ryNm

Also this yedr!

- The Produds & Seruices EXPO during the opening night's re ceptio n w iII feature disployers in o relaxed social setting

- GOLF is optionol for Thursdoy morning ot the top-rated lndian Wells Golf Resort.

- The annual business meeting and reports of the WCLBMA

- Breakfast, lunch and dinner ond receptions

- Enjoy the luxurious Miromonte Resort & Spa ot speciol convention rotes

Contact Jean Henning at WCIBMA for more information on Sponsorships/Exhibition and general registration at ieanh@f umberassociation.org or 8OO1266434,/..

Registration materials are also in all association publications and on the website at www. lumberassociation,org.

Helping people shop local and paying employees a living wage-both of these tactics brought success to a hardware dealer in the nation's capital.

"I think it's important to bring customer-friendly, home-maintenance shops back to Main Street," says Gina Schaefer, co-owner of A Few Cool Hardware Stores. "I am a firm believer in the concept of the mom and pop shop."

Back in 2003, Schaefer and her husband, Marc Friedman, purchased a fixer-upper apartment in the Logan Circle area of Washington, D.C., but there were no hardware stores in the neighborhood. After some research, they signed up with Ace Hardware and opened a store in the neighborhood. Today, they own nine stores in D.C. and nearby Baltimore, Md. And on Aug. 15, the original Logan Circle location moved to a larger, 10,000-sq. ft. space down the street.

"We really love owning these stores and are so pleased that from the first month, local people embraced us," she says. "It is clear that people want to shop locally, and we are more than happy to fill that need."

However, she freely admits that success wouldn't have been possible without the help of dedicated employees who are well trained, treated with respect, and paid more than minimum wage.

"Paying fair wages helped our business grow fast to nine stores and nearly 200 employees-even as our economy suffered a terrible economic downturn," she says. "Paying better wages helps us attract and retain good employees, increase sales, expand our business, and hire more employees."

Schaefer also believes in supporting the local economy and encouraging creative entrepreneurship. That's why she launched a Made in D.C. program two years ago and a Made in Maryland program last year.

"We love the idea of sourcing products locally, and we know our customers do, too,o' she says. "It is our responsibility as a local business to provide these opportunities for vendors and promote economic growth in the community."

Schaeffer also works closely with Jubilee Jobs, a D.C. organization that offers counseling, retraining, and job placement, to give people what she calls second chances. "The result is that we help people-whether that means selling them a wrench to fix the toilet or finding a job so they can get off welfare or drugs. I figure if I don't do it, who will? It seems like a good way to run a company."

Fasco America [www.fascoamerica.com]....,.,.............................41

Fontana Wholesale Lumber [fontanawholesalelumber.com].....51

GRK Fasteners [www.grkfasteners.com].......,..................,.,........49

Huff Lumber Co, Humboldt Redwood [www.getredwood.com] ...........................,..19

Jaaco Corp. [www,jaaco.com]..........................................,..,.,....,.,36

Jones Wholesale Lumber [wwwjoneswholesale.coml ..............24

Keller Lumber .................,...........42

Kop-Coat [www.kop-coat.com] 7

Matthews Marking Products [www.matthewsmarking.com] ......47

Maze Nails [www.mazenails.coml

Mendocino Forest Products [www.mfp,coml .,.,...,,.,.,.,..,.,,.........19

Norman Distribution Inc, [www.normandist.com].......................39

North American Wholesale Lumber Association [nawla.org] ......3

NyloBoard [www.nyloboard.com]

PrimeSource Building Products [www.primesourcebp.com],.,.45

Reliable Wholesale Lumber Inc. [www.rwli.com] ........................37

Roseburg Forest Products [www.roseburg.com] .......................27

Royal Pacific Industries.....,.. ...............................41

RoyOMartin [www.royomartin.com].,...,.,.........................,.C0ver lV

Screw Products [www.screw-products.com] ,...,.........................26

Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com]..............................28-29

Siskiyou Forest Products [siskiyouforestproducts.com]......,.,..31

Snavely Forest Products [www,snavelyforest.com],.,.....,.Cover ll

Swanson Group Sales Co. [www.swansongroupinc.com].........25

TruGrain [tru-grain.com]

TruWood-Collins [www.truwoodsiding.com] ........................1 6A.8

Universal Forest Products [www.ufpedge,com]............................8

West Coast Lbr. & Bldg. Mtl. Assn. Iumberassociation.org]..,..53

Westech Building Products [tru.grain.com] ................................45

Western Forest Products [www.westernforest.com] ...........,.....11

Western Red Cedar Lumber Assn. [www,wrcla,org].............11, 23

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