Prosales articles from June 2004

Prosales archives from June 2004

Lead by example: developing leaders requires a commitment to becoming a teacher and sharing your knowledge.(Editor's Notes)
June 1, 2004... Imagine a national television reporter puts you on the spot in front of a live audience and asks, "What is your teachable point of view on leadership, and what is the function of business leaders in your organization?" How would you respond?...

Sales force.(Returns)
June 1, 2004... As I was trying to eat some lunch with a Nextel radio in one ear and a cell phone in the other, I was reading your commentary on women in construction sales with a big grin on my face ("New Recruits," April, page 88). I'm a CSR with Huntsville...

Tech trends: Do It Best Corp. and Activant Solutions form a strategic alliance to provide comprehensive technology solutions for the co-op's 4,200 member-retailers.(Pro Watch)
June 1, 2004... Who says that pro dealers are slow to embrace technology? With an toward improving operating efficiencies, supply chain optimization, and customer integration for its 4,200 members, Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Do it Best Com. formed a strategic...

Buy in: the Home Depot bolsters its pro presence with acquisition of White Cap construction supply.(Pro Watch)
June 1, 2004... In an effort to extend its market reach into the pro contractor market, The Home Depot announced on May 6 plans to acquire Costa Mesa, Calif.-based White Cap Construction Supply, bringing the Atlanta-based home improvement retailer an immediate...

On Commission: contact Lumber's Jim Snodgrass begins assignment with Oregon's International Trade Commission.(Pro Watch)
June 1, 2004... On Jan. 1, Jim Snodgrass, vice president of export sales for molding manufacturer Contact Lumber in Portland, Ore., began a four-year term on the Oregon International Trade Commission. Appointed by governor red Kulongeski, Snodgrass is service...

BMHC appoints New Executive.(Yard Notables)
June 1, 2004... Building Materials Holding Corp. (BMHC) appointed William M. Smart/as the company's senior vice president and CFO. Smartt, who assumed the post on April 1, has worked for 20 years as a chief financial and administrative officer for Fortune 500...

Editor's product pick.(Yard Notables)
June 1, 2004... Wellcraft While all egress window well systems are designed to provide an easy and safe means of emergency escape from below-grade rooms, some come only in specific sizes, are custom-built, or must be assembled on site. But Wellcraft's 5600...

Universal partners with framer.(Yard Notables)
June 1, 2004... Universal Forest Products, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based manufacturer and distributor of lumber and building materials, has purchased a 50 percent stake in Shawnlee Construction, a framing company based in Plainsville, Mass. According to a...

Carter Lumber acquires Holmes.(Yard Notables)
June 1, 2004... Kent, Ohio-based Carter Lumber announced that it has acquired The Holmes Lumber and Building Centers, a three-yard chain based in Millersburg, Ohio. Carter Lumber will retain the names of the Holmes Lumber locations. Founded in 1932,...

The International Staple, Nail, and Tool Association.
June 1, 2004... The International Staple, Nail, and Tool Association (ISANTA) elected new officers: Tom Willcutt, president of Specialty Fasteners in Prairie Grove, Ark., was elected chairman of the hoard; Alan Phillips, director of intellectual property at...

The National Center for Housing and the Environment.
June 1, 2004... The National Center for Housing and the Environment has released the Mold and Moisture Intrusion Case Study Report, which investigates 18 homes around the country with building issues related to elevated moisture levels and illustrates how to...

Save the date.(Yard Notables)
June 1, 2004... * Southern Building Material Association Summer Conference / August 5-8 / Ramada Plaza Resort Oceanfront, Virginia Beach. Va. Contact: 800.966.4202; www.southernbuilder.com * Southeast Building Conference / August 5-7 / Orange County Convention...

Master plan: the journey to change and success begins with a good road map.(NLBMDA Briefings)
June 1, 2004... When you create a strategic plan for your company, you refine vision, outline goals, and build a business plan to achieve them. You basically create a road map for your company's future direction. Getting somewhere in business is a lot like...

Idea factory: growing your company and enriching employees requires developing and adopting creative programs that help build corporate culture.(NLBMDA Briefings)
June 1, 2004... Thinking back over the years on how our company, Stewart Lumber, has grown and how we have changed to allow for that growth, I am reminded of several programs that we have implemented that have helped us along the way. While these initiatives...

Big opportunities: while big-builder consolidation can stir up the dealer-builder relationship pot, it also opens the door for large purchasing deals and pricing opportunities.(New Dimensions)
June 1, 2004... We've all seen it happening. During the past few years, larger builders around the country have been consolidating and scooping up their mid-sized competitors as they branch out into new regions or take over more business in their established...

Erratic behavior: no matter how well you think you know your customers, you can't read their minds.(Firing Line)
June 1, 2004... "The boss is on the jobsite and told me to get you up here tomorrow," Jason said. "He wants to get the order in right away. He's really on me about this." I pitied Jason. His boss, Rocco, was a fast-moving, hard-driving real estate...

Detective work: sometimes selling is more about asking the right questions than knowing all the answers.(Sales Shorts)
June 1, 2004... Oh boy, what were we thinking when we hired this one? Joe's hair looked like he combed it with a brick, and his clothes, though neat and pressed at 7 a.m., by noon looked like he wore them to clean the warehouse. When anyone spoke to him, he...

Objection sustained: to successfully handle customers who pose opposition, you have to interpret their feelings and assess each unique situation before you respond.(Sell Sheet)
June 1, 2004... Perhaps the most misunderstood skill of the sales profession is responding to and handling objections. It often is so misunderstood that in many books by so-called experts on the subject of sales it is listed as a step in the process that is...

Stocking up: from contractors to subcontractors to commercial and production builders, a diverse customer base has specialty distributors perfecting service and inventory.(Cover Story)
June 1, 2004... Commercial construction has been a part of Roanoke, Va.-based Marco Supply's history from the company's beginning in 1970. Schools, hospitals, movie theaters, and retail centers fueled the specialty tool and fastener supplier's growth into a...

Service star: even after six years of explosive growth that established Bradco Supply as a nationwide leader in categories including roofing and siding, the company maintains the feel of a small family business and remains focused on building relationships with customers and staff.(Profile : Bradco Supply)
June 1, 2004... Money was tight when Rob Kornahrens started Advanced Roofing in 1983. He had already borrowed $15,000 from his father and few other avenues were open for the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., entrepreneur. So he turned to Avenel, N.J.-based Bradco Supply...

Growing strong: green building has gone mainstream, providing dealers with abundant and profitable opportunities to educate, serve, and sell to pros.(Market Matters)
June 1, 2004... Like most builders, Max Wade of Artistic Homes in Albuquerque has a schedule to keep and numbers to meet. But he also guarantees Jill average monthly energy cost over a year's time for every home he sells by incorporating resource-efficient...

Magnificent millwork: builders are saying goodbye to dull interiors with more decorative millwork pieces and soaring interior columns.(Product Monitor)
June 1, 2004... Interior molding and architectural millwork are becoming increasingly prevalent in both new home construction and remodeling. Builders are continually looking for new ways to differentiate their communities from the competition, and homeowners...

Hands on.(Product Monitor)
June 1, 2004... The handiest new hand tools tackle a variety of jobsite challenges. Ideal's Mag-Tape 25-foot measuring tape is designed for one-person measuring, with a magnetic tip that sticks to steel or iron surfaces, eliminating the need for a second...

Blackline vinyl fence products.(Hot Finds)
June 1, 2004... Designed to provide the look of ornamental wrought iron, Slimline PVC railing systems come as 3-by-3-inch posts and 2-by-2 1/2-inch rails. The black railings feature a high concentration of impact modifiers as well as UV stabilizers that...

L.B. plastics.(Step Up)
June 1, 2004... Designed to provide an overall better component fit when installing the maker's Sheerline 3250 Series step kit, the Sheerline PVC Variable Step System allows an adjustability of 26 1/2 to 38 1/2 degrees for greater versatility. The system...

Alsco.(Hot Finds)
June 1, 2004... Constructed of rigid, heavy-gauge aluminum with a solid foam core, the Contours Collection of fascia and frieze trims provides the appearance of custom wood millwork. The Contours Collection comes in two stock colors, but also can be custom...

Owens Corning.(Hot Finds)
June 1, 2004... Cultured Stone exterior cladding is available in a new Rockface texture, a rectangular profile with sharp, distinct edges that accommodates the popularity of both contemporary and Old World architectural styles. Rockface comes in five colors....

CertainTeed.(Hot Finds)
June 1, 2004... The manufacturer has improved its Landmark laminated shingle by engineering it to comply with UL 2218 impact-resistance requirements; a fiberglass scrim on the shingles' back surface increases durability against impacts. The Class 4--rated...

Under pressure: the transition from CCA to new pressure-treated woods presents a wealth of profit- and relationship-building opportunities for dealers.(View From Tools Of The Trade)
June 1, 2004... By now most of the remaining CCA-treated lumber at pro dealer yards nationwide has been sold out and suppliers are beginning to move stocks of ACQ (alkaline copper quat), copper azole, and borate-treated products. Though most builders are...