Prosales articles from September 2002

Prosales archives from September 2002

Perfect timing. (Editor's Notes).
September 1, 2002... More than six months ago, Boise Cascade invited PROSALES to visit the company's lumber operations in Medford, Ore., and take a tour of its surrounding timberlands. The trip was at the top of my to-do list for 2002, but I had to postpone it at...

Team players: train your managers to be coaches and hit the field running. (New Dimensions).
September 1, 2002... The best pro dealers are the ones who are prepared for any and all situations all the time. To reach this goal, a solid coaching process must be implemented. Coaches? You might be saying, "We're a sales organization, not an athletic team....

On hold. (Firing Line).
September 1, 2002... It was late in the afternoon, and our salesman Nathan and a custom builder named Bob were leaning over a set of prints spread out on the drafting table, reviewing the interior schedule for one of the builder's homes. "What about interior...

On the fly: wireless jobsite management applications can reduce hassles for outside sales reps. (Pro Watch).
September 1, 2002... Just about every dealer in the residential construction supply market is working with homebuilders to reduce cycle times. After all, more quality-built homes through efficient supply chain collaboration means more profit for builders and...

Hines Lumber names VP of overall sales. (Yard Notables).
September 1, 2002... Edward Hines Lumber Co. (www.hineslumber.com) announced that Edward McMillan "Mac" Hines has been named vice president of overall sales for the Buffalo Grove, Ill.-based company, which includes 12 lumberyards, a full-service millwork facility,...

Day promoted at UBC-Butterfield. (Yard Notables).
September 1, 2002... Susan Day of United Building Centers (UBC) is the new center manager at UBC-Butterfield Lumber in Midvale, Utah. The location's assistant manager since December 2000, Day was one of the original staff members when the store opened in 1981. A...

Opdyke offers training. (Yard Notables).
September 1, 2002... H.J. Opdyke Lumber Co. in Frenchtown and Belle Mead, N.J., offered the first in a series of contractor college training sessions on April 26. The all-day workshop, entitled "Building For Profit," was designed to teach contractors the basics of...

ECMD goes West. (Yard Notables).
September 1, 2002... ECMD Distribution, a building products distributor and integrated logistics management company headquartered in North Wilkesboro, N.C., recently opened a new distribution center in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., expanding its capabilities to the...

Measured steps: a defined succession plan is critical to ensure that a business transitions successfully from one management generation to the next, regardless of whether leadership stays within the family circle or expands to accept outside talent into the fold.
September 1, 2002... John Alexander was young and ambitious when he arrived in America from Scotland in the 1870s, his passage paid by his older sister and her husband. They had settled in Wisconsin and opened a sawmill to capitalize on the westward pioneer...

Paradise found: Stock Building Supply's Paradise, Pa.-based flagship location is a manufacturing haven strategically positioned to serve a four-stage region in one of the nation's top home building corridors. (Cover Story).
September 1, 2002... It's another beautiful day in Paradise--the town, that is, and the location of Stock Building Supply's Southeastern Pennsylvania flagship operation. With a successful lumberyard, truss and panel plant, and a 100,000-square-foot millwork...

A different world: to avoid the risks and reap the rewards of expanding into commercial construction markets, dealers have to recognize and respond to each segment's unique needs.
September 1, 2002... In 1951, when the Louis J. Grasmick Lumber Co. began selling rough blocking and bracing materials to the Port of Baltimore, company executives could not have imagined that their materials one day would encase the Washington Monument and the...

Tight market: as sales of housewrap and other thermal barrier materials grow increasingly competitive, becoming an expert in the products' home energy impact helps dealers wrap up more sales. (How To Sell Housewrap).
September 1, 2002... For Terry Michnya, "selling" housewrap these days consists mostly of making sure enough rolls of the product are on the truck with the wall framing package. in many cases, "it's a `reminder' product," says the sales manager of Barrons...

I to I. (Product Info).
September 1, 2002... In the eyes of builders, the "I"s have it. I-joists, that is. Year after year, more and more builders are transitioning to I-joists and engineered lumber systems as a whole, relying on the material's consistency, reliability, and ease of...

Break out. (New Products).
September 1, 2002... The CFI2 circuit breaker locator from Zircon helps a single user determine which breaker controls a specific circuit. allowing them to work on just that circuit without turning off power to the other circuits. A green LED light and audio signal...

In this corner. (New Products).
September 1, 2002... Designed for fascia, soffit, and other non-loadbearing exterior trim applications, AZEK Trimboards are made with cellular PVC, so they combine the look of wood with durability, consistency, rot-and insect-resistance, and low-maintenance. The...

Step up. (New Products).
September 1, 2002... The Crown System stair system from Crown Heritage allows installers to align balusters perfectly with the rake of the rail and the tread, reducing installation time and cost, the maker says. The system is available in 16 wood or wood and...

Sound off. (Product Info).
September 1, 2002... By now, most of your customers have been thoroughly schooled on the benefits of insulating properly to save energy. But that's not all you can be selling. As the need for increasingly quieter homes grows, so does the opportunity to sell...

Filter fresh. (New Products).
September 1, 2002... Designed specifically for homes with wells, the dual-purpose Sanitizer Water Conditioner from Water-Right conditions problem well water and disinfects the entire plumbing system. The system's chlorine generator creates controlled amounts of...

Super stopper. (New Products).
September 1, 2002... Engineered to protect a home against flooding from plumbing leaks and overflows, FloodStopper from Smart Sensor Technologies automatically shuts off water when it detects a leak. The system includes low-profile electronic sensors and a control...

Pipe dream. (New Products).
September 1, 2002... EverTuff CPVC pipe from Coastline Plastics is virtually immune to low-pH water, coastal salt air, or corrosive soil that can damage copper plumbing, the maker says. The material can be permanently joined with solvent-welded cement fusing, and...

Plumb job. (Product Info).
September 1, 2002... More than pipes and wires, the latest plumbing and electrical products are solving everyday homeowner problems and ramping up technology. Some of the newest products to hit the market--from surge protectors to dimmer switches--offer advanced...

Blueprint for the future: strategies to maximize growth and profitability. (Pro Sales Executive Summit).
September 1, 2002... Attend the PROSALES Executive Summit and find out: * what it takes to sell today's builders and keep them coming back * the impact of current economic and building trends on the future of the LBM Industry * best practices in CRM...

Stand by your brand: branding is much than a catchy logo--it is a reflection of your company's history and action in the marketplace. (View from: Big Builder).
September 1, 2002... Getting top dollar was, in part, what drove Hacienda Builders in Phoenix in its brand-building efforts. Its executives had studied companies, such as Starbucks, that achieved success by consistently delivering a quality product and a...