the softwood industry’s only newspapernow reaching 42,965 ... · specialist bob clark. “if any...

13
U.S. are predicted to experience a rise in business by as much as 20 percent in 2011. According to David Crowe, NAHB chief economist, the anticipation is that although home sales will continue to struggle in 2011, it will follow a projected increase in employment growth. Crowe expects new housing starts will increase from 475,000 in 2010 to 575,00 in 2011, and to 660,000 in 2012. He said multi-family projects will increase from 114,000 in 2010 to 133,000 in 2012. In addition to learning of new housing projections and new products introduced on the market at IBS, guests and attendees had the Vol. 26 No. 2 The Softwood Industry’s only newspaper..... now reaching 42,965 firms (20,000 per issue) March/April 2011 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID MEMPHIS, TENN. PERMIT 270 The Softwood Buyer P.O. Box 34908 Memphis, TN 38184-0908 Address Service Requested Additional photos on pages 12 & 14 Continued on page 18 Continued on page 18 International Builders’ Show Convenes In Orlando By Terry Miller Craig Combs, PPG Machine Applied Coatings, Medford, Ore.; David Jeffers, PPG Machine Applied Coatings, Raleigh, N.C.; and Tom Hunter, PPG Machine Applied Coatings, Wells, Maine Orlando, Fla.–Approximately 65,000 attendees from around the world recently convened at the 2011 National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builders’ Show (IBS). Held here at the Orange County Convention Center, the IBS is one of the largest trade shows held that attracts professionals from all industries con- nected to home building. In addition to hundreds of exhibitor booths displaying current prod- ucts, attendees had opportunity to gain insight into the anticipated future of the North American home building market. At IBS, those in attendance learned that new home builders in the Additional photos on pages 10 & 12 Mashantucket, Conn.–Even before the opening day of this year’s Northeastern Retail Lumber Association-sponsored (NRLA) LBM Expo sold out two exhibit floors at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods here, as well as 2,000 hotel rooms. About 4,000 attendees were onhand to view the latest products and services offered by various industry representatives who were exhibiting their wares at the Expo. Attendees came from 27 states and two countries to not only peruse the exhibitor’s hall, but also to attend several educational seminars at the Expo. Some of those seminars included such topics as: how to meet green requirements for LEED certification; what’s ahead for the residential market in 2011 and 2012; opportunities in energy efficiency in the Northeast; and relationship selling skills are a big deal. The Northeastern Retail Lumber Association (NRLA) was estab- lished in New York in 1894 by a small group of pioneering lumber- men who recognized the value of cooperation. Today, the NRLA is an 1,150 member association representing independent lumber and building material suppliers and associated businesses in New York and the six New England states. Throughout its 114 year history, the NRLA has provided leadership, support, and community for lumber By Terry Miller Tony Saad, Nordic Engineered Wood, Toronto, Ont.; Benoit Jean and Albert Renaud, Nordic Engineered Wood, Montreal, Que.; Nathan Smith, Nathan Smith Builders LLC, Linwood, Mich.; and Jean-Marc Dubois, Nordic Engineered Wood, Slingerlands, N.Y. NRLA/LBM Expo Sells Out Ray Insani and Kurt Bamberg, Boise Cascade LLC, Westfield, Mass.; Josh Bartlett, Boise Cascade LLC, Biddeford, Maine; and Andrew Mayerman and Jim Wickham, Boise Cascade LLC, Westfield, Mass. Win Smith, Limington Lumber Co., East Baldwin, Maine; Tonia Tibbetts and Alden Robbins, Robbins Lumber Inc., Searsmont, Maine; and Jeff Easterling, Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assoc., Cumberland Center, Maine

Upload: others

Post on 27-Jun-2020

2 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

U.S. are predicted to experience a rise in business by as much as 20percent in 2011.According to David Crowe, NAHB chief economist, the anticipationis that although home sales will continue to struggle in 2011, it willfollow a projected increase in employment growth. Crowe expectsnew housing starts will increase from 475,000 in 2010 to 575,00 in2011, and to 660,000 in 2012. He said multi-family projects willincrease from 114,000 in 2010 to 133,000 in 2012.In addition to learning of new housing projections and new productsintroduced on the market at IBS, guests and attendees had the

Vol. 26 No. 2 The Softwood Industry’s only newspaper.....now reaching 42,965 firms (20,000 per issue) March/April 2011

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAID

MEMPHIS, TENN.PERMIT 270

The Softwood BuyerP.O. Box 34908Memphis, TN 38184-0908

Address Service Requested

Additional photos on pages 12 & 14 Continued on page 18

Continued on page 18

International Builders’ Show Convenes In OrlandoBy Terry Miller

Craig Combs, PPG Machine Applied Coatings, Medford, Ore.; David Jeffers, PPG Machine AppliedCoatings, Raleigh, N.C.; and Tom Hunter, PPG Machine Applied Coatings, Wells, Maine

Orlando, Fla.–Approximately 65,000 attendees from around theworld recently convened at the 2011 National Association of HomeBuilders (NAHB) International Builders’ Show (IBS). Held here at theOrange County Convention Center, the IBS is one of the largesttrade shows held that attracts professionals from all industries con-nected to home building.In addition to hundreds of exhibitor booths displaying current prod-ucts, attendees had opportunity to gain insight into the anticipatedfuture of the North American home building market.At IBS, those in attendance learned that new home builders in the

Additional photos on pages 10 & 12

Mashantucket, Conn.–Even before the opening day of this year’sNortheastern Retail Lumber Association-sponsored (NRLA) LBMExpo sold out two exhibit floors at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods here,as well as 2,000 hotel rooms.About 4,000 attendees were onhand to view the latest products andservices offered by various industry representatives who wereexhibiting their wares at the Expo. Attendees came from 27 statesand two countries to not only peruse the exhibitor’s hall, but also toattend several educational seminars at the Expo.Some of those seminars included such topics as: how to meet green

requirements for LEED certification; what’s ahead for the residentialmarket in 2011 and 2012; opportunities in energy efficiency in theNortheast; and relationship selling skills are a big deal.The Northeastern Retail Lumber Association (NRLA) was estab-lished in New York in 1894 by a small group of pioneering lumber-men who recognized the value of cooperation. Today, the NRLA is an1,150 member association representing independent lumber andbuilding material suppliers and associated businesses in New Yorkand the six New England states. Throughout its 114 year history, theNRLA has provided leadership, support, and community for lumber

By Terry Miller

Tony Saad, Nordic Engineered Wood, Toronto, Ont.; Benoit Jean and Albert Renaud, Nordic EngineeredWood, Montreal, Que.; Nathan Smith, Nathan Smith Builders LLC, Linwood, Mich.; and Jean-Marc Dubois,Nordic Engineered Wood, Slingerlands, N.Y.

NRLA/LBM Expo Sells Out

Ray Insani and Kurt Bamberg, Boise Cascade LLC, Westfield, Mass.; Josh Bartlett, Boise CascadeLLC, Biddeford, Maine; and Andrew Mayerman and Jim Wickham, Boise Cascade LLC, Westfield,Mass.

Win Smith, Limington Lumber Co., East Baldwin, Maine; Tonia Tibbetts and Alden Robbins,Robbins Lumber Inc., Searsmont, Maine; and Jeff Easterling, Northeastern Lumber ManufacturersAssoc., Cumberland Center, Maine

Marshall Wood is asalesman for MarsHill Inc. inWaynesboro, Miss.The company offers

any hardwood indige-nous to theU.S., SYP, Plywood,

Jim Dunse is insales with Mill &Timber Products, asawmill in Surrey,B.C.Mill & TimberProducts offers 2x4-2x12 S4S, 5/4x4

Ted Dergousoff istimber specialist atWestern ForestProducts Inc. inVancouver, B.C.Western ForestProducts is an inte-grated Canadian for-

ries 51 Democrats, 47Republicans and 2 Independents.Over the last days of the 111thCongress, major tax extensions,the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repealand the Start Treaty with Russiabills were passed. However, noappropriations bills were enactedfor FY11 and Congress imple-mented a Continuing Resolution(CR). Congress will now decidewhether to extend the CR for theremainder of the year, or create anew budget for FY11. The CR created uncertainty forthe Forest Service, which had newfunding initiatives, including abudget increase of $30 million for

the Forest Landscape RestorationAct (FLRA). Projects were select-ed for FLRA last year. Not enoughfunding is available for full imple-mentation or for the selection ofnew projects this year.

Washington State Biomass Study

The Washington StateDepartment of Natural Resource(DNR) has selected the Universityof Washington School of ForestResources and TSS Consultants,a Sacramento based consultingfirm, to conduct a statewide forestbiomass supply study. The studyseeks to obtain data on the eco-nomically available forest biomassvolume throughout the State ofWashington, from forest opera-tions on a long-term, sustainablebasis to be used as feedstock forenergy production. The assess-ment will estimate woody biomassvolume throughout the State ofWashington, from forest opera-tions on a long-term, sustainablebasis to be used as feedstock forenergy production. The assess-ment will utilize various filters,such as operational feasibility, aswell as financial and environmen-tal hurdles, to determine suitableprospective woody biomass vol-umes. Factors to be evaluatedinclude environmental protection,road access, existing infrastruc-

ture, and travel. Mandated by Washington’sForest Biomass SupplyAgreements Bill (2SHB2481), thestudy will use part of a $1 milliongrant DNR received from theForest Service last summer.Results are expected to be issuedby September 2011.Also DNR announced that it willsoon submit to the Legislature acomprehensive update on theagency’s Forest BiomassInitiative, including updates on thepilot projects identified in HB 2165as well as the literature review onthe carbon neutrality of forest bio-mass required in 2XHB 2481.

Coalition WelcomesInternational Arbitration Ruling

The Coalition for Fair LumberImports recently welcomed theLondon Court of InternationalArbitration’s (LCIA) ruling thatsubsidies provided by the Ontarioand Quebec governments to lum-ber manufacturers in theirprovinces violate the terms of the2006 U.S.-Canada SoftwoodLumber Agreement (SLA). Thisagreement prohibits the Canadianfederal and provincial govern-ments from providing new subsi-dies to the Canadian lumberindustry after July 1, 2006.Late in 2006-2007, Quebec and

Congress Finds Unfinished Business

The 112th Congress recentlyfound unfinished business fromlast session. According to ana-lysts, the key question is whetherthis Congress with a Deomocraticmajority in the Senate, and aRepublican majority in the House,will be more effective and produc-tive than last session, which hadDemocratic majorities in bothHouses.The house is controlled 242-193by Repuclicans. The Senate car-

Continued on page 16 Continued on page 19 Continued on page 19

WASHINGTONSCENE

THE

Carbon Challenge WinningDesigner Announced

For more APA News and Information, go to www.apawood.org

Who can design a home with thelowest carbon footprint? Thatquestion, posed by APA to resi-dential designers in the CarbonChallenge 2010Florida DesignCompetition, wasanswered whenthe Grand PrizeDesign Awardwas presented toDamon Roby ofTrue DesignStudios inJ a c k s o n v i l l e ,Florida. Roby andfive other winners were recog-nized recently at a ceremony andreception sponsored by APA atthe 2011 NAHB InternationalBuilders’ Show in Orlando,Florida.“The winners really put a lot of

thought into the carbon footprintand operational energy of thesehomes, as well as proper designand constructability,” said APASenior Engineered WoodSpecialist Bob Clark. “If any ofthese six designs were built, itwould have a positive impact onthe carbon footprint of home con-struction today.”Cash prizes totaling $15,000

Page 2 The Softwood Forest Products Buyer

Continued on page 18

were awarded to the top threefinalists and the winners of threedesign categories: Best Use ofWood Products, Best Curb Appeal

and Most Cost-Effective Design.All six winningdesigns were dis-played at the cer-emony. “I was just hon-

ored to be hereas one of thefinalists,” saidRoby. “I lookedaround the room

when I arrived and knew that all ofthe designs were really good.”Roby’s design featured a raised

wood floor with a closed condi-tioned crawl space and advancedframing, including 2x6 wood fram-ing with wall studs spaced 24inches on center – a method thatprovides extra space in the wallcavity for added insulation.Additional energy enhancementsincluded radiant barrier roofsheathing, raised heel roof truss-es (also known as energy truss-es), and spray-foam insulatedcrawl space walls. “We were so impressed with the

Continued on page 19 Continued on page 19 Continued on page 20

TED DERGOUSOFF JIM DUNSE

Brian Suggs is asales representativefor RichardsonTimbers, headquar-tered in Dallas,Texas. Richardson Timbersspecializes in the

Peter Parmenter isdistrict manager forthe Cedar Shakeand Shingle Bureau(CSSB) in Savannah,Ga.This internationaltrade organization

PETER PARMENTER BRIAN SUGGS

Benny Walley is alumber trader forGulf Coast Shelterin Laurel, Miss.Gulf Coast Shelter(GCS) buys and sellsSouthern YellowPine, OSB, plywood

BENNY WALLEY

MARSHALL WOOD

(left to right) Mike Ritter, U.S. Forest Products Lab;Bob Clark, APA; Damon Roby, Design Winner; andC.W. Macomber, APA

Continued on page 29

FEATURES:

NRLA/LBM Expo Sells Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Int’l. Builders Show Convenes In Orlando . . .1

LUMBER MARKETING SERVICES . . . .4

WESTON WOOD SOLUTIONS INC. . . . .6

Southern Forest Products Association .7

RICHARDSON TIMBERS . . . . . . . . . .15

Baker Introduces Notch Groovers . . . .16

BCWLA Welcomes Guests . . . . . . . . .17

DEPARTMENTS:

Who’s Who in Softwoods . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Washington Scene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

APA News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Midwest Business Trends . . . . . . . . . . . 8

West Coast Business Trends . . . . . . . . 8

Retail Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 & 13

Stock Exchange . . . . . . . . . . 22, 23 & 24

Western Business Trends . . . . . . . . . . 25

Northeast Business Trends . . . . . . . . . 25

Ontario/Quebec Business Trends . . . . . 26

South/Southeast Business Trends . . . . . 26

Trade Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Classified Opportunities . . . . 36, 37 & 38

Softwood Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Index of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

A Bi-Monthly newspaper servingNorth America’s Softwood Forest Products Buyers

Published bySoftwood Trade Publications, Inc.

1235 Sycamore View P. O. Box 34908Memphis, Tenn. 38134

Tel. (901) 372-8280 FAX (901) 373-6180Web Site: www.softwoodbuyer.com

E-Mail Addresses:Advertising: [email protected]

Editorial: [email protected]: [email protected]

Publisher: Paul J. Miller - 1963-2010Wayne Miller - President/Executive EditorGary Miller - Vice President/Managing EditorPaul J. Miller Jr. - Vice President/Assistant Managing EditorTerry Miller - Vice President/Associate EditorRachael Stokes - Advertising ManagerSue Putnam - Editorial DirectorMichelle Keller - Associate EditorJohn M. Gray Jr. - Production/Art DirectorWalter Lee - Production/Asst. Art DirectorLisa Carpenter - Circulation Manager

Canadian Correspondents: Toronto, Ontario, Vancouver, B.C.

The Softwood Forest Products Buyer is the product of a

company and its affiliates that have been in the publishing business

for over 85 years.

Other publications edited for specialized markets and distributed

worldwide include:

National Hardwood Magazine • Hardwood Purchasing Handbook •

Import/Export Wood Purchasing News • North American Forest

Products Export Directory • Imported Wood Purchasing Guide

• Green Book’s Hardwood Marketing Directory • Green Book’s

Softwood Marketing Directory • Dimension & Wood Components

Buyer’s Guide

March/April 2011 Page 3

Subscriptions: U.S. and Canada: $65 (U.S. dollars) - 1 year; $75 - 2years; $90 - 3 years; Foreign (airmail) $140 - 1 year; $235 - 2 years.Canadian and foreign orders must be paid by check drawn on U.S.bank or by wire transfer. Fax for more information.

Table of Contents

The publisher reserves the right to accept orreject editorial content and Advertisements atthe staffʼs discretion.

A new innovative technology providing excellent durability, high hiding one coat coverage, and mar resistance. The new Duracolor 8-base intermix system can achieve over 1250 colors from The Voice of Color® collection including bright and dark colors. This gives you, the machine coatings specialist, the ability to offer your customers a wide range of colors for large and small jobs with better performance than tint systems.

Our new Duracolor Intermix system provides you with:

Durable automotive grade pigments for enhanced color retention

Computer dispensing and custom color blending capability

Ease of application using a variety of equipment

Increased productivity and reduced waste

Water based low VOC (<100g/L)

For more information, please contact us at 1.877.622.4277 or visit www.ppgmachineappliedcoatings.com

Introducing Duracolor™ Intermix

Fınally, a color system that gives you control.

Specialty Wood Products Firm Balances Smaller, Faster Inventories With Customer NeedsPage 4 The Softwood Forest Products Buyer

Continued on page 20

A third-generation company, Lumber Marketing Services (LMS) of Hope, Idaho, is owned and operatedby Jamie Emmer, pictured here with his family: daughters Sarah, Madeline, Emily, Kate and wife, Wendy.

Emmer purchases about 2 million board feet of lumber annually from sawmills in the Pacific Northwest andBritish Columbia for his 4-acre yard and warehouse.

Hope, Idaho–Jamie Emmercomes from an impressive line oflumbermen. One hundred yearsago, his grandfather, J.W. Emmer,founded a successful wholesale

QUALITY & SERVICE WORLDWIDE

We wrapped it in red to make a statement: The quality of

our Maine-grown white pine and our passion for doing

whatever it takes to meet your needs and specifications set

an unsurpassed standard. Make your own statement with

Eastern White Pine from Hancock Lumber.

Sales Contacts:Matt Duprey 207-627-6113Jack Bowen 207-627-6115www.hancocklumber.com

RED BAG SOLUTION

The Hancock Lumber

RED BAG SOLUTION

Three State-of-the-Art SawmillsOur manufacturing depth lets us caterto your product and delivery needs,right up to the time of shipment.

Personalized Planning For Your SuccessYour Hancock Lumber rep isready to custom-create a winning program for you.

Your Own On-line Inventory Management

Leverage the ability to see andmanage yourinventory 24/7with real-timeaccess.

Customized GradingLet our experts custom-select to meet your exact standards, your precise needs, yourspecific grade.

Tailored Packaging Options Pull-to-length, random-length, paper wrapped– we can fulfill any packaging request to helpyou create value for your customers.

Proven Track RecordEvery board is backed by our six-generationcommitment to our customers and a historyof technological innovation.

lumber company in Minneapolisafter graduating from BusinessCollege in 1910. The firm –Lumber Marketing Services (LMS)– survived and thrived through

various economic ebbs and flows,and was later run by JamesEmmer Sr., Jamie’s father, whodedicated himself to working inthe lumber business. Like his

father, J.W., James too was forcedto deal with the ups and downs ofa fluctuating market.Up next was Jamie Emmer, a

third generation lumberman who –before getting his feet wet in theindustry – already knew firsthandabout its cyclical nature. Perhapsthat’s why now, as president andowner of Lumber MarketingServices, located here, Emmer isfaring pretty well through the cur-rent recession. “When the market started to turn,

I simply got back to the basics,which means doing more activemarketing than I was back whenthe economy was booming,” saidEmmer, the sole employee at thewholesale lumber firm. “I’m seeingthe fruits of those efforts, and as aresult of the work I’m doing now tobuild the business, I expect evenbetter years when we all do comeout of this downturn.”Domestically, the firm uses a vari-

ety of Softwoods, includingWestern Red Cedar, Port OrfordCedar, Douglas Fir, EnglemannSpruce, Lodgepole Pine andIdaho White Pine, plus producespaneling, flooring, siding, beamsand timbers. Emmer, who handles company

sales and the purchase of rawmaterials, buys about 2 millionboard feet of lumber annually fromsawmills in the Pacific Northwest,British Columbia and SouthAmerica. A distributor of specialtywood products, Lumber MarketingServices also handles importedSouth American hardwoods, aswell as imported decking andflooring.The customers that Emmer is

courting these days are located inthe Rocky Mountain West area,although the firm does shipnationwide. Those clients are typi-cally retail or distribution yardsthat are independently owned. Tohelp those customers manage inthe difficult economy, Emmer saidhe’s breaking larger loads intosmaller units, and also providing ahigher level of customer service. “I’m balancing smaller, faster

By Bridget McCrea

Additional photo on page 21

March/April 2011 Page 5

Mississauga, Ont.—Weston Wood Solutions Inc. is an inno-vative and diversified supplier of lumber and engineered woodproducts to manufacturers and distributors in North Americaand around the world. Their business philosophy is a simpleone; a focus on adding value. Weston’s ability to source prod-ucts globally and manage the supply chain from producer toend-user is one of the key ways they accomplish this. “Whatsets us apart from other suppliers is our commitment to put-ting a team on the ground in the countries that we sourcefrom,” says Alan Lechem, President. “In China we have ourown quality control inspectors in place at our dedicated mills,

Page 6 The Softwood Forest Products Buyer

Focus On Value Added Global Sourcing Sets WESTON Apart

Continued on page 21

Pine frames at WWS ̓distribution centre.

Pine finger-joint blanks for molding

and they have a thorough knowl-edge not only of the manufactur-ing process, materials and meth-ods, but also of the end uses ofour products. This understandingis crucial to ensure our customersget what they want, packaged howthey need, and delivered with con-sistency.”Weston’s Product Manager,Cinius Lee, hails from China andhas extensive business experi-ence both sourcing and sellinginto the country. “Cinius hasbrought to the Weston organiza-tion not only the ability to securethe best supply, but also the cul-tural empathy that enables us tosucceed where others have failed,and we ensure that rigorous west-ern standards and business proto-cols are followed,” says Lechem.Products sourced from Chinainclude primed trim boards, door-frames, window extension andspecialty items like Adirondackchairs and garden sheds. ChineseFir is the preferred material fortrim boards, frames and outdoorfurniture due to the excellent dura-bility characteristics of the lumber.LVL is used for many other mill-work items such as mullion posts,where superior strength and sta-bility are required.A similar approach is used byWeston in Chile. Mauricio Bravois the Product Manager for SouthAmerica, and previously workedfor a Radiata Pine sawmill andmillwork plant in Concepcion,Chile. “We moved Mauricio andhis family to Toronto 4 years ago,and he has added a sophisticatedlevel of expertise and created abroad resource base for ourRadiata Pine sourcing that isunmatched even by companiesmany times our size,” saysLechem. By coincidence,Mauricio was visiting suppliersand Weston’s Quality Controlteam in the Concepcion areawhen the massive earthquakestruck on February 27th of lastyear. What turned out to be badtiming for Mauricio was actuallyfortunate for Weston, as they wereable to receive first-hand reportsfrom the area and rapidly makecontingency plans. By having alarge pool of suppliers, providingthem with emergency financing,and assisting in alternate shipping

Mauricio Bravo, Dave Gambell, Howard Kumer and Alan Lechem are themanagement team at Weston Wood Solutions.

Weston Wood Solutions (WWS) quality control checking frames inChina.

www.LUA.cc

Experience and Financial StrengthSpecialty risk insurer for the forest products industry

Delivering tailored products and services since 1905

Endorsed property insurance carrier for NHLA and WWPA

Rated A by Demotech and B++ by A.M. Best and Reinsurers rated A by A.M. Best

Coverage and ServiceIndustry-leading capacity and experience in 48 states and Canada

In-house adjusting services

Property engineering services for cost-effective solutions to property conservation needs

While some insurance companies can’t see the forest for the trees,

at LUA we deliver total property insurance solutions.

For more than 25 years, theSouthern Forest ProductsAssociation (SFPA) has operateda comprehensive marketing pro-gram to grow demand forSouthern Pine lumber products.Working under the banner of theSouthern Pine Council, SFPA

staffers are in front of key audi-ences advancing the merits of oneof America’s first building materi-als: Southern Pine. While dismaleconomic conditions persist,SFPA is working hard to managethe long, painful climb back tohealthier markets. Buyers know

March/April 2011 Page 7

Southern Pine Industry Is Primed for Recovering Markets

The new website helps professional deck builders and advanced do-it-yourselfers build safe, code-compliant decks and porches.

Continued on page 27

As spring building season approaches, sales of treated Southern Pinelumber will peak.

Building a home on a raised wood floor adds a third more lumber to thetypical framing package.

The superior strength properties of Southern Pine lumber make it idealfor raised floor construction.

Southern Pine flooring enhances any décor, and isavailable in a range of sizes and grades.

Remodeling contractors know the features ofSouthern Pine specialty items, including ceiling andpaneling patterns.

Since 1950, SFPAʼs Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expositionhas showcased the latest products and services.

New resources from the Southern Pine Council help distributors oftreated Southern Pine boost sales.

Page 8 The Softwood Forest Products Buyer

Some sourcesin the Midwestreport stagnantmarket condi-tions, othersaccount for moredepressed con-

ditions and still, some are experi-encing roller coaster symptoms of“up-and-down” improvements.A Softwood lumber supplier inKansas, which serves treatingplants, secondary manufacturers,domestic and international whole-salers and home centers said hisbusiness is spotty. “January start-ed out with increased inquiries andorder files,” he explained. “As wemoved into February we started tosee some of that back off and ourcustomers are ordering just whatthey need just when they need it.The middle of February we had

Midwest Business Trends

By Paul Miller Jr.Assistant

Managing Editor

some weather related business inour area that has been the greaterreason for our improved condi-tions.”The source said weakness in thegeneral economy and job availabil-ity is the major contributing factorof repeat order files remaining atbay. “With tight reins on credit andeven tighter issues in the job mar-ket, construction is going to bestagnant for some time.”While he isn’t experiencing anydifficulties with product availability,he noted an increase in trans-portation costs as a heavy con-cern. “We are prepared for a tradi-tional increase during the firstquarter of every year. But with thenew regulations ocean carriers arecharging extra fees and its difficultto tack those on to your customer.”However in Missouri a contactsaid weather-related issues cer-tainly slowed things down for hisoperation. “We’ve had a prettytough winter here and logging con-ditions haven’t been good as aresult,” he explained. He mentioned trucking availability

In mid-Februarysuppliers fromn o r t h e r nCalifornia toBritish Columbiaall said thatheavy winter

weather across North America hasheld up spring buying—at leastuntil the last few days. Almosteveryone was optimistic that thisyear will be anywhere from slightlyto significantly better than last yearin terms of volumes and profits. Darren Duchi, head of Siskiyou

Forest Products, Anderson,Calif., said,” Our reman andprestain operations are stayingbusy. The first two months of thisyear have not been bad, but notgreat either. The market is veryvanilla and very spotty these lastfew weeks. It’s tougher on thesawmills than it is for us right

West Coast Business Trends

By Wayne MillerExecutive Editor

now. From my customers and onmy part there is optimism for therest of this year. Right now thereare some good buys to be madeand there is business beingdone. I think everyone is feelingbetter about the economy in gen-eral than they have for the last cou-ple of years. While it is true that westill need more jobs and betternumbers in home construction,there are bright spots andthere are good things happen-ing. Exports to other countries aregoing strong. Government build-ing and multi-family building is alsostrong.“There are real questions about

supply being there if there issignificant pickup in domestic buy-ing. Many mills have either closed,or curtailed production due to lackof domestic demand, higher pricedlogs and a basic inability to make aprofit. There isn’t a lot of inventoryat buyer levels and most mills arenot carrying high inventories, soany real pickup in domesticdemand could see shortages andthus higher prices from themills. We are all getting used tothe ‘new normal.’ ” Currently we are running two

shifts five days a week and onsome Saturdays. One of ourbiggest challenges these days isfuel. Prices keep going up for gasand electricity. Just to give you anidea, this morning I filled my tankand the price was $3.40 per gallonfor regular unleaded. That’s atleast 50 cents more per gallonthan many other states currently.”Pat Murphy and Steve Wearne

at Pacific Western Lumber, LakeOswego, Ore., said, “From awholesale point of view it has beenvery slow with our West Coastdealer customers. They are notseeing any demand and theyaren’t buying. The one real brightspot that has maintained a fairlyconsistent level of purchasing hasbeen the agricultural area. Itemslike tomato stakes, posts for vine-yards and poles for hops. Theseitems and others are selling wellfor us. We are hopeful that goodspring weather will bring some lifeto our dealers’ business, too.”Vince Mast, in sales for

Hampton Lumber Sales,Portland, Ore., said, “The lastthree or four weeks we struggledand drifted, losing about $10 to$15 per thousand due to horribleweather. Buying was hand-to-mouth and inventories were beingkept low. However, the export mar-kets were going well, at leastuntil the Chinese New Year holi-day. That just ended and China isstarting to buy again, along withIndia, Vietnam, Korea, Iraq andother world markets. Export salesare increasing, calling for moreand more wood, which hasallowed us to raise prices to someextent. Right now there is a tightsupply, particularly in narrowssuch as 2 x 4, 2 x 6 and 2 x8. Wides will be a little better. Logdiameter is shrinking all thetime. Log prices are high and theyare in short supply. Our mills havedone rolling curtailments due tothe lack of logs and the high priceson them.“A perfect storm may be brew-

Continued on page 31

Continued on page 32

DURGINCROWELL

TRIED AND TRUE.Manufacturers of Quality Eastern White Pine

• 30 Million BD FT of Production• 630,000 BD FT of Dry Kiln Capacity • Inline Moisture Detectors • Waco 30 XL Moulder • Modernized Cut Up Shop

DURGIN & CROWELL LUMBER CO.231 Fisher Corner Rd.New London, NH 03257 P: 603-763-2860 F: 603-763-4498

www.durginandcrowell.com

March/April 2011 Page 9

Have Your Customers Choose Any Color For Their Siding.

Let Us Do The Rest.

• Saves Time and Eliminates Weather Delays

• Available with 5-year, 15-year or 25-Year Warranty

• Fade-Resistant, Nature Inspired Colors

• Applied in Factory-Controlled Conditions

Cabot Factory Finish™

To Learn More, visit CabotFactoryFinish.comor call 1-800-US-STAIN

Page 10 The Softwood Forest Products Buyer

NRLA Photos - Continued from page 1

Patrick Hamill, Moulding & Millwork, Doswell, Va.; Wade Hickson, Moulding &Millwork, Lexington, Ky.; and Paul Harvey, Moulding & Millwork, Vancouver,B.C.

Bob Zavorskas, Huber Engineered Woods, Orleans, Mass.; Katie Gallagher,Huber Engineered Woods, Langdon, N.H.; and Mark Miller, Huber EngineeredWood, Charlotte, N.C.

Duane Boice, Gruenwald Engineered Laminates, Tea, S.D.; Chris Schultz,Universal Forest Products, Belchertown, Mass.; and Guy Zegarelli, Open Joist,Belchertown, Mass.

Bernie Nugent, Warren Trask Co., Stoughton, Mass.; Alden Robbins, Robbins Lumber Inc., Searsmont, Maine; andJack Curry, Gil Adams, Paul Burnham and John Garth, Warren Trask Co.

Dick Giguere and Charles Clark, Ware Butler Inc., Waterville, Maine; ToniaTibbetts, Robbins Lumber Inc., Searsmont, Maine; and Daniel and MichelleBeaulieu, Ware Butler Inc.

John Beers III, Georgia-Pacific Wood Products, Detroit, Mich.; and CristinaGiacone and Pat Lynch, Georgia-Pacific Wood Products, Atlanta, Ga.

Lonnie Pintande and Todd Lindsey, Eastern Engineered Wood Products,Bethlehem, Pa.; and Michael Corsello, Nash Lumber Merchandising,Bayshore, N.Y.

Scott Boates, Teal-Jones Group, Surrey, B.C.; Meredith Howe, Capital ForestProducts Inc., Annapolis, Md.; and Steve Boyd, Manufacturers ReserveSupply, Irvington, N.J.

Jay Biondolillo and Shaun Powell, North Counties Supply Co., Philadelphia,N.Y.; Robb Hitch, Woodgrain Doors & Millwork, Marion, Va.; and David OʼBrien,Woodgrain Doors & Millwork, Syracuse, N.Y.

Frank Halnon, Jay Fraga and Bob Schullery, Northeast Treaters Inc.,Belchertown, Mass.

John Smart, Cabot, Seabrook, N.H.; Brad Hodgins, Pacific Coast CedarProducts, Hamburg, N.J.; and Matt Pedrone, Cabot, Newburyport, Mass.

Terry Miller, Softwood Forest Products Buyer, Memphis, Tenn.; Steve Maneri,International Forest Products Corp., Foxboro, Mass.; Sara Caldeira, NFLcheerleader, Foxboro, Mass.; and Ari Levitt, International Forest ProductsCorp.

David Jeffers, PPG Machine Applied Coatings, Raleigh, N.C.; Dave Siteman, PPG Machine Applied Coatings, Halifax,N.S.; and Tom Hunter, PPG Machine Applied Coatings, Wells, Maine Pat Heffernan and Kevin OʼConnor, DMSi Software, Omaha, Neb.; and John Howell, Shepley Wood Products Inc.,

Hyannis, Mass.

Brad Morrow, Coastal Forest Products, Bedford, N.H.; and Jean-Marc Dubois,Nordic Engineered Wood, Slingerlands, N.Y.

Roger Grenier, Goodfellow Inc., Delson, Que.; Daniel Boisbert, Shannon Duguay, and Shawn Kearns, Goodfellow Inc.,Manchester, N.H.; Dan Vilardo, ENAP Inc., New Windsor, N.Y.; Don Lefebvre, Goodfellow Inc., Manchester, N.H.; FrankHorton, Lenihan Lumber Co., Waterford, Conn.; and Glenn Canino, ENAP Inc.

Additional photos on page 12

March/April 2011 Page 11

Foxworth Galbraith lumberyard.This three-acre facility will selllumber, hardware and-new for thecompany-home decorating items.President and CEO Laron Porter,his brother, Beau, and long-timemanager Ed Bum, recentlyacquired the business from hisfather, who co-founded it asPrecision Lumber in 1989.

Northeastern Supply Acquires84 Lumber Yard

Baltimore, Md.—NortheasternSupply, headquartered here,recently pur-chased the 84Lumber yard inPocomoke City,Md. Shuttered by 84Lumber nearly twoyears ago, the 17-acre site will beNortheastern’s 34th location.

Weaverʼs Hardware ReceivesPreliminary Approval

Fleetwood, Pa.—Weaver’sHardware Co., based here,recently received preliminaryapproval for a 4,500 square footaddition to store and display lum-ber.Weaver’s Hardware Companywas founded in 1965 by HarveyWeaver. The original store wasoperated as a small farm supplystore. As customers’ needsbecame more extensive, Weaver’sgradually evolved into the storethat we are today. Offering cus-tomers everything you wouldexpect to find in a hardware storealong with many unique and hard-to-find items. Weaver’s added itsfirst commercial sales and serviceteam in 1980 to offer personalservice to businesses in the area.For more information visitwww.weavershardware.com.

RETAIL REVIEWBMC West Finds New

Location in Denver

Denver, Colo.—BMC West ismoving its two-acre distributionyard in Denver to a larger, 10-acresite.“This property substantiallyexpands our capacity for lumberand building materials in one facil-ity that is strategically located,”said CEO Peter Alexander. “Thesize and location of the lumber-yard was a critical factor in ourdecision as it is very scalable, andwe can easily meet the demandfor our customers on time and onbudget.”According to sources, the leasedfacility will be overseen by DougWhiting, area operations managerfor Colorado, and serve as a hubfor distribution of all lumber andbuilding materials in the state.

Wolf Adds New England

York, Pa.—Wolf, headquarteredhere, will open a new distributioncenter in Worcester, Mass., serv-ing dealers in MassachusettsConneticutt, Rhode Island, Maine,New Hampshire, Vermont andupstate New York.The new facility features one acreof outside storage and 10 dockdoors, with 60,000 square feet ofinside storage.Creating about 20 jobs, the movewill mark the completion of Wolf’stwo-year geographic reorganiza-tion, which included adding a DCin Lawrenceville, Ga., and movingto a larger facility in York.

•Ashby Lumber Expands

Berkeley, Calif.—Ashby Lumber,based here, announced plans toexpand its location in Concord,Calif., onto a neighboring propertyand build two new buildings total-ing 13,000-square-foot to houseits milling operation and door andwindow warehouse.Rick Kelley, manager of the loca-tion in Berkeley, will also overseethe expansion in Concord.

•Maine Building Suppliers

Add Store

Oxford, Maine—Owners ofRecord Building Supply, Michaeland Hilda Record, have opened anew retail business inCumberland, Maine, primarily tosell products from its sawmill.The 7,200-square-foot lumberstore sells Pine and Hemlockboards, framing lumber, posts andbeams, as well as wood pellets forheating and wood shavings forhorse bedding.Mike Biskup will assist with mar-keting sales and daily operationsof the store.

Continued on page 13

Indiana Gets Modern Building

Youngstown, Ohio—ModernBuilders Supply, headquarteredhere, recently opened its 25thstore in Muncie, Ind.Modern Builders Supply, Inc.,was founded in 1944. What, today,has become an independentbuilding supply wholesaler of theMidwest, was started in a one-room rented building by NathanLaTuchie. By the late 1960’s thecompany added branches inAkron, Canton, Cleveland, andToledo, Ohio. In addition to the dis-tribution branches, the companyhad begun to manufacture windowand door products.

Arizona Dealer Revives Yard

Heber, Ariz.—The HOME Center,based here, added a branch inPayson, Ariz., at the former

Page 12 The Softwood Forest Products Buyer

Kevin Keillor Jr., Thurber Lumber Co. Inc., Rocky Point, N.Y.; Tony Bonura,Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau, Sumas, Wash.; and Dean Harrington, WatkinsSawmills Ltd., Mission, B.C.

Mike Booth, Woodtone, Chilliwack, B.C.; and Shawn Nash, The Hartford LumberCo. Inc., Hartford, Conn.

Michael Kelly and Mandi Molfetta, Mid-State Lumber Corp., Branchburg, N.J.;Debbie Erchick, Mid-State Lumber Corp., Warwick, N.Y.; and Addie Atkins andBob OʼBrien, Mid-State Lumber Corp., Branchburg, N.J.

Gary Bernstein and Helene Feinberg, Mid-State Lumber Corp., Branchburg,N.J.; Tim Erchick, Mid-State Lumber Corp., Warwick, N.Y.; and Kenny Bernstein,Mid-State Lumber Corp., Branchburg, N.J.

Art Barker, Scott Boates and Tom Jones, Teal-Jones Group, Surrey, B.C. Bob Plourde, Hancock Lumber Co., Damariscotta, Maine; Tom Quinn, HancockLumber Co., Bridgeton, Maine; John Yazwinski, Hancock Lumber Co.,Yarmouth, Maine; and Kevin Hynes, Hancock Lumber Co., Casco, Maine

Kevin Porter and Dave Yergeau, Hood Distribution, Milton, Vt.; and ScottHanson, Hood Distribution, Manchester, Conn.

Bob Lattanzi, Liz Ritz and Don Webster, Hood Distribution, NorthBillerica, Mass.

Joe Richardelli, Timber Block, Fredericksburg, Va.; and Heather Remot, TimberBlock, Orlando, Fla.

(left) Allan Burk, LP Building Products, Nashville, Tenn. Frank LeVasseur and Ben LeVasseur, Waska Premium Cedar Products, Clair,N.B.

Terry Miller, The Softwood Forest Products Buyer, Memphis, Tenn.; and Garyand Kenny Bernstein, Mid-State Lumber Corp., Branchburg, N.J.

Sheldon Watson, Boise Cascade LLC, Boise, Idaho; Bill Ware, BMC, Boise, Idaho; Trudy Johnson, Boise Cascade LLC,Boise, Idaho; and Drew Kappus, Boise Cascade LLC, San Antonio, Texas

Jim Abbott, Boise Cascade LLC, Philadelphia, Pa.; Dan Carter, Boise Cascade LLC, Boise, Idaho; and Jim Sanders,Boise Cascade LLC, Suwanee, Ga.

Dan Reeder, Northern Kentucky Cedar LLC, Maysville, Ky.; Beth and David White, WHB Inc., Mooresville, N.C.; and TeriReeder, Northern Kentucky Cedar LLC

Mike Tichenor, Capital Forest Products, Annapolis, Md.; Curtis McLeod, Capital Forest Products, Hingham, Mass.; andTom Merkert, Capital Forest Products, Annapolis, Md.

NRLA Photos - Continued from page 10

IBS Photos - Continued from page 1

Additional photos on page 14

March/April 2011 Page 13

RETAIL REVIEWContinued from page 11

California and Nevada LumberAssociation Elects Officers

Folsom, Calif.—The LumberAssociation of California andNevada (LACN) recently electedthe following officers:President, JD Saunders,Economy Lumber, Campbell,Calif.; first Vice President, RichardMcArthur, Ojai Lumber, Ojai,Calif.; second Vice President,Augie Venezia, Fairfax Lumberand Hardware, Fairfax, Calif.;Treasurer, Bobby Senften,Friedman’s Home Improvement,Santa Rosa, Calif.; and CorporateSecretary, Ken Dunham.

Home Depot Opens 657,000-Square-Foot DC In New

England

Westfield, Mass.—Home Depotrecently opened a $25 million,657,000 square-foot rapid deploy-ment distribution center here.The chain is also negotiating a135,000 square-foot store at theformer Nabisco plant in BuenaPark, Calif., and a 102,513square-foot store with a 28,086square-foot garden center inGrants Pass, Ore.The center will serve 115 storesthroughout New England. HomeDepot expects to open 10 newstores in 2011.

Ace Owner Sells After 36 Years

Driggs, Idaho—Dennis Sessionsrecently sold Teton Ace Hardware,based here, to neighboring super-market Broulim’s. Broulim’s also owns an AceHardware in Soda Springs, Idaho.Les and Kathy Orcheskowskyrecently opened an Ace Hardwarein Bisbee, Ariz. The couple alsooperates Aces in Sierra Vista andBenson, Ariz., recently completingan 8,000-square-foot expansion totheir Benson location.

Loweʼs Opens Facilities

Covina, Calif.—Lowe’s recentlyopened two 94,000 square-foothome centers. One is located inCovina and the other is in Sonora,Calif. Jim Phillip will manage thestore in Covina and Heather Farriswill serve as Sonora’s store man-

ager.The retail chain also recently pur-chased 11 acres in Fairfield, Calif.,for a 139,000 square-foot store;received planning commissionapproval to build a 153,000square-foot store in ThousandOaks, Calif., and is waiting tomove to a site in Poway, Calif.

Habitat For HumanityRelocates ReStore

Durango, Calif.—Habitat forHumanity recently relocated itsReStore discount lumber andbuilding materials outlet basedhere, to a larger 8,000-square-footfacility and moved its HabiStore inTucson, Ariz., to an 18,000-square-foot home.

Building Products RetailersAlliance Launches Claim

Check Verification

Florida—Claim Check Verification,a program conceived by an lum-ber and building material retailer’sorganization and a certificationagency would begin testing andverifying building products toensure safety and quality assur-ance.Intertek, a third-party auditor withmore than 1,000 labs and officesacross the globe, will certify con-struction materials and products.To enroll in the program, manu-facturers register at claimcheck-verified.com.“There was a realization that thereal ‘green’ problem was ‘greenwashing’”, Bill Tucker, president ofthe Florida Building MaterialAssociation said. “The dealers atthe meeting were confused about

what was and wasn’t green andhow they could determine whichwas which.”According to Tucker, after con-tacting Intertek about puttingtogether a green certification pro-gram, the Chinese drywall prob-lem surfaced. “That occasioned usto think about the need for verify-ing claims for all types of buildingproducts,” he noted.Along with the Florida BuildingMaterial Association, the BuildingProducts Retailers Allianceincludes the ConstructionSuppliers Association, the IllinoisLumber and Building MaterialDealers Association, the KentuckyBuilding Material Association, theNorthwestern Lumber Associationand the Southern BuildingMaterial Association.

{ }