February 2012 issue of The Merchant Magazine, 90-year-old monthly serving dealers and distributors of lumber & building materials in the 13 western United States.
52
Siding : CRAFTSMEN STAGGERED, Reversible Trim : SMOOTH 4" www.TruWoodSiding.com | ASK US ABOUT OUR FSC PRODUCTS. The TruWood Collection, manufactured by Collins Products LLC | phone 1.800.417.3674 MOST BUYERS DON’T ASK FOR SIDING BY BRAND. TO THEM, SIDING IS SIDING. UNLESS, OF COURSE, THEY HAPPEN TO BE LOOKING AT A HOME WITH SIDINGTHAT MAKES THAT HOME DISTINCT. THAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT FROM THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR AND THE HOUSE DOWN THE STREET. IN WHICH CASE, SIDING IS THEN MORE THAN JUST SIDING. IT’S A SELLING POINT. TRUWOOD. THEY’RE ASKING FOR IT, EVEN IF THEY DON’T KNOW IT BY NAME. TruWood’s material content is backed by third-party certifier Scientific Certification Systems. SCS-MC-01178 | www.scscertified.com QUICK TRICKS TO SELL MORE DECKING MARKETING PREMIUM OSB FEBRUARY 2012 The MERCHANT Magazine THE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS – SINCE 1922
Transcript
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www.TruWoodSiding.com | ASK US ABOUT OUR FSC PRODUCTS. The TruWood Collection, manufactured by Collins Products LLC | phone 1.800.417.3674
MOST BUYERS DON’T ASK FOR SIDING BY BRAND.
TO THEM, SIDING IS SIDING. UNLESS, OF COURSE, THEY HAPPEN TO BE LOOKING AT A HOME WITH
SIDING THAT MAKES THAT HOME DISTINCT. THAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT FROM THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR
AND THE HOUSE DOWN THE STREET. IN WHICH CASE, SIDING IS THEN MORE THAN JUST SIDING.
IT’S A SELLING POINT. TRUWOOD. THEY’RE ASKING FOR IT, EVEN IF THEY DON’T KNOW IT BY NAME.
TruWood’s material content is backed by third-party certifier Scientific Certification Systems.
SCS-MC-01178 | www.scscertified.com
QUICK TRICKS TO SELL MORE DECKING � MARKETING PREMIUM OSBFFEEBBRRUUAARRYY 22001122
The MERCHANT MagazineTHE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS – SINCE 1922
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44 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
February 2012Volume 90 �� Number 8
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CHANGE OF ADDRESS Send address label from recentissue if possible, new address and 9-digit zip to addressbelow. POSTMASTER Send address changes to The MerchantMagazine, 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach,Ca. 92660-1872.The Merchant Magazine (ISSN 7399723) (USPS 796-560) is published monthly at 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480,Newport Beach, Ca. 92660-1872 by Cutler Publishing,Inc. Periodicals Postage paid at Newport Beach, Ca., andadditional post offices. It is an independently-owned publi-cation for the retail, wholesale and distribution levels of thelumber and building products markets in 13 western states.Copyright®2012 by Cutler Publishing, Inc. Cover andentire contents are fully protected and must not be repro-duced in any manner without written permission. All RightsReserved. It reserves the right to accept or reject any edi-torial or advertising matter, and assumes no liability formaterials furnished to it.
Special Features9 FEATURE STORY
THE SECRETS OF SELLING DECKING ONLINE
12 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTCOMPOSITE MANUFACTURERS ROLL OUT
NEW DECKING LINES
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66 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
TOTALLY RandomBy Alan Oakes
Who wants to be a billionaire? Me!
THOSE 1%! HOW DARE THEY! According to some of us in the 99%, the 1% possess most ofthe country’s wealth, lay off millions, pay no taxes, don’t care about anyone else, and
are basically a blight on society. They are the enemy! They need to pay more to fund thehealthcare reforms, the unemployed, and the bailouts, which have made them richer, whilethe rest of us lose our jobs and our houses, and pay our fair share of taxes. Really?
I am both a small business owner and a working employee (although, in truth, with afew more perks). But like most who read this column, I work hard to achieve business suc-cess, which allows me to provide for my family. Financially, I’ve experienced both goodtimes and bad, but have always recognized that I live in a country that offers me with theopportunity to be who I want to be, one that has given me the freedom to pursue the life I’dearlier only dreamed about.
There has been much debate in the press, instigated by the Occupy Wall Street move-ment, filled with “us” vs. “them” rhetoric. I must say that I’m not one of the 1% by a longshot, but sure would like to be one. While that will never happen now, that aspiration hasmotivated me to succeed all my working life, starting in the U.K. back in the ’60s. Then, Iwas motivated by wanting more than my parents had. I never expected to be handed any-thing. I knew I had to work hard and be better than the next guy. I wanted to live and workwhere there would be rewards for what I achieved and if there was not (as has happened), Icould move on and try something else (including changing continents three times).
The OWS movement suggests that we are heading for a class war. Yet it is completenonsense to suggest that a gap between rich and poor is any different than in any othercountry or at any other time in history—although some could argue the gap is getting larg-er. Wealth (and sometimes obscene wealth) has existed from time immemorial, from thepharoahs in Egypt to the capitalist railway barons, the Communist elite (where all was sup-posed to be equal), and today’s tech inventors. Every country that has had wealth has hadthe wealthy and not-so-wealthy. The difference in the U.S. was that, if you came fromnothing and were smart or, even better, had a great idea, you could succeed here likenowhere else. And, you were typically applauded for being a winner. Sadly, the tide ischanging. There is an ever-increasing sense of entitlement.
Yet, it is that go-go entrepreneurial spirit that made this country so great. It’s why Imade the decision 35 years ago, like many before me, to move to the USA, the internation-al poster child for opportunity. Ironically, the likes of the late Steve Jobs, who 30 years agomight have fit in with the OWS protesters, went on to become one of the world’s richestmen and no doubt enjoyed every dollar he earned. That’s America!
I have never regretted my own decision and take great pride in what I have achievedhere. I do not believe I could have been more successful anywhere else. And though I’llnever have the wealth of the 1%, I don’t begrudge them their success. I have workeddirectly for billionaires. I’ve seen how they spend—and sometimes waste—their money.I’ve even shaken my head at their lifestyles, but in most cases they earned it, along with theright to spend it how ever they want. They had the guts to risk everything, sometimes afterlosing everything and coming back fighting, to risk it all again and again.
Many of today’s super-rich were just like “us” in times past. Isn’t it great that we live ina country that gives us all that opportunity instead of the elite few? How many of us 99%drink coffee from Starbucks, helping to make its founder a billionaire? Or purchasedMicrosoft Windows? Microsoft has made over 10,000 “Us” employees millionaires, whileenriching thousands of investors and allowing Bill Gates to become a very generous phil-anthropist. Successful companies benefit not only employeesand stockholders, but the rest of us as well.
Its rags-to-riches stories have made America the mostunique—and prosperous—nation in history, despite its warts.Take that away and who do we become?
I am not blind. I know there is abuse—at all levels. Thereare too many tax loopholes that should be closed at a personaland corporate level. But the view that all millionaires andbillionaires are cheats and not paying their fair shareis disingenuous. I suspect the bigger issue is thatmany of us have become totally disillusioned,after so many people losing their jobs and homes.I know a number of “millionaires”—includingin this industry—who have also lost everythingthese past few years. Do not let us change whatmade this country great!
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 99
Boehlke: The biggest advantage is convenience.Customers can sit at home on their computers and shopthrough the different items available on our site. We carry anumber of different manufacturers’ products, so there are alot of options to choose from.A second advantage is the amount of inventory avail-
able. Most big box stores carry one or two manufacturers’products, but in limited colors, quantities or sizes. Our siteoffers every size and option the manufacturers offer, and90% of purchases are shipped within a day of order place-ment.
Ivancic: Customers can have access to a variety of sizes,lengths and species not available at their local yards.Customers who want a few boards to finish a job or do asmall project can shop online at their leisure when ourphone center is closed. Customers can also take advantageof substantial savings, since many online companies areoften structured with lower overhead cost.
Sweet: Customers receive wholesale pricing and can
FEATURE StoryOnline Decking Sales
The secrets of sellingdecking products online
IPEDEPOT.COM is a popular online decking site launched by AdvantageTrim & Lumber, Buffalo, N.Y.
THE DECK APPEARS to be stacked against selling deckingonline. The products can be long and heavy, and are
typically purchased in full-project quantities.Currently, most LBM dealers use their websites to pro-
vide product information to “physical customers.” E-com-merce sales of decking are “maybe, one day.”“I do see us selling decking online to local (25-mile
radius) customers in the near future,” predicts Eric Murphy,sales manager for East Coast Lumber, East Hampstead,N.H. “I see (an e-commerce site for decking) as mostly apro tool, since these guys are already familiar with the fea-tures and benefits of the products we carry. I don’t see anypotential at this point for selling to long-distance cus-tomers, ‘Amazon style.’ Shipping and purchase require-ments from the manufacturers would mitigate any per-ceived savings for the customer.”Yet a number of companies have already found a way to
make online deck sales work. The Merchant asked severalto share the secrets of their success:
The Merchant: How long have you been selling deckingproducts online?
Jim Sweet (president/c.e.o., VinylFenceandDeck.com,Rochester, Mn.): Seventeen years.
Dan Ivancic (director of marketing, Advantage Trim &Lumber Co. and IpeDepot.com, Buffalo, N.Y.): Our e-com-merce website research and development started back in1993. We have been investing in our web presence longbefore having a company website became standard prac-tice. These efforts have paid off, as online search enginestend to give preference to well-aged domain names. Sincethen, we have reinvested a substantial portion of our rev-enue into programmers and online marketing.
Jim Hourigan (v.p.-supply chain, BuildDirect,Vancouver, B.C.): We have been selling decking for overeight years.
Paul Boehlke (general manager, Deck Builder Outlet,Palos Heights, Il.): We have had a website that sold deck-related products online since 1997, but the Deck BuilderOutlet name and website were introduced and began sellingproducts in 2005.
The Merchant: What are the primary advantages tobuyers of purchasing decking products online?
1100 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
HARDWOOD and composite decking are featured prominently atBuildDirect.com.
work with experts in fence and decking. Unlike a big boxretailer that sells thousands of items, we only manufactureand sell vinyl fence and deck.
The Merchant: Is there anything unique to deckingproducts compared to other building products that makes iteasier or more difficult to sell online?
Ivancic: Decking, or any wood material for that matter,can be challenging to sell online since wood is a naturalmaterial and, of course, no two pieces look exactly thesame. So the challenge is often to convince the customerthat they will be happy with our staff selecting the productfor them.The long lengths of decking, up to 24', are also a ship-
ping and handling concern, as some LTL carriers are notfully equipped or used to handling such long freight.Conveying a company’s rock solid local reputation to anational level is an everyday effort, as Internet scam artistscan taint the customer’s willingness to trust Internet retail-ers in any industry.
Hourigan: We make it easier for customers by provid-ing a sample and delivery to the project site. So a customercan order online, check the sample the next morning forcolor and physical properties, and then have the productdelivered without the hassle of going to a store or having toarrange delivery. Decking, especially 16-ft. boards, is achallenge to transport. We, with our freight partners, takethe hassle out of getting the product home.
Boehlke: Most of the deck-related products you find onour site are packaged by the manufacturer, so they can beshipped UPS. Post caps, balusters, deck lighting, screws,connectors and similar products are packaged in smallsizes. They can be purchased online and shipped to a cus-tomer’s home. A customer doesn’t need to worry aboutwalking the aisles in a home center looking for these itemsand hoping they have them in stock. The cost of shipping is somewhat offset by the savings
in sales tax. Building products like framing lumber andbags of cement are too expensive to ship and are almostimpossible to sell online.
The Merchant: Weight would seem a possible issue withactual decking. Are a large percentage of your customers
located geographically close to your point of shipping?Hourigan: Yes, we agree that weight and the length of
certain deck products may be an issue for some retailers,but we used our demand data to determine the best placefor our multiple distribution center system. This systemhelps us provide the customer with both reduced freightcosts and lead times. Also, because of the amount of freightwe move, our freight rates are among the best in the indus-try so our products travel efficiently from our warehouses.
Ivancic: Weight is a major issue. We went through greatpains to ensure we were using accurate freight quotes, astight margins can easily be eaten up by a misquoted freightprice. The last thing a customer ever wants to hear is thattheir price changed because of inaccurate shipping figures,so it’s typically on the dealer to absorb any freight cost dis-crepancy. As for geographic locations, our customers arespread across the entire U.S. and the world, so it entailssearching many carriers to maintain competitiveness.
Sweet: We ship worldwide. Location is not an issue. Allof our quotes include shipping.
Boehlke: We sell composite decking, but only in theChicagoland area. It’s simply too expensive to ship nation-ally. Most brands are available locally throughout the coun-try, so even if we have lower prices, the cost of shippingputs the price above what a local store may sell it for.I had a customer on Long Island that compared our com-
posite decking prices to his local supplier. Our cost on thedecking alone was over $800 less, but the cost to ship it tohim from Chicago would have offset those savings. Weoffer composite and vinyl decking comparisons on our site,but due to shipping costs, don’t offer (vinyl) for sale.
The Merchant: Do you accept returns if customersorder too much?
Hourigan: We do not accept returns of, say, a singleboard. We encourage customers to keep any small piecesleft over in case they may need to replace a piece that mayget damaged in the course of use. Our product experts talkwith customers to get the right amount for their job. If theyhave a significant overage and the product is able to beresold, we will accept a return with certain conditions.
Ivancic: Yes, we accept returns. Returns are often re-milled into smaller sizes to remove scratches and dingsfrom excessive shipping across the country and back.
Sweet: For most deck projects, we suggest ordering 10%extra for cuts and unforeseen modifications. We work witheach customer on their project, so that the order is usuallyright on the mark. This is an advantage with working withan expert company that sells only fencing and decking.Each project is unique, and our job is not done until thedeck is installed properly. We provide 24/7 install support.
Boehlke: We allow our customers to return unopenedproducts for a refund. Our policy states that the customerhas 30 days to return the items, and there will be a 15%restocking fee. We allow some flexibility on those rules.
The Merchant: Decking can be an intimidating productto buy sight unseen. Does the “typical customer” seem tohave done his/her homework, shopped around, and knowexactly what (s)he wants, or does (s)he typically have ques-tion after question before ordering?
Hourigan: We have customers that are very knowledge-able, including many contractors who buy from us for alltheir jobs. They know what they want, but also want toknow of new products or trends that we see that can helptheir business. We also have d-i-y customers that need a lot
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 1111
more information to ensure they have a successful project.We advise on things like spacing, clearance, etc.
Ivancic: We deal with a variety of customers, fromwood experts to first-time users. Purchasing any productonline can be scary, but typically our customers are com-fortable with our strong reputation of supplying products tothe “sight unseen” buyer, as they have often seen a job wesupplied in their area, previously visited one of our millingfacilities, and have done extensive online research. Educating the customer can be a big investment, as it
often takes the same amount of time to talk a new customerthrough an order of a couple boards as it does an order ofseveral bundles. This makes customer retention an evenmore important part of everyday business, as repeat cus-tomers become the true profit center.
Sweet: Some customers know exactly what they want,others require full support. Our typical customer alreadyhas a rough idea of their needs, and we then help them toprovide a detailed quote for their project.
Boehlke: The majority of our composite decking salesare to deck builders who know about the different manufac-turers and their respective lines, so they know exactly whatthey want. Composite decking is very uniform and does nothave to be picked through like cedar or treated decking.A homeowner usually does have a lot of questions and
needs guidance in differentiating the types of compositeand vinyl decking that are available. Even after explainingthe differences, we still recommend that the customer stopby to pick up samples to compare the colors.
The Merchant: What are the prospects for futuregrowth in online decking sales?
Hourigan: We are seeing huge growth online for thiscategory and forecast much more. Building products anddecking in general have not yet achieved a significant per-centage of sales online compared to other categories, butthe trend is unmistakably clear. Every day more and morepeople are becoming more comfortable buying buildingproducts online, and this is due to how we treat customersand deliver great products and great prices with no hassles.
Ivancic: We see continued growth for online deckingsales as the overall economy improves; however, the risk ofrising freight cost, government regulation on Internet sales,and increased competition are always looming issues.
Sweet: We are of the opinion that the market will contin-ue to grow. The majority of consumers are committed toreceiving the best price, along with the best service avail-able and are unable to find this local, so going online andworking with an expert in the field can provide a solutionto the problems of buying local from big box retailers.
Boehlke: We were one of the first websites to offerdeck-related products online. Back in 2005, our best-sellingproducts were wood post caps, deck screws, and connectorsthat were used on wood decks. Now with the popularity oflow deck maintenance growing, our site has seen largesales increases in aluminum balusters and post caps, alongwith composite and vinyl railing systems, which are replac-ing their wooden counterparts. Many people building new decks and those rebuilding
their old ones are looking for low maintenance, not neces-sarily on the decking but more so on the railings, which iswhat most of the products on our site offer. The new linesof LED deck lighting are also catching on. As the economybuilds more steam and the low deck maintenance and LEDlighting ideas grow, I think the online deck product salescan see additional growth. At least I hope so.
1122 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
PRODUCT SpotlightNew in Composite Decking
AS DECK SEASON approaches, man-ufacturers of composite deck
boards are introducing new prod-ucts—or expanding and improvingold ones. Advanced Environmental Techno-
logies Inc. is the proud parent ofNanoShield, the first composite deckboard to incorporate nanotechnology.The Springdale, Ar., company devel-
oped the new product in partnershipwith NanoMech, Fayetteville, Ar. Theprocess bonds inorganic nanoparticlesto treated wood particles to form adurable shell of similar composition. “We believe nanotechnology will
be one of the next technology leadersfor this industry,” says chairman andc.e.o. Joe Brooks. “AERT’s Nano-Shield board will represent a game-
Composite makersroll out new decking
changing product with unmatchedperformance and characteristics.” Brent Gwatney, v.p. of sales and
marketing for AERT’s Moisture-Shield brand, says that NanoShieldwill be a “high-end product that willlook more like wood. It will be some-thing to compete with cellular PVCand capstock composites.” TAMKO Building Products, Joplin,
TIMBERTECH has added three new colors—brick, slate, and brownstone—to its new Earthwood Evolutions collection.
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 1133
ARMADILLO DECK by Master Mark Plastics has wood grain on both sides, in four colors: painteddesert, canyon gray, Sedona, and driftwood.
Mo., plans to introduce a new com-pression-molded deck board that iscapped on three sides, but details havenot been released. However, industrysources believe that the new productwill be christened Envision, the samename used in 2009 for a PVC deckboard that failed to gain significantmarket share.The new product will be produced
using TAMKO’s compression-moldingmanufacturing process—already usedfor the company’s EverGrain compos-ite decking—which experts say givesboards a deeper grain and texture thancomposite boards that are injection-molded. Armadillo Deck is the latest offer-
ing from Master Mark Plastics,Albany, Mn., which also producesRhino Deck. The composite boardsare made from a proprietary mix ofwood pulp and recycled, high-densitypolyethylene plastics, then fullywrapped with a tough polyethylenecoating to resist fading, weathering,scratching, stains, and mildew.Available colors are painted desert,canyon gray, Sedona, and driftwood,with wood grain on both sides.Trex Co., Winchester, Va., recent-
ly introduced Enhance compositedecking, which is positioned betweenits Transcend and Accents lines. LikeTranscend, Enhance has a three-sidedshell that protects against staining,fading, mold, rot, cracks and splinters. Available in two colors—clam
shell and beach dune—Enhance deck-ing is manufactured from 95% recy-
cled content, including reclaimedwood, sawdust and plastic bags.“Enhance will both expand and
strengthen our high-performance
Nyloboard LLC is expanding distrib-ution of its NyloDeck, NyloTrim, andNyloSheet products in the Southeast.Produced from 100% recycled carpetfiber and VOC-free bonding resins, theproducts are also available in Californiaand Hawaii. “We spent much of last year modify-
ing our process to become much moreefficient, so we could become morecompetitive and be able to producemuch more volume,” said KevinGuthard, vice president of operationsfor the Covington, Ga., company. Last year, the company’s 200,000-
sq. ft. plant was modified and newequipment was added so loose-fill car-pet fibers could be used, which signifi-cantly lowered manufacturing costs. “The challenge has mostly been in
manufacturing,” said Guthard. “We hadto travel across the globe to make surewe have the right technology andequipment for manufacturing.”Guthard believes that NyloDeck has
an advantage compared to other alter-native decking products because itlooks like hardwood. It also has naturalresistance to mildew and waterbecause it is made from 100% recycled
NyloDeck Expands Distributioncarpet fiber and bonding resins that arefree from volatile organic compounds.Available in three colors—caramel,
cocoa and gray—NyloDeck has anultraviolet coating for fade-resistanceand can be installed with conventionalbuilding tools. “It is impervious to moisture and
water because there is no wood in theproduct,” said Guthard. “It also appealsto people who appreciate the idea ofdiverting carpeting from a landfill.”
NYLOBOARD is expanding distribution ofNyloDeck, produced from 100% recycledcarpet fibers and VOC-free bonding resin, inthe Southeast this year.
decking portfolio and provide con-sumers with a composite product thatfeatures a multitude of innovative fea-tures,” says Ronald W. Kaplan, chair-man, president and c.e.o. “We’reestablishing a clear ‘good, better,best’ decking line-up, which allowsconsumers to select the ideal productto meet their outdoor living needs.” TimberTech, Wilmington, Oh., has
added three new colors—brick, slateand brownstone—to its newEarthwood Evolutions collection.Featuring proprietary HydroLocktechnology, the line is the company’sfirst fully capped composite deckingproduct, with a flat-grain surface thatdoesn’t trap dirt and a consistent var-iegated color for the look of hard-wood. “The success of Earthwood
Evolutions exceeded even our expec-tations, but we knew that customerswere looking for a product withincreased scratch, stain and fade resis-tance coupled with unmatched aes-thetics,” says product manager TobyBostwick. “The collection brings thesame high performance qualities with
1144 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
mate. All three contain 94% recycledcontent and 6% non-toxic adhesive. Formerly known as Heartland
BioComposites, the company is nowowned by the RRM Compositesinvestment group, which stepped inwhen Heartland went bankrupt andclosed its doors after defaulting onloans of more than $5 million.Current vice president Heath VanEaton founded the company anddeveloped the products, which recent-ly received building certification fromICC Evaluation Services, a subsidiaryof the International Code Council.“The market’s been soft, but this
year is looking much better,” saidKim Boos, national sales and market-ing manager. “We are priced 15-20%less than traditional wood-plasticcomposites, and we have a greenstory that resonates with people.”
Geolam Inc., Toronto, Ont., is bring-ing wood-plastic composite decking,siding, and trim products—developed inJapan and widely used around theworld—to the U.S. “We want to bring a whole new level
of sophistication to the evolution ofwood in the American marketplace,”said Ron Factor, who co-foundedGeolam Inc. with Christian Stephanseven years ago. “Geolam-brand products grace the
finest buildings in the world, yet havebeen unavailable in North America,”said Stephan. “With much research,independent third-party testing, andmarket analysis, we concluded there is
Japanese Composite Technology Hits U.S.a strong need for WPC materials of thiscaliber in the U.S.”The patented Einwood technology
removes 100% of the moisture from thewood-fiber so the injected plastic is fullyintegrated or embedded, to create anew homogenous product. It is fullyrecyclable, has no formaldehyde emis-sions, and is free of all solvents andchlorine. According to Geolam, it’s theonly wood-plastic composite to earnEco-Mark certification. “The results were very positive and
undeniably set a new standard for com-posite decking performance with theU.S.,” said Factor.
EINWOOD TECHNOLOGY from Japan is behind GeoLam wood-plastic composite decking.
a color palette that offers customers amore traditional choice.”Universal Consumer Products,
Grand Rapids, Mi., is unveiling thenext generation of co-extruded com-posite decking under its LatitudesCapricorn and Captiva brands. Thenew product has a more natural look-ing, realistic grain pattern that is resis-tant to scratches, stains and fading. “The new cap stock we’ve
employed is highly durable andproven in many exterior applica-tions,” says sales manager GeoffreyMeyer. “Builders, d-i-yers, and home-owners will appreciate its great looksand exceptional performance.” ProTekt capped composite deck
boards from Fiberon, New London,N.C., are now offered in four colors:two solids, canyon brown, and harborgray, and two multi-chromatics,chestnut and gray birch. Each boardhas a rigid core that is encased onthree sides with a patent-pending,non-organic surface material that isresistant to staining, fading, scratches,and mold.“The best aesthetics in alternative
decking products drive marketdemand,” says marketing directorEdie Kello. “Fiberon offers home-owners innovative, low maintenanceproducts that retain their beauty foryears and enhance their quality of lifeand the value of their homes.”Natures Composites, Torrington,
Wy., mixes recycled milk jugs withwheat straw cellulose to produceTerraDeck composite decking in threegrades: standard, premium, and ulti-
1166 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
INDUSTRY TrendsComposite Panel Certification
THE COMPOSITE PANEL ASSOCIATION is rolling out a newvoluntary eco-certification standard for composite
wood panels and finished products made with particle-board, MDF, hardboard, and engineered wood siding andtrim.The Eco-Certified Composite Standard (CPA 4-11), or
ECC Sustainability Standard, is a more rigorous successorto CPA’s Environmentally Preferable Product specificationand certification program. The EPP program was estab-lished in 2002 and is currently in wide use throughoutNorth America.The basis of the ECC standard includes the “CPA
Carbon Calculator,” a tool developed by a third-partyexpert to assess the life cycle and carbon footprint of com-posite wood panels made at a particular manufacturingplant.The first ECC-certified wood products were introduced
in recent months, while the EPP program will be sunset on
Stricter green standardfor composite panels
March 31, 2012.The North American composite panel industry is predi-
cated on the optimal use of forestry byproducts and residu-als—turning this raw material into higher value productsso it’s not burned or landfilled. Some consider compositewood panels, by their very nature, to be among the green-est products available for architectural, construction andconsumer products.It’s a great green story, says CPA, but it’s not enough.
Today’s architects, designers, retailers and consumers wantverifiable evidence of greenness, and the ECC certificationprogram offers that assurance. Only products carrying theECC seal are produced in a manufacturing plant or otherfacility that is audited and certified by the CPA.ECC certification is granted on an individual manufac-
turing plant basis, and is subject to an on-site qualificationaudit and subsequent annual on-site audits by CPA.Composite panel products must first comply with the strin-gent California Air Resources Board (CARB) formalde-hyde emission regulation. In addition, the panel manufac-turing facility must meet at least three of the followingrequirements:• Carbon Footprint – The plant must demonstrate that
the panel’s carbon store offsets its carbon footprint cradle-to-gate as determined in kg-CO2 equivalents of greenhousegas (GHG) emissions. Each plant must use the CPACarbon Calculator to determine if its panels perform as acarbon sink, resulting in overall net carbon storage.• Local and Renewable Resource – At least 85% of
wood fiber must be sourced within 250 miles of the panelplant.• Recycled/Recovered – At least 75% of wood fiber
must be recycled or recovered or at least 50% recycled orrecovered wood fiber plus a minimum of 5% post-con-sumer wood fiber.• Sustainability – At least 97% of wood fiber is convert-
ed to panels or re-utilized as a valued product. Non-valuedproducts include wood residuals shipped to a landfill,material hauled away for a tipping fee as waste material,and boiler ash waste.• Wood Sourcing – Conformity with FSC Controlled
Wood Standard (2008), FSC Chain of Custody Standard(2008), or SFI Fiber Sourcing Requirements (2011).ECC panels may help achieve LEED credits for recy-
cled content, regional materials, certified wood, and low-emitting material.
COMPOSITE PANELS or finished products made with composite woodmay now feature the ECC certification stamp on panel unit bundles, pur-chase documents, or other informational materials.
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 1177
Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber, Inc.Pressure Treated Forest Products
Alkaline Copper Quat (ACQ)Custom Treating
Selected Inventory Available
P.O. Box 673 • 3150 Taylor Drive • Ukiah, Ca. 95482Phone 707-468-0141 • Fax 707-468-0660
45,000-sq. ft. store in Ewa Beach(Oahu), Hi., to open by year’s end.
Demolit ion began on AllAmerican Home Center ,Downey, Ca., Jan. 16, one month afterthe 52-year-old business closed.
Three-unit King’s Ace Hard-ware , Bill ings, Mt., has acquiredLaurel Ace Hardware, Laurel,Mt., from Dean Rankin, who is retiringafter 31 years.Laurel Ace will retain its name as
well as longtime mgr. Reece Garrett.
Ace Hardware is opening a9,300-sq. ft. store next month inSeaside, Or. (Winfield Muffett, owner).
Meeks Lumber & Hard-ware’s shuttered 6-acre site in GrassValley, Ca., has been placed up forsale for $3.349 million.
Brinton’s, Carmel, Ca., abruptlyclosed Jan. 22 after 51 years.
Lowe’s has canceled plans tobuild a store on 20 acres in Salinas,Ca., which had been approved by thecity in October.
Nelson Auctions, Porterville,Ca., liquidated inventory during a Feb.3-4 auction at Lowe’s former storesite in Los Banos, Ca. The home cen-ter closed last October due to under-performance.
City Lumber Co., Astoria, Or.,was voted the area’s best homeimprovement store by readers of theDaily Astorian.
Sea-Sno Mill to CloseOpen since 1941, Seattle-
Snohomish Mill, Snohomish, Wa.,has notified its 50 employees that itwill close next month. “This is a very difficult decision,”
said owner Megan McMurray. “Wehave a dedicated work force, some ofwhom have been with us for morethan three decades.” She blamed the collapse of the
housing and construction industry forclosure of the mill. Nearly 4,000building permits were issued forSnohomish County in 2006, com-pared to less than 2,000 last year.Timber harvests also fell, from about3 million bd. ft. in 2005 to about 1.8million bd. ft. in 2009.
Supply, with DCs in Seattle andSpokane, Wa., has been acquired byRoofing Supply Group, Dallas, Tx.“Founded in 1995, Intermountain
Supply has established itself as theleading roofing supply distributor inthe state of Washington and through-out the Northwestern U.S. and has anexcellent reputation,” said RSG presi-dent and c.e.o. Mike Farrell. “We hadidentified Washington as an attractivemarket for RSG’s entry in 2011, andwe are thrilled to partner with theIMS team to extend our footprint intothis new geographic region.”RSG serves roofing contractors
and homebuilders from 58 branchesin 23 states.
Murphy Expands Panel MillMurphy Plywood is building three
structures totaling 60,000 sq. ft. at itsplywood plant in Rogue River, Or.The expansion will boost the size
of the mill, currently 164,000 sq. ft.,
by one third. Murphy is also installingnew machinery to create value-addedplywood and is constructing a railspur to improve shipping.Two years ago, Murphy paid $3.6
million for the mothballed facilitypreviously operated by PanelProcessing, Alpena, Mi., and restartedit in December 2010. Murphy also operates a hardwood
plywood mill in Eugene, Or., and astructural beam facility in Sutherlin,Or.
Sears Spins Off OSHSears Holding Corp. completed its
spinoff of Orchard Supply Hardware,San Jose, Ca., effective Dec. 30.The 87-unit hardware chain now
trades on the Nasdaq market as“OSH.”
Coating Company AddsContractor Supply StoreEco Building Products has opened
a retail store for contractors andhomeowners in a newly expandedspace at its headquarters in Vista, Ca. The new space offers Eco Red
Shield treated lumber products, Jeld-Wen windows and doors, Decra roof-ing systems, and Superior UniversalVinyl fencing to the general public. The company also recently began
treating wood at its new, 30,000-sq.ft. coating facility in Salem, Or.,which is located on a rail spur. “ECOB has been on the move
throughout the stagnant housing mar-ket and is well positioned in the rightmarkets,” said president and c.e.o.Steve Conboy. “Our efforts are start-ing to show results with this newcoating facility positioning us closerto where the trees turn into lumber.Now we can cost effectively deliverEco Red Shield products to Hawaiiand northeastern regions.”
1188 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
FAMILY BusinessBy James Olan Hutcheson
I’VE BEEN WORKING as a family-busi-ness consultant full time for more
than 15 years. In 2006, three of myclients died, which is more deaths thanI’ve experienced during my entirecareer. With every family I work with, Itake steps to prepare their business for adeath, setting up succession plans andbuyout agreements. But all the planningin the world couldn’t have prepared mefor how to handle the aftermaths ofthese three deaths.Like each family, I was put to the ultimate test following
each death. My counsel and wisdom were quickly shown toeither work or not work. Until you’ve lived through a deathin a family business, you just don’t know what’s going tohappen. And the effects on the business will vary depend-ing on the way the family deals with the loss: Reactions canrange from temporary shock to falling apart to continuingto function relatively normally.In one scenario, two of the family’s three sons had been
locked in a long conflict, causing the business to suffer, andI had been hired to help resolve it. But then the son whowasn’t involved in the conflict died. One of the two rivalbrothers tried to leverage the death to gain an advantage, bysuggesting that the actions of his rival brother caused thedeath and refusing to join hands with his family in mourn-ing. The elderly parents, who still served as leaders of thebusiness, weren’t prepared for this and my work salvagingthe business took a major step backward. The whole experience showed me that in a deeply con-
flicted family, tragedy can drive members further apartinstead of bringing them closer together.
An Incomplete BequestIn the second family, the father and founder of the busi-
ness died unexpectedly. While the business was preparedfor his death, with wills and other arrangements already inplace, the family wasn’t. And to make matters worse, thefounder’s spouse enforced certain terms in his will to lashout at the couple’s son-in-law, who hadn’t worked for thefamily business because he hadn’t gotten along with thefounder. But what was in the will wasn’t what the founderhad ultimately intended. That’s because after the son-in-lawand the founder had gone their separate ways business-wise, emotions cooled and their relationship had improved.Unfortunately, the founder died without having changed
Dealing with a deathin the family business
his will to reflect his change of heart. Asa result, the surviving spouse took actionto give the business to her children, whoweren’t involved in it and didn’t live inthe state, probably not the best outcomefor the business. The experience showedme that even when all the proper succes-sion planning steps are taken, a deathcan bring out the most unexpected reac-tions in family members. In fact, theiractions can foul up what seem like well-laid plans. The hard-earned lesson is to
review estate plans on at least an annual basis or upon eachsignificant life event.In the third family, the father had sold his family busi-
ness and collected a sizable payout. This is what I think ofas a natural evolution, a sunrise-sunset scenario. He hadplanned appropriately by transferring assets, obtaining suit-able life insurance, and otherwise managing his estate toprevent estate taxes from gutting the business. Sadly, hedied shortly after he had completed the sale and was unableto enjoy the fruits of his hard work.
Expecting the UnpredictableI found myself acting almost as a grief counselor to his
widow. It wasn’t a role I had filled before but one I fell intobecause I was considered a source of stability as the fami-ly’s longtime business consultant.The reactions of the three families taught me that there’s
more to the game of family business consulting than I hadrealized, despite my years of experience. I realized the jobisn’t just about installing the right procedures and plans. Ilearned that when clients are vulnerable, a good bedsidemanner is worth more than an business-school MBA. Thatwas my takeaway. Perhaps it seems pretty obvious.Family members aren’t billiard balls you can spin a cer-
tain way and consistently expect a certain result. In myconsulting engagements from now on, I’ll continue to getthe processes and policies in place to produce the result thatseems appropriate. But I’ll also be ready to adapt to theunpredictable needs of the family members during theunexpected tough times.– James Olan Hutcheson is managing partner and founder of
Dallas, Tx.-based family business specialist ReGeneration Part-ners. Reach him at (800) 406-1112 or regeneration-partners.com
Reprinted with permission of ReGeneration Partners. No portion of this articlemay be reproduced without its permission.
2200 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
gold victory, because of their fear of theNo.
Forgetfulness. Master sellers forgetabout No’s. No leaves a lasting impres-sion on the struggling seller.
Denial. For the master seller, Nodoes not exist. “Let’s not call it ‘No,’let’s call it ‘We’ll do business in thefuture’” is the attitude of the master sell-er, while the struggling seller will beemotionally bruised for an hour, day orcareer because of a simple No.The Three Goddesses There are three goddesses. The
Goddesses of Yes, No and Maybe. TheGoddesses Yes and No hang out withwinners, while the Goddess of Maybe,while initially the most attractive, if onlyfor ease of access, will turn any sales-person that falls for her into the dreadedWilly (or Willamina) Loman.We must have a good relationship
with the Goddess of No. In fact, when we chase after her,the Goddess of Yes will become jealous and chase after us.If, on the other hand, we fear the Goddess of No and con-sort with the Goddess of Maybe, Goddess Yes will runfrom us and the Goddess of No will kick us around just forfun.What is your relationship with the Goddess No? Do you
fear her? Avoid her? The Goddess No is a wild animal. Ifshe smells fear, she will mangle us. But if we show confi-dence, she will find someone else to pick on. Author Neil Straus, in The Game, suggests
that if we treat our potential sweetheartslike queens, they’ll treat us like paupers.He advises treating them like our “bestfriend’s little sister” (i.e., tease and flirtwith them, and they’ll treat us like kings).The same can be said for the Goddess
of No. We should have a playful,nonchalant attitude with her andshe (and our customers) willtreat us like sales kings!
CONIFIDENT SELLERS GET 80% of thebusiness in any market. Why?
Because people want to be associatedwith winners. Confidence is the ultimate aphrodisi-
ac. Humans are drawn to confidencemore than anything else. The opposite isalso true. When sellers lack confidence,customers will do everything they can toavoid them.In 1893, the Italian socio-economist
Vilfredo Pareto (1848 – 1923) observedthat 80% of the wealth in Italy wasowned by 20% of the people. Upon fur-ther study, we see that Pareto’s Principleaffects more than just wealth creation:• 20% of the carpet in the room you
are sitting in gets 80% of the wear.• 20% of the players on a basketball
team score 80% of the points. Scorersare not afraid to miss and will continueto shoot despite misses, while the major-ity of players (80%!) become more con-servative in their shot selection or stop shooting altogether.• 20% of the fishermen catch 80% of the fish.• 20% of the sellers in every industry get 80% of the
business!Think about #4. If we are not in the top 20%, we are
fighting over 20% of the business with 80% of the competi-tion. No wonder many sellers are miserable. What are the top 20% doing differently? Confidence is
the main ingredient in their recipe.YesvilleThe only way to Yesville is through Noville. Many sell-
ers are so afraid of the No they will never get to the Yes. Master sellers fail at a 90% rate, while struggling sellers
fail at a 98% rate. The struggling seller looks at master sell-ers and thinks they are selling all the time. They are sellingfour to five times more than their weaker-selling brethren,and they make it look easy, BUT they are still in the 90%rejection business! In fact, master sellers get more No’s in aweek than struggling sellers get in a year! The crucial dif-ference between these two groups is not experience orproduct knowledge. It is their relationship to Yes, No andMaybe.
Yes, No and Maybe. Master sellers are not afraid of theNo. They search it out. What they are disdainful of is theMaybe. The struggling seller will take the Maybe, a fool’s
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 2211
Available from Discerning Distributors in Your Area
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Cascadia decking is made from a 100% renewable and sustainable North Americanresource unlike PVC and composite decking, which is largely made from non-renewable petroleum products. Third-party life cycle analysis clearly shows WRC decking as the best environmental choice for decking: WRC significantly outperforms sustitute products in every environmental measure.
Cedar decking is low maintenance, naturally resistant to decay and insects, and has decades of proven performance. Pair that with TFP’s excellent reputation for quality and you have the best possible product for your decking.
M&L Enterprises, Crescent,Or., closed with the death of ownerLawrence Gieber and auctioned off itsrolling stock and post peeling equip-ment Jan. 19.
BlueLinx is now distributingTerraDeck composite decking fromNatures Composites, Torrington,Wy., in test markets Denver, Co.;Portland, Or., and Tampa, Fl.
Tiger Deck’s Tigerwood deckingproducts are now approved by theCalifornia Department of Forestry &Fire Protection for construction in theWildland Urban Interface areas.
Pacific Western WoodProducts, Los Angeles, Ca., is nowdistributing Kolay FlooringInternational’s Luxury Vinyl flooringand has added a Kolay flooring show-room.
Conifex Timber, Vancouver,B.C., has completed its acquisition ofWelco Lumber’s commodity lum-ber distribution business and NavcorTransportation Services’ trans-portation and logistics business.
Weyerhaeuser Co., FederalWay, Wa., sold its OSB mill in Mira-michi, New Brunswick, to P.Q.-basedArbec Forest Products . Thefacility has been closed for five years.
Vista Pointe ArchitecturalSystems, Gilbert, Az., is now incor-porating optional Hurd aluminum claddoor panels in its folding and slidingpatio door systems.
CalStar Products is relocatingits headuarters and R&D activity fromNewark, Ca., to its manufacturing plantin Caledonia, Wi.
Pacific Lumber InspectionBureau has been approved by theAmerican Lumber StandardsCommittee to serve as a third-partyauditing agency of the Pellet FuelsInstitute’s densified wood pelletmonitoring and labeling program.
SUPPLIER BriefsCompeting New MexicoHardware Stores to MergeAfter 52 years, Triangle Ace
Hardware, Clovis, N.M., is mergingwith local competitor Burns HardwareDo-It Center. Next month, Burns will close its
Clovis store and move into Triangle’slarger location, under the purview ofBurns owner James Burns. “The merger with Triangle will
allow Burns’ loyal customers agreater selection of merchandise,including lumber and building materi-
als,” said Burns. “It will also giveTriangle’s customers access toMerrilat cabinets, Mohawk, Beaulieu,and Shaw flooring, as well as installa-tion on those items.”Triangle owner Richard Petty will
take “a less active role” in the busi-ness, while general manger and ITadministrator Randy Petty will depart,after 37 years with Triangle.Burns also operates Burns
Hardware stores in Tucumcari andRaton, N.M., and Texline, Tx.
2222 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
MARGIN BuildersPremium OSB Panels
THE KNOCK ON OSB has traditionally been its suscepti-bility to moisture. When the panels get wet, their
edges swell. Consequently, home builders often must sandOSB subflooring to ensure their floors are flat.But moisture-fighting innovations over the last several
years have helped OSB take over a majority of the sub-flooring market. And, the upgraded panels have dealersagain marketing OSB as a premium, instead of a commodi-ty, product.Most recently, Weyerhaeuser has added another feature
to its premium Edge Gold flooring panels to furtherenhance the panels’ resistance to rain and moisture. Thecompany’s new Down Pore self-draining technology chan-nels water from the panels’ surfaces and drains it off thejoists below. Along with a high-performance edge seal,this helps reduce construction delays for contractors duringinclement weather.The Down Pore technology consists of three specially
shaped drainage grooves on one of the narrow ends of each4x8 panel. The unique design resists clogging from saw-
dust or adhesive, and allows water to drain even if the pan-els are not properly gapped. Preventing standing waterreduces water absorption and helps maintain the floor sys-tem’s integrity.“The new Down Pore technology removes the need to
sweep pooled rainwater off the floor or drill holes to let itthrough,” said Bob Olson, engineering & technical directorfor Weyerhaeuser OSB. “Our new self-draining paneldesign removes water quickly, reducing the drying timeneeded before installing finishing materials. That can saveseveral days or more during construction. Plus, our propri-etary edge sealant also saves builders time and moneysince they do not need to sand panel edges to achieve asmooth surface.”Other recent enhancements to Edge Gold panels include
a proprietary edge seal formulation that significantlyreduces edge swell, and extension of Weyerhaeuser’s “nosand” guarantee for the panels from 90 days to 200 days.The move follows on the heels of Ainsworth’s introduc-
tion last year of its PointSIX subflooring. It features apatented tapered-edge technology whereby a thin layer ofthe highly compressed fiber along all four edges of theOSB panel is milled off, removing the part of the subfloorthat’s most prone to swelling. PointSIX takes its namefrom research results indicating a .6mm taper depth to bethe most effective in reducing edge swell.The taper on PointSIX is almost imperceptible, and it’s
NOTCHED Down Pore drainage grooves channel water off the surfaceof Weyerhaeuser’s Edge Gold OSB subflooring panels.
RATHER THAN resist moisture, Ainsworth’s pointSIX acknowledgesthat OSB swells and accommodates the effects of moisture via itstapered-edge technology.
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 2233
IN ADDITION to its 180-day no-sand guarantee, PointSIX Durastrand flooring reportedly is the onlyOSB on the market to carry a limited lifetime warranty.
a dimension that won’t require sand-ing. With moisture, the wood fibersexpand to essentially “fill up to flush”the micro-taper. If no moisture con-tacts the engineered subfloor, it doesnot require any filler or mastic. APA-approved for structural integrity,PointSIX features a precise tongue-and-groove profile for a secure fit.According to Mark Sutherland,
Ainsworth’s general manager of mar-keting, “We created PointSIX and itspatented edge taper to accommodatethe effects of moisture and put an endto a problem that builders have longstruggled with: OSB edge swell. Theindustry response since the product’sintroduction has exceeded our expec-tations, with our dealer partnersreporting positive feedback from cus-tomers who no longer have to factoredge sanding into labor and budgets.More important has been what wehaven’t heard: Since introducingpointSIX, we’ve received noticeablyfew callbacks due to edge swell orother moisture-related problems.”Huber has long marketed its
AdvanTech, Norbord its Stabledge,and LP its TopNotch subflooring aspremium products that offer minimalwater absorption, 50-year warranties,
and guarantees against the need forsanding. (TopNotch, in fact, gets itsname in part from its RainChannelnotch system that helps protect theOSB against moisture absorption andedge swell.)
They and other OSB manufactur-ers continue to improve their resins,sealants, and manufacturing process-es, committed to making OSB a maxi-mum-value-added building product.
Universal has been a key supplier in Southern California for years. With the broadest lineup of lumber and specialty products in the area, it’s no wonder why dealers look to UFP as a key supply partner.
Help your builders start smart, �nish strong. Choose Universal as your key building products supplier.
2244 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
LIKE A LOT of people reading this magazine, JeffryPeters grew up working in his dad’s lumberyard—
hauling bags, waiting on customers, sweeping the prover-bial floor. Then, like some of you, too, he felt the urge tostrike out on his own. He did some reconnoitering, found a nearby town where
new homes were sprouting, and decided to earn their busi-ness. To open his own yard there, he had a metal structurebuilt—like dad’s but a tad more compact—then completedall the interior work himself, with the help of a couple ofbuddies. By putting in sweat equity, he says, he not onlyachieved the “clean and modern” operation of his dreamsbut—important—saved himself a pile of cash.Jeffry opened Jack’s Home Improvement Center (named
after his dad and mentor) in Wiggins, Ms., exactly nineyears ago. Today, he’s 29. Do the math and gasp.Not a big fan of academic learning, Jeffry picked up his
business acumen—and, as we’ll see, there’s no shortage ofit—on the job, based on innate smarts and passion. “I hadthe heart to be successful, to go out and do my own thing. Iadmired what my dad was doing. So, at 20, I picked thiscommunity and brought in lumber and hardware, and Imoved my family.” True to form, “I married young,” headds.Why Wiggins? “There was a void—no lumberyard—
and there’s a real good highway, 45, to feed off of. Theycall it ‘Main Street Mississippi’,” serving the countrysideof 30,000 as well as tiny Wiggins, pop. 5,000, sought afteras an ideal place to live for many who do a 30-mile com-
Jack’s be nimble
COMPETITIVE IntelligenceBy Carla Waldemar
PERSONAL SERVICE has been a hallmark of Jack’s HomeImprovement Center since day one.
mute to work. Plus, Wiggins was built upon lumbering andstill retains a plywood plant and three pole facilities.Jack’s Center, where Jeffry’s wife, Morgan, also works,
managing the paperwork, billing and marketing, boasts astaff of seven, “and I trained every one of them,” says theboss, making customer service a top priority. “Two guyshave been here since day one.” Why do they like it here? “It’s a good working atmos-
phere,” Jeffry maintains. “We make a great team. And I’ma pretty good boss,” he adds when prodded for a comment:“very understanding. Around here, we put family needsfirst.”During the golden years when Jack’s first opened, its
builders were completing 20 houses a year, and figured as70% of the company’s customers. Now, down to six newhomes in 2011, the ratio has swung—deliberately onJeffry’s part—to 60%, with 50% as his goal. And he’sdrawing more of these d-i-yers by design, not accident.
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 2255
Christmas promotions. The company launched a contestwith prize of $150 in merchandise; for every $50 spent, acustomer was entered in the drawing. And it worked fine.“They’ll have a bill of $38, then go back and buy some-thing else to raise it to the $50,”Jeffry reports. “Our goalwas to raise the average transaction from $30 to $50, andit’s working.”Another holiday promotion was called John Deere
Bucks. For every $10 someone spendt on one of the Deeretoys, he received a chance to win a whole package of thepopular gifts. Jack’s had Case Cash going, too: Buy a Caseknife and be entered in a drawing for a complete set. And aChristmas Open House featured photos with Santa, mailedto each kid who sat on his lap.An earlier promo, offered as a community thank-you for
its support, was Jack’s Antique Car Show, which drew 125vehicles and 600 attendees—“a big event for us, and funfor the whole family.” Naturally, attendees were offeredcoupons to use within the store. Jeffry also serves on thetown’s Economic Development Committee and buys hisbusiness supplies—paper, whatever—right here in hishome base. “Wiggins should grow, and I want to be part ofit,” he explains. Jack’s product mix is also changing with the times. “We
listen to what customers are asking for and make a list ofwhat we don’t have. If three or four a week want the samething, we add it.” Or add it simply because Jeffry’s got his eyes open.
“There’s an RV camp with 300 spots in Flint Creek Park,so when campers sign in, they’re handed a coupon for 10%off whatever they need—maybe a sewer hose, a powersupply.” So far, there are no looming boxes to prey on his busi-
ness, but the prospect doesn’t make him blink. “Our pricesare competitive, our quality is excellent, and our service?No comparison.”Talk about service: When Hurricane Katrina was fore-
cast to hit on a Monday, Jack’s stayed open all daySunday, when it’s normally closed, so folks could stock upon supplies. Then, after being slammed by the storm onMonday, when the store sustained substantial damage—holes in the roof, outbuildings gone with the wind, nopower for two weeks—“I opened back up on Tuesday, bymyself,” Jeffry notes. “With banks closed and credit cardsinoperable, we took checks and trusted folks. It was chaosfor a long time.”In these times—tough in a different way—he’s back to
trusting once again, by extending credit to good customers.“So far, it’s been okay; I stay on top of it,” he says. “Theycome to me and I try to take care of them.”“The economy has bottomed out here,”
in his view, “but the worst is over.We’ve lowered our operating costs, sowe’ll be fine.” His modus operandi:“Learn by common sense. Learn bydoing. And have the heart for it. “I decided early that I was going to
be somebody—whatever I decidedto do, I’d be the most successfulat it, because my heart is in it.”Sounds like a lumber guy.
JACK’S OWNER Jeffry Peters is intently focusing on increasing itsshare of d-i-y business.
“We adapted for the downturn. I changed the store lay-out, adding more hardware, grills, and John Deere toyswhere we used to have sheetrock mud right out front. Now,it’s a different set-up, with more of an old-fashioned hard-ware store appeal, so people can come in, walk the aisles,and see all the stuff. My favorite customer,” he adds, “isthe one who brings in a broken part and we can fix it, sothey don’t have to call a plumber or electrician.”
That kind of service is Jack’s forte. The extra mile? Youbet. “If ever there’s something wrong, I’ll take care of it,”says Jeffry. He talks about the guy who’d bought a GreenEgg grill and came in six months later saying, “I can’t fig-ure it out.” Jeffry’s response: “Buy some meat and gohome. I’ll stop by around 4 o’clock and cook your supper.”He also takes the big-picture economic slide in stride—
again, by adapting. “If you’re a product in my store, yougotta work for me,” he insists. “I look at each square footof the store, to get the profit I need from it. For instance,we had a strong power tool department, but nowadays theyaren’t selling fast enough. So I cut back 64 sq. ft.” To spinoff the excess, he sent out an e-blast to his customers,announcing Tool Closeout Tuesdays.That’s another way you can tell he’s 20-something: Not
only those e-blasts (“Customers tell me they don’t leavehome in the morning until they’ve checked to see if there’sa deal today”), but other social-media venues go to workfor him, such as a strong Facebook presence, whichMorgan oversees.That’s how customers learned about Jack’s recent
2266 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
Bob Mion, ex-California RedwoodCo., has been named marketingmgr. for Pacific States Industries,San Jose, Ca. Charlie Jourdainwill assume the additional dutiesMion handled as director of mar-keting for the California RedwoodAssociation.
Andrew Cross has been promoted topresident and c.e.o. of Truckee-Tahoe Lumber Co., Truckee, Ca.His father, Breeze Cross, who ini-tially retired in 2007 but returned asc.e.o. in 2008, remains chairman ofthe board.
Robert Marchbank, ex-Wolseley,has been named c.e.o. of ProBuildHoldings, Denver, Co. Interimc.e.o. Fred Marino remains vicechairman. Brett Norton is now amarketing specialist, and ReneeMalone, ex-BlueLinx, is new tosupply chain demand & replenish-ment planning.
Ron Scherber has joined Weyer-haeuser Co., Sacramento, Ca., as adealer sales rep for NorthernCalifornia and Northern Nevada.
MOVERS & Shakers
Rob Stout, ex-Alpine Lumber, hasbeen named channel mgr. forLouisiana-Pacific Corp., Denver,Co.
Pete Fleming is new to inside sales atTaiga Building Products, Rocklin,Ca.
Jack Obie, ex-Lumber Yard Supply,is new to contractor sales at KnechtHome Center, Gillette, Wy.
Brian Buck, ex-National CoatingsCorp., has joined Fiberon as direc-tor of sales for the PacificNorthwest. He is based in theSeattle area.
Rob Bourne, ex-Industrial Lumber, isnow with Sapphire Lumber,Hamilton, Mt.
Erica Ecker has joined OrchardSupply Hardware, San Jose, Ca., asvisual marketing project mgr.
Steve Collett is new to the jambs,moulding, and industrial lumberdivision of Sylvan Forest Products,Portland, Or.
Derek Bolalin is a new associate mer-chant at HD Supply, San Diego,Ca.
Stacey Baker, ex-International WoodProducts, has joined Weyerhaeuer,Tacoma, Wa., as a dealer sales rep.
Jason Sele, ex-Bright Wood Corp.,has been named director of infor-mation technology at McFarlandCascade, Tacoma, Wa.
Nicky Ekwall, ex-Pro BuildingSupply, has opened Nicky’sWindow & Door Supply, WheatRidge, Co.
Rob Morck, ex-All American HomeCenter, is now chief operating offi-cer of new online Do it Best dealerHometown Hardware & Garden,Downey, Ca.
Caitlyn Kari has been named market-ing communications mgr. for bam-boo building products manufacturerTeragren, Bainbridge Island, Wa.Bryan Ripka, ex-EcoTimber, isnow Northwest regional sales mgr.
Janise Kring, Home Depot, Fullerton,Ca., has been promoted to seniordirector-supply chain.
Sheron Dinnoo has joined Forest2-Market, Charlotte, N.C., as mgr.-information technology.
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 2277
Gary M. Freedman has been hired tomanage the liquidation of Bill’sAce Hardware’s store in N.Concord, Ca., which is closingMarch 31 after five years.
Russell Hagen has been promoted tosenior v.p.-business developmentfor Plum Creek Timber Co.,Seattle, Wa.
Brad Johansen has resigned as adirector of Conifex Timber,Vancouver, B.C., to pursue otherinterests.
Ryan Furtado, ex-Suwarne Lumber,is now selling western red cedarfor Western Forest Products,Vancouver, B.C. Nathan Tellis isnew to industrial sales.
Paul Harrison, ex-Tolko Industries,is new to Progressive Solutions,Vancouver, B.C., as mgr., profes-sional services-LumberTrack.
Gord Campbell, ex-Taiga BuildingProducts, is new to the wholesaleexport purchasing staff of GriffBuilding Supplies, NewWestminster, B.C.
Jim McLoud, ex-Hilti, has beennamed West Coast sales mgr. forRobert Bosch Tool Corp. Based inthe Los Angeles area, he overseessales in California, Oregon andWashington.
Nancy Clark, ex-American Chem-istry Council, has joined theAmerican Forest & Paper Associ-ation, as director of air & climateprograms.
Brett McCutcheon has been promot-ed to general mgr. of FascoAmerica, Muscle Shoals, Al., andEmpire Products, North Americandistribution divisions of the BeckFastener Group. He succeedsJerry Koontz, who has retiredafter 20 years with the company.
Brian Luoma, Louisiana-Pacific,Nashville, Tn., was elected chair-man of the American WoodCouncil, succeeding Joe Patton,Westervelt Co., Tuscaloosa, Al.First vice chairman is FritzMason, Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta,Ga., and 2nd vice chairmanAndrew Miller, Stimson Lumber,Portland, Or. Ray Dillon, DelticTimber, El Dorado, Ar., was elect-ed and Rob Taylor, WeyerhaeuserCo., Federal Way, Wa., wasreelected to the board.
Laurel Anne Hardy is now handlingmedia relations at Mungus-FungusForest Products, Climax, Nv.,according to co-owners HughMungus and Freddy Fungus.
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2288 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
Not All Suppliers Are Created EqualBuy your Western Red Cedar from these quality producers.
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then negotiates the best deal with thatcustomer.I’d much rather you get yourself
into a negotiating rather than a bid sit-uation. That way, you’d avoid the bidscenario altogether. And, while it is true that you’ll
never convince 100% of your cus-tomers to negotiate with you ratherthan send out bids, if you are success-ful over the next few years in moving20% to 30% of your customers tonegotiating status, you’ll see atremendous improvement in yoursales.How do you earn that position?
Two ways: First, build powerful busi-ness relationships, be a reliable sup-plier, and offer a special relation-ship—“negotiating”—with all yourgood customers.In other words, bring the subject
up regularly, plant the seed in yourcustomer’s brain, tell stories abouthow you were able to work effective-ly with others—how they cut costs,paperwork and time out of the cycleby working with you.
HOW DO YOU ensure that you getthe last look in a competitive bid
situation?This is a question that I’m often
asked. In a lot of industries, particu-larly those involved in construction,government purchases, and large-vol-ume manufacturing, most of the cus-tomers require an official bid. It’s notunusual for these to be highly formaland structured.Here’s a typical scenario: The cus-
tomer sends a bid to five suppliers,and each responds with a written doc-ument by a certain specified date.The customer reviews the bids andawards the business.The writer of the question wants
the ability to go in after the bids havebeen submitted, to look at the compet-itive bids or at least the lowest bidprices, and to change his/her prices inorder to be awarded the business. First, it should be noted that in
some instances, the “last look” is ille-gal. In many cases, it’s viewed asunethical. In other industries and sit-uations, it’s viewed as business-as-usual. This question and answer isonly relevant to the latter situation.
1. Avoiding a bid situation tobegin with.Okay, I know that bids are stan-
dard operating procedures in yourbusiness. But, I also know that a lot ofbusiness is “negotiated.” In otherwords, the customer selects the ven-dor he/she wants to work with, and
KAHLE On SalesBy Dave Kahle
Ensure yourbid is thefinal bid
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 2299
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If you are good, and persistent,you’ll eventually convert a significantchunk of your customers.The second way to operate effec-
tively in this situation is to becomemore deeply involved in the cus-tomer’s buying process and influencethe creation of the specifications insuch a way so you are the only onewho can meet those specifications.The bid then becomes superfluous.Some of you who have been in my
programs have heard me tell the storyof how I did the most profitable trans-action of my life in an account whosepolicy it was to bid everything to fivevendors.
2. Making a last look unneces-sary.The whole concept of a “last look”
implies that the reason the customerwould do business with you is thatyou are the lowest price of the groupof bidders. While there is a time andplace to be the low price, I’d like foryou to question whether or not this ishow you’d like the customer to thinkof you. If you have done a good job in the
past for the supplier, if you havebecome the low-risk supplier, if youhave understood the customer’s situa-tion at a deeper level than your com-petitors, if you have some aspect ofyour product, service or offer that setsyou apart from the competitors, if youhave communicated those things in apersuasive way, then the customershould be happy to do business withyou even if you are not the absolutelowest price.In other words, if you have done a
good job of selling, then a couple per-centage points in the price shouldhave no impact on the deal.So, rather than try to be the low
price, I’d prefer that you do a deeper,better job of selling this account sothat you don’t have to be the lowestprice. And that means that you havecreated powerful, trusting relation-ships with the key people, that youhave understood the dynamics of theirsituation at a deeper and moredetailed level than any of your com-petitors, and that you have fashioneda unique proposal that meets theirdeeper needs.When you do that, you don’t need
to worry about the last look.
3. Ensuring that you get a lastlook.While everything I said above is
fine, the reality is that there will stillbe some situations where you won’tbe able to implement those strategiesand are reduced to one option—be thelow bidder.Some of your customers negotiate
the business with you, and the lastlook is, of course, not an issue withthem. Some of them will buy fromyou because of the good job of sellingyou did, and the last look, with them,is not an issue.But you will still probably be left
with those who are going to bid andaward the business primarily on thebasis of price. It’s that group forwhich you’d like to have the last look.How do you do that? By achieving
excellence in the basics: buildingpowerful, positive business relation-ships with those key contacts, byunderstanding their needs in deeperand more detailed ways than any ofyour competitors, by doing everythingyou can to assure that your companyis highly respected by the customer,and, finally, by asking for the oppor-tunity.What you are really asking for is
the preference of the customer. Inother words, where the customer seesno difference between you and theother guy in your offer, he still prefersdoing business with you. This sce-nario assumes that there is no differ-ence between you and your competi-tor, and there is no reason for the cus-tomer to pay a little more to do busi-ness with you. Your only hope is thatthe customer will prefer to do busi-ness with you, providing you are thelowest price.Ask yourself why the customer
would prefer you. Create a detailedanswer. Then set about becoming thesupplier with which your customerwould want to do business. Continu-ally ask for the opportunity to have alast look.Remember that getting the last
look is the last, least desirable strate-gy to pursue. While there will alwaysbe times and situations where it isyour last resort, those times and situa-tions should be minimal.
– Dave Kahle is a distribution industryconsultant, trainer, seminar presenter,and author of nine books, including hislatest How to Sell Anything to AnyoneAnytime. Reach him at (800) 331-1287 orvia www.davekahle.com.
3300 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
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Millwork Industry Looks Online for TrainingThe Association of Millwork
Distributors’ Learning ManagementSystem for its online education pro-grams has quickly become one of thepreferred education training systemsfor AMD members and non-membersalike. In less than two years, the program
has grown to currently offer morethan 20 online courses and hasbecome the “go to” source for mill-work companies to train their employ-ees on an extensive range of industrytopics, including mouldings, doors,
door frames, windows, stairs, andcabinets.The latest addition is a 16-hour
online course on the “Principles ofProfessional Selling.”By request, AMD also recently
introduced a Spanish version of itsmost popular program, “MillworkPrinciples and Practices,” to accom-modate employees whose primarylanguage is Spanish.To date, more than 900 students
have taken over 5,000 hours of AMDonline education since the program
was launched.This year, AMD will look at
enhancing the curriculum of onlineeducation courses by partnering withother organizations to make availablea broader array of education topics asrelated to the millwork industry. Also for 2012, AMD plans on
developing of a series of safety cours-es and instruction on door, windowand skylight installation.
Boise Cascade Adds toWorkforce at Oregon MillsBoise Cascade, Boise, Id., has
added 40 workers at its mills inMedford, White City and Willamina,Or., thanks to better sales of its ply-wood and engineered wood panels inthe U.S. and Canada. The new hireswill boost Boise’s regional employeecount to 580.“The current markets for our wood
products, and the recent upturn indemand for the products we makeusing the veneer produced in ourmills, have necessitated this hiring,”said spokesperson R.J. Roberts. Other factors affecting the market
include closure of Georgia-Pacific’splywood plants in Crossett, Ar., andHawthorne, Fl., plus a fire thatdestroyed Celuosa Arauco’s mill inNueva Aldea, Chile. Roberts acknowledged that new
contracts with Home Depot and someCanadian companies also helped.“Housing starts are stagnant at best,”he said. “We’re just hoping that thebleeding stops soon.”
Idaho Sawmill OperatorRemains OptimisticRichard Vinson, owner of Emerald
Forest Products, is optimistic thatChapter 11 bankruptcy will allow thecompany to reorganize and stay inoperation at a 22-acre site in Emmett,Id., formerly occupied by BoiseCascade. “The only way to put off foreclo-
sure was to file Chapter 11 reorgani-zation,” he said. “Our direction is topay every creditor 100% so nobodyloses money.” Boise Cascade left the site in 2001
and Emerald opened there in May2010. Last November, WesternCapital Bank filed foreclosure pro-ceedings against Emerald Forest for a$1.9 million debt. According to Vinson, he has
obtained financing from a new partnerto fund mill renovations, includinginstallation of an automatic debarker
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 3311
and horizontal saw. “In our case, we just need time,”
said Vinson. “We have the money, wehave the logs. Fourteen people areworking right now on completing themill. Our plan shows we will open inApril.” By that time, he hopes to hire 40 to
45 workers to comprise one full-timeshift.
Home Depot PurchasesOnline Contractor FinderHome Depot, Atlanta, Ga., has
acquired Redbeacon, San Mateo, Ca.,which has a software platform thatallows users to search, browse, andbook pre-screened, home-service con-tractors that have paid a fee to be list-ed on Redbeacon’s website. The company also offers an iPhone
app that allows users to get servicequotes without a home visit. The appuses the phone’s GPS to locate the joband match it with appropriate profes-sionals, who then provide quotes andcompete for the job.Founded in the San Francisco, Ca.,
area by three former Google employ-ees, Redbeacon has expanded to allmajor metropolitan areas of the U.S.Home Depot will use the service toconnect its own customers—both con-sumers and professionals. The deal was Depot’s first acquisi-
tion since 2006.
B.C. Exports to China SurgeThrough the first 11 months of
2011, British Columbia exported arecord 4.28 billion bd. ft. of lumber toChina, surpassing the province’s goalof shipping 4 billion bd. ft. for theyear.The 11-month total was 74% ahead
of 2010 and a 200% jump over 2009.Sales to China, now with a value ofmore than $1 billion, make up about29% of all B.C. lumber exports. Onlythe U.S., at 42% of exports, is a largermarket.When the province challenged
industry in 2008 to work collabora-tively with government to increaseexport sales, B.C. was shipping about700 million bd. ft. of lumber to China. A three-way market development
program between the province, feder-al government, and industry targetingChina was launched in 2003. Sincethen, B.C. sales have surged over1,300% and more than tripled in thelast two years.
3322 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
Softwood Lumber Pact ExtendedThe U.S. and Canada have agreed that the 2006
Softwood Lumber Agreement will remain in effect throughOctober 2015. “The Softwood Lumber Agreement is a compromise
agreement that is not ideal from the U.S. industry’s per-spective. Nevertheless, we support extension of this agree-ment with the expectation that Canada will improve itsrecord of compliance with this trade agreement,” said SteveSwanson, chairman of the U.S. Lumber Coalition and pres-ident of Swanson Group, Glendale, Or. He said, “The coalition will continue to work with the
U.S. government to ensure that this agreement is enforced,”but added that “if the U.S. industry continues to find itselfhaving to seek multiple arbitrations to address Canada’sunwillingness to adhere to its commitments under this tradeagreement, then U.S. industry has to seriously considerwhether it would not be better off exercising its rightsunder U.S. trade laws.”According to the coalition, Canada’s compliance record
during the first five years of the agreement has been unevenat best. Independent dispute resolution panels have foundCanada in breach of its obligations and prescribed mea-sures to offset the resulting injurious effects on Americancompanies and workers. “Multiple rulings by independent dispute resolution pan-
els confirm that Canada has repeatedly violated its obliga-tions under this trade agreement,” stated Swanson. “It isessential that Canada complies with, and lives up to, itsobligations under this trade deal.” He added that improvedCanadian compliance “would give U.S. industry the confi-dence it needs in Canada’s compliance with its trade oblig-ations to pursue long-term trade agreements instead ofreturning to traditional trade litigation.”
Strong-Tie Acquires Truss Plate,Concrete Repair BusinessesSimpson Strong-Tie, Pleasanton, Ca., has acquired the
majority of the assets of truss plate firm AutomaticStamping LLC and Automatic Stamping AuxiliaryServices LLC, Edenton, N.C., and has entered the concreterepair, protection and strengthening business with the pur-chase of Fox Industries, Baltimore, Md., and Switzerland-based S&P Clever Reinforcement Co.The former owner of Automatic Stamping, Bill Black,
will continue to lead the manufacturing and plate innova-tion operations.In addition to the new truss plate offering, Simpson
Strong-Tie will launch an initial release of its new trussplate software later this year. The company acquired thesource code of Keymark’s truss software last fall and hasbeen aggressively developing its software and technicalsupport capabilities.Founded in 1969, Fox Industries manufactures a com-
plete line of cementitious, epoxy, urethane, elastomeric andpolyester coatings, grouts, mortars, adhesives, sealers,sealants, membranes and custom-manufactured fiberglassparts for the marine, industrial, transportation, commercialbuilding, and public works industries. Formed in 1998, S&P Clever produces epoxy resins and
fiber-reinforced polymer materials for concrete and asphaltreinforcement. Its systems are manufactured from fibermade of materials such as carbon, glass and aramid. S&P also provides static design software to engineers
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 3333
C&E LUMBER COMPANY1 1/2” to 12”Diameter in Stock.
SPECIAL QUOTES
and planning and design offices.S&P’s manufacturing and distributionfacilities are located in Switzerland,Poland, Germany, Austria, theNetherlands, Portugal and Spain.“Simpson Strong-Tie has been in
this industry for more than 15 yearswith its Anchor Systems product lineand is excited to bring complementaryproduct lines to our customers in theU.S. and in Europe,” said SST presi-dent Terry Kingsfather.
Revised SP Design ValuesGain Partial ApprovalThe Southern Pine Inspection
Bureau’s proposed design valuechanges have been partially approvedby the American Lumber StandardCommittee’s Board of Review, effec-tive June 1, 2012. The board approved proposed
design value changes for No. 22x4 southern pine visually gradeddimension lumber and all lowergrades of 2x4: No. 3, Stud, Construc-tion and Utility. It declined to approvethe proposed design values for othergrades and sizes of southern pine, butwas mindful that testing is currentlyunderway on a full matrix sample. “Southern pine producers and their
customers are pleased with theboard’s decision on design values,”said Cathy Kaake, SFPA’s seniordirector of engineered and framingmarkets. “Industry and customergroups need time for an orderlyimplementation and this announce-ment provides that.” The Southern Pine Design Value
Forum, held last November inAtlanta, was instrumental in bringingindustry and customer groups togeth-er. SFPA will continue to facilitatethe dialog among key industry seg-ments to help formulate a unified
Parish, La.The manufacturer first announced
the facility in 2006. It began construc-tion soon after, but mothballed the$120-million project before it couldbe completed.“Jeld-Wen felt now was the time to
complete the plant,” said spokesper-son Teri Cline. “We already had quitea bit invested and want to see it cometo fruition.”The facility near Dodson, La., will
initially employ 75 workers, manufac-turing wood fiber door skins.
approach to implementation of thesenew design values. “The decision from ALSC is a
good thing,” said Kaake. “We arereceiving positive reactions from ourcustomer groups and will continue towork with them on a united frontgoing forward.”
At Long Last, Jeld Wen toStart Up in North LouisianaLate this year, Jeld-Wen, Klamath
Falls, Or., will finally open a long-delayed door-facings facility in Winn
3344 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
MANAGEMENT TipsBy Bill Blades
repertoire and providing education foryour clients will bring in huge incre-ments of revenues versus making vir-tually the same presentation (lots oftalking) day in and day out. First, let’s address education. As a
sales representative, I gave my firstconvention speech at age 25. Then asa regional sales manager, I developedan all-day seminar that typically drew150 to 200 industrial attendees byinvitation only. It was so successful,the company had me speak nation-wide as it was bringing in tens of mil-lions of dollars. Then with anotherindustrial firm, I started providingseminars on sales, leadership, culture,
THINK OF HOW stupid the averagesalesperson is and then consider
that half of all salespeople are evenmore stupid than that. Don’t expectvalue from this second-tier group.Smart salespeople, on the other
hand, can earn more clients in fivemonths by being interested in the suc-cess and happiness of others than infive years of getting them interestedin you. Yet, the majority of salespeo-ple make routine sales visits withoutthinking, “How am I going to earntheir business?” and “How can I makemy selling proposition so compellingthat no one else will stand a chance?”Focusing on adding value to your
Make “value added”really valuableGive clients thegift of education
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 3355
exporting and other topics. Again,millions of dollars flowed in.My next venture in life was speak-
ing and consulting. I’ve had manyretainer clients where I work with afirm for one or more years—usually aweek per month. While my initial ser-vices are invested with the president,v.p. of sales, and the sales force, wesoon begin to seek out target accountsthat are progressive and could repre-sent considerable revenues for myclients. We then arrange for me tospeak or consult for them. In each ofthese scenarios, I furnish usable infor-mation for growing people and rev-enues. That’s value.Let’s face facts… all indicators
point to slow growth for several moreyears. So do we just ride it out andhope for the best? There are tons ofignorant corporations doing just that.Organizations that focus on competi-tion will eventually die. And thosethat focus on creating value willthrive.I’ve seen building material distrib-
utors that have grown during therecession. How? By taking businessaway from competition that still “sell”and operate in the old school way:products, pricing and service. Thesuccessful have these same threecomponents, but they add value.Let’s look at our own people. How
many sales and management person-nel do you have that acted on just 12new skills in the past year? Theanswer should be “all of them.” Yes,education costs money, but ignorancecosts more.Here are real-life examples of the
benefits of providing education.• During a speaking engagement
for one company, we took a coffeebreak about 9:30 and I noticed thec.e.o. and his executive team talkingamong themselves for 90% of the
heaters,” which my client had soldhim a total of zero.I got 200 units plus about 25 minor
items, but Ms. Bean Counter (spouse)said, “Their heaters are $X, represent-ing $Y more for the 200.” He replied,“Yes, but I get Bill.” Our agreementwas that he would drive 90 minutesfor lunch and it would be a workinglunch. I just told him that we couldn’tspend three hours of travel time plus a90-minute lunch each quarter. Hecheerfully responded, “I’ll gladlydrive to you.” At every lunch, whichwas a consulting session, we receivednew items.• I’ve spoken for my clients’
clients at conventions, usually atbreakfast or lunch. One big rule for anice turn-out and avoiding a run-inwith the convention is that your eventmust not be held while conventionevents are taking place. What I like isthe venue is held in the same hotelwhere your target accounts are stay-ing. No one has to travel and every-one needs to eat. And they receivevalue.• I provide consulting in my
clients’ booths at conventions. We setup a section in the corner of the boothwith comfy chairs, pastries, coffeeand end tables, beverages etc. It’sanother by invitation only. The c.e.o.has gifts purchased for the clients,along with a neat note that I give atthe end of our consulting session.Over 90% of the time, we get busi-ness and they never ask what ourprices are.Most exhibitors do the same thing
every year… same booth, same peo-ple, same literature. As with manyother things your group does, they dothem by habit. Look at every majorsegment of your annual sales and
break time.We went back in the room and the
c.e.o. asked if he could speak before Icontinued. Of course I didn’t say“no.” He said, “We just talked aboutthe fact that we just learned more inone hour than the quarter-million Ispent on education on this group lastyear. What is it you want from us?” Ireplied, “Just all of your business andI’d like to leave here today with your(largest item) business.”He asked what time my flight
departed. He then suggested we stopthe seminar by a certain time to get totheir headquarters to get the order andget me to the airport on time.• I’ve been part of many sporting
events where the client hires a sportslegend and fan favorite to sign pro-grams and balls. I’m there to signbooks and offer consulting advice. Many ask if I can visit their execu-
tive team before I leave town. Again,I’m not going to say “no.” I respondin the affirmative and set up theappointments before the game ends.I’m armed with a state map and myday planner so I can set appointmentsthat make geographic sense. But Ialways conclude with “get your teamprepared to ask me questions thatyou’re struggling with” and “get themprepared to give us our first order. Isthat fair?” I’ve never encountered a“no.”We then arrive, field and answer
questions, sign a book for each execu-tive, get our first order, and oftenoffer a seminar… for additional busi-ness.• A large plumbing contractor said
he wanted me to be the first visitor inhis new home. My client’s salesper-son dropped me off and the client, hiswife, and I met on the patio. Inadvance of our meeting, I said, “Getyour order pad ready for water (Please turn to next page)
3366 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
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marketing plan and figure out how toput a spin on it. New, new, new helpsyou to avoid what happens to over90% of corporations—they drift.We know that most romantic
affairs take place because of the bed-room monotony at home. The sameapplies to business. You can’t blamethe economy, but you can stop thedrift and build excitement amongyour people and clients. • At a breakfast seminar in Atlanta,
I arranged for the c.e.o. of a verylarge firm to sit next to my client’sc.e.o. At the conclusion, the c.e.o.guest was in no hurry to leave, but Iloved his question to our c.e.o.: “Doyou mind if I ask you what your rev-enues are?” My client replied, “$50 million.”
Silence. Then the guest said, “It’skind of embarrassing for a $5-billionclient to be educated by a $50 millionvendor. I’m very appreciative, as Ilearned a lot. How do you propose webuild on this relationship?” Ka-ching!• On a routine basis, I join the
salesperson on a target account salescall. Naturally, we tell them we wantthe c.e.o. in attendance and ask thateveryone be armed with their bestquestions. Caution: I’ve been doing this long
enough that I can share that your one-hour visit often winds up as a two- tothree-hour session. Often the group isdismissed and we wind up in thec.e.o.’s office. And most often, thec.e.o. asks me to get our salespersonto go make a call elsewhere as aplethora of things on the c.e.o.’s mindis confidential in nature. The c.e.o.gets better and we get business.• This one was classy. There was
an extremely large potential client andI noticed the v.p. of sales never men-tioned them so I inquired about thereason. I got something like, “They’renot going to switch.” I had him makean appointment with the #2 guy in theorganization and had a salespersondrive me there, where I received amodest $20,000 trial order.But here’s the classy portion: I
invited him, his executive team, andtheir spouses to come to my client,
who was based in a tourist city. Wehad the ladies touring in horses andcarriages and, without them knowingit, we arranged for stops at classystores along the way where a gift(sometimes inscribed) awaited them.While they toured, I provided a man-agement seminar for their spouses.My c.e.o. got his bank to loan us
his yacht, chefs and servers. The #2executive came to the back of the boatwhere I was sitting watching the por-poises “escort” our boat while swim-ming along side. It was as if we hadtrained the porpoises to entertain ourgroup. He said, “Bill, we cancelledthe rest of our agenda to just plan onimplementing the education wereceived. This was the best manage-ment retreat ever.” There’s more tothis client example, but I can sharethat we received millions of dollars inorders in five months.Providing valuable education helps
your clients be better prepared to sellmore (often your products) and leadbetter. You’ve provided a value-added service, they will rememberyou for years, and you’ve further bol-stered your reputation.If you do not create competitive
advantages, you cannot successfullycompete. Forget the old school lunch-es, ball games, and holiday gifts.Instead provide a service that willhelp your clients be more successful.The rewards will come back to you10,000 to 100,000 fold. You can stillhave lunch, but you will be setting upthe next seminar—for more business.Education is one of the most valu-
able gifts you can provide.– Bill Blades, CMC, CPS, specializes
in growing people and revenue in theareas of sales and leadership. He can bereached at [email protected] or (443)477-0061.
Give the Gift of Education(Continued from previous page)
Stimson Lumber Co., Portland,Or., has swapped 921 acres of landadjacent to the Idaho PanhandleNational Forests, to be preservedfor wildlife habitat.In exchange, Stimson received
in 995 acres of federal land nearBayview, Id., and Hoodoo Lake,which lacked public access or hadlower-quality wildlife habitat.“This project is good for elk,
moose, deer and other wildlifebecause it protects habitat in a
scenic area that’s disappearingbeneath summer-home develop-ments,” said David Allen, presidentand c.e.o. of the Rocky MountainElk Foundation. “Plus, larger con-tiguous public lands are more easi-ly managed for elk than small iso-lated tracts,” The deal took 10 years to final-
ize. “Doing the ‘right thing’ justtook a while to complete,” saidStimson v.p. Ray Jones.
Stimson Swaps Northern Idaho Forestlands
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 3377
ANSI Approves CLT StandardThe American National Standards
Institute has approved a new standardfor cross-laminated timber, accordingto APA–The Engineered WoodAssociation. Used for more than 10 years in
Europe, CLT is currently being pro-duced by two APA members inCanada, while several U.S. manufac-turers are considering started produc-tion this year.The engineered panels are com-
prised of three or more layers of solid-sawn lumber or structural compositelumber that are stacked cross-wise andbonded with structural adhesives.Construction applications includeroofs, floors and walls in residentialand non-residential buildings.The new standard, ANSI/APA
PRG 320, provides requirements andtest methods for qualification andquality assurance of CLT. The stan-dard includes seven stress classes cov-ering major wood species in NorthAmerica.Code change proposals that would
allow CLT products manufactured tothe new standard to be recognized ascode-compliant construction materialsby the 2015 International BuildingCode have been submitted by APA onbehalf of its CLT Standard Commit-tee. Similar proposals for adoptioninto the Canadian timber design codeare also being discussed.
Buyers to Evaluate NewProducts at Hardware ShowThis spring’s National Hardware
Show features a new program to offercompanies introducing new productswith feedback and possibly distribu-tion deals with prospective buyers.Each vendor that registers for the
new Product Review & VettingProgram will be allowed to submit oneproduct to up to three buyers, who willevaluate the product for their pro-grams. The buyers will then providefeedback to the vendors, to help themsharpen their marketing efforts.Buyers will represent—among oth-
ers—Ace Hardware, DistributionAmerica, Handy Hardware, JensenDistribution, Lancaster, PRO Group,and United Hardware. Products categories to be consid-
ered are Hardware & Tools, Home-wares, Lawn & Garden, Paint &Accessories, Plumbing & Electrical,Storage & Organization, and Tailgate.The show will be held May 1-3 in
Las Vegas, Nv.
3388 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
Geo. M. Huff Lumber Co. hasteamed up with Forest GroveLumber to become the exclusiveSouthern California stockingdistributor of Tru-Dry Timbers.
All FGL Tru-Dry timbers aredried in “HeatWave USA’s RFV”kilns, which use clean, renewableenergy and have zero emissions.
Tru-Dry timbers are driedcompletely and evenly through-out so you won’t experience thesticky problems often encoun-tered with beams that are notdried to the core.
Combine our selection ofDouglas fir timbers along withour skilled milling staff andyou’ve got one of the bestresources in Southern California.
LLaarrggee IInnvveennttoorryy iinn SSttoocckk
Dealer Group Unveils Policy AgendaThe National Lumber & Building
Material Dealers Association hasunveiled its national legislative andregulatory policy agenda for 2012,focusing on common interests of theindustry and including policy goals torevitalize the construction industry. “With the House and Senate going
into the final session of the 112thCongress, many are rightly focusedon reviewing and eliminating burden-some regulations, and NLBMDA willdo all we can to assist policymakers,
as they pull off the wet blanket fromour businesses, in order to bring aboutan economic recovery,” said CallyFromme, NLBMDA chair and execu-tive v.p. of Zarsky Lumber, Victoria,Tx. “It is essential that Congressfocus not on election year politics, buton job creation and sound fiscal poli-cies that will restore housing as thecornerstone of our national economy.This common-sense, pro-growthNational Policy Agenda is a legisla-tive and regulatory plan that can and
will put the building supply industryand our nation’s economy back on thepath to recovery.”The agenda includes LBM industry
positions on housing, legal reform,workforce policy, tax policy, productsupply, transportation, and energy. NLBMDA will distribute the agen-
da to members of Congress and keyAdministrarion officials during thegroup’s spring meeting and legislativeconference March 5-7 in Washington,D.C.
Conradʼs California TreatingPlant Now Offering ACZAConrad Forest Products has added
ACZA Chemonite to its line ofWolman preservatives at its Arbuckle,Ca., facility.Conrad has been treating with
ACZA for over 20 years at its plantsin North Bend and Rainier, Or.The Arbuckle facility has added
the preservative in hopes of gainingnew markets in California and otherareas of the Southwestern U.S.,Mexico and Micronesia, for productssuch as crossties, switchties,guardrail, marine lumber and timbers,and utility poles.
California Insulation MakerExpands to ArizonaInsulation manufacturer InsulTech,
Santa Ana, Ca., is adding a distribu-tion center in Yuma, Az., and is nego-tiating to lease a manufacturing facili-ty nearby.Initially, the 17,000-sq. ft. ware-
house is distributing products made inInsulTech’s export assembly plant inSan Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora,Mexico.Within six to nine months, the
company hopes to also be manufac-turing products in Yuma.
Oregon LBM ProducersFeted for Energy EfficiencySeveral building material compa-
nies were among the manufacturershonored with the first-ever OregonLeaders Awards for Industrial EnergyEfficiency at the recent NorthwestIndustrial Energy Efficiency Summit.Hampton Lumber, Willamina,
received the Governor’s Award forstrategic energy management.Contact Industries, Prineville,
earned the Governor’s Award forenergy performance improvement.And, CalPortland, Portland, won
the State Award for strategic energymanagement.
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 3399
REEL1321 N. Kraemer Blvd. (Box 879), Anaheim, Ca. 92806
Fax 714-630-3190(714) 632-1988 • (800) 675-REEL
3518 Chicago Ave., Riverside, Ca. 92507(951) 781-0564
www.reellumber.com
LUMBERSERVICE
At Reel Lumber Service, we supplydomestic and foreign hardwoods.Our products and services include:• Hardwood Lumber & Pine• Hardwood Plywood & Veneers• Melamine Plywood• Hardwood Moulding (alder, cherry,mahogany, MDF, maple, red oak, paint grade,
Our products are widely used in interior finish carpentry, furniture, cabinetry and hundreds of industrial andmanufacturing applications. We stock acomplete line of complementary productsto complete virtually any woodworking or millwork project.
WholesaleIndustrial Lumber
NEW Products
Engineered for StrengthOnCenter engineered lumber from BlueLinx offers
superior strength and consistent uniform properties.The line includes BLI Joists in varying widths and
depths, 1.5E, 1.9E, and 2.0E LVL, Glulam 3000beams, and rimboard.� BUILDONCENTER.COM(877) 914-7770
Pretty TimberTomball Forest mills pine and western red cedar
timber to create architectural-quality beams forexposed construction.The milling process removes chain stains, banding
marks, oxidation, rail rub, and water stains on all foursides. � TOMBALLFOREST.COM(877) 701-8965
4400 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
Look Who’s Back in Town!
Manufactured exclusively for the Pro’sPO BOX 1328, MORTON, WASHINGTON 98356 Phone (360) 496-6777
Expanded Deck FastenersSimpson Strong-Tie has expanded its line of
Dexxter fasteners for composite and encapsulated-composite decking.Now available in coated carbon steel, the product
has a trim pan head and patented thread formation toreduce mushrooming. Other improvements include aType-17 point for faster starts and a Quik Guard coat-ing for corrosion protection.� STRONGTIE.COM/DECKCENTER(800) 999-5099
Specialized Lumber CoatingsCornerstone Products has introduced three VOC-
free, non-toxic sealants formulated specifically to treatlumber, fencing, and cedar. The TriCo Polymer coatings create a thin, breath-
able barrier over wood and other porous surfaces.Lumber Seal stops mold growth, to stabilize lum-
ber during drying and protect the wood’s originalcolor. Fence Seal extends the life and color of wood fenc-
ing. Cedar Seal is formulated to preserve the natural
beauty of cedar siding, shingles, and fencing withoutharsh cleaners or heavy oil finishes.� LUMBER-SEAL.COM(888) 770-4910
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 4411
Composite Gate KitsA new gate kit from TimberTech is fully customiz-
able in applications spanning up to 4 ft. with 36” rail-ing systems.Each kit includes all the necessary components to
construct and install a gate, including two powder-coated side rails, brackets and hinges, and matchingfasteners. Available colors are classic black andcoastal white.� TIMBERTECH.COM(800) 307-7780
Screen that ViewQuanex Building Products offers a top-hung,
extruded-aluminum patio screen door in a choice of10 colors, totally assembled or in a kit.Sizes include 30” to 48” wide and up to 96” high.
Door handles and an integral side latch are pre-installed, and a fiberglass insect-screen mesh is stan-dard. Upgrades include BetterVue, pet, and solar screens.
� QUANEX.COM(713) 961-4600
4422 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
Dimension LumberTreated ProductsDomestic
TimbersGreen & K.D.
Export
Manke Lumber Company is family-owned and has been serving the needsof the lumber industry since 1953. Wetake pride in milling and stocking quali-ty lumber in a full range of commoditysizes and larger dimension timbers. Wealso answer your market needs for awide variety of treated lumber products. Our forest products are milled from
carefully harvested Northwest treesready for distribution to you—on timeand at the right price.Located in the Port of Tacoma, we
have ready access to deep water ship-ping, rail heads or trucking terminals forlonger haul loads. Manke operates itsown fleet of trucks and is at your ser-vice for straight or mixed loads bytruck, rail or sea.We manufacture primarily Douglas fir
and western hemlock, including• 2x4 thru 2x12, Lengths 8-20’• 3x4 thru 3x12, Lengths 8-26’• 4x4 and wider, Lengths 8-26’• 6x6 and wider, Lengths 8-26’• 8x8 and wider, Lengths 8-26’• Timber sizes up to 12x12
Tougher Gypsum BoardGeorgia-Pacific has made its ToughRock line of
gypsum boards 25% lighter than traditional wall andceiling drywall products.The products reportedly also have improved impact
resistance, to reduce pre- and post-installation wearand tear.� GPGYPSUM.COM(800) 225-6119
Software on the MoveEpicor Software Corp. has released Epicor Eagle
Release 21 business management software for small-to medium-sized businesses.Compatible with both Apple and Android mobile
devices, Mobile Manager provides real-time metricsand inventory, sales, and customer information, whileMobile POS brings the register to the customer. Other improvements include better access to real-
time performance data and streamlined inventoryplanning tools through Performance Manager,Inventory Planner, and POS Touch.� EPICOR.COM(800) 999-1989
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 4433
With Cascadia decking, the unsurpassed natural beauty ofWestern Red Cedar is matched with Terminal ForestProducts’ renowned manufacturing quality. This creates aproduct that is beautiful, functional, and eco-friendly. Cascadia decking is made from a 100% renewable and sus-tainable North American resource unlike PVC and compositedecking, which is largely made from non-renewable petroleum products. Third-party life cycle analysisclearly shows WRC decking as the best environmental choice for decking: WRC significantly outperformssustitute products in every environmental measure.
Ultra-Green Exterior Composite TrimBoral TruExterior Trim is com-
posed of a minimum of 70% recy-cled content, reportedly the highestamount of recycled content forexterior trim.Ideal for ground contact and
moisture-prone areas, the compos-ite trim does not require end-seal-ing, special adhesives, or other
costly installation techniques.Made from bio-based polymers
and coal combustion materials, it isreversible, can be painted anycolor, and is virtually free from rot-ting, splitting and termites. � BORALTRUEXTERIOR.COM (888) 926-7259
Versatile MDF DoorsMasonite’s new router-carved
MDF door collections offersomething for every décor.The Cyma and Carte Blanche
lines each include 65 standarddesigns.The Bolection line allows
homeowners, designers andarchitects to create their own cus-tom door designs.�MASONITE.COM(800) 663-3667
Caps for PostsVersaCaps from Deckorators
have nested inserts for a snug fitover the most common sizeposts. Each cap comes with three
inserts, making them adaptablefor posts ranging from 3-1/2”x3-1/2” to 4-5/8”x4-5/8”. Options include traditional
solar, solar band, and high pointpyramid, in a variety of colors.� DECKORATORS.COM(800) 332-5724
Stonum. [6] MichaelWood, Tom Czlapinski.[7] Mark Borghesani,Dennis Tyrrell. [8]Claudia Lima, Liby Titus,Charmaine Jennings. [9]Denis Stack, DougWillis, Ken Smith. [10]Rafael Sandoval, Rich-ard Sandoval. [11] CarlSchoenhofer, MikeVinum [12] Tim Bren-nan, Julie Wright. [13]Chuck Casey, Mike
Boone. [14] Michael Ross, Gary Island, Ernie Burton, Bruce Burton. [15]Stan Reynolds, Sam Meranda, Margaret Campbell, Otto Van Emmerik.[16] John Klar, Curt Wood, Bob Kuester. [17] Erika McNamara, EmilyShirman, Erin Freeman. (More photos on next page)
4444 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
Photos by The MerchantHUMBOLDT CRAB FEED
HUMBOLDT HOO-HOO CLUB feasted at its annual Crab Feed Jan. 19at the Elks Lodge in Eureka, Ca. [1] Jean Henning, Randy Huffman. [2]Dave Wright, Gene Pietila, Bob Palacioz. [3] Allen Schmitz, Jim Moses.[4] Mike Croxton, Marc Weaver, Mike Spengler. [5] Tom Von Moos, Larry
GET CRACKING:More Crab Feedersin Eureka, Ca. (con-tinued from previouspage): [1] Bill Scott,Dave Creech, KirkConzelmann. [2]Rhiannon Wood,Valerie Scoggin,Lena Fite. [3] BenCampbell, RexBohn. [4] Art Reid,Gil Sissons, Ben Cassanerio, Tom Bacon. [5] Clyde Jennings, SeanBurch. [6] Carl Henoch, Rich Giacone. [7] Miguel Gutierrez, KenDunham. [8] Gary Gamble, 2012 Lumberman of the Year Russ Britt. [9]Travis Campbell, John Russell. [10] Rick Deen, Chris Swanson. [11] JoeLaBerge, Tanka Chase. [12] Bob Maurer, Ron Hanson. [13] Tod Kintz,
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 4455
Rod Lucas. [14] Jeff Ward, George Albertson. [15] Rich Graham, MikeShorten, Pat Meyers, Greg Winakur. [16] Charlie Brittain, KristenLockhart. [17] Chris Tritschler. [18] Danny Andrea, Ron Gattone, JamesCrosswhite. [19] Jim Rydelius. [20] Adam Figas, Denny McEntire,Claudia Lima.
HUMBOLDT C
RAB FEED
Photos by The Merchant
4466 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
Western Wood Products Associ-ation will hold its annual meetingMarch 11-12 at Embassy Suites,Portland, Or.Committee meetings will focus on
exports, quality services and technicalconcerns, and market services.
Lumber Association of Califor-nia & Nevada hosts its annual PACgolf tournament April 12 at BlackGold Golf Club, Yorba Linda, Ca.
Mountain States Lumber &Building Materials Dealers Asso-ciation will host its annual ProductsExpo March 10-11 at The Plaza, Den-ver Merchandise Mart, Denver, Co.Educational seminars will cover
green regulations and the green econo-my, online LBM dealers, and westernredwood and cedar.Bill Adams, SafeX, and Chris
Dolbow, Stiles Machinery, will host acombustible dust webinar on April 12. The Colorado Council’s annual
bowling tournament will be April 17at Arapahoe Bowling Center,Greenwood Village, Co.
ASSOCIATION Update
MSLMDA plans a sales boot campApril 26 at Hampton Inn & Suites,Denver, Co., led by writer, consultant,and trainer Rick Davis.
Los Angeles Hardwood Lumber-man’s Club will play golf March 8 atthe El Prado Golf Course, Chino Hills,Ca. On April 28, LAHLC members will
enjoy a day at Santa Anita Racetrack,Sierra Vista Terrace, Arcadia, Ca.
International Wood ProductsAssociation has scheduled HenryJuszkiewicz, c.e.o. of Gibson Guitar,as the keynote speaker for its March28-30 convention at Miramonte Resort& Spa, Indian Wells, Ca. Educational sessions will focus on
compliance with the Lacey Act, mediatraining, international trade policyimplications for importers, and goinggreen with tropical wood.
North American Wholesale Lum-ber Association has tentatively sched-uled an April 12 regional meeting atthe Vancouver Club, Vancouver, B.C.
IN Memoriam
NAWLA will present its WoodManagement Course-Level II March12-15 at Mississippi State University’sCollege of Forest Resources, Stark-ville, Ms.
Lloyd H. Olson, 94, retiredfounder of Crenshaw Lumber Co.,Gardena, Ca., died Jan. 8 in RollingHills, Ca.Mr. Olson graduated from the
University of California in 1938. Heserved as a Naval officer duringWorld War II in the Pacific Theater. He founded Crenshaw in 1949 and
retired in 1985.
Vaderon E. “Bud” Keeney, 90,retired v.p. of engineering for StimsonLumber, Portland, Or., died Jan. 24 inHillsboro, Or.He began his career in 1938, with
Giustina Brothers, Eugene, Or. WhenWorld War II started, he joined theNavy and served in the Pacific.Afterward, he worked at steam-pow-ered mills in Oregon, includingMapleton Lumber and Fall Creek
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 4477
Lumber.When the Fisher Marcola mill shut
down in 1956, he was hired to disman-tle it and install the equipment in othermills around the Pacific Northwest.He then managed other mill modern-ization projects for FarWest Steel,Eugene.In 1965, he launched Northwest
Materials Handling Co., providingconsulting and construction servicesfor lumber mills such as WillametteIndustries and Rosboro Lumber. In1980, he became the operations man-ager of Stimson Lumber’s mill inForest Grove, Or., later rising to v.p. After retiring from Stimson, he
worked part-time for Coe Manufac-turing and in the 1990s built a comput-erized mill for Roseburg Lumber.
Eugene Milton Anderson, 85,longtime Washington lumberman,died Jan. 9 in Lakewood, Wa. After serving with the Navy until
1949, he worked for several industrycompanies, including Cheney Lumber,Louisiana-Pacific, Brazier Lumber,Burns Lumber, and Pacific WesternLumber Co.
Lawrence Eugene Gieber, 79,owner of M&L Enterprises, Crescent,Or., died Jan. 11 of heart disease. He began his career in the lumber
industry in 1951 and owned the M&Lpost peeling plant since 1985.
William H. “Bill” Kuphaldt, 87,longtime Northern California forestrymanager, died Dec. 26 in Jackson, Ca. During World War II, he served
with the Navy in the Pacific.Afterwards, he earned a degree inforestry from the University ofCalifornia, Berkeley. He started his lumber career at
Winton Lumber Co., Winton, Ca., as alog scaler and quickly advanced toforester. He retired as manager of theland and timber division of AmericanForest Products, Stockton, Ca. He also served as president of the
Western Timber Association, v.p. ofthe California Forest ProtectiveAssociation, and was appointed byGovernor Ronald Reagan to theDistrict Forest Practice Committee.
Roger Kotter, 65, part owner ofStone Lumber, Nampa, Id., died Jan. 9due to a pulmonary embolism, inNampa.A year after graduating from
Brigham Young University in 1971,he began working at Stone Lumberand became part owner in 1980.
Harold Hockett, 89, owner ofHockett’s Builders Supply, Ridge-crest, Ca., died Dec. 26 in Ridgecrest.Mr. Hockett served as an Army Air
Forces pilot during World War II. Hethen attended Cal Poly San LuisObispo, graduating as an engineer. He established the business in 1960
and operated it until his passing.
Nicholas Louis “Nick” Larsen,57, warehouse/yard clerk at CentralValley Builders Supply, St. Helena,Ca., died Jan. 3.He previously worked at Ace
Hardware, Calistoga, Ca.
4488 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
CLASSIFIED Marketplace
Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word min.). Phonenumber counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centeredcopy/headline, $9 per line. Border, $9. Privatebox, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if advertiser setsthe type, $65 if we set type.
Send ad to Fax 949-852-0231 or [email protected]. For more info, call (949)852-1990. Deadline: 18th of previous month.Make checks payable to Cutler Publishing, 4500Campus Dr., #480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660.
Name ______________________ Phone ( ) ______________Address ______________________________________________City ______________________ State ____ Zip _______-_____COPY __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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TOTAL _____($55 per column inch for camera-ready copy; $65 if we set type)TO RUN: ____ TIMES _____ TILL FORBIDDEN
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CEDAR SPECIALTIES MILL sales positionavailable. Customers are wholesale distributors,also inventory sales from the cedar industrieslargest producers. Position is available inPortland, Oregon. For consideration, pleasesend resume and cover letter to: Cedar Sales,P.O. Box 2743, Tualatin, Or. 97062.
HELP WANTED
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAOUTSIDE SALES REP
Universal Forest Products, the nation’s leadingmanufacturer and distributor of wood and wood-alternative products to retail/dealer, manufac-tured housing and industrial markets, is seekingan outside sales representative to serve its south-ern California customer base. This position isbased out of the company’s Riverside, Ca.,facility. This candidate should have comprehen-sive knowledge of the southern California mar-ketplace and a thorough understanding of theproducts therein. We are looking for people whocan contribute to our growth, who are hungryfor success, who bring a winning attitude totheir work, and who are interested in newopportunities in an established arena. You pro-vide the skill, knowledge, integrity and perse-verance, and we will provide a great place towork, where you will be encouraged to growand learn and rewarded with outstanding bene-fits and compensation. If you are interested injoining our team, please email your resume toSteve Mitchell at [email protected]. Allreplies will be kept strictly confidential.Universal is an equal opportunity employer.
Building-Products.com February 2012 � The Merchant Magazine � 4499
DATE BookListings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify
dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend.
International Hardware Fair – March 3-7, Cologne, Germany;www.eisenwarenmesse.com.
National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association –March 5-7, legislative conference & spring meeting, Marriott,Washington, D.C.; (800) 634-8645; www.dealer.org.
Window & Door Manufacturers Assn. – March 5-7, legislative con-ference, Washington, D.C.; (800) 223-2301; www.wdma.com.
Greenprints – March 7-8, conference & show, Georgia TechResearch Institute Conference Center, Atlanta, Ga.; (404) 872-3549; www.greenprints.org.
Pacific Northwest Association of Rail Shippers – March 7-8, con-ference, Doubletree, Portland, Or.; (503) 656-4282;www.railshippers.com.
Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – March 8, golf tour-nament, El Prado Golf Course, Chino, Ca.; (626) 445-8556;www.lahlc.net.
Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Associ-ation – March 8-9, products expo, Denver Merchandise Mart,Denver, Co.; (800) 365-0919; www.mslbmda.org.
Ace Hardware Corp. – March 8-10, spring market, Georgia WorldCongress Center, Atlanta, Ga.; (630) 990-7662;www.acehardware.com.
Tacoma Remodeling Expo – March 9-11, Greater TacomaConvention & Trade Center, Tacoma, Wa.; (800) 374-6463;www.homeshowcenter.com.
International Home & Housewares Show – March 10-13, Chicago,Il.; (847) 292-4200; www.housewares.org.
Western Wood Products Association – March 12, annual meet-ing, Embassy Suites Downtown, Portland, Or.; (503) 224-3930;www.wwpa.org.
North American Wholesale Lumber Association – March 12-15,Wood Management Course, Mississippi State University,Starksville, Ms.; (800) 527-8258; www.lumber.org.
WoodWorks – March 13, Wood Solutions Fairs, Oregon ConventionCenter, Portland, Or.; March 15, Wood Solutions Fair,Washington State Conference Center, Seattle, Wa.; (866) 966-3448; www.woodworks.org.
Redwood Region Logging Conference – March 15-17, RedwoodEmpire Fairgrounds, Ukiah, Ca.; (707) 443-4091; www.rrlc.net.
Remodeling & Decorating Show – March 17-18, Orange CountyFair & Event Center, Costa Mesa, Ca.; (818) 557-2950;www.thehomeshow.com.
Moulding & Millwork Producers Association – March 19-24, win-ter meeting, Loews Coronado Bay Resort, San Diego, Ca.; (800)550-7889; www.wmmpa.com.
Seattle Remodeling Expo – March 23-25, Washington StateConvention Center, Seattle, Wa.; (800) 374-6463;www.homeshowcenter.com.
Remodeling & Decorating Show – March 24-25, PechangaCasino, Temecula, Ca.; (818) 557-2950; thehomeshow.com.
International Wood Products Association – March 28-30, annualconvention, Miramonte Resort & Spa, Indian Wells, Ca.; (703)820-6696; www.iwpawood.org.
North American Wholesale Lumber Association – March 29,regional meeting, Embassy Suites, Portland, Or.; (800) 527-8258; www.lumber.org.
American Institute of Timber Construction – April 2-3, annualmeeting, Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, Naples, Fl.; (303) 792-9559; www.aitc-glulam.org.
Lumber Association of California & Nevada – April 12, associ-ates/dealers golf tournament, Black Gold Golf Club, Yorba Linda,Ca.; (800) 266-4344; www.lumberassociation.org.
5500 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2012 Building-Products.com
ADVERTISERS IndexFor more information on advertisers, call them
directly or visit their websites [in brackets].
Advantage Trim & Lumber [www.advantagelumber.com]..........31
Allweather Wood [www.allweatherwood.com] ..................Cover III
Western Red Cedar Lumber Association [www.wrcla.org] ...28-29
When the local hardware store in Wilton, Ct.,closed last October, the city’s sole remaining buildingsupplier saw an opportunity to fill the gap.Founded in 1902, Ring’s End Lumber has tradition-
ally served builders and architects throughoutConnecticut. But after Keeler’s True Value Hardwareclosed, the Wilton branch of Ring’s End decided to letlocals know that its neighborhood location offers morethan just lumber and tools. “When we opened here in 2005, there were two
hardware stores within a mile of here. Now there’snone,” says general manager Mike Burkhart. The chain,which has its headquarters and flagship store in Darien,Ct., has a total of 10 retail locations in the state, plus amillwork division, an educational center, an estimatingand design office, and a distribution center. “We’re trying to listen every day, to see what people
are asking for. We’d like to get more seasonal thingsout there. In winter, have ice melt or wood brick fuel,and more consumer-friendly type things,” he continues.“For instance, we just brought in bird seed—I don’tthink a lot of other lumber businesses stock bird seed.We started cutting keys, we started selling chains, watersoftener, salt, which we never had before, but a lot ofpeople in Wilton have wells.”The store has also expanded its electrical aisle and is
changing its overall look, to make it more consumer-friendly. “We’re raising aisle shelving 18 inches so wecan bring in more stuff,” says Burkhart. “The shelveswere low for an open feel, but we think it’s important toget more inventory in here to meet the needs of peoplein town.”The store’s layout is also being tweaked, to make
homeowners feel more comfortable shopping there.“It’s intimidating for a homeowner is to see power toolsas the first thing,” says assistant merchandise managerCorey Bates, who came to Ring’s End after Keeler’sclosed. “We’re going to change so lawn and garden is inthe front of the store.”The store’s merchandise manager, Christopher
Quintal, says that he tries to do whatever he can tomake consumers—not just builders and architects—happy. “Especially the last couple of years, as the housing
economy has not been doing so well, that’s becomemore of a focus of ours,” he says. “It’s helped us to stayprofitable and continue to grow.”Burkhart agrees. “The biggest thing has been listen-
ing to our customers, learning what people are askingfor outside of the normal realm of a lumber-yard,” he says. “We’re keeping a run-ning list of things that customersask for. If we don’t stock it,we’ll add it to the list to get itin. This is an evolving thingthat we’ve taken on, and wewant as best as we can tohelp meet the needs of home-owners.”
