etitive ligence The lace to be: the wave

the proposition "had ahvays been in the back of my mind, though it had never been a [familyl requirement. It gets in your blood. But until that fateful phone call, I'd previously given it no thought."

The clincher: "No matter rvhat. you can't beat working for yourself."

horv rve ahvays did things to horv we needed to do them." he declares. "On day one. I sat down and took a look at the industry and. more important. our immediate area."

The first item on his agenda was to revamp the shorvroom. a soft freshening that expanded it from I.000 to 2.500 sq. ft. "Everything had been behind counters. so the contractors weren't able to put their hands on it. That rvorked in the old days. when they came in for coffee and to trade stories. but not norv. I opened it up to shorv products."

And he brought in nerv product lines-items like porver tools and fasteners to better suit the needs ofgeneral contractors. "l also expanded our mechanical and chemical products. added portable cement mixers and tools." he says.

trrATHER knows best. rve rvere .a' instructed in the long-running TV sitcom of the Fifties. And for many years, Rob Szafraniec's father-owner of Cragin Industrial Supply Co., Chicago, Il.-did, indeed, knorv horv best to run his business. as did his own father and grandfather before him in this northwestern, blue-collar section of the city. But in recent years, Cragin's well-established niche as an industrial supplier began to crumble as many manufacturing accounts moved out of town.

Rob had left the aisles where he'd filled in as a high-school kid to complete a degree in mechanical engineering and carve out a lucrative career in engineering sales. "l loved itl I rvas very successful," he states.

Yet. when out of the blue he received a phone call from his folks mentioning that they were considering selling the business, you know what he said? "Wait a minute. Maybe rve should sit down and talk."

You guessed it: He took over the operation in late l999, admitting that

He quit his sales job and came back home. armed rvith a five-year strategic plan to reposition the business and spur flagging sales. "The industry rvas changing so much. and in particular in our area. so that rvas the discussionhorv to redevelop ourselves, which is ahvays hard on family." he allorvs. "Today rve've come full-circle." once again actively courting the consumer trade, "but it's been a pretty long road. My great-grandfather started it as a neighborhood retail store." but as the 'hood lost housing to manufacturing sites. "rve became a supplier to industrial/commercial contractors. It got to the point where rve actively deterred retail by adding a certain dollar minimum for orders."

Since taking over. Rob has remodeled the store to attract a wider range of contractors and then, yes, remodeled a second time to rvelcome back the retail crowd. "One of the biggest obstacles rve faced rvas changing from

More important. he culled his list of vendors. "In many cases. rve had multiple vendors for the same item. whatever was the flavor of the day that came in the door. There rvas no direction to it. and for a long time. that didn't really matter. But these days. you really need a true identity." he swears. "Norv. we really pick our core vendors. going for strong brand-name recognition. We're partnering. we're developing relationships. And rve tightened up on purchasing. rvhich rvas a big part of our initial success. (By the end of 2001. sales had grorvn l0%.) With our customers. we've learned to say 'no' a bit more-to be smarter about horv we use our time."

A little dead wood on his staff of l4 rvas left to fall away. but most were eager to embrace the changes. Rob also hired a couple of nerv outside salespeople to expand customer service and spread the rvord that Cragin had repositioned to serve the general contractor. Sales to the pros continued to grow and stabilize the operation.

"We u,crc alrr'avs prctt,v- tcchsav vy'. alri ay s \ cr) strong." Rob sa1's. but cvcn herc. thcrc rr,as roont 1or irnltlovcnrent. Hc stlcunrlinecl thc back office: he irnplcrncntccl bar-cclclc scannirts. tightcr invcnlor\ contlols. accoulrt rccolcl ing. ancl aulornatecl orclcring. "Norv rvc coulcl leallr, ri,atclt our tLlfns."

Mar-gi ns nreanrvhi lc rnli ntairred thcir I'rcllthy.10% lcvel. "Wc nevcr *'crc the chcalt -sr"n': \\,c \\,on't scll on price." Rob insists. "Wc'rc crtntpctitir,c. but uc don't trt 1o bcirt Honrc Dcpot" on stickels. But he's u.a1 aheacl of thern ri ith the proclLrct knou lcclge ancl custorncr scrv ice hc provitlcs plu:. l'r'ce .lclir. t'_r. ('\ e tl il) thcsc rlal's ol' sclf-conrbustirrq l'Ltcl costs. Dcspitc tr.r,o I)cpots. u l-one's. iincl a Menarcl's n,ithirr u nrilc or trvo. [.tc's not conccr-rtcd. "'l-here's no othel inclepcndcnt arouncl." hc ltoints out. "\(). n()t thlrt krrrtl ()l l)rc\\Ute.

Thc only constiu)t in Rob's stratcgic plan is thc constaltt nccrl t() changc. "Thr-cc )cars ago. rrc lorlkccl at ourselvcs again. 'l'hc c()ntractor sidc was qoins strong. srl ri,c lookcd at thc ncighborhoorl. Fire lcurs back. it t'as prcttl' nlLrlh vundalisln ancl thcli bl Itlitcre rs in thc storc. sO ri c tunrecl ru w al fro rn let a il. B trt it's ch a n s inq. The cit-v.' rlid a lot to clcan up thc area. Artcl akrns the ncu' Mctrotrack ncalb1,. clevclopcls iirc builcling conrlos. u,hich arc attracting YLrppics. So rvc saicl to oursel','cs. 'lf rve'rc cvcr going to ckr it. rvc'd bettcr clo it nuw. ahe-ad of the \\'uve not plav catch-up.'

''Wc'lc becn u Do it Best rtrcntbcr for 2-5 1'cars. so tlrev hclpccl us krok at thc ri,holc rctail thing. We Lrnclcrttxrk a u, hole ncu' sltorvroonr rcnor,irtion. a pro.jcct that exlrilndccl sytacc front 1.50( ) lo (r..5o[) rq. lt. - it c\\e r)! c. il t l-rolc ncw buildinS. u,here pcople cun rcadily lincl tltc proclucts thcl ri ant orr tlrcil on n. Wc adtlccl huncllcds ol' SKUs ancl a hulc ncw paint dcpalt nient. We knc* *c nccrlcd a POS slstcnr. too. Belirrc. for rctail. it r.,oulcl takc so long to ring Lr1t. so \\'c strcalnlinccl it: u'c hacl to ckl it to ntakc thc rctail tracle pat ol'f-anil. it's nice to liavc son.rc cash bLlsiness to hcllt cash llot,."

"We'r'c lircLrsin-g r)t()rc olt thc retail sicle. I'ct wc're l)o[ rnovirrg au,av tirln ()ur contnrct0rs." Ilob insists. "sirnltlf' strertgthcnins thc lctail ancl kccpine r)Ul fXi:littr: eotttl.itr'l()l' ilclll\. jLl\l blcnding tl.rcnr in. Alreatlr,. thntush t'olcl of ntoLlth. there's lrccn a r e 11 hcalthr incrcusc o1' n alk-ins. But it's

Irclping oLrr cristin.l coltlractors. too. Thcv'rc tclling us" 'I ncr,cr kncri, yuu curricd....' And ne just lcalnetl that there w'ill bc a 150 hrtmc rlcveloltntcnt coirt,'risht in acloss thc strcet."

Hcrc's the skill sct he counts nrost vital: "Kccp vour eYCs oltcn and sta; ahcad. Talk to pcoplc uncl scc rr'lrat's goinu on. l'l.ris busincss is all ntalketbasr-d. so kno* rr ho vour cust()ntcr is." ancl it's celtlirrlv not inclustliul ln\ nrorc. I)rocltLirr-rs Rob ri ith conficle'ncc: "Wc nraclc the right tlccisiurr live vcals ugo. clclinitcll l We'rc ahclcl ol' thc n'ave." Right rvhcre hc Ioves to slrrf.

.\ f ortrtct tltunl'virrrrirt.q LIIM trtrtlc rtttt!tt,itte t'tlitttr. ( ttr Itt \\'(tI(l(ntIIt wri|(.\ fiLtlrrtttllr ttrt tltc irttltr.lr\'. ('ont(r(! lt(r ut ( \t uId('iltdt'(t It1It.t t .( ()|Il.

Here's a true mark of brand loyatty: Our custome's tt.]': :o Sc::-- it: everything from DougLas frr Lumber and veneeI to prs-rsron .'-g I L'e':] !','- s :l -:l and Laminated concrete forms. Think they knov,'SOr-retl' .g i'!- t:^:l

Betterface facts: Across the board, our precision-engineered LVL products are a straighter, stronger and ftat-out smarter choice for fascia, soffits and other finish work.

Manufactured with a high-grade Dougtas firface, Socomi Lam@ is edge seaLed and doub[e primed on face and edges for an incredibLy durabLe board with a rough-textured appearance.

For an exceptionatty smooth, defect-free appearance, our C[ear Lam@ boards are face and edge-wrapped with a high-quaLity MD0 and then factory primed for easy finishing.

Whichever one you choose, you'lL aLways get a consistentLy straight, f[at and true board that resists warping and sptitting, reduces on-site prep time and enhances topcoat performance. They're avaiLabte in a wide range of sizes, and each piece is 100 percent useabLe. We even back them up with a 10-year Limited warrantV.

Give us a cal[. We'l.l start you off to a better finish

R:rrrrrrs

BMC West has acquired Jolley Building Supply, Shelley, Id.

Oak Creek Ace Hardware has been opened in Naches, Wa., by Brad Christianson, who operates two other Ace stores

Hubbard's Ace Hardware,Medford, Or., closed after 122 years

Las Palmas True Value, Carson, Ca., plans to relocate this month after 52 years to make way for a city redevelopment project

Ace Hardware has been opened by Andy Carlson in Denver, Co.

Kosier's True Value Hardware, Peoria, Az., is liquidating after 8l years with the retirement of Jim Kosier

Home Depot opened new stores Aug. 31 in N. Aurora and N. Lakewood, Co., and Aug. 3 in Vernon, B.C. ...

Home Depot projects a January completion of a 140,000-sq. ft. store in Corvallis. Or.; paid $75 million for a 20-acre site near Playa Vista, Ca., containing a 350,000-sq. ft. warehouse it will lease to a "distribution and retailtype tenant" for the next three to five years; closed its store in Covina, Ca., and has begun construction on a new store in nearby Azuza,to open lateZ00T ...

Home Depot will spend an additional $3.5 billion to repurchase outstanding shares, bringing the buvback toral to $17.5 billion: is reviewing the compensation package for president, chairman and c.e.o. Bob Nardelli, following complaints by shareholders; cut 300 jobs at Atlanta, Ga., Hq. to offset costs for customer service and store improvements, and plans to hire I O00 new store associates with specialty, skilled trade, and pro contractor backgrounds

Lowe's Cos. opens new stores Oct. 24 in Bullhead City, Az.; Pasco, Wa., and Tulare, Ca., and Oct. 17 in Redding, Ca.

Lowe's unveils new locations early next year in Escondido and Mira Loma, Ca.; is seeking approval to build a 124,000-sq. ft. store with 25,000-sq. ft. garden center in South San Francisco, Ca., and a 140,000-sq. ft. unit in Manteca, Ca.; is considering building a store in Vallejo, Ca., and expects a December completion of a new DC in Lebanon, Or.

Main Building Supply, Rogue River, Or., won the mayor's award for property beautification

Wrorrsnrrs/tmurrcurrrs

All-Coast Forest Products, Inc.. Cloverdale, Ca., is adding a custom coating operation this fall at its Englewood, Co., DC, prestaining lumber with a full line of Cabot premium woodcare products; custom color matching and other premium quality stains will be offered on request; if the test is successful, prestaining will likely be added at other locations

Cooley Forest Products, Phoenix, Az., added two new storage sheds and a fourth moulder in its milling facility Cooley Reload, Phoenix, recently secured its motor carrier number for its fleet of 15 trucks, enabling intrastate and interstate hauling

Sunset Forest Products opened a sales office in Eugene, Or., staffed by Ron Gross, Tim Larson, Doug Little, and Jim White ...

Vantage Controls, Orem, Ut., has been acquired by Legrand

Ttuxo Building Products has redesigned the Web sites for EverGrain and Elements decking (www.evergrain.com, www.elementsdecking.com), improving usability and expanding content

Lafarge North Amcrica acquired Sun State Rock & Materials Corp., Phoenix, Az.; C.R. Herro becomes general mgr. of Lafarge's aggregate operations in Arizona; Sun State co-founder Larry Walker remains as market development mgr....

Ready Mix, Inc. opened a new ready-mix concrete batch plant site in SW Phoenix, Az. ...

Buck Parsons Sales, Missoula, Mt., is the new sales agent for Vistamatic Vision Panels in ldaho, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah, and D&M Specialties, Moreno Valley, Ca., will cover California, Nevada, and Hawaii

Quiet Solutron, Sunnyvale, Ca., will have its soundproofing products distributed east of the Mississippi by Parksite PlunkettWebster...

National Wood Prodzcfs. Los Angeles, Ca., is now distributing Samsung's Staron Quartz in Southern California

ABC Supply, BMC West, Boise Engineered Wood Products, Janus Hardie, Simpson Strong-Tie, Dow Chemical, and Elk Group received Partners of Choice awards from David Weekley Honus ...

Boise Engineered Wood Products was named 2006 vendor of the year by 84 ltmber

Bonsal American was named True Value's LBM Supplier of the Year...

Canyon Creek Cabinet Co., Monroe, Wa., won Best Kitchen and Best of Show in Seattle's Street of Dreams development of six custom homes

Tomboy Tools, Denver, Co., hopes to raise $600,000 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation by selling special "Pink for a Purpose" hammers

Housing starts in August fell 6-OVo to a seaonally adjusted annual rate of I .665 million single family starts were down 5.97o to a 1.36-million pace regionally, starts dropped 55% in the West permits slippd2.3vo.

1-l.rtlli(.1 tttt'oftt'tt sttlttttiltctl ttt()ttllt\ itt rtdrttrtLt. \lrrrtti ttit/r iltttt.stttttl l0tttli0ttstritllslt,tnsrtt lttlr\L DtLtl.itt:l\l(it1\lt)rtll(ttt!

0crosrn

\Iountain States l.urnber .t Building \laterial l)ealers .\ssociation - Oct. l2-l-1. tlll cotrlcrctret'. Ilcrtrct l{ttlt Re'.or1. Brt'ckc'rtrirlgc'. ('o.: t8(X)t -16-i o9 19.

Honre Inrprorement. Renrotleling & l)ecorating Shorr - Oct. l-1-15. South Tounc I:rpo:ition (crttct. SrLit l-.rkc ('itr. Lt.: (S0())-18-5-7.1t)i).

I)o It llest Corp. - Oct. l-l-17. tnrtrkcl. Intlirittrtpoli'. Irt.: rl(r{ tr 7-+lt 5.r(x)

,\ssociation of \lillgork I)istributors - Oct. l5-19. iinrrrlrl !()rl\ cnlion. Grupcr irtc.'l'r.: t 7li 1 -lll-.i66.;

Remodeling Slrou - Oct. l9-21. l-rLkeri.lc ( ctrtct. ('itie:Lrr,. Il.: ( E00 ) 6ii I -6970.

\\'estern \\'ood Preserrers Institute - Oct. 22-2-i. llnttlirl rlrc.l ing. Rcrai:sunec El:nt.'raldii Rcsolt & Sltli. Intlilrn \\ cll'. ('u.: (E(X))7li)-966.r.

\ational [,unrber & I]uilding \latcrial l)ealers \ssociatioltOct. 26-2ti. intlurtrr \Llnlrit. \\ c:tin Kicr'lurl(l Rc\r)r't .\ SltlL. Scoltsdale .\2.. tli(l0 t 6-l-l-E6-+-i.

Las \egas Honre Improventent & l)ecorating Shos - Oct. 2729. CashttlLn Ficld Ccnlct.I-a. \'c-r1.. \r.. lS(rhr Ss.] ()()(r5.

Scottsdale Honre & Interior l)esisn Shrn - Oct. 27-29. \\ c.t \\'or'lcl. Scottstlalc. .\2.: ( E( X) ) 764-.r9r().

Hong Kong Harduare ct Honre Ilnprorcnre nt Shou - Oct. l730. Hong Kong: tl I I I 8-lfi-fi6llS.

\\'indog rt Door ]lanul'acturers.\ssttciution - Oct. l7--lI. tcchnical nrcctin!:. La\ \ !-!a\. \r.: tli(X)t ll-1 l.l()l

San Diego Hoo-Hoo CIub - Oct.2tl. grrlt t()unlrinrcrtl.l ltc \ irt.' r;rttl lrl I:.tLrtttlttlrr. [:'.r,ltt:trj,'. ( .1 -/rlr --14 -]-.1.

.\I'}.\-l'he F-ngintrrt'tl \\ rxrd \ssttciation - Oct. lfi--11. .,:rr:.,.,. llectilt-{ .\ a\llll.ttl,,1. \.11 \lrit\11(i. I r.. l: I I iF\5-Ar.r rr

.\nrericitn .\rchitcctural \litttttlattttrtrr \ssociltlittlt - ( )ct. l()'

\or. l. nrlr,in.rl l.rll nrr.llt::. l\\ \1.,:-;,,i' l{.'.r'11. | .;. \.'-.,..

\r rlJ-, .it t-i-irrrr l

llovrmsrR

I.os \ttgeles Hartlrrood l.uttthtrtttan's ( lub - \or. l. -:;:

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\orth .\nrerican lluilding \latcrill l)irlribrrtirrn \rsociitlirtn -

\<lr. 3-J. :lJtltLlirl !Lrrl\.111j,r11. ( ):.l.rrl.:,,. I I :'r -..- -r/"

\\ood l)esign & lluilding I'-rpo - \or. (r-fi. \:r.,irirt:r \1.,r'r,':1. .\p.rltcilt. (,,, rll, rr-.r__i\;r.

.fl-('Lire Slrou - \or.7-l{1. \\.,-:"1--l,irt \i.,ir (,,::..:tlr,,rt \ 'I I:L.jc ( cllte: S.''rltj. \\ .1 ri tl | -/' I --lr'/ l.unrbrr .\ssociation ol ( :rlilirrlriir & \tr:t(lit - \o\ . S- | l. :LItttLl:Ll i,,tlr('rtii()lt. H].rll (il.rtl.l ( 11.11111-1,,11.11..,,::. ll:.1;.,:: \\ .'11.. ( 1r.. r \|( | r 16rr l.i-.i'-!

[-.S. (irten Ituildiltg ( orrncil\or. li-l(1. ::i.r] '.::..lrrr: \:','. l)c.lr\tr'.( rr,l|I, \l\ I 1i-:.

\\ estern Iluiltlirrg \latcrial \sroe iittirttt - \ttr S- | L .rrtrr.r.,r sirlt\i'ltlirrr). Ili.l I r,,l l{,,1.,. \..,tt1.. \\.r lt.tr Lt-.i .ili\orth .\nrerican \\ holrralt l-ttntltcr \ssociation - \or. 9-l l. {fir(lcr'\ rttirfkil. \\ rrt.ilt.rrtt \rr.,t,,1, [{,,:,',. I).r...r.. I i . r

I)istribution .\rntrica - \or. l l- 1J. \.. lrir'. - i'1.,r::::: -,,r"- rcltec. l-:t ( 1r.1.1 f{.'.r,11 \ \1r... ( .,'1.r..r.:. ( ., : \-- l"r .l_, Specialtl 'l'ool & I"itslttttrs I)istrilltltorr \ssociatiott - \rtr. l-1-l5..ltr,r.i.L' \.1.r'.\r st rr r' lii '!r\l lllack Ilart Hoo-lIort ( ltth - \or. 15. ;rr:l:..: '::. I

C-llc. I kr:L]t. ( .1 r-i l- -rr' l-i rt t

Iluilding Industrr Sltou - \or.l(r-17. \r.,i..rr (

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