The Merchant Magazine - July 2011

MERCHANT

TREATED WOOD UPDATE LBM SHIPPING TIPS APA SPECIAL ISSUE: ENGINEERED WOOD

The

JULY 2011

Magazine

THE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS – SINCE 1922

You can depend on Osmose Research to develop the technology for pressure treated wood products to meet today’s marketplace demands.

The largest global staff of Wood Technologists, Chemists, Microbiologists, and PhD’s dedicated to wood protection research.

Over 75 patent applications have been filed in the past five years.

www.osmosewood

Osmose. The Trusted name in Wood Preservation since 1934 MicroPro®, NatureWood®, Advance Guard®, Hi-Bor® and FirePro® treated wood products are produced by independently owned and operated wood treating facilities.

MicroPro, NatureWood, Advance Guard, Hi-Bor, FirePro, and Osmose are registered trademarks of Osmose, Inc. ©6/2011

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The

MERCHANT

Special Features 9 INDUSTRY TRENDS FALL OUT OF LOWER HOME OWNERSHIP

10 FEATURE STORY TREATED WOOD CHALLENGED BY ULTRA-LOW MAINTENANCE ALTERNATIVES

12 COMPANY FOCUS OREGON TREATER RETURNS TO PENTA

16 MARGIN BUILDERS MIXING RAIL AND TRUCK

26 FOCUS: APA ON ENGINEERED WOOD 14-PAGE SPECIAL SECTION ON • EWP OUTLOOK • POST-QUAKE REBUILDING • GREEN PROOF • HANDSON SEMINARS • SAFETY HONORS

52 PHOTO RECAP: PCBC BIG BUILDERS SHOW IN SAN FRANCISCO

54 PHOTO RECAP: LACN GOLF

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

In Every Issue 6 TOTALLY RANDOM 14 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE 18 OLSEN ON SALES 20 GREEN RETAILING 40 MOVERS & SHAKERS 42 IN MEMORIAM 45 MANAGEMENT TIPS 46 NEW PRODUCTS 56 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 57 DATE BOOK 58 IDEA FILE 58 ADVERTISERS INDEX

July 2011

Volume 90 Number 1

Magazine

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The Merchant Magazine (ISSN 7399723) (USPS 796-560) is published monthly at 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660-1872 by Cutler Publishing, 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®2011 by Cutler Publishing, Inc. Cover and entire contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission. All Rights Reserved. It reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter, and assumes no liability for materials furnished to it.

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TOTALLY Random

By Alan Oakes

The

MERCHANT

Magazine

www.building-products.com

A publication of Cutler Publishing

4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, CA 92660

H

It’s not you, it’s me!

I.

THIS IS SO DIFFICULT to write, but I lack the guts to tell you personally, hence this letter. I feel badly, but we must break up. I just cannot reciprocate how you want me and our relationship to be. I need my time and space. You’ll get over me and surely will find someone else to be with, someone who can communicate better than I can.

But you have become obsessed with me. You want constant reassurance about how good we are as a couple. Clearly, we are in a different place about our relationship. Yes, I know you will feel bad for a while, but time will heal, you’ll get over me, and surely will find someone else.

Since we met, you just won’t leave me alone. I did not take the hint that you wanted to be with me forever. I ignored the alarm bells. I should have realized early on that when you kept showering me with presents and you tried to find ways for me to keep coming by, something was wrong. I even gave you an assurance in an email that everything was fine and I could not be any happier. But, this was just not enough for you, as now we are on the fifth go-around of you asking me the same old questions.

You keep calling, emailing and writing. You have become very needy and insecure, and you won’t take no for an answer. I try to ignore you, but somehow you find a way to track me down wherever I am, and you keep coming back to the same old thing again and again. You were—are—great, but I have others I need to worry about.

My wife is beginning to get suspicious and ask questions: “Who keeps tweeting you?” “Who keeps trying to get hold of you day and night?” “Why do they keep calling?” “Why do they want to be ‘friends?’” She is worried that “like” can very quickly turn to love. But I am resisting you. All my waking hours are spent dealing with this infatuation with what am I doing, how much do I earn, did I enjoy how you handled me, and is there anything else you can do for me, and when are you going to see me again! I have a stack of emails on top of the calls you left on my phone. It is all too much!

We clearly are on a different wave length. Yes, we had an intensive relationship for a few hours. And it was truly good for me, as I clearly was missing something in my life at the time. But once is enough!

So let’s end it here and now. Goodbye and thanks for giving me your all. I will never forget you!

Why is it whenever I buy something these days—whether the cost is $5 or $50,000—I have to face a barrage of emails and telephone calls surveying me about how great my experience was? And once is no longer enough. They just keep coming. Even when you ignore them, they don’t take the hint! Does it really matter how I feel?

No one ever responds to anything I say anyway, especially when “my experience” was not great. Don’t you just love being asked to take a survey before you even speak with anyone, after being on hold for an hour? In some cases, we’re even told how we must mark the form at the highest level or else they will get dinged by whomever.

Here’s my response: I may be important to you, but you are not to me. Get over yourself! I DO NOT CARE! Alan Oakes, Publisher ajoakes@aol.com

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

Publisher Alan Oakes ajoakes@aol.com

Publisher Emeritus David Cutler

Director of Editorial & Production David Koenig dkoenig@building-products.com Editor Karen Debats kdebats@building-products.com

Contributing Editors Dwight Curran, Carla Waldemar, James Olsen, Jay Tompt, Mike Dandridge Advertising Sales Manager Chuck Casey ccasey@building-products.com

Administration Director/Secretary Marie Oakes mfpoakes@aol.com Circulation Manager Heather Kelly hkelly@building-products.com

How to Advertise

Chuck Casey Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 ccasey@building-products.com

Alan Oakes www.building-products.com Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 ajoakes@aol.com

CLASSIFIED David Koenig Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 dkoenig@building-products.com

How to Subscribe

SUBSCRIPTIONS Heather Kelly Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 hkelly@building-products.com or send a check to 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, CA 92660 U.S.A.: One year (12 issues), $22 Two years, $36 Three years, $50

FOREIGN (Per year, paid in advance in US funds): Surface-Canada or Mexico, $48 Other countries, $60 Air rates also available.

SINGLE COPIES $4 + shipping BACK ISSUES $5 + shipping

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July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

7

NDUSTRY Trends

By Dr. Lynn O. Michaelis, RISI

Implications of the falling home ownership rate

O

NE STATISTIC THAT IS ROUTINELY reported, but not very well understood, is the homeownership rate. This number reflects the percentage of the occupied housing stock that is owned versus rented, and is updated quarterly by the U.S. Census Department.

Homeownership rose steadily from 1994, when it was around 64%, until it peaked in 2004 above 69%. The rise was in part due to the aging of the population since older households have a higher propensity to own. More important was the boom in “creative” lending standards during the bubble phase that helped younger households become “owners.” For instance, the ownership rate for the 25-to-34 age group rose from 42% in 1995 to 49% in 2005.

However, because many of these households could not sustain ownership, the rate has fallen below 44%. The ownership rate for the older age groups did not rise or fall nearly this much.

Since 2004, the overall rate has been dropping rapidly and was at 66.4% in the first quarter of 2011. You might ask, “So what?” As it turns out, this number is crucial to our outlook for single-family housing starts. Since a singlefamily housing start uses significantly more lumber and OSB than a multifamily start, the projected ownership rate will be very important to the RISI demand outlook over the next 10 years.

To see how important the homeownership number is, note that between 1995 and 2005, the occupied housing stock grew from 97.1 million units to 109.5 million units.

This required construction of 12.4 million housing units in that period to accommodate the growth in households, plus another 3 to 4 million units to replace demolished units.

Because the ownership rate rose by 5% in that period, the housing starts “demanded” were single-family units or condo units. The number of owned units increased from 62.3 million units in 1995 to 75.4 million units in 2005. In other words, the entire “demand” increase in that 10-year period was focused on single-family or condo units.

The number of occupied rental units fell between 1995 and 2005 despite relatively high multi-family starts.

Removals and conversions to condos more than offset the starts levels.

Bottom Line #1: The implied single-family starts demanded over the 10-year period, given the rise in ownership (plus an imputed removal rate of 260,000 units), was 1.57 million units. The actual single-family average over Building-Products.com

the period was 1.66 million units, plus a boom in condo units. This is why single-family house prices surged dramatically in the period. Rising prices encouraged the very aggressive response of builders to supply the “demand.”

The decline in the ownership rate since 2005 is the reason why the single-family unit market is in such serious shape. The combined effect of a slowdown in household formations (due to falling employment) and a decline in the ownership rate led to a dramatic decline in the demand for single-family (and condo) units.

Owner demand rose 1.3 million units per year from 1995-2005, but has been falling 75,000 units per year over the last five years. Even when you add an estimate for removals (assumed to be 290,000 units/year), the demand for single-family (plus condo) units has only been 0.21 million units/year, while actual construction has averaged 0.73 million units/year. That is why we still have an excess inventory of single-family units. And it is why single-family house prices continue to fall.

Bottom Line #2: This is why there is no hope for a sustained single-family housing recovery in 2011, because the ownership rate is still falling.

As will be seen in RISI’s forthcoming revised housing start outlook, the outlook for homeownership will play a crucial role in the housing start outlook for 2011 to 2020.

– Dr. Lynn O. Michaelis, executive economist and adviser for RISI, can be reached at (781) 734-8910 or lmichaelis@risi.com.

– RISI

July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

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FEATURE Story Pressure Treated Decking vs. ULM Alternatives

Treated decking ready for challenge from “next generation” alternatives

D

wood decking, which due to its affordability has picked up market share during the recession, may take a hit from the next generation of composite products, according to a new study by Principia Partners. Wood treaters, however, don’t necessarily agree, since the new products are even more expensive.

Total demand for decking and railing in the North American residential market was up slightly in 2010 compared to 2009, and is expected to increase more than 5% in 2011, to $3.4 billion. Growth is driven largely by price increases for most all plastic-based decking and railing, as well as continued product mix shift from lower-priced uncapped wood-plastic composites (WPCs) to premium capped WPCs and cellular vinyl decking.

“The market has enthusiastically embraced the new ultra-low maintenance (ULM) decking products,” said Principia’s Steve Van Kouteren. “Ultra-low maintenance properties and the new improved aesthetics drove demand for capped WPC decking by nearly six-fold in 2010 vs.

2009. In addition, the darker cellular PVC decking with EMAND FOR TREATED

TREATED WOOD, including micronized copper formulations, has held its own in the decking market, primarily due to its price advantage.

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

variegated colors, led by AZEK, Fiberon, TimberTech, and Trex, increased cellular PVC growth by nearly 40% in 2010. We expect these trends to continue through 2011.”

Altogether, the ULM decking category, which includes capped WPCs and cellular vinyl, now accounts for nearly 45% of total synthetic decking demand, up from 15% in 2008. Growth in demand for ULM decking, along with the expansion of channel partnerships and a customer base that favors larger, established players, have increased industry concentration.

For example, the top four players increased their market shares and now account for over 75% of the market, compared to 65% in 2008. The top 10 suppliers now account for over 95% of the market, compared to 90% in 2008.

“Wood decking and railing, including pressure treated, cedar, redwood, other softwoods, and imported hardwoods, still command the major share of the decking and railing market, on a volume basis, and have maintained their market share position against plastic-based decking and railing products since 2005,” Van Kouteren said. “In fact, wood had stopped market share losses to plastic alternatives and actually increased share by a few points in 2009. We believe that the new ULM composite and cellular vinyl decking products, now being offered at various price points, will reignite market share growth for synthetic decking and railing over wood. However, the capped products need to perform as advertised.”

“I would generally agree that ULM products will win in a lot of solid wood applications,” said George Layton, director of sales & marketing for Canfor Southern Pine, Myrtle Beach, S.C. “Manufacturers are now making better products, and with the baby boom generation getting older and wanting less maintenance and Generation Y’ers not knowing how to maintain an outdoor deck, solid wood decking material will play a more limited role. Cost is still a large driver, and wood will continue to win when that is a consumer’s largest concern.”

Indeed, the study admits price has been the determining factor. According to Principia, “Wood prices, a key driver in demand for wood alternative products, dropped wildly through the worst of the downturn, creating the largest price spread between engineered composites versus treated Building-Products.com

CAPPED COMPOSITES and other ultra-low-maintenance alternatives are forecast to reignite growth among alternative decking products.

– Photo by Bergen Decks

lumber. Persistent high petroleum prices affected costs of raw material feedstock for wood alternative materials. The result has been a growing price gap between wood and wood alternatives affecting intermaterial competition.”

In addition, price isn’t the only advantage wood has over composites, according to James Riley, chief marketing officer at Great Southern Wood Preserving, Abbeville, Al. “The new preservatives that are now on the market, like the micronized treatment that we use in our YellaWood brand products, enable us to produce a product that’s lighter in color, making it easier to paint and stain and giving the user considerable flexibility,” Riley said. “It also provides environmental certifications consumers expect today.

“Wood protection companies are not only offering new products with improved stability, but more environmentally friendly preservatives with lower or no heavy metal content,” said Keith Harris, v.p.-marketing for Cox Industries, Orangeburg, S.C. “These new preservatives are available in high-end wood products, for instance 2x6 virtually clear decking, which delivers the true beauty of real wood. After all, consumers realize plastic alternatives are trying to mimic the look of real wood. Combine this with a coordinated effort from wood trade organizations and U.S. forestry commissions to deliver the message that real wood is the only truly sustainable and renewable building material available, and I think wood decking can hold its position and perhaps grow market share among discerning consumers that value the feel and beauty of real wood products.”

“Consumers definitely want a low maintenance decking product, but some treated wood producers, including Pacific Wood, are close to introducing lower maintenance treated wood products that contain powerful water repellants and longer-lasting pigmentation, as opposed to the more quickly degraded stains and dyes,” said Elaina Jackson, chief operating officer for Pacific Wood Preserving Cos., Bakersfield, Ca. “This water repellant pigmented wood, when combined with textured deck boards, can result in a very low maintenance wood deck, with the powerful selling point that it is indeed real wood.”

At McFarland Cascade, Tacoma, Wa., sales of pressure treated decking have held up better than pricier alternatives.

“I do see the capped products doing well, but I’d question their ability to affect the sales of treated decking that would fall in the range of one third the price or less,” said sales manager Phil Schumock. “More than likely, the capped Building-Products.com

products will cannibalize the mid-range, uncapped WPC decking products, while mid-grade cedar/redwood and treated decking will compete for the entry level market.”

Cox’s Harris added, “Obviously, there will continue to be a battle for decking market share, but lumber remains cheap and it doesn’t look like the price will change dramatically anytime soon, so even the lower-cost alternatives remain substantially more expensive than real wood. In fact, petroleum prices could have a larger impact on plastic products, depending on their formulation.”

Principia expects overall decking and railing demand to grow by about 8% per year, on a value basis, through 2013.

The high growth rate is partly due to price increases for plastic-based products, continued product mix shifts, and solid growth in new home construction and remodeling in 2012 and 2013. However, there is considerable downside risk in the forecast as housing prices and the inventory of foreclosed homes dampen the demand for new homes, as does the stalling of the economic recovery.

“So far this year,” said Steve Lillard, Madison Wood Preservers, Madison, Va., “we have seen an across-theboard decrease in demand for decking. Having experienced a great first quarter, April and May were off substantially.

The small amount of remodeling and the low availability of credit or cash seem to be the largest hurdles to overcome.

Whereas I do believe wood has a larger price advantage than in years past, it is being over-shadowed by the socalled ‘recovery.’”

In the final analysis, the rise of ULM may hinge on a rejuvenated construction industry—which would also benefit wood. Treated might get a slightly smaller percentage of the pie, but the pie would be a whole lot bigger.

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sam@swansonbros.com

www.swansonbros.com July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

11

COMPANY Focus Pacific Wood Preserving of Oregon

Oregon wood treater returns to penta

PACIFIC WOOD Preserving of Oregon is converting three of its five cylinders from copper naphthenate to pentachlorophenol.

T

HE MOST WIDELY USED PRESERVATIVE preservative for the manufacture of wood utility poles has been approved for use at Pacific Wood Preserving of Oregon, Sheridan, Or. The plant is reintroducing pentachlorophenol as part of its agreements with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and the U.S. and Oregon Departments of Justice.

The preservative previously used at the plant, copper naphthenate, is no longer being manufactured, and a substitute was needed.

“We couldn’t be more pleased” with the announcement, said Roland Mueller, general manager of production for Pacific Wood Preserving Cos. “This will mean job security for our existing employees and likely the addition of new jobs going forward.”

PWPO employs approximately 50 full-time employees and anticipates hiring an additional 10 to 20 employees over the next two years. “PWPO will begin treating with Penta immediately,” Mueller added.

Penta had been used at the facility by prior owner Taylor Lumber & Treating, which filed for bankruptcy and

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

saw the EPA declare the plant a Superfund site in 2000.

PWP purchased the site out of bankruptcy court in 2002, with the provision that the EPA and Oregon DEQ protect it from liability associated with contamination caused by Taylor. In exchange, PWP would take over remediation and maintenance of the site and use CuNap, ACQ, borates and fire retardant, instead of penta, CCA, creosote and ACZA. With the site’s remediation complete and CuNap no longer available to treat wood transmission and distribution poles, the reintroduction of penta made sense to regulators and most of the community, based upon public comments.

According to EPA attorney Jennifer Byrne, “PWPO has been a very cooperative partner in EPA’s implementation of the Superfund remedy at this site. Since 2002, PWPO has consistently performed its obligations under the original agreement, including inspection and maintenance of asphalt covers and operation and maintenance of the groundwater extraction system.”

EPA received more than 120 comments from the community supporting the plant’s reintroduction of penta. The move was opposed by just one commenter—a Portland, Or., law firm that represented an anonymous client. EPA concluded that the use of penta at the site “will benefit both the State of Oregon and EPA through PWPO’s performance of operation and maintenance activities that would otherwise have to be paid for by the governments.”

DEQ also received overwhelmingly positive comments.

“This is a great example of government and business working together for the benefit of the taxpayers, employees, customers and community,” said PWP’s Mueller. As a result of the amended agreements, PWPO will be able to maintain, and hopefully grow, employment.

The Oregon facility treats primarily Douglas fir poles, servicing national and international markets. Customers are large investor-owned utilities, contractors for these utilities, municipalities and rural electric districts. It also manufactures treated lumber and timbers for sale in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii.

Its parent company also owns wood treating facilities in California, Nevada and Arizona, as well as a manufacturing plant in Texas.

Penta recently underwent EPA’s periodic “data re-registration” process, which required updated toxicity, health and safety research. Penta is an EPA-registered pesticide.

Building-Products.com

COMPETITIVE Intelligence

By Carla Waldemar

Forward, promote!

Y

OU ALREADY KNOW the three most important factors in selling a house: location, location, location.

Well, what about selling a remodeling job? Promotion, promotion, promotion.

That’s the successful principle that’s spelled out “survival” (and, even better, “success”) to two sister companies in Port Angeles, Wa., during these challenging times. Hartnagel Building Supply, founded in 1960, and Angeles Millwork & Lumber Co., doing business since 1906 and onetime rivals, were purchased by the same individual back in the ’80s.

Three years ago, when it was time for him to pass the gavel, in order to remain a robust fixture in the local market, staffers rose to the cause and each company became employeeowned.

The two yards serve slightly different markets but join hands to attain

greater buying power, clubbing in on truck loads and pallets to complement each store’s unique inventory.

Angeles caters primarily to larger building contractors, with a stronger contractor sales department and more commercial and government accounts, while Hartnagel, which also serves the pros, maintains a stronger retail presence. Each store employs about 20 people, and between the two there’s a little whiff of friendly competition, says Donna Pacheco, manager of advertising and promotions for both entities.

It’s precisely those promotions that are balancing the books today. With custom-home building at a standstill, the company was searching for ways to connect with homeowners, says Donna, “to create a demand for projects. We came up with the idea of holding a replacement windows seminar open to the public.”

ANGELES MILLWORKS delivery truck participated in Port Angeles, Wa.’s Fourth of July parade.

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

Another Donna—Donna Hoyt, queen of the windows division—took it on herself to gather complete info on the weatherization rebate programs being offered, then geared it to grab the attention of (she guessed—and rightly) the clueless public.

She approached city and utility district officials to gain their participation and talked a local bank into offering rock-bottom loans for weatherization projects. (A flyer points out that a a project involving 10 windows and a sliding door, which yesterday cost $2,500, could now clock in at a mere $675 when all discounts and rebates, plus an in-store coupon, were applied.

Not bad!)

Then she invited Hartnagel’s qualified contractors to be present, another smart move. “Homeowners didn’t have any idea whom to call,” Marketing Donna reports, “so this way, they could come in and meet them face-to-face to make their choice. We put all the players together in one place.” Payoff: Several of these remodeler customers reported picking up business as a result of the seminar—and guess whom they rewarded with their business?

As frosting on the promo scheme, the city has continued sponsoring ads on the local radio station pushing energy conservation, referring listeners to contractors and to, ahem, building suppliers—i.e., Hartnagel.

Well, one good promotion deserves another. “Let’s see what we can do with roofing,” Pacheco next decided, knowing Angeles Millwork is the largest roofing supplier on the Olympic Peninsula. “Our roofing contractors were hanging around, looking for work. So we invited them and put all our products on display in our instore sample showroom and played Building-Products.com

BOATLOADS of customers were drawn to Hartnagel’s recent open house to meet contractor/ kayaking legend Chris Duff.

matchmaker again.” The roofing guys returned the favor, showing their appreciation.

And last month (I’ll bet you can see this one coming) there was a spring decking event. Plans were to feature several composite decking vendors and five contractors who are strong deck builders, even listing their names on advertising material— another benefit for them because, Pacheco has discovered, homeowners who cannot attend a specific event still ask for info and referrals so the gift keeps on giving. Vendors help out with ad costs and give-away items, too.

In March—just because— Hartnagel promoted an open house to spotlight one of their contractor customers who was setting out to achieve a personal best. Contractor Chris Duff, a local kayaking legend, was gearing up for an attempt to row singlehandedly across the treacherous, 500-mile stretch of open ocean between Scotland and Iceland.

“People crowded him for three hours straight,” says Donna. And while the company didn’t track sales, chances are strong that the altruistic endeavor paid off in bankable goodwill.

Glory accidentally descended on the paint department, too. As a True Value member, the organization had always done a good retail trade in paint. But a competitor down the street, Parker Paint, gobbled up all the commercial accounts—until it decided not to. When it went out of business, the company asked Hartnagel to Building-Products.com

take on its brand, too. “This was a great opportunity to strengthen our commercial accounts and our relationships with paint contractors,” says Donna.

But the big excitement came two years ago when a civic meeting was called to revitalize the town and grow local brands. A lady stood up and declared, “Our buildings need a facelift. Let’s paint the town!”

“So, of course, we said, ‘We’re in!

Let us help.’ We approached our vendors about a better pricing program for the project and got such a good discount from them that we could offer the paint practically at cost.

People donated the labor and half of Port Angeles was painted. It had a huge effect!”

But to promote the heck out of a recession, you’ve got to have something solid shoring up those deals.

Underneath the bells and whistles, the nuts and bolts…and that requires a reputation for stand-out service. Folks know they can count on these yards for everything from cutting keys to setting a ridge beam with a boom truck. “We know each contractor’s needs and the way they want things, so we’re not going to dump stuff on the curb,” Donna insists. “We’re really known for our metal and composite roofs, so we’re going out of our way to connect with our contractor customers and vendors, to be able to

wheel and deal and get the best price.

We also run a custom metal shop, ” she adds.

That’s the domain of Brian Furfort, who’ll custom-cut and bend downspouts and flashing: “Our customers have him on speed dial.”

Then there’s Tod, “the door doctor,” who’s been around for 20 years.

Windows? “Go to Donna Hoyt.”

That’s part of the payback of a company that’s employee-owned.

“Everyone’s got a personal stake in it, so they work extra-hard for our customers and with each other, too. It keeps our contractors loyal. Our guys become their friends; they know the way they want their accounts handled.

They’ll come in here first thing in the morning, hang out, have a cup of coffee, feel at home.”

And maybe pick up jobs—for both Hartnagel and Angeles Millwork have made the firm choice to stay away from installation—“a conscious and continuing decision not to compete,” as Donna explains. Instead, free estimates, free take-offs—even free garage plans. Okay, another gimmick.

And another one that works.

Customers pay for the plan but get their cash refunded with the purchase of a lumber package. “We promote it every spring to create awareness, to get people thinking. Then they ask about our other packages….”

Rentals represent another vigorous niche—“a cash cow for us for a long time. Now, we’re revamping the department for a new jump-start— new equipment, new energy. We need to build new awareness with a neighborhood campaign,” says the gal who runs campaign central.

Survival is all about creating demand among homeowners, either to spur them to enter the brotherhood of do-it-yourselfers or refer them to professionals if it’s a bigger project.

Consequently, “business is picking up,” reports Donna. “We’re optimistic.”

Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

15

MARGIN Builders Intermodal Transportation

Combine rail with truck to combat high gas prices

W

gas prices, stricter government highway safety regulations, and increased demands to protect the environment, manufacturers are aggressively seeking the most efficient means for transporting products to market. Intermodal freight transportation is becoming pivotal to the transportation industry as it offers streamlined costs and important efficiencies to benefit businesses and the general public.

Intermodal transportation is the process of integrating rail and truck services to move product to market efficiently. Intermodal utilizes the nation’s rail network to transport cargo, such as lumber, that would have otherwise been moved via tractor trailer.

“We capitalize on the fact that one train pulled by two locomotives can haul the same amount of freight as 300 tractor trailers of products hauled by 300 drivers,” said Robert Rich III, president of ROAR Logistics, a midsized intermodal marketing company ITH ESCALATING

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

and third-party logistics provider based in Buffalo, N.Y. “The door-todoor transit time may be extended by two to three extra days, but the cost savings can be substantial over traditional truckload shipping. Intermodal transportation is gaining significant momentum because of the savings, coupled with the environmental and highway safety benefits. It is clearly a mode of transportation that manufacturers in the lumber industry should strongly consider.”

Rich added, “By integrating truck and train, intermodal allows companies to capitalize upon the transit efficiencies of trucks and the cost efficiencies of rail. Given the escalating conflicts in the Middle East, the price of oil could remain high for quite some time. This makes it imperative for companies to look at all transportation modes for cost savings.”

Another reason intermodal transportation is becoming increasingly popular is the reduced impact it has on the environment. Trains emit only

about 5.4 lbs. of carbon dioxide per 100 ton-miles, compared with approximately 19.8 lbs. for trucks.

Companies that integrate the two modes of transportation—for instance, by going from truck to train to truck— leave a much smaller carbon footprint on the environment. “That’s important for businesses in this era when everyone is thinking green,” said Rich.

According to Rich, another advantage of rail transportation is reliability, capacity, and safety. Trains run on predetermined schedules. In contrast, the availability of trucks can vary considerably at different times of the year and in various parts of the country due to freight availability and regional fuel price volatility.

In addition, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new Compliance, Safety, Accountability regulations (CSA2010), issued in December 2010, will further accelerate the trend toward rail and intermodal freight. Designed to enhance highway safety, CSA is an initiative to improve large truck and bus safety, and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicles.

The new regulations stand to increase the operating costs of truck carriers by enforcing stricter safety ratings, as well as stringent restrictions on driver hours. These additional costs are ultimately passed on to consumers and, as a result, make intermodal transportation an even more attractive alternative to traditional highway transportation.

According to Rich, “Rail is becoming a ‘new frontier’ again. Shipping is very complex with myriad alternatives. Choosing the right mode for the type of shipment is crucial.”

Building-Products.com

OLSEN On Sales

By James Olsen

An unfair fight

I

are going into the ring (or an alley) with one arm tied behind your back. Doesn’t sound like much fun, does it? But that’s exactly what struggling sellers do without knowing it, while master sellers work all the way to the bank.

The biggest muscle in our body is our brain, but the most powerful muscle is our heart. Many sellers go into the (selling) ring with their hearts tied behind their back. The biggest difference between the master seller and those who underperform is that the master seller is all in—heart and soul—while struggling sellers think of what they do as part of their lives, something they do when they are not living.

When I ask mediocre sellers (not socially, but as their sales mentor), “How’s it going?” often they talk to me about their families, sports or what they did on the weekMAGINE THAT YOU

we fail; they only count the wins—as do our bosses, our families, and our social circle.

Master sellers keep playing after their competitors sit down. Struggling sellers apply basketball rules to a sales game, quit too early, and can’t figure out why they are losing. Are there great sellers who make it look easy? Yes. But if we take a look at their lifetime work hours, we find that somewhere along the line they have given the extra time and effort it takes to be great.

Two Against One

Wouldn’t it be great to compete against someone who had no outside help, while we were able to talk to as many brilliant people we wanted to? That’s what reading is.

Reading is a conversation with a smart person. It is also a conversation we can stop when we want, start when we want, and review when we want.

Approximately 10% of the population reads more than two books a year. Reading is not only a conversation/ consultation with someone who is smart; it is also a form of weight lifting for the brain, making it stronger.

Salespeople who dominate take themselves and what they do for a living seriously. They study sales. Those who struggle treat selling as an addendum to their lives.

American History

end. When I ask master sellers how they are doing, they invariably talk about their business, goals and what they are doing to sell more, more, more.

Do master sellers care less about their families? No. They just know that there is a time and place for every kind of talk and that work is a place of accomplishment, not an extension of our social life. Would you talk about what you did on the weekend while you were in the middle of playing a football game? A chess match? A musical performance? Of course not, because these activities demand our total concentration. Selling does also.

The Fifth Quarter

If we were to play basketball against the best player in the world and he stopped playing after the fourth quarter and allowed us to play one more quarter by ourselves, we would always win. Always.

Those who succeed in sales do just that. They play an extra quarter—and it’s legal. There is no fourth quarter.

Sales is the only game where they don’t count the misses, only the makes. We can take as many shots as we want!

The sales statisticians don’t mark down how many times

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

We are taught that the reason America won the Revolutionary War and the reason we lost the Vietnam War is because of commitment, not equipment. In both cases, the winner had inferior equipment and still overcame a less committed enemy. In both cases, the victor had no other options and the loser did.

In the American Revolution, the English soldier wanted to go back to England and the American soldier had no place else to go (except prison). In the Vietnam War, the American soldier wanted to go back to America and the Vietnamese soldier had no place else to go.

Sellers who succeed have the same attitude—they have to succeed, they will not allow themselves to think what might happen if they don’t. It’s just not an option. The salesperson who struggles is always thinking of going back to school or changing careers or….

It’s an unfair fight.

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

Building-Products.com

GREEN Retailing

By Jay Tompt

Cleaning up with green paint T

HE NEW NOR MAL looks to

be a mix of fewer home sales, but more remodelling and redecorating.

Meanwhile, all indications are that green products and materials continue to enjoy strong demand.

And if customers are more discerning when evaluating socalled “green” purchases, they’re also looking for more local solutions, or at least made in the U.S.A. To me, these conditions paint a clear picture about how to change with the times and boost sales in the second half of the year. Yep, I’m talking about paint.

Let’s assume every LBM dealer sells paint and other brush-on coatings. By now, every dealer should have at least one low-VOC offering. Nearly every major manufacturer offers at least one line, so there’s really no excuse.

But making the minimum effort with one line of marginally “green” paint is leaving money on the table. The industry has matured and there are lots of good options available. Now that economic conditions are encouraging more sprucing up, it’s also time to spruce up your paint department.

In addition to directly contributing to the top line, a strong paint department can bring in new customers and boost sales in other product categories, too. Therefore, evaluating and refreshing a strategically important category like this deserves an appropriate level of understanding and commitment. And every case is unique. So, there’s much more to say about this topic than I can squeeze into the remaining space of this column.

But with that caveat, there are two things to look at when improving this category: mix and merchandising.

The product mix should have a strong anchor brand that will bring in customers and deliver credibility. While national manufacturers may have a quality low or no-VOC line and a suite of economic incentives to close the deal, it

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

might be more beneficial to bring in a strong “green-only” brand, either instead or in addition. Brands such as Yolo, AFM Safecoat, and Mythic have steadily built up big reputations with both health-conscious and sustainability-minded homeowners and professionals.

With an anchor established, fill in with niche products.

With growing demand for non-toxic, all-natural products, adding a natural or clay paint line could make sense. Earth Paint or Ecos Paint might be good options. And for protecting the natural look of wood, whether walls, floors or exteriors, there are natural options, too. Vermont Natural Coatings, made with poly whey, and Rubio Monocoat, made with flax, are two worthy options, as is Penofin Verde, made from rosewood oil. There are more options out there, including ones from small local manufacturers that might be just the thing for the “locavores” in the community.

As with any good mix of new products, effectively merchandising them is essential. If you’re bringing in a new product line, work with the manufacturer to help with promotional pricing, advertising, and an in-store event. Just as important, make sure all your staff is fully briefed with relevant product knowledge.

Communications strategy is also important. Make sure advertising and promotional messages are aligned with current remodelling and redecorating trends: accentuate healthy living, comfortable home environments, and natural aesthetics. Point out that “green” paints deliver added benefits, such as having low or no odors, which should be important for the pro customer, too. In the store, create hang tags, signage and end-cap displays that get people thinking.

And finally, don’t miss obvious cross-selling opportunities. For example, put natural paints together with non-toxic putty, reusable drop cloths, and recycled paint trays.

Jay Tompt Managing Partner William Verde & Associates (415) 321-0848 info@williamverde.com

Building-Products.com

Cal Redwood Buys Siskiyou Lumber

The California Redwood Co., Eureka, Ca., has acquired the assets of remanufacturer/wholesale distributor Siskiyou Lumber Products.

Siskiyou’s operation in Woodland, Ca., and fence plant in Ukiah, Ca., will operate as part of California Redwood, distributing redwood, Douglas fir, and treated lumber.

“The acquisition provides us the opportunity to get closer to consumers and allows us to offer a full range of premium redwood products directly to retail,” said Cal Redwood v.p. and general manager Carl Schoenhofer. “To better access core redwood markets and effectively service consumers, we will continue to use a combination of both internal and traditional distribution channels.”

Softwood Check-Off Program OKʼed

Domestic manufacturers and importers have approved a check-off program for softwood lumber.

The resolution was supported by 67% of voters, representing 80% of U.S. softwood lumber production.

“This vote demonstrates that softwood lumber manufacturers across North America are committed to working progressively together to build a better future for the industry,” said Jack Jordan, chair of the 21-member Blue Ribbon Commission for Check-off and executive v.p. of Jordan Lumber & Supply, Mount Gilead, N.C. “It is a gamechanging investment in the future growth of softwood lumber markets in North America.”

A board of manufacturers will oversee the program, which will work to increase the use of softwood lumber in new markets and encourage the development of innovative technologies.

DEALER Briefs

Parr Lumber, Hillsboro, Or., paid $2.3 million for 4.61 acres with a 21,488-sq. ft. warehouse in Marysville, Wa., to open its 35th lumberyard.

Parr also holds an option to buy another 2.39 acres for $624,650 within five years.

Sears plans to spin off its 80% share in 89-unit Orchard Supply Hardware.

OSH also expects a September opening for a new 60,000sq. ft. store in San Jose, Ca.

Weed Building Supply & Home Center, Weed, Ca., hosted a grand opening celebration June 10 for its new Great Outdoors display of pavers, decorative block, and decorative retaining wall.

Lowe’s broke ground on a 130,000-sq. ft. store in

Sparks, Nv.

Los Altos True Value Hardware, Los Altos, Ca., is closing its Decorative Plumbing showroom to expand its hardware offerings.

After sharing space with Los Altos Hardware for 20 years, manager Marci Skinner will move Decorative Plumbing to Belmont Hardware , Belmont, Ca., to oversee a new showroom.

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July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

21

Weyco Sells Hardwoods Unit

Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, Wa., has agreed to sell its worldwide hardwoods and industrial products division to New York private equity firm American Industrial Partners.

Northwest Hardwoods is based in Tacoma, Wa., with operations in the U.S., Canada, China, Japan, and Hong Kong. The deal is expected to close next month.

“As a stand-alone company, we expect to offer our customers flexibility, fast market response times, continuity of supply and an entrepreneurial ‘can do’ attitude,” said David Weyerhaeuser, v.p. of sales and marketing at Northwest Hardwoods.

The division employs about 1,000 workers and manufactures 15 species of hardwood lumber, from seven sawmills, four concentration yards, four remanufacturing plants, and one log yard, all in the U.S. Last year, revenues for hardwood lumber were $223 million, an 8.2% increase over 2009.

“Revenues are related to housing starts and general repair and remodeling in the housing sector,” said AIP’s John Stanwood. “As these depressed markets improve in the years ahead, the company is well positioned to meet the demand with its excellent hardwood timber supply relationships and extensive, modern and low-cost manufacturing footprint.”

SUPPLIER Briefs

Nu Forest Products, Healdsburg, Ca., has acquired the Accuruff trademark and equipment to produce the high-grade rough-sawn lumber, formerly owned by Forest Grove Lumber Co., McMinnville, Or. Hampton Affiliates temporarily idled sawmill Tillamook Lumber , Tillamook, Or., in late June, due to log supply.

Serious Materials, Sunnyvale, Ca., was renamed Serious Energy.

Bright Wood’s moulding plant in Madras, Or., suffered an estimated $280,000 damage in a June 17 fire that started in an electrical panel.

Weyerhaeuser Co . agreed to sell its Westwood Shipping Lines division to J-WesCo, a holding company formed by a consortium of Japanese stevedore companies that have been key service providers to Westwood for more than 25 year.

Roseburg Forest Products, Roseburg, Or., agreed to purchase Flakeboard’s particleboard and laminating facility in Simsboro, La., and next month will shutter its particleboard mills in Orangeburg and Russellville, S.C.

Capital Lumber , Albuquerque, N.M., is now distributing iLevel by Weyerhaeuser engineered wood products in New Mexico, including iLevel Trus Joist TJI joists, TimberStrand LSL, Microllam LVL, Parallam PSL, iLevel Shear Brace, and iLevel Edge and Edge Gold floor panels.

Pacific Award Metals, Baldwin Park, Ca., was acquired by Gibraltar Industries, Hamburg, N.Y. Founded in 1962, Pacific Award manufactures metal roof ventilation, trim and flashing at six plants in California, Washington, Arizona and Colorado.

OMG has been acquired Tiger Claw, Bristol, Ct., to become part of its FastenMaster division.

Anniversaries: Burton Lumber & Hardware, Salt Lake City, Ut., 100th … Economy Lumber , Campbell, Ca., 75th … Western Wood Preserving Co., Sumner, Wa., 40th.

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

Building-Products.com

Filling the Void for End-Cut Solution

With Merichem Co.’s recent announcement of its exit from the copper naphthenate business (see May, page 22), there is an opening for a brush-on preservative that effectively protects cut ends and drill holes in pressure treated wood.

Most manufacturers of preserved wood require application of end-cut solution to validate their residential warranties when western species are involved, and they recommend it for all species. Producers of heavy duty materials, such as poles and piling, also apply surface coatings to protect inner wood that is exposed after sawing or boring.

One prime candidate for replacing copper nap is an established preservative with the poetic though tonguetwisting name of copper-8-quinolinolate. It has long been listed in standards of the American Wood Protection Association as a pressure treatment, and is recognized for its value as a topical coating. Copper-8-quinolinolate enables wood to resist termites and wood-ingesting insects, while inhibiting mold and fungal decay.

Copper-8-quinolinolate for use as end-cut solution and preservative stain is found in Outlast Q8 Log Oil from CTA Products Group, Southaven, Ms. The product name suggests its roots—it was developed to protect logs for log homes. Its formulation includes trans-oxide pigments for UV control and water repellent to reduce moisture effects.

Six pre-mixed colors are available. If other shades are desired, the product can be colored with machine tints.

Outlast Q8 Log Oil is registered for sale in 49 of the 50 states; it is expected to have necessary approvals in the lone remaining state, California, in the near future. It is

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

FOR COATING CUT ENDS of preserved wood, Outlast Q8 Log Oil is an alternative to copper naphthenate, which is no longer being produced.

currently being sold by dealers in the Pacific Northwest and is used by manufacturers elsewhere.

It has been accepted as a warranty-complying end-cut solution by the licensors of Wolmanized Outdoor wood, and is available from treating companies that produce Wolmanized wood and from Arch Wood Protection, Inc., Atlanta, Ga. More information is available at www.outlastcta.com.

Building-Products.com

SPECIAL Focus APA on Engineered Wood

EWP Outlook

Housing slump holds back growth for engineered wood products

T

HE ECONOMIC RECESSION —and

housing market depression—continue to dog manufacturers and distributors of engineered wood products.

Forecasts for a recovery have been pushed out to 2012, forcing wood products to stay in a holding pattern against the depressed housing starts.

“While most of us have known for a long time that housing is a major portion of the business cycle, some economists and politicians are just now figuring it out,” said Craig Adair, market research director for APA. “They’re still wondering why first quarter growth was so anemic and why the economy is in a ‘soft patch.’”

Adair explained that new house construction and remodeling have traditionally made up about 5% of the U.S. GDP and last year it only repre-

sented 2.5%.

“A major point of economic weakness is housing, which continues to be mired in a recession triggered by excessive debt. It’s becoming more evident that the remedy for housing is time,” Adair said. He noted that because engineered wood products are so closely related to new home construction, it may be another year or so before the industry sees a meaningful rebound.

If there’s any good news, it is that the bottom for glulam timber, I-joist and LVL production most likely occurred in 2009. Engineered wood production volumes increased in 2010 as housing starts increased from 554,000 in 2009 to 587,000 in 2010.

APA’s forecast is for housing starts to decline to 545,000 in 2011 and then

REBOUND for most engineered wood products hinges to a great extent on the housing industry.

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

rebound to 680,000 in 2012.

The outlook for glulam timber is better in 2012 than in 2011 because glulam is also closely tied to nonresidential construction and this market has been declining for a couple of years and is forecast to increase next year. North American production is forecast at 186 million bd. ft. in 2011, a decline of 5%. A rebound of 20% to 223 million bd. ft. is forecast for 2012.

I-joist market share is predicted to remain the same as 2010, capturing 40% to 45% of raised floors. This is down from the 50% mark achieved in 2008. As housing improves, I-joist market share should grow back to 50%. With a weak housing market in 2011, production of 430 million linear ft. is forecast, a decline of 9%, or 41 million linear ft. The forecast for 2012 is a 30% increase to 557 million ft.

In the structural composite lumber family, LVL production is expected to follow the demand for beams and headers and I-joist flanges. Production is forecast to decline 10% in 2011, to 37.0 million cu. ft. For 2012, an 18% increase is expected, to 43.7 million cu. ft.

Meanwhile, plywood and OSB are expected to hold their own in 2011 because they are used in so many diversified markets. While housing starts may falter this year, the projected volumes for repair and remodeling, nonresidential building construction, and industrial uses are better. Overall, structural panel production is expected to total about 26 billion sq. ft. this year, the same as 2010. The structural panel outlook is for a 9% increase in 2012, as all end-use markets expand.

Building-Products.com

SPECIAL Focus APA on Engineered Wood

Riddles to Rebuilding

Opportunities and challenges for North American EWPs in post-quake Japan

W

earthquake and tsunami that struck northern Japan on March 11 provide long-term market opportunities for North American manufacturers of structural wood panels and other engineered wood products?

The answer is not as clear cut as might be expected, cautions Charlie Barnes, international market director of APA. “Reconstruction will be a huge undertaking for many years, and that will generate substantial demand for wood products,” Barnes notes.

“But there are also obstacles to market entry, and manufacturers must know the ropes.”

The magnitude 9.0 earthquake— among the top 10 most severe earthquakes ever recorded by seismographs—and the resulting tsunami wreaked unimaginable devastation to a large northern region of the island country. The death toll estimate exceeds 15,000, with more than 8,500 people still missing as of June 1.

Estimates of recovery and reconstruction costs are expected to exceed $309 billion, making this the world’s most expensive natural disaster and dwarfing the 1995 Kobe earthquake.

The likelihood of an increase in demand for imported wood products is suggested by several key factors.

Among them: More than 400,000 people lost their homes and perhaps as many as 150,000 buildings were destroyed, according to Wood Resources International, the U.S.-based forest industry consulting firm.

ILL THE MASSIVE

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

Japan, even before the disaster, was one of the largest importers of wood products in the world. The country imported wood materials (both raw material and finished wood products) valued at more than $10 billion in 2010. That was 20% more than in 2009.

The earthquake and tsunami destroyed or severely damaged several Japanese plywood plants that together accounted for approximately 35% to 40% of the country’s annual softwood plywood production, and about 10 to 15% of the country’s total softwood and hardwood plywood supply (both domestically produced and imported).

The temporary but significant loss of a substantial portion of domestic

PANELS imported by Japan must be certified to the Japanese Agricultural Standard—and currently few North American mills are.

plywood production capacity, coupled with the huge volume of structural wood panels that will be required for rebuilding, will definitely have an impact on structural wood panel demand, Barnes points out. But that demand will be moderated, he said, by several factors. For example: The sheer magnitude of the cleanup effort and the challenges ahead in restoring power, transportation, port facility, and other infrastructure will stretch demand over a long period of time. According to the head of a Japanese government panel drawing up plans, rebuilding of communities and businesses in quake and Tsunamidevastated areas is likely to take shape in three to five years, but it will easily take 10 years for reconstruction to be completed even in areas that are quick to recover. Japan’s national debt could reach 180% of its gross domestic product; however, most of this debt is owned by other Japanese institutions.

Short-term demand has been and likely will continue for some time to be dominated by prefabricated emergency relief housing, not primary wood products.

Imported panels are overwhelmingly required to be 3x6 feet in keeping with the longstanding Japanese construction module and practices.

Panels also must be certified to the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS).

Few North American mills currently produce to the 3x6 module and only four APA member OSB mills and one APA member plywood mill were JAS Building-Products.com

RESTORING disaster-torn Japanese communities will require millions of feet of wood products.

certified at the time of the earthquake, as were seven APA member glulam plants.

It can be expected that Japan will seek to rebuild its damaged plywood manufacturing capacity as quickly as possible.

North American panel producers have historically faced formidable competition from Asian suppliers, particularly Malaysia and Indonesia, which together accounted for approximately 77% of Japanese plywood imports in 2010.

China accounted for another 19%. Japanese imports of North American plywood, by contrast, represented less than two-tenths of 1% of total plywood imports last year.

While not expected, then, to be a bonanza for the North American panel industry in general, Japanese post-earth-

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quake supply and demand dynamics could represent opportunities for manufacturers already doing business there, or those willing and able to cultivate the market.

As a Registered Overseas Certification Body accredited by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Fisheries, APA is authorized to certify member products as meeting the JAS standard, including formaldehyde emissions limits considered among the strictest anywhere in the world. Since the earthquake, some 20 APA member plywood and OSB manufacturers have inquired to APA about JAS certification requirements and procedures, and many have initiated the certification process.

Japanese usage and imports of OSB are increasing, but are still small compared with plywood volumes, especially for floor and roof sheathing applications. The country has no OSB manufacturing capability of its own and last year imported 240.6 million sq. ft. (3/8”) of the product. Of that volume, nearly 80% was supplied by Canadian companies, and the product could well play a growing part in the reconstruction effort as well as the overall new housing demand throughout Japan.

That prospect was recently enhanced by Japanese government recognition of higher OSB shear wall values, which will be of obvious importance in acceptance of the product in post-earthquake reconstruction efforts. The ministerial approvals issued to APA in February of this year were the result of more than one year of testing in both Japan and North America. The new values reflect a 60% increase in shear wall multiplier factors for post-and-beam construction and a 20% increase for platform frame construction. The approvals were made possible with the support of funding from the federal Natural Resources Canada

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and Forestry Innovation Investment, British Columbia’s market development agency for forest products.

Glulam timber also has worked its way into the Japanese market, with the country last year importing 553,354 cubic meters of the product (approximately 360 million bd. ft.). That was down nearly a third from the record mark of 805,562 cubic meters in 2006, in response to the global economic downturn. However, glulam imports in 2010 rose 21% from the previous year and almost 37% from 2008. As with plywood, North America supplies only a tiny percentage (less than 1%) of Japanese glulam imports, so the potential for market share growth is considerable. Austria and Finland historically are the two largest suppliers, accounting last year for some 62% of all glulam imports.

Mid- and long-term demand estimates for structural wood panels can be at least partially established by looking at the number of wooden housing units built in tsunamiimpacted prefectures in 2010. That normal-year number— 44,250—yields a housing demand potential for the region of some 243 million sq. ft., based on average house size and historical panel utilization rates.

It is also noteworthy that wooden house construction in Japan has gained market share since 2005—rising from about 44% to nearly 57% last year. Over the same period, however, total housing starts have declined by 35%. Post and beam construction (based on 3x6, 3x9, and 3x10 ft. modules) dominates the wood construction market; 2x4 construction (based on 3x6 to 3x8-ft. panel modules) represented only about one-quarter of the wooden housing starts in 2010.

In addition to JAS certification accreditation, APA has a

APA-TRADEMARKED OSB is used in the wall sheathing of this emergency housing under construction in Kessenuma, Japan.

longstanding technical, regulatory and market development presence in Japan that can be of considerable value to member companies looking to gain Japanese market entry or broaden their foothold in the country.

APA maintains a Canadian OSB Japan Office in Tokyo and also is a partner with the Softwood Export Council and Southern Pine Council in support of an American Softwood Japan Office, also in Tokyo. That presence gives APA an ability to serve as a conduit for requests from the Japanese construction community to supply structural wood products, a function that has increased since the earthquake, Barnes noted.

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SPECIAL Focus APA on Engineered Wood

Quantifying Green

Life cycle assessment provides new evidence of wood’s green credentials

A

LIFE CYCLE assessment (LCA) project completed recently by the Ontario-based Athena Sustainable Materials Institute provides powerful new evidence for the environmental merits of wood versus concrete.

The analysis compares the environmental footprints of two versions of the same house—one with a raised wood floor, wood walls, and a wood roof, the other with a concrete slab floor system, concrete masonry unit first-story walls, wood-frame second story walls, and a wood roof. Both houses were designed with woodframe interior walls.

The all-wood version was the winning design in the Carbon Challenge 2010 Florida Design Competition, a program sponsored by APA–The Engineered Wood Association in conjunction with the Raised Floor Living program, a cooperative promotion campaign between APA and the Southern Forest Products Association.

Life cycle assessment is now widely recognized as the most scientifically credible and accurate measure of the environmental impacts of various building materials. By quantifying those impacts from “cradle to grave”—extraction, manufacturing, transportation, installation, use, maintenance, and disposal or recycling— LCA provides a common basis for objectively assessing and comparing the environmental credentials of dissimilar building designs and materials.

The Athena analysis encompassed two key end-of-life assessment criteria: emission of greenhouse effect

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

gases that are thought by some to contribute to global warming and fossil fuel consumption. The two house designs were modeled in Athena’s Impact Estimator software and compared under two end-of-life scenarios.

Under the first scenario, the house is demolished and materials are disposed in a landfill that captures landfill gases and then burns that gas to produce electricity to be put back on the power grid. The second scenario involved demolishing the house and disposing of all non-wood materials in a landfill while burning the wood products directly in order to produce electricity for the grid.

Two secondary data sources—the

U.S. Life Cycle Inventory Database (U.S. LCI) and Ecoinvent—were used to model the disposal of materials and their energy recovery at the landfill.

(U.S. LCI is a public/private partnership developed by the Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Ecoinvent is a life cycle inventory database of the Swiss Ecoinvent Centre, formerly Swiss Center for Life Cycle Inventories.)

The material take-off is applicable to a 2,122-sq. ft., two-story house with an assumed minimum life expectancy of 60 years, located in Orlando, Fl. The charts on pages 33 and 34 show the use of fossil fuels and global warming potential of the wood house design as percentages of the fossil fuel use and global warming potential of the concrete design, under three scenarios: (1) with no advanced end-oflife treatment, (2) with gas-capturing landfill disposal, and (3) with wood combustion. As can be seen, the raised wood floor design yields substantially smaller fossil fuel use and global warming potential rates—and thus a smaller carbon footprint—compared with the concrete design.

The results of the analysis are not surprising in light of all that is commonly known about the environmental merits of wood as a building material.

For example: • Wood in forests, particularly in young vigorous forests, absorbs carbon dioxide, making growing forests an efficient carbon sink.

• Once harvested and converted to wood products, wood fiber has a carBuilding-Products.com

bon sequestering or storage effect. So, sustainably managed forests, vs. unmanaged decaying forests, provide a net reduction in greenhouse effect carbon dioxide emissions.

• Compared with other materials, wood requires less energy to extract, process, transport, construct and maintain over time.

• Wood is a far better insulator than concrete and steel, and can thus reduce energy consumption of buildings during their operational life.

• Wood is both recyclable and divertible from the waste stream to be burned in energy recovering boilers.

The energy so produced substitutes for fossil fuel energy, as the Athena analysis shows.

Many of the benefits cited above were confirmed by another Athena Institute life cycle assessment study completed last year. That analysis compared the fossil fuel requirements and greenhouse gas emissions levels of two comparable floor systems—one a concrete slab-on-grade floor, the other a raised wood floor. The assessment covered both cradle-to-gate manufacturing effects (from extraction of raw materials to product manufacture to completion of the structure) and

Building-Products.com

cradle-to-grave effects (up to and including structure demolition).

The results of the analysis, which are summarized in APA’s “Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Floor Systems,” showed that the global warming impacts on a cradle-to-gate basis of the wood floor were less than half that of the concrete slab. Total energy

consumption on a cradle-to-gate basis was comparable for the two floor systems. However, the fossil energy requirement for the concrete slab was nearly double that of the wood floor.

This is due in large measure to the utilization of biomass energy in the manufacturing of wood products.

The differences in fossil fuel ener-

July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

33

gy consumption and global warming impacts between the two floor systems were shown to be even more dramatic on a full cradle-to-grave basis due to the lower carbon imprint of wood under end-of-life scenarios, as the latest Athena end-of-life analysis demonstrates.

The conclusions of both Athena Institute life cycle assessments have

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

been corroborated by many other LCA studies, including most notably analysis by the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (www.corrim.org).

The latest Athena Institute LCA analysis, which was conducted under contract for APA, is part of a major ongoing initiative by the association to elevate design and construction com-

munity appreciation of wood’s environmental credentials and to safeguard and advance acceptance of wood products in the growing number of local and national green building standards.

APA, for example, recently completed a series of Carbon Challenge design and construction seminars in Florida as part of its Carbon Challenge program. It has also developed a Green Verification Report service that provides member manufacturers a mechanism for reporting eligibility for points under the National Green Building Standard, International Code Council (ICC) 700-2008, and LEED 2009 for New Construction.

The association also participates in the Research & Technology Committee of the Green Building Strategy Group, an industry initiative formed to coordinate the forest and wood product industry initiatives related to green building. On behalf of the Research Committee, APA last year secured funding from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory to establish a Life Cycle Assessment Working Group, which is comprised of representatives from industry, academia, research organizations, and government.

Building-Products.com

SPECIAL Focus APA on Engineered Wood

Carbon Challenge

Free APA seminars pitch cutting-edge theory with practical applications

A

SERIES OF FREE residential design and construction seminars presented by APA and its partners drew crowds of building professionals across the Southeast this spring. The seminars demonstrated practical applications for saving energy and resources in home construction, and showcased the design strategies employed by the winners of last year’s Carbon Challenge Design Compe-tition, a contest that sought a single-family house design with the smallest environmental footprint.

Attendees to the free half-day presentations earned continuing education units (CEUs), while hearing multiple

%XLOG <RXU .QRZOHGJH BUILD YOUR PROFITS

SERIES of seminars showed builders how to construct using the smallest possible environmental footprint.

APA services are unmatched in the building industry: • The leading resource for engineered wood product information: www.apawood.org

• Over 400 downloadable publications containing technical and design information

• 200+ free CAD details for wood-frame construction: www.apacad.org

• Free product support from the APA Help Desk: (253) 620-7400

• Field representatives in many major U.S. cities and in Canada

www.apawood.org

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

Building-Products.com

industry experts address a variety of topics, including advanced framing with wood, optimizing lumber usage and costs, improving energy efficiency, and strategies for cost-effectively designing and building homes with a lower carbon footprint.

“We’re pitching cutting-edge theory for tomorrow, along with practical applications that can be used in home design and construction today,” said APA senior engineered wood specialist Bob Clark, a seminar presenter.

“Several knowledgeable speakers participated in this series, and I think the presentations resonated with the building and design professionals in our audience.”

C.W. Macomber, an APA engineered wood specialist and seminar presenter, agrees that the response was very positive. “We solicited written feedback from the attendees following the presentations,” Macomber said.

“On the evaluation forms, we received comments like ‘the presenters are all very personable and approachable,’ and ‘(the seminar) was well planned, exciting, and moved quickly.’ One attendee wrote that ‘(it’s) more intelligent than regular CEU courses.’”

Two of the seminar speakers, Damon Roby of True Design Studios and Mike Berry of Apex Technology, were among the Carbon Challenge winners—Roby was the competition’s Grand Prize Design Winner, while Berry, an engineer, served as Roby’s energy consultant. In their presentation, Roby and Berry discussed realworld strategies for maximizing operational energy efficiency and carbon performance.

“Damon and Mike demonstrated how to use these concepts in practical applications,” said Clark. “The

SEMINARS’ featured speaker was Mike Berry, Apex Technology, Jacksonville, Fl. Building-Products.com

response to them was very positive.

The audience liked hearing how they can immediately put these theories to use.”

Roby’s design was among the six winners recognized at a Carbon Challenge Design Competition awards ceremony on January 13, 2011 at the 2011 NAHB International Builders Show in Orlando, Fl. The winning designs were so impressive, says Clark, that APA wanted to showcase them in the seminars. “The winners really put a lot of thought into the carbon footprint and operational energy of these homes, as well as proper design and constructability,” said Clark. “If any of these six designs were built, it would have a positive impact on the carbon footprint of home construction today.”

“We were so impressed with the level of innovation shown in the winning designs,” said Mike Ritter, assistant director of the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Products Lab, a cosponsor of the program. “These designers really demonstrated how to use wood-frame construction to design homes that optimize our forest resources and minimize our impact on the climate.”

The first seminar was held on April 12 in Gainesville, Fl., followed by dates in Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Orlando, Tampa, and New Orleans, La., concluding June 9 in Houston, Tx. Currently there are no plans to offer additional Carbon Challenge seminars, but that could change, said Clark.

“The response has been very positive.

There could be enough interest to do something more.”

The Carbon Challenge Design Competition and Seminar Series was conducted in conjunction with the Raised Floor Living program, a cooperative promotion effort between APA and the Southern Forest Products Association. Program sponsors and contributors include the Advanced Housing Research Center: Forest Products Lab, Forest Products Association of Canada, Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association, St. Joe Co., NEFBA Wood Council, and the Florida Wood Council.

– Additional seminar information and competition winning designs can be viewed at www.apawood.org/ carbonchallenge.

July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

37

SPECIAL Focus APA on Engineered Wood

Safety First

APA fetes safest EWP mills

L

P, NASHVILLE, TN., and Canfor-LP OSB Ltd. Partnership, Fort St. John, B.C., won Safest Company Awards in their respective categories, while Georgia-Pacific Wood Products, Camden, Tx., earned the coveted Innovation in Safety Award in the 2010 Safety and Health Awards Program sponsored annually by APA for the structural wood panel and engineered wood products industry.

LP, a leading North American manufacturer of structural wood panels and engineered wood products, earned top honors among companies with four or more mills with a 2010 average weighted incident rate (WIR) of 1.20. Canfor-LP, which produces oriented strand board, won its award in the category for companies with three or fewer mills. The company posted a perfect 0.00 WIR for 2010.

Georgia-Pacificâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Camden plywood mill took the innovation prize for developing and implementing a proactive initiative called the STARS Card Program. STARS (Stop, Think And React Safely) is a behavior-based pro-

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

gram that promotes interaction among employees in an effort to correct hazardous practices and encourage safe behavior. Employees conduct a 10-15 minute observation of their co-worker(s) performing a task, note both safe and unsafe actions and/or conditions on the STARS card, and give immediate feedback to their co-worker(s).

The cardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s data is analyzed to determine trends and to develop action plans to eliminate risk behaviors.

Among the criteria for the Innovation Award is demonstration that the innovation reduced occupational injuries or illnesses. During the four years the STARS Program has been in place, the facility-wide incident rate at the G-P mill has decreased from 2.12 to .33, and healthy communication among employees concerning both safe and unsafe practices has become the norm.

Innovation Award entries can be submitted by a mill, a group of mills, or an entire company. Thirty-six Innovation entries were submitted in 2010, a 50% increase over the previBuilding-Products.com

ous year.

The awards program, begun in 1982, honors the managements and employees of companies and mills with the lowest severity-weighted incidence rates based on guidelines established by the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration. It employs a weighted incident rate that is calculated using both the number and severity of recordable incidents. Since 2008 was the first year that WIR was used, awards and reports for 2009 and 2010 continue to also show total incident rate (TIR), the measure used in previous years.

Eighty-eight APA member structural wood panel and engineered wood product facilities in the U.S., Canada and abroad participated in the 2010 program. A total of 25 mills representing 10 APA member companies—Abitibi-LP Engineered Wood; Anthony Forest Products Co.; Anthony EACOM; Calvert Co.; Canfor-LP; G-P; LP; Norbord; Rosboro, and Stark Truss Co.—earned awards in various competition categories of the 2010 program. Some of the mills were multiple award winners.

All major product categories produced by APA’s membership were represented among the winning mills, including oriented strand board, plywood, glulam timber, wood Ijoists, and structural composite lumber.

In addition to the Safest Company and Innovation awards, other competition categories include Safety Improvement, Annual Safety and Health Honor Roll, Three-Year Safety Average, and Incident Free Honor Society. Twenty-one mills achieved a zero incident rate for the year and thus were named to the Incident Free Honor Society. The annual honor roll, three-year average, and safety improvement categories are divided into two divisions based on hours worked annually—more than or fewer than 400,000 hours.

While the program awards are limited to APA members, data is collected from both member and non-member mills in order to provide a broad-based industry performance benchmark. A total of 112 mills reported data for 2010. The 2010 industry total incident and weighted incident rates were 2.44 and 10.94, respectively, up slightly from 2.18 and 10.64, respectively, in 2009.

The winning facilities and companies will be recognized and their safety accomplishments celebrated during the Chairman’s Dinner at APA’s annual meeting in October in New Orleans, La. Award plaques also will be presented to the winning mills by APA president Dennis Hardman or other APA management staff.

The 2010 safety awards program was the third year under a revitalized safety program effort spearheaded by an APA Safety and Health Advisory Committee comprised of several APA member company safety professionals. Under the committee’s guidance, three main goals were established: make the APA program the premier safety awards program in the industry, encourage the sharing of best practices as a means to improve the industry’s safety culture and programs, and most importantly, improve the industry’s overall safety performance.

The APA Safety & Health Advisory Committee recently sponsored a free webinar on Wood Dust Best Practices.

Over 50 safety and health professionals participated in this informative event. More webinars will be developed and a full-day safety workshop will be held in October in conjunction with APA’s annual meeting.

More information on the APA Safety and Health Awards Program can be found at www.apawood.org.

Building-Products.com

2010 APA Award Winners Innovation in Safety Award

Georgia-Pacific Wood Products, Camden, Tx. (STARS card program)

Safest Company Awards

Average WIR Average TIR 0.00 0.00 0.43 1.20

Canfor-LP (1-3 mills) LP (4+ mills)

Annual Safety & Health Honor Roll

Hours 350,622 LP, Panguipulli, Chile Norbord, Nacogdoches, Tx. 301,566 293,758 LP, Roxboro, N.C. (Under 400,000 hours)

(Over 400,000 hours)

Norbord, Cordele, Ga. G-P, Prosperity, S.C. G-P, Corrigan, Tx.

431,013 632,003 930,869

WIR 0.00 0.00 0.00

0.00 0.32 0.43

0.00 0.32 0.43

Avg. WIR 0.00

Avg. TIR 0.00

Three-Year Safety Award (2008-2010)

(Under 400,000 hours)

LP, Panguipulli, Chile (Over 400,000 hours)

G-P, Corrigan, Tx.

Avg. Hours 336,310 933,729

1.64

Safety Improvement Award

2008 WIR/TIR ’09 WIR/TIR (Under 400,000 hours) LP, Newberry, Mi. (100% improvement) (Over 400,000 hours)

8.18/0.82

4.78/0.96

LP Canada, Golden, B.C. (94.54% improvement) 8.75/0.87 0.58/0.58

Incident-Free Honor Society

Norbord, Cordele, Ga. LP, Panguipulli, Chile Norbord, Nacogdoches, Tx. LP, Roxboro, N.C. LP, Carthage, Tx. Canfor-LP, Fort St. John, B.C. LP, Tomahawk, Wi. LP Canada, Maniwaki, P.Q. LP, Newberry, Mi. LP, Two Harbors, Mn. LP Canada, Minitonas, Mb. LP, Houlton, Me. LP, Wilmington, N.C. Anthony Forest Products, El Dorado, Ar. Anthony EACOM, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. LP, Red Bluff, Ca. Abitibi-LP, Saint Prime, P.Q. 1 Anthony, Washington, Ga. Rosboro, Springfield, Or. Calvert Co., Vancouver, Wa. Stark Truss, Beach City, Oh.

TIR 0.00 0.00 0.00

Hours 431,013 350,622 301,566 293,758 282,656 278,017 233,353 221,719 213,882 212,935 210,031 140,600 137,668 122,057 115,219 112,558 103,120 82,545 70,915 67,590 43,073

0.36

’10 WIR/TIR 0.00/0.00 0.48/0.48 WIR/TIR 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00 0.00/0.00

July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

39

MOVERS & Shakers Tess Lindsey, ex-Atessco, is new to outside sales at Redwood Empire, San Jose, Ca., focusing on redwood, ipé, plywood, treated and other manufactured items in Northern California.

Keith Costello has been named v.p. of sales for BMC, Boise, Id. Jennifer Thurman has been named v.p.-corporate communications at ProBuild Holdings, Denver, Co. Misty Neuman has joined the sales team at Snavely Forest Products, Denver, Co. Andy Richardson, ex-American International Forest Products, is new to sales at Emerald Forest Products, Eugene, Or. Mike Zojonc, ex-Pacific Wood Preserving, is now plant mgr. for Boise Cascade’s Kinzua Lumber mill, Pilot Rock, Or. He replaces Bill Woodfin, who died in December.

Scott Rimmer, ex-Forest Grove Lumber, has joined the sales force at Mill Direct Lumber Sales, Lake Oswego, Or.

Mike Boone, ex-Forest Grove Lumber, has joined EcoChemical, Seattle, Wa., assisting with sales and new customer development.

Nicole Giordano is now in sales support for the national accounts division of Capital, Phoenix, Az. Jim McCluskey, ex-Lakeside Lumber, is the new sales mgr. in Spokane Valley, Wa. Jerry Steele, exLumber Products, is now a product specialist in Woodburn, Or.; Michele Wurges, ex-Weathervane Windows, is a new account mgr. in Tacoma, Wa.; Craig Smalley, marketing specialist, Healdsburg, Ca., and Donald Lackey, ex-Glidden Paint, account mgr., Healdsburg.

Sarah Townsend, ex-Buckeye Pacific, and Bart McKinney, exAmerican Lumber, and are new to sales at Talon Forest/AFA-USA, Portland, Or. Larry Petree, ex-Lazy S Lumber, has joined the sales staff of Mary’s River Lumber Co., Corvallis, Or., specializing in second growth western red cedar.

Garry Tabor, former head of BMD, is now president & c.e.o. of Heico Distribution Group, El Dorado Hills, Ca. Dave Brewer, LowGradeLumber, Eugene, Or., retired June 30 after 55 years in the industry.

Mike Kinnebrew, ex-Sierra Vista Lumber, is now general mgr. of Foxworth Galbraith’s component plant in Colorado Springs, Co. Jennifer Sokso is now customer service mgr.-round products for McFarland Cascade, Tacoma, Wa. Mike Howell is the new mgr. of Parr Lumber, Salem, Or. Zack Wheeler has joined the office team at Screw Products Inc., Gig Harbor, Wa., managing daily orders and customer service. Josh Mason and Josh Bennett are new warehousemen.

McRay Bryson has been named mgr. of corporate financial reporting at Boise Cascade, Boise, Id. Don Demens has been promoted to chief operating officer of Western Forest Products, Vancouver, B.C.

VAN ARSDALE-HARRIS LUMBER CO. 595 Tunnel Ave., San Francisco, CA 94134 • 415-467-8711 • Fax 415-467-8144

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Sales for Coast Wood Preserving

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

Building-Products.com

Tim Walker, ex-Valley View Window & Door, is a new window division sales consultant at R&K Building Supplies, Phoenix, Az. Jay Puder has been named executive director of solid wood products of International Forest Products, Vancouver, B.C. Steve Winstone, ex-Sundance Forest Industries, has been appointed v.p. of sales & marketing at BPWood, Penticton, B.C. Heather Fatkin, ex-Westmark Products, is now a senior buyer in the wholesale/export/purchasing department at Griff Building Supplies, New Westminster, B.C. David Karsten, owner of three Ace Hardware stores in Phoenix, Az., has been elected to the board of directors of Ace Hardware Corp., Oak Brook, Il. Peter Randhawa is now export mgr. at Canasia Forest Industries, Surrey, B.C. Rajan Dhaliwal now works in logistics.

Chad Jones, ex-Newell Rubbermaid, is a new account executive at Hitachi Power Tools, serving the Los Angeles/Las Vegas region.

Brian LaFave, ex-Fiberon, is covering Colorado and Wyoming.

Steve Marks, owner, Marks Lumber, Clancy, Mt., was named Montana Small Business Person of the Year by the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s U.S. Small Business Administration.

Clif Jones, building products mgr. at Osmose, Griffin, Ga., retired May 31 after 14 years with the company and more than 40 years in the industry.

Michael B. Glenn has resigned after five years as c.e.o. of Universal Forest Products, Grand Rapids, Mi., due to health concerns. He will stay on until a successor is found.

Steven Weinberg has been named New Jersey-based national sales mgr. for California Faucets, Huntington Beach, Ca. He is current president of the Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association.

William P. Farrell has retired as vice chairman after 30 years with the American Hardware Manufacturers Association, Schaumburg, Il. He remains a liftetime honorary member of the board.

Bourne A. Loser was fired from the sales dept. at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

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July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

41

IN Memoriam

Rex Edward “Ed” Fountain Sr., 107, founder of Ed Fountain Lumber Co., Los Angeles, Ca., died April 14 in Los Angeles.

He started in the lumber business in 1922, unloading lumber off ships in Long Beach, Ca., for Consolidated Lumber, San Francisco, Ca. After moving to Consolidated’s L.A. office, he launched his own wholesale business in 1937.

He retired in 1992, and his son, Ed Fountain Jr., merged his father’s company with his industrials business.

Ron Henkle, 62, lumber broker at Progressive Services, Beaverton, Or., died April 23 in Lake Oswego, Or. He began his career in the 1970s, with North Pacific, Portland, Or. He then worked at Cascade Empire, Portland; Pan Pacific Forest Products, Lake Oswego, and other companies before joining Progressive last year.

Frank C. Durk Jr., 81, retired vice president and western retail division manager for Diamond International, Sacramento, Ca., died June 22 in Hayden, Id. After serving with the Army in Korea, he became a lumber handler at Diamond Match Co., Williams, Ca. He later managed Diamond’s yard in Lodi, Ca., before being promoted to the company’s headquarters in Sacramento. He retired in 1984, after 34 years.

Edwin William “Bill” Friedlander, 70, salesman at Permapost Products, Hillsboro, Or., died May 28 in Bend, Or. He joined the company in 1990.

Henry “Hank” Jensen, 96, retired sales manager of Murphy Creek Lumber, Murphy, Or., died June 7 in Grants Pass, Or. He retired in the 1980s after spending most of his life in the industry.

Stanley Edward Jantzer, 92, retired Northern California lumberman, died June 8 in Mount Shasta, Ca. During World War II, he served with the Army in the Philippines.

He started in the industry as a logger and mill worker. He later coowned Siskiyou Cedar Products, then retired as a mill engineer for P&M Cedar Products, Redding, Ca.

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

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Drying is Their Specialty

Innovative Drying Technologies, Ridgefield, Wa., has opened, offering a wide variety of wood drying and conditioning equipment from major international manufacturers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once customers become familiar with the wide range of equipment we

offer, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll think of us as a one-stopshop for all their drying needs,â&#x20AC;? said sales manager Theo Leonov.

The new company currently markets PCSI control systems, PCS VacDry vacuum kilns, and Eberl Trocknugsanlagen vacuum kilns, and is in negotiations to market kilns from

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Other members of the management team include R. Lynn Forsberg, who will be responsible for day-to-day management of the company, and William T. Hull, who will serve as marketing manager.

Colorado Dealers Team Up

South Park True Value, Fairplay, Co., is leasing five additional acres so it can expand into lumber sales with the recent closure of Hutchison Lumber, Fairplay.

South Park will be supplied by Breckenridge Building Center, Breckenridge, Co., and the two dealers will split the profits.

EcoBlu Opens Truss Plant

EcoBlu Products, Vista, Ca., has formed subsidiary E Build & Truss, Oceanside, Ca. The company can now offer full turnkey products and services to Southern California builders, including Red Shield lumber, labor and truss packages.

Rail Line Returns to Nor Cal

Northwestern Pacific Railroad, which closed in 2001 due to storm damage, may soon reopen for cargo shipments in Napa and Sonoma counties. Repairs of the 62 miles of track cost $68 million. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to get rail service to our plant,â&#x20AC;? said Richard Caletti, president of Standard Structures, Windsor, Ca., which makes engineered wood beams, trusses and joists for commercial construction.

He said that rail service lowers the cost of receiving raw material and makes it possible to compete for jobs in other parts of the country.

Service is slated to begin with 15car trains and three round trips a month.

INTERNATIONAL SALES: Nestor Pimentel.

INTERNATIONAL Forest Products, Vancouver, B.C., updated its global brand with a new integrated logo, which will replace existing labels in North America.

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

Building-Products.com

MANAGEMENT Tips

By Bill Blades

Corporate culture:

The missing ingredient to success E VERY EMPLOYEE AT EVERY LEVEL has the ability to act for the betterment of the employer and its clients.

Unfortunately, most people are content with stagnation.

They put in just enough effort to not get fired as they quietly march along with the status quo. Much to many c.e.o.s’ dismay, such a corporate culture is more prevalent than a culture that calls for greatness from all.

For any company to succeed long term, having the right corporate culture is key. Where does your organization’s culture fall in the spectrum? Does the c.e.o. expect greatness from everyone every day or does the c.e.o. allow mediocrity to creep in and fester? Make no mistake—culture is not just important; it’s crucial to an organization’s true potential.

Following are some key components for strengthening your culture to be in the “best of the best” category.

Get clear on the organization’s mission.

Most employees can’t recite their company’s mission statement. This means the leadership’s process of developing the mission statement was a joke and a meaningless exercise. When the company’s mission statement is an “out-of-site-out-of-mind” document, it’s irrelevant, no mat-

ter how well written it may be.

A compelling mission statement needs only two and no more than three sentences with two primary commitments: (1) What we stand for to each other (internal clients) and (2) What we stand for to clients. You can choose to add various comments regarding vendors, stakeholders and

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July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

45

teamwork, but keep it short and simple. Longer mission statements are hard to remember.

Once you have your mission statement complete, you not only frame it and place it throughout your facility, but you also refer to it regularly for reminders, coaching, reprimanding, and even decision-making. Realize, too, that one person ignoring the statement can poison the environment.

The only thing worse than having turnover is having none when there should be.

When asked if they have someone on staff who they knew was a bad choice by the second month of the new hire’s employment, about 75% of c.e.o.s and v.p.s say “yes.” Usually, that particular employee has not attempted to meet or exceed the mission statement. When asked why that person has not been discharged, most c.e.o.s and v.p.s reply, “Because I’m afraid (s)he will go with our competitor.” But that’s exactly where you want the person to go.

Set them free!

Commit to personal improvement.

In order for every employee to commit to personal improvement, the company’s president and v.p. of sales must lead the way by example. Why? So go these two individuals, so go those they lead—and so go the company’s revenues and profits. When all levels of employees see the president and v.p. of sales committing to something, the rest follow suit. Additionally, it’s rare to find a president and v.p. of sales who can’t improve by 25% in two to three months and by 50% in six months. Many even get 100% better. Why? They’ve been so busy mentoring others that they haven’t had the time to work on themselves.

Realize that mentoring isn’t about motivational speech-

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

es. Many corporations make the mistake of bringing in a motivational speaker for an annual meeting and then believing that personal development training is over. Yes, motivational speeches are great to hear, but their effect is gone as soon as the speaker leaves the room.

When it comes to real personal improvement, it’s about assigning each individual nine specific skills, habits, and traits to improve upon. And the starting date to act is that day or no later than the next day. See the culture change taking place?

Then, the person’s chief or an outside consultant must follow-up to ensure implementation has begun, and to monitor the results. Later, another nine new skills, habits, and traits are assigned and monitored.

The best sales and management education sessions are those where the group selects the best ideas presented and holds everyone accountable (again) for implementation.

You may pick six skills to assign to the group, but you pick an additional one each for both Joe and Mary based on their individual weaknesses. And then what? Then you monitor.

Create meaningful position descriptions and measurements.

This is another area that is typically woefully weak.

Most companies are using outdated position descriptions they created a decade ago. And measurements? They don’t even exist. But how can you expect greatness from people if you have nothing by which to measure that greatness?

For each position in your company, you need current and realistic position descriptions, as well as measurements you use to determine if someone is successful in their posi-

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tion. You utilize these devices for informal reviews (can be done by telephone) and for formalized quarterly reviews. Naturally, these documents are crucial for year-end reviews, but if you currently only conduct year-end reviews, it’s too late. People need feedback more than just once per year.

Preparing position descriptions and measurements carefully will keep everyone focused on the goal: higher sales and revenue for the company.

You’ll also discover that the goal of increasing sales and revenue is part of everyone’s job to some degree.

Ultimately, the more detailed you can be and the more you monitor, the more you encourage people to be great.

• It improves recruitment efforts.

• It aids with teamwork.

• It increases risk-taking, aggressiveness, job satisfaction, and mental health.

• It boosts revenue as clients want more excitement, too.

Perhaps most important: The best of the best always want to work at a fun company. So let the grumpy, negative, and whiny people work for your competitors. Instill fun in your culture and you’ll have a workforce that’s by far the cream of the crop.

Of course, there’s much more to corporate culture than these five points. However, this foundation will get your company started on the culture transformation.

The bottom line is that if you want stronger revenues, then you must develop a stronger culture. A culture of greatness trumps any other.

– Bill Blades, CMC, CPS, specializes in growing people and revenue in sales and leadership areas. He can be contacted at (443) 477-0061 or wblades@aol.com.

Take time for planning.

Every department needs a plan. But the question often asked is, “What do I plan?” The answer: Everything.

Here’s an example of some planning ideas using the sales department as the focus. The following list of planning objectives would be done for each salesperson on staff: • What is the “no later than” date you want to land/increase business with ABC Corp. and 50 others?

• What are you going to do quarterly and monthly to make the results happen?

• What is the salesperson’s v.p. of sales (and regional manager, if applicable) going to do to ensure the results occur?

There are about 50 more items to planning for the year, so you would include everything that is to be done, by whom, and by when.

Planning requires a lot of thinking time without interruption. A good idea is for the people charged with planning to work off-site with a consultant to focus intently on both the big details and the little ones. Why offsite? Yogi Berra said it best: “How the hell are you going to think and hit at the same time?”

Have fun.

Most organizations don’t have enough fun, which is almost a corporate crime. But every company should have a goal of being the most fun place to work in town.

A few benefits of fun include: • It prevents a succession of ordinary days.

• It promotes creativity.

• It elevates retention of your best employees.

Building-Products.com

July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

47

NEW Products

Custom-Colored Fences

Illusions Vinyl Fence now comes in 35 standard colors with lifelike woodgrain, plus custom colors.

The Landscape, Estate, and Designer series are designed to look like painted wood.

Colors were chosen to complement design accents such as siding, trim, and doors.

ILLUSIONSFENCE.COM (800) 339-3362

Connect Deck Tiles

A new Ipe Clip Fastener connector improves the installation and reliability of hardwood decking tiles.

Offered in three different colors, DeckWise is constructed of chemical- and UV-resistant polyethylene.

A pre-cut drain hole keeps water from pooling around the corners of each tile, while a matte texture provides a subtle look between tiles.

DECKWISE.COM (888) 427-2547

Ext. 129 - Marc

Ext. 125 - Brandon

Ext. 126 - Lorena Ext. 128 - Matt

Ext. 133 - Raul Ext. 142 - Dick

Ext. 127 - Renee

Ext. 147 - Christine Ext. 138 - Brad

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

Building-Products.com

Top-of-the-Line Deck Screws

New C-Deck screws from Screw Products are designed to fasten even the toughest composite, PVC and wood deck boards.

The 10x2-3/4” fasteners were redesigned to eliminate all mushrooming or secondary lumps.

Milled with a trilobular design and a Star Drive, they install faster and with less torque.

Finishes include an ACQ-compatible e-coat or 305 stainless steel with color-matched head, in a choice of custom or 15 in-stock colors.

They are packaged in 75-, 350-, or 1,750count jars.

SCREW-PRODUCTS.COM (877) 844-8880

Cross-Line Laser

Bosch’s GLL2-40 cross-line laser is designed for easy use on interior jobsites up to 30 ft.

The 8-oz. tool measures less than 4” in height and width, yet can handle a wide variety of leveling and alignment jobs—including placement of electrical outlets and installing cabinetry and chair rails.

BOSCHTOOLS.COM (877) 267-2499

Lighter Gypsum Panels

Sheetrock Firecode 30 gypsum panels from USG Corp. are 30% lighter, making them easier to lift, carry, and install.

The ultra-light 1/2” panels meet IBC standards for use in non-rated and 30-minute, fire-rated partitions.

USG.COM

(800) 950-3839

Building-Products.com

July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

49

Form-Fitting Drop Cloths

JambDrop drop cloths are designed to fit around doorjambs with minimal material, for better protection of surfaces.

The product has two pieces, each measuring 28”x60”, for easy adjustment with door openings up to 40” wide. A 50/50 cotton/polyester blend, reinforced with a PVC backing, provides slip-free protection on any floor.

JAMBDROP.COM (707) 554-1162

Trinity River Lumber Company

Northern Californiaʼs newest state-of-the-art sawmill has opened its doors

We specialize in wane-free home center products in either green Douglas fir or a true white fir, in lengths 8ʼ to 20ʼ. FSC will be available by request. Other products include: • 2x4 S4S green Douglas fir • 4x4 through 4x12 timbers • Stud lengths will also be available.

We can also handle all of your rail or trucking needs with next day delivery in most areas in Northern California.

1375 Main St., Weaverville, CA 96093 Sales (530) 623-5561

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

Building-Products.com

Deck Light Control

Aurora Deck Lighting’s Night Sky system allows remote control of deck LED lighting.

The battery-operated remote also works as a dimmer.

AURORADECKLIGHTING. COM (800) 603-3520

AOK OSB

Tolko’s T-Grade oriented strand board has been re-engineered for better performance.

Improvements include 25% greater panel strength, 18% greater moisture durability, and nearly 12% higher internal bond.

TOLKO.COM

(250) 545-4411

Look of Exotics

Four new colors—Brazilian cherry, garapa gray, tropical walnut, and golden teak—are now offered in GAF’s DuraLife Siesta Hardwood composite decking.

GAF.COM/DECKING (877) 423-7663

Building-Products.com

July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

51

PCBC Photos by The Merchant Magazine

PCBC was held June 22-24 in San Francisco, Ca. [1] Carol Kelly, Alan Oakes. [2] Steve Killgore, John Niedzwiecki. [3] John McMurray, Heather Crunchie, Robert Fouquet. [4] Justin Gregory, Jack Delaney. [5] Kent Bond, Tim Kennedy. [6] Rock Lee, Marv Askey, Tom Hoffmann. [7] Barry Schneider, Larry Kaelin. [8] Mike Descoteaux, Keith Lolley. [9] Robert Rodriguez, Cami Waner, Chris Richter, Bill Hayward, Don Barnes. [10] Bryce Robicheau, Brett Deschamps. [11] Chris Bailey.

[12] Darwin Waite, Jeff Sturdivan, Sean Seymour, Jim Reyes, Mike Wright, Joe LeBel. [13] Paul Volkoff, Denise Bough. [14] Chuck Scott, Julie Castor, Howard Rothstein, Kim Pohl, Lisa Martin. [15] Mike Johnston, Sam Sanregret, Michael Darby. [16] Bill Sokol, Arden Fullen. [17] Michael Sivucha, James Schaefer. [18] Chad Gibson, Alex Hines. [19] Brian Stuk. [20] Brian Hurdle, Kevin Paldino. [21] Kevin Bradshaw, Craig Sichling, Ritchie & Sunny Mudd. (Continued on next page)

52

The Merchant Magazine July 2011

Building-Products.com

PCBC Photos by The Merchant Magazine

Koenig, Brian Delbrueck, Richard Lane. [12] Rich Mills, Pat Zan. [13] Mike McDonnell, John Assman. [14] Bill Shadden, Erik Jefferson, Erin Moore, Joe McGuire.

MORE PCBC: [1] Matt Hamilton, Michael Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dell, Ron Cook, Bill Koll, Scott Paterson, Scott Morgan. [2] Tess Lindsey, Alan Oakes. [3] Todd Gaddo, Tim Wolfley, Wally Holmen. [4] Mike Carver, Tom Couch, Denny Huston, Dale Robley, Ron Guarss. [5] Ken Dunham. [6] Hugh Paarmann, David Crandall. [7] Clyde Jennings, John Allen. [8] Phil Lail, Chuck Casey. [9] Jon Hanson, Suzie Place. [10] John Polidan. [11] Tom Building-Products.com

July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

53

LACN GOLF Photos by The Merchant Magazine

LUMBER ASSOCIATION of California & Nevada hosted its annual associates/dealers golf tournament June 2 at Rancho Solano Golf Course, Fairfield, Ca. [1] Ken Dunham, Jim Turrentine. [2] Augie Venezia, Steve Klotz, John Hedges, Bob Palacioz, Chad Scuncio, Dave Simpkins. [3] Rick Roberts, Rob Roberts, Steve Page, Chris Tritschler. [4] Steve Walsh, Kevin Dussault, Chuck Ruiz, Randy Jones. [5] Cary Twing, Paul Herfeldt, Adam Burgess, Mike Martin. [6] Jennifer Tabor, Ken

54

The Merchant Magazine July 2011

Womack, Ruth Elliott, Steve Spackman, Heather Romig. [7] Paul Kinser, Tom Kuznich, Brian Hurdle, Kevin Paldino. [8] Mike Croxton, Miguel Gutierrez, Jeff Squires, Todd Pollard. [9] Kyle Abrahamovich, Scott Armstrong, Brad Terrell, Craig Young. [10] J.D. Saunders, Bob Maurer, John Saunders, Rich Mills. [11] Jon Hagen, Vince Vierra, Alan Boyd, Dave Dahlen. [12] James Wiley, Jarrod Moulton, Steve Prado, Kevin Turner. [13] Josh Dean.

(More photos on next page) Building-Products.com

MORE LACN GOLFERS (continued from previous page) in Northern California: [1] Bill Kuhn, Tom Knippen, Dan Meneley, Danny Sosa. [2] Rochelle Otterstrom. [3] Jim Russell, Danielle Equitz, Stacey & Dave Jones. [4] Robert Casale, Nick Terra, Greg Reed, Tim Murphy. [5] Ted

Building-Products.com

Brackett. [6] Matt & Pam Peterson, Seamus O’Reilly, Dennis D’Amato.

[7] Robert Rodriguez, Kevin Dooley, Kyle Lazon. [8] Dee Dee Myers, Jean Henning, Charlene Valine. [9] Scott Campbell, Crystal Masson, Micah Lloyd.

July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

55

CLASSIFIED Marketplace

SUPPLIER Briefs

Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word min.). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy or headline, $9 per line. Border, $9. Private box, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if art furnished “camera-ready” (advertiser sets the type), $65 if we set type.

Send ad to Fax 949-852-0231 or dkoenig@ building-products.com. For more info, call (949) 852-1990. Make checks payable to Cutler Publishing. Deadline: 18th of previous month.

HELP WANTED

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT FIT? Look no more. We have an awesome opportunity for you! Join our team of seasoned industry professionals. We are a small, financially strong, production-based wholesale company celebrating our 10th year in business. Call (801) 621-3399 and ask for Tyrone or Johnny, or send your resume to tyrone@konecnybros. com.

FACILITIES FOR LEASE

OFFICE & WAREHOUSE FOR LEASE: Northern California Sacramento region.

Approximately 2,000-sq. ft. office attached to 30,000-sq. ft. warehouse. Warehouse clear span height 20 ft. Office & restrooms ADA accessible. Warehouse includes three-man doors with large 20-ft. roll-up door. 220V power available.

Fire sprinkler system throughout. Truck shop facilities provided, including minor repair work, oil changes, steam cleaning, etc., at favorable rates. Ample truck parking space in back of facility. Office & 30,000-sq. ft. front warehouse available at .29¢ per sq. ft. If interested, please call Tom Williams, (530) 7422168, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

FOR SALE

Keep track of the West

The

MERCHANT Magazine

keeps you up to date on industry issues throughout the West.

Now find out what’s happening on the other side of the Rockies.

Keep track of the Rest

Building Products Digest covers the other 37 states, including the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast.

Subscribe for just $24 for 12 issues.

Contact Heather at (949) 852-1990 HKelly@building-products.com

F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. stopped production late last month at its Columbia Falls, Mt., sawmill due to lack of logs, but anticipated restarting the facility July 11.

Jeld-Wen , Klamath Falls, Or., sold a minority interest to Torontobased private equity firm Onex.

Redwood Empire , San Jose, Ca., announces that its brand of ipé complies with the California Building Code and is approved for use as decking in the Wildland Urban Interface by the State Fire Marshall.

LP FlameBlock fire-rated OSB is now approved by CAL FIRE for use in Wildland Urban Interface zones.

Dunn-Edwards opened reportedly the world’s first LEED-certified paint manufacturing facility, in Phoenix, Az. The plant’s 336,000 sq. ft. provide over 50% more space than the two facilities it replaces.

BW Creative Wood Industries, Maple Ridge, B.C., has brought

together all of its railing products and brands under one corporate website, www.bwcreativewood.com.

Sun Mountain, Berthoud, Co., has launched a new website at www.sunmountaindoor.com.

Kick-start your 2012 selling season Get the attention of 21,000 lumber buyers across the country.

Ensure your ad message reaches EVERY company attending the 2011 N A W LA T rad ers M arke t by advertising in Traders’ Preview, a Special Supplement appearing with both The Merchant Magazine and sister publication Building Products Digest. For one low price, you receive: • Full national distribution of your ad, packaged with the October 2011 issues of The Merchant and BPD. • Expanded directory listing for your company • Distribution at the event • Free clickable online ad for your company (1 month exposure on building-products.com) • Discounted, all-inclusive ad rates:

Call Chuck Casey or Alan Oakes at 949.852.1990 56

The Merchant Magazine July 2011

Building-Products.com

DATE Book

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

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Assn. – July 19, WOOD Council golf tournament, Ranch Golf & Country Club, Westminster, Co.; (800) 365-0919; www.mslbmda.org.

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

A nation’s pride you can build on.

Western Building Material Association – July 20-22, mid-year meetings, Coeur d’Alene Resort, Coeur d’Alene, Id.; (360) 9433054; www.wbma.org.

AWFS Fair – July 20–23, woodworking fair, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; awfsfair.org.

Lumber Association of California & Nevada – July 21-23, 2nd Growth summer conference, Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, Ca.; (800) 266-4344; lumberassociation.org.

Southern Oregon Lumberman’s Association – July 28, golf tournament, Rogue Valley Country Club, Medford, Or.; (800) 6335554.

Old Time Lumbermen’s Barbecue – July 30, Sturgeon’s Mill, Sebastopol, Ca.; (707) 575-4272.

Humboldt Hoo-Hoo Club – Aug. 5, Behind the Redwood Curtain golf tournament, Baywood Golf & Country Club, Arcata, Ca.; (707) 443-7024.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – Aug. 17, dinner & meeting, Pomona Valley Mining Co., Pomona, Ca.; (760) 324-0842.

Orgill Inc. – Aug. 18-20, dealer market, Boston, Ma.; (800) 3472860; www.orgill.com.

Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club – Aug. 26, clay shoot, Black Point Sports Club, Petaluma, Ca.; (707) 621-0485.

Remodeling & Decorating Show – Aug. 26-28, South Town Expo Center, Sandy, Ut.; (818) 571-9012; www.thehomeshow.com.

Remodeling & Decorating Show – Aug. 27-28, Orange County Fairgrounds, Costa Mesa, Ca.; (818) 557-2950; www.thehomeshow.com.

Manufacturers of 10 million bd. ft. monthly of • 5/4 & 6/4 Ponderosa Pine Shop • 4/4 Premium Pine Board Programs • and 5/4 Radius Edge Decking Programs State-of-the-Art Hewmill & Headrig Mill Contact Sheldon Howell

Bob Bretz

(509) 874-1163

(805) 995-0700

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

www.yakama-forest.com

WHOLESALE ONLY • MILL DIRECT & LCL

National Assn. of Women in Construction – Aug. 31-Sept. 3, annual convention, St. Louis, Mo.; (800) 552-3506; nawic.org.

WHERE QUALITY IS AGELESS

GlassBuild America – Sept. 7-9, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga.; (703) 442-4890; www.glassbuildamerica.com.

Anfinson Lumber is the clear choice for Quality Redwood and Western Red Cedar Dimension, Boards, Patterns and Timbers

BC Wood – Sept. 8-10, global buyers mission, Whistler Conference Center, Whistler, B.C.; (877) 422-9663; www.bcwood.com.

Western Red Cedar Lumber Association – Sept. 8-10, meeting, Whistler, B.C.; (866) 778-9096; www.wrcla.org.

CALL SALES AT (800) 400-8383 • (951) 681-4707 Rick Anfinson • Carol O’Connor

Hoo-Hoo International – Sept. 9-13, annual convention, Harbour Towers Hotel, Victoria, B.C.; (800) 979-9950; www.hoo-hoo.org.

Outside Sales Darin Curran

Horizon Distribution Inc. – Sept. 10-11, annual market, Yakima Convention Center, Yakima, Wa.; (800) 541-8164; www.horizondistribution.com.

(949) 412-1894

Moulding & Millwork Producers Association – Sept. 11-13, meeting, Arlington, Tx.; (800) 550-7889; www.wmmpa.com.

Willamette Valley Hoo-Hoo Club – Sept. 14, trap shoot, Sportsman’s Club, Creswell, Or.; (541) 688-6675.

Jensen Distribution Services – Sept. 14-16, fall market, Spokane Convention Center, Spokane, Wa.; (800) 234-1321; www.jensenonline.com.

World Forest Institute – Sept. 19-21, “Who Will Own the Forest?” conference; Sept. 22, forest products forum, World Forestry Center, Portland, Or.; wwotf.worldforestry.org.

Building Component Manufacturers Conference – Sept. 21-23, Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, In.; (608) 310-6722; www.bcmcshow.com.

National Hardwood Lumber Association – Sept. 21-24, annual convention, Nashville, Tn.; (800) 933-0318; www.nhla.org.

Building-Products.com

Visit our website:

www.anfinson.com

Fontana, CA Office and Mill: 13041 Union Avenue, Fontana, CA 92337 Fax: (951) 681-3566 • E-mail: sales@anfinson.com

July 2011 The Merchant Magazine

57

Eco Chemical [www.ecochemical.com] .......................................44

ADVERTISERS Index

EcoVantage [www.ecovantage.com] ............................................19

Fasco America [www.fascoamerica.com]....................................46

For more information on advertisers, call them directly or visit their websites [in brackets].

Advantage Trim & Lumber [www.advantagelumber.com]..........42

Fontana Wholesale Lumber [fontanawholesalelumber.com].....58

AERT [www.aertinc.com].................................................................5

Hoover Treated Wood Products [www.frtw.com] .............Cover IV

Ainsworth [www.ainsworthengineered.com] .........................30-31

Huff Lumber ....................................................................................47

Anfinson Lumber [www.anfinson.com]........................................57

J.H. Baxter [www.jhbaxter.com]....................................................51

BC Wood [www.bcwood.com].......................................................43

Keller Lumber .................................................................................22

APA-The Engineered Wood Association [apawood.org]............36

Kelleher Corp. [www.kelleher.com] ..............................................13

Bear Forest Products [www.bearfp.com].....................................48

LP Building Products [www.lpcorp.com].....................................33

Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber ........................................................40

Nu Forest Products [www.nuforestproducts.com] .......................7

California Redwood Co. [californiaredwoodco.com].....Cover II, 3

Pacific Wood Preserving Cos. [www.pacificwood.com].............55

Boise Cascade [www.bc.com].......................................................37

Norman Distribution [www.normandist.com] ..............................45

California Cascade [www.californiacascade.com]......................50

Osmose [www.osmose.com] ................................................Cover I

California Timberline [www.caltimberline.com] ............................4

Parr Lumber [www.parrlumberchino.com] ..................................44

Capital [www.capital-lumber.com]..........................................17, 38

Quality Borate Co. [www.qualityborate.com] ..............................24

Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com].................................25

Rosboro [www.rosboro.com] ........................................................34

IDEA File

Roseburg Forest Products [www.rfpco.com] ..............................29

Last month, instead of the typical Father’s Day sale on power tools, one Montana lumberyard chain helped kids create something a little more personalized for their dads.

Kenyon Noble Lumber & Hardware’s stores in Bozeman, Livingston and Belgrade, Mt., sponsored a “Junior Carpenter” Father’s Day project, inviting parents to bring their children to the hardware store to make their dads a tool box.

Kenyon Noble provided snacks, drinks, and all the tools and supplies needed, free of charge.

Dozens of kids showed up to hammer out a gift for dad—many getting a little help from mom or grandpa along the way.

Royal Pacific Industries .................................................................49

Tool Box Holiday

RoyOMartin [www.royomartin.com] .............................................35 Screw Products [www.screw-products.com] ..............................53

Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com]...................................23 Siskiyou Forest Products [siskiyouforestproducts.com]...........41

Sunbelt [www.sunbeltracks.com] .................................................51

Superior Wood Treating [www.superiorwoodtreating.com].......42 Swanson Brothers [www.swansonbros.com] .............................11

Swanson Group Sales [www.swansongroupinc.com]................27

TAMKO Building Products [www.evergrain.com] .........................8

Thunderbolt Wood Treating [thunderboltwoodtreating.com] ....21 Trinity Forest Industries [trinityforest.com].................................48 Trinity River Lumber ......................................................................50

Utah Wood Preserving Co. ............................................................22

Van Arsdale-Harris Lumber Co. [www.vanarsdaleharris.net] ....40

Viance [www.treatedwood.com] .........................................Cover III

Yakama Forest Products [www.yakama-forest.com]..................57

TREATERS

WITH INTEGRITY, TAKING CARE OF TOMORROW’S NEEDS TODAY

ACQ ACQPreserve • Borates D-Blaze® Interior Fire Retardant Heat Treating ISPM 15 Compliant • Custom Drying Rail Served BNSF • TPI Third Party Inspected FSC Certified SCS-COC-002513

909-350-1214 15500 Valencia Ave. (Box 1070), Fontana, CA 92335 Fax 909-350-9623 • email – sales@fontanawholesalelumber.com

www.fontanawholesalelumber.com

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The Merchant Magazine July 2011

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MERCHANT

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