Prosales articles from January 2003

Prosales archives from January 2003

On target: when you're looking for the best new products, aim for suppliers you trust. (Editor's Notes).
January 1, 2003... Do you have a New Year's resolution for 2003? Maybe it's to finally net that elusive customer you've been working on for months. Or perhaps your goal is to identify and add products to your yard's line. If closing a new account is at the top of...

Focused and aware: never stop looking for new market opportunities. (New Dimensions).
January 1, 2003... For the past two months I've touted the importance of staying focused on your current customers, understanding their needs as well as they do, and taking pro-active steps to meet those needs. While these efforts are all critical, alone they are...

Paper trail: keeping careful track of the details is just as important as closing the deal. (Firing Line).
January 1, 2003... "I sold him the windows, the doors, and the trim!" Martin crowed after returning from a jobsite. "Great news," I told him. The client was building a big house on the beach that was full of custom interior doors and a high-end window...

Frame job: given the continuing market growth of pro dealer-manufactured roof and floor trusses and wall panels, is stick framing--especially in metro markets--bound for eventual replacement? (Angles).
January 1, 2003... Component manufacturing facilities are the hot new offering in many pro dealer yards across the country. Saving builders precious time and labor, pre-assembled framing has been gaining ground, most notably in the Southwest, Rocky Mountain, and...

Big gains: serving larger home builders takes more than competitive pricing. (Perspectives).
January 1, 2003... No doubt, large- and medium-size home builders typically are key accounts for dealers. They generate a steady flow of invoices and their consistent need for a set group of products creates cost-saving economies of scale. However, securing...

Stepping up: dealers and builders explore ways to improve the supply channel at the PROSALES Executive Summit. (Pro Watch).
January 1, 2003... Improving customer relations and defining best practices were at the top of the to-do list when more than 100 pro dealers, builders, and industry consultants exchanged ideas and business contacts at the recent PROSALES Executive Summit, which...

Show off: IBS product preview. (Pro Watch).
January 1, 2003... Feelin` lucky? Take your business to Las Vegas this month for the International Builders' Show (IBS) at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the week of January 21 through 24. After a nine-year absence, IBS is returning to Las Vegas, and...

Roll film. (Pro Watch).
January 1, 2003... Dow's Saran 520 Vapor Retarder film and tape can be used in combination with Trymer 2000 rigid foam insulation. The film can be factory or field applied. The tape is used to seal butt joints and to spiral wrap around prefabricated insulation on...

Railway. (Pro Watch).
January 1, 2003... Available in 6- or 8-foot kits, TimberTech's new Ornamental Railing System includes an ornamental top rail and two universal rails. The plastic resin and wood flour product cuts, drills, and fastens like wood; it is available in cedar, gray,...

Spin and drive. (Pro Watch).
January 1, 2003... The DS200-AC DuraSpin corded screwgun from Senco is capable of driving 50 collated screws before reloading. It drives screws from 1 to 2 inches in length and features an adjustable depth-of-drive for flush drive or countersink, an adjustable...

Lock down. (Pro Watch).
January 1, 2003... Part of the Security line, Kwikset's new Dakota handleset features an ANSI Grade 3 deadbolt, a solid-core throwbolt, and a pick-resistant five-pin system. The handleset is available in five finishes and can be used with knobs and levers from...

Solid performance. (Pro Watch).
January 1, 2003... Crane's CraneBoard solid core siding is now available in a 7-inch profile. The Double 7, an Energy Star-approved product, has an R-value of 4 and is 300 times more impact resistant than traditional vinyl siding, says the maker. It also features...

Coated corners. (Pro Watch).
January 1, 2003... USG's flexible metal tape-on drywall corner beads feature patented coatings to minimize scuffing and fuzzing during finishing and sanding and paper tapes to ensure adhesion of joint compound, textures, and paints, says the maker. Two corners...

Extensive accessories. (Pro Watch).
January 1, 2003... Vermont American's new 11-piece Xtend cordless power tool accessories pack includes seven Xtend drill bits, two reciprocating saw blades for wood and metal, a circular saw blade, and a 10-pack of IceBit power screwdriver bits. An IceBit...

Outside the block. (Pro Watch).
January 1, 2003... Exterior door acrylic block inserts from Hy-Lite come in a standard size of four blocks wide by 11 blocks long. The one-piece obscure doorlights are designed to fit 1 3/4-inch-thick doors. Acrylic block interior door inserts, fixed and operable...

Join in. (Pro Watch).
January 1, 2003... Please join the staff of PROSALES, the official show publication for dealers and distributors, as we honor the winners of the first annual PROSALES Excellence Awards at the Las Vegas Hilton, Pavilion 8, on Wednesday, January 22, from 8 a.m. to...

Ward lumber opens yard. (Yard Notables).
January 1, 2003... Jay, N.Y.-based Ward lumber (www.ward lumber.com) recently opened a fourth location, in Saranac Lake, N.Y. Jay store manager Tim Lacey also will manage the new location. In addition to its four yards, the company manages 6,000 acres of...

Parksite named to 500 fastest. (Yard Notables).
January 1, 2003... The Parksite Group, a two-step distributor based in Batavia, Ill., was named to Inc. Magazine's list of the 2002 500 fastest-growing companies in the nation. The listing, first published in 1982, ranks the leading U.S. firms according to sales...

High ranks at ECMD. (Yard Notables).
January 1, 2003... Business North Carolina magazine recently listed ECMD as one of the top 100 revenue-producing companies in the state. The company, which ranked No. 36 on Grant Thornton's North Carolina 100 list of privately held companies, has been ranked nine...

Keith Brown opens service center. (Yard Notables).
January 1, 2003... Keith Brown Building Materials opened its newest location, a regional contractor service center and lumberyard, in Lindsay, Calif., on October 10, 2002. The 5-acre yard serves builders, remodelers, and do-it-yourselfers and includes a...

Group effort: with a focus on people and an eye on expansion the big-builder market, Lanoga, the PROSALES 2002 Dealer of the Year, is combining major acquisitions with an increase in manufacturing and value-added services throughout its four divisions. (Dealer Of The Year).
January 1, 2003... Armed with a traditional work ethic and a strong thirst for growth, brothers William, Matthew, and James Laird headed west from their Pennsylvania home in the 1850s and pioneered what is now one of the nation's largest and most diverse building...

Covering ground: UBC uses size and market flexibility to accommodate diverse customers from Michigan to Montana. (Dealer Of The Year).
January 1, 2003... Minnesota native Dale Kukowski began his career with United Building Centers in 1970, managing UBC locations throughout the Midwest and becoming a district manager in 1987. Kukowski was vice president of operations for UBC from 1992 until he...

Market drivers: Lumbermens promotes economies of scale and a never-say-no employee culture to serve builders across the board. (Dealer Of The Year).
January 1, 2003... After working for Payless Cashways for 15 years in various capacities throughout the Midwest, David Dittmer joined Lumbermens in 1985 as vice president of marketing. In 1987, Dittmer became vice president of operations, a position he held for...

Ice men: to keep sales hot in the Alaska market, Spenard Builders Supply focuses on logistics and timing in serving an equal mix of pro, commercial, and consumer customers. (Dealer Of The Year).
January 1, 2003... A 17-year veteran with Lanoga, Ed Waite was named president of Spenard Builders Supply in January 1999. A University of Washington graduate, Waite was the treasurer of Lumbermens when the company was acquired by Lanoga in 1982 and in 1987...

Metro player: Home Lumber combats intense competition for big-builder business in the Denver market with unwavering service and customer support. (Dealer Of The Year).
January 1, 2003... Named president of Home Lumber on April 30, 2000, Max Guetz began his career with Home Lumber in 1983 and has worked in many areas of the business, including roles as lumber division manager and CFO. Guetz is a graduate of the University of...

Capital ideas: TW Perry's formula for success in the Washington, D.C., market is the sum of inventive, contrator-friendly marketing programs and a focus on relationship building. (Profile).
January 1, 2003... On a sunny and crisp fall day in the Nation's Capital last November, contractors crowded around a barbecue pit to load up on hamburgers and hotdogs at TW Perry's small yard in Chevy Chase, Md. Nearby sat a shiny red pickup truck taht symbolized...

Follow the rules: remodelers are a different breed of contractor than new-home builders, but following these five simple rules will help you serve them better. (How To Sell Remodelers).
January 1, 2003... When a truss designer at a large lumberyard in Jacksonville, Fla., told Tom Turnage he should stop doing "small jobs" like the two-story garage addition project he had in the pipeline, the remodeler knew it was time to change suppliers. "That...

Silver lining: radiant barriers offer a variety of benefits for homes, but a lack of awareness among buyers means dealers need to spread the word. (Product Info).
January 1, 2003... Although radiant barriers are not new to the insulation market, some manufacturers feel that dealers and potential users of the products generally do not know much about them. While end-users must educate themselves about the products they...

Vacuum power. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... Hand suction cups by Anver Corp. provide safe and secure handling of plastic or metal sheets, glass, polished stone, or other heavy or potentially sharp materials. The cups are lever-activated and will lock on to any dry, non-porous, smooth...

Rough it up. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... A new brick profile has been added to Nichiha USA's Vintage Brick line of fiber cement wall systems. The Whitewash profile features a textured mortar, providing the appearance of newly laid brick with a natural mortar look. Available in...

Ease in. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... E-Z Ancor plastic screw anchor from ITW Brands has been improved, says the company, with a new one-point tip that adds strength and reduces wobble during installation. The point's increased thickness also allows installers to use more force...

Hand tools. (Product Info).
January 1, 2003... Technology companies have found yet another wireless product that can make your sales staff's work a little easier by putting power into their hands. Labeled "tablet PCs," these new tools use radiofrequency technology (RF) to give salespeople...

Beveled beauty. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... Jamestown clear-bevel, dark-camed glass panels and sidelights from Beveled Glass Designs are available with doors manufactured of fiberglass-reinforced engineered composite materials. Doors are available in either stainable (grained) or...

Unbreakable. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... ODL's Secure by Design line of door glass and sidelights has been expanded to include the Dimensions and Illuminations decorative designs. Featuring the company's Breakthrough impact-resistant glass, the new designs are available in a range of...

Smooth light. (New Products).
January 1, 2003... Stanley Door Systems' line of smooth fiberglass doors has been expanded to include new sizes, designs, and sidelights. Now available in a flush-glaze door panel in both full- and half-light configurations, the compression-molded smooth...

Grand entrances. (Product Info).
January 1, 2003... Builders and homeowners have both seen the value in sprucing up the entryways of homes to create more curb appeal. New models of woodlook fiberglass and composite doors with accompanying transoms, sidelights, and decorative glass panels offer...

Eyes for talent: internal development and recognition can keep your all-important talent in-house and away from the competition. (View From Big Builder).
January 1, 2003... It's true. Good people can do as much for your bottom line as a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, a custom millwork shop, or a seamless installed sales division. According to "Body Snatchers" by Debra Gordon in the November 2002 issue of...