Prosales articles from January 2006

Prosales archives from January 2006

Clearing the fog: to harness the power of supply chain management, you need a clear vision of its scope and boundaries.(Editor's Notes)
January 1, 2006... Lately, the phrase "supply chain management" has been coming up in almost every business conversation I have. It's catchy, it sounds important, and it's something that you can impress your vendors and customers with if your company professes to...

Calendar.(Returns)(Calendar)
January 1, 2006... Southern Building Material Association Building Products Buying Show / Feb. 1-2 / High Point, N.C. / Contact: 704.376.1503; www.southernbuilder:org... Illinois Lumber and Material Dealers Association Construction Supply Expo / Feb. 7-8 /...

Helping hands: against incredible odds, pro dealers have rallied to replenish and rebuild a Gulf Coast annihilated by the destructive force of Hurricane Katrina.(ProWatch)
January 1, 2006... It has been more than four months since Hurricane Katrina first slammed into the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, spawning historic evacuations of areas in Louisiana and Mississippi as apocalyptic destruction of homes and businesses coupled with...

New path: Smitty's Northern Virginia design center is opening new business avenues for the supplier.(ProWatch)
January 1, 2006... From the outside, Smitty's Building Supply's Window Smith showroom looks almost like any other tenant in its Falls Church, Va., strip mall. But behind the nondescript storefront, the company has transformed a 3,500-square-foot space into a...

Show stoppers.(ProWatch)
January 1, 2006... Need a product fix? Then hit the show floor at the 2006 International Builders' Show this month in Orlando, where the products on display are sure to be just as dazzling as the Florida sun. With more than a million and a half square feet of...

HR by numbers: how to hire the right people and then lead them to success.(ProWatch)
January 1, 2006... Five Common Hiring Mistakes Do you know the cost of a bad hiring decision? The Department of Labor estimates it can be as much as 25 percent of a new employee's salary. When you add to this the time and costs of recruiting, hiring, and...

Dimplex North America.(Editor's Product Pick)
January 1, 2006... The Multi-Fire electric fireplace features 19 enhancements delivering a more realistic fire effect, precise control, and comfort It also includes the Purifire all treatment system, which circulates the air of air average-size room up to four...

BMC West acquires Home Lumber.(ProWatch: Yard Notables)
January 1, 2006... San Francisco-based Building Materials Holding Corp. (BMHC) announced that its distribution subsidiary BMC West, has acquired the business assets of lumber, building materials, and millwork provider Home Lumber, a division of Houston-based...

ENAP management transition.(ProWatch: Yard Notables)
January 1, 2006... New Windsor, N.Y.-based member-owned buying group ENAP (www.enap.com) announced the appointment of Russell E. Kennedy to president and CEO. Outgoing president CC Snyder has been with the company for 12 years during which he repositioned...

Ace Hardware.
January 1, 2006... In Brief Oak-Brook, Ill.-based retailer-owned hardware co-op Ace Hardware promoted Paula Erickson from manager of corporate communications and public relations to director of corporate communications and public relations.

Gorell Enterprises.
January 1, 2006... Indiana, Pa.-based window and door manufacturer Gorell Enterprises announced the promotion of Michael Rempel from vice president of administration to president and COO; Wayne Gorell continues to act as chairman and CEO.

Huttig Building Products.
January 1, 2006... St. Louis-based distributor Huttig Building Products announced the promotion of Jon P. Vrabely from vice president of operations to a new position of vice president-COO. Vrabely's responsibilities include branch sales and operations, corporate...

Pittsburgh Corning.
January 1, 2006... Pittsburgh-based glass block manufacturer Pittsburgh Coming named Phillip M. Martineau as president and CEO; Martineau also will serve as chairman of the board. Martineau replaces Don Schlegel, who retired in 2005.

SBR.
January 1, 2006... Parkersburg, W.Va.-based holding company SBR, the parent company of Simonton Windows, Fypon, Hy-Lite, Dixie-Pacific, SimEx, and Woodcraft Supply, promoted Greg Schorr from CFO to president and COO.

Rates trend upward: quarterly building trends forecast: the honeymoon winds down as mortgage rates continue to climb.(House Calls)
January 1, 2006... The mortgage rate honeymoon seems to be drawing to a close, and since consumers have gotten used to sub-6 percent fixed mortgage rates over the past two and a half years, there are now plenty of questions about the immediate future of the...

Tackling product liability: NLBMDA to introduce product liability protection legislation to Congress.(NLBMDA Briefings)
January 1, 2006... As you read this article, your yard is likely receiving building materials that you soon will sell and deliver to your customers. That's a pretty typical day for an industry retailer, one in which your thoughts and concerns are focused on...

Trus Joist congratulates Dealer of the Year Golden State Lumber.(DEALER of the YEAR)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2006... Framers and builders don't have the time to be frustrated with culling twisted solid sawn lumber for structural framing. The solution to this problem is a high-quality engineered product called TimberStrand[R] laminated strand lumber (LSL) from...

Banner year.(NLBMDA Briefings)
January 1, 2006... NLBMDA had a banner year in 2005. The association took its concerns with the Canadian softwood lumber dispute to Commerce secretary Carlos Gutierrez, marking the first time he had heard from lumber consumers. A bill to permanently repeal the...

Product guide: before jumping into installed sales, conduct a careful analysis of which products best suit your company, your customers, and your market.(New Dimensions)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2006... One of the most common challenges facing dealers jumping into installed sales is deciding what products to offer: How to choose initial products for installed sales, how to add products, and which product categories to avoid. Many owners...

All the rage: dealing with a hot-tempered customer sometimes means leaving well enough alone.(Firing Line)
January 1, 2006... "Outlet!" I heard Tom scream as I got out of my car at his jobsite. "Outlet! Outlet! Out-let!!!" he repeated. I could only imagine what was going on. "O-U-T-L-E-T!" he spelled. Then to make sure he was clearly understood, he added, "That...

Leading titles: five books that can help individuals within your organization to become better leaders.(Outlook)
January 1, 2006... Leaders need to work on the business as well as in the business. One of my favorite sayings to our leaders at Hancock Lumber is, "If you want to help Hancock Lumber, work harder on yourself than you do on your job." Organizations are about...

Brand conscious: dealers can't afford to neglect branding.(Dispatch)
January 1, 2006... Over the past several years, companies all along the construction supply channel have embraced the importance of their brand--defining it, cultivating it, and using it as the point of focus for their marketing and sales efforts. Many companies,...

All systems go: a systemized approach to selling can lead to organizational success.(Sell Sheet)
January 1, 2006... Every successful business organization has systematic approaches in structured departments such as accounting, IT, and production that ensure certain business goals are met; however, when it comes to sales, most companies lack a defined...

Competitive drive.(Dealer of the Year)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2006... Arguably one of the most efficient and productive pro dealer operations in the country, Golden State Lumber aims to leap even further beyond its industry-leading sales growth and sales-per-employee marks by focusing on integrating sales, adding...

Trouble spots: ten safety trouble spots for lumberyards--and how to avoid them.
January 1, 2006... Working in a lumberyard can be dangerous. Consider that employees might drive forklifts, operate saws or pneumatic nail guns, carry heavy loads of materials, and use flammable liquids--all in the same day. To protect your employees, your...

Walking the talk: the Kodiak, Alaska, location of Spenard Builders Supply puts safety first.(Trouble Spots)
January 1, 2006... During the 2005 NLBMDA/ProSales Industry Summit in October, the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association presented its first-annual National Industry Leader in Safety Awards. Two yards--the Kodiak, Alaska, branch of Spenard...

Sparking a change: Gregory Supply ramps up its commitment to safety.(Trouble Spots)
January 1, 2006... When Ray Heatherton has a safety issue at one of Gregory Supply's four locations in New York and Vermont, he doesn't think twice about picking up the phone and calling the state OSHA office for advice. That by itself is a testimony to how much...

Henkel makes it easy being green.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2006... Builders and contractors who are serious about "Green Building" should seek out top-quality caulks, sealants and adhesives. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has divided the "Green Building" process into eight categories, two of...

Golden years: the elder edge of the baby boom generation hits the 60 mark this year, but there's no indication they'll slow down. Instead, their young-minded demands and massive buying power will continue to influence the housing industry.(Market Matters)
January 1, 2006... The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) calls them "zoomers" to indicate their "on the go" attitudes and lifestyles. Others label them "nexers" for their readiness to move into their next (and probably last) home. They also go by...

Technology boom: software companies are beefing-up their solutions to accommodate the evolving demands on--and of--pro dealers.(Product Monitor)
January 1, 2006... As the LBM industry grows and changes, dealers' software needs also are evolving. In addition to the abundance of software solutions available, software companies are constantly developing new applications to tackle more aspects of your...

Heavy lifters.(Product Monitor)
January 1, 2006... For every type of heavy lifting and moving in your yard there's a machine to do the job, and some of the newest use innovative tools and features to help users accomplish tasks more easily, efficiently, and, often, comfortably. The 48-volt...

KraftMaid Cabinetry.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
January 1, 2006... A KraftMaid Cabinetry Venicia Euro-style frameless cabinetry features sleek lines, bold color, and open construction for full access. Three door collections--Lustra, Mirra, and Natura--yield 19 door styles and 31 color choices. Six thermofoil...

Cosentino USA.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
January 1, 2006... B Cosentino USA Silestone Leather quartz surfacing exhibits a matte finish with a fine-grained leather texture and incorporates Microban anti-microbial protection that fights the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew. The EPA-registered...

Stairtek.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
January 1, 2006... C Stairtek Because Stairtek prefinished stair systems are shielded with a temporary protective layer of hardboard covered with water-resistant cardboard, they can be installed early in the building process without risk of being damaged during...

Innovative Porcelain.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
January 1, 2006... D Innovative Porcelain Manhattan series through-body porcelain flooring tiles offer a limestone appearance in matte and semi-polished finishes. The smooth-to-the-touch tiles come in a 16-inch-square field tile, 1-inch-square and 2-inch-square...

Mohawk Hardwood Flooring.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
January 1, 2006... E Mohawk Hardwood Flooring The company now offers its solid oak, maple, and hickory flooring, as well as engineered wood flooring in oak, maple, cherry, and hickory, with Scotchgard Protector Advanced Repel Technology. This pre-treatment...

LBM express: drive-through lumberyards put pro dealers at the forefront of serve-yourself transaction trends that could revolutionize mass retailing.(Viewpoint)
January 1, 2006... I've got a thing for Wendy's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers. They're small enough so you can order some Biggie fries without feeling super-size guilt and tasty enough to satisfy that burger craving while on the road for business, on the way home from...