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CONTENTS
August 2018 Volume 97 n Number 8
Stay connected between issues with www.building-products.com
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25 Features
25 SALES & MARKETING
10 INDUSTRY TRENDS
MERCHANT
AUGUST 2018
Magazine
THE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1922
ANNUAL SALES & MARKETING SPECIAL ISSUE
DARK COLORS ARE WHITE HOT IN WINDOWS & TRIM
14 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE
60 IN MEMORIAM
16 TRANSFORMING TEAMS
60 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE
22 THINKING AHEAD
60 ADVERTISERS INDEX
KEEP AN EYE OPEN FOR THESE TRENDS IN STATE EMPLOYMENT LAW
PCBC SHOWCASES LATEST TRENDS
The Merchant Magazine Digitial Edition at www.building-products.com
56 PHOTO RECAP
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60 TALK BACK 61 DATE BOOK 62 FLASHBACK
INLAND LUMBER PRODUCERS EVENT
The Official Publication of
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20 MOVERS & SHAKERS 48 NEW PRODUCTS
TREES & THE GHOST OF WALT WHITMAN
50 EVENT RECAP 7/20/2018 9:58:58 AM
8 ACROSS THE BOARD
12 VIEWPOINT
HOW TO ENGAGE YOUR EMPLOYEES
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14 Departments
NEBRASKA DEALER COMES HOME
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ACROSS the Board By Patrick Adams
Heart still matters ike the rest of you, one of our challenges is finding great people to join our team. My wife recently suggested that perhaps, I should change the décor in my office. Of course, I looked at her perplexed at what my office had to do with hiring great people. She challenged, “Your office looks like a set from a horror movie.” Decorating my office wasn’t a deliberate act and it didn’t happen overnight. One entire wall is filled with a variety of pictures—of my family, my children at different ages, and a rack of golf balls from rounds that I shared with special friends. My office door is covered with “original art” from my children as they grow older and show they missed me after a trip by excitedly sharing their latest masterpiece created for my office. On another wall hangs a few antique guns—a Winchester 1873 44/40 passed down from my great grandfather, a 1939 Colt 45, and a gift from my wife that she had made for me, a Henry 44 Mag replica of the Winchester 44/40 engraved with my name for the serial number to pass down to our children someday. I have a couple paintings from an old friend and couple of family heirloom pocket watches that have seen their fair share of travels. I have a 5-ft. diameter sawblade that was a gift from an old redwood mill in Northern California, and the most recent addition: a Hults Bruk hand-forged ax made in Sweden. What do all of these things have in common? As I took the ax around the office like an excited kid on Christmas, some of my staff looked at me like I was crazy. I described that hand-shaped hickory handle and the hand-forged head made the same way as it was over 400 years ago. They were made with heart, by craftsmen, and made to last. Careers, products and homes were built as a result of the things in my office. Wars fought, homes protected, and food provided. It isn’t just the age, but the quality and the heart behind these things that matter most and looking at them makes me happy. In 100 years, nobody will have a Glock 17 hanging on their wall as a reminder! It wasn’t a deliberate decorating scheme that I set out for my office. I just know over the years, I have to spend a lot of time here and I wanted to be surrounded by things that remind me of what matters. If I’m ever having a bad day or have to stay later than I or my family would prefer, I just look around and am quickly reminded that hard work, quality and heart matter, and our families are why we go the extra mile. My daughter and son didn’t take shortcuts on the artwork and all around our office are reminders of our almost 100-year history for the very same reason. I believe heart and quality is something that should be valued and not taken lightly.
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I wonder sometimes if I’m alone in this. I always hear this is a “relationship industry” and we are blessed to have many friends made during our extensive travels. They say they devoutly read our publications “cover to cover, every month” but say they don’t believe in “marketing.” I talk to others who say, “You have the best publications in the market,” and then I see them advertising in other magazines. I often wonder if these same people are the ones who buy their axes in Walmart and their boots online instead of purchasing something that will last a lifetime and can be passed down? Buying something built with heart and quality does not always cost more and when you factor “value,” it usually costs less. I believe that doing business with quality craftsmen who put heart into their trade says as much about me as it does about them and their products. I believe in quality, in tradition, in things that last and in heart. These are the things that make me happy and remind me of what’s “right” in the world and because of that... I’m leaving my office exactly the way that it is. If it scares off a few interviewees, then perhaps it’s serving as the best screening tool we have! “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” - Steve Jobs
Patrick S. Adams Publisher/President padams@building-products.com
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INDUSTRY Trends By Anthony Matter, MI Windows & Doors
Light’s out
Dark colors trending in windows n increasing number of homeowners are painstakingly researching the latest trends in everything from lighting and hardware to cabinets and windows to accentuate their own personal styles. As a result, many manufacturers have invested in technologies to add color to outdoor features that in years past were only available in white or other neutral colors. In 2015, less than 1% of the products MI Windows & Doors produced featured an exterior color. By the end of 2017, this grew to 4%. More importantly, that number is expected
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to continue to climb; proof that customization is in demand for both renovation and new construction projects. In fact, windows are on the verge of transforming standard housing applications with visually compelling shades ranging from dark browns to deep reds and greens. But the most popular painted color in vinyl windows is black, which is the new, red-hot color choice among many American consumers. Last year, nearly 75% of the painted windows sold by MI were dark colors with more than 50% of them
DARK FRAMES, particularly black, are the top choice in vinyl windows. (All photos by MI Windows & Doors)
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black, while 20% were dark bronze. This is indicative of homeowners’ current preference for dark-colored windows, which are being used to provide stark contrast to lighter-colored siding materials. This is most apparent in the growing “Modern Farmhouse” trend, where white siding is being paired with black, bronze or other dark-colored windows. “The combination of dark windows and light siding materials is a continuing trend in many communities,” said Josh Williard, MI’s director of products. “It’s imperative to stay current with the latest home trends. Today’s homeowners are so style conscious with a desire to display a unique sense of style. Painted vinyl windows now allow homeowners to do this with greater variety than ever before.” Exterior colors have been a growing trend in the window industry for years, but only recently have vinyl windows been a relevant part of the conversation. For years the problem wasn’t the color, but the ability to produce durable, reliable finishes for vinyl windows that withstand the rigors of time and weather without fading or cracking. This takes a great deal of expertise in three distinct and rapidly evolving processes: lamination, co-extrusion and coating. Lamination has a longer history in the vinyl window industry than coating or paint. It provides improvements in aesthetics and offers exterior reflective technology for top performance in high-temperature areas. Laminates are available for both interior and exterior applications and can offer homeowners a satisfying solution when looking for a more traditional bronze aluminum exterior or woodgrain interior look. After the profiles are extruded, they are coated with a high-stick adhesive and the three-layered laminate color is applied by a series of precision rollers and blades. The laminate’s three layers consist of a white, infrared reflective base layer; a pigmented, infrared transparent center layer; and a durable top color layer. Each laminated profile is tested to ensure an adequate seal of the foil before they are used to fabricate a window. Laminated products have performed extremely well over the past decade. Co-extrusion is typically the most expensive process among the three options; however, the color is approximately 450% thicker than the average paint layer. During the extrusion process, two colors are extruded simultaBuilding-Products.com
neously and layered together, creating a color “cap” on the exterior of the product. This thicker color layer helps eliminate cracks, chips, and fading. The latest advancement to the world of colored windows comes in the form of coatings. State-of-the-art technology combines heat reflective coatings with adhesion-promoting additives and oven-baked application to ensure the paint will maintain color and flexibility while preventing peeling, blistering and flaking. Most vinyl windows are painted after assembly, which allows the manufacturer to offer a variety of unique colors without having to inventory additional materials. As mentioned, these color technology innovations are creating replacement and new construction windows with multiple color options. This is
especially good news to today’s homeowners, who are incredibly style conscious and constantly on the lookout for new ways and methods to display their individuality or achieve a certain architectural style. With these factors and the interest in color varieties in vinyl windows, color technologies are expected to advance and grow exponentially for years to come with more customization and economic pricing. In fact, industry analysts predict more than 16% of all window sales will feature an alternate exterior color by the end of 2019. – Anthony Matter is marketing director for MI Windows & Doors, Gratz, Pa. (www.miwindows.com), one of the nation’s largest suppliers of precision-built, energy-efficient vinyl and aluminum windows and sliding glass doors.
DARK-COLORED windows provide a stark contrast to light-colored siding materials.
BRONZE WINDOWS couple with white siding to create a trendy “Modern Farmhouse” look. August 2018
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VIEWPoint By Stephen Ondich, Commercial Forest Products
Trees and the ghost of Walt Whitman “A California song! A prophecy and indirection—a thought impalpable, to breathe, as air; A chorus of dryads, fading, departing—or hamadryads departing; A murmuring, fateful, giant voice, out of the earth and sky, Voice of a mighty dying tree in the Redwood forest dense.” – Walt Whitman, Poet/Tree Aficionado
ood is recyclable, biodegradable and durable. Sustainable forestry methods were used for decades before “green” was introduced into pop culture as a buzzword. Why does the wood industry take it on the chin? I blame Walt Whitman. Many companies in the wood industry now have policies in place regarding responsible environmental practices. The public wants to know where you rate on the “green” scale. When this movement really started to gain traction in the 1990s, our industry mostly ignored it or pushed back. Unlike the forces lobbying for accountability, our response was not united and we as an industry are still behind the curve—not in actual sustainability practices, but in educating the public regarding how sustainable we are. Our own policy is easy to understand. It is not couched in lofty platitudes or buzzwords. • We work with partners that operate as business entities. We want our partners to be as vested in maintaining their reputation as we are. • All imported woods are brought into the U.S. in compliance with Lacey Act provisions and have been harvested conforming to local and U.S. laws. • All vendors agree to provide us with importation documentation upon request.
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• If any information develops casting doubt on the legitimacy of a prior wood purchase, we require our suppliers to inform us immediately. • Our wood manufacturing programs are in place to maximize the utilization of the resource. We buy high and low grades of wood. Our goal is to leave only sawdust and memories behind. Even the sawdust is recycled. The memories live on in our Instagram feed. In short, we do not want to do anything bad, wrong, illegal or immoral. We won’t work with anyone who does. Many industry veterans come from families who have built their legacy on sustainable forestry practices going back generations. I’m not suggesting they were prescient stalwarts of the modern environmental movement. Sustainability just made sense. It was not about chest thumping or generating press releases. If they scorched the earth and salted the barren land, their days were numbered. They are understandably miffed when people callously discount that reality while fixating on a seal of approval. In terms of sustainability, we have what should be an insurmountable advantage over almost every other consumer product on the planet. When a tree’s life cycle ends either through harvesting or natural causes, new trees grow in its place, even if you—gasp!—clear cut. Building-Products.com
This cycle is enforced by the laws of nature. It requires no legislation, human intervention, recycling centers, government regulation, or tax subsidies. Even if the felled tree is foolishly left on the ground to rot, there are no resulting toxins or environmental externalities to deal with. Compare this to the energy needed to make/recycle/dispose of steel beams, plastic, iron ore, or concrete. Also, good luck getting any of those to reproduce organically. This brings me back to Walt Whitman. He recognized trees for the magnificent living organisms they were and are. He wrote about them fondly and sentimentally, in a way that readers still relate to. People like trees and want to be around them. When a tree is no longer there, it evokes a visceral response. The public has no such fondness for steel or concrete. They serve their purpose quietly. Not much thought is given to how they exist before and after their use as building products. Similarly, the public is not overly preoccupied with finding out who actually made their Che Guevara T-shirt, whether they worked of their
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own free will or were paid a living wage. If their smartphone came from a factory where laborers are worked to the point of suicide, that’s not good but... meh. An odd emotional line is crossed when trees enter into the equation. My hometown city council was recently accosted by an angry mob of residents due to the quiet removal of diseased trees along a popular walking path. All kinds of people who had never delved into city issues previously were demanding answers, calling for inquiries and lashing out angrily at council members. In a rare moment of solidarity, I actually felt bad for the council. To put this in perspective, only a few years earlier our mayor was hauled off and arrested by the FBI. Citizens grumbled, but the toppling of his pay-to-play empire did not generate near the heat of Tree-Gate 2016, as best as I recall. People really like trees. I’m not suggesting that nothing bad happens in our industry. It’s a business like any other. However, by any reasonable measure we have one of the most “green” business models on the planet. Unfortunately, the public narrative is being monopolized
by interests largely outside of our industry. They have delivered their message more effectively than we have. Our industry advocacy is too often directed back at ourselves. What does that really accomplish? We need to communicate beyond the echo chamber. The public deserves to be let in our trade secret. The Truth About Trees is an educational program established by the Hardwood Forest Foundation. It is an excellent resource that I encourage you to check out. The HFF has produced a classroom kit designed to educate students on our Earthfriendliness. If you know teachers or administrators who would use the materials, please contact the HFF to receive a free kit. If your local school district would be appalled by the idea of introducing such industry-based propaganda into their curriculum, please order two kits. These are the children we really need to reach. – Stephen Ondich is the operations manager for Commercial Forest Products, based in Fontana, Ca. Reach him at sondich@commercialforestproducts.com.
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COMPETITIVE Intelligence By Carla Waldemar
You CAN go home again
BIGGEST ADDITION to stay current and competitive was a luxurious Design Center staffed by a full-time designer.
my!” Chad Leibbrandt called to his young wife as they hauled their belongings back to their hometown of Imperial, Ne., after finishing college in Kearney and starting out there on beginner jobs. They drove past Adams Lumber. “Wouldn’t it be neat if it were for sale?” “The funny part is, seven years later, it was,” Chad continues. “Cool!” he gasped and signed on the dotted line. “Basically, to my own surprise, we ended up buying it.” Having grown up in Imperial—a small (pop. 2,000) town in Southwest Nebraska, 20 miles from the Colorado border and 30 from the Kansas state line, he knew the territory. He decided to keep the Adams name to honor the enterprise Mr. Adams had purchased 35 years prior and was now ready to pass the torch and enjoy retirement. The Leibbrandts closed the deal in August 2002. An impulse purchase, sure, but not as zany as it sounds. Chad had gained experience working for Builders Warehouse before returning home. And he was familiar with the area. Wisely subscribing to the “Ain’t broke, don’t fix it” school of business management, all that was required
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was fine tuning, not a major overhaul. Except... Except for a niche called for by changing times and range of offerings now available in box stores like Walmart, 60 miles distant. (“Around here, everybody drives.”) A Design Center. Consider it done. It features everything from showers and baths to tile, flooring and cabinets, all overseen by a full-time designer. The community received it so enthusiastically that a second designer was hired. The business draws customers from a 30-mile radius— both contractors (60%) and walk-ins (40%). “The pros like our service: It’s over and beyond. Timely delivery (including via forklift). Plus if ever there’s an incident, we first correct it and only later pause to figure out what was wrong, thus saving the consumer’s time. You won’t find that at the boxes, so that’s gained us loyalty. Plus, we’ve instituted a Gold Rewards program. If your account is paid in full all year long, we give you dollars back. That sends business our way, too—the idea of rebates. “To meet the competition, we’ve had to shrink margins Building-Products.com
PAINT CENTER was also revamped to make it brighter and more appealing to shop.
a bit, but folks understand that you pay a little more for outstanding service. Eighty percent of our customers charge to our house account—kind of old-fashioned,” Chad notes with an edge of pride in his voice. And “old-fashioned” can be a good thing: “Our employees walk around with pads in their pockets, making homemade SKUs for the shelves, telling what things do. Then three times a day, they enter the info on a computer. This gets customers in and out in a timely manner.” While that contractor trade is robust, Adams’ retail trade is also healthy because, notes Chad, “Around here, folks are fairly handy—installing their own showers, cabinets and such. More and more, those customers are ladies. They love the Design Center. We also revamped the paint department to make things little brighter. And we added a Pinterest Night. A local lady likes doing this, so she takes on projects. At the last event, the ladies built a service tray—staining, varnishing, everything.” The venture has built repeat customers. Chad also utilizes mailers, ads in newspapers and on radio, plus a Facebook presence designed to attract new and younger customers. “It draws folks to both stores.” What? Hang on. What’s this about “both?” “Oh,” Chad explains, “the same time we bought the Imperial yard, we also purchased a store that Mr. Adams owned in Grant, 30 miles away. It’s smaller, but it also has a small Design Center—just enough to get ’em going and interested. I have a GM at each location (plus a Ready Mix plant with its own GM, too).” “I know, I know,” he says it first, “it’s slightly idiotic.” The two stores carry roughly 80% of the same products, but with small tweaks. “You’d be surprised, but in 30 miles, things change a lot. For instance, folks in Grant buy lava rock, within Imperial, it’s cement block. Each has its own contractor base, but 80% of the pros work both towns.” This works because Chad can count on his crew of 21—some on board even longer than the boss himself. “We cross-train: bookkeeper to management to delivery. Everybody has his key spot, but each is also prepared to drop everything to wait on a customer.” Building-Products.com
Why do they like working here? “I’d say it’s the lowkey environment. They’re empowered to make decisions on the spot and then talk it over later.” And then there’s the family bit. “They know they can take time off to go to a funeral, say, or a kid’s ballgame.” As a high-school student in Imperial back in the day, Chad worked at this very yard in a work-release program, so he and Amy (who serves as bookkeeper) believe that it’s very important to continue this tradition of mentoring kids and employ them on a part-time basis. Chad is willing to take a chance at adding niches, too— even if success is not always guaranteed. Take rentals, for instance: “It was a nuisance for us; we didn’t do it right,” he allows. “It could have been a home run. Still, in a small town like this, folks like to see a progressive company.” Has Adams rebounded from the recent recession, I ask? Turns out, it’s complicated. Says Chad, “Actually, the recession of the past didn’t affect us. It was one of our better years, because we’re an agricultural community, and the ag economy was good, so the recession didn’t hurt. But right now, compared with four years ago, commodity prices are down. Last year was good; we supplied materials for additions and remodeling. But today,” he says, “we’re going through our own recession here in town.” The spinoff is, “We don’t replace a lost employee, and we’re paying more attention to inventory levels: more just-in-time.” Chad’s prepared to tough it out. “I’m here for the long run. I’m 41 years old, and I don’t have a choice,” he laughs: “I’ll be here when I’m 90!” And that’s a good thing. “I like to interact with people, help them fix their problems. Plus, the town is always willing to give us a chance.” Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net August 2018
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TRANSFORMING Teams By Paige McAllister
Trends in state employment law • Mandates specific policy language as well as regular training for supervisors, new hires, and/or all employees • Prohibits use of non-disclosure agreement and/or confidentiality clauses and requiring an employee to waive his/ her rights to legal remedies allowed for harassment claims • May require reporting certain sexual harassment settlements to state authorities
Discrimination:
any state and local legislatures are taking action in several areas of employment law due to the confusion, sluggishness and/or inaction on the federal level. Some laws passed are part of long-evolving trends such as restricting inquiries into criminal and pay history, while others are responses to new social movements such as #MeToo. The following is a list of the prevailing laws that are popular. Note that the laws vary and may or may not apply to your business. Our best advice is to keep an eye out and if you are unsure if any of these apply to you and your locations, you can contact your local labor attorney or HR professional, or contact us at Affinity HR Group to evaluate your particular situation.
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Goal: to expand discrimination protection to vulnerable employees in certain minority groups such as LBGTQ, religious, and national origin • Allows employees to use bathrooms that match their gender identity • Expands national origin protection to include “physical, cultural and linguistic attributes” of a national origin group, as well as attendance in an organization, school or religious institution associated or identified with a certain group • Prohibits English-only requirements except in certain circumstances (usually safety-related)
Pay Equity:
Goal: to eliminate pay inequity for traditionally disadvantaged groups such as women and minorities • Requires fair pay for equal or “substantially similar” work • Prohibits asking about wage or salary history so new hire pay is based on fair wage for job to be done, not what they were paid previously • May allow asking for limited information about other compensation previously received such as benefits and bonuses (i.e., employer can ask if applicant had them but not their value)
Fair Chance or “Ban-the-Box” Laws: Harassment/Sexual Harassment:
Goal: to prevent harassment/sexual harassment in the workplace and to protect victims of harassment/sexual harassment
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Goal: to provide applicants a fair chance at employment by moving criminal history inquiries later in the process so employers get to know applicant before judging them on past Building-Products.com
• Prevents asking about criminal history on employment application except in certain industries such as child and elder care, security guards, and financial institutions • Allows asking applicant in the interview, but some laws delay inquiry until after conditional offer of employment is extended • Prohibits considering certain convictions (such as old convictions, misdemeanors or convictions unrelated to the job) in employment decisions
Paid Family and/or Medical Leave:
Goal: to provide employees paid protected leave for eligible reasons such as their own medical condition, caring for a family member, or to bond with newborn, newly adopted, or foster child • Pay usually coordinated through insurance funded by employee deduction and/or company contribution • Note: many states have similar laws regarding unpaid leave
Required Sick Time:
Goal: to provide employees paid and protected time off to care for themselves when sick or injured • Offers sick time off for all employees, including parttime, based on number of hours worked and time of service • Delineates which companies have to provide paid vs. unpaid time based on number of employees (in state or total) • Requires allowing employees to use available time to care for family members who are sick or injured
Marijuana Use:
Goal: to dictate how to handle legal medical and/or recreational marijuana • Does not permit an employee to use marijuana in the workplace just like you would not be required to allow an employee to drink on the job • May require companies to change drug testing standards and disciplinary policy if usage from off-hours use could show up in results
Pregnancy Accommodation:
Goal: to provide reasonable accommodation when needed for pregnant employees (Note: discrimination is already prohibited.) • Requires workplaces to be readily accessible to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with med-
Q. I am new at my company. I have learned that our interview process is very loose—there is very little structure to what we ask and how we ask it. Do you have any recommendations?
A. Yes! The interview is a critical piece of the recruiting process and, if handled correctly, it can be effective. If not, it can be worthless or, worse yet, illegal. Here’s what we recommend: 1. Know in advance who will be on the interview team and what questions will be asked. 2. Use a panel interview where multiple people are interviewing the candidate at the same time. 3. Ask the same or similar questions of all candidates. 4. Stick to the script—try not to get off track or be influenced by non-work related questions or conversations. 5. Most importantly, avoid prohibited interview questions. Building-Products.com
ical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, including lactation
Scheduling Flexibility/On-Call:
Goal: to provide employees, especially in service & retail industries, with a fair workweek • Requires predictability in hourly employee’s work schedule so employee can consistently schedule a second job, child care, personal appointments, etc. • Requires employers give advanced notice before changing an employee’s schedule • Requires written permission from employee before adding or changing hours • Restricts on-call shifts, requiring providing employee with certain notice before scheduling or cancelling a shift • Prohibits employees being scheduled to work two shifts with less than 11 hours between them (i.e., closing one day and opening next day) • Establishes premium pay rates for employers who do not follow requirements • Requires filling open, more desirable shifts with current employees before hiring new people
Date Breach Protection & Notification:
Goal: to protect the sensitive personal and financial information of clients, customers, and employees • Must implement and maintain reasonable security measures to protect sensitive personally-identifying information against breach • Must conduct prompt, good faith investigation into any breach and notify any customer, client, or employee impacted • May need to notify law enforcement
Weapons:
Goal: to regulate an employee’s ability to bring legal weapons to workplace (Note: varies from state-to-state as to making it more restrictive or more permissible) • Some states are allowing companies to prohibit anyone (employee or third-party) from bringing a weapon on company premises regardless of any carry permit • Some states are making companies allow employees with concealed carry permits to keep weapon hidden in locked personal vehicle in company parking lot (companies can still prohibit in building or company vehicles if properly posted) All companies have to be aware of the ever-changing employment laws that impact their workplace. State and local laws tend to change quicker and without much warning, so staying plugged into what your state is doing is essential. And, if you operate in multiple states, you must be aware of the different state-to-state/city-to-city laws which may require your policies and procedures to be changed. Again, to assess whether these evolving laws and regulations apply to you, we recommend you contact your HR counsel. As always, we at Affinity HR Group are always on hand to help! Paige McAllister Affinity HR Group contact@affinityhrgroup.com August 2018
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BIG CREEK LUMBER’S Lud McCrary celebrated his 90th birthday with a special celebration June 29 at the company’s Davenport, Ca., sawmill.
Taiga to Buy Exterior Wood
Wholesaler Taiga Building Products, Burnaby, B.C., has agreed to purchase Exterior Wood, Inc., Washougal, Wa., for $42 million. Founded in 1977, Exterior Wood operates a wood treating plant and distribution center. They will join Taiga’s 15 distribution centers and three wood treatment facilities in Canada, two DCs in Northern California, and six reloads in the Eastern U.S.
Butte Ace Doubling in Size
Butte’s Ace Hardware, Butte, Mt., is building a larger, $6.8-million replacement store to open early next year. At 24,800 sq. ft., the new building will provide twice the space of the existing location, which will close about two weeks before the new store opens, so merchandise, fixtures and
offices can be moved. Co-owners Tom Shellenberg and Matt Dowdell also hold Aces in Anaconda and Livingston, Mt.
Cedar Creek Rebranding to BlueLinx
BlueLinx Holdings, Atlanta, Ga., is rebranding its recently acquired Cedar Creek operations and all of its subsidiaries under the BlueLinx name. “This news is representative of our evolution to come together as one team. We are excited to continue providing outstanding service to our customers and great representation for our vendor partners as one company, under one name,” said Mitch Lewis, president and CEO.
Raymond Buys Forklift Dealer
The Raymond Corp. has acquired Raymond Handling Concepts Corp.,
Fremont, Ca., a dealer of Raymond forklifts to Alaska, Idaho, western Montana, Northern California, northern Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Since 1987, RHCC has been an authorized Raymond Sales & Service Center It currently operates branch offices in Auburn and Spokane, Wa.; Fremont, Sacramento, Stockton and Fresno, Ca.; Portland, Or.; Sparks, Nv.; Boise, Id.; and Anchorage, Ak. The acquisition coincides with the retirement of RHCC president Steve Raymond. The grandson of Raymond Corp. founder George Raymond, he’s spent his entire 42-year career with the company.
CertainTeed Buying Hunter Douglas’ North American Ceiling Business
CertainTeed Corp., Malvern, Pa., has agreed to purchase Hunter Douglas’ North American ceilings business. The deal was expected to close by the end of July. Hunter Douglas is the world leader in window coverings, as well as a major manufacturer of architectural products. Its North American ceilings business produces architectural ceilings and soffit systems with 100 employees and operations in Norcross, Ga., and Denver, Co.
SUPPLIER Briefs Elco Building Supply , Roswell, N.M., held a grand opening celebration Aug. 1. Lake Stevens Ace Hardware, Lake Stevens, Wa., purchased the Ace Hardware at Claremont
Village in central Everett, Wa. Judith Pyle, owner since 2010, is returning to project management.
Home Depot held a grand opening June 14 for its new 135,000-sq. ft. store in Monterey, Park, Ca., and shuttered its 30-year-old location in Pico Rivera, Ca. Northwest Hardwoods , Tacoma, Wa., donated $25,000 in alder lumber to clad the new Forestry Complex at Oregon State University. Northridge Lumber Co. , Northridge, Ca., is celebrating its 80th anniversary. 18
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MOVERS & Shakers Wes Troy has joined La Mesa Lumber Co., La Mesa, Ca., as assistant general mgr. Stan McGehee, ex-Weyerhaeuser, is new to sales at ZipO-Log Mills, Eugene, Or. Marc Saracco, ex-NAWLA, has joined Capital Lumber, Chino, Ca. Scott Parker replaces him as North American Wholesale Lumber Association executive director. Thom McGehee, ex-Reborn Cabinets, has joined the sales team at Truitt & White Lumber Co., Berkeley, Ca. Julie Reyes has been appointed store mgr. of McCoy’s Building Supply, Roswell, N.M. Michael Middleton has joined the sales and marketing team with Eagle Forest Products, Eagle, Id. Mark Avery, ex-Roseburg, has been named chief operating officer for Timber Products Co., Springfield, Or. Jim Buffington, industrial products business director, Roseburg Forest Products, Springfield, Or., has assumed full responsibility for the industrial products business, including sales, marketing and manufacturing. The role of Mike Reardon, currently Southern region composites mgr., has been expanded to particleboard and TFL manufacturing mgr. Eric Gilbert, ex-El & El Wood Products, has joined OrePac Building Products, Phoenix, Az., as territory sales mgr. Aaron Sluder, ex-Huttig, has moved to OrePac, Wilsonville, Or., as R&R channel mgr. Karen Fancy is new to outside sales with Convoy Supply, Pasco, Wa. David Aronson has joined Western Building Supply, Albuquerque, N.M., as a sales consultant.
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Ron Liebelt, ex-Exterior Wood, has moved to TransPak, Tualatin, Or., as commodity mgr.-lumber. Scott Meyer, ex-Huttig Building Products, is now regional product mgr. for International Wood Products, Tumwater, Wa. Cole Bennett is a new lumber broker at High Desert Trading Co., Bend, Or. Vaughan Barker has been promoted to general mgr. of Ganahl Lumber, Lake Forest, Ca. Ryan Beyer, ex-Seneca Sawmill, has moved to Swanson Brothers Lumber Co., Noti, Or., as log buyer/forester. Bud Filler, former co-owner of Filler King Co., Homedale, Id., has published the novel Return to Phantom Creek, following up his first book, 1999’s Two-Man Stick: Memoirs of a Smokejumper. Howie Doohan is the new greeter at Mungus Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.
Pioneer Expanding in Arizona
Pioneer Landscape Centers, Highlands Ranch, Co., has acquired Granite Express, Mesa, Az. Founded in 1999, Granite Express operates several quarries surrounding the Phoenix area. It blends into Pioneer’s current hardscapes, outdoor living supplies, and artificial grass offerings by specializing in materials such as decorative landscape rocks, aggregate, boulders and specialty stone. Granite Express will become a Pioneer division and will maintain current leadership and employees as it transitions into the Pioneer Landscape Centers organization. Pioneer currently operates 36 retail locations across Arizona and Colorado and 25 quarries.
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THINKING Ahead By Claudia St. John
How to engage your employees ecently, a lumber distributor, struggling to attract and keep qualified talent, asked how to get his employees more engaged and energized. His assessment was that they were not motivated, were not “giving it their all,” and his recent efforts to put in place a bonus incentive program had done little to change any of that. Sound familiar? Keeping employees engaged and motivated is a challenge that all businesses face, not just in the wholesale lumber industry. And, unfortunately, most of us do not do a great job of it. According to ongoing research by the Gallup Organization, which has been tracking and measuring employee engagement for decades, only 15% of employees worldwide are actively engaged at their jobs. What does it mean that more than 85% of employees are unengaged or disengaged? Simply that there’s a lot of room for improvement, and that working to improve engagement is well worth the effort. Engaged employees are more productive, provide better service to customers, use fewer sick and vacation days, have less absenteeism, are less likely to steal, and are happier. The good news is that every
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wholesale lumber distributor or related company—no matter the size— has the ability to improve employee engagement and more good news is that it costs next-to-nothing to do so. All that is required is dedication and a change of habits. First the basics: what is employee engagement? It is the measurable degree of emotional commitment that the employee has to the organization and its goals. It describes the degree to which the employee actually cares about his or her work and
August 2018
the company. Next, what engages employees? The Gallup Organization did extensive research over many years and has identified the top 12 workplace elements (Q12) that highly-engaged employees see as critical to their motivation and happiness. Below are the elements, listed in terms of priority (from highest to lowest): (1) I know what’s expected of me at work. (2) I have the materials and
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A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association
equipment I need to do my work right. (3) At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day. (4) In the last seven days I have received recognition or praise for doing good work. (5) My supervisor or someone at work seems to care about me as a person. (6) There is someone at work who encourages my development. (7) At work, my opinions seem to count. (8) The mission or purpose of my organization makes me feel my job is important. (9) My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing good quality work. (10) I have a best friend at work. (11) In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress. (12) This last year, I have had opportunities to learn and grow. (Source: The Gallup Organization Q12 Meta Analysis) These represent the elements most likely to engage employees. What don’t you see on this list? That’s right, money. Money is not a motivator or effective in improving employee engagement. Inequitable pay can certainly lead to lack of engagement along with other factors, but rarely does it work alone to cause disengagement among employees. This is why so many of those incentive bonus programs that NAWLA members attempt to implement fail. In fact, reflect on your own past work experiences. Remember a time when you were highly engaged at work. How much of that true happiness was related in any way to your pay? Chances are, it was related to the work you were doing and the people you were doing it with. What do you see on the list? Opportunity, respect, feedback and relationships. If you want to work on improving employee engagement, these are the places to start.
Opportunity
Do your employees truly know what you expect of them? Have you given them the tools necessary to do the job you expect of them? Do they have the opportunity to grow and develop in their roles? It can be troubling to not have a clear understanding of the expectations that one’s supervisor or leadership has of the work at hand, and nothing is more frustrating than to lack the necessary tools and technology to deliver on one’s work
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obligations. To improve engagement, spend some extra time communicating your expectations and ensuring your talent have what they need (tools/talent/training) to do the job well.
Respect My opinions seem to count. My colleagues are committed to doing a good job. The mission of the organization makes me feel my job is important. All of these statements get to the root of culture and mutual trust and respect. As the organizational leader, you have the power to improve engagement simply by listening and ensuring all employees are treated with respect.
Feedback
Annual reviews, while often necessary and helpful, are rarely timely and are no substitute for the constant stream of feedback that employees both want and need in order to do their jobs well—especially those young employees entering the wood and lumber industry for the first time. Make it a habit to observe your employees regularly.
Relationships
Relationships matter. I was once told, “Employees don’t quit their jobs. They quit their managers.” It’s true in most cases, isn’t it? And it’s also true is that employees will stay with a job if their relationships are strong. With the tight labor market and high cost of employee turnover, if you are inclined to spend money on employee engagement, this is the place to do it. Invest in social and team development activities so that people feel connected to one another. Not sure where to start or what to do? Start by asking your employees—they know best how engaged they are and what they need. What you’ll learn will not only help you improve employee engagement, it will lead to happiness, profitability and growth. Give it a try. - Claudia St. John, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is president of Affinity HR Group, NAWLA’s endorsed HR partner.
About NAWLA North American Wholesale Lumber Association is the association that delivers unparalleled access to relationships and resources that improve business strategy and performance through sales growth, cost savings, and operational efficiencies for wholesalers and manufacturers of forest products and other building materials that conduct business in North America. Learn more about how NAWLA can help your business at www.nawla.org.
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The
MERCHANT
Magazine
THE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1922
SALES & MARKETING SPECIAL ISSUE
BRIGHT IDEAS
James Olsen Spirit of the Possible
in
Alex Goldfayn The Customer Is Afraid Too
Sales &
Marketing
Kari Gaviria Marketing Lumber
Andy Slipher Use Marketing to Close Sales
Rick Kapres Social Media
Dave Kahle Taking Sales Up a Notch
Laurie Richards Sampling Programs
SALES & MARKETING SPECIAL ISSUE
By JAMES OLSEN
Spirit of the possible ales is a relationship business and we, as salespeople, are the yang of that relationship. The customer’s job is to come up with reasons to wait, to think about it and to analyze the all the possibilities. Our job is to have the spirit of the possible, now. We are here to help our customers figure out a way that what we are proposing will work. Many sellers see their job as presenting product, with or without giving the specifications, and then letting the customer decide. Others ask the customer to tell them what they need and do their best to satisfy that need. While listening for and understanding customer need is important, in many cases customers have already told us what they need—we already know, so why are we asking again?! Often customers are unrealistic in what they need versus what they want to pay for. They exaggerate the options our competitors may or may not be able to supply. When this is the case, which it often is, the most sellers fold while the master seller maintains a spirit of the possible and begins to change the customer’s mind—this is sales work.
S
Load the Gun Most sellers come to the call with one solution and are not ready to close on that. Master sellers come to the call with many options and solutions. This accomplishes: (1) It gives us more chances to close. Our closing percentage is based on how many times we ask for the order not how many calls we make or proposals we send. (2) It gives the customer the feeling they have “shopped” the item or proposal, because we give them options.
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(3) It sends the message that we care, which is the easiest to say yes to and the hardest to say no to. (4) It makes us our customer’s trusted advisor. We are out of the “5/MBF” business and into the “partnership idea sharing” business, which is more profitable for us and our customers: working together as partners is always more profitable than working as adversaries. (5) Even when we don’t get the business, it elevates our customers opinions of us. This ongoing “high opinion” of us held by our entire working rotation of accounts is called momentum. It builds over time, but only if we build it; Multi-option sales calls are how we build it.
If I Could, Would You?
Never say, “Let me check” again. The beauty of “If I could, would you” is that it works whether we know we can do whatever the customer is asking or not. “Check on...” is an easy way to get us off the phone or send us on an unrealistic errand. Example: Customer: “If they can do that 12’ & Longer and hold the shipment for four weeks, I might be able to look at it.” Master Seller: “That would be great if we can get it done. But with that spec. we’re going to need a firm offer to get it done. If we can get the 12’ & Longer and hold it for four weeks, do we have an order?” (Be very specific in asking this question and how it is answered. Make sure you have asked specifically if it is an order and that the customer has specifically said, “Y.E.S.,” not “I’d take a look at it,” or “That’d be close to what we’re looking for,” or some other vague answer.)
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Anticipation: The Master Seller Way Most sellers go to the customer with more questions than answers. They want the customer to tell them everything: the specifications, the delivery, the price, and the terms. Customers treat them as a nuisance because they are. They make the buyer’s job more difficult. Master Sellers anticipate their customers’ needs. Even when they are not absolutely sure they make an anticipatory and educated guess or guesses based on similar customer’s needs. Even when the suppositions of Master Sellers aren’t correct they create discussion and respect. They have several solutions available to speak about. The customer feels this preparation and is calmed and impressed by it. Sellers who are prepared receive a better hearing and have a much better chance of getting the business and more importantly are able to pull business from new customers.
James Olsen
is the founder of Reality Sales Training, Portland, Or. After 20 years in sales, in 2001 James started his own sales training business, devoted to helping companies and individuals achieve rapids sales growth. Contact him at (503) 544-3572 or james@realitysalestraining.com.
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Our EWP production runs circles around everyone else.
We’ve produced enough EWP to circle the globe—more than once. So you might be wondering why you’ve never heard of us. For the last 20 years, we’ve been a respected manufacturer of private-label EWP, and now we’re producing our own Pacific Woodtech-branded products. We’re doing it all with the same stellar quality, service, and innovation that launched our company two decades ago. See what we can do for you at pacificwoodtech.com
SALES & MARKETING SPECIAL ISSUE
By ALEX GOLDFAYN
The customer is afraid, too ear costs us salespeople a lot of money. Fear is the reason we don’t pick up the phone to call our customer proactively, when there is nothing urgent or terrible happening. Fear is the reason we gravitate to email instead of the telephone. Fear is the reason we don’t tell our customers and prospects what else they can buy from us. Because right now, as you read this, your customers are buying things from the competition that they could buy from you. In fact, they’d probably like to buy it from you. That’s why they’ve been with you for so many years (or decades). And of course, you would like to sell this to them. But none of that is possible, because they don’t know. Because you don’t tell them regularly and consistently what else they can buy from you. Because of fear. Fear is also the reason we don’t ask for the business with every customer we talk to. Fear is why we don’t ask consistently for referrals. Or testimonials. What are we afraid of exactly? Rejection, mostly. What if they say no to this additional product? (I might die immediately.) What if they reject me? (I might lose my home.) The parenthetical apocalypses are absurd, of course. But these fears happen in our minds too quickly, and so automatically, that we do not even know that we are experiencing them! They happen too quickly and automatically to think through. So we go through our days, avoiding those proactive communications listed above, which, if implemented, would make our customers happy.
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If we implemented the communications above, we would help our customers more, which is really all they want. We would have control over our sales, creating predictable, plannable revenue growth. And, most importantly, we would take home more money for ourselves and our families. But we don’t. Because we tend to not communicate proactively with our customers and prospects. Because of fear. But here’s the thing: Our customers and prospects are also afraid. In fact, they are just as afraid as we are. Their fears are equally intense and important to them. But our customers and prospects are afraid of different things: They are afraid that their suppliers will let them down, and make them look bad to their customers. Because it has happened before. In fact, it happens all the time. They are afraid that you will hurt them with their customers, and they will be yelled at by their customer, or worse, lose their customer. And while our greatest fear is rejection, their greatest fear is being fired. Because of you, the supplier. So, just as we do everything we can to avoid rejection (not call customers proactively, not ask for the business, not tell customers about what else they can buy, etc.), our customers also do everything possible to avoid their greatest fears: When there are problems or urgencies with our work or product, they call us to express their displeasure. They make sure to let us know when they are unhappy, or when their cus-
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tomers are unhappy, so that we can fix the problem. But unless there is a problem or urgency, they don’t call us. They will rarely, or never, call us, for example, to tell us what a wonderful job we’ve done. That’s because they are dealing with the problems with their other suppliers. Don’t forget, they deal with many suppliers like us. And because they are driven by fear, like us, their go through their day to mitigate, minimize and eliminate this fear. And so, always remember that the customer is afraid, too. It’s not different that understanding that the person you are considering asking on a date is also afraid. That thought tends to help teenagers get over their fears! The customer is afraid, too. So make the communications, even though you feel the fear. Make the calls. Ask for the business. Tell them what else they can buy. Help them. They deserve it. And they will thank you with their money.
Alex Goldfayn
is the author of the new Wall Street Journal bestseller, Selling Boldly. Learn more about his revenue growth consulting and speaking work at www.goldfayn.com.
Building-Products.
SALES & MARKETING SPECIAL ISSUE
By KARI GAVIRIA
Marketing tips for retailing lumber n a World of online price wars and two-day shipping, retailers are challenged with an uphill battle to sustain the loyalty of their walk-in customers. Despite the doom and gloom reported from certain retail sectors, building material stores have one glaring advantage. The convenience of online shopping does not outweigh the tangible factor that consumers desire when choosing the right building materials. Brick-and-mortar stores have an astonishing chance to change the way we, as an industry, sell our products. As the trend in showrooms become an obvious necessity, often we see retailers forget to promote one of their most profitable stock items, treated lumber. At Madison Wood, we track the growth of our retailers and focus heavily on what separates their business from the competition. Here are a few tips from our fastest growing and most innovative partners:
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Be the Expert. When customers see the big “MW” (Madison Wood) in the yard of a building supplier it sends an immediate signal to their brain: this retailer cares about the investments I make as a consumer and the quality of products they stock. Which brands you choose to promote depict the type of clientele you ultimately attract. As the only treater in the Mid-Atlantic to eliminate the use of “Above Ground” rated products, contractors have realized by now that treated wood tagged “MW” ensures code compliant Ground Contact lumber. This eliminates any concern over misapplication accidentally voiding warranty coverage or your project being rejected by a
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code official. Our most profitable partners are constantly proving their expertise on our products via marketing materials, “lunch and learns” and our MadWood certified installer course. Being the goto expert in your area on certain product lines transforms walk-in homeowners and contractors into life-long customers. Up Your Social Media Presence. You’d be amazed at the level of community engagement we see on social media profiles from our partners that frequently post via multiple platforms. Not only are they spreading awareness on product lines and profiting from proven branding tactics, but they are also able to subtly align with their target demographic. A simple picture of a group of contractors in mid-discussion during a lunch and learn can take your reputation to the next level almost instantaneously. After all, if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to tweet about it, did it really happen? Showrooms Aren’t Only for Indoors. Yes, we know, you have endless samples of composite decking, trim, doors and bathroom sinks. We have to ask, why isn’t this same sales tactic implemented for the materials you stock outside? What better way to show the difference between you and the guys down the street than a physical product display! All too often we see retailers make the mistake of letting consumers pick through their material in the yard as a “quality test” instead of providing the ultimate visual. Don’t have space out-
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side for a decking or fencing display? Bring past projects to life inside with a flat screen TV featuring the work of your best contractors. Our most successful retailers focus on selling the entire package. There is a mathematically proven reason that grocery stores place candy at the eye level of children in the check-out line. What accessory items are missing from your sales? Create a One-Stop Informative End-Cap. Give the people what they need all in one place instead of making them wander aimlessly through the aisles questioning their sanity. End caps are designed to promote compatible products! Provide marketing material on the lumber you stock, your best deck screws, stains/paint, end coat solution and other miscellaneous products a homeowner would need. Don’t be afraid to get specific on your recommendations of what works best! After all, you are the expert.
Kari Gaviria
is an account manager for Madison Wood Preservers, Madison, Va., one of the nation’s largest single-site wood preservers for nearly 60 years. She can be reached at (540) 9486801 or kgaviria@madwood.com.
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SALES & MARKETING SPECIAL ISSUE
By ANDY SLIPHER
Using marketing to close more sales o you oPerate in a company where sales starts with a capital “S” and marketing a lowercase “m?” Sales-centric companies often operate at such a high level in sales, they lack marketing prowess. Some are even altogether marketing-phobic, believing marketers exist to usurp the importance of salespeople or to replace them altogether. As a result, sales-centric organizations fail to integrate fundamental marketing principles into the sales process—principles that could actually improve their effectiveness. Marketing should support, not supplant sales. Want to improve your odds of success in sales by using marketing to your advantage? Here are three ways:
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1. Understand what marketing is and what it is not. Marketing is not simply media. It’s not cheap or cheesy gimmicks designed to get the attention of your customer. Rather, proper marketing is anything you do in good faith to get your product or service into the customer’s hands. The breadth of marketing spans the entire buying cycle, and beyond. As such, effective marketing involves planning, investment and understanding of the needs of your customer. Think of it as everything else that wraps around your sales approach (in front of, during and beyond) to ensure that the customer has a positive and persuasive experience. For example, what if, by asking your customer, you learn he or she will have to champion your business and product to others within his or her organization? What do you do? It’s not feasible to be at every internal meeting. You might instead think in terms of clear, succinct 32
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messaging and professional materials to leave with your customer—ones that upon initial presentation by you, he or she could then represent to others with an adequate degree of confidence and knowledge. This is one marketing tool. But it begins by discovering and understanding customers’ mindsets, needs and buying process.
2. Embrace the visual.
Effective salespeople are generally great at the verbal aspect of selling— persuading with words. However, virtually all customers today also rely upon and expect the visual. Who would have thought 20 years ago that we could manage a significant part of buying a new home by taking virtual home tours from anywhere? Yet this is the world we now live in, thanks to technology. The lesson is that people are now accustomed to buying only what they can see. They generally remember only 20% of what they hear, but up to 50% of what they hear and see. So, the more you help them visualize what they’re buying, the greater your odds of success. How does this play into your sales process? How could you improve upon the visual beauty of what you sell? What objects, models, graphs, photos, maps, videos, tables or illustrations can you use to better persuade? What’s both practical and effective? If you can’t yet answer these questions, ask your customers what they’d want to see more of.
3. Integrate your process.
Have you identified and broken down your sales process? What’s the first thing you do? Second, third and so on? How does your process move the
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sale forward and serve the needs of the customer? These are wider questions beyond, “How do I get more chances in front the customer?” Yet, by asking such questions, you can integrate a wider range of tactics into your sales process that work toward a common goal. For example, rather than focusing on getting a sales call first, what about an approach that begins with having a wider conversation with would-be customers about their needs and challenges? How would you ask such questions? Would you engage with them around a common issue through social media? Would you mail them an old-school letter? Would you offer a free lunch-andlearn session? Or would you make a gratis overture to solve a relevant problem in order to build more goodwill and trust? Opening up the sale to a larger process engages a marketing mindset. Sales and marketing shouldn’t be thought of as mutually exclusive. After all, they serve a common goal.
Andy Slipher
is founder of Slipher Marketing. He is an accomplished strategist, interim CMO, speaker and writer on marketing strategy, and the author of The Big How: Where Strategy Meets Success. For more information, visit thebighow.com.
Building-Products.
SALES & MARKETING SPECIAL ISSUE
By DAVE KAHLE
Taking your sales up a notch elling is more difficult now than it was just a couple of years ago.” Most of the participants in my sales seminars nod solemnly when I make that statement. And then they begin to fidget in their seats when I follow that up with this: “And it will be more difficult next year than it is today.” They become really uncomfortable when I extend that idea: “And it will be increasingly more difficult every year thereafter.” That’s a sobering truth that we don’t like to face. Yet, just a little bit of reflection will convince us of the likelihood of that statement holding true. Aren’t the products and services you sell growing more complex and sophisticated all the time? Aren’t the demands of your customers growing more complex also? Aren’t the processes that you use to do your job effectively growing more intricate every year? Isn’t competition growing more challenging every year? Isn’t your company changing rapidly, and expecting you to be a part of those changes? Now, ask yourself one more question. What’s the likelihood that one day in the near future all of these trends will stop on a dime and everything will become simpler? You know the answer. The job of the field salesperson will continue to grow more complex, more challenging and more difficult for the foreseeable future. So what does that mean to you? It means that you will need to continually change and adapt constantly. It means that you will need to become proficient at learning new things and improving yourself. It means that, from this point
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on, you will have two jobs: (1) Doing your job. (2) Constantly changing and improving yourself. At first this seems unfair. There was a time, not so long ago, that a field salesperson could pay his/her dues, put in a strenuous few years, and then begin to coast as you leveraged the relationships you created and the product knowledge you gained. Those days are gone. In their place is the time compressed, stress-laden, constantly changing atmosphere we currently inhabit. It may seem unfair. You may have been born a few years too late. But, really, it’s not so different than other components of our economy. Aren’t manufacturers expected to constantly improve their products, and every now and then bring out a breakthrough new technology? Isn’t your company continually improving its processes? Aren’t your suppliers constantly bringing you ideas and services? Don’t your customers strive to continually improve their businesses and their processes? So why should field salespeople be any different? They’re not. Welcome to the 21st Century. Welcome to the world of two jobs. What does all this mean to you? It means that you have to work as diligently at improving yourself as you do at selling and serving your customers. It means that you have to invest time and money in your other job. It means you need to become serious about taking your performance up a notch—to the next level. Where to start? I like to compare this job of continually improving your-
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self as being like golf. Everyone can golf. I know that, because I have done it a couple of times. Eventually I put the ball in that hole. So, I, like millions of other people, can golf. But I can’t golf very well. That takes some effort. If someone were to say to me that, by this time next year, I must be able to make my living golfing, I’d suddenly become very serious about it. I’d find the best golf coach I could find, and arrange a whole series of lessons. I’d invest money in the best clubs I could get. I’d spend hours every day practicing. I’d invest major amounts of time and money in improving my golf skills. Continuous improvement in selling is like that. For the rest of your working life, you’re going to make your living, at least in part, by continually improving yourself. And, while everyone can do it, not everyone can do it well. Those people who learn to improve themselves well to grow faster and better than their colleagues, will be those salespeople who will enjoy increasing income, more fulfillment, opportunities for greater challenge, and a satisfying personal life. It’s like golf. If you want to become better at it, you’ll invest time and money in improving your game. Here are some ideas to help you along. Start with a commitment of time and money. Begin by accepting the idea that constant improvement is now part of your job, and make a decision to take it seriously, to invest time and money every week in the process. Remember, it’s like golf. To get good at golf, you’d invest time and money. To become proficient at continuous improvement, you need to invest time Building-Products.com
and money also. Focus on best practices. I recently received a phone call from VP of sales who said he was looking for the latest, new state-of-the-art selling techniques. I replied that he wasn’t going to find much of that. Almost all the behaviors of highly successful salespeople are the same as they were a hundred years ago. The applications are more sophisticated, but the core behaviors are the same. Sales is still about creating relationships, understanding the customer, matching your product/service to the customer’s needs, negotiating next steps, leveraging satisfaction, planning and preparing properly. There is no magic to selling, and there are no secrets. Those are just enticing words designed to sell the latest sales book. Instead of magic and secrets, there are best practices and core competencies. Every profession in the world has evolved a body of knowledge about how to effectively practice in that professional. That body of knowledge is generally available to all the practitioners of that profession, and becomes the standard by which professionals in that field are judged. Every time I get on an airplane, I’m comfortable in the knowledge that my pilot has learned the best way to fly this plane, and it doesn’t much matter who the pilot is, everyone of them has been trained in the best practices. When I review the financial statements my accountant has prepared, I’m confident that those statements reflect her disciplined use of best accounting practices, and that every other accountant would recognize them. When I go in to see my doctor for my annual physical exam, I’m confident that he is using the best practices
of his profession. That if I went to another doctor, because there is a recognized way to do this, the process and the results will be very similar. And so it is for every profession. It’s the way the world progresses. We build on the wisdom and experience of those who have gone before us. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel when it has already been around for generations. Why is it, then, that we think that every sales person has his own way of selling and that is OK? Why is it, then, that we think salespeople should learn by trial and error, on the job? Would you expect your pilot, doctor, or accountant to figure it out for themselves? Are there any self-taught professional golfers out there? There are best practices for the job of field salesperson. If you are going to continually improve, you need to study those practices. It’s what you do, not what you know. Occasionally I come across a salesperson who says something to the effect of this: “I knew all that.” Too bad, he/she missed the point. The point is, continuous improvement is all about what you do, not just what you know. In other words, once you understand the best practices, you need to incorporate them into your routines. It is not enough just to know, you must do. Life is not about academics, and we don’t get paid for what we know. We get paid for the results we bring as a result of the actions we take. If you are going to grow, you need to be constantly prodded to put into action those things that you already know. Most human beings, left to themselves, would rather watch TV and goof off than do the hard work of continually improving themselves. Back to our golf analogy. I know
how to grip the golf club, I know how to set up the shot, and I know how to swing correctly. But I very rarely do it! My problem isn’t what I know; it’s what I do. So it is with salespeople. Ultimately, continuous improvement is about what you do. It’s one thing to know something, it’s another to consistently put that knowledge into action. I recall Isaiah Thomas, the superstar guard for the Detroit Pistons during their Bad Boy days. Isaiah had a new home built with an enclosed mini-basketball court. Why? So he could practice foul shots in his off time. Isaiah knew how to shoot. He had practiced that shot tens of thousands of times. But he was not as good at it as he could be, so he continued to practice. How about you? Do you know it all? Or are you, like Isaiah Thomas, dedicated to continuously improving what you do?
Dave Kahle
is one of the world’s leading sales authorities, having written 12 books, presented in 47 states and 11 countries, and helped enrich tens of thousands of salespeople and transform hundreds of sales organizations. Sign up for his free weekly Ezine and check out his latest book, The Good Book on Business. For more information, visit www.davekahle.com.
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SALES & MARKETING SPECIAL ISSUE
By RICK KAPRES
Tapping into social media here Would your company be if, years back, you’d taken a pass on new technologies like barcodes, order entry automation, mobile apps and man-made materials? It’s hard to imagine how you’d do business today without using or handling them. In their absence, you’d be leaving a lot of money on the table. Well, brace yourself. As I’ve reminded a couple of my supply-chain friends lately, a whole new world of tech-based opportunities has been opening up. But surprisingly few dealers and distributors are scrambling to get in on it. What I’m talking about is the revolutionary selling environment created by social media. From now on, the businesses that thrive will be the ones
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that adapt to it and exploit its resources. Research shows that 92% of American small businesses plan to invest in social media this year. More than half of those already using social media are increasing their investments in Facebook, the top consumer-facing platform. And more than a third of small businesses that use social media say they will spend more on Instagram, a runaway favorite with contractors. As I meet people who could be your customers, I see the evidence every day. The upcoming generation of builders and remodelers has staked out the internet as its comfort zone. They never stop learning, and platforms like Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn are where they go to school. While they wait for a client, or in a spare minute
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between meetings, or when a question comes up at the jobsite—out comes the phone, overflowing with news they can use. But contractors don’t just consume information. The smart ones zealously market their businesses online. They actively engage with their customers, constantly updating text, photography and video content, demonstrating how they solve real problems for real homeowners. Contractors believe in social media because it works. Here’s the lesson: If you want to connect with contractors, ignore social media at your peril. At Versatex we face some of the same marketing and sales questions that keep you awake at night. How, for instance, can we tell prospective customers what we can do for them? We know as well as you do that competition for their attention is fierce, and the days of high-pressure sales tactics are long gone. A few years ago, we realized that the social media phenomenon was more than just a flavor of the month. After watching it reshape the way American businesses drive margin, we decided to dive in. We’re glad we did. In return for a relatively modest investment, we’ve met hundreds of new potential (and now current) customers, specifiers and consumers. Thanks to shared information and vision, our social media activity has fostered stronger, lasting relationships with contractors, builders, architects and even homeowners who now feel closely connected to our brand and our people. Building-Products.com
What have we learned along the way so far? Take a look: Don’t Wait for the Right Time. If you still haven’t launched a social media campaign that supports your sales and marketing efforts, it’s not too late. But there will never be a better time. The builders you want to connect with are already up to speed, and they’ll welcome any informational value you can send their way. Start small if you have to. Start planning now. And start executing soon. Pick Your Shots. Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Reddit… every platform has its own advantages and audiences. But you don’t need to devote massive amounts of time and resources to covering every possible front. Focus on a channel where you know your customers are already active. It won’t hurt to ask a few friendly contractors where online they hang out, professionally. But remember that the savvy ones promote themselves—and do their homework— on Instagram. Take It Seriously. You may be tempted to ask someone in Marketing or Sales to dabble in social media as a side project. Please don’t! Doing it right is a full time job. We thought long and hard about adding head count, but once we found our current social media marketing manager, we never looked back. He devotes his energy to strategy as well as technology, not only developing Instagram messages and content (words, pictures and video), but also integrating our parallel efforts on Facebook and Twitter. The payoff in terms of relationships with our dealer, builder, and architect communities has far outweighed our investment in a new management position. Don’t Think Sales. Think Engagement. “Customer engagement” is more than just a business-school buzzword. It’s a shorthand way of saying that, when you show customers that you put their wants and needs ahead of your own, they just can’t help becoming emotionally connected to you. That’s how long-term relationships are built. So tilt your social media activity toward the customer. At the same time, remember that there’s still no substitute for face-to face interaction. Our team also maintains an honest, low-pressure program of conventional meet-ups, how-tos and tours. These real-world interactions reinforce the online experiences, so dealers, distributors, contractors, architects (and our own people) become members of a community they can rely on, as professionals and even friends. Social media is here to stay. Despite the name, it’s not about socializing. It’s a down-to-earth tool that’s building business for enterprises like yours, right now. And you’re missing a world of opportunities if you don’t give it a shot.
Letting you make all the noise. BECK Fastener Group®, SubLoc®, SCRAIL® and FASCO America® are registered trademarks of the BECK Fastener Group.
Rick Kapres
is VP of sales for Versatex Building Products, Pittsburgh, Pa., manufacturer of cellular PVC extrusion products, including trimboards, sheet, T&G, mouldings, prefabricated corners, and onepiece column wraps (www.versatex.com).
Building-Products.com
Master Distributor:
FASCO America Inc. 800-239-8665 | www.fascoamerica.com
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SALES & MARKETING SPECIAL ISSUE
By LAURIE RICHARDS
Give your potential clients a taste he Question on the majority of minds in the building materials industry is: “How can you get your potential customers to invest in your product, your service, or you?” Before they take a chance on something new, buyers want a low-risk option with
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a potential high return. Meanwhile, you’re looking for something that is low cost with a potential high return. Earning new business is all about getting your potential clients to buy into the potential value to them. It’s time to consider giving them a taste to whet
Tips for Strategic Sampling To find the best way to offer a taste of your business or service without giving away too much, consider these four questions:
1. What’s your best sampling point? An open house is a great place to give them a taste of what your end product looks like. A new business pitch is a great opportunity to highlight how you’ll make prospects’ lives easier by making good decisions for their benefit. 2. How much do you need to sell to get a strong return? The cost of providing sample services or products isn’t free, but the old adage holds: “You have to spend money to make money.” The goal is to use samples to spur enough sales to cover your costs—and then some. Don’t let them use your equipment for the entire project. Let them use it for a short period of time—just enough to get a feel for it in a real-life environment. 3. What other values can you leverage with samples? People are looking for an experience that shows them your company is the one they want to engage with. How can your product or service samples provide this? Is there an opportunity to use them as a testimonial? Will they
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leave the experience and tell their friends? Is it appropriate for them to share it on social media? Don’t be afraid to ask for a small action in exchange for the sample. “Let’s take this for a test drive and you can put it on your social media.” Or “We’d love to ask you a few questions about the experience, and we’d like to be able to share it with others looking to doing business with us.” Look for high-value/low-cost opportunities.
4. How do you talk about your sampling program? If you want your audience to know your product or service is special, make sure to position your sample experience as special, unique or exclusive. Know your audience and find phrasing that sounds valuable, worthy and interesting. For example, you don’t have to use the word “free.” Maybe your audience responds better to “complimentary” or “gratis.” For every program, carefully consider company values, customer base, and ultimate return on investment. Ask yourself how sharing a taste of your product, service, company culture, and even yourself can attract the right type of customer to do business with you.
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their appetite and get them to do business with you. In the early 1950s, Baskin-Robbins and their little pink spoon took the ice cream industry by storm—and they haven’t stopped selling since. Each year, 300 million people stop in for a taste, and they leave satisfied. Why? Because we love getting a taste of something before we commit. Learn from the best of the best and put “the magic of the little pink spoon” to work, helping you attract new customers and close those deals that have been dormant for a while. Put Your Product In Their Hands As a company trying to entice new customers, you can capitalize on the proven success of the little pink spoon to attract new business. Give them a taste of how your product works, how it feels, and how it fits into the way they work. Show them what it’s like to have your technical people available to answer questions. Let them take your products for a test run. Let them compare your product with the competition’s in a side-by-side scenario. In my hometown, there’s a large implement dealer, and the cost of that equipment is extensive. The return on that investment is, of course, that the new owner can cover more acres, move more dirt, have fewer breakdowns, collect better information, suffer less frustrations, use fewer labor hours, and so on. The investment comes with access to a highly skilled professional setup, service, repair crews, and more. Let’s say for a moment that this dealer is putting pencil to paper over and over, and their prospect is still thinking Building-Products.com
about it. He may have visited the dealership repeatedly to talk about it, but no deal. Maybe it’s time to offer him a taste—the experience of working with the equipment or trying out the service area. Once he gets a taste of what it’s like to use equipment that doesn’t require daily repairs, or he has a service department that shows up on time and delivers on their promises, he won’t want to go back to the old way. Provide An Experience In your new business pitch, don’t just show them photos of your projects; take them to a job site. If you’re in an interview to build a new hospital, tell them a story about how you worked with another hospital to keep the environment clean and the community feeling safe throughout the process. If you’re being considered to build a set of apartments, put them in the mental state of a worry-free project thanks to your top-notch software. “Imagine that you didn’t have to worry about a project like this coming in on budget. That’s what we can do because we use this software, unlike a lot of the competition.” Psychologically,
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inviting them to “imagine” puts them in the scenario. It makes them a part of the experience. Simply saying “we use this software to create and monitor your budget” doesn’t create the same emotional connection with the decision maker. What Is Your Differentiator — Your “Little Pink Spoon?” If you have the best service around, giving away a free consultation may be the best way to give them a taste. If you’re known for your one-stop shop, introduce them to your new hardware department with a free bonus product to try. If you’re selling paint, give them a large, primed sheet of plywood to paint (or paint it for them) so they can try it out and get a really good look at what the new color looks like without messing up their dining room.
your products and services. Don’t just send them a weekly status report; show them how they can use that status report to make time- and money-saving decisions every week. Reinforce the value of your services by pointing out the problems averted and the resources saved. However, be conscious of the facet that it’s a delicate balance between giving them a taste and giving away an entire scoop.
Give Them a Taste, Then Another Repeat business is the easiest business to get. You’ll continue to reinforce the value of working with you and encourage repeat business by embracing the philosophy of continually giving prospects and customers a taste of
August 2018
Laurie Richards
is an accomplished speaker, strategist and organizational consultant who works with leaders, executives, salespeople and other professionals to improve communication at every level. Reach her via www.laurierichards.com.
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SALES & MARKETING SPECIAL ISSUE
The best ads of the year HE MERCHANT MAGAZINE’S second annual ad competition is designed to showcase the best in LBM marketing over the last 12 months. Ads evaluated ran for the first time in BPD or The Merchant Magazine between July 2017 and June 2018. Entries were divided into five categories (fractional size, in-house design, series, spe-
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cialty piece, and best overall). A panel judged the ads on four criteria: 1. Attention Getting. Does it make the reader stop to take a closer look? 2. Easily Understood. Does the reader in a quick glance know what is being promoted? 3. Enticing. Does it promote the company/product in an appealing way
that would make its targeted audience want to seek more information? 4. Clean. Is the layout attractive and easy to navigate, so elements don’t compete with each other and key information—particularly contact info—is easy to find? And the winners are...
BEST FRACTIONAL PAGE AD Screw Products, Inc. “A fractional ad is notoriously challenging for making an impact. Promoting a commodity product like screws is even more difficult. Yet, this entry follows the hallmarks of great ads: understand your audience and what they care about, then tell them only what they need to know.” “Integrating yellow product list into otherwise black-andwhite image draws in readers’ attention.” “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a well-crafted fractional ad built to drive response.”
Harmony Railing “Breaks complicated pitch down to the basics”
Jones Wholesale Lumber
“Love the image placement”
“Fun holiday ad creates countless points of interest”
• Best Fractional Page Ads Honorable Mention – MOSO, Woodway Products (LWO)
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SALES & MARKETING SPECIAL ISSUE
BEST IN-HOUSE DESIGN Simpson Strong-Tie “EB-Guide”
“Clean, simple message— one shot says it all.” “Clean layout is easy to read and gets the point across quickly.”
The easy way to a picture perfect deck.
“Solid, professional look” “Precisely targeted”
Introducing EB-TY Premium Hidden Deck-Fastening System ®
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The new EB-TY Premium system comes with the ingenious EB-GUIDE predrilling tool to ensure precise and efficient fastening. The system’s redesigned biscuit features a stainless-steel reinforcing plate to ensure a strong, concealed connection – showcasing the natural beauty of the deck. Whether your customers are using composite decking or exotic hardwoods, EB-TY Premium delivers a picture-perfect deck every time. To learn more, visit go.strongtie.com/ebtypremium or call (800) 999-5099.
© 2017 Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. EBTY17D
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“Refreshing and timely”
“The best ads grab your attention and address your curiosity quickly with minimal copy or distraction.”
“Nice vertical balance” “Solid use of product as a foundation to build the layout from”
“Makes a somewhat commodity product appealing by anchoring it back to the credibility of their brand.” “Strong visuals supported by a great color and logo pallete make the reader ‘feel’ something for the product.”
* Best In-House Design Honorable Mention – Simpson Strong-Tie (“Sawtooth”), Humboldt Redwood, Madison Wood Preservers
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SALES & MARKETING SPECIAL ISSUE
BEST SPECIALTY PIECE Great Southern Wood “Coordinated Cover & Cover Band”
YellaWood® Columns • Kiln dried after treatment • Available natural or pre-primed • Engineered for greater strength and stability • Hollow core for ease of use in electrical applications • High-grade pressure treated pine • Lifetime limited warranty • Factory-applied end sealant • Small units for improved stock rotation
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• Unmatched reputation and support of the YellaWood® brand
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“Matching image on bellyband to the image on the front cover delivers the message in an interactive, hard-to-miss way.”
“While some things are simply gimmicks, a thoughtful and strategic execution of special production features helps to shout to the reader, ‘Hey, look!’ This perfectly executed cover band mirrors the cover, but reveals a great and memorable message that is supported through beautiful visuals.”
“Perfect use of a reveal” “Slick layout” “Great cut-in shot”
Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association “Eastern Pine-Scented Air Freshener” “Fresh spin that readers can pull out and retain, where it will remain in constant view” “Delivers message in a package readers will remember” “Beyond creating a great ad, you need to give the reader something to look forward to. This advertiser understands that a routine schedule filled with regular surprises is the best way to capture and hold an audience. They took advantage of using the publication as a delivery agent for their own resources that promoted the credibility of their brand and to drive response, which they did very successfully with these unique resources!”
Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association “Period Newspaper” “Retro-look newspaper gets attention—and provides plenty of room for copy!” “Fun way to engage readers”
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SALES & MARKETING SPECIAL ISSUE
BEST AD SERIES RoyOMartin “Eclipse New Product Roll-out” “Each month stresses a different selling point of the product”
“Dramatic imagery, easy to read, gets the point across”
“Consistent, identifiable look allows for product differentiation”
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“Stands out—there’s nothing else like this in our pages” “Client understands that you’re limited in what you can do with a fractional ad—as well as the importance of maintaining brand while varying your ad. Complicated to execute in a campaign, but here’s what happens when it’s done right.”
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Western Woods, Inc. “Bold deck shots, excellent color combinations” “Building a great ad is challenging and a great campaign is really tough. Now factor that you are ‘simply’ selling someone else’s product and you make it almost impossible to craft a great campaign and yet, this advertiser has figured out the formula of incorporating brand, message, product and color to drive response and emotion with exceptionally well done ads that reinforce the breadth of their offering.”
* Best Ad Series Honorable Mention – DMSI, United Treating & Distribution
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BEST OVERALL AD
Pacific Woodtech “Runs Circles” 18-0517 BuildingProdDigest PWT-f.pdf
“Powerful statement combines with compelling image” “This ad has all of the traits that make advertising the most impactful way to reach an audience— visual appeal, makes the reader curious to learn more, and offers concise, memorable message. Through minimal copy and strong but simple visual, the ad communicates a lasting message to the marketplace”
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Our EWP production runs circles around everyone else.
“Good play on words, great use of color, very eye catching” C
“Ingenious integration of the product into the artwork”
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“Stark background makes text and image pop” We’ve produced enough EWP to circle the globe—more than once. So you might be wondering why you’ve never heard of us. For the last 20 years, we’ve been a respected manufacturer of private-label EWP, and now we’re producing our own Pacific Woodtech-branded products. We’re doing it all with the same stellar quality, service, and innovation that launched our company two decades ago. See what we can do for you at pacificwoodtech.com
Universal Forest Products “UFP Edge Primed Cedar” “Energy created by layering starburst on top of board on top of beauty shot on top of trim background”
Universal Forest Products “ProWood”
“Covers all the bases”
“Repeated use of redwood color hammers home the theme of the new color introduction” “Perfectly balanced design”
• Best Overall Ad Honorable Mention – Feeney, TruWood/Collins Cos. Building-Products.com
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NEW Products
Making a Post Connection OZCO Building Products is expanding its line of decorative wood connectors by adding Post Bands for wood structures like decks, pergolas and pavilions. The bands can be installed to cinch up a cracked post or installed when the posts are green, to help prevent them from cracking in the first place. Offered in 4x4, 6x6, and 8x8 sizes, the bands come adjustable for both smooth and rough cut wood and can be installed in minutes. n OZCOBP.COM (469) 916-7503
Shake with Earth-Toned Hues Tando’s Signature Stain has added a new color—Graphite—to its innovative cladding line. Manufactured by Derby Building Products, the hue expands the stained shake line beyond current woodlike browns to an earthy, deep gray. The color joins Signature Stain’s original colors of Fawn, Bark and Acorn, capturing the natural hues and variations of stained wood. n TANDOBP.COM (844) 698-2636
Wood Finish PVC Fencing The Forest Collection by Westech Building Products is a new fencing line consisting of 100% vinyl fencing in an authentic-looking natural-wood finish. The collection combines the durability and low maintenance of PVC with a unique coloring process, yielding a multi-dimensional finish that is popular in the marketplace. The Rustic Birch profile has an almond base with a deep brown grain. Driftwood is an aged gray base with dark gray grain. n WESTECHBP.COM (866) 423-2385
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Lift Long Combilift’s new Combi-OP is reportedly the first purpose-built order picker on the worldwide market for long products. Customers no longer have to modify traditional order pickers to cope with the specific demands of long loads. The truck guarantees much more efficient and non-compromised operation for easy picking of long profiles in, for example, steel service centers. n COMBILIFT.COM (336) 378-8884
August 2018
Building-Products.com
Seal Up Your Pavers Naturally Decra-Seal Natural from W.R. Meadows is a water-based sealer that enhances the natural appearance of a variety of decorative hardscapes. The sealant can effectively be used on interior, exterior, horizontal and vertical decorative concrete, pavers, unglazed tiles, and a variety of porous natural and artificial stones. A non-film-forming, penetrating water repellent, the product chemically bonds to the substrate to help increase the service life.
Clip-in Water Protection
n WRMEADOWS.COM (847) 214-2100
n KEBONY.COM (855) 230-5656
Building-Products.com
Kebony launched its new Passive Rainscreen System for commercial and residential facades. The clip-based rainscreen attachment system can be applied over exterior and interior envelope design types, including over mineral fiber exterior insulation. The system’s proprietary clip fastener and façade profile provide a clean look and eliminate the need for predrilling, reducing installation costs, while preventing water penetration.
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Industry eyes latest trends at PCBC
Home building professionals from across the country convened in San Francisco’s Moscone Center June 27-28 to learn, network and discover new products at PCBC 2018, the largest annual homebuilding show in the western U.S. In 2018, new trends, new sessions and speakers, new events, and more than 350 exhibitors provided the industry with tools they need to advance the art, science and business of housing. With everything from building materials/structural products, to cabinets, appliances, flooring, faucets, solar, home technology, and more, PCBC’s exhibit floor was where trends were showcased and new product offerings were discovered. The exhibit floor was also home to the Parade of Products awards. Specialized sessions and panels brought fresh trends and topics to the community of homebuilding professionals looking to hone their skills and gain a competitive advantage. Ron Nestor, AIA, senior principal of WHA Inc., shared his thoughts on “Rebuilding After the Fires,” a topic that is top of mind after recent natural events. Other speakers included Suzanne Arkle, ZANN; Sterling Jawitz, head of real estate strategic partnerships, Common; and Brent Mather, design director, Gensler. Re-Think Conference, Land & Capital Forum, and the pre-conference sessions provided PCBC attendees with thought-provoking insights and hands-on learning opportunities in the areas of residential design, marketing and organizational leadership, land acquisition, development,
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research, investment and entitlement. Other sessions took place in the Hub for Social Media. Conveniently located on the trade show floor, this lounge featured cutting-edge social media presentations where both experienced digital marketers and social media novices were introduced to innovative concepts to drive reach and engagement on various platforms. An interactive LEGO exhibit commemorated California Building Industry Association’s 75th anniversary. Over the course of the show, attendees contributed to the building of a LEGO community using building stations filled with LEGO supplies. This experience allowed attendees to showcase their creativity and collaborative nature. PCBC will return to Moscone Center May 30-31, 2019.
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BEST IN THE WEST (continued from previous page): [9] Joe Morin, Joel Klimczyk, Tim Moxie. [10] Michael Caputo, Bill Bittle, Ken Dunham. [11] Rich Tyler, Melissa Setzer, John Bailey. [12] Ian Daniels, Tino Benavidez. [13] Randy Robins, Greg Bates. [14] Nick Larr, David Frick, Jeanalyn Phan, Shaun Tredway. [15] Steve Brown, Matt Trullinger. [16] Mark Westlake, Lee Jimerson, Chase Morrison, John Morrison, Cami Building-Products.com
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Waner, Brian Hurdle. [17] Chad Scunio, Jim Reyes, Ricardo Arevalo. [18] Chuck Casey, Denny Huston. [19] Clark Anderson, Laura Nieto, Chris Veety. [20] Steven Law, Branden Bruce, Dan Lucero, Steve Mitchell, Jeff Graham, Chris Fox. [21] Bob Maurer, Alan MacDougall. [22] Bruce Slattery, Robert Noose. [23] Morris & Carol Carey, James Carey. [24] Mark Challinor. [25] Jim MacInnis, Ed Mikowski. August 2018
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NAWLA SAN FRANCISCO REGIONAL Photos by Merchant
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NORTH AMERICAN Wholesale lumber Association held its San Francisco regional meeting June 26 at [1] the historic Sir Francis Drake Hotel. [2] The event marked Marc Saracco’s final meeting as NAWLA chair. [3] Tammy Hooper, Renee Miles. [4] Chris Knowles, Chase
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Morrison. [5] Grant Phillips, Sam Sanregret. [6] Dan Semsak, Claudia St. John. [7] Elizabeth Conner, Sarah Gornik. [8] Joshua Tyler, Dean Johnson, Kevin Dodds, Joe Labarge. [9] Aly Kingsley, Zach Miller. [10] Bill Price, Marc Saracco.
Building-Products.com
WILLAMETTE VALLEY GOLF Photos by Archie Brown
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8 WILLAMETTE VALLEY Hoo-Hoo Club held its annual golf tournament June 1 at Shadow Hills Country Club, Junction City, Or. [1] Tom Shea, Denise Guelid, KayCee Hallstrom, Tom Guelid. [2] Tod Kintz, Ron Hansen, Blake Keitzman, Kevin Murray. [3] Jeff Hendrickson, Zach Kinnie, Ken Reffstrup, Mark Pavlak. [4] Dudley Mills, Tyrone Konley, Steve Nohrenburg, Dale DeShaw. [5] Mike Gaber, Bob Reisbeck, Chris Gaughan, Kan Rogers. [6] Mike Holm, Mike Zumwalt, Nick Smith, Dave Anderson. [7] Mark Mitchell, Steve Grimes, Reid Schooler, Frank Forward. [8] Norm Person, Curtis Stecker, Joe Laberge. (More photos on next page)
Ply Gem Merging with NCI
Ply Gem, Cary, N.C., and NCI Building Systems, Houston, Tx., will join forces in a stock-for-stock merger to close in the fourth quarter of 2018. The combined company will operate under a name to be determined, while each entity will preserve its existing established brands.
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Ace Offers Extra Mile Guarantee
REEL
LUMBER SERVICE
1321 N. Kraemer Blvd. (Box 879), Anaheim, Ca. 92806 Fax 714-630-3190 (714) 632-1988 • (800) 675-REEL 3518 Chicago Ave., Riverside, Ca. 92507
(951) 781-0564
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t Reel Lumber Service, we supply domestic and foreign hardwoods. Our products and services include: • Hardwood Lumber & Pine • Hardwood Plywood & Veneers • Melamine Plywood • Hardwood Moulding (alder, cherry, mahogany, MDF, maple, red oak, paint grade, pecan hickory, white oak, walnut, beech) • Milling (moulding profiles, S2S, SLR1E, SLR2E, & resawn lumber) • Woodworking Accessories (appliques, ornaments, butcher blocks, corbels, etc.) • Woodworking Supplies (deft finishes, color putty, adhesives, etc.)
O
ur products are widely used in interior finish carpentry, furniture, cabinetry and hundreds of industrial and manufacturing applications. We stock a complete line of complementary products to complete virtually any woodworking or millwork project.
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Photos by Archie Brown
Wholesale Industrial Lumber
WILLAMETTE VALLEY GOLF
product is present in the basements of about 2,200 houses in various stages of construction in limited markets. Most Ace Hardware is rolling out its Extra Mile Promise, a of the houses are not yet occupied. guarantee that Ace has the expert advice and supplies needWeyerhaeuser will cover the cost to either remediate or ed to help consumers successfully tackle any paint project replace affected joists. It has halted production, sales and with just one trip to the store. shipments of the product, and is collecting unused product Available at participating stores nationwide, the vow from customers. was created to address and relieve the frustration conApproximately $9 million of the product has been sold sumers deal with when faced with the proposition of yet since December 2016. Weyerhaeuser expects to spend $50another trip to the store as a result of forgotten items or not $60 9 10 million resolving the issue. enough paint. Ace is so confident in its one-trip guarantee that it will provide free delivery to consumers who may be Windows & Doors Keep Growing in need of additional paint supplies. Residential window shipments increased 5.7% in 2016, “While it hurt our pride to learn this, the truth is that amounting to more than 43.2 million units shipped across while consumers trust Ace as the Helpful Place, far too the nation. Looking forward, national growth is expected to many of them believed that our speedy sized stores didn’t increase another 5.6% in 2017 before trailing off somewhat have enough product to complete their paint project,” said in 2019 to 4.6% growth, according to a new Window & John Venhuizen, president and CEO. “We know this isn’t Door Manufacturers Association study. the case, so to assuage these misperceptions, we decided to In 2016, shipments of side-hinged entry doors increased stand behind our large paint assortment with the Extra Mile by 6.1% to 9.7 million units on the national level, alleviatPromise. Our objective is simple: to be known as the #1, 11 most convenient, most helpful and most credible store 12 ing any concerns over the decrease in units shipped best, between 2014 and 2015. Based on the analysis of the data, for paint in the neighborhood.” WILLAMETTE GOLF (continued from annual growth is forecasted to climb to 5.9% in 2017 previous page): [9] Greg Carter, Tom before declining to a modest 5.2% growth in 2019. Weyco Recalls I-Joists Von Moos, Bob Maurer, Jay Coated Hart. [10] Architectural interior flush doors recovered from a DaleWeyerhaeuser York, Fred Sutton, Randy Stout, is recalling a batch of TJI Joists with Flak Steve Anderson. [11] Barry Greathead, decline the previous year by growing 4.5% in 2016 with Jacket Protection, after linking an odor in certain newly Darren McKowen, Jim Steele, Gene nearly 2.9 million units shipped, while stile and rail doors constructed homes to a recent formula change in the coatKlohs. [12] Mark Grube, Kip Anderson, continued its upward trend with a 6.6% increase with nearing that included resin. The issue is Paul & Denise Godin.formaldehyde-based [13] Bob Brass, ly 0.44 million units shipped. Annual growth of flush doors Gary Newman, Bryan Borovec, Jerrymade after Dec. 1, 2016, isolated to Flak Jacket product is forecast to be 4% in 2017 before declining to 1% in Farley. [14] Mark Denner. and does not affect any of the company’s other products. 2019. Stile and rail doors are also predicted to grow 4% in Flak Jacket Protection is a coating applied to I-joists to 13 14 2017 and decline to 1% by 2019. enhance fire resistance, and it is not widely in use. The
Inland lumber producers gather in Coeur d’Alene
Over 400 members and guests of Inland Lumber Producers Association gathered at Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course, Coeur d’Alene, Id., for its 35th annual golf tournament July 11-13. As always, attendees and their families were able to participate in an array of social activities such as mixers, barbeques, a cocktail cruise, and boat
excursions. While lumber professionals spent time networking and catching up with close friends and colleagues, their guests were free to roam about the resort, with boats leaving every 30 minutes. After the golf tournament, all were invited to the closing cocktail cruise and awards ceremony.
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INLAND LUMBER PRODUCERS
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[27] Fritz & Erin Klosterman, Amanda Durfee, Tony Pieper. [28] Joe & Becky Currier. [29] Danny French, Chip Brittain, Frank Peterson, Randy Wiles. [30] Aaron Babcock, Barry Schneider. [31] Gunnar Brink, Shauna Ericson, Lily Ericson, Paul Ericson, Bryan Borovec. [32] Mason Anderson, Phil Schumock, Matt Wittschiebe. [33] Harris Gant, Paul Waldon, Lynn Wood. [34] Laura Ganatos, Matt Dierdorff, Dan Claridge, Michelle & Todd Gallant. [35] Amy & Todd Pollard. (More photos on next page) August 2018
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INLAND PRODUCERS (from previous pages): [36] Elaine Schooler, Shenell Phillips, Lauren McWhirter, Erin Klosterman, Carly Dodds, Nicole Wilson. [37] Aaron Babcock, John Bavester. [38] Jim Vandergrift, Liz Enyeart, Rob Enyeart. [39] Kyle Danilson, Pat Callahan. [40] Alan Kemmis, Jennifer & James Mortimer. [41] Laurel Casey, Sue Herms, Michelle Mitchell. [42] Mike & Jennifer Henley. [43] John & Catherine Eshleman, Dave Slaughter, Jim Vandergrift. [44] Joe Laberge, Nicole Wilson, Grant & Shannon Phillips, Carly & Kevin Dodds. [45] Cheryll
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Jones, Henry Tintzman, Emily Krenke. [46] John Branstetter, Steve Shaw, Joe Laberge. [47] Susie & John Malloy. [48] Coleman Menke, Marissa Duncan. [49] Emily Rugaber, Jennifer Bush-Finley. [50] Rick Palmiter, Bob Lackey, Michelle Thorp. [51] Jim Pepple, Scott Knutson, Rich Mills, Tony Geiger. [52] Tyler Backs, Mary Jacobson. [53] Reid & Elaine Schooler. [54] Mick Vaagen, Barb Adams. [55] Matt & Sharon Vaughan. [56] Lauryn McWhirter, Nicole Wilson. [57] Hanna Smith, Terry Johnson. Building-Products.com
It’s here.
Completely redesigned. Continuously updated. Conveniently mobile.
www.Building-Products.com Another investment in serving the LBM industry since 1922
CLASSIFIED Marketplace Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word minimum). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy/headline, $9 per line. Border, $9. Private box, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if art furnished “camera-ready” (advertiser sets type), $65 if we set type. Send ad to Fax 714-486-2745 or david@ building-products.com. Checks payable to 526 Media Group. Deadline: 18th of previous month. Questions? Call (714) 486-2735.
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE FOR SALE: EMA KS-1400 sliding table saw, $3500.00. TANNEWITZ 36” band saw, $2500.00. NORTHFIELD 12” jointer, $2500.00. OLIVER 24” planer with ITCH and grinder carriage, $7000.00. ONSRUD pin router. W-244-E, $1500.00. Call Bill at (805) 963-3621. 720 E. Haley St., Santa Barbara, Ca.
IN Memoriam Robert E. “Bob” Deutschman, 70, owner of Deutschman Lumber, Sonora, Ca., died June 2 after suffering a series of strokes at his mill. After attending California Polytechnic State University, he served in Vietnam with the Marine Corps.
HELP WANTED REGIONAL SALES MANAGER We are currently seeking a Regional Sales Manager for the Eastern area of the United States. Responsibilities will include establishing and maintaining customer accounts and programs. Manage product pricing and ensure payment terms. Ability to maintain regular focused customer contact. Market products and promote success of customers. Extensive travel required. Ideal candidates will possess experience in wood preservation. A degree in Chemistry, Engineering or Forest Products is preferred. Microsoft Office experience is essential. We offer an exemplary benefit package including 401K. Please visit our website at www.treatedwood.com. Interested candidates please forward your resume to: Human Resources, Viance, LLC, 8001 IBM Dr., Charlotte, N.C. 28262. Email: HR@viance.net. Viance, LLC is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
Ronald Charles White, 76, retired machine shop, pipe and paint superintendent for Roseburg Forest Products, Roseburg, Or., died June 22. Before Roseburg, he worked for Weyerhaeuser, Springfield, Or., as a project engineer, plywood maintenance foreman, and lumber maintenance superintendent. He retired in 2009.
ADVERTISERS Index
Glenn Arnold Thomas, 77, co-founder of Thomas & Sons Reload, Eugene, Or., died July 1. He and his father, Arnold, launched the business in 1956 as a custom reload for forest products, later expanding to trucking. Bernal Riley Sturman, 86, former co-owner of C&B Logging Co., Moscow, Id., died March 28. After operating his own company, he went to work for Bennett’s Lumber Co., Potlatch, Id., until retiring.
TALK Back VALUES ADDED Pat, I’ve been enjoying your “Across the Board” articles for quite some time, and thought it overdue to let you know. I so appreciate your real and touching articles, always grounding me and slowing my heart rate temporarily! As a father of four raised girls I especially appreciate the emphasis on what is lasting, meaningful and most precious. Thanks for keeping us all reminded of the true north in our compasses! Jamie Emmer Lumber Marketing Services Hope, Id.
Pacific Woodtech [www.pacificwoodtech.com]
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All-Coast Forest Products [www.all-coast.com]
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Pelican Bay Forest Products [www.pelicanbayfp.com]
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Allweather Wood [www.allweatherwood.com]
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ProWood [www.prowoodlumber.com/duracolor]
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C&E Lumber Co. [www.lodgepolepine.com]
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Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com]
Combilift [www.combilift.com]
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Reel Lumber Service [www.reellumber.com]
Fasco America [www.fascoamerica.com]
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Roseburg Forest Products [www.roseburg.com]
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Fontana Wholesale Lumber [fontanawholesalelumber.com] 35
Seneca Sawmill [www.senecasawmill.com]
Huff Lumber Co. [www.hufflumber.net]
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Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com]
Cover III
Humboldt Redwood [www.getredwood.com]
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Swanson Group [www.swansongroup.biz]
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Jones Wholesale Lumber [www.joneswholesale.com]
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Taiga Building Products [www.taigabuilding.com]
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Keller Lumber [www.kellerlumbercompany.com]
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Troy Corp. [www.troycorp.com]
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Maze Nails [www.mazenails.com]
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TruWood [www.truwoodsiding.com]
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Universal Forest Products [www.ufpedge.com/true-trim]
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Versatex [www.versatex.com]
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North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. [nawla.org] Norbord [www.norbord.com]
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OZCO Building Products [www.ozcobp.com]
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Western Woods [www.westernwoodsinc.com]
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Pacific MDF [www.pacifictrim.com]
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Weyerhaeuser [www.weyerhaeuser.com]
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DATE Book Listings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend. Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club – Aug. 10, trap shoot & lunch, Ukiah Rifle & Pistol Club, Ukiah, Ca.; www.hoohoo.org.
Western Hardwood Association – Sept. 19-21, annual convention, Arlington Club, Portland, Or.; www.westernhardwood.com. Composite Panel Association – Sept. 23-25, fall meeting, Nashville, Tn.; www.compositepanel.org.
Ace Hardware Corp. – Aug. 15-18, fall market, McCormick Place, Chicago, Il.; www.myace.com.
World Forestry Center – Sept. 25, Forest Products Forum in partnership with Forest Economic Advisors; Sept. 25-27, Who Will Own the Forests? timberland investing conference, World Forestry Center, Portland, Or.; www.wwotf.org.
National Association of Women in Construction – Aug. 15-18, annual convention, Hilton, Lake Buena Vista, Fl.; www.nawic.org.
Los Angeles Hardwood Lumbermens Club – Sept. 28, golf tournament, Black Gold Golf Course, Yorba Linda, Ca.; www.lahlc.net.
California State Home & Garden Show – Aug. 17-19, Jackson Sports Academy, McClellan Park, Ca.; www.calstateshows.com.
Stanislaus County Home & Garden Show – Sept. 28-30, Modesto Centre Plaza, Modesto, Ca.; www.metroexpositions.com.
World Conference on Timber Engineering – Aug. 20-23, Seoul, South Korea; www.wcte2018.kr.
True Value Co. – Sept. 28-30, Fall Reunion market, Denver, Co.; www.truevaluecompany.com.
Lumbermens Merchandising Corp. – Aug. 22, LMC Hardware Express, Las Vegas, Nv.; www.lmc.net. International Woodworking Fair – Aug. 22-25, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga.; www.iwfatlanta.com. Orgill – Aug. 23-25, fall dealer market, Sands Expo & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; www.orgill.com. Wood Products & Technology Fair – Aug. 28-31, Gothenburg, Sweden; www.swefair.se. Austrian International Wood Fair – Aug. 29-Sept. 1, Klagenfurt, Austria; www.kaerntnermessen.at. BC Wood – Sept. 6-8, Global Buyers Mission, Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler, B.C.; www.bcwood.com. The Hardware Conference – Sept. 7-9, JW Marriott, Marco Island, Fl.; www.thehardwareconference.com. Ventura Home & Garden Show – Sept. 7-9, Ventura County Fairgrounds, Ventura, Ca.; www.capitalshowcase.com. American Wood Protection Association – Sept. 9-13, technical committee meetings, Marriott Copley Place, Boston, Ma.; www.awpa.com. North American Wholesale Lumber Association – Sept. 10-14, Wood Basics Course, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Or.; www.nawla.org. Western Hardwood Association – Sept. 12-14, annual convention, Arlington Club, Portland, Or.; www.westernhardwood.com. Log & Timber Home Show – Sept. 14-16, Cal Expo, Sacramento, Ca.; www.thelogandtimbershow.com. Home & Garden Fall Expo – Sept. 15-16, Alex Madonna Expo Center, San Luis Obispo, Ca.; www.inspiredexpos.com. Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo Club – Sept. 19, meeting, Tacoma, Wa.; (253) 531-1834; tbilski614@aol.com.
888-807-2580 Bend, OR
www.pelicanbayfp.com DISTRIBUTION LOCATIONS Colton / Fontana / Modesto / Salinas / Stockton, 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”
C&E LUMBER COMPANY 1 1/2” to 12” Diameter in Stock.
SPECIAL QUOTES
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FLASHBack 77 Years Ago This Month
S eventy-seven
years ago, The California Lumber Merchant followed breaking news—literally— as a 1,000-ft. log raft containing over 5 million ft. of lumber broke in two on its way down the Pacific from Oregon to San Diego. The massive log raft, resembling a gigantic cigar pulled by a tug, split in two July 7, 1941, near the Golden Gate Bridge. It contained stacks of Douglas fir and hemlock intended to be milled for national defense purposes. The tug continued on its journey to San Diego pulling the front half of the barge, after a second boat arrived to haul the severed back half. Both sections arrived at Benson Lumber Co.’s mill in San Diego seven days later. It was the 119th log raft Benson had towed to its from the Columbia River in the 25 years since they began operations—and the first to suffer such a fate. Some months earlier, another of its giant log rafts was destroyed by fire. Investigators suspected sabotage. When, weeks after the barge split in two, a third log raft mysteriously burst into flames, Benson was forced to discontinue the service. Other news in August of 1941: • The Van Matre-Manning Lumber Co. unveiled brand new quarters at its yard in Downey, Ca., with the new structure designed as a homey cottage, to demonstrate “the uses of modern building materials.” The 1,872-sq. ft. building included the store, sales office, business office, and storeroom. The exterior
CERTIGRADE Red Cedar Shingles cover ad from August of 1941 was patterned after the popular Ripley’s Believe It or Not comics.
featured rustic redwood sidewalls and Pabco blue and green tab shingles. The 936-sq. ft. store had a Bruce oak block floor, Philippine Mahogany wainscoting, ivory colored Celotex plank on the walls, and ivory colored Celotex blocks on the ceiling. One side had a display of Pabco paints, the other desks, easy chairs and the “Friendship Fireplace”—a stone hearth surrounded by birch mantel, sandblasted redwood columns, and a deer head mounted above. At the left rear of the store, behind a Philippine mahogany office gate, was the 168-sq. ft. sales office, equipped with a birch-topped sales counter. Across the hall at the rear right was a business office designed to look like a den, with curly redwood finished wainscoting, clear redwood wall paneling, antique finishblocks on the ceiling, and redwood cabinets to store fishing tackle and firearms.
The hallway between the two back offices had ivory-colored Celotex planks and knotty pine wainscoting on the walls, and led to a 520-sq. ft. storeroom to hold surplus stock. Products were also displayed inside two attractive bay windows in the front of the store, set behind flower beds curbed with split redwood rails. The walkway and steps leading to the front door were made of brick, with potted plants set at each side of the entrance. The previous office, just across the driveway, was converted to an additional warehouse. For a finishing touch, the gateway at the main entrance was made to represent a picket fence. After a successful run, the yard was torn down and today is the site of the Paramount Auto Center. • In Washington, D.C., a public hearing was slated to weigh a proposal to hike the minimum wage for all lumber and timber products manufacturing jobs to 35 cents an hour. Affected would be all businesses involved in “wood saw milling and surfacing, wood re-working including kiln or air drying; manufacturing planing mill products, dimension stock, boxes, wood turnings and shapings, and specialized timber products including shingles, veneer and plywood.” Exempt were items such as cigar boxes, produce crates, and furniture.
LOS ANGELES area dealer Van Matre-Manning Lumber built a new showroom/office to look like a homey cottage.
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Building-Products.com
Introducing a more versatile screw plug solution
The DCU screw plug solution: fasteners and plugs sold separately to improve inventory turnover Simpson Strong-Tie offers composite deck and trim plugs à la carte to help you mix and match your inventory and reduce issues associated with discontinued colors. Our screw plug solution is designed to complement our Quik Guard® coated and stainless-steel Deck-Drive™ DCU Composite screws (sold separately), which install easily by hand or with our Quik Drive ® auto-feed screw driving system. Provide your customers with a clean finish and your business with a more versatile product offering. To learn more, visit go.strongtie.com/dcuscrewplugs or call us at (800) 999-5099. © 2018
Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. SREWPLUG18D
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