The Sideline Player

Patti Wells

Royal Plywood Co.,ln Mirada, Ca.

1. Wt y did you decide to pursue a ttgreentt image?

Royal Plywood has always been an industry leader, partnering with customers and vendors to create a successful, full-service relationship meeting both the supply and the demand of the wood products indus-

Wr'' TgESTENN wooD$

What do yott need today?

try. Becoming chain-of-custody certified in September of 2005 seemed like the next "right step." Green building had started to surface in Southern California, and our customers started asking those "green" questions. We were making an effort to get in front of the green product push, mostly to aid our customers with the challenges they were facing with the new product demands for green building.

1-. Wtren did you decide to pursue a ttgreentt image?

In 1999. I wanted to leave a legacy of improving forest management.

2.Wnatwere your first steps toward making yourself known as a green wholesaler?

Phone calls and magazine advertismg.

3. Wtrat types of changes did you make?

I sold my millwork company and incorporated Certified Wood Products.

4. Wttat types of green products do you offer?

FSC-certified hem-fir 2x4 throueh 2x12, SPF pre-cut studs, western iir plywod, OSB, particleboard, ACQtreated KDAT, Dricon fire-retardanttreated KDAT, red pine and Douglas fir boards, southern yellow pine S4S, western red cedar, hardwood pywood, and white birch, poplar and hard maple lumber.

5. Have customers been receptive to the new you and your offerings?

Not in the early days, but now they are coming around.

We Stake Our Reputation on Our Products

Since 1971, Western Woods has built its reputation on supplying our customers with a full line of modern in-demand products. Our remanufacturing facility is equipped with moulders, resaws, stud machines, trimlines, and primelines. From stocking parterns and trims to specially run items. 'Western lifoods can make it for you,

FSC Certification\7e're in it Together

Protecting the environmenr is a choice we can all make. By offering our customers Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified Collins$food@, you can be assured that the wood you use has been approved under the strictest standards in the world. These products qualify for the following LEED credits:

. LEED certified wood credit (SCS-COC-00933)

. LEED Factory primed, low VOC credit

. LEED exterior siding credit FSC

LEED decking credit FSC

LEED innouation credit

LEED local sources credit

NAHB Model Green Buildins Guidelines

Convenient shipping... Truck, van, or rail Guaranteed...

I Clean 6c bright stock r Prompt 6c efficient delivery r Softwood lumber r Hardwood lumber

.Western Woods product line also includes...

I Engineered lfood r Pressure Treated r Evergrain Composite Decking r Plywood

2.Wlratwere your first steps toward making yourself known as a green wholesaler?

Royal Plywood made a financial commitment to stock FSC items, which allowed customers the opportunity to use these (now mainstream) in-stock items. Having the product available has made some of those initial challenges of lead times and special-order costs a thing of the past.

3. Whut types of green products are you now offering?

FSC-certified underlayment, concrete form, plywood, sign board, fire-retardant-treated plywood and lumber, siding, panels, hardwoods, and dimensional lumber, as well as NAUF panels: particleboard, wheatboard, MDF, hardwood plywood, sorgum board, and bamboo.

4. Uolo did certification go?

We are chain-of-custody certified through SmartWood (Rainforest Alli-ance). The process went well for us; we were lucky to have someone with FSC experience get us up and running. The documentation can be confusing if you are starting from scratch.

5. Haoe customers been receptive to the new you and your offerings?

Yes, they have been receptive. Royal Plywood did not launch a green campaign. We lead with our best foot forward, which has always been great customer service and quality products. Our sustainable products have really been a second-tier strength. We have been successful with our green program because we have handled it like any other product line.

Scott Thomas Pqrksite , Apex, N .C

L. Wtty did you decide to pursue a "green" image?

A primary focus for Parksite is industry education. We started investigating green building corporately about two years ago! mainly to ensure that our associates would become educated on the topic and be able to pass along credible information to our customers and the trades. It was more about knowledge than image.

2.Wnutwere your first steps toward making yourself known as a green wholesaler?

Parksite wrote a 20-page "Green Paper" based on our research and a made a version available to our customers about this time last year. We also gathered information from our suppliers who have products with sustainable features and created a Green Products Flyer for our customers' reference. I don't consider Parksite a "green wholesaler." Until someone defines what that is, I'd rather not use the term. We sell many products that may or may not be green depending upon perception of green definitions.

3. Wttut types of changes did you make? We have not made extensive changes to our business operations per se, but we are conscious of waste, recycling, and our impact on the environment.

4. Wttat types of green products are you now offering?

We have products that satisfy many areas of the green building guidelines: energy efficiency (Tyvek), noise control (QuietRock), recycled content (Weatherbest, Tendura, Groundscape, XPotential), GreenGuard certfied products (Corian and Zodiaq), water conservation (Envylawn), durability (Nichiboard), renewable resource (cedar, pine).

5. Have you undergone C-O-C certification?

We just received FSC certification in six Parksite facilities. The process went very well, and we are excited about our new ability to be a resource to our customers as demand for FSC-certified lumber grows.

6. Have customers been receptive to the new you and your green offerings?

To be clear, there is no "New Parksite." We have simply addressed and understood the need for change toward better building practices that will make buildings less impactful on the environment. Customers have been grateful that we have identified products that may help them achieve their green goals for their businesses. The green nature of a product has certainly moved up the list in terms of importance when customers evaluate a product. We have found that that products first need to deliver on the quality they promise at a price point that is line with the added value, regardless of environmental impact.