Distribution Matters - 2021

2021Distribution

MATTERS

An Interview with Thomas O'Neill Staying Connected Against the Odds A Conversation with Kevin Gammonley 2021 Member Directory

NBMDA President, Thomas O'Neill, Shares Insights, Expectations for Industry Q. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the building products industry today?

A. The unknown. For me, not knowing what is in for us over the horizon is my biggest challenge. The residential market is very strong and that’s great. However, we need our commercial markets to come back to life. When I drive around to take walks in my town and see so many stores, hotels and office buildings shuttered I think “wow, when will this improve?” The good news though is we are so much farther down the road that I think we can possibly see the light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, I’m no expert whatsoever, but I do think that once a vaccine is available and as more people get vaccinated, we will see things bounce back on the commercial side. I believe those closed commercial buildings will light up again.

There will be such great opportunity for our businesses, as so many owners and companies will want to refresh or update after being closed for so long. Looking at things with a “glass half full” approach, I believe we all might prosper in the second half of 2021! Imagine one year from today, things could be just fantastic!

THOMAS O’NEILL

Q. In your opinion, what sets a top distributor apart from its competitors?

Looking at things with a “glass half full” approach, I believe we all might prosper in the second half of 2021! Imagine one year from today, things could be just fantastic!

A. I think what makes top distributors is a mixture of a few things. First, you need the right culture, a culture where everyone believes in winning and being successful. Second, you need to have the right people. Having people that don’t want to win or people that don’t like the culture will hold a top distributor back.

Lastly, you need to have a reason for customers to want to come to you. You need a strong service offering, options, solutions and most importantly, you need to be fast! When a customer needs something, they need to be able to know 100% that you will get it to them. If a customer has a problem, you need to solve it NOW. In today’s world, there is no “getting back to you when I get an answer.” You need to have your people empowered to get the customer’s concerns or problems resolved on the spot!

Q. What do you see ahead for NBMDA, the building products

distribution industry and the association’s member companies?

What role can NBMDA play in helping member companies succeed?

A. I see a lot of opportunity for NBMDA. The last nine months have really brought our industry closer than it was before, which is unbelievable based on how close we all were already! As a result of the Pandemic, many of our partner suppliers and fellow distributors communicated with each other to interpret what governments were doing in particular markets with the shut downs, etc. Thankfully, I have made a lot of good friends during the past nine months. In addition, I think we at NBMDA found new ways to offer services and support to our members. A great example would be the HR-focused Zoom meetings and packets of information from Affinity HR that helped all of us during these crazy times. I also see NBMDA

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taking the emerging leaders program to great levels. With NBMDA offering workshops, presenters and so much more we are assisting our members in the development of the next generation of leaders.

NBMDA can help our members succeed by offering programs, workshops and resources in all the key areas of a business. One area, for example, would be regarding logistics—all of us have trucks and a lot of them. NBMDA and the partnership with Industrial Fleet Management (IFM) helps our members save costs relating to their fleets. In addition, we began the Financial Benchmark Surveys a few years back which is a great way for companies to measure themselves against others doing the exact same thing! I think when we look back just at the last nine months, there are so many examples how the NBMDA staff went above and beyond the imagination to get our members as much information as possible, during a time when information was difficult to get! The virtual NBMDA conference was a great example to showcase the talent of the staff to reprogram content into a virtual format, while still making it engaging and extremely beneficial for members!

Q. What’s your advice for someone who is considering a career in this industry?

A. My advice would be this… If you want to spend your working life in an industry that never has a boring moment or want to be in an industry where no two days are alike, this is it! And if you want to spend your working life in an industry that is made up of hardworking, passionate and overall great people, then this is it.

Q. What would you say to businesses struggling during the Pandemic?

A. That is not an easy answer. But what I would tell a business that is struggling is to stop and take a breath. When we as leaders are looking at a situation that is very dark, grim, and intimidating, it is very easy to close our eyes and hope the nightmare ends soon. However, we are leaders, so we cannot just behave as an ostrich with our heads in the sand. We need to stop and look at the situation and prepare for the worst case scenario and work back from that. I know this seems obvious, but once we know the worst case and start building from there, you would be amazed at how new ideas, concepts, products, and services will come to mind. I will give you an example: On March 13, we were all getting word that the country was close to shut down and my heart dropped to my feet. I was scared, nervous and very intimidated about what the future might be. Then on Sunday, March 15 at about 3:30 in the afternoon, I said to myself, “You got this. You have an awesome team and the resilience to beat this.” So that Monday we all got on one

of the very first zoom meetings in my world and went to work protecting the people, insulating the businesses and deciding what our next moves would be. Our teams had a lot of “what ifs.” It was answering the “what ifs” that helped us manage the crazy early months of the COVID-19 Pandemic. So in summary, I would tell a struggling business to stop, breathe and think about some “what ifs.” Set the baseline of the worst case scenario and build from there. It works. Our teams have done the “stop and breathe” method during past recessions, loss of large parts of our business, and now a horrible pandemic.

Q. How has Wurth Line Craft North America

distinguished itself as a wholesale distributor in the marketplace?

A. The Würth Line Craft NA team has worked tirelessly to distinguish ourselves as an “essential” supplier. This was critical in the early days of the Pandemic when states were shut down and only companies performing essential services were allowed to be open. Because Würth supplied goods to hospitals and supported our country’s infrastructure, we were allowed to remain open. Additionally, WLCNA pivoted by securing sources for quality PPE that was in high demand in the Spring 2020. With our international backing, we were able to identify suppliers and purchase KN95s, surgical masks, nitrile gloves, hand sanitizer, and polycarbonate—all of which were in desperate demand to protect individuals and companies from the Pandemic. We began participating in various education, state, and federal bids for RFQs and RFPs, which has resulted in a few victories of decent revenue. WLCNA is expanding outside of our tradition segment and market—it is refreshing and very exciting!

7. What other industry observations have you taken note of this year?

A. My companies operate coast-to-coast and also in Canada. It is amazing to see the difference in styles and design depending on where in the country you are located. This difference requires my teams to source and market a wide range of goods. I love that the Euro style is becoming increasingly popular, but I still have a soft place in my heart for traditional woodworking and the craftsmanship that goes with it. It is important for WLCNA to be able to cater to all types of customer, in fact our diversity is what makes WLCNA truly special.

I also love looking back on the past year and seeing how closely we all have come together, even during a time of total isolation! I think that our industry is very unique in that distributors and manufacturers can all work together to support each other, regardless of competitive zones. We are lucky to have each other and working together will make us all stronger!

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Staying Connected Against the Odds

BY STEPHANIE ORNELAS

Rick Ehrsam, VP HPL distribution and FRP division for Panolam, and Tom Wardach, VP of Roseburg Forest Products share insight on connecting with customers amid a looming pandemic.

T

he Pandemic has continued to challenge how distributors serve the architecture and design community. How they communicate, provide training, and keep customers updated on product offerings have all been reexamined due to ongoing safety regulations.

It’s safe to say technology investments continue to be an absolute necessity.

“When it comes to our audience, not much has changed other than the fact that most architecture and design (A&D) personnel are working from home like many of us,” said Rick Ehrsam, VP HPL distribution and FRP division for Panolam. Ehrsam agreed that, like so many industries, companies have had to think outside the box and be creative when it comes to serving.

“Multiple ‘Zoom type’ conference calls are used daily in lieu of in-person visits. There’s been an intense focus on enhancing the virtual experience and enabling real-time participation by sending actual product samples and literature ahead of the calls so products can be seen and handled in person, versus showing them on a monitor,” he explained. “We also hope to do more social media in conjunction with our distributor partners in a given market, highlighting not only product updates but our mutual partnership as well in that market.”

Ehrsam went on to explain that the needs of their customers haven’t necessarily changed, as much as how those needs are met; how they accomplish what they need to so those needs are

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satisfied. This requires the company to rethink their traditional methods. Sending samples to home addresses instead of offices and daily video calls, are not uncommon these days.

“The overall process is the same. There are projects, product categories are identified by architects and designers, our specification teams (ours and our distributor’s) work with A&D to promote and present our offerings in hopes of “winning” the specification.

“That said, we’re constantly considering various creative ways of gaining attention at the A&D level all along the way, since all who approach architects and designers now do it in the same manner, video. The efforts are always geared toward attention-getting methods of conveying the information A&D needs on a project,” said Ehrsam.

One of Panolam’s directors of specification even had an idea for a customizable (and attractive) latched box for sampling, brochures, technical information, and any other personal touches that are appropriate with the given firm as the specific target. “We have found something as simple as that is an effective way to give what is needed in a thoughtful, personalized manner.”

Tom Wardach, VP of Roseburg Forest Products echoed Ehrsam when he agreed that without the capacity to travel, distributor specification representatives are calling on the A&D community in a virtual manner. Samples are shipped via UPS or Fedex vs. in-person delivery and any engagements or training sessions are performed via phone or virtually.

“Right now, we’re hosting virtual lunch & learns and PK sessions, and some have had limited attendance unfortunately, but samples are still popular and made available. Demand has really increased for samples and literature that were previously sent to A&D firms. They are no longer being shared but sent directly to individuals or end users at their homes or businesses.

“We’re also mailing physical product catalogs and emailing digital catalogs. We’re diligent when it comes to invitations to virtual product launches that may cover new services, enhanced products

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offerings, or new products altogether,” Wardach added.

Something that’s really common among virtual events now is that companies are utilizing the “on-demand” feature, allowing customers to have access to these “events” at their fingertips.

“We still have virtual training sessions, and materials (documents or PPT presentations) are sent in advance. Our training sessions are continued either during a virtual, scheduled event, or recorded for access on-demand,” Wardach said.

Like Panolam, Roseburg has made quite a few technological investments, particularly in meeting and event software for virtual gatherings on a larger scale, in addition to investments in hardware and various tools to support the virtual work environment (web cameras, headsets, additional monitors, etc.).

“We’ve really been focusing on time and production investments for product knowledge training for internal and external use.

Customer Relation Management software (CRM) is also a new initiative for us that will allow us to better manage our client engagements.

We continue to invest in our client access portal, enabling them to readily access information, with future expanded capabilities in the near future,” said Wardach.

It’s hard to say what the year ahead will look like, and when it comes to servicing the architecture and design community in 2021, Wardach sees the virtual atmosphere sticking around. Although firms could see a return of the workforce to the office with the potential opportunity for a vaccine looming, there will still be a dependence

“Given that the work from home life has become normalized and, in some cases, preferred over the office environment, firms have learned that telecommuting can be successful.”

on some level virtual interface.

“Given that the work from home life has become normalized and, in some cases, preferred over the office environment, firms have learned that telecommuting can be successful,” Wardach explained.

Ehrsam he sees Q1 not being much different than the current business atmosphere, though he does expect things to pick up in Q2.

“I do see more projects coming on in Q2. The hope is Q3 will get everyone back on track, at least close to 2019 levels. Industry trade shows have already been delayed again for 2021. We’re also told that the A&D community is “overloaded” with video conferencing, so until they are back in office environments, even video meetings may be difficult to arrange,” said Ehrsam.

“Hopefully, a little into Q2 we’ll be able to go back to actual in-person meetings. Companies win by thoughtfully planning and executing, not the ‘figuring it out as we go’ outlook. 2020, as challenging as it has been, has at least prompted creativity as a necessity to compete and win.” n

“Companies win by thoughtfully planning and executing, not bythe ‘figuring it out as we go’ outlook.”

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Compensation Planning During A Pandemic WHY IT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER

BY SUSAN PALÉ

2020 has sure been a challenge. Employers have struggled to keep businesses open and have been challenged to develop new markets, products, and services in record time.

If your business is food service, hospitality or leasing office space, 2020 may have been a dismal year. At the other end of the spectrum, grocery stores and home improvement stores have enjoyed hugely successful years. And, of course, the number of tech jobs continues to increase.

Most economists predict the economy will continue to rebound throughout 2021, but at an uneven pace.

The varying impacts of 2020 and all the unknowns of 2021 make compensation planning more important than ever. Here are the things you need to do now to effectively plan for 2021 and beyond.

1. Get (and Stay) Up to Date on Legislative Changes States and municipalities have enacted legislation that impacts compensation at breakneck speed. This represents a unique challenge for employers doing business in multiple locations.

The changes are too numerous to list, but some of the most significant include:

• 23 states have minimum wage increases scheduled for 2021.

• 10 states have approved a $15 minimum wage.

• Nine states now offer paid family and medical leave.

At the federal level, Biden has vowed to take several actions to support workers. When and how these might be implemented has yet to be determined, but these include:

• End the tax cuts enacted in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. • Increase income taxes for high income earners (>$400,000).

• Restore federal workers’ rights to unionize.

• Remove the Social Security Payroll Tax Deferral option.

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2. Review Paid Salaries If you hired new employees during 2019 and early 2020, chances are you had to hire them at higher salaries – maybe higher than the salaries of current employees doing the same work. This issue, known as salary compression, can occur throughout an organization but is most common when entry-level employees, hired at $14 to $15 an hour because of competition for candidates, make the same or more than lead or first-level supervisors.

If you typically give year-end salary increases, now is the time to make the determination of whether you’ll award them and the amounts necessary to maintain both external competitiveness and internal equity.

3. Review Compensation and Related Policies and Procedures The legislative changes described above require that you review and update your minimum wage and paid family and medical leave policies to comply with state and local requirements. Not all of these changes occur on January 1.

And some of your other policies and procedures may be outdated. For example: • 15 states have now legalized recreational marijuana. Your drug testing policies may require review/revision as a result.

• If you have written policies regarding work at home or flexible schedules, COVID-19 may have made them irrelevant or, worse, inaccurate. Now is the time to review those as well.

4. Plan Year-End Bonuses and Incentives Because of COVID-19, many organizations and individuals will not achieve their 2020 business objectives. You may have done all the necessary work to establish goals and a budget early in the year only to find they are no longer relevant.

If your organization often awards discretionary year-end bonuses, you may find that option unaffordable this year.

Now is the time to determine if, when, and how you will pay 2020 bonuses and incentives. Managing employee expectations is key, and that requires thoughtful communication planning and implementation.

Early projections for 2021 forecast base salary increases from 2.3% (Economic Research Institute) to 2.9% (World at Work).

These forecasts were made in the fall of 2020 and consider the volatility of 2020 and the uncertainty of 2021.

These forecasts, combined with your organization’s unique issues related to affordability, external competitiveness, and internal equity should be considered as you plan 2021 salary increases.

6. Plan 2021 Bonuses and Incentives The high-risk business environment and uncertainty expected in 2021 may require changes to 2021 incentive planning. Setting lower goals and/or changing the mix of performance measures are probably the first steps to consider. Doing this, however, requires consideration of the total cost of the incentive plans relative to adjusted goals and metrics.

Similarly, those with longer-term incentive plans and goals (e.g., three-year plans) should consider changing to shorter-term plans since long-term goal setting in times of serious economic uncertainty becomes virtually impossible.

7. Understand Your Competitive Markets and How They Have Changed or Remained the Same If you’ve historically hired a lot of entry-level employees, you may think that hiring them in 2021 will be easier because so many are unemployed. But think again. You may have different competitors. Grocery chains are recruiting record numbers of employees, as are other large retailers like Amazon, Target and Walmart. And they’re pretty much all paying $15 an hour, whether it’s legally required or not.

And if you hire specialized tech employees, expect the market for skilled personnel to remain as tight as ever. And expect a lot of these new hires to request flexible schedules and/or the ability to work from home.

8. Develop a Comprehensive Employee Communication Strategy Employee communications have been particularly challenging this year, often including discussions about furloughs, layoffs, termination and deferred or canceled salary increases. Add in the difficulties of communicating with employees working at home, and the challenges become overwhelming.

It’s critical to develop your year-end employee communications now. The three key components of your communication strategy should be: • Legislative changes and how they will impact policies, procedures and employee paychecks

• Plans for year-end base salary increases, incentive plan payouts, and discretionary bonuses

• 2021 planned changes to base salaries, incentive plans, and related compensation policies and procedures And don’t forget to recognize your employees and thank them for their contributions and sacrifices. It has been a tough year for all of us!

SUSAN PALÉ, CCP Vice President for Compensation Affinity HR Group, Inc. contact@affinityhrgroup.com

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5. Plan 2021 Salary Increases

DISTRIBUTION MAT TERS 2021

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NORTH A MER ICA N BUILDING M ATER I A L DISTR IBUTION ASSOCI ATION

NBMDA MEMBER DIR ECTORY

DISTRIBUTORS A & M Supply Corp.

6701 90th Ave. North Pinellas Park, FL 33782 P (727) 541-6632 F (727) 546-3617 www.a-msupply.com

Advanced Hardware Supply, Inc. 12324 W. Executive Drive Boise, ID 83713 P (208) 321-8089 F (208) 321-8090 www.advancedhardwaresupply.com

Aetna Plywood, Inc. 1401 St. Charles Road Maywood, IL 60153 P (708) 343-1515 www.aetnaplywood.com

Allegheny Plywood Company Inc. 3433 Smallman Street Pittsburgh, PA 15201 P (412) 621-6804 www.alleghenyplywood.com

Alpine Plywood Corporation 12210 W. Silver Spring Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53225 P (414) 438-8400 F (414) 438-8401 www.alpineplywood.com

Alpine Sales Inc. 9650 Millfield Rd. Columbia, SC 29223 P (803) 788-9160 F (803) 788-9162 www.alpinesalesinc.com

Amerhart Ltd. P.O. Box 10097 2455 Century Rd. Green Bay, WI 54303 P (920) 494-4744 F (920) 494-0388 www.amerhart.com

Arthur Distributor Company 283 E SR 133 Arthur, IL 61911 P (217) 543-2166 F (217) 543-2167

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Atlantic Plywood Corp.

Compi Distributors, Inc.

Edgebanding Services Inc.

8 Roessler Rd. Woburn, MA 1801 P (781) 933-1932 F (781) 933-3654 www.atlanticplywood.com

2855 Haag Rd. Arnold, MO 63010 P (636) 296-1111 F (636) 296-1411 www.compidistributors.com

828 W. Cienega Ave. San Dimas, CA 91773 P (909) 599-2336 www.edgebanding-services.com

Beland Forest Products Ltd.

Connecticut Plywood Corp.

1203 Industrial Road Levis, QC G7A 1A8 P (418) 831-8860 www.beland.com

100 Farmington Valley Drive Plainville, CT 6062 P (860) 953-0060 F (860) 953-0599 www.connply.com

Fessenden Hall

Bennett Supply Co.

1050 Sherman Ave. Pennsauken Township, NJ 8110 P (800) 220-2233 www.fessendenhall.com

Formations Inc. 12220-142 Street Edmonton, AB T5L 2G9 P (780) 893-7540 www.formationswood.com

300 Business Center Dr. Cheswick, PA 15024 P (888) 236-6388 F (724) 274-5528 www.bennettsupply.com

Dakota Premium Hardwoods, LLC

Bond Plywood, Inc.

Darant Distributing Corp.

988 E. Saratoga Ferndale, MI 48220 P (248) 548-3150 F (248) 548-0265 www.bondply.com

1832 E. 68th Ave. Denver, CO 80229 P (303) 289-2220 F (303) 289-2225 www.darant.com

Brazos Forest Products

Deano Hardwoods

2760 N. Great SW Pkwy.

Grand Prairie, TX 75050 P (972) 602-1777 www.brazosfp.com

306 North Bernard Rd. Broussard, LA 70518 P (337) 330-4419 www.deanohardwoods.com

1 Pillsbury Drive Suite 302 Concord, NH 03301 P 8307086766 www.rugbyabp.com

Cabinetparts.com

Direct Supply, Inc.

Hardwood Products Inc.

1301 West Copans Road, Ste. G-6 Pompano Beach, FL 33064 P (954) 428-3800 F (954) 428-5167 www.cabinetparts.com

1055-36th St .SE Grand Rapids, MI 49508 P (616) 245-4415 F (616) 245-1890 www.directsupplyinc.com

Central Florida Cabinet Supply

Distributor Service, Inc.

2617 Pemberton Dr. Apopka, FL 32703 P (407) 292-3644 F (407) 292-3799 www.cfcsonline.com

1 Dorrington Rd. Carnegie, PA 15106 P (412) 279-7824 F (412) 279-8454 www.distributor-service.com

Charles McMurray Co.

Dixie Plywood and Lumber

2520 N. Argyle Ave. Fresno, CA 93727 P (559) 292-5751 F (559) 292-6147 www.charlesmcmurray.com

204 Old West Lathrop Ave. Savannah, GA 31415 P (912) 447-7023 www.dixieply.com

6805-D Imperial Drive Waco, TX 76712 P (254) 772-9663 www.dakotahardwoods.com

Frama-Tech, Inc. 8851 Navarre Parkway Navarre, FL 32566 P (800) 622-9663 F (800) 606-3591 www.framatech.com

Hardwoods Distribution/Rugby Architectural Building Products

1585 W. Sam Houston Pkwy. N. Houston, TX 77043 P (713) 984-8904 www.hwp.us

Holdahl Co. Inc.

Clark Deco Moldings 1127 Washington Blvd.

Pittsburgh, PA 15206 P (412) 363-9602 www.cdmcabinethardware.com

1925 Annapolis Lane Plymouth, MN 55441 P (800) 777-8992 www.holdahlcompany.com

Hood Distribution 3890 Veterans Memorial Drive Hattiesburg, MS 39401 P (601) 296-4826 F (601) 296-4779 www.hooddistribution.com

Horizon Forest Products E.B. Bradley Co./West Coast Laminating 5602 Bickett Street Vernon, CA 90059 P (323) 585-9201 Ext. 3106 F (323) 585-5414 www.ebbradley.com

4115 Commodity Parkway Raleigh, NC 27610 P (919) 719-0877 F (919) 719-0878 www.horizonforestcabinet.com

Industrial Plywood, Inc.

Nashville Plywood, Inc.

Sierra Forest Products

550 South Fifth Street/ PO Box 1258 Reading, PA 19603 P (610) 376-3343 F (610) 376-2256 www.industrialplywood.com

910 Cherokee Ave. Nashville, TN 37207 P (615) 320-7877 F (615) 320-0364 www.nashvilleplywood.com

1801 West Hawthorne Lane, Suite 400 West Chicago, Illinois P (630) 231-0450 www.sierrafp.com

Jasper Industrial Supply

National Wood Products, Inc.

3185 N. Mill Street Jasper, IN 47546 P (812) 482-1668 www.jasperindustrial.com

2705 S. 600 W Salt Lake City, UT 84115 P (801) 977-1171 F (801) 428-5015 www.nationalwood.com

Upper Canada Forest Products

Lumbermen’s, Inc. 4433 Stafford SW Grand Rapids, MI 49548 P (616) 538-5180 F (616) 261-3223 www.lumbermens-inc.com

Ohio Valley Supply Company 3512 Spring Grove Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45223 P (513) 681-8300 F (513) 853-3301 www.ovsco.com

M S International 2095 N. Batavia St. Orange, CA 92865 P (714) 685-7500 www.msisurfaces.com

Parksite, Inc. 1563 Hubbard Avenue Batavia, IL 60510 P (800) 338-3355 www.parksite.com

MacMurray Pacific 568 7th St. San Francisco, CA 94103 P (415) 552-5500 F (415) 552-5840 www.macmurraypacific.com

McFadden’s Hardwood & Hardware Inc. 1-2323 Winston Park Drive Oakville, ON 0 P (800) 268-0942 www.mcfaddens.com

McKillican International, Inc. 16420 - 118 Ave. Edmonton, AB T5V 1C8 P (888) 252-7993 www.mckillican.com

Plunkett Distributing 1010 South Y Street Fort Smith, AR 72901 P (479) 782-2190 F (479) 782-0044 www.plunkettdistributing.com

Richelieu America Ltd. 7900 Henri Bourassa Ville Saint-Laurent, QC P (800) 619-5446 www.richelieu.com

727 N Cherry St. San Antonio, TX 78202 P (210) 226-1426 F (210) 226-1591 www.roddislumber.com

14171 E Park Place Cerritos, CA 90703 P (562) 404-2989 F (562) 404-6224 www.royalplywood.com

5100 Kansas Avenue Kansas City, KS 66106 P (913) 573-0516 F (913) 371-4209 www.VirginiaTile.com

Arauco North America Inc. 80 Tiverton Court, Ste. 701 Markham, ON L3R 0G4 P (905) 752.5275 F (905) 475-3827 www.arauco-na.com

Web-Don, Inc. 1400 Ameron Drive Charlotte, NC 28206 P (800) 532-0434 www.web-don.com

Axalta Coating Systems

Wimsatt Building Materials Corp.

36340 Van Born Rd. Wayne, MI 48184 P (734) 722-3460 F (313) 278-1600 www.wimsattdirect.com

Wurth Baer Supply Co. 909 Forest Edge Dr. Vernon Hills, IL 60061 P (847) 913-2237 F (847) 913-9606 www.baersupply.com

1717 English Rd. High Point, NC 27262 P (336) 802-4716 www.axaltawoodcoatings.com

Berenson Corp.

2495 Main St., #111 Buffalo, NY 14214-2152 P (716) 833-3100 F (716) 833-2402 www.berensonhardware.com

BHK Of America, Inc.

895 Columbia Street Brea, CA 92822 P (714) 529-1771 F (714) 990-6184 www.louisandcompany.com

4250 Golf Acres Dr. Charlotte, NC 28208 P (704) 398-2162 www.wurthwoodgroup.com

PO Box 486 South Boston, VA 24592 P (434) 572 5500 F (434) 572 5503 www.bhkofamerica.com

Birchland Plywood Limited PO Box 430 / 12564 Hwy. 17 Thessalon, ON P0R 1L0 P (705) 842-2430 F (705) 842-2496 www.birchlandplywood.com

Blum Inc. 7733 Old Plank Rd. Stanley, NC 28164 P (704) 827-1345 F (704) 827-0799 www.blum.com

MJB Wood Group, Inc. 2201 Royal Lane Ste 250 Irving, TX 75063 P (972) 401-0005 F (972) 293-6283 www.mjbwood.com

12311 Shoemaker Ave. Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 P (562) 903-0200 F (562) 903-0208 www.accuride.com

3. Kisim, 35. Cadde 07190 Antalya, Turkey 7190 P 2422491717 www.agt.com.tr/en

Virginia Tile Holdings, LLC

Wurth Wood Group Royal Plywood

Accuride International

AGT

Wurth Louis and Company Roddis Lumber & Veneer

Metro Hardwoods 9540 83rd Ave. N. Maple Grove, MN 55369 P (763) 391-6731 F (763) 391-6741 www.metrohardwoods.com

7088 Financial Drive Mississauga, ON P (866) 265-0624 www.ucfp.com

SUPPLIERS

NORTH A MER ICA N BUILDING M ATER I A L DISTR IBUTION ASSOCI ATION

NBMDA MEMBER DIR ECTORY

Russell Plywood Inc. 401 Old Wyomissing Rd. Reading, PA 19611 P (610) 374-4017 F (610) 374-9138 www.russellplywood.com

Brasmacol Industria e Comercio Ltda Av. XV de Novembro 6584 - Cristo Rei Chopinzinho - PR, Brazil 85560-000 www.brasmacol.com.br

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DISTRIBUTION MAT TERS 2021

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NORTH A MER ICA N BUILDING M ATER I A L DISTR IBUTION ASSOCI ATION

NBMDA MEMBER DIR ECTORY C.A. Technologies Wagner Group

Doellken

Gemstone

Karran USA

337 South Arthur Ave. Louisville, CO 80027 P (303) 438-5707 F (303) 438-5708 www.spraycat.com

230 Orenda Road Brampton, ON L6T 1E9 P (760) 862-1285 F (760) 862-1820 www.na.doellken.com

435 Harrison Street Elkhart, IN 46516 P (574) 294-8899 www.gemstonesinks.com

PO Box 667 Vincennes, IN 47591 P (866) 452-7726 www.karran.com

Grass America Inc.

Kessebohmer USA Inc.

Centurion Wood Coatings – CIC Coatings

DVC

2935 Almeta Lane Mckinney, TX 27370 P (407) 506-4913 www.centurionwoodfinishes.com

P.O. Box 1087 225 Fourth St. Darlington, SC 29540 P (843) 393-3861 F (843) 393-8243 www.darlingtonveneer.com

Chemcraft, Inc. 1431 Progress Ave. High Point, NC 27260 P (336) 841-5111 F (336) 883-7237 www.chemcraft.com

Egger Wood Products LLC

Chemetal

Flexible Materials, Inc.

39 O’Neil Street Easthampton, MA 01027 P (413) 529-0718 F (413) 529-9898 www.chemetal.com

Choice Adhesives 666 Redna Terrace, #600 Cincinnati, OH 45215 P (513) 772-1234 F (513) 772-9118 www.choiceadhesivescorp.com

Columbia Forest Products 7900 McCloud Road Ste 200 Greensboro, NC 27409 P (800) 637-1609 F (336) 605-6969 www.columbiaforestproducts.com

Commonwealth Plywood— Whitehall, NY 10070 State Route 4 Whitehall, NY 12887 P (514) 894-3575 www.cpiwhitehall.com

Decospan Lageweg 33 Industriezone Grensland Menen, Belgium 8930 www.decospan.com

Deerwood Fasteners 638 Reese Dr. Conover, NC 28613 P (828) 469-1075 F (828) 469-1050 www.deerwood.com

10 s u r f a c e a n d p a n e l . c o m

300 Egger Pkwy.

Linwood, NC 27299 P (770) 500-9711 www.egger.com

3101 Hamburg Pike Jeffersonville, IN 47130 P (812) 280-7000 www.flexwood.com

Formica Corp.

10155 Reading Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45241 P (513) 786-3043 F (513) 786-3566 www.formica.com

Franklin International

1202 NC Highway 66 South Kernersville, NC 27284 P (336) 996-4041 F (336) 996-4547 www.grassusa.com

Greenline Industries, Inc.

1100 N. Toledo Blade Blvd.

North Port, FL 34288 P (941) 493-5200 F (914) 497-3274 www.kingplastic.com

Groll Plywood Vietnam Company Limited

King Slide Works Co., Ltd.

Factory C3-3, Lot M, Trang Due Industrial Park a PArt of Dinh Vu - Cat HAi Economics Zone Hai Phong City, Vietnam P (305) 785-0432 F (305) 634-8581

Häfele America Co. 3901 Cheyenne Drive Archdale, NC 27263 P (800) 423-3531 www.hafele.com

Hartson-Kennedy Cabinet Top

Fulterer USA, Inc.

Helmitin, Inc.

522 W. 22nd St. Marion, IN 46953 P (800) 388-8144 www.hartson-kennedy.com

99 Shorncliffe Road Toronto, ON M8Z 5K7 P (416) 239-3105 www.helmitin.com

IMG International Markets Group GARNICA 2128 Marlow Lane Eugene, OR 97401 P (541) 729-5079 www.garnica.one

Gemini Coatings 42 S.E. 21st St. El Reno, OK 73036 P (800) 262-5710 www.geminicoatings.com

King Plastic Corporation

2966 Trask Parkway Beauford, SC 29906 P (843) 8464648 www.greenlineforest.com

2020 Bruck St. Columbus, OH 43207-2329 P (614) 443-0241 F (614) 445-1813 www.franklininternational.com

542 Townsend Ave. High Point, NC 27263 P (336) 431-4646 F (336) 431-4620 www.fultererusa.com

106 Market St, Suite 300 Wilmington, NC 28401 P (910) 338-5080 F (910) 338-5082 www.cleverstorage.com

236 West East Ave., Ste. A PMB 160 Chico, CA 95926-7236 P (530) 518-8228 F (530) 852-8575 www.imgsourcing.com

John Boos & Company 3601 S Banker St. Effingham, IL 62401 P (217) 347-7701 F (217) 347-7705 www.johnboos.com

No. 299 Shun An Road, Lu Zhu District Kaohsiung, Taiwan 82150 www.kingslide.com

Kitchen Kompact, Inc. 911 East 11th Street Jeffersonville, KY 47131 P (812) 282-6681 www.kitchenkompact.com

Liberty Woods International 1903 Wright Place, Suite 360 Carlsbad, CA 92008 P (760) 438-8030 F (760) 438-8303 www.libertywoods.com

M.L. Campbell 101 Prospect Ave., 525 Republic Cleveland, OH 44115 P (216) 566-2904 F (216) 515-7756 www.mlcampbell.com

Meganite Solid Surfaces 1461 S Balboa Ave. Ontario, CA 91761 P (800) 836-1118 www.meganite.com

Michigan Maple/Bally Block Co’s.

1420 Standish Ave. Petoskey, MI 49770 P (231) 347-4170 F (800) 447-7975 www.butcherblock.com

Milesi Wood Coatings 301 McCullough Drive, Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28262 P (704) 909-2921 F (704) 909-2701 www.milesi.us

Mohawk Finishing Products

Renner Wood Coatings

Tecnotabla, LLC

2220 US Highway 70 SE, Suite 100 Hickory, NC 28602 P (828) 319-2701 www.mohawk-finishing.com

651 Michael Wylie Drive Charlotte, NC 28217 P (704) 527-9261 www.rennerwoodcoatings.com

200 1st Avenue South Suite 200, Box 219 St. Petersburg, FL 33701 P (888) 354-2565 www.proteak.com

Murphy Plywood

Rev-A-Shelf LLC

2350 Prairie Rd. Eugene, OR 97402 P (541) 461-4545 www.murphyplywood.com

12400 Earl Jones Way Jeffersontown, KY 40299 P (502) 499-5835 F (502) 491-2215 www.rev-a-shelf.com

NewStar Adhesives, Inc. 31 Silver Hill Rd. Weston, MA 02493 P (855) 497-0800 www.newstaradhesives.com

Northwest Hardwoods 1313 Broadway Suite 300 Tacoma, WA 98402 P (253) 568-6800 F (216) 831-4734 www.northwesthardwoods.com

Panolam Surface Systems 1 Corporate Drive Suite 725 Shelton, CT 06484 P (203) 925-1556 www.panolam.com

Peter Meier Inc. 1255 South Park Dr. Kernersville, NC 27284 P (336) 996-7774 www.petermeier.com

Plywood Source 2943 E. Las Hermanas St. Rancho Dominguez, CA 90221 P (310) 461-8161 www.PlywoodSource.com

Pride Industrial LLC 4653 Leston St. Unit 701 Dallas, TX 75247 P (909) 334-4388 F (909) 334-4377 www.prideindustrial.com

Pro-Ply Custom Plywood Inc. 1195 Clark Blvd.

Brampton, ON L6T 3W4 P (905) 564-2327 F (905) 564-2330 www.proply.com

Richwood Industries Inc. — Makers of PolyBak 2700 Buchanan SW Grand Rapids, MI 49548 P (616) 243-2700 F (616) 243-2200 www.richwoodind.com

Rincomatic FAMAR MUEBLES SL - ESB02175933 P. Ind. Avda 2 - Naves 5 y 6 Villamalea - Albacete, Spain 2270 P (718) 909-5682 www.rincomatic.com

Rockford Process Control, LLC 8485 Jamesport Drive Rockford, IL 61108 P (815) 988-0835 F (815) 966-2026 www.rockfordprocesshinges andhardware.com

Roseburg Forest Products LP P.O. Box 1088 Roseburg, OR 97470 P (541) 679-3311 F (541) 679-2543 www.roseburg.com

Salice America Inc. 2123 Crown Centre Drive Charlotte, NC 28227 P (704) 841-7810 F (704) 841-7808 www.saliceamerica.com

States Industries 29545 Enid Road East/ PO Box 41150 Eugene, OR 97404 P (800) 626-1981 F (541) 689-8051 www.statesind.com

Timber Products Company P.O. Box 269 Springfield, OR 97477 P (541) 747-4577 F (541) 744-4296 www.timberproducts.com

SERVICE PROVIDERS Acuity Insurance 2800 S Taylor Dr. Sheboygan, WI 53081 P (517) 331-7090 www.acuity.com

DMSi Software 17002 Marcy Street, #200 Omaha, NE 68118 P (402) 330-6620 F (402) 330-6737 www.dmsi.com

U.S. Futaba, Inc. 2901 West Garry Avenue Santa Ana, CA 92704 P (800) 821-4007 www.usfutaba.com

Uniboard Canada 5555 Ernest Cormier Laval, QC H7C 2S9 P (450) 664-6000 F 450-664-6009 www.uniboard.com

Epicor 10955 Westmoor Dr., #100 Westminster, CO 80021 P (800) 678-7423 F (925) 373-2075 www.epicor.com

Federated Insurance

Veneer Technologies Inc.

121 E. Park Square Owatonna, MN 55060 P (800) 533-0472 F (507) 446-4703 www.federatedinsurance.com

P.O. Box 1145 Newport, NC 28570 P (252) 223-6359 F (252) 223-3511 www.veneertech.com

JAST Media

VT Industries, Inc.

On-Hold Media Group

P.O. Box 490 1000 Industrial Park Holstein, IA 51025 P (712) 368-4381 Ext. 342 F (712) 368-4184 www.vtindustries.com

3001 Dallas Pkwy. #220 Frisco, TX 75034 P (866) 758-1300 www.onholdwizard.com

Weyerhaeuser MDF 105 Mills Drive Columbia Falls, MT 59912 P (800) 548-4007 www.woodbywy.com/panels/mdf

Wilsonart LLC 10501 NW H K Dodgen Loop Temple, TX 76504 P (254) 207-5118 www.wilsonart.com

25030 SW Parkway Ave, Ste 300 Wilsonville, OR 97070 P (541) 654-1722 www.jastmedia.com

Profit2 9393 W. 110th St. Ste 500, 51 Corporate Woods Overland Park, KS 66221 P (913) 897-0159 www.profit2.com

NORTH A MER ICA N BUILDING M ATER I A L DISTR IBUTION ASSOCI ATION

NBMDA MEMBER DIR ECTORY

ProKeep 234 Loyola Ave, Suite 300 New Orleans, LA 70112 P (504) 233-9566 www.prokeep.com

Sales-i 200 W Monroe St., Suite 1701 Chicago, IL 60606 P (847) 868-8175 www.sales-i.com

Tafisa Canada 729 Meloche Ave. Dorval, QC H9P 2S4 P (514) 780-1324 F (514) 780-1354 www.tafisa.ca

Unified Purchasing Group 901 W Baxter Dr. South Jordan, UT 84095 P (801) 784-8744 www.upg.org

surface&panel

DISTRIBUTION MAT TERS 2021

11

Distribution Disruption

T KEVIN GAMMONLEY

his past year has been one of major change, disruption and transformation for the distributor community serving the interior surfacing and woodworking markets. After a strong first quarter of the year, the positive momentum hit a wall for the channel’s distributors when the pandemic caused many customers to shut their doors due to state mandates and uncertainty spread throughout the supply chain. The second quarter of 2020 proved to be challenging as distributors and their supplier partners faced new realities of serving their customers while simultaneously keeping their employees safe.

The channel’s leading distributors quickly changed their protocols and processes to address the challenges and opportunities before them. Distributor sales forces leveraged technology and new communication approaches as in-person sales visits were side-lined. Curbside pick-up options became the norm while truck drivers embraced new ways to safely deliver products to customers. Distributors quickly invested in enhanced online ordering capabilities, virtual staff training and creative ways to host remote sales presentations. Creativity and innovation emerged as distribution firms were pushed in new directions and the realities of the current marketplace were accepted as simply new challenges that demanded solutions.

Throughout this period, the North American Building Material Distribution Association Distributors must maintain an innovative (NBMDA) shifted its focus and resources to deliver information and resources to support the distribution community’s new challenges. Virtual training and research was continually mindset and look for answers within and offered to address the most pressing topics. Daily updates on the federal government’s outside our channel. NBMDA helped our safety guidelines, lending programs, tax credits and workplace protocols were provided members compete in 2020 and will be there to member firms. Most importantly, members shared creative ideas, best practices and with new programs and services in 2021. regional trends regional trends with their fellow member companies. This support was invaluable as 2020 was not the time to be operating on your own without the resources of a national trade association and the help of a peer group.

The rollercoaster ride began to stabilize in the third quarter as the country started to open up and sales began to climb. Most distributors agreed that the worst was behind them and that the year was turning out better than initially feared. Progressive distributors who made strategic investments and were effectively positioned in the marketplace began to reap the rewards of their discipline and focus. While not back to pre-pandemic levels, business was seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and many distributors began to capitalize on their competitive advantages.

NBMDA transitioned its hugely popular and valued fall Annual Convention to its first fully-virtual event featuring distribution-specific programming, distributor-manufacturer online meetings and association updates.

The event proved to be well received and supported. Distributors were once again pushed out of their comfort zones and experienced the effectiveness of virtual learning and networking. As the pandemic began to surge once again in the fourth quarter, distributors were even more ready to tackle the return of unique challenges and keep their businesses focused on serving their customers.

The distribution channel changed in 2020. It morphed and adapted to address unprecedented challenges. Suppliers and customers are evolving and have different needs than they did at the start of the year. Distributors must maintain an innovative mindset and look for answers within and outside our channel.

NBMDA helped our members compete in 2020 and will be there with new programs and services in 2021.

Looking to take your business to the next level? NBMDA distributors are the partners that can get you there. Visit www.NBMDA.org to learn more about what makes NBMDA members unique. Join us in 2021 and see the power of our network in action.

Kevin Gammonley NBMDA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT 12 s u r f a c e a n d p a n e l . c o m

North American Building Material Distribution Association Connects the Most Innovative and Strategic Wholesale Distributors NBMDA members ... n

Include the leading wholesale distributors and their supplier partners

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Operate from 800+ distribution centers located throughout the U.S. and Canada

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Distribute specialty building materials for interiors including wood panels, surfacing materials, cabinet hardware, finishes and related woodworking production supplies.

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Serve a customer base comprised of independent building material, and kitchen and bath dealer as well as firms that serve production companies involved in cabinetry, architectural woodwork, stock woodwork, store fixtures, solid surface fabricating, plastics fabricating, general and specialty woodworking industries.

NBMDA provides ... n

Facilitated opportunities to strengthen trading partner relationships

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Education and training across the spectrum of distribution management topics

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Insights into the leading trends and best practices that impact distributor productivity and profitability

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Benchmarking to allow distributors insight into how they compare to industry averages and the industry’s top distributors

www.nbmda.org