The Merchant 9-14

THE YEAR IN OSB VERSATILE REDWOOD WESTERN RED CEDAR SALES TOOLS

SEPTEMBER 2014

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

4 The Merchant Magazine September 2014 Building-Products.com

September 2014 Volume 93 Number 3

OnlineBREAKING INDUSTRY NEWS, EVENT PHOTOS, & DIGITALEDITION OF THE MERCHANT

BUILDING-PRODUCTS.COM

The MERCHANT Magazine

CHANGE OF ADDRESS Send address label fromrecent issue, new address, and 9-digit zip to addressbelow. POSTMASTER Send address changes to TheMerchant Magazine, 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480,Newport Beach, Ca. 92660-1872.The Merchant Magazine (ISSN 7399723) (USPS796-560) is published monthly at 4500 Campus Dr.,Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660-1872 by CutlerPublishing, Inc. Periodicals Postage paid at NewportBeach, Ca., and additional post offices. It is an inde-pendently-owned publication for the retail, wholesaleand distribution levels of the lumber and building prod-ucts markets in 13 western states. Copyright®2014 byCutler Publishing, Inc. Cover and entire contents arefully protected and must not be reproduced in anymanner without written permission. All RightsReserved. It reserves the right to accept or reject anyeditorial or advertising matter, and assumes no liabilityfor materials furnished to it.

Special Features9 INDUSTRY TRENDS

BUYERS ADJUST TO HIGH MDF PRICES

10 FEATURE STORYOSB MAKERS KEEP PRODUCTION

HIGH DESPITE SLIPPING PRICES

12 MARGIN BUILDERSDEALERS HELP SHAPE WESTERN RED

CEDAR SALES TOOLS

14 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTREDWOOD FOR ANY PROJECT

20 NAWLA–THINKING AHEADNAVIGATING FREIGHT CHALLENGES

48 PHOTO RECAPUMPQUA VALLEY MILL WEEK

In Every Issue6 TOTALLY RANDOM

16 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

18 OLSEN ON SALES

30 MOVERS & SHAKERS

34 APP WATCH

35 MANAGEMENT TIPS

38 FAMILY BUSINESS

40 NEW PRODUCTS

51 ASSOCIATION UPDATE

52 IN MEMORIAM

52 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE

53 DATE BOOK

54 IDEA FILE

54 ADVERTISERS INDEX

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www.building-products.comA publication of Cutler Publishing

4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, CA 92660

Publisher Alan [email protected]

Publisher Emeritus David CutlerDirector of Editorial & Production

David [email protected]

Contributing EditorsDwight CurranJames Olsen

Carla Waldemar

Advertising Sales ManagerChuck Casey

[email protected]

Administration Director/SecretaryMarie Oakes [email protected]

Circulation Manager Heather [email protected]

How to AdvertiseChuck Casey

Phone (949) 852-1990 Fax [email protected]

Alan Oakeswww.building-products.com


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TOTALLY RandomBy Alan Oakes

Hey, I’m not dead yet!I HOPE MOST of you were able to get a break this summer and enjoy some time

off. I was fortunate to return to Europe to visit family. The EU economy stilldoes not feel quite right or strong. Coupled with the issues in Putinland and theMiddle East, I am concerned about an impact here in the short- and mid-term.Certainly, other nations look to a strong U.S. economy to pull them through.

Being back in the Old World provides a perhaps appropriate opportunity to geta few things off my aging chest. Yes, sometimes it is no fun getting old. Yes, mydoctor is my new best friend, my back aches, I nap after dinner, I forget things,the waist line gets bigger, and the elastic waist band is a relief, but I am still thebundle of joy I have always been. I may no longer love everything the young do,but I am pretty good with technology, still sing the latest hits on my way to work(badly), I still like to party (as some of you can attest), and I am often the last toleave at the end of the night!

So I recently read that there are 100 million of us over 50 in this country andthat we possess more than 70% of the disposable income. We buy two-thirds ofthe cars, over half of the computers, and we pay the stars’ exorbitant earnings bybuying over a third of all movie tickets. We love to travel (about 80% of premiumtravel) and we have found the likes of Amazon by buying $7 billion online.Indeed, if we were a country, our age group would represent the world’s thirdlargest economy.

In my household, we fit all of the above profiles. We like to go out and eat. Wecontinue to spend a small fortune remodeling the house. We also try to do our bestto support the local economy.

So why the column? Well, according to most marketers, we do not exist. Wedo not count. We have been written off! And I am not going to take it anymore!

Everyone markets to the young, which is fair enough, but why forget us? Manyof us will be living until our mid-80s (well, that is what I am planning for andhopefully longer) and there will be a lot of spending between then and now. Statsshow that despite being a third of the economy, our age group is targeted by just5% of market spending. What a mistake! Nielsen calls our generation “the mostvaluable generation in the history of marketing.”

With a projection that our 50+ age group will grow by 34% between now and2030, it appears that companies are missing out big time.

When the term “baby boomers” was coined back in the 1970s, we were theones viewed as spenders who shunned the frugal life of our parents. Guess what,that has not changed. We still spend, we still travel, we still eat out, we still haveour memberships to all types of organizations, we still use technology, we stillbuy cars, we still repair and improve our homes (I’m tiling two rooms now), westill read newspapers, we still watch television, and now you find us on the web,too (and since we often have more free time, we are easily marketed to).

There is no reason I do not want to buy the latestheadset or laptop. Have you ever seen our age groupin an ad for a sports car? We may have 50 shades ofgray, but in reality advertisers only have eyes for 18-to 30-year-olds.

Admittedly, what we may buy might be differentthan other generations, but we can make an awful lotof money for those who recognize our value.Again, the 50- and 60-year-olds of today arethe 40- and 50-year-olds of yesterday, withour improving longevity and longer activeyears. So enough, I argue, as I head off tophysical therapy.

Alan Oakes, [email protected]

Building-Products.com September 2014 The Merchant Magazine 9

Buyers adjust torising MDF prices

ments—all of which have grownsharply over the last three years.

Rising prices are restraining buyerpower because buyers are less able todelay contractual decisions withprices increasing continuously.Instead, buyers must negotiate con-tracts to lock in lower prices. Pricesare forecast to grow substantially overthe three years to 2017, which willcontinue to reduce buyer power in thecoming years.

Price increases for inputs such aslumber also led to price growth forMDF, limiting negotiation flexibilityfor suppliers that struggled to main-tain profitability. Consequently, buy-

BUYERS ARE FINDING it trickier toprocure medium density fiber-

board, as resurgent demand causesprices to rise, according to a newIBISWorld report.

“Growing demand for MDF hasallowed suppliers to increase theirprices, lowering buyer negotiationpower,” explains IBISWorld procure-ment analyst Jesse Chiang.

She gives MDF a buyer powerscore of 2.9 out of 5, reflecting mod-erate negotiating conditions for buy-ers. MDF price movements dependlargely on residential and nonresiden-tial expenditure levels, as well as pri-vate spending on home improve-

INDUSTRY TrendsMedium Density Fiberboard

MDF PANEL buyers facing rising prices do have a few options, including finding substitute goods,switching suppliers, and improving inventory planning.

(Photo by Fordac)

ers are left with fewer opportunities toarrange favorable deals and negotiatelower prices. Additionally, moderatemarket share concentration and prod-uct specialization have created atougher purchasing environment forbuyers.

“Large, vertically integrated opera-tors have significant market power,while moderate product specializationreduces buyers’ ability to locate sup-pliers capable of satisfying their spe-cific product requirements,” saysChiang.

Nevertheless, buyers do have someconsiderable advantages. The highavailability of substitute goodsensures that buyers are not forced toaccept major concessions in their con-tracts because of their ability toswitch to other suppliers that distrib-ute alternative building materials.

Secondly, low switching costslimit suppliers’ ability to charge high-er prices. Lastly, despite high demanddriver volatility, volatility in pricesfor MDF products has been low. Thisfactor has benefited buyers by makinginventory planning and budget fore-casts easier.

MDF is an engineered wood prod-uct made of a mixture of wood fibers,resin and wax. It does not have knotsor grain patterns, making it easy towork with in many building applica-tions. Due to its strength and compar-atively low cost, furniture manufac-turers use MDF as a substitute forhardwood products.

The top four MDF vendors areLouisiana-Pacific, Weyerhaeuser,West Fraser Timber, and Plum CreekTimber.


OSB makers keepoutput high despiteslipping pricesTHE PAST 12 months have seen

OSB manufacturers maintaininghigh production levels, gambling on aresurgent housing market.

According to Random Lengths, sofar this year, North American OSBproduction is up 8.4% compared to thefirst six months of 2013. Yet, withoutthe expected spike in demand, over thelast 18 months, the OSB Composite

FEATURE StoryThe Year in OSB

Price has fallen nearly in half—from$438 at the start of 2013 to $233 inearly August. (During the same peri-od, plywood prices rose.)

Industry leader LOUISIANA-PACIFIC, Nashville, Tn., operates 11OSB plants in the U.S. and Canada(plus one in Brazil and two in Chile),generating net OSB sales in 2013 of

$1.1 billion (representing over half thecompany’s overall sales). LP appearedpoised to grow even larger, with itsplanned acquistion of AinsworthEngineered’s four plants. The dealwould have given LP a 63% share ofthe OSB market in the PacificNorthwest and a 55% share in theUpper Midwest. But in May, aftereight months of wrangling with gov-ernmental antitrust concerns, LP aban-doned its takeover bid.

“We believe this transaction wouldhave led to positive outcomes for cus-tomers, employees and shareholders,and fundamentally disagree with theanalysis by antitrust agencies of thecompetitive dynamics of our agency,”said LP c.e.o. Curt Stevens.

In other OSB news, LP’s PeaceValley mill in Fort St. John, B.C.,hopes to gain approval by the end ofthis year to use a new type of woodresin—MDI (methylene diphenyldiisocynate) rather than formaldeyde.

NORBORD, Toronto, Ont., ownsnine OSB facilities in North America,plus one each in Belgium andScotland. In 2013, its OSB mills pro-duced at approximately 75% ofinstalled capacity, compared to 70% in2012. North Amerian OSB shipmentsrose 7%, with 2014 expected to beeven busier. Norbord restarted its OSBmill in Jefferson, Tx., in mid-2013 andramped up to full capacity by thefourth quarter.

It is also rebuilding the press line atOSB PRICES surged last year, causing mills to ramp up production—and keep them running at highlevels, despite declines in 2014. (Photo by LP)


its curtailed Huguley, Al., mill to pre-pare it for a possible restart in mid-2015, if demand increases. The com-pany is not planning to restart its millin Val-d’Or, P.Q., this year, but willcontinue to monitor market conditions.

“In North America, homebuildingactivity continues to improve,” saidpresident and c.e.o. Peter Wijnbergen.“But the pace has been held back bylabor availability and a lack of entry-level buyers, and OSB prices havebeen disappointing.”

WEYERHAEUSER, FederalWay, Wa., saw its six North AmericanOSB plants increase production by8.44% last year, from 2.511 billion sq.ft. in 2012 to 2.723 billion in 2013,reaching 90% of capacity. Sales rose10.5%, from $2.508 billion in 2012 to$2.772 billion in 2013.

Sales kicked off a notch behind in2014. “Severe winter weather damp-ened the start of the spring buildingseason,” said Doyle Simons, whobecame president and c.e.o. last year.

The year has marked one mile-stone—Weyerhaeuser’s OSB mill inEdson, Alb., is celebrating 30 years ofoperation, reportedly making it thefirst OSB plant in Canada to do so.

AINSWORTH ENGINEERED,Vancouver, B.C., is regrouping, fol-lowing the collapse of the proposedacquisition by LP.

In 2013, Ainsworth’s fourCanadian OSB plants generated salesof $488 million—19.2% higher than2012, thanks to significantly higherOSB prices. Production was, however,slightly down (0.7%) compared to theyear prior, due to maintenance down-time and transportation issues.

Late last year, the company restart-ed its OSB mill in High Level, Alb.,which had been indefinitely curtailedsix years ago.

The company also recently reintro-duced two popular OSB productsunder its new OSC XL brand: OSBXL 9 ft. and 10 ft. panels in multiplethicknesses and custom lengths.

HUBER ENGINEERED WOOD,Charlotte, N.C., owns five OSB mills.

GEORGIA-PACIFIC, Atlanta,Ga., has been operating six of its nineOSB plants. Its mill in Skippers, Va.,was mothballed three years ago, whileplants in Grenada, Ms., and Mt. Hope,W.V., were shut down three years ago.

TOLKO, Vernon, B.C., is back upto three operational OSB plants, withthe restart of its Athabasca mill inSlave Lake, Alb. The huge facility,which opened in late 2008 before clos-ing months later due to poor marketconditions, restarted in December2013 and is expected to reach full pro-duction capacity by the first quarter ofnext year.

Late last year, Tolko also acquiredfull ownership of the Meadow LakeOSB mill in Meadow Lake, Sask., perthe terms of its original limited part-nership contract signed in 2001 withthe government of Saskatchewan and

several aboriginal stakeholders.

ROYOMARTIN, Alexandria, La.,is moving into its seventh year ofoperation at its OSB facility inOakdale, La.

The company has been FSC-certi-fied by the Rainforest Alliance since2002, and has completed 2014 FSCchain-of-custody and forest manage-ment annual audits with the alliance.

ARBEC FOREST PRODUCTS,St.-Leonard, P.Q., operates an OSBmill in St. Georges de Champlain,P.Q., which was idled from Aug. 2-21.

YOU COULD SPEND A LOT TO GET THE LOOK

OF REAL CEDAR, OR YOU COULD JUST USE

Plastic, vinyl and cement composite materials often try to mimic the look of real western red

cedar, but never pull off the rich, natural depth and lustre of the real thing. And not only can

Real Cedar be far more affordable than man-made building materials, it’s also lighter and easier

to work with, durable, naturally rot and pest resistant, and available in a wide range of grades,

profiles and sizes to give you the exact look and style you want.

For the look of the real thing, there’s still only one real choice: Real Cedar.

REAL CEDAR

www.realcedar.com1 866 778 9096

westernforest.comFor your local distributor contact: 604 648 4500

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Dealers help shapewestern red cedarsales tools

MARGIN BuildersWestern Red Cedar

Each member of the panel wasgiven four questions prior to the ses-sion that covered areas on how west-ern red cedar is faring relative to over-all sales; changes in the role betweenretailer, distributor and supplier;resources that would help their salesforce sell WRC, and steps needed toimprove returns on WRC sales andcapitalize on rising demand trends.

As would be expected given thebreadth of retail locations and types ofbusinesses, the answers covered a lotof ground, but the information thatcame from the discussion providedexcellent insights into improvingWRC sales, and created the founda-tion for an actionable plan—appropri-ately called the WRCLA RetailerResponse Plan—for the association tomove forward with.

There was unanimous agreementfrom the panel (and members of theaudience) that any plan to help sales atthe retail level needs to reach the cus-tomer prior to them walking into thestore.

As most of us in retail can attest,when a builder or d-i-y homeownerwalks into a retail location, the majori-ty will already have a shopping list ofmaterials in hand, and aren’t likely tochange their decision over what theyalready have in mind.

Knowing this, WRCLA developedonline surveys and research targetingthree audiences—d-i-yers, customhome builders, and architects—to bet-ter understand each group’s awareness

FOR ITS RECENT annual generalmeeting in Kelowna, B.C., the

Western Red Cedar Lumber Associa-tion invited six retailers with broadregional representation to an openpanel session and discussion on evolv-ing business trends. This group ofindustry experts responded to a list ofprepared questions designed toexplore the role of the retailer andidentify areas of opportunities toimpact western red cedar’s competi-tiveness and facilitate sales on the

retail floor.The panel consisted of Mike Dunn,

president of Dunn Lumber, Seattle,Wa.; Skip Dierdorff, Northwest areamanager for Alpine Lumber, Steam-boat Springs, Co.; Rob Myckatyn,inventory manager and purchaser atStandard Building Supplies, Burnaby,B.C.; Tim Priddle, president of TheWoodSource, Manotick, Ont.; SeanStevens, owner of M&M Lumber,Tulsa, Ok., and Shane Smith, presi-dent of Speonk Lumber, Speonk, N.Y.

RETAILERS and consumers can draw on a range of collateral material, installation guides, andspecifying guides to sell more western red cedar. (Photos courtesy WRCLA)


of WRC’s range of uses and applications, the factors ofgreatest importance to them (e.g., natural beauty, afford-ability, etc.), and how to make it easier to specify and usein design and application.

The research results will be used to better develop mes-saging and programs “to put WRC on the shopping list”before the customer walks into the store.

As to the resources that directly engage the retailer, theWRCLA and its advertising agency, Bare Advertising &Communications, developed a host of tools that can be tai-lored to each retailer’s or distributor’s specific needs.Here’s an example of what’s available to service affiliatemembers:

Online Content IntegrationWRCLA’s website, RealCedar.com, has a wealth of

information to help consumers choose WRC over otherproducts and specify materials. This content is made avail-able for integration into the retailer’s website. It can bedesigned as a single page, added to existing materials, oreven become its own microsite.

Cedar 101 VideoA short, consumer-friendly “Everything You Wanted to

Know About Cedar” video is being developed for use onretailer sites to help specify WRC. It illustrates the differ-ence between clear and knotty, shows popular dimensionsand suggestions for decking and siding, provides a briefoverview of cedar’s green benefits, and can link the con-sumer to product-specific pages on the retailer’s site.

Real Cedar Retail AppWRCLA is releasing a pilot launch of its retail training

application that will help retailers and consumers specifyReal Cedar (WRCLA’s branded products).

Take 5 Training CurriculumShort, FAQ-style quick-tip mini cards are available to

retailers and staff for self-administered training and tests.

Real Green Promotion ProgramWith the growing consumer interest in environmentally

friendly products, WRCLA recently launched its RealGreen program to address common misconceptions aboutwestern red cedar’s green qualities against competitivecomposite products. Materials include educational handoutsand video content backed by Life Cycle Assessments andEnvironmental Product Declarations highlighting WRC’sposition as king of green building materials.

Increased Retailer Presence onRealCedar.com

Consumers can already use the retailer locator onRealCedar.com to find the member closest to them, but anumber of new tactics are being employed, such as onlineeditorial content with the retailer, case studies, and blogcontent to further connect the consumer with the retailer.

Online Video LibraryWRCLA has a growing collection of how-to, FAQ, and

informative videos on RealCedar.com and its YouTubechannel that can be linked to retailers’ sites.

Online Retail ResourcesDownloadable retail resources on RealCedar.com, such

as co-op ad mats, print-ready marketing materials, andtraining resources are available on demand.

It’s a program that should be worthwhile following asWRCLA takes proactive steps to grow WRC’s competi-tiveness and value position in an evolving market.

– To learn more about WRCLA’s Retailer Response Plan andprogress, attend the WRCLA-hosted session Nov. 14 at NAWLA’sTrader Market in Chicago or contact realcedar.com/contact.

HOW-TO VIDEOS on RealCedar.com’s YouTube Channel can be linkedto or hosted on retail sites.

CONTENT from RealCedar.com can be integrated onto retailers’ ownwebsites.


Redwood enhancesthe beauty and lastingquality of any project

ronment. You can’t say thesame thing about compositelumber. Compare the energyconsumed to harvest and manu-facture redwood (a renewableresource) to the processrequired to produceplastic/composite decking (con-suming nonrenewable oilresources), and it’s pretty clearthat a natural product is farpreferable. Consider:

Redwood trees need soil, sunand water to grow. No oil wellsare drilled for raw materials thata plastic-composite deck needs.

As these trees grow, theycapture and store carbon, essen-tially cleaning the air around

them. That carbon is locked in; even after harvesting andmilling, a redwood deck retains that carbon. A plastic-com-posite deck consumes 15 times more energy than a red-wood deck—and 87% of that energy comes from non-renewable fossil fuels, a major source of carbon emissions.

Even when redwood lives out its usefulness, the lumberis biodegradable, returning to the earth to help make moretrees. Composite decking is not recycled; it is often sent tothe landfill.

Redwood can inspire great ideas, and then be the perfectmaterial to make that idea reality. The versatility and dura-bility of redwood is a quality that can’t be matched innature or a laboratory. For the project that may be just thebeginning for a customer, recommending redwood ensuresthe look and feel of the project will be consistently harmo-nious, start to finish.

– Charlie Jourdain is president of the California RedwoodAssociation. Reach him at [email protected] or (888)CAL-REDWOOD. To learn more about redwood, visitwww.calredwood.org.

HAVE YOU, or any of yourfriends in the business,

ever been approached by a cus-tomer who says, “That compos-ite deck is just beautiful! I can’twait to get some chairs or a gar-den bench made out of the samestuff.”

I didn’t think so.Compared to redwood,

which is naturally beautiful anddurable, with a structuralintegrity that can’t be replicat-ed, composite lumber suffers.It’s no wonder that redwood isused in a wide variety of homeprojects, while composite lum-ber just is not.

In fact, redwood is the idealwood product for just about any home project—indoors orout. With its natural resistance to shrinking, warping andchecking, using redwood lumber on your project meansyou built it to last a long, long time.

Whether the project is furniture, cabinetry, planters,fences, trellises, pergolas, buildings, and, of course, decks,there are a wide variety of redwood boards, siding and tim-bers for almost any application suitable for wood. Andsince redwood is naturally durable, it is the ideal choice foruse in garden beds, planter boxes and greenhouses fororganic gardens.

For professionals working with redwood, they’ll agreethat redwood as a product provides greater flexibility ofapplication than man-made products. It’s a material that’seasier to cut, won’t bend or warp, and can be left natural orstained to complement a customer’s chosen color palate.Over the years, redwood can be restored repeatedly withminimal effort and cost.

Not only is it beautiful to look at and beautiful to workwith, redwood is also a beautiful thing for helping the envi-

PRODUCT SpotlightBy Charlie Jourdain, California Redwood Association

Stay Out of the Dog House!

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True to their roots

COMPETITIVE IntelligenceBy Carla Waldemar

IT’S A LUMBERMAN’S version of Backto the Future. In 1946, Benny

Friedman opened a building center inPetaluma, Ca. In 1971, he launched asecond Friedman’s Home Improve-ment in nearby Santa Rosa, shutteringthe Petaluma site when the building’sdilapidated state and insurance hasslesforced a decision upon him.

By 1993, his son Bill—next up atbat—had opened a store in Sonoma,then another in Ukiah in 1996. But asoft spot remained in everyone’s heartPetaluma, where it all began.

Well, as they say in the movies,they’re baaaack! After years of watch-ing, scouting and waiting, a suitablelocation at last arose when a proposedLowe’s failed to materialize. Backed

by strong support from the townfathers, Friedman’s in Petaluma’s newDeer Creek Valley Shopping Centeropened in May—in time to welcomeBill’s son, Barry, as the company’snew president-cum-c.e.o. (Bill retainshis seat on the board and post as pre-mier mentor.) So, full circle: Store #4re-blossoms in location #1.

Never mind that Barry is just 30-something. He’s been around theblock a time or two. Just as his dad didbefore him, he grew up sweeping saw-dust, bagging purchases, and cor-ralling carts. But, after earning a busi-ness degree in college, wild oats pre-vailed over white pine. “I spent threeyears on the NASCAR team in NorthCarolina, then with a whitewater raft-

WIDE OPEN layout makes the new store pleasant to shop in and easy to navigate.

ing outfit in Montana. But I alwaysknew I’d come back. When my folkscalled, in 2004, and said, ‘No pres-sure—but we’d love to have you,’ thatsealed it.

“I started from the ground up,cashiering, then spent time in eachdepartment, including the supportfunctions,” gaining more and moreresponsibilities, including assistingwith the remodeling of the Sonomastore, Barry says. He earned a man-agement position in 2008, thenadvanced to v.p. of operations the fol-lowing year. So when the time came,with the blessing of his dad, he tookthe helm of the whole enchilada. “I’dbeen mentored by so many here, andthey all believed in me, or I would notbe in this position.”

His management style is all hisown. “My grandfather was a peopleperson, loved the place. And Dad’s aproducts guy, an amazing merchant.”For Barry, it’s all about the staff, 600-strong by now. “I believe in the teamconcept (I was captain of my collegefootball team)—doing things together,seeing people grow. We’re in the rela-tionship business,” he denotes his lineof work. “We’ve built a strong reputa-tion in the community for honesty,treating the customer right, and peopleappreciate that. We do business like itused to be….”

That works, and works well, if thestaff has absorbed the message. AtFriedman’s, that critical criterion isachieved “through modeling—how tohandle situations. And,” Barry is quick


to acknowledge, ensuring that the company’s ethos ispassed on and absorbed by its employees “gets harder andharder as you grow.” With the addition of the Petalumastore, staff surged from 400 to 600—“so it came down to,how do you translate that to the new hires? (We hired in allour locations.) We looked for attitude, rather than skills orexperience—the desire to be here! We decided to have onedesignated person screening all applicants before sendingthe best-qualified on to the managers, to find the right fitfor the culture.”

The new Petaluma complex has an 85,000-sq. ft. foot-print, which includes a dry shed and greenhouse. In design-ing it, what lessons were addressed that had been learned inthe three existing stores, a reporter queried. Says Barry,“We knew we wanted to go in with a full offering for ourcustomers, to build that expectation. Having an outdoorlumberyard was a critical factor for us, because we serve adual path—retail (60%) and pro (40%). We needed that[yard] for the contractors, to compete with the boxes:accessibility of product. But, we’d also learned, that veryfactor can be intimidating for retail consumers. So welocated the dry shed closer to the main store than in ourother locations. It’s reached by a short path—really, just an

extension. But”—a savvy “but”—“we still have a contrac-tor entrance, with special parking, for a quick in and out.

“SKUs were enhanced in some departments, but someare displayed differently,” including the new Express Yardon Display feature—a 68-ft. display corridor of productsactually out there waiting in the lumberyard, planned withthe aim creating a “less-intimidating feeling. The customeris inside, looking at it, before heading outside. Unique!”Barry exclaims.

Another innovation: a mezzanine level of 4,500 sq. ft.devoted to kitchen and bath. “In our other locations, theywere right on the retail floor. But we felt that, by changingthat environment, it would offer a different experience—nodistractions, more intimate, no shopping carts. Plus,” headds in a smart merchandising move, “we elevated the levelof products up there—another move to improve the cus-tomers’ experience”—and, ahem, profit.

Adding to that experience, the whole layout is moreopen. “It’s easy to clutter a store,” Barry knows. “You wantto sell product, fill the space. But we were very disciplined.So you walk in, look left, look right, look ahead, and it’s

not a maze. It’s easy to navigate. Plus there’s lots of brightsignage and super-graphics, like the ones depicting scenesof Sonoma County. Others sell the ‘dream,’ like in our out-door living section.”

And customers love it. But, let’s face it, what they’retalking about most is Friedman’s new Living Wall: four ofthem, actually, planted in greenery. They were planned tobreak up the building’s concrete facade, but—bonus—pulltheir weight as a marketing tool, too. “They’re beautiful,they’re dramatic, and they’ve turned into a destination.People drive over to see them.” And see what’s within, ofcourse. Plus, Petaluma is the poster town for uber-greenCalifornia, “so it shows what we, as an organization, repre-sent in environment-friendly products, too.”

The recent grand opening party sounded just asCalifornian: 900 guests—staff, vendors, key communitymembers—at the preview event. “Petaluma’s been anunder-served market, and we’d tried to come back to townfor years.” When that dream was finally realized, it repre-sented an emotional moment for all the Friedman’s clan.

So, what’s next? Or, is there a next? “Having a fourthlocation definitely changed the organi-zation to be more efficient in howwe handle things. But”—shortanswer—“yes, we’re always look-ing for opportunities to pursue far-ther out.”

And there’ll probably be anothergeneration of Friedmans beinggroomed to step in. Barry’sfourth child was born twoweeks before the fourth storeopened. I’m just sayin’….

Carla [email protected]

LIVING WALL of greenery at Friedman’s new location in Petaluma, Ca.,has quickly become the talk of the town.

C.E.O. Bill Friedman is transitioning leadership of the chain to son Barry.


AS SALESPEOPLE, we need to be confident. Confidenceinspires confidence. If we are confident in what we

say, our customers will feel and believe it. This will helpthem relax enough to listen to us.

So many sellers can’t even get their (potential) cus-tomers to speak to them, much less listen, because theirapproach is too humble or nervous. The humble may inheritthe earth, but they are going to inherit it from a salespersonwho was bold enough to ask for it first. Humble salespeo-ple confuse being humble with being respectful and sufferfor it. Humble is easy to say no to.

Confidence alone is not enough. Great sellers are bold.They ask for things, even when they are told those thingsaren’t available:

The BuyerUs: “May I speak to the buyer please? Reception: “She is on the phone right now.”Us: “That’s fine, I can wait a little bit. How are you

today?” (Friendly banter ensues—the rare and subtle art ofthe master seller.)

Reception: “Oh, she’s free. Let me put you through.”

The OrderUs: “John, we just bought a block of 2x4 16’s out of Big

Timber. We’ve already sold five to market-savvy cus-tomers. How many can you use?”

Customer: “I can’t afford to pay the premium for 16’s,but what’s your price?” (This is where the Quotron givesthe price and then says, “Okay.”)

Us: “The price is the good part. If you think you can’tafford 16’s now, wait until they run another $50/MBF.Let’s put at least two of these on to protect you from thismarket and help you make money while we do it.”

Customer: “Alright, give me one of those.”

MoreCustomer: “Okay, I’ll take one of those at $450.”Quotron: “Thanks for the order.”Us: “John, I don’t think one is going to be enough. You

only buy great deals, so this must be one and since that istrue, we should put on at least five.”

Customer: “You’re right, but five is too many. Give mean extra two for a total of three.”

Persistent & ConsistentSalespeople who struggle are afraid of being pushy.

Master sellers don’t even think about it. There are salespeo-ple who are too pushy, but they are rare. Unless you are astatistical anomaly, you are not too pushy, probably theopposite.

We don’t need to be pushy. We need to be persistent andconsistent. We need to call on our customers and promoteproduct to them in a persistent and consistent way. Manysellers only call their customers with deals. This makesthem the deal supplier, not the main supplier. When we arein sync with our customers, we can sell into their need.When we call willy-nilly, all we can do is offer them deals.This is called chasing. Chasing orders/selling deals are partof what we do as market-driven sellers. But we also wantthe “relationship orders.” These orders go to the salesper-son who calls in a persistent and consistent way.

The Spirit of the PossibleIn many cases, “We have reached our conclusion” just

means “We have stopped thinking.” Too many sellers arehiding behind the truth. Master sellers find a way. They usecreativity and imagination to structure the deal so it worksfor everyone.

Sawmill/wholesaler/distribution organization has a car-load of 2x4 14’s that needs to be gone—today!

Quotron: “I talked to my guy. He can’t use 14’s.” (Thisis a truth, but a worthless one. This is like a Marine at warsaying his tummy hurts. It may be true, but it doesn’t helpus win.)

Us: “My guy couldn’t use 14’s, so I sold them to him ona 12’ count. It was a bit of a counter, but they’re sold.”

The fact (master sellers ignore theseannoying things sometimes) is thatboth customers above can’t use 14’s.It is also a fact that the second cus-tomer bought a load of 14’s! Manysellers think they are in the factbusiness, while master sellersrealize they are in the possiblebusiness.

It’s just talking, right? Wrong.Salesmanship takes a certain spir-it—the spirit of a salesman.

OLSEN On SalesBy James Olsen

James OlsenReality Sales Training

(503) 544-3572 [email protected]

The spiritof the salesman


IN 2013, TRUCKS MOVED 69.1% of all domestic freighttonnage, up from 68.5% the previous year. Over the

past decade, moving this freight has become increasinglydifficult. High driver turnover, a decrease in the numberof owner-operators in the trucking industry, and elevatedservice demand have amplified existing problems such asincreased government regulations, a current driver short-age, and increased costs of transportation.

The most significant changes in government regula-tions that went into effect July 2013 are adjustments inthe legal hours of operations. The new rules include a 34-hour restart period, which must include two periods from1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. home terminal time that may onlybe used once per week and are measured from the previ-ous restart period.

Additionally, a driver may only drive eight hours afterthe last off-duty time or sleeper berth period of at least 30minutes. If a driver is stopped at a delivery location andnot in his sleeper berth, it is now considered on-duty timeand will not count towards his 30-minute break. Long-haul drivers are typically paid by the mile, so the changein rules has meant that drivers are on the road longerwithout any extra pay. The regulations reduce the numberof hours a driver can work, increase the number ofrequired breaks, and add significant costs to the truckingindustry.

Today there is also a truck driver shortage. Accordingto the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average age of acommercial driver is 55. Many younger would-be driversare drawn to construction and other jobs that pay more.The Bureau of Labor Statistics list the median wage of a

THINKING AheadBy Carl Lamb, General Manager, Snavely International

tractor-trailer driver at $38,200, which is 11.8% lowerthan the average U.S. wage, and drivers’ wages areincreasing more slowly than other wages. Drivers are typ-ically away from home for long periods and are restrictedby new regulations. This limits the amount of income adriver paid by the mile can earn.

Additionally, American Trucking Association (ATA)chief economist Bob Costello states, “At the moment, wealready have 30,000 unfilled jobs for drivers in the truck-ing industry. As the industry starts to haul more, becausedemand goes up, we’ll need to add more drivers—nearly

Understandingand navigatingfreight challenges


100,000 annually over the next decade—in order to keeppace.”

Because drivers are in such demand, the truckingindustry is experiencing an extremely high turnover rate.ATA reported that turnover at large carriers is at 91% andhas been there or above for the past eight quarters. Alarge carrier that has 200 drivers will replace 180 of thosedrivers in the next 12 months.

Further complicating the search for qualified driversare the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) regula-tions introduced in December 2010. Carriers that employdrivers with a history of safety violations or accidents aresubject to increased inspections and a lower score. Withfewer entrants into the trucking job market, the industrymust change.

Many independent carriers and smaller trucking com-panies have gone out of business due to the increasedcosts associated with trucking. Diesel fuel has risen from$1.81/gallon in 2004 to $3.92/gallon in 2013. During therecession, there was price pressure on all goods and carri-ers had a hard time implementing fuel surcharges for thefreight they haul.

The government is proposing that all trucks beequipped with electronic logs. On August 1, 2013, theObama Administration announced a proposal to eliminate“the burdensome daily paperwork required for profes-sional truck drivers.” Unfortunately for small or indepen-dent carriers, retrofitting equipment with electronic logswill be expensive and add annual per unit monitoringfees.

Beyond fuel and regulation costs, truck operation costsare affected by regular repairs to damaged equipmentcaused by deteriorating roads; taxes and tolls to pay for

repair of infrastructure; and the insurance and equipmentrequired to meet security, safety and environmentalrequirements. The additional costs associated with truck-ing are resulting in fewer independent and small carriersthat are a viable source for moving freight.

Snavely International has responded to these chal-lenges in recent years by increasing its driver fleet. Wehave found that by paying more than the median wage,turnover decreases and we have greater control.

In the past year, we also registered with the FederalMotor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) andobtained a United States Department of Transportation(USDOT) number. This allows us to pick up and be paidfor return freight. While it opens us up to increased regu-lations, we anticipate the benefits will outweigh the costs.

However, it is clear that the only foreseeable outcometo the increased government regulations, driver shortage,and increased cost of operations will be an increase in thecost of freight. Increased costs to carriers are reflectedeventually in increased prices for freight paid for trans-portation.

If you would like to hear how other companies areresponding to these freight challenges, please join me andother NAWLA members at the Leadership Summit,March 24-26, 2015, at the The Westin Kierland inScottsdale, Az. In addition to numerous opportunities toconnect with peers from across North America and heartheir perspectives on transportation challenges, the pro-gram will include educational sessions on this topic.Additional details are available at www.nawla.org.

– Carl Lamb is general manager of NAWLA member SnavelyForest Products, Westminster, Md.

A Special Series fromNorth AmericanWholesale Lumber Association

Next Month:Traders Market Preview

Next month’s October issue of BuildingProducts Digest will feature an in-depth TradersMarket Preview promoting the NAWLA TradersMarket Nov. 12-14 in Chicago.

The Traders Market is North America’s premierlumber tradeshow, delivering access to the entiresupply chain under one roof. Whether you want tosell your product, find new suppliers, or expandyour network, you’ll find the opportunities and visi-bility you need at the Traders Market.

The site is the newly renovated Hyatt RegencyChicago. Registration is now open. NAWLA mem-bers can receive discounted access to the event.


CRC Parts With RemansAs it moves away from redwood

lumber production, CaliforniaRedwood Co., Arcata, Ca., has partedwith two of its California remanufac-turing plants and is evaluating the bestuse of its third.

Redwood Empire, Morgan Hill,Ca., has taken over CRC’s Woodland,Ca., distribution center and remanfacility.

Cerro Pacific Lumber, RedwoodValley, Ca., purchased the equipmentat CRC’s Ukiah, Ca., reman plant andassumed the lease at the facility.

CRC continues operating its largedrying and reman facility in Brainard,Ca., located between Arcata andEureka. According to president DougReed, “after the end of the year, wewill evaluate the best use of ourBrainard facility. Brainard has a greatdeal of capacity and flexibility, as wellas a seasoned workforce, but our needfor it will be reduced dramatically aswe exit primary manufacturing of red-wood lumber.”

Calaveras Buys J.S. WestCalaveras Lumber, Angels Camp,

Ca., acquired fellow Ace Hardwaredealer J.S. West Lumber & Hardware,Sonora, Ca., effective Sept. 4.

J.S. West general manager DavidMay called the deal “a perfect fit,”explaining that the West family waslooking to return to its core businessesof egg and propane production, whileCalaveras Lumber has wanted toexpand to Sonora ever since the localAndy’s Home Center closed in 2011.

May noted there were no plans toenlarge the store, but the lumberyardwill expand the quality and types oflumber it stocks.

Seneca Starts Mill OverhaulSeneca Sawmill Co. has begun a

two-to-three-year upgrade of itsdimension sawmill in Eugene, Or., tosignificantly increase annual capacity.

The $50-million investmentincludes installing new milling equip-ment, sorting system, dry kilns andplaner and improving its plus shippingand log yard.

Weyco Moving Hq. to SeattleWeyerhaeuser Co. will move its

headquarters from Federal Way, Wa.,to Seattle, Wa., in mid to late 2016,when construction of a new building iscomplete.

The new facility will cover sevenstories and about 165,000 sq. ft.—

roughly half the size of its currentquarters.

“There are two main drivers for thisdecision, which we made after thor-ough analysis of various options forthe location of our headquarters,” saidpresident and c.e.o. Doyle R. Simons.“First, our 430-acre campus in FederalWay is costly and too large for ourneeds. Second, moving our headquar-ters to Seattle will give us access to alarger talent pool to meet futurerecruiting needs, not just in thisregion, but from across the country.”

The company will divest the landand buildings it owns in Federal Way,where it moved to from Tacoma in1971. It plans to retain its nearby techcenter.

Legally Blind Plaintiff SetsSights on Home Depot

A former assistant store manager atHome Depot, Arrowhead, Az., who islegally blind has filed a discriminationsuit, charging the company failed toaccommodate his disability in requir-ing workers to use smartphones withsmall screens, and then firing him.

Leslie W. Gibson, who worked forthe chain from 2000 to 2011, claimsHome Depot would not provide himwith a reasonable accommodationwhen it replaced larger computerswith smartphones featuring smallscreens he had difficulty reading.

When Gibson complained, he wasplaced on a “performance improve-ment plan” and ultimately terminated.He is seeking compensatory and puni-tive damages for discrimination andretaliation under the American withDisabilities Act, alleging a “causallink” between his request for accom-modation and his release.

Two years ago, Home Depot paiddeaf workers $925,000 to settle a dis-ability discrimination class action suit.

Northern California Mill SuesCity Over Water Rights

Roseburg Forest Products has fileda lawsuit to restore longstanding waterrights it says were illegally taken fromits Weed, Ca., veneer plant by theregional water districts.

The suit alleges that its water rightswere reapportioned, without notifica-tion, to wood treater J.H. Baxter &Co., Weed.

Roseburg argued the issue is criti-cal to its operations, which requirewater to process wood veneer andgenerate power used by the Weedfacility, as well as commercial and

Interfor has decided to make per-manent the closure of its Beaver, Wa.,sawmill and Forks, Wa., planer, consol-idating production at its Port Angeles,Wa. The sawmill closed June 27, theplaner soon after (see Aug., p. 28).

Sierra Pacific Industries,Anderson, Ca., has completed its pur-chase of Hurd Windows & Doorsand Superseal Windows &Doors, Medford, Wi., from LongroadAsset Management.

SPI wil l continue the Hurd andSuperseal brands within its windowsdivision.

Boise Cascade Co. curtailedoperations at its Elgin, Or., plywood milland stud mill Aug. 30 to Sept. 6, as itinstalled new equipment at its log uti-lization center.

Pacific Western WoodProducts, Los Angeles, Ca., is nowdistributing Trident Luxury VinylFlooring interlocking planks.

Weyerhaeuser Co., FederalWay, Wa., has launched a stock repur-chase program of up to $700 million ofits common shares.

Feeney Inc. , Oakland, Ca.,added an 87,000-sq. ft. DC inCranbury, N.J., to service dealers eastof the Mississippi River.

Kodiak Building Partners,Denver, Co., has purchased fabrica-tors/distributors AO, Inc., Dallas, Tx.,and Barnsco Inc., Dallas.

Cali Bamboo, San Diego, Ca.,has been named to the Inc. 5000 list ofthe fastest growing private companiesin America for the sixth straight year.

National Frame BuildingAssociation has revamped its web-site at www.postframeadvantage.com.

SUPPLIER Briefs

residential ratepayers.According to the suit, the water

rights were initially granted in 1932and transferred to Roseburg when itpurchased the land in 1982. Roseburgsaid it offers and continues to sell aportion of its water, and it has beenproviding free water to the city, per-suant to a 50-year lease deal set toexpire in 2016.

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Idaho Forest Group

Interfor

Issaquah Cedar

Leslie Forest Products

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Mid Valley Lumber Specialties Ltd.

North Enderby Timber Ltd.

Orepac Building Products

Pacific Western Wood Works Ltd.

Power Wood Corp.

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Rielly Lumber Inc.

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DEALER BriefsParr Lumber Co. opened an 8,500-sq. ft. Parr Design

Center showroom in Aloha, Or.

Basic American Supply has opened in ColoradoCity, Az. (Chuck Bradshaw, mgr.).

ABC Supply has opened its first location in Montana, inBillings (Adam Snavley, branch mgr.).

Habitat for Humanity has opened a secondReStore discount LBM outlet in Boise, Id.; remodeled itsbranch in Newport, Or.; and is relocating its 15,000-sq. ft. unitin St. George, Ut., to a 40,000-sq. ft. building that formerlyhoused a grocery store.

Anderson Moulding Doors & Windows, CulverCity, Ca., has opened a new Door Store America show-room in Gardena, Ca., and launched a new retail site for doors(doorstoreamerica.com).

True Value Hardware, Salida, Co., was honored asBusiness of the Month by the local Chamber of Commerce.

Anniversaries: Carr’s Ace Hardware, Marysville, Wa.,90th … Shelly’s True Value Hardware, Sparks, Nv.,70th … Timberline Ace Hardware, Telluride, Co., 45th… Cali Bamboo, San Diego, Ca., 10th …

MacBeath Moving from CaliforniaMacBeath Hardwood Co. will relocate its corporate

headquarters from San Francisco, Ca., to Edinburgh, In., onSept. 15.

For the first time in its 60-year history, MacBeath willhave its production facility, c.e.o., c.f.o., and financial heartof the company all under one roof. While its four distribu-tion centers in California are unaffected, the company cited“ongoing challenges in conducting business in the state” asfactors contributing to the move.

MacBeath Hardwood was established in 1954. The com-pany offers domestic hardwood lumber, imported lumber,panels, manufactured wood products, finishes, adhesives,hardware and tools.

Hayward Grows in Redwood CityHayward Corp., Monterey, Ca., has relocated its

Redwood City, Ca., operations from the former T&HBuilding Supply property to a larger, more accessible sitewith a better layout.

“Our new lumberyard and hardware store will expandHayward’s Bay Area presence and give us the opportunityto grow our business by better serving our local cus-tomers,” said William E. Hayward, president, c.e.o. andchief sustainability officer. “It will also introduce our brandto a large group of new customers.”

Later this year, the new facility will add a HaywardDesign Center, stocking Kolbe & Kolbe, Marvin, Unilux,Jeld-Wen, Rogue Valley, and Lemieux doors and windows.

Hayward, which operates seven lumberyards, six designcenters, and a roof truss plant, acquired T&H last year.


Koppers Buys Osmose UnitsKoppers Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., has completed the acqui-

sition of the Wood Preservation and Railroad Servicesbusinesses of Osmose Holdings for $494.1 million.

The Wood Preservation business has been renamedKoppers Performance Chemicals. The Railroad Servicesbusiness is now Koppers Railroad Structures.

Rough & Ready Up & RunningRough & Ready Lumber Co. has restarted its Cave

Junction, Or., sawmill, 15 months after shutting down dueto an uncertain timber supply.

Following a $6-million upgrade, the mill now features anew resaw, high-speed gang edger, and trimmer-stackersorter.

Forty employees were rehired to get the facility back online, with another 30 expected to return by the time thecompany resumes sales this month.

PLM, ILM Launch Combo WebsitePennsylvania and Indiana Lumbermens Mutual

Insurance Companies have launched a new website atwww.plmilm.com, combining information from the twoprevious company sites in a new format that enhances pre-vious features and improves user experience.

The recent affiliation of PLM and ILM has led to anumber of improvements for both companies in the pursuitto prove that together, they are better. According to SteveFirko, PLM/ILM senior v.p. of marketing & field opera-tions, “PLM and ILM have consistently maintained long-standing relationships with customers, striving to remain

ahead of changes in the industries we serve and provide themost up-to-date information needed to protect our cus-tomers. The new website reflects this goal and once againproves why ‘together, we’re better.’”

When entering the website, visitors are greeted by ascrolling banner that highlights current company initiativesand pertinent customer information. The new layout pro-vides for easier navigation through both old and new infor-mation, creating an individualized user experience.

According to Firko, the website more closely alignswith the company’s mission to be recognized as the pre-mier insurance provider serving the lumber, woodworkingand building material industries. “The new website focuseson providing customer service the way our customers wantit,” said Firko. The new format allows customers to viewinformation when they want it, where they want it, and onany device— all without losing any functionality.

Lumberman Convicted of Wire FraudThe owner/manager of Caliber Forest Products, Turner,

Or., has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and to pay$2.1 million restitution.

William Claussen, 71, confessed to selling more than 60discounted invoices from 2006 to 2008 to MiddlemanNorthwest, Lake Oswego, Or., for products that he did notship or for funds that he had already collected.

As a result of being unable to collect on the bogusinvoices, Middleman Northwest defaulted on loans,destroyed the credit of owner Brian Kincaid, and depletedthe savings of Kincaid’s father, who had personally guar-anteed a line of credit.

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MOVERS & Shakers

Steve Hagen, Western Woods Inc.,Chico, Ca., and former co-owner ofUnity Forest Products, Yuba City,Ca., has retired after 40 years in theindustry.

Tony Carpenter, Ken Carter, andGeorge Hammann, all ex-California Redwood Co., are newto sales at Western Woods Inc.,Chico, Ca.

Jeff Wedge, ex-CertainTeed, has beennamed national director of windowsales for BMC, Boise, Id. Thomas“Fritz” Shallah is new to door andhardware sales in Belgrade, Mt.

Patti Wells, ex-Royal Plywood, isnew to particleboard sales atCollins Products, Klamath Falls,Or.

Gary Powell has been named c.e.o.and Ben Powell is now president ofMatheus Lumber Co., Woodinville,Wa.

Jon Friesen is now mgr. of ParrLumber, Tacoma, Wa.

Mike Morse has been named salesmgr. of the Contractor Direct divi-sion of Bridgewell Resources,Tigard, Or.

Cornelia Sprung, ex-Weyerhaeuser/TrusJoist, has been named market-ing mgr. for RedBuilt, Boise, Id.New regional mgrs. are MikeHayley in the South Coast andJason Weber in the IntermountainRegion.

Mack Hogans, ex-Weyerhaeuser, andKris Matula, ex-Buckeye Techno-logies, were elected to the board ofBoise Cascade, Boise, Id. DirectorSamuel Mencoff has resigned.

Tom Takach has joined Sierra PacificIndustries, Anderson, Ca., as v.p.operations for the window division,overseeing SPI’s Red Bluff, Ca.,facility and two newly acquiredHurd and Superseal plants inWisconsin. Also in the windowdivision, Bob Taylor has been pro-moted to v.p. of business develop-ment & customer service, and for-mer Hurd president/c.e.o. DominicTruniger is now v.p. of sales &marketing.

Michelle Overbeck, ex-OrchardSupply Hardware, has joined BigCreek Lumber, Davenport, Ca., asmarketing mgr.

Jon Ohlson, SDS Lumber Co.,Bingen, Wa., has retired after 37years in the business.

Jim Webb, ex-Orepac BuildingProducts, has been named customerrelations mgr. at Accent Windows,Denver, Co.

Jeff Ward is the new lean championfor Franklin Building Supply,Boise, Id., overseeing lean projects.

Alison Campbell, ex-StimsonLumber, is now senior log accoun-tant for GreenWood Resources,Portland, Or.

Erica Rocha is new to inside sales atAssociated Building Supply,Oxnard, Ca.

Gene Richau has rejoined T&RLumber Co., Rancho Cucamonga,Ca., as western division sales mgr.

Kristi L. Gall has joined the sales &marketing team at DistinguishedBoards & Beams, Carbondale, Co.

Timothy Coutu is new to sales at KPWood Ltd., Vancouver, B.C.

Wendy Canchola has joined WeatherShield Windows & Doors,Medford, Wi., as regional salesmgr. for the western U.S., coveringCalifornia, Oregon, Washington,Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Arizona,Utah, Alaska and Hawaii.


Colleen Boyles has been promoted tostore mgr. at Home Depot, SantaFe, N.M. Brett Carli has trans-ferred from Santa Fe to becomestore mgr. in Durango, Co.

Clarke Poos has been appointed mgr.of the Habitat for HumanityReStore in Buena Vista, Co.

Ralph Goldman, ex-Milgard, is thenew marketing mgr. for CascadeWindows, Valley, Wa.

Randy Nagle, ex-BMC, has beennamed v.p. of sales & marketingfor LaLoma Windows & Doors,Tucson, Az.

Eric Brown is now director of corpo-rate communications for JohnsManville, Denver, Co.

Mary Rita Dominic has beenappointed quality mgr. forDeceuninck North America,Monroe, Oh. Pat Dixon is a newtechnical services specialist.

Craig Menear will become c.e.o. ofHome Depot, Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 1,succeeding Frank Blake, who willremain chairman. Ted Decker hasbeen promoted to executive v.p.-merchandising.

Quent Ondricek, v.p. of lumber &building materials, Do it BestCorp., Fort Wayne, In., is retiringOct. 24, to be succeeded by GaryNackers. Nick Talarico has beenpromoted to divisional mgr., over-seeing the hand tools, plumbing,cleaning, housewares and InComdepartments. Betsy Hartman suc-ceeds him as mgr. of internal audit.

Paul Drobnitch is now director ofcorporate development at ABCSupply, Beloit, Wi.

Kalvin Eden was promoted to nation-al sales mgr. for the U.S. at BWCreative Railings Systems, MapleRidge, B.C. James Webb is nownational sales mgr. for Canada., andScott Rolufs, regional sales mgr.

Rob Brown, c.f.o., HardwoodsDistribution, Langley, B.C., hasbeen appointed acting c.e.o. whilepresident/c.e.o. Lance Blancorecuperates after a cycling accident.

An Di Nguyen, ex-American Hard-wood Export Council, has beennamed president of the SoftwoodExport Council, effective Sept. 15.

Stephen H. Meima has been appoint-ed executive director of the Gyp-sum Association.

Chris P. Bacon now heads theemployee cafeteria at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax,Nv., report co-owners HughMungus and Freddy Fungus.


REAL. STRONG. REDWOOD.Compared to redwood, which is naturally beautiful and durable, with a structural integrity that can’tbe replicated, composite lumber suffers. In fact, redwood is the ideal wood product for just aboutany home project—indoors or out. With its natural resistance toshrinking, warping and checking, using redwood lumber on yourproject means you built it to last a long, long time.

realstrongredwood.com - [email protected] - (925) 935-1499

Ply Gem Buying Simonton WindowsPly Gem, Cary, N.C., agreed to buy Simonton Windows

from Fortune Brands Home & Security for $130 million. Expected to close in October, the deal includes window

plants in Pennsboro, Harrisville and Ellenboro, W.V.;Paris, Il.; and Vacaville, Ca., and the SimEx extrusionplant in West Virginia.

Simonton will operate as a stand-alone business unit.

Tipsy Trespasser Topples fromHardware Store Rooftop

A woman and her date are facing trespassing chargesafter she fell off the roof of a San Diego, Ca., Crown AceHardware and hit her head.

Police said they arrived on the scene Aug. 8 just after1:30 a.m. to discover the woman with head injuries and theman, also allegedly inebriated, still on the roof. She appar-ently had tried to climb down and fell through an awning,striking the ground 15 feet below.

OSB Design Modified for StabilityAn inventor from Show Low, Az., is pitching a new

sheet design he says will allow OSB, plywood and drywallto be installed more securely during construction.

He says The Wave Joint provides a wider surface toanchor the sheets to a rafter or stud and allows use of thefull width of the rafter or stud for mounting, improving theproject’s structural integrity.

In addition, improved placement of nails and screwsreportedly results in a safer connection, despite accommo-dating standard fasteners. Because of its ease of installa-

SIMPSON STRONG-TIE, Pleasanton, Ca., supplied 95% of the fasten-ers and 100% of the hangers for an environmentally friendly multifamilybuilding constructed by Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C., andUniversite d’Angers, Angers, France. Constructed as six modular units,the structure competed in Solar Decathlon Europe, held June 28-July 14in Versailles, France.

tion, it also saves time and effort on the job..The inventor retained InventHelp, Pittsburgh, Pa., in

hopes of finding manufacturers or marketers who willlicense or purchase the design. “I feel this new style ofpanel will be beneficial to anyone in the constructionindustry,” he said.


Global drywall demand is forecastto rise 5.8% annual through 2018 to10.4 billion square meters, accordingto a new Freedonia Group report.

Rebounds in building constructionspending, following years of declinesin both North America and westernEurope, will be the primary drivers ofdemand.

Growing sales in Africa and theMideast, where drywall continues togain popularity over more traditionalbuilding techniques and materials,will also contribute to demand gains.

While demand in both the Asia/Pacific region and Central and SouthAmerica is projected to slow fromgains seen earlier in the decade, bothregions will post solid growth through2018.

Nearly three-fourths of new dry-wall demand from 2013 to 2018 willbe due to China and the U.S. Drywallsales in the U.S. are forecast toadvance nearly 8%, as the housingmarket recovers.

In China, demand for drywall isexpected to post more than 7% annualgrowth, bolstered by significant gainsin both residential and nonresidentialconstruction spending. Drywall is alsoprojected to be used more frequentlyin residential applications in China, asit gains popularity over traditionalbuilding materials.

Many industrializing countries—such as Brazil, India, Mexico, SaudiArabia, and Turkey—are also forecastto post solid growth in drywalldemand through 2018.

Increasing demand for urban hous-ing will drive residential buildingconstruction spending and related dry-wall sales. In addition, advances inoffice and commercial constructionactivity will contribute to demandgains.

Going forward, drywall demandwill benefit from local constructioncompanies increasing drywall usageat the expense of other products, suchas building plaster.

The drywall market in westernEurope is projected to expand over2% annually through 2018 to over 1billion square meters, a rate above the2008-2013 pace, but the slowest inter-nationally.

Many countries are expected topost rebounds in demand as theirhousing markets recover, with Spainregistering the fastest growth andItaly and the U.K. also forecast to per-

form well.Global demand for building plaster

is projected to advance over 4% peryear to approximately 35 million met-ric tons in 2018.

Construction firms in many coun-tries are projected to graduallyincrease their usage of drywall-basedconstruction techniques at the expenseof wet construction methods, whichrequire more building plaster per unit.A portion of these losses, however,

will be offset by growing use ofbuilding plaster as joint compoundduring drywall installation.

Oregon Laminator SoldThermo Pressed Laminates, Klam-

ath Falls, Or., has been purchased byPanel Processing Inc., Alpena, Mi.

The acquistion allows PanelProcessing to better provide woodcomponents, coatings and custom flatpanel fabrication services to the WestCoast. TPL will operate as a subsiaryof Panel Processing.

Big Gains Expected in Global Drywall Demand


APP Watch

App: SIMPSON STRONG-TIEProduced by: JOIST HANGER SELECTORPrice: FreePlatforms: Web

Users can quickly and easilyselect the most appropriate and cost-effective joist hanger for their projectsbased on the type of installation, typeand size of lumber and loads using anew web app from Simpson Strong-Tie.

The easy-to-use interface enablesusers to quickly select the membersand configuration for their desiredconnection, and print the results. Theapp is accessible from any webbrowser and doesn’t require down-loading or installing special software.

It was developed after receivingfeedback from engineers who appre-ciated the functionality of SST’sConnector Selector software, butasked for an easily accessible, web-based version.

Use at www.strongtie.com/jhs

Woodbrowser Inc., Grantham,N.H., has officially launched thebuilding industry’s only transparentpurchasing platform for lumber andpanel products. Woodbrowser cur-rently provides truckload quantitypurchasers with direct access to lum-ber at over 145 mills and growing inNorth America via phone, email andonline, as well as products from tradi-tional wholesalers and distributionchannels.

“Woodbrowser’s platform andsales process provide buyers and sell-ers of lumber products with a muchmore efficient method of price dis-covery on the open market, really aseasy as sending an email,” said presi-dent Chuck Gaede. “Our True PriceFinder platform replicates the currentsales cycle that can take hours whenconducted traditionally via phone andemail. We’ve transferred that processto an easy-to-use web platform thatallows buyers to view bids from mul-tiple mills and sellers simultaneously,negotiate, and then purchase all in thesame place, which saves an enormousamount of time.”

In May 2013, its beta site was test-

ed with select customers and mills,and the newly updated platform wentlive this past June.

Unlike past trading platforms,Woodbrowser recreates the currentsales process, allowing a buyer tosimply choose the products they arelooking to purchase, and instantlysend that quote request to multiplemills and brokers. The user interfaceallows for both sides of the transac-tion to offer, receive, and negotiatepricing all on one screen, with thebuyer seeing the actual cost from themill or seller plus a flat fee based onthe per-1,000-bd.-ft. cost of the lum-ber.

The platform also provides valu-able feedback including current mar-ket data, the rank of the offer, andaverage offer price, which is informa-tion that has never been offered toeither party in the current market-place. Purchasers and sellers can alsofind all of their purchase orders andpast quotes all in the same place.

“Our team also understands thatthe industry thrives on informationabout movements within the market,which is why we share real-time

updates on the market via our web-site, through customer emails, and bymultiple daily conversations with pro-ducers and purchasers,” Gaede added.“More importantly, we work with allof our customers the way they want todo business. While some purchasersare interested in sourcing their lumberonline, others are not which is whywe will continue to trade traditionallyvia phone and email for as long as ourcustomers request.”

Benjamin Moore OpeningWest Coast DC

Benjamin Moore & Co. will open anew 375,000-sq. ft. distribution centerearly next year in Oakland, Ca.

The company’s first Silver LEED-certified operation, the DC will serveretailers and distributors in the west-ern U.S. and—in time—the AsiaPacific region.

Unique Lumber Buying Platform Launches


MANAGEMENT TipsBy Kim Seeling Smith

know how to talk to them or what totalk about! Managers are unaware asto how to plug into their employees’minds and figure out what they reallywant, and what they need to be fullyengaged—and productive.

There are no psychic forces atwork: getting into the minds of youremployees to glean the informationneeded to increase not only engage-ment, but productivity in your work-

DID YOU KNOW that only a fractionof your staff brings their “A

game” to work every day? Accordingto companies like Aon Hewitt and theGallup Organization, this number isabout one in five.

The rest? At best they are bringingtheir B or C games to work. At worst,their main goal is to keep from gettingfired.

This is the employee engagement

Mind readingfor managersFully engage staff in 5 easy conversations

crisis we now find ourselves in.Countless companies dedicate a size-able chunk of their annual budgets tosolving their employee engagementissues, when in reality most engage-ment issues (as well as performanceand behavioral problems) can besolved through conversation. Fiveconversations to be precise.

But most managers don’t talk totheir staff frequently enough, or don’t


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force can be as simple as conducting the following fiveFOCUSed conversations.

Conversation 1: FeedbackThere are two types of feedback that fall under this con-

versation. First, give praise where praise is due. Studieshave shown that a vast majority of employees do not feelappreciated enough for the job they do. Praise, it seems, is ascarce commodity in the workplace. So if your staff isdoing a good job, be sure to let them know.

Conversely, one of the key factors in employee engage-ment is the ability to have your say. Be receptive to yourstaff’s feedback. Who knows, they may just come up with abrilliant idea that makes a huge difference for the company.

Conversation 2: ObjectivesMost performance issues stem from a disconnect

between what the manager perceives as meeting objectivesand what the staff member perceives as meeting them. Todrastically reduce performance issues, managers must bothclearly define and articulate expectations. Yet few do.

Your employees need to know what they must do to besuccessful in their jobs, and how that success will be mea-sured. And you need to have a clearly defined yardstick bywhich to objectively measure performance. Aligning theirexpectations with yours will result in less frustration andanxiety—on both your parts.

Conversation 3: Career DevelopmentMany studies list career development within the top

three factors that employees gauge to determine whether to

stay with their current employer or look for another job.Yet, many managers avoid this topic like the plague for oneof three reasons:

• They don’t understand how to manage their owncareers.

• They are afraid that if they help their staff managetheir career better they will surpass them on the corporateladder.

• They are afraid to talk about career developmentbecause they don’t feel they can meet the employee’sexpectations. This is especially true in smaller companiesor niche functions where there is not a lot of vertical careeropportunity available.

Helping staff manage their careers makes good businesssense. Ensuring that they understand what opportunitiesexist within your company (something they may not recog-nize without your help) will inhibit them looking outside ofit.

Find out what your employees’ priorities are and haveopen, honest conversations around how your company canhelp them achieve them—even with any constraints youmay have. Suggest and recommend internal opportunitiesto learn, grow and develop and they will at least delay—ifnot avoid—looking for external ones.

Conversation 4: Underlying MotivatorsThe Underlying Motivators conversation helps to uncov-

er those intrinsic factors—currencies of choice—that sci-ence has shown to be much more highly motivating thanextrinsic ones such as pay and benefits. By tapping intoeach individual’s currencies of choice you will help uncov-


er what they need to go theextra mile. Conversely,once they do, they need tobe recognized appropriate-ly for it. The old adage“Praise in public, correct inprivate” is only half true.Many people don’t respondwell to public recognition.

Identify the drivers ofeach individual staff mem-ber to unlock productivityand unleash potential. Thenrecognize them appropri-ately when they do go thatextra mile.

Conversation 5:Strengths

According to Gallup, teams whose members play totheir strengths most of the time are:

• 50% more likely to have low employee turnover• 38% more likely to be highly productive• 44% more likely to earn high customer satisfaction

scoresStrengths can be defined as the innate abilities or behav-

ioral patterns that are neurologically hard-wired into ourbrains between the ages of 3 and 15. The context of thebehavior will change over time, but the patterns remain thesame. So those children who share their toys in the sandboxat the age of 5 may very well become 15-year-olds whovolunteer at the local charity. And 20 years on, they may

become the 35-year-oldswho are the most collabo-rative in the workplace.

Strength-identificationalso requires a very minortime commitment: as littleas two hours per week canmake a world of difference.

If you can help yourstaff determine behaviorsthat come naturally tothem, you will find thattheir stress is decreased,they become moreengaged—and, of course,more productive.

There is no reason tospend mass amounts oftime and money on

“engagement” programs when all it takes is tapping into theminds of your personnel. By first hiring the right staff andthen employing the five FOCUSed conversations, man-agers will significantly increase overall employee engage-ment.

Communicate with your staff frequently, effectively andabout the things that really matter to them.

– Kim Seeling Smith is a human resources expert and authorof the new book Mind Reading for Managers: 5 FOCUSedConversations for Greater Employee Engagement andProductivity. Reach her via igniteglobal.com.


FAMILY BusinessBy Wayne Rivers

Slamming on thebrakes with thenext generationMY OLDEST CHILD recently got his learner’s permit, a

right of passage for all teenagers and a different sortof right of passage for parents. As he learns to drive, I findmyself slamming repeatedly on imaginary brakes and try-ing, usually in vain, to use moderately toned coachinginstead of screaming at the top of my lungs.

As with so many experiences, trying to teach my son tobe a responsible driver has made me mindful of families inbusiness together and intergenerational relationships. On arecent business trip, I rode in cars with members of ourclient’s family business: the husband, the wife, the daugh-ter, and one of their employees. In none of those occasionsdid I feel tense, slam on the imaginary brakes, or shout

intemperately at the driver. What makes me (along withmost other parents of teenagers) so much worse a passen-ger when riding with my own dear son versus when ridingwith comparative strangers? And what makes businessfamilies less tolerant of each other than they are of “out-siders”?

First, we have a desire for our children to be perfect. Icritique every aspect of my son’s driving: every lanechange, failure to use a turn signal, or one mile per hourover the speed limit elicits a comment. When riding withfriends, clients, or anyone else, these things aren’t evenworth a mention. Perfection—never a realistic goal—issomething we both expect and demand from our children,especially as we coach them to take on responsibilities forthings about which we care the most.

Next, part of our anxiety is related to imaginary fears.We fear the heartache that would come if our childrenwere in accidents and were injured. Even where no injuryis involved, we worry about how they’d cope dealing withstrangers in high-stress situations like rush hour fenderbenders. Again, when thinking of our employees or peers,these imaginary fears rarely come to mind.

Third, it’s a little unnatural for go-go entrepreneurs likeme to teach. We’d rather jump into the driver’s seat andtake charge of the wheel ourselves. Having someone elsesteer the car makes us feel vulnerable and afraid—espe-cially if that person is our child. Having another competentpeer chart the course doesn’t seem to bother us nearly thesame way.

Finally, deep down inside there is a lack of trust in ourchildren. We remember the sloppy homework, the lazinesswhen it came to working on school projects, the inclinationto put friends and social activities ahead of work andscholarship, and other shortsighted, child-like decisions.It’s hard for us to see that now they’re driving their owncars or, in the case of many family businesses, steering the


company that dad and granddad helped create.Eventually, I suppose, I’ll grow more comfortable with

my son driving the car and my foot won’t reflexively jumpon the invisible brake quite so often. For families in busi-ness together, here are some tips for helping their childrenearn their “Family Business Learner’s Permits”:

Require that your children work elsewhere, for atleast three years, before coming back into the familybusiness. I recently told a client that we were puttingtogether “Entry Rules” for another client whose childrenare about to finish college. He remarked, “I wish I hadmade my sons do that. I think it would have solved abunch of immaturity issues.” His sons had come to workfor him directly after college and had no work experienceat all outside the family business. Partly due to their tenderages, partly due to dad’s genius in building a business, andpartly due to his ability to clean up any messes they creat-ed, they engineered plenty of havoc and heartburn. Theyeach had behavioral, maturity, and even substance abuseissues they wrestled with as younger men. Would theyhave engaged in these sorts of behavior while working foranother company? Maybe, but maybe not. It is likely thatthey would have been held more accountable for unprofes-sional or unproductive behavior in someone else’s compa-ny.

Teach your children financial independence earlyand it will pay dividends their whole lives. Most bankstoday will allow children as young as 12 or 13 to have theirown debit cards, as long as the parents are willing to standbehind them. Give them a fixed sum or money, or betteryet have them earn it through chores, yard work, babysit-ting, etc., and have them put money into the debit account.Nothing will teach them about the scarcity of money betterthen having them blow their own money on their youthfulindulgences.

Don’t directly supervise your children in the familybusiness. It’s simply too hard to be objective about ourprecious children whom we love so dearly. Have themwork for other people in your company, and let thosesupervisors evaluate them. When your son runs back toyou and says, “John Doe is being way too hard on me,”

you should demonstrate the importance of chain of com-mand and objective evaluations by staying out of it. Unlessit is an extraordinary or egregious situation, you should stayaway for two reasons: first, it won’t do to undermine themanager to whom you’ve given this great responsibility,and second, your children need to know what it is to workfor different bosses with different styles of different things.They need to learn to be a part of the team, not a primadon-na who get what they want by seeking intervention fromMom or Dad.

Have outsiders objectively evaluate how your chil-dren are progressing and growing in the business. Anoutsider can informally survey other employees for theirimpressions, evaluate work tasks of various kinds, help youthink through how best to coach your next generation lead-ership candidates for improved performance, and help themsee their future career paths as they accept more and moreresponsibility. An outsider can also help with evaluationtools and instruments to better understand your child’scapabilities, work and thinking styles, and what roles in thebusiness are better suited to his or her preferences and incli-nations.

As I think about my son the novice driver, and I thinkabout myself as a “side seat driver,” I realize that I slam onthe imaginary brakes too much. In terms of our clients, Ihave observed that many family business next-generationleadership candidates keep their “learners’ permits” untilage 55 or 60. In their cases, parents continue to slam on theinvisible brake so frequently that it undermines the succes-sor generation as business leaders, parents of their ownchildren, and human beings. Maybe we should all resolveto not be overprotective and slam on the invisible brake toomuch. Then, next-generation leadership candidates will bemore likely to reward the opportunities and confidence withrapidly improving performance.

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

Reprinted with permission of the Family Business Institute. Noportion of this article may be reproduced without its permission.

P.O. Box 1802, Medford, OR 97501 • Fax 541-535-3288(541) 535-3465 • www.normandist.com

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WESTERN WOODS INC., Chico, Ca., held itscustomer appreciation golf tournament July 28.[1] Stephanie Fish, Kevin & Glenda Paldino,Danielle Equitz, Kristy Parker, Tom Von Moos.[2] Bill Brooks, Bob Maurer. [3] Eric Clouse,Jesus Castro. [4] Dave Guiterrez, JimStockman. [5] Sean Hudson, Jean Henning.

Edwards, Mike O’Donnell, Doug Heryford. [15]George Hammann, Jeffrey Loftus. [16] KoryKier, Greg Carter. [17] Danny Osborne, MarkBlofsky, Pat Haley. [18] Robert Rogers. [19]Steve Bertsch, Kevin Destruel, Rick Richter,Pat Weaver.

(More photos on next page)

[6] Denis Stack, Mark Borghesani. [7] CharlieMoss. [8] Bob Brown, Jason Pardini, ToddMurphy. [9] Cary Twing, Joe Whitlock. [10]Rick Ray, Tony Carpenter. [11] Bob Roberts,Blake Keitzman. [12] Tony Pozas, RickRoberts. [13] Kevin McVey, Greg Reed, PatCondon, Darryl Lindke. [14] Jim McVey, Jim

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CANYON OAKS CountryClub, Chico, Ca., was thesite of Western Woods’recent golf event (continuedfrom previous page). [1]Mario Barajas, RichGraham, Kevin Matteri,Jerry Tucker. [2] BrianJohnson, Patrick Cardoza.[3] Dave Sorenson,Brendan Roseta. [4] JeffSquires, Chris Luccetti. [5]Ken Dunham, Steve Bortolazzo. [6] Lee Burgess, Ken Carter, BruceBurton. [7] Kevin Richter, Chris Richter. [8] Chris Karabinus, JerryDennis. [9] Tim Murphy, Dennis Furry, Josiah Clark, Ted Shreve. [10]

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oods Inc.

Bud Bristow, Ryan Owen, Rob Rowe, Craig Smith. [11] Ray Peterson,Joe Hoglund.


UMPQUA VALLEY LUMBER Associationhosted its annual mill tour, meeting, and golftournament Aug. 6-8 at Seven FeathersCasino, Canyonville, Or. [1] Jeff Squires, BobMaurer, Scott Wintermute. [2] Ron Liebelt,Frank Forward. [3] Aaron Tull, Fred Sutton. [4]Liz Ritz, Laurel Casey. [5] Gary & Sandy

Campbell. [14] Troy Huff, Blake Keitzman,Kevin Smith. [15] Lee & Bonna Greene. [16]Gage Holland, John Hanson. [17] Keisha &Ryan Owens, Darhla Underwood, TanyaGubbard, Kris Lewis. [18] Dave Halsey, BrahMehl.

(More photos on next two pages)

Pittman. [6] Steve Culbertson, Dan Mandeville.[7] Dixie Tibbets, Jimmy Swanson. [8] KrisLamke, Jim Hunt, Nancy Daniels. [9] J.T. &Charity Taylor. [10] Bill Bourgaize, DannyOsborne, Kevin Lang. [11] Jim Frank, RandyWiles, Frank Peterson. [12] Jay Hart, LeslieSouthwick, Carter Stinton. [13] Matt & April

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MORE UVLA Mill Week in Oregon (con-tinued from previous page): [1] Tim Hunt,Steve Swanson. [2] Matt Fullerton, RickDeen. [3] Grady Mulberry, Jake Crews,Bob Crews. [4] Scott Nelson, DustinHeusser. [5] John Murphy, GeorgeHewitt. [6] Sean & Angela Rondeau,Craig Cline. [7] Art Reid, John Vranizan.[8] Summer & Mick Baranko. [9] DaveRainey, Mary McMurphy.

(More photos on next page)

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OREGON’S UMPQUA VALLEYLumber Association hosted its annualsummer event (continued from previ-ous two pages): [1] Grant Schuberg,Troy Bailey, Rex Klopfer, JohnEshleman. [2] Greg Chase, RodLucas, Steve Kil lgore. [3] TimBeaudoin, Bobbie & Norm Persons.[4] Terri Collins, Dean Hague, ChrisSwanson, Kathy Lindsay. [5] Brett &Karen Slaughter, Tim Hunt. [6] BethHager. [7] Ken Munyon, Jeff & SandyRemington. [8] Leland Curtis. [9]Robert Spaulding, David Miles, AndyJones, Roger Tomlin. [10] Rick & JanSiltanen. [11] Misty Ross, Eric Ford. [12] MikeEbert, Joe Robinson, Maurice Van Hall, Randy


Johnson. [15] Mark Dwyer, Ericka & MarkSwinth, Rob Endres.

Johnson, Bob Shook. [13] Suzy & JonMcAmis, Josh Renshaw. [14] Jackie & Brian

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LOS ANGELES Hardwood Lumberman’s Club enjoyed a summer winetasting and barbecue Aug. 9, hosted by Jim & Tracey Gaither in YorbaLinda, Ca. [1] Tracey Gaither, Elizabeth Duarte. [2] Jim Gaither, CharlieBohnhoff. [3] John Mortati. [4] Diane Johnston, Kevin Tranter. [5] Steve

& Jan Arnold. [6] Dennis Johnston, Paul Pendergast. [7] Alan & DanaArbiso. [8] Dan Bohannon, Kit Rohm. [9] Carl & Anellina Henoch. [10] Bill& Kathy Fitzgerald. (Photos by Steve Ondich)

ASSOCIATION Update

West Coast Lumber & BuildingMaterial Association will hold itsannual convention & expo Nov. 6-7Miramonte Resort & Spa, IndianWells, Ca.

Themed “Controlling YourFuture,” the event will feature salestrainer/consultant Rick Davis on salesmanagement, BlueTarp’s ShawnCunningham on managing financesand credit risks, and Craig Webb look-ing at the LBM industry from 30,000feet.

Mountain States Lumber &Building Material Dealers Associ-ation is preparing for its fall confer-ence Oct. 2-4 at Sonnenalp Resort,Vail, Co.

On Nov. 11 at Mile High Station,Denver, Co., a Fundraising Brewfest

will feature a live and a silent auctionto benefit Project Healing Waters andthe association.

Western Building MaterialAssociation will host a workshop forhuman resource personnel Oct. 7 at itsKincaid Learning Center in Olympia,Wa.

A blueprint reading and take-offworkshop led by Casey Voorhees fol-lows Oct. 8-9.

WBMA is also returning its annualconvention to the fall—Nov. 5-7 atRed Lion on the River, Portland, Or.

During the event, Bill Lee will leadtwo programs: “How to Take YourBusiness to the Next Level” and“Coaching Your Salespeople onDealing with Price Objections.”

Also on the agenda: supplier net-

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working reception and table-top show,president’s banquet, keynoter Dr. BillConerly on “The Economic Outlook:New Opportunities & Risks in theEvolving Business Cycle,” and lun-cheon speaker Jared Ogden, a retiredmember of U.S. Navy Seal Team One.

National Lumber & BuildingMaterial Dealers Association is stag-ing its annual industry summit Oct.28-30 at the Hard Rock Hotel in SanDiego, Ca.

Presentations “Envisioning theLumberyard of the Future,” “TheNational Green Building Standard:Green Certification Game Changer,”“Understanding Today’s Residential& Commercial Construction CycleWill Be Radically Different,” “UsingMobile Technology to Advance YourBusiness,” “Beat Last Year! Cultivat-ing Continuous Sales Growth,” and aD.C. legislative update.


Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word min.). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy/head-line, $9 per line. Border, $9. Private box, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if art furnished “camera-ready” (advertisersets type), $65 if we set type. Questions? Call (949) 852-1990.

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To reply to ads with private box numbers, contact box number shown, c/o BPD, 4500 Campus Dr. #480,Newport Beach, Ca. 92660. Names of advertisers using box number cannot be released.

CLASSIFIED Marketplace

IN Memoriam

Jean “Dusty” Destruel, 87, for-mer owner of Mead Clark Lumber,Santa Rosa, Ca., died Aug. 25 follow-ing a battle with liver cancer.

During World War II, he served inthe U.S. Navy in the South Pacific.He joined the family lumber businessin 1948, rising to president in 1975.He sold the company to his two sons,Kevin and Randy Destruel, in themid-1990s.

Joe Archuleta, 82, owner of AlumRock Lumber & Supply, San Jose,Ca., died Aug. 18.

years managing and supervising lum-ber mills in the Cottage Grove, Or.,area.

Albert M. “Alberto” Richardson,92, former manager of C&L Lumber& Supply, Ruidoso, N.M., died Aug.11.

He led C&L for 35 years.

Tommy E. Lamm, 86, longtimeWyoming lumberman, died Aug. 21in Torrington, Wy.

He served in the U.S. NavySeabees Division during World WarII. In 1952, he joined the family busi-ness, R & M Lumber Co., LaGrange,Wy. In 1982, he relocated toTorrington and continued in the lum-ber business until retiring in 1998.

Joann Hunter, 82, co-founder ofHunter Lumber Corp., Albuquerque,N.M., died Aug. 15.

She graduated from University ofNew Mexico in 1952 and opened thelumberyard with her husband,Weldon, in 1959. Several years ago,they sold the company, now HunterBower Lumber, to longtime managerKen Bower.

Homer Kay Kessler, 89, retiredconstruction supervisor for SouthCoast Lumber Co., Brookings, Or.,died Aug. 11.

He received two purple heartswhile serving in the 17th AirborneDivision in the U.S. Army duringWorld War II in the ParachuteInfantry.

He operated his own constructioncompany before joining South Coast,retiring in 1991.

Robert Victor Chapman, 87,Northern California lumberman, diedJuly 29 of congenital heart failure.

After serving in the U.S. Navy dur-ing World War II, he worked as asuperintendent for Van Fleet LumberCo., Hoopa, Ca., and as a lumbergrader for Diamond National LumberCo., Anderson, Ca.

After retiring in 1989, he operateda woodworking business, ChapmanWindmills.

Murlin Robert Ward, 87, retiredlumber grader for Weyerhaeuser Co.,Longview, Wa., died Aug. 25.

He served in the U.S. Army inEurope during World War II, thenspent 35 years with Weyerhaeuser,before retiring in January of 1989.

An Army Airborne Veteran of theKorean War, he opened Alum RockLumber in 1977. For the last 20 years,he has operated it as a truck rentalbusiness.

Jim Anthony, 86, retired execu-tive vice president at RY Timber,Townsend, Mt., died July 10 inOakridge, Or.

He spent many years in the indus-try, before retiring from RY at age 84.

Albert R. Barber, 77, PacificNorthwest mill manager, died June18.

A U.S. Army veteran of theKorean War, he spent more than 30

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISINGOrder Blank

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DATE BookListings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify

dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend.

Jensen Distribution Services – Sept. 10-12, fall market, Conven-tion Center, Spokane, Wa.; (800) 234-1321; jensenonline.com.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – Sept. 11, meeting,The Filling Station, Orange, Ca.; (626) 445-8556; lahlc.net.

Northern Utah Home Show – Sept. 12-14, Davis ConventionCenter, Layton, Ut.; (888) 433-3976; www.acshomeshow.com.

Hoo-Hoo International – Sept. 13-16, annual convention, FlamingoHotel, Santa Rosa, Ca.; www.hoohoo.org.

American Architectural Manufacturers Assn. – Sept. 14-17, fallconference, Westin, Westminster, Co.; www.aamanet.org.

American Wood Protection Association – Sept. 14-18, fall meet-ing, Portland, Me.; (205) 733-4077; www.awpa.com.

Ace Hardware – Sept. 17-19, fall market, Orange County Conven-tion Center, Orlando, Fl.; (630) 990-7662; acehardware.com.

North American Rail Shippers Assn. – Sept. 18-19, regional meet-ing, Seattle, Wa.; (972) 690-4740; www.railshippers.com.

Pacific Logging Congress – Sept. 25-27, Live in the Woods show,Molalla, Or.; (425) 413-2808; www.pacificloggingcongress.org.

Universal Forest Products – Sept. 26, annual golf tournament,Temecula Creek Inn Golf Course, Temecula, Ca.; (951) 826-3011; [email protected].

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – Oct. 2, AlanBohnhoff Memorial Golf Tournament, Black Gold Golf Course,Yorba Linda, Ca.; (626) 445-8556; lahlc.net.

North American Rail Shippers Assn. – Oct. 2-3, regional meeting,Hyatt Regency, Phoenix, Az.; (972) 690-4740; railshippers.com.

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Associa-tion – Oct. 2-4, fall conference, Sonnenalp Resort, Vail, Co.;(303) 793-0859; www.mslbmda.org.

Material Handling Industry of America – Oct. 5-8, annual meeting,Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego, Ca.; (704) 676-1190; mhi.org.

Western Building Material Association – Oct. 7, human resourcesworkshop; Oct. 8-9, estimating workshop, Kincaid LearningCenter, Olympia, Wa.; (360) 943-3054; www.wbma.org.

Building Component Manufacturers Conference – Oct. 8-10,Charlotte, N.C.; (608) 274-4849; www.bcmcshow.com.

Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club – Oct. 10, golf tournament & BBQ, UkiahValley Golf Course, Ukiah, Ca.; (707) 542-5091; www.black-barthoohoo181.org.

True Value Co. – Oct. 10-12, fall market, Colorado ConventionCenter, Denver, Co.; (773) 695-5000; truevaluecompany.com.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – Oct. 15, meeting, LosSerranos Country Club, Chino Hills, Chino, Ca.; (323) 559-1958;www.hoohoo117.org.

Do it Best Corp. – Oct. 18-20, fall market, Indianapolis ConventionCenter, Indianapolis, In.; (260) 748-5300; www.doitbestcorp.com.

Association of Millwork Distributors – Oct. 19-23, annual conven-tion, Tampa, Fl.; (727) 372-3665; www.amdweb.com.

DeckExpo – Oct 22-24, Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore,Md.; Oct. 22-24, North American Deck & Railing Associationannual meeting; (866) 475-6495; www.deckexpo.com.

Remodeling Show – Oct. 22-24, Baltimore Convention Center,Baltimore, Md.; (866) 475-6495; www.remodelingshow.com.

Greenbuild Expo – Oct. 22-24, sponsored by U.S. Green BuildingCouncil, New Orleans, La.; (800) 795-1747; www.usgbc.com.

West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association – Nov. 6-7,annual convention, Miramonte Resort & Spa, Indian Wells, Ca.;(800) 266-4344; www.lumberassociation.org.


ADVERTISERS IndexFor more on advertisers, call them directly or

visit their websites [in brackets].

Allweather Wood [www.allweatherwood.com] ............................19

American West Bank [www.awbank.net] .....................................35

Big Creek Lumber Co. [www.big-creek.com]...............................30

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

Boral [www.boraltruexterior.com] ........................................Cover I

Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber ........................................................36

California Redwood Association [www.calredwood.org] ...........32

Capital [www.capital-lumber.com]................................................34

Fasco America [www.fascoamerica.com]....................................41

Fontana Wholesale Lumber [fontanawholesalelumber.com].....51

GRK Fasteners [www.grkfasteners.com].....................................49

Huff Lumber Co. .............................................................................33

Humboldt Redwood [www.getredwood.com] ..............................19

Jaaco Corp. [www.jaaco.com].......................................................36

Jones Wholesale Lumber [www.joneswholesale.com] ..............24

Keller Lumber .................................................................................42

Kop-Coat [www.kop-coat.com] .......................................................7

Matthews Marking Products [www.matthewsmarking.com] ......47

Maze Nails [www.mazenails.com].................................................15

Mendocino Forest Products [www.mfp.com] ..............................19

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

North American Wholesale Lumber Association [nawla.org] ......3

NyloBoard [www.nyloboard.com]...................................................5

PrimeSource Building Products [www.primesourcebp.com] ....45

Reliable Wholesale Lumber Inc. [www.rwli.com] ........................37

Roseburg Forest Products [www.roseburg.com] .......................27

Royal Pacific Industries .................................................................41

RoyOMartin [www.royomartin.com]...................................Cover IV

Screw Products [www.screw-products.com] ..............................26

Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com]..............................28-29

Siskiyou Forest Products [siskiyouforestproducts.com]...........31

Snavely Forest Products [www.snavelyforest.com]..........Cover II

Swanson Group Sales Co. [www.swansongroupinc.com].........25

TruGrain [tru-grain.com]................................................................45

TruWood-Collins [www.truwoodsiding.com] ........................16A-B

Universal Forest Products [www.ufpedge.com]............................8

West Coast Lbr. & Bldg. Mtl. Assn. [lumberassociation.org].....53

Westech Building Products [tru-grain.com] ................................45

Western Forest Products [www.westernforest.com] .................11

Western Red Cedar Lumber Assn. [www.wrcla.org].............11, 23

IDEA FileLocal Focus

Helping people shop local and payingemployees a living wage—both of these tactics broughtsuccess to a hardware dealer in the nation’s capital.

“I think it’s important to bring customer-friendly,home-maintenance shops back to Main Street,” saysGina Schaefer, co-owner of A Few Cool HardwareStores. “I am a firm believer in the concept of the momand pop shop.”

Back in 2003, Schaefer and her husband, MarcFriedman, purchased a fixer-upper apartment in theLogan Circle area of Washington, D.C., but there wereno hardware stores in the neighborhood. After someresearch, they signed up with Ace Hardware andopened a store in the neighborhood. Today, they ownnine stores in D.C. and nearby Baltimore, Md. And onAug. 15, the original Logan Circle location moved to alarger, 10,000-sq. ft. space down the street.

“We really love owning these stores and are sopleased that from the first month, local peopleembraced us,” she says. “It is clear that people want toshop locally, and we are more than happy to fill thatneed.”

However, she freely admits that success wouldn’thave been possible without the help of dedicatedemployees who are well trained, treated with respect,and paid more than minimum wage.

“Paying fair wages helped our business grow fast tonine stores and nearly 200 employees—even as oureconomy suffered a terrible economic downturn,” shesays. “Paying better wages helps us attract and retaingood employees, increase sales, expand our business,and hire more employees.”

Schaefer also believes in supporting the local econo-my and encouraging creative entrepreneurship. That’swhy she launched a Made in D.C. program two yearsago and a Made in Maryland program last year.

“We love the idea of sourcing products locally, andwe know our customers do, too,” she says. “It is ourresponsibility as a local business to provide theseopportunities for vendors and promote economicgrowth in the community.”

Schaeffer also works closely with Jubilee Jobs, aD.C. organization that offers counseling, retraining, andjob placement, to give people what she calls secondchances. “The result is that we help people—whetherthat means selling them a wrench to fix the toilet orfinding a job so they can get off welfare or drugs. I fig-ure if I don’t do it, who will? It seems like a good wayto run a company.”

STORE OWNERGINA SCHAEFER

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