UPSELLING REAL CEDAR • OFF TO THE RACES WITH REDWOOD • TOP 10 IN OSB SEPTEMBER 2022 THE VOICE OF LUMBER MERCHANTS AND BUILDING MATERIAL DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS IN THE WEST — SINCE 1922 Digital SponsoredEditionby
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POSTMASTER address changes to The Merchant Magazine, 151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. E200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. The Merchant Magazine (ISSN 7399723) (USPS 796-560) is published monthly at 151 Kalmus Dr., Ste. E200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 by 526 Media Group, Inc. Periodicals Postage paid at Newport Beach, CA, and additional post offices. It is an independently-owned publication for the retail, wholesale and distribution levels of the lumber and building products markets in 13 western states. Copyright®2022 by 526 Media Group, Inc. Cover and entire contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission. All Rights Reserved. We reserve the right to accept or reject any edi torial or advertising matter, and assumes no liability for materials furnished to it. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or persons quoted and not necessarily those of 526 Media Group, Inc. Articles are intended for informa tional purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial or business management advice. 526 MEDIA GROUP, INC. Kalmus Dr., Ste. E200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (714) 486-2735
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4 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com SUBSCRIBE TODAY OUR MARKET MOVES QUICKLY—SO DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND! The Merchant is available on a qualified requester basis to senior management of U.S.-based dealers and distributors specializing in lumber and building materials, and to others at the rate of $22 per year. Subscribe now at www.building-products.com/subscribe. SUBSCRIBE NOW AT WWW.BUILDING-PRODUCTS.COM/SUBSCRIBE THE MERCHANT MAGAZINE SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE PRINT, DIGITAL, ENEWSLETTER & MORE! The LBM supply chain’s leading publication for qualified industry decision makers! • Update your subscription • Sign up key colleagues • Enroll multiple locations PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Patrick Adams padams@526mediagroup.com VICE PRESIDENT Shelly Smith Adams sadams@526mediagroup.com PUBLISHERS EMERITUS David Cutler, Alan Oakes MANAGING EDITOR David Koenig dkoenig@526mediagroup.com SENIOR EDITOR Sara Graves • sgraves@526mediagroup.com COLUMNISTS James Olsen, Samantha Stallings, Claudia St. John, Dave Kahle CONTRIBUTORS Rose Braden, Simon Cameron, Jessica Hewitt, Susan Palé, Casey Smyth ADVERTISING SALES (714) Chuck486-2735Casey ccasey@526mediagroup.com Nick Kosan nkosan@526mediagroup.com MARKETING/GRAPHICS Mitch Tanis • mtanis@526mediagroup.com
Volume 101 • Number 9 A PUBLICATION OF
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6 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com ------------| CONTENTSSEPTEMBER 2022 STAY CONNECTED ON SOCIALS: @BPDMERCH THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF PROUD SUPPORTERS OF VOL. 101 • NO. 9 |-----------EDITIONDIGITAL CHECK OUT THE WWW.BUILDING-PRODUCTS.COM FEATURES DEPARTMENTS 11 INDUSTRY TRENDS Sell OSB by the application or as an entire system 12 TOP 10 IN OSB What’s new with North America’s leading producers of OSB 14 PANEL SAFETY APA presents its annual safety awards to panel and EWP mills 16 PROJECT SPOTLIGHT California redwood is off to the races 08 ACROSS THE BOARD 24 OLSEN ON SALES 26 SELLING WITH KAHLE 28 TRANSFORMING TEAMS 36 MOVERS & SHAKERS 44 NEW PRODUCTS 55 DATEBOOK 56 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 56 IN MEMORIAM 57 ADVERTISERS INDEX 58 FLASHBACK UPSELLING REAL CEDAR OFF TO THE RACES WITH REDWOOD TOP 10 IN OSB SEPTEMBER 2022 5016 22 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT Weighing the benefits of real western red cedar decking 50 EVENT RECAP Umpqua Valley Lumber Association welcomes guests back to southwestern Oregon 30 THINKING AHEAD The world is wide open for U.S.’s “Wall of Wood” MARGIN BUILDERS Upselling cedar by marketing its true value 11 18
Personally, I shared with you some health challenges that are not yet over, but that I have largely fought back from. I’m not sure if it was that mid-age reality check, or that physically I just don’t fully bounce back the way I used to, but I find I just don’t have the “reserve tank” that I used to. Responding “no problem” to any request in the past was a given and I could easily just balance it all and keep going. Lately I find that isn’t the case and it takes its toll. Saying no to friends and especially family is something that literally tears me apart. Admitting that “I can’t right now” is akin to admitting defeat, something else that I am not good at. This concept is at battle with my own philosophy of “always being prepared and ready” to serve—your family, your friends, your community. How can I feel like I’m always prepared and ready if I also have to say no sometimes? Is saying no to preserve myself more about priority ranking than selfishness? This is something I continue to battle with.
In the business, we are blessed to be busier than ever. As you know, it’s the 100th year anniversary of our flagship publi cation, which has us all running around like crazy trying to build the foundation for the next many decades. We have launched a new consumer publication (check out www.ATFlifestyle.com if you’re into “that” short of thing!) and we’re dealing with the same runaway costs that everyone is dealing with.
8 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com
------------| ACROSS THE BOARD ------------
I HAVE A CURSE. I have a hard time saying “no.” A psychologist would have a fun time unpacking the baggage of what led to this shortcoming in my personality. Perhaps a fear of rejection or letting people down? Wanting to be a “pleaser”? That childhood advice from my grandfather that I should always aspire to excel at what others don’t want to do? Regardless of the cause, it is something that has come to my attention as of late.Both personally and professionally, if someone asks some thing of me I have a hard time responding with anything other than, “No problem.” I consider it an honor that anyone would ask anything of me and being the “servant” that I am, it brings me happiness to help others. But as we get busier in the busi ness, and I get older personally, I have met that uncomfortable crossroad where I have to begin saying no more often and it is not something that I have yet embraced.
In the meantime, keep charging forward and fighting the good fight! Summer is almost over, so take advantage, say no to something, and instead, do something fun with those who matter! Thank you everyone for the privilege of serving you!
BY PATRICK ADAMS
PATRICK S. ADAMS padams@526mediagroup.comPublisher/President
With that said, we have always prided ourselves on being very selective about who we work with, and who we choose to promote in the pages of our publications. Believe it or not, we say no quite a bit to advertisers that we don’t know as we feel we’re vouching for them to you, our readers. Recently, however, one gave us a VERY good sales pitch and we agreed to run them. I wish sometimes we were a publication where “everything was for sale” and anyone with a bank account is good enough. However, after running them we quickly heard back from a few readers that they were not all they claimed to be. Much to the dismay of our sales team, this led to an easy no, informing the advertiser that we would no longer entertain their business. This was not a pleasant conversation with the advertiser (or the sales rep), but it’s something I believe firmly in and actually was one of my easier no’s.
However, in my years I have heard and witnessed many who I have great respect for execute their “daily plan.” For me, it always seemed to include a lot of what I would call selfish time— meditation, walks, journaling, or pursuit of hobbies and bucket list conquests. Their response when challenged was always the same—how can I be the best for others if I’m not pursuing being the best me? While there was always some logic to that, I al ways held back a small opinion that it was a convenient excuse.
Whether it’s saying no to business for principal reasons, or especially saying no personally, this is my goal for the year to figure out. I know this industry I love is full of far wiser people than me, so any wisdom you can share is always appreciated!
Honestly, I don’t know the answer but I know that as I grow older that I will have to figure this out. As much as I hate to ad mit it, I don’t have the horsepower I had in my 20’s. I know odds say that I will likely have more ailments and that my “hobbies” (or self-destructive, thrill-seeking behavior as my wife claims) will take more of a toll on me as I age. When I look in the mirror, I don’t see this having happened, but at the end of the day I feel it.
SAYING NO
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Every builder knows that it’s essential to maintain the integrity of materials on the jobsite before a project is complete, just as it’s crucial to select materials that can stand the test of time for their clients.During and after the construction process, some OSB products can be used to establish a tight building envelope that defends against water intrusion and allows moisture vapor to escape. When used on walls and roofs, this sheathing combines air and water protection with structural integrity due to its Structural I rating. For high-humidity environments, other OSB roofing alternatives have technology designed to help prevent moisture buildup. CASEY SMYTH
SPECIALIZED OSB products are now available with value-added qualities and dual functionality, making them more efficient and better suited for particular applications. (Photos by LP Building Solutions)
OR AS
3. Thermal Regulation
Other OSB products are engineered for fire resistance. Not only do they help building pros build wall systems that aid in meeting fire codes, but they can also help you accomplish it at an affordable cost.
When the strength of structural OSB is combined with the thermal bridging abilities of XPS foam, the result is a single insulated wall panel that delivers an elevated R-value designed to protect against heat loss and gain. Thermal-insulated
------------| FEATURE STORY ------------ BY
1. Air and Moisture Management
SELL OSB BY APPLICATION AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM
ORIENTED STRAND board is versatile and can be utilized for all manner of functions in the inner workings of a building. But all OSB is not created equal. Some products available in the marketplace are engineered for their value-added qualities and dual functionality, which can make them more efficient and better suited for their jobs.
Building ProductS.com SePtemBer 2022 • the merchant magazine • 11
2. Longer Burn Times
3 Weyerhaeuser Headquarters: Seattle, Wa.
And when they come from the same portfolio, you do not have to sink extra time into planning how each structural component will work with the rest. They are already designed to work in sync. This is not only appealing to prospective clients, but it can also result in builds with more resilience and staying power—which is ultimately more sustainable.
2 Louisiana-Pacific Headquarters: Nashville, Tn.
OSB Mills (6): Arcadia, La.; Grayling, Mi.; Elkin, N.C.; Sutton, W.V.; Edson, Alb.; Hudson Bay, Sask. Weyerhaeuser’s six OSB mills are operating near their combined annual capacity of 3.1 billion sq. ft.
When chosen for their extra abilities and capacity to work harmoniously, value-added OSB products allow you to build to a higher standard—helping both your business and your clients in the long run. MM
– Casey Smyth is brand manager at LP Building Solutions (www.lpcorp.com)
4 Georgia-Pacific Headquarters: Atlanta, Ga. OSB Mills (5): Fordyce, Ar.; Hosford, Fl.; Clarendon, S.C.; Brookneal, Va.; Englehart, Ont.
Some OSB subfloor options work well with specific adhesives that, when installed together, create an exceptional bond between the subflooring and supports, enhancing the stiffness of the entire floor system. Subfloor options like LP Legacy Premium SubFlooring and LP TopNotch 350 Durable Sub-Flooring can be used with LP Legacy Premium Sub-Flooring Adhesive in this way, and systems like these will help prevent squeaks. Engineered to Work Together
SOLUTIONS LIKE LP NovaCore Thermal Insulated Sheathing are engineered to deliver elevated R-values that protect against heat loss and gain.
12 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com
OSB2022Top10
4. Advanced Stiffness
Together, value-added OSB elements can be combined to create a structural system specifically suited to its location to make it more durable and resilient, and to help withstand weather during construction. Whether the final build will face high humidity, regular extreme weather events or simply be in a high temperature region, choosing to invest in products made to stand up over time means you are also choosing to build better.
As part of the initiative, early this year LP completed conversion of its Houlton, Me., OSB facility to Siding Solutions production and promptly began a similar changeover in Sagola, Mi. Yet overall OSB capacity still remains at about 4.5 billion sq. ft., after late last year restarting its Peace Valley OSB mill in Fort St. John, B.C., following a two-year layoff. Production was supposed to ramp up through this year close to full capacity of 750 million sq. ft.
OSB Mills (8): Clarke County and Hanceville, Al.; Sagola, Mi.; Roxboro, N.C.; Carthage and Jasper, Tx.; Fort St. John (Peace Valley), B.C.; Maniwaki, P.Q. [Plus Brazil, two in Chile] LP continues to push its OSB mix toward greater percentage of value-added products, which last year rose to 45% of the total volume for its OSB segment. Its goal is to reach 75%.
1 West Fraser Headquarters: Vancouver, B.C. OSB Mills (12): Huguley, Al.; Cordele, Ga.; Guntown, Ms.; Bemidji, Mn.; Joanna, S.C.; Jefferson and Nacogdoches, Tx.; Grand Prairie and High Level, Alb.; Barwick, Ont.; Chambord and La Sarre, P.Q. [Plus Scotland, Belgium; Allendale, S.C. (idle)]At the end of last year, West Fraser completed acquisition of Georgia-Pacific’s OSB mill near Allendale, S.C. The facility— idle since 2019—will add 760 million sq. ft. of capacity to West Fraser’s industry-leading 8+ billion sq. ft. a year of OSB, after it restarts and ramps up to full production by mid- to late-2023. sheathing is engineered for this purpose, and because of its OSB component, it can be installed with regular wall stud spacing—meaning no extra steps or hassle required to get the added thermal benefit. Still other enhanced OSB alternatives boast radiant barrier technology, which helps block heat in a roof panel from leaking into a building’s attic. Some are so effective that they can reduce attic temperatures by up to 30º F. This is a huge selling point to clients, who can end up paying less over time in energy bills.
10 Langboard Headquarters: Quitman, Ga. OSB Mill (1): Quitman, Ga. Langboard OSB has a 440-million sq. ft. annual capacity.
To bolster its OSB operations, GP is installing a third strander at its Clarendon, S.C., mill. The $40-million expansion, expected to come on line in the first quarter of next year, will add 150 million sq. ft. of capacity, bringing the five GP mills’ overall capabilities to 2.8 billion sq. ft.
5 Huber Engineered Woods Headquarters: Charlotte, N.C. OSB Mills (5): Commerce, Ga.; Easton, Me.; Broken Bow, Ok.; Spring City, Tn.; Crystal Hill, Va. Huber continues working towards bringing to life a planned 800,000-sq. ft. OSB facility in Cohasset, Mn. Earlier this year, it received city council approval for its revised environmental review, but indigenous activists continued to raise objections. The $440-million plant on 400 acres would supply Zip System and AdvanTech structural panels to western and Midwestern markets—increasing Huber’s overall OSB capacity by 30%. Its five mills are currently able to produce up to 2.556 billion sq. ft. a year.
7 RoyOMartin Headquarters: Alexandria, La. OSB Mills (2): Oakdale, La.; Corrigan, Tx. To meet rising demand beyond its two mills’ combined 1.7 billion sq. ft. capacity, RoyOMartin is currently building a second OSB plant in Corrigan, with plans to be in production by fall of 2023.
6
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8 Arbec Forest Products Headquarters: St. Leonard, P.Q. OSB Mills (2) Miramichi, N.B.; Shawinigan, P.Q. Arbec’s two OSB mills have a combined capacity of 700 million sq. ft. 9 Forex Amos Headquarters: Montreal, P.Q. OSB Mill (1): Amos, P.Q.
Building ProductS.com SePtemBer 2022 • the merchant magazine • 13
Now in its third year of producing 7/16” OSB, with a max capacity of 450 million sq. ft. yearly, Forex has since formed a new division—Wawa OSB—that is working to reopen an idled plant in Wawa, Ontario, in the fall of 2023. Weyerhaeuser had produced OSB at the site until 2007, after which Rentech used it to manufacture pellets until 2017.
Tolko Industries Headquarters: Vernon, B.C. OSB Mills (3): High Prairie and Slave Lake, Alb.; Meadow Lake,TolkoSask.took a production hit when a May 20 fire caused the ongoing closure of its mill in High Prairie, which is responsbile for about a third of the company’s overall OSB capacity of 2.26 million sq. ft.
14 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com port making workplaces as safe as possible.”Inall,69
The APA Safety & Health Awards Program is the premier safety award program for the engineered wood products industry in North America, both encouraging and rec ognizing operational excellence in hopes of reducing injury and illness rates. MM
• Honor & Safety Roll leaders (plywood) RoyOMartin, Chopin, La., and Boise Cascade, Chester, S.C.; (OSB) LP Brazil and RoyOMartin, Oakdale, La.; and (EWP) Roseburg, Chester, S.C., and Resolute, St. Prime, Quebec.
------------| APA SAFETY
• Safety Improvement Award winners (plywood) Boise Cascade, Oakdale; (OSB) LP Brazil; and (EWP) Boise Cascade, Homedale, Id.
TAKE A BOW FOR SAFETY
APA-member structural wood panel and engineered wood product facilities in the U.S., Canada and abroad participated in the 2021 program, its 14th year.
The program’s Incident Free Honor Society also noted 13 facili ties with zero reported mishaps—LP,
PANEL/EWPAWARDS MILLS
Also recognized were:
TWO Tolko OSB mills were honored for their inventiveness in APA–The Engineered Wood Association’s 2021 Safety & Health Awards. (Photo courtesy Tolko Industries) Swan Valley, Manitoba; Dawson Creek, B.C.; Newberry, Mi.; Toma hawk, Wi.; and Ponta Grossa, Brazil; Resolute, Larouche and St. Prime, Quebec; Roseburg, Chester; Roy OMartin, Oakdale; Tolko, Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan; and West Fra ser, Bemidji, Mn.; Joanna, S.C.; and Nacogdoches.“Weareproud of our members’ commitment to developing systems and processes that improve worker safety,” said APA president Mark Tibbetts. “People are the founda tion of our industry, and we sup
APA – THE ENGINEERED Wood Association honored two Tolko Industries facilities for their inven tiveness during APA’s 2021 Safety & HealthTolko’sAwards.Athabasca, Alberta, mill won the Equipment-Based Inno vation Award for its Pink Panther invention, while Tolko of Armstrong, B.C., took home the Jeff Wagner Process-Based Innovation Award for its Area-Based Lockout Matrix Program.TopSafety Company awards went to Resolute Engineered Wood (three or fewer mills) and West Fraser (four-plus mills).
• Three-year Safety Award receipients (plywood) RoyOMartin, Chopin; (OSB) West Fraser, Nacogdoches, Tx.; and (EWP) Boise Cascade, White City, Or.
The latest additions to our fasteners.high-performance © 2022 Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. FTCBT22-D Complete your lineup with the new Finish Trim and Wafer-Head Construction screws from Simpson Strong-Tie. These high-performance fasteners are designed for a wide range of applications — framing, cabinetry, trim, outdoor furniture and more. The Finish Trim screw’s low-profile head makes it ideal for finish work, while the Wafer-Head Construction screw offers high pull-through capacity for strength. Both feature our unique SawTooth ® point, which eliminates the need for predrilling and makes driving easy. And with our Quik Guard ® coating, they’re suitable for interior and exterior jobs. To learn more about our entire selection of Simpson Strong-Tie ® fasteners, including the new Finish Trim and Wafer-Head Construction screws, visit go.strongtie.com/fasterfinish or call (800) 999-5099. Deck-Drive DCU COMPOSITE Screw Fascia Screw NEW Wafer-Head Construction Screw Pan-Head Marine Screw Deck-Drive DSV WOOD Screw Strong-Drive ® CSV CONSTRUCTION Screw NEW Finish Trim Screw Deck-Drive DWP WOOD SS Screw Strong-Drive SDWS TIMBER Screw (Exterior) Strong-Drive SDWS FRAMING Screw
UPGRADED HOSPITALITY facility at Sonoma Raceway incorporates extensive use of clear redwood pattern stock and S4S material on both the exterior façade and interior finishes. (Photos by Humboldt Sawmill Co.)
Deck at Turn 2, as well as on numer ous redwood pergolas throughout theIntrack.June 2021, Sonoma Raceway announced it had broken ground on a 19,000-sq. ft. upgraded hospitality facility overlooking the hairpin Turn 11 on the road course. Completed in time for the 2022 Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series weekend, the Turn 11 facility offers a luxury indoor/outdoor hospitality and viewing experience on major event race weekends and is available as an exclusive venue rental for corporate outings, community events, trade shows, meetings and parties.
------------| PROJECT SPOTLIGHT ------------ BY
Designed by Perkins Eastman’s Charlotte, N.C., studio and built by
16 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com
NESTLED IN THE heart of
SONOMA RACEWAY TURNS TO REDWOOD HOSPITALITY PROJECT
California’s world-famous wine country is Sonoma Raceway, a world-class motorsports facility home to one of six road courses on the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series race schedule. The raceway property encompasses 1,600 acres in total. The track itself is a 2.52-mile, 12turn road course (1.999-mile, 10-turn for NASCAR and ARCA), and a 1/4mile modern dragstrip that hosts a stop on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule. Beyond the two major event races, Sonoma Raceway features an expansive industrial park housing more than 70 motor sports-based businesses. The facility is also home to the Sears Point Racing Experi ence—the official racing school of Sonoma Raceway—as well as the Sonoma Raceway Karting Center. In total, the track hosts year-round racing events, as well as thriving venue and track rental programs. Recognizing a need for upgraded spectator amenities, in particular shade on hot summer days during major event race weekends, Sono ma Raceway invited Humboldt Sawmill Co. to become a corpo rate partner. The partnership has blossomed over the years centering around extensive use of redwood lumber and timbers throughout the property, most notably on the 135ft. Real. Strong. Humboldt Sawmill JESSICA HEWITT
THE BEAUTY and warmth of redwood give the 19,000-sq. ft. Turn 11 facility an intimate feel.
HEWITTJESSICA
Jessica Hewitt is director, marketing for the Mendocino Companies. For more information, please visit www. mendoco.com.
“We worked closely with Speedway Motorsports (owner and operator of Sonoma Raceway), Perkins Eastman, and Tilton Pacific Construction to specify and deliver the redwood for this impressive project. We couldn’t be happier with how the project turned out, TURN 11 at Sonoma Raceway offers a premium, luxury hospitality and viewing experience on major event race weekends as well as during yearround racing events at the track. The facility is available as an exclusive venue rental for corporate outings, community events, tradeshows, meetings and parties.
Building ProductS.com SePtemBer 2022 • the merchant magazine • 17
Tilton Pacific Construction of Rocklin, Ca., the Turn 11 facility incorporates extensive use of Humboldt Saw mill clear redwood pattern stock and S4S material on the exterior eaves and interior paneling. The redwood material also wraps large steel beams spanning the interior ceilings. The front entrance barn doors and additional pergolas on the front lawn complete the use of Humboldt Sawmill redwood on the Turn 11 project.
and more importantly, how happy the client is,” said Sam Patti, VP, sales for Humboldt Sawmill Co. Patti continued, “The building is pretty simple with an open, modern aesthetic and lots of glass for optimal views of the track. The beauty and warmth of the red wood give the space an intimate feel and carry through the redwood theme evident throughout the Sonoma Raceway property.” MM
18 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com
THE ULTIMATE GOAL for most softwood retailers is, of course, to sell their product. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s their main mission. The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association has long supported their member retailers in what’s commonly known as valuebased selling (also referred to as value-added selling)—the process of SIMON CAMERON UPSELLING CEDAR
taking a consultative approach to sales and conveying the value of a product or service along the way. The goal with a value-based selling approach is to put the needs of the customer first: they are guided through the sales process to make an informed decision to best suit their needs; with the ideal outcome of having your product be on page 20)
“The look of western red cedar is a major reason for choosing it,” noted Brad Kirkbride, managing director of WRCLA. “But when you start to add in the value the prod ucts offer in terms of what they do for the environment, or the incredi ble versatility and range of finishing options you have, then you start to build a competitive but highly posi tive narrative around your product in the mind of the consumer.”
(Continued
the solution that best meets those needs. With the WRCLA, their sales process begins with an advertising and communications program that informs consumers, distributors and retailers not only about the bene fits of western red cedar, but about the value the products have as an appearance product.
DON’T SELL THE PRODUCT, SELL THE VALUE
WESTERN RED CEDAR siding can be finished to complement all styles of buildings from modern to traditional to rustic. (Photos courtesy WRCLA)
Consistency of messaging has been an important part of the communications program, and the WRCLA works to maintain this the entire way through the sales funnel, beginning with the advertising through to the retail level.
“Highlighting Real Cedar’s role in carbon capture and as an environmentally friendly building product is important,” continued Kirkbride, “but we’ve also found that consumers are very responsive to the sheer range of options they have to enhance the beauty of the wood and design the exact finished look they want. These are two major benefits that composite substitute products really can’t match, and add tremendous value to the product.”
------------| MARGIN BUILDERS ------------ BY
The CEU covers the first and most simple non-maintenance option of leaving WRC siding unfin ished so it naturally turns gray over time. This option also has the ad vantage of having the most benign environmental impact of all alter native product choices for similar building applications, according to a recent third-party Life Cycle Assess ment of natural western red cedar siding and decking. As the majority of western red cedar users will prefer a finish that preserves the wood’s natural color and appearance, the range of natural finishes such as transparent and semi-transparent stains is also explained. One technique that is gaining in popularity is the use of bleaching and weathering products. These are essentially water-repel lent finishes containing pigments and other additives. Bleaching stains accelerate the weathered, gray look faster and more evenly than if the wood was left to naturally weather. After bleaching, the western red cedar can be left in its natural state or given a coat of clear sealer. Included in the variety of finishing options available are opaque finishes—used with fingerjoint
20 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com products or in cases where the color and natural grain of the wood are not required—and the waxes and coatings used in interior applications.Theimportance of using WRC products to mitigate climate change and the versatility they offer are but two of the benefits that contribute to upselling western red cedar’s true value to the customer. The emerg ing area of biophilic design, in which studies are showing that incorpo rating natural products like wood in interior and exterior design have positive health benefits and help reduce stress-related illnesses, also resonates strongly with consumers and further differentiates WRC from composite competitors.
LEARNSURPRISEDALIKEAND“PROFESSIONALSHOMEOWNERSAREGENUINELYWHENTHEYTHEYLITERALLYHAVEHUNDREDSOFOPTIONSWHENITCOMESTOSPECIFYINGFINISHESFORSIDINGANDTRIM.”
“We know that professionals and homeowners alike are genuinely surprised when they learn that they literally have hundreds of options when it comes to specifying finishes for siding and trim,” said Kirkbride. “Add in the different textures, pro files and grades and you can create whatever design you want.”
By adhering to a consistent mes sage and focusing on the value of their products, the WRCLA is avoid ing bombarding potential customers with meaningless messages and in stead are working to stand out from their competitors and create longterm, happy customers by providing more value than anyone else. MM Western red cedar’s versatility in finishing options has shown to be such an impactful topic that the WRCLA has also made it the subject of a recently launched continuing education unit course (CEU) with the American Institute of Architects.
“Architects are a very influential group,” noted Kirkbride, “and educating them on the benefits and value of the species is particularly important in getting that message seeded.”Thecourse focuses mainly on WRC siding, including soffits and trim, as it plays such a major role in the design and style of a home or building as well as protecting it from the elements. The course also points out that although the siding category has had a myriad of competitive man-made substitute products that have appeared and disappeared over the decades, WRC siding has been a popular constant for hundreds of years.
ARCHITECT Webster Wilson clad this home in a beautiful knotty grade of western red cedar finished with a semi-solid stain.
UPSELLING CEDAR (Continued from page 18)
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Wood products like western red cedar decking store carbon long after the trees are harvested. When compared to the carbon-intensive SIMON CAMERON
Western red cedar is often chosen for its natural good looks. The species has a rich luster, a fine grain and its colors range from a deep reddish-brown to a light-honey hue. While consumer research puts looks and price as the two most important factors in the purchase decision for western red cedar (and other decking materials), there are other benefits that deserve closer examination, particularly in light of the fact that environmental consid erations continue to grow in im portance when it comes to making home-improvement decisions.
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like WRC decking help reduce climate change by capturing carbon.
CHOOSING A DECKING mate rial in today’s crowded market is no easy task. There are a multitude of different materials and just as many reasons to choose one product over another. As with most design and building decisions, however, the product you end up buying comes down to weighing out the benefits.
Wood products like Real Cedar decking play a significant role in mitigating the impacts of climate change, primarily due to their ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capturing carbon. As a forest grows, it removes carbon from the atmosphere and stores it in the wood as organic matter, as well as performing other essential ecolog ical functions, such as regulating climate extremes and water cycles by purifying water and preventing flooding.Astrees age, however, the forest becomes more susceptible to distur bances such as fire, pest outbreaks, droughts, and storms. Although these are naturally occurring distur bances in all forests, decomposing or burning trees release tremen dous amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases back into the atmosphere. By sustainably managing forests to avoid large emissions from the loss of old trees while rapidly removing carbon from the atmosphere through young forest growth provides both storage and sequestration benefits.
22 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com manufacturing process needed to produce composite decking, and the fact that used composite products end up in our landfills, using natural wood products is the far-more bene ficial choice for the environment. Actually, WRC is approximately 50% carbon by Anotherweight.lesser-known advantage of building with western red cedar is its flame spread rating, fire retar dant rating and smoke developed classification. It is listed in chap ter 7A of the California State Fire Marshall’s list of products allowed to be used in WUI (Wildland Urban Interface) areas. Scientific testing conducted in April of 2014 assigned
WEIGHING THE BENEFITS OF REAL CEDARPRODUCTSDECKING
Building ProductS.com SePtemBer 2022 • the merchant magazine • 23
Western red cedar’s flame spread and fire retardan cy rating compare well against other species and ma terials, and can be used in areas where other materials may not be permitted. If WRC is to be used where the risk of fire is high, additional protection can be added by applying a permanent fire retardant. Fire retardant systems are safe and environmentally friendly, and are usually done using a vacuum-pressure impregnation system to remove moisture and air from the wood cells and replace it with the fire retardant. The process sig nificantly increases fire protection without sacrificing the natural beauty of the wood. Cedar deck image by Zuern Building Products)
(Real
Western red cedar also passed ember penetra tion tests and is allowed to be used in WUI areas. It is important to note that building to WUI standards has proven to reduce the loss of homes and structures to wildfires, which is of significant concern in a number of areas, California included. Natural materials like WRC have the additional advantage over synthetic and com posite materials in that they do not give off harmful emissions when exposed to heat.
WRC a Class B/Class 11 flame spread and fire retardan cy rating, a smoke developed classification of 125 and found WRC to be self-extinguishing.
There may be a fancy word for this, but I call it “Piggybacking.” The best time to ask any question is when the customer brings it up. Examples: Customer: “I’m busier than heck today, what have you got for me?” Master Seller: “That place couldn’t JAMES OLSEN CONNECTING WITH CUSTOMERS
Piggybacking
24 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com run without you. How long have you worked there?”
I have asked this question for years. It sometimes takes people aback, but they always answer. The options for good follow-up questions are endless.
Most sellers are thinking about what they are going to say while the customer is talking. The Master Seller listens intently and thinks of a followup question pertaining to what the customer is talking about.
Larry King wrote a book titled How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. I read it because I wanted to improve my conversational skills. My biggest takeaway was talking about the weather.
What Do You Do for Fun?
OLSENJAMES
------------| OLSEN ON SALES ------------ BY
Example: Insincere Salesperson: “How was your weekend?” Customer: “It was fine.” Insincere Salesperson “Great. Any way, I’ve got a great deal on 2x4…” Master Seller: “How was your week end?”
But I Don’t Know Anything Fishing/Hunting/Baseball...About
The key to connecting with custom ers is being a relaxed, sincere listener and asking good follow-up questions.
The Follow-Up Question
Customer: “It was fine.” Master Seller: “What did you do?”
Customers know salespeople know this, are wary of “fake friendliness,” and have their guard up as we try to be friendly and get to know them. There is a saying in Tae Kwon Do: “Simple not easy.” The simple answer in getting to know people is to act natural and be a good listener. Many sellers are too nervous, so their speech is stilted, which makes customers uncomfortable. These sellers add all kinds of fillers to their language—uhs, ums, kindas, ya knows. In addition, they use weak words—possibly, maybe, might, prob ably, hopefully—which don’t inspire confidence. Other sellers are only there for the order. It’s great to get down to business and not waste people’s time, but if we do it with no human touch, we will get some business but our pro fessional competitor who knows how to add some warmth to their calls will dominate us in the long run. Knowing when and how to ask personal questions is not easy. We have our own stylistic differences and so do every one of our customers so knowing when to ask more personal questions is a subtle skill indeed.
Customer: “I’ve been buying for 20 years.” Master Seller: “What did you do before that?” “Have you been buying for the same company?” “What do you like most about being a buyer?”
James Olsen is principal of Reality Sales Training, Portland, Or. Call him at (503) 544-3572 or james@realitysalestraining.com.email do outside of school. Once we get a customer talking about their family, the possibilities for questions are limitless.
The Weather
Larry said it’s like magic; people love to talk about the weather. I started doing it and it was amazing! Once we get people talking about the weather we can easily segue into other conversations.
We don’t need to know anything about our customer’s passion, we just need to show a sincere curiosity about it. I’ve never been hunting in my life, but I know a fair bit about hunting because many of my customers are avid hunters and love to talk about it.
Customer: “Spent some time with my family.” Master Seller: “What did you do?” Customer: “We took the kids to an amusement park.” Master Seller: “Great. How many kids do you have?” From here the Master Seller can ask about the kids, their ages, what they IN MOST CASES, all else being equal, and even when they aren’t equal, customers will buy from the sales person they get along with best. The opposite is even more true. It is almost impossible to do business with some one we don’t connect with.
Customer: “This is a nice town we live in.”
Master Seller: “How long have you lived there?” “Where did you grow up?” “How long have you been with your company?”
Climate change is on everyone’s mind. In response, our team has aggressively adopted a more sustainable approach to how we produce lumber. With the building of our solar farm, our facilities can run entirely on solar power. But we didn’t stop there: We have also adopted other sustainable practices, such as recycling excess stains, coatings, and received packaging. We’ve also adopted processes to reuse our lumber offcuts and sawdust. Delivering premium products sustainably - just another example of how Western Woods is leading the industry forward. Excellent products. Unrivaled service. Sustainable thinking. what we do.
PREMIUM LUMBER PRODUCTS MADE BY THE POWER OF THE SUN. Call us at 800-822-8157 Visit us at westernwoodsinc.comLet’s get social
+++ ++++ + + WE’RE LEADING THE WAY.
It’s
»
Q. HOW MANY appointments or conversations per day or per week should a salesperson make in order to be successful?
OK, you know by now that doesn’t mean I don’t have anything to say to this point. I have no idea because I don’t know the specifics of your selling situation. The definition of a reasonable number of appoint ments varies tremendously from one situation to another. For example, I have worked with phone salespeople who are expected to have 50 to 60 conversations per day. On the other hand, I regularly spent a half-day with one customer. And that one account probably bought more from me than several hundred of the phone sales accounts. Which hits to the heart of the issue. The factor that most determines a reasonable number of appointments is the potential dollar value of the sale. The larger the potential dollar value of the sale, the fewer calls should be made. That’s because the nature of the sale requires more in-depth relationships and more involved sales dialogues. Each call is more complex, and takes longer. You can’t make as many calls.
Armed with this calculation, the next question is, “How many sales calls does this salesperson need to make in order to generate $272,000 of gross profit?” That will help shed some light on the subject. One caveat: the 25% figure really is a very broad rule of thumb. I know of some cases, like sub-reps for independent agents, where the number could be higher. And, for many industries, like wholesale distribution, I advocate a smaller number, like 13% to 17%.
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KAHLE ------------ BY
KAHLEDAVE
takes to be successful. If you haven’t tracked that number, it may be a good exercise to track it for all your reps for a couple of months, and then to use that as a guideline.
Figure out what a viable quan tity and quality of opportunities per salesperson is and track them. It’s closer to the mark than calls. The number of calls measures the amount of raw activity in which your salespeople engage. The quantity and quality of sales opportunities measures a more significant thing— the amount of worthwhile activities in which your salespeople engage.
When you add in the cost of expens es, fringes and taxes, the salesper son actually costs you $68,000. So, if you use the 25% rule-of-thumb, that salesperson should bring in at least $272,000 in gross profit in order to be profitable to you.
I did. I was selling hospital supplies via 12-month contracts. A typical deal would be worth $20,000 to $60,000.
26 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com
A. I have no idea. How’s that for an answer you’re not expecting?
HOW MANY SALES CALLS SHOULD YOU MAKE IN A DAY?
Having said all of that, I don’t think the number of calls is an important issue for most salespeople. It does have some application to guide a new salesperson to an appropriate level of activity. After that, however, there are other measurements that are more important: the quantity and quality of sales opportunities unearthed. In other words, if your salesperson can uncover $1 million worth of viable sales opportunities in five calls a week, more power to him.
If another makes 25 calls to uncover the $1 million, so be it.
We’ve done extensive research on this, and I can give you a broad rule of thumb. I believe that, generally speaking, salespeople’s total cost to the company should not exceed 25% of the total gross profit they pro duce. For example, let’s say you have a salesperson who makes $50,000.
Dave Kahle is a leading sales authority, having written 12 books and presented in 47 states and 11 countries. For more information, visit davekahle.com.
The second is a variation of the first. In order to be profitable to the company, each salesperson’s total costs must fall within a certain range.
On the other hand, the smaller the potential dollar value of the sale, the more calls should be made. The phone salespeople, for example, were selling safety videos for about $100 each. Because of the relatively small order size, they’d need to make many times the number of calls that WITH DAVE KAHLE
So, the first thing to consider in developing quantifiable expectations is the potential value of the sale.
Another thing to consider is past history. If you’ve been in business for a while, you should have some sense of how many calls or appointments it
REDWOOD THE POSSIBILITIES KEEP GROWING: Call us at 707.894.4241 Visit us at buyRedwood.com Nature’s majestic pilla rs. ReReddwwood iood is os onne oe of tf thhe se sttrroonnggeesst at annd fd faasstteesst gt grroowwiinng sg sooffttwwood speood specciieess.. It thrives in some of the most productive timberlands in the world. Redwood is known for its timeless durability without the use of chemicals. Due to its flawless formation, there has never been a Redwood recall. There is a grade of Redwood for every application, every budget, and every customer. “Growing beyond measure.” Call or visit us today. Our family of Redwood timberland owners will continue to be your reputable and reliable source of Redwood.
------------| TRANSFORMING TEAMS ------------ BY
Recruitment & Unemployment
The Conference Board recently reported that real wages are on track to increase 3.9% in 2022. That would be the largest increase since 2008. And employees in all roles— executives, managers, professionals, and hourly—are expected to receive similarWageincreases.growthwill also vary by geography. In areas with low un employment and high demand for workers, expect wages to rise more sharply and quickly. In areas with high living costs, wages will rise to keep pace with those costs, which may in turn cause employers to raise prices—perpetuating the “wageprice” spiral that currently exists. Despite high wage growth, the current inflation rate of 9.1% (the highest recorded in 40 years) results in negative wage growth for many employees. What that means is this: for employees making $40,000, real income is reduced to $36,664 when current inflation is considered.
Tips for employers:
• Develop and implement a longterm salary planning process that addresses current and anticipated labor market issues.
• Be aware of differing costs in dif ferent labor markets. This is critical when operating multiple locations.
On July 8, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued its Job Open ings and Labor Turnover Survey for June. Job openings declined slightly.
The USDOL also reports that all jobs lost to the COVID-19 pandemic have now been recovered.
A. In our compliance practice, we are routinely fielding questions about how to handle the latest strains of COVID-19. For up-to-date information, we recommend check ing out OSHA’s guidance at www. osha.gov/coronavirus/safework.Thatsaid,themostrecentCDCguidelinesrecommendisolatingforfivedaysforthosewhodevelopsymptomsand/ortestpositive,andtowearamaskforthefollowingfivedaysunlesssymptomspersist,inwhichcaseindividualsshouldisolatefor10daysandthenwearamaskforfiveadditionaldays.Vaccinatedemployeesneednotquarantineifexposed,butshouldwearamaskforfivedaysandmonitorforsymptoms.Unvaccinatedindividualsshouldisolateforfivedaysandwearamaskforanadditionalfivedays.
Wage Growth
The job opening numbers have— until now—been steadily increasing as have the hire and separation numbers. It’s too soon to tell if the June numbers are a “blip” or indica tive of more changes to come.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE LABOR MARKET
LEGISLATIONWAGESRECRUITING,&
INFLATION. INFLATION. Infla tion. We not only hear that word 15 times a day, we experience it every day—at the gas pump, supermarket, and that before-work coffee and bagelManypurchase.economists are concerned that the interest rate increases approved by the Federal Reserve will slow economic growth and cause a recession. It’s too soon to know and although the labor market remains strong, there are some signs of changes ahead. SUSAN PALÉ
Q. My employees are concerned about the latest variant of COVID19. How do we make sure our office stays safe and compliant?
• Anticipate continued difficulty recruiting, especially entry-level candidates.•Ifraising pay is necessary to hire new talent, review pay levels for current, experienced employees to ensure internal equity.
• Streamline your application pro cess. Many candidates report “giving up” trying to apply online because of a applicationconfusing/convoluted/redundantprocess.
The biggest decreases in openings occurred in the Professional/Busi ness Services, Durable Goods Man ufacturing, and Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing sectors. During the same 30-day period, hire and sepa ration numbers were unchanged.
Tips for employers:
28 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com
The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.6% in July 2022. That’s low, but not as low as most of Minnesota, which has six metro areas with unemployment rates less than 2%, with Mankato and Rochester 1.3%.
• Identify the best resources to help you stay informed about labor market activity in the market(s) where you operate and consult those resources regularly.
Tips for employers:
Tips for employers: • Be aware that minimum wage changes may not be statewide and may not take effect on Jan. 1.
As always, states and municipali ties are well ahead of the federal gov ernment in raising wages to address costs of living and labor. A lot of these changes take effect mid-year.
Eleven states and the District of Columbia now offer some type of paid leave for employees. Federal employees are also eligible for up to 12 weeks of paid leave under the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (FEPLA) of 2020.
The United States is one of the few western countries that doesn’t offer paid family leave to employees. A federal proposal for paid family leave, originally included as part of the Build Back Better Act, is being considered by both houses of Con gress as a stand-alone proposal but is not expected to advance.
The current Democratic adminis tration continues steps to advance its workplace policy agenda prior to the 2022 midterm elections. The pro posed 2023 DOL budget includes ma jor funding to expand Registered Ap prenticeship opportunities, funding to allow OSHA to rebuild its rulemak ing and enforcement capability and expand its whistleblower protection program, and increased funding for the Wage and Hour Division to more aggressively enforce rules regarding the misclassification of employees as independent contractors.
PALSUSANÉ Susan Palé, CCP, is vice president for compensation with Affinity HR Group. Reach her at (877) 660-6400 or contact@affinityhrgroup.com.
• Consider other types of salary increases (e.g., equity increases, bonuses, special incentives) to sup plement/replace the standard yearly increase of 2%-3%.
• Keep informed of what’s hap pening at federal, state, and local levels in all of your locations. Legislative Outlook
• Understand that even though a location may have a specified minimum wage, prevailing wages for specific jobs in specific markets may be well above these minimum levels.
• Review current pay policies for competitiveness in recruiting market(s) and anticipate the need to increase wages to recruit and retain.
Minimum Wage
Building ProductS.com SePtemBer 2022 • the merchant magazine
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• Subscribe to Affinity HR Group’s HR Support Plan which tracks state legislative updates that affect work place policies and practices (www. affinityhrgroup.com/hrsupportplan).•Identifyotherresourcestokeepuponchanges/newrequirementsatthefederal,state,andlocallevel.•Increasefocusoncompliance.ExpectincreasedenforcementofOSHA,FederalContractCompliancePrograms,andDOLrules.
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The federal minimum wage remains at $7.25, and is not likely to be raised any time soon. Twenty-one states currently have a minimum wage of $7.25.
A SPECIAL SERIES FROM NAWLA was diverted to the domestic market, making it more difficult for international customers to source lumber from the U.S. On top of that, America’s booming domestic market—and the lofty prices that went with it—made our wood less competitive on the global stage. Over the past year, softwood lumber prices have started to relent in response to softening demand. The reduction in prices—from an average of $1,500 per 1,000 bd. ft. in June 2020 to an average of $650 per 1,000 bd. ft. now—means the U.S. is competitive once again as an international supplier. U.S. softwood
exports increased during the second half of last year, with a 6% increase expected for 2022.
For years, industry participants have been debating what to do about the “Wall of Wood” in the U.S. South, where timber growth far exceeds removals. With the domes tic market unable to consume all of the lumber that’s harvested, a solution was desperately needed. We got one—at least temporarily—when COVID turned out to have the oppo site effect on the housing market as what was waspandemiccatchmillsdippedunprecedentedlumberdomestictowashomebuyinglockdowns,wereimagination.topredictions,Contraryexpected.tothegloom-and-doomthemarketcontinuedsurgebeyondanyone’swildestAsweknow,peoplestuckathomeunderpandemicpromptingatrendinandremodelingthatevenmoreappealingthankslowinterestrates.Theresult:demandforsoftwoodtookoff,soaringtohighs.WhileU.S.lumberproductionattheoutsetofCOVID,maxedoutproductiontoupwithdemandasthedraggedon.Supplythatnormallyavailableforexport AHEAD ROSE BRADEN THE WORLD IS WIDE OPEN FOR U.S. “WALL OF WOOD”
• Housing Cycles: For one, the U.S. housing market isn’t always (Southern yellow pine forest photo courtesy Conner Industries)
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------------| THINKING
30 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com
Domestic Dilemma
WE’RE ALL TOO familiar with the supply-chain problems, labor shortages and other fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. But even before the outbreak turned the world on its head, the domestic lumber market was facing the makings of its own crisis: in a nutshell, too much wood.
Export Excitement Reinvigoration of the export mar ket will help return some balance to the U.S., which has been overwhelm ingly focused on domestic lumber over the past couple of years. Companies that don’t export may want to take the time to explore the option now, in light of the important implications associated with selling wood overseas.
Phytosanitary regulations in the U.S. also work on our behalf with Mexico as a lumber customer. Those policies require products coming in from Mexico to be heat-treated; therefore, it makes sense for Mexico to buy lumber that is already heattreated from the United States, manufacture it into pallets, and then move their own goods across the border on those compliant pallets.
Softwood lumber exports to Mexico more than doubled from $127 million to $272 million between 2020 and 2021. As U.S. lumber prices contin
Where to Look Although a tariff war with the U.S. has taken a toll on exports to China—with exports plummeting to $60 million in 2020 from $159 million in 2017—Southeast Asia con tinues to show great potential for U.S. lumber exporters. Sixty percent of the world’s population resides in Asia (excluding China), and the region holds 54% of the world’s middle-class wage earners. Even greater opportunity lies closer to home with our neighbor to the south. The potential for doing business with Mexico is nothing short of incredible, due in no small part to the fact that we share a bor der. That means our shipping rates are more cost-effective compared with other competing suppliers in the international market.
Maintaining international markets and customers requires a lot of work and a lot of time. And, of course, travel. Virtual communication sufficed during COVID—particularly in cases where the relationship was already established—and it has its place even now. However, nothing can replace face-to-face interaction, especially when trying to cultivate a relationship with a new customer.
With COVID in the background, export is ready to flourish. It’s a lot of work, but with so many factors working in our favor, it surely will be worth it. At a minimum, tapping into this ocean of outside demand will allow U.S. lumber companies to even the playing field between domestic and international business while also mitigating an oversupply problem here at home.
ue to soften, Mexican buyers—who are extremely price sensitive—will become even more inclined to buy from U.S.
• Wall of Wood: The export market will help alleviate the excess volume in the United States—pri marily the South—at a time when a global timber shortage is loom ing in the rest of the world. These circumstances place our country in a highly favorable position to supply the international markets. Global furniture demand, for example, has not subsided; and other nations will look to U.S. softwood to help meet that need.
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Add to that the multiple advan tageous aspects of the new U.S./ Mexico/Canada trade agreement.
North American Wholesale Lumber Association is the association that delivers unparalleled access to relationships and resources that improve business strategy and performance through sales growth, cost savings, and operational efficiencies for wholesalers and manufacturers of forest products and other building materials that conduct business in North America. Learn how NAWLA can help your business at nawla.org.
There’ssuppliers.somuch potential in the export market and so many benefits, but it’s not as simple as adding an “Export” page to your website. Com panies must prioritize their export business—it can’t be an afterthought; suppliers must be actively involved.
Now that we’re able to get back on planes and attend trade shows and visit customers on site, the inperson dynamic is vital to building and maintaining relationships and also understanding the markets that we’re supplying, and vice versa. As a case in point, SEC recently hosted a group from Pakistan—some of whom, as you might imagine, had never been to a forest in real life. We took them to a sustainably managed forest in Wisconsin, where they could walk the forest stand and talk to forest managers. They learned so much more than they ever could virtually. That kind of experience just can’t be achieved by remote.
the
Building ProductS.com SePtemBer 2022 • merchant
------------| ABOUT NAWLA
• Declining International Timber Supply: As the U.S. sees an increase in standing timber, a variety of issues are limiting the supply of international timber, including bans on the use of illegally harvested tropical timber, forest fires and rising log costs in Brazil, a ban on timber sales on old-growth forests in British Columbia, and bans on the use of Russian lumber. These factors place the U.S. in a key position to improve its competitiveness in international markets.•International Appeal: In addition to generous supply and prices that have fallen to a more competitive range, U.S. lumber exporters are attractive to foreign buyers for an assortment of other reasons. Our legally harvested and sustainably managed timber aligns with growing global interest in sustainably managed forests and wood products. Thanks to education efforts by SEC and other U.S. agricultural trade organizations, international buyers in specific markets consider U.S. softwoods the gold standard. Examples of this include preferences for eastern white pine in Pakistan, highgrade Douglas fir in Japan, and preservative-treated southern yellow pine in the Caribbean. The U.S. is in excellent position be a central supplier to international markets.
BRADENROSE Rose Braden is president of the Softwood Export Council (www.softwood.org). going to be as hot as it has been recently. On average, over the past 30 years, the U.S. has experienced a recession or housing market down turn about every seven years. Companies that diversify between domestic and international markets tend to come out of these scenarios in much better shape than those that put all their eggs in the domes tic basket. You need only look back as far as the 2009 recession for an example of this dynamic at work.
SALVAGE-MINDED
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Tahoe Forest Products is leasing 37.2 acres in Carson City, Nv., from the Washoe Tribe, where it has broken ground on a new sawmill. Expected to begin production in first quarter 2023, the facility will be able to mill about 50 million bd. ft. of lumber annually. Ten acres will be needed for buildings—including a sawmill, rough lumber sorter, dry kilns, and planer mill—and the remainder for log storage.
Panda Windows & Doors, North Las Vegas, Nv., is partnering with Tuval Minimal of Israel to bring its custom steel windows and doors to the North American market.
LP Building Solutions completed the sale of its Engineered Wood Products business to Pacific Woodtech, Burlington, Wa., for $210 million. The deal includes LP’s three LVL and I-joist plants, associated timber licenses, and the SolidStart brand.
Forest2Market, Charlotte, N.C., has launched Carbon Analysis 360 on its SilvaStat360 business intelligence platform.
ABC Supply Co. has opened a new location in Medford, Or., under branch manager Tom Frost.
ENTREPRENEURS RUSH TO BUILD NEW MEXICO SAWMILL
The first logs arrived at the site on July 18, with an additional 17 million bd. ft. expected to arrive by November.JohnShinn, CEO of Tahoe Forest Products, said the project came about very quickly because there was no other practical market for salvage logs or thinnings from the Tahoe Basin or the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest. He is joined in management at TFP by chairman Kevin Leary.
BlueTape, San Francisco, Ca., raised $55 million in debt and investment funding to support its payment and funding solutions for the construction industry.
84 Lumber again ranked on the 2022 Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies, moving up 569 spots since last year.
Logs—initially salvaged during fire clean-up efforts at Sierra-at-Tahoe—will be milled into a wide range of products, including dry-surfaced 2” construction lumber, timbers, fence posts and landscape products from the fir, and boards and factory lumber for windows from the pine. Bark will be sold for landscaping and other uses, chips and sawdust will be sold to agricultural end-users and to power plants, and planer shavings will go for animal bedding.
NorCal Lumber Co. is nearly complete with relocation of automated building component machinery to its 181-acre Marysville, Ca., distribution facility. The equipment was purchased last year from bankrupt Katerra’s Phoenix, Az., factory.
------------| NEWS BRIEFS
MONTANA POLE YARD ADDS TREATING PLANT
BLAZE DESTROYS AMPINE FACILITY
Frontier currently treats about 95% of the posts and poles they manufacture, primarily lodgepole pine, to .40 retention or refusal. Much of the outside work is for fencing jobs and orchards in Washington, Oregon and California.Frontier is also working toward being able to treat .60 products, such as highway guardrails.
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Frontier Post LLC, Stevensville, Mt., has added a CCA treating plant to handle its own post and rail produc tion, as well as agricultural products manufactured by others.Operating on six adjacent acres as Frontier Wood Preservers, the facility saves the company money, labor and especially time. “With the addition of our own treating facility, we are more flexible, more fluid,” said owner Orley Troyer. “We buy trees in the woods to manufacture and retail fence posts and rails. We used to ship them out to be treated. Now there’s just one loading and unloading. It’s worked out real well.” The entire operation was installed late last year by American Wood Technology, sales agent for Moldrup Systems, including autoclave, cylinder, all pumps, tanks, control system, and mixing system. “We do the whole thing, and assist with the install,” said AWT’s Claus Staalner. “It comes in preassembled components. We started from scratch, and they were up and running within a Frontierweek.”says it’s been a smooth hand-off. “It’s a learning curve,” Troyer shared. “American Wood Tech nology/Moldrup has been very good to work with.”
INVESTIGATORS are still trying to determine what started the fire that decimated Timber Products’ Ampine mill in Sutter Creek, Ca.
Timber Products’ Ampine particleboard mill in Sutter Creek, Ca., was destroyed by fire on July 25. The cause of the incident remains under investigation. The blaze was contained to the 135,000-sq. ft. main building, which—along with the custom machinery in side and all other contents—were deemed “a total loss.”
About 150 workers have been displaced. According to TP’s Chris Knowles, the company is likely “months away” from deciding the fate of the site. In the meantime, TP’s second particleboard facility, in Medford, Or., has been moved to 24/7 operation.
Jeff Beyer has been promoted to chief operating officer of TAMKO Building Products. Prithvi “Prith” Gandhi is now CFO.
Jean Henning has left the West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association, Folsom, Ca., after 27 years to join her husband’s company, Rubicon Flooring & Design, Granite Bay, Ca.
Adam Withers has been promoted to CEO of NorCal Lumber, Marysville, Ca., succeeding Wayne Withers, who is now chairman. Eric Clouse, formerly with Central Valley Builders Supply, is now president of NorCal. Jesus Castro, also ex-CVBS, is new to sales.
Tom Insko will become the next CEO and president at Collins, Wilsonville, Or., effective Oct. 1, to succeed Eric Schooler. Insko has been president of Eastern Oregon University since 2015, following 20+ years with Boise Cascade. Galen Smith has been promoted to VP-resources, and Paul Eastman is interim hardwood sales mgr. in Kane, Pa. Mike Carey, ex-Do it Best, is now in commodity lumber purchasing for Parr Lumber, Albany, Or. Jeff Jameson, ex-LP, has joined International Wood Products, Clackamas, Or., as director of engineered wood products.
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Raymond Byrnes has been named San Diego, Ca.-based western regional sales mgr. for Trex’s Staging Concepts business.
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Phil Adams has been appointed director of real estate & strategic development for Roseburg, Springfield, Or., managing the company’s growing team of real estate/land acquisition specialists.
Ted Brackett, ex-Gulfeagle Supply, is now Sacramento, Ca.-based territory sales mgr. for Allura Fiber Cement Products.
Birte von Schwarzenfeld, ex-Hilti, has been appointed senior VP-Commercial Solutions for Beacon, Peabody, Ma. Sue Lords, chief human capital officer, Kodiak Building Partners, Highlands Ranch, Co., has retired.
Eric Tejada has joined HPM Building Supply, Keaau, Hi., as a purchasing assistant.
Jared Klopfer has joined SilvaStar as Southern California regional mgr. of customer development, based in Irvine, Ca.
John Brown, ex-Dixieline Lumber, is now an account executive with West Coast Lumber, San Diego, Ca. Jeanette Fuerte, also ex-Dixieline, is a new purchase specialist.
Chris Camfferman, managing direc tor, marketing & product devel opment for ProWood & Outdoor Essentials, has left UFP Retail Solutions, Grand Rapids, Mi., to join Grand Rapids-based Full Circle Marketing & Design as director of client strategy.
Jacob Pennington, ex-Belco Forest Products, is now an account mgr. at UFP Industries, Portland, Or.
Neal Faulkner has been appointed senior product mgr.-supply/panels/ cassettes for MiTek. Steve Short was promoted to senior VP of supply chain for US LBM.
Natalie Martin Monroe was named VP of environmental, safety & sustainability operations for RoyOMartin and as corporate secretary for the Martin Sustainable Resources board.
Martina McIsaac, region head and CEO of Hilti North America, Plano, Tx., has resigned, effective Oct. 1. She will be succeeded by Mike McGowan, currently senior VP and GM of Hilti North America East.
Brad Budde was appointed VP and chief digital officer for PPG.
Ryan Heine has joined Do it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, In., as a director of brand integration. Also new are: Chris Pangborn, ex-Beacon, for est products trader; Greg Talbot, territory sales mgr.; Ty Sordelet, director of warehouse operations; Justin Hogle, retail technical sup port specialist; and Nancy Young, order support specialist. Corinne Beer has been promoted to asso ciate merchandise mgr. for plumb ing, and Arron Enyart to inbound compliance coordinator.
Ryan Oakes, 84 Lumber’s senior mgr. of transportation & specialty purchasing, received the chain’s Business Excellence Award. Ashley Cyprowski, marketing mgr., won the Rising Star Award.
Don Freeman has been promoted to president of WernerCo’s North America Professional Business Unit Kevin Blossom is now pres ident of the North America Retail Business Unit.
Steven Hofer has been named CEO, president and a director at Western Forest Products, Vancouver, B.C. He succeeds Don Demens, who will stay on in an advisory capacity until March 31, 2023.
Helen Wiells is organizing carpools for Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.
Building ProductS.com SePtemBer 2022 • the merchant magazine • 37
William H. Osborne, Boeing, has been appointed to the board of Armstrong World Industries.
San Francisco Bay area and will look to expand our reach throughout Northern California supported by the extensive resources of SRS.”
Engineered Lumber Plywood & OSB Fire Treated Lumber & Plywood California Sales Center (888) 498-0756
Since 1991 – with 30 distribution locations across America
38 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com
Email - afpcasales@atlanticforest.com www.AtlanticForest.com Dry Doug Fir Studs Engineered Lumber ACX, CDX, Plyform, Plywood Doug Fir Plywood Siding Fire Treated Lumber Fire Treated Plywood Fire Treated Glulams Fire Treated 1-3/4” Rim Brazilian & Chilean Plywood ACX, BBOES, CCX, CDX, MDO
Supplying the Products that keep your customers building,
SRS BUYS BAY AREA ROOFING DISTRIBUTOR
ACE ADDS OVER 100 STORES IN 2022
Kronospan OSB Western Red Cedar Shingles
Ace Hardware has opened 105 new stores in 2022, with plans to add at least 60 more by the end of the year. To keep pace with the growth, Ace continues to invest in expanding its distribution network to house more inventory closer to the growing number of Ace stores and customers. The company plans to add 4.4 million sq. ft. of capacity to its distribution network by opening three new warehouses in the next five years. That’s in addition to the more than 2.5 million sq. ft. it’s added in the past four years. “With over 100 new stores already opened for the year, we remain enthusiastically bullish about the con tinued prospect for new store growth,” said Ace Hard ware President and CEO, John Venhuizen. “I applaud our local Ace owners for the pace with which they’ve integrated our digital efforts with our physical assets.
Seventy percent of Acehardware.com orders are picked up in store and 20% are delivered to customers by our own red vested heroes, thus further advancing the rele vance and necessity of our neighborhood stores.”
Ace operates more than 5,600 locally owned hard ware stores in all 50 states and 70 countries, with glob al sales topping $20 billion. The co-op has opened more than 840 stores in the past five years, while disbursing dividends of $314 million in 2021—a 42.7% return for Ace shareholders.
SRS Distribution has acquired De Bel Roofing Supply, a leading distributor of residential and commercial roof ing and other related products with two locations north of the San Francisco Bay area. Terms of the agreement were not Headquartereddisclosed.in Petaluma, Ca., the company was founded in 1989 by Andre De Bel and is run today by Andre’s two sons, Scott and Doug. De Bel operates a second location in Greenbrae, Ca., and currently em ploys a team of 15. Scott and Doug will continue to lead the company’s dedicated team under the De Bel banner, ensuring continuity and consistency for customers, suppliers, and employees. “It is an honor to welcome Scott, Doug, and the rest of the De Bel team to the SRS family,” said Dan Tinker, president and CEO of SRS Distribution. “The company’s exemplary customer service and focus on taking care of its employees make it a perfect addition to our family of independent distributors. This acquisition will increase our presence in the rapidly growing area north of San Francisco, and we look forward to the many successes our teams will achieve together.” Scott De Bel commented, “We are happy to announce our partnership with SRS as the next milestone in De Bel’s storied history. After over 30 years in business, we were very fortunate to find a partner in SRS that would be a trustworthy steward of our company’s legacy and treat our people like family. De Bel will continue to be a leading provider of residential and commercial roofing products in the
Georgia Pacific Gypsu Toughrock Drywall Dens Glass Dens Shield EWP = LVL, I-Joist, Rim, Glulam Experienced Sales Team: Ashley Omstead Pete Fleming • Shannon Mendez Paul Johnson • Matt Lapp Daily route shipping for Northern California and Nevada
“This new site greatly improves navigation with an updated appearance and richer content for our cus tomers,” said Christy Sackett, VP of marketing for PGT. “Additionally, it embodies the Western Window Systems brand to support a highly enhanced website visit.”
DR JOHNSON RESTARTS MILL AFTER 15 YEARS
WESTERN WINDOW ROLLS OUT NEW WEBSITE PGT Innovations’ Western Window Systems division, Phoenix, Az., has launched a new streamlined website. The new site includes easy-to-navigate links to technical and product information, as well as industry insights and guidance, with a focus on an improved customer experience. For building professionals, the website offers a new section with easy access to CAD details, product details, installation instructions, and insights from industry experts. A frequently asked questions page covers topics ranging from how to get advice about a specific project and product details to how to place an order and warranty information.
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FBM CLOSES ON ALBQUERQUE DISTRIBUTOR
The site also features a streamlined navigation bar, enhanced content and categories, improved landing pages with sub-categories, better search functional ity, and simplified product descriptions. The updated appearance includes clean lines and white space to showcase product images and enhance readability.
Foundation Building Materials has completed the pur chase of New Mexico Drywall Supply, Albuquerque, N.M. NMDS distributes drywall, steel framing and related accessories throughout New Mexico. Owner Jerry Otero, who launched the business four years ago, will stay on to help with the transition process and manage the business as FBM Albuquerque. The addition complements FBM’s acquisition earlier this year of LP Building Supply of Albuquerque.
A dealer locator allows customers to find a local Western Windows expert with ease, and an inspiration section features architect interviews, project galleries, and beautiful architectural photography.
The fiber cement board market is estimated to create an absolute dollar opportunity with steady annual growth of 4.3% through 2032, rising to $27 billion from its current $10 billion valuation, forecasts Future MarketIncreasingInsights.demand for new housing and refurbishment of old constructions will be a key driver of rising demand for fiber cement siding, trim and roofing in the coming years.
The Prairie Wood Products sawmill in Prairie City, Or., officially reopened July 11, nearly 15 years after it was shuttered by owner D.R. Johnson Lumber Co. Plant manager Tom Moore said the mill initially hired about 25 workers and will add another 15-20 once the planer mill is ready to restart. As well, the mill’s cogeneration plant may also be brought out of mothballs once “some issues” are worked through, according to Moore.
FIBER CEMENT DEMAND RISES STEADILY
mold- and moisture-resistant coating for wood products. Mass timber that is coated with LotusPro water repellent resists staining, water damage, soiling, UV degradation, and deterioration caused by mold or mildew. This natural-looking protection allows the beauty of the wood to shine through without affecting the color and overall appearance. LotusPro is compatible with oil-based and some water-based finishes. Factory-applied coatings can cause bottlenecks in the manufacturing facility due to long dry times, uneven application, and thick application rates. LotusPro dries in less than half the time of existing technologies and resists water absorption better at a third the application rate. It applies evenly in one coat using simple spray or brush applicators. The water repellent takes its name from the “lotus effect,” which refers to self-cleaning properties of the lotus flower. Dirt particles are picked up by water droplets due to the micro- and nanoscopic architecture on the surface, which minimizes the droplet’s adhesion to the surface. Similarly, LotusPro prevents water from penetrating the surface, protecting the wood beneath.
42 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com BUILDER REBATE PROGRAM SIGN UP NOW! 8% CASH BACK ON YOUR FIRST SUBMISSION - FAST LEAD TIME ON DECKING - FULLY CAPPED ALL 4 SIDES - 2 YEAR LABOR WARRANTY - COMPETITIVE PRICE PRO.AVONPLASTICS.COM
There is a window of time in the construction process where CLT panels and other wood components are stored prior to installation and enclosure. During this three- to six-month period, moisture and UV could damage the wood or lead to mold growth.
Arxada’s new LotusPro water repellent shields mass timber products from the effects of mold, moisture, and sunlight by providing a barrier from those natural enemies of wood to keep it looking clean and fresh. This manufacturer-applied, specialty coating is a patented innovation, using proprietary superhydrophobic technology formulated to resist mold growth. When applied to CLT and glued laminated timber, the coating forms a durable film that both penetrates and coats the wood surface, providing a premium AFTER ONE MONTH, the LotusPro water repellent-coated side of this CLT end is clear, while the uncoated side has grown mold due to moisture exposure.
ARXADA ADDS WATER REPELLENT FOR MASS TIMBER
LOTUSPRO shields engineered wood with a superhydrophobic coating that keeps moisture out.
BUY
MARKING A CENTURY in business, Freres Engineered Wood held a lavish centennial celebration July 22 at its Mass Ply Facility in Lyons, Or., complete with dinner, cocktails and live music. Here, principals Rob, Kyle and Tyler Freres toast employees, suppliers and customers, and look forward to the next 100 years.
CALIFORNIA TIMBERLAND
Building ProductS.com SePtemBer 2022 • the merchant magazine • 43
COLLINS FINALIZES NORTHERN
One year after the Dixie Fire raced through the foothills of the Sierra’s, Collins Timber Co. completed the acquisition of 58,000 acres of forestland from Shasta Forests Timberlands LLC and its af filiates. The primary tracts of land are near the towns of Westwood, Susanville, and Adin, Ca., and overall, the acquisition spreads across Lassen, Plumas, Modoc, Shasta, and Sierra counties. “This acquisition is the largest timberland purchase in company history and is a significant postDixie Fire commitment to log supply for the Chester sawmill, our employees, and the community,” said Eric Schooler, president and CEO of Collins. The acquired land will also support the Collins operation in Lakeview, Or. After the acquisition, Collins now manages over 370,000 acres nationwide, including 188,000 acres in “ShastaCalifornia.Forests Timberlands has managed these lands to the highest standard for most of the last century. We are excited and proud of the opportunity to continue stewarding these forests with a balanced focus on forest health, resiliency, and productivity. Collins suffered losses in the major 2021 fires, along with other landowners and community members, but this acquisition is an important achievement and commitment to the future of our employees, operations, and local communities,” said Galen Collins Smith, VP of resources for Collins.
ROOF TRUSS SUPPORT SYSTEM
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Combining new advancements in battery technology with low-torque fastener designs, the tool drives about 1,200 2” screws on a single battery charge. Combo kits include both PRO300SG2 and PRO200SG2 Quik Drive attachments, combining with a 2,000-rpm, 20V brush less DeWalt cordless DCF624 driver motor and G3 light weight extension. They also include two 5.0-amp hour lithium-ion batteries, a battery charger, screw quiver, and protective soft case.
FastenMaster has introduced TrussBRACE, a faster and safer alternative to temporary wood-based supports used to install roof trusses. The innovative steel roof truss support provides both lateral and diagonal restraint in one brace, allowing fram ers to set, space and brace roof trusses in one easy step. The device increases jobsite safety since it is eas ily installed from the bottom chord. Productivity is enhanced and waste is minimized by eliminating tem porary top chord bracing that must be removed prior to sheathing the roof.
STRONGTIE.COM(800)999-5099
TOUGH TAPES
Simpson Strong-Tie has introduced the Quik Drive Cordless PROCCS+ Multi-Purpose Combo System, a lightweight, cordless version of its popular Quik Drive auto-feed screw driving system for collated fasteners. Designed to improve speed, reliability and user com fort for a wide variety of subflooring, underlayment and decking applications, the cordless Quik Drive features quick-loading collated screw strips, precise countersink adjustment, and a patented auto-advance mechanism.
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(800)FASTENMASTER.COM518-3569CORDLESSQUIKDRIVE
(800)IRWINTOOLS.COM866-5740
Irwin’s new heavy-duty Strait-Line tape measures deliver up to 17 ft. of max reach when working alone, while also being able to endure tough challenges on the jobsite, including surviving up to an 80-ft. drop. The new tapes feature an integrated finger brake for retraction control, an extra-large hook to easily catch onto material, a durable blade coating, 6” of addition al protection to help prevent tearing near the hook, double-sided print for vertical and overhead measure ments, and large, easy-to-read numbers.
Salice’s new F70 heavy-duty, concealed, under mount drawer slide comes with a 154 lbs. dynamic load rating and a 170 lbs. static load rating. It also boasts a full-extension, perfectly synchronized movement, a fluid dampening device, and an integrated handle-less open ing mechanism in the Push version. Suitable for every drawer in the house, F70 is sixway adjustable thanks to an ingenious and intuitive mechanism on the clips and on the slide itself. It offers the possibility of an optional tool-free tilt adjustment in the back that does not require removal of the drawer to perform. It comes in a full range of lengths from 15” to 30”.
SawStop’s new 10” Compact Table Saw is a robust benchtop saw built for the rigors of the jobsite, while offering premium precision and safety. Featuring contact detection technology, the saw detects when skin comes in contact with the blade and stops and drops the blade in less than five milliseconds. Injuries are dramatically minimized, and the saw reset is quick and easy. Other features include 10” blade for maximum cut capacity, easy-to-adjust rack & pinion fence with a builtin high and low face to support all kinds of cuts, QuickTilt bevel for easy blade angle adjustments, and Micro Adjust to quickly dial in a precise cutting angle.
(800)SALICE.COM222-9652
TABLE SAW
SUPER DRAWER SLIDE
46 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com COMPACT
(866)SAWSTOP.COM/CTS729-7867
FULLY COMPATIBLE SPEAKER
Advance Guard® borate pressure treated lumber is recommended for sill plate, furring strips, joists, studs, roof trusses, blocking, rafters, beams, and other framing applications. Advance Guard is also recommended for fascia, trim, wall sheathing, roof sheathing, and sub- oors. Advance Guard borate pressure treated lumber is also backed by a lifetime limited warranty*. FirePro® brand re retardant treated wood is treated with a patented formulation that contains no phosphates and has been shown to exhibit exceptional re performance properties without compromising other critical engineering properties such as strength, durability, corrosivity, and hygroscopicity. FirePro treated wood is also backed by a 50 year limited
RIDGID’s new 18V Speaker with Bluetooth Technology works with all RIDGID 18-volt batteries, tools and chargers, offering total connectivity. The premium 2-7/8” speaker and passive radia tors deliver clear highs and a deep bass for six times clearer audio than the previous model. The speaker maximizes versatility by featuring a 2-amp USB charging port, handle and integrated nail hook for mounting capability. It can be easily paired with any Bluetooth-capable device up to 200 ft. away. When paired with a 2.0Ah lithium-Ion battery, the speaker can run for up to 25 hours, lasting all day on the jobsite.
Providing Customer Satisfaction in All We Do At Royal Paci c you’ll pay no more, but get extra. We guarantee it. P.O. Box 75 • McMinnville, OR 97128 503-434-5450 • FAX: 888-TSO-WOOD (888-876-9663) 28770 Dike Road • Rainier OR 97048 503-556-1297 • Fax: 503-556-1709 Royal Pacific Merchant ad 9_14.indd 1 10/27/14 4:14:53 PM
* 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, Inc. ©10/2014
Hi-bor®warranty*.brandtreated wood is a borate treated wood product designed for interior house framing in Hawaii. Hi-bor treated wood resists attack by Formosan and subterranean termites and numerous household insects and pests, as well as fungal decay. Hi-bor borate treated wood is also backed by a 20 year limited warranty*.
Building ProductS.com SePtemBer 2022 • the merchant magazine • 47
FastenMaster has expanded its Cortex hidden fasten ing line with seven new colors of pre-aligned, collated Cortex Plugs for the Trex Enhance decking system. Warrantied for the life of the project, the plugs are made from the same composite material as the deck to create a 100% perfect color and texture match. The new line of collated Cortex plugs includes the most popular Trex Enhance colors, including Foggy Wharf, Toasted Sand, Coastal Bluff, Rocky Harbor, Beach Dune, Clamshell and Saddle. Each package includes enough fasteners and plugs to install 100 lineal ft. of Trex Enhance.
(800)FASTENMASTER.COM518-3569
PLUG(800)RIDGID.COM474-3443THEDECKS
September 2017 n The Merchant Magazine n 15 cally reject such an offer. As a result, the buyers face ‘adverse selection’—the only sellers who will accept $750 are those unloading lemons. “Smart buyers foresee this problem. Knowing they could be buying a lemon, they offer only $500. Sellers of the lemons end up with the same price they would have received were there no ambiguity. But the peaches all stay in the garage. “Information asymmetry” the market for goodStructuralcars.” wood panel buyers rely upon qualified inspection and testing agencies like the APA to routinely test and certify the quality of the products they buy. This creates an incentive for individual panel producers to “push” the standard. A passage from Ackerloff’s famous paper: “There are many markets in which buyers use some market statistic to judge the quality of prospective purchases. In this case there is an incentive for sellers to market poor quality merchandise, since the returns for good quality accrue mainly to the entire group whose statistic is affected rather than to the individual seller. As a result there tends to be a reduction in the average quality of goods and also the size of the market.”
As industry competition comes to focus more and more upon only one of the “4P’s of marketing”—price— “lemons” tend to proliferate and industry sales volume tends to decline.
How can individual panel producers overcome this “lemons market” problem, their industry’s “race to the bottom,” and depressed industry sales levels? They can offer company-specific product performance guarantees Another approach is to more aggressively brand products. In either case, the mill’s products need to be clearly differentiated from their competitors’; as we discovered earlier, industry-wide, third-party quality certification is important but not sufficient. Like car buyers, panel buyers won’t chance paying peach prices when they may actually be buying a “dressed up” lemon. For some structural panel producers, product differentiation requires a major change in company culture. For instance, it is very difficult to produce innovative, differentiated products for the end use market if the company doesn’t also adapt a different supplier-buyer mindset. Supplierpartners are often critical to the structural wood panel producer’s differentiation.
– Don Barton is vice president of sales and marketing for Northwest Hardwoods, Tacoma, Wa. (northwesthardwoods.com).
March 2019 n The Merchant Magazine
Appalachian Region: Superior Quality Spanning several states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, the Appalachian region produces a wide range of hardwoods species—all with one thing in common: superior quality. Thanks to the region’s climate conditions—warm summers that assist with tree growth, and cooler spring HARD MAPLE is popular throughout the Glacial Region.
When the industry is young, industry production technologies vary little and raw materials are relatively homogeneous (e.g., OSB), this isn’t a major problem. But it is a serious problem when the inspection and testing agencies find it difficult or impossible to keep up with a very rapidly changing industry. An example would be today’s overlaid Douglas fir plywood industry. There are rapid changes underway on both the demand side (e.g., much higher alkalinity concrete mixes are now essentially “pulping” conform panels) and on the supply side (e.g., much reduced supplies of small-knot, dense, Douglas fir veneers). The “market for lemons” is likely having a major effect on the size of this market today.
Wave Edge is offered on MultiWolf and select MetalWolf and DemoWolf models. Additionally, Lenox Rapid Plunge technology is being extended to select LumberWolf and DemoWolf recipro cating saw blades. Rapid Plunge allows users to plunge cut with ease due to the blade tips’ unique design for easy, quick and clean plunge cutting.
The sub-brands are: MetalWolf (ideal for making quick cuts through a range of metal types and gaug es), MultiWolf (designed for making quick, clean cuts in metal, wood and plastic), DemoWolf (engineered for rig orous demolition applications), and Lumber Wolf (ideal for cutting through dense wood with nails).
Overcoming the Market for Lemons
Proven History 70 years of milling superior redwood products Selection Wide range of grades, dimensions, timbers, fencing, patterns Flexibility Full, mixed or partial truckloads Peace of Mind Quality, consistency & personal service The beauty of the forest is yours to sell Fencing • Decking • Timbers • Dimension • Siding
knob/deadbolt
Lenox has introduced four new application-based reciprocating saw blade sub-brands and new Wave Edge technology, a revolutionary new tooth form design delivering up to 50% longer blade life.
Building-Products.com
–Roy Nott is president of Surfactor Americas LLC, Aberdeen, Wa., a German-owned producer of overlays, glue films, and press cleaning films for the global wood panel industry, with manufacturing operations in Finland, Germany and Malaysia. Reach him at roy.nott@surfactor.com.
3564 Hwy. 1, Davenport, CA 95017 • jimb@big-creek.com • Call (831) 457-5039
HAMPTONPRODUCTS.COM(800)562-5625
MATTE BLACK HARDWARE Brinks Commercial
Building-Products.com n 19 long, frigid winter climate, coupled with a short summer season, produces hardwoods with very tight growth rings. This creates lumber with outstanding color and fine texture, which is ideal for applications ranging from furniture, cabinetry and doors to flooring, paneling and more. This region supplies nine primary, widely used species, including: ash, basswood, cherry, hickory, hard maple, red oak, soft maple, white oak and walnut.
CUTTING REMARKS
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. is now offering a complete suite of matte black door hardware, pro viding a fresh, modern alternative to the silver-toned finishes that once dominated the market. They feature ultra-durable powder-coated finishes that are extremely chip-resistant, standing the test of time even in the most heavily used doors and openings. lineup includes two-keyed levers, keyed entry combo, single-cylinder deadbolt, pull plates, push plates, door closers, door hinge, doorstops, and ASA strike plate. Beyond matte black, other finishes include alumi num, bronze, satin Chrome, and prime coated.
The
(800)LENOXTOOLS.COM628-8810
48 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com
commercial-grade
CHERRY is among the major hardwoods of the Appalachian Region. and fall seasons with cold winters, which allow that growth to be gradual—hardwoods from the Appalachian region feature tight growth rings, strong fibers, and consistent colors and grain textures. This leads to strength, durability and beauty in the lumber, in addition to excellent width and long length characteristics. Primary species include ash, cherry, hard maple, red oak, soft maple, white oak, basswood, beech, birch, walnut, poplar and hickory, which are great for high-end furniture, millwork, cabinetry, doors, flooring and paneling, and more. No matter the region they come from, there are many North American hardwoods species to choose from. The decision as to which one to use comes down to the application and overall quality and look of the project.
GOING
CRESCENTTOOL.COM(866)907-9716
ELECTRIC Yale Materials Handling has extended its range of electric lift trucks with the introduction of 4,000-lb. capacity integrated lith ium-ion powered three-wheel and four-wheel models. Both buck the traditional approach in which a battery box replacement converts counter balanced trucks from lead-acid to lithium-ion battery power. Instead, they are designed from the ground up around a fully integrat ed, space-saving battery pack. Other features include an open-space design, zero battery maintenance, fast charging times, and repositioned center of gravity.
PACKS A PUNCH
Crescent Tools’ new Tradesman punches and chisels report edly deliver more strength and durability than standard tools. Features such as full-metal cores, 17% larger strike caps, and extended length design increase ease and efficiency in all uses. Cold Chisels and Pin Punches feature extended length and a recessed control panel design, while Wood Chisels have larg er overstrike caps and preci sion-ground carbon steel blades. Nail Punches deliver outstanding performance with large strike caps and innovative dual flat sides that eliminate tool roll-off.
AUTOFEED DRIVER Makita’s new 18V LXT Brushless 6,000 RPM Autofeed Screwdriver delivers superior fas tening speed to handle a variety of materials and applications. Longer run time and superior fastening speed give users great er material range for installation. The brushless motor eliminates carbon brushes, enabling the motor to run cooler and more effi ciently for longer life It can drive up to 2,250 screws with Push Drive Technology on a single charge.
YALE.COM(800)233-9253
(800)MAKITATOOLS.COM462-5482
Building ProductS.com SePtemBer 2022 • the merchant magazine • 49
UMPQUA VALLEY Lumber Association attendees included [1] Bonna & Lee Greene. [2] Corry Huffman, Tasha Buttice. [3] Rod & Keri Lucas. [4] Cory Betts, Brice Absalon, Myrna & Greg Bess, Chris Rice. [5] Randy Malm, Cam Stevens. [6] Keith Seal, Lauren Pruett, Steve Smithers. [7] Dana Kintz, Matt Campbell, Gloria Eilefson. [8] Jose Salazar, Greg Winakur. (More photos on next 3 pages)
UVLA says Welcome back to timber country
After a two-year, pandemic-induced pause, Umpqua Valley Lumber Association held its Customer Appreciation week Aug. 2-5 at the sights and sawmills of the southwestern Oregon’s Umpqua Valley. The event included mill tours, Hellgate jetboat excursions, Melrose Vineyard dinner buffet, golf tournament at Roseburg’s Bar Run Golf Course, and ample opportunities for networking. Participating mills included C&D Lumber, Douglas County Forest Products, DR Johnson Lumber, DR Johnson Wood Innovations, Herbert Lumber, Murphy, Roseburg, and Swanson Group.
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MILL STOPS included C&D Lumber’s state-of-the-art facility in Riddle, Or. Here, a sawmill sawyer positions a Douglas Fir cant into a four-blade band saw called “the quad.” Once fed through the quad, the cant will be sliced into smaller dimensional pieces of lumber.
Building ProductS.com SePtemBer 2022 • the merchant magazine • 51 1213 14 Banquet site: Melrose Vineyard, Roseburg, Or. 1516 10 911 HIGHLIGHT of the event was [9] a high-speed trip in a Hellgate jetboat on the Rogue River. [10] Kelie Kloxin, Debby Thomas, Krista Chambers. [11] Jeff Reed, Danny French, Whit Bohannon. [12] Joe LaBerge, Parker Woodley, Danny Osborne, Ron Liebelt, Kevin Lang. [13] Brett Slaughter, James & Tierney Marston. [14] Kris Lewis, Carter Stinton, Leslie Southwick. [15] Dianna & Steve Snyder. [16] Lori & Vince Vierra, Julie Bean. (More photos on next 2 pages) MerchantThebyPhotosASSOCIATIONLUMBERVALLEYUMPQUA
52 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com 19 22 24 21 27 25 18 26 20 23 17 UVLA EVENT (continued from previous pages): [17] Leslie Southwick, Joelle McGrorty. [18] Kyleigh Shea, Chris Tritschler, Dan DeSimoni, Lucio Haro. [19] Grant Phillips, Kevin Dodds, Russ Gold, Matt Ferguson. [20] Pat Zan, Raegan Stratton, Jeff Squires. [21] Jared Priestly, Cody Irving, Collier Clemens, Dustin Huesser, Jonathan Doyle. [22] AJ & Kylie LaBranche, Kevin Lang. [23] Lisa & Bill Livingston, Kelly & Kelly White. [24] Mark Kelly, Brett Slaughter, Jennifer Moran, Brandon Thomas. [25] Rob Rowe, Jake Moriniti, Danny Osborne. [26] Sierra Myrick, John Blodgett, John Blodgett Jr., Scott Valenkamp. [27] Matt Johnson, Chuck Danskey, Nick Johnson. (More photos on next page) ASSOCIATIONLUMBERVALLEYUMPQUAMerchantThebyPhotos
Building ProductS.com SePtemBer 2022 • the merchant magazine • 53 32 37 29 38 36 30 39 40 28 31 35 33 34 414243 44 45 46 SOUTHWEST OREGON timber country, the home of the annual UVLA event: [28] Mackenzie & Jason Perry. [29] Ned Olson, Levi Kintz, Kirk Potthoff, Tod Kintz. [30] David Miles, Anthony Perez. [31] Tim & Leesa Beaudoin. [32] Ryan Sweeney, Aaron Fleming. [33] Michael Swiger, Joe Butkiewicz. [34] Joe Riner, Katy Weller. [35] Emily Bachand, Manny Guzman, Karli Manigan. [36] Terri Adair, Kalayna Crook, Donna Jones. [37] Andy Barker, Greg Johnson. [38] Jeremy Buckalew, Blake Keitzman, Jennifer Jumper, Frank Peterson. [39] Craig Crafton, Terry Rasmussen. [40] Mick Tanner, Terri Humpres. [41] Scott Eilefson, Chris Swanson, Ron Hanson. [42] Todd Lund, Gary Pittman, Bob Crews. [43] Chuck Casey, Steve Ashley. [44] Kelly Robertson, Jay McArthur, Tim Brown. [45] Brian Johnson, Julie Rogers. [46] Mark Swinth, Lisa & Ryan Cornutt MerchantThebyPhotosASSOCIATIONLUMBERVALLEYUMPQUA
Omni
golf, vendor
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3
WEST COAST Lumber & Building Material Association gathered members to the desert July 21-22 for its annual 2nd Growth Summer Conference. The event at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, Ca., featured showcase, speakers, and a spirited match of Lumber Jeopardy. [ ] The beverages were flowing by mid-morning during a presentation by Beer Logic’s Chad Pilbeam on “Everything I Ever Needed to Know About & Risk Taking I Learned from [2] Matt Fink, Viviana Nieves, Valentina Saltalamacchia, Dillon Fink. [ ] Jacqueline
Differentiation
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2nd Growth chills in the desert
Palazzolo, Gavin Morris. [4] Natalie Daniel, Renee Miles. [5] Ron Modrall, Jarrett Phelps. [6] Gloria Rogers, Stephanie Barrios, Jacqueline Palazzolo, Lindsey Grove. [7] Brian Bunt, Troy Huff, John Ehrig, Jodi Bunt. [8] Sean Seymour, Joey Madrigal, Jason Rutledge. [9] Clayton Eddy, Mo Shearer, Jason Rutledge. [10] Zac Cruz, Jason Sumpter, Ian Souza. [11] Bert McKee, Chris Johnson. [12] Daniel Hines, Chad Pilbeam. [13] Chuck Casey, Joe Morin. [14] Dave Rogers, Keith Hitchcock. [15] Annie Montey, Rick Butler.
In Oregon, partners used that common ground to develop potential operational delineations or PODS. POD lines don’t follow jurisdictional boundaries but follow roads, mountain ridges, fuel breaks and other land features firefighters can potentially use to (509)
As fire moved down the Tommy Creek drainage, Meacham’s task force leader reported that the fire encountered the decade old treatment area and the flames dropped rapidly from about 100 ft. tall to around 5 ft. Meacham said the dramatic change shifted his team back to fighting the fire. They were able to control it quickly, the entire 700-acre fire completely contained in about 11 days.
874-1163
Listings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend.
World Millwork Alliance – Oct. 16-20, annual convention & show, colocating with GlassBuild America, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; www.worldmillworkalliance.com.
Colorado Fall Home Show – Sept. 24, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Co.; www.coloradogardenfoundation.org.
Building ProductS.com SePtemBer 2022 • the merchant magazine • 55Building-Products.com January 2022 n The Merchant Magazine n 35 area from the same time frame that was untreated when the fire passed through.
North American Building Material Distribution Association – Nov. 1-3, annual convention, Chicago, Il.; www.distributorconvention.org.
Pacific Logging Congress – Nov. 6-9, Marriott Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Az.; www.pacificloggingcongress.org.
ECI – Nov. 9-11, 2022 Connect Conference, Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, Aurora, Co.; www.ecisolutions.com.
CA PRODUCTS & SERVICES Framing Lumber / Pallet Stock / Industrial Lumber / Softwoods Hardwoods / Cedar / Fencing / Decking / Redwood Custom Cut Stock / Treated Lumber / Tile Battens 3-Hole & Slotted Vents / Custom Cutting / Remanufacturing Heat Treating / Fire & CCA Treating “Focused on the future with respect for tradition”
with an Emphasis in Western Cedars Circle Sawn • Wire Brushed • Hand Hewn • Timbers • Boards • Patterns • Log Cabin • Peeled/Turned Logs • Corbels • Split Rail • Aged Wood Process • Red Grandis Standard & Custom Match Patterns In-House Factory Priming & Staining Certified Grading Respecting the forest, honoring the past, building the future. A nation’s pride you can build on. 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 Yakama Forest Products 3191 Wesley Rd., White Swan, WA 98952 Fax 509-874-1162 www.yakama-forest.com Sheldon Howell
Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – Oct. 7, Don Gregson Memorial Golf Tournament, Los Serranos Golf Course, Chino, Ca.; www. hoohoo117.org.
More than three months after the Mammoth Fire the treated area on the right shows the resilience of forested areas following fires with intense flames that burn into treated areas. In addition to the health of the trees, regeneration of the area depends on how severely the soil was burned, the photo on the left shows an area that will likely take years to rebound.
American Wood Protection Association – Sept. 25-29, technical committee meetings, Omni Hotel, Providence, R.I.; www.awpa.com. Fastmarkets – Sept. 27-29, North American forest products conference, Marriott Coronado Island, San Diego, Ca.; www. fastmarkets.com.
True Value Co. – Sept. 15-18, Fall Reunion show, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Co.; www.truevaluecompany.com.
LMC – Sept. 20-23, Leadership Summit, Sheraton Downtown Phoenix, Phoenix, Az.; www.lmc.net.
Western Roofing Expo – Sept. 24-26, presented by Western States Roofing Contractors Association, Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, Nv.; www. westernroofingexpo.com.
Auburn Fall Home Show – Sept. 23-25, Gold Country Fairgrounds & Event Center, Auburn, Ca.; www.auburnhomeshows.com.
Trees burned in high intensity flames lie across the ground on the south end of the Smith Fire Sept. 4, 2021. Cooperating agencies stood by to protect homes in the area while crews used strategic fire operations as weather allowed to help contain 100+-ft. flames.
Shared Stewardship Enables POD Work
Timber Processing & Energy Expo – Sept. 28-30, Portland Exposition Center, Portland, Or.; www.timberprocessingandenergyexpo.com.
West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association – Oct. 19-21 annual convention, San Diego, Ca.; www.lumberassociation.org.
DATE BOOK Canyon County Fall Home Show – Sept. 30-Oct. 2, Ford Idaho Center, Nampa, Id.; www.canyoncountyfallhomeshow.com.
Western Wood Preservers Institute – Oct. 30-Nov. 2, annual meeting, Maui, Hi.; www.wwpinstitute.org.
Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club – Oct. 7, golf tournament, Ukiah Valley Gold Course, Ukiah, Ca.; www.hoohoo.org/clubs/181.
National Hardwood Lumber Association – Sept. 21-23, annual convention & exhibit showcase, Huntington Convention Center, Cleveland, Oh.; www.nhla.com.
“When you look out there now, the area that was treated is the only area out there that is still green and growing,” said Mecham, who has been a wildland firefighter for 22 years. “[The defensible space] was pretty crucial to this community allowing everyone time to get out as well as saving all the homes here.”
International Conference on Timber Engineering & Wood Science –Sept. 16-17, online conference; www.waset.org.
Pacific Northwest Association of Rail Shippers – Sept. 21-22, fall meeting, Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel, Seattle, Wa.; www. pnrailshippers.com.
Green Industry & Equipment Expo – Oct. 19-21, Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, Ky.; www.gie-expo.com.
TecHome Builder Summit – Oct. 4-6, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Az.; www.techomebuilder.com.
This spring, fire conditions were strained enough to implement Stage 1 fire restrictions on forest lands. On June 5, lightning ignited a fire near the Mammoth Creek Village east of Cedar City. Bode Mecham, Cedar City Ranger District fire prevention technician, and a few interagency firefighters responded as part of the initial attack team. Most of the area hadn’t been treated yet and was still thick with 200 to 300 ponderosa pine trees per acre. Over the course of a few days, the fire climbed dangerously high to the top of the trees and burned toward the village threatening 280 homes, encroaching on the narrow fire break near Tommy Creek Canyon. With no way to safely manage the advance, Mecham shifted the bulk of his team from fire defense to help the Garfield County sheriff’s office evacuate homes and preparing to defend the first homes that would be impacted by the fire.
North American Wholesale Lumber Association – Nov. 9-11, annual Traders Market Trade Show, Phoenix, Az.; www.nawla.org. 888-807-2580 Bend, Coltonwww.pelicanbayfp.comORDISTRIBUTIONLOCATIONS/Fontana/Modesto/Salinas/Stockton,
National Association of Home Builders – Oct. 24-27, fall legislative conference & leadership meeting, Kansas City, Mo.; www.nahb.org.
San Jose Fall Home Show – Oct. 15-16, McEnery Convention Center, San Jose, Ca.; www.acshomeshow.com.
The number of large fires in the last five years alone has states like Utah working to increase protection for residents. They are building critical community support by entering into Shared Stewardship Agreements that help partners identify and achieve common land management and protection goals.
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The Merchant is available on a qualified requestor basis to U.S.-based dealers & distributors specializing in LBM, and to others at the rate of $22 per year. Subscribe Now Building-Products.com/subscribeat
A sign-up sheet and payment options can be found on the club website: hoohoo117.org. Raffle prize donations gratefully
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IN MEMORIAM HELP WANTED Is this your copy?
Don GolfMemorialGregsonTournament
Supportaccepted.aGreatOctoberCause7
Great Opportunity! Jones Wholes Lumber, Lynwood, California, is looking for an Outside Sales representative. Please contact Sean Cummings at Sean@Joneswholesale.net 56 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com
CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE
Los Serranos Golf Course, 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. Column inch rate: $65 per inch Deadline: 10th of the previous month. Questions? Call (714) 486-2735.
Verne C. Sandwall Jr., retired owner of Bud & Ken’s Lumber, Oxnard, Ca., died Aug. 7 at age 93. A veteran of the Korean War, he ran the lumberyard for 38 years.
Oliver “Michael” Ray, 79, former president and owner of United Wholesale Distributors, Glendale, Az., died of cancer July 31. When Michael was 3, his family moved to Arkansas to establish Ray Lumber Co. in 1946. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1966, then began working for Ray Lumber subsidiary United Wholesale Distributors, which he later came to own. He sold the business in 1987.
1959, Dale’s parents purchased the lumberyard and, soon after, Dale and his family moved to Nehalem to again partner with his father. Weldon Kalland Weigle, 87, former co-owner of Jerome Lumber Co., Jerome, Id., died July 17. He received degrees from the University of Utah in 1958 and from the University of Idaho in 1963. As an engineer, Weldon worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Idaho and Kentucky before taking on the job of state engineer for the Farmers Home Administration in Boise, Id. He and his father formed Weigle Building & Sales in 1969. In 1973, they purchased Jerome Lumber. In 1998, Weldon started Weigle Engi neering & Home Inspections.
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Dale Eugene Stockton, 91, owner of Stockton’s Nehalem Lumber Co., Nehalem, Or., passed away June 22. After receiving a business degree from Oregon State University, Dale spent two years in the Air Force, then returned to Portland, Or., to become business partner to his father at the Portland Gravel Co. In
For reservations or sponsorships, contact Michael Nicholson, (323) 559-1958 or nicholson.men@gmail.com
Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club 117 proudly invites you to our annual Don Gregson Memorial GolfPleaseTournament.joinclub members and our Marine guests from 29 Palms Combat Center and Camp Pendleton Wounded Warrior Battalion Oct. 7, 2022, at the Los Serranos Golf Course in Chino. The fee for each player is $149.99. Corporate tee signs are available at $199.99, or $124.99 for a personal donation. You may sponsor a Marine for $149.99.Therewill be a club-sponsored Closest to the Pin Contest for all par 3’s. A donation putting contest will be held prior to tee-off.
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Building ProductS.com SePtemBer 2022 • the merchant magazine • 57 ------------| ADVERTISERS INDEX
WELCOME ABOARD!
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All-Coast Forest www.all-coast.comProducts 33 Allweather www.mendoco.comWood 10 www.lotusprotechnology.comArxada Atlantic Forest www.atlanticforest.comProducts Avon www.pro.avonplastics.comPlastics Big Creek www.bigcreeklumber.comLumber 9 California Cascade www.californiacascade.comIndustries Chemco, www.chemco.orgInc. Digger www.westburyrailing.comSpecialties www.dmsi.comDMSi Do it Best www.doitbestonline.comCorp. 3 www.fastenmaster.comFastenMaster Huff Lumber www.hufflumber.comCo. Humboldt www.mendoco.comSawmill Wood Products www.iwpllc.com JM Thomas Forest www.thomasforest.comProducts Jones Wholesale Lumber Co. www.joneswholesale.com Koppers Performance www.kopperspc.com/flameproChemicals Mount Storm Lumber www.mountstorm.comCo. www.nawla.orgNAWLA Bay Forest www.pelicanbayfp.comProducts
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The Merchant is thrilled to introduce you to a new advertiser: Restoration Forest Products, formerly NewLife Forest Restoration, Arizona’s leading sustainable forestry products them Guard® Borate Pressure Treated WoodFirePro® Fire Retardant Treated WoodHi-bor® Borate Pressure Treated Wood Satisfaction in All We Do. Box McMinnville, OR 97128 503-434-5450 FAX: 888-TSO-WOOD (888-876-9663) 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 Royal Pacific Merchant half page ad 1_19.indd 1 1/21/19 5:53 PM
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JACK TWEEDY
Over the last 20 years, econom ics also demanded “that the entire product of the log be sold.” He not ed, “There’s no longer the waste we used to see, and we no longer see what we used to call ‘cats & dogs’.” Certain items he considered were “gone forever.”
Is the independent wholesaler here to stay?
As for competition, Jack con sidered them better informed and better salesmen. “I’ve developed a clientele,” Jack said, “and like other independent wholesalers I realize that I cannot sell everyone. The answer to continued success in this business is to give a consistent level of service to both your suppliers and customers.”Tweedy’s typical week found him spending about 40% of his time talking with mills, and the balance of his time in contact with his custom ers. While getting out of his office occasionally, most of his conversa
A HALF-CENTURY AGO, the lumber industry was filled with hundreds of one-man office whole salers who commonly held exclusive representation for certain products from a mill in a specific geographic area. But the landscape had already showed signs of drastic change.
Forty-five years ago, publisher emeritus David Cutler sat down with Los Angeles area wholesaler Jack Tweedy (no relation to the better known lumber retailer from Indiana or the lesser known millwright from Northern California), to hear his take on the fate of the independent wholesaler. After nearly 15 years of working for other lumber wholesal ers, Jack launched his own company, Tweedy Lumber Co. of Beverly Hills, on July 1, 1963. “I picked that date,” he shared, “as I could celebrate my independence over the July 4th weekend.”He,infact, welcomed the lessen ing of exclusive representation. “I believe it takes more than one man to sell the product of the mill and the log,” Jack said, “and whereas in the past a wholesaler might prefer to sell only one or two items from a mill, he is today involved in selling as much of the log as he can. “Today’s independent wholesaler must invest the time to know the mill, what they are cutting, when species may change, and how the mill handles its product. It’s a differ ent business in many ways.” How products were priced had also changed. “In years past,” he observed, “most mills quoted a price THE ONE-MAN SHOP
The cover of the September 1977 issue of The Merchant Magazine spot lighted Rounds Lumber Co.’s new dis tribution center in Cloverdale, Ca.—cur rently the Asti remanufacturing, planing, drying and distribution facility operated by Redwood Empire.
tions with customers were by phone. “And the telephone in my automo bile,” he added, “is very useful. I use it for outgoing calls only, and it has saved me considerable time in making sales and in buying.”
Jack emphasized, “The busi ness is always changing, but the fundamentals are not. It’s a matter of working 10 hours a day, selling what the mill produces, and giving customers dependable service. And that’s true in any business.”
------------| FLASHBACK 45 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH FLASHBACK: 1977
58 • the merchant magazine • SePtemBer 2022 Building ProductS.com less 5% to the wholesaler. And to day, with very few exceptions, prices are quoted on a net basis.”
Four or five times each year, Tweedy visited central California or southern Oregon, the regions supplying the bulk of the lumber he handled principally ponderosa and sugar pines, Douglas fir uppers, and incense cedar. He occasionally called on Utah and Idaho, from where he shipped certain grades of spruce.
He concluded, “You can elimi nate the wholesaler, but you cannot eliminate what he does. Someone has to do it.”
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