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DECKING & RAILING TRENDS CRAB FEED PIX NAWLA ON INDUSTRY RECOVERY

FEBRUARY 2014

The MERCHANT MagazineTHE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS – SINCE 1922

Don Kayne President/CEO,

Canfor

Kimmo JarvinenSecretary General,

EOS

Marc A. BrinkmeyerChairman,

Idaho Forest Group

Jon BiottiManaging Director,

Charlesbank Capital Partners

Peter AlexanderCEO, BMC

Curt M. StevensCEO,

Gustavo Grodnitzky, Ph.D.

Leadership & Org. Development

Consultant

Jack KoraleskiPresident/CEO,

Corporation

Signs are pointing to recovery. NAWLA has designed its 2014 Leadership Summit for those who want to move ahead boldly and wisely at this crucial time. We’ve gathered eight industry leaders under one roof to help us better understand emerging outlooks, opportunities, and critical issues.

Now is the time of tapping into the wisdom of our community and casting new visions. We know you’re busy, so we’ve packed a lot into a day and a half. You’ll come away better prepared to navigate pitfalls and pur-sue new opportunities.

4 The Merchant Magazine February 2014 Building-Products.com

The MERCHANTFebruary 2014 Volume 92 Number 8

BREAKING INDUSTRY NEWS &EVENT PHOTOS

BUILDING-PRODUCTS.COM

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OnlineTHE MERCHANT DIGITAL VERSION

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MORE ABOUT THESE LATER:

Special Features8 FEATURE STORY

WHICH COMPOSITE DECKING ISBEST FOR YOUR CUSTOMER?

10 INDUSTRY TRENDSALCOHOL-TREATED DECKING RENEWS

FOCUS ON U.S. MARKETPLACE

12 FIRST PERSONRECALLING PIONEER IN 5/4 DECKING

28 NAWLA: THINKING AHEADPREDICTIONS FOR INDUSTRY

RECOVERY MAY HINGE ON SOUTH

40 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTSOUTHERN CYPRESS SUMMONED

FOR FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HOME

46 COMPANY PROFILEDIACON STRESSES TURN-KEY

APPROACH TO WOOD PROTECTION

50 PHOTO RECAP: CRAB FEED

In Every Issue6 TOTALLY RANDOM

14 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

16 OLSEN ON SALES

24 APP WATCH

26 MOVERS & SHAKERS

32 FAMILY BUSINESS

38 MANAGEMENT TIPS

42 NEW PRODUCTS

49 ASSOCIATION UPDATE

52 IN MEMORIAM

52 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE

53 DATE BOOK

54 IDEA FILE

54 ADVERTISERS INDEX

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TOTALLY RandomBy Alan Oakes

Unlocking youOVER A RECENT family dinner, I was talking to my wonderful 14-year-old grand-

son, who told me that he did not expect to get into a good college after graduat-ing from high school. I was disappointed to hear his resignation at such an early age,but perhaps he senses how competitive it is.

Unfortunately, if you think you are going to fail, inevitably you do. If you set yourgoals lower, then your life potential will never be achieved. And isn’t it that negativitythat holds many of us back throughout our lives and careers? My grandson has tolearn that we all fail at some time or other, but we need to set our goals at a high level.We will end up either achieving the higher goal or, at minimum, reaching a higherlevel than had we set a lower goal.

For me, a new year is a good time to look at the promise of what’s ahead and bereminded of what went right and wrong in the year just finishing. Let’s be honest—few of us can say that every past year has been a step forward. Most of us have notescaped having some years where we said, thankfully, this year is over and let’s makethe next one better. Unless you respond to and learn from those failures or down years,you cannot learn how to adapt your behavior and draw benefits from it. If we are will-ing to accept failure or mediocrity, don’t we deserve what we get?

Many of us begin a new year by making personal resolutions—to exercise, to loseweight, to quit smoking, to cut our debt—yet within 30 days, most of us have failed.The reason is that most of us are creatures of habit, easily tempted and prone to over-estimate our ability to change. Indeed, we may set unachievable goals—say, dropping50 lbs.—or underestimate what it will take to maintain our commitment. Or, we mighthave too many resolutions or set vague, unmeasurable goals.

Whether personal or business, unless we learn from our failures and set goals,nothing can change. We’ve all read about those individuals who started businesses,failed, and yet started another one and succeeded (sometimes after two or three fail-ures). How? Why? In most cases, it was that in each failure they learned somethingthat helped them the next time round. In fact, that spirit of not accepting failure can bewhat drives them to start all over again.

Not all of us can be c.e.o.s or sales managers—and don’t have to be to feel happyand successful. But who determines it should not be us? The reality is that it is our-selves! If we have no plan or determination to succeed, if we are willing to accept thestatus quo, we end up in a life that later we look back on and blame everyone for butourselves.

At the age of 19, in about my third job after leaving high school in the U.K., I real-ized that I was not going to go anywhere unless I took control of my life, set aggres-sive goals, and strove to offer something different from those around me. I adoptedtwo basic philosophies for my business life. One, do everything with the highest levelof energy and passion possible. I saw early-on the lethargy around the office with peo-ple who just showed up. That was not going to be me. Even at this age I cannot doanything without doing my best (thanks, Mum). Second, do not be content with goingnowhere—meaning that if I cannot move myself and life on,it’s time for change. I was not going to stay with a com-pany unless I could see a path for personal growth. Hasall been successful? No, I have had my failures—somequite painful. But when I failed, I didn’t stand still. Ispent every waking hour analyzing what, if anything, Idid wrong and determining what it would take to bounceback. In most cases, I found something better the nexttime round.

Take the time to figure out what you reallywant out of your life and career. Analyzewhat you are going to do to achieve yourbusiness and personal goals. For most ofus, good things don’t happen unless wemake them happen. We are in control ofour own life potential!

Alan Oakes, [email protected]

8 The Merchant Magazine February 2014

Which composite deckingis best for your customer?OKAY. YOU’VE SETTLED on which

composite decking your storepromotes. You stock one or twobrands and have samples for a dozenmore near the contractors desk. Inwalks the customer, looking for adviceon which they should buy. By asking afew questions, you can lead themstraight to the best decking for theirneeds.

How much do you want tospend?Although, in general, the various

composite decking brands are similar-ly priced for comparable lines, mostmanufacturers do offer premium andvalue lines, as well as variations intextures, design, composition, color,and installation systems that can great-ly influence the cost. Buyers who arecontent with limited color choices, asmooth surface, repetitive grain pat-tern, standard lengths, and installationwith face screws will keep costs down.

However, notes J.C. Rentschler,dealer sales representative forWeyerhaeuser Distribution, “new‘capped’ products offer higher qualityand an authentic look, but do comewith a higher price tag. This alsomakes the product less skid resistantand has a tendency to retain moreheat, so selection of a decking productis more crucial than ever.”

Adds Brent Gwatney, senior vicepresident of sales and marketing forMoistureShield: “New for 2014,we’ve developed the MoistureShieldPro line. It is our always high-per-forming MoistureShield compositedecking with a unique plastic cap foran added layer of protection. Thisenhanced cap makes the boards moreresistant to fading and staining;they’re even protected by a 25-year

FEATURE StoryComposite Decking

fade and stain warranty. Thesestreaked boards will not only lookbeautiful, they’ll also be durable.”

How closely do you want yourdeck to resemble wood?More expensive composites often

feature finer details, more colorschoices, subtle shadings, superiorgrain, and other differences to providea more authentic wood-look appear-ance. Some producers buff every deckboard to remove any resemblance toplastic.

“For the best-looking compositedecking, contractors can chooseboards with deep embossment patternsfor a realistic wood grain appearance,”says Gwatney. “Some brands alsohave variegated color streaking thatresembles exotic hardwoods. Forexample, MoistureShield’s Vantageline includes premium colors liketigerwood and walnut.”

Will you use your deck in thehot sun?Darker, solid and very dense com-

posites absorb more heat than lightertones.

Rentschler suggests “lighter colorselections for hotter climates that haveextreme sunlight or heat. Do researchonline or with experienced deckingcontractors to see which products per-form best.”

Have the homeowner take homecomposite samples in different colorsand set them outside where they wantto build the deck, so they can gaugethe temperatures each will reach.

How wet will your deck get?Smooth-textured composite decks

can get slippery. If the deck is going tobe installed in a rainy or icy climate or

will sit near a pool or spa, it shouldhave a raised or textured grain for skidresistance—particularly if it will beused as a common entry into thehome.

Do you want to see your fasteners?Hidden fasteners will bump up the cost of the project,

but do provide a cleaner appearance, hiding betweentongue-and-grooved boards or clipping together thinnerprofiles.

“Aesthetics continue to be the most driving factorbehind a deck,” Gwatney explains. “Hidden fastening sys-tems are becoming increasingly popular with homeownersand more deck boards are available grooved to accommo-date fasteners. In addition to the clean surface finish, somehidden fasteners are actually faster to install than surfacescrews, so it’s a double win for builders.”

Does your budget include all the extras?A composite deck package typically includes a lot more

than boards and fasteners. Buyers may also have to factorin railings, balusters, posts, post caps, end caps, skirts, dec-orative trim, and more. And, with higher-end lines, all theelements can match.

According to Edie Kello Wilson, director of marketingcommunications for Fiberon, “Customizable optionsinclude railing infill, such as metal, composite or glass, andlighting for both decking and railing. Performance benefitoptions include fade, mold and scratch resistance, fastener-free surfaces, and warranties.”

Would you like to see how your ideas willlook in a finished deck?Mobile apps and online desk design systems allow your

customers to know what they’re buying before they buy it.“The day of the sample is dying, and state-of-the-art

design applications are here to stay,” says Rentschler.“User-friendly applications now allow homeowners todesign their own deck and color scheme.”

Walking homeowners through the materials suitable fortheir dream deck, and showing them style, color and cus-tomizable options, helps move projects from the planningstage to the sale.

“Ultimately, customers need to understand that theirinvestment in a composite deck is going to last decades,without the need to stain and paint it every other year likethe wooden decks they likely grew up with,” Wilson says.“By reviewing the aesthetic aspects and technical optionsof composite decking products available at various pricepoints, you can help customers make a decision they’llenjoy for years.”

WITH TODAY’S countless options for composite decking, dealers shouldbe prepared to match customers to the products that are the best fit fortheir needs. (Photo by MoistureShield)


Alcohol-treated deckingrenews focus on U.S.

that the wood comes from sustainablesources.

In the U.S., municipalities haveturned away from tropical hardwoodand chosen sustainable alternativessuch as Kebony. A good example isNew York City, where MayorMichael Bloomberg ruled that the citywould stop using tropical hardwoods.

Last fall, Kebony was recognizedfor the third time as one of theworld’s most promising private, cleantechnology companies in the presti-

BILLED AS A sustainable alternativeto tropical hardwoods, Kebony

decking and cladding is gainingrecognition in North America.

“Everybody would like to use trop-ical wood,” says Christian Jebsen,chief executive of the Norway-basedcompany. “The problem is it’s notsustainable, and most people under-stand that. What we do is take soft-wood and give it the properties of thehardwood we would like to use.”

The science behind this transfor-

mation is Kebonization, a process inwhich sustainable softwood is treatedwith furfuryl alcohol—a natural wasteproduct of certain crops. When thewood is then heated, a chemical reac-tion permanently changes the woodcells and imparts the look, color, andproperties of tropical hardwoods.

Jebsen believes that the time isright for a treated wood such asKebony. As of March 2013, newEuropean Union legislation requiresimporters of tropical wood to prove

INDUSTRY TrendsKebony Decking & Cladding

KEBONY was used to create decking and walkways at the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum, Dallas, Tx.Photo courtesy Kebony

Building-Products.com February 2014 The Merchant Magazine 11

gious Global Cleantech 100. Thisaward honors companies that providesolutions to some of the world’s mostpressing environmental problems.

At Greenbuild 2013—November20-22 in Philadelphia, Pa.—Kebonywas re-launched into the NorthAmerican market and a distributorwas announced: Pine River Group, St.Clair, Mi. The company offers theimportant sales, marketing, inventory,and logistical support necessary todevelop the North American marketthrough multiple channels.

Currently, southern yellow pinefrom the U.S. is shipped to Kebony’splant in Skien, Norway, and thenshipped back to the states. OtherKebony species include Scots pinefrom Scandanavia and radiata pinefrom New Zealand.

“Kebony and Pine River Group areexploring various opportunities to jus-tify the establishment of the first treat-ment plant in the U.S.,” says Andy

clear southern yellow pine at Hunter’sPark South Waterfront Park in LongIsland City, Queens, N.Y.; the NelsonPark lakefront enhancement project inDecatur, Il., and the Dallas Arboretumin Dallas, Tx.

At Princeton University, Princeton,N.J., Kebony cladding faces a recent-ly completed apartment building forvisiting faculty members. A mixtureof studios and one-bedrooms, thethree-story, 11,779 sq. ft. structureoccupies a small residential area ofthe campus.

Kebony will also be an importantpart of several U.S. projects currentlyunder construction, with completionexpected this spring: as rain screeningand decking at Martial Cottle Park,San Jose, Ca.; as dock planking at theHarbor Village Marina, St. Joseph,Mi., and as decking and flooring at aboutique hotel on Isla de Vieques,Puerto Rico.

“We believe this product has aplace in a number of prominent areasin the building products industry, suchas manufacturing of custom windowsand doors, roof deck tiles, exteriorarchitectural beams, flotation docks,and park benches, to name a few,”says Hehl. “We see this product asexceptional for waterfront docks andpiers and high-end residential deck-ing, cladding, and rain screening.Kebony can be used anywhere thewarmth and beauty of real wood aredesired, and the stability and durabili-ty are demanded.”

SUSTAINABLE cladding from Kebony protects a new residential building at Princeton University,Princeton, N.J., which will accommodate visiting faculty members.

Photo courtesy Princeton University

KEBONY SYP DECKING enhances the Nelson Park Lakefront project in Decatur, Il.Photo courtesy Kebony

Hehl, Pine River Group sales manag-er. “Kebony’s research and develop-ment team is continuously evaluatingnew wood species for treatment, withthe goal of establishing productionnearest raw material sources.”

To help get the word out, PineRiver Group partnered with MatthewHodjera, Hodjera ArchitecturalProducts, Seattle, Wa. His firm pro-motes Kebony directly to the architec-tural, design, and landscape architec-ture communities. It also developsstrategic national accounts, provides

expertise in new product launches,support on certain PR initiatives, andoverall market strategies andapproaches.

“This is a truly remarkable prod-uct for the North American architec-ture and design market,” saysHodjera. “It provides all the warmth,beauty, and durability of tropicalhardwoods with none of the negativeenvironmental impact.”

In the U.S., most recently complet-ed projects are municipal. New board-walks were constructed of Kebony


A LONG-TIME MEMBER of the lum-ber industry, Al Lucksted, died in

October. Most recently he headedsales and purchasing at MidwestTimber in Edwardsburg, Mi., but hisprime legacy may be his role in theintroduction of 5/4 radius edge deck-ing.

Five-quarter RED is now a com-mon profile for treated southern pine,cedar, ipé and even composite deck-ing. This was not true in the late1970s. At that time, following theemergence of backyard building but

Pioneer in 5/4 deckingleaves lasting mark

FIRST PersonBy Huck DeVenzio

before the appearance of big boxstores, Wickes Lumber was a majorretailer, operating stores around thecountry although most prominently inthe East, South and Midwest.

Lucksted, product manager forspecialty lumber at Wickes, and hissupervisor, George Finkenstaedt,were looking for products that mightdistinguish Wickes from competitors.Finkenstaedt remembers a field trip tocheck competitive offerings. “Al and Itraveled to the tidewater area ofVirginia with a valued supplier, BobHawes of Tolleson Lumber. AtMoore’s stores, we saw a square-edged decking product that was thin-ner than 2” lumber. It seemed to besomething with potential.”

Hawes and the innovative owner ofTolleson Lumber, Mell Tolleson, setout to create a product that could helptheir customer and also benefitTolleson’s sawmill and treating oper-ations. After investigating severalvariations, they came up with 5/4”radius edge decking. It looked good,much better than the dimension lum-ber then commonly being used fordecking. The quarter-inch radius min-imized wane on edges, and was strongenough to allow a reasonable span.

Current Tolleson c.e.o. RustyWood managed a Tolleson sawmilland recalls visiting Wickes headquar-ters with Hawes to show Luckstedand Finkenstaedt a prototype sample.“Wickes jumped on the idea from thestart, working out expected sales andprofits on a calculator before we fin-

ished the meeting.” The group figured out that, com-

pared to 2” lumber, the proposeddecking could provide a higher returnto mills on a board foot basis and stillbe offered to contractors and home-owners at a lower price on a linealfoot basis.

Lucksted and Finkenstaedt con-vinced their upper management thatWickes should stock this untriedproduct. Lucksted next had to excitethe store managers and promote thedecking to customers. He and Hawesdesigned and built display decks forthe front of all Wickes Lumber retaillocations. They wrote truckloadorders for presumed sales at morethan 100 stores, even though therewas no history for the product and noassurance that it would sell in largevolumes. It did. It sold so well thatWickes quickly became concernedthat Tolleson could not keep up withdemand. The Tolleson team had torecruit other sawmills to join the 5/4program, going so far as to providereluctant mills with planer knives andguaranteeing their sales in order to gettheir participation.

Although several mills producedthe lumber, until the widespreadacceptance of this decking all pres-sure-treating was done at Tollesonusing CCA preservative. (Note: Perry,Ga.-based Tolleson Lumber still pro-duces lumber, but no longer treatswood.)

Meantime, to protect against inferi-or knock-offs, Mell Tolleson drafted a

DECKING INNOVATOR: Al Lucksted (1935-2013) brought 5/4 radius edge decking to mar-ket at Wickes Lumber.


plants, lumber dealers, and the con-sumer. It remains a leading choice,three decades after its launch.”

Richard Dannenberg, former mar-keting director at Tolleson, singles outthe contribution of Lucksted, whoalso introduced V-groove lumber andpre-assembled deck accessories dur-ing his career at Wickes. “If Al had

grading standard for 5/4 RED. Mellserved on the board of the SouthernPine Inspection Bureau and valuedgrademarks. Grading rules for REDwere adopted in 1983 and arebelieved to be the first rules based onappearance criteria rather thanstrength characteristics. The originalrules defined the radius, knot size, andthree grades—Premium, Standard andNo. 3—for 4”, 5”, and 6” widths. Therules have been modified since then.

Finkenstaedt, who now consults onmergers and acquisitions of buildingmaterial operations, notes, “Ourstocking of 5/4 decking gave Wickesa two- or three-year headstart over ourcompetitors. It was an unqualifiedsuccess for many years and under-scores the importance of collaborationamong all participants in the supplychain. It would not have been possiblewithout the forward-looking andenthusiastic support of Rusty Wood atthe mill level, Mell and Bob at thetreating level, and, of course, AlLucksted at the distribution and retaillevel. They all made it fun as well asvery profitable for all participants.”

Rusty Wood agrees: “Five-quarterdecking proved very successful forWickes, Tolleson, sawmills, treating THE ROUNDED corners of 5/4 decking provide a finished appearance and minimize wane.

not been willing to take a risk on theproduct, 5/4 decking would not haveentered the market.”

– Huck DeVenzio retired from LonzaWood Protection, Atlanta, Ga., as manag-er of marketing communications in 2013after 40 years of promoting treated wood.He says he qualifies as an industry histo-rian by his age, if nothing else.

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The businessbelongs tothe customers

COMPETITIVE IntelligenceBy Carla Waldemar

IT’S SHOW(ROOM) TIME! YourBuilding Centers, with 13 locations

serving rural north-central Pennsyl-vania, has launched a state-of-the-artdesign showroom in Williamsport, byall accounts the best in the region,with 12,000 sq. ft. of home décor,including six home facades and overtwo dozen kitchen & bath vignettes.

Contractor customers can shepherdtheir own customers around the realmof what YBC’s president and c.e.o.Phil Skarada touts as “every decorat-ing product imaginable, from faucetsand vanities to countertops, flooring,windows and doors.”

With 90% of YBC’s business com-ing from the trade, not those retaildreamers, well… what’s the point?Duh. To help those very pros. “It helpsthem grow their business by providing

then, do you have a showroom of yourown?” (Same answer.) “See, you don’thave the ability to show customerswhat you can do. Because you can’tafford it, we’ll do that for you. We’llbe that platform.” Not only did he seethe light, Phil says, the builder startedbragging about ‘his’ new showroom tohis clients.

“Our philosophy is based on theentire partnership cycle: vendors withus, us with our customers. We’ve dealtwith the same vendors for 30 years,creating efficiencies for both of us,and efficiencies for our customers. Westrive to be the best we can be, andexpect our vendors to trade with us inthe same way, and then take that toour customer base. You’ve got to sellyour customers on that philosophy,and the only way to do that,” Philknows, “is one-on-one. Explain thebenefits. That’s the ball game.”

This game goes into lots of extrainnings, as both YBC and its contrac-tors chalk up winning streaks. Servicebeyond-the-call includes designingwebsite pages for them. (“Can’t affordthat,” one resisted the offer. He quick-ly was stripped of that apprehension:“Hey, no charge. It’s free.”) “We dealwith an environment in which eachcustomer has unique capabilities, sowe build on a customer’s strengthsand help them improve on weakness-es. These pros are good with themechanics of building, but maybe noton how to run a business.”

YBC also customizes TV commer-cials for these pros, with listings bygeographical area and specialty. Inother words, it steps up to provide anyservice that can help market theiroperations to the retail trade.

YBC’s annual trade show, withseminars, vendor booths and demos,dinner and entertainment, draws 1,000attendees. Pros who have achieved acertain volume of business alsoreceive a coveted invitation for aCaribbean cruise (another chance forsales force and customers to mingle),provided they’re not in arrears.Therefore, accounts receivable are nil.“Our peers are amazed,” Phil reports.

Special orders are another servicethat pays off for both. “It’s a substan-tial part of our business”—as much as50% of our volume at some locations,notes Phil. “We have a group ofemployees with that kind of knowl-edge, so when they come to us forsomething, we’ll look for it.”

YBC also installs kitchens with itsown crew and subs out other items,NEW SHOWROOM features a “street” of six home facades to show off exterior options.

an opportunity for them to showcaseeverything used in a home. Most ofour customers build only one to five,or—at the most—10 to 15 homes ayear. No tract builders, with their spechouses, here in the middle ofnowhere!”

“But you’re drawing my business!”one of those builders exploded—untilhe understood. YBC operates, as italways has, on the simple principlethat it’s in business to help its owncustomers succeed: “We care for ourbusiness—and yours—because for usit’s one and the same.”

Then why the showroom? Phil sitsthe fellow down, buys him a cup ofcoffee, and asks him two things: “Areyou putting up spec homes?”(“Noooo! I haven’t got that kind ofmoney and can’t get a loan!”) “Well,

Building-Products.com February 2014 The Merchant Magazine

from garage doors to insulation, to be installed by its cacheof trusty pros. To make a builder’s operation even easier, italso manufacturers trusses, interior doors, panels and fram-ing (which YBC also installs, both to ease contractors’headaches in dealing with subs and to boost its own mar-ketshare and revenue). The panel plant was launched sevenyears ago as “a synergy with the business we were alreadyin—a natural succession that’s helped us with our commer-cial business, too,” he says. “Turns out, 85% of our cus-tomers are our own contractors.” During the recent down-turn, when the daunting issue for home builders was bankfinancing, YBC expanded its panel operation to bolster itscommercial accounts, such as motel construction, driven bydemand by those involved in fracking for natural gas.

Even though the company has been pro-oriented sinceday one, that alignment is constantly strengthened. “Wecontinue to grow revenue by how we tweak it,” says Phil.“We sit down with the key players in the company. We lis-ten to our employees and ask a lot of questions.”

Those staffers—well over 300 of them—make up themoving parts of the employee-owned operation, whichmeans there are also over 300 on the management team.YBC was born of a leveraged buyout of a corporationdivesting itself of a number of building centers that werelosing money. “We used our pensions and 401/k funds asequity to buy stores in the Pennsylvania region in 1989 and

set up an ESOP structure. This literally puts the risk of run-ning a business into the hands of a whole pool of people.We moved our future retirement into a position of risk,because we then had to maintain and grow the business.Everyone realized that the risk associated with the returnwas a strong motive to learn and grow—so we taught peo-ple ‘This is how to run a business. Your retirement is basedon your performance.’”

Power to the people? He agrees: “Tremendous empow-erment! They hold the future in their own hands. We taughtpeople how to run the business, telling them, ‘Our businessis selling. Don’t get hung up on your industry; ours justhappens to be building materials. Selling is a function oftiming and plan. It might fall flat, but that’s not to say thatthat’s forever. Look again.’

“It’s a process of education. I tell people, ‘Not every-thing works. And if it doesn’t, stop. Try something else.But always understand your core business. The demandswill always be there—the lumber and drywall, the com-modities. But you can grow your peripherals—what yourcustomers, and their customers, are asking for.’”

“Change,” he understands, “is inevitable. You cannotbecome complacent: That’s what kills so many people. Thedifficulty, going into the future, will be to have resourcesand capital. People in our own group—a young group, intheir mid-40s—have only experienced the past 15 years.But I tell them, there’s a natural business cycle of four, fiveyears. The past was like a house of cards that hit a brickwall.”

Yet, YBC’s business was trammeled“only very lightly,” he adds. “In fact,we’re actually hiring salespeople.We’re constantly evaluating ourmarketing, updating our website”and already re-aligning some fea-tures in the new showroom to betterserve the customers. “We’realways looking for opportuni-ties, and will continue to grow.Risk,” he underscores, “comesfrom standing still.”

Carla [email protected]

BUILDERS HARDWARE can be displayed beautifully, too.

What’s in a Name?Shakespeare asked that very question, and so did the

owner-employees of then-fledgling YBC. Ideas were tossedout at those initial meetings. “Why not AAA—first in thephone book?” suggested someone.

Phil Skarada had other thoughts—thoughts that con-veyed the company’s reason for existence—and his market-ing acumen prevailed. “This is not our business, it’s the con-tractors’, the customers’. ‘This is your business,’ we’ll tellthem”—Your Building Centers. “We’re not external, some-place in North Carolina. We’re right here, and we’re notgoing anyplace.

“The first thing I did was change the dress code—removethe coats and ties in favor of casual dress. They were intimi-dating to one’s subordinates, and their job is just as impor-tant as my own, if not more so, because they’re the ones infront of the customers. My dad always told me, ‘You’re nobetter than anyone else.’”

The message stuck. “If people ask me, I say ‘I work forYBC.’ I don’t say ‘I’m the president.’ When they want to knowwhat I do there, I say, ‘Not much of anything. I’m an educa-tor.’” If later they learn he’s, um, the president (“You’re kid-ding me!”), he downplays his role. “The people I work withare very responsible and do their jobs. My function is to betheir tutor, their mentor. If an employee asks why we’re doinga certain thing, I take the time to explain why the decisionwas made, such as why Location A got a boom truck ratherthan Location B. I go over the volume of business each storewas doing, the usefulness of assets, the cost vs. the pay-back. And usually they respond, ‘I ’ve never heard itexplained that way before!’”

In making a choice between using accrued capital tojump-start the projected design showroom or to pay year-endbonuses, the bonuses won out and the project was pushedback for a year or two. Yet Phil wouldn’t have it any otherway. “It’s been a good ride,” he confirms with gusto.


• It gives us a clear sense, early, of ourchances of getting the business. Our cus-tomer’s attitude and response to our questionwill indicate our odds of success. For thebusy salesperson, knowing which businessto pursue is crucial. Asking for last lookgives us this insight immediately.

• It sets the tone. Too many sellers sendthe message, “Whatever you want, Mr. Bossof Me. I am here to serve you.” Asking forlast look sends the message, “I will do what-ever it takes to make you happy, and Iexpect to get the business.”

Sometimes I hear, “I talked to the cus-tomer last Friday and he said he was goingto give me the order. I called this morning,and he had already given the order to some-one else.” How did that happen and, more

importantly, how do we stop it? Customers often say, “Call me on Monday, and I’ll give

you the order,” or “You’re very competitive. We’re proba-bly going to go with you on this one.” Or “Call me Friday,and we’ll get together on this.”

Vague promises are anvils disguised as life preservers,and salespeople who grab onto them drown in frustration.

The Double PinWhen customers say they are going to buy from us, we

say, “Great! I’m looking forward to doing business withyou. So I can count on this order, right?” or “So I can tellmy wife I’ve got your business, right?” or “Thanks, John,so I can tell the boss we’re getting this business?”

And then, most importantly, weadd, “So when should I call you toget your order number?” We do notsay, “When should I call you” with-out adding “to get your order num-ber,” or we send a service only—not sales also—message.

Getting the order, right now,is best. We use firm offers, lastlooks, and the double pin whenthe best just isn’t good enough.

OLSEN On SalesBy James Olsen

James OlsenReality Sales Training

(503) 544-3572 [email protected]

AQUOTRON QUOTES and hopes, thenquotes and hopes some more. The

Quotron feels that the customer has all thepower. The customer is their master.

These sellers are frustrated by theirresults but don’t realize they are responsiblefor their relationships with customers.Quotrons merely serve their customers.Master sellers serve and sell their customers.

Setting (Emotional) BoundariesMy wife is a sweetheart with the patience

of Job, but early in our relationship I made a(I thought) jocular remark she found offen-sive. She let me know nicely, but very clear-ly, that certain kind of talk, even if you’rejoking, was not okay.

Customers need to know that not buyingfrom us is not okay. Most of our spouses have a little moreleverage to negotiate with us than we do with our cus-tomers, so what do we do?

Firm OffersThe customer asks if we can hold the shipment, or

change the tally, or lower the price, or anything. Many sell-ers respond, “Let me check” or “Yes.” This is being aQuotron. Questions from customers are not service oppor-tunities. They are service and sales opportunities.

We respond, “If I can do that, will you buy it from me?”Or “If I can do that, will you give me a firm offer on it?” Oroften, simply, “Can I have that firm?”

The beauty of the firm offer is we can use it whether weknow we can do what the customer is asking or not.

Asking for a firm offer from cagey, nervous, distrustfulcustomers even when we already know we can do what theyare asking is a great sales strategy. Many customers like tosee us sweat for the business; others love to negotiate. Thefirm offer scratches their itch and gets us the business.

Important note: Make sure to “double pin” all firmoffers by saying, “This is firm, right?”

Last LooksWe take down the customer’s specs. Right before we

hang up or walk out of the office, we say, “Hey, John, canyou give me ‘last look’ on this one?”

The weakness of the last look is that it appears to invitea counter. We must be careful not to sound needy when weask for it. The strengths of the last look are:

• We will get more business.

Firm offers, last looks,and the double pin

Building-Products.com February 2014 The Merchant Magazine


DEALER BriefsBMC is targeting this month for the opening of a second,

43,500-sq. ft. showroom/distribution yard in Colorado Springs,Co.

Parr Lumber is remodeling its door and window show-room in Aloha, Or.

Foothills Ace Hardware , Ahwatukee Foothills(Phoenix), Az., has closed after 10 years.

Owners Kevin and Lindy Cash continue to operate an Acein Globe, Az.

Barnes Ace will open its fifth Colorado Springs, Co.,branch by late May. The company is retrofitting an existing13,000-sq. ft. building.

Belgrade True Value Hardware, Belgrade, Mt.,installed a large, new sign out front.

Ace Hardware is building a 10,000-sq. ft. hardware andgarden center in Bremerton, Wa., with plans to open as soonas June.

Crown Ace Hardware will expand and remodel itsCorona del Mar, Ca., unit beginning March 1, taking over thestorefront next door.

Lowe’s opened a 94,000-sq. ft. replacement store with17,500-sq. ft. garden center Jan. 10 in Yakima, Wa.

Home Depot has acquired online window-coveringsretailer Blinds.com, Houston, Tx.

BuildDirect.com, Vancouver, B.C., raised $30 millionin Series B venture-capital funding.

Kenyon Noble Lumber & Hardware, Bozeman,Mt., was named Sponsor of the Year by the SouthwestMontana Building Industry Association.

Anniversaries: M.J. Murphy Inc., Carmel Valley, Ca.,110th … Bennett Lumber Products, Princeton, Id., 75th… South Coast Lumber Co., Brookings, Or., 35th …Rancho Wholesale Lumber, Chino, Ca., 15th …

SierraPine Sells Western Assets toFlakeboard, Closes Southern Mill

SierraPine, Roseville, Ca., has agreed to sell its com-posite panel operations in the West to Arauco subsidiaryFlakeboard America Ltd.

The sale, set to close in late February, includes particle-board mills in Springfield, Or., and Martell, Ca., and anMDF mill in Medford, Or.

SierraPine is not selling, but instead will shutter itsolder particleboard plant in Adel, Ga.

GPS Data Helps Solve Truck TheftOver the New Year holiday, a delivery truck loaded

with lumber was stolen from Parr Lumber, Marysville, Wa.After the lumber was removed, the empty truck wasreturned to the yard.

GPS data from the truck told police when the truck wastaken, where it went, how long it took to unload, and whenit was returned.

“It’s not the usual thing to steal a truckload of lumber,”said sergeant Jason Longoria, a member of the SnohomishCounty Auto Theft Task Force. He and other detectivesfollowed the data trail to a home on the Tulalip IndianReservation. Hidden beneath tarps was lumber with tell-tale markings, reportedly worth more than $10,000.

Detectives also found a Dodge pickup truck and a trailerthat had been reported stolen in a separate incident. The15-ft. trailer was full of other, suspected stolen property,including construction equipment, car parts, and householdappliances.

Paint Showroom Moves Inside Yard After The Paint Box, Prineville, Or., was seriously dam-

aged by a fire in December, the owners began looking for anew place to operate their business—and found it insidethe local lumberyard.

Blaine and Linda Jensen will now be selling paint andpainting supplies from Parr Lumber’s Prineville branch,maintaining The Paint Box name. Parr will add several ofThe Paint Box’s most popular products, including Pratt &Lambert paints.

“We are thrilled to expand our offering in paint andjoin forces with the Jensens,” said Parr yard managerTravis Garner. “Blaine and Linda have provided superiorservice to their customers for many years and are respectedthroughout the Prineville community.”


SUPPLIER BriefsSimpson Lumber Co. has

eliminated one of three shifts at Mill #5in Shelton, Wa., due to log prospects.

Northern Engineered WoodProducts indefinitely idled itsSmithers, B.C., particleboard andmelamine plant.

Hampton Affiliates, Portland,Or., anticipates restarting its BabineForest Products sawmill in BurnsLake, B.C., early this month.

The facility has been closed since adeadly explosion on Jan. 20, 2012.

Capital Lumber, Chino, Ca., isnow distributing LP SolidStart engi-neered wood products throughoutSouthern California, including LSL andLPI 450 and LPI 530 I-joists.

Jeld-Wen, Klamath Falls, Or., isshutting down its Dubuque, Ia., woodfiber production plant March 28, layingoff 52.

Parex USA, Anaheim, Ca., hasadded an 8,400-sq. ft. distribution cen-ter in San Diego, Ca., to stock LaHabrabrand stucco products and house acolor sample lab.

Fiberon will invest $3.8 millionover the next three years to expand itsmanufacturing facility in New London,N.C.

Milgard Windows & Doors,Tacoma, Wa., was honored for thethird time as one of the Achievers 50Most Engaged Workplaces in the U.S.Ingersoll Rand also made the list.

CertainTeed Gypsum, Tampa,Fl., was named the 2013 CommoditiesVendor of the Year by Do it BestCorp.

USG Corp.’s Auburn, Wa., man-ufacturing plant earned the prestigiousVoluntary Protection Program Star des-ignation from the Washington StateDepartment of Labor & Industries, rec-ognizing implementation of exemplarysafety and health programs.

Johns Manville, Denver, Co.,has redesigned its corporate website atwww.jm.com, incorporating responsivedesign.

A new law in California thatrequires owners who want to remodelolder homes to install high-efficiencytoilets and faucets—even if theremodeling project has nothing to dowith plumbing—may prove a boonfor or a blow to home improvementretailers.

Passed with little fanfare more thanfour years ago, the WaterConservation Act of 2009 came intoeffect January 1, 2014, mandating thatnew homes and pre-1994 houses to beremodeled must have low-flow toi-lets, showerheads, and faucets.Building permits will not be issued orprojects signed off by buildinginspectors unless non-compliantplumbing fixtures are replaced.

If not remodeled, all pre-1994homes must install the water-conserv-ing fixtures by 2017, and all commer-cial and apartment buildings must doso by 2019.

Retailers that sell fixtures couldsee sales rise. Conversely, overallremodeling projects could plummet ifthe new requirements discourage

homeowners from, say, adding a deckif they’ve also got to factor in the costof replacing all of their otherwise sat-isfactory toilets, faucets and shower-heads. Or, the law could drive home-owners to seek out unlicensed con-tractors to do the work or to try toperform the work, perhaps by them-selves, without obtaining the neces-sary permits.

There are some exceptions. Thelaw does not apply to repairs or rou-tine maintenance, such as painting,installing new roofing, siding, win-dows, furnaces, or water heaters, ortreating for termites or dry rot.

It may also not apply to upgradesthat aren’t physically connected to thehome, such as swimming pools, spas,retaining walls, fences, sheds, anddetached garages.

But since, at this point, the man-dates are a law and not a buildingcode, different jurisdictions may havedifferent interpretations and excep-tions. Retailers should become famil-iar with the varying requirements ofthe areas that they serve.

New Remodeling Law a Blessing or aCurse for California Retailers?

© 2014

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Guy Bennett Mill Restarting Bennett Lumber Products, Prince-

ton, Id., plans to reopen its GuyBennett Lumber mill at the Port ofWilma near Clarkston, Wa., whichhas been shuttered since 2009.

The facility is expected to restartthis spring, with one shift of 60 to 70workers.

V.p. Brett Bennett attributed thereopening to slow but steady return ofthe housing market and a lawsuit vic-tory by the Umatilla National Forest,which permits a large timber sale toproceed.

Fire Damages So. Cal. YardsAuthorities are investigating the

cause of a Jan. 2 blaze that damagedSB Lumber and HB Redwood inPacoima, Ca.

“It was disturbing because I didn’tknow the extent of the damage,” saidStan Zevikabrenner, owner of S.B.Lumber. “All the machinery is down,so we are paralyzed for a while, untilwe get the machinery back up.”

Battalion chief Steve Ruda said thefire was dangerous because of thepresence of high-tension wires thatwere damaged. “Some of those thatwere damaged by the heat and fell

and then energized the fence,” hesaid.

The fire originated in the outsidelumber storage area. However, theoffice and recordkeeping systemswere undamaged and no injuries werereported. Firefighters were monitoring“highly combustible sawdust” inside a70-ft. silo.

“Nobody’s hurt, and that’s thefirst thing,” said Zevikabrenner. “Itcould have been worse.”

Conifex Buying LignumIntegrated forest products company

Conifex Timber, Prince George, B.C.,has agreed to acquire distributorLignum Forest Products LLP,Vancouver, B.C., for $4 million.

Conifex c.e.o. Ken Shields said,“We believe that this transaction,including the retention of Lignum’sexperienced personnel, will furtheradvance our marketing and logisticscapability, while concurrently reduc-ing overall marketing costs. Weexpect to significantly extend ourmarket reach, particularly in theimproving U.S. market, throughenhanced access to complementarycustomers and product lines.”

The deal was expected to close by

Jan. 31.Hans Thur, Conifex senior v.p.,

will have oversight responsibility forLignum.

Utah’s Burton Goes SolarBurton Lumber, Salt Lake City,

Ut., has reduced its energy cost andcarbon footprint by transformingunused roof space into a solar farm.

According to co-owner JeffBurton, the company had been payinganywhere from $150,000 to $200,000a year for power. “When you look atyour energy costs and they’re so high,you wonder how you can move themthe other way,” he said.

It took more than 18 months toinstall 2,676 solar modules on the193,484-sq. ft. roof. The cost of thenew system was $2 million, which thecompany expects to pay off withinfour years.

So far, the only problem has beensnow, which has to be cleaned off thepanels so they can produce energy.

“When a lumberyard can actuallygive back to the environment, becausewe are kind of known as the guys cut-ting trees down, when we can giveback, that makes sense,” said Burton.


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“I just wanted to representMontana,” he said. “We have verydifferent dynamics on supply issuesthan other parts of the country. InMontana, you’ve got to get it (finishedlumber) to somewhere where there’s abig city. And most of our raw materialhas to come from federal land, whichis a big topic for Montana. Finally, wedon’t have any really big companies,like the other regions on the board. Allof ours are small to medium.”

The board has 19 members fromaround the nation, as well as aCanadian representative. It has a bud-get of between $18 million and $20million a year, depending on the stateof the lumber industry, which is usedto research and promote the nation’stimber industry.

Oregon Loses an AceKeizer Ace Hardware, Keizer, Or.,

closed at the end of January with theexpiration of its lease.

Owners Greg and Jan Frank willcontinue operating their store in WestSalem, Or. He took over the 42-year-old Keizer store (and became affiliatedwith Ace) in 2011 from his parents,who acquired the then-Coast to CoastHardware in 1979.

Alarm, Sprinklers Limit FireDamage at Ace Hardware

Grand Lake Ace Hardware,Piedmont, Ca., suffered about $20,000

in damage and closed for one day fol-lowing an early-morning electrical fireJan. 5.

The blaze started in a rear storagearea, triggering the store’s securitysystem. Its automatic sprinkler systemheld the fire in check until firefighterscould arrive.

Stoltze’s Roady Appointed toSoftwood Lumber Council

Chuck Roady, vice president ofF.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber,Columbia Falls, Mt., has beenappointed to a three-year term on theSoftwood Lumber Council.

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Stan Bell, president of Boise Cas-cade’s Building Materials Distri-bution business, Boise, Id., is retir-ing March 7 after 42 years with thecompany. He will be succeeded byNick Stokes, who has been namedexecutive v.p.-Building MaterialsDistribution. Veronica Martinez,ex-Weyerhaeuser, has joined thesales team in Lathrop, Ca.

David Niessner has joined WoodResources LLC, as general mgr. ofOmak Wood Products, Omak,Wa., the former Colville IndianPlywood & Veneer mill, which isexpected to resume producing soft-wood veneer by the end of summerand plywood by mid-2014.

Kerry Kenton has been promoted togeneral mgr. of ProBuild,Lakewood, Or.

Joe Espinola, ex-BlueLinx, hasjoined HPM Building Supply, inoutside sales to west Hawaii.

Eric Irwin, ex-Boise Cascade, is nowa sales and marketing rep forKruse Enterprises, Albuquerque,N.M.

Anthony Escobedo, yard supervisor,Taiga Building Products, Rocklin,Ca., has been promoted to sales.Gene Franks, ex-Weyerhaeuser, isnew to sales in Sanger, Ca.

Sheila Finkenbinder has joined theinside sales team at SpenardBuilders Supply, Sitka, Ak.

Mike Simington, ex-Murphy Co., hasbeen named Eugene, Or.-basedNorth American sales mgr. forGarnica Plywood.

Jayson Ballentine, ex-Interfor, hasjoined the sawmill managementteam at SDS Lumber, Bingen, Wa.

Thomas Hatch, ex-R&K Lumber &Truss, is a new truss designer forFoxworth-Galbraith Lumber,Gilbert, Az.

Les “L.J.” Howard, ex-WashingtonHardwoods, is new to businessdevelopment-commercial doorsand millwork at Honsador Lumber,Honolulu, Hi.

Ed Brown has rejoined Weyer-haeuser Distribution, buying andtrading lumber in SouthernCalifornia.

Stephanie Igo, ex-Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber, has joinedSierra Pacific Industries, as win-dow division account mgr. in SanDiego, Ca.

Mike Leonard has been promoted tostore mgr. at Home Depot,Colorado Springs, Co.

Tyler Cowhick is a new accountsales rep at James Hardie BuildingProducts, Denver, Co., coveringfrom Colorado Springs and FortCollins, Co., to Salt Lake City, Ut.

Luis Martinez, ex-Grupo Comex, isnow Albuquerque, N.M., regionalsales mgr. for UltraKote Products,Phoenix, Az.

Jerry Bishop is now mgr.-customerservice at Milgard Windows &Doors, Temecula, Ca.

James Fleming, ex-Masonite, hasbeen named v.p.-sales forKeystone Door & Building Supply,Sacramento, Ca.

John Lindekens has been appointednational accounts mgr. for RSIProfessional Cabinet Solutions,Mira Loma, Ca.

Mitchell B. Lewis, ex-Euramax, hasbeen appointed president, c.e.o.,and a director of BlueLinx,Atlanta, Ga. Roy Haley is nowchairman, succeeding HowardLewis, who remains on the board.

Karen Gowland was appointed to theboard of directors of BoiseCascade, Boise, Id.

Tom Knox has resigned as v.p.-retailbusiness development, training &supply for Ace Hardware Corp.,Oak Brook, Il., to become presi-dent and c.e.o. of Westlake AceHardware, Lenexa, Ks.

John Snider, v.p.-retail logistics, Doit Best Corp., is retiring June 30after 29 years with the co-op. Hewill be succeeded by v.p.-market-ing Tim Miller.

Jeff Dossett has been appointed chiefoperating officer for Porch.com,Seattle, Wa.

Patrick Bell has been named execu-tive v.p. of Conifex Timber, PrinceGeorge, B.C.

Jody L. Bilney was elected to theboard of Masonite InternationalCorp., Tampa, Fl.

Susan Hines, ex-Design-BuildInstitute of America, has joined theGypsum Association as assistantdirector-technical & promotionservices.

Jack Tupp is now maintaining thedelivery fleet at Mungus-FungusForest Products, Climax, Nv.,report co-owners Hugh Mungusand Freddy Fungus.

MOVERS & Shakers


THE PROMISING OUTLOOK throughout the lumber indus-try is particularly upbeat in the South, where many

markers are pointing to a hardy rebound. This, after lum-ber as an important regional economic driver has beenveering off-course for several years.

It’s hard for many in southern lumber to imagine eco-nomic health, given the depth of the downspin of recentyears. The collapse in housing starts between 2005 and2009 sank lumber prices to lows not seen since the 1930s,and the recovery has been painfully slow. But industryanalysts are now saying that a shortage of lumber supplyis likely to translate into sustained growth in demand andhigher prices for southern lumber producers and timberowners over the next five years.

The South isn’t alone in hearing upbeat forecasts.With the demand for lumber tied closely to recovery ofthe U.S. housing market, it is good news that most predicta continuing recovery of housing starts, perhapsapproaching 1.5 to 1.6 million units by 2015-2016.

Growing demand is also fueled by exports of timberand lumber to China, whose economy is expanding at acontinuous and stable rate. China’s surge in housingneeds has led to a jump in lumber and log exports to thecountry, with North American lumber exports to Chinasurging seventeen-fold to 3.5 billion bd. ft. since 2006.China plans to build 7 to 8 million housing units per yearover the next decade to accommodate the migration to thecities and to replace sub-standard units.

At the same time, global lumber and timber supply isconstrained. More than half the commercial pine inBritish Columbia, the largest lumber-producing Canadian

THINKING AheadBy Gary Vitale, President & C.e.o., North American Wholesale Lumber Association

province, has been lost to Canada’s worst pine beetleinfestation on record. The country’s output fell to 23.7billion bd. ft. in 2012 from a peak of almost 36 billion bd.ft. in 2004—a 35% decrease.

China has only a few alternatives to North Americafor softwood lumber and logs. Russia, New Zealand, andEurope are major suppliers, but they have limited capaci-ty to meet the Chinese demand. China has replaced theU.S. as Canada’s major lumber customer, and the U.S.has now joined Canada in large-scale shipments to Chinafrom ports in the Pacific Northwest. India may follow,and Japan has barely begun to rebuild from its earthquakeand tsunami disasters.

But the U.S. South is a long way from China and theFar East, and shipping is somewhat limited by thePanama Canal, the size of which currently restricts theuse of the largest, most efficient container ships and evenlarger ones to come. That’s about to change.

Panama has spent more than $5 billion to widen anddredge the Panama Canal to support a new class ofsupersized cargo ships—known as Post Panamax ships—that are more than twice as big as the traditional cargoshipping fleet. The expanded canal will be complete in2015. Products from the Southeast headed to Asia havemainly relied on the Ports of Los Angeles and LongBeach, after cross-country shipments via rail and truck.Soon, a much higher proportion of Asia-bound lumbercan go to East Coast and Gulf ports, than on to the FarEast using the enlarged Panama Canal.

Manufacturers in the South face fewer rigid policyconstraints and they have a large over-supply because of

Southern Comfort

Predictions of lumber recovery


several years of lower production. In 2013, lumber pro-duction in the U.S. South was recovering. Production wasnear 15 billion bd. ft., up from the low point in 2009 of11.6 billion bd. ft., but still far below the 19 billion bd. ft.of production seen in 2005. It’s predicted that lumberproduction in the South will rise to 21 billion bd. ft. orhigher by 2016.

Already, softwood sawmills in the South are amongthe most competitive, according to a survey spanning 32regions and countries. Since 2102, U.S.-based sawmillshave led all regions in financial earnings, mainly fromimproved demand, rising lumber prices, and low logcosts. And since 2008, sawmills in the U.S. South haveattained the highest earnings in the nation.

Mill profits are up, leading to capital expenditures thatwill increase lumber capacity in the South over the nextfew years. There are already signs of Southern strength,with new mills being built and the upgrading of mills insouthern states.

Remaining ChallengesSome in the southern timber industry say that they see

demand for forest products slowly increasing but fear thata workforce decimated by recession won’t be able tomeet the demand. The timber industry in the region hasbeen down so long that predicting an upturn seemsfoolhardy. Some in the sector are forecasting a slow-motion recovery.

Demand for timber products has not yet rebounded toprerecession levels, said Rick Holley, c.e.o. of PlumCreek Timber Co., Seattle, Wa., which owns muchsouthern timberland. “Recovery is on the way, but timberproducts still have a way to go to pre-recession levels.Nevertheless, we expect lumber production in the U.S.South to increase by 50% during the next three to fiveyears from present levels.”

Insiders ask if the workforce will be there to cut thatwood. The lingering forest products downturn paredalmost a third of the logging workforce. The downturnforced out marginal operations, leaving only the hardiestand best capitalized. One company executive wonderswhether loggers will return to the forests as the industryrecovers. “Some will, but the work is hard, does not paywell, requires a lot of capital and young people just don’twant to go into logging,” he said.

In addition, the workforce is “aging out” of theindustry, and loggers and mills wonder where they’ll findemployees to replace them. In one southern state,Arkansas, the average age of loggers is 55, about 10years older than the average in other regions (though thechallenge of an aging workforce goes beyond the South).The industry may see a lot of people leaving in the next10 years, and recruitment of a replacement workforce is

not strong. And that puts logging contractor capacity atthe top of the biggest challenges facing the mills.

Other obstacles:• Logging is capital-intensive, requiring investments

of $1 million to $1.5 million for what is now a largelymechanized endeavor. Now that the timber industryreally is poised to recover, companies may find producthard to come by.

• Lenders remain wary about providing money toyoung logging enterprises that are not well established.

• Logging, like almost any agricultural effort, is hardwork subject to the whims of weather. Wet weathercommon throughout the South typically shortens loggingtime to 42 weeks of the year or fewer.

NAWLA visits the Deep South for our 2014Leadership Summit, March 30-April 1. The Summit willfeature eight industry leaders who will speak on the out-looks and opportunities in the South and throughoutNorth America. For details on the Summit—at TheLodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain,Ga.—go to www.nawla.org.

As lumber demand improves, there is only oneregion—the U.S. South—that is in a position to signifi-cantly increase output to meet that growth in demand.

“In the South,” one lumber leader said, “trees growreally well because we have a fair amount of rain, goodsoils, and lots of warmth and light. Also, markets aregood and the regulatory environment at the state levelsupports the industry. This is where the growth is goingto be in the future.”

Certainly, most analysts agree that as the lumberindustry navigates the recovery, a primary route will bethrough Dixie.

A Special Series fromNorth AmericanWholesale Lumber Association


OZCO BUILDING PRODUCTS, Richardson, Tx., launched an 11-showweb series for contractors and d-i-yers about constructing decks, rail-ings, pergolas, and fences, called Building Breakthroughs and availableat www.buildingbreakthroughs.com.

Idaho Forest Group Upgrades Mill Idaho Forest Group is doubling the production capacity

of its Lewiston, Id., sawmill with the installation of newequipment.

The improvements include installation of a new FinnishHewSaw line, marking the facility’s largest upgrade sincethe late 1980s, according to president Scott Atkison. Themill’s 150-employee workforce will remain while the newmachinery is added.

IFG anticipates running its first logs through the newsystem in April.

Spokane Dealer Finds New Home To cut operating costs, South Regal Lumber, Spokane,

Wa., has sold its present location and will build a smallerstore and drive-through warehouse at a nearby location.

“I may or may not change the name, since we won’t beon South Regal Street,” said lumber manager Scott Case.“I just want people to know we’ll stay in business andremain committed to our Spokane customers.”

According to Case, the idea of letting drivers movethrough a warehouse is part of an “anti-big-box” approach.“We haven’t seen that in Spokane yet, but I believe we canmake it work here,” he said.

Measuring 30 ft. wide by 275 ft. long, the new ware-house would allow customers to give their orders as theydrive into the warehouse, then have the materials loaded byemployees into the vehicle as they drive out.

Brothers John and Harry Case own the business withtheir sister, Linda Patterson. It was started in 1949 by theirgrandfather, Cliff Case, as Lincoln Heights BuildingSupply. After a fire destroyed the first store, the businessmoved to its present site in 1972.

Most of the store’s inventory will be sold by the end ofMarch, with unsold merchandise going to the company’ssecond Spokane location, West Plains Building Supply.The site will then be redeveloped into a mixed-use retailcenter.


FAMILY BusinessBy Wayne Rivers

The hardest ofhard timesEVEN IN THESE challenging eco-

nomic times, the cycles of humanexistence push inexorably forward.The death of a family or closely heldbusiness leader may present the hard-est of all possible hard times.

We received a call from a dis-tressed second generation member ofa family business: “My father died afew months ago. He had spent timewith our accountants and attorneyspreparing wills and trusts, and heassured us he had it all taken care of.We took him at his word, but nowwe’re in a mess. None of the planningwork he did had to do with the suc-cessful continuation of the operationsof the business. He did good tax plan-ning, and the trusts he set up wereprobably a good idea, but we’re stucknow. We have no direction. Maybeworst of all, we have had no time togrieve for Dad because we are soimmersed in trying to understand and

was rampant. Things weren’t gettingdone, other things fell through thecracks, and there was low efficiencyand synergy. Because the companywas mature, everyone knew theirjobs, but in terms of the future needsof the business, they were at a stand-still. The “new” leadership group con-versed at length on every subject andhad dozens of ideas, but they had notraction for implementation—therewas a lack of leadership present.

Roles and responsibilities wereunclear because junior generationfamily members were unsure aboutwho should assume the duties of thedeceased partner. There was one divi-sion of the company that was hemor-rhaging money. The company’s con-troller was extremely ineffective. Acomputerization initiative begun sev-eral months prior was moving at asnail’s pace, with lots of pushbackfrom employees. The company had nobudgets and no cash planning. Therewere problems over pay: the seniorgeneration made twice as much as thejunior generation with no real consid-eration of why or how compensationmight be tied to performance orimproved with incentives.

To start, we conducted a thorough,objective analysis in order to ascertainthe nature and potential impact of theproblems and to develop an actionplan for correcting them. Once theaction plan was assembled, it wasnecessary to get buy-in from bothgenerations in order to set the righttone for the improvements and set theorder of priority.

The action plan contained about 75unique items. While working throughthe extensive plan, the company stillhad to fulfill day-to-day obligations,while attempting to assimilate change.

take over the business. Can you helpus?”

We, of course, offered assistance,and what we found was alarming.There were plenty of areas of con-cern. It occurred to us that it mightnot be the current circumstances thatkilled the business, but the nextunforeseen event could easily startthem on a death spiral.

There was a senior generationowner in his 70s still in the business,and there were three junior generationfamily members active. As might beexpected, there was quite a bit of def-erence to the senior generation whenit came to the future of the business,and that wasn’t necessarily a goodthing. The company basically had nodecision-making methodology at all.

The two partners had alwaysworked by consensus. Now that oneof them was gone, they were unclearabout what to do next and confusion


Many of the items on the action planwere sequential in nature. That is,item #46 couldn’t get completed untilitem #41 was put to bed.

It took about three years to fullyimplement the plan, and 95% of theitems on the list were gradually putinto place. Of the 75 action items, twostood out as being critically impor-tant. The first was that it was readilyapparent that the division that waslosing money rapidly ought to be shutdown, in spite of the fact that thatdivision supported one of the familymembers.

The other critical item was to pre-pare for the next transition. Since thefirst partner had passed and the sec-ond partner was in declining health, itwas obvious that someone needed tobe groomed and trained to assume theduties of the remaining senior partnerin order avoid a double whammy.

The results of the action-planningproject have been most encouraging.Seven years after that initial call, thecompany has been quite successful.Not one, but two, of the family mem-bers initially involved in the actionplanning project have passed away.Because of heightened awareness andcareful planning, there was an orderlysuccession and transition of their rolesand responsibilities to others in theorganization. The company has evenrelocated into a modern, efficientbuilding with plenty of room forfuture growth.

Does it take the death of a businessleader in order to focus the minds andhearts of family and closely held busi-ness operators in order to undertakeimprovement planning? Of coursenot. However, one must recognizethat the death of a business leader canbe a traumatic and even cripplingbusiness occurrence. The biggestweakness in transition planning todayremains the focus on estate planningand tax minimization instead of plan-ning for the future of business opera-tions. Every problem has in it the ker-nel of opportunity and possibility.Hard times, even the hardest of timesin the case of a death, might just pre-sent a chance at rejuvenation and rein-vention for closely held companies.

– Wayne Rivers is president of theFamily Business Institute, Raleigh, N.C.Reach him at [email protected] or (877) 326-2493.

Reprinted with permission of theFamily Business Institute. No portion ofthis article may be reproduced without itspermission.


NEW PARTNERSHIP with Seattle-based contractor finder will allow Lowe’s stores to refer cus-tomers to a wider range of home improvement services.

Lowe’s has forged a strategic part-nership with Porch.com, Seattle, Wa.,to connect homeowners with contrac-tors for work outside the chain’s cur-rent installation services, such aspainting, landscaping and general

handyman repairs.The service will start in 139 stores

in the metro Seattle area and theCarolinas, and eventually expandnationwide.

“Working with Porch is another

great example of how Lowe’s sup-ports our customers throughout everystep of the home improvement jour-ney,” said Jay Rebello, v.p.-new busi-ness development & corporate inno-vation at Lowe’s. “By partnering withPorch, Lowe’s can help our customersachieve their home improvementdreams by providing them with theconfidence of knowing who theirneighbors have used successfully, andbenefit our professional customers byproviding them greater opportunitiesto grow their businesses.”

Porch’s network includes morethan 1.5 million pros who have com-pleted more than 90 million projects.

If a Lowe’s customer needs a profor a service Lowe’s does not current-ly offer, employees can access thePorch network of pros on their mobiledevices and in-store terminals to iden-tify local providers. After the job iscomplete, the homeowner can simplyand quickly provide feedback aboutthe experience on Porch.com.

Additionally, Lowe’s pro cus-tomers across the nation have theopportunity to join the Porch networkfor free, giving them exposure toLowe’s consumers in need of specificservices to complete their home

Lowe’s Expands Contractor Services


improvement projects. A paid, premi-um pro membership is also availablefor greater access to local homeimprovement projects and trends.

WWPA Uproots after 80 YearsAfter more than 80 years in the

iconic Yeon Building at 522 S.W. 5thAve. in Portland, Or., the WesternWood Products Association relocatedits headquarters to a new address inthe city’s downtown core.

At the end of January, WWPAmoved to the new Crown PlazaBuilding (1500 SW 1st Ave., Suite870), which better matches the associ-ation’s long-term space requirements.Phone and fax numbers did notchange.

Roofing Growth Picks Up The U.S. roofing market is predict-

ed to grow 6.63% annually over thenext five years, according to a newTechNavio forecast.

Key factors contributing to thismarket growth are the devastationcaused by natural calamities and theadoption of TPO membranes. Onehindrance, however, may be the needto make specialized roofing solutionsaffordable.

The town got its start in 1884,when PALCO started logging opera-tions near Scotia and built an employ-ee bunkhouse for its loggers. When itsfirst sawmill opened three years later,a boarding house and 100 individualhouses were also built. In 1910, whenthe company’s second sawmillopened—billed as the world’s largestredwood mill—more homes, plushotels, were constructed.

Marathon has made neededimprovements, such as installing newinsulation on homes and a storm-drainage system to replace the oldwooden one. “We all understandthere’s more value in real estate if it’smore desirable and in better condi-tion,” said Daniel Pine, a Marathondirector who oversees the investment.

Now the town’s 1,000 residents(who generally rent their homes) arebeing offered the right to purchasethem outright. A 2010 analysis filedwith Humboldt County indicated thatMarathon expects the homes (mostlywood-frame buildings with redwoodfloors) to sell for $175,000 to$225,000. Other assets, such as thepower plant or the 22-room hotel,have already been sold or are on themarket.

Vacant Mill Goes Up in SmokePolice are investigating yet another

suspicious fire at Welco Lumber’sformer mill site in Marysville, Wa.

The latest blaze on Jan. 11 causedone building on the five-acre water-front complex to collapse. Authoritiestypically receive two to three calls ayear for small fires at the site,although the mill suffered major dam-age in a 2010 fire set by local teens.

The mill operated from 1987 to2007, producing cedar fencing anddimensional lumber.

PALCO Company Town for Sale The town of Scotia, Ca., a compa-

ny town formed by the former PacificLumber, is up for sale by MarathonAsset Management, a hedge fundgroup based in New York City.

In 2006, Marathon began lendingmillions of dollars to PALCO, which itsaw as underperforming, but salvage-able. Two years later, PALCO wasreorganized in bankruptcy to formHumboldt Redwood Co. The town ofScotia—including its 272 homes, twochurches, a hotel, and several com-mercial buildings—was turned over toMarathon, which also has an 18.5%stake in the restructured company.


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Global Trade of Softwood Lumberto Hit Five-Year High

With demand for lumber being in recovery mode in2013 for a number of countries, global trade of both lum-ber and logs was on track to reach their highest levels sincebefore the global financial crisis began in 2008, reports theWood Resource Quarterly. The biggest increases in over-seas lumber trade have been from Canada to China andfrom the Nordic countries to Japan.

Global trade of both logs and softwood lumber washigher in 2013 than it was in 2012, with both productsreaching their highest levels traded since before the globalfinancial crisis. The total value traded in 2013 was estimat-ed to exceed $50 billion (extrapolated from data for thefirst 10 months of the year), with almost two-thirds of thevalue being that of softwood products. Although shipmentsof logs have increased faster than shipments of lumber thepast five years, the total value of traded lumber is stillmore than double that of logs.

Softwood lumber is, by far the most commonly shippedwood product worldwide. The U.S. continues to be themajor destination for internationally traded lumber, withCanada currently supplying almost 96% of all imports tothe country. Lumber shipped by break-bulk vessels or bycontainer ships accounted for more than half of the totalvolume of lumber traded in the world in 2013. The largestoverseas trade flows were between Canada and Asia, fol-lowed by shipments from Sweden to the United Kingdomand Northern Africa.

The biggest changes in overseas lumber trade in 2013have been a continued increase in exports from the Nordiccountries to Asia (mainly Japan) and from North America(mainly Canada) to China, while there has been a declinein trade within Europe and in shipments from most supply-ing countries to Northern Africa. The unrest and uncertainpolitical situation in Egypt has left supplying sawmillssearching for alternative markets and many lumber compa-nies in Europe and Russia have found new opportunitiesfor increased sales in Asia over the past 12 months.

There has been an unprecedented increase in demandfor softwood lumber in Asia the past few years, with thethree major importing countries (Japan, China and SouthKorea) together importing more than twice as much lum-ber in 2013 as compared to five years ago.

With a strengthening lumber market in the U.S., WoodResource Quarterly expects Canadian sawmills in thewestern provinces to redirect some of their current ship-ments, which have been going to Asia, into the Americanmarket in 2014. As a consequence, opportunities could risefor European and Latin American lumber producers toexpand exportation to both Japan and China.

Deceuninck Adds Lamination Lines Deceuninck North America, Monroe, Oh., has added

three more PVC lineal lamination lines to meet growingdemand for a more color options.

“The demand for lamination tripled in the past year,”said Filip Geeraert, president and c.e.o. “Deceuninck’saddition of three new lamination lines reflects our commit-ment to meeting this demand for more customized colorsolutions that conform to design specifications, and helpbusinesses and homeowners give their space a signaturelook.”


Online retailer Clickstop, Urbana,Ia., has launched a new website offer-ing thousands of fastener products atbulk prices.

FastenersPlus.com was developedto target contractors, business owners,and consumers planning do-it-your-self and home repair projects, andalso offers customers flat-rate ship-ping every day.

Nikki Dudley, Clickstop’s v.p.-operations, said the development ofthe brand has been in the planningstage for several months, with muchof that time devoted to productresearch to ensure the merchandisemix satisfies the brand’s wide-rangingtarget market.

The website is organized by gener-al categories such as anchors, bolts,nuts, etc., with subcategories withineach group to make product selectioneasy. Category pages also includecontent with helpful product informa-tion to educate customers who mightnot know the differences betweensimilar merchandise.

“With over 20,000 products, wewant to make sure we’re offering the

right products, and that they are orga-nized into an easy-to-find, logical for-mat,” said Dudley. “We’re now look-ing ahead to broadening our selectioneven further, and adding other itemssuch as hand tools and accessories, aswell as more industrial and specialtyfasteners.”

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Nominees Sought for NextSoftwood Lumber Board

March 14 is the deadline for sub-mitting nominations to the SoftwoodLumber Board, which will hold elec-tions to fill seven seats for memberswhose terms expire on Dec. 31, 2014.

The 19-member board began in2011 and is overseen by the U.S.Department of Agriculture.

Composed of 19 members whoserve three-year terms, the groupmeets periodically to review market-ing and research activities thatencourage market growth and benefitthe industry.

Domestic manufacturers will fillfour seats representing large compa-nies: two in the West and two in theSouth region. Softwood lumberimporters will fill three seats: two rep-resenting the Canada West region(one large and one small company)and one small company representingthe Canada East region.

Eligible nominees must manufac-ture and ship within the U.S., orimport, at least 15 million bd. ft. ofsoftwood lumber annually. TheSecretary of Agriculture will appointnew members from the pool of candi-dates receiving the most votes.


MANAGEMENT TipsBy Bill Blades

Who’s responsible forboosting revenue?WHO HIRED THE v.p. of sales? And

who is responsible for investingin education for the v.p. of sales(investing brings a great ROI)? And,lastly, who is responsible for develop-ing and enhancing a culture of great-ness in the sales department? Theanswer to all of these questions is theperson who ultimately is responsiblefor sales success—the c.e.o.

So, I suggest that c.e.o.s see them-selves as the executive v.p. of salesand become more involved with boththe sales team and strategic clients.I’ve found that most c.e.o.s generallyget more involved with sales when

the sales ranks.• You should attend all or almost

all of your formal sales meetings,especially if sales skills are being pre-sented. You can skip, for time utiliza-tion purposes, portions that will notbenefit you, such as products trainingwhere you are already competent.When addressing the group, insertyour wants and needs with clearabsolutes.

• You should devote time in thefield and travel with, say, three or foursalespeople in a two- to four-daystretch at least once monthly.Depending on geography, you may be

revenue is stagnant or declining.That’s reactive versus being proactive.And not very astute. You should haveconstant communication about the sta-tus of and the future actions regardingboth struggling sales members andstrategic clients. This helps you toavoid a huge, common revenuekiller—drift.

If you buy into what you’ve readthus far, here are some suggestions forhaving a world-class sales team:

• The c.e.o. must obtain his ownmentor to invest into his own leader-ship and sales talent, especially if—asis common—(s)he did not rise through


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able to travel with two salespeople thesame day. Clients have a very favor-able view of a firm when a c.e.o. visitsthem. And he gets to know the sales-people better and learn more abouttheir concerns and clients’ needs andwants. Note: If you’re not very goodor great in sales, you should obtainmentoring prior to mentoring yoursalespeople.

These visits will enable you tospeak at sales meetings about whatyou learned and to advise the groupwhat you have or will do differently,what you’ve witnessed that you wantthem to improve upon, and you mayelect to lead a discussion to gain theirideas about your presentation. Takegood notes about all agreements madeand confirm them via email the fol-lowing day.

• Obtain a coach, both for your v.p.and for the group, who is great not justwith know-how, but is loaded withcreativity. You want a new ideas per-son who builds excitement, both inter-nally and externally. Industry experi-ence would be nice, but expertise isfar more important.

The Sales Team Do you have the best v.p. of sales

in the industry? If not, you have twochoices: (1) invest in a mentor to teachwhat true sales leadership is (mostdon’t know what they don’t know yet)or (2) hire slower and fire faster. Yourmentor/coach can help you with thedecision and then mentor the existingor new v.p. Mentoring the existingv.p. is my choice, but there are somewho should not be in the position.Most c.e.o.s know it, but often toleratemediocre results. More drift.

The coach then mentors the salesmanagers, followed by providing thesame service to the salespeople. About

50% of increased revenue will comefrom talent being increased by 50%.It’s a very simple equation. Usuallythe key is not just developing theirsales skills, but teaching them to thinkboth logically and creatively. Insteadof thinking creatively many willdevelop logical reasons for not doingthings in a new way. You cannotallow this type of thinking in a learn-ing culture.

Many v.p.s of sales do not have theability to coach. They were promotedor hired into a leadership role becausethey excelled with their sales perfor-mance. These two professions areentirely different. Once promoted, thec.e.o. is expecting the individual to gohit it, but what they receive is an abun-dance of “ride-alongs.” That’s all theyknow because that’s the way theywere trained. Let me suggest that youeliminate ride-alongs and replace themwith a concentration on strategicclients. These are the clients that:

• You want to land.• You wish to increase revenue.• You never want to lose.These are the clients that need spe-

cial attention from the c.e.o. and v.p.Think of the Super Bowl. The

Broncos and Seahawks have excelled

all year because of scouting, recruit-ing, development and continuous fine-tuning. Their general managers are ourc.e.o.s, the head coaches are our v.p.sof sales, and the players are our sales-people. And the crowds are ourclients. And it all starts with the gener-al manager’s direction. His title is notc.e.o., but he actually serves that roleby recruiting, selecting and settingexpectations for the head coach. Andthe head coach obtains the right assis-tant coaches for player development.Not just during pre-season training,but for the entire season—and, forsome, the entire year.

One person with a steadfast beliefis equal to a group of 100 who haveonly a casual interest. Be firm with thev.p. about thinking creatively aboutnew ways of doing things. EconomistJohn Kenneth Golbraith said, “Theconventional view serves to protect usfrom the painful job of thinking.”That’s why a knowledge leader isparamount. And that person is thec.e.o./executive v.p. of sales.

– Bill Blades, CMC, CPS, specializes ingrowing salespeople and revenue. He canbe reached at (443) 225-5110 [email protected].


Cypress summoned forFrank Lloyd Wright home

to use.”After working with the cypress,

Baker and his team grew to under-stand Wright’s enthusiasm for howthe wood looks and performs.“Cypress is readily available in vari-ous sizes and lengths, it mills easily,and accepts a variety of finishes,” heexplained. “It also is resistant toinsect infestation, which, of course, isvery important in Florida.”

Tom Sharrett, a woodworker atDemoss Cabinetry, Lakeland, Fl.,whose shop custom-milled 10,000 bd.ft. of cypress for the project, is anadvocate as well. “Cypress is an easywood to shape and sand,” he said.“We used it anywhere a finished

DESIGNED BY Frank Lloyd Wrightin 1939, the newly constructed

Usonian House at Florida SouthernCollege, Lakeland, Fl., highlights thefamed architect’s affinity forcypress—which was one of hisfavorite building materials.

The 1,700-sq. ft. residence waspart of a 20-building master plan thatWright developed for the college.

Originally designed as a modestfaculty residence, the new centershowcases displays related to his rela-tionship with the college. It also actsas a home for visiting exhibits on loanfrom other Wright sites.

Architect M. Jeffrey Baker ofMesick, Cohen, Wilson, Baker

Architects in Albany, N.Y., who over-saw construction, said Wright’s 75-year-old blueprints did not directlyspecify building materials, but hebelieves cypress was the only logicalwood choice for the project.

“The only finished wood Wrightused on the FSC campus wascypress,” Baker said. “He specifiedthe material in many projects through-out his lifetime, and it was a signaturetrademark of his Usonian homesthroughout the country. We simplyfollowed the materials and details heused in the other homes and acrossthe FSC campus, and applied them tothis project. Without question, cypresswas the historically accurate material

PRODUCT SpotlightSouthern Cypress

USONIAN HOUSE, newly constructed at Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Fl., showcases Frank Lloyd Wright’s affinity for cypress and other locallysourced materials, such as handmade bricks and other natural materials. (Photos by Michael Maguire, www.buildingtheusonianhouse.com)


wood product was required, includingall of the interior ceilings, plankwalls, built-in cabinets, tables, bench-es, trim, and even light fixtures. Theexterior features cypress soffit andfascia, window and door frames, per-golas, and doors.”

Wright envisioned the Usonianstyle at the height of the GreatDepression as a way to construct sim-ple, affordable homes for Americanfamilies, by emphasizing the use oflocally sourced wood, brick, and othernatural materials. Although 60Wright-designed Usonian homes canbe found across the U.S., the new oneat FSC is the first example of this par-ticular home plan to be built.

“When we constructed the UsonianHouse, we expected it to be remem-bered for the exquisite use ofWright’s signature ‘textile’ blocks,which are indeed remarkable,” Bakersaid, “but we were unprepared for thewarmth the cypress added to the feel-ing of the spaces. We have noticedthat when people comment on thebeauty of the house, they never fail tomention the cypress.”

The FSC campus has the largestconcentration of Wright-designedbuildings in the world, including the

CYPRESS is heavily featured in the interiors, used anywhere a finished wood product was required,including all interior ceilings, plank walls, built-in cabinets, light fixtures, and furniture.

please visit the Southern CypressManufacturers Association’s websiteat www.cypressinfo.org.

new Usonian House and 12 other pro-jects that were completed during hislifetime.

For more information on cypress,


EWP Software SolutionsLP Building Products has released Solutions 5.0,

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Standard features include a PACCAR MX-13 enginewith up to 500 horsepower and 1,850 lb.-ft. of torque,as well as a stiffer chassis for improved maneuverabil-ity, ride and handling.

Its resilient Metton hood absorbs impacts that canshatter or crack other materials.

PETERBILT.COM(800) 473-8372


Nailer for ProsSenco’s new FramePro nailer weighs just 7.9 lbs.

and measures less than 12” tall.A low-profile design makes it easy to maneuver

between wall studs and floor joists. The tool can driveoffset round-head and clipped-head paper tape fasten-ers ranging from 2” to 3-1/4” long into any substrate,including engineered wood products.

SENCO.COM(513) 388-2000

Decking for the Good LifeNext month, Fiberon will introduce it’s newest line

of wood-alternative decking, Good Life.The wood-plastic composite decking is three-sided,

offers natural-looking beauty and low maintenance,and is resistant to mold, mildew, staining and fading.

Boards are sold in 12’, 16’, and 20’ grooved and20’ square-edged lengths, with a flat wood grain.Colors include Cabin (brown), Cottage (gray), andVilla (cedar). Matching fascia and lighting accessoriesare also available.

FIBERONDECKING.COM(206) 290-4431


REEL1321 N. Kraemer Blvd. (Box 879), Anaheim, Ca. 92806

Fax 714-630-3190(714) 632-1988 • (800) 675-REEL

3518 Chicago Ave., Riverside, Ca. 92507(951) 781-0564

www.reellumber.com

LUMBERSERVICE

At Reel Lumber Service, we supplydomestic and foreign hardwoods.Our products and services include:• Hardwood Lumber & Pine• Hardwood Plywood & Veneers• Melamine Plywood• Hardwood Moulding (alder, cherry,

mahogany, MDF, maple, red oak, paintgrade, pecan hickory, white oak, walnut,beech)• Milling (moulding profiles, S2S, SLR1E,

SLR2E, & resawn lumber)• Woodworking Accessories (appliques,

ornaments, butcher blocks, corbels, etc.)• Woodworking Supplies (deft finishes,

color putty, adhesives, etc.)

Our products are widely used in interior finish carpentry, furniture, cabinetry and hundreds of industrial andmanufacturing applications. We stock acomplete line of complementary productsto complete virtually any woodworking or millwork project.

WholesaleIndustrial Lumber

More Composite Paver OptionsAZEK has added three new products to its line of

composite pavers, which are made with recycled tiresand added plastics.

The new 8”x8” standard paver can be combinedwith smaller 4”x8” and 4”x4” pavers to increate visualinterest. A resurfacing bullnose paver provides a fin-ished perimeter edge, while a resurfacing transitionpaver has a slanted edge for improved transitions fromthe paver height to the level of the ground, substruc-ture or walkway.

Both the 8”x8” and bullnose pavers are available infive colors: redwood, boardwalk, village, olive andwaterwheel. The transition paver comes in redwood.

AZEK.COM(800) 275-2935

Transformative RailingsTransform is Railing Dynamics’ first railing sys-

tem with a resin-based core with no wood fiber orwood flour.

The product has the look, weight and feel of realwood. An acrylic finish adds a painted, wood-likelook, superior pigment retention, and resistance toweathering.

Customers can choose from four colors, two balus-ter types, and three top rails.

RDIRAIL.COM(877) 420-7245


Spray-On FlashingW.R. Meadows’ Air-Shield

liquid flashing and detailingmembrane bonds to most con-struction materials, including alu-minum, brick, concrete, wood,vinyl, and exterior gypsumboard.

The gun-grade product can beused to seal rough openings anddetail joints between gypsumboard, and for window and doorflashing applications.

WRMEADOWS.COM(847) 214-2100

Compact RotaryHammer

Milwaukee Tool’s new rotaryhammer is compact to reducefatigue and increase user com-fort.

The cordless M18 measures12” long and weighs only 5.5 lbs.

It can drill more than 100 1-1/2” holes in poured concrete percharge.

MILWAUKEETOOLS.COM(800) 729-3878

ContempraryKitchen Faucet

Danze’s Antioch kitchenfaucet has a sleek, contemporarylook.

The pull-out faucet has a 7”high spout, a maximum flow rateof 2.2 gallons per minute, andmeets low-lead requirements ofCalifornia and Vermont.

Three finishes are available:chrome, stainless steel, and tum-bled bronze.

DANZE.COM(888) 328-2383

Paver TreatmentPaver Enhancer from Chem-

Masters is a penetrating, water-based treatment for architecturaland interlocking paving blocks.

The low-VOC treatment canbe used three ways: by itself (fordeep, rich color development anda matte finish), for extra protec-tion over water repellents, andbefore applying a glossy sealerfor color development and gloss.

CHEMMASTERS.NET(800) 486-7866


The turn-key approachto lumber protection

Mycostat is the preferred product forthe production and delivery of 5 bil-lion bd. ft. of mold-free lumber.

Diacon, which has dual headquar-ters in Vancouver, Wa., andRichmond, B.C., also developed aspraying system that ensuresMycostat is properly applied. NamedDiaplex, the lineal and transversespray systems are constructed of high

AT DIACON TECHNOLOGIES, thefocus has always been on the sci-

ence of lumber protection—in fact,that’s the company’s motto. However,Diacon is also interested in how infor-mation technology can strengthen thisfocus.

“Yesterday, Diacon was workinghard to maintain the value of yourlumber by preventing mold growth,”

says Konrad Tittler, managing direc-tor of sales and marketing at Diacon.“Today, and into the future, we arefocusing on adding value to your lum-ber.”

Since the early 1990s, DiaconTechnologies has supplied NorthAmerican mills with Mycostat lumbercoatings that protect against mold,iron stain, and checking. Each year,

COMPANY ProfileDiacon Technologies

SMARTFLOW COMPUTER SYSTEM provides consistent, reliable feedback from the Diaplex Spray System, alerting mill managers if anything is wrong. All photos courtesy Diacon


quality stainless steel. Using the mostadvanced technology, the spray sys-tem is both reliable and easy to use.

“Our customers include the mostsophisticated and environmentallyresponsible lumber manufacturers inthe world,” says Tittler, “We start bylistening to our customers’ needs,then offer the components that allowthem to enhance the look of their lum-ber, safely and cost-effectively.”

In the past, he says, a mill bought adrum of chemical and “we neverheard from them again—unless therewas a problem. We decided tobecome proactive, instead of waitingfor a problem, by developing closerelationships with our customers. TheDiacon Service program is unique andunequaled in industry today andincludes what is now the industrystandard, the Diacon Retention pro-gram. We visit the mill, look at thesituation, and collect samples of treat-ed wood to test in our labs. Our cus-tomers love the idea of being able tomeasure the amount of Mycostat ontheir lumber and correlating that toprotection time.”

In addition to the Diacon Mycostatand Service programs, Diacon devel-oped turn-key programs tailored to anindividual producer’s needs.

“We’re the only company in theindustry to do this,” says Tittler. “Wedesign, build, install and maintain theprogram, with the goal of making cus-tomers’ lumber look more attractiveand retain its fresh-cut appearance.Customers can opt for the total turn-key solution, or choose only thoseoptions that best fit their operation. ”

MYCOSTAT customers treat more than 5 million bd. ft. of green and kiln-dried lumber each year.

A key component of this turn-keyapproach is Diacon’s Smartflow com-puter control and measurement sys-tem—introduced in 2008—whichprovides real-time feedback on theperformance of the Diaplex spray sys-tem. The software is updated andrefined on a regular basis, to provideconsistent and reliable feedback onthe coating process.

“We developed Smartflow toensure everything works exactly as itshould, 24/7,” Tittler says. “The sys-tem monitors the whole process andautomatically alerts mill managersand other key personnel if anything isnot right. The turn-key approachallows us to deliver the most completemold-prevention program in NorthAmerica.”

According to Tittler, the companyhas always operated with its cus-tomers’ best interests in mind, espe-cially when it develops and introducesinnovations.

“When a mill is producing 1,000bd. ft. every half minute, it doesn’ttake much for something to dowrong,” he says. “It’s so easy to mis-treat, ship the material out, and thenhave mold and stain claims. If you’renot applying chemicals properly,you’re not protecting the wood prop-erly.”

Future innovations, says Tittler,will include value-added products thatare designed to change a regular 2x4lumber commodity into a 2x4 lumberspecialty product. “These projects arenew and exciting to the lumber indus-try,” he adds. “No one has done any-thing like this before.”


TREATERS WITH INTEGRITY, TAKING CARE OF TOMORROW’S NEEDS TODAY

ACQ ACQPreserve • BoratesD-Blaze® Interior Fire Retardant

Heat Treating ISPM 15 Compliant • Custom DryingRail Served BNSF • TPI Third Party Inspected

FSC Certified SCS-COC-002513

909-350-121415500 Valencia Ave. (Box 1070), Fontana, CA 92335

Fax 909-350-9623 • email – [email protected]

A coalition of U.S. plywood manu-facturers has appealed the U.S. Courtof International Trade’s ruling thatdismissed their trade case againstChinese hardwood plywood.

The coalition originally filed suit inlate 2012, alleging that Chinese importsare sold in the U.S. at prices below

shorter amount of time to get newproducts from the development phaseinto production more reliably.

“The most fascinating thing for mewith this new machine will be helpingus to make the link between the verysmall scale accelerated testing we doin the lab and what is actually happen-ing in the field,” Ideker said.

He added, “We see this as a waythat a start-up company in Oregon thatmaybe doesn’t have the resources likethis (machine), they can come to usand say, ‘Hey, we’ve built this newmaterial that we want to test out in thechamber and see the results.’”

World Stays on Green PathGreen building material sales are

forecast to grow 12.5% annually from$106.32 billion in 2012 to $234.77 bil-lion by 2019, according to a new studyby Transparency Market Research.

Key application segments analyzedin this study include framing, insula-tion, roofing, exterior siding, interiorfinishing, and other applications ofgreen building materials.

The largest green product segmentis insulation, a mature yet still-grow-ing category. Roofing is second, butshould fall, based on the expected riseof framing, exterior siding, and interi-or finishing products.

North America dominated the glob-al market for green building materialsin 2012, consuming more than 35% byvolume, followed by Europe with32%. The biggest growth is expectedin Asia Pacific.

cost and are subsidized by the govern-ment of China. After more than a yearof investigation, on Nov. 5, 2013, theU.S. International Trade Commissionunanimously dismissed the suit.

An appellate ruling from the U.S.court system is expected to take 18 to24 months.

U.S. Producers Appeals Chinese Plywood Ruling

New Chamber IntensifiesTesting of Building Materials

Oregon State University hasinstalled a new environmental cham-ber to test how building materials holdup under various conditions.

One of just three in the world—asecond is in Germany and the third atthe U.S. Forest Products Research Labin Madison, Wi.—the new chamber ishoused in OSU’s Green BuildingMaterials Laboratory in Corvallis, Or.

A typical environmental chamber

used in the industry consists of a sin-gle box that tests one type of environ-ment at a time, in a process known asaccelerated aging. The state-of-the-artchamber at OSU is capable of con-ducting several tests at the same time.

“Single environment chambers arevery common, but the ability to simul-taneously test materials like this, iswhat makes it really unique,” said labco-director Jason Ideker.

OSU’s new chamber offers thecapacity to deconstruct this barrier in a

Send us your news!Promote your recent expansion, new

hires, product introductions, or other com-pany changes on the news pages of thenext issue of The Merchant Magazine.Email to [email protected].


ASSOCIATION UpdateWest Coast Lumber & Building

Material Association will host itsannual Southern California golf tour-nament April 10 at Black Gold GolfClub, Yorba Linda, Ca.

Western Building Material Asso-ciation drafted Willamette Universitycoach Mark Speckman to keynote its111th annual convention Feb. 12-14 atTulalip Resort, Marysville, Wa.

Also scheduled are Rick Davis’“Beat the Price Objection” sales work-shop, remodeling insights by CraigWebb, Duane Knapp on building abrand, and the supplier networking/product showcase.

Mountain States Lumber &Building Material Dealers Associa-tion has adopted “Things Are TakingOff” as the theme for its reformattedsingle-day Products Expo March 14 atthe Crowne Plaza Denver Internation-al Airport/J.Q. Hammons ConventionCenter, Denver, Co.

MSLBMDA’s Colorado Councilgets rolling with its annual bowlingtourney March 9 at Arapahoe BowlingCenter, Greenwood Village, Co.

North American WholesaleLumber Association welcomed RickEkstein, Weston Forest Products,Mississauga, Ont., as its new chairmanduring its recent mid-winter meeting.

Other new officers are 1st vicechair Scott Elston, Forest City TradingGroup, Portland, Or.; 2nd vice chair-man Jim McGinnis, McGinnis LumberCo., Meridian, Ms.; secretary/treasurerJohn Stockhausen, Snavely ForestProducts, Pittsburgh, Pa.; immediatepast chair Mike Phillips, HamptonLumber Sales, Portland, Or., and pres-ident/c.e.o. Gary Vitale.

New to the board are Russ Hobbs,Plum Creek, Columbia Falls, Mt.; RobLatham, Tri-State Forest Products,Springfield, Oh.; Dan Semsak, PacificWoodtech, Burlington, Wa.; BethanyWest, Capital Lumber, Healdsburg,Ca., and Donna Whitaker, Interfor,Baxley, Ga.

NAWLA’s University of IndustrialDistribution is set for March 9-14 atJW Marriott, Indianapolis, In.

National Lumber & BuildingMaterial Dealers Association hasreleased its national legislative andregulatory policy agenda for 2014,identifying dealers’ common interests

and translating them into policy goalsto revitalize the construction industry.

“Our industry was hit hard by therecession, but our members haverebounded with lessons about whatneeds to be done to set the housingindustry on the path to economicgrowth. We need policymakers tofocus on eliminating unnecessary reg-ulatory burdens, creating sound fiscalpolicies, and reforming our tax code ina way that will aid the economicrecovery,” said NLBMDA chair ChrisYenrick, Smith Phillips BuildingSupply, Winston-Salem, N.C. “Theagenda outlines what our vital smallbusinesses need to boost employmentand get our country back on track.”

Focused on advancing pro-growthpolicies that will strengthen smallbusinesses, the agenda offers theindustry’s positions on housing/con-struction policy, tax/economic policy,legal reform/consumer protection,workforce policy, energy policy, high-way safety, product supply/trade, andthe environment, health and safety.

The agenda will be distributed tomembers of Congress and key Admi-nistration officials, and will be used byNLBMDA members when they visittheir members of Congress during thegroup’s legislative conference March31-April 2 in Washington, D.C.

North American Building Mate-rial Distribution Association wel-comed its new president, Don F.Schalk, C.H. Briggs Co., succeedingMichael Darby, Capital Lumber.

They are joined on the board bypresident-elect Rick Turk, MetroHardwoods; v.p. Bill Sauter, OHAR-CO; treasurer Wayne Moriarty,Atlantic Plywood, and directors JamieBarnes, McKillican International; KenHager, Amerhart; Ray Prozzillo,A&M Supply; David Sullivan, MeyerDecorative Services; Mark Carlisle,M.L. Campbell; Jim Jacquemard, C.A.Technologies; Jeff Muller, PanolamIndustries; Dan Pickett, Knape &Vogt; Greg Simon, Far EastAmerican, and Todd Vogelsinger,Columbia Forest Products.

International Wood ProductsAssociation’s annual convention isMarch 5-7 in St. Petersburg, Fl.

Speakers include investment strate-gist Scott Clemons, Brunswick Corp.chief Dusty McCoy, and CongressmanSteve Southerland.


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HUMBOLDT HOO-HOO Club hosted its annu-al crab feed Jan. 16 in Eureka, Ca. [1] TomMiller, Mike Beckley, Arnie George. [2]Veronica Stevens, George Hammond. [3] RichGiacone, Gil Sissons, Denis Stack. [4] CharlesNichols, Daryl Bond. [5] Gary Gamble, CarolOwens. [6] Margaret Campbell, Sam Meranda.

Nicholson, Larry Bollinger, John Pasqualetto,Dan Kepon. [15] Laurie Levin, ErikaMcNamara. [16] Dave Lamarre, Julie Boro.[17] Frank Kams, Doug Willis, Joel Hamel. [18]Neal Ewald, Bil l Highsmith. [19] JohnAnderson, Dennis Thibeault. [20] John Gilfillan.

(More photos on next page)

[7] Louis Goselin, Sue & Bill Scott. [8] DannyAndrea, Rick Deen. [9] Michael Wood, PeterStuart, Allen Knieper. [10] Mike Carey, TonyCarpenter, Mark Borghesani. [11] DennisAnderson, Ken Carter, Phil Guardia. [12] JeanHenning, Mike Vinum, Annie Montey. [13] JenClark, David Hopkins, Becky Gray. [14] Mike


MORE CRAB FEED (continued from previouspage) in Eureka, Ca.: [1] Josh Dean, BillSullivan, John Murphy. [2] Dan Gilbert, TimMasterson, Gary Alto. [3] Julie & BrianMartella. [4] Dean Kerstetter, Jerry Kelley,Adam Steinbuck. [5] Jan & Edgar Massoletti.[6] David Jones, Angela Robershotte. [7]

Mike Cameron, Lee Iorg, Carter Welch. [14]Ken Dunham. [15] Bob Maurer, Rod Kautz.[16] Michael & Pamela Harley, Tom Bacon.[17] Jim Russell, Russ Britt. [18] Terry Ricci,Ray Barbee. [19] Rich Graham, Tom VonMoos.

Tanka Chase, Stacey Jones. [8] GeorgeAlberson, Jesse Crosswhite, JamesCrosswhite. [9] Bob Figas, Troy Turner, KevinHenley. [10] Kelly Lusa, Alan Oakes. [11] RonBorges, Kay Johnson, Mike Renner, ClaudiaLima. [12] Frank Schmidbauer, Bruce Burton,Doug Reed. [13] Blake Ridgway, Zach Marino,

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IN Memoriam

Mark Thomas Moothart, 86, for-mer chief financial officer for treaterNiedermeyer-Martin Co., Portland,Or., died Dec. 23.

After serving in the U.S. Army anda brief stint at Georgia Pacific,Olympia, Wa., he joined Nieder-meyer-Martin in 1951. He wouldserve as office manager, director andgeneral manager of subsidiary PacificWood Treating, before retiring asc.f.o. in 1987.

Wayne Kamps, 72, former PacificNorthwest hardware executive, diedJan. 10.

He entered the hardware businessin 1985, as regional hardware mer-chandising manager for Cotter & Co.,serving 80 True Value Hardwarestores in the Northwest. In his firstyear, he was inducted into the compa-

ny’s Presidents Club. In 1989, hejoined Jensen-Byrd, Spokane, Wa., astraining manager for five westernstates, retiring in 1992.

Ronald Lee Worden, 76, co-founder and owner of High DesertHardwood, Eagle, Id., died Dec. 27 inBoise, Id.

He worked in the lumber industryfirst in Oregon, before relocating toBoise in 1985. He opened his owncompany with his wife, Margaret, in1993.

James Robinson Peck, 72, retiredco-owner of Peck Building Materials,Florence, Or., died Dec. 26.

He served in the U.S. Navy duringthe early 1960s. After graduatingfrom California State University,Hayward, in 1968, he went to work

for Hubbard & Johnson Lumber Co.In 1972, he relocated to Eugene, Or.,and joined Willamette Valley Co.

He operated Peck BuildingMaterials with his wife, Karen, from1978 until retiring.

Jane E. Brown, 62, former lumbersalesperson with Boise Cascade’sTimber and Wood Products division,Portland, Or., died Dec. 23 after a 22-year battle with multiple sclerosis.

Michael Jay Simspon, 56, formersupervisor with A&Y BuildingSupply, Provo, Ut., died Jan. 20 inSpringville, Ut.

Edwin B. “Ed” Boettcher, 93,30+-year lumber grader for Zip OLogs, Eugene, Or., died Jan. 5.


DATE BookListings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify

dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend.

Western Building Material Assn. – Feb. 12-14, annual convention,Tulalip Resort, Marysville, Wa.; (888) 551-9262; www.wbma.org.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – Feb. 19, meeting, San DimasGolf Course, San Dimas, Ca.; (760) 324-0842; hoohoo117.org.

Western Wood Preservers Institute – Feb. 20-21, winter meeting,Embassy Suites Downtown, Portland, Or.; (360) 693-9958;www.wwpinstitute.org.

Oregon Logging Conference – Feb. 20-22, Lane County Fair-grounds, Eugene, Or.; www.oregonloggingconference.com.

True Value Co. – Feb. 22-24, market, Georgia World CongressCenter, Atlanta, Ga.; (773) 695-5171; truevaluecompany.com.

National Roofing Contractors Assn. – Feb. 24-25, convention,Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nv.; (847) 299-9070; www.nrca.net.

Roof Coatings Manufacturers – Feb. 24-25, annual meeting,Marriott, Las Vegas, Nv.; (202) 591-2452; www.roofcoatings.org.

Ace Hardware Corp. – Feb. 24-26, market, George R. Brown Con-vention Center, Houston, Tx.; (630) 990-7662; acehardware.com.

Progressive Affiliated Lumbermen Co-op – Feb. 25-26, buyersshow, Kissimmee, Fl.; (800) 748-8900; www.pal-coop.com.

WoodWorks – Feb. 26, Wood Solutions Fair, Long Beach, Ca.;(866) 966-3448; www.woodworks.org.

International Roofing Expo – Feb. 26-28, Mandalay Bay, LasVegas, Nv.; (800) 684-5761; www.theroofingexpo.com.

Orgill Inc. – Feb. 27-March 1, market, Orange County ConventionCenter, Orlando, Fl.; (800) 347-2860; www.orgill.com.

National Wooden Pallet & Container Assn. – Feb. 28-March 1,leadership conference & expo, Harbor Beach Marriott Resort,Fort Lauderdale, Fl.; (703) 519-4720; www.palletcentral.com.

Colorado Springs Home & Landscape Expo – Feb. 28-March 2,Norris-Penrose Event Center, Colorado Springs, Co.; (800) 374-6463; www.homeshowcenter.com.

Western Wood Products Association – March 2-4, annual meet-ing, Embassy Suites Downtown, Portland, Or.; (503) 224-3930;wwpa.org.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – March 4,regional meeting, Embassy Suites Downtown, Portland, Or.;(800) 527-8258; www.nawla.org.

Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo Club – March 4, meeting, Seattle, Wa.;(253) 531-1834.

West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association – March 4,2nd Growth meeting, Buena Park, Ca.; (800) 266-4344;www.lumberassociation.org.

Lumbermens Merchandising Corp. – March 5-6, annual meeting,Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Fl.; (610) 293-7049;www.lmc.net.

International Wood Products Association – March 5-7, annualconvention, Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Course, St.Petersburg, Fl.; (703) 820-6696; www.iwpawood.org.

National Frame Building Association – March 5-7, frame buildingexpo, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Nashville,Tn.; (800) 557-6957; www.nfba.org.

American Fence Association – March 6-8 , FenceTech/DeckTech,Mandalay Bay Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; (800) 822-4342;www.americanfenceassociation.com.

Tacoma Remodeling Expo – March 7-9, Greater Tacoma TradeCenter, Tacoma, Wa.; (800) 374-6463; homeshowcenter.com.

San Jose Home Show – March 8-9, San Jose Convention Center,San Jose, Ca.; (888) 433-3976; www.acshomeshow.com.

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Assn. –March 9, bowling tournament, Arapahoe Bowling Center,Greenwood Village, Co.; (800) 365-0919; www.mslbmda.org.

Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association – March 9-12, Springconvention & leadership conference, Hyatt Regency CoconutPoint, Bonita Springs, Fl.; (703) 264-1690; www.kcma.org.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – March 9-14,University of Industrial Distribution, JW Marriott, Indianapolis, In.;(800) 527-8258; www.nawla.org.

Budma 2014 – March 11-14, international construction fair, Poznan,Poland; (317) 293-0406.

Greenprints – March 12-13, conference & show, Georgia TechResearch Institute Conference Center, Atlanta, Ga.; (404) 872-3549; www.greenprints.org.

Pacific Northwest Association of Rail Shippers – March 12-13,conference, Portland, Or.; pnrailshippers.com.

Redwood Region Logging Conference – March 13-15, RedwoodEmpire Fairgrounds, Ukiah, Ca.; (707) 443-4091; www.rrlc.net.

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material DealersAssociation – March 14, products expo, Crowne Plaza DenverInternational Airport/JQ Hammons Convention Center, Denver,Co.; (800) 365-0919; www.mslbmda.org.

Inland Empire Home Show – March 14-15, Ontario Center,Ontario, Ca.; (888) 433-3976; www.acshomeshow.com.

International Home & Housewares Show – March 15-18, McCor-mick Place, Chicago, Il.; (847) 292-4200; www.housewares.org.

Panel & Engineered Lumber Conference & Expo – March 20-21,CNN Hotel, Atlanta, Ga.; (334) 834-1170; www.pelice-expo.com.

Window & Door Manufacturers Association – March 31-April 2,spring meeting & legislative conference, Hyatt Regency,Arlington, Va.; (800) 223-2301; www.wdma.com.

C&E LUMBER COMPANY1 1/2” to 12”Diameter in Stock.

SPECIAL QUOTES


ADVERTISERS IndexFor more information on advertisers, call them

directly or visit their websites [in brackets].

Allweather Wood [www.allweatherwood.com] ............................21

BlueTarp [www.bluetarp.com].......................................................38

Boise Cascade [www.bcewp.com]..................................................4

BW Creative Wood [www.bwcreativewood.com] .......................13

California Redwood Co., The [californiaredwoodco.com]..........27

C&E Lumber Co. [www.lodgepolepine.com] ...............................53

Capital [www.capital-lumber.com]................................................20

Collins [www.collinswood.com] ...........................................Cover I

Fasco America [www.fascoamerica.com]....................................30

Fontana Wholesale Lumber [fontanawholesalelumber.com].....48

Genova [www.genovationsdeck.com]..........................................31

Huff Lumber Co. .............................................................................37

Humboldt Redwood [www.getredwood.com] ..............................21

Inteplast Group [www.tufboards.com] ................................Cover II

Jones Wholesale Lumber [www.joneswholesale.com] ..............34

Keller Lumber .................................................................................48

Manke Lumber Co. [www.mankelumber.com].............................36

Matthews Marking Products [www.matthewsmarking.com] ......26

Mendocino Forest Products [www.mfp.com] ..............................21

NewTechWood [www.newtechwood.com].....................................5

Norman Distribution Inc. [www.normandist.com].......................39

North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. [www.nawla.org] .......3

NyloBoard [www.nyloboard.com]...................................................7

Osmose [www.osmosewood.com].....................................Cover IV

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance [plmins.com] .....33

Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com].................................23

Reel Lumber Service [www.reellumber.com] ..............................44

Roseburg Forest Products [www.roseburg.com] .......................19

Royal Pacific ...................................................................................43

Screw Products [www.screw-products.com] ..............................41

Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com].................25, 45, 47, 49

Sure Drive USA [www.suredrive.com]..........................................35

Swanson Group Sales Co. [www.swansongroupinc.com].........17

Thunderbolt Wood Treating [thunderboltwoodtreating.com] ....22

TigerDeck [www.tigerdeck.com] ...................................................18

Universal Forest Products [www.ufpedge.com] ...............Cover III

Western Forest Products [www.westernforest.com] ..................24

Western Red Cedar Lumber Association [www.wrcla.org] ........24

IDEA FileShow Time

It’s not unusual for hardware stores to offerunique items and services tailored to the local commu-nity. But a Florida dealer takes it further, by acting asthe ticket office of the town’s small theater.

“We’ve attended performances for at least 10 yearsor so,” says Larry Tonjes, owner of Cliff’s True ValueHardware, Lake Wales, Fl. “About five years ago, westarted acting as the weekday box office of the LakeWales Little Theater.”

The theater presents a full season: three adult plays,two for kids, and one for teens, with evening perfor-mances on Friday and Saturday, and a matinee onSunday.

However, the theater has no budget for a websiteand is only open on weekends right before perfor-mances. Also, everyone connected with the theater is avolunteer—including the actors—so finding someoneto operate a ticket booth at the theater, or in town, wasa hit or miss affair.

“Before, people had to call the theater and someonehad to call them back,” recounts Ray Bower, who vol-unteers as the theater’s treasurer and groundskeeper.“With Cliff’s, someone is there to answer the phone,six days a week.”

Playgoers can also stroll into the hardware store,study the seating chart, and pay (cash only) forreserved seats or season passes. Customers who wan-der into the store looking for something else notice thetheater posters in the store’s windows and ask ques-tions. If not, staff members bring up the subject.

“We get a lot of ‘snowbirds’ in the winter,” saysLarry, “so we mention the theater to see if they’reinterested.”

Several years ago, since the first performances typi-cally have the least attendance—as everyone waits forword-of-mouth-reviews—Larry and his familyencouraged the local senior facility to attend then, andthe tradition has continued.

“It fills up the seats and gets things going,” he says.“Most important, it’s a fun event for the seniors andkeeps them part of the community.”

Not surprisingly, performing such a valuable com-munity service does have real benefits. “Most peoplebuy something when they’re in the store to reserve orpick up theater tickets,” comments Larry. “The rela-tionship brings in customers who’ve never been in thestore before, so it does increase business.”


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Merchant feb 2014