Prosales articles from September 2003

Prosales archives from September 2003

Join the huddle: if you're willing to share your business stats, benchmarking initiatives are a winning proposition.(Editor's Notes)
September 1, 2003... In the summer of 2002, the PROSALES staff began tossing around ideas for new industry roundtable formats that could provide readers with confidential and economical access to a wide range of business information. We knew there already were a...

Rest easy: benchmarking initiatives can improve your performance and give you piece of mind.(New Dimensions)
September 1, 2003... Imagine that you're Rip Van Winkle, and you just woke up from a long slumber to find that it's September 1, 2008. Where is your company positioned in the market, how does it measure up against other similar business models, who are your core...

Against the odds: even if you up the ante, some players are not going to be interested in your game.(Firing Line)
September 1, 2003... "You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em." Kenny Rogers made a good point when he sang that in the country tune "The Gambler." Take our talc of pursuit to land Frederick Custom Builders ms a client. Fred seemed like the...

Wheels of progress: even the best salespeople must learn to embrace new technologies or risk falling behind the curve.(Dispatch)
September 1, 2003... No matter how long you may have been doing something manually and no matter how well it has worked in the past, technologies will continue to become faster and more efficient. The computer age is upon us--even those of us in sales--and change...

Silver lining: even without cooperation from mother nature, Northeastern supply hikes spring sales by staging a top-notch co-op sales Blitz with DeWalt.(Perspectives)
September 1, 2003... It's been pouring rain in Baltimore for practically two months straight, and Mark Harden, hardware specialist at Northeastern Supply, holds a collective breath along with a cadre of DeWalt product specialists as dawn breaks oil May 28, the...

Supply by design: with an emphasis on exacting supply chain management and a strong network of suppliers, infill builder focus development makes the most of urban opportunities.(ProWatch)
September 1, 2003... Amid the Arts and Crafts-era homes that pervade the landscape of Oak Park, Ill.--a culture-rich Chicago suburb that counts among its claims to fame the birthplace of Ernest Hemingway and the location of Frank Lloyd Wright's home and...

NLBMDA elects new president.(Yard Notables)
September 1, 2003... The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) elected Shawn D. Conrad as President/ Secretary of the Board. Conrad joins the NLBMDA with 22 years experience in the non-profit, federal government sector, including 11...

Simpson Strong-Tie opens research laboratory.(Yard Notables)
September 1, 2003... Simpson Strong-Tie, the Dublin, Calif.-based manufacturer of timber connectors and systems (www.strongtie.com), opened the Tyrell Gilb Research Laboratory in Stockton, Calif., on July 15. The structural engineering and research lab is designed...

Morehouse retires at Lanoga.(Yard Notables)
September 1, 2003... Mike Morehouse, executive vice president at Lanoga Corp., announced his retirement effective June 1. Morehouse spent 32 years in the IBM industry, including 17 with Lanoga where he served in a number of positions, including division merchandise...

Ace appoints chairman of the board; elects board members.(Yard Notables)
September 1, 2003... J. Thomas Glenn was elected chairman of Ace Hardware Carp's board of directors on June 2. Glenn is the president of Ace Hardware of Chattanooga, a 13-store Ace chain in Tennessee and Georgia. He has been on the board since 1996 representing Ace...

Correction.(ProWatch)
September 1, 2003... The statistics listed for BMC West in the July 2003 ProFile ("image Makers," page 40) were reported inaccurately. BMC West Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Building Materials Holding Corp. (BMHC). Headquartered in San Francisco. BMHC has...

Numbers game: consistent performance benchmarking can help improve your company's bottom-line scorecard and create a healthier and wealthier business.
September 1, 2003... You've seen them--those five or six pro dealers from different parts of the country who huddle up together at industry events. They grab their own table at the reception, or disappear for a closed-door lunch. Come next year at the International...

New frame of mind: while still respecting the traditional supply chain, Universal Forest Products is willing to bend and sometimes even break the rules to improve customer service.(Profile Universal Forest Products)
September 1, 2003... Alan Laing, vice president of construction operations and customer satisfaction for Pulte Homes, remembers the days of two-step component supply in the Detroit market, the time before his company hooked up with Grand Rapids, Mich.-based...

The one-stop shop: for many vertical-minded dealers, offering construction packages that eliminate builders' hassles is a key to growing and sustaining sales.(How To Sell Home & Building Packages)
September 1, 2003... Drive along County Road in Garfield, Minn., and you'll pass by Leader Supply & Buildings, a full service lumber-yard and supplier of post-frame building packages. Turn around and drive back along the same stretch of road, and you'll pass D&W...

The new vinyl: an insulating backing is taking vinyl siding to a higher level.(Product Info)
September 1, 2003... The vinyl siding category is getting an update as manufacturers add foam backings to their panels to beef up the look, feel, and performance of their product lines. Originally available only from Crane, insulated vinyl siding is now offered by...

Partners & profits streamlining: builder/dealer operations.(Prosales Executive Summit)
September 1, 2003... SUPPLYING THE BUILDER MARKET is more than providing products when they need them at a competitive price. The key today is to partner with your customers, expand your business boundaries, and develop new services that differentiate you from the...

Head for home.(New Products)
September 1, 2003... Boise Building Solutions' HomePlate Siding is made of Integrated Wood Polymer a material developed by the maker that combines the benefits of wood and polymers. HomePlate resists water impacts, rot, and insects and features a cedar-grain...

Fastening power.(New Products)
September 1, 2003... Arrow Fastener's Electric Staple+Nail Gun, ETFX50, shoots six different size staples and drives 5/8-inch brad nails. The gun has a cushioned non-slip grip, and the tool features an on/off trigger safety lock. Fasteners load from the rear. The...

Rustic Crafts.(New Products)
September 1, 2003... Therma-Tru's Classic-Craft Rustic Door Collection is designed to complement Southwestern and European architectural styles and features the look of stained wood-rain. The fiberglass doors come in 8-foot heights and a 3-foot width initially...

A step up.(Product Info)
September 1, 2003... Regardless of their architectural style, e newest stair systems--both finished stairways and stair construction kits--boast ease-of-installation and new materials as their main attractions. Crown Heritage's Crown System alignment...

Sun shade.(New Products)
September 1, 2003... Georgia-Pacific's GP Radiant Barrier Roof Sheathing reflects up to 97 percent of the Sun's radiant heat, helping reduce attic temperatures by as much as 30 degrees, says the maker. The sheathing is made with a plywood hacking and aluminum foil...

Many happy returns.(New Products)
September 1, 2003... Klein Tools' Power-Return tape measures feature magnetic tips to ease one-person measuring tasks on iron and steel surfaces. Five Power-Return tape measures are available up to 30 feet in length. A rubber jackets on the case and end hook allow...

Masked trim.(New Products)
September 1, 2003... U.S. Gypsum's Sheetrock Premasked L-Trim eliminates hand-masking of areas that adjoin new drywall applications during the finishing and decorating process and also ensures correct alignment. The rust-resistant metal L-Trim has a built-in...

Taking the hit.(Product Info)
September 1, 2003... In hurricane-prone areas of the country, skylights must meet safety codes for impact resistance, just like windows and doors, and unit skylight manufacturers have been testing their products to ensure safety during hurricanes. While...

Safe and sound: the desire for homeowners too seek shelter from the storm remains strong, and in response suppliers continue to improve the technology of protective dwellings.(View From Custom Home)
September 1, 2003... In the 1980s--an era when the United States was facing off against the Russians and other communists--my father was a safety officer on board the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Kitty Hawk. Born not long after the Bay of Pigs, I consider myself a...