Bpd june 2014

BPD

LATEST LBM TECHNOLOGY яБо TRENDS IN SIDING, ROOFING & TRIM JUNE 2014

Building Products Digest

INDUSTRY NEWS & MONEY-MAKING STRATEGIES FOR LUMBER & BUILDING MATERIAL DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS

BPD Special Features

June 2014

 Volume 33  Number 4

Building Products Digest

In Every Issue

9 FEATURE STORY

NEW TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES POWER FROM WITHIN BUILDING ENVELOPE

10 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

TRENDS IN SIDING, ROOFING & TRIM

12 INDUSTRY TRENDS

SELLING SIDING IN THE DIGITAL AGE

14 INDUSTRY TRENDS

HOW TO USE RAD TOOLS

16 MARGIN BUILDERS

BUILD A POWERFUL ONLINE PRESENCE

30 SPECIAL FOCUS: SFPA/SLMA SOUTHERN FOREST PRODUCTS

6 TOTALLY RANDOM 18 MANAGEMENT TIPS:

GUARDING AGAINST LATE PAYS

20 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE 24 OLSEN ON SALES 40 MOVERS & SHAKERS 44 ASSOCIATION UPDATE 48 NEW PRODUCTS 52 PHOTO RECAP: LAT EXPO 56 IN MEMORIAM

56 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 57 DATE BOOK 58 IDEA FILE 58 ADVERTISERS INDEX

Online BPD DIGITAL VERSION, BREAKING INDUSTRY NEWS & PHOTOS BUILDING-PRODUCTS.COM

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Building-Products.com

TOTALLY Random

By Alan Oakes

Tomorrow’s leadership

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the end of the first half of the year, I must admit to being a little puzzled as to where we all are. Based on my calls, there’s no doubt business is better and the industry is healthier, but housing starts are not quite where we expected them to be. At the end of the first quarter, starts were slightly up, but we do not seem on track for the 1.1 million starts most economists had projected for this year—although a bad winter surely had some impact. April’s numbers (1.05 million) are a little more promising, although growth clearly is multi- instead of single-family. Fingers are crossed for the second half. We are also seeing a spurt this year of mergers and acquisitions, as I had predicted earlier. Time will tell if this is good or bad.

Last month (“What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?,” p. 6), I brought up the question of where our future leaders will come from. The same question should be asked a different way regarding how do you position yourselves for leadership if you are just starting out or wanting to move up the corporate ladder.

As a business owner, and as I get older, I know that I sometimes tend to dwell on the past instead of embracing the future. Equally, managers of tomorrow perhaps must first understand why things are today what they are before they can understand where to go in the future. My own feeling is that some of the old business values we had are still valid in today’s world, whereas others have gone or may have to go the way of the dinosaur.

Whether you want to be a leader in your current company or a new one in the future, perhaps even your own, I would urge you to learn to walk before you start running. Fully understand how a business grows, why it can sometimes die, and what it needs to be able to continue growing into the future. The best thing you can do for yourself is grab on to mentors (often developed from attending industry and association meetings, as well as from within your own company). Build a wide range of people you can call for advice or insight both in and out of the industry. Find people who can and will help you. This industry is studded with people only too willing to do that.

You have to be trusted at every level of your organization. Keep to your words and live up to your and your company’s values. Stay away from the incessant downers present at many companies. Stick with people who are talented and have a great track record. With your customers (or those you interface with) learn all you can about their business—make it more of a partnership than a sale to a customer. I have learned that word partner bandied around, but in most cases it’s pure lip service. Be a real partner!

Even in the bad times, stay optimistic (reasonably so) and keep those around you up there with you. Always see the bright side to a storm and keep your head open to change. I love that British song, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”

Something I still struggle with is staying patient. But most good things do not happen overnight and it’s not generally of the real world for that to happen. Give people and new projects a chance to succeed. Slow, steady change and success will build confidence and, frankly, less worry than having a blockbuster success that cannot be managed.

I am a career risk taker—sometimes good, sometimes bad. But on the plus side, I wouldn’t change even the bad decisions I’ve made. In business you need to have an instinct that can help predict success. That means doing your homework first, but also making mistakes. You can’t be right 100% of the time unless you take no risk. Perhaps the greater risk is taking no risk at all! I have worked for bosses who were ditherers. Make decisions promptly and don’t water them down to appease everyone. Push for the best solution.

Often decisions, even if not quite the best solutions, can be modified as time goes on.

Over the years, I have seen the wrong people get promoted or praised for ideas they had not thought of (nor ever could have dreamed). They were good at taking credit for someone else’s ideas and skills.

Learn to document, document and document. Keep good records. Having a good trail makes perfect sense Lastly, learn everything there is to know about your competition—whether it be asking customers, observing them at trade shows, walking in their stores, listening at industry events. Do not be surprised by what they announce—try to know what they are doing so you are not in a defensive mode when the news hits.

As the industry grows again, there will be opportunities unlike anything we have seen the past seven years. Be ready for when that phone rings and opportunity arises. Make sure it is you they call!

S WE NEAR

Alan Oakes, Publisher ajoakes@aol.com

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BPD

Building Products Digest www.building-products.com

A publication of Cutler Publishing

4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, CA 92660

Publisher Alan Oakes ajoakes@aol.com Publisher Emeritus David Cutler Director of Editorial & Production David Koenig dkoenig@building-products.com Editor Karen Debats kdebats@building-products.com Contributing Editors Carla Waldemar, James Olsen Advertising Sales Manager Chuck Casey ccasey@building-products.com Administration Director/Secretary Marie Oakes mfpoakes@aol.com Circulation Manager Heather Kelly hkelly@building-products.com

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Chuck Casey Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 ccasey@building-products.com Alan Oakes www.building-products.com Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 ajoakes@aol.com.

CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE David Koenig Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 dkoenig@building-products.com

How to Subscribe

SUBSCRIPTIONS Heather Kelly Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 hkelly@building-products.com or send a check to 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, CA 92660 U.S.A.: One year (12 issues), $24 Two years, $39 Three years, $54 FOREIGN (Per year, paid in advance in US funds): Surface-Canada or Mexico, $49 Other countries, $65 Air rates also available.

SINGLE COPIES $4 + shipping BACK ISSUES $5 + shipping BUILDING PRODUCTS DIGEST is published monthly at 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660-1872, (949) 852-1990, Fax 949-852-0231, www.buildingproducts.com, by Cutler Publishing, Inc. (a California Corporation). It is an independently owned publication for building products retailers and wholesale distributors in 37 states East of the Rockies. Copyright®2014 by Cutler Publishing, Inc. Cover and entire contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission. All Rights Reserved. BPD reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter, and assumes no liability for materials furnished to it.

Building-Products.com

FEATURE Story

By Brandy Alexander-Wimberly

New technology may provide power from within the building envelope

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continue to permeate our world, one disruptive technology may be changing the game all together—one that communicates without batteries or wires at all.

By harnessing the power of existing radio waves, ambient backscatter technology may present an entirely new way of developing for the smart environment.

This emerging communication system is being developed at the University of Washington in Seattle. It essentially enables tiny devices to use existing TV and cellular transmissions as their only source of power, eliminating the need for wires to communicate progressively extended distances S CONNECTED DEVICES

and in previously inaccessible places.

“If you think about conventional radio like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, energy is taken from the mobile device’s battery, turned into radio signals and actively emitted by the device. But in ambient backscatter, we don’t actively emit any energy,” says Aaron Parks, a PhD student at the University of Washington who is on the development team and works under Prof.

Shyam Gollakota and Prof. Josh Smith. “We use existing radio energy, and we reflect that existing energy towards nearby peer devices. It’s kind of like using a signal mirror to communicate with someone, so you can select whether you’re shining the

BUILDING MATERIALS with embedded ambient backscatter-enabled sensor tags may be used to monitor a building’s structural health, temperature and moisture without the need for wiring infrastructure or periodic battery replacement.

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sun’s light at them or not, and you can communicate with someone on a distant hilltop without actively emitting any energy.”

Parks says that ambient backscatter far exceeds similar technology in terms of power consumption: “We’re two to three orders of magnitude better than conventional active radio, because we don’t emit signals; we use existing signals. In the context of mobile devices, a pretty significant amount of energy goes to Wi-Fi or mobile communication, so we can essentially augment that with ambient backscatter technology.”

Parks’ team is most excited about the potential the technology creates for battery-free communication devices.

While the team says it is a ways off from making this commercially available to developers and manufacturers, it certainly has identified an abundance of use cases. In addition to the obvious applications like extending or augmenting battery life, are the possibilities of sensor networks that work within structures and environments with no power requirements.

“We’ve done a lot in our lab with RFID sensors, which are battery-free and communicate with RFID readers, and I think ambient backscatter technology lends itself to sensing networks as well,” Parks says. “Imagine outfitting every tree in an orchard with moisture and humidity sensors that relay information on the tree’s health.”

Ambient backscatter devices, dubbed “tags,” can be embedded within smart buildings as well. He explains: “One of the things that people have been excited about with Building-Products.com

RFID sensors is putting strain gauges on big structures. Ambient backscatter tags can be embedded in concrete within a skyscraper, and since they don’t need power, they would be relatively maintenance-free. They could theoretically monitor strains and stresses and provide an estimate of structural health. For instance, after an earthquake, these sensors could quickly report if the building is safe for reentry.”

J.R. Babineau, building scientist with Johns Manville, Denver, Co., says he can see the potential for multiple uses for ambient backscatter within the building envelope. “I could envision a builder wanting to include sensors with these devices installed as part of the roof. Maybe that even means their roofing guarantee costs less, because you would know well in advance if there were a problem. I could also envision us encouraging architects and builders to use this kind of technology, especially in key areas like simple sensors to detect moisture.

I could even see this being used by the Department of Energy as a way to collect data easily that doesn’t involve stringing a bunch of wires, because today it’s kind of a big deal to try to instrument a building. If it would be possible to do it much less expensively, that would be a big improvement.”

Parks says his team’s technology could be manufactured inexpensively.

“There’s nothing about these tags that couldn’t be made the same way as a five-cent RFID tag. You don’t need a battery, you don’t need a solar panel,” he says. “So we can make these using a roll-to-roll process very cheaply and with tiny integrated circuits. We can maybe even make smart wallpaper that shares some sort of data throughout a room, for example. Sensing nodes that are built into walls is technically possible.”

Babineau considers the technology unique and promising since it is both wireless and battery-less. “Today, in terms of instrumenting a building, I do not know of anything that you can do that is completely wireless,” he says.

“Avoiding wires lends a huge amount of durability to this, because when you add sensors and wires there is a lot more opportunity for things to break (during construction). If you can bury something in a system, then maybe just one trade needs to know about it but everyone else can avoid it, then you’re good and you can move on.”

Charles Cottrell, v.p. of technical Building-Products.com

AMBIENT BACKSCATTER devices wirelessly communicate without batteries by reflecting existing ambient radio signals. Television towers, cell towers, and other ambient sources of radio waves provide power to the devices.

services for the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association, also believes the technology looks interesting. “It looks like a very beneficial tool for building scientists to embed sensors that could transmit data out of walls, although (running wires) is not that difficult for most construction, but it certainly makes it tougher to bury things inside of walls,” he says. “This technology looks fairly similar to the key cards you use to get in and out of a parking garage.”

So, will ambient backscatter technology get us one step closer to mass adoption of the connected building?

Perhaps, and Babineau is confident that commercial construction will be first to integrate such a technology.

“Commercial buildings are ahead of residential in terms of the smart building,” he says. “Commercial buildings have more margin for cost to implement systems, whereas on the residential side it’s so driven by cost with rare exceptions. Also, the smarter the structure, the smarter the people operating the building need to be and that’s also where a commercial building has the benefit of dedicated facilities managers that can be educated on how to properly run whatever the smart systems are, whereas with residential, it’s the general public.”

Parks explains that another key differentiator for his team’s technology is the opportunity to reprogram the tags.

“In conventional RFID tags, those are single purpose and they don’t have much in the way of smarts,” he says.

“All they say is ‘here is my ID,’ kind

of like an IP address. With ambient backscatter tags, I think the most exciting version of that would be a wirelessly reprogrammable tag. In other words, a single chip that you could reprogram wirelessly from a nearby laptop or mobile phone that has an access point attached.”

He says they’re currently working with computer science students on developing a platform and API. “We’re identifying where this would have the most benefit, whether that would be consumer electronics or commercial electronics,” Parks says.

“We currently have research prototypes, so it’s difficult to say when this would be commercially available and what hurdles we’ll have to cross prior to commercialization. We’re developing a new radio communication standard and there are some hurdles there.

Maybe by this time next year we’ll have something to talk with manufacturers about.”

The future of ambient backscatter is not clear, but the University of Washington team establishes one thing. It isn’t designed to replace conventional Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, but it does have the potential to augment and extend devices that also rely on battery life.

– Brandy Alexander-Wimberly is an independent writer and part of the Interrupt team, a strategic marketing agency devoted to the building materials and home improvement space. To view the University of Washington team’s paper published last year, visit abc.cs.washington.edu/files/comm153-liu.pdf.

June 2014

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PRODUCT Spotlight

By Jonathan Wierengo, The Tapco Group

All photos by The Tapco Group

Boldness meets beauty Trends in alternative siding, roofing and trim

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FASCINATING TREND has emerged in the world of exterior home products in recent years. Builders and homeowners alike, inspired by cable TV home shows and dazzlingly beautiful home-oriented websites, have grown increasingly bold. They are mixing exterior materials, cladding homes in previously unseen colors, and adopting dramatic new approaches to use of trim, among other initiatives.

The exciting new era of experimentation has been welltimed to the ongoing improvement in exterior building products manufactured from man-made materials. These new products enable builders, remodelers and homeowners to create distinctive, exciting appearances. The result: homes with such gorgeous curb appeal become the envy of everyone in the neighborhood.

Let’s examine some of the building materials leading this trend.

Composite roofing

The latest trends are elevating composite roofing to new heights in terms of installation ease, maintenance freedom, aesthetics, and fire-, hail- and wind-resistance.

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Composite roofing materials’ lengthy list of benefits begins with the fact they are much lighter weight than slate, metal and some other traditional roofing materials. That’s a major advantage that translates to fewer handling and installation challenges.

Composite roofing materials also require less upkeep and are much more durable than slate tiles, cedar shakes, and asphalt shingles. Composite roofing is so long lasting that a number of brands offer limited lifetime warranties.

Tied to composite roofing’s durability are key safety attributes that have led to growing popularity in regions plagued by wildfire and severe windstorms.

Composite roofing products with exceptional fire, wind uplift, and impact ratings are the logical and often only choice in areas of fire-ravaged California and storm-prone Texas. In addition, composite roofing is also favored in heavy snow country, where the product effectively holds and then sheds snow.

Another quality, curb appeal, also adds to builder, remodeler and homeowner satisfaction. Outstanding aesthetics help ensure composite roofing products provide the crowning glory on a growing number of homes coast to Building-Products.com

coast. Composite roofing brands offer many colors and an even wider variety of pre-mixed color combos.

Also available is cool roofing, which increases home comfort and reduces energy costs.

Vinyl Siding

According to a recent report in Realtor Magazine, exterior replacement products place high on the list of the most cost-effective home improvements. Siding is one exterior product that delivers a substantial ROI, returning on average about 70% of replacement costs at time of resale.

Among siding products, vinyl is growing as one of the best ways to add enormous appeal while reining in costs.

Today’s vinyl siding has never been better, featuring much greater weather resistance and more attractive looks. Use of premium trim can make this appealing product even easier on the eyes.

Another upside is that vinyl siding provides a head-turning fit with one of the newer trends in home exteriors, which calls for mixing different materials in a home’s elevation. This blending can infuse a tired façade with new aesthetic appeal, creating a much more visually interesting custom appearance.

Home builders are incorporating vinyl siding that expertly mimics the appearance of wood, brick, stone and other materials as accents in home facades.

And when it comes to color, no one has to feel limited by the traditional selection of eight to 10 vinyl siding hues, dominated by white, off-white, and gray. Technological advances in vinyl siding have expanded that palette to more than 20 colors, making possible far more striking hues that are winning growing favor with homeowners across the country.

PVC Trim

PVC trim is also gaining popularity. It can help transform an ordinary home’s exterior into a “home and garden” magazine-worthy showplace. Today’s PVC trim offers the

COMPOSITE roofing Inspire Aledora Slate features a Class A fire rating, 110-mph wind uplift rating, and Class 4 impact rating.

Building-Products.com

PVC TRIMBOARD with sealed edge technology, such as Kleer TruEdge, provides a smooth finish, while it resists staining, easily wipes clean.

benefits of easy installation and weather-resistance we’ve come to expect. And it does so with unprecedented beauty and versatility.

Made with 100% high-density PVC, the newest generation of trim is as easy to work with and install as wood.

Builders can nail, drill, glue and rout PVC trim boards using conventional tools, leading to faster completion of jobs.

Yet it has none of wood’s natural disadvantages.

Modern PVC trim and moldings are impervious to moisture, insects, rotting, splitting, swelling or cupping, even when up against the most challenging climactic conditions.

They are a logical choice, for instance, in coastal areas characterized by moist salty air.

Many PVC trim boards offer great surface durability, are UV-stable in unpainted form and, if desired, can be painted with 100% latex paints. Sealed edge technology is now also available to keep trim looking clean and beautiful. It resists dust and dirt during and after construction.

The right trim can add eye-catching detail and character around the doors, windows and shutters of homes. Other common application areas can include corbels, cornices, cupolas, garden and patio structures, and soffits. Lighter trim on darker-colored homes is an emerging trend, driven by the fact lighter colors can draw the eye to the architectural nuances of a home. Uses of trim are limited only by the architect’s or homeowner’s imagination.

In the years ahead, ongoing research and development, coupled with developments in manufacturing, should ensure a parade of exciting new exterior products. We’re finding ways to improve on the products Mother Nature gave us, to the delight of everyone who appreciates stunningly beautiful homes.

– Jonathan Wierengo is vice president of marketing for The Tapco Group, Wixom, Mi. Reach him at jonathan_wierengo@ tapcoint.com.

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INDUSTRY Trends

By Jerome Zenoby, Heartland Siding by ProVia

Selling siding in the digital age

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HE WAY SIDING is sold today is vastly different than the way we did it 10 to 15 years ago. And yet, the core of this activity remains the same.

It all boils down to human-to-human interaction. As sales trainer Brian Tracy once said, “Approach each customer with the idea of helping him or her solve a problem or achieve a goal, not of selling a product or service.”

How can we apply this to siding?

And what kinds of tools can we use today to do this most effectively? A careful blend of traditional approaches combined with new digital “cool tools” will not only help you sell more siding, but ensure you have happier customers too.

Cool Tools

We’re starting to see a shift where homeowners are self-educating using today’s digital tools. Many times, before they even talk to us, they’ve already been influenced by information they’ve found on websites, in discussion forums, via apps, and even through social media.

For siding buyers, whether they’re homeowners, builders, contractors, this is a reversal of mindset. Buyers today know they can self-serve the information they need to narrow down the selection process, without being dependent on salespeople to give them the information they’re looking for.

Often, by the time a customer calls someone, they’ve already decided (or are pretty close to deciding) what they want. When selling siding, you could be in or out of the selection process without even knowing about it. To make sure you’re in the game, rely on your siding manufacturer to give you the ammunition you need.

Most manufacturers now offer ingenious tools like online visualizing software. Heartland Siding by ProVia has a Visualizer on our website that allows people to virtually remodel their homes, without spending a penny or swinging a hammer! We also have our a Designer Collections look-book, a 52-page photographic catalog that features groupings of complementary color choices for vinyl siding, entry

PROVIA’S VISUALIZER allows prospective customers to virtually remodel their homes.

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doors, and manufactured stone. By showing various combinations of harmonious color options for exterior building products, the look-book provides creative idea-starters for contractors and dealers to use with their customers. It’s available in a print version and also online, and helps people become a designer by empowering them with professionally chosen color palettes. Tools like visualizers and look-books help take the guesswork and risk out of making siding choices, helping ensure a satisfied customer.

Old Is Still Gold

As I’ve worked in the siding business, I’ve developed relationships with people and organizations across our industry, including other siding manufacturers. We all agree, old school is still working, and there’s a need for it.

Sure, we have great digital tools that help to educate and influence the final purchase.

However, that final purchase is usually not made without the buyer actually holding a product sample in their hands, or looking at it in-person on an installed home. So, in the final stages, decisions are not being made without seeing, touching and feeling the actual product. Digital tools add some desirable sizzle that makes the process exciting for the buyer. But the final decision is a human-to-human interaction.

As a siding brand manager, I get a close-up view of what salespeople are using. We still see heavy ordering of traditional tools like hand sample boards, color fan decks, brochures, and showroom display materials. So today we blend old and new approaches to selling siding.

We put a lot of thought into everything we do with our marketing and sales tools, such as our literature, website, visualizer, and look-book. Our goal is simply to help solve a problem or achieve a goal. You can’t go wrong if you do everything you can to simply provide quality tools, old school and digital, that help everyone have a successful outcome.

Long before digital tools were available, Tom Hopkins, another great sales trainer, coined the phrase “getting people happily involved with your product.” Keep that as your focus and you’ll sell a lot of siding.

–Jerome Zenoby is Heartland Siding and Heritage Stone brand manager for ProVia, Sugarcreek, Oh. Reach him at jerome.zenoby@proviaproducts.com.

Building-Products.com

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Discover all the affordable colors and options your customers will love about Fiberon Good Life at FiberonChoice.com.800.573.8841

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INDUSTRY Trends

By Jessica Arant, DMSi

RAD tools

What they are, who can use use, and why your business needs them A TYPE OF cloud computing, Platform as a Service or PaaS (pronounced “pass”), is changing the way business software is delivered.

PaaS allows consumers to essentially rent easy to use, high-end development resources. Powerful tools are now available to an entirely new audience. Software users are becoming software producers, and they are creating business applications with unbelievable speed.

This dramatic shift in the technology landscape is due in part to Rapid Application Development (RAD) tools. RAD tools have graphic interfaces with menus and buttons that let users build software with the click of a mouse. This reduces some of the timeconsuming coding work. When PaaS and RAD tools are combined, it reduces a lot of the coding work.

The tech company Progress says their RAD component, Rollbase, creates software with “80% drag-anddrop and 20% coding.” Not only do PaaS-based RAD tools dramatically speed up the development process, they are simple enough to be used by almost anybody.

RAD tools often start with basic templates for several types of programs like a calendar, time clock, contact manager, etc. Users then customize the program by dragging and dropping different elements on the screen. For instance, an employee database could have fields for home address, email, phone number, birthday, nickname, SSN, and branch office. Users simply click on the fields they want to include. It really is that easy. If you can move icons around your desktop, then you can build a

RAD TOOLS start with basic software templates. Users then click on items from the “Components” menu to customize the programs.

(Images courtesy of Progress Software)

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custom calendar, online catalog, asset manager, or billing program.

Why you should care

PaaS-based RAD tools are revolutionary, but not because of the kinds of programs they build. There are already plenty of calendars, time clocks, and document storage applications available. RAD tools matter because now non-programmers can create customized software, and they can do it very quickly.

This is a game-changer for business operations. Customized software offers benefits off-the-shelf software can’t touch. RAD tools can solve some fundamental business problems and shift the way a company thinks about technology.

Problem: You don’t work with your software, you work around it

The bar for “good” business software is pretty low. Most companies settle for applications that “almost” or “usually” perform as needed.

Programs with lots of functions can be cumbersome to use and difficult to learn. There are too many clicks and too many screens required for basic processes. Despite the wealth of features, the software is still surprisingly limiting. Users come up with workarounds to find what they need.

For instance, an employee might look up pricing for a job by searching for the account and then filtering by location.

A RAD tool lets companies build Building-Products.com

software around their existing processes. If employees want to look up orders by route number or “Ship To” location, then route number and “Ship To” can be made searchable values.

Users can also create custom logic and workflows. For instance, a scheduling program can automatically assign tasks to employees with the lightest workload. Screens and menus can be arranged in ways that make sense for individual users. Customized software can eliminate the need for workarounds, because the most important functions can be brought forward and grouped together.

Problem: Too many options

Most people use multiple programs to do their jobs. There are separate applications for email, bookkeeping, scheduling, inventory management, etc. These programs usually aren’t connected and don’t share information. It’s an inefficient setup, especially if you need to switch between several screens to complete one task.

Managers and admins may need to create separate employee databases for scheduling, payroll, and HR programs.

The PaaS/RAD tool combination replaces individual software applications with a unified ecosystem of custom programs. Employees can access their email, work schedule, daily tasks, time clock, PTO (paid time off) requests, and company profile from one location. A custom system also makes life easier for administrators and system managers, because the programs pull from the same database.

Messages, entered time, and performance reviews are all attached to the same employee record. This makes it easy to crosscheck PTO requests against a schedule, and there’s no worry about conflicting records in different systems.

One of the best opportunities for a RAD tool to improve operations is within the sales team. Many sales reps and managers would like to tie their notes from site visits and phone calls to a customer’s order history, but most invoicing software doesn’t track anything other than sales. Businesses could use a RAD tool to build a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program that works with their sales order software. Reps could easily check recent discussions with a customer while on a sales call. The service team could view a log of all support requests tied to a specific order.

Building-Products.com

SALES REPS can update their custom CRM program’s display using their mobile devices.

Problem: Lost in translation

Some businesses use their IT department or an outside firm to customize or create in-house programs.

It’s usually a lengthy and expensive process, and yields uncertain results.

Miscommunication between users and programmers quickly increases a project’s cost. There can be a long delay between requesting a change and seeing the result, so misunderstandings aren’t discovered until it’s too late.

This is a special concern for businesses trying to change their existing infrastructure or launch a new project like a customer self-service website.

RAD tools reduce delays and mistakes by giving users a more active role in the development process.

Instead of hoping the programmers will understand a list of requests, the people who actually use the software can update screens, rename fields, and customize functions to what they need. Then they can hand it off to the IT department to implement the changes. Allowing users to do a significant portion of the design work reduces the risk of miscommunication.

RAD tools tee up the code for programmers and help control costs.

How to get your very own RAD

RAD tools are available in a couple of ways. Companies like Zoho and Workxpress have standalone options that let you build new applications from the ground up. Another option is to use a RAD tool attached to a larger software program, specifically a SaaS program. (Software as a Service programs are cloud-based applications.

Web email services like Gmail and June 2014

hosted ERP systems are examples of SaaS products.)

Some SaaS providers are starting to offer RAD tools with their main applications. These tools let users build new programs or customize parts of the “parent” software. This can be a great strategy if one of your central software products has a RAD tool available. Enhancing and improving your existing central processes can be preferrable to starting at square one.

A quick note about names: not all providers call these sorts of programs “RAD tools.” Some use the term Graphic User Interface (GUI) builder or Application Platform as a Service (aPaaS). Zoho simply calls their Create program “a custom app builder.” When you’re researching this topic, look for PaaS products and app builders that use the phrases “drag and drop” or “point and click.” These terms distinguish the easy-to-use PaaS tools from those that require more programming knowledge.

The PaaS/RAD tool combination is a proven technology that’s under-represented in the building materials industry. This is a window of opportunity for forward-thinking organizations. Start exploring the options and how they would fit in your business.

Find out if any of your current software providers have a RAD tool or are developing one. Customized software offers huge operational and competitive advantages to businesses ready to embrace it.

– Jessica Arant is the communications coordinator for DMSi Software. DMSi provides business and accounting software exclusively to the lumber and building materials industry. Reach her at jarant@dmsi.com. 

Building Products Digest

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15

MARGIN Builders

By Nick Nanton

5 keys to building and maintaining a powerful online presence

O

NCE A LUXURY ,

an online presence has become an absolute necessity for businesses, as society’s focus and attention shift to the digital arena. A carefully crafted website and fully-operational social media profiles can lay the framework for business success.

Cautionary tales abound of businesses that merely established an Internet-identity, but failed to capitalize on their foray into the online market. Your website and social media outlets should serve as the technological extension of your face-to-face efforts. If the goods and services you provide are the award-winning entrée, your digital persona is the host that greets your patrons. Many a dining experience has been ruined by a poor first impression.

The continuously evolving nature of the online world may appear daunting at first glance, but the good news is that today’s technology makes it easier than ever for a business to create and maintain a stout Internet presence. While getting up and running seems simple enough, there’s still a lot of work that goes into creating an appealing and engaging personal brand online. There are five key components to building and maintaining a powerful online presence.

How are you doing with each of these?

1. Your website should be branded, interactive and engaging. It’s not enough for a business website today to simply contain a list of information, a description of goods and services, and contact information. An effective website must be engaging and compelling, and maintain the viewer’s attention to the point that they want to pick up the phone and find out more. That means understanding your target market enough to “hook” them—and it means creating a site that echoes your expertise and the brand you are creating.

When designing a top-flight company website—or consulting with a third-party that will handle the technical design aspects—make sure you’re keenly in-tune with your desired audience and customer base. Your target market will greatly influence your projected online-branding, from the site’s individualized layout and color scheme to functionality. If there is disparity between your business goals and objectives and what you’re hoping to promote, it will glaringly reflect on your website.

2. Demonstrate value. “Value” is the magic word. If your website, blogs, articles and social media outlets don’t provide tangible value to your audience, they will be ignored. Use these platforms to share breaking news, analyze recent developments, and provide informational and practical tips to your audience. Update on a regular and consistent basis with new and exciting content that proves beneficial to your online-readership.

3. Leverage email marketing. Social media is one great way to engage your audience, but it only works when they’re online and using social media themselves. Email marketing, on the other hand, gives you the opportunity to consistently interact with your customers and your market as long as they are checking their email inbox (and these days, who isn’t?). Remember to focus on providing value in order to keep your readers engaged. However, if email marketing is overused, it will be treated as spam. Keep your newsletters and e-updates to a monthly basis to maintain your maximum open-rate and subscriber base.

TEXAS and California dealer Parker Lumber’s website solicits front and center for visitors to join its email list.

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4. Want subscribers? Toss in a freebie. Your email marketing campaigns are a great way to stay top-of-mind Building-Products.com

with your customers and to keep your market aware of what you are offering. But if you don’t have any email addresses to send to, what does it matter? One of the most effective ways to build a targeted email list is by offering free content, such as e-books, special reports, video seminars, and so forth. Simply require that the user give you their email address in order to access the content. Promote these freebies on your website and through social media, and you will see your email list start to grow steadily.

5. Use pictures and video to tell your story. You know the saying—a picture is worth 1,000 words. A video is even more powerful. The simple truth is that pictures and video are far more engaging than pages and pages of text.

So embrace it! Create a video introducing yourself and welcoming people to your site. Share pictures and video of your team at work. Post pictures of your latest products.

Take advantage of visual media to keep your audience engaged and actively involved in your business.

Your online presence is one of the cornerstones of your business—and it should be treated as such. Guarantee that your body of Internet outlets, from your website to your social media platforms and email lists, are vibrant, highly functional, and continually updated with the latest information tailored to your target-audience.

These outlets do not exist simply as undeveloped advertising boards. They are an integral facet of the 21st Century marketplace and can be the main determinant in a successful outcome or a failing organization.

– Nick Nanton is a speaker, consultant and c.e.o. of The Dicks + Nanton Celebrity Branding Agency. Reach him at info@dnagency.com or (888) 364-8101.

Building-Products.com

CHICAGO area dealer Hines Supply’s website features videos from its vendors, others produced in-house, and old TV and radio commercials.

June 2014

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MANAGEMENT Tips

By Scott Simpson, BlueTarp

How to protect your profits when big customers pay late

T

HE BIG WHALE ! Everyone loves landing the big whale, that large customer who puts an upward kink in your sales and gets you buzz in the marketplace. You worked hard cultivating that relationship and now they want to give you a try.

You ask your credit manager to set them up on an account and she comes back with a less-than-stellar report: Your prospective new customer has a somewhat spotty credit record and chronically pays everyone slowly.

Do you turn away the business?

You don’t have to.

The key is to make integrated sales and credit decisions, not separate ones. Dealers know their cost of goods well and are often precisionlike in understanding how to give price breaks and still make positive gross margin. However, most dealers ignore costs of credit and how those costs can vary widely by customer.

Bill Lee, LBM industry veteran, reports that the fully-loaded cost of credit for most dealers is between

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3.5% to 5% of sales. If that number sounds surprising, it’s because those costs are not contained on one line of your P&L but spread out across it.

Costs of credit are not just the legal bills and bad debt on a small number of accounts but also the cost of money and cost to collect payment on all accounts. For dealers who have higher delinquencies or have contactors taking them out 60, 90 or 120 days, those costs can really add up.

So, if your large prospect pays everyone else slowly, how will they pay you? You got it. They’ll pay you slowly, too. Knowing this, factor it into your pricing upfront.

Let’s use an example. Say your average customer spends $100 and nets $25 in gross profit, or 25%.

When you factor in warehouse, delivery, sales, administrative and financing expense, the net profit of the average customer is 4%.

Let’s also say you have a line of credit that is 6% interest rate annually, or 0.5% for every month. Someone June 2014

who regularly pays you 60 days late is costing you 1% more in borrowing costs (two extra months x 0.5%). That means this customer is occupying more of your credit manager’s time by requiring check-ins and collections calls. You are spending more time internally discussing this customer, and you and your sales reps are reaching out to check in on payment too, taking more valuable time away from growing your business.

The 80/20 rule generally applies here—20% of your customers are occupying 80% of your time. The time lost isn’t fake money—you are paying yourself, your sales reps, and your credit manager real money, and this is where they will be spending some of their time to the exclusion of other work. When you add it up, rather than having administrative and finance costs be 3% for the average customer, they’re more like 9%. Now you stand not to make 4%, but actually lose 2%!

Most dealers I know get wise after someone has strung them out, and then try to fix this after that fact.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s just a lot harder to do. If you factor in what this whale is going to cost you, including the higher cost of credit, make sure you price it accordingly. Celebrate the win and sleep well knowing your large new customer will also be a profitable one.

– Scott Simpson is c.e.o. of BlueTarp Financial, which helps LBM dealers grow their sales and deliver more for their contractors by professionally managing their trade credit programs. Reach him at (207) 797-5900 or ssimpson@bluetarp.com.

Building-Products.com

COMPETITIVE Intelligence

By Carla Waldemar

Selling lumber to yards like yours

M

ORE AND MORE , we American consumers are choosing to support the indie entrepreneurs of our region to supply our needs and wants: the local diner, not the franchise; the guy with the corner store who doesn’t get his marching orders from Arkansas. Likewise, your own customers know and trust and value your operation: the contractors you’ve formed relationships with and maybe their homebuilding clients, too, who wander through your showroom.

But what about the vendor who supplies you with your most important building product? The wholesaler whose lumber can make or break your reputation? For some of you—at least those lucky enough to own a building center in Louisiana—that’s an opportunity to shop locally, too, and get the kind of hands-on, personal and attentive service a computer screen or fax

machine can never deliver.

This column usually salutes an independent dealer who’s doing something you can learn from. This month, we’ll instead chat with just such a wholesaler, to showcase relationships and customer service tracing back in that direction.

J.E.B. Ransone Lumber Co. was launched by John Ransone, grandfather of third-generation present owner, John Ransone III. The elder John was a Baltimore boy whose father also had sold lumber to retail dealers. After his son graduated from college in 1945, John’s father handed him one piece of valuable advice: “Go down to New Orleans. The South has a lot of pine.”

His son, John III—“our” John— signed on to his dad’s Louisiana venture in 1972, but not without a little prod. “I’d tried other things,” he

SINCE BUILDING its first warehouse in 1979, J.E.B. Ransone has doubled its size and added a second storage facility.

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recalls, “but finally my father said, ‘How long can you live on a psychic income?’” Reality made its case.

Actually, his career path had been predetermined long before, if only John had known it: “It was osmosis.

All my life I’d heard my dad talk and visit with his customers—at home, at the plant. He was a gregarious man, sincerely loved people. So today I’m in the third generation and dealing with third- and fourth-generation owners of those same lumberyards the company sold to. I’ve matured,” he allows with one of his trademark smooth-as-honey laughs. “It was a good fit.”

And he’s seen, and orchestrated, important changes along the way.

“When I’d come in, in 1972, dealers might have had to wait six months for product. But they were asking for material right here, in place, and of good quality. So, in 1979, we built our first warehouse: We changed our selling habits. Since then, we’ve doubled our size and added another warehouse.”

Product mix has evolved, as well.

“We specialized in redwood, but as the years went on, there was a reduced amount available to us, so, we diversified to upper grades of finished lumber. For the last 10 years,” John says, “we’ve been importing pine and upper-grade finished paulownia from China—plantationgrown, fingerjointed, preprimed. It sells for less than the southern pine in our own backyard,” he laces his laugh with a touch of irony. “It’s been a staple of our inventory line, one of our Building-Products.com

WHOLESALER’S office staff includes (top photo, l-r) Tom Blackwell, Diane Keller, John Ransone III, and Dave Schwartz, supported by warehouse crew (lower photo, l-r) Doug Davis, Sam Miller, Ricki Vincent, Tyler Osburn, and Clarence French.

top sellers.”

Ransone also sources Doug fir and redwood from California, southern yellow pine from Arkansas (“mountain-grown, much better texture, not plantation-grown”) in board or pattern (“the MiraTEC line has come on strong”), 2-inch KDAT (kiln-dried and treated) from northern Louisiana and Mississippi, and cypress from Florida and Georgia—diversifying also into newly-added lines like CertainTeed’s cement siding and trim fabricated from sawdust and chips, “which is growing very fast,” he declares.

“The trend down here is for a lot of beaded ceilings in 4inch and 6-inch. There’s comfort in those old styles, like a touch of grandma’s house. People feel comfortable with wood floors, too—not carpet or tile—a feeling of home.”

There’s competition, but not locally, he reports. Of four or five former New Orleans-based wholesale dealers, he says he’s the sole independent left standing. Oh, better make that flourishing. Chalk that up to location, location.

“We supply both for residential and commercial building, and after Hurricane Katrina, there’s been constant rebuilding and rejuvenating, plus a huge new hospital. And the government has just knocked down a lower-income housing project to be replaced with a nicer-looking one.

“City living has become very desirable,” he continues, “lots of young folks moving from the North—and with the

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price of gas, they don’t settle in bedroom communities, they repair and renovate. Offices in the Central Business District are being converted into attractive apartments. And everything’s wood down here, from shotgun houses to those gracious mansions, a whole potpourri mingled together up close, fueled by the lack of land.”

And coastal weather is hard on all that wood. Those charming old houses need constant renovation, “a market that will always exist, thanks to Mother Nature. The weather and the water give us planned obsolescence,” John laughs again.

Astute business sense is a vital part of Ransone’s continued success. All that renovation requires hard-to-find items like that 12-inch beadboard: “I can get that made.” Ransone does a dynamite business in special orders like that, and with them reaps the special margins they can command.

“My father taught me: ‘Stick with the specialties—the oddball items—for the good margins. Stake your name on upper grades of finished lumber.’” He taught me, ‘Son, you can sell $100 of product and make 20%, or you can sell $1,000 worth and make 20%.’ I got the picture.”

Of course, it takes more—a whole lot more—than simply right place, right time. Ransone succeeds, says John, “because we’ve got the right material in place and the right service: delivery or will-call, pick-up, a big convenience.

No long-term contracts required.”

John boasts a list of 100 customers within an 80-mile radius. “They can get framing and lower-grade, standard lumber anywhere. But finished lumber is not as big a mover, so I am their back-up. And we never cross the line and sell directly to builders or their customers,” he emphasizes. Just like his granddad and dad before him, his relationships are paramount, with suppliers and customers alike.

Ransone’s staff of seven ranges from an old-timer with 35 years’ experience under his tool belt to new blood that keeps the operation fresh. They’re a nimble bunch, which has proved invaluable during the economic recession.

“They’re all cross-trained, which saves us money. The lead warehouse man can also answer the phone and take orders in the office. They all wear a couple of hats, to keep us afloat.”

Not only afloat, but expanding a customer base: “To attract new business, we’re always expanding our product line. Plus, we’ve a full-time outside salesman who’s constantly talking to people. Our office manager is talented in producing visuals to hand out, like updates of what we’re carrying.”

So what does the future hold? More of the same, John is confident. “The city’s attracting a lot more technologybased businesses, medical facilities are expanding, tourism is back and growing, and the port. Don’t underestimate the importance of the Mississippi River,” he reminds us.

And John’s own future? With his only child about to graduate from law school, there is no family succession plan. But not to worry—can’t kick John out of the driver’s seat he adores any time soon.

Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net Building-Products.com

OLSEN On Sales

By James Olsen

Adjust to today’s sales tools

M

20 and away at college. If I want to hear his voice, I call him several times, at different times (relentlessly, so says my wife) of the day until he deigns to pick up. If I really need to get a hold of him, I text him. It breaks my heart. Will anyone be able to speak or read a map in 50 years? But pining for communication styles of old will not sell lumber today.

We spend a lifetime learning how to get people to say yes to us on the phone and now we can’t get anyone on the phone! Two hundred minutes of phone time a day for an inside salesperson is a number that used to indicate a solid effort. This number is becoming more and more difficult to hit, as buyers control who and when they talk to suppliers using voice mail, email and text to keep connected to the world, but on their terms.

Y SON IS

Get that cell

We must make asking for the customer’s cellphone part of our initial (prospect) call. Many sellers are uncomfortable asking, “Could you give me your cell number?” Don’t be one of them. Some customers will say no, few will be put off, and many will give us their number. To be truly connected to our customers, we must have their cellphone number.

If at the end of the call we ask the customer how they want to be contacted, 95% will say, “Just email me.” That’s why we don’t ask. We take control of the end of the call by saying, “Mr. Simon, I appreciate your time today. What I’ll do is send you a follow-up email telling you more about me and my company. I’ll send you an offer on Monday morning and follow up with a phone call Monday afternoon.”

Another option is to say, “Mr. Simon, I have my Outlook contacts open and I’m putting your information in.

I am going to send my contact information to you right after this call. What is your email, cellphone number?

If we ask in a smooth, calm way, most people will give us what we ask for. If we act like we are asking for information we shouldn’t, they won’t. Once we have our customer’s cellphone number, email and physical address, we start becoming part of their lives. We contact them consistently and persistently using all three.

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Just email me

“He only wants me to email him and he won’t come to the phone.” Don’t be a victim.

We want to be partners with our clients, not servants.

Partners listen, but they don’t always do exactly what the other partner tells them to do. Our relationship with our customers is the same. When they say, “Just email me,” we email them. But we call them, too. We mix up our contact schedule until we find one that works—for us. Email, email, text, postcard, call. Email, email, call, text. Email, postcard, call, call, email, text. Getting in sync with customers is always a challenge, so we keep trying different combinations until we find one that works. Postcards are a great way to contact customers in a quick, personal way.

Drop a note, thank them for an order, ask for an order. Use post cards to reach customers in a way others aren’t.

Email Hooks

Subject lines are important—don’t waste them. We catch our customer’s attention with good subject lines. If not, they may not even open the email.

Make emails conversational. Try to get customers to “talk” to us by email. We ask customers questions about what we are offering them. “John, I think item number five on my offering—the 2x4 104-5/8” is a great deal—what do you think?”

Another way to engage a customer (or get them to call us) is to put a list of items in our offering and leave the price of one item off, saying, “This price is too good to put out online—call me for special pricing.”

Pro sellers use everything in their tool kit to win. Social media is here to stay—use it.

James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572 james@realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com

If our approach seems random, that’s because it is.

In order to achieve our Split Shakes’ genuine hand-split appearance, scores of real cedar molds are used to create random grooves and grain. Within each shake, textured depth creates captivating contrast between light and shadow for an unmistakably authentic look. See for yourself today at FoundrySiding.com

A DIVISION OF THE TAPCO GROUP

DEALER Briefs

Tibbetts Lumber Co., St. Petersburg, Fl., opened its 5th yard June 2 at the former ProBuild site in Ocala, Fl., managed by Erik Olson, ex- Manning Building Supplies. A November grand opening is planned.

Simonson Lumber & Hardware has closed its 83year-old store in Grafton, N.D., consolidating operations in Grand Forks, N.D. Van Wert Lumber, Van Wert, Oh., was opened May 2

by Rick and Vicki Raster.

Busy Beaver is adding a 22,000-sq. ft. store in

Lawrenceville, Pa.

Ziegler Building Center, Rapid City, S.D., was leveled by a late-night fire May 7. An investigation is underway.

Carroll’s Home Improvement Centre, Shelton,

Ct., has closed after 60 years.

Lincoln Contractors Supply will build a new yard

on 4.3 acres in Weston, Wi.

ProBuild is opening a new truss plant this month in Villa

Rica, Ga.

Clay Building Supply, Manchester, Ky., suffered con-

siderable damage from a May 21 fire.

T.H. Rogers Lumber Co. , Bella Vista, Ar., lost a building in an early-morning fire May 2.

Carvel Ace Hardware, DeKalb Junction, N.Y., was acquired by Clark R. Porter from Lee J. Carvel, and renamed DeKalb Building Supply (Scott A. Davison, mgr.).

LumberTown, Zanesville, Oh., has added a new drivethru building and showroom, according to Jim Cappano, who purchased the business late last year.

Stock Building Supply opened a new 36,000-sq. ft. structural component plant in Middlesex, N.C. (Rick Vancil, general mgr.).

ABC Supply Co. opened a new branch May 5 in Denton, Tx. (Trent Feenker, mgr).

Tri-Supply Co., Beaumont, Tx., will move its Temple, Tx., store to a larger facility with 40,000-sq. ft. showroom and 80,000-sq. ft. manufacturing/warehouse space.

Menards agreed to buy an 80-acre site in Taylor, Mi.,

and expanded its Tinley Park, Il., unit into its largest store, at 306,000 sq. ft. plus lumberyard and garden center.

Home Depot evacuated its Savannah, Ga., store May

18 due to a fire.

Habitat for Humanity opened a new count LBM outlet in Blue Springs, Mo.

ReStore dis-

Anniversaries: Village True Value Hardware , Western Springs, Il., 60th … Duncan Builders Supply, Duncan, Oh., 50th … Stoneburner, Harrisonburg, Va., 50th … Middleburg Millwork, Middleburg, Va., 45th …

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Cedar Creek Buying Roberts & Dybdahl, Adding in Mississippi

Cedar Creek, Oklahoma City, Ok., has agreed to acquire the majority of assets of Midwest wholesaler Roberts & Dybdahl Inc., West Des Moines, Ia., and will open a new location in Long Beach, Ms. Founded in 1955, Roberts & Dybdahl operates eight distribution centers in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, specializing in lumber, panels, siding, EWP and trusses. Currently, the nearest of Cedar Creek’s 15 DCs are in Missouri.

R&D president Ted Roberts noted the industry is changing, and now is the right time for his family to exit ownership and management of the business.

The deal is set to close by June 30.

In addition, Cedar Creek entered into a lease agreement to open the new Mississippi location by Dec. 1.

“This is a great strategic fit as it positions us to provide optimal service to customers along the Gulf Coast from the Florida panhandle across the southern tier of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana,” said c.e.o. Bill Adams.

D. Wayne Trousdale, c.o.o., added, “We cover some of this region currently, but this outstanding facility will enable us to access new customers and markets plus improve our service to our existing customers.”

Sherwood Adds Memphis Reload

Sherwood Lumber has established a Destination Reload in Memphis, Tn., to serve the Midwest, Southeast and portions of the Southwest and to improve access to Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

“It makes perfect sense for Sherwood to have a presence in Memphis, considering that the city is a stopping point for many different trucking and shipping routes,” said Bob Pennington, sales associate at the new facility.

It also has reloads in Chicago, Il., and Birmingham, Al.

LP Backs Away from Ainsworth

Louisiana-Pacific, Nashville, Tn., has dropped its plan to take over Ainsworth Lumber, Vancouver, B.C., due to demands from Canadian and U.S. antitrust regulators that it sell more assets.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Justice, the proposed deal would have substantially lessened competition in the OSB market by giving LP a 63% market share in the Pacific Northwest and a 55% share in the upper Midwest.

The saga began last September, when LP said it would buy Ainsworth for about $1.1 billion, including debt, to aid its expansion into Asia and other international markets.

Georgia Treater Returns to Retail

Babb Lumber Co. has opened a mill outlet store at its Ringgold, Ga., milling and treating complex, to sell pressure treated and untreated southern pine lumber to local contractors, homeowners and farmers.

Babb has been “wholesale only” in recent years, but is reviving retail sales in response to local demand for quality treated products produced in compliance with the AWPA standards for heavy-duty applications and long service life.

Hammond Lumber Buys Yard #13

Hammond Lumber Co., Belgrade, Me., has acquired the assets of Dexter Supply, Wilton, Me., as its 13th location.

Although Dexter Supply is located just five miles from Building-Products.com

Hammond’s Farmington, Me., yard, the chain will continue operating both locations, under the oversight of Farmington manager Al Feather.

Former co-owner Jennifer Dexter will stay on; her husband, Kelly, is considering other opportunities.

Tornado Delays Mill Opening

Plans for Natron Wood Products, Jasper, Or., to open a new plywood mill in Louisville, Ms., have been delayed, after an April 28 tornado demolished the facility.

Natron was a month away from beginning to hire the first of nearly 200 workers to staff the former Georgia-Pacific plant.

The twister heavily damaged the building and some milling equipment, while destroying hundreds of other local buildings and killing 10.

Building-Products.com

Menards Adding North Dakota Store Support Complex

Menards’ Midwest Manufacturing division will invest more than $22 million to build a 225,000-sq. ft. manufacturing and distribution center near Bismarck, N.D., to serve Menards stores in the region.

The facility will include seven production plants for concrete blocks and pavers, wood roof and floor trusses, treated lumber, and other products, as well as a rail dock for distribution.

It will employ 120 workers, with the potential to grow to 240 to 250.

Seven Injured in G-P Mill Fire

Authorities are investigating the cause of an April 26 fire at GeorgiaPacific’s plywood plant in Corrigan, Tx., that injured seven employees.

Four workers were airlifted to a

June 2014

medical center, suffering from serious burns. The others were taken by ambulance to a local hospital, treated and released.

G-P’s Eric Abercrombie said the blaze began in the mill’s dust-collection bag house, where the doors are designed to open and vent out pressure during fires. The employees were in the vicinity when the doors opened and flames escaped.

Interfor Proposes New Name

International Forest Products, Vancouver, B.C., has proposed formally changing the company name to its trademarked nickname, Interfor Corp.

“The change will provide a direct link to our traditional trade name and build on the successful rebranding efforts undertaken in recent years,” said president/c.e.o. Duncan Davies.

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Alabama’s Ford Gets New Site

Ford Lumber & Millwork Co., Mobile, Al., is taking over an old two-story Harley Davidson dealership building in Daphne, Al. It will convert the existing 16,000-sq. ft. building into a showroom and build a new 30,800-sq. ft. warehouse in the back.

Southern LBM Groups to Merge

The Mid South Building Material Dealers Association will merge with the Construction Suppliers Association, to serve dealers in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Once members of both groups affirm the merger, it will become final on July 1.

The combined group will retain the Construction Suppliers Association name and Tyrone, Ga., headquarters.

Jim Moody, CSA’s president, will remain president of the merged association, and Paul Phillips, MBMDA’s executive director, will join the staff of CSA as director of membership and remain based in Mississippi.

“We believe that we can be better together than either of us was separately,” said Alex Hill, chair of CSA. “We looked very carefully at this opportunity to ensure that we could create more programs and services than we currently offer, and it was clear that we can. I believe we are creating a unique association that will help ensure a brighter future for independent dealers in our four states.”

“We’re excited to join forces with CSA,” said Tommy Chauvin, president of MBMDA. “CSA offers tremendous programs for independent dealers. The mission of our two associations, and the culture of our members, is quite similar. We fit together well.”

SUPPLIER Briefs Tri State Lumber, Fulton, Ms., expanded its remanufacturing operation to double production capacity.

Travco Lumber Co.’s McArthur, Oh., sawmill was

destroyed by a May 20 fire.

Formply Products, South Boston, Va., has closed after 46 years, selling off its equipment and property.

A&M Supply has moved into the 45,750-sq. ft. former Atlantic Plywood warehouse in Henrico, Va. Hardwoods Distribution Inc. has acquired for $15.4 million the business operations of Hardwoods of Michigan, including its 23-acre hardwood lumber mill and dry kilns in Clinton, Mi. Andersen Corp. will invest $18 million expanding its Bayport, Mn., manufacturing plant.

ClarkDietrich Building Systems, West Chester, Oh., has purchased the Trakloc steel framing system from TSF Systems, Sacramento, Ca., making it the worldwide manufacturer of the products.

Huttig Building Products, Elkhart, In., is distributing Integrity Composites’ DuraLife decking and railing in

Indiana, southwest Michigan, and eastern Illinois.

Huttig also is now selling Woodgrain Millwork's Finished Elegance coated interior mouldings in the Northeast.

NyloBoard , Covington, Ga., has signed on new distribHolbrook Lumber, Albany, N.Y., in the Northeast; Cardinal Building Products, Leola, Pa., in the MidAtlantic, and Jim Mackie Distribution, Romulus, Mi., in utors

the Midwest.

Do it Best Corp.’s DC in Waco, Tx., surpassed four years without any time lost due to safety accident or injury— the longest safety streak of any of the co-op’s facilities.

Deering Lumber’s mills in Springvale, Biddeford and Kennebunk, Me., were recognized as safe and healthy work environments by the SafetyWorks program of the Maine Department of Labor.

CertainTeed Insulation was named Vendor of the Year by gypsum distributor co-op The Drake Group , Tampa, Fl. Weyerhaeuser launched a 15-part video series demonstrating installation techniques for Trus Joist floor and roof framing.

Fiberon signed as a gold-level sponsor of a new online video series on NextGenHomeTV, featuring Ty Pennington.

MoistureShield now offers deck builders a $1 rebate per deck board for purchases through June 30.

Atlas Roofing, Atlanta, Ga., has redesigned its website, atlasroofing.com, and NyloBoard , Covington, Ga., relaunched its site at www.nyloboard.com.

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Optimism high among southeastern mills B

PRODUCTS DIGEST queried a dozen different Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association member mills on their assessment of the current lumber market and their predictions for the year ahead.

Overall, the group was highly optimistic, albeit cautious.

increases have slowed the housing recovery and could impact the demand in the fall. Changes in mill ownership and mothballed mills coming back to life could increase production and change the overall balance in supply and demand. We will have to see how these scenarios play out.

Bo Buehler, sales, Elliott Sawmilling Co., Estill, S.C. Today we are seeing a good, balanced market. All market segments (treater, truss, retail, reman/industrial, export) are contributing to the overall demand. The weather has improved to the point that most regions of the country are using wood. These conditions should allow the market to remain firm and steady into the early summer.

The longer outlook is a little unclear. Housing starts are better, but still less than half the volume from their peak in 2006/2007. Interest rate

Billy Rodgers, general manager, Coastal Treated Products Co., Weldon, N.C. Since mid- to late 2012, the SYP market has established a new baseline of high to low prices. To me, it’s obvious that as we move forward the next couple of years, the industry has a bright outlook. Our market today is much more global than just a few years ago, which should help us maintain price integrity, even with the continued growth of production across the South.

We are going to see such things happen that we haven’t experienced

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much of in the past, like the exporting of raw material, which will influence price. So as our economy and the world economy improve, the future has to be bright.

Joe Castleberry, sales manager, Beadles Lumber Co., Moultrie, Ga. On the 2" side, we are expecting a good year. Many of our long-term customers have several jobs on the books and are fairly optimistic. There seems to be some increase in demand this year. That will certainly be offset to some degree by increased production. However, the increase in production will not be that great in all items or all grades. I expect another very good year for MSR 2400.

Barring another very wet summer resulting in log issues like last year, I look for lower highs but higher lows than last year—in other words, a more narrow trading range. This should be Building-Products.com

Photo of kiln dried SYP by Austell Forest Products, Gordo, Al.

Special Focus Southern Forest Products

good for mills, and supply should be good for our established customers.

Gary Rice, sales manager, Harrigan Lumber Co., Monroeville, Al. The overall trend for the rest of this year and into next year is upward.

However, the short cycles of dramatic price changes is not going to change.

There are so many swings in production capacities, transportation shortages, and the short-term effects of buying “just-in-time for shipment” that it is not going to change. It will be a long time before have enough housing starts to level things out. We must coordinate from the woods, to the mill, and to the consumer better than at any other time.

Rick Sanders, sales manager, Langdale Forest Products, Valdosta, Ga. It’s a quieter market in recent weeks, with most of the action coming from Florida. But if we had trucks to deliver loads in less than two weeks, we could probably double our order file in 10 days.

We believe we will see better than average prices and demand for the rest

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of the year. We also believe numbers will remain within a tighter trading range, neither fallingvery far or rising very high.

Chuck Smith, sales manager, Rex Lumber, Graceville, Fl. Supply and demand have been balanced over the last few months, with the weather being the most prevalent factor on both. Our Great Lakes and Northeast markets were snowed- or iced-in, and our Gulf Region has been effected from all of the rain.

The continued recovery in the housing sector should keep our markets healthy for near future Sandie Sparks, sales manager, Sparks Lumber, Ellijay, Ga. We operate two circle mills, cutting rough, green lumber. The demand for our material has been up tremendously for the past eight months. We get a lot of calls for circle-sawn material. We cut a great deal of specialty timbers for the housing and timber frame markets, including yellow pine, white pine, oak and poplar.

Right now, we are not able to supply all of our existing customers with the material they need. Our ability to

June 2014

get the type of logs we need has been hampered by weather and the loss of several logging companies in our area to the recession.

With the upswing in the market, I am hopeful we will see more people in the logging business. Currently, we anticipate a very busy summer and fall. For the first time in many years, we have been able to hire extra employees. We are optimistic the market will continue to be kind to our business.

Greg Fitz, sales, Balfour Lumber Co., Thomasville, Ga. Balfour is the largest producer of 1" boards of southern yellow pine in our industry. We are on track to produce 65 million bd. ft. this year. (For perspective, if we were to only produce 2" lumber, we would be in the neighborhood of 110 million bd. ft. annually). Historically, we export approximately 60% of our product, most of which goes into the Caribbean, but spreads as far as Vietnam, Korea and, to a lesser extent, China. This year, however, domestic sales have been significantly more robust than the previous five to six years. We are experiencing close to

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pre-recession demand.

Order files, starting about February, quickly pushed product out three to four weeks and only increased as domestic buyers scrambled to cover their needs. Some buyers decided to jump in early and guarantee coverage, while others chose to purchase more hand to mouth. The ones who tried hand-to-mouth quickly realized they were now a month out on wood and were forced to make some tough decisions. It wasn’t long that order files were pushed out eight weeks or more on a few items. High grade 1x4, 1x6 and 1x8 were among the tightest items out there. The most common use for these particular products is patterns for remodeling and new construction projects. V-joint paneling, flooring and beaded ceiling are among the most popular patterns requested.

We feel like we are positioned to take advantage of the domestic resurgence and still supply global demand.

We will continue to make improvements on our product and be as flexible as we need to be to meet the changing demands within our markets.

Sales Team, Jordan Lumber & Supply, Mt. Gilead, N.C. The southern yellow pine markets have been very good so far this year.

The housing market continues to improve; big box store business is solid and demand for industrial grade lumber is up. Export business also continues to trend upward as growing populations and emerging economies find more uses for SYP. Also, with global demand for wood fiber increasing, we expect southern yellow pine markets to remain strong going forward.

Jeff Merrill, president, Southern Forest Industries, Smarr, Ga. Our association with the building products industry is indirect, in that we manufacture pallet lumber for sale to pallet producers. Pallet manufacturers do sell to a variety of industries associated with home building, and their markets seem to be experiencing an upturn. There are indications of solid growth through year end.

seen a healthy market in 2013 and so far through 2014. The lumber market is, of course, cyclical, so it will be interesting to see if the current price trend continues.

The past few years has seen a large shift in the production of southern yellow pine. Many smaller and heavily indebted mills were forced to close due to the housing bust, which also saw a consolidation of a lot of mills.

Canadian and U.S. mills alike have merged with and acquired other mills to increase their market share. It is yet to be seen what affect this will have on the overall market. Over-produc-

tion is always the looming threat of ruining a healthy lumber market.

SLMA continues to unite the independent mill owners and take a unified voice to state and federal government.

Our membership is as strong as ever and we are excited about the coming year. We do value the role of the Softwood Lumber Board and a renewed relationship with the Southern Forest Products Association in exporting. We are actively seeking new methods to promote our products and prevent a deterioration of our core values and establishments.

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Chris deMilliano, operations manager, Steely Lumber Co., Huntsville, Tx. As the housing market begins to stabilize nationally, lumber prices are finally beginning to rebound. We have Building-Products.com

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Special Focus Southern Forest Products

Southern pine industry primed for full-speed recovery

I

T ’ S JUST A MATTER

of time: the nation’s homebuilders are showing hints of improved confidence in housing’s recovery. There’s no shortage of readiness in the ranks of southern pine suppliers. Fresh off the heels of an annual production gain last year of just over 5% (15.03 billion bd. ft.), southern pine producers are well positioned to satisfy the next positive cycle. Last year was the fourth consecutive year of increases in annual production; the industry is certainly primed for a continuing upswing in volume.

Financing a new home remains a hurdle, and interest rates continue to creep up. Employment numbers are making a very slow climb toward improvement. The challenging job market has backed a trend to more multi-family housing starts as families choose to rent rather than buy a new single-family home. Fortunately, activity in the repair and remodeling sector remains steady.

For lumber dealers, it’s knowing that southern pine products deliver the value and versatility for their customers—dependable strength, exceptional treatability, and attractive appearance—that make this material a

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builder favorite. The Southern Forest Products Association supports dealers and distributors with the sales help they need, providing resources to help them chalk up more southern pine sales. SFPA materials not only help educate customers on the proper selection and application of southern pine lumber, but also assist in training employees and building a knowledgeable sales force.

Southern pine, America’s first lumber species, is widely available in a range of sizes and grades to meet the demands of most any construction project. And when pressure-treated to resist decay and termite attack, southern pine outshines nonwood alternatives for building outdoors, or where conditions warrant additional protection from excessive moisture and the elements.

One Source for Facts: SFPA.org

SFPA can help steer customers your way. Start with a visit to www.sfpa.org and look over the easy access to all six of SFPA’s websites.

SFPA works to keep dealers connected to the latest information—facts your customers rely on every day for June 2014

building successful projects.

The central site for product information, www.southernpine.com, is the dealer’s authoritative resource.

It’s all here—span tables, design values, sample grademarks, even do-ityourself outdoor project plans to help dealers sell more lumber. Within the publications section of the site, SFPA’s Lumber Library is a collection of helpful titles that dealers can rely on to help educate themselves and their customers about the proper selection and use of southern pine materials. All titles are available as free PDF downloads.

New Guide for Treated Lumber Sales

SFPA recently published the new 2014 edition of its popular booklet “Pressure-Treated Southern Pine.”

This 24-page guide provides information to assist dealers and distributors with the proper specification and use of pressure-treated southern pine materials. A copy is now available as a free PDF download from the publications page of www.southernpine. com.

“This edition presents a fresh look from the user’s perspective,” notes Building-Products.com

SFPA’s Eric Gee, director of lumber products. “It represents a complete reorganization and revision of the previous edition.”

Following an introduction to wood preservatives, tables list common preservatives and retentions by product and end use. Specification guidelines are included, along with sections covering fasteners and connectors, design values, and proper storage, among other topics. Two pages are devoted to eight primary applications for treated southern pine, with references to helpful SFPA websites and related publications.

This edition combines American Wood Protection Association standard preservatives and ICC-ES-evaluated preservatives. It also combines and reorganizes information from various AWPA tables and commodity standards. The objective is to provide specifiers and users practical information on common uses. The full-page Table 2 provides a simplified specification guide for typical end-use applications. Typical treated lumber quality marks are shown, including a mark for AWPA standardized preservatives and a mark for ICC-ES evaluated preservatives. As common uses and

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preservatives change with time, SFPA will update this PDF and keep the latest information available online.

Deck Season in Full Swing

At all levels of skill, handy do-ityourselfers are finding the construction details and product information

PRESSURE TREATED southern pine remains a top choice for building outdoors, offering durability, strength and value.

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they need to build code-compliant, durable decks and porches by visiting www.southernpinedecks.com.

Specification tips, connections and fasteners, the entire building process—it’s all here. This site also explains why treated southern pine decking is the preferred material.

“Building outdoors requires not only the proper tools and the skills to use them, but it also requires the right material, and treated southern pine lumber has been the material of choice for decades,” notes Gee. Looking for answers to customers’ questions about building outdoors?

Dealers can refer to SFPA’s 12-page booklet, “Southern Pine Decks and Porches,” aimed at professional deck builders and advanced do-it-yourselfers. It summarizes information from the site and offers comprehensive design and construction guidance. Photos of completed decks and porches showcase what treated southern pine lumber can do to naturally enhance any landscape. A free PDF download is available at www.southernpine.com.

This publication is a handy, attractive addition to any dealer’s counter, and it’s a helpful reference for fielding customers’ questions regarding the best construction practices. It can even function as the ideal conversation starter to upsell a lumber order to include stains, hardware, even outdoor furniture and grills.

Best Foundation Features: Build UP

Spans for southern pine joists and

SFPA’S NEW pocket span card includes 12 tables, all based on the new design values for visually graded southern pine dimension lumber.

rafters, including those based on the new design values for visually graded dimension lumber, are featured on a handy pocket-size card now available from SFPA. This card contains 12 abbreviated span tables for selected Southern Pine visual, Machine Stress Rated (MSR), and Machine Evaluated Lumber (MEL) grades. Included under each

grading method, this card includes one table each for floor joists and ceiling joists, plus two tables for rafters.

“This card is very popular with dealers, builders and code officials for use in the field,” says Gee. “Adding MSR and MEL tables to this new edition of the card makes it a convenient reference tool for all southern pine

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High Quality Arkansas Southern Yellow Pine Boards, Pattern Stock and 5/4 Square Edge, Flooring, Beaded Ceiling, 105, 116, 117, 119, 122, 131, 139, 5/4x12 Nosing.

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users.”

Dealers can review the full content of the new card by visiting the publications page of www.southernpine. com, where a free PDF download is available. Cards can be ordered from this page, too.

Remodeling Preference: SP Patterns

The look of real wood for wall paneling and ceilings adds a dramatic flair to all rooms. Southern pine patterns are readily available in long lengths to eliminate or reduce splices.

Clear or semi-transparent finishes draw attention to southern pine’s distinctive grain. Dealers need to remember: wood is a natural insulator, contributing to energy efficiency and lower utility bills.

Contractors know a quality, dependable product like southern pine offers a long list of possibilities: exterior siding for room additions, plus flooring, paneling, ceiling patterns, and trim to enhance interior spaces.

Need help deciding which pattern will be a bestseller? Review the product samples and related information provided in SFPA’s booklet “Southern Pine Patterns,” available as

SFPA WORKS to keep builders connected to the latest information—facts your customers rely on every day for building successful projects.

– Serving the industry for over 30 years – Phone: 800-763-0139 • Fax: 864-699-3101

www.spartanburgforestproducts.com Building-Products.com

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a PDF download at www.southernpine.com.

Whatever the décor, southern pine flooring can enhance the look of any indoor space. A wood floor is a premium alternative to carpeting or ceramic tile, adding both comfort and value. Knowing the proper installation and maintenance tips is a dealer’s key to selling more southern pine flooring, paneling and other specialty items. For starters, check out “Southern Pine Flooring,” available as a PDF download from www.southernpine.com. It’s a comprehensive guide to both interior flooring and exterior porch flooring.

Best Foundation Features: Build Up

Your customers’ new homes start with a foundation.

And for more than a decade, SFPA has actively promoted the merits of building homes on raised wood floor systems.

Successful lumber dealers know that when they promote raised floor foundations, they can add fully a third more lumber to the typical framing package.

Recently, SFPA provided a collection of resources to help both lumber dealers and production builders make the transition from homes on a concrete slab to energy-efficient raised floor homes featuring closed crawlspaces.

Working with Home Innovation Research Laboratories, SFPA conducted market research to study builders’ preferences and developed a helpful six-page publication, “Making the Transition,” with construction details and all the facts needed to get started building a raised floor home with a closed crawlspace. A four-part companion video series complements the brochure, demonstrating details for installing moisture barriers and insulation.

“When it comes to ease of construction, comfort and

HOOD LUMBER “Long and Strong” Specializing in quality Southern Pine Lumber.

We provide a full product mix of 2x4 thru 2x12, small timbers, and lengths up to 24 feet, from mills in Mississippi and Georgia.

Phone 601-264-2559 Fax 601-296-4740

www.hoodindustries.com

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AS A NATURAL insulator, southern pine patterns add indoor aesthetic appeal and energy efficiency.

energy efficiency, a raised wood floor system is the premium foundation choice, with exceptional features for both the builder and the homeowner,” Gee says.

SFPA makes all of these resources available within a new page about closed crawlspaces on its dedicated website, www.raisedfloorliving.com. Here’s a collection of information to educate your customers about proven, costeffective materials and techniques that can contribute to the construction of a quality home. First-time visitors to the site will notice it is conveniently divided into two sections—one for consumers thinking of building a new home, and one for building professionals.

Online Product Locator Helps

Need help finding a customer’s special order item?

Chances are good you will find it among the listings of SFPA’s online product locator. It’s a handy, time-saving tool and just a click away from the homepage of www.southernpine.com. More than 400 product listings are here. A quick search and dealers are directed right to the manufacturers’ contact information. New this year: searches can be conducted by state to better pinpoint nearby suppliers. On a regular basis, SFPA members are updating their in-stock product offerings, assuring on-time delivery to dealers and distributors.

Dealers and distributors ready to buy southern pine lumber can fill out the new lumber purchase inquiry form, also located on the homepage of www.southernpine.com.

The information is transmitted to SFPA and relayed to its Building-Products.com

member producers. It’s a convenient way to get connected with a nearby supplier of quality products.

Building Green with Southern Pine

Every day, the abundant forests of the South are removing and storing carbon from the atmosphere. Forest management increases carbon storage by harvesting older, slower-growing trees and replacing them with younger trees. In a life-cycle analysis of building materials, southern pine is unmatched; this product begins naturally and ends naturally. From harvest to home, southern pine products are some of the most environmentally sustainable and regulated materials in the world, manufactured and distributed according to forest certification standards.

As just one example, pressuretreated southern pine products offer not only a good value to customers, but also a green solution for building outdoors. When compared with nonwood alternatives, the manufacture of treated southern pine decking requires much less energy and finite resources.

Selling treated southern pine lumber gives dealers the satisfaction of knowing that the material not only features a long service life, but also reduces demands on America’s timberlands for replacements of decayed, untreated materials.

SFPA makes available to dealers a life-cycle analysis comparing the environmental attributes of treated lumber decking with composite decking.

Prepared by the Treated Wood Council, this informative report can be downloaded from the publications page of www.southernpine.com.

At SFPA, Service Matters

When it was founded in 1915, SFPA’s motto was SERVICE. As the association approaches its 100th year, it continues to conduct a variety of promotional programs to assist lumber suppliers and building professionals everywhere.

Do associations matter to lumber dealers? Indeed they do. By offering its educational and promotional resources to dealers across the country, SFPA helps ensure the long-term success of the southern pine lumber trade as construction markets continue to rebound.

Complete information about SFPA programs and services is available at www.sfpa.org.

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MOVERS & Shakers John Crolla, ex-Seaboard International Forest Products, has joined Warren Trask Co., Lakeville, Ma., as commodity lumber mgr.

Russ Hallenbeck has been named senior v.p. at Tibbetts Lumber Co., St. Petersburg, Fl. Bob Fehr Jr. is now v.p.

Jamey Barnes has been promoted to v.p.-OSB at Louisiana-Pacific Corp., Nashville, Tn. Dwain Webb, ex-Beacon Roofing, and Chad Lacefield, ex-Shelter Distribution, have partnered to open a Richland Hills, Tx., branch of Venture Roofing & Building Supply, Tulsa, Ok. Jim Chamblee, ex-West End Roofing, is in sales.

Susan C. O’Farrell, ex-Home Depot, has been named senior v.p., c.f.o., treasurer and principal accounting officer for BlueLinx Holdings, Atlanta, Ga., replacing Doug Goforth, who is leaving the company to pursue other interests.

David Jaffee, product mgr., Russin Lumber, Montgomery, N.Y., has retired after 45 years in the industry.

Chris Graddy has been promoted to branch mgr. of Short & Paulk Supply Co., Tifton, Ga. Jeff Rettig, Northeast region mgr. for Weyerhaeuser’s Trus Joist division, is relocating from Boston, Ma., to Federal Way, Wa., to become TJ’s director of U.S. sales.

Shane Cook, ex-Taylor Lumber, is new to sales & purchasing at Granite Valley Forest Products, New London, Wi.

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Dawn Boyle, ex-Guido Lumber, is new to outside sales at BMC West, San Antonio, Tx. Joseph Matthews, ex-FastenMaster, has joined NyloBoard, Covington, Ga., as Southeast sales mgr. C. Nicole Hill is a new marketing communications specialist.

Carlton Morgan, sales mgr., MeadWestvaco, Cottonton, Al., retired after 38 years in the industry.

Mike Schwarz has been promoted to executive director of purchasing & merchandising for ABC Supply, Beloit, Wi. Sonny Bryant, panel trader, ENAP, New Windsor, N.Y., has retired after 49 years in the industry.

David Burgess, mgr., Trussmax, Winchester, Va., is new to sales at Homestead Building Systems, Bristow, Va. Bud Thompson, ex-Klumb Lumber, is now in commodity sales with Shamrock International, based in the Greenville, S.C., area.

Dean DeWildt was named general mgr./v.p. of OX Engineered Products, a division of OX Industries, Constantine, Mi. Dan Darling is new as senior applications engineer.

Pamela Joyner is a new management trainee at Stock Building Supply, Greenville, S.C. James R. Kane has been promoted to chairman and c.e.o. of Pittsburgh Corning Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa., and Pittsburgh Corning Europe. He succeeds Phillip M. Martineau, who is retiring.

June 2014

Michael A. Tummillo has been promoted to senior v.p. and general merchandising mgr.-building & maintenance, replacing Michael P. McDermott, who is now chief merchandising officer.

Ignacio Fortuno is now corporate controller and Joshua Whitley assistant controller at McCoy’s Building Supply, San Marcos, Tx. Randy Wilson, ex-NHLA, is new to Midwest Hardwood Corp., Maple Grove, Mn., in quality control and product compliance.

Leroy M. Ball has been promoted to c.o.o. for Koppers Holdings, Pittsburgh, Pa. He will remain c.f.o. until a successor is named.

William “Happy” Stroud is the new maintenance supervisor at Anthony Forest Products’ Urbana, Ar., mill.

Gary Hoffmann has been named national multi-location sales & business development mgr. for Do it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, In. David Nunes, ex-Pope Resources, has been named c.e.o. of Rayonier Inc., Jacksonville, Fl. Don Schmidt is retiring as executive v.p. of Malco Products, Annandale, Mn., after 42 years with the company. He remains on the board.

Mario Torrebiarte has joined the sales force at Capitol Building Supply, Springfield, Va. Joe O’Donnell joined the International Wood Products Association, as mgr. of government & public affairs and member services.

Pat Downe now mans the security gate at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., say owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

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DO IT BEST’S May 17-19 market at the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, In., attracted 15% more attendees than last year’s market.

A New Ideas Exhibit showcased the latest home technology products, while LBM Preview Plus allowed dealers to take advantage of great deals

Mill2Market Gets Interactive Upgrade

Forest2Market has enhanced Mill2Market, its quarterly performance benchmark for both sellers and mill-direct buyers of lumber.

The quarterly report is now an interactive tool that allows subscribers to run “what if” scenarios. Using this tool, owners and managers can easily evaluate company performance compared to the market and develop go-forward trading strategies.

The tool provides an at-a-glance summary of each sub-

Turning Good

scriber’s production or purchases. Proprietary grades and dimensions can also be added to provide a comprehensive view of total traded volume.

The biggest change to the benchmark is its interactivity.

Because the benchmark is now a spreadsheet, subscribers can change price, grade, dimension or volume to instantly determine the effect those changes have on the bottom line.

“This is a real breakthrough for the lumber industry,” says Bob Bratton, manager of Forest2Market’s lumber practice. “Initial feedback from subscribers has been positive, noting both the ease of use and the value as a decisionmaking tool. Not only can subscribers see how their price and mix compare to the market as a whole, they can also see how even modest changes to product price or mix might affect their profit margins.”

The new interactive benchmark also allows subscribers to measure the difference between subscriber and market performance for each product and for all products in aggregate, as a dollar per MBF and as a total value.

Hardwood Producer Expands

MacDonald & Owen Lumber, which has locations in Sparta, Wi., and Brookville, Pa., has acquired dry kiln operator Kerr Forest Products, Bowling Green, Ky. “We see this as a strategic acquisition that will allow us to extend our global reach and better serve our domestic and international customers,” said c.e.o. David Twite.

“Bowling Green not only will put us in close proximity to materials and freight options, but the business-friendly atmosphere we found is invaluable.”

The acquisition also allows the company to produce an additional 5 million bd. ft. and expand its product lines.

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ASSOCIATION Update Florida Building Material Association hosts its annual convention and trade show Aug. 20-22 at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort & Convention Center, Orlando, Fl. Northeastern Retail Lumber Association affiliates have planned a summer of events.

Golf outings are coming from Eastern New York Lumber Dealers June 10 at Saratoga National Golf Club, Saratoga; Western New York Lumber Dealers, June 16, Canandaigua, and Northern New York Lumber Dealers, June 25, Highland Meadows Country Club, Watertown.

Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Association sets sail from Plymouth, Ma., June 14 for whale watching.

Central New York Retail Lumber Dealers Association will enjoy a night at the races July 19 at Oswego Speedway, Oswego, N.Y., and its 9th annual clambake Aug. 14 at The Spinning Wheel, North Syracuse, N.Y. Northeastern Young Lumber Execs will spend the day at Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Aug. 20.

Northwestern Lumber Association is organizing two golf outings—July 31 at Drugans Castle Mound Golf Course, Holmen, Wi., and Aug. 14 at The Jewel Golf Course, Lake City, Mn. Mid-America Lumbermens Association gathers June 13 for its 26th annual Sunflower Shootout golf event at Hesston Golf Course, Hesston, Ks. Michigan Lumber & Building Materials Association golfs Aug. 7 at Hawk Hollow Golf Course, Lansing, Mi.

Indiana Lumber & Builder’s Supply Association has scheduled its 20th annual Sycamore Scramble for Aug. 7 at Oak Tree Golf Course, Plainfield, In. Moulding & Millwork Producers Association, buoyed by the success of its West Coast mill tour last year, will this fall lead industry members through facilities in the East.

The Sept. 8-11 event will be based at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, Lancaster, Pa., and feature plant tours, table-top displays, information panels, and equipment demonstrations. Stops may include Kountry Kraft Manufacturing, Northway Industries, Plain & Fancy Kitchens Manufacturing, Signature Cabinets, Signature Cos., Universal Forest Products, Versatek Enterprises, Wayneco, and Weaber Lumber.

The event is open to all MMPA member and non-member manufacturers, lumber wholesalers, distributors, sawmills, panel producers, and suppliers.

Southern Forest Products Association will host a June 26 export-training seminar in New Orleans, La. Dr. Richard Vlosky, LSU Agricultural Center, will discuss “Southern Lumber & Forestry Products: Role & Opportunities in the Global Market.” Other speakers include attorney Edward Hayes, with an overview of legal and regulatory issues; consultant Keith Guidroz, on export packaging/labeling compliance; SBA’s Reginald Harley; Michele Kennedy-Kouadio, USDA Office of Trade Programs, and Patrick Crilley, Export-Import Bank of the U.S. Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association has booked Marcus Luttrell, a retired Navy SEAL featured in Lone Survivor, to keynote its annual conference July 16-19 at JW Marriott Hill Country, San Antonio, Tx.

Size does matter.

Douglas Fir up to 20” x 20” x up to 40’ Cedar 16” x 16” x up to 32’

Richardson Timbers is a leader in custom millwork & manufacturing of customized timbers, with capabilities of delivering products throughout the U.S. Serving the construction industry for over 60 years, by taking the spirit of the old and combining it with the leading technology of today, Richardson Timbers is able to offer wholesale products with unparallelled service and quality.

Richardson Timbers

toll free (877)

318-5261

phone (214)

358-2314

fax (214)

www.richardsontimbers.com

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358-2383

Since 1949

Building-Products.com

PPG MACHINECOAT PLUS ST EXTERIOR FINISH ÂŽ

SEMI-TRANSPARENT SYSTEM FOR WOOD

STANDARD SEMI-TRANSPARENT SYSTEM*

CEDAR SANDSTONE BASECOAT

MAHOGANY MAPLE REDWOOD WALNUT

PPG introduces a new semi-transparent system that combines the protection of a solid color ďŹ nish with the appearance of a semi-transparent stain.

PRODUCT FEATURES t 100% acrylic latex t Machine application formula for better overall consistency versus ďŹ eld application t Formulated with high durability pigments for maximum UV performance t Varied basecoat colors offer a wide range of color options t Excellent color retention

ASK PPG ABOUT DURACOLORÂŽ ST FOR FIBER CEMENT AND COMPOSITES

* Samples are shown with 1 coat of Sandstone Basecoat and 2 coats of Semi-Transparent Finish. These samples were all lab applied.

11( "SDIJUFDUVSBM 'JOJTIFT *OD t 0OF 11( 1MBDF t 1JUUTCVSHI 1" t t XXX QQHQSP DPN t XXX QQHNBDIJOFBQQMJFEDPBUJOHT DPN t NBDIBQQJOGP!QQH DPN The PPG logo is a registered trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. MachineCoat and DuraColor are registered trademarks of PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc.

Remodeling to Ease Later in Year Following Strong Start

Solid growth is expected in the home remodeling market this year, but momentum should begin to moderate in the fourth quarter, according to the latest Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity from the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

Sluggishness in the housing market, and specifically in home sales, may result in a deceleration of home improvement spending from doubledigit annual growth through the third quarter to a year-over-year gain in the high single digits by the end of the year.

“The housing recovery has at least temporarily lost some of its momentum,” said Eric S. Belsky, managing director of the Center. “As a result, remodeling spending is expected to follow suit and see slower growth beginning later this year.”

“Home improvement spending has already recovered a significant share of its losses from the downturn,” added Kermit Baker, director of the Remodeling Futures Program at the Center. “As spending moves into the next phase, we expect to see recent double-digit growth tail off to its longer-term average in the mid-singledigit range.”

Stella-Jones Buys Treater

Stella-Jones, Pittsburgh, Pa., has acquired the assets of Boatright Railroad Products, which has treatment plants in Clanton and Montevallo, Al., and sells to railroad operators.

“We will be investing significant capital to upgrade and expand the facilities from their current footprint over the next two years,” said Doug Fox, senior v.p.

“There will be adjustments to some staff levels initially until we upgrade some of the facilities, but our plans are to increase both the production, number of shifts, and number of employees overall from the current staff levels,” said Fox. “We certainly see the staff at the Clanton location doubling in the future as production increases.”

Stella-Jones has 11 treatment plants in the U.S., which produce treated wood products for the railroad industry, residential lumber for outdoor applications, and industrial products for construction and marine applications.

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Your New Handheld Library It’s easy to take our catalogs with you. With the latest version of our Literature Library app, you can access all Simpson Strong-Tie® catalogs and product and technical fliers from your iPhone® or iPad.® Download our app and start customizing your “library” and bookmarking your favorite catalog pages. With easy-to-read page views, search options and update notifications, you’ll have everything you need in the palm of your hand.

Available now for iPhone,® iPad ® and Android.

For more information visit www.strongtie.com/litlibraryapp.

TM

© 2014 Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. LITLIB13 Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play and Android are trademarks of Google Inc.

NEW Products

Perfect Plugs

Accents for Vinyl Siding

Foundry vinyl siding from The Tapco Group now includes fish-scale and round styles for distinctive customization.

Crafted with real cedar molds, the shapes have authentic texture, subtle grain, and saw-mark detailing. Ten standard colors can be mixed and matched, and Foundry traditional colors can be special ordered.

 THETAPCOGROUP.COM (800) 771-4486

The ProPlug system from Starborn Industries offers matched fastening for PVC decking and trim.

A specially designed PVC tool consistently drives fasteners to the correct depth below the board surface.

An auto-stop mechanism prevents the screw recess from stripping, while a free-spinning stop collar protects the board surface.

The plugs are constructed of brand name PVC deck or trim material, so the color and grain match perfectly. Plugs for Azek and TUFBoard decking are currently available, with more manufacturers being added in coming months.

 STARBORNINDUSTRIES.COM (800) 596-7747

Blocking Housewrap

Block-It housewrap represents Kimberly-Clark’s entry into the building products market.

The product keeps moisture out, but lets vapor escape. It is warranted for use on homes and lightcommercial buildings less than five stories.

Available in a range of sizes, Block-It will be available at retailers and distributors nationwide this fall.

 KIMBERLY-

CLARKBUILDINGMATERIALS.COM (800) 443-4231

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Waterproofing Compound

W.R. Meadows’ new waterproofing compound reportedly will not shrink, has low odor and VOC content, and will not crack in extreme cold or soften at high temperatures.

Hydralastic 836 protects against water intrusion on concrete and asphalt surfaces. It can also be used to waterproof plaza decks and planter boxes, and to seal parapets.

 WRMEADOWS.COM (847) 214-2100

Building-Products.com

Lock Down Metal Roofing

Fasco America’s Scrail metal roof fasteners install twice as fast as collated screws.

The fasteners exceed 400 lbs. in holding power, while collated strips eliminate fastener waste.

Used with the F58 installation tool, the fasteners are designed to attached metal roofing to wood.

 FASCOAMERICA.COM (800) 239-8665

All Wrapped Up

FlatWrap HP housewrap from Benjamin Obdyke reportedly delivers enhanced UV and tear resistance, along with easier installation.

The tri-laminate product comes in 5’x100’ rolls and can be paired with the company’s other rainscreen products.

 BENJAMINOBDYKE.COM (800) 523-5261

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The Look of Bark

SmartBark engineered siding from BarkClad mimics the look of traditional poplar bark siding.

Manufactured from a polymer blend, the siding panels measure 16”x18” and can be used on both interior and exterior surfaces. Three natural colors— weathered brown, medium brown, and silverback gray—but the siding can be also be painted with any latex finish.

 BARKCLAD.COM (844) 289-2275

Sturdy Steps

Weyerhaeuser’s SturdiStep treads provide an efficient, cost-effective alternative to traditional solidwood treads.

The product is durable enough to withstand the demands of normal construction delays. Low moisture content means fewer squeaks due to shrinkage.

Field-trimmable treads come in 1”x11-1/2”x16’ and 1”by 10-1/4”x16’ for eastern markets and 1”x111/2”x12’ for western markets.

 WOODBYWY.COM (888) 453-8358

Drywall Grid

QuikStix is a pre-engineered drywall grid system for the installation of new ceilings, walls and soffits.

Lightweight and easy to handle, the product can be installed in half the time of conventional wood framing. A locking track and framing tees help eliminate measuring, marking and drilling.

 ARMSTRONG.COM (877) 237-8477

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Ultra-Efficient Entry

Architectural Testing rated ProVia’s Embarq fiberglass entry doors the most energy efficient in the U.S. market.

The entire line is 40% thicker than standard exterior doors. A dual perimeter seal creates a nearly impenetrable barrier against drafts and energy leaks.

Three woodgrains—cherry, mahogany and oak—are available in six popular door styles.

 PROVIAPRODUCTS.COM (877) 389-0835

Precision Nailing

Senco’s FinishPro 21LXP delivers the holding power of a brad nail while leaving a much smaller indent that requires little or no filling.

For use in tight spaces, the tool weighs just 2.7 lbs. and measures 9” in height and 8” in length. An angled ergonomic grip ensures user comfort, even over prolonged periods of time.

 SENCO.COM

(800) 543-4596

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TEXAS EXPO Photos by BPD

LUMBERMENS ASSOCIATION of Texas held its 128th annual convention April 23-24 in Arlington, Tx. [1] Brian McCoy, John Jones, Ted Galbraith. [2] Loren Brown, Brad Harris. [3] Gary Weaver, Mike Zenko.

[4] Duane Schantz, Joe McPoland, Rick Rakoczy. [5] Karen Galbraith, Bill Lawson. [6] Richard O’Dell, Mark Cofer. [7] Cole Bryant, Marty Neiswender, Ryan Traczewitz. [8] Brett Inman, Tom Westbrook. [9] Matt

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Hamilton, Jackie Tollett. [10] Jeff Gain, Dean Guenrich, Mike Musselman.

[11] Michael Knopp, Pete Siebert. [12] Chad Perkins, David Dollar. [13] Kyle Williams, Bobby Crowley, Diane Judah, Rutledge Davis. [14] Mike Sheppard, Neil Hoffard, Pat Miller. [15] Barbara Douglas, Clay & Carolyn Epstein. [16] Aaron Sprague, Sara Radcliffe. [17] Marianna & Rufus Duncan, Scott Duncan.

(More photos on next two pages) Building-Products.com

TEXAS EXPO Photos by BPD

LAT SHOW (continued): [1] Kerrie Germany, Charles Zube, Christine Turner, Daniel Brown, Cody Dick, Mitch Frieda. [2] Jane Ainsworth. [3] David Lautzenheiser, Greg Maus, Robert Harris. [4] Bart Bartholomew,

Building-Products.com

Jack Moad, Steve Culbertson. [5] Larry Yepez. [6] Joie Henderson, Natalie Price, Susan Childers, Brenda Elliott, Leslie Elliott, Martha Grissom. [7] Ann Shands, Barbara Hill.

(More photos on next page)

June 2014

ď Ž

Building Products Digest

ď Ž

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TEXAS EXPO Photos by BPD

TEXAS DEALERS gathered in Arlington, Tx. (continue from previous two pages): [1] Scott Chapman, JoAnn Gillebaard, Mason Herbert.

[2] Andy Long, Randy Warner. [3] Larry Kaelin, Scott Barton. [4] Scott Stanford. [5] Katie White, Paul Reuland, Kevin O’Connor.

[6] Bill Dohm, Garnett Douglass, Bill Washerley. [7] John Maiuri. [8] John Graham, Ron Rogers, Garett Brown, Andy Braudway, Todd Atkinson, Russell Fredwood,

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Glen Irby. [9] Craig Blakemore, Lou Peacock, Cameron Coker, Tom Hastings. [10] Chris Dugas, Kevin McLain, Sid Taylor. [11] Sean Keeley, Dennis Sullivan, Jim Holden. [12] Steve Rowell, Julia Calixto. [13] Velvet Phillips, Anna Warner. [14] Scott Boyer, Brian Haerwas, Steve Miller. [15] Ray Sale, John Quist. [16] Cameron McCuller, Steven Rogers. [17] Harry Young, Rose Cingari.

Building-Products.com

IN Memoriam Harold E. Fletcher, 67, founder of Stringfellow Lumber Co., Birmingham, Al., died May 13.

In 1967, at the age of 20, he moved to Atlanta, Ga., and launched Stringfellow Lumber. He retired as president in 2005.

He then founded William & Mary Lumber Co., Birmingham, named after his children and now managed by his daughter, Mary Kathryn Glisson.

John Tower Colvin, 87, owner of Tower Lumber, Newark, De., died May 7 in Newark.

Mr. Colvin served with the U.S. Army during World War II and graduated from Duke University.

Jim Tarrant, 82, president of Maxwell Lumber Co., Bullard, Tx., died May 14 in Tyler, Tx. After graduating from Texas A&M University in 1953, he served as a

helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army.

He purchased the sawmill in 1979, managing it until April 2014.

Harold L. White, 85, owner of Harold White Lumber, Morehead, Ky., died May 9 in Morehead.

He founded the company in 1968, and it is now run by three of his sons.

He was a former board member of the National Hardwood Lumber Association. He also was a graduate of NHLA’s grading school and a founding member of the Kentucky Forest Industries Association.

W.P. “Sonny” Young Jr., 77, former general manager and treasurer of Young Sawmill, Beaver Dam, Ky., died May 10 in Hartford, Ky. After serving as a Marines Corps sergeant during the Korean War, he earned a bachelor of science degree in forestry from Louisiana Tech, Ruston, La., and spent 41 years with the family business. He also served on the board

CLASSIFIED Marketplace Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word min.). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy/headline, $9 per line. Border, $9.

Private box, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if art furnished “camera-ready”

PRODUCTS FOR SALE

IDAHO TIMBER is seeking an energetic and experienced Sawmill Coordinator and Salesperson. Duties include managing inventory spreadsheet, assisting with sale of lumber produced at facility, and arranging transportation for product shipping. Position is in Coushatta, Louisiana, and offers competitive benefits package and opportunity for growth. To apply, send resume and cover letter to Idaho Timber, Attn.: Dave Luce, 306 Wilkinson St., Coushatta, La. 71019.

TRI-STATE LUMBER CO.

Davie Lee McQueen, 76, owner and operator of McQueen Lumber, Oakland, Il., for over 50 years, died May 4 in Oakland.

Roger Lee Solomon, 68, Arkansas lumber salesman, died May 8.

He worked for Ace Hardware, Watkins Hardware, and Callahan Lumber, Mena, Ar. Leland Calvin “Lee” Gill Jr., 65, 23-year sales veteran at Lamberth Building Materials, White Stone, Va., died March 22.

Your Southern Yellow Pine Timber Connection Specializing in 6x6, 6x8, 8x8, 10x10 Tel. (662) 862-2125 • Fax 662-862-4900 email jgibson@tristatelumber.net

WANTED TO BUY WE BUY AND SELL PANEL STRIPS

SHAVER WOOD PRODUCTS

Earl D. Strickland, 92, founder of Strickland Lumber Co., Bald Knob, Ar., died April 29 in Bald Knob.

After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he opened his own sawmill in 1947. It is currently operated by his son, Phillip Strickland.

(advertiser sets type), $65 if we set type. Questions? Call (949) 852-1990.

Send ad to Fax 949-852-0231 or dkoenig@building-products.com.

Checks payable to Cutler Publishing. Deadline: 18th of previous month.

To reply to ads with private box numbers, send correspondence to box number shown, c/o BPD, 4500 Campus Dr. #480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660. Names of advertisers using box number cannot be released.

HELP WANTED

PRODUCTS FOR SALE

of Young Sawmill and Young Manufacturing Co., Beaver Dam.

Plywood, OSB, particleboard and MDF by the truckloads. Lumber Source, Phone (800) 874-1953, Fax 888-576-8723, email LumberSource@hotmail.com.

Visit The ALL-NEW

BuildingProducts.com

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6x6, 6x8, 8x8, 10x10, 12x12

Reload Services & Storage Available Norfolk Southern Mainline Served Easy Access to I-40 & I-77 Company-Owned Truck Fleet (704) 278-9291 • Fax (704) 278-9304 Cleveland, N.C. email steve.twiford@gmail.com or shavers.reload@gmail.com

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DATE Book

Listings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend.

Peak Auctioneering – June 7, LBM auction, Gibraltar Trade Center, Detroit, Mi.; (800) 245-9690; www.peakauction.com.

Eastern New York Lumber Dealers Association – June 10, annual golf outing, Saratoga National Golf Club, Saratoga, N.Y.; (800) 292-6752; www.nrla.org.

National Lawn & Garden Show – June 10-12, Airport Crowne Plaza, Denver, Co.; (888) 316-0226; www.nlgshow.com.

Mid-America Lumbermens Association – June 13, 26th annual Sunflower Shootout golf tournament, Hesston Golf Course, Hesston, Ks.; (816) 561-5323; www.themla.com.

United Hardware Distributing Co. – June 13-15, market, Minnneapolis Convention Center, Minnneapolis, Mn.; (763) 559-1800; www.unitedhardware.com.

Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Assn. – June 14, whale watching tour, Plymouth, Ma.; (800) 292-6752; www.nrla.org.

Peak Auctioneering – June 14, LBM auction, Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles, Il.; (800) 245-9690; peakauction.com.

Western New York Lumber Dealers Association – June 16, golf outing, Canandaigua, N.Y.; (800) 292-6752; www.nrla.org.

PRO Group – June 16-18, merchandising conference, Embassy Suites Hotel at Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta, Ga.; (303) 7923000; www.pro-group.com.

Rhode Island Lumber & Building Material Dealers Assn. – June 17, golf, Belgrade Lakes, Me.; (800) 292-6752; www.nrla.org.

Window & Door Manufacturers Association – June 17-19, technical conference, Renaissance Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pa.; (800) 2232301; www.wdma.com.

House-Hasson Hardware – June 19-21, market, Sevierville Events Center, Sevierville, Tn.; (800) 333-0520; www.househasson.com.

Northern New York Lumber Dealers Association – June 25, golf, Highland Meadows Golf & Country Club, Watertown, N.Y.; (800) 292-6752; www.nrla.org.

Southern Forest Products Association – June 26, export training seminar, U.S. Custom House, New Orleans, La.; (504) 443-4464; www.sfpa.org.

Door & Hardware Institute – June 26-27, annual convention, Hilton Anatole, Dallas, Tx.; (703) 222-2010; www.dhi.org.

Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Association – July 10-13, convention & trade show, Beau Rivage, Biloxi, Ms.; (601) 9821731; www.mslumbermfg.org.

Roof Coatings Manufacturers – July 14-17, International Roof Coatings Conference, Royal Sonesta Harbor Court, Balimore, Md.; (202) 591-2452; www.roofcoatings.org.

Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association – July 16-19, annual conference, J.W. Marriott Hill Country, San Antonio, Tx.; (770) 631-6701; www.slma.org.

Central New York Retail Lumber Dealers Association – July 18, night at the races, Oswego Speedway, Oswego, N.Y.; (800) 2926752; www.nrla.org.

Southeast Building Conference – July 24-26, O.C. Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; (800) 261-9447; www.sebcshow.com.

Building Material Suppliers Association – July 24-27, summer meeting, Wyndham Resort, Virginia Beach, Va.; (704) 376-1503; www.southernbuilder.org.

Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Association – July 26-29, summer meeting, The Homestead, Hot Springs, Va.; (336) 8858315; www.appalachianwood.org.

Northwestern Lumber Association – July 31, golf, Drugans Castle Mound Golf Course, Golf Course, Holmen, Wi.; (763) 595-4053; www.nlassn.org.

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ADVERTISERS Index

IDEA File Scientifically Producing Crowds At the Ace Hardware store in Bellingham,

Wa., owner Amy Zwaller has learned that making science fun for kids—and their parents—attracts new shoppers.

“I’m always looking for events that spark interest in the store and add value to our customers,” says Zwaller. Open since August 2011, the store is “still building business.”

About a year ago, while attending an Ace Hardware Corp. event for co-op members, Zwaller met a dealer from Hawaii who had developed kits designed to spark kids’ interest in science, technology, math and engineering. She agreed to offer the kits in her own store and began brainstorming other ways to engage kids in these subjects.

The result was “Hardware Science Day,” taught once a month, on a Saturday, by employee Shawn Bjorback. He studies math and science at Western Washington University, wants to be a teacher, and has worked part-time at the store for about two years.

Each month, Shawn plans the projects and handles marketing: emails to principals at nearby elementary schools, plus the local newspaper and radio station.

To date, the free science days have focused on such topics as understanding gravity, learning to grow crystals, why things float, creating light with lemon juice and pickles, and fun projects with dry ice.

“Shawn is a natural teacher,” says Zwaller. “He’s makes the events so interesting and engaging that parents often stay with their kids, learning right along with them. Many times, they tell me, ‘I had no idea this is how it worked!’”

Allura [www.allurausa.com] ................................................Cover III Arch/Lonza [www.wolmanizedwood.com]...........................Cover I AZEK [www.azek.com]...................................................................41 BlueTarp [www.bluetarp.com].......................................................53 Boston Cedar [www.bostoncedar.com] .........................................5 BW Creative Wood [www.bwcreativewood.com] .......................42 Crumpler Plastic Pipe [www.cpp-pipe.com] ................................50 DeckWise [www.deckwise.com] ...................................................17 Do it Best Corp. [www. www.independentsdoitbest.com]............3 Everwood Treatment Co. [www.everwoodtreatment.com].........23 Fiberon [www.fiberondecking.com] .............................................13 Hancock Lumber [www.hancocklumber.com].............................46 Hood Distribution [www.hooddistribution.com]..........................38 Interfor [www.interfor.com] ...........................................................33 Jaaco Corp. [www.jaaco.com].........................................................4 Klausner [www.klausner-group.com]...........................................55 Kop-Coat [www.kop-coat.com] ............................................Cover II KOMA Trimboards [www.komatrimboards.com] ........................19 McShan Lumber [www.mcshanlumber.com]...............................39 PPG Machine Applied Coatings [www.ppgpro.com]...................45 Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance [plmins.com] .....49 PrimeSource Building Products [www.primesourcebp.com] ....28 Ray White Lumber [www.raywhitelumber.com] ..........................36 Richardson Timbers [www.richardsontimbers.com] ..................44 Roseburg Forest Products [www.roseburg.com].............Cover IV RoyOMartin [www.royomartin.com] .............................................31 Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com]...................................47 Siskiyou Forest Products [www.siskiyouforestproducts.com] .51 Snider Industries [sniderindustries.com] ....................................40 Southern Forest Products Association [www.sfpa.org].............39 Spartanburg Forest Products [spartanburgforestproducts.com] . 37 Starborn Industries [www.starbornindustries.com] ...................27 Swanson Group Sales Co. [www.swansongroupinc.com].........43 Tank Fab [www.tankfab.com]........................................................57 Tapco Group, The [www.foundrysiding.com]..............................25 Versatex [www.versatex.com].......................................................29

HARDWARE ASSOCIATE/teaching student Shawn Bjorback leads a monthly “Hardware Science Day” at Ace Hardware, Bellingham, Wa.

West Fraser [www.westfraser.com]..............................................32 Westervelt Lumber [www.westerveltlumber.com] ......................35 Weyerhaeuser [www.woodbywy.com/decktools]........................21

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Working for you.

Randy Sturgill Coquille Plywood Plant Manager 31 years

Engineered Wood Products Real Wood Siding www.Roseburg.com 800.245.1115

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Softwood Plywood