the merchant magazine - april 2010

PRESSURE TREATED WOOD ISSUE WESTERN TREATER PROFILES EWP

APRIL 2010

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

4 The Merchant Magazine April 2010 Building-Products.com

April 2010Volume 88 Number 10

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Special Features8 FEATURE STORY

HOW MUCH WOOD’S IN THE WOODS?

10 INDUSTRY TRENDSMID-RISE GLULAM CONSTRUCTION

12 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTPRESSURE TREATED ENGINEERED WOOD

14 COMPANY FOCUS: THUNDERBOLTTREATER THINKS OUTSIDE THE TUBE

15 WESTERN TREATER PROFILES 2010

16 INDUSTRY TRENDSREVIVAL FOR HEAVY DUTY TREATMENT

18 MANAGEMENT TIPSKNOW YOUR TREATED WOOD MARKS

22 COMPANY FOCUS: QB CORP.

52 PHOTO RECAP: WWPA

TheMERCHANT Magazine

California Timberline, Inc.Sugar and Ponderosa Pine,

Douglas Fir, Redwood,Western Red and California Incense Cedar

Hardwood Lumber & PlywoodChino, CA 91710 • (909) 591-4811 • FAX (909) 591-4818

The Mark of Responsible ForestrySCS-COC-001973

®1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C.

In Every Issue6 TOTALLY RANDOM

20 COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

32 OLSEN ON SALES

34 FAMILY BUSINESS

36 MOVERS & SHAKERS

42 GREEN RETAILING

45 NEW PRODUCTS

53 IN MEMORIAM

55 ASSOCIATION UPDATE

56 CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE

57 DATE BOOK

58 IDEA FILE

58 ADVERTISERS INDEX

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 (USPS 796-560) is published monthlyat 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660-1872 by Cutler Publishing, Inc. Periodicals Postage paid atNewport Beach, Ca., and additional post offices. It is an indepen-dently-owned publication for the retail, wholesale and distributionlevels of the lumber and building products markets in 13 westernstates. Copyright®2010 by Cutler Publishing, Inc. Cover andentire contents are fully protected and must not be reproduced inany manner without written permission. All Rights Reserved. Itreserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertisingmatter, and assumes no liability for materials furnished to it.

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Publisher Emeritus David Cutler

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TOTALLY Random By Alan Oakes

Where do you go now?At a time when there may be a glimmer of hope that we’ve reached the baseline of an

improved market, now is the time to start planning for the aftermath. I have alwayssaid that if you survive through the tsunami we have gone through, at some point there willbe decent business again for those left behind.

There is no doubt that all of us have been forced to look at our business performancethese past two to three years with a more detailed and critical eye than ever before. Whileour magazine readership is made up of companies of all sizes, the majority are not largeenough to have access to a team of business analysts or outside consultants. So perhaps weneed to occasionally be reminded of time-tested business principles that challenge the waywe should think about our businesses. Good mentors or advisors are often invaluable indriving you to evaluate areas of your business and to challenge yourself in areas that youmay not feel strong enough to tackle. Having a second set of eyes can help you through dif-ficult decisions that you do not feel comfortable discussing internally. But choose youradvisors wisely. There are some pretty well-paid idiots out there who can easily take youdown the wrong path.

While we are heavily focused on handling day-to-day operations and putting out fires,we do need to have a plan to guide and drive our businesses along with actions needed bywhom and by when. A plan without accountability, goals and specific measurement pointswill never succeed. I remember one of my worst business decisions was about 15 years agoin the book publishing industry. I was coerced into developing a new software product. Upfront, I didn’t agree with the decision. I was c.e.o., but the business owner was insistent. Itwas a new industry for us, and I was not sure we had the talent internally to produce andmarket the product. But, I set up the teams, goals and budgets, and we happily got underway. As we developed the product, I realized it was a product I myself wanted and needed.As we started seeing beta copies, I began to believe in the product and started dreaming ofall the new dollars it would bring in. I was convinced that we had a winner, despite the factthat there was a clearly established No. 1 in this space.

But this was not our normal business, and we didn’t understand all the pitfalls. Theproduct looked great, but we all agreed if we were to win we needed to improve it. Duringthat process, we generated great ideas on how to extend the reach of the product—issuesthat needed to be worked on before we launched. Delays started building, costs mounted,but we still believed we had a winner. In the meantime, new competing products came out,our retail price became no longer feasible, and we had not done enough externally to deter-mine if we would get bought by the chains and what we would have to give to buy shelfspace. The end result, after over $1 million of development costs, was that I finally andbelatedly called a halt and wrote the project off. The moral was that we should never havestarted in the first place. We had fallen in love with the product and become too emotional-ly involved. We had not been objective enough nor understood how competitive the marketwas. More importantly, our egos led us to believe that being No. 1 in our own space wasgoing to mean something in the new space. It meant diddlysquat!

As you can see, understanding financials and having time for critical planning alongwith real-cost analysis are critical for every business. Lack of attention to the fundamentalshas destroyed many a company, large and small. Moreover,being product driven—as opposed to market driven—usual-ly leads to abject failure.

Analyze your products and services. Hopefully youhave a cash cow that is in demand and makes you money.This is where to spend your investment and marketing dol-lars. Don’t waste money on propping up dead or dyingproducts. Invest in and protect what makes you money.Understand how it makes you money, and do every-thing possible to defend your turf.

Lastly, understand what your priorities reallyare. Times change, and your way of doingbusiness may have to change as well. Be opento learning from others, and that cannot bedone in a vacuum. No one is an expert in allaspects of business. Learning what othersare doing and how should be a vital prac-tice to help you succeed in the future.

Alan Oakes, Publisher [email protected]

Building-Products.com April 2010 The Merchant Magazine 9

FEATURE Story By Robert Berg, RISI

SAWLOG HARVEST LEVELS in 2010 arerunning well below the peak levels

of the last decade and timber invento-ries are growing. Given our forecastfor wood products and log exports,harvest levels will remain below theprevious highs through the remainderof this cycle and sawtimber invento-ries will continue to grow. This willhave a direct impact on stumpage anddelivered log prices over this period.

Primary end-use markets for NorthAmerican sawtimber collapsed inrecent years. Lumber production in theU.S. and Canada fell 44% from 74.9billion bd. ft. in 2005 to 42.0 billion ft.in 2009. Plywood production fell 41%from 17.3 billion sq. ft. (3/8” basis) in2004 to 10.2 billion ft. in 2009. As aresult of such breathtaking declines,North American sawtimber harvestvolumes fell 38% from an annualaverage of 66.7 billion bd. ft. (1/4”) in2004-2005 to 41.3 billion ft. in 2009(see chart at right).

Unlike industry, which can throttleback production to realign output withdemand and manage its inventories,when timber demand drops, produc-tion (timber growth) in the woodsdoes not and volumes not harvested donot go away. The unanticipatedbuildup of uncut timber in recent yearsnow hangs over the market as “pent-up” supply. And given our forecast forthe lumber and plywood markets, thispent-up supply of uncut timber willgrow through most of this cycle.

Harvest levels going into the down-turn were at levels that drained inven-tories, which in turn put upward pres-sure on log prices and political pres-sure on managers of public timber-lands. The drop in inventories stoppedin 2006-2007 as removals droppedbelow growth levels. And we estimatethat inventories have rebounded fromthose lows because of both the reduc-

tion in harvest and the fact that treesgrow if they are left standing.

Furthermore, given our forecast fordemand, inventories will not stabilize(removals will not get back to growthlevels) until 2013-2014. Only at thispoint will the “pent-up” supply of tim-ber start to be worked off.

The implications for timber mar-kets will vary by region. In B.C.Interior, undercutting salvage woodmeans that an increasing volume ofthe beetle-killed wood will degrade tolevels rendering them useless. In east-ern Canada, harvest levels will remainbelow policy set levels and, in contrastto the last decade, the provinces willbe working to attract investment in theforest products sector.

Impacts in the U.S. will also bevaried. In the U.S. West, where 70%of the timber harvest goes into lumber,the recovery over the next cycle willpush up demand faster than in the

South, where 52% of the sawtimberharvest goes to lumber mills (plywooddemand is expected to remain wellbelow peaks set in the last decade). Asa result, timber markets will tighten upsomewhat faster in the West than inthe South.

The immediate implication of thisbuilt up timber supply is that real tim-ber prices are unlikely to reach levelsseen in the last decade (which werelower than the previous decade) overthe next cycle. This being said, it isunclear exactly what the impact ontimber prices will be because of thedramatic shift in timber ownership thatwe have seen in the timber markets.Timber ownership has shifted fromintegrated mills to private investors(TIMOs and REITs). And it is unclearhow the timberland owners will doleout their timber (supply response).

Cash flow on timberland invest-

Timber marketsHow much wood is in the woods?

North American Softwood Saw Timber DemandBillion Bd. Ft., International 1/4”

© 2010 RISI, Inc. All Rights Reserved

(Please turn to page 58)


INDUSTRY Trends Mid-Rise Glulam Construction

THE WORLD HAS WATCHED in horrorthe previously unimaginable death

and destruction from the Haiti earth-quake in January. The latest statisticsfrom Haiti indicate 230,000 dead,

225,000 collapsed homes, and 25,000office buildings destroyed.

As they watch crushed bodiesbeing pulled from under the hugeslabs of concrete, many U.S. archi-

tects, contractors, and dealers are ask-ing the same question: “How manylives could have been saved if moreHaitian buildings had been built withlighter-weight wood framing?”

Wood vs.unreinforced concrete

Could more Haitian lives have been saved?

Wooden High-Rise Turns HeadsThe construction of the Fond-

action office building in the heart ofQuebec City, P.Q., is generatingmore than passing local interest.

The six-story commercial struc-ture, featuring heavy timber frameconstruction designed and providedby Nordic Structures, is the first ofits kind built in Canada. Made ofblack spruce glue-laminated beams,columns and decking, the uniqueconstruction technology featured inthis project is paving the way forsimilar alternative building projectsacross North America.

While wood-frame constructionhas been limited by code to fourstories in the past, designing thebuilding with heavy timbers assuredlocal building officials that whilestructurally equal to steel and con-crete construction that is the normfor commercial construction, heavywood timber construction offerssuperior fire resistance, acousticproperties, and insulation values.

An additional bonus for thisLEED Gold project is the encapsu-lation of over 1 million pounds ofcarbon, locked into the wood for thelife of the structure.

Enviro=Lam, a unique small-block layup process exclusive toNordic Engineered Wood, is evi-

dent in all the glulam componentscomprising the structure. “The blackspruce trees we harvest take 90 yearsto achieve maturity, yet still only aver-age 4-1/2” in diameter over their 70’length,” said Albert Renaud, vice pres-ident of Nordic Engineered Wood. “Itis essential that we utilize all the tree,including the tips, if we are going toextract all the value that is locked inthe fiber. Enviro=Lam allows us to

get 18% more fiber yield than tradi-tionally possible, making it one of thegreenest building materials out there.”

Nordic harvests on 2,000,000 acresof land in northern Quebec, an areacomparable to the state of Connec-ticut, with extreme attention to theenvironment. In addition to its ISO14001 Environmental Reforestationcertification, Nordic obtained FSCcertification in February 2009, the firstprivately held EWP producer to do so.Nordic harvests roughly 1% of this

BLACK SPRUCE glulam beams, columns and decking were used for Quebec City’s mid-rise.


A survey of housing specifiers indi-cates positive views concerningapproved construction with framinglumber, laminated veneer lumber, ply-wood, structural glued laminated tim-ber (glulam), I-joists, and other woodstructural materials.

Michael Caldwell, executive v.p. ofthe American Institute of TimberConstruction, notes that properly con-nected and anchored wood frame con-struction has a lower mass whichmeans that it can resist lateral forcesbetter than unreinforced concrete con-struction.

In the 1995 earthquake in Kobe,Japan, 600 people were killed, buthouses built to North American wood-framed construction standards wereonly slightly affected.

A report from the Canadian WoodCouncil on wood framing perfor-mance during the 1994 Northridge,Ca., earthquake said, “Single-familydwellings suffered minimal structural

damage to elements critical to thesafety of occupants.”

The Canadians also note that woodis the only major building materialthat is renewable. The area of NorthAmerican Forests has increased by 20million acres since 1970.

One of the most recent demonstra-tions of wood framing’s durability inearthquakes is a mid-rise, wood-frametest building built to withstand majorquakes and other natural disasters.Engineers from Colorado State Uni-versity, Simpson Strong-Tie, and theForest Products Laboratory cooperatedon the world’s largest “shake tabletest,” which simulated the groundmotion of a major earthquake on aseven-story, 40x60 condo tower with23 living units. The 40-second testwas the equivalent of a 7.5 magnitudeearthquake.

The test is significant because of itsimplications for builders, architectsand dealers. Normally, the building

boreal forest annually, ensuring a sus-tainable source of wood.

Nordic Engineered Wood manufac-tures the components in Chibouga-mau, P.Q., where it recently complet-ed a $12-million mill expansion fea-turing state of the art milling and fin-ishing equipment dedicated to its glu-lam structures projects.

More Products in DevelopmentIn addition to redefining glulam

technology with its Enviro=Lamprocess, Nordic is currently develop-ing X-Lam, a cross-laminated timberpanel, which offers additional benefitsfor commercial construction. Whilesimilar to the decking used in theFondaction building, X=Lam willallow for greater clearspan floor appli-cations in commercial structures, aswell as load bearing walls where later-al resistance to shear is critical.

Lighter and easier to work withthan steel or concrete, CLTs enhancewood’s superior resistance to seismicconditions, making them an idealbuilding material for construction inearthquake prone areas. CLTs are usedextensively in Europe, where commer-cial wood construction exceeding ninestories is now becoming common-place. Builders find the lighter weightand workability of CLTs reduce buildtimes and construction costs.

Julie Frappier, director of technicalservices for Nordic Engineered Wood,

is a member of the APA StandardsCommittee on CLT, which held itsfirst meeting March 11. Frappier isworking with the APA to create the

design standard for CLTs, and istargeting this spring for the initialX=Lam product report.

SIX-STORY COMMERCIAL structure featuring heavy timber frame construction is the first of itskind in Canada.

industry rarely permits wood-framebuildings in excess of five stories inearthquake-prone areas. This testcould increase the height permitted forwood framing.

CSU civil engineering professorJohn van de Lindt, who coordinatedthe test, said, “The building performedso well in the test and had so littledamage that it validated the designphilosophy of other universities forearthquake engineering simulation.”

The building was tested three timeswith simulated quakes ranging from6.7 and to 7.5 on the Richter scale.

The organizations that partnered onthe test commented, “Wood performedwell under seismic loading. It is a duc-tile material and the wood is relativelylight weight. The test showed thatmidrise timber structures could bedesigned and built for high seismiczones as an alternative to steel or con-crete, in addition to wood’s cost andaesthetic advantages.”


IT’S NO SECRET that pressure treating can protect engi-neered wood products—glulam beams and columns, par-

allel strand lumber, and laminated veneer lumber—againstdecay and termite infestation.

In the past, however, builders seeking this protectionwould sometimes buy preservatives and treat materialsonsite. Today, the trend is toward products that are war-rantied by both the manufacturer and the company thattreated the finished product.

“There was definitely a reluctance from our customersdoing their own treatment,” said Geoff Crandlemire, whoworks closely with builders via the technical support linerun by Rosboro, Springfield, Or. “They were concerned,obviously, that if they treated the beam themselves, themanufacturer wouldn’t stand behind the product if itfailed.”

Jim Walsh, Rosboro’s v.p. of sales and marketing,

Engineered wood getsthe treatment

PRODUCT Spotlight Pressure Treated Engineered Wood

agreed: “This was a chance for us to get involved and takecontrol of the process so customers wouldn’t treat some-thing that wasn’t meant to be treated.”

According to Walsh, consumer preference for functionaloutdoor spaces has fueled the demand for professionallytreated engineered wood products. Rosboro offers glulambeams and columns that are pressure treated by Permapost,Hillsboro, Or., with Hi-Clear II or Green-Gard PT.

“Treated beams can be used in outdoor above-ground orin-ground applications where a beam or column is neededfor support—as in decks, porches, pavilions, etc.,” he com-mented. “Solid timbers tend to warp and twist, split and cupwhen used outdoors, especially when they’re treatedimproperly.”

High performance in difficult outdoor conditions is alsoimportant at Anthony Forest Products, El Dorado, Ar.,which participates in the Raised Floor Living Campaignsponsored by the Southern Pine Council.

“These applications include beach houses needingstrong beams for high wind, raised wood decks, raised floorperimeter beams, and light commercial office space,” saidKerlin Drake, Anthony’s v.p. of marketing.

Cop-Guard by Brewer International, Vero Beach, Fl., isthe treatment of choice at Anthony. “We chose Cop-Guardbecause it is an oil-borne preservative and because the

PARALLAM PLUS PSL from iLevel by Weyerhaeuser protects againstinsects, rot, and recurring ground water contact for exterior applications.

STRANDGUARD TimberStrand LSL from iLevel by Weyerhaeuser usesa patented process to treat structural members for interior use throughouttheir entire cross section.


GLULAM FLOOR GIRDERS from Anthony Forest Products will support a new community center inSurfside Beach, Tx.

ROSBORO’S treated glulam resists rot and decay in exposed applications.

inherit characteristics of checking orswelling are avoided,” said Drake.

Tim Debelius, engineered woodproduct manager at iLevel byWeyerhaeuser, Federal Way, Wa.,said that builders select pressure treat-ed engineered wood products for theirstrength and consistency and how theysolve a variety of building challenges.

“Where insects and rot are a con-cern in interior applications, productslike StrandGuard TimberStrand LSLhelp provide peace of mind,” he said.“For exterior applications, ParallamPlus PSL is suitable where the framingmembers are exposed, in deck sup-ports, carports, cantilevered roofbeams, and the like.”

He added that another key advan-tage is that builders don’t have to re-treat either of these products if theycut or drill them onsite, since the treat-ment penetrates to the core.

All engineered wood products areenvironmentally friendly, becausethey can be manufactured with woodfrom smaller diameter trees. Addingpressure treatments only extends theiruseful life.

“LEED and other green rating sys-tems value both durability and effi-cient use of resources,” said Walsh.“This beam is not going to rot out in10 years and need to be replaced.That’s sustainability.”


THUNDERBOLT WOOD TREATINGCo., Riverbank, Ca., has found a

new niche to add to its mix of treatingservices.

The new service—unique for alumber treater—is the application ofprotective coatings to lumber, timberand steel piles, and poles. The marinegrade MFI-SL08 spray polyurea sys-tem is designed to encapsulate timberproducts to prevent preservativesfrom leaching into the environmentand to protect the timber from abra-sion and mechanical damage.

It can also be used to coat steel H-beam and round piles to provide pro-tection to the steel from caustic ele-ments in the soil. MFI-SL08 workswith creosote, ACZA, ACQ, CCAand other treatments.

MFI-SL08 is a solvent-free, two-component polyurea elastomeric coat-ing system. The technology has beenaround since the mid 1980s. Two-component systems are typicallyknown for a very rapid dry time (typi-cally less than 30 seconds) achievedwithout the use of a catalyst andapplied using a high-pressure spray.

The finished product is 100%solid, making it compliant with strictVOC regulations, and is said to pro-duce exceptional physical properties,including high flexibility, hardness,tear strength, tensile strength, andresistance to chemicals, water, weath-ering, and abrasion.

The marine grade MFI-SL08 con-tains PTMEG (polytetramethyleneether glycol), a premium polyetherglycol, and is used as a soft-segmentbuilding block for high performancecoatings. It has been engineered forharsh marine environments.

It is self-leveling to provide asmooth surface and its longer gel timepromotes better adhesion to timberproducts. U.S. Navy specificationsrequire PTMEG in its high-perfor-mance fender systems.

Thunderbolt applies the protectivecoating at its treating plant in

NEWLY TREATED and sprayed 65-ft. timber piles are shipped to Sterns Wharf, Santa Barbara, Ca.

NEW MARINE GRADE spray coating isapplied to protect timbers and prevent leaching.

COMPANY Focus Thunderbolt Wood Treating, Riverbank, Ca.

Treater thinks outside thetube with new marine coating

Riverbank, saving customers addi-tional freight cost needed to movetreated material to another locationfor coating.

MFI-SL08 has a history of world-wide use in a variety of marine envi-ronments from Greenland to Jakarta,from cold to warm humid environ-ments. Current projects in Californiainclude Los Angeles Harbor, SternsWharf in Santa Barbara, and theMunicipal Wharf and Boat Harbor inSanta Cruz. The California CoastalCommission has approved its use inthese sensitive marine environments.

The American Wood ProtectionAssociation has recognized the needto include protective coatings andother wood protection processes tohelp ensure the use of wood productsin today’s environmentally sensitiveareas. Standard P-20 was establishedin 2008 to cover all barrier systems.


PTI

ACZA

Creo

Penta

50/50

Creo

Penta

Penta

ACZA

Trib

Cu8

CuNap

Penta

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Allweather Wood (Fort Collins, Loveland, Co.;White City, Or.; Washougal, Wa.)

Ayres & Baker Post & Pole (Mountain View,Wy.)

J.H. Baxter (Eugene, Or.)

Bell Lumber & Pole (Oldtown, Id.; Conway,Wa.; New Brighton, Mn.; Shingleton, Mi.;Barron, Wi.; Vernon, B.C.)

Bouma Post Yards (Lincoln, Mt.)

Brooks Manufacturing Co. (Bellingham, Wa.)

California Cascade Industries (Fontana,Woodland, Ca.)

Chemco (Ferndale, Wa.)

Coast Wood Preserving (Ukiah, Ca.)

Conrad Forest Products/Conrad WoodPreserving (Arbuckle, Ca.; North Bend,Rainier, Or.)

Exterior Wood (Washougal, Wa.)

Fontana Wood Preserving (Fontana, Ca.)

Honolulu Wood Treating/HWT LLC (Kapolei,Hi.)

Hoover Treated Wood Products (Winston,Or.; Pine Bluff, Ar.; Detroit, Mi.; Milford, Va.)

HPM Wood Protection (Hilo, Hi.)

Jasper Wood Products (Jasper, Or.)

Marks-Miller Post & Pole (Clancy, Mt.)

McFarland Cascade (Eugene, Or.; Tacoma,Wa.; Electric Mills, Ms.; Galloway, B.C.)

Mendocino Wood Specialties (Ukiah, Ca.)

Mesenbrink Timbercraft (Hayden, Id.)

Copp

er S

olut

ion

(AC

Q •

CA

)

Copp

er S

uspe

nded

(MC

A •

MC

Q •

µC

A-C

)

Bora

tes

(SB

X •

ES

+)

Wat

er R

epell

ent

CCA

FRT

Othe

r*

WoodPreservatives

Pressure Treaters(Plant Locations)

Western Treaters2010

* Abbreviations include PTI (Carbon-based L3), Creo (Creosote),Penta (Pentachlorophenol), Cu8 (Copper 8 Quinolinolate),CuNap (Copper Naphthenate), Trib (Tribucide II), and 50/50(Half Creosote/Half Petroleum).

16 The Merchant Magazine April 2010

ACZA’S heavy-duty applications range from bridges (above) to railroadties and roller coaster tracks (lower right).

A GRAND OLD WOOD PRESERVATIVE, capable of protectingspecies that other chemicals cannot, may be poised for

a revival. It made news recently with an expanded listing inthe treated wood standards, and is being considered morefrequently for heavy-duty applications.

Ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate (ACZA or oftenknown by its brand name, Chemonite) was formulated inthe 1980s by J. H. Baxter & Co., San Mateo, Ca., whichcontinues to treat with it. The Baxter formulation replaced arelated preservative developed 60 years earlier at U.C.Berkeley. Both were created specifically to penetraterefractory (i.e., hard-to-treat) species such as Douglas fir.This remains its primary use today, but not its only feature.

ACZA has long been listed for a variety of applicationsby the American Wood Protection Association, whichestablishes standards for the wood preservation industry. InJanuary, a new application was added: Douglas fir railroadties.

“Douglas fir is a very valuable and desirable wood,”says Darrell Smith of Conrad Forest Products, a NorthBend, Or.-based producer of ACZA-treated material. “It isstrong, dimensionally stable, and has good nail-holdingpower. Although it is hard to treat with other preservatives,it is preserved well with ACZA.”

The ACZA treating process, which combines incising,conditioning, and heat, can impart termite and decay resis-tance to refractory woods.

Taking advantage of the properties of Doug fir, ACZA-

treated wood is commonly used for utility poles, marinepiling, structural timbers, guardrail posts, retaining walls,fence posts, and other heavy duty uses. Its newest use isunlikely to revolutionize railroad purchases, but ACZAcrossties offer an economical alternative to traditional cre-osote ties. They are particularly suited for shortlines andindustrial spurs.

Sometimes ACZA wood products are sold directly tospecifiers, engineering firms, or farmers. In other cases,they are sold through lumber yards to contractors, often ona “Treating Service Only” basis. Bob Palacioz, ThunderboltWood Treating, Riverbank, Ca., explains, “We treat woodfrom dealers and wholesalers on TSO orders. They send ustheir wood, we treat it, and they return it to their yards ordeliver it directly to the jobsite.”

While Doug fir is the usual wood treated using ACZA,the preservative can also provide effective protection forother species. Says Aaron Hufnagle, Page & Hill, Big Falls,Mn.: “We’re unique among ACZA treaters. We specializein red pine posts, poles, and piling, as well as sawn timbers.The benefits of Chemonite ACZA preservative have keptus treating with it for more than 20 years.”

In addition to protecting against fungal decay and ter-mites, including the Formosan termite, tests have offeredevidence that ACZA also imparts resistance to fire. ACZA-treated wood meets model building codes.

Heavy duty treatmentbraced for revival

INDUSTRY Trends By Huck DeVenzio, Arch Wood Protection


Penta

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North Idaho Wood Preserving (Rathdrum,Id.)

Oeser Co. (Bellingham, Wa.)

Pacific States Treating (Weed, Ca.)

Pacific Wood Preserving Cos. (Eloy, Ar.;Bakersfield, Ca.; Nevada Wood Preserving,Silver Springs, Nv.; Sheridan, Or; NewWillard, Tx.)

Permapost Products (Hillsboro, Or.)

PSR Co. (Kirkland, Wa.)

Royal Pacific Industries (McMinnville, Or.)

Ruby Valley Pressure Treating (Alder, Mt.)

Simmons Wood Products (Maricopa, Az.)

Stella-Jones Corp. (Arlington, Wa.; Fulton,Stanton, Ky.; Dubois, Pa.; Goshen, Va.;Spencer, W.V.; Bangor, Wi., plus 15 treatingplants in Canada)

Superior Wood Treating/Manke Lumber Co.(Sumner, Wa.)

Thunderbolt Wood Treating (Riverbank, Ca.)

TrueGuard, LLC/Coos Head Forest Products(North Bend, Or.)

Universal Forest Products (Windsor, Co.;Auburndale, Fl.; Union City, Ga.; Granger,In.; Belchertown, Ma.; Harrisonville,Lansing, Mi.; Harrisonville, Mo.;Blanchester, Lodi, Oh.; Elizabeth City,Salisbury, N.C.; Gordon, Stockertown, Pa.;New Waverly, Saginaw, Schertz, Silsbee,Tx.; Ranson, W.V.; Janesville, Wi.)

Utah Wood Preserving (Woods Cross, Ut.)

Western Wood Preserving Co. (Sumner, Wa.)

Western Wood Products (Raton, N.M.)

Western Wood Treating (Weed, Ca.)

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Pressure Treaters(Plant Locations)

Western Treaters2010


TO PROTECT BOTH buyer and con-sumer, the industry has developed

a system requiring ink-stamped grade-marking of each piece of treated lum-ber under adequate quality controlmeasures. This assures delivery of the

Know yourtreated wood marks

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ilMANAGEMENT Tips Pressure Treated Wood Gradestamps

ber indicates the product meets struc-tural and appearance requirementsestablished for that grade.

In addition, all treated lumbershould be identified with an inspec-tion agency quality mark (either plas-tic end tag or ink stamp) conformingto building code standards. For thequality mark to be valid after treat-ment, the lumber must adhere to thegrade requirements and the moisturecontent of the grade represented bythe mark.

It is recommended that the buyerspecify pressure treated wood bearinginkstamped quality marks and/or plas-

Follow the LabelTo avoid misuse on the job

site, framing crews should fol-low instructions on requiredlabels affixed to treated woodproducts, usually a plastic endtag or ink stamp.

Following are terms andabbreviations typically found onthese labels.

Above Ground Use applications:Continuously Protected from

Liquid WaterGeneral Use Framing LumberVertical Use Fence BoardsDecking Use Only

Ground Contact Use applications:Ground Contact (Fresh Water)Foundation Use applications:Permanent Wood Foundation

(PWF, FDN)

Marine Grade applications:MarineSeawall (This Side Seaward)

grade specified for its intended use.Lumber grading and marking is moni-tored and inspected by agenciesaccredited by the American LumberStandard Committee.

A valid agency grademark on lum-


Osmose Earns Patent forMicroPro Technology

Wood preservative supplierOsmose, Griffin, Ga., was issueda U.S. patent for its micronizedcopper technology.

The new patent involves amethod for treating wood withdifferent aqueous compositionsof particles of copper com-pounds, such as copper carbon-ate, basic copper carbonate, orcopper hydroxide. The originalpatent application was filed in2003.

Related micronized patentapplications have been examinedand granted internationally. TheMicroPro treated wood processis Environmentally PreferableProduct certified and has earnedGreen Approved Product certifi-cation from the NationalAssociation of Home BuildersResearch Center.

Osmose will continue to buildon its micronized technology andhas filed additional patent appli-cations both in the U.S. andabroad.

Updated Guide to Treated WoodThe Southern Pine Council has updated its Pressure Treated Southern

Pine specification guide to include a comprehensive listing of the commer-cial trade names of each preservative.

“This marks another year of breakthroughs for wood-preservation sci-ence,” says Richard Kleiner, director of treated markets for the SouthernForest Products Association. “Formulations are now being marketed that are

addressing green-building concerns, andmore earth-friendly products will be intro-duced as technology advances.”

The new guide includes five new code-approved preservatives: three newmicronized copper formulations; a new car-bon-based, non-copper preservative, and anew fixated borate formulation. Glulamtimbers also have been added to the list ofsalt-water, end-use products, and a newpage is devoted to termite-resistant framing.

A PDF copy can be downloaded free atwww.southernpine.com. Hard copies can berequested by calling (504) 443-4463 oremailing [email protected].

tic end tags denoting the material wasproduced under supervision of anaccredited inspection agency. Use ofsuch marks provides assurance thatpreservative retention and penetrationcomplies with manufacturing specifi-cations, that the preservative used isEPA-approved, and the lumber istreated in compliance with federallaw. Use of treated wood that does notbear an approved agency quality markwill not meet requirements of theInternational Code Council.

“Pressure treated wood end tagsmust display an approved inspectionagency quality mark to be code com-pliant, such as Southern PineInspection Bureau or Timber ProductsInspection,” explained RichardKleiner, director of treated marketsfor the Southern Forest ProductsAssociation. “Typically, tags will alsobear the mark of the AWPA, if thepreservative is approved by theAmerican Wood ProtectionAssociation, or the ICC EvaluationService. Builders should know thatpreservatives listed in the AWPABook of Standards are approved byreference in the building code, butICC Evaluation Reports are onlyadvisory. The local code official hasthe final say as to product accep-tance.”

Although the end tags’ informationhas not changed much over the years,Kleiner said, “since CCA was delistedfor residential use there are now near-ly 20 formulations on the market tofill the void, all with different preser-

vative retention levels. Framersshould heed the exposure conditionprinted on the tag (such as ‘GroundContact’) to avoid misapplication ofthe lumber.”


GORDON JAMES CONSTRUCTION is a pretty big player inthe Twin Cities Building Bowl, with revenues, even in

feeble ’09, of $4.2 million, divided between residential andcommercial building projects.

Coming across this info nugget in the local paper causedme to pick up the phone to pick the brain (or, more to ourpurpose, the accounts payable ledger) of the company’sc.e.o. to discover what lumberyard this mega-builder didbusiness with, and—teaching moment—why?

If this were a multiple-choice quiz, possible answerswould include Twin Cities’ heavy hitters like legendaryLampert’s and Scherer Bros., each with many locations andad budgets to match.

Wrong. “Fullerton, in Watertown,” Mn., the man tellsme. Watertown! Not even in the metro. It’s a tiny burg(pop. 45,000) half-an-hour west, in the middle of nowhere(well, cornfields, but they don’t require a lot of lumber).So, what’s the deal? “My P.M.s [project managers] tell methat’s where they like to do business,” says the boss.

In fact, P.M. Joe McPherson was so happy to spread theword that he, too, called back. “Fullerton’s price is alwaysright,” Joe began. But, more important, “The product’sgood and the delivery’s really good, too. If ever there’s aproblem, they take care of it; they’re really good with fol-

It’s all aboutcustomer service

FULLERTON LUMBER’S showrooms are taking on more options toaccommodate price-conscious contractors’ rising interest in mid-rangeproducts.

low-through.”Wow. Okay, next step is to ring up Paul Silver,

Fullerton’s general manager out there in the cornfield, tofind out how he gets them to drink the Kool-Aid. Bestanswer he can come up with is one you’ve heard before:service. Make that very personal, neighborly service:“nothing different,” he insists—“just more of it.”

Price? Of course that’s a factor these days, and more onthat later. Selection? Actually, Silver is bucking the trendand cutting back there as part of his increased focus on thepro. “We’re getting away from the traditional hardware-store aspect—no more paint, plumbing, electrical—tobecome more in line with the pros’ mindset,” he explains.

So it all boils down to his staff of 15, which include sixoutside sales reps he credits as “longtime industry veter-ans,” who sound more like the Red Cross than simply guysbehind a steering wheel. Yes, they’ll do free take-offs. Yes,they visit jobsites. And yes, they’ll deliver a single stickwhen you say you need it yesterday (“They all have pick-ups with lumber racks on top,” allows their boss.) And theyfollow through with boom trucks that deliver to the rooftop.They make good without a murmur if possibly a board iswarped (though lumber and shingles are stored in coveredfacilities on the 10-acre yard). They’ll escort customers,and their customers, through Fullerton’s showroom of win-dows, doors and millwork, filling special orders, too. Andthey invite the pros to vendor-sponsored lunches all sum-mer, along with golf outings and dinner get-togethers.

Did we mention free delivery—to, say, Duluth (think350 miles)? Or Iowa—or even Green Bay, Wi.? (That time,they hired a freight company to transport the basic package,then followed up with several smaller deliveries.) “We fol-low our builders,” Silver explains. “Wherever they go, wego, too.” And, as of this month, that’s to the Twin Cities’prestigious Hazeltine National Golf Club, where Fullertonjust snagged the order for new clubhouse materials.

But, as the saying goes, “If a tree falls and nobody hearsit…,” which translates to “Great service is great, but only ifyou get the word out.”

Silver’s got a one-word solution: “Networking. Word ofmouth from one pro to another. Talking to subs, who get usin touch with their general contractor. That’s how we gotthe Gordon James account,” he says. “One of our contrac-tors was talking to another contractor, who did their fram-ing. So a meeting was arranged; we had lunch, and startedbidding on their projects. They’d heard that we do what wesay we’ll do, so we were at the table, and there was this

COMPETITIVE Intelligence By Carla Waldemar


“These days, we’re getting four, five,six contractors bidding on the samejob, and they’re under pressure fromthe homeowner,” Silver is aware.

One of his solutions involved re-examining the lines he carries—instead, of “better-best,” more empha-sis on the “better.” “I’m focusing moremid-range products, especially lum-ber. But,” he adds, “I have a very hardtime finding it. Wholesalers are cut-ting back, making it really tough tofind the in-between grades so we canoffer quality at a very competitiveprice. I’ve added a wider assortmentof millwork and another line of shin-gles, too. And I’m watching inventorya lot more closely.”

Abetted by that kind of fine-tuning,the jobs keep rolling in—homes,today, in the 2,000 to 2,600 sq. ft.range—“a little more modest; rooftopssimplified to take the cost down. And,thanks to the stimulus packager, peo-ple are remodeling kitchens and base-ments and adding energy-efficientwindows and doors as tax deduc-tions.”

Plus, the happyproject managersat GordonJames don’tshow any signsof stepping onthe brakes.So, makethat fulls t e a mahead!

chemistry,” Silver sums it up.“They’ve treated us really well eversince—more and more bids,” he adds.

That chemistry starts at the top. “Irelate to our customers directly; theybecome personal friends,” says Silver,who’s worked in many a lumberyardover the years, most recently, beforebeing recruited to Watertown nearlythree years ago, with UBC. There, “itstarted out well, but evolved to strictlyby the numbers. Here,” he says, “It’sfamily—the direction I wanted to con-tinue to go: very satisfying.”

The corporate organization, whichhas operated for over 100 years in theMidwest, offers the big-volumeadvantage of securing favorable pricesfor bulk purchasing, “but differentlythan with the big boxes, attests Silver,“where it’s ‘We’ll pay you what wethink….’ With Fullerton, each manag-er runs his own store, each with a dif-ferent market. And the company phi-losophy, even in these stressful times,is not to hunker down, but moveahead, look forward.”

It also helps that the 10 Fullertonstores in Minnesota can congregate toplace orders at a savings—say, a fulltruckload, which they then drive toand divvy up. And, even in these leantimes, “We’ve kept up our personnellevel so that service doesn’t suffer,”although some are working fewerhours.

And yes, pricing has become theelephant in the showroom—pros seek-ing numbers to back up the service.

LEADERS at Fullerton Lumber, Watertown, Mn., spend ample time in the field, delivering top-notchpersonal service.

Carla [email protected]


DOUBLING CAPACITY might seem odd in today’s businessenvironment, but the move does provide QB Corp.,

Salmon, Id., with a competitive advantage during toughtimes, as well as positions the glulam manufacturer forexplosive growth once the economy turns around.

Business was booming back in 2005 when QB decidedto expand. “Our ability to meet customer demand was chal-

Glulam maker works double duty after expansion

QB’S expansion increases its speed and flexibility in supplying productssuch as these stain-grade curved beams installed inside a golf clubhousein Sun Valley, Id.

COMPANY Focus QB Corp., Salmon, Id.

lenged, and we had to undertake the expansion to maintainour high level of customer service,” admitted Dennis Lentz,director of marketing. “We expanded so we could take onnew customers and take better care of existing customers.We were running against the walls in production. You waita long time before you change format, and we had run thatway for a long time.”

At such times, he said, “you have two choices: you canenlarge your existing facility or you can build a new one.We did a little bit of both. We doubled our operations, butin a separate, adjacent building. If something happened,like a fire, we’d still have a full operation.”

The expansion did not require huge purchases of newequipment, since QB had gradually been accumulatingmachinery over the years from mill closures and otheropportunities.

Both facilities feature identical capabilities. They canproduce over 1.5 million bd. ft. per week, such as stockbeams, custom beams, arches, curves, tapers, bevels, glu-lam trusses, and other custom fabrication including metalfasteners and attaching hardware. In fact, QB recentlybecame the first timber fabricator to be certified by theAmerican Institute of Timber Construction.

QB uses softwood species such as Douglas fir, westernred cedar, Alaskan yellow cedar, and southern yellow pine.

Although the economy had begun slowing by the timethe expansion was completed at the end of 2007, havingtwin facilities at its disposal provides QB with a great luxu-ry. “We run both,” Lentz said. “You can’t let the machinerysit for long periods, so we switch back and forth. It mini-mizes lead times for customers, and minimizes interrup-tions. We can now take on large projects without disruptingeverything else. Before, if we took on a 25-truckload orderfor a special building, it would take a big bite out of ourproduction.”

QB now has the flexibility to roll out new products, suchas full-width garage door headers, and improved ones, suchas large custom beams up to 120 ft. long and 100 inchesdeep.

“We can also break into new business segments, such asutilities, whereas before we were primarily residential andcommercial,” Lentz added. “We produce utility poles andutility transmission fabrication.”

The move provides QB with a wide range of capabilitiesthat offer solutions for a wider range of customers, whetherfor the residential, commercial, or utilities market.


DEALER Briefs

Pacific Coast Supply LLC,North Highlands, Ca., has acquiredmost of the assets of WeyrickLumber, Templeton, Ca.

Colin Weyrick, former owner andpresident, will stay on and be responsi-ble for operations in Templeton andChino, Ca., which will operate underthe name Weyrick Pacific.

Th&h Hardwoods & Hard-ware, San Diego, Ca., moved April 1to a new facility in Kearny Mesa, Ca.

True Value Hardware fran-chisee Rob Imsande has opened anew location in Orange, Ca., after clos-ing smaller stores in Orange andAnaheim, Ca.

Lowe’s opened new stores March12 in W. Colorado Springs, Co., andMarch 5 in S. San Jose, Ca., andDenver, Co.

The chain is ready to begin con-struction of a new store in Sonora, Ca.,and received approval to build a newunit on 15 acres in Santa Rosa, Ca.,and a 171,000-sq. ft. replacement storein Spokane, Wa.

Orchard Supply Hardware’snew store in Santa Rosa, Ca., won twodesign awards from the Association forRetail Environments—for excellenceand originality in design and the BestIn-Store Communication Award for itsclear signage and easy-to-navigateaisles.

Miller Lumber, Bend, Or., wasnamed Materials Supplier of the Yearby the Central Oregon BuildersAssociation.

In the parking lot of ProBuild,Bainbridge Island, Wa., a shirtless manwho had been waving a large swordand stabbing objects with knives sur-rendered to an off-duty police officerMarch 23.

The agitated 35-year-old man, whowas covered with scrapes and cuts,laid down his weapons and explainedthat he had been “hunting werewolves.”

Police took him to a medical centerfor evaluation.

Earlier in the day, he approachedcustomers at a nearby Ace Hard-ware to display his sword and demon-strate his knife throwing skills.

Bankrupt mega-wholesaler NorthPacific Group has found buyers for themajority of its operations.

Forest City Trading Group, Port-land, Or., has agreed to purchase cer-tain assets of North Pacific’s southerndivision in Waynesboro, Ms., and willoperate it as its eleventh subsidiary,Southern Mississippi Trading.

National Industrial Lumber Co.,North Jackson, Oh., has purchasedNorth Pacific’s location in Landisville,Pa. National Industrial already hasDCs in Erie and Elizabeth, Pa.

F.P. Supply LLC, a subsidiary ofMillman Lumber Co., St. Louis, Mo.,agreed to purchase North Pacific’sLBM operations in Indianapolis, In.,and Columbus, Oh., including inven-tory, accounts receivable, equipment,and real estate.

Tempe, Az.-based Rugby IndustrialProducts Distribution has acquired theinventories and hired employees fromthe locations in Providence, R.I., andSpringfield, Ma. “Springfield is oper-ating as Rugby IPD today, and formerNorth Pacific Providence operationshave been assimilated into Rugby’sAvon, Ma., distribution center,” saidRugby president David Hughes.

Amerhart, with five DCs aroundGreen Bay, Wi., is negotiating to buybuildings and hire employees at NorthPacific’s branches in Grand Rapidsand Traverse City, Mi.

North Pacific is liquidating its MiraLoma, Ca., distribution center andsold its inventory to MJB WoodGroup, Irving, Tx.

Private equity firm Atlas HoldingsLLC, Greenwich, Ct., formed a newsubsidiary, Bridgewell Resources, toacquire assets from North Pacific’shardwood & industrial products, utili-ty & construction, and food & agricul-ture divisions.

Bridgewell and its hardwood &industrials division will be run fromNorth Pacific’s former office buildingin Tigard, Or. Utility & constructionwill be supported by satellite offices inVirginia, Utah and Arkansas, and food& agricultural will operate from itsDC in Clackamas, Or.

Dan Cromie, an Atlas partner, willserve as president of Bridgewell,joined by numerous former NorthPacific executives, including CurtisNoteboom as c.f.o.; Brian Smith, v.p.-lumber & boards; Jack Henderson,v.p. domestic wood products; GreggWilkinson, v.p.-international sales;Leonard Greer, sales manager-indus-trial products, and Joe Passadore, v.p.-utility & construction. In all,Bridgewell now employs more than100 former North Pacific associates.

Last year, Atlas was among threesuitors that came close to buying sub-stantially all of North Pacific, but eachof the deals eventually collapsed.

North Pacific also may be close toparting with its Missouri division,which includes an office in WestPlains, Mo., and three manufacturingplants in Missouri and Arkansas. Bidswere being accepted until March 16for the inventory, accounts receivable,equipment, and real estate.

North Pacific Accelerates Sell-Off


SUPPLIER BriefsAgwood Mill & Lumber ,

Ukiah, Ca., was approved for $2 millionin federal stimulus funds that will beused to refinance existing loans atlower rates so the company can keepoperating.

Simpson Lumber Co.’s mill inShelton, Wa., escaped significant dam-age when firefighters quickly extin-guished a 3 a.m. blaze March 28.

Investigators are searching for acause, but note the roof was beingworked on.

Conifex, Fort St. James, B.C.,acquired a Mackenzie, B.C., sawmilland planer from AbitibiBowater.

Eagle Materials, Dallas, Tx.,has temporarily suspended productionat i ts 20-year-old AmericanGypsum wallboard plant in Bernalillo,N.M.

Its Albuquerque, N.M., facil i tyremains operational.

International Forest Pro-ducts Ltd., Vancouver, B.C., hascompleted the acquisition of a timbertenure in B.C.’s Kamloops region fromWeyerhaeuser Co., providing sup-ply for its 1-year-old Adams Lakesawmill.

Pacific Western Wood Pro-ducts, Los Angeles, Ca., has beenForest Stewardship Councilchain-of-custody certified by Scien-tific Certification Systems.

Weyerhaeuser Co., FederalWay, Wa., was named to CorporateResponsibility Magazine’s annual list of100 Best Corporate Citizens.

sis on acquiring intellectual property,manufacturing capabilities, informa-tion technology, and new ideas thatwill allow it to leverage its core com-petencies in residential and light com-mercial roof and wall products.

“By moving into an acquisitionmode, we see it as a way to improveour current products, introduce newproducts, or expand our market reachso we can continue to provide our cus-tomers the specific products theyneed,” Ehrman said.

He pointed out several reasons whya company or inventor might want topartner with a company like BenjaminObdyke. “First, we have a well-estab-lished and respected brand of productsfor the building's exterior envelope.Second, we have established channelsto access the market that are builtupon our reputation for quality. Andthird, we have the technical expertiseto help the contractor/builder buildbetter. We have spent a great amountof time working with code officialsand building scientists to make sureour products align with current build-ing science practices,” Ehrman said.

Potlatch Sells Idaho PlantPotlatch Corp., Spokane, Wa., has

sold its particleboard plant in PostFalls, Id., to former sawmill operatorPlummer Forest Products.

New owner Todd Brinkmeyer hadpreviously owned a sawmill inPlummer, Id., that specialized insmall-diameter logs. He sold the facil-ity in 2006.

Operations in Post Falls resumedMarch 22 after a four-week layoff.

Potlatch’s Mark Benson said thatthe small-scale plant no longer fit thecompany’s core mission, which is tiedto 840,000 acres of forestland in Idahoand operation of a lumber mill andplywood plant in St. Maries, Id.

84 Shuts 10, Abandons Idaho84 Lumber has shuttered its final

location in Idaho, as well as nine otherunderperforming stores across thecountry.

The chain now operates 289 yardsin 34 states, following the closures inPost Falls, Id.; Wrightstown, Wi.;Lancaster, Pa.; Rocky Mount, Va.;Cliffwood, N.J.; Haines City, Fl.;Concord, N.C.; Spartanburg, S.C.;Minooka, Il., and Moss Point, Ms.

Jeff Nobers, v.p. of marketing &public relations, said most of the clo-sures were in markets where 84 oper-ates multiple locations. “Some of thelessons we’ve learned in the last threeyears is we are capable of servicingthe market with fewer stores,” Noberssaid. “We are consistently reviewingmarkets where we have multiple loca-tions, and if we see where one store isnot doing well and there are two oth-ers that are doing well, they could beconsolidated.”

Obdyke Pursues AcquisitionsAt a time when the construction

industry seems to have little positiveto report, one building products manu-facturer is looking to aggressivelygrow its business with a strategy toacquire new product ideas, patents,product lines, and companies.

Benjamin Obdyke is activelysearching for new opportunities thatwill position it for maximum growthas the construction sector recoversfrom its current downturn.

“For us to achieve the company’sgrowth objectives, we will need tolook outside the organization for newproduct ideas that we can synergizewith our internal product developmentprocesses,” said Geoff Ehrman, direc-tor of business development.

Specifically, the Horsham, Pa.-based firm is placing renewed empha-


ProBuild Opens #4 in UtahProBuild Holdings, Denver, Co.,

has opened a new location in Orem,Ut., its fourth in the state.

The facility serves lumber and mill-work customers and boasts ForestStewardship Council chain-of-custodycertification.

At the same time, ProBuild boughta facility in Virginia and recentlyopened a yard in Sacramento, Ca. “Wecontinue to see opportunities wherewe can expand into new markets tobetter serve our customers,” saidMichael Mahre, senior v.p. of corpo-rate development. “These new loca-tions are great instances where we canbring the market-leading value ofProBuild’s products and services toserve strong and growing markets.”

Oregon Dealer Cuts Bend YardPacific Lumber & Truss, Lake

Oswego, Or., closed its yard and trussplant in Bend, Or., at the end ofMarch. The company will try to leaseout the 10-acre site.

“There’s just not enough business,”said co-owner Jim Morse. “It’s just ashame.”

He said that the plant opened in2003 and brought in close to $25 mil-

SUPPLIER Briefs

Trex Co., Winchester, Va., inkeda l icensing deal for Dri-DeckEnterprises, Englewood, Co., todevelop and market Trex RainEscape,an above-joist deck drainage system tobe available this month.

Advanced EnvironmentalRecycling Technologies plans toroll out new MoistureShield trim andfascia products this year and move tonational distribution of MoistureShieldproducts through a nationwide networkof independent distributors.

CertainTeed, Valley Forge, Pa.,now distributes four new wood-plasticcomposite decking and railing productsfrom Fiberon’s EverNew line.

AFPA’s Sustainable ForestryInitiative program recently notchedits 2,000th chain-of-custody certifiedlocation.

Versatex, Pittsburgh, Pa., has anew green building section at its web-site, www.versatex.com/green.

lion a year from 2005-2007, but rev-enues dropped to about $2 million lastyear.

“We just kind of looked throughthe numbers and said it’s not going toget any better,” he said. “We need todo twice what we’re doing right nowto just cover utilities, training costs,and bare essentials.”

The consolidation leaves the chainwith a yard, remodeler’s center,door/millwork shop, and truss plant inLake Oswego and a yard in Hillsboro,Or.

Libby Mill Destroyed by FireStimson Lumber’s shuttered ply-

wood mill in Libby, Mt., wasdestroyed by fire Feb. 25.

“At this point, all we know is thateverything in that building went up,”said sheriff Daryl Anderson. “Thatwhole building, and everything con-nected to that building, burned right tothe ground.”

Anderson called the blaze a “bless-ing in some ways.” He said that theabandoned plant had become an“unsafe” party spot and officials hadbeen unsure what to do with it. “Thatold plant has been a real pain in theneck, to be honest,” he said.


This is a paid advertisement.


HAVE YOU EVER TRIEDthe platonic friend strategy? Haveyou ever wanted to be romantically involved with

someone and tried to be their friend first, only to find outthey liked your “bad boy” friend or “bad girl” friend better?

I have. Mona Mendez. I remember the day she leaned inclose to me to whisper something sweet (I thought/hoped).“James, can you introduce me to your friend Steve, he’s socute!” Once I recovered my feelings and my ego, I stam-mered, “Yes.” Of course, Steve had no use for the womanof my dreams, but that’s the way it goes.

Unfortunately, many salespeople fall into the same trap.Many salespeople’s number one goal in speaking to cus-tomers is to not upset them. This is a terrible #1 goal.Being likeable can be part of our overall strategy—itshould be, as being likeable makes everything in life andsales easier—but it cannot be our #1 goal! Our #1 goal hasto be to sell the customer.

I recently got a call from a platonic “sales” managerwho had read my book, Leadership Sales. He said, “James,I read your book. I don’t see anything in there about cus-tomer need.”

“I’m not as interested in customer need as I am in cus-tomer qualification,” I responded. (“Leaders Find TrueNeed,” Chapter Five, discusses customer need and how tofind it in detail.)

The saying, “The customer is always right” is total B.S.The customer is right if they are right with us. EverywhereI go people talk about “partnership selling.” What kind ofpartnership/relationship will we have with customers (any-one for that matter) if one of the partners is always right? Itell the sellers I work with to stop thinking about sellers andbuyers and to start thinking about sellers and sellers. Ourcustomers are selling us while we are selling them. Somecustomers sell us on the idea that we should work for themfor free; struggling sellers buy it, successful sellers don’t.

People are inherently distrustful of anyone who is not upfront with their purpose. “This is just a survey” or “Justcome down for a free lunch and a free prize—no pressure.”When we try to hide our true intentions, we send the wrongmessage. “I want to be your friend” is not the same mes-sage as “I want to be your boyfriend or lover.”

What am I driving at? To be master sellers (and getmore business), we need to send the message to our cus-tomers (in everything we say and do) that we want theirbusiness. We are absolutely not interested in being theirplatonic salesperson. The sooner we send this message thebetter.

Will we have more friction and rejection if we send themessage “I want to be your boyfriend (read salesperson)”versus “I want to be your friend (read quotron—a salesper-son who quotes and quotes, but never gets the business)”?Yes. Thank goodness! Friction is fun. Friction is necessary.

Friction finds out the truth much sooner. All we have as salespeople is our time. We should not

waste it, but many struggling sellers do. Their belief is thatby being congenial and agreeing with the customer oneverything and not demanding reciprocation for services,they will endear themselves to the customer and therebybecome their supplier. They do endear themselves to cus-tomers, but not as suppliers but as quotrons. And let’s beclear: customers need and want quotrons in their lives—wejust can’t be one of them.

The best sellers I know are charming, likable and proudof what they do. They send a very clear message from theirfirst contact with potential customers, “I want to sell you.”

When a salesperson is let go, we will often follow upwith their ex (non) customers. “Why didn’t you buy fromJohn?” You would be shocked how often we hear, “Johnwas a great guy. We really liked him.He just never asked for the order.”

To be master sellers we cannotconfuse likability with being a car-pet. While we are being charming,we must also send the message thatwe desire our customer’s business.Desire is very difficult to sayno to. Ask for the busi-ness early and often.

Platonic selling doesn’t work

OLSEN On Sales By James Olsen

James OlsenReality Sales Training

(503) 544-3572james@

reality-salestraining.com


THE WORD “CONFLICT” HAS gotten alot of bad press.

Rather than seeing conflict as anatural and predictable aspect ofhuman interaction—a process that, ifmanaged properly, can often lead togrowth and new solutions—peopletend to see it as a failure on the part ofthe disputants. This is unfortunate,because conflict, when channeledpositively, can be a creative, energiz-ing, and even a healing force.

In family businesses, where thetwin currents of family and businessrun through so many decisions, con-flict is inevitable. While conflict pre-sents challenges for any organization,internal conflict in family businesseshas a special complexity.

It is often the product of experi-ences preceding, and factors outsideof, the business issues that spark theimmediate dispute. The conflict mayhave started years earlier on the play-ground, around the dinner table, inbirth order, or even in a previous gen-eration. The history may be silent,invisible, half-forgotten, but it is oftena powerful presence in the conferenceroom. I have seen businesses becomestymied by conflict that has little orno connection to the business problemat hand.

The process of mediation can playan invaluable role in resolving familybusiness conflicts. It can direct energyaway from old grievances and towardfinding business solutions for busi-ness problems and preserving work-ing relationships. For a family busi-ness, protecting working relationshipsis not a luxury; it is a necessity.

A mediator is a neutral outsiderwho works with all the involved par-ties to craft a resolution. Unlike anarbitrator, a mediator does not man-date a settlement; rather, he or shehelps the parties communicate anddevelop a mutually acceptable solu-tion. Compared to other options forresolving disputes, mediation is quick,

FAMILY Business By Bernard Kliska

inexpensive, and private. It is also an informal process, not

limited by rules of evidence, proce-dure, or remedy. Because of this,mediation allows for maximum flexi-bility in crafting a resolution accept-able to all parties. Because of theinformality and the guided, mutualcommunication, a mediated, asopposed to arbitrated, settlement has abetter chance of soothing not just thebusiness problem but also the trou-bled relationships that exacerbated it.

Mediation for family businesses isoccasionally practiced by legal pro-fessionals, but more often it is per-formed by non-attorneys such as fam-ily business consultants who havesome conflict resolution experience.The mediator’s skills lie in helpingparties come to the same table, com-municate, and work out their ownsolutions in a non-adversarial envi-ronment.

“Non-adversarial” does not meanthat there is an absence of conflict orthat antagonisms cannot be expressedduring the mediation. Instead, non-adversarial refers to the process usedto air and resolve the dispute. Theskilled mediator does not put con-straints on the discussion, but ratherhelps keep the focus on the partiescrafting a solution. Thus, the media-tion allows discussion on the sourceand substance of the conflict andhelps people recognize their counter-productive patterns, with the aim ofbeing able to move past them towarda businesslike, problem-solvingmode.

Long-standing resentments have aplace at the table, insofar as peoplecan come to see how those resent-ments are standing in the way of theultimate task at hand. Mediation, then,cannot only result in specific terms ofagreement, but can also offer an enor-mous advantage to a family business:the parties learn that they can commu-nicate further and/or differently in the

Using a mediator for familybusiness disputes

future. Under the mediator’s guid-ance, once they accomplish this,future productive interaction will nolonger seen inconceivable.

Mediation in actionIn a successful family business, a

medical equipment company foundedby two brothers, only one member ofthe second generation (the olderbrother’s daughter) chose to enter thefirm. Her brother pursued an academ-ic career, and their cousin, the onlyson of the younger founding brother,went to work at a consulting firm.After several years, the daughterbecame c.f.o. Her father had retired(retaining his interest in the business),and she reported to her uncle, thec.e.o.

Problems developed when thecousin was laid off by the consultingfirm and wanted to join the familybusiness—as a vice president with aseat on the management committeeand compensation equal to his lastsalary (which would be 20% higherthan the daughter’s compensation).The daughter expressed concern abouthis lack of experience in their indus-


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try, and discreet indignation about hiscompensation requirements. Worriedabout being marginalized if her uncleand cousin were both active in thecompany, she went to her father andhe entered the discussions.

Things escalated. The disagree-ment over how to accommodate thecousin became an unspoken but seri-ously disruptive conflict. The unwill-ingness to communicate about thisissue became a refusal to communi-cate about other management issues.The three vice presidents, who werenot family members, felt hamstrung.Key processes and initiatives becamecompromised.

The founding brothers, who hadalways successfully worked together,were each secretly consulting attor-neys. Family dinners became a thingof the past. Finally, after severalmonths, the vice president of humanresources urged the brothers and theirtwo children to try mediation for thesake of the family enterprise.

The mediator explained that, underher guidance, they would do the diffi-cult work of devising a solution.Sometimes she had all of them at thetable, and sometimes she spoke withone or two of them privately. (In situ-

ment communication channels.Finally, they agreed that the c.e.o., hisson, and his niece would meet once aweek for at least the following fourweeks to confirm that their hard-wonarrangement was working—and theretired brother agreed not to inter-vene. Their resolution workedbecause they had devised it them-selves and because it established asound basis for going forward. It wasgood for the business, and it was goodfor the family.

A longstanding or valuable rela-tionship might be at stake in a disputewith an outside party. It is always atstake when conflict erupts within afamily business. A skilled mediator isoften the best option to help familybusiness members resolve the prob-lem at hand and to avoid repeatingold, counterproductive patterns in thefuture.

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

Reprinted with permission from The FamilyBusiness Advisor, a copyrighted publication of FamilyEnterprise Publishers. No portion of this article maybe reproduced without permission of FamilyEnterprise Publishers.

ations where suspicions run high,mediators will often make sure to bal-ance their separate communications,giving each party equal individualconference time.)

She helped the parties recognizeand cope with the frustrations andemotions that fueled the conflict—much of which began during long agofamily interactions—and to focus onthe future of the business.

At the end of five hours, therecriminations and allusions to legalaction had ceased. The four partiesagreed that the cousin would comeinto the business at the same compen-sation as the daughter but would havea one-year probation/learning periodduring which time he would report toa vice president, while the daughterwould continue to report to her c.e.o.uncle. The cousin could attend man-agement committee meetings by invi-tation, but would not have a vote. Atthe end of one year, the managementcommittee would review the cousin’sperformance and decide as a groupabout promotion.

In addition, the c.e.o. committed tokeeping both his son and his niece inhis communications loop, simultane-ously, and to respect normal manage-


Rick Danielson, v.p.-sales, AllweatherWood, Washougal, Wa., has retiredafter 18 years with Allweather and38 years in the industry.

Kevin Henley has been promoted tosales mgr. for Redwood EmpireWholesale, Morgan Hill, Ca. GregSanchez, ex-Allweather Wood, isnew to sales in San Jose, Ca.

Jeff Tant is now running the southernpine lumber department at BuckeyePacific, Portland, Or. Dan Alarnow leads the OSB & panel depart-ment.

John Picot has retired after 30 yearsin lumber sales, the last 13 withSierra Pacific Industries, Anderson,Ca.

Bruce Huewe has joined BoiseCascade Building MaterialsDistribution, Riverside, Ca., asSimpson Strong-Tie product mgr.

John F. Ferguson is now a Sisters,Or.-based broker with RemaxTown & Country Realty, following34 years in the lumber industry,most recently with Rough & Ready

MOVERS & Shakers

Lumber Co., Cave Junction, Or.Miguel Hernandez, ex-North Pacific,

is now key accounts sales mgr. atBuilding Materials DistributorsInc., Riverside, Ca.

Al Gedroez, ex-Collins Pine, is newto sales at Simpson Lumber,Tacoma, Wa.

Scott Rimmer, ex-Forest GroveLumber, is new to sales at DisderoLumber, Clackamas, Or.

Jules Plavin, Western InternationalForest Products, Portland, Or., hasretired after 30 years in the indus-try. Charlie Palmer, ex-SherwoodLumber, has joined the tradingstaff.

Lori Burke was promoted to the newposition of product specialist of theSpectrum Division at TimberProducts Co., Springfield, Or.

Tom Ray has been promoted to v.p.-Northwest resources & manufactur-ing for Plum Creek, ColumbiaFalls, Mt. He succeeds HankRicklefs, who has retired after 23years with the company.

Michael D. Mahre, ex-SelectBuild,has joined ProBuild Holdings,Denver, Co., as senior v.p. of cor-porate development.

Robert Mellor, ex-Building MaterialsHolding Corp., has been elected tothe board of directors of StockBuilding Supply, Raleigh, N.C.

Allan Trinkwald, Simpson LumberCo., Tacoma, Wa., was electedchairman of the Western WoodProducts Association, succeedingEric Schooler, Collins Cos.,Portland, Or. New 1st vice chair-man is Bob Lewis, Columbia VistaCorp., Vancouver, Wa.; 2nd vicechairman Steve Zika, HamptonAffiliates, Portland; president/c.e.o.Michael O’Halloran, and newboard members Sherm Anderson,Sun Mountain Lumber, DeerLodge, Mt.; Dan Claridge,Thompson River Lumber Co. ofMontana, Thompson Falls, Mt.;Fritz Mason, Georgia-Pacific,Atlanta, Ga., and Tom Shaffer,Neiman Enterprises, Hulett, Wy.

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Jake Tarry, ex-Real Stone Source,has joined Laticrete as technicalsales representative for Oregon,also supporting Central andNorthern California and NorthernNevada.

Bob Taylor, president and c.e.o., Doit Best Corp., was elected chairmanof the board of the NationalAssociation of Wholesaler-Distributors.

Marvin Brown, Oregon stateforester, has been elected chair ofthe independent board of directorsfor the Sustainable ForestryInitiative. Robert “Bob” Luoto,American Loggers Council, is nowvice-chair. Christopher A.“Chris” Wood, president andc.e.o., Trout Unlimited, joins theboard’s environmental chamber,and William V. “Bill” Street Jr.,International Association ofMachinists & Aerospace Workers,represents labor as a member ofthe social chamber.

Tony McRae, ex-Canadian ForestProducts, is the new sales mgr. atImperial Shake, Maple Ridge, B.C.

John Stegeman, ex-Ferguson, hasjoined HD Supply, as executivepresident, overseeing divisions HDSupply Canada, HD Supply

Electrical, HD Supply Plumbing/HVAC, HD Supply Waterworks,and HD Supply White Cap.

Kevin Ketchum has joined NorthAmerican Wholesale LumberAssociation, as director of market-ing & communications.

Steve Tourek, senior v.p. and generalcounsel for Marvin Windows, wasnamed president of the board ofdirectors at the Tropical ForestFoundation.

Tad Short is handling accountspayable for Mungus-Fungus ForestProducts, Climax, Nv., accordingto co-owners Hugh Mungus andFreddy Fungus.

California Dealer PiedmontSmacked by Fire, Creditors

March was a tough month forPiedmont Lumber & Mill Co.,Piedmont, Ca., which was hit withloan-default actions on several of itsproperties, a federal lawsuit overemployee benefits, and a fire thatdestroyed its store in Walnut Creek,Ca.

On March 1, Umpqua Bank filedsuit for breach of contract and warran-ty against Piedmont Lumber, ownerWilliam C. Myer Jr., and his wife,Victoria Myer. According to court

records, the owners have defaulted onnearly $15 million in loans.

The 14-count lawsuit seeks judicialforeclosure of the company’s proper-ties in Pittsburg, Tracy, MendocinoCounty, and Lake County, Ca.

On the same day, NorthwestAdministrators Inc. filed a federallawsuit against Piedmont Lumber,alleging that the chain has not maderequired contributions to the pensionfund of unionized employees, which itagreed to do based on collective bar-gaining.

On March 13, a four-alarm firedestroyed Piedmont’s store in WalnutCreek, Ca., causing an estimated $5million in damage.

An eyewitness reported that fire-fighters were confronted by explodingcans of paint that flew out of thebuilding. Authorities are still investi-gating the cause of the blaze, whichhas been called “suspicious” by localnewspapers. Although it was aSaturday, the store was closed—as ithad been for several weekends.

Seven months earlier, a fire at thecompany’s store in Pittsburgh, Ca.,destroyed several exterior lumberracks. Investigators have labeled thisfire as arson, but believe it has noconnection to the latest fire.


Miner’s Ace Hardware, which hassix locations on California’s CentralCoast, keeps garden center salesstrong by allowing its nursery man-agers to tailor inventory to the local

market. At the garden center in Atascadero,

nursery manager Debbi Arnold stocksplants that can withstand winterfreezes, summer heat, and ravenous

deer. Plants for fire-resistant land-scapes are also offered.

Due to the economy, she’s alsostocking more perennials than in thepast, as budget-conscious gardeners

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GARDENING ADVICE is dispensed to a customer by Forrest Warren, assistant garden center manager at Miner’s location in Morro Bay, Ca.


move away from labor- and water-intensive annuals. Edible landscapesare another money-saving trend, soshe is offering more vegetables anddwarf fruit trees this year.

“It’s easier to do now—you don’teven need a large space,” Arnold said.“You can live in an apartment andhave tomatoes growing upside downon the patio.”

Garden art, fountains, and potteryat each center are also geared to localcustomers. “You won’t find lot ofbeachy stuff here, but you will inMorro Bay,” she said. “Here, you’llfind cowboy stuff that you won’t findin other stores.”

The family-owned chain currentlyhas locations in Arroyo Grande,Atascadero, Grover Beach, Los Osos,Morro Bay, and Nipomo. A seventhlocation will open later this spring inSan Luis Obispo, on a three-acre sitepreviously occupied by Pacific CoastHome & Garden.

“We’ve had an overwhelmingamount of support from the communi-ty,’’ said president Paul Filice.“We’ve been getting phone calls,emails and letters. It’s been an incredi-ble welcome.”

He said that the new location will

have a large garden area, while themain store will offer lumber—some-thing that wasn’t sold by PacificCoast. “San Luis Obispo has alwaysbeen an area that we looked to getinto, and we finally have the opportu-nity to do it,” said Filice.

Small Washington StateSawmill Hangs On

Like other small western mills,Clary Lumber Products, Winlock,Wa., is hanging on and hoping for bet-ter times.

“The only reason we’re still stand-ing is we’re too stubborn to quit,” saidLance Pennington, who has co-ownedthe planer mill for five years with part-ner Pat Clary. “It’s been three yearssince we’ve drawn any money out ofthis company.”

Although it hasn’t been easy, themill has kept six employees workingfull-time, processing Douglas fir logsinto 4-inch lumber. Other productsinclude firewood, landscape bark, andsawdust and shavings for animal bed-ding, which is sold to fairgrounds,horse owners, and dairies.

“Our original goal was to employ12 to 15 guys, supporting that manyfamilies,” said Pennington. “If we can

ever do that, we’ll be able to get athree-day weekend once in a while.”

About half of the timber processedby the mill comes from the slopes ofMount St. Helens, where Weyer-haeuser harvests areas it replanted 26years ago.

“Everything is replanted and nur-tured,” Pennington said. “I’m proud tobe part of this operation.”

By this time next year, Penningtonhopes the market has picked upenough that he can install new equip-ment at the mill. “We’ve got our heartand soul and everything invested inthis,” he said. “We’re excited aboutkeeping working.”

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Lumber mills are starting to emergefrom the worst downturn in the historyof the industry and recovery will beslow yet steady, according to a newWestern Wood Products Association.

WWPA predicts modest gains inhousing, lumber consumption, andU.S. production this year after settingmodern lows during 2009. While mar-kets are expected to improve in the

coming years, lumber demand andhousing construction will remain farlower that what the industry saw in themid-2000s.

Demand for lumber in the U.S. isexpected to increase 6.1% in 2010 to32.9 billion bd. ft., ending consecutive20%-plus declines recorded the previ-ous two years. WWPA anticipateslumber demand to rise to 36.1 billionbd. ft. in 2011, up 9.7%.

More housing construction willhelp boost lumber demand. Housingstarts plummeted to 554,000 units in2009, the lowest annual total since1945. For 2010, total housing startsare forecast to increase 11.9% to618,000 and then climb again in 2011to 719,000 units.

WWPA economic services directorDavid Jackson said there are too manyobstacles for a more robust recoveryin housing. “Our country hasn’t reallyresolved the key problems that led tothis downturn,” said Jackson.

Western mills may finally see somerelief in the markets, with productionin the region expected to rise 7.1% to11 billion bd. ft. this year. Outputfrom western sawmills should riseagain in 2011 to 11.8 billion bd. ft.

The latest downturn further reduced

Slow, Steady Recovery Seen for Western Mills

February earthquakes thatdestroyed Chilean sawmills andplywood plants are bringing somebadly needed business to woodproduct manufacturers in Oregon.

“No one really knows how longChile will be out of the market—itcould be six months, it could bethe end of the year,” said HankSnow, vice president of humanresources at Roseburg ForestProducts, Dillard. “Our intention isto keep them.”

He said that Roseburg hasadded more than 100 workers at itsplants in Coquille, Dillard, andRiddle. About 35 of these werealready employed part-time or onweekends, but were moved to full-time status.

Swanson Group, Glendale, has

not added any workers at its fiveOregon manufacturing facilities,but has seen a welcome increase inboth demand and prices for ply-wood—even as some of theChilean mills restart. “But it’sgoing to be a slow process,” saidpresident Steve Swanson. “Andthere’s going to be significantdemand for the wood products thatthose mills produce within theirown country as they rebuild.”

Oregon companies are hopingthat housing demand will pick upbefore Chilean plants resume pro-duction. “Housing will be betterthis year than last, and it will bebetter next year than this year,”said Swanson. “We’re on the wayto recovery, it’s just going to be along, slow road.”

Oregon Sawmills Fill Chilean Void


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The volume of lumber imported tothe U.S. dropped precipitously in 2008and 2009, falling by nearly half.Lumber imports, mostly from Canada,are forecast to increase 10.7% to 9.8billion bd. ft.

Assuming the U.S. dollar willweaken, giving foreign lumber pro-ducers some exchange rate advan-tages, import totals could grow to 12.6billion bd. ft. by 2011. Despite such anincrease, the volume of foreign lumberentering the U.S. will be far below therecord 24.7 billion bd. ft. imported in2005.

the number of lumber mills operatingin the West. The region has fewer than170 sawmills producing lumber today,compared to 287 mills operating adecade earlier. During the peak year in1987, when production totaled 23.9billion bd. ft., there were 702 mills inthe West.

Lumber production in the South isforecast to increase at a slower rate in2010, but still remain above westernvolumes. Southern mills should pro-duce 11.7 billion bd. ft. of lumber thisyear, about the same volume as 2009.Next year, production volumes in theSouth should rise to 12.5 billion bd. ft.

although the blaze erupted duringoperating hours—all workers weresafely evacuated.

“It’s a significant fire loss; howev-er’ there’s also much more of thestructure and business that wassaved,” DeWitt said. “The majority ofthe structure was saved, and theyshould resume partial operations fairlyquickly.”

In 2008, Emerald sustained about$5,000 in damage from a hopper fireat the mill.

Blaze Rips Plywood PlantA Feb. 27 fire caused $1 million in

damage at Emerald Forest Products,Eugene, Or.

“It was a big fire,” said district firechief Randy DeWitt. “It’s a plywoodplant; there’s stacks and stacks of lum-ber and plywood veneer ready to beprocessed. It’s just a huge fire load.”

When firefighters responded, theyfound flames shooting through theroof of one of the mill’s five struc-tures. DeWitt said that quick actionsaved the other structures, and that—


WHETHER IT’S NEW construction, remodeling or homeimprovement, the ultimate goal is to create a healthy,

comfortable space for the occupants. There’s some real sci-ence behind understanding how various building compo-nents interact to maximize indoor air quality, while mini-mizing mold growth and energy demand.

It turns out that wall “breathability” may be one of the

most important components determining long-term indoorair quality and occupant comfort. This isn’t going to be ascience lesson. But this kind of thinking is becoming moremainstream, creating new opportunities for dealers to beginsupplying solutions.

Interesting thing about walls: they all get covered, coat-ed, or stained and almost every dealer in the supply chainsells one or the other or all three. Paint is the most commoncoating and every dealer who sells paint carries at least oneline of “green” paint, or is considering adding a line rightnow. The number of “green” paint brands has explodedover the last year or two, with nearly all the major nationaland regional manufacturers marketing some pretty good togreat products. The greenest paints, of course, are theostensibly non-toxic, zero-VOC formulations, coupled withzero-VOC colorants. The demand is there and growing,and the products are easy find, so getting into a good greenpaint brand is a no-brainer at this point.

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A few minutes on Google indicatesthe current dealer mix includes thosethat specialize in plaster and relatedproducts, green-building boutiques,and a handful of more traditionalLBM dealers. If there’s growingdemand that’s under served, tradition-al LBM dealers could leverage naturaladvantages in scale and contractorrelationships to make green plasters ahealthy new line of business.

But there are limitations with paintand that, in part, is driving more inter-est in lower impact, healthier, and,surprisingly, more traditional alterna-tives. Manufacturing paints requires afair amount of energy and lots ofchemicals, even for the green brands.Paints have limited durability, requir-ing touch ups and re-application everyfew years.

Paints also seal, keeping moistureout, but also keeping moisture in.They’re not breathable, potentiallycreating the conditions for mold togrow within the walls, which is one ofthe main causes of “sick building syn-drome.” These factors have con-tributed to a significant rise in the useof traditional plasters, or more up-to-date versions of traditional plasters,that have relatively low-embodiedenergy, are non/low emitting, breath-able, durable, and have other interest-ing properties.

One of the best-known examples isAmerican Clay (www.americanclay.com), an interior clay plaster linemade in New Mexico. Because it’sbreathable, it helps to moderatehumidity in a room and allows for airexchanges that reduce or eliminatecondensation within walls. The prod-ucts also exhibit moderating effects ontemperature that may lead to lowerenergy bills. In other words, comparedto paint, American Clay helps roomsstay cooler in the heat and warmer inthe cold.

Another modern-traditional innova-tion just coming into the U.S. marketfrom Japan is EcoDeVita, fromShikoku International (www.shikoku-international.com). Two products inthe line contain diatomaceous earthand have the very unique property ofadsorbing formaldehyde and chemi-cally breaking it down, rendering itharmless. Not only does it provide allthe other benefits of a traditional wallplaster, but it also cleans the air, too.

Orit Yanai (www.orityanai.com), aLEED Accredited Professional andone of the industry’s top experts onplasters, thinks that demand for sus-tainably produced, multi-functionalplaster products like these will contin-ue to grow.

“One of the biggest topics in thegreen building community right nowis about breathable walls, and the goodnews is that the solution has beenaround for thousands of years: plas-ter,” she tells me. “But having saidthat, it’s not always easy to sourcematerials for a project.”


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California Retailer ClosingTerra Linda, Ca., dealer Pacific

Lumber & Hardware is selling the lastof its inventory and will close after 25years, due to the poor economy.

“Business is slow and there’s not alot of building going on,” said office

manager Janice Davis. “Customers areslow to pay their bills.”

According to general managerSteve Schumacher, customers werelocal contractors and homeownerswho preferred to shop from a smaller,locally owned store rather than a big-

box retailer. “It will probably be dear-ly missed,” he said.

The store was known for displayingflags of different nations, representingthe diversity of the store’s employeesand customers, and featuring a giantNativity scene during the holidays.

Sergio Korn, Robert Mitchell. [2] Paul Pendergast, Phillip Sarris, MarkMichie. [3] Steve Ondich, Dan Bohannon, Kevin Tranter. [4] BillFitzgerald, Alan Arbiso, Jim Gaither, Charley James. [5] CharlesBohnhoff, Walter Maas, Walter Ralston, Gary Swaner.Ph

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LOS ANGELES HARDWOOD Lumberman’s Club presented RobertMitchell with its Founders Award during a special March 12 meeting inPasadena, Ca. This month, Mitchell is relocating his company, MitchellForest Products, from Simi Valley, Ca., to Michigan. [1] Jerry Lapin,


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ment promises more durability thantraditional felt backing, in a lighter,wider roll.

Made of a polymeric surface film,the product comes on a 10-squareroll—instead of the traditional 2- to4-square rolls. A nailing pattern print-ed on each sheet eases installation.

TAMKO.COM(800) 641-4691

High Vent DistrictBenjamin Obdyke’s Cougar

Ridge Vent improves attic venti-lation to prolong the life, beauty,and performance of roofing.

Made with nylon matrix tech-nology, the product reportedlyinstalls easily and can beinstalled by hand or with a pneu-matic nail gun.

BENJAMINOBDYKE.COM(800) 346-7655


Blanket The RoofThe Opus roof blanket from Propex reportedly has

several advantages over felt-paper and plastic sheetingunderlayments.

The product reportedly is lightweight and easier towork with, cleaner with less wasted material, and easi-er to install than traditional underlayments.

PROPEXUS.COM(423) 305-3584

Double-Certified Hardwood DeckPlantation grown Fijian mahogany decking and

planks from Atlantic Timber are certified by bothCITES and FSC.

Beautiful and naturally durable, the wood has tight-ly woven grain that resists splintering, moisture dam-age, and insect infiltration.

(603) 672-6484


Look of Hardwood DeckingAZEK Deck’s new Arbor Collection in PVC has

the look of tropical hardwoods, but reportedly islighter and easier to work.

Deck boards come in three colors—Acacia,Morado, and Redland Rose—with the subtle patternand grain of wood.

AZEK.COM(877) 275-2935

Attic VentilatorBroan’s solar-powered attic ventilator promises

savings on home heating and cooling costs.Available in three colors to match most roofs, the

ventilator reportedly can be installed in minutes inmost existing roof openings. The tempered-glass solarpanel lies flat for a sleeker profile.

BROAN.COM(888) 558-1711

Dimension Lumber

Treated Products

Domestic

Timbers

Green & K.D.

Export

Manke Lumber Company is family-

owned and has been serving the needs

of the lumber industry since 1953. We

take pride in milling and stocking quali-

ty lumber in a full range of commodity

sizes and larger dimension timbers. We

also answer your market needs for a

wide variety of treated lumber products.

Our forest products are milled from

carefully harvested Northwest trees

ready for distribution to you—on time

and at the right price.

Located in the Port of Tacoma, we

have ready access to deep water ship-

ping, rail heads or trucking terminals for

longer haul loads. Manke operates its

own fleet of trucks and is at your ser-

vice for straight or mixed loads by

truck, rail or sea.

We manufacture primarily Douglas fir

and western hemlock, including

• 2x4 thru 2x12, Lengths 8-20’

• 3x4 thru 3x12, Lengths 8-26’

• 4x4 and wider, Lengths 8-26’



• Timber sizes up to 12x12

Manke Lumber CompanyCall 1-800-426-8488

1717 Marine View Dr., Tacoma, WA 98422

Phone 253- 572-6252 Fax 253-383-2489

www.mankelumber.com

WHAT YOU WANT.

WHEN YOU NEED IT.


Downspout TurnsA white vinyl transition elbow

from Berger Building Productspermits use of a rectangular2”x3” outlet into a B-elbow andsidewall-mounted downspout.

The product is packed 30 to acarton and can be used with vinylor metal downspouts.

BERGERBUILDING-PRODUCTS.COM

(800) 523-8852

Quick Install on WallSpray & Set adhesive from

Homax Products speeds upinstallation of wall tiles.

The non-toxic, VOC-freeadhesive reportedly dries in justminutes and allows layout andchalk lines to show through foreasier placement of tiles. Eachcan covers up to 40 sq. ft., andgrout can be added one hour aftersetting tiles.

HOMAXPRODUCTS.COM(800) 729-9029

WOOD PRESERVING WOOD PRESERVINGWOOD PRESERVING

PROUDLY SERVING THE FOREST PRODUCTS INDUSTRY SINCE 1896

CONVENIENTLY LOCATED IN THE HEART OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST“TREATING COASTAL DOUGLAS FIR IS OUR SPECIALTY”

TSO MARKETS & APPLICATIONS SERVED

GENERAL & HEAVY CONSTRUCTION • HIGHWAYS & BRIDGES

MARINE/AQUATIC • AGRICULTURE/AQUACULTURE

MILLWORK • EXPORT • SAWN LUMBER & TIMBERS

ROUND TIMBER PILING (MARINE, FRESH WATER, & FOUNDATION)

GLUE-LAMINATED BEAMS, COLUMNS & ARCHES

THE INDUSTRIAL TSO SPECIALISTACQ

CHEMONITE® ACZA

PENTACHLOROPHENOL TYPE A

50-50 CREOSOTE PETROLEUM

CLEAN CREOSOTE (P1/13)

EUGENE, OREGON1-866-960-9703

www.JHBaxter.com

JHBaxter & Co. is WBE Certified

Affiliations: AWPA • IOHH • LACN • PCCHM&PM • PWLA • WCLIB • WWPI

CUSTOM TREATING

KILN DRYING (KD & KDAT)

HEAT STERILIZATION • WWPI BMPS

5 RETORTS: FROM 50’ TO 156’

RAIL SERVICE (UP & BN)

CUSTOMER SERVICE MGR.MARTY MARTIN

1-541-689-3801 [email protected]

SALES & ACCOUNTS MGR.JERRY [email protected]


Deck Tool with BonusThe Ipe Clip Co.’s Hardwood Wrench

decking tool is now offered in a newpackage, for added shelf appeal.

The new packaging also contains a canvas carryingcase. The tool itself is constructed from hard-anodizedaluminum and can bend multiple boards simultane-ously. It is also easily reversible, with no extra tools.

IPECLIP.COM(866) 427-2547

Cellular PVC RailingThe new Dartmouth rail system from INTEX

Millwork is code-approved for spans up to 12 ft.Constructed of extruded cellular PVC, the pre-fin-

ished rails, newels and accessories offer a 10-yearpaint warranty.

INTEXMILLWORK.COM(609) 567-5900

Insulation BoardsSteico’s Universal sarking underlayment and

sheathing boards offer protection against wind, dust,moisture and sound.

Both water-resistant boards are produced with aT&G profile, so they are ideal for insulating pitchedroofs, walls and floors.

STEICO.COM

Engineered Slate RoofingVision Moderne Slate, manufactured from engi-

neered polymers, reportedly is much lighter in weightand easier to install than slate shingles.

It is guaranteed to not crack or fade or 50 years.

MODERNESLATE.COM(877) 550-9971


Robert Cash, 65, former sales repfor Western International ForestProducts, Beaverton, Or., died Feb. 17in Boynton Beach, Fl.

Mr. Cash worked at Western andother Portland-area LBM firms beforemoving to Florida. He started withSeven D Wholesale, Deerfield Beach,Fl., in 1993, and worked there until hisretirement last June.

John Bradley “Brad” Pott, 47,member of the family that owns R/WSpecialties, Denver, Co., died Feb. 6in Denver.

IN Memoriam

Brad ran R/W’s mill for 12 yearsand its warehouse for 10.

Blair Simmons, 54, sales rep forAllweather Wood, Washougal, Wa.,died Dec. 30 in San Bernardino, Ca.

Mr. Simmons started his lumbercareer at age 15, at Dill Lumber,Redlands, Ca. He later worked atInland Lumber, Chandler Lumber,Pacific States Industries, HomeClub/HomeBase, Redwood Empire, andAnfinson Lumber.

In 2008, he started his own compa-ny, Pine Creek Trading.

Small Blaze Slows Restart ofFormer KPly Mill

Firefighters quickly extinguished asmall fire in Peninsula Plywood’s just-restarted plywood mill in PortAngeles, Wa., allowing the facility tobe back in production the next day.

The former KPly facility hadresumed production March 1. The fol-lowing evening, a malfunction in alarge industrial ventilation motorabove one of the dryers sparked asmall fire, which spread to portions ofthe roof, before being contained by thesprinkler system.

Three weeks later, PenPly held aribbon cutting ceremony, attended bylocal dignitaries and 200 guests, tomark the opening of the facility.

Peninsula Plywood was the originalname of the mill when it first openedin 1941.

Colorado Owner ChargedThe owner of a True Value

Hardware in Salida, Co., has beencharged with two counts of forgery,theft, and theft by receiving.

James J. Fontana III was accused of“unlawfully receiving or disposing ofthings of value,” in the form of mer-chandise that had been stolen fromMurdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply.He was also accused of falsely report-ing a robbery at his own store, forwhich he collected insurance monies.He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to the indictment,Harold Long, manager of Murdoch’s,reported that items worth a total of$4,930 were taken from the outsidestorage area at Murdoch’s betweenSept. 1, 2008 and February 2009.

Local police also received informa-tion that Fontana reported a burglaryat his store that never happened, the“missing” items—five push and riding

mowers—were reportedly still at thestore, and he had collected a reim-bursement check of $25,329 from his

insurer.Released on a $10,000 bond, Fon-

tana is awaiting a late August trial.


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WESTERN WOOD Products Association held its annual meeting March8-9 in Portland, Or. [1] John Schick, Rich Geary. [2] Val Malliris, JamieTrenter. [3] Brad Hatley, Ken Tennefoss. [4] Craig Larsen, FrankStewart. [5] Steve Swanson, George Emmerson. [6] John Deisher,Butch Bernhardt. [7] Steve Randles, Tim Smith. [8] Tony Colter, DavidJackson. [9] Tom Shaffer, Wes Bush, Mike Stevens. [10] Eric Schooler,Bob Lewis. [11] Dan Leboe, Arron Stephens. [12] John Shelk, Wade

Mosby. [13] Tom Searles, Fritz Mason. [14] Mike Gruenke, AnneErickson, Ted Roberts. [15] Linda Sabrowski, Steve Passe. [16] ScottElston, Bob Mai. [17] Pete Malliris, David Durst, Matt Dierdorff, Jeff Dill,Laurie Creech. [18] Steven Hofer, Jim Talley, Gary Pittman. [19] TomTemple, Doug Reed. [20] Hal Fay, Bob Shepherd. [21] Shawn Church,Russ Vaagen. [22] Scott & Monica Stormoen. [23] Russ Hobbs.

(More photos on next page)


WW

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Photos by The Merchant M

agazine

MORE WWPA (continued from previouspage): [1] Shauna & Art Andrews, JanetDaucsavage. [2] Dennis Murphy, ClaudeGregory. [3] Jim Mathews, Cory Sparks, RussTovey. [4] Mel Lundberg. [5] Kevin & AdrienneBinam, Jim Scharnhorst. [6] Janet & MikePhillips. [7] Jim Vandegrift, Evelyn Kamitomo.[8] Allan Trinkwald, Mike O’Halloran. [9]Christoper Crucitt, Mike Potempa, Steve Firko.[10] Thomas Lovlien, Mike Dobson. [11] GlennLowe. [12] Jonny Wilford, Steve De Zwarte.[13] Jeff & Susie Webber, Tom Temple.

Send us your news!

Have your recent expansion, promo-

tions or other company changes published

in the next issue of The Merchant.Just fax your news to 949-852-0231 or

email [email protected].

(a free service)


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QUALITY WOOD Preservers Society’smeeting Feb. 18-21 in San Juan, Puerto

Rico, included a Pirates of the Caribbean party and was sponsored by theirpreservative supplier, Arch Wood Protection. [1] Brenda Heindl, HuckDeVenzio, Brenda Kittrell. [2] Rodney Hardison, Dick & Elaina Jackson. [3]Donna & Corry McFarland. [4] Vic & Nancy Sowl. [5] Laura Wright, GradyBrafford, Morgan Wright. [6] Steve & Maureen Wisnewski. [7] Carey & KariGarst. [8] Marty & Cheri Olheiser, Elizabeth Everitt. [9] Steve & Patty

Shields. [10] Becky & Kevin Escue. [11] Paul & Missy Barnes. [12]Margaret & Jacques McKay. [13] Omar & Traci Lavelle. [14] Steve Snyder,Kim & Lloyd Docter. [15] Mark & Monica Lewallen, Mikee Johnson. [16]Jeff, Julie, Sarah & Sandy Miller. [17] Bob, Chelsea, Kathie & Katy Gruber.[18] David & Jessica Harris. [19] Joe Lstiburek, Pam Mitchell, Mark Shows,Dave Perry. [20] Georgia, Joe, Will & Jack Krause. [21] Dick & BonnieKeeley. [22] Michael Campbell, Sadi Yarti. [23] Carolyn Magers, LuisFernandez, Scott Hoffman. [24] Anne & Ramsay Smith.


tion, will discuss whether manufactur-ing has a future in the U.S.

The first day begins with golf atCamelback Golf Club, followed bynetworking reception. Optional side-trips include visits to Frank Lloyd

ASSOCIATION Update Wright’s Talesin West, an olive mill,African wildlife park, botanical gar-den, and zoo.

Western Wood Products Associ-ation elected Allan Trinkwald,Simpson Lumber, Tacoma, Wa.,chairman during its recent annualmeeting. (See meeting photos belowand on pages 52-53.)

Lumber Association of California& Nevada elected Bobby Senften,v.p. and outside sales mgr. atFreidman’s Home Improvement,Rohnert Park, Ca., as its new treasur-er. He replaces Steve Fleiner, who hasleft Reno Lumber to take a construc-tion management job in Texas.

2nd Growth has scheduled its annu-al summer conference for July 15-16at Hotel Solamar, San Diego, Ca.

Mountain States Lumber &Building Material Dealers Associ-ation is offering webinars on blood-borne pathogens July 15 and on per-sonal protection equipment Aug. 10and 26.

Hardwood Plywood & VeneerAssociation will gather May 23-25 atDoubleTree Paradise Valley Resort,Scottsdale, Az., for its annual springconvention.

Phil Levy, resident scholar at theAmerican Enterprise Institute forPublic Policy Research will discussChina and international trade. SamSherraden, New American Founda-

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

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

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

www.reellumber.com

LUMBERSERVICE

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

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

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

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

color putty, adhesives, etc.)

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

WholesaleIndustrial Lumber

WESTERN WOOD Products Association director of qualityservices Kevin Binam (upper left photo, l-r) presentedMaster Lumberman Awards to Tim Smith and David Pietz ofStimson Lumber, Forest Grove, Or., during the association’srecent annual meeting. (Upper right) WWPA first vice-chair-man Bob Lewis handed out Chairman’s Safety Awards toBill Stone, Georgia-Pacific West, Philomath, Or., for bestfive-year record for mills with 220,000-340,000 employeehours, and (lower right) to Bob Banchero, Stimson Lumber,Clatskanie, Or., for best five-year record for mills with lessthan 220,000 employee hours annually (Priest River, Id.)and mills with more than 340,000 employee hours annually(Forest Grove, Id.).


FOR SALE

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 the 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 boxnumber shown, c/o The Merchant Magazine, 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480,Newport Beach, Ca. 92660, or [email protected]. Names of adver-tisers using a box number cannot be released.

CLASSIFIED Marketplace

HELP WANTED

OUTSIDE SALES REPRESENTATIVE –TAIGA BUILDING PRODUCTS

Full-time opportunity to sell our products inNorthern California from our branch inRocklin, Ca. Looking for a team player who’salso an individual go-getter. Requires collegedegree or equivalent experience, overnight trav-el within territory, computer literacy, and excel-lent organizational and communication skills.Candidate will be able to meet and exceed salestargets, generate new business in given territo-ry, execute promotional programs and productdemonstrations, and develop close workingrelationships with customers and suppliers.Email resume to [email protected].

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

COMMISSION SALESPERSON: Theright motivated salesperson will flourish withour very generous commission plan and meth-ods. Not all distributors are the same: there is adifference! Let’s talk. Our goal is to expandmarket share in the greater Los Angeles area. Asalary-plus-bonus plan will get you off theground, and we offer a generous benefits pack-age. Primarily telephone sales to SouthernCalifornia customers. The right person will be areliable self-starter with a positive attitude anda strong work ethic. Lumber or plywood salesexperience with excellent English communica-tion skills.

INSIDE SALES/ORDER DESK: We arelooking for a very reliable, hard working teamplayer for Counter Sales and order fulfillment,and to deliver superior customer service toCash-and-Carry customers. The position ishourly with bonuses, plus a generous benefitspackage with excellent potential for growth anddevelopment. Are you a friendly people-personand upbeat with a positive attitude? Experiencein lumber and plywood, building materials, orhardware is a huge advantage. ExcellentEnglish is required, bi-lingual Spanish pre-ferred.

Send your resume Attn: Box 715, [email protected] or c/o TheMerchant Magazine, 4500 Campus Dr., Ste.480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660.

UNIVERSAL TRUSS INC. is currently look-ing for a truss salesperson for the SouthernCalifornia market. Local market customer baseis preferred. Please contact Erik Batson, salesmanager, at (951) 232-9037.

REDWOOD EMPIRE is a manufactured-based distributor looking for experienced sales-people in wholesale and industrial, with back-grounds in commodities, redwood, cedar, ply-wood, steel, pressure treated, exotic hardwooddecking, exotic flooring, and imported lumberand fencing. Positions are available in SouthernCalifornia. Please send resume to Sean Burch,Redwood Empire, P.O. Box 1438, San Jose, Ca.95109-1438, email [email protected].

www.redwoodemp.com

LUMBER MARKET REPRESENTATIVE:Charlotte, N.C. Forest2Market, Inc., the emerg-ing leader in lumber market price reports andanalytics is seeking a lumber market sales repre-sentative. Candidates should possess knowledgeof the commercial lumber supply chain and col-lege-level mastery of descriptive statistics andsupply/demand economics. Email your resumeto [email protected].

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

HELP WANTEDEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES INTHE U.S. AND CANADA: Our client is seek-ing to hire Senior Commodity and SpecialtyForest Products Traders NOW. Selected candi-dates must have a track record in generating inexcess of $200,000 in annual gross margins.Commissions range to 45% of the gross.Client’s working capital line exceeds $200M.Excellent benefit and retirement package. For aconfidential discussion, contact Carl Jansen atSearch North America, (541) 593-2777, [email protected], www.searchna.com.

FULL TIME/PART TIME person to repre-sent Rocky Mountain BluWood in WesternColorado, Utah, Nevada, and Idaho. Sales willinvolve primarily FSC lumber and buildingmaterials. Contact Pat Bischel, cell (715) 210-4105.

SEEKING EXPERIENCED “TRUCK/RAILTransportation Broker.” We are a growing lum-ber sales and transportation company in Eagle,Id. Experience with truck or rail freight is amust. Commission based. Fax resume to Rogerat 208-323-9191 or email [email protected].

LUMBER TRADERWe are a wholesale lumber company looking

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

SEASONED HARDWOOD lumber, mould-ing & panel product salesperson wanted.Territory – All Southern California. Access to$5.5-million diversified inventory & custommillwork facility. All inquiries held in strictestconfidence. Email your resume to [email protected]

INDUSTRIAL LUMBER and wood packag-ing sales representatives wanted. ConnerIndustries (www.connerindustries.com) is eagerto recruit highly motivated sales professionalsto expand its industrial sales force. Connertakes pride in its leadership role in the industri-al wood products and services market. Pleaseemail your resume to [email protected].

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

HELP WANTED

3,000 at 16¢ each

1,000 at 89¢ each


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

International Log Builders Association – April 8-11, annual con-ference, Prescott Resort & Conference Center, Prescott, Az.;(250) 547-8776; www.logassociation.org.

National Paint & Coatings Association – April 13-15, annualmeeting & technical conference, Charlotte, N.C.; (202) 462-6272.

Lumber Association of California & Nevada – April 15, golf tour-nament, Black Gold Golf Course, Yorba Linda, Ca.; (800) 266-4344; www.lumberassociation.org.

National Kitchen & Bath Association – April 16-18, annual confer-ence & show, McCormick Place, Chicago, Il.; (800) 843-6522;www.nkba.org.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – April 17, day at theraces, Santa Anita Racetrack, Arcadia, Ca.; (626) 445-8556.

Remodeling & Decorating Show – April 17-18, Los AngelesConvention Center, Los Angeles, Ca.; (818) 557-2950;www.thehomeshow.com.

American Hardware Manufacturers Association – April 18-21,hardlines technology forum, Renaissance Hotel, Schaumburg, Il.;(847) 605-1025; www.ahma.org.

Transload Distribution Association – April 19-20, annual confer-ence, DoubleTree, San Antonio, Tx.; (503) 656-4282;www.transload.org.

Structural Insulated Panel Association – April 19-22, annual con-ference, Chicago, Il.; (253) 858-7472; www.sips.org.

Forest Products Society – April 20-22, Smallwood conference, HotSprings, Ar.; (608) 231-1361; www.forestprod.org.

Woodworking Machinery Industry Association – April 21-24,conference, Hyatt Regency, Monterey, Ca.; (410) 931-8100;www.wmia.org.

Portland Hoo-Hoo Club – April 23, spring initiation & social,Hayden’s Grill, Tualatin, Or.; (503) 675-0040.

Southern California Hoo-Hoo Club – April 23, Don GregsonMemorial Golf Tournament, San Dimas Golf Course, San Dimas,Ca.; (760) 324-0842; www.hoohoo117.org.

West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau – April 23, annual meet-ing, Riverplace Hotel, Portland, Or.; (503) 639-0651;www.wclib.org.

Remodeling & Decorating Show – April 23-25, South Town ExpoCenter, Sandy, Ut.; (818) 571-9012.

Material Handling Industry of America – April 26-29, annual expo,I-X Center, Cleveland, Oh.; (704) 676-1190; www.mhia.org.

International Wood Products Association – April 28-30, annualconvention, Eden Roc Hotel, Miami Beach, Fl.; (703) 820-6696;www.iwpawood.org.

Remodeling & Decorating Show – April 30-May 2, PasadenaConference Center, Pasadena, Ca.; (818) 557-2950.

Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club – May 1, annual poker tournament &BBQ, Sonoma County Airport, Santa Rosa, Ca.; (707) 621-4852.

Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association – May 1-5, annual convention, Marriott Marco Island Resort & Spa, MarcoIsland, Fl.; (847) 680-3500.

Composite Panel Association – May 2-4, spring meeting, HyattRegency, Bonita Springs, Fl.; (301) 670-0604; www.pbmdf.com.

National Hardware Show – May 4-6, Las Vegas ConventionCenter, Las Vegas, Nv.; (847) 605-1025; www.nationalhard-wareshow.com.

Tacoma-Olympia Hoo-Hoo – May 4, Old Timer’s Night, Tacoma ElkClub, Tacoma, Wa.; (253) 531-1834.

Paint & Decorating Retailers Association – May 4-6, annualshow, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; (800) 737-0107; www.pdra.org.

American Architectural Manufacturers Association – May 5-6,western region spring meeting, Waterfront Plaza Hotel, Oakland,Ca.; (847) 303-5664; www.aamanet.org.

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

National Retail Federation – May 10-12, leadership conference,National Press Club, Washington, D.C.; (202) 783-7971; www.nrf.com.

Construction Specifications Institute – May 11-14, annual con-vention, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pa.;(301) 670-0604; www.csinet.org.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club – May 13, ladiesnight, Phoenix Club, Anaheim, Ca.; (626) 445-8556.

Do It Best Corp. – May 15-17, spring market, Indiana ConventionCenter, Indianapolis, In.; (260) 748-5300; www.doitbest.com.

Lumber Association of California & Nevada – May 16-18, 2ndGrowth forest/mill tour, Redding/Sacramento, Ca.; (800) 266-4344; www.lumberassociation.org.

National Association of Home Builders – May 16-18, nationalgreen building conference, Marriott City Center, Raleigh, N.C.;(800) 368-5242; www.nahb.com.

Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association – May 16-19, annualconvention, Isle of Palms, S.C.; (703) 264-1690; www.kcma.org.

American Wood Protection Association – May 23-25, annualmeeting, Hyatt Regency, Savannah, Ga.; (800) 356-1974; www.awpa.com.

Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Association – May 23-25, confer-ence, DoubleTree Paradise Valley Resort, Scottsdale, Az.; (703)435-2900; www.hpva.org.

DATE Book


IDEA FileHard-to-Finds—Online

The stereotype is often true: The big boxstore comes to town and monopolizes sales of the mostpopular building materials throughout the area, leavinggenerations-old mom-and-pop shops to survive on ped-dling slower-moving, oddball items to an ever-shrinkingclientele.

Certainly the Satterfield family, owners of 88-year-old Rollier’s Hardware, Pittsburgh, Pa., noticed salesholding strong for hard-to-find items the mass retailerswouldn’t carry, such as Christmas lights with brownand white wires to be used for weddings and outdoordecoration, cedar oil for restoring cedar-lined closets,and cast iron drain covers.

So instead of fighting the trend by abandoning theunique hardware stock, the Satterfields decided toexpose their quirky wares to a worldwide audience viathe Internet.

In 2007, Brett and Derek Satterfield launchedHardToFindItems.com, as both a complement toRollier’s storefront and as a way to expand their salesprospects beyond the Pittsburgh city limits.

Key tools in reaching buyers have been Google’sAdwords program and an Amazon.com seller account.

“Most people generally view technology in a nega-tive light when comparing small businesses to corpora-tions,” said Brett. “While technology has allowed largecorporations to run much more efficiently, it hasallowed small businesses to compete nationally andinternationally with only a nom-inal investment.”

The Satterfields’ $6,000investment became $1.3 millionin revenue in 2009 and is nowon pace to generate sales of $3million a year.

How Much Wood Is in the Woods?(Continued from page 9)

ments all but dried up from the midpoint of the last decadeto the cyclical low in 2009. Those investment groups withhigh debt leverage have been and will continue to be underpressure to harvest no matter what the prices are. But thoseinvestment groups with little or no debt can pull the timberoff the market and wait for better prices.

However, this policy provides investors with no cashflow. Once prices do recover, there will be pressure onthese owners to earn some money to pay investors. Againsta backdrop of moderate demand in coming years, thisdynamic will help to keep timber prices below previouspeak levels.

For a detailed analysis of the impacts of the recentdevelopments on lumber, panel and timber markets, pleasesee the following just-released RISI publications: NorthAmerican Lumber Forecast – 15-Year, North AmericanWood Panels Forecast – 15-Year, and North AmericanTimber Forecast – 15-Year.

– Robert Berg is principal lumber economist for RISI. Reachhim at [email protected].

ADVERTISERS Index For more information on advertisers, call them

directly or visit their websites [in brackets].

Advantage Trim & Lumber [www.advantagelumber.com] .......................49

Allweather Wood Treaters [www.allweatherwood.com]...........................44

Anfinson Lumber Sales [www.anfinson.com] ...........................................57

Arch Wood Protection [www.wolmanizedwood.com] ...........Cover I, 30-31

Auto-Stak Systems [www.autostak.com]...................................................28

Cal Coast Wholesale Lumber......................................................................36

California Redwood Co., The [www.californiaredwoodco.com] ...............7

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

C&E Lumber Co. [www.lodgepolepine.com] .............................................51

Capital [www.capital-lumber.com]..............................................................41

Compass Lumber Products Inc. [www.compasslumber.com] ................41

Conrad Forest Products [www.conradfp.com]..........................................15

Exterior Wood [www.exteriorwood.com] ...................................................17

Fiberon LLC [www.fiberondecking.com] ........................................Cover III

Fletcher Wood Solutions [www.tenonusa.com]........................................43

Fontana Wholesale Lumber [www.fontanawholesalelumber.com] .........26

Hoover Treated Wood Products [www.frtw.com] ...........................Cover IV

Huff Lumber Co. ...........................................................................................46

J.H. Baxter [www.jhbaxter.com] .................................................................49

Keller Lumber Co. ........................................................................................25

LP Building Products [www.lpcorp.com].....................................................3

Manke Lumber Co. [www.mankelumber.com]...........................................48

Matthews Marking Products [www.matthewsmarking.com]....................39

McFarland Cascade [www.mcfarlandcascade.com] .................................13

Nevada Wood Preserving [www.pacificwood.com] ..................................21

Norman Distribution Inc. [www.normandist.com].....................................45

Osmose [www.osmose.com] .............................................................Cover II

Pacific Wood Preserving Cos. [www.pacificwood.com] ..........................40

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co. [www.plmins.com]...33

QB Corp. [www.qbcorp.com] ........................................................................8

Quality Borate Co. [www.qualityborate.com] ............................................38

Redwood Empire [www.redwoodemp.com] ..............................................27

Reel Lumber Service [www.reellumber.com] ............................................55

Regal Custom Millwork................................................................................55

Reliable Wholesale Lumber Inc. [www.rwli.com] ......................................37

Rosboro [www.rosboro.com]......................................................................42

Roseburg Forest Products [www.rfpco.com]............................................29

Royal Pacific Industries...............................................................................47

Simpson Strong-Tie [www.strongtie.com].................................................33

Snider Industries [www.sniderindustries.com].........................................50

Superior Wood Treating [www.superiorwoodtreating.com] ....................53

Swanson Group Sales Co. [www.swansongroupinc.com].......................24

Thunderbolt Wood Treating [www.thunderboltwoodtreating.com].........35

Utah Wood Preserving Co. ....................................................................19, 51

Van Arsdale-Harris Lumber Co. [www.vanarsdaleharris.net] ..................36

Viance [www.treatedwood.com] ...................................................................5

Western Wood Preserving Co. [www.westernwoodpreserving.com] .....23

TheMERCHANTMagazine

the merchant magazine - april 2010

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