LATEST LUMBER SALES TECHNOLOGY ď Ž SIDING & TRIM ď Ž FACTORY-FINISHING
The
MERCHANT
JUNE 2013
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THE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS – SINCE 1922
FFOR OR THE “ “WOW� WOW� FFACTOR! ACTOR! YOUR ONE STOP SOURCE Western Woods has been supplying premium quality lumber for decking, fencing, siding and trim since 1971, but /./- ,+*- )(+'- &%$#%"(- &++/$- +!%"$- "% $# .(.( "% $# .(.( - * %"- '.# - * %"/% ) - % #%".+"- '++/$# .(- +'$- +"- .($# (#- .($# +(- (/- # %- %$# *% - * %"/% ) $-/*" %- (/- +( - $ ( -+. - (.$ "+#% #$-% #%".+"-'++/- (/-$# (/$-* -#+-% #"% %- . #%$ - *$#+ %"$ + %-# %- +*$- * %"/% )- ++)- (/- +(#" #+"$- + %-(+- - )$ Choose your wood, choose your stain color, color, success! Partners Partners in QualityQuality-'%$#%"('++/$.( + - - - -$* %"/% ) + - -
Power Tools: Mobile Apps Online Calculators Software
Simpson Strong-Tie offers convenient ways to get information fast. Download selector software for connectors, anchors and lateral systems to help you find the right product for your job. Access a variety of online calculators, estimators, design applications and drawing details. And our literature library app puts our most popular catalogs in the palm of your hand. To see our growing line of free software, web and mobile applications, call (800) 999-5099 or visit www.strongtie.com/software.
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Special Features
In Every Issue
9 MARGIN BUILDERS
SIDING SALES STRATEGIES
10 MANAGEMENT TIPS
VENDORS’ PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE WORKSHOPS EQUIP YOUR STAFF
12 MARGIN BUILDERS
PREFINISHING ADDS VALUE
14 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
GREEN SIDE OF VINYL SIDING
16 FEATURE STORY
6 TOTALLY RANDOM 20 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE 22 OLSEN ON SALES 28 MOVERS & SHAKERS 30 IN MEMORIAM 34 APP WATCH 36 NEW PRODUCTS 43 ASSOCIATION UPDATE
Online
LBM COMPANIES REDESIGN WEBSITES FOR MOBILE VIEWERS
18 INDUSTRY TRENDS
EPICOR’S PLANS FOR PSI
48 PHOTO RECAP: NAWLA MEET
BREAKING INDUSTRY NEWS, EVENT PHOTOS, & DIGITAL EDITION OF THE MERCHANT
BUILDING-PRODUCTS.COM
June 2013
Volume 91 Number 12
Magazine
44 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE 45 DATE BOOK 46 IDEA FILE 46 ADVERTISERS INDEX CHANGE OF ADDRESS Send address label from recent issue, new address, and 9-digit zip to address below. POSTMASTER Send address changes to The Merchant Magazine, 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660-1872. The Merchant Magazine (ISSN 7399723) (USPS 796560) is published monthly at 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660-1872 by Cutler Publishing, Inc. Periodicals Postage paid at Newport Beach, Ca., and additional post offices. It is an independently-owned publication for the retail, wholesale and distribution levels of the lumber and building products markets in 13 western states. Copyright®2013 by Cutler Publishing, Inc. Cover and entire contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission. All Rights Reserved. It reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter, and assumes no liability for materials furnished to it.
C&E LUMBER COMPANY 1 1/2” to 12” Diameter in Stock.
SPECIAL QUOTES
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June 2013
Building-Products.com
TOTALLY Random By Alan Oakes
The
MERCHANT
Magazine
www.building-products.com
Spring forward, fall back… or is it the other way around?
A
S WE NEAR the end of spring, I have been reasonably positive about the industry results so far and the prospects for all of 2013. But, there are several lingering questions regarding the economy as a whole that give me pause and hopefully don’t trigger a reset button. Then again, I just read an article advising me to “stop apologizing,” so even if I’m wrong, I will probably shut up and hope nobody remembers a few months down the turnpike. Isn’t that what all economists do when they are wrong? By all accounts, the housing numbers look good and every economist I see and hear predicts much the same: just under 1 million starts this year and 1.1+ million next year. To me, about 1.1 to 1.2 million starts is where I see the market at a sustainable level, although forecasts for 2015 shows upwards of 1.4 million. The interesting stat—and perhaps the disconcerting one—is that growth is greater in multi-family vs. single-family. Reports suggest that homeownership in the U.S. is at its lowest since 1995, reflecting rising demand for rentals and investors buying single-family homes to rent. Homeownership is at 65%, while rental vacancies fell from 8.8% to 8.6%. A year ago, I expressed concern that as the younger generation become more mobile, especially in a tight job market, the allure of owning a home as a long-term investment may not be quite so prevalent (also reflecting that many children do not leave the nest until their late 20s and even 30s). Equally troubling, I heard a leading bank official say that there is no reason why home prices should be rising, with all the potential inventory of homes out there. Indeed, in some areas, prices have started to recede again. Talking with industry friends over the last couple of weeks, I also hear mixed signals, although mostly optimistic. Yet even those who sound positive still have doubts. In the overall economy, the new job creation engine stalled in March at 88,000, although a few weeks later, the government realized its couldn’t count and revised the figure up to 138,000. April came in at 165,000—a better number, but still suggesting a slowing. Indeed, many of the new jobs are lower-paying jobs in restaurants and bars (go figure). Unemployment fell to 7.5%, but the rate remains questionable, as more and more leave the work force. All of the above creates what I heard described as an economy hamster wheel, where we are trapped and cannot find our way out. As you listen to the daily financial reports there does appear to be a spring slowdown, with retail sales and manufacturing output down. It appears that after a good first quarter, the spring doldrums is becoming an annual event, like in 2011 and 2012. The Sequester and this year’s higher taxes—including stealth ones that many are just realizing have kicked in—are likely responsible. You take money out of pockets and it cannot be spent in the economy. After 2% growth in the first quarter, it is expected to fall to 1.5% in the second quarter. On the bright side, growth could be 2.4%+ for the rest of the year. This may follow the pattern we saw in 2012, with a stronger second half. As opposed to the events outside of our control, such as the euro crisis, we have understood much of this was going to happen. It is no surprise. It won’t cause shock waves that might stall the entire economy. With the good housing numbers, strong auto sales, lower energy prices, and some easing on consumer credit, the negatives are outweighed by the positives. So, although we are immediately feeling the tax increases and spending cuts, I expect around 4% growth in the economy next year. So back to the “don’t apologize” article I was reading. The whole point was that if you have a habit of apologizing too much for every little thing, it begins to have no value and becomes ever easier to say. Oftentimes, no one but you recognized your mistake and you should only make apologize when you make a big one. Unfortunately, I have too much of a public forum for my mistakes, so keep watching this space! Have a great summer.
A publication of Cutler Publishing
4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Publisher Alan Oakes ajoakes@aol.com Publisher Emeritus David Cutler Director of Editorial & Production David Koenig dkoenig@building-products.com Editor Karen Debats kdebats@building-products.com Contributing Editors Dwight Curran James Olsen Carla Waldemar Advertising Sales Manager Chuck Casey ccasey@building-products.com Administration Director/Secretary Marie Oakes mfpoakes@aol.com Circulation Manager Heather Kelly hkelly@building-products.com
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Chuck Casey Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 ccasey@building-products.com Alan Oakes www.building-products.com Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 ajoakes@aol.com CLASSIFIED David Koenig Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 dkoenig@building-products.com
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SUBSCRIPTIONS Heather Kelly Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax 949-852-0231 hkelly@building-products.com or send a check to 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, CA 92660 U.S.A.: One year (12 issues), $22 Two years, $36 Three years, $50 FOREIGN (Per year, paid in advance in US funds): Surface-Canada or Mexico, $48 Other countries, $60 Air rates also available.
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Building-Products.com
MARGIN Builders
By Jacqueline Palazzolo, Weyerhaeuser Distribution
Siding sales strategies
A
S THE NEW housing and remodeling markets continue to improve, demand for siding will certainly grow as well. In fact, the Freedonia Group expects demand for siding to expand 8.4% per year through 2016. To make the most of the opportunity, and to ensure those dollars stay at your yard, consider these sales strategies:
Educate Yourself
We’re more likely to promote and sell what we feel comfortable with. One of the best ways to sell more siding is to know your products—and those of your competitors— literally inside and out. Understand the differences between materials, the features and benefits of each, and even maintenance and installation best practices. The more confident you are in the subject matter, the easier it will be to educate customers who may be considering competing products that you don’t sell. This includes being well-versed in products’ warranties and what they mean. For example, James Hardie’s fiber-cement siding carries a 30-year non-prorated warranty. At first glance, that seems less than a competitor’s 50-year warranty, but the fine print reveals that the longer warranty is prorated. Soak up information using every resource at your disposal, from reading any and all available literature and the manufacturer’s website to taking advantage of product knowledge sessions from your distributor rep and your manufacturer rep. Product knowledge sessions should also be held for trade customers at the yard or on the jobsite to supplement face-to-face meetings. If needed, pair the session with a barbeque or a golf outing for higher-volume customers. Along with basic product knowledge, read trade publications to keep up on exterior trends, to help you provide the most well-rounded advice on materials, styles and colors.
Understand Upgrades
The first thing on most buyers’ minds is cost, which is why upgrades don’t sell themselves. Understand the benefits of higher-quality lines and be well-versed in the value proposition. Over its lifetime, prefinished siding will cost the same or even less than unfinished products due to reduced maintenance costs.
Look Professional
Keep your siding display as informative and up-to-date as possible. If there’s room, highlight color/pattern samples as well as mock-up walls of popular looks, including trim and other accessories. Highlight unique features and benefits of premium products. And be sure to keep product literature current and stocked. Beyond these tactics, consider upgrading your displays a Building-Products.com
PREFINISHED products like James Hardie’s ColorPlus fiber-cement siding more than justify an initially higher price, in maintenance savings.
bit further with technology. For example, an interactive touchscreen showcasing project images and explaining product benefits can keep homeowners engaged and inspired. Similarly, expand your informational giveaways with resourceful handouts—branded with your logo—discussing installation techniques and trends.
Don’t Forget the Trim
Trim is often an afterthought for builders, and therefore one in which cheap products may get slapped up only to require replacement in a few years. Make sure you not only carry trim products from the same lines as your siding offerings, but that you educate buyers on the long-term value brought by a small upgrade to higher-quality trim. Coordinating soffits also should be considered.
Stock Smarter
Having diverse and plentiful stock on hand is an important element to making the sale—but not always simple with hundreds of SKUs and not much space. One key is understanding your market and current demand by studying sales trends and conversing with customers. For example, what are the most popular colors and styles in your area? What is the demand forecast for your market? With all of these steps, preparation and planning play a central role in higher-volume and higher-profit siding sales. Boosting your knowledge and plotting a strong inventory strategy can give you a leg up on competitors as the industry continues to rebound. – Jacqueline Palazzolo is a Weyerhaeuser distribution dealer sales representative in Oregon. She can be reached via www.woodbywy.com. June 2013
The Merchant Magazine
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MANAGEMENT Tips By Carey Walley, AZEK Building Products
Vendors’ PK seminars equip your sales team with selling power
W
HY SHOULD DEALERS take advantage of manufacturer training programs? Mainly because training programs are often one of the best ways to empower your salespeople and increase your bottom line. In our experience, training need not
be one long exhaustive lecture – it can be engaging and fun. Spicing up the training sessions with a series of different activities, including hands-on building projects, your sales reps gain insider knowledge and get involved with the product. By the time the
PRODUCT TRAINING: Marion Miller, Alpha Alpha Building Center, Shipshewana, In., and AZEK’s Katie Weber look on as Alpha’s Virgil Hersheberger shows what he’s learned about working with different nail hole and gap filling products commonly used when installing AZEK Trim.
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power tools are revved up, your salespeople are well on their way to being revved up, too. In addition to increasing sales, training can also greatly reduce callbacks, create expert brand ambassadors within your organization, and help build solid relationships at all levels. Product training also helps to keep communication in sync along the entire supply channel, whether it’s finding everyday solutions for customers or supporting a new product launch. It can be the playbook that ensures manufacturers and distributors are on the same page with your sales team. Add in some social events and competitions, and the experience can be even more enjoyable. And, yeah, it can get loud as everyone gets psyched up to build the best project. As we all know, dealer sales are often relationship-based. That means that making sure your sales team has hands-on experience with the product is essential in communicating the benefits to a customer. Contractors welcome the insights that your salespeople have about new products—and trust them to help make their businesses stand out among the competition. The more knowledgeable your salespeople are about a manufacturer’s products, the more comfortable they will feel about selling them. And, if they are given a chance to actually work with a product, you can rely on them to not only explain it well, but perhaps even demonstrate how a product works—letting their actions speak Building-Products.com
far louder than words. For example, if a contractor comes in to buy materials for a porch job, your salespeople may be able to simply rattle off a few products they could buy. However, if they have been properly trained on different ways to enhance a front porch to make it lowmaintenance, they may be able to multiply the value of that sale. A wellschooled sales rep could recommend an assortment of solutions that the contractor may not have even thought about, such as cellular PVC for the porch planks, beadboard ceiling and column wrap. Knowing how and why the numerous alternatives on the market compare to traditional materials will allow your sales rep to be a resource for the contractor, while increasing your sales. And, in the future, that contractor will likely rely on your people being knowledgeable and able to decipher the sea of new products on the market. So, what should you expect a learning session to cover? Topics can vary widely but will typically include product performance and composition, Material Safety Data info, code listings, warranties, marketing and merchandising tools, features and benefits, installation tips, and differences from competitors. Plant tours are also beneficial in showing the ingredients, quality and testing processes that go into making a product. A combination of these training topics and facility tours combine to provide an overall view of the company and its products. Attendees should expect to come away with first-hand knowledge of what the brand stands for and the resources available to support it. Training can be conducted either at your location or at a facility created by the manufacturer. As an example, we have AZEK University at our headquarters, with a workshop “hands on” room, presentation rooms, and a showroom where anyone from distributors to dealers and even contractors can learn. The workshop is equipped with many of the power tools and equipment that contractors use in the field. Everyone attending these types of events learn much more than they expected and leave more enthusiastic than ever. As a recent dealer sales rep proclaimed after leaving a training session, “You just planted a lot of seeds for sales for the future.” That is really what this is all about—empowering your team to increase sales. Depending on how many product Building-Products.com
lines are covered, the length of a training program can range from a few hours to a few days. For the multi-day events, components typically include hands-on workshops, demonstrations and product use sessions, Q&A sessions with R&D, marketing and product management personnel, training manuals, videos, PowerPoint presentations and takeaways. The demos and hands-on product experience are extremely important because they give dealers a real feel for the product. They can touch, feel and work with the materials and even do a mini installation. If it isn’t possible to spend a few days away, having a manufacture provide a mini-training session at your location is still better than no training. To supplement in-person training, you should also ask a manufacturer if any online training options are available. For example, an important online training resource for AZEK to share new product information and provide on-going refresher training is a dedicated online training platform called Brainshark. Designed to highlight new products in quick, 12-minute learning modules, Brainshark uses cloud-based software to create, share and track
online and mobile video presentations. It provides on-demand training, allowing distributors, dealers, contractors and architects to access AZEK’s new product training on their own schedules. Overall, when performed consistently and effectively, training programs can greatly enhance your sales team’s relationship with your distributors and manufacturers. At the end of the training session, your salespeople should have a direct point of contact at the manufacturer in order to facilitate continuous communication throughout the year to help support sales. Seizing the opportunity to have your employees attend manufacturers’ training programs, gives you the ability to experience first-hand the best, margin boosting way to better serve your customers. Training will help move products out of your yard and into your customers’ trucks or onto jobsites—and that is a great reason to say “yes” to training. – Carey Walley is v.p. of marketing for AZEK Building Products and TimberTech, both wholly owned divisions of CPG International, Scranton, Pa. Reach her at (800) 307-7780 or cwalley@timbertech.com.
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11
PRODUCT Spotlight Composite Decking
Factory-finishing adds another layer to the sale
F
ACTORY-FINISHED lumber creates an additional service that lumberyards can offer builders, creating an opportunity for profit for both parties, while offering the homeowner an exceptional product with maximum durability
AFTER PRE-PRIMING boards for years (upper photo), Western Woods Inc., Chico, Ca., has added a stain line (lower photo) using Duckback architectural coatings.
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and minimum maintenance. Factory application allows prefinishing of siding, decking, fencing and panels in a wide variety of wood species and surface types. This gives the homeowner a larger selection of materials that can be used on projects. The prefinished siding can be packaged and delivered when the builder and homeowner are ready for the materials, fitting their scheduling requirements. Coatings application and drying in a factory-controlled environment allows for maximum performance of both the coatings and substrates. Back-priming helps reduce moisture penetration of boards. Factory finishing adds value by eliminating shrink lines and providing immediate protection for your siding investment. It’s a better way to finish compared to field application, due to reduced labor costs and installation time, and no weather delays. Customers get instant curb appeal and unmatched color uniformity for their home investments. As construction costs continue to rise, factory finishing is the less expensive option on a square-foot basis than onsite application of finishes. There is less chance of on-site waste and loss. It eliminates weather delays and subcontractor scheduling. With the option of all sides of the boards being finished, the substrate is better protected from weathering than when coatings are applied in the field. The results of prefinished boards are numerous and create a win-win for contractors and homeowners. Western Woods Inc., Chico, Ca., has operated a prime line for years and recently entered into the value-added category of prefinished siding, fencing and decking. In a partnership with Duckback Products architectural coatings, Western Woods provides another solution for builders trying to maximize their profitability and build year-round with beautifully stained, high-value product. “As the market downturn hit bottom, pre-finishers were affected like the rest of the industry. Many scaled back or closed altogether leaving a void in the market” said Duckback’s Joe Albert. “The value quotient is as strong as ever with existing home sales driving values down, builders need to be more competitive than ever. Pre-finishing offers that opportunity to provide superior quality at a better price. We are thrilled to see Western Woods entering what will surely be a growth category as we emerge from these lean times.” Building-Products.com
PRODUCT Spotlight Vinyl Siding By Jerry Blais, Ply Gem
Green vinyl siding is more than just a color
I
being the most popular siding in the U.S., vinyl siding is verifiably green. I don’t mean the color of the product—although that can be made green, too—I mean, according to a recent study, “Today’s N ADDITION TO
Vinyl Siding: Verifiably Green” by the Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI) and Sustainable Solutions Corp., vinyl siding is more environmentally friendly and sustainable than almost every other exterior cladding on the market
VINYL is among the most environmentally friendly and sustainable cladding materials on the market. Photos of Mastic Home Exteriors by Ply Gem
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today. Many homeowners, builders, remodelers and distributors may be quick to assume that when a product is described as green or sustainable, it’s only referring to the post-installation energy efficiency performance. This green verification takes into account every step in an exterior cladding’s life, comparing vinyl siding, insulated siding, brick, fiber cement, stucco, exterior insulated finishing systems (EIFS) and cedar siding. Brick, for example, requires approximately five times more energy to manufacture than vinyl siding, and fiber cement, almost twice as much energy. The material comparison of the VSI report was based on findings from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s standard building evaluation criteria, called Building for Environmental & Economic Sustainability (BEES). This model paints a rich tapestry describing each exterior cladding’s life cycle, starting from the extraction of raw materials all the way to installation and maintenance. As evidenced in the report, vinyl siding has sustainable benefits from the beginning to the end. For starters, the embodied energy, or overall energy, a product will use in Building-Products.com
its life cycle, is low in vinyl siding compared to other materials, due to relatively low energy used for material extraction and manufacturing. In fact, vinyl’s two building blocks are common salt, from which chlorine is extracted, and natural gas, from which ethylene is made. Common salt is one of earth’s most common compounds, while natural gas is readily available in the U.S. and has far less environmental impact than imported fossil fuels used to produce other materials. On top of efficient raw material extraction, any scrap material from manufacturing vinyl can be reused to make pipes or other vinyl product, resulting in virtually no manufacturing waste. According to the report, vinyl siding does not contribute to the creation of CO2 or other pollutants commonly affiliated with global warming potential, and its potential of releasing harmful chemicals is lower than even natural wood shakes. The low maintenance characteristics that make vinyl a favorite of homeowners also make it a favorite of those looking to reduce their carbon footprint. Additional chemicals are not needed throughout the product’s life because vinyl siding never needs to be painted, stained or caulked, it can be cleaned with simple soap and water, and it is wind and water resistant. From a practical standpoint, vinyl siding weighs less than most materials and scrap rates are less than 1.9% of all construction waste. For distributors and lumberyards, this means less energy is required to physically transport vinyl siding to the job site than its heavier counterparts, saving on fossil fuels. Cleaning up scrap siding is also simple and efficient. With a greater emphasis than ever on green products, vinyl siding’s green verification is a great selling point, not only to builders and contractors who specialize in green and sustainable building, but to those who are just looking to help their customers save time and money with an efficient, low-maintenance, low waste product. In short, green home products are what customers want. Vinyl siding even contributes points for certification in the LEED for New Construction and LEED for Homes Rating Systems, as well as the National Green Building Standard. Due to the effective energy performance of insulated vinyl siding, the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), which serves as the major regulatory tool for energy efficient construction, has recognized insulated siding as a building material that can be used as continuous insulation outside of the framing. Energy Star has also included insulated siding in the checklist of products that help homes qualify to earn the Energy Star Qualified Homes label. As vinyl siding becomes more versatile—both aesthetically, with a wider range of textures and colors, and sustainably, as we have seen from VSI’s report—it will have even more impact on the future of home design. Expect to see builders, remodelers, architects, designers, contractors and homeowners create the next generation of great-looking, green homes with vinyl siding. To view the full report, visit www.vinylsiding.org. – Jerry Blais is v.p.-marketing of the Ply Gem siding group, a leading manufacturer of exterior building products. Blais leads product management, brand communication, and channel development for the company’s siding and accessories brands, including Mastic Home Exteriors, Variform and NAPCO. Reach him via www.plygem.com.
Building-Products.com
June 2013
The Merchant Magazine
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FEATURE Story Responsive Design Websites
CUSTOMERS EXPECT your website to be presented in a format that looks good on smartphones, tablets and computers.
Photo courtesy Select Trusses
LBM companies redesign websites for mobile users
I
F A NEW WEBSITE is in your company’s future—or you’re planning to upgrade an existing one—you’ll want to consider “responsive design.” Responsive websites automatically adjust for optimal viewing on any device: smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. This concept has been around a couple years, but adoption has picked up lately, as the number of different mobile devices has increased. “The LBM industry is traditionally slow to respond to technological enhancements,” says Blake Cooper, marketing manager at RoyOMartin, Alexandria, La. “To improve our customer service, we implemented responsive web design to provide more meaningful and useful product information, even on mobile devices.” Compared to responsive websites, traditional websites—which are designed for larger screens—are harder to navigate on mobile devices, a source of frustration for users. Offering a mobile app helps, but
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involves additional costs—and updates can be time-consuming. “Your customers expect your website to be presented in a format that looks good on smartphones, tablets and computers without any effort on their end—without an app,” says Steve Lubahn, vice president of client marketing strategy at Vision Design Group, Winona, Wi. “Downloading an app should provide information or content that can’t easily be provided via a web browser.” All of this is important because 45% of Americans own a smartphone and 31% own a tablet computer—and they’re using them to access the Internet. And if users become frustrated, they’re not likely to return for a second look or recommend your website to others. “Surveys show that mobile traffic to all websites has increased significantly every year, and will continue to grow,” says Rachelle Shendow, marketing manager at AZEK Building
June 2013
Products, Scranton, Pa. “Recognizing this trend, we developed a responsive website in order to improve the user experience—for consumers at their home computers or contractors using smartphones or tablets on a jobsite.” Although a responsive website can cost slightly more upfront, it is less expensive than maintaining separate desktop, tablet, and smartphone sites. It’s also cheaper and easier to manage content on a single, responsive website, rather than on multiple sites and apps. Updates are also significantly cheaper on a single, responsive website than for mobile apps—and don’t require any action by users. Just update content once and every format is updated. Another way to keep costs down is to partner with someone with experience in responsive website design. “Select someone who is skilled at this type of website design, to get the most from your investment,” advises Building-Products.com
Shendow. Tracking visitor response is also easier with responsive websites, because all inbound traffic is routed to the same address—instead of being routed to different versions of the site. Tech experts say this ensures higher ranking on search engines. At Carter Lumber, Kent, Oh., the goal was to convert website visitors into Carter customers. “Through best website design and conversion optimization practices, Carter Lumber instantly grew both traffic and leads when the new website launched,” says designer Justin Smith, OuterBox Solutions, Akron, Oh.
from the Apple App Store. The California Redwood Co., Eureka, Ca., chose responsive design as the best way to reach its customers and sing the praises of natural redwood. “We had lots of information to communicate, so it was time to refresh our website,” notes marketing manager Kelly Lusa. “People are using a variety of devices to access the Internet, so we wanted to make sure we are properly represented on all of them.” GETTING THE WORD out on natural redwood was the goal for The California Redwood Co.’s new responsive website.
ROYOMARTIN implemented responsive web design to provide more useful product information, even on mobile devices.
Carter chose responsive design to bring a fresh look to its website and implement interactive tools such as a store locator, real-time estimators, and a product-quoting system. “My Store” locations are stored for future visits. Once a quote is completed, it is emailed to the customer, then saved and forwarded to the nearest store. When it was time to combine two separate websites into a single corporate site, Select Trusses & Lumber and Precision Steel Trusses, West Salem, Wi., chose responsive design, on the advice of Vision Design Group. On the new responsive website, no download is required for Select’s own top chord calculator. Another tool, MiTek’s truss design software, can be downloaded for iPhones and iPads Building-Products.com
Responsive LBM Industry News The Merchant Magazine has completely overhauled its website, Building-Products.com, creating an even more valuable industry resource with a “responsive design,” so it can be easily viewed not just on desktop computers, but mobile devices as well. The new site also features: • even more frequent news updates, • improved search and naviga-
tion capabilities, • galleries of event photos, • educational videos, including a new Selling series by columnist James Olsen, • industry job listings, • monthly survey, • wealth of illustrations, and • an online library of digital editions of The Merchant and sister publication Building Products Digest.
June 2013
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INDUSTRY Trends LBM Software
Epicor has big plans for BisTrack, LumberTrack
BISTRACK, acquired last year from Progressive Solutions, has become Epicor’s primary LBM system.
L
AST YEAR,
when one of the lumber and building material industry’s most unique software providers, Progressive Solutions, was acquired by a global conglomerate, fears were that new owner Epicor Software Corp., Dublin, Ca., would either radically change PSI’s popular BisTrack and LumberTrack products or discard them completely. Now that the dust has settled, The Merchant takes a closer look at the acquisition—what it means to Epicor and PSI customers and potential customers, and what the industry should expect from Epicor moving forward. Merchant: What does the deal mean for PSI customers? Steve Bieszczat, senior v.p., marketing: PSI customers should know that Epicor is fully committed to the growth and success of BisTrack and LumberTrack. The company plans to continue to sell, develop and support these two successful products. This means that BisTrack and LumberTrack customers will enjoy the benefits of being with a large, market-leading company. These benefits include long-term stability, growth and access to Epicor companion products, such as EDI, hardware STEVE BIESZCZAT and payment services.
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Merchant: What is going to happen to PSI’s dealerfocused BisTrack line? Graham Rigby, product manager, BisTrack: BisTrack is our primary go-forward lumber and building material system. BisTrack was built from the ground up, which makes it very different from other platforms in the market. Other platforms could not take true advantage of the latest technologies available. The BisTrack platform is not constrained by a legacy technology, and that allows us to go where technology is moving—in any direction. Mobile, web, cloud are all possible because of the platform’s strong and flexible technology infrastructure. Merchant: What is going to happen to LumberTrack? Rigby: LumberTrack is our primary go-forward business software solution for lumber and wood products manufacturers and GRAHAM RIGBY wholesale distributors. We recently announced an update to this product (Version 10) and plan to continue developing, marketing, selling and supporting this popular product. This recent update gives customers advanced customization tools to create role-based user experiences, simplify screens, streamline data entry, extend data accessibility, and support multiple languages. Adding LumberTrack to our catalog of products extends our LBM market coverage. From hardware stores to pro yards to wholesalers to lumber mills, Epicor now covers the entire supply chain. We understand the nuances of each section in the LBM supply chain, and have products that are specific to the needs of each. Merchant: What about for Epicor customers? Bieszczat: Epicor customers who are looking to change their technology platform have a new compelling choice with their current technology partner. However, customers who are happy with their Epicor solution should know that Epicor will continue to provide them the service and support they rely on. Merchant: So they needn’t worry that their old, legacy platform is going to become obsolete? Building-Products.com
Bieszczat: Correct. We appreciate all of our LBM customers and we realize that not everyone needs to have the latest technology. We’ve been serving the LBM market for over 30 years. Some of our products have been in place for decades and continue to serve their users well. We are going to continue to provide service and support for those customers to the best of our ability. While BisTrack is our lead LBM product for new customers, our Catalyst/Falcon and ECS Pro customers are a vibrant, important customer base. These products will continue to be sold as extensions of current installations. Epicor will continue to support and keep development resources behind these products and our older legacy systems. We are not actively marketing and selling these products to new customers, but will continue to support those who rely on these products to run their businesses. Merchant: How committed is Epicor to the LBM market, considering the hardship the industry has endured of late? Bieszczat: Our acquisition of PSI underscores our commitment. The last few years have been rough on the LBM industry. Because Epicor serves a diverse group of industries, we have been able to weather the storm. Like many dealers and builders, we have had to tighten our belts, streamline our operations, and focus resources on growing business segments. However, we never wavered in our commitment to the market and our customers. We are glad we stayed, because we see that the LBM market is improving and dealers are starting to spend more money on new technologies. Our lumber operations have been revitalized by the PSI acquisition. There has been a great influx of new talent and energy. We feel we have a compelling solution with the best LBM business management technology, backed by the best and largest corporation in the industry. Merchant: What else is Epicor doing in LBM? Rigby: Epicor spent the last year bringing PSI employees into the fold. We are pleased that all developers and support personnel have remained with the company. Our investment has not stopped there. We recently added headcount on our services and support team, and we will soon add to the development team. Building-Products.com
June 2013
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COMPETITIVE Intelligence By Carla Waldemar
Shrink to fit
B
ACK IN THE DAY , Fullerton Lumber—launched in 1882 in Mitchell, S.D.—owned over 130 lumberyards in the Upper Midwest, mostly small-town operations located by the railroad tracks that sold everything from coal to chicken feed. But as the company rolled into its third generation, Robert Fullerton II, more of a businessman than the preceding sticks-and-plywood guys— was of the mindset that less equates to more. In line with modern times, he started divesting the smaller yards and concentrating on consolidation, the better to be armed against the
onslaught of the big boxes and in tune with customers’ changing demands. The current economic downturn hastened the regrouping. Outstate yards were sold in order to buy down debt and navigate the storm. The bucks to be had were no longer to be found in tiny operations in the likes of Yankton, Ia. Those days were over. Fullerton sharpened its focus by concentrating on a strong core of four stores in the 12-county area rimming the Twin Cities’ urban center: two locations to the east in Osceola and Ellsworth, Wi., and two to the west in Watertown and Glencoe, Mn. (plus
ONCE BOASTING 130 lumberyards throughout the Upper Midwest, Fullerton Lumber has thrived in recent times by focusing on pros, from its four locations.
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headquarters in Plymouth, a suburb of Minneapolis). The days of d-i-y are over, too: Today, Fullerton has upped its revenue by focusing strictly on its pros: builders, developers, remodelers. And it’s paying off. Sales manager Mike Simon also realigned the outposts’ outlook. No longer does each general manager run his own location as an independent kingdom sans working with his colleagues. Used to be, says Simon, one store’s driver would speed past another Fullerton store enroute to a delivery. Now, the items are rolled out of the closest operation, while the originating store’s salesman still retains credit for the sale. And there’s no need for showrooms anymore, either. They’ve been replaced—updated—by iPads, one to a store, to carry to the customer (“He doesn’t need to come to us anymore”) to display all available products with the mere touch of the screen. Similarly, smartphones and GPS devices also allow instant tracking, which thrills builders waiting at the jobsite. Soon, even drivers and forklift operators will be equipped with these bells and whistles, too. “Our industry is slow to embrace (that kind of) technology” says Simon, “ but you’ve got to think: What’s important to our customers? They need information quickly in order to be better at their own business.” Speaking of showrooms—or lack thereof—another new “showroom” is the Volvo station wagon of a salesperBuilding-Products.com
BOX VAN transports windows, doors and more to the jobsite.
son working, say, on a kitchen remodel. She simply loads choices of cabinets, or whatever, into her car and drives them to the customer who’s mulling over a project, explaining all the options and walking her through the steps right in her own home. Staff training has undergone a massive change of direction, too. The typical product-knowledge sessions are just table stakes. What Fullerton provides is actual training in sales skills, such as communicating, attitude, and negotiating. “When times were good, you just took their order,” Simon says. “Now, you need to prospect and to network. As the industry changes, clients expect more from you, like problem-solving, better service—not just the best price. Sure, the salesmen had to struggle to change, but they’ve learned how to better reach their customers; they’re going to trade shows, joining builders’ organizations, getting leads via Keystone, pulled permits, going to the jobsite. By visiting the Parade of Homes venues, they discover who’s building what, and where. Then they investigate those potential customers, do research, asking ‘Tell me what you need!’ They’re forming ties, not only with realtors, but also folks that do insulation, concrete, framers—a whole platform of avenues. And we’ve formed new relationships with our vending partners, such as Boise Cascade and Marvin, so our salespeople can visit their plants. It keeps us on the cutting edge.” And are these salespeople committed? You bet. Once they reach a certain sales level, they’re rewarded with a free pick-up truck (and 13 of the present 16 already are driving that carrot.) Negotiating discounts for quantity buying for all four locations is a bonus, agrees president Dave Walock. But that doesn’t mean each facility blindly follows in lock-step. “Certain customers want specific products, so you defer to what your customer is looking for,” he says. “One custom builder wants only the best, wainfree lumber, premium quality, while another is a market strategist doing a subdivision where price is an issue. You’ve got to look for the sweet spot. And you’ve got to look for the whole package: If you’re not selling him cabinets, why not? All of a sudden, we become extensions of them. And that’s why we’ll Building-Products.com
make ten deliveries to a single site if we have to, if the builder needs it.” Customers are completely different, store-to-store and day-to-day, from the ag guy building a pole barn to someone putting up a small office building or an airplane hangar. There’s the firsttime homeowner, the remodeler, the builder of upscale custom homes, those working on multi-family buildings or assisted living projects. Says Walock, “It’s everyone from an ag customer in overalls to the builder-as-businessman in a suit and Range Rover. So our challenge is to coach salespeople with the skills to talk to all that, from the higher-volume, business-minded fellow to the small remodeler, one-on-one. “The biggest piece of our pie,” he reports, “is new homes for the firsttime buyer. We did 65 last year and probably 75 this year. Most are in the $500,000 to $750,000 range, but many are in the $350,000 to $450,000 market, too. Lots of activity for single homes, and for multi-family homes, too. We just did a 120-unit building in Plymouth and have three more onboard. However, it’s the remodeler who remains a challenge. You’ve got to understand the cost of doing business—maybe a delivery of a single item: Can you make money on that?” Well, one certain way to make money go further is to require, as Fullerton now does, that all managers wear multiple hats. “The day of the general office help are over,” Walock testifies. “Everyone has cross-training. And all do some part of the buying—lumber, OSB, shingles, insulation, exterior doors.” With Fullerton now ensconced on stronger footing, Walock takes a break to look at the larger economy. “House sizes are trending smaller,” he says, “due to the cost of land as well as mindset. People are buying both in the exurbs and inner-city infill. When the economy was at its worst, builders shed spec homes and land to save money. Now, in 2013, they’ve nothing to show. But banks are willing to lend again, with very attractive interest rates, so builders are starting to step up. People are gaining confidence, and home values are starting to appreciate. Are their margins better? Yeah, a little. But land will be the spoiler, so we have to wait to grow our own [margins]. Are we there yet? No, but we’re gaining good mileage! “And we’ve got staying power. The Fullerton family has owned the company for over 130 years, and they have attained a balance between being community partners and being a business. It’s not all about the numbers and the dollars, but a balance, and a very clear sense of a family business—how we operate, our culture.” And, yes, that’s matriarch Marna Fullerton, age 79, still at her desk at the front of the store. Talk about commitment! Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net June 2013
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OLSEN On Sales By James Olsen
Manage or lead?
W
manage a team to the reach of their individual conflicting goals and desires. With a shared goal, a clear vision, and the human touch, we can lead our team beyond our collective imagination. Of course, we have a shared goal: sell more! This is the message of most managers, sell more! This is “management by pounding the table,” but it is not leadership. What do sales leaders do to create extraordinary (read: not ordinary) results? E CAN ONLY
Leader or Hostage?
Managers who fail to grow the strength of the entire team beyond a small percentage of top producers will be held hostage by this group. People are hyper-aware of “fairness.” Our team expects us to promote and protect it. The best salespeople make the most money. They get more accolades and attention. That’s the way it should be. But, because they sell more does not make them higher quality humans. We want to incent the best to give their best, but not at the price of fairness. If we lose this delicate battle, we will lose our group.
Are You With Me?
If we want our team to follow us into a burning house, we must lead them into that burning house. Telling salespeople what to do creates zero results (beyond what would have happened without our “leadership”) or negative results from those who resent our behind the desk management style. When we sell side by side with our team, they will follow our leadership. They will give us that extra that makes all the difference in life, business and sales. Our team will accept our coaching after we have gone on a tough call with them. Getting treated poorly together on a sales call is a bonding experience that cannot be produced in the office. Our number one goal on all sales calls is to make our salesperson look good. Too many sales managers try to show the salesperson “how it’s done.” This undermines the salesperson. We will not be calling on the account next week, so unless we want to do our salesperson’s job, we let them lead the call. Pre-plan the call so we know who is going to talk about what. If the salesperson needs us, they can say, “Why don’t you take this one, John?” Immediately after the call, we debrief with our salesperson, pointing out good things and areas for improvement. If all we do is talk about the things our salesperson did wrong, we are wasting our breath. Basketball coaching great Larry
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Brown says we need to say five positives to every constructive criticism. That’s five-to-one. (Larry Brown is the only coach who has an NCAA and an NBA championship.)
Culture of Prospecting
The dirty little secret of the sales world is that only 10% of salespeople are looking for new business. “We have all the accounts we need, we just need to sell more to the accounts we do have.” Hogwash! I have heard a variation of this statement hundreds of times. It just isn’t so. Sales leaders create an environment where looking for new business is an all-the-time thing. Most companies look for new business when it is too late, when they are slow. The best time to look for new business is when we are busy. More importantly, our account base is actively under siege from the 10% mentioned above—who also happen to be the best salespeople. We must lead and incent our sales team to go out and call on brand-new, never-done-business-with-us-before customers—this is where real, extraordinary (read: not ordinary), organic growth comes from. Managers who go into the field with their team and call on new accounts will earn loyalty, respect and increased sales—guaranteed.
Lunch & Leadership
Salespeople need attention. Not just business review attention either. Sales leaders understand that sales is an emotional career and that their team needs emotional support. We have 20 lunches a month— use them. Take your salespeople to lunch and listen to them. Talk about what they want to talk about. Treat them like we want them to treat our company’s best customers. Breaking bread breaks barriers. Show your team you care about them as humans and they will give you superhuman results. That’s sales leadership. James Olsen Reality Sales Training (503) 544-3572 james@realitysalestraining.com Building-Products.com
Chain Reopens Ex-Barr Yard
Builders Supply held an April 18 board-cutting ceremony at its newest location—the former Barr Lumber yard in Yucca Valley, Ca. Jeff Twaddle is store manager of the yard, which becomes the third location for the California division of Parker Lumber, Beaumont, Tx.
Hardwood Decking Supplier Expands to California
Advantage Trim & Lumber Co. has opened a 50,000-sq. ft. manufacturing and distribution facility in Santa Fe Springs, Ca., to supply hardwood decking to West Coast contractors, designers and homeowners. Operating as Wood Decking Inc., the new facility has installed new CNC molders and milling equipment, to produce pregrooved, tongue-andgroove, and siding from sustainably harvested species such as ipé, cumaru and tigerwood. “With multiple containers of wood arriving every week, we will be able to offer a full-year-round supply of sustainable deck materials,” said general manager Rick Nevarez. “And with decking stores closing from San
Jose and San Francisco to Los Angeles and San Diego, we see a great opportunity to bring high-end, sustainable decking materials to the market at affordable pricing.” Advantage also operates warehouses in Buffalo, N.Y., and Grover, N.C.; a sales office in Lakewood Ranch, Fl., and the online seller AdvantageLumber.com. Several additional production and warehouse facilities are in the works, with the company currently negotiating the purchase of another 70,000-sq. ft. distribution/ milling plant.
Friedman’s Returns to Roots
Friedman’s Home Improvement broke ground May 2 on a new 78,000sq. ft. location in Petaluma, Ca., to open early next year. The chain got its start in Petaluma 66 years ago, but—due to its aging facility—moved out in 1976, always with the intention to one day return. “Leaving Petaluma was the hardest family decision we ever made,” said president Bill Friedman. “I remember as a little kid seeing the sign posted on the store: ‘Closed, but we will be back.’”
DEALER Briefs Alliance Lumber, Phoenix, Az., has acquired Central Arizona Truss, Phoenix. Orchard Supply Hardware is closing its store in Fountain Valley, Ca., and held a June 8 grand reopening to show off its newly remodeled store in Van Nuys, Ca. Ace Hardware Saddle Rock, Aurora, Co., is being opened this month by Rick Weed (www.acesaddlerock.com). Ace Hardware has closed in Santa Cruz, Ca., due to high rent, but owners Manuel and Carlos Rodrigues will reopen this month in Watsonville, Ca. McLendon Hardware added a 44,000-sq. ft. store in N. Tacoma, Wa. The former Pay ’n Pak/Ernst location is McLendon’s 7th (Sandy Simmons, store mgr.). Almaden Ace Hardware , Almaden, Ca., has reopened following a three-month remodel that included addition of a Craftsman Tool Center. Ace Hardware Argonne , Spokane Valley, Wa., has been opened by Bruce Barany. One Stop Home Improvement Center , Riverside, Ca., launched a new www.oshic.com.
website
at
ABC Supply was honored with the Gallup Great Workplace Award for the seventh consecutive year. Habitat for Humanity held a grand reopening last month at its newly relocated ReStore discount LBM outlet in Goleta, Ca. Ganahl Lumber, Laguna Beach, Ca., lost $8,000 in tools and other merchandise in a midnight “smash and grab” burglary May 23. Anniversaries: Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau, Federal Way, Wa., 110th … Buffelen Woodworking , Tacoma, Wa., 100th … Franklin Building Supply , Pocatello, Id., 10th …
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Building-Products.com
Arizona Store Swaps Co-op
HomCo Ace Hardware, Flagstaff, Az., is leaving the Ace Hardware coop after 23 years to join True Value and change its name to HomCo Lumber & Hardware. HomCo locations in Phoenix and Tempe, Az., will remain with Ace.
Chain Buys Colorado Ace
Mr. D’s Home Center, Sterling, Co., has acquired Brush Ace Hardware, Brush, Co., as its third Northeastern Colorado location. The store’s interior will be extensively remodeled in the fall.
Coos Bay Rail Line Complete
Coos Bay Rail Link has resumed rail service between Eugene, Or., and Roseburg Forest Products’ plywood mill in Coquille, Or., completing full restoration of the Coos Bay line that shut down over five years ago. The Port of Coos Bay purchased the 134-mile route in 2009 and has spent $31 million on repairs. “Moving product by rail directly out of Coquille can eliminate up to 18 truckloads per day of material being shipped to another mill, where it then is loaded on a rail car,” said
Roseburg’s director of transportation, Jeff Brandt. “This will not only allow us to be more competitive by reducing our costs, but it will benefit the community and environment by reducing highway traffic and emissions.”
Worker Discovered Buried at Arizona Roofing Plant
OSHA is investigating the death of a 30-year-old employee at Eagle Roofing Products, Phoenix, Az., who had become trapped under several tons of sand and aggregate used to manufacture concrete roof tiles. Jantu Medrano—who had worked at the plant for less than three weeks—was reported missing on April 12, after failing to show up for his 3:30 a.m. shift. His previous shift had ended at 2 p.m. the day before. “There’s one large hopper that divided into three hoppers going into conveyor belts,” said Fire Captain Tony Muir. “Crews rappelled down into the hopper to bring up Medrano’s body.” Company officials and fellow workers said he wasn’t supposed to be where his body was found. Homicide investigators questioned employees, but did not suspect foul play.
SUPPLIER Briefs Utah Wood Preserving , Woods Cross, Ut., has switched its FRTW from Dricon to Pyro-Guard. Interfor temporarily idled its Beaver, Wa., sawmill starting May 25, due to market conditions. Pacific Abrasive Supply Co. (PASCO), Buena Park, Ca., has been acquired by CGW-Camel Grinding Wheels, Niles, Il. Herbert Lumber Co., Riddle, Or., sustained a minor fire May 21 after an electrical panel blew off the wall. Simpson Strong-Tie, Pleasanton, Ca., was recognized as Preferred Supplier Partner of the Year by tool/fastener co-op Sphere 1 for the second straight year. James Hardie Building Products, Mission Viejo, Ca., earned the Good Housekeeping Seal for its James Hardie fiber-cement siding.
Natron Wood Products/ Jasper Wood Products, Jasper,
Or., will invest $10 million opening a 265,000-sq. ft. MDF and HDO plywood facility in Louisville, Ms.
Thermory USA has earned a Class B Fire Rating for its thermally modified hardwood decking, with a Flame Spread Index of 35. The CAMO hidden deck fastening system from National Nail Corp., Grand Rapids, Mi., is now listed as compatible with TAMKO’s EverGrain and Envision composite decking.
Allweather Wood is now treating with Chemonite brand ACZA at its White City, Or., facility.
ACZA treatment, now offered by Allweather Wood, offers the ultimate in wood protection for projects that are exposed to fresh and salt water.
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Building-Products.com
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MOVERS & Shakers Dan Semsak has been promoted to v.p.-sales & marketing and Randy Schillinger to v.p.-operations for Pacific Woodtech Corp., Burlington, Wa. Jonathan “J.D.” Dombek, ex-Engineered Wood Solutions, is new as sales mgr. Bob Maurer, ex-Swanson Group, is a new field buyer with Universal Forest Products, Thornton, Ca. James D. “Jim” Boyer has been promoted to president of Parr Lumber Co., Hillsboro, Or., and its subsidiaries. David Hamill will remain c.e.o. through 2013 to assist in the transition and develop business strategies. Dave Cox, ex-Lumber Yard Supply, has joined All-Coast Forest Products, Englewood, Co., as outside sales territory mgr. Chris Kimmett, ex-Minot Builders Supply, and Richard Stypinski are now in inside sales. Reid Schooler, ex-Hampton Lumber Sales, is a new lumber trader at Buckeye Pacific, Portland, Or. Darrell Chrapko is now engineered wood products mgr. at Boise Cascade, Denver, Co.
Kevin Daugherty, ex-Swanson Group, has joined Olympic Panel Products, Shelton, Wa., as product line mgr.-commodity panels. Rob Rodriguez, ex-Western Woods, has joined Boral TruExterior Trim as sales mgr. for the Northern California territory. He is based in Sacramento, Ca. Darren McKowan is now handling all sales and shipping at Columbia Vista Corp., Vancouver, Wa., succeeding Scott Olsen, who has left after 25 years to become purchasing and sales mgr. for Dis-Tran Wood Products, Pineville, La. Robert Pineda, ex-Wholesale Lumber & Plywood, is a new senior trader at Neiman Reed Lumber Co., Van Nuys, Ca. Jon Nagle, ex-Intermountain Orient, has joined Matheus Lumber Co., selling for the Phoenix, Az., office from Upland, Ca. Bryan Elliston, ex-ProBuild, is now operations mgr. at Sterling Lumber & Investment Co., Westminster, Co. David King is a new EWP designer at Capital Lumber, Woodburn, Or.
Scot Savary, ex-BMC West, has been named general mgr. of ProBuild, Spanaway, Wa. Amber ThurmanTruax, ex-Window Solutions, is a new millwork specialist at Dixieline Lumber/ProBuild, Solano Beach, Ca. James Blair, ex-Plastpro, has joined El & El Wood Products, Elk Grove, Ca., as sales mgr. for Northern California. Christy Lambeth is new to millwork sales at American Building Supply, Sacramento, Ca. Mike Looper, ex-Atrium Windows & Doors, has joined the sales force at Orepac Building Products, Spokane, Wa. James McMillan, ex-Economy Lumber Co., is new to door & window sales at Exclusively Doors, Richmond, Ca. Ron Barrette has been named general mgr. of Valley Lumber & Truss, Henderson, Nv. Greg J. Griffin, ex-Cal-Wood Flooring Supply, is now territory mgr. for the San Francisco Bay Area at Heppner Hardwoods, Azusa, Ca. Blake Anderson is new to lumber sales at Alpine Lumber Co., Frederick, Co.
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www.thermoryusa.com Distributed by Mount Storm Forest Products 5700 Earhart Ct., Windsor CA 95492 Phone 707.838.3177 www.MountStorm.com
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Royal Plywood Company 14171 E. Park Pl., Cerritos, CA 90703 Phone 714.521.5735 www.RoyalPlywood.com
Building-Products.com
Marguerita Chavarria, ex-Superior Engineering Products, has joined the inside sales team at Huttig Building Products, Rancho Cucamonga, Ca. Brenda Hunsinger, ex-Silverado Building Materials, is new to architectural sales at Peninsula Building Materials, Livermore, Ca. Carol Fouts has been appointed district sales mgr. for Simonton Windows, Vacaville, Ca. Craig Loop is store mgr. of the new Orchard Supply Hardware in Tigard, Or. Bud Barr, ex-White Cap, is new to outside sales at Border Construction Supplies, San Diego, Ca. David Penewell is now handling Northwest sales for Zometek composite decking from Aboeda/ Bamboo Hardwoods, Seattle, Wa.
Building-Products.com
Steve Bailey is a new truss designer at Holderness Supplies, Tucson, Az. Joseph Sandoval is now in territory sales at L&P Building Supply, Albuquerque, N.M. Allen Smith, ex-Golden State Flooring, has been named western regional mgr. for Pinnacle Hardwood Floors, Carrollton, Tx. Julie Gengo has been appointed marketing specialist for the Environmental Certification Services division of SCS Global Services, Emeryville, Ca. Dave Golling, Royal Plywood Co., Cerritos, Ca., has been elected to the board of the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers, Anaheim, Ca. George R. Judd has resigned as president, c.e.o., and a director of BlueLinx Holdings, Atlanta, Ga.
Howard S. Cohen will serve as executive chairman while the board searches for a successor. Corbin Prows has joined Do it Best Corp., Fort Wayne, In., as a retail program mgr. Gary Maulin has been named western states territory mgr. at Starborn Industries, Edison, N.J. Steve Killgore, Roseburg Forest Products, Roseburg, Or., was elected to Engineered Wood Technology Association’s advisory committee, replacing Barry Nelson, who resigned. Dale Leeper, Momentive Specialty Chemicals, succeeded Alan Weaver, who retired. Armand A. Legg is now director of pricing at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.
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IN Memoriam John Harmer, 85, co-owner and president of Southland Lumber & Supply, Inglewood, Ca., died May 15. He started the business with his sister, Leah, in 1946 and remained active until his passing. The company continues under his daughter, Susan Harmer, and Leah’s son, Johnny Crowell. Eunice Lulu Wisdom, 86, former owner of Wray Lumber, Wray, Co., died May 6. She and her husband, Dale, purchased the company in 1964. She initially handled secretarial and book-
keeping duties, but oversaw the entire business after her spouse died. She sold the company and retired in 1996. Larry Leon McGuire, 80, retired president of McGuire Lumber Yard, Yakima, Wa., died May 22. He joined his family’s newly founded company at age 17 and also helped lead sister business Rahier Trucking, Yakima. He retired in 1993. Wilbur Fullaway, 88, founder of Calaveras Lumber, Angels Camp, Ca., died May 5 in Angels Camp. He attended Oregon State University before joining the Navy in 1943.
He served in Europe, including as a relief soldier at Normandy Beach. After the war, he worked at American Forest Products, Stockton, Ca., for 27 years. In 1976, he used his retirement savings to buy a small yard that became Calaveras Lumber. Alvin Joseph Ficco, 80, former coowner of Rice Lumber, Ouray, Co., died April 27 in Ouray. After serving with the U.S. Army, he co-owned Rice Lumber from 1956 to 1969 with his brother, Tom Fellin, and sister-in-law, Sally Fellin with his brother, Tom Fellin. From 1969 to 1994, he operated Box Canon Construction with his best friend, Norm Fedel. Christopher Thomas Peepe, 64, former manager of McNamara & Peepe Builders Supply, Crescent City, Ca., died May 15 in Crescent City. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, earning a Bronze Star. In 1976, he graduated from Humboldt State University with a degree in business. He began working for his father at McNamara & Peepe Lumber Co., Crescent City, at age 15 and moved over to the builders supply when the sawmill closed in the early 1980s. When it shut down in the 1990s, he partnered with Jim Rawlings to launch Crescent Cabinets. He retired in 2011. Daniel Clayton Bidwell, 75, former partner in Wheatwell Lumber, Stacey, Mt., died May 16. After working at ranches and Ashland Sawmill, Ashland, Mt., he formed Wheatwell Lumber in 1973 with his brother-in-law, Walt Wheaton. Luther Iverson “Luke” Love, 83, Northern California sawmill veteran, died May 23 in Taylorsville, Ca. He entered the lumber industry at age 16, quickly rising to sawyer with Plumas Lumber, Genesee, Ca., and then at Louisiana-Pacific, Crescent Mills, Ca., before owning and operating his own sawmill for several years. He retired from Siskiyou/Plumas Lumber in 1993. Marie Barr Langley, 90, who supported her late husband Cordes Langley’s businesses, Redwood Coast Lumber and Coast Wood Preserving, Ukiah, Ca., died May 4. She graduated from University of California-Berkeley in 1981.
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Vaagen Hits Full Production at New Arizona Mill
Vaagen Brothers Lumber, Colville, Wa., has started up its new Four Corners Forest Products sawmill in Eagar, Az. Utilizing logs from wildfire salvage and fuels reduction projects in northeast Arizona and northwest New Mexico, the facility’s mobile HewSaw has a capacity of 100,000 bd. ft. of lumber per shift.
Green Demand to Double
Worldwide demand for green construction materials is expected to grow from $116 billion in 2013 to more than $254 billion in 2020,
according to a new forecast by Navigant Research. Future market growth for green materials will be driven by a combination of policies and regulations that prioritize energy efficiency and green design, the expansion of voluntary certification programs for green buildings, cost reductions for green materials, consumer demand, and growing evidence that green buildings confer quantifiable market advantages. “Green building materials range from traditional materials that are being revalued for their minimal impacts to advanced technologies that are enabling better passive and active building performance,” said Navigant
senior research analyst Eric Bloom. “Incremental improvements in materials science, production efficiency within mature product classes, and changes in design and construction practices are all helping to reduce the impacts from the buildings and materials sectors.” The use of product standards and environmental assessments, along with product and company reporting, will be significant in shaping the green materials market. Though it can be argued that the current green product labeling landscape is overpopulated, a more select class of standards and tools is emerging, making environmental performance more measurable and more transparent, according to the report.
EPA Pushes to Widen Regs on Composite Panels
The EPA has proposed making national the California Air Resources Board’s emissions standards on composite wood products. The mandate would limit the amount of formaldehyde that may be emitted from hardwood plywood, medium-density fiberboard, particleboard and finished goods sold, made or imported in the U.S. EPA estimates that a national regulation, when fully implemented, could reduce formaldehye levels in new or remodeled homes by up to 25%. The agency also proposed forming a third-party framework to certify that manufacturers meet the new rules.
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Idaho Timber Buys Hood Mill
Idaho Timber, Boise, Id., has purchased Hood Industries’ idled sawmill in Coushatta, Al., and plans to restart the facility by third quarter 2013. The 60-acre site includes four main buildings, including a 79,000-sq. ft. sawmill, which dates back more than five decades to the original business, Bobcat Lumber. It closed in 2008 due to the recession. Idaho Timber expects to invest $3.5 million refurbishing the plant, which will employ 90, producing
radius-edge decking, dimension lumber, and other products from southern yellow pine.
Sure Drive Acquires Ty-Lan
Sure Drive USA, Hayward, Ca., has acquired the patents and manufacturing rights from Ty-Lan Enterprises for its complete line of hidden deck fasteners, including ShadoeTrack, The Hidden Link, and Mantis Clip. Ty-Lan was an original innovator in the hidden deck fastener market with its introduction of ShadoeTrack
in 1995. Brian Orchard, president of Ty-Lan, will continue to be active in sales and product development with Sure Drive. Sure Drive manufactures Copperguard, Rustguard, Cap-Sure, and Seamaster deck screws. A division of Pan American Screw, it is part of Marmon/Berkshire-Hathaway’s Construction Fastener Group, along with sister firms Deerwood Fasteners International, Co-Op Screw, Atlas Bolt & Screw, and Robertson Inc.
APP Watch
Application: MARVIN FINISHES Produced by: Marvin Windows & Doors Price: Free Platforms: iPad, iPhone A new app lets homeowners and professionals “build” and preview windows and doors with all of Marvin’s stain, clear-coat, or painted interior finish options. Marvin offers six stain options— honey, wheat, hazelnut, cabernet, espresso and leather—that can be applied to any of Marvin’s six wood species—pine, white oak, cherry, Douglas fir, mahogany and vertical grain Douglas fir. Download from iTunes App Store
Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber, Inc. Pressure Treated Forest Products Alkaline Copper Quat (ACQ) Custom Treating Selected Inventory Available
P.O. Box 673 • 3150 Taylor Drive • Ukiah, Ca. 95482 Phone 707-468-0141 • Fax 707-468-0660 info@wetreatwood.com
Sales for Coast Wood Preserving 34
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NEW Products
Tough Trimboard
Extra-Thick PVC Sheets
Easy Roof Repairs
Kemperol Roofpatch kits from Kemper System are ideal for small roof repairs. The ready-to-use patches stop leaks and cover cracks and damaged areas in bitumen sheets, PVC roofing sheets, concrete, wood and metal. Each patch is rainfast in 60 minutes and can be walked on after 12 hours.
Boral TruExterior beadboard closely resembles wood, but resists rotting, splitting and termites. A blend of proprietary polymers and fly ash create a product that is both sustainable and durable. Available are an edge-andbead and a V-groove profile. An interlocking tongue-and-groove system eliminates the need for visible fasteners.
Reportedly the first 1-1/2” thick, single-extruded cellular PVC sheet is new from Versatex. A full 1/4” thicker than previous products, Versatex Max is available in nominal 48” widths and four standard lengths: 8’, 12’, 16’ and 18’. The sheets are designed to eliminate or reduce lamination steps during fabrication of custom mouldings, rails, pergolas, corbels, etc.
KEMPER-SYSTEM.COM
BORALTRUEXTERIOR.COM
VERSATEX.COM
(888) 926-7259
(800) 541-5455
EWP Design Software
Georgia-Pacific Wood Products has partnered with Calculated Structured Designs to offer updated design software for engineered wood roof and floor systems. Using CSD’s iStruct platform, GP’s updated F AST Suite software
(724) 857-1111
consists of FASTPlan design layout, F AST Beam beam-sizing, and FASTOpt material-optimization software. Programs use intuitive drawing and simple input methods to create faster designs.
CSDSOFTWARE.COM (800) 406-6235
Specializing in Flatbed & Van Freight for over 10 years
4911 Warner Ave., Ste. 205, Huntington Beach, CA 92649 Phone (714) 840-5366 • Fax 714-840-1933
www.straight-line-transport.com “A Load We Transport Is a Load off Your Mind” 36
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Building-Products.com
Smarter Locks
Kwikset’s 2nd Generation SmartCode deadlocks connect with existing home security and automation systems, so homeowners can receive security updates via their mobile devices. Twenty different styles and finishes are availabale. Features include one-touch programming, easy re-keying of the lock, and a backlit push-button keypad.
KWIKSET.COM (800) 422-4278
Damp-Area Flooring
SelecTech’s Place N’ Go interlocking flooring can be used over subflooring in damp locations, such as basements, bathrooms and kitchens. Made with a resilient, moisture-resistant plastic, the tiles can be installed without adhesives, underlayment or padding, so changes are simple.
PLACENGO.COM (508) 583-3260
Insulation for Siding
LineBacker siding insulation from Progressive Foam Technologies provides a thermal break and improves the appearance of any plank-style siding, including fiber cement and composite. The insulation combats thermal bridging, makes existing cavity insulation more effective, and levels the wall under the siding. Guide lines ease installation, by providing a ledge for each plank to stop against for nailing.
PROGRESSIVEFOAM.COM (800) 860-3626
Building-Products.com
June 2013
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WHAT YOU WANT. WHEN YOU NEED IT. Timbers Green & K.D. Export
Dimension Lumber Treated Products Domestic
Manke Lumber Company is familyowned and has been serving the needs of the lumber industry since 1953. We take pride in milling and stocking quality lumber in a full range of commodity sizes and larger dimension timbers. We also answer your market needs for a wide variety of treated lumber products. Our forest products are milled from carefully harvested Northwest trees ready for distribution to you—on time and at the right price. Located in the Port of Tacoma, we have ready access to deep water shipping, rail heads or trucking terminals for longer haul loads. Manke operates its own fleet of trucks and is at your service for straight or mixed loads by truck, rail or sea. We manufacture primarily Douglas fir and western hemlock, including • 2x4 thru 2x12, Lengths 8-20’ • 3x4 thru 3x12, Lengths 8-26’ • 4x4 and wider, Lengths 8-26’ • 6x6 and wider, Lengths 8-26’ • 8x8 and wider, Lengths 8-26’ • Timber sizes up to 12x12
Manke Lumber Company Call 1-800-426-8488
1717 Marine View Dr., Tacoma, WA 98422
Phone 253- 572-6252
Fax 253-383-2489
www.mankelumber.com
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Stapling Buddy
Paslode’s CapStapler system simplifies installation of housewrap, plastic sheathing, and roof underlayment. The system includes the pneumatic CapStapler, FasCap button cap reels, and 18-guage, 3/8” crown button cap staples in 1” and 1-1/2” lengths. Other features include an adjustable exhaust cap, adjustable belt hook, and a switchable cap feed that can be used as a narrow crown stapler.
PASLODE.COM (800) 222-6990
Flat-Mount Lighting
FlatLight Luminaires from PIXI-Lighting can be flush-mounted against any flat surface. The LED lights use up to 80% less energy than incandescent lights, with less heat and no mercury or lead. Commercial-grade panels come in two sizes: 2’x2’ and 1’x4’. Residential panels are available in 1’x1’, 1’x2’, and 2’x2’. All are 1/2” thick.
PIXI-LIGHTING.COM (714) 221-9830
Building-Products.com
Improved PVC Trim
Water-Saving Toilet
TrexTrim now offers two new PVC moulding products, plus a new matte finish that more closely matches its boards, sheets and builder profiles. The garage door stop is designed to seal the gap between garage doors and doorjambs. A new 18’ brick mould profile can be used to trim windows, entry doors, and garages.
Certified by WaterSense, the Brianne high-efficiency toilet from Gerber Plumbing Fixtures uses just 1.28 gallons per flush. The toilet also has a compact configuration, a FluidMaster 400A fill valve, a 3” flush valve for quick bowl cleaning, dual-fed siphon jets, and a 2” glazed trapway. It comes in white and biscuit colors, in round or elongated bowl designs.
TREX.COM
GERBERONLINE.COM
(800) 289-8739
Building-Products.com
(866) 538-5536
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NAWLA ANNUAL CONFERENCE Photos by The Merchant
NORTH AMERICAN WHOLESALE Lumber Association held its annual leadership conference April 28-30 at Innisbrook Golf Resort, Palm Harbor, Fl. [1] Laura Ebersberger, Joshua Tyler. [2] Robert Dresser, Bill Adams. [3] Mac Mayberry, Harris Gant. [4] Melody & Ken Tennefoss. [5] Scott & Shelly Elston, Michael Heary. [6] Clark & Elena Spitzer. [7] Kent Beveridge, Dawn & Mike Holm. [8] Pat Gannon, Todd Lindsey. [9] Jim Hassenstab, John Cooper. [10] Elizabeth & Steven Rustja. [11] Dennis
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Berry, Phillip Keipp. [12] Mike & Janet Phillips, Kathy & Larry Boyts. [13] Kim & Nicholas Fitzgerald. [14] Andre & Elizabeth Gien, Gary Vitale. [15] Rob & Margot Hruby. [16] Sally & Steve Killgore. [17] Joe & Cheryl Guizzetti. [18] Mark Donovan, Janie & Buck Hutchison. [19] Mary Ellen Owens, Traci & Mike Mordell. [20] Alden Robbins, Nancy Beveridge, David Destiche. [21] Josh Goodman, Rena Goodman. (More photos on next two pages) Building-Products.com
NAWLA ANNUAL CONFERENCE Photos by The Merchant
CONFERENCE ATTENDEES (continued from previous page) [1] Steve Weekes, Ian McLean. [2] Kevin Ketchum, Dan Semsak. [3] Doug Coulson, Bradley Morrow. [4] Steve Firko, Dave Adams. [5] KayCee Hallstrom, Alice & Scott Gascho. [6] Lee & Jan Schull. [7] Catharina & Carsten Kullik. [8] Dusty & Penny Hammack. [9] Lawrence & Tanya Newton, Carl & Melissa McKenzie, Jeff & Elizabeth McLendon. (More photos on next page)
Wholesale Industrial Lumber
REEL
LUMBER SERVICE
1321 N. Kraemer Blvd. (Box 879), Anaheim, Ca. 92806 Fax 714-630-3190 (714) 632-1988 • (800) 675-REEL 3518 Chicago Ave., Riverside, Ca. 92507
(951) 781-0564
www.reellumber.com Building-Products.com
A
t Reel Lumber Service, we supply domestic and foreign hardwoods. Our products and services include: • Hardwood Lumber & Pine • Hardwood Plywood & Veneers • Melamine Plywood • Hardwood Moulding (alder, cherry, mahogany, MDF, maple, red oak, paint grade, pecan hickory, white oak, walnut, beech) • Milling (moulding profiles, S2S, SLR1E, SLR2E, & resawn lumber) • Woodworking Accessories (appliques, ornaments, butcher blocks, corbels, etc.) • Woodworking Supplies (deft finishes, color putty, adhesives, etc.)
O
ur products are widely used in interior finish carpentry, furniture, cabinetry and hundreds of industrial and manufacturing applications. We stock a complete line of complementary products to complete virtually any woodworking or millwork project.
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NAWLA ANNUAL CONFERENCE Photos by The Merchant
Celebrating 45 years of fine hardwood manufacture and distribution For the finest service in the industry, call on Swaner for a steady, reliable source of quality hardwood products at competitive prices. • Hardwood Lumber / S4S • Hardwood Plywood • Custom Hardwood Moulding • Custom Hardwood Flooring
5 West Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, Ca. 91502 Fax 818-846-3662
(800) 368-1108 42
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NAWLA conference (continued from previous two pages): [1] Daniel Schaffer, Mary O’Meara Moynihan, Mark Hefley, Rosalie Leone, Scott Kerr. [2] Suzanne Hearn, Mark Erickson. [3] Carl Tobey, Bethany West, Sam Sanregret. [4] Barb & Doug O’Rourke. [5] Sandy & Chris Fischer. [6] Vicki & Carl Lamb. [7] Roger Champagne, Ann & Jim Robbins. [8] Linda & Barry Schneider. [9] Cindy & Bill Anderson, Shelley Kohlmeier. [10] Bill & Kathy Price, Cindy & Jim McGinnis III. [11] Russ & Linda Hobbs. [12] Andy Goodman, Rick Elstein.
Send us your news! Have your recent expansion, personnel promotions, product introductions, or other company changes published in the next issue of BPD. Just email to kdebats@building-products.com. Building-Products.com
ASSOCIATION Update West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association has enlisted sales trainer Rick Davis to headline its 2nd Growth Summer Conference July 18-19 at Rancho Las Palmas Resort, Rancho Mirage, Ca. During dinner the first evening, Davis will speak on “The Wonderful Joy of Glitches.” Following breakfast the next day, he will discuss how to “Craft Winning Sales Performance and Salespeople in Changing Times.”
Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers has a pair of golf events set for the summer. July 16 will feature the annual Colorado WOOD Council’s golf tournament and dinner at The Ranch Country Club, Westminster, Co. Then on Aug. 24, it’s the Western Slope golf tournament and cookout at Rifle Creek Golf Course, Rifle, Co.
Human Potential’s Bill Benjamin, former basketball pro Walter Bond, sales and marketing expert Sam Richter, distribution industry veteran Scott Thomas, and Cleveland Research Co. co-founder Mark Herbek, addressing trends in the building product supply chain. The Nov. 12-14 convention is cosponsored by North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors.
Western Building Material Association will hold its 111th annual convention in February 2014 at the Tulalip Resort, Marysville, Wa.
North American Building Material Distribution Association has finalized the speakers for its annual convention this fall in Chicago, Il. Presenters include economist Brian Beaulieu, Institute for Health &
Western Wood Preservers Institute continues its series of webinars during the summer. “Understanding NESC Grounding Requirements for Electric Distribution Systems” will be covered June 27 and “Safety & Overload Factors” on July 25.
LOS ANGELES HARDWOOD Lumbermen’s Club enjoyed a May 10 tour of downtown Orange, Ca., and its restaurants on a vintage trolley. Wine tasting and food samples were
enjoyed along the way. (Left to right) Charley Bohnoff, Dale Bohannon, Kathy Fitzgerald, Bill Fitzgerald, Alana Northrup, Charley Fiala, Walt Maas, Diane Maas, Alan Arbiso, Dayna Arbiso,
Randy Porter, Marty Porter, Kit Rohm, Dan Bohannon, Mark Michie, Lisa Rains, Allison Deford, Deonn Deford, Kevin Trantner, Tammy Trantner.
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CAPITAL LUMBER, Chino, Ca., recently held an open house to celebrate the installation of equipment purchased from All-Coast Forest Products and to thank customers and suppliers for their patience during the transition. [1] John Gaskin, Grant Pearsall, Pete Meichtry, Sam Sanregret. [2] George Garcia, Dan O’Hara, Tim Kennedy. [3] Bill Sullivan. [4] David Abbott, Sal Camarda, Jim Giehl.
CLASSIFIED Marketplace Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word minimum). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy or headline, $9 per line. Border, $9. Private box, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if art furnished “cameraready” (advertiser sets the type), $65 if we set type. Send ad to Fax 949-852-0231 or dkoenig@ building-products.com.
HELP WANTED
CALIFORNIA CASCADE INDUSTRIES is currently hiring quality, seasoned salespeople. Opportunities are for both inside and outside sales. Send resume to ckaufenberg@ californiacascade.com.
FOR SALE
Deadline: 18th of previous month. To reply to ads with private box numbers, send correspondence to box number shown, c/o The Merchant. Names of advertisers using a box number cannot be released.
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DATE Book Listings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend. Western Forestry & Conservation Association – June 10-14, basics of forestland & timber appraisal seminar, Corvallis, Or.; www.westernforestry.org. National Lawn & Garden Show –June 11-13, Crowne Plaza O’Hare, Rosemont, Il.; (888) 316-0226; www.nlgshow.com. National Retail Federation – June 12-14, loss prevention conference & expo, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, Ca.; (800) 673-4692; www.nrf.com. Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – June 13, meeting, Moreno’s Restaurant, Orange, Ca.; (626) 445-8556; www.lahlc.net. West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association – June 13, associates/dealers golf tournament, Rancho Solano Golf Club, Fairfield, Ca.; (800) 266-4344; www.lumberassociation.org. Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – June 19, meeting, Anaheim Hills Golf Course, Anaheim, Ca.; (760) 324-0842; www.hoohoo117.org. Washington Hardwoods Commission – June 19, meeting, Castle Rock, Wa.; (360) 835-1700; wahardwoodscomm.com. Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau – June 21, annual meeting, Kelowna, B.C.; (253) 835-3344; www.plib.org. Western Wood Preservers Institute – June 23-25, summer meeting, Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Ca.; (360) 693-9958; www.wwpinstitute.org. Northwest Natural Resource Group – June 24-26, small-scale logging workshops, Oakville, Wa.; (360) 316-9317; nnrg.org. Council on Forest Engineering – July 7-10, annual meeting, Missoula, Mt.; (541) 754-7558; www.cofe.org. Western Forestry & Conservation Association – July 8-11, advanced insect & disease field session, Hood River, Or.; www.westernforestry.org. Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – July 16, Colorado WOOD Council golf tournament, The Ranch Country Club, Westminster, Co.; (800) 365-0919; www.mslbmda.org. Interforst 2014 – July 16-20, annual forestry & forest technology fair, Messe Munchen, Munich, Germany; www.interforst.de/en. West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association – July 1819, 2nd Growth summer conference, Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, Ca; (800) 266-4344; www.lumberassociation.org. Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers – July 2427, woodworking fair, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; (800) 946-2937; www.awfsfair.org. Southern Oregon Lumbermans Association – July 25-26, golf tournament & BBQ, Rogue Valley Country Club, Medford, Or.; (541) 779-5121. Oceania Plantation, Forest & Wood Products Trade Conference – Aug. 8-9, Bayview on the Park Hotel, Melbourne, Australia; www.prcc.com.au. Willamette Valley Hoo-Hoo Club – Aug. 14 , trap shoot, Eugene Gun Club, Eugene, Or.; (541) 393-3309. Orgill – Aug. 22-24, fall dealer market, Boston Convention Exhibition Center, Boston, Ma.; www.orgill.com. Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – Aug. 23, Western Slope golf tournament, Rifle Creek Golf Course, Rifle, Co.; (800) 365-0919; www.mslbmda.org. National Association of Women in Construction – Aug. 28-31, annual convention, Hyatt Regency, Bellevue, Wa.; (800) 5523506; www.nawic.org. Building-Products.com
June 2013
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ADVERTISERS Index
IDEA File Dealer Holds Its Own Home Show
A 100-year-old
lumber dealer in New York has found a good way to bring in customers and connect with the community: an annual home show with vendor exhibits, entertainment for children, food and door prizes. White’s Lumber—which has locations in Watertown, Gouveneur, Pulaski, and Clayton, N.Y.— has hosted the show every spring for the past 25 years. This year, the two-day event drew more than 500 attendees. “Now is just the start of the season for families planning projects,” says James P. Finnerty, who manages the Watertown location. “Along with local companies, national vendors and suppliers are well-represented at the show.” With 46 vendors and other industry experts, attendees got information and advice on anything related to construction and remodeling—including roofing, siding, decking, railing, flooring, painting and kitchen design. No one went hungry at the event, with the Lions Club selling an array of “carnival” refreshments: hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, chips and soda. Children who attended were treated to face painting, a story time, a show by a local magician, and a visit from Clifford the Big Red Dog. Girl Scouts volunteered to help host the children’s events, so everything went smoothly. Adults enjoyed a range of door prizes, including hats and T-shirts. The grand prize was a swing set donated by White’s Lumber.
For more information on advertisers, call them directly or visit their websites [in brackets].
Advantage Trim & Lumber [www.advantagelumber.com]..........34 Allweather Wood [www.allweatherwood.com] ............................27 Austin Hardwoods & Hardware.....................................................46 AZEK [www.azek.com]...................................................................33 Bodyguard Wood Products [www.bodyguard.com] .....................3 Boral [www.boraltrueexterior.com] ..............................................35 Cabot [www.cabotfactoryfinish.com] .............................................7 Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber ........................................................34 California Timberline [www.caltimberline.com] ..........................13 C&E Lumber Co. [www.lodgepolepine.com] .................................4 Capital [www.capital-lumber.com]..........................................24, 26 Collins Companies [www.collinswood.com] ...............................31 DeckWise [www.deckwise.com] ...................................................15 El & El Wood Products [www.elandelwoodproducts.com] ..........3 Fontana Wholesale Lumber [fontanawholesalelumber.com].....43 Huff Lumber Co. .............................................................................37 Humboldt Redwood [www.getredwood.com] ..............................27 Idaho Forest Group [www.idahoforestgroup.com] .......................5 Jaaco Corp. [www.jaaco.com].......................................................32 Keller Lumber Co............................................................................32 Kemper System [www.kemperol-roofpatch.com] .......................30 Manke Lumber Co. [www.mankelumber.com].............................38 Norman Distribution Inc. [www.normandist.com].......................11 PPG Machine Applied Coatings [www.ppgpro.com] ........Cover III Pacific Wood Preserving Cos. [www.pacificwood.com].............39 Plycem USA [www.plycemtrim.com] ............................................23 Railing Dynamics Inc. [www.rdirail.com] .....................................29 Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com]...................................8 Reel Lumber Service [www.reellumber.com] ..............................41 Regal Custom Millwork ..................................................................41 Roseburg Forest Products [www.rfpco.com] ..............................19 Royal Pacific Industries .................................................................45
Serving the Woodworking Professional Since 1981
Southern California’s Largest Selection of Domestic and Exotic Hardwoods Including Plywoods, Sheet Goods, Mouldings and Veneers Santa Ana (714) 953-4000 • San Diego (858) 536-1800
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Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com]..........................Cover II Straightline Transport [www.straight-line-transport.com] .........36 Swaner Hardwood Co. [www.swanerhardwood.com].................42 Swanson Group Sales Co. [swansongroupinc.com]........Cover IV Thermory USA [www.thermoryusa.com] ....................................28 TruWood-Collins [www.truwoodsiding.com] ....................16A-16B Versatex [www.versatex.com].......................................................25 Western Woods Inc. [www.westernwoodsinc.com]............Cover I Building-Products.com
PPG MACHINECOAT PLUS ST EXTERIOR FINISH ÂŽ
SEMI-TRANSPARENT SYSTEM FOR WOOD
STANDARD SEMI-TRANSPARENT SYSTEM*
CEDAR SANDSTONE BASECOAT
MAHOGANY MAPLE REDWOOD WALNUT
PPG introduces a new semi-transparent system that combines the protection of a solid color ďŹ nish with the appearance of a semi-transparent stain.
PRODUCT FEATURES t 100% acrylic latex t Machine application formula for better overall consistency versus ďŹ eld application t Formulated with high durability pigments for maximum UV performance t Varied basecoat colors offer a wide range of color options t Excellent color retention
ASK PPG ABOUT DURACOLORÂŽ ST FOR FIBER CEMENT AND COMPOSITES
* Samples are shown with 1 coat of Sandstone Basecoat and 2 coats of Semi-Transparent Finish. These samples were all lab applied. 11( "SDIJUFDUVSBM 'JOJTIFT *OD t 0OF 11( 1MBDF t 1JUUTCVSHI 1" t t XXX QQHQSP DPN t XXX QQHNBDIJOFBQQMJFEDPBUJOHT DPN t NBDIBQQJOGP!QQH DPN The PPG logo is a registered trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. MachineCoat and DuraColor are registered trademarks of PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc.
The
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