Merchant feb 2014

DECKING & RAILING TRENDS  CRAB FEED PIX  NAWLA ON INDUSTRY RECOVERY

The

MERCHANT

FEBRUARY 2014

Magazine

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Signs are pointing to recovery. NAWLA has designed its 2014 Leadership Summit for those who want to move ahead boldly and wisely at this crucial time. We’ve gathered eight industry leaders under one roof to help us better understand emerging outlooks, opportunities, and critical issues.

Now is the time of tapping into the wisdom of our community and casting new visions.

We know you’re busy, so we’ve packed a lot into a day and a half. You’ll come away better prepared to navigate pitfalls and pursue new opportunities.

Gustavo Jon Biotti Kimmo Jarvinen Don Kayne President/CEO, Secretary General, Managing Director, Grodnitzky, Ph.D. Leadership & Charlesbank EOS Canfor Capital Partners Org. Development Consultant

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February 2014

THE MERCHANT DIGITAL VERSION

THIS MONTH’S EDITION AS WELL BACK ISSUES OF THE MERCHANT CAN BE VIEWED DIGITALLY AT BUILDING-PRODUCTS.COM

AS

Building-Products.com

TOTALLY Random

By Alan Oakes

The

MERCHANT

Magazine

www.building-products.com

A publication of Cutler Publishing

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

Unlocking you

O

family dinner, I was talking to my wonderful 14-year-old grandson, who told me that he did not expect to get into a good college after graduating from high school. I was disappointed to hear his resignation at such an early age, but perhaps he senses how competitive it is.

Unfortunately, if you think you are going to fail, inevitably you do. If you set your goals lower, then your life potential will never be achieved. And isn’t it that negativity that holds many of us back throughout our lives and careers? My grandson has to learn that we all fail at some time or other, but we need to set our goals at a high level.

We will end up either achieving the higher goal or, at minimum, reaching a higher level than had we set a lower goal.

For me, a new year is a good time to look at the promise of what’s ahead and be reminded of what went right and wrong in the year just finishing. Let’s be honest— few of us can say that every past year has been a step forward. Most of us have not escaped having some years where we said, thankfully, this year is over and let’s make the next one better. Unless you respond to and learn from those failures or down years, you cannot learn how to adapt your behavior and draw benefits from it. If we are willing to accept failure or mediocrity, don’t we deserve what we get?

Many of us begin a new year by making personal resolutions—to exercise, to lose weight, to quit smoking, to cut our debt—yet within 30 days, most of us have failed.

The reason is that most of us are creatures of habit, easily tempted and prone to overestimate our ability to change. Indeed, we may set unachievable goals—say, dropping 50 lbs.—or underestimate what it will take to maintain our commitment. Or, we might have too many resolutions or set vague, unmeasurable goals.

Whether personal or business, unless we learn from our failures and set goals, nothing can change. We’ve all read about those individuals who started businesses, failed, and yet started another one and succeeded (sometimes after two or three failures). How? Why? In most cases, it was that in each failure they learned something that helped them the next time round. In fact, that spirit of not accepting failure can be what drives them to start all over again.

Not all of us can be c.e.o.s or sales managers—and don’t have to be to feel happy and successful. But who determines it should not be us? The reality is that it is ourselves! If we have no plan or determination to succeed, if we are willing to accept the status quo, we end up in a life that later we look back on and blame everyone for but ourselves.

At the age of 19, in about my third job after leaving high school in the U.K., I realized that I was not going to go anywhere unless I took control of my life, set aggressive goals, and strove to offer something different from those around me. I adopted two basic philosophies for my business life. One, do everything with the highest level of energy and passion possible. I saw early-on the lethargy around the office with people who just showed up. That was not going to be me. Even at this age I cannot do anything without doing my best (thanks, Mum). Second, do not be content with going nowhere—meaning that if I cannot move myself and life on, it’s time for change. I was not going to stay with a company unless I could see a path for personal growth. Has all been successful? No, I have had my failures—some quite painful. But when I failed, I didn’t stand still. I spent every waking hour analyzing what, if anything, I did wrong and determining what it would take to bounce back. In most cases, I found something better the next time round.

Take the time to figure out what you really want out of your life and career. Analyze what you are going to do to achieve your business and personal goals. For most of us, good things don’t happen unless we make them happen. We are in control of our own life potential!

VER A RECENT

Publisher Alan Oakes ajoakes@aol.com Publisher Emeritus David Cutler Director of Editorial & Production David Koenig dkoenig@building-products.com Editor Karen Debats kdebats@building-products.com Contributing Editors Dwight Curran James Olsen Carla Waldemar Advertising Sales Manager Chuck Casey ccasey@building-products.com Administration Director/Secretary Marie Oakes mfpoakes@aol.com Circulation Manager Heather Kelly hkelly@building-products.com

How to Advertise

Chuck Casey Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 ccasey@building-products.com Alan Oakes www.building-products.com Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 ajoakes@aol.com CLASSIFIED David Koenig Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 dkoenig@building-products.com

How to Subscribe

SUBSCRIPTIONS Heather Kelly Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 hkelly@building-products.com or send a check to 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, CA 92660 U.S.A.: One year (12 issues), $22 Two years, $36 Three years, $50 FOREIGN (Per year, paid in advance in US funds): Surface-Canada or Mexico, $48 Other countries, $60 Air rates also available.

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

Alan Oakes, Publisher ajoakes@aol.com

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Building-Products.com

FEATURE Story Composite Decking

Which composite decking is best for your customer?

O

KAY. YOU’VE SETTLED on which composite decking your store promotes. You stock one or two brands and have samples for a dozen more near the contractors desk. In walks the customer, looking for advice on which they should buy. By asking a few questions, you can lead them straight to the best decking for their needs.

How much do you want to spend?

Although, in general, the various composite decking brands are similarly priced for comparable lines, most manufacturers do offer premium and value lines, as well as variations in textures, design, composition, color, and installation systems that can greatly influence the cost. Buyers who are content with limited color choices, a smooth surface, repetitive grain pattern, standard lengths, and installation with face screws will keep costs down.

However, notes J.C. Rentschler, dealer sales representative for Weyerhaeuser Distribution, “new ‘capped’ products offer higher quality and an authentic look, but do come with a higher price tag. This also makes the product less skid resistant and has a tendency to retain more heat, so selection of a decking product is more crucial than ever.”

Adds Brent Gwatney, senior vice president of sales and marketing for MoistureShield: “New for 2014, we’ve developed the MoistureShield Pro line. It is our always high-performing MoistureShield composite decking with a unique plastic cap for an added layer of protection. This enhanced cap makes the boards more resistant to fading and staining; they’re even protected by a 25-year

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fade and stain warranty. These streaked boards will not only look beautiful, they’ll also be durable.”

How closely do you want your deck to resemble wood?

More expensive composites often feature finer details, more colors choices, subtle shadings, superior grain, and other differences to provide a more authentic wood-look appearance. Some producers buff every deck board to remove any resemblance to plastic.

“For the best-looking composite decking, contractors can choose boards with deep embossment patterns for a realistic wood grain appearance,” says Gwatney. “Some brands also have variegated color streaking that resembles exotic hardwoods. For example, MoistureShield’s Vantage line includes premium colors like tigerwood and walnut.”

Will you use your deck in the hot sun?

Darker, solid and very dense composites absorb more heat than lighter tones.

Rentschler suggests “lighter color selections for hotter climates that have extreme sunlight or heat. Do research online or with experienced decking contractors to see which products perform best.”

Have the homeowner take home composite samples in different colors and set them outside where they want to build the deck, so they can gauge the temperatures each will reach.

How wet will your deck get?

Smooth-textured composite decks can get slippery. If the deck is going to be installed in a rainy or icy climate or

February 2014

will sit near a pool or spa, it should have a raised or textured grain for skid resistance—particularly if it will be used as a common entry into the home.

Do you want to see your fasteners?

Hidden fasteners will bump up the cost of the project, but do provide a cleaner appearance, hiding between tongue-and-grooved boards or clipping together thinner profiles.

“Aesthetics continue to be the most driving factor behind a deck,” Gwatney explains. “Hidden fastening systems are becoming increasingly popular with homeowners and more deck boards are available grooved to accommodate fasteners. In addition to the clean surface finish, some hidden fasteners are actually faster to install than surface screws, so it’s a double win for builders.”

Does your budget include all the extras?

A composite deck package typically includes a lot more than boards and fasteners. Buyers may also have to factor in railings, balusters, posts, post caps, end caps, skirts, decorative trim, and more. And, with higher-end lines, all the elements can match.

According to Edie Kello Wilson, director of marketing communications for Fiberon, “Customizable options include railing infill, such as metal, composite or glass, and lighting for both decking and railing. Performance benefit options include fade, mold and scratch resistance, fastenerfree surfaces, and warranties.”

Would you like to see how your ideas will look in a finished deck?

Mobile apps and online desk design systems allow your customers to know what they’re buying before they buy it.

“The day of the sample is dying, and state-of-the-art design applications are here to stay,” says Rentschler.

“User-friendly applications now allow homeowners to design their own deck and color scheme.”

Walking homeowners through the materials suitable for their dream deck, and showing them style, color and customizable options, helps move projects from the planning stage to the sale.

“Ultimately, customers need to understand that their investment in a composite deck is going to last decades, without the need to stain and paint it every other year like the wooden decks they likely grew up with,” Wilson says.

“By reviewing the aesthetic aspects and technical options of composite decking products available at various price points, you can help customers make a decision they’ll enjoy for years.”

WITH TODAY’S countless options for composite decking, dealers should be prepared to match customers to the products that are the best fit for their needs. (Photo by MoistureShield)

INDUSTRY Trends Kebony Decking & Cladding

Alcohol-treated decking renews focus on U.S.

B

sustainable alternative to tropical hardwoods, Kebony decking and cladding is gaining recognition in North America.

“Everybody would like to use tropical wood,” says Christian Jebsen, chief executive of the Norway-based company. “The problem is it’s not sustainable, and most people understand that. What we do is take softwood and give it the properties of the hardwood we would like to use.”

The science behind this transforILLED AS A

mation is Kebonization, a process in which sustainable softwood is treated with furfuryl alcohol—a natural waste product of certain crops. When the wood is then heated, a chemical reaction permanently changes the wood cells and imparts the look, color, and properties of tropical hardwoods.

Jebsen believes that the time is right for a treated wood such as Kebony. As of March 2013, new European Union legislation requires importers of tropical wood to prove

that the wood comes from sustainable sources.

In the U.S., municipalities have turned away from tropical hardwood and chosen sustainable alternatives such as Kebony. A good example is New York City, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg ruled that the city would stop using tropical hardwoods.

Last fall, Kebony was recognized for the third time as one of the world’s most promising private, clean technology companies in the presti-

KEBONY was used to create decking and walkways at the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum, Dallas, Tx. Photo courtesy Kebony

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Building-Products.com

gious Global Cleantech 100. This award honors companies that provide solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental problems.

At Greenbuild 2013—November 20-22 in Philadelphia, Pa.—Kebony was re-launched into the North American market and a distributor was announced: Pine River Group, St. Clair, Mi. The company offers the important sales, marketing, inventory, and logistical support necessary to develop the North American market through multiple channels.

Currently, southern yellow pine from the U.S. is shipped to Kebony’s plant in Skien, Norway, and then shipped back to the states. Other Kebony species include Scots pine from Scandanavia and radiata pine from New Zealand.

“Kebony and Pine River Group are exploring various opportunities to justify the establishment of the first treatment plant in the U.S.,” says Andy

KEBONY SYP DECKING enhances the Nelson Park Lakefront project in Decatur, Il. Photo courtesy Kebony

SUSTAINABLE cladding from Kebony protects a new residential building at Princeton University, Princeton, N.J., which will accommodate visiting faculty members.

Photo courtesy Princeton University

Hehl, Pine River Group sales manager. “Kebony’s research and development team is continuously evaluating new wood species for treatment, with the goal of establishing production nearest raw material sources.”

To help get the word out, Pine River Group partnered with Matthew Hodjera, Hodjera Architectural Products, Seattle, Wa. His firm promotes Kebony directly to the architectural, design, and landscape architecture communities. It also develops strategic national accounts, provides Building-Products.com

expertise in new product launches, support on certain PR initiatives, and overall market strategies and approaches.

“This is a truly remarkable product for the North American architecture and design market,” says Hodjera. “It provides all the warmth, beauty, and durability of tropical hardwoods with none of the negative environmental impact.”

In the U.S., most recently completed projects are municipal. New boardwalks were constructed of Kebony

clear southern yellow pine at Hunter’s Park South Waterfront Park in Long Island City, Queens, N.Y.; the Nelson Park lakefront enhancement project in Decatur, Il., and the Dallas Arboretum in Dallas, Tx. At Princeton University, Princeton, N.J., Kebony cladding faces a recently completed apartment building for visiting faculty members. A mixture of studios and one-bedrooms, the three-story, 11,779 sq. ft. structure occupies a small residential area of the campus.

Kebony will also be an important part of several U.S. projects currently under construction, with completion expected this spring: as rain screening and decking at Martial Cottle Park, San Jose, Ca.; as dock planking at the Harbor Village Marina, St. Joseph, Mi., and as decking and flooring at a boutique hotel on Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico.

“We believe this product has a place in a number of prominent areas in the building products industry, such as manufacturing of custom windows and doors, roof deck tiles, exterior architectural beams, flotation docks, and park benches, to name a few,” says Hehl. “We see this product as exceptional for waterfront docks and piers and high-end residential decking, cladding, and rain screening.

Kebony can be used anywhere the warmth and beauty of real wood are desired, and the stability and durability are demanded.”

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FIRST Person

By Huck DeVenzio

Pioneer in 5/4 decking leaves lasting mark

A

LONG-TIME MEMBER of the lumber industry, Al Lucksted, died in October. Most recently he headed sales and purchasing at Midwest Timber in Edwardsburg, Mi., but his prime legacy may be his role in the introduction of 5/4 radius edge decking.

Five-quarter RED is now a common profile for treated southern pine, cedar, ipé and even composite decking. This was not true in the late 1970s. At that time, following the emergence of backyard building but

DECKING INNOVATOR: Al Lucksted (19352013) brought 5/4 radius edge decking to market at Wickes Lumber.

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before the appearance of big box stores, Wickes Lumber was a major retailer, operating stores around the country although most prominently in the East, South and Midwest.

Lucksted, product manager for specialty lumber at Wickes, and his supervisor, George Finkenstaedt, were looking for products that might distinguish Wickes from competitors.

Finkenstaedt remembers a field trip to check competitive offerings. “Al and I traveled to the tidewater area of Virginia with a valued supplier, Bob Hawes of Tolleson Lumber. At Moore’s stores, we saw a squareedged decking product that was thinner than 2” lumber. It seemed to be something with potential.”

Hawes and the innovative owner of Tolleson Lumber, Mell Tolleson, set out to create a product that could help their customer and also benefit Tolleson’s sawmill and treating operations. After investigating several variations, they came up with 5/4” radius edge decking. It looked good, much better than the dimension lumber then commonly being used for decking. The quarter-inch radius minimized wane on edges, and was strong enough to allow a reasonable span.

Current Tolleson c.e.o. Rusty Wood managed a Tolleson sawmill and recalls visiting Wickes headquarters with Hawes to show Lucksted and Finkenstaedt a prototype sample.

“Wickes jumped on the idea from the start, working out expected sales and profits on a calculator before we fin-

February 2014

ished the meeting.”

The group figured out that, compared to 2” lumber, the proposed decking could provide a higher return to mills on a board foot basis and still be offered to contractors and homeowners at a lower price on a lineal foot basis.

Lucksted and Finkenstaedt convinced their upper management that Wickes should stock this untried product. Lucksted next had to excite the store managers and promote the decking to customers. He and Hawes designed and built display decks for the front of all Wickes Lumber retail locations. They wrote truckload orders for presumed sales at more than 100 stores, even though there was no history for the product and no assurance that it would sell in large volumes. It did. It sold so well that Wickes quickly became concerned that Tolleson could not keep up with demand. The Tolleson team had to recruit other sawmills to join the 5/4 program, going so far as to provide reluctant mills with planer knives and guaranteeing their sales in order to get their participation.

Although several mills produced the lumber, until the widespread acceptance of this decking all pressure-treating was done at Tolleson using CCA preservative. (Note: Perry, Ga.-based Tolleson Lumber still produces lumber, but no longer treats wood.)

Meantime, to protect against inferior knock-offs, Mell Tolleson drafted a Building-Products.com

grading standard for 5/4 RED. Mell served on the board of the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau and valued grademarks. Grading rules for RED were adopted in 1983 and are believed to be the first rules based on appearance criteria rather than strength characteristics. The original rules defined the radius, knot size, and three grades—Premium, Standard and No. 3—for 4”, 5”, and 6” widths. The rules have been modified since then.

Finkenstaedt, who now consults on mergers and acquisitions of building material operations, notes, “Our stocking of 5/4 decking gave Wickes a two- or three-year headstart over our competitors. It was an unqualified success for many years and underscores the importance of collaboration among all participants in the supply chain. It would not have been possible without the forward-looking and enthusiastic support of Rusty Wood at the mill level, Mell and Bob at the treating level, and, of course, Al Lucksted at the distribution and retail level. They all made it fun as well as very profitable for all participants.”

Rusty Wood agrees: “Five-quarter decking proved very successful for Wickes, Tolleson, sawmills, treating

plants, lumber dealers, and the consumer. It remains a leading choice, three decades after its launch.”

Richard Dannenberg, former marketing director at Tolleson, singles out the contribution of Lucksted, who also introduced V-groove lumber and pre-assembled deck accessories during his career at Wickes. “If Al had

not been willing to take a risk on the product, 5/4 decking would not have entered the market.”

– Huck DeVenzio retired from Lonza Wood Protection, Atlanta, Ga., as manager of marketing communications in 2013 after 40 years of promoting treated wood.

He says he qualifies as an industry historian by his age, if nothing else.

THE ROUNDED corners of 5/4 decking provide a finished appearance and minimize wane.

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13

COMPETITIVE Intelligence

By Carla Waldemar

The business belongs to the customers

I

T ’ S SHOW ( ROOM ) TIME ! Your Building Centers, with 13 locations serving rural north-central Pennsylvania, has launched a state-of-the-art design showroom in Williamsport, by all accounts the best in the region, with 12,000 sq. ft. of home décor, including six home facades and over two dozen kitchen & bath vignettes.

Contractor customers can shepherd their own customers around the realm of what YBC’s president and c.e.o.

Phil Skarada touts as “every decorating product imaginable, from faucets and vanities to countertops, flooring, windows and doors.”

With 90% of YBC’s business coming from the trade, not those retail dreamers, well… what’s the point?

Duh. To help those very pros. “It helps them grow their business by providing

an opportunity for them to showcase everything used in a home. Most of our customers build only one to five, or—at the most—10 to 15 homes a year. No tract builders, with their spec houses, here in the middle of nowhere!”

“But you’re drawing my business!” one of those builders exploded—until he understood. YBC operates, as it always has, on the simple principle that it’s in business to help its own customers succeed: “We care for our business—and yours—because for us it’s one and the same.”

Then why the showroom? Phil sits the fellow down, buys him a cup of coffee, and asks him two things: “Are you putting up spec homes?” (“Noooo! I haven’t got that kind of money and can’t get a loan!”) “Well,

NEW SHOWROOM features a “street” of six home facades to show off exterior options.

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then, do you have a showroom of your own?” (Same answer.) “See, you don’t have the ability to show customers what you can do. Because you can’t afford it, we’ll do that for you. We’ll be that platform.” Not only did he see the light, Phil says, the builder started bragging about ‘his’ new showroom to his clients.

“Our philosophy is based on the entire partnership cycle: vendors with us, us with our customers. We’ve dealt with the same vendors for 30 years, creating efficiencies for both of us, and efficiencies for our customers. We strive to be the best we can be, and expect our vendors to trade with us in the same way, and then take that to our customer base. You’ve got to sell your customers on that philosophy, and the only way to do that,” Phil knows, “is one-on-one. Explain the benefits. That’s the ball game.”

This game goes into lots of extra innings, as both YBC and its contractors chalk up winning streaks. Service beyond-the-call includes designing website pages for them. (“Can’t afford that,” one resisted the offer. He quickly was stripped of that apprehension: “Hey, no charge. It’s free.”) “We deal with an environment in which each customer has unique capabilities, so we build on a customer’s strengths and help them improve on weaknesses. These pros are good with the mechanics of building, but maybe not on how to run a business.”

YBC also customizes TV commercials for these pros, with listings by geographical area and specialty. In other words, it steps up to provide any service that can help market their operations to the retail trade.

YBC’s annual trade show, with seminars, vendor booths and demos, dinner and entertainment, draws 1,000 attendees. Pros who have achieved a certain volume of business also receive a coveted invitation for a Caribbean cruise (another chance for sales force and customers to mingle), provided they’re not in arrears.

Therefore, accounts receivable are nil.

“Our peers are amazed,” Phil reports.

Special orders are another service that pays off for both. “It’s a substantial part of our business”—as much as 50% of our volume at some locations, notes Phil. “We have a group of employees with that kind of knowledge, so when they come to us for something, we’ll look for it.”

YBC also installs kitchens with its own crew and subs out other items, Building-Products.com

from garage doors to insulation, to be installed by its cache of trusty pros. To make a builder’s operation even easier, it also manufacturers trusses, interior doors, panels and framing (which YBC also installs, both to ease contractors’ headaches in dealing with subs and to boost its own marketshare and revenue). The panel plant was launched seven years ago as “a synergy with the business we were already in—a natural succession that’s helped us with our commercial business, too,” he says. “Turns out, 85% of our customers are our own contractors.” During the recent downturn, when the daunting issue for home builders was bank financing, YBC expanded its panel operation to bolster its commercial accounts, such as motel construction, driven by demand by those involved in fracking for natural gas.

Even though the company has been pro-oriented since day one, that alignment is constantly strengthened. “We continue to grow revenue by how we tweak it,” says Phil.

“We sit down with the key players in the company. We listen to our employees and ask a lot of questions.”

Those staffers—well over 300 of them—make up the moving parts of the employee-owned operation, which means there are also over 300 on the management team.

YBC was born of a leveraged buyout of a corporation divesting itself of a number of building centers that were losing money. “We used our pensions and 401/k funds as equity to buy stores in the Pennsylvania region in 1989 and

What’s in a Name?

Shakespeare asked that very question, and so did the owner-employees of then-fledgling YBC. Ideas were tossed out at those initial meetings. “Why not AAA—first in the phone book?” suggested someone.

Phil Skarada had other thoughts—thoughts that conveyed the company’s reason for existence—and his marketing acumen prevailed. “This is not our business, it’s the contractors’, the customers’. ‘This is your business,’ we’ll tell them”—Your Building Centers. “We’re not external, someplace in North Carolina. We’re right here, and we’re not going anyplace.

“The first thing I did was change the dress code—remove the coats and ties in favor of casual dress. They were intimidating to one’s subordinates, and their job is just as important as my own, if not more so, because they’re the ones in front of the customers. My dad always told me, ‘You’re no better than anyone else.’”

The message stuck. “If people ask me, I say ‘I work for YBC.’ I don’t say ‘I’m the president.’ When they want to know what I do there, I say, ‘Not much of anything. I’m an educator.’” If later they learn he’s, um, the president (“You’re kidding me!”), he downplays his role. “The people I work with are very responsible and do their jobs. My function is to be their tutor, their mentor. If an employee asks why we’re doing a certain thing, I take the time to explain why the decision was made, such as why Location A got a boom truck rather than Location B. I go over the volume of business each store was doing, the usefulness of assets, the cost vs. the payback. And usually they respond, ‘I’ve never heard it explained that way before!’”

In making a choice between using accrued capital to jump-start the projected design showroom or to pay year-end bonuses, the bonuses won out and the project was pushed back for a year or two. Yet Phil wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s been a good ride,” he confirms with gusto.

Building-Products.com

BUILDERS HARDWARE can be displayed beautifully, too.

set up an ESOP structure. This literally puts the risk of running a business into the hands of a whole pool of people.

We moved our future retirement into a position of risk, because we then had to maintain and grow the business.

Everyone realized that the risk associated with the return was a strong motive to learn and grow—so we taught people ‘This is how to run a business. Your retirement is based on your performance.’”

Power to the people? He agrees: “Tremendous empowerment! They hold the future in their own hands. We taught people how to run the business, telling them, ‘Our business is selling. Don’t get hung up on your industry; ours just happens to be building materials. Selling is a function of timing and plan. It might fall flat, but that’s not to say that that’s forever. Look again.’

“It’s a process of education. I tell people, ‘Not everything works. And if it doesn’t, stop. Try something else.

But always understand your core business. The demands will always be there—the lumber and drywall, the commodities. But you can grow your peripherals—what your customers, and their customers, are asking for.’”

“Change,” he understands, “is inevitable. You cannot become complacent: That’s what kills so many people. The difficulty, going into the future, will be to have resources and capital. People in our own group—a young group, in their mid-40s—have only experienced the past 15 years.

But I tell them, there’s a natural business cycle of four, five years. The past was like a house of cards that hit a brick wall.”

Yet, YBC’s business was trammeled “only very lightly,” he adds. “In fact, we’re actually hiring salespeople.

We’re constantly evaluating our marketing, updating our website” and already re-aligning some features in the new showroom to better serve the customers. “We’re always looking for opportunities, and will continue to grow.

Risk,” he underscores, “comes from standing still.”

Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net February 2014

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The Merchant Magazine

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OLSEN On Sales

By James Olsen

Firm offers, last looks, and the double pin

A

Q UOTRON QUOTES and hopes, then quotes and hopes some more. The Quotron feels that the customer has all the power. The customer is their master.

These sellers are frustrated by their results but don’t realize they are responsible for their relationships with customers.

Quotrons merely serve their customers.

Master sellers serve and sell their customers.

Setting (Emotional) Boundaries

My wife is a sweetheart with the patience of Job, but early in our relationship I made a (I thought) jocular remark she found offensive. She let me know nicely, but very clearly, that certain kind of talk, even if you’re joking, was not okay.

Customers need to know that not buying from us is not okay. Most of our spouses have a little more leverage to negotiate with us than we do with our customers, so what do we do?

Firm Offers

The customer asks if we can hold the shipment, or change the tally, or lower the price, or anything. Many sellers respond, “Let me check” or “Yes.” This is being a Quotron. Questions from customers are not service opportunities. They are service and sales opportunities.

We respond, “If I can do that, will you buy it from me?”

Or “If I can do that, will you give me a firm offer on it?” Or often, simply, “Can I have that firm?”

The beauty of the firm offer is we can use it whether we know we can do what the customer is asking or not.

Asking for a firm offer from cagey, nervous, distrustful customers even when we already know we can do what they are asking is a great sales strategy. Many customers like to see us sweat for the business; others love to negotiate. The firm offer scratches their itch and gets us the business.

Important note: Make sure to “double pin” all firm offers by saying, “This is firm, right?”

Last Looks

We take down the customer’s specs. Right before we hang up or walk out of the office, we say, “Hey, John, can you give me ‘last look’ on this one?”

The weakness of the last look is that it appears to invite a counter. We must be careful not to sound needy when we ask for it. The strengths of the last look are: • We will get more business.

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• It gives us a clear sense, early, of our chances of getting the business. Our customer’s attitude and response to our question will indicate our odds of success. For the busy salesperson, knowing which business to pursue is crucial. Asking for last look gives us this insight immediately.

• It sets the tone. Too many sellers send the message, “Whatever you want, Mr. Boss of Me. I am here to serve you.” Asking for last look sends the message, “I will do whatever it takes to make you happy, and I expect to get the business.”

Sometimes I hear, “I talked to the customer last Friday and he said he was going to give me the order. I called this morning, and he had already given the order to someone else.” How did that happen and, more importantly, how do we stop it?

Customers often say, “Call me on Monday, and I’ll give you the order,” or “You’re very competitive. We’re probably going to go with you on this one.” Or “Call me Friday, and we’ll get together on this.”

Vague promises are anvils disguised as life preservers, and salespeople who grab onto them drown in frustration.

The Double Pin

When customers say they are going to buy from us, we say, “Great! I’m looking forward to doing business with you. So I can count on this order, right?” or “So I can tell my wife I’ve got your business, right?” or “Thanks, John, so I can tell the boss we’re getting this business?”

And then, most importantly, we add, “So when should I call you to get your order number?” We do not say, “When should I call you” without adding “to get your order number,” or we send a service only— not sales also—message.

Getting the order, right now, is best. We use firm offers, last looks, and the double pin when the best just isn’t good enough.

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

Building-Products.com

February 2014

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DEALER Briefs BMC is targeting this month for the opening of a second,

43,500-sq. ft. showroom/distribution yard in Colorado Springs, Co.

Parr Lumber is remodeling its door and window show-

room in Aloha, Or.

Foothills Ace Hardware , Ahwatukee Foothills (Phoenix), Az., has closed after 10 years.

Owners Kevin and Lindy Cash continue to operate an Ace in Globe, Az. Barnes Ace will open its fifth Colorado Springs, Co., branch by late May. The company is retrofitting an existing 13,000-sq. ft. building.

Belgrade True Value Hardware, Belgrade, Mt.,

installed a large, new sign out front.

Ace Hardware is building a 10,000-sq. ft. hardware and garden center in Bremerton, Wa., with plans to open as soon as June.

Crown Ace Hardware will expand and remodel its Corona del Mar, Ca., unit beginning March 1, taking over the storefront next door.

Lowe’s opened a 94,000-sq. ft. replacement store with 17,500-sq. ft. garden center Jan. 10 in Yakima, Wa. Home Depot has acquired online window-coverings retailer Blinds.com, Houston, Tx. BuildDirect.com, Vancouver, B.C., raised $30 million in Series B venture-capital funding.

Kenyon Noble Lumber & Hardware, Bozeman, Southwest Montana Building Industry Association.

Mt., was named Sponsor of the Year by the

Anniversaries: M.J. Murphy Inc., Carmel Valley, Ca., 110th … Bennett Lumber Products, Princeton, Id., 75th … South Coast Lumber Co., Brookings, Or., 35th …

Rancho Wholesale Lumber, Chino, Ca., 15th …

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SierraPine Sells Western Assets to Flakeboard, Closes Southern Mill

SierraPine, Roseville, Ca., has agreed to sell its composite panel operations in the West to Arauco subsidiary Flakeboard America Ltd. The sale, set to close in late February, includes particleboard mills in Springfield, Or., and Martell, Ca., and an MDF mill in Medford, Or. SierraPine is not selling, but instead will shutter its older particleboard plant in Adel, Ga.

GPS Data Helps Solve Truck Theft

Over the New Year holiday, a delivery truck loaded with lumber was stolen from Parr Lumber, Marysville, Wa. After the lumber was removed, the empty truck was returned to the yard.

GPS data from the truck told police when the truck was taken, where it went, how long it took to unload, and when it was returned.

“It’s not the usual thing to steal a truckload of lumber,” said sergeant Jason Longoria, a member of the Snohomish County Auto Theft Task Force. He and other detectives followed the data trail to a home on the Tulalip Indian Reservation. Hidden beneath tarps was lumber with telltale markings, reportedly worth more than $10,000.

Detectives also found a Dodge pickup truck and a trailer that had been reported stolen in a separate incident. The 15-ft. trailer was full of other, suspected stolen property, including construction equipment, car parts, and household appliances.

Paint Showroom Moves Inside Yard

After The Paint Box, Prineville, Or., was seriously damaged by a fire in December, the owners began looking for a new place to operate their business—and found it inside the local lumberyard.

Blaine and Linda Jensen will now be selling paint and painting supplies from Parr Lumber’s Prineville branch, maintaining The Paint Box name. Parr will add several of The Paint Box’s most popular products, including Pratt & Lambert paints.

“We are thrilled to expand our offering in paint and join forces with the Jensens,” said Parr yard manager Travis Garner. “Blaine and Linda have provided superior service to their customers for many years and are respected throughout the Prineville community.”

Building-Products.com

New Remodeling Law a Blessing or a Curse for California Retailers?

A new law in California that requires owners who want to remodel older homes to install high-efficiency toilets and faucets—even if the remodeling project has nothing to do with plumbing—may prove a boon for or a blow to home improvement retailers.

Passed with little fanfare more than four years ago, the Water Conservation Act of 2009 came into effect January 1, 2014, mandating that new homes and pre-1994 houses to be remodeled must have low-flow toilets, showerheads, and faucets.

Building permits will not be issued or projects signed off by building inspectors unless non-compliant plumbing fixtures are replaced.

If not remodeled, all pre-1994 homes must install the water-conserving fixtures by 2017, and all commercial and apartment buildings must do so by 2019.

Retailers that sell fixtures could see sales rise. Conversely, overall remodeling projects could plummet if the new requirements discourage

homeowners from, say, adding a deck if they’ve also got to factor in the cost of replacing all of their otherwise satisfactory toilets, faucets and showerheads. Or, the law could drive homeowners to seek out unlicensed contractors to do the work or to try to perform the work, perhaps by themselves, without obtaining the necessary permits.

There are some exceptions. The law does not apply to repairs or routine maintenance, such as painting, installing new roofing, siding, windows, furnaces, or water heaters, or treating for termites or dry rot.

It may also not apply to upgrades that aren’t physically connected to the home, such as swimming pools, spas, retaining walls, fences, sheds, and detached garages.

But since, at this point, the mandates are a law and not a building code, different jurisdictions may have different interpretations and exceptions. Retailers should become familiar with the varying requirements of the areas that they serve.

SUPPLIER Briefs Simpson Lumber Co. has eliminated one of three shifts at Mill #5 in Shelton, Wa., due to log prospects.

Northern Engineered Wood Products indefinitely idled its

Smithers, B.C., particleboard and melamine plant.

Hampton Affiliates, Portland, Or., anticipates restarting its Babine Forest Products sawmill in Burns Lake, B.C., early this month.

The facility has been closed since a deadly explosion on Jan. 20, 2012.

Capital Lumber, Chino, Ca., is now distributing LP SolidStart engineered wood products throughout Southern California, including LSL and LPI 450 and LPI 530 I-joists.

Jeld-Wen, Klamath Falls, Or., is shutting down its Dubuque, Ia., wood fiber production plant March 28, laying off 52.

Parex USA, Anaheim, Ca., has added an 8,400-sq. ft. distribution center in San Diego, Ca., to stock LaHabra brand stucco products and house a color sample lab.

Fiberon will invest $3.8 million over the next three years to expand its manufacturing facility in New London, N.C. Milgard Windows & Doors, Tacoma, Wa., was honored for the third time as one of the Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces in the U.S. Ingersoll Rand also made the list.

CertainTeed Gypsum, Tampa, Fl., was named the 2013 Commodities Vendor of the Year by Do it Best Corp.

USG Corp.’s Auburn, Wa., manufacturing plant earned the prestigious Voluntary Protection Program Star designation from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, recognizing implementation of exemplary safety and health programs.

Johns Manville, Denver, Co., has redesigned its corporate website at www.jm.com, incorporating responsive design.

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Building-Products.com

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Call us for your 3” and 4” dimension needs too. And if you have a special request we can custom cut up to 18” x 24” solid sawn timbers.

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AllweatherWood.com

Guy Bennett Mill Restarting

Bennett Lumber Products, Princeton, Id., plans to reopen its Guy Bennett Lumber mill at the Port of Wilma near Clarkston, Wa., which has been shuttered since 2009.

The facility is expected to restart this spring, with one shift of 60 to 70 workers.

V.p. Brett Bennett attributed the reopening to slow but steady return of the housing market and a lawsuit victory by the Umatilla National Forest, which permits a large timber sale to proceed.

Fire Damages So. Cal. Yards

Authorities are investigating the cause of a Jan. 2 blaze that damaged SB Lumber and HB Redwood in Pacoima, Ca. “It was disturbing because I didn’t know the extent of the damage,” said Stan Zevikabrenner, owner of S.B. Lumber. “All the machinery is down, so we are paralyzed for a while, until we get the machinery back up.”

Battalion chief Steve Ruda said the fire was dangerous because of the presence of high-tension wires that were damaged. “Some of those that were damaged by the heat and fell

and then energized the fence,” he said.

The fire originated in the outside lumber storage area. However, the office and recordkeeping systems were undamaged and no injuries were reported. Firefighters were monitoring “highly combustible sawdust” inside a 70-ft. silo.

“Nobody’s hurt, and that’s the first thing,” said Zevikabrenner. “It could have been worse.”

Conifex Buying Lignum

Integrated forest products company Conifex Timber, Prince George, B.C., has agreed to acquire distributor Lignum Forest Products LLP, Vancouver, B.C., for $4 million.

Conifex c.e.o. Ken Shields said, “We believe that this transaction, including the retention of Lignum’s experienced personnel, will further advance our marketing and logistics capability, while concurrently reducing overall marketing costs. We expect to significantly extend our market reach, particularly in the improving U.S. market, through enhanced access to complementary customers and product lines.”

The deal was expected to close by

Jan. 31.

Hans Thur, Conifex senior v.p., will have oversight responsibility for Lignum.

Utah’s Burton Goes Solar

Burton Lumber, Salt Lake City, Ut., has reduced its energy cost and carbon footprint by transforming unused roof space into a solar farm.

According to co-owner Jeff Burton, the company had been paying anywhere from $150,000 to $200,000 a year for power. “When you look at your energy costs and they’re so high, you wonder how you can move them the other way,” he said.

It took more than 18 months to install 2,676 solar modules on the 193,484-sq. ft. roof. The cost of the new system was $2 million, which the company expects to pay off within four years.

So far, the only problem has been snow, which has to be cleaned off the panels so they can produce energy.

“When a lumberyard can actually give back to the environment, because we are kind of known as the guys cutting trees down, when we can give back, that makes sense,” said Burton.

THUNDERBOLT WOOD TREATING “WE TREAT WOOD RIGHT”… Quality Wood Treating Services Since 1977 3400 Patterson Rd., Riverbank, CA 95367 • Fax: 209-869-4585

Larry Wade: (209) 996-2338 • larry@thunderboltwt.com Miguel Gutierrez: (209) 747-7773 • miguel@thunderboltwt.com Josh Hanson: (209) 765-9023 • joshua@thunderboltwt.com

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Building-Products.com

Oregon Loses an Ace

Keizer Ace Hardware, Keizer, Or., closed at the end of January with the expiration of its lease.

Owners Greg and Jan Frank will continue operating their store in West Salem, Or. He took over the 42-yearold Keizer store (and became affiliated with Ace) in 2011 from his parents, who acquired the then-Coast to Coast Hardware in 1979.

Alarm, Sprinklers Limit Fire Damage at Ace Hardware

Grand Lake Ace Hardware, Piedmont, Ca., suffered about $20,000

in damage and closed for one day following an early-morning electrical fire Jan. 5.

The blaze started in a rear storage area, triggering the store’s security system. Its automatic sprinkler system held the fire in check until firefighters could arrive.

Stoltze’s Roady Appointed to Softwood Lumber Council

Chuck Roady, vice president of F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber, Columbia Falls, Mt., has been appointed to a three-year term on the Softwood Lumber Council.

“I just wanted to represent Montana,” he said. “We have very different dynamics on supply issues than other parts of the country. In Montana, you’ve got to get it (finished lumber) to somewhere where there’s a big city. And most of our raw material has to come from federal land, which is a big topic for Montana. Finally, we don’t have any really big companies, like the other regions on the board. All of ours are small to medium.”

The board has 19 members from around the nation, as well as a Canadian representative. It has a budget of between $18 million and $20 million a year, depending on the state of the lumber industry, which is used to research and promote the nation’s timber industry.

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February 2014

Application: PITCH GAUGE 3.0 Produced by: Prolific Methods, Inc. Price: Free Platforms: iPhone, iPad The newest version of the #1 downloaded roofing app, Pitch Gauge, is being introduced at this month’s International Builders Show.

The app can be used to calculate the total size and slope of any roof. It includes two digital slope finders and a square calculator.

Using camera-mode, slope can be determined without ever leaving the ground. Then, a picture can be taken with the pitch reading and current address stamped onto it, so it can be attached to an email for personal documentation or sharing.

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Building-Products.com

Deliver more deck sales.

Many lumber dealers are seeing their annual deck sales increase with the use of DeckTools® software. The program is simple to learn and easy to navigate – in fact, dealers can design a deck in a few minutes, keeping them on the show floor (rather than in the backroom designing by hand). Your customers also will be impressed with your DeckTools software as they see a professional, 3D photo-quality image of their deck attached to their house. The program is customizable and includes many brand-name decking manufacturers, which makes it easy to show and sell upgrades that you stock. And it takes care of all the paperwork with quotes, take-offs and plans.

DeckTools makes it easy to deliver more deck sales. Learn how by signing up for a free demonstration at (800) 999-5099 or www.strongtie.com/decktools.

©2014 Simpson

Strong-Tie Company Inc. DECKTOOLS12-D

MOVERS & Shakers Stan Bell, president of Boise Cascade’s Building Materials Distribution business, Boise, Id., is retiring March 7 after 42 years with the company. He will be succeeded by Nick Stokes, who has been named executive v.p.-Building Materials Distribution. Veronica Martinez, ex-Weyerhaeuser, has joined the sales team in Lathrop, Ca. David Niessner has joined Wood Resources LLC, as general mgr. of Omak Wood Products, Omak, Wa., the former Colville Indian Plywood & Veneer mill, which is expected to resume producing softwood veneer by the end of summer and plywood by mid-2014.

Kerry Kenton has been promoted to general mgr. of ProBuild, Lakewood, Or. Joe Espinola, ex-BlueLinx, has joined HPM Building Supply, in outside sales to west Hawaii.

Eric Irwin, ex-Boise Cascade, is now a sales and marketing rep for Kruse Enterprises, Albuquerque, N.M. Anthony Escobedo, yard supervisor, Taiga Building Products, Rocklin, Ca., has been promoted to sales.

Gene Franks, ex-Weyerhaeuser, is new to sales in Sanger, Ca. Sheila Finkenbinder has joined the inside sales team at Spenard Builders Supply, Sitka, Ak. Mike Simington, ex-Murphy Co., has been named Eugene, Or.-based North American sales mgr. for Garnica Plywood.

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Jayson Ballentine, ex-Interfor, has joined the sawmill management team at SDS Lumber, Bingen, Wa. Thomas Hatch, ex-R&K Lumber & Truss, is a new truss designer for Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber, Gilbert, Az. Les “L.J.” Howard, ex-Washington Hardwoods, is new to business development-commercial doors and millwork at Honsador Lumber, Honolulu, Hi. Ed Brown has rejoined Weyerhaeuser Distribution, buying and trading lumber in Southern California.

Stephanie Igo, ex-FoxworthGalbraith Lumber, has joined Sierra Pacific Industries, as window division account mgr. in San Diego, Ca. Mike Leonard has been promoted to store mgr. at Home Depot, Colorado Springs, Co. Tyler Cowhick is a new account sales rep at James Hardie Building Products, Denver, Co., covering from Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, Co., to Salt Lake City, Ut. Luis Martinez, ex-Grupo Comex, is now Albuquerque, N.M., regional sales mgr. for UltraKote Products, Phoenix, Az. Jerry Bishop is now mgr.-customer service at Milgard Windows & Doors, Temecula, Ca. James Fleming, ex-Masonite, has been named v.p.-sales for Keystone Door & Building Supply, Sacramento, Ca.

February 2014

John Lindekens has been appointed national accounts mgr. for RSI Professional Cabinet Solutions, Mira Loma, Ca. Mitchell B. Lewis, ex-Euramax, has been appointed president, c.e.o., and a director of BlueLinx, Atlanta, Ga. Roy Haley is now chairman, succeeding Howard Lewis, who remains on the board.

Karen Gowland was appointed to the board of directors of Boise Cascade, Boise, Id. Tom Knox has resigned as v.p.-retail business development, training & supply for Ace Hardware Corp., Oak Brook, Il., to become president and c.e.o. of Westlake Ace Hardware, Lenexa, Ks. John Snider, v.p.-retail logistics, Do it Best Corp., is retiring June 30 after 29 years with the co-op. He will be succeeded by v.p.-marketing Tim Miller.

Jeff Dossett has been appointed chief operating officer for Porch.com, Seattle, Wa. Patrick Bell has been named executive v.p. of Conifex Timber, Prince George, B.C. Jody L. Bilney was elected to the board of Masonite International Corp., Tampa, Fl. Susan Hines, ex-Design-Build Institute of America, has joined the Gypsum Association as assistant director-technical & promotion services.

Jack Tupp is now maintaining the delivery fleet at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Building-Products.com

THINKING Ahead

By Gary Vitale, President & C.e.o., North American Wholesale Lumber Association

Southern Comfort

Predictions of lumber recovery T HE PROMISING OUTLOOK throughout the lumber industry is particularly upbeat in the South, where many markers are pointing to a hardy rebound. This, after lumber as an important regional economic driver has been veering off-course for several years.

It’s hard for many in southern lumber to imagine economic health, given the depth of the downspin of recent years. The collapse in housing starts between 2005 and 2009 sank lumber prices to lows not seen since the 1930s, and the recovery has been painfully slow. But industry analysts are now saying that a shortage of lumber supply is likely to translate into sustained growth in demand and higher prices for southern lumber producers and timber owners over the next five years.

The South isn’t alone in hearing upbeat forecasts.

With the demand for lumber tied closely to recovery of the U.S. housing market, it is good news that most predict a continuing recovery of housing starts, perhaps approaching 1.5 to 1.6 million units by 2015-2016.

Growing demand is also fueled by exports of timber and lumber to China, whose economy is expanding at a continuous and stable rate. China’s surge in housing needs has led to a jump in lumber and log exports to the country, with North American lumber exports to China surging seventeen-fold to 3.5 billion bd. ft. since 2006.

China plans to build 7 to 8 million housing units per year over the next decade to accommodate the migration to the cities and to replace sub-standard units.

At the same time, global lumber and timber supply is constrained. More than half the commercial pine in British Columbia, the largest lumber-producing Canadian

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province, has been lost to Canada’s worst pine beetle infestation on record. The country’s output fell to 23.7 billion bd. ft. in 2012 from a peak of almost 36 billion bd. ft. in 2004—a 35% decrease.

China has only a few alternatives to North America for softwood lumber and logs. Russia, New Zealand, and Europe are major suppliers, but they have limited capacity to meet the Chinese demand. China has replaced the U.S. as Canada’s major lumber customer, and the U.S. has now joined Canada in large-scale shipments to China from ports in the Pacific Northwest. India may follow, and Japan has barely begun to rebuild from its earthquake and tsunami disasters.

But the U.S. South is a long way from China and the Far East, and shipping is somewhat limited by the Panama Canal, the size of which currently restricts the use of the largest, most efficient container ships and even larger ones to come. That’s about to change.

Panama has spent more than $5 billion to widen and dredge the Panama Canal to support a new class of supersized cargo ships—known as Post Panamax ships— that are more than twice as big as the traditional cargo shipping fleet. The expanded canal will be complete in 2015. Products from the Southeast headed to Asia have mainly relied on the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, after cross-country shipments via rail and truck.

Soon, a much higher proportion of Asia-bound lumber can go to East Coast and Gulf ports, than on to the Far East using the enlarged Panama Canal.

Manufacturers in the South face fewer rigid policy constraints and they have a large over-supply because of

Building-Products.com

A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association several years of lower production. In 2013, lumber production in the U.S. South was recovering. Production was near 15 billion bd. ft., up from the low point in 2009 of 11.6 billion bd. ft., but still far below the 19 billion bd. ft. of production seen in 2005. It’s predicted that lumber production in the South will rise to 21 billion bd. ft. or higher by 2016.

Already, softwood sawmills in the South are among the most competitive, according to a survey spanning 32 regions and countries. Since 2102, U.S.-based sawmills have led all regions in financial earnings, mainly from improved demand, rising lumber prices, and low log costs. And since 2008, sawmills in the U.S. South have attained the highest earnings in the nation.

Mill profits are up, leading to capital expenditures that will increase lumber capacity in the South over the next few years. There are already signs of Southern strength, with new mills being built and the upgrading of mills in southern states.

not strong. And that puts logging contractor capacity at the top of the biggest challenges facing the mills.

Other obstacles: • Logging is capital-intensive, requiring investments of $1 million to $1.5 million for what is now a largely mechanized endeavor. Now that the timber industry really is poised to recover, companies may find product hard to come by.

• Lenders remain wary about providing money to young logging enterprises that are not well established.

Remaining Challenges Some in the southern timber industry say that they see demand for forest products slowly increasing but fear that a workforce decimated by recession won’t be able to meet the demand. The timber industry in the region has been down so long that predicting an upturn seems foolhardy. Some in the sector are forecasting a slowmotion recovery.

Demand for timber products has not yet rebounded to prerecession levels, said Rick Holley, c.e.o. of Plum Creek Timber Co., Seattle, Wa., which owns much southern timberland. “Recovery is on the way, but timber products still have a way to go to pre-recession levels.

Nevertheless, we expect lumber production in the U.S. South to increase by 50% during the next three to five years from present levels.”

Insiders ask if the workforce will be there to cut that wood. The lingering forest products downturn pared almost a third of the logging workforce. The downturn forced out marginal operations, leaving only the hardiest and best capitalized. One company executive wonders whether loggers will return to the forests as the industry recovers. “Some will, but the work is hard, does not pay well, requires a lot of capital and young people just don’t want to go into logging,” he said.

In addition, the workforce is “aging out” of the industry, and loggers and mills wonder where they’ll find employees to replace them. In one southern state, Arkansas, the average age of loggers is 55, about 10 years older than the average in other regions (though the challenge of an aging workforce goes beyond the South).

The industry may see a lot of people leaving in the next 10 years, and recruitment of a replacement workforce is

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• Logging, like almost any agricultural effort, is hard work subject to the whims of weather. Wet weather common throughout the South typically shortens logging time to 42 weeks of the year or fewer.

NAWLA visits the Deep South for our 2014 Leadership Summit, March 30-April 1. The Summit will feature eight industry leaders who will speak on the outlooks and opportunities in the South and throughout North America. For details on the Summit—at The Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga.—go to www.nawla.org.

As lumber demand improves, there is only one region—the U.S. South—that is in a position to significantly increase output to meet that growth in demand.

“In the South,” one lumber leader said, “trees grow really well because we have a fair amount of rain, good soils, and lots of warmth and light. Also, markets are good and the regulatory environment at the state level supports the industry. This is where the growth is going to be in the future.”

Certainly, most analysts agree that as the lumber industry navigates the recovery, a primary route will be through Dixie.

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OZCO BUILDING PRODUCTS, Richardson, Tx., launched an 11-show web series for contractors and d-i-yers about constructing decks, railings, pergolas, and fences, called Building Breakthroughs and available at www.buildingbreakthroughs.com.

Idaho Forest Group Upgrades Mill

Idaho Forest Group is doubling the production capacity of its Lewiston, Id., sawmill with the installation of new equipment.

The improvements include installation of a new Finnish HewSaw line, marking the facility’s largest upgrade since the late 1980s, according to president Scott Atkison. The mill’s 150-employee workforce will remain while the new machinery is added.

IFG anticipates running its first logs through the new system in April.

Spokane Dealer Finds New Home

To cut operating costs, South Regal Lumber, Spokane, Wa., has sold its present location and will build a smaller store and drive-through warehouse at a nearby location.

“I may or may not change the name, since we won’t be on South Regal Street,” said lumber manager Scott Case.

“I just want people to know we’ll stay in business and remain committed to our Spokane customers.”

According to Case, the idea of letting drivers move through a warehouse is part of an “anti-big-box” approach.

“We haven’t seen that in Spokane yet, but I believe we can make it work here,” he said.

Measuring 30 ft. wide by 275 ft. long, the new warehouse would allow customers to give their orders as they drive into the warehouse, then have the materials loaded by employees into the vehicle as they drive out.

Brothers John and Harry Case own the business with their sister, Linda Patterson. It was started in 1949 by their grandfather, Cliff Case, as Lincoln Heights Building Supply. After a fire destroyed the first store, the business moved to its present site in 1972.

Most of the store’s inventory will be sold by the end of March, with unsold merchandise going to the company’s second Spokane location, West Plains Building Supply.

The site will then be redeveloped into a mixed-use retail center.

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Building-Products.com

FAMILY Business

By Wayne Rivers

The hardest of hard times

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challenging economic times, the cycles of human existence push inexorably forward.

The death of a family or closely held business leader may present the hardest of all possible hard times.

We received a call from a distressed second generation member of a family business: “My father died a few months ago. He had spent time with our accountants and attorneys preparing wills and trusts, and he assured us he had it all taken care of.

We took him at his word, but now we’re in a mess. None of the planning work he did had to do with the successful continuation of the operations of the business. He did good tax planning, and the trusts he set up were probably a good idea, but we’re stuck now. We have no direction. Maybe worst of all, we have had no time to grieve for Dad because we are so immersed in trying to understand and VEN IN THESE

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take over the business. Can you help us?”

We, of course, offered assistance, and what we found was alarming.

There were plenty of areas of concern. It occurred to us that it might not be the current circumstances that killed the business, but the next unforeseen event could easily start them on a death spiral.

There was a senior generation owner in his 70s still in the business, and there were three junior generation family members active. As might be expected, there was quite a bit of deference to the senior generation when it came to the future of the business, and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. The company basically had no decision-making methodology at all.

The two partners had always worked by consensus. Now that one of them was gone, they were unclear about what to do next and confusion

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was rampant. Things weren’t getting done, other things fell through the cracks, and there was low efficiency and synergy. Because the company was mature, everyone knew their jobs, but in terms of the future needs of the business, they were at a standstill. The “new” leadership group conversed at length on every subject and had dozens of ideas, but they had no traction for implementation—there was a lack of leadership present.

Roles and responsibilities were unclear because junior generation family members were unsure about who should assume the duties of the deceased partner. There was one division of the company that was hemorrhaging money. The company’s controller was extremely ineffective. A computerization initiative begun several months prior was moving at a snail’s pace, with lots of pushback from employees. The company had no budgets and no cash planning. There were problems over pay: the senior generation made twice as much as the junior generation with no real consideration of why or how compensation might be tied to performance or improved with incentives.

To start, we conducted a thorough, objective analysis in order to ascertain the nature and potential impact of the problems and to develop an action plan for correcting them. Once the action plan was assembled, it was necessary to get buy-in from both generations in order to set the right tone for the improvements and set the order of priority.

The action plan contained about 75 unique items. While working through the extensive plan, the company still had to fulfill day-to-day obligations, while attempting to assimilate change.

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Many of the items on the action plan were sequential in nature. That is, item #46 couldn’t get completed until item #41 was put to bed.

It took about three years to fully implement the plan, and 95% of the items on the list were gradually put into place. Of the 75 action items, two stood out as being critically important. The first was that it was readily apparent that the division that was losing money rapidly ought to be shut down, in spite of the fact that that division supported one of the family members.

The other critical item was to prepare for the next transition. Since the first partner had passed and the second partner was in declining health, it was obvious that someone needed to be groomed and trained to assume the duties of the remaining senior partner in order avoid a double whammy.

The results of the action-planning project have been most encouraging.

Seven years after that initial call, the company has been quite successful.

Not one, but two, of the family members initially involved in the action planning project have passed away.

Because of heightened awareness and careful planning, there was an orderly succession and transition of their roles and responsibilities to others in the organization. The company has even relocated into a modern, efficient building with plenty of room for future growth.

Does it take the death of a business leader in order to focus the minds and hearts of family and closely held business operators in order to undertake improvement planning? Of course not. However, one must recognize that the death of a business leader can be a traumatic and even crippling business occurrence. The biggest weakness in transition planning today remains the focus on estate planning and tax minimization instead of planning for the future of business operations. Every problem has in it the kernel of opportunity and possibility.

Hard times, even the hardest of times in the case of a death, might just present a chance at rejuvenation and reinvention for closely held companies.

– Wayne Rivers is president of the Family Business Institute, Raleigh, N.C. Reach him at wayne.rivers@familybusinessinstitute.com or (877) 326-2493.

Reprinted with permission of the Family Business Institute. No portion of this article may be reproduced without its permission.

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NEW PARTNERSHIP with Seattle-based contractor finder will allow Lowe’s stores to refer customers to a wider range of home improvement services.

Lowe’s Expands Contractor Services Lowe’s has forged a strategic partnership with Porch.com, Seattle, Wa., to connect homeowners with contractors for work outside the chain’s current installation services, such as painting, landscaping and general

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handyman repairs.

The service will start in 139 stores in the metro Seattle area and the Carolinas, and eventually expand nationwide.

“Working with Porch is another

February 2014

great example of how Lowe’s supports our customers throughout every step of the home improvement journey,” said Jay Rebello, v.p.-new business development & corporate innovation at Lowe’s. “By partnering with Porch, Lowe’s can help our customers achieve their home improvement dreams by providing them with the confidence of knowing who their neighbors have used successfully, and benefit our professional customers by providing them greater opportunities to grow their businesses.”

Porch’s network includes more than 1.5 million pros who have completed more than 90 million projects.

If a Lowe’s customer needs a pro for a service Lowe’s does not currently offer, employees can access the Porch network of pros on their mobile devices and in-store terminals to identify local providers. After the job is complete, the homeowner can simply and quickly provide feedback about the experience on Porch.com.

Additionally, Lowe’s pro customers across the nation have the opportunity to join the Porch network for free, giving them exposure to Lowe’s consumers in need of specific services to complete their home

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improvement projects. A paid, premium pro membership is also available for greater access to local home improvement projects and trends.

WWPA Uproots after 80 Years

After more than 80 years in the iconic Yeon Building at 522 S.W. 5th Ave. in Portland, Or., the Western Wood Products Association relocated its headquarters to a new address in the city’s downtown core.

At the end of January, WWPA moved to the new Crown Plaza Building (1500 SW 1st Ave., Suite 870), which better matches the association’s long-term space requirements.

Phone and fax numbers did not change.

Roofing Growth Picks Up

The U.S. roofing market is predicted to grow 6.63% annually over the next five years, according to a new TechNavio forecast.

Key factors contributing to this market growth are the devastation caused by natural calamities and the adoption of TPO membranes. One hindrance, however, may be the need to make specialized roofing solutions affordable.

Building-Products.com

Vacant Mill Goes Up in Smoke

Police are investigating yet another suspicious fire at Welco Lumber’s former mill site in Marysville, Wa. The latest blaze on Jan. 11 caused one building on the five-acre waterfront complex to collapse. Authorities typically receive two to three calls a year for small fires at the site, although the mill suffered major damage in a 2010 fire set by local teens.

The mill operated from 1987 to 2007, producing cedar fencing and dimensional lumber.

PALCO Company Town for Sale

The town of Scotia, Ca., a company town formed by the former Pacific Lumber, is up for sale by Marathon Asset Management, a hedge fund group based in New York City.

In 2006, Marathon began lending millions of dollars to PALCO, which it saw as underperforming, but salvageable. Two years later, P ALCO was reorganized in bankruptcy to form Humboldt Redwood Co. The town of Scotia—including its 272 homes, two churches, a hotel, and several commercial buildings—was turned over to Marathon, which also has an 18.5% stake in the restructured company.

The town got its start in 1884, when PALCO started logging operations near Scotia and built an employee bunkhouse for its loggers. When its first sawmill opened three years later, a boarding house and 100 individual houses were also built. In 1910, when the company’s second sawmill opened—billed as the world’s largest redwood mill—more homes, plus hotels, were constructed.

Marathon has made needed improvements, such as installing new insulation on homes and a stormdrainage system to replace the old wooden one. “We all understand there’s more value in real estate if it’s more desirable and in better condition,” said Daniel Pine, a Marathon director who oversees the investment.

Now the town’s 1,000 residents (who generally rent their homes) are being offered the right to purchase them outright. A 2010 analysis filed with Humboldt County indicated that Marathon expects the homes (mostly wood-frame buildings with redwood floors) to sell for $175,000 to $225,000. Other assets, such as the power plant or the 22-room hotel, have already been sold or are on the market.

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WHAT YOU WANT. WHEN YOU NEED IT. Timbers Green & K.D. Export

Dimension Lumber Treated Products Domestic

Manke Lumber Company is familyowned and has been serving the needs of the lumber industry since 1953. We take pride in milling and stocking quality lumber in a full range of commodity sizes and larger dimension timbers. We also answer your market needs for a wide variety of treated lumber products.

Our forest products are milled from carefully harvested Northwest trees ready for distribution to you—on time and at the right price.

Located in the Port of Tacoma, we have ready access to deep water shipping, rail heads or trucking terminals for longer haul loads. Manke operates its own fleet of trucks and is at your service for straight or mixed loads by truck, rail or sea.

We manufacture primarily Douglas fir and western hemlock, including • 2x4 thru 2x12, Lengths 8-20’ • 3x4 thru 3x12, Lengths 8-26’ • 4x4 and wider, Lengths 8-26’ • 6x6 and wider, Lengths 8-26’ • 8x8 and wider, Lengths 8-26’ • Timber sizes up to 12x12

Manke Lumber Company Call 1-800-426-8488

1717 Marine View Dr., Tacoma, WA 98422

Phone 253- 572-6252

Fax 253-383-2489

www.mankelumber.com

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February 2014

Global Trade of Softwood Lumber to Hit Five-Year High

With demand for lumber being in recovery mode in 2013 for a number of countries, global trade of both lumber and logs was on track to reach their highest levels since before the global financial crisis began in 2008, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. The biggest increases in overseas lumber trade have been from Canada to China and from the Nordic countries to Japan.

Global trade of both logs and softwood lumber was higher in 2013 than it was in 2012, with both products reaching their highest levels traded since before the global financial crisis. The total value traded in 2013 was estimated to exceed $50 billion (extrapolated from data for the first 10 months of the year), with almost two-thirds of the value being that of softwood products. Although shipments of logs have increased faster than shipments of lumber the past five years, the total value of traded lumber is still more than double that of logs.

Softwood lumber is, by far the most commonly shipped wood product worldwide. The U.S. continues to be the major destination for internationally traded lumber, with Canada currently supplying almost 96% of all imports to the country. Lumber shipped by break-bulk vessels or by container ships accounted for more than half of the total volume of lumber traded in the world in 2013. The largest overseas trade flows were between Canada and Asia, followed by shipments from Sweden to the United Kingdom and Northern Africa.

The biggest changes in overseas lumber trade in 2013 have been a continued increase in exports from the Nordic countries to Asia (mainly Japan) and from North America (mainly Canada) to China, while there has been a decline in trade within Europe and in shipments from most supplying countries to Northern Africa. The unrest and uncertain political situation in Egypt has left supplying sawmills searching for alternative markets and many lumber companies in Europe and Russia have found new opportunities for increased sales in Asia over the past 12 months.

There has been an unprecedented increase in demand for softwood lumber in Asia the past few years, with the three major importing countries (Japan, China and South Korea) together importing more than twice as much lumber in 2013 as compared to five years ago.

With a strengthening lumber market in the U.S., Wood Resource Quarterly expects Canadian sawmills in the western provinces to redirect some of their current shipments, which have been going to Asia, into the American market in 2014. As a consequence, opportunities could rise for European and Latin American lumber producers to expand exportation to both Japan and China.

Deceuninck Adds Lamination Lines

Deceuninck North America, Monroe, Oh., has added three more PVC lineal lamination lines to meet growing demand for a more color options.

“The demand for lamination tripled in the past year,” said Filip Geeraert, president and c.e.o. “Deceuninck’s addition of three new lamination lines reflects our commitment to meeting this demand for more customized color solutions that conform to design specifications, and help businesses and homeowners give their space a signature look.”

Building-Products.com

Online Retailer Specializes in Fasteners Online retailer Clickstop, Urbana, Ia., has launched a new website offering thousands of fastener products at bulk prices.

FastenersPlus.com was developed to target contractors, business owners, and consumers planning do-it-yourself and home repair projects, and also offers customers flat-rate shipping every day.

Nikki Dudley, Clickstop’s v.p.operations, said the development of the brand has been in the planning stage for several months, with much of that time devoted to product research to ensure the merchandise mix satisfies the brand’s wide-ranging target market.

The website is organized by general categories such as anchors, bolts, nuts, etc., with subcategories within each group to make product selection easy. Category pages also include content with helpful product information to educate customers who might not know the differences between similar merchandise.

“With over 20,000 products, we want to make sure we’re offering the

right products, and that they are organized into an easy-to-find, logical format,” said Dudley. “We’re now looking ahead to broadening our selection even further, and adding other items such as hand tools and accessories, as well as more industrial and specialty fasteners.”

NEW E-COMMERCE site specializes in construction fasteners.

Nominees Sought for Next Softwood Lumber Board

March 14 is the deadline for submitting nominations to the Softwood Lumber Board, which will hold elections to fill seven seats for members whose terms expire on Dec. 31, 2014.

The 19-member board began in 2011 and is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Composed of 19 members who serve three-year terms, the group meets periodically to review marketing and research activities that encourage market growth and benefit the industry.

Domestic manufacturers will fill four seats representing large companies: two in the West and two in the South region. Softwood lumber importers will fill three seats: two representing the Canada West region (one large and one small company) and one small company representing the Canada East region.

Eligible nominees must manufacture and ship within the U.S., or import, at least 15 million bd. ft. of softwood lumber annually. The Secretary of Agriculture will appoint new members from the pool of candidates receiving the most votes.

Building-Products.com

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MANAGEMENT Tips

By Bill Blades

Who’s responsible for boosting revenue?

W

v.p. of sales? And who is responsible for investing in education for the v.p. of sales (investing brings a great ROI)? And, lastly, who is responsible for developing and enhancing a culture of greatness in the sales department? The answer to all of these questions is the person who ultimately is responsible for sales success—the c.e.o.

So, I suggest that c.e.o.s see themselves as the executive v.p. of sales and become more involved with both the sales team and strategic clients.

I’ve found that most c.e.o.s generally get more involved with sales when HO HIRED THE

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revenue is stagnant or declining.

That’s reactive versus being proactive.

And not very astute. You should have constant communication about the status of and the future actions regarding both struggling sales members and strategic clients. This helps you to avoid a huge, common revenue killer—drift.

If you buy into what you’ve read thus far, here are some suggestions for having a world-class sales team: • The c.e.o. must obtain his own mentor to invest into his own leadership and sales talent, especially if—as is common—(s)he did not rise through

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the sales ranks.

• You should attend all or almost all of your formal sales meetings, especially if sales skills are being presented. You can skip, for time utilization purposes, portions that will not benefit you, such as products training where you are already competent.

When addressing the group, insert your wants and needs with clear absolutes.

• You should devote time in the field and travel with, say, three or four salespeople in a two- to four-day stretch at least once monthly.

Depending on geography, you may be

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able to travel with two salespeople the same day. Clients have a very favorable view of a firm when a c.e.o. visits them. And he gets to know the salespeople better and learn more about their concerns and clients’ needs and wants. Note: If you’re not very good or great in sales, you should obtain mentoring prior to mentoring your salespeople.

These visits will enable you to speak at sales meetings about what you learned and to advise the group what you have or will do differently, what you’ve witnessed that you want them to improve upon, and you may elect to lead a discussion to gain their ideas about your presentation. Take good notes about all agreements made and confirm them via email the following day.

• Obtain a coach, both for your v.p. and for the group, who is great not just with know-how, but is loaded with creativity. You want a new ideas person who builds excitement, both internally and externally. Industry experience would be nice, but expertise is far more important.

50% of increased revenue will come from talent being increased by 50%.

It’s a very simple equation. Usually the key is not just developing their sales skills, but teaching them to think both logically and creatively. Instead of thinking creatively many will develop logical reasons for not doing things in a new way. You cannot allow this type of thinking in a learning culture.

Many v.p.s of sales do not have the ability to coach. They were promoted or hired into a leadership role because they excelled with their sales performance. These two professions are entirely different. Once promoted, the c.e.o. is expecting the individual to go hit it, but what they receive is an abundance of “ride-alongs.” That’s all they know because that’s the way they were trained. Let me suggest that you eliminate ride-alongs and replace them with a concentration on strategic clients. These are the clients that: • You want to land.

• You wish to increase revenue.

• You never want to lose.

These are the clients that need special attention from the c.e.o. and v.p.

Think of the Super Bowl. The Broncos and Seahawks have excelled

all year because of scouting, recruiting, development and continuous finetuning. Their general managers are our c.e.o.s, the head coaches are our v.p.s of sales, and the players are our salespeople. And the crowds are our clients. And it all starts with the general manager’s direction. His title is not c.e.o., but he actually serves that role by recruiting, selecting and setting expectations for the head coach. And the head coach obtains the right assistant coaches for player development.

Not just during pre-season training, but for the entire season—and, for some, the entire year.

One person with a steadfast belief is equal to a group of 100 who have only a casual interest. Be firm with the v.p. about thinking creatively about new ways of doing things. Economist John Kenneth Golbraith said, “The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking.”

That’s why a knowledge leader is paramount. And that person is the c.e.o./executive v.p. of sales.

– Bill Blades, CMC, CPS, specializes in growing salespeople and revenue. He can be reached at (443) 225-5110 or wblades@aol.com.

With Cascadia decking, the unsurpassed natural beauty of Western Red Cedar is matched with Terminal Forest Products’ renowned manufacturing quality. This creates a product that is beautiful, functional, and eco-friendly.

Cascadia decking is made from a 100% renewable and sustainable North American resource unlike PVC and composite decking, which is largely made from non-renewable petroleum products. Third-party life cycle analysis clearly shows WRC decking as the best environmental choice for decking: WRC significantly outperforms sustitute products in every environmental measure.

The Sales Team

Do you have the best v.p. of sales in the industry? If not, you have two choices: (1) invest in a mentor to teach what true sales leadership is (most don’t know what they don’t know yet) or (2) hire slower and fire faster. Your mentor/coach can help you with the decision and then mentor the existing or new v.p. Mentoring the existing v.p. is my choice, but there are some who should not be in the position.

Most c.e.o.s know it, but often tolerate mediocre results. More drift.

The coach then mentors the sales managers, followed by providing the same service to the salespeople. About Building-Products.com

Distributed by

P.O. Box 1802, Medford, OR 97501 • Fax 541-535-3288

• (541) 535-3465 • www.normandist.com

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PRODUCT Spotlight Southern Cypress

Cypress summoned for Frank Lloyd Wright home

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ESIGNED BY Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939, the newly constructed Usonian House at Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Fl., highlights the famed architect’s affinity for cypress—which was one of his favorite building materials.

The 1,700-sq. ft. residence was part of a 20-building master plan that Wright developed for the college.

Originally designed as a modest faculty residence, the new center showcases displays related to his relationship with the college. It also acts as a home for visiting exhibits on loan from other Wright sites.

Architect M. Jeffrey Baker of Mesick, Cohen, Wilson, Baker

Architects in Albany, N.Y., who oversaw construction, said Wright’s 75year-old blueprints did not directly specify building materials, but he believes cypress was the only logical wood choice for the project.

“The only finished wood Wright used on the FSC campus was cypress,” Baker said. “He specified the material in many projects throughout his lifetime, and it was a signature trademark of his Usonian homes throughout the country. We simply followed the materials and details he used in the other homes and across the FSC campus, and applied them to this project. Without question, cypress was the historically accurate material

to use.”

After working with the cypress, Baker and his team grew to understand Wright’s enthusiasm for how the wood looks and performs.

“Cypress is readily available in various sizes and lengths, it mills easily, and accepts a variety of finishes,” he explained. “It also is resistant to insect infestation, which, of course, is very important in Florida.”

Tom Sharrett, a woodworker at Demoss Cabinetry, Lakeland, Fl., whose shop custom-milled 10,000 bd. ft. of cypress for the project, is an advocate as well. “Cypress is an easy wood to shape and sand,” he said.

“We used it anywhere a finished

USONIAN HOUSE, newly constructed at Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Fl., showcases Frank Lloyd Wright’s affinity for cypress and other locally sourced materials, such as handmade bricks and other natural materials.

(Photos by Michael Maguire, www.buildingtheusonianhouse.com)

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wood product was required, including all of the interior ceilings, plank walls, built-in cabinets, tables, benches, trim, and even light fixtures. The exterior features cypress soffit and fascia, window and door frames, pergolas, and doors.”

Wright envisioned the Usonian style at the height of the Great Depression as a way to construct simple, affordable homes for American families, by emphasizing the use of locally sourced wood, brick, and other natural materials. Although 60 Wright-designed Usonian homes can be found across the U.S., the new one at FSC is the first example of this particular home plan to be built.

“When we constructed the Usonian House, we expected it to be remembered for the exquisite use of Wright’s signature ‘textile’ blocks, which are indeed remarkable,” Baker said, “but we were unprepared for the warmth the cypress added to the feeling of the spaces. We have noticed that when people comment on the beauty of the house, they never fail to mention the cypress.”

The FSC campus has the largest concentration of Wright-designed buildings in the world, including the

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CYPRESS is heavily featured in the interiors, used anywhere a finished wood product was required, including all interior ceilings, plank walls, built-in cabinets, light fixtures, and furniture.

new Usonian House and 12 other projects that were completed during his lifetime.

For more information on cypress,

please visit the Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association’s website at www.cypressinfo.org.

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NEW Products

EWP Software Solutions

LP Building Products has released Solutions 5.0, an update to its whole-house, CAD-based design program for engineered wood products.

New features include custom labeling, smart modeling, a new closure application for rim board, a tributary area and rim board feature, as well as automatically added squash blocks.

 LPCORP.COM (888) 820-0325

Steel Balusters

Steel balusters are now available for CertainTeed’s Panorama composite railing, which is capped with PVC. Measuring 5/8” thick and 26-3/4” long, the pre-cut balusters are powder-coated and hot-dipped.

Four styles—straight, twist, single basket, and double basket—can be used in both flat and stair applications.

 CERTAINTEED.COM (800) 233-8990

Heavy-Duty Fleet

Mineral Wool Insulation

Model 567 trucks and trailers by Peterbilt can be configured to meet a wide range of heavy- and severeduty applications.

Standard features include a PACCAR MX-13 engine with up to 500 horsepower and 1,850 lb.-ft. of torque, as well as a stiffer chassis for improved maneuverability, ride and handling.

Its resilient Metton hood absorbs impacts that can shatter or crack other materials.

Thermafiber’s UltraBatt brings the benefits of mineral wool insulation to custom home building and renovation projects.

The product is engineered to provide thermal comfort, fire protection, and sound control. In exterior walls, it rates as R-15 in 2”x4” construction and R-23 in 2”x6” walls.

It is made with 70% pre-consumer recycled content for both standard wood stud and steel stud sizes.

 PETERBILT.COM

 OWENSCORNING.COM

(800) 473-8372

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(800) 438-7465

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Building-Products.com

Decking for the Good Life

Next month, Fiberon will introduce it’s newest line of wood-alternative decking, Good Life.

The wood-plastic composite decking is three-sided, offers natural-looking beauty and low maintenance, and is resistant to mold, mildew, staining and fading.

Boards are sold in 12’, 16’, and 20’ grooved and 20’ square-edged lengths, with a flat wood grain.

Colors include Cabin (brown), Cottage (gray), and Villa (cedar). Matching fascia and lighting accessories are also available.

 FIBERONDECKING.COM (206) 290-4431

Nailer for Pros

Senco’s new FramePro nailer weighs just 7.9 lbs. and measures less than 12” tall.

A low-profile design makes it easy to maneuver between wall studs and floor joists. The tool can drive offset round-head and clipped-head paper tape fasteners ranging from 2” to 3-1/4” long into any substrate, including engineered wood products.

 SENCO.COM

(513) 388-2000

Building-Products.com

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More Composite Paver Options

AZEK has added three new products to its line of composite pavers, which are made with recycled tires and added plastics.

The new 8”x8” standard paver can be combined with smaller 4”x8” and 4”x4” pavers to increate visual interest. A resurfacing bullnose paver provides a finished perimeter edge, while a resurfacing transition paver has a slanted edge for improved transitions from the paver height to the level of the ground, substructure or walkway.

Both the 8”x8” and bullnose pavers are available in five colors: redwood, boardwalk, village, olive and waterwheel. The transition paver comes in redwood.

Transform is Railing Dynamics’ first railing system with a resin-based core with no wood fiber or wood flour.

The product has the look, weight and feel of real wood. An acrylic finish adds a painted, wood-like look, superior pigment retention, and resistance to weathering.

Customers can choose from four colors, two baluster types, and three top rails.

 AZEK.COM

 RDIRAIL.COM (877) 420-7245

(800) 275-2935

Wholesale Industrial Lumber

REEL

LUMBER SERVICE

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

(951) 781-0564

www.reellumber.com 44

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Transformative Railings

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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.

Building-Products.com

Compact Rotary Hammer

Milwaukee Tool’s new rotary hammer is compact to reduce fatigue and increase user comfort.

The cordless M18 measures 12” long and weighs only 5.5 lbs.

It can drill more than 100 11/2” holes in poured concrete per charge.

 MILWAUKEETOOLS.COM (800) 729-3878

Spray-On Flashing

W.R. Meadows’ Air-Shield liquid flashing and detailing membrane bonds to most construction materials, including aluminum, brick, concrete, wood, vinyl, and exterior gypsum board.

The gun-grade product can be used to seal rough openings and detail joints between gypsum board, and for window and door flashing applications.

 WRMEADOWS.COM (847) 214-2100

Contemprary Kitchen Faucet

Paver Treatment

Danze’s Antioch kitchen faucet has a sleek, contemporary look.

The pull-out faucet has a 7” high spout, a maximum flow rate of 2.2 gallons per minute, and meets low-lead requirements of California and Vermont.

Three finishes are available: chrome, stainless steel, and tumbled bronze.

Paver Enhancer from ChemMasters is a penetrating, waterbased treatment for architectural and interlocking paving blocks.

The low-VOC treatment can be used three ways: by itself (for deep, rich color development and a matte finish), for extra protection over water repellents, and before applying a glossy sealer for color development and gloss.

 DANZE.COM

 CHEMMASTERS.NET

(888) 328-2383

Building-Products.com

(800) 486-7866

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COMPANY Profile Diacon Technologies

The turn-key approach to lumber protection

A

T D IACON T ECHNOLOGIES , the focus has always been on the science of lumber protection—in fact, that’s the company’s motto. However, Diacon is also interested in how information technology can strengthen this focus.

“Yesterday, Diacon was working hard to maintain the value of your lumber by preventing mold growth,”

says Konrad Tittler, managing director of sales and marketing at Diacon.

“Today, and into the future, we are focusing on adding value to your lumber.”

Since the early 1990s, Diacon Technologies has supplied North American mills with Mycostat lumber coatings that protect against mold, iron stain, and checking. Each year,

Mycostat is the preferred product for the production and delivery of 5 billion bd. ft. of mold-free lumber.

Diacon, which has dual headquarters in Vancouver, Wa., and Richmond, B.C., also developed a spraying system that ensures Mycostat is properly applied. Named Diaplex, the lineal and transverse spray systems are constructed of high

SMARTFLOW COMPUTER SYSTEM provides consistent, reliable feedback from the Diaplex Spray System, alerting mill managers if anything is wrong.

All photos courtesy Diacon

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MYCOSTAT customers treat more than 5 million bd. ft. of green and kiln-dried lumber each year.

quality stainless steel. Using the most advanced technology, the spray system is both reliable and easy to use.

“Our customers include the most sophisticated and environmentally responsible lumber manufacturers in the world,” says Tittler, “We start by listening to our customers’ needs, then offer the components that allow them to enhance the look of their lumber, safely and cost-effectively.”

In the past, he says, a mill bought a drum of chemical and “we never heard from them again—unless there was a problem. We decided to become proactive, instead of waiting for a problem, by developing close relationships with our customers. The Diacon Service program is unique and unequaled in industry today and includes what is now the industry standard, the Diacon Retention program. We visit the mill, look at the situation, and collect samples of treated wood to test in our labs. Our customers love the idea of being able to measure the amount of Mycostat on their lumber and correlating that to protection time.”

In addition to the Diacon Mycostat and Service programs, Diacon developed turn-key programs tailored to an individual producer’s needs.

“We’re the only company in the industry to do this,” says Tittler. “We design, build, install and maintain the program, with the goal of making customers’ lumber look more attractive and retain its fresh-cut appearance.

Customers can opt for the total turnkey solution, or choose only those options that best fit their operation. ” Building-Products.com

A key component of this turn-key approach is Diacon’s Smartflow computer control and measurement system—introduced in 2008—which provides real-time feedback on the performance of the Diaplex spray system. The software is updated and refined on a regular basis, to provide consistent and reliable feedback on the coating process.

“We developed Smartflow to ensure everything works exactly as it should, 24/7,” Tittler says. “The system monitors the whole process and automatically alerts mill managers and other key personnel if anything is not right. The turn-key approach allows us to deliver the most complete mold-prevention program in North America.”

According to Tittler, the company has always operated with its customers’ best interests in mind, especially when it develops and introduces innovations.

“When a mill is producing 1,000 bd. ft. every half minute, it doesn’t take much for something to do wrong,” he says. “It’s so easy to mistreat, ship the material out, and then have mold and stain claims. If you’re not applying chemicals properly, you’re not protecting the wood properly.”

Future innovations, says Tittler, will include value-added products that are designed to change a regular 2x4 lumber commodity into a 2x4 lumber specialty product. “These projects are new and exciting to the lumber industry,” he adds. “No one has done anything like this before.”

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U.S. Producers Appeals Chinese Plywood Ruling A coalition of U.S. plywood manufacturers has appealed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s ruling that dismissed their trade case against Chinese hardwood plywood.

The coalition originally filed suit in late 2012, alleging that Chinese imports are sold in the U.S. at prices below

cost and are subsidized by the government of China. After more than a year of investigation, on Nov. 5, 2013, the U.S. International Trade Commission unanimously dismissed the suit.

An appellate ruling from the U.S. court system is expected to take 18 to 24 months.

New Chamber Intensifies Testing of Building Materials

used in the industry consists of a single box that tests one type of environment at a time, in a process known as accelerated aging. The state-of-the-art chamber at OSU is capable of conducting several tests at the same time.

“Single environment chambers are very common, but the ability to simultaneously test materials like this, is what makes it really unique,” said lab co-director Jason Ideker.

OSU’s new chamber offers the capacity to deconstruct this barrier in a

Oregon State University has installed a new environmental chamber to test how building materials hold up under various conditions.

One of just three in the world—a second is in Germany and the third at the U.S. Forest Products Research Lab in Madison, Wi.—the new chamber is housed in OSU’s Green Building Materials Laboratory in Corvallis, Or. A typical environmental chamber

shorter amount of time to get new products from the development phase into production more reliably.

“The most fascinating thing for me with this new machine will be helping us to make the link between the very small scale accelerated testing we do in the lab and what is actually happening in the field,” Ideker said.

He added, “We see this as a way that a start-up company in Oregon that maybe doesn’t have the resources like this (machine), they can come to us and say, ‘Hey, we’ve built this new material that we want to test out in the chamber and see the results.’”

World Stays on Green Path

Green building material sales are forecast to grow 12.5% annually from $106.32 billion in 2012 to $234.77 billion by 2019, according to a new study

by Transparency Market Research.

Key application segments analyzed in this study include framing, insulation, roofing, exterior siding, interior finishing, and other applications of green building materials.

The largest green product segment is insulation, a mature yet still-growing category. Roofing is second, but should fall, based on the expected rise of framing, exterior siding, and interior finishing products.

North America dominated the global market for green building materials in 2012, consuming more than 35% by volume, followed by Europe with 32%. The biggest growth is expected in Asia Pacific.

Send us your news!

Promote your recent expansion, new hires, product introductions, or other company changes on the news pages of the next issue of The Merchant Magazine.

Email to kdebats@building-products.com.

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ASSOCIATION Update West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association will host its annual Southern California golf tournament April 10 at Black Gold Golf Club, Yorba Linda, Ca. Western Building Material Association drafted Willamette University coach Mark Speckman to keynote its 111th annual convention Feb. 12-14 at Tulalip Resort, Marysville, Wa. Also scheduled are Rick Davis’ “Beat the Price Objection” sales workshop, remodeling insights by Craig Webb, Duane Knapp on building a brand, and the supplier networking/ product showcase.

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association has adopted “Things Are Taking Off” as the theme for its reformatted single-day Products Expo March 14 at the Crowne Plaza Denver International Airport/J.Q. Hammons Convention Center, Denver, Co. MSLBMDA’s Colorado Council gets rolling with its annual bowling tourney March 9 at Arapahoe Bowling Center, Greenwood Village, Co. North American Wholesale Lumber Association welcomed Rick Ekstein, Weston Forest Products, Mississauga, Ont., as its new chairman during its recent mid-winter meeting.

Other new officers are 1st vice chair Scott Elston, Forest City Trading Group, Portland, Or.; 2nd vice chairman Jim McGinnis, McGinnis Lumber Co., Meridian, Ms.; secretary/treasurer John Stockhausen, Snavely Forest Products, Pittsburgh, Pa.; immediate past chair Mike Phillips, Hampton Lumber Sales, Portland, Or., and president/c.e.o. Gary Vitale.

New to the board are Russ Hobbs, Plum Creek, Columbia Falls, Mt.; Rob Latham, Tri-State Forest Products, Springfield, Oh.; Dan Semsak, Pacific Woodtech, Burlington, Wa.; Bethany West, Capital Lumber, Healdsburg, Ca., and Donna Whitaker, Interfor, Baxley, Ga. NAWLA’s University of Industrial Distribution is set for March 9-14 at JW Marriott, Indianapolis, In. National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association has released its national legislative and regulatory policy agenda for 2014, identifying dealers’ common interests Building-Products.com

and translating them into policy goals to revitalize the construction industry.

“Our industry was hit hard by the recession, but our members have rebounded with lessons about what needs to be done to set the housing industry on the path to economic growth. We need policymakers to focus on eliminating unnecessary regulatory burdens, creating sound fiscal policies, and reforming our tax code in a way that will aid the economic recovery,” said NLBMDA chair Chris Yenrick, Smith Phillips Building Supply, Winston-Salem, N.C. “The agenda outlines what our vital small businesses need to boost employment and get our country back on track.”

Focused on advancing pro-growth policies that will strengthen small businesses, the agenda offers the industry’s positions on housing/construction policy, tax/economic policy, legal reform/consumer protection, workforce policy, energy policy, highway safety, product supply/trade, and the environment, health and safety.

The agenda will be distributed to members of Congress and key Administration officials, and will be used by NLBMDA members when they visit their members of Congress during the group’s legislative conference March 31-April 2 in Washington, D.C. North American Building Material Distribution Association welcomed its new president, Don F. Schalk, C.H. Briggs Co., succeeding Michael Darby, Capital Lumber.

They are joined on the board by president-elect Rick Turk, Metro Hardwoods; v.p. Bill Sauter, OHARCO; treasurer Wayne Moriarty, Atlantic Plywood, and directors Jamie Barnes, McKillican International; Ken Hager, Amerhart; Ray Prozzillo, A&M Supply; David Sullivan, Meyer Decorative Services; Mark Carlisle, M.L. Campbell; Jim Jacquemard, C.A. Technologies; Jeff Muller, Panolam Industries; Dan Pickett, Knape & Vogt; Greg Simon, Far East American, and Todd Vogelsinger, Columbia Forest Products.

International Wood Products Association’s annual convention is March 5-7 in St. Petersburg, Fl. Speakers include investment strategist Scott Clemons, Brunswick Corp. chief Dusty McCoy, and Congressman Steve Southerland.

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HUMBOLDT CRAB FEED Photos by The Merchant

HUMBOLDT HOO-HOO Club hosted its annual crab feed Jan. 16 in Eureka, Ca. [1] Tom Miller, Mike Beckley, Arnie George. [2] Veronica Stevens, George Hammond. [3] Rich Giacone, Gil Sissons, Denis Stack. [4] Charles Nichols, Daryl Bond. [5] Gary Gamble, Carol Owens. [6] Margaret Campbell, Sam Meranda.

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[7] Louis Goselin, Sue & Bill Scott. [8] Danny Andrea, Rick Deen. [9] Michael Wood, Peter Stuart, Allen Knieper. [10] Mike Carey, Tony Carpenter, Mark Borghesani. [11] Dennis Anderson, Ken Carter, Phil Guardia. [12] Jean Henning, Mike Vinum, Annie Montey. [13] Jen Clark, David Hopkins, Becky Gray. [14] Mike February 2014

Nicholson, Larry Bollinger, John Pasqualetto, Dan Kepon. [15] Laurie Levin, Erika McNamara. [16] Dave Lamarre, Julie Boro.

[17] Frank Kams, Doug Willis, Joel Hamel. [18] Neal Ewald, Bill Highsmith. [19] John Anderson, Dennis Thibeault. [20] John Gilfillan.

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

HUMBOLDT CRAB FEED Photos by The Merchant

MORE CRAB FEED (continued from previous page) in Eureka, Ca.: [1] Josh Dean, Bill Sullivan, John Murphy. [2] Dan Gilbert, Tim Masterson, Gary Alto. [3] Julie & Brian Martella. [4] Dean Kerstetter, Jerry Kelley, Adam Steinbuck. [5] Jan & Edgar Massoletti.

[6] David Jones, Angela Robershotte. [7] Building-Products.com

Tanka Chase, Stacey Jones. [8] George Alberson, Jesse Crosswhite, James Crosswhite. [9] Bob Figas, Troy Turner, Kevin Henley. [10] Kelly Lusa, Alan Oakes. [11] Ron Borges, Kay Johnson, Mike Renner, Claudia Lima. [12] Frank Schmidbauer, Bruce Burton, Doug Reed. [13] Blake Ridgway, Zach Marino,

Mike Cameron, Lee Iorg, Carter Welch. [14] Ken Dunham. [15] Bob Maurer, Rod Kautz.

[16] Michael & Pamela Harley, Tom Bacon.

[17] Jim Russell, Russ Britt. [18] Terry Ricci, Ray Barbee. [19] Rich Graham, Tom Von Moos.

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IN Memoriam Mark Thomas Moothart, 86, former chief financial officer for treater Niedermeyer-Martin Co., Portland, Or., died Dec. 23.

After serving in the U.S. Army and a brief stint at Georgia Pacific, Olympia, Wa., he joined Niedermeyer-Martin in 1951. He would serve as office manager, director and general manager of subsidiary Pacific Wood Treating, before retiring as c.f.o. in 1987.

Wayne Kamps, 72, former Pacific Northwest hardware executive, died Jan. 10.

He entered the hardware business in 1985, as regional hardware merchandising manager for Cotter & Co., serving 80 True Value Hardware stores in the Northwest. In his first year, he was inducted into the compa-

ny’s Presidents Club. In 1989, he joined Jensen-Byrd, Spokane, Wa., as training manager for five western states, retiring in 1992.

Ronald Lee Worden, 76, cofounder and owner of High Desert Hardwood, Eagle, Id., died Dec. 27 in Boise, Id. He worked in the lumber industry first in Oregon, before relocating to Boise in 1985. He opened his own company with his wife, Margaret, in 1993.

James Robinson Peck, 72, retired co-owner of Peck Building Materials, Florence, Or., died Dec. 26.

He served in the U.S. Navy during the early 1960s. After graduating from California State University, Hayward, in 1968, he went to work

for Hubbard & Johnson Lumber Co. In 1972, he relocated to Eugene, Or., and joined Willamette Valley Co. He operated Peck Building Materials with his wife, Karen, from 1978 until retiring.

Jane E. Brown, 62, former lumber salesperson with Boise Cascade’s Timber and Wood Products division, Portland, Or., died Dec. 23 after a 22year battle with multiple sclerosis.

Michael Jay Simspon, 56, former supervisor with A&Y Building Supply, Provo, Ut., died Jan. 20 in Springville, Ut. Edwin B. “Ed” Boettcher, 93, 30+-year lumber grader for Zip O Logs, Eugene, Or., died Jan. 5.

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• More news • User-friendlier layout • Frequent updates throughout each day • Smartphone & tablet accessible • Improved search features • Event photos • Videos • Building products stock ticker February 2014

Building-Products.com

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

Western Building Material Assn. – Feb. 12-14, annual convention, Tulalip Resort, Marysville, Wa.; (888) 551-9262; www.wbma.org.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – Feb. 19, meeting, San Dimas Golf Course, San Dimas, Ca.; (760) 324-0842; hoohoo117.org.

Western Wood Preservers Institute – Feb. 20-21, winter meeting, Embassy Suites Downtown, Portland, Or.; (360) 693-9958; www.wwpinstitute.org.

Oregon Logging Conference – Feb. 20-22, Lane County Fairgrounds, Eugene, Or.; www.oregonloggingconference.com.

True Value Co. – Feb. 22-24, market, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga.; (773) 695-5171; truevaluecompany.com.

National Roofing Contractors Assn. – Feb. 24-25, convention, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nv.; (847) 299-9070; www.nrca.net.

Roof Coatings Manufacturers – Feb. 24-25, annual meeting, Marriott, Las Vegas, Nv.; (202) 591-2452; www.roofcoatings.org.

Ace Hardware Corp. – Feb. 24-26, market, George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Tx.; (630) 990-7662; acehardware.com.

Progressive Affiliated Lumbermen Co-op – Feb. 25-26, buyers show, Kissimmee, Fl.; (800) 748-8900; www.pal-coop.com.

WoodWorks – Feb. 26, Wood Solutions Fair, Long Beach, Ca.; (866) 966-3448; www.woodworks.org.

International Roofing Expo – Feb. 26-28, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nv.; (800) 684-5761; www.theroofingexpo.com.

Orgill Inc. – Feb. 27-March 1, market, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; (800) 347-2860; www.orgill.com.

National Wooden Pallet & Container Assn. – Feb. 28-March 1, leadership conference & expo, Harbor Beach Marriott Resort, Fort Lauderdale, Fl.; (703) 519-4720; www.palletcentral.com.

Colorado Springs Home & Landscape Expo – Feb. 28-March 2, Norris-Penrose Event Center, Colorado Springs, Co.; (800) 3746463; www.homeshowcenter.com.

Western Wood Products Association – March 2-4, annual meeting, Embassy Suites Downtown, Portland, Or.; (503) 224-3930; wwpa.org.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – March 4, regional meeting, Embassy Suites Downtown, Portland, Or.; (800) 527-8258; www.nawla.org.

Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo Club – March 4, meeting, Seattle, Wa.; (253) 531-1834.

West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association – March 4, 2nd Growth meeting, Buena Park, Ca.; (800) 266-4344; www.lumberassociation.org.

Lumbermens Merchandising Corp. – March 5-6, annual meeting, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Fl.; (610) 293-7049; www.lmc.net.

International Wood Products Association – March 5-7, annual convention, Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Course, St. Petersburg, Fl.; (703) 820-6696; www.iwpawood.org.

National Frame Building Association – March 5-7, frame building expo, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Nashville, Tn.; (800) 557-6957; www.nfba.org.

American Fence Association – March 6-8 , FenceTech/DeckTech, Mandalay Bay Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; (800) 822-4342; www.americanfenceassociation.com.

Tacoma Remodeling Expo – March 7-9, Greater Tacoma Trade Center, Tacoma, Wa.; (800) 374-6463; homeshowcenter.com.

San Jose Home Show – March 8-9, San Jose Convention Center, San Jose, Ca.; (888) 433-3976; www.acshomeshow.com.

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Assn. – March 9, bowling tournament, Arapahoe Bowling Center, Greenwood Village, Co.; (800) 365-0919; www.mslbmda.org.

Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association – March 9-12, Spring convention & leadership conference, Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, Bonita Springs, Fl.; (703) 264-1690; www.kcma.org.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – March 9-14, University of Industrial Distribution, JW Marriott, Indianapolis, In.; (800) 527-8258; www.nawla.org.

Budma 2014 – March 11-14, international construction fair, Poznan, Poland; (317) 293-0406.

Greenprints – March 12-13, conference & show, Georgia Tech Research Institute Conference Center, Atlanta, Ga.; (404) 8723549; www.greenprints.org.

Pacific Northwest Association of Rail Shippers – March 12-13, conference, Portland, Or.; pnrailshippers.com.

Redwood Region Logging Conference – March 13-15, Redwood Empire Fairgrounds, Ukiah, Ca.; (707) 443-4091; www.rrlc.net.

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – March 14, products expo, Crowne Plaza Denver International Airport/JQ Hammons Convention Center, Denver, Co.; (800) 365-0919; www.mslbmda.org.

Inland Empire Home Show – March 14-15, Ontario Center, Ontario, Ca.; (888) 433-3976; www.acshomeshow.com.

International Home & Housewares Show – March 15-18, McCormick Place, Chicago, Il.; (847) 292-4200; www.housewares.org.

Panel & Engineered Lumber Conference & Expo – March 20-21, CNN Hotel, Atlanta, Ga.; (334) 834-1170; www.pelice-expo.com.

Window & Door Manufacturers Association – March 31-April 2, spring meeting & legislative conference, Hyatt Regency, Arlington, Va.; (800) 223-2301; www.wdma.com.

C&E LUMBER COMPANY 1 1/2” to 12” Diameter in Stock.

SPECIAL QUOTES Building-Products.com

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ADVERTISERS Index

IDEA File Show Time

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

It’s not unusual for hardware stores to offer unique items and services tailored to the local community. But a Florida dealer takes it further, by acting as the ticket office of the town’s small theater.

“We’ve attended performances for at least 10 years or so,” says Larry Tonjes, owner of Cliff’s True Value Hardware, Lake Wales, Fl. “About five years ago, we started acting as the weekday box office of the Lake Wales Little Theater.”

The theater presents a full season: three adult plays, two for kids, and one for teens, with evening performances on Friday and Saturday, and a matinee on Sunday.

However, the theater has no budget for a website and is only open on weekends right before performances. Also, everyone connected with the theater is a volunteer—including the actors—so finding someone to operate a ticket booth at the theater, or in town, was a hit or miss affair.

“Before, people had to call the theater and someone had to call them back,” recounts Ray Bower, who volunteers as the theater’s treasurer and groundskeeper.

“With Cliff’s, someone is there to answer the phone, six days a week.”

Allweather Wood [www.allweatherwood.com] ............................21 BlueTarp [www.bluetarp.com].......................................................38 Boise Cascade [www.bcewp.com]..................................................4 BW Creative Wood [www.bwcreativewood.com] .......................13 California Redwood Co., The [californiaredwoodco.com]..........27 C&E Lumber Co. [www.lodgepolepine.com] ...............................53 Capital [www.capital-lumber.com]................................................20 Collins [www.collinswood.com] ...........................................Cover I Fasco America [www.fascoamerica.com]....................................30 Fontana Wholesale Lumber [fontanawholesalelumber.com].....48 Genova [www.genovationsdeck.com]..........................................31 Huff Lumber Co. .............................................................................37 Humboldt Redwood [www.getredwood.com] ..............................21 Inteplast Group [www.tufboards.com] ................................Cover II Jones Wholesale Lumber [www.joneswholesale.com] ..............34 Keller Lumber .................................................................................48 Manke Lumber Co. [www.mankelumber.com].............................36 Matthews Marking Products [www.matthewsmarking.com] ......26 Mendocino Forest Products [www.mfp.com] ..............................21 NewTechWood [www.newtechwood.com].....................................5 Norman Distribution Inc. [www.normandist.com].......................39 North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. [www.nawla.org] .......3

Playgoers can also stroll into the hardware store, study the seating chart, and pay (cash only) for reserved seats or season passes. Customers who wander into the store looking for something else notice the theater posters in the store’s windows and ask questions. If not, staff members bring up the subject.

“We get a lot of ‘snowbirds’ in the winter,” says Larry, “so we mention the theater to see if they’re interested.”

Several years ago, since the first performances typically have the least attendance—as everyone waits for word-of-mouth-reviews—Larry and his family encouraged the local senior facility to attend then, and the tradition has continued.

“It fills up the seats and gets things going,” he says.

“Most important, it’s a fun event for the seniors and keeps them part of the community.”

Not surprisingly, performing such a valuable community service does have real benefits. “Most people buy something when they’re in the store to reserve or pick up theater tickets,” comments Larry. “The relationship brings in customers who’ve never been in the store before, so it does increase business.”

NyloBoard [www.nyloboard.com]...................................................7 Osmose [www.osmosewood.com].....................................Cover IV Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance [plmins.com] .....33 Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com].................................23 Reel Lumber Service [www.reellumber.com] ..............................44 Roseburg Forest Products [www.roseburg.com] .......................19 Royal Pacific ...................................................................................43 Screw Products [www.screw-products.com] ..............................41 Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com].................25, 45, 47, 49 Sure Drive USA [www.suredrive.com]..........................................35 Swanson Group Sales Co. [www.swansongroupinc.com].........17 Thunderbolt Wood Treating [thunderboltwoodtreating.com] ....22 TigerDeck [www.tigerdeck.com] ...................................................18 Universal Forest Products [www.ufpedge.com] ...............Cover III Western Forest Products [www.westernforest.com] ..................24 Western Red Cedar Lumber Association [www.wrcla.org] ........24

54



The Merchant Magazine



February 2014

Building-Products.com

The

MERCHANT

Magazine

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