Alternative Decking Firms Merge

Fiber Composites, New London, N.C., and Sensibuilt Buildins Solutions, Portsmouth, N.H., havE reached a definitive merger agreement tojoin their assets and brands.

"The addition of Sensibuilt newgeneration PVC decking represents a major opportunity to provide the best, most comprehensive line of decking, railing and fencing products in the business," said c.e.o. Doug Mancosh.

Sensibuilt Building Solutions, launched in 2007, produces PVC decking and siding. Sensibuilt's products will join Fiber Composites' Fiberon brands of composite decking and railing and Enclave composite

Bailey's Boards Up Gulfport

Bailey's Lumber & Supply is closing its Gulfport, Ms., store, but will remain headquartered in the city.

Owner Woody Bailey said Gulfport employees will be offered jobs at other yards in Bay St. Louis, Ocean Springs, Jackson, Brandon and Meridian, Ms. He hopes to reopen the facility once market conditions improve.

Hardie ldles Siding Plants

James Hardie Industries is temporarily mothballing its fiber cement siding plants in Summerville, S.C., and Fontana, Ca.

"The continuing decline in the U.S. housing market has led to reduced capacity utilization of our U.S. manufacturing plants," said c.e.o. Louis Gries. "Although the business continues to run well, current and projected market demand cannot support our current plant network."

The facilities ceased production at the end of November, but continued shipping product into January. They will reopen "when market demand returns to acceptable levels."

In the meantime, production has been increased at Hardie's newer, larger plant in Pulaski, Va.

True Value Eyes Upstate N.y.

Matt Shapiro and Jim Marsh will open a hardware store in Penfield, N.Y., taking over half of a ChasePitkin Home & Garden building vacant since 2006.

Shapiro expects the March opening for Beyond Hardware True Value will fill a local "void for a store this size that can offer old-time service and a fencing.

Bill Collins, chairman of Sensibuilt Building Solutions, will remain with the post-merger company as vice chairman. "The combination of Sensibuilt's unique PVC technology and product pipeline, together with Fiber Composites' existing brands and organizational resources, creates a powerful new player in the marketplace," he said.

Pegasus Capital Advisors, which held a majority interest in Sensibuilt, will invest in Fiber Composites and retain a minority position in the merged companies.

December 4.

Temon Roark, 63, and Malcom Howard, 42, died when the truck flipped, showering the road with shingles and nails.

An initial investigation revealed that the driver may have drifted off the roadway, overcorrected, and flipped the trailer, which crushed the cab.

84 Lumber BackTo Cuts

Hard hit by the housing crisis, more cuts and closures took place at 84 Lumber last month.

large enough selection to be a compelling altemative to a big box."

The 21900-sq. fr. srore with 3900sq. ft. outdoor center will include a green products section.

If the store is successful, the partners hope to open five to seven more locations in as many years.

Truck Accident Kills Two

Two employees of ABC Lumber, Crawford, Tx., were killed when their lumber supply truck overturned

At company headquarters in Eighty-Four, Pa., nearly 30 employees were laid off. Five more stores were closed, in Austintown and Sandusky, Oh.; Lakeville, In.; Riviera Beach. Fl., and Chelsea, Al. Truss component plants in McFarland, Wi., and Knoxville. In.. were also closed.

Over the past two-and-a-half years, 84 Lumber has closed 170 stores and laid off 3.200 employees. The chain attributes recent cuts at its headquarters to the fact that fewer stores require less administrative support.

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Jim VanPelt, ex-Universal Building Specialties, has formed Lumber Timber Group Inc., Winter Haven, Fl., and will again serve Florida, with the Jan. l3 exPiration of a non-compete agreement.

Ken Gretke, Stacy Patterson and Lesa Dietz are new to sales at United Treating & Distribution, Muscle Shoals, Al.

Bob McGrath, ex-Outdoor Technologies Inc., has been named business develoPment mgr. of Nebraska Plastics, Cozad, Ne.

Harold Bouland, v.p.-retail purchasing & wholesale oPerations, E.C. Barton & Co., Jonesboro, Ar., has retired after 43 years with the company. He will remain on the board.

Rick Whitson has been Promoted to v.p. of retail suPPort for Ace Hardware CorP., Oak Brook, Il. Rick Affolter, ex-HD SuPPlY, is new as v.p. of finance' Tim Rignell is now director of retail support for the Midwest region, and Scott Zirlin, director of retail . support for the Northeast, has added responsibilitY for the Toledo, Oh., DC and Cleveland cross dock.

U0lles

E.J. Langley, 71, lumber sales manager for Anthony Forest Products, El Dorado, Ar., died Dec. 6 in El Dorado.

Affectionately known as "PoPs," Mr. Langley began his career with Anthony Forest in 1988. In 1991, he was named sales manager.

Brian J. Mulvaney, 52, v.P.-sales & customer service, Osmose, Griffin' Ga., died Dec.2 in Atlanta, Ga.

Mr. Mulvany had worked for Osmose for 19 Years and been involved in the LBM industrY for more than 30 years.

Peggy Buckley Prassel, 69, President and controlling owner of Prassel

Tosh Strader, ex-Cedar Creek, is a new account mgr. for CaPital, Dallas, Tx.

Tim Hartman, Middle Atlantic Wholesale Lumber, Owings Mills, Md., has retired after 4l Years in the industry, the last 17 with Middle Atlantic.

Jeffrey Hoban is now v.P. of oPerations at PLS Logistics Services, Rochester, Pa.

Donna llarman, president and c.e.o., American Forest & PaPer Association, Washington, D.C., has been named to the board of directors for the Council of Manufacturing Associations.

Gary Harding, Banks Hardwoods, White Pigeon, Mi.; ZacharY Rich' ardson, Banks Hardwoods, Newberry, Mi.; Brandon Leibering and Kyle Hughes, Leibering Lumber & Logging, Lamar, In', and Shaun Pauley, QualitY Hardwoods, Sunfield, Mi., recentlY completed the National Hardwood Lumber Association's l4-week lumber inspection Program.

Rob Worthington, ex-Jeld-Wen, is now director of green building for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

Greg Hays, ex-Builders FirstSource, has joined Chick Cos., Dallas, Tx.

Doug Sterner, Sterner Lumber, Belmar, N.J., has been named Lumberman of the Year bY the New Jersey Building Materials Dealers Association.

Becki Kyle, Big C Lumber Co., Granger, In., is heading sales training on green building practices for the yard after being designated a Certified Green Professional for completing National Association of Home Builders' Green Building for Building Professionals course' Susan Katz, director of corporate events, True Value Co., was Presented the Professional Convention Management Association's 2008 Distinguished Meeting Professional of the Year Award.

Dwayne Eastwood, risk mgr., McCoy's Building SuPPlY, San Marcos, Tx., has been named Risft & Insurance magazine's 2008 Risk Innovator among retailers and wholesalers.

Lumber, Ridgeland, Ms., died Nov. 19 in Brandon, Ms. Mrs. Prassel assumed her Position when her husband, Allen W. Prassel, died in 1988. He founded the comPany in the late 1960s.

Bernardo W. "Jim" Bishop, 88, long-time Minnesota lumberman, died Dec.12 in Austin,Mn.

After serving in the ArmY during World War II in the South Pacific, he worked for Boxford Lumber, and later for United Building Center, Austin.

John 66J.C." Claude Craun,58, a 13-year employee of Blue Ridge Lumber, Fishersville, Va., died Dec. 11 in Mount Sidney, Va.

Barbara Douglas, executive v.P., Lumbermen's Association of Texas, joined Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association chief Geri Adams on her 20th annual Christmas trip to deliver gifts to needY school children in Taos, N.M' Diddy Dolittle has been replaced by Goode Atwood at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Lumberyard Robber Nabbed

Police quickly arrested a suspect in the Nov. 25 robbery of Stine Lumber, Natchitoches, La.

When police arrived at the Yard, they found the suspect inside the garden center. He then jumPed a fence, sustaining a large cut on one of his hands. After a short foot chase, police apprehended Gregory Washington, 41, who was arrested on one count of burglary and one count of resisting an officer.

This is the second suspect who has been anested for recently robbing the vard.

Yard Closes Shy Of A CenturY

Brannum Lumber, Racine, Wi., closed Dec. 5-five months short of its 100th anniversary.

Ironically, business had been picking up since August and was given an extra boost by the recent closure of Stock Building Supply's yard in nearby Sturtevant. Yet the business had been squeezed by the housing slumP for more than a Year and recentlY came up short in funding a Teamsters national pension fund, which serves just two of the yard's emPloYees.

Stanley Cuts Jobs, Facilities

Citing rapidly deteriorating business conditions in its construction/d-iy and industrial segments during the rfourth quarter, New Britain, Ct.-based Stanley Works has begun slashing operations,

Stanley is cutting 2,000 jobs (107o of its workforce), eliminating multiple layers of management, and closing three manufacturing facilitiesa wooden handle factory in Pittsfield, Vt., and galvanized nail wire plants in Clinton, Ct., and Quonset Point, R.I.

The measures required a Pre-tax charge of $80 million, but were expected to produce pre-tax earnings of $115 million in 2009. Additional cost reduction measures unrelated to employment levels should result in $55 million of pre-tax earnings benefit in 2009.

New Head For Building Center

Refuting rumors that it might close, the third-generation owners of the Building Center, Gloucester, Ma., have appointed Ken Wilbanks as the new c.e.o. and president of the 105 year-old business.

"Ken's hiring is the latest commitment that this third-generation business is making to this community and its commitment that this business is here to stay," said a statement from owners Margaret Herberle Huff and Harriet VanWart. "Although the lumber and building material industry is reeling from three years of steadY decline, the Building Center remains profitable."

Wilbanks succeeds JosePh Parisi III, a well-known civic figure whose firing in September sparked rumors that the business would be sold.

Wilbanks has been vice President of operations for Ellsworth Builders Supply and an independent consultant for LBM executives for the Past 10 years.

Carter Catches CulPrit

An employee of Carter Lumber, Chillicothe, Oh., was arrested and charged with breaking into and robbing the store Nov.2.

Sheriff Ron Nichols said bags of money from the store were found in employee Jon Rick Hanson's home.

OSHA Probes Sawmill Death

Occupational SafetY & Health Administration is investigating a fatal accident at KapStone's lumber mill in Summerville. S.C.

Thomas Voyles, a 26-Year-old electrician, was killed Nov. 2l while working on a lumber stacker. He died from blunt trauma to the head and chest, according to the coroner. KapStone Paper and Packaging Corp. acquired the facilitY from Westvaco last year.

llews Briefs

( C ontinue d from page 2 5 ) ed annual rate of 625,000,Ied by a 59.8Vo decline in the Northeast ... permits fell 15 .6Vo to an annual pace of 616,000

Schroeder Lumber Co. is increasing production at its 8month-old fingerjoint Plant in Baton Rouge, La; Viking Forest Products, Minneapolis, Mn., handles sales

PhibroWood, Ridgefield Park, N.J., was issued a new Patent for micronized organic biocides used in its Sustain 20T wood Preservative

Westech Building Products laid off 46 workers at its plastic fencing component plant in Mount Vernon, In.

Huttig Building Products, St. Louis. Mo.. has been delisted from the New York Stock Exchange and has begun trading on the OTC Bulletin Board as HBPI ...

McGinnis Lumber Co., Meridian, Ms., has selected PLS Logistics to manage its truck shiPments throughout the Southeast and Midwest

W.M. Cramer Lumber Co., Hickory, N.C., has converted to DMSi's Agility software

Exterior Distributor s, Harrisonburg, Va., sustained $5,000 to $7,000 in damage from a Dec. 9 warehouse fire

Hill Wood Products, Cook, Mn', recently paid a $11,550 PenaltY to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for alleged air quality violaiions at its sawmill and lumber processing facility that converts birch logs into pallets and flooring, and burns wood waste for fuel

S imp son S tro n g -Ti e, Pleasanton, Ca., now offers online fastener training classes on topics covered bv its in-class courses.