building products digest - february 2012

QUICK TRICKS TO SELL MORE DECKING � MARKETING PREMIUM OSB

FEBRUARY 2012

INDUSTRY NEWS & MONEY-MAKING STRATEGIES FOR LUMBER & BUILDING MATERIAL DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS

BPD BuildingProducts Digest

44 � Building Products Digest � February 2012 Building-Products.com

February 2012 �� Volume 30 �� Number 12

Online

BPD BuildingProducts Digest

Special Features9 FEATURE STORY

THE SECRETS OF SELLING DECKING ONLINE

12 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTCOMPOSITE MANUFACTURERS ROLL OUT

NEW DECKING LINES

14 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTJAPANESE COMPOSITE DECKING

TECHNOLOGY HITS THE U.S.

15 INDUSTRY TRENDSSTRICTER GREEN STANDARDS FOR

COMPOSITE PANELS

16 MARGIN BUILDERSOSB SUBFLOORING NOTCHES

MOISTURE-FIGHTING INNOVATIONS

40 MANAGEMENT TIPSMAKE “VALUE ADDED” REALLY VALUABLE:GIVE CLIENTS THE GIFT OF EDUCATION

In Every Issue6 TOTALLY RANDOM

18 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

20 OLSEN ON SALES

22 FAMILY BUSINESS

28 MOVERS & SHAKERS

34 KAHLE ON SALES

36 NEW PRODUCTS

42 ASSOCIATION UPDATE

43 IN MEMORIAM

44 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE

45 DATE BOOK

46 IDEA FILE

46 ADVERTISERS INDEX

BREAKING INDUSTRY NEWS &INDUSTRY PHOTO DOWNLOADS

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Established in 1934, Osmose, Inc. is recognized as a world

Osmose has long been a leader in the research and development of new products and services in all areas of lumber preservation technology. We provide innovative wood preservative products, advanced engineering services and customized marketing services to our valued customers.

MicroPro pressure treated wood products are treated with Micronized Copper Quaternary Compounds or Micronized Copper Azole. NatureWood pressure treated wood products are treated with Alkaline Copper Quaternary Compounds. CCA pressure treated wood products are treated with Chromated Copper Arsenate. MicroPro, NatureWood, Advance Guard, FirePro and CCA treated wood products are produced by independently owned and operated wood treating facilities. MicroPro®, NatureWood®, Advance Guard®, FirePro®, and Osmose® are registered trademarks of Osmose, Inc. Colors shown in photo images may differ from actual product samples. © 1/2012

Osmose_MP BPD ad 2_12.indd 3 1/19/12 4:58:35 PM


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BPDBuilding Products Digest

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!

Alan Oakes, [email protected]

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© 2012 Boise Cascade Wood Products, L.L.C. BOISE CASCADE, the TREE-IN-A-CIRCLE symbol, BC CONNECT and “Great products are only the beginning” are trademarks of Boise Cascade, L.L.C. or its affi liates.

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Building-Products.com February 2012 � Building Products Digest � 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. BPD asked several to sharethe secrets of their success:

BPD: How long have you been selling decking productsonline?

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.

BPD: What are the primary advantages to buyers ofpurchasing decking products online?


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.

BPD: Is there anything unique to decking products com-pared to other building products that makes it easier ormore 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.

BPD: Weight would seem a possible issue with actualdecking. 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.

BPD: Do you accept returns if customers order toomuch?

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.

BPD: Decking can be an intimidating product to buysight unseen. Does the “typical customer” seem to havedone his/her homework, shopped around, and know exactlywhat (s)he wants, or does (s)he typically have questionafter 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


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.

BPD: What are the prospects for future growth in onlinedecking 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.


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. The

process 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’sNanoShield board will represent agame-changing product withunmatched performance and charac-teristics.” Brent Gwatney, vice president of

Composite makersroll out new decking

sales and marketing for AERT’sMoistureShield brand, says thatNanoShield will be a “high-end prod-uct that will look more like wood. Itwill be something to compete withcellular PVC and capstock compos-ites.” TAMKO Building Products, Joplin,

Mo., plans to introduce a new com-pression-molded deck board that iscapped on three sides, but details havenot been released. However, industry

TIMBERTECH has added three new colors—brick, slate, and brownstone—to its new Earthwood Evolutions collection.


ARMADILLO DECK by Master Mark Plastics has wood grain on both sides, in four colors: painteddesert, canyon gray, Sedona, and driftwood.

sources 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 used

for 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 produces

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 inmanufacturing,” said Guthard. “We hadto travel across the globe to make surewe have the right technology andequipment for manufacturing.”

Guthard believes that NyloDeck hasan 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 andwater 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.


features 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 the

same high performance qualities witha 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-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 levelof 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 thefinest 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 technologyremoves 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 andundeniably 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.

Rhino 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, Winchester, Va., recently

introduced Enhance composite deck-ing, which is positioned between itsTranscend and Accents lines. LikeTranscend, Enhance has a three-sidedshell that protects against staining,fading, mold, rot, cracks and splinters.Available in two colors—clam shelland beach dune—it’s manufacturedfrom 95% recycled content, includingreclaimed wood, sawdust and plasticbags.“Enhance will both expand and

strengthen our high-performancedecking portfolio and provide con-sumers with a composite product that


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.


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-

OSB subflooringnotches moisture-fighting innovations

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.


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.


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.


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.

Carla [email protected]

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


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

OLSEN On SalesBy James Olsen

James OlsenReality Sales Training

(503) [email protected]

The Goddesses ofYes, No and Maybe


FAMILY BusinessBy James Olan Hutcheson

CHANCES ARE GOODthat a long-lived fam-

ily business will eventual-ly be led by a siblingteam. But despite sharingcommon values, siblingsface real obstacles whencast in the top leadershipspot.Sure, perceptions of

parental favoritism andlongstanding rivalries canmake cooperation diffi-cult. But the biggest challenge? Almost all second-genera-tion sibling teams must somehow adapt a decision-makingprocess dominated by a single autocratic leader into onethat works for two or more people. The key is preparation.So how do you prepare sibling teams capable of this

challenge? When your children are young, define yourexpectations in written form and formalize procedures thatall employees, family and nonfamily, are expected to fol-low. If you wait until your kids are ready to assume leader-ship roles to do this, it may engender conflict rather thanprevent it. Do it before they enter the business and all involved

will know what’s expected and have a chance to grow intotheir roles.

Necessary PaperworkDocuments you’ll need to include a buy-sell sharehold-

er agreement, an employment policy, compensation guide-lines, and job descriptions to help all understand who willbe hired, under what circumstances, how they’ll be paid,and what their responsibilities will be.

As children grow, they should be introduced to thebusiness so they can get to know employees, hear storiesabout the business’s positive and negative aspects, andlearn why you started and continue to run the business.Older children should be invited to take summer jobs.Before joining the company full time, siblings should be

required to obtain the necessary education and training toexecute their responsibilities. This may include college or

When siblingsshare leadership

technical schools, andshould include a period oftime working at an outsidecompany, where the fami-ly name carries no signifi-cance, before they join thefamily company.

Team Concept fromthe StartWhen siblings have

joined the company butaren’t yet in the top lead-

ership jobs, encourage them to work as a team by pairingthem in jobs that require cooperation. Avoid putting themon tracks that have them following each other in the samejob, or you risk encouraging unhealthy competition. When siblings are sent out for training or seminars,

have them attend together when possible. It will encouragea sense of togetherness they can use to represent the familyfirm to outsiders.You should also set up regular family meetings and

organize a board of directors that includes outsiders.Prepare a process for breaking tie votes in the event thesiblings can’t agree on some future decision. Consider hav-ing an outsider or one of the siblings take a rotating role asthe tiebreaker. Once the siblings are in leadership roles, you as a parent

should not act as a tiebreaker—it should be their responsi-bility.The job of preparing siblings for sharing leadership of a

family company is a challenging one. With luck, it will payoff during and after their successful run, when the nextgeneration will be ready to take the reins.– James Olan Hutcheson is managing partner and founder of

ReGeneration Partners, a family business consulting headquar-tered in Dallas, Tx. He can be reached at (800) 406-1112 orwww.regeneration-partners.com.Reprinted with permission of ReGeneration Partners. No por-

tion of this article may be reproduced without its permission.


Central Network Retail Group, Germantown, Tn.,has acquired NFL Building Center, Daphne, Al., and willreopen NFL’s shuttered location in Gulf Shores, Al., retainingthe NFL name.

Home Lumber, Sedalia, Mo., is liquidating after nearly50 years and will close next month.

David and Linda Schroeder, owners since 1990, sold theproperty to a developer.

Rocky Mount Supply Co., Rocky Mount, Va., willretain its name and staff, following its acquisition by 4-unitCMC Supply, Roanoke, Va.

Tallapoosa Builders Supply, Tallapoosa, Al.,recently held a grand opening under new owner CalebGooden.

Builders Surplus, Louisville, Ky., hopes to open a50,000-sq. ft. store by April 2 in Newport, Ky.

Montevallo Building & Supply, Montevallo, Al., hasopened on the former site of Holcombe BuildingSupply (Heath and Michael Klinner, owners).

ProBuild held a grand opening Jan. 20-21 for its new65,000-sq. ft. yard in Altoona, Pa. (Carl Allison, general mgr.).

84 Lumber has shuttered its yard in Mount Vernon, Oh.

Dakota Craft, Rapid City, S.D., agreed to sell its TrussCraft division, Cheyenne, Wy., to Mead Lumber ,Columbus, Ne.

George’s Hardware, Gainesville, Fl., has closed after44 years, with the retirement of owner Robert George.

Wilson True Value Hardware, Kingsville, Tx.,closed Jan. 31 with the retirement of owner Ben Wilson III. Hehad been with the family business for 34 of its 66 years.

Hamblen Hardware, St. Augustine, Fl., is liquidatingafter 137 years, with the retirement of K.C. and Gail Kramer,owners since 1995.

Liberty Roofing Center, New Kensington, Pa., soldits Troy, Oh., location to Richards Building Supply,Chicago, Il.

Richards now has 37 branches across nine Midwest states.Liberty is left with seven locations in Pennsylvania, NewJersey, and Virginia.

Lowe’s opened 103,000-sq. ft. home centers Jan. 12 inMount Pocono, Pa. (Scott Crouse, store mgr.), and Jan. 5 inRiverhead, N.Y. (Marcus Lewis, mgr.).

Home Depot reopened Jan. 11 in Joplin, Mo., nearlyeight months after being devastated by a tornado.

Menards is preparing to break ground this spring on anew store on 35 acres in SW Springfield, Il., to open by theend of the year.

DEALER Briefs Cedar Creek Moves into AlabamaCedar Creek, Oklahoma City, Ok., has purchased the

engineered wood products division of Stringfellow LumberCo., Birmingham, Al., and will lease the division’s facili-ties as its thirteenth DC.The operation—linking Cedar Creek’s DCs in North

Carolina and Tennessee—serves Alabama and parts ofMississippi, Florida and Georgia, under branch managerRon Westmoreland.The acquisition came about shortly after a deal fell

through for Cedar Creek to purchase Wholesale WoodProducts’ DCs in Birmingham and Dothan, Al. (see Dec.,p. 17).Stringfellow’s wholesale and distribution division is

unaffected by the sale and continues to operate as a sub-sidiary of Jemison Investment Co., Birmingham.

Weaber to Merge under New OwnerHardwood lumber and millwork manufacturer Weaber

Inc., Lebanon, Pa., has been acquired by private equityfirm Resilience Capital Partners, Cleveland, Oh.Matt Weaber said the company had found itself in “a

difficult situation with our bank group” and that Resilience“quickly provided both financial and operational stabilityduring an extremely challenging time in the lumber indus-try.”Resilience will merge Weaber with another holding,

Taylor Lumber, McDermott, Oh., which it acquired in2010. Weaber will continue as president and chief operat-ing officer of the new company, with Resilience principalRonald Cozean as c.e.o.“The Weaber acquisition effectively complements the

strengths of Taylor Lumber by broadening the mergedcompanies’ product mix and produces key operational andsales and marketing synergies,” said Resilience’s KiMixon.Founded in 1941, Weaber currently employs more than

300, less than half its number of employees in 2006.

Lumberyard Shooting Claims FourA disgruntled employee at McBride Lumber Co., Star,

N.C., shot and killed three co-workers and wounded anoth-er Jan. 13. He then returned home and fatally shot himself.

Authorities said that 50-year-old Ronald Dean Daviskilled Eusebio Diaz Gomez, 34; Jose Galdino LopezAzquierdo, 25, and Daniel Thomas Davis, 32, who was thegunman’s cousin. Florentino Tellez Aparicio, 21, was alsoshot, but is in fair condition.

Authorities said that 16 employees were working at thewarehouse at the time of the shooting. Reportedly, Daviswent directly to the four victims and shot them point blankwith a 12-gauge shotgun. He then briefly chased fleeingworkers into the woods, firing several more blasts from hisshotgun, before he returned home and shot himself in thehead with a semi-automatic handgun.

Supervisor Jeff Latham told a local news station thatDavis was paranoid and believed that Spanish-speakingemployees were talking about him.

Sheriff Dempsey Owens said that a six-page, handwrit-ten note left by the gunman was “very vague and rambles alot. I don’t know what would send a man off the edge to goand do such a heinous act.”

Davis had worked at the lumberyard for 12 years.


Hood Industries signed a 10-year lease for a 74,240-sq. ft. facility in Ayer, Ma.

Whitson Lumber Co., Palmyra, Tn., lost its sawmill inan early morning electrical fire Dec. 22.

Reed Bray Lumber Co., Red Boiling Springs, Tn.,suffered $1 million in damages from a Jan. 9 electrical fire thatdevoured its 10,000-sq. ft. sawmill.

Columbia Forest Products’ CFP Components,division, Greensboro, N.C., has acquired Cabinotch,Owensboro, Ky., developer of an innovative system for assem-bling face-framed cabinet boxes.

Nucor, Charlotte, N.C., is closing its Nuconsteel plantsin Denton, Tx., and Dallas, Ga., this spring and will no longerfabricate light gauge steel framing for residential construction.

CalStar Products is relocating its headuarters andR&D activity from Newark, Ca., to its manufacturing plant inCaledonia, Wi.

Georgia Gulf Corp., Atlanta, Ga., rejected an unsolicit-ed $1-billion buyout offer by Westlake Chemical Corp.,Houston, Tx., calling it inadequate.

Separately, Georgia Gulf announced plans to next monthshut down its Royal Building Products plant in Milford, In.,which produces vinyl decking, fencing and railings.

Universal Fastener Outsourcing, West Fork, Ar.,has appointed PAM Fastening Technology, Charlotte,N.C., as exclusive master distributor of UFO’s Ballistic NailScrews in U.S. and eastern Canada.

U.S. Lumber, Atlanta, Ga., expects to begin distributingGeorgia-Pacific engineered wood products Feb. 13.Mid-State Lumber Corp., Branchburg, N.J., is now

distributing Dow Building Solutions products in the Mid-Atlantic region.

BlueLinx is now distributing Natures Composite’sTerraDeck composite decking in Tampa, Fl.

Parksite’s DCs in North Brunswick, N.J.; Louisville, Oh.;Bolingbrook, Il., and Tampa, Fl., are now distributing RDI’sEndurance, Titan Pro, and Metal Works railing lines.

Emery-Waterhouse, Portland, Me., now distributesPolyWhey wood finishes from Vermont NaturalCoatings, Hardwick, Vt.Absolute Distribution, Minneapolis, Mn., is now dis-

tributing Solutions aluminum railings and balusters forFairway Building Products, Mount Joy, Pa.Advantage Trim & Lumber, Buffalo, N.Y., has

added Massaranduba exotic hardwood decking.

RoyOMartin division Rocky Creek Lumber, Mexia,Al., has been approved to produce FSC-certified southern pinelumber products.

SUPPLIER Briefs Revised Southern Pine DesignValues Gain Partial ApprovalThe Southern Pine Inspection Bureau’s proposed design

value changes have been partially approved by theAmerican Lumber Standard Committee’s Board ofReview, effective June 1, 2012. The board approved proposed design value changes for

No. 2 2x4 southern pine visually graded dimension lumberand all lower grades of 2x4: No. 3, Stud, Construction andUtility. It declined to approve the proposed design valuesfor other grades and sizes of southern pine, but was mind-ful that testing is currently underway on a full matrix sam-ple. “Southern pine producers and their customers

are pleased with the board’s decision on design values,”said Cathy Kaake, SFPA’s senior director of engineeredand framing markets. “Industry and customer groups needtime for an orderly implementation and this announcementprovides that.” The Southern Pine Design Value Forum, held last

November in Atlanta, was instrumental in bringing indus-try and customer groups together. SFPA will continue tofacilitate the dialog among key industry segments to helpformulate a unified approach to implementation of thesenew design values. “The decision from ALSC is a good thing,” said Kaake.

“We are receiving positive reactions from our customergroups and will continue to work with them on a unitedfront going forward.”

Helping Hands Let MassachusettsDealer Bounce Back from FireInvestigators have determined that a Jan. 3 fire that

caused between $1.5 and $2 million in damage at Dresser-Hull Lumber, Lee, Ma., was ignited by an engine blockheater in a delivery truck.“This was a significant fire with a lot of combustible

materials that firefighters were able to prevent fromspreading,” fire chief Alan Sparks said of the blaze thatdestroyed building materials and six delivery trucks storedinside a 6,400-sq. ft. cinder-block structure.Despite the damage, the business opened as usual the

next morning and made deliveries with trucks lent by sup-pliers and competitors. “That’s the spirit this town, thiscounty, has always had,” said president Dick Shields,whose family has owned the 107-year-old business since1953. “This truly is why I live here.”

MJB Wood Group Expands MJB Wood Group Inc., Irving, Tx., has expanded its

operations across North America.A new DC in Simsboro, La., opened in November. In

December, MJB added DCs in St. Paul/Minneapolis, Mn.;Louisville, Ky., and Charlotte, N.C. “We have had great success with our distribution facili-

ty in Elkhart, In., and wanted to duplicate this model toservice accounts in the Midwest and Southeast,” said v.p.of sales Jeff Messick. The company’s Mexican subsidiary, MJB Tableros Y

Maderas, expanded with a new DC in Merida. “This newmarket will allow us to expand the exceptional serviceMJB Tableros is so well known for to the Yucatan, alongwith our expansive product offering of panel products andlumber,” said president Juan Escobedo.


WOLF Reorganizes DivisionsWOLF, York, Pa., has restructured,

streamlining from 13 business units toseven.Although no positions were elimi-

nated, several executives took on newtitles and responsibilities.Craig Danielson, president of The

Wolf Organization, will also serve aspresident of the new WOLF HomeProducts business unit, formerly calledWOLF Building Products. BradKostelich is now president of WOLF,previously known as WOLFDistributing Co. Mike Sessinger isexecutive v.p.-sales. Regional v.p.s areRick Post for the Northeast; Bob Lett,Mid-Atlantic building products; JoeFacini, Mid-Atlantic kitchen & bath,and Mark Simmers, Southeast.Patty Cobaugh is now executive

v.p. of WOLF Support Services, andMichael Newsome is chief financialofficer and executive v.p. of WOLFCorporate Division.

Arauco Acquires MoncureProduction ComplexArauco Panels USA LLC, a sub-

sidiary of Arauco Wood Products,Atlanta, Ga., has agreed to purchaseUniboard USA’s MDF and particle-board facilities in Moncure, N.C.One of the largest facilities of its

kind in the U.S., the 340,000-sq. ft.operation includes an MDF line thatcan produce up to 226 million sq. ft.annually, a particleboard line with anannual capacity of 156 million sq. ft.,and two melamine lines. “This acquisition shows our com-

mitment as a long-term supplier ofsustainable, high-quality forest prod-ucts to the North American market,”said Charles Kimber, Arauco’s corpo-rate affairs & marketing director. “Weare very excited about the prospectsahead as we blend the talents and tech-nology of Arauco, Arauco PanelsUSA, and the Moncure facility.”Uniboard Canada will continue to

supply Canada and the U.S. marketwith particleboard, MDF, and thermo-fused melamine products, includingthe Uniboard Melamine collection.Arauco will license the UniboardMelamine collection for sales in theSoutheastern U.S. The deal is set to close during first

quarter 2012.Arauco is making the purchase

after being forced to shut down itsNueva Aldea forestry complex inChile, after a rash of forest fires thatbegan Dec. 31 spread to its panel mill.


Steve Levinson has joined the insidesales team at Wholesale WoodProducts, Birmingham, Al. HarrisMayo is new to inside sales inDothan, Al.

Eric Harbison and Heath Hopper,ex-Merritt Lumber Co., haveopened a Cullman, Al., sales officefor Double L Industries, PeachtreeCity, Ga.

Brad Hodgins, ex-BlueLinx, hasjoined the outside sales team atConsolidated Lumber, Clifton, N.J.

John Beers Jr., ex-Weyerhaeuser, hasrejoined Progressive AffiliatedLumbermen, Grand Rapids, Mi., asmgr. of business development.

Tom Demers has been named chieffinancial officer at Kleer Lumber,Westfield, Ma.

Lynda Anthony, v.p.-humanresources, safety & environment,Anthony Forest Products, ElDorado, Ar., has retired after 28years with the company.

John DeYoung, ex-Allied BuildingProducts, has joined Moulding &Millwork, as regional general mgr.for the East, based in Chicago, Il.

MOVERS & Shakers

Larry Burton, ex-Smurfit-StoneContainer Corp., has been appoint-ed v.p.-business development forInternational Forest Products,Foxborough, Ma.

B.J. Fagin, ex-Lowe’s, has joined thesales team at Millard Lumber,Omaha, Ne.

Alex Apolinar, ex-Shelter Products, isnow handling contractor directsales in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Tx.,area for Bridgewell Resources.

David C. Parker has been namedmgr. of Cramer’s Home BuildingCenter, Pocono Summit, Pa.

Bill Richards has retired from TheBuying Center, Greer, S.C., after40 years in the industry.

Adam Lane-Olsen is a new assistantstore mgr. at Lowe’s HomeImprovement, Hutchinson, Ks.

Frank Mofford, ex-Home Depot, hasjoined Menards, Indianapolis, In.,as supervisor of the lumber depart-ment.

Kurt Koehler has been promoted todivision mgr.-East Coast operationsat MJB Wood Group, Huntersville,N.C.

Reed Rediger, ex-ChristensenLumber, has joined the sales teamat DMSi, Omaha, Ne.

Michael McCann has been namedv.p.-global sales at GuardianBuilding Products, Greenville, S.C.

Erik Carlson is now interactive mar-keting mgr. for Pella Corp., Pella,Ia.

Marc Held, ex-Marvin Windows, is anew commercial sales rep at MaltaWindows & Doors, Malta, Oh.

Stephen Truhan, ex-HD Supply, isnow repping MasterBrand Cabinetsfor Ervolina Associates, Long-wood, Fl.

Laurie Larsen has been named mate-rials mgr. for Industrial Door Co.,St. Paul, Mn.

Jim Chrysler has been promoted todirector of procurement for Duro-Last Roofing, Saginaw, Mi.

Paul Harrison, ex-Tolko Industries,is new to Progressive Solutions,Vancouver, B.C., as mgr., profes-sional services-LumberTrack.

Sheron Dinnoo has joined Forest2-Market, Charlotte, N.C., as mgr.-information technology.


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.

Rusty Winter, ex-Horizon Roofing,is a new sales rep at BoiseCascade, Auburn, Ga., servingThermaTru door customers inGeorgia, Alabama, South Carolina,and Tennessee.

Robert Marchbank, ex-Wolseley,has been named c.e.o. of ProBuildHoldings, Denver, Co. Interimc.e.o. Fred Marino remains vicechairman.

Joe Graziano has joined HD Supply,as national accounts mgr. for theMilwaukee, Wi., area.

John Dickey is new to RoofingSupply Group, Dallas, Tx., as sup-ply chain mgr.

Tom Dillon, ex-Lowe’s, is nowsenior v.p. of sales at GXi OutdoorPower, Clayton, N.C.

John Johnson, ex-JR Ball Contract-ing, is now territory sales mgr. forCertainTeed Gypsum, Little Rock,Ar.

Brett Boyum has been promoted tov.p. of marketing at MarvinWindows & Doors, Warroad, Mn.

Ryan Furtado is new to cedar salesat Western Forest Products,Vancouver, B.C. Nathan Tellis isnew to industrial sales.

Alan H. Koblin, ex-Silgan Plastics,has been named president ofClopay Plastic Products Co.,Mason, Oh., replacing Gary A.Abyad, now senior advisor.

Thomas I. Morgan, chairman andc.e.o., Baker & Taylor, Inc. hasbeen elected to the board of direc-tors of Rayonier, Jacksonville, Fl.

Joel Rood, ex-CertainTeed Canada,has been named c.e.o. of CalStarProducts, Caledonia, Wi.

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.

Susan Peterson, Belletete’s Inc.,Jaffrey, N.H., has been elected atrustee of the Lumber IndustriesSelf Insured Group Trust,Concord, N.H. Joan Randlett, P.J.Currier Lumber Co., Amherst,N.H., was re-elected as a trusteeand the group’s clerk.

Paul K. Smith has been named presi-dent of Häfele America Co.,Archdale, N.C. He succeeds JohnHossli, who has retired after 12years as president.

Bill Naumann, Northeast regionalsales mgr., Versatex, Alquippa,Pa., was named the company’s

2011 Salesman of the Year. TravisRisser, Babcock Lumber, Clays-burg, Pa., and Scott Cady, WeekesForest Products, Grand Rapids,Mi., were recognized as Versatex’sDistributor Sales Reps of the Year.

Roy O. Martin III, president,RoyOMartin, Alexandria, La., hasbeen appointed to the state’s boardof regents by Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Laurel Anne Hardy is now handlingmedia relations at Mungus-FungusForest Products, Climax, Nv.,according to co-owners HughMungus and Freddy Fungus.


TREATED SYP from S.I. Storey Lumber built an award-winning roller coaster in Connecticut.

Treated Southern Pine Roller Coaster Wins AwardA new wooden roller coaster built

with treated lumber from S.I. StoreyLumber, Armuchee, Ga., has beennamed Attraction of the Year by read-ers of an enthusiasts’ website.Named the “Wooden Warrior,” the

1,250-ft. ride opened last April atQuassy, a small, family-ownedamusement park in Middlebury, Ct. “It’s a small ride that offers a fan-

tastic experience for its size,” said co-owner George Frantzis. “We’ve been

told that time and again by our guestsand coaster experts who have traveledgreat distances to ride it.” Founded in 1920, S.I. Storey has

supplied treated southern yellow pinefor roller coasters around the world. The ride was designed by The

Gravity Group, Cincinnati, Oh., and isthe first “junior coaster” in the manu-facturer’s portfolio.It earned the most votes as best

amusement park attraction on theBehind the Thrills website.

Thief Pilfers Mill EquipmentAuthorities have arrested a 23-

year-old man for allegedly stealingitems valued at nearly $37,000 fromGriffin Lumber’s mill in Cordele, Ga.,between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2. Gerico Serabin Johnson has been

accused of twice visiting the propertyto remove extra parts from thesawmill and sell them to a local recy-cling business. Authorities said that of the $36,675

worth of parts stolen, items worth$34,855 were recovered in good con-dition. The remaining items were toodamaged to be usable.


DEALER BriefsHabitat for Humanity added a

7,000-sq. ft. ReStore discount LBMoutlet in Detroit, Mi. (Reginald Poole,store mgr.); is tripling the size of itsshop in Kingport, Tn.; relocated to alarger storefront in Mobile, Al., andopened a ReStore in Maumee, Oh., toreplace a unit destroyed by an Oct.2010 fire.

Alside , Cuyahoga Falls, Oh.,opened a 37,000-sq. ft. supply centerin Export, Pa.—its 100th and second inPittsburgh area.

Versatex honored BabcockLumber, Claysburg, Pa., as its 2011Distributor of the Year and EldredgeLumber & Hardware, York, Me.,as Dealer of the Year.

Saeman Lumber, Cross Plains,Wi., recently added U-Haul truck andtrailer rentals.

Anniversaries: Kuiken Broth-ers Co., Fair Lawn, N.J., 100th.

Buyer Tweaks Home CenterAfter 103 years, the English family

has sold their home center, English’s,Altavista, Va.—to a buyer also coin-cidentally named English.New majority owner Don English

and partner Brent Ashwell will keepthe English’s name, but change thename of the corporation fromEnglish’s Inc. to English’s TheComplete Home Center LLC.In the spring, Don English will

also relocate his Triple E Rental busi-ness to the property.

Hankins Takes Time OutHankins Lumber Co., Grenada,

Ms., has ceased operations for up tosix months, effective Jan. 6, until thelumber market improves.

“We’ve taken extreme hits withthe market, and we need to do whatneeds to be done to keep this compa-ny viable for the long term,” saidoffice manager Jerry Pegg, who addedthat the shutdown would affect mostof the company’s 150 employees. Founded in 1950 by Bewel and

Burton Hankins, the company wasincorporated as Hankins Lumber Co.Inc. in 1972. Burton’s sons, Al andLee, took over the operation of thecompany upon his 2001 death.


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 a wide range of industry topics,including mouldings, doors, doorframes, windows, stairs, and cabinets.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 programwas launched.This year, AMD will look at

enhancing the curriculum of online

education courses by partnering withother organizations to make availablea broader array of education topics asrelated to the millwork industry. For 2012, AMD plans on develop-

ing of a series of safety courses andinstruction on door, window and sky-light installation.

Mid-State Lumber Makes ItsMark in New EnglandMid-State Lumber Corp.,

Branchburg, N.J., has completed itsgradual, 18-month launch into theNew England markets, now servingdealers in Connecticut, Rhode Island,Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.Headed by Mike Kelly, sales man-

ager for New England, the teamincludes John Fijalkowski,Connecticut territory manager;Dennis Brooks, Massachusetts SouthShore territory manager; Jack Knight,Massachusetts North Shore territorymanager, and Otto Kinzel, NewEngland field marketing.MSL has also secured the rights to

distribute Tamko’s Evergrain deckingand Tam-Rail railing in New Englandmarkets. MSL is also supplying the

region with Royal Building ProductsPVC trim and mouldings, Fasten-Master products, Blue Star meranti,World Class ipé, James Hardie fibercement, Interfor western red cedar,Selkirk specialty cedar, PacificWestern Woods cedar products,Evergrain Decking, Windstorm wallsheathing, and other branded lines.According to co-owner Ken

Bernstein, “Mid-State Lumber will bethe first family-owned independentdistributor that currently offers the‘complete business package’ for deal-ers from Delaware to southern NewHampshire. Typical delivery serviceis within 48 hours throughout ourfootprint. Mid-State Lumber offersexperienced outside sales representa-tion, active pull-thru support, weeklyproduct demos, full marketing sup-port, plus a product line in which thedealer can expand.”

Idled Potomac SupplySeeking InvestorsAfter temporarily shutting down its

manufacturing operations in Kinsale,Va., Potomac Supply Corp. is aggres-sively pursuing the capital required torestart operations, according to c.e.o.William T. Carden Jr.Options include new financing,

private-equity investment, divisionaldivestitures, or sale of the company.The company plans to continue serv-ing customers from existing invento-ries until supplies are depleted.Founded in 1948, the company had

been buying $35 million of standingtimber and selling $150 million worthof wood products annually, includingtreated wood, treated wood fencingand decking, and wood pallets andwood-fuel pellets.

Twin Cities Hoo-Hoo ClubGets SwindledThe former treasurer of the Twin

Cities Hoo-Hoo Club has pleadedguilty to swindling $154,000 from thelocal chapter of the lumber fraternity.Minnesota lumber wholesaler

Donald Peter Boehmer, 60, whoserved as treasurer of the clubbetween 2006 and 2010, was chargedwith nine felony counts of theft byswindle. His sentencing date is sched-uled for Feb. 21 in Dakota CountyDistrict Court.Under Minnesota sentencing

guidelines, the maximum sentence forconviction of these crimes is 57months.


Michigan Dealer Puts FinishingTouches on New WarehouseD. Baker & Son Lumber is planning a March move-in

at its new storage warehouse in Grand Haven, Mi., a littlemore than a year after heavy snow caused the roof on theoriginal building to collapse.

“We’re doing great,” said business manager NadaEdson. “The project has really come along quickly sincethe foundation started.” During construction, the 140-year-old business has

operated from nearby leased space. Edson said it was diffi-cult to adjust to the new building, but her staff pulledtogether and made it through the transition period. The new 15,706-sq. ft. building is being built on the

same footprint as the old one, although it is taller and cus-tomers can drive through the 66-ft. long space. Otherimprovements include a larger office, additional showroomspace, and a new computer system—which hadn’t beenupgraded since the 1990s. “It’s been a very emotional year for all of us at Baker

Lumber,” said Edson. “We’re excited to get back there andbe back for another 140 years.”

Boise Moves New Hampshire DCBoise Cascade’s Building Materials Distribution has

moved its operations in Portsmouth, N.H., four miles awayto a larger facility in Greenland, N.H.The DC includes 15 acres of yard space, 120,000 sq. ft.

of warehouse space, and 9,000 sq. ft. of office space. “This move represents a very significant increase in the

physical size of our location,” said manager John Tiano.“This will be a safe and more efficient operation. In addi-tion, the increased capacity is going to allow us to signifi-cantly increase our product offering.”

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, elastomericand polyester 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

and planning and design offices. S&P’s manufacturing anddistribution facilities are located in Switzerland, Poland,Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.“Simpson Strong-Tie has been in this industry for more

than 15 years with its Anchor Systems product line and isexcited to bring complementary product lines to our cus-tomers in the U.S. and in Europe,” said SST presidentTerry Kingsfather.

Arson Suspected after Two Fires at Kentucky Hardwood MillArson is suspected for fires that hit East Anderson

Hardwoods, Waynesburg, Ky., on Dec. 20 and Jan 2.“It was just fully involved, and the roof had fallen in,”

said fire chief Danny Glass of the second fire. “We let itextinguish itself.” Co-owner Lowery Anderson said he lost about one-

third of the company’s finished inventory—about$600,000—in the Dec. 20 fire. Arson investigators from the Kentucky State Police are

assisting in investigations of both fires.


costs, paperwork and time out of the cycle by working withyou. If you are good, and persistent, you’ll eventually con-

vert a significant chunk of your customers.The second way to operate effectively in this situation is

to become more deeply involved in the customer’s buyingprocess and influence the creation of the specifications insuch a way so you are the only one who can meet thosespecifications. The bid then becomes superfluous.Some of you who have been in my programs have heard

me tell the story of how I did the most profitable transac-tion of my life in an account whose policy it was to bideverything to five vendors.

2. Making a last look unnecessary.The whole concept of a “last look” implies that the rea-

son the customer would do business with you is that youare the lowest price of the group of bidders. While there isa time and place to be the low price, I’d like for you toquestion whether or not this is how you’d like the customerto think of you. If you have done a good job in the past forthe supplier, if you have become the low-risk supplier, ifyou have understood the customer’s situation at a deeperlevel than your competitors, if you have some aspect ofyour product, service or offer that sets you apart from thecompetitors, if you have communicated those things in apersuasive way, then the customer should be happy to dobusiness with you even if you are not the absolute lowestprice.

HOW DO YOU ensure that you get the last look in a com-petitive bid situation?

This is a question that I’m often asked. In a lot of indus-tries, particularly those involved in construction, govern-ment purchases, and large-volume manufacturing, most ofthe customers require an official bid. It’s not unusual forthese to be highly formal and structured.Here’s a typical scenario: The customer sends a bid to

five suppliers, and each responds with a written documentby a certain specified date. The customer reviews the bidsand awards the business.The writer of the question wants the ability to go in

after the bids have been submitted, to look at the competi-tive bids or at least the lowest bid prices, and to changehis/her prices in order to be awarded the business. First, it should be noted that in some instances, the “last

look” is illegal. In many cases, it’s viewed as unethical. Inother industries and situations, it’s viewed as business-as-usual. This question and answer is only relevant to the lat-ter situation.

1. Avoiding a bid situation to begin with.Okay, I know that bids are standard operating proce-

dures in your business. But, I also know that a lot of busi-ness is “negotiated.” In other words, the customer selectsthe vendor he/she wants to work with, and then negotiatesthe best deal with that customer.I’d much rather you get yourself into a negotiating

rather than a bid situation. That way, you’d avoid the bidscenario altogether. And, while it is true that you’ll never convince 100% of

your customers to negotiate with you rather than send outbids, if you are successful over the next few years in mov-ing 20% to 30% of your customers to negotiating status,you’ll see a tremendous improvement in your sales.How do you earn that position? Two ways: First, build

powerful business relationships, be a reliable supplier, andoffer a special relationship—“negotiating”—with all yourgood customers.In other words, bring the subject up regularly, plant the

seed in your customer’s brain, tell stories about how youwere able to work effectively with others—how they cut

KAHLE On SalesBy Dave Kahle

Ensure your bidis the final bid


In other words, if you have done agood 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. Insuring 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 customerwould 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 industry

consultant, 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.

At Long Last, Jeld Wen toStart Up in North LouisianaLate this year, Jeld-Wen will final-

ly open a long-delayed door-facingsfacility in Winn Parish, La.The Klamath Falls, Or.-based man-

ufacturer first announced the facilityin 2006. It began construction soonafter, but mothballed the $120-millionproject before it could be 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.

ABS Buys Unitedʼs 15 StoresAllied Building Products has pur-

chased the assets of 15-unit roofingand siding distributor United ProductsCorp., Minneapolis, Mn.Founded in 1975, United has seven

branches in Minnesota, three each inNorth Dakota and in Wisconsin, andone each in Nebraska and SouthDakota.

Century-Old Supplier Closing Builders Supply Co., Petersburg,

Va., is liquidating after 108 years.According to president Jim

VanLandingham, “With the operatinglosses combined with the financialobligation to buy out the retirees andpast employees, the decision wasmade to stop our business.”Over the last four years, the dealer/

truss plant trimmed its workforcefrom 70 employees to 23.


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MANAGEMENT TipsBy Bill Blades

week 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 the

c.e.o. and his executive team talkingamong themselves for 90% of thebreak 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-

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

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,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 a

Make “value added” really valuable

Give your clientsthe gift of education


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 waterheaters,” 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 at breakfast orlunch. One big rule for anice turn-out and avoidinga run-in with the conven-tion is that your eventmust not be held whileconvention events are tak-ing place. What I like isthe venue is held in thesame hotel where yourtarget accounts are stay-ing. No one has to traveland everyone needs to eat.And they receive value.• I provide consulting

in my clients’ booths atconventions. We set up asection in the corner of thebooth with comfy chairs,pastries, coffee and endtables, 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 andmarketing plan and figure out how toput a spin on it. New, new, new helpsyou to avoid what happens to over

90% 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, “$50million.” Silence. Then the guest said,“It’s kind of embarrassing for a $5-billion client to be educated by a $50million vendor. I’m very appreciative,as I learned a lot. How do you pro-pose we build 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 that

everyone be armed with their bestquestions. Caution: I’ve been doingthis long enough that I can share thatyour one-hour visit often winds up asa two- to three-hour session. Often thegroup is dismissed and we wind up inthe c.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 the

reason. 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 we

received. This was thebest management retreatever.” There’s more tothis client example, but Ican share that we receivedmillions of dollars inorders in five months.Providing valuable

education helps yourclients be better preparedto sell more (often yourproducts) and lead better.You’ve provided a value-added service, they willremember you for years,and you’ve further bol-stered your reputation.If you do not create

competitive advantages,you cannot successfullycompete. Forget the oldschool lunches, ball

games, and holiday gifts. Instead pro-vide a service that will help yourclients be more successful. Therewards will come back to you 10,000to 100,000 fold. You can still havelunch, but you will be setting up thenext 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. Contacthim at [email protected] or (443) 477-0061.


are Jason Boehm, Junior’s BuildingMaterials, Ringgold, Ga.; TeeBridges, Stone’s Home Centers,Bainbridge, Ga.; Ray Gaster, GasterLumber, Savannah, Ga.; Mike Grady,Mulherin Lumber, Evans, Ga., andMason Kocher, Kocher Lumber,Montgomery, Al. Associate directorsare Phil Odom, Blue Linx, Atlanta,Ga., and Ida Ross Swift Hicks, SwiftSupply, Atmore, Al.On March 8, CSA will host an

insight meeting at Hilton Garden Inn,Albany, Ga.

Illinois Lumber & MaterialDealers Association kicks off itsannual expo March 20-21 at PeoriaCivic Center, Peoria, Il.Educational seminars will focus on

such topics as estate planning, usingtechnology to compete, and how toimprove customer relationships. Additional workshops will cover

deck construction, solutions to com-mon framing errors, and installationof exterior doors.

Mid South Building MaterialDealers Association has scheduled itstrade show and convention for March15-17 in Natchez, Tn.Highlights will include a crayfish

boil hosted by the owners of HomeHardware Centers and a banquet witha live auction to benefit the Carl

Florida Building Material Asso-ciation president Bill Tucker hasstepped down after 20 years headingFBMA.

Lumbermen’s Association ofTexas will host its annual conventionApril 12-14 at La Torretta Resort,Lake Conroe, Tx.The event will open with lunch and

golf at Crown Colony Golf Club,Lufkin, Tx., and continue the next daywith a daylong tour of logging sitesand mills. Other events will include a

LUMPAC golf tournament at theresort’s course, an evening beachparty at Lake Conroe, and a presi-dent’s gala dinner with awards andraffle.

Construction Suppliers Associa-tion elected Michael Townsend, v.p.-operations, Townsend BuildingSupply, Enterprise, Al., as chairmanof its board of directors. Also new to the board are vice

chairman/chairman-elect AndyBrown, Brown Lumber, Columbiana,Ga.; 2nd vice chairman Alex Hill,Hills Ace Hardware & Lumber,Winder, Ga.; secretary/treasurer ChrisMoon, Harbin Lumber, Lavonia, Ga.,and immediate past chairman ChuckBankston, Bankston Lumber,Barnesville, Ga. Additional directors

ASSOCIATION Update

Fruscha/Betty Hellenthal ScholarshipFoundation.

Northwestern Lumber Associa-tion will present project-estimatingseminars led by Gary ThompsonMarch 13-14 in Bismarck, N.D., andMarch 20-21 in Roseville, Mn.An outing to watch arena football

between the Iowa Barnstormers andUtah Blaze is March 17 in DesMoines, Ia.

Oklahoma Lumbermen’s Associ-ation is sponsoring a blueprint read-ing & material take-off workshopFeb. 22-23 at its office in OklahomaCity, Ok. Western Building MaterialAssociation’s Casey Voorhees willlead the instruction.

Mid-America LumbermensAssociation will host its Arkansasspring meeting March 22-23 atEmbassy Suites, Hot Springs, Ar. MLA has partnered with ICS-

National Collection Services to offerdebt-collection services to members.

Southeastern Lumber Manufac-turers Association holds its annualspring meeting March 6-7 at AtlantaAirport Hilton, Atlanta, Ga. Speakers will include Wade Camp,

senior economist at RISI; Zoltan vanHeyningen, executive director of theU.S. Lumber Coalition, and TomCator, SLMA’s Washington legisla-tive council.

North American WholesaleLumber Association will present itsWood Management Course-Level IIon March 12-15 at Mississippi StateUniversity’s College of ForestResources, Starkville, Ma.Classroom topics will include

strategic planning for U.S. and globalmarkets, use of financial statements,evaluating credit risk, social mediatools, and inventory management sys-tems.

Hardwood ManufacturersAssociation will meet March 14-16 atRitz-Carlton, New Orleans, La., forits annual meeting and expo.Mike Snow, executive director,

American Hardwood Export Council,will discuss projects and provide amarket update. Deborah Hawkinson,executive director, Hardwood


IN MemoriamEmmett Francis McCoy, 88,

founder of McCoy’s Building Supply,San Marcos, Tx., died Jan. 7 in SanMarcos.Mr. McCoy served with the Army

in the Pacific Theater during WorldWar II. Afterward, he joined the busi-ness started by his father in 1927,McCoy Roofing Co., and later startedthe business that would becomeMcCoy’s. By the time he retired in 1997, the

business had grown to more than 90locations with sales exceeding $400million.

Clarence “Whitey” Precin, 86,retired owner and president of HomeBuilding Supply, Tinley Park, Il., diedDec. 26 in Tinley.During World War II, he served

with the Navy in the Philippines. Heretired at age 83, after owning thebusiness for nearly 30 years.

Allie S. Warren, 84, retired seniorvice president at North PacificLumber, Waynesboro, Ms., died Jan.1 in Waynesboro after a long illness.He began his career with North

Pacific in 1968 and retired in 1991,after serving as manager of the south-ern division and Allen Timber Inc.

Timothy Blair, 54, former partnerin Niece Lumber, Lambertville, N.J.,died Jan. 6 in Lambertville.Mr. Blair’s grandfather purchased

the company in 1966.

Jimmy DeLeon O’Rear, 68,retired vice president with Birming-ham International Forest Products,Birmingham, Al., died Dec. 8.

Victor J. Buccino, 96, retired NewJersey LBM salesman, died Dec. 1 inHolmdel, N.J.He served with the Army Air Corp

during World War II. Afterwards, heoperated his own construction busi-ness before serving as sales managerat Linden Lumber, Linden, N.J. Hethen joined Ply-Gem, Union, N.J.,retiring in 1984.

Daniel Patrick Landon, 53,retired manager of Add Lumber,Dunkirk, N.Y., died Dec. 29 in Bath,N.Y., after a lengthy illness.He served briefly with the

Marines, receiving a medical dis-charge in 1975. He was lateremployed by Farr Lumber, Westfield,N.Y., and retired from Add Lumberdue to illness in 2008.

Roger H. Emanuel, 88, retiredgeneral manager of Lincoln WoodProducts, Merrill, Wi., died Jan. 7 inMerrill.He served in the U.S. Navy during

World War II as a gunners mate in thePacific Theater. He served as general manager of

Lincoln Wood Products from 1972 to2007, spearheading the company’sname change to Lincoln Windows &Doors and launch of sister companyTimeLine Vinyl Windows & Doors,Merrill, in 1994.

George R. Mitchell, 91, retiredowner of G.R. Mitchell Inc., Refton,Pa., died Dec. 20 in Willow Valley,Pa. Mr. Mitchell served with the U.S.

Air Force during World War II. Hebegan his career managing I.B.Graybill & Sons, which he purchasedin 1969 and renamed. After he retired in 1985, his son

took over the business.

Emilio J. DeAsi, 88, retiredNortheast LBM salesman, died Jan.11 in New Canaan, Ct.During World War II, he served

with the Army’s 873rd EngineerAviation Battalion in the PacificTheater. After working many years for the

New Haven Railroad, he joined NewCanaan Fuel & Lumber. He retiredfrom Ring’s End Lumber at age 65.

Federation, will also provide anupdate.Jim Alampi, managing director of

Alampi & Associates, will present abreakfast talk on “The ExecutiveTune-up: Getting from Vision toExecution.” Alan Beaulieu, president,Institute for Trend Research, will dis-cuss economic forecasts and businessimplications.

Appalachian Hardwood Manu-facturers will hold its annual meet-ing Feb. 29-March 4 at Marco IslandMarriott, Marco Island, Fl.

Moulding & MillworkProducers Association convenes its49th winter business meeting March19-24 at Loews Santa Monica BeachHotel, Santa Monica, Ca.


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DATE BookListings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify

dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend.

Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association – Feb. 8-9, conven-tion & expo, Indianapolis, In.; (800) 640-4452; www.ihla.org.

Northwestern Lumber Association – Feb. 8-9, Wisconsin dealersconvention, Wisconsin Dells, Wi.; (763) 544-6822; nlassn.org.

International Builders Show – Feb. 8-11, Orlando, Fl.; (800) 368-5242; www.buildersshow.com.

Florida Hardware Co. – Feb. 11-12, market, Doubletree Hotel,Orlando, Fl.; (904) 783-1650; www.floridahardware.com.

Long-Lewis Hardware – Feb. 11-12, market, Montgomery CivicCenter, Montgomery, Al.; (205) 322-2561; www.long-lewis.com.

South Dakota Retail Lumberman’s Association – Feb. 14-15,annual convention, Best Western Ramkota Hotel & ConferenceCenter, Sioux Falls, S.D.; (605) 665-5089; www.sawbucks.com.

True Value Co. – Feb. 20-22, spring market, Convention Center,Orlando, Fl.; (773) 695-5171; www.truevaluecompany.com.

WoodWorks – Feb. 21, Wood Solutions Fair, College Park, Ga.;(866) 966-3448; www.woodworks.org.

National Roofing Contractors Association – Feb. 22-24, annualconvention & expo, Orlando, Fl.; (847) 299-9070; www.nrca.com.

North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. – Feb. 23, regionalmeeting, Birmingham, Al.; (800) 527-8258; www.lumber.org.

WoodWorks – Feb. 23, Wood Solutions Fair, Baltimore ConventionCenter, Baltimore, Md.; (866) 966-3448; www.woodworks.org.

Northwestern Lumber Association – Feb. 23-24, Iowa lumber con-vention, Des Moines, Ia.; (763) 544-6822; www.nlassn.org.

National Frame Building Association – Feb. 29-March 2, framebuilding expo, St. Louis, Mo.; (800) 557-6957; www.nfba.org.

Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Association – Feb. 29-March 4, annual meeting, Marco Island Marriott, Marco Island,Fl.; (336) 885-8315; www.appalachianwood.org.

Panel & Engineered Lumber Conference – March 1-2, OmniHotel, Atlanta, Ga.; (334) 834-1170; www.pelice-expo.com.

HDW Inc. – March 2-4, dealer market, Jackson Convention Center,Jackson, Mi.; (800) 256-8527; www.hdwinc.com.

Peak Auctioneering – March 3-4, LBM auction, Howard CountyFairgrounds, Baltimore, Md.; (800) 245-9690; peakauction.com.

National Wooden Pallet & Container Assn. – March 3-6, leader-ship conference, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.; (703) 519-6104; nwpca.com.

National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Assn. – March 5-7,legislative conference & spring meeting, Marriott, Washington,D.C.; (800) 634-8645; www.dealer.org.

Window & Door Manufacturers Association – March 5-7, legisla-tive conference, Marriott, Washington, D.C.; (800) 223-2301;www.wdma.com.

Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. – March 6-7, springmeeting, Hilton, Atlanta, Ga.; (770) 631-6701; www.slma.org.

Greenprints – March 7-8, conference, Atlanta, Ga.; (404) 872-3549;www.greenprints.org.

ENAP Inc. – March 7-9, annual meeting & show, Disney’s CoronadoSprings, Orlando, Fl.; (800) 456-4300; www.enap.com.

Lumbermens Merchandising Corp. – March 7-9, annual meeting,Ft. Worth, Tx.; (610) 293-7049; www.lmc.net.

Northwestern Lumber Association – March 8, Nebraska lumberdealers convention, Embassy Suites Hotel & Convention Center,La Vista, Ne.; (763) 544-6822; www.nlassn.org.

Ace Hardware Corp. – March 8-10, spring market, Georgia WorldCongress Center, Atlanta, Ga.; (630) 990-7662;www.acehardware.com.

International Home & Housewares Show – March 10-13, Chicago,Il.; (847) 292-4200; www.housewares.org.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – March 12-15,Wood Management Course, Mississippi State University,Starksville, Ms.; (800) 527-8258; www.lumber.org.

Construction Suppliers Association – March 13, insight meeting,Savannah, Ga.; (678) 674-1860; www.gocsa.com.

New Hampshire Retail Lumber Association – March 13, round-table & board meeting, Bedford, N.H.; (518) 286-1010; nrla.org.

Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association – March 14, annu-al meeting, Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, La.; (412) 244-0440;www.cypressinfo.org.

Hardwood Manufacturers Association – March 14-16, nationalconference & expo, Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, La.; (412) 244-0440; www.hmamembers.org.

Retail Lumber Dealers Association of Maine – March 15, legisla-tive breakfast & board meeting, Senator Inn, Augusta, Me.; (518)286-1010; www.nrla.org.

Mid South Building Material Dealers Association – March 15-17,convention & show, Natchez Convention Center, Natchez, Ms.;(877) 828-3315; www.mbmda.com.

Emery-Waterhouse Co. – March 16-17, market, Rhode IslandConvention Center, Providence, R.I.; (800) 283-0236;www.emeryonline.com.

Peak Auctioneering – March 17, LBM auction, St. Charles, Il.;(800) 245-9690; www.peakauction.com.

Moulding & Millwork Producers Association – March 19-24, win-ter meeting, San Diego, Ca.; (800) 550-7889; www.wmmpa.com.

Illinois Lumber & Material Dealers Association – March 20-21,convention & expo, Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, Il.; (800) 252-8641; www.ilmda.com.


ADVERTISERS IndexFor more information on advertisers, call them

directly or visit their websites [in brackets].

When the local hardware store in Wilton, Ct.,closed last October, the city’s sole remaining buidingsupplier 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.”

IDEA FileFilling the Void

Advantage Trim & Lumber [www.advantagelumber.com]....38

Anthony Forest Products [anthonyforest.com]...........Cover III

Arch Wood Protection [www.wolmanizedwood.com]...Cover I

Biewer Lumber [www.biewerselect.com] .................................3

Boise Cascade EWP [www.bcewp.com]...................................7

California Redwood Association [calredwood.org] .....Cover II

Capital [www.capital-lumber.com] ..........................................35

Coastal Plywood [www.coastalplywood.com].......................32

Crumpler Plastic Pipe [www.cpp-pipe.com] ..........................45

Great Southern Wood Preserving [www.yellawood.com].......8

GRK Fasteners [www.grkfasteners.com] ...............................17

Ipe Clip Co., The [www.ipeclip.com] .......................................11

Kleer Lumber [www.kleerlumber.com] ........................Cover IV

Lumbermens Association of Texas [www.lat.org] ................37

Master Mark Plastics [www.armadillodeck.com].....................4

Osmose [www.osmose.com].....................................................5

Parksite [www.parksite.com].............................................13, 43

Peak Auctioneering [www.peakauction.com] ........................29

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance [plmins.com]...31

Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com]...........................21

Selkirk [www.selkirkcedar.com]..............................................33

Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com] .............................25

Siskiyou Forest Products [siskiyouforestproducts.com].....27

Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. [slma.org]..Cover II

Sunbelt [www.sunbeltracks.com] ...........................................42

Tiger Deck [www.tigerdeck.com] ............................................30

TMI Forest Products [www.tubafor.com] ...............................39

Versatex [www.versatex.com] .................................................23

Wahoo Decks [www.wahoodecks.com] .................................28

Western Red Cedar Lumber Assn. [www.wrcla.org]....Cover II

BPDBuilding Products Digest

4500 Campus Dr. No. 480Newport Beach, Ca. 92660-1872

Change Service Requested

KLEER 4C BleedDecking: Redefining 8.25 x 8.75Building Products Digest

NEW TO THE MARKET AND ALREADY REDEFINING IT.Introducing Kleer Decking. Everything you’d want in a deck, and then some.If you were to design the ideal decking product, here’s what it would include: a 100% PVC Core that

resists mold and mildew, advanced capstock technologies for greater scratch, stain and fade

resistance, a 25 year limited residential stain & fade warranty*, an array of eye-catching colors,

and a transferable lifetime warranty that includes labor. In essence, all the things we did include.

See how Kleer continues to think beyond wood at kleerlumber.com

*Available on Kleer Sierra Series

KLEER_DECK_BPD_Redefining_8.25x8.75_M1.indd 1 1/19/12 12:05 AM

building products digest - february 2012

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