The Merchant Magazine - March 2010

MERCHANT

THE GREEN ISSUE CHANGES IN CERTIFIED WOOD REDWOOD & CEDAR

The

MARCH 2010

Magazine

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

There’s no wood quite like redwood.

©2010 The California Redwood Company. All rights reserved.

There’s no company quite like The California Redwood Company.

When you partner with The California Redwood Company, you’re not just getting a unique and beautiful wood product, you’re getting the experience and innovation only a company that’s been around for 120 years can bring.

This year, we’re continuing with our spirit of constant improvement with the addition of two newly designed wood products, along with enhancements to our current products.

We’re also launching a new marketing campaign, including a completely new website, a new identity and collateral system, and a robust in-store training program. The campaign, entitled “Build history” tells the rich story of The California Redwood Company and inspires homeowners to build something truly special — all of which translates to new and higher margin opportunities for you.

We hope you’ll call us at 1-800-637-7077 or visit californiaredwoodco.com to learn more about what a partnership with The California Redwood Company can mean. And find out if together, we can build history.

LEGACY PROFILE

ALPINE

SUMMIT PROFILE — Limited Edition

CLASSIC HEART

MERIDIAN PROFILE — Limited Edition

PREMIUM BLEND

The

MERCHANT

Special Features 8 FEATURE STORY REDWOOD FOR GREEN CONSUMERS

9 FEATURE STORY DEALERS & CUSTOMERS WIN WITH NEW REDWOOD DECK CONTEST

10 COMPANY FOCUS THE CALIFORNIA REDWOOD COMPANY

11 INDUSTRY TRENDS COMING CHANGES IN CERTIFICATION

12 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT CEDAR LIVES THE GREEN LIFE

13 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT EXPOSING HIDDEN DECK FASTENERS

14 FIRST PERSON OLD-TIMER LOOKS BACK AT HIS EARLY DAYS IN THE LUMBER BUSINESS

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In Every Issue 6 TOTALLY RANDOM 16 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE 18 OLSEN ON SALES 20 GREEN RETAILING 26 MOVERS & SHAKERS 34 FAMILY BUSINESS 36 IN MEMORIAM 37 NEW PRODUCTS 43 ASSOCIATION UPDATE 44 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 45 DATE BOOK 46 IDEA FILE 46 ADVERTISERS INDEX

March 2010

Volume 88 Number 9

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29 MANAGEMENT TIPS: CLEAR POLICIES

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4

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The Mark of Responsible Forestry SCS-COC-001973 ®1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C.

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TOTALLY Random

By Alan Oakes

A

Help Wanted? We’re here to help.

I receive are those from people who have been let go from their jobs in the industry. In many cases, they have become good friends, and I know they were dedicated to their jobs and the companies they served. Of course, I always try to steer them to companies I know might be hiring—but, of late, that’s been an increasingly short list.

If you have been let go from your job, in most cases it is not easy to deal with—for you or your family. With our industry in depression and a no-hiring mode in place, the wait to get a new job can be excruciatingly long and painful. And when that happens, it can go from bad to worse with not being able to meet debts, going into default with mortgage lenders, etc.

Over a long career it is inevitable you will lose your job at some time. But unlike a few years back when you could change jobs like you changed socks, today few find themselves in a new job the following week. It used to be said that you needed one month of job search for every $10,000 you earned. The official average wait for a new job is now 211 days.

And when you get to that sixth or seventh month, you really start to doubt yourself and may be tempted to just give up.

If you are looking for a new job, your first task should be to take stock of what you have done in your career and determine what your skills are. Understand your talents, strengths and weaknesses to help you determine and re-evaluate what you really want to do next. It is an ideal time to decide if you would like to try your hand at something completely new, such as creating or buying a business and running it yourself.

That’s what I did 10 years ago. I decided I no longer wanted to be working for someone else, so I quit my high-paying job. At first, I thought I would be happier swimming on Siesta Key in Florida, then realized that I needed to be doing something different to recharge my worn-down batteries. The decision I made then was the best I have ever made—and one of the riskiest, so be forewarned. It’s not for everyone. But now is a great time to re-assess what you want to do or what would make you happy. Rarely in life are we allowed to do what we do best, but having no paycheck may give us the courage to start afresh. Make a list of all the things you enjoy doing, and ask yourself if there are other options. You do not have to stay in one industry all your life, but you need to be honest about what you are good at. Receiving feedback from those around might be more telling of your strengths and weaknesses, provided you can handle the truth.

My searches were lonely times. Friends I thought I could count on often disappeared.

So find one or two people in the same situation as you, someone who knows exactly what you are going through, someone you can bounce ideas off of. Someone who in their own search might see some opportunities for you, but who also can feel the joys and sorrows of an often difficult and demoralizing process.

Lastly, create new network opportunities. In looking back, most of my c.e.o. jobs resulted from people who worked with or competed with me. But while good networks can open up new opportunities, they can grow stale after a few months of unemployment. So take the opportunity to not only reach out to people you have met in the past, but go the extra mile to meet new people, whether it be joining an association, attending seminars, joining a health club, etc. I find myself talking to lots of people when I am out and about, and you never know when such acquaintances might become useful.

I wish those without a job much success in their search, and I urge anyone in a job to give help and advice wherever possible. You never know when you may need that same help, and usually what goes around, comes around.

MONG THE MOST UPSETTING CALLS

I would like to make an offer to the thousands of companies who read our publications. We want to help. If your company has jobs available, we will give you up to a $50 credit for a Help Wanted ad in next month’s April issue, which is one of our most-read issues of the year. Ads up to 40 words are absolutely free. Send us your text for The Merchant by March 25. Fax 949-852-0231 or email dkoenig@building-products.com.

There are a lot of good people looking for a new opportunity. Together, let’s try to get them back to work as soon as possible.

The

MERCHANT

Magazine

www.building-products.com

A publication of Cutler Publishing

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

Publisher Alan Oakes ajoakes@aol.com

Publisher Emeritus David Cutler Editor David Koenig dkoenig@building-products.com

Associate Editor Karen Debats kdebats@building-products.com

Contributing Editors Dwight Curran, Carla Waldemar, James Olsen, Jay Tompt

Advertising Sales Manager Chuck Casey ccasey@building-products.com Administration Director/Secretary Marie Oakes mfpoakes@aol.com Circulation Manager Heather Kelly hkelly@building-products.com

How to Advertise

WEST, MIDWEST, SOUTHEAST Chuck Casey Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 ccasey@building-products.com

NORTHEAST Paul Mummolo 404 Princeton Ave., Brick, N.J. 08724 Phone (732) 899-8102 Fax 732-899-2758 mummolop@comcast.net

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

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

How to Subscribe

SUBSCRIPTIONS Heather Kelly Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 hkelly@building-products.com or send a check to 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, CA 92660 U.S.A.: One year (12 issues), $22 Two years, $36 Three years, $50

FOREIGN (Per year, paid in advance in US funds): Surface-Canada or Mexico, $48 Other countries, $60 Air rates also available.

SINGLE COPIES $4 + shipping BACK ISSUES $5 + shipping

Alan Oakes, Publisher ajoakes@aol.com

6

The Merchant Magazine March 2010

Building-Products.com

FEATURE Story

Redwood resonates with green consumers Education turns “obstacle” into asset

C

Photos by California Redwood Association

ONSUMERS LOOKING TO “buy green” often need a little help sorting through hype in efforts to truly lower their carbon footprint.

Increasingly, retailers are becoming the source of answers.

“Customers want to go green but don’t always know what that means,” says Clyde Jennings, president of J&W Lumber, Escondido, Ca. “We’ve established relationships with cus-

tomers so they trust us, and we’ve put ourselves in the position to provide detailed information so customers can feel good about the products they’re buying.”

When it comes to selling redwood decking, a little education can go a long way.

“Many consumers are surprised to find that building with redwood is entirely consistent with green living,”

REDWOOD’S GREEN “CRED” should be one of its most effective sales points.

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The Merchant Magazine March 2010

says Bob Mion, marketing director for the California Redwood Association.

“But once they learn about the unsurpassed environmental standards in redwood forests and how redwood products can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the green attributes add to the redwood experience and consumers come away happier than ever about choosing redwood.”

Redwood’s green benefits are as natural as the wood itself. Trees, by their nature, are a renewable resource.

Plus, as they grow, trees absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the air through photosynthesis. Trees release oxygen and store the carbon in wood fibers that ultimately become decking and fencing materials.

While there is in-depth science that details multiple levels of redwood’s green performance, many retailers have found that customers respond to a relatively simple one-two punch of arguments.

“The renewable-resource aspect of the green story is important,” says Jennings. “We hear so much about saving trees that consumers tend to forget that redwood lumber comes from sustainably managed forests.

Knowing redwood forests are being conserved, with old trees preserved and harvested lands replanted, helps consumers connect with the redwood mystique. The redwood in their backyard is part of the natural cycle that goes back thousands of years and will endure thousands more.”

While California boasts the toughest environmental regulations in the world and all redwood products come from California, most redwood proBuilding-Products.com

ducers have taken the additional step of independently certifying their forestlands. Nearly 90% of lumberproducing redwood forests are certified to be well-managed and sustainable under the world’s two largest independent certification programs, the Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

“Renewability and sustainability are easy to demonstrate,” says Mion.

“The redwood region has done more to advance sustainable forestry than any other region of the world.”

The second critical aspect to understanding redwood’s green value centers on greenhouse gas emissions.

Efforts are underway across the globe to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with carbon being the gas in the spotlight, and using redwood is a natural choice for combating climate change.

“There’s a serious push to reduce carbon emissions,” says Mion. “When people talk about reducing their carbon footprint, they’re talking about how much carbon it takes to produce, ship and use a product over the course of its life. Science has shown that since the energy to produce redwood comes from the sun, not burning fossil fuels, and because redwood lumber is about 50% carbon by weight, using redwood can actually reduce carbon emissions.”

Redwood’s emission-reducing advantages can be more difficult to articulate, but can carry significant weight with consumers. Redwood’s full carbon benefit comes from a combination of rapid growth, harvest and replanting efficiency, and energy consumption. Rather than engage in an indepth discussion of the carbon cycle, however, many retailers prefer to offer shorter explanations that focus on bottom-line impacts.

“The typical redwood deck stores more than a half-ton of carbon and it looks great doing it,” says Jennings.

“If customers are truly interested in reducing their carbon footprint, building a redwood deck can give them a carbon footprint they can stand on.”

The CRA understands the importance of selling green and is changing their website accordingly. “The betterequipped retailers are to tell redwood’s green story, the better they will be able to ride green momentum to higher redwood sales,” Mion says.

“We are enhancing our website to become a better resource to retailers and consumers on green building issues.”

Building-Products.com

EXPAND redwood sales beyond decks to include complementary benches, planters, chairs and swings by tying into the CRA’s new contest.

Win with Redwood: Contest rewards dealers, d-i-yers

The California Redwood Association will give away a free picnic table to the do-it-yourselfer who builds the finest redwood chair, swing or planter, and present $1,000 to the lumber retailer who sells the winning redwood. The winner’s creation also will be featured on the CRA website.

“We want retailers to know that we are enhancing our site to help make their customers successful with redwood,” says Bob Mion, marketing director for the CRA. “We have these wonderful project plans that make it easy to build beautiful, long-lasting redwood furniture, decks and shade structures.

The plans are free to retailers, and displaying them in-store can give consumers the confidence to choose redwood for upcoming outdoor enhancement projects.”

The CRA has 14 different project plans available for in-store display or free download from its website and is building its how-to video library. The project plans

include precise measurements, step-by-step instructions, and illustrations demonstrating key steps in the construction process. The website also includes tips for refinishing and restoring redwood decks, fences and furniture. To order free project plans to display in your store, email info@calredwood.org.

(A sample is attached to this page.)

D-i-yers can enter photos of their Adirondack chair, Adirondack swing, or Petaluma planters online.

The contest winner will receive a new picnic table to add to their redwood furniture collection, while the retailer that supplied the wood will receive a $1,000 bonus.

The CRA has made flyers promoting the contest available to retailers from www.calredwood. org. All entries must be submitted online at the site. Questions regarding the promotion can be directed to info@calredwood.org or Bob Mion at (916) 444-6592.

Dealers Can Win $1,000!

March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

9

COMPANY Focus The California Redwood Company

Redwood company rebuilds, rebrands

T

C ALIFORNIA R EDWOOD Company has invested in technology upgrades throughout its mill and is reinventing itself with innovative new product lines and in-depth supplychannel support. On March 1, the history-rich lumber producer unveiled a new logo and details of its aggressive marketing initiative.

“These investments are aimed directly at bringing higher-quality redwood products to consumers and unprecedented services to our partners in the supply chain,” says Carl Schoenhofer, v.p. and general managHE

CONSUMERS have ready access to redwood promotional materials thanks to CRC’s new 5ft.-high Redwood Information Center.

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The Merchant Magazine March 2010

er for The California Redwood Company, Eureka, Ca. “We’re building on 120 years of family ownership, forest stewardship, and innovation to bring consumers green products and new ways to enjoy the affordable luxury of redwood.”

The company’s new product lines include 2-inch and 5/4-inch decking options available in styles designed to accommodate consumer preferences.

The California Series, a qualityenhanced version of the California Redwood Collection, includes traditional 2x4 to 2x12 decking and 4x4 and 4x6 post options. The Heritage Collection, a super-premium line, includes surface treatments that shed water more effectively and tightened radial edges for a cleaner appearance.

Both product lines accept hidden fastener systems and are available with limited knots as well as uniformcolor or blended-tones looks. Names within the lines have been changed to align with aesthetic traits and wood styles popular with consumers.

“We’ve rebuilt the planer and made changes throughout the mill to improve consistency and give each board a clean, high-quality finish,” says Chris Brown, sales and marketing manager for The California Redwood Company. “We’ve raised quality standards 20%, and consumers will see the difference. We’re launching a new marketing effort to go with the higherquality product offerings, so our partners in the retail chain will see a difference, too. We’re taking supply chain relationships to another level with programs we intend to grow.”

The company is working with a select distribution chain to promote The California Redwood Company brand at all consumer touch points.

RICH NEW LOGO is just one component of a broad marketing initiative.

The new channel-support program includes in-store interactive kiosks, full-scale merchandising opportunities, on-site training, mini-sample decks for display, and contractorreferral services. The company’s website (www.californiaredwoodco.com) has also changed dramatically to support the campaign.

“We like the changes The California Redwood Company has made and the decking products we’re now able to offer our customers,” says Chris Freeman, specialty forest products manager, Ganahl Lumber, Anaheim, Ca. “Specialty-milled redwood products have an undeniable appeal to people who want to combine elegant outdoor living with a commitment to going green. These are beautiful, natural products that provide great value, backed by a company demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and offering us new levels of support.”

“We’re a re-made company, more tuned-in to our markets and better positioned to set the new standard for quality than ever before,” Schoenhofer says. “We’re getting closer to our customers and distribution partners, and we’re a better company because of it.”

Building-Products.com

INDUSTRY Trends Certified Wood Products

LEED changes open up market for green products

H

ERE’S SOME GOOD NEWS for dealers that supply green-building pros: After three years of study, the U.S. Green Building Council is close to changing how it awards LEED credits for certified wood.

Since its start in 2001, the LEED Green Building Program has awarded points for the use of environmentally responsible wood products—as long as they were certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Many questioned USGBC’s decision, especially when the limited supply of FSC-certified wood made it more difficult to earn credits for using wood.

USGBC began the process of reexamining its wood certification system by soliciting opinions from its stakeholders, commissioning a study

by Yale’s Program on Forest Policy and Governance, and talking to the experts at Sylvatica, a life-cycle assessment consulting firm and research group with offices in the U.S. and Canada.

According to USGBC officials, the focus of the proposed credit changes is transparency. Additional wood certification programs would be evaluated according to a measurable benchmark that includes: • Governance • Technical/standards substance • Accreditation and auditing • Chain of custody and labeling After “a thorough and objective analysis,” programs judged compliant with the benchmark would be recognized by LEED. Programs that don’t make the cut would have what USGBC officials call “a clear and transparent understanding of what modifications are necessary to receive recognition under LEED.” Two of the largest certification groups in North America—American Tree Farm System (ATFS) and

Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)— recently adopted revised standards of their own. Members of both groups will have one year to make sure their woodlands measure up.

“Although our certification program is the oldest in America, operating since 1941, we are constantly working to improve our standards to make them fit new conservation forestry practices and consumer expectations,” said Bob Simpson, senior v.p. for forestry programs at the American Forest Foundation, which runs ATFS. “The changes go further in protecting woodlands of high conservation value, and they streamline the process for woodland owners.”

Wood products derived from the 24 million acres certified by the Arlington, Va.-based group are distributed throughout the world with labels from SFI and the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC).

Headquartered in Arlington, Va., SFI was founded by the American Forest & Paper Association in 1995— the same year FSC opened an office in Washington, D.C. However, SFI became an independent nonprofit in 2007. The association has now certified more than 170 million acres across North America.

According to Kathy Abusow, the group’s president and c.e.o., SFI’s new standard “was enriched by the views and expertise of many people, and offers a solid foundation as we build new partnerships and look for more ways to promote sustainable forest practices” (see sidebar).

FSC was created in 1993, to “change the dialogue about and the practice of sustainable forestry worldwide” by developing and enforcing “principles, criteria, and standards that span economic, social, and environ-

mental concerns.” Although it is based in Bonn, Germany, the international organization has offices in more than 46 countries and is endorsed by such major groups as the U.S. Green Building Council and the Rainforest Alliance.

As the interest in green building continues to grow—even in a down economy—so will the demand for certified wood. Making it easier to earn LEED points for certified wood will benefit everyone.

SFI Standard Gets Stricter

Following an extensive 18-month review, Sustainable Forestry Initiative has released a new, more comprehensive standard for the next five years.

The SFI 2010-2014 Standard has 20 objectives, 39 performance measures, and 114 indicators—up from 13 objectives, 34 performance measures, and 102 indicators.To be certified, forest operations must be third-party audited to meet all requirements by independent, objective and accredited certification bodies.

Changes, which went into effect Jan. 1, include: • Improve conservation of biodiversity in North America and offshore, and address emerging issues such as climate change and bioenergy.

• Strengthen unique SFI fiber sourcing requirements, which broaden the practice of sustainable forestry in North America and avoid unwanted offshore sources.

• Complement SFI activities aimed at avoiding controversial or illegal offshore fiber sources, and embrace Lacey Act amendments to prevent illegal logging.

• Expand requirements for logger training and support for trained loggers and certified logger programs.

PRODUCT Spotlight Western Red Cedar

Cedar lives the green life

B

UILDERS, AT THE URGING of architects and consumers, are demanding materials that stand up to construction and environmental scrutiny. They want materials with a green reputation as solid as wood is durable.

Turns out wood meets both criteria. Wood products, desired for their beauty and durability yet sometimes dismissed as a green choice, are also the most environmentally friendly.

A recent life cycle assessment (LCA) comparing western red cedar to non-wood decking and siding alternatives found that natural wood creates lower greenhouse gas emissions and allows for recycling and energy recovery opportunities that cut methane gas emissions in landfills.

“As green building regulations become the standard in

Photo by Martin Tessler, courtesy of Battersby Howat

WESTERN RED CEDAR siding performed best when compared against non-wood alternatives like vinyl, fiber cement, and brick in a third-party, cradle-to-grave assessment of environmental impact.

building, consumers who previously favored more ‘maintenance-free’ materials as their siding and decking products of choice will need to consider alternatives such as western red cedar to help lessen their environmental footprint,” said green consultant John Wagner.

Although green qualities have not yet become the deciding factor, environmental impact matters more and more.

Consumers want to live beautifully, but are also weighing environmental sensitivity alongside durability and beauty in the building materials they choose.

Options that combine all three qualities provide the most value to consumers—as well as to architects, who are trying to balance sometimes competing interests, and builders, who are concerned about product performance.

However, getting the whole picture about a product’s environmental impact and figuring out which are the most environmentally friendly can be challenging. Comparisons are often based on limited information or only a narrow set of criteria.

Truly sustainable building efforts consider a product’s manufacturing-to-disposal environmental footprint. Careful life cycle examination provides a fuller environmental appraisal.

A recent LCA by FPInnovations-Forintek, Canada’s leading forestry research laboratory, took a cradle-to-grave look at environmental impacts of various building materials. It compared residential decking and siding applications such as composite decking, brick, fiber cement, vinyl and western red cedar. Complex analysis considered such factors as resource use, water use, energy use, transportation and waste created.

Cedar substantially outperformed in every decking category and fared best overall as a siding choice. The assessment ranked western red cedar as the “most sustainable building material.”

Alternative building materials, often lauded for durability, create more environmental life-cycle burden than wood, according to a third-party study commissioned by the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association. As an example, a western red cedar deck could be built twice—or more— over its service life and still outperform composite decking alternatives.

“Knowing that the LCA proved alternative building materials create more environmental burden and consume more non-renewable fossil fuel during their life cycles helps me feel confident in recommending western red cedar as the most sustainable building tool for my clients and consumers everywhere,” Wagner said.

PRODUCT Spotlight Hidden Deck Fasteners

Out of the shadows More hidden deck fasteners surface

T

of premium decking materials during the last decade powered a similar rise in the use of hidden deck fasteners. If builders and homeowners are going to pay extra for high-end hardwood, PVC or composite boards, they want their decks to look and perform their best, free from fasteners that might corrode or allow moisture penetration.

Yet the market for hidden deck fasteners is still on the upswing. New and upgraded products are constantly introduced.

HE TREMENDOUS GROWTH

More Materials

Among the latest is the Extreme4 “all-in-one” deck fastener from Ipe Clip Fastener Co. The connector is said to require less labor and fewer fasteners, and can be used in both covered and outdoor applications, enhancing the performance of air-

WITH ITS SQUARE shape and stainless steel insert, the Extreme4 from Ipe Clip Fastener Co. fits perfectly into custom-routed biscuit grooves and pregrooved decking, prolonging the life of hardwoods, PVC and composites.

Building-Products.com

dried and kiln-dried hardwoods, plus PVC and composite decking.

“We’ve designed the Extreme4 to work seamlessly with every kind of decking,” said Daniel Schiefer, international sales manager. “We had customers call us asking to create a product that they could use for any kind of application. When we sent samples to deck builders, we received so many positive comments that we knew we had created a unique product with universal appeal.”

Virtually unbreakable, the fastener offers maximum resistance to corrosion, tighter gap spacing, and does not require expensive and heavy equipment to install.

More Solutions

Most composite decking manufacturers now market companion fastening systems with their own decking.

On the heels of Fiberon and Trex introducing new hidden deck fasteners (see Feb., p. 10-11), fellow composite producer TimberTech has expanded its CONCEALoc hidden fastening system to include the L-brackets, router bits, replacement screws, and gun pail.

The stainless steel CONCEALoc LBracket is a multi-functional securing tool that eliminates unsightly face screws on starter boards and doubles as a butt-seam clip to prevent the need for sister joists.

The C ONCEA Loc Router Bit permits hidden fastening on non-grooved planks.

To save installers from buying extra screws in bulk, TimberTech

TIMBERTECH’S has expanded its CONCEALoc hidden deck fastener line to include L-brackets, router bit, replacement screws, and gun pail.

now offers a retail bag containing an additional driver bit and 50 stainless steel screws for use with CONCEALoc. And, CONCEALoc Gun Pail offers enough clips and screws to cover 500 sq. ft.

More Accessories

Deck fastener pioneer Tiger Claw is unveiling two new tools for installing hidden deck fasteners—the Tiger Claw Semi-Automatic Hidden Deck Fastener Installation Gun for Trex and the Tiger Jaw tool, designed to eliminate the need for a sledge hammer and muscle power when installing hidden deck fasteners and surface boards.

March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

13

FIRST Person

By Loren Krebs

I

The Accidental Lumberman

KNEW A LOT OF LITTLE KIDS who wanted to be firemen, policemen, doctors, lawyers or cowboys, but I never knew any who said they wanted to be in the lumber business. Clearly, this created some opportunity for those of us who entered the workplace with a willingness to work hard and no real idea where our career paths would lead us.

And so it was, in December 1968 after discharging from the U.S. Army, I found myself in need of employment. My older brother managed a lumberyard and suggested I apply at a plumbing and heating company that was located next to his lumberyard, as they were looking for a ditch digger. I could dig ditches, I thought.

I certainly had had worse jobs.

Catching chickens in a dusty barn came to mind. This was done in the dead of night and required one to wade into a seething sea of chickens, catching four in each hand and carrying them to a truck that would take them to slaughter. This, of course, did not please the chickens, and they flapped their wings furiously in their attempt to escape. The wing flapping stirred up a storm of manure-laced dust that permeated one’s nasal passages, causing the stench to stay with

you a week or more. Surely, digging ditches could be no worse.

e was a big man. His name was Tex Jones, and he looked like he had invented the name Tex. “Can you dig a ditch, son?” he asked, as if he had his doubts.

“I dug ditches in the Army,” I replied, trying to look bigger than I was.

“Well, I can’t tell you if it’s permanent,” he said, “but if you don’t mind using a shovel and you don’t mind working in the mud, you can start next week.”

I walked next door to the lumberyard to find my brother and thank him for the tip. The smell of sawdust and fresh-cut lumber filled the cool winter air. A forklift carrying a unit of plywood sped by, and the driver stopped behind a beat-up pickup and slid the panels into the back of the truck. A circular saw was running beside a storage shed, and it whined and screeched each time the sawyer pulled the blade into a piece of lumber. I had never been in a lumberyard before.

“How much does a ditch digger get paid these days?” my brother asked from behind a sales counter covered with product samples, order pads, adding machines, and an old cash register.

“Well,” I answered, “Tex said he would start me at $3 per hour.”

My brother thought for a moment.

“I’ll give you $3.25 per hour and you can start tomorrow. I’m going to need another yardman.”

Little did I know I was an accidental lumberman and my career in the lumber business had just begun.

H

erms of the Trade describes a lumberman as follows: “A generic

T

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term describing any person involved in the manufacturing or marketing of lumber, plywood, or other wood products.” By this definition, I qualified, but after a week at the lumberyard I realized I was no lumberman, accidental or otherwise. I didn’t know a board from a piece of dimension lumber. I didn’t know a joist from a beam. I didn’t know a galvanized box nail from a box of rocks. In other words, I didn’t know jack! It was clear to me that being a lumberman required knowledge and experience I didn’t have. I found myself relying heavily on the old veterans, and most were more than willing to share their experience with me.

I began sweeping warehouse floors, something I could do with little instruction. Soon, I was filling storage bins with lumber, plywood and other building products and began to learn about grades and develop product knowledge. When contractors backed up at the sales counter, the store manager would come out and tell me to grab a customer and help out. Mike and Jim, two old counter pros, taught me lumber math, formulas, shortcuts, and, most importantly, how to service a customer. They showed me there was a difference between selling and taking orders, and taught me the importance of actually being a salesman.

In time, I learned to operate a forklift and drive a truck. A forklift driver named Ivan showed me how to move 24-ft. lumber through a 20-ft. door and reminded me often not to carry the loads too high or I would run into the warehouse rafters. He was correct on that point. A truck driver named Gus taught me to double clutch, tie some pretty fancy knots, and drop a load of lumber off the back of a truck softly, Building-Products.com

exactly where it was intended to go.

Greg, a younger driver, showed me how to carry underlayment up a 2”x12” plank without falling off. I packed a lot of particleboard in the early years of my career.

Butch, a yardman who had once been a logger, took me into the woods and shared with me his appreciation for nature and the beauty of Oregon’s forests. He taught me that the best place in the world to drink a can of cold beer was next to a logging road, high above a fresh clear-cut with a view of a newly uncovered valley. He explained to me the concept of clearcutting Douglas fir and showed me the beauty of a regenerating forest.

Clarence, another yardman, taught me about the structure and beauty of many species of lumber. He seemed to know everything there was to know about redwood, cedar, hemlock, Douglas fir, and pine. He was a walking encyclopedia of lumber and loved wood more than anybody I ever knew.

He called my attention to a wonderful paragraph found in the West Coast Lumber grading rules: “At no time, in whatever grade, should the inherent and wonderful properties of wood be forgotten.” I always liked that paragraph and, to this day, it reminds me of my lessons from Clarence.

Eventually, I moved from the retail lumberyard to wholesale distribution and continued learning about the lumber business. I am ever mindful and appreciative of those who helped me along the way. Much of my success can be attributed to the insight, wisdom and knowledge of those who came before me. In turn, I have tried to pass my knowledge on to others, and I would encourage all of you to do the same. We have a whole new generation of accidental lumbermen beginning their careers, and the industry will be well served by teaching them how important basic lumber skills are and how to be good lumbermen. And, of course, your customers will appreciate it, too.

– Loren Krebs began his career in the lumber business in 1969 and recently retired as purchasing department manager after 25 years with Disdero Lumber, Clackamas, Or. He can be reached by email at krebs@ oregoncoast.

Building-Products.com

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March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

15

COMPETITIVE Intelligence

By Carla Waldemar

Time to renew

I

OWEGO, A TINY TOWN in upstate New York, county building permits plummeted to 20 last year. This year, they’ve shriveled down to three as Lockheed, the biggest employer, laid off 700 high-ticket workers. Yet Home Central, a family business since 1973, proceeded to plow a huge chunk of change into a vast renovation project.

Wait, wait. Cancel the call to the loony bin: It’s working. That’s the verdict of owner Aaron Gowan, who admits he wasn’t 100% convinced this was a good idea. “Yet, after 35 years in the business, and 15 in our current location, it was time,” he allows. But still….

“I was kind of ready to hold back, but I remembered my [founder] dad’s philosophy that evolution is necessary, and you do it during down times, when you’re not super-busy. This was the time to move forward, to be ready for the rebound,” Aaron states.

His daughter Kate Whittemore, who returned after college to join the N

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The Merchant Magazine March 2010

business in 2004, curtailed a maternity leave to mother the new project. “I pushed and prodded to go ahead,” she declares.

“We designed it to attract more women”—the decision-makers in this day and age—“so, with the help of True Value’s plans, we created a new exterior, opened up the floor to make for more convenient and efficient shopping, added new lighting and displays, and re-evaluated all our SKUs,” adding breadth to existing lines while clearing out the dogs. (This project follows close on the heels of a new, 20,000-sq. ft. warehouse built on the property in 2005, replacing an existing warehouse clear across town. Again, more efficiencies.)

“We’d always been very big on plumbing and electric,” says Kate.

Now, those arenas are even stronger, augmented by an expansion of the former kitchen & bath showroom to accommodate home appliances. “A mom-and-pop store in town went out of business, so we talked around and

decided there was a need,” she explains.

The new product niche also plays into existing strong lines of housewares, hardware, tools, paint, automotive needs, decking, roofing, and lawn and garden supplies, along with all that lumber under cover in the new warehouse. (In fact, it’s easier to ask what they don’t sell—so I did.

Flooring and wallpaper were all that sprang to mind.)

Clearly, Home Central earns its name as the go-to for one-stop homeimprovement shopping, where it attracts a 50-50 customer mix of contractors, both residential and commercial, and handy homeowners—the very group driving the surge in remodeling that’s currently keeping bread on the table.

D-i-yers got the message about the recent grand reopening via radio and TV advance notices, plus on-the-spot coverage on ribbon-cutting day, which also benefited the town’s nonprofit community. Little Leaguers kept the receipts from hot dog and hamburger sales, and the kids also sold gallon buckets, donated by Home Central, for $1 to customers who were offered a 20% discount on all purchases they could squeeze into them, as well as chances to win the Weber grill and Poulin mower that served as doorprize draws.

“Once they come in, it’s easy to get them to come back,” says Aaron about customer retention. “They become very loyal. They like the personal touch; they know all the employees, many of whom have been here 20-plus years and have a rapport with the community. People feel comfortable here, knowing who’s waiting on them, and you won’t find that in the boxes.”

What you won’t find at Home Central is outside salesmen. “We’ve never believed in it: no pounding on doors, chasing people down,” he says.

“Instead, more than anything else, what draws the pros in is service: knowing we can take care of them, treat them with respect, have a product when they need it, and get it delivered fast”— courtesy of a dump truck for residential driveways and a boom truck for the contractors who need it.

“They don’t have to worry whether we have a 10x24,” Aaron continues.

“They can find it here, plus all those small electrical parts or a paint brush.

And that’s how we draw new business, too. The fact is, we have materials, while somebody else is out. Even Building-Products.com

RIBBON CUTTING marked New York business’ grand reopening. On hand were (left to right) founder’s widow Bayonne Gowan, co-owner/treasurer Kate Whittemore holding future lumberman Will Whittemore, general manager Ray Reeves, owner/president Aaron Gowan, purchasing manager Ed Smith, clerks Jess Cady and Ben Reeves, Owego town supervisor Carol Sweeney, and manager Jake Reeves.

Lowe’s sends customers over….”

Sure, Home Central offers the traditional contractor dinners during the course of a year, but with a difference: These folks vet the vendors involved. “Not just anyone,” Aaron emphasizes. “We’re kind of selective.”

“We recently had a Weyerhaeuser rep describing truss Ijoists, LVLs,” adds Kate. “Small contractors are not always aware of lots of the new technology out there and won’t need it every day, but when the time comes, now they’ll understand it.”

Home Central today is central to the family business of 35 employees, with stores acquired earlier in Vestal, 12 miles down the road, and Candor, a rural community eight miles distant. Trucks troll between all three locations on a daily basis, helping each store out with inventory needs and just-in-time delivery—always a savings, but particularly so in a stressful economic climate. “The new renovation also is helping us through it,” Kate attests. “We’re pleased with the results.”

She’s also the webmeister who updates Home Central’s Internet presence (www.homecentralowego. com), which includes not only info on services, locations, vendor partners, and company history, but a couple of cool videos.

The Internet is also a boon for Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net

Building-Products.com

pro customers who can take advantage of 24/7 access to their accounts.

“It’s a great service for them; they can get online and look at their invoices,” she explains. “Plus, it’s a lot less paperwork for us. Sure, they complained at first, but we’re moving them in that direction, and pretty soon, they understand and begin to value it.

It’s especially necessary for commercial accounts, so we’re encouraging them to use it.”

“We sell to commercial accounts, like schools, the county, and local industries,” adds her father, “but we don’t court them. It takes a whole different inventory, like metal studs, which the general builder doesn’t need. But if we don’t carry things like that, we don’t get the job.”

And get the job, they do. There have been no layoffs—in fact, says Aaron, “we just hired a new guy.” Full staff is needed, Kate agrees, “to keep up with the remodel: more help on the floor, to keep the store neat and not revert to the old-building mentality, with dust on everything.”

“We know business will get better,” Aaron declares. “We expect things to pick up in spring. And,” he can boast, “we’re ready!”

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(509) 874-1163

Fax 509-874-1162 • www.yakama-forest.com March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

17

OLSEN On Sales

By James Olsen

What’s too pushy?

I

WORK WITH SALESPEOPLE EVERY DAY who have bad tapes playing in their heads. They think they are too pushy (or too something), so at the moment of truth (really many moments of truth over and over…) they hold back, or say they’ll call back, or wait for the call back, or etc. While these salespeople are waiting for the call back, another, bolder salesperson swoops in and takes the business.

How Much Is Too Much?

Some customers can be pushed harder than others. Some customers want to be pushed. Some customers want to negotiate. Some customers just want to use us for a number and buy from the other guy. (It sure is funny how they don’t call us pushy when they want us to help them find something or work up a proposal for them.)

I teach that we have to ask for the order five times in closing situations. Most salespeople don’t even ask once.

Setting up the moment of close and when and how to close are important also, but more important is the will to close.

Our timing will improve if we work at it, but nothing about closing will become easier or better if we don’t ask for the order enough. Five times may seem like a lot to the uninitiated, but if we are indeed in a closing situation, five times is appropriate. How we ask for the order five times is the “art” part of what we do. Our art will become better the more we practice it.

Salespeople Are…

I have many of the groups I work with do this exercise.

Split a page into two columns. On the left-hand side write down all the negatives about salespeople—pushy, liars, talk too much, etc. When we are done with the negatives—it doesn’t take long—on the right give a positive connotation to each of words in the negative column. Not the opposite, but a positive connotation. This usually takes longer.

Negative

Pushy Liar Greedy Talks too much Self-centered Wholesaler You’re shorting the market

Positive

Persistent Creative, visionary Provider Informational Self-reliant Supplier, partner I’m taking the risk out of the market for you.

“Liar” always causes much discussion. Are we encouraging salespeople to lie? Absolutely not. But we are asking them to be creative. If someone hands us a bag of feces, we can call it fertilizer.

My point is that so many sellers are saying, “Nope, sorry, can’t do that.” Which is the truth, but it’s a lazy truth.

They should be saying, “We can’t do it exactly the way you are asking, but our solution has worked for many in your situation, let’s put this together.”

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The Merchant Magazine March 2010

More harmful than the prejudiced ideas of our customers are our own prejudices about selling and salespeople.

Ninety-nine percent of the salespeople I have known are hard-working, honest people. So many sellers are ashamed of what they do for living. How can we ask for the order if we are ashamed? How can we push through tough negotiations if we think we are taking advantage? We can’t.

Customers say to me (usually when they’re trying to get me to do something for less), “Oh, James, you’re such a salesman.” I say, “Yes, I am and proud of it.” Or they’ll tell me I am “selling” them when I am merely giving them my opinion. I reply, “If, when I give you my opinion, it’s selling, then when you give me your opinion it’s also selling.

We are both selling each other.” Some customers try to get mad, but as they realize it’s true, it changes the negotiation.

Words matter. If we let others define us with their prejudices, then they control our income. If every time we ask for the order our customer says, “Wow, you sure are pushy” and we back off, we give that customer a button to control us.

If instead we respond, “Bob, I’m not pushy, I just really believe in this deal, and I really believe it will work for you.”

As leadership sellers we define ourselves and then deliver on that definition.

James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572 james@ reality-salestraining.com

Building-Products.com

GREEN Retailing

By Jay Tompt

Is G-I-Y the new D-I-Y?

F

OR ME, THE ONE PHRASE that best sums up the ongoing shift in household economic behavior is this: less is more. For anyone who pays attention to the history of this industry, it’s a familiar story that comes about with every recession. Folks are tackling more projects on their own, so the trades are suffering.

But this time around, the return to d-i-y may be different in some important ways that just might stick. There are many good reasons for dealers to pay attention.

Most people I know aren’t simply doing without: They are discovering new ways to create the lifestyle they want, spending less money, and doing more themselves. More households are growing their own food, taking steps to “decarbonize” their homes, and generally looking for simpler, healthier “green it yourself” projects they can take on inexpensively.

The terms “green it yourself” or

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The Merchant Magazine March 2010

“g-i-y” are catching on, describing everything from caulking windows with a solvent-free sealant to rigging your own greywater system. In some neighborhoods, if you want to keep up with the Joneses, it’s not the size and expense of your solar panels, but how little you spent building your own wind generator from an alternator salvaged from old Buick, spare bicycle parts, and a plastic milk jug.

The permaculture movement is on the leading edge of this resurgence of self-reliance. In short, permaculture is a holistic approach to creating household and community-scale sustainability based on modeling and enhancing natural systems. It’s deeply green and aimed at creating abundance with fewer inputs—in other

words, doing more with less. Typical permaculture projects include intensive food gardens, rainwater harvesting, greywater systems, passive solar, natural building, and lots of creative re-use of salvaged resources.

There are a growing number of nonprofit permaculture-based groups making interesting changes in the fabric of life, especially in urban neighborhoods. Many of these groups are getting serious funding and are participating in local retrofit programs.

Becoming knowledgeable about the kinds of projects being undertaken in your area will likely inspire new thinking around merchandise and promotion. For example, in areas where greywater systems are now legal, stocking non-PVC pipes and fittings might be a good idea.

Building close relationships with local nonprofit permaculture groups and practitioners is a good idea, perhaps with some cross promotion that will bolster your company’s green reputation. And if g-i-y and permaculture can really help your community become greener and more resilient, you might find that this new kind of di-y is good for you, too.

Jay Tompt Managing Partner, Wm. Verde & Associates (415) 321-0848 info@williamverde.com Building-Products.com

DEALER Briefs

Quail Run Building Materials, N. Phoenix, Az., added a 5,000-

sq. ft. branch in Wickenburg, Az. Staffers include Jean Patterson and Jim Swaine.

Ace Hardware expects an August opening for a new 25,000-sq. ft. store in Bisbee, Az. Owner Les Orchekowsky also holds Aces in Sierra Vista and Benson, Az. Bremer Hardware , Gridley,

Ca., closed at the end of March after more than 70 years.

All employees and remaining inventory were moved to owner Keith Harshbarger’s new Ace Hardware on the other side of town.

Ace Hardware, Orland, Ca., has rebuilt and reopened its store, which was destroyed by fire 14 months prior.

Owner Ben Pforsich spent the interim operating from a smaller, temporary storefront.

Modesto True Value Hardware, Modesto, Ca., is closing after 36 years.

Lowe’s opened a 94,000-sq. ft. store Feb. 5 in Hobbs, N.M.; is seeking approval to build a 111,348-sq. ft. store with 26,568-sq. ft. garden center in Lakeport, Ca., and is prepping the site for a new store in Sonora, Ca., and hopes to begin actual construction later this month.

Home Depot applied to build a 134,240-sq. ft. store including 28,086sq. ft. garden center in Lodi, Ca.

Buyers Scour North Pacific

North Pacific Group, Tigard, Or., is seeking court approval to sell a portion of its assets for $20-25 million to Atlas Holdings LLC, a private equity firm based in Greenwich, Ct. Under the deal, Atlas Trading would acquire North Pacific’s food and agriculture and utility and construction units, the Portland-based portions of its hardwood and industrial products unit, and the company’s Portland Trading Platform.

North Pacific, once the third-largest private company in Oregon, was forced into receivership on Jan. 20, after its lenders filed a lawsuit claiming the company and its subsidiaries had defaulted on $42 million in loans.

That figure has since been reduced to $30 million, according to Edward Hostmann Inc., the crisis management firm that now controls North Pacific.

Hostmann is completing negotiations on a final agreement to sell another North Pacific division that “would substantially reduce the debt” to lenders and “plans to move for its approval as soon as possible.”

Still up for grabs are North Pacific’s building products division, Southern Trading Unit, and hardwood lumber and flooring manufacturing plants in Arkansas and Missouri. A manufacturing plant in Raymondville, Mo., was shut down in late January.

Murphy Readies Plywood Mill

Murphy Co., Eugene, Or., is working to reopen Panel Products’ plywood plant in Rogue River, Or., after acquir-

ing the shuttered facility out of receivership for $3.6 million.

President John Murphy hopes to restart the softwood plywood mill, down for over a year, as soon as the company can complete repairs, set up relationships with suppliers and vendors, and hire 135 to 150 workers.

Murphy also operates a hardwood plywood plant in Eugene, an engineered lumber plant in Sutherlin, Or., and veneer mills in Elma, Wa., and White City, Or.

Mendocino Rehiring at Ukiah

Mendocino Redwood Co. is rehiring 24 workers who were furloughed from the company’s mill in Ukiah, Ca., last May because of high inventories of logs and lumber.

“We have reduced our inventory and business is better,” said c.e.o.

Richard Higgenbottom. “We expect our mills to be busy.”

A new development is that the plant will now mill the Douglas fir logs it harvests instead of selling them.

Also, a flexible team of workers will operate a planer and make fence boards.

One reason for the good news is that the 2009 and 2010 harvest numbers will be above last spring’s estimation. Last May, the anticipated harvest for both Mendocino Redwood and sister company Humboldt Redwood was 70 million bd. ft.—less than one-third of the normal harvest.

“We are on our way back,” said Higgenbottom.

Dunn Lumber , Seattle, Wa., was honored as advocacy group AtWork!’s Supporter of the Year.

Dunn has a person with disabilities working in eight out of its 12 stores and hopes to one day have at least one worker with a disability in every store.

Golden State Lumber, Petaluma, Ca., was fined $20,000 by the California Air Resources Board for failing to inspect its diesel trucks for compliance with the state’s smoke-emission standards.

Habitat for Humanity moved its Yakima, Wa., ReStore to a larger, 22,000-sq. ft. facility Feb. 3.

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Building-Products.com

ProBuild Opens in Sacto

ProBuild Holdings, Denver, Co., has opened its first store in Sacramento, Ca., creating 20 new positions.

“We already know the Sacramento market very well, as we have been serving it from other locations for quite some time,” said c.e.o. Paul Hylbert. “By combining the power of our nationwide resources with the expertise of strong people familiar with this market, we are confident about our ability to serve Sacramento and surrounding communities at an even higher level.”

SPI Juggles Mill Production

Sierra Pacific Industries, Anderson, Ca, will reopen its small-log sawmill located in Quincy, Ca., in early May, but will cut one of two shifts at the complex’s large-log mill.

“We are pleased that we can restart the small-log mill, but are disappointed that we must reduce the capacity of the large log mill by half,” said area manager Matt Taborski. “The market for framing lumber has improved, but we are still operating under a cloud of uncertainty brought about by environmental litigation.”

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The Merchant Magazine March 2010

The company closed the small log mill in May 2009 due to weak markets and the lack of available timber due to lawsuits by environmental activists at the Center for Biological Diversity.

“We would like to rehire every laid-off worker,” said spokesperson Mark Pawlicki. “However, these lawsuits could put a roadblock in our log supply and cause us to refrain from opening the plants even as the market for lumber improves.”

The company’s mills in Camino and Sonora, Ca., were also closed last year. In Sonora, SPI is seeking approval to develop 306 residential lots on 600 acres next to the mill. One roadblock to approval is that SPI would have to spend about $1 million to cut emissions from the mill, if it ever re-opens. “If we don’t restart the mill, we don’t have to install it,” said Pawlicki.

Silo Fire Hits Roseburg

A Feb. 12 explosion at Roseburg Forest Products’ plant in Dillard, Or., sent one firefighter to the hospital with first-degree facial burns. A second firefighter was treated for minor burns and released.

The explosion occurred in a silo

where chipped wood is stored as fuel for the powerhouse that generates electricity for the plant.

According to firefighters, the sprinkler system was not working and the large amount of sawdust in the air ignited with explosive force.

“The nature of this facility creates a lot of sawdust that ends up settling on everything,” said fire captain Rand Dickson.

Green Product Group Forms

The Green Roundtable/NEXUS has launched a new international Green Product Association, the “first inclusive platform to represent the entire life-cycle of products from construction through operations.”

GPA’s mission is to lead an industry-wide market transformation so that building products meet a continuously increasing level of sustainability throughout their life cycle.

GPA hopes that in time all building products will be green, and that their performance criteria and metrics will be visible to all.

Founding participants include Bostik, CBC Flooring, and UL Environment.

Building-Products.com

SUPPLIER Briefs

Matheus Lumber, Woodinville, Wa., has added an office in Chandler, Az., staffed by Bob Shook and Steve Maude, ex-Idaho Pacific.

Idaho Forest Group expects to increase production by 10% this year and add as many as 25 workers at its mill in Moyie Springs, Id.

Stimson Lumber, Portland, Or., has agreed to pay for a $6 million remediation project to clean up a cooling pond at its shuttered mill site in Bonner, Mt. Johns Manville, Denver, Co., agreed to market SolarFrameWorks’ Building Integrated Photo-

voltaic CoolPly solar roofing components through its JM E(3) Co. subsidiary.

Timber Holdings International is now distributing the complete line of Cambia thermally modified wood products from Northland Forest Products.

Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork

merged its Inspiration, Foundation, and Resolution vinyl windows and doors into its new Latitude Series.

Buyer Dissolving Gang Nail

Pacific Coast Supply has acquired the inventory, equipment and other assets of 50-year-old Gang Nail Truss, Visalia, Ca., and will merge the operation into its own nearby truss company.

PCS v.p. Joe Gower said the Gang Nail name will no longer be used and its plant will be sold. The assets were acquired from Weyrick Lumber, Templeton, Ca., which bought Gang Nail in August 2008.

A number of Gang Nail employees will also move to Anderson Truss, Visalia, which PCS opened in 2007.

Pacific Coast Supply is a division of Pacific Coast Building Products, which operates 28 Pacific Supply DCs and seven truss plants in Northern and Central California.

Parker Lumber Shuts Down

Parker Lumber, Bremerton, Wa., is closing after 87 years.

“We certainly regret the need for this decision after so many years of success in Kitsap County, but as anyone involved in construction knows, this recession is like nothing we have ever been through before and we don’t see a light at the end of the tun-

nel any time soon,” said owner Rick Barnes. He bought Parker in the early 1990s, after working in management at Seattle’s Dunn Lumber.

Founded in 1922 by Willard Parker, the business was originally located next to the Bremerton ferry terminal. Tim Lundberg, general manager and a 25-year employee, said 16 people will lose their jobs. A possible sale or lease of the firm’s location is being explored.

Peninsula Door & Millwork, which is also owned by Barnes and is colocated at the site, will remain open for business.

Trinity Sawmill Coming Back

Trinity Lumber hopes to reopen its mill in Weaverville, Ca., by summer.

The mill was destroyed by fire Sept. 12. On Oct. 5, operations were moved to the former Siller Brothers mill in Anderson, Ca., so the Weaverville mill could be rebuilt.

The Weaverville mill opened in the 1950s and employed more than 130 at the time of the fire. Some of these workers are rebuilding the mill, while a crew of 30 makes the 65-minute commute to the older and smaller mill in Anderson.

AZEK Building Products

added two new colors to its Deck Terra composite deck collection: Sedona and Tahoe.

CertainTeed’s Bufftech Chesterfield vinyl fencing is now available in three new blended colors: Arctic, Weathered, and Arbor.

Georgia-Pacific has doubled the weather exposure limited warranty for DensArmor Plus fiberglass mat gypsum panels from six to 12 months.

Ultra Aluminum Manufacturing updated its website (www.

ultrafence.com) to include all its fencing, gates, and porch and decking rails.

Sears’ Craftsman brand tools will be offered for sale at Ace Hardware stores beginning later this year.

Anniversaries: Simpson Timber Co., Shelton, Wa., 120th … Patrick Lumber Co., Portland, Or., 95th …

Building-Products.com

March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

25

MOVERS & Shakers George Treadwell is retiring from Huttig Building Products, Phoenix, Az., after 45 years in the industry.

Don Kruse, ex-Snavely Forest Products, has joined the Huttig’s Phoenix EWP design department, focusing on markets in the central and southern part of the state.

Kevin Seward, ex-Weyerhaeuser, has joined Parr Lumber, Hillsboro, Or., as director-business development.

Tom Lewis, ex-Roseburg Forest Products, has been named general mgr. and v.p.-sales at Peninsula Plywood Group, Port Angeles, Wa. Joe Herrera, ex-Buckeye Pacific, is a new lumber trader for Western International Forest Products, Portland, Or. Paul Stringfellow has been promoted to v.p. of national accounts for ProBuild Holdings, Denver, Co. Cory Cheshire, ex-Lowe’s, is a new account mgr. at Capital Lumber, Albuquerque, N.M. Randy Roedl is retiring after 26 years with Woodfold-Marco Manufacturing, Forest Grove, Or.

Rodger Seid and Nate Vahl are now in sales at Torgerson Forest Products, Beaverton, Or. The company was formed two years ago by president/sales mgr.

J.V. Torgerson, after he closed out the wholesale division of Allen Forest Products.

Rick Siltanen, ex-Western International Forest Products, has joined the team at Priaulx Forest Products, Beaverton, Or. Aaron Mealy is store mgr. of the new Lowe’s Home Improvement Center in San Jose, Ca. John “J.J.” Johnson, Corvallis, Or., has joined McKillican, as director of sales-panels & hardwood plywood.

Marc F. Racicot, former governor of Montana, has been named to the board of Plum Creek Timber Co., Seattle, Wa. Alex Hines has been promoted to corporate director of marketing for TAMKO Building Products. Mark Shaner is now corporate mgr. of decking & railing products.

Patrick Hurney has been named executive director of Habitat for Humanity West Hawaii, overseeing the ReStore discount LBM outlet in Kailua-Kona, Hi. He replaces Vicky Dannals, who relocated back to the mainland.

Bob Kubinec, founder, Kubinec Strapping Solutions, has retired after 35 years in the industry and sold his business to Chris Pagett.

Brad Thorlakson, president, Tolko Marketing & Sales Ltd., has been promoted to president and c.e.o. of Tolko Industries Ltd., Vernon, B.C. He succeeds J. Allan “Al” Thorlakson, who is now executive chairman.

Anne Rahikainen has joined RISI as director of bioenergy services.

Ronald Kaplan, president and c.e.o., Trex, adds the title of chairman May 5. He will succeed retiring Andrew Ferrari, who helped found Trex in 1996. Jay Gratz will become lead independent director.

Pat Heffernan, ex-North Pacific, has joined Distribution Management Systems Inc., leading its continued expansion into the dealer market.

Kevin O’Conner is the new primary sales rep for dealers.

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James Thompson has joined Fasco America, as regional sales mgr. for the Southwestern U.S. John W. Weaver, former head of AbitiBowater Inc., was elected to the board of directors at LouisianaPacific Corp.

Monique Bauer, ex-North Pacific, has joined boutique marketing agency Cira Creative, Portland, Or., as v.p. of client services.

Ima Lusa has been relieved of her sales accounts at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Ace Offers Mobile Access

Ace Hardware Corp., Oak Brook, Il., has made it easier for customers to access its website from their mobile phones.

Customers can now use their mobile phones to search for the nearest Ace store using Google maps and access store info such as hours of operation, services provided, maps, and brands sold. A Local Weekly Ads section lets customers browse local Ace ads and view sale items and product details near their location.

The mobile site also offers links to Ace’s Facebook page, YouTube and Twitter, giving users the opportunity to stay current on all Ace-related news and videos on di-y home repair.

“Over the past year, we’ve seen a significant increase in the amount of traffic coming to acehardware.com from mobile devices,” explained e-commerce marketing supervisor Mark Lowe. “The mobile phone has become a communication hub for many consumers, so it’s critical that Ace provide a mobile-optimized solution for them.

“Users visiting [our site] from their mobile phone will automatically be served up the mobile version of the site, so it will be seamless for them. To build on that base of traffic, we will be spreading the word with messaging on acehardware.com, our circular ads, and through email campaigns.”

The mobile application was created by TrueAction, a partner with GSI Commerce, Ace’s e-commerce platform provider.

Building-Products.com

March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

27

MANAGEMENT Tips

By Rhonda Savage

Clear financial policies keep customers coming back

I

T’S TRUE: people who owe you money do not like you!

They feel guilty if they’re late with a payment and burdened that they’ve procrastinated. They know it’s not your fault, but they feel pressured and unhappy.

Your customer can be extremely upset if he or she receives a financial surprise. It is wise to remember that a surprised customer will first be an embarrassed client, and then will become an angry customer!

If you want to avoid all this stress and anger, take the following steps to clearly outline your company’s financial policies. Clear financial policies are a very real part of customer service, especially when presented by a warm, empathetic, knowledgeable staff. In addition, for a policy to be effective, it must be well understood by staff and backed up by the owner and manager.

Determine the health of your A/R:

As a basic guideline, your accounts receivable (A/R) balance should not exceed one half to one month of production.

• Run a “clean” A/R report that does not include credit balances and analyze the 60-day-and-over column, as well as the 90-day-and-over column. In general, the 60-dayand-over column should not be more than 4-6% of what your clients owe you. The 90- and-over column should not be more than 2-4% of your A/R. • Make certain also to run a past due report. Any accounts 30 days past due require a follow up call from the team member responsible for this department.

• The owner’s role is to hire, train and provide oversight for your financial health. Even with the finest office manager, the owner should still be involved and should be the leader in the business.

• The owner should review the A/R on a monthly basis, or more often if this area of your business needs additional attention. Many offices have a policy that “everyone does everything.” With a more systematic approach, the owner

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The Merchant Magazine March 2010

can oversee those accountable for particular areas. And, your team members will know who to ask for what, such as which staff member should speak with a particular client. Designated office responsibilities with clearly defined goals and expectations decrease stress and increase professionalism.

If your A/R balance is less than one half of your monthly production, your financial policies may be too firm and staff may be unintentionally running clients off. On the other hand, for your established customers of record, you might consider flexibility in payment if the client has demonstrated a good history. If you do offer financial options, however, do not extend them for more than three months and have a re-bill policy, or inform the client of interest due after or during the three-month period. Also, verify the credit history of the client prior to advancing credit.

• Check with your state law regarding interest regulations and present a written policy to the customer.

• Do you have old accounts on your A/R that have been turned over for collection? Adjust these off so you have a true A/R that is collectable. Enter the adjusted amount into the client’s record and keep a separate ledger file for this activity. Check with your accountant and clean up your Accounts Receivable report.

Develop your financial guidelines:

Sit down with your team and write out your office financial guidelines. The collection of money owed is the responsibility of the entire team. Once the entire team creates the guidelines, the owner needs to approve and stand behind them. Have you ever noticed that the client will try to go around the staff person and ask for a discount? Or ask if they can pay “over time” instead of paying as the service is completed?

As an owner or manager, you will undermine the client’s trust and respect of your staff if you allow even one customer to do this. One kind-hearted business owner said, “There’s no ‘end run’ involved! I just plow right through my front office team and give the discount up front to the customer, and I know I’m the problem!”

Discuss the philosophy of your business with your team. Each office is different. If you feel compelled to give a courtesy, consider a limited discount amount rather than a discounted percentage.

• It is advisable to craft a “change of policy letter” regarding your position on cash courtesies or changes in your office’s financial policy. The worst thing you can do is surprise the customer! Remember that a surprised customer is an angry customer. Do allow the prior courtesy level and let the client know, in a friendly, warm manner, Building-Products.com

why you’ve had a change in policy.

And then the new courtesy level would apply for all future procedures or services.

• Owners or managers: Reinforce the efforts of your office team. If an old friend asks for a courtesy, let him know that your staff will handle all the financials for the two of you. If the owner shoots down the financial coordinator, she may not want to enforce the policy again! Owners who make arrangements contrary to office policy create stress for their staff and ultimately can create spoiled clients who will continue to go around the staff.

Spoiled clients are created by nice, caring owners who want to bend over backwards for their clients, especially early in the relationship. These clients become quite demanding and are often rude to the office team, dictating when they’ll come in, when they’ll pay, and how much they’ll pay!

Criteria for financial options:

The client is prepared in advance regarding their responsibilities with payment.

• The front office team’s responsibility is to say, “Will that be cash, check or bank card?”

• If the work or service is extensive, consider breaking the client’s portion into three segments, with one-third due at the beginning of the service, one-third halfway through the project, and the balance at delivery. If the work is done in two procedures, then either the entire amount is due to begin, or split into two payments. For well-established clients with a great track record, consider half down and the balance in 90 days. During financial arrangements, present the client with a written estimate, have the customer sign one copy, and keep one copy in the business record.

These are some of the guidelines you will need to define with your team. There is much more to consider: verbal skills, past due accounts receivables, and how to connect with the client, to express warmth, empathy and concern. Firm, consistent financial policies are just one layer of the customer service that your clients deserve and expect.

Your challenge is to have an open, honest, productive team meeting and look at your financial policies. How healthy is your business?

– Dr. Rhonda Savage is an acclaimed speaker and c.e.o. She can be reached at rhonda@dentalmanagementu.com.

Building-Products.com

March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

29

ON Sales

By Dave Kahle

How adversity shapes a salesperson’s character

I

poignantly, something like an auto accident or the loss of a loved one.

I’ve had them all. Or, it can be a period of financial distress—yes, I’ve had that too, a couple of times. Or, it can be a time of health problems and relationship conflicts. Yep, you guessed it. I’ve lived through both of those situations as well.

Regardless, the Encarta Dictionary defines adversity this way: 1. misfortune (hardship and suffering) 2. adverse happening (an extremely unfavorable experience or event) One of the things that these experiences have in common is their impact

STILL REMEMBER THE WORST sales call I ever made. More than just remember it, I react to the memory. I get a queasy feeling in my stomach every time I think about it. It wasn’t just a bad sales call, it was a humiliating, embarrassing event. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.

That’s the point. There is something about adversity that has the power to linger forever in our memories, shaping our character and molding our behavior for the rest of our life.

Adversity can take countless forms. It can be a gut-wrenching incident, like my worst sales call, or more

on us—they create an intense, negative emotional response. We become angry, embarrassed, humiliated, depressed, and hopeless. Adversity produces a grab-bag of bad feelings.

It’s not fun. As I reflect on my personal experiences, I have to acknowledge that the events mentioned above were some of the worst hours, days, and months of my life. I never want to go through any of them again.

But it is that intensity of emotional response that contains the seeds that can bloom into a sounder character, if we respond appropriately. We’ve all heard the expression, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” Sort of

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The Merchant Magazine March 2010

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true, but not exactly. That common expression would be more accurate if we tacked on the phrase, “if we let it.”

The real truth is: “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, if we let it.”

“If we let it,” is the secret. There’s no guarantee that, by itself, without our active and appropriate response, adversity will make us stronger. I’ve met, and I’m sure you have too, many people who allowed adversity to turn them into bitter or defeated individuals. To them, life is a burden, the world is a dangerous place, and they can’t do much about it. It’s easy, and tempting, to allow adversity to develop a “victim mentality” in us.

In order to prevent that from happening, in order to grow “stronger,” we must learn from those painful experiences. And, in learning, we create habits that emerge as character traits, and thus we become better and more capable people.

My humiliating sales call, for example, taught me a simple lesson that has stuck with me for decades and has flowered into a broader character trait. “Never speak badly about the competition” was the lesson. I like to think that “respect for all my competitors” is the broader character trait.

The periods of financial hardship have developed an empathy in me for those in similar circumstances, and a very conservative financial perspective. The death of my daughter is somehow pushing up buds of greater patience, empathy and tolerance in my character.

While I never want to go through any of these things again, I am proba-

bly a better person because of them— and because of my response to them.

Now, I understand that the current state of the economy is dousing every reader with a fire hose of adversity. I wish I could make it go away. If only I could turn off the valve.

I do my best to help you weather the storm by providing tips and practices. In the long run, however, it is what you do with your response to adversity that will make all the difference.

Here are a couple of practical suggestions to help you deal with your adversity:

• Take the high road.

Don’t allow the circumstances to drag you down, to compromise your values, or impinge on your relationships. I had a renter, for example, in a house that we own. He was laid off from his job. Instead of being honest about it, he made up stories, told lies, and eventually stuck me with two months unpaid rent and damages to the house. While I had to deal with the financial damages, he has a significantly diminished character. Because he took the low road, he’s less of a man today than he was before. Don’t give into the temptation to take ethical short-cuts or to abandon your responsibilities. Take the high road.

• Learn from it.

At some point, you’ll have an opportunity to look on your adverse circumstances somewhat objectively.

That’s when you’ll want to ask yourself this question: “What can I learn

from this?” Then follow up with a more pointed version of this question, “What can I do differently, as a result of what I’ve learned?”

The answer to “What can I learn from my embarrassing sales call?” was, “Customers don’t like to hear you talk badly about a competing product or person.” That would be academic information if I didn’t follow up with the second question: “What can I do differently, as a result of what I’ve learned?” The answer to that question was, “Never speak badly about a competitor.”

The emphasis must eventually rest on us and our response. If we don’t change anything we do, believe, or think, then we will have learned nothing.

Eventually we must change what we do. That’s the key to growing from adversity. As long as we focus on other people or our circumstances, we’ll be forever locked in a victim mentality. Remember, “if we let it.”

Our Creator put us on this Earth to grow, develop and become more like Him. Adversity is the fertilizer that stimulates that growth, if we let it.

At some point, this will pass. At that point, the real measure of this set of circumstances will be the impact on your character.

– Dave Kahle, “The Growth Coach,” is a sales consultant, trainer and author of a free monthly “Thinking About Sales” ezine and six books—including Question Your Way to Sales Success. Reach him at (800) 331-1287; www.davekahle.com.

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March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

31

Depot To Park Other Businesses On Its Property

Home Depot has come up with a new way to make money: sell excess space in the enormous parking lots of at least 500 of its stores.

“A number of stores have barren asphalt, and it’s not in anyone’s best interest to leave it sitting there,” said Mike LaFerle, Depot’s v.p. of real estate, who hopes to sell the empty space to fast-food restaurants and complementary retailers.

“We’re actively going out and seeking end-users directly, rather than developers who would seek to tie up the properties,” said LaFerle, who added that Depot has already lined up retailers for several locations in Southern California.

Real estate experts said that Depot is just doing what a large shopping center does: ring the perimeter with fast-food chains and retailers.

Another incentive is that local requirements on the number of parking spots for big-box stores have relaxed. Instead, the emphasis is now on such features as design and landscaping, to disguise stretches of asphalt.

“This is the first time I’ve heard of a big-box retailer carving out space

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The Merchant Magazine March 2010

like that, but it makes a lot of economic sense,” said Trace Johnson, v.p. of leasing at Petrovich Development, Fair Oaks, Ca. If the chain can find buyers for the parcels, the move could bring in tens of millions of much-needed dollars.

Once known for opening a new store every 48 hours, Home Depot over the past year has cancelled plans to construct 50 new stores while shuttering 15 warehouse stores and 34 Expo Design Centers.

Hardwood Decking Specialist Launches Online Store

Advantage Trim & Lumber Co. has launched an online hardwood decking store, initially specializing in standard, pre-grooved, and T&G ipé.

Accessing www.advantagelumber. com, customers can select their desired species and profile with sizes up to 23 ft. for most dimensions.

Orders are processed immediately, including calculation of UPS or direct freight costs.

In time, the site will offer every species of lumber, flooring, and decking stocked by Advantage.

All international wholesale orders

are handled from Advantage’s administrative offices in Sarasota, Fl. Orders are shipped around the world from milling facilities in Grover, N.C., and Buffalo, N.Y.

Denim Insulation Introduced

Fiberwood LLC, Sacramento, Ca., hopes to begin selling its new sprayon insulation—made from recycled paper and cotton fibers—this spring.

Fiberwood, which makes landscaping mulch from recycled paper and rice straw, will supply the recycled paper content. The Soex Group USA will supply the denim-based fiber from its recycling and manufacturing plant in Fresno, Ca. “When you’re in the manufacturing business, your No. 1 priority is to identify sourcing,” said Stuart Douglass, Fiberwood president, who hopes to patent his insulation formula.

Advanced Home Energy, Richmond, Ca., will be the exclusive distributor in the Bay Area.

Fire Strikes Trumark Facility

A Feb. 25 fire damaged a framedin office area at Trumark Industries’ mothballed mill in Spokane, Wa. “The building is essentially vacant, although they have been remodeling,”

Building-Products.com

said fire battalion chief Steve Sabo. “It appeared the whole thing was going when we got here. It took us about 45 minutes to get it under control.”

The facility has been closed since record snowfall caused the roof to collapse last year. Damage estimates were not available.

Canfor Cautious with Restarts

Despite higher U.S. lumber prices and growing demand for its wood in China, Canfor won’t be restarting its four shuttered B.C. sawmills any time soon.

“We are not going to be in a rush to start up a mill because the market has spiked as it has right now,” said president Jim Shepard. “We would have to see sustainable recovery in the markets before we would entertain any starting up of any of our operations.”

Canfor’s 2009 shipments to China were up 40% over 2008, and now represent 7-8% of the company’s total lumber production. “The market in China is now starting to recognize the advantageous qualities of SFP lumber,” said Shepard.

Bitter Store Owners Sue Ace

Investors who own three Ace Hardware “Vision 21” stores in Illinois have filed a lawsuit against the co-op, claiming that the larger stores failed to produce promised profits.

Stores included in the lawsuit are Silvis Ace Hardware, Silvis; Hilltop Ace Hardware, Rock Island, and

Village Ace Hardware, Champaign.

The first two stores opened in 2006 and closed earlier this year. The phone was recently disconnected at the Champaign store, which opened in 2007.

The plaintiffs allege that Ace Hardware Corp., Oak Brook, Il., induced them to invest millions of dollars to purchase land and construct and stock the new stores—which were designed to compete with larger home improvement stores such as Home Depot, Menards, and Lowe’s.

According to the lawsuit, Ace promised that it had tested and proven the concept and the new stores would Building-Products.com

generate positive cash flows in the first year. The co-op also allegedly told the investors that if they built three or four stores at once and continued with dozens along the Interstate 74 corridor and the Quad-City area, they could make tens of millions of dollars.

The plaintiffs claim they repeatedly notified Ace about the poor performance of their franchises and demanded assistance, but the corporation “turned a deaf ear” and demanded they pay back the money it had advanced to them.

The lawsuit further alleges that at the time Ace was selling franchises to them, it was trying to convert from an owner-cooperative to a privately held corporation with intent to offer public stock.

The plaintiffs argue that Ace was trying to increase sales of both franchises and inventory to enhance the likelihood of a public offering.

In addition to naming Ace Hardware as a defendant, the lawsuit also names two men who sold Ace franchises, as well as several directors and vice presidents of Ace.

Old World Craftsmanship In Today’s Designs

Tru-Dry Timbers Geo. M. Huff Lumber Company has teamed up with Forest Grove Lumber to become the exclusive Southern California stocking distributor of Tru-Dry Timbers.

All FGL Tru-Dry timbers are dried in “HeatWave USA’s RFV” kilns, which use clean, renewable energy and have zero emissions.

Tru-Dry timbers are dried completely and evenly throughout so you won’t experience the sticky problems often encountered with beams that are not dried to the core.

Combine our selection of Douglas fir timbers along with our skilled milling staff and you’ve got one of the best resources in Southern California.

HUFF LUMBER COMPANY SANTA FE SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

800-347-4833

March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

33

FAMILY Business

By Christopher Eckrich

Family perks: Benefit or boondoggle?

E

VEN IN GOOD ECONOMIC TIMES ,

perks can be a sensitive issue, raising the eyebrows of employees who feel equally committed to the success of the business.

In challenging economic times, and in an era of cost-cutting and employee reductions, perks can create great bitterness among employees who see family members as abusing their positions within the business. Clearly, a healthy dialogue among family owners and/or managers can help the family think through the impact of these perks and determine if their current policy needs a revamp.

Examples of normal perks include cars for family employees, club mem-

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The Merchant Magazine March 2010

berships, and use of company credit cards. Most families are quiet about perks not afforded to non-family employees. In the current economic environment, when hardworking employees see family employees using corporate dollars for what appear to be personal expenses, they often feel a sense of injustice.

A thoughtful client recently stated that when thinking about perks, the primary question should be, “How will this impact the business?� So often, families are focused internally on the subject of perks, exploring whether perks are distributed fairly throughout the family. In light of the challenges involved with motivating

an employee workforce during a time of cutbacks, families would do well to consider not only the broader impact that their perks have on the organization, but also the trust level between employees and the owning family.

While there are many instances in which certain perks are legal, families are cautioned from letting feelings of entitlement blur their sensitivity to the detrimental effects on employees’ morale and their trust in family management if those practices are seen as abusive and unfair.

Examining the Perks Policy

Here are signals to the family that the perks policy may need attention:

Building-Products.com

• There is tension between family members over the business perks given to family employees who work in the business. Frequently, those who do not work in the business will be sensitive to a lack of fairness, particularly when a family member in the business receives a perk that is not given to other employees. This implies that the perk is based only on the person’s family status.

If it is determined that family status is the primary motivator, then it is a clear message to those family members not in the business that they are not of the same status, and this causes tension for the family. When this issue surfaces, it is a good time to review the purposes and motivations behind the perks.

• Non-family employees are verbalizing frustration about certain family perks that may be taken. In our experience, this discontent is frequently voiced about a specific person who may not be performing well within the business. Rather than disregard the concern as being an inappropriate statement on the part of the employee, care should be taken to make sure there is a sound basis for the perk being taken.

• A family perk is justified because of the low compensation paid to family members working in the business.

Nothing stirs up more distress than family employees being paid at a discount rate because they are family.

Our experience shows that paying market rates is generally seen as the most fair and appropriate compensation practice, and doing so often makes it unnecessary for certain perks to be used as a balancing mechanism.

• You have not checked to make sure that the perk is legally solid, according to your CPA. Many families take perks as an ownership or management benefit without an awareness of the legal implications of the practice. Ask your CPA if there are any concerns about the perks that family members receive. If the answer is yes, the matter should be addressed immediately.

Credit cards and gas cards for family employees are common perks. Does the person’s position require that he or she hold a credit card or a gas card in order to perform their job, and does the business have a clear policy on whether personal expenses need to be reimbursed? It is important to give care and attention to these and other situations that might exist within your perks policy.

Perks are a source of conflict and tension, not only among family groups but also between different stakeholders in the business. A healthy dialogue among owners about appropriate perks

TRIM

FASCIA

and the policies that govern them can help reduce and avoid conflict in the family enterprise. It might also motivate your employees to a greater sense of commitment knowing that you care about the health of the business as much as they do.

– Christopher Eckrich is a principal of the Family Business Consulting Group, Marietta, Ga.; (800) 551-0633. He can be reached at eckrich@efamilybusiness.com.

Reprinted with permission from The Family Business Advisor, a copyrighted publication of Family Enterprise Publishers. No portion of this article may be reproduced without permission of Family Enterprise Publishers.

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Keeping a Healthy Dialogue

Perks are tricky issues, and the family business unit needs to consider many scenarios. Is it appropriate to have company employees, vendors or suppliers do work on a shareholder’s personal home? What are the expectations for payment for those services?

Is there a discount? Is it free?

Building-Products.com

1. 866. F S C . W O O D March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

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IN Memoriam Arthur Kroonenberg, 80, retired third-generation co-owner of Kroonenberg Lumber, Denver, Co., died Feb. 5 from heart problems.

Mr. Kroonenberg had worked in the family business, which was started by his grandfather after he emigrated to the U.S. from Holland.

After serving with the U.S. Army in Korea, he and his brother ran the business. In 1972, a second yard was

built in Berthoud, Co., and the whole company was sold in 1998.

Donald Gustav “Gus” Allen, 70, No. Ca.-based lumber hauler, died Jan. 30 in Crescent City, Ca. A native of Minnesota, he moved to California in 1954 and two years later began driving a truck for Del Norte Box. He also hauled for Standard Veneer, McNamara & Peep,

Simonson’s Lumber, B&R Sawmills, South Coast Lumber Co., Snoozie Shavings, and Simpson Timber Co. In the late 1960s, he formed DG Allen Trucking, Crescent City, later renaming it Gus Allen Trucking, and operated it until his passing.

Holland C. “Bo” Bowden, 76, owner of Bowden Lumber & Hardware and Bowden Cabinet, Twentynine Palms, Ca., died Feb. 11 in Palm Springs, Ca. He opened the two LBM businesses after he started his own construction company in 1980. He retired for health reasons in the 1990s.

Clifford Maxwell Bryden, 93, retired logging supervisor for Roseburg Lumber, Roseburg, Or., died Jan. 28 in Roseburg.

After graduating from Yale with a master’s degree in forestry, he joined Roseburg in 1954. He retired in 1979.

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Two thieves stole three boxes of items from a Home Depot in Sacramento, Ca., on Feb. 23, and one escaped by pulling a pair of pliers on store security guards.

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Bayoneta was detained by store security, but Cervantes allegedly escaped in a vehicle after brandishing a pair of pliers. He was later arrested in his room in a nearby hotel, where police also found illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia.

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The Merchant Magazine March 2010

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NEW Products

Eco-Friendly Studs

Produced from recycled resin, EcoStuds from Superior Polymer furr out block or poured concrete walls.

The studs reportedly do not rot, rust, corrode, or support mold or termites. They can be used with all types of insulation, and provide a thermal break when attached directly to exterior concrete or block.

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Sleek Aluminum Rails

Aluminum deck rails are now available from Universal Forest Products.

Their sleek profile is powder-coated white or black, and is compatible with all Deckorators baluster styles. Post sleeves, stair rail bracket kits, angled brackets, and matching post caps are also available.

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March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

37

Flexible Wood Insulation

Steicoflex flexible cavity insulation reportedly absorbs sounds and ensures optimum humidity and temperature levels throughout the year.

The product is made from wood harvested from FSC-certified forests, has an R-value per inch of 3.8, and expands to fit adjoining components. It also allows water vapor to pass from inside to the outside and prevents thermal bridges.

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Bamboo Decking

Decking from SunDeck Americas is manufactured from fast-growing, environmentally friendly bamboo.

Patented lamination technology and a non-toxic adhesive are used to create boards in widths of 3.54” to 7.9” and lengths of up to 32’.

The decking can be stained any color, then topped with an eco-friendly coating.

SUNDECKAMERICAS.COM (586) 786-0140

One Mississippi...

Two Mississippi...

Lag screws are old news. The self-tapping GRK RSS is a serious structural screw.

It’s a high torque, high tensile, high-tech wonder. It bores through wood with ease and greatly reduces the risk of splitting.

Its revolutionary design also eliminates the need for washers. In the time it takes

Done. ©2008 GRK Fasteners

38

The Merchant Magazine March 2010

to put in a drill bit, you could be done.

THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO, CANADA 800/263-0463 - GRKFASTENERS.COM

Building-Products.com

Laminate Flooring

Chelsea Park laminate flooring from Bruce features Lock&Fold technology for quicker installation.

Each 5� plank has an AC3 wear surface for easy cleaning and resistance to stains, fading, or wearthrough. A Magnum HDF core resists surface spills or moisture from the subfloor.

BRUCE.COM

(800) 233-3823

Building-Products.com

Exotic Hardwood Decking

Batu Decking is the latest addition to Nova USA Wood Products’ line of exotic hardwood products.

Also known as membatu, red balau and mangaris, batu wood is known for its hardness, beauty and natural durability.

Planks are offered in a full range of sizes, as well as tongue and groove porch flooring and trimboards.

NOVAUSAWOOD.COM (416) 483-0351

March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

39

Remanufacturing and Wholesale Distribution of High Quality North American Softwoods

Stronger Screws Easy Cedar Shingles

Superior

®

Brand siding 100% useable STK Sidings & Trim Exclusively Produced and Distributed by Lausmann Lumber

White cedar shingles from SBC feature an embossed nail line for easy installation.

Each factory-stained shingle is graded on both sides and has a minimum width of 3-1/6”.

SBCCEDAR.COM (418) 594-6201

Strong-Drive structural connector screws are designed, tested, and approved for use with Simpson Strong-Tie’s more popular connectors.

In tight spaces and overhead applications, screws are easier to install than nails. Each screw has a corrosion-resistant galvanized coating so it can be used in both interior and most exterior applications.

STRONGTIE.COM (800) 999-5099

PANELCRAFTERS A Division of

La zy S Lu m b e r

Now distributing PanelCrafters Cedar Knotty Plywood

Protect Your Hands

Stocking Distributor of Quality Redwood produced by Agwood

WRC • SPF • Pine/ESLP • Ipé • Redwood • WRC FJ • Specialty Sidings 3370 Rippey Rd., Loomis, CA 95650

1-800-626-1233

www.lausmannlumber.com

40

The Merchant Magazine March 2010

Wells Lamont has introduced three new work gloves.

The Ultimate work glove is made of washable leather and has OverWrap fingertip construction to reduce seam feel and wear.

The Blistor Armor glove is made of synthetic leather, with a Liquicell liquid-filled membrane on the top of the palm and thumb to reduce friction, hot spots, and hand fatigue.

The Sweat Ban glove with DRI20 is made from a special fabric that wicks sweat and moisture away from the hands.

WELLSLAMONT.COM (800) 323-2830

Side of Barn Is a Hit

Teton Windswept finished trim and siding replicates the natural texture and patina of aged and weathered wooden barns.

All products are factory finished with low-VOC Olympic coatings with SunBlock UV protection for long-lasting colors: barn grey, cowboy brown, homestead brown, prairie brown, and wagon red.

Available species include ESLPP, SPF, cedar, aspen and fir, in most standard panel and siding patterns and sizes.

TETONWEST.COM (888) 308-3866

Building-Products.com

Drier Deck Joists

DryJoistEZ deck drainage system from Wahoo Decks provides a sustainable alternative to traditional wood deck joists, while adding a waterproof ceiling for areas under the deck.

The two-component, marine-grade aluminum planks can span 6’ post to post on a single span and 8’ post to post on a multi-span—eliminating the need for 12” or 16” on center wood joists.

WAHOODECKS.COM (877) 270-9387

Sealed Forever

Seal-Once from New Image Coatings waterproofs wood and composite decking without solvents, petroleum distillates, or other harmful chemicals.

UV-stable, the coating protects against mold, mildew, cracking, splitting and warping.

SEAL-ONCE.COM (603) 669-8786

Green Lubricant

A professional-grade, vegetable-based lubricant from LubriMatic offers quadruple the lubricating qualities of conventional petroleumbased products.

LubriMagic reduces heat, friction, and wear.

LUBRIMATICGREEN.COM (800) 545-1689

Building-Products.com

March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

41

LA HARDWOOD CLUB Photos by Steve Ondich/Walter Ralston

LOS ANGELES HARDWOOD Lumberman’s Club gathered for its annual pool tournament

Feb. 11 at Danny K’s, Orange, Ca. [1] Jim Von Tellop, Charles Bohnhoff. [2] Randy Stricklin,

Alan Arbiso. [3] Phil Sarris, Bill Burns. [4] Craig Smith, Randy Lambert, Walt Maas, Bruce Jauman. [5] Paul Pendergast, Nathan Osborne. [6] Robert Mitchell, Garrison Cox. [7] Steve Ondich, Charley Fiala.

[8] Joe Canale, Marty Fox. [9] Christa Bohnhoff, Dale Bohannon. [10] Dennis Johnston, Jim Gaither, Dan Bohannon. [11] Walter Ralston, Charley James.

[12] Randy Lambert, Matt Barrass.

VAN ARSDALE-HARRIS LUMBER CO. 595 Tunnel Ave., San Francisco, CA 94134 • 415-467-8711 • Fax 415-467-8144

www.vanarsdaleharris.com

Since 1888

Specialists in upper grades of clear, dry softwoods

Douglas Fir C & Better V/G & F/G Kiln Dried Full Sawn Rough • 1", 5/4", 2", 3", 4", 6" & 8x8 • 3x6 DF Select Dex Double T&G Decking Sugar Pine • 4/4 -16/4 C & Btr. • 5/4 & 8/4 D Select • 6/4 & 8/4 Mldg. • 5/4 #1 Shop • 5/4 x 12 #2 Common • 4x4 #2 Common Ponderosa Pine • 4/4 Clears, Moulding, #3 Clear, Commons • 2x4, 2x6, 2x12 Std. & Btr. Dimension Western Red Cedar Clear V/G & F/G Full Sawn Rough • 1", 5/4", 2" Kiln Dried • 3", 4", 6" Air Dried Timbers Alaskan Yellow Cedar C & Btr. Kiln Dried Rough • 4/4, 8/4 Poplar, FAS • 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 8/4, 12/4 Sitka Spruce B & Btr. V/G Kiln Dried Rough • 4/4, 8/4 Honduras Mahogany, FAS Pattern Grade • 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 8/4, 10/4, 12/4, 16/4

Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber, Inc. Pressure Treated Forest Products Alkaline Copper Quat (ACQ) and Borates Custom Treating Selected Inventory Available

P.O. Box 673 • 3150 Taylor Drive • Ukiah, Ca. 95482 Phone 707-468-0141 • Fax 707-468-0660 Gene Pietila

Sales for Coast Wood Preserving

42

The Merchant Magazine March 2010

Building-Products.com

ASSOCIATION Update Lumber Association of California & Nevada is staging its annual PAC golf tournament April 15 at Black Gold Golf Club, Yorba Linda, Ca. Its annual Dealers-Associates golf tourney is set for June 3 at Rancho Solano, Fairfield, Ca. Wood dust has been added to the Proposition 65 list by the California office of Environmental Health Hazards Assessment. To help members comply with new regulations, LACN is offering Prop 65 signs warning that “wood dust is carcinogenic to humans.”

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association has rescheduled the Colorado WOOD Council’s bowling tournament for April 18 at Bowl-ero Lanes, Lakewood, Co. MSLBMDA is co-sponsoring a slew of webinars throughout the spring, covering e-commerce March 23, accidents & emergency procedures March 25, first aid training March 25 and April 22, OSHA inspection procedures April 22, May 11, and May 20, and tools & machinery safety June 8 and June 17.

ProBuild, Sandpoint, Id.; Tom Rider, Plywood Supply, Kenmore, Wa.; Stuart Dutton, Sliters Ace, Somers, Mt.; Tim Compton, ProBuild, Meridian, Id.; Bart Morfin, Lake Chelan Building Supply, Manson, Wa., and Dana Cowart, ProBuild, Gig Harbor, Wa.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club will donate proceeds of its upcoming Don Gregson Memorial Golf Tournament to the City of Hope, Temperate Forest Foundation, and Wounded Warrior Project.

The 3rd annual event is set for April 23 at the San Dimas Canyon Golf Club, San Dimas, Ca. North American Wholesale Lumber Association will hold regional meetings April 6 at Portland

Golf Club, Portland, Or., and April 8 at Vancouver Club, Vancouver, B.C.

Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Association has selected the DoubleTree Paradise Valley Resort, Scottsdale, Az., for its annual spring conference May 23-25.

HPVA has published the 44th edition of Where to Buy Hardwood Plywood, Veneer & Engineered Hardwood Flooring Buyers’ Guide & Membership Directory. Copies are free, plus $7.50 shipping/handling.

National Hardwood Lumber Association offers a two-part leadership, management and development program just once every three years.

The next session is April 11-14 in Memphis, Tn., and May 10-13 in Washington, D.C.

Western Building Material Association installed Kelly Fox, Dunn Lumber, Seattle, Wa., as new president of its Young Westerners Club during the sub-group’s recent conference in Eugene, Or. Other new YWC officers are v.p.

A.J. Burkhard, Thomas Building Center, Sequim, Wa., and secretarytreasurer Blake Montgomery, Boise Building Materials, Woodinville, Wa. New trustees are Jason Coleman,

We turn natural resources into natural advantages.

Get the right lumber for the right job.

Gemini Forest Products Industrial Lumber Specialists Los Alamitos, CA .- Redding, CA .- Pseudotsuga taxifolia

Building-Products.com

Gemini Forest Products

March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

43

CLASSIFIED Marketplace Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word min.). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy or headline, $9 per line. Border, $9. Private box, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if art furnished “camera-ready” (advertiser sets the type), $65 if we set the type.

Send ad to Fax 949-852-0231 or dkoenig@ building-products.com. For more info, call (949) 852-1990. Make checks payable to Cutler Publishing. Deadline: 18th of previous month.

To reply to ads with private box numbers, send correspondence to box number shown, c/o BPD. Names of advertisers using a box number cannot be released.

HELP WANTED

Are you interested in success and growth?

Boise Cascade’s Building Materials Distribution (BMD) may be the place for you.

While our company, like everyone in our industry, has been affected by the downturn in the housing market, we’ve stuck with our basic strategy; remained committed to our customers, suppliers, and employees, and continued to invest in our growth and success.

Our future is solid and bright. Our strategy is to grow in existing markets and expand to new markets. In order to accomplish these objectives, we are looking to strengthen our team. We will do this in two ways: First, we will continue to provide resources and opportunities so existing employees can grow and be successful; and second, we are interested in attracting and hiring new people to help us grow in all aspects of our operations in sales, management, operations, purchasing, etc.

If you are interested in joining our team, visit our website at www.bc.com/careers to learn more about our company and current job openings.

If you’d like to learn more, please contact us by faxing or emailing your interest to 208331-5886 or BMDHR@BoiseBuilding.com.

We’d like to hear from you!

LUMBER TRADER We are a wholesale lumber company looking for an experienced trader. Any species. No restrictions on mills or customers. No relocation. 60% split for trader. Call John at Lakeside Lumber at (623) 566-7100 or email lakesidelumber@cox.net.

Breaking News for Dealers, Wholesalers & Manufacturers– Updated Daily

HELP WANTED

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAN FERNANDO VALLEY COMMISSION SALESPERSON: The right motivated salesperson will flourish with our very generous commission plan and methods. Not all distributors are the same: there is a difference! Let’s talk. Our goal is to expand market share in the greater Los Angeles area. A salary-plus-bonus plan will get you off the ground, and we offer a generous benefits package. Primarily telephone sales to Southern California customers. The right person will be a reliable self-starter with a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. Lumber or plywood sales experience with excellent English communication skills.

INSIDE SALES/ORDER DESK: We are looking for a very reliable, hard working team player for Counter Sales and order fulfillment, and to deliver superior customer service to Cash-and-Carry customers. The position is hourly with bonuses, plus a generous benefits package with excellent potential for growth and development. Are you a friendly people-person and upbeat with a positive attitude? Experience in lumber and plywood, building materials, or hardware is a huge advantage. Excellent English is required, bi-lingual Spanish preferred.

Send your resume Attn: Box 715, to dkoenig@building-products.com or c/o The Merchant Magazine, 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660.

INDEPENDENT, FAMILY-OWNED company seeking an outside salesperson who is a real closer to work California’s Central Valley.

Someone with an existing customer base is prefered. Contact Mike White, (831) 431-0295, Big Creek Lumber.

FOR SALE

CARPENTER PENCILS

7,000 at 16¢ each

The Merchant Magazine March 2010

Help Wanted

Ads in the April 2010 Issue of The Merchant Our goal is to connect as many industry job hunters with industry jobs as possible.

If your company has an open position, we will give you up to a $50 credit for a Help Wanted ad in next month’s April issue, which is one of our most-read issues of the year. Since the regular rate is $1.20 per word, ads up to 40 words are absolutely free.

Deadline: We must receive your text no later than March 25.

Fax 949-852-0231 or email dkoenig@building-products.com.

There are a lot of good people looking for a new opportunity.

Together, let’s try to get them back to work as soon as possible.

NAIL APRONS

L.I.INDUSTRIES

44

Free

1,000 at 89¢ each PRINTED WITH YOUR LOGO

Check out the completely redesigned www.building-products.com

Let’s Get Our Industry Back to Work!

800-526-6465

FAX 718-793-4316 apronaz@aol.com www.apronsupply.com

The

MERCHANT Magazine

Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 dkoenig@building-products.com

Building-Products.com

DATE Book

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

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – March 11-12, products expo, Denver Merchandise Mart, Denver, Co.; (800) 365-0919; www.mslbmda.org.

Remodeling Shows – March 12-14, Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Or., and Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center, Tacoma, Wa.; (800) 374-6463; www.homecentershow.com.

International Home & Housewares Show – March 14-16, McCormick Place, Chicago, Il.; www.housewares.org.

National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – March 15-17, legislative conference & green building forum, Marriott, Washington, D.C.; (800) 634-8645; www.dealer.org.

Wood Resources International – March 15-17, global wood fiber conference, Sao Paulo, Brazil; www.pulpwoodconference.com.

Window & Door Manufacturers Association – March 15-18, legislative conference, Washington, D.C.; (800) 223-2301; www. nwwda.org.

True Value Co. – March 19-21, spring market, McCormick Place, Chicago, Il.; (773) 695-5000; www.truevalue.com.

Remodeling & Decorating Show – March 20-21, O.C. Fairgrounds, Costa Mesa, Ca.; (818) 557-2950; www.thehomeshow.com.

National Wood Flooring Association – March 22-25, annual conference & wood flooring expo, Gaylord National, Washington, D.C.; (800) 422-4556; www.nwfa.org.

WoodWorks – March 23, Building Science for Commercial Wood Structures seminar, Embasssy Suites LAX, El Segundo, Ca.; www.woodworks.org.

Moulding & Millwork Producers Association – March 23-27, winter business meeting, Monterey Plaza Hotel, Monterey, Ca.; (800) 550-7889; www.wmmpa.com.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – April 17, day at the races, Santa Anita Racetrack, Arcadia, Ca.; (626) 445-8556.

Remodeling & Decorating Show – April 17-18, Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, Ca.; (818) 557-2950; www.thehomeshow.com.

American Hardware Manufacturers Association – April 18-21, hardlines technology forum, Renaissance Hotel, Schaumburg, Il.; (847) 605-1025; www.ahma.org.

Transload Distribution Association – April 19-20, annual conference, DoubleTree, San Antonio, Tx.; (503) 656-4282; www.transload.org.

Structural Insulated Panel Association – April 19-22, annual conference, Chicago, Il.; (253) 858-7472; www.sips.org.

Forest Products Society – April 20-22, Smallwood conference, Hot Springs, Ar.; (608) 231-1361; www.forestprod.org.

Woodworking Machinery Industry Assn. – April 21-24, conference, Monterey, Ca.; (410) 931-8100; www.wmia.org.

Portland Hoo-Hoo Club – April 23, spring initiation & social, Hayden’s Grill, Tualatin, Or.; (503) 675-0040.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – April 23, Don Gregson Memorial Golf Tournament, San Dimas Golf Course, San Dimas, Ca.; (760) 324-0842; www.hoohoo117.org.

West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau – April 23, annual meeting, Portland, Or.; (503) 639-0651; www.wclib.org.

Remodeling & Decorating Show – April 23-25, South Town Expo Center, Sandy, Ut.; (818) 571-9012.

Material Handling Industry of America – April 26-29, annual expo, I-X Center, Cleveland, Oh.; (704) 676-1190; www.mhia.org.

International Wood Products Association – April 28-30, annual convention, Eden Roc Hotel, Miami Beach, Fl.; (703) 820-6696; www.iwpawood.org.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – March 24-26, spring conference, Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans, La.; (800) 527-8258; www.nawla.org.

Washington Contract Loggers Assn. – March 25-26, annual conference, Grand Mound, Wa.; (800) 422-0074; www.loggers.com.

Redwood Region Logging Conference – March 25-27, Redwood Empire Fairgrounds, Ukiah, Ca.; (707) 443-4091; www.rrlc.net.

Ace Hardware Corp. – March 25-28, spring market, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, La.; (630) 990-7662; www.acehardware.com.

American Institute of Timber Construction – March 29-30, technical advisory committee meeting, Las Vegas, Nv.; (303) 7929559; www.aitc-glulam.org.

International Wood Composites Symposium & Technical Workshop – March 29-31, Red Lion Hotel, Seattle, Wa.; (509) 3352262; www.woodsymposium.wsu.edu.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – April 6, regional meetings, Portland, Or.; April 8, Vancouver, B.C.; (800) 5278258; www.nawla.org.

International Log Builders Association – April 8-11, annual conference, Prescott Resort & Conference Center, Prescott, Az.; (250) 547-8776; www.logassociation.org.

National Paint & Coatings Association – April 13-15, annual meeting & technical conference, Charlotte, N.C.; (202) 462-6272.

Lumber Association of California & Nevada – April 15, golf tournament, Black Gold Golf Course, Yorba Linda, Ca.; (800) 2664344; www.lumberassociation.org.

National Kitchen & Bath Association – April 16-18, annual conference & show, McCormick Place, Chicago, Il.; (800) 843-6522; www.nkba.org.

Building-Products.com

March 2010 The Merchant Magazine

45

IDEA File

With swimming pools aplenty in its desert surroundings, Ace Hardware, Maricopa, Az., has always stocked cleaning and maintenance supplies. Yet the dealer is really hoping to make a splash when it opens a full service, seven-day-a-week pool supply store within its existing hardware store.

“We have had a pool section for years now, but it seems each year the section just continued to grow,” says co-owner Tom Bechtel. Now, “we are going to have repair parts, water testing chemicals, toys and outdoor living items. This is a store within a store.”

He hopes that the shop’s higher visibility and convenience will increase business in the main store, as well.

“Our whole slogan is ‘Get In, Get Out, And Get On With Your Day,’” Bechtel elaborates. “This store just further supports that statement.”

Bechtel recruited two professionals from the pool industry and has started to cross-train other workers from the hardware store. “The people running this store are experts in their craft,” he says.

Services to be offered include water testing, supply sales, and equipment repair. “Typical pool stores have relatively short hours and are not open on Sundays,” Bechtel notes. “Our pool store will be open seven days a week, the same hours as the Ace Hardware store.”

Although an official grand opening is set for this month, the pool store hosted a “soft opening” during February, utilizing its own check-out counter.

Diving In

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

Advantage Trim & Lumber [www.advantagelumber.com] .......................25 Anfinson Lumber Sales [www.anfinson.com] ...........................................45

Bear Forest Products [www.bearfp.com]...................................................37 Building Material Distributors [www.bmdusa.com] ..................................19

Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber......................................................................42

California Redwood Association [www.calredwood.org]...........................9 California Redwood Co., The [www.californiaredwoodco.com] ................3 California Timberline......................................................................................4

Capital [www.capital-lumber.com] .....................................................Cover I Compass Lumber Products Inc. [www.compasslumber.com] ................36 Fasco America [www.fascoamerica.com]..................................................34

Fiberon LLC [www.fiberondecking.com] ....................................................5

Fletcher Wood Solutions [www.tenonusa.com]........................................35

Fontana Wholesale Lumber [www.fontanawholesalelumber.com] .........41

Fred C. Holmes Lumber Co. ........................................................................26

Gemini Forest Products [www.geminiforest.com]....................................43 GRK Fasteners [www.grkfasteners.com]...................................................38

Hoover Treated Wood Products [www.frtw.com]......................................32 Huff Lumber Co. ...........................................................................................33

Humboldt Redwood Co..................................................................................7

Keller Lumber Co. ........................................................................................43

Lausmann Lumber [www.lausmanlumber.com] .......................................40 Lumber Products [www.lumberproducts.com] .........................................46

Mary’s River Lumber [www.marysriverlumber.com] ................................39 Norman Distribution Inc. [www.normandist.com].....................................31 Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co. [www.plmins.com]...24

Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com]....................................Cover IV Roseburg Forest Products [www.rfpco.com].............................Cover II, 19 Screw Products [www.screw-products.com] ............................................22

Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com] ................................30, Cover III Siskiyou Forest Products [www.siskiyouforestproducts.com] ...............29 Sunbelt [www.sunbeltracks.com]...............................................................41 Swanson Group Sales Co. [www.swansongroupinc.com].......................21

Thunderbolt Wood Treating [www.thunderboltwoodtreating.com].........36

Van Arsdale-Harris Lumber Co. [www.vanarsdaleharris.net] ..................42

Viance [www.treatedwood.com] .................................................................23 Western Red Cedar Lumber Association [www.wrcla.org]......................15

Wynndel Lumber [www.wynndellumber.com]...........................................27

Yakama Forest Products [www.yakama-forest.com]................................17

46

The Merchant Magazine March 2010

Building-Products.com

Drive Us

anywhere and everywhere

Fasten your tool belts. Simpson Strong-Tie has hit the accelerator with its offering of high-performance fasteners. Our new and extensive line of premium stainless-steel screws and nails offer corrosion resistance and a long life span from frame to finish. Our Quik Drive® collated screws are designed for many different applications, including roofs, subfloors and decks. And our selection of structural fasteners continues to increase with our new Strong-Drive® SD structural-connector screws and stainless-steel SDS screws. For the most complete line of fasteners that you can quickly drive anywhere and everywhere, make sure you stock Simpson Strong-Tie. To see all of our innovative fastener solutions, visit www.strongtie.com/fasten or call 800-999-5099.

© 2010 Simpson

Strong-Tie Company Inc. FASTEN10-D

The

MERCHANT

Magazine