIP LATH manufacturer Schumacher Wall Board Corp. was spotlighted on the May 1929 cover of The Merchant.

ticket, a whistle, and candy. Hot coffee and lunch was served free to all visitors. To honor key customers, 28 local farmers were appointed as judges of all contests during the event. In addition to 12 guessing contests (weights, numbers, sizes, etc.), there was a nail driving competition and “rooster throwing.” Live roosters were tossed, one at a time, from the roof of a tall shed and the guests who snatched them, won them. French Lumber decorated its sheds and office for the occasion,

BACK IN the 1920s, our hundreds of regular advertisers rarely ran ads in full-color due to the technological limitations of magazine printing presses at that time. The one option for companies willing to spend whatever it took to get full-color was to have their ad printed separately, on heavier stock, and inserted into the issue.

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May 2019

and set up model farm houses and other product displays. • Until FDR’s decree during World War II, Daylight Savings Time was optional for most cities in the United States. On May 6, 1929, Holmes-Eureka Lumber Co.’s San Francisco office moved all of its hours and schedules forward one hour to create its own Daylight Savings Time. One week into the experiment, Fred Holmes noted, “We find our customers, our office staff, and our mill well satisfied with the change. We start now at 8 a.m. and quit at 4 p.m., and find these hours work out fine, as the mill starts at 8 o’clock and all retail yards are open by that time, and the saving of an hour make a lot of difference in contacting our Chicago office. “We also find that visiting retailers appreciate the fact that they can call as early as 8 a.m. and find us on the job, and for our part we hope that other manufacturers will also decide to adopt daylight saving.” • Chicago Lumber Co. of Washington, Seattle, Wa., began distributing an illustrated price sheet of reportedly “the most complete line of garden trellises on the market.” The company produced 13 different designs, all made of redwood, at its Chilco manufacturing plant in Oakland, Ca.

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