better times

By Carla Waldemar

L[OW do you weather a grueling Ilrecession? Well, if you're in Detroit, you lay off workers, curtail operations. and f ly your jet to Washington to beg for a government handout.

But if you're running Humphrey's, a longtime lumberyard in Rhode Island (the hardest-hit of the New England states, by the way), you add another store.

WHAT were they thinking?

Well, the company's been a family business in Tiverton, R.L, since 1885, so there's got to be a pretty good business sense in the DNA. When the fifth generation of Humprheys, Jay (now 48) and brother Scott, took over the company in 1992 (Do the math: Jay was all of 3 l ), they marshalled a fivefold increase in business over the ensuing years, so they're not the kind to be stopped by something like the R word. ("We're blessed," says sales manager Tim Llewellyn. "It would be silly to say we're not impacted, but we're not feeling a pinch, like the competition"-even in the high-end mahogany and ip6 decks he markets and installs.)

But wait: back to the new store in Middleton, R.I., with its long, srrong line of Ben Moore paints. "The owner was retiring," explains Jay, "and we saw the opportunity to take it over, including the experienced staff. With paint as the draw, the store will still bring people in. For $200, they can paint a room, even in these tough times, and feel better, get some satisfaction."

Works for me. What also works is the brothers' evolution of the family business. "We set a vision of where we wanted to go." Jay begins, "and started by growing individual segments, like our Marvin windowssomething in which we had expertise and could handle." Next came an expansion of the kitchen department involving a total retrofit, which now attracts both the builders who represent9OVo of Humphrey's business and walk-in homeowners with kitchens on their minds.

"Next, and this was Scott's idea, we added installed services, starting off with garage doors" and growing to include kitchens, decks, exterior wanted the control [of salaried rather than subbed workersl," Jay explains, "and we were doing enough volume to keep them busy." doors, and new and replacement windows. "At first we used subs." he says, but that system came with too many drawbacks in the brothers' minds, so now installation is handled by a salaried, in-house crew, headed by a former remodeler customer with 20-plus years of experience who'd gotten tired of answering his own phone at 10:00 in the evening. "We

You start with garage doors and before you know it, it's mushroomed into one-stop shopping. That came about when a customer wanted an entire new kitchen. "He told me, 'Jay, quite frankly, I want someone to handle everything; I don't want to call the plumber, the electrician, the carpenter....' 'We can do that!' I told him," and from then on, that's exactly what they did.

That one-stop mantra now includes everything from power tools (lousy margins and lots of competition, but a convenience to customers) to paint ("Our strongest retail department, along with kitchens") and specialty hardware, another strong and lucrative niche.

The going wasn't always smooth. Boxes moved in, but it didn't take Humphrey's pros long to figure out who took good care of them. Competition with longtime. strong independents also was fierce. "Plus, we learned that we had a reputation of being highly overpriced," Jay notes. Belonging to LMC buying co-op lowered what Humphrey could charge, "so we made adjustments and improved our service level and then got the word out" via the company's in-house marketing director, working in tandem with Scott at home shows. buying print ads and leveraging referrals. Today, Humphrey's outside sales force "working 2417," says their task master, drives kitchen sales, and three designated sales reps call solely on architects "all day long" to sell them the merits of Marvin Windows. The company still (or make that, once again) offers free delivery service. "We added a charge late in '08 when fuel costs escalated, which met with no resistance ('What took you so long?' they'd ask), but when prices came back down, we rescinded it"another move to pass savings on to customers, which they are quick to notice.

Within the store, Humphrey designated inside sales people dedicated solely to working with pros, so those time-starved builders need not stand in line behind the d-i-yer with his can of paint. "We were the first yard around with that 'pro' service concept," Jay claims braggin' rights.

Another first: "We started tracking on-time deliveries; no one else was doing it. Our expectations are high, and that makes our customers confident in us." Remodelers, too, get special service: "Their needs are different, and we understand that."

The company has hosted its share of Humphrey Expo dinners, backed by suppliers with new products to display. "Then we added product knowledge seminars in the afternoon-for instance, how code changes were being addressed by Simpson's fasteners," Jay says. "Now, we've shifted strictly to what they seem to value most, the educational offering we sponsor for our contractors and architects. We also bring clients to Marvin's factory in Minnesota, which these builders appreciate. It's an awesome experience, and they're blown away."

Humphrey's staff merits training, too, of course, both via a mentoring system and through the Northeast Retail Lumber Association's seminars and webinars.

So, odds are good (scratch that: make it "great") that the longtime company will withstand the building tsunami and maybe induce the kids in the wings to follow their dads' footsteps forward. Says Jay, "I started in as soon as I was old enough, at 13, and haven't looked back since. I enjoy seeing something being built from nothing and giving homeowers that satisfaction."

- A former award-winning LBM trade magazine editor, Carla Waldemar writes frequently on the industry. Contact her at cwaldemar@ comcast .net

Two Coat Exterior Prime

0ur two-coat process starts with an atkyd sealer to btock tannin migration, foltowed by a high-performance acrytic primer. The resutt: RESERVE quatity, inside and out.

Superior Wood

Made of quatity, clear, finger-jointed Western Red Cedar or Redwood, these products are naturaLty designed for exterior use-both species are ideaI for enduring extreme weather.

Surfacing + Sizes + Lengths

RESERVE products come in a wide range of sizes, tengths and finishes. Whether the prolect catls f or 51S2E or 54S, we of fer lengths ranging from 16'io 20'. Pattern stock is atso avaitabte.

3"x4 - Ix!2 s/ay! - s/axt)

2x4 - 2xI2

The Finest Stock, The Best Coating

Our Siskiyou Forest Products RESERVE line is specially manufactured and treated to create the highest quality product available. Using state-of-the-art application and curing equipment, our premium Western Red Cedar and Redwood stock is made to last for many generations. We are proud to offer a beautiful, durable product that is ready for installation and final painting the moment it reaches the craftsmen.

R:tmrrs

Lakeside Hardware & Lumber, San Francisco, Ca., has closedless than a year after the 61-yearold business moved into a new building ...

ProBuild has permanently closed its lumberyard in Ontario, Or., which was opened in 1978 as a Lumbermen 's location ...

Conservation Hardware Store & Center, Colorado Springs, Co., is being opened this month by Richard Skorman ...

South Fork Hardware now has its 7th Utah location with the acquisition from Dennis Berry of Ace Hardware, N. Salt Lake; new owner Cam Sidwell has remodeled the facility, added 3,000 new SKUs, and retained Todd Berry as store mgr. ...

Ferndale Ace Hardware, Ferndale, Wa., anticipates a late May soft-opening for its 8,900-sq. ft. business; Gordon Merritt, owner

Sierra Vista Ace Hardware, Sierra Vista, Az., owners Les and Kathy Orchekowsky have purchased their property, along with three other adjacent storefronts ...

Lowe's Cos, opened a new 103,000-sq. ft. store in E. Auroro, Co.May 1 ...

_ CORRECTIONAWPA has not studied micronized copper-treated products and was not involved in any studies by the chemical companies, which may have used AWPA test protocols, to confirm the presence and amount of micronized preservatives (cs erroneously reported in April, p. I0).

Lowe's has postponed construction of a 140,000-sq. ft. store in Hollister, Ca., until 2010; is still interested in building in Petaluma, Ca., if the developer can secure approvals, and is negotiating to build on the San Francisco, Ca., site Home Depot secured approval for in 2OO5. but abandoned in 2007; construction could begin as early as October

Home Depot was denied city council approval to build a second store in Thousand Oak, Ca. ...

Floyd's General Store, Bakersfield, Ca., has opened a larger replacement store and switched its affiliation from True Value to Ace Hardware

Wrormlr:nt/tlrutrcrurrrs

Saratoga Forest Products, Freeland, Wa., is winding down operations next month; its sales force will open a Freeland office for Western Lumber Co., Medford, Or....

Fleetwood Enterprises has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protec- tion, including subsidiaries Continental Lumber Products. Hauser Lake Lumber, and Fleetwood Home Centers. all of Riverside, Ca. ...

Bell Timber has restarted its pole peeling plant in Conway, Wa.; Tom McKenzie is overseeing fiber acquisitions ...

Guy Bennett Lumber will indefinitely shut down its Clarkston,Id., sawmill when it exhausts its log supply in early June

Weyerhaeus er C o., Federal Way, Wa., has temporarily suspended matching payments in its 401(k) retirement-savings plan for all employees, effective May I

SDS Lumber Co., Bingen, Wa., in March temporarily stopped all plywood and lumber operations; forestry, log chipping, shipping and marine transportation activities continue

Tri-Rail Logistics has expanded into a new 50,000-sq. ft. building and added a new 15-car rail spur with a new 1,440-sq. ft. sales and dispatch office at its site in Mira Loma, Ca.

Roseburg Forest Products, Dillard, Or., is closing its wood panel cut-to-size operation in Eupora, Ms., May 8, eliminating 25 jobs; the facility was one of six Roseburg acquired from GeorgiaPacific in 2006

N.E.W. Plastics Corp., Luxemburg, Wi., has acquired the assets of Tnrum Building Products, Anderson, In., and will integrate TRIMAX's structural lumber products into its RENEW P/asrics business unit

Rough & Ready Lumber Co., Cave Junction, Or., has received Forest Stewardship Council chainof-custody certification ...

Van Arsdale -H arris Lumber Co., San Francisco, Ca., is now stocking formaldehyde-free hardwood plywood made with PureBond from Columbia Forest Products ...

Ainsw orth Lumbe r, Vancouver, B.C., is investigating selling or converting to bio-energy production its three shuttered OSB plants in Minnesota...

Anniversaries: Budget Home Center,Longmont, Co., 25th ...

Housing starts in March fell IO.8Vo to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 510,000 ... singlefamily starts held at 358,000, while multi-family fell 29Vo to a 152,000-unit pace ... permits slid

(Please turn to page 3 I ) lUhv

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

Forest Products Society - May 11-12, international conference on wood composites, Madison, Wi.; (608) 231-1361

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman's Club - May 14, ladies night, Pomona Valley Mining Co., Pomona, Ca.; (7 14) 6713079.

Portland Hoo-Hoo Club - May 15, blood drive, World Forestry Center, Portland, Or.; (503) 647-5lll.

Seattle Hoo-Hoo - May 15-L6, regional mini-conference, Seattle, Wa.; (425) 883-2777.

Do it Best Corp. - May 16-19, spring market, Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, In.; (260) 748-5300.

Composite Panel Association - May 31-June 3, spring meeting, Camelback Inn, Scottsdale, Az.; (301) 6'70-0604.

American Architectural Manufacturers Assn. - May 3l-June 4, national conference, Minneapolis, Mn.; (847) 303-5664.

Furu

Willamette Valley Hoo-Hoo Club - June 5, golf, Shadow Hills Country Club, Junction City, Or.; (541) 485-5979.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman's Club - June 1L, election night, BJ's Brewery, Brea, Ca.; (714) 611-3079.

Lumber Association of California & Nevada - June ll, associates/dealers golf tournament, Rancho Solano Golf Course, Fairfield, Ca.; (800) 266-4344.

Portland Wholesale Lumber Association - June 11, forestry innovation summit, Corvallis, Or.; chrisc@patlbr.com.

Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Bxpo - June 11-13, Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, La.; (608) 231-1361.

Seattle Hoo-Hoo - June 12, golf tournament & dinner, Mount Si Golf Course, Snoqualmie, Wa.; (425) 883-2777

Remodeling & Decorating Show - June 13-14, Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, Ca.; (818) 557-2950.

Western States Roofing Contractors Assn. - June 14-16, expo, Peppermill Resort & Casino, Reno, Nv.; (800) 725-0333.

National Retail Federation - June 15-17, loss prevention conference & expo, Los Angeles, Ca.: (202)'783-7971.

Construct 2009 - June 16-19, Indianapolis, In.; (30 I ) 670-0604.

National Lawn & Garden Show - June 16-19, Hyatt Regency, Atlanta, Ga.; (888) 316-0226.

PCBC - June 17-19, Moscone Center, San Francisco, Ca.; (916) 443-'7933.

Tuolumne Lumber Jubilee - June 18-22, Tuolumne, Ca.; (800) 266-6436.

Western Hardwood Association - June 20-23, annual meeting, Sunriver Resort, Sunriver, Or.; (360) 835-1600.

Forest Products Society - June 2l-23, convention, Doubletree Hotel Boise-Riverside, Boise, Id.; (608) 231- 1361.

Society of Wood Science & Technology - June 24, international annual convention, Boise, Id.; (608) 231-9347.

Western Wood Preservers Institute - June 28-30, summer meeting, Coeur d'Alene Resort, Coeur d'Alene, Id.; (800) 7299663.

Futv

North American Retail Hardware Association - July 13-15, Marriott Rivercenter, San Antonio, Tx.; (317) 290-0338.

Temperate Forest Foundation - Jily 14-17, teachers tour, Corvallis, Or.; (503) 445-9472.

AWFS Fair - July 15-18, Las Vegas, Nv.; www.awfsfair.org

Western Red Cedar Lumber Assn. - July 16-18, cedar summit, Delta Ocean Pointe Resort, Victoria, B.C.; (604) 891-1231