Septoct2013scouting

An ALLPRO® Publication VOL. 23, ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2013

by: Scott Morath

ALLPRO Stockholder Meeting September is upon us, which means there are only a few weeks of summer remaining before we usher in what many of us hope are the cooler temps of autumn. Hopefully the increase in business we’ve seen up to this point will remain steady through the upcoming fall season and we (members and supplier partners alike) will finish the year strong. However, before I get too ahead of myself, there’s still a lot of selling left to do and at least one major event on the calendar for this year – the ALLPRO Stockholder Meeting.

This year’s meeting, which was officially announced just a few weeks ago, will be held at the Westin Hilton Head, Hilton Head Island, SC from Thursday, October 24th through Saturday, October 26th. We will only be able to accept registrations for this event up until Monday, September 30th. Whether you’re a member stockholder, one of our invited exhibiting suppliers, or just want to attend the Friday night reception, which is open to all supplier partners, please be sure to sign up by this date.

to use this time to talk business, place orders, and see the variety of new ALLPRO brand products that are available. New ALLPRO brand products include the Deck Wash/Strippers from Sunnyside, SRT Series brushes and microfiber mini rollers from Premier Paint Roller, OTC compliant clear finishes from Richard’s Paint, the new Titanium premium tape and Blue Tape with Pro-Line technology from IPG, painter’s plastics from Frost King, poly sheeting from Petoskey Plastics, and more.

Please note: ALLPRO will be offering a cash SPIFF on any order that includes ALLPRO brand products.

A sheet will be provided in the member folders that can be redeemed at the ALLPRO table.

After exhibits the members will break for lunch and then go into the ALLPRO general session, where we will hold our annual elections and also provide an opportunity for open discussion on any industry or group-related topic that member attendees may want to address.

This year’s stockholder meeting will be busier than usual. Meaning, from the opening night’s reception to the end of the last breakout session on Saturday morning member attendees will be fully engaged.

The meeting will begin with our usual opening reception but this year’s reception will offer a twist.

This year the exhibit hall will be open for the duration of the reception. The intent is to offer members and exhibiting suppliers an opportunity to network and discuss business with each other in a much more casual setting.

Beginning at 3pm that afternoon we will host a special session tailored specifically to the Next Generation (45 and under) group. This 40 minute session will consist of a Board of Directors, Sundry Purchasing, and Decorating Products committee orientation followed by a Q&A period. A board representative and chairs of each committee will be presenting at this session. If you are part of the next generation group this will be a great opportunity to gain an understanding of how ALLPRO works and engage in open discussion with key members of ALLPRO’s leadership.

The following morning architectural coatings, ALLPRO brand exhibitors and members will meet for breakfast and afterwards we will host a more traditional period of exhibits from 8am until noon. Members will be able

There will also be several optional sessions offered by CBC, SBC (Autologue), Activant, Graco, and International Paint from 3pm – 5pm. Each vendor will (Continued on page 7)

Standing the Test of Time

Since working at Bennett’s Paint, Greg and Martha have seen their fair share of changes. In 1993, Bennett's Paint moved their store location to the north end of town, just off of Main Street. They were previously located in downtown Logan and their decision to move was motivated by a neighboring restaurant’s offer to purchase their present space. After realizing the diminishing business development in the downtown area, the Jenkins family decided to relocate the store.

The Jenkins’ were confident in the store’s relocation to Main Street regardless of the recently established Home Depot and Lowe's stores nearby. Since then, the number of businesses in the area has grown exponentially and Home Depot and Lowe's have proven to be little threat to Bennett’s Paint’s customer traffic and sales. The store is much more visible due to its close proximity to the busy main road, and Bennett’s Paint continues to acquire new customers from the surrounding area. Bennett’s Paint’s loyal customers were more than willing to commute to the store’s new location, a building which provides them more space and has helped them achieve a modern and clean aesthetic.

By Kristin Avery & Kelley Anderson

Much like precious antiques, some things become more rare and valuable over time. In today’s economy and fast changing market, the oldest and most successful businesses are the most impressive ones.

Even more impressive are the businesses that have been passed down through family generations, and continue to maintain strong values and customer loyalty. Bennett’s Paint of Logan is an ALLPRO member company that has remained successful for the last century and continues to withstand the test of time.

The history of Bennett’s Paint dates back to 1912 when Charles Jenkins opened the Logan Hardware store.

The store sold a variety of products including hardware tools, sporting goods, guns, toys and other merchandise.

In 1996 the company experienced even more changes when they decided to separate the glass side of the business from the paint retail portion to create a new store, Bennett’s Glass. Martha and Greg’s brother Ron Jenkins currently runs the glass business. The Jenkins siblings demonstrate a proclivity for the various aspects of the industry and even though Bennett’s Glass is a separate entity, the Jenkins’ are still able to keep that part of the business in the family.

Logan Hardware circa 1912

In 1926 Bennett’s Paints, a local paint manufacturer, bought Logan Hardware and Charles continued running the store until his passing in 1958.

Charles’ son Lowell took over the business that same year and in 1988 Bennett’s Paint manufacturing operation was sold to Grow Chemical Corp, now entitled Grow Group Inc. At this time, Lowell had the opportunity to buy back the store and he kept the name Bennett’s Paint owing to the name recognition and brand reputation. Lowell successfully ran the business until 2010, when he retired at the age of 85. He left the store in the capable hands of his children, Greg and Martha Jenkins.

The company continues to face more challenges including economic inflation, price increases, increase in utility costs, and increased health care cost.

Inventory cost has also risen, forcing them to be mindful of their cash flow in order to maintain their profit margin. During his years working in the paint industry, Greg has witnessed various changes in customer buying practices. He explains, "The younger generation watches a lot of Do-It-Yourself shows and will often refer to something that they saw on TV or online. Customers are also on Pinterest and will come in the store and show Pinterest ideas that they would like to recreate in their own home”.

Both Greg and Martha grew up working alongside their father in the store and Greg also worked as a professional painter for a year. Before committing to running the business, they both pursued business administration studies at Utah State University. Even though both Greg and Martha pursued other ventures at some point, they always knew they were meant to work in the paint industry and one day take over the family business.

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Greg recognized the various ways social media and technology have impacted customer’s buying methods and as a result, Bennett’s Paint has adapted to technology innovation. They have transformed their written billing process to a POS system, utilizing color matching computer software and an efficient website to help manage their business. As a result, Greg predicts the store will continue to see steady growth and increased market share. He eventually anticipates adding a second location; however, there are no established plans for the immediate future. Even though Martha is the expert color matcher at Bennett's paint and is well-known for her color matching skills, the Jenkins family is excited for the new addition of a color center with a touch screen in their store. With just the touch of a screen, customers will be able to visualize and match paint tones.

The Jenkins family also plans on dedicating and investing more time to their website and to developing a social media presence.

four events per year and have been doing so for the last seven years. The company has seen an annual turnout of around 500 people and participants receive various benefits including a free lunch and discount certificates. These events provide an avenue for customers to learn new painting tips. They also allow Bennett's Paint to acquire customer’s email addresses, enabling them to build their customer data base and keep customers informed about the next presentation and any possible promotions.

Bennett's paint will continue as a family owned and operated business in the years to come. Greg's son Ben Jenkins (5th generation) will take over ownership of the store when Greg retires. Over the last couple of years Ben has been taking on more responsibility and currently handles the purchasing and managerial side of the business. Ben has also been given the role of "technology guy,” tending to computer issues and maintenance of the company website. Ben has the advantage of ALLPRO has proven to be a valuable learning various management styles, tool to Bennett's Paint’s business. which have been passed down The company was originally a through the family generations. Ben member of MidSouth and became a shares one of the most important member of ALLPRO through the business aspects he has learned merging of the two companies. from his predecessors- Go the extra ALLPRO has helped create a strong mile for great customer service. association with other paint industry Although Ben briefly considered Bennett’s Paint of Logan Present Day professionals and has enabled pursuing a forestry profession, he Bennett’s Paint to network, leverage buying power, and soon recognized the variety of roles he could play broaden their horizons. ALLPRO’s member services within the family business, claiming, “Every day is keep Bennett’s up-to-date on all the latest industry different. There are a wide variety of jobs to do and you news and provides them the opportunity to build never get bored." contacts and connect with fellow business members.

The Jenkins family maintains a strong relationship in After all, it’s not every day that a paint store in UTAH and outside the work environment. They experience gets to talk to the President of Corona Brushes. the typical dynamic one would expect from a family Additionally, ALLPRO has helped them understand business but Greg claims, "We've always been on the effective business management techniques. One such same page when it comes to business decisions and technique Bennett’s Paint focuses on is customer get along really well. However, there is one down side appreciation efforts. Greg believes that it is important to working with your family, and that is the inability to to show appreciation to loyal customers. The most enjoy family vacations together. Someone has to stay recent way Bennett’s Paint showed their customer and watch the store at all times.” The Jenkins’ family appreciation was with the Bennett's 100 year plan to keep a strong personal bond and work ethic at anniversary event in 2012. The event included vendor the center of their core business model. Furthermore, exhibitions and special pricing offers. The company they will continue to keep looking for innovative provided food, door prizes and special anniversary techniques to carry Bennett's Paint through the next giveaways. In addition, Bennett’s Paint hosts an annual 100 years. customer appreciation dinner for over 200 loyal Some of the world’s largest corporations are family customers. They also have an appreciation luncheon owned businesses and regardless of size, all family solely for building contractors where they provide food, operated businesses face various challenges of drinks and door prizes. Greg utilizes help from various longevity and success. Bennett’s Paint is one of the vendors to plan these events and uses Co-Op dollars to select few businesses that have managed to remain offset the costs. successful over the past century. Their strong work ethic, close family relationship and ability to adapt have Bennett’s Paint also hosts class presentations as a fun proven their capability to withstand the test of time. way for customers to get involved. They host three or

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Feel Like Technology has Passed You By ?

online technology while running your paint stores may feel like holding onto the caboose of a speeding train while trying to drink a cup of hot coffee.

We’ve been listening and we’ve learned that you’ve had your own set of challenges whether it be competing against the big box stores, being impacted by the lack of new construction, or telling your story to the new generation of shoppers. The best news of all: you have each weathered the storm and are still opening your stores every day to serve hometown America, Canada, and Ireland.

By Thoughtwire Media/Directory Concepts Team Then have a look at the chart below showing how long it has taken each media (like radio or the iPhone) to gain 50 million users globally.

Media

Time to Reach 50M Global Users (years)

Radio

38 years

TV

Take a look at the research and statistics that support three ideas outlined in this article on how to gain the attention of the new generation of buyers. The following chart shows the differences between generations. Specifically, note how each generation is getting their information, which influences what they see and ultimately impacts their buying decisions.

How do the various Generations get information?

14 years

Born

Millennial or GenerationY

GenerationX

Baby Boomers

1981-2000

1965-1980

1946-1964

Internet (big online highway)

4 years

Facebook (the largest social media site on the internet)

3.5 years

US Population

86M

65M

76M

92%

95%

87%

2.8 years

Mobile Phone Users Smart Phone Users

62%

60%

42%

Mobile Internet Users

58%

59%

38%

Social Media Users

81%

67%

45%

Facebook Users

75%

59%

40%

iPhone (smart phone from Apple)

Android (operating system owned by Google and used on smart phones) Google+ (social media site on the internet)

iPad (is a tablet computer developed by Apple. It is considered a mobile device.)

Current Age Group

2 years

13-32 yrs old 33-48 yrs old 49-67 yrs old

88 days

80 days

Source: Gian Fulgoni, comScore, January 2013

Source: 6 eMarketer, How Digital Behavior Differs Among Millennials, Gen Xers and Boomers, March 21, 2013

Think about it! It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million users and it only took the iPad 80 days!

Gen X and Gen Y populations are looking online and making buying decisions in a much different way than the generations before them.

You are not alone in wondering where the heck all this technology came from so fast. In fact, it takes an entire room full of marketing experts to study “online technology” every day to stay current on new approaches to gain leads online. Keeping up with

They rely on recommendations from their friends (social media). The information above shows that finding answers is often done via their smart phones

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(Google, Yahoo and Bing local listings, local maps and online yellow pages, like www.yp.com). Following are three marketing strategies that will put your vital information in front of your new generation of consumers.

statistics show Facebook as the number two most used site for search.

As the paint experts, you need to be part of the conversation happening every day on social media.

Posting relevant information often on social media is a good way to attract a following and begin to interact with your potential new clients. For example you could post paint tips, upcoming events, event and training session photos and other promotions that are informative to your current and future customers.

Marketing Strategy #1: Control Your Information on Local Listings and Local Maps (Google Local, Yahoo! Local and Bing Local) A search is considered a “local search” when it includes what users are looking for and the specific city where he or she would like to find it, for example, Home Painting Supplies in Detroit.

Marketing Strategy #3: Utilize a Local Media Bundle (online and mobile)

Since you have invested in brick and mortar stores you are entitled to a robust listing for each of your stores on each Search Engine. Each Search Engine displays a map and listings, typically on the first page of results, showing answers to satisfy the local search.

40% of mobile searches alone are estimated to equal 12B searches annually. (Source: Search Engine Land, Analyst: Mobile To Overtake PC For Local Search By 2015, April 20, 2012)

30-40% of Google’s Mobile and Web Searches are searching for local information. (Source: Ed Parsons, Google’s Geospatial Technologist responsible for Google Earth, Google Maps and Google Maps for Mobile, Nov 2012.)

The publishers of your traditional print yellow pages, offer yellow pages online – and people are using them to find local businesses every day. Look at comScore’s Top 50 most visited websites in the US and there is AT&T’s online site, called www.yp.com.

Local Listings and a Local Map on Google

The publishers are bundling services with yellow pages online so that you can also be introduced to the new generation through Mobile Banner Ads that are displayed on mobile sites and mobile applications like Pandora and WeatherBug. By participating in these bundles, you can enjoy top placement on sites like www.yp.com as well as additional Local Listing Management on 3rd Party sites like www.superpages.com, www.citysearch.com, www.merchantcircle.com and many others.

Engage your new generations of buyers where they are searching for information and watch your sales grow!

Enhancing your marketing program by including these Online Strategies provides you the opportunity to be found on:

• Local searches (done from mobile phones, tablets and PCs)

• Big search engines (like Google, Yahoo! and Bing)

The major search engines are continuously changing, making it a challenge to manage your stores local listings on sites such as Google, Yahoo! and Bing. It’s important to work with a vendor that is staffed with individuals who have specialized knowledge and certifications to optimize your local listings on these sites and organically raise your stores to the top of local searches.

• Social media sites (Facebook, etc.)

• Publisher sites like www.yp.com or www.superpages.com More Information: Please call Directory Concepts and ask for Leigh Risner at (800) 454-6977. She’s smart.

She’s quick. However, she is a Browns and OSU fan, so go easy on her!

Marketing Strategy #2: Engage in Social Media

Meet your new customers wherever and whenever they look for paint. Let them know that you are the painting experts.

As shown in the Generation Table, your new generations of buyers are very active and influenced by Social Media. 67% of 33-48 year olds and 81% of 13-32 year olds are using Social Media. In fact, some

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Employee’s Side of the Counter Don’t Shoot the Messenger

the boss left, the employee shrugs and whispered to himself, “when did you tell me to do this and when was I responsible for this task.”

By Steve Ryan

I think Tom Peters, the business guru, calls this Seagull Management. Swoop down when a mistake is made, make a lot of noise, and then fly away.

I wrote a series of articles a few years back about leadership and working to become the type of person who employees would want to follow. Now I am focusing on how we as owners and managers are viewed by our employees.

Overwhelming facts and never-ending tasks: When I speak with owners, they express concerns about big box competition, chain stores, lack of quality in workforce, attracting, choosing, and hanging onto good employees, succession planning, reduced sales and profits, and concerns about large scale distributors.

That is a lot to worry about. It is a real and daunting concern.

People like to have a good vent every once in a while about their successes, good ideas, failures and of course, their employees. Ranting about the troubles and concerns of your business and industry and employees is something we all do well.

As individuals, we are not good at everything. We can’t do it alone: As owners of small local independent businesses, we all mention it is hard to find and keep good employees. As the industry matures in age, the long term employees are retiring as well as the knowledge they possess. The need to find and keep employees is the key to our success.

In my travels, I talk to a good deal of business people; painters, single location store owners all the way to multi-outlet organizations with VP’s. You get a good feel for the pulse of an industry by listening and asking questions. I suppose I am considered a safe third party person to talk with as I have no stake in the business and, most of all, there are no consequences to confiding in me.

One exceptional employee I spoke with said he worked in paint / hardware type stores through college and decided to continue working in the field after finishing his degree. “My friends want to know why I stay in the retail paint business, they think I am falling behind after all the investment in my education”, he states. He went on to say that not many people are excited to go to work or make a career in an independent paint store environment. “This is not a fast track $100k salary career and I will have to stay in the business over the long haul to make it count. I like the environment of small business. I have a sense of pride knowing I make an impact on a day-to-day basis. I can see the results.” he added.

I took some time these last couple weeks to speak with owners, managers and especially the employees behind the counter who advise people and sell products, stock the shelves, and are involved in purchasing and finance. It takes a lot of people to make a business successful. Talking to the employees and how they perceive their bosses, managers, and owners was surprisingly refreshing.

Fact! There are people out there who want a smaller and intimate workplace. They want a job where they can see the concrete and fruitful results of their labor.

News Bulletin: We are not doing very well in some cases; employees don’t perceive their superiors as having learned and applied much after reading all those articles in business magazines and the lectures / conferences we have attended.

So what does this mythical work place look like? This place where employees are excited to go to work?

The majority of employees and staff feel that management is overwhelmed with the day-to-day operations of the company causing them to manage reactively. They add that management lacks the selfawareness and patience to build teams of people with the right skill level. They fail to make it a priority to conduct frequent employee sessions. Employees express that management doesn't possess the ability to discipline and/or fire the employees who are a detriment to the company's growth. Some employees even mentioned they have seen management and company owner's passion for the business diminish.

They are set on “Cruise Control” instead of actively leading and delegating responsibility.

In my opinion, the companies who have this culture can vary. Some stores are in the nicer part of town, laid out perfectly and everyone is clean cut, smiling, and dressed in matching polo shirts. In some cases the store is cramped, poorly laid out and cases of product are stacked to the ceiling. Basically the poster child for a fire trap and OSHA violations. The employees are a mismatched group of chaotic personalities who pump out millions of dollars in sales per location.

The one common denominator these stores have is employee inclusion. Employees know what they need to do and how they fit into the overall scope of the business. The salesclerk knows what each customer needs, and the stockperson knows that if product is not there, in the correct amount, and in the right place up front and in the back storage area…. it can throw off

One example of this is when an employee told me that their boss got extremely upset and wanted to know why employees had not completed certain tasks. After

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offer three 40 minute sessions to allow members the flexibility to attend one or more session. For instance, a member who attends the Next Generation session may also attend one or two additional sessions (or none at all). These sessions are completely voluntary but we highly encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity. A Friday night dinner reception will, as usual, be open to members, exhibitors and any other ALLPRO suppliers who may be in the Hilton Head area.

a week’s worth of productivity in different areas of the business.

This employee knows what to do, understand their contribution is needed and people are relying on them. This employee gets a say in how things are done. Most of these successful companies also have some sort of incentive package that keeps score and rewards each employee beyond just an hourly wage or salary.

See part II in the November/December issue. Steve Ryan has 20 years of experience as a contractor.

He now produces Mad Dog Primer www.maddogprimer.com He can be reached at steve@maddogprimer.com

Saturday morning will kick off with a member’s breakfast followed by a series of one hour workshops. Topics will include advertising (member/vendor presentation), The Good, the Bad & the Ugly (ALLPRO Business Development Team presentation), Increasing Sundry Sales (member/vendor presentation), and Competing with Sherwin Williams (member presentation).

Welcome Aboard!

The stockholder meeting will conclude at noon on Saturday morning. Stockholders may either schedule their return flights home for Saturday afternoon or anytime Sunday.

Kelley joined the ALLPRO team as our newest Marketing Assistant in August 2013. Before becoming part of the ALLPRO team she was the Product Marketing and Sales Specialist for select Verizon Wireless retail stores. Kelley enjoys spending her off hours reading, writing and going to the beach. She loves to travel and spent most of her childhood in Cape Town, South Africa. About working at ALLPRO Kelley says, “I’m thrilled to be welcomed into the ALLPRO team and look forward to meeting everyone at the Fall Stockholders Show in October.” Please join us in welcoming Kelley to the ALLPRO team!

Regarding travel arrangements, attendees can fly into Savannah/Hilton Head International airport, at the writing of this article we are working on scheduling shuttle service to/from the hotel on the main arrival and departure days. You can also fly into Hilton Head Island Airport (HHH); however, HHH is a local municipal airport and we will not set up shuttle service to/from that location.

As you can see there’ll be plenty to do and something for just about everyone at this year’s stockholder meeting. As a reminder, stockholders are reimbursed for airfare and three night’s stay at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa. If for whatever reason you are unable to attend, we encourage you to send someone else from your company. We look forward to seeing you there!

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER …

ALLPRO 2013 Fall Stockholder’s Meeting Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa Hilton Head Island, SC, Oct 24 – 27, 2013

ALLPRO 2015 Spring Show & Sales Meeting Rosen Shingle Creek Orlando, FL, Mar 18 – 22, 2015

ALLPRO 2014 Spring Show & Sales Meeting JW Marriott Desert Ridge Phoenix, AZ, Mar 19 – 23, 2014

ALLPRO 2016 Spring Show & Sales Meeting JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa Palm Desert, CA, Mar 16 – 20, 2016

ALLPRO 2014 Fall Stockholder’s Meeting The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL, Oct 23 – 25, 2014

ALLPRO 2017 Spring Show & Sales Meeting The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa Hollywood, FL, Mar 8 – 12, 2017

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Buy Local and Independent Gains Momentum Devoe Paint has become a partner and sponsor of Independent We Stand, a nationwide movement of independent business that support buying local and that have a huge impact on communities and local economy across the country. "The small businesses who sell Devoe Paint are the key to our business and we are committed to helping them succeed," said John Trenta, manager of dealer channel marketing and Devoe Paint Brand Manager. Bill Brunelle, executive director of Independent We Stand, comments on the Devoe partnership stating, "Because Of them, we are able to offer free resources to thousands of business from restaurants to mom and pop shops, to hardware stores and dealers. The more money these independents are able to bring in, the more they reinvest and the bigger economic impact it will have on their community." Independent We Stand has made it easy for consumers to locate the nearest small business to purchase the products they're looking for. Please visit www.independentwestand.org for more details. There's also Android or iPhone apps that help customers find independently owned businesses on-the-go.

Confidence in Recovery Confidence among U.S. homebuilders spiked this past June, leading to the biggest gains since 2002 and may be one of the strongest signs yet that the housing recovery is gaining traction. Pete Flint, chief executive of online real-estate company Trulia states," conditions were just right for confidence to blossom, with supply of available home trailing and a rising tide of buying sentiment." Other homebuilding industry executives say a steady rise in home prices, tighter inventories of properties up for sale and a slowing trend in foreclosures have helped the housing market regain its stride over the past year. "At this point, I suspect many of the constraints preventing builders from building faster are logistical and land-related versus concerns about future demand," said Stan Humphries, chief economist from Zillow, an online real estate company.

Building Products Bounce Back The Architectural Billings Index (ABI) is a survey by the America Institute of Architects (AIA) and is viewed as a leading indicator of nonresidential construction activity. A score of 50 or above indicates an increase in billings. The AIA believes the index has a correlation with nonresidential construction spending 9-12 months into the future. The ABI reading increased to 52.9 in May from 48.6 in April, recovering from the only sub-50 reading over the past 10 months. According to a recent Baird Equity Research Report, "We believe the May ABI illustrates the nonresidential construction market is on a trajectory of improvement, albeit, with likely continued choppiness." Even though choppiness is expected to occur, a gradual improvement in nonresidential construction activities in 2013 is predicted to continue.

Editor/Production Scott Morath Kelley Anderson

Proofers Julia Thomas Pat Brulfer Katrena Rudd Susan Nichols

Contributing Writers Scott Morath, Kristin Avery, Kelley Anderson - ALLPRO Steve Ryan-Mad Dog Paint Products Inc. Directory Concepts

ALLPRO® President Travis Detter

Exec. Vice President Joe Poliseo

SUGGESTIONS WELCOME Your suggestions, ideas, articles and comments are encouraged.

The Scouting Report is an important communications media for ALLPRO®.

Mail all correspondence to:

The Scouting Report c /o ALLPRO® Corporation 4946 Joanne Kearney Blvd.

Tampa, FL 33619 • (813) 628-4800 Website: www.allprocorp.com The Scouting Report is a bimonthly publication of the ALLPRO® Corporation.

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New Attitude The U.S. real estate market is maturing and continued growth can now be seen at the regional and national levels. Even so, metropolitan areas and many localities are still showing mixed results and some areas of the country are doing markedly better than others. While many areas like Las Vegas and Phoenix have made tremendous leaps in price growth, experts note it bears remembering that property values there are still far from pre-crisis peak levels. Analysts expect gains to level out in the short term as the market continues to right itself. Things are looking up for the paint industry and many have started to look on the brighter side. It's important to maintain this outlook and have confidence in the continued recovery of the paint industry. Bill Fagert, Wooster Brush Company President, says," the doom and gloom mood has changed and things are looking up for our industry. Having a positive attitude is very important in times of transition."