the merchant magazine - february 2010

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

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44 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2010 Building-Products.com

February 2010Volume 88 �� Number 8

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RESURGENCE OF WOOD DECKING

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12 INDUSTRY TRENDSBE CODE SAVVY TO SELL DECKING

16 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTWHATEVER HAPPENED TO OSL?

22 INDUSTRY TRENDSMOULDING/MILLWORK ON THE MEND?

32 MANAGEMENT TIPSHOW TO WIN THE TALENT WAR

44 PHOTO RECAPINTERNATIONAL BUILDERS SHOW

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Don’t neglect those left behind

A RECENT REPORT SUGGESTED that 55% of workers are unhappy with their currentjob. Personally, I suspect that 55% would be even more unhappy without a job.

That being said, the events of the last two years—restructurings, consolidations,closings, salary and promotion freezes, benefit cuts—have not been met kindly.Indeed, when the Christmas party gets cut, well…

Running a company has been far from easy these past few years. As an owner,you carry the burden of how you are going to meet the next payroll. It can be hard toshare that information without sending alarm bells around the company, let alone toyour customers and competitors. While we may not be able to sleep at nights, andothers can’t understand why such cuts have been made, the fact is that to protect themany, you might be required to do things you find abhorrent, just to survive.

There is no good time to let people go, but have some compassion. I witnessedone company hand out pink slips the week before Christmas. Help those affectedfinancially and emotionally to deal with it, so those left behind can see that you care.

You may have already taken tough steps. More may be required before conditionsimprove. Yet how do you motivate those that are left and provide comfort? Well, ifyou have to make a tough decision, take action quickly and decisively. Don’t let acloud of doom hang over the company. It is better to lay off a few more people thanhope for the best and then go back to the well a few weeks or months later. Let thepain be felt once, not two or three times. Make changes in one go, not in dribs anddrabs, unsettling everyone in the company. It may be tough on the 20% who areaffected—but better 80% feel okay than 20%. You want your remaining employeesfocused on how they are going to get the company growing, not worrying when thenext shoe is going to drop.

I saw a headline today about the disposable worker. That’s just the type of think-ing that has led 55% to reconsider whom they work for. I know I did for five yearsbefore going out on my own. I understand big business, but what I have never accept-ed in my career is a lack of empathy for my employees. Everyone is not dispensable!

A callous attitude by management causes employees to question their loyalty tothe company. I believe it is how you as managers handle this situation that will deter-mine how you come out of the recession. People have long memories and willremember how they were treated during this crisis. If you do not manage with com-passion now, when times get better and new jobs start, your staff will be off at thefirst opportunity.

So what do you do for those left behind when there is not much to give financial-ly? Many managers working through these difficult times feel that their hands aretied, especially when salary increases are frozen and budgets are cut. But saying“thank you” costs nothing. “Thanks for being on my team. I value your contributionunder very difficult circumstances.” How many times do we hear that? Do not hidebehind blanket emails; those only lead to the worst being painted into every word.Face to face you can say what is real and not real, and paint a more truthful and opti-mistic picture. You can show the way to better times.Webcasts and email are not personal, and there hasnever been a more important time to be personal.Take an interest in your employees as individuals. Ifthey feel anonymous in the organization, they willdread coming to work.

Another way is to help every employee understandwhy their job is important and to whom. Give rea-sons—whether they be in customer service,accounts payable, or the yard. That 55%will never be happy unless we find a wayto take an interest in them and what theydo, as human beings. If we don’t, we arenot only committing them to a miserabletime at work, but also committing ourcompanies to employees who are notworking at their best.

TOTALLY RandomBy Alan Oakes

Alan Oakes, [email protected]


FEATURE Story

THE TROUBLED ECONOMY has drivendown the North American resi-

dential decking and railing market40%, from $4.6 billion in 2006 to $2.8billion in 2009, according to a newPrincipia Partners study. The most noticeable trend during

the three-year slide has been wooddecking regaining lost market sharefrom synthetics, apparently driven bydemand elasticity due to lumber defla-tion, while petroleum-based syntheticshave experienced significant rawmaterial price escalation.“Lumber prices are at all-time

lows, and the gap between the cost ofpressure treated lumber and compos-ites is the highest it’s ever been,”notes Dick Gauthier, Universal ForestProducts. Wood decking and railing have

steadily lost market share to syntheticssince the introduction of compositesmore than 20 years ago, based on per-formance and maintenance benefits.Wood’s market share hit a low in2007, maintained its position in 2008,and reversed in 2009.Wood decking, says Allweather

Wood’s Rick Danielson, “is competi-

tively priced, and consumers are moreprice conscious. Typical retail fortreated wood decking is $1.00 to $1.10per lineal foot. Non-wood products areabout $1.65 and up. Also, the higherthe price, the greater the customers’expectations.”McFarland Cascade’s Greg Phillips

agrees that the “resurgence of treatedwood decking sales as a percentage ofdecking surface sales is directly con-nected to the low-priced lumber mar-ket. In this tough economy, peoplestill want to enjoy outdoor living, sothey are turning to more economicalsolutions. As the economy improves,we suspect maintenance issues willlikely overcome the initial cost advan-tage of pressure treated lumber,though wood will always be a big partof deck surface sales.”Product failures by composites

haven’t helped. “We have noticed aslight change towards wood deckingor forms of wood decking,” saysNorthern California dealer RickZaslove. “With the class action claimsand composites not performing asexpected, Golden State Lumber andSierra Point Lumber have noticedsome of our customers looking for realwood decking that perform well tomany weather conditions. Hardwooddecking like ipé and Clear and DeckHeart redwood decking products seemto fit this need best. [Composite manu-facturers] have made some majorchanges in their product lines, and wewill continue to support their efforts.”In addition, “the new ‘heat treated’

wood decking products are makingsome headway,” says dealer GeneMcKinney, Tindells’, Knoxville, Tn.

WOOD DECKING is regaining market share from synthetics, thanks to the affordability of pressuretreated wood and the improved aesthetics and performances of high-end products, such asDreamDex polymer-and-heat-treated radiata pine boards (above) and tropical hardwoods.

Back to BasicsThe resurgence ofreal wood decking

Building-Products.com February 2010 � The Merchant Magazine � 99

“They are real wood, stronger, stiffer,less expensive, and install like anyother wood deck. We stock and sellthis product and are having some suc-cess.”Next generation preservatives are

also giving a boost to good, old pres-sure treated wood decking. “The qual-ity demands of the big boxes regard-ing pressure treated lumber are alsothe highest they’ve ever been,” offersUFPI’s Gauthier. “So it’s harder todisparage pressure treated since thequality is pretty good today.”Dennis McWhirter, Exterior Wood,

Washougal, Wa., agrees wood deckinghas never been better. “With theadvancement and durability of today’sstains and sealers, consumers are mov-ing back to the tried and true woodproducts: cedar and treated decking,”McWhirter says. “We are seeingrenewed interest in the use of tropicalhardwood for decking, as well. Theseproducts are being used in both com-mercial and residential applications,where the consumer is looking forsomething that makes a statement.Although there is slightly more main-tenance with this product, the wowfactor is well worth it.”Although the synthetic decking cat-

egory as a whole has lost share towood, demand for cellular vinyl deck-ing has been growing at a double-digitrate, due to the growing popularity ofultra-low maintenance decks amonghomeowners. “The market has two primary

forces at work,” says Principia’s SteveVan Kouteren. “On one end of thedecking market, consumers are fight-ing money and budget issues and arescaling back deck projects, as well asusing less expensive materials.Conversely, there is a high end of themarket that is less price-sensitive. Thissegment is using new synthetic materi-als, and is driving the increase indemand for cellular vinyl.”Cellular vinyl demand growth is at

the expense of polyolefin-based wood-plastic composite (WPC) decking.“Composite decking is losing marketshare to wood on the low end and los-ing market share to cellular PVC onthe high end,” Van Kouteren says.“Total value for WPCs and cellularvinyl is estimated at about $725 mil-lion, or 26% of the decking and railingmarket in 2009. Total North Americandemand for cellular vinyl in residentialdecking grew from about $5 million in2004 to over $95 million in 2009.”About 2.5 million decks were built

on residential structures in 2009, andover 90% are on existing homes aspart of a remodeling project orreplacement (R&R) of an existingdeck. Job losses, tight credit, devaluedhomes, the inability to tap into homeequity to finance home improvementprojects, and record lows in consumerconfidence combined to push deckingand railing demand back to levelsunseen since the early 2000s. The future is brighter for decking

and railing, as homeowner desire forquality leisure time and outdoor livingin the backyard or front porch of the

home is part of the fabric of Americanliving. An increase in housing startsand modest growth in R&R activityshould increase the demand for deck-ing and railing, on a value basis, about10% in 2010 from its bottom in 2009.About 6% of the growth will resultfrom volume growth and another 4%from product mix and a slight recov-ery in wood prices. Pent-up demandfrom consumers will help supportdecking and railing growth in 2010.Total decking and railing demand isexpected to increase from $2.8 billionin 2009 to $3.1 billion in 2010.


COMPOSITES REFUSE TO SIT QUIETLY as high-performancecellular PVC products bite into their share of the alter-

native decking market. This winter, composite deckingmanufacturers are adding new products and tweakingexisting ones to better compete.

AERT (Advanced Environmental RecyclingTechnologies) recently rolled out a fire-rated version of its

Compositedecking

What’s new, what’s nextcomposite decking. MoistureShield FR has been approvedby the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protectionand is listed as an approved product in the recently pub-lished Wildland-Urban Interface Products Handbook. “For builders and homeowners in parts of the country

where wild-fire season is a real threat and building codesrequire fire-rated materials, we saw a need for an attrac-tive, eco-friendly and fire-resistant decking product thatcan meet code,” says Brent Gwatney, v.p. of sales andmarketing for MoistureShield. “The introduction of fire-rated products, a growing number of color options andaccessories, a solid reversible profile, and grooved boardsfor hidden fastening systems, are all trends we’re seeing inthe composite decking market and ones that we’ve specifi-cally developed products for.”

Fiberon has improved its Deck Pilot hidden fasten-er, to improve performance and reduce installation time.The redesigned fastener is injection-molded with 30%glass-filled nylon, making it sturdier, and double-sided toreduce installation time. Other features include:• new 3/16" replaceable steel pins for accurate spacing

and quicker installation;• tough, hardened bushings made from hexstock steel,

making it impossible to spin;• arched base to keep tool flat, and• adaptability—the tool can be cut in half without losing

PRECISE, fast and inexpensive, Fiberon’s new Deck Pilot allows con-tractors to install deck screws at the proper angle and precise depth—every time. The kit includes two bits and uses 1-5/8" steel coated, corro-sion-resistant trim head screws.

PRODUCT SpotlightComposite Decking

Photo of GeoDeck’s color options


ALTERNATIVE TO THE ALTERNATIVE: Designed to compete with cel-lular PVC, new Trex Transcend composite decking and railing features aproprietary surface formulation for natural wood-like grain and a lustrousfinish.

its strength to make two short tools for restricted areasand special patterns.

GeoDeck producer Green Bay Decking hasexpanded the color options for its composite decking toinclude walnut, a deep, rich shade of brown. “Our new walnut color is something we’ve produced

for years on a custom basis,” shares president LannyJass. “As consumer preferences have changed in thepast two years, we decided to make it part of our stan-dard product line. Our manufacturing process allows usto produce short runs of different colors very efficiently,so we plan to continue to offer new colors to the mar-ket—either as part of our product line or as a customcolor to specific customers. Our patented material for-mulation also provides us with confidence that all of thecolors we produce will have the same superior colorretention.”

TimberTech is attacking the price differential.The company just launched ReliaBoard, described as“one of the most economical composite decking boardson the market.” Yet the product is also said to offer allthe same benefits of TimberTech’s other decking prod-ucts, including a full 5.4" wide plank surface, greatlooks, and a transferable 25-year limited residentialwarranty.“ReliaBoard is a great alternative to wood for value-

conscious homeowners,” says Carey Walley, director ofmarketing of TimberTech. “Money and time spent eachyear painting, staining or sealing can become a one-timeinvestment in low-maintenance decking for a greatprice. This new product positions TimberTech as a one-stop-shop for customers looking for anything from tra-ditional composite decking to ultra-low maintenancePVC decking, with best-in-class railing and lighting tomatch—a complete solution from one manufacturer.”

Trex is rolling out a raft of products, includingnew board profiles and hidden fasteners that are com-patible even with competitors’ boards.“Contractors indicated that the industry needed a

universal fastening system,” says Adam Zambanini,senior product manager of decking. “The UniversalHidden Fastener can be used with both Trex and com-petitor decking. Now contractors need only to purchaseone fastener system for all of their jobs, increasing effi-ciency and reducing costs.”In addition, all Trex decking will now measure 1"

wide, providing greater design flexibility to mix andmatch all lines, making all lines compatible with theUniversal Hidden Fastener, and increasing convenienceand efficiency for distributors and dealers. Trex, too, will be the first decking manufacturer to

offer reduced-size product bundles—transitioning froma bundle size of 96 pieces per unit to 48 pieces per unit,increasing turns. Distributors will benefit from efficien-cies in material handling and reduced in-transit materialhandling damage, while dealers will be able to stockmore product without increasing their inventory posi-tion. “We believe the reduced packs will provide greater

bundling opportunities for our distributors and dealers,allowing them to move more product in less time whileincreasing productivity and profitability,” notes Adam

Zambanini, senior product manager of decking. The Contours line is also converting to a square-edged

profile and a grooved edge profile, as opposed to its formerscalloped underside. The updated boards currently areavailable at both Trex manufacturing plants, in Winchester,Va., and Fernley, Nv. And, a new, higher-performance decking and railing

system begins shipping this month, expressly designed tocompete with PVC. Trex Transcend combines a finish thatresists stains, scratches and mold with a natural-lookingwood grain pattern. Its protective shell defends against fad-ing, while being extremely low maintenance. Spills washoff easily with soap and water. President and c.e.o. Ron Kaplan calls the new line “a

game-changing product that quite simply exceeds all othermaterials currently in the marketplace. Since inventing theconcept of durable and low-maintenance outdoor livingproducts nearly 20 years ago, we’ve consistently intro-duced design and manufacturing innovations that havesecured Trex’s position as the preferred brand among bothconsumers and professionals. With Transcend, we’re com-bining all of the benefits of our existing collections withproprietary new technologies that offer unparalleled dura-bility, wear-resistance and long-lasting good looks.”


AS A DECKING DEALER or distributor, you are dependenton manufacturers to not only produce products that

are up to standard, but also products that are acceptable tothe consumer.The manufacturers have a lot on their plate when they

bring something to market. You as the dealer take a calcu-lated risk every time you make a purchase. The deckingmaterials you stock are affected by decisions made in thebuilding code arena.Every few years a new version of building code is

issued. Building code is developed in cycles that provide aplatform for anyone to submit changes to the code. Inattendance at hearings are building officials, members ofindustry, engineers, university professors, government offi-cials, members of coalitions, and consumers. That’s a lotof people with a lot of different concerns—and sometimesagendas—all pushing for changes to the code.It is important to make certain that the products you are

purchasing for resale not only meet the testing require-ments in place in the industry, but also that building codeis not changing in a direction that makes the product diffi-cult to sell.Until recent years, the decking industry was given only

cursory attention in the code. Largely due to the fact thatdecks are exterior structures and often separate from thehouse, they were not considered to be within the purviewof the code. That perspective has now changed, and therehave been many changes that affect decks entered intobuilding code. Coverage of decks in building code is farfrom complete; however, there are already sections of codethat are difficult to interpret and enforce on the job site.As a dealer, you trust your supplier to be vigilant and

watchful of code development. Some manufacturers maythink that because they submit their products for testingthrough the ICC-ES or another evaluation service, theyhave done what is necessary to protect the salability oftheir product. This is simply not true. Building code oper-ates separately from evaluation protocols and testing. Themanufacturer may do everything right as far as goingthrough the process and spending their budget on evalua-tion; yet they can get blown out of the water by a codechange that makes their previous testing inadequate.How active in code development are your suppliers?

Are they protecting their and your interests in the buildingcode arena? Simply stated, what affects one member of ourindustry affects us all. The more we work together, themore likely we will be able to protect our industry, while atthe same time provide a safe, enjoyable home improve-ment option that the consumer desires.Specifically relating to decks and railings, dealers must

be aware of the direction that code has taken toward morerestrictive regulations. Even if you are a distributor ofdecking boards, and the code change has to do with ledgerattachments, you will still want to be informed, as it affectsthe completed structure (the deck). If building code fordecks becomes overly restrictive, consumers may verywell choose to build something less difficult to get a permitfor. They may put in a patio or rock instead of a deck.Check with the code representatives of your suppliers

and find out what is going on that might affect your sales.You can also do some research yourself using theInternational Code Committee website, www.iccsafe.org.

– Diana Hanson is co-owner and operater of deck contractorWoodpile Construction, Meridian, Id., and Woodpile Products,maker of Deckit deck spacers. She is active in the NorthAmerican Deck & Railing Association and frequently writes forindustry publications. Contact her at [email protected].

Stay up on building codesto keep deck sales rolling

INDUSTRY TrendsBy Diana Hanson

SALES OF big-ticket deck packages may decrease if overly restrictivebuilding codes convince consumers and contractors into pouring a sim-ple concrete patio instead.

Merchant 9.08 Layout:M Sig1-nov 03 1-8,41-48 8/8/08 1:39 PM Page 5


WHAT’S A BEAN COUNTER doingrunning a building supply com-

pany? Multiplying revenue, forstarters, from $12 million in 1998 to$65 million in 2002. That’s an envi-able bottom line, but a CPA degree isjust one factor in Ovi Vento’s big-pic-ture road to success.Everglades Lumber & Building

Supply was launched, he says, as “alittle, old-fashioned hardware store”in Florida in 1941, back when that lit-tle pocket of real estate bordered thepark’s wilderness. Over the years, thecity crept westward: “Today, we’resmack in the center of Miami, sur-rounded by millions of houses,” hesays. Not bad.The backstory: Ovi’s family

arrived from Cuba via Puerto Rico in1972 in search of a business to sustainthem, and this ma-and-pa outpost wason the market. As his father saw theneed and grew some capital, he posi-tioned himself to feed his family onever-bigger slices of the building-trade pie by increasing acreage (10today), launching rebar and millworkmanufacturing operations, and more. Meanwhile, Ovi used that account-

ing degree with a big corporation untilcalled back to join the family firm in1984. He stayed on when Evergladesgot an acquisition offer it couldn’trefuse, and when that parent groupput the operation on the market oncemore in 2002, he stepped forward as abuyer: “This is what I want to bedoing,” he vividly recalls the Eurekamoment.And the rest isn’t just history, as

the saying goes. It was merely thebeginning of yet-more substantialexpansion, but, even more important,

All the way to the bank

EVERGLADES chief Ovi Vento preaches theimportance of building relationships to build abusiness.

a significant philosophical shift that’scontinued to grow the company, evenin these tenuous times.Almost immediately, he cleared

out 10% the store to incorporate adesign showroom (and opened a sec-ond showroom in the Boca Ratonlocation the following year). “It wassomething I’d always wanted, as Istarted to learn the business—to caterto designers. Instead of showing fivehammers, for instance, I cut back totwo to gain room for our higher-endproducts. But early on, I knew it was-n’t reaching the right targets.Customers, who would discover it byaccident, would later tell me, ‘I hadnot idea…!’ So, two years ago, to

reach the high-end market we needed,I bought the freestanding buildingnext door”—12,000 sq. ft.—andfleshed it out with luxury hardware,plumbing, doors, cabinets, closet andlaundry amenities, and the list goeson. It debuted in 2009.Remind me, again, Ovi: Who’s

buying those fancy items in the midstof the worst recession many of ushave ever seen? What were you think-ing?Just this: “I knew the economy was

shifting, but here’s the deal: The high-end is good in good times. And”—theclincher—“it stays strong in toughtimes, too. So I decided, despite theeconomy, to go ahead and do it, anddo it right—state of the art.”And to give away the ending, yes,

it’s working fine. Here’s why: “We’rein a very strategic location, so peoplecould notice the activity as they droveby, could see the progress, and won-der, ‘What the heck…?’ Then, wedidn’t hold our grand opening untilfour months later [buying time to ironout any glitches], when we rolled outthe red carpet for a who’s-who list ofthe architect community, designers,high-end contractors, bankers,celebrities, and government officials.We partnered with a car dealer to parkhis luxury models in front and drivebusiness for both of us. “Word-of-mouth was outstanding;

we had 600 attendees, and we madeeverybody feel comfortable. We tookcare of them, showing them there wasmore than great products, there wasfollow-through. People left saying,‘What a pleasure!’ whether they’dspent $10 or $1,000, and that was thebest part for me: I concentrated not so

COMPETITIVE IntelligenceBy Carla Waldemar


much on good revenue as on goodtraffic. We created a great environ-ment, showing that we’re here to help,to become part of their team (in con-trast to other places where they useyou and abuse you,” he laughs).Easier preached than done, as

every owner knows. But Ovi (unlikemost accountants, dare we say?) is atrue people-person and walks the talkbecause he realizes his success restswith his staff. “I’m very hands-on. Ilive by the philosophy of empoweringpeople. Here’s what I tell them: ‘Yourjob is to sit here, where I’m sit-ting…and I’ll help you get there.’ Ifthere’s a problem, we find a positivesolution. Customer service is fore-most, so I teach them things like toreturn phone calls the same day. [Trueto his word, Ovi returned thisreporter’s call the same afternoon—virtually the first ever to do so]. “I have an open-door policy (open

book, too). I see everybody, andwe’re all on the same level: no titles.Titles merely hide insecurities,” saysthe man who refuses to call himselfc.e.o. “At our recent end-of-year salesmeetings, I talked to them about thepast year. Sure, the economy hasaffected us, but I stressed looking for-ward, a ‘time of renewal’. I shared mygoals and dreams, and the responsewas awesome. Yet no one left morefired up than I.”(True, the company has been

forced to reduce staff in 2009 and hascurtailed overtime, which was “verychallenging for me,” Ovi confesses.“It broke my heart.”)The outside sales force continues

full-steam ahead. “We visit every job-site in town and talk to everyone,”attests their leader, who directs themthus: “Your goal is to do for your cus-tomers whatever they need—thingsnobody else can, or will, do—evendirect them to buy directly off theInternet if that’s the best idea: Do theright thing. And guess what? BecauseI also sell commodities—no competi-tive price differential there—who getsthose orders? We do! And while oth-ers might require a builder to rent acrane to get the plywood where heneeds it, we’ve purchased an expen-sive crane, and we’ll do it.” It’s about relationships, too, and

that’s another of uber-gregariousOvi’s fortés: “I keep a profile of thetop 20% of our customers—get toknow their families, their key people.We talk. And I cater to their needs:‘We’ll take care of you,’ I tell them.

FLORIDA DEALER recently opened a stand-alone design center in Miami, Fl., to fill the void left bythe closure of Home Depot’s Expo Design Centers.

That’s our specialty, even if we’re alittle high [in price]. I was never thecheapest, but I give the best service.”And that stands true across the board,for Everglades has a wide field ofcompetitors, different in each of itsoperations, from rebar to millwork tohigh-end products; custom housing tocommercial accounts to governmentcontracts. The mix he’s achievedtoday is 65 pro/35 retail, “with 50/50as the diversity I eventually want,” heprofesses. Wisely, he’s building Everglades’

growth on staying power. “Even ingood times, we were never burdenedwith debt. I act very conservatively,never expanding too fast. We focuson our core strengths and our efficien-cies. Remember,” he jokes, “I’m aCPA! A bean counter.”But he’s also Mr. Miami. “I like to

get out and meet people. I’m preach-ing all the time,” Ovi laughs, “and Iend up getting [orders for] the materi-al. My goal is, every week to attracttwo new long-term customers. Ibelieve that partnering is vital, whichbenefits all of us: general contractors,subs, government accounts. For them,I’ll even put on my lobbying hat,” hedeclares. “I like to learn what’s goingon around town.”At the moment, it’s building a

new, big-deal stadium for the Marlins.“I got to meet their president—andI’m president of the Latin BuildersAssociation,” he adds. “‘Look,’ I said,about the awarding of stadium con-tracts, ‘I have no problem with oppor-tunities for others in our industry, butI need a commitment that the workstays in the community.’ And I got anagreement! I became the Hispanicspokesman, and I worked it hard: ‘AllI want is a crack at the rebar….’”Result? “I brought the job here.” This community leader is also on

the board of the Orange Bowl, localhospitals, the YMCA, and more. “Ilike to give back rather than spendmoney on advertising,” he explains.Give back, but not look back.

Economically, “I believe we’veturned the corner. South Florida isstill slow, but the now attitude of peo-ple here has totallyshifted. For 2010,I budgeted a30% growth forthe company.And, you knowwhat?” Ovie x c l a i m s .“ W e ’ r eg o n n amake ithappen!”

Carla [email protected]


PRODUCT SpotlightOriented Strand Lumber

AS RECENTLY AS TWO YEARS AGO,oriented strand lumber was being

touted as the hottest new product inengineered wood—one that wouldovertake lumber markets during thenext 20 years the same way that simi-larly produced oriented strand boardhad dominated panel markets over theprevious 20.At the time, Louisiana-Pacific was

converting its OSB plant in Houlton,Me., to produce OSL. Tolko Industrieswas building a huge new facility inAthabasca, Alberta, Canada, to manu-facture both OSL and OSB. GrantForest Products was test-marketingOSL for use in molded upholsteredfurniture frames. Weyerhaeuserdesigned its 10-year-old OSB mill inHudson Bay, Saskatchewan, with theflexibility to one day add OSL produc-tion lines. And, Ainsworth—whichbegan producing OSL in 2003—wasprojecting that OSL would one dayspread from use in rimboard to head-ers, beams, structural insulated panels,and even studs.Today, Ainsworth is the only North

American company said to be produc-ing OSL, marketing it in a singleapplication, 0.8E Durastrand rimboard.So, what happened to OSL? Tolko was just bringing its

Athabasca Division on line when theeconomic downturn forced moth-balling of the plant in February 2009.Several months later, Grant

declared bankruptcy and is selling itsOSB mills to Georgia-Pacific.LP decided to convert Houlton to

laminated strand lumber, a similarproduct to OSL. “The main differencebetween these two materials has to dowith the way they are manufactured,”explained Melissa Warren, EWP prod-uct manager. “LSL is made with strips

Whateverhappened to OSL?

of wood that are up to 13" long. OSLstrands are shorter than that—but stilllonger than OSB flakes, which arebetween 3" and 4". When we firststarted the Houlton project, wethought we’d be producing shorterstrands, making it OSL. But then oncewe got all the equipment in place andstarted working on the ‘recipe,’ wecould actually produce longer strands.There is an advantage of the longerstrands, making it a little stronger thanan OSL. But we never went to marketwith an OSL, it’s always been anLSL.”Weyerhaeuser has likewise concen-

trated on LSL. “At first blush, OSLlooks similar to LSL, but the similari-ties end there,” said Weyco’s GregWells. “The manufacturing process ofTimberStrand LSL involves steaminjection and pressure, which allowsheat to penetrate to the core providinga solid, consistent bond of the adhe-sives. The strands to manufactureTimberStrand LSL are also about 12"long. Weyerhaeuser has never manu-factured OSL.” Production of OSL continues at

Ainsworth, albeit at reduced levels.“The fact that OSL and LSL productsare marketed in much lesser volumes

OSL, currently produced by Ainsworth alone asDurastrand rimboard, uses the same sizestrands as OSB, as well as a similar manufac-turing process of heat and pressure.

these days owes to an overall market-place that consumes much smaller vol-umes of building materials in general,linked to very poor housing starts—hence, LSL and OSL production isseverely curtailed,” noted RobertFouquet, v.p.-sales & marketing. “Onewould expect a return to better pro-duction rates when activity resumes.”Its 0.8E grade material, Fouquet

said, “product is primarily used in rim-board applications in California whereenhanced code requirements are inplace relative to earthquakes.Ainsworth continues to produce 0.8Edespite the downturn. Our team iscommitted to serving this marketplaceand delivering products to our tradepartners, regardless of marketplaceconditions.”Higher E-values are required for

studs (about 1.3E to 1.5E), beams andheaders (1.5E to 1.7E), glulam, andLVL (1.7E to 2.0E). “Market price ofthe product is indexed to E-value and,of course, there is a correlationbetween E-value and manufacturingcost,” Fouquet said. “The relationshipbetween E-value and cost is such thatin the higher range of E-values, a typi-cal OSL/LSL product line becomessomewhat uncompetitive with LVLproduct lines from a usage perspec-tive. With LVL being widely availablefrom a variety of suppliers and in largequantities, it has become the preferredchoice for use in mid-to-longer spanheaders and beams.”In the long term, when market con-

ditions warrant, Ainsworth plans tocomplete the expansion of its OSBfacility at Grande Prairie, Alberta,adding a second manufacturing linethat can produce OSB, OSL and LSL.Be patient. More OSL products, in

greater quantities, are to come.


Valley Lumber Co., Basalt,Co., last month closed its GrandJunction, Co., yard, which opened asDenning Lumber in the 1930s.

New Kings Ace Hardware,Billings, Mt., will break ground thisspring on a third local store, hoping toopen the 22,000-sq. ft. unit in the fall.

Lowe’s opened a new 117,000-sq. ft. store Jan. 15 in N. Concord, Ca.

Lowe’s also applied to build a newunit on 15 acres in Clearlake, Ca., aswell as a 110,000-sq. ft. store with25,000-sq. ft. garden center inSilverthorne, Co.—days after HomeDepot submitted plans for a 102,000-sq. ft. store wtih 16,000-sq. ft. gardencenter in Silverthorne.

Arizona Sash & Door, Tucson,Az., closed at the end of January after85 years.

Owner Foxworth-GalbraithLumber has put the facility up forsale.

Habitat for Humanity held aJan. 21 grand opening for a newReStore discount LBM outlet inMontclair, Ca.

Habitat breaks ground this spring ona 4,500-sq. ft. ReStore in Belfair, Wa.

Stock Building Supply soldits shuttered site in Ketchum, Id., to agrocer.

Stock has redesigned its corporatewebsite, stockbuildingsupply.com, torepresent the full spectrum of LBM andservices the chain provides. The site isnow comprised of seven sections,including “Green Resources.”

DEALER BriefsNorth Pacific Placed intoReceivership to Repay DebtsA federal judge has appointed a

receiver to sell North Pacific’s busi-nesses and properties so its debts canbe repaid. The company and its sub-sidiaries owe about $42 million on a$160-million credit agreement signedthree years ago. Based in Portland, Or., North

Pacific expanded nationwide in recentyears by acquiring top wholesalers ineach region—Schultz, Snyder &Steele in the Midwest; SaxonvilleUSA in the Northeast, and AllenTimber in the South. North Pacific announced in August

that it had signed a letter of intent tosell its assets to an unidentified“nationally recognized private equityfirm.” When the deal did not close asexpected before the end of 2009, c.e.o.Jay Ross said, “We’re taking our time,they’re taking their time. That’salright with us.” The deal never closed. Wells Fargo Capital Finance then

gave North Pacific a January 15 dead-line to sell its assets before the lenderswould cease funding the loans. In theletter, Wells Fargo said it had receivednotice that BlueLinx Holdings Inc.,Atlanta, Ga., was no longer willing tobuy North Pacific’s assets on previ-ously agreed upon terms.“This is the third transaction that

would have provided for the paymentof the obligations to the lenders thathas failed to materialize in the past sixmonths,” noted Amy Newman, v.p. ofWells Fargo Capital Finance.

BMHC Becomes BMC SelectBuilding Materials Holding Corp

has completed financial restructuringand emerged from Chapter 11. The company’s secured lenders

converted debt into equity, became the

new owners, and consolidated itsoperating brands as BMC Select.Corporate headquarters moved back toBoise, Id., from San Francisco, Ca., “Like every business associated

with residential housing and construc-tion, our company has faced unprece-dented challenges during the last fewyears,” said Paul Street, BMC Select’snew c.e.o. “Our new name celebratesour new beginning and leverages theimportant legacies and brand equityassociated with BMC West andSelectBuild.”A new executive management team

comprised of company veterans willlead the company, with assistancefrom a new, independent board ofdirectors. Stan Wilson will continue aspresident and chief operating officer,and Danny McQuary will serve aschief financial officer. The new board includes Street, Jay

B. Hunt, Peter C. Alexander, MarcChasman, Dennis Downer, Michael A.Maidy, and Carl R. Vertuca Jr.

Fiberon Rebrands CompanyFiber Composites LLC, New

London, N.C., has changed its name toFiberon LLC, assuming the name ofits popular brand of decking and rail-ing products.The corporate name-change is

aimed at creating brand consistency incommunications, as part of an ongoingstrategy to expand its overall deckingsolutions portfolio under the Fiberonbrand.“Fiberon products have achieved an

unblemished reputation for innovationand reliability in the alternative deck-ing and railing industry segment. Assuch, we as a company want to focuson the Fiberon brand as we expand ourproduct line and sub-brands in a vari-ety of building products categories,”said Doug Mancosh, owner and c.e.o.

VAN ARSDALE-HARRIS LUMBER CO.595 Tunnel Ave., San Francisco, CA 94134 • 415-467-8711 • Fax 415-467-8144

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SUPPLIER Briefs

Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber, Inc.Pressure Treated Forest Products

Alkaline Copper Quat (ACQ) and BoratesCustom Treating

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

Gene Pietila

Sales for Coast Wood Preserving

Union Planing Mill, Stockton,Ca., has closed after 118 years.

Compass Lumber, Cotati, Ca.,is now carrying DreamDex in NorthernCalifornia, while Jones Lumber,Lynwood, Ca., is supplying SouthernCalifornia.

The FSC-certified radiata pine deck-ing is treated with BioCore preservativetechnology.

Woodfold Manufacturingreduced its Forest Grove, Or., work-force by one-third.

PacTrim, Rocklin, Ca., will nowproduce MoistureShield composite trimand moulding products for A.E.R.T.Simpson Strong-Tie has inte-

grated TimberTech composite andPVC decking, railing, and lighting prod-ucts into its DeckTools Deck Sales &Design software.

CertainTeed Gypsum is nowthe exclusive sales rep to independentprofessional channels in the U.S. fornoise-proofing products from fellowSaint-Gobain subsidiary Green GlueCo., Granville, N.Y.Fiberon has extended the indus-

try’s first stain and fade warranty to 20years on its Fiberon Horizon deckingand Outdoor Flooring product lines.

Georgia-Pacific Wood Pro-ducts achieved SustainableForestry Initiative chain-of-cus-tody certification for its engineered lum-ber facilities and SFI fiber sourcing cer-tification for its EWP, structural panels,and softwood lumber products.

Silvaris Opens Eugene OfficeLowGradeLumber parent Silvaris

Corp., Bellevue, Wa., has opened atrading office in Eugene, Or.The new office’s entire staff—Bob

Brass, Dave Brewer, Bob Spagnolo,Pat Meyers, Don Wood, Dick Barnes,Rob Parks, and Dustin Smith—hadbeen with Maywood-Anderson ForestProducts, Eugene.

Glulam Maker Goes Blue Calvert Co., Vancouver, Wa., is

opening a licensed factory applicationcenter to treat its glue laminatedbeams with BluWood mold protectionand FRC fire retardant coatings.Calvert becomes the first autho-

rized affiliate of EcoBlu Products,Carlsbad, Ca., and will also manufac-ture private label glulams for EcoBlu.

Parr Shares Ad MessagesParr Lumber, Hillsboro, Or., hopes

to collect royalty fees when the com-pany’s award-winning advertisingcampaigns are sold to non-competingLBM dealers across the country. “Everyone is frustrated by the

recession, everyone wants to getgoing again, but they no longer havethe internal resources,” said JenniferSwick, former marketing director atParr. She and her partner, Scott Ericson,

spent the last 17 years developingadvertising campaigns at Parr. Nowthey have started their own firm,Wheelhouse 20/20, to help LBMcompanies survive by focusing ongreen, energy efficient, and sustain-able building products. Parr willremain a client of Wheelhouse 20/20and collect a royalty fee for the pro-gram’s use.“It will be very important moving

forward because you have to cutthrough the noise in a disappearing or

shrinking market,” said Rick Davis,president of Building Leaders Inc., aChicago-based sales and training con-sultant.“I think they have a good business

model,” said Davis, who has judgedbuilding industry advertising cam-paigns. “What we’re looking for is anidea worth stealing. There’s no dangerof repeating the same message ifyou’re in a different state.”

Oregon Death InvestigatedThe Oregon Occupational Safety

& Health Administration is investigat-ing the accidental death of a worker atDouglas County Forest Products,Winchester, Or. Holger Fussel, 39, who had

worked at the company for nine years,fell from a catwalk Dec. 28 andbecame entangled in machinery. Co-workers administered CPR and

first aid, but he was pronounced deadat a local hospital.

Redtree Sells Redwood LandRedtree Properties, Santa Cruz,

Ca., has agreed to sell two redwoodtracts in the Santa Cruz Mountainstotalling 267 acres to SempervirensFund, a nonprofit land trust based inMountain View, Ca., for $2.1 million. “There are some pretty sizable

trees, second-growth redwoods there,about 100 years old,” said ReedHolderman, executive director ofSempervirens Fund. Redtree already had state permits

to cut 35% of the redwood andDouglas fir trees larger than 18 inchesin diameter on the smaller, 107-acretract. The nonprofit hopes to sell thisland back to the state, so it canbecome part of the adjoining statepark. Redtree was formed in 1986 from

holdings of Santa Cruz Lumber Co.


WE ALL HAVE A “NUMBER” we want to hit. The myth ofhaving 40 hours a week to hit that number is just

that, a myth. This myth causes many to relax and think theyhave more time than they actually do to find and close busi-ness. This leads to unfocused, lackadaisical sales calls andorganization.The “action” in a basketball, football, baseball game or

golf tournament is a fraction of the time spent preparing forthe action. The same can be said of our sales years, weeksand days. Let’s do the yearly math first:365 – 104 weekend days = 261, – 10 (vacation days) =

251, – 5 (national holidays) = 246 actual selling days.Before we continue with our math problem, let’s talk

about the 104 weekend days. Bryan Concannon says, “Monday thru Friday is for

keeping up, Saturdays are for getting ahead.” David Olsen says, “If you’re not coming in on Sunday,

don’t bother coming in on Monday.” I quote these two gentlemen because I run across so

many sellers who tell me they will do anything to succeed.These same salespeople work a non-intense 37-and-a-half-hour week and expect to compete with guys like BryanConcannon and David Olsen who really mean it when theysay they will do anything to succeed!If, in addition to our normal week, we work ever

Saturday and half days on Sundays, we will have a 31%advantage over most of our competitors. If we workSaturdays, we have a 20% advantage. If we work one halfday per weekend or every other Saturday, we will have a10% advantage. “The Millionaire Next Door” says thatmost millionaires in America work 60-70 hours a week andbuy used cars. (Who buys all the new cars? Well-paid salespeople rank high on the list.)As salespeople, we are running a small business.

Entrepreneurial work habits produce entrepreneurialresults; employee work habits produce employee results.Here’s an exercise I do with my classes (and myself).

Make a grid of your week, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday toSunday. Fill in the hours with the following:• In-house meetings• Administration/paper work/research• Prospecting (finding and qualifying new customers)• Selling (working existing qualified accounts)• Breaks/personal timeIf you are like most sellers, you will say 24-28 hours a

week of selling time in a 40-hour week. The real number isprobably lower. Most lumber brokers will tell you theyhave a tough time logging 200 minutes a day on the phone.This is just phone time. Let’s assume these sellers are onwith customers for the full 200 minutes. 200 x 5 = 1000minutes, ÷ 60 = 16.6 hours per week. I work with roadsalespeople and street salespeople. Rare is the day wespend more than 4 hours in front of customers. 4 hours x 5days = 20 hours per week.Our True NumberAccording to David Foster Wallace, “The truth will set

you free, but not until it’s done with you.”Dividing our number by actual days and hours may

scare us (it does me!) and will definitely focus us. It willhelp us understand the need for thorough preparation foreach call. For example:28-hour sales week: $100,000 ÷ 246 = $406, ÷ 5.6

hours (28 ÷ 5) = $72.50 per hour. With a commissionschedule paying 33%, we will need to generate $217 ofprofit every selling hour.20-hour sales week: $100,000 ÷ 246 = $406, ÷ 4 hours

(20 ÷ 5) = $101.50 per hour. With a commission schedulepaying 33%, we will need to generate $304 of profit everyselling hour.16.6-hour sales week: $100,000 ÷ 246 = $406, ÷ 3.3

hours (16.6 ÷ 5) = $123 per hour. With a commissionschedule paying 33%, we will need togenerate $369 of profit every sellinghour.For sales managers and individ-

ual salespeople alike, knowing oursales math will show us exactly howand where to spend our time.Knowing our sales math willintensify and give urgencyto each of our sales calls.Our true selling time

is finite. Be prepared.Do the math.

Do the math

OLSEN On SalesBy James Olsen

James OlsenReality Sales Training

(503) 544-3572james@

reality-salestraining.com

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Preserve® ACQ® is an AWPA standardized soluble copper wood preservative for above ground and ground contact that provides long-term protection from decay and termites for a wide variety of residential, commercial and industrial applications. Backed by more than 20 years of severe weather testing, Preserve® remains a proven performance choice for treated lumber used in decking, fencing and outdoor projects

Wood that looks better and lasts longer.Viance is a pioneer in wood preservation technology, offering a full line of AWPA standardized, treated wood solutions engineered for high performance and environmental sustainability. By providing tough, long-lasting protection against the elements — whether it’s water, decay termites, or fire — Viance enables builders to work with creativity and a healthy peace of mind.

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and, he said, “those can be more valu-able than the wage.” Maclean hopes for better days, but

thinks they’re not here yet. “I startedin the lumber business out of college,and I’ve never seen it this bad,” hesaid. When the housing market wasbooming, Sunset employed approxi-mately 150 full-time. The plant cur-rently has about 45 employees. At the close of 2009, American

Millwork, Elkhart, In., was able to put18 employees back to work. Earlier inthe year, however, American had laidoff 72 workers when parent RAFIndustries shifted production to sistercompany Ferche Millwork, Rice, Mn.“I’m so excited about hiring people

back,” said Tom Harper, who hasserved as president of AmericanMillwork for the past year. “It’s a

good feeling because it was awfulwhen we had to let those people go.”Harper hopes to be able to rehire

more workers before the end of 2010.“I’m pretty optimistic we’re going tosee good sales growth this year,” hesaid. “As we grow, we’ve got plentyof space here.”According to RAF Industries,

“options and incentives not availableto us previously” prompted the com-pany to reconsider its plans to closethe Elkhart facility. Other factorswere a slight upswing in the housingmarket and employee wage conces-sions. The equity firm also said thatramping up production in Elkhart“represents the best long-term posi-tioning of the combined businesseswhen our industry recovers from thecurrent economic conditions.”Unfortunately, just after American

took a step forward, Ferche took twoback. In early January, Ferche laid off22 employees on the night shift, rep-resenting less than 10% of the compa-ny’s work force. “It’s economic innature. Under current conditions, youdon’t need that capacity,” said GeraldGrider, president of Ferche. “We’llcertainly take that capacity back whenconditions change.”There was no way to spin the news

as good at Union Planing Mill, whichwas forced to close at the end of 2009after 118 years in Stockton, Ca. “Thestate of the construction industry rightnow is terrible,” said president MattBrodie. “You bid and you bid and youbid, with very little to show for it.”One of the problems, Brodie said,

was that the company lacked the deeppockets needed to continue operatingin an uncertain economy. “It comesdown to capital,” he said. “The big-ger, better capitalized companies willbe the survivors.”

Moulding and millwork–recovery or mirage?

INDUSTRY Trends

AMERICAN MILLWORK’S plant in Elkhart, In., is busy again. Employees Rob Wilson (background)and Andrew McKenna (foreground) work in the rip-saw area, where lumber is ripped and sortedbefore being sent to the moulding machines.

RECENT HEADLINES FROM ACROSSthe country have noted signs of

life in the moulding and millworkindustry. But is news of a turnaroundpremature?“Hiring with Hope” ran a Chico,

Ca., newspaper headline announcingthat Sunset Moulding was looking toadd workers at its local plant. In actu-ality, Sunset needed to fill just threeentry-level positions—and those wereto replace one employee who retiredand two others who resigned. “It’s not that business is getting

better,” said plant manager TomMaclean. “I’ve got spots to fill.They’re labor jobs.” He received about 25 applications

in the first three days the hiring signwas up, even though the starting wagewas low. But benefits are included


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Cost-Effective Green a Trend to WatchThe key to the mainstreaming of

green is to make sure that consumersunderstand the value of greenupgrades—and exactly how cost-effective that sustainable constructioncan be in the long run, according to apanel of green building experts at theNational Association of HomeBuilders’ recent International BuildersShow in Las Vegas, Nv.Builders, remodelers and product

manufacturers are beginning to greentheir processes and incorporate moreenergy-, water-, and resource-efficientfeatures. They are learning how toreduce waste on the job site to saveenough money to pay for theseupgrades—and help ensure that thebuilder makes a profit, said consultantSteve Bertasso.Green building appears to have

reached the tipping point, evidencedby its moving out of the custom homemarket into high-production homes, hesaid. “This year is going to be a bigchange in the production [building]environment. Consumers are askingquestions they didn’t ask two and ahalf years ago and contractors aremaking better decisions.”

The key to reducing the nation’senergy use is to green existing homes,said Philip Beere, who is remodelingdistressed properties near Phoenix’snew rapid transit line. Adding insula-tion, improving the ventilation and airconditioning systems and replacingturf grass with landscaping moreappropriate to the Southwest’s desertclimate doesn’t cost much more than atraditional remodel, but “retrofittingthese homes to be green is a goodsolution,” he said.Connecticut home builder Jim

Pepitone called himself a “lateadopter,” but one who has finally seenthe green light—and believes the restof the industry can’t be far behind.Builders need to educate consumerson air sealing, the importance of right-sized heating systems and good insula-tion, and the advantages of rooms thatcan serve more than one purpose sothe home can be smaller and lessexpensive, he preached. “We need tomake sustainable attainable.”

Parr Shares Ad MessagesParr Lumber, Hillsboro, Or., hopes

to collect royalty fees when the com-

pany’s award-winning advertisingcampaigns are sold to non-competingLBM dealers across the country. “Everyone is frustrated by the

recession, everyone wants to get goingagain, but they no longer have theinternal resources,” said Parr’s formermarketing director, Jennifer Swick.She and her partner, Scott Ericson,

spent the last 17 years developingadvertising campaigns at Parr. Nowthey have started their own firm,Wheelhouse 20/20, to help LBM com-panies survive by focusing on green,energy efficient, and sustainable build-ing products. Parr will remain a clientof Wheelhouse 20/20 and collect aroyalty fee for the program’s use.“It will be very important moving

forward because you have to cutthrough the noise in a disappearing orshrinking market,” said Rick Davis,president of Building Leaders Inc., aChicago-based sales and training con-sultant.“I think they have a good business

model,” said Davis, who has judgedbuilding industry advertising cam-paigns. “What we’re looking for is anidea worth stealing. There’s no dangerof repeating the same message ifyou’re in a different state.”


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www.reellumber.com

LUMBERSERVICE

At Reel Lumber Service, we supplydomestic and foreign hardwoods.Our products and services include:• Hardwood Lumber & Pine• Hardwood Plywood & Veneers• Melamine Plywood• Hardwood Moulding (alder, cherry,mahogany, MDF, maple, red oak, paint grade,

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


Terry Haddix, general mgr., Pro-Build, Santa Cruz, Ca., has retiredafter more than 30 years at theyard.

Bob Jirsa has been named v.p.-gov-ernment relations for Plum CreekTimber, Seattle, Wa. John Hobbsis now v.p.-investor relations, andDan Tucker, v.p.-tax.

Cadian Hendricks was promoted tov.p.-store mgr. of Arrow Lumber &Hardware, Port Townsend, Wa.

MOVERS & Shakers Ed Cunningham has been promotedto lumber sales mgr. at Rough &Ready Lumber, Cave Junction, Or.

Al Marsh, ex-Sherwood Lumber, hasjoined the trading staff at WesternInternational Forest Products,Portland, Or.

Scott Rimmer, ex-Forest GroveLumber, is new to sales at DisderoLumber, Clackamas, Or., handlingDouglas fir timbers and distributionsales.

Ronald D. Head has joined QuestConstruction Products, Phoenix,Az., to lead its national accountsbusiness.

Michael Mordell has been namedexecutive v.p.-purchasing forUniversal Forest Products, replac-ing David Phelps, who is retiring.

Bob Burnie has retired after 40 yearsin the industry, including 30 yearswith Taiga Building Products,Burnaby, B.C.

Scott Boates has been promoted tomgr.-sales & marketing at TealCedar Shake & Shingle, a divisionof The Teal-Jones Group, Surrey,B.C. Kevin Tisdall is a newsales/marketing rep in the samedivision.

Bud DeFlaviis has been appointedexecutive director for theSustainable Buildings IndustryCouncil, Washington, D.C.

Laurel Abel was named Employee ofthe Quarter at Hadlock BuildingSupply, Port Hadlock, Wa.

Papa Wheely is now in charge of dri-ver training for Mungus-FungusForest Products, Climax, Nv.,according to co-owners HughMungus and Freddy Fungus.

Home Depot Invests inHandheld TechnologyHome Depot will invest more than

$60 million—its biggest capitalinvestment in 2010—in handhelddevices that will help employees stockshelves, make telephone calls, andring up customer transactions any-where in the store. “This is the first big customer-ser-

vice tool we’ve given our associates ina very long time,” said Matt Carey,who was hired away from Ebay in2008 to become Depot’s chief infor-mation officer. “If you compare us toa world-class retailer, from a technolo-gy perspective, 1991 is kind of wherewe are pegged.” For the past 10 years, the chain’s

employees have managed inventory

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Allan Hoblitt, ex-Riley Creek, is nowwith Durk Wholesale Lumber,Hayden Lake, Id.

Chuck Whitaker, ex-North Pacific, isnow v.p.-finance at CapitalLumber, Phoenix, Az. JarrettDeschenes, ex-Stock BuildingSupply, is now a marketing special-ist in Chino, Ca. Rich Price, ex-Huttig Building Products, is a newaccount mgr. in Spokane Valley,Wa.


Since 1980

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Hardwood S4S –Stocking a large inventory of • Hardwood S4S – 1x2, 1x4, 1x6, 1x8,

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with computers powered by motor-boat batteries on rolling carts. In con-trast, Lowe’s has used handheld wire-less technology in its stores since1995.Starting this spring, each of

Depot’s 2,000 U.S. stores will receiveat least five of the Motorola devices—which combine mobile-telephonecalling, walkie-talkie communicationsamong employees, and inventorymanagement in a single device. Withan attachment, the device can processcredit and debit cards, allowing pur-chases to be made away from thecheckout registers. “With the way things are going in

the economy, it’s better for a retailerto invest in a customer-facing tech-nology than a back-end technologywhere they may not see a rate ofreturn as quickly,” said researcherSahir Anand. The device used at Lowe’s is simi-

lar to Depot’s. Employees in anydepartment can start customer pur-chases that cashiers complete by typ-ing in shoppers’ phone numbers.Lowe’s does not use the credit-cardprocessing function because of con-cerns over possible theft of transac-tion information over the wireless net-work.

2288 � The Merchant Magazine � February 2010

THE KEY TO SELLING the latest windows is educatinghomeowners, builders and remodelers on how the

products will save them not only energy, but money. Hereare sales tips from the experts at Simonton:Tip 1 – Share facts. According to the Department of

Energy, the typical home loses over 25% of its heat throughwindows. Choosing Energy Star-labeled products for thehome can cut energy bills by up to 30%. For details, visitwww.energystar.gov.Tip 2 – Talk investment. Energy-efficient vinyl win-

dows are an investment that provides ongoing payback forhomeowners. From the day they’re installed, these win-dows save on energy bills. And, when it’s time to sell thehome, energy-efficient windows are a great selling feature. For more details on the value of energy-efficient win-

dows, direct your customers to the unbiased EfficientWindows Collaborative, www.efficientwindows.org.Tip 3 – Showcase winning products. If the products

you sell have won industry awards and recognition, makesure your customer knows about them. Honors like theBuilder Quality Award and J.D. Power & Associates rank-ings guarantee quality products.Tip 4 – Suggest a home energy audit. Homeowners can

conduct a do-it-yourself home energy audit at hes.lbl.gov.Sponsored by the DOE, the Home Energy Saver isdesigned to help consumers identify the best ways to saveenergy in their homes and locate the resources to make thesavings turn into reality.Tip 5 – Sell the $1,500 tax credit. Share information

with customers on 2009-2010 Energy Tax Credit glasspackages that can provide them with up to $1,500 in federaltax credit. It’s a great incentive to replace windows rightnow. For more details, visit www.simonton.com/taxcredit.

MARGIN BuildersGreener Windows

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STRESS to consumers that they should see their utility bills plummetafter upgrading to more energy-efficient windows.


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Tip 6 – Educate on energy sav-ings. Provide your customers withresources so they can gain credible,third-party facts on energy savings inthe home. American Council for anEnergy-Efficient Economy offers ahome energy checklist at www.aceee.org. The American ArchitecturalManufacturers Association has con-sumer information on energy-efficientwindow selections at www.aamanet.org. National Association of HomeBuilders offers extensive consumerassistance at www.nahb.org.Tip 7 – Make their life easier. Put

your customer’s mind at ease. Remindthem that vinyl windows are durableand easy to maintain. With vinylframes, they never have to worryabout scraping and repainting frames,insect infestations, or rotting. And,tilt-in double-hung and single-hungunits make it simple to clean the out-side of the windows from the inside oftheir home. For more info on vinyl,visit www.vinylinfo.org.Tip 8 – Remove the fear factor.

To many homeowners, the thought ofhaving their windows replaced con-jures up images of birds flying in theirhome and a house that looks likeSwiss cheese. Calm their fears byexplaining the entire window replace-ment process, offering a checklist ofways to prepare for a window replace-ment and by working out specificdetails far in advance.Tip 9 – Visualize the future.

While you may be selling windows to

a couple in their 40s, it’s important tohelp them see the future. In 10 or 20years, will these homeowners reallywant the potential back stress of open-ing double-hung windows? Or, wouldcrank-out casement windows be a bet-ter long-term option?

Tip 10 – Seeing is believing. Usea window presenter demonstration kitto show homeowners the effect of heaton different types of window pack-ages. A comparison demo can show-case different glass packages and theirenergy efficiency.


THERE HASN’T BEEN THIS MUCH fear and uncertainty,lack of confidence in what the future will bring, along

with questions of reliability of our government and corpo-rate leaders, since the Great Depression. There is plenty for family businesses to be anxious

about these days. But the truth is, during anxious anduncertain times, family businesses are better situated thanmost other businesses not only to survive, but to grow andprosper.The stock market and consumer confidence index have

been bouncing as if they’re on a bungee cord. Economicconcerns, accounting practices, and enormous bankruptcieshave made business owners question their financial pic-tures, particularly since their banks, creditors, suppliers,and friends are asking questions they haven’t asked before.Across the country, prescriptions for tranquilizers and anti-anxiety medications have risen about 10%. Anxiety is con-

Family businessesin the Age of Anxiety

FAMILY BusinessBy Bernard Kliska

tagious.In my work with family businesses, I’ve certainly seen

an increase in anxiety. The issues may be the same, but theworry puts those issues in an entirely different context andadds a risky new element to working through them. Duringthese times, even normal or inevitable changes becomesupercharged with anxiety.Anxiety usually affects decision-making in one of two

ways, both of which are ill-advised. People become gluedto the spot, afraid to make major decisions or moves.Perhaps on the theory that anything is better than sitting ina hot spot, they succumb to their panic and make hasty,


better situated than other companies to grow during uncer-tain and anxious times. Instead of having stockbrokers andWall Street analysts second-guessing, giving contradictoryadvice and worrying them into paralysis or recklessness,family businesses are ultimately answerable to their owninternal, long-term support system. Personally and professionally, families have developed

long-standing ways of supporting one another and stickingtogether, a reliable system that will continue to serve themwell. If the anxiety seems too far out of proportion to theissue at hand, I ask them how they have supported eachother in the past when things were scary or uncertain. Family businesses have qualities that help them not just

stay afloat, but move ahead through uncertain times. Bytheir nature, family businesses are more entrepreneurialand more flexible. They also have a deeper reservoir ofloyalty to draw upon, not just from each other but alsofrom their employees. Less prone to lay people off andmore willing to hold onto employees longer, family busi-nesses often have a more motivated workforce.I try to replace their anxiety with a renewed sense of

mission. Dickens wrote: “It was the best of times, it wasthe worst of times.” Those words were never truer thanwhen applied today to family businesses. As the backboneof our economy, family businesses will be among thosewho lead the way out of fear.

– Bernard Kliska is an associate of the Family BusinessConsulting Group, Marietta, Ga.; (800) 551-0633. He can bereached at [email protected].

Reprinted with permission from The Family Business Advisor, a copyrighted publica-tion of Family Enterprise Publishers. No portion of this article may be reproduced withoutpermission of Family Enterprise Publishers.

reckless decisions. People are either spending far too muchtime trembling on the brink or wanting to charge forward. Families who used to worry about transitioning from

one generation to the next aren’t just worrying about howto gracefully ease the founders out or how to choose thenew successors without touching off battles and bruisingegos. Some families want to act more precipitously thanthey might have done before the economic crisis: the OldMan has to go now, before things get worse. Other companies that clearly need to change want to put

their succession plans on hold. Now is not the time to berocking the boat, they say. If the boat is taking on morewater, we can all just bail a little faster for a while.It’s not just succession issues that have become charged

with anxiety. Businesses entering a new stage in their nat-ural development aren’t asking the kind of positive, confi-dent questions that go along with the excitement of growth.Instead of asking what they need to do, or how they can doit, people are asking whether they should do anything atall. Acknowledging today’s unique business and social

environments seems important. It helps people see theirconcerns as something normal. It puts their anxiety in theproper place—as something that may make them morehesitant or reckless about making the necessary decisions,but not as something that’s directly related to what’s reallyhappening in their business. We may not be able to destroythe beast, but we can certainly put it in its cage, where all itcan do is occasionally rattle the bars and put on a distract-ing, but harmless, show.Family businesses can cope by replacing their anxiety

with a renewed sense of mission. Family businesses are


MANAGEMENT TipsBy Mike Dandridge

MOST DISTRIBUTORS TODAY oper-ate lean and hungry, expecting

more from a slimmed-down workforce. The need for efficiency has

required a re-evaluation of all jobdescriptions and every employee mustbe flexible enough to handle taskspreviously assigned to individuals nolonger with the company. The bad news is (that wasn’t the

bad news?) the labor force for thewholesale industry is shrinking,according to the U.S. Bureau of Laborstatistics. Young people aren’t liningup to join the construction industry. So, in spite of an uncertain econo-

my, distributors can’t wait for recov-ery to augment already streamlinedbranches. Just as a realtor will tell younow is the right time to buy a greathouse, the same wisdom applies here:now is a great time to hire the “rightperson.”Dr. John Sullivan, a leader among

human resources advisers, designatesrecruiting as an “evergreen job, a mis-sion-critical job where hiring is con-

tinuous,” regardless of whether anopening exists. By always interview-ing promising job prospects, you canprequalify candidates for possiblefuture openings, thus speeding up thehiring process when the job becomesavailable.Though hiring is the last thing

most wholesalers are thinking about,the smart distributor is actively purs-ing talent. He understands that a busi-ness is only as good as its employees,and knows that finding and hiring theright person isn’t simply a matter ofplacing an ad in the Help Wanted sec-tion of the local newspaper. Hiringgreat people requires a well-thought-out recruiting strategy. With that inmind, here are five steps to follow indeveloping such a strategy.

Step 1. Know why you’re hir-ing. Designing a recruiting strategyinvolves answering the question,“Why am I hiring?” Maybe thatseems obvious, but it’s important towrite down in a sentence or two whatyou intend to accomplish. Determine

how this new hire helps you in yourbigger plan. How will it bring youcloser to achieving your businessobjectives? Your decision to hire could be

based on current or future growth. Orit could be to capture business from acompetitor and grow overall marketshare. Or you could be broadeningyour product or service offerings in anew area, such as fiber optics, data-com, or security systems. Of course,you could simply be replacing aworker who is no longer on the pay-roll. Know why you are hiring and itwill help sharpen your efforts.

Step 2. Write a customer-cen-tered job description. Most distribu-tors don’t bother writing a jobdescription. “What’s to describe?We’re hiring someone for sales/ware-house/whatever,” they say. Or, if ajob description does exist, it usuallylists a set of tasks to be performed,like this one for an outside sales rep:“Maintain account base, take orders,and add new customers. Perform anyduties assigned by branch manager.”Not a word about the “soft” skillsneeded, like the ability to empathize,improvise, and proselytize. While it’s true you want someone

with the “hard” skills suited to the jobat hand, your primary concern is howthe individual interacts with cus-tomers to meet their expectations.That’s where soft skills come in. It’simportant to determine if a job candi-date owns the behavioral characteris-tics to successfully meet the expecta-tions of the customer. Those qualitiesinclude verbal skills, high energy,enthusiasm and strong work ethic. Consider using a personality

assessment survey or developinginterview questions that focus onuncovering behavioral traits. Finally,make your job description all-inclu-sive. There are a growing number ofwomen in wholesaling, and this laborpool is a rich source of talent oftenoverlooked in a male-dominatedindustry.

Step 3. Prioritize your hiringneeds. Now that you have written ajob description and you know whatperformance level to target, nextfocus on where it will do the mostgood.Warehouse, sales, purchasing,

operations? Don’t assume if you hireenough people the job will get done.You need to hire the right people.

How to win thewar for talent


Naturally, it would be ideal if youcould always hire top performers, butin the real world, that’s not going tohappen. Sometimes it is a matter ofchoosing from the best of availablecandidates.

Step 4. Identify future hiringneeds, when possible. For instance,when the company wins a projectrequiring a bigger work force, let’ssay an onsite vendor managed inven-tory, obviously more workers will benecessary. Don’t wait until the con-tract is about to start. Begin pre-screening applicants right away. Another example of planning for

future needs is when you’re havingdisciplinary problems with anemployee and it’s becoming apparentyou’re going to have an upcomingvacancy.

Step 5. Design a service-levelagreement for new hires to sign.Base it on the job description fromstep 2. Let employees know exactlywhat is expected of them. Spell it out.Don’t assume they’ll “just know” togreet customers courteously, answerthe phone politely, keep the branchclean, and all the hundreds of other

little items you expect employees todo without being told.

Where To Look?One of the first places distributors

look for skilled recruits is in the workforce of a competitor. But, keep inmind that a worker who will leave acurrent employer, given the rightoffer, likely will leave you, as well.Besides, you don’t want someoneelse’s disgruntled employee. So how do you know when it’s

worth taking a risk on an employeefrom a competing firm? Ask yoursales people. Chances are they knowwho the best workers are in yourcommunity. If you’ve been in busi-ness for five years or more, you prob-ably do, too. Make a point of gettingto know the top performers in yourmarketplace.

Your Own BackyardDon’t overlook the development of

people who already work for you.Invest in training and develop yourown talent pool. Offering training toeager employees can help retainworkers and improve morale. It canalso serve as a barometer for discov-ering which workers show initiative.

Most employees, given the choice,won’t take advantage of trainingofferings. The ones that do will beyour more ambitious workers.Future NowDr. Sullivan reminds managers and

business owners to always be alert forgood people. By looking outside theindustry, you can start fresh withsomeone who doesn’t have precon-ceived ideas about the job require-ments of a supply house employee.Remember, most distributors are

downsizing. Your competitors aren’tgoing to take the talent shortage seri-ously until it’s too late. It’s just easierto procrastinate and scramble forwarm bodies as needed. It’s muchharder to focus on skills development,strategic planning, and constant flexi-bility. But, developing strategies forhiring and keeping the best of the bestcan give you the competitive edge inthe war for talent.And the distributor with the most

talent wins.– Mike Dandridge is a business speak-

er and author of several books on cus-tomer service, including his latest, FacingGoliath: Overcoming Predator-Competi-tors. He can be reached at [email protected].


ACZA TREATERS attended ChemoniteCouncil’s annual meeting Jan. 12 in Vancouver,Wa., sponsored by Chemonite supplier ArchWood Protection. [1] Bill Shropshire, DickJackson, Huck DeVenzio. [2] John Kranjc, KrisOwen, Bob Gruber. [3] Dick Keeley, SteveShields. [4] Kirk Hammond, Pam Mitchell. [5]

Grady Brafford, Tim Carey. [6] Peter Osborne,Rob Denison. [7] Georgia Baxter, Barry Haugen,Jerry Farley. [8] Sande Lavino, Dan Brimhall.[10] Bob Palacioz, Phil Schneider. [10] NealGoodwin, Darrell Smith. [11] Steve Wisnewski,Eric Lummus. [12] John Tomlin, Don Bratcher.

Photos by Huck DeVenzio CCHHEEMM

OONNIITTEE CCOOUUNNCCIILL


Mountain States Lumber &Building Materials Dealers Asso-ciation has selected “Space Odyssey”as the theme for its annual expoMarch 11-12 in Denver, Co.This year, the show will open earli-

er on the first day and include a din-ner buffet. The second day will startwith breakfast and a speaker, withexhibits open until noon. The expo is also being held at a

new venue—the Plaza at the DenverMerchandise Mart.

Western Building Material Asso-ciation installed Kelly Fox, DunnLumber Co., Seattle, Wa., as presi-dent of its Young Westerners Clubduring the recent YWC conference inEugene, Or. He succeeds JasonSackman, ProBuild, Meridian, Id.Other new officers will be

announced in next month’s Merchant.

Lumber Association of Califor-nia & Nevada’s 2nd Growth groupwill hold its next meeting March 4 inBuena Park, Ca. LACN’s annual PAC golf tourna-

ment is set for April 15 at Black GoldGolf Club, Yorba Linda, Ca.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumber-man’s Club will gather for a day atthe races April 17 at Santa Anita Park,Arcadia, Ca.

Western Wood Products Associ-ation will hold its annual meetingMarch 8 at Embassy Suites Hotel,Portland, Or.The special one-day session fea-

tures business meetings, networkingopportunities, and a lumber forecastpresentation.

Registered attendees will alsoreceive complementary passes to theexhibit floor of the Wood TechnologyClinic & Show, which runs March 9-11 at the Portland Convention Center.

North American WholesaleLumber Association has scheduledregional meetings April 6 at PortlandGolf Club, Portland, Or., and April 8at the Vancouver Club, Vancouver,B.C.NAWLA’s annual conference

takes place March 24-26 at HotelMonteleone, New Orleans, La.Motivational speaker Rachel

Faulkner will discuss “Hope &Tenacity When All Seems Lost.” Alsoon the program are Michael Chrizst,assist v.p.-research, Federal ReserveBank of Atlanta, and Wade Camp,Southeastern Lumber ManufacturersAssociation. Roundtable participantswill discuss green building products.Special events will include a net-

working reception, a railway trip anddinner in a refurbished dining car,dinner at Mother’s Next Door restau-rant, and a private boat cruise on theMississippi River.

Building Products RetailersAlliance has been founded by a groupof state dealer associations to developproducts and services for LBM com-panies.“For years, the regional and state

LBM associations have talked aboutthe opportunities we’d create by pool-ing our thoughts and resources,” saidFlorida Building Material Associationpresident Bill Tucker, who will dou-ble as president of BPRA. “With thisnew alliance, we’ve created the struc-ture to turn those opportunities into

ASSOCIATION Update

reality.”In addition to FBMA, other found-

ing members include WesternBuilding Material Association,Construction Suppliers Association,Northwestern Lumber Association,Illinois Lumber & Building MaterialDealers Association, SouthernBuilding Material Association, andKentucky Building MaterialAssociation.

National Lumber & BuildingMaterial Dealers Association willstorm Washington, D.C., March 15-17 for its spring meeting and legisla-tive conference at Marriott Washing-ton, co-hosted by North AmericanBuilding Material DistributionAssociation and Window & DoorManufacturers Association.Meetings will focus on how a

housing recovery will end the currentrecession.Presentations include the annual

Washington Briefing Breakfast &Keynote Address, two federal issuespanel discussions, a talk by politicalanalyst Charlie Cook, and “Lobbying101,” including optional Capitol Hillvisit training.

American Architectural Manu-facturers Association has scheduledits 73rd annual conference Feb. 14-17at JW Marriott Desert Springs, PalmDesert, Ca. Keynote speaker will be Mark

Whitacre, the highest-level executiveof a Fortune 500 company to becomea whistleblower in U.S. history. Theassociation’s Green & SustainabilitySpecification Task Group will meet,and the annual awards banquet willrecognize outstanding members.


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Marine & Industrial SalesMiguel Gutierrez

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Pat Dolan, 84, owner Dolan’sLumber, Pinole, Ca., died Dec. 31from pneumonia, a complication ofParkinson’s disease, in Orinda, Ca.At age 21, he emigrated to the Bay

Area from Ireland. He became a U.S.citizen, served in the National Guard,worked various jobs, and went toschool. With $6,000 he earned cutting and

selling Christmas trees in December1958, he established the first of fiveBay Area stores. Up until lastNovember, he still came to workalmost every day at the Pinole store.

Patrick Sabrowski, 61, salesmanat Sun Mountain Lumber, DeerLodge, Mt., died Jan. 13 in DeerLodge.Mr. Sabrowski served with the

Marines in Vietnam, and was honor-

IN Memoriam

ably discharged as a staff sergeant. He and his wife, Linda, have been

the sales team at Sun Mountain since2004.

Raymond Anthony Flynn, 67,founder of Windsor Mill, Cotati, Ca.,died Jan. 17 in San Rafael, Ca. Mr. Flynn attended San Francisco

City College and Tulane University,New Orleans, La. The company he started in 1972

grew to include facilities in the U.S.and Chile.

Edward Von Tobel Jr., 96, partof the family who founded Von TobelLumber, Las Vegas, Nv., died Dec.29 in Las Vegas.He grew up working at his father’s

lumberyard in downtown Las Vegas.After graduating from Santa Clara

University, he handled accountingand bookkeeping and oversaw expan-sion to several locations. He served in the Army during

World War II and returned to thebusiness afterwards. In the 1980s, thefamily sold the business to a nationalchain that later went out of business.

Margo Conner, 56, former Cen-tral California lumber executive andthe first woman president of theLumber Association of California &Nevada, died suddenly January 2while on an annual trip to Las Vegas,Nv., with her sisters.She was elected LACN president

in 2004, during her 19-year career asfinancial manager for Pacific HomeDo it Garden, San Luis Obispo, Ca. She also served LACN as treasur-

er, chair of the insurance, member-ship, and education committees, andfirst and second vice president.

Ernest “Ernie” Fullmer, 90,founder of Hells Canyon LumberSales, Baker City, Or., and FullmerLumber, Tigard, Or., died January 3in Helvetia, Or.He served in the U.S. Army during

World War II. After the war, hemoved his family to Oregon andestablished the lumber businesses. Hewas still selling loads of clear selectDouglas fir during the last weeks ofhis life.

Thomas “Tom” Charles Rice, 75,former owner of Rice Lumber, ForestGrove, Or., died January 1 in ForestGrove. He also owned B&B Real Estate,

Forest Grove, for 37 years.


Long-Delayed Hawaii VeneerMill Nails Down FinancingTradewinds Forest Products has

finally obtained financing for a $62million veneer plant and biomassfacility in O’okala, Hi., on the site of aformer sugar mill. “We will create 100 permanent

jobs in one of the hardest-hit econom-ic regions in the state,” said presidentDon Bryan. He said that the company hopes to

continue the “Hamakua Coast’s richagricultural heritage” and become a“source for badly needed economicdiversification.” Construction of the mill is expected

to begin next month, with completionby spring or summer 2011. Logswould come from harvesting non-native timber in the 12,000-acreWaiakea Timber Management Areaand other suppliers.Phase two will be construction of a

cogeneration plant, which will burnmill residuals and provide steam torun veneer dryers. Excess energy willbe sold to Hawaii Electric Light Co.

SW Fastener Sellers MergeLord & Sons, San Jose, Ca., has

acquired fellow fastening and con-struction supplies distributor CarsonSales, Glendale, Az.Carson also operates a second DC

in Las Vegas, Nv., and e-commercesite CarsonSafety.com.“The addition of Carson Sales to

the Lord & Sons family is truly excit-ing,” said Robert Bullock, c.e.o. andco-president of Lord & Sons. “CarsonSales’ talent, locations and inventory

complement Lord & Sons’ businessand extend our ability to deliver thebest products and services to our cus-tomers.”

Hand Tool Makers Join UpIdeal Industries agreed to acquire

hand tool manufacturer WesternForge, Colorado Springs, Co. Ideal’s Randy Thompson will

become general manager of theWestern Forge subsidiary.Ideal vowed to invest “tens of mil-

lions of dollars” in new equipment toupdate Western Forge’s plant.

CertainTeed Gains Approvalfor Class Action SettlementCertainTeed Corp. received prelim-

inary court approval to settle a classaction lawsuit alleging faulty asphaltshingles. The settlement provides a formula

to pay individual claims when they arefiled by homeowners who are part ofthe class, meaning the amount of thesettlement hinges on how many claimswill be filed in the future.The settlement deal covers only

organic shingles, which the companydiscontinued manufacturing and sell-ing in 2005, with the brand namesHallmark Shangle, IndependenceShangle, Horizon Shangle, CustomSealdon, Custom Sealdon 30, Sealdon20, Sealdon 25, Hearthstead, SolidSlab, Master Slab, Custom Saf-T-Lok/Saf-T-Lok, and Custom Lok 25.The deal does not cover any fiber-

glass shingles, including the fiberglassversions of Hallmark, Independence,Horizon, and Hearthstead shingles.


NEW Products

Fiber Cement PanelsNichiha Sandstone fiber-cement panels are avail-

able in gentle gray, ash white, and autumn brown. Each panel is 7/8” thick, measures 18”x6’, and

weighs 47.5 lbs. � NICHIHA.COM(866) 424-4421

Ironwood PVC DeckingEndeck PVC decking from Enduris is now avail-

able in Ironwood, a dark, rich red-brown.The co-extruded decking has a woodgrain-

embossed surface on both sides, for easy reversibility.It also offers both scratch and slip resistance.� ENDURIS.COM(888) 329-7428


Flame-Blocking Sheathing FlameBlock fire-resistant OSB sheathing from LP

Building Products is designed to slow down or blockthe progress of fire in residential and commercialbuildings.A thin coating of non-toxic magnesium oxide

cement and fiberglass reportedly provides fire resis-tance without exposure to chemical treatments. Theproduct carries a Class-A flame-spread rating and isICC-certified for common roof and wall designs inmulti-family and commercial buildings. � LPCORP.COM(888) 523-7192

Cleaner LumberA new category of lumber products from iLevel by

Weyerhaeuser resists mold and reduces cull, savinglabor and inventory costs from sorting out inferiorboards.Pro Series Lumber is treated with a mold inhibitor

to help it stay clean and bright. Proprietary technologyand quality control checks remove boards that have agreater tendency to eventually crook, twist or bow. The product carries a NAHB Green Approved rat-

ing and SFI certification.Available sizes are 2x4 through 2x12.

� ILEVEL.COM(800) 228-0024

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


Matching TrimScrewsFastenMaster’s new Cortex

concealed fastening system usesproprietary trim screws and acombination setting-tool/drive-bit to install Versatex PVC trim.The system includes paintable

PVC plugs, which reportedlyeliminate caulking and sanding tohide nail or fastener holes. Each 250- or 750-lineal ft.

package includes ACQ-approvedscrews, setting tools, and Cortexplugs.� VERSATEX.COM(724) 857-1111

Extreme DeckFastenerIpe Clip’s Extreme4 fastener

is designed to work with any typeof decking and install withoutspecial tools. The square shape and stainless

steel insert fits into both custom-routed biscuit grooves and pre-grooved decking. With 4mmspacing, it also allows expansionand contraction of hardwoodsboards.Colors include brown, grey

and black.� IPECLIP.COM(866) 427-2547

Stringer ConnectorSimpson Strong-Tie’s adjust-

able stair-stringer connectoroffers a concealed connectionwhile replacing framing. The LSCZ installs with hot-

dipped galvanized screws orStrongdrive SD screws. The fastener is field slopeable

to all common stair stringerpitches and suitable for eithersolid or notched stringers. � STRONGTIE.COM(800) 999-5099

Hidden DeckFasteners Invisi-Fast hidden deck fas-

teners from MM Products arecompatible with all types ofdecking materials, includingtreated wood and composites. Constructed of Lexan, the

UV-resistant fasteners have abuilt-in spacer for proper spacingand overhang tabs for hands-freeattachment. � INVISIFAST.COM(866) 766-9427


ROCKLIN DISTRIBUTION CENTERTel. (800) 348-1400 • (916) 624-9293

SANGER DISTRIBUTION CENTERDistributed by

Undercover StaplerPaslode’s CapStapler speeds installation of house-

wrap, plastic sheathing, and roof underlayment.A patented button cap design protects against tear-

ing, while a large capacity reel holds 240 3/4” to 1-1/2” FasCaps. An in-line magazine provides greaterbalance and control.� PASLODE.COM(800) 222-6990

Fold-Up ToolsGorillaGrip folding toolsets from Bondhus come ininch, metric, and star-setcombinations.

The tools are madefrom Protanium steel,

while the polymer han-dles reportedly arestronger than steel. � BONDHUS.COM(800) 328-8310

Shower by HandCalifornia Faucets has added multi-function, hand-

held showerheads to its bath collections.Both contemporary and traditional styles are

offered, with choices of jetted and massage sprays.Additional water-conservation modes are included. Four finishes are available: polished chrome, pol-

ished nickel, satin nickel, and oil-rubbed bronze.� CALFAUCETS.COM(800) 822-8855


Photos by Kathy BrockPPOO

RRTTLLAANNDD WW

HHOOLLEESSAALLEERRSS

PORTLAND WHOLESALE Lumber Association gathered Dec. 4 for itsannual holiday luncheon. [1] Scott Cranfil, Brad Buhman, MeganMcMurray, Tom Vogel. [2] Jim Talley, Andrew Mannex, Mike Holm. [3]Cindy Garvis, Dave Rainey, Gene Secco. [4] Paul Ericson, PaulDonahue, Gunnar Brinck. [5] Sandy Allredge, Dave Molhoek. [6] KellenManke, Joe Heitz, Milt Farvour, Scott Manke. [7] Kevin Grindy, BrettSlaughter, Mike Rowan, Mark Nicholas. [8] Mike Burnard, NathanNystrom. [9] Brad Wilkins, Jeff Brigge, Mac McInelly. [10] Loren Krebs,

Chris Close, Jerry Gustafson. [11] Scott Driskill, Terry Haddix, KenSchulz. [12] Bill Hagenstein, Lowell Patton. [13] Suzie McCausland, ArtReid. [14] Paul Zartman, Glenn Lowe, Meryl Phillips. [15] Wayne Geisy,Libby Niedermeyer. [16] Pat Murphy, Chris Chase. [17] Steve Snyder,Hector Perez, Nate Vahl. [18] Peter Howe, Scott Griswold. [19] JoeRaulerson, Jerry Westberg, Dustin O’Sullivan, Mark Nizic, DennyO’Sullivan.

(More photos on next page)


PWLA FOR THE HOLIDAYS (continued from previous page): [1] BradRodakowski, Bill MacDonald, Dan Kepon. [2] Miguel Gutierrez, RodgerSeid, David Kehret. [3] Marshall Lauch, Scott Daley. [4] Ron Hanson,Mark Mitchell, Hal Fay. [5] Cory Graham, John Newell. [6] DaveMenkens. [7] Greg Martin, Rod Lucas. [8] Guest speaker Victoria Taft,

Mike Foster. [9] Matt Kolar, Scott Cantonwine, Scott Cantonwine Jr. [10]J.T. Taylor, Steve Cole, Brian Jones. [11] Chuck Lamping, MarkGoodwin. [12] Bryce Jonas, Tim Johnson. [13] Mark Auxier, Dave Rupp.[14] Ed Schulmerich. [15] Jerry Farley. [16] Dave Andersen, Mike Holm.[17] Bob Hegberg. [18] Mike Maehara, David Stallcop

PPOORRTTLLAA

NNDD WW

HHOOLLEESSAA

LLEERRSS

Photos by Kathy B

rock

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

Superior Service, Products & Support100% of the Time

Distributed By


Photos by The Merchant MagazineIBS 2010

INTERNATIONAL BUILDERS SHOW bounced back to Las Vegas, Nv.,Jan. 19-22. [1] Jon Bailey, Bebe Rogers. [2] Sven Backhaus, PeterGraal. [3] Chris Terrels, Carol Lyn Groce. [4] Scott Enegren, JustinGregory, Jack Delaney. [5] Jim Abbott, Matt Prince, Curtis Eck. [6]Jessica Navascues, Rex Scott. [7] Jerry Higman, Will Higman, RandallRichards. [8] Larry Crossley, Jay Lattanzio. [9] Joel Adamson, KenGoodnough. [10] Don Dellget, James Mahler Jr., Nisha Vyas, Kyle

Conner-Diven. [11] Jeff Richards, Bob Edwards. [12] David Jeffers, BradMorrow. [13] Kim Pohl, Howard Rothstein. [14] Kenneth Roush, SteveSchwartz, Jack Nagy. [15] Alan Stoneking, Eric Sigmon, Phil Lail, BrianOrchard. [16] Scott Stout, Dan Warren. [17] Jeff McLendon, LawrenceNewton. [18] Jeff Morlock, Jack Krass, Chris Johnson, Mirco Walther,Max Herrmann, Bill Bevacco. [19] Brent Gwatney, Gina Hardin.


MORE IBS: [1] Scott Cath-cart, Carol Kelly, LynnGoode. [2] R.T. Thomas,Steve Conboy. [3] LeighMarie Lunn, SeamusO’Reilly, Shannon Mott. [4]Peter Delaney, Ted Smith.[5] Dustin Schroeder, JerryKoontz, Chuck Hotze, BrettMcCutcheon. [6] Jim Boyd,W.C. Litzinger. [7] TomHorvat, Frank Klasnick. [8] Mike Pidlisecky, Anthony Coe. [9] RandyHollinger, Robert Simon, Frank Butterfield, Arden Fuller. [10] JohnHooker, Ed Burke. [11] Tony Saad, Jean Marc Dubois. [12] Gary


Hazelwood, Rusty Carroll, Kerlin Drake. [13] Bert McKee, Dan Kukol.[14] Deedee Graham. [15] Bob Lambert, Harold Unteriser, PatrickShabal, Patrick Slarko. [16] Romel Bezerra, Niklas Karlsson.

IBS 2010

Photos by The Merchant M

agazine


Photos by The Merchant MagazineCRAB FEED

HUMBOLDT HOO-HOO CLUB convened its annual Crab Feed Jan. 21at the Eureka Inn, Eureka, Ca. [1] Jim McVey, Max Corning, JimEdwards. [2] Shawn Condell, Don Lucas, Steve Culbertson. [3] Jan &Edgar Massoletti. [4] Doug Willis, Joe Allotta. [5] Jerry Farley, TomMiller, Dave Weaver. [6] Denis Stack, Walt Schneider. [7] Cindy Bond,Karen McKim. [8] Dave Creech, Ross Creech, John Klar, Bill Scott,Chris Freeman. [9] Curt Wood, Virginia Bass, Joel Hamel. [10] RobinEvenson, Harlan Lawler. [11] Jeff Lane, Joe Flocchini. [12] Mike

Mosbby, Carl Henoch, Carl Schoenhofer. [13] David & Stacy Jones,David Dahlen. [14] Dick & Elaina Jackson. [15] Danielle Equitz,Christopher Goff. [16] Randy Huffman, Valerie Scoggins. [17] GeorgeHammann, Mark Borghesani. [18] Marcia & Mark Nicholson. [19] MattEnsworth, Tanka Chase. [20] Carolyn Depucci, Margaret Campbell,Julie Wright. [21] Sean Burch, Troy Turner. [22] Ted Pollard, DarylBond. [23] Bill Highsmith, Terry Ricci.


ANNUAL CRAB FEED was a big success (continued from previouspage). [1] Brice Weyer, Tim Brennan, Rob Gurney, Ken Canera, LisaKlar, Steve Stamp. [2] Ken Dunham, Jean Henning. [3] Loren Justice,Rhiannon Wood. [4] Larry Holmgren, Tim Masterson, Glen Eichen,George Albertson. [5] Roy Cobble, Rich Graham. [6] Clyde Jennings, EdBrown, Jean Hamberg. [7] Jeff Ward, Mike Mayfield, Mike Borghesani.[8] Ron Gattone, Jim Spiers, Gary Gamble, Judi Spiers. [9] Brent

Phillips, Kent Mulkins, Kevin Dodds. [10] Ron Schneider, KristenLockart, Micah Smith. [11] George Johnson, Scott Murray, Jack Butler.[12] Gary Island, Michael Ross, John Russell, Randy Mora. [13] SamGriffiths, Deber Dodd, Dawn Hudson. [14] Steve Page, Chris Mellema.[15] Rich Giacone, Robert Simpson. [16] Dennis McEntire, TravisCampbell, Ben Campbell. [17] Marc Weaver, Mike Spengler. [18] ChrisTritschler, Michael Wood. [19] Chris Brown.

CRAB FEED

Photos by The Merchant M

agazine



CARPENTER PENCILS7,000 at 16¢ eachNAIL APRONS

1,000 at 89¢ eachPRINTED WITH YOUR LOGO

L.I.INDUSTRIES800-526-6465

FAX [email protected]

www.apronsupply.com

FOR SALE

Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word min.). Phone number counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centered copy orheadline, $9 per line. Border, $9. Private box, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if art furnished “camera-ready” (adver-tiser sets the type), $65 if we set the type.

Send ad to Fax 949-852-0231 or dkoenig@ building-products.com. For more info, call (949) 852-1990. Makechecks payable to Cutler Publishing. Deadline: 18th of previous month.

To reply to ads with private box numbers, send correspondence to box number shown, c/o BPD. Namesof advertisers using a box number cannot be released.

HELP WANTED

CLASSIFIED Marketplace

A customer “MUST HAVE” tool for easy installation!Snugly fits over joists to free your handsto place and fasten deck boards.Two sizes provide consistent deck boardspacing – 1/8” gap for most wood

3/16” gap for most composites888.988.1390 www.woodpileproducts.com

HELP WANTED

Are you interested in success and growth?Boise Cascade’s Building MaterialsDistribution (BMD) may be the place for you.

While our company, like everyone in ourindustry, has been affected by the downturn inthe housing market, we’ve stuck with our basicstrategy; remained committed to our customers,suppliers, and employees, and continued toinvest in our growth and success.

Our future is solid and bright. Our strategyis to grow in existing markets and expand tonew markets. In order to accomplish theseobjectives, we are looking to strengthen ourteam. We will do this in two ways: First, wewill continue to provide resources and opportu-nities so existing employees can grow and besuccessful; and second, we are interested inattracting and hiring new people to help usgrow in all aspects of our operations in sales,management, operations, purchasing, etc.

If you are interested in joining our team,visit our website at www.bc.com/careers tolearn more about our company and current jobopenings.

If you’d like to learn more, please contactus by faxing or emailing your interest to 208-331-5886 or [email protected]’d like to hear from you!

Breaking Newsfor Dealers,Wholesalers &Manufacturers–Updated Daily

Check out thecompletelyredesignedwww.building-products.com

CONTRACTOR LUMBER SALES Position:Reliable Wholesale Lumber is looking for high-ly motivated and established outside lumbersalespeople for our Stockton, Riverside andHuntington Beach facilities. We would preferapplicants to be currently active in lumber salesspecifically with framing contractors and ordevelopers. All inquiries will be kept strictlyconfidential. Please email resume to:[email protected].

INDEPENDENT, FAMILY-OWNED com-pany seeking an outside salesperson who is areal closer to work California’s Central Valley.Someone with an existing customer base isprefered. Contact Mike White, (831) 431-0295,Big Creek Lumber.

LUMBER TRADERWe are a wholesale lumber company looking

for an experienced trader. Any species. Norestrictions on mills or customers. No reloca-tion. 60% split for trader. Call John at LakesideLumber at (623) 566-7100 or [email protected].

DDiissccoovveerr wwhhaatt’’ss uupp EEaasstt ooff tthheeRRoocckkiieess.. SSuubbssccrriibbee ttoo

Call Heather at (949) 852-1990

BPDBuilding Products Digest


Listings are often submitted months in advance. Always verifydates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – Feb. 17, dinner & meeting,Pomona Valley Mining Co., Pomona, Ca.; (760) 324-0842.

National Frame Building Association – Feb. 17-18, frame buildingexpo, Louisville, Ky.; (800) 557-6957; www.nfba.org.

American Fence Association – Feb. 17-19, FenceTech & Deck-Tech, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; (800)822-4342; www.americanfenceassociation.com.

National Wooden Pallet & Container Assn. – Feb. 20-23, leader-ship conference, Orlando, Fl.; (703) 519-6104; www.nwpca.com.

Lumber Association of California & Nevada – Feb. 24, annualgovernment affairs conference, Sacramento, Ca.; (800) 266-4344; www.lumberassociation.org.

California Forestry Assn. – Feb. 24-26, annual meeting, Sheraton,Sacramento, Ca.; (916) 444-6592; www.foresthealth.org.

Oregon Logging Conference – Feb. 25-27, Lane County Fair-grounds and Eugene Hilton, Eugene, Or.; (541) 686-9191;www.oregonloggingconference.com.

Orgill Inc. – Feb. 25-27, spring market, Orange County ConventionCenter, Orlando, Fl.; (901) 754-8850; www.orgill.com.

Colorado Springs Home & Landscape Show – Feb. 26-28, Norris-Penrose Event Center, Colorado Springs, Co.; (800) 374-6463.

Greenprints – March 1-2, conference & show, Sheraton Downtown,Atlanta, Ga.; (404) 872-3549.

Western Wood Preservers Institute – March 1-2, winter meeting,Embassy Suites Downtown, Portland, Or.; (800) 729-9663; www.wwpinstitute.org.

Lumbermens Merchandising Corp. – March 3-6, annual meeting,Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, Ut.; (610) 293-7000; www.lmc.net.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – March 7-11,University of Industrial Distribution, Indianapolis, In.; (800) 527-8258; www.nawla.org.

American Institute of Timber Construction – March 8-9, annualmeeting, Lago Mar Resort & Club, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.; (303) 792-9559; www.aitc-glulam.org.

Western Wood Products Association – March 8-9, annual meet-ing, Embassy Suites Downtown, Portland, Or.; (503) 224-3930;www.wwpa.org.

Wood Technology Show – March 9-11, Oregon ConventionCenter, Portland, Or.; (800) 933-8735; www.woodwideweb.com.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – March 11, golf tour-nament, El Prado Golf Course, Chino, Ca.; (626) 445-8556.

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Associa-tion – March 11-12, products expo, Denver Merchandise Mart,Denver, Co.; (800) 365-0919; www.mslbmda.org.

Remodeling Shows – March 12-14, Portland Memorial Coliseum,Portland, Or., and Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center,Tacoma, Wa.; (800) 374-6463.

National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association –March 15-17, legislative conference & green building forum,Marriott, Washington, D.C.; (800) 634-8645; www.dealer.org.

Window & Door Manufacturers Association – March 15-18, leg-islative conference, Washington, D.C.; (800) 223-2301; www.nwwda.org.

True Value Co. – March 19-21, spring market, McCormick Place,Chicago, Il.; (773) 695-5000.

Remodeling & Decorating Show – March 20-21, Orange CountyFairgrounds, Costa Mesa, Ca.; (818) 557-2950.

DATE Book

Southern CaliforniaHoo-Hoo Club #117 presentsThe 3rd Annual Don GregsonMemorial Golf Tournament

April 23, 20101:00 p.m. Shotgun StartScramble Format

San Dimas Canyon Golf Club, San Dimas, CABenefitting

Singles – $99.99Twosome – $180.00 Foursome – $340.00

Putting Contest – Tee PrizesAfter Golf Buffet – Raffle – Awards

Register online at www.hoohoo117.orgFor more information, contact

Tournament Director Mike [email protected]

(760) 324-08421400 Orchard • Hollister, CA 95023

(831) 636-3399 • Fax 831-636-3335

Specializing in Custom Millwork“You name it,

we can make it.”

Custom Millwork – Patterns in Softwoods &Hardwoods – Custom Runs of Paint Grade

Poplar Mouldings a SpecialtyMouldings – Siding – Trim Pieces

Wholesale Lumber – Redwood – UppersDouglas Fir – Pine – Hardwoods – Western Red Cedar


ADVERTISERS IndexFor more information on advertisers, call them

directly or visit their websites [in brackets].

Anfinson Lumber Sales [www.anfinson.com] ...........................................30

Beaver Lumber .............................................................................................49

Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber......................................................................18

California Redwood Co. [www.californiaredwoodco.com] ......................13

California Timberline......................................................................................4

C&E Lumber Co. [www.lodgepolepine.com] .............................................45

Capital [www.capital-lumber.com]........................................................37, 40

Collins Companies [www.collinswood.com].....................................Cover I

Compass Lumber Products Inc. [www.compasslumber.com] ................29

Deck-It Spacers [www.woodpileproducts.com] ........................................48

Enduris [www.enduris.com]...............................................................Cover II

Fasco America [www.fascoamerica.com]..................................................34

Fletcher Wood Solutions [www.tenonusa.com]........................................26

Fontana Wholesale Lumber [www.fontanawholesalelumber.com] .........35

GRK Fasteners [www.grkfasteners.com]...................................................24

Huff Lumber Co. .............................................................................................9

Ipe Clip Co., The [www.ipeclip.com]...........................................................30

Keller Lumber Co. ........................................................................................36

L.I. Industries [www.apronsupply.com] .....................................................48

Manke Lumber Co. [www.mankelumber.com]...........................................39

Matthews Marking Products [www.matthewsmarking.com]....................25

Maze Nails [www.mazenails.com].................................................................5

Mount Storm Forest Products [www.mountstorm.com] ..........................27

Norman Distribution Inc. [www.normandist.com].....................................43

Osmose [www.osmose.com] ........................................................................3

Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com] ..............................................19

Reel Lumber Service [www.reellumber.com] ............................................25

Regal Custom Millwork................................................................................25

RISI [www.risiinfo.com/crows]....................................................................29

Roseburg Forest Products [www.rfpco.com]............................................23

Royal Pacific Industries...............................................................................28

RoyOMartin [www.royomartin.com] .....................................................31, 33

Screw Products [www.screw-products.com] ............................................37

Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com] ......................................Cover III

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club [www.hoohoo117.org] ......................49

Swanson Group Sales Co. [www.swansongroupinc.com].........................7

Taiga Building Products Inc........................................................................41

Thunderbolt Wood Treating [www.thunderboltwoodtreating.com].........36

Universal Fastener Outsourcing [www.911-nails.com] ............................27

Van Arsdale-Harris Lumber Co. [www.vanarsdaleharris.net] ..................17

Viance [www.treatedwood.com] .................................................................21

Western Red Cedar Lumber Association [www.wrcla.org] ...........Cover IV

IDEA FileMore Than Window Dressing

Cole Hardware’s signature promotions areworks of art. Literally. The San Francisco, Ca., chain’sfour locations use imaginative window displays—brooms hung diagonally for Halloween, a “Louvre”exhibit featuring famous artwork recreated in hardware,a farmer’s market filled with colorful “produce,” andshiny disco balls for the holidays—to bring in cus-tomers and boost sales. “Everything we put in there, we have to sell,” said

employee Noelle Nicks, who’s been in charge of win-dow displays for the past 10 years. She came to Coleafter working as an engineer at a large firm, but has noart training. Today, her business card reads “VisualMerchandising Manager & Curator of All ThingsHardware.” For a farmer’s market window, Nicks said, “we actu-

ally made fruits and vegetables from hardware,” thoughgalvanized tubs had to stand in for bushel baskets. “Youknow the swirl fluorescents? There’s one in orange, sowe put green zip ties on so they looked like carrots.”In the Louvre window, yellow-edged saw blades

became flower petals in a recreation of Van Gogh’s“Sunflowers” painting. “It’s all about putting the fancywith the mundane,” she said, “the coffee press next tothe drain strainer.” Rick Karps, who owns Cole with his 93-year-old

father, said that before Noelle took over the job, an out-side vendor made sure the windows were “clean, filledwith product in a pleasing manner, but boring.” He saidcustomers now look forward to the changing displaysand even offer suggestions for future installations.Ideas from displays are also used in other promotion-

al materials. Van Gogh’s vase of sunflowers became apeel-off coupon (for 50% off an item of $50 or less) thatappeared on the cover of a local phone book. But Cole hasn’t stopped at window displays. Another

recent promotion delivers special coupons and dis-counts to the cell phones of customers who sign up forthe text service. Frequent shopper club members receivespecial postcards with money-savings opportunitieseach month, a copy of the Hardware Hotline newsletter,and a 5% annual dividend on purchases.

the merchant magazine - february 2010

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