Prosales articles from August 2005

Prosales archives from August 2005

Testing the waters: Web-based seminars give you the ability to provide cost-effective training and marketing to your customers.(Editor's Notes)
August 1, 2005... About 10 years ago, a good friend of mine called me up to say that she had accepted a new job as communications director for an online university in Florida. I laughed and asked her if attending the school was like getting a mail-order degree...

Closer inspection.(Returns)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... Your June editorial ("Safety in Numbers," page 14) was great information for all lumberyards. There is one area of the information that could be slightly misleading. When the Federal Government forced the new NAICS classifications on all...

Calendar.(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... Lumbermens Merchandising Corp. Annual Meeting / Sept. 15-17 / Orlando, Fla./Contact: 610.293.7019; www.lmc.net... True Value Fall Market / Sept. 16-19 / Denver / Contact: 773.695.5000; www. truevaluecompany.com... NLBMDA/ProSales Industry...

Top volume: a rock 'n' roll--style presentation at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference helps to boost already stellar sales at Golden State Lumber's newest yard and wall panel plant.(ProWatch)
August 1, 2005... When the lights dimmed at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference's (PCBC) annual P.A.S.S. (purchasing agents, suppliers, and subcontractors) Luncheon, held June 3 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, attendees poked at their meals...

Plumbing the depths: with recent moves into the foundation and plumbing arenas, two national pro dealers are going deeper into the concept of offering one-stop shopping for products and construct on services.(ProWatch)
August 1, 2005... During an April 26 BMHC conference call on first-quarter earnings, BMC Construction's CEO Mike Mahre described an "end game" for the San Francisco--based pro dealer and construction services provider that included becoming "an integrated,...

Wire learning: Scherer Bros. is set to launch a new online training pilot with Remodelers University to provide top-quality, cost-effective training to customers.(ProWatch)
August 1, 2005... When Dave Klun decided to launch Scherer University for his remodeling customers earlier this year he thought that it would be a snap--well. at least not terribly difficult--to expand from offering occasional seminars to a formal education...

Cosella-Dorken.(Editor's Product Pick)
August 1, 2005... Designed to address the difficulties of applying a waterproofing membrane to insulated concrete form (ICF) foundations, the Delta-MS Clear membrane is see-through, so it eliminates the need to note the location of web markings and attachment...

NLBMDA, OSHA create dealer Web page.(Yard Notables)
August 1, 2005... As part of an ongoing partnership to increase overall safety awareness in the lumber and building materials industry, the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) and OSHA have launched a new safety and health Web page...

Stock promotes Joe Appelmann.(Yard Notables)
August 1, 2005... Building materials supplier Stock Building Supply announced the promotion of Joe Appelmann from vice president, West Division operations, to senior vice president of logistics. Appelmann, who joined Stock as corporate controller in 1988, will...

Lyle Heidemann joins true value as president & CEO.(Yard Notables)
August 1, 2005... Chicago-based wholesale hardware co-op True Value Co. announced the selection of Lyle G. Heidemann as president and CEO. Heidemann brings extensive retail experience to True Value after serving as executive vice president and general manager at...

Ace re-elects four directors; appoints new member.(Yard Notables)
August 1, 2005... Four members of Oak Brook, Ill.-based hardware retail co-op Ace Hardware's board of directors--J. Thomas Glenn, Richard Baalmann Jr., Richard Stine, and Jeff Schulein--were re-elected to the board at the company's annual stockholder*s meeting....

Beare appointed to Stephens.(Yard Notables)
August 1, 2005... Little Rock, Ark.-based investment banking and brokerage firm Stephens has appointed Nicholas V. Beare to head its new Building Products & Technologies Group as managing director. Justin L. Courtney will join the team as vice president. ...

Maher Lumber celebrates 60th anniversary.(Yard Notables)
August 1, 2005... Maher Lumber Co. is celebrating 60 years of business this year. The building materials supplier first opened in 1945 as Franklin Park & Fuel Lumber. Maher enters its 60th year with a revamped showroom and an expanded kitchen and bath...

Andersen acquires Eagle Windows & Doors.(Yard Notables)
August 1, 2005... Bayport, Minn.-based window and door manufacturer Andersen Corp. announced its acquisition of Dubuque, Iowa-based aluminum-clad wood window and patio door manufacturer Eagle Windows & Doors. The acquisition was finalized on May 25. Eagle's...

Keith Brown Building Materials.
August 1, 2005... Mark Bechel joins Salem, Ore.-based building materials supplier Keith Brown Building Materials as its new CFO. Bethel spent 25 years at Georgia-Pacific and with BlueLinx.

ABC Supply.
August 1, 2005... Keith Rozolis was promoted from vice president to senior vice president of strategic marketing and planning at Beloit, Wis.-based building products distributor ABC Supply.

Huttig Building Products.
August 1, 2005... David L. Fleisher joins St. Louis-based millwork, building materials, and wood product distributor Huttig Building Products as vice president-CFO. He will manage all financial and general counsel responsibilities.

BlueTarp.
August 1, 2005... Charlotte, N.C.-based commercial credit services provider BlueTarp announced that it has changed its name to BlueTarp Financial. According to the firm, the name incorporates the various financial services the company offers to the building...

Black & Decker Corp.
August 1, 2005... Black & Decker Corp., based in Lake Forest, Calif., promoted James T. Caudill from vice president and general manager of its Accessories Division to president of its Hardware and Home Improvement Group. Caudill's responsibilities will include...

The National Building Museum.
August 1, 2005... The National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a series of events, including a seven-week film series this summer entitled "Reel Architecture," a 25th Anniversary Bash in October, and the...

Glen Oak Lumber & Milling.
August 1, 2005... Montello, Wis.-based millwork manufacturer Glen Oak Lumber & Milling announced that it was selected as one of 16 finalists for the 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in Wisconsin. The annual award, given by Ernst & Young, recognizes the...

Innovative Training Solutions, an industry consulting firm headed by president and CEO Bob Losyk, has relocated to P.O. Box 38815, Greensboro, N.C., 27438.
August 1, 2005... Innovative Training Solutions, an industry consulting firm headed by president and CEO Bob Losyk, has relocated to P.O. Box 38815, Greensboro, N.C., 27438. The company also can be reached at a new phone number, 336.288.8901, or...

Stepping up, moving forward: NLBMDA's Direct Dealer campaign begins.(NLBMDA Briefings)
August 1, 2005... In May the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) began inviting dealers across the nation to join NLBMDA as Direct Dealer members. This event had been anticipated for quite awhile and, as the chairman of NLBMDA's...

NLBMDA and ProSales invite you to Vancouver this fall.(NLBMDA Briefings)
August 1, 2005... The year's NLBMDA/Proales Industry Summit is being held in picturesque Vancouver, B.C. Surrounded by water, mountains, and forests, the summit will feature a full agenda of education, networking, and industry-related tours. Make sure that this...

Do you know what you are signing?(NLBMDA Briefings)
August 1, 2005... In today's society we are required to sign our names to many different documents and papers, ranging from the simple and mundane, such as a credit card receipt for dinner, to the complicated and overwhelming, such as a contract on a new home...

NLBMDA advocacy corner.(NLBMDA Briefings)
August 1, 2005... "The government is the strongest of which every man feels himself a part." --Thomas Jefferson Each individual has a right to make his or her voice heard in our government. While an individual voice can be powerful, those voices...

Adding value: price can only get you so far. Add more value by analyzing your customers' needs and how your offerings fit in.(New Dimensions)
August 1, 2005... Much has been written over the years about value-added selling (including by me), yet there still seems to be confusion and reluctance in the industry to really demonstrate added value to our customers. After years of conducting meetings...

No excuses: no matter the rationale, razor-thin margins usually become big fat profit failures.(Firing Line)
August 1, 2005... I'd like to start off by apologizing to all the sales managers out there who may have to listen to their sales force argue for "special introductory pricing" based on this month's column. I had been calling on a potentially large...

Blue Ribbon Millwork: Integrity[R] a good option for Midwest dealer.(INTEGRITY CELEBRATES ITS RED DIAMOND ACHIEVERS)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... Blue Ribbon Millwork, in the northern suburbs of Chicago, is a devoted dealer of Marvin and Integrity windows and doors. "Integrity windows fit our market niche, and their superior quality and the support we get from them really make a...

Team play: community outreach through coaching youth sports is a lot like involving yourself in service to the pro dealer industry: the more you give, the more you get back.(Dispatch)
August 1, 2005... Several weeks ago I reached a personal milestone in my life. As a community service volunteer, I coached my 300th game. There were no balloons, cakes, bands, or ESPN reporters to celebrate this event. In fact, I was the only one who even knew,...

Head coaching: sales managers need to coach from the sidelines to help develop their reps' skills.(Sell Sheet)
August 1, 2005... Imagine you're a sales manager in the midst of meeting with a potential new customer. Your sales rep is running the meeting, and things are not going the way you had hoped. In fact, the salesperson is talking too much, making a presentation...

Pillars of goodwill: Paul Hylbert, Kevin Hancock, and Mickey Boles honored as the 2005 ProSales Public Service Leaders.(Cover Story)
August 1, 2005... Inspirational, at times even unbelievable in the scope and depth of their giving, the 2005 PROSALES Public Service Leader award recipients--Kevin Hancock, Mickey Boles, and Paul Hylbert--have dedicated their careers to the betterment of the...

Inventory of ideas: as builder's product and delivery demands intensify, dealers find themselves turning more frequently to distributors to help manage their yards' inventories, even if that ruffles some feathers internally.
August 1, 2005... When Ply Mart entered into an inventory pilot program earlier this year with building materials distributor BlueLinx, which became the primary supplier of lumber and panels for three of the dealer's 27 yards, Ply Mart's yard managers were...

New technology safeguards against deck enemies.(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... Exclusive Antimicrobial Composite Expected to Break the Market Wide Open Correct Building Products has boldly raced in front of the composite decking pack with the only product on the market that takes on the most common sources of...

Driven to diversify: pressure from production builders, a wandering eye, and the promise of greater profits combine to drive builders to diversify their businesses, forcing dealers to choose if they'll go along.(Market Matters)
August 1, 2005... Mike Weiss is the poster child of builder diversification. Educated and licensed as a mechanical engineer, he admittedly "backed into" construction as the general contractor on a light commercial job in the late-1960s, then moved on to develop...

Easy riders.(Product Monitor)
August 1, 2005... An aching back, strained muscles, and stiff joints are just a few symptoms of fatigue a forklift operator might accumulate in a day of sitting or standing, wrestling a steering wheel, operating hydraulic controls, and climbing on and off the...

Fashionable security.(Product Monitor)
August 1, 2005... While the security provided by an entry lock and handleset is of first importance, homeowners also desire and demand door hardware that expresses their homes" individual style and their aesthetic preferences. The newest door hardware products...

Mapei.(Hot Finds: Construction Materials)
August 1, 2005... A Mapei Ultralite Mortar's lightweight formula incorporates Easy Glide Technology, which yields a buttery consistency that reduces fatigue while troweling, the maker says. The mortar allows large format the to be installed on vertical surfaces...

CertainTeed.(Hot Finds: Construction Materials)
August 1, 2005... B CertainTeed With acoustical and thermal performance that exceeds that of the original product, ToughGard2 textile duct liner is manufactured from a glass fiber composition that allows a cleaner cut and produces less dust during fabrication....

Pine Ridge Builders.(Hot Finds: Construction Materials)
August 1, 2005... C Pine Ridge Builders Molded from foam insulation, EnergyBIock fits around standard electrical outlet and light switch boxes to seal out drafts that cause air infiltration and exfiltration, providing an R-10 insulation value and helping to...

Henkel Consumer Adhesives.(Hot Finds: Construction Materials)
August 1, 2005... D Henkel Consumer Adhesives Latex-based and VOC-compliant Loctite Exterior Power Grab construction adhesive offers several working advantages, including a high initial tack, no flashing-off requirement, and the need for only minimal bracing....

Franklin International.(Hot Finds: Construction Materials)
August 1, 2005... E Franklin International with a bond strength of 220 psi, VOC-compliant Titebond 821 Premium urethane wood flooring adhesive offers a strong bond and a powerful initial grab. The water-free, non-slump formula allows the option of wet-laying...

Sweet success: the success of Walgreens in the low-margin commodity drug business offers a worthy comparison to pro dealers focusing on primary customers, reinventing their supply chains, and embracing ingenuity.(Viewpoint)
August 1, 2005... In 1922 Walgreens soda jerk Ivar "Pop" Coulson revolutionized the drugstore industry with the introduction of a novel creation called the malted mill shake. To this day, Walgreens credits the beginning of its national market growth to Coulson's...