The Merchant 2-16

The

MERCHANT

FEBRUARY 2016

Magazine

THE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS – SINCE 1922

THE BUYING ISSUE: INSIDER TIPS FOR BETTER BUYING • DECKING & FENCING

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ThermalWood Thermally Modified Decking

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Grabber Construction Fasteners

GRABBER® is a leading manufacturer of quality products built for construction pros.

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ZuriDeck

Zuri® Premium Decking by Royal® is by far the most natural looking composite deck on the market today and it is built to stay beautiful. The surface of ZuriDeck is more than 5 times more durable than capped composites or PVC.

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The

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A publication of

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Kalmus Dr., Ste. D

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Patrick Adams padams building products.com Shelly Smith Adams sadams building products.com David Cutler Alan akes David Koenig david building products.com Stephanie rnelas sornelas building products.com Carla Waldemar, James lsen S Chuck Casey chuck building products.com

Special Features

In Every Issue

9 FEATURE STORY

LBM BUYERS SHARE THEIR TIPS ON BUYING BETTER

10 INDUSTRY TRENDS

INSIGHT TO BOLSTER YOUR DECKING SALES THIS SPRING

14 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

6 ACROSS THE BOARD 19 APP WATCH 20 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE 22 OLSEN ON SALES 24 EVANGELIST MARKETING

HIGH PERFORMANCE FENCING MEETS STRICTER CODES

26 NAWLA–THINKING AHEAD

16 MARGIN BUILDERS

WHY INNOVATION MATTERS TO YOUR DECKING SALES EFFORTS

18 MANAGEMENT TIPS

WHAT IT TAKES TO THRIVE IN THE ERA OF E-COMMERCE

50 PHOTO RECAP: EUREKA!

38 MOVERS & SHAKERS 40 NEW PRODUCTS 58 ASSOCIATION UPDATE 60 IN MEMORIAM 60 ADVERTISERS INDEX

HUMBOLDT CRAB FEED

54 EVENT RECAP: IBS 2016

AN ESTIMATED 125,000 CONVERGE IN LAS VEGAS FOR NAHB ANNUAL

61 DATE BOOK 62 FLASHBACK

Online BREAKING INDUSTRY NEWS, EVENT PHOTOS, & VIDEO

MERCHANT DIGITAL VERSION

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TWITTER.COM/BLDGPRODUCTS

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THIS MONTH’S EDITION AS WELL BACK ISSUES OF THE MERCHANT CAN BE VIEWED DIGITALLY AT BUILDING-PRODUCTS.COM

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February 2016

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Periodicals Postage paid at Newport Beach, CA, and additional post offices. t is an independently owned pub lication for the retail, wholesale and distribution levels of the lumber and building products markets in western states. Copyright by Media Group, nc. Cover and entire contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission. All Rights Reserved. t reserves the right to accept or re ect any editorial or advertising matter, and assumes no liabili ty for materials furnished to it.

An Open View to More Revenue

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ACROSS the Board

By Patrick Adams

D

ADDY, WHY is that caterpillar different colors? For him to blend in with his surroundings… it’s called camouflage. Why does he have camouflage? So that predators can’t see him and eat him… it’s his defense mechanism. Why does he have to have a defense mechanism? So that he can live long enough to turn into a butterfly… it’s called metamorphosis. Why does he have to have morfis?

Why has always been my favorite question. I think since the day I was born, I have looked at the world and asked myself why to the point that now most associate me with the old “he knows something about everything, but master of none.”

While those around me haven’t always been so patient with my questions, I’ve learned to love it when anyone asks the question why. Why isn’t a polite conversation starter from someone who really doesn’t care or who is distracted by their smart phone or countless other things while they’re acting like they’re engaged in your conversation. On the contrary, I imagine that some believe that why is in fact a challenge or the start of a debate! I think it’s a sign of curiosity, thought and wanting to learn.

I’ve thought about why a lot lately… partly because it’s my 5-year-old daughter’s new favorite question. I think we set a new record this week with a string of 19 consecutive whys! I’ve really thought about why because I feel that it’s becoming a lost question. The leaders out there are too busy to answer why questions and Millennials were never taught why in school. How, when, what and where are all much easier teaching methods. Memorize that pi is 3.14 and that circumference is the radius times 2, multiplied by 3.14. Why? Just repeat that for your homework 50 times and the test will be on Friday. After that, we’ll move on to memorizing the Pythagorean Theorem. Okay.

When I was very young and got my start in business, it was a different environment. It seemed like a culture where it was just an assumed responsibility that the senior leaders would mentor the new recruits. I remember not having to ask why very often because history was shared, stories were told of how they learned “the hard way,” and you usually started at the bottom but knew you could work your way up over time.

Now it seems too common that leaders are too busy and new recruits have never learned to question anything—just tell me what, when and how and I’ll do it boss! I wonder how leaders today would respond to one of their staff asking them a series of 19 why questions?

Although sometimes I’m not always in the mood for a 19 why question run from my daughter when I get home, I’m proud that she’s curious. It shows me that she’s paying attention, she’s thinking, she’s learning and figuring out how all of the pieces fit together. Isn’t that also what we want in our business? I think why should be rewarded and, who knows, it may reveal something that we don’t even have a good answer for and present a great opportunity for change!

I think why is truly one of the best words in the English language and one we should all use a bit more!

Now, why did I shave off my beard and mustache and why do I now look so funny? Don’t ask!

“Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why.” ~Bernard Baruch Patrick S. Adams Publisher/President padams@building-products.com

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Building-Products.com

AZEK Deck is greater than maintenance.

AZEK’S ADVANTAGE is a deck board that doesn’t require staining or sealing for protection from the elements or insects.

With an inorganic, polymer cap and core, AZEK Deck won’t rot, crack, splinter, or warp. Plus it’s covered by an industry-best, 30-year Fade & Stain Limited Warranty. When innovation and material science combine with style, the result is AZEK Deck. Visit AZEK.com/deck.

Deck shown in Vintage Dark Hickory

FEATURE Story Guide to Better Buying

In i tip for tt r in B

UYING LUMBER and other building materials is an art, one that salespeople and purchasers have been trying to perfect for more than a century. We wanted to tap into that wisdom. The Merchant asked a number of industry members to share one of their secrets to better buying that they would pass along if they were training a new buyer.

In the buyer/seller equation, the buy side is the most important factor in the equation.

– Danny Mason Mason Forest Products, Hattiesburg, Ms. Become an expert on whatever you are purchasing and ask lots of questions so that there can be no confusion.

Rely on trusted sources.

– Dave Rice Richard S. Ward Lumber Co., Shelburne, Vt. It is all about the relationship, because in the end you get what you pay for. Buyers who hammer away for the lowest possible price on every sale should be replaced by a computer, as they bring no value to the equation.

– Dave Worthington FP Supply, Indianapolis In., and Columbus, Oh. The three most important considerations when sourcing lumber are quality, price and ship time. Pick the two that are most important to you, because you’re not going to get all three.

– Mike Gower Independent Builders Supply Assn., Smithfield, N.C. Stay in verbal communication with the mills as well as your customers. Talking to the mills on a daily basis keeps the buyer informed on how much wood is being sold in the marketplace as well as what the inventory levels are at the mills. If the items that you are trying to buy are not available, then most likely demand is outpacing supply.

Sometimes you find out more information by asking key questions from your suppliers as opposed to just sending Building-Products.com

out quotes via email.

It is also very important to know what level of business your customers are experiencing. Lumber needs to be moving through the supply chain to the end-user in order for distributors and dealers to replenish their stock.

– Robbie Temple Cedar Creek, Monroe, La.

Know how your product is made and what are the different variables that can create quality and price differences.

– Don Ammons Shamrock Building Materials, Santa Rosa, Ca. Your vendors are one of your greatest assets.

Developing a solid give and take relationship, over time, will greatly benefit your company’s bottom line. Don’t always feel you have to win. When you need a little help, vendors will remember the times you helped them out.

– Pete Sims True North Sales, Grand Rapids, Mi. Listen to the complete offerings of all vendors that call in, taking careful note of inventory levels, tallies, availability, and delivered price. Make a sincere attempt to reward the vendor with an order—one that works for both parties. The vendor will likely make you a priority call with the best offerings in the future.

– Ed Langley Neiman Reed Lumber Co., Van Nuys, Ca. Some of the most successful and mutually beneficial negotiations in business are often defined by the willingness of both sides to compromise. Life is about compromise and cooperation. However we should NEVER compromise our principles; doing so will destroy our character and integrity. At the end of the day, we are only as good as our word.

Be fair, clear, honest and realistic about what we ask of our vendor partners. Always have open dialogue during negotiations and the subsequent partnership to minimize February 2016

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misunderstandings and disruption in the process and the flow of product. Don’t be afraid to have difficult conversations when challenges arise. Don’t let issues go unaddressed. It is never good for the partnership.

We ask that vendors keep us abreast of any challenges that come up so we can adequately adjust where needed.

Sometimes vendors can be reluctant to share issues they are having for fear they might lose our business. When we openly communicate we can oftentimes resolve any issues together which usually results in a stronger partnership not a weaker one.

– Greg Smith EC Barton & Co., Jonesboro, Ar.

Look for value in opportunities that vendors are not presenting. Our highest returns on investment often begin with the purchase of SKUs that suppliers want out of their inventory… badly. Usually there are manufacturing/quality control issues involved so vendors tend not to solicit these offerings proudly but they still want them gone. Identify items that are sorely out of place with your vendor but well suited to your operation. Without that distinction, there is no value.

The goal is to create high-margin opportunities for your company while helping your vendor turn their soft inventory. In some cases, your white elephant purchase can be used to negotiate favorable terms on more desirable SKUs. – Stephen Ondich Commercial Forest Products, Fontana, Ca. Vendors are as important—or perhaps more so—as

our customers. It’s academic, but without product, there is no sale. In the lumber, plywood and OSB world there are an infinite number of customers but a finite number of suppliers. These things I stress to our new people. A deal has to be good for both the mill and our company or it won’t last.

– Bill Fisher Stringfellow Lumber Co., Birmingham, Al.

If a vendor asks for feedback on a quote, give it to them honestly and constructively. Like, “Sorry, James, but the other vendor was a little more hungry this time. Don’t be discouraged, I know you’ll come back fighting to get us the lowest price next time.”

This lets vendors know they can’t get too comfortable and keeps them on their toes. It also shows that you are fair and that they have a chance of getting the next order next time now that they know what they need to do. Never give feedback before the purchase and never share the other vendors’ exact price. This is unfair and destroys trust.

Basically, treat them the way you would want to be treated.

– James O. Smith Bayou Forest Products, Sulphur, La. The biggest take-away for a new buyer is a “hands on” understanding of the products needed and the supply chain process. A good buyer will help a company’s bottom line by getting the product at the best possible price, this we all know. But achieving this task is not so simple sometimes. Knowledge of your own product, meaning components that are integral versus those that may be adjusted, along with an understanding of how your vendors’ processes are set up will help not only choose the right vendor, but also keep unnecessary costs down.

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Constant communication with vendors is key. A detailed understanding of the shipping process is another integral part of the chain. A product at a cheap price doesn’t mean much if the product doesn’t arrive when needed. Shipping through different lanes or ports can, at times, be the difference of percentage points. A buyer should strive to gain an understanding of what could go wrong during the manufacturing and shipping chains; the only way to do this is with knowledge of the processes. This doesn’t mean everything will run perfectly 100% of the time—we’re all human—but it will help mitigate the risk of lost time and money by asking the right questions.

– Shane Dobbs Global Trading LLC, Birmingham, Al.

Be very clear and concise on your tally, grade, destination and rail location. As a buyer it is critical to know the supplier’s language for grade.

– Patrick King AgMotion Forest Products, Minneapolis, Mn. Find a particular niche that you enjoy and proceed to learn everything you possibly can about those items. Find a client base that will appreciate what you can bring to them and you will find that there is no better business to be involved with. After almost 40 years in this industry, I am enjoying myself today as much as ever.

– Tom Eilertson West Shore Forest Products, Bend, Or. In my estimation, buyers today are lacking strong interpersonal skills. The age of digital communication is upon us and is used too much to our detriment.

Communication is sterile, impersonal and inefficient.

Buyers would do well to nurture personal relationships with suppliers—and everyone else for that matter—and hone their emotional intelligence. People buy from/sell to people, and the strongest personal relationships will always win hands down.

– Ron Manzanares Blueridge Forest Products, Albuquerque, N.M. Three rules all buyers (and everyone else) should live by: (1) always tell the truth, (2) do what you say you’re going to do, and (3) always return phone calls. If you do these three things you will set yourself apart from a lot of people. Sad but true.

– Bill Fisher Stringfellow Lumber Co., Birmingham, Al. Remember this simple phrase: “People do business with people who make it easy to do business with.”

This applies to both the buying and selling.

– Matthew Wiseman Arbor Forest Products, Gretna, Ne. Set an objective before you send out your shopping list, and be realistic about it—then don’t worry so much about catching the “bottom of the market.” Very few buyers ever actually end up catching the true bottom. In reality, anything within $5 to $10 of where the market bottoms is a good buy.

Perhaps even more importantly—if you have a target number in mind and you’re able to Building-Products.com

achieve that, then it was a successful buy—no matter what kind of deals you hear about after the fact. Those “afterthe-fact deals” are like the hands that you fold in poker that would have ended up being winners.

– Mike Gower Independent Builders Supply Assn., Smithfield, N.C.

potential for your company. Suppliers have the potential to make you a much more successful buyer for your company.

Sellers are not your opponent, they can become your strongest ally in making profits for your company.

– David Stallcop Vanport International, Boring, Or.

Something my father told me many years ago when he was training me as our lumber buyer: He said, “On any buy, if it feels good, sleep on it. If it still feels good in the morning, BUY IT.” I have been doing this for 30+ years and I would say that 97% of the time it was the right decision.

– Greg Keller Keller Lumber Sales, Redding, Ca.

In a market moving up, buy early in the week. In a market that is dropping, drag your heels and buy as late in the week as possible. Negotiate the lower of PTS/PTA if possible.

The inverse is true in selling. In an up market, sell late in the week. Take Monday and Tuesday off. Turn off your cell phone.

Unfriend all of your customers on FaceBook.

In a market that is dropping, be more aggressive than print in your pricing, and call all of your customers as early on Monday as you can.

– Scott Sunday Idaho Pacific Lumber, Boise, Id.

When prices are screaming up, oftentimes wholesalers will have better prices than the actual manufacturers!

That is because most wholesaler buyers know their markets well enough to recognize a bargain, or a turning point when it happens. Wholesalers usually buy in carload to truckload quantities and bring mass quantities into reload centers or their distribution yards.

As the manufacturers’ prices keep rising, wholesalers’ previous buys can be had at discounts, and other wholesalers and retailers can pick up highly mixed truckloads at discounted prices that can be sold to retailers, industrial accounts and builders at a savings!

– Julie M. MoDrak CzechMate Lumber Corp., Mooresville, N.C. Buying quality is the most important step a purchasing individual can make. A purchasing agent who strives to buy the low-price items will invariably end up losing a customer. Cheapest isn’t always the best!

– Joseph Haggerty Williams Lumber Co. of NC, Rocky Mount, N.C. Being a buyer is not always about price. It is about establishing that relationship with the sellers in the market place to where they know and understand your needs as much as you do. Many times sellers will help tailor their offerings to you to maximize your revenue and margin

Building-Products.com

A pet peeve of mine is that a lot of buyers don’t look at the BIG picture. They concentrate on price alone. The best price is not always the best deal. Buyers must also take into consideration, quality (fewer returns), consistency (fewer returns again), on-time delivery (fewer stock-outs, more customer satisfaction), and relationships (better pricing and loyalty in surging markets).

Another discomforting trend is deteriorating payment terms. Corporate America is dictating when suppliers will be paid. What they fail to realize is that suppliers charge extra for late pay, are unwilling to do special favors, and call great paying accounts when “fire sale” items need to be swept under the rug. When you arm a buyer with exceptional, on-time buying capabilities, you enable him to do a much better job! A great paying account will always realize better pricing. This is a very important attribute that is oftentimes ignored or misunderstood by a majority of buyers and organizations.

– Ron Manzanares Blueridge Forest Products, Albuquerque, N.M.

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INDUSTRY Trends

By Chris Camfferman, Universal Forest Products

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Insight to bolster your business this spring

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ORE AND MORE homeowners are investing in outdoor living spaces—and we’re not talking about the simple, square wood decks of yesteryear. Today’s consumers have a growing desire for long-lasting decks with unique styles and a personal touch to enhance their lifestyles and add property value.

Entering the 2016 deck-building season, contractors face a major challenge: Create customized outdoor spaces that are as livable and aesthetically pleasing as they are durable and high functioning. For distributors and dealers, getting ahead of the latest trends in decking, railing and accessories will be key to success during the spring selling season and beyond.

Here are seven key decking industry trends to consider when preparing for 2016:

Outdoors is the new indoors.

Outdoor living environments will continue to become popular extensions of the indoor living space.

Today’s homeowners are looking at their deck as another room of the house that can be innovatively designed and uniquely decorated.

There’s a growing interest in using different areas of a deck—often on multiple levels—for special purposes such as cooking, dining, sitting around the fire, relaxing in a hot tub, and a children’s play area.

This over-arching trend toward using interior design concepts outside is driving the evolution of deck-building materials and styles. Distributors and dealers can position themselves to

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I S are developing new substrate technologies to differentiate their boards, such as the new Deckorators Vault composite decking, said to offer the industry s best strength to weight ratio. ( hotos courtes ec orators)

capitalize on this opportunity by partnering with manufacturers that offer a full selection of decking, railing, post caps, balusters, lighting and accessories. Access to an array of products, colors, designs and styles from a single source gives contractors and homeowners total customization capabilities.

Decking technology is going to the next level.

According to a recent industry study, the residential decking and rail-

February 2016

ing market continues to shift from traditional uncapped composites and cellular PVC decking to capped composite decking. Capped composite decking provides low-maintenance features at a variety of price points and aesthetic choices, the report states.

Within the capped composite category, manufacturers are working to develop and introduce new substrate technologies that differentiate their boards from the competition. For example, Deckorators recently unveiled Deckorators Vault composite Building-Products.com

decking, made with patented Eovations technology that provides the industry’s leading strength-to-weight ratio.

The technology allows the decking to be light, but also creates a fibrous structure that makes it virtually unbreakable.

Railing holds the key to customization.

With the increased consumer focus on singular design, railing represents a valuable opportunity for distributors and dealers. Homeowners and contractors continue to want a wide range of beautiful, durable and low-maintenance railing choices for total design flexibility. Cable railing is one option gaining popularity among consumers. Sleek horizontal cable rail can help achieve a clean, contemporary appearance.

The future of lighting is bright.

Homeowners are looking to add nighttime ambience and safety to their deck, driving increased demand for low-voltage and solar lighting. Low-voltage accent lighting can provide energy-efficient illumination for an outdoor living area, while solar lighting can add evening interest without wiring or electricity. Unique lighting options will remain popular accents for railing, balusters and decking.

Focal points are demanding attention.

Focal points such as pergolas, fireplaces, fire pits and extra seating areas continue to increase in popularity, so the need for related deck accessories should be considered. For instance, pergolas add shade to sunny areas and can be dressed up with decorative postcovers.

Homeowners want to mix it up.

Mixing of deck-building materials is an attractive alternative to traditional matching of decking components.

Varying materials add style and interest to an outdoor living environment. For example, glass balusters can provide less-obstructed views while adding style and variety to a composite deck. Homeowners’ growing desire to mix materials should be taken into account.

Picture framing is piquing interest.

Consumer taste in color variation through picture framing continues to increase. Using deck boards of a different color for the deck perimeter or to “frame” certain areas can enhance the appearance and safety of an outdoor living space. Picture framing adds safety by drawing attention to edges and stairs, and it allows for highlighting areas of interest such as fire pits, seating and grilling spaces.

Today’s consumers want unique, long-lasting outdoor living spaces that help them stand out from the crowd and add value to their homes. Distributors and dealers who partner with a one-stop source for innovative and attractive decking, railing, balusters, post caps, and more can help contractors and homeowners create personalized spaces that are much more than just decks.

– Chris Camfferman is the director of category marketing for Universal Forest Products, Inc. Deckorators is a brand of Universal Forest Products and an industry leader in decking, railing, balusters, post caps, lighting and more. For more information, visit www.deckorators.com.

I S including pergolas continue to increase in popularity among consumers. Pergolas add shade to sunny areas and can be dressed up with decorative postcovers.

Building-Products.com

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PRODUCT Spotlight

By Kim Dorward, Ply Gem Fence & Rail

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Solid vinyl privacy fencing options are big sellers in storm prone regions.

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weather events in the United States have focused attention on the need for advanced building materials with built-in storm protection. According to a 2015 survey commissioned by Ply Gem and conducted by Harris Poll, nearly 44% of homeowners say they worry more about a storm damaging their home today than they did five years ago.

As a dealer or distributor, professional customers rely on you to offer products that alleviate safety concerns of the homeowner. The industry of course cannot prevent future storms from happening, but as manufacturers, it’s our responsibility to provide products that meet stringent building codes. We’re giving dealers—our customers—a leg up in reducing risk of property damage.

While much of the industry conversation surrounding building codes is focused on structural materials such as windows, roofing, cladding and framing, fencing is an equally important component. Ply Gem recently achieved compliance with requirements of the Florida Building Code ECENT SEVERE

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on 10 styles of vinyl fencing. Its 6x6 Performance Privacy Fence is also expected to receive a Notice of Acceptance (NOA) from Miami-Dade County, approving it for use within High Velocity Hurricane Zones (HVHZ). Products are tested for wind speed and design pressure resistance, performance within rock or medium dense sand soil, and quality assurance of the product components.

Certifications such as these are critical to business in Florida, but they do reach far beyond that. With extremely stringent requirements, the Florida Building Code sets the bar for the rest of the country. New standards were implemented following Hurricane Andrew in 1992, when significant destruction in South Florida revealed an immediate need for stronger construction requirements across the board.

This presented a challenge, but also an opportunity for manufacturers to improve their building products.

Thanks to continuous research and development of new technologies over the past two decades, vinyl fenc-

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ing specifically has come a long way in improvements of product performance and structural integrity. Many vinyl fencing products can withstand windloads of 75 mph and have superior weather ability resistance against rain and wind, when compared to wood.

It’s no surprise that in storm-prone regions, as well as nationally, solid vinyl privacy fencing options are our biggest seller. Much of this is due to the durability and thickness of the product, and its low-maintenance attributes as a lifetime replacement for wood fences.

On the front line of the building products industry, building professionals rely on counsel from their dealer or distributor to offer value and safety for the homeowner. By educating your business on the latest building codes and code-compliant product options, you will be one step ahead of the competition of an ever-changing industry.

– Kim Dorward is the product manager for the Fence & Railing Group of Ply Gem. Reach her via www.plygem.com.

Building-Products.com

MARGIN Builders

By Brent Gwatney, MoistureShield

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been called America’s least innovative industry, but as technology revolutionizes everything about our daily lives, advancements can be seen creeping in throughout the building industry in innovative products and methodologies. From visualization tools, like deck design programs, to high performance building materials, such as composite decking, adopting these innovations can offer cost savings, reduce call backs, improve production, reduce exposure to liability, and ultimately allow building material dealers and contractors to work smarter and maximize sales.

As homeowners transition to treating their decks more as outdoor rooms and less as a location to simply store the barbeque, deck designs are evolving, and new materials are needed to meet these elaborate demands.

Twenty-five years ago, the majority of decks built were 10x10 wood rectangles and the only upsells available were hard woods and stainless steel screws. Now, the simple barbeque has been replaced with a fully equipped outdoor kitchen, and the only thing people don’t want to do on their decks, anymore, is to maintain them.

This has led to a huge boom in wood alternative products like composite decking and mixed material additions like aluminum railing and deck lights. Improved and high performance products like these allow these sophisticated designs to last longer. But, with this quick-growing market, retailers and contractors must

tion m tt r in

ONSTRUCTION HAS

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testing techni ues ensure that today s composite decking products combine durability and good looks. ( photos courtes Moisture hie d)

be sure that they can trust the products they’re using.

Product failures can cost a retailer or builder dearly, both in direct financial losses and in damage to the company’s reputation. Thus, it’s essential that trade professionals find an established manufacturer whose products they can rely on. Due to the poor performance of early generation composites, manufacturers are now using innovative testing techniques to ensure the durability of their new products before launching them, by

February 2016

evaluating things like accelerated UV exposure and prolonged freeze and thaw cycles. Enhancements in UV inhibitors and better pigment packages used in composite deck boards are helping to combat the UV and moisture that breakdown all exterior building products, providing retailers a product that has been tested to last.

Some high performance composite deck brands can even be installed on the ground, in the ground, or underwater and are still protected by a lifetime warranty.

Building-Products.com

As decking materials have evolved, so too have the fasteners that hold them together. Gone are the steel hand-driven nails that tended to pop up after one season, and in are the stainless steel screws that hold securely and resist rust, as well hidden fasteners that hide the screw heads and provide proper spacing for the boards.

Some deck clips can even extend the life of a deck by elevating the boards off the joists to reduce structural rot and mold. Building material dealers that have these modern products available will provide their customers with more options and be able to package materials, and add accessories to maximize profits.

Manufacturers have caught on to this and also made many innovations in packaging designed to better fit the retailer, including bundled rail pieces to simplify the selling process, and smaller unit sizes that better fit the average size of a deck. Some have even added additional features to their units like foam or other packing material between layers of product to extend the life of boards while they’re in the lumber yard.

Innovation in the building industry has taken many forms with improve-

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S SS I S like deck lights become more popular, retailers can take advantage of the opportunity to upsell and package products to maximize profits.

ments in processes, products and systems. By incorporating these new technologies, techniques and materials, LBM retailers and builders can gain distinct competitive advantages and enhance both their profits and reputation.

– Brent Gwatney is senior vice president for sales & marketing for MoistureShield composite decking, and serves on the North American Deck and Railing Association board of directors. Contact him at bgwatney@moistureshield.com.

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MANAGEMENT Tips

By Keith Juhola, ODL

t it t r of

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is becoming increasingly web-centric; naturally so is the marketplace. Selling to the buyers of today means adopting e-commerce. We’re already seeing how some traditional brick-and-mortar businesses are losing out without an engaging online presence. Specifically, they’re losing out on the next generation of buyers: the Millennials who are now entering the housing market with disposable income and a desire to spend it.

The good news is that companies who learn how to appeal to this generation will be rewarded with new business from these Millennials—and, interestingly, with business from more Baby Boomers as well.

It helps that the two generations ultimately have the same goal—customizing their space. A company that can offer customized products is going to have a leg up in the world of e-commerce. Brent Moss, founder of Codel Doors, Tacoma, Wa., says his company has learned that both generations also tend toward the same style: “I know we think of the younger generation as desiring contemporary doors, but spec builders are also opting for them. And not for beginner homes! For older generations.”

Since Millennials will inevitably purchase a house once owned by Boomers, the goal is to provide products that inspire both generations.

The question becomes: What does it take to get these inspiring products in front of these buyers? We all know that customers are no longer exclusively walking through the door and taking time to hear recommendations on a suitable option, nor are they solely seeking recommendaUR WORLD

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tions from family and friends. Rather, Millennials and Boomers alike often conduct some—if not all—of their research online. Customers visit company websites looking for educational, useful information. They also turn to peer review sites like Yelp considering not only the reviews, but also how companies have responded to negative comments.

Having a strong, positive web presence is essential—allowing dealers and retailers to build relationships over the Internet, just as you would on the showroom floor.

Dusty Dvorak, vice president of Waudena Millwork, Schofield, Wi., describes a bit of what that strong, positive web presence looks like: “Having a robust website with an interactive, custom configuration makes it easy for people to pick out options.”

Presenting beautiful, high-resolution images of product options or offering 3-D visualizations of customizable products also allows homeowners to envision how a product will become a part of their home. By interacting with a company’s site in this way, the modern customer gains an understanding of the product before coming to the showroom—if they come at all—so helping them conduct this research online has become the new “elevator pitch.”

Online powerhouses like Amazon, Overstock and Wayfair have already carved their niche and developed name recognition—essentially making that successful elevator pitch. Competing with these sites means catching up and matching their services—speed and ease. Beyond that, a successful dealer will also need to provide what the big online sites cannot: education and customization. One way companies have leveled the playing field is by building a social media presence that educates, using the features on websites like Houzz, Pinterest and Facebook.

Some customers, of course, will still walk into a store seeking an education they feel they cannot find online. This is true for both Millennials and Baby Boomers. Moss says, “It’s hard to order a door online. You really want to see it—get a sense of it.”

To give customers a sense of the product in person, companies must carry over that same feeling of interactivity and inspiration from their website. Dvorak’s lumberyard, for example, offers a life-size TV that displays different options and information for customers. Visitors can instantly see what a product looks like and how it might work in their homes. That’s an experience they just can’t get on Amazon, and it’s an experience that sells product.

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As buyers, old and young, seek to customize and personalize their homes, the best way companies can help is to continue building relationships with their customers—only now, those relationships are online.

Successful manufacturers will risk losing new business without adapting to this changing landscape. Engaging with customers successfully online not only makes sales, but also helps set the foundation for a loyal customer base for years to come.

– Keith Juhola is VP of sales & marketing at ODL, Zeeland, Mi.-based maker of door glass, tubular skylights, door blinds, retractable screens, and other entryway products. Reach him via www.odl.com.

APP Watch

B ree

S

i S and Android

Cellular PVC building material pro ducer Versatex has introduced a dra matically easier to use customer loy alty program based on its new Premier Builder App. With the app, users can earn reward points by submitting smart phone photos of invoices or receipts, eliminating the hassle of handling proof of purchase paperwork a process that is uni ue to the industry.

Points can be redeemed for high end tools, electronics, sports and recreation e uipment, and more. o n oad ro and oog e a

i unes pp tore

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COMPETITIVE Intelligence

By Carla Waldemar

Bro

r

S

OMETIMES THE WISEST business choice is the decision to bring a family-owned operation under a larger corporate tent. That’s the route taken a year ago by K-I Lumber & Building Materials of Louisville, Ky., when—taking a hard look at the future—its board of trustees deemed that growth and expansion could best be achieved if the 82-year-old company were to be purchased by an organization with far more assets than they themselves could muster. And what better team to join than—drum roll—the $1.5 billion US LBM force?

Let’s peer into K-I’s history and market reach to understand the win-win decision. The company was started by Walter Freeman, Sr., a wholesale lumber salesman from Alabama who’d worked his way up as far as that particular ladder could reach. So, he decided to start his own wholesale operation and picked Louisville as its site because of business relationships he’d developed in that river town.

By the mid-’60s his son, Walter Freeman, Jr., joined the operation and rose to become CEO and president, running K-I as it had started out in 1932 as a strictly wholesale operation. But, come 1975, a number of similar outfits

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m rri crowded into the territory. So Walter decided to sell to builders and contractors directly as well as mind the wholesale side.

“Moving forward, that turned out to be a great decision,” reports current president Bob DeFerraro. “During the business decline of the Eighties, having a diversified business model proved the saving grace for survival as we entered direct sales in the builder/contractor arena, while also relying extensively on the wholesale market to support our endeavor.”

That meant taking a long, hard look at some middlemen.

Result: launch of K-I’s own truss plant operation. “Some in the market were good, did a great job, while others didn’t offer the speed our company required,” Bob explains the move. “There were service issues, not always receiving product on time. So we made the decision to vertically integrate: to control our own destiny. By buying direct from the manufacturer, we could develop our own line of trusses and pre-hung doors to distribute” and assume control of the entire process.

“It was a greenfield situation,” he explains. “We didn’t

S K Lumber of Kentucky and ndiana turned to an even larger, national chain to provide the resources for growth.

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SI Bob De erraro has stayed on to continue running the K after selling to S LBM as is typical after most buyouts by the chain.

acquire anything. We started from the ground up.” Not easy. “Our first step was hiring management personnel who could hire others and develop the facility. (Our existing management team integrated with them.) This way, you can control the delivery of what your customers need. And, as we developed the truss operation, we made its products available to other yards, too.

“We started in a downtown Louisville facility with doors and trusses. But as time went by,” he continues, “we needed a bigger facility, which we launched in East Jefferson City to be our main distribution point, and moved the door and truss operation there. We also built a truss and panel plant in Shelbyville, Ky., strategically placed to serve the Louisville and Lexington markets. It also houses the millwork operation.

“Then the Recession came along and Louisville got socked. We shut down two lumberyards and also closed our small Louisville Home Planning Center because it was not the size we needed to carry the business forward. We needed more space for growth.”

Enter US LBM. The idea sprouted early in 2014, after CEO Walter Freeman, Jr. died in March. His wife, Sherry, had taken over the business, but the board of trustees realized it was time to seek new ownership so the operation could continue to flourish and expand. No succession plan for family members was in place, so the board opted to sell the business and proceeded to put it on the market.

US LBM showed interest and officially stepped in during November 2014. “They’d been acquiring a number of privately-owned companies throughout the U.S.,” says Bob DeFerraro, who started with K-I back in 1975 as head of builder-direct sales in the metro area. “Many existing owners remain on to run those operations,” as did Bob and virtually all of his crew. “The bonus US LBM gives these businesses is its technology and financial resources, allowing them to grow larger and become more successful.”

Today those markets have grown to include not only Louisville, but also Lexington, Ky., and Evansville and Clarksville in Indiana, across the river—sites that must Building-Products.com

fend off plenty of competition, he reports: “Most companies around here came out of the recession intact, with very little attrition of yards.”

The boxes present challenges, too. But here’s how K-I can best its competitors, Bob believes: “First off, we have a very, very talented management team, with quite a few years of experience. Second, a very, very experienced sales staff who really understand customer relationships and how to serve. Plus, our products are customer-driven. We don’t jump in and out of product lines. We work very closely with our vendors to insure a high level of quality.”

K-I focuses its efforts primarily on the area’s pros: “a very diversified base: commercial, residential, multi-family, assisted living. Also some retail trade, but mainly contractors, without a doubt: We focus on our pro builders.”

And the (back in business) Home Planning Center plays a big part, allowing these pros to bring in their own clients to explore options among K-I’s lines of windows and doors, cabinetry, moulding and millwork. And now—ta da!— roofing, spanning materials from metal to cedar to slate.

“We started that new division to continue to grow and expand our product offerings and offer one-stop shopping.

From Day One, our philosophy has been to offer builders a total package concept—sticks and sheets for construction, windows and doors, cabinets, frames, and now roofing.”

Running operations that run from retail yards to distribution centers to truss and panel plants takes a staff of 310.

Loyally, they stick with the company, Bob says, because, “number one, they’re part of an organization that really understands its customer base and, two, can offer a sense of stability because of volume business.” Training—“always a challenge, due to the fact that we’re as busy as we are”— calls on existing employees to break in the new hires, “due to the detail it requires, which you can’t get by book knowledge. Instead, they learn it on a daily basis. We count on our veteran employees to lead the charge. They understand that the success of the company is built on a customerfriendly attitude, so we take additional steps to ensure the customer is properly served.”

A full fleet of tandem trucks and tractor trailers helps do the job, but K-I considers itself a “regional dealer with a national footprint,” too. “If a customer moves, we can follow them with products to take care of their project.” Social media, including a website with impressive videos, helps get the message out—yet, swears Bob, “by far the best marketing technique, I would say at the end of the day, is referrals. Having multiple yards, too, gives us strength in the geographical area we cover, and within the company, we can easily transfer product from one location to the next.

We also install the products we sell, by calling on a fleet of vetted subs, making it a turnkey operation.”

The future is “very, very exciting,” says Bob, “especially with our new relationship with US LBM, allowing us to continue to grow our footprint and develop larger vendor relationships that will help our customers.”

Anything else to add, Bob? “Why, yes!” he says. “I could go on all day…”

Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net February 2016

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OLSEN On Sales

By James Olsen

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is perfect. We can see, feel and hear when our customer is interested (or not). If we could feel our customers’ desire level, we would know when to ask for the order, when to ask for more, and when to back off a little and re-strategize our call. Fear of being “too pushy” precludes many sellers from hearing Buy Signs, much less closing on them.

MAGINE OUR TIMING

The number one fear should be lack of empathy; without it we cannot feel, see and hear when and how our customers want to buy. The master seller knows when, how, how hard, and how much to ask for when pursuing business. Buy Signs are the technical side of empathy.

What Are Buy Signs? They are a show of interest, a cry for help, a “Please close me” from our customer.

Inbound phones call. Our closing percentage on inbound phone calls should be high. My clients close inbound calls at a 90% rate and outbound at a 10% rate. An inbound phone call is even more immediate than an email.

When we receive an inbound call we must be ready to close. Do not treat these calls as “Let me get your information and I’ll get back to you with a quote.” Even if we can’t work out ALL the details, we still attempt commitment.

Example: “Bob, we agree on the price and the quality, so if I can get the shipment for one week, do we have an order?”

Inbound email or text. Same as above; just do it by email or text back. Before we quote, try to engage the customer in an “electronic conversation” about their inquiry.

Do the same steps as with a phone call, just do it over the net. I prefer to sell human to human and I’m sure many of you feel the same, but that is not the world we are living in.

We communicate and close our customers the way they want to be closed (Buy Signs!).

Any question. Any question shows engagement. We are

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getting warmer. (“How are you?” And “How’s the weather?” and “family talk” are huge—don’t mail them in.) Any business question is a Buy Sign. When can that ship? Can you hold the shipment? How many can you do? Whose stock is it? What is the tally? What’s the price? The mistake that is most often made is ust answering the question.

I call this being an Information Dispenser or a uotron.

Example: Customer: “When can that ship?” uotron: “Two weeks.”

Customer: “When can that ship?”

Master seller: “We have several options, when do you need it to ship?”

Customer: “One week would be perfect.”

Master seller: “What’s your order number?” or “If we can get that done can we call it an order?” Or “I’m going to have to push some things around to make that happen. Will you buy this if I can move some things around?”

Change in tone towards the warmer . If our customer warms up in any way (e.g., questions, laughs, uses our name, personal talk) these are (mini) Buy Signs that tell us we are making progress; rapport is high. When rapport is high we can ask, ask more often and ask for more. Think about high-rapport-closing like closing your brother or best friend.

Any positive comment. Warning: Positive comments are often paired with negative comments.

Example: “I love that tally, but the price is too high.”

When a positive comment is paired with a negative comment we separate it and close. “John, the tally is exactly what you need and the market is strong, so the value of this car will continue to rise as it roles to you, what’s your order number?”

If a positive comment wrapped with a negative one is a Buy Sign, then a standalone positive comment is a red-light Buy Sign. Example: “I love that stock.” “Okay, I’ve got three left; how many can you use?”

We don’t want to be pushy, but we want to embrace the creative tension or yin and yang of the buy-sell dance. Based on our knowledge of Buy Signs and empathetic knowledge of our customer’s desire(s), we will know when and how to help our customers make a buying decision (nudge, not push). ames Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572 james@realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com

EVANGELIST Marketing

By Alex Goldfayn

o to r f rr

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HY DON’T WE

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ask for referrals? I’ve asked thousands of audience members and client staffers this question. Here are the most common answers: “We are afraid of rejection. What if they don’t like me as much as I think—or hope—they do? “ “We don’t think to do it.”

“We don’t want to impose.”

“Customers wouldn’t want to share us.”

“We don’t know how. Nobody ever taught us.”

The only reasonable excuse on the list there is the last item: you simply don’t know how. This column changes that. Clip it, take a picture of it with your phone, and put it somewhere prominent for future reference.

The other roadblocks on the list are irrational beliefs that simply stall our progress towards positive improvement.

What if they don t like you They’ve been with you for 12 years. Of course they like you. There’s a lot of competition out there, yet they buy from you. ou don t think to do it Put a yellow sticky on your monitor, and write REFERRALS on it. That’ll remind you.

If you prefer electronic reminders, zap yourself with your phone on a daily basis! ou don t want to impose in on the customer They don t want to share with you Think about your own experiences. When you find the home painter who doesn’t leave a mess after they’re done, or the dental hygienist who doesn’t poke your gums, or the chiropractor who finally gets rid of your pain, aren’t you thrilled to share that person with everyone you know? In fact, in social settings, it’s a competition to get your friends to use your guy! To your customers, you are the chiropractor, and the hygienist, and the painter. They love you. Let them help you.

The discomfort with referrals (and testimonials for that matter—but that’s a different topic) is ours, not our customers’. They would be happy to help us grow our sales, if only we asked.

Now that I’ve eliminated all possible defenses, here’s how to ask for a referral: Don’t make a special phone call for it, that’s awkward.

Rather, add it on to the end of your existing conversations.

It’s particularly powerful to ask for a referral after you’ve resolved a customer’s problem or issue (which is, for most of us, why we talk to customers at all).

“Are you good, did we resolve that to your satisfaction?” After the affirmation, ask this referral question: “Listen, Tom, who else do you know like yourself who would get the same kind of value you do from working with me?”

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That’s the question. Ask it as it’s written. Write it out on paper or screen, in big text, so that you can read it, word for word. After you ask the question, stop talking and listen. If the silence extends five seconds, that’s okay. Ten seconds?

Also okay. Twenty seconds? Don’t panic, stay quiet.

Do not be the first to speak. Let the customer think and answer. Coming up with a referral might take a bit of time.

With this approach, one-third of the people you ask will give you a referral. This batting average would get you into the Hall of Fame.

If the customer says, “I’ll have to think about that,” or anything else that is not a referral, make the second effort and help them think of somebody: “Tom, we work with companies like yours—privately owned, and of a certain size (describe your customer—you might say, “Our customers are people you are probably friends with”)—and our customer is usually the owner or president. Who do you know like this?”

Then, once again, let there be silence. Do not nervous chatter your way out of this referral. Remember, you are feeling far more discomfort than your customer at this point. Let them think. At this point, another one-third of your customers will think of a referral, giving you a 66% referral rate of return. These have been the numbers historically among my clients.

Some finer points: Note that I am asking who they know, not if they know somebody. The former gets me a name, the latter gets me, likely, a “no.”

Next, silence is the key to this process. Letting your customers think on the spot. You’re doing a disservice to everyone involved if you talk your way through this.

Remember, they want to help you. They are very happy with your work, and will look good to their friends and colleagues by connecting them to you. Let your customers help you grow.

– Ale Goldfayn is CEO of The Evangelist Marketing Institute, a revenue growth consultancy, and author of The Revenue Growth Habit.

Visit www.evangelistmktg.com.

Alex oldfayn CEO, Evangelist Marketing Institute www.evangelistmktg.com Building-Products.com

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THINKING Ahead

By Anthony Muck, DMSi

in

tr t i of tr on o i tion

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arrived in the forest products and lumber industry, and everyone is dealing with it. Mergers, acquisitions and hostile takeovers are constantly in the headlines.

There are numerous reasons behind this trend, including access to standing timber, reduced profit margins, stricter government regulations, and decreased housing construction. 1 For mature industries such as ours, consolidation is almost inevitable. If we want to leverage this market opportunity, we must first understand the fundamental consolidation strategies.

According to the Harvard ONSOLIDATION HAS

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Business Review article “The Consolidation Curve,” most industries progress through a clear consolidation life cycle. The article explains that once an industry forms or once it is deregulated, it will go through four stages of consolidation: opening, scale, focus, and balance and alliance. The researchers who wrote the article—and analyzed 1,345 large mergers completed throughout a span of 13 years—predicted that an industry will take an average of 25 years to progress through these four stages. And in the future, they expect it to be even quicker.

Big players in the lumber market

February 2016

are starting to gain market share through the acquisition of smaller companies. An acquisition is simply the purchase of one corporation by another.

According to Entrepreneur, participating in acquisitions has become one of the most popular ways for a company to grow today. It said that

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A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association

since 1990, the annual number of mergers and acquisitions has doubled.

In addition to gaining increased market share, companies usually participate in acquisitions in order to be able to expand product lines (or get access to new, innovative products or technologies), and grow their footprint throughout the country, among other reasons. Most experts advise businesses to expand from their “home base” rather than to acquire companies across the country. In other words, it’s better for businesses to stay within their geographical footprint and then expand that footprint through acquisitions.

Aside from acquisitions, other common consolidation strategies include mergers and hostile takeovers. A merger happens when two companies join together to become one completely new business.

There are multiple benefits of growing through mergers, such as reduced expenses, access to a wider customer base as well as experienced and knowledgeable staff, reduction in competition, and diversification of products and services.

bout

NAWLA (North American Wholesale Lumber Association) is the association that delivers unparalleled access to relationships and resources that improve business strategy and performance through sales growth, cost savings, and operational efficiencies for wholesalers and manufacturers of forest products and other building materials that conduct business in North America.

Learn more about how NAWLA can help your business at www.nawla.org.

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A hostile takeover is a very particular type of consolidation. It’s essentially an acquisition or merger carried out against the wishes of the board or the management of the target company.2 The purchasing company takes over the acquired business’s operation, usually introducing a new management structure and corporate philosophy. With a hostile takeover, the purchasing company has huge decisions to make and a lot of risks to face.

They have to consider: Is the company that they are buying healthy in its management and operations? And if so, will they operate as they have been, keeping the status quo? Or are the target company’s management and operations weak, and will they benefit from a new corporate philosophy and structure?

Sometimes, this piece is the most difficult and can affect everyone involved—business owners and employees alike—because the target company’s identity may be changed drastically.

Ultimately, it comes down to the purchasing company’s philosophy and the strategy it is using to execute the purchase.

When discussing mergers and acquisitions in general, people often consider business tycoon and investor Warren Buffett’s M&A strategy. He buys strong, healthy companies that have great management, and lets those managers continue to run the company and simply offers them the support of a much larger corporation. Buffett has said he needs his managers to stay on for as long as possible.

Our industry, however, doesn’t always follow Buffett’s model.

When companies purchase other companies, there’s a tendency to move most of the operations to the corporate office and set up branch or division managers to run the new acquisition.

etwork

earn

To learn how other leading industry firms are dealing with the challenges that come with industry consolidation, you are encouraged to attend NAWLA’s 2016 Leadership Summit: Where Industry Decision Makers Grow, March 13-15 at the Westin Mission Hills in Palm Springs, Ca. You will build knowledge on relevant management topics and key trends in education sessions and connect with peers through multiple networking events. You will leave with proven best practices, cost-saving measures and new or renewed relationships with customers, prospects and suppliers. Learn more or register at www.nawla.org.

While this approach could work for some, for others, it could hurt the business and affect future growth.

Key employees could leave; the culture between the two companies could clash, causing tension between the staff, etc. But, of course, this is all a part of the risks that come with mergers and acquisitions and the possible results of industry consolidation.

Our industry is changing—evolving—just like so many others. It is crucial that we embrace the change and take strategic steps in our individual roles in creating a healthy, competitive landscape for the future.

– Anthony Muck is mgr.-customer support for DMSi, Omaha, Ne., and a member of NAWLA s communications committee.

February 2016

Sources State Impact, Investing Answers

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losing rcata awmill

Sierra Pacific Industries, Anderson, Ca., will permanently close its 65-year-old sawmill in Arcata, Ca. “This is a particularly sad day for Sierra Pacific and for my family” said A.A. “Red” Emmerson, chairman and president emeritus of SPI. “Our company started in the Arcata area when my father and I leased our first mill there in 1949 near Jacoby Creek. We went on to build the Arcata mill on the Samoa Peninsula, which we’ve run steady since 1951.”

About 123 crew members will be affected by the closure. According to

SPI, reduced harvests of suitable timber and regulatory burdens are the primary reason for the closure. That, combined with a difficult lumber market have profoundly impacted operations in Arcata.

“A fall-off in the amount of suitable timber for sale in this area, coupled with flat home construction in the U.S., and increased lumber imports from Canada have all played a role in our decision to close the mill” said SPI spokesman Mark Pawlicki. “But, make no mistake, the largest factor was that the type and size of logs that this mill cuts are sim-

ply not available in ample supply to continue to run the mill.”

In an effort to keep the Arcata mill running, SPI has been transporting logs from the interior of California, and has barged logs from Washington and British Columbia. However, those efforts proved to be uneconomical.

SUPPLIER Briefs has kicked off a new paint recycling program at its orest Grove, r., branch. , Selma, Ca., unveiled an in store S S Jan. .

B reduced pro duction at its La Grande, r., sawmill to a split shift, effective Jan. . , lagstaff, Az., has signed on I , oxborough, Ma., as exclusive repre sentative for lumber products generat ed by its Arizona lumber mills.

B temporarily idled its stud mill in sk, Wa., Dec. for at least one month, due to weak market conditions and high log costs.

S S S , Chandler, Az., has been ac uired by I , Chesterfield, Mo. completed its merger with

into B

S S , Pleas anton, Ca., was named Building Materials Vendor of the ear by B for the fifth straight year. ire rated SB Sheathing Heats p ( ec p ) erroneously stated that RT plywood does not have an Exposure rating.

The article should have stated that inte rior grade RT plywood must be pro tected from precipitation during con struction.

The article also stated walls of sin gle family homes need to be fire rated if they are located within ft. of a proper ty line. or single family construction, the re uired distance from the property line is typically ft., rather than ft.

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The recent Do It Best winter conference at Hotel Del Coronado, San Diego, Ca., gave attendees the perfect opportunity to reorganize their business strategies and discover ideas to grow, while reconnecting with fellow

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members of the industry.

Training sessions led by outstanding business experts were designed to enlighten and challenge members and help discover new ways to bring innovation to their businesses.

Sessions also included vendorsponsored segments with an opportu-

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nity to share more about their products and services.

The conference included an array of special networking events, and kicked off with the always popular shotgun start golf outing, followed by dynamic receptions and distinct events only for Do it Best members.

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wanson

ets

loser in pringfield

A plywood and veneer mill being built in Springfield will provide 200 full-time jobs once fully operational.

Swanson Group, Glendale, Or., is targeting an April start-up for the new facility. It is being built on the site of its former mill, which was destroyed in a July 2014 fire.

The new $55-million, 345,000-sq. ft. plant could ramp up to full capacity by August, producing about 20 million sq. ft. of veneer and 10 to 12 million sq. ft. of plywood each month.

At full capacity, it will require 200 workers.

eacon

uying Denver Distributor

Beacon Roofing Supply has acquired roofing distributor Statewide Wholesale, Denver, Co. Randy Rehbein, who founded Statewide with his wife, Dawn, in 1983, will remain with the company.

According to Paul Isabella, Beacon CEO and president, “Combining Statewide with our existing Roof Depot and new RSG branches gives us an unmatched footprint in the vibrant and fast-growing Denver market, and Statewide’s strategic location gives us an even better ability to more efficiently serve customers on Denver’s south side where there is strong commercial and residential development.”

oodgrain Picks

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em awmill

Woodgrain Millwork, Fruitland, Id., has purchased Gem Forest Products’ lumber mill in Emmett, Id., including equipment and inventory.

The plant has changed hands several times over the past few years and was shuttered at the end of last year.

Woodgrain plans to restart the mill Feb. 15 to process existing inventory over the next two to three months. The facility will then shut back down for a multi-month renovation, followed by permanent restart late this year.

Its production will feed Woodgrain’s door, window and moulding operations in Fruitland.

TP Installing

ew eneer Dryer

Timber Products is finishing up installation of a new six-deck, 12-section veneer dryer at its plywood operation at Medford, Or. The project will feature a newly-designed USNR feeding system including vacuum sheet feeder/accumulator and unloading system. The plant expects to begin production in late February.

Timber Products processes a variety of hardwood and softwood species into high value plywood and wood panels, and operates nine manufacturing facilities in the U.S.

Pro ia undling Heartland Heritage tone ines

Entities and products of ProVia, manufacturer of entry door systems, windows, super polymer vinyl siding and artfully-crafted, manufactured stone, will now be aligned under one unified brand: ProVia. The Heartland Siding and Heritage Stone product lines will also use the ProVia brand.

The company acquired Heartland Siding in 2009 and Heritage Stone in 2011, and maintained these brands for a transitional time frame. The brands have joined under the umbrella corporate naming strategy, providing a simplified message for both customers and homeowners.

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trong Tie Hooks Hidden Deck Fastener ompanies

Simpson Strong-Tie, Pleasanton, Ca., has acquired Blue Heron Enterprises and Fox Chase Enterprises, manufacturers of the EB-TY and Lumber Loc hidden deck fastening systems.

Since 2008, Simpson Strong-Tie has promoted and sold EB-TY fasteners and provided its screws with the EB-TY product offering.

ew tore Robbed on Opening Day

A couple stole hundreds of dollars worth of items from a new Broadway Ace Hardware, Portland, Or., on the store’s opening day. The couple was caught on camera, walking up and down the aisles of the store on the evening of Jan. 12.

General manager Daniel Warren said surveillance cameras showed a man picking up a box cutter and slicing through the store’s security measures, then slipping an expensive item under his jacket. According to Warren, the couple seemed to get nervous, paid $15 dollars or so, then walked out—but employees reviewing the security cameras and doing inventory discovered items missing.

Warren said the couple even signed up for the Ace Rewards program, but left a fake name and phone number.

They were accompanied by a young boy.

mall Fire hutters

yoming

ill

Saratoga Forest Management’s sawmill in Saratoga, Wy., will be down three to five weeks following a small equipment fire Jan. 20.

A millwright working the night shift was welding a small piece on the board edger end feed table, when a spark ignited the blaze. The fire was restricted to the table, but the heat also damaged a control panel, possibly melting the insulation inside its electrical conduit.

Saratoga expects to be back up and running later this month.

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The Los Feliz Neighborhood Council, Los Angeles, Ca., unanimously recommended the design and construction for a new Orchard Supply Hardware store be given the go-ahead, and construction is expected to begin in the next couple of months.

The new store will have subterranean parking that features more spaces than the city’s building code requires.

Previously, a sub-committee of the LFNC had recommended conditions be incorporated into the plan for the hardware store after hearing from nearby neighbors.

According to Mark F. Mauceri, vice president of administration for the LFNC, OSH representatives agreed to incorporate the board’s recommendations and their plans will now go before the city’s Department of Building and Safety for final approval.

i oins Retail Rental oftware

ECi Software is integrating two key platforms to streamline operations for customers who offer hardware retail and rental inventory.

Rental transactions take place seamlessly with payment and accounting processed within ECi’s RockSolid system, while its Point-of-Rental software handles rental contracts, reservations and returns, all within the RockSolid software.

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Building-Products.com

Testing Hybrid Trucks

BMC, Atlanta, Ga., has launched a pilot program in Denver, Co., to study the potential benefits of using hybridelectric drive systems in its 1,000vehicle fleet.

The program includes four Ford E350 step vans for making deliveries to its Denver area stores. Two of the trucks were equipped with L Hybrids’ hybrid-electric system, but on all four BMC installed proprietary wireless data connectivity system, so it can study performance differences.

L Hybrids will use the vehicle powertrain data transmitted to a cloud-based analytics system to track miles-per-gallon in the field and other performance indicators, such as idling, vehicle duty cycle, and carbon dioxide emissions reduction.

anfor Purchasing

ynndel

Canfor Corp., Vancouver, B.C., has agreed to buy the assets of Wynndel Box & Lumber Ltd., Wynndel, B.C., century-old producer of WynnWood premium boards and

specialty products.

Expected to close in the second quarter, the deal includes a sawmill located in Wynndel, with an annual capacity of 65 million bd. ft., and annual harvesting rights.

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ategory

Novik Inc. brought its PP panel line to the recent International Builders Show in Las Vegas, Nv. The company says the plastic panels are durable—resisting winds up to 110 mph—lightweight and can be put up by one person thanks to a fast-fit, locking system that makes installation and alignment effortless.

Ralph Bruno, president of sales, explained the company’s goal to give NovikStone a mainstream appeal, and make it an attainable luxury for every homeowner, installing the product at a fraction of the price of stone veneer.

In addition to the design trend of masonry and stone accents rippling from upscale and fashion-forward neighborhoods, Bruno sees a big macroeconomic factor at play, a rebound in the new home construction market.

ylo oard Halts Production

NyloBoard LLC, Covington, Ga., has ceased production of all products and placed the business up for sale.

According to president and COO Doug Morse, NyloBoard’s venture capital owner has decided to no longer fund the business. All assets are now for sale as an operating entity and, should a buyer not emerge quickly, all assets will be liquidated.

Formed in 2002, it produced NyloDeck, NyloPorch and NyloSheet.

T Panels

oing

p

Early this month, D.R. Johnson Lumber Co., Riddle, Or., delivered the second of four shipments of crosslaminated timbers to a unique office development in north Portland, Or. A third tier of panels is scheduled to be delivered and installed a few weeks later, according Reworks, Portland, developer and contractor of the 16,000-sq. ft. Albina Yard project.

The building’s unique design incorporates mass timber construction with a glue-laminated timber frame and CLT panels. Construction began last fall and is expected to be completed by July.

D.R. Johnson is reportedly the only U.S. maker of CLT panels certified for use in structural applications.

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MOVERS & Shakers Ben Thomas has been promoted to general mgr. of Franklin Building Supply, McCall, Id. Ken Leavitt is now regional mgr.

Thomas Stremlau, ex-WindsorOne, is now territory mgr. for Northern California’s North Bay area with Boise Cascade Building Materials Distribution, Lathrop, Ca. Dale Blomberg, Lumbermen’s Buying Service, Eugene, Or., retired after 43 years in the industry.

Kevin Daugherty, ex-Olympic Panel Products, has been appointed sales mgr. for Contact Industries, Clackamas, Or. icole ackson has joined T&R Lumber, Etiwanda, Ca., as outside sales rep for the San Diego area.

Bruce Turkington has retired after nearly 41 years with Spenard Builders Supply, the last 34 years as general mgr. in Homer, Ak. He is succeeded as GM by Wakeen Brown. on Friesen, Parr Lumber, Hillsboro, Or., has been promoted to district mgr. for the Puget Sound region.

Craig elson, ex-ProBuild, has joined Alpine Lumber, Parker, Co. Mike Bugbee, senior VP of integrated component systems, is retiring at the end of March after 34 years with Simpson Strong-Tie, Pleasanton, Ca. Ken Mulhern, ex-Orchard Supply Hardware, is a new San Francisco Bay area territory mgr. with Ace Hardware.

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ason aley, ex-Great Lakes Ace, has joined Central Network Retail Group, as Detroit area-based area VP, overseeing Parkrose Hardware stores in Oregon and Washington and Lumberjacks in Michigan. reg Koch has been appointed vice president of sales & marketing for Deceuninck North America, Monroe, Oh. Sheldon Kahan succeeds him as commercial sales mgr.

Phil Lester, VP of fenestration sales, has retired after more than 25 years with the company.

Frank Turnbull, ex-Canfor, has been named VP-lumber sales for Western Forest Products, Vancouver, B.C. Patrick O Malley, ex-ProBuild, has been appointed director of national builder accounts & supply chain for MiTek Building Products, Chesterfield, Mo. Brent Kreut er is now product mgr. for fasteners, anchoring solutions, & tools.

Davis Rowe has been named VP of national accounts for Pella Corp., Pella, Ia., succeeding Bob Kubacki, who will retire in March after 17 years with the company.

Rob Bivens, ex-CPG Building Products, is now Sacramento, Ca.based West region business development mgr.-multifamily for Symmons Industries. ina oagland, Collaborative Strategies, has been appointed to the board of Huttig Building Products, St. Louis, Mo.

February 2016

Bryan Kujawa, Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co., Wausau, Wi., has been promoted to national sales mgr.

Cindy ixson has been promoted to merchandise mgr. for home & hardware with Do it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, In. Chris Caruso has been promoted to VP-information technology for PPG Industries, Pittsburgh, Pa., replacing Werner Baer, who retires March 1. erv Tiberghien will become VP-human resources Feb. 28, when Craig ordan retires after 27 years with PPG. ennifer Weber has been named chief human resources officer for Lowe’s Cos., Mooresville, N.C., effective March 1, to take over for Maureen Ausura, who is retiring after 11 years with the chain.

David Crowe, National Association of Home Builders chief economist, is retiring March 18 after 27 years with NAHB. He will be succeeded

by Robert D. Diet , currently VP for tax & market analysis. ohn Isner, top-ranked tennis pro, has inked an endorsement deal with TAMKO Building Products, Joplin, Mo. Ross Cirrincione, Ganahl Lumber, Anaheim, Ca., was honored as Member of the Month by the Credit Mangement Association. He was last year’s CMA Mentor of the Year. d Verti ing is the new marketing manager at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to co-owners ugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Building-Products.com

NEW Products

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Freightview online software allows makers of building products to improve their shipping operations by saving time and money.

Before, small and mid-sized construction companies had two choices outsource shipping needs to a third-party logistics provider, or endure time-consuming tasks of contacting multiple carriers to compare rates and book a shipment.

The software allows companies to instantly quote, book and track shipments, and pull up their negotiated rates with carriers simultaneously on one dashboard.

Honeywell’s Miller DuraSeal Self-Retracting Lifeline is designed to provide greater reliability and safety in the harshest environments—including onshore and offshore oil and gas, mining, and petrochemical sites.

The product introduces patent-pending sealed technology that prevents contaminants from entering the mechanism and ensures that the self-retracting lifeline’s brake system, power spring, and bearings are never exposed to debris, water or chemicals.

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Finally, a composite decking that doesn't look like plastic!

Introducing Naturale composite decking by NewTechWood. Same UltraShield technology you trust, with the natural look you want, in a wide variety of unique colors.

Visit www.newtechwood.com or call us at 866-728-5273 for more information Distributed by

AMERICAN LUMBER CO. INC. #1 American Way, Walden, NY 12586 Ph: 800-277-0222

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At Royal Pacific you’ll pay no more, but get extra. We guarantee it.

Hi-borÂŽ brand treated wood is a borate treated wood product designed for interior house framing in Hawaii. Hi-bor treated wood resists attack

by Formosan and subterranean termites and numerous household insects and pests, as well as fungal decay. Hi-bor borate treated wood is also backed by a 20 year limited warranty*.

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Simpson Strong-Tie expanded its Strong-Drive line of structural fasteners to include the SDWS Framing screw, a multipurpose fastener for replacing nails in framing and remodeling applications.

The versatile fastener offers a new alternative to 16d, 10d and 8d nails for contractors and do-it-yourselfers in areas too constrained for the use of a hammer or where there is a need for the superior holding power and pull-out resistance of screws.

FireProÂŽ brand fire retardant treated wood is treated with a patented formulation that contains no phosphates and has been shown to exhibit exceptional fire performance properties without compromising other critical engineering properties such as strength, durability, corrosivity, and hygroscopicity. FirePro treated wood is also backed by a 50 year limited warranty*.

Advance GuardÂŽ borate pressure treated lumber is recommended for sill plate, furring strips, joists, studs, roof trusses, blocking, rafters, beams, and other framing applications. Advance Guard is also recommended for fascia, trim, wall sheathing, roof sheathing, and sub-floors. Advance Guard borate pressure treated lumber is also backed by a lifetime limited warranty*.

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%JLF 3PBE t 3BJOJFS 03 t 'BY See product warranty for details. Hi bor , irePro and Advance Guard treated wood products are produced by independently owned and operated wood treating facilities. Hi bor , irePro and Advance Guard are registered trademarks of Koppers, nc.

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ď Ž STRONG-TIE.COM (800) 999-5099

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Focused on creating efficient and optimized wood framing, the new Valley Truss Tie is an 18-gauge, G90 galvanized steel tie by MiTek transfers loads from a valley truss into the supporting structure above.

The VTT resists the sliding forces created from downward loads when the valley truss is set upon a sloped lower roof. This ability to resist the sliding force eliminates the need for support wedges traditionally used under the valley truss bottom chord.

ď Ž MITEK-US.COM (314) 434-1200

Building-Products.com

luxury reinvented

get your sales rolling

Join the hundreds of dealers throughout North America that are profitably increasing their businesses with Novik. NovikStone, NovikShake and Novik’s exclusive StainNatural colors are the leading choice of thousands of contractors who are elevating their businesses above the competition.

Sign up today for the Novik Spring Training Dealer Program 2016.

Visit novik.com/dealer or call 888-847-8057

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Essence Series swing doors by Milgard Windows & Doors come in a variety of configurations and feature a newly designed handle in seven finishes. The swing door is crafted for superior performance with a design pressure DP40 air, water and structural rating.

The product complements existing styles with a solid wood interior in clear vertical grain douglas fir, natural pine or primed pine and durable fiberglass exterior in 16 powder-coated colors.

 MILGARD.COM

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The Merchant Magazine

oor

 WEATHERSHIELD.COM (877) 452-5535

(800) 645-4273

44

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Weather Shield unveiled its latest multi-slide door at this year’s International Builders Show. The door accommodates openings as large 50’ x 10’.

Available in single and bi-parting configurations in both the Premium Series and the Contemporary Collection, the door offers options to customize the look of any structure.



February 2016

Building-Products.com

WHAT YOU WANT. WHEN YOU NEED IT. Timbers Green & K.D. Export

Dimension Lumber Treated Products Domestic

rot

Manke Lumber Company is familyowned and has been serving the needs of the lumber industry since 1953. We take pride in milling and stocking quality lumber in a full range of commodity sizes and larger dimension timbers. We also answer your market needs for a wide variety of treated lumber products.

Our forest products are milled from carefully harvested Northwest trees ready for distribution to you—on time and at the right price.

Located in the Port of Tacoma, we have ready access to deep water shipping, rail heads or trucking terminals for longer haul loads. Manke operates its own fleet of trucks and is at your service for straight or mixed loads by truck, rail or sea.

We manufacture primarily Douglas fir and western hemlock, including • 2x4 thru 2x12, Lengths 8-20’ • 3x4 thru 3x12, Lengths 8-26’ • 4x4 and wider, Lengths 8-26’ • 6x6 and wider, Lengths 8-26’ • 8x8 and wider, Lengths 8-26’ • Timber sizes up to 12x12

Manke Lumber Company Call 1-800-426-8488

1717 Marine View Dr., Tacoma, WA 98422

Phone 253- 572-6252

Fax 253-383-2489

www.mankelumber.com

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Milwaukee Tool’s Demolition Work Gloves are designed to be five times more durable than other gloves available today.

The gloves offer a combination of ultimate durability and all day comfort for users who require reliable protection when working with an array of different jobsite materials.

All key working areas of the gloves—fingertips, palms and thumbs—are reinforced with Armortex for increased durability and grip.

 MILWAUKEE.COM (800) 729-3878

888-807-2580 Bend, OR

www.pelicanbayfp.com DISTRIBUTION LOCATIONS Colton / Fontana / Modesto / Salinas / Stockton, CA PRODUCTS & SERVICES Framing Lumber / Pallet Stock / Industrial Lumber / Softwoods Hardwoods / Cedar / Fencing / Decking / Redwood Custom Cut Stock / Treated Lumber / Tile Battens 3-Hole & Slotted Vents / Custom Cutting / Remanufacturing Heat Treating / Fire & CCA Treating

“Focused on the future with respect for tradition” Building-Products.com

MAKE BEST USE OF THE AVAILABLE LABOR POOL:

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The FinishPro 18BMg pneumatic brad nailer by Senco accepts 5/8” to 2-1/2” 18-gauge nails, making it the ideal tool for internal and external trim, chair rails, baseboards, ornaments, case backs, cabinetry, furniture repair, small trim, and craft assembly.

Its composite magazine is light and durable and can accommodate up to 100 nails.

Habito is a drywall product from CertainTeed and the strongest 1/2-inch wallboard material available. It features technical benefits previously unseen in the drywall category.

A wallboard product that helps eliminate the frustration when hanging heavy objects, the product continues the company’s emphasis on providing innovative products that offer practical solutions to builders and homeowners.

 SENCO.COM

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UÊ1,502Ê i>ÀÊviiÌÊ vÊi } iiÀi`Ê ÊÊÊÜ `Ê«À `ÕVÌÃÊÛðÊ2,498ÊviiÌÊ vÊ ÊÊÊ` i Ã Ê Õ LiÀÆ U 936Ê > ÃÊÜ Ì Ê 7*ÊÛðÊ2,289Ê ÊÊÊ > ÃÊÜ Ì Ê` i Ã Ê Õ LiÀÆ UÊ3,029Ê LðÊÌ Ì> ÊÜi } ÌÊÜ Ì Ê 7*]Ê ÊÊÊ5,406Ê LðÊÜ Ì Ê` i Ã Ê Õ LiÀ° UÊ/Þ« V> ÊÓ]äääÊõÊvÌÊyÊ À°Ê AVOID CALLBACKS FROM DIMENSION LUMBER:

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UÊ1 v À Ê`i«Ì ÃÊ> `Ê ÃÌÕÀiÊV> ÊÊÊ ÊÊÊ i> Êv>ÃÌiÀ]Êi>à iÀÊ ÃÌ> >Ì ]Ê Ê ÊV> L>V Ã°Ê Download “BCEWP vs. dimension lumber” at www.BC.com or call 800-232-7800 for more information.

© 2016 Boise Cascade Wood Products, L.L.C. BOISE CASCADE, the TREE-IN-A CIRCLE symbol, BCI, AJS and “Great products are only the beginning.” are trademarks of Boise Cascade Company or its affiliates. *Comparison values are based on an example of a typical 2,000 sq ft, single-story home using Boise Cascade design software and following current residential building code provisions. Specific information on the example floor framing area is available upon request.

Building-Products.com

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r

It

B Hoo Hoo Club held its annual crab feed Jan. in Eureka, Ca. [1] Richard Giacone e t is pictured above leading the event with Louis Gosselin. Giacone will be retiring this year from Humboldt Redwood Co., but will continue to run the Crab eed and will

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still be involved in Hoo Hoo. [2] Jim Lewman, Joel Howel, Kent Bond, Tom Armstrong. [3] Mike Shorten, Alex Cousins. [4] Glenda Paldino, Wanda Gosselin. [5] Troy Bailey. [6] Edgar Jan Massoletti, Tim Dickison. [7] Kevin Glenda Paldino. [8] Tom Von Moos,

February 2016

r

Travis Land. [9] Darryl Bond, Kent Bond, Ted Polllard, Todd Pollard. [10] Jean Henning, Ken Dunham. [11] Rich Graham, Bill Sullivan. [12] Casey urtado, Jeff urtado. [13] Miles Ralstan, Brandon Arling. [14] Bill Jones.

(More photos on next 3 pages) Building-Products.com

HUMBOLDT CRAB FEED Photos by The Merchant

B (continued): [15] Chris Swanson, Mike Carey, Greg Johnson, Rick Deen, Matt Campbell. [16] Rob McLaughlin, Mike

McLaughlin. [17] Steve Brown, Tim Hummel, Jeff Donahoo, Doug Willis, Matt Trallinger. [18] Scott Nelson. [19] Mike Vinum, Jim rodsham.

[20] Steve Smithers, Pat Zan, Jeff S uires. [21] Tom Von Moos, Rich Giacone.

(More photos on next pages)

“WE TREAT WOOD RIGHT”… Quality Wood Treating Services Since 1977 3400 Patterson Rd., Riverbank, CA 95367 • Fax: 209-869-4585

Miguel Gutierrez: (209) 747-7773 • miguel@thunderboltwt.com Byron Beck: (209) 765-9023• byron@thunderboltwt.com

Building-Products.com

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HOO HOO CRAB FEED Photos by The Merchant

B (cont ): [22] Dean Kerstetter, Mike Richardson. [23] Jared Johnson, Jesse Johnson, Bill Scott. [24] Gary Gamble. [25]

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Mark Borghesani, Steve Keach. [26] Troy Turner, Dave Dahlen. [27] Todd Pollard, Kevin Dodd. [28] Wanda Louis Gosselin. [29]

February 2016

Norm Carlin, Ben Cassinerio, Jeff Tornai. [30] Tom Armstrong, George Alberton. [31] David Billingsley, Steve Smithers. ( ee next page)

Building-Products.com

HUMBOLDT CRAB FEED Photos by The Merchant

B (continued): [32] Denis Stack, Greg Moss. [33] Danny Sosa, Tom Von Moos.

[33] Erin aiferlick, Abbey Guest, Valerie

Building-Products.com

Scoggin. [35] David Billingsley, Steve Culbertson, Dave Dahlen. [36] Jim Hosner, Randy Johnson. [37] Rod Kautz, Mark

Mensinger. [38] Josh Hanson, John Murphy, Don Lucas. [39] Art Reid, Grant Phillips. [40] Patrick Adams, Jim Lewman.

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IBS in top form Building is back, as evidenced by busy, optimistic show attendees—an estimated 125,000 of them—at the National Association of Home Builders’ recent International Builders Show in Las Vegas.

The packed aisles were helped by holding the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show and the Surfaces flooring expo in adjacent halls. As well, an outdoor Show Village featured more exhibits and demos, including a pair of “tiny houses” that visitors could tour.

Dealers and wholesalers were well represented among the attendees, making this a true top-to-bottom home building industry show, although most

of the seminars were directed at builders and contractors.

Among the Best of IBS Awards handed out during the show were Best Energy Efficient Product to Huber’s ZIP System Sheathing and Tape, Best Outdoor Living Product to Knotwood’s Aluminum Batten System, Best Window & Door Product for Endura’s Next-Generation Z-Articulating Cap Sill, and both Most Innovative Building Product and Best in Show to Red Horse’s WINBAG. Next year, IBS moves the show to Orlando, Fl. (See www.building-products.com for video demos of the latest products.)

IBS: [1] Praveen Sood, Andy Penny, Alex Blumberg. [2] Bob ttersen, Chris Sanders, James Gunning. [3] Tom Tamlyn, Miguel Gonzales. [4] Amy Stevens, Doug Mucher. [5] Josh Kirschner, Ross Pettigrew, Randy Gottlieb. [6] Jim Reyes, Shelby Lentz, Sam Hensen. [7] Dennis

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IS S may have been small, but fea tured top uality amenities, such as Allura fiber cement siding.

Hazenstab, David Brennan, Rachelle Shendow, Loi McLoughlin, Danny Thomas. [8] Dee Dee Graham, Curt Stevens, Lorraine Bittles. [9] Jay Penney, Allard Mario. [10] Ted Whitehouse, John Kitsch.

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

IBS 2016 Photos by The Merchant Magazine

IBS (continued): [11] Nadine Sizemore, Tom Zimmerman. [12] Beth Blount, Jason Darling. [13] Gearoid Hogan, Hannah McAviney, Jim Cox, Dean Gregg. [14] Jim Powers, Bill Lancaster. [15] Marc Maniaci, Brian

T R I

FOR

T. O

Building-Products.com

Stuk, Joe Holt. [16] Mike Pidlisecky, Amy Little. [17] Michelle Von Hatten, Randy Robins, David Lewis. [18] Phil Lail, Bo Bryant. [19] Marv Askey, Tom Couch.

(More photos on next 4 pages)

Visit the TFP website for more information

February 2016

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IBS 2016 Photos by The Merchant

IBS (continued): [20] James Webb, Kalvin Eden, Rob Mitchell. [21] Andres Alvarado, Tom Taylor. [22] Jeff Easterling, David Koenig. [23] Len Kasperski, Kim Pohl. [24] Patrick Adams, Richard Wallace. [25] Ron

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Gurss, Denise Bough, Trudy Johnson, Joseph Martinez. [26] Bruce Hall, Clifford Pfingston, Gary Maulin. [27] Weston Leavens, Rick Altizio. [28] Nate Jorgensen, Mike Moran.

(More photos on next 3 pages)

Building-Products.com

IBS 2016 Photos by The Merchant

IBS (continued): [29] John Assman, Steve Killgore, Gary Pittman. [30] Ken Spencer, Adam Nitschke, Ed Harper. [31] Cliff MacDaniels, Devin Stuart, Karen Hess. [32] Todd Harrison, Mark Rutledge, Renee Drake.

Building-Products.com

[33] David Seymour, Chris Bartimioli, David Sheesley. [34] David Perkins, Todd Apple, Jon Murphy, Chris Laustrup.

(More photos on next pages)

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IBS 2016 Photos by The Merchant

IBS (continued): [35] Dallin Brooks, rank Stewart, Chuck Casey. [36] Garnett Douglas, Ken Goodnough. [37] Craig Doehner, Kev Jolliffe. [38] David Ellis, Jordan Barnett, Andrew Ellis, Matt Minchew, Tim rvin, John Ash, Tim Gillis, Tom Ellerbrook, Anthony DiSanto, John MacMahon, Steve Zapcic, Scott McSherry. [39] John oley, Lee Slade, Jim Topliss.

[40] Adam Gangemi, Anne Enero, Rod Kabel. [41] Lynne Liebertz, Mike

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Stepenski. [42] Lou Mario, Dan Nourse. [43] Patrick Hanulak, David Jeffers, Brian Below. [44] Joe Kauffmann, Tim McLees, Matthew Sugden. [45] John Pace. [46] Lawrence Newton, Carl McKenzie. [47] Jack Medford, Ken Hotchkiss, Mary Kittrell, Loren Digger Graber, Larry Boyts, John innegan. [48] James Carey, Morris Carey.

(More photos on next page) Building-Products.com

IBS 2016 Photos by The Merchant

IBS (continued): [49] Kyle Graf, Wayne Hilton. [50] Mark Brown, Kirk Evanov, Jason Boeschen, Doug Hopper. [51] Erica Savage, Charlie Jourdain. [52] Joel Cone. [53] Tom Czlapinski, Chris pton. [54] Natalie

W ole le In u tri l u

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reellu Building-Products.com

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Smith, Scott Morris. [55] Jim Miller. [56] Steve Duncan, Dawn Stafford, Drew Sundholm, Mike Mc arland, Steve Shennum, Dave Nelson.

t Reel u er er ice e u ly o e tic n oreign r oo Our ro uct n er ice inclu e: H r oo u er ine H r oo ly oo eneer Mel ine ly oo H r oo Moul ing l er c erry og ny MD le re o k int gr e ec n ickory ite o k lnut eec Milling oul ing ro ile R E R E re n lu er Woo orking Acce orie li ue orn ent utc er lock cor el etc Woo orking u lie e t ini e color utty e i e etc

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ur ro uct re i ely u e in interior ini c r entry urniture c inetry n un re o in u tri l n nu cturing lic tion We tock co lete line o co le ent ry ro uct to co lete irtu lly ny oo orking or ill ork ro ect

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ASSOCIATION Update orth American Wholesale Lumber Association has the lineup of speakers for its annual Leadership Summit March 13-15 in Palm Springs, Ca. Presenters include Tom Corrick, Boise Cascade; Ted Seraphim, West Fraser; Gonzalo Zegers, Arauco; Joe Lawrence, Dixieline Lumber; Ashley Boeckholt, Koch Pulp & Paper Trading; Thomas Mende, Klausner Trading USA; and Brent Grover, Evergreen Consulting.

To enhance networking opportunities, the event will be held concurrently with Western Wood Products Association s annual meeting at the Westin Mission Hills.

NAWLA is also readying for its Northwest regional meeting Feb. 18 in Portland, Or., and its Wood Basics Course Feb. 28-March 4 in Starkville, Ms.

Mountain States Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association is co-hosting a legislative reception along with the Colorado Timber Industry Association and the Colorado-Wyoming Society of American Foresters Feb. 15 at The City Grille, Denver Co. MSLBMDA has also moved its Products Expo up to Feb. 18 at the Denver Mart, Denver, Co. The theme is “How the West IS Won: Building a Strong America.”

Western Building Material Association is finishing up this month with a string of seminars at its Kincaid Learning Center, Olympia, Wa. On Feb. 16, Casey Voorhees will conduct an Introduction to Building Material Sales class, providing a basic understanding of building material

operations, product usage in residential construction, and customer service basics.

Topics covered include: building material terminology, abbreviations, formulas, measures, margins, board footage, price conversions, customer relations & practical selling skills, how profits are made (and lost), product usage on the jobsite from boards to plywood, cement, floor, walls, trusses, roofing, soffit/siding, mouldings and interior finish, stair parts, doors, windows, insulation and builders hardware.

The following day, Voorhees will lead a blueprint reading & material take-off workshop, where attendees will receive hands-on experience figuring an actual set of working drawings.

On Feb. 23, instructor and business consultant Ken Wilbanks will lead a managing special orders program, helping LBM professionals expand sales, enrich margins, and show off the depth and breadth of their knowledge to their customers. The program is best suited for purchasing managers, sales managers, finance, operations and key sales staff in any pro, consumer or mixed dealer.

The deadline for WBMA’s Link Educational Scholarship Fund is March 25. ational Lumber Building Material Dealers and Window Door Manufacturers Associations pushed back the dates of their concurrent spring meetings & legislative conferences to April 18-20 in Washington, D.C. ational Frame Building Association is hosting its annual Frame Building Expo March 9-11 in Indianapolis, In.

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595-2141 — j.fauria@sbcglobal.net Building-Products.com

HARDWOOD HOLIDAY Photos by LAHLC

[1] Dennis Johnston (center), Peterman Lumber, ontana, Ca., was presented the Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman s Club s Lumberman of the ear Award, by Jim Gaither ( ) and Bill itzgerald (r) during the group s annual holiday party at The Winery Restaurant in Newport Beach, Ca. [2] Randy Marty Porter, Charley iala, Alan Northrop. [3] Alan Dana Arbiso, Jan Steve Arnold.

[4] Charlie Bohnhoff, Diane Dennis Johnston. [5] Lorelei Gary Swaner, Kit Rohm, Dan Bohannon. [6] Jim Tracy Gaither, Rose ernandez, Dale Bohannon. [7] Joyce Walter Ralston. [8] Charlie James, Dian Walt Maas.

Superior Service, Products & Support 100% of the Time

Distributed By

P.O. Box 1802, Medford, OR 97501 • Fax 541-535-3288

(541) 535-3465 • www.normandist.com Building-Products.com

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IN Memoriam Arthur Owen Art King, 91, retired Central California lumberman, died Dec. 31 in San Luis Obispo after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

After serving as a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corp in the Pacific Theatre during World War II, he began attending USC, but cut his education short to help his father with the family business, King Lumber Co., Bakersfield, Ca. He later managed another lumber company in Santa Barbara, Ca., and operated his own small yard in Goleta, Ca., before relocating to San Luis Obispo, Ca., and acquiring San Luis Glass & Window Co. William ugene Bill Lentes, 87, founder of Dellen Wood Products, Spokane, Wa., died Jan. 4 He served as a Navy Seabee stationed in Guam during the late 1940s.

He launched his own company in 1960, building it up to a 200-employee 200 remanufacturer, with its own fleet of trucks and line of Del Logs firewood. In 2002, he sold the cutstock

ames Weldon im Pratt, 81, retired plywood manager for Roseburg Forest Products, Roseburg, Or., died Nov. 18.

A graduate of MIT and Stanford Business School, he spent 36 years with Roseburg, helping to pioneer the use of computer-assisted processing in lumber and plywood production.

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Marius Anthony ohannes oogewerff II, 84, former head of international shipping for Boise Cascade, Boise, Id., died Dec. 16 in Salem, Or. Born in Indonesia, he moved with his family to The Netherlands after World War II. Speaking seven languages fluently, he spent 35 years in international transportation, including as head of Boise Cascade’s international shipping department in Boise and Portland, Or. After retiring in 1989, he became a private consultant, and was a founding director and vice president of the International Forest Products Transport Association.

Lyndel Clem ennings, 77, 30year lumber trader with North Pacific Lumber Co., Portland, Or., died Jan. 12 due to complications resulting from a fall.

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Walter Lee lm, 93, former coowner of Ulm Brothers Lumber Co., Lebanon, Or., died Jan. 8, 2016.

After serving in the Air Corps during World War II, he and his brother, Everett Ray Ulm, launched and operated a portable sawmill.

His brother/partner passed away last March at age 96.

aldon L. al amilton, 99, co-founder of Hambro Forest Products, died Jan. 6 of heart failure.

After serving in the Navy Seabees, he spent years in the timber business in the Northwest and Alaska. In 1964, he and his brother, Buck, formed Hambro (Hamilton Brothers). He sold the firm to his employees in 1983.

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After retiring in 1996, he consulted for plywood manufacturers in South Africa, Russia and Chile.

operations to Pristina Pine and retired after the fireplace log company fell into bankruptcy in 2004.

He was also a longtime leader with the Spokane Hoo-Hoo Club No. 16.

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DATE Book

3 5 spring show, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv. www.ace hardware.com.

istings are o ten su itted onths in ad ance a s eri dates and ocations ith sponsor e ore a ing p ans to attend nament, Danny K s, range, Ca. www.lahlc.net.

11 pool tour

S Colorado Springs, Co. www.homeshowcenter.com.

tion

12 14

14 17 annu al conference, Huntington Beach, Ca. www.aamanet.org.

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5 6 Pasadena Convention Center, www.acshomeshow.com.

I ndianapolis, n.

6 9 JW Marriott, www.univid.org.

8 11 rame www.nfba.org.

S 9 10 meeting, Doubletree Lloyd Center, Portland, r. www.railshippers.com.

S B 18 products expo, Denver Mart, Denver, Co. www.mslbmda.org.

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S Pasadena, Ca.

B Building Expo, ndianapolis, n.

17 19 range County Convention Center, rlando, l. www.theroofingexpo.com.

al meeting, Portland, r.

4 6 Greater Tacoma Conven Trade Center, Tacoma, Wa. www.homeshowcenter.com.

9 11 annual meeting, rlando, l. www.lmc.net.

10 spring golf tournament, Los Serranos Country Club, Chino Hills, Ca. www.lahlc.net.

18 region www.nawla.org.

19 21 Houston, Tx. www.texashomeandgarden.com.

12 14 annual meeting, Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort and Spa, Rancho Mirage, Ca. www.wwpa.org.

S 20 21 San Jose McEnery Conven tion Center, San Jose, Ca. www.acshomeshow.com.

25 27 Hilton, Eugene, r. www.oregonloggingconference.com.

13 15 Leadership Summit, Westin Mission Hills, Palm Springs, Ca. www.nawla.org

I 25 27 dealer market, range County Convention Center, rlando, l. www.orgill.com.

15 16 Georgia Tech Research nstitute Conference Center, Atlanta, Ga. www.greenprints.org.

29 Wood Basics Course, Starkville, Ms. www.nawla.org. ship conference

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2 4 leader expo, rlando, l. www.palletcentral.com.

16, speaker meeting golf, Anaheim Hills, Ca. nicholson.men gmail.com. www.rrlc.net.

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FLASHBack 70 Years Ago This Month

Seventy years ago seems like a long time when you think about how much has happened in history, but the same desires of the industry were still apparent; Such as the country’s desire to keep its forests fire-free, a dependence on the construction industry for U.S. jobs, and a need to look after our guys coming home from war. Despite the evolving changes in our country, The Merchant Magazine was honing in on some of the same issues we still deal with today.

“Keeping America Green” was an industrial and civic objective that was sweeping through the forest states of the nation. In February 1946, 13 states were enlisted in a “keep green” movement, designed to keep fire out of the woods and off the ranges. Starting in Washington under the slogan, “Keep Washington Green,” the pro-

I was sweeping through the country during encouraged lumber professionals to be concerned about forest fires.

B 1946 The above cover comes from ebruary s issue of a i ornia u er Merchant in , showcasing the works of Western Hardwood Lumber Co, Los Angeles, Ca.

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, a program that

gram was based upon recognition that fire is forest enemy No. 1, and that the chief cause of forest fires is man’s carelessness, a quarter of them by careless cigarette smokers alone.

In other headlines: President Truman announced a program to build 2,700,000 homes from 1946-1947. The program called for tripling the labor force working on residential construction, with wage rises where necessary as a phase of the recruiting program.

Other steps included price ceilings on building lots and all houses, new or old, more effective price controls on materials, continuation of rent controls, mortgage insurance up to 90% of the value of new low-cost homes, and a ban on all deferrable and nonessential construction for the rest of the year.

Under the veterans’ housing priorities system, aimed at expediting construction of moderate-cost housing for veterans, applications for a total of 6,271 new dwelling units to be constructed in Southern California had been received by the local FHA office by Feb. 1, 1946. Of this total, 3,647 units had already received consideration, and the remaining 2,624 units were still under consideration.

The coastwise steamer Astoria returned to peacetime lumber hauling for Hammond Shipping Company after a four-year stretch of cargo service for the War Shipping Administration during World War II. A book on Yard Planning and Shed Design for retail lumber dealers planning improvements in their present layout, was offered for sale by the Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California. The book was priced at $3.00.

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