Prosales articles from June 2003

Prosales archives from June 2003

Risk factors. (Editor's Notes).
June 1, 2003... At the end of April, Business Week Online published an article titled, "Shoddy Building in the Housing Boom?" It began: "Millions of new homes have gone up over recent years--and so have complaints and class actions charging defective...

In stride: how to execute a plan and realize corporate objectives in five steps. (New Dimensions).
June 1, 2003... After drawing parallels between strategic combat mission planning and business operations last month, I decided to keep a tactical mindset this issue and discuss the five different phases of U.S. fighter pilot operations: plan, brief, execute,...

Digging out: to break a sales slump, focus on your strengths. (Firing Line).
June 1, 2003... Pete's desk had a stack of blueprints so high you could barely see the top of his head as he bent over one set, preparing a takeoff and pricing the job. The mountain of plans had been there for more than a week. He worked fast, ate lunch at his...

Hoo are you? Secret handshakes aside, the industry's only fraternal organization continues to thrive after more than a century of forest products promotion. (Pro Watch).
June 1, 2003... With the banner of an arched black cat waving behind him, the Grand Snark of the Universe pounds his gavel, mustering the Scrivenoter, Jabberwock, and other members of the Supreme Nine leadership council as he calls another meeting of the...

Keith Brown consolidates yards. (Yard Notables).
June 1, 2003... Following a successful consolidation of its Lindsay, Calif.-area yards last fall, Keith Brown Building Materials of Salem, Ore., will combine several additional close-proximity yards to increase profitability. The company dosed its Woodlake,...

Lanoga purchases three Homesteader's locations. (Yard Notables).
June 1, 2003... Spenard Builders Supply (www.sbsalaska.com), the Anchorage, Alaska-based division of Lanoga, has acquired Homesteader's Cache locations, two in Wasilla and one in Houston, Alaska. The deal included two lumberyards and a truss plant. "This...

Marley Mouldings changes name. (Yard Notables).
June 1, 2003... Marion, Va.-based Marley Mouldings, an extruder of cellular polymer molding and millwork, has changed its name to Royal Mouldings Ltd., signifying the joining of Marley Mouldings' manufacturing and marketing expertise with parent company Royal...

O'Grady returns to Wickes. (Yard Notables).
June 1, 2003... Jim O'Grady has been selected as the new president and CEO of Wickes Lumber. O'Grady rejoins the company after serving as the vice president of operations at Hope Lumber & Supply Co. O'Grady worked for Wickes from 1977 through 2002, most...

Enterprise Computer Systems merges with Speedware. (Yard Notables).
June 1, 2003... Enterprise Computer Systems, the Greenville, S.C.-based technology provider for the construction supply industry, announced on April 21 that is has completed a merger with Speedware Corp., which will provide liquidity for shareholders and new...

Schmeling passes milestone. (Yard Notables).
June 1, 2003... Schmeling Building Supply, a one-unit pro dealer serving northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, celebrates 100 years of business this year. The Rockford, Ill.-based company was founded under the name E.W. Schmeling & Sons in 1903 on Irving...

Roseburg Forest Products buys LP plant. (Yard Notables).
June 1, 2003... Roseburg Forest Products, the Roseburg, Ore.-based integrated manufacturer of lumber, plywood, particleboard, and engineered lumber, has purchased LP's Missoula, Mont., particleboard plant for $20 million, including inventory. The mill produces...

Changing hands: when it comes to managing business credit, dealers must be able to keep the capital flowing downstream to customers while also bearing the brunt of today's tougher banking terms. (Cover Story).
June 1, 2003... The construction supply business depends on the flow of credit to keep the wheels of business turning. Contractors and builders customarily buy on credit, and most of the dealers that extend it just as routinely rely on a bank line to cover...

Crossing borders: for Causeway Lumber, thinking outside the box means selling abroad and moving beyond the traditional boundaries of single-family construction. (Profile: Causeway Lumber).
June 1, 2003... For about $44,000 a night, you and 23 of your closets friends can rent out Musha Cay, 85 miles south of Nassau, Bahamas. Billed as the most luxurious private island in the world, it comes with a staff of more that 30 to cater to your every...

First response. (How To Sell Services).
June 1, 2003... The Reedley Lumber Window Center does not officially offer installed sales. Unofficially, as a service to his pro customers, sales manager John Moore holds back and carefully stores expensive finish items, such as hardware, screens, extension...

Flex appeal: flexible polymer moldings cover the curves. (Product Info).
June 1, 2003... In many new homes today, trimming out a window or door isn't always as simple as going straight from point A to point B. Windows and doors with half-round or elliptical tops call for radius moldings, and each piece of molding applied to these...

On hold. (New Products).
June 1, 2003... The iQueue messages-on-hold system from Applied Media Technologies uses flash memory to store and play up to four minutes of audio and messages. Messages can be downloaded to a memory card that is placed in the iQueue player. Playback begins...

Durable ducts. (New Products).
June 1, 2003... Owens Coming's EnDuraGold Fiber Glass Duct Board is a lightweight, rigid, resin-bonded fibrous board that provides acoustical and thermal insulation. The board's air stream surface inhibits dirt and dust penetration of its fiberglass substrate....

Level lines. (New Products).
June 1, 2003... The A410S automatic laser from Agatec Construction Lasers can be easily calibrated by the user with the remote control or detector, says the maker. New features include scanning and chalk-line beams, variable rotation speeds up to 530 rpm, and...

Lend a hand. (Product Info).
June 1, 2003... Here are some of the newest hand tools on the market to help both you and your customers accomplish tasks more easily and comfortably. Klein Tools' Journeyman Crimping/ Cutting Tool, model #J1005 (circle 106), is designed for use on...

System selling. (View from Remodelling).
June 1, 2003... Can selling more products at higher margins actually be considered adding value for your customers? The answer from contractors cross-selling to expand jobs is a resounding "yes." Especially in the professional remodeling and replacement...