Engineered wood plays malor role for Dacific Northwest DC

Their growth in engineered wood sales is the result of maintaining large inventories of glulam, I-joist and LVL: fast value-added delivery of beams cut from standard lengths to job-specific requirements. and technical support for dealers and their builder customers.

Joe Cahir, general manager of the Auburn DC, says, "Engineered wood is an increasingly important part of our product mix."

Besides its l2l-year legacy. Hunig has another historical link at Auburn because their 2O-acre facility was formerly the Palmer G. lrwis distribution center. The PGL name was an legendary building materials icon in the Northwest before being acquired by Hunig in 1988.

Mike Murphy is director of Hunig's technical services in Auburn. He and his staff handle dozens of calls daily from dealers and builders who need information on specifying beam sizes and depths for specific applications. However, Murphy's team doesn't just operate from their offices. A major part of the sales effort is conducting engineered wood training sessions for framers and carpenters.

Huttig has a five-part sales and service philosophy: Fast delivery of quality engineered wood, jobsite training, cut to size material packages, materials take-offs, and engineering help to calculate beam sizes and spans.

ffUffIC Building Products was founded in 1868, llbefore glulam beams and I joists were known. Today, this billion-dollar firm has become a leading supplier of engineered wood through their 46 coast-to-coast distribution centers.

Huttig claims to be the largest national distributor of millwork and building products to pro dealers, servicing 48 states.

Based in St. Louis, Mo., Huttig also sells to home centers and manufactured home producers. Engineered wood is a relatively recent addition to their product lines compared to the lumber, millwork, panels, roofing, siding, doors, windows and other building materials they have supplied for nearly a century and a half.

Huttig's distribution center in Auburn, Wa., serves dealers in the Seattle-Tacoma area as well as Eastern and Western Washineon.

"Our engineered wood sales have increased because we provide information that is useful and practical to contractors at the construction site," Murphy says.

Dealers submit construction plans to Huttig for technical assistance in writing specs or answering engineering type questions specific to engineered wood produc6.

Murphy adds, "In our training sessions for framers and builders, we point out engineered wood installation details such as making sure the beams are right side up, explaining unbalanced layups, and restrictions on drilling holes in the beams." Huttig technicians are also on call for troubleshooting visits to jobsites to help solve problems.

When contractors are building the same house design in several different counties or jurisdictions, Huttig staff helps them modify the designs to accommodate varying code requirements. The field group can furnish simple engineering tips at the jobsite or transmit more complex design questions to the Huttig office technical staff.

Gray Lumber, a well known Tacoma dealer, is a longtime Huttig customer. Assistant sales manager Jack de Leon says Huttig is "our primary supplier, and has been a major partner in our engineered wood success by providing on-time delivery, materials take-offs. and technical assistance for glulams, I-joists and LVL.''

Chris Smith of Evergreen Lumber, Port Orchard, Wa., agrees. He says Huttig was their major vendor even before they started selling engineered wood, and notes "they've done a great job for us in delivering materials and technical drawings for homes in different jurisdictions. Glulams are a growing market because of their stability, and they are being specified because of the longer spans, more complex open ceilings, and vaults in today's custom homes."

Most of the glulam timbers sold by Huttig are stock beams less than 40 feet long. Typical end uses are headers, floor and roof beams, and exposed ridge beams for cathedral type ceilings. Murphy says although glulams are the oldest type of engineered wood, they are increasingly popular because: They are a predictable, valueadded engineered product.

. Unlike green lumber framing, which can shrink or warp when drying out, glulams are kiln dried and stable with a controlled l2%o moisture content. This helps prevent waste and callbacks.

. The 3000f beams are stronger than LVL, and their in-place cost is less than LVL. They also provide for faster construction than stick-built framing.

Pressure treated glulams are becoming more popular for decks and other outdoor applications.

. Larger custom homes need the engineered strength and longer span capability of glulams.

In multi-family or light commercial construction, glulams eliminate the need for fire protection wrapping, which is required for steel construction.

Hutttig also builds fellowship and loyalty with its dealer customers by sponsoring special events and group outings.

- For more information on glulam timber, contact the American Institute oJ Timber Construction, ( 303 ) 792-9559 : www.aitc-glulam.org.