The Merchant Sept. 2020

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MERCHANT

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SEPTEMBER 2020

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MARKETING REDWOOD & CEDAR • TREATED WOOD UPDATE • OSB MARKET SURGES

WE DON’T JUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. WE HAUL IT THOUSANDS OF MILES.

We build on our promise to earn your trust with each delivery. From our distribution centers to your yard – we take pride in listening to your needs, understanding your customers’ goals – then delivering the best service and building products in the business. You can rely on Weyerhaeuser Distribution to be your partner – and we look forward to helping your business grow. For more information about what we can offer you, go to Weyerhaeuser.com/Distribution



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CONTENTS

September 2020 Volume 99 n Number 9

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

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Special Report

Features

10 FEATURE STORY: OSB

12 INDUSTRY TRENDS

PRICES FOR ORIENTED STRAND BOARD

SPIKE TO HISTORIC HIGHS AS MILLS SCRAMBLE TO REPLENISH PRODUCTION AFTER PAUSING FOR A SLOWDOWN THAT REALLY NEVER CAME

Departments

SHAKE UP IN TREATED WOOD MARKET

14 INDUSTRY TRENDS

LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF REDWOOD

16 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT 18 MARGIN BUILDERS

TURNING CEDAR LEADS INTO SALES

MERCHANT

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

SEPTEMBER 2020

Magazine

MARKETING REDWOOD & CEDAR • TREATED WOOD UPDATE • OSB MARKET SURGES

WE DON’T JUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. WE HAUL IT THOUSANDS OF MILES.

Merchant 9-20_Layout.indd 1

20 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

FAMILY-OWNED MONTANA LUMBERYARD DIVERSIFIES AND FLOURISHES

26 TRANSFORMING TEAMS

UPDATE ON COVID-19 IN THE WORKPLACE

32 THINKING AHEAD

We build on our promise to earn your trust with each delivery. From our distribution centers to your yard – we take pride in listening to your needs, understanding your customers’ goals – then delivering the best service and building products in the business. You can rely on Weyerhaeuser Distribution to be your partner – and we look forward to helping your business grow. For more information about what we can offer you, go to Weyerhaeuser.com/Distribution

SEE THE FORESTER FOR THE TREES

8/25/2020 12:58:48 PM

The Merchant Magazine Digital Edition at www.building-products.com

35 MARGIN BUILDERS

DO YOU KNOW YOUR SHIPLAP?

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KNOW YOUR REDWOOD GRADES

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8 ACROSS THE BOARD 22 OLSEN ON SALES 24 THE REVENUE GROWTH HABIT 38 MOVERS & SHAKERS 40 SELLING WITH KAHLE 46 NEW PRODUCTS 51 DATE BOOK 52 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 52 IN MEMORIAM 53 ADVERTISERS INDEX 54 FLASHBACK

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ACROSS the Board By Patrick Adams

I wish I

’ . rowing up in a stark reality didn’t seem to leave time for dreaming. As grew older, was relentless in my pursuit of goals, and it served me well. ut today seems di erent. At times it feels as though we are at war. With each other, with ourselves, and with an enemy who doesn’t seem to have a name. We look past the gifts in our lives and focus instead on what we imagine divides us and each time, we get more angry more resentful. This weighs heavy on me because it is not something can control and fear that it will steal the innocence from my children and begin building their own stark reality. or the first time in my life, this finds me wishing. Wishing for things that used to be, that aren’t and possibly never will be. Wishing wish every person would look upon another and reali e that we all have in common with each other in the things that truly matter in life. We were all innocent children once. We all have scars of battle that have shaped us, sometimes in good ways and sometimes, bad. We have all loved, and lost, and we all hope for better. any would have you think we are all so di erent, but in my travels across the world can tell you we are largely the same. wish every person went through the same ritual do every day—waking up in the morning and giving thanks for another day that am alive and get to serve those care about. oing to bed at night and giving thanks that received another day and learned a few things that hopefully, will allow me to do better tomorrow should be so lucky. t keeps you humble and reminds you what is important. wish could create the perfect life for my family. Shelter them from the bad, while still somehow downloading into them the hard lessons ’ve learned that have built a life of gratitude and peace. ive them experiences that reveal the countless ama ing gifts and beauty of this life we’ve been given. And someday learn that was the type of parent that served them well. wish everyone would slow down and reali e that their life is fuller, happier and more productive as a result. There’s a saying in the tactical world, Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, that also applies to life. ove slow enough to actually see the world and those around you, but fast enough to see more of it. on’t leave things unsaid and those things that you have always dreamed of doing undone. wish could find the words to truly express how much

padams

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cherish my wife and children and get them to fully understand what is in my heart. That everyone can remember that first time they saw their spouse and how they felt. The first time they held hands. Their first date and the first time they kissed. The first time they set their eyes on their children and how it instantly changed them forever and hold on to that feeling every minute. Spend more time thinking of these things. wish everyone reali ed that it is not the things that make a life, but the deeds. A few good friends that you’re lucky enough to share a few good times with that you’ll never forget. The daily reminder of the deeds of those who have come before us, and who serve and sacrifice now so that we can have the freedoms that are so easy to take for granted. So, in these times that seem intent on trying to divide us, make us fear the unknown and steal the things that are most important, ask simply this— wish for each of you to take just one afternoon, think about what you wish for and move slowly. ather those who mean the most to you, give them a hug and tell them you love them. Share an old story about how vividly you remember the first date with the love of your life. o outside, fly the flag, grill something, and look up at the sky with the memory of those who built all of this for us. or those who can’t join you, pick up the phone and share just one sentence with them that lets them know they matter. When you go to bed that evening, reflect on all that is good in your life, give thanks and sleep with the peace knowing you had a good day. am grateful that my team, this industry and each of you have been a wish come true for me—an ama ing group of hard-working people for me to serve. Take care of yourselves, your family and your team this summer and spend more time acting on your wishes.

Patrick S. Adams Publisher President mediagroup.com

September 2020

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FEATURE Story By David Koenig

OSB MANUFACTURERS are returning to full production to meet high demand and take advantage of high prices. (Photo by Weyerhaeuser)

OSB surges Demand spikes after pandemic-prompted pause for the worst when the pandemic hit, the OS industry has come roaring back to life during the summer, as supply heats up, producers scramble to restart idled operations, and prices experience record week-to-week jumps. n late uly, Random Lengths charted OS mills in the Southwest quoting prices on OS per , sq. ft. higher than the previous week— topping the previous record of set in . n the South, increases were not far behind, and in western Canada, mills reported prices on skyrocketing during the same week. Prices in the western .S. were reported to have surged per , sq. ft., with many buyers wait ing in line for more volume to cover their needs. One factor in the sudden spike is that the rebound in OS lagged the increases in other building products, just as spending consistently rose, as home construction dropped o sharply before beginning its climb. Consequently, many dealers and distributors—accustomed to just-in-time delivery and wary of being burned by sharp price fluctuations—have let their inventories shrink and have been slow to react to the spike in interest in panel products.

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ill order files began stretching from weeks to months. So OS mills are beginning to ramp production back up, after throttling back operations when the pandemic first hit in arch, anticipating collapsing demand and plunging prices. n arch, Norbord decided to reconfigure its operations to match production with an anticipated reduction in customer demand. After initially lowering operating mill capacity by approximately for the month of April, market demand improved su ciently in the second quarter to allow Norbord to substantially resume production across its North American and uropean mills. With lower manufacturing costs and rising prices on OS , Norbord actually generated more revenue in the second quarter despite lower production. The second quarter of started slowly as it overlapped with the significant pullback in economic activity that occurred during the early stages of the COV pandemic. owever, we ultimately saw improving demand through the quarter that led to better than expected results. Our Adjusted T A represented our best performance in seven quarters, more than doubling from year-ago levels and improving from the prior quarter, said Peter Wijnbergen, Nor-

September 2020

bord’s president and C O. Norbord also planned to resume production in August on a limited operating schedule on ine of its twoline Cordele, a., OS mill. The line was indefinitely curtailed in November due to poor market conditions and lower-than-anticipated OS demand. t had previously been running on a reduced operating schedule from September to November . Similarly, ouisiana-Pacific’s OS segment revenue increased by , on lower volume but higher prices. P cut OS production by about million sq. ft. in April, or about a third of its total capacity, through a combination of curtailments and reduced schedules. The cutbacks were made it a flexible manner, allowing the company to gradually adjust to mirror demand. Weyerhaeuser temporarily lowered OS production by , but steadily began building it back up. Through the second quarter, OS sales were down just , and Weyerhaeuser predicted a robust third quarter, based on how far out its order files were. ost manufacturers have by now returned to operating at greater than of capacity, and demand shows no signs of slowing. Building-Products.com


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INDUSTRY Trends By Chris Brown

2020 everything but normal for lumber industry Treated wood production dips as demand jumps will definitely go down in history. The coronavirus continues to shock not just the .S., but the entire world. We have found ourselves in the middle of a pandemic that we thought we would only see on TV shows or at the movies. This experience has had di erent e ects on everyone. Schools and businesses have been forced to close. obs have been lost. We watch our governor’s statements every day to see how the total numbers are trending and if new mandates will be announced. When the entire country was put on quarantine, everyone began to spend the majority of their time at home. This is where the story gets interesting for our industry. ue to the quarantine and social distancing guidelines, many people were o work and making use of their extra time by starting projects at home. n a normal year, this would not have been an issue, but as we have learned has been anything but normal. With the onset of the pandemic, many manufacturers and mills were forced to either close their facilities or curtail production to meet government-mandated guidelines. This caused a severe decrease in production in all segments of the industry, from logging and milling, to treating and manufacturing. While most manufacturers were either closed or running at reduced capacities, the retail dealers were, and still are, experiencing record sales. This spike in sales and dip in production has led to a disruption in the supply chain. The demand has been unlike anything we have ever seen. We initially projected the date of normalcy would be uly , however we soon reali ed this historic lumber market would not ease until late fall or winter. ills are doing all they can to produce S P. et it still is not enough to keep up with the requests we are receiving daily, said onathan enkins, president of Culpeper Wood Preservers. The unprecedented shortages have created many challenges. What once was a three-to-five-day lead time for a truckload of treated lumber, is now anywhere from four to eight weeks. Our partners have been incredibly patient and cooperative during this time. Our sales team is communicating daily to revise loads as needed just to get product to our customers. We truly appreciate the support we have received from our dealers, said enkins.

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September 2020

As demand continues to rise, the battle to find lumber continues and the prices keep increasing each week. umber futures have reached all-time highs and more than doubled since early April, when more than of North America’s sawing capacity was curtailed. umber purchasers have been tasked with finding lumber to fill the mounting orders, when there is very little to be found. As our dealers continue to experience records sales, we are doing everything we can to ensure we find the products they need. owever, that is getting more and more di cult as each week passes. The situation is somewhat out of our control at this point. The prices are at an all-time high and the availability of lumber is low. That creates a worse-case scenario for me and my entire team. et we come to work every day, ready to go to battle for our partners, said e ineberger, VP of purchasing for Culpeper. As the fall season approaches, demand in the lumber industry is still going strong. any questions are being asked in yet very few answers can be given with certainty. owever, enkins is preparing for the future: When the virus hit our nation, we were all taken by surprise and unsure of exactly how to proceed. No one in our industry could have predicted record sales and limited supply during a pandemic. ortunately, we have the best team in the industry and we are making plans to ensure something like this does not happen again for our partners. They have gone above and beyond for us and that’s exactly what our company is planning to do for them moving forward. Thankfully, the building materials industry has now been deemed essential. f not for that, the story could be much different. While the lumber shortage has changed our industry substantially this year, keeping everything in perspective is vitally important in these unforeseen and challenging times. We will continue to treat lumber as fast as we can find it to fill orders, while being thankful for our health, families, coworkers and continued support of our partners. – Chris Brown is director of business development and marketing for Culpeper Wood Preservers, Culpeper, Va. Reach him at cbrown@culpeperwood.com or (270) 230-7273. Building-Products.com


Building-Products.com

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INDUSTRY Trends By Charlie Jourdain

THE NATURAL advantages of using redwood lumber, proven by a recent Life-Cycle Assessment study, helped convince Eureka, Ca., homeowners to use the species for their elaborate outdoor kitchen project (see sidebar on next page).

Redwood lumber the subject of updated LifeCycle Assessment study by S A orest Products aboratory P researchers has confirmed Coastal redwood’s status as a super-wood. The resulting study, nvironmental mpacts of edwood umber: A Cradleto- ate Assessment, and accompanying nvironmental Product eclaration P , provide evidence that redwood products have very low environmental impacts compared to non-wood products and are a natural solution to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

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Redwood Excels at Removing Carbon from the Atmosphere

CARBON FOOTPRINT Tons CO2 eq./MBF

2020 Redwood Lumber EPD

-1.50

2012 Redwood Decking EPD

-1.47

2016 Western Red Cedar EPD

-1.18

2020 North American Softwood Lumber EPD

-0.78

Recycled Wood Plastic Composite (EPA 2006)

4.10

Polyvinyl Chloride (EPA 2006)

4.75

Virgin Wood Plastic Composite (EPA 2006)

5.10

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September 2020

ased upon data collected at ig Creek umber Co., umboldt Sawmill Co., and endocino orest Products Co. for calendar year , the cradle-to-gate life-cycle assessment CA is a measure of the environmental impacts associated with redwood lumber production. CA results are used in the preparation of the nvironmental Product eclaration P , an independently thirdparty nvironment verified description of the environmental performance of redwood lumber. The cradleto-gate assessment is the cumulative result of all processes from raw material extraction cradle through the point that finished product is packaged and ready for shipment at the manufacturing facility gate . unding for this research was provided by the .S. ndowment for orestry and Communities which was formed in accordance with the terms of the Softwood umber Agreement between the nited States and Canada. The American Wood Council AWC is the older of the edwood umber P , which is available at www.awc. org sustainability epd, along with P s of numerous other North American orest Products. The endocino amily of Companies, including umboldt Sawmill Co. and endocino orest Products Co., provided a gift to the S A orest Products aboratory of help o set the costs of data collection and Building-Products.com


processing from the three California sawmills. n , the California edwood Association funded ife-Cycle Assessment of edwood ecking in the nited States with a Comparison to Three Other ecking aterials. This was a cradle-to-grave study comparing redwood decking to PVC, virgin WPC, and recycled WPC decking products. Cradle-to- rave CAs are more comprehensive in that they include the impacts of forest establishment, transport to market, construction, and end-of-life disposal. A key measure of environmental performance for a product is lobal Warming Potential WP , which is the amount of carbon given o to or taken out of sequestered the atmosphere by a product or process. This current study indicates a WP of kg CO equivalent cubic meter

of redwood lumber production. This figure converts to - . tons of CO equivalent per . Another way to express this figure is that the Net Carbon ootprint of , bd. ft. of redwood lumber is - . tons of CO . As such, manufacturing , bd. ft. of redwood lumber pulls , lbs. of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. or a comparison with other wood and non-wood decking products, see the accompanying table. The redwood lumber P is valid through uly . – Charlie Jourdain is manager, business development for The Mendocino Family of Companies: Mendocino Forest Products Co. Mendocino Redwood Co., Humboldt Redwood Co., and Allweather Wood (www.mendoco.com).

Eureka! The Redwood Outdoor Kitchen ’ that the most popular area of the home is the kitchen. And while indoor kitchens can become crowded, outdoor kitchens extend living space, making home entertaining a bree e. rom food prep and storage, to engaging with guests, anything that can be done inside can be done in an outdoor kitchen, all while enjoying nature. ureka, Ca., homeowners reg and Stephanie knew that an outdoor kitchen would mean more than extended living space: it would be a special environment for them to use for years to come. What started as a simple desire for an outdoor fireplace quickly expanded into an outdoor kitchen, living, and entertainment space, capped by a stunning, custom-built redwood pergola. The area includes an outdoor fireplace, smoker and pi a oven, as well as ample space for dining, seating, and storage. We wanted an environment that we could use months out of the year—we entertain quite a bit, explained the homeowners. We are asked to host events due to the si e of our yard and patio, and now feel we have a perfect outdoor space to enhance those events. Working with Pierson Co., a construction firm based in umboldt County, Ca., the homeowners were able to design an outdoor space that works for them. The redwood pergola was built in two sections. The section containing the stone fireplace, smoker, and pi a oven is the kitchen and living area and is covered by a shingled roof. The dining section has a clear, corrugated plastic roof that allows natural light in. ureka receives a lot of rain and fog. With a roof covering we will be able to use this space as often as possible. The roof provides protection from the elements, while also providing shade on warm sunny days, reg said. The pergola was designed to utili e hidden fasteners hidden Simpson steel connections were installed inside the structure, creating a seamless display of the natural warmth and beauty of the redwood. n addition, all electrical wiring was placed in a routed-out slot, effectively hiding away the unsightly cords. The visual results are similar to traditional timber frame construction. y favorite part is the ceiling, Stephanie says. love the beams and the strength of them the way the light and firelight reflect off the redwood is warm and inviting.

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA outdoor kitchen project called on redwood for its showpiece pergola.

t was an obvious choice for us to go with umboldt Sawmill redwood. They do great forest management, and knew that they would provide the product that we needed for this project. We decided that we wanted to use natural products and there is nothing more natural than redwood. t is a beautiful wood: it’s sustainable, it’s durable, it’s insect resistant, and low-maintenance, reg said, when asked about the materials they chose. We tried to design it so it would be low-maintenance so we could just enjoy it. love working with redwood, said evin from Pierson Co. t cuts beautifully it’s a nice product to work with. n addition to being easy to work with, the durability and strength of redwood make it ideal when it comes to longevity: when installing the structure, the Pierson Company used x steel posts set in concrete ’ round by ’ deep so as to not need bracing. This project is one of the nicest projects have ever done, per evin. Thanks to redwood’s ability to stand up to the elements, and natural resistance to warping and splitting, this will be an outdoor space that the homeowners and their guests will be able to enjoy for a long time.

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PRODUCT Spotlight By David Koenig

GRADE OF REDWOOD will determine its most appropriate application, while identifying its durability and appearance. (Photo by Redwood Empire)

Know your redwood grades is available in more than different grades, from general-purpose grades to highly speciali ed grades intended for a single specific use. t is graded by appearance and durability, with criteria defined by the edwood nspection Service and now administered by the Western Wood Products Association. rades are dependent on where the board is cut in a tree trunk, how old the tree is, how the wood was developed, and in what direction the board was cut. There are two primary groupings of redwood grades: Architectural Appearance and arden Structural, with each subcategori ed by whether it was cut from heartwood or sapwood. The primary grades are:

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Architectural Grades Heartwood Clear All Heart. The finest architectural heartwood grade, typically certified iln ried but also available unseasoned , well manufactured, and free of defects on at least one face. t comes

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surfaced or saw-textured. ses: siding, paneling, cabinetry, millwork, outdoor structures. Heart Clear. igh quality grade similar to CA , but with limited imperfections allowed. sually , surfaced or saw-textured. Heart B. uality heartwood grade with few knots and other characteristics not permitted in Clear All eart and eart Clear. Available or unseasoned, surfaced or saw-textured. Similar uses.

decks, posts, retaining walls, fences, garden structures. Deck Heart. Similar appearance and uses as Construction eart, but it is also graded for strength and available only in x and x . Merchantable Heart. conomical grade containing slightly larger knots than construction grades, as well as checks, splits and some manufacturing flaws. O ered unseasoned, surfaced or rough. ses: fences, retaining walls, garden structures.

Sapwood Clear. Same general quality and uses as previous but contains sapwood in varying amounts and some imperfections not permitted in Clear All eart. B Grade. Similar to Clear, but with limited knots and other imperfections.

Sapwood Construction Common. Similar to Con eart, but contains both heartwood and sapwood. nseasoned or seasoned, surfaced or rough. ses: decks, fences, above-ground garden uses. Deck Common. Same as Con Common, but graded for strength and available only in x and x . Merchantable. Same characteristics as erchantable eart, but has sapwood in varying amounts. nseasoned, surfaced or rough. ses: fences, rails, above-ground outdoor uses.

Garden Grades Heartwood Construction Heart. Contains knots of varying si es and other slight imperfections. O ered seasoned or unseasoned, surfaced or rough. ses:

September 2020

Building-Products.com


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MARGIN Builders By Simon Cameron

WESTERN RED CEDAR dealers have a new tool for finding leads and converting them into sales.

Turning western red cedar leads into sales retail and distribution business knows the value of a good lead. ut the value of that lead can quickly diminish when it hits the various hurdles that can get in the way of converting it to a sale. The Western ed Cedar umber Association, the Vancouver, .C.based non-profit association that represents premium western red cedar producers in Canada and the .S., made a commitment to its members last year to focus on connecting leads to sales, and implementing programs that would ultimately improve conversions. The association’s mandate has always been to drive the sales and value of our member’s products, said rad irkbride, W C A managing director. We’ve always done a good job of selling the beauty and unique benefits of the species to mitigate competitive threats and keep eal Cedar top of

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mind, but until now we’ve never been able to maintain a touchpoint with a potential customer after they’ve finished seeing an ad or left the website. That changed when we shifted our focus to finding ways to convert those leads into making the cash register ring. The solution they developed, and are now seeing pay o , is the new Get a Quote feature on W C A’s website, realcedar.com. All advertising and outreach for eal Cedar—the association’s consumer-facing brand for member products— drives tra c to the website to the information they’re looking for, such as building plans, videos, or product or specifying information, among other areas. Through targeted campaigns realcedar.com now sees over a million visitors a year, with that number now almost doubling every year the site already had over . million sessions by

September 2020

uly this year . Customers on the site are directed to the etailer ocator page, which is found under the Where to uy section. There they can perform a location search, and the top retailers closest to their location who supply member products are shown on the map, along with their listing on the page’s sidebar. Premium W C A member retailers’ logos also appear—not unlike the first few links in a oogle search—and clicking the logo will filter by closest location if there is more than one. Clicking the irections link for each retailer will then give the user directions via oogle maps, or they can click a et etails button to go directly to the member’s page on the site. With the new addition of the Get a Quote feature, customers can now request quotes directly from the member retailer in the etailer ocator tool. Building-Products.com


GET A QUOTE feature on realcedar.com’s Retailer Locator tool connects buyers to sellers.

The retailer can then reply back with the quote, assist with specifying products, additional materials, arrange delivery or pick up, and provide whatever else the customer requires. n addition to benefiting the retailer, the feature also improves the user experience by satisfying the customer’s desire to request to purchase cedar directly from the website, as well as improve sales of western red cedar overall. t was timely that we added the Get a Quote feature when we did, said irkbride. The COV - pandemic drove online use up, and being able to connect customers to everything from plans to technical advice to specifying information and ultimately direct retailer contact on realcedar.com has been very beneficial. We’ve had really good feedback on it.

To improve the customer experience, W C A first eroed-out the retailer list that was previously on the site all outdated or inaccurate listings were culled. A new, updated list of eal Cedar carrying retailers was then re-added. Since implementing Get a Quote in the spring, use of the feature has been growing and quotes were requested in ay and une alone. According to the association’s reporting, of all requests in une were for W C siding up from the month before , followed by decking at , timbers and dimensional lumber at . Tennessee and California generated the most quotes in une and , respectively , followed by assachusetts, New ork, llinois, Alberta and ritish Columbia Canada, Colorado, New ersey, and Texas.

The association monitors all online activity and has said they expect locations for most leads and product requests to change month to month. They also noted that in most cases but not all the majority of leads came from markets in which eal Cedar online campaigns were running. Connecting customers directly to member retailers is one less hurdle in the purchase process. While the individual retailer has the final responsibility to close the deal, the addition of Get a Quote is bringing more qualified leads to them. n a crowded and di cult market, who wouldn’t want that – Established in 1954, the WRCLA is the voice of the cedar industry and has members in 132 locations throughout North America.

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COMPETITIVE Intelligence By Carla Waldemar

Diversify and flourish S has earned his stripes at making lemonade— although that’s one of the few items that his business, Central umber ardware, arlowton, t., doesn’t sell. is parents, who ran a similar business -some miles away, had come to reali e that many of their existing customers drove over from arlowston—a pinpoint pop. , on the ontana map, where an existing yard was for sale. So they bought it back in with the

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OWNERS Teri and Jeff Sell are continually looking for new areas of opportunity for their Montana lumberyard and hardware store.

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understanding that its manager would stay in place to run the show. Turns out, running the outfit was not in his skill set. et, because of his product knowledge, the new owners felt they had to keep him on. So they sent in their son, e , age . ust the two of us, he notes, in cataloguing the lemons foremost on his plate. had grown up in my parents’ hardware business, so stepped away from college to temporarily help out. This place had been a lumberyard in name only—to supply one contractor. t had only , in inventory. So had to build it back up, during the lean years of the ’ s. put the lumber back in, to supply it for everybody. The town—which, back then, sported three hardware stores and two lumberyards all gone today did not look favorably on the enterprise. ere was, a -year-old outsider in an elderly community. didn’t know a thing, says e . had to blu my way. irst o , got rid of bad inventory. added products like floor coverings and mattresses—which we still sell, today. added window coverings. ecause we weren’t all that busy, went out looking for customers. also worked nights and weekends Building-Products.com


BUILDING UP its inventory of gifts, crafts and other consumer goods has helped draw in new categories of customers, which in turn has helped Central Lumber thrive during the pandemic.

elsewhere to be able to make a go of it. Plus, became very invested in the town. ’ve since been on the school board, the city council, and served as mayor for eight years. y wife is on the Chamber of Commerce. Our employees are on the school board and city council, too we encourage employee involvement. y now, arlowton’s former competing enterprises have dropped by the wayside, and, says e , Now we’re the only lumberyard in town. No competition. The closest is in illings, miles away. Sounds more like lemonade. et you won’t find e sipping it from his rocking chair. e’s out there, front and center, pushing primo service: t’s our big thing we’ll do anything we have to do, such as make a recent -mile run out to a customer who forgot the floor adhesive: We’ll deliver as far as we need to go. is customers are evenly divided between pros and local walk-ins. ocal contractors are building a few custom homes— usually rural ranches for folks who have moved away, made money, and come back. ut mostly it’s a lot of remodels and add-ons. Pole barns. e hosts Contractors Nights in spring and fall, counting on vendors to introduce new products and supply the eats. The ers learn about the outfit via acebook, which we use extensively. We also serve three utterite colonies around here nowadays we do a lot of business with them, but that wasn’t always the case. We had to develop mutual trust most of the town mistrusted them . worked on it, and it made a big di erence. Now, they’re accepted everywhere, he adds. A sta of nine full-time employees plus four part-timers represent the kind of people people e prefers to hire: Building-Products.com

They know how to talk to customers. Product they can learn by shadowing an employee. Plus, many already know their trades. One knows plumbing, inside and out, and another is an ex-contractor, who’s familiar with bids and take-o s. just hired a flooring salesman used to do most of that, myself we’re known for flooring and sell it all over the area, up to miles. loor coverings recently jumped from , to , a year, and with good margins, he confides. ut the biggest jump in sales—let’s call it an Olympic leap—occurred after Central recently completed a , sq. ft. expansion—over three years in the making—with the aid of the outfit’s buying group. We surveyed what people wanted. et in the middle of the expansion last year, another yard here folded, so we needed to switch gears and add even more. eanwhile, between and , sales were up a whopping . Then in , we held a rand e-Opening. n the first five months of this year, sales were up , because of the expansion. usiness previously had been strictly with contractors, but this brought in valued new customers—young folks and women, drawn in part by the addition of housewares and lawn garden departments: locals who’d never entered his doors before. olks he reached on acebook. unctioning as a one-stop shop in arlowton, Central also has carried such diverse items as TVs, air conditioners and household linens. So, who needs illings ven the dreaded virus provided an unexpected bonus. t’s another new wave. We’re getting people who quit driving to illings because of the risk, making last month ay the biggest month since we’ve been in business. ver n the midst of the expansion in ay , we brought in , . n ay , it was , . And the biggest increase came in ardware we’d added so much. es, the virus changed our sales, he continues. Our customer count went way up. et big sales are down: fewer lumber packages, fewer mattresses. ut as folks ease back to work and get their stimulus payments, business is brewing again. n fact, we just made another hire because we didn’t even have time to put away our orders every week it was a struggle. Now, we’re handling it. e has never regretted the turn his life took at . love being my own boss, not having to answer to anybody. t also provides a very good income, on which raised my family and will retire comfortably. ut not tomorrow. The business will come up for sale when we get ready to retire, which also drove the expansion idea. t won’t sell locally, so this makes it all the more attractive to outsiders . Oh, heck: e probably would have expanded anyway, following his own advice. ere’s the credo he lives by: ou’ve gotta spend money to make money you’ve gotta make it happen, re-invest in your business, keep it in good shape. ou’ve got to always have a goal.

Carla Waldemar cwaldemar comcast.net September 2020 n

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OLSEN on Sales By James Olsen

The next call

with our customers one call at a time. Our goal is to daisy-chain these calls together to make the process faster. any salespeople call their customers in a willy-nilly fashion. This creates willy-nilly results. We want to become part of our customer’s lives, similar to the mail carrier. We are someone they see on a regular basis who they count on. Once we are in their life rotation, we will become part of their purchasing rotation.

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Prospecting

When we prospect, we will get very few buyers on the phone the first or second, or third time we call. We don’t robo-dial accounts. This sends the message that we are desperate and is irritating to the buyer. We call the prospective account on the same day, at the same time, over a series of weeks, sometimes every other week. We leave a professional message: ood morning, Sarah, this is ob ohnson from A C umber. We sell building products to the most competitive companies just like you in the Southeast. would love to take a couple minutes to speak with you and see if we are a good fit. Please, give me a call at - - illing- t- n- umber. look forward to speaking with you. We keep the message short. We tell them that we are selling a lot of what they buy to competitive accounts in their region. A very low percentage will call back. Our message is a marketing or image message. We want to sound confident, get to the point and hang up. We don’t over-explain. Our second message is similar: ood morning, Sarah. This is ob ohnson from A C umber. am following up from my call last week. We continue to sell a ton of building products in the Southeast. Please give me a call at We do not whine. ou must be a busy person. ou sure are hard to get a hold of , or any other similar remarks. We are killing it. We are busy. That’s why we only call once a week or once every other week. We do begin to develop a relationship with the receptionist or the yard supervisor: Sarah. ulie tells me that Thursday mornings before is the best time to get a hold of you so will call next Thursday at : . look forward to speaking with you then.

Inquiry

We take a thorough inquiry from our customer, then we set a firm appointment to call back: avid. ive me a half hour to prepare a professional quote for you. When should call you back Or avid, when do you get back from lunch O , will call you at : and we will put this one together. f they are flaky or elusive, we use the ouble Pin : Us: avid, ’ll call you at : , O David: Sounds good.

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Us: So you’ll be available at : , right ey, by the way, do have your cell phone We use two more important questions before we hang up on an inquiry call: Us: avid. Can ask you a favor David: Sure. Us: Will you talk to me before you buy this We use this sequence every time.

Closing

Whether we get the order or not, we set up the next call. When most sellers get or lose an order, they quickly move to So is there anything else you are buying The aster Seller digs in on this order whether they won the business or not . After a missed order: Master Seller: arn it. O . So, you bought it already. y the way no big deal tone , what did you pick that up for ow long will that last you f could get you one for extended shipment, would you buy another one from me One out of buyers will say yes. Ten percent is a great percentage, especially compared to ero. ven if they say no, we now know what they paid and when they will need the product again. The execution is the same if they buy from us, except we thank them and ask the same questions. or most sellers every call is a stab in the dark. aster Sellers know what is going to happen on every call because they always set up the next call. James Olsen eality Sales Training james realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com


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THE REVENUE Growth Habit By Alex Goldfayn

The key mindsets to fuel your sales growth – This following is an excerpt from Alex Goldfayn’s new book - inute Selling: The Proven, Simple System That Can ouble our Sales... ven When ou on’t ave Time (Wiley).

communicating intentionally and proactively with the to of your customers who are happy but quiet, you will find your mindset shifting from positions that actively sabotage your selling to those that actively cataly e it. indsets fuel our behavior. We cannot outsell or outperform our thinking. f we think that our customers dislike us, and here comes another annoying customer, then our sales will reflect this thinking. Conversely, if we believe our customers are lucky to have us and they are and that we are helping them a great deal and we are , then we’ll also sell accordingly. ither way, you need to sell, and ’d suggest that the latter position will make you a lot more money than the former. One of my favorite quotes, which use in many places in my work, was spoken by enry ord: Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right. think this is one of the best things ever said. et’s say you have a difficult phone call coming up with a customer who you know is angry. ou have two choices: The first option is the reactive, exasperated, fearful, cynical one: This call is going to be awful. This guy hates me, and ’m not a big fan of his either. reat ere it comes ow’s that call going to go t will be as awful as reading that quote feels

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The second position is the optimistic, confident, positive one: know he’s displeased, but ’m going to try to help him as much as can. ’ll do my best, and then ’ll move on to helping others. Same call. Same customer. ou have to talk to him either way. ou might as well think you can. ou might as well come into it with a mindset that’s helpful for dealing with this person and also the rest of your day. This is the power of our mindset when it comes to systematic, proactive selling. t is the core. t is the fuel. t is the catalyst.

These Mindsets Are Contagious

Negativity is contagious, but so is positivity. Pessimism is contagious, but so is optimism. f you bring your cus-

September 2020

tomers positivity, it will impact them in a good way. eanwhile, everyone else a ects them in a bad way. ou should know that if you bring your customers the mindsets and attitudes detailed in this chapter, you will be one of the only people in their lives to be doing so. And people will pay good money for these rare—nearly extinct—outlooks. The key mindsets that will fuel your sales growth: Optimism. ost humans tend to be pessimistic—which means most salespeople are, too. All around us, there is pessimism. Turn on the television news: pessimism. isten to our politicians for two minutes: pessimism. And negativity. And the end of the world. ight Optimism is a rare commodity. t is exceedingly rare in your customers’ Building-Products.com


lives. emember, they only call their salespeople when there is a problem. And customers also only hear from their sales reps when there is a problem. Nobody calls anybody when nothing is wrong. Nobody calls anybody with positivity. ecause positivity is not urgent. ring your customers optimism, and you’ll be one of the only ones. This will make you singular to them. People want optimism in their lives. ring it to them, and they will thank you with their money. Enthusiasm. define enthusiasm in sales as positive, joyful energy for helping customers and prospects. The dictionary definition for enthusiasm adds an excellent word: interest. We must be interested in helping the customer. We must care about the customer. nthusiasm is rare in the business world. Among your sales competition, it’s basically non-existent. This is because most salespeople answer the phone, get yelled at, get beaten up on price, react to urgent matters, or solve problems all day. This is a very di cult environment in which to be enthusiastic. nthusiasm will help you make proactive calls. nthusiasm will help you follow up on quotes and proposals. nthusiasm will help your customers feel great about hearing from you— because everybody else brings them problems and negativity. ut you bring them enthusiasm. That’s a rarified position. Actually, in your customer’s life, it’s a singular position. Confidence. Who would you rather buy from: the confident salesperson or the fearful, meek one Confident salespeople know how to help their customers and are proactive about it. They say: Why don’t you let me help you with that want to sell you that. eek, fearful salespeople don’t want to bother customers, so they don’t even call. Confident salespeople are present and communicate to their customers that they care. eek, fearful salespeople don’t want to take their customers’ time. They think, f they need it, they’ll call. This thinking has significantly grown sales never. Confident salespeople o er additional products and services by asking s , and they ask the customers what else they need that they can help with r . eek salespeople fulfill the customer’s request and nothing more. Confident salespeople actively un-niche the customer: know they’re buying things elsewhere that can help them with. Now let’s figure out what that is. ow do you figure it out y asking What else are you buying elsewhere that can help you with This is the r question. Confidence is proactive. ear is reactive. And since we’ve established that proactive selling is the key to predictable, significant sales growth, think you should choose confidence The positive conversations will fuel your confidence. The quick wins will develop it. our success will lead to more success, which will lead to more confidence. A righteous, joyful circle of success and confidence t’s much better than the vicious circle of reactivity we’ve discussed. Gratitude. Study after study finds that grateful professionals succeed more than those who lack gratitude. And, interestingly, it’s gratitude that makes us successful, not the other way around. This means if you weren’t grateful on your way to success, you will not magically become grateful when you attain success. ou will be successful temporarily , but you Building-Products.com

won’t appreciate it—because you didn’t appreciate or give thanks for your journey to it. And your stay at the successful place will be brief and fleeting. t’s important to be grateful for the journey. We must be grateful even for the di cult calls, because they bring us closer to the happy, successful calls. We must be grateful for the rejections, because they bring us closer to the successes. We must be grateful for the process. ou can be sure that the to of your customers who are happy and quiet are grateful for you. And, of course, we should be actively grateful for the obvious things: That our customers trust us enough to help them. So let’s not take that away from them. That we have customers who need what we sell. So let’s be present and show them that we care. That we are among the best in the world at what we do. So let’s share that incredible value with people who can pay us. That the amount of money we make is determined only by how hard we work and our perseverance. Seriously, how lucky are we Perseverance. ost successful salespeople have experienced thousands of failures and rejections. know have. So what t comes with the work. When trying to build something interesting, failure always precedes success. A middle-aged man recently said to me, ’ve never failed at anything. And immediately thought, This means you haven’t tried anything interesting. ailure is part and parcel of doing challenging things. And selling is certainly challenging. The job is to keep doing the right things communicating proactively in spite of the rejection. ven when it’s not going well. eep doing the right thing. ecause this is what your family deserves. And it’s certainly what your customers deserve. And we know that if you do the right things enough times, eventually the success ensues. n baseball, even if you hit the ball perfectly, it often flies at a defender and is an out. ut players know that if they hit the ball the right way enough times, eventually the hits come. t’s the same in sales. ake enough of the right communications, and eventually, the sales will come. n baseball, you go to the all of ame if you fail of the time. n sales, we fail much more than that. run a million consulting practice by myself. ost of the prospects talk to about possibly working together do not become clients—but the right ones do. n sales, if you have been rejected eight times, a ninth rejection is literally no worse. t’s the same. ou had no sale, and you still have no sale. So who cares eep trying to help. eep trying to add value. eep communicating. ventually, you’ll find the right fit. ventually, the money comes. t always does—if we do the work.

Alex Goldfayn evenue rowth Consultancy alex evangelistmktg. com September 2020 n

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TRANSFORMING Teams By Paige McAllister

COVID-19 in the workplace:

Reminders and updates continues, we wanted to remind you of some important compliance regulations that made headlines a few months ago but may have fallen o your radar as well as some recent updates to previous guidance.

A

• Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA) paid time off went into e ect on April , , and is still in e ect until at least ec. , . While many employees have already used at least some of this paid time o , if an employee has not taken their full allotment, they are still entitled to this mandated benefit. Additionally, this paid time o must be used before any other paid time o benefit vacation, sick, personal is exhausted. mployees are only entitled to two weeks of C A paid sick time so, if they have used their two weeks of paid sick time already, they are not entitled to additional C A sick time even if they have another qualifying event. owever, as school re-openings are in question, employees who have taken sick time are still entitled to take the weeks of extended A if they now need it.

Q. We have an employee who has a child at home and will be going to 100% remote learning. Our employee will need to stay home and most of her job function requires that she be in the office. We don’t want to, but we may need to let her go. Any thoughts?

A. Unfortunately, many clients of ours are in this situation. Among the things we have recommended is restructuring the job or realigning job duties so that she can handle more work that can be done remotely. Is there an option to help your employee shift to later hours, job share or even perhaps help her with the cost of a sitter? If none of those options are possible, rather than firing her, is a furlough possible so that her benefits (PTO, health care, etc.) remain intact for when the pandemic subsides and children can go back to school? If none of these options are possible, there is nothing precluding you from letting her go. Alas, it’s the last and worst option, but it remains a viable option. And if you do have to go this route, be sure you treat all employees similarly (don’t fire one, furlough the other, etc.).

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To ensure compliance confirm all employees have access to the C A poster and have the employee submit a request and documentation so you can claim the credit on your payroll taxes.

• n arch, the S o ered employers flexibility for completing section 2 on form I-9 for new hires working remotely. Originally set to expire uly , the S recently extended this allowance an additional days. To meet orm - documentation requirements while remote: Within three days of start date: Complete Section by viewing employment eligibility documents electronically video, fax, or email nter COV as reason for delay of physical inspection and etain copies of viewed documents Within three days of returning to the o ce or upon expiration of this rule, whichever comes first: Physically inspect employment eligibility documents Note documents physically examined with the date of inspection in the Section additional information field This exception is only for employers hiring remotely those that are hiring employees to work in-person must follow regular - regulations. • On uly , the C C issued new guidelines for when a non-healthcare worker can return to work after either displaying symptoms or having tested positive for the virus. These guidelines are symptom-based, meaning the duration of quarantine relates to the severity of the symptoms, Building-Products.com


replacing earlier guidelines that were time testing based. The new guidelines eliminate the requirement to produce a negative COV test at the end of one’s convalescence but rather the duration an individual must wait to return is based on the onset of symptoms and severity of symptoms. The guidelines create two separate return-to-work scenarios: or those with mild to moderate symptoms and for those who test positive for COV but are otherwise asymptomatic, individuals may return to work after they have: Waited days from onset of symptoms or tested positive for COV , ave lasted hours without a fever without use of fever reducer, and ave improved symptoms, whatever they are not just respiratory condition . mployees with severe symptoms must have: Waited days from onset of symptoms or positive COV test, ave lasted hours without a fever without use of fever reducer, and ave improved symptoms, whatever they are not just respiratory condition . eturning employees are no longer required to take a negative COV test unless their symptoms are severe and they have underlying health conditions that would require it.

nforce social distancing, wearing masks, hand washing and saniti ing, cleaning and disinfecting, etc. Screen employee daily for fever and other symptoms. equire they report immediately if they begin to feel unwell and send them home. When possible, allowing the employee to work from home while self-quarantining or waiting for test results will probably benefit both employer and employee. f you have any questions about any of these or other issues related to COV - , please reach out to Affinity roup so we can help you research local requirements and assess your options. Paige McAllister, SP A nity roup contact a nityhrgroup.com

• As employees return to the workplace after traveling for vacation during the continuing COV - pandemic, employers are faced with decisions on how to maintain a healthy and safe workplace as employees return from potentially high-risk situations. n order to keep other employees healthy, employers can implement some precautionary measures to mitigate some of the risks. These, as with all policies and processes, must be applied consistently and should be reviewed with the employee before he or she takes the time o so they are aware of the expectations. ere are three common scenarios for minimi ing risk of exposure after an employee not showing symptoms of COV - returns from a high-risk area: (1) Require employee to self-quarantine for 14 days after returning: Currently required by some states, counties and cities. ollow C C recommendations for employee to stay self-quarantined at home for days from last exposure and monitor for symptoms during the two-to- -day COV incubation period. f no symptoms after days, the employee can return to work. Time may be unpaid or paid under C A or employee’s paid time o if available , but state-mandated leave probably will not apply. (2) Require employee to get tested: Per C C guidelines, this would have to occur several days after possible exposure so cannot be done right away for more e ective results. ack of readily-available, reliable testing and long delays in getting results may make this option impractical. Only a snapshot for that day could have COV but not showing on test. Could still get at some future time so not protection from future infection. (3) Require strict adherence to safety precautions to help mitigate the risks of your employees transmitting or being exposed to COVID at the workplace, especially for first 14 days after return: Building-Products.com

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HPM Acquires Maui Dealer

CENTURY-OLD chain in Southern California’s Imperial Valley has a new owner, a new name, and a new look.

Ace Dealer Purchases Imperial Do it Center Chain

nland uilders Supply, lythe, Ca., has purchased -year-old, third-generation-owned mperial ardware Co., oltville, Ca., and is transforming its three stores from o it Centers to Ace ardware formats. All three mperial o it Center branches— oltville, l Centro, and rawley, Ca.—are undergoing full renovations, including refreshed interiors, exteriors and signage. rand openings are planned for October. While the other locations remained open to customers during the conversions, the landmark oltville facility, opened in , was temporarily closed to customers. Phil eald, -year-old grandson of founder oward eyer, had been serving as C O.

Supply oldings agreed to sell its White Cap, ome mprovement Solutions, and rafasco construction and industrial divisions to Clayton, ubilier ice for . billion. The deal is expected to close in October. White Cap C O ohn Stegeman and president Alan Sollenberger will stay on to head the businesses.

BlueLinx Sells Denver Facility

lue inx oldings has completed a sale-leaseback transaction for its owned distribution facility in enver, Co., for . million. As part of the deal, lue inx entered into a lease agreement for the property with multiple renewal options, demonstrating its long-term commitment to this local market. Net proceeds from the sale-leaseback transaction were used to repay indebtedness under the company’s term loan, which has been reduced to approximately . million. n

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New Owner Rescues Spokane Hardware Center

iller’s o it est ardware, Spokane, Wa., reopened Aug. under new owner Stace eston. The -year-old business closed in arch due to the failing health of prior owner att cCoury. Although eston rushed to reopen the , -sq. ft. store with minimal changes, he does plan a full renovation, including the possible addition of a garden center.

US May Appeal WTO Ruling

HD Supply Selling White Cap

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ight-unit P uilding Supply, ilo, i., has acquired iyake Concrete Accessories’ four building supply stores and one truss plant on aui. P will rebrand the new locations as iyake P uilding Supply, hire additional sta , and expand services and product lines. ormer owner avid iyake, , who bought the business in , will retire. With the deal, iyake’s workers will become P owner-employees, with to more to be hired, including sales clerks, truck drivers and warehouse sta . P will integrate merchandising, systems and operations at the iyake stores through the end of this year. All locations will remain fully operational during the transition period with no anticipated interruptions.

The .S. is considering an appeal of the World Trade Organi ation’s latest ruling that backed Canada’s claim that the .S. imposed unfair tari s on its softwood lumber imports. A panel of three WTO experts accused the Trump Administration of miscalculating how the Canadian government subsidi es its timber companies and instituting unfairly high duties. This flawed report confirms what the nited States has been saying for years: the WTO dispute-settlement system is being used to shield non-market practices and harm .S. interests, said .S. Trade epresentative obert ighthi er. The .S. has days—until late October—to appeal, which would deny tari relief to a number of Canadian firms, including Canfor, esolute orest Products, Tolko, West raser, and rving. The case marks the ninth time Canada has petitioned the WTO to challenge .S. trade restrictions on Canadian softwood lumber imports.

September 2020

NEWS Briefs HouseMart Ace Hardware

held an Aug. 22 grand opening for its new 18,500-sq. ft. location in West Maui, Hi.

Miner’s Ace Hardware, Los Osos, Ca., is expanding, taking over the 9,000-sq. ft. space next door to deepen its product mix. Crown Ace Hardware is shuttering its Lake Forest, Ca., store in mid-to-late October, reducing the chain to 16 locations. OrePac Building Products

is now offering Therma-Tru doors in the Salt Lake City, Ut., market.

MoistureShield’s Vision capped composite decking has been approved for the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Building Materials listing in California. Alside parent Associated Materials, Cuyahoga Falls, Oh., is

recapitalizing to “significantly de-lever its balance sheet and enhance its liquidity position.”

Huttig Building Products, St. Louis, Mo., received an unsolicited acquisition proposal from private investment firm Mill Road Capital. G Wood Products , New York, N.Y., has been formed to serve as the exclusive U.S. distributor of Tantimber thermally modified wood, produced in Sakarya, Turkey. Do it Best retailer members earned record rebates of $128.4 million over the last fiscal year, as the co-op’s net profit jumped 12.6% and total sales reached $3.6 billion. Viance, Charlotte, N.C., launched a new website, designwood. com, to showcase the benefits of its colorant for DesignWood pre-colored, preservative treated wood. PrimeSource Building Products is expanding distribution

of its hand protection line, GRX Gloves, beyond independent dealers into Home Depot and Lowe’s stores across the country.

Building-Products.com


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September 2020 10/27/14 4:14:53 PM

TOOL MANUFACTURER Makita is building its largest service center in the U.S. to serve dealers in the Southwest.

Makita Expands Big in Southwest

n a year that marks years in the .S., akita has expanded its distribution, training and service capabilities with a new , -sq. ft. state-of-the-art complex in eno, Nv. t increases akita’s operational ability to meet growing market demand with nation-wide two-day ground coverage, so customers receive products faster. The million facility is the company’s fifth in the .S., following the recent opening of a similar facility in the allas region. akita recently opened eno with a soft launch and will be fully on-line this fall. The distribution center sits on nearly acres of land. A detached , -sq. ft. training center— akita’s fourth in the .S.—will o er tailored curriculum and hands-on training. or dealer partners, training will focus on increasing their knowledge of akita’s leading technologies and empowering them to match a solution to their customers. or professional users, the focus is application-driven with instruction showing the right accessories and the right tools for the job with an emphasis on proper use for increased productivity and profitability. A new actory Service Center, targeted to open in late fall , will be four times larger in square footage than any other akita Service Center in the .S. ven with this significant expansion, akita remains focused on the future. According to oe lackwell, VPoperations, The open space adjacent to the building is shovelready for planned future expansion.

Do it Best Teams with Nation’s Best

o it est Corp. has purchased a stake in fast-growing, -unit member retailer Nation’s est oldings, allas, Tx. The joint venture between o it est and Nation’s est founder Chris iller is focused on building a nationwide network of independent hardlines and stores by acquiring hardware and lumber businesses throughout the .S., regardless of current wholesaler a liation. This is the right move for us as we work to solidify our position as the only full-service wholesale distributor, noted o it est president and C O an Starr. As this opportunity developed, we received unanimous and enthusiastic support from the o it est board of directors. ounded in , Nation’s est operates locations under four brands: ometown uilding Center and room Sons’ ome Center in Texas, ambert umber in Oklahoma, and all’s ardware in lorida. Building-Products.com



THINKING Ahead By Judy Haney

You CAN see the forester for the trees ’ a forester at heart. y lifelong love of the outdoors blossomed as a child and only grew as did. So when gravitated toward majoring in forestry at Stephen . Austin State niversity in Texas, can’t say anyone was surprised—least of all my beloved aunt. She worked in the dean’s o ce at the school’s college of forestry, which o ered a good insider’s view of the program and a peek at what my future could look like. Aunt etty gave me a nudge, and that was all needed. followed my gut and, despite a late start as a fulltime college student, by was proudly waving a bachelor’s of science in forestry. As worked toward a matching master’s degree, which completed in , simultaneously launched my career in the industry. y first job was as a procurement forester in the astern Carolina egion for Champion nternational Corp. The forestry side of the business is where started and where spent my formative years, trying everything from procurement to land management to analytics. Stops in the journey included jobs at several paper companies, which at that time had lumber mills, paper mills, and chip mills. Over time, these businesses started peeling o their layers—some sold their forest land, for example, eliminating the need for land management—and became more speciali ed. owever, the time spent cutting my teeth in these positions before this evolution prepared me for progression to the sales side of the business. As the general sales manager of panels at oise Cascade, have the opportunity to sell both southern yellow pine and western fir panels for the second-largest producer of plywood in the nited States.

I

Mixing Business with Pleasure

A big part of the reason took my current position is because it speaks to my forestry roots, pun intended. entered this profession because support the wise use

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and replenishment of our natural resources. That means conserving some, but it also means using some. ou can plant more trees—and the industry does that—so it’s renewable and eco-friendly. At the same time, the deep personal satisfaction get from working at oise Cascade comes from the fact that we sell a product that is used to build homes, living space that can last , even years. That’s extremely important to me. ’m highly motivated by taking products out of the forest and making something that is usable and that will be there and be productive for the foreseeable future. or that reason, it feels like ’ve come full circle at oise Cascade, from my beginnings as a forester tasked with getting fiber and logs into mills to now representing the other end of the process. The connection between the wood product industry and sustainability is important and, in my opinion, not emphasi ed enough. very sector has bad actors, of course. The question is whether companies that harvest trees are good actors. As any true forester would agree,

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A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association

my answer is yes, absolutely, they can be—but don’t think we tell our story enough. ore people, including kids, need to understand that cutting a tree is not horrible. Cutting a tree, using it, and planting another in an environmentally sustainable way is possible and oise Cascade is a perfect example of how. With this in mind, convinced the company to provide financial support for a hands-on forestry education project that was put together by nion Pacific, Si, and the ardwood orest oundation. y employer’s backing, in turn, gave me a seat at the table to help shape the orever orest traveling show. ts exhibits teach kids aged - the origins of wood, how it is processed, and the countless ways it is used. The program debuted in at the Omaha Children’s useum and, despite being sidelined by COV , is scheduled for a -year national run. elping to develop orever orest, which NAW A also had a large hand in, has been one of the most exciting and impactful experiences during my time at oise Cascade so far.

What You Know, Who You Know

y exposure to NAW A, beyond orever orest, has been another highlight. The organi ation, and its networking culture, is key. When segued from procurement to sales, one aspect that remained constant was the importance of relationships in this industry. On the procurement side, people don’t sell you their trees unless they trust you and have a relationship with you. t’s very similar on the sales side. n either case, success is a matter not only of what you know, but who you know. NAW A fosters these kinds of relationships, many of which last an

Building-Products.com

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

entire career—or longer—through its many committees and events. f you want them and work for them, you can cultivate connections with people working in all segments of the wood products industry. Once the seed is planted, you can start to weave that fabric of how businesses work together. t’s ama ing recently joined the organi ation’s Traders arket committee, for example, which has allowed me to hear other perspectives in the supply chain of wood products: wholesalers, distributors, regional distributors, and so on. ’m also involved in the Shelter roup, which focuses on an area of personal and professional interest to me: housing and the economy. conomists lead that call, so there’s a strong plug-in to information pertinent to selling plywood. We discuss topics such as where the economy is going, how the P looks, movement in housing starts, fluctuations in mortgage rates, the rate of household formation, and more. ’m interested in all of that from a work standpoint and ’m able to get perspective from a range of voices, including lumber manufacturers and distributors.

When walked into my first Traders arket show in , didn’t know a soul outside of attendees from my organi ation and now engage with colleagues from all corners of the industry.

Judy Was Here

When reflect on how ’ve spent my career in the wood products industry thus far and how am likely to spend the rest of my time in it, don’t think about being remembered as a trailbla er or a pioneer because ’m a woman who made a successful career in what has traditionally been a male-dominated profession. see myself not as a female forester, but simply as a forester. What hope people will say in retrospect is that was a businessperson who was capable, obviously, but also someone who dealt in openness and honesty and who treated others with dignity and respect. Whether that’s in the context of delivering bad news or receiving it, it all stems from a relationship within the company and within the community. That’s how would want to be remembered. – Judy Haney is general sales manager of panels at Boise Cascade, Boise, Id. (www.bc.com).

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INDUSTRY Trends By Kim Drew

EDGE AND CENTER BEAD and 4

TRADITIONAL SHIPLAP PATTERN

Shiplap:

Do you know what it is? Are you sure? “O

, this beautiful shiplap f you’ve heard this line on TV before, or something very similar, there’s a good chance you’re a fan of shiplap. ou know, the beautiful wood paneling installed hori ontally on a wa—wait... s that really shiplap Walking into a room, eroing in on wood paneling and declaring it shiplap doesn’t make it necessarily so. Shiplap is, by definition, a joining profile where two boards come together. t’s the point of joining itself, an actual edge profile, not the face of the board or a reveal pattern as many think.

Think about it this way: f you walked into a room and looked at a wall of wood paneling, could you tell if it was shiplap No, you couldn’t. rom the face of a wall, it’s impossible to tell how two boards were installed: it could be tongue and groove, or it could be shiplap. The only way you can tell f you could see the end of the wall and the end edges of each board were exposed. ver had a customer walk through your door and say they want shiplap act is, your customers don’t care how the boards join together—they care about the face of the boards. et’s get into some of the most popular patterns on

MYSTERY: Looking at the face of the two boards, you can’t tell if this is true shiplap, or something different like tongue-and-groove.

IT IS! With the edges of both board visible, the shiplap installation is clear. This is shiplap!

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EDGE AND CENTER BEAD

4 and 4

the market today, and how they relate to shiplap. f you were to place two square-edge boards together with no joining mechanisms, and the expected wood contraction shrinkage happens, you would see a small gap and a little peek of whatever is behind the boards. A ship and a lap, or a tongue and a groove, prevent this unattractive aesthetic from happening as you will always see wood, not the wall. According to the Northeastern umber anufacturers Association, there are standard patterns possible with eastern white pine, only a few of which are true shiplap. et’s examine a sample:

1. our typical shiplap arrangement: the edge profile isn’t seen from the front, just the board face on the wall. The ship and the lap fit together to form a perfect fit. 2. dge and Center ead and : also known as beadboard and commonly used on ceilings or on walls as wainscoting. This is a popular pattern because it offers two options on one board—beadboard on one side, v-joint on the other, which helps dealers conserve shelf space and allows for additional project customi ation.

tic. What it means: the boards are just not butted right up against each other, but shiplap installation is still in e ect. What’s cool about this pattern is the textured face that looks a bit like corduroy. t’s not uncommon for mills to create their own textured pattern as kind of a signature. Shiplap nickel gap. xactly what it sounds like: the board are attached via a ship and a lap, and on the face of the product, a space the width of a nickel separates each piece. This indentation reveal, just like channel rustic, simply means the boards are butted up against one another. A quick refresher: how to decide if it’s shiplap or not What your eyeball sees on the face of the board is how the product is named, not how it’s joined to the piece adjacent. Why customers choose one pattern over another is often installer choice, with shiplap and tongue and groove the most common ways of a xing board together. Next time you walk into a room and see beautiful wood paneling, call it out for what it is: Oh, look at this beautiful wood paneling – Kim Drew, APR, handles all media and public relations for the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (www.nelma.org).

3. nown as and , this pattern is popular in the southern mountain regions for use in cabins. Often installed on interior walls in a hori ontal pattern, the point where the two board join together is called v-joint. This style is also known as WP WP , because it can be flipped over and either si e used, because the edge profiling is identical from the front to the back. Or the back to the front. 4. dge and Center ead: eadboard without the v-joint o ered in dge and Center ead and . Very versatile pattern, as either side of the board may be used. So now you understand what shiplap is where the boards join , and what it isn’t visible on the face of the board when you walk into a room . ust for fun, here are two more patterns to showcase even more what real wood can do: Channel rustic with reveal. The joining parts are true shiplap, the di erent being when installed the finished look leaves a gap at the point of joining, called channel rus-

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SHIPLAP INSTALL with nickel gap. Since the spacing is visible on the face of the board, this pattern is called nickel gap. Building-Products.com


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MOVERS & Shakers Sarah Spence, ex-ACS, has joined the sales team at ranklin uilding Supply, eridian, d. Gary Paquin, ex- edallion ndustries, is now handling sales for cCoy illwork, Portland, Or. Rick Agra, ex-CWallA, has rejoined P uilding Supply, apolei, i., in inside sales. Mike Montoya has been promoted to general mgr. of OrePac uilding Products, oise, d. Mark Pinson, ex- o it est, has joined the plywood sales team at Pacific Wood aminates, rookings, Or. Steve Herranen is new to outside sales at Tum-A- um umber, Pendleton, Or. Kenny Hassett, uilders irstSource, Olympia, Wa., has been promoted to general mgr. Theresa Ruscetti, ex-Ari ona Stone rick Pavers, has joined WC uilding Products, Phoenix, A ., as product mgr., Stone ivision, Southwest.

Jim Buffington, director of business management, oseburg, Springfield, Or., will retire at the end of year after years with the company. ective Oct. , Bryan Kubitz will transition to the role from his current position the eastern sales mgr. for engineered wood products. Douglas Asano, ex- uber, is new to oseburg, Charlotte, N.C., as director of sales excellence. Russell Hagen, senior VP and chief financial o cer, Weyerhaeuser Co., Seattle, Wa., will become senior VP and chief development o cer, overseeing its eal state, nergy Natural esources segment and its Acquisitions and ivestitures and usiness evelopment teams. e will transition to his new role once a new C O is hired. Jim Kilberg, senior VP of eal state, nergy Natural esources, is retiring in early . Shane Conway has been appointed director-marketing, western timberlands for Weyerhaeuser in Vancouver, Wa.

SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA •

Daemon Repp, ex-Pope esources, has been named VP and C O of reen iamond esource Co., Seattle, Wa. e succeeds Dale Sowell, who will retire later this year. Catherine Yu, purchasing specialist, oof ine Supply elivery, Clackamas, Or., has transferred to the Vancouver, Wa., branch. John Ratelle has been named arina, Ca.-based business development mgr. for mery ensen istribution. Ben Miller, eacon uilding Products, has been promoted to district mgr. for Northern California and Nevada. Carl Gallon has joined ayward umber, San uis Obispo, Ca., as operations mgr. Christopher Wilson, ex-Continental ardwood, is new to sales at Woodcraft ndustries, olalla, Or. Graden Rogers, ex-Agoura Sash oor, is now Phoenix, A ., territory mgr.-multi-family for Cascade Windows.

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Sean Candelaria, ex-Pella, has moved to window and door sales at Parr umber, end, Or. Randi Simmons, ex-Pius itchen ath, is a new kitchen bath designer at Parr in ife, Wa. Erin Jamison is new to PrimeSource uilding Products, as South ake Tahoe, Ca.-based territory mgr. Andy Tackas has joined anahl umber, Anaheim, Ca., as T security mgr. Laura Chalke, ex-Cowichan umber, has joined the sales team at Terminal orest Products, Vancouver, .C. Mike Lee, ex-Columbia orest Products, is now head of sales for Accsys. Laura Rygielski Preston has been appointed president of Trex Commercial Products, Winchester, Va. Jennifer Renaud was named senior VP and chief marketing o cer for asonite Corp., Tampa, l. Steven Crast, ex-Polyglass SA apei, is now technical director for Versatile uilding Products, Anaheim, Ca. Randall Steven Johnson has been appointed C O at Sto Corp., Atlanta, a., replacing Torben Wetche, who is retiring. Chuck Frank, ex- ilgard, is new to Sierra Pacific Windows, as territory mgr. for Southeast Texas. Samuel M. Guzman Jr. has been appointed VP and chief accounting officer for eacon, erndon, Va. Gabe Rodriguez, ex-A C Supply, is a new product mgr. in Anaheim, Ca. Stephanie Lyons has joined o it est Corp., ort Wayne, n., as electrical associate merchandise mgr. Promotions include Nicole Kepler, paint supplies merchandise mgr. Ryan Stopher, hand tools merchandise mgr. Stacey Thomas, associate building materials trader and Jessica Waggoner, merchandising systems pricing mgr. Anita Holliday is now in charge of corporate travel for ungusungus orest Products, Climax, Nv., according to co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

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SELLING WITH Kahle By Dave Kahle

A professional sales force

’ the most common laments hear from CSO’s: wish had a more professional sales force. No doubt that thought has passed through your mind at some time in the recent past. ou’re not alone, of course. et’s take a look at what it really means, why it is such a common malady, and what you can do about it. irst, let’s acknowledge that there are individual salespeople who are very professional. have personally met and worked with literally hundreds, if not thousands of them. There is, scattered about, an occasional company that can honestly boast of a highly professional sales force. f you happen to be one of the highly professional, please don’t take o ense. ’m not talking about you. ou are an inspiration and encouragement to me as well as a pleasure with which to work. aving said that, please understand that the vast majority of your colleagues do not share your professionalism. They, not you, are the focus of this article. What does it mean to be a professional salesperson

I

Basic Characteristics of a Professional Sales Force 1. A professional salesperson strives continually to do a good job This sounds so simple, but it is often the first complaint hear. The world is full of salespeople who have plateaued at a certain average level of performance and are content to remain there. Too many salespeople are satisfied with just doing the job—with mediocre performance. Why ecause they don’t see it as a profession they see their work as a job, a necessary inconvenience that fills the work week and provides a paycheck.

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The professional salesperson sees the job as a challenge to continually strive for greater performance and more personal growth. e she understands that professionalism demands a commitment to excellent performance, and strives to deliver. 2. A professional salesperson is a good employee wish had a dollar for every salesperson ’ve run across who thinks of himself as an independent business person with no compulsion to follow the company’s directions. They consider themselves outside of the world defined by the policies, strategies, goals and procedures of their employer. elieving that their relationships with their customers are unshakable and personal, they provide lip service to their manager’s directions and go about their jobs as they see fit. They mistakenly equate experience with competence. Tacky. isguided. nprofessional. 3. A professional salesperson is committed to personal growth very profession in the world expects a minimum degree of competence to enter the profession. That’s why lawyers must pass the bar exam, ministers and social workers must graduate from college, teachers must pass their student teaching experience, and T technicians must pass their exam to be certified. Not only does every profession have minimum requirements, so too every profession then demands the continual improvement of those practitioners who are dedicated to it. That is why lawyers have conferences, nurses and teachers have in-services, doctors take advanced training, etc.

Building-Products.com


igh standards and continuous improvement are the characteristics of every profession. While we may be a generation away from universally requiring minimum standards in our entry-level salespeople, we can certainly expect those who make their living by this means to regularly invest in their own improvement. rom my experience, ’m convinced that only of the salespeople in the world have spent or more of their own money on their own improvement in the past months. That’s an indication of the degree to which they are committed to personal and professional growth. The professionals do. The non-professionals don’t.

your salespeople like professionals, you gradually influence their expectations for what is required in the job.

4. Professional salespeople are individuals of substantial character ou just don’t expect foul language, coarse behavior, substance abuse, financial shortcuts and unethical behavior from a professional of any kind. That’s because there is a universal perception of a professional as a person of substantial, reliable character of a high order. They are more disciplined, more ethical and more refined than the mass of humanity. Or at least they should be.

Step Four: Hire quality and character. Sooner or later you’re going to face the need to acquire a new salesperson. ere is your real opportunity to upgrade. ocus on character and competence, not product knowledge. ire people who already see themselves as professionals, and help them learn the product side of the job. Product knowledge is just knowledge. t can be gained. ualities of character are far more easily hired than developed. There is no magic wand, other than a wholesale replacement of the sales force, that will transform an average group into a professional force. owever, it can be done, as those exceptional sales forces scattered among us prove. The results of a highly e ective, well-respected sales force will be measured in economic terms for decades.

How did we get in this mess?

We look around for a culprit and, surprise, we discover him in the mirror. or generations, we have seen a mindset toward the sales force that goes like this: ire from inside, provide a commission pay plan, and look the other way. Anybody can be a salesperson. ust make sure they have enough product knowledge and expect the pay plan to separate the competent from the ill-equipped. So we filled our sales forces with competent customer-service reps who were envious of the big bucks made by the salespeople. We never demanded professionalism. We only wanted a body to fill the slot. We are the culprit. very unprofessional salesperson in our sales force is there as a result of a series of decisions we made.

Step Three: Provide resources. Show them you will invest in their development. on’t expect that just because they’ve been doing this for a few years that they know how to do it well. Train them in the best practices of professional distributor salespeople. That doesn’t just mean a one-day seminar and then you’re done. t means a consistent, regular injection of education, encouragement, inspiration and motivation. udget for training, and provide it monthly, at least.

– Dave Kahle is a high-content consultant, instructor and author of 12 books, including ow to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime. Reach him at dave@davekahle.com.

How to fix it

ust as it took a generation to get us in this situation, so too, it will take years to get us out. With the understanding that this is a long-term project, here are some concrete steps to take to upgrade the professionalism of your sales force and implement changes. Step One: Start at the source. Change your thinking. Think professional. Then, start talking about it. et everyone know, over and over, that you expect professionalism. egin by sharing this post with your sales force. And then discuss it with them. ead and encourage them with a discussion. Set the standard. Talk the talk. our repeated public stance will gradually infuse the thinking of all your employees. Starting with your thinking will slowly change their thinking. Step Two: Begin to treat your salespeople like professionals. xpect accountability. xpect striving for excellence. xpect solid character. evelop standards. old people accountable. t’s an ama ing truth of human nature that people will live up to the image they have of themselves, and to the expectations others have for them. When you start to treat Building-Products.com

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cally reject such an offer. As a result, the Rise buyers face Waterproofing Market on the

‘adverse selection’—the only sellers willisaccept $750 The global waterproofing market by who revenue expected to are those unloading lemons. grow more than annually over the next five years, accordbuyers this problem. Knowing they ing “Smart to a report by Ari foresee ton. could be buying a lemon, theymembranes offer only have $500.reduced Sellersthe of nnovations in waterproofing the lemonscost endofupthewith the same price they have production material, as concerns overwould protecting received from were structural there no ambiguity. the peaches all stay buildings damage dueBut to water infiltration inin the garage. “Information asymmetry” kills the market for crease. eightened interest has recently spurred several estabgood cars.” lished waterproofing manufacturers to expand their operations Structural wood of panel buyers rely upon inspecglobally. A majority contractors around thequalified world prefer to tion and testing agencies like the APA to routinely test and use liquid applied and sheet-based membranes. certify the qualityoutbreak of the products creates an The widespread of COV they - buy. will This have prolonged incentive fallout for individual panel producers “push” staneconomic in the Asia-Pacific region to during thethe forecast dard. A passage from Ackerloff’s famous paper: period. The region is about to sutheerGlacial a lossRegion. of billion due HARD MAPLE is popular throughout “There are many in which buyers ofuse some to the pandemic, which markets has also pushed a majority contracmarket statistic judge the quality purchastors to close downtotheir projects in theof .prospective . and reland. long, frigid winter climate, coupled with a shorttosummer es. In this case there is applied an incentive for sellers market evenues in the liquid membrane A segment season, produces hardwoods with very tight growth rings. poor quality merchandise, since the returns for good are expected to exceed billion by . A is quality widely This creates lumber with outstanding color and fine texture, accrue mainly to the entire affected favored by builders across thegroup globewhose due tostatistic its easy is applicable which is ideal for applications from furniture, rather on than to the individual seller. ranging As tends to to nature any surface. The demand fora result A isthere expected cabinetry and doors toaverage flooring,quality paneling and more. be a reduction in the of goods and also the grow significantly due to the expected rise in new construction region supplies nine primary, widely used species, sizeThis of the market.” and refurbishments, although the pandemic has slowed growth including: ash, basswood, cherry,industry hickory,production hard maple,techred When the industry is young, rates. oak, soft maple, white oak andmaterials walnut. are relatively homonologies vary little and raw The bitumen segment is expected to capture the highest geneousin(e.g., OSB), by this isn’t. The a major But itover is a revenue the market easeproblem. of application Appalachian Region: Superior Quality serious problem when the inspection and testing agencies a wide range of construction surfaces and durable structures Spanning several states, including Pennsylvania, find it difficult ormaterials impossible keep upOhio, with a very rapidly of waterproofing has to increased the popularity of the North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, the changing industry. An example would be today’s overlaid material among construction companies across the world. The Appalachian region produces a wide range of hardwoods Douglas fir plywood industry. There are rapid changes increasing construction of industrial roofing systems across species—all with in common: quality. underway bothone thething sidegrowth (e.g.,superior much higher alkathe globe isonexpected todemand drive the of modified bituThanks to the region’s climate conditions—warm linity concrete mixes are now essentially “pulping” conmen-based waterproofing during the forecast period. summers that and assist tree growth, and much coolerreduced spring form panels) on with the supply side (e.g.,

The preference for Douglas PVC-based waterproofing and fall growing seasons with colddense, winters, which fir allow that growth supplies of small-knot, veneers). The solutions in industrial to be gradual—hardwoods from thebuilding “market forcommercial lemons” is and likely having aAppalachian major constructions effect region on the across world is influencing the segment. memfeature tight growth rings, strong fibers,Since and PVC consistent size ofthe this market today. branes install, have strength,durability and are colors are andeasy graintotextures. Thishigh leadstensile to strength, durable, a majority of builders prefer material,width whichand is and beauty in the lumber, in addition toLemons excellent Overcoming the Market forPVC increasing their market share. longHow length characteristics. can individual panel producers overcome this The global demand for eco-friendly materials forthe waterPrimary species include ash,industry’s cherry, hard red “lemons market” problem, their “racemaple, to botproofing, in industry roofing, has several established oak, maple, white oak, basswood, beech, birch, walnut, tom,”soft andespecially depressed salesmade levels? They can offer players increase spending onperformance activities. poplar and hickory, which are great forguarantees. high-end furniture, company-specific product millwork, and paneling, and more. Anothercabinetry, approachdoors, is to flooring more aggressively brand prodNoInmatter region they come from, there areclearly many ucts. eitherthe case, the mill’s products need to be North American species as to we choose from. differentiated fromhardwoods their competitors’; discovered DeckExpo Going Virtual The decision as to which one to use comes down to the earlier, industry-wide, third-party quality certification is Six weeks after breaking xpo o project. from buyers the application andnot overall qualityLike andeck look of the important but sufficient. car buyers, panel emodeling Showpeach to join Thewhen nternational won’t chance paying prices they may Pool actually – Don Barton is vice president of sales and marketing Spa Patio xpo in as Vegas, organi ers have for be buying a “dressed up” lemon. Northwest Hardwoods, Wa. (northwesthardwoods.com). decided move Tacoma, the combined event to a differentiavirtual For sometostructural panel producers, product format. tion requires a major change in company culture. For The itvirtual eck toxpo will beinnovative, staged over the instance, is veryPSP difficult produce differensame dates, for Nov. - use , with registration opening tiated products the end market if the company doesfall.a different supplier-buyer mindset. Suppliern’tlater alsothis adapt The to transition the event notpropartners aredecision often critical to the structural woodwas panel reached easily, however, based on feedback and ducer’s differentiation. the support competition of our community, feltmore it was As industry comes towe focus andthe more rightonly choice sponsoring upon onefor ofour theattendees, “4P’s of partners, marketing”—price— associations, exhibitors, and organi ers said. “lemons” tend and to proliferate industry sales volume The agenda will include: tends to decline. Three Power Panels bringing together the best – Roy Nott is president of in Surfactor Americas LLC, Aberdeen, forward-thinking minds the industry. Wa., a German-owned producer of overlays, glue films, and press Product Showcase in a virtual expo hall. cleaning films for the global wood panel industry, with manufacNetworking via chat,Germany video call, more. Reach him turing operations in Finland, andand Malaysia. CHERRY is among the major hardwoods of the Appalachian Region. at roy.nott@surfactor.com.

The beauty of the forest is yours to sell Fencing • Decking • Timbers • Dimension • Siding

Big Creek Lumber’s sawmill, in Davenport, CA, produces a wide variety of redwood lumber products to independent wholesalers, stocking distributors, and remanufacturing facilities. Big Creek is well known for producing high quality redwood products and providing an outstanding level of personalized service.

Proven History

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42 Building-Products.com n The Merchant Magazine Building-Products.com

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(831) 457-5039

March2017 2019 n The The Merchant Building-Products.com September Magazine n 19 15



Collins Teams Up on Largest Carbon-Focused Reforestation Project in US History Collins, Portland, Or., is partnering with enewWest, enver, Co., on the largest single-site carbon-focused reforestation project in .S. history. The Collins- odoc eforestation Project will consist of over two million trees being planted on approximately , acres of the odoc Plateau in Northern California. The site was first damaged by the arry Point ire, which burned , acres across federal, state, and private lands and has failed to recover. The joint venture between Collins, a leader in SC-certified well-managed forestry, and enewWest, the only company exclusively focused on western carbon projects, showcases the shared interest in using forests to capture atmospheric carbon and meet landowner needs. As we have evaluated carbon opportunities over the years, we lacked a way to leverage these markets to help us invest in fire restoration and reforestation, said alen Smith, project manager for Collins. enewWest was the first potential partner to jump at the

JOIN THE

opportunity to develop a long-term reforestation carbon project with us. Their commitment to landscape restoration is impressive, and this partnership will allow us to finish the process of coming back from the arry Point ire. Over the lifespan of the project, the Collins- odoc eforestation Project is expected to recreate a working, sustainable forest and carbon sink, capturing and sequestering several hundred thousand metric tons of carbon dioxide while simultaneously allowing for sustainable timber harvests. According to Collins, the project is imperative to the health of the local economy and will also create recreational opportunities. When we first met with representatives of Collins in , we were immediately impressed by their commitment to employees and the landscapes they manage, said ike Smith, co-founder and managing partner for enewWest. We’re excited about the future of working with this ethical company in developing a new nature-based solution to capturing atmospheric carbon. ellow co-founder ohn Cleland

added, The two-year process bringing this project to fruition has been challenging, yet incredibly rewarding and we could not be happier with the partnership we have created. Prior to the fire, the property had a mosaic of meadows, riparian woodlands, aspen groves, and pine stands. As a headwater for the lamath and Sacramento ivers, the replanting activity will help to restore these important terrestrial ecosystems, as well as reduce erosion, increase aquifer recharge, and create and support habitat along the Pacific lyway. The exploration of carbon values was enabled by enewWest’s strategic partnership with Coalitions Collaboratives nc., a not-for-profit leader working on wildfire preparation and response and its intersection with western forests and watersheds. inancial support for this exploration was partially provided by funds from the oris uke Charitable oundation, as administered by The Nature Conservancy. Significant project funds were provided by the California Climate nvestments program and administered by the California epartment of orestry and ire.

SUCCESS IN 2020

TRUE GENUINE MAHOGANY The most sought-after wood for generations is Back! FEATURE GRADES • Outstanding grain with consistent color • Class “A” Fire Rating • WUI approved for decking & siding • Plantation grown & sustainably harvested BENEFITS • Surprisingly cost effective • An exotic hardwood NOT from the rainforest

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A Spectacular Wood with an Authentic Green Story

WE ARE THE LUMBER LEADER

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PO Box 396 • 10761 S. Alameda Street • Lynwood, CA 90262 • 323.567.1301 • JonesWholesale.com

September 2020

8/21/20 11:13 AM

Building-Products.com


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NEW Products

In the Moment Simpson Strong-Tie has introduced newly validated slope beam and multi-axis moment applications for its ield- ink moment connection for structural steel construction. esigned to absorb forces in a seismic or high wind event, the ield- ink moment connection requires no field welding and allows beams to be designed without supplemental lateral bracing. ewer fabricated steel elements and field connections are needed, which reduces onsite labor costs and construction time for contractors facing a shortage of skilled welders. ollowing extensive analysis, Simpson Strong-Tie engineers developed two related solutions—for sloped structural beam applications and for multi-axis connections.

High-Tech & Historic

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ope’s Windows is now integrating its Thermal volution technology into its One Series fixed solid hot-rolled thermal steel windows. The series replicates the aesthetic of historic, industrial steel windows with elegant arrowshaped profiles and delicate sightlines. eatures include fusion-welded frame and muntin construction welded steel simulated or true divided lite muntin options and the patented Power of finishing system, which combines hot-dipped galvani ing, abrasion-resistant epoxy powder primers, and V-stable polyurethane top coats in unlimited color choices. The windows accommodate up to thick glass units.

Adjustable Platform Werner ’s new Aluminum Adjustable Pro Work Platform provides up to a ’ reach and has of height adjustability on both sides, making it easier for professionals to work on uneven surfaces and along stairways. With a load capacity of up to lb., the compact, lightweight platform supplies users with a large x work surface that is easy to carry and maneuver on the job. Wide stance feet provide a sturdy foundation to minimi e side-to-side movement. t can be configured to di erent height positions from to in increments with one-handed adjustment and locking. n W

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Oscillating Multi-Tool ilwaukee Tool’s new uel Oscillating ulti-Tool generates the fastest V cut speed and lowest full-tool vibration among tools, while delivering tool-free blade changes for less downtime. The new multi-tool is powered by a PowerState brushless motor, ed ithium battery pack, and ed ink Plus ntelligence ardware and Software. The kit also includes a charger, universal-fit Open- ok wood blade, sanding pad, sandpaper in a range of grits, and lunchbox carrying bag. n

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DIY Roof Restoration Seal All has introduced a contractor-grade silicone sealant and roof patching kit that can be easily applied by anyone. The Cool oof estoration it permanently solves leak issues for almost every roof surface, including metal, aged single-ply, asphalt, shingles, barrel tiles, materials previously coated, and more. The kit is an easy do it yourself three-step all-inclusive application that’s waterproof, vapor-tight, gas-tight, and environmentally friendly. ach kit includes -gallon Super Cool oof Sealant, -qt. Silicone Paste Sealant, -o . co oof Shampoo Wash, two paintbrushes, two roller naps, roller frame, paint can bottle opener, Nitrile gloves, paint stick, putty knife, wet-film thickness gauge, and pack of heavy-duty cleaning wipes. n S A A

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Ultra-Modern Entries Panda Windows oors designed the latest addition to its Contemporary Pivot oors line, the Voyage Select series, to meet the increasing demand for large, modern doors. O ered are innovative designs that can be fabricated with over di erent finish options. State-of-the-art engineering and innovative frames and hardware enable pivots up to ft. wide and ft. high. Concealed, self-closing mechanisms provide ease of use, and a multi-point locking system adds security. n PAN A-W N OWS.CO -

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Rainscreen Time Touchless Tech NO is introducing the first sensor-controlled, new motor-driven mortise lock for sliding doors. The P ’s sensor-controlled motor sends a signal to the lock, prompting it to automatically engage or retract without needing to touch the lock or handle. The device is equipped with an optional hand wave access control unit. When inside a locked room, users can wave their hand in front of an exterior infrared sensor. The sensor triggers within a range, automatically unlocking the door. or added visibility, the sensor is equipped with an illuminated display. n NO P O -

enry Co.’s new WeatherSmart ainscreen is a unique matrix that creates a ventilation and drainage gap between a weather-resistive barrier and exterior cladding on vertical walls. sing polypropylene strands, its dimple design channels water down and out of the wall assembly. The built-in fabric protects that channel from debris, ensuring unobstructed airflow and faster drying. The rainscreen is an accessory to the ortifiber - oisture Control System of flashings, weather-resistive barriers and sealants. n

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CTS.CO

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

No-Squeak Connection

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

(509) 874-1163

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

www.yakama-forest.com

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Simpson Strong-Tie’s new Strong- rive S PW eflector screw line of fasteners connect non-loadbearing, full-height partition wall top plates to trusses or joists while allowing for vertical movement without associated connector squeaks. eaturing an innovative polymer sleeve, the S PW creates a strong connection that provides both lateral resistance and the ability for walls to deflect with the truss or joist. Atmospheric and loading conditions can put a variety of forces on a structure, and the S PW permits vertical movement on the wall while preventing squeaks that are commonly associated with alternative hardware solutions. They are available in , and lengths. An included o set driver bit installs the screw with the polymer sleeve proud to allow for upward and downward deflection. n ST ON T .CO -

S PW

Building-Products.com


SIGNUPNOW merchant Magazine

The industry’s most read & trusted publication since 1922! Make sure all of your key Stay up tothisthe minute on the latest developments— staff receive leading information resource!

inwww.building-products.com between issues of The Merchant Magazine— Industry’s Leading News & Information website. by receiving our e-newsletter, MERCHANT eWEEKLY. emerchant magazine The industry’s most read and trusted publication…now at your fingertips anywhere! Sign up by contacting info@526mediagroup.com. merchant eWeekly Newsletter

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Metal Deck Framing Clip CA O’s new dge etal Clip provides a revolutionary way to fasten any grooved deck board on metal substructure. The new one-pass fasteners use the same technology as CA O dge Clips for wood framing. The wings of the clip fit into the groove of the board, securing it before fastening, and the stainless steel gusset holds the boards down. The key di erence between the two clips is dge etal features a drill point screw that engages in less than two seconds, rather than a self-tapping screw for wood. The clips are a direct response to slow, expensive hidden fasteners for decks built on metal framing, as well as wood’s rising prices. They are launching at a time when contractors are exploring metal framing options due to the current shortage of treated lumber. Available in -ct. and -ct. pails, the clips reportedly work with top manufacturers’ deck boards at any angle on A metal framing. n CA O AST N -

Hard-to-Reach Sanding With its ergonomic design, the yobi V One Cordless x elt Sander can get into tight spaces with ease. ade for detailed work, it is equipped with a variable speed dial for various applications that require precision sanding. With a lock-on switch and up to minutes of run time, the tool is ready for extended-use applications. And, changing sanding belts is a snap with its integrated tool-free belt change. n

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Surer Sliding Patio Doors Crystal Window oor Systems has upgraded the door panel standard rollers on its Series and aluminum sliding patio doors from a dual to a quad system. The new heavy-duty quad rollers, available in either stainless or inc-plated steel, now feature . diameter wheels vs. the previous . diameter wheels. The new system is significantly easier to operate and can easily accommodate increasingly popular larger si e door panels and triple gla ed insulating glass units.

Compact Band Saw

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nhance your ability to make clean, precise cuts in tight workspaces, overhead or in corners with osch’s new C V- N V Compact and Saw. The tool is only . lbs., yet built to cut surface ft. per minute. A robust motor saves time by creating clean cuts on a variety of materials, while requiring minimal rework for burrs or tempering colors. t also offers tool-free blade guard and blade change, protecting the blade from debris and providing easy access for blade installation removal. OSC TOO S.CO Building-Products.com


DATE Book Listings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend. Do it Best – Sept. 13-18, virtual fall market, www.doitbestcorp.com. American Wood Protection Association – Sept. 21-24, online technical committee meetings, www.awpa.com. National Hardwood Lumber Association – Sept. 22-24, On Demand virtual conference & exhibition; www.nhla.com. LMC – Sept. 23-24, virtual LMC Leadership Summit, Atlanta, Ga.; www.lmc.net. True Value Co. – Sept. 29-Oct. 1, Fall V-Union virtual market, www. truevaluecompany.com. West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association – Oct. 1, Associates/Dealers Golf Tournament, Rancho Solano Golf Course, Fairfield, Ca.; www.lumberassociation.org. World Millwork Alliance – Oct. 5-7, virtual conference; www. worldmillworkalliance.com. National Lumber & Building Materials Dealers Association – Oct. 6-9, virtual Industry Summit, www.dealer.org. National Hardware Show – Oct. 12-15, virtual National Hardware Show; www.nationalhardwreshow.com. Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – Oct. 14, initiation/golf, Los Serranos Golf Course, Chino, CA; www.hoohoo117.org. Western Building Material Association – Oct. 14, virtual education event in conjunction with Construction Suppliers Association; www. wbma.org. San Jose Fall Home Show – Oct. 17-18, San Jose, Ca.; www. acshomeshow.com. Remodeling Show – Oct. 13-15, virtual; www.remodelingdeck.com. Ace Hardware Corp. – Oct. 19-22, fall convention, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; www.acehardware.com. Green Industry & Equipment Expo/Hardscape North America – Oct. 21-23, Kentucky Expo Center, Louisville, Ky.; gie-expo.com. Sustainable Forestry Initiative – Oct. 22-23, SFI E-Summit; www. sfiprogram.org. International Woodworking Fair – Oct. 26-30, IWF Connect virtual trade show; www.iwfconnect.com. North American Wholesale Lumber Association – Oct. 28-30, NAWLA Echange virtual experience; www.nawla.org. Society of American Foresters – Oct. 29-31, virtual national convention; www.eforester.org. Pacific Logging Conference – Nov. 9-11, virtual annual meeting; www.pacificloggingconference.org. Greenbuild – Nov. 10-12, virtual international conference & expo; www.greenbuildexpo.org. North American Building Material Distribution Association – Nov. 10-12, Virtual Xperience annual convention in conjunction with North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors; www. distributorconvention.org. Deck Expo/International Pool Spa Patio Expo – Nov. 11-13, virtual PSP/DeckExpo; www.poolspapatio.com. LMC – Nov. 11-13, LMC Expo, Philadelphia, Pa.; www.lmc.net. Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – Nov. 12, 9th annual Brew Fest for Our Veterans, Mile High Station, Denver, Co.; www.mslbmda.org. Remodeling Show – Nov. 16-18, virtual Remodeling Show; www. theremodelingshow.com. West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association – Dec. 3, 2nd Growth holiday meeting; Dec. 4, holiday golf tournament, Black Gold Golf Club, Yorba Linda, Ca.; www.lumberassociation.org. Building-Products.com

LIGNOLOC® is a registered trademark of the Raimund BECK KG.

DRIVEN BY INNOVATION. POWERED BY NATURE. Our innovative LIGNOLOC® fastener is the first collated wooden nail. But that’s just part of the story. In fact, LIGNOLOC® is more than an invention. It’s an expression of a special attitude. The mindset of future generations is green, and we are dedicated to the future. Just as we are dedicated to technology. That’s why we created a product that perfectly aligns performance with sustainability. Making it a smart decision for both fastening and the environment. To learn more, visit www.beck-lignoloc.com

LIGNOLOC®. THE FIRST COLLATED NAIL MADE OF WOOD. BECK America Inc. | 800-239-8665 www.beck-america.com

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CLASSIFIED Marketplace Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word minimum). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy/headline, $9 per line. Border, $9. Private box, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if art furnished “camera-ready” (advertiser sets type), $65 if we set type. Send ad to Fax 714-486-2745 or dkoenig@526mediagroup.com. Checks payable to 526 Media Group. Deadline: 18th of previous month. Questions? Call (714) 486-2735.

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

LIVE AND WORK IN BOZEMAN, MONTANA! enyon Noble umber ardware of o eman, ontana, is looking for a eneral anager at our elgrade location. enyon Noble was founded in and is the leading supplier of building materials in Southwest ontana. Come join our fun and fast-paced work environment ualifications include: years management experience sales or retail . years professional sales experience. Strong communication skills. Ability to multi-task. Ability to build a team. igh nergy, willing to work hard, take risks, and have fun. inancially motivated. enyon Noble offers an extensive benefit package including: ealth, dental, vision, and life insurance. k matching. Paid vacation. Profit sharing. mployee discounts. Salary: , to , year. Please contact ike Thompson at miket kenyonnoble.com.

UFP INDUSTRIES is a global corporation that is rooted in hard-earned success. We are currently recruiting for a couple key account managers in the Southern California region for our P etail Solutions division, specifically working on ealer Sales, however with locations throughout the .S. we are always willing to talk. We o er some pretty unique selling points and benefits to set our account managers up for success such as: n-plant milling We are your customers one-stop shop nventory, nventory, Oh, and nventory xtreme entrepreneurial spirit Our territories and segments are only limited by your imagination True expense accounts, our best relationships are built after p.m. enerous car allowances Awesome inside sales support you get more time to sale and build relationships nlimited earning potential f this has piqued your interest at all would welcome the opportunity to speak with you via phone at your convenience and answer any questions you might have. can be reached at or via email kerri.art ufpi.com.

EXPERIENCED LUMBER TRADER WANTED 60% commission for trader. Any species. elocation unnecessary. We have excellent credit and great o ce support. Call ohn at or email john lakesidelumberpro.com

IN Memoriam Robert Lee “Bob” Withers, , chairman of the board of Withers umber Co., Salem, Or., died Aug. . As a boy, when he wasn’t at school, he could be found working at his father’s yard in Woodburn, Or. After receiving a degree in business administration from Willamette niversity, he served in the .S. Air orce. ischarged as a captain in , ob returned to Woodburn and rejoined Withers umber, taking over when his father retired two years later. e soon expanded with lumberyards in rooks and allas, Or., and a floorcovering store in Woodburn. n , he and partners started Woodburn Construction Co. e was a founding member of lumber co-op Northern ards, serving as its president in . e retired in . Frederick William “Fred” Horstkotte Jr., , Pacific Northwest mill designer, died Aug. in Portland, Or.

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e paused his education at T to serve in the .S. Army th Airborne ivision during World War . pon graduating from T, he served as clerk-of-the-works for the expansion of the Oregon umber Co. mill at ee, Or. e then joined his father at .W. orstkotte Associates, Portland, where he spent the next years designing sawmills and plywood plants for, among others, S S umber Co., rooks Scanlon, Ochoco alheur umber Cos., Willamette ndustries, and Collins Pine. Ehrman Vincent Giustina, longtime executive with iustina ros. umber Plywood Co., ugene, Or., died une , one month shy of his th birthday. is father and three uncles emigrated from taly in the early s and in bought their first sawmill in ollala, Or. y the time hrman joined the business, it included multiple sawmills, planing mill, green veneer plant, stud mill, retail

September 2020

yard, plywood plant, and tree farm. onths before he was to graduate with a business degree, he left the niversity of Oregon to join the .S. Navy during the advent of World War . As an aviator, he earned both the istinguished lying Cross and the Air edal in . n time, hrman became VP and general manager of the family empire, with his brother Nat as president. e also served in leadership for a vast number of organi ations, including APA, Associated Oregon ndustries oard, eep Oregon reen oundation, and Oregon epartment of and Conservation evelopment Commission, and was a member of the Oregon State oard of orestry and the Plywood Pioneers Association. iustina ros. has since been reorgani ed as iustina esources and iustina and Timber. Robert Henry Marsden “Rob” Becker, , retired buyer for daho Pacific umber Co., oise, d., died uly . e started his lengthy career in sales with niversal orest Products, before moving to oise in and joining daho Pacific. e retired in . Joseph W. “Joe” Oliva, , former owner of ainier True Value, ainier, Or., died uly in ongview, Wa. e worked at ongview iber Co. for years before he and his wife, oyce, purchased Coast to Coast ardware in ainier in . They ran the store for years before retiring in . Richard Brent “Rick” Pike, , majority co-owner of ountain View roup, Vancouver, .C., died uly . uring his -year career, he served as a lumber trader, railway account manager, and transload operator, with divisions including ountain View eload and Apex Terminals. Larry Melton Kyllo, , retired window salesman for ercer ndustries, eaverton, Or., died Aug. . aised at the family-owned Christmas Tree arm in Woodburn, Or., he served in the .S. Air orce until he was discharged in with the rank of Airman nd Class. e spent years with ercer before retiring in . Roy B. Reed, , former manager at Ace ardware, ock Springs, Wy., passed away uly . e joined Ace after serving in the .S. Army during World War and working as a carpenter. Building-Products.com


ADVERTISERS Index Page Cover III

Allweather Wood

Cover II

Norbord

www.allweatherwood.com 37

www.norbord.com

Atlantic Forest Products

43

North American Wholesale Lumber Assn.

www.atlanticforest.com 42

www.nawla.org

Big Creek Lumber

5

Pacific Woodtech

www.bigcreeklumber.com 34

DMSi www.dmsi.com

17

www.pacificwoodtech.com 41

Pelican Bay Forest Products

3

Prowood

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

Do it Best www.doitbestlbm.com

51

www.prowoodlumber.com

Fasco America

29, Cover IV

www.fasco-tools.com 49

www.buyredwood.com

526 Media Group

37

Roseburg

www.building-products.com

www.roseburg.com

Hi-bor® Borate Pressure Treated Wood

19

Redwood Empire

FirePro® Fire Retardant Treated Wood

Providing in All We Do. Fontana Wholesale Lumber Customer Satisfaction30

Advance Guard® Borate Pressure Treated Wood

Royal Pacific Industries

P.O. Box 75 • McMinnville, OR 97128 • 503-434-5450 • FAX: 888-TSO-WOOD (888-876-9663)

www.fontanawholesalelumber.com 28770 Dike Road • Rainier OR 97048 • 503-556-1297 • Fax: 503-556-1709

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

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Huff Lumber Co.Royal Pacific Merchant half page ad 1_19.indd

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9

www.hufflumber.net 13

Humboldt Redwood

www.strongtie.com 39

www.getredwood.com 47

International Wood Products

Jones Wholesale Lumber

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LIGNOLOC

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Mendocino Family of Companies

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Merchant eWeekly

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Mount Storm Forest Products www.mountstorm.com

Western Lumber Co. www.westernlumber.com

Cover I

www.building-products.com 27

UFP Industries www.ufpedge.com

www.mendoco.com 49

Timber Products Co. www.timberproducts.com

www.beck-america.com 13, Cover III

Swanson Group Sales Co. www.swansongroupinc.com

www.joneswholesale.com 51

Siskiyou Forest Products www.siskiyouforestproducts.com

www.iwpllc.com 11, 44

1/21/19 5:53 PM Simpson Strong-Tie

Weyerhaeuser Co. www.weyerhaeuser.com

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Yakama Forest Products www.yakama-forest.com

– Next Month in The Merchant Magazine – DRIVEN BY INNOVATION.Virtual Show Preview – Elite Vendors –Hardwood Products NAWLA POWERED BY NATURE. LIGNOLOC® is a registered trademark of the Raimund BECK KG.

Our innovative LIGNOLOC® fastener is the first collated wooden nail. But that’s just part of the story. In fact, LIGNOLOC® is more than an invention. It’s an expression of a special attitude. The mindset of future generations is green, and we are dedicated to the future. Just as we are dedicated to technology. That’s why we created a product that perfectly aligns performance with sustainability. Making it a smart decision for both fastening and the environment. To learn more,

Building-Products.com

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FLASHBack 97 Years Ago This Month

Ninety-seven years ago this month, in September of

, The California Lumber Merchant reported that the Twenties were really starting to roar. ousing starts were setting new records month by month, the lumber industry was booming at all levels, and spirits were high. Among the activities to keep things light... On Sunday morning Aug. , the umber Salesmen’s Club of San rancisco shoved off to sail across San rancisco ay to Paradise Cove for their annual picnic (see photos below). pon reaching the shore, seven members of their party grabbed instruments and began playing Strike p the and. On land, the field events took place— the -yard dash, three legged-race, and giant tug-ofwar—followed by artistic performances—one member sang, another performed acrobatic stunts, and a third displayed his skill in the art of wrestling. The day ended with five aquatic events the - and -yard swim, high and low diving contests, and long distance race , before heading home just before sunset.

THE SEPTEMBER 1923 cover celebrated Cornell Wood Board pre-primed wallboard from Cornell Wood Products Co., Chicago.

The date of Sept. was set for a rematch between the os Angeles wholesalers vs. the os Angeles retailers in a battle for baseball champions of the Southern California lumber industry. The retailers had gone down to defeat in the inaugural competition a month earlier. The retailers’ team would be captained by ayward umber’s eo ubbard, while the wholesalers would be led by olding umber’s red olding.

e was in fact the same instructor who mentored lmore ing, president of ing umber Co., c arland, Ca., and emboldened ing to issue a public challenge to all comers in a recent issue of The Merchant. urnett bravely accepted ing’s challenge, but— alas—we can find no historical record of the results of lumber barons’ clash.

The San iego oo- oo Club held a unique concat, initiating new members on a massive log raft, moored in the harbor. eorge C. urnett, manager of the urnett umber Co., Tulare, Ca., was a recent visitor to San rancisco, and during his stay he devoted practically all his time to perfecting his game of ahjong. n fact, one reason he traveled to the ay Area was to be coached in the finer points of the game by a local expert.

One of the few low moments was on Aug. , , , sawmills across the country went silent for all or part of the day to pay tribute to the memory of President Warren . arding, who died of a sudden heart attack the previous week. e was . An estimated , employees paused from their work, as some mills closed for the entire day, some for half a day, and others suspended operations for five minutes, as sirens sounded at p.m. Central Time, just as the late President’s funeral procession set out.

SAN FRANCISCO Lumber Salesmen’s Club had no qualms about wearing ridiculous headgear during their annual picnic at Paradise Cove.

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The

MERCHANT

Magazine

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