Prosales articles from July 2004

Prosales archives from July 2004

By the numbers.
July 1, 2004... $2.42 Billion Fiscal year sales for Do it Best Corp. in 2003. 1,080 Vendors with no-adder programs. 20 Average years of experience for a Do it Best Corp. lumber trader. 1.77% Do it Best Corp. operating...

Studies show: "Truly Better" sales with Therma-Tru[R] doors.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2004... You want to grow your business by providing customers with the best possible entry and patio door systems available. Your customers want doors they can sell and install with confidence that help them reduce callbacks, enhance client loyalty and...

Precious resources: dealers shouldn't underestimate the business value of offering educational resources.(Editor's Notes)
July 1, 2004... If a local builder is looking for a new supplier and he stops by your yard, he's bound to receive a dossier on brands, information on deliveries and logistics, and an overview of operations. He also might get a pitch on installation programs or...

Selling power.(Returns)
July 1, 2004... I just finished Rick Davis' article, "Line of Inquiry, in the May issue of PROSALES magazine ("Sell Sheet" page 38). I have a copy of the article in my daily planner and plan to keep it there to remind myself of some of the critical points you...

College bound.(Returns)
July 1, 2004... Thank you for attending TW Perry's Contractor College on April 20 in Chevy Chase, Md. We had an outstanding turnout of customers that attended a one-day program featuring five industry-focused seminars designed to help contractors improve and...

Safety 'net.(On the safe side: OSHA's alliance program with NLBMDA and its VPP outreach efforts are helping dealers enhance worker safety.)
July 1, 2004... Pro dealer-specific safety tips will soon be only a mouse click away. As part of its participation in OSHA's Alliance educational program, the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) will be coordinating a page on...

Role models.(On the safe side: OSHA's alliance program with NLBMDA and its VPP outreach efforts are helping dealers enhance worker safety.)
July 1, 2004... Curtis Lumber Co. has long been a model of workplace safety. Now the company's loss control director, Phil Kniskern, is spreading that gospel through his involvement in an innovative program OSHA launched recently to assist companies interested...

Raised awareness: the Southern Pine Council offers a new guide to raised floor systems.(Pro Watch)
July 1, 2004... Offering an opportunity to boost lumber package sales by up to 30 percent, raised floor systems can be a great volume addition to stick sales, especially when prices are running on the high-end of the commodity swing. Compared to concrete slab...

Main event: like-minded pro dealers on opposite coasts bolster the success of their contractor events with the Gary Katz Road Show.(Pro Watch)
July 1, 2004... As a member of its Master Builders Association and local remodelers association, Seattle-based Dunn Lumber has always maintained a buzz among Puget Sound remodeling and custom home contractors as a proactive partner in product and installation...

BlueLinx buys Georgia-Pacific distribution division.(Yard Notables)
July 1, 2004... BlueLinx Corp. has purchased Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific's building products distribution business, which was announced for sale last fall. BlueLinx is indirectly owned by the BlueLinx management team and New York-based investment firm...

Infrared Solutions.(Editor's Product Pick)
July 1, 2004... For detecting moisture, water leaks, poor electrical circuitry, and air gaps in structures without drilling holes in walls, or for providing evidence that a structure is energy efficient, use of infrared technology is growing rapidly Infrared...

Hayward achieves LEED certification.(Yard Notables)
July 1, 2004... Hayward Corp.'s Santa Maria, Calif., truss facility is the 22nd building in the world to earn Gold-level Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership hi Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating program....

Stock acquires Bellevue.(Yard Notables)
July 1, 2004... The nation's largest pro dealer, Raleigh, N.C.-based Stock Building Supply, has acquired Bellevue Builders Supply, based in Schenectady, N.Y. Bellevue had 2003 sales of $102 million, and its 11 traits include seven retail locations, a...

Strober opens facility.(Yard Notables)
July 1, 2004... Strober Building Supply Centers has opened a new location on Runville Road in Centre County, Pa. The 22,000-squarefoot facility will carry gypsum, metal studs, and insulation and will be managed by Troy Trude, who has managed several of...

New South opens branch.(Yard Notables)
July 1, 2004... West Columbia, S.C.-based New South Supply opened its seventh branch, located on Anderson Street in Charlotte, N.C. The location, which will be one of the company's largest, will be led by sales managers Jim Harris and Chad Harris and...

Do it Best Corp.
July 1, 2004... Fort Wayne, Ind.-based co-op Do it Best Corp. announced plans to open its eighth retail service center, in Mesquite, New in January 2006.

Huttig Building Products.
July 1, 2004... Chesterfield, Mo.-based building materials distributor Huttig Building Products has named Carl A. Liliequist as executive vice president. Liliequist has worked at Huttig since it purchased Palmer G. Lewis Co. in 1989, and served most recently...

CertainTeed.
July 1, 2004... Valley Forge, Pa.-based building product manufacturer CertainTeed has named Peter Dachowski as president and CE0. Dachowski has been with the company since 1976, most recently serving as president of the worldwide insulation business for the...

Windsor Mill.
July 1, 2004... John Hankins has been named president of Windsor, Calif.-based specialty lumber and molding manufacturer Windsor Mill and will oversee the company's three plants. Hankins has worked as the company's vice president of manufacturing for six...

Nextel.
July 1, 2004... Nextel's Direct Connect digital walkie-talkie service has gone international, with service now available to Nextel customers between the United States and Brazil, Argentina, and Peru in addition to between the U.S. and Canada. Service to Mexico...

Johns Manville.
July 1, 2004... Denver-based insulation manufacturer Johns Manville has announced the retirement of chairman and CEO Jerry Henry, effective June 1. Henry will be replaced by Steven B. Hochhauser, who will serve are president, chairman, and CEO.

LP.
July 1, 2004... Portland, Ore.-based building materials manufacturer LP announced it will open a new state-of-the-art OSB mill in Alabama. The company says the new plant will offset the loss of OSB capacity resulting from converting its Hayward, Wis., plant...

Therma-Tru.
July 1, 2004... Maumee, Ohio-based fiberglass door manufacturer Therma-Tru announced June 2 that it has entered a nationwide partnership with Lowe's to become the retailer's national supplier of fiberglass entry doors. The manufacturer says the partnership...

Save the date.(Pro Watch)(Calendar)
July 1, 2004... * NLBMDA Training Without Travel teleconference: "How to Handle an OSHA Inspection" / July 14, 1 p.m. EDT / Register at www.dealer.org/nlbmda/train_wo_trav.htm * Florida Building Material Association Annual Trade Show and Convention / August...

What are you doing to manage risk?(NLBMDA Briefings)
July 1, 2004... Like many industries, lumber and building material dealers are faced with many competing responsibilities. Unfortunately, sometimes important items are given less emphasis, time, and funding in favor of other items that appear to affect a...

Lumberyard safety: steal something!(NLBMDA Briefings)
July 1, 2004... No, I'm not asking you to break one of the Ten Commandments. I'm asking you to use the first commandment of risk management: "Thou shall steal great ideas from other lumber dealers, adjust them to fit your location, then call them your own."...

OSHA gears up for more inspections.(NLBMDA Briefings)
July 1, 2004... OSHA released its annual report on workplaces with the highest injury and illness rates earlier this year. The report, or "Hit List," lists the names of employers, excluding those in the 26 state plan states and territories, with higher than...

NLBMDA advocacy corner.(NLBMDA Briefings)
July 1, 2004... Did you know Congress takes a summer vacation? Summer is the ideal time to catch up with your congressional representativesa and let them know how issues such as the death tax or lawsuit abuse impact your business. They will be in their home...

Loyal following.(New Dimensions)
July 1, 2004... Customer loyalty is now, and has been for seemingly forever, a hot topic of conversation within our industry. We see a competitor's truck on a jobsite and immediately feel vulnerable and worry about the loss of a customer. But while we are...

On the defensive: get both sides of the story before you cast your verdict.(Firing Line)
July 1, 2004... "A man on line one wants our address," our secretary told me. "Line two wants to place an order. Which do you want?" Her tone suggested this was a trick question. "Why does line one want our address?" I asked. "For his lawyer," she...

Beyond training: one-time training events seldom produce long-term bottom-line results.(Dispatch)
July 1, 2004... There is one absolute truth on employee training: Most of the money you spend on it is probably wasted! I know this because after 25-plus years of leadership development experience focused on both operations and corporate management...

Polished delivery: good presentation skills are essential components of the sales process.(Sell Sheet)
July 1, 2004... If you have ever become lost or nervous in the midst of a presentation, you're not alone. Giving presentations is a scary proposition for many people, but with a little practice and preparation, you can confidently deliver engaging, impactful,...

Opening new doors: stock building supply and Endura Door Components foster a collaborative partnership born through acquisition.(Perspectives)
July 1, 2004... In an industry where acquisitions and the corporate facelifts that usually accompany them are becoming more and more frequent, it's not uncommon to hear that the true assets behind pro dealer or manufacturer M&A deals are in the relationships...

Marquee players: PROSALES' salespeople of the year are MVPs in the all-star league of pro dealer sales.(Salespeople Of The Year Awards)
July 1, 2004... What makes a great lumber and building materials salesperson? Pro dealers and distributors across the nation point to dedication, honesty, integrity, and hard work as character waits embodied by those who shoot for--and consistently...

Get connected: dealers have expanded their horizons with a host of new technologies--including internet price quotes, sophisticated data analysis, and radio frequency-based computers--to deliver more and better information to their customers and employees.
July 1, 2004... For Kevin Hancock, delivering last, automated information to builder customers is critical to his company's ability to compete. That mind-set drives much of the technology strategy at Casco, Maine-based Hancock Lumber Co., a $115 million,...

Step by step: for traditional pro dealers, dabbling in two-step distribution means walking a fine line between filling a need and supporting your competition. Here's how to profit from selling to other dealers without losing your pro focus.(Market Matters)
July 1, 2004... Two-step distribution is the worst-kept secret in the building materials supply industry. Pro-focused lumber dealers do it all the time, from fulfilling ad-hoc requests by neighboring dealers to establishing formal and separate profit centers...

Luxe laminates: laminate flooring continues to evolve into an affordable luxury.(Product Monitor)
July 1, 2004... It's not surprising that the wood-look laminate flooring category closely parallels hardwood flooring when it comes to style, finishes, and formats, but it still might amaze some to see how closely laminates can resemble the real thing. Clear...

Get a grip.(Product Monitor)
July 1, 2004... Door hardware manufacturers continue to introduce entry and interior locksets with improved features such as easier installation, contemporary shapes and popular finishes to coordinate with today's decor preferences, and historical styling that...

Polaroid.(Product monitor: hot finds)
July 1, 2004... Designed specifically for the building trades, the Polaroid One600 JobPro Camera has a durable yellow casing and rubberized non-slip finish to protect it on the jobsite and in the warehouse. Its specially designed lens allows users to take...

Bosch digital power tools.(Product monitor: hot finds)
July 1, 2004... The ToolWatch Express tracking system allows business owners to track and manage tools and equipment. Portable scanning devices transfer information from identifier barcodes on tools to desktop computers. Designed to simplify the task of...

Nextel.(Product monitor: hot finds)
July 1, 2004... The all-weather, ruggedized Motorola i305 mobile phone available from Nextel is designed to resist shock, vibration, and dust, as well as blowing rain, humidity, and salt fog. The handset is encased in rubber with a sculpted grip for comfort...

xPlore technologies.(Product monitor: hot finds)
July 1, 2004... The iX104RD Renegade Dual Mode tablet PC offers both active stylus and finger-touch input options for maximum versatility. The ruggedized tablet runs on Windows Tablet PC XP, but also can use Windows 2000 Professional. With 256MB of RAM, a 20GB...

Sony.(On Hand)
July 1, 2004... Three new T-series Clie handhelds use Clie's Organizer software to help users keep schedules, take notes, and track contacts as well as take and store digital photos and record voice memos. The Clie T-H55, shown, features a large 320x480-pixel...

Mission critical: harnessing the power of mission statements and the corporate values behind them requires consistent reevaluation.(View From Big Builder)
July 1, 2004... If your company ever needs a quick-fix mission statement, check out the mission statement generator at www.dilbert.com. Using a program that randomly organizes power phrases and buzzwords, just a couple clicks of the mouse and the Dilbert comic...