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THE BIG DECKING ISSUE SELLING INSULATION PREMIUM TREATED WOOD

Building Products Digest

NOVEMBER 2011

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

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November 2011

Volume 30 Number 9

Building Products Digest

Special Features

In Every Issue

9 MARGIN BUILDERS WHAT COMPOSITE DECK BUYERS WANT

10 FEATURE STORY PROFIT OPPORTUNITIES IN PREMIUM PRESSURE TREATED WOOD

12 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT ALUMINUM DECKING SHOWS ITS METTLE

14 INDUSTRY TRENDS IS YOUR IMPORTED HARDWOOD INVENTORY LACEY COMPLIANT?

16 MARGIN BUILDERS TIPS TO SELL MORE EPS INSULATION

28 SPOTLIGHT: NEW SYP DESIGN VALUES 32 SPOTLIGHT: BEST DECKS DECK EXPO’S AWARD WINNING PROJECTS

38 PHOTO RECAP: DECK EXPO 40 PHOTO RECAP: FLORIDA DEALERS

6 TOTALLY RANDOM 18 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE 20 OLSEN ON SALES 22 GREEN RETAILING 29 TALK BACK 30 MOVERS & SHAKERS 34 NEW PRODUCTS 43 ASSOCIATION UPDATE 43 IN MEMORIAM 44 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 45 DATE BOOK 46 IDEA FILE 46 ADVERTISERS INDEX

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Building Products Digest November 2011

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TOTALLY Random By Alan Oakes

Find what you love!

my last few columns and felt that perhaps I had been ranting a bit too much recently, so I am going to be kinder and gentler this month. However, I cannot promise how long it will last! Certainly the business cycle of the last few years has given each of us pause to wonder if there is something better we could be doing with our lives. Any number of people have been candid enough to tell me how business is not fun any more and how stressful it is. But I guess if you are reading this column, at least you have been one of the luckier ones who have survived this trough we are mired in. Now, in truth, I hear that same sentiment from people both inside and outside our industry, so sometimes the grass is not always greener. But still, I have always believed changing circumstances merit taking stock of where you are at. Like your stock portfolio, your life needs to be constantly reviewed and re-balanced. In times like these, take the opportunity to rethink your wants, needs and dreams, and either come back to the conclusion there is nothing better or different that you want to do and that you are content with your lot in life, or decide it is time to start dreaming about alternatives and possibilities. Then, instead of just dreaming, actually take action to change. When I read about the great business successes of our time, there is hardly a rags-to-riches story where some adversity had not taken place that had led to a monumental change. In fact, true success comes in attaining good times after facing—and overcoming—bad times. All of us at some time or other face difficult challenges—at home or work. How we deal with those set-backs defines who we are and what we achieve. A near-death experience, the loss of a loved one, being fired, being laid off, becoming fed up with the status quo, or just plain dreading work every day are all good motivations for tackling the situation head on. It is these times when you realize that you are at the crossroads of life and must decide what path to take. Many of us choose to fake it. We smile and soldier on, while being eaten up inside. Sometimes fear or a series of hazards, real or imagined, can bog down the decision. It can take real guts to decide that it is time to take the plunge, taking risks for something you have always dreamed about and, in the process, often walking away from security. Over my career, I have learned the hard way that nothing comes easy. But whenever I faked it, avoiding that risk, I paid a price for it. You have to love what you are doing in all facets of your life. If you do not, maybe it is time to change. Work fills a large part of our life, and great work brings great enjoyment and great satisfaction. If you cannot make the statement that you love what you do, none of the previous statement can come true. We all know that our time on earth is limited. Aside from our formative years and our sunset years, most of us are left with about 45 years to make real change. We should not trap ourselves into doing things we do not enjoy. Life is too short. Drown out all the naysayers. Go with your gut. At the end of the day, you have to run with your heart and intuition. One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is striving to become what we in our souls know we long for and not settling for anything else. Do not live someone else’s life. Find what makes you live life to the fullest. Delete everything that doesn’t. Have the courage to follow your convictions and your heart. All right, back to normal next month! Happy Thanksgiving. LOOKED BACK OVER

Alan Oakes, Publisher ajoakes@aol.com

Building Products Digest November 2011

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MARGIN Builders By Diana Hanson

What composite deck buyers want

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homes. The good news is that the ones who are able to keep their homes are staying put; and some of them are remodeling. The money they decide to spend is for quality products that have a long lifespan, such as top of the line windows, instead of the basic replacement package. The consumers who will be buying decks in the next year are projected to be older, upper middle-class, and educated in their purchases. The trend is that a deck sale will be either low-end pressure treated decking, or high-end manufactured decking or exotic hardwood. Not much selling in the middle price area. Hidden fastener use is growing. People who spend money on higher-dollar wood-plastic composites don’t want to see fasteners. Consumers who are buying decks are also buying extras. They want their deck to be different than the neighbor's deck. It will be important to offer a menu of color choices, and

mix and match products. For example, a consumer may choose one brand of decking, and then choose a different brand, with contrasting color and texture, for the railing. Additionally, they will be looking at integrated lighting in steps and in railing. So, the concise message here is to proceed conservatively, keeping a careful eye on what is selling, so that what you carry is what you can sell. Well-thought-out purchasing and sales plans today will keep you around to celebrate when we kick this economy back into full gear. Good luck to all of you this year. Live long and prosper!

– Diana Hanson is owner of deck builder Woodpile Construction and Woodpile Products Inc., maker of DeckIt deck spacers. She is also a veteran of the legal profession and is actively involved in the ICC code development process. Reach her at diana.hanson@gmail.com.

Photo by Ipe Clip

HAD THE OPPORTUNITY last month to attend Principia Partners’ WPC 2011 Conference on Decking & Outdoor Living Products in Charlotte, N.C. Represented at this conference were wood-plastic composite decking manufacturers and wood decking manufacturers, along with their suppliers of wood flour, recycled material, colorants, etc., as well as decking distributors and dealers, and a few actual deck builders, too. One of the biggest take-aways from this conference was the expressed need for manufacturers, distributors, and dealers to improve communication along the entire supply chain. This is especially important in these difficult economic times when the last thing a dealer needs is product that can’t be sold. When it comes to some of the new technology products being introduced, such as capstock decking, it is more important than ever to have a good relationship with the distributor. All new products have a learning curve; there are likely to be some issues. Make sure the distributors and manufacturers you are dealing with will stand behind their product, and fix any problems that occur. Another truth I walked away with from this conference with is the simple fact that no one “needs” a deck, so right now, it is important to carry just what you will be able to sell. This is not the year for the usual “winter buy.” Instead it is the year to order just what you need, often referred to as just-in-time inventory. The bad news is that there are an estimated 12 million homes foreclosing, and at least 10 million more homeowners are upsidedown on their

HIDDEN FASTENERS have become a must for buyers of high-end composite decks. November 2011 Building Products Digest

FEATURE Story By Huck DeVenzio, Arch Wood Protection

Profit opportunities in premium treated wood

N THE MIDST of the current retail doldrums, there are some bright spots for treated wood. Or, at least, some spots with modest flickering. Reports from dealers indicate that treated wood has not been hit as hard by the economic situation as have more expensive alternatives. The percentage of decks using composites and tropical hardwoods appears to have decreased, or at least quit growing. Greg Couch, sales manager at Metro Building Products, Woodstock, Ga., says, “I think wood is making a comeback.” The reason is not known for certain, but likely results from the

lower cost of treated wood. Greg offered an additional reason: There is a market for premium treated decking. Homeowners appreciate the appearance of wood, but wish to minimize the natural characteristic of wood to warp and the need for periodic coating to maintain its appearance. Many upscale deck contractors moved from treated wood to composites and tropical hardwoods, but some are returning. With the large gap in prices between treated decking and other options, there is plenty of room for treated material with enhanced features. It is possible to offer the look

and environmental benefits of wood, while minimizing the probability of warping—and doing so at a price that remains desirable. Enhanced features include fuller thicknesses, high grades, kiln drying after treatment, built-in water repellent, kerfs, crowned topsides, beveled sides, and prescribed saw cuts. All of these features cost more money and may require close partnership with a cooperative treating company. They are not suited for every dealer. But, many dealers could profit from stocking premium preserved decking. It would not compete against

CAN PREMIUM treated wood compete with composite decking? Some dealers are finding it can and they are profiting from it.

Building Products Digest November 2011

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regular treated decking, but against composites. And it would not entail replacing existing stock, but just adding two or three SKUs. Wood used for understructure would not change.

Fuller thicknesses. Instead of 5/4 decking, dealers can offer 2” decking. It’s stronger, which results in a more solid surface and allows for greater joist spacing.

High-grade decking. Typical treated decking is now Standard 5/4, sometimes Premium 5/4. Enhanced decking could be nominal 2x6 lumber that is Dense Select Structural or C&Btr. Higher grades are more expensive than lower grades, but customers will often pay more for products that are better looking.

Kiln drying after treatment. Wood that is re-dried after treatment, either KDAT (kiln dried after treatment) or ADAT (air dried after treatment), is lighter in weight and easier

HIGH-END DECKING contractor Tailor Decks specifies all-sapwood 2” Wolmanized Outdoor lumber, KDAT and milled with crowned top, beveled sides, and kerfs on bottom.

built-in water repellent is beneficial. The recommendation for surface coating is not eliminated, but the initial application is less critical and performance is improved. Kerfs. Deck boards can be sawn with kerfs on their bottom sides to relieve stresses in the wood and thereby reduce warping. Crown topsides. For a better appearance and to shed rain, some producers mill deck boards with a slightly crowned top surface. This also removes surface discoloration and blemishes.

LAMINATED DECK COLUMNS are less likely to twist or bow than solid timbers, and they allow for interior wiring of lamps. (Photo courtesy Cox Industries)

to handle. Probably more important, it has been dried under controlled conditions that are less likely to result in bowed or twisted lumber than is wood that dries in place after installation. This reduces exchanges and complaints from customers. Built-in water repellent. Properly treated wood will resist termite damage and fungal decay for decades, but the wood is not protected against the stress of swelling and shrinking caused by moisture. That is why periodic coating with water repellent is recommended for aesthetically sensitive areas such as deck platforms and railings. For deep-seated defense against dimensional change and cracking, Building-Products.com

Beveled sides. A recent innovation is tapered, or beveled, sides. Adjacent deck boards are closer at their tops than bottoms. This shape makes it easier for rain and debris to fall between boards without being trapped.

Prescribed saw cuts. It is possible to obtain lumber that contains no heartwood or no flat grain or to seek wood with tight rings. Such specifications are not common—they require a good relationship with suppliers – but they provide benefits to homeowners and can distinguish one dealer from his competitors.

The platform is not the only deck component where enhancements are possible. Deck columns and custom railings are others. Twisted 4x4s can cause construction difficulties and detract from the appearance of a deck. Twisting is largely precluded by use of laminated deck columns. Combining smaller pieces of wood into a post helps to cancel out the warping that can occur with a single, solid timber. Furthermore, laminated columns are often manufactured with

hollow centers. When used for deck lighting, electrical wires can be run up their centers, avoiding external wiring. A Georgia deck builder, John Paulin of Tailor Decks, is a huge fan of wood decks and, especially, decks made with premium treated lumber. He thinks that composite decking is pretty, but isn’t as inviting as wood. “I want to create outdoor spaces that people will enjoy using, not just admiring,” Paulin says. “Real wood gives you an emotional warmth that you don’t get with artificial wood products. If a client wants an artistic deck and insists on composites, I’ll build it for them. But I prefer the environment you get with wood.” To satisfy his preferences, he developed his own specs, which include most of the features listed above. He has worked with two treating companies and a local dealer, along with their sawmill suppliers, to generate his own line of deck material: Tailored Wood. (John is willing to discuss his experience. He can be reached at john@tailordecks.com or www.tailordecks.com.) Many consumers will not want to pay the premium price for premium treated wood. But, there is a significant portion who would choose highperformance wood over composite decking, particularly when the price is still below that of composites. For a dealer, this represents a profit opportunity. And it might necessitate only two or three new SKUs.

– Huck DeVenzio is manager of marketing communications at Arch Wood Protection, manufacturer of wood treating chemicals and licensor of the Wolmanized and Dricon brands of treated wood.

November 2011 Building Products Digest

PRODUCT Spotlight

Aluminum decking shows its mettle

choice for commercial and multi-family applications, aluminum deck systems are gaining new acceptance from homeowners seeking low maintenance outdoor living spaces. “Aluminum is the perfect material for decking,” says Don Garrison, general manager of FSI Home Products, Cullman, Al., which manufactures NextDeck and LockDry. “It’s able to withstand the most extreme outdoor elements, weighs less than half of wood decking, and is much stronger.” NextDeck’s powder-coat finish, offered in two standard colors and a Dakota oak woodgrain, is UV-stable. Designed for the life of the deck, the product reportedly is fireproof, pestresistant, and will not rust, rot, sage, splinter, warp, or crack—even in ONG A POPULAR

LIFELONG aluminum fasteners from Sigmadek are precision engineered to strengthen key structural points.

freezing temperatures. The company’s other decking product, LockDry, has water channels and gutters that create a watertight space under upper-storey decks—which can be used for storage, a play area, or other outdoor living space. It’s also available in Dakota woodgrain, plus four standard colors. “Many newer homes have secondor third-level decks with space underneath that is basically lost, because typical decks provide no shelter from the elements for the area below,” says Garrison. “A watertight aluminum deck keeps the area under the deck dry—no matter what the weather.” Wahoo Decks, Gainesville, Ga., also offers an aluminum deck system—AridDeck—that provides dry, usable space under the main deck. Made from marine-grade aluminum and protected with a powder-coat finish in sandstone or ash grey, the product requires no upkeep other than periodic cleaning with soap and water. Wahoo’s other products, DryJoist and DryJoist EZ, go even further, by eliminating the need for traditional wood joists. As with AridDek, integrated channels direct water away from both the deck and house, creating a waterproof area with a finished ceiling below the main deck—all in one application. The system can be topped with any kind of deck boards. “Consumers are looking for a substructure that matches the low maintenance and longevity of better deck

Building Products Digest November 2011

Photo by FSI Home Products, Cullman, Al.

Aluminum Decking

boards,” says v.p. Jon Bailey. “This represents a real upsell opportunity for dealers.” Sigmadek, a new company based in Calgary, Alb., will offer a complete aluminum decking system—including the understructure and joists, stairs, and railings—that can be topped with any type of deck boards. According to president Gary Acinapura, the pre-fabricated system eliminates the need for field fabrication—increasing safety and saving time and money. Prefabrication also eliminates the possibility—and cost— of complicated deck designs. “Our research indicates that 75% of decks are square or rectangular,” he says. “Deck depths can be 20 ft. from ledge to post and any width.” Although Sigmadek’s decking won’t be available until next spring, its LifeLong aluminum fasteners will be offered before the end of this month through Parksite, Batavia, Il. The products are precision engineered to help make key structural points— such as deck support posts, ledger boards, and post-beam connectors—in traditional wood decks stronger, safer, and easier to install. “True innovation is hard to come by,” says Scott Thomas, director of marketing at Parksite. “Having the chance to bring something revolutionary to market, which can change the way people conceive and design decks, is an excellent opportunity for our company and our customers.” Building-Products.com

INDUSTRY Trends Staying Right with the Lacey Act

Is your hardwood inventory Lacey compliant?

HARDWOOD IMPORTERS advise dealing with trusted suppliers to ensure Lacey Act compliance.

N LATE AUGUST, Gibson Guitars’ facilities in Tennessee were raided by federal investigators, who seized hardwoods they maintain were imported in violation of the Lacey Act. The 100-year-old statute, forerunner of the Endangered Species Act, was expanded in 2008 to cover wood products, making illegal sourcing punishable by fines and prison. Wood imported from, say, India must have been harvested and handled according to Indian laws. Considering the popularity of ipé decking and other imported wood products, are lumber dealers taking the proper precautions to ensure what they’re trading in is Lacey compliant? “Lacey requires a more educated buyer,” notes George Celtrick, Cikel USA, Miami, Fl. “In the past, finding an offer 20% below market price was great news; now one needs to ask how the material can be that cheap. I was astounded the other day to receive an offer on lumber, decking, flooring and logs from Brazil. It’s illegal to export logs from Brazil.” Last year, Cikel received an email from a foreign company claiming to offer Lacey-compliant, FSC-certified material. Celtrick asked for their chain-of-custody certificate number, which was promptly provided. “But,” Celtrick says, “when I went to www.fsc.org, I saw that (the C-O-C number) was for a Danish printing company. When I mentioned this in an email, they disappeared.” Hardwood wholesaler Dennis Johnston, Peterman

Building Products Digest November 2011

Lumber, Fontana, Ca., has seen the Lacey Act affect his business. “We are now more obligated than ever to hold our import lumber suppliers more accountable on where and how they obtain the lumber they are shipping to us,” he says. “We need to deal with reputable importers that follow the rules and guidelines of the Lacey Act.” Johnston suggests that dealers “should be upfront and directly ask (suppliers) if they are in compliance before purchasing the product. If we have customers that request verification, we in turn would ask our supplier for the PPQ505 form, which states that they are in compliance. We already have so much paperwork in our world, we do not provide (the form) unless it is requested.” Ipé decking wholesaler/manufacturer Sean Burch, Redwood Empire, Morgan Hill, Ca., agrees: “Ask your current supplier if they can supply you with the Lacey documentation that we as importers submit at the time of arrival. Or, ask for a letter that states the current supplier complies and will be responsible for Lacey Act requirements all the way back to the harvest plans.” Cikel USA’s Celtrick maintains proof should be written and extensive. “What the U.S. attorneys determine compliant is the tricky part,” he says. “Too many U.S. buyers feel a letter from their supplier is enough ‘due diligence’ that the material was taken legally. Buyers need to ask brokers and suppliers to prove it. You need to know exactly from whom the broker gets the material and what document(s) in that country prove that it is legally taken. It forces transparency into the supply chain by punishing the buyers who don’t have it.” Celtrick admits, however, that the burden of proof may vary, depending on the volume of materials and one’s place in the distribution chain. “If you are not the importer of record or a big buyer, the level of needed due diligence drops,” he says. “Homeowners should not worry about Lacey violations with their new deck. But, if you are the first buyer touching the container from the port, shame on you if don’t have a file showing due care in your purchasing process.” According to Romel Bezerra, InterSomma, Pembroke Pines, Fl., compliance is straightforward. “Everyone, from importers to lumber dealers, only need to exercise due diligence when purchasing imported wood products,” he says. “It is not that difficult, especially when one knows their suppliers well.” As Laura L. Beaver, New Horizons Hardwoods, Springfield, Mo., advises: “Buy from companies you know and trust.” Building-Products.com

All photos courtesy of Insulfoam

MARGIN Builders By John Cambruzzi, Insulfoam

4 tips to sell EPS insulation

F ALL THE BUILDING products in dealers’ yards and distributors’ warehouses, rigid foam insulations have some of the most similar sounding names: polyurethane, polyisocyanurate, polystyrene, etc. It’s not always easy to recall what sets them apart when a customer asks about product features or wants a recommendation. For dealers and distributors carrying expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation—or considering adding EPS to their offerings—a simple way to remember the material’s advantages is the acronym “SELL”: • Strength • Energy efficiency • Low moisture absorption • Labor & material cost savings These attributes make EPS suitable for many new construction and retrofit applications, including roofs, interior and exterior walls, foundations, under floor slabs, and in garage doors.

Strength

As a closed-cell, insulating foam, EPS is lightweight, yet durable. It has compressive strengths ranging from 10 to 60 psi (1,440 to 8,640 psf). As such, EPS can meet nearly any required loads encountered on roofing jobs and below slab, as well as for below grade perimeter insulation applications. When thinking of EPS’s compressive strength, picture a locomotive weighing down on its rails. EPS geofoam is used as a load-bearing alternative to soils under railroad beds.

Energy Efficiency

Many rigid foam insulations have similar R-values, but the number refers to the initial insulating properties at the time of installation. While some materials lose up to 30% of their R-value over the years, EPS retains its thermal properties. A quick check of product war-

Building Products Digest November 2011

ranties will show how the manufacturer predicts their products will perform over time. Stable R-values can be an important selling point for contractors, and in turn, home and building owners, since they help ensure lower energy use and costs over the structure’s life.

Low Moisture Absorption

The degree to which insulation absorbs moisture affects its durability and thermal properties, as well as its ability to help reduce water infiltration into other building components. EPS has a low moisture absorption rate, as shown in extensive product evaluations. For example, EPS buried in wetted soil for 1,000 days absorbed only 1.7% moisture by volume according to tests by the U.S. Army’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. One way to paint a mental picture for customers on how well EPS resists Building-Products.com

moisture is to explain that it’s commonly used for flotation in docks.

Labor & Material Cost Savings

In addition to its physical properties, a key differentiator for EPS insulation is the many ways it helps contractors save money. It is lightweight and easy to handle, which helps speed installation. The availability of specialty products can further reduce labor. One such option is fan-fold EPS panel bundles with dual-sided polymeric facers for roofs, walls and foundations. Such bundles only weigh 11 lbs. so they are easy for one person to carry, yet they quickly fold out to cover up to 200 sq. ft. This can reduce installation time by about 60%. Another example is pre-cut tapered EPS for roof insulation. The blocks are available up to 40” thick (compared to the typical 4” for other tapered insulations), so building sloped roofs is much quicker and can save up to 30% on labor and material costs.

Multiple Product Options

Taking advantage of the above performance advantages, EPS is available in many versatile product makeups. These include the fan-fold bundles and pre-cut tapered components mentioned above, as well as other specialty products: Flute-fill panels: Some manufacturers offer custom-cut EPS that installs fast over existing metal roofs. The materials are profiled to fill the spaces between the metal roofing’s raised seams, without gaps. This allows for superior insulation and a flat surface for applied membranes. Fiberglass-faced panels: Fireresistant, factory-laminated fiberglass facers on EPS eliminate the need for a slip sheet on roofing jobs. Such panels are compatible with various single-ply roofing systems, including PVC, TPO, and EPDM membranes. Contractors can combine the panels with standard EPS to achieve high Rvalues, for about 25% less than other high-thermal insulation systems. Composite roofing panels: EPS and high-density polyisocyanurate cover board bonded together provide high thermal efficiency and durability. The composite panels are a good choice for roofs needing resistance to hail, high winds, and other severe weather. Building-Products.com

Attached nail board: EPS is also available with pre-attached cover board, including OSB, plywood, wood fiber, perlite, gypsum, and others. Crews save time and materials compared to building up roofing on site, and can apply fully adhered or hot-mopped systems over the panels. Some come with pre-cut vent channels in the EPS to help keep the roof cool. Wall sheathing: Beyond roofs, the stable R-values, moisture resistance, and durability of EPS also work well for wall sheathing. Contractors can use EPS products for cavity walls, interior walls, exterior sheathing, and exterior insulation finishing systems. EPS wall sheathing is available with factory-laminated polymeric metallicreflective facers that help shed water and increase R-values. Foundations: A common foundation insulation, EPS installs directly over the primary waterproofing system. The foam helps protect the waterproofing during backfill and insulates the foundation against damage from freeze/thaw cycles. Panels can be ordered with pre-cut channels to direct water away from the building for a drier foundation. Under slab: Because of its highcompressive strength and thermal

properties, EPS works well below concrete slabs. It is an economical choice for wine cellar, cold storage facilities, warehouses, and other industrial buildings where ground insulation is important. Garage door kits: For d-i-yers, as well as contractors, some EPS manufacturers offer residential garage door insulation kits. The packaged EPS bundles can be cut to fit, and attach easily to the inside door surface. Garage door insulation helps reduce heating and cooling costs, lowers interior noise, and improves workspace comfort. As demand increases for more energy-efficient buildings, insulation can be an important profit center for distributors and dealers. With the vast range of insulation materials available—from spray foams to batts to panels—there are solutions for all contractor needs. For salespeople working with EPS, the four “SELL” points can be a quick way to summarize its benefits.

– John Cambruzzi is director of marketing and national accounts for Insulfoam, manufacturer of R-Tech and InsulFoam brand insulation. He can be reached at (800) 242-8879 or via www.insulfoam.com.

FOUNDATION is insulated by EPS, which is installed directly over the primary waterproofing system and helps protect it during backfill and against weather damage. November 2011 Building Products Digest

COMPETITIVE Intelligence By Carla Waldemar

Dealer raises the Barn

ICHAEL RECORD IS A CHIP off the old block, and that’s also what he sells (plus shavings and sawdust and pellets, along with pine and hemlock boards, posts, beams and more) at The Board Barn, a retail store he launched a year ago in Cumberland, Me. With this new venture—I’ll go ahead and spoil the story for you by saying it’s been an overnight success—Mike has come full circle, selling lumber from the sawmill his dad founded, and where Mike continues to work and Dad still mans the planing operation. Mike’s job is to market truckloads to sites as far away as Missouri, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

MAINE COURSE: Record Building Supply operators Michael Record (left) and Merle Record draw much of their stock from their 32-year-old sawmill.

Yet Mike was tugged by that primal urge, the urge to build his own business, and build it from the ground up just as his dad, Merle, had done before him, in 1979. Young Merle had worked full-time at a woolen mill while constructing his sawmill nights and weekends, blow by blow. And when it burned, alas, in the early ’80s, he simply built himself a bigger, more modern version. Due to

Building Products Digest November 2011

customer demand, Merle at last relented and began retailing from the operation. Finally, in an attempt to regain sanity, he divided the operations and launched Record Building Supply in Oxford, Me., which purchases over one-third of the mill’s output and also offers a full line of everything from windows and doors to tools and hardware and the most recent addition, Benjamin Moore paints, to its customers, split 50/50 between pro builders and homeowners. Both Merle and Mike had their hands full. But you know kids. Says Mike, “I felt I was old enough to go out on my own, even in a bad economy. I felt I was ready. So, a year ago, I found a good deal on property in a good area” in nearby Cumberland “where I could concentrate on pine boards.” And soon, shavings. Then pellets, both waste products from the mill. “I began bagging the shavings to sell retail to farmers to bed their animals—a dry product. Then I also mixed some in with green sawdust, offering the advantage of a lot more product to sell. Farmers liked the green addition because its moisture was easier on the dry hooves of their horses. I’ve had a lot of success with it,” he reports. Waste not, want not, lesson learned. So now he also sells pellets made of sawdust (“It saves us money because we already do it in bulk, so now I can add them at retail with very little work. People are using them more and more for heating wood stoves, fireplaces, even furnaces— and it’s using products made in Maine, not oil from overseas,” he’s proud to underscore. The Board Barn also sells overstocks and closeouts from outside sources, such as a recent bonanza of composite decking, at deeply discounted prices: 6- and 8-ft. pine board, low-grade pine board for inexpensive sheeting. Little by little, he’s adding ancillary products, which he can test-drive by buying from Record Building Supply in small quantities to see how they fly before committing to a mega-order. Case in point: OSB. “I didn’t carry it at first,” Mike says, “but contractors all seem to want to use it, so I brought in a half unit and it sold out. So I added more….” Plus nails and fasteners, “an obvious addition. If people need boards, they need nails,” he knows, and why let that sale travel elsewhere? Next thing up: grain. “Something I never dreamed of, but customers were asking for it for their horses, so it preBuilding-Products.com

sents another opportunity; I’ll start stocking their favorite brand. Plus, it’ll provide steady business in the winter. I’ll add more plywood, too,” he muses. But hardware? Nah, he says (for now): “I’ll leave that to Record.” Mike markets his offerings on his website (www.theboardbarn.biz), and via the new e-store, where customers are urged: “Buy direct and save! We have our own mill.” “Plywood—only two units left. Hurry!” And, “Because of our affiliation with both Record Lumber and Record Building Supply, we can price items below the competition.” Mike’s manager, Mike Biskup, is also a computer whiz, so he’s launched the store’s e-zine, which announces “really good deals,” plus tips to customers who choose to sign up. Already, 500 have made the move and, with competitors lurking “15 minutes away in four directions,” that’s no small potatoes—or, pellets. Mike woos these customers with a triple whammy: variety of product, quality and price. “And those customers we’ve attracted, we’re retaining,” he has the right to boast. Yet it’s been a learning process, and Mike is the first to say so. First lesson: “Take advantage of opportunities—

building from the ground up, including drive-thru storage—“dealing with the planning process was an eye-opener,” he relates. “Record was in a smaller town; here, in [larger] Cumberland, there’s a lot more politics.” The moral he re-emphasizes is this: “Learn from past experiences. Don’t just experience them, learn from them.” And the most important lesson learned—this one came easy—was that an owner must be passionate about his business. “I’ve seen so many come and go for lack of passion,” Mike says. Not a likely factor here, given the Record family genes: “Since I was nine years old, I worked in my dad’s mill, even full-time during high school on a release program. Dad started with nothing and built his equity.” Mike can step back a bit from his mill duties because there isn’t that much product left to market after Record and Board Barn sell their share. “It’s less costly this way,” he adds, “rather than ship stuff on trailer trucks—a help in this economy.” Yet the economic state of the nation, while grim, isn’t crimping his style, not at all. “The Board Barn has been open less than a year and is already paying its way. There’s something to be said for that,” he maintains, in understated Down East fashion. And that something is “Wow!” Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net

NEWEST VENTURE, The Board Barn, Cumberland, Me., sells all manner of wood products.

that’s the key to success,” he advises, as he prepares to add grain, for example, to his SKUs. Next, Mike says, “Be flexible. From the start I recognized, from working at Record, that there’s always such difficulty in managing contractors’ accounts, so I said, ‘No credit. No accounts.’ But it didn’t’ take me long to realize that if I wanted to get their business, that would have to change. So I turned to Blue Tarp Financial as an easy option.” For a small percent of the take, the company manages customers’ accounts and even offers Board Barn choices of sliding payment fees, such as how often to receive paybacks; whether to offer a customer regular or extended credit; and whether to reward them with points toward prizes. Same with conventional plastic. Mike relates how he lost a “really big” sale because American Express was the only card the contractor carried in his wallet, and Mike wasn’t set up to accept it. Today, lesson learned, he is— along with Visa, MC and you name it. “I’ve got to make it as easy as I can and offer many payment plans.” He also found he had a lot to learn about constructing a Building-Products.com

November 2011 Building Products Digest

OLSEN On Sales By James Olsen

You’re fired

ONGRATULATIONS, YOU’VE JUST

been promoted to sales manager! Now the real challenge of leading your team begins. One of the hardest things you will have to do as a sales manager is fire people. Many sales managers are promoted internally. They are co-workers before they are managers. This situation is one of the toughest professional challenges you will face in your career. How do you get your recent co-workers to treat you as their leader? Their manager? Their evaluator? The biggest challenge comes from within. Will you accept the role of leader? Or do you want them to like you too much? Will you want them to treat you the same as they did before? Leadership has its price. You are no longer “one of the guys/gals.” When the sales team goes out to let off some steam, you probably won’t be invited. You are no longer a co-worker. Your responsibility is now to the team. Change can be difficult and sometimes lonely. Your team needs and wants you to lead them. Your company demands it.

If you donʼt lead your team, someone will

When a leader of a country dies, we hear about a “power void” or a “leadership void.” Several wanna-be leaders will step forward, and there will be political and social unrest until a clear leader is established. The same thing will happen with your sales team. You must lead your team or someone else will. If you are a weak or non-existent leader, someone else will assume the leadership role. Usually it is the biggest, most selfish bully. The team will become fractious and goals will be individualistically driven instead of company or team driven. This does not mean that you are a tyrant. This does not mean that you are an autocrat. It does mean that you must give your team a clear vision, set a high standard, and hold them to that standard.

If you donʼt fire them, they will fire you

Your job is to grow company sales and profits. You must do this by building a strong team. If you don’t, you will be fired! If you allow poor performers to remain on the team you send the message “It’s okay to be a poor performer.” If you do fire your poor performers, you send the opposite message: “Perform or be gone!” Which message do you want to send to your team?

Mental approaches to help make firing easier

It’s them or your kid. I was dealing with an employee who I really liked. I liked her, but I couldn’t get her to work unsupervised. I was in the process of cutting her hours to only those when he could work with a co-worker. I told her, “This is not an argument about what is good for me and what is good for you, but an argument about what is good for you and what is good for my kid!” She said, “That makes it real easy for you to look at it like that, doesn’t it?” I said, “Yes, it does.” The next time you have a problem with an employee, remember, it’s them or your kid. Your kid is counting on you to do the right thing for your career, so do it and don’t feel bad about it. Your communication has been clear. By the time you feel like firing someone, you have already had numerous “sit-downs,” etc., with them. You have been clear. They don’t want to understand. Some people will only understand when you fire them. Do yourself a favor, save yourself some time. Fire them. Do you want to work for them? If you want to work for a troublesome employee, don’t fire them. Because if you can’t manage them, then they are managing you (and your other employees). You can’t get in the way of a peak performer. If he were a great, motivated salesperson, you would not be having problems with him. He would be too busy selling. It’s not a zero sum game. Dealing with troublesome performers or unmanageable people is keeping you from growing your group. It is keeping you from giving time and attention to the salespeople who need it and are manageable. Let ’em go! James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572 james@realitysalestraining.com

Building Products Digest November 2011

Building-Products.com

GREEN Retailing By Jay Tompt

Made greener in a factory near you

30 years, the manufacturing core of the United States has been dismantled piece by piece and shipped off to other countries. Looking for competitive advantage through leastcost labor, brand owners and manufacturers have gradually concentrated in China, which now accounts for a large proportion of product sold through this channel. Even commodity products are very likely to be sourced from China or other faraway places, and not without complications. Has anyone forgotten the drywall controversy? Low prices are good, or so market logic would dictate, but in a globalized economy there are unintended consequences. Economists have argued that the American middle class, made up of folks who save to buy a house or remodel the one they own, has been significantly diminished by the loss of good-paying manufacturing jobs. This has had a devastating effect in hundreds of local economies that still struggle with high unemployment and underemployment. In addition, cheap goods and materials from abroad may have other, hidden costs. Lower quality, for example, can slow productivity or require expensive remediation. From a green point of view, there’s another unintended consequence. Most imported goods and materials will have much higher embodied energy—in other words, a larger carbon footprint. Shipping goods across the ocean spews tons of carbon into the atmosphere. More importantly, a foreign factory may get its energy from inefficient coalburning plants. So, before the import is even shipped, its carbon footprint may already be wildly off the charts compared with a domestically made alternative. There may be other environmental consequences, too, when factories are located in countries with few safeguards in place against pollution, deforestation, etc. Reducing the embodied energy in buildings is the main motivator behind USGBC’s LEED credit for locally sourced goods and materials. This is good, but does it matter? Is anything even made in this country anymore? Yes and yes. Obviously, sourcing goods and materials close to the building site means lower embodied energy and lower amounts of carbon emitted to the atmosphere. It also helps to support local businesses and encourages builders to incorporate local materials. Lumber, stone, strawbale, VER THE LAST

Building Products Digest November 2011

cob—regional resource strengths will help recreate regional building vernacular, too, providing a welcome break from the homogeneity of mass home production. Shortening the supply chain also delivers strategic business benefits, such as less risk of disruption from overseas events and, potentially, more collaborative relationships between manufacturer and dealer. And yes, there are still plenty of products made in this country. A Montana builder made news promoting his 100% American built house (www.theallamericanhome. com), demonstrating that it can be done and with little extra cost. It also showed that there’s strong interest from builders and prospective homeowners to source goods closer to home. So, what’s a good, green dealer to do? Work with your distributors and manufacturers to identify where the products and materials are made, then identify opportunities to make some changes. Shorten the supply chain. Products made closer to home are better or “greener,” theoretically, than those made farther away. For example, qualified products and materials made within 500 miles of the jobsite earn LEED credits. Weigh the costs and benefits wisely—a toxic product made next door is always worse than a green import from Europe. Work with local manufacturers to green up their product line, if necessary. In the store, develop signage that educates and informs your customers about the benefits of buying local or buying American. Finally, resist the temptation to wave the flag, but do make the case based on quality, economics and environmental benefits. There’s a strong one to be made. Jay Tompt Managing Partner William Verde & Associates (415) 321-0848 info@williamverde.com

Building-Products.com

DEALER Briefs

Builders Lumber & Home Center, Portland, Mi., is

closing after more than 100 years.

ProBuild will exit the Chicago market by the end of the year, closing its lumber and millwork facilities in Yorkville, Il., and gypsum plant in Westmont, ll. Separately, the chain agreed to lease a 61,500-sq. ft. facility in Jessup, Md.

Northeast Lumber Supply has relocated from Brockton, Ma., to 4.5 acres in Hanson, Ma.

C.H. Carpenter Lumber, Jamestown, N.D., closed Sept. 13 after 99 years. Its Valley City, N.D., branch remains open. Builders has remodeled its store in Kearney, Ne.

Coleman’s Lumber & Home Center, Harrodsburg,

Ky., has closed after 99 years.

Do Cut True Value Hardware, Canfield, Oh., was destroyed by a Sept. 14 fire of undetermined origin.

A&L Ace Hardware, Hurricane, W.V., has been purchased by Bill Sexton from Tim Meeks.

Lowe’s opened a 94,000-sq. ft. store Sept. 23 in Destin, Fl. (Greg Gilmore, mgr.).

Building Products Digest November 2011

Cedar Creek Buys Wholesale Wood

Cedar Creek, Oklahoma City, Ok., has agreed to acquire Wholesale Wood Products, Dothan, Al., from Jim Stuckey and Chuck Harris, who founded the wholesaler in 1979. “This move backfills Cedar Creek’s current coverage area in the Southeast between our current Tennessee and North Carolina branches and further underscores our commitment to growing the footprint of Cedar Creek,” said c.e.o. Bill Adams. The deal is set to close by late November, when Stuckey will join Cedar Creek as a general manager. With the addition of Wholesale Wood’s DCs in Birmingham and Dothan, Cedar Creek will operate 14 locations serving 17 states. Unaffected are Harris and Stuckey’s two other businesses, retailer Cole Hall Lumber, Pelham, Al., and manufacturer Custom Lumber Manufacturing, Dothan, Al., with its Plantation Cypress and Plantation Pine brands. Harris said, “Charles Andre and I will continue to operate the other companies and plan on expanding the cypress business that Custom Lumber has been so heavily involved in the last 10 years. We plan on increasing our production capabilities, especially in the timbers and shingle business.”

Coastal Picks Up Iron Woods

Coastal Forest Products, Bedford, N.H., has acquired the assets of Iron Woods hardwood decking supplier Timber Holdings International, Wauwatosa, Wi., out of receivership for $2.5 million. Even after previous owner Cecco Trading defaulted on its loan and let Timber Holdings fall into receivership, the division continued operating while its primary creditor negotiated with prospective buyers.

Building-Products.com

SUPPLIER Briefs

Millwork supplier The closed after 88 years.

Donlin Co., St. Cloud, Mn., has

Advantage Trim & Lumber is adding a 7,500-sq. ft. warehouse to its manufacturing facility in Grover, N.C., to accommodate growing demand for hardwood decking. Georgia-Pacific indefinitely idled its plywood plants in Hawthorne, Fl., and Crossett, Ar., laying off more than 1,000 workers between the two facilities.

Wholesale Wood Products, Dothan, Al., has added a new 20,000-sq. ft. shed for storing finished cypress stock.

Griffin Lumber is installing a new primary breakdown optimization system at its mill in Cordele, Ga.

Northern Crossarm Co., Chippewa Falls, Wi., now produces fire-retardant, pressure treated wood featuring Hoover’s Pyro-Guard. In addition, Northern Crossarm’s laminated columns have been re-engineered to be ANSI/ASAE EP559 compliant. Tolleson Lumber is installing a new trimmer top and smart drop-out gate at its mill in Perry, Ga.

Millwood Inc., Vienna, Oh., has acquired Graham Pallet Co., Tompkinsville, Ky.

Lonza Group Ltd. has completed its acquistion of Arch Wood Protection parent Arch Chemicals. Warren Trask Co., Stoughton, Ma., is now distributing Fiberon decking and railing products in New England, Hudson Valley and Long Island, N.Y., markets.

Coastal Forest Products, Bedford, N.H., is now distributing Wolfpac Technologies’ Versatex trimboard in New England and Long Island, N.Y.

Sherwood Lumber, Islandia, N.Y., has a new logo and is now offering Sherwood Lumber-branded wood products from its distribution centers. Molpus Woodlands Group , Jackson, Ms., has acquired 26,500 acres of timberland in Georgia and Virginia.

ProVia Products, Sugarcreek, Oh., has unified its Aeris window, Signet door, Heartland siding, and Heritage Stone collections under the ProVia brand.

EcoVantage LLC , St. Joe, In., earned the USDA Certified Bio-based product label for its EcoPrem thermally modified lumber.

Cox Industries , Orangeburg, S.C., and Robert Bosch, Charleston, S.C., won Silver Crescent awards, hon-

oring contributions to education/environmental stewardship.

Syntheon, Pittsburgh, Pa., achieved ISO 14001:2004 certification for its manufacturing plant in Leetsdale, Pa.

AbitibiBowater, Montreal, P.Q., has changed its name to Resolute Forest Products. Building-Products.com

November 2011 Building Products Digest

Loweʼs Closing 20 Locations

Lowe’s Cos. is closing 20 underperforming stores in 15 states and eliminating 1,950 jobs. Half of the locations closed Oct. 16, while the others will be shuttered this month. The chain, which will be left with more than 1,700 locations, will also cut back on it expansion plans—opening 10 to 15 new stores in North America annually starting in 2012, rather than the 30 it had predicted. Stores closing are Chalmette, La.; Aurora and Oswego, Il.; Biddeford and Ellsworth, Me; Haverhill, Ma.; Ionia, Mi.; Rogers, Mn.; Claremont, Hooksett and Manchester, N.H.; Old Bridge, N.J.; Batavia, N.Y.; N. Kingstown, R.I.; Emporia, Va.; Brown Deer, Wi.; Denver, Co.; S. Tacoma, Wa.; Los Banos and Westminster, Ca.

Kentucky Dealers Join Forces

After years of friendly competition, two Kentucky dealers have united. Pilot Lumber’s Ken Grause and Moore’s Home Improvement’s Bruce Moore merged to lower overhead costs and strengthen their positions in a difficult economy. Pilot’s locations in Bellevue and Alexandria now operate as Pilot Lumber & Moore’s Home Improvement Center. Moore’s single location in Fort Thomas has closed. “It will be a joy to have two heads instead of one,” said Moore, who serves as v.p. Grause, who will serve as president, said that the two attended high

school together, went off to different colleges, and then joined their families’ LBM businesses. As the recession deepened, they began to discuss a possible merger.

New England Consolidates, Sells Stores to Hammond

Nine-yard Hammond Lumber Co., Belgrad, Me., agreed to purchase stores in Damariscotta, Boothbay Harbor, and Pemaquid, Me., from eight-unit New England Building Materials, Sanford, Me. New England will consolidate at sales/distribution centers in Sanford and Lakeville, Ma., closing branches in Windham and Springvale, Me. It will also convert its Norwood, Ma., store into a kitchen design center, while continuing to operate its white pine sawmill in Sanford. The deal was expected to close in late October.

RIFP Starts EWP Division

Richmond International Forest Products, Glen Allen, Va., has launched a new engineered wood division, managed by Chad Carnes. Its first line is Ultralam LVL, for beams, headers, joists, rafters, columns, wall studs, and in metal-plated trusses, concrete forming, packaging, and door, window and furniture parts. It is available FSC certified. The division is also exclusive U.S. distributor of C4Ci’s iPro EWP design software.

DEALER Briefs

Menards will unveil a larger replacement store this spring in Marshalltown, Ia.

Ace Hardware, Hickory, N.C., is closing Nov. 23 after 61 years of operation by the Huffman family.

True Value Hardware, Rockford, Il., is shutting down after 45 years. Clement Ace, Gloucester, N.J., has closed, leaving the franchisee with stores in Hammonton and Tuckerton, N.J.

Morrison True Value, Alpine, Tx., held a grand reopening Oct. 21-22 to show off its newly renovated 16,000sq. ft. interior.

Temple Terrace Ace, Temple Terrace, Fl., has reopened, three months after an electrical fire consumed much of the building.

E&H Hardware Group is opening its 7th Ace Hardware store this month at the site of a shuttered Ace in Independence, Oh.

Eldridge True Value, Eldridge, Ia., is liquidating after 20 years, with the retirement of owner John Schultz. Keeler True Value, Wilton, Ct., has closed after 125 years.

Ace Hardware opened a new location Oct. 12 in Rhinelander, Wi.

Lanier’s True Value Hardware, Lexington, N.C., recently held a

grand re-opening to celebrate its 14week makeover into the Destination True Value format.

National Ace Hardware is closing its 11-year-old store in Bay View, Wi., but will continue operating its other two Milwaukee locations.

Habitat for Humanity opened new ReStore discount LBM outlets in Kensington, Pa.; Landsdowne, Md.; Baraboo, Wi. (to eventually replace a smaller store in Prairie du Sac, Wi.); Newington, N.H. (replacing a smaller unit in Dover); Socastee, S.C. (replacing Myrtle Beach, S.C.), and a second, higher-end ReStore in Ann Arbor, Mi. Habitat also will add a ReStore next spring in Grand Island, Ne. 26

Building Products Digest November 2011

Building-Products.com

Pennsylvania Retailer Consolidates

A.D. Moyer Lumber closed its 16-year-old yard in Douglassville, Pa., Sept. 23 and reassigned employees to its facilities in Pottstown and Gilbertsville, Pa. The company will retain the Douglassville property, in hopes of eventually reopening. Douglassville’s phone numbers remain active, automatically forwarding to the Pottstown location. Moyer is enhancing its two remaining yards, including repaving, building maintenance, and equipment upgrades.

Massachusetts Dealer Calls It Quits

After 50 years of business in Cambridge, Ma., Cambridge Lumber closed at the end of September. Owner Lenny Katz, who bought the business 39 years ago, said that the economy hit his business hard and he can no longer afford to keep it open. “I’ve seen peaks and valleys in business, but nothing like this,” said Katz. “The first hit was the big box stores, but we were able to get by. We weren’t able to deal with the slow economy, though.”

Ace Opens Import DC in Virginia

Ace Hardware Corp., Oak Brook, Il., will build a new 336,000-sq. ft. import re-distribution center in Suffolk, Va., to reduce shipping costs and allow its East Coast dealers to more effectively respond to weather emergencies in the region. “Suffolk is only 30 miles from the Port of Virginia, which is the most modern port in the United States,” said Lori Bossmann, senior v.p. of supply chain & retail support. “We also have the capabilities to expand our new

facility up to 500,000 sq. ft. in order to accommodate future needs and anticipated growth.” When it opens next May, the new Ace facility will be the first tenant in the 900-acre CenterPoint Intermodal Center, which can accommodate up to 5.8 million sq. ft. of industrial facilities. The location will also take advantage of Panamax, an expansion of the Panama Canal that is scheduled for completion in 2014 and will allow larger container vessels easier access to East Coast ports—further lowering land-transportation costs. Ace already operates an 800,000-sq. ft. retail support center in Prince George, Va.

Pleasant River Buys Maine Sawmill

Pleasant River Lumber, Dover-Foxcroft, Me., purchased 70-year-old Crobb Box Co. at auction, including several buildings and a five-year-old sawmill on 100 acres in Hancock, Me. Crobb Box opened during World War II, to produce heavyweight boxes for shipping vehicle parts and military supplies overseas. It later specialized in eastern white pine lumber products, but got into financial trouble earlier this year. Machias Savings Bank purchased the property in August, after a foreclosure sale failed to attract any satisfactory bids. Pleasant River employs about 90 people at its current facilities in Dover-Foxcroft and West Enfield, which produce spruce framing materials for new construction. “We have been looking for opportunities to expand and diversify,” said v.p. Jason Brochu, who speculated that up to 40 workers could be hired once the former Crobb’s facility is fully operational with a new wood-fired boiler.

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Building-Products.com

November 2011 Building Products Digest

New Design Values Proposed for SYP The Southern Pine Inspection Bureau has submitted new design values for visually graded southern pine dimension lumber for review by the American Lumber Standard Committee. The new values will ensure that southern pine lumber will continue to be strong and reliable when used properly in the construction of residential and commercial buildings. SPIB is the first rules-writing agency to submit new values. Agencies responsible for other species are in different stages for evaluating design values. The last major change for visually

Top Questions

Q. What will the new values mean for existing inventories of lumber in the supply chain? A. Existing inventory can still be used, but it may need to be used differently. Visually graded dimension lumber is identified with a grade mark that includes the grade name (e.g., No. 2), but not the specific design values associated with that grade name. Therefore, existing inventory will have the new design values associated with it as of the effective date of SPIB’s Supplement No. 9 of the 2002 Standard Grading Rules for Southern Pine Lumber. As before, southern pine grades and sizes should be used as specified on plans or construction drawings.

Q. What effect will the new design values have on maximum spans? A. The impacts on end uses will depend on the specific application, but, in general, maximum spans for typical joist and rafter applications will be reduced for a given visual grade. However, there are several options to achieve similar maximum spans as before. One is to specify a higher grade and/or larger size of visually graded southern pine lumber. Another is to specify mechanically graded lumber. For example, possible substitutes for visually graded No. 2 2x4 southern pine lumber include 1650f-1.5E MSR or M-12 MEL. For answers to more questions about the proposed new design values, visit southernpine.com.

graded dimension lumber occurred in 1991 when design values for southern pine and other North American species were published based on ingrade testing of full-size samples of commercially produced lumber. Since 1994, SPIB has conducted an annual resource monitoring program developed in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory. Although the level established to trigger additional testing was never reached, overall trends in the annual test data suggested a possible shift in the resource mix. These trends, along with anecdotal external information, prompted SPIB to conduct a year-long program of testing and data review. SPIB and Timber Products Inspection selected full-size No. 2 2x4 specimens, following a sampling plan approved by ALSC. SPIB and TPI conducted destructive tests in bending and tension, plus gathered stiffness and property data, all in accordance with established ASTM standards. SPIB also performed the data analysis in conformance with ASTM standards and then submitted the results to ALSC. SPIB’s data analysis is currently being reviewed by FPL. Moving forward, the southern pine industry will fill out the full in-grade testing matrix, sampling Select Structural 2x4s, No. 2 and Select Structural 2x8s, and No. 2 and Select Structural 2x10s. SPIB and TPI will conduct destructive tests in bending, tension and compression, plus gather stiffness and property data. Testing should be completed by spring 2012. Following this in-grade re-assessment, southern pine will continue to be monitored on an annual basis with destructive tests. ALSC’s board of review could approve new design values as soon as their next meeting, to be held Jan. 5. Or, ALSC may decide it needs additional information, such as the results from SPIB’s full in-grade matrix test results, before granting final approval. SPIB will publish new design values for visually graded southern pine upon receiving final approval from ALSC.

Southern pine remains strong, reliable

Southern pine’s strength remains comparable to other softwood species

Building Products Digest November 2011

used in residential and commercial construction. “The strength and superior treatability of southern pine lumber against decay and termites continues to provide a great value for manufacturers, designers, builders and consumers,” said Adrian Blocker, president of the Southern Forest Products Association. “The extensive testing protocols used assure that everyone involved in the specification, sale and use of our products has the most current information about how southern pine lumber can be used confidently and economically.” He added, “Component manufacturers, treaters and design-build professionals have many southern pine product options available to them.

These customers can achieve the product performance they need by identifying a particular design value, choosing from a number of visual grade selections, or specifying their choice of mechanically graded lumber.”

Proposed changes

Design values are assigned to six basic lumber properties. These values are used in designing light-frame construction and provide guidance for designers in calculating the performance of a structural system. Design values for four of the properties— bending, tension, compression and stiffness—are based on data from testing full-size, commercially produced lumber specimens. Proposed new design values for these properties may be reduced approximately 25-30%. New design values are proposed to change for all grades and all sizes of visually graded southern pine dimension lumber 2” to 4” thick, 2” and wider. “All grades” includes Select Structural, No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, Stud, Construction, Standard and Utility. “All sizes” includes 2x2s through 4x12s (and wider). Design values for shear and compression perpendicular-to-grain are Building-Products.com

based on specific gravity. The average specific gravity observed from the latest testing of No. 2 2x4s was not found to be different enough from the published southern pine specific gravity value of 0.55 to warrant a proposed change at this time. Because specific gravity is not proposed to change, the design values for shear and compression perpendicular are also not proposed to change.

What about Dense lumber?

Test results did not indicate enough of a difference between Dense, unclassified and NonDense lumber to continue publishing three different design values for each lumber grade. The result will be a simplified table with design values assigned by lumber grade without density classifications. However, it is important to note that SPIB Grading Rules will not change. Dense lumber remains an option for southern pine users requiring Dense material, such as proprietary grades for laminated beams. If Dense lumber is specified, it will have the same new design values as the corresponding unclassified grade. For example, if No. 2 Dense is specified, it will have the same design values as No. 2.

Problem Is Clear, Unlike the Solution,” p. 6). I own a business that supplied custom millwork to over 75 lumberyards and millwork distribution companies in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. Over the past four years, 27 of them have closed. In addition, my forestry business has suffered with stumpage prices so low that landowners have no inclination to sell their timber. Like you, I am frustrated with government, but I am trying to keep that frustration accurately directed. Remember that the stimulus bill passed by the Obama Administration included the First Time Home Buyers Credit. I heard a lot of positives from my regional yards about the efficacy of that program. A few of them credited their survival to the building activity stemming from it. The stimulus bill also gave the SBA broad latitude to “no-fee” refinance small businesses

through their existing banks, and I know for a fact that the injection of cash from that program saved my business and many thousands more. With the mid-term election of “tea party” candidates and a Republican leadership whose publicly stated goal is to defeat the president at all costs (read keep the economy in the tank), the President’s jobs proposal is bold in the context of what might actually get through Congress. Keep in mind that the President is not authorized to spend. That’s the job of Congress. The hard-working people in our industry need to hold their legislators’ feet to the fire if they stand by and do nothing while businesses fail and jobs disappear. Rick Bechen Workbench Tool & Millwork Co. Madison, Wi. bechenforestry@yahoo.com

TALK Back

We welcome your letters to the editor. Send comments to Fax 949-852-0231, dkoenig@building-products.com, or BPD, 4500 Campus Dr. #480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660.

LOVES A SUCCESS STORY

Each month when BPD arrives at Smick Lumber, I sit down in the evening and quickly go through every page to see what to read first. Always it is the fine article “Competitive Intelligence” by Carla Waldemar. We love the personal stories of retail lumber dealers. Her articles are fabulous reading; it’s so exciting to see success stories in a difficult economy. The photos of Linton Tibbetts’ “new” lumberyards are beautiful (Sept., page 17). I turned only 86 on May 2 this year and have high regards for our industry leader. B. Harold Smick, Jr. Smick Lumber, Quinton, N.J. (856) 935-0500

STIMULATE THIS!

Thank you for a thought-provoking intro to the October edition (“The Building-Products.com

November 2011 Building Products Digest

MOVERS & Shakers

Bob Nicholson has been named operations mgr. at Cowls Building Supply, North Amherst, Ma., with the pending retirement of Gert Como. Jonathan Holmes, ex-Carter Lumber, has joined Lumbermens Merchandising Corp., Wayne, Pa., as buyer of commodity building materials. Jeff Kern, ex-Fortress Wood Products, has joined Seaboard International Forest Products, Nashua, N.H., as a market analyst and trader. William C. Foote, chairman, USG Corp., Chicago, Il., is retiring from the board Dec. 31. His title will be assumed by president and c.e.o. James S. Metcalf. Tim Kircher, ex-Spring Lake Park Lumber, is now territory mgr. for PrimeSource Building Products, Rodgers, Mn. C.W. St. John has been promoted to general mgr. at Kommerling USA Inc., Huntsville, Al. Tim Elbers has joined ISIS Wood Products Solutions, Surrey, B.C., as sales mgr., based in Reese, Mi.

Allen Camp is new to sales at Double G Forest Products, Navasota, Tx. Bowen G. Chapman and James E. Jurey, both ex-84 Lumber, are new to outside sales at Buck Lumber & Building Supply, Charleston, S.C. Barry Miller has been named v.p.strategic business development at International Forest Products, Foxborough, Ma. Rex Scott, ex-Plycem, has joined TMO Global Logistics, Charlottesville, Va., as director of business development. Liz Churchill has been named v.p. of sales & marketing for Matthews Marking Products, Pittsburgh, Pa. Russell Bateman is now marketing communications mgr., and Natalie Pizzi is new to marketing, coordinating trade shows and events. Mandi Molfetta is new to outside sales at Russin Lumber, Montgomery, N.Y. Randy Rusk has been promoted to communications director at Do it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, In., replacing Jeff Benzing, who has left the company.

Building Products Digest November 2011

Hilse Collazo has been promoted to store mgr. at Home Depot, Middletown, De. Chris Ford, ex-84 Lumber, is a new customer service rep at Ply Gem, Kansas City, Mo. Laurie Bauer has been named v.p. of corporate communications for Andersen Corp. Bayport, Mn., succeeding Maureen McDonough, who has retired. David A. Tutas has been named general counsel of Universal Forest Products, Grand Rapids, Mi., succeeding Matthew J. Missad, who was appointed c.e.o. earlier this year. William Ott is now a mgr. trainee at Menards, Plano, Il. William Franklin is a new mgr. trainee in Wausau, Wi. David Ondich has joined Screw Products Inc., Gig Harbor, Wa., as Northeast regional sales mgr. He is based in New Jersey. John Maynie, ex-Invensys Rail, has joined Propex Operating Co., Chattanooga, Tn., as director of marketing.

Building-Products.com

Jerry Sanders, ex-Andersen, is new to the window and door sales team at ProBuild, Atlanta, Ga. Joel Wurzler, ex-Lenoble Lumber, is new to inside sales at Marjam Supply, Farmingdale, N.Y. Steve Connor is a new architectural development specialist at Window Design Center, Madison, Wi. Salvatore Abbate has been named senior v.p. of sales & marketing for Andersen Corp., Bayport, Mn. Steve Colton, ABC Supply Neenah, Wi., was promoted from branch mgr. to managing partner, along with Ray Coxe, Delran, N.J.; Jamie Crawford, Salisbury, Md.; Gregg D’Angelo, Youngstown, Oh.; Stephen Duggan, Conley, Ga.; Mark Forbes, Rockford, Il.; Bob Gieseman, E. Peoria, Il.; Brian Jenks, Green Bay, Wi.; Chuck Lavalley, Mentor, Oh.; Scott Morgan, Akron, Oh.; Jeremy Nickerson, Manassas, Va.; Mike Reilly, Portland, Me.; Travis Schmidt, Chippewa Falls, Wi.; Mick Self, Kenosha, Wi.; Rod Siler, Huntington, W.V.; Kirk Stitt, New Castle, Pa.; Jason Torrence, Calhoun, Ga., and Dustin Williams, St. Joseph, Mo.

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Robert Rutherford has been promoted to v.p.-commercial at Wheeling Corrugating Co., Wheeling, W.V. James H. Miller, chairman and c.e.o., PPL Corp., was elected to the board of Rayonier, Jacksonville, Fl. Kevin Murphy has been promoted to v.p. of sales at Wurth Wood Group, Charlotte, N.C. Andrew Schlupp, ex-Home Guard Insulation, is new to sales. John Budzisz is now territory mgr. for the Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fl., area. Teresa Wynn Roseborough has been named executive v.p., general counsel, and corporate secretary for Home Depot, Atlanta, Ga. John Reuter has been named e-commerce marketing mgr. for Quanex Building Products’ ScreenItAgain.com Gene Guetzow, ex-CalStar Products, is now commercial sales leader for cultured stone veneer at Boral Stone Products, Roswell, Ga. Mark Shannon has been promoted to executive v.p.-sales at Crossville Inc., Crossville, Tn. Dewayne Galey is now executive v.p. and c.f.o. Lindsey Ann Waldrep is the new v.p.-marketing, replacing Laurie Lyza, who has resigned.

John Morikis, president and c.e.o., Sherwin-Williams Co., Cleveland, Oh., was elected to the board of Fortune Brands Home & Security, Deerfield, Il. Tish Hughes is in charge of replenishing janitorial supplies at MungusFungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Auto Pulls Up to Counter

Short & Paulk Hardware, Sylvester, Ga., got a surprise when a 74-year-old woman hit the accelerator instead of the brakes and drove through the front door—narrowly missing a customer and an employee. “She got out of her car and wasn’t pulled up as quite far as she wanted to be, so she got back in it and never stopped,” said store manager Rick Watson. “There was one lady behind the counter and a customer in front of the counter. Luckily, they both got out of the way.” No charges were filed and the car, a Hyundai Sonata, was towed away.

November 2011 Building Products Digest

Best Decks

The North American Deck & Railing Association presented awards for the year’s best decks during the recent Deck Expo in Chicago, Il. “This year’s Deck Competition was as tough to judge as last year’s—probably tougher!” said judge Glenn Mathewson, NADRA technical advisor. “From simple elegance to massively elaborate, judging these decks made me wish I was still building them. It was obvious that these builders are making dreams come true for their clients.” Among the winners:

BEST WOOD DECK OVER 500 SQ. FT. and BEST OVERALL DECK honors went to John Paulin, Tailor Decks, Statham, Ga., for this pressure treated masterpiece. He used premium southern yellow pine for the decking, porch flooring, and railings and western red cedar for the open porch walls, staining everything with TWP 1501 cedar tone. Unique features included an outset for the grill, granite-topped bar, benches with 17˚-tilted backrest, and ample lighting, right down to below the benches.

BEST ALTERNATIVE DECK OVER 500 SQ. FT. was for this Rocky Mountain showplace by Barry Streett, Rolling Ridge Deck Co., Evergreen, Co. The 1,500-sq. ft. project incorporated Brazilian slate decking, Grate Dex outdoor flooring, custom-designed wrought iron rail, native moss rock columns, exposed tongue-&-groove ceiling and glulam beams, antique barn beam mantel, and 90+ copper low-voltage lights.

Building Products Digest November 2011

BEST UNIQUE FEATURE recognized this outdoor living area with curved metal overhead by John Turrentine, Southwest Fence & Deck, Carrollton, Tx., supported by custom-cut cedar beams and corbels.

BEST WOOD DECK UNDER 500 SQ. FT. went to this southern pine beauty from Frank Pologruto, Decks & More, Smyrna, Ga., featuring a stunning bow curve and Dekorators custom rail system with black aluminum balusters.

BEST ALTERNATIVE DECK UNDER 500 SQ. FT. was won by this composite creation from Rolling Ridge Deck’s Streett. He used Fiberon Horizon Ipé decking and kiln-dried SYP pressure treated framing, with tongue-&-groove white pine for the ceiling. Building-Products.com

Wood Exports to China on Record Pace

Shipments of softwood lumber and logs from the U.S. and Canada to China will reach a record high in 2011, according to Wood Resource Quarterly. In 2010, the two countries exported $1.3 billion worth of softwood products. If the pace seen in the first seven months of 2011 continues, the two countries’ exports will more than double from last year, reaching a record $2.6 billion. Despite the disappointing developments in the U.S. housing sector during the past year, lumber production in both the U.S. and Canada has been higher in 2011 than in 2010. Many sawmills in the western U.S. and Canada have benefitted from the dramatic increase in demand from

Chinese lumber consumers. Some sawmills are exporting up to 30% to 40% of their production to the fast developing market in Asia. The biggest increase in shipments the past year has been that of softwood lumber from British Columbia. Much of this lumber comes from the massive supply of timber that has been killed by the pine beetle over the past 15 years. The value of lumber shipments from Canada has increased from just $55 million in 2005 to an estimated $1.2 billion this year. While Canada has drastically raised lumber shipments to China in recent years, the U.S. has instead expanded exportation of logs to Chinese lumber manufacturers. This year, U.S. West Coast log exporters are projected to

BuildingGreen has presented its 10th annual Top 10 Green Building Products Awards for 2012, drawn from more entries than ever before. “There are more ‘green’ building products than ever, but not all of them address a real need—or worse, some of them may create new problems down the road,” says BuildingGreen’s Alex Wilson. “In selecting this year’s Top 10 products, we looked for companies that solved pressing needs in energy efficiency, reduced toxicity in building materials, enhanced retrofit applications, and offered unique solutions in other areas.” BuildingGreen’s Top 10 selections, as in previous years, are drawn primarily from new additions to GreenSpec, the company’s database of best-in-class green building products, containing more than 2,200 listings and product lines. A big driver in the development of green products continues to be the LEED rating system, which awards points for the use of certain product types or for the energy or water savings that certain green products can achieve. “LEED continues to spur manufacturers toward market transformation,” said Wilson. Winners for 2012 are: • InterfaceFLOR carpet tiles with non-PFC carpet fibers • Lifeline PVC-free resilient flooring from Upofloor OY, imported by Altro Floors • Knight Wall CI-Girt Rainscreen

System from Knight Wall Systems • EonCoat waterborne ceramic coating from EonCoat • Aqua2use Graywater System from Water Wise Group • Cypress Envirosystems analog-todigital wireless thermostat • Ritter XL solar thermal system from Regasol • Mitsubishi Electric’s ductless heat pumps and variable refrigerant flow systems with tenant submetering • AllSun Trackers from AllEarth Renewables • Philips EnduraLEDs from Philips Lighting

ship logs valued at over $900 million, a jump from $42 million dollars just four years ago. The U.S. and Canada have also expanded their importance in the Chinese wood market. In 2005, only 4% of all softwood logs and lumber imported to China originated from North America. Last year, this share had gone up to 18%. Many North American log and lumber suppliers have the opportunity to expand their export sales in the coming years, and it is likely that their presence in the Chinese market will grow.

Green Building Products Crack Top 10

Building-Products.com

ACE HARDWARE’S new Clark+Kensington paint was introduced at a pop-up store in Chicago, Il., where visitors received free painting supplies and quart-sized paint samples.

November 2011 Building Products Digest

NEW Products

Redwood Decks & Railings

New railings and decking profiles from The California Redwood Co. focus on beauty, ease of use, durability, and water resistance. Both Estate (2x4 and 2x6) and Vista (2x6) redwood railings are gently crowned to shed water. The Cascade deck board is also crowned on top to shed water, with beveled edges and drip lines on the bottom for greater durability. All three are constructed from hand-selected and specialty-milled redwood. CALIFORNIAREDWOODCO.COM (866) 797-7474

Thermally Modified Decking

Phillips-Ice is now manufacturing thermally modified wood decking from sustainably grown North American hardwoods. ThermalWood reportedly is 100% natural, with low VOCs and improved dimensional stability. It offers easy installation with Snap-To-It invisible fasteners. PHILLIPS-ICE.COM (650) 387-4415

Building Products Digest November 2011

KD Bamboo Decking

New bamboo decking from Tiger Deck is kilndried and vertically laminated for lasting durability. The FSC-certified deck boards are profiled for Tiger Deck’s hidden fastening system, and pre-finished with a clear sealer and a fungicide. Lengths of 12’, 16’, and 20’ will span 16” OC joist spacing. TIGERDECK.COM (503) 625-1747

Dumpster in a Bag

Waste Management’s Bagster is a dumpster in a bag for d-i-yers and small contractors. The durable woven bag can hold 3 cu. yds. of debris—up to 3,300 lbs.—making it ideal for home renovations and cleanup. Collection fees range from $79 to $159, depending on the market, about 50 to 70% less than a dumpster rental. THEBAGSTER.COM (888) 345-2247

Building-Products.com

T&G Wood Decking

Kootenay Innovative Wood’s tongue-and-groove decking is available in both 2x6 and 3x6 profiles. Both select and commercial grades are offered, in a Douglas fir/larch or SPF blend. Offered are lengths of 6’ to 16’, with 5.25” face and optional pre-drilling. KIWOOD.COM (250) 359-8050

Swiss Wood Protection

Powerhouse Building Solutions’ Bomol coatings are an environmentally friendly way to protect wood. Manufactured in Switzerland, the line includes semi-transparent and solid colors for exterior wood and decking, a semi-transparent lacquer for interior wood, and a cleaning solution that cleans most wood without scrubbing. All are water-based, contain organic oils, and have low odor and virtually no VOCs. POWERHOUSINGBUILDINGSOLUTIONS.COM (877) 337-2802

Shield That Gutter

MasterShield gutter guards use MicroVortex cloth to keep roof gutters free of clutter and oils leached from asphalt shingles. The guards are able to filter more water, more quickly, due to the special micromesh filtration cloth. MASTERSHIELD.COM (877) 532-3627

Building-Products.com

November 2011 Building Products Digest

Multi-Use Fasteners

Marbleized Tile

New glazed-porcelain tiles from Mediterranea capture the look of marble. Essence catches the depth and shading of natural marble in 18”x18”, 13”x13”, and 12”x24” tiles in bronze, caramel, forest or pearl. Also available are 3”x13” bullnose pieces and mesh-backed sheets of 2”x2” mosaic tiles. MEDITERRANEA-USA.COM (305) 718-5091

Insulation Blowing

CertainTeed’s Volu-Matic SE insulation-blowing machine measures just 69”x72” and weighs just 1,300 lbs. The reduced footprint allows installation in smaller trucks, lowering initial investment and operating costs for contractors. CERTAINTEEDMACHINEWORKS.COM (800) 237-7841

Screw Products has released three new star-drive fasteners for multiple applications, including decking and fencing. The C-Deck 9x1/-3/4” for fences, railings, and fascia comes in a choice of brown, gray, tan and red color coating that is corrosion-resistant. A 1/4” exterior lag screw, in lengths of 1” to 6”, is designed for fences, decking, ledger boards roofing, and much more. It is milled with heat-treated carbon steel coated with a bronze ACQ-compatible coating. The #7 modified truss stardrive screw can be used to fasten siding and fascia, attach fixtures, and install fencing. SCREW-PRODUCTS.COM (877) 844-8880

Master Deck Fasteners

FastenMaster’s Cortex fastener system can now be used with TimberTech XLM decking. The hidden fasteners can be used in specific decking applications, such as perimeter boards and stairs, for easy replacement of a decking board. Each pack contains 224 ACQapproved screws, two setting tools, and 300 Cortex plugs. FASTENMASTER.COM (800) 518-3569

Building Products Digest November 2011

Building-Products.com

Transcendental Porches

Basement Insulations

TREX.COM (800) 289-8739

BUILDING.DOW.COM (866) 583-2583

With Transcend Porch, Trex has brought capped composites to the front of the home. The product is available in three board lengths— 10’, 12’, and 16’—and three colors—pristine gray, spicy red, and warm umber. Installation is simple with Trex’s hidden fasteners. Options include coordinating posts and railings.

Building-Products.com

Dow Building Solutions offers three rigid-foam insulation products for below-grade wall and foundations applications, such as basements. Thermax sheathing, Styrofoam Perimate, and Styrofoam Wallmate insulation reduce heat loss through concrete walls, resist hydrostatic pressure, keep crawl spaces dry, and protect against frost.

November 2011 Building Products Digest

DECK EXPO Photos by BPD

DECK EXPO convened Oct. 12-15 at Lakeside Center at McCormick Place, Chicago, Il. [1] Phil Wengerd, Joe Klink, Cindy Miller, Lee Shaw. [2] Chris Upton, Arne Zenneck. [3] Randi & Kevin Guthard. [4] Romel Bezerra, Joao Malinski. [5] Darrell Hungerford, Sheryl Grimm, Peter Busichio. [6] Holly Digles, Alan Oakes, Anna Karas. [7] W.C. Litzinger, Jim Boyd, Phil Lail, Alan Stoneking, Brian Orchard. [8] Greg Reed, Kyle Lazon, Kaylynn Poplawski, Scott Cathcart. [9] Ron Ricchio, Phil Hrack,

Building Products Digest November 2011

Jodi Triest, Jack Joyce. [10] Kevin Williamson, Brent Gwatney. [11] Phil Schumock, Dean Schoeller. [12] Taylor Running, Kris Anderson. [13] Doug Fenwick, Tom Horvat. [14] Mike McGuire, Bob Goval, Kristin Zommer, John Polidan, Rick Wearne. [15] Larry Stoeven, R.J. Whitecotton, Roelif Loveland, Tom Koch, Kim Pohl. [16] Jon Bailey, Wayne Hilton. [17] Richard & Maria Kelly. (More photos on next page) Building-Products.com

DECK EXPO Photos by BPD

MORE DECK EXPO in Chicago (continued from previous page): [1] Kim Drew, Russell Richardson, Erica Strickland. [2] Jett Bittner, Bill Long. [3] Chris Hammack, Rebecca Bartley, Neil Robinson. [4] Huck DeVenzio, Kirk Hammond. [5] Chuck Casey, Carter Welch. [6] Richard Lane, Chris Kollwitz. [7] Scott Schmidt, Carol Kelly, Chris Hayn. [8] Aaron Hock, Bruce Schneider, Clay Hock. [9] Bryan Wert, Rick Oblak. [10] Lisa Martin, Kyle Loveland, Jamie Kreiser. [11] Jay Lattanzio, Ryan Unick, Paul Gertner, Steven Gertner. [12] Jerry Koontz, Brett McCutcheon. [13] Peter Furia, Peter Krihak. [14] Steve From. [15] Joe Dilio, Jack Delaney. [16] Bob Mion, Larry Stonum. [17] Erik Kiilunen, Ken Keranen. [18] Jeff Morlock, Jon Hanson. [19] Caitlynn McCabe, Leda Johnson. [20] Gary Bernstein, Mike Kelly. Building-Products.com

November 2011 Building Products Digest

FLORIDA DEALERS Photos by BPD

FLORIDA BUILDING Materials Association gathered Sept. 21-23 at Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center for its annual meeting and expo. [1] David Lewis, Bruce Peters. [2] Ed Chiverton, Stacy Dobbins, Greg Renfroe. [3] John Weyer, Tya Camp. [4] Danny Rowe, Arlen Tillis, Mike Phillips. [5] Ryan Ferguson, Rick Goolsby. [6] Ron Horstkamp, John Cook. [7] Timm Schaeffer, Tom Wolf, Manny & Lily Feijoo, Pedro Cofinno, Mike Arrazcaeta. [8] Cindy Lopez, Dillon Forbes. [9] Kyle

Building Products Digest November 2011

Hooker, Nelsa Antrim, Willie Dorado. [10] Jerry Adamson, Tom Davis. [11] Robert Pearce, Joe Stottlemyer. [12] Jarrod Myers, Don Downs. [13] Steve Esham, Kelly Miller, Craig Tickner. [14] Linda & Brian Vance, Tony Cerully. [15] Cecil Skinner, Don Gnapp. [16] Axel Lambertini, Jeremy Mulligan, Perry Rutkowski. [17] Don & Darlene Magruder. [18] Debra & Les Godwin, Cliff Snedeker. (More photos on next two pages) Building-Products.com

FLORIDA DEALERS Photos by BPD

Craig Young. [11] David Keeley, Bridget Pulsifer, Sean Keeley. [12] Tom Taylor, Jessica Navascues. [13] Ed Vila, Brad

Bradley, Susan Gilliam. [14] Barry Haugh, Brenda Hale. (More photos on next page)

Your Eastern & Midwest Redwood Specialist

REDWOOD DECKING FLORIDA DEALERS at annual convention (continued from previous page): [1] S t o k e s Wallace, Paul Duvall, Bob Edwards. [2] Scott Lovatt, Mike Dowdy. [3] Paul Phillips, Brian King. [4] Randy Terrill, Mike Smith. [5] Randy Hile, Jamison Eige, Ulick Bell. [6] Randy Betten, Jeff Fisher. [7] Steve Drayer, Darrin Jole, Mario Barrabi, Jorge Rodriguez. [8] Phil Jenkins, Dale Cunningham. [9] Scott Boyd, Kevin Jaquith. [10] David Wynn, Rick Sanders, Building-Products.com

THE NATURAL ALTERNATIVE

Full Range & Large Inventory Reman to Specific Patterns • Clear All Heart • Clear Mixed Grain • Construction Heart • Decking

Pattern Stock • Bevel Siding • Beaded Ceiling We Ship by the Unit or by the Piece Family Owned & Operated for Over 60 Years

CHICAGO SUBURBAN LUMBER SALES 8 0 0 -3 4 1- 6 48 5

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www.chicagosuburbanlumber.com

November 2011 Building Products Digest

FLORIDA DEALERS Photos by BPD

MORE FBMA (continued from previous pages): [1] Stuart Wilson, Charlie Burrell, Stephanie Daniels, Chris Marlatt. [2] Jamie Urino, Kristen Russell. [3] Kevin Oâ€™Connor, Phil Parent. [4] Leo Kupferer, Dick Gates, Gabe High, Brian Lombardi. [5] Brad Wanzenberg, Cliff Daniels, Alvin Williams. [6] Kelly Harmon, Skip Younkin, Todd Filipek, Scott Aslinger, Ed Baker,

Building Products Digest November 2011

John Frost, Ken Panitt. [7] Betty Askew. [8] Ryan Kaelin, Scott Sundie, John Levey, Phil Burton, Rich Kessler. [9] Merl Davis, Brice Dixon. [10] Gus Stritt, Mike Hain, Lauren Warren, Vishal Saxena, Buddy Lewis, Karl Hague. [11] Bob Carbonara. [12] Rob Mickle, Nick Copeland, Juan Herrera, Josh Taylor. [13] Joel Adamson, Rex Scott. [14] Becky & Brian Wofford. Building-Products.com

ASSOCIATION Update Northeastern Retail Lumber Association’s affiliates have been honoring Lumberpersons of the Year during their annual meetings. Charlie Smith, Brockway-Smith, was feted by Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Assn.; Tim Wiley, Wiley Bros., Eastern New York Lumber Dealers Assn.; Frank Quinn, Lamb & Ritchie, New Hampshire Retail Lumber Assn.; Frank Rankin, Rankins Inc., Retail Lumber Dealers Assn. of Maine; Sheldon Kahan, Interstate + Lakeland Lumber, Lumber Dealers Assn. of Connecticut; Dana Schnipper, JC Ryan EBCO, Long Island Lumber Assn.; Karen Page, H.G. Page & Sons, Mid-Hudson Lumber Dealers Assn., and Norman Greenberg, H. Greenburg & Son, Vermont Retail Lumber Dealers Assn. Northern New York Lumber Dealers Assn. will honor Dennis Haggerty, Huttig Building Products, as Lumberperson of the Year and posthumously recognize Bill Carroll, Triple A Building Center with the 2011 Industry Excellence Award during its Nov. 16 annual meeting at Gran View, Ogdensburg. Eastern New York Lumber Dealers Assn. holds its annual holiday trade show Dec. 6 in Saratoga Springs.

Northwestern Lumber Association elected Wayne Briggs, Crane Johnson Lumber, Fargo, N.D., as its new chairman of the board. Bob Egan, Lampert Yards, St. Paul, Mn., is new 1st vice chair; Jeff Reinhardt, Interstate Building Supply, Cannon Falls, Mn., 2nd vice chair; Jeff Gallagher, Larchwood True Value Lumber, Larchwood, Ia., treasurer; Paula Siewert, Northwestern Lumber Association, secretary, and Larry Provance, Arrow Building Center, Chaddron, Ne., chairman at large. They are joined on the board by directors Dale Housh, Lockridge Inc., Promise City, Ia.; Ed Haver, Haver Lumber Co., Guthrie Center, Ia.; Daryl Lundberg, Daryl Northwoods Lumber Co., Blackduck, Mn.; Bryan Jensen, Central Valley Ag, Elgin, Ne.; Wayne Meester, Watertown Cashway Lumber, Watertown, S.D.; Bruce Braaksma, Royal Lumber Yards, Friesland, Wi.; Bob Barth, Sav-Rite Building Center, Neillsville, Wi., and William Wood, Fennimore Lumber Co., Fennimore, Wi. Building-Products.com

Lumber Association of Texas has scheduled its Louisiana Gathering for Dec. 2 at Tommy’s Fine Cuisine, New Orleans. Florida Building Material Association handed out awards at its recent Gulf Atlantic Building Products Expo. U.S. Lumber won the Ken Lipman Associate of the Year Award; Dan

IN Memoriam

Joseph D. “Joe” Elder Jr., 65, owner and president of Elder Wood Preserving Co., Mansura, La., died of a heart attack Oct. 9. He started his treating plant in January 1977. In 2005, he acquired Richard Landry Lumber Sales, Alexandria, La., making it a division of Elder Wood Preserving. Among the honors he collected over the years were the Louisiana Building Material Dealers Association’s Ned Ball Award in 2000, the state’s 2004 Lantern Award for Forest Products, and numerous awards for his philanthropic efforts.

Linton Nathaniel Tibbetts, 88, longtime owner of Cox Lumber, St. Petersburg, Fl., died Oct. 6 in St. Petersburg. Leaving the Cayman Islands at age 17, he bought in 1949 the St. Petersburg yard he would eventually expand to 31 locations across Florida. He sold the chain to Home Depot in 2006, retaining his Caymans export business. In 2009, he opened two yards under the Tibbetts Lumber name and later added two more locations.

Donnie E.C. Bryant, 89, cofounder of John E. Bryant & Sons Lumber, Batesville, Ar., died Aug. 27 and his brother and partner, R. Hail Bryant, 83, died Sept. 20. The brothers worked for their father’s company, Bryant Lumber, before becoming co-owners in 1956, when it was renamed Bryant & Sons. It spun off another company, North Arkansas Cash Lumber, in 1965. Shirl W. Headlee, 90, retired cofounder and owner of Wayne Lumber Co., Waynesburg, Pa., died Sept. 1. A U.S. Army Air Corps pilot during World War II, he retired in 1982.

Driggers, Huttig Building Supply, the Leslie Thaxton Sales Excellence Award, and Carman Miller, RoMac Lumber & Supply, Pinnacle Outstanding Retail Salesperson Award. New Jersey Building Material Dealers Association stages its annual meeting Nov. 16 in East Brunswick.

Oklahoma Lumbermen’s Association kicks off its annual holiday party Dec. 2 at Rocky’s in Bricktown. Harvey Smith Holmes Sr., 88, prolific South Carolina LBM entrepreneur, died Oct. 7 in Johnston, S.C. Among the businesses he owned and headed were Holmes Lumber, Holmes Timber, and Johnston Chip Mill, Johnston, and Forest Crown Planer Mill, Aiken. In 2008, he was named 2008 Forest Landowner of the Year by the Saluda County Forestry Association. James Kanne, 87, Iowa lumberman, died Oct. 6 in Rochester, Mn. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, joined Green Bay Lumber, Carroll, Ia., in the early 1950s. In 1957, he launched Kanne Lumber & Supply, Carroll, before spending 20 years as a broker for Roberts & Dybdahl. Johnny Frederick “J. Fred” Muller Jr., 78, president of JFM International and L&M Lumber, Willis, Tx., died Aug. 31. He began his 58-year lumber career after graduating from Texas A&M University in 1953. Christopher Powell “Chris” Lange, 40, was discovered dead Oct. 4 at the front door of his shuttered O.E. Woods Lumber, St. Joseph, Mo. Cause of death is under investigation. No foul play is suspected. He closed his business several years ago.

Irvin Schaffer, 98, longtime operator of Metropolis Builders Supply, Metropolis, Il., died Sept. 25. After serving in the Army Medical Corps as a staff sergeant during World War II, he formed the company with his brother-in-law, Roy Arensman. Pamela K. McCarter, 58, coowner of Waugh’s True Value Hardware, Harrisville, N.Y., died Oct. 7. She operated the store with her husband, Lonnie.

November 2011 Building Products Digest

CLASSIFIED Marketplace Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word min.). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy or headline, $9 per line. Border, $9. Private box, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if art furnished “camera-ready” (advertiser sets the type), $65 if we set type. Send ad to Fax 949-852-0231 or dkoenig@ building-products.com. For more info, call (949) 852-1990. Make 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. Names of advertisers using a box number cannot be released.

HELP WANTED

SALES DIRECTOR Fortress Wood Products is a wood treating company located in North Carolina and Virginia. We are looking for an experienced Sales Director in the wood treating industry capable of professionally managing a sales force in a vibrant market. Competitive compensation related to experience and excellent benefit package. Send resume to HR Director at Fortress Wood Products at gstanley@fortresswood. com. An equal opportunity employer.

WANTED TO BUY

FOR SALE

WANTED TO BUY

WE BUY AND SELL PANEL STRIPS

Plywood, OSB, particleboard and MDF by the truckloads. Lumber Source, Phone (800) 8741953, Fax 888-576-8723, email LumberSource@hotmail.com.

FOR SALE

immediate

CUSTOM delivery! LUMBER COVERS PALLET BAGS Roofing Shingles • Cement • Sheetrock & Plywood Pallet Bags Bags 4 x 4 x 4' • 4 x 4 x 8' • 4 x 4 x 12'

Rolls 10 x 300' Custom Printed Covers, Quoted

L.I.INDUSTRIES CALL 800-526-6465 FAX 718-793-4316 • apronaz@aol.com

www.lumbercoversprotect.com

Latest Breaking Industry News Updated Daily

building-products.com 44

Building Products Digest November 2011

A customer “MUST HAVE” tool for easy installation! Snugly fits over joists to free your hands to place and fasten deck boards.

Two sizes provide consistent deck board spacing – 1/8” gap for most wood 3/16” gap for most composites

888.988.1390

www.woodpileproducts.com Building-Products.com

DATE Book

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

North American Building Material Distribution Association – Nov. 8-10, annual convention & show, Gaylord Opryland Resort, Nashville, Tn.; (888) 747-7862; www.nbmda.org.

Fulton, Mississippi • www.homanindustries.com (662) 862-2125 • Fax 662-862-4900

National Hardwood Lumber Association – Nov. 9-11, grading short course, Brooks Forest Product Center, Blacksburg, Va.; (901) 399-7555; www.nhla.com.

Your Southern Pine Specialty Remanufacturer What Do You Need?

Treated Wood Council – Nov. 9-10, annual meeting, Sheraton Suites, Alexandria, Va.; www.treated-wood.org.

Mid-Hudson Lumber Dealers Association – Nov. 10, annual meeting, Christos, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; (800) 292-6752; www.nrla.org.

Western New York Lumber Dealers Association – Nov. 10, annual meeting, Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N.Y.; (800) 2926752; www.nrla.org.

Mid-America Lumbermens Association – Nov. 10-11, annual meeting & fall fling, KC Marriott Country Club Plaza, Kansas City, Mo.; (800) 747-6529; www.themla.org.

American Lumber Standard Committee – Nov 11, annual meeting, Orlando, Fl.; www.alsc.org.

Peak Auctioneering – Nov. 12, LBM auction, Gibraltar Trade Center South, Detroit, Mi.; (800) 245-9690; peakauction.com.

Northern New York Lumber Dealers Association – Nov. 12, bowling tournament, Potsdam, N.Y.; Nov. 16, annual meeting, Gran View, Ogdensburg, N.Y.; (800) 292-6752; www.nrla.org.

Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association – Nov. 1315, annual convention & show, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, Tx.; (800) 352-2981; www.stafda.org.

New Jersey Building Material Dealers Association – Nov. 16, annual meeting, Hilton, East Brunswick, N.J.; (800) 269-9603; www.njbmda.org.

Superior Service at Competitive Rates Made the Way You Want It

True 2&Btr. with # 1 Stamped ___________________ Lumber Protected against Sapstain, Mold, Fungi with AntiBlu ___________________

Treatments • Wolmanized CA-C Good Housekeeping Seal SCS Certified Environmentally Preferable NAHB Research Center Green Approved

• CCA ___________________ Sourced from

SFI Certified Forests

Sales Manager Workshop – Nov. 17-18, presented by Dave Kahle, Orlando, Fl.; (800) 331-1287; www.davekahle.com.

Central New York Retail Lumber Dealers Association – Nov. 18, annual meeting, Springside Inn, Auburn, N.Y.; (800) 292-6752; www.nrla.org.

Rhode Island Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – Nov. 18, annual meeting, Crowne Plaza, Warwick, R.I.; (800) 292-6752; www.nrla.org.

Peak Auctioneering – Nov. 19, LBM auction, Metrolina Tradeshow Expo, Charlotte, N.C.; (800) 245-9690; www.peakauction.com.

Wallace Hardware – Nov. 28, Dec. 1, fall market, Gatlinburg Convention Center, Gatlinburg, Tn.; (423) 586-5650; www.wallacehardware.com.

Eastern Building Material Dealers Association – Dec. 1, retirement trust & board meetings, EBMDA Hq., Lancaster, Pa.; (800) 296-3278; www.ebmda.org.

Lumbermens Association of Texas – Dec. 2, Louisiana gathering, Tommy’s Fine Cuisine, New Orleans, La.; (512) 472-1194; www.lat.org.

Oklahoma Lumbermen’s Association – Dec. 3, holiday party, Rocky’s, Bricktown, Ok.; Dec. 3, annual board meeting, Oklahoma City, Ok.; (800) 444-1771.

Peak Auctioneering – Dec. 3-4, LBM auction, Howard County Fairgrounds, Baltimore, Md.; (800) 245-9690; peakauction.com.

Wood Solutions Fair – Dec. 7, Irving Convention Center, Dallas, Tx.; www.woodworks.org.

Northwestern Lumber Association – Dec. 8-9, sales boot camp, Stevens Point, Wi.; (888) 544-6822; www.nlassn.org. Indiana Lumber & Builders' Supply Assn. – Dec. 22, annual meeting, JW Marriott, Indianapolis, In.; (877) 465-8627; ilbsa.org.

Building-Products.com

November 2011 Building Products Digest

IDEA File Bumper Crop of Fresh Advice

ADVERTISERS Index For more information on advertisers, call them directly or visit their websites [in brackets].

Advantage Trim & Lumber [advantagelumber.com] ........36

Anthony Forest Products [anthonyforest.com].......Cover II AZEK [www.azek.com]............................................................3

Boston Cedar [www.bostoncedar.com] ..............................7

Capital [www.capital-lumber.com].................................4, 37

Chicago Suburban Lumber [chicagosurburban.com] .....41

Crumpler Plastic Pipe [www.cpp-pipe.com] .....................45

Deck-It Spacers [www.woodpileproducts.com] ...............44

FARMERS MARKET at Billings Hardware was a huge success, as manager of the housewares department, Colleen Model, can attest.

Never underestimate the lure

of fresh fruit and vegetables. A dealer in Billings, Mt., didn’t, and he’s still reaping the benefits. As fall approached last year, canning supplies at Billings Hardware weren’t moving. Owner T.J. Comstock, whose family spent decades in the grocery business, thought of the perfect solution: a farmer’s market set up in the store’s garden center. Of course, the slow-moving canning supplies were installed nearby— and sales took off. “A lot of people are realizing the benefit of canning. They grow a garden and wonder what to do with it at the end of the year,” says Comstock. “We sold out a semi-load of produce in about a day and attracted customers from farther away.” This year, he decided to up the ante, ordering 120,000 lbs. of peaches, pears, cantaloupe, corn, and other produce that arrived in three semi-trailers. Everything sold out in two days, even though the store shares a parking lot with an Albertsons and competes with a local, weekly farmers market. Housewares and appliances joined the canning supplies this year. Also added were product demos and taste-tests of related recipes. “People who like to can fruits and vegetables also like to cook,” says Comstock. “Sales of these items doubled, and we had record sales overall during the market.”

GRK Fasteners [www.grkfasteners.com]..........................31

Guardian Building Products [www.guardianbp.com] ........8

Hoover Treated Wood Products [www.frtw.com].............27

Idaho Forest Group [idahoforestgroup.com] .........Cover III Ipe Clip Co., The [www.ipeclip.com]..................................25 J.H. Baxter [www.jhbaxter.com].........................................29

Kleer Lumber [www.kleerlumber.com] ...................Cover IV

Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. [nelma.org]..33

Osmose [www.osmose.com] .....................................Cover I

Parksite [www.parksite.com]................................................3

Quality Borate Co. [www.qualityborate.com] ...................24 Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com]......................13 RoyOMartin [www.royomartin.com] ..................................15

Screw Products [www.screw-products.com] ...................19

Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com]........................23

Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. [slma.org] ..21

Southern Shutter Co. [www.southernshutter.com]..........44

Sunbelt [www.sunbeltracks.com] ......................................26

TAMKO Building Products [www.evergrain.com] ..............5

Tank Fab [www.tankfab.com].............................................35

Tri-State Lumber Co. [www.homanindustries.com].........45

Wahoo Decks [www.wahoodecks.com] ............................30

Building Products Digest November 2011

Building-Products.com

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