the merchant june 2014

LATEST LBM TECHNOLOGY TRENDS IN SIDING, ROOFING & TRIM

JUNE 2014

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

4 The Merchant Magazine June 2014 Building-Products.com

June 2014 Volume 92 Number 12

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

BUILDING-PRODUCTS.COM

The MERCHANT Magazine

CHANGE OF ADDRESS Send address label fromrecent issue, new address, and 9-digit zip to addressbelow. POSTMASTER Send address changes to TheMerchant Magazine, 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480,Newport Beach, Ca. 92660-1872.The Merchant Magazine (ISSN 7399723) (USPS 796-560) is published monthly at 4500 Campus Dr., Ste.480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660-1872 by CutlerPublishing, Inc. Periodicals Postage paid at NewportBeach, Ca., and additional post offices. It is an inde-pendently-owned publication for the retail, wholesaleand distribution levels of the lumber and building prod-ucts markets in 13 western states. Copyright®2014 byCutler Publishing, Inc. Cover and entire contents arefully protected and must not be reproduced in anymanner without written permission. All RightsReserved. It reserves the right to accept or reject anyeditorial or advertising matter, and assumes no liabilityfor materials furnished to it.

Special Features8 FEATURE STORY

NEW TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES POWERFROM WITHIN BUILDING ENVELOPE

10 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTTRENDS IN SIDING, ROOFING & TRIM

12 MARGIN BUILDERSSELLING SIDING IN THE DIGITAL AGE

14 INDUSTRY TRENDSHOW TO USE RAD TOOLS

16 MARGIN BUILDERSBUILD A POWERFUL ONLINE PRESENCE

18 INDUSTRY TRENDSNETWORKING EVENTS FOR WOMEN

32 SPECIAL FOCUS: SOUTHERN PINE

In Every Issue6 TOTALLY RANDOM

22 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

26 OLSEN ON SALES

32 MOVERS & SHAKERS

36 MANAGEMENT TIPS:GUARDING AGAINST LATE PAYS

42 NEW PRODUCTS

52 ASSOCIATION UPDATE

52 IN MEMORIAM

53 DATE BOOK

53 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE

54 IDEA FILE

54 ADVERTISERS INDEX

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Alan Oakeswww.building-products.com


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TOTALLY RandomBy Alan Oakes

Tomorrow’s leadershipAS WE NEAR the end of the first half of the year, I must admit to being a little puzzled as

to where we all are. Based on my calls, there’s no doubt business is better and theindustry is healthier, but housing starts are not quite where we expected them to be. At theend of the first quarter, starts were slightly up, but we do not seem on track for the 1.1 mil-lion starts most economists had projected for this year—although a bad winter surely hadsome impact. April’s numbers (1.05 million) are a little more promising, although growthclearly is multi- instead of single-family. Fingers are crossed for the second half. We arealso seeing a spurt this year of mergers and acquisitions, as I had predicted earlier. Timewill tell if this is good or bad.

Last month (“What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?,” p. 6), I brought up thequestion of where our future leaders will come from. The same question should be asked adifferent way regarding how do you position yourselves for leadership if you are just start-ing out or wanting to move up the corporate ladder.

As a business owner, and as I get older, I know that I sometimes tend to dwell on thepast instead of embracing the future. Equally, managers of tomorrow perhaps must firstunderstand why things are today what they are before they can understand where to go inthe future. My own feeling is that some of the old business values we had are still valid intoday’s world, whereas others have gone or may have to go the way of the dinosaur.

Whether you want to be a leader in your current company or a new one in the future,perhaps even your own, I would urge you to learn to walk before you start running. Fullyunderstand how a business grows, why it can sometimes die, and what it needs to be ableto continue growing into the future. The best thing you can do for yourself is grab on tomentors (often developed from attending industry and association meetings, as well asfrom within your own company). Build a wide range of people you can call for advice orinsight both in and out of the industry. Find people who can and will help you. This indus-try is studded with people only too willing to do that.

You have to be trusted at every level of your organization. Keep to your words and liveup to your and your company’s values. Stay away from the incessant downers present atmany companies. Stick with people who are talented and have a great track record. Withyour customers (or those you interface with) learn all you can about their business—makeit more of a partnership than a sale to a customer. I have learned that word partner bandiedaround, but in most cases it’s pure lip service. Be a real partner!

Even in the bad times, stay optimistic (reasonably so) and keep those around you upthere with you. Always see the bright side to a storm and keep your head open to change. Ilove that British song, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”

Something I still struggle with is staying patient. But most good things do not happenovernight and it’s not generally of the real world for that to happen. Give people and newprojects a chance to succeed. Slow, steady change and success will build confidence and,frankly, less worry than having a blockbuster success that cannot be managed.

I am a career risk taker—sometimes good, sometimes bad. But on the plus side, Iwouldn’t change even the bad decisions I’ve made. In business you need to have an instinctthat can help predict success. That means doing your homework first, but also making mis-takes. You can’t be right 100% of the time unless you take no risk. Perhaps the greater riskis taking no risk at all! I have worked for bosses who were ditherers. Make decisionspromptly and don’t water them down to appease everyone. Push for the best solution.Often decisions, even if not quite the best solutions, can be modified as time goes on.

Over the years, I have seen the wrong people get promoted or praised for ideas they hadnot thought of (nor ever could have dreamed). They weregood at taking credit for someone else’s ideas and skills.Learn to document, document and document. Keep goodrecords. Having a good trail makes perfect sense

Lastly, learn everything there is to know about yourcompetition—whether it be asking customers, observingthem at trade shows, walking in their stores, listening atindustry events. Do not be surprised by what theyannounce—try to know what they are doing so youare not in a defensive mode when the news hits.

As the industry grows again, there will beopportunities unlike anything we have seen thepast seven years. Be ready for when thatphone rings and opportunity arises. Makesure it is you they call!

Alan Oakes, [email protected]

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New technology mayprovide power from withinthe building envelope

sun’s light at them or not, and you cancommunicate with someone on a dis-tant hilltop without actively emittingany energy.”

Parks says that ambient backscatterfar exceeds similar technology interms of power consumption: “We’retwo to three orders of magnitude bet-ter than conventional active radio,because we don’t emit signals; we useexisting signals. In the context ofmobile devices, a pretty significantamount of energy goes to Wi-Fi ormobile communication, so we canessentially augment that with ambientbackscatter technology.”

Parks’ team is most excited aboutthe potential the technology creates forbattery-free communication devices.While the team says it is a ways offfrom making this commercially avail-able to developers and manufacturers,it certainly has identified an abun-dance of use cases. In addition to theobvious applications like extending oraugmenting battery life, are the possi-bilities of sensor networks that workwithin structures and environmentswith no power requirements.

“We’ve done a lot in our lab withRFID sensors, which are battery-freeand communicate with RFID readers,and I think ambient backscatter tech-nology lends itself to sensing networksas well,” Parks says. “Imagine outfit-ting every tree in an orchard withmoisture and humidity sensors thatrelay information on the tree’s health.”

Ambient backscatter devices,dubbed “tags,” can be embedded with-in smart buildings as well. Heexplains: “One of the things that peo-ple have been excited about with

AS CONNECTED DEVICES continue topermeate our world, one disrup-

tive technology may be changing thegame all together—one that communi-cates without batteries or wires at all.By harnessing the power of existingradio waves, ambient backscatter tech-nology may present an entirely newway of developing for the smart envi-ronment.

This emerging communication sys-tem is being developed at theUniversity of Washington in Seattle. Itessentially enables tiny devices to useexisting TV and cellular transmissionsas their only source of power, elimi-nating the need for wires to communi-cate progressively extended distances

and in previously inaccessible places.“If you think about conventional

radio like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, energyis taken from the mobile device’s bat-tery, turned into radio signals andactively emitted by the device. But inambient backscatter, we don’t activelyemit any energy,” says Aaron Parks, aPhD student at the University ofWashington who is on the develop-ment team and works under Prof.Shyam Gollakota and Prof. JoshSmith. “We use existing radio energy,and we reflect that existing energytowards nearby peer devices. It’s kindof like using a signal mirror to com-municate with someone, so you canselect whether you’re shining the

FEATURE StoryBy Brandy Alexander-Wimberly

BUILDING MATERIALS with embedded ambient backscatter-enabled sensor tags may be used tomonitor a building’s structural health, temperature and moisture without the need for wiring infrastruc-ture or periodic battery replacement.

Building-Products.com June 2014 The Merchant Magazine 9

RFID sensors is putting strain gaugeson big structures. Ambient backscattertags can be embedded in concretewithin a skyscraper, and since theydon’t need power, they would be rela-tively maintenance-free. They couldtheoretically monitor strains andstresses and provide an estimate ofstructural health. For instance, after anearthquake, these sensors could quick-ly report if the building is safe forreentry.”

J.R. Babineau, building scientistwith Johns Manville, Denver, Co.,says he can see the potential for multi-ple uses for ambient backscatter with-in the building envelope. “I couldenvision a builder wanting to includesensors with these devices installed aspart of the roof. Maybe that evenmeans their roofing guarantee costsless, because you would know well inadvance if there were a problem. Icould also envision us encouragingarchitects and builders to use this kindof technology, especially in key areaslike simple sensors to detect moisture.I could even see this being used by theDepartment of Energy as a way to col-lect data easily that doesn’t involvestringing a bunch of wires, becausetoday it’s kind of a big deal to try toinstrument a building. If it would bepossible to do it much less expensive-ly, that would be a big improvement.”

Parks says his team’s technologycould be manufactured inexpensively.“There’s nothing about these tags thatcouldn’t be made the same way as afive-cent RFID tag. You don’t need abattery, you don’t need a solar panel,”he says. “So we can make these usinga roll-to-roll process very cheaply andwith tiny integrated circuits. We canmaybe even make smart wallpaperthat shares some sort of data through-out a room, for example. Sensingnodes that are built into walls is tech-nically possible.”

Babineau considers the technologyunique and promising since it is bothwireless and battery-less. “Today, interms of instrumenting a building, I donot know of anything that you can dothat is completely wireless,” he says.“Avoiding wires lends a huge amountof durability to this, because when youadd sensors and wires there is a lotmore opportunity for things to break(during construction). If you can burysomething in a system, then maybejust one trade needs to know about itbut everyone else can avoid it, thenyou’re good and you can move on.”

Charles Cottrell, v.p. of technical

services for the North AmericanInsulation Manufacturers Association,also believes the technology looksinteresting. “It looks like a very bene-ficial tool for building scientists toembed sensors that could transmit dataout of walls, although (running wires)is not that difficult for most construc-tion, but it certainly makes it tougherto bury things inside of walls,” hesays. “This technology looks fairlysimilar to the key cards you use to getin and out of a parking garage.”

So, will ambient backscatter tech-nology get us one step closer to massadoption of the connected building?Perhaps, and Babineau is confidentthat commercial construction will befirst to integrate such a technology.

“Commercial buildings are aheadof residential in terms of the smartbuilding,” he says. “Commercialbuildings have more margin for cost toimplement systems, whereas on theresidential side it’s so driven by costwith rare exceptions. Also, the smarterthe structure, the smarter the peopleoperating the building need to be andthat’s also where a commercial build-ing has the benefit of dedicated facili-ties managers that can be educated onhow to properly run whatever thesmart systems are, whereas with resi-dential, it’s the general public.”

Parks explains that another key dif-ferentiator for his team’s technology isthe opportunity to reprogram the tags.“In conventional RFID tags, those aresingle purpose and they don’t havemuch in the way of smarts,” he says.“All they say is ‘here is my ID,’ kind

of like an IP address. With ambientbackscatter tags, I think the mostexciting version of that would be awirelessly reprogrammable tag. Inother words, a single chip that youcould reprogram wirelessly from anearby laptop or mobile phone thathas an access point attached.”

He says they’re currently workingwith computer science students ondeveloping a platform and API.“We’re identifying where this wouldhave the most benefit, whether thatwould be consumer electronics orcommercial electronics,” Parks says.“We currently have research proto-types, so it’s difficult to say when thiswould be commercially available andwhat hurdles we’ll have to cross priorto commercialization. We’re develop-ing a new radio communication stan-dard and there are some hurdles there.Maybe by this time next year we’llhave something to talk with manufac-turers about.”

The future of ambient backscatteris not clear, but the University ofWashington team establishes onething. It isn’t designed to replace con-ventional Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, but itdoes have the potential to augmentand extend devices that also rely onbattery life.

– Brandy Alexander-Wimberly is anindependent writer and part of theInterrupt team, a strategic marketingagency devoted to the building materialsand home improvement space. To view theUniversity of Washington team’s paperpublished last year, visit abc.cs.washing-ton.edu/files/comm153-liu.pdf.

AMBIENT BACKSCATTER devices wirelessly communicate without batteries by reflecting existingambient radio signals. Television towers, cell towers, and other ambient sources of radio waves pro-vide power to the devices.


Boldness meets beautyTrends in alternativesiding, roofing and trimA FASCINATING TREND has emerged in the world of exte-

rior home products in recent years. Builders and home-owners alike, inspired by cable TV home shows and daz-zlingly beautiful home-oriented websites, have grownincreasingly bold. They are mixing exterior materials,cladding homes in previously unseen colors, and adoptingdramatic new approaches to use of trim, among other initia-tives.

The exciting new era of experimentation has been well-timed to the ongoing improvement in exterior buildingproducts manufactured from man-made materials. Thesenew products enable builders, remodelers and homeownersto create distinctive, exciting appearances. The result:homes with such gorgeous curb appeal become the envy ofeveryone in the neighborhood.

Let’s examine some of the building materials leadingthis trend.

Composite roofingThe latest trends are elevating composite roofing to new

heights in terms of installation ease, maintenance freedom,aesthetics, and fire-, hail- and wind-resistance.

PRODUCT SpotlightBy Jonathan Wierengo, The Tapco Group

Composite roofing materials’ lengthy list of benefitsbegins with the fact they are much lighter weight than slate,metal and some other traditional roofing materials. That’s amajor advantage that translates to fewer handling andinstallation challenges.

Composite roofing materials also require less upkeepand are much more durable than slate tiles, cedar shakes,and asphalt shingles. Composite roofing is so long lastingthat a number of brands offer limited lifetime warranties.

Tied to composite roofing’s durability are key safetyattributes that have led to growing popularity in regionsplagued by wildfire and severe windstorms.

Composite roofing products with exceptional fire, winduplift, and impact ratings are the logical and often onlychoice in areas of fire-ravaged California and storm-proneTexas. In addition, composite roofing is also favored inheavy snow country, where the product effectively holdsand then sheds snow.

Another quality, curb appeal, also adds to builder,remodeler and homeowner satisfaction. Outstanding aes-thetics help ensure composite roofing products provide thecrowning glory on a growing number of homes coast to

All photos by The Tapco Group


COMPOSITE roofing Inspire Aledora Slate features a Class A fire rating,110-mph wind uplift rating, and Class 4 impact rating.

PVC TRIMBOARD with sealed edge technology, such as Kleer TruEdge,provides a smooth finish, while it resists staining, easily wipes clean.

coast. Composite roofing brands offer many colors and aneven wider variety of pre-mixed color combos.

Also available is cool roofing, which increases homecomfort and reduces energy costs.

Vinyl SidingAccording to a recent report in Realtor Magazine, exte-

rior replacement products place high on the list of the mostcost-effective home improvements. Siding is one exteriorproduct that delivers a substantial ROI, returning on aver-age about 70% of replacement costs at time of resale.

Among siding products, vinyl is growing as one of thebest ways to add enormous appeal while reining in costs.Today’s vinyl siding has never been better, featuring muchgreater weather resistance and more attractive looks. Use ofpremium trim can make this appealing product even easieron the eyes.

Another upside is that vinyl siding provides a head-turn-ing fit with one of the newer trends in home exteriors,which calls for mixing different materials in a home’s ele-vation. This blending can infuse a tired façade with newaesthetic appeal, creating a much more visually interestingcustom appearance.

Home builders are incorporating vinyl siding thatexpertly mimics the appearance of wood, brick, stone andother materials as accents in home facades.

And when it comes to color, no one has to feel limitedby the traditional selection of eight to 10 vinyl siding hues,dominated by white, off-white, and gray. Technologicaladvances in vinyl siding have expanded that palette to morethan 20 colors, making possible far more striking hues thatare winning growing favor with homeowners across thecountry.

PVC TrimPVC trim is also gaining popularity. It can help trans-

form an ordinary home’s exterior into a “home and garden”magazine-worthy showplace. Today’s PVC trim offers the

benefits of easy installation and weather-resistance we’vecome to expect. And it does so with unprecedented beautyand versatility.

Made with 100% high-density PVC, the newest genera-tion of trim is as easy to work with and install as wood.Builders can nail, drill, glue and rout PVC trim boardsusing conventional tools, leading to faster completion ofjobs.

Yet it has none of wood’s natural disadvantages.Modern PVC trim and moldings are impervious to mois-ture, insects, rotting, splitting, swelling or cupping, evenwhen up against the most challenging climactic conditions.They are a logical choice, for instance, in coastal areascharacterized by moist salty air.

Many PVC trim boards offer great surface durability, areUV-stable in unpainted form and, if desired, can be paintedwith 100% latex paints. Sealed edge technology is now alsoavailable to keep trim looking clean and beautiful. It resistsdust and dirt during and after construction.

The right trim can add eye-catching detail and characteraround the doors, windows and shutters of homes. Othercommon application areas can include corbels, cornices,cupolas, garden and patio structures, and soffits. Lightertrim on darker-colored homes is an emerging trend, drivenby the fact lighter colors can draw the eye to the architec-tural nuances of a home. Uses of trim are limited only bythe architect’s or homeowner’s imagination.

In the years ahead, ongoing research and development,coupled with developments in manufacturing, shouldensure a parade of exciting new exterior products. We’refinding ways to improve on the products Mother Naturegave us, to the delight of everyone who appreciates stun-ningly beautiful homes.

– Jonathan Wierengo is vice president of marketing for TheTapco Group, Wixom, Mi. Reach him at [email protected].


Selling siding inthe digital age

doors, and manufactured stone. Byshowing various combinations of har-monious color options for exteriorbuilding products, the look-book pro-vides creative idea-starters for contrac-tors and dealers to use with their cus-tomers. It’s available in a print versionand also online, and helps peoplebecome a designer by empoweringthem with professionally chosen colorpalettes. Tools like visualizers andlook-books help take the guessworkand risk out of making siding choices,helping ensure a satisfied customer.

Old Is Still GoldAs I’ve worked in the siding busi-

ness, I’ve developed relationships withpeople and organizations across ourindustry, including other siding manu-facturers. We all agree, old school isstill working, and there’s a need for it.Sure, we have great digital tools thathelp to educate and influence the finalpurchase.

However, that final purchase isusually not made without the buyeractually holding a product sample intheir hands, or looking at it in-personon an installed home. So, in the finalstages, decisions are not being madewithout seeing, touching and feelingthe actual product. Digital tools addsome desirable sizzle that makes theprocess exciting for the buyer. But thefinal decision is a human-to-humaninteraction.

As a siding brand manager, I get aclose-up view of what salespeople areusing. We still see heavy ordering oftraditional tools like hand sampleboards, color fan decks, brochures,and showroom display materials. Sotoday we blend old and new approach-es to selling siding.

We put a lot of thought into every-thing we do with our marketing andsales tools, such as our literature, web-site, visualizer, and look-book. Ourgoal is simply to help solve a problemor achieve a goal. You can’t go wrongif you do everything you can to simplyprovide quality tools, old school anddigital, that help everyone have a suc-cessful outcome.

Long before digital tools wereavailable, Tom Hopkins, another greatsales trainer, coined the phrase “get-ting people happily involved with yourproduct.” Keep that as your focus andyou’ll sell a lot of siding.

–Jerome Zenoby is Heartland Sidingand Heritage Stone brand manager forProVia, Sugarcreek, Oh. Reach him [email protected].

THE WAY SIDING is sold today isvastly different than the way we

did it 10 to 15 years ago. And yet, thecore of this activity remains the same.It all boils down to human-to-humaninteraction. As sales trainer BrianTracy once said, “Approach each cus-tomer with the idea of helping him orher solve a problem or achieve a goal,not of selling a product or service.”

How can we apply this to siding?And what kinds of tools can we usetoday to do this most effectively? Acareful blend of traditional approachescombined with new digital “cooltools” will not only help you sell moresiding, but ensure you have happiercustomers too.

Cool ToolsWe’re starting to see a shift where

homeowners are self-educating usingtoday’s digital tools. Many times,before they even talk to us, they’vealready been influenced by informa-tion they’ve found on websites, in dis-cussion forums, via apps, and eventhrough social media.

For siding buyers, whether they’rehomeowners, builders, contractors,this is a reversal of mindset. Buyerstoday know they can self-serve theinformation they need to narrow downthe selection process, without beingdependent on salespeople to give themthe information they’re looking for.Often, by the time a customer callssomeone, they’ve already decided (orare pretty close to deciding) what theywant. When selling siding, you couldbe in or out of the selection processwithout even knowing about it. Tomake sure you’re in the game, rely onyour siding manufacturer to give youthe ammunition you need.

Most manufacturers now offeringenious tools like online visualizingsoftware. Heartland Siding by ProViahas a Visualizer on our website thatallows people to virtually remodeltheir homes, without spending a pennyor swinging a hammer! We also haveour a Designer Collections look-book,a 52-page photographic catalog thatfeatures groupings of complementarycolor choices for vinyl siding, entry

MARGIN BuildersBy Jerome Zenoby, Heartland Siding by ProVia

PROVIA’S VISUALIZER allows prospective customers to virtually remodel their homes.


The tech company Progress saystheir RAD component, Rollbase, cre-ates software with “80% drag-and-drop and 20% coding.” Not only doPaaS-based RAD tools dramaticallyspeed up the development process,they are simple enough to be used byalmost anybody.

RAD tools often start with basictemplates for several types of pro-grams like a calendar, time clock, con-tact manager, etc. Users then cus-tomize the program by dragging anddropping different elements on thescreen. For instance, an employeedatabase could have fields for homeaddress, email, phone number, birth-day, nickname, SSN, and branchoffice. Users simply click on the fieldsthey want to include. It really is thateasy. If you can move icons aroundyour desktop, then you can build a

ATYPE OF cloud computing,Platform as a Service or PaaS

(pronounced “pass”), is changing theway business software is delivered.PaaS allows consumers to essentiallyrent easy to use, high-end develop-ment resources. Powerful tools arenow available to an entirely new audi-ence. Software users are becomingsoftware producers, and they are creat-ing business applications with unbe-lievable speed.

This dramatic shift in the technolo-gy landscape is due in part to RapidApplication Development (RAD)tools. RAD tools have graphic inter-faces with menus and buttons that letusers build software with the click of amouse. This reduces some of the time-consuming coding work. When PaaSand RAD tools are combined, itreduces a lot of the coding work.

RAD toolsWhat they are, who can use use,and why your business needs them

INDUSTRY TrendsBy Jessica Arant, DMSi

RAD TOOLS start with basic software templates. Users then click on items from the “Components”menu to customize the programs. (Images courtesy of Progress Software)

custom calendar, online catalog, assetmanager, or billing program.

Why you should carePaaS-based RAD tools are revolu-

tionary, but not because of the kindsof programs they build. There arealready plenty of calendars, timeclocks, and document storage applica-tions available. RAD tools matterbecause now non-programmers cancreate customized software, and theycan do it very quickly.

This is a game-changer for businessoperations. Customized softwareoffers benefits off-the-shelf softwarecan’t touch. RAD tools can solvesome fundamental business problemsand shift the way a company thinksabout technology.

Problem: You don’twork with your soft-ware, you workaround itThe bar for “good” business soft-

ware is pretty low. Most companiessettle for applications that “almost” or“usually” perform as needed.Programs with lots of functions can becumbersome to use and difficult tolearn. There are too many clicks andtoo many screens required for basicprocesses. Despite the wealth of fea-tures, the software is still surprisinglylimiting. Users come up withworkarounds to find what they need.For instance, an employee might lookup pricing for a job by searching forthe account and then filtering by loca-tion.

A RAD tool lets companies build


software around their existing process-es. If employees want to look uporders by route number or “Ship To”location, then route number and “ShipTo” can be made searchable values.Users can also create custom logic andworkflows. For instance, a schedulingprogram can automatically assigntasks to employees with the lightestworkload. Screens and menus can bearranged in ways that make sense forindividual users. Customized softwarecan eliminate the need forworkarounds, because the most impor-tant functions can be brought forwardand grouped together.

Problem: Too manyoptionsMost people use multiple programs

to do their jobs. There are separateapplications for email, bookkeeping,scheduling, inventory management,etc. These programs usually aren’tconnected and don’t share informa-tion. It’s an inefficient setup, especial-ly if you need to switch between sev-eral screens to complete one task.Managers and admins may need tocreate separate employee databases forscheduling, payroll, and HR programs.

The PaaS/RAD tool combinationreplaces individual software applica-tions with a unified ecosystem of cus-tom programs. Employees can accesstheir email, work schedule, dailytasks, time clock, PTO (paid time off)requests, and company profile fromone location. A custom system alsomakes life easier for administratorsand system managers, because theprograms pull from the same database.Messages, entered time, and perfor-mance reviews are all attached to thesame employee record. This makes iteasy to crosscheck PTO requestsagainst a schedule, and there’s noworry about conflicting records in dif-ferent systems.

One of the best opportunities for aRAD tool to improve operations iswithin the sales team. Many sales repsand managers would like to tie theirnotes from site visits and phone callsto a customer’s order history, but mostinvoicing software doesn’t track any-thing other than sales. Businessescould use a RAD tool to build aCustomer Relationship Management(CRM) program that works with theirsales order software. Reps could easilycheck recent discussions with a cus-tomer while on a sales call. The ser-vice team could view a log of all sup-port requests tied to a specific order.

Problem: Lost in trans-lationSome businesses use their IT

department or an outside firm to cus-tomize or create in-house programs.It’s usually a lengthy and expensiveprocess, and yields uncertain results.Miscommunication between users andprogrammers quickly increases a pro-ject’s cost. There can be a long delaybetween requesting a change and see-ing the result, so misunderstandingsaren’t discovered until it’s too late.This is a special concern for business-es trying to change their existing infra-structure or launch a new project like acustomer self-service website.

RAD tools reduce delays and mis-takes by giving users a more activerole in the development process.Instead of hoping the programmerswill understand a list of requests, thepeople who actually use the softwarecan update screens, rename fields, andcustomize functions to what theyneed. Then they can hand it off to theIT department to implement thechanges. Allowing users to do a sig-nificant portion of the design workreduces the risk of miscommunication.RAD tools tee up the code for pro-grammers and help control costs.

How to get your veryown RADRAD tools are available in a couple

of ways. Companies like Zoho andWorkxpress have standalone optionsthat let you build new applicationsfrom the ground up. Another option isto use a RAD tool attached to a largersoftware program, specifically a SaaSprogram. (Software as a Service pro-grams are cloud-based applications.Web email services like Gmail and

SALES REPS can update their custom CRM program’s display using their mobile devices.

hosted ERP systems are examples ofSaaS products.)

Some SaaS providers are starting tooffer RAD tools with their main appli-cations. These tools let users buildnew programs or customize parts ofthe “parent” software. This can be agreat strategy if one of your centralsoftware products has a RAD toolavailable. Enhancing and improvingyour existing central processes can bepreferrable to starting at square one.

A quick note about names: not allproviders call these sorts of programs“RAD tools.” Some use the termGraphic User Interface (GUI) builderor Application Platform as a Service(aPaaS). Zoho simply calls theirCreate program “a custom appbuilder.” When you’re researching thistopic, look for PaaS products and appbuilders that use the phrases “drag anddrop” or “point and click.” Theseterms distinguish the easy-to-use PaaStools from those that require more pro-gramming knowledge.

The PaaS/RAD tool combination isa proven technology that’s under-rep-resented in the building materialsindustry. This is a window of opportu-nity for forward-thinking organiza-tions. Start exploring the options andhow they would fit in your business.Find out if any of your current soft-ware providers have a RAD tool or aredeveloping one. Customized softwareoffers huge operational and competi-tive advantages to businesses ready toembrace it.

– Jessica Arant is the communicationscoordinator for DMSi Software. DMSiprovides business and accounting softwareexclusively to the lumber and buildingmaterials industry. Reach her [email protected].


5 keys to building andmaintaining a powerfulonline presence

1. Your website should be branded, interactive andengaging. It’s not enough for a business website today tosimply contain a list of information, a description of goodsand services, and contact information. An effective websitemust be engaging and compelling, and maintain the view-er’s attention to the point that they want to pick up thephone and find out more. That means understanding yourtarget market enough to “hook” them—and it means creat-ing a site that echoes your expertise and the brand you arecreating.

When designing a top-flight company website—or con-sulting with a third-party that will handle the technicaldesign aspects—make sure you’re keenly in-tune with yourdesired audience and customer base. Your target marketwill greatly influence your projected online-branding, fromthe site’s individualized layout and color scheme to func-tionality. If there is disparity between your business goalsand objectives and what you’re hoping to promote, it willglaringly reflect on your website.

2. Demonstrate value. “Value” is the magic word. Ifyour website, blogs, articles and social media outlets don’tprovide tangible value to your audience, they will beignored. Use these platforms to share breaking news, ana-lyze recent developments, and provide informational andpractical tips to your audience. Update on a regular andconsistent basis with new and exciting content that provesbeneficial to your online-readership.

3. Leverage email marketing. Social media is onegreat way to engage your audience, but it only works whenthey’re online and using social media themselves. Emailmarketing, on the other hand, gives you the opportunity toconsistently interact with your customers and your marketas long as they are checking their email inbox (and thesedays, who isn’t?). Remember to focus on providing valuein order to keep your readers engaged. However, if emailmarketing is overused, it will be treated as spam. Keep yournewsletters and e-updates to a monthly basis to maintainyour maximum open-rate and subscriber base.

4. Want subscribers? Toss in a freebie. Your emailmarketing campaigns are a great way to stay top-of-mind

ONCE A LUXURY, an online presence has become anabsolute necessity for businesses, as society’s focus

and attention shift to the digital arena. A carefully craftedwebsite and fully-operational social media profiles can laythe framework for business success.

Cautionary tales abound of businesses that merely estab-lished an Internet-identity, but failed to capitalize on theirforay into the online market. Your website and social mediaoutlets should serve as the technological extension of yourface-to-face efforts. If the goods and services you provideare the award-winning entrée, your digital persona is thehost that greets your patrons. Many a dining experience hasbeen ruined by a poor first impression.

The continuously evolving nature of the online worldmay appear daunting at first glance, but the good news isthat today’s technology makes it easier than ever for a busi-ness to create and maintain a stout Internet presence. Whilegetting up and running seems simple enough, there’s still alot of work that goes into creating an appealing and engag-ing personal brand online. There are five key componentsto building and maintaining a powerful online presence.How are you doing with each of these?

MARGIN BuildersBy Nick Nanton

TEXAS and California dealer Parker Lumber’s website solicits front andcenter for visitors to join its email list.


CHICAGO area dealer Hines Supply’s website features videos from itsvendors, others produced in-house, and old TV and radio commercials.

with your customers and to keep your market aware ofwhat you are offering. But if you don’t have any emailaddresses to send to, what does it matter? One of the mosteffective ways to build a targeted email list is by offeringfree content, such as e-books, special reports, video semi-nars, and so forth. Simply require that the user give youtheir email address in order to access the content. Promotethese freebies on your website and through social media,and you will see your email list start to grow steadily.

5. Use pictures and video to tell your story. Youknow the saying—a picture is worth 1,000 words. A videois even more powerful. The simple truth is that pictures andvideo are far more engaging than pages and pages of text.So embrace it! Create a video introducing yourself and wel-coming people to your site. Share pictures and video ofyour team at work. Post pictures of your latest products.Take advantage of visual media to keep your audienceengaged and actively involved in your business.

Your online presence is one of the cornerstones of yourbusiness—and it should be treated as such. Guarantee thatyour body of Internet outlets, from your website to yoursocial media platforms and email lists, are vibrant, highlyfunctional, and continually updated with the latest informa-tion tailored to your target-audience.

These outlets do not exist simply as undeveloped adver-tising boards. They are an integral facet of the 21st Centurymarketplace and can be the main determinant in a success-ful outcome or a failing organization.

– Nick Nanton is a speaker, consultant and c.e.o. of The Dicks+ Nanton Celebrity Branding Agency. Reach him at [email protected] or (888) 364-8101.


Savvy dealers sponsornetworking eventsfor women

a.k.a. PIE (from Harvey Coleman’sbook Empowering Yourself, TheOrganizational Game).

Perhaps more important, it providedan opportunity for networking andcamaraderie in an industry wherewomen are few and far between.

“The whole idea of it is to connect,”says Mollie Elkman, president ofGroup Two Advertising, aPhiladelphia-based agency specializ-

EARLY IN THE morning on the sec-ond day of the recent International

Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, atten-dees passing by the Weyerhaeuserbooth couldn’t help but steal glances.After all, how often do you see a clus-ter of 75 women crowded into a 20x50trade show booth?

The event, called “Energize &Engage,” was designed to bringwomen together for networking during

the show. The attendees mingled,exchanged advice and business cards,sipped their favorite coffee drink, tookpart in a raffle, and received a partinggift. They also heard from CathySlater, senior vice president ofWeyerhaeuser’s OSB, ELP, and distri-bution divisions, who inspired guestswith her favorite formula for profes-sional success: the three key elementsof performance, image, and exposure,

INDUSTRY TrendsBy Amy Warren, Weyerhaeuser

MEEK’S, Gardnerville, Nv., location enables each attendee to complete a seasonal project, such as the wooden snowmen being constructed here. Photo courtesy Meek’s Hardware & Lumber


WALLS ARE LIFTED into place at Women’s Build Day at Canyon Country Habitat for Humanity jobsite in Boise, Id.Photo courtesy Canyon County Habitat for Humanity

ing in marketing for homebuilders thathelped to organize and co-host theevent with Weyerhaeuser.

LBM dealers can replicate thisapproach by reaching out to profes-sional and consumer female cus-tomers. On the consumer side, market-ing to women makes particular sense,says Elkman, because 85% of allbrand purchases are made by women(a stat that jumps to 91% when itcomes to new-home purchases).

Events for ProsLike other marketing campaigns, a

women’s event should offer some-thing of value, whether in the form ofknowledge or valuable networkingthey can’t find anywhere else. For pro-fessionals, that might mean a mixerevent, a motivational speaker, a trendsworkshop, or perhaps an openhouse/facility tour accompanied bywine and cheese.

“The most popular events are theones that are either educational or aresocial and fun,” says Margie Miller,who holds a sales and business devel-opment position at Curtis Lumber’sBallston Spa, N.Y., location. “Arecent Lunch & Learn seminar with adynamic, inspirational speaker/authorwas also a big draw for our localProfessional Women in Building(PWB) membership.”

Miller often attends events held bythe PWB, as well as her local NationalAssociation of Women inConstruction (NAWIC) council, and

holds leadership positions at bothassociations.

Curtis Lumber also has hostedNAWIC and PWB morning meetings,luncheons, and dinner meetings at itscorporate office, some including toursof the store, door shop, and yard oper-ations. “Having events at one of ourlocations helps to build rapport withthe groups’ membership and gives usan opportunity to familiarize themwith what we have to offer,” Millernotes. “Getting new people into ourstore is huge, so being a host is some-thing we like to do as much as wecan.”

When considering giveaways at pro-

WOMEN’S BUILD DAYS sponsored by local Habitat for Humanity provide an opportunity for deal-ers, remodelers, and other pros to learn new skills and give back to the community

Photo courtesy Canyon County Habitat for Humanity

fessional events, Elkman cautionsagainst items that scream “girl,” suchas pink hard hats and lipstick.“They’re not just cliché, they’re offen-sive. It hurts women more than helpsthem,” she explains.

Events for ConsumersThose rules ease up a bit when tar-

geting homeowners, but it’s importantto weigh what works in your commu-nity. Several dealers have found suc-cess with ladies nights for consumersthat combine how-to sessions on homemaintenance, design, and remodeling,with refreshments and giveaways.

For many dealers, the events are


about empowering women to feelcomfortable with home projects andpower tools—and to know that thelumberyard is a resource to them.

Meek’s Lumber & Hardware hostswomen’s events, and even kids’events, at many of its locations. “It’s agreat way to be a part of the communi-ty and to network,” notes SteveWalsh, director of sales and market-ing.

At the company’s Gardnerville, Nv.,store, twice-yearly ladies’ nightsattract upwards of 120 attendees. Eachsession centers around a project tocomplete—such as a birdhouse inspring or a 4’ wooden Christmas treeat the fall event—and also includes adinner buffet and raffle. Along withcommunity building, the events helpfamiliarize customers with what theyard offers, says assistant managerAndy Prause. Many consumers maynot realize the product breadth thelocation carries beyond just lumber,and the events offer a unique opportu-nity to elevate the comfort level ofnon-trade shoppers.

In Boise, Id., the effort for empower-ment goes even further for JudyAhrens, a Weyerhaeuser sales repre-sentative. Ahrens participates in andhelps out with Women’s Build daysfor Canyon County Habitat forHumanity, with groups of 50 to 60that include her dealer clients alongwith their employees and customers.Typically held once or twice per pro-ject, the events operate just like anyother day on a Habitat site.

“They learn how to frame walls,hang windows, lay shingles,” says

Ahrens, who also sits on the Habitatchapter’s board of directors. “It giveswomen information on how to buildhouses, how to be self-sufficient, andhow to contribute some of their timeto help the local community.”

Personal EffortsAlong with opportunities to engage

with customers, Miller notes theimportance of female LBM executivesto be involved themselves. “In order toreally develop a rapport with people inany association, it is important to be aconsistent attendee to the meetings ordevote time to a committee or a lead-ership position,” she says. “The list ofpeople in the building industry and thebusiness community that I havebecome familiar with, or even goodfriends with, has grown considerablyover the years. Those connections areextremely valuable to me personallyand to my employer.”

For Weyerhaeuser and Group Two,sponsoring the IBS breakfast was, ofcourse, a form of indirect marketing—providing an outlet for a core audiencegroup while attaching their brands toan event that the attendees appreciatedand enjoyed. But it was also personal.The event organizers were all womenwho themselves felt both the absenceof networking opportunities and for-mal encouragement of growing thepresence and leadership of women inbuilding.

“You can be a top performer andproject the right image for the positionyou want, but if no one knows aboutyou, it won’t matter,” Slater told atten-dees during IBS. “As women, we can

help each other go further through net-working, by putting that exposurepiece of the puzzle into place for oneanother.”

– Amy Warren is marketing communica-tions manager for Weyerhaeuser, FederalWay, Wa. She can be reached at (253) [email protected].

Quick Tips forSuccessful Events

Mollie Elkman, president of GroupTwo Advertising, which specializes inmarketing for homebuilders, offersthese quick t ips for success withwomen’s events:

Stop thinking RED or PINK foryour event colors. Look at the venueand the theme of the event and makedecisions that work for the space,rather than buying into the cliché ofgender-specific colors.

Think about the event from theperspective of those attending. It’sall about those extra details that makeany event special. From the momentthey arrive to the final minutes, whatdetails are going to make YOUR eventmemorable?

Ask a woman! If your organizationis predominantly male and you areputting together an event for women,it’s a good idea to get a female per-spective!

Include a takeaway. Something lit-tle that guests can take with them is anice way to thank people for attendingthat will also make your event standout from others

Have some team members arriveearly. No one likes to be the first to theparty. Have some people from yourteam arrive early to make the roomfeel exciting and full for the very firstguests who arrive.

WEYERHAEUSER’S Energize & Engageevent, held during IBS, gifted attendeeswith special mugs.

Photo courtesy Weyerhaeuser

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Selling lumber to yards like yours

COMPETITIVE IntelligenceBy Carla Waldemar

MORE AND MORE, we Americanconsumers are choosing to sup-

port the indie entrepreneurs of ourregion to supply our needs and wants:the local diner, not the franchise; theguy with the corner store who doesn’tget his marching orders fromArkansas. Likewise, your own cus-tomers know and trust and value youroperation: the contractors you’veformed relationships with and maybetheir homebuilding clients, too, whowander through your showroom.

But what about the vendor whosupplies you with your most impor-tant building product? The wholesalerwhose lumber can make or break yourreputation? For some of you—at leastthose lucky enough to own a buildingcenter in Louisiana—that’s an oppor-tunity to shop locally, too, and get thekind of hands-on, personal and atten-tive service a computer screen or fax

recalls, “but finally my father said,‘How long can you live on a psychicincome?’” Reality made its case.

Actually, his career path had beenpredetermined long before, if onlyJohn had known it: “It was osmosis.All my life I’d heard my dad talk andvisit with his customers—at home, atthe plant. He was a gregarious man,sincerely loved people. So today I’min the third generation and dealingwith third- and fourth-generationowners of those same lumberyards thecompany sold to. I’ve matured,” heallows with one of his trademarksmooth-as-honey laughs. “It was agood fit.”

And he’s seen, and orchestrated,important changes along the way.“When I’d come in, in 1972, dealersmight have had to wait six months forproduct. But they were asking formaterial right here, in place, and ofgood quality. So, in 1979, we builtour first warehouse: We changed ourselling habits. Since then, we’ve dou-bled our size and added another ware-house.”

Product mix has evolved, as well.“We specialized in redwood, but asthe years went on, there was areduced amount available to us, so,we diversified to upper grades of fin-ished lumber. For the last 10 years,”John says, “we’ve been importingpine and upper-grade finishedpaulownia from China—plantation-grown, fingerjointed, preprimed. Itsells for less than the southern pine inour own backyard,” he laces his laughwith a touch of irony. “It’s been a sta-ple of our inventory line, one of ourSINCE BUILDING its first warehouse in 1979, J.E.B. Ransone has doubled its size and added a

second storage facility.

machine can never deliver.This column usually salutes an

independent dealer who’s doingsomething you can learn from. Thismonth, we’ll instead chat with justsuch a wholesaler, to showcase rela-tionships and customer service tracingback in that direction.

J.E.B. Ransone Lumber Co. waslaunched by John Ransone, grandfa-ther of third-generation presentowner, John Ransone III. The elderJohn was a Baltimore boy whosefather also had sold lumber to retaildealers. After his son graduated fromcollege in 1945, John’s father handedhim one piece of valuable advice: “Godown to New Orleans. The South hasa lot of pine.”

His son, John III—“our” John—signed on to his dad’s Louisiana ven-ture in 1972, but not without a littleprod. “I’d tried other things,” he


top sellers.”Ransone also sources Doug fir and redwood from

California, southern yellow pine from Arkansas (“moun-tain-grown, much better texture, not plantation-grown”) inboard or pattern (“the MiraTEC line has come on strong”),2-inch KDAT (kiln-dried and treated) from northernLouisiana and Mississippi, and cypress from Florida andGeorgia—diversifying also into newly-added lines likeCertainTeed’s cement siding and trim fabricated from saw-dust and chips, “which is growing very fast,” he declares.“The trend down here is for a lot of beaded ceilings in 4-inch and 6-inch. There’s comfort in those old styles, like atouch of grandma’s house. People feel comfortable withwood floors, too—not carpet or tile—a feeling of home.”

There’s competition, but not locally, he reports. Of fouror five former New Orleans-based wholesale dealers, hesays he’s the sole independent left standing. Oh, bettermake that flourishing. Chalk that up to location, location.“We supply both for residential and commercial building,and after Hurricane Katrina, there’s been constant rebuild-ing and rejuvenating, plus a huge new hospital. And thegovernment has just knocked down a lower-income hous-ing project to be replaced with a nicer-looking one.

“City living has become very desirable,” he continues,“lots of young folks moving from the North—and with the

price of gas, they don’t settle in bedroom communities,they repair and renovate. Offices in the Central BusinessDistrict are being converted into attractive apartments. Andeverything’s wood down here, from shotgun houses tothose gracious mansions, a whole potpourri mingled togeth-er up close, fueled by the lack of land.”

And coastal weather is hard on all that wood. Thosecharming old houses need constant renovation, “a marketthat will always exist, thanks to Mother Nature. The weath-er and the water give us planned obsolescence,” Johnlaughs again.

Astute business sense is a vital part of Ransone’s contin-ued success. All that renovation requires hard-to-find itemslike that 12-inch beadboard: “I can get that made.” Ransonedoes a dynamite business in special orders like that, andwith them reaps the special margins they can command.“My father taught me: ‘Stick with the specialties—the odd-ball items—for the good margins. Stake your name onupper grades of finished lumber.’” He taught me, ‘Son, youcan sell $100 of product and make 20%, or you can sell$1,000 worth and make 20%.’ I got the picture.”

Of course, it takes more—a whole lot more—than sim-ply right place, right time. Ransone succeeds, says John,“because we’ve got the right material in place and the rightservice: delivery or will-call, pick-up, a big convenience.No long-term contracts required.”

John boasts a list of 100 customers within an 80-mileradius. “They can get framing and lower-grade, standardlumber anywhere. But finished lumber is not as big amover, so I am their back-up. And we never cross the lineand sell directly to builders or their customers,” he empha-sizes. Just like his granddad and dad before him, his rela-tionships are paramount, with suppliers and customersalike.

Ransone’s staff of seven ranges from an old-timer with35 years’ experience under his tool belt to new blood thatkeeps the operation fresh. They’re a nimble bunch, whichhas proved invaluable during the economic recession.“They’re all cross-trained, which saves us money. The leadwarehouse man can also answer the phone and take ordersin the office. They all wear a couple of hats, to keep usafloat.”

Not only afloat, but expanding a customer base: “Toattract new business, we’re always expanding our productline. Plus, we’ve a full-time outside salesman who’s con-stantly talking to people. Our office manager is talented inproducing visuals to hand out, like updates of what we’recarrying.”

So what does the future hold? More of the same, John isconfident. “The city’s attracting a lot more technology-based businesses, medical facilitiesare expanding, tourism is back andgrowing, and the port. Don’t under-estimate the importance of theMississippi River,” he reminds us.

And John’s own future? Withhis only child about to graduatefrom law school, there is nofamily succession plan. Butnot to worry—can’t kick Johnout of the driver’s seat headores any time soon.

Carla [email protected]

WHOLESALER’S office staff includes (top photo, l-r) Tom Blackwell,Diane Keller, John Ransone III, and Dave Schwartz, supported by ware-house crew (lower photo, l-r) Doug Davis, Sam Miller, Ricki Vincent, TylerOsburn, and Clarence French.

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MY SON IS 20 and away at college. If I want to hear hisvoice, I call him several times, at different times

(relentlessly, so says my wife) of the day until he deigns topick up. If I really need to get a hold of him, I text him. Itbreaks my heart. Will anyone be able to speak or read amap in 50 years? But pining for communication styles ofold will not sell lumber today.

We spend a lifetime learning how to get people to sayyes to us on the phone and now we can’t get anyone on thephone! Two hundred minutes of phone time a day for aninside salesperson is a number that used to indicate a solideffort. This number is becoming more and more difficult tohit, as buyers control who and when they talk to suppliersusing voice mail, email and text to keep connected to theworld, but on their terms.

Get that cellWe must make asking for the customer’s cellphone part

of our initial (prospect) call. Many sellers are uncomfort-able asking, “Could you give me your cell number?” Don’tbe one of them. Some customers will say no, few will beput off, and many will give us their number. To be trulyconnected to our customers, we must have their cellphonenumber.

If at the end of the call we ask the customer how theywant to be contacted, 95% will say, “Just email me.” That’swhy we don’t ask. We take control of the end of the call bysaying, “Mr. Simon, I appreciate your time today. What I’lldo is send you a follow-up email telling you more about meand my company. I’ll send you an offer on Monday morn-ing and follow up with a phone call Monday afternoon.”

Another option is to say, “Mr. Simon, I have myOutlook contacts open and I’m putting your information in.I am going to send my contact information to you rightafter this call. What is your email, cellphone number?

If we ask in a smooth, calm way, most people will giveus what we ask for. If we act like we are asking for infor-mation we shouldn’t, they won’t. Once we have our cus-tomer’s cellphone number, email and physical address, westart becoming part of their lives. We contact them consis-tently and persistently using all three.

Just email me“He only wants me to email him and he won’t come to

the phone.” Don’t be a victim.We want to be partners with our clients, not servants.

Partners listen, but they don’t always do exactly what theother partner tells them to do. Our relationship with ourcustomers is the same. When they say, “Just email me,” weemail them. But we call them, too. We mix up our contactschedule until we find one that works—for us. Email,email, text, postcard, call. Email, email, call, text. Email,postcard, call, call, email, text. Getting in sync with cus-tomers is always a challenge, so we keep trying differentcombinations until we find one that works. Postcards are agreat way to contact customers in a quick, personal way.Drop a note, thank them for an order, ask for an order. Usepost cards to reach customers in a way others aren’t.

Email HooksSubject lines are important—don’t waste them. We

catch our customer’s attention with good subject lines. Ifnot, they may not even open the email.

Make emails conversational. Try to get customers to“talk” to us by email. We ask customers questions aboutwhat we are offering them. “John, I think item number fiveon my offering—the 2x4 104-5/8” is agreat deal—what do you think?”

Another way to engage a cus-tomer (or get them to call us) is toput a list of items in our offering andleave the price of one item off,saying, “This price is too goodto put out online—call me forspecial pricing.”

Pro sellers use everything intheir tool kit to win. Socialmedia is here to stay—use it.

OLSEN On SalesBy James Olsen

James OlsenReality Sales Training

(503) 544-3572 [email protected]

Adjust to today’s sales tools


ProBuild closed its Clinton, Wa.,store May 21.

Stock Building Supply relo-cated its Salt Lake City, Ut., roof andfloor truss plant to a larger, 60,000-sq.ft. facility, offering rail spur access androom for additional LBM storage.

Desert Foothills Ace Hard-ware, Phoenix, Az., reopened June 8six months after its last day. New own-ers Martin and Art Ruggiero also oper-ate four other Aces in the area.

Timberline Ace Hardware,Telluride, Co., is adding a branch thisfall in Norwood, Co.

Hubbard’s Hardware is closingits older Medford, Or., branch nextmonth, consolidating operations at itsstore in north Medford.

Anniversaries: Habitat forHumanity ReStore, Cheyenne,Wy., 5th …

DEALER Briefs

over the next several months. Green Diamond will continue to

harvest Douglas fir from its lands. TheDF logs will be processed at CRC’smill in Korbel, Ca., running one shift.

TMI, Welco Unite Cedar MillsWestern red cedar manufacturers

TMI Forest Products, Morton, Wa.,and Welco Lumber Co. USA, Shelton,Wa., have merged to become AltaForest Products LLC, based in Morton.

The new company includes TMI’smills in Morton and Amanda Park,Wa., and sales office in Chehalis, Wa.,plus Welco’s mills in Shelton andNaples, Id. It will employ over 400and produce more than 300 million bd.ft. a year of finished goods.

According to Alta, “This agreementwill help secure employment to thelocal communities and strengthen theregional economy built on the growinglumber industry.”

Alta is headed by president andc.e.o. Mike Pedersen, chief operatingofficer Peter Stroble, chief financialofficer Brian Cox, v.p. of sales JeffreyCook, and a board of directors.

The Garrett/Stroble family and TheProbyn Group maintain interests inAlta Forest Products. The other divi-sions of Probyn are unaffected.

California Redwood Co.Moving Out of Redwood

California Redwood Co., Eureka,Ca., is transitioning out of the red-wood lumber business.

Over the next few months, CRCwill continue to process remainingredwood log inventory and supplycustomers from existing redwood lum-ber inventories while customers makearrangements with other suppliers ofredwood lumber.

“We believe this difficult change toour strategy is essential to the successof our redwood timberland businessand to sustain our long-term invest-ment in the highest standards of stew-

ardship and conservation practices onour timberlands,” said Douglas Reed,president of parent Green DiamondResource Co., Seattle, Wa. “Despiteour best efforts, CRC has not beenable to achieve positive results for red-wood lumber manufacturing and salesover the last several years. This movewill enable Green Diamond to focuson our strengths and to add value toour timberlands.”

Green Diamond will phase-out thetransfer of redwood logs to CRC formilling and will instead sell the logs toother redwood lumber manufacturers.

CRC will work through currentredwood log and lumber inventories


SUPPLIER BriefsRough & Ready Lumber is installing a new comput-

erized log optimizer, $1.6-million planer mill, and huge newsorter as its prepares to restart its Cave Junction, Or., millearly next month after a year’s layoff.

Malheur Lumber Co., John Day, Or., is adding 20 to30 workers—the first time the mill has operated more than asingle shift since 1998.

Quality Millwork, Spokane, Wa., closed and liquidatedits equipment at auction May 21.

BlueLinx has sold its distribution center in Portland, Or.,for $7.2 million. It shuttered the 109,000-sq. ft. facility last year.

California Timberline, Chino, Ca., is now distributingTiger Deck in Southern California.

Vandermeer Forest Products, Lynnwood, Wa., isnow distributing NyloBoard products in the PacificNorthwest.

Taiga Building Products’ DCs in Rocklin andSanger, Ca., are now stocking a full line of pressure treatedlumber from Exterior Wood, Washougal, Wa.

Boral Roofing, Irvine, Ca., now offers more than 30new cool-roof colors in California, for both new constructionand re-roofing.

Weyerhaeuser, Federal Way, Wa., will spin off ts realestate company, Weyerhaeuser Real Estate, to mergewith and become a subsidiary of TRI Pointe Homes, SanRamon, Ca.

US LBM Adds Desert LumberUS LBM Holdings, Green Bay, Wi., has expanded to 12

divisions with its acquistion of sister companies DesertLumber & Truss, Las Vegas, Nv.; Desert Fasteners &Supply, Las Vegas, and Integrity Truss, Cedar City, Ut.,from majority shareholders Terry Ono, Dale Eggers,Charles “Monty” Clayton, and Tyson Clayton.

Ono will continue as president of Desert Lumber,Eggers as president of Desert Truss, Tyson Clayton as pres-ident of Desert Fastener & Supply, and Charles Clayton asv.p. of Desert Fastener & Supply.

Desert Lumber was founded by Ono in 1989. In 2009,Desert Fastener & Supply was formed to expand into con-nectors, waterproofing products, adhesives and tools forcontractors. Integrity Truss was launched earlier this year.

Hardwood Distributor Buys Atlas Hardwood products distributor Atlas Lumber Co.,

Chino, Ca., has been acquired by UCS Forest Group,Mississauga, Ont., which operates in the U.S. as SierraForest Products.

Celebrating its 70th anniversary, Atlas was founded bythe Porter family in 1944. Randy Porter will continue tomanage Atlas as a division of Sierra Forest Products. Itmarks Sierra’s entry into the California market, with exist-ing offices in Seattle, Wa.; Portland, Or.; Denver, Co., SaltLake City, Ut., and Chicago, Il.


Steve Christophel was promoted tochief operations officer for PaylessBuilding Supply, Chico, Ca.

Mike Nestor has been appointed storemgr. of McCoy’s Building Supply,Hobbs, N.M.

Betsy Bendix has joined BlueLinx, asSouthern California territory mgr.for outdoor living products, includ-ing Fiberon decking, Mangarishardwood decking, and Real Trimfascia products. She is based in LaPuente, Ca.

Trip Malopsi has joined Louisiana-Pacific, as market developmentmgr. for Southern California.Daniel Hines is new as So. Ca.channel mgr.

Jeff Rettig has been promoted todirector of U.S. sales for the TrusJoist division of Weyerhaeuser Co.,Federal Way, Wa.

Jolene Dishion, sales mgr., CanyonLumber, Everett, Wa., is retiringafter 29 years with the firm. KellyHambidge succeeds her.

Chase Miller has been promoted toassistant general mgr. at SteamboatLumber, Steamboat Springs, Co.

MOVERS & Shakers

Tom Corrick has been appointedexecutive v.p. of engineered woodproducts at Boise Cascade, Boise,Id., succeeding Tom Lovlien, whois retiring June 30 after 35 yearswith the company.

Craig Carda, ex-Front Range Lum-ber, has joined Builders Outlet Co.,Denver, Co., as sales executive/merchandise mgr.

Patti Buess, ex-Parr Lumber, is newto the inside sales team at MilgardWindows & Doors, Tualatin, Or.

Rick Thornton, v.p.-supply chain,ProBuild, Denver, Co., has retired.

Thomas Ringo, c.f.o., PopeResources, Poulsbo, Wa., has beennamed interim c.e.o., until a suc-cessor can be found for DavidNunes, who left to become c.e.o. ofRayonier Inc., Jacksonville, Fl.

Gary Hoffmann has been namednational multi-location sales &business development mgr. for Doit Best Corp., Fort Wayne, In.

Joe O’Donnell joined the Interna-tional Wood Products Association,as mgr. of government & publicaffairs and member services.

Jamey Barnes has been promoted tov.p.-OSB at Louisiana-PacificCorp., Nashville, Tn.

Pat Downe now mans the securitygate at Mungus-Fungus ForestProducts, Climax, Nv., say ownersHugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

NORMAN MATTHEWS, 84 years old thismonth, poses with his invention, the Uni-Splitter, which he developed in the early 1960sand sold to retail lumberyards in the SanFrancisco Bay Area. In 1978, he started hisown brokerage company supplying softwoodlumber to retail stores in the Bay Area andCentral Valley, before retiring in the mid-1990s.


Do it Center, Agoura Hills, Ca., isbeing rebranded as the chain’s seventhDIY Home Center. Its two remainingDo it Centers—in Tujunga andBurbank, Ca.—are next. The top-to-bottom remodel includes a contempo-rary new look featuring a bold black-and-red color scheme.

Having previously converted hishome centers from Lumber City toCalifornia Do it Centers, owner JessRuf first used the latest name when heopened a store in South Lake Tahoe,Ca., in 2010.

He also operates Virgil’s Hard-ware, Glendale, Ca., which will retainits unique, longtime identity.

In addition, the chain recently com-pletely conversion of all stores fromValspar to Dunn Edwards paint.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S Do it Centers is transforming its entire chain into DIY Home Centers,featuring the bold look seen here at its Big Bear Lake, Ca., location.

Do it Center Continues Transition to DIY Home Center


MOTORCYCLE ride sponsored May 3 byTimber Products, Springfield, Or., broughttogether Southern California customers anddistributors. The tour started at Home Depot,Anaheim, and ended at famed bike stopCook’s Corner, Silverado, Ca. Participantsincluded (top, left to right) Eric Domanic,Weber Plywood; Randy Lambert, TimberProducts; Randy Wilson, Anaheim Millworks;Matt Bradshaw, Laminate Creations by Hand,and Matt Scane, Scane Cabinets; (bottom)Walter Maas, Bohnhoff Lumber; Jon Collins,Jon Collins Design; Jackie Domanic, DonnaBrothers; Mark Brothers, Forest Plywood;Kelly & Ray Cerull i, Plastic Tops; JoshSnecker, Hardwoods Specialty, and GregNieto Jr., GNA Cabinets.

Capital Brings Wolf to WestCascade Capital, Capital Lumber’s

location in Tacoma, Wa., has becomethe first West Coast distributor ofWolf PVC decking and capped com-posite decking to independent dealersin Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.

“With the Capital agreement, WolfDecking has become a coast-to-coastsuccess story,” said Craig Danielson,c.e.o. of York, Pa.-based WOLF.“WOLF focuses on helping indepen-dent dealers separate themselves fromthe pack. Capital is the ideal partnerbecause they share that focus.”

WOLF will provide Capital’s deal-ers with marketing support, includingsamples and product literature. Thecompany will also implement itsWOLFPro program in Capital’s servicearea, providing training, discounts anda special warranty to contractors whobecome WOLFPros.

“Our partnership with WOLF bringsus an opportunity to present the mar-ket with a brand-new business model,along with a new product line,” saidMichael Darby, v.p.-marketing andbusiness development at Capital.“WOLF will help our dealers differenti-ate themselves and give homeowners aunique choice in decking.”

LP Backs Off AinsworthLouisiana-Pacific, Nashville, Tn.,

has dropped its plan to take overAinsworth Lumber, Vancouver, B.C.,due to demands from Canadian andU.S. antitrust regulators that it sellmore assets.

According to the U.S. Dept. ofJustice, the proposed deal would havesubstantially lessened competition inthe OSB market by giving LP a 63%market share in the Pacific Northwestand 55% in the upper Midwest.

The saga began last September,when LP said it would buy Ainsworthfor about $1.1 billion.

With Fiberon® Good Life™ decking, the price is as beautiful as the decking. Fiberon Good Life capped composite decking is a beautyto look at, a beauty that lasts and, a beauty your customers can afford. Plus, its stain and fade resistance is backed by a 25-year warranty.Discover all the affordable colors and options your customers will love about Fiberon Good Life at FiberonChoice.com.800.573.8841

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

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

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

www.reellumber.com

LUMBERSERVICE

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

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

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

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

color putty, adhesives, etc.)

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

WholesaleIndustrial Lumber

How to protect yourprofits when bigcustomers pay late

ignore costs of credit and how thosecosts can vary widely by customer.

Bill Lee, LBM industry veteran,reports that the fully-loaded cost ofcredit for most dealers is between3.5% to 5% of sales. If that numbersounds surprising, it’s because thosecosts are not contained on one line ofyour P&L but spread out across it.Costs of credit are not just the legalbills and bad debt on a small number

THE BIG WHALE! Everyone loveslanding the big whale, that large

customer who puts an upward kink inyour sales and gets you buzz in themarketplace. You worked hard culti-vating that relationship and now theywant to give you a try.

You ask your credit manager to setthem up on an account and she comesback with a less-than-stellar report:Your prospective new customer has a

somewhat spotty credit record andchronically pays everyone slowly.

Do you turn away the business?You don’t have to.

The key is to make integrated salesand credit decisions, not separateones. Dealers know their cost ofgoods well and are often precision-like in understanding how to giveprice breaks and still make positivegross margin. However, most dealers

MANAGEMENT TipsBy Scott Simpson, BlueTarp


of accounts but also the cost of moneyand cost to collect payment on allaccounts. For dealers who have higherdelinquencies or have contactors tak-ing them out 60, 90 or 120 days, thosecosts can really add up.

So, if your large prospect payseveryone else slowly, how will theypay you? You got it. They’ll pay youslowly, too. Knowing this, factor itinto your pricing upfront.

Let’s use an example. Say youraverage customer spends $100 andnets $25 in gross profit, or 25%.When you factor in warehouse, deliv-ery, sales, administrative and financ-ing expense, the net profit of the aver-age customer is 4%.

Let’s also say you have a line ofcredit that is 6% interest rate annual-ly, or 0.5% for every month. Someonewho regularly pays you 60 days late iscosting you 1% more in borrowingcosts (two extra months x 0.5%). Thatmeans this customer is occupyingmore of your credit manager’s timeby requiring check-ins and collectionscalls. You are spending more timeinternally discussing this customer,and you and your sales reps are reach-ing out to check in on payment too,taking more valuable time away from

someone has strung them out, andthen try to fix this after that fact.Sometimes it works, sometimes itdoesn’t. It’s just a lot harder to do. Ifyou factor in what this whale is goingto cost you, including the higher costof credit, make sure you price itaccordingly. Celebrate the win andsleep well knowing your large newcustomer will also be a profitable one.

– Scott Simpson is c.e.o. of BlueTarpFinancial, which helps LBM dealers growtheir sales and deliver more for their con-tractors by professionally managing theirtrade credit programs. Reach him at (207)797-5900 or [email protected].

growing your business. The 80/20 rule generally applies

here—20% of your customers areoccupying 80% of your time. Thetime lost isn’t fake money—you arepaying yourself, your sales reps, andyour credit manager real money, andthis is where they will be spendingsome of their time to the exclusion ofother work. When you add it up,rather than having administrative andfinance costs be 3% for the averagecustomer, they’re more like 9%. Nowyou stand not to make 4%, but actual-ly lose 2%!

Most dealers I know get wise after


IT’S JUST A MATTER of time: thenation’s homebuilders are showing

hints of improved confidence in hous-ing’s recovery. There’s no shortage ofreadiness in the ranks of southern pinesuppliers. Fresh off the heels of anannual production gain last year ofjust over 5% (15.03 billion bd. ft.),southern pine producers are well posi-tioned to satisfy the next positivecycle. Last year was the fourth consec-utive year of increases in production;the industry is certainly primed for acontinuing upswing in volume.

Financing a new home remains ahurdle, and interest rates continue to

creep up. Employment numbers aremaking a very slow climb towardimprovement. The challenging jobmarket has backed a trend to moremulti-family housing starts as familieschoose to rent rather than buy a newsingle-family home. Fortunately,activity in the repair and remodelingsector remains steady.

For lumber dealers, it’s knowingthat southern pine products deliver thevalue and versatility for their cus-tomers—dependable strength, excep-tional treatability, and attractiveappearance—that make this material abuilder favorite. The Southern Forest

Products Association supports dealersand distributors with the sales helpthey need, providing resources to helpchalk up more southern pine sales.

One Source for FactsSFPA can help steer customers

your way. Start with a visit to www.sfpa.org and look over the easy accessto all six of SFPA’s websites. SFPAworks to keep dealers connected to thelatest information—facts your cus-tomers rely on every day for buildingsuccessful projects.

The central site for product infor-mation, www.southernpine.com, is the

Southern pineindustry primed for full-speed recovery

Special FocusSouthern Forest Products


dealer’s authoritative resource. It’s allhere—span tables, design values, sam-ple grademarks, even do-it-yourselfoutdoor project plans to help dealerssell more lumber. Within the site’spublications section, SFPA’s LumberLibrary is a collection of helpful titlesthat dealers can rely on to help educatethemselves and their customers aboutthe proper selection and use of south-ern pine materials. All titles are avail-able as free PDF downloads.

New Guide for TreatedLumber Sales

SFPA recently published the new2014 edition of its popular booklet“Pressure-Treated Southern Pine.”This 24-page guide assists dealers anddistributors with the proper specifica-tion and use of treated southern pinematerials. It is available as a free PDFdownload from the publications pageof www.southernpine. com.

“This edition presents a fresh lookfrom the user’s perspective,” notesSFPA’s Eric Gee, director of lumberproducts. “It represents a completereorganization and revision of the pre-vious edition.”

Following an introduction to woodpreservatives, tables list commonpreservatives and retentions by prod-uct and end use. Specification guide-lines are included, along with sectionscovering fasteners and connectors,design values, and proper storage,among other topics. Two pages aredevoted to eight primary applicationsfor treated southern pine, with refer-ences to helpful SFPA websites andrelated publications.

This edition combines AmericanWood Protection Association standardpreservatives and ICC-ES-evaluatedpreservatives. It also combines andreorganizes information from variousAWPA tables and commodity stan-dards. The objective is to providespecifiers and users practical informa-tion on common uses. The full-pageTable 2 provides a simplified specifi-cation guide for typical end-use appli-cations. Typical treated lumber qualitymarks are shown, including a mark forAWPA standardized preservatives anda mark for ICC-ES evaluated preserv-atives.

Deck Season in Full SwingAt all levels of skill, handy d-i-yers

are finding the construction details andproduct information they need to buildcode-compliant, durable decks andporches by visiting www.southern-

pinedecks.com. Specification tips,connections and fasteners, the entirebuilding process—it’s all here. Thissite also explains why treated southernpine decking is the preferred material.

Looking for answers to customers’questions about building outdoors?Dealers can refer to SFPA’s 12-pagebooklet, “Southern Pine Decks andPorches,” aimed at professional deckbuilders and advanced do-it-your-selfers. It summarizes informationfrom the site and offers comprehen-sive design and construction guidance.Photos of completed decks and porch-es showcase what treated southern

pine lumber can do to naturallyenhance any landscape. Download afree PDF at www.southernpine.com.

Span CardsSpans for southern pine joists and

rafters, including those based on thenew design values, are featured on ahandy pocket-size card now availablefrom SFPA.

This card contains 12 abbreviatedspan tables for selected Southern Pinevisual, Machine Stress Rated (MSR),and Machine Evaluated Lumber(MEL) grades. Included under eachgrading method, this card includes one

Interfor is one of the world’s largest lumber producers. With annual capacity of 2.6 billion board feet we have the broadest range of products in the business – now

including 880 million board feet of Southern Yellow Pine offerings, from the heart of Georgia. That means more choice, more supply and all backed by our promise to build value for our customers every step of the way.

Find out more at interfor.com

When a global supplier

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SOUTHERN

YELLOW PINE...

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AS A NATURAL insulator, southern pine pat-terns add indoor aesthetic appeal and energyefficiency.

table each for floor joists and ceilingjoists, plus two tables for rafters.

“This card is very popular withdealers, builders and code officials foruse in the field,” says Gee. “AddingMSR and MEL tables to this new edi-tion of the card makes it a convenientreference tool for all southern pineusers.”

Dealers can review the full contentof the new card and download a freePDF at southernpine.com.

Remodeling Preference:SP Patterns

The look of real wood for wall pan-eling and ceilings adds a dramatic flairto all rooms. Southern pine patternsare readily available in long lengths toeliminate or reduce splices. Clear orsemi-transparent finishes draw atten-tion to southern pine’s distinctivegrain. Dealers, remember: wood is anatural insulator, contributing to ener-gy efficiency and lower utility bills.

Contractors know a quality,dependable product like southern pineoffers a long list of possibilities: exte-rior siding for room additions, plusflooring, paneling, ceiling patterns,and trim to enhance interior spaces.

Need help deciding which pattern

will be a bestseller? Review the prod-uct samples and related informationprovided in SFPA’s booklet “SouthernPine Patterns,” available as a PDFdownload at www.southernpine.com.

Whatever the décor, southern pineflooring can enhance the look of anyindoor space. Knowing proper instal-lation and maintenance tips is a deal-er’s key to selling more pine flooring,paneling and other specialty items. Forstarters, check out “Southern PineFlooring,” available as a PDF down-load from www.southernpine.com. It’sa comprehensive guide to both interiorflooring and exterior porch flooring.

Online Product Locator Need help finding a customer’s

special order item? Chances are goodyou will find it among the listings ofSFPA’s online product locator atsouthernpine.com. More than 400product listings are here. A quicksearch and dealers are directed right tomanufacturers’ contact information.New this year: searches can be con-ducted by state to better pinpoint near-by suppliers. On a regular basis, SFPAmembers are updating their in-stockproduct offerings, assuring on-timedelivery to dealers and distributors.


DistributedBy

Rocklin, Ca. • 800.348.1400Sanger, Ca. • 855.348.1500

LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding products offer the beauty of cedar with the advantages of engineeredwood. That means consistent boards with no knots or voids. An industry-leading warranty that provides a 5-year, 100% labor and replacement feature and a 50-Year Prorated Limited Warranty onthe substrate. And our proprietary SmartGuard® process that ensures LP SmartSide products resistfungal decay and termite damage. LP SmartSide Trim & Siding. All the advantages you need.

Friedman’s Back in PetalumaFriedman’s Home Improvement

has returned to Petaluma, Ca., wherethe family-owned business began in1946. In 1976, with the original loca-tion deteriorating, the operationmoved to the company’s new store innearby Santa Rosa.

“There’s a lot of symbolism in thisstore,” said president and c.e.o. BarryFriedman at the May 9 grand openingof the new location. “Our best yearsare yet to come.”

The new store measures 80,000 sq.ft., with a 35,000-sq. ft. lumber shed.The front of the store has two livingwalls that are fed and watered auto-matically. Two more living wallsgrow beside the entrance to the20,000-sq. ft. nursery.

Bill Friedman, who remains chair-man of the company’s board, was inthe hospital recovering from a respira-tory infection, Barry Friedman said.Bill’s wife, Suzie Friedman, spoke onhis behalf

“Returning to Petaluma was adream of the founders of this compa-ny,” said Suzie Friedman, wife ofchairman Bill Friedman. “Tonight I’mproud to say, ‘Dad and Joe, we’rehome again.’”

Fatal Shootings at B.C. MillAn April 30 shooting at Western

Forest Products’ sawmill in Nanaimo,B.C., left two employees dead, twowounded, and the shooter—identifiedas a former employee—in custody.

Authorities say the tragedy startedjust before 7 a.m. in the parking lotand then moved inside to the mill’soffices. Killed were employeesMichael Lunn, 61, and FredMcEachern, 53. Tony Sudar was shotin the face but was listed in stable con-dition. A fourth, unnamed employeewas in critical condition.

Sudar, v.p. of manufacturing, wasscheduled to be a company witnesslater this month in a long-standing dis-pute with the Steelworkers Union,which represents employees at themill. More than 300 workers were laidoff when the mill closed in 2008, butabout 30 were rehired two years later.The union has accused the company ofreopening with a skeleton crew, toavoid severance payments agreed to ina collective bargaining agreement.

Former employee Kevin Addison,47, was arrested at the scene andcharged with two counts of murderand two counts of attempted murder.


Interior Exterior DIY Exterior DIY Interior Aluminum Professional

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GoodHOUSESinto™

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NEW Products

Accents for Vinyl SidingFoundry vinyl siding from The Tapco Group now

includes fish-scale and round styles for distinctivecustomization.

Crafted with real cedar molds, the shapes haveauthentic texture, subtle grain, and saw-mark detail-ing. Ten standard colors can be mixed and matched,and Foundry traditional colors can be special ordered.

THETAPCOGROUP.COM(800) 771-4486

Perfect PlugsThe ProPlug system from Starborn Industries

offers matched fastening for PVC decking and trim.A specially designed PVC tool consistently drives

fasteners to the correct depth below the board surface.An auto-stop mechanism prevents the screw recessfrom stripping, while a free-spinning stop collar pro-tects the board surface.

The plugs are constructed of brand name PVC deckor trim material, so the color and grain match perfect-ly. Plugs for Azek and TUFBoard decking are current-ly available, with more manufacturers being added incoming months.

STARBORNINDUSTRIES.COM(800) 596-7747


All Wrapped UpFlatWrap HP housewrap from

Benjamin Obdyke reportedlydelivers enhanced UV and tearresistance, along with easierinstallation.

The tri-laminate productcomes in 5’x100’ rolls and canbe paired with the company’sother rainscreen products.

BENJAMINOBDYKE.COM(800) 523-5261

Lock Down MetalRoofing

Fasco America’s Scrail metalroof fasteners install twice as fastas collated screws.

The fasteners exceed 400 lbs.in holding power, while collatedstrips eliminate fastener waste.Used with the F58 installationtool, the fasteners are designed toattached metal roofing to wood.

FASCOAMERICA.COM(800) 239-8665


Sturdy StepsWeyerhaeuser’s SturdiStep treads provide an effi-

cient, cost-effective alternative to traditional solid-wood treads.

The product is durable enough to withstand thedemands of normal construction delays. Low moisturecontent means fewer squeaks due to shrinkage.

Field-trimmable treads come in 1”x11-1/2”x16’and 1”by 10-1/4”x16’ for eastern markets and 1”x11-1/2”x12’ for western markets.

WOODBYWY.COM(888) 453-8358

The Look of BarkSmartBark engineered siding from BarkClad mim-

ics the look of traditional poplar bark siding.Manufactured from a polymer blend, the siding

panels measure 16”x18” and can be used on both inte-rior and exterior surfaces. Three natural colors—weathered brown, medium brown, and silverbackgray—but the siding can be also be painted with anylatex finish.

BARKCLAD.COM(844) 289-2275


Precision NailingSenco’s FinishPro 21LXP

delivers the holding power of abrad nail while leaving a muchsmaller indent that requires littleor no filling.

For use in tight spaces, thetool weighs just 2.7 lbs. and mea-sures 9” in height and 8” inlength.

An angled ergonomic gripensures user comfort, even overprolonged periods of time.

SENCO.COM(800) 543-4596

P.O. Box 1802, Medford, OR 97501 • Fax 541-535-3288 • (541) 535-3465 • www.normandist.comSuperior Service, Products & Support

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Blocking HousewrapBlock-It housewrap represents Kimberly-Clark’s

entry into the building products market.The product keeps moisture out, but lets vapor

escape. It is warranted for use on homes and light-commercial buildings less than five stories.

Available in a range of sizes, Block-It will beavailable at retailers and distributors nationwide thisfall.

KIMBERLY- CLARKBUILDINGMATERIALS.COM(800) 443-4231

Drywall GridQuikStix is a pre-engineered drywall grid system

for the installation of new ceilings, walls and soffits.Lightweight and easy to handle, the system report-

edly can be installed in half the time of conventionalwood framing.

A locking track and framing tees help eliminatemeasuring, marking and drilling.

ARMSTRONG.COM(877) 237-8477

Dimension LumberTreated ProductsDomestic

TimbersGreen & K.D.

Export

Manke Lumber Company is family-owned and has been serving the needsof the lumber industry since 1953. Wetake pride in milling and stocking quali-ty lumber in a full range of commoditysizes and larger dimension timbers. Wealso answer your market needs for awide variety of treated lumber products. Our forest products are milled from

carefully harvested Northwest treesready for distribution to you—on timeand at the right price.Located in the Port of Tacoma, we

have ready access to deep water ship-ping, rail heads or trucking terminals forlonger haul loads. Manke operates itsown fleet of trucks and is at your ser-vice for straight or mixed loads bytruck, rail or sea.We manufacture primarily Douglas fir

and western hemlock, including• 2x4 thru 2x12, Lengths 8-20’• 3x4 thru 3x12, Lengths 8-26’• 4x4 and wider, Lengths 8-26’• 6x6 and wider, Lengths 8-26’• 8x8 and wider, Lengths 8-26’• Timber sizes up to 12x12

Manke Lumber CompanyCall 1-800-426-8488

1717 Marine View Dr., Tacoma, WA 98422Phone 253- 572-6252 Fax 253-383-2489

www.mankelumber.com

WHAT YOU WANT.WHEN YOU NEED IT.


2ND GROWTH hosted its monthly meetingMay 1 at Embassy Suites, Brea, Ca. [1] DannySosa, Jay McArthur, Tony Campbell. [2]Stephanie Barrios, Phil l ip Ho, JocelynPalazzolo, Victoria Foucault. [3] Daniel Atkins,Tom Angel. [4] Damien Simpson, DannyCaccavale, Gerry Perez. [5] Mike Carey, ChadKidder, Jeff Donahoo. [6] Chris Freeman, DonKavert. [7] Brenden Hexberg, Doug Willis. [8]Chris McDonough, Mo Shearer. [9] MichelleChase, Dora Lopez. [10] Ryan Mitchell, HeathStai, Joe Lozano. [11] Jean Henning, AlexUniack. [12] Vaughan Barker, SteveRobertson. [13] Dan Sweeny, Fia Faumuina.[14] Juan Guzman, Chris Huntington.

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

SPECIAL QUOTES

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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Hoo-Hoo Club#117 hosted its annual Don Gregson MemorialGolf Tournament May 9 in San Dimas, Ca. [1]Ken Carpenter, Jim Gregson, Scott Glassey,Brett Gregson. [2] Luciano Ponce, Tom Baxter,Mario Barajas, Frank Gonzalez. [3] CourtneyHerrington, Andrew Nicassio, Robert Parker,

Hansen. [9] Tom Lawrence, George Morris,Peter Howe, Chris Wischmann, Travis Gilliland.[10] Kevin Ulibarri, Steve King, SeymourOgeare. [11] Alonzo Orozco, Gordon Martinez,Fernando Verdugo, Albert Verdugo. [12] BillYoung, Louie Mendez, Tom Foote, PatMcCumber. (More photos on next two pages)

Andrew Manke. [4] Blake Ghavami, JayGregson, Guy Hargreaves, J.D. Hutton. [5]Mike Nicholson, John Pasqualetto, Teri Silver,Bryan Schuyler. [6] Clay Halton, Lee Souza,Rob Macias, Gabe Lazo. [7] Ron Hillman, JohnAssman, Tyrone Smith, Ted Smith. [8] JimNicodemus, Dan Croker, Frank Bader, Ken


MORE HOO-HOO GOLF (continued from pre-vious page): [1] Frank Paour, Mike Kosareff,Jeff Won, Rob Keyes. [2] Nathan Welter, RyanLauterborn, Vern O’Connor, Mike Tompkins.[3] Joe DeRoest, Al Reed, Mike Claborn,Kevin McLernon. [4] Mark Huff, Troy Huff,Danny Sosa, Scott Whitman. [5] Fernando

Suderman. [10] Jason Croy, Tony Campbell,Myles Ramsey. [11] Casey Cook, DarrenBustamante, Craig Larson, Scott Middaugh.[12] Erik Shin, Damien Simpson, BrendenHexberg, Chris Skibba.

(More photos on next page)

Abundis, Jacob Nelson, James Elliott, MarkDavis, Chris Johnson. [6] Ralph Weinberger,Jack Henderson, Larry Holguin. [7] PaulBraeger, Bryan Callaway, Bob Mackay, ScottLawrence. [8] Larry Christensen, Dan May, BillShaw, Neil Wierenga. [9] Don Kavert, NareshNarine, Mike Wishnia, Erik Noguera, Carl

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ANNUAL GOLF tournament for SouthernCalifornia Hoo-Hoo Club was held at CanyonGolf Course, San Dimas (continued from previ-ous two pages): [1] David Tait, Larry Riat, RickDeen, Bryan Geer. [2] Shawn Wright, JeffSievers, Edward Russell, Mike Mische. [3]Wayne Carter, Mitch Callaway, Lucky Luciano,Kevin Witt. [4] Steve Schroeder, DeonnDeFord, Keith Hitchcock, Joe Morin. [5] GregGruver, Steve Nicholson, Dave Schubel, JohnPenland. [6] Russ Primrose, Bill Ferguson,Robyn Ueberroth, Nick Bauer. [7] Rudy Russ,Bob Stephen, Patrick Franco, Greg Krakar. [8]Dave Gorham, Monika Bartko, Ed Miron, RussRust. [9] Brent Smith, Sean O’Bannon, JesseVanBemden, James Henninger. [10] JimKaminski. [11] Rich Geary, Nick Hall, BertMcKee, Joe McCarron. [12] Doug Radestock,Carl Henoch. [13] Rick Davisson, Sean Moran,Joseph McCormick. [14] Mark Preece, JimGaither. [15] Betsy Bendix, Joel Hillner,Tierney Tait.


PONY SHOW: Los Angeles HardwoodLumberman’s Club held its annual Day at theRaces Apri l 26 at Santa Anita Racetrack,Arcadia, Ca. [1] Dan Bohannon, Kit Rohm, Heidi& Steve Ondich, Dale Bohannon. [2] AmyMoyer, Emily Moyer, Tim & Becky Peterman,Sally Martinez, John Mortati. [3] Diana & DennisJohnston, Dawn Ayaka, Jeff Johnston, DerekMether, Larry Mether. [4] Judy Gardenas, TimmyLomeli, Tim Mathews, Vicky Johnston. [5] Doug& Susie Christensen, Walter Ralston. [6] Katie &Sam Sullivan, Mike & Brooke Bohnhoff.

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4911 Warner Ave., Ste. 205, Huntington Beach, CA 92649Phone (714) 840-5366 • Fax 714-840-1933

www.straight-line-transport.com“A Load We Transport Is a Load off Your Mind”

Specializing in Flatbed & Van Freight for over 10 years

Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber, Inc.Pressure Treated Forest Products

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P.O. Box 673 • 3150 Taylor Drive • Ukiah, Ca. 95482Phone 707-468-0141 • Fax 707-468-0660

[email protected]

Sales for Coast Wood Preserving


IN MemoriamLyle Thompson, 75, former vice

president of sales and marketing forRoseburg Forest Products, Roseburg,Or., died April 20 in Camas, Wa.

During his 37-year career, he alsoworked for U.S. Plywood andChampion International.

Dale L. Grimm, 85, former PacificNorthwest lumberman, died May 21.

He started with Potlatch Forests,Lewiston, Id., in 1947. After threeyears in the Army, he resumed hisindustry career with Potlatch,Weyerhaeuser Sales, Valley Supply,and Troy Lumber, before co-owningQuality Millworks from 1960 to 1975.

Larry Humphrey, 79, retiredfounder of Humphrey Lumber,

Tacoma, Wa., died April 19 inLakewood, Wa., after a long battlewith Parkinson’s disease.

After many years working forWeyerhaeuser in Longview andTacoma, Wa., he started his ownwholesale lumber firm.

He was also a former president ofthe North American WholesaleLumber Association.

William “Bill” Mitchell, 64, con-sultant with The Beck Group,Portland, Or., died May 10 in Sandy,Or., following a heart attack.

He worked for Beck for 28 years,on projects concerning both primaryand secondary wood products manu-facturing. Prior to that, he worked insawmill and plywood operations atInternational Paper, Weyerhaeuser,and Roseburg Forest Products.

ASSOCIATION UpdateWestern Building Material Asso-

ciation will hold its mid-year boardmeetings July 30-31 at SkamaniaLodge, Stevenson, Wa.

Mountain States Lumber &Building Material Dealers Associa-tion will enjoy its annual WesternSlope Golf Tournament Aug. 22 atRifle Creek Golf Course, Rifle, Co.

Moulding & Millwork ProducersAssociation, buoyed by the success ofits West Coast mill tour last year, willthis fall lead industry membersthrough facilities in the East.

The Sept. 8-11 event will be basedat the Lancaster Marriott at PennSquare, Lancaster, Pa., and featureplant tours, table-top displays, infor-mation panels, and equipment demon-strations. Stops may include KountryKraft Manufacturing, NorthwayIndustries, Plain & Fancy KitchensManufacturing, Signature Cabinets,Signature Cos., Universal ForestProducts, Versatek Enterprises,Wayneco, and Weaber Lumber.

The event is open to MMPA mem-ber and non-member manufacturers,

wholesalers, distributors, sawmills,panel producers, and suppliers.

Western Red Cedar LumberAssociation will host its annual CedarSummit Sept. 4 on the first day of BC

Wood’s Global Buyers Mission, Sept.4-6 at Whistler Conference Center,Whistler, B.C.

Willamette Valley Hoo-Hoo Clubwill gather Aug. 13 for its annual trapshoot at Eugene Sportsman Club,Eugene, Or.

Celebrating 46 years of fine hardwoodmanufacture and distribution

For the finest service in the industry,call on Swaner for a steady, reliable source of

quality hardwood products at competitive prices.

• Hardwood Lumber / S4S• Hardwood Plywood• Custom Hardwood Moulding• Custom Hardwood Flooring

5 West Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, Ca. 91502Fax 818-846-3662

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

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FSC Certified SCS-COC-002513

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

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

DATE BookListings are often submitted months in

advance. Always verify dates and locationswith sponsor before making plans toattend.

National Lawn & Garden Show – June10-12, Crowne Plaza Denver Interna-tional Airport, Denver, Co.; (888) 316-0226; www.nlgshow.com.

WoodWorks – June 10, cross laminatedtimber seminars, The Catch, Anaheim,Ca.; June 11 , Maggiano’s, LosAngeles, Ca.; June 12, Berkeley–HSLordships, Berkeley, Ca.; (503) 467-4686; www.woodworks.org.

Mountain States Lumber & BuildingMaterial Dealers Assn. – June 12,mechanic’s lien law class, RenaissanceHotel, Denver, Co.; (303) 793-0859;www.mslbmda.org.

Window & Door Manufacturers Assn. –June 17-19, technical conference,Pittsburgh, Pa.; (800) 223-2301;www.wdma.com.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club –June 18, meeting, El Prado GolfCourse, Chino, Ca.; (323) 559-1958;www.hoohoo117.org.

Western Wood Preservers Institute –June 22-24, summer meeting,Meritage Resort & Spa, Napa, Ca.;(360) 693-9958; www.wwpinstitute.org.

PCBC – June 25-27, Moscone Center,San Franscisco, Ca.; (800) 956-7469;www.pcbc.com.

Door & Hardware Institute – June 26-27,annual convention, Hilton Anatole,Dallas, Tx.; (703) 222-2010;www.dhi.org.

Roof Coatings Manufacturers – July 14-17, International Roof CoatingsConference, Royal Sonesta HarborCourt, Balimore, Md.; (202) 591-2452;www.roofcoatings.org.

Mountain States Lumber & BuildingMaterial Dealers Assn. – July 15,Colorado WOOD Council golf tourna-ment, Ranch Golf & Country Club,Westminster, Co.; (303) 793-0859;mslbmda.org.

Interforst – July 16-20, forest technologytrade fair, Munich, Germany;www.interforst.de.

West Coast Lumber & Building MaterialAssociation – July 17-18, 2nd Growthsummer conference, Omni Las PalmasResort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, Ca.;(800) 266-4344; lumberassociation.org.

Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club – July 18, clayshoot & BBQ, Black Point Sports Club,Sonoma, Ca.; (707) 588-7613;www.blackbarthoohoo181.org.

Southern Oregon Lumbermans Assn. –July 24-25, golf tournament & BBQ,Rogue Valley Country Club, Medford,Or.; (800) 633-5554.

Western Building Material Association –July 30-31, mid-year board meetings,Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, Wa.;(360) 943-3054; www.wbma.org.

Humboldt Hoo-Hoo Club – Aug. 1, golftournament, Baywood Golf & CountryClub, Arcata, Ca.; (707) 601-9128.

Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo Club – Aug.9, picnic, Gig Harbor, Wa.; (253) 531-1834.

Forest Products Society – Aug. 10-13,68th international convention, QuebecCity Convention Centre, Quebec City,P.Q.; (608) 231-1361; www.forest-prod.org.

Willamette Valley Hoo-Hoo Club – Aug.13, trap shoot, Eugene SportsmanClub, Eugene, Or.; (541) 393-3309.

Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo Club – Aug.14, Mel Smeder Memorial GolfTournament, Brookdale Golf Course,Tacoma, Wa.; (253) 531-1834.

International Woodworking Fair – Aug.20-23, show, Georgia World CongressCenter, Atlanta, Ga.; (404) 693-8333;www.iwfatlanta.com.

Mountain States Lumber & BuildingMaterial Dealers Assn. – Aug. 22,Western Slope golf tournament, RifleCreek Golf Course, Rifle, Co.; (303)793-0859; www.mslbmda.org.

International Wood Fair – Aug. 30-Sept.2, Klagenfurt, Austria; www.kaerntner-messen.at.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA wholesale lum-ber and plywood (both softwood and hard-wood) veteran looking for sales opportunity.Large, loyal following. Email [email protected], or contact Box 720, c/o TheMerchant Magazine, 4500 Campus Dr. #480,Newport Beach, Ca. 92660.

POSITION WANTED

CLASSIFIEDMarketplaceRates: $1.20 per word (25 word minimum).

Phone number counts as 1 word, address as6. Centered copy or headline, $9 per line.Border, $9. Private box, $15. Column inch rate:$55 if art furnished “camera-ready” (advertisersets the type), $65 if we set type.

Send ad to Fax 949-852-0231 [email protected]. For moreinfo, call (949) 852-1990. Make checkspayable to Cutler Publishing, 4500 CampusDr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660.

Deadline: 18th of previous month. To reply to ads with private box num-

bers, send correspondence to box numbershown, c/o The Merchant. Names of advertis-ers using a box number cannot be released.

Visit The ALL-NEWBuilding-

Products.com


ADVERTISERS IndexAllura [www.allurausa.com] ..........................................................23Allweather Wood [www.allweatherwood.com] ............................27AZEK [www.azek.com]...................................................................21BlueTarp [www.bluetarp.com].......................................................40Boral [www.boraltruexterior.com] ..................................................5BW Creative Wood [www.bwcreativewood.com] .......................42Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber ........................................................51C&E Lumber Co. [www.lodgepolepine.com] ...............................47Collins [www.collinswood.com] .........................................Cover IIIDeckWise [www.deckwise.com] ...................................................44El & El Wood Products [www.elandelwoodproducts.com] ........32Edco Products [www.edcoproducts.com] ...................................17Fiberon [www.fiberondecking.com] .............................................35Filler King Co. [www.fillerking.com] ...............................................4Fontana Wholesale Lumber [fontanawholesalelumber.com].....53Huff Lumber Co. .............................................................................34Humboldt Redwood [www.getredwood.com] ..............................27Interfor [www.interfor.com] ...........................................................39International Wood Products [www.iwpllc.com] .........................28Jones Wholesale Lumber [www.joneswholesale.com] ..............45Keller Lumber .................................................................................20Kop-Coat [www.kop-coat.com] ............................................Cover IIManke Lumber Co. [www.mankelumber.com].............................46Mendocino Forest Products [www.mfp.com] ..............................27Norman Distribution Inc. [www.normandist.com].......................45PPG Machine Applied Coatings [www.ppgpro.com]...................25Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co.[www.plmins.com]..........................................................................43PrimeSource Building Products [www.primesourcebp.com] ....52Railing Dynamics Inc. [www.rdirail.com] .....................................41Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com]...................................3Reel Lumber Service [www.reellumber.com] ..............................36Reliable Wholesale Lumber Inc. [www.rwli.com] ........................37Roseburg Forest Products [www.roseburg.com].............Cover IVRoyal Pacific Industries .................................................................30Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com].....................................7Snider Industries [www.sniderindustries.com] ...........................38Starborn Industries [www.starbornindustries.com] ...................33Straight Line Transport [www.straight-line-transport.com] .......51Swaner Hardwood Co. [www.swanerhardwood.com].................52Swanson Group Sales Co. [www.swansongroupinc.com].........13Taiga Building Products [www.taigabuilding.com] ....................41TruWood-Collins [www.truwoodsiding.com] ........................8A-8BUniversal Forest Products [www.ufpedge.com]..........................31Western Woods Inc. [www.westernwoodsinc.com]............Cover IWeyerhaeuser [www.weyerhaeuser.com]....................................29

IDEA FileScientifically Producing Crowds

At the Ace Hardware store in Bellingham,Wa., owner Amy Zwaller has learned that making sci-ence fun for kids—and their parents—attracts newshoppers.

“I’m always looking for events that spark interestin the store and add value to our customers,” saysZwaller. Open since August 2011, the store is “stillbuilding business.”

About a year ago, while attending an Ace HardwareCorp. event for co-op members, Zwaller met a dealerfrom Hawaii who had developed kits designed tospark kids’ interest in science, technology, math andengineering. She agreed to offer the kits in her ownstore and began brainstorming other ways to engagekids in these subjects.

The result was “Hardware Science Day,” taughtonce a month, on a Saturday, by employee ShawnBjorback. He studies math and science at WesternWashington University, wants to be a teacher, and hasworked part-time at the store for about two years.Each month, Shawn plans the projects and handlesmarketing: emails to principals at nearby elementaryschools, plus the local newspaper and radio station.

To date, the free science days have focused on suchtopics as understanding gravity, learning to grow crys-tals, why things float, creating light with lemon juiceand pickles, and fun projects with dry ice.

“Shawn is a natural teacher,” says Zwaller. “He’smakes the events so interesting and engaging that par-ents often stay with their kids, learning right alongwith them. Many times, they tell me, ‘I had no ideathis is how it worked!’”

HARDWARE ASSOCIATE/teaching student Shawn Bjorbackleads a monthly “Hardware Science Day” at Ace Hardware,Bellingham, Wa.

Working for you.

Engineered Wood Products | Softwood Plywood

Real Wood Siding | Lumber

www.Roseburg.com

800.245.1115

Randy SturgillCoquille Plywood Plant Manager31 years

the merchant june 2014

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