The Merchant June 2021

The

MERCHANT

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

JUNE 2021

Magazine

LBM DEALERS EMBRACE E-COMMERCE • WHAT’S HOT: PORTABLE STACK RACKS

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. TruWood. Engineered to perform. Designed to protect.

Visit TruWoodSiding.com and discover what’s Tru to you. Get Tru. Siding: OLD MILL® SHINGLE LAP, 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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Volume 100 • Number 6

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CONTENTS

June 2021 Volume 100 n Number 6

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

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twitter @bpdmerch

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Special Focus

Features

12 DEALERS EMBRACE E-COMMERCE

10 MARGIN BUILDERS

PROMPTED BY THE PANDEMIC, LBM

SERIOUSLY FOCUSING ON ONLINE SALES.

Departments

14 LBM TECH

THE ADVANTAGES OF MIGRATING TO WEB-BASED APPS

16 INDUSTRY TRENDS The

MERCHANT

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

LBM DEALERS EMBRACE E-COMMERCE • WHAT’S HOT: PORTABLE STACK RACKS

18 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

SOUTH CAROLINA’S SOUTHERN LUMBER & MILLWORK ENJOYS FRUITS OF ITS UPDATED DOOR & WINDOW SHOWROOM

Title: Now the beauty…

Pub: The Merchant Cover Trim Size: 8.25 x 8.75 Bleed Size: 8.5 x 9 Close Date: 4.xx.21

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

File Name: TW 15389 - 2021_Merchant_Front_8.25x8.75_FIN Client: TruWood Job #: TW 15389 App: InDesign CC Colors: 4cp

INDUSTRY BUSINESSES QUICKEN ADOPTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY

JUNE 2021

Magazine

28 THINKING AHEAD WITH NAWLA HOW TO COME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC EVEN STRONGER THAN BEFORE

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. TruWood. Engineered to perform. Designed to protect.

Visit TruWoodSiding.com and discover what’s Tru to you. Get Tru. Siding: OLD MILL® SHINGLE LAP, 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

TW 15389 - 2021_Merchant_Front_8.25x8.75_FIN.indd 1 Merchant 6-21_Layout.indd 1

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DEALERS BIG INTO PORTABLE STACK RACKS FOR DOORS, WINDOWS AND MORE

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8 ACROSS THE BOARD 20 OLSEN ON SALES 22 TRANSFORMING TEAMS 30 MOVERS & SHAKERS 40 TALKBACK 42 SELLING WITH KAHLE 46 NEW PRODUCTS 51 IN MEMORIAM 52 DATE BOOK 53 ADVERTISERS INDEX 54 FLASHBACK

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June 2021

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ACROSS the Board

By Patrick Adams

Making memories

I

before we had kids, my wife and I were sitting around talking about some good friends of ours and their kids. It seemed that every weekend they were on the move with trips, excursions or sports. Anytime we asked them about why they didn’t just take a rest once in a while, they simply responded, “We’re making memories.”

We would always look at each other and shrug our shoulders in confusion.

I have many memories from my childhood and I’d rather forget them all. My wife also has many memories, but they are what I would call “traditional”—a play session in the backyard, a funny situation that happened during family dinner, or a major event in life. As I entered my adult life, things quickly changed. While technically I remember a lot of that time, none came from the deliberate act of “making memories.” In fact, I wouldn’t be sad if I forgot most of it.

Once we had kids, we thought more about making memories for the kids and our family. Our schedule started filling with camping trips and the mini adventures that we thought a childhood should be filled with. In a social media-like strategy, I suppose we are crafting what we want our children to recollect someday as a testimony to what great parents we were.

As I read what I’ve written, that sounds like regret. It isn’t. I don’t have regrets in life, am proud of what I’ve done and appreciate having learned from my hardships. But as we grow older, we become more aware of our mortality and things like our legacy. I consider what I will think about in my final years and whether, in that wisdom, will I smile or frown? Those that are left behind, will they smile or frown in thinking about me?

I thought about this recently as a close group of friends offered an invite to me. It was a simple invitation that caused me to think far more than it should have. “Come with us to Pebble Beach for the weekend to play golf.” And there it was and the curse of being me took off should I take a weekend away from the family just for me That felt selfish.

If I’m going to a five-star resort, it should be with my wife, not the group of savages who invited me! It felt excessive…

I don’t need to play somewhere that charges that much just for a round of golf!

But, peer pressure and a wonderful spouse got the better of me and we were on our way. Those who know me claim I have only “one speed,” that I’m pretty “neutral,” always aware, and always thinking. That quickly changed. As we drove up the coast, jokes, stories and banter had me laughing more than I can ever remember. We pulled into Pebble

Beach and reality hit me square in the jaw—I’m about to play Pebble Beach! Before I knew it, I had played Spyglass and Pebble Beach, and we were on our way home.

The drive back was more quiet and thoughtful. I thought that this was something I would NEVER forget. The beauty and history were indescribable. Every shot I made felt as if I had to make it count because it was important. Sharing this with true friends is what made this experience a memory rather than just a round of golf. That was when I was flooded with the power of it all. How fortunate I am to have a wife who encouraged me to do this, friends who bullied me into it, the health to be able to do it, and the means to be able to have this experience.

While some may think this was memorable because of the cost, it wasn’t. It was the experience, and the emotion of it all. It was sharing that experience with a group of people I care about. It was the peace of knowing that those who love me truly wanted me to do because they care about me. I thought about all of this a lot on the drive back.

As much as we are consumed with investing in our education, our business, our career, and our retirement, we also need to invest in making memories. Not simply for the memory itself, but in what it does to you as a person. I came back not just happy, but was reminded of how incredibly grateful I am for the life I have. I came back a slightly better version of myself because of those memories of a weekend.

So, stop what you’re doing. Think about the first thing that comes to mind after reading this, and then go do it!

While there will always be a million good reasons to not do something, being able to make a meaningful memory should be reason enough to do it anyway. As the markets remain strong and things slowly return to this new version of normal, I hope happy memories find you soon.

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

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MARGIN Builders

By David Koenig

PORTABLE stacking racks are the hottest trend in material handling. They can be used to store, stage and ship materials, particularly doors and windows. (Photo by Krauter Auto-Stak)

Dealers clamor for portable stacking racks P

ALTHOUGH designed for windows, doors and other millwork items, the racks accommodate a wide range of products including bagged goods, engineered lumber products, cabinetry, pailed goods, and much more. (Photo by Krauter Auto-Stak)

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racks for millwork and other building materials are not new, but over the last two years—and particularly the last two months—demand for the storage devices among dealers has gone through the roof.

“These are a growing trend, but not a new idea,” noted Travis Darnell, of CT Darnell/Sunbelt Rack. “We first developed this rack for GeorgiaPacific back in the late ’90s and have been successfully selling it ever since. We have many thousands out in the field that successfully improve millwork operations throughout North America.”

Over the last 10 years, rauter Auto-Stak has increased its portable stacking rack sales tenfold, to the point it has been maintaining an inventory and turning two truckloads a month, holding 2,000 racks apiece. In April, it had to order four truckloads.

In May, it ordered eight truckloads

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and by the time the shipment arrived, seven of the eight had already been sold.

Chris rauter attributes the growth to the overall trend toward containerization in shipping. “Look at the railroads—you rarely see boxcars any more. They’re mostly piggybacks with containers on top,” he explains.

“The container is left intact from manufacturer straight to end-user. It cuts down on handling.”

Dealers are discovering that portable stacking racks can serve the same purpose, which is especially valuable in decreasing opportunities for damaging expensive windows and doors.

Instead of unloading the delivery from the millwork manufacturer, storing it by hand, later loading it on to a delivery truck, and ultimately unloading it at the jobsite, the product goes straight into a rack, where it remains all the way to the builder.

“They will load each order into a portable stacking rack, mark it off, and stack them up like sardines in a very small area. Some dealers even grid the floors off—that’s A1, A2, B1, B2, so they can keep track of where each job is,” rauter explains. When the customer is ready, they’ll drop off their kitted order at the jobsite using a three-wheeled

forklift on the back of their flatbed. Sometimes, they’ll even leave the rack behind and drive off, saying they’ll return next week to pick up their frames.” rauter Auto-Stak originally offered a single standardsized rack measuring 5 wide, 90 long, and 9 high, which are large enough to accommodate a 6x8 door that’s framed out and still fit inside a box van. But two years ago it introduced a tall boy model, measuring 110 high, to store the increasingly prevalent 8-ft.-tall residential doors. ou can get an -ft. door in a 9 rack but then you can’t stack it, rauter explained. Twenty percent of our portable stacking racks are now 110 , and the last two truckloads we sent out were nothing but tall boys.”

Traditionally, the racks have been U-shaped, like a baseball backstop. The product is placed inside and strapped in across the front. rauter has begun also adding backstops in front, which can be used to create shelves for holding another level of windows.

The racks can also be used for kitchen cabinets, rolled roofing, and other building products. Dealers are seemingly finding new uses by the day. “A guy will buy one and come back and buy a half-dozen, rauter says. It’s like cigarettes—they can’t stop!”

MILLWORK RACKS can be stacked up to three levels high. (Photo by Krauter Auto-Stak)

SUNBELT RACK’S millwork stack racks can hold 3,000 lb. each, even when stacked. (Photo by CT Darnell/Sunbelt Rack)

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FEATURE Story

By Ted McNamara

LBM dealers move quickly to e-commerce P

, there were a limited number of LBM companies with e-commerce sites, as most felt a basic web presence was su cient. Over the last 15 months, the pandemic has dramatically shifted the LBM industry’s focus to seek out technology solutions in order to provide online access to both their account holding customers (B2B), and a true e-commerce experience for the local consumers (B2C) looking to purchase materials online and schedule a delivery.

There are many examples of e-commerce growth in the LBM industry, but none show it more than the pure number of inquiries BuilderWire has seen recently. In the first quarter of 2021, we signed on almost 30 new LBM clients. The companies range from multi-location distribution companies to smaller one-location lumberyards or hardware stores. The new desire to allow their customers secure, online access to view AR balances, make online payments, check inventory via an e-catalog, and even place an order for customer pickup or delivery has never been more apparent.

Dealers are also now looking to add credit card payment options to capture new local business with delivery. Dealers were caught off guard when the pandemic hit. Consumers were demanding online ordering and the dealers quickly piv-

oted to find ways to make online e-commerce work for their business and this new demand.

2000-2010

BuilderWire was founded in the early 2000s. At the time, our industry was extremely resistant towards technological change, especially building a web presence that showed pricing online. Early on, a major issue for LBM dealers trying to implement e-commerce was the nonexistent access to the data contained in the dealer’s ERP software. Most major ERP companies hadn’t thought about giving external access to data using web services or APIs to pull the data.

Once we finally had reliable access to data, the few LBM companies that started using e-commerce had strict rules of who could or could not access the online portal. Most early adopters of e-commerce only allowed their top and loyal customers access to their web portal. Companies were not interested in promoting their brands online, social media was still in its infant stages, and mobile friendly sites didn’t even exist yet.

2010-2015

LBM dealers were once again caught off guard with the rapid adoption of web-enabled mobile phones. Any prior investment made into their web presence was now completely outdated. Today, about 65% of tra c on a dealer’s website comes from a mobile device. It was crucial that websites became responsive to any device the end user was using. This caused most dealers to rebuild their websites to allow functionality on a mobile phone.

The rebuilds allowed dealers to incorporate more e-commerce into their websites, and we saw an increase of clients wanting online product catalogs. Our platform directly connects to our clients’ back-o ce computer to pull product information from the ERPs. This feed allows the dealer to build a fully integrated product catalog that is maintained completely within their ERP. Any changes made in the back-o ce computer would push to the website, giving dealers a dynamic data driven web store (1:1 ratio with the website). The adoption of e-commerce was still limited, but access to ERP data was improving. Social media was around at this point, but not prominent in the LBM industry by any stretch of the word.

2015-2020 OVER THE last year, the pace has skyrocketed for LBM dealers adding new e-commerce web presences. The revamped sites allow users to submit orders and quotes online, with their purchases moving into a shopping cart like that shown above. (Image by BuilderWire)

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Customers started to see the benefits of channelizing their e-commerce efforts. Mobile sites were very important by this time. If your website couldn’t be viewed on a phone, it was a problem. Customers began to open up to the idea of B2B Building-Products.com

e-commerce, mainly selling to the loyal customers that are in their stores every day, rather than opening up the catalog to everyone. Over the course of these years, many companies opened e-commerce stores and websites started accepting payments over the internet.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram had taken off.

They are used both as a point of contact, as well as a source for general information or information about the products that they sell.

2020-2021 The pandemic has altered the way virtually all LBM businesses are able to operate. Dealers are really pushing to adopt a more powerful, user friendly, and well merchandised online store.

This listing is all of the functionally requested to be developed since the pandemic started: 1. ACH – Bank-to-bank bill payments for account holders to pay statement balances or select invoices.

2. Developed curbside pickup functionality in which dealers meet clients curbside with the order placed online.

3. Builder Dash functionality, which allows for a select product group to be delivered within two hours of ordering.

4. Locker integration for touchless pick up with bar code sent the mobile phone and scanned at the locker.

5. Online training portal – A large U.S. wholesaler is using the platform to train and educate their LBM customers on selling specific products.

6. GEO targeting so we can offer localized delivery to clients using credit cards and shipped on company trucks.

7. Curri Integration – Curri is an

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on-demand delivery service for lumberyards. Think UBER Eats for lumber deliveries. It offers a two-hour delivery.

8. We are currently developing a web-based product configuration system to allow configuration of interior/ exterior doors on our client’s website.

9. We offer countless shipping options and we are integrated with UPS, FedEx, USPS and multiple common carrier shipping companies that allow our clients to ship across the country.

10. Online scheduling for kitchen designers allowing the client to view the available time slots open and set up an appointment with the kitchen design team.

11. Multi language support – Some of our clients are near a significant population of Spanish speaking customers.

The system allows the user to toggle between languages.

12. Video/Media Library – Dealers can upload training/products videos.

13. Split Shopping Cart – This allows dealers to offer for sale both in stock items and special-order items in the same shopping cart. If an end-user orders a few items that are in stock and a few items that are special order, the shopping cart gets split into two shopping carts and two orders submitted.

14. Search Engine Optimization & Reputation Management – Dealers now understand the importance of driving tra c to their website. There is no added value from a website that does not gain any new tra c/business. SEO is used to drive organic tra c to the website. Using various SEO techniques with on-page optimization helps dealer’s sites get the highest possible raking on Google, Bing and other search engines.

Another important realization is off page reputation management work is required. One bad elp, Google or Facebook post can tarnish the brand and image of the dealer. LBM dealers are more focused on gaining good reviews and comments on the off-page sites.

15. Social Media Feeds – There are many benefits to having your website linked to social media pages. Whether there is a promotion on a product or a new educational blog post, having the website directly connected to a company’s socials is a tactic used to increase tra c. It provides more entryways to a website, meaning the website will show up in search results more often.

The global pandemic unexpectedly created a boom for dealers selling lumber. It also showed how unprepared dealers were in allowing e-commerce access for clients. This recognition came at a perfect time in the evolution of e-commerce capabilities for dealers.

The younger generation has influenced their company leaders to apply technological change and e-commerce capabilities. API’s and web services have become robust in being able to access dealers’ data. And, e-commerce software has become less expensive, more functional, and easier to deploy.

The thinking is: you can buy anything online, why not building materials?

The global pandemic was the catalyst that changed the thinking from “we want this in the future” to “we absolutely need this now.”

– Ted McNamara is business development manager for BuilderWire, Inc. (www. builderwire.com).

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LBM Tech

By Holden Melia

The rise of web-based apps B

and the workforce of today expects the technology they work with to play nicely together. Along with mobile applications and APIs, webbuilt computer software has risen in popularity in recent years, with web apps (also called cloud-based apps) replacing desktop apps to become a powerful business tool.

Web-based applications are a type of software you access through a web browser, such as Google. Instead of installing a program that lives in your computer’s memory, you can interact with it via remote server.

Confused yet? Think about the analogy of DVDs vs Netflix. If you’re using a D D player to watch movies, you own the machine. If you want more DVDs or updated device technology, you buy a new machine and new DVDs (unless you’re still having them delivered by snail mail, but... really!?). By contrast, if you’re watching movies with etflix, you log onto your web browser and stream whatever you want.

Advantages of Web-Based Apps Portability. Of the advantages of web-based apps over desktop, portability is front and center. Even before COVID hit, people were working from home more. In our industry, salespeople are on job sites and in warehouses more than they’re sitting in the o ce. On-the-go technology is essential.

Talent Attraction. Having modern technology is one of the ways employers can recruit and retain talent. This is especially true for new grads who are used to paying bills, ordering groceries, seeing doctors, even filing taxes through the web. Businesses who have web-based apps to help employees do their jobs are seen as more relevant, desirable employers than those who don’t.

Customization. Web-based apps often use something called decoupling, which means the front end (the part the user sees) is separate from the back end (the logic and “guts” of the program). This is a win for two reasons. First, it’s easier and faster for developers to make changes to the front end. Second, it’s easier for businesses to customize the appli-

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cation. For instance, a business could use the logic (or back end) of a mobile picking app but design an interface that’s easier for their employees to use.

No Installation. The fact that cloud-based apps come without IT overhead costs like software installation is a huge win, especially for a company with many employees. Not having to pay developers to code for different operating systems is another one. For employees, logging in and working anywhere makes their jobs easier.

Urban Planning for the Web. These are some of the reasons why DMSi has embarked on a journey to get Agility ERP to the web. It’s no small undertaking. The project involves migrating over 1, 00 existing windows to web-based versions, as well as building new modules such as Agility Analytics and Installed Sales directly on the web.

It’s a little like urban planning. We’ve had to think about the whole user experience (how tra c flows, where the parks should be) before breaking ground. In tech terms, that means being extremely thoughtful about a user’s experience, identifying how modules fit together, and how information flows.

Providing a simple and intuitive user interface for a complex business application is all about balance.

Going Forward There are ways to start leveraging web-based apps without totally disrupting business. There may be web-based versions of programs you’re already using, like Microsoft O ce. There are also a host of new web-based business tools that allow employees to collaborate in new and intuitive ways, like Slack and Microsoft Teams.

Finally, if you’re looking to bring new technology into your business such as a CRM program, make web-based access a selection criterion.

– Holden Melia is vice president of product management, sales & marketing with DMSi, provider of business software for the lumber and building materials industry (www.dmsi.com).

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INDUSTRY Trends

By Jason Parchomchuk

THE PANDEMIC has forced LBM dealers and wholesalers to adopt new technology to keep their businesses going.

LBM businesses quicken adoption of new tech T

involved a lot of change in every industry, and LBM was not immune. We’ve seen challenges and even more swift evolution. On the bright side, building suppliers have prepared for the worst, positioning themselves in a better spot than ever before to respond to worst-case-scenario situations. As we look ahead to the upcoming year, the LBM industry will see a few distinct changes.

Cloud has never been more important

With the impact of the CO ID-19 pandemic, building supply businesses are seeing an even bigger need for cloud software technology solutions that enable business continuity—allowing for the ability to be productive and respond to customer needs no matter where they are— whether they are working remotely, physically distanced in the store or on a job site.

Cloud software solutions have been game-changing for many organizations, and they perform in a variety of different ways that enable employees to work remotely and physically distance in the store, yard or on the job site. Mobile apps have also become very important as they enable business transactions anytime, anywhere—speeding up a process that once took days. We have also seen many customers develop robust web stores and customer portals as the demand increases. With more remote workers comes more remote customers, and fully developed web stores and customer portals are integral in enhancing the user experience. ltimately, cloud software has been for a significant evolution for businesses in the LBM industry, and we’re only seeing that become more and more true. As businesses need to reevaluate their own customers, using data from cloud software will help them understand which customers are the most and least profitable and understand buying patterns. The wide-range use of cloud software means there are more flexible ways to meet customers’ needs customer

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portals are now becoming the mainstay, where as before, customers would have relied on in-person engagements much more often.

There is a sharp rise in digitized supply chains The building supply industry as a whole is moving toward digitized supply chains to better connect all stakeholders—the yard, the warehouse, the store, the jobsite, manufacturing and delivery. This level of digital integration has been accelerated by the pandemic, since it offers the most seamless model and the best customer experience since it connects every aspect of a transaction—from order status and production status, to warehouse fulfillment status and delivery status.

Businesses are looking for tools that best enable their employees to be productive and respond to customer needs no matter where they are. With supply chain disruption, pricing volatility, and strategic pricing, analytics and forecasting is even more crucial to maintain profitability and help thwart issues. Customers are looking for flexible, safe options to do business with their suppliers—via mobile, online ordering and payment, curbside delivery.

The building supply industry is increasing its adoption of e-commerce software tools Building supply businesses want self-service capabilities when it comes to placing orders online, viewing account information, or making payments. For this reason, online customer portals are becoming even more mainstay, including e-commerce tools such as web stores, curbside pick-up and delivery, payment links, credit card surcharges, and more.

In a lot of cases, the solutions mentioned above had already been developed, but the pandemic has forced clients to realize it’s time to adopt them. The use of e-commerce tools has grown significantly in the past year an eMarketer report found that U.S. e-commerce sales was projected to Building-Products.com

reach 79 .50 billion in 2020, up 32. % year over year. As the pandemic continues to push businesses to stay onlineonly, it’s likely that the e-commerce trends will continue in the same direction in nearly every industry. That being said, it’s critical that an LBM dealer have data visibility, and these tools are helping the industry move forward in the face of the digital revolution.

Evaluating business through analytics When times are busy and customer orders are tacking up, a robust, user-friendly analytics system is one of the best tools a business can have. Without total, end-to-end visibility with orders, businesses are forced to shoot from the hip when it comes to managing inventory and preparing for high demands. Every supplier sits on a mountain of data, but it doesn’t need to be a cumbersome pile of numbers. The right technology helps them wrangle data to fulfill business needs.

Business are looking for tools and analytics such as Market Basket Analysis, Customer Stratification, Company Stress

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Tests, and more to evaluate and manage ongoing demands. nowing which customers and products are the best by investigating not just their profits, but their relationships and a liations to other aspects of the business, allows resources to be focused on where they are most valuable.

Mere months in and 2021 has already proven to be just as unpredictable as the year prior. Across industries, CO ID-19 has reinforced the need for a technological shift at a pace never seen before. As businesses in the LBM world face the future, powerful new digital capabilities, utilizing the cloud in ways never done before, and enhancing business methods with e-commerce tools will be critical to success.

– Jason Parchomchuk is product manager at Epicor Software Corp. (www.epicor.com).

June 2021

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COMPETITIVE Intelligence

By Carla Waldemar

FIRST CLASS: South Carolina’s Southern Lumber & Millwork recently updated its door & window showroom.

Southern comfort

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lumber in the beginning. Back in 19 0, Herman Albrecht r., a vocational school shop instructor, used his backyard garage as a workshop for woodworking commissions from friends and neighbors. A year later he’d run out of space and took over a warehouse on ing Street in Charleston, S.C.’s historic downtown.

Here he added 2x4s and such, to satisfy customers’ requests.

Those bits and pieces of lumber grew to require storage in neighboring warehouses throughout downtown, spurring Herman to purchase seven acres in 19 5 and build what grew into a cluster of buildings to house the robust outfit which still reigns right there today.

Fast forward to 2009, when the business went in the opposite direction,” recalls his grandson, Thad Shuler, who today serves as president of what’s mushroomed into Southern Lumber & Millwork Corp. “It got into framing— just in time for the recession,” he laughs. “This provided

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the opportunity at the front end [of construction], where millwork, at the back end, was harder to sell.” Thus, “a chance to compete for the larger portion of a home.”

A window and door shop was added in 2009, after our framing adventure,” Thad recounts. “At that time, Stock Lumber was closing several of its locations, so their rep came to us with the idea and thank God we listened.

(Another laugh) “We teamed up with Andersen and Marvin and some vinyl window lines, and now this niche represents 30% of our total sales. We’ve been two times Andersen’s Dealer of the Year, and our Marvin sales tripled last year.”

Which called for a brand-new millwork showroom. “We work very hard with architects as well as builders, so, with the coronavirus, many of them are working from home, and this new building also offers them conference rooms where they can bring their clients. Our customers are 95% pros, building new custom homes and working in the remodeling market, which currently is very, very strong.

“It also sets us apart from the competition—which is terrible, terrible, terrible! Too much! Lots of chains, plus three or four independents.” But demand keeps growing, too. “People keep moving into Charleston in big numbers from California, Ohio, wherever, because the cost of living is much lower here; you can have a far nicer house for your money.”

So contractors are scrambling, and Southern knows that their time is money. “They love our quality, our service, our vendors. Plus, pick-up time for them is only about five minutes. We’ll have will-call on the drive-thru rack within an hour, which has been instrumental in 85% of sales from back of truck. Our OTIF on time, in full record is 9 %, Thad has earned a right to brag.

Building-Products.com

LUSHLY designed rooms within the showroom display samples of the company’s craftsmanship, while doubling as conference spaces for builders’ clients.

But then a funny thing happened on the way to the forum—er, bank. Along came an out-of-the-blue notice from the South Carolina Department of Transportation, notifying the company that it would require two of the outfit’s seven acres for its highway program. This necessitated launching a construction project that lasted three-and-a-half “very stressful” years, Thad shudders. “Of our 15 buildings, 10 were demolished and five remodeled certainly not normal, but we persevered right through. We had to move all our shop equipment 63 years worth of machinery. The irony is,” he pauses, “that our customers had no idea that all this was going on, because we worked on it from the back of the site, where they never visited.”

Southern’s top-quality service continued without a ripple.

“The positive impact of the story,” Thad continues, “is how well we kept doing. The reality check, in 2013, was that we’d just experienced our three best years; coming out of the recession, sales were great. And we’d gained from some of the changes gained some e ciencies. We moved our Design Center to the front of the property, creating new e ciency in in-and-out. Today, we’re better off new facilities, less maintenance.”

Employee count has risen to 130 a good thing, too.

With that number, we have more flexibility. Turnover is down because we’re getting better at ‘right person/right seat.’ After an onboarding process, training kicks in— anywhere from two weeks for the yard to two years to groom management. We compete for good workers not only with other lumberyards, but with the big boys here, like Boeing. Our employees like the way we take care of our people, such things as increasing PTO.” The company also provides learning opportunities for students with an interest in millwork and carpentry.

“Our people are happy,” Thad declares. “They stay on 20, 30, 0 years; they become our family. Our customers benefit from that, too. They love our knowledge and service. We’re not the cheapest, and some of them are very price-sensitive. Yet with the volume we do, we can become very, very competitive. They also like that even when we had to shrink our acreage, we didn’t shrink our S s. And now, thanks to the new buildings, our lumber is stored in a covered structure to preserve quality.”

Southern also continues to operate a thriving millwork shop, geared to replicate the details in Charleston’s old, historic home—mouldings, mantels, countertops, all on Building-Products.com

display in the new showroom. It has supplied millwork throughout Charleston, including a walkway bridge to Magnolia Gardens and The Citadel’s Ring.

These specialties also are marketed on social media, Thad reports. “We’ve been putting a lot of energy and effort into it in the past five years, with Facebook and Instagram postings daily. We used them to announce our Rock the Block party, which introduced our remodeled showroom. Our coming out’ party drew 500 people, he reports. “Prospective customers liked what they saw, like our roof-covered lumber, which makes us stand out from our competitors.”

With the recession in the rear-view, “We’ve had 11 years that have been the best years ever,” Thad reiterates—even the painful times where “we grew too much too fast. Not fun. But now we’re in a good, stable spot. The housing market is very strong.”

Then along came the virus. “People are looking for bigger homes to house their home o ces. The corona virus changed both the demographics and the dynamics; you need to make decisions quickly—such as, if you need another truck, you just buy another truck.”

Or if you need a second location, pow! You open a second location. That’s what Southern Lumber did recently, on land just a half-mile down the street. “We’d looked for land for a couple of years because our window and door sales had run out of capacity. This allows us to spread out; otherwise, we’d have to have gone vertical to keep up.

We’d had 10,000 sq. ft. for W D; now we’ve got 20,000.

And Thad couldn’t be happier, even though this vision of his future wasn’t in his game plan.

He’d been living in Europe for seven years when his family let him know they needed him back home.

“They offered me a great career opportunity. I’d been married two years by then. My wife and I decided it was time to return to Southern living.” And to Southern Lumber.

That’s what’s called a win/win.

Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net June 2021

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OLSEN on Sales

By James Olsen

Conquering sales fears Fear of the No

S

an intellectual endeavor. All of my students have more than enough intelligence to do their job. The reason some do better, faster than others is because they conquer their fears faster. What are the “fears” that hold salespeople back?

Fear of Being Too Pushy

The first exercise I do with every team I work with is to make two columns. I title one “Negatives” and the other “Positives.” Above the two columns I write “Salespeople Are:.” Ninety-five percent of the time the number one response in the negative column is “Pushy.” Why do I do this exercise first Because the fear of being pushy is the number one problem of struggling sellers!

Because these sellers are so afraid of being pushy, they pull their punches at every stage of the sales process and get treated badly because of it. They are not proud of what they do, and it shows. More than showing it, the customers can FEEL it. If we walk and talk like second class citizens, the world—our customers—will treat us that way! It’s easy to say no to someone who doesn’t believe in themselves.

We do not need to be pushy to be great salespeople.

We need to be persistent and consistent when contacting customers and potential customers. We need to understand our value proposition and be able to stand up for it (push?) throughout the sales process. A great customer of mine, Sven Melbo, says, “You have to have a backbone to be a good salesperson.” I couldn’t agree more. Sales is a mirror.

If we will not stand up for ourselves and our product, our customers won’t either.

I’m Sorry to Bother You But We interrupt people’s lives. Especially when we are looking for new business. They are not expecting our call.

We don’t have an appointment. But we call or show up anyway. Many sellers talk and carry themselves like an intruder, and thus are treated like an intruder. Master Sellers are there to help. They know they bring value. They act as if people will be glad to talk with them and in most cases, get treated that way.

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We didn’t like O at 2 years old, at 10, or at 15. We still don’t like it. It’s natural. But as professional salespeople we need to train ourselves to LOVE the NO. We need to expect it and be comfortable with it. Our job doesn’t really start until the customer says no.

Because sellers are afraid of the NO, they don’t ask for the order. Ninety percent of the salespeople you will compete against today do not ask for the order. The problem is that presenting product and letting the customer decide without asking for the order works. Fearful salespeople get orders all the time just four times less than the Master Sellers around them (think yearly income 50 vs. 200 ).

When we don’t ask for the business, we send the message that we don’t want it and we don’t think we deserve it.

Fear of Success I have students that have hated “The Man” for so long they don’t want to be “The Man” or “The Woman.” Change is stressful. Even if the change is making more money. I’ve had several students who, as they became more successful as salespeople had frictions in their relationships. One in particular had financial problems for years pursuing a noble career helping others. He then became a very successful salesperson, which gave him more confidence, which in turn changed the dynamics of his relationship with his wife.

She wanted him to go back to being financially strapped They worked it out, but these kinds of things happen.

Fear of Failure “Scared money doesn’t win” nor does it sell. Sales is a transfer of emotion. Salespeople that are afraid to lose make customers uncomfortable. It’s like a bad comedian. All we want them to do is stop and get off the stage.

Salespeople who are afraid of losing lose more often because of it.

We need to be unrealistic in our heads and our hearts. We need to convince ourselves—before we call—that everyone will want to do business with us. We need to be “positively, naively assumptive.”

Conquering our sales fears is enjoyable and profitable.

James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 5 -3572 james@realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com

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TRANSFORMING Teams

By Paige McAllister

Diversity, equality and inclusion:

LGBTQ+ employees

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some instances state and local law protects several groups of people in the workplace based on their sexual or gender identity. Given the newness of these protections, as well as the diversity of characteristics and people within this group, some employers are finding it di cult to know how to react to and accommodate the needs of this group.

Definitions LGBTQ+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer with the “+” representing the numerous other sexualities and gender identities covered by this broad term. While employers are not required to know all of the terms, they are required to be accepting, treat an employee equally, and protect them from discrimination, harassment or retaliation.

DEI is a term encapsulating the goals companies should have when creating policies, procedures and practices with respect to employees in any protected group (including race, national origin, age and/or LGBT ). While descriptions vary slightly from source-to-source, common definitions include (as found at DEI Expert Hub): Diversity Having different types of people from a wide range of identities with different perspectives, experiences, etc.

Inclusion – Putting diversity into action by creating an environment of involvement, respect and connection – where the richness of ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives are harnessed to create value.

Q. We are reopening the office and have some employees who are vaccinated while others are not. Do we have to implement any different procedures or policies?

A. Our best recommendation is to follow the current guidelines established by the CDC, OSHA and other health & safety experts. Right now, their guidance includes maintaining most of the safety procedures implemented last year: social distancing (possibly with barriers), wearing masks when walking through the workplace or within 6 ft. of others, limited use of common areas, hand washing/sanitizing, and regular disinfecting of the workplace. This guidance is the same for vaccinated and unvaccinated people, so you do not need to implement different policies based on an employee’s vaccination status or philosophy.

In situations where CDC guidance differs for vaccinated and unvaccinated people, such as the need to quarantine after travel or exposure to someone with COVID-19, you can implement different procedures as long as you are not targeting or discriminating against a particular group.

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Equity – Removing the predictability of success or failure that currently correlates with any social or cultural factor, examining biases, and creating inclusive environments.

The Basics – Legal Protection On une 15, 2020, the .S. Supreme Court issued a landmark 6-3 decision that includes sexual orientation, including LGBT employees, as protected under Title VII. This means that terminating or taking other negative employment actions against an LGTB employee based on their sexual or gender identity constitutes sex discrimination and therefore is against the law. While several states, counties, and cities had these protections prior to the ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision makes it the law for every employer who falls under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (which applies to most employers).

In response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, the minimum action all employers should take is to: Review and revise their non-discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, and non-retaliation policies to include protections for LGBT groups relating to sexual orientation, gender expression, and transitioning status.

Update other policies that may be impacted (directly or indirectly) by sex and gender stereotypes, such as dress code, benefit coverage, job requirements, and leave entitlement.

Ensure all policies and procedures are applied equally to both sexes without regard to sexual orientation, gender identity, or transgender status.

Train all managers and employees that any and all discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, and retaliation violates the law and therefore company policy, including the newly-protected groups.

Enforce all policies fairly and discipline any employee, manager, client, or vendor who discriminates, intentionally or unintentionally, against an employee in a group protected under Title VII or any other law such as ADA, ADEA, USERRA, and IRCA. Building-Products.com

Beyond legalities, we encourage our clients to go further Ace Offers Extra Mile Guarantee thanAce simply “following the law” to experience bene-a Hardware is rolling out its Extra Mileadded Promise, fits.

According to research, fostering DEI within the workguarantee that Ace has the expert advice and supplies needplace found tosuccessfully increase company cashpaint flow project by 2.3 ed to has helpbeen consumers tackle any times, revenue by 19%, and team performance by 30%. with just one trip to the store.

Additional research shows that employees in an inclusive Available at participating stores nationwide, the vow organization have higher job satisfaction, lower turnover, was created to address and relieve the frustration conhigher productivity, higher employee morale, improved cresumers deal with when faced with the proposition of yet ativity and innovation, improved problem solving, increased another trip to the store as a result of forgotten items or not organizational flexibility, and all-around better quality of enough paint. Ace is so confident in its one-trip guarantee work life. By hiring, training, and promoting employees so that it will provide free delivery to consumers who may be they are active participants in policy and decision-making, in need of additional paint supplies. employers have ready access to various perspectives, ideas, “While it hurt our pride to learn this, the truth is that and experiences to strengthen their business practices. while consumers trust Ace as the Helpful Place, far too Examine your policies, practices and for placTO MARK Lumber’sthat centennial, CEOprocedures Bill Hayward sliced the many of Hayward them believed our speedy sized stores didn’t es of improvement in preparation for an employee asking birthday cake Hayward style—with a chain saw—during a Sept.

7 celebrahave enough product to complete their paint project,” for Some may include:said tion accommodation. in San Luis Obispo, Ca., thataccommodations was attended by nearly 1,000.

John Venhuizen, president and CEO. “We know isn’t se the name they prefer, even if different thanthis what is the case, so to assuage these misperceptions, we decided to on their documentation. stand behind largeWeather paint assortment with thebeExtra Mile Housewraps, Barriers se theirour preferred pronouns which could he/him/ Promise.

Our objective is simple: to be known as the rending in Residential his,” “she/her/hers,” “they/them/theirs,” orarket none at all. #1, best, most assistance convenient, mosta helpful and most credible Housewrap preferences are is gradually evolving, Offer when person transitioning intostore the for paint in the neighborhood.” according a recentwith presentation gender theytoidentify from the at onetheofHousewrap their birth. 2019 This conference on builder consumer practices Ed may be offering a privateand bathroom or updating theirby email Weyco Recalls I-Joists Hudson, Home InnovationCoated Research Labs. address.

Weyerhaeuser recalling batchcode of all TJI Joists Flak Hudson sharedisthat 60% of and Allow flexibility in about your adress to housewrap allow with individuJacket Protection, after(WRB) linking an odor certain newly weather-resistant barrier isininstalled on new als to wear clothing according to material their preference rather than constructed homes to agender recent change in the being coathomes; the remainder installed primarily on homes their gender identity oris offormula their birth.

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 Extend that flexibility to your personal appearance polre-sided. isolated to Flak Jacket productmakeup, made after Dec. 1,nearly 2016, icy with regards to hair styles, behavior, or DuPont’s Tyvek continues to dominate withvoice and does not affect any the company’s other body characteristics. half the housewrap andofWRB installations in products. new homes.

Flakshould Jacket be Protection is a coating appliedand toasking I-joists to You understanding respectful, for DuPont established leadership in and technology education enhance fire resistance, and it is not widely in use.

The their guidance and help along the way.

Your goal should be 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.

Our objective is simple: to be known rending in Residential arketas the #1, best, most convenient, most helpful and most store Housewrap preferences are graduallycredible evolving, for paint in the neighborhood.” according to a recent presentation at the Housewrap 2019 conference on builder and consumer practices by Ed Weyco Recalls I-Joists Hudson, Home InnovationCoated Research Labs.

Weyerhaeuser recalling batch of of all TJI housewrap Joists with Flak Hudson sharedisthat abouta 60% 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, DuPont’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) DuPont 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

REEL

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 toproduct learn to a better them and everyone is make present in the workplace basements for of about 2,200 houses make up more than of in all limited housewrap WRB else.

Remember, it of istwo-thirds not the responsibility ofmarkets. the and LGBT in various stages construction Most materials installed, but alternatives making inroads. community to teach you—it is your are responsibility to learn. of the houses are not yet occupied.

Combination WRB and structural sheathing panels, such Some critical don’ts include: Weyerhaeuser will cover the cost to either remediate or as Huber’s System Do affected not ZIP assume anything and do not treat allForceField, LGBT replace joists.

Itand hasGeorgia-Pacific’s halted production, sales and now make up about 10% ofand thisLGBT among newask homes. employees the same.

Let each employee and shipments of the product, ismarket collecting unused product Self-adhered membranes nowtogether. approaching 10% of the explain, then come up withare a plan from customers. market, well.

Fluid-applied now Do asnot allow employees to gossip or treat Approximately $9other million ofmembranes the product has constitute been sold about 3% of new home housewrap/WRB installations.

LGBT employees differently or exclude them since December 2016. Weyerhaeuser expects to spendfrom $50to traditional workplace interactions. $60Alternatives million resolving the issue.housewrap are found more extensively higher-end homes and multifamily Do noton allow managers to overlook LGBT buildings. employees when it comes to advancement, training and salary Windows & Doors Keep Growing Ace Rebranding andyman Division increases.

Performance be evaluated and conResidential window should shipments increasedfairly 5.7% in 2016, Ace Hardware Corp. has completed the acquisition of sistently based on essential job-based aspects, not preferencamounting to more than 43.2 million units shipped across Handyman Matters, franchisor of home repair, maintenance es stereotypes. theornation.

Looking forward, national growth is expected to and improvement services basedbefore in Denver, Co.off Do not allow5.6% third-parties such astrailing clients andsomewhat vendors increase another in 2017 Early next year, Handyman Matters will be rebranded toinharass or discriminate against your LGBT employees.

2019 to 4.6% growth, according to a new Window as & Ace Services and operate as responsible a new stand-alone, As with other protected groups, you are to proDoorHandyman Manufacturers Association study. subsidiary Ace Hardware. tect employees from harassment, discrimination, sexual In 2016,ofshipments of side-hinged entry doors or increased Handyman Matters aeven franchise comprised harassment from anyone, non-employees. by 6.1% to 9.7 millionisunits on the organization national level, alleviatof locally owned and operated and in company-owned actively creating opportuniingBy any concerns overmore the decrease units shipped locations that offer professional and multi-skilled ties and fostering a productive envibetween 2014 and 2015. Based on the analysis ofcraftsmen, the data, trained homeowner’s to-do list in addition to ronment forhandle LGBT employees, annual to growth isa forecasted to climb to 5.9% in 2017 larger projects.

On-site services to consumers and small you will reap tangible benefits. before declining to a modest 5.2% growth in 2019. businesses carpentry, plumbing, electrical, drywall, Being openinclude to theinterior possibilities Architectural flush doors recovered from a painting and flooring.

It currently has 57 franchisees who will allow you to discover new decline the previous year by growing 4.5% in 2016 with collectively employ about 250 handymen and women in ways grow your business and while stile and rail doors nearlyto 2.9 million units shipped, 121 territories across 23 states. keep your best employees. continued its upward trend with a 6.6% increase with nearBell, the founder andAnnual CEO ofgrowth Handyman Matters, ly Andy 0.44 million units shipped. of flush doors will continue to lead the day-to-day business operations is forecast to be 4% in 2017 before declining to 1% in PaigeHandyman McAllister, SPHR for Ace Services from its headquarters 2019.

Stile and rail doors are also predicted to grow 4% in in A nity HR Group Denver.

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

Traditional housewraps still contact aiswith nityhrgroup.com product present in the basements 2,200 houses underway amechanically-attached target completion in of firstabout quarter 2020. 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 Huber’s ZIP 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 & Pine about of new 2016. home housewrap/WRB installations. since 3% 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

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Windows &Moulding Doorsandyman Keepcherry, Growing • Hardwood (alder, Ace Rebranding Division Residential window shipments increased 5.7% in 2016,

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

In•2016, of side-hinged entry doors increased Woodworking Accessories (appliques, Handyman 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 57 franchisees who decline the previous year by growing 4.5% in 2016 with interior finish carpentry, furniture, collectively employ about 250 handymen and women in nearly 2.9 million units shipped, while stile and rail doors 121 territories across 23 states. cabinetry and hundreds of industrial and continued its upward trend with a 6.6% increase with nearBell, the founder andAnnual CEOWe ofgrowth Handyman 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 Handyman Services from its headquarters 2019. and rail doors are predicted to grow 4% in in to Stile complete virtually anyalso woodworking Denver.

Integration and re-branding initiatives are currently 2017 and decline to 1% by 2019. underway with a target completion in first quarter 2020. or millwork project.

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June Lumber 2021 n Service, The Merchant Magazine n 23 t Reel we Building-Products.com supply domestic and foreign hardwoods.

Building-Products.com

US LBM to Acquire ACS– American Construction Source US LBM has reached an agreement to acquire American Construction Source, Springfield, Mo. Adding ACS’s 70 locations will increase S LBM’s holdings to nearly 00 facilities nationwide.

Nine of ACS’s 12 brands operate in the West, including Meek’s, Homewood, Weaver Lumber, Breckenridge Building Center, Custom Choice Door, Evergreen Lumber, Eagle Creek Siding, Edwards Building Center, and The Door Mill.

Overall, it has operations in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, Washington and Wisconsin.

“With the addition of the ACS portfolio, US LBM will strengthen our position in the Midwest and California, and expand our reach to Colorado and Washington, two quickly growing construction markets,” said US LBM president and CEO L.T. Gibson. We look forward to working with the ACS team and their local operators to continue leveraging their strong relationships, experience and teams to grow in their respective markets.”

“ACS joining US LBM is a perfect outcome based on the alignment of our shared strategy to preserve longstanding local lumberyard brands and operations while delivering a great customer experience, said ames Drexinger, CEO of ACS. “We are grateful to our customers, suppliers, leadership team, salespeople and associates for their support. Together we have built a significant industry platform while simultaneously honoring the 100-plus year heritage of the local brands and family legacies we have acquired.”

ACS was founded in 201 by Angeles Equity Partners and Clearlake Capital.

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NEWS Briefs Parr Co ., Hillsboro, Or., has acquired Evergreen Truss & Supply, Deer Park, Wa., from Dean Morse, who

will stay on as truss plant manager.

Portola Valley Hardware owners Stig Nybo and Richard Crevelt will open a 10,000-sq. ft. Ace Hardware in Los Altos, Ca., in September.

Paul’s Ace Hardware , Fountain Hills, Az., is expanding by 4,000 sq. ft. to over 30,000 sq. ft.

Southport Lumber Co., Coos Bay, Or., has taken over full responsibility for selling its own lumber production, per Random Lengths. Chris Killgore was named VP of sales & marketing, Cindy Garvin sales account manager, and Seth Mauch is new as director of transportation.

L&W Supply added a new branch in Palm Springs, Ca. Cornerstone Building Products , Cary, N.C., Prime Window

acquired vinyl window/door manufacturer Systems, Denver, Co.

PrimeSource Building Products, Irving, Tx., has agreed to purchase Nationwide Industries, Tampa, Fl., parent company of Ultra-Tec and RailFX. MiTek Inc. rebranded SidePlate Connection Designs, Ultra-Span Floor & Roof Trusses, and Benson Glass and Curtain Walls under the MiTek name.

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Builders FirstSource Purchasing Alliance Builders FirstSource, Dallas, Tx., has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Alliance Lumber parent Cornerstone Building Alliance SW, LLC, the largest independently operated supplier of building materials in Arizona.

Based in Glendale, Az., the company operates Alliance Lumber, Alliance Truss, Alliance EWP, and Alliance Hardware.

Combined, the company had sales exceeding 330 million over the prior 12 months.

The deal, worth 00 million, is expected to close near the end of the second quarter.

“This acquisition is aligned with our strategy of investing organically and through M&A, to shift our portfolio toward high-value and faster-growth categories,” said Dave Flitman, president and CEO of Builders FirstSource.

“Alliance’s service area represents the third largest single-family market and includes the fastest growing county, Maricopa, in the country. Alliance’s geographic footprint represents an excellent strategic fit, with a limited overlap of our existing geographic coverage that enables us to expand our product

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lines across various end markets.”

True Carr, managing partner of Alliance, will continue with BFS. BFS currently operates 550 locations in 0 states.

TAL Expanding to Idaho, Montana with Acquisition Eleven-unit TAL Holdings LLC, Vancouver, Wa., has agreed to acquire Badger Building Center, with yards in Post Falls, Sagle, and Bonners Ferry, Id., and alispell, Mt. Badger Building Center was scheduled to begin operating as part of TAL effective une 7.

Badger Building Center was founded in 19 3 in Sandpoint, Id., by Mike and Sandy Badger. They expanded

June 2021

into Post Falls in 1991 and alispell in 1996. The Sandpoint yard moved to Sagle in 2003, and Bonners Ferry was added in 2013.

Today, Badger Building Center is owned and operated by Mike and Sandy’s son Lee and his wife, im.

Lee Badger and his team will be joining the TAL organization in the day-to-day management and operation of the Badger locations.

TAL also operates 12 locations in Oregon and Washington under six brand names, including Tum-A-Lum and Marson & Marson Lumber.

JH Baxter Selling Plant

H Baxter Company of San Mateo, Ca., has agreed to sell its Eugene, Or., treating plant to ATR Services, Inc., Veneta, Or. The 2-acre site features five pressure treating cylinders, three dry kilns, and several incisors.

According to CEO Georgia Baxter, “ATR is a locally owned business that will be able to preserve jobs in the area, while improving its operations, which we believe is in the best interest of the community.”

The deal could close as early as the third quarter.

Building-Products.com

Roy O Believed in

®

Roy O Martin was not a chef, yet he passed down his homemade “recipe” for producing the highest-quality wood products to four generations and counting.

Just like a prized family meal that’s been painstakingly prepared for generations, Roy O’s family continues to work hard to serve our customers only the absolute best. Like Grandpa Roy, we can’t stand squandering good ingredients, which is why we offer our Tuffstrand panels in extended lengths of 9’, 10’, and 12’ to cut down on material waste and valuable labor time.

Building-Products.com

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THINKING Ahead

By Carl Lamb

Leaving the pandemic better than before CO ID-19 pandemic blew up, we at Snavely Forest Products knew that sitting passively by in hopes the crisis would work itself out wasn’t a realistic solution.

Hope is not a plan!

With that in mind, our company began making decisions and operating from two distinct, but parallel mindsets. First, we looked at the outbreak through the lens of what steps did we need to take immediately to address the circumstances at hand.

And, second, we envisioned what kind of company we wanted to be as we emerged on the other side of this calamity.

W

Over-Communication Early On We sprang into action at once, assembling a COVID team whose purpose it was to ensure that Snavely—which has locations throughout the U.S.—remained in compliance with local, state, and federal pandemic requirements. ust as importantly, we recognized the need to educate our employees.

Although we quickly reduced o ce occupancy in the branches to 10% or less of staff, as a distribution business our front-line workers also include material handlers and drivers who don’t have the option of working remotely. Product has to get onto the trucks, and the drivers have to deliver to our customers. The workers show-

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ing up every day on site to handle these key tasks are the heroes of our organization, and we owed it to them to make sure they were safer here than anywhere else.

Not only that, we knew it was important to keep them in the loop as to what Snavely was doing to achieve that goal—what protocols were being put into place, and why. Even today, when the world has largely settled into its “new normal,” our COO provides a quarterly update on what’s going on and what’s been done in response. But our overarching goal at the onset of the pandemic was to communicate, even over-communi-

June 2021

cate, to our people. Because of the CDC-recommended procedures and processes implemented, and because of all the internal discussion surrounding those actions, we got to a point very quickly where the fear of the unknown started to die down. And that was good. With a workforce that was reassured of their safety on the job, we were free to focus on business even as we stayed on top of all of the requirements.

Improving for the Future At the same time that one team— consisting of our director of safety,

Building-Products.com

A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association

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

some executive leadership, materials handlers, and operations managers—worked diligently on safety and compliance, we had another that was dedicated to mapping out Snavely’s exit from the crisis. What do we look like coming out of the pandemic? What do we want to look like coming out of the pandemic? How can we improve?

Technological enhancements surfaced as a huge part of the answer to those questions, as we tried to figure out how to make our sales and marketing team more effective while working remote. One of the most impactful improvements was the adoption of an adaptive phone system. It rings right through users’ computers at home as though they’re sitting at their desk in the o ce. In addition, video chats on Teams and Zoom also made a lot of tasks very easy, allowing us to be face-to-face with our shareholders, customers, and vendors.

As this panel continues its work, Snavely is also exploring how to do more digital marketing, different ways of putting presentations together, electronic PODs, and automated systems. With the progress we’ve already made on the technology front, our remote workers are just as connected and, in my opinion, more productive than ever before.

These changes have been good not only for the employees, but for the company as well. While our existing employees are thriving in the work-from-home culture, Snavely is finding that technology facilitates onboarding and training without a need to be in the o ce. Labor continues to be a challenge for this industry, and qualified candidates are in demand everywhere, so being able to say that a candidate’s physical location may not matter so much is an enviable position to be in. You don’t have to have somebody commuting an hour or 45 minutes each way if the job doesn’t demand it.

In addition to the gains derived through technological innovations, our company is also getting feedback directly from customers on how to improve. Instead of a general, routine check-in to see if everything’s okay, we’re asking questions like: • What’s the most important thing customers need from us right now?

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• How can we help during these uncertain times?

What do they expect us to do differently today than we normally do or that we’re doing right now?

• What challenges do they expect to face during the recovery period and how do we help them there?

The Other Side of the Pandemic If you had told me a year ago that my work day would come to look like this 50% videoconferencing, for example—I would’ve said, “No way.” But that’s what it’s transformed to. If you had told me that not only are we going to be hit with this pandemic, but we’re going to move our employees to working from home and take our sales force off the road but that business is going to better than it was before—I never would’ve believed that, either. But that’s a fact, too.

The pandemic forced a lot of changes; but at the end of the day, our business is still a relationship business— although how we manage those relationships may look a little different. Still, it doesn’t matter which portion of building materials we’re talking about, if you’ve done a good job with your vendors in treating them as partners and talking openly and honestly, you get through the challenges (like the current shortage of supply). It may not always be easy, but you’re going to make it work.

That’s why NAWLA and similar organizations are so important. As the world begins to open back up, an in-person Traders Market is a strong possibility this year; and if it happens, it’ll represent a prime opportunity to cultivate some of those all-important relationships. There’s a major pent-up demand to get back to seeing people in person, even as we’ve managed to make everything work in the interim.

With video conferencing, it’s true that you can walk away with some sense of a personal connection. You can see and read the body language of the person on the other side of the screen, so you get “some of it.” But being in person, you get “all of it.” There’s no substitute for that.

– Carl Lamb is a shareholder and vice president of Eastern Operations for Snavely Forest Products, Pittsburgh, Pa. Learn more at snavelyforestproducts.com.

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MOVERS & Shakers

Bobby Chamberlain joined Do Lakes, this number is expected to grow a bithas over the next said.

Every now and then a little rumor pops up that auto • Gazebos – providing more shelter it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, In., as few years. scanners are taking the place of good people, and that’s just than a pergola, gazebos offer a point anforLBM business development The technology isn’t everyone, he concluded.

For not retreat the case.and greater protection of JeffCoulombe Stoddard, former Northwest Watson to contractor newthere are merchandise smaller mills, the ROI mgr. won’tAlso ever be and they will agrees When we started David this journey, we is new from the elements without isolating Hardwoods VP, has been named sales at Mead Clark Lumberto Co., coordinator Elyssa Pozorski and knew it would be a big change for our folks; our graders are continue be successful.

For our larger ones, this may inhabitants. chief operating officer ofvalued Collins Santapieces Rosa, of Ca. marketing specialists some of our best employees, and important be something more of consumer them may consider in the years to Portland, Or. structures Jason Stanley • organization, Exposed Timber –want the to lose M e g a n M i l l s a p a n d We s ourCos., and we didn’t anySummers of them. has been come.

Chad promoted to is now operations mgr. of the ane natural color and grain of redwood Schooley. promoted: In our case, we took former line graders andpresident put themof inewett-Cameron, The technology will continueRecently to improve, and we orth Hardwood division in support ane, timbers a solid to atheir expertise Michael McCoy, sourcing roles like lend scanner technician toPa. keep expect to see more industry peers gettingglobal on board, said Plains,close Or. atHe succeeds Charlie greater structural merchandise mgr.; Ryan Robie, hand.Caylor Coulombe. it for Irving Forest Products Ken has design. retired as plywood Hopewell, who will stay on Is as it worth rental far program mgr.; Carolyn Without a doubt. The benefits outweigh the challenges, sales mgr.– for South Coast Lumber chairman of the board.

• Decks a redwood deck can last Rorick, LBM and the equipment we’ve chosen is operations helping usspecialist; to better Co. & Affiliates/Pacific Wood aChallenges lifetime when Along it’s builtthe and Way mainTim Callahan was named chairman of and Laurenneeds, Wilson, safety & As well. is often Brookings, the case withOr. technology, there were chalserve our customers’ ever-changing and that’s what Laminates, Rob tained Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual general merchandise mgr. lenges the new tools were 20 implemented at Irving Forest it’s really all about.

Roweas succeeds him after years Insurance Co., Philadelphia, Pa. • Planters – PWL. non-toxic and had all natProducts.

Initial technology issues with identifying in sales with Lorna D. Christie has resigned after ural, is ideal for garden Ryan has been promoted to decay redwood due to its color, among other things.Paul The installation five years as CEO of the ational To m J o h n s t o n , e x B u i l d e r s boxes planters hold flowering processand required lotsto of checking by people president lots of and manCEO of LMC, S I Wayne, rowing Certification of amily ands Hardwood Lumber Association.

FirstSource, is now Opti-Frame plants, vegetable Pa.accurately.

He succeeds John Somerville, hours herbs, to geteven it started andgardens. up and running The SustainableThe Forestry Initiative and the is NHLA executive committee mgr. for Parr Lumber, Seattle, Wa. who is retiring this month after 11 Constant checks were the name of the game for a while, but American Forest Foundation have formed a new part• Furniture – any form of seating, working on a transition plan.

Ethan Anderson, OrePac Building Coulombe says all those issuestheare in the past. years with LMC. nership to grow the amount of certified family and tables, benches deliver promise Robert Fouquet, transferred from key tohas success new technology to assign ex-El & other holdings in orth America. ex-Ainsworth/ of Products, a The comfortable place towith gather when Paulis Conley, Elsmall Wood Norbord, and Ernesto Wagner Belgrade, Mt., to become branch someone to take ownership of the program or equipment nder their new Small Lands Group Certification built with redwood.

Products, joined DW Distribution, joined Forest Economic Advisors support and really mgr. usherinitWilsonville, through theOr. quality control checks, the Module, companies certified to the SFI Fiber Sourcing INCREASINGLY backyard builders are realizing that the best contemporary design materials aren’t as VP of door fabrication. based in • Arbors – create memorable calls with the manufacturer, etc.,tranCoulombe Standard will be ableastopartners. form a newFouquet, type of certificagrowncommented. in the lab, but out in unfiltered nature.

Fritz Selzer is new to sales and Rick Lierz, president &group CEO, Vancouver, B.C., will cover sitions from one part atofthis a yard to will the never Precise technology level be set-it-andtion to certify small lands within their wood and project management for Associated Franklin Building Supply, Boise, engineered wood products; Wagner next with just redwood arbors. forget-it; when you think you’ve hit that sweet spot, a fiber supply area.

Building Supply, Oxnard, Ca. He is was honored with the National coverHewitt South –beJessica director of marketis Id., the atop choice among landscaping fleck of dirt on the lens shows a defect.

It’s constant The Module will will submitted toisAmerica. the Programme based in Arroyo Grande, Ca.up as in Among the trends emerging ing at Humboldt Redwood Company.

HRC Lumber & Building Material trends.

It is a choice any consumer process, but worth the effort. for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) for Helena Handbasket has been named landscaping design, no better is working to cultivate afiber lasting legacy of Sharon Mason is thethere’s new sales mgr.

Dealers Association’s Chairman’s can make with confidence, and reafapproval this spring. pon approval, produced financial advisor to Mungus-Fungus fit for for bringing beauty, color and presresponsible and SDS His Lumber, Bingen, Wa., Award.

Johnfrom Somerville firm their LMC’s wise decision year after To Each Own lands certifiedenvironmentally under the program will beforestry certified Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report ence into an outdoor space than redsourcing, manufacturing, and distribution taking over for John Spaulding, received NLBMDA’s Lifetime year.ELMA mills

By Easterling’s estimates, maybe 10% of for both PEFC and co-owners SFI labels and chain-of-custody Hugh Mungus and wood.

Combined with of top-quality redwood lumber products. who retired April 29. its longevity, Distinguished Service Award. use auto grading equipment.

With the technology still fairsystems.

Freddy Fungus. and environmental qualities, redwood ly new to the lumber industry in the ortheast and Great

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the finest timbers available, delivered to customers accurately, honestly & on time.

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

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GMS to Acquire Western Distributor Westside Building Material

Tucker, Ga.-based interior building products distributor GMS Inc. has agreed to purchase the assets of 10-unit distributor Westside Building Material, Anaheim, Ca., for 135 million in cash.

Founded in 1935, Westside is a leading supplier of steel framing, wallboard, acoustical ceilings, insulation and related building products serving commercial and residential markets throughout the Southwest. The chain operates nine distribution centers in California (Anaheim, Hesperia, Oakland, Chatsworth, Fresno, Lancaster, Santa Maria, San Diego, and National City) and one in Las Vegas, Nv. In 2020, Westside generated net revenues of approximately 200 million. ohn C. Turner, president and chief executive o cer of GMS, said, The acquisition of Westside reflects the continued execution of our growth strategy and brings together two leading organizations with shared cultures and entrepreneurial values. Westside’s differentiated platform provides a unique opportunity for GMS to expand our reach and capture significant growth opportunities in strategically important West Coast markets.”

Westside’s current management team, including president Dick Peckham and CEO Bill Peckham, will continue to lead the business under the Westside brand.

Westside will also partner with seven existing GMS locations across California which operate under the B Materials, Hathaway Building Materials, and Charles G. Hardy banners.

The deal is expected to close early in the third quarter, subject to customary closing conditions.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1971, GMS operates more than 265 distribution centers across the .S. and Canada, offering wallboard, suspended ceilings systems, ceilings, and related construction products.

Green Bay Rebrands as DuxxBak Composite Decking Seeking to capitalize on the water-shedding namesake of its patented compound, Green Bay Decking, Green Bay, Wi., has rebranded as DuxxBak Composite Decking.

Several of its decking lines have also been rebranded in an effort to bring a more streamlined, quality-centered theme.

GREEN BAY DECKING is renaming the company after its signature, water-shedding product.

The composite decking’s base compound, from which all its decking products are manufactured, consists of virgin high density polyethylene (HDPE), rice hulls, and Biodac—a proprietary element that acts to scientifically strengthen the compound.

It comes in four distinct profiles DuxxBak Dekk; Optima Dekk and Optima Dekk LT; I.Dekk and I.Dekk HD; and Commercial Dekk.

The DuxxBak name was introduced in 201 to describe the products’ water-shedding attributes (like water off a duck’s back).

NORTH IDAHO POST AND POLE We are the manufacturer of Round Wood

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Building-Products.com

Wood Products Production Up Big North American softwood sawmill capacity increased by 1.4 billion bd. ft. in the last year, according to Forisk.

Most of that increased capacity—1.1. billion bd. ft.—was from manufacturing in the U.S. South. In fact, the entire wood products manufacturing sector continues to produce at the highest levels since the Great Recession, according to the Federal Reserve Board.

Many wood products companies have announced significant investments to expand the capacity of existing mills, however, lead times to get the new equipment remains long. In some cases, machinery is backordered up to 24 months—potentially extending the usual 12 to 24 months it would take to complete these types of projects. Manufacturing expansion projects are a long-term solution that will support increased capacity, but not until 2022 at best. Home demand has only increased during the pandemic and builder confidence has been above 0 for the last nine months, with a rating of above 50 indicating positive conditions.

Homes are going under contract at a faster rate than they are listed for sale even though new home listings are up 19.1% over last year. Permits for single- and multifamily projects were up 25.3% and 20. %, respectively.

NAHB reported that the pandemic also drove increased demand for remodeling projects.

Despite the already high levels of production, and investments from manufacturers to upgrade and expand mill capacity, the unprecedented demand still exceeds the current supply. The most immediate opportunity to address constraints to lumber supply is to focus on transportation and workforce limitations. These challenges were present before the pandemic and have exacerbated the current situation.

The wood products industry is far from the only commodity that is experiencing increased demand, nor is it the only industry to face worker shortages and transportation limitations. Addressing these constraints will be the most fruitful endeavor for immediate relief.

RoyOMartin Expands Capacity for Eclipse OSB Radiant Barrier RoyOMartin is adding a new production line for Eclipse OSB Radiant Barrier at its Corrigan, Tx., facility.

“As always, RoyOMartin strives to be on the cutting edge, increasing production to meet the growing demand of our products,” said Bobby Byrd, director of sales. “We recognize homebuilders value our Eclipse product, and we are working around the clock to meet the increased demand driven by building code changes and increasing housing starts in markets that utilize radiant barrier roof decks.”

In the next few months, the completed production line will double the output of Eclipse OSB Radiant Barrier when running at full capacity. The new line is manufactured by Globe Machine Manufacturing Co. and equipped with a Black Brothers laminating station.

“Eclipse has been an important value-added product for RoyOMartin since it was first introduced in 2003 at our Lemoyen mill,” noted executive VP Terry Secrest. “We have grown our capabilities over the past 18 years with e ciency improvements on the original machine, but in 2019 we realized the market was outgrowing our ability to produce enough radiant barrier. Our new Corrigan facility was the perfect location to add production capacity.”

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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

Commerce Advises Doubling Duty The U.S. Department of Commerce issued its preliminary determination in the second administrative review of softwood lumber imports from Canada, proposing that tariff rates be more than doubled for most firms (categorized as “all others”).

The Commerce Department advised that the current .99% combined anti-subsidy and anti-dumping duty rate be increased to 1 .32% by the end of the year. Previously, the rate had been set at 20% in 201 , before being low-

ered to its current level late last year.

The U.S. Lumber Coalition applauded the announcement. “A level playing field is a critical element for continued investment and growth for U.S. lumber manufacturing to meet strong building demand to build more American homes, said ason Brochu, Coalition co-chair and co-president of Pleasant River Lumber Co. “The U.S. Lumber Coalition applauds the Commerce Department’s continued commitment to strongly enforce the U.S. trade laws

Weyerhaeuser Selling Timberlands to Hampton Weyerhaeuser Co., Seattle, Wa., has agreed to sell 1 5,000 acres of timberlands in the North Cascades region of Washington to Hampton Resources, Portland, Or., for $266 million.

Expected to close in the third quarter, the sale is largely comprised of high-elevation terrain in the North Cascades range, with approximately 25% of the acres located in Chelan County on the east side of the mountains. Weyerhaeuser acquired the property through the acquisition of Longview Timber in

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2013. The forestland tract primarily supplies Hampton’s nearby lumber mill in Darrington, Wa., and does not supply Weyerhaeuser’s internal mills or strategic export customers. The property also has the highest operating costs and lowest site productivity and Douglas-fir mix in the company’s western portfolio.

Concurrent with the announcement, Weyerhaeuser said it completed its acquisition of 69,200 acres of high-quality Alabama timberlands from Soterra, a subsidiary of Greif, Inc., for approximately 1 9 million.

June 2021

against subsidized and unfairly traded Canadian lumber imports.”

National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association and the National Association of Home Builders, however, criticized the plan.

LBMDA president onathan Paine called the duty “a tax on American consumers” that will further aggravate the shortage of affordable housing. Paine vowed NLBMDA would lobby “to reverse this decision by the Department of Commerce and will continue to fight for the renewal of a Softwood Lumber Agreement with Canada.”

“These transactions exemplify our ongoing effort to strategically optimize and upgrade our timberland portfolio,” said Devin W. Stockfish, president and CEO of Weyerhaeuser. “Our Alabama acquisition will grow our near-term and long-term cash flow, and the Washington sale completes our targeted largescale divestitures of non-strategic acreage in the West.”

Weyerhaeuser owns or manages nearly 1.3 million acres and also operates two mills, two nurseries, and several other sites in Washington.

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

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*.

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Royal Pacific Merchant ad 9_14.indd 1

June 2021

LONG-IDLED MILL in Fresno County, Ca., shown here humming along in 1952 under Mathews Lumber Co., could soon return to life.

Rush to Dust Off Ancient Sawmill

Fourteen years after purchasing 70 acres of forestland in Fresno County with a long defunct sawmill on site, a 63-yearold plumber has decided to change careers and resume milling on the property.

The Auberry, Ca., mill has sat lifeless since Sequoia Forest Industries shut it down in 199 and liquidated its equipment. irk Ringgold purchased the property in 2007, figuring he would one day convert it into a mini storage facility.

But the 2020 Creek Fire which ripped through the area destroyed 3 0,000 acres of Sierra ational Forest and hundreds of homes—changed his plans. Realizing that there was limited time left to log and mill the thousands of charred trees, he decided to revive the old mill. He’s currently operating a portable saw, but this year has begun purchasing surplus sawmill equipment to revive the full operation with multiple, permanent manufacturing lines. He has also started building up his inventory, as stacks of hundreds of charred pine and cedar logs await their fate.

He has hired industry veteran Walt Schrader to help track down the necessary equipment and get it set up.

Last month, Ringgold received a 250,000 grant from the U.S. Forest Service to complete the installation and help train workers. Among the 44 corporations, associations, universities and research centers awarded this year’s annual Wood Innovations grant, he is the only one-man show.

Ringgold anticipates selling finished products to various markets, such as plywood, trim and siding. He is also acquiring a pole peeler to manufacture telephone poles. He deemed the site’s idled cogeneration plant too expensive to operate.

Challenges remain. The mill will require a minimum of four to 10 truckloads of logs per day to stay profitable. And in March, several environmentalist groups sued the Forest Service and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to prevent logging in the area due to the presence of the Pacific fisher, a small weasel-like mammal added last year to the Endangered Species List.

Built in the early 1950s, the Auberry sawmill has gone through a number of owners including Mathews Lumber Co., ings River Pine Industries, Wickes Forest Industries, and for its final 10 years of operation Sequoia Forest Industries. For decades, it had been the center of the tiny sawmill town—and now may one day be again.

“I’m going to give it everything I’ve got,” Ringgold told the Fresno Bee. “And really, I’ve burned the ships in the harbor. I have no backup plan. There’s nothing but straight ahead hard, and that’s all that I have.”

Building-Products.com

10/27/14 4:14:53 PM

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Water-Based Paints Dominate World demand for architectural paint is forecast to rise 2.5% per year through 202 to 33. million metric tons, according to a new Freedonia Group study.

The most rapid gains will continue to occur among the world’s emerging markets, especially in Asia.

Water-based paints increasingly dominate the global architectural paint market, representing 77% of total demand in 2019. Water-based paints account for the majority of demand in developed regions due to strict VOC regulations, technological advances that enable water-based to match or ex-

ceed the performance of solvent-based types in most applications, and large DIY markets that prefer water-based paints’ low odor and ease of use.

TALK Back WHAT REALLY MATTERS Patrick, once again, you waste no time getting to the root of what really matters (“God, Country, Family... and Less Important Things,” April, p. 8).

Thanks for providing an antidote of inspired clarity and truth, in the midst of confusion, deception and fear.

Your opening editorial “Across the Board” is always reread here several times, by me, my family, and anyone who will take the time to read it when I ask them to “check this guy out!”

Jamie Emmer Lumber Marketing Services Hope, Id. I enjoy reading the large selection of magazines that arrive at our o ce addressed to our various sales reps, spec manager, or executives. I’ve only been in this business two years, in my late 50s (very late ), and I learn something new every single day!

Your article (“God, Country, Family…”) caught my attention. I’m very close to my daughter, who is almost 30. She shared that practically all of the women she knows openly discuss seeing a therapist. We’re not sure about the men (still boys at 29 ).

I’ve always been a believer in counseling and know it can be beneficial; however, from my perspective on her and her friends, they really don’t know what stress is! They all have successful careers, some recently married, with healthy babies, friends and parents.

They haven’t experienced any sort of “massive event” such as a devastating loss, horrible disease, suicide, war or poverty.

I completely agree with you that they are unsettled and unsure how to be truly grateful. I don’t love waking early to an alarm, however, when I do, I take a moment to realize how grateful I am for everything every single day.

Thank you for the heart-warming article and reminder!

Gwen Darling Roseburg ohns Creek, Ga. VALUABLE INSTRUCTION I stopped into my on-site o ce in Boise this morning and the GM was raving about ames Olsen’s sales article, “Yes, No, Maybe So.” She shared it with her inside and outside sellers, along with all the GMs across our distribution business.

I thought you may like to share with ames that his contributions were valued—and I wanted to personally thank you for providing top-notch content that matters to my teams.

Melinda Stiefel Weyerhaeuser Co. Boise, Id.

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Building-Products.com

Uncertainty Makes It Hard to Know When to Buy But Idaho Timber’s Just-In-Time Service Makes it Easy: n Get just what you want right when you want it, in highly mixed trucks of

dimension, studs and special trims. Delivered mill-direct in 24 to 48 hours, you can profitably sell each load before a market move impacts its value. n Your inventory turns 4 times faster with our just-in-time truck service than if

you buy railcars. Reload costs are eliminated and you can have a truckload sold and on your A/R before payment is even due. All this does wonders for cash flow. And fast, mixed trucks make it easy to keep stock in balance. n Lumber metered in by truck takes 80% less space and capital than when

supplied by car. With all that space and cash freed up, your wood may all fit under roof where it will yard better and sell better, and you’ll have room and funds for higher margin products to further improve your bottom line.

Idaho Timber’s just-in-time service accelerates inventory turns and shrinks carrying costs. When your lumber consistently turns this quickly and profitably, your risk from market moves is so minimal you can confidently replenish stock at any time.

Maximum Performance. Minimum Risk.

(800) 654-8110 Building-Products.com

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SELLING with Kahle

By Dave Kahle

Developing your sales staff

W

issues are worrying you these days? eeping the good salespeople you

have?

• Motivating your salespeople?

• Stimulating your salespeople to become more productive?

• Attracting good quality, new salespeople?

If you are concerned about any one of these issues, you are not alone.

These are near the top of almost every businessperson’s list these days. With good reason. If you can positively resolve each of these issues, you’ll go a long way to profitably growing your business. If you can’t, you may have a very rocky road ahead of you.

Now, suppose you could focus on one initiative that would help positively resolve each of these issues.

With one simple move, you could help yourself on every one of these troublesome issues. Is there such an initiative? Is there one thing you can do that will help you keep the good salespeople you have, motivate your salespeople, stimulate your salespeople to

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become more productive, and attract good quality candidates?

The answer? Of course, there is.

It’s this: You can build a systematic approach to developing your salespeople. And in successfully accomplishing that one thing you’ll resolve all the others.

First a definition. By “development” I mean this: “Continuous improvement in the knowledge, processes, skills and tools necessary to be ever more effective and e cient.

I don’t mean that once a month you have a sales meeting when you talk about problems, new company policies and procedures, or discuss a new product. Those kinds of meetings are necessary, but hardly su cient.

Nor does it mean that you expect your salespeople to learn on the job by trial and error. At best, that is a very time consuming and costly approach.

At worst, it leads to mediocre performance, confusion and frustration on the part of the salesperson as well as his boss. Most companies who claim to do on-the-job training are really

June 2021

making an excuse for their lack of ability to do anything better.

I don’t know of any other sophisticated area of human labor where it is expected that every practitioner will figure out how to do the job well on his/her own. I, for one, would not want to settle into my seat on an airplane and have the pilot announce that he’s figured out how to fly this plane on his own. Nor do I want to put my life in the hands of a surgeon who learned a surgical procedure by trial and error.

The list can go on and on. It includes almost any profession you can think of: lawyers, teachers, social workers, ministers, engineers, repair technicians, etc. In every one of these sophisticated jobs, there is a body of knowledge, of principles and procedures, that the practitioners are expected to master. While all of these professions expect people to practice, none of them expect them to learn the basic principles on their own by trial and error.

Are field salespeople somehow different? Are their jobs so simple that it’s easy to learn how to do it well? Or are they somehow super-intelligent and able to figure it all out on their own Clearly the answer to both questions is NO. Sales is an incredibly formidable profession that offers its practitioners a lifetime of challenge. No salesperson is ever as good as he/she could be. And salespeople are no more nor less intelligent than their counterparts among teachers, social workers, ministers, and the like.

Not only that, but every other profession expects its members to continually improve themselves. Show me a doctor, lawyer, CPA, teacher, social worker, minister, etc., who has not gone back for additional training and Building-Products.com

development in the last two years and I’ll show you one who is either retired or dead. Show me a salesperson that hasn’t invested in improving themselves in the last two years and I’ll show you 0% of the salespeople in this country.

Why is that? One major reason is that most of the companies for whom they work don’t require continuous improvement. One of the main reasons they don’t require it is that they don’t know how to pull it off. So, they busy themselves with “product-oriented” sales meetings and complain often about unmotivated salespeople.

Being systematic about development is far more extensive than that. Here’s what your organization might look like after you have invested in developing your salespeople.

Picture of the company that develops its salespeople: 1. You’d have a structured training program for all new hires. There would be a body of knowledge they would need to acquire, skills and processes they would need to master, and benchmarks along the way by which you could measure their progress. This program would teach such important practices as: • developing territory plans • planning for sales calls • strategic planning for account penetration • relationship building • prospecting and cold calling • making appointments • collecting information • maintaining good records

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• getting organized • making persuasive presentations • gaining commitment • implementing customer’s decision • following up to assure satisfaction • penetrating key accounts

2 . Once a certain minimum level of competency is attained, the salesperson would then be required to continually improve on his/her skills by investing time and energy in getting better at the job. You’d make that happen by: • requiring monthly or quarterly involvement in “learning experiences.” These could be anything from classes at the local university, audio or video training programs like our sales certification or continuous improvement programs, to something as simple as checking a book out of the company‘s library and sharing a list of good ideas at the next sales meeting.

• holding regular developmental sales meetings in which you focused on a special behavior or practice and helped people improve in that one area. That’s the specific application for our video training kits.

3. At some point in the development of a salesperson, he/ she will likely look for additional career challenges. When that happens, the focus of development should be on providing the salesperson opportunities to expand his/her competency into areas that can be of assistance to the company in areas other than sales. This is when some salespeople want to focus on training or coaching others, for example.

They can be channeled into learning how to do that. Others

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Utah Lumber Company – A versatile, multi-faceted company specializing in commodity and industrial lumber products.

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may want to expand into management and should be encouraged to begin gaining management skills and practices. Others may want to pursue team leadership, etc.

A comprehensive development system then, should account for three things: (1) learning the basic principles, processes and tools for effective selling, (2) continuous improvement in the sophisticated practices of highly effective salespeople, and (3) opportunities to expand in complementary careers and learn the skills necessary to do so.

How will this help you retain and attract good salespeople, motivate the ones you have and improve the productivity of the entire group?

Which would you want to work for? A company who doesn’t invest anything in developing their people, or one who has a regular, formal and systematic approach such as the one I described above? Silly question.

Imagine yourself interviewing a prospective salesperson, before and after you’ve implemented the system described above. Before that, you say to your candidate, “We expect you to learn on the job.”

After that, you say, “We have a structured training program to assure that you master the basic practices that will ensure your success. Then, when you’ve mastered those, we have a system to stimulate your continuous career growth so that you are always growing better at your job. Finally, we have a system to help you expand your

knowledge and skills into complementary areas like sales management, team leadership, and so on, if your are so inclined.”

Everything else being equal, which company would you rather work for?

That’s how a development program will help you attract the right kind of people. Clearly, the same is true of your current sales force. Begin to require continuous improvement, provide the means for them to do so, and invest in them, and you’ll be surprised how loyal they become.

This kind of program cannot help but improve your sales productivity.

When all your salespeople know that constant and measurable improvement is required, most of them will begin to work on that. And you’ll begin to see the result in increased sales and gross profits.

Training and development like the kind we’re talking about can be one of your best investments. If only one salesperson acquires only one new account because of your investment in their development, it’s likely that one new account will more than pay for a year’s worth of development costs by itself.

How to move in the right direction: Here are some small steps you can take towards becoming the kind of learning organization I’ve described.

1 . Budget for development. As simple as it may seem, this one step will be a major one. Once you have a budget, you’ll find it much easier

to actually spend that money. The decision will not be “if” but rather “how.” Also, by budgeting money for development and then letting your managers know, you will have sent a powerful message that you are serious about it and willing to invest some of the company’s resources in it.

The natural question is then, how much should you invest? There are some benchmarks available. One study found that high-performing wholesale distributors spent about 2.5% of payroll on training, while an ASTD member survey found that their member companies averaged 3.2% of payroll.

Since training is a smaller issue than development, and since salespeople can generally benefit the company more than drivers, warehouse workers and production personnel, I’d suggest a bit higher number. I like to see 5% of payroll invested in continuous development of the sales team.

2. Have your sales managers create individual development plans with each salesperson. It is common practice for sales managers to hold annual goal-setting meetings with their charges in which performance goals are identified.

That’s a great opportunity to create annual development goals and strategies at the same time. Doing so lets everyone know that continuous development is a requirement of the job.

3 . Regularly generate learning opportunities. Learning opportunities are events at which salespeople are exposed to new ideas or reminded of good practices. They can encompass a wide range of possibilities from reading a new book on sales strategies, having roundtable discussions of success stories and common problems, to viewing our monthly videotape series for inside or outside salespeople.

The point is that you generate learning opportunities on a regular basis and require your salespeople to take part in them.

While not everyone will gain the same thing from each event, over time they’ll understand that you are serious about their growth, and that their continuous development is your priority and their responsibility.

– Dave Kahle is a leading sales authority—having written 12 books, presented in 47 states and 11 countries, and helped to enrich tens of thousands of salespeople and transform hundreds of sales organizations.

Reach him via www.davekahle.com.

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Viewrail standard powder coatings on aluminum are now warranted for five years in interior and one year in exterior installations. The new warranty covers locations more than five miles from a body of salt water, and includes color retention, chalk resistance, and gloss retention.

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Robust Battery DeWalt has introduced the Flexvolt 20 /60 MA 15.0 Ah battery, the highest capacity lithium ion battery in its cordless system.

The battery is designed to provide maximum runtime in heavy-duty commercial applications including concrete and masonry, metalworking, building and remodeling. It utilizes patented technology to automatically switch voltage in accordance with the tool it is paired with.

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Duradek has updated Dek-Vision, the first online design tool for vinyl membranes, to include a video tutorial, Duradek’s newest color (Legacy Cedarwood), and to be accessible at dek-vision.com.

The free tool comes pre-loaded with eight deck image options that cover a variety of the most common deck types, allowing users to experiment with railing color, siding and all 26 colors and 10 patterns of Duradek vinyl deck membranes. n DE - ISIO .COM ( 00) 33 -356

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Customized Stair Part Collections It’s a Wrap Simpson Strong-Tie has added a new decorative post base wrap to its Outdoor Accents line of code-listed wood connectors and fasteners. Enhance the appearance of post base connections and add design flair by enclosing them in the new post wrap that fits around most nominal x and 6x6 post bases.

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Crown Heritage Stair Co. has introduced its latest collection concept: Design Your Own customizable stair parts, beginning with Design Your Own Primed Newel Posts with stain grade cap and trim options.

Customers can pick from six handcrafted solid wood newel posts. Sculpted with an automated digital router for perfect edges, the posts are primed with multiple coats of premium primer. Three cap and trim options are offered in four species of unfinished hardwood. As an added feature, designs can be accentuated with primed post sleeves.

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Blinds Spot

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THE NEXT GENERATION IN VIRTUAL EVENTS

Forget “normal,” create something better.

The future of events is both live and digital.

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IN Memoriam James M. “Jim” Harris, 75, longtime manager of San Mateo Lumber Co., San Mateo, Ca., died April 25 in Burlingame, Ca. He spent 47 years with San Mateo Lumber until he retired three years ago.

Wilfred Emil “Pete” Sylvester, 9 , retired owner of Pete’s Lumber Building Supply, Seaview, Wa., passed away April 15.

At 18 he started working for Harris Lumber in Missouri and soon became yard foreman. After serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II, he moved to Salem, Or., and joined Oregon Pulp & Paper Co. He then spent 11 years managing its Opaco Lumber

Building-Products.com

Co. subsidiary in Las Vegas, Nv. He returned to Oregon to wholesale windows, then managed Boise Cascade’s Bestway Building Center in Longview, Wa. Pete eventually purchased his own lumberyard and operated it with his wife and five children for 16 years.

Jeff Lynn, Southern California lumber salesman, died March 5.

Through the 1990s, he worked for Oregon Canadian Forest Products of California, Orange, Ca. Adelbert K. “Doug” Charles Jr., 0, co-owner of Del Lumber Co., Elyria, Ca., died April 26 in Mission Viejo, Ca., after a prolonged illness.

He graduated from Yale University in 1962, earned his MBA from Columbia University, and his doctorate from Yale

Law School, then practiced law in New York. He and his family also owned and operated Del Lumber for over 45 years.

Charles William “Chuck” Bush, 9 , founder of Fairway Lumber Co., Garden Grove, Ca., died April 12 in Soquel, Ca. After serving in the Marines during World War II, he earned an economics degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Robert Tayler “Rob” Haring, 68, co-owner of Laminated Forest Products, Anaheim, Ca., died of leukemia April 27.

After working for the Forestry Service, he started the construction materials brokerage with his brother, Tom Haring, and father, Clint Haring.

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

Window & Door Manufacturers Association – June 9-10, technical & manufacturing virtual conference; www.wdma.com.

The Summer Home & Backyard Show – June 11-13, Fairplex, Pomona, Ca.; www.fairplex.com.

National Lawn & Garden Show – June 15-16, appointment-based B2B event, DFW Sheraton, Dallas, Tx.; www.nlgshow.com.

Forest Products Society – June 15-17, virtual international conference; www.fpsic2021.com.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – June 16, golf/dinner meeting, Los Serranos Country Club, Chino Hills, Ca; hoohoo117.org.

West Coast Lumber & Building Materials Association – June 17, Northern California golf tournament, Chardonnay Golf Club, Napa, Ca.; www.lumberassociation.org.

Coverings – July 7-9, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; www.coverings.com.

National Wood Flooring Expo – July 7-9, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; www.nwfaexpo.org.

Riverside Home & Backyard Show – July 9-11, Riverside Convention Center, Ontario, Ca.; www.homeshowconsultants.com.

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – July 15, “Swing for a Cause” Easterseals Fundraiser, TopGolf, Thornton, Co.; www.mslbmda.org.

AWFS Fair – July 20-23, Las Vegas, Nv.; www.awfsfair.org.

American Wood Protection Assn. – July 27-29, in-person/online annual meeting, Nashville, Tn.; www.awpa.com.

International Society of Wood Science & Technology – Aug. 1-6, 64th international convention, Little America Hotel, Flagstaff, Az.; www.swst.org.

Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club – Aug. 6, annual trap shoot & BBQ, Ukiah Rifle & Pistol Club, Ukiah, Ca.; www.hoohoo.org.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – Aug. 6-7, ladies weekend, Hilton Palm Springs Resort, Palm Springs, Ca; hoohoo117.org.

LMC – Aug. 9-11, virtual Hardware Express; www.lmc.net.

Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo – Aug. 11-13, presented by Southern Forest Products Association, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga.; www.sfpaexpo.com.

The Hardware Conference – Aug. 13-15, JW Marriott, Marco Island, Fl.; www.thehardwareconference.com.

Orgill – Aug. 16-27, online buying event; www.orgill.com.

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – Aug. 18, Crazy Pants Golf Day, Fossil Trace Golf Club, Golden, Co.; www.mslbmda.org.

Western Hardwood Association – Aug. 18-20, annual convention, Hilton Garden Inn, Eugene, Or.; www.westernhardwood.org.

West Coast Lumber & Building Materials Association – Aug. 19, Southern California golf tournament, Black Gold Golf Course, Yorba Linda, Ca.; www.lumberassociation.org.

Long Beach Home & Backyard Show – Aug. 20-22, Long Beach Convention & Center, Long Beach, Ca.; homeshowconsultants.com.

Salt Lake Home Expo – Aug. 20-22, Mountain America Expo Center, Salt Lake City, Ut.; www.saltlakehomexpo.com.

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – Aug. 26, 3rd annual sporting clay shoot, Colorado Clays, Brighton, Co.; www.mslbmda.org.

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Building-Products.com

ADVERTISERS Index

3

Orgill www.orgill.com Pelican Bay Forest Products www.pelicanbayfp.com

Page

26

All-Coast Forest Products www.all-coast.com

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51

Boise Cascade Building Materials Distribution www.bc.com/distribution

31

Permapost Products Co. www.klear-gard25.com

52

C&E Lumber Co. www.celumber.com

35, Cover III

Redwood Empire www.buyredwood.com

15

California Cascade Industries www.californiacascade.com

23

Reel Lumber Service www.reellumber.com

13

Capital www.capital-lumber.com

27

RoyOMartin www.royomartin.com

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Seneca1/21/19 5:53 PM www.senecasawmill.com

CT Darnell Construction www.ct-darnell.com

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Simpson Strong-Tie www.strongtie.com

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Fasco America www.fasco-tools.com

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Swanson Group Sales Co. www.swansongroup.biz

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526 Events www.526.events

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Timber Products Co. www.timberproducts.com

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Fontana Wholesale Lumber www.fontanawholesalelumber.com

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TIVA Building Products www.tivabp.com

30

Huff Lumber www.hufflumber.net

Covers I, IV

TruWood www.truwoodsiding.com

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Humboldt Sawmill www.mendoco.com

25

UFP Industries www.ufpedge.com

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Idaho Timber www.idahotimber.com

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Utah Lumber Co. www.utahlumber.com

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International Wood Products www.iwpllc.com

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West Fraser www.westfraser.com/osb

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Jones Wholesale Lumber www.joneswholesale.com

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Western Woods Inc. www.westernwoodsinc.com

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Krauter Auto-Stak www.krauterautostak.com

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Weyerhaeuser Co. www.weyerhaeuser.com

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Mount Storm Forest Products www.mountstorm.com

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North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. www.nawla.org

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North Idaho Post & Pole www.northidahopostandpole.com

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Combilift Royal Pacific Merchant half page ad 1_19.indd www.combilift.com

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Welcome Aboard!

The Merchant is excited to introduce to our readers a new first-time advertiser, Utah Lumber, and its affiliates Saratoga Forest Management and Goshen Forest Products.

Learn more at www.utahlumber.com.

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FLASHBack 67 Years Ago This Month

195

marked a revelation for lumber dealers, as the une 195 issue of The California Lumber Merchant featured numerous reports chronicling the sudden emergence of a vast new “do-it-yourself” market.

U.S. Plywood Corp., for one, was stunned with the results of a survey of users of its own products.

According to advertising director R.S. Lowell, “We made the startling discovery that 42% of the interviewed users of hardwood paneling had installed the materials themselves!” ames Corbet, longtime sales manager for Western Pine Supply, was leaving the wholesale business to open up his own “home craftsman store” in Larkspur, Ca., catering to the “homeowner, do-it-yourself man, and hobbyist. His ,500-sq. ft. store would stock plain and decorative plywoods, power tools, lumber for shelving, cabinet work, moulding, fencing, paint, BBQ equipment, hardware, housewares and garden supplies. His wife, Beth, would help run the housewares department.

They’d keep the store open six full days a week, plus Sunday mornings.

THE JUNE 1954 issue spotlighted White Brothers, which to this day mills hardwood millwork in Oakland, Ca., at age 149.

In other news of 67 years ago: • The Masonite Corp. of Ukiah, Ca., became the largest tree-farm owner in the Redwood Region after having 6 ,27 acres of local forestlands certified by the California Redwood Association.

• Building material suppliers along the West Coast were excited to hear California Governor Goodwin night announce that the state would spend 1 billion over the next six years building schools at a rate of 100 new classrooms every week until 1960. He also expected to spend 150 million in 195 on highway construction.

The Gypsum Association launched a special merchandising program designed to help LBM dealers “get the biggest possible share” of the $7-billion-ayear “Add-a-Room” market. Supplementing the merchandising of individual gypsum manufacturers, the association began distributing a series of Add-a-Room mailing pieces to more than 23,000 dealers.

• The Association of American Railroads reported that the amount of forest products purchased by the nation’s Class I railroads in 1953 totaled 176 million, with crossties accounting for the biggest share.

More than 96 million was spent on treated and untreated ties, representing about 55% of the railroads’ total expenditures on wood products. They also paid 25. million for switch and bridge ties and timber, 3 million for rough and finished lumber, and 11.2 million for other forest products.

BLUE DIAMOND CORP.—no relation to the almond growers—operated a gypsum mine in Blue Diamond, Nv., to supply its adjacent wallboard factory. In time, the mine was sold to James Hardie, which sold the plant to BPB in 2002.

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• Pickering Lumber Corp., Standard, Ca., sold to the State of California a 2,115-acre tract in Tuolumne County, on which stands one of the most beautiful groves of Sequoia Gigantea trees in existence. The $2.8 million purchase was made possible by a $1 million donation by ohn D. Rockefeller.

Days earlier, Pickering traded its Sugar Pine Memorial Grove in Tuolumne County to the federal government for the cutting rights to a nearby tract.

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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.

“Growing beyond measure.”

Call or visit us today. Our family of Redwood timberland owners will continue to be your reputable and reliable source of Redwood.

Call us at 707.894.4241 Visit us at buyRedwood.com

The

MERCHANT

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Engineered to perform.

Designed to protect.

Siding: OLD MILL® SHINGLE 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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LLC

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