the merchant magazine - november 2011

*See Product literature for additional information. NatureWood pressure treated wood products are treated with Alkaline Copper Quaternary Compounds. NatureWood treated wood products are produced by independently owned and operated wood treating facilities. NatureWood®, and Osmose® are registered trademarks of Osmose, Inc. © 10/2011

Pressure treated wood products with Osmose® NatureWood® preservative provide the building blocks for outdoor construction. The NatureWood preservative system meets American Wood Protection Association standards, and with preservative retentions available for Ground Contact and Above Ground Contact end uses,* homeowners and code of� cials can be con� dent, knowing Osmose preservative technologies provide fundamental elements for durable and sustainable building projects.

NatureWood treated wood products also have been certi� ed by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center, as a NAHB Green Approved product. By using NatureWood treated wood products, architects, speci� ers, homebuilders, and contractors are eligible to receive points toward project certi� cation under the National Green Building Standard.

FROM THE GROUND UP… NatureWood® has Got You Covered.

When choosing pressure treated wood products, start from the ground up. Start with NatureWood Preserved Wood Products.

FROM THE GROUND UP…

Visit www.GreenApprovedProducts.com for details. www.osmosewood.com

THE BIG DECKING ISSUE � SELLING INSULATION � PREMIUM TREATED WOODNNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 22001111

TheMERCHANTMagazineTHE VOICE OF THE WEST’S LBM DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS – SINCE 1922

44 � The Merchant Magazine � November 2011 Building-Products.com

November 2011Volume 90 �� Number 5

OnlineBREAKING INDUSTRY NEWS, INDUSTRY PHOTO DOWNLOADS, & THE MERCHANT: DIGITAL VERSION

BUILDING-PRODUCTS.COM

THE MERCHANT ON FACEBOOKSEARCH “THE MERCHANT

MAGAZINE” ON FACEBOOK.COM

TheMERCHANTMagazine

CHANGE OF ADDRESS Send address label from recent issue ifpossible, new address and 9-digit zip to address below. POSTMASTER Send address changes to The MerchantMagazine, 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca.92660-1872.The Merchant Magazine (ISSN 7399723) (USPS 796-560) ispublished monthly at 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, NewportBeach, Ca. 92660-1872 by Cutler Publishing, Inc. PeriodicalsPostage paid at Newport Beach, Ca., and additional post offices.It is an independently-owned publication for the retail, wholesaleand distribution levels of the lumber and building products mar-kets in 13 western states. Copyright®2011 by Cutler Publishing,Inc. Cover and entire contents are fully protected and must notbe reproduced in any manner without written permission. AllRights Reserved. It reserves the right to accept or reject any edi-torial or advertising matter, and assumes no liability for materialsfurnished to it.

Special Features9 MARGIN BUILDERS

WHAT COMPOSITE DECK BUYERS WANT

10 FEATURE STORYPROFIT OPPORTUNITIES IN PREMIUM

PRESSURE TREATED WOOD

12 MARGIN BUILDERSTIPS TO SELL MORE EPS INSULATION

14 COMPANY FOCUSCALIFORNIA TREATER CALLS FOR BACKUP

16 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTALUMINUM DECKING SHOWS ITS METTLE

17 INDUSTRY TRENDSIS YOUR IMPORTED HARDWOOD

INVENTORY LACEY COMPLIANT?

30 SPOTLIGHT: BEST DECKSDECK EXPO’S AWARD WINNING PROJECTS

California Timberline, Inc.Sugar and Ponderosa Pine,

Douglas Fir, Redwood,Western Red and California Incense Cedar

Hardwood Lumber & PlywoodNusku Fireblocker™

Chino, CA 91710 • (909) 591-4811 • FAX (909) 591-4818

The Mark of Responsible ForestrySCS-COC-001973

®1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C.

NEW

In Every Issue6 TOTALLY RANDOM

18 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

20 OLSEN ON SALES

22 GREEN RETAILING

28 IN MEMORIAM

32 NEW PRODUCTS

38 MOVERS & SHAKERS

51 ASSOCIATION UPDATE

52 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE

53 DATE BOOK

54 IDEA FILE

54 ADVERTISERS INDEX

www.building-products.comA publication of Cutler Publishing

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

Publisher Alan [email protected]

Publisher Emeritus David CutlerDirector of Editorial & Production

David [email protected]

Editor Karen [email protected]

Contributing EditorsDwight Curran, Carla Waldemar,

James Olsen, Jay Tompt, Mike Dandridge

Advertising Sales ManagerChuck Casey

[email protected]

Administration Director/SecretaryMarie Oakes [email protected]

Circulation Manager Heather [email protected]

How to AdvertiseChuck Casey

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

Alan Oakeswww.building-products.com


CLASSIFIEDDavid Koenig


How to SubscribeSUBSCRIPTIONS Heather Kelly


or send a check to 4500 Campus Dr.,Ste. 480, Newport Beach, CA 92660U.S.A.: One year (12 issues), $22

Two years, $36 Three years, $50

FOREIGN (Per year, paid in advance in US funds):Surface-Canada or Mexico, $48

Other countries, $60Air rates also available.

SINGLE COPIES $4 + shipping

BACK ISSUES $5 + shipping

TheMERCHANTMagazine


TOTALLY RandomBy Alan Oakes

Find what you love!

I LOOKED BACK OVER my last few columns and felt that perhaps I had been ranti-ng a bit too much recently, so I am going to be kinder and gentler this month.

However, I cannot promise how long it will last!Certainly the business cycle of the last few years has given each of us pause to

wonder if there is something better we could be doing with our lives. Any numberof people have been candid enough to tell me how business is not fun any moreand how stressful it is. But I guess if you are reading this column, at least youhave been one of the luckier ones who have survived this trough we are mired in.Now, in truth, I hear that same sentiment from people both inside and outside ourindustry, so sometimes the grass is not always greener. But still, I have alwaysbelieved changing circumstances merit taking stock of where you are at. Likeyour stock portfolio, your life needs to be constantly reviewed and re-balanced. In times like these, take the opportunity to rethink your wants, needs and

dreams, and either come back to the conclusion there is nothing better or differentthat you want to do and that you are content with your lot in life, or decide it istime to start dreaming about alternatives and possibilities. Then, instead of justdreaming, actually take action to change.When I read about the great business successes of our time, there is hardly a

rags-to-riches story where some adversity had not taken place that had led to amonumental change. In fact, true success comes in attaining good times after fac-ing—and overcoming—bad times. All of us at some time or other face difficultchallenges—at home or work. How we deal with those set-backs defines who weare and what we achieve.A near-death experience, the loss of a loved one, being fired, being laid off,

becoming fed up with the status quo, or just plain dreading work every day are allgood motivations for tackling the situation head on. It is these times when yourealize that you are at the crossroads of life and must decide what path to take.Many of us choose to fake it. We smile and soldier on, while being eaten upinside. Sometimes fear or a series of hazards, real or imagined, can bog down thedecision. It can take real guts to decide that it is time to take the plunge, takingrisks for something you have always dreamed about and, in the process, oftenwalking away from security. Over my career, I have learned the hard way that nothing comes easy. But

whenever I faked it, avoiding that risk, I paid a price for it. You have to love whatyou are doing in all facets of your life. If you do not, maybe it is time to change.Work fills a large part of our life, and great work brings great enjoyment and greatsatisfaction. If you cannot make the statement that you love what you do, none ofthe previous statement can come true.We all know that our time on earth is limited. Aside from our formative years

and our sunset years, most of us are left with about 45years to make real change. We should not trap ourselvesinto doing things we do not enjoy. Life is too short.Drown out all the naysayers. Go with your gut. At theend of the day, you have to run with your heart andintuition. One of the greatest gifts we can give our-selves is striving to become what we in our souls knowwe long for and not settling for anything else.Do not live someone else’s life. Find what

makes you live life to the fullest. Deleteeverything that doesn’t. Have the courage tofollow your convictions and your heart. All right, back to normal next month!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Alan Oakes, [email protected]

Building-Products.com November 2011 � The Merchant Magazine � 99

MARGIN BuildersBy Diana Hanson

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY last monthto attend Principia Partners’ WPC

2011 Conference on Decking &Outdoor Living Products in Charlotte,N.C.Represented at this conference

were wood-plastic composite deckingmanufacturers and wood deckingmanufacturers, along with their sup-pliers of wood flour, recycled materi-al, colorants, etc., as well as deckingdistributors and dealers, and a fewactual deck builders, too. One of the biggest take-aways

from this conference was theexpressed need for manufacturers,distributors, and dealers to improvecommunication along the entire sup-ply chain. This is especially importantin these difficult economic timeswhen the last thing a dealer needs isproduct that can’t be sold.When it comes to some of the new

technology products being introduced,such as capstock decking, it is moreimportant than ever to have a goodrelationship with the distributor. Allnew products have a learning curve;there are likely to be some issues.Make sure the distributors and manu-facturers you are dealing with willstand behind their product, and fixany problems that occur.Another truth I walked away with

from this conference with is the sim-ple fact that no one “needs” a deck, soright now, it is important to carry justwhat you will be able to sell. This isnot the year for the usual “winterbuy.” Instead it is the year to orderjust what you need, often referred toas just-in-time inventory.The bad news is that there are an

estimated 12 million homes foreclos-ing, and at least 10 million morehomeowners are upsidedown on their

homes. The good news is that theones who are able to keep their homesare staying put; and some of them areremodeling. The money they decideto spend is for quality products thathave a long lifespan, such as top ofthe line windows, instead of the basicreplacement package.The consumers who will be buying

decks in the next year are projected tobe older, upper middle-class, and edu-cated in their purchases. The trend isthat a deck sale will be either low-endpressure treated decking, or high-endmanufactured decking or exotic hard-wood. Not much selling in the middleprice area. Hidden fastener use isgrowing. People who spend money onhigher-dollar wood-plastic compositesdon’t want to see fasteners. Consumers who are buying decks

are also buying extras. They wanttheir deck to be different than theneighbor's deck. It will be importantto offer a menu of color choices, and

What compositedeck buyers want

HIDDEN FASTENERS have become a must for buyers of high-end composite decks.

mix and match products. For exam-ple, a consumer may choose onebrand of decking, and then choose adifferent brand, with contrasting colorand texture, for the railing.Additionally, they will be looking atintegrated lighting in steps and in rail-ing. So, the concise message here is to

proceed conservatively, keeping acareful eye on what is selling, so thatwhat you carry is what you can sell.Well-thought-out purchasing andsales plans today will keep youaround to celebrate when we kick thiseconomy back into full gear. Goodluck to all of you this year. Live longand prosper!

– Diana Hanson is owner of deckbuilder Woodpile Construction andWoodpile Products Inc., maker of DeckItdeck spacers. She is also a veteran of thelegal profession and is actively involved inthe ICC code development process. Reachher at [email protected].

Photo by Ipe Clip


IN THE MIDST of the current retaildoldrums, there are some bright

spots for treated wood. Or, at least,some spots with modest flickering.Reports from dealers indicate that

treated wood has not been hit as hardby the economic situation as havemore expensive alternatives. The per-centage of decks using composites andtropical hardwoods appears to havedecreased, or at least quit growing. Greg Couch, sales manager at

Metro Building Products, Woodstock,Ga., says, “I think wood is making acomeback.” The reason is not knownfor certain, but likely results from the

lower cost of treated wood. Gregoffered an additional reason: There isa market for premium treated decking.Homeowners appreciate the

appearance of wood, but wish to mini-mize the natural characteristic of woodto warp and the need for periodic coat-ing to maintain its appearance. Manyupscale deck contractors moved fromtreated wood to composites and tropi-cal hardwoods, but some are returning.With the large gap in prices

between treated decking and otheroptions, there is plenty of room fortreated material with enhanced fea-tures. It is possible to offer the look

and environmental benefits of wood,while minimizing the probability ofwarping—and doing so at a price thatremains desirable. Enhanced featuresinclude fuller thicknesses, high grades,kiln drying after treatment, built-inwater repellent, kerfs, crowned top-sides, beveled sides, and prescribedsaw cuts.All of these features cost more

money and may require close partner-ship with a cooperative treating com-pany. They are not suited for everydealer. But, many dealers could profitfrom stocking premium preserveddecking. It would not compete against

FEATURE StoryBy Huck DeVenzio, Arch Wood Protection

Profit opportunities inpremium treated wood

CAN PREMIUM treated wood compete with composite decking? Some dealers are finding it can and they are profiting from it.


regular treated decking, but againstcomposites. And it would not entailreplacing existing stock, but justadding two or three SKUs. Wood usedfor understructure would not change.

Fuller thicknesses. Instead of 5/4decking, dealers can offer 2” decking.It’s stronger, which results in a moresolid surface and allows for greaterjoist spacing.

High-grade decking. Typical treat-ed decking is now Standard 5/4, some-times Premium 5/4. Enhanced deckingcould be nominal 2x6 lumber that isDense Select Structural or C&Btr.Higher grades are more expensivethan lower grades, but customers willoften pay more for products that arebetter looking.

Kiln drying after treatment.Wood that is re-dried after treatment,either KDAT (kiln dried after treat-ment) or ADAT (air dried after treat-ment), is lighter in weight and easier

built-in water repellent is beneficial.The recommendation for surface coat-ing is not eliminated, but the initialapplication is less critical and perfor-mance is improved.

Kerfs. Deck boards can be sawnwith kerfs on their bottom sides torelieve stresses in the wood and there-by reduce warping.

Crown topsides. For a betterappearance and to shed rain, someproducers mill deck boards with aslightly crowned top surface. This alsoremoves surface discoloration andblemishes.

Beveled sides. A recent innovationis tapered, or beveled, sides. Adjacentdeck boards are closer at their topsthan bottoms. This shape makes it eas-ier for rain and debris to fall betweenboards without being trapped.

Prescribed saw cuts. It is possibleto obtain lumber that contains noheartwood or no flat grain or to seekwood with tight rings. Such specifica-tions are not common—they require agood relationship with suppliers – butthey provide benefits to homeownersand can distinguish one dealer fromhis competitors.The platform is not the only deck

component where enhancements arepossible. Deck columns and customrailings are others. Twisted 4x4s cancause construction difficulties anddetract from the appearance of a deck.Twisting is largely precluded by useof laminated deck columns.Combining smaller pieces of woodinto a post helps to cancel out thewarping that can occur with a single,solid timber. Furthermore, laminatedcolumns are often manufactured with

hollow centers. When used for decklighting, electrical wires can be run uptheir centers, avoiding external wiring.A Georgia deck builder, John

Paulin of Tailor Decks, is a huge fanof wood decks and, especially, decksmade with premium treated lumber.He thinks that composite decking ispretty, but isn’t as inviting as wood. “I want to create outdoor spaces

that people will enjoy using, not justadmiring,” Paulin says. “Real woodgives you an emotional warmth thatyou don’t get with artificial woodproducts. If a client wants an artisticdeck and insists on composites, I’llbuild it for them. But I prefer the envi-ronment you get with wood.”To satisfy his preferences, he

developed his own specs, whichinclude most of the features listedabove. He has worked with two treat-ing companies and a local dealer,along with their sawmill suppliers, togenerate his own line of deck material:Tailored Wood. (John is willing to dis-cuss his experience. He can be reachedat [email protected] orwww.tailordecks.com.)Many consumers will not want to

pay the premium price for premiumtreated wood. But, there is a signifi-cant portion who would choose high-performance wood over compositedecking, particularly when the price isstill below that of composites. For adealer, this represents a profit opportu-nity. And it might necessitate only twoor three new SKUs.

– Huck DeVenzio is manager of mar-keting communications at Arch WoodProtection, manufacturer of wood treatingchemicals and licensor of the Wolmanizedand Dricon brands of treated wood.

HIGH-END DECKING contractor Tailor Decks specifies all-sapwood 2” Wolmanized Outdoor lumber,KDAT and milled with crowned top, beveled sides, and kerfs on bottom.

LAMINATED DECK COLUMNS are less likelyto twist or bow than solid timbers, and theyallow for interior wiring of lamps.

(Photo courtesy Cox Industries)

to handle. Probably more important, ithas been dried under controlled condi-tions that are less likely to result inbowed or twisted lumber than is woodthat dries in place after installation.This reduces exchanges and com-plaints from customers.

Built-in water repellent. Properlytreated wood will resist termite dam-age and fungal decay for decades, butthe wood is not protected against thestress of swelling and shrinkingcaused by moisture. That is why peri-odic coating with water repellent isrecommended for aesthetically sensi-tive areas such as deck platforms andrailings.For deep-seated defense against

dimensional change and cracking,


OF ALL THE BUILDING products indealers’ yards and distributors’

warehouses, rigid foam insulationshave some of the most similar sound-ing names: polyurethane, polyisocya-nurate, polystyrene, etc. It’s notalways easy to recall what sets themapart when a customer asks aboutproduct features or wants a recom-mendation.For dealers and distributors carry-

ing expanded polystyrene (EPS) insu-lation—or considering adding EPS totheir offerings—a simple way toremember the material’s advantages isthe acronym “SELL”:

• Strength• Energy efficiency• Low moisture absorption• Labor & material cost savingsThese attributes make EPS suitable

for many new construction and retrofitapplications, including roofs, interiorand exterior walls, foundations, underfloor slabs, and in garage doors.StrengthAs a closed-cell, insulating foam,

EPS is lightweight, yet durable. It hascompressive strengths ranging from10 to 60 psi (1,440 to 8,640 psf). Assuch, EPS can meet nearly anyrequired loads encountered on roofing

jobs and below slab, as well as forbelow grade perimeter insulationapplications. When thinking of EPS’s compres-

sive strength, picture a locomotiveweighing down on its rails. EPS geo-foam is used as a load-bearing alterna-tive to soils under railroad beds. Energy EfficiencyMany rigid foam insulations have

similar R-values, but the numberrefers to the initial insulating proper-ties at the time of installation. Whilesome materials lose up to 30% of theirR-value over the years, EPS retains itsthermal properties. A quick check of product war-

ranties will show how the manufactur-er predicts their products will performover time. Stable R-values can be animportant selling point for contractors,and in turn, home and building own-ers, since they help ensure lower ener-gy use and costs over the structure’slife.Low Moisture AbsorptionThe degree to which insulation

absorbs moisture affects its durabilityand thermal properties, as well as itsability to help reduce water infiltrationinto other building components.

4 tips to sell EPS insulationEPS has a low moisture absorption

rate, as shown in extensive productevaluations. For example, EPS buriedin wetted soil for 1,000 days absorbedonly 1.7% moisture by volumeaccording to tests by the U.S. Army’sCold Regions Research and Engi-neering Laboratory.One way to paint a mental picture

for customers on how well EPS resistsmoisture is to explain that it’s com-monly used for flotation in docks. Labor & Material CostSavingsIn addition to its physical proper-

ties, a key differentiator for EPS insu-lation is the many ways it helps con-tractors save money. It is lightweightand easy to handle, which helps speedinstallation.The availability of specialty prod-

ucts can further reduce labor. Onesuch option is fan-fold EPS panel bun-dles with dual-sided polymeric facersfor roofs, walls and foundations. Suchbundles only weigh 11 lbs. so they areeasy for one person to carry, yet theyquickly fold out to cover up to 200 sq.ft. This can reduce installation time byabout 60%. Another example is pre-cut tapered

EPS for roof insulation. The blocks

All photos courtesy of InsulfoamMARGIN Builders

By John Cambruzzi, Insulfoam


are available up to 40” thick (vs. the typical 4” for othertapered insulations), so building sloped roofs is muchquicker and can save up to 30% on labor and materialcosts.Multiple Product Options Taking advantage of the above performance advantages,

EPS is available in many versatile product make-ups.These include the fan-fold bundles and pre-cut taperedcomponents mentioned above, as well as other specialtyproducts:

Flute-fill panels: Some manufacturers offer custom-cutEPS that installs fast over existing metal roofs. The mate-rials are profiled to fill the spaces between the metal roof-ing’s raised seams, without gaps. This allows for superiorinsulation and a flat surface for applied membranes.

Fiberglass-faced panels: Fire-resistant, factory-lami-nated fiberglass facers on EPS eliminate the need for a slipsheet on roofing jobs. Such panels are compatible with var-ious single-ply roofing systems, including PVC, TPO, andEPDM membranes. Contractors can combine the panelswith standard EPS to achieve high R-values, for about 25%

insulation finishing systems. EPS wall sheathing is avail-able with factory-laminated polymeric metallic-reflectivefacers that help shed water and increase R-values.

Foundations: A common foundation insulation, EPSinstalls directly over the primary waterproofing system.The foam helps protect the waterproofing during backfilland insulates the foundation against damage fromfreeze/thaw cycles. Panels can be ordered with pre-cutchannels to direct water away from the building for a drierfoundation.

Under slab: Because of its high-compressive strengthand thermal properties, EPS works well below concreteslabs. It is an economical choice for wine cellar, cold stor-age facilities, warehouses, and other industrial buildingswhere ground insulation is important.

Garage door kits: For d-i-yers, as well as contractors,some EPS manufacturers offer residential garage doorinsulation kits. The packaged EPS bundles can be cut to fit,and attach easily to the inside door surface. Garage doorinsulation helps reduce heating and cooling costs, lowersinterior noise, and improves workspace comfort. As demand increases for more energy-efficient build-

ings, insulation can be an important profit center for dis-tributors and dealers. With the vast range of insulationmaterials available—from spray foams to batts to panels—there are solutions for all contractor needs. For salespeopleworking with EPS, the four “SELL” points can be a quickway to summarize its benefits.

– John Cambruzzi is director of marketing and nationalaccounts for Insulfoam, manufacturer of R-Tech and InsulFoambrand insulation. He can be reached at (800) 242-8879 or viawww.insulfoam.com.

FOUNDATION is insulated by EPS, which is installed directly over theprimary waterproofing system and helps protect it during backfill andagainst weather damage.

less than other high-thermal insulation systems.Composite roofing panels: EPS and high-density poly-

isocyanurate cover board bonded together provide highthermal efficiency and durability. The composite panelsare a good choice for roofs needing resistance to hail, highwinds, and other severe weather.

Attached nail board: EPS is also available with pre-attached cover board, including OSB, plywood, woodfiber, perlite, gypsum, and others. Crews save time andmaterials compared to building up roofing on site, and canapply fully adhered or hot-mopped systems over the pan-els. Some come with pre-cut vent channels in the EPS tohelp keep the roof cool.

Wall sheathing: Beyond roofs, the stable R-values,moisture resistance, and durability of EPS also work wellfor wall sheathing. Contractors can use EPS products forcavity walls, interior walls, exterior sheathing, and exterior


COMPANY FocusCalifornia Cascade Industries and Eco Chemical

IT’S NEVER BEEN EASY being a wood treater in regulation-heavy California, and earlier this year the state threw an

exceptionally wild curveball at California CascadeIndustries over the level of volatile organic compounds(VOC) emitted by its prestaining operations.Cal Cascade’s VOC problems started with a visit to its

Fontana, Ca., plant by the South Coast Air QualityManagement District (AQMD), the air pollution controlagency for Orange County and major portions of LosAngeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties. AQMDclaims to have “the strictest paint and coatings standards inthe nation.”Companies doing business in the AQMD are allotted 4

tons of VOC emissions per year, which amounts to 667 lbs.of emissions per month, or 22 lbs. per day. If a businessneeds to exceed that cap, it must purchase offsets at anapproximate cost of $1,500 to $2,000 per lb. per day.Whenever a business in the AQMD wants to add a

process or modify an existing process that has the potentialto increase emissions, that business must demonstrate thatthe new process will not cause the business to exceed itscap limit, or the business must purchase offsets.Until January, Cal Cascade-Fontana was not required to

include its staining operation in its VOC emissions allot-ment. “However,” said plant manager Robyn Ueberroth,“in the two years between visits by the AQMD, prestaining

California wood treatercalls in reinforcements

has become 60% of our wood treating production.”The AQMD official determined that Cal Cascade’s

increased level of stain consumption now represented apotential compliance issue. Although the water-based woodstain was already an extremely low VOC product, itappeared to contain sufficient VOCs to push Cal Cascadeover its emissions threshold. Ueberroth immediately contacted Bruce Armbruster of

JE Compliance Services, a full-service regulatory compli-ance consulting firm. For six years, Armbruster has beenhelping Cal Cascade with the planning, permitting andreporting required to ensure regulatory compliance.Armbruster evaluated the situation and confirmed that itscurrent low-VOC wood stain would indeed push CalCascade beyond its VOC cap limit. The plant needed toslash its VOC emissions by 80%.At that point, Cal Cascade’s options appeared grim.

Simply eliminating its staining operation was out of thequestion. “If we had not been able to stain,” Ueberrothsays, “it would hurt us drastically because the industry isdemanding prestained product.”Other options for reducing the stain’s VOC emissions

consisted primarily of prohibitively expensive mechanicalalternatives.While Armbruster began to write an application for a

permit that would enable Cal Cascade to continue its stain-ing operations, Ueberroth called Mark Cheirrett, presidentand technical director of its wood stain provider, EcoChemical. Cheirrett said his R&D team could significantlylower the VOCs on the stain Cal Cascade was currentlyusing—while maintaining its color, ease of use, and UVprotection. And, because Eco Chemical’s in-house chemistshad already been researching a lower VOC stain, hethought they could have a solution in a matter of weeks.It took two weeks for Eco Chemical’s research team to

modify the formula for Cal Cascade’s stain. The stain wassent to Dr. Dane Jones at the Cal Poly San Luis ObispoPolymers & Coatings Program for analytical testing andvalidation of the VOC estimate. A short time later, Dr.Jones reported that the modified stain had indeed reducedVOCs to 3 lbs. per day, an 80% reduction.In Armbruster’s words, “Eco came through with a prod-

uct that allowed Cal Cascade to continue to meet its pro-duction demands without purchasing offsets. Because thenew Eco stain has very low VOCs (60 lbs. per month), ifCal Cascade manages its usage carefully, the company maybe exempt from a permit requirement in the future.”ECO CHEMICAL co-founder Mark Cheirrett tests stained wood samples

in a miniature retort at the firm’s in-house lab.


LONG A POPULAR choice for com-mercial and multi-family applica-

tions, aluminum deck systems aregaining new acceptance from home-owners seeking low maintenance out-door living spaces. “Aluminum is the perfect material

for decking,” says Don Garrison, gen-eral manager of FSI Home Products,Cullman, Al., which manufacturesNextDeck and LockDry. “It’s able towithstand the most extreme outdoorelements, weighs less than half ofwood decking, and is much stronger.”NextDeck’s powder-coat finish,

offered in two standard colors and aDakota oak woodgrain, is UV-stable.Designed for the life of the deck, theproduct reportedly is fireproof, pest-resistant, and will not rust, rot, sage,splinter, warp, or crack—even in

freezing temperatures.The company’s other decking prod-

uct, LockDry, has water channels andgutters that create a watertight spaceunder upper-storey decks—which canbe used for storage, a play area, orother outdoor living space. It’s alsoavailable in Dakota woodgrain, plusfour standard colors.“Many newer homes have second-

or third-level decks with space under-neath that is basically lost, becausetypical decks provide no shelter fromthe elements for the area below,” saysGarrison. “A watertight aluminumdeck keeps the area under the deckdry—no matter what the weather.” Wahoo Decks, Gainesville, Ga.,

also offers an aluminum deck sys-tem—AridDeck—that provides dry,usable space under the main deck.Made from marine-grade aluminumand protected with a powder-coat fin-ish in sandstone or ash grey, the prod-uct requires no upkeep other than peri-odic cleaning with soap and water. Wahoo’s other products, DryJoist

and DryJoist EZ, go even further, byeliminating the need for traditionalwood joists. As with AridDek, inte-grated channels direct water awayfrom both the deck and house, creatinga waterproof area with a finished ceil-ing below the main deck—all in oneapplication. The system can be toppedwith any kind of deck boards. “Consumers are looking for a sub-

structure that matches the low mainte-nance and longevity of better deck

boards,” says v.p. Jon Bailey. “Thisrepresents a real upsell opportunity fordealers.”Sigmadek, a new company based in

Calgary, Alb., will offer a completealuminum decking system—includingthe understructure and joists, stairs,and railings—that can be topped withany type of deck boards. According to president Gary

Acinapura, the pre-fabricated systemeliminates the need for field fabrica-tion—increasing safety and savingtime and money. Prefabrication alsoeliminates the possibility—and cost—of complicated deck designs. “Our research indicates that 75% of

decks are square or rectangular,” hesays. “Deck depths can be 20 ft. fromledge to post and any width.” Although Sigmadek’s decking

won’t be available until next spring,its LifeLong aluminum fasteners willbe offered before the end of thismonth through Parksite, Batavia, Il.The products are precision engineeredto help make key structural points—such as deck support posts, ledgerboards, and post-beam connectors—intraditional wood decks stronger, safer,and easier to install. “True innovation is hard to come

by,” says Scott Thomas, director ofmarketing at Parksite. “Having thechance to bring something revolution-ary to market, which can change theway people conceive and designdecks, is an excellent opportunity forour company and our customers.”

PRODUCT SpotlightAluminum Decking

Aluminum deckingshows its mettle

LIFELONG aluminum fasteners from Sigmadekare precision engineered to strengthen keystructural points.

Photo

by FSI H

ome P

rodu

cts, C

ullma

n, Al

.


INDUSTRY TrendsStaying Right with the Lacey Act

IN LATE AUGUST, Gibson Guitars’ facilities in Tennesseewere raided by federal investigators, who seized hard-

woods they maintain were imported in violation of theLacey Act. The 100-year-old statute, forerunner of the Endangered

Species Act, was expanded in 2008 to cover wood prod-ucts, making illegal sourcing punishable by fines andprison. Wood imported from, say, India must have beenharvested and handled according to Indian laws.Considering the popularity of ipé decking and other

imported wood products, are lumber dealers taking theproper precautions to ensure what they’re trading in isLacey compliant?“Lacey requires a more educated buyer,” notes George

Celtrick, Cikel USA, Miami, Fl. “In the past, finding anoffer 20% below market price was great news; now oneneeds to ask how the material can be that cheap. I wasastounded the other day to receive an offer on lumber,decking, flooring and logs from Brazil. It’s illegal to exportlogs from Brazil.”Last year, Cikel received an email from a foreign com-

pany claiming to offer Lacey-compliant, FSC-certifiedmaterial. Celtrick asked for their chain-of-custody certifi-cate number, which was promptly provided. “But,” Celtricksays, “when I went to www.fsc.org, I saw that (the C-O-Cnumber) was for a Danish printing company. When I men-tioned this in an email, they disappeared.”Hardwood wholesaler Dennis Johnston, Peterman

Lumber, Fontana, Ca., has seen the Lacey Act affect hisbusiness. “We are now more obligated than ever to holdour import lumber suppliers more accountable on whereand how they obtain the lumber they are shipping to us,” hesays. “We need to deal with reputable importers that followthe rules and guidelines of the Lacey Act.”Johnston suggests that dealers “should be upfront and

directly ask (suppliers) if they are in compliance beforepurchasing the product. If we have customers that requestverification, we in turn would ask our supplier for thePPQ505 form, which states that they are in compliance. Wealready have so much paperwork in our world, we do notprovide (the form) unless it is requested.”Ipé decking wholesaler/manufacturer Sean Burch,

Redwood Empire, Morgan Hill, Ca., agrees: “Ask your cur-rent supplier if they can supply you with the Lacey docu-mentation that we as importers submit at the time of arrival.Or, ask for a letter that states the current supplier compliesand will be responsible for Lacey Act requirements all theway back to the harvest plans.”

Cikel USA’s Celtrick maintains proof should be writtenand extensive. “What the U.S. attorneys determine compli-ant is the tricky part,” he says. “Too many U.S. buyers feela letter from their supplier is enough ‘due diligence’ thatthe material was taken legally. Buyers need to ask brokersand suppliers to prove it. You need to know exactly fromwhom the broker gets the material and what document(s) inthat country prove that it is legally taken. It forces trans-parency into the supply chain by punishing the buyers whodon’t have it.”Celtrick admits, however, that the burden of proof may

vary, depending on the volume of materials and one’s placein the distribution chain. “If you are not the importer ofrecord or a big buyer, the level of needed due diligencedrops,” he says. “Homeowners should not worry aboutLacey violations with their new deck. But, if you are thefirst buyer touching the container from the port, shame onyou if don’t have a file showing due care in your purchas-ing process.”According to Romel Bezerra, InterSomma, Pembroke

Pines, Fl., compliance is straightforward. “Everyone, fromimporters to lumber dealers, only need to exercise due dili-gence when purchasing imported wood products,” he says.“It is not that difficult, especially when one knows theirsuppliers well.”As Laura L. Beaver, New Horizons Hardwoods,

Springfield, Mo., advises: “Buy from companies you knowand trust.”

Is your hardwood inventoryLacey compliant?

HARDWOOD IMPORTERS advise dealing with trusted suppliers toensure Lacey Act compliance.


MICHAEL RECORD IS A CHIP off the old block, and that’salso what he sells (plus shavings and sawdust and

pellets, along with pine and hemlock boards, posts, beamsand more) at The Board Barn, a retail store he launched ayear ago in Cumberland, Me.With this new venture—I’ll go ahead and spoil the story

for you by saying it’s been an overnight success—Mike hascome full circle, selling lumber from the sawmill his dadfounded, and where Mike continues to work and Dad stillmans the planing operation. Mike’s job is to market truck-loads to sites as far away as Missouri, North Carolina, andTennessee.Yet Mike was tugged by that primal urge, the urge to

build his own business, and build it from the ground up justas his dad, Merle, had done before him, in 1979. YoungMerle had worked full-time at a woolen mill while con-

Dealer raises the Barn

COMPETITIVE IntelligenceBy Carla Waldemar

MAINE COURSE: Record Building Supply operators Michael (left) andMerle Record draw much of their stock from their 32-year-old sawmill.

ready. So, a year ago, I found a good deal on property in agood area” in nearby Cumberland “where I could concen-trate on pine boards.”And soon, shavings. Then pellets, both waste products

from the mill. “I began bagging the shavings to sell retail tofarmers to bed their animals—a dry product. Then I alsomixed some in with green sawdust, offering the advantageof a lot more product to sell. Farmers liked the green addi-tion because its moisture was easier on the dry hooves oftheir horses. I’ve had a lot of success with it,” he reports.Waste not, want not, lesson learned. So now he also sells

pellets made of sawdust (“It saves us money because wealready do it in bulk, so now I can add them at retail withvery little work. People are using them more and more forheating wood stoves, fireplaces, even furnaces—and it’susing products made in Maine, not oil from overseas,” he’sproud to underscore.The Board Barn also sells overstocks and closeouts from

outside sources, such as a recent bonanza of compositedecking, at deeply discounted prices: 6- and 8-ft. pineboard, low-grade pine board for inexpensive sheeting.Little by little, he’s adding ancillary products, which he cantest-drive by buying from Record Building Supply in smallquantities to see how they fly before committing to a mega-order. Case in point: OSB. “I didn’t carry it at first,” Mikesays, “but contractors all seem to want to use it, so Ibrought in a half unit and it sold out. So I added more….”Plus nails and fasteners, “an obvious addition. If people

need boards, they need nails,” he knows, and why let thatsale travel elsewhere? Next thing up: grain. “Something I never dreamed of,

but customers were asking for it for their horses, so it pre-sents another opportunity; I’ll start stocking their favoritebrand. Plus, it’ll provide steady business in the winter. I’lladd more plywood, too,” he muses. But hardware? Nah, hesays (for now): “I’ll leave that to Record.”Mike markets his offerings on his website (www.the-

boardbarn.biz), and via the new e-store, where customersare urged: “Buy direct and save! We have our own mill.”“Plywood—only two units left. Hurry!” And, “Because ofour affiliation with both Record Lumber and Record Build-ing Supply, we can price items below the competition.”Mike’s manager, Mike Biskup, is also a computer whiz,

so he’s launched the store’s e-zine, which announces “real-ly good deals,” plus tips to customers who choose to signup. Already, 500 have made the move and, with competi-tors lurking “15 minutes away in four directions,” that’s nosmall potatoes—or, pellets.Mike woos these customers with a triple whammy: vari-

ety of product, quality and price. “And those customerswe’ve attracted, we’re retaining,” he has the right to boast.Yet it’s been a learning process, and Mike is the first to

say so. First lesson: “Take advantage of opportunities—that’s the key to success,” he advises, as he prepares to add

structing his sawmill nights and weekends, blow by blow.And when it burned, alas, in the early ’80s, he simply builthimself a bigger, more modern version. Due to customerdemand, Merle at last relented and began retailing from theoperation. Finally, in an attempt to regain sanity, he divided the

operations and launched Record Building Supply inOxford, Me., which purchases over one-third of the mill’soutput and also offers a full line of everything from win-dows and doors to tools and hardware and the most recentaddition, Benjamin Moore paints, to its customers, split50/50 between pro builders and homeowners. Both Merleand Mike had their hands full.But you know kids. Says Mike, “I felt I was old enough

to go out on my own, even in a bad economy. I felt I was

He also found he had a lot to learn about constructing abuilding from the ground up, including drive-thru storage—“dealing with the planning process was an eye-opener,” herelates. “Record was in a smaller town; here, in [larger]Cumberland, there’s a lot more politics.”The moral he re-emphasizes is this: “Learn from past

experiences. Don’t just experience them, learn from them.”And the most important lesson learned—this one cameeasy—was that an owner must be passionate about his busi-ness. “I’ve seen so many come and go for lack of passion,”Mike says. Not a likely factor here, given the Record fami-ly genes: “Since I was nine years old, I worked in my dad’smill, even full-time during high school on a release pro-gram. Dad started with nothing and built his equity.”Mike can step back a bit from his mill duties because

there isn’t that much product left to market after Recordand Board Barn sell their share. “It’s lesscostly this way,” he adds, “rather thanship stuff on trailer trucks—a help inthis economy.” Yet the economic state of the

nation, while grim, isn’t crimping hisstyle, not at all. “The Board Barn hasbeen open less than a year and isalready paying its way. There’ssomething to be said for that,”he maintains, in understatedDown East fashion. And thatsomething is “Wow!”


Carla [email protected]

NEWEST VENTURE, The Board Barn, Cumberland, Me., sells all man-ner of wood products.

grain, for example, to his SKUs. Next, Mike says, “Be flexible. From the start I recog-

nized, from working at Record, that there’s always suchdifficulty in managing contractors’ accounts, so I said, ‘Nocredit. No accounts.’ But it didn’t take me long to realizethat if I wanted to get their business, that would have tochange. So I turned to Blue Tarp as an easy option.” For a small percent of the take, the company manages

customers’ accounts and offers Board Barn choices of slid-ing payment fees, such as how often to receive paybacks;whether to offer a customer regular or extended credit; andwhether to reward them with points toward prizes.Same with conventional plastic. Mike relates how he

lost a “really big” sale because American Express was theonly card the contractor carried in his wallet, and Mikewasn’t set up to accept it. Today, lesson learned, he is—along with Visa, MC and you name it. “I’ve got to make itas easy as I can and offer many payment plans.”


If you donʼt fire them, they will fire youYour job is to grow company sales and profits. You

must do this by building a strong team. If you don’t, youwill be fired!If you allow poor performers to remain on the team you

send the message “It’s okay to be a poor performer.” If youdo fire your poor performers, you send the opposite mes-sage: “Perform or be gone!” Which message do you wantto send to your team?

Mental approaches to help make firing easierIt’s them or your kid. I was dealing with an employee

who I really liked. I liked her, but I couldn’t get her towork unsupervised. I was in the process of cutting herhours to only those when he could work with a co-worker.I told her, “This is not an argument about what is good forme and what is good for you, but an argument about whatis good for you and what is good for my kid!” She said,“That makes it real easy for you to look at it like that,doesn’t it?” I said, “Yes, it does.” The next time you have a problem with an employee,

remember, it’s them or your kid. Your kid is counting onyou to do the right thing for your career, so do it and don’tfeel bad about it.

Your communication has been clear. By the time youfeel like firing someone, you have already had numerous“sit-downs,” etc., with them. You have been clear. Theydon’t want to understand. Some people will only under-stand when you fire them. Do yourself a favor, save your-self some time. Fire them.

Do you want to work for them? If you want to workfor a troublesome employee, don’t fire them. Because ifyou can’t manage them, then they are managing you (andyour other employees).

You can’t get in the way of a peak performer. If hewere a great, motivated salesperson, youwould not be having problems with him.He would be too busy selling.

It’s not a zero sum game. Dealingwith troublesome performers or unman-ageable people is keeping you from grow-ing your group. It is keeping you fromgiving time and attention to thesalespeople who need it andare manageable. Let ’em go!

CONGRATULATIONS, YOU’VE JUST been promoted to salesmanager! Now the real challenge of leading your team

begins. One of the hardest things you will have to do as asales manager is fire people.Many sales managers are promoted internally. They are

co-workers before they are managers. This situation is oneof the toughest professional challenges you will face inyour career. How do you get your recent co-workers totreat you as their leader? Their manager? Their evaluator?The biggest challenge comes from within. Will you

accept the role of leader? Or do you want them to like youtoo much? Will you want them to treat you the same asthey did before? Leadership has its price. You are no longer “one of the

guys/gals.” When the sales team goes out to let off somesteam, you probably won’t be invited. You are no longer aco-worker. Your responsibility is now to the team. Changecan be difficult and sometimes lonely. Your team needsand wants you to lead them. Your company demands it.

If you donʼt lead your team, someone willWhen a leader of a country dies, we hear about a

“power void” or a “leadership void.” Several wanna-beleaders will step forward, and there will be political andsocial unrest until a clear leader is established.The same thing will happen with your sales team. You

must lead your team or someone else will. If you are aweak or non-existent leader, someone else will assume theleadership role. Usually it is the biggest, most selfish bully.The team will become fractious and goals will be individu-alistically driven instead of company or team driven.This does not mean that you are a tyrant. This does not

mean that you are an autocrat. It does mean that you mustgive your team a clear vision, set a high standard, and holdthem to that standard.

OLSEN On SalesBy James Olsen

You’re fired

James OlsenReality Sales Training

(503) [email protected]


OVER THE LAST 30 years, themanufacturing core of the

United States has been dismantledpiece by piece and shipped off toother countries. Looking for com-petitive advantage through least-cost labor, brand owners andmanufacturers have graduallyconcentrated in China, which nowaccounts for a large proportion ofproduct sold through this channel.Even commodity products arevery likely to be sourced fromChina or other faraway places,and not without complications.Has anyone forgotten the drywall controversy? Low prices are good, or so market logic would dictate,

Made greener ina factory near you

GREEN RetailingBy Jay Tompt

but in a globalized economy thereare unintended consequences.Economists have argued that theAmerican middle class, made upof folks who save to buy a houseor remodel the one they own, hasbeen significantly diminished bythe loss of good-paying manufac-turing jobs. This has had a devas-tating effect in hundreds of localeconomies that still struggle withhigh unemployment and under-employment. In addition, cheapgoods and materials from abroadmay have other, hidden costs.

Lower quality, for example, can slow productivity orrequire expensive remediation.

extra cost. It also showed that there’s strong interest frombuilders and prospective homeowners to source goodscloser to home. So, what’s a good, green dealer to do? Work with your

distributors and manufacturers to identify where the prod-ucts and materials are made, then identify opportunities tomake some changes. Shorten the supply chain. Productsmade closer to home are better or “greener,” theoretically,than those made farther away. For example, qualified prod-ucts and materials made within 500 miles of the jobsiteearn LEED credits.Weigh the costs and benefits wisely—a toxic product

made next door is always worse than a green import fromEurope. Work with local manufacturers to green up theirproduct line, if necessary. In thestore, develop signage that edu-cates and informs your cus-tomers about the benefits of buy-ing local or buying American. Finally, resist the temptation

to wave the flag, but do make thecase based on quality, eco-nomics and environmentalbenefits. There’s a strongone to be made.


Jay TomptManaging Partner

Wm. Verde & Associates(415) 321-0848

[email protected]

From a green point of view, there’s another unintendedconsequence. Most imported goods and materials will havemuch higher embodied energy—in other words, a largercarbon footprint. Shipping goods across the ocean spewstons of carbon into the atmosphere. More importantly, aforeign factory may get its energy from inefficient coal-burning plants. So, before the import is even shipped, itscarbon footprint may already be wildly off the charts com-pared with a domestically made alternative. There may beother environmental consequences, too, when factories arelocated in countries with few safeguards in place againstpollution, deforestation, etc.Reducing the embodied energy in buildings is the main

motivator behind USGBC’s LEED credit for locallysourced goods and materials. This is good, but does it mat-ter? Is anything even made in this country anymore? Yesand yes. Obviously, sourcing goods and materials close tothe building site means lower embodied energy and loweramounts of carbon emitted to the atmosphere. It also helpsto support local businesses and encourages builders toincorporate local materials. Lumber, stone, strawbale,cob—regional resource strengths will help recreate region-al building vernacular, too, providing a welcome breakfrom the homogeneity of mass home production.Shortening the supply chain also delivers strategic businessbenefits, such as less risk of disruption from overseasevents and, potentially, more collaborative relationshipsbetween manufacturer and dealer.And yes, there are still plenty of products made in this

country. A Montana builder made news promoting his100% American built house (www.theallamericanhome.com), demonstrating that it can be done and with little


Discounted Deckingfully backed by GAF warranty

Contact Renee McMichael(951) 727-1767, Ext. 127 or (909) 772-8329, cell

4685 Brookhollow Circle, Riverside, CA 92509

$1.39/LF

for units.

Call for Special

Pricing on

Volume

DEALER BriefsProBuild is closing 12 locations

by Nov. 15, including Granite Falls,Sedro Woolley, Coupeville, BonneyLake, and Moses Lake, Wa., and SouthFork, Co.

Malibu Hardware, Malibu, Ca.,held a grand opening Oct. 15 (DaveAnawalt, owner).

Colorado Hardwood Lum-ber & Flooring, Canon City, Co.,has been opened by Tom and JanetteMize, sharing space with HarkenCabinetry

The Mizes relocated to Colorado,presumably to retire, after 35 years inthe hardwood lumber business inMichigan.

Grigg’s Hardware early nextyear will open its 4th Ace store, an18,000-sq.-ft.’er in Kennewick, Wa.

Placerville True ValueHardware, Placerville, Ca., has pur-chased the former True Value store inPenn Valley, Ca., closed sinceDecember 2010.

New owner Scott Gutierrez expectsto reopen late this month, leaving histwin brother to manage the Placervillelocation.

Ace Hardware operator TerryCain is opening a 13,000-sq. ft. storethe first week of December inBeaverton, Or.

True Value Hardware, GreenValley, Az., held a grand re-opening tocelebrate its 12-week remodel.

Ace Hardware will open a newstore next spring on 1.1 acres inDenver, Co. (Mary Cottrell, owner).

Ace Hardware Express ,Shasta Lake, Ca., will move into a tem-porary facility by Dec. 1, after sufferingfire, water and smoke damage from aSept. 28 blaze that destroyed anadjoining apartment.

The fire was caused by a 4-year-oldboy playing with a lighter.

Anniversaries: AngelesMillwork & Lumber Co., PortAngeles, Wa., 105th … HighlandsAce Hardware, Renton, Wa., 60th… Maricopa Ace Hardware ,Maricopa, Az., 5th.


Vet Opens Own Home CenterMatt Chavez, former store manager

for Sears Trostel Lumber & Millwork,Fort Collins, Co., and his wife, Becky,have opened Josephs’ Hardware &Home Center, Fort Collins.The 11,000-sq. ft. Do it Best unit

operates from the old Drake Hardwarebuilding, which closed early this year.

Fresno Sees Dealer Shake-UpHardware stores are coming, going

and relocating in Fresno, Ca. Orchard has taken over the lease of

a 49,540-sq. ft. building, to convert it

into its second location in the city byspring 2012. The facility is acrossfrom the former home of Mayson AceHardware, which closed in Septemberand reopened Nov. 1 at a new site lessthan three miles away. The owners saythey made their decision to move longbefore hearing of Orchard’s plans.In addition, Norm Bishop has

closed Willow Ace Hardware, Fresno,and reopened Clovis Ace Hardware,Clovis, Ca., Oct. 1. Bishop shutteredthe Clovis store in 2009 over a leasedispute, consolidating operations inthe Fresno location.

SUPPLIER BriefsIdaho Forest Group, Coeur

d’Alene, Id., is buying ClearwaterPaper Corp.’s Lewiston, Id., sawmill.

The $30-mil l ion deal includessawmill, planer mill, kilns, inventories,timber contracts, and promise to con-tinue supplying chips and sawdust toClearwater’s Lewiston pulp mill.

Spokane, Wa.-based Clearwater isramping down production at the opera-tion in preparation for Idaho Forest’staking possession in the 4th quarter.

Lifetime Lumber, San Diego,Ca., is shutting down its compositedecking operation after nine years.

SierraPine will shutter its MDFplant in Rocklin, Ca., by year’s end.

Taiga Building Products,Burnaby, B.C., has formed a partner-ship with Lignum, Vancouver, B.C.,to co-brand and market western redcedar from Kitwanga LumberCo., Kitwanga, B.C.

Hoquiam Plywood, Hoquiam,Wa., has idled its mill indefinitely.

Swanson Group, Glendale, Or.,has completed the sale of its Noti, Or.,sawmill to Seneca Sawmill Co.,Eugene, Or.

On Sept. 23, a week before the dealclosed, Swanson idled the mill andexpected operations to resume Oct. 17.

Reliable Wholesale Lumber,Huntington Beach, Ca., is now distrib-uting LiteSteel beams throughoutCalifornia.

Onex Corp. has completed its$871-million acquisition of approxi-mately 40% of Jeld-Wen, KlamathFalls, Or.

Tolko Industries’ plywood plantin Kamloops, B.C., cut back from fourshifts to three, effective Oct. 30.

Enduris ’ Endeck cellular PVCdecking and Endeck PVC hybrid-capped decking have been awardedCal Fire certification by the CaliforniaDepartment of Forestry.

Feeney Inc., Oakland, Ca., hasinstalled a solar system capable ofgenerating more than 95% of its cur-rent energy demands.


Capital Buys JM Thomas ̓N.M. DCEleven-unit Capital Lumber Co., Phoenix, Az., has

agreed to purchase the assets of JM Thomas ForestProducts’ distribution center in Albuquerque, N.M.Capital has its own facility in Albuquerque and will

consolidate both sites into a single operation.Ogden, Ut.-based JM Thomas will continue to operate

its DCs in Ogden, Boise, Id., and Denver, Co.The deal was expected to be finalized by Oct. 31.

Hampton Keeps Trimming HoursHampton Affiliates, Portland, Or., will reduce operating

hours from 80 to 50 and lay off 80 workers at is sawmill inDarrington, Wa., due to poor domestic sales and more logsbeing exported to China.

Similar reductions and layoffs have already taken placeat the company’s sawmill in Randle, Wa. The company said it has no plans to close any of its

sawmills, but will reduce schedules at most facilities whilewaiting for the U.S. housing market to recover.

Loweʼs Closing 20 LocationsLowe’s Cos. is closing 20 underperforming stores in 15

states and eliminating 1,950 jobs—including locations inWestminster and Los Banos, Ca.; S. Tacoma, Wa., andDenver, Co. Half of the locations closed Oct. 16, while theothers will be shuttered this month.The chain, which will be left with more than 1,700 loca-

tions, will also cut back on it expansion plans—opening 10to 15 new stores in North America annually starting in2012, rather than the 30 it had predicted.Other closures are in Louisiana, Massachusetts,


Universal has been a key supplier in Southern California for years. With the broadest lineup of lumber and specialty products in the area, it’s no wonder why dealers look to UFP as a key supply partner.

- SmartSide Siding - SmartSide Trim - TechShield - SPF Pattern & Fascia - Hardy Frames - Plywood & OSB - Vinyl Lattice - Concrete Form/PSF

Help your builders start smart, �nish strong. Choose Universal as your key building products supplier.

Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey,New York, Rhode Island, Virignia,Wisconsin, two each in Illinois andMaine, and three in New Hampshire.

Millbrae Lumber Goes UnderBattered by the poor economy,

Millbrae Lumber Co., Millbrae, Ca.,closed last month after 72 years.Most of Millbrae’s 10 employees

had been with the yard for over 25years. Its oldest worker was 75, itsyoungest 28—joining 10 years ago,straight out of high school.A new owner acquired the 1.5-acre

property, but has not divulged hisplans.

Stimson Fined for BlastStimson Lumber, Portland, Or.,

was fined $5,000 by OSHA for anexplosion at its mill in Gaston, Or.,that killed one worker and seriouslyinjured two others.

Steve Allen, 60, a longtime mill-wright, died after a 6 ft.-tall hydraulicaccumulator machine he was workingon exploded May 11. Two other work-ers were injured. The three were tryingto disassemble the machine, whichacts like a large shock absorber forheavy mill equipment.

Stimson v.p. Debra Muchow said,“We’ll never know from the employ-ee’s perspective if he was not trainedproperly or whether it was just a mat-ter of a mistake at that time. But eitherway, we are brokenhearted by thefatality that occurred and we are tak-ing responsibility for that with

OSHA.”Although Allen’s death was the

first fatality at the Gaston mill in atleast 25 years, she said, millwrights ateach of Stimson’s operations inOregon, Idaho and Washington havereceived additional training related tohydraulic machines.


PAINT + STAINSecochemical

COLOR

IN MemoriamEverett “Bud” Johnson, 85,

owner of C&D Lumber, Riddle, Or.,died Oct. 2 in Riddle.His father bought what was known

as Judd Creek Lumber in 1950 andchanged the name to C&D—becausetheir first mill was in Coos County andthe second was in Douglas County. In 1996, he was honored as Man of

the Year by Timber Processing.

Jim Ben Edens Jr., 75, formerpresident of Palmer G. Lewis, Auburn,Wa., and Huttig Building Products, St.Louis, Mo., died Sept. 5 in Prescott,Az.He attended Harvard and Southern

Methodist universities, then spentmost of his working life in the LBMindustry. He headed PGL when it wasacquired by Huttig in 1989.

Bruce Winden Rowe, 72, retiredowner of Van Daal Distributors,Seattle, Wa., died Sept. 20 in FridayHarbor, Wa.Mr. Rowe graduated from the U.S.

Naval Academy in 1950, then servedas a Naval gunnery officer during theKorean War. Afterwards, he attendedHarvard University, earning a master’sdegree in 1958.He then purchased Van Daal and

built it into one of the largest LBMdistributor serving the PacificNorthwest and Alaska. He also openedseveral Ace Hardware stores, door/metal products manufacturer Bruce’sBuilding Materials, and consultingfirm Rowe & Associates.

William Winn Ford, 80, longtimeNorthwest lumber salesman, died Oct.13 in Portland, Or.His first job in the lumber industry

was working in his father’s mill inJohn Day, Or. After graduating fromStanford University and serving in theNavy, he got a job as a lumber sales-man for Boise Cascade. He later

• Aqua2use Graywater Systemfrom Water Wise Group• Cypress Envirosystems analog-

to-digital wireless thermostat• Ritter XL solar thermal system

from Regasol• Mitsubishi Electric’s ductless

heat pumps and variable refrigerantflow systems with tenant submetering• AllSun Trackers from AllEarth • Philips Lighting EnduraLEDs

Green Building Products Crack Top 10BuildingGreen has presented its

10th annual Top 10 Green BuildingProducts Awards for 2012, drawnfrom more entries than ever before.“There are more ‘green’ building

products than ever, but not all of themaddress a real need—or worse, someof them may create new problemsdown the road,” says BuildingGreen’sAlex Wilson. “In selecting this year’sTop 10 products, we looked for com-panies that solved pressing needs inenergy efficiency, reduced toxicity inbuilding materials, enhanced retrofitapplications, and offered unique solu-

tions in other areas.”The Top 10 are drawn primarily

from new additions to GreenSpec,BuildingGreen’s database of best-in-class green building products, contain-ing more than 2,200 listings and prod-uct lines. Winners for 2012 are:• InterfaceFLOR carpet tiles with

non-PFC carpet fibers• Lifeline PVC-free resilient floor-

ing from Upofloor OY• Knight Wall CI-Girt Rainscreen

System from Knight Wall Systems• EonCoat waterborne ceramic

coating from EonCoat


Mr. Emmert graduated from UC-Berkeley in 1937, with a degree inforestry. He served with the Air Forceduring World War II, helping to buildlanding strips in the South Pacific. He spent most of his working years

in the central Sierras, surveying forearly logging roads and running hisown mill.

Association, Portland, Or., and earn-ing his master’s certificate. Beforeretiring, he served as sales managerfor Pine Products, Prineville, Or.

Charles Emmert, 97, retiredowner of Emmert Forest Products,Auberry, Ca., died Oct. 11 in Fresno,Ca.

became sales manager at DAW ForestProducts, before eventually retiringfrom Crown Pacific.

D. Keith Gordon, 88, retired lum-ber salesman at Western Lumber,Medford, Or., died Sept. 13 inMedford. During World War II, he served

with the Navy. After the war, hereturned to UC-Berkeley, graduatingin 1948 with a degree in forestry.He started his 36-year career as a

forester at Fruit Growers Supply Co.,Susanville, Ca., and retired in 1993.

Mel Smeder, 63, salesman at TMIForest Products, Centralia, Wa., diedOct. 11 in Chehalis, Wa. He started his 40-year lumber

career at age 12 at Jerstedt Lumber,Bellingham, Wa., moving to whole-sale sales in Portland, Or., in 1988.

D. Dean Dodson, 83, retiredOregon lumberman, died Sept. 29 inCaldwell, Id.After serving in the South Pacific

with the U.S. Navy during World WarII, he started his lumber career, even-tually becoming a lumber inspector forthe Western Wood Products


BEST WOOD DECK OVER 500 SQ. FT. and BEST OVERALL DECK honors went to JohnPaulin, Tailor Decks, Statham, Ga., for this pressure treated masterpiece. He used premiumsouthern yellow pine for the decking, porch flooring, and railings and western red cedar forthe open porch walls, staining everything with TWP 1501 cedar tone. Unique features includ-ed an outset for the grill, granite-topped bar, benches with 17˚-tilted backrest, and amplelighting, right down to below the benches.

BEST WOOD DECK UNDER 500 SQ. FT. went to this southern pine beauty from FrankPologruto, Decks & More, Smyrna, Ga., featuring a stunning bow curve and Dekorators cus-tom rail system with black aluminum balusters.

Best DecksThe North American Deck &

Railing Association presented awardsfor the year’s best decks during therecent Deck Expo in Chicago, Il.“This year’s Deck Competition

was as tough to judge as last year’s—probably tougher!” said judge GlennMathewson, NADRA technical advi-

sor. “From simple elegance to mas-sively elaborate, judging these decksmade me wish I was still buildingthem. It was obvious that thesebuilders are making dreams come truefor their clients.”Among the winners:


BEST ALTERNATIVE DECK OVER 500 SQ. FT. was for this Rocky Mountain showplace byBarry Streett, Rolling Ridge Deck Co., Evergreen, Co. The 1,500-sq. ft. project incorporatedBrazilian slate decking, Grate Dex outdoor flooring, custom-designed wrought iron rail, nativemoss rock columns, exposed tongue-&-groove ceiling and glulam beams, antique barn beammantel, and 90+ copper low-voltage lights.

BEST ALTERNATIVE DECK UNDER 500 SQ. FT. was won by this composite creation fromRolling Ridge Deck’s Streett. He used Fiberon Horizon Ipé decking and kiln-dried SYP pres-sure treated framing, with tongue-&-groove white pine for the ceiling.

BEST UNIQUE FEATURErecognized this outdoorliving area with curvedmetal overhead by JohnTurrentine, SouthwestFence & Deck, Carrollton,Tx., supported by custom-cut western red cedarbeams and corbels.


NEW Products

Thermally Modified DeckingPhillips-Ice is now manufacturing thermally modi-

fied wood decking from sustainably grown NorthAmerican hardwoods.ThermalWood reportedly is 100% natural, with

low VOCs and improved dimensional stability. It offers easy installation with Snap-To-It invisible

fasteners.� PHILLIPS-ICE.COM(650) 387-4415

KD Bamboo DeckingNew bamboo decking from Tiger Deck is kiln-

dried and vertically laminated for lasting durability. The FSC-certified deck boards are profiled for

Tiger Deck’s hidden fastening system, and pre-fin-ished with a clear sealer and a fungicide. Lengths of12’, 16’, and 20’ will span 16” OC joist spacing.� TIGERDECK.COM(503) 625-1747


Multi-Use FastenersScrew Products has released

three new star-drive fasteners formultiple applications, includingdecking and fencing.The C-Deck 9x1/-3/4” for

fences, railings, and fascia comesin a choice of brown, gray, tanand red color coating that is cor-rosion-resistant.A 1/4” exterior lag screw, in

lengths of 1” to 6”, is designedfor fences, decking, ledgerboards roofing, and much more.It is milled with heat-treated car-bon steel coated with a bronzeACQ-compatible coating.The #7 modified truss star-

drive screw can be used to fastensiding and fascia, attach fixtures,and install fencing. � SCREW-PRODUCTS.COM(877) 844-8880

Master DeckFastenersFastenMaster’s Cortex fasten-

er system can now be used withTimberTech XLM decking.The hidden fasteners can be

used in specific decking applica-tions, such as perimeter boardsand stairs, for easy replacementof a decking board. Each pack contains 224 ACQ-

approved screws, two settingtools, and 300 Cortex plugs.� FASTENMASTER.COM(800) 518-3569


Redwood Decks & RailingsNew railings and decking profiles from The

California Redwood Co. focus on beauty, ease of use,durability, and water resistance.Both Estate (2x4 and 2x6) and Vista (2x6) red-

wood railings are gently crowned to shed water. The Cascade deck board is also crowned on top to

shed water, with beveled edges and drip lines on thebottom for greater durability.All three are constructed from hand-selected and

specialty-milled redwood.� CALIFORNIAREDWOODCO.COM(866) 797-7474

Dumpster in a BagWaste Management’s Bagster is a dumpster in a

bag for d-i-yers and small contractors.The durable woven bag can hold 3 cu. yds. of

debris—up to 3,300 lbs.—making it ideal for homerenovations and cleanup. Collection fees range from $79 to $159, depending

on the market, about 50 to 70% less than a dumpsterrental.� THEBAGSTER.COM(888) 345-2247


Shield That GutterMasterShield gutter guards use MicroVortex cloth

to keep roof gutters free of clutter and oils leachedfrom asphalt shingles.The guards are able to filter more water, more

quickly, due to the special micromesh filtration cloth.�MASTERSHIELD.COM(877) 532-3627

T&G Wood DeckingKootenay Innovative Wood’s tongue-and-groove

decking is available in both 2x6 and 3x6 profiles.Both select and commercial grades are offered, in a

Douglas fir/larch or SPF blend. Offered are lengths of6’ to 16’, with 5.25” face and optional pre-drilling.� KIWOOD.COM(250) 359-8050

Swiss Wood ProtectionPowerhouse Building Solutions’ Bomol coatings

are an environmentally friendly way to protect wood.Manufactured in Switzerland, the line includes

semi-transparent and solid colors for exterior woodand decking, a semi-transparent lacquer for interiorwood, and a cleaning solution that cleans most woodwithout scrubbing. All are water-based, contain organ-ic oils, and have low odor and virtually no VOCs. � POWERHOUSINGBUILDINGSOLUTIONS.COM(877) 337-2802


Basement InsulationsDow Building Solutions offers three rigid-foam

insulation products for below-grade wall and founda-tions applications, such as basements.Thermax sheathing, Styrofoam Perimate, and

Styrofoam Wallmate insulation reduce heat lossthrough concrete walls, resist hydrostatic pressure,keep crawl spaces dry, and protect against frost.� BUILDING.DOW.COM(866) 583-2583

Transcendental PorchesWith Transcend Porch, Trex has brought capped

composites to the front of the home.The product is available in three board lengths—

10’, 12’, and 16’—and three colors—pristine gray,spicy red, and warm umber. Installation is simple with Trex’s hidden fasteners. Options include coordinating posts and railings.

� TREX.COM(800) 289-8739


Insulation BlowingCertainTeed’s Volu-Matic SE

insulation-blowing machine mea-sures just 69”x72” and weighsjust 1,300 lbs.The reduced footprint allows

installation in smaller trucks,lowering initial investment andoperating costs for contractors.� CERTAINTEEDMACHINE-

WORKS.COM(800) 237-7841

Marbleized TileNew glazed-porcelain tiles

from Mediterranea capture thelook of marble.Essence catches the depth and

shading of natural marble in18”x18”, 13”x13”, and 12”x24”tiles in bronze, caramel, forest orpearl. Also available are 3”x13”bullnose pieces and mesh-backedsheets of 2”x2” mosaic tiles.�MEDITERRANEA-USA.COM(305) 718-5091


Duncan Hossack has been promotedto branch mgr. at Boise Cascade,Phoenix, Az., succeeding HalWebster, who has retired after 39years with the company. MiguelHernandez has joined BoiseBuilding Materials DistributionDivision, Riverside, Ca., as lumberdepartment product mgr.

Greg Reed, ex-Taiga Building Pro-ducts, has joined Fiberon as prod-uct specialist for Northern Califor-nia. He is based in Elk Grove, Ca.

Kirk Butler, ex-Lumber Products, is anew account mgr. at Capital,Denver, Co.

Michael Muzzy, ex-James Hardie, isa new account mgr. with UniversalForest Products, Riverside, Ca.

Christopher Bogstad is a new cus-tomer service rep at Weyerhaeuser,Santa Clarita, Ca.

MOVERS & ShakersMegan Garrity, ex-Vandermeer For-est Products, has joined Fiberon asproduct specialist for the Seattle,Wa., area.

Dennis DeBolt, ABC Supply, SantaRosa, Ca., and Allen Karspeck,Santa Fe, N.M., were promoted frombranch mgrs. to managing partners.

Tim Elbers has joined ISIS WoodProducts Solutions, Surrey, B.C., assales mgr., based in Reese, Mi.

Jim McKellar retired after 50 years inthe building industry, the last eightas executive v.p. of Seattle, Wa.-based ad agency Purdie Rogers.

C.W. St. John has been promoted togeneral mgr. at Kommerling USA.

Tish Hughes is in charge of replenish-ing janitorial supplies at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax,Nv., report co-owners HughMungus and Freddy Fungus.


NAWLA TRADERS MARKET landed at Mirage Resort & Casino, LasVegas, Nv., on Oct. 19-21. [1] B.L. Johnson, Mark Tucker, RacyFlorence, Travis Hixon. [2] Kevin Hynes, Vincent Micale, MatthewDuprey, Bernie Nugent. [3] William Swaney, John Assman, Matt Yates,Mike Nutile. [4] Len Kasperski, Kim Pohl, Mark Kasper. [5] JulieSheffield, Anthony Granger. [6] Ryan Furtado, Carlos Furtado, DickGukeisen, Chris Meyer, Scott Knutson. [7] Dan Griffiths, Gary Gill, Bal

Gill, T.J. Malhi. [8] Scott Kassahn, Jack Alley, Todd Fox, Joe Petree. [9]Kevin & Glenda Paldino, Russ Hobbs. [10] Craig Larsen, Frank Stewart.[11] Jessica Navascues, Tom Taylor. [12] Mike Sims, Seamus O’Reilly,Richard Mills, Brian Maloney, Ken Root. [13] Rick Kapres, John Pace.[14] Humphrey Wildeboer, Larry Petree. [15] Troy Turner, Grant Phillips,Roger Burch, Jason Faulkner, Sean Burch. [16] Matt Pedrone, Jim Tittle.

(More photos on next four pages)

NAWLA TRADERS MARKET

Photos by The Merchant M

agazine


MORE NAWLA (continued): [1] Hank Mullins, Vicki O’Neill, Steven Funchess.[2] Jeff & Kathleen Norman, Kristine Jones, Dawn Holm. [3] William Cullen,Jack Delaney, Ali Jojo. [4] Kathy Klassen, Danyue Klassen, Alan Oakes,Sarah Welsh, Lianne Graham. [5] Ray Barbee, Ken Tennefoss, Dan Blenk.[6] Parrish Stapleton, Chuck Casey. [7] Adrian McDonald, Rex Scott, DavidWildes. [8] Bob Maurer, Matt Campbell, Kevin Daugherty. [9] Colin Parsons,Dirk Kunze. [10] Jean-Francois Drouin, Milisa Pepin. [11] Rob Pelc, Lee

Hope. [12] Mike Mordell, Stacey Woldt, Gary Vitale. [13] Barry Schneider,James Hand. [14] Tod Kintz, Jim Maloney, Ron Hanson. [15] Mark Junkins,Charlie Quarles, Harvey Hetfeld. [16] Bob Seldon, Doug Chiasson. [17] DillonForbes, Jim Olson. [18] Brett Li, Shane Carphin. [19] Larry Schmedding,Chuck Dotson, Gerry Hall. [20] Tony Maben, Chris Retherford. [21] Mark &Sarah Huff. [22] Kristi & Danny Osborne. [23] Ron Holen, Sheldon Howell.[24] Josh Goodman, Andrew Goodman. (More photos on next 3 pages)

Photos by The Merchant NAWLA TRADERS MARKET


TRADERS MARKET (continued from previous 2 pages): [1] JeffDerby, Ben Meachen, Brad Flitton. [2] Dusty Hammack, RyanMorrison. [3] Jeff Logue, Bill Ross, Sam Sanregret. [4] Bill Jones,Phil Schumock, Gary Maulin. [5] Lori & Bobby Byrd. [6] JasonFriend, Teresa Berry, John Cooper. [7] Cory Poggemoeller, BradShaigec, Craig Fleischhacker, Roxanne Poggemoeller. [8] SalCamarda, Grant Pearsall. [9] Bob Loew, Jordan Hollis. [10]Donna Allen, Chris Webb. [11] Tony Jenkins, Steve Hollingworth,

Mike Colgan. [12] Mary Jo Nyblad, Debra Wilton-Pinski, BethBanks. [13] Sean Nason, Chad Miller, Todd Lindsey, TrevorEwert, Doug Colson. [14] Mike Booth, Mike Pidlisecky. [15] GregGroenhout, Mark Heyboer. [16] David Smith, Jimmy Epperson,Jim Walsh. [17] Mike Stevens, Bill McGrath, Brian Benson. [18]Allyn Ford, Eric Ford. [19] Lisa Ayala.

(More photos on next 2 pages)

NAWLA TRADERS MARKET

Photos by The Merchant


NAWLA IN VEGAS (continued from previous pages): [1] John Pasqualetto,James Danielson, John Tumino, Terry Kuehl, Jason Faulkner. [2] BlairMagnuson, Chris Wischmann, Greg Bates. [3] Craig Combs, PatrickHanulak, Doug Riordan. [4] Mark Rutledge, Robert LePage. [5] SergioSilva, Larry Crossley, Dan Paige. [6] Dave Halsey, Dean Sturz. [7] ChrisHarrett, Win Smith. [8] Rob Marusic, Jack Heavenor. [9] Albert Reneaud,Brad Morrow, Jean-Marc Dubois. [10] Konrad Tittler, Rob Breda, Steven

Nielsen, Mark Tittler. [11] Jim Hassenstab, Brandon Rinck. [12] GrahamPicard, Shane Harsch. [13] Jay Christiansen, Troy Bailey. [14] RobertSandve, Gary Arthur. [15] Brian Dysserinck, Gary Reid, Doug Willis. [16]Steve Firko, Lou Chance. [17] Fernanda Vale Garcia, Craig Larsen, NatalieMacias, Tomoko Icarashi. [18] Kip Anderson, Steve Anderson, AndreaCouture, Lewis Santmyer.

(More photos on next page)

Photos by The Merchant NAWLA TRADERS MARKET


NAWLA TRADERS MARKET (continued from previous 4 pages): [1]Michael Parrella, Janet & Nestor Pimentel, Rick Palmiter, GeorgeParden. [2] Paul Grabarek, Julie & Ian McLean. [3] Angelique Mitchell,Suzanne Hearn. [4] Esther Han, Alan Oakes, Courtney Watkins. [5]Mark & Peggy Cheirrett. [6] Raymond Luther, Don Dye. [7] Dave Patch,Scott Wiles. [8] Tim Lewis, Pat Zan. [9] Greg Johnson, Ken Caylor, JoshRenshaw. [10] Sam Mowat, Russ Maximuik. [11] Marc Moore. [12]

Wade Mosby, Eric Schooler, Alyson Kingsley, Josh Dean, Kevin Paldino,Chris Bailey. [13] Erick Krauter. [14] Jeff Cook, Todd Shipp, Todd Kion.[15] Pam Mitchell. [16] Rick McQuin, Steve Hudson. [17] Bob Dewald,Darren Barker. [18] Dean Martin, Mike Sloggett, Ron Breedlove, KentBond. [19] Mickey Brown, Gary Pittman, John Assman, Mike McCollum,Mark McLean, Steve Killgore. [20] Mike Descoteaux, Keith Lolley.

NAWLA TR

ADER

S MARKET

Photos by The Merchant


LUMBER ASSOCIATION of California & Nevada held its annual con-vention Oct. 20-21 at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, RanchoMirage, Ca. [1] Brian Bunt, Thomas Stromlau, Peter Ganahl. [2]Stephen Mitchell, Mike Bland, Chris Thoman, Bill Carr. [3] MichaelCasey, J.D. Saunders, Jim Turrentine. [4] John Neel, Mark Ganahl. [5]Michael Potthoff, Marty O’Hara. [6] Tony Espiritu, Phil Neiman. [7] TimDickison, Erin & Jeff Pardini. [8] Jim Taft, Todd Hopman [9] Victor

Hausmaninger, Sheryl & Richard McArthur. [10] David Hollingworth,Michael Howe. [11] Charlene Valine, Jean Henning. [12] MiguelGutierrez, Danny Sosa, Bob Palacoiz, David Jones. [13] Brendan &Jamie Moloney. [14] Steve Arnold, Todd Anderson. [15] Pam & MattPeterson, Cally Fromme, Monika Bartko. [16] Andrew Roise. [17] Chris& Laurie Vance, Augie Venezia.


Photos by The Merchant MagazineCALIFO

RNIA DEA

LERS


LACN ANNUAL (continued from pre-vious page): [1] Shannon Mott, JohnHedges, Tom Angel. [2] Bill Finetti,Sid Thompson. [3] Teri & PeteMeichtry, Bob & Connie Shepherd.[4] Greg Stine. [5] Chris Jensen, TroyAllen, Warren Schuckies. [6] ChrisFreeman, Michael Muzzy. [7] KenDunham, Gordon Culbertson. [8] LenWilliams.


Photos by The Merchant MagazineDEC

K EXPO

DECK EXPO convened Oct. 12-15 at Lakeside Center at McCormickPlace, Chicago, Il. [1] Phil Wengerd, Joe Klink, Cindy Miller, Lee Shaw.[2] Chris Upton, Arne Zenneck. [3] Randi & Kevin Guthard. [4] CaitlynnMcCabe, Leda Johnson. [5] Darrell Hungerford, Sheryl Grimm, PeterBusichio. [6] Holly Digles, Alan Oakes, Anna Karas. [7] W.C. Litzinger,Jim Boyd, Phil Lail, Alan Stoneking, Brian Orchard. [8] Greg Reed, KyleLazon, Kaylynn Poplawski, Scott Cathcart. [9] Ron Ricchio, Phil Hrack,

Jodi Triest, Jack Joyce. [10] Kevin Williamson, Brent Gwatney. [11] PhilSchumock, Dean Schoeller. [12] Taylor Running, Kris Anderson. [13]Doug Fenwick, Tom Horvat. [14] Mike McGuire, Bob Goval, KristinZommer, John Polidan, Rick Wearne. [15] Larry Stoeven, R.J.Whitecotton, Roelif Loveland, Tom Koch, Kim Pohl. [16] Jon Bailey,Wayne Hilton. [17] Richard & Maria Kelly. [18] Steve From.



MORE DECKS (continued): [1] Aaron Hock, Bruce Schneider, Clay Hock. [2]Jett Bittner, Bill Long. [3] Chris Hammack, Rebecca Bartley, Neil Robinson.[4] Erik Kiilunen, Ken Keranen. [5] Bryan Wert, Rick Oblak. [6] Richard Lane,Chris Kollwitz. [7] Lisa Martin, Kyle Loveland, Jamie Kreiser. [8] Jay

Lattanzio, Ryan Unick, Paul Gertner, Steven Gertner. [9] Scott Schmidt,Carol Kelly, Chris Hayn. [10] Jeff Morlock, Jon Hanson. [11] Chuck Casey,Carter Welch. [12] Jerry Koontz, Brett McCutcheon. [13] Joe Dilio, JackDelaney. [14] Bob Mion, Larry Stonum. [15] Huck DeVenzio, Kirk Hammond.

DEC

K EX

PO

Photos by The Merchant M

agazine

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


SIERRA PACIFIC INDUSTRIES recently held its 32nd annual openhouse in Redding, Ca. [1] Eric Ford, Red Emmerson. [2] Micah Rees, JayFrancis. [3] Tim Black, Mark Young. [4] Bill Carroll, Brad Rix. [5] HaroldDodero, Carl Dobler, Rod Scott. [6] Gene Pless, Matt Postema. [7] AaronSulzer, Bill Jones. [8] Jorge Vega, Chris Littlefield, David Hancock, TimSellew, Doug Hanchett. [9] Paul Cheatham, Jim Talley. [10] Jason

Altnow, Chris Caldwell, Bob Hughes. [11] Frank Solinsky, Kelly Walker,Kevin Caughron. [12] Terry Stephenson, Kevin Dumont. [13] Peggy &Dan Young. [14] Mike Mackin, Miguel Gutierrez, Bob Palacioz, MazJones. [15] James Sharpe, Zach Crouch. [16] Denis Stack, DougHanson, Josh Hanson. [17] Chase Morrison, John Morrison, JaymePeters. [18] Andy Faircloth, Jan Bailey. (More photos on next 2 pages)

Photos by Sierra Pacific IndustriesSP

I OPEN

HOUSE


MORE SPI (continued from previouspage): [1] Tim McIndoo, DavidLambert. [2] Adam Steinbuck, EricShelby. [3] Glenn Dutton, JamesDanielson. [4] Joe Roth, ToddSchoffstol l. [5] Jack Chase, GregHexberg, Mark Emmerson. [6] RaphaelSandoval, Rod Gasser. [7] Wally Wolf.[8] Mike Carey, Troy Bailey. [9]Christina Roggenkamp, Caitlin Stull,

Heather Hampton, Lorelei Gunn,Tiffany Fulkerson. [10] Dan Wolter.[11] Pam Currie, Whitney Mills, TinaOrduno. [12] Mark Pawlicki, MarkLuster, Sheri Nelson, Mark Lathrop.[13] Bob Long, Dan McIntire, RussTharp. [14] Bill Zabozny, Matt Carlton.[15] Dave Wright. [16] MoeWhitchurch.


SPI O

PEN

HOUSE

Photos by Sierra Pacific Industries

Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber, Inc.Pressure Treated Forest Products

Alkaline Copper Quat (ACQ)Custom Treating

Selected Inventory Available

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

Gene Pietila

Sales for Coast Wood Preserving


SPI OPEN HOUSE (continued from previous two pages): [1] TerryJohnson, George Emmerson. [2] Charlie Risinger, Mike Cameron, DennyMcEntire. [3] Chris Tristchler, Theresa Ragudo, Jerry Mosier. [4] JohnPhillips, Hans Ward, Rock Belden. [5] Jon Hagen, Vince Vierra, KenSmith. [6] Charlie Moss, Tess Lindsey. [7] Chad Niedermeyer, RobertWest, Mark Luster, Dean Rodgers. [8] Ed Brown. [9] Neil Rasmusson.

[10] Mike Thelen, Greg Simpson. [11] Ryan Morrison, Dusty Hammack,Jason Faulkner. [12] Jim Frank, Chip Brittain, Dan Mandeville, RandyWiles. [13] Marty Fox, John Grove, Greg Hexberg, Scott Mackechnie.[14] Todd Alberts, Rick McDougal. [15] Will Higman, Terry Kuehl. [16]John Davis, Danny Sosa, Mike Carey. [17] Rob Endres, Mike Bracken.[18] John Tumino, Steve Crane, Ed Cunningham.

Photos by Sierra Pacific IndustriesSP

I OPEN

HOUSE


be honored and incoming presidentTerry Rasmussen, Jones WholesaleLumber, will be welcomed. Thisyear’s Casino Night will benefit theWounded Warrior Project.

Lumber Association of California& Nevada’s 2nd Growth holiday din-ner meeting is Dec. 1 at EmbassySuites, Brea, Ca. Outgoing presidentChris Freeman, Ganahl Lumber, will

ASSOCIATION Update

LOS ANGELES HARDWOOD Lumberman’s Club held its annual golftournament Oct. 5 at the Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club, Costa Mesa,Ca. [1] Jason Brenen, Marty Fox, Craig Jordan. [2] Mark Michie, Dale

Bohannon, Charley James, Bill Fitzgerald, Dan Bohannon, Charlie Fiala.[3] Jim Gaither, Tim Barnes, Gregg Wieller, Alan Arbiso. [4] RandyPorter, Chris Wickersham, Ken Lobue, Dan Lobue.

LA HARDWOOD

Photos by Walter R

alston

Ext. 129 - Marc

Ext. 125 - Brandon

Ext. 126 - Lorena

Ext. 128 - Matt

Ext. 133 - Raul

Ext. 142 - Dick

Ext. 127 - Renee

Ext. 147 - Christine

Ext. 138 - Brad

Portland Wholesale LumberAssociation host its annual Christmasluncheon Dec. 2 at Portland AirportEmbassy Suites Hotel, Portland, Or.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumber-man’s Club’s fancy-dress holidayparty is Dec. 17 at Mr. Stox, Anaheim.

5522 � The Merchant Magazine � November 2011

CLASSIFIED Marketplace FACILITIES FOR LEASE

Rates: $1.20 per word (25 word min.). Phonenumber counts as 1 word, address as 6. Centeredcopy/headline, $9 per line. Border, $9. Privatebox, $15. Column inch rate: $55 if advertiser setsthe type, $65 if we set type.

Send ad to Fax 949-852-0231 or [email protected]. For more info, call (949)852-1990. Deadline: 18th of previous month.Make checks payable to Cutler Publishing, 4500Campus Dr., #480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RAIL-SERVEDBuilding Materials Distribution & LumberMilling Facility for Lease: Seven (7) acre railserved building materials distribution andmilling facility available in Temple City, Ca.(Los Angeles). This facility is ideal for whole-sale building materials distribution or large con-tractor retail services. Complete with officebuilding, fully operational custom millingequipment, and five (5) carload capacity railspur served by the Union Pacific. This fullypaved facility is turn-key and ready to go.Please contact Jerry Higman at (714) 848-8222or [email protected].

OFFICE & WAREHOUSE FOR LEASE:Northern California Sacramento region.Approximately 2,000-sq. ft. office attached to30,000-sq. ft. warehouse. Warehouse clear spanheight 20 ft. Office & restrooms ADA accessi-ble. Warehouse includes three-man doors withlarge 20-ft. roll-up door. 220V power available.Fire sprinkler system throughout. Truck shopfacilities provided, including minor repair work,oil changes, steam cleaning, etc., at favorablerates. Ample truck parking space in back offacility. Office & 30,000-sq. ft. front warehouseavailable at .29¢ per sq. ft. If interested, pleasecall Tom Williams, (530) 742-2168, between 8a.m. and 5 p.m.

HELP WANTEDLUMBER AND PANEL TRADER—

PORTLAND, OREGON AREAWe are seeking a highly skilled lumber and

panel trader with experience trading specifical-ly in the distribution channel. Applicants mustbe strong closers with significant experience inB2B sales, cold-calling, and focused within thedistribution channel. Proven lumber and paneltrading experience is required, and additionalexperience in niche commodities is a plus. Weare seeking individuals that will bring and/ordevelop diverse customer and business seg-ments in addition to those already established.This is a full-time position that is salary + com-mission with full benefits. To be considered forthis position, please email your resume andcover letter to [email protected]. Allresponses are kept highly confidential.

HELP WANTED

NORTHERN & SOUTHERN CALIFORNIASALESPEOPLE WANTED

Redwood Empire is looking for experiencedsalespeople in wholesale and industrial withbackgrounds in commodities, redwood, cedar,plywood, steel, pressure treated, hardwooddecking, flooring, and imported lumber (soft-woods and hardwoods). Positions available inNorthern and Southern California. Please send resume to Sean Burch,

[email protected]. www.redwoodemp.com

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

Feature yourBusiness Card in

The MerchantSay Happy New Year

and help find curesto save children’s livesUse this low-cost opportunity to send

New Yearʼs wishes to customers, friendsand suppliers—and help St. JudeChildrenʼs Research Hospital, whichrelentlessly pursues cures for kids withcancer and other catastrophic diseases.

Your business card—reprinted in colorand reduced slightly—will appear in aspecial section in our January issue. Thecost for each ad is just $100, $25 of whichis tax deductible and will be matched byus—for a total donation of $50 to St. Jude.

Discoveries made at St. Jude havechanged how the world treats strickenchildren. Itʼs a place where doctors sendtheir sickest patients and toughest cases.A place where cutting-edge research anddiscoveries happen every day. All patientsaccepted for treatment are treated withoutregard to the familyʼs ability to pay.Doing Your Part Is Easy: Just

send your business card(s) by Dec. 22,along with a check for $100 per card (or$200 per card to appear in both TheMerchant and eastern counterpart BPD)to Cutler Publishing, 4500 Campus Dr.#480, Newport Beach, Ca.92660. Questions?Call Alan at(949) 852-1990


DATE BookListings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify

dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend.

Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association – Nov. 13-15, annual convention & show, Henry B. Gonzalez ConventionCenter, San Antonio, Tx.; (800) 352-2981; www.stafda.org.

Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club – Nov. 16, annual meeting, La HaciendaRestaurant, Cloverdale, Ca.; (800) 337-3343, ext. 102; www.blackbarthoohoo181.org.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – Nov. 16, dinner meeting,Orange County Mining Co., Orange, Ca.; (760) 324-0842.

Washington Forest Protection Association – Nov. 16, annualmeeting, Olympia, Wa.; www.wfpa.org.

Building Industry Show – Nov. 17-18, Long Beach ConventionCenter, Long Beach, Ca.; (909) 396-9993; www.buildingindustry-show.com.

Woodex – Nov. 29-Dec. 2, industrial woodworking fair, Crocus ExpoExhibition Centre, Moscow, Russia; www.woodexpo.ru.

Lumber Association of California & Nevada – Dec. 2, 2nd Growthholiday dinner meeting, Embassy Suites, Brea, Ca.; (800) 266-4344; www.lumberassociation.org.

Portland Wholesale Lumber Association – Dec. 3, holiday lunchmeeting, Embassy Suites Airport, Portland, Or.; www.portland-wholesalelumberassociation.org.

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Assn. –Dec. 7, Colorado WOOD Council year-end party, Mile HighStadium at Invesco Field, Denver, Co.; (303) 793-0859; www.mslbmda.org.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – Dec. 17, Christmasparty, Mr. Stox, Anaheim, Ca.; (626) 445-8556; www.lahlc.net.

American Lumber Standard Committee – Jan. 5, board of reviewmeeting, Washington, D.C.; www.alsc.org.

Colorado Springs Home Building & Remodeling Show – Jan. 6-8, Norris-Penrose Event Center, Colorado Springs, Co.; (800)374-6463; www.homeshowcenter.com.

Portland Build, Remodel & Landscape Show – Jan. 6-8, OregonConvention Center, Portland, Or.; (800) 374-6463; www.home-showcenter.com.

Remodeling & Decorating Show – Jan. 6-8, South Town ExpoCenter, Sandy, Ut.; (818) 571-9012; www.thehomeshow.com.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – Jan. 12, monthlymeeting, Heroes Bar & Grill, Fullerton, Ca.; (626) 445-8556;www.lahlc.net.

Western Pallet Association – Jan. 14-17, annual meeting, RanchoMirage, Ca.; (360) 335-0208; www.westernpallet.org.

Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club – Jan. 18, industry night, Broiler SteakHouse, Redwood Valley, Ca.; (800) 337-3343, ext. 102; www.blackbarthoohoo181.org.

Surfaces – Jan. 24-26, annual floor covering show, Mandalay BayConvention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; (866) 860-1975;www.surfaces.com.

Budma 2012 – Jan. 24-27, international construction fair, PoznanFairgrounds, Poznan, Poland; (317) 293-0406; www.budma.pl/en.

American Fence Association – Jan. 25-27, FenceTech/DeckTech,Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, Fl.; (800) 822-4342; www.americanfenceassociation.com.

Do it Best Corp. – Jan. 25-28, winter conference, Walt DisneyWorld Swan Hotel, Lake Buena Vista, Fl.; (260) 748-5300;www.doitbestcorp.com.

Guardian Building Products – Jan. 29-31, show, Casesars Palace,Las Vegas, Nv.; (800) 569-4262; www.guardianbp.com.

THUNDERBOLT WOOD TREATING“We Treat Wood Right”……QQuuaalliittyy WWoooodd TTrreeaattiinngg SSeerrvviicceess SSiinnccee 11997777

wwwwww..tthhuunnddeerrbboollttwwooooddttrreeaattiinngg..ccoomm

CCeennttrraall CCaalliiffoorrnniiaa LLooccaattiioonn3400 Patterson Rd., Riverbank, Ca. 95367

SSaaccrraammeennttoo,, CCAABob Palacioz, Sales/Marketing Mgr.(916) 402-3248 • Fax (916) [email protected]

MMaarriinnee && IInndduussttrriiaall SSaalleessMiguel Gutierrez

(209) 747-7773 • Fax (209) [email protected]

Treating Services Only (TSO)

AACCQQCCCCAA

BBOORRAATTEESSDD--BBLLAAZZEE®

AACCZZAA ((CCHHEEMMOONNIITTEE®))

Heat Treating

Drying Services (KD, KDAT)

Marine Piling

Staining Service

Rail Siding (BNSF)

CCooaattiinngg SSeerrvviiccee:: MFI-SLO8 Marine GradeSpray Polyurea Coating

0000


IDEA FileBumper Crop of Fresh Advice

ADVERTISERS IndexFor more information on advertisers, call them

directly or visit their websites [in brackets].

FARMERS MARKET at Billings Hardware was a huge success, ashousewares department manager Colleen Model can attest.

Never underestimate the lure of fresh fruitand vegetables. A dealer in Billings, Mt., didn’t, and he’sstill reaping the benefits.As fall approached last year, canning supplies at

Billings Hardware weren’t moving. Owner T.J.Comstock, whose family spent decades in the grocerybusiness, thought of the perfect solution: a farmer’s mar-ket set up in the store’s garden center. Of course, theslow-moving canning supplies were installed nearby—and sales took off. “A lot of people are realizing the benefit of canning.

They grow a garden and wonder what to do with it at theend of the year,” says Comstock. “We sold out a semi-load of produce in about a day and attracted customersfrom farther away.” This year, he decided to up the ante, ordering 120,000

lbs. of peaches, pears, cantaloupe, corn, and other pro-duce that arrived in three semi-trailers. Everything soldout in two days, even though the store shares a parkinglot with an Albertsons and competes with a local, weeklyfarmers market.Housewares and appliances joined the canning sup-

plies this year. Also added were product demos andtaste-tests of related recipes. “People who like to can fruits and vegetables also like

to cook,” says Comstock. “Sales of these items doubled,and we had record sales overall during the market.”

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

ACQ ACQPreserve • BoratesD-Blaze® Interior Fire Retardant

Heat Treating ISPM 15 Compliant • Custom DryingRail Served BNSF • TPI Third Party Inspected

FSC Certified SCS-COC-002513

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

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

Advantage Trim & Lumber [www.advantagelumber.com] .......................37Allweather Wood [www.allweatherwood.com].................................Cover IIBear Forest Products [www.bearfp.com].............................................24, 51Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber......................................................................49California Cascade Industries [www.californiacascade.com] .................37California Timberline [www.caltimberline.com] ..........................................4Capital [www.capital-lumber.com]..................................................23, 38, 45Collins Co. [www.truwoodsiding.com] ....................................................16ADeck-It Spacers [www.woodpileproducts.com] ........................................52Eco Chemical [www.ecochemical.com] .....................................................28Fontana Wholesale Lumber [www.fontanawholesalelumber.com] .........54GRK Fasteners [www.grkfasteners.com]...................................................36Heico Distribution [www.heico.com]............................................................3Hoover Treated Wood Products [www.frtw.com]......................................29Huff Lumber. .................................................................................................25Humboldt Redwood [www.getredwood.com/merchant] .................Cover IIIdaho Forest Group [www.idahoforestgroup.com] .....................................8Ipe Clip Co., The [www.ipeclip.com]...........................................................19J.H. Baxter [www.jhbaxter.com] .................................................................38Keller Lumber ...............................................................................................29LP Building Products [www.lpcorp.com]...................................................34Norman Distribution [www.normandist.com]............................................47Osmose [www.osmose.com] ..............................................................Cover IPacific Wood Preserving Cos. [www.pacificwood.com] ..........................22ProBuilt Aluminum Railings [www.probuiltrailings.com] ........................13Quality Borate Co. [www.qualityborate.com] ............................................32Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com] ................................................5Roseburg Forest Products [www.rfpco.com]............................................15Royal Pacific Industries...............................................................................35Screw Products [www.screw-products.com] ............................................26Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com] ......................................Cover IVSiskiyou Forest Products [www.siskiyouforestproducts.com] ...............33Sunbelt [www.sunbeltracks.com]...............................................................45Superior Wood Treating [www.superiorwoodtreating.com] ....................24Swanson Group Sales [www.swansongroupinc.com] ...................Cover IIITAMKO Building Products [www.evergrain.com].......................................7Thunderbolt Wood Treating [www.thunderboltwoodtreating.com].........53Universal Forest Products [www.ufpi.com]...............................................27Viance [www.treatedwood.com] .................................................................21Wahoo Decks [www.wahoodecks.com] .....................................................26Western Red Cedar Lumber Association [www.wrcla.org].................30-31

the merchant magazine - november 2011

Documents

wood products

naturewood pressure

operated wood

naturewood preservative

new address

address label

building blocks

address changes