Competitive Intelligence

(Continued from page I8) such as fliers, to draw new accounts, and sponsors in-store how-to sessions (faux painting to deck building) to keep 'em coming back. And during the town's annual Cherry Blossom Festival, the company sponsors a booth, with demos of techniques and coupons. "We like to get our name out," Megan astutely notes.

But the most effective tool to turn first-timers into repeats is customer service. "People come in with lots of questions, don't know where to begin-and our staff has the knowledge they're looking for," she says. "We send them to courses everywhere, from Kansas City to Tulsaanything to help keep up with the times. That's a large part of our business. We know people's names; we visit with them.

Maybe that's a sign of a woman at the helm. But, a la Rodney Dangerfield, it can be hard to get respect. "Sometimes it is," Megan admits with a chuckle. "A few guys will say, 'l'll just wait and talk to Joe.' (You see them in the plumbing department, completely lost, but they're not about to ask.) Yet we have so many women working here that our regular customers just laugh. Those guys have leamed that we know what we're doing."

Any grief over being the boss' daughter? "It isn't too bad," she allows. "I don't just sit around."

And what about the fifth generation? Megan is grooming her l0year-old son, who's already got a broom in his hands and checks orders on the store's computers. "Right now, he says ,'yes,"' says Megan. "We'll see."

- A former ah,ard-winning LBM trade maga1ine editor, Carla Waldemar writes frequently on the lumber and building material industry. Contact her at cwal dema r @ mn. r r.com.

BC WOOD hosted a GlobalBuyers Mission Sept. 15-17 in Whistler, B.C. (1) Canadian Economic Minister of Trade Stephen Owen, BC Wood president Roy Manion. (2) Peter Elkington, Tina Appler, Bob Elkington, Shane Carphin. (3) David Hughes, Kiyo Hagiwara, Stephen Chen. (4) Brittany Mowat, Tammy Huston, Barbara Mowat, Kandice Johnson. (5) David Hampton, Steve Lynn. (6) Charline & Garcy Ellickson. (7) Lorena Christensen, Thom Wright. (8) Daryl Holmes, Agatha Alstrom. (9) Brian

TnB Mnncnanr Macazrr,sn OcroeEn 2005

2005 GLOBAL Buyers Mission (continued from previous pages)drew purchasers Jrom around the world to discover new sources of wood fiom Canadian manufacturers. (1) Doug Carl, Tony Pistilli, Canadian Minister of Forests Doug Konkin, Chrib Pistilli (2) Dave [lcGuire, Juan-Carlos Munoz. (3) Dgv.q & Laverne Holland. (4) Pat Thiessen, Ranjit Canagaratnam, Debbie Northorp. (5) Norma Reader, Steve Roscoe, Kevin Beav-eridge. (6) Aldy_Dtury, Pete Hilton. (7 Takesan Fukuda, Yoshi Nakano, Yang H.S., Hiro Takane, Kevin Lainchbury. (8) Dave McGuire, Tom Taggart, [iarcia Browne, Lisa LePage. (9) Paul Dauphinee, Norm Starling. (i0) Graham Savage,tludley Glid-den, Barb Touchie, Ted Taggart. Brand-on' Harvey. (1 1) Judson Beaumont, RandiWalker, Daryle Holmes. (12) Rob Cook, Dwighi Smith, Geoff Johnstone. (13) Bryan Reed, Ken Duies. 1il1 Rick Buchdls, Bob Holm, Brian Hawrysh. (15) Roberto Flores, Genaro Garcia, Francisco Perezgavilan, Juan-Carlos Munoz, Agustin Puente Cardenas.

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LEWIS COUNTY Forest Proo.rcts reld an open ^ouse Aug.26 at stster mill Mason County Forest Products, Shelton, Wa (1)Jim Page, Denny Miller (2) Jim Talley. Parm Sanghera. Paul Cheatham, Stu Beltesworth, Howard Raff (3) Scott Karch, Bill Simmons. (4) Phil Judson, Guy Stolzenburg. Rich Halsten, Jeff Brady. (5) Blake Salamon, Michael Lortz. (6) Matt Miller, Ken Mil er. (7) Marv Faughender, John Nebel, Mark Nebel. (8) Lola & Bob Axelson, Matt Matayoshi. (9) Fred Nyman, Tom Leeds. (10)

Michael Seeds, Rex Klopfer, AlLan Hurd. Rick Deen. (11)John Lindberg, Bruce Stuwe, Rusty Hampton, Raymond Cheung. (12) Stan Doi, Bill Dahms, Greg Hillier (13) Calvin Dumonceaux. Dick Komori, Phil Johnson. (1a) Mike Fish, David Weed (15) Patrck Raymond, Bruce Carver. (16) Chuck Chambers, Lyle Barker, David Stroble, (17) Paul Owen, Dustin Cundif{. Chad Cund ff (More photos on next two pages) house f or Lewis County (continued from previous naoe)

(l) George Caie, Doug Nielson, Norm Schaaf. (2) Ron Liebelt, Dennis Buttice, Steve Kimery.

(3) Peter & Laura

Howe. (4) Harry

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WE TREAT WOOD RIGHT... QUALITY PRESSURE i TREATED WOOD

RBOLT wOOn TnnArtXC

Treating Services Only (TSO)

ACQ . Chemonite (ACZA) . CA-B

Borates (SBX) CCA . D-Blaze (FRT)

Custom Millwork - Patterns in Softwoods & Hardwoods - Custom Runs of Paint Grade

Poplar Mouldings a Specialty

Mouldings - Siding - Trim Pieces

Wholesale Lumber - Redwood - Uppers

Douglas Fir - Pine - Hardwoods - Western Red Cedar

Staining (Browntone) Custom Cutting

' Rail Siding (BNSF)

Container Loading

Drying Services Heat Treating

Ag Products, Guard Rail, Engineered Products, Large Timbers

Poles, Plywood, Lumber & Cooling Tower Material

CBNrnAr- CAr.rronNtl Loc,q,rroN 3400 Patterson Rd. (P.O. Box 890), Riverbank, Ca.95367 (800) 826-8709. Fax 20e-86e-4663 thunderboltwood@yahoo.com

S,lcnlnpnro. Ca.. Sa,lns Orncp

1400 Orchard Hollister, CA 95023

(831) 636-3399 . Fax 831-636-3335

Bob Palacioz, Sale slMarketing Manager (9 16) 402-3248. bobpalacioz@ sbcglobal.net

Dean Swanson. 80. co-founder of Superior Lumber (now Swanson Group), Glendale, Or., died Sept. 19 in Grants Pass, Or.

Mr. Swanson and his brothers established the company's mill in 1951. Today, the Swanson mill employs 400 and is the only mill left in Glendale.

He visited the mill for the last time Friday, Sept. 16. Until he suffered a stroke two months ago, he still came to work four to five times a week, despite being confined to a wheelchair for the last several years due to multiple sclerosis.

Hank Monje, 77, co-founder of Monje Forest Products, Portland, Or., died of lung cancer Aug. 26 in Sedona. Az.

Mr. Monje and his son Jim founded the company in early 1983 to ship building materials to Hawaii and other Pacific islands.

After he moved to Sedona, he continued to work from home on a few of his favorite accounts.

Dan Hogan. 78. lormer vice president of the distribution business of Boise Cascade Corp., Boise, Id., died Sept. 2 in Boise.

Mr. Hogan joined Boise Cascade in 1948 and worked there 38 years before retiring in 1986. Under his direction. the company grew to nine wholesale and 100 retail operations.

Jerry Williams, former co-owner of Valley Bestway, Spokane, Wa., died July l8 in Spokane.

In 1934. Mr. Williams went to work for the Horsely Brothers Lumber Co. in Spokane. ln 1942, he joined Boise Payette Lumber Company, Payette, Id., as assistant manager. One year later, he transferred to Wendell, Id., as a branch manager for the company.

In 1948, he opened his own lumber store in Wendell. He sold the store to Boise Cascade Corp. in 1955 and joined Boise as an employee. He transferred to Spokane, Wa., in 1959 as district manager of all Boise's retail yards in eastern Washington.

In 1968, he and two partners purchased Beltway Building Center from Boise and renamed it Valley Bestway. A new truss plant was added in 1969.

Mr. Williams retired in 1982 and served six years-two as chairmanon the Spokane County Planning Commission.

Wayne Anderson, 89, founder of Woody's Olympia Lumber & Millwork Co., Olympia, Wa., died Aug. 26 in Olympia.

He founded the business in 1950, which became one of the first truss manufacturing facilities in the state. In 1979, he sold the business and retired, but assumed control a year later when the new owner had problems. In 1985, he sold the company to Bayview Building Materials.

As a county commissioner for Thurston County, Wa., during the 1980s, Mr. Anderson helped establish building and land usage codes. He was also a member of the Western Building Materials Association for more than 40 years.

Richard 56Dick" Eymann, 86, former personnel manager at Weyerhaeuser's Springfield, Or., mill and a former state legislator, died Sept. 26 in Springield.

Mr. Eymann served as an airman in the South Pacific during World War II. After the war. he returned to Dartmouth College for his MBA and then moved to Everett, Wa., to work as a payroll clerk at Weyerhaeuser. When Weyerhauser opened its Springfield mill in 1949,he was pro(Please turn to page 63)

Industrial Wood Products Sales

Universal Forest Products is seeking an experienced industrial salesperson for the company's Riverside, Ca., facility. Candidates must have comprehensive knorvledge of industrial sales processes. We need a highly motivated, self'-starter, willing to do what it takes to land new business in a fast-paced competitive environment. Generous salary and benefit package commensurate with knowledge, experience and ability. If you are interested in joining what Forbes magazine calls "One of America's best managed companies." please e-mail your resume to Tim Gaffney at tgaflney@ufpi.com or Fax to 951-826-3013. All replies will be kept strictly confidential. Universal is an equal opportunity employer.

Hardwood Sales Manager

Established So. California hardwood distribution yard with on-site milling operation seeks Sales Manager. Duties include sales, supervision of sale: staff. assisting management in attainment of sales goals. Must be experienced and highly motivated. Generous compensations and benefits package. Email resume to hardwoodsales@sbc global. net.

Rates: 20 words for $25, additional words $l each. Phone number counts as one word. address as six. Headline or centered copy, $8 per line. Private box or special border, $8 each. Column inch rate: $50 camera-ready, $60 if we set the type. Send ad copy to Merchant Magazine, 4500 Campus Dr., Ste.480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660,Fax949-852-0231, dkoenig@building-products.com, or call (949) 852-1990. Make checks payable to Cutler Publishing. Deadline for copy: lSth ofthe previous month.

To reply to ads with private box numbers, send correspondence to The Merchant Magazine, c/o the box number shown. Names of advertisers using a box number cannot be released.

Store/merchandise front facing for viewing or left to right for product selectivity

Sotre stock in the warehouse or display windows in the showroom A n rSoo-992-2824

-KRAUTER STORAGE SYSTEMS www. krauter-storage.com