A SaG. lunch for 15O

THE SACramento Area Wholesalers held their 28th annual holiday lunch in suburban Carmichael, Ca.: (1) John Diederich and event organizer Stuart Heath. (2) Dan Kepon, Mike Vinum, Jim Costello, (3) Rod Gasser, Claude "Scotty" Scott. (4) Gary Simmen. (5) Dick Foshage, lrv Beeson, (6) Bob Maurer, Dave Probst, Mike Bivins. (7) Brian Simmen, Phil Morehead, Dale Manell (8) John Bottini, Mike Little. (9) Marie Callahan, El Louise Waldron. (10) Rick Hermanson, Bob Bretz, Jim

Thomson. (11) Jeff Squires, Chris Richter. (12) Dean Rogers, Grant Sparkes. (13) John Souza, Dave Dahlen, Rich Giacone. (1a) Chad Singleton. (15) EIsa Duenas, Silvia Duenas. (16) John Helela, Jack Prock. (17) Dave Stokes, Rob Becker, Kyle Keaton. (18) Matt Stanley, Danielle Equitz, Orville Chedester, Tim Tanner.

(More photos on next page)

LUNCH TIME for Sacramento wholesalers (continued lrom previous page)in Carmichael. Ca. (1) Drck Jackson. Robert West. (2) Jim McVey. Curt Wood. (3) Erol Deren, John "J.J." Johnson. (4) Alan Fahrenkrog, Jay Bishop, Jim Kuphaldt. (5) Dan Clare, Phil Kimery. (6) Mike Mackin, Scott Shledorn. (7) Ben leany, Mike Croxton, Bob Palacioz. (8) Max Corning, (9) John Parsons, Jim Edwards, Mike Young. (10)

Mitzi & Gayle Morrison, Linda L4orrison. (11) Pete Fleming, George Hammann, Randy Hulfman. (12) Debby Drew, Pat Hunter, (13) Casey Garland, Mike Brown. (14) Steve Lausmann, Joe Lausmann, Doug Heryford. (15) Jim Thomson, Greg Passmore, (16) Jerry Hahn, Tom Knippen. (17) Steve Hagen. (18) Kris Kampp, John Sharp, Terry Sperling. (19) Mark Westlake, Dave Westlake,

lltlhat Window & D,oor Buyers lffant

When selecting the manufacturer of windows, doors and skylights for their projects, architects are concerned most about product availability and durability, according to a new National Fenestration Rating Council survey.

Architects were asked to indicate the importance of each of 15 attributes in selecting a fenestration manufacturer, with "very important" assigned a score of5 and "not important" assigned a score of l. Product availabiliry and durability tied for fust with ao average score of 4.5. Choice of styles (4.4), choice of finishes (4.3), and manufacturer reputation (4.3) rounded out the top five.

The study also demonstrated that erergy performance is an important consideration for architects in choosing fenestration products. Regardless of their area of concentration (residential, commercial or industrial), most architects said they "often" or "very often" use on€rgy perforrnance information in selecting products.

Half u*e NFRC ratings to rate €n€rgy performance, and nearly all of those who do find the ratings to be "very trustworthy."

Of the architects surveyed, 887o said they are responsible for choosing the fenestration products in their projects: 8% identified the builder and 37o sud the client.

This compares to 88% of homebuilders who, according to a separate NFRC survey, say that they chooee the products in their homes. American Institute of Architects' Richard Hobbs attributed the discrepancy to the fact that homebuilders often work without architects.

DISING utility costs and declining -lf.housins starts combined with an unsettled neta of manufacturers could translate into a volatile window and door market in 2001.

"There are some major factors that, if combined, may cause a distinct change in the market in 2001," predicts Mark Schield, v.p. of Weather Shield Windows & Doors. "Housing starts are certainly beginning to level off and decline slightly. At the same time, energy prices continue to rise. For some industries, rising fuel costs are causing transportation rates to increase. Those same increases in energy prices can also be felt on the manufacturing end. When you combine the increasing costs in the market with a decline in housing starts, it can result in a volatile situation."

Al Campbell, president of the Window & Door Manufacturers Association, also points to the building slowdown. "Most forecasters are expecting 2001 to be a stabilizing type of year," he says. "Certainly residential construction has slowed down over the last quarter to half year and experts forecast a 4Vo to 67o decline in 2001. There will be a related decline in window and door demand, but it will be softened to a certain extent by the newest products. Windows are thermally superior to what was available 20 years ago, so architects and designers can open up homes. So some of that slack (caused by fewer starts) may be taken up by architects and designers using more windows."

Schield identifies two areas poised to grow. "Affordable housing will be negatively affected in2001," he says. "The markets with the most promise for growth are luxury homes and light commercial. On the product side, we expect the door category to explode in 2001 along with requests for impact resistant glass and sturdier windows."

The company plans to expand and enhance its current door offerings in 200I. "People are requesting higher ceilings in their homes which means there is a need for higher doors," he says. "Consumer interest in tasteful patio and French doors that open to the rear of homes is also increasing. Doors are now seen as 'furniture for the walls' by many consumers. Homeowners are taking an active role in door selections for their home. We think this trend will increase even more in 2001 as homeowners become more enamored of special door options and energy efficient features."

Schield says the best way for dealers to prepare for success in 2001 is by creating a solid business plan and by strengthening their associations with reputable suppliers. "A number of window manufacturers are currently in financial trouble," says Schield. "Dealers, builders and remodelers all need to be careful not to absorb those problems. They need relationships with firmly established manufacturers that are not going to declare bankruptcy or continually be sold."

Still, the success of the door and window market is intricately tied with overall building demand. Says Campbell: "We're all hoping for the proverbial soft landing for the construction industry."

Rrrrrrrrs

Sutherlands Lumber plans a 55,000-sq. ft. store in Carlsbad, N.M.; the 90-unit chain has operated a single N.M. location, in Las Cruces, for five years

Anderson Lumber Co., Ogden, Ut., has closed its Rupert, Id., store after 52 years, with plans to serve the city from its Twin Falls branch...

Orchard Supply Hardware added a new 55,000-sq. ft. store last month in Sacramento, Ca.

Ganahl Lumber, Anaheim, Ca., has closed its unprofitable Huntington Beach, Ca., yard

Ace Hardware, Bisbee, Az., is building a 29,000-sq. ft. store to replace its current 14,000-sq. ft. unit in Douglas, 42. ...

Payless Cashways plans to discontinue buying and selling wood products from environmentally sensitive forests by 2003 ...

Home Depot opens a new home center this month in Avondale, Az., and a 97,262-sq. ft. Expo Design Center in Laguna Niguel, Ca. ... Depot has broken ground in Oxnard, Ca.; is considering sites in Lewiston, Id., and applied to build on 1l acres in Springfield, Or., instead of a second Eugene location ...

Home Depot's plans to relocate its La Mirada, Ca., store were supported by an environmental impact report armed robbers stole an undisclosed amount of cash from Depot's Canoga Park, Ca., unit

Lowe's Cos. opened a new store late last month in Mission Valley, Ca. (Richard Grubbs, gen. mgr.), and unveils new units the last weekend of this month in Riverdale, Ut. (Glenn McGrath, gen. mgr.); W. Phoenix, Az. (James Henry, gen. mgr.); Modesto, Ca. (Karen Brothers, gen. mgr.), and

Lakewood, Wa. (John Raynor, gen. mgr.) www.lowes.com has begun online sales of appliances and tools ...

B&I True Value, Springfield, Or., is spending $300,000 to remodel its 12,000-sq. ft. store, including expanding the rental dept....

Dunn Lumber, Seattle, Wa., has agreed to use Buildscape's Internet and wireless B2B procurement system...

M cGuckin Hardware. Boulder. Co., closed its power equipment center

Spenard Builders Supply is now selling household appliances at the front of its Sitka, Ak., branch, with the paint dept. moved to the rear of the store ...

Wnor:slr:ns/tlxurlcrun:rs

Kuzman Forest Products Inc., Hillsboro, Or., is building a new office/distribution yard complex on 3.2 acres in Hillsboro: the firm eKpects to move in the spring ...

Ore Pac Building Products, Wilsonville, Or., plans to open a new Denver area DC in Aurora, Co., by March; Tom Ludwig, mgr.

Conrad Wood Preserving Co., North Bend. Or.. has been renamed Conrad Forest Products ...

Pyramid Mountain Lumber, Seeley Lake, Mt., plans permanent closure by the end of the month

Sierra Pacific Industries temporarily closed its sawmills and planing mills in Susanville, Loyalton and Quincy, Ca., Dec. 18, hoping to reopen after two weeks other indefinite curtailments last month included Umpqua Lumber, Dillard, Or., sawmill; RSG's five sawmills in Washington and Oregon; Simpson Timber 's Commencement Bay stud mill, Tacoma, Wa., and Welcb

Lumber's Marysville, Wa., cedar mill ...

Louisiana- Pacific's Hines, Or., mill received the state's first "green permit," affording it special treatment from state regulators for exceeding regulatory standards ... L-P also received third party certification that its management of timberlands in Texas and Louisiana meets the Sustainable Forestry Initiative criteria ...

Weyerhaeuser Co.'s coastal B.C. timberland groups have been certified by the Canadian Standards Association ..,

Johns Manville, Denver, Co., agreed to buy Slovakian fiberglass manufacturer Skloplast AS ...

James Hardie, Mission Viejo, Ca., has completed the acquisition of Western Gypsum. a mining operation in Utah ...

National Houseware s Associationhas a new name, International Housewares Association

New Web sites: San Antonio Pole & Steel Consffuction Co., Grimes, Ca., www.poleframe-buildings.com Norbord Industrie s, www.norbord.com

Anniversaries: Loveday Lumber Co., Los Angeles, Ca.,80th Oxnard Building Materials, axnard. Ca.. 75th ... Intermountain Wood Products, Belgrade, Mt., 70th .. Tualatin Valley Builders Supply, Lake Oswego, Or., 55th ... Golden State Lumber, Inc., Petaluma, Ca., 45th ... OregonCanadian Forest Products of California, Orange, Ca., 15th

Housing starts in Nov. (latest figs.) rose ZVo to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.562 million ... single family starts held at 1.22 million; multifamily climbed to a pace of 298,000 for 5+ units, 44,000 for 2-4 unifs permits increased 3Va to an annual rate of 1.678 million.