The Merchant June 2020

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

JUNE 2020

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Now the beauty of a home lasts as long as the love for it.

TruWood leads the way in beautiful, long-lasting trim and siding. And thanks to EcoGuard® – a naturally occurring additive – our products resist fungal decay and termite damage decade after decade. So you can protect your family, as well as your investment. Visit TruWoodSiding.com

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THE POSSIBILITIES KEEP GROWING:

Nature’s majestic pillars.

Redwood is one of the strongest and fastest growing softwood species. It thrives in some of the most productive timberlands in the world. Redwood is known for its timeless durability without the use of chemicals. Due to its flawless formation, there has never been a Redwood recall. There is a grade of Redwood for every application, every budget, and every customer.

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CONTENTS

June 2020 Volume 99 n Number 6

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

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Special Focus

Features

32 DO IT BEST 75TH ANNIVERSARY

10 INDUSTRY TRENDS

AT 75, DO IT BEST ISN’T RESTING ON ITS LAURELS—IT’S CONTINUING TO DEVELOP

NEW WAYS TO BETTER EQUIP ITS MEMBER RETAILERS FOR SUCCESS. THE CO-OP’S

LBM LEADERSHIP SHARES ITS PLANS.

MERCHANT

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

Departments 8 ACROSS THE BOARD

TIMBER TRENDS ON TRACK TO TRANSFORM ARCHITECTURE

20 OLSEN ON SALES

14 FEATURE STORY

25 YEARS OF FOREST CERTIFICATION

50 MOVERS & SHAKERS

18 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

56 NEW PRODUCTS

IDAHO DEALER THINKS OUT OF THE BOX AND IN THE PALLET

Magazine 19 45

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24 TRANSFORMING TEAMS

Now the beauty of a home lasts as long as the love for it.

File Name: TW 14263 - 2020_Merchant_Front_8.25x8.75_FIN Client: TruWood Job #: TW 14263 App: InDesign CC Colors: 4cp

Title: Now the beauty…

Pub: The Merchant Cover Trim Size: 8.25 x 8.75 Bleed Size: 8.5 x 9 Close Date: 5.18.20

PREPARE FOR WORKPLACE RE-ENTRY DURING COVID-19

30 THINKING AHEAD

TruWood leads the way in beautiful, long-lasting trim and siding. And thanks to EcoGuard® – a naturally occurring

THE NEED TO FOLLOW THROUGH

additive – our products resist fungal decay and termite damage decade after decade. So you can protect your family, as well as your investment. Visit TruWoodSiding.com

Siding: SQUARE EDGE PANEL, CHANNEL RUSTIC LAP, Reversible Trim: VARIOUS SIZES

800.417.3674 | The TruWood Collection, manufactured by Collins Products LLC Ask us about our FSC® products | FSC-C002971

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UTILIZING THE GIFT OF SLOW TIMES

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JUNE 2020

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ACROSS the Board

By Patrick Adams

Becoming a kid again “D , to work today? Can’t you play with us today instead?” That’s where it all started.

This is an interesting “experiment” that we find ourselves in. uring normal times, you would never be so “reckless” as to test what would happen if . Let’s try all working from home. Let’s try not ever eating out and instead, all eating dinner as a family every night. Let’s buy locally and support our local businesses. Let’s only engage with those closest to us whom we trust the most.

My kids in their young, innocent (see “manipulative and conniving”) way asked me to take the day off and play with them instead of working. This normally would have been an unreasonable request. Aside from my responsibilities, the core of my foundation is hard work and trying to set an example.

But, things feel different now. Less certain, but more grounded at the same time. Unpredictably grounded.

I smiled, chased them around the family room acting like I was crazy, and asked them what they wanted for breakfast.

“Chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream” was the response. I have gotten up at :00 a.m. every morning since I was in my late teens and try to work out most of those days.

But this morning as I shared in chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream, all I’m thinking about is this powerful flashback to my childhood when my grandparents surprised me one morning. They told my parents they were taking me to school but instead, took me the International ouse of Pancakes for breakfast where I had for the first time in my life, chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream. It took me right back there, with my grandparents. The surprise, the secrecy, the excitement, and the amazing tastes and smells After breakfast, my kids asked, “What are we going to do now?” Since the world has changed, one of the many changes are the local car washes are closed. In our “busy and important” lives, car washes are one of those things that I did the cost time analysis and delegated to others a long time ago.

I’m embarrassed that I can’t remember the last time I washed my own car, but today is a different day. “We’re washing my truck,” was my response. Their eyes lit up like I told them we were going to isneyland. aving a - and -year-old help wash a truck is akin to trying to wash it in a dust storm.

There were hose fights, buckets of suds thrown and perhaps the only clean thing at the end were my kids. But a funny thing happened. As I was drying the truck and wiping down the crevices, applying Armor-All to the tires, it took me back to my younger days. There was a time for a few weeks where I had to live in my car, but I made sure it was always clean.

I was beyond broke then when I met the girl who someday would be my wife. It was the day of what was going to be our first o cial date and I had literally starved that week saving up enough money to take her out. I spent a couple hours that day trying my best to polish up the jalopy I called a car that would pick her up. I remember my excitement about taking her out

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and even though it was a beat up mess, I felt pride in my job of cleaning up my own car.

The rest of the day was filled with things like building a cardboard fort in the backyard, planting vegetable seeds in the garden, and pushing the kids on the swing I hung from the backyard tree. Each activity propelled me back to the story of my life as a kid and young man. I have to say it was an emotional day filled with a ton of laughter and things that hopefully someday, will be their own memories of their childhood.

This time away from the chaos has done something interesting. I’ve thought about things from when I was young that I haven’t considered in years. I’ve grown to know my family at an even deeper level and have been reminded of the things that create true happiness and love. I’ve been reminded that Facebook does not measure who your “friends” are, but times of uncertainty do. I’ve thought a lot about things like perhaps, I’ve realized that when all of this restarts, maybe I want to restart it differently. Raise my kids differently. Love my family differently. Prioritize differently.

We have a choice of how we view our current environment, what we learn from it and what we decide becomes our new “normal.” We have to decide about the “scoreboard” that matters most in our lives and whether it includes things like promotions and bank accounts, or is it a collection of memories and experiences. Of course we all have responsibilities and the answer I hope is some version of “balance.” But I am now praying for the strength to find that balance when we return to our normal lives and make sure that I keep only the things that truly are most important in this life.

More than ever before, I am grateful for the privilege of serving this great industry and that I can call many of you friends. our calls and letters of support mean the world to us.

Take care of yourselves, your family, and your team.

Patrick S. Adams Publisher President mediagroup.com Building-Products.com

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INDUSTRY Trends

By ThinkWood

Timber trends on track to transform architecture are driving architecture in 0 0, and the impact they will have on mass timber and lightframe wood construction is unfolding now. What does a more sustainable city look like in the years to come, and how can low-carbon building materials—like timber—help address climate change and make our rapidly growing urban centers healthier?

ThinkWood spoke to some of the leading designers, developers, and timber experts to learn how wood factors into architecture and design trends for the future. ere are six trends to watch when it comes to the future of timber and the built environment.

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1. Evolving Building Codes Mass Timber Stands Tall

With recent changes in the 0 1 International Building Code—and a quest to find more sustainable ways to build taller—we are seeing a rise in the number of taller mass timber buildings popping up across North America.

Experts in timber construction see these code changes as the beginning and believe that further testing and research could see timber buildings reach even taller heights in the years to come. As one expert put it, they are hopeful more opportunities for mass timber will open up as the regulatory

HIGHER: Conceptual design of Canada Earth Tower contemplates a timber skyscraper 40 floors high. (Photo by Delta Group and Perkins & Will)

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TIMBER CITY: Google-backed Sidewalk Labs is proposing a $1.3-billion master plan to be constructed entirely with prefabricated mass timber and is set to turn a portion of Toronto’s industrial waterfront into a smart, digitally connected city prototype. In this particular view, Snøhetta contemplates a masstimber housing development arranged in a semi-circle raised up by stilts and looking down on a public plaza. (Photo by Snøhetta)

environment keeps pace with the engineering innovations and architectural ingenuity we are seeing with wood.

Case in point, mass timber experts and juggernaut Perkins Will are proposing a 0-story timber tower, that if built, would be the tallest of its kind in the world. This project is positioned to advance the industry by altering market perceptions of building taller with wood. Perkins Will have put the performance and environmental implications of construction at the forefront of design. Not only will Earth Tower be a zero-emissions building, the completed project will demonstrate what is possible as building codes evolve, restoring local biodiversity, creating connections to the environment, and improving livability in tall, urban buildings.

2. Prefabrication & Modular Technologies Putting the Pieces Together

Off-site, prefabricated and modular construction continues to grow in popularity for their ability to save time and money, and the industry continues to find that timber offers several advantages when it comes to this factory-made approach to assembling a building like a kit of parts.

Investments made by early adopters are beginning to demonstrate what is possible and help prove out the business case for these advancements. Big players, like Google-backed Sidewalk Labs, are betting on this promising trend. Self-described as an urban innovation organization, it proposes to dramatically improve city living through technological solutions and an entirely timber neighborhood built from locally-sourced wood products, touting benefits such as a reduced carbon footprint, flexible modular design, and improved affordability.

Sidewalk Labs is proposing to build an 0-million timber factory and supply chain to support the construction of these wood buildings. The company says the factory would take a modular approach, manufacturing prefabricated building pieces that could then be assembled together to erect buildings on site. They say it would reduce building time by % compared to more traditional building methods, and provide a boost for the regional timber industry.

In the decade to come, look for timber-based designs to take prefabrication and modular construction to new levels through advancements in automation, robotics and just-intime manufacturing.

Building-Products.com

3. Innovative Building Models Making the Pieces Pencil Out

The increased adoption of prefabricated and modular construction is inspiring new business models that underpin and make cutting-edge technologies viable and cost-effective. Innovation in business models is also driving deeper levels of integration and more multidisciplinary firms.

Industry disrupter aterra recently acquired an interest in a number of design firms specializing in mass timber.

Wood and prefabricated design have become differentiators across industry sectors, including real estate developers, integrated design-build firms, and manufacturers bundling product offerings in new ways. evelopers are also seeing that mass timber can be a differentiator and a new business model. ines, a privately owned global real estate investment, development and management firm, has launched a series of mass timber office buildings with the moniker T (Timber, Transit and Technology). When the seven-story T Minneapolis was completed in late 01 , it was the tallest wood building in the U.S. Since then, ines has completed a second T -branded property in Atlanta, and other projects are in the works in Nashville, enver and Austin, and two are planned for Toronto. This scalable, cost-effective building model is positioning the industry for positive change.

4. New Design Tools The Timber Tool Kit

Innovations in digital design tools, such as building information modeling (BIM), esign for Manufacturing and Assembly ( fMA), rendering software, and augmented virtual reality (A R), open up new possibilities for timber construction and design. Companies like aterra use a realtime data processing application and the Internet of Things to achieve deep integration and newfound e ciencies.

Integrated design and fabrication companies are seeing buildings designed in software like Revit, a modeling application. The files can then be converted to a format for computer numerical control (CNC) machines in the factory.

Mass timber projects may be challenged on a local level by construction codes that can lead to the development of specific site regulations and the proposal of alternative solutions. In these situations, BIM enables authorities and code June 2020

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WINNING WITH WOOD: Hines’ T3 series of timber offices is a winning formula that could replace the also-ran templated office complex of the past. (Photo

by Ema Peter, courtesy MGA | Michael Green Architecture and DLR Group)

consultants to visualize the project and proposed solutions clearly while advancing the approval process.

A novel approach of the precedent-setting 1 -story tall timber Brock Commons Tallwood ouse was the intensive use of virtual design and construction ( C) tools and methods.

C is a subset of BIM primarily focused on the geometric representation of a facility to support analysis for design and construction and can be particularly helpful for large scale mass timber projects.

BIM can also help the installer and manufacturer to coordinate the delivery of the structural elements. For Brock Commons, BIM was used to plan out the delivery and unloading cycles for the timber elements. This exercise helps to avoid misplacement of elements and plan just-intime delivery conditions for construction sites where space is limited, and elements cannot be stored on site.

encourage low-carbon material choices. The city that adopted the goal of becoming the greenest city in the world by 0 0 is now aiming to reduce the embodied emissions in new buildings and construction projects by 0% by 0 0 compared to a 01 baseline and is looking for ways to remove regulatory barriers to mass timber construction.

5. Net Zero Targets & Embodied Energy

Among the first adopters of biophilic design are architects focusing on educational facilities. Projects like uebec’s cole Au Mill naire and the R.W. ern Center at ampshire College in Amherst, Ma., are raising the architectural bar while forging connections between building occupants and the natural environment.

Connecticut’s Common Ground igh School was the nation’s first building to use cross-laminated timber (CLT) as a “stressed-skin” assembly. Using local black spruce for several structural and design elements, a team of five assembled the building’s frame in just four weeks. Today, staff and students couldn’t be happier with the new building, and they’re reaping additional biophilic benefits. Says co-designer Alan Organschi, “The students tell me the air feels really fresh, just like being outside.”

Low Carbon Timber-Built Cities

There is increasing interest by cities and governments to use more low carbon building materials, such as timber, rammed earth, and fly ash, as part of a climate change mitigation strategy and to address the growing concern about embodied energy. Architects see their profession as center stage to the demands of the climate crisis and a call for low carbon construction. The building and design sector responded with carbon calculation tools, including the Athena Impact Estimator and the Tally Life Cycle Assessment App. “The best thing to do is to use common sense,” says Thomas Robinson, principal of Portland, Or.-based LE ER Architecture, which specializes in mass timber construction.

“Use what you have on hand, a material sourced regionally and coming from a sustainably managed forest.”

Some jurisdictions, such as the city of ancouver, have launched climate change action plans that specifically

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6. Biophilic Design

Putting Nature to Work

More and more, science is confirming common sense and the emerging concept of biophilia: that being exposed to nature and natural, organic materials not only calms our mind, but it can also contribute to an improved sense of health and well-being.

Connecting Education & Environment

– Think Wood promotes the economic, environmental and societal benefits of using softwood lumber in commercial, community and non-residential building applications (www.thinkwood.com).

The program is primarily funded by the Softwood Lumber Board.

Building-Products.com

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU We at California Cascade wish you and your family safety and good health in these uncertain times. We are in this together, and we are ready to help you and your team with your building material needs.

Building-Products.com June 2020 n The Merchant Magazine n customerservice@californiacascade.com | 800-339-6480

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FEATURE Story

By David Koenig

Forest certification at 25 ’ forest products certification systems—the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative—both recently celebrated their th anniversaries.

FSC opened its first o ce in Oaxaca, Mexico in August 1 , with a staff of three. FSC has since relocated its headquarters to Bonn, Germany, and expanded to staff members in 0 o ces, across five continents. SFI’s first Standards and Rules took effect on anuary 1, 01 .

Globally, over 00 million acres of forestland have been certified to FSC or SFI. In addition, chain-of-custody programs allow dealers and wholesalers to become certified, and prove wood they buy and sell comes from certified forests.

The Merchant spoke with both groups about the current state of their chain-of-custody programs and what’s ahead.

T

— FSC —

Corey Brinkema, President, FSC US How many FSC chain-of-custody certified members are there?

As of November 01 , there are approximately ,000 FSC chain-of-custody certificates held by approximately ,000 certified organizations or entities (these include multi-site and group certifications).

What sort of growth are they experiencing in the volume of certified material they handle?

Chain-of-custody has grown by approximately 10 % over the last 1 months.

What can we expect from FSC going forward, regarding its chain-of-custody system?

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While the FSC chain-of-custody system is healthy overall, we are seeing particular excitement among companies connected to mass timber construction. As more architects and builders turn to wood as a climate solution, awareness of and commitment to sourcing from responsibly managed forests continues to grow.

As the world’s most trusted certification of forests and forest products, FSC offers the best solution for climate smart wood, and companies are using FSC to gain access to new market opportunities.

— SFI —

Jason Metnick, Senior VP, Customer Affairs, SFI How many SFI chain-of-custody certified members are there?

As of mid-April, there are SFI chain-of-custody certificates representing , certified locations.

What can we expect from SFI going forward, regarding its chain-of-custody system?

SFI chain-of-custody certification is an important tool in helping SFI advance sustainability. It provides a way to track forest fiber content through production and manufacturing to the end product so that the benefits of sustainability managed forests, including climate change mitigation, species maintenance and recovery, economic benefits to communities can be more widely felt.

SFI is currently undergoing our standard revision process with scheduled launch of new standards in anuary 0 .

Because SFI is committed to continual improvement across all its standards, we anticipate even greater uptake of our chain-of-custody standard in the future.

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MARGIN Builders

By Trinton Castetter

3 tips for improving lumberyard efficiency and productive lumberyard is a tall task. Shipment frequency is increasing and lead time expectations are getting shorter.

To maintain a competitive advantage, it can be necessary to rethink your operation. It’s easy to talk about the load capacity of a forklift fleet and buying the right forklift for the job. These are important. But there are other steps you can take to shorten lead times and increase productivity.

R

Tip #1: Yard maintenance is just as important as forklift maintenance Lumberyard operations are often subject to having their driving surfaces take on wear and tear at a fast rate. Uneven surfaces or debris from lumber can cause damage to your material handling equipment. Assuring that the area is kept tight and level can extend the life of your forklift.

Tip #2: A better layout could mean better profits One way to increase margins is by reducing your operating costs. Being strategic about where to place what product can reduce drive time, leading to less spending on fuel and maintenance replacement of forklifts. Taking note of trends within your lumberyard is helpful when making layout decisions. For example, what kinds of wood are often bought jointly? aving those near each other can help your order pickers. ou might also consider how you sell various units of lumber. In the event a product is typically purchased in separated amounts, you can store those in a location that creates a convenient route for your forklift operators to make multiple runs. On the other hand, if you traditionally move an entire bundle with a high capacity forklift, having a space available for your larger forklifts to do simple lifting might be an option to explore.

Tip #3: Think ahead to reduce time Reducing lead time for sending orders out could be an area of opportunity for your facility. While maintaining the best routes in your lumberyard is important, you can also optimize the process of preparing loads to be shipped. Some facilities are increasing e ciency by creating a pre-build system. For example, after placing all paper electronic order forms together, your forklift operators will bring the right sized, previously cut lumber and build out all loads beforehand. If done correctly, an order will be complete and ready 16

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PRE-PLANNING the material flow through your lumberyard can shorten lead times and increase productivity. (Photo by Toyota Material Handling)

to go when the truck arrives for pickup. epending upon the size of your operation, you may be able to employ someone part or full-time who handles the task of scheduling these pre-built loads and managing your inventory. This type of planning can go a long way in ensuring your operation is always one step ahead in regards to inventory management and efficiency. aving these pre-built loads labeled in a way in which they are easily identifiable by your forklift operators further improves your e ciency and throughput. This can be easily accomplished by simple changes to eliminate the amount of time it takes to identify the order on the build sheet. Font size, placement and even length of the order number can help to reduce the amount of time it takes to identify each build and can help to eliminate costly downtime.

– Trinton Castetter is a product marketing specialist for Toyota Material Handling, Columbus, In. (www.toyotaforklift.com).

Building-Products.com

COMPETITIVE Intelligence

By Carla Waldemar

Thinking out of the box and into the pallet ’ . .

Malad City, Id., when oug Crowther picks up the phone for our conversation. (Mercifully, it’s a.m. at my home base in Minneapolis.) But that’s business as usual, the GM of ess Lumber assures me. oug’s dad, who took over the family outfit from his own father in the Seventies, also still puts in “ 0, 0 hours a week,” and his mom’s on board to handle accounting tasks.

Instead of hooking up Tinkertoys as a young kid, oug was aligning x s and sorting nuts and bolts in the yard his great-grandfather had built

I

from scratch in 1 . That gentleman was a builder who developed a sizable sideline in making shipping crates, including those used in World War I to transport materiel overseas. Because he ordered his lumber by the carload, others in the vicinity started begging to buy some sticks from him—and you can guess how that turned out. ess Lumber is still selling pallets—are they ever —as we’ll see in a minute, but also doing a mighty brisk business on the retail side, selling to homeowners who are adding a deck, garage, or family room—or even

IDAHO DEALER Doug Crowther now leads the business his grandfather launched 85 years ago.

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acting as their own general contractor in building the home of their dreams.

“Because they don’t have accounts established, the big yards can’t be bothered to deal with them, “ oug relates, “so we take care of them. We establish a relationship. Then they tell their friends. Lots of repeat business.” ess also is happy to take care of area farmers and ranchers in need of barbed wire, railroad ties, whatever. “But that’s seasonal,” oug notes.

“Malad City is a bedroom community—lots of retirees,” he reports. Its population keeps pace with the calendar (it’s ,0 0 at the moment), with few-to-no pros in that number— no certified local plumbers nor electricians, either. Thus, contractors contribute less than 0% of ess’ revenue, and, chances are, these pros reside in Preston, Idaho, 0 miles away. “We make two or three runs there daily. And we can provide them with take-offs.”

That service requires the kind of creativity that oug has made his specialty. “I found a guy doing takeoffs from his home office, so, with minimal expense, we connect via email. It’s opened up new business, made us a lot more competitive. So does buying direct from my buying group—better prices, better product.

“My dad, in his 1st year here, sticks to the old ways of doing business; it wouldn’t enter his mind to sub out anything like that. But, it frees up your time.” And oug uses that time “always looking for new customers, new lines and new products” to serve his clientele. “ No’ is not in my vocabulary.”

It’s a swear word for his staff, too. “I teach them that if there Building-Products.com

SINCE THE 1970S, Hess Lumber’s hardware and lumberyard have been joined by a highly successful pallet manufacturing operation.

are no customers, there’s no business—so, take care of them: Customers can fire you; not me,’” he drives home the message. is staff of ( 0 full-time) represent a patchwork including older folks, close to retirement, who love to work part-time. “Some only deliver. I can call them on the spur of the moment and ask if they’re available to help out. I also have a lot of women employees, and they can outwork the guys My lead pallet person is a woman, and so’s my lead yard person. My secretary is my righthand man,’” he laughs. (“Right, Trish?” he hollers for confirmation.)

“I train them from scratch, though most bring experience working in production—auto, meat—so they’re kind of familiar with the basics, working on orders, working sideby-side, as they do on the pallet side of the operation, feeding machines. And women like it that they’re close to home; if their kid get sick at school, or something, they can take right off. The biggest things I’m looking for in a hire is that they show up for work and are willing to do the job: the two biggest traits I look for. ou can teach the rest .”

The company has done so well, year after year, that it outgrew its original location. “In 00 , we started building a new store on adjacent property, which would let us expand from 1, 00 sq. ft. to , 00 sq. ft. for retail, and a total of ,000 sq. ft.” The lumberyard and pallet operation occupy an additional acre. The new store took more than two years to complete because oug and his crew worked the project. “We’re the type of people who like to do what we can ourselves,” he explains. “One year we did the foundation; then the floor; and then started framing.”

The move paid off. Revenues jumped from 1. million to million and still are growing by over 10% a year (“a conservative estimate,” in oug’s words). ow the heck?

A reporter wants to learn the magic trick. “We service people, we don’t tell them no,’” he repeats. “We go out and find whatever it is they need . We can offer a larger selection now, like irrigation products, which are new for us. And the pallet operation across the street keeps booming.” ess has been making pallets since the ’ 0s—back when they came across a local stone manufacturer who needed such a service. The next step was achieving Building-Products.com

certification—proving that the product was heat-tolerant, free of bugs and mold, and meeting other specs. “It opened the door to three or four other accounts. It’s a whole new ballgame now. Certification put us on the map and pushed us to where we are today.

“We moved the operation from a small shop to a ,000sq. ft. facility, where we just completed an order running 1 0 by 1 0 inches—six pallets, for a total of 1,000. It’s unique. But we can build anything if you just send us the specs. Right now, we’re even taking orders from other pallet companies because we’re familiar with the system, have the right equipment. But we’re constantly learning new systems; every day, it’s a little bit different. (That’d make a good reality show ” he chuckles.) Bottom line: “ ou’ve got to think outside the box. on’t be afraid to take chances on a new adventure. Plan it right and hope it pays off.”

Another out-of-the-box venture has done well, too, and that’s recycling. When he built that new store, oug realized there was space in it for a cardboard compactor.

In the spirit of keeping the town and the environment clean and green, he bought a vertical baler and distributed collection bins around the area. “We keep 0,000 lbs. of cardboard out of landfills every month—a million, total, in the past seven years. Nowadays, we charge a small fee, which allows us to break even. We hired a high school kid to drive around in a forklift to make collections.” ess went on to purchase a second baler that recycles plastic bags and super sacs.

What’s next? Stay tuned.

As oug explains, “I like being around people, helping the community, making the town a better place. And I love keeping our customers happy.” And at , there are many more decades of innovation ahead.

Plus four kids in the wings (just sayin’.)

Carla Waldemar cwaldemar comcast.net June 2020

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OLSEN on Sales

By James Olsen

Caring & curious vs. needy & greedy journeymen salespeople say, “I can’t believe she says that kind of thing to her customers I could never talk to my customers like that.” If you listen to Master Sellers talk to their customers, you will be amazed at how hard they push and the statements they get away with. I work with a Master Seller named Michael La Mattina, and when I listen to his taped calls, I shake my head at some of the things he says to customers. e often talks to them as if he were scolding his favorite auntie or uncle.

The reason these sellers can talk to their customers this way is because the customer knows that the seller is coming from a place of caring. They aren’t making these bold statements because they want or need an order. They say them because they truly do care and believe that their solution is best for the customer.

It’s immoral to sell something we don’t believe in. This is why we must know before we make the call why our solution or product is a good deal for the customer. Many sellers are hesitant because they feel they have to have the “best deal in the history of humanity” before they can really stand behind their product. This is not the case, and no one ever has that kind of deal. Other sellers confuse “negotiation” with lying. There are and always have been two prices: the asking price and the buying price. Master Sellers are comfortable knowing their deal is good for the customer and that there will be negotiation before arriving at a final price.

The Master Seller, when presented with an objection or obstacle, has a healthy curiosity about why the customer doesn’t think their solution will work. The struggling seller gives up, gets defensive, and or whiny and moves on. The Master Seller finds out why or why not? Maybe they get the order through questioning and negotiation or maybe not. But they do learn more about their customer so, worst case scenario, they set up their next opportunity for an order with the same or similar customers in the future. They are learning machines who sell, not just uotrons trying to get an order.

I

Prospecting

Quotron: “We sell a lot of SPF and studs in your area. o you use those products in your operation?”

Customer: “ es, we do. So what’s your price on x 1 ’s today?”

Quotron: “I can get those into you at MBF.” (Needy and greedy.)

Customer: “Well, I’m paying well underneath that now so I don’t think you can help me.” Click.

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Master Seller: “We sell a lot of SPF and studs in your area. o you use those products in your operation?”

Customer: “ es, we do. So what’s your price on x 1 ’s today?”

Master Seller: “I’d love to sell you something today, but that really isn’t the purpose of the call. Let me ask you a couple questions about you and your business and then I’ll be able to give you a professional quote. What kind of stock do you normally buy?” (Curious and caring.)

Closing

Customer: “I don’t need any right now.”

Quotron: “O . What are you buying?” (Needy and greedy.)

Master Seller: “O . Where are we on that product?”

Customer: “What do you mean, where are we?”

Master Seller: “We spoke last week, and you told me you had two on the ground and none on order. I’ve got in my notes that we are using one a week, so we’ll be out of stock in two weeks, right?” (Curious and caring.)

Customer: “That’s right.”

Master Seller: “Well, Susan, shipments are two weeks out right now, so if we put on an order today the stock will arrive just in time, which I know you love. We don’t want to pay a premium out of distribution if we run out, so why don’t we put on at least one, so we are covered?”

Customer: “That makes sense.

Let’s do one.”

When customers feel we are needy or just want the order, they shut down and shut us out. When we are curious and caring, they open up to us and we will have a partnership relationship with them.

James Olsen Reality Sales Training ( 0 ) james realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com

THE REVENUE Growth Habit

By Alex Goldfayn

Fight for optimism and positivity changed the rules of engagement for businesses and for salespeople.

In this challenging environment, we have to fight for optimism and positivity. They won’t magically appear. We must actively make it so. We have to fight for positivity.

We have to fight for our families right now. Our kids deserve this from us. Our parents deserve this from us.

My parents brought me here from the former Soviet Union when I was years old. We had 0 in our pockets and two suitcases with all of our belongings in the world.

We survived that, we’ll survive this.

I’ve been out of money multiple times in my life. Like, all the way out of money. Now I run a -million sales growth consulting practice.

We survived difficult things before, and we’ll get through this. ow do you fight for positivity and optimism?

First, try to avoid the things that take that away from you. For me it’s the news, which is all bad news, all the time. For me it’s avoiding all the politicians and their news conferences, and their negativity.

Take joy in your family. Find joy in this time. Take in things that bring you happiness, and actively exclude those sources that bring you down.

Use this tension to do things you didn’t have time for before. Use the tension of this di cult time to create. The best music and art is created when the artists are struggling, under pressure. Nobody creates their best work after they’ve succeeded, when they’re in their mansion. We create our best work when we’re uncomfortable.

It’s uncomfortable now. Create. This will bring you positivity and optimism. ow do you fight for positivity and optimism?

Ironically it’s the exact same activity that will grow your sales, even now. ou fight for optimism and positivity by calling your customers. That’s right. Call your customers. ou’ll have great conversations with them. People are craving connection right now. People want to hear from people they respect and enjoy. And OU are that person.

Call your people. ou’ll feel more positive and optimistic. And—here is the beautiful thing—these calls will grow your sales. They will remember you.

T

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Nobody else is calling. The competition is silent. Let them be. We’ll be present. We’ll call. And we’ll feel better.

And our customers will feel better. And they’ll remember who made them feel better. And they will thank you with their business.

And how will you feel when you grow business now?

Better Positive Optimistic The phone call is the answer. o not keep your value away from people, especially now. Now is not the time to be selfish with your great value. Share it.

Give it freely. elp people. And they will remember you forever.

Fight for your customers.

Fight for your family.

Fight for positivity.

Now is the time. Fight

Alex Goldfayn Revenue Growth Consultancy alex evangelistmktg.com ( ) -

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TRANSFORMING Teams

By Claudia St. John

Prepare for workplace re-entry during COVID-19 , and municipal governments take steps to re-open businesses across the country, employers must take a fresh look at their physical workspace, their workplace practices, and their communication and training of employees in order to prohibit the spread of the coronavirus and to protect their employees and clients to keep them safe.

Below is a checklist for employers to consider when planning to reopen, or for those businesses who have remained open under an “essential business” classification.

This checklist serves to provide some ideas, resources, and reminders on how to improve the level of safety and protection in your workplace. A few things to highlight: If employees can work from home, allow them to continue to telecommute as social distancing and safe hygiene are still the only ways to prohibit the spread of the disease.

Social distancing, use of PPE, proper disinfecting, and proper training are keys to maintaining a safe workplace.

Experts’ understanding of CO I -1 is quickly evolving. From the symptoms of CO I -1 and the C C’s recommendations to government orders on social

A

distancing, PPE use, and workplace closures—information is constantly being updated. Employers should identify all of the resources necessary on the federal ( OL, C C, EPA, OS A, EEOC), state, municipal, and local levels (health departments, law enforcement, executive o ces) in order to keep track of the virus’ impact and their obligations as employers maintaining safe workplaces within their communities.

CORONAVIRUS WORKPLACE PREPARATION CHECKLIST Federal Resources

c Review CDC guidelines for opening and cleaning the workplace. c Review OSHA Guidance on preparing workplaces for COVID-19.

Posters

c Print and display personal hygiene posters and reminders in all bathrooms, work stations, and official posting locations. c Post all mandated COVID-related posters such as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act notifications.

PPE

c Maintain stocks of face masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, and cleaning solutions for all employees who work onsite. Ensure cleaning products are not solely anti-bacterial (coronavirus is not a bacterium and therefore these products may not be effective). Consult EPA on appropriate chemicals and agents necessary to disinfect coronavirus. c Identify sources for PPE and sanitizing equipment including industry supplier organizations, cleaning and janitorial companies, promotional product companies.

Common Areas

c Prop open non-fire doors, such as those to bathrooms with inside stalls, work areas, office supplies, high traffic destinations that can be safely left open to avoid high-traffic touch points.

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c Close down common areas where possible (including break rooms, kitchens, lounge areas) and consider its reuse as a work station. c Post limits to the number of people that can be in common areas based on square footage. Place notices prominently.

Work Stations

c Measure work stations and identify areas where social distancing of less than 6 ft. exist that require reconfiguration. c Build/install physical barriers between desks/work stations where possible/necessary. c Redesign traffic patterns to restrict opportunities for employees to interact (color code work areas, restrict access, etc.). c Identify opportunities to establish new work stations to create social distancing (such as unused conference rooms, closed lobbies, utility closets, unused square footage). c Avoid the need for employees to share phones, desks, offices, and other work tools and equipment including remote controls and AV equipment.

Hygiene

c Install hands-free soap dispensers or additional soap pumps and paper towel dispensers (hands free if possible) at all sink areas.

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c Place touchless hand sanitizer stations on both sides of all doors that require handling, and at all high-touch areas such as printers, scanner stations, and vending machines. c Replace all water fountains with touchless water dispensers or replace with personal-use water bottles and a hand sanitizing dispenser.

Federal Resources

c Kitchen – remove coffee and all food products (sugar, tea, coffee, creamer), close and seal refrigerators. Limit the number of employees eating together. If necessary, remove tables/chairs. c Contact food vendors to provide safe packaging, sealed food. If vending machines are used, place hand sanitizer nearby and wipe down machine throughout the day. c Replace employee food celebrations with non-food gifts such as flowers, balloons, gift cards, and avoid in-person parties. Alternate celebration ideas include walking a celebrated employee through the building or hosting an outside gathering while maintaining social distancing.

Cleaning & Maintenance

c Identify professional cleaning company to provide deep-clean prior to re-opening business and to establish a relationship should ongoing decontamination cleaning be necessary. c Improve ventilation in all areas where possible. Have HVAC maintenance and air filters replaced to maximize efficiency. c Evaluate mail and delivery services to prioritize electronic communication where possible. Limit mail pickup/drop off areas and structure to maximize social distancing.

Work from Home

c Identify all employees who can successfully tele-work full time or part time and maximize work from home opportunities for all employees who can do so. c Develop appropriate work-from-home policies. c Maximize use of technology for communication, including video conferencing in lieu of in-person meetings.

Health Checks & Exposure

c Establish protocols for employees to report if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19, are experiencing symptoms or have been exposed. Ensure the privacy of all employees reporting COVID-19 experiences. c Provide guidance on self-quarantining, medical consultation or treatment, and appropriate use of PPE and social distancing according to CDC guidelines if employee reports exposure or symptoms. c Establish communication protocols for notifying employees of a workplace exposure, providing guidance to potentially exposed employees on self-quarantining, COVID-19 symptoms, safe hygiene, contact tracing within the workplace, and heightened use of PPE. Ensure privacy of exposed employee(s) in all communications. c If choosing to do so, establish policy/approach to daily health checks, including reporting symptoms and temperature screening, before entering the workplace in accordance with CDC, EEOC, and state/ local health directives. c Identify necessary communication channels with state and local health agencies and track federal, state, and local governmental agencies that provide updates on the spread of coronavirus and related government directives.

Scheduling

c Identify all individuals who require a modified work schedule due to child care, public transportation, ability to work from home, etc. c Adjust work hours to allow for “shifts” including evening and weekend shifts to reduce the number of employees onsite at one time.

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Travel & Visitors

c Establish safety policy for those whose jobs require travel/client calls/interactions off workplace premises. Consider policy for video conferencing and check-ins with clients. Reach out to clients to adhere to their revised visitor/vendor/client call meeting policies. c Establish policies for guests regarding limiting/restricting access to workplace, health checks, and temperature screening. c Establish policy regarding employee participation in meetings both on and offsite.

HR Policy Review

c Ensure all FFCRA leave request forms are current and up-to-date.

Review Emergency Paid Family Leave requests as schools and daycare centers open up or close down. c Review all PTO policies and consider COVID-related revisions such as special COVID leave for those who have exhausted federal paid leave and personal PTO, consider a communal PTO bank for those with excess PTO given their inability to travel, consider a COVID carry-over or PTO payout for 2020-2021. c Review Workers Compensation policy with insurance carriers to identify any new COVID-19 policy riders or changes to comp policy. c Develop remote/virtual recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding process as necessary.

Leadership

c Communicate employer’s commitment to employee/customer/ community safety and health. c Be positive, supportive, empathetic, understanding, and consistent in all communications with employees. Remember, all eyes are on you and taking your lead on how to respond. c Lead by example on social distancing, PPE use, adhering to new COVID-19 related policies. c Solicit staff input on cleaning office, social distancing, workplace redesign, shifts and breaks, and other workplace adjustments. c Emphasize personal responsibility inside and outside of the workplace.

Training

c Train employees on social distancing and provide guidance on discontinuing hand shaking, touching, hugging. Again, lead by example on social distancing. c Train employees on proper sanitation and prevention techniques including hand washing, covering coughs, cleaning desks, phones, high-touch areas. c If using them, train on proper PPE use and disposal/reuse. c If using them, train on administration of temperature and health screenings. c Train employees on how to safely get to and from the office while commuting and in public.

As you can see, some of these tasks are regulatory and technical and some are inspirational, including leading by example while in your workplace. While returning to work during a global health pandemic is frightening and uncertain, your commitment to safety, communication, and compassion will ensure your workplace and your workers remain productive, healthy and well.

Claudia St. John, SP R, S RM-SCP, President, A nity R Group contact a nityhrgroup.com June 2020

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Montana Lumberyard Folding

Third-generation, family-owned Bear Paw Lumber, avre, Mt., is winding down operations at years of business.

The store began a liquidation sale May 1 that will continue until every last item, from merchandise and equipment to fixtures and furniture, is sold.

Co-owner avid Lohse said the primary reason for the closure is that his partner and son, ess Lohse, is leaving to join the Structural Building Components Association as assistant executive direct.

Rayonier Welcomes Pope

Rayonier Inc. has completed its acquisition of Pope Resources, Poulsbo, Wa. “The completion of this transaction significantly expands and enhances our Pacific Northwest timberland and real estate portfolio,” said avid Nunes, president and CEO of Rayonier.

“It further represents a significant milestone in our long-term strategy of acquiring high-quality timberlands in strong log markets and building long-term value for our shareholders through prudent capital allocation.”

Cable Rail Companies Consolidate in Carson City

Sister brands The Cable Connection and Ultra-tec have consolidated from three buildings to one in Carson City, Nv. The move includes the addition of state-of the-art technology and lean initiatives that will allow the manufacturer to expand services and products.

“We are so pleased to announce the recent move to our new state-of-theart facility in Carson City,” said Neil eargin, CEO of NWI Enterprises.

“The larger space allows all of our cable railing and fittings brands to share the same roof and continue to offer our customers exceptional products and services made in the United States.”

The Cable Connection specializes in made-to-spec, small-diameter wire rope assemblies from small and simple lanyards to complex, tight-tolerance military actuators with custom fittings and everywhere in between.

Ultra-tec, launched by The Cable Connection in 1 , manufactures stainless steel tensioning and mounting hardware designed for cable railings.

Mills Upgrade Grading Tech

The Wilkins family is updating the Lineal igh Grader (L G) systems at its two Pacific Northwest mills to capitalize on eep Learning technology for

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SUPPLIER Briefs Twentynine Palms Builders Supply, Twentynine Palms, Ca., has

reopened one year after a devastating fire.

Western Building Supply

A NEW LHG sensor frame on its slidebase is aligned with the feedworks from the previous vendor’s system that the mill chose to reuse.

improved lumber grade classification and recovery.

The new systems will be installed later this year by USNR at W O, Carson, Wa., and Mt. ood Forest Products, ood River, Or. eep Learning technology will provide enhanced detection of knots, pith, bark, and more defects. New vision sensors, computer hardware, and the latest software load will also be installed.

Roseburg MDF Recertified

Roseburg Forest Products, Springfield, Or., has published its eighth certified Environmental Product eclaration (EP ), providing standardized and objective information about the lifecycle environmental impacts of the company’s wood products, and now including M F. EP s provide consumers with transparent, product-specific environmental information that has been independently validated. EP s help purchasers better understand a product’s sustainable qualities and make more informed choices.

“UL congratulates Roseburg on their eighth EP , which demonstrates their commitment to sustainability while showcasing their willingness to go above and beyond—all in the name of transparency and clarity,” said Alberto Uggetti, P and general manager of UL’s environment and sustainability division. “EP s help their purchasers better understand a product’s sustainable qualities and environmental impacts, empowering them to make more informed purchasing decisions.”

Roseburg M F products manufactured in Medford, Or., include no-added formaldehyde (NAF), moisture resistant and Class 1 (A) fire rated grades.

This M F EP covers the cradle-togate impacts (raw material acquisition and manufacturing) for all products made at the Medford plant, which includes brands such as Arreis, Medite, Medite II, Medex, Medite FR, and Medite .

June 2020

is building a new truss plant in Wheatland, Wy.

Bright Wood laid off 211 workers—about a fifth of its workforce— from its mills in Redmond and Madras, Or., from March through May 1. It hopes to rehire when demand returns.

RedBuilt, Boise, Id., is now exclusive distributor of SmartLam CLT in the Pacific Northwest, West Coast and Southwest, covering California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Montana.

In addition to support, the SmartLam/ Redbuilt partnership will offer a wide array of structural engineered wood solutions, including CLT, GLB, Open Web, I-joists, LVL and connection hardware from a single source, simplifying the building process.

SmartLam operates two modern production facilities in Columbia Falls, Mt., as well as Dothan, Al. Hardwoods Specialty Products is now stocking LIGNIA Wood Co.’s modified timber products at its DCs in Southern California and Phoenix, Az.

Elevations Building Systems , Denver, Co., is now distributing Chelsea Building Products’ Everlast composite sid-

ing in Colorado, Wyoming, western Nebraska, western Kansas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

PrimeSource Building Products inked a North American

sales and distribution agreement with OZCO Building Products, originator of the Ornamental Wood Ties hardware category.

Canfor is permanently closing its Isle Pierre sawmill near Prince George, B.C. Fortress Building Products’

Apex PVC decking was was given the green light for use in California’s Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas.

Building-Products.com

CO LU M B U S ,

O H I O

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N OV E M B E R

R E G I S T E R N O W AT nawla.org

4 – 6

More Industry Events Get the Axe

Still unsure how the travel picture will look in the coming months, additional events have been canceled or postponed, including by Orgill, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Umpqua alley Lumber Association, Inland Lumber Producers Association, Portland Wholesale Lumber Association, and Southern California oo- oo Club.

Orgill, has scrapped its live fall dealer market, originally scheduled for Aug. - in Las egas, and will move to an online event.

“There were a number of factors that led to this decision including an abundance of caution as it relates to the safety of our employees, customers, and vendors as well as consideration for how a market would function in an atmosphere where strict social distancing would likely still be required,” said Orgill president and CEO Boyden Moore.

According to Moore, Orgill will be holding a fall online buying event that will allow the distributor’s retail customers to still take advantage of the buying opportunities and special deals typically found at the live market.

Orgill’s next major event will be its spring dealer market Feb. - , 0 1, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fl. Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s 0 0 annual conference, originally planned for Oct. 0- , has been moved to May 1 -1 , 0 1, in the same location of ancouver, B.C. In the interim, a virtual event—SFI E-Summit—will be held Oct. - , 0 0. Plans for several other virtual opportunities to bring the SFI community together for shared learning are being developed.

Both Umpqua alley Lumber Association’s August customer appreciation event and Inland Lumber Producers Association’s uly golf tournament will not be held this summer, and will regroup for next year.

Portland Wholesale Lumber Association has postponed its annual Logs to Lumber mill tour until further notice.

The annual PWLA-OSU Innovation Summit will be delayed until Setptember or October, while the Christmas luncheon is still on track for ec. .

SoCal oo- oo Club 11 has pushed back its next regular meeting from May 0 to une 1 in Chino, and rescheduled its annual on Gregson Memorial Golf Tournament from une to Oct. in Chino.

West Fraser Tops Billion Foot Club

West Fraser remained the largest global softwood lumber producer in 01 , topping the annual FEA-Canada Billion Board Foot Club list for the twelfth straight year.

The company’s total lumber output was . billion bd. ft., a sharp decline of million bd. ft. from the previous year, partly due to the closure of one B.C. mill.

The same 1 companies that made the FEA Canada Wood Markets list in 01 did so again in 01 , with nine of them suffering decreases. The average decrease in production was . %, in contrast to gains in each of the previous five years.

The collective 01 output of the 1 firms was . billion bd. ft.— 00 million ft. short of 01 ’s . billion bd. ft.. The group’s collective global market share was nearly 1 %, a slight drop from 01 .

Three of the top five firms are based in B.C.: West Fraser, Canfor ( . billion bd. ft., down . %), and Interfor ( . billion bd. ft., up 0. %). oining them in the top five were Weyerhaeuser ( . billion bd. ft., up 1 million ft.) and Georgia-Pacific ( . billion bd. ft.).

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THINKING Ahead

By Eric Ford, Western Lumber

The follow-through ’ term often associated with baseball and other sports, the meaning of “follow-through” goes far beyond that. The definition, as seen in the Free ictionary is: to engage in an action or complete some task that one said or implied one would do. And according to executive coach Cynthia Corsetti, people who consistently apply follow-through “will complete projects on time, on budget, and with satisfied clients.” In a nutshell, that’s how you succeed in the lumber industry.

This is what I’ve learned from a lifetime of dealing in wood. I grew up smack dab in the middle of the industry—my father was the president of Roseburg Forest Products—and although I wasn’t necessarily married to the idea of continuing the family tradition, I’ve only had one job that wasn’t in this sector. Working for Pepsi had its advantages, including all the Mountain ew my 1 -year-old self could drink, but the truth of the matter is that lumber is where my path brought me.

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The Wind-Up

After a promising summer internship, I spent my senior year of college taking classes two days a week and working three days at Patrick Lumber, Portland, Or., which had offered me full-time employment upon graduation. One of the final steps before claiming a business degree was to complete a huge project that required students to build an international company on paper—mapping out the balance sheet, describing how the entity would be profitable, etc. I was already working for an international trading company, so the assignment was a piece of cake.

While some classmates turned in papers that were 0 to 0 pages long, my report was all of 1 pages. The instructor called the work substandard, saying it was way too basic and simple; but the bottom line is that what we do in lumber isn’t rocket science. Actually, it’s basically a service industry The truth of the matter is if you have a good personality and a good heart, if you can be honest and have a high level of integrity and you can

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follow through and take care of people—whether they are suppliers or customers—you can be successful.

Although my professor wasn’t impressed at the time, she came to have an appreciation later. I ran into her after being invited back to my alma mater nine or 10 years later to offer some real-world perspective to a group of seniors.

After giving me a mediocre grade and using my report over the years as an example of what NOT to do, she was shocked that my formula for success hadn’t changed. By then, I had moved on from Patrick to Western Lumber.

At that time, Western was a 1 -million company, and it operated under the same principles of integrity and follow-through that I learned at Patrick and that seem to permeate this industry.

The Big Leagues

Probably one of the most memorable examples in my own experience unfolded when Western Lumber was switching from a regional bank to a global one. We were sitting down with four “suits” who were anxious to review some of our contracts.

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A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association

“We don’t have any,” I told them. “ ou’re going to buy all of this wood internationally and bring it to the United States to sell. What is that based on? Without a contract, how can you be sure the buyers are good for it?”

In response, I retrieved a file folder and presented it to the bank representatives. They opened it only to find a cocktail napkin with barely legible writing scribbled on it.

“What’s this? ” they asked.

“That,” I replied, “is a contract for a million board feet.”

I had spent two days with the owners of multiple sawmills in New ealand, looking at timber and visiting their manufacturing sites. The cocktail napkin represented terms we agreed to around :00 the night before I flew out. I wasn’t worried about a formal contract, because we had integrity. I’ve known this guy for 0 years, I explained, and I believe he’s going to follow through because he said he’s going to follow through. And if he says he’s going to do it, he’s going to do it Now, it’s true that you can follow through and get burned. Not everything’s a win. But you do follow through. The bottom line is if you make a promise to somebody, you honor it. And if, for whatever reason, you can’t honor it, you carry the burden of being the bearer of bad news. es, it sucks. es, it’s uncomfortable.

But when you have the fortitude to tell the truth about a situation, you give your supplier or customer the option of contingency planning versus just kicking the can down the road and crossing your fingers that everything is going to work out. It’s so much better to be honest and open. It might cost you an order at that point in time, but probably what it does is buys you trust.

About NAWLA North American Wholesale Lumber Association is the association that delivers unparalleled access to relationships and resources that improve business strategy and performance through sales growth, cost savings, and operational efficiencies for wholesalers and manufacturers of forest products and other building materials that conduct business in North America.

Learn more about how NAWLA can help your business at nawla.org.

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Team Roseburg

I’ve learned so much over the years, through my own mistakes and the guidance of others. Although I never worked full-time for my family’s company, there’s no shortage of lessons there. My involvement with Roseburg as a shareholder, adviser and member of various boards and committees also helped teach me the fundamentals of follow-through.

My dad, in particular, was instrumental in putting me on the track that I’m on. e gave me two pieces of advice, which are always with me. First, always tell the truth—because then you don’t have to remember what you said—and second, it may take 0 years to build a decent reputation in this business, but it will only take 10 minutes to destroy it. If you don’t have a high sense of integrity and you’re just out there trying to make a fast buck, the lumber industry just isn’t the place for you.

I’ve taken those lessons to heart, and they’re why I run Western Lumber the way I do. I don’t ask my traders, who are independent contractors, to sign non-compete agreements, because I wouldn’t want anyone to ask me to do the same (I still trade every single day). I wouldn’t want, with coronavirus shaking up business the way it is, to start manipulating commission schedules, because I wouldn’t want somebody to do that to me. Work is so much more than business, another value my dad instilled in me: there are people that you have a responsibility for and to.

Home Run

So to bring it home, I repeat: what we do is not rocket science. But it is hard work that requires time and patience. If you continually concentrate on the process, the results will take care of themselves. If you’re only results-oriented, always looking at your comp sheet, you’re in trouble.

But if you create great processes, and you take care of people, things will start to happen.

It’s just an evolution.

And it starts with the follow-through.

– Eric Ford is trader/ majority owner at Western Lumber Co., Medford, Or. (westernlumber.com).

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2020

Do it Best Corp. president/CEO Dan Starr welcomed members to this year’s spring market.

Doing it Best for 75 years... and counting DO IT BEST CORP. may be celebrating its 75th anniversary, but as always its focus remains squarely not so much on its past, but on what it can do for its member dealers today—and how it can keep doing it better into the future.

Do it Best is the only U.S.-based, member-owned buying cooperative in the home improvement industry that’s

fully integrated in hardware, lumber and building materials. With annual sales nearing $4 billion, Do it Best Corp. serves approximately 3,800 member-owned locations across the U.S. and in more than 50 other countries. The co-op employs more than 400 at its global headquarters in Fort Wayne, In., plus thousands more in its eight warehouses (Retail Service

1945

Centers) and 25 reloads.

Member-owners have access to an extensive lineup of SKUs covering everything from LBM and hardware to paint, home décor, and industrial/ commercial supplies.

Every spring and fall, thousands of Do it Best members from every state and dozens of other countries travel

1955

Arnold Gerberding believed dealer-owned cooperatives were essential for keeping hardware stores competitive and independent.

In 1945, he left his job as a home-improvement salesman to start Hardware Wholesalers, Inc. (HWI), a co-op based in Fort Wayne, In., serving locally-owned hardware and lumber stores in the tri-state area.

In 1955, HWI began offering private truck delivery to member stores. The first fleet consisted of two 16-ft. trucks driven by offduty taxi drivers. The fleet expanded rapidly, allowing HWI to provide members with lower cost freight and scheduled deliveries. By the end of the 1950s, the HWI delivery system had been so perfected that it became an important selling point to prospective members.

1947

In August of 1947, all 13 employees of HWI gathered for the groundbreaking of the facility on Nelson Road. HWI’s new, permanent home was completely financed by member-owners.

Ever mindful of expenses, HWI bought fixtures from a grocery store going out of business, and a barn on the 10-acre property was dismantled and the wood used to build storage racks.

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to Indianapolis for high-energy buying markets. Covering more than 500,000 sq. ft., the shows are packed with top industry vendors, offering hot buys, pallet specials, free displays, and—best of all— the opportunity to network face-to-face with experts and fellow retailers.

Members can also take advantage of a full slate of flexible, scalable and customizable programs and services anywhere, including: • The Color Bar in-store paint experience • Exclusive brands like Channellock professional-grade hand tools • An industry-leading rental program • Store Design services • Vast educational opportunities More than ever, Do it Best is focused on growth—by attracting new members The Color Bar in-store paint experience helps empower members to own their markets.

and by helping existing members increase sales and profitability. That focus on growth is reflected in a number of recent initiatives, such as enhancing transportation management, order management, and product information technology; cutting millions of miles out of its distribution routes; improving forecasting accuracy; and optimizing its replenishment systems.

Do it Best trusts that its continuing strides to operate at maximum efficiency and productivity will translate straight to retail members’ bottom lines—well into the future.

Access to member-exclusive brands, such as Channellock, enables dealers to set themselves apart from the competition.

1971

Wolf believed the only way HWI could grow beyond a mere regional supplier was to establish warehouses in other areas. Cape Girardeau, Mo., was selected for its first standalone warehouse because of its strategic location to serve the South and West as well as the lucrative St. Louis market. Other locations in Dixon, Il., and Medina, Oh., soon followed, and now eight facilities across the country serve Do it Best members.

1967

In 1967, Don Wolf succeeded Gerberding as president & CEO of HWI. Wolf continued to strengthen and expand HWI by taking the co-op from a regional company to a multinational corporation with over $1 billion in sales. His commitment to volunteerism has become a permanent part of the Do it Best culture.

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1979

HWI expanded into a global operation in 1979 when its first international member joined the co-op, Panama Do it Center. Today, Do it Best boasts hundreds of international members in more than 50 countries all around the world.

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Anawalt Lumber Co., Los Angeles, Ca.

Ready for your makeover?

TIME FOR A REFRESH? The Signature Store Design service offers a flexible, comprehensive, and scalable design approach that helps Do it Best members respond to consumers’ increased demand for style and convenience.

The co-op’s experienced team of store design experts helps members select and execute the right strategy to increase store

performance through a design that fits their unique market and location—regardless of their footprint.

With an emphasis on their local brand, specialists work with the dealers to create and implement interior and exterior store designs that boost their market position, integrate their store with the Do it Best programs of their choice, and improve the overall shopping experience for their contractor customers.

Recently, Do it Best worked with the team at Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware Supply, Carrollton, Mo., to design and develop a boldly re-imagined, brand new 22,000-sq. ft. facility, simultaneously transforming the existing yard into a full-service, drive-up lumberyard.

The store design team also worked recently with Anawalt Lumber Co., Los Angeles, Ca., on a complete renovation of its Hollywood store, inside out. The layout was reconfigured to improve traffic flow. The dingy tile floor was torn up and replaced with contemporary, polished concrete. The addition of The Color Bar added a modern design workstation to the paint department.

New fixtures and signage—including archive photos dating back more than 90 years to the earliest days of the historic store— were incorporated into the new interior.

Stores that have completed the program have, on average, experienced double-digit sales increases.

Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware Supply, Carrollton, Mo.

1982

1998

In 1982, HWI revolutionized the look of stores in the home improvement industry with the Do it Center design. The bright colors and signage made stores look bigger and products easier to find. So overwhelming was the response that the press reported, “HWI can legitimately lay claim to ignite the resurgence in hardware retailing, and even its co-op competitors concede its Do it Center program has been a rousing success.”

In 1998, HWI combined with Our Own Hardware, a Minnesota-based regional co-op.

As a result of the merger, HWI changed its name to Do it Best Corp. to better tie together members, the private brand program, truck fleet, store designs, and advertising. The histories of both co-ops are closely intertwined; when Arnold Gerberding researched co-ops he talked with Our Own Hardware founder George Hall to get ideas.

1992

Mike McClelland succeeded Don Wolf as president & CEO in 1992. He joined HWI in 1974, working in an entry-level position in personnel before later becoming VP of sales & marketing and then executive vice president. McClelland’s focus on serving members resulted in a period of tremendous growth for the company despite intense competition from big boxes.

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2020

BORN READY. Recessions and trade wars.

Big box and online competition.

Floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes–– even a global pandemic. Throughout the last 75 years, Do it Best has faced disruptions of every kind. Disruptions we were born to overcome. Together, we have proven we have the strength, agility, and wisdom to be there for each other and our communities.

While no one can know what the next 75 years will hold, we are confident that we will continue to help our member-owners grow and succeed— because we will do what we were born to do. Together.

BE A PART OF THE NEXT 75. doitbestlbm.com

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2020

Do it Best gives back DO IT BEST CORP. is taking its history of community involvement to the next level, with its recent launch of the Do it Best Foundation. The program will distribute grants to organizations that align with its giving pillars and generate the biggest impact in their communities to help them be great places to live, work and play.

“Do it Best has a long tradition of supporting local causes and agencies that are committed to serving the needs of others,” said Dan Starr, president and CEO of Do it Best Corp.

“We have been inspired to take that commitment to the next level with the formation of the Do it Best Foundation, where we look forward to offering even more support to community organizations and initiatives.”

The new foundation will focus on four key areas for its charitable giving: • Health and wellness: ensuring there are adequate resources to support the growth of healthy families.

• Youth enrichment: encouraging developmental, educational and extracurricular activities to strengthen the minds and bodies of children and prepare them for successful futures.

• The Community: developing stronger connections among our citizens and building a greater appreciation for what makes our neighborhoods and towns unique and worth preserving.

Over the years, Do it Best has supported Habitat for Humanity and many other charitable organizations.

• The Arts: supporting vibrant culture displayed through creativity.

A dedicated committee reviews requests for funding.

Do it Best has been a long-time supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior Achievement, the United Way, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity, and other causes.

2016

In 2016, Dan Starr was named the new president & CEO of Do it Best Corp. Starr served in a variety of leadership roles over the previous decade, including several years as executive vice president and COO. With his attention to detail and solid decision making, Starr established himself as a model servantleader and continued the legacy of strong leadership at Do it Best.

2002

Bob Taylor succeeded Mike McClelland as Do it Best Corp. president & CEO in 2002. After becoming president of his family’s chain of hardware stores in Virginia Beach, Va., Taylor served on the Do it Best board of directors before joining the co-op in 2000 as senior VP. Through Taylor’s broad experience, he sharpened the retail focus of Do it Best and its programs and services.

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Today, Do it Best is the only U.S.-based, member-owned buying cooperative in the home improvement industry that’s fully integrated in hardware, lumber and building materials. With annual sales nearing $4 billion, Do it Best Corp. serves thousands of memberowned locations across the U.S. and in more than 50 other countries.

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LEADERS IN LBM

2020

level as well as from a program level and buying opportunities.

A TOTAL SOLUTION Gary Nackers Vice President – LBM

Q. Did you come to Do it Best from another segment of the industry?

I was with a home improvement retailer for a little over 20 years before coming to Do it Best 21 years ago. I saw things from the other side, what our members face every day. For me it was time to take what I’d learned in those 20+ years, and see how I could help others. HWI had completed the merger with Our Own Hardware and had just changed their name to Do it Best about a year before I came on.

Q. What was the reason for the recent restructuring of the LBM Division?

Our growth has been rapid in the lumber and building materials side.

What we’re trying to do is make sure we’re positioned the best way for continued growth and enhance our ability to serve both our really large member relationships as well as our small member relationships. This new alignment will get us there.

The new role of the product sales manager is giving us a whole lot more focus on the individual categories. By doing that, we expect that we’ll have better relationships with the vendors, we’ll have more buying opportunities for the members, and improved programs going forward. There are a lot of benefits that will come to the member side of this, from a service 38

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Q. To what do you attribute the growth spike you have enjoyed in LBM over the last decade?

Part of the reason is we’re very unique in the industry in that we can offer the total solution. If you look at us compared to our competitors on the hardlines side—the Aces, the True Values, the Orgills—we do a lot of the same things they do as far as hardware distribution. Ace, for example, will have a lot of comparable retail programs to ours. But they really don’t have a solution for the LBM side of the business.

And if you look at our competitors on the LBM side of the business—the LMCs, the LBM Advantages—they have a lot of the same vendor relationships that we do, but they really can’t provide a solution for the hardlines side of the business, which really is needed for today’s pro dealers.

Then in between that you’ve got all the programs and services, like yard and showroom design, and marketing efforts that we help our members with.

So I believe that total-solution approach has helped escalate our growth as well because in talking to a lot of larger dealers coming over to Do it Best, it’s because they feel we can provide more.

Q. What are some of the reasons dealers say are causing them to switch?

One, it’s easier doing business with us. Services have certainly come up in our conversations, because they feel better connected to our team and willing to work with our team. We believe we are the largest reloader in the industry. We have more inventory on the ground, that’s owned by us and our members, than anyone else. The reason is if you look at the yards today, the percentage that have rail siding and the ability to take cars directly into their yards is diminishing rapidly. So that’s one way to get them product. They can usually source it more efficiently and at better pricing than they’re going to get perhaps buying it through distribution.

The other part of that is the ability to have inventory within a matter of days vs. a matter of weeks, if they’re ordering it from a mill direct and it’s coming by car from Canada. We can offer just-in-time inventory, competitive pricing, and the ability to fill in even if you’re a large yard that’s buying direct carloads from mills. Or we have mem-

June 2020

bers, even some of our larger members, who are saying they like the idea of just-in-time inventory, so they choose to buy through that reload system as opposed to even buying direct.

That changed a little bit when we came through the recession. The reloads were really important then because business was down for even the bigger dealers and they didn’t want to bring in as much inventory. The reloads were a solution. I think what a lot of our dealers recognized, having gone through that recession, is there’s a benefit to just-in-time inventory. They look at the improved cash flow. It takes a lot of the volatility out of the market for them, and because they’re buying it and receiving it almost immediately as opposed to buying at the prices that are drastically deflated by the time they get the product four weeks later.

Q. Are all 25 reloads east of the Rockies?

We have a couple of reloads out west that we bring specialty product in.

But the mills out west have generally sourced their products on truckloads anyway, so it doesn’t make sense to bring in product, unload it, and load it back on to a truck and deliver it.

Primarily what we use them for is for spruce coming out of Canada, where we’ll bring carloads in. So the other benefit to the members is they can mix a truck up with exactly what products they want, as opposed to taking a car where you don’t always have the tallies that you want and you kind of have to take whatever mix is available. We do some, we bring some southern yellow pine into the reloads. That’s starting to go more into the west.

Q. Do you handle much volume from the Pacific Northwest or from overseas?

We source in from the mills out there. Again, they will normally ship their product on trucks right out of the mill and we’ll source that from the mill and it will be delivered right into the dealers’ yards.

We’re starting to do more Euro wood. That’s a growing category for us.

Just right now because of pricing it’s favorable. Product has recently been a good. So we are starting to recognize its potential as well.

Q. What can you share about your reinvigorated treated wood program?

It’s been a large category for us, but it’s been one quite honestly we felt needed more attention. By that I mean Building-Products.com

really helping our members understand what’s the best program for them based on the locations around them. I think we’ve got a relationship with pretty much all the treaters out there, but it’s helping our members reassess, “Just because you’ve always been dealing with this treater, let’s try and find you a value. Maybe you’re with the best program, maybe you’re not. Let’s look at it.” We’ve had some great success with that already. And by doing that even if our members start to shift some of their business to consolidate to some of those treaters, we hope to bring more value with things like enhanced rebates.

Q. What’s next?

There’s a lot in the pipeline as far as relationships we’re looking to bring on board with Do it Best. As we continue to grow, we will continue to build out our team. It’s really interesting. When you look where we were 20, 30 years ago, to where we are today it’s a dramatic growth and change, and we’ve built out our staff. But we’re going to continue to do that. We’re very committed.

Do it Best has a diverse membership group, anything from small hardware

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stores to home centers to the pro dealers to industrial/commercial suppliers. We see the building materials business as being a very, very important part of that. And it gets back to what I mentioned earlier about the total solution.

We are fortunate to have a leadership team and board of directors that truly understand how important LBM is to our overall business. We recognize we are unique in being the only co-op that is fully integrated across lumber, building materials, and hardware—and in the unique opportunities it provides our members. It’s a responsibility we obviously take very seriously.

We’ve done a lot with improving how we can continue bringing new people in, and get them educated. As you know, the industry doesn’t have a lot of available experience out there right now. So we’ve been really focused on making sure we can build up staff knowledge in the right way to make sure they can serve our members even better. But also on the member side with programs like our LBM School, we’ve recognized that our members

are faced with the same thing. They’re needing right now to go out and bring people into their organization from outside of the lumber and building materials industry. It might be somebody who’s brand new to the industry.

What we’ve done is we’ve recognized that and put a plan together to help them out with that. So the LBM School is formatted to address the range from beginner to intermediate education, overall high level education on LBM. We can help them get started and continue that development moving forward.

The best part of our team is you’ve got folks who have been in the industry their whole lives, 40 years.

That provides our team with a lot of industry knowledge. And you’ve got the younger ones who are coming into it who are working with the experienced folks, leveraging their knowledge, and then also looking and saying, “Okay, how can we make that different?

Better?” We’re all about doing it better.

That combination of younger energy coming in with our industry experience has really worked out well for us and our members.

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to report to. Our board of directors is all members. We report back to the membership that owns us. All day, every day, we are there for them. Exclusively them. That type of passion, that type of opportunity— financial stuff aside—is a big part of the value our team brings to our membership.

Q. So the advantages go beyond price?

Price is price, and price fluctuates.

The volume that our combined membership has does bring them better opportunities. It brings them a consolidated source for all their products. We’re the only one in the industry that does what we do. We’re the only ones that are full hardlines, full LBM. If you are in both those businesses, we’re the only one who’s a one-stop shop for everything. I think that efficiency matters, in particular as companies have to do more and optimize every resource. We’re that.

We’re a resource for that and that matters directly to the bottom line.

MEMBER FOCUSED Mike Ter Molen Director – LBM Operations

Q. Has Do it Best always been heavy to LBM? Hardware Wholesalers Inc. was more focused on the hardlines side in the beginning. It grew to include LBM. In the mid-1980s, we were a $50 million division, and we’ve steadily grown as our membership has grown.

Q. What’s the difference for retailers between dealing with Do it Best vs. a traditional wholesaler?

Well, with a co-op, it’s their company.

We’re an extension of our members, we work solely for them. We can’t sell to anybody who’s not a member of Do it Best. When we wake up in the morning to come into the office, the only thing we’re there to do is help our members grow. That is it. There is no nothing beyond that. We are there for them.

They are our owner, our customer, and it’s an extremely rare dynamic.

It’s hard to appreciate if you’re not part of it, but if you enjoy that servant leadership, being a part something that is really truly a partnership and a group effort, there’s no better place to work than Do it Best.

Q. In a real-life scenario, how does that work out to benefit members?

Well, for the member you have someone who has your best interest in mind, and is only concerned about growing you and your company. No Wall Street 40

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Q. Has the division changed much over the years, beyond its increase in size?

In my 20 years here, some things have not changed at all—and for good reason. When we talk about that servant leadership attitude and that culture of members first, you work for them.

We are here as a resource and to be responsive to member’s needs, but also to be an aggressor on their behalf. That is constant and stable and continues to grow and grow. Size and scope have changed, but the core part has not.

we will be responsive to help solve that problem. But also we will work aggressively on our members’ behalf, working with mills and manufacturers to make sure our members are seeing opportunities, leveraging our data with them to be proactively looking out 90 days, 120 days. It is a true balance that you have to have, and we are going to continue to push ourselves to excel in both those areas.

That’s really what the future’s about.

It’s not about product or a product group, or lumber or building materials.

It’s about being there for our membership, and we’re excited about what we can bring to that and we’re going to continue to look to expand and grow.

We have a wonderful history in the LBM industry. But as wonderful as it is, I’m so excited about what’s ahead. There are a lot of challenges and there’s a lot of pressure in being an independent lumber dealer. But I get to work with young dealers every day. There is such a bright future for them. There are good people coming through the system. It’s a great place to be.

Q. What’s next?

We are at a really exciting time for Do it Best and for this industry. We’ve had aggressive growth over the last several years on the lumber side. We are committed to continue to grow that segment of our business.

For the independent lumber retailer, our passion is to be the first choice and best choice, period. Yes, there are ways we can always improve. Our team is dynamic—focused on continuous improvement and responding to a marketplace that’s very agile, and becoming more agile every day. We continue to work on being adaptive, being agile, and being both responsive and aggressive. The responsive part is if something happens, we’ve got you.

We will solve whatever comes your way, whether it’s a truck that’s late or you had a run on a product and you’re out—whatever the need of today is,

June 2020

NEW RESOURCES Josh Ratcliff Division Manager – Lumber & Reload Operations

Q. Share how Do it Best is constantly pursuing and giving high responsibility to newer folks.

I have hired lots of younger folks and trained them from the ground up. And they are doing quite well. I Building-Products.com

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don’t think that this industry is known for recruiting a lot of young people.

It’s been an aging demographic, but I believe in building a bench. There’s strength out there. The experience and expertise we have on our team plays a big part in training. We pride ourselves on getting new team members up and running quickly and effectively.

We also have specialists. We recently reorganized the department from having to be a trader who handles lumber, specialties, and everything else for one account. We’ve taken it from that to now specialists where I have a spruce manager who’s over all SPF, and he handles that group. That group sells to larger pro dealers, they’re specifically for them for spruce. Then that same account will have a different person on panels. So the specialists can focus on the market, they can be more in tune with what the market’s doing.

Not only is that better for the member, but it’s better for us because we’re able to move more volume through them because we’re on top of it.

Q. You’ve been a leader in moving toward analytics in the LBM Division.

How is it going?

I very much believe in forecasting, not just moving day to day, but in knowing where we should be and how we’re trending—and what that means for the company. So in my prior position I was the director of pricing and inventory control, so we did a lot of analytics. We built a lot of what they still use today as far as helping the stores with market and inventory.

I joined Do it Best in January of 2018.

So we have put a lot of that in place here, and we’re employing an enhanced analytical approach to purchasing inventory for our reload centers, for example. It’s helped us greatly control that and be more agile in the market.

As it moves up and down, we can be a better resource for our members.

Q. How does that benefit members?

Well, it’s greatly impacting them for a lot of different reasons. Look at the situation we’re in right now, where we really didn’t know if the market was going to fall off a cliff and demand was going to go to zero, or if it was going to stay strong. So we’re set up now to weather something like this very well, because we can react faster. Our

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approach to analytics helps us be more agile and proactive on behalf of our members, which is especially important in times like these. A lot of that comes from just making sure that we’re prepared and looking at the analytics behind everything that’s going on.

Q. The lumber industry can be resistant to change. How receptive have members been to employing these new tools?

I believe they’ve been happy, both with the restructure and with the new resources. Someone new may have new ideas. For some members, it did take a little longer. We have one who was apprehensive about moving to a team of market specialists. He didn’t want to change, but very quickly he feels he’s better prepared to tackle his challenges from day to day, just because he’s more knowledgeable; he’s speaking to someone who’s a specialist in a specific category.

With analytics, in the beginning there was a learning curve. I talked to one member who was concerned because when the market moves we’re going to move, to try to be ahead of it. We move on the market now. We’re very cognizant of what the market’s doing and using that data to make smarter buying decisions on behalf of our members. So if the market’s falling, we’re coming off the market. We’re not just trying to hold one price. So we’re in front of them, showing them where the market is.

We’ve also been very proactive sending out text messages and specific emails to people on what changes are going on in their market. Any change, we’re on top of that, we’re in front of it.

So we’re using a lot of that information and getting that in front of them at a corporate level and at a trader level so that all levels of their company are aware of the things that are going on.

Q. What does Do it Best see on the horizon?

We are going to continue to grow in all aspects of our business. Our reload network isn’t getting smaller, it’s getting bigger. We’re getting smarter as far as transloading and we use everything, from the futures market as far as hedging our own inventory against wholesalers there and we’re a lot more proactive. There are areas we want to grow and we’re making sure we take advantage of those growth opportunities.

June 2020

VENDOR PARTNERS Jean Fahy Division Manager – Building Materials

Q. Did you join Do it Best from within the industry?

Yes. For my whole career I’ve been in construction. I started out selling windows and doors and cabinets for a pro dealer in Tucson, Az. I ended up working for Masco Cabinet Group selling directly to the builder in Tucson.

I was made national account manager pretty quickly. I then worked for a builder after that. Seven and a half years ago, I joined Do it Best.

Q. Is the Building Material Division team divided by product category?

Yes, we have a drywall team that focuses on drywall, steel studs, mud.

We have a roofing and insulation team.

We have a millwork team. And we have direct programs for cabinets, flooring and major appliances. When it comes to building materials, it’s everything you put on the lumber or in the house—that whole gamut of exterior and interior.

Q. No matter the type of product, is it sold the same way?

No. We have direct truckload programs that our larger members are buying and then we have a lot of distribution partners that our smaller members are going to buy from. Our larger members are also buying a lot more through distribution than they did 10 years ago, especially in roofing and insulation. So we pride ourselves on being agile and well positioned to Building-Products.com

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2020

handle changes in buying habits and members’ needs extremely well.

We help our members source products in the most cost-effective and efficient way to meet their needs—whether it’s through our strong direct vendor programs or our many distribution partners. We are going to help you order it or order it for you if you want. We are going to track it and make sure the terms on the invoice are right. If there’s a problem we can follow up for you. We want to be linked with our distribution partners. Now every single one of them is what we call a Preferred Distributor, ones we work hand in hand with. Our account executives and specialists are talking to them all through the week, asking how they can help and what’s the recommendation. If we don’t do that, what value are we to the vendor partner? I believe my experience and background help me understand the needs of our vendor partners and how they can best help us serve our members. So I’m always thinking about the value we are bringing to the vendor partner.

Q. What are retailers’ top advantages of being able to buy through Do it Best?

There’s obviously the purchasing power of it. The biggest shift right now is getting to the point with the markets that we are really understanding the options. If we see good prices come up at a particular manufacturer, or if a distributor has a good deal, we bring those opportunities up, or we recommend they go this direction and why.

So the advantage is really having us keep our fingers on that market. The member may or may not have their pulse on it. We can be a check. “Yeah, that’s what I’m hearing, too,” or “No, I don’t agree with that.” “Well, look at this.” “Oh, I didn’t know about that.” We’ll look at the market, regionally and what’s happening nationally. Dealers don’t have that kind of exposure all the time.

Q. Has that become a greater focus with the increasing availability of analytics?

Yes, and we’ll improve upon that greatly as we move forward over the next couple of years. We want to be more proactive and predictive, rather than reactive, which unfortunately the industry’s kind of wired that way.

Another big advantage of the co-op is education. We dedicate extensive resources to LBM-specific training and continuing education. Programs like 44

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LBM School and School of Design give members hands-on training and insights to ensure they’re staying in front in their markets. It’s critical. I’ve got my team working with members right now on how they can sell a system, rather than “You want a price on housewrap? Oh, you want something less expensive? Do you know the true cost of having this housewrap vs. a quality housewrap?

What do you put with it?”

Education, especially in leadership development, is one thing our members don’t have a lot of access to. Everyone knows we’ve got a major challenge with the talent retiring and nothing in the middle because of the downturn in the economy and with new people who don’t know what they’re doing, and how do we get them up to speed quickly.

Q. What has been the member reaction to dealing with different people for different products?

Any time you have change there can be some uncertainty, but most members are really happy with it. For others, it’s going to take just a little bit of time before they get used to talking to somebody else. The most common concern, as you might expect, has been about moving from dealing with one person to potentially dealing with three or four. But members are already seeing that as a benefit and advantage—they know they’re talking with someone focused on that specific product and can get the information and answers they need right away.

Part of it is, like anything else, we’ve got to prove it. We have really talented people, so let people who really know what they’re doing be the experts.

The vendor partners are really excited about it because they can work closely and collaboratively with one dedicated product manager. Every vendor partner we talk to is stoked.

They just have to know the product manager and those specialists. Think about that synergy of communication.

Q. What’s next?

From my perspective, it’s taking our industry-leading approach to training and education directly to the builders.

You get the builders to come to that and it sells itself. It’s transformational.

I think the new talent we’re bringing into our team and our ability to develop them fully and quickly is as important as it’s ever been. It’s inspiring to see that training and teamwork kick in.

June 2020

SPECIALIZED Joe Corah Division Manager – Panels, Distribution & Specialty Products

Q. What major changes have occurred during your 40 years with Do it Best?

Over the past several years we’ve really strived to change our model to become more aggressive, increasing communication with the members and having staff do what they’re good at.

Now we have staff that really specialize in a product. They always did. They always had a responsibility to buy one product, and they know more about that product than anything else, but they were also selling other products.

Now we’ve got panel buyers buying panels, lumber brokers buying lumber, and down within each species, whether it’s Canadian spruce, western SPF, or southern yellow pine, and we’ve already seen a bigger increase quicker than I anticipated.

I always called it “sell what you buy.”

When a guy who buys OSB talks to a member, you can hear the conviction in his voice, you can believe what he’s saying because that’s what he does day in and day out. The same guy who was selling other products, like spruce or yellow pine, you could tell that same conviction wasn’t there. So the OSB buyer would be a great OSB salesperson and an average lumber salesperson.

Now we’ve separated those. It just took place the first of January, but we’ve seen our direct business increase considerably. To be honest, it’s been a little surprising to me that it’s gone so Building-Products.com

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quickly. The groups have taken more block positions, because specializing in one product, they know what their dealers buy. The groups meet multiple times a week to discuss where the market’s going, what they should do about it, possibly taking positions, and then getting that information out to the membership.

Q. What’s been the effect on members?

Really the only real change is instead of talking to one person, you’re talking to at max three on the lumber side.

But we’ve done the same thing on the building materials side where there are now product specialists in gypsum and insulation and roofing. So someone who moves a large volume of product on that side could also talk to different ones.

Q. What’s the main difference between buying LBM through Do it Best vs. going to a traditional wholesaler?

We don’t talk our position. If we own product, it doesn’t do us any good to tell a member something that’s not real.

Sometimes we own product and the market has gone soft and we have a truck or two to move, we’re gonna tell them, “Hey, if you don’t need product, don’t buy right now, but if you need it, let’s talk about what I’ve got.” Whereas someone who is highly incentivized to make sure their product gets moved, may not share the most accurate information. They may sell their position in how they talk to dealers.

We’ve seen increases in both panels and lumber the last couple weeks that we haven’t seen in a few months, so it’s like how far do you chase it? That’s the sort of stuff members talk about with their person at Do it Best: How far do you think this is gonna go? Should I cover myself? Where do you think it’s gonna be in 60 days? We share the information we’ve gleaned from talking to different mills and wholesalers. We try to understand what the market’s going to do and then give as much information to our members so they can make an educated decision. We make decisions and buy blocks based on what we think is going to happen and then go out and sell them, but we give that same information to the member and have them decide “Do I want to participate? Where’s my inventory right now?

What projects do I have sold? What do I need to sell to cover my profit?”

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Q. What are the primary advantages with choosing Do it Best?

I think it’s a handful of things.

Depending on the size of yard, buying may not be the buyer’s full-time job. He could also be in operations, he could run the yard, especially since the mid2000s when you had to pare back the number of employees. Unfortunately, the things that had to be done didn’t go away. They still had to be done. So one of the most important things is building a relationship that they can trust and then helping leverage their time—we go out, do the shopping, come back with the results, and then help them make that decision. It’s still their decision. We want to make sure we’re giving them the options that best fit their needs.

Q. Any examples?

Absolutely. Let’s pick on OSB. With yellow pine, there are mills all across the South. When it comes to OSB, there are just a handful of major manufacturers, so the sheer volume we do with those gives us the opportunity to look at buys because we can move product and move it quietly in many cases, we get opportunities that others don’t see.

Another thing is we’re also a huge reloader of wood across the U.S., primarily east of the Rockies. But we have multiple locations that we’re taking wood into all the time. It doesn’t make a difference if the market’s high, in the middle, or low, we’re taking wood away because we’ve built the members’ trust that we’re going to have product, the grade they need, the product they need, and ship it out of the reload in a timely manner. That really gives us a lot of leverage with producers. When a producer has a dozen cars they need to move quietly, we can absorb them into our reloads, take advantage of what opportunities they’ve given us, and pass them along to the membership.

Q. What’s next?

In my opinion, the growth curve is really coming at us. We’re seeing a lot of growth in lumber and panel products, and the biggest issue—and opportunity— is talent. We’re very focused on attracting young talent to our team, as well as training them quickly and comprehensively. We’re excited about the dedicated training programs we’ve developed and in seeing the results they’re bringing about in our young talent.

June 2020

EXPERIENCED Todd Hixson LBM Business Development Manager

Q. What are some of the changes you’ve seen over your 40 years?

When I started back in 1980, a 2x4 is the same 2x4 it is now, size-wise at least. It has really come down to technology is able to do more work, to sell more than I could 40 years ago. From the portability of a laptop and a smartphone. I don’t even know if we had voicemail back in 1980. Faxes weren’t even around. We used a Telex.

So it’s just so much different. I’m sitting here with two 22-inch screens in front of me, being able to be better support for our membership, which they need now more than ever. Heck, when I first started, for sawmills we dealt with it wasn’t an order until they got your confirmation in the mail.

“Yeah, we’ll hold the phone order for X amount of time.” There was a young lady at the time who hand-typed our confirmations on an electric typewriter and put them in the mail every day.

Every Monday, we’d get together as a group and go over what we called our Shipments New List. And we had to make phone calls to check on orders.

The vast majority of mills we deal with, now you go to their website. You can get live information while you have the member on the phone to tell them.

“Hey, it’s ready,” or “It’s not ready,” or “A truck’s picked it up, here’s the trucking company, or here’s the rail car.”

We can do more work with fewer people. I’ve been there since 1980 and Building-Products.com

we’ve never laid anybody off, even during what they called the Great Recession in the mid-2000s. We continued to grow our business, because we were there for our members.

Q. What are some ways members benefit from this growth and increasing use of technology?

What they’ve gained is better information quicker. Now when a person calls in and asks, “Where’s my car? Has it left yet?,” we go right in and it’s either a yes or no right away. And if it’s yes, here’s the car number, here’s what the tally exit to ship, and it’s not a back and forth, “I’ll call you back,” and you call the mill, and you don’t get ahold of anybody, and they call you back. Most of our time in the ‘80s was spent just on that back and forth. So it has helped them considerably.

Plus our inventories that we keep in our reloads are online, and they’re live to us. If someone says I’m looking for this, before—when we were just starting with reloads—we just had a terminal that showed us what the inventory was, but it wasn’t live. If you put an order in, it didn’t go down until someone physically somewhere else did that. Now I can look up inventory and I can punch an order in the same time I’ve got a person on the phone and get that inventory for them, rather than waiting for a few hours to really know for sure that we still have that inventory or someone sold it before me.

that members thought it was going to slow down, too, and it’s not, so they’re having to buy. There are those outlier states—Michigan, Pennsylvania—that have shut down construction. But other areas are going great guns.

The virus appears to be worse where people live on top of people. In Phoenix, you don’t live on top of each other.

There aren’t the masses like there are in the big cities, so in talking to members, they anticipate an accelerated growth once they get through this because

people see there are other benefits to Phoenix besides warm weather.

So we’ll come out of this and still the shortage of housing will be there.

People may be a little more cautious money-wise until they make sure they’re back on their feet totally. But I think late third or in the fourth quarter, barring a return visit from the virus in the fall, we’re looking at the next couple of years to be really good for our industry.

Q. How does Do it Best’s intriguing mix of experience and young, new people benefit Do it Best and the membership?

For starters, previously, you did everything. Someone would call in and say, “I’m looking for a truckload of 16 Perfection.” Nowadays if a new person gets asked that question, they have no clue. By having people like Joe and me, and others who have been here more than 30 years, and others who have been here more than 20, that knowledge has grown. It’s absorbed by osmosis, by sitting next to a person and hearing them talk. That’s the importance of having senior experience.

Q. What’s ahead, short and long term?

Both definitely look different. Right at the moment, one of the things that has got my head spinning is we’re still selling so much product. I thought we would have slowed down by now because of what’s going on, but we’re not. I think what has happened is Building-Products.com

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WHY DO IT BEST? THE MEMBERS SPEAK

2020

Adam Hendrix, President Chic Lumber, St. Peters, Mo.

Joe Gaca, CEO Kellogg Supply, Manteo, N.C.

Member since 1979

“The buying power we have through the lumber division is second to none. They help us buy at the right times, and our lumber traders keep us abreast of what the market is doing.”

Member since 2001

“Do it Best is an extension of our team that is as committed to our growth as those of us on site at Kellogg Supply. Their innovative approaches and dedication are much appreciated.”

Brian Mundy, President Hackmann Lumber, Troy, Mo. Member since 1968

“It’s a changing world and Do it Best has just been that consistent partner throughout the years, a constant presence.

Price has been the biggest advantage; we are a small million-dollar company competing with billion-dollar companies.”

Pete Meichtry, VP Ganahl Lumber, Anaheim, Ca. Member since 1989

Jared Crowther, President Hess Lumber, Malad City, Id. Member since 1993

“We joined Do it Best because they seemed to offer a broader selection in the building trade than we ever had before. The first flyer we sent out offered storm doors— we sold more storm doors on that first flyer than we sold for several years prior.

“Being a member of Do it Best has been the best move we have ever made. Our business has grown substantially because of them and the way they do business with us.”

“Being a member with Do it Best helps us manage store inventory by utilizing CSC’s, provides in-store support, and enhances relationships with manufacturers.”

Austin Huskey, Purchasing Manager Huskey Truss & Building Supply, Franklin, Tn. Member since 1988

“Do it Best is very strong in commodities.

We lean on them for market info and great deals. With their support, we are able to do things we couldn’t do on our own.”

Brady Albright, General Manager Krempp Lumber Co., Jasper, In. Member since 1983

“We have 50+ suppliers/sales representatives that we work with on a regular basis. Do it Best representatives have separated themselves by always being there to support all facets of our business, always providing us with intellectual guidance and exceptional service! Do it Best truly is the ‘Best Source’ for many facets of our business.”

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John Holmes, Owner Holmes Building Materials, Baton Rouge, La. Member since 1995

“Do it Best has great relationships with big manufacturers that we want to carry.

They have programs with virtually every brand that we need.”

June 2020

Robert Ashley, President/CEO Triple “A” Lumber, Canton, N.Y. Member since 1992

“There are a lot of co-ops out there, but only one has the vision to see beyond the yard. I get more than lumber from Do it Best. I get ideas and programs that help me grow my business, from people who take my success personally. Since lumber is a primary focus of my co-op, they offer options the others can’t—like the reserved inventory program, which allows me to make advance purchases at a specific price, from a specific mill. Now I can make the most of my selling season by investing only in the product I need and products are ready when I need them. As a full service co-op, Do it Best Corp. helps me offer more products, all while returning the industry’s best rebates. And that gives me an EDGE. “Do it Best Roundtable gives me fabulous friends from around the country that I can ask a question and get several responses in minutes—most likely something they have already dealt with or can give suggestions.

“Do it Best leads all the other cooperatives in plenty of categories but two of the most important to me are gross profit per employee and salaries & wages as a percentage of net sales.”

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MOVERS & Shakers Orson May, cedar trader, American International Forest Products, Beaverton, Or., has retired after years in the industry.

Rob Robinette, ex-Sierra Forest Products, is new to sales at Archirectural Woods, ancouver, Wa.

Brad Southern, CEO, LP Building Solutions, Nashville, Tn., has added the title of chairman of the board.

Mike Howell has been installed as president and CEO of Parr Lumber Co., illsboro, Or., following the April retirement of Doug Wirges.

Larry Oenning, ex-LP, has joined APA The Engineered Wood Association, as ancouver, Wa.based engineered wood specialist.

Paul Kibsgaard has been named CEO of aterra, Menlo Park, Ca.

Nick Larr, ex-Feeney Inc., has joined eckorators as Phoenix-Az.-based regional sales mgr.

Scott Morin, ex-Sierra Pacific Windows, is now enver, Co., territory sales mgr. for Prime Window Systems, Union Gap, Wa.

Joseph Kueter is new to Spenard Builders Supply, Anchorage, Ak., as market merchandise mgr.

Cory Joslin, ex-Pine Tree Lumber, has joined ixieline Lumber, Solana Beach, Ca., as sales mgr.

Roman Scott, ex-Alliance oor Products, has moved to Fiberon, as Seattle, Wa.-based regional mgr.-Northwest.

Dennis Rogstad, ACS American Construction Source, Breckenridge, Co., has been promoted to senior regional P over the Colorado, Mountain West, and Phoenix, Az., divisions.

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Lee Weaver, Roseburg Forest Products, Medford, Or., has been promoted to regional reliability mgr.

Katie Irlando has been named human resources director for Alpine Lumber, Westminster, Co. Bryan McMeekin, ex-Olympic Resource Management, is now timber marketing mgr. with Rayonier, Chehalis, Wa. Brad Woolace has been promoted to industrial commercial product mgr. for o it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, In.

June 2020

Bhupinder Jhajj, ex-Trans Pacific Trading, is now in specialties export sales at San Group, Langley, B.C. Tanya Luthi, P-structures, Entuitive, and Tom Chung, Leers Weinzapfel Associates, have been elected to the board of WoodWorks. Continuing on the board are chief marketing officer Ryan Flom; Joe Patton, Westervelt Co.; John Beers III, Georgia-Pacific; Shannon Hughes, Weyerhaeuser; Chris McIver, West Fraser Timber; Bart Bender, Interfor; and Jeff Morrow.

Otto Moe Beale is a new home delivery driver for Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Building-Products.com

SELLING WITH Kahle

Lakes, this number is expected to grow a bit over the next said.

“Every now and then a little rumor pops up that auto • Gazebos – providing more shelter few years. scanners are taking the place than a pergola, gazebos offerofagood pointpeople, and that’s just

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

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

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

• Planters – non-toxic and had all natProducts.

Initial technology issues with identifying ural, is ideal for garden decay redwood due to its color, among other things. The installation boxes planters hold flowering processand required lotsto of checking by people—lots of man F ro i g ertific tio o F i ds plants, herbs, vegetable hours—to geteven it started andgardens. up and running accurately.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Constant checks the name of the game for a while, but American Forest Foundation have formed a new part• Furniture – were any form of seating, Coulombe says all those issues in thelearned past. over my nershipcalamities to grow or thejust amount family and things that I promise have national turns of in certified my own specific martables, benches deliver theare “The key to success with new technology is to assign other small holdings in North America. years in business is gather this: slow kets, were a gift. of a comfortable place to whentimes are a gift. Let someone takeI struggled ownershipthrough of the program Under their new isSmall Group me explain.

As the ebbs or andequipment flows of I believe the same true Lands for most of us.Certification For most of built with to redwood. and business, really usher it through quality control checks, the Module, companies certified to the SFI Fiber Sourcing my it seemed that the ebbs occurred pretty regularour time, we find ourselves striving to build the business, INCREASINGLY backyard builders are realizing that the best contemporary design materials aren’t •regardless Arbors – of create trancalls with the manufacturer, etc.,” Standard will be able tobuild formeffective a new type of certificagrowncommented. inof theforced lab, but out in unfiltered nature. ly, whatmemorable I did. And, inCoulombe that period acquire the right people, systems, increase sitions one part atofthe a yard totowill the “Precisefrom technology this level never be messes, set-it-andgroup and to certify small within andof inactivity, I discovered space clean up the to ourtion margins, expand our lands bottom lines.their It’s wood a frenzy next with redwood arbors. forget-it; you to think you’ve hit that fiber supply tighten upjust thewhen systems, address issues that sweet hadn’tspot, beena activity focusedarea. on a single issue: build the business.

Jessica Hewitttoisbuilding director of theinclination choice amongNow, landscaping fleck of dirt ona the lensI shows up as a defect.

It’s atop constant Thehowever, Module will submitted the Programme addressed forthe while. found the space andisthe for a–belot of people, themarketbusiAmong trends emerging in ing at Humboldt Redwood Company.

HRC trends.

It is a choice any consumer process, but worth the effort.” for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) for to plan for the next thing and to lay the groundwork for the ness, at least in the short term, is no longer a realistic goal. landscaping design, there’s no better is working to cultivate afiber lasting legacy of can make with confidence, and reafapproval this spring.

Upon approval, produced next up the sales color curve.and presWe just want to survive. fit forclimb bringing beauty, environmentally responsible and firmslow theirtimes, wise decision year after ToAfter Each His Own from lands certified under theactivity program will beforestry certified while, I became thankful That sudden lull in frenetic presents with an ence intoaan outdoor space than red- for the sourcing, manufacturing, and us distribution year.

By Easterling’s estimates, maybe of NELMA for both PEFC SFI labels and chain-of-custody as they provided me space and time10% to get ready formills the opportunity.

Now, and weof have the emotional space,products. the time wood.

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

With the technology still fairsystems. next onslaught of activity.

The slow times, brought on by and the energy to think about things we haven’t thought and environmental qualities, redwood ly new to the lumber industry in the Northeast and Great

Utilizing the gift of slow times O

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June 2020

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March2017 2019 n The TheMerchant Merchant Magazine n 15 39 Building-Products.com March Magazine

about for a while, to imagine a future we haven’t dreamt about for a while, and to envision the specifics of a more fulfilling tomorrow.

With that perspective, I have two suggestions for business strategies right now. Use the gift of slow times to do it better and to prepare to do it differently

1.

Do It Better.

It is likely that some aspects of your business have gotten sloppy. Now is the time to look at all those bits and pieces that have been overlooked because they didn’t rise to the top of the “to do” list.

Is all the software updated?

Is everyone trained on the new features?

Are there processes and procedures that have been around for a few years, and become ingrained to the point that no one questions them? Now is the time to dust them off and reconfigure them.

Are there people who have been marginal performers, but you never had the luxury of time to address that issue?

Now is the time to make those personnel changes you’ve been thinking about.

As a sales consultant, I have accumulated a whole list of very specific “systems issues” that should be looked at afresh, with an eye to putting in place the systems, processes, tools, and people—not based on the past, but focused on the future.

For chief sales o cers, now is the time to look at, and make adjustments to: The arrangement of sales territories and accounts.

Creating a company-wide process for identifying and prioritizing high-potential accounts.

The sales compensation formula.

Making the changes in the CRM system that have been accumulating.

Taking a critical look at your marketing collateral— hard copy and electronic and bringing it up to standards.

Looking critically at the productivity of each salesperson and making adjustments along the way.

Critically looking at the education and development of the sales force. Now is the time to invest in providing them with the skills and strategies they will need in the post-pandemic world. ou’ll find the sales team is more amenable to making changes and accepting training now than they may have been for years.

All these efforts are based on the premise that the business will survive and, after accounting for some minor changes, be pretty much the same, doing business in much the same way, next year as you did last year. The focus, then, was to prepare to do it better.

But, what if the gift of slow times also brought an opportunity to challenge the limitations of business as usual?

Then, you could spend some intellectual and emotional capital on the next business strategy.

2.

Prepare to Do It Differently. our business came into existence when you, or your predecessors, saw a need that you thought you could fill.

That could have been generations ago, or it may have been last month. Regardless, the world has changed dramatically since then, and the fundamental premise upon which your business is based may be shifting.

What if you could use this gift of downtime to re-imagine your business? There is the possibility, at least with a few of you, that you could emerge from the pandemic mal-

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Utilizing the Gift of Slow Times (Continued from previous page)

aise with a transformed business.

If you think that may be you, here are a few ideas on how I would go about it.

(1) Ask this question, and brainstorm some solutions: “What urgent problems and or pain do our customers have (or will they have) that we can help with?” ( ) Then, I’d prioritize the answers to the brainstorming session by asking these questions: “Which of these can we address the quickest?”

“With which can we make the greatest impact?”

“Which of these are we most passionate about?” ( ) And if your work uncovered a likely suspect, then I’d ask and answer these questions: “If we wipe the slate clean and started fresh, what solutions could we provide?”

“Exactly what would that look like?” “ ow could we deliver it?” “ ow much would we charge? “ “ ow would we promote and sell it?”

“What would we need to pull this off?”

“What would we need to do to pull this off?”

“Who needs to do what, by when?”

And at the end of this hard work of brainstorming, prioritizing and planning, I’d have a plan to transform the business, and maybe the industry.

Slow times are a gift. Use the gift well. ou may not have another opportunity like this for a long time.

– Dave Kahle is a consultant and author of 12 books, including ow to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime (www.davekahle.com).

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Lumber E-Sales Platform Goes Live

Two former Chicago lumbermen have teamed with two financial tech services executives to launch a new e-commerce platform for lumber that they promise has worked the kinks out of previous failed systems.

Materials change went live in May with 10 mills and wholesalers active. It’s the brainchild of CEO Michael Wisnefski, joined by one-time Bloch Lumber colleague Ashley Boeckholt as CRO, 0-year operations solutions manager oe Campagna as COO, and as CFO Ian Polakoff, whose 1 -year career began with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Their intention is to keep the staff small and the sales process simple, so buying lumber online is as easy as making an electronic stock trade.

Wisnefski says the idea had in genesis in 00 , when CME began trading lumber futures on the electronic Globex platform. “I was the first floor trader to bring a computer into the lumber pit, and most of my trades were done on the electronic platform,” he says. “In just 1 months, the share of contracts traded in the digital environment rose from 0% to % of total daily volume—the lumber pit was permanently closed on uly , 01 . I experienced firsthand some of the ways that technology could be used to make manual and repetitive processes more e cient.”

In 01 , he began researching how transaction technology could be adopted for the physical trading of commodity raw materials, which currently are bought and sold in manners he considers ine cient and that lack price transparency.

Materials change’s system is aimed at making buying and selling easy; ensuring free, equal access to a product’s

Building-Products.com

price to everyone; allowing transactions to be made instantly—with just the click of a button; having money transferred quickly and securely; and allowing trackable, hassle-free shipping.

“Our goal is to democratize the lumber sales process and put more transparency into the market,” Boeckholt notes.

“We think it’s inevitable.”

Materials change’s commission is modest and straightforward. “It’s very simple,” Boeckholt explains. “If you buy a truck, it’s 0. If you sell a truck, it’s 0.” Rail freight will be incorporated within the next two months, and the platform will gradually expand to commodity raw materials for other industries.

experts, quick turn quotes and delivery.”

To be eligible for a cash rebate contractors must fill out a standard registration form on the ProF page including uploading an invoice and three digital images of the completed project. Rebates will be issued via a check based on the verifiable information each contractor provides and to the address submitted within eight to 10 weeks.

RailFx Launches Rebate Program

Tacoma, Wa., cable railing solution manufacturer RailF has launched ProF , a nationwide rebate program, available to all licensed contractors purchasing RailF Aluminum Systems now through ec. 1 , 0 0. The cash back rebate is good for first-time submitting a rebate request to RailF , not a first-time user.

The three-tiered program offers a scalable rebate on a minimum purchase of 1,000—a 10% rebate for the first time submitting and % for the second and third submitted rebates—and rebates must be approved in order to move through each tier.

“We are excited to offer our loyal and new contractor customers a rebate program for installing our all-in-one aluminum railing systems,” said Stuart Itzkowitz, P of sales marketing. “We are committed to providing products that meet our customers’ needs while demonstrating our continued support backed by a team of

Tando Betters Quick Ship Program

erby Building Products has improved its Tando ealer Express program to make it even easier for dealers to get the products they need during the pandemic.

With the program, Tando products can be ordered through the distributor, but shipped directly to the dealer, quickly and economically, to keep orders moving. ealers can purchase a variety of Tando products to be delivered to their location within two weeks. Accessories such as -channel, vinyl corners, and starter strip will be offered in shorter lengths to permit economical shipping.

Stocking dealers will receive pricing advantages over nonstocking dealers.

JOIN THE SUCCESS IN 2020 Roseburg® Engineered Wood Products

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June 2020

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5/27/20 10:59 AM

The Merchant Magazine n

NEW Products Textured Concrete Sealant

Non-Combustible Cover Board Atlas Roofing Corp. has added ACFoamCoverBoard-FR to its portfolio of ACFoam polyiso roof insulation products, as an additional option to achieve a UL Class A fire-rated roof assembly when used over combustible wood roof decks.

The cover board is comprised of ACFoam closedcell polyisocyanurate (polyiso) foam core integrally bonded to inorganic coated glass facers. It can meet UL Class A fire ratings using only one layer, saving labor and materials.

New Premium Textured Concrete from AP gives professionals and I ers an aesthetic and durable repair solution for concrete cracks commonly found in driveways, sidewalks, patios, garages and basements.

It is uniquely formulated with a textured finish to seamlessly blend with concrete, while offering superior elongation and extension recovery for a more durable and long-lasting seal.

The textured latex sealant simulates concrete allowing users to achieve more accurate color matching to common concrete material. Its strong adhesion can be applied to concrete, mortar, brick, metal, stone, stucco, grout and textured walls.

Additionally, it dries fast; Textured Concrete is ready to paint in just two hours. n (

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Simpson Strong-Tie has launched a comprehensive offering of code-approved connectors and fasteners to serve the growing North American mass timber construction market. ey products in the collection are the Strongrive S WS Timber structural wood screw, Strongrive S CF Timber-CF screw, Strong- rive S CP Timber-CP screw, Strong- rive S R Combo- ead screw, and CB Concealed Beam anger.

Other innovations include the MTW - mass timber angled washer for use with a wide variety of connection plates, and the M SS surface spline designed as an ideal solution for CLT diaphragms. n GO.STRONGTIE.COM MASSTIMBER ( 00) - 0 Building-Products.com

At Royal Pacific you’ll pay no more, but get extra. We guarantee it.

Colorful Composites MoistureShield’s Elevate capped wood composite decking has added two new premium, variegated colors to the product line: Riverbank and Alpine Gray.

With texture and depth similar to rich, tropical hardwoods, the colors join the classic solids Canoe, a forest brown, and Lake Fog, a soft gray shade.

With a strong protective cap that shields each board from impact, corrosion, and harsh weather, Elevate adds style and unmatched durability to any outdoor space at an attractive, entry-level price-point.

Elevate 1x deck boards are available in 1 -ft., 1 -ft., and 0-ft. lengths in grooved profiles (for hidden fasteners) and 0-ft. lengths with a solid edge, as well as fascia boards in 1 -ft. lengths. Elevate decking is fully protected by a 0-year transferable structural warranty and a 0-year fade and stain warranty. n MOISTURES IEL .COM ( 00) -

Hi-bor® brand treated wood is a borate treated wood product designed for interior house framing in Hawaii. Hi-bor treated wood resists attack

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

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

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

Stylish Deck Screws AnchorMark stainless steel self-drilling decking screws are now available in a stylish intage finish.

The new silicon bronze color is designed to blend perfectly with hardwood decking and cladding.

Made from 0 stainless steel, the screws’ self-drilling tips make installation quick and easy, while their small head diameter and underhead pockets ensure heads sink cleanly and easily. n ANC ORMAR USA.COM ( ) 1 - 0

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10/27/14 4:14:53 PM

Cordless Framing Nailers

Versatile Level lein Tools’ new Laser Line Bubble Level functions as both a torpedo level and a laser level, with a v-groove and strong magnetic base to make it functional such tasks as hanging pipe rack, identifying obstacles for long pipe runs, and measuring bend locations into and out of electrical boxes.

Its crisp laser projects up to ft., with three easy-to-read vials to identify horizontal and cross at 0-degree level and vertical at 0-degree. n

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Milwaukee Tool has introduced its first cordless framing nailers, the M1 Fuel 1 and M1 Fuel 0 Framing Nailers. elivering the power to sink nails in engineered lumber, the tools can fire up to three nails per second with no gas cartridges required.

They have also been optimized with the size necessary to fit between studs and a balanced weight to limit fatigue. An optional Extended Capacity Magazine accepts two strips of nails, allowing users to work longer before needing to reload.

With a PowerState brushless motor and no consistent cleaning or maintenance required, the nailers are designed to deliver durability and reliability to the most demanding users. n MILWAU EETOOL.COM ( 00) -

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Building-Products.com

Ace Offers Extra Mile Guarantee

Ace Hardware is rolling out its Extra Mile Promise, a guarantee that Ace has the expert advice and supplies needed to help consumers successfully tackle any paint project with just one trip to the store.

Available at participating stores nationwide, the vow was created to address and relieve the frustration consumers deal with when faced with the proposition of yet another trip to the store as a result of forgotten items or not enough paint. Ace is so confident in its one-trip guarantee that it will provide free delivery to consumers who may be in need of additional paint supplies.

“While it hurt our pride to learn this, the truth is that while consumers trust Ace as the Helpful Place, far too TO MARK Lumber’sthat centennial, CEO Bill Hayward sliced the many of Hayward them believed our speedy sized stores didn’t birthday cake Hayward style—with a chain saw—during a Sept.

7 celebrahave enough product to complete their paint project,” said tion in San Luis Obispo, Ca., that was attended by nearly 1,000.

John Venhuizen, president and CEO. “We know this isn’t Board the4-in-1 case, soDeck to assuage these misperceptions, we decided to ebony has re-engineered its thermally stand behind our largeWeather paint assortment with themodified Extra Mile Housewraps, Barriers wood decking profile to accommodate four different Promise.

Our objective is simple: to be known the #1, re di g i Reside ti ebony M recketas types fasteners. most The new Board best, mostofconvenient, helpful most credible store ousewrap preferences are and gradually evolving, makes it the easyneighborhood.” to secure surface decking according to for paint in according to a recent presentation at the ousewrap 01 a project’s specs without added milling or lead time. conference on builder and consumer practices by Ed ebonyRecalls eck Board’s new profile accommodates Weyco I-Joists udson, ome InnovationCoated Research Labs. the following fasteners installation methods: Weyerhaeuser recalling of all TJI housewrap Joists with Flak udson sharedisthat abouta batch 0% of and for installation include using Step-Clip JacketOptions Protection, after(WRB) linking an odor certain newly weather-resistant barrier material isininstalled on new easy-to-install hiddenformula fastenerchange clips, in thethePro constructed homesstrips, to is a recent coathomes; the remainder installed primarily on homes being Plug System with wood plugs, or stainless steel Merchant 8-17 Layout.qxp_D SigNov03-1-8,41-48 7/25/17 1:18 PM Page 20is ing that included formaldehyde-based resin.

The issue re-sided. screws.to Flak Jacket product made after Dec. 1, 2016, isolated uPont’s Tyvek continues to dominate with nearly andndoes not affect any the company’s other half the andofWRB installations in products. new homes.

US.housewrap EBON .COM Flak Jacket Protection is a coating applied to I-joists to uPont leadership in technology and education ( established ) 0enhance fire resistance, and it is not widely in use.

The early have maintained leadership for decades.

AceandOffers Extrathat Mile Guarantee Ace Hardware is rolling out its Extra Mile Promise, a guarantee that Ace has the expert advice and supplies needed to help consumers successfully tackle any paint project with just one trip to the store.

Available at participating stores nationwide, the vow was created to address and relieve the frustration consumers deal with when faced with the proposition of yet another trip to the store as a result of forgotten items or not enough paint. Ace is so confident in its one-trip guarantee that it will provide free delivery to consumers who may be in need of additional paint supplies.

“While it hurt our pride to learn this, the truth is that while consumers trust Ace as the Helpful Place, far too TO MARK Lumber’sthat centennial, CEO Bill Hayward sliced the many of Hayward them believed our speedy sized stores didn’t birthday cake Hayward style—with a chain saw—during Sept. 7 celebrahave enough product to complete their paintaproject,” said tion in San Luis Obispo, Ca., that was attended by nearly 1,000.

John Venhuizen, president and CEO. “We know this isn’t the case, so to assuage these misperceptions, we decided to stand behind our largeWeather paint assortment with the Extra Mile Housewraps, Barriers Promise. is simple: re diOurg objective i Reside ti to be Mknown r etas the #1, best,ousewrap most convenient, most helpful and most store preferences are graduallycredible evolving, for paint in the neighborhood.” according to a recent presentation at the ousewrap 01 conference on builder and consumer practices by Ed Weyco Recalls I-Joists udson, ome InnovationCoated Research Labs.

Weyerhaeuser recalling of all TJI housewrap Joists with Flak udson sharedisthat abouta batch 0% of and Jacket Protection, after linking an odor in certain newly weather-resistant barrier (WRB) material is installed on new 1321 N. Kraemer Blvd. (Box 879), Anaheim, Ca. 92806 constructed homes to is a recent formula change in the being coathomes; the remainder installed primarily on homes Fax 714-630-3190 ing that included formaldehyde-based resin. The issue is re-sided.

(714) 632-1988 • (800) 675-REEL isolated to Flak Jacket product to made after Dec. 2016, uPont’s Tyvek continues dominate with1,nearly and does not affect any of the company’s other products.

3518 Chicago Ave., Riverside, Ca. 92507 half the housewrap and WRB installations in new homes.

Flak established Jacket Protection is a coating appliedand to I-joists to (951) uPont leadership in781-0564 technology education enhance fire resistance, and it is not widely in use.

The early and have maintained that leadership for decades. www.reellumber.com

Wholesale Industrial Lumber

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LUMBER SERVICE

34 n 2019 The The Merchant Merchant Magazine Magazine n October August 2017 20 Building-Products.com

Wholesale

Traditional mechanically-attached housewraps still product is present in the basements of about 2,200 houses make up more than of in all limited housewrap and WRB in various stages of two-thirds construction markets.

Most materials installed, butyet alternatives of the houses are not occupied. are making inroads.

Combination WRB and structural panels, such Weyerhaeuser will cover the cost sheathing to either remediate or as uber’s IP System and Georgia-Pacific’s ForceField, replace affected joists. It has halted production, sales and now make up about 10% ofand thisismarket among new product homes. shipments of the product, collecting unused Self-adhered membranes are now approaching 10% of the from customers. market, as well. Fluid-applied Approximately $9 million ofmembranes the productnow has constitute been sold about % of new home housewrap WRB installations. since December 2016. Weyerhaeuser expects to spend $50to traditional $60Alternatives million resolving the issue.housewrap are found more extensively on higher-end homes and multifamily buildings.

Windows &di Doors Keep Growing ce Rebr window g Di isio Residential shipmentsdincreased 5.7% in 2016,

Ace ardware the shipped acquisition of amounting to moreCorp. than has 43.2completed million units across andyman Matters, franchisor of home repair, maintenance the nation. Looking forward, national growth is expected to and improvement services basedbefore in enver, Co.off somewhat increase another 5.6% in 2017 trailing Early next year, andyman Matters will be rebranded in 2019 to 4.6% growth, according to a new Window as & Ace andyman Services and operate as a new stand-alone, Easy Deck Bending Door Manufacturers Association study. subsidiary Ace In CAMO 2016,ofshipments of side-hinged entrybending doors increased Leverardware. makes deck board sigandyman Matters isunits aone franchise comprised bynificantly 6.1% to 9.7 million on national alleviateasier with or the twoorganization people, level, permitting of locally owned and and operated and company-owned ingsocial any distancing concerns over the decrease units shipped smaller crews on in the jobsite. locations that offer professional and multi-skilled between Based the analysis ofcraftsmen, the data, The2014 new and tool2015. allows for on bending, straightening trained to handle homeowner’s to-do in can addition to annual growth isa forecasted to turn, climb to 5.9% in 2017 and aligning boards in a single solist users lock larger projects.

On-site services to consumers and small before declining to a modest 5.2% growth in 2019. the board in while fastening—almost hands free. businesses includecontractors carpentry, plumbing, electrical, Architectural interior flush doors recovered from Reportedly, can build decks up todrywall, five a painting and flooring.

It currently has franchisees who decline previous year use by growing 4.5% in CAMO 2016 with times the faster when they Lever with other collectively employ about 0 handymen and women in nearly 2.9 million and railtool doors innovations likeunits the shipped, versatile while rivestile stand-up 1continued 1for territories across states. upward trend with Edge a 6.6%Clip increase with nearany its decking and CAMO for grooved Bell, the founder andAnnual CEO ofgrowth andyman Matters, ly Andy 0.44 million units shipped. of flush doors boards. will continue to lead the day-to-day business operations is forecast to be 4% in 2017 before declining to 1% in for Services from its headquarters nAce CAMOFASTENERS.COM 2019.

Stile andyman and rail doors are also predicted to grow 4% in in enver.

Integration and re-branding initiatives are currently ( 00) 2017 and decline to 1% by 2019.

Traditional housewraps product iswith present in the basements 2,200 underway amechanically-attached target completion in of firstabout quarter 0 houses 0. still make up more than of in all limited housewrap and WRB in various stages of two-thirds construction markets.

Most materials installed, butyet alternatives of the houses are not occupied. are making inroads.

Combination structural panels, such WeyerhaeuserWRB will and cover the cost sheathing to either remediate or as uber’s IP Lumber System t Reel Service, we production, supply ForceField, replace affected joists. Itand hasGeorgia-Pacific’s halted sales and now make up about 10% ofand thisismarket among new product homes. shipments of the collecting unused domestic andproduct, foreign hardwoods.

Self-adhered membranes are now approaching 10% of the from Our customers. products and services include: market, as well.

Fluid-applied membranes now constitute Approximately $9 million of the product has been sold •% Hardwood Lumber & PineWRB installations. about of new 2016. home housewrap since December Weyerhaeuser expects to spend $50• Hardwood Plywood & housewrap Veneers Alternatives to traditional are found more $60 million resolving the issue. extensively on higher-end homes and multifamily buildings.

• Melamine Plywood

A

Windows &di Doors Keepcherry, Growing • Hardwood Moulding (alder, ce Rebr window g Di isio Residential shipmentsdincreased 5.7% in 2016,

mahogany, MDF, maple, red oak, paint Ace ardware the shipped acquisition of amounting to moreCorp. than has 43.2completed million units across grade, pecan hickory, white oak, walnut, andyman Matters, franchisor of home repair, maintenance the nation. Looking forward, national growth is expected to and improvement services basedbefore in enver, Co.off somewhat beech) increase another 5.6% in 2017 trailing Early next year, andyman Matters will be rebranded • Milling (moulding profiles, S2S, SLR1E, in 2019 to 4.6% growth, according to a new Window as & Ace andyman Services and operate as a new stand-alone, Door Manufacturers Association SLR2E, & resawn lumber) study. subsidiary ofshipments Ace ardware.

In•2016, of side-hinged entry doors increased Woodworking Accessories (appliques, andyman a franchise comprised by 6.1% to 9.7Matters millionisunits on the organization national level, alleviatornaments, butcher blocks, corbels, etc.) of locally owned and operated and company-owned ing any concerns over the decrease in units shipped locations that offer multi-skilled • Woodworking Supplies (deft finishes, between 2014 and professional 2015.

Basedand on the analysis ofcraftsmen, the data, trained to handle a homeowner’s to-do in addition to colorgrowth putty, is adhesives, etc.) annual forecasted to climb list to 5.9% in 2017 larger projects.

On-site services to consumers and small before declining to a modest 5.2% growth in 2019. businesses include interior carpentry, plumbing, electrical, drywall, Architectural flush doors recovered from a ur products arecurrently widely used in painting and flooring.

It has franchisees who decline the previous year by growing 4.5% in 2016 with interior finish carpentry, furniture, collectively employ about 0 handymen and women in nearly 2.9 million units shipped, while stile and rail doors 1continued 1 cabinetry territories across states. and hundreds of industrial and its upward trend with a 6.6% increase with nearBell, the founder andAnnual CEOWe ofgrowth andyman Matters, ly Andy 0.44 million units shipped. doors manufacturing applications. stock aof flush will continue to lead the day-to-day business operations is forecast to line be 4% in 2017 before products declining to 1% in complete of complementary for Ace andyman Services from its headquarters 2019. and rail doors are predicted to grow 4% in in to Stile complete virtually anyalso woodworking enver.

Integration and re-branding initiatives are currently 2017 and decline to 1% by 2019. underway with a target completion in first quarter 0 0. or millwork project.

O

A

June Lumber 2020 n Service, The Merchant Magazine n 59 t Reel we Building-Products.com supply domestic and foreign hardwoods.

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CLASSIFIED Marketplace

Kop-Coat Adds Sanitizers

Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word minimum). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6.

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

Send ad to Fax 714-486-2745 or dkoenig@526mediagroup.com. Checks payable to 526 Media Group. Deadline: 18th of previous month. Questions? Call (714) 486-2735.

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TALK Back NEW PRIORITIES Good morning, Patrick. ust a short note to tell you how much I enjoyed your message in the May issue (“A Revaluation of Life,” p. 8).

I think our youth handles these things much better than we adults. As you bring out, happiness isn’t about having more stuff, but about loving each other and doing with what we have Talking

about the family walk instead of the big expensive birthday party is so true.

Although it is beginning to wear on us all, we are all getting new life lessons to deal with and new ways of life. Lionel Ritchie and Michael ackson wrote a song years ago that once again has a great message for the world: We will win this battle and be a better place Marty Olhiser Mendocino Forest Products (Ret.) Ukiah, Ca.

Wood preservative manufacturer op-Coat Protection Products is now providing disinfectants sanitizers for commercial industries.

The sanitizers are EPA approved and can be applied without the use of gloves, which can help to alleviate buying or exhausting supplies of PPE. According to Chris Barber, national technical sales manager, the product kills SARS-associated human coronavirus and is approved for home, hospital, and industrial use.

CPP isinfectant comes in -gallon buckets, -gallon plastic drums, and 0-gallon totes.

IN Memoriam Lee Charles Simpson, , former head and longtime director of Louisiana-Pacific Corp., Nashville, Tn., died March in Indian Wells, Ca. As a teen, he started his career as a sawyer at Ukiah Pine, Potter alley, Ca. arry Merlo recruited Lee to serve as P of operations when G-P spun off L-P in 1 . e retired in 1 0, but rejoined L-P as interim CEO, permanently retiring in 1 but remaining on the board until 00 .

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Building-Products.com or info@526mediagroup.com Building-Products.com

ADVERTISERS Index Page

54

Boise Cascade www.bc.com

28

Mount Storm Forest Products www.mountstorm.com

60

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

49

Norbord www.norbord.com

58

C&E Lumber Co. www.lodgepolepine.com

27

North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. www.nawla.org

13

California Cascade Industries www.californiacascade.com

9

Pacific Woodtech www.pacificwoodtech.com

39

Champion-Arrowhead www.champion-arrowhead.com

51

17

CMPC www.cmpcmaderas.com

56

Pelican Bay Forest Products www.pelicanbayfp.com

47

CT Darnell www.ct-darnell.com

Covers II, III

Redwood Empire www.buyredwood.com

45

DAP Products www.dap.com

59

At Royal Pacific you’ll pay no more, but get extra. We guarantee it.

Hi-bor® Borate Pressure Treated Wood

35

FirePro® Fire Retardant Treated Wood

PEBLIO

Peblio www.peblio.com

Reel Lumber Service www.reellumber.com Advance Guard® Borate Pressure Treated Wood

Providing Customer Satisfaction in All Do it Best 57 We Do. P.O. Box 75 • McMinnville, OR 97128 • 503-434-5450 • FAX: 888-TSO-WOOD (888-876-9663) www.doitbestlbm.com 28770 Dike Road • Rainier OR 97048 • 503-556-1297 • Fax: 503-556-1709

Royal Pacific Industries

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

53

Fasco Royal Pacific Merchant half page ad 1_19.indd www.fasco-tools.com

23

Seneca 1/21/19 5:53 PM www.senecasawmill.com

60

526 Media Group www.building-products.com

43

Service Partners www.service-partners.com

58

Fontana Wholesale Lumber www.fontanawholesalelumber.com

41

Simpson Strong-Tie www.strongtie.com

52

Huff Lumber www.hufflumber.net

29

Swanson Group Sales Co. www.swansongroup.biz

50

International Wood Products www.iwpllc.com

21

Timber Products Co. www.timberproducts.com

3, 55

Jones Wholesale Lumber www.joneswholesale.com

Cover I, IV

TruWood www.truwoodsiding.com

15

Lonza Wood Protection www.wolmanizedwood.com

7

UFP Industries www.ufpi.com

37

Makita www.makitatools.com

5

Weyerhaeuser Co. www.weyerhaeuser.com

Welcome Aboard!

1

The Merchant Magazine is excited to introduce to our readers four first-time advertisers: • Champion-Arrowhead, manufacturer of brass hose-end valves and irrigation products.

Building-Products.com

• DAP, maker of caulks, sealants, adhesives and Patch & Repair.

• Makita, best-in-class power tool brand leader.

• Service Partners, leading nationwide distributor of residential insulation products and accessories.

When you’re in need of such products, please give them a look.

June 2020

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FLASHBack 55 Years Ago This Month

Fifty-five years ago this month, in

une of 1 , The California Lumber Merchant turned its gaze to the unique lumber industry sprouting up in the nation’s newest state, awaii.

Island life offered lumbermen both charms and challenges, including land scarcity and resulting high prices; di culties transporting, procuring and finding room to store inventory; the preponderance of leasehold residential property; and the elevated cost of housing.

A small three-bedroom house that at the time would sell for 10,000 in Phoenix and 1 ,000 in Los Angeles would fetch ,000 on Oahu.

The then-typical awaiian bungalow contained about 1,100 sq. ft. of living space with an additional 00 to 00 sq. ft. of protected outdoor living space and storage, plus a carport, an exterior of 1-1 ” redwood, jalousie windows, sliding doors opening to a lanai, open-beamed ceilings, and absolutely no insulation or heating of any type. omeowners paid the developer about 0 a year to lease the land from the developer, for a term of to 0 years. The resident was also responsible to pay taxes on the house and land for the period of the lease. By the time the homeowner moved into his house, the land it

THE JUNE 1965 cover introduced Pope & Talbot’s No Check specialty plywood siding.

sat on was worth 1 to 1. per sq. ft. Industrial and commercial land suitable for wholesale and retail wood products distribution was valued at 1 to per sq. ft.

In other news of une 1 : A comely dancing girl with bare midriff, men wrapped in the robes of Oriental potentates, and a giant log were all part of a strange ritual that took place at one end of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

A native ceremony? No, a publicity stunt staged by el Norte businessmen to publicize the reopening of roads leading to the Redwood Empire. The giant log, which had drifted ashore at Crescent City, Ca., after Christmas ay flooding, was also driven through downtown San Francisco as part of a parade.

National Lumber Manufacturers Association voted to change its name, effective une 1, to the National Forest Products Association, reflecting “the broadening scope of its activities.” oppers Co. recently established its first operation in wholesaling hardwood lumber. The Sappenfield ardwood epartment, manned by N. . Sappenfield Sr. and r. and based in Montgomery, Al., would sell highgrade domestic hardwoods including cutstock, specialty items, dowels, blanks and squares. inting at the warehouse home improvement centers yet to come, Bonanza ome Center opened a 0,000sq. ft. store filled with “more than ,000 do-it-yourself items.”

The business was purchased in 1

by Pay N Pak, and today the building houses a Ross ress for Less.

MASONITE introduced a handsome hardboard paneling display that could be wooing customers while your sales force was busy closing other deals.

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Western Wood Moulding Producers Association launched a national product publicity program to show consumers new and decorative uses of millwork.

Sample kits of common mouldings, complete with labels, were sent to key decorators and editors in New ork City, who accounted for a large number of stories that ran in national publications. A comprehensive booklet on designs with mouldings was also planned.

Building-Products.com

REDWOOD Composite can’t compare.

Like the foods we buy, when it comes to decking, we want natural and real.

Redwood is always available in abundance of options. So stock the shelves! Unlike mass-produced and inferior products, Redwood is strong, reliable and possesses many qualities not found in artificial products. They maintain temperatures that are comfortable in all climates.

Redwood Empire stocks several grades and sizing options of Redwood.

Call us at 707.894.4241 Visit us at buyRedwood.com

The

MERCHANT

Magazine

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Engineered to perform.

Designed to protect.

Enduring love is a beautiful thing. Thanks to EcoGuard®, a naturally occurring additive, TruWood’s long-lasting siding and trim resist fungal decay and termite damage. Decade after decade. Visit TruWoodSiding.com to learn more.

Siding: SQUARE EDGE PANEL, CHANNEL RUSTIC LAP, Reversible Trim: VARIOUS SIZES

800.417.3674 | The TruWood Collection, manufactured by Collins Products Ask us about our FSC® products | FSC-C002971

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