Prosales articles from April 2006

Prosales archives from April 2006

Marketing 101: a more competitive sales environment demands that dealers demystify marketing and make solid investments in getting their message out.(Editor's Notes)
April 1, 2006... For all of the pro dealers out there who decided in the '80s and '90s that they were not going to compete with The Home Depot, there's bad news. As acquisitions of White Cap, Williams Bros., and Hughes Supply indicate, the Atlanta-based home...

Installed sales correction.(Returns)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... I thought John Caulfield's recent article on installed sales ("Risk Averse" February 2006, page 21) was right on the mark. However, I would like to clarify that Williams Bros. Lumber Co. installs $2.5 to $3 million monthly, not yearly as...

Calendar.(Calendar)
April 1, 2006... North American Wholesale Lumber Association Spring Conference / April 30-May 2 / Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. / Contact: 800.527.8258; www.nawla.org... National Hardware Show and Lawn & Garden World / May 9-11 / Lag Vegas / Contact: 888.425.9377;...

Growing strong: the beginning months of 2006 find San Francisco-based pro dealer and construction services provider BMHC busy managing acquisitions, executive restructuring, and more record-setting financial results.(ProWatch)
April 1, 2006... Bolstered by 2005 fourth quarter and annual financial results that again set new company highs, San Francisco-based Building Materials Holding Corp. (BMHC) continues to add additional framing services to its BMC Construction division via...

Leading examples: if leadership excellence is not your top priority, your company may not survive!(ProWatch)
April 1, 2006... While many of today's top-ranked LBM suppliers fully embrace excellence in customer service, vendor relations, and even employee satisfaction, they typically fail to realize the importance that excellence in leadership plays in achieving great...

Tackling takeoffs: with what the company calls a best-of-breed estimating tool now wired to its Falcon and Eagle back-end office systems, Activant aims to make estimates easier than ever.(ProWatch: Tech Trends)
April 1, 2006... Doing blueprint takeoffs used to be a nice "extra" to offer to your customers. But today, having the ability to create fast, accurate estimates often is a must-have to close the deal for a contractor's next job and to keep him coming back. "Any...

Keith Brown purchases Madras Builders Center.(ProWatch: Yard Notables)
April 1, 2006... In January, Salem, Ore.-based Keith Brown Building Materials announced its acquisition of single-unit Madras Builders Center (MBC), Keith Brown's 13th store and its first acquisition since 2000. "The housing market in central Oregon remains...

BMD acquires Boddington Lumber.(ProWatch: Yard Notables)
April 1, 2006... Gait, Calif.-based specialty and commodity building materials wholesale distributor and exporter Building Material Distributors (BMD) announced the acquisition of Colorado Springs, Colo.-based wholesale millwork supplier Boddington Lumber Co....

Wolseley announces promotions.(ProWatch: Yard Notables)
April 1, 2006... North Reading, England-based plumbing, heating, and building products distributor and Stock Building Supply parent company Wolseley has announced the promotion of Frank Roach from senior vice president to CEO of Wolseley North America. His...

Fortune Brands acquires SBR, Fypon names new president.(ProWatch: Yard Notables)
April 1, 2006... Deerfield, Ill.-based Fortune Brands, which owns a number of premier home and consumer brands, announced a definitive agreement to purchase Parkersburg, W.Va.-based SBR through a tax-free merger. The acquisition includes SBR's brands Simonton...

Marvin windows and doors.(Editor's Product Pick)
April 1, 2006... Marvin has previously only offered entry doors as part of its custom services, but recently introduced its first standard line of entry door designs. Marvin Entry Doors are handcrafted made-to-order in Honduras from a variety of wood species,...

ProSales honors 2005 Excellence Award winners.(ProWatch: Yard Notables)
April 1, 2006... During a special breakfast at the International Builders' Show Jan. 12, the PROSALES staff recognized the winners and honorable mentions of the 2005 Excellence Awards. Winners in attendance included (back row, left to right) Gary Burns, Stock...

The Home Depot launches loan program.(ProWatch: Yard Notables)
April 1, 2006... Atlanta-based home improvement retailer The Home Depot announced at the International Builders' Show in January the launch of its SPEC Construction Loan program with IndyMac Bank. The first nationwide program of its kind allows qualified...

Reico Kitchen & Bath.
April 1, 2006... Kitchen and bath products supplier Reico Kitchen & Bath has moved its headquarters from Springfield, Va., to a 22,000-square-foot office space in Annandale, Va. The facility will house 50 employees.

At its Marketplace 2006 in Providence, R.I., in January, Portland, Maine-based independent hardlines distributor Emery-Waterhouse awarded territory manager Dave Leslie the first-ever John Cummings award, which commends extraordinary teamwork, customer focus, commitment to the company, and work ethic.
April 1, 2006... At its Marketplace 2006 in Providence, R.I., in January, Portland, Maine-based independent hardlines distributor Emery-Waterhouse awarded territory manager Dave Leslie the first-ever John Cummings award, which commends extraordinary teamwork,...

Huttig Building Products.
April 1, 2006... St. Louis-based millwork, building materials, and wood products distributor Huttig Building Products promoted Kenneth D. Kuehn from vice president-national accounts to the new position of vice president-marketing and product management. Kuehn's...

U.S. Green Building Council.
April 1, 2006... In response to market surveys and users' requests, Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council announced process improvements to its Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system, including a streamlined...

Western Red Cedar Lumber Association.
April 1, 2006... Vancouver, British Columbia-based Western Red Cedar Lumber Association will host a five-day Cedar School educational program April 23-27 in Vancouver. Designed for professionals throughout the cedar industry, the program's curriculum includes...

Great Lakes Window.
April 1, 2006... Toledo, Ohio-based custom vinyl replacement window and door manufacturer Great Lakes Window has announced the appointment of Jeff Klein to president.

The NAHB Research Center in Upper Marlboro, Md., announced in January that Federal Way, Wash.-based Weyerhaeuser is the first manufacturer to carry OSB certified through the Research Center's new third-party OSB product and quality management certification program.
April 1, 2006... The NAHB Research Center in Upper Marlboro, Md., announced in January that Federal Way, Wash.-based Weyerhaeuser is the first manufacturer to carry OSB certified through the Research Center's new third-party OSB product and quality management...

New- and existing-home sales moderate: quarterly building trends forecast: the underlying strength of the economy should keep doomsday scenarios in check.(House Calls)
April 1, 2006... "The sky is falling! The sky is failing!" Not so fast, Chicken Little. Though it's becoming increasingly clear that the housing market is undergoing some degree of adjustment in most metro areas across the country, with sales moderating and...

Your regulatory voice.(NLBMDA Briefings)
April 1, 2006... With everyone busy during the brisk building season last year, we neglected to celebrate an important anniversary. Now this anniversary may not rank up there with those companies that started their businesses in 1905 or even 1955, but even...

Saluting congressional champions of the building supply industry.(NLBMDA Briefings)
April 1, 2006... Earlier this month, building material dealers from across the country converged on Capitol Hill during the NLBMDA Legislative Conference to personally seek support from members of Congress for issues important to the industry, including...

Diving in: make sure you evaluate market conditions before testing the installed sales waters.(New Dimensions)
April 1, 2006... A lumberyard owner in the Northeast told me recently that he had just hired an installed sales (IS) manager and was ready to take the plunge and initiate a comprehensive IS program. His approach can provide you with some valuable insight if you...

Good intentions: a new year, a new chance to make--and hopefully not break--resolutions.(Firing Line)
April 1, 2006... Though you're reading this column in April, I'm writing it at a time when my New Year's resolutions are still fresh. I hope that when this is published and I read it in the comfort of my clean office (see No. 2 below) I will swell with pride...

Product of pride: to ensure sustained success in good markets and bad, roll up your sleeves, learn from your people, and listen to your peers.(Dispatch)
April 1, 2006... I remember in the '70s we were all afraid that eventually we were going to run out of wood. That fear, compounded by government involvement in the housing industry when it wasn't wanted, non-securitized mortgages, and other factors, made for a...

State of evolution: it's an exciting time in construction supply, as the industry and the surrounding markets continue to shift and change.(Outlook)
April 1, 2006... Since becoming chairman of the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association, I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel to nearly every corner of our great nation to visit with lumber dealers and their regional...

Information superhighway: use research to speed up your search for new customers.(Sell Sheet)
April 1, 2006... A successful sales campaign begins with a systematic approach to market research that includes two valuable sources of data: public information from associations and the government, such as the NAHB and the U.S. Census Bureau, and direct...

Upstream, downstream: as it adds new yards, Wheeler's is besting competitors by expanding manufacturing and installation services that support its distribution.(ProFile)(Company overview)
April 1, 2006... It took Wheeler's Building Materials seven years to snare Sean Doughtie's business. As co-owner of Atlanta-based Mayfield Homes, which builds 100 to 150 houses annually, Doughtie started purchasing building materials from Wheeler's in 2002, but...

Buying time: a convergence of market forces has independents looking to sell and acquiring companies eager to buy as the industry rides another wave of heavy consolidation.
April 1, 2006... Yorkville, Ill.-based pro dealer F.E. Wheaton has rarely had a problem with growth. In 2004, the company increased sales by 27.4 percent to $106 million from two locations, topping a 2003 increase of 11.9 percent and continuing an upward trend...

Marketing your message: with stiffer competition and tighter times in 2006, how should a traditional, boards-and-boots dealer go about planning and executing a world-class marketing program? Follow the pros who know.
April 1, 2006... By late 2004, Bob Lucas, president of family-owned Contractor Express in Oceanside, N.Y., knew a slowdown was due in the then still-sizzling housing market. To head off the trend, he went to his co-owners and brothers, Jim and Jack, with a bold...

Beyond buying power: in addition to leveraging volume purchases and distribution, cooperatives and buying groups help independent and small-chain dealers remain competitive with a variety of value-added services.(Market Matters)
April 1, 2006... Like a growing number of independent dealers, Ron Tremel joined a home appliance cooperative and a lumber buying group to take advantage of better pricing and more reliable distribution than he'd be able to negotiate by himself for Seymour...

Take a SIP? As the structural insulated panel industry works to increase market share, this traditionally direct-selling product may find its way into more pro yards.(Product Monitor)
April 1, 2006... Structural insulated panels (SIPs) have hovered at the far edges of the building industry for decades as products that offer a number of advantages but have yet to make a large dent in market share. Primarily constructed with two outer...

Stack' em up.(Product Monitor)
April 1, 2006... Whether you're storing inventory or your company's own tools and equipment, a variety of solutions are available to meet your needs. Read on to learn about the latest introductions as well as a few oldies-but-goodies. Building on the...

A Jeld-Wen Windows & Doors.(Hot Finds: Doors)
April 1, 2006... A Jeld-Wen Windows & Doors The IWP Cherry Blossom entry door is constructed of black walnut and features a single decorative glass light in a design representing the branches and blossoms of a cherry tree. The door is accented by a +radius-top...

B CMI.(Hot Finds: Doors)
April 1, 2006... B CMI Resembling a classic Shaker-style door, the CraftMaster Corvado door is molded from high-density fiberboard and features a distinctive groove and modified sticking profile with the look of a ship-lap plank panel, The Corvado comes in...

C Therma-Tru Doors.(Hot Finds: Doors)
April 1, 2006... C Therma-Tru Doors Providing protection against extreme weather, Slim-Line Patio Doors are now available with TruDefense impact-rated laminated glass featuring a DP-50 water, structural, and windborne debris rating on units up to 8 feet tall...

D Vetter Windows & Doors.(Hot Finds: Doors)
April 1, 2006... D Vetter Windows & Doors The aluminum-clad Full Radius Top French door features a 1 3/4-inch or 2 1/4-inch door panel constructed from a variety of wood options and stiles with a core of laminated veneer lumber for structural integrity. The...

E Masonite.(Hot Finds: Doors)
April 1, 2006... E Masonite Featuring three recessed panels and a straight-grain hardwood texture, the Barrington Craftsman fiberglass entry door complements Mission or Craftsman architecture. A single glass light is factory-glazed into the door to maintain the...

Profit to go: succeeding with impulse shoppers comes down to timing, traffic, and not forgetting who you are.(Viewpoint)
April 1, 2006... Ever wonder how your local coffee shop can make fistfuls of money with a business focus as simple as espresso beans and steamed milk? Sure, $3 lattes don't hurt, and neither does having locations on every other block. But companies like...