The Merchant June 2019 by 526 Media Group

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JUNE 2019

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

TECH THAT BETTERS YOUR LBM BUSINESS • FORKLIFT TRENDS • CARVING A LEGACY

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

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President/Publisher Patrick Adams padams@526mediagroup.com

OUR MARKET MOVES QUICKLY— SO DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND!

Vice President Shelly Smith Adams sadams@526mediagroup.com Publishers Emeritus Alan Oakes, David Cutler Managing Editor David Koenig • dkoenig@526mediagroup.com Editor Stephanie Ornelas sornelas@526mediagroup.com Contributing Editors Carla Waldemar, James Olsen, Alex Goldfayn, Claudia St. John, Dave Kahle

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CHANGE OF ADDRESS Send address label from recent issue, new address, and 9-digit zip to address below. POSTMASTER Send address changes to The Merchant Magazine, 151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. E200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. The Merchant Magazine (ISSN 7399723) (USPS 796-560) is published monthly at 151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. E200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 by 526 Media Group, Inc. Periodicals Postage paid at Newport Beach, CA, and additional post offices. It is an independently-owned publication for the retail, wholesale and distribution levels of the lumber and building products markets in 13 western states. Copyright®2019 by 526 Media Group, Inc. Cover and entire contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission. All Rights Reserved. We reserve the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter, and assumes no liability for materials furnished to it. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or persons quoted and not necessarily those of 526 Media Group, Inc. Articles are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial or business management advice. Volume 98 • Number 6

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CONTENTS

June 2019 Volume 98 n Number 6

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

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Special Focus

Features

10 TECH TIPS

12 MANAGEMENT TIPS

SMALL- AND MID-SIZED RETAILERS CAN REMAIN COMPETITIVE AGAINST THE BIG BOXES BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF

Departments

14 INDUSTRY TRENDS

MORE LUMBERYARDS ARE MOVING TO ELECTRIC FORKLIFTS

16 MARGIN BUILDERS

LUMBERYARDS GIVE HOME KITS A SECOND LOOK

The

MERCHANT

46 EVENT RECAP

52 TALK BACK

CARVING A LEGACY IN WOOD

SUSTAINABLE

52 IN MEMORIAM

DO IT BEST SPRING MARKET

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53 ADVERTISERS INDEX

NAWLA’S VANCOUVER REGIONAL

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32 MOVERS & SHAKERS

51 DATE BOOK

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24 TRANSFORMING TEAMS

30 THINKING AHEAD

VERSATILE

DURABLE

22 THE REVENUE GROWTH HABIT

50 ASSOCIATION UPDATE

TEXAS’ TRICO LUMBER GOES IN THREE DIRECTIONS AT ONCE

JUNE 2019

Magazine

EASY AND SAFE

20 OLSEN ON SALES

34 NEW PRODUCTS

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

MATCHING REVERSIBLE TRIM

8 ACROSS THE BOARD

18 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

TECH THAT BETTERS YOUR LBM BUSINESS • FORKLIFT TRENDS • CARVING A LEGACY

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

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BETTER BRANDING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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ACROSS the Board By Patrick Adams

I’m a juggler s you’d imagine, most friends around my age find themselves at a different point in life than me. My wife and I started the exciting chapter of kids later in life than most and, as a result, my friends haven’t had that wonderful experience of a waitress exclaiming, “Oh, your grandchildren are just beautiful!” It makes for interesting conversations as they talk about how the house is getting quieter, how the last child leaves for college next year, or how they will now become “empty nesters.” This is in stark contrast to my stories filled with truly, utter pandemonium! The kids are now 8 and 2. We have the business. We both volunteer in a variety of charities and causes. We try to work out daily because chasing little kids gets exhausting—whether you’re in shape or not, but especially because I’m hoping to make it to my son’s college graduation when I turn 72—assuming he only takes four years to finish! As I share stories with my friends, I sometimes see their eyes start to glaze over as they listen to the details—maybe relating to years past or maybe, wondering how I juggle it all. Sometimes I really throw them for a loop, like when just after my son was born I thought it would be a good idea to add a new German shepherd puppy to the mix! They just shake their heads and wonder what’s wrong with me and if I have some sort of death wish or personality disorder. Perhaps. In these days when everyone is seeking “balance” and experimenting with yoga or meditation, I am apparently the juggler who simply can’t have enough balls in the air at once! This brings us to present day. The business is growing and we have recently launched several new, industry-leading resources that we have spent a couple years building. Like the rest of you, we have several open positions and each time we fill one, we realize that we need even more help! We’re also expanding through acquisitions, which throws several more “balls in the air” all at once. In the face of this, I suppose any reasonable person would do what I just did... In all of my “spare time,” I was feeling guilty that my growing list of balls in the air did not allow enough family “quality time” and that I needed to do something about it. The answer? Buy our first RV travel trailer! In my mind, this would be the perfect solution—rather than a big, complicated vacation involving kids, airports, hotels, etc., we could just “pack up” for a long weekend to the countless, beautiful local spots that we never seem to take advantage of. I picked it up last week and drove it home. I quickly realized that I need a different hitch, a backup camera, and

towing mirrors. Parking it in the driveway (only took three attempts) had me realize I needed countless things I never considered like power adapters, wheel chocks, and a list of gadgets a mile long confidently recommended by everyone on YouTube under the search “new RV trailer owner.” We’ve planned our first trip for right after the kids start summer break—four times now. The first spot where I found a space available I later discovered was totally “off grid”—not the best thing for the future of my marriage. The second turned out to be a “party spot” by Yelp reviewers. Third was a five-hour drive up twisty Highway 1. We settled on a known spot just a couple of hours up the road, with full service hook-ups, but is supposed to still feel like “camping.” By my past experience, it is not “camping” when you have AC, a microwave, and a TV, but hey, it’s about making memories and spending quality time, right? Yes, in buying the trailer, finding a spot to store it, and adding to the daily list of must-have gadgets that will make our “glamping” experience suitable, I feel like I’ve added another six balls to my daily juggling routine. And… I wouldn’t have it any other way. When I was young, someone told me, “If you want to stay out of trouble and have purpose to your life, stay busy.” Sounded simple back then… I also seem to recall a saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” Guess that’s me, and as I just shared with someone who was complaining to me about being busy: “It’s better than the alternative!” I hope you all add a few balls to your already busy juggling routine this summer. Make memories and take a minute to enjoy and appreciate all that is good in your life. Your business and your life will be better for it!

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

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FEATURE Story By John Mauri

5 ways small retailers

can compete against the big boxes ver the past five years, the U.S. lumber and building material industry has grown by 1.2% to reach revenues of more than $95 billion in 2018, according to a report from IBIS World. In that same timeframe, however, the number of businesses has declined by 0.3%, making the market even more competitive for those who are still operating. The landscape has been especially competitive for businesses in the retail space. Big box behemoths, like Lowe’s and Home Depot, have progressively emerged and changed the way consumers buy their building materials. By offering a large assortment of products at lower prices, big box stores have increasingly left independent LBM retailers experiencing difficult times or out of business. However, many independents have managed to survive this shift in retail activity by competing intelligently. Small to mid-sized LBM stores, or independent retailers, should take a tip from their counterparts if they want to avoid being lumped into the 0.3% of stores that closed in recent years. Here are five ways that independent LBM retailers can leverage their assets and invest wisely to compete against their big box rivals:

1. Excel in customer loyalty. With the big box stores purchasing power for larger bulk quantities, they will continue to leverage the advantage of providing lower prices. Attempting to compete head to head without similar collective purchasing power is a limited strategy for independents. If customers are shopping based only on price, the opportunity to create loyalty is questionable at best. With that in mind, price cannot make up the entirety of a small business’ customer retention plan. Small retailers should instead focus on the overall customer experience using service, expertise, convenience and efficiency to dif10

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ferentiate their business and increase customer loyalty—a tactic that ensures repeat sales and can support long-lasting customer relationships.

2. Contribute to the community. One of the biggest benefits to being a local retailer is the opportunity for the business as the fabric of the community to leverage the “buy local” card. It is important to engage with the community and make it known that the business cares about its local roots, caring for the children of its customers and neighborhood in a general sense. Beyond joining the local Chamber of Commerce, business owners can offer to serve other local businesses by letting them hang flyers in the store or even sell their products in the shop. They can also donate to youth sports, sponsor teams, participate in the Business Improvement District (BID) and serve on local boards. A big box, on the other hand, is held to corporate standards and wouldn’t have the same grassroots community involvement that an independent dealer would. For example, a big box would never be able to partner with a local flower shop to do a joint sales day; they’re just not nimble enough or in touch enough with other local businesses. 3 . Work with a wholesaler or co-operative. Independent LBM retailers get their stock from several sources: purchasing cooperatives, hardware wholesalers, direct from the manufacturers, and secondary or specialty distributors. Most independent hardware stores choose wholesalers and co-ops that provide an opportunity for joint-advertising and marketing support. To help compete with big boxes, many independent dealers might be member retailers of co-operatives, such as Ace Hardware or Do It Best, which give smaller retailers access Building-Products.com

to warehouse distribution and identification with a nationally advertised brand. By working with co-operatives, hardware wholesalers and distributors, independent businesses have the opportunity to incrementally grow special order sales with an unlimited number of suppliers—an area where big box stores might struggle with when corporate does not have an existing relationship.

4 . Implement business management tools. Small business owners are in charge of monitoring not only routine operational tasks, but also the changing market. Being responsible for finding new opportunities to increase growth and profits can prove to be a time-consuming and stressful undertaking, so implementing the right business management system to support this task is important. The right tools can help automate operational tasks and create more efficient operations, freeing owners up to concentrate on sales, customer service and new opportunities. For example, an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system can seamlessly integrate POS, inventory and accounting into one, easy-to-access platform. Many small LBM retailers leverage ERP in concert with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and business intelligence tools, credit card processing services and e-commerce platforms—all of which will contribute to an independent dealer’s growth, profitability and competitive advantage against big box stores and other LBM businesses. Not only does investing in software improve overall business performance, but it can also help support customer service efforts as well. 5.

Go above and beyond with delivery services. Offering to deliver same or next day and hot shot loads increases the perception that small dealers are willing to go the extra mile for their customers. Some small business owners hold off on offering these services due to fuel, labor costs and vehicle maintenance. However, if implemented properly, a small business’ ERP system with integrated delivery management tools can provide several key advantages: lower fuel costs through optimized routes, avoidance of delivery disputes by capturing electronic signatures and the ability to track vehicle maintenance. A system like this can save small LBM businesses thousands of dollars per truck annually, while still providing a top-of-the-line service that is similar to, if not better than, larger competitors and big boxes. Independent LBM business owners are under increased pressure by the current competitive market led by big box stores that offer low prices, a wide breadth of options and convenient services. However, what some LBM business owners don’t realize is that there is a potential to provide similar offerings, but in an even more tailored, customerand community-centric way. By tapping the local community and focusing on customer loyalty, LBM retailers can surpass their big box competitors by providing their customers with assets that their larger competitors will never have. To deliver on that promise of customer dedication and superior service, owners should also consider investing in smart technology that will increase efficiency and improve overall business operations. Armed with the right tools and strategy, independent dealers will be able to leverage their competitive advantage to function alongside larger competitors and big box retailers alike. – John Mauri is president of the LBM & Hardline Division at ECi Software Solutions, Fort Worth, Tx. (www.ecisolutions.com). Building-Products.com

4 Software Solutions Dealers Need to Stay Competitive To manage, grow and stay competitive, small- to mid-sized LBM businesses must stay ahead of the technology curve while also staying mindful of investment costs. Fortunately, there have been many new advances in software for retailers that are proven to drive increased efficiencies and enable competitive advantage. Here are four solutions that won’t break the bank and don’t require big box resources: 1. Cloud-based business management solutions – “The cloud” is a cost-effective software delivery model that cuts upfront investment in software packages and reduces the time it takes to make an investment decision, since options can be changed easily. Many businesses often sign on with a software vendor and add modules and options as they grow, as updates are delivered automatically and conveniently, with no business interruption. Cloud migration also eliminates the need for expensive on-site servers, ongoing maintenance and the advanced IT skills that would be necessary to perform the work. Finally, the cloud has proven to be secure and reliable. In conjunction with advancements in data security and disaster recovery, being able to deploy continuous updates ensures that businesses are protected against the latest threats. 2. Mobility solutions for employees & customers – Enabled by the cloud, today’s LBM technology applications are mobile extensions of software systems. Staffers can access modules from any internet-enabled device, from anywhere. Store employees can answer the most challenging customer questions and provide them with the information they need. Personnel can create live customer orders and get digital signatures on delivery. Managers can access up-to-date business information as they travel, view documents, and see store sales totals in real time. They can even compile purchase orders created by scanning barcodes with a phone. All of this information is constantly updated, integrated and available 24/7. 3. Industry-specific, integrated modules – Industry-specific software solutions can integrate and streamline workflow, enabling businesses to accomplish more with fewer resources. Integrated modules work seamlessly, eliminating redundant tasks and needless communications between inventory, purchasing and receiving and point-of-sale. Best-of-breed software packages are also designed to be intuitive, which reduces the training it takes for each employee to reach peak productivity and can aid in attracting new hires. 4. Modern point-of-sale system technologies – Modern point-of-sale (POS) systems can be accessed by employees on devices from any point in the store, greatly increasing time management and customer service. Engagements with the customer in store and online add to the customer profile so salespeople are better equipped to understand customers’ histories and needs. Another important consideration is having a POS system that is fully compliant with credit card processing—a necessity in this day and age.

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MANAGEMENT Tips By Kristin Michael

3 steps to better branding on social media

veryone says your business should be on social media, so you made an account. But now what? Maybe you’re seeing a lot of funny dog videos or photos of your friends’ children and it doesn’t make sense yet why this is an important business tool. Or, perhaps you’re observing other leaders make connections online while you struggle to gain traction with the industry. If this is you, know you are not alone and that there are tangible steps you can take to reach your professional goals on social media. Before we start building those skills, let’s lay the foundation. The importance of social media goes beyond “everyone’s doing it” to now include data. According to a Smart Insights report, 65% of people are more loyal to and 30% more likely to recommend a brand they’ve had positive engagement with on social media. Additionally, the “Employee Advocacy Impact Study” conducted by the Marketing Advisory Network found that leads generated through employee social media convert seven times higher than other leads. We’re seeing the benefits at Huber Engineered Woods, too. For example, on Instagram, @huberwood has recently earned more than 10k followers. In that growing audience, we get to see and share many of the beautiful custom

ON INSTAGRAM, Huber has quickly earned more than 10,000 followers.

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home projects our product goes into from the field. Our employees are active from their personal accounts—liking, commenting, cheering on, and answering questions for our clients in real time. Over the past few years, clients posting their projects on Instagram and YouTube has even led to other builders unfamiliar with Huber products to try us out. We’re proud to have become part of this smart, engaged community of industry pros who are always looking to push the envelope in craftsmanship and building science. Here we’ll discuss where to start with your company’s social media presence through three key steps for becoming part of the conversation with this increasingly important tool. Are you ready to find your tribe and sharpen your online brand? 1. Define your purpose. This may sound ambiguous at first, but it is rooted in common sense. If you want to build your brand as a leader in the building industry, you wouldn’t want to spend the bulk of your time following, commenting and posting about boating. For any communications effort, whether you’re representing a brand or yourself, you should know your audience, what you offer and why it matters. An easy way to clarify your purpose is by writing out a positioning statement. Start by asking yourself the following about your company: • Who are your customers? (e.g., custom builders, manufacturers, merchants) • What do they care about? (e.g., their sales, customer retention, product news and reviews) • How do you help them? (e.g., vet and demonstrate why products are trusted, offer incentives, train employees) Then, write it out: [YOUR NAME] [HOW YOU HELP] for [YOUR PEOPLE] so they can [WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT]. • Ex. 1: Johnny leads cost-benefit analysis for purchasing agents, so they can cost-effectively upgrade building envelopes. • Ex. 2: Dolly provides onsite training for contractors, so they can reduce scheduling delays and rework from improper installation. • Ex. 3: Hank encourages building professionals to consider new construction practices and products, so they can stand out in their market.

2. Have a plan. First, remember your positioning statement. What do you want to offer and who do you want Building-Products.com

to connect with? Start following accounts and hashtags relevant to your mission. Then, figure out which platforms work best for your business. If you find your audience on Instagram and rarely have interactions on Twitter, go ahead and drop Twitter from your plan. If you find more people in your region use LinkedIn, perhaps plan to focus your time there. Consider where you’re getting the most return on the investment of your time and where you feel you’re offering the most back, and then pursue it. 3. Be consistent. If you follow other companies or influencers on social media, you’ll notice they have a reliable way of communicating with their audience from the amount of posting to the personality they convey. They don’t post once and then disappear for two months. More typically, they’re posting a few times per week, if not daily. They’re also likely using a reliable style, tone of voice and word choices. When defining your company’s personality, it is important to not overthink it. If the business has a casual tone in real life, embrace that for your online brand rather than trying to force a version of “professional,” which may backfire and come across as stiff or inauthentic. But, of course, don’t forget your positioning statement and goals

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in the process. For example, it may be true that you believe someone’s opinion is stupid but commenting that publicly on social media could be received as mean-spirited or alienating to your people. The number one unofficial guideline in marketing is “Know your audience.” So always be putting yourself in the shoes of the person on the other end of your communications. Ask yourself, “Is this meaningful and beneficial to them?” By doing that, you can start creating a strategic and effective social media plan that may eventually see tangible sales results. And in the process, you may also find it’s a fun way to connect with your industry and grow your business as well. – Kristin Michael is brand marketing manager at Huber Engineered Woods, Charlotte, N.C. (www.huberwood.com). Building-Products.com

responding to near-constant change. Stay driven to succeed with the tools that only Omnitracs can provide.

Get started now by visiting www.omnitracs.com or calling 800.348.7227 June 2019

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INDUSTRY Trends By David Koenig

More yards moving to electric forklifts ver the past several years, electric/battery-powered forklifts have taken a stronghold in the material handling environment. The limitations and drawbacks that once made electric lifts inefficient and impractical have been put to rest by advancing technologies and proven performance. Even lumberyards are switching to electric forklifts, after discovering that energy-efficient, environmentally friendly machines can do virtually anything emission-producing internal combustion (IC) forklifts do. Compared to liquid-fueled lifttrucks, electric lifts reportedly are less expensive to operate, equally powerful, easier to maintain, safer, quieter and cleaner. On the green side, electric consumes far less energy than their IC counterparts, plus they offer zero emissions, zero noise pollution, less vibration, and improved visibility. “Electric trucks have come a really long way in the past few years and are now a highly viable alternative to IC engine trucks for most applications,” says Doosan’s Brian Grady. In dollar volume, sales of electric forklifts in the U.S. are forecast to increase from $14.3 billion in 2018 to $19.4 billion in 2025, an average jump of 5.4% annually. Challenges do remain for electric. Users have to spend time charging the batteries. Electric engines typically have

DOOSAN’S NEW B45X-7 Series of electric counterbalance forklifts are aimed at lumberyards and other traditionally IC-engine-heavy industries.

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MONITORING DEVICE attaches to Hyster batteries to improve their performance and extend their lifespans.

less torque than IC engines, making them less suitable for uneven or unpaved terrain, and giving them less lifting strength compared to equivalent-sized IC trucks—all notable shortcomings in high-demand environments like the lumberyard. Forklift manufacturers are responding by engineering new models that combine greater lift capacity with longer battery lives. Kalmar is investing in lithium-ion battery technology. “We want to develop industry-shaping solutions that minimize the environmental impact of our customer’s operations,” said Peter Ivarsson, Kalmar’s director of sales and marketing for forklift trucks. “Li-ion technology and electric drivelines in general benefit forklift customers in a huge variety of ways, from improving the eco-efficiency of their operations to boosting productivity and cutting maintenance and operating costs.” To minimize any downtime from having to suddenly charge, repair or replace batteries, Hyster has introduced a device designed to improve battery performance and life. Utilizing existing wireless networks, Hyster Battery Tracker monitors usage and delivers alerts for potential battery issues, reporting on water level, charge level, voltage current, and battery temperature. Other companies rolling out electric forklifts specifically designed for use in the lumberyard include Toyota, Combilift, Carer and Doosan. And although the company traditionally has targeted ports and marinas, Wiggins Lift Co. recently unveiled the Yard eBull—an electric forklift capable of hauling up to 70,000 lbs. Lumberyards may be next. Building-Products.com

MARGIN Builders By David Koenig

Lumberyards give home kits a second look A Quick History of Kit Homes The first kit homes were built in Australia in the 1800s, and the idea made it to America in the early 1900s. The first kit home producer in the States, Aladdin Homes of Michigan, was founded by two brothers who started manufacturing boats as kits and thought to apply the technique to houses. Other companies followed suit, including Sears, Roebuck & Co., which began selling kit homes by catalog in 1916. But the idea of the kit home has been around since the early 1900s. Kit homes became popular in America after World War 1, offering a way for the expanding middle classes to buy and build in affordable stages (mortgages not being readily available in those days). By the 1920s, dozens of companies sold kit homes. At one time, Sears alone advertised 447 different models, ranging from $600 to $6,000 apiece. Combined, the industry would sell an estimated 250,000 kit homes. Interest in kit homes slowed after the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and plummetted with the start of World War II, as young men shipped overseas and building materials were diverted to the war effort. Into the 1950s, demand for affordable housing skyrocketed, but with building techniques, products and codes becoming more complex, firsttime buyers instead looked to low-cost alternatives like manufactured housing. In recent years, the build-it-yourself market has enjoyed a mild resurgence, in part due to the popularity of “Tiny Homes”—pint-sized living quarters on wheels.

Lthough We are far removed from the heyday of kit homes of 100 years ago, more lumberyards have begun offering house kits in an effort to bundle products into package sales. Beyond plans and a material list, what’s included in the package varies by lumberyard. But, for the most part, they’re well short of the near-complete “bungalows in a box” marketed a century ago by the likes of Sears, Roebuck & Co. From 1916 until it abandoned the market in 1940, Sears sold nearly 70,000 make-your-own homes, many of which are still standing today. Today, some yards just sell the materials for the shell, with lumber that’s not cut to size. Others do more. Hammond Lumber of Maine sells a choice of 14 different plans, plus all the lumber, sheathing, insulation, drywall, doors, windows, siding, roofing, trim, fasteners and an allowance for cabinetry and flooring. In the Midwest, Sutherland’s offers 22 different floor plans from 800 to 4,100 sq. ft. that include about everything (electrical, plumbing, appliances, etc.) except the foundation, concrete, steel beams, and heating/cooling systems.

HOME KITS have remained popular for decades in Hawaii.

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Building-Products.com

Hawaii has been a terrific market for house kits, since so many homes on the islands are custom-built rather than mass produced in tracts. Honsador has offered customizable packaged home kits for more than 30 years and currently markets 45 different models. Of the 17 home designs offered by fellow Hawaiian dealer HPM Building Supply, five are marketed as pre-approved by the County of Hawaii. If the plans are built as spec’ed with no modifications, they will be fast-tracked through the system, greatly reducing the time and expense of securing plans and permits. Lumber companies market the kits both to contractors and to consumers, who can hire their own contractor or sometimes are brave enough to tackle the project themselves. Many build-it-yourselfers will hire subcontractors for more specialized work, like electrical and plumbing. None of the dealers contacted expect a return to the kit craze days of yore, but they do see rising interest and opportunity in standardized home packages as a profitable niche for certain markets.

THE TINY HOUSE phenomenon has given a boost to kit homes sales for 84 Lumber and other dealers.

Home Kit Q&A: 84 Lumber BPD asked Doug Fritsch, director of web and package services for longtime package seller 84 Lumber, for his company’s take:

How long has 84 Lumber sold home kits for? 84 Lumber started selling home packages in the 1980s. The program was called “Affordable Homes Across America” and was widely advertised in newspapers and on the radio. Seminars were frequently held to teach customers how to build their own home. Several new models have been added since the initial program launched, including upscale homes from the Oaks Collection. Homes are routinely added based on customer interest. How many diﬀerent “models” are available, and how customizable are they? We currently offer packages for nearly 60 different models, including ranch, one-and-a-half story, two story, narrow lot, split level, vacation and townhomes. While the blueprints can’t be modified, we have the ability to change the material package to suit a customer’s needs. Many of the homes also include “option packages” that feature decks, garages, porches and family rooms. Customers have the ability to build the core house first and add other options at their convenience. We also offer packages for four Tiny House models. Does the package need to be ordered well in advance? Our packages are ready to be shipped immediately. Core components such as framing, sheathing, house wrap and exterior trim are in stock, whereas specialty items like roof trusses, windows and cabinets need to be ordered. There typically is plenty of time to get special-order items to a jobsite. Are all materials delivered at once, or in stages? We ship portions of the package based on the builder’s schedule. Most packages consist of multiple deliveries before a house is complete. We also take into account the types of products that are being shipped, weather, and other factors that can impact delivery.

Building-Products.com

Are there certain buyers, regions or markets where kits are more popular? Our homeowner customers tend to be where our stores are, with the Mid-Atlantic states driving the bulk of our business. While the do-it-yourself mentality still exists, new codes and regulations are making it more complex to build your own home. That’s why many people now go through professional builders. In most cases, customers already know which builder they want to use, or at least have narrowed down their options. Builders ultimately control when materials arrive, so they may be the ones who make the final purchase. Many of these builders are developing their own properties and work closely with our local contractor sales representatives to choose the home package and subsequent products. How does the current popularity of home kits compare with historical demand, and what are your expectations for the future? 84 sold the most home packages in the 1990s, when many customers were building their own homes and had minimal interference from local municipalities. Now that do-it-yourself building is less common, more professionals are purchasing home kits instead. 84 has seen a steady climb in package sales from builders since the financial crisis in the late 2000s. Many builders that had ceased construction are starting up again, helping to drive new business. Although the traditional home will continue to be the backbone of our program, you will see more fringe offerings such as tiny homes, cabins, vacation homes and cottages grow in popularity. These are often simple projects and can be a lot of fun to build.

June 2019

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COMPETITIVE Intelligence By Carla Waldemar

Three towns, three building centers he Eighties,” intones Trico Lumber’s Kyle Morgan in his easy-listenin’ Texas drawl, “were not good times. The oil fields went south, plus our biggest employer (here in the northeastern corner of the state), Lone Star Steel, shut down.” So, perfect time to launch a lumberyard? Not so much. But Kyle’s Uncle David, along with a partner, did just that, anyway. As a home builder, he’d spotted a void. Plus, he figured, it would help him cut his own building costs. “My uncle soon bought out his partner and was in a bind. I’d just come out of college with a major in accounting, so I signed on for a short term,” laughs the man who’s

“T

now the boss, 35 years later. Probably helped that a fellow employee named Rebbecca soon became his wife, and today serves as manager of accounting at the firm. A son, Justin, also works here, too, and daughter, Jordan, lives four miles away. Should we test the drinking water? Naw. A look at the P&L sheet and changes Kyle’s affected—leading to an expansion to three locations—goes a long way toward explaining why everybody’s happy to stay put. “I like it here; I’m pretty blessed,” agrees Kyle, who bought the business in 1991, and changed the way of doing business. “They were still building houses, but I wasn’t going to be my customers’ competition.

LOOKING AHEAD to the fifth generation are (l-r) Judson, Cal, Wayne, Ryder and Mark Morgan.

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“I added product lines to serve the rural area,” he explains, growing the SKUs to become a one-stop shopping experience: “everything but appliances and floor covering,” says Kyle. Plywood to power tools to—um—dog food. “We sell a lot of it, and it brings people in who might not stop here, otherwise.” They stick around and fill their shopping carts. These DIYers represent 35% of Trico’s business, “a good mix,” In Kyle’s eyes. “There’s good agricultural business, too—steel chain saws, hardware. “We’re diversified,” he continues. “New homes, additions, farm buildings. We’ve got good relationships with several builders. One,” he notes, “puts up 1,680-sq. ft. houses: a single floor plan, so he can control costs really well. (Banks like that!) Plus, he offers good value. “No tract builders, though, because the towns in which we’re located have only 2,000 to 2,500 people.” But they stand close to four big recreational lakes—a big ‘but.’ “We’re only two hours from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, three and a half from Houston. People can get a lot more house for their money than in those cities. Plus, a better quality of life. With the Internet, they can work from anywhere, or run here on the weekends. A customer who just moved here will keep their house in Dallas until their son graduates from school, then sell it and live here year-round.” Trico isn’t the only act around, however. Regional players include McCoy’s, Cassidy Jones, and other independents. “Why us, then? We try to partner with our builders, help them Building-Products.com

EACH LOCATION specializes in serving a different audience, including (l-r) its Jefferson store, Hughes Springs store, and Hughes Springs warehouse.

run their jobs, stage their week, as seamlessly as possible.” Another plus: “We insulate for our builders.” Trico, indeed, has an in-house staff for this essential function, which renders, he says, “not huge margins, but it all helps. “We also have 10 delivery trucks between our three stores, so we can get material to the jobsite far quicker than most. Ninety-five percent of our orders are same-day delivery. We’ll also set up the job for our builders and act like their accounting firm, keeping jobs separate and broken down. We invested in a new computer system in 1999 for this. We went to multi-store capacity before we even had multi-stores. We upgraded so that customers can get as many emails as they want. (Some like that; some don’t). This way, keeping each of your jobs separate can help with your accounting at the end of the month.” Those contractors, who represent 65% of Trico’s trade, also appreciate the extra miles its staffers are willing— delighted!—to go for them. A for-instance, Kyle? “If you install windows, you’ll occasionally have a broken piece of glass. Rather than waiting for months dealing with the vendor (good luck with that!), we’ll go right out and fix it for you.” Builders of all those lake homes value Trico’s custombuilt treated wood steps, and more. “We do a large number of treated decks, too.” And for the builder of those 1,680-sq. ft. homes, Trico has developed a hardware package. Also, Kyle notes, the state of Texas sponsors ‘grant houses.’ “If you own your own home but wish to build a new, nicer home—and you qualify—the state will bulldoze it and build you a new package home. Of course, you do have to live somewhere else during the interim, but it’s popular. We get more and more business from those builders.” Trico’s second store, erected in 2009 in Linden, 18 miles from home base in Hughes Springs, also came about via an existing yard. “We bought it out, then built on another location in the same town. Sure, we did experience a bit of cannibalization with our existing store, but that just made us stronger in the long run. We picked up new accounts. The big lesson we learned,” he instructs, “is not to expect immediate returns. It takes about two years.” Trico launched a third store in 2015 in Jefferson, 22 miles from Hughes Springs, because, as Kyle explains, “My management system indicated that by growing and getting a little bit bigger, it would open up opportunities we didn’t have. Now, with a three-store management system, I can float between all three. We got a lot more efficient. I serve as building materials purchaser, and my counterpart does the same for hardware. We got to a good level, working together, for better buying. Building-Products.com

“Our customers usually trade at one specific yard, and those customers are different in all three locations. And that really surprised me, just 18 miles apart. I grew up in Linden, know a lot of people and the lay of the land. Yet, some of the products that sell in our other stores, you couldn’t give away here—and vice versa. Not as much treated lumber at Jefferson, for instance. Our managers have input and know their customers.” They’re key people among Trico’s staff of 40. “Our Jefferson manager started out part-time as a college kid, a driver. We offer the ability to move up.” Kyle notes another key factor: “They’re also young. I’m 58, and my main guy on the floor is 60. But everyone else is younger. My son is manager at Hughes Springs, and the manager at Linden is 48. I talk to other dealers around, and they’re all old and starting to get in a bind. “We don’t have outside salespeople here; that’s what our managers do. To attract new business, we go out and have a little visit, tell them what we can do for them. “ To attract the DIY crowd, Trico distributes circulars four times a year. “Our former buying group dictated everything we’d run in those, so we switched organizations. Now I can run my own business and feature what I want,” he declares. Trico has started to utilize Facebook as a free employee, too, and it’s drawing in a younger crowd. “We’ll announce a give-away on a new product. If you ‘like’ us, we enter you in the drawing. It’s been really successful,” he declares, “and at minimal cost.”Another customer draw is Jefferson’s East Texas Baddest Woodsman Day. “It’s a fun event. A $200 Facebook ad generated a crazy amount of activity.” Business is good, and stays good. “Out here, we’re never as good as in the metroplex, but never as bad, either. It’s more consistent. (In 2009, the metroplex was down 75%: How can you plan for that?) Here, we’re dealing with retired folks building homes, and they usually have no need of financing. For them, life just goes on, whatever the economy.” And that’s the way Kyle likes it. “There’s no such thing as a perfect job, but I’ve been here 30-plus years because I like the people I deal with; they become friends.”

Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net June 2019

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OLSEN on Sales By James Olsen

Overcoming objections Overcoming Objections – The Pattern

he highest LeveL of sales on the emotional side of the skill set is the positively assumptive attitude (without arrogance). A relaxed and professional approach puts the customer at ease and makes them want to buy from us. Because we do get some rejection in sales many sellers start to expect the “NO.” They are negatively assumptive and transmit this feeling to their customers, which is easy to say no to. Their attitude invites and then receives poor treatment. Other sellers are so nervous they make the customer nervous. Lastly there is a small percentage of sellers who are too aggressive, which sends the “I don’t care about you; all I want is the order” message, which is also easy to say no to.

Overcoming Objections – The Preparations

Master Sellers are not just “quick on their feet” with the “gift of gab.” Although this may be true, they also anticipate and prepare for objections. Preparations: 1. Emotional preparation. Master Sellers maintain their confidence and relaxed, positively assumptive tone throughout the call. Many sellers are charming until the business piece of the conversation starts, then they freeze up. Master Sellers have the “spirit of the positive” in their tone. “Of course, Susan, two great lumber people like you and I are going to figure out how to put this together.” 2. Anticipate objections. Master Sellers anticipate their customers objections thus are prepared with an answer for any and all objections that come up. 3. More good reasons why. Master Sellers load the gun. They have multiple reasons what they are promoting is a good deal. They use some of these reasons on the initial close then hold back more reasons to overcome the objection. If we can only come up with three good reasons to buy, we can use them in the beginning and repeat the same reasons again while overcoming the objection.

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Overcoming objections and closing is the highest level of sales on the technical side of the skill set. Few salespeople ask for the order. Even fewer ask for the order and overcome objections. The pattern for overcoming objection: 1. Do not make a sound while the customer is talking. Let the customer completely finish their objection, wait a full two beats before talking. Often customers will start up again with the real objection. In addition, pausing at the end of the objection makes the customer feel listened to and understood. It’s difficult to change minds, but if our customer doesn’t feel listened to and understood, it’s impossible. 2. When the customer is finished we say, “I totally understand how you think the price is too high, and I agree with you that it could seem that way, but let me give you a couple reasons it is justified in this instance.”

Overcoming Objections and Closing

After the initial pattern, we give three to five reasons to buy and finish by asking for the order. Examples: Customer: “Your price is too high.” Us: “I totally understand how you think the price is too high and I agree with you. Two days ago it was too high, but let me tell you why we need to pick this up now: (1) This is the stock you like. (2) This is the tally we can never get. (3) The market has come off $100. So, let’s put two of these on.” (Don’t leave this part out or it’s not a close!) Customer: “I’m not moving a thing right now. Call me next week.” Us: “I totally understand how you don’t want to buy when stock isn’t moving and I agree with you. Normally we shouldn’t buy when things are slow, but that’s exactly why we should buy: (1) Everyone is holding off, but they’re still selling. (2) The market has come off $130 on that item. (3) We are at 3% of record lows on it. (4) The spreads are so out of whack this item will have to go up soon. (5) You will be busy in 45 days. So why don’t put on at least three?” (Don’t leave this part out or it’s not a close!) Add to your bottom line: start overcoming objections today. James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572 james@realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com

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THE REVENUE Growth Habit By Alex Goldfayn

Lessons in perseverance at the Kentucky Derby

y WiFe and I attended the Kentucky Derby in early May—our fourth in the last five years. As you’ve probably heard by now, the apparent winner, Maximum Security, was controversially disqualified for interfering with some of the other horses. This led to the biggest long shot in the field—Country House—being declared the winner. The worst horse won. My observations from inside Churchill Downs are thus: It was a good race, but the apparent winner, the 7 horse, led through much of the race and cruised to what seemed like an easy two-length victory. We were not informed that there was an objection and that the race was under review. Although the results were not made official, we just assumed the stewards were reviewing a close finish for third place. The winning horse was on the screen with roses on it. The jockey pumped his fists. The family celebrated. About 10 minutes following the race, my phone started to light up. I was getting texts from friends, family and clients (including some of you!) that the race was under review. By now, the winning jockey appeared on the big screen mortified, face frozen in shock and horror. More time passed. Many people had cleared out of their seats by now. Twenty-two minutes following the conclusion of the race, we were informed that a review had occurred, and its results were announced. The new winners were shown, celebrating. The disqualified jockey and trainer and owners

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were near tears. The winning horse lost. The second place and worst horse became the winner. Third became second. And fourth came into the money. A monumental change for those making wagers. And the stadium was two-thirds empty. People had gone to cash in what they thought were their winning tickets, and were streaming out of Churchill Downs. Betting slips were strewn on the ground. People thought they were losing bets. But some of them were winners. Some people returned, crawling on the dirty cement floor in their suits and dresses. One guy in a box in front of us muttered as he searched, “My wife swears she had a winning ticket somewhere here.” Other people simply roamed from box to box looking for discarded winning slips, looting (or salvaging) what was abandoned too soon by others. Some of these folks were just grabbing handfuls of discarded slips to get them scanned at the betting window. Too many people left way too soon. They didn’t stay in the game. They quit the game. They didn’t even know the game was not yet decided. But they left. And it cost them real money. As it does for us, in sales. For as long as we are in the game—as long as we persevere and keep trying—we have a chance to win the sale. But as soon as we give up (and leave the arena) we voluntarily abandon any possibility of success. It is physically impossible to make the sale when we behave as though we have lost the sale. And I don’t know about you, but I feel like my prospects deserve my help, and I owe it to them to stay in the arena with them as long as possible. Like so many of the Derby attendees should have. (My single greatest tip if you are interested in going to the Derby is to get a covered box. This will protect you from the sun and rain, and keep you in good cheer while those without cover struggle to stay dry in their fancy outfits. It has rained—a lot—the last two years.) Alex Goldfayn Revenue Growth Consultancy alex@evangelistmktg.com (847) 459-6322 Building-Products.com

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

800.245.1115

TRANSFORMING Teams By Susan Palé

Want to keep your best employees? Time to talk about pay again n a previous article, we talked about some of the unique compensation challenges that occur in this tight labor market when hiring new employees. This month we’re focusing on some ideas for retaining your best employees in this same tight labor market. These are the employees that your competitors may be trying to lure away because they’ve lost people to their competitors. Or maybe your employees are just looking around for a higher salary and more opportunities. Or maybe they’re just plain unhappy where they are. A 2018 Conference Board survey reported that only 43% of employees are happy in their current positions. That number is up slightly from previous years, but still not looking all that great. So how do you keep your best people without breaking the bank? This, too, is a complex issue with no simple solution. There are some steps, though, that you can take to increase retention. And the good news is they don’t all involve big salary increases.

1 . Invest time and $$$ in your managers and supervisors. According to a recent Fortune.com survey (and lots of other surveys too), the #1 reason people leave their jobs is because of bad supervisors and managers. “Bad” supervision and management comes in all shapes and

Q. We are considering putting in place a revised workweek policy for the summer months. Do we need to revise our handbook to do so?

A. No, you don’t need to revise it if it is a trial or something you’re just planning to roll out for this summer. We do recommend that you create a policy for it, however, so that employees understand how to implement it and understand how it relates to existing vacation and PTO policies. You can roll out the temporary policy and have employees review and sign it. It should also have a time period indicated, such as the policy is in effect 6/1/19 – 8/31/19.

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sizes. Employees may feel their work is not recognized and appreciated, may not be given clear direction, and often receive no feedback on their performance until appraisal time, when a host of issues that might easily have been addressed sooner suddenly appear. To be fair, employees who are promoted into supervisory and management positions often lack the skills to succeed and aren’t given a lot of guidance and support by their supervisors and managers. And if they’re not successful and leave the organization or move to another position, that means another new, inexperienced supervisor may assume the role. Unfortunately, it’s not unusual to hear employees say, “I’ve had six different supervisors in the last 18 months and have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing.” Investing in your managers and supervisors can help your organization avoid this chronic problem.

2. Be proactive

Often, employees don’t get asked any questions about staying with an organization until they announce they’re leaving. Being pre-emptive and proactive— through regular employee communication (both formal and informal channels)—can help identify employees who may be thinking of leaving. In 2014, recruiters at Building-Products.com

Credit Suisse (yes, they are huge) started calling employees identified as being at risk of leaving and notifying them of openings within the company. The company estimated they successfully retained 300 employees and saved $75 million to $100 million in recruiting and training costs as a result.

3 . Start thinking—and communicating—total compensation Last month we talked about the concept of total compensation and the fact that most organizations don’t do a good job of thinking about and communicating total comp. A typical benefit package is “worth” 30% to 35% of base salary, and a robust package may be worth almost 50%. Add in incentive and profit sharing plans, and your total compensation package may actually exceed that of your competitors. Make sure your employees understand that! And just like it’s possible to create a customized benefit package for a potential new hire, offerings like an extra week of paid vacation or an increased contribution to health insurance can be useful tools for retaining an employee that you don’t want to lose. 4. Restructure jobs

If you’re balking at giving each of your customer service representatives (CSRs) a $10,000 raise to match the salary of that new CSR, consider restructuring or adding more responsibility to their jobs. Do they handle more complex calls? Do they work more closely with the sales representatives? They may already be functioning as senior CSRs. However you choose to address this type of issue, be sure you are rewarding something tangible and meaningful.

Building-Products.com

Be transparent if you go this route. Remember, your employees will talk about it.

5 . Offer a variety of training and development opportunities According to the same Fortune survey cited above, the third most frequent reason for employees to leave their jobs is lack of opportunity. There are multiple ways to provide your employees with training and education to prepare them for new opportunities. These may include formal training courses, industry conferences, or inexpensive alternatives such as providing a mentor or a cross-training opportunity. An increasing number of employers are also offering tuition reimbursement for education not related to an individual’s current position. Many traditional tuition reimbursement plans limited reimbursement to course work related to a current position, but a 2015 International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans survey reported 46% of survey respondents offered tuition reimbursement for any course work, whether or not related to work currently performed. Bottom line: get creative and ahead of the game to keep your best employees. And if you need any help with your compensation needs, give us at Affinity HR Group a call! Susan Palé, CCP Affinity HR Group contact@affinityhrgroup.com

June 2019

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CNRG Enters California with Ex-OSH Sites Central Network Retail Group is making plans to take over seven locations in Northern California that were once home to Orchard Supply Hardware stores. Locals will find several similarities, one being the name. The store will be called “Outdoor Hardware Supply,” and while the company will bring its own merchandising assortment to the stores, the new brand “will strive to honor the long-standing appeal of Orchard Supply to local consumers,” by offering “many of the same

products and services for which the locations were known and loved,” said John Sieggreen, president of the 104store chain. The Collierville, Tn.-based, multibrand hardware retailer will take over OSH locations in Napa Valley, Berkeley, Livermore and four other NorCal cities. Although 10 of CNRG’s 15 divisions are clustered, it does have seven McLendon Hardware and four Parkrose Hardware stores in the Pacific Northwest. It expects the new stores to begin opening as early as September.

Last year parent company Lowe’s announced it would close all 99 of its Orchard Supply Hardware locations.

Parr Taking Over Trus-Way

Parr Lumber, Hillsboro, Or., agreed to acquire the manufacturing plants of Trus-Way Inc., Vancouver, Wa., and Trus-Way Tri Cities, Sunnyside, Wa. Trus-Way was founded in 1992 by Mark Turner, Ken Carty, and Mark Smith.

End of Road for Seattle Dealer

After 86 years in business, Hardwick’s Hardware, Seattle, Wa., will close its doors. Owner Dean Hardwick said the store cannot keep up with Seattle taxes as the city evolves, and recent upzoning has affected real estate prices and that factors into property taxes. The Hardwick family sold its properties for $17.2 million to the developer of an 18-story highrise.

SUPPLIER Briefs Oroﬁno Builders Supply held a grand opening May 10 at its new location in Orofino, Id. Dunn Lumber has acquired a long-sought-after piece of property in Seattle, Wa., to build a new four-story headquarters.

The lumberyard that took 130 years to build. When Ganahl Lumber opened the doors to its new 18.5-acre location in Torrance, CA, you could tell right away it was special. A state-of-the-art gem. Tom Barclay, General Manager Ganahl Lumber

Where did the vision come from? A combination of Ganahl’s 130-year history of operational excellence and CT Darnell’s experience building over one thousand LBM facilities. Together, they made a powerful team.

Go to www.sunbelt-rack.com/stories to check out the story behind Ganahl’s new state-of-the-art facility.

Miner’s Ace Hardware

is taking over the former Orchard Supply Hardware in Goleta, Ca.

Ace Hardware is moving into the shuttered Orchard Supply Hardware in South Pasadena, Ca. Crown Ace Hardware is closing its 10-year-old store in Encinitas, Ca., citing inadequate parking. Ace Hardware, Livingston, Mt., is adding a 10,000-sq. ft. lawn & garden center. Fred’s Hardware, Riﬂe, Co., is closing to refocus on the natural gas and oil industry. AgMotion Forest Products, Naperville, Il., added a sales office in Portland, Or., headed by Earle Ingle.

CT-Darnell.com

Sunbelt-Rack.com

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800-353-0892

USNR has moved its Eugene, Or., operations into a larger facility. Building-Products.com

Building-Products.com

June 2019

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BECK to the roots SENECA’S fourth generation—8-year-old Parker Roscoe, 5-year-old Ava Roscoe, and 6-year-old Jake Hamaker—helped plant the company’s 40 millionth tree.

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

Seneca Marks Milestone Planting

With BECK, you can build on over a hundred years of expertise in creating innovative solutions for the fastening industry. Our latest innovation LignoLoc® is the first ever fireable wooden nail for future-oriented use in industrial production and ecological timber construction. Made of Central European beech wood, LignoLoc® is designed to meet modern demands with sustainable materials.

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

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Family-owned Seneca, Eugene, Or., recently planted its 40 millionth tree. The occasion was celebrated on their tree farm where two of the three owners, sisters Becky and Kathy, planted seedlings with their grandchildren, grandnieces and grandnephews. “I’m so excited about the planting of the 40 millionth tree! This is a huge milestone for our family,” said co-owner Becky Jones. “That soil is the native soil of the Douglas fir, but as the fourth generation of our family plants trees in it, it feels like the native soil of our family as well.” The family used the experience to pass on knowledge and values about nurturing and sustaining the land. Co-owner Kathy Jones-McCann said, “Healthy trees are important to us, but so is healthy soil, cool clean water and thriving wildlife. On the tree farm we plan on a 50-year horizon. We plan for generations of trees and generations of family.” To help the kids understand the magnitude of 40 million trees, they calculated that if those little seedlings were laid end-to-end they would cross America five and a half times. Seneca manages its 167,000 acres of timberlands sustainably meaning they grow more than they harvest every year. They currently have 92% more timber on their lands than they had on those same acres 25 years ago. The timber harvested from their timberlands goes on to be made into renewable building materials. For every tree harvested, they plant three more.

Oldcastle Rebrands MoistureShield

Oldcastle APG, Atlanta, Ga., is rebranding its composite decking and railing business—formerly known as Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies (AERT)—as MoistureShield. MoistureShield joins other Oldcastle brands such as Echelon masonry wall systems, Belgard pavers, Permacon hardscapes, Sakrete concrete, and Amerimix mortars. “With the acquisition of AERT in 2017, we set out on a new endeavor to bring our blueprint for success to the composite decking marketplace. Today’s name change is more than a new logo—it’s a commitment to our customer base,” said Oldcastle APG executive VP Ken O’Neill. Building-Products.com

THINKING Ahead By Alden J. Robbins, Robbins Lumber

Carving a legacy out of wood

t has been said many times, by many people who swear allegiance to the lumber business, that “sawdust gets in your blood.” Translation: once you fall in love with this industry, it’s going to become a long-term affair! That’s even more true, from my perspective, when you’ve been exposed to it at an early age and spent virtually your entire life surrounded by it. My brother, sister, and I—the fifth generation to own and operate Robbins Lumber Co.—grew up looking down on the family sawmill in Searsmont, Me. Our childhood was filled with the modern workings of mill production, including the thud of wood hitting the deck, the insistent beep of forklift backup alarms, and plumes from the smokestack curling up in the distance. Those sights and sounds were reinforced by the nostalgic retellings of how our grandfather took part in the last log drive down the river and how our great-grandfather hand built the wooden gears on the original water wheel. Today, our experiences will shape the stories told to future generations of the Robbins family.

The Family That Works Together...

It isn’t a foregone conclusion, however, that just because you have family roots in the industry, your own destiny is preordained. It just so happened that, for me, it was. After completing my post-secondary education, which included a Masters of Business Adminstration and a heavy dose of forestry coursework, a number of circumstances brought me back to Robbins Lumber. Not least among them were a lifelong love of the industry and a fierce respect for and loyalty to my father. My sister and brother also found their way back to the family business, and I can’t think of a scenario that could have turned out better. We as siblings are extremely

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FAMILY AFFAIR: (Left to right) Catherine Robbins-Halsted, James L. Robbins, Alden Robbins, James A. Robbins, Jenness Robbins.

fortunate to get along amazingly well, using our different strengths and weaknesses to create balance and unity. When you have a nurturing, loving, and supporting family bond, you essentially have the foundation for a healthy working relationship and a strong personal and professional support network.

... Also Has to Work Harder

Sometimes, though, rising through the ranks of your family-owned business can mean having to put in a little extra effort to demonstrate that you have earned your position, and not merely had it handed to you. From the moment I started in sales, I always refrained from introducing myself as “Alden Robbins.” Instead, I would say, “This is Alden, from Robbins Lumber.” I always

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A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association

wondered if customers were going to give me the time of day because of the way I approached them or if they simply felt obliged because they recognized me as the owner’s son. I made it a point, meanwhile, to make myself visible actually doing the work—whether in the saw mill, the planer mill, or the Christmas tree fields. I’ve never had a problem “getting my hands dirty” delivering lumber, picking up the yard, or fixing the shavings bagger. The current complexities and demands of my job mean I can’t spend as much time on grunt work as I once did, but I think workers have appreciated seeing that I’m not just a mouthpiece. My dad always said, “You’re never going to be able to tell someone how to do the job unless you’ve done it yourself,” and this is one way that I’ve tried to demonstrate that. Another strategy is to blur the line between executives/owners and the rest of the company. We have an open-door policy, so that anybody from any department has access to us at all times. There is sometimes the perception that upper management doesn’t really get out to see or do anything. I try to combat that by keeping up with new processes, communicating often with operators. My brother and sister are the same way—we get here early and stay late, trying to set a good example. And while we are actually related, we treat the rest of the Robbins team like family. Some of the people I work with I grew up with, I went to school with, and I’ve even worked with their parents and grandparents. And some of them, I’ll work with their children.

The Children ARE the Future

Already, some of my own children, who are still fairly young, have started to work in the business on a limited basis—as have some of my nieces and nephews. That doesn’t necessarily mean, however, that they will all take up the mantle to keep the family legacy going. Certainly, there’s nothing we’d love more; but there’s no pressure, either. For my own kids, at least, my hope is that they will branch out first and gather some experience in another company, another industry, or another part of the country. That’s something that I regret I never did, missing the potential to extract something valuable elsewhere and apply it to our own business. It is something that my sister did for several years, and I think it served her well in her various responsibilities, such as accounts receivables and human resources. When the time comes, choosing whether or not to continue the family tradition will come down to a

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decision of the heart: if it feels wrong, it’s probably going to be wrong. It also will entail looking at interpersonal relationships and how the decision will affect day-to-day family dynamics. Equally important is whether or not the previous generation is ready to cede leadership, because things will get tricky if they are not. Regardless of whether young people come into the industry through the home-grown route or whether they are recruited in, they must come. NAWLA, where I hold a seat on the board, recognized that need some years ago and launched its Generation Next initiative. The proactive drive aimed to foster greater involvement in the association by young people. I believe it has made NAWLA a stronger and more vibrant organization, which is ever important as the industry faces both exciting new opportunities as well as continuing challenges. For example, young people have a chance to be part of the solution to something they are passionate about—such as climate change—through wood-based building solutions that offer greater carbon sequestration and lower embedded energy costs.

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

We should probably tell them, though, that once they get that sawdust in their blood, splinters in their hands, and the scent of pine on their person, it could be addictive. In fact, we have warned them, in the most wonderful way. In a recent campaign targeting youth, we put up a poster in high schools that asked, “What will your next job smell like?” When the scratch-and-sniff design is activated, it gives off the intoxicating smell of pine, to serve as a lingering reminder of the industry and all it has to offer. – Alden J. Robbins is vice president and sales manager for Robbins Lumber, Searsmont, Me. (www.rlco.com), and a board member of the North American Wholesale Lumber Association.

June 2019

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MOVERS & Shakers

• Gazebos – providing more shelter than a pergola, gazebos offer a point of retreat and greater protection Kristie McCurdy, ex-Boise Cascade, from elements isolating hasthe been named without sales mgr. for the inhabitants. lumber division of Woodgrain Id. •Millwork, Exposed Fruitland, Timber structures – the

natural color andhas grain of redwood John Neubauer returned to the timbers a solid a lumberlend industry as asupport product to sales greater structural design. rep with Weyerhaeuser, Phoenix, Az. • Decks – a redwood deck can last Lacefield 50 aJim lifetime when has it’s retired built andafter mainyears in the industry, the last six tained well. in sales with Humboldt Redwood, •Loveland, Planters Co. – non-toxic and all natural, redwood is ideal for garden Brian and Keefer, ex-Boise Cascade, boxes planters to hold flowering has herbs, joined plants, evenCapital vegetable Lumber, gardens. Healdsburg, Ca., as product mgr. •over Furniture any form wood of seating, the LP –engineered prodtables, allfor deliver theNorthern promise uctsbenches program all of of aCalifornia. comfortable place to gather when built with redwood. Kevin Smith, ex-Roseburg, is now •sales Arborsmgr. – create of memorable softwood tranplysitions from oneTimber part ofProducts a yard to Co., the wood with nextSpringfield, with redwood Or.arbors. David W. Reed, ex-Roseburg, is new to Timber Among the trends emerging in Products as technical director. landscaping design, there’s no better fit for bringing beauty, colortoand presScott Slaughter is new sales at ence into anForest outdoor space than redEmerald Products, Eugene, wood. with its has longevity, Or. Combined Andy Richardson retired andafter environmental redwood 30 years in qualities, the business.

Matt Pierce has joined the inside sales team at Western Wood Preserving Co., Sumner, Wa. Raul Avalos has been promoted to store mgr. of McCoy’s Building Supply, Roswell, N.M. Chad Stocking, ex-OrePac, has joined Rmax, as Salt Lake Citybased territory sales mgr. for Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. Kevin Tindall, Do it Best Corp., has been promoted to regional sales & business development mgr. over seven western states.

Lindsey Wilkinson has joined the sales support team at Golden State Lumber, Healdsburg, Ca. Howard C. Heckes was named CEO and president of Masonite International, Tampa, Fl. He succeeds Fred Lynch, who is retiring. Hugh Laurie has been promoted to VP of finance for Boral Roofing, Charlotte, N.C. Harvey Shelton is new as Irvine, Ca.-based VP of operations. Christopher Griffin has been named CEO of USG Corp., Chicago, Il. Matthew Parrish succeeds him as president and CEO of Knauf Insulation, Shelbyville, In.

Reid Price joined Viance, Charlotte, Harvey Shelton has joined Boral N.C., as graphic design mgr. Roofing, Irvine, Ca., as VP of operations. Hugh Laurie has been proMaggie Hardy Knox, president moted to VP of finance, based in that theof Lumber, Eighty-Four, INCREASINGLY backyard builders are realizing best84 contemporary design materials aren’t Charlotte, grown in the lab, N.C. but out in unfiltered nature. Pa., was named a 2019 Fox Rothschild Outstanding CEO and Corbin Prows has been promotTop Executive by the Pittsburgh ed to product development mgr. – Jessica Hewitt is the top choice among landscaping Business Times.is director of marketfor Do it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, ing at Humboldt Redwood Company. HRC trends. It is a choice any consumer Andrew Hufford is now planCara Vann is the new dispatcher is working to cultivate a lasting legacy ofat canIn. make with confidence, and reafning & production mgr.; Justin environmentally responsible forestry and Mungus Fungus Forest Products, firm their wise decision year after Hanford, sales & service mgr., and sourcing, manufacturing, and co-owners distribution Climax, Nv., report year. of top-quality redwood products. Scott Sproul, director of internaHugh Mungus andlumber Freddy Fungus. tional sales.

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Rough Timbers 3×4 – 3×12 (8’ to 40’) 4×4 – 4×12 (8 to 40’) 6×6 – 6×12 (8’ to 40’) 8×8 – 8×12 (8’ to 40’) 10×10 – 10×12 (8’ to 40’) 12×12 ( 8’ to 40’) Up to 16’ x 24’ – 48’

32 n The Merchant Magazine n Building-Products.com

June 2019

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

March 2017

Building-Products.com The Merchant Magazine 15

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

Flame TechTM brand fire retardant, pressure impregnated wood is the only one of its kind approved by three major certifying agencies: UL, Intertek and QAI. Flame Tech products have outstanding fire performance properties, exceptional 1- and 2-hour wall assemblies and are backed by a 20-year warranty. Optional water repellent and termiticide additives are available.

Preserve Tech HWTM is a treatment for engineered wood products allowing them to resist rot, decay, insects, mold and fungal decay. This exceptional chemistry, new to the market, is fully vetted, tested, APA approved and backed by a 20-year warranty.

LAPALULU Radiant Barrier Panels LaPalulu radiant barrier panels block up to 97% of radiant heat in attics, aiding in the efficiency of cooling equipment. Installation is fast and convenient. We custom manufacture radiant barrier panels with both preservative and interior fire retardant systems. We also offer a wide range of custom kiln drying and heat treatment services to fit your every need.

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NEW Products

Big, Rough and Rustic Thermoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Kodiak spruce decking and cladding feature a rugged surface and wider size to create a bold, natural appearance. The knotted spuce boards offer a brushed texture, while their extra width speeds up installation. They are thermally modified to provide 25+ years of rot and termite resistance. Boards come 1x8 for cladding, 5/4x8 for decking.

Rich-Looking Veneers

n THERMORY.COM (372) 606-2903

n BEONSTONE.COM (866) 256-7404

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June 2019

The Beonstone collection of attached manufactured-stone veneers by Oldcastle are a system of versatile, durable and easy-to-install panels available in four popular natural stone aesthetics and six colors. Delivering the same thickness and rich look of natural stone, the collection is the easier, more cost-effective way to achieve a high-end stone finish.

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Compact Lifts Reaching Higher

National Gypsum’s Gold Bond SoundBreak XP Ceiling Board is a 3/4” sound-dampening drywall comprised of two pieces of high-density, mold-, mildew- and moisture-resistant gypsum board, with the company’s specially designed purple paper, laminated together with a viscoelastic polymer. Greenguard Gold certified for indoor air quality, it installs and finishes like traditional gypsum board.

The all-new ZT-1630 compact lift by Custom Equipment’s Hy-Brid Lifts is made with with precision maneuverability and is a premium machine built with professional operators in mind. The lift is ideal for applications including construction, facility maintenance and more. It’s the tallest offering from Hy-Brid Lifts, delivering a 16-ft. platform height and a working height of 22 ft.

n NATIONALGYPSUM.COM (704) 355-7300

n HYBRIDLIFTS.COM (262) 644-1300

Keep the Noise Out

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June 2019

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Eucalyptus Madness NanaWall Systems’ WA67 is the industry’s only folding glass wall system to mount extruded aluminum cladding to a solid wood core with a spacer bar to secure the materials together. This feature allows for different expansion rates between materials to avoid cracking for durability in any climate. The WA67 is built to withstand any changes in weather due to NanaWall’s proprietary evaporation chamber engineered to allow the wood and aluminum to expand and contract.

Cali Bamboo has added two new Eucalyptus styles to its Eco-Engineered flooring collection. Engineered planks are frequently a strategic choice, with a layered construction that makes them more dimensionally stable, and therefore better suited for high moisture environments like kitchens, bathrooms, and basements. The new plank styles measure 48” long, 5-19/32” wide, and 15/32” thick. A 2mm-thick top wear layer of Fossilized eucalyptus adheres to a 8.5mm-thick core of eucalyptus plywood and a 1.5mm stabilizing eucalyptus base.

n NANAWALL.COM (800) 873-5673

n CALIBAMBOO.COM (858) 200-9540

Folding Glass

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June 2019

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June 2019

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Extra-Wide Bamboo Boards

PPG MachineCoat WB waterborne weathering stain gives new commercial white cedar shingles the look of aged cedar. The low-VOC stain is an alternative to traditional solvent-based PPG Machinecoat alkyd weathering stains. Whitish-gray when machine-applied to new shingles, the stain lightens over a six-to-nine-month period, gradually assuming the appearance of aged cedar that blends naturally into its surroundings. The faux-weathered appearance lasts until the cedar begins to age and fade naturally. The coating air dries in about 30 minutes or can be force-dried under suitable conditions.

Together with wide Bamboo X-treme decking boards, MOSO has launched matching XXL siding boards to complete its outdoor range even further. Bamboo X-treme is the right choice for those who are looking for a sustainable solution for outdoor applications and at the same time value an elegant and modern appearance. The siding boards are very economical, because they are virtually maintenance-free and very quick and easy to install. To produce the boards, bamboo stems are split and their outer skin removed. The strips are modified with a unique Thermo-Density process, increasing dimensional stability by about 50%. Treating at high heat also ensures protection against fungi and provides the highest durability class possible. The strips are then compressed to increase strength and hardness.

n PPGMACHINEAPPLIEDCOATINGS.COM (877) 622-4277

n MOSO.EU (855) 343-8444

Machine-Applied Weathering Stain

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June 2019

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You know us for product innovation. Welcome to technology innovation.

Introducing LBM Solutions. Software, service and training tailored to your business. Successfully integrating technology into your business isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Simpson Strong-Tie will work with you to hand-select solutions that address your specific business needs. From software and training to ongoing support, we’re here to help you improve efficiency, increase productivity and grow sales. To learn more, visit go.strongtie.com/lbm or call your local Simpson Strong-Tie rep at (800) 999-5099. © 2019 Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. LBMSOFT19

Ace Offers Extra Mile Guarantee

product is present in the basements of about 2,200 houses in various stages of construction in limited markets. Most Ace Hardware is rolling out its Extra Mile Promise, a of the houses are not yet occupied. guarantee that Ace has the expert advice and supplies needWeyerhaeuser will cover the cost to either remediate or ed to help consumers successfully tackle any paint project replace affected joists. It has halted production, sales and with just one trip to the store. shipments of the product, and is collecting unused product Available at participating stores nationwide, the vow from customers. was created to address and relieve the frustration conApproximately $9 million of the product has been sold sumers deal with when faced with the proposition of yet since December 2016. Weyerhaeuser expects to spend $50another trip to the store as a result of forgotten items or not $60 million resolving the issue. enough paint. Ace is so confident in its one-trip guarantee that it will provide free delivery to consumers who may be Windows & Doors Keep Growing in need of additional paint supplies. Residential window shipments increased 5.7% in 2016, “While it hurt our pride to learn this, the truth is that amounting to more than 43.2 million units shipped across while consumers trust Ace as the Helpful Place, far too the nation. Looking forward, national growth is expected to many of them believed that our speedy sized stores didn’t increase another 5.6% in 2017 before trailing off somewhat have enough product to complete their paint project,” said in 2019 to 4.6% growth, according to a Hammer new Window & John Venhuizen, president and CEO. “We know this isn’t The Ultimate Door Manufacturers Association study. theCable case, so News to assuage these misperceptions, we decided to Bosch combines perside-hinged entry cordless doors increased stand Sbehind with the Extra Mile Hybrid WindowsIn 2016, shipments offormance u p e r our i o r large A l upaint m i nassortment um’s with power and safety by 6.1% to 9.7 million units on the national level, alleviatPromise. objective simple:isto be known Kolbe’s as the #1, Series Our 2000 cable is railing new Forgent Series in the a jobsite-tough hamany concerns over decrease in rotary units shipped best, most convenient, most helpful credible store ofing aesthetically pleasing while and most is constructed Glastra—a mer. The Brushless Hammer between 2014 and 2015. Based on the analysis of the data, forproviding paint in theunobstructed neighborhood.” views h y b r i d o f f i b e rannual g l a s s growth a n d is forecasted comes with a CORE18V battery, to climb to 5.9% in 2017 and a physical barrier. UV-stable polymerbefore formulated powered by Lithium-ion declining to a modest 5.2% growth in 2019.21700 Weyco Recalls Coated I-Joists Railings are factory assemfor strength and resilience. cell flush technology. Architectural interior doors recovered from a Weyerhaeuser recalling specs, a batch of TJI JoistsMulti-chambered with Flak bled to exact is customer Glastra The tool employs decline the previous year by growing 4.5% KickBack in 2016 with Jacket linking an odor in certain newly thenProtection, shipped after in maximum extrusions in an advanced ladder Control technology, reducing nearly 2.9 million units shipped, while stile and rail doors constructed homes to a recent formula change in the coatallowable sizing to simplify design add strength continued and promote the risk of sudden tool its upward trend with a 6.6% increasereactions with nearingon-site that included formaldehyde-based resin. The issue is installation. energy efficiency. ly 0.44 million units shipped. in bit bind-up Annual situations. growth of flush doors isolated to Flak Jacket product made after Dec. 1, 2016, is forecast to be 4% in 2017 before declining to 1% in n n n SUPERIORALUMINUM.COM KOLBEWINDOWS.COM BOSCHTOOLS.COM and does not affect any of the company’s other products. 2019. Stile and rail doors are also predicted to grow 4% in (937) 526-4065 842-5666 (877) 267-2499 Flak Jacket Protection is a coating applied to(715) I-joists to 2017 and decline to 1% by 2019. enhance fire resistance, and it is not widely in use. The

Wholesale Industrial Lumber

REEL

LUMBER SERVICE

1321 N. Kraemer Blvd. (Box 879), Anaheim, Ca. 92806 Fax 714-630-3190 (714) 632-1988 • (800) 675-REEL 3518 Chicago Ave., Riverside, Ca. 92507

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n 2019 The The Merchant Merchant Magazine Magazine n June August 2017

t Reel Lumber Service, we supply domestic and foreign hardwoods. Our products and services include: • Hardwood Lumber & Pine • Hardwood Plywood & Veneers • Melamine Plywood • Hardwood Moulding (alder, cherry, mahogany, MDF, maple, red oak, paint grade, pecan hickory, white oak, walnut, beech) • Milling (moulding profiles, S2S, SLR1E, SLR2E, & resawn lumber) • Woodworking Accessories (appliques, ornaments, butcher blocks, corbels, etc.) • Woodworking Supplies (deft finishes, color putty, adhesives, etc.)

ur products are widely used in interior finish carpentry, furniture, cabinetry and hundreds of industrial and manufacturing applications. We stock a complete line of complementary products to complete virtually any woodworking or millwork project.

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Find Out What An Orgill Dealer Market Is All About The industry event that has everything you need to increase your profitability.

Scan the QR code to learn more!

Register online or give us a call today! Don’t Miss These Highlights: • Deep Discounts • New Product Launches • Idea-Generating Showcases and Concept Stores

• eCommerce Solutions • How-To Demonstrations • Workshops & Clinics From Industry Experts

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Brick Veneer Ledger Connector The BVLZ brick veneer ledger connector kit by Simpson Strong-Tie is a code-compliant, tested solution for attaching decks to wood-framed homes that have a brick or masonry veneer exterior covering. By attaching a wood ledger to the framing through the brick veneer, the connector enables decks to be safely attached to the home without the need to remove or replace large sections of the veneer. The connector kit includes a steel ledger connector plate, a compression strut, two 14â&#x20AC;? Strong-Drive SDWH Timber-Hex HDG tension screws, and six StrongDrive SD Connector shear screws. n STRONGTIE.COM (800) 999-5099

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Bohemian Hues Through its Virtual Design Library of printon-demand laminate patterns, Wilsonart is offering a quarterly collection of curated designs called Scandinavian-Bohemian. The collection consists of a fusion of styles that work for any maximalist or minimalist space. This trend captures the free-spirited Bohemian aesthetic, while working in the bounds of a clean, crisp Scandinavian aesthetic. n WILSONART.COM (800) 433-3222

June 2019

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OUR 2019 SUMMER BROCHURE IS HERE. The 2019 Western Woods digital brochure is a useful resource anytime, anywhere. It is packed with all of the information you need about the selection of topquality products and services we have to offer here at Western Woods. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interactive, too! Our digital brochure makes finding what you need quick and easy. With the click of a button you can easily get detailed product info or get in touch with our sales team. Compatible with your PC, tablet, and smartphone, our digital brochure works for you both in the office and on the go. Âť Get your copy now at: westernwoodsinc.com.

Scan this QR code with your tablet or smartphone to access our new digital brochure and brand new line card.

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Call us at 800-822-8157

June 2019 n TheConnect Merchant Magazine Visit us at www.westernwoodsinc.com with us on

COLORADO OPEN HOUSE Photos by Jessica Hewitt

HUMBOLDT REDWOOD/Allweather Wood in Loveland, Co., attracted more than 200 customers and employees to its open house April 25. Guests were treated to in-depth tours of the operation, three food

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“Focused on the future with respect for tradition”

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June 2019

trucks, full dessert bar, prize drawings, and music by Larry and the Pour Boys. Attendees also had the opportunity to meet vendors— including Viance’s Brian Delbrueck, Weyerhaeuser’s Craig Forbes, and Lonza’s Rob Dennison—and corporate leaders, such as executive VP Blair Buchanan, VP-sawmill operations Dean Kerstetter, director of marketing Jessica Hewitt, Scotia director of operations Mike Richardson, VP-purchasing Laurie Creech, and manager of business development Charlie Jourdain. [1] Guests gave glowing reviews to the food, which included chicken and wafﬂes with hot sauce ice cream. [2] Redwood was prominently displayed. [3] Allweather’s Phil Herman thanks salesman Jim Lacefield, who retired the day after the event. [4] Charlie Jourdain, Leslie Graves. [5] Jan & Jim Lacefield, Jeff McLaughlin, Mike Sloggett. [6] Mike Richardson, AJ Kolarsick, Blair Buchanan, Dean Kerstetter. [7] Jim DiSaverio, Bob Gengler. [8] Dana Shellberg, Ted Greb. [9] Phil Herman with Mawson Lumber’s Grego Ytburiaga, winner of the grand prize, a $1,000 Southwest Airlines gift card.

Marvin Opts for New Look

Marvin Windows & Doors, Warroad, Mn., has streamlined its company name to simply “Marvin,” while rolling out a new corporate logo, reorganizing its products into new collections, and renaming its Integrity Windows and Doors brand. The new logo replaces the familiar yellow rose it has used since 1968 with a simpler, modern rose. Its doors and windows will now fall into three new collections. The Signature Collection will include its highend products, including the Marvin Ultimate and Marvin Modern lines as well as products previously sold as the Marvin Contemporary Studio line. The Elevate Collection will consist of products formerly sold as Integrity WoodUltrex, while the Essential Collection will include previously Integrity All-Ultrex products. Building-Products.com

2019

TR ADERS

MARKET

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

r e g g i b k thin

Reg n awla

ow N r iste t

ader .o r g / t r

smark

Do it Best dealers light up Indianapolis

Do it Best’s annual spring market flooded the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis May 17-20, as vendors and attendees from all over the country came to talk about new products and glean some industry insight. Presenters included Shannon Huffman, one of the first females to fly the Apache helicopter in the U.S. Army; Mike McKinley, on “Resilience through Change,” and Lindsey Angelo, on “Hacking the Future of Retail.”

The Merchant Magazine n

A LIGHT SHOW helped create a festive atmospher during the evening’s LBM Reception. [1] Lauren Brune, Jean Fahy. [2] Jeff Bratton, Chris Olson, Joe Corah, Steve Grohwalski. [3] Jim Bosler, Todd Price. [4] Matt Holmes. [5] Jeff Dunbar, Tim Koll. [6] Mike McNamara, Mike Termolen, Geoff Ferreira. [7] Tim Bartholomew, Michael Brad, Steve Blowitski. [8] Kenneth Trujillo, Kevin Riley, Scott Jaeger. [9] Ethan Colley, Patrick n

The market floor was open to all attendees and concluded with a light show and LBM reception on Friday night. Attendees also got to participate in educational seminars that focused on managing stress, service excellence, human recourses, conflict resolution, and so much more. The event marked the final spring market to be held in May, before it moves to February starting in 2020.

June 2019

Jones, Jon Timmerman, Rob Williams. [10] Lori Ann & Jeff Baggett. [11] Paul Renn, Michael Putze, Jimmy Zyrowski. [12] Al Stern, Matt Green, Matt Skjonsby, Gary Davidson. [13] Barry & Marjorie Beamish. [14] Adam Smith, Trevor Buechler. [15] Bill Cornelius, Renee Coffman, Todd Hixson. [16] Sue Ridge, Samantha Williams, Dawn Jauch, Ann Hennessey. (More photos on next page) Building-Products.com

DO IT BEST MARKET

Photos by Merchant

DIVISION LEADERS (continued from previous page) delivered a mid-day LBM update with [17] Todd Hixson, Jean Fahy, Joe Corah, Josh Ratcliff. [18] Speaker Shannon Huffman. [19] Brandon Plath, Myrna & Wayne Dahl, Mr. Friendly. [20] Rick Kost. [21] Todd Ruehs, Steve Doldo. [22] Gabe Arnold, Phil Fortson. [23] Mike Thompson, Rick Stout. [24] Trace Krone, Jeff van Well. [25] Kathy Ewertz, Traci Whitehead. [26] Chip Chippeaux, Building-Products.com

34 Gary Nackers. [27] Jeremy Gardner, Mark Stevenson, Renae Korell, Steve Semmler. [28] Jeff Falke, Michelle Crayton, Tim Pappas, Jacquie Klimsza, Chris Fox, Bryan Hoexum. [29] Denny Colmer, David Lawson. [30] Deniro Lloyd, Anthony Maycock. [31] Mike Shaub, Sean McPeak, Jarod Ganser, Chase Magee. [32] Jeri & Paul James, Ron Mullen. [33] Ed Harlin, Ward Britt. [34] Mark Kunkle, Scott Enright, Dale Minks, Scott Lunde. June 2019

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NAWLAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vancouver regional meeting

NAWLA held its Vancouver, B.C., regional meeting May 2 at the Vancouver Club. [1] Anthony Muck, Robb Shrader, Jamey Trewartha. [2] Dan Griffiths, Rob Tam, Stewart Clark. [3] Art Barker, Bill Barnett. [4] Dan Semsak, Mark MacIntyre, Carlos Furtado, Ryan Furtado. [5] Chelsea Brown, Jack Alley, Sophia Fujiki. [6] Colin Barker, Jennifer Burleigh, Ian McLean. [7] Chris Boyd, David Chu, Dallas Reid. [8] Russ Taylor, Peter Keyes. [9] Simon

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June 2019

Mills, Martin Parry. [10] Barry Miles, Grant Phillips, Kevin Dodds. [11] Nikolay Atanasson, Montej Kadola. [12] Steven Thoews, Peter Butzelaar. [13] Darlene Feng, Sumal Thalagala, Scott Ballantyne, Brenda Wong. [14] Kelly Hawkins, Shane Zulyniak. [15] Kam Sidhu, Matthew Tuason, Chris Carter, Robin Carkett. [16] Brett Johnson, Bob Smith, Greg Smith. (More photos on next page) Building-Products.com

FEATURED PRESENTATION (continued from previous page): [17] Ian McClean introduces panelists (l-r) Global Affairs Canada’s Colin Barker, Ministry of Forests’ Jennifer Burleigh, BC Council of Forest Industries’ Susan Yurkovich, and Rielly Lumber’s Andy Rielly, to discuss “Storm Clouds on the Horizon? Opportunities in Uncertain Times.” [18] Panel moderator Kip Fotheringham, Brad Rosse, Les Timar. [19] Steve Clitheroe, Anna McNally, Derek Yan, Steve Downie. [20] Dave Hutson, Paul Bouchard. [21] Bruce Tays, Andy Rielly. [22] Trevor Pochurko, Kevin Building-Products.com

Photos by The Merchant Magazine

NAWLA BC REGIONAL

Sedler, Alvaro Madero. [23] Dean Decraene, Kyle Jones. [24] Mike Jones, Dave Cochenour. [25] Kamal Sanghera, Ravi Sanghera, Kulraj Tiwana. [26] Chris Bouchard, Brian Crossley, Will Barber. [27] Gerry Pankratz, Susan Yurkovich. [28] Curtis Walker, Mike Pidlisecky, Kirk Nagy. [29] Matt Vyner, Addison Ross, Derek Yan. [30] Gordon Metcalf, Laurence Morrison. [31] Annette Bartsch, Salim Chehab. [32] David Farley, Jim Ivanoff. [33] David Jara, Matt Robinson. [34] John Cooney, Scott Buchholz.

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ASSOCIATION Update North American Wholesale Lumber Association has announced the keynote speaker for its 2019 Traders Market keynote luncheon. Jamie Clarke, CEO of LiveOutThere. com and renowned Everest adventurer, will speak on Oct. 17 in San Antonio, Tx. Western Building Materials Association will hold a mid-year meeting July 23 in Seattle, Wa. Location details will be announced in early June. A Group 3 roundtable follows on July 28-29 in Ketchikan, Ak. West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association is gearing up for its 2nd Growth summer conference at Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, Ca., July 18-19. Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association is reminding members to save the date for its upcoming Colorado Front Range golf tournament July 10 at Fossil Trace Golf

Club, Golden, Co. MSLBMDA members are also invited to participate in Northwestern Lumber Association’s Heritage Roundtable July 22-25 in Deadwood, S.D. Moulding & Millwork Producers Association is organizing a fall plant tour from Portland, Or., Sept. 9-11. Western Wood Preservers Institute’s upcoming summer meeting will take place June 23-25 in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau will hold its annual meeting June 25 in Newberg, Or.—its first such gathering since merging with the West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau. Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club is meeting for an Angels baseball game June 15 in Anaheim. The following month the club is inviting members to join them for a Duffy cruise in Newport Beach, Ca., July 13.

Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo Club will hold board meetings June 19 and July 17 in Tacoma, Wa. Window & Door Manufacturers Association is hosting a technical and manufacturing conference June 25-27 in Minneapolis, Mn. The event will offer industry expertise on topics like emerging technologies, manufacturing applications, and regulatory issues. Forest Product Society will host its 73rd international convention in conjunction with the Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga., June 25-28. AWFS Fair 2019 is set for July 17-20 in Las Vegas. Building Industry Association of Southern California has created a new program to encourage young people to become part of the dynamic building industry in the region. The centerpiece of the program will be a five-day Junior Builder Camp for kids ages 7-13 set for July 29-Aug. 2..

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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. West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association – June 6, Northern California Golf Tournament, Rancho Solano Golf Course, Fairfield, Ca.; www.lumberassociatoin.org. Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – June 7, 13th annual Don Gregson Memorial Golf Tournament, Los Serranos Country Club, Chino, Ca.; www.hoohoo117.org. Western Roofing Expo – June 9-11, Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nv.; www.wsrca.com. National Lawn & Garden Show – June 11-12, St. Louis, Mo.; www. nlgshow.com.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumbermens Club – July 13, Duffy cruise, Newport Beach, Ca.; www.lahlc.net. Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo Club – July 17, board meeting, Tacoma, Wa.; tbilski614@aol.com. AWFS Fair – July 17-20, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; www.awfsfair.org. West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association – July 18-19, 2nd Growth Summer Conference, Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, Ca.; www.lumberassociation.org. Fresno Home, Remodeling & Decorating Show – July 19-21, Fresno Fairgrounds, Fresno, Ca.; www.fresnoshows.com. Western Building Material Assn. – July 23, mid-year meetings, Seattle, Wa.; July 28-29, roundtable, Ketchikan, Ak.; wbma.org.

Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo Club – June 19, board meeting, Tacoma, Wa.; tbilski614@aol.com.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – Aug. 2-3, ladies weekend, Hilton Hotel, Palm Springs, Ca.; www.hoohoo117.org.

Western Wood Preservers Institute – June 23-25, summer meeting, Banff, Alberta, Canada; www.wwpinstitute.org.

Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo Club – Aug. 3, annual picnic, Gig Harbor, Wa.; tbilski614@aol.com.

Window & Door Manufacturers Association – June 23-25, technical conference, Minneapolis, Mn.; www.wdma.com.

Umpqua Valley Lumber Association – Aug. 6-9, mill week, Roseburg, Or.; leslies@cdlumber.com.

Forest Products Society – June 25-28, international convention, Atlanta, Ga.; www.forestprod.org.

Big Home Building & Remodeling Show – Aug. 9-11, sponsored by Building Industry Association of Hawaii, Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, Hi.; www.biahawaii.org.

Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau – June 25, annual meeting, Newberg, Or.; www.plib.org. Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo – June 26-29, Atlanta, Ga.; www.sfpaexpo.com. Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – July 10, Front Range Golf Tournament, Fossil Trace Golf Club, Golden, Co.; www.mslbmda.org. Ontario Home & Backyard Show – July 12-14, Ontario Convention Center, Ontario, Ca.; www.homeshowconsultants.com.

California State Home & Garden Show – Aug. 16-18, McClellan Conference Center, McClellan Park, Ca.; www.calstateshows.com. Lumbermens Merchandising Corp. – Aug. 21, LMC Hardware Express, Chicago, Il.; www.lmc.net. Orgill – Aug. 22-24, fall dealer market, McCormick Place, Chicago, Il.; www.orgill.com. San Diego Fall Home Show – Aug. 23-25, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, Ca.; www.homeshowsandiego.com.

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IN Memoriam Daniel E. “Dan” Sweeny, 67, longtime salesman with Jones Wholesale Lumber Co., Lynwood, Ca., died May 8 of complications from cancer. After receiving his Master’s degree from University of Arizona, he moved to Los Angeles in 1986 and entered the industry with Hull Lumber. He moved to Joslyn Lumber in 1992 and Jones in 1996, before retiring earlier this year. Michael Arthur “Mike” Bakula, 68, outside salesman for The Kelleher Corp., Fresno, Ca., died March 22. He spent over 40 years with Kelleher, serving central and coastal California. David Tillson Bradford, 70, former president of Modesto Lumber Co., Modesto, Ca., died March 2 due to a long-standing heart condition. After graduating from West Point in 1972, he spent six years in the Army, he joined the 100-year-old family business. He was appointed president in 1990, but closed the company two years later and became a baker. Leslie “Les” Guttu, 76, retired quality control supervisor at Malheur Lumber, John Day, Or., died April 17. He spent 20 years at Diamond International’s sawmill in Superior, Mt., becoming a certified lumber grader and eventually quality control supervisor. In 1986, he started 20 years with Malheur.

L&W Expands in Colorado

L&W Supply Corp. has acquired the assets of Metro Building Products Inc. in Arapahoe County, Colorado. Founded in 1986, Metro has a single branch that serves the Denver mar-

ket. The company is focused on residential and commercial markets, providing drywall, steel stud, insulation and related products.

Roseburg Runs Shed Promo

In an effort to reward existing DuraTemp customers and create more awareness in the marketplace, Roseburg has been running a “Great Outdoors” promotion. Right now, shed dealers can earn entries into the monthly, quarterly and a grand prize sweepstakes. The big prize is a Tracker Grizzly boat. There are also Cabela’s gift cards, kayaks, Yeti bundles, and Broil King packages up for grabs. Qualified shed dealers can earn an entry simply by registering, as well as by submitting invoices, participating in e-learning, and sending in photos of shed projects. The promotion runs through August. Roseburg will award the grand prize at the Big Shed Show in October.

TALK Back PASS IT ALONG Patrick, as always, I enjoyed your “Across the Board” comments (“I Don’t Say It Enough,” May p. 8) in this month’s issue. Thank you for your efforts to keep our industry educated, informed and connected. I always learn something new each month and I pass along the magazine in our office so that others may also benefit. Edward A. San Juan President E.F. San Juan, Inc. Youngstown, Fl.

Shoplifter Dies in Custody

A shoplifter died while being detained by employees of Ace Hardware, Salt Lake City, Ut. Mischa Ryan Cox, 30, allegedly tried to walk out of the store on May 2 without paying for items in his pockets. According to police, two workers followed him out of the store and attempted to detain him. When a struggle ensued, two other witnesses attempted to help the employees. They got Cox to the ground, but by the time police arrived, he was unresponsive. According to Salt Lake police, the altercation is considered an officerinvolved critical incident because officers cuffed Cox while assessing the situation. Officials say it didn’t appear Cox had any injuries on him from the struggle itself, and are not sure if he had any medical conditions at the time. The incident is currently being investigated.

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Cover III

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526 Media Group www.building-products.com

Simpson Strong-Tie www.strongtie.com

Fontana Wholesale Lumber www.fontanawholesalelumber.com

Swanson Group Sales Co. www.swansongroupinc.com

Huff Lumber Co. www.hufﬂumber.net

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Timber Products Co. www.timberproducts.com

Jones Wholesale Lumber www.joneswholesale.com

Covers I, IV

TruWood/Collins Products LLC www.truwoodsiding.com

MCL Lumber Products www.mid-columbialumber.com

Universal Forest Products www.ufpedge.com

Cover II

Norbord www.norbord.com

Western Lumber Co. www.westernlumber.com

North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. www.nawla.org

Western Woods Inc. www.westernwoodsinc.com

Omnitracs www.omnitracs.com

Weyerhaeuser Distribution www.weyerhaeuser.com

Orgill www.orgill.com

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FLASHBack 77 Years Ago This Month

Seventy-seven years ago, the June

1942 edition of The California Lumber Merchant was filled with reports of lumbermen who had gone off to war and those left behind dealing with restrictions on what lumber could be sold for. The lumber industry did successfully petition for one exemption to Limitation Order L-121: housing projects that were essential to the cause and had already begun construction.

DURING WORLD War II, The Merchant experimented with featuring two companies on the front cover instead of one. In June 1942 they were the Minneapolis-based Shevlin Pine Sales Co. and central California wholesaler Hill & Morton.

After thorough investigation, the National Housing Administration and the WPB Lumber and Lumber Products branch decreed that more than 100,000 of the “most urgent” units could continue construction. The dwellings, roughly half publicly financed and half privately financed, were all intended to house war workers and employees of war production plants and military and naval establishments, where the local retail lumber stocks were not sufficient to permit the completion of the projects. Without relief from L-121, construction on all of the projects would have ceased almost immediately. In other news: • Unable to procure a sufficient source of lumber, Hayward Lumber & Investment Co. temporarily shuttered its retail lumberyards in Los Angeles, Bloomington and Banning, Ca., citing “economic conditions engendered by the war.” Hayward kept the wholesale side of the Los Angeles plant going, to continue distributing U.S. Gypsum Weatherwood insulation board, roofing, finished lumber, and sash and doors. WOLMANIZED LUMBER promoted its treated wood as able to last many decades after the war had ended.

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• Cadwallader-Gibson Co. of Los Angeles, Ca., agreed to

June 2019

lease its building to the war effort for the duration, and temporarily relocate its downsized operations to a smaller space about five miles away. • The co-owner of a San Jose, Ca., lumberyard and an employee drowned when their boat overturned while fishing in nearby Stevens Creek reservoir. Jacob P. Thomas, Jr., 44, of Thomas & Mulcahy Lumber Co., and truck driver Cyril Mancuso were attempting to change places at the oars when their small craft capsized. • Responding to the clamor for more info on farm buildings, the California Redwood Association rolled out a free circular on how to build an all-purpose poultry house using stock sizes and economical lengths and grades of California redwood lumber. Featuring the unit system of construction, the coop’s design was based on years of practical experience of farmers and poultrymen, resulting in a building containing the greatest amount of housing and conveniences at lowest possible cost, while allowing for numerous variations in size and layout.

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