Southwestern dealers go Espafiol

dozen lumber dealers throughout the region.

Spanish speakers make up nearly 25Vo of the customer base at lumber- in the Southwest, according to a Merchant Magazine survey of several customers find that we have a Spanish-speaking staff, we find more business with Spanishspeaking customers," Whitman says. "Most of these customers find it difficult to shop elsewhere because the staff there is not bilingual."

A majority of lumbermen surveyed also expect Spanish-speaking customers to increase considerably in the next l0 years.

Paul Whitman of Hacienda Home Centers, a six-unit chain in Albuquerque, N.M., reports that 30% of its customers are Spanish speakers.

Yards,

Lumber Co., Houston, Tx., reports that Spanish speakers now make up 30Vo of its business. West End's Bob Burns conservatively predicts an increase of l5-20%o over the next decade.

"We see the benefits of catering more each year to Spanish-speaking customers," says Burns. "The Census figures show us that (Spanish speakers) will be the largest single area of growth o[ any population group in our region."

In some parts of Los Angeles, Ca., where there is long established Mexican community, Spanish-speaking customers are the clear majority.

Main Building Materials, Los Angeles, reports that 707o of its customers are Spanish speakers.

More than half of those surveyed (527o) said that the majority of their Spanish-speaking customers were professional contractors. Thirty percent were d-i-yers, with the remaining percentage a mixture.

Michael Learned, Learned Lumber Co., Redondo Beach, Ca., points out that the majority of his Spanishspeaking customers are pros who work for builders.

"Twenty percent of our contractors' employees are Spanish speak(Please turn to page 70)

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Golden State Lumber Co.. Petaluma, Ca., plans to build a lumber yard, sales office, lumber treating facility, and wall frame/ roof truss manufacturing plant on 75 acres in Stockton, Ca.; construction is expected to begin late this summer ...

BMC West closed its Pocatello, Id., building material center last month; a five-man sales office will remain in the city

Downham Lumber, Battleground, Wa., has closed its yard after 47 years in business ...

Healdsburg Lumber Co., Healdsburg, Ca., has expanded its window showroom...

Thurman Industries, a 12-unit hardware chain based in Bothell, Wa., closed its Billings, Mt., Pay 'N Pak Home Center last month after 35 years in business

Lowe's Cos. opens a new store late this month in Livermore, Ca. (Victor Carr, mgr.); is building in San Dimas, Ca., and had its plans approved by city planners for a 168,088-sq. ft. home and garden center on a former Montgomery Ward site in Sacramento, Ca. ...

Home Depot this month opens new stores in Kalispell, Mt.; Casa Grande, Az.; Gig Harbor, Wa., and NE Bakersfield and E. Brea, Ca., and recently held a grand opening at its replacement store in Ventura, Ca....

Home Depot has begun construction on a 96,000-sq. ft. home center in Klamath Falls, Or.; received word that citizens in both Mountain View and Agoura Hills, Ca., voted March 5 against proposed stores fhere; applied to build a 94,980-sq. ft. store with 18,884sq. ft. garden center in Walla Walla, Wa.; is considering a site in Placerville, Ca.; has an bption to buy 10.7 acres in Tumwater, Wa., to build a 112,000-sq. ft. home center, and proposed a store in Santa Cruz, Ca.

Home Depot, Atlanta, Ga., agreed to buy 4-unit Mexican hardware chain Del Norte, Ciudad Iuarez, a large cityjust south ofthe border from El Paso, Tx.; Depot also has started construction on a store in Mexicali and will soon break greiund in Tijuana the chain signed a five-year agreement with Stanley Works to expand the company's tool line at its home centers

Parr Lumber, Hillsboro, Or., is now exclusively stocking Natural Select treated lumber at its 20 retail locations in Oregon and Southwest Washington; the company began a phase-out of CCAtreated wood in June 2001 ...

Hayward Lumben Monterey, Ca., is now exclusively stocking ACQ Preserve treated wood after starting to phase out CCA-treated wood at its seven California vards two months ago

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Georgia- Pacific reopened its Fort Bragg, C8., sawmill last month after being closed since Oct. 2001; the mill has discontinued its night shift ... G-P, as reported by Atlanta Journal Constitution, is looking to spin off its building products division from the consumer paper division, reportedly to shield it from thousands of

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asbestos-related lawsuits ... the building products division also is now using Logistics.com Inc.'s logistics planning applications ...

Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, Wa., has completed its $6.2 billion acquisiton of Willamette Industries, Portland, Or., and planned to sell $4 billion in bonds to help pay offdebt from the deal

Pacific Wood Systenzs, lcoburg, Or., acquired a 17,000-sq. ft. warehouse and 8 acres ofland at a new industrial park in Veqeta, Or. ...

Sierra Pacffic Industries, Redding, Ca., has opened a new priming facility in Richfield, Ca. ...

Fourply Inc. has permanently closed its plywood mill in Grants Pass, Or.; veneer and plywood operations in Harrisburg and Junction City, Or., continue

Willapa Bay Hardwoods, a newly formed company, is negotiating to acquire Pacific Hardwoods' shuttered sawmill in North Pacific County, Wa.; the company plans to mill alder logs for the pallet market ...

U.S. Natural Resources, Wbodland, Wa., acquired Perceptron, Inc.'s Forest Products Business Unit for $5 million

Califurnia Cascade Industrie s, Sacramento, Ca., is now treating with ACQ, FirePro and borates at its Woodland and Fontana, Ca., plants

Informatech Fore stry Sofware Inc. has changed its name to Scoopsoft Corp.

SierraPine I,/d., Roseville, Ca., is now regional sales agent for New Zealand-based Carter Holt Harvey's Customwood MDF ...

Colville Indian Power & Veneer's Omak, Wa., plywood mill, which previously, opq{atqd as

QVL and Washington Veneer, has joined APA-The Engineered Wood Association

JET Equipment & Tools, Auburn. Wa.. and Wilton Tool Co. merged last month into WMH Tool Group; Wilton c.e.o. and president Dennis Johnson is the new company's president and c.e.o....

Crown Pacffic, Portland, Or., plans to sell its entire Northern Idaho Tree Farm of approximately 251,00 acres to Boston-based Forest Capital Partners

Sagebrush Sale s, Albuquerque, N.M., is now distributing Geodeck composite decking

Butler Johnson, San Jose, Ca., is now distributing Crossville Porcelain Stone/U SA products from San Jose and Sacramento. Ca. ...

Rockscapes has moved into its new 20,000-sq. ft. landscape lighting plant in Chatsworth, Ca.

Knauf Fiber Glass has begun producrion at its 500,000-sq. ft. fiberglass insulation plant in Shasta Lake, Ca.

Building Material Distributors, Galt. Ca.. was named 2001 Distributor of the Year by Johns Manville for its distribution of insulation products ...

Columbia Forest Products, Portland. Or.. was included in Forbes Magazine's Forbes 500 list of the largest U.S. companies, The National Center for Employee Ownership's list of 100 largest employee-owned U.S. companies, and Portland Business Journal's list of top 25 local companies ...

Anthony-Domtar had its new Power Joists certified by APA/ Engineered Wood Systems in accordance with its PRI-400 standard for I-joists

Simonton Windows has been named an Energy Star partner by the Environmental Protection Agency for the energy efficiency of its vinyl windows and doors Hurd Millwork is now an Energy

Star partner for its windows and patio doors ...

Trex Co. received word that Columbia Univ ersity's Biosphere 2 Cente\ Oracle, Az., has selected Trex decking and railing for its new greenhouse trail

Anniversaries: Simp s on Door Co., McCleary, Wa., 90th... Fisher Lumber Co., Santa Monica, Ca., 7gth Reel Lumber Service, Anaheim, Ca., 70th ... Tualatin Valley Builders Supply, Lake Oswego, Or., 55th ... Lazy S Lumber, Beavercreek, Or., 50th ...

American Hardboard As s ociation, 50th ... Midway Building Supply, Tonasket, Wa., 45th ... Keller Lumber Co., Roseburg, Or., 30th ... Rain Forest Lumber Co.,Lake Oswego, Or., 20th ... Tri-Pro Cedar Products, Oldtown, Id., 15rh ...

Housing starts in Feb. (latest figs.) rose 3Vo to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.769 million single-family starts climbed 7Vo to I.457 million; multi-family was at a rate of 264.000 for 5+ units permits increased ZVo to an adjusted annu-

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Small Wood 2002 - April 11-13, co-sponsored by Forest Products Society, Albuquerque, N.M.; (608) 231-1361.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman's Club - April 13, day at races, Santa Anita Racetrack, Arcadia, Ca.; (7 14) 5'14-7223.

International Interior Construction Show - April 15-16, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Az.; (630) 584-1919.

California Hardware - April 16-17, merchandise market, Ontario Convention Center, Ontario, Ca.; (800) 995-9273.

International Wood Products Association - April 17-19,46th annual convention, Indian Wells, Ca.; ('703) 820-6696.

Nationaf Hardwood Lumber Association - April 17-19, grading short course, Memphis, Tn.; (901) 377-1818.

GlobalShop - April 18-20, Chicago, I1.; (800) 646-0091.

West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau - April L9, annual meeting, The River Place, Portland, Or.; (503) 639-0651.

American Institute of Timber Construction - April 2l-23, annual meeting, Atlantis Resort, Bahamas; (303) 792-9559.

American Hardware Manufacturers Assn. - April 2l-24, Hardlines Technology Forum, Orlando, Fl.; (847) 605-1025.

American Wood-Preservers' Association - April 2l-24, annual meeting, Peabody Hotel, Memphis,Tn.; (817) 326-6300.

Pacific Coast Wholesale Hardwood Distributors AssociationApril 2L-24, convention, JW Marriott, Ihilani/Ko Olina, Hi.; (800) 926-7103.

Oregon State University - April 22-23, plywood manufacturing course. Corvallis. Or.l (541) 7 37 -2329.

National Lumber & Building Material Dealers AssociationApril 22-24, legislative conference, Washington, D.C.; (800) 634-8645.

Intertribal Timber Council - April 22-25,lnn of the Mountain Gods. Mescalero. N.M.: (503) 282-4296.

National Association of Home Builders - April 25, construction forecast conference, Washington, D.C.; (202) 266-8474.

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