Unique Gonnections Three points to selling specialized fasteners

QELLING specialized fasteners

L)helps create an identity for a dealer to stand out among competitors. As a result, the yard will attract innovative builders, who are looking to compete by selling high quality and total job cost versus low price.

Although specialized fasteners are per piece more expensive than generic hardware. dealers should be able to show that their benefits more than offset any price difference. Employ the three keys to selling specialized fasteners:

,tfi\ l{/ S"rr by apptication. Mer/ chandising connectors by end use helps buyers select the proper fastener and facilitates add-on project sales. Swan Secure Products. for example, identified 25 major applications and developed a fastener for each, including fiber cement siding, redwood decking, pressure treated wood and plastic lumber. Dealers, in turn, can target specific markets by carrying the appropriate products.

"Find out who needs siding, who needs piers, who needs redwood decking, in what grade, in what size," urges Swan Secure's Mike McFarland.

/6\ p) S"lt as part of a ,a package. With specialized fasteners. "it's not what it costs per pound, but what it costs to do the job," McFarland explains. "They should be incorporated into the total project cost. In the case of selling a large diameter nail in a softwood like cedar or redwood. the contractor is actually paying for more nails than necessary. The count of a l6d decking nail is 44 per pound, a 16d cedar decking nail has 88 per pound." Especially encourage specialized fasteners for more expensive projects, in which the hardware becomes a smaller percentage of the total job cost.

Story at a Glance

Benefits of selling nails and screws specifically designed for the iob three-pronged sales approach.

J;0/ S"U reliabitity. Specialized / fasteners assure customers that they are getting the proper product for thejob. Ifthey purchase an expensive siding or roofing product with a longterm warranty, they should also get a fastener that will survive the duration of the warranty.

Unfortunately, the customer may buy the correct fastener but then install it incorrectly or in the wrong lumber, and blame it on the hardware. Perhaps he'll buy redwood in the morning and begin building a deck that afternoon, without properly preparing the wood or giving it time to season. "If they don't prepare proper foundations, they'll still have extractives in the wood seep out - and they'll want us to replace the deck," McFarland says. "Green redwood has so much moisture it has to go somewhere."

Since improper installation provides poor results even with the proper fastener, sales people must be knowledgeable about the lumber end. To ensure proper installation, make sure fasteners include instructions, or hand out a simple checklist of precautions against extractive bleeding and streaking.

Remember, the lowest price isn't always the best deal. "I believe that the market will continue to agree with this logic as quality and long-term aesthetics take the front seat in decision making," forecasts McFarland. "Everyone will stock niche products, but in order to generate new profit dollars, high-end niche markets are the only way to go."

New Treatment For Western Woods

Thunderbolt Wood Treating Co., Riverbank, Ca., is now treating with a new Copper Citrate wood preservative, designed for Douglas fir and other difficult-to-treat western species.

The cellular structure of such refractory species typically resists fluid penetration, making consistent, adequate treatment difficult.

Patented by Osmose Wood Preserving Inc., the new ammoniacal copper-based preservative meets

AWPA Standard P5-95. Properly processed, Copper Citrate treated wood will meet AWPA Standard C295 for Lumber, Timber and Ties, and AWPA Standard C5-95 for Fence Posts.

Properly used, Copper Citrate treated wood products are clean and residue free, and safe to use around humans, plants and animals. Ideal for grape stakes, fence posts and sill plates, products weather to an attractive, natural light brown color.

Thunderbolt also treats with CCA, ACZA, ACC and fire retardants.

Hardwood Gampaign Grows

Through its Zips & Techniques technical brochures, media relations and show exhibits, the Hardwood Council reached three times as many building professionals last year as it did in 1994.

Efforts will be supplemented in 1996 by a direct mail campaign to home centers and increased interaction with the American Institute of Architects and American Society of Interior Desisners.

Anutactures

Insulated Headers

2x4 and2 x 6 Wall Construction

Pre-engineered & pre-insulated to produce the ultimate in structu ral capacity and versatility.

Advantages to Compare:

I Cost Savings - Eliminate the need for on-site insulating.

I Dimensionally Stable - No shimming required for tight fits.

I Lightweight - Light enough to be handled by a single worker, easily cut with standard job-site tools.

I Less Waste - Significantly less than solid wood.

I Energy Efficient - 2 x 6 width provide an R-value of 20 (after sheathing & sheet-rocking)

SW-ll Headers are made with Machine Stress Rated lumber and Oriented Strand Board. They are manufactured to strict quality control standards, with PFS Corp. acting as third party inspectors. SW-ll Headers have code acceptance by ICBO, BOCA, State of Wisconsin & HUD.