Unique Lumber Buying Platform Launches

Woodbrowser Inc.. Grantham, N.H., has officially launched the building industry's only transparent purchasing platform for lumber and panel products. Woodbrowser currently provides truckload quantity purchasers with direct access to lumber at over 145 mills and growing in North America via phone, email and online, as well as products from traditional wholesalers and distribution channels.

"Woodbrowser's platform and sales process provide buyers and sellers of lumber products with a much more efficient method of price discovery on the open market, really as easy as sending an email," said president Chuck Gaede. "Our True Price Finder platform replicates the current sales cycle that can take hours when conducted traditionally via phone and email. We've transferred that process to an easy-to-use web platform that allows buyers to view bids from multiple mills and sellers simultaneously, negotiate, and then purchase all in the same place, which saves an enorrnous amount of time."

In May 2013, its beta site was test- ed with select customers and mills, and the newly updated platform went live this past June.

Unlike past trading platforms, Woodbrowser recreates the current sales process, allowing a buyer to simply choose the products they are looking to purchase, and instantly send that quote request to multiple mills and brokers. The user interface allows for both sides of the transaction to offer, receive, and negotiate pricing all on one screen, with the buyer seeing the actual cost from the mill or seller plus a flat fee based on the per-1,000-bd.-ft. cost of the lumber.

The platform also provides valuable feedback including current market data, the rank of the offer, and average offer price, which is information that has never been offered to either party in the current marketplace. Purchasers and sellers can also find all of their purchase orders and past quotes all in the same place.

"Our team also understands that the industry thrives on information about movements within the market, which is why we share real-time updates on the market via our website, through customer emails, and by multiple daily conversations with producers and purchasers," Gaede added. "More importantly, we work with all of our customers the way they want to do business. While some purchasers are interested in sourcing their lumber online, others are not which is why we will continue to trade traditionally via phone and email for as long as our customers request."

Benjamin Moore Opening West Goast DC

Benjamin Moore & Co. will open a new 375000-sq. ft. distribution center early next year in Oakland, Ca. The company's first Silver LEEDcertified operation, the DC will serve retailers and distributors in the western U.S. and-in time-the Asia Pacific region.

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Platforms: Web

Users can quickly and easily select the most appropriate and costeffective joist hanger for their projects based on the type of installation, type and size of lumber and loads using a new web app from Simpson StrongTie.

The easy-to-use interface enables users to quickly select the members and configuration for their desired connection, and print the results. The app is accessible from any web browser and doesn't require downloading or installing special software. It was developed after receiving feedback from engineers who appreciated the functionality of SST's Connector Selector software, but asked for an easily accessible, webbased version.

By Kim Seeling Smith