Prosales articles from October 2004

Prosales archives from October 2004

Giving back: by working together to promote dealers' public service efforts, we can reach out farther to help communities and improve the image of our industry.(Editor's Notes)
October 1, 2004... As an industry, we should recognize and be proud of the public service activities that dealers nationwide commit to each year, from contributing time and resources to local charities and non-profit groups to participating in our strong state,...

Show and tell.(Returns)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... Thank you so much for the great job you did on the Kohl ProSolution article in August ("Grand Openings" page 34). We were very pleased with the way you presented our newest venture. We have gotten several calls of congratulations, including a...

Training ground.(Returns)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... I enjoyed Bill Hofius' article (Sales Shorts, June, page 28). Training is so key for continued success, no matter how experienced one is. Our salesperson Kim Breedlove focuses on training and learning opportunities when in his Ply Mart...

Chairman of the boards: newly installed NLBMDA Chairman Sam Dunn sets out for a year of association promotion and recruitment to build a greater industry voice member by member.(Pro Watch)
October 1, 2004... Sam Dunn has a busy year ahead of him. On top of joining his employees at Daytona Beach, Fla.-based Dunn Lumber to celebrate the dealer's 100th anniversary next month and keeping up with supplying a red-hot Florida market, Dunn will embark on...

Tech trends: organized and centralized client data means better customer service.(Pro Watch)
October 1, 2004... With SKU counts on the rise and customer service needs increasing, harnessing the power of computer technology is becoming vitally important for pro dealers both large and small, and many companies are now taking advantage of databases and...

Coming up short: a NAHB survey reveals that uncertainty over the reliable supply of key building products is generating builder anxiety regarding the overall health of the home building market.(Pro Watch)
October 1, 2004... The NAHB is warning the industry that a shortage of key building materials could jeopardize continued record levels of new home construction in the United States. According to July 2004 results of a NAHB quarterly survey of 250 home builders...

Proceed with caution: APA warns suppliers and builders to be on the lookout for substandard engineered wood panels hitting the market.(Pro Watch)
October 1, 2004... Isolated cases of improper grading Stamps appearing on plywood panels have spurred Tacoma, Wash.-based APA-The Engineered Wood Association to alert North American builders and building materials suppliers that supply, specify, or install...

Raising the bar: San Francisco-based Building Materials Holding Corp. posts the best quarter in company history and completes its acquisition of KBI Norcal.(Pro Watch)
October 1, 2004... If San Francisco-based Building Materials Holding Corp. (BMHC) can be considered an industry barometer, look out--the LBM industry is on a hot roll. According to quarterly financial results posted by the company July 27, BMHC bested its 2003...

Dixieline acquires Barr Lumber Co.(Yard Notables)
October 1, 2004... San Diego-based Dixieline Lumber Co. announced the acquisition of Barr Lumber Co., a single-unit lumber distributor in El Centro, Calif., that includes a full-service lumberyard, a truss manufacturing facility, and a doors and windows showroom....

Amsco Windows.(Editor's Product Pick)
October 1, 2004... The Renaissance Series window from Amsco Windows has the appearance of a painted wood window, but is made from a combination of wood fiber and an acrylic alloy of four resins that is dimensionally stable and will not absorb water, the...

Keith Brown expands team.(Yard Notables)
October 1, 2004... Salem, Ore.-based Keith Brown Building Materials has announced two additions to its corporate team. Rich Fisher joins Keith Brown as vice president of sales and marketing, after owning and operating Pacific Tape Co. Dave Carpenter was hired as...

National Lumber opens new showroom.(Yard Notables)
October 1, 2004... Mansfield, Mass.-based National Lumber has opened a 6,800-square-foot Kitchen Views showroom at its Mansfield location. Kitchen Views at National Lumber has 15 cabinetry areas, including eight kitchen vignettes, four work centers, and a design...

Boise sells paper, building products, and timberlands.(Yard Notables)
October 1, 2004... Boise, Idaho-based Boise Cascade Corp. announced the $3.7 billion sale of its paper, forest products, and timberland assets. The sell-off divides Boise into two independent entities: Boise Cascade, LLC and Boise Office Solutions, the latter of...

ChanneLinx emerges from chapter 11.(Yard Notables)
October 1, 2004... ChanneLinx, the Greenville, S.C.-based provider of e-business solutions for the supply chain, announced on June 30 that it has emerged from bankruptcy. (PROSALES' parent company, Hanley Wood, had an investment interest in ChanneLinx prior to...

Huttig Building Products.
October 1, 2004... St. Louis-based building materials distributor Huttig Building Products relocated its Indianapolis distribution center to a 96,000-square-foot facility, increasing its capacity by 40 percent and allowing for product expansion, including the...

The Home Improvement Research Institute.
October 1, 2004... (HIRI) in Tampa, Fla., has released its 2003 Remodeling Professional Study, which includes remodeler purchasing behaviors for almost 90 products and the. factors that impact remodelers' brand selection. Category reports are available for $1,495...

Marshfield DoorSystems.
October 1, 2004... Marshfield, Wis.-based door manufacturer Marshfield DoorSystems has announced the acquisition of Bolection Door, manufacturer of the Bolection and Cyma door brands. The acquisition will increase Marshfield's presence in the residential market.

The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association.
October 1, 2004... The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) in Fairfax, Va., now offers "Forklift Rigging Attachments," a video that provides common forklift attachment descriptions, typical usage, and safety tips. Visit www.scranet.org.

Steel Framing Alliance.
October 1, 2004... Steel Framing Alliance, based in Washington, D.C., released its debut series of "How To" educational guides based on the National Training Curriculum, premiering with "How to Get Started with Steel: Tools." Future guides will follow. The series...

Aristokraft.
October 1, 2004... Jasper, Ind.-based cabinet manufacturer Aristokraft is celebrating its 50th anniversary by sponsoring "Feed the HeART," a celebrity art exhibit to benefit the anti-hunger, anti-poverty mission of the Share Our Strength organization. Celebrity...

Pollard Windows.
October 1, 2004... Ontario-based Pollard Windows announced the window industry's first 25-year sealed glass warranty. The company will replace any Pollard glass component manufactured with Intercept technology should the hermetic seal fail.

Save the date.(Pro Watch)(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... * North American Building Material Distribution Association Annual Convention & Tabletop Business Session / Nov. 4-5 / Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Chicago. Contact: 888.747.7862; www. nbmda.org * Lumber Association of California & Nevada...

Your Washington office: NLBMDA offers an array of opportunities for dealers to help influence the country's government leaders.(NLBMDA Briefings)
October 1, 2004... Looking to expand your company's poetical influence? The NLBMDA can help. By joining the NLBMDA and our local associations, you gain access to legislative and regulatory information, and representation before the U.S. Congress and the...

NLBMDA advocacy corner.(NLBMDA Briefings)
October 1, 2004... Vote: Election Day, November 2, is just weeks away! Now is the time to get informed about your choices and take action to protect the lumber and building material industry. While voter registration deadlines have passed in most states, it is...

Mark your calendar.(NLBMDA Briefings)(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... Get quality training without leaving the comfort of your desk chair. NLBMDA's monthly Training Without Travel teleconferences cover a range of safety topics, including OSHA compliance issues, forklift training, and disaster preparedness. Visit...

Boone County Lumber hosts Vice President Cheney.(NLBMDA Briefings)
October 1, 2004... On Monday, July 19, employees of Boone County Lumber in Columbia, Mo., were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime event when Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne, visited their facility. Boone County Lumber president Greg Eiffert and vice...

Taking control: by installing your own products and documenting the work, you can win the next time you have to play the blame game.(New Dimensions)
October 1, 2004... You've just spent an hour on e phone with one of your builders, listening to yet another complaint about windows leaking and poor performance. Despite his claims, you know that the windows are not at fault--they're one of the best brands...

Hanging up: PDAs and wireless e-mail are great additions to your jobsite technology coffer, but no one technology alone will meet all communications needs.(Firing Line)
October 1, 2004... Technology was finally on our side. Bradley Construction's principal was showing off his new toy, a PDA that had a wireless Internet connection. He had outfitted his supervisors and office staff with these devices ,so they all could communicate...

Perfect timing: to close more deals, don't lower prices, improve your timing.(Sell Sheet)
October 1, 2004... The biggest fallacy in the sales profession is that closing the sale is a one-time pinnacle moment of all-or-nothing price confrontation between the seller and buyer. The reality is that closing is merely one small step among many in the...

Family affair: for Al Torrisi, the 2004 ProSales public service leader, community and industry service is a way of life. For his family-owned company, Jackson Lumber & Millwork, it is a way of doing business that has helped the new England dealer both thrive and survive for three generations.(2004 Public Service Leader)(Cover Story)
October 1, 2004... At noon on Saturday, June 5, when the last contractor customer of the day pulled out of Jackson Lumber & Millwork's drive-through yard in downtown Lawrence. Mass., the race was on. The 20-person decorations committee of the Essex Art Center's...

The perfect fit: to successfully integrate new locations following a buyout, acquisition-minded dealers need to make sure that their corporate cultures and objectives are in sync with a potential seller before they seal the deal--or they risk losing he strengths of that company's heritage and market position.
October 1, 2004... By Labor Day, Bellevue Builders Supply was officially going by the name Stock Building Supply, the Raleigh, N.C.-based pro dealer that had acquired Bellevue in May. Since then, seven-yard Bellevue, based in Schenectady, N.Y., has discontinued...

Second chance: far removed from boardroom buyout negotiations and long-term strategic plans, united building centers is breathing new life into former wickes locations in rural Indiana--and employees who work at the yards are now displacing apprehension and uncertainty with new hope.
October 1, 2004... Driving north out of Indianapolis on Interstate 69, it's not hard to see why this sprawling metro has become a component and panel framing mecca over the past several years. Subdivisions nudge elbows and stretch to the horizon, sprinkled with...

Multiple opportunities: the driving forces behind expected growth in multifamily construction allow dealers to meet demand on several levels.(Market Matters)
October 1, 2004... It's easy to feel a little wishy-washy about supplying multifamily housing. While nearly every industry economist expects that segment of the housing market to grow along with the single-family sector for the next decade, many dealers still may...

Get the red out: selecting the correct fastener for use in new pressure-treated woods is critical to preventing corrosion, rust, and fastener failure.(Product Monitor)
October 1, 2004... Since the phase-out of CCA-treated lumber, concerns have surfaced regarding the higher corrosivity of alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ)--one of the most common new preservatives in use--and its potential effect on some fasteners. The industry...

Cutting edge.(Product Monitor)
October 1, 2004... Here are some of the newest manufacturing machines to fill the needs of your building component manufacturing business. Designed to cut all standard truss parts from any lumber width, as well as one-off parts, with minimal setup time, the...

Jeld-Wen.(Lasts and Lasts)
October 1, 2004... AuraLast wood, an option now available for all Pozzi Custom Collection wood windows and doors, provides increased protection against wood decay, water absorption, and termite infestation, according to the maker. The solid Western pine wood...

ODL.(Lasts and Lasts)
October 1, 2004... Cadence and Heirlooms designs are now available in the maker's line of Decorative Bath Windows. Cadence (shown) uses patina caming in combination with vertigo glass, ripple glass, and clear bevel clusters to create a geometric floral design....

CertainTeed.(Lasts and Lasts)
October 1, 2004... Available on all of the manufacturer's vinyl replacement or new construction windows or doors, PrismGrid offers the appearance of custom beveled glass using a patented optical film from 3M that is applied between two panes of window glazing....

Republic windows.(Lasts and Lasts)
October 1, 2004... The manufacturer's slider windows now come standard with anti-lift blocks that allow for adjustment to three heights, a solution for out-of-square openings. The anti-lift blocks also increase security in the slider windows, allowing the sash to...

Rehau.(Lasts and Lasts)
October 1, 2004... System 4500 tilt-turn architectural windows are constructed of vinyl and feature a multi-point locking system and concealed hardware that allow the window to operate off a single handle as both a casement and a tilt-in. A dual sealing system...

Start your engines: emissions-friendly and fuel-efficient, gasoline electric hybrid engines are finally making their way into medium- and heavy-duty trucks suitable for pro dealer deliveries.(View From Builder)
October 1, 2004... Outside the Santa Maria, Calif., solar-powered truss plant operated by 2003 PROSALES Dealer of the Year Hayward, a work truck is parked in front of a power outlet, slowly juicing up on the plant's solar power, getting ready to cruise to...