Prosales articles from February 2006

Prosales archives from February 2006

Center stage: big builders are in the spotlight as they continue to grow and dealers ramp up to better serve them.(Editor's Note)
February 1, 2006... As you'll read in this special big builder issue, it's projected that by the year 2010 the 10 largest builders will control 50 percent of the new-home market, up from an estimated 30 percent this year and only 8 percent in 1993, according to...

Calendar.(Returns)(Calendar)
February 1, 2006... The Work Truck Show / March 1-3 / Atlanta / Contact National Truck Equipment Association: 800,441,6832; www.ntea.com... Iowa Lumber Convention / March 2-3 / Des Moines, Iowa / Contact Northwestern Lumber Association: 800, 331.0193;...

Risk averse: Pro dealers that install products for builders--and believe that their liability for construction defects or jobsite injuries can be passed onto subcontractors--should take a second look at their exposure.(ProWatch)
February 1, 2006... Scherer Bros. Lumber recently found itself replacing cement board siding on 60 homes, siding that had been installed by a subcontractor the dealer had hired four years ago. Back then, the Brooklyn Park, Minn.-based pro dealer's project...

Perfect couple: builder consolidation drove the union of two large, compatible pro dealers, Lanoga Corp. and The Strober Organization.(ProWatch)
February 1, 2006... What began as a fishing trip turned out to be a big catch for Fidelity Capital, the Boston-based investment firm that agreed last month to acquire Lanoga Corp. and merge the Redmond, Wash.-based company with The Strober Organization, forming a...

Back to the future: automation and robotics companies are beginning to explore the residential construction supply market to help pro dealers increase efficiencies of basic material handling and component manufacturing.(ProWatch)
February 1, 2006... Since the Industrial Revolution at the turn of the 20th century, the mechanization of manufacturing and distribution has been at the forefront of both popular culture and business evolution. From H.G. Wells' epic 1898 novel War of the Worlds to...

Portal Call: big builders are increasingly using Web portals to streamline building processes, and tech-savvy pro dealers that take notice stand to boost their own bottom lines.(ProWatch Tech Trends)
February 1, 2006... When Debbie Franxman of Wiseway Supply in Florence, Ky., has a question about an order from Drees Homes, one of her largest accounts, she logs on to Drees' password-protected Web site to get the answer. Whether she needs to know when to deliver...

Marvin windows & doors.(Editor's Product Pick)
February 1, 2006... The Ultimate Double Hung Magnum window is available in sizes up to 5 1/2 feet wide and 10 1/2 feet tall and meets commercial design pressure ratings, allowing architects and builders to use large wood windows where they have traditionally had...

The Home Depot acquires Hughes.(Yard Notables)
February 1, 2006... Atlanta-based The Home Depot announced Jan. 10 that it will acquire Hughes Supply for $3.47 billion. Orlando, Fla.-based Hughes, a distributor of construction, repair, and maintenance products with 9,600 employees, more than 500 locations, and...

Weekes acquires Logan Lumber.(Yard Notables)
February 1, 2006... St. Paul, Minn.-based Weekes Forest Products has acquired Logan Lumber Co., a 77-year-old building products wholesaler based in Tampa, Fla. The deal was completed on Jan. 16. Weekes Forest Products (www.weekesforest.com) operates seven...

New South opens Gulf Coast branch.(Yard Notables)
February 1, 2006... West Columbia, S.C.-based New South Supply has opened its ninth location, in Gulfport, Miss., that will service Gulfport, Biloxi, and Jackson, Miss.; New Orleans; and Mobile, Ala. Looking for new markets to enter, CEO Jim Sobeck began...

Kamco Supply opens in Glens Falls, N.Y.(Yard Notables)
February 1, 2006... Wallingford, Conn.-based Kamco Supply Corp. of New England announced the opening of a new Glens Falls, N.Y., branch. Jeff Morton, manager of the dealer's Albany, N.Y., location, will manage the new 30,000-square-foot facility until a new...

Honsador appoints CEO.(Yard Notables)
February 1, 2006... Kapolei, Hawaii-based Honsador Holding (www. honsador.com), which was created to manage the 2004 acquisitions of Honsador Lumber, Honolulu Wood Treating, and Ariel Truss, announced the appointment of Carl A. Liliequist as its CEO, effective...

Firm to provide acquisition advisory services.(Yard Notables)
February 1, 2006... Building Materials Partners (BMP) is a new Los Angeles-based firm that provides advisory services to buyers and sellers of building material companies with $10 million to $500 million in revenue. According to the company, BMP works with family...

O.C. Cluss Lumber.
February 1, 2006... Uniontown, Pa.-based O.C. Cluss Lumber has acquired Gallatin Plumbing Supply in Uniontown and Bowlings, Inc. in White Sulphur Springs, W.V.

Keith Brown Building Materials.
February 1, 2006... Salem, Ore.-based Keith Brown Building Materials announced the addition of Jim Tolleson to its team as vice president of sales. Tolleson most recently served as regional sales manager for St. Louis-based Huttig Building Products.

Ace Hardware.
February 1, 2006... Oak Brook, III.-based co-op Ace Hardware announced the promotion of Ron Knutson from vice president, controller, to vice president, finance. Knutson will oversee treasury, financial planning and reporting, retailer financial services, risk...

Southern Forest Products Association.
February 1, 2006... Kenner, La.-based Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) announced the newly elected members for its 2006 board of directors: Clarence Young of Memphis, Tenn.-based International Paper, chairman; Pat Patranella of Diboll, Texas-based...

Greensboro, N.C.-based entry door component manufacturer Endura Products has acquired Nacogdoches.
February 1, 2006... Greensboro, N.C.-based entry door component manufacturer Endura Products has acquired Nacogdoches, Texas-based wood door frame manufacturer FrameSaver. The deal closed in December.

Come together: join Habitat for Humanity in its efforts to help rebuild the Gulf Coast.(NLBMDA Briefings)
February 1, 2006... Have you come across a BHAG lately? Coined by authors Jerry Porras and Jim Collins in Built to Last, a book that explores the qualities of visionary companies, BHAG stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goals, goals that distinguish successful efforts...

Raise your voice: NLBMDA's grassroots advocacy tools help you make your voice heard.(NLBMDA Briefings)
February 1, 2006... If successful, a political grassroots program can help an industry gain "brand identity" before key opinion leaders in Congress and the federal agencies, as well as in your local communities. Your NLBMDA team is actively working on many aspects...

Join your peers in Washington to Lobby for liability relief.(NLBMDA Advocacy Corner)
February 1, 2006... Your NLBMDA lobbying team and our volunteer leaders have been hard at work to gain support on Capitol Hill for Retailer Liability Relief that would limit your liability for products you sell. We have secured promises of support from a number of...

Proof of purpose: to get the most out of your quality-control program, protect your company, and bolster your sales force--document everything.(New Dimensions)
February 1, 2006... Establishing quality-control measures within your installed sales program is a topic that I have addressed recently, and I think it deserves more attention this month. Just merely saying you have a quality-control program in effect isn't going...

Positive thinking: got a pessimist on staff? Honesty is the best policy.(Firing Line)
February 1, 2006... "Nobody is going to show up," Manny kept saying about the contractor breakfast we were planning. "It's a giant waste of money if you ask me." The truth was, I hadn't asked him. I had stopped asking Manny about things a long time ago. It's...

Support systems: fostering strong relationships between management, employees, and customers can ignite a new-hire's passion for the pro dealer industry that crosses age and gender barriers alike.(Dispatch)
February 1, 2006... I've seen some priceless expressions in my time as manager of Golden State Lumber's Sierra Point, Calif., yard, those brief moments of surprise from vendors and customers who have walked into my office to speak with "the boss" and found me--a...

Precious gems: your territory is filled with diamonds in the rough. To uncover them you need to qualify and grade your prospects.(Sell Sheet)
February 1, 2006... What can the diamond trade teach us about LBM sales? More than you might think. The distribution and sale of these precious gems exemplifies the importance of having a systematic approach to qualify and grade your assets and, in turn, maximize...

Big expectations.
February 1, 2006... Big builders and their suppliers like to talk about their "partnerships," but a new survey finds that builders choose one supplier over another for reasons that can send mixed signals to dealers. While most big builders would prefer to purchase...

Preferred source: it takes more than just scale to work with the nation's largest home builders. To harness more business from the explosive growth in this market segment, Stock Building Supply has completely reorganized its corporate structure, market focus, and philosophies on logistics execution to partner up with the production titans and better serve their needs.(ProFile)
February 1, 2006... For 13 years, Mike Brown managed Stock Building Supply locations throughout North Carolina and South Carolina, catering to the custom home builders--and to a smaller extent repair and remodel contractors--that are responsible in large part for...

Inside installs: for many dealers, installed sales has evolved from a reluctantly thrown-together add-on to a full-service, profitable department. Successful programs combine a conservative yet deliberate commitment to the service with more aggressive, creative, and market-driven sales tactics to achieve sustainable profits.(Market Matters)
February 1, 2006... Wendy Outlaw, the installed sales coordinator for Builders Supply Co., a single-location dealer in Lancaster, S.C., recently took her 80-pound English bulldog on a jobsite visit, warning the builder's superintendent that if he didn't buy...

Power platform: Lithium-ion battery chemistry offers a range of advantages for cordless power tools.(Product Monitor: Cordless Tools Weather Barriers Hot Finds/Windows)
February 1, 2006... Not surprisingly, most contractors are more concerned about a tool's productivity than knowing about the battery chemistry that drives it. But a few power tool manufacturers have recently brought to market a new battery platform that might...

All wrapped up.(Product Monitor)
February 1, 2006... Weather barriers that manage air and moisture in wall cavities come in a variety of forms. From housewraps to rainscreens and flashings, here are some of the newest weather barrier products. Designed to provide better condensation control...

Kolbe Windows & Doors.(Hot Finds: Windows)
February 1, 2006... A Kolbe Windows & Doors Engineered to meet or exceed most coastal building code requirements for impact resistance, Kolbe K-Force impact-resistant windows also protect against forced entry and provide reduced sound transmission levels. A...

Amsco Windows.(Hot Finds: Windows)
February 1, 2006... B Amsco Windows Constructed of a wood fiber-based composite, the Renaissance Series slider window offers the aesthetics of wood and the low maintenance of vinyl. The windows can be custom sized to the nearest 1/8 inch. Renaissance Series slider...

Weather Shield.(Hot Finds: Windows)
February 1, 2006... C Weather Shield Utilizing a concealed aluminum interlocking check rail system, LifeGuard Insulated Glass impact-resistant double-hung windows now have none of the visible dovetail hardware or structural sill pins that were previously...

Simonton Windows.(Hot Finds: Windows)
February 1, 2006... D Simonton Windows StormBreaker Plus impact-resistant double-hung windows are now available in heights up to 72 inches and widths up to 52 inches. The windows feature an outer layer of tempered glass and an inner layer of impact-resistant...

MW Windows & Doors.(Hot Finds: Windows)
February 1, 2006... E MW Windows & Doors MW 1300 and MW 1400 custom vinyl replacement windows and patio doors offer durability, efficiency, and a range of decorative options, the maker says. MW 1400 windows offer a DP-35 wind-load rating and low-E glass or...

Big game hunting: with a little pre-planning and a proactive approach, getting and keeping a trophy production builder account may not be as difficult as it seems.(Viewpoint)
February 1, 2006... Not long ago, a journalist friend of mine called me up to ask for some advice. After working for various companies and publications over the years, she had decided last year to go into business for herself as a freelancer to work on her own...