The Merchant May 2020

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THE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1922

DECKING & RAILING SPECIAL ISSUE • STRENGTHENING YOUR WORKFORCE • WORDS OF HOPE

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CONTENTS

May 2020 Volume 99 n Number 5

Stay connected between issues with www.building-products.com

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Special Focus

Features

33 NAWLA SPECIAL SECTION

10 FEATURE STORY

NORTH AMERICAN WHOLESALE LUMBER ASSOCIATION PROVIDES A PRIMER ON HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR ENTIRE WORKFORCE, FROM NEW HIRE TO

Departments

14 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

WHY THE SUBSTRUCTURE IS THE MOST CRITICAL PART OF ANY DECK

16 MARGIN BUILDERS The

MERCHANT

USE THIS AGE-OLD TOOL TO SELL HARDWOOD DECKING

MAY 2020

Magazine

THE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM SUPPLY CHAIN — SINCE 1922

DECKING & RAILING SPECIAL ISSUE • STRENGTHENING YOUR WORKFORCE • WORDS OF HOPE

PINING FOR A PURPOSE

4/29/2020 7:36:40 AM

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52 MOVERS & SHAKERS 58 NEW PRODUCTS 68 IN MEMORIAM 69 ADVERTISERS INDEX 70 FLASHBACK

64 WORDS OF HOPE

The Official Publication of

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22 SELL WITH KAHLE

24 TRANSFORMING TEAMS 30 THINKING AHEAD

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20 OLSEN ON SALES

68 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE

WHAT TO DO WHEN COVID-19 COMES TO YOUR WORKPLACE

The Merchant Magazine Digital Edition at www.building-products.com

8 ACROSS THE BOARD

18 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

IDAHO DEALER STAYS PROACTIVE

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INFILL OPTIONS FOR EXTERIOR RAILINGS: COMPARING CABLE, GLASS, BAR, MESH

SEASONED VET ON UP TO TOP EXEC

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ACROSS the Board

By Patrick Adams

A revaluation of life F in my publishing career, things are moving so quickly that need to start every article destined for print with as of this date.... ’ve grown old enough now that can say that life moves much quicker than it used to and with two young children, the pace is almost immeasurable. ut almost overnight it seems, the entire planet has changed. or the first time in human history, it may be possible that every person on arth is thinking the same thing.

When will it end Will catch it and if so will die Can keep my family safe Will we have a business or job when this is over Will toilet paper ever come back into stock This weekend was at home with my family and it struck me that this was not unique. All across the world, people were home with their families. A good friend who is a local police o cer had commented to me that crime is almost non-existent right now. s it that even the bad guys are afraid of catching the virus or is it more that everyone is more focused on family, safety and getting through this As humans, we are closer to universal now than perhaps any time since the dawn of man. es, there is still huge disparity in standards of living, healthcare and access to basic means. ut for the first time in a long time, Americans, and the world are sitting down to the dinner table every night as a family and giving thanks for basic things like health, food and loved ones. ntire families are going for walks and playing in the yard. ather than exotic birthday parties that cost thousands, kids are getting what can be made at home and celebrating with close family. oy now takes form as you walk into a grocery store and find milk and eggs for your family.

Through this process, we are rediscovering what truly matters to us. saw something posted the other day that struck me: n the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to. Perhaps this is more akin to a global revaluation of life as it was, and what it might be moving forward. The virus will end very soon and all of this will be behind us. ut, they say that it takes days to create a new habit. wonder what our new habits will be id this time teach us anything about what is truly valuable Will these new habits stick, or slowly fade away to be replaced by those old things that we once thought were valuable t’s ironic that just a month or two ago wrote about how challenging it is for me to teach things like gratitude and being humble to two young children who have never

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gone without. Now two months later, they are going without many things they used to do and ’m not sure we’ve ever been this happy as a family. very night’s dinner prayer weighs heavily with thanks and requests of health, safety and happiness that have taken on a new reality. neaten portions of food are saved, and savored as left overs for a future meal. riends are not what’s listed on social media, but rather those who send a text as simple as, ’m at the store and they have eggs, do you need any am keenly aware of the blessings in my life, before and especially now. know that if or my family were sick now, my view would be di erent. f we had lost our business or healthcare, my perspective would be focused on other things. ut, am thankful in this time that perhaps have made a revaluation of my life and what truly brings happiness.

The virus will end soon. The economic and social impact will also end and this will be behind us. do hope however that there will be lasting memory of how fragile all of this that we have is, how much we have in common with the world and just how grateful you can be from something as simple as family dinner, and health, and true friends. n the meantime, we are blessed with the support of an ama ing industry. We have shifted all of our resources toward serving this industry and each of you through these challenging times. Times like this are not about rate sheets or contracts. Although we are deemed essential businesses, none of us have survived as long as we have by taking things lightly. et us know how we can help you in these times so that we may all celebrate better times together Take care of yourselves, your family, and your team.

Patrick S. Adams Publisher President mediagroup.com Building-Products.com

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FEATURE Story

By David Koenig

Infill insight A closer look at cable, glass, bar and mesh railings ’ seemingly unquenchable desire to add style and open up views, deck railing manufacturers are now o ering a wide range

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of infill options light years beyond the plain wooden balusters of old.

The Merchant Magazine asked experts in the hottest infill categories—

cable, glass, bar and mesh—to share the advantages, intricacies and future potential of each.

Is cable rail most commonly sold in premanufactured panels, as a ready-to-assemble kit that includes rails and cable, or separately as infill? Is it stocked in standard widths/lengths or made to order?

Cable railing is primarily sold in kits or assemblies in stockable, predetermined lengths that are typically field-trimmable. t can also be sold with loose fittings and bulk spools of cable for ultimate field flexibility, and made-to-order to meet customer provided specifications and dimensions.

CABLE RAILING Brad Adsit, director of product development, Feeney, Inc.

What’s the major attraction of

cable railing?

Cable railing is an attractive, low-profile infill material that lets homeowners enjoy their view with minimal visual disruption. t has a contemporary, streamlined look that complements a wide range of architectural styles, making it a versatile railing option. n addition, it can be very easy

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to install, is manufactured from highly durable and recyclable materials, and requires minimal maintenance.

What railing materials are typically used for cable railing?

Cable railing can be installed in metal frames—including aluminum, steel and stainless steel—or in wood or composite wrapped wood frames.

May 2020

Is cable railing typically installed with special tools or techniques?

There are a variety of available cable railing fittings, ranging from very easy to moderately complex to install. Specially designed tension fittings and quick-connect fittings can simplify installation. n general, the most popular cable rail assemblies can be installed with basic carpentry tools.

What does the future hold?

We believe cable railing is here to stay as an architectural staple in the market, due to its timeless design, elegant appearance, ease of installation, durability and recyclable content, relative to other railing infill options. omeowners want to be able to optimi e their view, and cable railing makes that possible in a functional, aesthetically pleasing way.

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to install, and that is simply not the case. After most installations, customers typically remark how much easier the glass is to install than originally anticipated. f the project is well planned and the measurements are accurate, installing glass railing is easier than building the deck itself. f you can do trim work, you can install glass railing. A miter saw, a level, and an impact driver are typically all the tools needed. A good manufacturer will supply detailed installation instructions in both video and written formats.

GLASS RAILING TJ Jacobs, glass project manager, Viewrail

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hat’s the major attraction of glass railing? lass provides a solid and secure barrier for decks and railings that most infill does not. lass, after all, is transparent, and the attachment devices are small and discreet, leaving a solid wall of protection and an unobstructed view.

owner define the type of glass and the selection of fastening system.

Are they typically installed with special tools or techniques?

There seems to be a stigma that glass is especially difficult or tricky

What does the future hold for exterior glass railings? n fact, residential glass railing is just now starting to accelerate. etal railings have been considered the modern railing for the past five to years. The market is just now becoming aware of glass railing as a viable option.

That being said, we are seeing a large increase in demand for our frame-less glass railing. These railing systems provide the cleanest view, and often the easiest installation.

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What railing materials are combined with the glass panels?

The most common structural metals are stainless steel or aluminum, but we also find that some people prefer wood posts. or the panels themselves, tempered or laminated glass is typical.

The main drivers are the clients’ aesthetic value and the existing condition of the deck.

Are glass panels frequently stocked in standard widths or are they always made to order?

The vast majority of glass panels are made to order primarily because scoring and cutting glass on a jobsite is not an easy task. t’s critical that each glass panel is cut to the precise si e required because, unlike wood or cable or stainless steel rod infill materials, there’s very limited flexibility on the jobsite.

Is special glass or treatment required? n short, no. ocal building codes and the preference of the building Building-Products.com

BAR RAILING Kevin Harris, director-sales & marketing, AGS Stainless

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hat’s the major attraction of bar railing?

Today, many homeowners are looking to minimi e obstruction of the area

surrounding their deck. ar rail is the perfect choice to achieve that goal. istorically, the most common

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material used for railing is wood, and the most common infill material has been wood pickets, which can be rather hard to see through. sing glass panels for the railing infill is a popular choice because it will open up the view from your deck however, glass traditionally requires a significant amount of cleaning to keep it looking good.

Cable and bar rail o er the homeowner a nice alternative to glass rail, and they have really grown in popularity. While both cable and bar rail minimi e obstruction of the surrounding area, bar rail is typically viewed as a more elegant look than cable. With bar rail, the homeowner can also eliminate the periodic re-tensioning of the runs that cable rail systems require.

Is bar railing available as both in-fill kits and as premanufactured panels? Are they frequently stocked in standard widths or are they more often made to order?

A bar rail system for your home can be purchased online, bought from a retailer, or they can be custom-designed for your home and then fabricated by a metal fabricator who’s local to you or prefabricated all cutting and welding is done o site by a national railing manufacturer. epending on the manufacturer you choose, this railing style is available in panels or as individual system components. They are typically stocked in standard widths, but custom si ing is available.

What materials are typically used to produce the bars?

The most common materials used for bar rail are carbon steel usually painted or galvani ed , aluminum usually powder-coated , and stainless steel typically a brushed, satin finish .

Is bar railing typically installed with special tools or techniques?

Where bar rail is sold as a kit you may choose to handle the installation yourself. or example, with kits you will typically need to cut some of the system components to the cor-

rect length. The tools you may need would be: A drill, drill bit, combination wrench, level, box knife, measuring tape, hex nut driver, impact wrench, painters tape and an -wrench. f you choose to have your bar rail system custom-designed and produced by a local metal fabricator, the fabricator will handle the installation. f you choose to have your bar rail system custom-designed and then prefabricated, the manufacturer will ship the railing to you ready-to-be-installed with just a few simple hand tools.

What does the future hold for bar railing?

The future for bar rail is bright.

Principia Consulting predicts that the market for deck and railing products will continue to grow as consumers have shown an increased appetite for higher-end deck and railing products. ar rail offers consumers a clean, beautiful look that is more elegant than cable and requires less ongoing maintenance.

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Wire mesh is typically welded or woven steel wire however, it can also be produced using stainless steel and aluminum.

Are mesh railing panels frequently stocked in standard widths or are they more often made to order?

Pre-designed panels are typically made in stock at local lumberyards in conventional railing si es x and x . Agricultural panels which are only galvani ed are normally x and require a tremendous amount of work to have them project ready

MESH RAILING Craig Smalley, product specialist, Wild Hog Railing

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hat’s the major attraction of mesh railing?

Number one, visibility. Consumers want to enjoy their view, and not have it obstructed by bulky balusters.

Number two, cost. ecause of the relatively low linear foot cost of wire

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mesh and the ease of install, it has become the go-to infill product What materials are typically used to produce the mesh and what type of railing materials do they typically fill?

May 2020

Are the panels typically installed with special tools or techniques?

What’s great about wire mesh panels is the amount of customi ation and creativity that can be used in using the panel. or railing the most typical install is picture framing the panel in place or using an aluminum track system.

What does the future hold for metal mesh railings? think the future is really exciting for wire mesh. t continues to be a hot design item and because of its versatility on all types of applications, see wire mesh having a longer life cycle than other railing products.

Building-Products.com

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PRODUCT Spotlight

By ThinkWood

Why the substructure is the most critical part of any deck Posts are then anchored into the concrete to provide a solid, strong structure on which you can build your deck.

Ledger boards are sturdy pieces of lumber that are used to attach the deck to the frame of the house. These boards must be attached to a solid structure. Some structures to avoid are brick veneers, overhangs, chimneys or bay windows.

Joists are pieces of wood that are used to support the framework of the deck as well. A general rule of thumb: the larger the deck, the larger the joists.

2. What makes for a sound substructure?

PRESSURE TREATED wood is the typical choice for the often overlooked but most important elements of any deck: the footings, posts, ledger boards, and joists. (Photos by Think Wood)

think of a deck, they often picture the exterior design and visible elements—railings, floor boards, and aesthetics of natural wood. ut, the most important part of any deck is the part that isn’t seen: its substructure. A deck’s substructure provides the framework that holds up the deck. t includes everything beneath the floorboards and railings that keeps a deck strong and safe.

To help you understand just how critical the substructure is, some common questions are addressed below.

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1. What are the components of a deck substructure?

A deck’s substructure is made up of footings, posts, ledger boards and joists.

Footings provide the foundation for the deck. To build the footing, you start by pouring concrete deep enough into the ground that it goes below the frost line the maximum depth of ground below which soil does not free e in winter .

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There are a few critical items to keep in mind when building a deck substructure. irstly, builders should always make sure they are following their local building codes.

That’ll ensure they do things like make sure the footings are deep enough into the ground to provide su cient support and that the posts on top of the footings are spaced out correctly. Typically, posts are about feet apart, but it’s also worth checking with the American Wood Council CA guidelines, because everyone’s deck is di erent. epending on the area, builders can take extra precautions against water damage by applying an ice and water shield product that will protect the timbers from moisture, water or ice damage. lashing, the metal guard that directs water away from sensitive areas, will help protect the deck from water damage as well.

3. What type of wood is needed to build a substructure?

Pressure treated lumber is best for the substructure. ake sure to use the correct category of treated lumber— it’s got to be rated for ground contact. earn about the proper use categories at www.awpa.com.

According to the North American etail ardware Association, pressure treated lumber is the go-to choice for your deck substructure, and what contractors overwhelmingly use. This is due to its load-bearing strength and a ordability.

Building-Products.com

A few final tips for your deck building customers

eck builders should keep these things in mind: When it comes to joists, the bigger, the better. So suggest a si e up if it is in their budget. f a span table or calculator shows they need x joists, perhaps o er x . nstall ledger boards with structural screws rather than nailing them to the house. This is a common mistake among builders. Nails will not o er the support a deck needs, so they must invest in screws with high torque and strength. et a building permit. n doing so, they’ll be forced to go through the same process as a professional builder and will therefore have to get all the details right before building your deck’s framework.

When in doubt, ask a professional. ven homeowners who consider themselves gurus should not hesitate to ask a professional contractor’s advice, as it will help in the end.

WHAT’S UNDERNEATH the deck counts just as much as what’s on top.

Since it’s difficult to rebuild the substructure once it is constructed, build it correctly the first time around.

While this may sound like a daunting task, so long as they take into account the AWC CA guidelines, their local building codes, and ask a pro when necessary—they’ll have all the right tools in their toolbox, so to speak – Think Wood promotes the economic, environmental and societal benefits of using softwood lumber in commercial, community and non-residential building applications (www.thinkwood.com).

The program is primarily funded by the Softwood Lumber Board.

Building-Products.com

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MARGIN Builders

By David Koenig

Hard Test

Decking Species Western Red Cedar Eastern White Pine Redwood Incense Cedar Hemlock Cypress Chestnut

Use the Janka Scale to sell hardwood decking

Alaskan Yellow Cedar Red Alder Port Orford Cedar

to the right wood decking depends on what they place the greatest priority on— durability, price, aesthetics or ease of installation. ou can use a centuryold test as a tool to tell and sell the di erence.

The anka ardness Scale is commonly used in the hardwood flooring industry to measure species’ density to determine which are best suited for use as flooring. t can be equally handy for decking. nvented by Austrian researcher abriel anka in , the anka method of measuring hardness starts with embedding a small steel ball into wood, until the ball reaches halfway of its . diameter, noting the poundsforce lbf required. or example, walnut has a anka rating of , meaning it took , lbs. of force to embed the steel ball halfway into the sample piece of walnut.

The higher the anka rating, the denser the wood and, therefore, the more dent-, scratch- and wearresistant it will be. n cases where wear resistance is most important, such as for commercial boardwalks, suggest a high-density species like ipe. eep in mind, however, that extreme hardness won’t appeal to every deck buyer and deck builder. n fact, sometimes high density is a negative selling point, since higher anka-rated species are typically more di cult to nail, screw, sand and saw.

Some of the most common wood species used for decking—southern pine, ouglas fir, and western red cedar—all rate low on the anka scale, but are easy to work with. espite its advanced age, the anka scale remains a valuable sales tool.

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Larch Douglas Fir Shortleaf SYP Sycamore Honduran Mahogany Longleaf SYP Paper Birch Black Cherry Sakura Teak Black Walnut Cocobolo Carbonized Bamboo Yellow Birch Red Oak (Northern) American Beech White Ash White Oak Natural Bamboo Hard/Sugar Maple Sapele/Sapelli Zebrawood Wenge Garapa Locust Rosewood Hickory Pecan Merbau Jarrah Cameron Bubinga Tigerwood Mesquite Brazilian Cherry/Jatoba Brazilian Mahogany Bloodwood Angelim Pedra Brazilian Redwood Cumaru/Brazilian Teak Ipe/Brazilian Walnut

Janka Hardness Rating 350 380 450 470 500 510 540 580 590 590 590 660 690 770 800 870 910 950 995 1000 1010 1136 1180 1260 1290 1300 1320 1360 1380 1450 1510 1575 1630 1650 1700 1780 1820 1820 1840 1910 1940 1980 2160 2345

Janka Hardness Scale

2690 2697 2900 3040 3190 3540 3684

Janka Hardness Scale

May 2020

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COMPETITIVE Intelligence

By Carla Waldemar

Proactive by choice f you build it story. Select Source, of imberly, d. pop. , , has reali ed a double-digit gain in sales every single year since it debuted in .

And recession-battered , as the owners remind us, was not an auspicious year to launch a business. ive two guys a lot of credit, then. irst, ance odfrey, a painter and son of a painter who’d always wanted to own a hardware home improvement store, so he built one from scratch in imberly, which had been without one since a former outfit went out of business in the early s.

Second, ance’s young son, organ, who joined his dad early on in the enterprise sans a resume in the industry, just like his father and by brains and brawn had earned the title of retail manager by .

Select Source’s contractor customers represent close to of its sales in imberly, which serves as a bedroom community to rapidly-growing Twin alls, d. ance foresaw a future in supplying these pros with drywall and rolled an operation in Twin alls into his new store. ood move: We do sell a lot of drywall for the town’s new homes, his son reports.

The company also added a line of synthetic stucco, after ance, the former painter, got a call from Total Wall just as Sherwin Williams got rid of its line of the product , asking if he’d consider becoming the area’s new stucco rep.

Our drywall line was doing well, but the new stucco line even eclipsed the drywall sales, organ testifies. The two niches represent over half of Select Source’s revenue.

Stucco, explains organ, is a very unique avenue. t requires a lot of attention to detail—just like matching paint

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IDAHO DEALER actively seeks to find out from its customers what else it can supply and how it can do its job better.

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colors. And consistency. So many of our customers were doing it incorrectly that we created a showroom for them, showcasing colors and textures. made a wall of how-to’s for doors, windows and rooflines, showing what they were supposed to do.

Nonetheless, those double-digit sales hikes have never been a cakewalk. organ’s biggest frustration is that the town’s support has been gradual, he reports. The doors have been open for years, but he still hears never knew you were here Word of mouth is starting to change that, plus marketing by fliers in the mail. People are finally recogni ing that we’re a good company we’re now getting repeat retail customers. And, as organ emphasi es, we have products in stock for them today, rather than having to wait for an Ama on delivery. xpansion was key. We remodeled in and went from , sq. ft. to , sq. ft. by opening a hole in the wall. t allowed us to expand some categories and o er more power tools. Now we’re looking at opening a warehouse.

Sales are way up, but organ’s not one to nap on the job. To keep up, you’ve got to add new products. Or not, he adds. aybe shrink. et rid of what doesn’t sell, and expand good departments with yet more product, better selection, things the community expects. or instance, in drywall, we carry everything you’d ever want. ut— fireplaces aybe not. ou’ve got to pick and choose.

We’re constantly doing what’s right. ou’ve got to be proactive, not reactive in this business. eactive is a bad thing and what we ourselves were doing when first came on . Now, we prepare for the future—have enough products so we don’t get yelled at.

Why do contractors like dealing with Select Source Well, we focus really hard on taking care of them, giving excellent service though our prices may not be the best .

We provide the consistency they’re looking for—with stucco, for instance, you can’t have a bucket of one color, the next a little di erent color and the next, di erent again.

Plus, we o er organi ation: All their orders from past years are saved so they can match the color if they need to.

The drywall guys like us for the same reason: consistency. And we’re transparent with our prices they know where they’re at. We carry everything they need: ou can come in for an oddball item and we’ve got it. One-stop shopping.

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FATHER-AND-SON co-owners Morgan and Lance Godfrey built their business from scratch.

Walk-ins are just as well-served. or instance A farmer needs his tractor fixed, and we’re on top of it: We get him in and out. We let them know that they’re our top priority. mployees are top priority, too. ut that wasn’t always the situation. Turnover was high. iring was hapha ard.

When first starting here, organ looks back, we’d just hire anybody and then leave it to them to figure things out.

We needed to address this, and worked hard at it. wrote a policy handbook so they’d know what to expect, and initiated employee training, which included having a new hire connect with a veteran sta er to gain skills. started monthly employee meetings, which include a training segment. esult: sales and satisfaction both rocketed.

Nowadays, the whole crew gets along there’s not a lot of pressure. They work really well together. And we’re not like some businesses where the owner never shows up the guys see me all over the place. scrub the bathroom floor, same as them.

What look for in a hire are two things. One, personality, enthusiasm. Working good with my group. A team player. And two, they’ve also got to fit on my bus. or instance, ’ve already got good color matchers, good eyes, attention to detail, so ’m not hiring for that. ut do need

a good accountant when ours retires. used to hire anybody breathing, but now let them know what ’m looking for, and don’t hire him if there’s not a slot for him in the business. The last thing you need, he cautions, is someone without a purpose.

Without a purpose organ would never occupy that niche, not in a million years. ardware is so awesome he declares. work in one of the best industries in the world love the opportunity to communicate with people, with our contractors—the same , guys. ou chat, you grow relationships. ou talk about problems. And with the er, you’ve got a wonderful diversity. t’s fun to fix their problems and weird requests. t’s fun, also, to figure out improvements and new ways to do things—like lighting selections, where the market’s changing and you need to stay on top of it.

At the end of the day, it’s all about my employees, organ is convinced. know that for a fact, that this is not a one-man show. delegate—and my folks are good at stepping up . organ was honored this past year as one of the North American etail ardware Association’s oung etailers of the ear, which only served to reinforce his passion. veryone involved was so sharing, so willing to help. f, for instance, you talked about working on an employee manual, they’d say, ere Take mine ’ Or if mentioned ’m doing this .,’ they’d pitch in with Well, have you also thought about this emme help you.’ organ walks that kind of talk all around town in imberly. We help our fellow businesses because think live in the best community on earth, and want to do anything can to make it better. e joined the imberly usiness Owners Association and took over coordination of members’ advertising to render it more cost-e ective. e also advocated its gift certificate program to boost local shipping. oes this dynamo ever take time off from work Well, sure. e has a hobby: visit other stores all the time And ’m constantly evaluating, Are they pro-active or re-active ’ asy to guess where his sympathies lie.

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OLSEN on Sales

By James Olsen

Top-down selling there is a goer and a stopper. f you are in a relationship you know who you are. There is always the person who is saying, et’s go for it and the other who is saying, et’s think about it. n sales, we are the goer. We the sellers are the ang in our in- ang relationship with our customers. or some of us, this is natural, for others we will have to push ourselves to fulfill this role. ost sellers have only a vague idea how much their customers are buying. aster Sellers find out by asking Once we find out how much our customers are buying, we need to promote to their maximum need. any sellers are merely selling their accounts. They are taking what the account gives them. The aster Seller’s goal is to dominate read: sell the most to, if not all they buy to their accounts. We want to turn our accounts into bad, no buy accounts for other sellers. very time our competitors call, O account says, Sorry, don’t need anything right now. This is the ultimate competitive advantage.

Top-down selling is the way to achieve this goal.

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Top-Down Selling

We know our customer is buying ten trucks of studs per month. Whether they buy from us on each call or not, we are talking to them about their inventory turns and those ten trucks of studs on every call. We promote their total upcoming need every time we call them. any sellers are calling with just one item and only one of that item on each call.

The aster Seller calls with the maximum usage on every call. The fallback position from one is ero the fallback position from is nine, then eight, then seven, etc.

Our closing percentage is based on how many times we ask for the order. When we promote the maximum and sell down from there, we give ourselves multiple opportunities to close. Our last sentence will be, Okay, well let’s at least put on one for insurance.

Anchoring

n negotiation there is an old adage, Whoever throws out the first number loses. This is not true. f the person who throws out the first number throws out a number that is high enough, with confidence, and moves down from there, he will win. Starting with one and moving up feels like, Would you like to spend some money, more money, or even more money Our customers are emotional beings. ow we make them feel during the sales process is the di erence between aster Sellers and the rest. Anchoring a higher number, whether it is price or volume, is the way to get our customers to commit to more.

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The sales process doesn’t start until the customer says no. ost sellers try to give the lowest number up front. They leave themselves with no room to negotiate. They leave no room for the customer to win by getting a better deal. aster Sellers want to be high. f the customer takes their first o er, they know they have left money on the table aster Sellers are comfortable with the negotiation process.

They know they can negotiate and win.

Apartment Buildings or Houses?

Selling one or selling takes the same amount of work and expertise. sold an account for years. or the first five, promoted one at a time on every call. sold the account one at a time. or the next five years promoted two to five at a time. sold two to five. or the last five years promoted blocks of on every call. id sell the account on every call No, but did sell blocks of every four to six weeks. still got the onesy-twosy, threesy-fivesy orders, but the blocks of turned them into my best account. id the account change No. y approach changed.

When started promoting volume, they started buying volume. Our accounts can’t and won’t do our job for us. We are the ang. They are taking what we are promoting to them.

We find out how much our accounts can and will buy, and promote the maximum volume to them on every call.

James Olsen eality Sales Training james realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com

SELLING WITH Kahle

By Dave Kahle

Sales managers’ most common mistake , sales managers are the essential bridge between the company’s sales goals and the reali ation of those goals. The gritty day-to-day interactions between the salespeople and their customers are frequently filtered through the perspective of the sales manager on their way up the ladder. The aspirations and strategies of the company’s management must be imprinted by the realism of the sales manager as they come down from above.

Sales managers are the conductors who carefully orchestrate the entanglement of the salespeople with management. t’s an incredibly important and difficult job. nfortunately, it is often the most under-trained job in the entire organi ation. nstead of providing information on the best practices and processes of the job, most companies hope their sales managers will have learned enough during their days as a field sales person to provide some roadmap as to how to do this job well.

Alas, only a small percentage of untrained sales managers ever really figure it out, arriving by trial and error and after hours of study at the best practices of an e ective sales manager. The overwhelming majority find themselves caught up in the urgencies of the moment, the tempting details of all the transactions, and the continuing onslaught of crises, and are never able to set in place a systematic blueprint for their success.

The net result ew salespeople are e ectively managed. All parties—executive management, sales manager, and salespeople—bounce from one frustration to another.

Company objectives are met frequently by happenstance, sales people are not developed to their fullest potential and sales managers lurch from one crisis to another.

Certain common mistakes often arise out of this unhealthy situation, chief among them: lack of an organi ed training and development system. No profession in the world expects the serious practitioners of that profession to figure it out by themselves. uite the contrary. very profession has determined some minimal acceptable course of study, and typically has some event which signals the entry into that profession. t is for this reason that teachers, Ts and ministers are licensed, and why attorneys must pass the bar exam, accountants must pass their certification exam, etc. nfortunately, that is rarely true of salespeople. n only the leading companies is there some required course of study for entry level salespeople, and some event which signifies the successful completion of that study and their

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entry into the profession. To even think this way is so outside of the reality of most sales managers that can almost hear half of the readers of this article snickering over their co ee. Some standard for allowing people into the job ncredible thought. ut if you don’t insist on it, you’ll continue to labor with a hit-or-miss sales force where every hire is ultimately a shot in the dark.

No profession in the world expects that, once someone has become qualified to enter the profession, they then no longer need to invest in their own development. And every profession has expectations of the practitioners’ regular need to systematically improve himself or herself. Can you imagine a teacher who never attends an in-service training A nurse who never invests in continuing development A minister who never goes back to school A doctor who never attends a conference ven if such lackadaisical professionals could keep their jobs, you would not want them to have anything to do with your family. ou would never put your health in the hands of a doctor who hadn’t updated himself since med school. ou would not want your children taught by the teacher who hadn’t learned anything since graduation. ou would never put your lawsuit in the hands of an attorney who had never bothered to keep current. The examples can go on and on. ut you get the idea. Professionals who don’t regularly invest in their own development are relegated to the dregs of the market.

So, why is it that the overwhelming majority of sales managers do not require regular and systematic involvement in continuous development events for their charges t may be that they don’t see their salespeople or themselves as professionals. Or, it may be that they have never thought about it that way. egardless of the reason, the reality of this malady is that the quality of the sales force is not nearly what it could be, if only the sales managers required some minimum standard for their entry-level people, and then regular and continuous development of those who were on the inside.

The wise sales manager will assemble a system for the education and development of his salespeople.

Address this miscue and you’ll be well on your way to outstanding success in sales management.

– Dave Kahle is a sales consultant, presenter author of 12 books, including ow to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime (www. davekahle.com).

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TRANSFORMING Teams

By Paige McAllister

What to do when COVID-19 comes to your workplace of coronavirus cases growing exponentially across the country, most companies can expect to have at least one of their employees diagnosed with COV - , if they haven’t already. y establishing and communicating clear expectations and procedures now, you will help your employees know what to do to stay healthy and what to do if someone becomes sick.

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If an employee is sick outside of work, require them to stay home.

If an employee arrives at work with symptoms, including a fever, send them home immediately.

Common symptoms of COV - are fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of smell or taste, and or gastrointestinal issues. mployees with a combination of these symptoms should contact their personal health care provider and, if possible, use the C C’s Self Checker. equire documentation from the employee’s health care provider whenever possible, including leave time needed and release back to work. f they can get tested, request the results as soon as possible.

Advise employees they must stay at home until they are fever-free for hours without medication and at least seven days from the onset of symptoms, and or until given a release to work by their health care provider.

Q. It is Q: We have an employee whose daughter tested positive for COVID-19. Her daughter is now feeling better and my employee would like to come back to work, but I want to make sure she is not carrying the virus. What do you advise?

A. That’s wonderful news that her daughter is fully recovered. That said, your employee could still have acquired COVID-19 and may not be showing symptoms yet.

The CDC states that, to be safe, an employee should be quarantined for 14 days from the date of exposure to ensure she isn’t infected and contagious. I would check with your daughter’s doctor to determine the date when she would no longer be contagious. The CDC recommends two negative COVID-19 tests taken no less than 24 hours apart to confirm an individual is no longer contagious. The best bet is to start your employee’s 14 day quarantine from the estimated date that the employee’s daughter was last contagious. If possible, have her work at home in the meantime and wear protective gear (masks, gloves) when in public. As always, keep checking the CDC site as their recommendations are changing as they learn more about the virus. Stay healthy!

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Provide employees leave paid or unpaid as required under amilies irst Coronavirus elief Act, state paid time o and disability laws, and your company policies.

If an employee with symptoms and/or having been diagnosed with COVID-19 has worked recently: Notify other employees as soon as you know of a possibility of exposure do not wait for a confirmed test result, which may never come. nform employees, especially those who had regular and sustained contact.

Advise employees of where the sick employee was and on what date so they can determine their risk of exposure and, if necessary, self-quarantine for days to see if they exhibit symptoms. ou must keep the sick employee’s confidentiality, but you can state: We have been notified that an employee who worked in our facility xxx department etc. on date has symptoms of has been diagnosed with is being tested for COV - .

We are taking the proper precautions and will notify you of any updates as they become available. Anyone who displays symptoms and who may have had regular and sustained contact in this area at the same time should contact title of contact immediately.

If the sick employee was in the workplace within seven days: Close o areas used by the sick person open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area for at least hours or as long as possible.

Clean and disinfect all areas used by the sick person, such as o ces, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment like tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote Building-Products.com

controls, and AT machines.

When cleaning an area where a sick employee was: Wear disposable gloves and gowns for all tasks in the cleaning process, including handling trash. loves and gowns should be removed carefully to avoid contamination of the wearer and the surrounding area.

Wash hands often with soap and water for seconds immediately after removing gloves and after contact with a sick employee. f it has been more than seven days since the sick person visited or used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary, but continue routine cleaning and disinfection. ollow the same protocols if you learn that a sick vendor or customer recently visited your workplace.

Practice prevention now to minimize possible spread of germs through contact with sick employees, vendors, and customers later. ncourage employees to wash their hands and use hand saniti er regularly and to avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth.

Observe social distancing, avoiding close contact with other employees, customers, and vendors. maintain at least feet of distance at all times hold meetings in open-door, open-air rooms allow employees to work remotely when possible provide for staggered schedules or minimi e employees in the workplace at the same time limit or restrict business travel implement video conferencing when possible close common areas such as break rooms and lunch rooms require employees to eat at their desks, outside or in their vehicles limit number of people in the restroom at one time and prohibit scheduled or impromptu gatherings or minimi e number with a gathered group to allow room for proper distancing. egularly clean and disinfect surfaces with company-provided products: Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily.

This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks. se gloves when cleaning. f surfaces are dirty, clean them using detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection. Clean soft surfaces such as carpeted floors, rugs, and drapes using soap and water or with cleaners appropriate for use on those surfaces. isinfect with an PA-registered disinfectant or use alcohol-based wipes or sprays containing at least alcohol and dry surface thoroughly.

Prohibit unnecessary visitors until further notice. esignate open area for necessary visitors including vendors, delivery people, or customers. Post notifications of procedures to be followed by vendors, customers, visitors, or delivery people.

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Preservative Maker Backs Off Plan to Produce Penta

SUPPLIER Briefs

Weeks after announcing it would begin production of the industrial wood preservative pentachlorophenol, ulbrandsen Chemicals has scrapped the proposed expansion at its Orangeburg, S.C., facility. ulbrandsen backed off after state environmental o cials said they could not promise a timely permitting process. The company hoped to meet demand for the preservative after - ermuth—currently the only North American producer—ceases production of penta at the end of next year (see April, page 22).

Treaters that use penta, most commonly on utility poles, are once again in limbo and likely will have to begin evaluating alternative chemicals.

BuildersMax, Anaheim and Riverside, Ca., is now distributing Nova USA Wood Products’ line of hardwood decking, siding and accessories throughout California, Arizona and Nevada.

Weyerhaeuser Finalizes Sale of Montana Timberlands

CertainTeed Gypsum shuttered its Cody, Wy., gypsum wallboard plant April 3, eliminating 50 jobs. Parent SaintGobain reportedly has the facility up for sale.

Weyerhaeuser Co., Seattle, Wa., has completed the sale of its , acres of ontana timberlands to Southern Pine Plantations for approximately million in cash.

The sale of our ontana timberlands is part of our ongoing e ort to strategically optimi e our timberland portfolio, said evin W. Stockfish, president and chief executive o cer of Weyerhaeuser. want to thank the employees of the ontana timberlands team for continuing to operate safely throughout this process, and for their contributions to Weyerhaeuser over the years.

The sale, announced in ecember, will not a ect the company’s three manufacturing facilities in ontana.

Prescott Valley Alliance LLC is planning to build Alliance Home Improvement Center, a 35,000-sq.

ft. hardware store and lumberyard on four acres in Prescott Valley, Az.

Chino Lumber & Hardware, Chino, Ca., has closed after 48 years, primarily due to “the increasing difficulty of operating a business under the ever-changing laws of California.”

Kebony announced that, due to fortuitous pre-ordering, it has ample radiata pine in inventory to fill orders for thermally modified wood decking and cladding at least into the summer.

Umpqua Valley Lumber Association has been forced to cancel this summer’s 2020 UVLA Customer Appreciation event.

Correction: Bell Lumber & Pole Co., Minneapolis, Mn., did not acquire AmeriTies West (April, p. 49), but rather signed an agreement for the Oregon facility to custom treat poles from its western peeling operations.

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JOIN THE SUCCESS IN 2020

What keeps you in this industry?

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DEMAND FOR partitions may be here to stay.

Panel Users Buying Partitions

With businesses suddenly forced to install transparent partitions, panel distributor oyal Plywood, Cerritos, Ca., recently added AcryClear general purpose acrylics to its wares.

The x sheets— . , . and mm thick—have traditionally been used in

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applications such as thermoforming, baths, hot tubs, signage and food shields. Virtually overnight, demand has skyrocketed for snee e guards and partitions, particularly at grocery stores, banks and hospitals.

COV has already changed the way we do life and business, said oyal Plywood president ana in . t has caused us to rethink the way we design and interact with others. This will not be a temporary situation either with many designers and fabricators already expressing the need for a permanent solutions once consumers and employees re-enter the market.

Aristech AcryClear continuous cast acrylics reportedly o er improved superior scratch, chemical and V resistance. ab testing showed the products yellow exponentially more slowly than polycarbonate and extruded acrylics. oyal Plywood has sold Aristech Surfaces’ Avonite solid surfaces, wall panels, sinks and bowls, but just added the AcryClear line. t distributes in California, Nevada and Oregon.

Forklift Engineers Create Medical Device to Save Lives

rish material handling equipment maker Combilift has drawn on its expertise in engineering and software de-

May 2020

COMBILIFT has devised a splitter that turns one ventilator into multiple ventilation stations.

sign to develop the Combi-Ventilate, a splitter device that turns one ventilator into multiple ventilation stations. esigned to address the requirements of medical professionals in the current Covidemergency, the device was developed in five weeks by a team of mechatronic and software engineers. A unit is currently undergoing laboratory tests at oyal College of Surgeon’s in eaumont ospital.

Certain countries and cities are struggling to get enough ventilators and many governments and health authorities are encouraging manufacturers to come up with a solution, said Combilift C O artin cVicar. nstead of actually developing ventilators we analy ed what is really required, as we do in our usual business models.

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THINKING Ahead

By Gavy Gosal, Western Forest Products

Ohhh, SNAP!

the lumber industry, a couple of years shy of my th birthday, through a weird evolution of events.

The dynamics actually remind me of a game played as part of the ground crew at Air Canada. With a fourdays-on four-days-o schedule, my team members and put our own spin on the game SNAP to decide where to spend our free time. The first pair of cards we matched, we simply headed to the gate corresponding with that number and caught the next flight out—just for the heck of it. uck of the draw landed us as close as small towns in ritish Columbia and as far away as Amsterdam. admit that loved the flight benefits and travel, but what was really doing working at an airline started at Air Canada part-time while studying for a sociology degree but ended up spending the better part of a decade there, with no real plan for the future.

When downsi ing and layoffs hit airlines after , found myself in a new round of SNAP , job edition. This time, the cards randomly pointed toward insurance. had no background in the sector, but carved out a -year managerial career anyway. Again, just for the heck of it. While was successful, never really felt like the insurance business was for me—it didn’t match who was as a person.

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Pining for a Purpose

The next change came when, as luck would have it, a family member introduced me to the owner of a local western red cedar sawmill. confessed my reservations about the job ’d been doing for years, and when he started telling me about his industry, something clicked.

The look on his face, the way he described his job—it all exuded something that wanted for myself: passion for my work. That conversation sparked a series of conversations with his company, Sawarne umber, about joining the small, family-run operation. And, in the end, jumped onboard ut, this time, it wasn’t just for the heck of it. nlike my last SNAP career move, a lot of deliberate thought

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went into the decision to transition into a completely new profession at age . received a great start to my lumber career with Sawarne and eventually moved on to my current sales position with Western orest Products. ’m now six years in to this business, and ’ve never had any regret. ’ve gotten so much out of this industry: passion for the products, passion for the people work with, passion for the genuine nature of the business, and passion for the T ST that defines it. t’s one of those industries where you can still close a million-dollar deal with a handshake. guess we don’t handshake anymore maybe now it’s going to be a fist bump ut what ’m saying is that there’s honor in it, and that’s something that really spoke to me. t was less about what was selling and more about whether kept my commitment. found all of that, and more, in lumber.

The inherent nature of the industry has changed me for the better, for instance, making me a more organi ed, confident, and flexible person. The one thing that you can count on in this business is that everything’s not going to go as planned. n insurance, knew what each day was going to look like. ut in lumber, it’s always a di erent day. ou have to consider how to navigate a fire season, how to navigate snow storms and, now for example, how

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A Special Series from North American Wholesale Lumber Association

to navigate this situation with COV - . ou almost have to be like a arine the military branch’s mantra of mprovise, Adapt, and Overcome is very much applicable to the lumber industry. There’s always a challenge that you have to try to overcome, so you have to stay on your toes. And the thing is, you’ll want to overcome it. ecause, well, passion.

All the Feels

Working in this industry is so much more than the job description. There’s an emotional investment, too.

So, even when ’m not on the clock, wood is still a huge part of my life. So much so that even have an nstagram account cedarguy dedicated to learning more about my new profession and sharing what ’ve learned so far. find a lot of the content for that when my wife and hike and go trail running here in ritish Columbia, in the same forests that have been harvested and then replanted.

Those activities take us into the forest, as does the group joined that makes trail repairs. Often, we’re using western red cedar—a product that my company produces—to lay out the planks on walkways. There’s a lot in pride in those kind of experiences, and a feeling of connectivity.

As another example, a customer of a customer once took me on a drive to a beautiful park while was visiting Tulsa, Ok. The centerpiece was called The athering Place, an ama ing wooden structure assembled into a space designed to bring the community together.

See where we’re sitting right now my host asked. t’s gorgeous, agreed.

Well, he went on, these are the timbers that bought from you and that the city of Tulsa used to make this place.

That’s probably one of the coolest moments in my lumber career so far, but suspect there will be many more.

Looking Forward, Not Back

t took me long enough but now that ’m here, ’m not following the SNAP method any longer. ’m nowhere near done with my cedar sales role at Western orest Products, but there are always options to do more. This is such a supportive industry—from the courses o ered

by NAW A, to the customers and even competitors who want to see you succeed, to the lifelong friendships made at events such as Traders arket—so know that anything is possible.

There are so many exciting things that are yet to come in this industry, and want to be a part of it all. ou should, too. Technology, an area where lumber has lagged, is introducing new roles and new opportunities to participate in what will become a movement. The industry is also gearing up for big e orts when it comes to environmental protection, partnerships with irst Nations communities, adoption of an Ama on-style model of business, and the advent of revolutionary mass timber structures and wooden high-rise developments, just to name a few.

All can say is, oh SNAP — ’m here for it.

– Gavy Gosal is a cedar sales representative at Western Forest Products, Vancouver, B.C. (www.westernforest.com).

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

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

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CO LU M B U S ,

O H I O

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N OV E M B E R

R E G I S T E R N O W AT nawla.org

4 – 6

NAWLA ON STRENGTHENING YOUR WORKFORCE

Creating a workforce that sticks with you

By Vickie Crews-Anderson Salary. com survey, the manufacturing and distribution industry has a retention rate of , which puts it above industries such as hospitality and healthcare. That and similar studies find companies that retain motivated employees are able to reduce expenses and boost productivity and morale.

P ndustries formerly niversal orest Products has been beating the industry trend for a number of years.

The last time looked, we had an retention level, says avid rown, a southern yellow pine buyer at P ndustries. Some stay a few years and move on, but most of the people we’ve hired have stuck with us. rown attributes their success, in part, to a -week training program that follows a thoughtful screening process.

P ndustries leverages all the typical channels for seeking out new employees—career fairs at college campuses, online job boards and employee referrals—and recruits out of the corporate headquarters in rand apids, i., and its purchasing o ces in nion City, a., and Windsor, Co. We’re growing company that’s looking for people all the time. opefully we hire the right people think we have been, rown says.

We don’t specifically look for majors that align to roles. ’ve been in the industry since got out of college, but didn’t know anything about lumber at that time, and ’m still learning. Our philosophy is to hire a good quality person, with a strong work ethic, who wants to learn, is outgoing, and wants to get ahead in

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UFP’S ONBOARDING of new hires includes giving them a base of knowledge at the NAWLA Wood Basics Course.

life. We can teach everything else.

The P ndustries interview process includes phone screening, an in-person interview and the Caliper Profile test for salaried employees to assess fit in the company. f the candidate is a good match, an o er is made. We can hire in the purchasing department, sales—there is always a need, and production people who want to work in the plant and run various product lines, depending on the plant, rown explains. At this point, we ask if there is something a new hire is leaning toward if he or she would prefer to look into di erent areas. Sometimes this changes in the middle of training.

The -week training program starts on an employee’s first day, with each class typically consisting of between one and three new hires.

New hire classes are held in both the eorgia and Colorado o ces. ach employee is assigned a mentor usually a buyer , and provided with a new hire booklet that includes a detailed schedule, learning objectives or outcomes, and assignments for the duration of the program. Program participants add notes and handouts to their booklet, which can then serve as a resource for the rest of their P ndustries career.

Trainees spend a few weeks in purchasing o ce departments such as

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southern yellow pine, transportation, Canadian and West Coast lumber species, and panels, learning the essential functions and tools of each, from looking up products and creating purchase orders on the computer system to finding and booking trucks. ach week, new hires walk the yard or plant and come back with three questions for mentors, and sit in on the market calls.

The trainees are taken on a sawmill visit to see how lumber is made, from log to finished product, and given reading assignments from the Buying & Selling of Softwood Lumber & Panels and other andom engths publications.

New hires also learn what rown calls lumber math, how to figure board footage, cuts and yields, to determine pricing. Once new hires are knowledgeable with the P ndustries systems, the department they’re working in will have them call mills for quotes or assist with purchasing. sually mill sales people are given a heads-up before trainees call them, since they can be a little more timid than tenured employees. rown says, We feel the more we can teach about how the product is made and where comes from, and how it gets to you, including the di erent species and grades, before you get in sales or production world, the more you have a step up on someone just out of college. ou’re not going to be an expert in weeks when you leave the idea is to give you a taste. very riday during the -week period, each new employee is asked to write a recap of everything they’ve learned that week that is sent to his or her mentor, along with vice presidents and general managers at P ndustries plants. These recaps are a great selling tool after the

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(509) 874-1163

Yakama Forest Products 3191 Wesley Rd., White Swan, WA 98952 Fax 509-874-1162

www.yakama-forest.com

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NAWLA’S WOOD Basics Course is a four-day immersion class that includes classroom teaching as well as learning in the field, including at mills and in the forest.

program to get a permanent job. When a manager is looking to hire, and reads a recap he or she thinks is strong, that manager will call the mentor or department and ask for thoughts, and to see if that candidate is interested in and could do a good job in that manager’s area. Ninety-five percent of these trainees go into production or sales—the areas of greatest need—from there.

We do try to send all our new hires to the North American Wholesale umber Association Wood asics Course, rown says. f a new employee is in training during the same time as the course is taking place in the spring or fall, we have sent them to those classes. All have come back and said it was great.

NAW A’s Wood asics Course is a four-day immersion class, typically offered twice each year, that includes both classroom training and field operations to teach industry new hires about the entire spectrum of the forest products industry: from seed to tree, from production to sales. Classes cover all the topics relevant to success in a forest products industry firm, such as sales training, product segmentation, price cost trends, logistics transportation, and forest management operations. nstructors are recogni ed experts in their respective fields, including those from Oregon State niversity and Virginia Tech. rown notes that while theirs is a time-consuming approach to training, is expected in addition to regular responsibilities, and takes the participation of the entire o ce to ensure the success of this training program, it is appreciated by his colleagues. veryone is on board with the program. t has been very beneficial when the person starts with their new position at one of our plants. We’re years into the current program, and continue to refine it every year. t’s been pretty successful. t’s neat to see or -year-olds come through, and try to help them find their career path. t’s even better talking to them later and seeing how they’re doing. ’ve been a mentor to seven or eight people, and try to check in with them two to three times a year. ’ve got former trainees all over the country now—from lorida to California, who have established jobs and started families. ’m always here if they need anything.

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NAWLA ON STRENGTHENING YOUR WORKFORCE

Setting your workforce up for success

By Steven Rustja

W , we have three corporate goals that guide everything we do: Culture, Commitment and rowth. Our culture is to create opportunity for all our employees. We want to make sure that our customers, both internal and external, have a great customer experience, and that our sta enjoy coming to work.

We are committed to fostering a safe working environment for our employees, one where individuals are held accountable for their actions and are dedicated to continuous improvement.

We are also committed to growth: Personal, professional and sales.

These corporate goals drive all decisions the executive team makes when investing in our greatest asset, our people. t starts off the moment you are hired. Our full-time in-house trainer ensures that we have an extensive training plan in place for all new

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hires so they can be successful in their roles. Training is not always easy. Training takes time. Training takes a commitment from everyone in the organi ation to make sure that all new hires are proficient in their jobs. The time we spend onboarding ranges anywhere from a couple weeks to six months, depending on the complexity of the role. t is crucial to resist the urge to rush someone into a new position. f you take the time to train people properly, they are happier in their role and become better employees.

We don’t stop training our staff once they’ve learned their jobs.

Weston orest fosters a culture of opportunity. uring our performance reviews, we ask every employee what his or her aspirations are. t then becomes incumbent upon us to give our staff the tools to progress throughout our organi ation.

This is one area where you

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will clearly see our commitment to continuous improvement. We have people at all levels in our company going through training programs to either make them better in their current roles or to prepare them for future ones. This includes laborers hoping to become team leads, salespeople wanting to improve their results, managers wanting to become executives, and even our president wanting to hone his skills. , myself, am eagerly anticipating NAW A’s revamped xecutive anagement nstitute course at the ellogg School of anagement at Northwestern niversity in anuary . any of our staff are also very active in associations like the North American Wholesale umber Association. We currently have several people volunteering on NAW A committees. n addition, many of our sales managers also work on associations in the industries they serve. We find that doing this volunteer work pays dividends in the growth of our employees. y personal experiences as chair of the eadership Summit Committee, roup member, and a member of the NAW A board of directors have given me invaluable knowledge, experience and connections that have developed me both personally and professionally.

Training your sta for future roles means nothing if you can’t give them the opportunity to progress within the organi ation. Succession planning is not for executives looking to retire, but rather, permeates the entire organi ation. f you want to move up, you need to find and train your successor. Our employees are not fearful of training their replacement they are committed to doing so.

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This is also where we involve a bit of science. veryone who works for, or applies to, Weston orest, completes a behavioral assessment called The Predictive ndex. The Predictive ndex measures a person’s motivating drivers and needs. n addition, every role at Weston has been profiled so that we can match the right candidates to the right role. We also use this tool to identify future career paths for our employees. f, for example, we hire a laborer that exhibits the traits that would make him a successful salesperson, and he is interested in the role, we then give him the roadmap to get into sales.

Communication is also very important to our company. very manager communicates with each staff member daily, either one-on-one or with team meetings. ormal performance reviews are completed semi-annually.

Additionally, we have weekly meetings with managers from all departments to review successes, challenges and metrics from the previous week. We also hold company town hall meetings for all our sta where we share the previous-quarter results, as well as present

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the goals for the next quarter. ost people spend more time in the office than they do at home, so we want our sta to enjoy coming to work. aving a fun and safe working environment where people take pride in working is important to us. ast year, we completed a renovation of our entire office area, giving our employees just that. We added features like new lighting, workstations, computer monitors, ergonomic chairs, gourmet co ee, an exercise room and even a game room. n addition, we have added over TVs throughout the building that feature information such as birthdays, company announcements, important department dashboards, news stations, and the occasional sporting event.

We hold regular company events not only to thank our staff for their hard work, but also foster relationships and have fun. These include company barbecues, boat cruises, escape rooms, axe-throwing, and an annual holiday party where staff are encouraged to bring their significant others.

These initiatives, among others,

have allowed us to be repeat winners of Canada’s ost Admired Corporate Cultures Award. They take time, e ort and money, but they have been critical to our past successes and are vital to our future ones. Collectively they instill Weston orest’s core values in all our employees. They are: ntrepreneurial organi ation committed to continuous improvement We do what we say nspiring personal and professional growth our success is our success ore than just a place to work esults matter, but people matter more aking sure all our employees are properly trained for their roles, committed to the success of our company, willing to invest in themselves for future growth, aware of our results and corporate goals, and happy and proud to come to work ensures that Weston can live up to our tagline ou’ll love doing business with us.

– Steven Rustja is VP-trading for Weston Forest, Mississauga, Ont., and a member of the 2020 NAWLA board.

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NAWLA ON STRENGTHENING YOUR WORKFORCE

Helping your workforce navigate uncertainty

By Darcy Mercer orest City Trading roup has done an outstanding job at navigating the rapid changes brought about by COV - . was impressed by how quickly we moved and how flexible our leadership has been in providing alternate work solutions. Throughout this time of uncertainty, ’ve seen a lot of leadership best practices displayed by our C O and operating presidents that have been used as a framework for managing our group of companies. ere are some of those lessons.

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Lead by Example

rom the start, our company acted decisively and with responsibility.

On arch , .S. President onald Trump declared a state of emergency and the orest City Trading roup took notice. The decision was made that we needed to work from home— all operating companies—without a system for doing it. We needed to do it, and we needed to do it quickly.

Within a week, almost everyone from the organi ation was working from home.

Prior to this situation, a lot of restrictions were in place around working remotely, and it hadn’t yet been determined how to give staff access to the technology we needed to work from home. wasn’t able to work from home e ectively arch , but by arch , our T department had researched solutions and provided the technology so that could.

At that point, we were using oom to get everyone on board and Building-Products.com

comfortable with our new technology.

The T manager and used oom to provide training about how to access information online and in a visual way. Our company needed a platform to communicate quickly and e ciently, and it was delivered.

Maintain Your Culture

Sometimes, it’s the little things.

When we were in the o ce together, the operations team participated in a daily movie quote challenge.

We’ve continued to do that, but now we encourage participation from significant others. t’s nice because we recogni e that some people have their partners working right next to them.

We have also developed a wellness challenge aimed at encouraging people to be active for minutes each day and to be mindful about eating well-balanced, healthy meals.

This is in addition to an mployee Assistance Program AP we provide all sta with confidential counseling, legal support and other resources at no cost to employees. We make sure our people have access to o ce supplies, by sending them to their homes if needed, so they are organi ed and prepared in their work o ces.

When we first started oom, we were allowed to participate without video. Now, the video is heavily used because people are excited to see each

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other’s faces. When someone pops on video, it’s a community event, and people get very excited.

Demonstrate Flexibility

We recogni e that some of our operations team don’t have as much to do, so we’re finding small projects that we usually would never have the time to get to. This way, we’re able to use their time and skills e ectively so they feel engaged, valued and recogni ed, even if their day feels slower than a regular one.

This is part of recogni ing that the current work structure is different. There is a certain amount of uncertainty about a job if you’re not proving yourself and contributing at . We want people to work a reasonable amount, but we are not expecting them to work because their laptop is there. That would be unreasonable. To be fair, there are people whose jobs and companies are busier than ever, but most companies are not operating at full capacity right now.

We have rookies and trainees in early stages of development with our company who are finding this situation more challenging because they rely more on senior sta for support and guidance. We do special calls twice each week specifically for those in the development phase to provide them with the resources they need. We’ve found di erent ways, through online resources and oom, to continue to provide trainees with opportunities to learn and develop. We communicate

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where we’re at in the training process and let them know that we’re not slowing down. This continued training and development allows our newest employees to feel good working from home.

Communicate—A Lot

Communication has been our most important tool to navigate these uncertain times. Our organi ation’s leaders have communicated with positivity and transparency since the beginning. They’ve shared detail with us on our financial position and our capacity to weather this storm.

They’ve let us know that we are going to get through this.

They’ve also communicated the challenges ahead of us. We’ve worked together to identify the risks we have as a company and outlined a plan of how to get to a better place. t wasn’t sugar coated, it was presented as steps to manage the things that can really hurt us. Our leaders clearly believe that allowing our employees to understand the furrows means we can help in overcoming them. That turns the challenge into an opportunity where everyone is working together.

People are so tied to their jobs, and their sense of self is often tied to that. ngaging and empowering employees in problem solving allows them to be a part of the solution.

All the way from the top, they are tracking and communicating wins.

The bar is different. Our leadership communicates where we are good— recogni ing it’s not as good as

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before—and supports it as a win.

They ask people what’s new that’s happened, and people are encouraged to talk about what’s going well for them. Those are really nice things to communicate right now. We’re actively and proactively working through these times.

We also have regular daily group conversations to check in, in addition to different levels of leadership checking in with individuals to make sure they’re managing and doing O , and to see if they have concerns. We went immediately to Slack to allow everyone to interact more e ectively.

The big question right now is what our next steps look like. We’ve been honest that this is a situation that evolves every day, and we’re not in a position to communicate when people will go back to the o ce. We want to make sure first and foremost that we are taking care of everyone. We have communicated that there is no urgency or stress associated with the return to our o ces. ased on our transparent and open communications to date, we know that we have credibility with that message.

This open, transparent and engaging communication has allowed our people feel empowered and to navigate through these times of uncertainty.

– Darcy Mercer is training and development manager for Olympic Industries, Vancouver, B.C., and a 20192020 NAWLA Young Emerging Lumber Professional.

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NAWLA ON STRENGTHENING YOUR WORKFORCE

Renewing your workforce to regenerate the industry

By Scott Parker industry is just one of many that is struggling to recruit, engage and retain the talent its companies need to achieve continued growth and success. efore the current global health situation disrupted many work environments, the ureau of abor Statistics ata reported that the mining and logging, wholesale and retail trade and manufacturing industry sectors were among the ones with the greatest labor shortages, with more open jobs than people seeking work. nfortunately, the forest products industry continues to face perceptions that it is antiquated, environmentally unfriendly and lacking in diversity. t is rare that young professionals enter into it without prior knowledge of the industry through their schooling, family or colleague connections. To ensure today’s employers are able to secure the right talent to advance their firms, a new approach must be employed. n a national survey last summer of college students undergraduate and graduate commissioned by NAW A, we sought to better understand the reasons behind these misconceptions so that the association and its members could collaborate to more e ectively overcome them.

The survey asked—both at the start and the end—if the participants would be interested in a career in the wood products industry. uring the survey, those respondents were shown a series of statements about the breadth of lucrative and fulfilling careers, and the

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opportunities to develop life-long relationships with diverse and passionate practitioners. With some brief introductory information, we were able to increase those indicating yes to interest in a career in the wood products industry from at the start of the survey to at the end. After completing the survey, another indicated maybe to the same question.

One respondent said, haven’t really considered the wood industry before mainly because have always thought of it as an older industry or something from the past. owever, upon looking over that information do have to recogni e that wood is still a large part of our society and serves a large function. t is also possible that the wood industry could provide fulfilling work.

This promising data leads us to believe that, with a concerted educational outreach e ort employing a number of tactics to reach job seekers or those soon entering the labor market, we could easily improve perception and drive students to investigate career opportunities in the forest products industry. or several years, NAW A has supported the orever orest nitiative,

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a national traveling exhibit that explores how people use the forest to live, work and play in harmony. amilies who visit the exhibit can learn about sustainability, selective harvesting and everyday products made from trees. Since , more than , people had already toured the exhibit. NAW A is proud to work with other industry leaders to educate younger children about forestry so that they do not develop the perceptions we are challenged with by the time many people reach adulthood.

Now NAW A will be expanding the scope of our efforts to reach high school and college students.

This spring, NAW A will be launching a website careersinlumber. com and marketing campaign any branches. One industry. to educate and inspire young job seekers to include the lumber industry in their career search. This campaign will include advertising and educational content on new digital platforms, collaboration with educators and employers and career fair participation.

The most valuable asset of this website and campaign is the job board, where all of the available jobs in our diverse industry will listed for Building-Products.com

potential applicants. We’ll be featuring job listings that many young job seekers may not consider as part of the wood products industry, including jobs in accounting, engineering, chemistry, T, architecture, material design, furnishings, aviation, automotive and other novel job types. The website also features educational videos, how got here stories from NAW A members about their path to a lumber industry job and other related articles showcasing technology and innovation within the industry.

When the campaign launches to job seekers, we want to make sure any available positions at forest products industry companies are listed. We’ll be featuring some of the more unexpected jobs to gain attention before the brief attention span of most job seekers evaporates. or the remainder of , NAW A members will receive an unlimited number of basic postings on the job board, and non-members can post for a nominal fee. y creating this central hub of industry job postings, you are not only filling vacancies at

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your firms with open-minded young professionals, you are helping to support efforts to do so across the industry.

With those job posts, you are encouraged to add to each listing that your post is NAW A approved. ou can also help ensure the success of this campaign by following any branches. One industry on acebook, Twitter, inked n and nstagram, and encouraging others to do the same. n the coming weeks and months, NAW A will also be providing any branches. One industry campaign in a box materials industry firms can use at upcoming tradeshows to help us spread the word and exponentially increase the reach of our campaign. eaturing brochures and leave-behind materials, this kit makes it easy for you to dispel common misconceptions about careers in the forest products industry and connect with those who are unfamiliar with the critical role your company plays in our economy and the world we live in. or educators at high schools and similar education institutions, NAW A

will provide a any branches. One industry education packet to help create interest and excitement about this industry in students. Teaching aids like handouts, worksheets and PowerPoint presentations, and a student workbook will contain information and guidance on industry careers, and encourage teachers to talk about sustainability. aterials for campuses and career centers that reinforce this packet will be provided as well.

At NAW A, we know and have long asserted that ours is an industry that o ers a diverse pool of lucrative and rewarding careers, the opportunity to leverage technological advances and countless chances to establish a network that supports you your entire career. We are confident that those who hear that message through the any branches. One industry campaign will open their mind to the possibilities that await them at one of our industry firms.

To learn more about the any branches. One industry campaign or post a job, visit careersinlumber.com. – Scott Parker is executive director of NAWLA.

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NAWLA ON STRENGTHENING YOUR WORKFORCE

Supporting your executive workforce

By Tom Le Vere a student of the North American Wholesale umber Association xecutive anagement nstitute -plus years ago, can attest to the value of this unique course. The binder from the course attended in —and the insight gained—have accompanied me throughout my career and served as a reference many times since. any of my classmates from at the niversity of Virginia are also now senior executives at industryleading firms. The friendships formed with these individuals have stood the test of time, and today consider these people not only friends, but invaluable resources that can reach out to when have a problem or a question.

What only came to fully appreciate later in my career about my experience was how rare it truly was to find relevant education for emerging lumber and building materials industry executives, and for my company to be able to make a significant investment in my participation. That knowledge has made me appreciate even more and commit to providing this opportunity to newer industry executives. n recent years as a NAW A board member, ’ve made developing an experience that mirrors my own— but with a focus on today’s business challenges—a key area of focus during my year as NAW A chair.

As ’ve spoken with others across the industry, a common theme that has emerged on the topic of executive education is that while many traditional executive-level

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training programs excel at honing cognitive and technical skills, they rarely incorporate instruction on or application of other competencies senior professionals also truly need.

These include how to collaborate and communicate and how to network with and influence others toward achieving a common objective.

After seeing these ideas reinforced in a recent article from the Harvard Business Review March-April 2019 , ’ve concluded this isn’t a challenge unique to our industry.

Additionally, many business schools, for-profit universities or consultancies o er training programs that aren’t customi ed to the needs of an individual and their organi ation, or to the industry within which

executives must apply their learnings.

The nuances of how those businesses and people operate, share challenges and areas of opportunity, and the types of resources being managed and consumed, influence the skills needed to successfully lead those businesses through an evolving landscape.

These factors are further complicated by a lack of alignment between the objectives of individuals and their employers when it comes to executive-focused professional development. Countless studies have shown that employees say training is important and they are willing to pursue it—even in their free time—to improve job performance. owever, those same individuals need to see how the opportunity supports their

THE KNOWLEDGE—and friendships—gleaned from attending the NAWLA Executive Management Institute can last a lifetime.

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NEXT SESSION’S attendees will be treated to a revamped program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago, Jan. 31-Feb. 5, 2021.

own career goals to truly engage in and benefit from such programs. Their employers need to recogni e that this training can’t be replaced by a strong mentor, professional network or years of experience alone.

When some or all of those conditions exist, executive-level training programs do not consistently deliver the desired return on a company’s investment, which can be significant. n fact, according to that same article, half of senior leaders believe that their talent development e orts don’t adequately build critical skills and organi ational capabilities.

This is astounding to me when we know that e ective training programs have such a vast array of potential benefits for an employer.

This void in effective executivelevel training was echoed by NAW A members in a survey focused on assessing unmet educational and professional development needs. They are seeking more training and support for those in executive management from the same organi ation they turn to for orienting their new hires to the forest products industry through courses such as Wood asics.

S o w h e n N AW A s t a r t e d investigating a revamped course to address our member needs, we sought to address these perceived shortcomings with the delivery of a program that integrates the needs, challenges and areas of opportunity for the forest products industry throughout the course, while providing

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an immersive educational experience where participants can master and integrate tools for leading their organi ations in a constantly evolving business environment. n light of the current circumstances brought about by the global COV - pandemic, this content never has had a greater relevancy.

After a thorough review process, NAW A established a partnership this spring with the one of the world’s top-ranked business schools, the ellogg School of anagement at Northwestern niversity in Chicago, to o er the next an. - eb. , .

To help us overcome the challenges cited by my peers related to industry and individual relevancy, NAW A has established a task force of executive-level volunteers from both the mill and the wholesaler sides of our industry. These volunteers will work closely in the coming months with the experienced instructional designers from the ellogg School to build out the customi ed program that is ultimately taught by renowned educators from the school early next year.

Over the course of five days, participants will explore case studies, participate in interactive lectures, share their personal stories and experiences, engage in dynamic readings, network with fellow industry executives, collaborate in small group exercises, and connect the dots through guided reflections. y

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equipping top-performing executives to make decisions and take strategic action based upon both traditional and innovative business practices, this course will help achieve the professional development objectives of both an individual and their organi ation.

To ensure that participants leave with the skills they will immediately apply upon their return to their o ces, the program and all instruction is organi ed around the top themes and challenges forest product industry executives frequently encounter and coach others on: strategy including finance, strategic alliances, and data and analytics , human capital including talent management and development, diversity and inclusion, collaboration and compensation , innovation including design thinking and service operations , negotiation including decision making problem solving, conflict resolution, influence and values and managing change with a special emphasis on understanding culture .

The course will be limited attendees to allow for that personali ed educational experience, with countless chances for participants to build and strengthen their professional network and create relationships that last their entire careers.

NAW A recogni es that this course is a significant investment for both the executive-level participant and his or her employer. ut assure you that the short-term costs are well outweighed by the long-term benefits you will derive by sending the people who are charged with your company’s long-term successful performance. value and have benefited from my experience with more than words can express. am confident the person s you select for this opportunity will return with knowledge, connections, experiences and new perspectives that your company will benefit from for decades to come. egistration for the revamped course opened earlier this month, and the preliminary program details are currently available nawla.org.

Additional details will be available in the coming months.

– To m L e Ve re , p re s i d e n t a n d shareholder, Weekes Forest Products, St. Paul, Mn., is 2020 chair of the North American Wholesale Lumber Association.

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We are developing new resources for our contractors and dealers to help them operate and grow their businesses during this di cult time.

Decking Programs Get Upgrades

TAMKO is developing new tools and expanding in-home functionality to help contractors and dealers do business at a distance.

TAMKO Ups Tools to Close Deals Minus In-Person Contact

TA O uilding Products, oplin, o., has launched new measurement and modeling technology on its website to o er contractors and dealers solutions for continuing business in a world concerned about social distancing.

The new functionality of TA O’s Shingle Styles Visuali er enables customers to order realistic roof visuali ations, models, and accurate roof measurement reports powered by the agleView technology, now available to customers at a discount and no need for a monthly subscription. nfo available on the visuali er includes roof dimensions, areas, slopes, and roof squares, enabling a contact-free process for design, estimation and bidding.

Virtual technology like this is more important than ever, said Stephen cNally, VP of sales marketing.

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Two major decking manufacturers— eckorators and ortress uilding Products—are taking their preferred deck contractor programs to another next level. eckorators introduced eckorators Certified lite, the highest recognition level for its growing deck contractor partnership and rewards program. lite status is based on volume, quality, growth and partnership by market. eck builders who achieve lite status receive all the benefits of Certified Pro program membership, plus elevated representation on eckorators.com, qualified local sales leads, marketing partnership opportunities, eligibility for Certified Pro Spotlight video and social media promotion, participation in product development collaboration and feedback, and the opportunity to attend the annual Pro Summit, an all-inclusive trip for top point-earning pros. eckorators also increased rewards for all Certified Pros across product lines. They now earn back in rewards points for all eckorators purchases logged to their account—an increase of over past rewards depending on product category. Also new for , .S.-based Certified Pros now have the option to take advantage of discounted leads through the eckorators omeAdvisor program. ortress uilding Products, arland, Tx., also recently unveiled its revitali ed ortress Preferred Program. The preferred program will give .S. and Canadian building professionals helpful resources for their business through (Continued on page 50)

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Decking Programs Get Upgrades (Continued on page 50)

lead generation, along with the ability to confidently promote and install ortress best-in-class products. ortress Preferred members will be o ered a quality customer experience through every step of the design and building process, said Toby ostwick, VP of product brand. y becoming a program member, customers will also receive instant enrollment in the ortress Preferred ncentive ewards Program. embers receive such benefits as the ability to access a wide range of marketing tools including, samples, literature, and branded merchandise. embers will also be able to tap into a fiveyear imited abor coverage on eligible ortress uilding Products and gain an o cial ortress Preferred Certificate and abor Acknowledgment for homeowners. Program enrollment is open to customers based in the nited States and Canada.

Professionals that become members of the ortress Preferred Program will have priority lead referrals and support from our expert team of ortress Sales and Customer Care epresentatives, ostwick said.

Grants Support Wood Innovation

The .S. epartment of Agriculture’s orest Service is investing in rural economies, reducing wildfire risk, and improving forest conditions by awarding . million in grants as part of the agency’s Wood nnovations rant program.

The Wood nnovations rant program advances innovations in wood products that create jobs, revitali e local

JOIN THE

economies and support sustainable forest land management. Thirty-five business, nonprofit, university and tribal partners in states and Puerto ico will match the grants with an additional million. arkets for wood products are key to supporting sustainable management and restoration of our nation’s forested lands, said orest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen.

We can keep both public and private forests healthy and resilient by fostering economic opportunities around wood products.

This year the orest Service received proposals, demonstrating the expanding interest in using wood in traditional and innovative ways as a building material and a renewable energy source.

Of the projects selected, focus on expanding markets for wood products and eight seek to increase markets for renewable wood energy. Two-thirds of the projects are in the western .S. This year’s projects expand uses for small diameter wood, develop new markets for biochar and wood-powered energy, explore using cross-laminated timber in health care facilities, examine how to finance urgent restoration work, and more. rant recipients for include Western Wood Preservers nstitute Neal Creek orest Products, ood iver, Or. lue ountain umber Products, Pendleton, Or. Sustainable Northwest, Portland, Or. amuela ardwoods, amuela, i. niversity of Oregon, ugene Oregon State niversity, Corvallis Northern Ari ona niversity, lagsta niversity of tah, Salt ake City Washington State niversity, Pullman Alaska’s oonah ndian Association lue orest Conservation, Sacramento, Ca. and the city of Prineville, Or.

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An Exotic hardwood that helps save the rain forest!

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NEW EWP facility now open in Riverside!

PO Box 396 • 10761 S. Alameda Street • Lynwood, CA 90262 • 323.567.1301 • JonesWholesale.com

3/19/20 1:33 PM

Building-Products.com

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU We at California Cascade wish you and your family safety and good health in these uncertain times. We are in this together, and we are ready to help you and your team with your building material needs.

Building-Products.com May 2020 n| The Merchant Magazine n 51 customerservice@californiacascade.com 800-339-6480

MOVERS & Shakers Steven Welch, ex- ardware awaii, is new to ilgard Windows oors, as ailua-based outside sales rep for the awaiian slands.

Allison Hall has joined the West Coast sales team at Pioneer illworks, c innville, Or., handling Oregon, Northern California, Wyoming, tah, ontana and daho.

Kate Wyeth, P uilding Solutions, has been promoted to senior territory sales mgr. for the greater enver, Co., area.

Bill Ross, ex- iberon, joined ortress uilding Products, arland, Tx., as director of the composite category.

Bill Griffith has been promoted to national ridge vent sales mgr. for enjamin Obdyke, orsham, Pa. Bryan H. Fairbanks has been promoted to president and C O at Trex Co., Winchester, Va., replacing James E. Cline, who becomes chairman of the board. Dennis Schemm is now VP and C O. Jason Wetzel has joined o it est Corp., ort Wayne, n., as an associate merchandise mgr. Jeri Schindler is new as customer service department lead. Also new are software developer Brad Baker, merchants payments coordinator Kaylin Gibson, communications marketing intern Natalya Haddix, application developer Roberto Perez, and customer service department lead Jeri Schindler. Lance Gordon was promoted to senior data analyst.

Chris Kempa has been promoted to C O of True Value Co., Chicago, l., succeeding John Hartmann, who remains on the board. C O Deb O’Connor has added the title of president.

Frank A. Lonegro, ex-CS , has been appointed executive VP and C O of eacon uilding Products, erndon, Va., taking over for Joseph Nowicki.

Troy Brown, ret umber, Antigo, Wi., was elected president of the ardwood anufacturers Association, succeeding Bob Miller, rank iller umber, nion City, n. Tommy Petzoldt, ast Perry umber, rohna, o., is now VP. They are joined on the executive committee by Hal Mitchell, Atlanta ardwood Corp.

Norm Steffy, Cummings umber Brian Schilling, Pike umber Co. Wayne Law, New iver ardwoods and Tom Gerow, Wagner illwork. New directors are Scott Ferland, aine Woods Co. Geoff Henderson, Anderson-Tully Co. Jon Johnson, Timber Products Co. Robert Kaebnick, art ell ardwoods and Craig Miller, attle umber. New to the A Next en eaders Council are Parker Dukas, Abenaki Timber Corp. Chad Ervin, ones umber Co. and Chris Rider, Atlanta ardwood. rank iller’s Bob Miller will serve as council coordinator.

Dan Larson, mgr., astside Ace ardware, Stevensville, t., is running for the .S. Senate in the epublican primary une .

Walter Walcarpitz is new to flooring sales at ungusungus orest Products, Climax, Nv., report co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Deck Building Solutions • 866-767-1850 • www.suredrive.com • sales@suredrive.com

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FINISH CUT on 24-1/4” by 24-1/4” Mass Plywood Panel column.

Freres Adds Mass Timber Beams

With its new ass Plywood Panel beam and column line up and running, reres umber Co., yons, Or., now has the ability to provide customers with a cost-competitive PP solution for all structural elements of large-scale wood buildings.

The new beam and column line also gives customers a wider range of product dimensions than most other mass timber options on the market. reres’ column and beam line is currently APA certified up to a width with a depth, but has the ability to cut product up to thick. And, although the beam and column line is capable of running product up to ft. in length, reres’ current press is limited to ft. reres will be seeking certification for products in those larger widths and depths in the coming months.

The patented PP process allows for large timber dimensions to be produced from small diameter timber. The panel thicknesses are produced in increments, starting at thick and available up to thick. epending on the orientation of the beam, the increments in thickness will occur in either the width or the depth of the product. Specific engineering data is provided in the APA product certification.

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UNFINISHED FACE of 14” x 24” x 32’ column manufactured on Freres’ new MPP beam and column line.

We are excited to round out our PP o ering with these beams and columns, said yle reres, VP of operations. ost manufacturers produce either panels or glulam beams, but not necessarily both. Now, reres is positioned to be a one-stop-shop for all the structural elements of large-scale wood buildings at a cost-competitive price.

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Short-Term Pain Seen for Remodeling Owner expenditures for home renovations and repairs are expected to decline at least through the first quarter of next year due to fallout from the COV - pandemic, according to a eading ndicator of emodeling Activity A recently released by the emodeling utures Program at the oint Center for ousing Studies of arvard niversity.

While there is still considerable uncertainty surrounding the near- and longer-term impacts of the pandemic,

the best available evidence suggests substantial downturns in key remodeling indicators of new home construction, home sales, and values of existing homes over the coming quarters, says Chris erbert, managing director of the oint Center for ousing Studies. omeowners who are concerned about losses of income, home equity, and other forms of wealth are anxious about making large investments in improving their homes in this economic environment.

Pre-pandemic, the A pointed to a healthy rebound in home remodeling spending with annual growth of . by first quarter , but the latest data incorporating both actual and forecasted impacts of the economic shutdown point to spending declines this year with further worsening into .

With the changes to the .S. economy since mid- arch, the emodeling utures Program is providing a downside range for the home remodeling outlook, which incorporates forecasts for retail sales of building materials, home prices, and P. uarterly spending for improvements and repairs to owner-occupied housing is projected to turn negative by the third quarter, according to Abbe Will, associate project director in the emodeling utures Program. Annual expenditures are expected to fall to billion by early next year with potential for even more severe declines to follow, she said. eyond the start of next year, remodeling activity that would typically result from expanding homebuilding, sales of existing homes, and home prices mean the greatest downturn could come later in with recovery depending on what occurs in housing markets over the remainder of this year.

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NEW Products

Dark Frames

Glass Rails Viewrail now offers an expanded line of glass railing perfect for indoor and outdoor locations. All are designed to hide every possible piece of hardware and every possible fastener. et the solid glass panels provide safety and make a very e ective windbreak. rameless side-mount, base rail, and stando pin glass systems utili e tempered and laminated glass, while framed systems with posts accept and tempered or laminated glass.

AP America has added a black finish to its StyleView window and door line.

The black exterior laminate window provides a dark exterior option with a white vinyl interior. t comes in multiple grille profiles and grid styles including single-hung, casement, picture, geometric, transom, awning, as well as a sliding door. our times thicker than paint, exterior laminate is designed to provide surface protection for the full life of the window. The finishes resist V degradation, do not fade or chalk, and resist moisture and dryness even in the most extreme weather conditions. n

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

“Focused on the future with respect for tradition”

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osch’s Chameleon V lexiClick -inrill river System delivers power, speed and runtime to tackle even the toughest jobs for professionals looking for a high-torque, connected-ready tool.

At its core are a hex bit holder with quick release and four pro-grade attachments—three that are included in the kit and one that’s sold separately. ncluded are a keyless right-angle chuck attachment, o set angle attachment, and keyless all metal chuck attachment. The optional attachment can transform the drill into an S S-plus rotary hammer for drilling in concrete and other tough materials.

The drill o ers luetooth connectivity via a connectivity module sold separately , kickback control, precision clutch, and e cient C rushless motor. n

OSC TOO S.CO Building-Products.com

Hickory Composite Decking oyal uilding Products has expanded the colors of uri Premium ecking to include ickory, a true mid-tone brown.

The new shade is the sixth color o ering in the line, which already includes Chestnut, Walnut, Pecan, ra ilia and Weathered ray.

The decking line combines the natural beauty and warmth of exotic hardwood with the unsurpassed durability and exceptionally low-maintenance requirements of PVC. ts PVC substrate is capped with a photo-realistic wood-grain print and a clear acrylic that resists stains, scratches, fading and moisture. All uri products are backed by a -year Color astness Warranty against color shifting. n

O A

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Anti-Slip Sealer educe the chances of slips and falls on surfaces with new TracSafe Anti-Slip Sealer from aich Coatings.

With anti-slip ratings up to twice the OS A standard, TracSafe provides aggressive anti-slip performance with all-weather durability for residential and commercial settings. ts odorless water-based technology bonds firmly to all types of flooring materials, from concrete, masonry, stone and pavers, to tile, vinyl, linoleum and pre-painted surfaces—indoors and out. ts low VOC pre-mixed formula features fast dry-time and easy water clean-up. n

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cally reject such an offer. As a result, the buyers face ‘adverse selection’—the only sellers who will accept $750 are those unloading lemons.

“Smart buyers foresee this problem. Knowing they could be buying a lemon, they offer only $500. Sellers of the lemons end up with the same price they would have received were there no ambiguity. But the peaches all stay in the garage. “Information asymmetry” kills the market for good cars.”

Structural wood panel buyers rely upon qualified inspection and testing agencies like the APA to routinely test and certify the quality of the products they buy. This creates an incentive for individual panel producers to “push” the standard. A passage from Ackerloff’s famous paper: HARD MAPLE is popular throughout the Glacial Region.

“There are many markets in which buyers use some market statistic to judge the quality of prospective purchaslong, winter climate, coupled with a shorttosummer es.Deck Infrigid this Posts case there is anLast incentive for sellers market That season, produces hardwoods with very tight growth rings. poor quality merchandise, since the returns for good quality CC-approved and guaranteed for life, PermaThis creates lumber with outstanding color and fine texture, accrue mainly to posts the entire group whose statistic affected Column deck provide a precast concreteisalterwhich is to ideal applications from furniture, rather than tocast-in-place thefor individual seller. ranging As a result there tends to native concrete piers and embedded cabinetry and doors to flooring, paneling and more. be wood a reduction in the average quality of goods and also the posts. region supplies nine primary, widely used species, sizeThis ofThe the market.” precast concrete deck posts install quickly and including: ash,industry basswood, cherry,industry hickory, hard without maple,techred When with the is construction young, production easily traditional methods, oak, soft maple, white oak and walnut. nologies vary little and raw materials are relatively homothe hassle of pouring concrete on the jobsite. They geneous isn’t a major problem. rot.

But it is a elevate(e.g., woodOSB), posts this above ground, eliminating Appalachian Region: Superior Quality serious problem when the inspection and testing agencies Posts come in x and x configurations in Spanning Pennsylvania, find it difficult or impossible to keep upOhio, with a very colrapidly lengths of several andstates, . including plift anchors and North Carolina, Virginia West Virginia, the changing industry.areAn exampleand would be today’s overlaid umn extenders available.

Appalachian region produces a wide of hardwoods Douglas fir plywood industry.

Thererange are rapid changes species—all with in common: quality. underway bothone thething demand side (e.g.,superior much higher alkan P onACO N.CO Thanks to the region’s climate conditions—warm linity concrete are now essentially “pulping” con-mixes summers that and assist tree growth, and much coolerreduced spring form panels) on with the supply side (e.g.,

and fall seasons with colddense, winters, which fir allow that growth supplies of small-knot, Douglas veneers).

The to be gradual—hardwoods the aAppalachian “market for lemons” is likelyfrom having major effect region on the feature tight growth rings, strong fibers, and consistent size of this market today. colors and grain textures. This leads to strength, durability and beauty in the lumber, in addition excellent width and Overcoming the Market fortoLemons longHow length cancharacteristics. individual panel producers overcome this Primary species includetheir ash,industry’s cherry, hard red “lemons market” problem, “racemaple, to the botoak, whiteindustry oak, basswood, beech,They birch,can walnut, tom,”soft andmaple, depressed sales levels? offer poplar and hickory,product whichperformance are great forguarantees. high-end furniture, company-specific millwork, and paneling, and more.

Anothercabinetry, approachdoors, is to flooring more aggressively brand prodNoInmatter region they come from, there areclearly many ucts. eitherthe case, the mill’s products need to be North American species as to we choose from. differentiated fromhardwoods their competitors’; discovered The decision as to which one to use comes down to the earlier, industry-wide, third-party quality certification is application andnot overall qualityLike and look of the project. important but sufficient. car buyers, panel buyers won’t chance paying peach prices when they may actually Don Barton is vice be –buying a “dressed up”president lemon. of sales and marketing for Northwest Hardwoods, Tacoma, Wa. (northwesthardwoods.com).

For some structural panel producers,Railing product differentiaStreamlined Commercial tion requires a major change in company Trex Signature railing lives up to its culture. name byFor instance, it is very difficult to produce innovative, a ording architects and developers the flexibilitydifferenand tiated productstofor the end market ifspaces. the company doesconfidence create trulyuse distinctive n’t also a different unobtrusive supplier-buyerdesign mindset.

SupplierTheadapt streamlined, features partners are often critical to the structural wood panel panels with traditional balusters that visibly blendproducer’s with differentiation. the natural surroundings to optimi e sightlines As industry comes or to public focus more and more from patios, competition balconies, decks walkways. upon only one of the “4P’s of marketing”—price— Continuously graspable rail options are available for “lemons” tend comfort to proliferate and industry sales volume added safety, and functionality. tends The to decline. pres-assembled aluminum panels feature a durable powder coating black, bron e orLLC, white.

– Roy Nott is president of in Surfactor Americas Aberdeen, Wa., a German-owned producer of overlays, glue films, and press n T filmsCO C A wood .CO panel industry, with manufaccleaning for the global turing operations- in Finland, Germany and Malaysia. Reach him CHERRY is among the major hardwoods of the Appalachian Region. at roy.nott@surfactor.com.

The beauty of the forest is yours to sell Fencing • Decking • Timbers • Dimension • Siding

Big Creek Lumber’s sawmill, in Davenport, CA, produces a wide variety of redwood lumber products to independent wholesalers, stocking distributors, and remanufacturing facilities.

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(831) 457-5039

March2017 2019 n The The Merchant Building-Products.com September Magazine n 19 15

Cordless Counterparts Simpson Strong-Tie has introduced lightweight cordless versions of its popular uik rive auto-feed driver system for collated fasteners. esigned to improve speed, reliability and user comfort for a variety of fastening applications, the new cordless system features quick-loading screw strips, precise countersink adjustment, and patented uik rive auto-advance mechanism.

Three kits are o ered—P O S decking system, P O subfloor system, and P O S multipurpose system. They include a , -rpm eWalt driver motor with an adapter to connect systems for V cordless operation. The weight on extension tubes has also been reduced to o set battery weight and permit comfortable stand-up driving. n

O.ST ON T .CO -

Building-Products.com

V CO

SS

Vibrant Capped Composite reen ay ecking’s Capped uxx ak water shedding deck board is now o ered in its proprietary dual-embossed Optima variegated colors.

The result is a beautiful, watertight deck that drains outside the deck footprint, providing one of the most a ordable options to create a functional dry space under decks, balconies and walkways.

Available in five robust, convincing capped colors, the Optima finish o ers a realistic depth of grain in a beautiful wood-look finish, and has one of the most slip-resistant surfaces in the market. n

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Stylish Deck Screw Anchor ark’s new stainless steel decking screws feature a self-drilling tip that makes installation in hardwood decking and cladding quick and easy.

Their small-head diameter and underhead pockets ensure heads sink cleanly and easily. rooved shafts add strength, and the wood is protected from tearing or splitting by the drill tip. n ANC O

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SA.CO

Wider Gate Brackets Wider brackets to mount gate hardware to and fence posts have been designed by Technologies to dramatically reduce post flexing.

The wider brackets on the Shut t mounts enable anchor points to be positioned at the sides, rather than the center, of the fence post. This delivers increased stability and decreased flexing, which in turn reduces wear and tear on the post.

Available in both aluminum and steel, the new brackets can handle gate loads up to , lbs. The high-temperature sealed bearings can be powder coated, to blend in seamlessly. n

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T C .CO -

Gray Days for Decking Nova SA Wood Products has expanded the palette of its xoShield Wood Stain with the addition of new Platinum and Antique ron e colors. ormulated to provide long-lasting protection for decking and siding, the new hues join Natural, ahogany, Walnut and lack Walnut.

The new colors are di ering shades of gray. Antique ron e offers a slightly darker, softer tone with olive tinges that emulate an aging barn. Platinum has a silvery luster that resembles aged tropical hardwoods. n NOVA SAWOO .CO -

Building-Products.com

Words of Hope ost other months, these pages would be filled with photos of hundreds of industry professionals attending the latest key industry events. ut with all large gatherings currently

Alden J. Robbins Robbins Lumber Inc.

I enjoy reading your messages of hope and optimism from industry leaders during these times. You can see how times of trial can truly bring out the best, such as how the Greatest Generation was born out of WWII. I have my Airstreamer set up in my driveway right now, and have been living in it for a couple weeks, as I continue to keep the mill operating. I have a son who suffers from respiratory issues, and in an effort to protect them I have decided to self isolate.

Stephen Ondich Commercial Forest Products

If nothing else, this pandemic has reinforced a couple of important lessons: (1) Nothing is more important than the health of you and your loved ones. (2) Resilience is a choice.

Curling up in the fetal position and waiting it out is a poor option. Clearly, it’s possible to safely stay connected in this post COVID-19 world. I am seeing it happen in all kinds of new ways each day. Businesses are going to operate differently from here on out, no doubt.

You can keep social distance AND maintain social persistence. Time to get creative. The apple cart is turned over. If you’re waiting to put the cart upright, the apples may disappear.

Jim Enright Pacific Woodtech Corp.

PWT continues to be fully operational, as we continue to follow best practices at the Burlington factory to keep our employees safe and employed. Thanks goes to our entire operations team for their commitment to communication with the PWT team and our critical suppliers. We continue to receive orders, produce product, ship product, and receive inbound shipments of raw materials.

All the employees at PWT appreciate our fantastic customer base, and your efforts to remain open and serve the essential building industry during these uncertain times.

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on hold, The Merchant went to readers’ places of business— or homes o ces, asking to share how they are coping and to o er words of encouragement to others.

Ted Ellis Idaho Timber

As we react to the daily changes in our lives, we are filled with knowledge of the frail nature of our world. I know this due to the fact that for a brief time this virus, and the actions taken to control it, had stolen my joy and filled my heart with concern, anger and anxiety.

After considering this and thinking of the people we hope to protect, my wife Cozette and I have joined many others in reaching out to our neighbors and family who should not venture out. We have found joy in the outbursts of gratitude from those who receive acts of kindness. Their responses remind me of 9-11 when so many people forgot about their daily hustle and bustle to take a moment to lift each other, thereby creating a kinder, gentler world for at least a period of time.

This year is filled with opportunity—however, not in the normal sense, but in the opportunity to look another in the eyes and speak a kind word of support. Can we have this be the remembrance of this trial? Please consider and together we will change the world. One action and kind gesture at a time.

Eric Degenfelder UC Coatings

I am a runner, and to me this feels like a strange half marathon. It’s a 13-week change period that we are taking day by day, mile by mile. The problem is the course has lots of unseen hills and twists and turns. We don’t know completely what the course looks like but we are figuring it out, with the goal of keeping reliable service and supply to our customers. Our team is talking with our wood products customers on a daily basis— communicating on current operations, outlook and product needs. The responses are highly varied. A few sites have shut down. Others are on reduced production, and are figuring out how to protect inventory. But some have actually increased production of lumber and

Building-Products.com

wood products. The situation is very dynamic, but our standard is to ship every order on time and in full, and so far we are meeting that goal across the country from all three of our plants.

Our #1 goal is to keep our people safe and to do our part to slow spread of the virus.

We have instituted spilt-shifts in production, work from home for everyone else, twice daily cleaning procedures, daily health check-ins for every employee, and other measures.

Finally, be a Victor, not a Victim. Keep moving the ball ahead. This spirit keeps us focused, motivated and engaged with our customers.

Tom Le Vere Weekes Forest Products

As the NAWLA 2020 chair, I’ve unexpectedly been tasked with leading our 127-year-old organization through an interesting time. I can understand why some of my colleagues are feeling concerned or overwhelmed by the negative news right now. With an industry that has weathered world wars, the Great Depression, recessions and pandemics, I have the utmost confidence that we will ultimately come through the current situation as well.

By saying this, I mean in no way to diminish the tangible impacts you and your employees may be feeling right now. But I’m also seeing reasons to feel hopeful about the recovery, which I anticipate to be soon forthcoming, and know we are likely to feel less strain than other industries between then and now. Look for the many positive indicators for our industry, and share them every chance you get.

Steve Killgore Timber Products

I am an optimist by nature, and I believe that there will be a recovery. While there will be sadness for those lost and the hardships endured, there will also be hope of a new beginning. As we all look to the future, I am consoled by the words, “This too shall pass.”

Chad Epperson United Treating & Distribution Our Vision Statement is “Committed to glorifying God while serving & treating our team members, customers, suppliers, families & communities the way we want to be treated.” In the midst of this pandemic, people are suffering, but it gives all of us an opportunity to love on people and help others.

During this challenging time, showing people how much we genuinely care about them can, and will, make a lasting impact, and it is more important now than ever.

We are still operating and are here to serve our customers and our industry. We have modified our procedures and are being Building-Products.com

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mindful to make smart decisions for our team members’, customers’ and suppliers’ health and well-being. We are continuously monitoring the situation and have made every effort to educate ourselves. We are fully committed to working together, but what that looks like today may look different tomorrow.

In uncertain times we do know every trial has a purpose. God is not surprised or unconcerned by the events happening in our world today. We know that God is in control, and our hope is in Jesus Christ. We are standing in hope, not fear, for we know faith produces endurance. We can endure this trial together and find the good in this situation.

For every negative there will be multiple positives. We all must shift our perspective to look for the good. This is my youngest son, Zach’s, senior year. My wife pointed out to me that even if Zach is missing out on the yearend activities, we are so blessed to have this extra time to spend with him before he moves on to his next journey in life.

I am so blessed to be a part of an industry that IS essential. Now, more than ever, it is essential we have hope and help each other. Look for solutions. Focus on the good.

Prayerfully engage with your teams to unlock the creativity God has given us.

Ryan Kline Disdero Lumber

These are unprecedented times and there is no roadmap to tell us how to manage through the challenges thrown at us day after day.

Many of us are working from home, our office staff, and yard personnel are under strict social distance rules, no visitors, drivers must remain in trucks, etc. This will pass; we just need to stay positive and continue to work with our customers and suppliers, so everyone gets through this best as possible.

Brett McCutcheon Beck America

We’ve been in business for over 110 years and this truly is an unprecedented time. BECK America has always prided itself on its wide breath of product offering for tools and we are confident that the demand in the construction industry will quickly rebound.

We continue to remain open for business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our current operating hours and shipping timelines are unchanged, enabling us to offer the best service possible during this challenging time.

We are using our finely-tuned logistic network to assist our customers who are working through warehouse closures by drop shipping directly to their customers.

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David Thom Bruce Bauer Lumber & Supply

“Sharing is caring” is a phrase that many of us are familiar with. Those of us who have children may have taught them the message as they grew up. There are many stories of people who are rising to the occasion to help out those who are not well off. The phrase First Responder comes to mind. In my opinion, this is not just a fireman or a policeman. This is anyone who lends a hand in a time of need.

There is a song by Tim McGraw about being “Humble and Kind.” My son gave me a plaque for Christmas with those same words. If you are out walking like many people these days, remember to smile or say something kind.

That other person might be in desperate need of some kindness.

Roderick Kabel DeckWise

DeckWise is doing our best to social distance, manufacture our decking products, and ship to every customer that is still operational. We are blessed to be open, and we continue to keep our staff healthy and our customers happy.

Jeff Easterling NELMA

Up here in New England, it’s business close to usual for the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association. Our HQ is open and running, as we’ve been blessed with enough space for our small staff to maintain distance while continuing to work for our members.

On the grading side, work continues although we are limiting one-on-one interaction in both our export packaging and mill services.

Lumber to be graded is traditionally kept in a warehouse or yard well away from individuals, which allows our inspections to continue at mills that remain open to visitors. While up-close grader training has been temporarily suspended, at the end of the day, we’re still on the forefront performing our duties of consumer protection via quality control.

Last year NELMA introduced LiveChat as a communication option on www.nelma.com.

That simple decision is paying off in spades.

Customers of wood products across the board are reaching out to NELMA in record numbers. Perhaps evaluate your customer communication tools and consider adding your own instant online communication app.

Rest assured that we will make it through this short-term situation. But let’s be real, the lumber industry can be a roller coaster on any given day! Yet we always come out the other side strong, determined and ready to meet the demands of every customer. It’s what we do.

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After serving as A ’s territory sales manager for the Northeast, he left in to become TA O’s Northeast sales manager. n , ock returned to A , but was back at TA O in as a district sales manager. e became VP of sales marketing in and senior VP in .

William M. “Bill” Choate, , retired head saw filer at Prairie Wood Products, Prairie City, Or., passed away April in Newberg, Or. After serving as a tank driver and mechanic stationed in ermany during the orean War, he worked for a lumber company in ee, Or., then for several mills in ohn ay, Or. e capped his career with years at Prairie Wood Products.

IN Memoriam Robert “Bobby” Fujimoto, , retired chairman and C O of P uilding Supply, ilo, i., died April in ilo.

The grandson of P awaii Planing ill founder ametaro ujimoto, he joined the family business in , eventually rising to president and C O before he retired in . e stayed on as a director and chairman emeritus until . is son ike ujimoto is currently executive chairman, and his grandson ason ujimoto is now president and C O. Todd Anthony Marich, outside salesman for ills lat umber Co., rass Valley, Ca., passed away eb. . e was . e joined the company in .

Joe M. Campero, , longtime veteran of Standard umber Co., Pullman, Wa., died eb. in Pullman. e served in the Army and the Army Air Corps during World War . e joined Standard umber in , retiring years later as general manager of its operations in Colfax, Wa., and oscow, d.

Keith Macomb Rucker, former manager of a elton umber Co., Orland, Ca., passed away April in Chico, Ca. e was . e served in the .S. Navy during World War , then earned a degree in civil engineering from the niversity of New exico and became a civil engineer with ichfield Oil. After his father-in-law su ered a stroke, he moved to Orland to help run the family lumberyard. eith spent the

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next years managing a elton umber and using his engineering knowledge to help customers build the town of Orland. e retired in .

Marjorie Patricia Wheatley Wilharm, , former co-owner of enson umber Co., enson, A ., died April .

A niversity of Ari ona graduate, she and her late husband Peter Wilharm purchased the lumberyard in .

Gary Ivan Winn, , former owner of Citi ens umber Co., uhl, d., died April after months of battling Al heimer’s.

After years of working for his father’s construction company, Winn Co., and later running it himself, he bought the lumberyard. e later worked as the city’s public works director.

Donald K. Weilmunster, , founder of Ore- da umber Co., died of natural causes arch in arden Valley, d.

After launching the lumber shipping company, he won the State of Oregon’s oung usinessman of the ear Award. e sold the business and trade name in , to transition to full-time farming and ranching.

Thomas E. “Tom” Rock, , senior vice president of sales marketing for TA O uilding Products, oplin, o., passed away April following a brief illness.

A graduate of the niversity of Vermont, he spent more than years in roofing sales and management.

May 2020

HAWAII’S City Mill is selling Girl Scout Cookies and donating 100% of the proceeds to local troops.

City Mill Provides Sweet Assistance to Girl Scouts

ight-unit awaiian home improvement chain City ill has stepped up to help out the irl Scouts.

The state’s COV restrictions forced the cancellation of over , irl Scout Cookie booths midway through their selling season, severely curtailing local troops’ opportunities to fundraise for their community service projects throughout the year.

City ill has agreed to sell the cookies at most of its Oahu locations, as part of the , -member irl Scouts of awaii’s Cookie ooth uyout program.

Shari Chang, C O of the irl Scouts of awaii, said, We’re extremely grateful for City ill stepping in to participate in our Cookie ooth uyout program. Their support allows the community to purchase boxes of irl Scout Cookies at most of their retail locations and all sales will go directly to our local irl Scout troops.

Building-Products.com

ADVERTISERS Index

32, 65

North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. www.nawla.org Pacific Woodtech www.pacificwoodtech.com

Page 57

Allweather Wood www.allweatherwood.com

23

61

Atlantis Rail Systems www.atlantisrail.com

63

60

Big Creek Lumber www.bigcreeklumber.com

58

Pelican Bay Forest Products www.pelicanbayfp.com

37

Boise Cascade www.bc.com

7

ProWood www.prowoodlumber.com

51

California Cascade Industries www.californiacascade.com

3

RailFX www.railfx.com

41

C&C Wood Products www.ccwoodproducts.com

5, Cover III

Redwood Empire www.buyredwood.com

54

Capital Lumber www.capital-lumber.com

47

Seneca www.senecasawmill.com

35

CMPC www.cmpcmaderas.com

Cover IV

Simpson Strong-Tie www.strongtie.com

21

Do it Best www.doitbestlbm.com

15

Siskiyou Forest Products www.siskiyouforestproducts.com

25

Fasco www.fasco-tools.com

40

Snider Industries www.sniderindustries.com

19

Fontana Wholesale Lumber www.fontanawholesalelumber.com

52

Sure Drive www.suredrive.com

59

Huff Lumber www.hufflumber.net

44

Swanson Group Sales Co. www.swansongroup.biz

57

Humboldt Redwood www.getredwood.com

26

Thunderbolt Wood Treating www.thunderboltwoodtreating.com

53

Idaho Timber www.idahotimber.com

43

Timber Products Co. www.timberproducts.com

28

International Wood Products www.iwpllc.com

48

U-C Coatings www.uccoatings.com

62

JM Thomas Forest Products www.thomasforest.com

17

UFP Industries www.ufpedge.com

27, 50

Jones Wholesale Lumber www.joneswholesale.com

38

Versatex www.versatex.com

29

Lonza Wood Protection www.wolmanizedwood.com

55

Western Lumber Co. www.westernlumber.com

9

MoistureShield www.moistureshield.com

13

Weyerhaeuser Co. www.weyerhaeuser.com

56

MOSO www.moso-bamboo.com

Cover I, 49

Wild Hog Railing www.wildhograiling.com

Cover II

Norbord www.norbord.com

34

Yakama Forest Products www.yakamaforestproducts.com

PEBLIO

Peblio www.peblio.com

Deck Building Solutions • 866-767-1850 • www.suredrive.com • sales@suredrive.com

Building-Products.com

May 2020

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FLASHBack 85 Years Ago This Month

THE MAY 1935 cover spotlighted Sudden & Christensen, San Francisco, Ca., which owned its own shipping fleet and several sawmills, acted as purchasing agent for other cargo haulers and mills, and oversaw the West Coast retail chain Christensen Lumber Co.

Eighty-five years ago this month, in

ay of , The California Lumber Merchant reported on the heady comeback the construction industry and the economy were making as they finally began clawing out of the reat epression.

The turnabout was thanks in part to the passage of the National ousing Act, which the ederal ousing Administration hoped would make home ownership more affordable and stimulate other sectors of the economy.

The stimulus seemed to work. n less than a year, housing starts, lumber production, and lumber prices had all rebounded from all-time lows.

Suddenly, housing shows were in vogue across the country, some attracting hundreds of thousands of homeowners and industry professionals alike. n os Angeles, investors quickly built the , sq. ft. Pan-Pacific Auditorium, initially to house the National ousing xposition. The two-story, steel-frame building, with its iconic art deco entry, was constructed in five weeks at a cost of , . t was finished just in time to host the xpo ay to une , .

The show featured exhibits, including a fully furnished, , -sq. ft. ranch-style ouse of Tomorrow, complete with two bedrooms, dining room, kitchen, pantry, living room, trellised brick patio, and two-car garage.

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May 2020

Along the show floor, optimism reigned supreme.

Although the auditorium closed shortly after the opening of the larger os Angeles Convention Center in , its memorable entrance lives on as the inspiration for the isney ollywood Studios theme park in Orlando, which opened ay , . Three weeks later, the actual Pan-Pacific burned to the ground. ack in ay , brisk business, rising lumber demand, and mills humming around the clock did contribute to one negative consequence, as more than , sawmill workers and longshoremen in the Pacific Northwest went out on strike. Virtually all ouglas fir lumber and plywood mills went dark, in addition to several redwood and pine facilities.

The striking workers demanded a raise to cents per hour up from . cents , union recognition, and overtime if they worked more than hours in a week. emand quickly shifted to southern pine mills in the South, as well as sawmills in ritish Columbia. o ens of mills in Oregon and Washington remained closed for more than three months, until, one by one, some facilities began restarting—some with union exemptions, most without. n all, it took weeks to get a compromise approved by members of the Sawmill Timber Workers’ nion, and get all the striking employees back to work.

THE REVIVAL of home building was a major impetus for the construction of Los Angeles’ Pan-Pacific Auditorium.

Building-Products.com

THE POSSIBILITIES KEEP GROWING:

Nature’s majestic pillars.

Redwood is one of the strongest and fastest growing softwood species. It thrives in some of the most productive timberlands in the world. Redwood is known for its timeless durability without the use of chemicals. Due to its flawless formation, there has never been a Redwood recall. There is a grade of Redwood for every application, every budget, and every customer.

“Growing beyond measure.”

Call or visit us today. Our family of Redwood timberland owners will continue to be your reputable and reliable source of Redwood.

Call us at 707.894.4241 Visit us at buyRedwood.com

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