The Merchant Magazine - September 2011

REDWOOD & CEDAR SALES ANGLES � PAINT MATCHING � OSB & PLYWOOD FORECASTSSEEPPTTEEMMBBEERR 22001111

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

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

September 2011Volume 90 �� Number 3

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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.

In Every Issue6 TOTALLY RANDOM18 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE20 GREEN RETAILING22 OLSEN ON SALES26 MOVERS & SHAKERS30 FAMILY BUSINESS34 IN MEMORIAM36 NEW PRODUCTS42 ASSOCIATION UPDATE44 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE45 DATE BOOK46 IDEA FILE46 ADVERTISERS INDEX

Special Features8 FEATURE STORY

GLOBAL CONCERNS IMPACT POSSIBLE

OSB, PLYWOOD REBOUND

11 MARGIN BUILDERSREDWOOD FOR PLANTER BOXES

12 INDUSTRY TRENDSEPDS: CEDAR AMONG FIRST TO RIDE

COMING WAVE IN ECO-LABELS

14 MARGIN BUILDERSNEW PAINT MATCHING SYSTEM PERKS UP

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DEALER

16 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTSELLING COLOR-MATCHED FASTENERS

40 PHOTO RECAP: LACN 2ND GROWTH41 PHOTO RECAP: OLD TIMERS BBQ

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

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TOTALLY RandomBy Alan Oakes

What now?THE BEST-LAID PLANS are often those that fail first. I, like many I suspect, was

so incensed by the debacle of the debt limit negotiations that I made it thefocus of this month’s column, before leaving for a vacation. The last-minute, cob-bled-together debt deal not only failed to attack the issues this country faces, butwas, in my humble opinion, government at its worst—frankly, an embarrassment. About 48 hours later as I landed in Europe, I learned of the downgrading of

debt and realized that the stock market would crash come Monday and we wouldreturn to the wild swings we witnessed the prior week. Sadly, I was provedright—and then realized I had to rewrite my column.First, all of us will have our own political opinion and bias and will pass blame

on opposing camps. But as if the downgrade was not enough, stock traders andpress piled on to create a crisis-a-day panic, centering first on the downgrade, thenon Italy defaulting, the French banks going under, the rest of the E.E.C. about tofall into the sea, and finally that it was a Friday and it was raining.The violent swings managed to wipe out $3 trillion of assets that hurt both

business and us as individuals. This, in turn, has created uncertainty that leads to afear of spending, investing and the possibility of a double-dip recession.I take great interest in what is going on in Europe. Many countries in the

E.E.C. face the same issues as the U.S. In all cases, the government is spendingmore than it is taking in, and unemployment is too high. There is the chicken andegg. Fewer jobs means less tax revenues and more social costs to help the unem-ployed, meaning higher spending.The question I keep asking is, where are the jobs—real jobs—going to come

from? Today, we have an official 9.1% unemployment. We all know that’s onlyhalf the story; the real number’s likely around 20%. Among those, 44% have beenunemployed for over 27 weeks. Many have given up. Others have succumbed tothe over-55, never-again-finding-a-job syndrome.About seven years ago, following my first visit to China, I wrote a column that

the West better wake up fast and protect itself. We have been so willing to sell ourtechnology to the East that our traditional manufacturing industries have beendecimated. Even when the economy picks up, many of the long- and short-termunemployed will still not find a real job. If they do, it will be often at substantiallyless pay than what they earned in their last job. Technological advances andchanges, along with low- and now medium-skilled manufacturing jobs moving tothe east, as well as companies finding these past few years that they can producemore with less people, will mean fewer and fewer manu-facturing jobs here, service industry pay levels for all butthe highest skilled, and less and less tax revenue. Whenyou have a situation in which 49% of potential tax-pay-ers pay zero payroll taxes, the percentage will onlyincrease over time. This means the tax burden will haveto be spread over an ever-shrinking tax-payer pool.We face a frightening future unless we can find a

way to compete with the likes of China. The sadthing is that not only have we allowed this togo on for the last 20 years, but no one seemscapable of stopping the rot or willing to haltthe migration of jobs. We are losing thefight, and it is clear so is most of the restof the West.

Alan Oakes, [email protected]

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OSB 2011LOUISIANA-PACIFIC, Nashville, Tn., is the largest OSB

manufacturer in the U.S., but that fact didn’t shield it from atough market. On Aug. 25, LP curtailed OSB production atits mill in Dawson Creek, B.C. Fewer than one-quarter of theplant’s 114 workers were retained to operate its TechShieldradiant barrier line, and to care for the idled facility andequipment.

Late last year, LP indefinitely mothballed OSB mills inThomasville, Al., and Chambord, P.Q.

“Our results for second quarter (2011) reflect significantlylower OSB pricing and decreased volume of shipments in allproduct lines compared to the same quarter last year,” saidc.e.o. Rick Frost. “Demand continues to be weak.”

He added that the “focus in this product line is low-costmanufacturing, while producing to our customers’ needs.Additionally, we aim to grow value-added OSB products.”

To this end, LP has added a new width to its FlameBlockfire-rated OSB sheathing line. “In much of the country, 7/16LP FlameBlock panels are particularly well-suited for roofdecks in multifamily buildings with multiple fire walls,”according to OSB marketing manager Judy Musgrove. “Theavailability of these panels provides a cost-effective way forbuilders to meet code requirements while also offeringdesign flexibility.”

Outside the U.S., LP South America acquired the remain-ing 25% equity interest in its joint venture with Masisa S.A.—an eight-year-old OSB plant in Ponta Grossa, Brazil, with anannual production capacity of 390 million sq. ft.

LP South America also owns two OSB mills in Chile witha combined annual capacity of 290 million sq. ft.

OSB 2011NORBORD, Toronto, Ont., reported OSB sales dropped

from $296 million to $241 million in second quarter 2011. “While I am cautious about North American OSB prices in

the face of declining U.S. housing numbers, I am confidentthat Norbord’s diversified customer base and limited expo-sure to new home construction will minimize the impact ofthis uncertain pricing environment,” said c.e.o. BarrieShineton.

On the plus side, the company’s OSB mill in Cordele,Ga., received a first-place safety award for 2010 from APA.

WEYERHAEUSER, Federal Way, Wa., continues to oper-ate six of its OSB mills in the U.S. and Canada. Its OSB millin Wawa, Ont., which has been idle since late 2007, is nowslated for permanent closure.

“During the first quarter, we continued to make progressin our drive to improve our financial performance despiteanemic housing market conditions,” said c.e.o. Dan Fulton.“We are leveraging our strength in the export markets totake advantage of increased demand from Asia. Even inthese challenging economic times, we have continued ourcommitment to innovation and quality.”

DESPITE SOME RISKS in the short term, anincreasingly positive global economic outlook

will drive the demand for plywood and oriented strandboard over the five years from 2011 to 2015, according tobusiness research and forecasting firm BIS Shrapnel.

BIS Shrapnel forecasts strong growth in theproduction and consumption of plywood and OSB as

the global economy strengthens. The economic upturn willbe driven by housing construction, furniture manufactur-ing, and other sectors where plywood and OSB are used.BIS Shrapnel says that housing construction in the U.S. isnow in the early stages of an upturn and is expected tostrengthen considerably from 2011 to 2015.“Stronger growth in housing construction and economic

growth in the United States will be supported by growth inthe emerging markets of Asia and South America, whichwill have a positive impact on Europe and Australasia,”says Bernie Neufield, report author and BIS Shrapnel

Global issues influenceOSB, plywood rebound

FEATURE StoryOSB & Plywood Forecast

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

Forestry director and senior manager.“While the recent shocks to the global economy, such

as the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan, will have anegative impact on the demand for plywood and OSB inthe short term, the outlook over the longer term is posi-tive,” continues Neufeld. “There are at least three largeplywood plants in the Miyagi prefecture, and the destroyedplants supply an estimated 25% of plywood produced inJapan. This will reduce production capacity in Japan in theface of much stronger demand due to the reconstructionprocess. Together with a strengthening global economy,the reconstruction effort in Japan will boost demand forplywood and OSB, and will present export and investmentopportunities.”He also notes there has been a rapid change in plywood

and OSB markets over the past decade.“There has been a shift of plywood production from tra-

ditional sources such as South Asia, North America, andEurope to China,” says Neufeld. “There has also been ashift of production and consumption of OSB as a costeffective substitute for plywood, from North America toEurope and South America. Over the forecast periodChina, Eastern European countries, and Russia will emerge

OSB 2011AINSWORTH, Vancouver, B.C., completed the purchase

of the remaining 50% of Footner Forest Products and itsOSB facility in High Level, Alb., from Grant Forest Products.

Ainsworth will continue to keep the High Level mill on acare and maintenance basis until market conditions supportrestarting production, which was indefinitely curtailed inDecember 2007. The company’s three other OSB mills havebeen operating at above 90% capacity.

C.e.o. Rick Huff said, “In the first quarter of 2011, wecontinued a strategic plan that advances our ability to deliverinnovative, value-added products, increases the geographicdiversity of our sales, and positions the company for long-term growth. As part of this plan, we are targeting growththrough key overseas markets, particularly Japan andChina.”

According to Robert Fouquet, v.p. of marketing & sales,sales to Japan increased after the March 2011 earthquakeand tsunami. “The phone lines in our office in Tokyo startedto ring and there was an onslaught of inquiries coming inabout buying our OSB, because it disrupted Japan’s ply-wood mills, with a 30% loss in capacity,” he said. “We react-ed immediately by ramping up volumes of Japanese-gradeOSB at our mills and met the demand.’’

GEORGIA-PACIFIC, Atlanta, Ga., reports that three of itssix OSB mills continue running. Its mills have been idle inSkippers, Va., since June; in West Hope, W.V., sinceFebruary, and in Grenada, Ms., since last year.

G-P is spending $30 million to complete construction of anew OSB mill in Clarendon, S.C., which it acquired last Mayfrom Grant Forest Products. Also included in the sale wereOSB mills in Allendale, S.C., and Englehart, Ont.

“We expect it will take most of this year to complete con-struction on the plant,” said Mark Luetters, president of woodproducts. “Having now operated an identical plant atAllendale, we believe we will be able to quickly and efficient-ly begin producing OSB.”

OSB 2011HUBER ENGINEERED WOODS, Charlotte, N.C., contin-

ues to operate its five OSB mills, while launching a new mar-keting campaign for its ZIP System OSB wall sheathing thatfocuses on the energy-efficient performance benefits of thesheathing when installed with ZIP System tape.

“Building performance has become increasingly impor-tant to builders due to new energy code requirements andhomeowner preferences for energy savings and comfort,”said general manager Charlie Robinson. “You can reduce airleakage by 99% compared to housewrap by taping panelseams with ZIP tape, to reduce air leakage into and out ofthe home. This helps protect the R-value of insulation, whichreduces heating and cooling costs by an average of 10%.”

ROYOMARTIN, Alexandria, La., is moving into its fifthyear of operation at its OSB facility in Oakdale, La.

“Manufacturing and selling high quality value-added prod-ucts is an important facet to accomplishing our longer-termoperating objectives,” said Terry Secrest, vice president ofthe OSB unit. “We focus considerable time and energy onmanufacturing, marketing, and selling radiant barrier roofpanels, Eclipse-Energy Guard wall panels, and WindBraceextended length panels.”

The company’s radiant panel products are availableFSC-certified and have earned third-party verification fromReflective Insulation Manufactures Association International.

“Emphasis has been placed on translating the Eclipseradiant barrier product from a singular roof decking applica-tion to a wall sheathing application, which replaces tradition-al housewrap,” said Tony Rocha, senior field sales and busi-ness development representative. “Eclipse-Energy Guard isgaining recognition in the market as a housewrap replace-ment. Builders are saying they save time and money byusing Eclipse-Energy Guard panels.”

TOLKO, Vernon, B.C., now offers T-Grade, a new, re-engineered OSB flooring for the residential market. Theproduct is the first result of a $3.2 million upgrade to itsMeadow Lake OSB facility, which began in the last quarterof 2010 and was completed in March 2011.

“We asked our customers how we could help them bemore successful and T-Grade is the result,” said MichaelSivucha, manager of strand-based marketing and sales.“Builders tell us they’re looking for reliable, versatile productsfor use in custom, semi-custom, and production homes—T-Grade meets their needs.”

LANGBOARD continues to produce OSB products at itsplant in Quitman, Ga.

as significant OSB-producing regions, which will have amajor impact on the dynamics of the market.“In the past decade there has been massive substitution

of less expensive and more resource-efficient OSB in placeof plywood, especially for sheathing in housing construc-tion in North America,” says Neufeld. “It is unfortunatethat many of the OSB facilities in North America wereclosed as a result of the housing downturn. This would nothave happened if producers had aggressively developedexport markets as a hedge to downturns in North America.Over the next five years, producers will need to be more


aware of global developments as the closed facilities arebrought back into production.”While plywood is still a preferred product for many

applications on the basis of its quality, other regions willincreasingly use OSB as a substitute where cost andresource constraints are a factor. BIS Shrapnel predictsOSB could be the next new product to emerge in Chinaand other Asian countries.The firm forecasts global consumption of plywood to

grow at an average rate of about 5% per year, and OSB at11% over the five-year forecast period. The rate of growthprojected for plywood consumption is higher than the fore-

Lights! Camera! OSB!Ainsworth has released a series of short, educational

videos on working with engineered wood products.“Today’s builders are certainly knowledgeable, and to

some, these tips may come as refreshers,” said RobertFouquet, vice president of marketing and sales at Ainsworth.“There’s always value in looking at essential tips that canensure a successful installation. Our goal is to share somevaluable how-to information that can save builders time andmoney.”

Hosted by John Wagner, a nationally recognized greenbuilding expert, the six short videos are designed for all lev-els, from beginners to seasoned pros.

• The Tightest Floors: Tips for Framing with Rim Board• Solid Subfloors: Tips to Reduce Callbacks• Prepping for Perfection: Underlayment Tips & Techniques• OSB 101: Tips for Successful Wall Sheathing• Rough Openings: Tips to Make Them Accurate Every Time• Stair Master: Tips for Building Stairs Right the First TimeThe entire series is available online at www.

ainsworthengineered.com/tips-videos or on YouTube’sAinsworth Engineered channel. Smartphone users can alsodownload the videos by scanning QR codes found inAinsworth print ads.

“Builders and contractors are increasingly using portabletechnology in the field, and we expect this trend to continue,”said Fouquet. “These videos will be available to viewers onthe jobsite—right when and where they’re needed.”

casts for production, while the rate of growth for consump-tion of OSB is lower than forecasts for production. Thissuggests that there may be an undersupply of plywood andan excess supply of OSB, which will likely result in con-siderable substitution of OSB in place of plywood.Production of plywood is projected to increase from 2.5

billion cubic ft. in 2010 to 2.97 billion cubic ft. in 2015,and OSB from 636 million cubic ft. to 989 million cubic ft.respectively, based on current expansion plans and estimat-ed capacity utilization rates. By 2015, North Asia will beproducing 54% of the world’s plywood, down marginallyfrom 56% in 2010, and North America will be producing77% of the OSB.“However, Asia is facing a shortage of forest resources,

which will only become more severe over the forecast peri-od, and this will eventually have a negative impact on theproduction of plywood in the region,” says Neufeld. “Asresource supply tightens, there will be an opportunity forproducers of resource-efficient engineered wood products,such as OSB, to export to North Asia, or to establish OSBproduction facilities in that region as a substitute for ply-wood.“On the other hand, Russia has a huge potential

resource of logs, which have traditionally been exported toNorth Asia and, to some extent, Europe. This supply willdwindle as Russia implements strategies to add value to itsforest resources by taxing the export of logs. This will alsopresent opportunities for establishing plywood and OSBproduction facilities in Russia with a view to supplyingdomestic and export markets.”BIS Shrapnel Forestry is forecasting strong growth in

prices as the global economy moves into an upward phase.Over the five years, from 2011 to 2015, plywood prices areexpected to increase by an annual average of between 6%and 8%, and OSB prices between 11% and 12%. The priceincreases will be driven by much stronger demand in allregions. OSB producers could be caught short when hous-ing construction moves into a stronger upward phase overthe forecast period, considering the many plant closures inNorth America over the past five years.“Upward pressure on prices is also expected to come

from rising input costs as companies voluntarily, or areforced to, shift to more stringent emissions standards,”says Neufeld.The key plywood importing regions are North America

(mainly United States and Mexico), Europe andAustralasia. Although Japan and South Korea are netimporting countries, China is a major exporter, and NorthAsia as a region is a net exporter. South Asia is also amajor net exporting region, although India and Vietnamare net importers. These patterns are not expected tochange significantly over the forecast period, although pro-duction in Africa may increase as a result of taxation onthe export of logs, which will enhance export capacity. The increased production of softwood radiata pine ply-

wood in South America and Australasia will have a posi-tive impact on future supply to importing regions. NorthAmerica has been a small net exporting region of OSBover the past five years, but is expected to revert to a netimporter over the forecast period, as the capacity that hasbeen closed will not be brought back into productionquickly enough to meet rising demand. There is also expected to be a shortage in Europe and

North Asia, based on BIS Shrapnel’s production and con-sumption forecasts.

SHORT EWP installation videos are new—and free—fromAinsworth’s website.


MARKETING PLANTER BOX projects helps dealers harness the organic gardening craze to drivesales of redwood.

MARGIN BuildersRedwood Planter Boxes

SOME RETAILERS ARE tapping thelocally grown, organic food move-

ment to boost redwood sales. “More and more people are inter-

ested in growing their own vegetablesto save money at the grocery store,”says Charmaine Jennings, J&WLumber, Escondido, Ca. “Planterboxes help them do that and, becauseredwood is such a naturally durableproduct and easy to work with, it isgreat for building planter boxes. Plus,redwood is a renewable, sustainableproduct, which fits with the greenmovement.”Planter boxes make excellent gar-

dening areas, even in yards with limit-ed space. They can be built in an after-noon and are often fun projects for thewhole family.“Our redwood planter box promo-

tion was quite successful,” says DavidThom, owner of Bruce Bauer Lumber,Mountain View, Ca. “It was a greatway to bring people into our store, andplanter boxes are relatively easy tobuild so they lead to high customersatisfaction. Redwood makes excellentplanter boxes because it is naturallydurable, so you don’t have to worryabout any unwanted chemicals makingtheir way into the soil.”“We offer customers guidance on

how to build the planter boxes,” Thomcontinues, “and even assemble anddeliver boxes for customers who ask.But fun is where it’s at with planterboxes. They’re great family projects,and you get to watch your food grow.”While planter box promotions fea-

California Redwood Associationhas several easy-to-follow projectplans available for free download(www.calredwood.org), includingplans for more elegant “PetalumaPlanters.”“Building planter boxes with red-

wood makes a lot of sense,” Thomnotes. “People who want to grow theirown vegetables are often interested insustainability, and choosing a naturalproduct from sustainable forests is agood fit for that lifestyle. Plus, red-wood planter boxes look nice andhome-grown vegetables taste great!”

ture redwood, they help sell more thanlumber.“We recommend our customers put

wire across the bottom of their planterboxes to help keep critters out,” saysThom. “It’s also important that theyuse the right connectors to keep thebuilding process fun. It all adds up.”Redwood is readily available in

sizes popular for building plantingboxes. Boxes are often built with 2x12boards used at full length, and projectscan be scaled down depending on thespace available or how ambitioushomeowners are with their gardens.

Photo courtesy J&W Lumber

Planter box promotionsgrow redwood sales


GREEN CONSUMERS are gettingmore sophisticated. Tired of

“greenwash” and confused by thehundreds of eco-logos in use world-wide, leading-edge buyers want realevidence of a product’s environmentalfootprint. This is why North Americais beginning to join a wave currently

sweeping through Europe and Asia: atransition from eco-logo certificationsto environmental product declara-tions, or EPDs.Eco-logos serve a useful purpose,

by providing a recognizable symbolon a product label indicating that theproduct meets the environmental cri-

INDUSTRY TrendsBy Jennifer O’Connor, FPInnovations, and Jack Draper, Western Red Cedar Lumber Association

teria of a particular program. Theseprograms make it easy for buyers—the logo conveys a seal of approval.But transparency is sacrificed for sim-plicity: the details of the program cri-teria and the product environmentaldata being examined by the programare not necessarily accessible. Thebuyer is asked to trust the judgment ofthose who administer the program. Comparability is also a problem. A

buyer may be considering severalcompeting products, each of whichbears a different eco-logo. Which oneis best? EPDs are not as simple as an eco-

logo, but they provide transparent,credible environmental footprint datain a standardized manner that allowsbuyers to fairly compare one productto another. The kind of informationtypically included in an EPD address-es energy consumption, water con-sumption, global warming, waste, andair emissions, among other commonenvironmental metrics. Much like the nutrition label on

food packages, an EPD simply pro-vides data and makes no judgmentabout the product. Where a groceryshopper may be concerned aboutsodium, a building product consumermay be concerned about fossil fueldepletion. With an EPD and a nutri-tion label, the buyer decides what’simportant and the criteria for selec-tion. An EPD doesn’t tell the whole

story about a product—human healthissues such as VOCs and forest man-agement assurances, for example, areaddressed by well-established certifi-cation programs and legislation—but

EPDs: The comingwave in eco-labels

WESTERN RED CEDAR was among the first building materials to look to environmental productdeclarations to assure buyers of its green bonafides.


an EPD is a complete picture of what is normally meant bythe term “environmental footprint.” EPDs are based on lifecycle assessment data, which is developed by expert practi-tioners following international standards. Life cycle assess-ment (LCA) means that all impacts related to a product areaccounted for, from the initial extraction of raw materialsthrough manufacturing, transportation, use, maintenanceand final disposition at the end of the useful service life.There are hundreds of EPDs in circulation globally, for

products as diverse as food packaging, consumer goods,and building materials. This is a trend just starting in NorthAmerica, with only a few EPDs currently produced. Manymore are likely to come in the near future, as several indus-trial groups are currently developing EPDs and EPD stan-dards are underway in the US. One possible market driver for EPDs is the popular

green building rating program LEED, with a new experi-ment in EPDs and LCA. In an effort to motivate moresophistication and rigor in environmental data, the LEEDprogram will reward building projects that include prod-ucts with validated LCA information or with an EPD. The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association is among

the pioneers looking at EPDs as an effective vehicle formeeting buyer interest in better environmental data. In2009, WRCLA commissioned the Canadian forest prod-ucts research institute FPInnovations for a life cycleassessment study of cedar decking and siding. The result-ing data allowed WRCLA to then work withFPInnovations to create the first North American EPDs forwood products.

– To learn more about western red cedar EPDs and WRCLA,visit www.wrcla.org or call (866) 778-9096.

ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS, such as for westernred cedar decking and siding, help purchasers make a more “whole-process” decision about what’s really green. A next step might be actuallabels or point-of-purchase sheets to market such products’ attributes.


WHEN CUSTOMERS WALK intoC&E Lumber’s retail store in

Pomona, Ca., owner Bryan Callawaywants to make sure they have exactlywhat they were looking for when theywalk out—whether it’s a perfect colormatch for paint or a custom-milledcorbel.Service is a top competitive advan-

tage against the big boxes for C&E, afull-service lumberyard and Orgillhardware retailer that has carved out aniche as a distributor of lodgepolepine products used in everything fromlandscaping to furniture.Family owned and operated since

1954, C&E Lumber purchased aniVue instrument last October to offerthe latest technology in paint colormatching at its 6,000-sq. ft. retailstore.“It made sense to invest in new

technology,” says Callaway, 37, whohas been in the hardware industry for

about 20 years. “A good measuringinstrument helps out tremendously tobring back customers. That, and newcolor chips from Valspar, have steadi-ly increased our paint sales.”Callaway says do-it-yourselfers

and contractors, including termiterepair companies, will visit C&ELumber to obtain custom-milled cor-bels, beams, fascia and other architec-tural products for their repair work,and paint matching is often essentialto making the sale. The iVue instrument is made by X-

Rite Inc., Grand Rapids, Mi., a lead-ing designer and manufacturer ofcolor measurement instruments.“With our old instrument, it might

Lumber dealer findsnew paint systema perfect match

MARGIN BuildersBy Matthew Gryczan

PAINT has been one d-i-y segment that independent dealer C&E Lumber has staked out againstbig-box competitors.


VALSPAR samples display is the centerpiece of C&E’s paint center

LODGEPOLE PINE poles, posts, rails and other products have been a longtime niche for C&E.

say that the color match was a coupleof pings away—particularly on darkercolors,” Callaway says. “A ping maybe like a half-shade or shade differentfrom what would be a perfect match.And one ping may mean the differ-ence of getting the sale or not gettingthe sale.”When C&E started using the iVue,

“that issue went away entirely,” saysCallaway.There were additional benefits to

switching to the iVue. The instrumentwas easy to learn how to use, whichwas a big plus for the company’s 12full- and part-time employees. “It is alot easier to use than the old system,”Callaway says. “The fact that we cancalibrate it on a Monday and not haveto worry about it until the followingMonday is fantastic as far as time-savings.”Callaway also gives the instrument

high marks for its durability and ver-satility in measuring large and oddlyshaped objects. “I like being able tograb the unit itself and put it right onwhat we want to measure,” he says.“With the old instrument, you werelimited as to what you could dobecause it sat on the table. You had tomanipulate your sample around themachine. Now, you can manipulatethe iVue around the sample.”The iVue also offers much more

precision on targeting a particular testarea for color measurement. “With theold instrument, you had to put thesample in a clip and you weren’t sure

where the instrument was measuring,”Callaway says. “You closed the doorand hope that things hadn’t moved.”With the iVue, a ring of light is

projected onto the test surface, so thestore associate knows exactly whatarea is being measured.“I also like the ability to alter the

aperture, so you can adjust it for asmaller sample,” he adds.

Keeping up with the latest devel-opments in the lumber and hardwareindustry is nothing new to C&ELumber. Callaway’s grandfather,George Callaway, and partner JackRussi designed and developed thefirst lodgepole pine tree stake, nowthe standard in the landscape industry.C&E Lumber has distributed lodge-pole pine products in SouthernCalifornia since 1962.Lodgepole pine stakes have a

remarkable variety of uses. In addi-tion to conventional landscaping, con-tractors and do-it-yourselfers uselodgepole pine stakes for furniture,parking bollards, lighting fixturepoles, custom railing and stair banis-ter systems, and fireplace mantles.“We now have customers for our

lodgepole pine products fromNational City all the way up intoNorthern California,” Callaway says.“But we’ve got big-box retailers with-in 10 miles for regular hardwareitems. I try to compete on the serviceside so that when people come in, wecan serve them faster than a big-boxstore can. And when it comes to paintselection, we are getting a lot morewomen who come in with their hus-bands now.“They may not necessarily buy

paint then and there, but they are defi-nitely thinking about it. And that maymean return business.”


and metal roofing and siding providea high quality, finished look to thehomeowner. Maze has been pre-finishing nails

to match roll formed metal for thepost frame industry for years. In addition, Maze paints all of the

nails for Hardie Colorplus andCertainteed ColorMax fiber cementtechnology.

The Merchant How does the pricecompare to non-painted nails? Pohl Painted nails only cost about

20% more than unpainted, so it reallyis a nominal upcharge considering theoverall cost of the project.

The Merchant Mechanically, howare the colors matched? Pohl All Maze hand-drive nails

are completely immersed in the paintdrum. With collated sticks and coils,only the heads are painted. Maze uses a high-quality automo-

tive paint system. Paint matches are

LONG USED TO CREATE aes-thetically seamless sur-

faces on siding, color-matched fasteners areincreasingly being introducedfor high-end decking andother building materials.

The Merchant Magazineasked Kim Pohl, marketingmanager for Maze Nails, tosize up the ins and outs ofselling color-matched nails.The Merchant What are

the primary advantages of color-matched fasteners?Pohl Painted nails to match popu-

lar fiber cement sidings, PVC trim-boards, cedar and redwood sidings,

done electronically to matchspecific brands.

The Merchant Are thecolor-matched fasteners pro-duced in large quantities fordealers to stock, or are theycustom-manufactured perjob, or...?Pohl Maze paints and

stocks many of the morepopular colors. Collated nailapplications are painted on a

specific job basis.

The Merchant What process doesthe dealer use to sell, spec and orderthese products?Pohl One of the benefits of order-

ing from Maze is that a lumber dealercan order as little as a 5-lb. box ofpainted nails to match Hardiplank sid-ing, for example. With collated stickand coils, a dealer can order as littleas one carton.

The Merchant Any marketingadvice to help dealers sell more ofthese products? Pohl For all of the above men-

tioned popular sidings and trims, pro-moting and selling painted nails iseasy, affordable and logical. In addition, Maze painted nails are

available in both double hot-dippedgalvanized and stainless steel for ulti-mate corrosion-resistance. For hand-driven painted nails, hammer caps areavailable to eliminate paint chipping.

PRODUCT SpotlightColor-Matched Fasteners

Selling color-matched fasteners

LATEST INNOVATIONS in fasteners arepolyurethane hammer caps that reduce paintabrasion on colored nails.

Photo

by Maze N

ails


IN 1949, LINCOLN TIBBETTS boughtCox Lumber, his first lumberyard.When he retired, as the largest inde-pendent lumber dealer in Florida in2005, he sold off 28 locations. Nicerun. Good timing. Happy golfing.End of story? No, hang on. We’re

just getting to the good part.A funny thing happened on the way

to the old folks’ home. In 2009, as therecession spread through Florida fasterthan its infamous kudzu weed, Mr.Tibbetts stepped back in. Sixty yearsafter his debut in the lumber business,he repurchased the St. Pete site—call-ing it Tibbetts Lumber—as animmense, full-service yard on a three-block stretch the family owned, whichhad sported a ProBuild store. Then hehired Juan Quesada as president.Mr. Quesada himself has been in

the lumber business for 45 years, solet’s take time out for his backstory. “Ijoined Cox in 1979, after working foranother lumber company through itsperiod of growth and accession.”When that owner decided to sell, Juanwas reviewing his options: stay onwith an unknown boss or move along?A phone call decided his future. “I

was contacted by Cox, a local inde-pendent we’d competed with,” Juansays. “We respected each other. Theirmanager took me to dinner”—and youalready know the outcome. “They hada very good team, were very support-ive, and were geared for growth andexpansion—but,” he adds with a preg-nant pause to make sure a listener getsthe message—“they were also veryconservative”—a deal-clincher forsomeone like Juan, who respectedtheir way of doing business. “Theydidn’t buy a yard until the previousone was paid off.”So, let the good times roll—which

they did, until “in 2005, at the peak ofthe boom, Home Depot contactedus—we were not for sale—and madean unsolicited offer. Mr. Tibbetts wasin his 80s”—matter of fact, this past

Back in business

COMPETITIVE IntelligenceBy Carla Waldemar

summer he turned 87—“so decided itwas the right time to exit.” (He keptthe Grand Cayman and Tibbetts exportbusiness he’d founded, which we’llhear more about in a minute.)Following the sale, the recession wasgrowing deeper and deeper, so manyof those 28 yards he’d sold shut down.Which left old customers really,

really unhappy. Oh, they didn’t missthe Home Depots that then occupiedthe space; they longed for the glorydays of good service, efficient prac-tices, and promises kept. So allTibbetts heard was, “Open back up!” The family listened. But alas, in the

flurry of gearing up again, they over-looked one little thing. They failed tolet Quesada know. So he walked intoTibbetts’ office to tell him that,because of the shut-downs, he’daccepted another job.“You can’t do that!” came the

response. So—long story short—hestayed on. This time, as president. Andthe St. Petersburg store reopened asTibbetts Lumber, the only independentin town (in 1949 when Tibbetts gotstarted, there were 14 competitors). Next, the Tibbetts family repur-

chased its former Land O Lakes site, adistribution and manufacturing com-

NOW 87, Cox Lumber founder’s retirement wasbrief, as Linton Tibbetts bought back several ofthe yards he sold a few years prior.

plex of 100 acres (meaning a return tomaking trusses and doors) and turnedit into a full-service retail center.“Now we can compete! We’re gettingback where we used to be!” Quesadacrows—well, only as gustily as hissoft-spoken manners will permit. Next up, Lehigh Acres, another

truss, door and rail-line location fromthe former portfolio. Also Fort Myers.And the Palm Bay location, sportingthe same truss, door and rail ameni-ties, is being readied once again as wespeak, expecting a grand opening cele-bration in early autumn. Plus…“Plus, we’re looking at 10 or 12

yards for future growth,” Quesadasays. “We’ll carry our old footprint.”And just why did that succeed in

the good old days? “We sell service,”Quesada contends, “old-time service.Lots of specialty work, and a knowl-edgeable team,” many of whom wereformer Cox employees, eager toreturn. “We adhere to the basic princi-ples such as Do what you say you’lldo. Never renege. Be the flagship, bethe leader. But”—another pay-atten-tion pause—“make a profit. We’re notapologetic about that; we’re here to dobusiness and people respect that.”He offers, as example, the kind of

story money can’t buy. “At a socialgathering in St. Pete last week, a ladyasked me, ‘How can you compete withHome Depot?’ Another man steppedup and said, ‘I’ll answer that! At mybusiness, a fire inspector told me Ineeded fire-retardant doors. So Icalled Home Depot and was on thephone 25 minutes without an answer.Then I called Tibbetts, and, within anhour, a sales rep was out; he let meknow I also needed fire-retardanthardware and door jambs to be incompliance, so that saved me anotherhassle. Depot has seen the last of me!”That’s service. Service also means,

according to Quesada, “If there’s amistake or a problem, you fix it. Acustomer called because she was hav-


we’re doing a lot of business in remodeling projects—pur-chases of foreclosed houses that need improvements. Thatkeeps us fairly active. But 50% of our business is in newcustom homes.” Still, “the competition’s fierce. Everyone’s trying to sur-

vive. We feel blessed because we started up again fromzero—so each day is better than the day before. We’re hir-ing, while other yards are laying off. That helps morale.“Vendors are glad to see us back, too. I made a mill tour

to let them know we were back in business, but I wasn’tlooking for special deals. We’re just back in business, withthe same philosophy.”Well, except for one thing, and that’s the Internet.

Tibbetts’ website needs improvement, as Quesada is thefirst to admit. “I got a call from the Dominican Republicbecause they couldn’t find what they wanted on our site.‘You need to fix that,’ they told me. But I’m too old andI’m too busy.” (Possibly another newhire on the horizon?)As we end our conversation, he

takes a moment to confide, “I nevergive interviews because reportersalways get everything wrong andjust say what they want to say, any-way. This is the first….” Okay, then, I’ll just go

ahead and say what I want tosay: Welcome back! Youguys are masters.

Carla [email protected]

TIBBETTS LUMBER now includes yards on Grand Cayman Island, inaddition to St. Petersburg (top), Land O Lakes, Palm Bay, and FortMyers (lower), Fl.

ing problems with her windows. She had purchased themelsewhere, but our rep went out and adjusted them. We’llalways send a salesperson to do measurements to get themright rather than have a homeowner just phone them in.”Extras like those—plus free delivery, take-offs, and esti-

mates for all Tibbetts’ contractor customers (80% to 85%of its trade are pros) and d-i-yers—are backed by expertise.“They’ve had good training because they’ve worked for usin the past and came over from the competition.”Why? Because the same philosophy that applies to cus-

tomers also extends to staff. Or, as Quesada puts it, “fairpay for fair work”—and a chance to advance. “A driver justbecame a foreman, as we develop our footprint. And Imyself didn’t start out as president,” he chuckles. During those brief “retirement” years, Linton retained

his robust export business to the Cayman Islands andCaribbean. Now, in his golden years, he’s ramped it up,too. (One advantage: To do business in the Caymans, youmust be a local citizen. And Tibbetts was born there.)He exports anything and everything, from calico to

Cadillacs, but first and foremost, lumber. By the mid-80s,he’d launched a generous retail store: building materials,appliances, furniture, the whole nine yards (still calledCox). It flourished, so he opened a second location thatincluded a truss plant and door shop. He also opened thefirst cabinet shop on the island (since sold). Today, theisland empire consists of the retail store, a contractor ware-house, and a third site to debut any moment. Another rea-son for its financial success: Only two taxes are levied onthe islands—import duties and land transfer. Talk about afriendly business climate!Not the case in Florida. Opines Quesada: “The economy

here will not be quick to turn around—and NASA layoffsare coming, which will be a tremendous setback. Currently,

WHERE QUALITY IS AGELESSAnfinson Lumber is the clear choice

for Quality Redwood and Western Red Cedar Dimension,

Boards, Patterns and Timbers

CALL SALES AT(800) 400-8383 • (951) 681-4707

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Outside Sales Darin Curran (949) 412-1894

Visit our website: www.anfinson.comFontana, CA Office and Mill: 13041 Union Avenue, Fontana, CA 92337

Fax: (951) 681-3566 • E-mail: [email protected]

WHOLESALE ONLY • MILL DIRECT & LCL


There are a variety of ways we can make our cities cool-er, simply and affordably. Replacing high thermal massmaterials with trees and green space is one effective strate-gy and where we need to go, long term. Living roofs arebeing boosted in major cities for just this reason. Butthere’s another strategy that can deliver results in the shortterm, is less expensive, and offers opportunities for mostdealers and distributors, right now. Increasing the ability of surfaces to reflect solar radia-

tion, using special paints and coatings or reflective roofingmaterials, can dramatically reduce heat gain and electricitydemand. A white roof, for example, can reflect almost 90%of the sun’s radiation, reducing interior heat and the needfor air conditioning. And the savings are not trivial. The White Roof Project

(www.whiteroofproject.com) reports that about 10% ofelectricity produced by cities is used to compensate for theurban heat island effect. If enough roofs were paintedwhite, the nation could be saving billions of dollars andhundreds of lives. And dealers could be doing well, whiledoing good. Two excellent resources to help you stock appropriate

roof coatings for your community, or improve your existingproduct mix, are Energy Star (www.energystar.gov) andCool Roof Rating Council (www.coolroofs.org). Keep inmind that reflective shingles and roofing tiles offer effec-tive solutions for residential applications, too. But don’t stop there. Develop a promotional strategy

that combines in-store materials with larger-scale efforts inthe community. In-store signage should educate customers,highlight rebate opportunities, andpromote city-wide campaigns. Getinvolved and get your manufactur-ers involved. Dealers can createtheir own “white roof projects” inconjunction with local city agen-cies or nonprofit organizations.Last but not least, teach your

staff about the urban heatisland effect and the impor-tance of taking measuresto reduce it. It can literallysave lives.

Jay TomptManaging Partner

William Verde & Associates(415) 321-0848

[email protected]

Hot cities and cool roofs

THIS SUMMER’S heat waves have been horrendous. Hotweather is known as a silent killer and is responsible

for more weather related deaths than tornados, hurricanes,and blizzards combined. Summer days are hotter than they used to be, setting all

kinds of records, but even worse are the hot nights.Overnight lows are also setting records for high heat, mak-ing it much more difficult for at-risk populations, such asthe very young and very old, to recover. In cities, the problem is worsened by something called

the Urban Heat Island Effect. Cities are paved with asphaltand built up with concrete and other materials that absorbsolar radiation during the day and re-radiate it during thenight. Cities can be 15° hotter in the daytime and 22°warmer overnight than nearby suburbs. More city heatmeans more air conditioning and more electricity con-sumed, leading to blackouts and, of course, more carbonemitted into the atmosphere. The heat island effect has been understood for a long

time—I first learned about it in high school. But morerecent scientific knowledge indicates that we should expectmore extreme heat waves like those we experienced thissummer. I’ve argued in this column and elsewhere (checkout our in-depth report, “The Future of Home Improve-ment,” at www.williamverde.com) that dealers and distribu-tors have an obligation to learn to anticipate changing cli-mate and weather patterns in order to serve their communi-ties, as well as boost their revenue. In fact, as purveyors ofbuilding supplies, we are in a prime position to take thelead on mitigating the effects of hot summer nights andurban heat islands.

GREEN RetailingBy Jay Tompt

MOST COOL roofs are painted a heat-reflecting white.


the author in late 1990s.The Quotron has 10 rules for non-

closing:I. Do not act or talk like you will getthe business.The Quotron is embarrassed to be

a salesperson and acts like it. Thisembarrassment infects the customer.People want to do business with win-ners and people who are proud ofwhat they do. The Quotron’s attitudeof submissiveness and defeat are self-fulfilling prophecies.II. Do not build rapport.Some Quotrons think that the deal

is the thing. They are efficient andwork hard, but they only work hard atthe business piece. The professionalseller creates rapport with their cus-tomers. Many become friends, whilethe Quotron stays uninvolved, quotingprices and hoping they are the cheap-est.III. Do not be thorough in needsanalysis (inquiry, RFQ).Because of indolence or intimida-

tion, Quotrons are not thorough in theneeds analysis portion of the sales call(i.e., quantity, shipment, price range).Detailed questions such as “Whenwill you place the order?” are notasked. This slapdash approach toinquiry gives the Quotron only avague idea of what the customer real-ly wants, which produces vagueresults.IV. Do not ask for the order.Quotrons do not ask for the order.

They repeatedly give up after the first

QUOTRONICS – n. 1. The art andscience of working for free in a

professional, commissioned-basedselling environment. Quotron – n. 1. A person who

works in the sales field who confusesquoting prices with selling or closing:I’m at $350, what do ya think?

OLSEN On SalesBy James Olsen

Quotronics:The 10 rulesof non-closing

2. A person in the sales field whofeels that the customer is inherentlymore important than they are, result-ing in a lack of partnership sellingan,d consequently, a lack of partner-ship treatment, margins, professionallife, etc.3. A lazy salesperson. Prefers to

have the customer do all the work:What d’ya need and where do I needto be?<Origin> 1600 Latin quota. The

original sense “mark a book withnumbers or with marginal refer-ences.” Am. Eng. circa 1981 I’m Justa Waitron Unit coined by NickBartoli to note the futility of slingin’hash. Converted to Quotron Unit by


objection. Frequently the customerdoes not even have to give an objec-tion! The Quotron’s quotronity is soengrained, they don’t even think toask for the order. The attitude of theQuotron is, “I will give you a priceand you decide.”V. Do not ask for the order morethan once. If we only ask for the order once in

closing situations, we will fail insales.VI. Do not close on objections.Objections are a cry for help. If a

customer is giving us an objection,they are thinking of a way our propos-al will work. What is that way?Finding out and closing is the masterseller’s job!VII. Ask for the order before needor desire has been established.“Close Often and Close Early” is

an example of a sales myth that reallyis a myth. Closing is timing. When wetry to close before need has beenestablished, it is irritating to the cus-tomer and non-productive in general.We must build rapport, be thorough inneeds analysis, and then ask for theorder.VIII. Confuse value statements withclosing statements.Struggling sellers present features

and benefits without closing. Tellingthe customer how great the product isor how great it will work for themwithout asking for the order is com-mon amongst those with quotronitis.IX. Always talk (before the cus-tomer) after asking for the order.When it is the customer’s turn to

talk, let them talk. Do not take theirturn! It is the customer’s turn to talkafter we ask for the order. We will notalways get the order if we shut upafter asking for it, but, 100%-positive-for-sure, we will not get the order ifwe talk after asking for it. It alsoshows enormous insecurity, whichwill weaken further closing attempts(see rule #5) and negotiations. X. Answer questions without clos-ing or asking a question in return.Quotrons are information dis-

pensers. Quotrons see questions asopportunities to serve, while closerssee questions as opportunities to serveand close. This dif-ference in atti-tude and actionmakes all the dif-ference.Don’t be a

Quotron—close!

James OlsenReality Sales Training

(503) [email protected]

Seneca Buying Swanson MillSeneca Sawmill Co., Eugene, Or.,

has agreed to buy a dimensionsawmill in Noti, Or., from SwansonGroup, Glendale, Or. Swanson will continue to operate

its other facilities in Glendale,Roseburg and Springfield, Or. Seneca Sawmill operates both

dimension and stud sawmills at itsEugene complex and manages morethan 165,000 acres of timberland inwestern Oregon.

OSBMarket Transformed intoPanelMarketsLowGradeLumber parent Silvaris

Corp., Bellevue, Wa., has launched anew website to sell off-grade panelsand industrial OSB.PanelMarkets has the same user-

friendly features as Silvaris’ previous

site, OSBMarket, but greatly expand-ed selection of grades and manufac-turers.Accessed at panelmarkets.com, the

online marketplace focuses on sellingfurniture grade plywood and OSB,low grade panel products, MDF, par-ticleboard, and other building panels.It features TrueMarket prices, whichmeans buyers can select products atregionally delivered prices dependingon their shipping locations.According to Kurt Bray, chief

executive and president of Silvaris,“PanelMarkets is a great innovation inour industry. Through e-commerce,we are able to help our suppliers selltheir hard-to-move products moreefficiently, simultaneously deliveringcost and availability advantages to ourcustomers. ”


Moss Lumber Shuts DownMoss Lumber & Hardware, one of

Northern California’s oldest andlargest family-owned wood productsretailers, filed for Chapter 7 bankrupt-cy and closed its locations in Chico,Fresno, Red Bluff, and Redding onAugust 10. “I knew things were very tight

down there, but I had not been notifiedthey were closing,” said Charlie Moss,who was part owner of the businessfrom 1965 to 1989 and from 1995 to2001. His father, Hollis Moss, found-ed the company in 1946. Greg Moss, current president, had

no comment.The company’s largest creditor,

Redding Bank of Commerce, holds a$5 million claim on Moss’ property inRedding, which was put on the marketfor $2.2 million nearly two years ago,but has not sold.

Hampton Mills Cut BackAt the end of October, Hampton

Affiliates, Portland, Or., will trim pro-duction from 80 to 50 hours a week atits mills in Randle and Morton, Wa.,due to a shortage of affordable logs. Steve Rika, c.e.o., said that compe-

tition from China for raw logs has

DEALER BriefsWoodinville Lumber, Woodin-

ville, Wa., and subsidiary Wood-inville Construction Servicesshut down Aug. 26 after 41 years, lay-ing off 114.

Traders Building Supply hasput its Sandpoint, Id., property up forsale.

South Fork Hardware hasopened locations #10 and 11, purchas-ing the former Stock BuildingSupply in Preston, Id., and TrueValue Hardware, Park City, Ut.

Ace Hardware opened at theend of July on the Eastside of SantaCruz, Ca.

Owner Rodney Hoffer also operatesAce stores on the Westside of SantaCruz and in Aptos, Ca.

Parr Lumber, Hillsboro, Or., hasjoined co-op Lumbermens Mer-chandising Corp.

In addition, Parr relocated its Fife,Wa., cabinet outlet to a larger, 23,000-sq. ft. facility near Tacoma, Wa.

Lowe’s closed its store in Kenai,Ak., as well as six other under-perform-ing stores in the South and East.

Menards bid $5.3 million for apotential store site in Cheyenne, Wy.

Habitat for Humanity openeda new ReStore discount LBM outletin Fairfield, Ca.

Bear Paw Lumber, Havre, Mt.,rol led out its f irst website, atwww.bearpawlumber.net.

Anniversaries: CambridgeLumber, Cambridge, Id., 105th …Randall Lumber & Hardware,Taos, N.M., 90th … Haida ForestProducts, Burnaby, B.C., 60th …Bear Paw Lumber, Havre, Mt.,35th … RAKS Building Supply,Albuquerque, N.M. 25th …

3370 Rippey Rd., Loomis, CA 95650 • www.lausmannlumber.com1-800-626-1233

Remanufacturing & Wholesale Distribution ofWRC • SPF • Pine/ESLP • Ipé • Redwood • WRC FJ

Specialty Sidings • FSC Certified Cedar (STK • A/Btr. • VG)

Stocking Distributor ofQuality Redwood produced by Agwood

Superior®

Brand siding 100% useableSTK Sidings & Trim

Exclusively Produced andDistributed by Lausmann Lumber

www.crawfordcreeklumber.comProud supplier for Lausmann Lumber

FSC CertifiedWestern Red Cedar

& Hemlock

Now distributing PanelCraftersCedar Knotty Plywood

PPAANNEELLCCRRAAFFTTEERRSS

A Division of

LLaazzyy SS LLuummbbeerr

raised the price so high that Northwestsawmills can’t buy logs and processthem and still make money in a weakhousing market. He added thatalthough the increased export demandhas been good for local ports, it’s badnews for local mills.


SUPPLIER Briefs

INNOVATIVE TIMBER Systems took just five days to construct itsnew office in Whitefish, Mt., built with imported Smartwoods crosslaminated timber. The company hopes to set up its own CSL manu-facturing facility in Columbia Falls, Mt.

Redwood Empire Sawmills, a division of PacificStates Industries, has opened a value-added operationinto Redding, Ca., specializing in air dried and kiln drieduppers, including dimension lumber, boards, fascia, siding,custom milling patterns, and specialty items.

The company is focused on recapturing marketshare in“areas where redwood is often thought of as a species limitedto common grade decking only.”

Welco Lumber Co. USA moved its sales office fromOlympia to Edmonds, Wa.

Freres Lumber, Lyons, Or., suffered a July 30 fire thatdestroyed one of two 100-ft. fuel silos. The blaze, which appar-ently started in an auger and conveyor belt system at the topof the silo, remains under investigation.

Mary’s River Lumber Co. has temporarily curtailedproduction at its Philomath, Or., sawmill. All other operationsremain at full production.

Chilkoot Lumber Co., Haines, Ak., was fined $9,500by the EPA reportedly for improperly storing and failing torepair leaking transformers.

USG Corp. is shuttering its Nevada custom door andframe business by the end of the 3rd quarter.

Capital Lumber will distribute Fiberon’s PVC andcomposite decking, railing and fencing from its DCs inWoodburn, Or., and Tacoma and Spokane, Wa.

International Wood Products, Clackamas, Or., isnow distributing Trex decking and rail ing in Oregon,Washington and Alaska.

LP Building Products introduced LP Wood-E Design2011.2, in-house design software to create floor, roof and walldesigns using LP engineered wood products.

New websites have been launched by AltruWood,Portland, Or., at www.altruwood.com, and by BaldwinHardware, Lake Forest, Ca., at www.baldwinhardware.com.


Steve Killgore, ex-BuilderLink, hasbeen named v.p. of sales & market-ing at Roseburg Forest Products,Roseburg, Or., replacing KorbinRiley, who has left the company.Mike McCollum, ex-OlympicPanel Products, is now nationalsales mgr.-engineered wood prod-ucts, with Bob Berch set to retire atthe end of the year.

Bob Mertz, ex-Sierra PacificIndustries, has been named c.e.o. ofMendocino Forest Products Co.,Windsor, Ca.

Whitney Laruffa, ex-Shelter ForestInternational, is a new domestic &international hardwood trader atAmerican International ForestProducts, Portland, Or.

Greg Miller, ex-Petra Industries, hasbeen named IT mgr. for CapitalLumber, Phoenix, Az. John Ray,ex-Snavely Forest Products, is nowhome center account mgr. andStewart Hobbs, ex- Snavely, is incharge of EWP design take off.

Dennis Houghton, ex-Arthur PozziCo., is new to sales at EnyeartTrading Group, Tigard, Or.

MOVERS & Shakers

Steve Barth, ex-BuilderLink, hasjoined Richmond InternationalForest Products, as Denver, Co.-based engineered wood productsoftware sales mgr.

Scott Griswold has retired after 16years in sales with High CascadeForest, Carson, Wa., and 39 yearsin the industry.

Dave Frick, ex-Fastenmaster, is a newAZEK specialist covering the greaterLos Angeles, Ca., area for BoiseCascade.

Steve Zobrist, ex-D-Stake Mill, hasjoined Action Wood Products,Turner, Or.

David House is now an inside sales-person at Boise Cascade’s DC inLathrop, Ca.

Matt Hays, ex-Today’s Windows &Doors, has joined the millworksales team at Ganahl Lumber,Buena Park, Ca.

Jeff Mancuso, ex-Continental Hard-woods, is the new sales mgr. atContact Industries, Portland, Or.

Kathy Sweeney has been promoted toassociate v.p.-human resources atOrchard Supply Hardware, San

Jose, Ca. Richard Marano is nowassociate v.p.-information technol-ogy; Mark Bussard, senior v.p.-operations, and Michael Ruffino,assistant store mgr., Fresno, Ca.

Randy Chan, v.p.-environment &forestry, has retired from TolkoIndustries, Vernon, B.C., after 40years. Bob Fleet, ex-Grant ForestProducts is the new v.p.-environ-ment & forestry and HardyWentzel, ex-Weyerhaeuser, is nowv.p.-sales & marketing.

Barbara Hudson has joined Forest2-Market, Charlotte, N.C., leading itsrecycled fiber practice and drivingsales of Market2Mill.

Dorvin Lively has resigned as c.f.o.and executive v.p. at Ace HardwareCorp., Oak Brook, Il.

Ben Gann was named director of leg-islative affairs & grassroots activi-ties for National Lumber & Build-ing Material Dealers Association.

Dennis Mickelson is now Westregional sales mgr. for Delta PowerEquipment Corp., Anderson, S.C.

Pat N. Pending now heads research &development at Mungus-FungusForest Products, Climax, Nv.,report owners Hugh Mungus andFreddy Fungus.


Midwest Chain Expandinginto Colorado with SonnyʼsSonny’s Ace Home Center, Cañon

City, Co., has agreed to be acquired byKnecht Home Centers, Rapid City,S.D., a division of Mead Lumber Co.Sale of the 50-year-old hardware

store/lumberyard is expected to becompleted by Oct. 1. Owners Sonny and Nancy Smaller

will stay on for several months to helpprovide a seamless transition.Mead and Knecht operate 31 lum-

beryards, hardware stores, truss facili-ties, and millwork plants in seven mid-western states.

Arizona Waiting for OSB Mill Arizona Forest Restoration Pro-

ducts, Flagstaff, Az., hopes its quest toobtain a long-term wood contract withthe U.S. Forest Service will be suc-cessful come this fall. Once it securesthe contract, the company will seekfunding to build a $300 million OSBmill in Winslow, Az. “We look forward to partnering

with the existing northern Arizonalogging and processing wood industryto create 600 jobs, boost rural eco-nomic development, and reduce therisk of catastrophic wildfires in north-ern Arizona,” said president and c.e.o.Pascal Berlioux.Arizona Forest Restoration has

been working on the deal since 2006. According to Berlioux, “Successful

completion of our second round offunding puts us in the best possible sit-uation to complete the full funding ofthe plant as soon as the wood contractis awarded.”

HONOR ROLLS: Larry Dutra (right), lumbergrader at Schmidbauer Lumber Co., Eureka,Ca., was awarded his Certificate of GradingExcellence by Redwood Inspection Servicechief inspector Harry Dibble—achieving suchhonors for 20 consecutive years. Dutra holdsRIS certifications in the following grading cate-gories: General Purpose Redwood, All NGRGrades, Shop, Commons, Jamb & Head Stock,Finish, and Posts & Timbers.


New Anawalt LumberyardFills Void in Malibu The seaside community of Malibu,

Ca., once again has its own LBMstore: Malibu Hardware & Masonry,which opened on a leased 44,000-acresite in early August. “It’s kind of a dream,” said owner

David Anawalt, a longtime local andveteran of the lumber industry. “I’vebeen trying to get a facility here inMalibu ever since Malibu Lumber leftin 2005.” His family owns AnawaltLumber, which opened in 1923 andnow operates three locations in theLos Angeles area.“We are selling a little hardware,

nursery, garden redwood, things tomake planters out of, building materi-als, cement, drywall, masonry, and alittle bit of lumber,” said Anawalt. “Ifthere’s demand, we’ll bring in moreproducts. The community will dictatewhat products are required.”Now open six days a week, the

store could eventually open on Sundayif there is a demand for it.

Mill Refocuses on SafetyPlum Creek Timber shut down its

plywood plant in Columbia Falls, Mt.,for several days in August, after two

employees were injured within 24hours. “While the company was consider-

ing taking a short period of downtimeat this facility due to market condi-tions, two recent injuries have prompt-ed us to take this time to review safetyprocedures to ensure the continuedsafety of our people,” said Tom Ray,vice president of northwest resources& manufacturing.“We regularly review our safety

program and adjust it as needed,” saidcommunications director KathyBudinick, who confirmed that both theAug. 11 and 12 incidents were forkliftrelated.

Jerryʼs Celebrates 50 YearsJerry’s Home Improvement Center

celebrated 50 years of business withspecial events—sales, raffles and avisit from University of Oregon cheer-leaders and mascot—at its two loca-tions in Eugene and Springfield, Or. The business has grown from a sin-

gle 5,000-sq. ft. store run by foundersJerry and Merle Orem to a pair of350,000-sq. ft. megamarts staffed withmore than 400 employees. Earlier thisyear, these employees became ownersthrough an ESOP.

Standard Structures Exits EWPStandard Structures Inc., Windsor,

Ca., has agreed to sell its I-joist andopen-web truss operations to anunnamed engineered wood productsmanufacturer and will restructure itsremaining business around its coreglulam product line.According to c.e.o. Richard Caletti,

SSI expected by the end of August tosell equipment, raw materials invento-ry, and intellectual property. “I’ve been forced due to extraordi-

nary financial stress associated withthe worst recession since the GreatDepression to cease Standard Struc-tures’ operations in the engineeredwood products business,” Caletti said.“However, it’s our intention to contin-ue manufacturing glulam—the productline on which my father founded thecompany more than six decades ago—without interruption.”SSI temporarily closed its Windsor

facility Aug. 19, eliminating 42 jobs.A number of employees were expect-ed to be rehired by the buyer.Founded in 1947, SSI fabricates 14

million bd. ft. of glulams annually, aswell as 10 million lineal ft. of I-joistsand open-web trusses, aimed at thecommercial and multi-family markets.


Valley Dropping the Lumber Valley Lumber & Hardware,

Mesquite, Nv., is liquidating its retailinventory, to transition from hardwareand tools to home décor and special-order industrials.Tom Hayes, who owns the store

with Mike Egan, said, “We are mov-ing into more of a home décor store,selling carpet, tile, laminate flooring,and paint. We’ll also be selling more‘in-com’ or industrial/commercial typeof products. We can order most any-thing online through the Do it Bestwarehouse system and have the prod-ucts delivered the next day. That waywe don’t need to stock as much inven-tory and pay the overhead costs ofthat.”Earlier this year, Valley Lumber

downsized from a 30,000 to a 3,000-sq. ft. facility and in July it was hon-ored as business of the month by thelocal Chamber of Commerce.

Vaagen Readying Midway MillVaagen Brothers Lumber, Colville,

Wa., expects to start production asearly as Oct. 7 at the retooledBoundary Sawmill in Midway, B.C.Boundary is acquiring the facility,

idle for three years, from Fox LumberSales, Hamilton, Mt., and leasing it toVaagen.Being installed is machinery to

accommodate smaller logs—an R200MSA HewSaw with log positioner,three additional log bins, a new mer-chandising system to cut the logs tolength and sort by diameter, and awhole-log chipping system.“Not a lot of mills specialize in

small wood. They think the bigger thewood, the more money there is tomake, where (the Midway project) isthe exact opposite philosophy,” saidVaagen project manager MarkDeverson. “The smaller the wood, thefaster we run it, the more money wemake.”The mill will initially employ about

35 workers, with hopes to add a 20-man second shift in June, demand per-mitting.

Bohnhoff Gunman SentencedThe man who shot and killed his

boss and a fellow employee atBohnhoff Lumber, Los Angeles, Ca.,has been sentenced to life in prisonwithout the possibility of parole. Saul Gastelum Moreno, 53, shot

owner Alan Bohnhoff, 55, and co-worker Jaime Sanchez, 31, on May 18,2009, and then fled from police.


FAMILY BusinessBy Stephanie Brun de Pontet and Kent Rhodes

your brother can show you how a trueprofessional works.”). These sameparents then wonder why their kids arealways at each other’s throats.Advice to parents: If you are the

parents of young children, celebratetheir varied skills and interests. Avoidthe temptation to compare one to theother. While it can feel harmless andnatural to describe one child as the“funny one” and the other as the“smart one,” be mindful that your kidshang on your every word. You canlabel and limit them from a veryyoung age. And while you should giveconstructive feedback and acknowl-edge when your kids don’t measureup, never mock or belittle them—either when small or as adults.Advice to adult siblings: If you

THE SIBLING PARTNERSHIP stage iswidely regarded as the most chal-

lenging and intense of the family busi-ness generations. While there are busi-ness reasons for difficulties at thisstage, most challenges siblingsencounter stem from emotional issues,which can be more difficult to addressthan simple business struggles. The way we are raised as siblings

will have a profound effect on how werelate to one another. So while siblingsare raised in a similar environment,there are distinct personality differ-ences that complicate sibling relation-ships. Siblings tend to differentiatefrom one another to find their ownplace in the family system. This addsto the diversity of styles and intereststhat can make reaching consensus and

The sibling partnership

working as a team more challenging. There are many ways sibling

upbringing or differences are mani-fested in a family business, including:• Competition: We have seen

many clients where parents pit theirchildren against each other by con-stantly comparing one to the other(“Why can’t you be a better studentlike your sister?”) or having themcompete and then belittling the “loser”(“Your sales numbers this quarter areso lame it made me think you’d beentrained by the competition. Maybe


were raised in a competitive house-hold, think about how this may beaffecting your relationship with yoursiblings today and what steps you cantake to develop a more collaborativeworking relationship. It can be hard tocollaborate with a person with whomyou have always been competing.Talk with your siblings about howeach remembers these facets of yourupbringing. Don’t be surprised if eachremembers the stories a little different-ly. The point is to build mutual under-standing, not determine the “facts” orto bash mom and dad. You want tobuild empathy and understanding, andwork together to see how this historymay sometimes get in your way today.• Controlling Behavior: Often,

business founders have a strong needfor control. This is part of what makesthem successful in launching a busi-ness, but can be a challenge on thepath to transitioning management andownership to their children. Limitingtheir autonomy in the business canaffect how siblings learn to worktogether to solve problems. When par-ents make all decisions and retainpower as long as possible, the childrenmay never learn to work together onanything of consequence, since alldecisions are run through the seniorgeneration.Advice to parents: Encourage your

children to solve their own problemsand even work together on projectsfrom as early an age as possible. Thesooner siblings get used to relating toone another without parents’ interfer-ence, the stronger will be their bond.Advice to adult siblings: While

some parents may be very controllingof the business and not ready to giveup authority, find ways to work withyour siblings on special projects andon planning for the future. Team up toplan a family vacation or retreat, ormake a proposal to your parents aboutphilanthropic pursuits for the family. While parents may not be ready to

turn over the reins anytime soon, sib-lings can work on things like deter-mining the code of conduct to use togovern their relationships. Determineyour decision-making process. Set ashared vision for the future of thebusiness.• Entitlement:When children have

been raised with an attitude of entitle-ment, all bets are off. Sometimes par-ents who had to sacrifice so much tobuild the business will be tempted tobuy their children things to replace theattention they have been unable to

offer. Sometimes parents try to buytheir kids’ affection with endlesspraise for the smallest of accomplish-ments. The result is often childrenwho have a puffed-up sense of theirimportance, think things are owed tothem, and lack a good work ethic.Advice to parents: While you do

not want to burden your children withyour work stress and worries, makesure they understand how much workgoes into building a business. Theymust realize that it takes a team tomakes things happen—not just the

owners. Speak regularly of the amaz-ing contributions of key employees,the importance of teamwork, and thefragile nature of reputation. While you want to celebrate your

child’s successes, also recognize whenthey are not meeting expectations. Tellthem that as members of the owningfamily they should exceed the stan-dard, not slide under the radar. A busi-ness is an excellent platform for imbu-ing children with many valuable lifelessons that will serve them well in

(Please turn to page 42)


3564 Hwy. 1, Davenport, CA 95017(831) 457-5024 • Fax 831-423-2800

www.big-creek.com • [email protected]

For highly experienced and personalized service contactFrank “Lud” McCrary, Janet McCrary Webb or Jim Busick

Big Creek Lumber Co. has a long history of practicingsuperior forest stewardship — growing, selectively harvesting and milling high quality California redwood.During our 63 years in the redwood business,

Big Creek has developed a reputation for being a reliable supplier of high quality lumber. We produce a wide range of grades and dimensions, custom cut timbers, pattern stock and fencing. Order full, mixed or partial truckloads.

After being spun off as an indepen-dent company by current parent SearsHoldings, 89-unit Orchard SupplyHardware, San Jose, Ca., will shortenits name to Orchard, open new storesthroughout the Bay Area andSouthern California, and renovateexisting locations.“Hardware stores should be fun,”

said senior v.p. Tom Carey. “Our new

is released during its production andtherefore provide a net carbon seques-tration benefit.”“Redwood is a sustainable, renew-

able resource,” says Bob Mion, mar-keting director for the CaliforniaRedwood Association, “but its envi-ronmental performance has not beenwell publicized. This in-depth study,conducted by one of the most respect-ed research organizations in theworld, should help further the under-standing of redwood’s carbon andenergy advantages.”Weyerhaeuser Finalizes Saleof Hardwood DivisionWeyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way,

Wa., has completed the sale of itsTacoma, Wa.-based hardwoods divi-sion to American Industrial Partnersfor $108 million.The business will operate out of

existing Tacoma offices as NorthwestHardwoods Inc., employing about1,000 at branches Tuscumbia, Al.;Elkhart, In.; Grand Rapids andLewiston, Mi.; Brainerd, Mn.; CoosBay, Eugene and Garibaldi, Or.;Titusville, Pa.; Arlington, Centraliaand Longview, Wa., and Dorchesterand Onalaska, Wi.

stores will have the feeling of aSaturday morning farmer’s market.”Orchard hopes the updates will

help it compete against big boxes andhardware chain stores. A new“Workbench” section will offer suchservices as pipe cutting, knife sharp-ening, and window screen repairs. Sears bought the 80-year-old chain

in 1996.

Big Changes Coming to OSH

The Consortium for Research onRenewable Industrial Materials(CORRIM) has embarked on a lifecycle assessment (LCA) research pro-ject to measure and compare the cra-dle-to-grave environmental impacts ofredwood decking and wood-plasticcomposite product offerings. LCA is the most rigorous scientific

methodology that can be applied tomeasuring the environmental impactsof building materials and assemblies.While the final report is expected

later this year, preliminary analysisshows that redwood offers a lowercarbon footprint and is more energy-

efficient than manufactured compos-ites.According to CORRIM,

“Preliminary LCA analysis shows thatredwood requires less energy to pro-duce than composite decking materi-als, in part because the energy to growredwood comes from the sun (arenewable source), whereas much ofthe energy used to manufacture wood-plastic composites comes from fossilfuel sources. Producing redwooddecking also emits fewer carbonemissions than manufacturing wood-plastic decking. In fact, redwooddecking may store more carbon than

Green Nature of Redwood Revealed


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Forest Service Offers toRework Timber ContractsThe U.S. Forest Service is offering

to renegotiate timber sale contractswith sawmills in the Rocky Mountainregion that have been hit hard by therecession, bark beetle infestations, andfinancially unviable agreements.“These contracts have been a liabil-

ity, rather than an asset,” said JeromeThomas, acting regional forester. Hesaid that the offer will help sawmillsin Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming,and Nebraska, which are needed tohelp cope with bark beetle infestationsthat have damaged an estimated 41million acres in the West. “By allowing the mutual cancella-

tion of these contracts, the U.S. ForestService is helping the local economyand promoting a healthy forest man-agement industry,” said Senator MarkUdall. “After they are free from theseold contracts, the mills can take deador hazardous timber that would other-wise go to waste and use it to createjobs.”Eric Sorenson, president and gener-

al manager of Delta Timber, Delta,Co., said that canceling two contracts“will greatly improve our chances ofbeing a viable operation that can still

process beetle-kill timber.” John Baxter, president of Mountain

Valley Lumber, Saguache, Co., saidthat federal support “ will help keep usalive.”But not everyone agrees with the

plan. “If these contracts go away, howwill we get timber into the mill?” saidPat Donovan, financial receiver for the

Intermountain Resources mill inMontrose, Co., which has 50 eligiblecontracts. Sloan Shoemaker, vice chairman of

Colorado Bark Beetle Cooperative,contends that much of the beetle kill isnot economically viable, no matterhow many concessions the sawmillindustry gets.


IN MemoriamPaul N. McCracken, 83, co-

founder of Tumac Lumber Co.,Portland, Or., died July 25 inPortland.After graduating from the

University of Oregon in 1949, hestarted his lumber career atWillamette Valley Lumber Co,Foster, Or. He later worked forGeorgia Pacific and Hallinan MackinLumber in Portland. In 1959, he and William E.

McPherson started Tumac Lumber.The company acquired DisderoLumber, Portland, in 1976 and estab-lished Wood-Lam Structures,Portland, in 1981 and SpecialityWood Products, Aurora, Co., in 1989.Mr. McCracken also served as

president of the North AmericanWholesale Lumber Association in1981, and later received NAWLA’sprestigious Mulrooney Award.

William “Bill” Balfrey, 78, co-founder of Big B Lumber Co.,Brentwood, Ca., died Aug. 21. He ran Big B from 1965 until retir-

ing due to health issues in early 2010.His son, Mark, now serves as presi-dent.

Fred Sohn, 96, co-founder of SunStuds, Sun Veneer, and Lone RockTimber, Roseburg, Or., died July 22in Redding, Ct.Mr. Sohn emigrated to the U.S.

Boise Cascade Winds DownHistoric Idaho Mill SiteBoise Cascade’s laminated beam

plant in Emmett, Id., will send outwhat could be its final shipment thismonth, possibly ending 94 years ofwood production at the site.The operation will be mothballed

and, considering Boise Cascade’srecent acquisition of Filler King’sglulam plant in Homedale, Id., the“unprofitable” Emmett facility maynever restart.“I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, but

unfortunately, at this point it looksimprobable,” said v.p. John Sahlberg.

The milling complex also boasteda sawmill, which shut down in 1982,and plywood and co-generationplants, which closed in 2001.

Ace Ups Online RecruitmentAce Hardware Corp. has upgraded

myace.com, to provide more informa-tion to retailers considering openingan Ace store or converting fromanother co-op.“The newly improved myace.com

serves as an excellent tool forprospective Ace retailers. It’s veryuser-friendly, offers helpful contentand dramatically conveys in words

and visuals the benefits of becomingan Ace retailer,” said Kane Calamari,v.p. of new business. “The enhancedsite reinforces our focus on strategicgrowth for Ace Hardware.”As a part of its growth strategy,

Ace is on track to open 110 newstores in 2011, with 72 units openedin the first seven months of the year.

Fire, Explosion Rock SawmillAn explosion during an Aug. 16

fire at Stimson Lumber’s mill inGaston, Or., sent three firefighters tothe hospital with non-life-threateninginjuries. The first fire crews arrived at the

mill about 7 p.m., to fight a fireapparently caused by a spark in thedust collection bin. Two hours later,after the explosion occurred, addition-al crews were called in.Damages were estimated at

$100,000.


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from Germany in 1938. He and hiswife, Frances, started Sun Studs in1950. He became known for electron-ic innovations in wood products man-ufacturing technology, as well asworkforce productivity and retention.In 2009, after 60 years in

Roseburg, the couple moved to aretirement home in Connecticut.

Jim Decker, 50, Pacific Northwestlumber trader, died July 26.He began his career at North

Pacific, Portland, Or., in 1998,becoming sales manager in 2009. Lastyear, he moved to BridgewellResources, Tigard, Or., as a trader,and in June 2011 joined PlateauForest Products, Bend, Or.

James D. “Jim” Elskamp, 67,retired Pacific Northwest lumberman,died August 5, 2011, in Portland, Or.He spent many years as purchasing

agent for Ellingson Lumber Co.,

Baker City, Or., before joining GoldBeach Plywood, Gold Beach, Or. Herecently retired from Alaskan Copper& Brass, Portland.

Lloyd Fulford, 87, retired presi-dent and owner of Door DistributorsInc., Woodinville, Wa., died Aug. 5He started his career in outside

sales with Georgia-Pacific, before co-founding Door Distributors in Seattle,Wa., with Bill Varitz in 1964. He ranthe business for over 38 years, beforeretiring in 2002. He also served on the board of the

National Sash & Door JobbersAssociation (now Association ofMillwork Distributors) from 1979 to1982, and from 1987 to 1990.

Dorothy Deane Herbert Sloan,89, former co-owner of Sloan LumberCo., Sandy Gulch, Ca., died Aug. 6 inAngels Camp, Ca.She operated yards in Sandy Gulch

and Toyon, Ca., with her husband,James Sloan.

Donald E. Swisher, 81, formermanager of Weedman Lumber Co.,Longview, Wa., died Aug. 13.He joined Weedman in 1958 and

retired as manager in 1988.

Richard Wayne Gardner, 84,retired executive vice president of theLumber Association of SouthernCalifornia, died July 15 in PalmBeach Gardens, Fl.After graduating from the

University of California, Berkeley, heserved with the Navy during WorldWar II and the Korean War. In 1993, he was named the associa-

tion’s Lumberman of the Year. Heretired in 1996, after 35 years of ser-vice and one year after merging withthe Lumber Merchants Association toform the Lumber Association ofCalifornia & Nevada.


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Luis Rojas. [8] DannySosa, Chrystal Pierre. [9]Jarrett Deschenes, Kristen& Steve Schroeder. [10]Bill Sullivan, Rex Klopfer.[11] Gerry Perez, CharleneValine. [12] Frank Bader,Jim Taft. [13] Jack Butler,Doug Radestock, JohnAllen. [14] Natalie Allen,Pete Ganahl. [15] MariaKile. [16] Mark Huff, Terry

Rasmussen, Mike Carey. [17] Johnny Pringle, Tom Barclay, David &Shelli Abbott. [18] Vicky & Drew Sasser. [19] Alex Garcia. [20] MaggieHartshorn, Tom Angle. [21] Stacey & Chris Freeman. [22] Joe Allotta.[23] Dana McDaniel, Jason Sumpter. [24] Jack Berutich. [25] ChrisJohnson, Natalie Ma. [26] Adan Torres.

Photos by LACN2ND GROWTH

SUMMER FEST

LUMBER ASSOCIATION of California & Nevada recently held its 2ndGrowth summer conference in Rancho Mirage, Ca. [1] Ryan Lauterborn,Barrett Burt, Peter Ganahl. [2] Jean Henning, Dana McDaniel. [3] Gail &Gordon Culbertson. [4] Michael Caputo, Jay McArthur. [5] Scott Kassahn,Scott Walters, Michael Couey. [6] John Neel, Suzanne Hearn. [7] Carol &


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OLD TIME Lumberman’s Club held its 9th annual BBQ July 30at the restored Sturgeon’s Mill, Sebastopol, Ca. [1] Volunteermill operators Ron Sturgeon, Don Wagner, Ilya Patrick, BobSturgeon. [2] Brian & Mary Pierce. [3] (back) Chester, Georgia& Gene Pietila; (front) John & Clinta Pietila. [4] Lumberman ofthe Year Cliff Smoot, Gary Malfatti, Betty Foster Borges. [5]Bud Chenowith, Dean Fox. [6] Tom Armstrong. [7] MikeCameron. [8] Joe Bowman. [9] Sturgeon’s secretary EssieDoty, v.p. Bob Sturgeon, president Harvey Henningsen, Barry &Sylvia Fisher. [10] Beverly Henningsen, Rose Renke. [11] RichGiaccone, Doug Willis. [12] Julie Snowden, Jim Lewman. [13]Jim Frodsham. [14] Debbie & Don Willard. [15] Randy Apel.[16] Roxanne & Karl Drexel. [17] Ren Renke. [18] Tim Tanner,Merl Tanner. [19] Dave Damon. [20] Daryl Bond, Kent Bond.

OLD TIM

ERS B

BQ

Photos by Morgan C

reek Forest Products


Lumber Association of California& Nevada’s annual convention is setfor Oct. 20-21 at Rancho Las PalmasResort & Spa, Rancho Mirage, Ca. LACN’s 2nd Growth group has

enlisted Jerry Parks, Western Wood

ASSOCIATION Update

Preservers Institute, to discuss “Pres-sure Treated Wood for Safe, Reliable,and Durable Wood Construction” atits Oct. 6 meeting at Embassy Suites,Irvine, Ca.

Mountain States Lumber &Building Material Dealers Associa-tion’s theme for its Oct. 6-8 fall con-ference and 120th anniversary celebra-tion at Ameristar Casino, Blackhawk,Co., is “It’s Your Future: Don’t LeaveIt to Chance.”

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumber-man’s Club has scheduled its annualgolf tournament for Oct. 5 at CostaMesa Country Club, Costa Mesa, Ca. Nov. 6 will be a tennis demonstra-

tion and tournament at AnaheimTennis Center, Anaheim, Ca.

North American Wholesale Lum-ber Association is sponsoring a Sept.12-15 wood basics course at OregonState University, Corvallis, Or.NAWLA’s annual Traders Market,

Oct. 19-21 at Mirage Resort, LasVegas, Nv., will include a new prod-ucts showcase. A networking cocktailreception will be staged poolside andinclude a look at Seigfried & Roy’sSecret Garden & Dolphin Habitat.

LOS ANGELES Hardwood Lumberman's Clubmet Aug. 11 at Roscoe’s Famous Deli, Fulle-rton, Ca. (L-r, front row) Walter Ralston,Charley Fiala, Bill Fitzgerald, Walt Maas. (2ndrow) Alan Arbiso, Randy Porter, Jim Gaither,

Christa Bohnhoff, Charlie Bohnhoff, DaleBohannon, Dennis Johnston. (3rd row) GarrisonCox, Marty Fox, Kevin Tranter, Mark Michie,Jim Von Tellrop, Dan Bohannon. (Back row)Steve Ondich, Charlie James, Paul Pendergast. their journey to be a positive and con-

tributing member of society—whetherthey have an active future in the busi-ness or not. Do not shelter your chil-dren from hard work or hard choices;you will not be doing them any favors.Advice to adult siblings: Take hon-

est stock of your work ethic and yourwillingness to sacrifice for the com-mon good. Whereas your parents hadthe luxury of making decisions ontheir own, siblings have to be able tocompromise. If one or all of you arenot able to make some sacrifices forthe good of the whole, joint ownershipor management of a business will notbe successful. Acknowledge when youneed help. Go out of your way to rec-ognize the efforts of others. If you arespoiled, take responsibility for thehard choices of grown-up life, or rec-ognize that you cannot hope to be asuccessful shared owner of a business.• Powerful Vision: When the

founders are beloved by all, it can behard for the sibling generation toemerge from their shadow. The morethe founders are revered, the harder itis to fill their shoes. And, the harder itmay be for the sibling generation tofind its own voice and purpose, whenany deviation from the parent’sapproach is seen as blasphemy.Advice to parents:While we appre-

Family Business: Siblings(continued from page 31)


CHEERS! [1] SpecializedMill’s Jim & Tracey Gaitherhosted the Los AngelesHardwood Lumberman’sClub at their Yorba Linda,Ca., home July 23 for anafternoon of wine tastingand barbeque. [2] Marty &Randy Porter, ChristaBohnhoff, Kevin Tranter.[3] Alana & Charley Fiala.[4 ] Joyce & WalterRalston. [5] Sergio Korn,Bill Fitzgerald, Kit Rohm.

ciate recognition for our hard work,having the humility to acknowledgethe role of luck and the possibility thatthere may be other paths to successcan encourage your children to thinkoutside the box. Be open to changeand the new ideas of the younger gen-eration. Do not interpret the appetitefor new approaches as a rejection ofall you have accomplished. Rather, see

it as a natural evolution and a sign thatyou enabled your children to thinkstrategically and take risks for thefuture, just as you did when you weretheir age.Advice to siblings:While it is won-

derful to hold your parents in highesteem, remember that each genera-tion must examine the business, its

(Please turn to page 46)


Keep trackof the West

covers the industry in the West.Now find out what’s happening on the

other side of the Rockies.

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covering the Midwest, Southeast andNortheast. Subscribe for $24 for 12 issues.

Contact Heather at (949) 852-1990


Building Products Digest

CLASSIFIED Marketplace

FOR SALE

FACILITIES FOR LEASEWANTED: LUMBERYARD SITE in NorthOrange County or Inland Empire. [email protected].

SITE WANTED

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

Send ad to Fax 949-852-0231 or dkoenig@ building-products.com. For moreinfo, call (949) 852-1990. Make checks payable to Cutler Publishing. Deadline:

18th of previous month. To reply to ads with private box numbers, send correspondence to box

number shown, c/o The Merchant Magazine, 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480,Newport Beach, Ca. 92660, Fax to 949-852-0231, or send by email [email protected]. Names of advertisers using a box number can-not be released.

Kick-start your 2012 selling seasonGet the attention of

21,000 lumber buyers across the country.Ensure your ad message reaches EVERY company attending the 22001111 NNAAWWLLAA TTrraaddeerrss MMaarrkkeett by adver-tising in Traders’ Preview, a Special Supplement appearing with both The Merchant Magazine and sisterpublication Building Products Digest. For one low price, you receive:

• Full national distribution of your ad, packaged with the October 2011 issues of The Merchantand Building Products Digest.

• Expanded directory listing for your company

• Distribution at the event

• Free clickable online ad for your company (1 month exposure on building-products.com)

• Discounted, all-inclusive ad rates:

Call Chuck Casey orAlan Oakes at 949.852.1990

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 largecontractor 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 repairwork, oil changes, steam cleaning, etc., atfavorable rates. Ample truck parking space inback of facility. Office & 30,000-sq. ft. frontwarehouse available at .29¢ per sq. ft. If inter-ested, please call Tom Williams, (530) 742-2168, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

INSIDE/OUTSIDE SALES: NorthernCalifornia lumberyard. We are seeking twoqualified sales positions:Inside sales: Hardware & lumber counter sales.Fulltime. Will work with outside sales and oth-ers of the distribution team to grow existing cus-tomers, create new customers and provideaccount maintenance. Must have required lum-beryard experience in excess of 5 years.Outside sales: Seeking outside sales representa-tive. This candidate should have comprehensiveknowledge of the marketplace and a thoroughunderstanding of the products therein. We arelooking for people who can contribute to ourgrowth, who are hungry for success, who bringa winning attitude to their work, and who areinterested in new opportunities in an establishedarena. You provide the skill, knowledge, integri-ty and perseverance, and we will provide a greatplace to work, where you will be encouraged togrow. Must have extensive lumberyard knowl-edge of building materials, lumber, millwork,and decking experience is a plus. Prior relatedexperience selling building materials to contrac-tors (remodel and homebuilders, homeowners,framers, etc.). If you are interested in joining our team, pleaseforward your resume ATTN: Box 719, [email protected], Fax 949-852-0231, or The Merchant Magazine, 4500 CampusDr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660.

HELP WANTED


DATE BookListings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify

dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend.

Willamette Valley Hoo-Hoo Club – Sept. 14, trap shoot,Sportsman’s Club, Creswell, Or.; (541) 688-6675.

Jensen Distribution Services – Sept. 14-16, fall market, SpokaneConvention Center, Spokane, Wa.; (800) 234-1321;www.jensenonline.com.

World Forest Institute – Sept. 19-21, “Who Will Own the Forest?”conference; Sept. 22, forest products forum, World ForestryCenter, Portland, Or.; wwotf.worldforestry.org.

Pacific Northwest Association of Rail Shippers – Sept. 21-22, fallseminar, Eugene, Or.; (503) 656-4282.

Building Component Manufacturers Conference – Sept. 21-23,Indianapolis, In.; (608) 310-6722; www.bcmcshow.com.

National Hardwood Lumber Association – Sept. 21-24, annualconvention, Nashville, Tn.; (800) 933-0318; www.nhla.org.

True Value Co. – Sept. 23-25, fall market, Philadelphia, Pa.; (773)695-5000; www.truevaluecompany.com.

American Architectural Manufacturers Assn. – Sept. 25-28, fallconference, Palm Springs, Ca.; (847) 303-5664; aamanet.org.

Lumber Quality Institute – Sept. 26-27, lumber quality & processcontrol seminar; Sept. 28-29, lumber quality leadership seminar,Corvallis, Or.; (800) 678-6311; oregonstate.edu.

Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club – Sept. 30, golf tournament & BBQ,Ukiah Municipal Course, Ukiah, Ca.; (707) 621-0485.

Remodeling & Decorating Show – Oct. 1-2, Los AngelesConvention Center, Los Angeles, Ca.; (818) 557-2950;www.thehomeshow.com.

U.S. Green Building Council – Oct. 4-7, Greenbuild conference,Metro Toronto Convention Center, Toronto, Ont.; (800) 795-1747; www.usgbc.com.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – Oct. 5, golf tourna-ment, Costa Mesa Country Club, Costa Mesa, Ca.; (626) 445-8556; www.lahlc.net.

Lumber Association of California & Nevada – Oct. 6, 2nd Growthmeeting, Embassy Suites, Irvine, Ca.; (800) 266-4344;www.lumberassociation.org.

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Associa-tion – Oct. 6-8, fall conference, AmeriStar Casino, Blackhawk,Co.; (800) 365-0919; www.mslbmda.org.

Do It Best Corp. – Oct. 8-10, fall market, Indiana ConventionCenter, Indianapolis, In.; (260) 748-5300; www.doitbestcorp.com.

DeckExpo – Oct. 12-14, McCormick Place, Chicago, Il.; (866) 475-6495; www.deckexpo.com.

Remodeling Show – Oct. 12-14, McCormick Place, Chicago, Il.;(866) 475-6495; www.remodelingshow.com.

Ace Hardware Corp. – Oct. 15-17, fall market, Colorado ConventionCenter, Denver, Co.; (630) 990-7662; www.acehardware.com.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association – Oct. 19-21,Traders Market, Mirage Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nv.; (800)527-8258; www.lumber.org.

Lumber Association of California & Nevada – Oct. 20-21, annualconvention, Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage,Ca.; (800) 266-4344; www.lumberassociation.org.

APA-The Engineered Wood Association – Oct. 22-25, annualmeeting, Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans, La.; (253) 565-6600;www.apawood.org.

Door & Hardware Institute – Oct. 26-27, annual expo, Javits Con-vention Center, New York, N.Y.; (703) 222-2010; www.dhi.org.

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

wwwwww..tthhuunnddeerrbboollttwwooooddttrreeaattiinngg..ccoommCCeennttrraall CCaalliiffoorrnniiaa LLooccaattiioonn

3400 Patterson Rd., Riverbank, Ca. 95367SSaaccrraammeennttoo,, CCAA

Bob Palacioz, sales/marketing mgr. • [email protected](916) 402-3248 • Fax (916) 339-2477

MMaarriinnee && IInndduussttrriiaall SSaalleessMiguel Gutierrez • [email protected]

(209) 747-7773 • Fax (209) 451-0425

Treating Services Only (TSO)

AACCQQ •• CCCCAA •• 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

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

www.vanarsdaleharris.comSpecialists in upper grades of clear, dry softwoods

Douglas Fir C & Better V/G & F/G Kiln Dried Full Sawn Rough • 1", 5/4", 2", 3", 4", 6" & 8x8 • 3x6 DF Select Dex Double T&G DeckingSugar Pine • 4/4 -16/4 C & Btr. • 5/4 & 8/4 D Select • 6/4 & 8/4 Mldg. • 5/4 #1 Shop • 5/4 x 12 #2 Common • 4x4 #2 CommonPonderosa Pine • 4/4 Clears, Moulding, #3 Clear, Commons • 2x4, 2x6, 2x12 Std. & Btr. DimensionWestern Red Cedar Clear V/G & F/G Full Sawn Rough • 1", 5/4", 2" Kiln Dried • 3", 4", 6" Air Dried TimbersAlaskan Yellow Cedar C & Btr. Kiln Dried Rough • 4/4, 8/4 Poplar, FAS • 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 8/4, 12/4Sitka Spruce B & Btr. V/G Kiln Dried Rough • 4/4, 8/4 Honduras Mahogany, FAS Pattern Grade • 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 8/4, 10/4, 12/4, 16/4

Since 1888


ADVERTISERS IndexFor more information on advertisers, call them

directly or visit their websites [in brackets].

Advantage Trim & Lumber [www.advantagelumber.com]..........42

Ainsworth [www.ainsworthengineered.com] .........................38-39

Anfinson Lumber [www.anfinson.com]........................................19

Bear Forest Products [www.bearfp.com].....................................36

Big Creek Lumber [www.big-creek.com] .....................................32

Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber ........................................................35

California Redwood Association [www.calredwood.org] ...........26

California Redwood Co. [californiaredwoodco.com].........Cover II

California Timberline [www.caltimberline.com] ............................4

Capital [www.capital-lumber.com]................................................43

EcoVantage [www.ecovantage.com] ..............................................3

Fontana Wholesale Lumber [fontanawholesalelumber.com].....41

GRK Fasteners [www.grkfasteners.com].....................................33

Huff Lumber ....................................................................................31

Humboldt Redwood [www.getredwood.com/merchant] .............30

Idaho Forest Group [www.idahoforestgroup.com] .......................5

Keller Lumber .................................................................................43

Lausmann Lumber [www.lausmannlumber.com] .......................24

LP Building Products [www.lpcorp.com].......................................7

Lumber Assn. of California & Nevada [lumberassociation.org] .28

Mary’s River Lumber [www.marysriverlumber.com] ..................34

NAWLA Traders Market [www.nawlatradersmarket.com] .............37

Norman Distribution [www.normandist.com] ..............................35

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance [plmins.com] .....29

Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com] ........................Cover I

Roseburg Forest Products [www.rfpco.com] ..............................21

Royal Pacific Industries .................................................................25

RoyOMartin [www.royomartin.com] ...................................Cover III

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

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

Sunbelt [www.sunbeltracks.com] .................................................33

Swanson Group Sales [www.swansongroupinc.com]................17

Thunderbolt Wood Treating [thunderboltwoodtreating.com] ....45

Universal Forest Products [www.ufpi.com] .................................13

Van Arsdale-Harris Lumber Co. [www.vanarsdaleharris.net] ....45

Western Red Cedar Lumber Association [www.wrcla.org] ...22-23

IDEA FileWorkshopping Spree

Free seminars(and complimentaryrefreshments) areattracting new cus-tomers to EldredgeLumber’s design centerin York, Me.The 6,000-sq. ft. space —

known as the Atlantic Design Center—features full-sizedisplays of kitchens, baths, and living rooms so cus-tomers can envision their own dream projects. On hand to help are 11 design consultants, including

Margareta Claesson, who also handles marketing andadvertising for the center. It’s her job to get new cus-tomers through the door, so they can see for themselveswhat products and services are available.Claesson got the idea for the seminars after she invit-

ed Eldredge’s in-house paint expert to deliver a productinfo talk for the designers. “He was so knowledgeableand such a good speaker that we decided he had to gopublic,” she says. “So he was our first speaker.”Eldredge offers six to eight classes each year. In

July, artist Pamela Sawin led a seminar on what shecalls contemporary gilding, illustrating how to applymetal leaf to glass, pottery, wood, paper, and shells—anatural resource that’s readily available in Maine. This month, the topic is window replacement, pre-

sented by Eldredge’s own Marvin Windows expert.After learning about the how’s and why’s of windowreplacement—including energy savings and the 2011Energy Tax Credits—attendees can schedule an in-home appointment to begin the replacement process.Claesson says that different topics bring in different

customers, but they all enjoy the free refreshments:small tea sandwiches and cookies, plus tea and coffee. “Whenever possible, we also raise money for a good

cause, such as the local food pantry or hospice,” shesays. “Sometimes it is a suggested donation and some-times we have a raffle and sell tickets.”

Family Business: Siblings(continued from page 43)

future, and the shared purpose you have for it going for-ward. Your parents may have been extraordinary visionar-ies, but all visions have a shelf life. The sibling team mustdevelop its own vision to unite them and provide a viablemodel forward for the company. Not all siblings will be comfortable with change at the

same pace. Some will feel it is too slow; others may resistany change as too fast and unsettling. The process for arriv-ing at agreement on the nature and pace of change is animportant part of becoming a cohesive sibling partnership.– Stephanie Brun de Pontet is a senior associate of the Family

Business Consulting Group, Chicago, Il. Contact [email protected] or (888) 421-0110. Kent Rhodes is a consul-tant with the group. Reach him at [email protected].

Reprinted with permission from The Family Business Advisor, a copyrightedpublication of Family Enterprise Publishers. No portion of this article may be repro-duced without permission of Family Enterprise Publishers

Documents

The Merchant Magazine - September 2011