Home Depot Closing Yardbirds, Expos

In a continuing effort to focus on its core business and weather the current housing crisis, Home Depot will eliminate 7,000 jobs and close 48 specialty stores-including all 34 Expo Design Centers, five Northern Califbrnia Yardbirds stores. two standalone Design Centers, and its sevenunit HD Bath remodeling business.

The locations began liquidation sales in late January and expect to be closed by April. Thirteen Expos are in the West-one in Scottsdale, Az., the rest in Califbrnia.

The company said that Expo did not perform well even during the recent housing boom, and had weakened significantly in the current economic environment. "E,xiting our Expo business is a difTicult decision," chairman and c.e.o. Frank Blake said. "At the same time. it is a necessary decision that will strengthen our core Home Depot business."

Depot acquired the Yardbirds chain in 2005 and promptly closed them all. Two were converted to standard Home Depots, and public outcry contributed to five of the locations-Petaluma, Alamo, Concord, San Pablo, and San

Rafael, Ca.-reopening in 2007 as hybrid Yardbirds-Home Depot stores.

"Unfortunately it didn't last long. The Yardbirds stores did not perform to our expectations," said regional spokesperson Kathryn Gallagher. "Given the current economy and that it was a test concept, it just didn't work. It's hard to open a new concept in a state with the worst housing market in the country."

Depot will also cut 2,000 non-store jobs, including 500 employees in its corporate headquarters, and freeze the pay of its corporate officers. Capital spending will be cut approximately $l billion this year, but I 2 new stores will be opened.

UFPI Cuts Purchasing Heads

Universal Forest Products Inc. has consolidated management of its divisional purchasing offices in Windsor, Co., for the West and in Union City, Ga.. for the East.

Both offices will remain open, but single managers will now oversee specific species groups and operations for both regions. From Windsor, Dave Hutson will oversee SPF and Inland species and Steve Steere, import/Asia.

From Union City, Mark Wells will manage southern yellow pine; Nick Fitzgerald, panels and EWP; Joel Burk, import/South America, and Marge Smith, rail transporation.

David Phelps will manage the combined team as executive v.p. of purchasing.

Boise Closing Plywood Mill

Boise Cascade will close its plywood mill in White City, Or., March 13. eliminating I l0 positons.

"At this point in time, we consider this a permanent closure," said Robert Smith. "We have already experienced numerous temporary curtailments during the past several months in 2008. In fairness to our employees, we don't think it is appropriate to continue these repetitive curtailments when our market outlook remains dim."

Plywood produced at the facility is shipped to Boise Cascade's White city engineered wood products plant for use in structural beams and I-joists. The EWP plant will now be supplied by Boise Cascade's larger plywood mill in North Medford. Or.

The company also operates a veneer mill in White City. It purchased the 47-year-old White City plywood mill from Gold Rey Forest Products in 1971

84 Exits Oregon, Denver

lJ4 Lumber Co. closed I I morc stores in rnid-January. including its only locations in Oregon as well as thc Denver. Co.. market.

The chains's now-shLlttered location in Redmoncl. Or., wus only one year old. The closure of its store and component plant in Henderson. Co., leaves Grand Junction as its sole remaining facility in Colorado.

Othcr closurcs are in Delaware. Ohio, Indiana, Missouri. Geor-ria. Wisconsin. untl Pennsylvlnia.

Jetf Nobers. v.p. o1' marketing and public rclations, said the pmlon_eed housing slump left the company no choice. "The bottom line is these oocrcti()ns wercn't prolitrrble lrntl huren'l bcen." said Nobers.

Coupled with roughly 50 store closurcs in 2008, the moves leave 84 with 319 stores. six component plants. and 21.700 employees in the U.S. Thrcc years ago. the contpany had more than -500 storcs with 10.000+ cmployecs.

Simpson Resells Port Sites

Simpson Tirnber, Tacoma, Wa.. has sold a 25-acre site at the Port of Longvicw. Wa.. to exporter Pacific Lumber & Shippin-e and a 35-acre parcel at the port to hnuler Daybreak Dispatch. Battle Ground, Wa.

Sirnpson madc a $3.63 million profit on the two parcels. which it acquired lhlrn the port with the statcd intcntion ot'buildine a new sawmill.

PL&S will build a log cxporting fncility at the site. which sits about ii quilrtcr-nlilc frtrrrr its eristinc erport yard, just outsiclc port property. Ir hasn't dccided whethcr it will relocatc its entirc operation or continue lcasing its currcnt faci I ity

BMHC Gontinues Closures

Continuing its efforts to "alisn costs with currcnt market conditions." Buildin-e Matelials Holcling Corp.. San Francisco. Ca.. is closing sevelal additional facilities, including all of its opcrations in Northern Ncvada.

Durin-e thc first qLrarter of 2009. BMHC will shutter its facilities in Reno and Sparks, Nv.; Sherwood, Or.. and Marysville. Ca. Greater Portlancl will be servcd by Vancouver. Wa.. and the Marysvillc LBM distribr-rtion ancl wall pancl ntanufacturing operations will be consolidatcd into its Modesto. Ca., facilities. Othcr consoliclations arc planned for Arizona. Colorado and Tcxas. Approxintately 260 ernployccs will be al'l'ected.

"Thesc actions will cnable us to significantly reduce ollr cxpenses. to share kcy personnel, and to achicve hi-uher utilization of our tircilities and cquipment." siiid c.e.o. Robert Mellor.

Washington Dealer Expands

Afier 35 years of business. Early Bird Supply. Clarksbn. Wa.. officially opencd its first satellitc branch Jan. 2. in Gran_uevillc. Wa.

Bosed in Annopolis, MD, Fletcher Wood Solutionse is the Iorgest monufocturer of defect-free, oppeoronce grcde rodicto pine products in New Zeolond. Distributing our cleor boords, mouldings, LIFESPANt, treoted wood, ond lumber to the North Americon morket through our proven ond completely integroted supply choin, Fletcher Wood Solutions3 mointoins direct occess to one of the lorgest FSC certified "' pine plantotion torests in the world.

The new location culrently operates in a 60-ft.-by-60-fi. building, bur plans to acld on in the sprine and evcntually be 6.000 sq. tt. in size.

"Wc havc a modest supply of lunrber ri-eht now. and can order a varicty of products with about a 221-hour turnanrund," saicl mgr. George Casteel.

Weyco To Retain Westwood

Citing wcakcr shippin-rr markcts and tight f inancing conditions for potcntial buycrs. Weycrhaeuser Co.. Federal Way, Wa.. has cliscontinucd its search fbr a buyer fbr its Westwood Shipping Line.

Thc firm had announced in May that it was exploring a strategic alternative fbr Westwood. which clperates a fleet of seven ships used by customel's to ship forest products, containers and ovcrsized car-[o.

"Wc did not fecl that thc current market conditions $ould ailo\\ tls to recognizc a reasonabl(] Value for oLlr assets and operations." saicl Wesnroocl prcsidcnt Cul Stcphcnson.

WCstrr r)()(i \CI'\ L' \ \'Ll\l()llle l) ill rnorc lhan 20 polts irt .lapati. Korcit. China ancl North Anrcricrt ri ith a l'ixcd-cllL1'. r"'ccklr suiIiIrg schcclr"rle.

Thc rnorc rkrcs nol l1'lcct \\'cvco's cxploration ol stralcgic ultcr-nutir cs litr lirur rcgionul short linc ntilroucls tltc DcQuccn & I-.4\tcfn. ('olLr rrrbia & Cowlitz. MSV. anil Clolclcn l'rianglc. It prirrrarill,'r-rscs thc lincs to sotlrcc nrills in Washington. Okllrhonra. Alkrrnsrrs lrntl Nlissi'.i1lIi.

RSG Fights Port's Land Grab

RSG Forcst Proclucts. Kalltnra. Wa.. ancl the Port of Lon-svie\\' are still wrirrrclinc ()\el ir \i\-rr'rc plot thlrl lltc port said is needed fbr construction of a S 150 rnillion -srain elevator.

The six acres are part of a 5J-acrc parccl RSG bought in 200-5 as thc site firr a new sari rlill. ln October. thc port conclcr-nnecl thc six acrcs b1'cruittcl.tl dornain. RSG has novu' appculetl a corrrt ruling backing thc pttrt's rttor c.

Suits Summon Deck Makers

A Wushington Statc hotttcou rtcr hap I'ilccl a proposctl class rtctiott strit lg[rinst'l'rcr. tluvs itl'ter l'cllori cortt lrositc clcck procluccr AERT agrccd ttr st'tllt' lt .]'1.1 rrtillit,rr elltsr rtt'liott :ttil.

'['rcx clispLrtcs cluinrs that its protlucts arc I'la*ccl and thut thc ctrttpattt lnils to honor rrarrantl'claims.

Clustorrers hacl accuscd AERT's ChoiccDek of being prone to mttlcl and milderv. In Octobcr 2006. AERT began adding zinc borate. a mold inhibitor. to tlre flrrtlLret

AERT :rglced to alter its rnarketing clain.rs and inl'orm customcrs thel' must cleirn their decks to prcvent build-Lrp of clcbris. It erpects to pav Llp to S2 million a lr-rr after 20 l0 on cleck rcplaccnrents. cleunings attcl refuncls.

B.C. Plan lrks U.S. Producers

Ilritish Colunrbia's iumoLlnccrlrcnI that its stLrnrpagc ratcs uoulcl bc lirrthcl rcduccrl is caLrsing corrccrrr lirr U.S. lurnbcr producct's.

U.S. Coalition 1or. Fair [-ttntbcr. Inrports chairnan Stcvc Sr"arrsott slritl. "This appcals to bc u clcar violatiott ol' thc Sofiu'oocl LLrntbcr Agrecnrcnt. Itr f'act. a 70% cLrt in coastal stuntpage l'ccs - couplccl w'ith the drarttatic increase in 15c stunrpa-ge ratc in the B.C. Tnterior-r"ot-tlcl be the ntost egregious violation of the SLA to date."

Swansor.r saicl that rnore B.C. sLrbsidies also damage an alreaclv dcvastatecl North Atnet'ican tttarket. "The Coalition r"'oLrlcl bc plcasccl to cxarlirtc runy aclclitionul inlirrnration aboitt tltc stunrpitgc rccluctiott tltat B(' r" ishcs ttr plovitlc." Irc slitl. "[]Lrt il'. as it ill)pcars. lhc pt-or"irtcc hlts sirtrltlr lorrcr-crl its proclttccr-s' rr'ootl costs ltsltirt. tlrut is a blrrturtl ltrcuch ol'('lttlttllt's cornnritnrcnls lttrl is unltccclltlrblc."

Options Added For l-Joists

A ncw svstcrr clcsicnctl to ittsullttc. irnpnrvc installalion cl'l'icicrtct'. ltltr viclc atlclitiortitl sal'ctv. uttrl ittct'cltsc rcrtical ancl latclal loucl sLrpport lirr' [-loists is lrow on thc nralkct.

Developcd by SIlnno LLC. thc I Choicc Systenr fcaturcs a ritl boarcl. sllpport block. ancl insulatecl blocking panel. "These proclucts ntake installation so much easict'." saicl Ctttrter Blou'n, Srr-r'co prcsiclcnt. "This sl s tcrn clinrinatcs thc neecl firr ntcasttrittg and rrarkirrg l-.joist locutions otr thc plutcs itnrl thcn pro.jcctirtg thosc trtltrkings on thc rirn boarcl. It ltlso crcltlcs rt highll' e l'l icicut linrc sar irts rttcthotl ol insLrlating thc ltcrirttctcr ol rt l'loor."

AI)A has urt crclusirc tlcul ri ith Stt.t,rro to liccnsc I ('hoicc 1tr-oiittcts ttr AI)A nrcrlbcr ntartttlltctttt-cr-s ltttcl. r'tlt its nrcnrbcls. to lcrttanttIltctut-ct's.

Stt-t'tto ltloclucts rrre cufrcntlv lt\ itil ablc llonr I)ascluict- Pitncl l)rocltrcts. Suurncr-, Wa.

Prc-nrachittccl I Choicc Iiinr Boar.cis have pt'c-Iocatecl rlotlttIltr t'eccssccl rcccptacles shapccl to rlutcl't thc cnd closs-section of a specific noocl I.joist. The "locking" concept ol the |eecptlre le elitnittltte' rePeliti\ e l)lcitsurement for joist location. r'csists Ijoist roll-ovcr from latclal forces dLu'in-s ancl aftcr sub-flt)or attachmcnt. provicles cxact vet'tical I-.ioist alignrnent. rcduccs installatiort tinre. ltttcl Iowers total in-place cost.

'l-hc support blocks iu'e cnginccrccl to pnrvidc vertical load sttl-r1'rot't. rtssttt'c l-.joist intcgrity. irtcrcusc rvcb sr-tp1lort. ancl sclvc as an I-.joist cnrl-attlte Ittttcltl platlirrnr lirr sccut'ins othcr [rtriltling colll)oncnts st-tch as rittt brtltt-tl t() clttltilcvclcrl .ioists or- sub-l'ltscilt to rltltcr tlils. LJ nlikc convcrttionul sc1 uaslt blocks. thcy attuch to I-.ioists tltlortglt thc r,vcb instcacl ol' thc f'langcs. prcscr.r,ing thc intcglity ol'thc 1'langcs.

The insulatccl blocking ltattcls cottt bine structural wood r.i'ith liranr blclcking panel inscrt to insulatc and block the perinretcr of'the floclr bctueen the cnds of wood l-.joists inside rinr boalcl.