DEcAsCA

Seruing 13 Wostoln Statos, lncludlng Alaska and Hawaii

(Sister publication Building Prcducts Digest seves the East)

PUBLISHER Alan Oakes (ajoakes@aol.com)

PUBLISHER EMERITUS David Cutler

EDITOB David Koenio (dkoenig@Suilding-products.com)

ASSOCIATE EDITOB Karer Debats (kdebats@building-products.com)

CONTRIEU]ING EDITORS

Dwight Cunan, Carla Waldemar, Roy Burleson

AD SALES MANAGER Chuck Casev (ccasey@building-productd.com)

CIRCULATION Heather Kelly (hkelly@building-pioducts.com)

ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR/SECFETARY Marie Oakes (mfpoakes@aol.com)

How to Advertise

Contact our advertising otllces for rates:

WEST, MIDWEST, SOUTHEAST: Chuck Casey, Newport Beach, Ca.; (949) 852n990; Fax 949852-0231 ; Email ccasey@building-products.com

NORTHEAST: Paul Mummolo (N.J.); (732) 899. 8102; Fax 732-899-2758; Email mummolop@ c0mcast.net

How to Subscribe

Conlacl Heather at (949) 852-1990

U.S.: 1 yea ( l 2 issues), $22; 2 years, $36; 3 years, $50

FOREIGN (Per year paid in advance in US funds): $48 for Canada and Mexico, $60 for all other countries; Air rales also available.

SINGLE COPIES: $4 + shipping; Back issues (when available), $5 + shipping www.build ing.products,com iUainlenance Free BLrilding Solutions

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Happy New Year and ditto!

First, a belated Happy New Year to you all from us all here at The Merchant Magazine. I hope you all had a chance to relax, enjoy time with your family, and reflect upon the old year as we enter the new.

When readers meet me, they often ask me how I decide what to write about in my column. Truthfully, for me it is not the easiest thing I do, but I normally get my inspirations from my customer calls and trade show visits. I try to find out what it is that is keeping people up at nights or on experiences good and bad in my working life that reflect what I am reading or hearing about from friends in the industry.

I must say, as I started to think about what I would write in this column this month, for the first time ever in my time here, I pulled out a previous column-last January's-and I guess I could just write ditto. I wrote last year that 2001