Generation: Recruitment 28 The Role of Online Training in LBM 34 … · 2019-09-24 · The Role of...

Generation: Recruitment 28

The Role of Online Trainingin LBM 34

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2 WWW.NRLA.ORGSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 LUMBER CO-OPERATOR

CONTENTS September/October 2019 | Volume 103, Number 5

DEPARTMENTS

Lumber Co-operator Mission Statement:Lumber Co-operator is committed to broadening awareness of critical issues shap-ing the lumber and building material industry. We promise to equip our readers with the necessary tools to compete in an ever-changing business environment.

Contact the Lumber Co-operator at 800-292-6752 or 518-286-1010.

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64 14 18

74

TAKING STOCK 6 News & Views Rita Ferris

8 From the Publisher Crista Leigh Wunsch

10 From the NRLA Chair Rod Wiles

12 From the NYLE President Fran Estey

WOODSHED 14 Industry News

TOOL BOX 64 Finance Mike Ferraro

66 Marketing Mike Petrocelli

68 Insurance Matters Brittany Emerson

70 National Perspective Kevin McKenney

72 Product Trends Rita Melkonian

MILLING ABOUT 74 State & Local Happenings

SOURCE 92 Associate Members

94 Ad Index/Classifieds

END CAP 96 John Brill Comes “Home” to Visit

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CONTENTS

Periodicals postage paid at Rensselaer, N.Y. and additional mailing offices. Copyright ©2019 by the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association, Inc. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission. Lumber Co-operator (ISSN-0024-7294) is published seven times a year by NRLA Enterprises, Inc., 585 North Greenbush Road, Rensselaer, N.Y. 12144-9453. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Lumber Co-operator, 585 North Greenbush Road, Rensselaer, N.Y. 12144-9453 or email [email protected].

Lumber Co-operator - Editorial Advisory Board

FEATURESLUMBER CO-OPERATOR

Greg Branecky, Miner’s Inc., Canton, Conn.Tom Glauber, Sherwood Lumber Corp., Islandia, N.Y.Lee Slomkowski, Kamco Supply Corp. of New England, Wallingford, Conn.

If you would like more information on how to become part of the Lumber Co-operator’s Editorial Advisory Board, contact Crista Leigh Wunsch at 518-880-6386 or [email protected].

28 32

TRAINING & RECRUITING26 WELCOMING NRLA CHAIR: LORRAINE MINER, MINER’S, INC.

28 GENERATION: RECRUITMENT Crista Leigh Wunsch

32 THINK MY GENERATION IS TOUGH TO RECRUIT? Here’s how to do it—from a Gen Z Julianna Rauf

34 THE ROLE OF ONLINE TRAINING IN LBM Robert Brooks

38 FINDING TALENTED PEOPLE FOR YOUR LBM BUSINESS DOESN’T HAVE TO BE SO HARD Tom Ford

40 3 COSTLY MISTAKES TO AVOID IN A TIGHT LABOR MARKET Dan Braiman

42 HIRING IS AN EMOTIONAL EXERCISE 4 Tips for Selecting the Best Candidate Jeremy Eskenazi

44 5 REASONS TO HIRE FOR SKILL OVER EXPERIENCE John Carrozza

46 TAPPING INTO ONE OF OUR GREATEST ASSETS TO FIND QUALITY PEOPLE Jack Leary

48 TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Mark Altman

50 HARDLINES & HARDWARE PRODUCT SHOWCASE

STAFFEXECUTIVE

Rita Ferris • [email protected]

Maria Lynch • [email protected] assistant

Tony Leone • [email protected] manager

COMMUNICATIONS & PRCrista Leigh Wunsch • [email protected]

director

Melissa Stankovich • [email protected] director

CONVENTION & MEETINGS Donna Berger • [email protected]

manager

Julianna Rauf • [email protected]

EDUCATIONErin O’Connor • [email protected]

director

Pamela McHale • [email protected]

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION Marthanne Gershman • [email protected]

director

Sarah Svensson • [email protected] assistant

LEGISLATIVE & REGULATORY AFFAIRSKirk Ives • [email protected]

director

Lauren Patterson • [email protected]

MEMBER PROGRAMSSarah Svensson • [email protected]

member programs coordinator/facility manager

MEMBER SERVICES Steve Ciccone • [email protected]

regional director

Anne Cunic • [email protected] director

Dave Gluck • [email protected] director

Philip Jagiela • [email protected] director

Tammy Wandler-Ginexi • [email protected] director

Adriana Favreau • [email protected] coordinator

Melissa Frissora • [email protected] coordinator

ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP & PARTNERSHIPS

Jim Reynolds • [email protected]


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TAKING STOCK | News & Views

Rita Ferris, NRLA President

This has been a year of change for me on a personal and professional level. On a personal level, two of my three sons have gone to college, and I have just one more year left with my youngest at home, which I will cherish. I already miss the constant cooking, the mess around the house, the loud mu-sic playing, our driveway filled with cars, and groups of ener-getic friends stopping by at almost any hour. There are parts of this change I don’t want, and I am uncomfortable because my role in the family is changing. But the truth is, this change will bring so many more positive things to the world than if things had just stayed the same. This is something to behold and celebrate. So why am I talking about this? Our industry is changing, and I see various reactions from our membership to these circumstances. Some members are proactive and are ag-gressively seeking to make change, in the form of mergers, acquisitions, and sales. Others feel that things aren’t going to change much, so they just keep doing what they have always done. Most of our membership falls somewhere in between. NRLA is being impacted by all the same challenges you are. Mergers, acquisitions, and fewer employees impact every-thing we do, which is uncomfortable. That is why this summer your Executive Committee and Board of Directors created a strategic plan for the next three years.

The plan is summarized in these two goals: 1. Identify acquisitions or partnership opportunities that

generate growth and enhance and expand our offerings.2. Enhance the NRLA brand and value proposition to engage

multiple member segments and generate expanded inter-est in services.

To achieve these goals, in the next year, NRLA is: • Replacing all our technology to gain efficiencies and pro-

vide members with a better experience.• Promoting our partnership with Conifer Hills, which will

provide strategic advisory services to our members.• Partnering with a company to provide you with compre-

hensive HR support and compliance tools 24 hours a day. • Bringing our drug testing program online to provide

you with 24-hour access to all the tools you need to stay compliant.

• Developing comprehensive education management ser-vices (including on site) for large retail companies.

• Creating original, industry-specific online education need-ed by retailers.

• Educating you on how to manage the issues associated with marijuana use.

• Continuing our increased investments in the LBM Expo, while exploring new partnerships to engage additional levels of employees at our retail companies.

• Identifying and impacting gubernatorial races that are business friendly.

• Identifying additional certified safety professionals and researching state grants to increase regulatory support for members.

• Investigating the expansion of NRLA’s legislative services to other entities.

• Longer term, positioning the Lumber and Building Materi-al Dealers Foundation to be your one-stop shop for work-force development needs.

The NRLA is changing the way we support you and your busi-ness. So, I encourage you to love what you have while you have it, because nothing is permanent. And many times, when you trade out what is comfortable, you receive something much more valuable.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you,

WHOEVER SAID THE ONLY THING CONSTANT IS CHANGE, REALLY SUMMED IT UP


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TAKING STOCK | From the Publisher

Crista Leigh Wunsch, Director of Communications & Public Relations

I am a Millennial.

There are seminars and articles and podcasts and entire doc-

umentaries dedicated to my generation that are full of statis-

tics and theories regarding our mannerisms, characteristics,

futures, and mindsets. While Generation X was recruited for

jobs during their senior year of college and Baby Boomers

were able to enter the workforce with a high school diploma,

the Millennials graduated from college just as the term “Great

Recession” entered common vocabulary.

Suddenly we realized that the jobs in certain industries where

our parents and colleagues thrived were no longer viable op-

tions with everything from sales companies to broadcasting

powerhouses shuttering and laying off its workforce by the

millions. With student loan debt and a shortage of profession-

al jobs, Millennials boomeranged back to our parents’ base-

ments and accepted mailroom positions for minimum wage

in a feeble attempt to become productive members of soci-

ety. Over a decade later and so many are still paying off those

debts and working in industries that have nothing to do with

their field of study. That shiny post-grad life that was promised

by college counselors in informational sessions ended up not

being a reality.

We were sold the American Dream by way of pieces of paper.

What we didn’t know was that there were so many opportuni-

ties in the world of trades where we could have excelled.

I hail from a long line of blue-collar workers—mostly in the

transportation and labor industries—including my husband

(who is also a Millennial). One difference between him and

me: My husband entered a trade school after graduating from

high school and became immediately employed. He would

receive dozens of calls each week from recruiters in his indus-

try begging him to work for companies that just could not fill

jobs due to an aging workforce, lack of skilled labor, and stig-

ma against working in a non-office setting. For nearly 20 years,

he has been gainfully employed in a recession-proof industry

while out-earning his peers with college degrees by twofold

(or more) and—perhaps most important—he is happy in a line

of work where he can count on the ability to support his family.

It is no secret that recruiting and training are difficult in to-

day’s booming job market where there are more open posi-

tions than bodies to fill them, but trades often find themselves

at a heightened disadvantage simply due to the nature of the

work, or perhaps the methods used in gathering new blood.

It is my hope that this issue of the Lumber Co-operator will

help our members gain valuable insight on recruiting, train-

ing, and how to continue to grow this amazing industry.

Thank you for having me on board. I look forward to serving

you in my newly appointed position of director of communi-

cations & public relations and publisher of the Lumber Co-op-

erator. My door is always open.

Sincerely,

Crista Leigh Wunsch (R) with her husband Donald (C ) and their 3- year old daughter Willow Rose (L ).


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TAKING STOCK | From the NRLA Chair

EXTRA EFFORT

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just that little extra.”

— Jimmy Johnson

Every spring it seems that we look forward to the joys of summer with increasing anticipation. Summer

makes us feel more alive somehow—healthier—and more eager to enjoy the added opportunities for

outdoor living and recreation: backyard barbecues, camping, hiking, fishing, gardening, ball games,

and family vacations, to name a few.

As I write this article, we have just enjoyed a stretch of exceptional summer weather, and while I am

not a fan of the heat, I do appreciate the warm days, quiet evenings, and general optimism that come

with summer. I’m sure that those who experienced a very slow start to the building season, thanks

to an exceptionally cold and rainy spring, have also welcomed this warming trend and subsequent

uptick in business. The actual degree of change that we experienced from late spring to now may,

in reality, not have been that dramatic, but it was enough to convert “dreary” into “delightful”.

When I considered this, I was reminded of a motivational video that I saw a few years ago entitled 212 o

– The Extra Degree. This inspiring video illustrated how a change of just one degree can make an ex-

ponential difference in the outcome. “At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with

boiling water comes steam. And steam can power a locomotive. Just one extra degree can make all the

difference. And, the one extra degree of effort in business and in life, separates the good from the great.”

With that in mind, I am even more appreciative of the amount of effort and energy it takes for a tree

or a plant to finally bear fruit. During the darker months when everything is dormant and it seems

that nothing is happening, life still lurks below the surface, storing up energy and waiting for the right

conditions to break through. And with one extra push, the tender shoot sees the light of day, and the

bud begins to flower.

It seems to me that summer, with all its hope and promise, is the perfect time to challenge ourselves

just a bit, to step out of our comfort zones and try something new—to “turn up the heat” even if it is

only by 1 degree! You may discover strengths that you never knew you had and potential that was just

waiting for the right circumstances to emerge.

As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If you can’t fly, then run; if you can’t run, then walk; if you can’t

walk, then crawl; but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” No matter the challenges.


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TAKING STOCK | From the NYLE President

Fran Estey, NYLE Presidentr.k. MILES, Inc.

With summer having come and gone in the blink of an eye, I hope that everyone got a chance to get

away and relax with family and friends.

As I reflect on the events that have transpired so far this year, it seems very apparent that almost ev-

erything, in one way or another, revolves around change and trying to evolve our businesses to suit

the needs of our customers and employees. As the industry’s customer base and workforce evolve

and grow younger, numerous challenges and opportunities arise.

We as an industry need to recognize our need to evolve with these changes, or we will be left

in the dust.

Over the past year, I have been working through many of the same challenges that you all face daily:

laying out and executing a new showroom, finding and training new staff to help replace an aging

workforce, and identifying our customers’ ever-changing needs to allow us to support and grow

with them. The experience that I have gained in my 18 years of being in the industry certainly helps,

but I still find myself thinking about how we can do things differently in a way that allows us to “sell”

ourselves and our company to both customers and employees.

My point is that this is something that each one of us and our companies face. Something

that I truly believe has helped me with this are the relationships and perspectives I have gained

through my involvement with NYLE, going to countless educational and networking events

and serving in multiple roles on the board. It has been a large commitment for myself as well as

for r.k. Miles, but I don’t know any other means of gaining as much knowledge and experience

in a short period of time. I’m sure you or someone in your organization could benefit from many

of these same experiences. I encourage you to reach out and to look at what NYLE is about and what

we have to offer.

In closing, NYLE has its upcoming Timber Tour at the end of September, which is always a great

event! We will be visiting Washington and Oregon with an exciting lineup of stops and manufactur-

ers. I look forward to reporting on those events in the next article.


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WOODSHED | Industry News

Heister House Millworks

Here We Grow AgainNRLA Welcomes New Retail Members

NRLA would like to issue a warm wel-come to new retail member Alton Home and Lumber Center. Located on Main Street in Alton, N.H., Alton Home and Lumber is a family-owned business that carries a vast array of products, including lumber, hardware, paint, and pet and livestock supplies along with seasonal specialties such as mulches, soil, dock hardware, and wood pellets. Pictured in the photo is Owner Reuben Wentworth with Store Manager Alicia Housel.

Fassett Lane Lumber, a 40-year old business under new ownership, is located in Wellsville, N.Y. Fassett Lane Lumber held its grand opening May 2–4. Dan Peters and Butch Calcote pur-chased Fassett Lane Lumber in the Spring of this year from owner/investor, Peder Hancher who began the business in 1979. Dan began with the company in 1981 and ultimately becoming general manager while Butch started in 1995 to become

buyer and operations manager. Both have been the lifeblood of the organization having run the business for decades. At the same time that they purchased the business, a brand new 11,000 sq.-ft. retail building was on display for the grand opening. Fassett Lane Building and Home Center serves DIYers and contractors in the Western New York market with proud new owners Dan and Butch at the helm!

EBMDA Chair Neal Fruman with National Lumber, extends a hearty welcome to Heister House Millworks in Mount Pleas-ant Mills, Pa. “We’re thrilled to have you as part of the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association and cannot wait to get to know you. We want to make sure you take full advantages of all the member-ship benefits available,” states Fruman. Heister House Millworks is a premier local manufacturer of high-quality wood moldings, millwork, and hardwood floor-ing products. The company was founded in July of 1988 when owners, Brad Lauver and Lorne Nipple, decided to merge their independent woodworking businesses into one operation. In its infancy, the company supplied wood mouldings to many of the local manufactured housing companies in the Susquehanna Valley.

In April 2017, Lorne Nipple became the majority owner of the business following Brad Lauver’s retirement. Heister House’s main office located in Mt. Pleasant Mills features one of the most unique and comprehensive millwork showrooms on the East Coast. Homeown-ers from far and wide have utilized our showroom for design ideas and inspi-ration in selecting its mouldings, doors, hardwood flooring, and custom millwork. Each of our showroom vignettes feature its own architectural detail and wood-working and collectively offer hundreds of style, design and wood options. Susan Worner, office manager, explains, “We believe the NRLA will be a beneficial tool to help us with training in various areas of our company, fine tune our job descriptions since they are industry related, and be a good resource concerning our employee compensation package to make sure we are in line for our industry. Also, the savings on the credit card merchant fees basically pays for the yearly dues.” Jeff Hunt, general manager-COO added, “We look forward to a long and beneficial relationship with the NRLA.”

Fassett Lane Lumber

Alton Home and Lumber Center Koppers Introduces a

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Koppers Introduces a New Fire Retardant Treated Wood!

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For more information call 1-800-585-5161 or visit kopperspc.com or icc-es.org, ESR Report 4244.

** Available at Koppers Performance Chemicals Inc. Attn: Consumer Affairs, P.O. Drawer O, Grif� n, Georgia 30224-0249 or visit www.kopperspc.com

* For details refer to ESR-4244.

• FlamePRO Fire Retardant pressure treated wood products, as described in the ICC Evaluation Services, Inc. ESR-4244, meet all major model building code requirements.

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Orgill, Inc. Announces Plans to Grow Distribution NetworkIndependent hardlines distributor Orgill, Inc., will be expanding its network of distribution facilities with the addition of a 780,000-square-foot distribution center in Rome, N.Y. The new facility will be Orgill’s eighth full-service distribution center, in addition to locations currently operating in Tifton, Ga.; Inwood, W. Va.; Sikeston, Mo.; Hurricane, Utah; Kilgore, Texas; Post Falls, Idaho; and London, Ontario. “We are excited to announce this expansion to our distribution network and look forward to the enhanced effi-ciencies this will create for our customers as we move forward,” said Ron Beal, Orgill’s chairman and CEO. The primary reason for the addition of the new facility is to provide faster and more efficient service to Orgill’s growing customer base in the Northeast. The new facility will service customers in seven states, including New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. These customers are currently served out of the Orgill distribution center in West Virginia, but the addition of the new facility will streamline the delivery process. “As we continue to see our custom-er base expand, we are committed to making the investments that will deliver better, more efficient service to them both now and well into the future,” said Boyden Moore, president of Orgill. “This announced distribution expan-sion is a perfect example of that commit-ment in action.” Orgill plans for the facility to be fully operational by early 2022.

Professional Flooring Supply Successfully Goes Live on K8Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) announced that Professional Flooring Supply (PFS) has successfully implemented K8. Through effective project partnership, detailed planning, and in-depth training, PFS becomes another key partner to KCS in the United States. K8 is a fully integrated enterprise software system that includes financials, BI, WMS, and CRM, making it the complete ERP package. The system includes sales order processing, purchase order control, inventory management, integrated accounting, business intelligence, CRM, e-commerce solutions, warehouse management, dispatch and delivery, tool and equipment rental, and much more. K8 is available either on-premises or in Kerridge’s K-Cloud. PFS’s footprint covers Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. Deploying K8 with Web Builder is a vital component in support of the company’s expansion goal of 30 branch locations by 2020. “K8 enables Professional Flooring Supply to extend their business by improving efficiency, reducing overall IT cost, and enhancing their already robust E-commerce model,” said Greg Grady, vice president of sales and marketing for KCS in North America. “The Lee family operates an extremely well-managed, forward-thinking business, and everyone at KCS is thrilled to be a part of that family.” For more information on Professional Flooring Supply, visit www.professionalflooring.com, or Kerridge Commercial Systems, visit www.kerridgecsna.com.

Boral Expands Accessories Lineup for Versetta Stone Panelized Stone SidingBoral Building Products is adding several new products and colors to its accessories system for the Versetta Stone family of stone siding panels, which the company said, “provides the beauty and texture of authentic stone masonry without the added skill and time required for installation.” Together, Versetta Stone accessories make it simple to create a fully finished look without extra hassle or wasted time—every component works as a system and is made with the same premium materials and in coordinating styles, colors, and textures. New introductions to the line include starter strips in charcoal, receptacle boxes in stone grey and charcoal, and product-specific screws.


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Kuiken Brothers Opening in Newark’s East WardKuiken Brothers, one of the state’s leading suppliers of quality residential and commercial building materials, is working on final site preparation at the company’s new distribution center in Newark’s East Ward.



Hancock Lumber has officially broken ground at the future home of their tenth lumberyard and kitchen design showroom in Saco, Maine. The newest location will be Hancock’s fifteenth overall, adding to its existing network of lumberyards + kitchen design showrooms, eastern white pine sawmills, truss and wall panel manufacturing facilities, and home office.

Hancock Lumber Celebrates York County Expansion with Saco Groundbreaking Ceremony

Grand Opening For Builders First Source LocationThe small building supply store in Halfmoon, N.Y. has been quietly doing business for nearly a year, but with its official grand opening last week the staff is ready to make some noise with local homeowners.

Tony and Lorraine Shepley Awarded Joshua A. Nickerson Society AwardIn partnership with the Cape Cod Foundation, the Joshua A. Nickerson Society Award was presented to Tony & Lorraine Shepley of Shepley Wood Products for their community support and philanthropy over the past 40 years.

Andersen Windows Recognizes Shepley Wood Products with First Annual Dealer Community Service AwardAndersen Windows has awarded its first annual Dealer Community Service Award to Shepley Wood Products. The Dealer Community Service Award honors an authorized Andersen dealer for significant contributions to their community through volunteerism, philanthropy and innovation.

Expansion Into Connecticut The National Lumber Family of Companies has expanded its presence in New England with the opening of its ninth lumberyard location in East Hartford, Connecticut. Overseen by General Manager Mark Lefsyk, many of the employees have worked at this location under other owners in the past. Their experience with providing building materials in the area is helping us make a smoother transition into this new location.

First State Bans Pre-Employment Marijuana Testing On January 1, 2020, Nevada will become the first state to ban pre-employment marijuana testing. Learn more about the details and what could be coming to other states at www.natlawreview.com.


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PVC Column Wraps in Sand DuneRoyal Building Products announced the addition of the first color to its line of PVC Royal Column Wraps. Sand Dune is a neutral-beige tone and is available in Tra-ditional, Craftsman, and Contractor styles. In addition to Sand Dune, the column wraps are available in a ready-to-install white finish that can be painted with vinyl-safe paint to complement a home’s exterior color palette. Made from cellular PVC, Royal’s column wraps are resistant to moisture, preventing issues found in traditional wood columns such as warping, rotting, and insect damage. To ensure the columns are protected during the installation process, the product is wrapped in a protective film that can be removed after installation.Backed by a limited 25-year warranty, Royal’s column wraps are available in four widths to fit around 4x4, 6x6, 8x8, and 12x12 structural posts, and two standard lengths—8’6” and 10’. Royal has also added a new 12’ length, available in 6x6, 8x8, and 12x12 column wrap sizes, that is available in white in all styles. These 100% cellular PVC column wraps feature a unique “clam shell” design with three pre-assembled sides that surround the existing post for a seamless appearance. The fourth side is applied to enclose the entire column.

Cedar Renditions by Royal Design Series Aluminum Siding to the U.S. MarketRoyal Building Products’ Cedar Rendi-tions by Royal Design Series premium aluminum siding is now available in the United States, having previously been only available in Canada. Cedar Renditions’ streamlined, modern aesthetic offers endless design possibilities for architects, designers, and remodelers of residential and light commercial projects. Cedar Renditions is available in a 6” profile in three traditional woodgrain colors: amberwood, charwood, and cedar bark, and two premium colors: timberline and riverwood. Each premium color has three distinct shades—dark, medium, and light—achieving a realistic and natu-ral variegated plank look once installed. Cedar Renditions offers several benefits:

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Celect Canvas Cellular SidingRoyal Building Products has launched Celect Canvas Cellular Siding, an unpainted version of its industry-leading cellular composite siding. Celect Canvas features the same woodgrain aesthetics and low-maintenance benefits of the prefinished cellular siding offering, plus the ability to customize the color using thousands of exterior vinyl-safe paint shades that fall within the recommended light reflectance (LRV) rating of 50 and above. Celect Canvas is available across all of Celect’s profiles, including 7” clapboard, board and batten, and 7” shake. All Celect Cellular Siding offerings feature a patented interlocking design that keeps moisture out and virtually eliminates seams. Steve Booz, vice president of marketing at Royal Building Products, said, “Celect Canvas unpainted siding has been a long-requested addition to our portfolio of Celect Cellular Composite Siding, which is unmatched in beauty and durability. We are excited to give designers, builders, and homeowners the ability to customize their exterior color palette without compromising on performance.” Celect Canvas Cellular Siding also includes a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Royal Building Products Introduces New Products

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Crista Leigh Wunsch, Director of Communications & PR

Crista Leigh Wunsch joined the NRLA as Director of Communications & PR on July 25. For the past three years, Crista has worked in digital marketing and communications for Crescent Hotels & Resorts, one of the nation’s top hotel management companies based in

Fairfax, Va. In her previous role, Crista managed social media, press distribution, crisis communications, and marketing strategies for brands such as Marriott, Hilton and IHG, as well as Crescent’s many conventions. Crista is also an adjunct professor at Siena College where she teaches courses on marketing and communications within the School of Business. Prior to working for Crescent, Crista was the principal of her own communications consulting agency, where she worked with local, regional, and national accounts for over a decade. Crista’s career began in broadcast and print journalism, including serving as News Director for Pamal Broadcasting and President of the Women’s Press Club of New York State.

Lauren Patterson, Legislative CoordinatorLauren Patterson joined us as the new Legislative Coordinator on July 26. Lauren graduated this past spring from SUNY Cortland with a Bachelor’s Degree in History. She interned with Professor Evan Faulkenbury and created a digital archive for his recently released book Poll Power:

The Voter Education Project and the Movement for the Ballot in the American South. Lauren is a strong writer and will make a great addition to the Legislative Department and the NRLA.

Julianna Rauf, Convention & Meetings Coordinator

Julianna Rauf joined the NRLA in the position of Convention & Meetings Coordinator on Thursday, July 25. In this position Julianna will support the Convention & Meetings department. She will also assist Jim Reynolds with Publications and Associate Membership.

Julianna is a recent graduate of Siena College with her Bachelor’s Degree in English and a minor in writing and communications. Over the past year and a half, she has gained valuable knowledge

and skills in marketing, communications, public relations, publishing, editing, and event promotion through her internships in both the Capital Region and during her time abroad in London. On the side, Julianna is an editorial assistant for Thomas B. Fordham Institute Senior Fellow Robert Pondiscio, previously helping him to publish the book How the Other Half Learns.

Maria Lynch, Executive AssistantMaria Lynch joined the NRLA on Aug. 19. She comes to us from Cengage Learning where she has been a Content Developer in the beauty and wellness field for the past five years. In this role, she handled all facets of meeting planning and travel arrangements related to her content

development work. Maria was also responsible for negotiating, researching and analyzing educational tools.

Maria has worked at Cengage for the past 10 years. Her other roles included providing editorial support and working as an independent contractor for the production of video, DVD and photoshoots. Prior to working at Cengage, Maria was an instructor at the Orlo School of Cosmetology and Hair Design.

NRLA Celebrates its Staff and Their Achievements

The NRLA would like to congratulate and thank Erin O’Connor ,(L), director of education and development, Melissa Frissora (C), event coordinator, and Pam McHale (R), education coordinator, for their hard work and dedication as they recently celebrated their 5 year anniversaries working at the NRLA.

Melissa Stankovich, art director, received an American Inhouse Design Award from Graphic Design USA for her cover illustration and publication design for the 125th Anniversary issue of the LC. Only 400 pieces in were selected in this juried competition that received more than 6,000 entries.

NRLA Welcomes New Staff Members and Celebrates Achievements

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ON THE MOVEJack Delaney Promoted to VP of Sales for Boral Building Products

Boral Building Products has promoted Jack Delaney to vice president of sales. A 35-year veteran of the building products industry, Delaney will lead sales teams across all 12 Boral Building Products brands.

Cary Anderson Appointed Vice President and General Manager for Kerridge Commercial Systems in North America

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS), a business management software company, announced that Cary Anderson has been appointed vice president and general manager for KCS in North America. Prior to his promotion within KCS,

Anderson held the position of vice president of R&D, North America. Anderson possesses more than 30 years of industry experience, with a primary focus on the building materials market. He is known as an innovator of technology and looks forward to continuing down that path in his new role.

Do it Best Corp. Announces Team Hires and PromotionsDo it Best Corp. announced numerous employee additions to its world headquarters team in Fort Wayne, Ind. Michelle Baker as an order entry clerk, Joe Jones as an application support specialist, Jenna McDaniel as an order clerk, Adam Neddeff as an ecommerce logistics manager, Pete Partin as an application support analyst, Chris Rodriguez as a business technical support specialist, and Laura Watson as a business technical support specialist. Further, Do it Best Corp. recognized a number of promotions within its corporate office team: Shannon Bearman

as a business analyst, Corinne Beer as a global sourcing associate merchandise manager, Joe Corah as a division manager for panels, distribution and specialty products, David Dalman as an LBM reload inventory and pricing manager, Jean Fahy as a division manager of building materials, Eerik Hale as a territory sales and business development manager, Todd Hixson as an LBM business development manager, Jarek Hoppe as a lumber and building materials sales assistant, Amy McCaw as an assistant credit manager, Derek Opliger as an associate merchandise manager for global sourcing, Josh Ratcliff as a division manager for lumber and reload operations, Vince Riddle as a systems engineer, and Amanda Roy as a retail technology specialist. Do it Best Corp. is the only U.S.-based, member-owned comprehensive and fully integrated hardware, lumber, and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry.

John Perna Named President and Co-owner of Hamilton Building Supply CompanyHamilton Building Supply has announced that John Perna will replace Keith Coleman as president of the company.

Stephen Strohmeier Named VP of Structural Products at BlueLinxBlueLinx has announced that Stephen Strohmeier was named the company’s vice president of structural products after serving various leadership roles at The Home Depot.

Roseburg Names New DirectorChris Metcalf has been named director of reliability and will oversee the analysis of reliability and maintenance practices and needs across the company.

NLBMDA Welcomes Legislative and Regulatory CoordinatorNLBMDA announced that Alex McIntyre has joined the NLBMDA team effective immediately and will serve as the Legislative and Regulatory Coordinator. Alex, will be reporting to Kevin McKenney, NLBMDA’s Director of Government Affairs.

DO YOU HAVE A SUBMISSION FOR THE LC’s ON THE MOVE SECTION?

Email our editor at [email protected].


In MemoriamRichard “Dick” Hughes of Billerica, Mass. Richard “Dick” Hughes passed away at the age of 88. He was the Owner of Hughes Lumber Company.

Allan George Drew of Antwerp, N.Y.Allan George Drew passed away on July 13, 2019. After serving in the United States Army, Allan joined his father Albert Drew to lead the family’s business: Drew Building Supply, Inc. Allan was named NNYLDA Lumber Person of the Year in 1997 and was a long-time supporter of the NRLA.

Wesley P. Carroll of Burlington, Vt.Wesley passed away on July 17, 2019 surrounded by his family. Wes served as VRLDA President from 1983 until 1984 and was VRLDA Lumber Person of the Year in 1989.

Gladyce Mary Brenon Farney of Carthage, N.Y.Gladyce passed away on July 22, 2019 after a second battle with cancer. She founded Farney Lumber Co. in 1958 with her husband Vincent, who survives.

Clinton Owen Remington, III On August 16, 2019, Clint passed away suddenly at home. After serving as President and CEO of Remington Lumber Company, Clinton went on to work for Ace Hardware Corporation as a District Manager until his retirement in 2015.

Mary McNamara, Lexington and Gloucester, Lincoln, N.H.Mary McNamara, wife of Bob McNamara of Arlington Coal & Lumber, passed away on Friday, August 23, 2019.

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NLBMDA Sends Letter to Congressional Leaders on Qualified Improvement ActA coalition of associations and businesses, including NLBMDA, recently sent a letter to the House of Representatives and the Senate urging them to take action on legislation that would return qualified improvement property or “QIP” (generally, improvements to the interior of existing nonresidential buildings) to a 15-year depreciation recovery period and restore its eligibility for accelerated bonus depreciation.



REGISTER AT NRLA.ORG

Lorraine Miner is the incoming chairperson for the NRLA, as well as vice president and secre-

tary of Miner’s, Inc. in Canton, CT, but she wasn’t always the industry

veteran that we know today. Lorraine started out studying interior design in college. Later, she taught hundreds of kids to swim, was an advanced first aid instructor, and even planned to be a criminal law attorney. Like many people in the lumber industry, however, she eventually came to it through family. “Most people don’t know that my grandfather was a lumberjack … so I came by it naturally,” she explained. In 1972, Lorraine married her high school sweetheart, David, whose family owned Miner Lumber Company, Inc., and she was eventually drawn into the family business. First, she worked part-time and helped where she was needed, but the lumberyard succumbed to the pressures of the industry and shut down after seven decades. Fortunately, Lorraine and David found another path, and in 1994 partnered with Ridgefield Supply owner Louis Price to buy the Miner Lumber property and start Miner’s, Inc. The couple found great success and were able to not only “pay Lou back,” as Lorraine explained, but “have kept it going for 25 years.” Many parts of a well-run business stem from back office activities, such as human resources, legalities, and truck and driver compliance which is where Lorraine’s efforts have been focused. “I like to read contracts,” she said. “I read every word of every contract that goes past me.” In addition, Lorraine has dedicated considerable time and talent to the lumber industry beyond her own business. She served for a decade on the Lumber Dealers Association of Connecticut board, including two years as secretary, one as vice president, and five as president. She’s

been a NRLA executive committee member, vice chair, and is now incoming chair. “I’m really enjoying all of it.” When asked if she ever thinks about pursuing one of the paths not taken, Lorraine joked, “I’m not sure I would know how to behave with people outside our industry. We’re different people. I honestly do not know of any other industry where if there’s a difficulty or a disaster— say, someone’s store burns down—we’re on the phone asking, ‘Do you need a truck? What do you need to keep going?’ That’s us. That’s the lumber industry.” Longevity , whether it be in a career or a marriage, is always impressive. To manage both, simultaneously, as Lorraine and David have, is nothing short of astonishing. So, what’s the secret to the Miners’ success? Lorraine is characteristically nonchalant about explaining it. “We don’ t always agree,” she explained. “It’ s not always a good day, but we just do it. And when we come home, we try to leave it behind.” The next generation of Miners, which includes Lorraine’s son Eric and daughter-in-law Amelia, is involved in the family business. However, Lorraine is quick to point out that your last name doesn’t need to be on the marquee to be part of the Miner family. Lorraine believes in sticking by your people and valuing every member of the team equally—from the shop floor to the truck drivers. Every part of the process has equal importance. “We respect our people. I always say someone works with us, not for us,” she said. In Lorraine’s estimation, that kind of human touch is what sets not just Miner’ s, Inc., but the entire lumber industry apart from others—and continues to drive her career. “We probably spend more time with our work family than we do with our actual family. They’re important to us.”

Welcoming NRLA Chair Lorraine Miner, Miner’s, Inc.


27WWW.NRLA.ORG SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 LUMBER CO-OPERATOR

You are cordially invited to the

2019 NRLA and LDAC Annual Meetings

Friday, Oct. 18 & Saturday, Oct. 19Mystic Marriott, Groton, CT

Lorraine Miner

WELCOMING NRLA CHAIR

FRIDAY, OCT. 189:30 – 11:30 a.m. LBMDF Board of Directors Meeting 10 –11:30 a.m. NRLA Membership Committee Meeting11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. NRLA Convention Committee Meeting1:30 – 4:30 p.m. NRLA Executive Committee Meeting*6 p.m. Welcome Reception/Mystic Aquarium

SATURDAY, OCT. 19 7:30 – 10 a.m. Breakfast Buffet8 – 11 a.m. NRLA Board of Directors Meeting 6 – 7 p.m. NRLA Installation Reception6 – 6:30 p.m. NRLA Annual Business Meeting & Installation of Officers 7 p.m. Dinner and NRLA/LDAC Program

O�site Activities:12 – 5 p.m. Golf & Lunch ($60 per person) Mystic Seaport Museum ($23.95) Fields of Fire($44 per person; 3 hours)

SUNDAY, OCT. 20 11 a.m. Hotel Check-Out

Hotel InformationLocated near the Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic Aquarium, and some of the city’s most popular attractions, The Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa is the perfect place to gather for the NRLA and LDAC Annual Meetings.

RESERVATIONSReserve your room now at the rate of $189 (+15% CT state and local sales tax) per night. The reservation cut-off date is Friday, September 20. 877-901-6632 | Group: NRLA Annual Business Meeting

Program at-a-GlanceThe NRLA Annual Meeting will be held on Oct. 18-19, 2019 at the Mystic Marriott in Groton, CT. Please join us as we install our new Chair, Lorraine Miner, of Miner’s, Inc. We will also celebrate the extraordinary volunteers who represent you on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, and the LDAC Annual Meeting.

* Open only to NRLA Executive Committee Members

REGISTER AT NRLA.ORG



GENERATION: RecruitmentA forward from our publisher and Director of Communications & Public Relations Crista Leigh Wunsch



SILENT GENERATION (born 1928–1945) Age in 2019: 74-91

BABY BOOMERS (1946–1964) Age in 2019: 55-73

GENERATION X (1965–1980) Age in 2019: 39-54

MILLENNIALS (1981–1996) Age in 2019: 23-38

GENERATION Z (1997–2009) Age in 2019: 10-22

GENERATION ALPHA (2010–2025) Age in 2019: 0-9

GENERATIONS: DEFINED

Motivated by: Money, but want respect.

How they like to be recognized: Subtly, but with personalized appreciation and feedback.

Preferred Benefits: Long-term care insurance and retirement funding.

Motivated by: Money, but also flexible retirement options, and recognition.

How they like to be recognized: Acknowledgement of their knowledge and skills, and job titles.

Preferred Benefits: 401(k) matching or other retirement funding, sabbaticals.

Motivated by: Bonuses, stocks for monetary rewards, and workplace flexibility.

How they like to be recognized: Publicly with emphasis on hard work.

Preferred Benefits: Telecommunting and tuition reimbursement.

Motivated by: Social rewards, meaningful work and responsibilities.

How they like to be recognized: Regularly give feedback, emphasize entreprneural spirit.

Preferred Benefits: Competitive salary, travel opporunities, rewarding experiences, and job security.

This generation is expected to be the most digital and technology inclined generation yet.

Expected to be the longest lived generation, with many expected to reach 100.

Expected to be the wealthiest generation yet.

Motivated by: Collaboration and mentorship, and constructive feedback.

How they like to be recognized: Often and with forward momentum.

Preferred Benefits: Workplace flexibility, professional development, and continued education.



WHO ARE THE MILLENNIALS?According to the Pew Research Institute, Millennials were born between the years 1981 and 1996. They now surpass the population of Baby Boomers in the Untied States, making them the largest generation thus far. Millennials came of age during the explosion of the world wide web and adapted to new technologies as they grew up, including pagers, cell phones, personal computers, mobile devices, on-demand content, Bluetooth, and wireless internet. In 2019, Millennials make up more than one-third of the workforce in the United States and the generation will be half of all employees nationwide by 2025. When it comes to hiring, Indeed.com says that 78% of Millennial job searchers used a mobile device to find jobs.

So, where do you find Millennial talent?

SOCIAL NETWORKING SITESOlder Millennials were early adaptors of social media platforms like Friendster, LiveJournal, Myspace, and Facebook for the purposes of connecting with friends, discovering local events, and learning more about the world. According to the Pew Research Center, 78% of Millennials use social media, with Facebook being the primary platform. But which is the best social network to use for recruiting?

On the surface, LinkedIn is the obvious choice to use for your talent search, given the network’s purpose of connecting professionals with others in their field. It’s easy to post open positions, keep track of applicants, and search for individuals with qualifications that may be a great fit. However, Pew data tells us that just 33% of Millennials use LinkedIn—half of those individuals are college graduates and 9% report a high school diploma as their highest level of education. So, while LinkedIn is touted as the authority on job searching and recruiting, it may not always be the answer.

Which brings us back to Facebook. With the advent of the Facebook Business platform and Jobs on Facebook tool it seems that an increasing number of Millennials are using the social network to look for open positions. In fact, Tech Crunch called Facebook’s new job platform “the blue-collar LinkedIn,” saying that while many applicants don’t have the glowing education or dazzling employment records needed to make a LinkedIn profile look good, they often have enough employment and demographic information listed on their Facebook profile to help recruiters and companies find them. That demographic information can also help ease the application process for the job seeker as well as streamline things for the business.

Recently I was invited to attend a conference where the keynote speech topic was “How to Work with Millennials.”

Immediately I was confused: The oldest Millennials will turn 40 next year; We have already been working with Millennials for years and—if we don’t know how to work with Millennials—we will have a really tough time working with Generation Z (the oldest of which turned 23 this year) and upcoming Generation Alpha.

It isn’t working with Millennials that we need to be concerned about: It’s hiring and retaining Millennials that we need to focus upon. A generation that was told that the only way to have a successful life was to get a college degree in anything quickly passed over the blue-collar landscape without considering that they could earn a better living in a skilled trade. Now, blue-collar industries are finding themselves with an increasing number of aging and retiring employees with no one to fill in the gaps.



JOB BOARDSIt’s no secret that job boards have had their successes in the virtual recruiting space. Each of these platforms has an individual appeal and specialty offering.

Indeed offers job seekers a one-stop shop-experience where they can search for a job title, field or location and have hundreds or thousands of postings from various websites available at their fingertips—almost like a dedicated Google-type search engine of open positions. In many instances the individual can send their resume directly to the company and bypass an application or email process. Indeed is a great tool to use for recruiting in that it offers more results from a variety of websites across the internet (rather than only jobs that occupy purchased space).

Glassdoor offers features that allow users to review and rate employers, share salaries, and divulge interview questions while giving job seekers an inside look at a company’s culture, satisfaction rating, bonus structure, and much more. Companies can create an image of what a potential hire might join upon hiring with the ability to add photos, mission statements, and news updates.

LINKEDINLinkedIn is a professional networking site that connects users to companies, brands, employers, and peers worldwide. Millennials make up 87 million of LinkedIn’s 2 billion global users which amounts to 38 percent of the social network’s user base. In a 2016 study, LinkedIn reported that the content topics Millennials engage with most on LinkedIn include recruiting, social media marketing, employee engagement, and self-esteem.

Employers looking to attract Millennial talent should certainly use LinkedIn as a tool. Start off by creating a company profile and filling in pertinent information like how the business was founded, current job openings, and photos of staff members and company culture. Publish a few articles on your industry from an expert’s standpoint, interact with those who might be interested in working for your company, and connect with professionals and peers on a professional level.

THE OLD FASHIONED WAYWhile digital platforms seem to be the preferred way for Millennials to find employment, sometimes traditional methods work, as well. Millennials enjoy interacting in groups. This is shown by their affinity for conferences, concerts, and “experiences” like digital summits. Attend job fairs and recruiting events and engage with your prospective employees. Don’t stand (or sit) behind the table at your booth and stare at your cell phone—walk in front of the table, shake hands, show enthusiasm and passion for your industry and company. You never know what types of real-life connections you can make. LC

“It isn’t working with Millennials that we need to be concerned about: It’s hiring and retaining Millennials that we need to focus upon.”



hile Generation Z gets a bad rap in today’s work environment, the truth is that we have a lot to

offer and—perhaps more importantly—companies need us if they want to survive. This is especially true when it comes to the LBM or trade industries, but we are often met with the assumption that we have a lack of work ethic or are unwilling to start from the bottom.

It may be hard for some to believe but Generation Z wants to work just as hard as the generations before us. The only contrast is we want to do things a bit differently. So, if you are like many other employers in struggling to recruit this emerging workforce, take a moment to review these tips to reach us—and help make your company a desirable one for the next generation.

INVEST IN YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE, ESPECIALLY THE AESTHETIC OF YOUR WEBSITE.

With enhanced technology causing unprecedented levels of brand awareness, competition is at a high between rival companies. One significant way to make yourself stand out to not only clients but job searchers is your company’s online aesthetic; how you look on social media channels, job listings, and, most importantly, your website. It may seem silly but looking “pretty” and being easy to navigate shows that you

care to connect with people and stay up to date with the latest technological and social trends.

LET US KNOW WE WON’T BE GLORIFIED INTERNS.

When listing job responsibilities, list what matters to the job at hand. Gen Z doesn’t want to enter a first job that consists of coffee runs and mundane administrative tasks. We want to have projects that matter, get us involved, and directly lead to a greater impact. Make us feel like we’re a member of a team—an important piece to the puzzle—and that our role will be just as unique and important as the next.

PROMOTE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND WORK ENVIRONMENT.

Research shows people are more productive and produce quality work when they’re healthy—mentally and physically. Gen-Z is very engaged with their mental and physical well-being, so we want to know that the environment we’re going to be working in supports that. If you have a break room, show us! If you believe in social time, tell us! If you allow for flexible schedules or provide great benefits, push that to us! And if you can, don’t make the rules too rigid. I do my best work in an

By Julianna Rauf

THINK MYGENERATIONIS TOUGHTO RECRUIT?Here’s how to do it—from a Gen Z


environment I’m comfortable in, so let me have plants, a yoga ball instead of a chair, or a ping pong table to retreat to if I need to brainstorm (yes, it really does work). And don’t forget, events and teambuilders provide a needed break to reduce stress and step away from the desk while remaining relevant to the job and forming a stronger internal bond.

BE VOCAL ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVANCEMENT.

Today we have it harder regarding finances and making ends meet. College degrees have less value than they used to while those without them or trade experience are still at a disadvantage. We need to know that what we’re signing up for will be worth it in the long run, and that positions aren’t just about seniority but experience, work ethic, willingness to learn, individual achievements, and adaptability. It’s not that Gen-Z wants it easy; we just want it fairly.

There are plenty of ways to recruit Gen-Z into your industry. Following some of these tips will ensure you’re on the right path to making your business known and attractive. However, make sure following these tips isn’t the only thing you do. Gen-Z gets a lot of backlash for our “way of life.” It’s important to realize we have a lot to offer, such as our experience with technology and diversity. Most of all, it’s important to forget your pre-conceived notions of us. Understand that wanting to work differently from previous generations isn’t better or worse; it’s just different. LC



By Robert BrooksLMS Director, The Building Supply Channel, Inc.

The Role of ONLINETRAINING in LBM


35SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 LUMBER CO-OPERATOR

Everyone in the distribution business says the same thing. The products you offer may not be identical to your competitors’ products, but they’re close enough that the only way to differentiate yourself is with service. You’ve heard dealers say, “Our people are our most important asset.” In fact, you’ve probably heard it so many times that it’s become a cliché.

It’s also wrong. Employees are not your most important asset. It’s their expertise that’s the asset. They could be the nicest people in the world, but if they can’t an-swer customers’ questions, solve technical problems, and get orders filled on time and in full, you’re going to lose business.

SO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PROTECT YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSET?

You maintain your trucks and forklifts religiously. You level your lumber stacks and sweep the warehouse every day. You refresh your showroom displays as soon as they start to look dated. But dealers often assume that any employee who has experience in the lumber business must have the necessary expertise to do the job.

Most of the time they’re right. But you would never settle for knowing the oil got changed most of the time in most of the trucks.

The NRLA Learning Management System (NRLA LMS), available at NRLALMS.com. The NRLA’s LMS is one of many education and training programs offered by the Lumber and Building Material Dealers Foundation (LBMDF) and provides a well-rounded, cost-effective solution to help you get new employees up to speed while filling gaps in your veterans’ knowledge. The program offers more than 175 industry-specific topics: construction and estimating, yard and warehouse skills, sales skills, customer service, purchasing basics, and supervisory skills.



Unless an employee is brand new to the industry, chances are they don’t need all of that. The foundation of the NRLA LMS is a comprehensive suite of skills evaluation tests to help you assess an individual’s knowledge on a wide range of topics. The results will identify strengths and weaknesses. When a knowledge gap is identified, the system will provide a list of recommended courses to help strengthen the individual’s knowledge base.

There are a lot of different ways to train people, and each one has its place. You can’t beat on-site seminars if you’re covering advanced topics that will require interaction, clarification, or guided practice. But seminars are only effective if every trainee comes with basic knowledge of the topic.

If not, the trainer will need to cover everything from scratch. Attendees who already know some of the material will get bored, their attention will lapse, and they’ll miss important points. Attendees who are brand new and don’t understand the fundamentals will struggle to keep up and won’t absorb what they need to learn.

Mentoring can be effective, but it also has some weaknesses. Veterans may know the topic cold, but they aren’t always good teachers. The time they spend teaching is time away from their own jobs, so productivity suffers.

Self-study and direct experience are the most effective ways to provide a solid grounding in the fundamentals of any given skill. Some dealers throw new employees to the wolves and let them learn as they go, and that’s okay in some situations.

You don’t need a training course to teach you that a 2x4 is actu-ally 1-1/2” by 3-1/2”. You can learn that faster by taking a stroll through the yard with a measuring tape. If you’re trying to teach someone how to brace a two-story deck so they can explain it to customers, it’s not a bad idea to make sure they understand it thoroughly before you turn them loose on the sales counter.

That’s where online training shines. Most NRLA courses come with a test so you can verify that the employee has learned

what’s needed to be learned. Administrative tools allow you to track progress in multiple ways—for example, how many times the course had to be retaken to get the final score (do they need extra help?), how many times the course was opened (are they getting distracted?), how much time the person spent on that course, and how often the person signed into the training system.

All you need to do is tell them what you expect, then check your reports periodically to make sure they’re doing it.

One other thing about online training: virtually all workers under 25 years old grew up with the internet at their fingertips.

The NRLA LMS is available on your computer, tablet, or phone. The ability to provide training on the go is essential if you want to attract and retain young talent, and it isn’t because they’re fussy. Instant access to the knowledge they need to do their jobs is as fundamental to them as forklifts were in the 1950s. Not ev-ery yard had them, but if you were new to the business in 1955, that’s how you could tell the difference between a successful company and a company in decline.

Getting started with the NRLA LMS is easy. First, create a company account and then add trainee accounts for your employees. Next, have everyone go through the skills evaluation tests so you know who needs help with which topics.

All of this is free. You don’t buy anything until you know what kind of training your people need. The system will recommend courses for each person based on their test results, but you can add courses to the list or remove them as needed.

Once you do buy subscriptions, you’re not restricted to those courses. Every subscriber has full access to the entire course li-brary, so you can use the NRLA LMS for cross-training if you want.

While you may believe that employees are your most important asset, it’s really the training and expertise that matter, rather than the individual. Mentoring, self-study, seminars and the NRLA LMS can all be valuable tools to help you grow your own employees. LC

JOIN NRLA/LBMDF’S LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMSupporting Your Employees Educational Goals, While You Focus on Running Your Business.SAMPLE OF TOPICS AVAILABLE:Basics of Load Building • Building Materials • Business Administration • Computer SkillsCustomer Service • Doors • Estimating • Exterior Finish • Framing • Hardware and FastenersInsulation • Interior Finish • Math • Mechanical and Material Handling • MillworkMoisture Control • Outdoor Construction • Purchasing • Selling Skills • Structure & DesignSupervisory Skills • Windows • Yard & Warehouse, Basics, and Safety, and more!

STATE & LOCAL SUBSIDIES AVAILABLE!For more information or to sign your company up, contact Erin O’Connor at 518-880-6348 or [email protected].


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e hear frequently from dealers that finding quality

employees is a big problem and a source of much

frustration. In a recent survey conducted by ProSales

magazine, dealers responded with their current

methods of recruiting and hiring. Interestingly, all of

the efforts shown in the survey are of the “self-help”

variety—the use of professional recruiters to help solve

the problem didn’t show as a current practice.

The best way to build a great team is to hire the best

people. If you are only seeing a few qualified candidates

for each job, are they the best ones out there? Not

likely. Unless you are turning away good candidates

because you can’t hire them all, you would benefit from

a professional recruiter with industry experience.

SEVERAL GOOD REASONS TO USE A RECRUITING FIRM:

Results! Most in-house methods are “spend and hope”—you spend your money and hope you find good people. How much are you spending on ads, social media, and job fairs? Contingent recruiters bear all the risk. They invest their time, expertise, and money finding you great people, and you only pay if you decide to hire a candidate they have found.

Access to more candidates. Most dealers are not people poachers. While they are more than happy to aggressively pursue competitors’ customers, they are reluctant to pursue their employees. Recruiters are always looking for experienced people and have

FINDING TALENTED PEOPLE FORYOUR LBM BUSINESS

Doesn’t Have to Be

SO HARD!

W

By Tom Ford



a constant flow of candidates looking to make a change. If you are presented with a candidate from your competitor that has made the first move, you would happily consider them, wouldn’t you?

Quality, not quantity. Job fairs and want ads produce a stack of resumes from people who are either unemployable or under-qualified for the position at hand. A good recruiter doesn’t send you reams of resumes; they prescreen and weed out folks that aren’t a good fit. They will send you people who are worth considering, and the longer you work with that recruiter the better the candidate quality becomes. Every company has a different culture, and recruiters learn that culture through the feedback you provide after interviews. For example, some dealers hire for character over experience while others insist on previous work in the LBM industry. Team building and improvement. If you only look for people

when you have an opening, or are holding on to marginal performers for fear that you won’t be able to find a better replacement, then you aren’t improving your team. Allowing recruiters to submit resumes to you at any time is an asset. Wouldn’t it be nice to take more control over the future direction of your team? You can be selective. Maybe you are having no trouble finding drivers and yardmen, but can’t find enough estimators and salespeople. Or maybe you have been on the lookout for a particular person for some time with no success. Handing over these hard-to-fill jobs to a recruiter could be the answer, and if they have no more luck than you have had, it costs you nothing. What do you have to lose?

If you would like to have better people to choose from and want to spend less time, energy, and money in the hiring process, it’s time to change your approach and enlist a contingent search recruiter. LC

Tom is a “lifer” in the LBM business, with strong executive management skills, good product knowledge, and relatability to people at all levels. He has been involved in retail, contractor sales, light manufacturing, distribution centers, and supply chain planning, wholesaling, tool rental, installed sales services, and the acquisition of off-price and closeout merchandise. As president and CEO, Ford managed both public and privately held businesses, ranging from over 700 million annually, to supervising store operations of all sizes from less than 1 million to over 50 million within a chain context. Feel free to contact Tom at [email protected] or 508-742-3404.



By Dan Braiman

Too much work and too few qualified

people to get the job done. It’s a refrain many managers of lumber-related businesses in the Northeast

hear regularly these days. With the U.S. unemployment rate reaching a near

50-year low of 3.8% in June 2019, the struggle to find qualified workers

remains all too real.

LABOR MARKETTO AVOID IN A TIGHT3COSTLY MISTAKES



Lumber and building material (LBM) suppliers feel the effects. So do the customers they support. The tight labor market hits small businesses especially hard. According to the National Federation for Independent Business’ July 2019 Jobs Report, 63% of small business owners reported trying to hire, but 89% of those owners reported few or no qualified applications for those open positions. In construction, 96% of job openings were for skilled workers, while in transportation, 64% of openings were for skilled workers.

When hiring managers can’t find the experienced drivers they need to transport their building supplies from the warehouse to the jobsite or the laborers they need to work in their lumberyards, they may cut corners by choosing less than ideal job candidates to fill open positions. But hiring unskilled, poorly trained, or unprepared new hires may bring far more costs than benefits. Owners and hiring managers of LBM businesses must prioritize keeping a qualified workforce on site for the safety of team members, bystanders, and the property itself.

Dan Braiman is a loss control manager for Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company. He has more than 14 years of loss control experience in the wood industry. Dan can be reached at [email protected].

1. Lowering your company’s standards. We’ve seen some companies respond to the labor shortage by easing up on their candidate screening processes. This can lead to disastrous results. Take the example of a company that chooses to stop its employee drug testing program. The company ends up hiring an employee who has substance abuse issues. One day that employee climbs behind the wheel of a company vehicle while under the influence of an illegal substance, becomes drowsy, and crashes into a school bus. The financial and reputational costs would be enormous.

The solution: Do thorough background checks on all job candidates and continue both pre-employment drug screenings. This is an area in which you should never compromise.

2. Choosing inexperienced drivers. Consider how many hours of service a potential driver needs before he begins working with your company, because even the most experienced drivers today face increased dangers. For one, the frequency of delivery runs has increased significantly. Just five years ago, a lumber truck may have made one run a day for four days a week. Today’s robust economy means trucks make two to three trips to and from your yard daily. In addition, continued low national gas prices mean more drivers are on the road, leading to increasingly congested highways. That higher traffic volume—and its mix of passenger and commercial vehicles—leads to an increased risk for accidents. And each auto accident brings costs, including damage to vehicles, inventory, and property. An accident also may include pedestrian injuries or fatalities. Hiring qualified drivers allows you to protect your people, your equipment, and innocent bystanders.

The solution: Integrate new technologies into commercial vehicles. These may include collision-mitigation devices such as braking assistance, lane-departure warnings, and blind-spot pro-tection. Also, consider using telematics that can monitor driver performance, track a driver’s location, and more. And continue reminding drivers to remove all distractions—texting, eating, grooming, reading—while driving.

3. Underestimating the overall business impact of unskilled workers. When many people think of the value of skilled workers, they think about the specifics of that particular job—how well a carpenter frames a house, for example. But business owners and hiring managers may not consider additional business impacts. For example, if you hire an unskilled candidate with the idea of training him or her, make sure you have the team available to do the job. If a hiring manager chooses to do the training himself, he or she may find it difficult—if not impossible—to devote adequate time to training while also trying to hire additional candidates, especially if the company is short-staffed. When unskilled candidates don’t receive proper training, it impacts productivity, and it increases the risk that a company will produce a faulty product. It also exposes potential customer service weaknesses. Consider the risk of using an unskilled or improperly trained worker inside your lumberyard. What happens if that employee stacks materials unsafely or improperly stores flammable material? What if he or she doesn’t know how to drive a forklift or how to load and unload a vehicle appropriately? The wrong hire could endanger everyone inside the yard.

The solution: Review safety rules and regulations repeatedly with your employees. Share those messages clearly with any non-English speaking employees who may not be able to understand or observe posted caution signage without effective training. Make loss control resources—training videos, safety signage, safety checklists—read-ily available. They can help green employees master their jobs, as well as help keep more seasoned employees on track.

When a lumberyard faces a shortage of workers, hiring managers face intense pressure to fill jobs fast. Don’t let speed lead to po-tentially perilous shortcuts. Avoid the temptation to hire quickly, invest in proper pre-employment screening, provide comprehen-sive job training, and stay true to your company’s brand. The extra steps you take now will protect your business from the potentially crippling consequences of hiring the wrong employee. LC

LET’S LOOK AT THREE COSTLY MISTAKES TO AVOID IN A TIGHT LABOR MARKET, AND SOME TIPS TO HELP AVOID THEM.


42 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 LUMBER CO-OPERATOR

4 TIPS FOR SELECTING THE BEST CANDIDATE

Have you ever looked at a set of resumes and felt totally overwhelmed? When you read a cover letter, do you find you get caught up in their personal story more than what they might be able to do for your company? When searching for new people to bring into your organization, some days you have to dig deeper for the inspiration, but it’s well worth it. Interviewing people can be a tireless and thankless job; but remember, those interviews and all the emotional energy you spent went into getting the best talent for your team.

By Jeremy Eskenazi

HIRING IS AN

EMOTIONALEXERCISE



Why is hiring emotional? Well, the stakes are high for everyone involved. For the candidate, it’s their livelihood and a big sense of themselves that they risk for a new job. For the hiring manager, it’s the responsibility of making the right decision for the team. For the senior level people, it’s the accountability for the cost spent on each hire as payroll is the biggest ticket item for most organizations. There is no doubt about it: Hiring people is the most important decision in building a successful team. If you make a mistake, it’s very visible; it can follow you for a while. There is a lot of passion and emotion around the organization when you fill a role. Many people on your team may want to contribute opinions about candidates, and you will of course have your own wish list in mind. You’ll never take all of the emotion away—you can’t. Thankfully, there are a four surefire ways to minimize the emotion in hiring to help you get to the best candidates to build your team.

1. STEP AWAY. As a business leader, you must be able to separate yourself

from the emotion. As you meet candidates and either evaluate them yourself or have an HR team help you, there must be separation from all the feedback that comes in. You don’t want your office to become the complaint department through the process, so you cannot be seen to react to all the feedback that comes in.

Some of it you’ll have to take on the chin. Perhaps your team doesn’t like your top choice of candidate, or they really want you to consider someone you feel is unsuitable. Don’t manage and investigate every comment that comes in. Some of them you shouldn’t investigate at all. Which leads to the next suggestion.

2. BUCKET IT. You may have learned the hard way that following up

on everything is a lose-lose situation for all. You can’t be available to validate every comment that comes in. What you can do is bucket the types of feedback or complaints you receive, then work with your team to address them. This way, you don’t get caught up in the same challenge every time you’re looking to hire someone.

3. FOLLOW THE LAW. There are cases when things will be emotional, but they

must be addressed. If someone tells you something went terribly wrong, for example, someone reported

discrimination, or there is a legal risk—you have to act. Whether it is unintentional or a gap in process, these are the ones you have to manage specifically and as they come in; doing it quickly also saves damage to your employer brand.

4. Set and manage expectations. If you have been promising your team a new role to help

with an area, it’s important to be open about the progress with your candidate search. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right fit, sometimes an offer falls through or the candidate takes a counter offer. It’s in your best interest to be transparent about the process and help get the team to the result of a great new team member.

If you’re generally not an emotional person, know that hiring is not just about you! It’s emotional for everyone involved on some level, from your colleagues to the candidates themselves. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses will help you through this process and help you remain positive as you get to your end goal.

If you’re clear on the end goal, you’ll know that part of that is about finding harmony and fit for your work culture. As you go through the process of meeting candidates, think about whether you are connecting and how the conversation flows between those who are interviewing and the candidate. This process is emotional because at the end of the day, people want to work for people they like, admire, and respect. You are evaluating if a stranger will fit in with the network you’ve built in your workplace, and they, too, are evaluating if you are someone they want to interact with every day.

It’s good to remember that emotion can affect the energy that is put into a conversation or interview. From the beginning of each hire, make sure you are separating yourself if there is a possibility that your influence will cause a significant shift in positive or negative energy. Use this influence to your advantage to get the right people on your team engaged in interviewing and assessing candidates.

So don’t let emotion get the best of you when looking for your next great hire—there is comfort in knowing that everyone can get caught up in their feelings during the search! LC

Jeremy Eskenazi is an internationally recognized speaker, author of RecruitConsult! Leadership, and founder of Riviera Advisors, a boutique recruitment/talent acquisition management and optimization consulting firm. Eskenazi is not a headhunter, but a specialized training and consulting professional, helping global HR leaders transform how they attract top talent at some of the world’s most recognized companies. For more information, please visit: www.rivieraadvisors.com.



Experience Over

Reasons

Experience

When hiring a new person into your organization, it’s very likely that you will review their resume, CV, or professional profile and assess how their experience

might apply to what your team needs. This is a very logical approach to assessing talent; however, when you look at how quickly the

skills to perform each role are changing, only looking at past experience could leave you with a big skill gap. Hiring someone for their skills is a much safer and longer-term bet, but it’s hard to change how you may

have been looking at talent.

By John Carrozza

Reasons5 to Hire for

SkillOver



There are many news headlines that share the warnings: We have enough bodies to fill the roles, but skills development is not keeping up with the demands of today’s businesses and tomorrow’s innovation. Even if unemployment rates are high, it does not mean you will have more available talent than your business needs. Hiring for skills means that your workforce is better prepared for changes your business may need to take in the future and are likely more adaptable to the future organization you are starting to envision.

To make sure you are not only attracting the best candi-dates, but know who they are when they’re right in front of you, here are five ways to approach hiring for skill:

Don’t get too caught up with ‘fit.’

Hiring for culture is extremely important; there is no debating that. However, hiring for what ‘fits’ today is extremely limiting. Think about where your business will be in three to five years and look at fit at that point. Every area of your business is likely evolving; make sure your talent acquisition activities are too.

Avoid the shiny pedigree appeal.

Many organizations today focus too heavily on sourcing efforts that target candidates with “pedigree appeal”—impressive or prestigious credentials or educational or employment backgrounds. In fact, these days it takes precedence over the thorough investigation your team should be doing to understand if candidates have the skills needed to do their job today and tomorrow. Make sure you are still using some good old-fashioned interviewing and assessment skills to learn what these candidates gained from their prestigious experience!

Leverage technology, but don’t fully rely on it.

There are amazing tools today to search resumes for keywords that can help you create a shortlist of candidates. Where the technology cannot take you any further is uncovering why/when/how do people entertain new career opportunities and what they need or want before you start selling the job and the organization. Be sure to learn a person’s aspirations for growing their career and constantly enhancing their skill set.

Sharpen your assessment skills.

Further to No. 2, know how to effectively assess candidates for desired skill sets based on prior accomplishments and results, and coach hiring managers to do the same. Think about the skills the candidate has demonstrated and get an understanding of what they learned from their experience. You can do this by actively listening and interpreting for understanding, not just responding.

Learn the story of the skills.

Knowing where the value lies in the story of their experience and with at least two skill-based questions (with follow-ups) for each attractive experiential accomplishment in their background, you can get to the story of the skills. Coaching your team who participate in the interview process can help them put the skills in the proper context. An example of a skill-based question could be, “How did you build the skills you needed after a setback?”

Previous approaches may have had you looking for top commercial or consumer brands, or top international schools, on a resume. Many have assumed that if they survived a period at that school or at that employer, they would automatically be able to deliver what is needed in a particular role. Skill-based hiring has you looking for stories with keywords like ability to communicate, learning new systems, managing relationships, interpreting situations, forming new ideas, strategic thinking, and respecting others’ input.

Many of these things are much harder to teach, change, or develop in candidates regardless of the industry they come from. These are the solid skills that can make an immediate impact and fit in with your culture, today and in the future. For consistency across all your interviews, a scoring tool to identify where the greatest added value would be, where the growth opportunity for each candidate lies, and what your recommendations are can be a helpful way to later review the talent available to you.

Having a strong understanding of what you need each role to bring to your team today—and how their role may quickly evolve—will help you find strong candidates. These will turn into fantastic employees who are adaptable and will help bring your organization into the future. It may be tough at first to be able to evaluate experience and then go beyond that to focus on skills. Know that getting a start on this will give you a competitive edge as the battle to attract, develop, and retain your talent heats up. LC

John Carrozza is a principal consultant with Riviera Advisors, Inc., a boutique recruitment/talent acquisition management and optimization consulting firm based in Southern California. His career has been dedicated to helping talent acquisition teams perform at their best and has previously done this at The Walt Disney Company as well as consulting for Universal Studios Hollywood and DirecTV. For more information, please visit: www.rivieraadvisors.com.



By Jack Leary

GREATESTGREATESTGREATESTGREATESTGREATESTGREATESTGREATESTGREATESTGREATESTGREATESTGREATEST ASSETS ASSETS ASSETS ASSETS ASSETS ASSETS ASSETS ASSETSTapping into One of Our

to Find Quality People

We have heard for some time how hard it is to attract young people to the LBM business. In today’s environment where unemployment is around 3.7%, this is adding to the challenge.

SO, AS NRLA MEMBERS, WHAT CAN WE WE WE DO?

In previous operations roles, one of the things we always looked for was strength of character. What we found is that we could teach someone how to read a blueprint or door and window schedule if they had the desire to learn, but it is much harder to teach character.



SO WHAT IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE WITH THE FOLLOWING CHARACTER TRAITS?

INTEGRITY ABLE TO LEARN COMPLEX SYSTEMS LOYAL TEAM PLAYER AND WORKS WELL

WITH OTHERS UNDER PRESSURE ACCUSTOMED TO SUCCESSFULLY

ACCOMPLISHING DIFFICULT TASKS DEPENDABLE AND HAS INITIATIVE SHOWS GOOD JUDGMENT FOLLOWS DIRECTIONS WELL AND IS ENTHUSIASTIC VERY ADAPTABLE AND RESILIENT SHOWS DETERMINATION AND HAS SELF-CONTROL FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL WILLING TO MAKE SACRIFICES HONEST, DECENT, AND SHOWS CONVICTION

OF PURPOSE

I could go on, but hopefully you get the idea. If you haven’t guessed yet, I am talking about one of our country’s greatest assets—our service men and women! Not convinced? I have a firsthand experience to share.

A number of years ago, we had an open position in our accounting department. A young man named Jim applied for the position. In reviewing Jim’s resume, his background didn’t seem well suited for an accounting job; however, upon seeing that he had been a Navy lieutenant and responsible for the security of his ship, I agreed to meet him.

As you might suspect, Jim was bright, clean cut, very well spoken, and professional. As they say in the military, “He was squared away.” I was compelled to give Jim a shot at the job. If nothing else, I would be helping a veteran, right?

Not surprisingly, it didn’t take Jim long to learn the role and thrive. He was a problem-solver and proactively came up with ideas for improvement while demonstrating the type of character traits I have listed above. Also, to my surprise, this former Navy man was a really funny guy and culturally

fit in well with our company. Fast forward, and I am proud to say that Jim is now the CFO of a much larger company with multiple offices in a number of states.

What I’m suggesting isn’t new. The Home Depot partnered with the Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs departments in 2004. In 2012, they made a commitment to hire 55,000 veterans in five years, and they reached that goal two years ahead of schedule. Lowe’s also claims to have hired more than 14,000 veterans.

General Electric launched an initiative, called the Veterans Network, in 2009 to hire former service men and women. Their vision is to make GE the employer of choice for veterans, reservists, and guardsmen while creating a GE community of veterans and veteran leaders to support and encourage the career development and growth of all members. They have hired more than 10,000 people.

Why can’t we have a similar vision for NRLA members to attract these fine people to the LBM business? We have plenty of training programs to help get veterans up to speed. Haven’t they earned the opportunity our association can provide? Last I checked, we sure need the help.

Our businesses aren’t The Home Depot, Lowe’s, or GE, but collectively there are a lot of us out there with many roles to fill. About once or twice a month, a resume crosses my desk from some young person who has faithfully served our country and is trying to start the next chapter of their life. The way I look at it, if someone can be trained to manage, operate, repair, and do countless other important jobs with multi-million dollar equipment in service to our country, I feel pretty confident they can learn the lumber and building materials business if we put an emphasis on it.

Consider an initiative to help this valuable resource get a job, while helping your business at the same time; there is no shortage of great people. I am pretty confident it will be a win-win for everyone! LC

Jack Leary Sr. is vice president and partner at Impact 180 Consulting Group. Contact Jack at [email protected].



By investing in programs that train participants in core competencies that align with your company values, you will instill the desired behaviors, habits, and skill sets that create sustainable improvements and increase confidence. This investment is felt inversely as well; just last year, LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report found that 94% of employees would stay at an organization longer if it invested in their professional development. MindsetGo’s sales and leadership training programs ensure employees feel they are valued, set them up for personal and professional success, and create lasting change by inspiring professionals to transform how they communicate and strengthen relationships with prospects/clients and contractors.

Our trainers bridge the gap between knowing what you want to achieve and making it happen. Forbes has cited professional development as one of the key factors for employee engagement and retention—and it isn’t difficult to see why. When employees are offered developmental opportunities through experiential learning, they become motivated to demonstrate their growing skill set. As a result, learning becomes inspiring, new competencies are developed, and individuals channel success.

From our experiences in working with various states in the NRLA territory, MindsetGo’s Founder and CEO, Mark Altman, has been able to coach professionals across the Northeast and speak to young leaders at the NYLE Spring 2019 conference about the importance of process-based learning, inquiry-led discovery during client interactions, and utilizing narratives that highlight

service differentiators and cement customer loyalty.

Feedback from one of our sales trainings highlighted the tremendous techniques participants took away from the session, including advocating for myself, being more vocal with knowledge, expertise, and effort, using questions to assess the customer that build the relationship, and practicing efficient time management skills and prioritization. These results and more appear in the figure below. LC

When most companies seek out professional development and training programs, they always ask:

How will we know it worked? How can we be sure it will last?

TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Some Advice from Mark Altman Founder and Trainer, MindsetGo

Participants were asked, after this training, I will commit to:

Utilize templates for contractor check-ins and email follow-ups Use questions to assess customer, build the relationship Be aware of my own processes Advocate for myself, be more vocal with knoweledge,

expertise, and effort Implement 20/80 ration when interacting with customer Practice efficient time management skills & prioritization Be proactive with connections and customers


Your Future is With Us!Start growing your career in the lumber and building material industry.

What can the lumber & building materials industry o�er you?

• Competitive salary and bene�ts• On-the-job training with

industry veterans• Opportunities for promotion• Use of latest technology• Area college and trade association

education support and scholarships• Flexibility• Family friendly atmosphere• Customer-focused environment• Independent business mentality• Supporting local business

Positions available in these areas:

• Operations• Accounting/Finance• Sales• Human Resources• Administration/Management• Technical

Let us help you start growing your career! Contact: [email protected] • 800-292-6752

nrla.org



PARTICIPANTS

ANCHORING SOLUTIONS

DOOR HARDWARE

FASTENERS

KEY PADS

PAINT/SUNDRIES

SCREWS

HARDWARE&&& HARDLINES HARDLINES HARDLINES HARDLINES HARDLINESPRODUCT SHOWCASE

Photo provided by provided by provided CAMO by CAMO by Fasteners

CAMO Fasteners

Contact: Greg Groenhout Email: [email protected]: 616-261-2124 Website: www.camofasteners.com

What Hardware & Hardline products do you sell? The CAMO brand sells easy-to-use fasteners and tools contractors and DIYers need to save time on any decking project. CAMO offers innovative decking solutions, including CAMO DRIVE, a stand-up tool that fastens CAMO Edge screws, CAMO EdgeClips and EdgeXClips, and CAMO collated face screws. For grooved decking, EdgeClips (90-degree patterns) and EdgeXClips (angled patterns) are a speed-increaser. EdgeClip legs attach to the joist and EdgeXClip wings fit in the groove of the board—plus, they’re up to 88% stronger than other clips. CAMO also sells Starter Clips to fasten the first, last, and perimeter grooved boards for a completely fastener-free surface.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? CAMO offers deck fastening information for contractors, DIYers, and dealers alike. Customers and contractors can access the dealer locator, color matcher program, fastener calculator, warranty information, and installation instructions on the website. Dealers can order CAMO Dress for Success merchandising that helps their customers find exactly what they need. Customers can see CAMO fasteners and tools in action by checking out CAMO’s social media channels.

Banner Solutions .....................................54

Britton Lumber Company ....................52

CAMO Fasteners ......................................50

Emtek Decorative Hardware ...............54

FastenMaster.............................................57

GRK Fasteners ...........................................58

Holden Humphrey Company ..............56

Huttig Building Products, Inc. .............55

L.J. Smith Stair Systems .........................58

MiTek USA, Inc. .........................................56

Mullen Sales, Inc. .....................................61

Paint Sundries Solutions .......................57

Parksite ........................................................59

PPG TrueFinish Building Products .....60

R.A. Graham Co., Inc. ..............................59

Regal Ideas, Inc. ........................................61

Screw Products, Inc.................................52

Top Notch Distributors, Inc. .................55

Wolf Home Products ..............................60


Westfield, MA 877-462-6473Greenland, NH 800-962-9961www.bc.com/distribution

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Britton Lumber Company

Contact: Brian Moses Email: [email protected]: 802-333-4388 Website: www.brittonlumber.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? For BILCO products we stock the Ultra-Series, C, B, O, SL, and Sloped Wall doors along with their various extensions, foundations plates, and stringers. Other products we sell include 2x6 TG Premium Select decking, GRK Fasteners, MiraTek trim, vinyl and treated lattice, and much more. For a complete list of products, please visit our website.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? We offer at least twice-a-week delivery to Maine, New Hamp-shire, Vermont, Upstate New York, Massachusetts, and parts of Connecticut out of our distribution facilities. We can offer special programs on most product lines to stocking dealers. Britton Lumber is a family-owned wholesaler, much like our customers, where you will find real, knowledgeable people to grow your business with.

Screw Products, Inc.

Contact: Duane Cave Email: [email protected]: 253-514-3745 Website: www.screw-products.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? We’re fasten-ating! The Ultimate Star Drive Wood Screws, the DeckLok Advanced Lateral Anchor, the Ultimate Hidden Deck Fastener, and more!

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? Our team at Screw Products, Inc. will help you turn your inventory. Our dealers not only get the Ultimate Fasteners on their shelves, but they receive the Ultimate Service to help them in their stores. Tabletop events, product knowl-edge seminars, event participation, and free website and social media advice are just a few examples of our dedication to our dealers!

TOP RECRUITING TRENDS FOR 2019Collaboration

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Emtek Decorative Hardware

Contact: Ginny Newbury Email: [email protected]: 860-259-5691 Website: www.emtek.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? Emtek manufactures beautiful door hardware, cabinet hardware, and bath accessories. Emtek is dedicated

to helping bring personal style to life. Hardware is more than a way to open, close, and secure a space. To us, it is an integral part of a room’s

design theme. It is an extension of your personal style. Door hardware should make a statement—your statement. Emtek recently introduced the

EmPowered line of Motorized Touchscreen Smart Keypad Locks. EmPowered is a design-focused electronic lock solution that can integrate with the latest in smart home technology.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? Emtek has a very generous display policy, providing most displays at no charge to our showroom dealers. Emtek provides convenient, low-cost samples. Our aim is to give our dealers the tools they need to sell our products. In addition to displays and samples, we provide product training, knowledgeable customer service, beautiful cata-logs, and user-friendly price books.

Manufacturer of

ResidentialElectronics ResidentialElectronics

800-532-4107 [email protected]

We provide industry leading Brands that align with your needs

Banner Solutions

Contact: Courtney Painter Email: [email protected]: 800-532-4107 Website: www.bannersolutions.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? Banner Solutions carries more than 60 quality brands of residential, commercial, and electrified access control door hardware products. We provide the complete lines from Allegion, ASSA ABLOY, Kwikset, Baldwin, Dormakaba, Hager Companies, and many more.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? Banner Solutions offers same day shipping from our 12 nationwide distribution centers, free FedEx Ground on all orders placed online, drop-ship orders direct to your customer, keying services (keyed alike, master keying), quoting services for any size hardware projects, and ex-pert technical support.



Top Notch Distributors, Inc.

Email: [email protected]: 800-233-4210 Website: www.topnotchinc.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? Since 1975, Top Notch Distributors has been a full-service provider of commercial architectural door hardware, residential architectural door hardware, and electronic access control products. We strive to be the foremost distributor in the industry by continually exceeding our customers’ expectations with the integrity, knowledge, and drive to provide the best service. Top Notch means top brands, too. We stock a complete assortment of the mechanical and electronic brands your customers want. Visit www.topnotchinc.com today to learn more.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? At Top Notch Distributors, we know service. Our team of experienced professionals is ready to provide you with best-in-class customer support. Members of our inside sales team have an average of 20+ years of experience in the architectural door hardware industry and are available to answer any product questions you may have. Our Job Quoting Department can provide pricing assistance for your larger jobs/projects while our Keying Department provides custom rekeying services, including master-keying and construction-keying. Our distribution centers in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Nevada stand ready to offer same-day shipping on 99.5% of orders.

Huttig Building Products, Inc.

Contact: Mike Catalina Email: [email protected]: 518-767-9220 Website: www.huttig.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? Comprehensive mix of packaged, bulk, and bucket fasteners: Huttig-Grip Fasteners, Huttig-Grip Collated Fasteners, Huttig-Guard Outdoor Screws, Huttig-Spin Commercial Screws, available only from Huttig.



MiTek USA, Inc.

Contact: John R. Diehl III, Assoc. AIA Email: [email protected] Phone: 914-200-8713 Website: www.mitek-us.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? USP Structural Connectors: From foundation to ridge, our connectors will ensure your structure is optimized to be safe and code compliant. Anchoring Solutions: High-performance epoxy applications ranging from heavy industrial seismic and wind applications to household projects. Fasteners: A full range of structurally rated fasteners for wood-frame structures. Ornamental Wood Ties: Decorative hardware. Hardy Frame Lateral Resisting Systems: Strength, stiffness, and ductility of the Hardy Frame load spectrum of solutions maximizes window and door openings without compromising structural integrity. Z4 Tie-Down Systems: Tie-down runs are engineered for maximum material and labor efficiency to provide the most economical system.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? Sapphire Supply: Whole-house estimating and engineered wood design software. Designed to meet the needs of build-ing material dealers, MiTek Sapphire Supply is the one-stop solution for whole-house estimating, EWP, and lumber design. Now your waste factor no longer has to account for the fudge factor.

Holden Humphrey Company

Contact: Lance Humphrey Email: [email protected]: 800-777-1053 Website: www.holdenhumphrey.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? EZ Shear, Magnum Shear, and Centerfire Blades by Bullet Tool, Snapper Shears and Gecko Gauges by Pacific Tool, Roan Dust-Collecting Saw, Hardie Blades, and the Hardwood Deck Wrench by DeckWise.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? We offer marketing and sales support; product knowledge, sales, and installation training for retailers, contractors, and architects; and stocking dealer incentives.



Paint Sundries Solutions

Contact: Dave Bartholomew Email: [email protected]: 864-680-2981 Website: www.paintsundries.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? Paint Sundries Solutions (PSS) is a specialty distributor focused on the paint department. We stock thousands of products from leading manufacturers in the following categories: adhesives, applicators, caulks and sealants, exterior and interior stains, masking supplies, patch and repair, safety and apparel, abrasives, spray paint, painter’s tools, and roof coatings. Key lines include 3M, Cabot, Dap, Deft, Duckback, Flood, Gaco, General Finishes, Hyde, IPG, Krylon, Messmer’s, Minwax, Modern Masters, OSI, Old Masters, Penofin, Premier, Purdy, Ready Seal, Rustoleum, Sashco, Sunnyside, Trimaco, Wooster, Whizz, Zar, and Zinsser.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? Paint industry experts. Industry-leading ecommerce platform. Robust online catalog/website. Automated drop ships. PSS Order Now mobile app. Knowledgeable customer service team. A 97% fill rate. Broken case with no upcharge. Low prepaid and quick order turnaround. National coverage from our five distri-bution centers in Seattle, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Harrisburg, Pa.

FastenMaster

Contact: Tom Ellerbrook Email: [email protected]: 800-518-3569 Website: www.fastenmaster.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? FastenMaster’s LOKLine and deck fastening products have maintained category leadership positions with the regular introduction of innovations like ThruLOK and Cortex. Customers find value in LOKLine structural fasteners because they’re tested to meet national building code, require no predrilling, and reduce installation costs. Our decking fasteners allow a pro contractor to take pride in the craftsmanship of their deck build by installing decking fast and easy. Most recently, we’ve introduced our newest LOKLine product: LedgerLOK Flat Head. The LedgerLOK Flat Head with TORX ttap drive system installs flush to the ledger, saving additional time and money.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? FastenMaster offers superior customer service through the support of our local field sales representatives. Our FSRs help our pros build better by providing education on the latest products and how they enable them to build faster, easier, and stronger. They also provide training for lumberyard employees and create demand while pulling through sales to our dealer partners.



GRK Fasteners

Email: [email protected]: 877-489-2726 Website: www.grkfasteners.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? GRK Fasteners offers a complete line of premium-quality, patented, ICC-recognized fasteners for use in wood-to-wood connections. With patented features on every screw, GRK is one of the most trusted brands for wood-to-wood fastening. Since 1990, GRK Fasteners has grown to be the pro’s No.1 choice in structural and specialty fasteners, offering a complete line of fasteners that allow you to drive with speed, quality, and confidence.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? GRK’s full line of premium, differentiated products for any application, outstanding customer service team, and best-in-class sales representatives are what separate GRK Fasteners from the rest of the pack. Our highly knowledgeable sales team offers value-added services that create demand and drive sell-through. They will lead sales training, merchandising/planogram setup, product demo days, and contractor appreci-ation events at dealer locations. GRK Fasteners also offers a free sample program and a calendar of promotions throughout the year that drive profit and revenue for our dealers.

L.J. Smith Stair Systems

Contact: John Houskamp Email: [email protected]: 616-283-3905 Website: www.ljsmith.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? L.J. Smith offers a complete line of stairway installation tools and hardware designed specifically for stair installers to strengthen and speed up installations.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? We stock a large inventory of stair parts at all of our strategi-cally placed warehouses across the East. We have an expert trained sales team that will provide on-site training and assist in jobsite take-offs.



Parksite

Contact: Keven Crotty Email: [email protected]: 860-214-6066 Website: www.parksite.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? From concealed to hidden, we’ve handpicked the best deck fasteners and screws on the market. Our offering includes CAMO, Tiger Claw, HIDFast hidden fastener systems, Cortex Hidden System, Starborn, FastenMaster, and much more.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? Training is at the heart of what we do. We offer customized training programs to help with your success. Not only will you learn about the latest building products available, we’ll give you tips and tricks for selling, and talk about shifts in the build-ing industry. If you’d like to get something scheduled, head over to www.parksite.com/contact.

R. A. Graham Co., Inc.

Contact: George Graham Email: [email protected]: 800-333-3933 Website: www.ragraham.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? R. A. Graham specializes in door hardware from builder grade to high-end decorative brands, including Emtek, Baldwin, Rocky Mountain Hardware, Schlage, Kwikset, and many more. We also deal with commercial hardware and hardline categories such as saw blades, drill bits, deck screws, work gloves, contractor bags, and more.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? R. A. Graham offers affordable re-keying and master keying in house, quick shipping, drop shipping, a road sales representa-tive team, a knowledgeable inside staff, and monthly specials. We also provide flexibility for helping our customers, unlike most of our larger, corporate competitors.



Wolf Home Products

Contact: Mike Sessinger Email: [email protected]: 484-661-9691 Website: www.wolfhomeproducts.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? Wolf Home Products offers a variety of fastener solutions to support the Wolf Serenity Decking and Wolf Perspective Decking lines, including the CAMO Edge Deck Fastening System. CAMO delivers a fastener-free deck surface at a price that makes getting the job easy and installing the deck even easier. The Cortex Hidden Fastening System is a fast, easy way to hide fasteners in composite, capstock, and PVC decking boards. It offers a strong connection between the deck board and joist using a unique fastener and plug system. Cortex is also available in white for Wolf Trim applications. The HIDFast hidden fastener system is, well…fast! There is no hardware, no screws, no clips, no clamps. And how about 30 seconds per board to install? With HIDFast you can install decking five times faster than conventional screws or nails.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? Wolf Home Products offers the Wolf PRO Program that pro-vides meaningful training and education for contractors. Wolf PRO offers all the extra support and incentives to build a business relationship with Wolf that feels more like a business partnership. And trained Wolf PROs can offer their exclusive five-year extended labor warranty. Contact your local Wolf sales consultant to learn more about this exclusive program and how it can help drive sales.

PPG TrueFinish Building Products

Contact: David Jeffers Email: [email protected]: 919-247-6097 Website: www.ppgmachineappliedcoatings.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? PPG TrueFinish Building Products, formerly PPG Machine Applied Coatings, has been a pioneer in quality, innovation, and performance for more than 90 years for machine applicators who seek consistent protection and color integrity. Our market-proven systems include a broad portfolio of factory-applied primers, finishes, and stains for interior and exterior building material substrates (siding and trim). These products are engineered with advanced technology backed by industry-leading research, development, and technical teams.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? A partnership with PPG extends well past great paints. Our team works alongside your business to provide the detailed training, start-up assistance, and everyday support your business needs to operate in this fast-paced environment. We work with machine applicators to generate consistent film builds, color performance, and long-term durability to ensure each project receives beautiful and long-lasting protection. We’ll also work with your team to establish best practices that include help designing your coating system, assistance setting up your equipment, and fine-tuning or troubleshooting your processes. A PPG partnership also includes a personalized inventory management program.


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Regal ideas, Inc.

Contact: Andrew Pantelides Email: [email protected]: 905-929-7155 Website: www.regalideas.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? Regal ideas is the leader in aluminum and glass railing systems, LED lighting, ADA railing, and outdoor stair systems. Innovation and safety are at the heart of everything we do.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? Regal ideas offers certified installers to install your railing sys-tems. Our component systems are easy to install and will look as good as the first day they are installed. Regal ideas offers a 20-year warranty on its products.

Mullen Sales, Inc.

Contact: Rick Mullen Email: [email protected]: 860-729-3734 Website: www.mullenkb.com

What Hardline & Hardware products do you sell? We represent Top Knobs, Atlas Homewares, DuVerre Hardware, Vesta Fine Hardware, Jeffrey Alexander, and Elements Hardware—all are lines of kitchen cabinet hardware and bath accessories.

Do you offer any special incentives or services to your customers? We offer complete display programs for all brands. Warehouses are located convenient to the Northeast with 24- to 48-hour delivery.


Advisory Board withConifer Hill AdvisorsNRLA is working with a team of professionals led by Mike Ferraro (formerly of RSM) to provide monthly or quarterly meetings with NRLA members to discuss the many challenges they face in their businesses today.

The following are a few examples of the areas current Advisory Board clients discuss:

• Historical �nancial results• Projected �nancial results• Management personnel

challenges and opportunities• Compensation plans• Legal matters• Industry opportunities• Shareholder matters• Cash �ow opportunities/challenges• Banking and �nancing matters• Capital investment opportunities • Acquisition opportunities• Quali�ed and non-quali�ed retirement plans• Risk management and

asset protection • Business succession planning• Family o�ce• Estate planning

Advisory Board members are also available in between meetings for telephone calls to assist business owners.


nrla.org

For more informationContact: Rita Ferris Email: [email protected] Ph: 518-880-6352

Hourly fees would be structured as follows:

The fees for Advisory Board services can be arranged on an hourly basis or on a monthly/quarterly retainer basis depending on the business owners’ needs.

• Initial meeting at $325.00 � at fee per advisory board member present for up to three hours; no charge

for travel time.

• Travel expenses for airfare/hotel and meals are invoiced at cost. Automobile travel is invoiced at the

IRS applicable rate.

• Subsequent meetings will be invoiced at $300.00 per hour; no charge for the �rst hour of travel.

• Travel time in excess of an hour will be invoiced at $137.50 per hour.

• Preparation for meeting and phone calls between meetings will be invoiced at $300.00 per hour.

If the business owner would prefer a �xed fee to avoid hourly invoicing, a predetermined mutuallyagreeable monthly/quarterly retainer can be established with Conifer Hill Advisors, LLC.

NRLA is working with Conifer Hill Advisors, LLC to provide advisory board services to NRLA members. Each and every member of the team of professionals has spent over 35 years working with owners of closely held businesses. Their professions include certi�ed public accountant (CPA), �nancial planner, attorney, banker, retail sales, and other related careers. Each advisory board member has spent decades working with owners and management to address business and personal needs in addition to providing services related to their individual careers.

NRLA members will be able to meet with advisors on a regular basis. Every engagement is customized to the business owners’ needs. Typically, advisory boards include two to �ve outside advisors. Monthly or quarterly meetings can be scheduled with advisory board members and key owners and management to discuss various business challenges.

NEWAdvisoryBoard forNRLAMembers


Formulating the Best Succession Plan

By Mike Ferraro


TOOL BOX | Finance

Often, closely held businesses are owned by multiple generations or more than one sibling. Agreeing on a succession plan is often a long process that requires understanding multiple owners’ personal financial goals along with balancing family relationships. Selection of a new family leader, per-sonal differences in lifestyle needs, the ability of siblings to work closely once the patriarch is retired, and differences of opinion regarding the speed and financial impact of a succession plan im-plementation are some of the challeng-es that need to be considered as part of a succession plan. The significance of starting the planning process early is to allow time to determine the best succession strategy for the business and owners and to ensure there is adequate time to implement the plan in a way that results

in the best possible outcome. My experi-ence is that no two succession plans are the same. There is not a clear right way to do it, but there is always a best way to do it. The best way is usually not perfect, but it provides the business, the owners, and, in many cases, the owner’s families with the best possible outcome.

Formulation of the best succession plan usually includes answering the following questions:• Is the form of business ownership likely

to result in a tax-efficient transfer?

• Should the business and the assets included in the business be restructured to allow for the greatest post transaction cash flow? For example, if the business owns real estate, should the real estate be removed pre transaction?

The time to think about a succession plan for the business and its owners is three to five years before the event takes place. Formulating a succession plan right before a business owner is ready to exit typically results in lower realization of value for the business in a sale. If the succession plan includes transfer to the next generation, greater family disruption will likely occur. Not having adequate time to formulate and administer a succession plan can result in higher estate and income taxes and disproportionate distribution of family wealth among siblings. When not all of a business owners siblings participate in the family business, one of the many challenges the owner must face is sibling financial equalization and financial fairness.



TOOL BOX | Finance

Mike Ferraro is a director at Conifer Hill Advisors. He has over 40 years of experience providing financial and tax compliance and management advisory services to companies in various industries.

Michael works closely with the client’s management team to deliver financial and tax compliance services. He also works closely with company shareholders to formulate short- and long-term strategies to ensure their success. He can be reached at [email protected] or 617-877-5800.

• What is the business worth?

• Is there anything that needs to be done now to increase value in the future?

• Does the owner need to monetize the value of the business to live comfortably post transfer?

• Are there steps that need to be taken pre transaction to prepare the business for sale to a strategic buyer?

• Should the owner consider sale of the business to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)?

• If the business is going to remain in the family, what options exist to transfer the business? For example, gifting, selling to a grantor trust, part gift/part sale, complete vs. partial transfer.

• Should the business be recapitalized with voting and nonvoting common

stock to allow for retention of control while transferring value?

• How should the plan be structured to minimize income and estate tax?

• In cases where not all of the owner’s siblings work in the business what is the plan to equalize the non-working siblings in the event the working siblings retain the business?

As you can see there are many questions that need to be addressed as part of a well-thought-out succession plan. The above list is not all inclusive. In most cases, the answer to one question raises several other questions that need answering. Getting an early start on succession planning will allow you to understand your options while providing time to create the plan that

best accomplishes your objectives. Once the plan is determined, time will be needed to communicate and implement it. The best time to formulate a succession plan is long before it is required due to reasons either within your control or forced upon you as a result of unforeseen circumstances. LC



By Mike Petrocelli

BUILDING YOUR BRAND IS AS EASY AS EVER and doesn’t take major ad campaigns to make an impact in your market. With social media options and portals into specific audienc-es, you can gain an audience overnight. In your space as a sup-plier to pro-builders , you can target both your customers and theirs with informative media geared toward many facets of the industry: kitchen and bath, decking, flooring, hardware, plumb-ing, tricks of the trade, specific items on sale, sections of your out-side yard, where to find this or that in your store…and on and on. Combining the following ideas can give you endless branding ideas that cost either nothing or next to it!

FOR LESS THAN $1,000!



TOOL BOX | Marketing

USE YOUR CO-OP DOLLARS: As a former rep in the industry, I can’t tell you how much funding I watched go unused just because of both the lack of knowing it was there and not knowing how to use it. Advertising dollars are set aside for you to use them. In some cases, 50 to 100 percent of your initiative may be covered depending on the specifics allowed by the supplier. It’s worth asking your wholesale suppliers if you have any accumulated co-op dollars. If not, ask if they would be willing to partner with you for a campaign that pushes their product line. This is an opportunity to co-brand with them. Use your logo along with theirs to create strong alliances that let your customers know you are the source! RECOGNIZE EMPLOYEE MILESTONES: Recognize your employees and publicize it! Start with 5-year increments, as well as any professional achievements received in their given field. It’s an opportunity to show your employees they’re valuable and to let your community know you acknowledge those who are the personality of the business. Find out their personal style and/or something they enjoy doing outside of work and present them with a logoed jacket or item that they can enjoy. Post their achievement in a local paper or magazine and on social media channels to get the word out.

IDENTIFY AND ENGAGE YOUR EMPLOYEE BRAND AMBASSADORS: Within your company, your employees are the best ambassadors for your brand. In some cases, these people have been with you for decades—they are the personality of the business. The store, yard, and community give them the ability to engage and spread good will

with inexpensive and useful items like branded pens, pencils, keychains, lip balms, sunscreen, and other inexpensive tokens they can pass out. Have them drop off pens at popular restaurants, cafes, and libraries where people will use and pass them out. You can even make it competitive and reward the “Top Engager of the Month,” or something to that effect. Also, identify those that love to grace social media and see if they will be willing to post once per day or week for extra compensation.

HOST A WORKSHOP FOR THE D.I.Y. CROWD: People are more likely to revisit your site if they had a positive experience. This goes for both suppliers and dealers. Use a designated space in your store or warehouse and tie co-op in to get the word out. Many companies already do this, and even provide lunch to draw people in. Serve food and they will come! Also, give branded gifts as a reminder that you hosted them. D.I.Y. is on the rise as people are waiting longer for busy contractors, so capture this lucrative market with expertise and create trust with homeowners, as well as your pro-builders. Have a list of pro-builders in case your audience wants options.

PROMOTE A BACK TO SCHOOL CAMPAIGN: Although this loosely connected to the LBM industry, it’s a major opportunity to be an ambassador in your community. Secondary schools ask for supplies due to tight budgets and less fortunate students in need. Teachers often use their own funds to buy supplies for kids who don’t have what they need for school. Some even buy meals throughout the year for kids that can’t afford to bring one. Either

giving supplies directly to the schools or hosting a back-to-school campaign by providing branded bags and having people—drop off at designated locations can create a powerful affiliation.

COLLABORATE WITH DIFFERENT BUSINESSES: Approach your bank and see if they’ll allow you to display in their lobby; Host an informational job fair at a local High School; Have a “home safety setup” at a local festival or craft fair and inform people of the latest home safety tips. Retractable banner stands are an easy display that can setup and break down quickly and quietly. Have brochures and a few inexpensive promo items available for engaging prospects.

INVEST IN SOCIAL MEDIA: Share, share, share…all over social media! Along with an onsite ambassador to post short videos at your store, inquire with a proven social media marketing company who has attained local results. I stress local because each region has a different personality and knowing the ins and outs of your region is an important strategy for obtaining best results. Tying in several main channels like LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook will cover most of your audience, and a good social media guru will find the correct audience and know how to draw their attention. Social media is both engaging and powerful, let alone the way of the present and future! LC

Michael Petrocelli is the owner of Petrocelli Marketing Group which specializes in Branded Giveaways. He spent years as a wholesale rep in the Lumber Industry and now works with dealers and suppliers. He can be reached at [email protected] or 800-264-4294.



TOOL BOX | Insurance Matters

Improvements to Trucking Industry Regulations Could Help Businesses Hire DriversBy Brittany Emerson

The U.S. economy depends on trucks to deliver nearly $670 billion worth of manufactured and retail goods annually. It’s estimated that 15.5 million trucks operate in the U.S., transporting over 70% of the country’s freight. These numbers are only expected to increase, as online shopping for the retail industry continues growing year-over-year, creating a huge demand for shipped goods. It seems like good news. However, the U.S. is also experiencing a shortage of truck drivers, according to the American Trucking Association (ATA). The ATA estimates that the U.S. is currently short 50,000 drivers with that number expected to climb to 175,000 by 2026. The industry is hoping that revised regulations and a renewed interest in the profession will lead to more individuals becoming licensed commercial truck drivers. Operating a commercial motor vehicle requires a greater level of knowledge, experience and physical ability than merely driving a car. Therefore, federal government regulates Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL) with permit tests to help keep highways and roads safe. Every state may also necessitate additional requirements, which can be found by visiting a particular state’s Department of Motor Vehicle’s website. One recent commercial transportation update looks to help attract new truck drivers to the profession and increase opportunities for current drivers as well. Since the federal government is aware of the shortage of drivers, it has committed to reforming redundant regulations that make it difficult and cumbersome for driver trainees to get their commercial licenses.

New Rule Expected to Save Drivers Time and MoneyOn March 5, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced a new final regulatory rule, streamlining the process for commercial drivers when upgrading from a Class B to a Class A CDL. This amends the old rule established in 2016 that required the same level of theory training for individuals obtaining their CDL for the

first time as for those who already held a Class B CDL and were simply upgrading to a Class A CDL. The final rule is estimated by FMCSA to provide significant savings to companies and driver trainees of approximately $18 million annually. The agency estimates that over 11,000 eligible driver trainees will benefit yearly and experience an average re-duction of 27 hours in time spent completing their theory instruc-tion, which are units that are related to non-driving activities. The final rule does not change the behind-the-wheel (range and public road) training requirements included in the 2016 rule. Furthermore, FMCSA says the final rule, “will maintain the same level of safety” established previously. For truck drivers, it helps reduce time spent attaining a Class A CDL, which has the potential to increase job opportunities and their paychecks. For businesses, it gets trained drivers on the road more quickly to help grow the business. Beyond obtaining the necessary license, it is also crucial for business owners to provide new drivers with safety training and onboarding to ensure drivers understand safety best practices and procedures before operating a vehicle. Most workplace injuries and accidents occur within the first few weeks on the job. In 2013, nearly one-third of injuries or illnesses occurred by employees with less than one year of service.

Important safety topics to reinforce include:• Distracted Driving Prevention & Cell Phone Policy• City Routes (if driving in urban/dense areas)• Three Points of Contact Safety• Fleet Technology (dash cameras, telematics)• Driver Fatigue• Speed and Space Management• Defensive Driving• Backing

These are just a few suggested topics to cover with any new hire joining your team. The Acadia Loss Control team is available to provide additional tips and resources to Acadia Insurance customers. For more information, contact a Loss Control representative or your independent insurance agent. To find an agent near you, visit acadiainsurance.com. LC

Acadia Insurance is pleased to share this material with its customers. Please note, however, that nothing in this document should be construed as legal advice or the provision of professional consulting services. This material is for general informational purposes only, and while reasonable care has been utilized in compiling this information, no warranty or representation is made as to accuracy or completeness.


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TOOL BOX | National Perspective

This year, Democrats are considering legislation that would

make significant changes to federal labor law that unions are

staunchly in favor of. The “Protecting the Right to Organize Act”

(PRO Act) would makes changes to the National Labor Relations

Act (NLRA) and other federal laws that would cause problems for

employee freedom and damage privacy when deciding whether

to unionize, while also undermining industrial sectors crucial to

America’s success.

First, the PRO Act would make a government employee

the sole arbitrator for union contract negotiations. There are no

requirements for this person’s background and this arbitrator’s

decision would be binding. Another change the PRO Act would

make would be to eliminate worker privacy by removing the

ability for secret ballot elections when determining whether or

not to unionize. This would undermine the current process and

threaten the privacy of employers and employees.

In addition, the PRO Act would require employers to

hand over employee contact information to union organizers

without the employees’ consent without an ability to opt out.

Lastly, the PRO Act contains a provision known as the “ABC

test,” which would significantly reduce the options available

to part-time workers to operate as independent contractors.

California is considering a related measure with Gig Workers

Rising, a union-backed effort to address declining union

membership by legislating what work can classify under

independent contracting.

The legislation is essentially a give-away to large powerful

unions and raises significant concerns about the effects it would

have on employers, employees and the economy as a whole.

Recently, the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace submitted a

strong letter of opposition to the PRO Act to Congress, namely

the House Education and Labor Committee. Several industry

groups and businesses have joined that effort and testified

against it during a recent hearing.

While the House of Representatives could pass this bill since

it is controlled by Democrats, this legislation would not likely

receive consideration in the Senate. Still, it is a good indicator of

how many view policies regarding labor, employment and other

areas. NLBMDA will continue to be an advocate for the lumber

and building material industry for policies in this area. LC

Congress Considering ProblematicLabor PoliciesBy Kevin McKenney, Director of Government Affairs, NLBMDA



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Color plays an important role in interior design.

Each color can completely transform a room; it can set the tone of the room, the mood, the general ambiance. It also has the power to give the illusion of space or to make a space seem smaller than it is.

Color trends in interior design have evolved over time. Each year, major paint companies announce their “color of the year,” and interior designers adopt these colors to build beautiful kitchens, bathrooms, and living spaces.

But where do these trends come from? Who decides what the newest color trends are?

Interior design color trends are heavily influenced by fashion trends. In fact, most interior design trends, including color, material, and finish, rely on trends that have trickled down from the fashion capital of the world—Milan.

Here are some of the upcoming interior design color trends to look out for in 2019-2020.

Interior Design Color

Trends for 2019-2020

By Rita Melkonian



TOOL BOX | Product Trends

Rita Melkonian is a marketing content specialist at 2020, provider of 2020 Design, the leading kitchen and bathroom design software with built-

in manufacturer catalogs and powerful 3D rendering capabilities. To learn more about 2020 Design, contact [email protected] or call 866-698-2020.

ChampagneChampagne is going to be one of the biggest color trends in 2020. If you think champagne is boring, think again.

Champagne is replacing the cool grays that have been dominating the world of interior design for years. This beige, natural tone will make a room feel warmer than its gray counterpart. Champagne adds an earthy touch to interiors and creates a calming environment.

You can pair champagne with bold textures and materials if you want to add interest to a room. You can also play around with metallic accessories such as gold and silver.

Lemon YellowYellow is the color of optimism and happiness. It will instantly liven up any room, although too much of it might create the opposite effect. Designers tend to use yellow sparingly, generally as an accent wall color.

Gen-Z yellow was a popular color in 2019, but lemon yellow will replace it in the coming year. This new hue adds a refreshing burst of color to a room and works well in nurseries, workspaces, and bedrooms.

Forest GreenGreen was a popular color trend in Milan Design Week 2019, and we will see a lot more of it in 2020. Forest green will be in the limelight, although less saturated versions of it.

Light forest green can be used on walls or on key furniture pieces such as sofas, armchairs, and dining chairs. It’s a trend that takes us back to nature and creates a serene environment.

FuchsiaRemember that bright, pink hue that was all the craze in the ’80s? Well, it looks like it’s making a comeback in 2020. Don’t worry—it’s not meant for entire rooms; it’s mainly used as an accent color.

Fuchsia curtains or pillows, for example, work well in a room that needs a bit of pop. It can be combined with pastel colors or with lemon yellow for an interesting contrast.

Sky BlueSky blue and other light tints of blue are becoming more and more popular in the coming year. Different shades of blue can be combined to create a beautiful space.

Blue is also paired with other colors such as dark red/copper to give the room visual interest. You can either use it on walls or you can use it moderately (chairs, coffee tables, sofas, etc.).

Dark RedDark, rich reds and caramels aren’t only reserved for the fall season. They were very popular in the interior design scene in 2019, with Sherwin Williams announcing Cavern Clay as its Color of the Year, and different shades of it will continue to remain popular throughout 2020.

Dark reds add sophistication and warmth to any room. You can use them as an accent color or as a predominant color. They can easily be combined with other tints or shades of red to create a beautiful atmosphere.

CharcoalDark colors have been trending for quite some time now, and they will continue to trend in 2020. Charcoal is a very chic and intimate color that can be used in almost any room—bedroom, kitchen, or bathroom.

Charcoal can be used on an accent wall or can be the main color in a room. It pairs perfectly with other shades of gray, adding visual interest and depth to the space.

MangoMango screams fun, energetic (and delicious)! It’s a color that’s sweeping the interior design scene, and for good reason.

Like most bold colors, mango can be used as an accent color in living rooms or dining rooms. It can also be used to accessorize a room—cushions, throws, armchairs, anything goes. It brightens up a room, and a little goes a long way. LC


MILLING ABOUT | State & Local Happenings


56th MRLDA Golf Outing Draws 220

WINNERSTEAM LOW GROSSFirst Place (59): Todd Jackson and Rick Post (Wolf Home Products), Michael Moynihan Jr. (Moynihan Lumber), and Brendan Maloney (Fiberon)

Second Place (60):Phil Jackson (Holden Humphrey), Joe Burgoyne IV (Henry Co.), and Rob and Greg McNamara Jr. (Arlington Coal & Lumber Co.)

Most Honest: Bob Degre (Huttig Building Products), Mike Laskowski (RDI), and Don and Richard Chace (Chace Building Supply)

PROXIMITIESJones Course—Longest Drive:Hole 6: Women: Kirsten Schuler (Portland Stone Ware)Retail Men: Shayne Jordan (Maki Building Centers)Associate Men: Josh Ruhle (Reeb Millwork)

Closest-to-the-Pin:Hole 4: Retail: Rob McKean (Building Center)Associate: Alex Milano (RSM)

Hole 17: Retail: Scott Paquet (Concord Lumber)Associate: Phil Jackson (Holden Humphrey)

Straightest Drive:Hole 10: Selene Byron (Huttig Building Products)Justin Struth (Metrie)

Nicklaus Course—Longest Drive:Hole 10: Women: Lauren Litwin (Russin Lumber)Retail Men: T.J. McNulty (Hingham Lumber)Associate Men: Hunter Stone (BROSCO)

Closest-to-the-Pin:Hole 7:Retail: Adam Izbicki (Koopman Lumber)Associate: Hunter Stone (BROSCO)

Hole 15: Retail: Mike McDole (National Lumber)Associate: Lou Trottier (Simpson Door)

Straightest Drive:Hole 1: Women: Lydia Smith (BROSCO)Men: Michael Moynihan Jr. (Moynihan Lumber)

50/50 Drawing:Tim Curran (BROSCO)

MULLIGANSNYLE raised $880 for the Scott Robert Vasquezi Scholarship Fund

Two hundred twenty people participated in the 56th Annual Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Association (MRLDA) Golf Outing at the Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth on August 5. The large group once again enjoyed the stunning layouts of both the Jones and Nicklaus courses at Pinehills. This year’s all-scramble format saw the team of Todd Jackson and Rick Post of Wolf Home Products, along with Michael Moynihan Jr. of Moynihan Lumber and Brendan Maloney of Fiberon, fire a blistering 13-under-par 59 to claim Team Low Gross. LC

1.) MRLDA President Rob McKean (Building Center), congratulates First Place Team members Rick Post (left) and Todd Jackson (right), both of Wolf Home Products. 2.) Team Most Honest Score: Don Chace (Chace Building Supply), Bob Degre (Huttig Building Products), and Mike Laskowski (RDI). 3.) Second Place team of Robert McNamara (Arlington Coal Lumber), Joe Burgoyne IV (Henry Co.), Greg McNamara Jr. (Arlington Coal Lumber), and Phil Jackson (Holden Humphrey). 4. Nicklaus Course Long Drivers (left to right) Lauren Litwin (Russin Lumber), T.J. McNulty (Hingham Lumber), and Hunter Stone (BROSCO). 5. MRLDA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient John Brill receives a warm round of applause at the MRLDA Golf Outing.

1 2

3

4 5


Thank You 2019 Sponsors!RED SPONSORS

WHITE SPONSORS

BLUE SPONSORS

American Lumber Atlantis Rail Systems

BB&S Treated Lumber Cleary Millwork

Coastal Forest Products

Gillies and Prittie, Inc.Holbrook Lumber Co.

Langevin Forest ProductsMid-State Lumber Corp.MidWest Fastener Corp.

Northeast Treaters, Inc.Princeton Forest Products

Rex LumberRussin Lumber Corp.

Steel & Wire Northeast

AZEK Building ProductsBlueTarp Financial

Britton Lumber Company Capital Forest ProductsCushman Lumber Co.

Emery Jensen Distribution Epicor Software

Fairway Wholesale Distribution FastenMaster

Holden Humphrey, Inc.Huber Engineered Woods

Keiver-Willard Lumber Corp.Mathews Brothers

Metrie

Nutmeg Forest ProductsParksite

PA Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co. Portland Stone Ware Co., Inc.

Rafferty WholesaleReeb Millwork Corp.Seven D Wholesale

Self Insured Lumber Businesses Association (SILBA) Therma-Tru Doors

Timber Trading GroupThe Trex Company

Warren Trask Company Weyerhaeuser




WINNERSTeam Best Ball Gross (68): Doug Webb, Steve Haselton, Chris Marcotte, and Kirk Cartier (Lumber Barn)

Team Scramble First Place (60): Jeff Bogosian and Justin Struth (Metrie), John McQuinn (Jackson Lumber & Millwork), and Mike Wood (Woodburn Builders)

Team Scramble Second Place (63):Seth Aronson and Colby Dufour (Fiberon) and Rick Post and Marty Wiles (Wolf Home Products).

Team Low Calloway (69): Bill Kopecky (Boston Cedar), Brad Martineau (Jackson Lumber & Millwork), Hank Martineau (Ashland Lumber), and Alex Doane (Gilford Home Center).

Individual Low Gross (72): Steve Haselton (Lumber Barn)

Closest to the Pin: Hole 4: Men: Paul Brassard (retired, Benson Lumber), 9’2”Women: no winner

Hole 8: Men: Dave MacFarland (Moynihan Lumber), 4’11”Women: Lauren Litwin (Russin Lumber), 75’

Hole 12: Men: Bill Kopecky (Boston Cedar), 22’Women: no winner

Hole 15: Men: Doug Webb (Lumber Barn)Women: Lauren Litwin (Russin Lumber), 36’

Longest Drive: Hole 16: Men: Josh Turner (Versatex)

Hole 14: Women: Katie Gallagher (Huber Engineered Woods)

Longest Putt:Hole 17: Dan Norton (Rafferty Wholesale)

Closest to the Line:Hole 11: Alan Beasley (Ricci Lumber)

Putting Contest: Shawn Lewis

NHRLA Door Prize: Alan Beasley (Ricci Lumber)

Lumber Barn Nails 31st Annual NHRLA Golf Outing

Eight-five people attended the 31st Annual New Hampshire Retail Lumber Association (NHRLA) Golf Outing, held on July 11 at the Lake Sunapee Country Club in New London, N.H. The team of Doug Webb, Steve Haselton, Chris Marcotte, and Kirk Cartier, also known as “Team Lumber Barn,” triumphed in the Team Best Ball Low Gross category with a score of 68. Haselton also fired the best individual round with a 72 while Webb claimed Closest to the Pin on the 15th hole. LC

Team Low Calloway Winners: Alex Doane (Gilford Home Center), Brad Martineau (Jackson Lumber), Hank Martineau (Ashland Lumber), and Bill Kopecky (Boston Cedar).

Team Lumber Barn earns Best Ball Low Gross honors.

Team Scramble Winners: Jeff Bogosian (Metrie), John McQuinn (Jackson Lumber & Millwork), Mike Wood (Woodburn Builders), and Justin Struth (Metrie).


Th N H hi R t il The New Hampshire Retail The New Hampshire Retail The New Hampshire Retail pL b A i ti ld lik t th k Lumber Association would like to thank Lumber Association would like to thank Lumber Association would like to thank

th f ll i 2019 the following 2019 sponsors the following 2019 sponsors the following 2019 sponsors the following 2019 sponsors GOLD GOLD GOLD GO

SILVER SILVER SILVER SILVER B ildi P d t PA L b M t l I C Boral Building Products PA Lumbermens Mutual Ins Co Boral Building Products PA Lumbermens Mutual Ins. Co. Boral Building Products PA Lumbermens Mutual Ins. Co.

B t C d Pl Boston Cedar Plygem Boston Cedar Plygem ygDerby Building Products Portland Stone Ware Co Inc Derby Building Products Portland Stone Ware Co , Inc Derby Building Products Portland Stone Ware Co., Inc.

F i Wh l l Di t ib ti LLC Th Q ik t C i Fairway Wholesale Distribution LLC The Quikrete Companies Fairway Wholesale Distribution LLC The Quikrete Companies Fairway Wholesale Distribution LLC The Quikrete Companies Gilli & P itti I Th R l A I Gillies & Prittie Inc The Rowley Agency Inc Gillies & Prittie, Inc. The Rowley Agency, Inc. y g y

Keiver Willard Lumber Corporation Royal Building Products Keiver-Willard Lumber Corporation Royal Building Products Keiver Willard Lumber Corporation Royal Building Products Mid St t L b C Si St Ti Mid State Lumber Corp Simpson Strong Tie Mid-State Lumber Corp. Simpson Strong-Tie d S a e u be Co p. S pso S o g e

NITCO (N thl d I d t i l T k C ) T J i t/W h NITCO (Northland Industrial Truck Co ) Trus Joist/Weyerhaeuser NITCO (Northland Industrial Truck Co.) Trus Joist/Weyerhaeuser ( ) yNortheast Treaters Inc Northeast Treaters, Inc. Northeast Treaters, Inc.

BRONZE BRONZE BRONZE BRONZE A W Hastings & Co LLC Holbrook Lumber Co A.W. Hastings & Co., LLC Holbrook Lumber Co. g ,

BB&S T t d L b f N E l d IKO I d t i BB&S Treated Lumber of New England IKO Industries BB&S Treated Lumber of New England IKO Industries Beau Trusses LLC Lamb & Ritchie Co Beau-Trusses LLC Lamb & Ritchie Co.

Bl T Fi i l M t B d C bi t A ith C ti BlueTarp Financial Master Brand Cabinets Asquith Corporation BlueTarp Financial Master Brand Cabinets Asquith Corporation Capital Forest Products Midwest Fastener Corporation Capital Forest Products Midwest Fastener Corporation p

Cl Mill k p

P t lli M k ti G Cleary Millwork Petrocelli Marketing Group Cleary Millwork Petrocelli Marketing Group Coastal Forest Products Inc Princeton Forest Products Inc Coastal Forest Products, Inc. Princeton Forest Products, Inc. ,

C h L b ,

R ff t Wh l l Cushman Lumber Rafferty Wholesale Cushman Lumber Rafferty Wholesale DiPrizio Pine Sales Russin Lumber Corp DiPrizio Pine Sales Russin Lumber Corp. D Ch i l

pTh T Dow Chemical Therma Tru Dow Chemical Therma Tru

Gordon Corporation Universal Forest Products Gordon Corporation Universal Forest Products pGRK/ITW B d F t GRK/ITW Brand Fasteners GRK/ITW Brand Fasteners


The Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Association (MRLDA) is proud to once again award 20 $1,000 merit scholarships. The scholarships are given in support of the following educational pursuits: 1. associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degrees, 2. vocational or trade school training, or 3. continuing education (5 years post-secondary), including, vocational, degree, or certificate programs. To be eligible, a student must be an employee or family member (child, grandchild, sibling, parent, spouse) of an employee who works for a retail or associate member in good standing with the MRLDA. Associate members must be headquartered in Massachusetts. The MRLDA would like to thank all those who applied this year and congratulate the recipients listed here. LC

Christopher BurakMoynihan Lumber

Hannah BurnsConcord Lumber

Colton CappaGoodrich Lumber

Marina CaspeMarine Home Center

Kathleen CurranBROSCO

Emma FringuelliBoise Cascade

Jacob GiguereHowe Lumber

Elijah GreenKoopman Lumber

Mollie JasperKoopman Lumber

Hannah JonesCowls Business Supply

Emma LaceyBuilding Center

Kaitlyn McCarthyHingham Lumber

Alexsandra MuiseBuilding Center

John MulgrewMozzone Lumber Co.

Shannon ParrChelmsford Lumber

Kaylin Patterson-SoarMoore Lumber

Mary PionBROSCO

Justin ReidKelly Fradet Lumber

Jillian RivardDartmouth Building Supply

Michael StanleyMarine Home Center

NHRLA and Schuler Family Awards $10,000 in ScholarshipsThe New Hampshire Retail Lumber Association (NHRLA) is pleased to announce its 2019 $1,500 scholarship recipients:

The NHRLA is also pleased to partner once again with the Schuler Family to help award the 2019 $1,000 Ron Schuler Sr. Family Scholarship to Derek Goulet, Moynihan Lumber, Plaistow, N.H. LC

MRLDA Awards $20,000 in Scholarships

Victoria BurroughsLaValley Building Supply

Chelsey CaronCaron Building Supply

Eleanor EatonMiddleton Lumber

Elizabeth EatonMiddleton Lumber

Jessica WalshHolden Humphrey

Amanda WellsEast Coast Lumber




NRLA’s FASTEST GROWING AFFILIATEFind out about great things happening in

PA, MD, DE, & D.C.!

COME GROW WITH US! Contact Philip Jagiela at 215-280-3718 or [email protected] to find more about how to join EBMDA.

THANK YOU 2019 SPONSORS

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A tailgate rainstorm didn’t dampen the festivities at the 2019 NYLILA Baseball Outing. It was a sellout crowd watching the Mets prevail over the Nationals in a nail biter of a game. This year NYLILA ticket holders enjoyed seats in Citi Field’s Coke Corner, which gave an outstanding view of the field and also included complimentary food and beverages throughout the game, which was a big hit! LC

NYLILA 2019 Baseball Outing


THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING LIFT!

The Disaster Assistance Committee (DAC) would like to recognize and thank our 2019 donors.Please help us continue to support NRLA member families in need.

(List reflects Oct. 2018 – Sept. 2019)

EBMDA– Eastern Building Material Dealers AssociationENYLDA–Eastern New York Lumber Dealers Association

MHLDA–Mid-Hudson Lumber Dealers AssociationMRLDA–Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Association

NHRLA–New Hampshire Retail Lumber AssociationNJBMDA–New Jersey Building Materials Dealers Association

NNYLDA– Northern New York Lumber Dealers AssociationNYLE– Northeastern Young Lumber Execs

RILBMDA–Rhode Island Lumber & Building Material Dealers Assn.RLDAM–Retail Lumber Dealers Association of Maine

VRLDA–Vermont Retail Lumber Dealers Association

Beckerle Lumber Supply Co., Inc.Belletetes Inc.

Benson Lumber & Hdwe Inc.Bicknell Building Supply

Bushka Lumber & Millwork Co.Cape Cod Lumber Co. Inc.Centre Millwork & Supply

Concord Lumber Corporation

Curtis Lumber Company Inc.Goodrich Lumber

Hingham Lumber Company Inc.J.C. Merriman, Inc.

Jaeger LumberKelly-Fradet Lumber Inc.

Miner’s Inc.Prehung Doors Inc.

Prince Lumber Companyr.k. MILES, Inc.

Ridgefield Supply CompanyS.W. Collins Company

Wadler Bros., Inc.Ward Lumber Company Inc.

Wiley Brothers Inc.

HOW CAN I SUPPORT LIFT?Individuals or corporations can contribute to LIFT. Your contribution may be tax deductible.

LBMDF c/o LIFT, 585 N. Greenbush Rd., Rensselaer, N.Y. 12144-9453

NRLA MEMBERS

NRLA STATE AND LOCALS

The Lumber Industry Fund for Today (LIFT) is an industry-specific fund and member benefit established by the NRLA through its Lumber and Building Material Dealers Foundation (LBMDF) to provide immediate financial assistance and peer support to NRLA member employees significantly impacted by a fire or natural disaster resulting in a loss of shelter.

I have an employee who has lost their home to a fire—how can LIFT help?LIFT will provide up to $2,000 as a tax free, debt-free gift to your employee who has a qualifying loss. You will be asked to donate 25% of the gift, LIFT will cover the rest. Use of the gift is at the discretion of the employee for immediate needs such as food, clothing, temporary shelter and security deposits.

Gregory BraneckyDisaster Assistance

ChairMiner’s Inc.

David MooreMember

Wiley Brothers Inc.

Marie NaughtonPast Chair

Curtis-Newton Corporation

Adrian BakerMemberBROSCO

Ed Godek IIIMember

Rex Lumber

Contact the NRLA director of education for additional information, to make a donation, or to report and employee loss at 800-292-6752 or [email protected] or contact:




The Central New York Retail Lumber Dealers Association (CNYRLDA) held its annual “Day at the Races” on July 13 at Oswego Raceway in Oswego, N.Y. Members, employees, family, and friends enjoyed an action-packed night of racing at CNY’s premier 5/8-mile oval track. It was a great night for racing with the first heat race beginning 6:30 p.m. In all, 120 people from member companies attended the event. Admission was free for all NRLA members and guests compliments of CNYRLDA and Chuck Handley, Burke’s Do it Best Home Center, CNYRLDA Race Event Chair. LC

CNYRLDA Day at the Races

Pictured above: John and Brenda Lehtonen (Foland Lumber) with 12 friends and family members watching the action. Tickets were free for CNYRLDA Members thanks to Chuck Handley.

Pictured right: Chuck Handley (Burke’s Do it Best Home Center), NRLA past chair and now NLBMDA board member, directing the drivers from the tower.

The Super Modifieds scream down the track at over 150 mph!




CNYRLDA Annual Golf Tournament

WINNERS:First Place Team: Dean Distin, Don Gioia, Chuck Handley, and Tom Handley (Burke’s Do it Best Home Center)

Second Place Team: Jason Guiles (BlueLinx), Adam Hall, Tom Kelly, and Joel Edsel (all from Home Central)

Long Drive 1: Paul Cooley (Cooley’s Home Center)

Long Drive 2: Joe Boucher (Quikrete)

Closest to Pin 1:Ben Wakefield (Marvin Windows of NY)

Closest to Pin 2:Joe Ehle Jr. (Liverpool Lumber)

50/50 Winner ($370): Bill Watson (Marriotti Wholesale)

The Central New York Retail Lumber Dealers Association (CNYRLDA) held its Annual Golf Tournament at En-Joie’s Pro Golf Club in Endicott, N.Y., on June 27. It was a beautiful day for golf, with 60 golfers representing 13 retail members and 13 associates showing up to play at the PGA championship course. The Burke’s Do it Best Home Center team swept the tournament with Home Central/BlueLinx coming in a close second as they did last year. Jim Pelowski, Marvin Windows of New York, with the help of Jamie Evans, Reserve Supply of CNY, and Jim Willerton, Belknap Home Center, chaired the tournament at the world-class venue. LC

Tournament Winners Chuck and Tom Handley, Don Gioia, Dean Distin (Burke’s Do it Best Home Center).

Second Place Team: Home Central/BlueLinx: With last year’s hole in one ringer, Tom Kelly, taking a shot. Behind is Adam Hall (Home Central), Jason Guiles (BlueLinx), Joel Edsel.

Closest to Pin winner Joe Ehle Jr. (Liverpool Lumber) with teammates Bryan Bardenett (Mid-State Lumber), Len Barry (Liverpool Lumber), and Mark Chase, (Marvin Windows of New York).

Bill Watson (Marriotti Wholesale) takes home the 50/50 cash. Presenting is Jim Pelowski (Marvin Windows of New York), CNYRLDA golf chair.




RLDAM Enjoys Belgrade LakesWINNERS:TEAM LOW GROSS:First Place: (64) Kiel and Patrick Dyer (Henry Co.) and Matt McGuire and Mark Sheldon (Viking, Inc.)

Second Place: (64) Mark Brassard (Trex) and Peter Krauss, Chris O’Brien, and Mike Washburn (Hancock Lumber).

Third Place: (64) Jay Thurston (Cleary Millwork) with Tim Lord Sr. and Tim Lord Jr. (Lapointe Lumber)

PUTTING CONTEST:Peter Krauss (Hancock Lumber)

STRAIGHTEST DRIVE:Hole 4: Colby Dufour (Fiberon)

Longest Drive:Hole 1:Women: Laurie Palow (Acadia Insurance)Men: Matt McGuire (Viking, Inc.)

Hole 11:Women: Isabel Alexander (Viking, Inc.)Men: Prestin Ryan (Emery Jenson)

CLOSEST-TO-THE-PIN:Hole 2: Bob Jancewicz, 11’1” (Hammond Lumber)

Hole 5: Casey Gallagher, 20’1” (Quikrete)

Hole 8: Greg Hudzik, 6’3” (LBM Advantage)

Hole 13: Timothy Pushard, 23’1” (Reeb Millwork)

Hole 17: Tim Lord, 21’6” (Lapointe Lumber)

The Retail Lumber Dealers Association of Maine (RLDAM) held its 23rd Annual Golf Outing at the Belgrade Lakes Golf Club in Belgrade Lakes, Maine, on June 18. A match of cards had to break a three-way tie for first place. When the dust settled, the team of Kiel and Patrick Dyer, of Henry Co., and Matt McGuire and Mark Sheldon, of Viking, Inc., was victorious with a 7-under-par 64. An exciting putting contest saw Peter Krauss of Hancock Lumber claim the Yeti cooler donated by Metrie. LC

1.) The 1st place team of Mark Sheldon and Matt McGuire of Viking Inc., with Kiel and Patrick Dyer of Henry Co. 2.) The 2nd place team of Mark Brassard, Trex, Mike Washburn, Chris O’Brien, and Peter Krauss, all of Hancock Lumber. 3.) Mark Gosline, Metrie, Gene Flanagan, Viking Inc., and Dick Tarr, Lapointe Lumber, at the spectacular Belgrade Lakes Golf Club. 4.) Putting contest sponsor Mark Gosline of Metrie presents a Yeti cooler to putting champ Peter Krauss of Hancock Lumber. 5.) Lenny Lawson, Hammond Lumber, and Prestin Ryan, Emery Jenson, enjoy the post-round reception.

1

2 3

4 5




WINNERS:Closest to the Pin: Dave Brownell, 2’1”(DB Carpentry)

Longest Drive: Ray Trembley (Bast Hatfield)

50/50 Raffle: Jon Baker (Quikrete)

First Place (61): Mike Fredenberg (Allerdice Building Materials), Rob Mangold (F.H. Alexander, Inc.), Phil Pigliavento and Kevin Bourassa (Tritan Builders).

Second Place (64): Craig Smith (Trus Joist/Weyerhaeuser), John Daly and Fred Hickman (Ed Herrington, Inc.), and Brian O’Rourke (Builders FirstSource).

Third Place (65): Alan Wall(Holden Humphrey) Scott Van Brundt, Adam Martin, and David Schober (Ed Herrington, Inc.).

THANK YOU!ENYLDA wishes to thank its 2019 Sponsors for their support and contributions, with a special thanks to Golf Chair Joe Hirt (Warren Trask) for a fun and successful event.

To better represent itself, ENYLDA has a new logo (seen above). The logo depicts growth, support, and the building community.

ENYLDA Golf OutingThe Eastern New York Lumber Dealer’s Association (ENYLDA) held its annual golf outing on June 14 at the Mohawk Golf Club in Niskayuna. There was a great turnout for the private championship course. It was an early start with shotgun at 8:30 a.m. To everyone’s delight, there was no rain or humidity. Several prizes were awarded during the afternoon reception. LC

Joe Hirt (Warren Trask) with first-place winning team members Kevin Bourassa and Phil Pigliavento (Tritan Builders), Mike Fredenburg (Allerdice Building Supply), and Mike Fredenburg (Allerdice Building Supply).

Jason Hanna (LP Building Solutions).

Second-place team: Fred Hickman (Ed Herrington, Inc.), Brian O’Rourke (Builders FirstSource), Craig Smith (Trus Joist/Weyerhaeuser), and John Daly (Ed Herrington, Inc.)

Mike Duval (Huber Engineered Woods), Bob Eakin (Curtis Lumber Co.), Matt Medoff (Russin Lumber), and Lee Murphy (Curtis Lumber Co.).




On June 26 the New Jersey Building Materials Dealers Association (NJBMDA) held its biannual New York City Harbor Cruise. More than 50 attendees enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city, sailing down the Hudson and East Rivers, past One World Trade Center and the historic Colgate Clock in Jersey

City, with the evenings highlight an up close view of the Statue of Liberty after sunset. Thanks to sponsor PLM for its generous support of this event, and NJBMDA looks forward to hosting this event again in 2021. LC

NJBMDA Cruise




The annual New Jersey Building Materials Dealers Association (NJBMDA) Fishing Trip was held on June 7. Sailing on the Mi-Jo, the boat set out on a clear morning with calm seas. It was a successful day for all 44 anglers on board, with everyone going home with multiple fish, including striped bass and fluke. 2019 NJ Fisherman of the Year honors went to Gerry Cooper of BWI, edging out perennial winner Ken Yerk of Huston Lumber. LC

NJBMDA Fishing

On June 26, the Rhode Island Lumber & Build-ing Material Dealers Association (RILBMDA) celebrated its 2019 scholarship recipients. Five students pursuing post-secondary education received $2,000 awards, and one continuing education award was presented to an employ-ee of a RILBMDA retail member company. The RILBMDA Memorial Scholarships are named for the late William “Jay” Humphrey and David R. Beattie, who were industry leaders and rec-ognized for their commitment to education, the community and the RILBMDA. LC

2019 Scholarship Recipients and the sponsoring company:Emma Becker, Humphrey’s Building SupplyKelly Daigneault, Liberty CedarMatthew Levesque, National LumberMarissa Stern, Douglas LumberErica Winn, Arnold Lumber

Continuing Education Scholarship:Jennifer Doades, Arnold Lumber

RILBMDA Scholarship Presentation


Katie Bragen, Woodhaven Lumber (attending Georgian Court University)

Dillon Connoly, Builders General (attending University of South Carolina)

Jennifer Eannucci, Mid-State Lumber(matriculating at Rider University)

Holley Petrie, E.W. McClave, Inc., (going to Montclair State University)

Megan Catherine Cartier, Conover Beyer Associates, (Stockton University)

Shannon DeVuyst, Kuiken Brothers(University of Vermont)

Timothy Jones, Universal Supply Company (Montclair State University)

Nicholas Kohler, Jaeger Lumber(Juniata College)

Caitlynn McTernan, Jaeger Lumber & Supply(LaFayette College)

Zach Noble, Universal Supply(Michigan Technology University)

2019 Scholarship Winners



NJBMDA Golf and Scholarship PresentationThe annual NJBMDA Golf Outing was held on August 12, at Neshanic Valley Golf Course. It was a beautiful day for golf, with a light breeze, low humidity and blue skies. Eighty-eight golfers enjoyed the fast greens and complimentary snacks and beverages on the course, thanks to beverage cart sponsor Bridgewater Wholesalers. Hole sponsors included BROSCO, The Empire Company and WOLF. With individual stroke play format, winners included Doug

Helmacy, BWI; Sean Riley, BlueTarp; Pete Berkanish, Eastern Insurance; Gary Postel, PLM; Bob Smith, The Empire Companies; and Ed Acker, The Empire Companies. The NJBMDA Trustees were pleased to award ten $1,000 scholarships this year. During the dinner at the golf outing, NJBMDA President Bruce Stout, Huston Lumber, and Trustee David Bernstein, Mid-State Lumber, awarded scholarships to the present recipients seen below. LC




First Place Foursome:John Kerr (Reeb Millwork)Josh Ruhle (Reeb Millwork)Michael Winter (Builders Surplus)Cory Bates (Coventry Lumber)

Second Place Foursome:Mike McDole (National Lumber)Bob Nickerson (National Lumber)Jay Almeida (National Lumber)Mike Wahl (National Lumber)

Longest Drive:Jody Venditetti (Riverhead Building Supply)Josh Ruhle (Reeb Millwork)

Closest to the Pin:Michelle Packer (Huttig)Henry Marsella (Douglas Lumber)

RILBMDA Golf and Clambake

WINNERS:

THANK YOU!Thank you all the generous retail and associate members for donating raffle prizes, participating in the “On the Green” 50/50 for RILBMDA education program and for purchasing mulligans to support the NYLE scholarship program.




The Mid-Hudson Lumber Dealer’s Association (MHLDA) hosted its annual golf outing on Monday, July 15, at the Powelton Club in Newburgh, N.Y. Attendance was up, and folks enjoyed a beautiful day. The day started with a barbecue lunch, followed by a shot at the $2,500 putting contest. Attendees received a ticket for their chance at the contest, and Alan Wall of Holden Humphrey was selected for the shot. A scramble format immediately followed. There were several prize holes, including two $10,000 holes-in-one, resort vacation, longest drive, and closest to the pin. No one won the hole-in-one prizes; however, many awards were given during the dinner reception. At the dinner reception, Nolan Levine of Fallsburg Lumber Co. was named the 2019 Lumber Person of the Year. Congratulations, Nolan! The MHLDA Annual meeting will be held on Friday, Oct. 11 at Bernie’s Holiday Restaurant, Rock Hill N.Y., where he will receive his award. We hope you will join us. LC

WINNERS:First place (58):Team No. 4: Mike Waldron and Danny Lane (Builders FirstSource), and Jason Rastad and Chris Burns (Boston Cedar).

Second place (59):Team No. 10: Nolan and Steve Levine (Fallsburg Lumber Co.), Darrin Raynor (Russin Lumber), and Josh Barney (Bridgewater Wholesalers Inc.).

Third place (61):Team No. 2: Jeff Paladino (Milton Hardware & Building), Mike Cappilins (Wallkill Federal Savings & Loan), Pat Rose (A & R Security), and Bob Baxter (Baxter Builders).

Straightest drive and closest to the pin: Robert Hard (N. Dain Son’s Co. Inc.).

Longest drive:Josh Barney (Bridgewater Wholesalers Inc.).

THANK YOU!MHLDA would like to thank the following volunteers: Lori Turner, Robin Protsko, Mike Fahrenkopf, and Brian Rivenburgh. A special thanks to Golf Chair Fred Seeger.

MHLDA would also like to thank its sponsors for their support, contributions, and participation.

To better represent itself, MHLDA has a new logo (seen above). The logo depicts its geographical location as well as the bridge between commercial and residential building.

MHLDA Golf Outing

Second-place team: Darrin Raynor (Russin Lumber), Steve and Nolan Levine (Fallsburg Lumber Co.), and Josh Barney (Bridgewater Wholesalers Inc.).

Alan Wall (Holden Humphrey) takes a shot at the $2,500 putt.

Fred Seeger with closest-to-the-pin and straightest-drive winner Robert Hard (N. Dain Son’s Co. Inc) and President Vic Milano (Jilco Window Corp.).




SOURCE | Associate Members

SUPPORT THOSE ASSOCIATE MEMBERS WHO SUPPORT US

MANUFACTURERSAdvanced Building ProductsAlexandria MouldingAlluraAndersen Windows, Inc.Atlantis Rail SystemsB.B.&S. Treated Lumber of New EnglandBenjamin Obdyke Inc.Boral Building Products, Inc.Boro Sawmill & Timber Co., Inc.CertainTeed CorporationDAP Products Inc.Deckwise, the Ipe Clip Fastener Co., Inc.Digger Specialties, Inc.DoormericaDow Dupont Performance Building SolutionsDuchesne Et Fils LteeDurgin and Crowell Lumber Co.EuroTec GmbHFabco Building Component FabricatorsFontrick Door, Inc.GAF Materials Corp.Georgia-PacificGlenview DoorsHohmann & Barnard, Inc.House of ForgingsHuber Engineered Woods, LLCHuttig Building ProductsIdeal Concrete Block CompanyIKO SalesIndustrial Pallet, LLCInterforIntex Millwork SolutionsIsolofoamJeld-Wen Windows and DoorsJohns ManvilleKasson & Keller, Inc.Kohltech Windows and Entrance SystemsKoppers Performance Chemicals, Inc.KVAL, Inc.L.J. Smith Inc.Lincoln WindowsLonza Wood ProtectionMaine Wood Treaters, Inc.Marvin Windows and DoorsMasonite International Corp.Mathews Brothers Co.MoistureShield Composite DeckingMonadnock MillworkNational Vinyl LLCNeuma DoorsNextGen Building ComponentsNordic Structures Inc.Northeast Treaters, Inc.OMG, Inc. DBA FastenMasterPalram Americas Inc.Patwin PlasticsPDJ Components, Inc.Phoenix Manufacturing Inc.Ply Gem Performance CollectionPollard Windows, Inc.PPG Machine Applied CoatingsPrimeSource Building Products, Inc.Quikrete - BostonRobbins Lumber Co., Inc.Rogue Valley DoorRoseburg Forest ProductsRoyal Building ProductsSimpson Door Co.Simpson Strong-Tie, Inc.Stergis Aluminum Products Corp.Synergy Wood Products, Inc.The Waldun GroupTIVA Building ProductsTrim Solutions, LLCUnited States Gypsum Co.Universal Forest ProductsUpstate Door, Inc.USP Structural Connectors

Viance, LLCVista Railing SystemsW.D. Matthews Machinery Co.Weaber, Inc.Windsor MillWoodgrain Millwork

MANUFACTURER’S REPRESENTATIVESComponent Sales & MarketingElite Sales & MarketingIdeal RoofingKarden AssociatesKelley Marketing Specialist, LLCKPF CorporationL. Thibeault & AssociatesLamb & RitchieMullen Sales, Inc.Newbury Sales GroupNortheast Marketing Associates, LLCPreferred Marketing Associates, Inc.Pro MarkSales Professionals, Inc.

SERVICESAcadia Insurance CompanyADPAhrens, Fuller, St. John & VincentAlampi & Associates Management Corp.AmTrust North AmericaAssociates Management Corp.Association Master TrustBeltz Ianni & Associates, LLCBig Apple Crane CertifiersBIK HydraulicsBlueTarp Financial, Inc.Brodie Toyota-LiftBuilders Association of Greater BostonBuilderWire, Inc.Cadsoft CorporationCohenno, Inc.Combilift USA, LLCConover Beyer AssociatesCraneWorks, Inc.CT Darnell Construction - Sunbelt RackD.C. Bates Equipment Co., Inc.DMSiEastern Insurance Group, LLCECi Software SolutionsEpicor Software Corp.Federated InsuranceGarden State Engine & Equip. Co., Inc.Gilroy, Kernan & Gilroy InsuranceGrassi & Co.GreenSky, LLCHarry L. Folsom ClubHarter, Secrest & Emery LLPHIAB USA, Inc.Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Western MAHyundai Material HandlingI State Truck CenterIDEASImpact 180 Consulting GroupInnoMark CommunicationsJackson Lewis, PCJames HardieKerridge Commercial SystemsKrauter Auto-StakLCS&Z, LLPLovell Safety Management Co., LLCMajure Data Inc.Marquis Sales & MarketingMember Insurance Agency, Inc.Modern GroupNational Kitchen & Bath AssociationNew Hampshire Home Builders Association

NitcoNortheastern Lumber Manufacturers AssociationPaladin Data Corp.Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance CompaniesPenske Truck LeasingPetrocelli Marketing GroupPonderosa SoftwarePoulos AdvisorsRed Horse USA, Inc.Riverhead Building Supply Corp.Roehrs & Company, Inc.Rose & Kiernan, Inc.RR DonnelleyRSM US LLPSILBASturm Corp. DBA Cranes 101 Cranes Aerial Truck ServiceSynchrony FinancialThe Rowley AgencyThompson and Johnson Equipment Co., Inc.True Value CompanyUSI Insurance Services, LLCW.J. Cox AssociatesWheeler ConsultingWipfli/MacpageWoodworksWorkSafeWorkSmart.com, LLCYesware Solutions, Inc.

WHOLESALERSA&B Wood DesignA.W. Hastings & Co., LLCAmerican Lumber Co. Inc.American Saturated Felt, Inc.Atlantic Forest ProductsAtlantic Plywood Corp.Bateman Brothers Lumber Co., Inc.Beau-TrussesBeland Forest Products Ltd.Bennett Supply of NYBlueLinxBoise CascadeBOSCUSBoston CedarBRINC Building Products, Inc.Britton Lumber Company LLCBROSCOCameron Ashley Building ProductsCapital Forest Products, Inc.Cleary MillworkCoastal Specialty Forest Products, Inc.Cooperative Reserve Supply, Inc.Culpeper Wood PreserversCushman Lumber Co., Inc.Dakeryn Industries, Ltd.DeGroat Industrial Group DBA Lumber TradesDenison-Cannon Co.Di Prizio Pine SalesDo It Best Corp.Eastern Engineered Wood ProductsEmery Jensen DistributionFairway Wholesale Distribution, LLCFlagship Forest ProductsFLW Wood International Inc.Garden State Lumber ProductsGarmar Industries Inc.General WoodcraftGenesee Reserve Supply Co.Gilfoy Distributing Co.Gillies & Prittie, Inc.Goodfellow, Inc.GRK FastenersHancock Lumber Co.Hardware Suppliers, Inc.Holbrook Lumber Co.Holden Humphrey, Inc.

Hood Distribution - McQuesten GroupILVA USAJ&S Supply Corp.Johnson Lumber Company, LLCJWS DistributingKeiver-Willard Lumber Corp.Langevin Forest Products, Inc.LBM AdvantageLiberty Building ProductsLumbermens Merchandising Corp.Madison Wood Preservers, Inc.Manufacturers Reserve SupplyMariotti Building Products Inc.MetrieMid-State Lumber Corp.Millbrook LumberNational Nail CorporationNorth Counties Supply Co., Inc.North East Sales Corp.Northeast Lumber Sales, Inc.Nutmeg Forest Products, Inc.Orgill, Inc.Oxford Timber, Inc.Paint Sundries SolutionsParksitePhiladelphia Reserve Supply Co.Plywood Specialties, Inc.Portland Stone Ware Co., Inc.Princeton Forest Products, Inc.R.A. Graham Co., Inc.Rafferty WholesaleReeb Millwork Corp.Reserve Supply of CNYRex Lumber Co.Russin Lumber Corp.Screw Products, Inc.Seacoast Mills, Inc.Seven D WholesaleShamrock Building MaterialsSherwood Lumber Corp.Stair Parts SupplyStarborn Industries, Inc.Super Enterprises, Distributors of Marvin Window and Door ProductsTaiga Building Products Ltd.Timber Trading GroupTop Notch DistributorsTrue Value Co.U2 FastenersV. Zappala & Co., Inc.Vermont Wholesale Building Prod., Inc.Warren Trask Company, Inc.WeyerhaeuserWholesale Building SpecialtiesWiener, Crowley & St. John, Inc.Wolf Home Products


Are you retiring from the LBM industry? Do you want to stay connected to the

news and events happening in the industry?

The NRLA has always had a membership category for retired members who wanted to stay active,

but recently, the NRLA board of directors voted to make membership FREE to NRLA retired members.

If you are interested in changing your status to a retired member, please contact Maria Lynch for a membership application at [email protected] or 518-880-6374. It’s FREE to be a

retired member, but we do need you to fill out the application so we can have your most current information.

FOREVER A MEMBERCURRENT

RETIRED MEMBERSMerrill Becker

William BeseckerRichard Blackwell

Frank BlairJohn BrillDick Buck

Floyd CalkinsFrank ChalmersBruce Charleson

Jack CloughJack ConnorsTom Driscoll

Ronald DupuisAndrew Durosky

Roger GiorgioJon Hallgren

Fred IndermaurLowell Jaeger

Bill KellyJeannine Larin

Kenneth LathamTimothy Llewellyn

Peter MandragourasPatricia McDonough

Eileen MiskellTony Morgan

Gerard MoynihanRichard NicholsHarold Oehler

Anthony PortanovaDan ReillyAllen Riley

Brian RivenburghPeter Rogers

Stanton RollerLinda Taft

Richard TaylorBen TedescoRobert Thing

Tony TrubianoRobert Vasquezi

Allan ZackRobert Zavorskas

Bob Zellan



SOURCE | Advertising Index

Company .............................................. XXwww.website

Company .............................................. XXwww.website

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free trial: www.softplan.com or 1-800-248-0164 houses, pole barns, kitchens baths & decks

design | 3D | materials lists

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

HAVE NEWS TO SHARE?Contact our editor at [email protected].

Acadia Insurance ............................................................69www.acadiainsurance.com

Anthony Forest Products ...............................................53www.anthonyforest.com

Bigfoot .............................................................................94www.bigfootsystems.com

Boston Cedar ............................................................... OBCwww.bostoncedar.com

BlueLinx ........................................................................ IBCwww.bluelinxco.com

Boise Cascade .............................................................1, 51www.bc.com/distribution

Boral ................................................................................17www.versettastone.com

BROSCO ......................................................................... IFCwww.brosco.com

Cleary Millwork .................................................................9www.clearymillwork.com

DeckWise .........................................................................25www.deckwise.com

EBMDA .............................................................................79 www.nrla.org/NRLA/StateLocals/EBMDA

Holbrook Lumber Company ............................................7www.holbrooklumber.com

Huber Engineered Woods ..............................................37www.huberwood.com

Huttig Building Products .................................................5www.huttig.com

Koppers ...........................................................................15 www.kopperspc.com

Krauter Auto-Stak...........................................................71www.krauterautostak.com

LIFT ..................................................................................81 www.nrla.org

LBM Expo ...................................................................61, 95www.versatex.com

MRLDA .............................................................................75 www.nrla.org/NRLA/StateLocals/MRLDA

NHRLA .............................................................................77 www.nrla.org/NRLA/StateLocals/NHRLA

NRLA .............................................................. 49, 62-63, 91 www.nrla.org

NYLE .................................................................................71 www.nrla.org/NRLA/StateLocals/NYLE

Palram .............................................................................19www.palighttrimboard.com

PrimeSource Building Products ....................................13www.primesourcebp.com

Royal Building Products .................................................21www.royalbuildingproducts.com/lumberco-op

Soft Plan ..........................................................................94www.softplan.com

Versatex ..........................................................................23www.versatex.com

Weyerhaeuser ...................................................................3www.weyerhaeuser.com/woodproducts

WOLF Home Products ....................................................11www.wolfhomeproducts.com


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BOSTON, MALBMEXPO.COM

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John Brill Comes “Home” to Visit

July 1994 July 2019July 1994 July 2019

Then 25 Years Later

Pictured Left from L to R: Vickie Brill (John’s granddaughter), Linda Falzano and Nancy Darcangelo (former NRLA colleagues from Rochester), Jack Brill (John’s son), and Mary Jane and Frank Blair (NRLA chair, 1985), with John Brill.

In what was supposed to have been just a gathering of old

friends, members of the Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers

Association (MRLDA) surprised retired NRLA President John Brill

with the 2019 MRLDA Lifetime Achievement Award. John was

making his way around the Northeast, along with his son Jack

and granddaughter Vickie, when some local industry stalwarts

planned a dinner at the Pinehills Golf Club the evening before

MRLDA’s Eastern Golf Outing. Joe Cusack, Upstate Door, emceed

the evening of fond memories and tall tales. It concluded with

Cusack and MRLDA Past President and current Legislative Chair-

man Harvey Hurvitz, Cape Cod Lumber, presenting MRLDA’s

2019 Lifetime Achievement Award plaque to Brill. Brill, although

surprised, gave poignant remarks in acceptance, ever grateful for

MRLDA’s staunch support of the NRLA throughout the years. Brill

was first hired by the NRLA in 1959 as an administrative assistant

where he worked for eight years. He then spent the next 18 years

in the corporate world before rejoining the NRLA in 1986 as ex-

ecutive vice president, retiring with the title of president in 2001.

A group of industry vets turned out to honor John Brill on August 4 at the Pinehills Golf Club. MRLDA surprised John Brill (center) with their 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award.


END CAP


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