IT'S CLEAN. lTtS GREEltl. lTtS EcoPr6lll,

Why Use Thermally Modified Wood?

EcoVantage starts with Southern Yellow Pine or Douglas Fir and through our patented EcoPrEm Process alters the wood at the cellular level using only heat and steam. This removes excess moisture, sugars and resins, that make most wood susceptible to the elements and insects.

Greener

Our products are all sourced from sustainable U.S. forests and EcoPrEm is GreenSpec approved.

Stronger

Lightweight, great outdoor durability. EcoPr6m Products contain lower moisture content and the cells of the wood have been compressed... so it's stronger and lighter!

Straighter

Resists Cupping, Twisting, Warping and Rotting due to our patented thermal modification process, and you won't need to buy 25-30o/o overage for warped or twisted material!

EternaGlad

EternaClad siding material provides the beauty of old fashioned wood siding, and shutters in Modern ShiP Lap, German Lap, Tongue and Groove or Log Siding. It is available with a natural finish or choose from two rich stain colors.

EcoDeck

EcoDeck is a creative deck and railing system which is user friendly and easy to install... Saving you time and money.

RyteScape

RyteScape is a full line of landscape structures which include fencing, pergola and arbor kits that are suPer easy to install!

StayTru

StayTru is a structurally sound framing material that has no chemicals to leach into Your soil or garden... lt's excellent material for building Docks, Piers, Walkways, Boardwalks, Planters.... In the Ground or in the Water! p'*"sp*$g

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POSTTIASTER Send address changes to The Merchant V-a-g,lziler 4500 Campus Dr.,Ste.480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660-1872_

The llerchant ilagazine (ISSN 7399723) (USPS 796-560) is publishedmonthlyat 4500Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newobrt Beach, Ca. 92660.1872 by Cutlei Publishing, Inc. Periodicats Postage paid at Newport Briach, Ca,, and additional oost offices. It is an independendy{wned publication for lhe retaii, wholesale and distribution levels of the lumber and buildino Droducts maF kets in 13 westem states. Copvrioht@2011 bv Citler Publishino. Inc. Cover and entire contentb'ari fully protected and must n6i qe reproduced in any manner withotit written permission. All Rights Reserved. lt reserves the right to acceot oi reiect anv editorial or advertrsing matter, and asiumes no liability ior mat-erials fumished to it.

The Mark of Responsible Forestry scs-coc-001973

@1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C.

OUR PREMIUM IDAHO FOREST GOLDTM IINE is in demand the world over * including Cedar, Idaho White Pine, Ponderosa Pine and Export.

I Rick Palmiter Garth Williams I

By Alan Oakes

What now?

T"a BESr-LAID eLANS are often those that fail first. I, like many I suspect, was I so incensed by the debacle of the debt limit negotiations that I made it the focus of this month's column, before leaving for a vacation. The last-minute, cobbled-together debt deal not only failed to attack the issues this country faces. but was. in my humble opinion. government at its worst-lrankly. an embarrassment.

About 48 hours later as I landed in Europe, I learned of the downgrading of debt and realized that the stock market would crash come Monday and we would return to the wild swings we witnessed the prior week. Sadly, I was proved right-and then realized I had to rewrite my column.

First, all of us will have our own political opinion and bias and will pass blame on opposing camps. But as if the downgrade was not enough, stock traders and press piled on to create a crisis-a-day panic, centering first on the downgrade, then on Italy defaulting, the French banks going under, the rest of the E.E.C. about to fall into the sea, and finally that it was a Friday and it was raining.

The violent swings managed to wipe out $3 trillion of assets that hurt both business and us as individuals. This, in turn, has created uncertainty that leads to a fear of spending, investing and the possibility of a double-dip recession.

I take great interest in what is going on in Europe. Many countries in the E.E.c. face the same issues as the u.S. In all cases, the government is spending more than it is taking in, and unemployment is too high. There is the chicken and egg. Fewer jobs means less tax revenues and more social costs to help the unemployed, meaning higher spending.

The question I keep asking is, where are the jobs-realjobs-going to come from? Today, we have an official 9.|vo unemployment. we all know that's only half the story; the real number's likely around 20vo. Amongthose,44vo have been unemployed for over 27 weeks. Many have given up. others have succumbed to the over-55, never-again-finding-a-job syndrome.

About seven years ago, following my first visit to china, I wrote a column that the West better wake up fast and protect itself. We have been so willing to sell our technology to the East that our traditional manufacturing industries have been decimated. Even when the economy picks up, many of the long- and short-term unemployed will still not find a real job. If they do, ir will be often at subsrantially less pay than what they earned in their last job. Technological advances and changes, along with low- and now medium-skilled manufacturing jobs moving to the east, as well as companies finding these past few years that they can produce more with less people, will mean fewer and fewer manufacturingjobs here, service industry pay levels for all but the highest skilled, and less and less tax revenue. When you have a situation in which 497o of potential tax-payers pay zero payroll taxes, the percentage will only increase over time. This means the tax burden will have to be spread over an ever-shrinking tax-payer pool.

We face a frightening future unless we can find a way to compete with the likes of China. The sad thing is that not only have we allowed this to go on for the last 20 years, but no one seems capable of stopping the rot or willing to halt the migration of jobs. We are losing the fight, and it is clear so is most of the rest of the West.

Alan Oakes. Publisher aioakes@aol.com www. building-products.com

A publication of Cutler Publishing 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, CA 92660

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, Carla Wddemar, James Olsen, Jay Tompt, Mike Dandridge

Advertising Sales Manager

Chuck Casev ccasey@building-products.com

Adm inistration Director/Secretary Marie 0akes mfpoakes@aol.com

Circulation Manager Heather Kelly hkelly@building-products.com

How to Advertise

Chuck Gasey

Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 ccasey@building-products.com

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Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 ajoakes@aol.com

CLASSIFIED David Koenig

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How to Subscribe

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