Put your bert facade foruard

II'OMEOWNERS looking to put lltheir houses uo for sale in the near future face a quindry: How much do they invest renovating their homes in a tough real estate environment?

As their material suppliers, lumber dealers should steer them to improve- ments that increase not only the price they can get for the home compared to the investment, but also make the home more marketable in an increasingly crowded field.

Remind home sellers that, on average, exterior upgrades recoup a higher percentage of costs. According to the 2007 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report, the most profitable project on the national level was upscale fibercement siding replacement, recouping 88.17o ofcosts upon resale.

In fact, upscale fiber-cement siding replacement was the only one of 29 projects studied that returned more than 80Vo (82Vo of costs recouped) in the tightest market, the East North Central region of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.

In the Pacific region, high-end siding replacements generated returns of well over 907o.

Yet nationally, even mid-range siding replacement returned an average of 83.2Vo of costs.

"The results underscore the importance of curb appeal in the buyer's eye," said Dick Gaylord, president of the National Association of Realtors.

Among other top projects, the cost vs. value report found that wood deck additions returned 857o, minor kitchen remodels returned 837o, and wood window replacements returned 8l7o of their costs. The least profitable projects were a back-up power generator, sunroom addition, and home office remodel.

R:rrtrrns

Keith Brown Building Materials is closing its Tracy, Ca., yard Jan. 18 and shuttered its Madera. Ca.. location Dec.2I ...

Chino Hills Ace Hardware, Chino Hills, Ca., opened its 15,000-sq. ft. store Nov. 2 ...

Corbet's Ace Hardware, Larkspur, Ca., is planning to relocate after 54 years

Ace Hardware, Encinitas, Ca., held a grand opening Dec. 7 for the 6,400-sq. ft. store owned by Glen Maguire and Doug Billings, who also runs Billings Ace Hardware,Belrnont Shores, Ca.

F o xw orth - Galbraith Lumb e r, Payson, Az., was the site of a Dec. 6 injury accident when contractor Danny Heubel, 44, was pinned against his truck by a forklift he was using to load his vehicle

Habitat for Humanity has opened a ReStore used building rnaterials outlet in Carbondale, Co., and held a grand opening Dec. 13-15 for a new ReStore in South Salem, Or. ...

Home Depot opened new home centers Dec. 13 in N. Redmond, Or., and Nov. 29 in central Bakersfield. Ca.. as well as a newly relocated store Dec. 6 in Covina, Ca. ...

Home Depot was denied approval for a second store in Pleasanton, Ca.; applied to build a 100,000-sq. ft. store on 9.7 acres in Silverthorne, Co.; will open this spring in a 50-acre center in Carson City, Nv., and decided against building on an old Kmart site in Chula Vista, Ca.

Inwe's Cos. opened new stores Jan. 5 in Puente Hills and Rancho Cordova, Ca., and N. Las Vegas, Nv.; Dec. 22 inE. Spokane Valley and Port Orchard, Wa. (Jim McLoughlin, store mgr.); Dec. 14 in Dublin, Ca.: Dec. 11 in Carefree, Az.; Dec. 9 in Vernal, [Jt., and Nov. 27 in Monroe, Wa.

Lowe's expects new store openings in lst quarter 2008 in S. San Francisco, Ca.; in 3rd quarter 2008 in Clinton, Ut., and Fort Collins, Co., and in lst quarter 2OO9 in Paso Robles, Ca. ...

Ferguson Enterprises will cut 1,300 jobs in the 2nd quarter to save $124 million; no new cuts are planned for sister company Sroclr Building Supply, which lost 5,000 jobs last year

M c Kinnon Lumber, Hollister, Ca., was named Retail Business of the Year by the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce

Builders FirstSource. Dallas. Tx., secured a new $350-million revolving credit facility

Wrouslrrns/tmurrcur:ns

Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, Wa., broke ground on a new DC in Forks Township, N.J., soon after agreeing to sell its Boston Wood Products Distribution Center in Assonet, Ma., to Wood Structure s Inc., Biddeford, Me., and its hem-fir reloads in Reading and Pittsburgh, Pa., and Buffalo, N.Y., to Great Lakes Trading & Distribution...

Building Material Distributors Inc., Galt, Ca., has expanded its distribution of Simpson Strong-Tie products to Colorado, Wyoming, Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and Western Montana ...

Collins Cos.' Collins Pine FreeForm and Alpen fiberglass windows are among 2007's Top 10 Green Building Products, as selected by BuildingGreen from more than 200 new products sub- mitted to the GreenSpec database during the past year

Jeld-Wen, Klamath Falls, Or., has become the sole supplier of fiberglass doors for East Coast distributor Brockway-Smith Co. ...

BuildDirect, Vancouver, B.C., this spring introduce Vanguard composite decking exclusively for distributors

U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C., relaunched a more user-friendly website ...

Jackel Enterprises, Santa Cruz, Ca., was certified by Smartwood as a Forest Stewardship Councilapproved supplier of hardwoods and softwoods

Contact Industries, Portland, Or., has received Forest Stewardship Council chain-of-custody certification...

Timber Products. Or., earned Forest Council certification in Grants Pass, Or., Ms.

Springfield, Stewardship for its mills and Corinth,

CMI has made an equity investment in Chinese timber/doorskin manufacturer Fudun and entered into a joint venture partnership with Yawei and ThFu, makers of particleboard and door facings

CertainTeed, Valley Forge, Pa., created CertaPak shrink-wrap packaging to protect Restoration Millwork cellular PVC trimboards and corners, has met safety standards set by Architectural Testing Inc. for its Panorama composite railing system, and has expanded to 14 its line of low-slope roofing with CoolStar-coated surfaces

Do it Best Corp. ranked228 on the 2008 Information Week 500 list, for its use of leading-edge technology

Housing starts in November slipped 3.7Vo to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.187 million ... single-family starts fell 5.4Vo to a l6-year low of 829,000 regionally, starts climbed 5.87o in the West permits declined l.5Vo to a 1.l52-million pace.

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

Fmumv

North Cascade Hoo-Hoo Club - Jan. 15, crab feed, Viking Hall, Silvana, Wa.; (360) 391-1860.

Do It Best Corp. - Jan. 16-18, winter market, Shingle Creek Resort Golf Club, Orlando, Fl.; (260) 748-5300.

Western Building Material Association - Jan.16-17, sales seminars, Olympia, Wa.; Jan. 22-23, estimating seminar, Embassy Suites, Lynnwood, Wa.; Jan. 24, DOT compliance class, Olympia; (800) 956-7469.

Western Pallet Association - Jan. 19-22, annual meeting, Rancho Mirage, Ca.; (360) 335-0208.

Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club - Jan. 23, industry night, Broiler Steak House, Redwood Valley, Ca.; (707) 462-3700.

Humboldt Hoo-Hoo Club - Jan. 24, crab feed, Elks Lodge, Eureka, Ca.; (707) 268-3082.

Guardian Building Products - Jan. 26-31, show, Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nv.; (864) 297 -3498.

Window & Door Manufacturers Association - Jan. 27-30, annual meeting, Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.; (800) 223-2301.

Paint & Decorating Retailers Assn. - Jan.27-30, PACE 2008, L.A. Convention Center, Los Angeles, Ca.; (800) 737-OlO'1

National Association of Wholesalers-Distributors - Jan. 29-31, executive summit, Washington, D.C.; (202) 872-0885.

California Forestry Assn. - Jan. 30-Feb. 1, annual meeting, Hyatt Fishermen's Wharf, San Francisco, Ca.; (916) 444-6592.

Surfaces - Jan. 30-Feb. 1, Las Vegas, Nv.; (800) 536-6400.

Vancouver Hoo-Hoo Club - Jan. 31-Feb. 3, ski trip, Silver Star Mountain. Vernon. B.C.: (604) 430-3721.

F:rnumv

Willamette Valley Hoo-Hoo Club - Feb. 1, crab feed & bingo night, Shadow Hills Country Club, Junction City, Or.; (541) 688-6675.

American Fence Association - Feb. 5-7, FenceTech & DeckTech, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; (800\ 822-4342.

Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo - Feb. 7-9, Atlanta, Ga.; (334) 834-1170.

Western Building Material Association - Feb. 7-9, Young Westerners Conference, Red Lion at the Quay, Vancouver, Wa.r (800) 956-7469.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman's Club - Feb. 8, pool toumament, Danny K's, Orange, Ca.: (626) 445-8556.

Remodeling & Decorating Show - Feb. 8-10, Orange County Fairgrounds, Costa Mesa, Ca.; (818) 557-2950.

Scottsdale Home & Garden Show - Feb. 8-10, Westworld of Scottsdale. Scottsdale. Az.: (87'7 ) 663-6 I 86.

Construction Safety Council - Feb. 12-14, annlual safety conference, Rosemont, Il.; (800) 552-7744.

International Builders Show - Feb. 13-16, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; (800) 368-5242.

Winema Hoo-Hoo Club - Feb. 16, Valentine's dinner, Reames County Golf & Country Club, Klamath Falls, Or.; (541) 8827559.

International Roofing Expo - Feb, 2l-23, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; (847) 299-9070.

Oregon Logging Conference - Feb. 2l-23, Lane County Fairgrounds and Eugene Hilton, Eugene, Or.; (541) 686-9191.

Orgill - Feb, 2l-23, spring market, Orlando, Fl. (901 ) 754-8850.

Remodeling & Decorating Show - Feb. 22-24, Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, Ca.; (818) 557-2950.

National Wooden Pallet & Container Association -Feb.23-26, leadership conference, St. Petersburgh, Fl.; (703) 527-'1677.

El Louise Waldron - Pat Hunter Waldron Forest Products 4227 Sunrise Blvd., Ste. 100 Fair Oaks, Ca.95628

Attractive and extremely functional, Bookcase Door Systems offer a distinctive, space-saving opilon for closets, pantries, wall safes, wine storage, home offices or hidden rooms just past the threshold. Built with durable 3/4" ApplePly to support a load of 500 lbs., yet quiet and easy to open. Available in hardwood veneers (oak, cherry and maple) with environmentally safe clear and customized stain/paint finishes or unfinished. Woodfold Bookcase Doors ship fully assembled with heavy-duty roller system and multi-position steel upper wall guide.

For more information and a list of distributors in your area, contact

WOODFOLD MFG., INC.

P.0. Box 346, Forest Grove, OR 97116

Phone (503) 357-7181 . Fax (503) 357-7185 www.woodfold.com

Your sourceJor custom-msile qccordion and roll-ttp doorc

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Associ. ation welcomed Max Guetz. Sedalia. Co.. as its new president at its recent fall conference, succeeding Bill Miller, Alpine Lumber, Westminster, Co.

President-elect is Bryan Hutchison, Hutchison Lumber, Pine, Co.; secretary Dennis Gardner, Butterfield Lumber/ProBuild, Colorado Springs, Co.l national director Scott Yates, Denver Lumber, Denver, Co.; alternate national director Walter Foxworth, Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber, Dallas. Tx.. and associate directors Mike Kimrey, American Building Specialties, Denver, and Glenn Wurst, ilevel by Weyerhaeuser, Albuquerque, N.M.

State directors include Guetz, Gardner, Foxworth, Steve Ker, Max Ker & Son Lumber, Idaho Falls, Id.;

Paula Ervin, Randall Lumber & Hardware, Taos, N.M., and Scott Good, Greybull Building Center, Greybull, Wy.

MSLBMDA's 2008 Products Expo is set for March 6-7 at the Denver Merchandise Mart, Denver, Co.

Lumber Association of California & Nevada hosts a 2nd Growth meeting March 6 in Buena Park, Ca. March l1 is a joint legislative reception with the California Forestry Association, at the Sutter Club, Sacramento. Ca.

Western Building Material Association plans its 37th annual Young Westerners Conference for Feb. 7-9 at the Red Lion at the Quay, Vancouver, Wa.

Seminars include "Outlook Basic Training," "The OSHA Game Plan,"

"Down Market!?," "Managing Yourself First," and "lt's Not Easy Being Green... Or is it?"

Also slated are roundtable discussions, a tour of a treating facility, and product training workshops on hangers, windows, engineered wood, doors, composites, and housewrap.

Western Wood Preservers Institute recently held its annual meeting in Hawaii and elected new officers.

(See photos on p. 62).

The new president is Todd Brown, Bell Lumber & Pole, Grangeville, Id.; immediate past president Dave Perry, Exterior Wood, Washougal, Wa.; vice president Richard Keeley, J.H. Baxter, San Mateo, Ca.; secretary Jeff Parratt, Wheeler Lumber, Whitewood, S.D., and treasurer Bob Schmidt, Fontana Wood Preserving, Fontana, Ca.

WWPI also bid farewell to Dennis

Hayward, who is retiring as executive director, and welcomed Ted LaDoux as incoming executive director.

A winter work meeting is scheduled for Feb. I l-12 at the Jantzen Beach Red Lion Hotel, Portland, Or.

Western Wood Products Association will hold its annual meeting March 8-l l at the Doubletree Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Az. (See p. 32 for more details.)

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman's Club has scheduled its annual pool tournament for Feb. 8 at Danny K's, Orange, Ca.

A golf tournament is being planned for March 13, but the location has not yet been set.

American Fence Association will host both Fencetech 2008 and Decktech 2008 from Feb. 5-7 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.

A golf tournament will be hosted by affiliate The California Fence Contractors Association.

Free education seminars will be offered by affiliates Vinyl Fence, Deck & Railing Manufacturers Association, and the Composite Fence & Deck Association.

Also on the agenda are product exhibits and demonstrations.

North American Deck & Railing Association will hold its annual Deck Expo March 5-6 at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.

APA-Engineered Wood Association has announced that James Enright, Standard Structures, who was elected vice chairman of the board of trustees during the association's annual meeting, has assumed the position of chairman.

He replaces Rick Huff, who resigned as chairman after his departure from Tolko Industries. A new vipe-chair has not yet been elected.

Wood Moulding & Millwork Producers Association convenes its 45th winter business meeting March 12-15 at the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, Ca.

North American Building Material Distribution Association has launched an online career center for the distribution industry at careers.nbmda.org.

National Frame Building Association will hold its annual expo Feb. 20-22 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Oh. Attendees can choose from semi- nars on strategic business planning and new post-frame engineering and design.

International Wood Products Association will meet March 5-7 at Royal Pacific Resort, Orlando, Fl., for its 52nd annual convention.

National Association of Home Builders has scheduled the annual International Builders Show Feb. 13l6 at Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.

Daily featured speakers include architect William McDonough, who will discuss "The Promise of Cradle to Cradle Design;" Mark Jarvis, chief marketing officer for Dell, who will present "Eye on the Prize: Customers as Advocates," and marketing guru Ken Schmidt, who will discuss the importance of branding.

ProBuild Buys Lumber Inc.

ProBuild Holdings, Denver, Co., has purchased the assets of New Mexico's largest pro dealer, six-unit Lumber Inc., Albuquerque, N.M.

Founded in 1972 by the Wickens and Chiado families, Lumber Inc. now operates four locations in the greater

Quolity Weslern

Albuquerque market, one in Santa Fe, and one in Las Cruces, distributing lumber, floor and roof trusses, wall panels, and millwork.

Jim Cavanaugh, president of ProBuild's south region, said, "This acquisition allows ProBuild to expand our presence in New Mexico in all areas of our business, including building materials, component manufacturing, and millwork assembly. We are particularly pleased to have the vast majority of the Lumber, Inc. management team on board to provide the leadership to continue growth in this key strategic market."

Pope & Talbot Aborts Auction

Pope & Talbot, Portland, Or., cancelled the planned auction of its lumber business because no one has countered International Forest Products' $69 million offer.

P&T hoped to have the sale to Interfor approved during a January 7 appearance at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, De. "Time is of the essence with respect to the approval of the sale," according to court papers filed by P&T attorneys.

If approved, the sale could be completed by the end of this month. Not included in the sale are cash, accounts receivable, and some inventory.

Employee Killed By Train

An employee of Truitt & White, Berkeley, Ca., was hit and killed by a train while taking a shortcut to work.

Scott Slaughter, 31, a back-stock coordinator who had worked at Truitt for 3-l12 years, was fatally struck at 8:15 a.m. on November 15. He had just gotten off a bus and was talking on his cellphone as he waited to cross two tracks to get to a shortcut on the other side.

"There is a hole in the fence and he was heading to that shortcut," said deputy sheriff Rene Gonzalez. A coworker said that the large gap in the fence is the easiest way to get to work, but safer options-including a pedestrian crossing-are only about 50 feet away. Although Slaughter waited to let a commuter train pass on the first track, he was hit on the second track by a passenger train from the opposite direction that was traveling 75 miles per hour.

According to city officials, Slaughter was trespassing on the tracks and workers should not be using the gap in the fence. "We are not sure who owns the fence. but once we figure this out, the responsible party will act quickly after that," said Mary Kay Clunies-Ross, spokesperson for the city attorney's office.

Federal Railroad Administration reports that 91 pedestrians were killed by trains in California last year-more than in any other state.

Cut

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