Prosales articles from September 2005

Prosales archives from September 2005

Standing out: in sales, you need to be different to get noticed and be remembered, and you must establish distinct personal connections with your customers to fulfill their needs and wants.(Editor's Notes)
September 1, 2005... Imagine you are standing in front of a business meeting leading a sales cheer with pom-poms. Would you feel ridiculous and uncomfortable? If you answered no, you get my kudos for being more outgoing than I am. I recently was charged with...

Calendar.(Returns)(Calendar)
September 1, 2005... Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association Fall Conference, co-hosted with the Lumbermen's Association of Texas / Oct. 5-8 / Santa Fe, N.M. / Contact: 800,365,0919; www.mslbmda.org... Building Component Manufacturers...

Correction.(Returns)(Correction Notice)
September 1, 2005... In "Revving Up" (July 2005, page 26), we incorrectly reported that the BlueLinx Chopper motorcycle was awarded to Lennar Homes' corporate executive director, Tom Brick. While Brick was awarded a motorcycle, the actual BlueLinx Chopper created...

Rite on target: dealers large and small are starting to see results from partnering up with Boise's Build-Rite whole-house design, engineering, and construction-fulfillment services.(ProWatch)
September 1, 2005... It has taken awhile for Boise Building Solutions' Build-Rite suite of services to clear the quarantine that causes programs viewed by pro dealers as "builder direct" to sit on the shelf and collect dust. Although formally introduced at the 2005...

Advance your style with new designs by Therma-Tru" doors.(Studies Show)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2005... The challenge: Your customers want doors they can sell and install with confidence to add style to the homes they build and remodel, reduce callbacks, grow their margins and enhance their brand recognition. The solution: Therma-Tru...

Trouble up north the mountain pine beetle threatens to tip the delicate supply and demand for timber and construction lumber.(ProWatch)
September 1, 2005... It may be small--measuring about the size of a grain of rice--but the mountain pine beetle is a huge problem in the forests of British Columbia and for that area's economic well-being. Attracted to mature, large-diameter lodgepole pine trees...

Robert Bowden, Inc.: Georgia dealer credits quality and service with success.(INTEGRITY CELEBRATES ITS RED DIAMOND ACHIEVERS)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2005... Robert Bowden, Inc. is a large wholesale building material supply and manufacturing company located in Marietta, GA. With over 350 employees, a fleet of 69 delivery trucks, over 320,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space spanning 30 acres and annual...

Custom cushion: with talk of a possible slowdown in the industry, making sure you're the right lumberyard for your custom accounts today could make all the difference to your company tomorrow.(ProWatch)
September 1, 2005... The housing bust that started in the late-1980s was particularly hard-felt at Longview, Texas-based Cassity Jones Lumber & Hardware. Simultaneous slumps in the oil and financial industries had pitched the Lone Star State into its worst...

M&A update: with consolidation still on the tip of most pro dealers' tongues, ProSales checked in with Nick Beare, managing director and head of the Building Materials and Technologies Group at investment banking and brokerage firm Stephens Inc., for the latest word on what types of companies were trading hands in the first half of this year.(ProWatch)(Interview)
September 1, 2005... ProSales: What is the current state of M&A activity in the construction industry as a whole? Beare: It's still quite strong on both a dollar and volume basis. During the first half of 2005, we have seen a concentration on bigger deals,...

Free loads: downloadable reference tools are alleviating some of the guesswork of specifying loads during the building design and construction process.(ProWatch)
September 1, 2005... Whole-house engineers, component designers, and takeoff specialists burning the midnight oil over blueprints might be able to get out of the office a little earlier with the help two new publications that aim to demystify the interpretation and...

Green trophy an inaugural award program from the Forest Stewardship Council offers promotion and recognition opportunities for the customers of pro dealers selling certified wood.(ProWatch)
September 1, 2005... Pro dealers holding a chain of custody certificate for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)--certified lumber can now pass along the opportunity for greater recognition to their contractor-customers who are working on unique projects using...

Stock opens showroom.(Yard Notables)
September 1, 2005... Raleigh, N.C.-based Stock Building Supply announced the opening of its Asheville, N.C., showroom. Jointly branded by Stock and its sister company Ferguson, a distributor of plumbing, HVAC, and building materials, the Stock Home Design Center...

KLBMDA to become KBMA.(Yard Notables)
September 1, 2005... Louisville, Ky.-based Kentucky Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (KLBMDA) announced the renaming of its organization to the Kentucky Building Materials Association (KBMA) following a unanimous vote at a special membership meeting...

Diamond cabinets.(Editor's Product Pick)
September 1, 2005... No matter what style of cabinetry goes into a kitchen or bath, there is always unused space in the toekick area. Diamond Cabinets puts this space to work with its new Base Toekick cabinet, part of its Logix line of cabinetry solutions. The Base...

John H. Myers & Son.
September 1, 2005... York, Pa.-based John H. Myers & Son announced the appointment of Cart Swiger, current COO and vice president, to vice chairman of the board of directors. Swiger started his career with John H. Myers as a retail store manager 25 years ago....

Lowe.
September 1, 2005... Lowe's announced plans to expand its Statesville, N.C., regional distribution center. The $12 million expansion will add 324,000 square feet, allow for an increase in inventory, and add 50 new jobs.

Universal Forest Products.
September 1, 2005... Grand Rapids, Mich.-based wood and wood-alternative products manufacturer Universal Forest Products was named as one of the Top 50 manufacturers in the U.S. by IndustryWeek magazine for the third consecutive year. To select the Top 50,...

Alcoa Home Exteriors.
September 1, 2005... Pittsburgh-based manufacturer Alcoa Home Exteriors has renamed its Retail Brands Group to Retail Distribution Group. According to a statement, the new name focuses on the company's strategic approach based on the markets it serves instead of...

Full speed ahead: the direct dealer membership campaign takes off.(NLBMDA Briefings)
September 1, 2005... The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association's (NLBMDA) Direct Dealer campaign is underway and gaining momentum. Dealers of all sizes from across the nation are joining together to increase their support of their national trade...

It's time for a checkup: monitoring the financial health of your company.(NLBMDA Briefings)
September 1, 2005... That is the first thing you look at when you get your company's monthly financial statement? OK, once you have assured yourself that there is money in the bank and that you actually made money last month, what do you look at next? Do you...

NLBMDA grassroots dealer of the year touts importance of local involvement.(NLBMDA Briefings)
September 1, 2005... Every day our federal government makes decisions that influence the lumber and building material industry. Your lobbyists at NLBMDA are charged with protecting our industry's interests on Capitol Hill, but members of Congress look to you, their...

Landmark bankruptcy reform a win for industry.(NLBMDA Briefings)
September 1, 2005... On Oct. 17, landmark bankruptcy reform legislation takes effect that will help ensure debtors with the ability to repay at least a portion of their debts are required to do so when filing for bankruptcy. Building material dealers will see an...

Pay checked: for on-time and on-budget jobs that are still high quality, consider a pay scale that combines hourly and piece-rate options.(New Dimensions)
September 1, 2005... One question that comes up regularly in industry roundtables is "How do I pay my people?" Whether they're wondering about paying installers for their productivity or which compensation programs will work best for their sales staff, the...

Speed limit: if you want to truly accommodate demanding customers, don't let them force you to shift into overdrive.(Firing Line)
September 1, 2005... I had an overdue estimate on my desk, and I just kept letting it sit there. Every morning for a week I glanced at it. During the day, I shuffled it around a little. Then, before going home, I would straighten up the notes and drawings, but I...

Ask and deliver: use customer feedback tools to discover the needs of your customer segments--before someone else does.(Dispatch)
September 1, 2005... In a volatile industry such as ours, where success hinges partially on externalities such as the economy, weather, competition, and commodity markets, celebrating an anniversary can be an especially laudable achievement. But success is not...

Positive thinking: praising your salespeople is the most effective and least costly way to boost morale, reinforce behaviors, and increase sales.(Sell Sheet)
September 1, 2005... Let's say you're the sales manager and one of your direct reports is 5 percent behind last year's sales numbers and 12 percent behind this year's budget. You had put him on notice two months ago and since then he has been doing a solid job of...

Personal touch: custom home builders specialize in meeting the individual needs of buyers, and they expect the same treatment from their suppliers. An exclusive ProSales survey reveals that pro dealers appear to be competing most effectively for this business when they can establish a deep rapport with these builders and, perhaps as importantly their customers.(ProSales Custom Home Builder Study)
September 1, 2005... There are plenty of places around Charlottesville, Va., where Randy Rinehart can buy building materials for the four to six houses his company, Rinehart Custom Homes, constructs annually. But for the past 35 years, his supplier of choice has...

No limits: with the dark days of angry creditors and store closings behind it, Keith Brown Building Materials is once again playing a winning hand, growing a profitable enterprise by investing money back into the company and buckling down to the business of serious growth.(Profile)
September 1, 2005... Like virtually everywhere else in the country, the home building markets in Oregon and California over the past two years have been a gold mine for many dealers, and Keith Brown Building Materials, with 12 yards straddling Interstate 5 as it...

Sweet spots: small, market-driven business niches within a larger LBM operation can reap benefits ranging from loftier profits to more loyal clients.(Market Matters)
September 1, 2005... Like many dealers its size, Carhart Lumber Co., a 12-location, $20 million operation based in Wayne, Neb., manufactures roof trusses and offers installed sales (in its case, insulation) to its contractor customers. In addition, most of its...

Fringe benefits: exterior composite trims are an attractive replacement for wood.(Product Monitor)
September 1, 2005... Composite trim is steadily gaining acceptance among pros as an attractive alternative to wood exterior trim because composites allow pros to sidestep many of the installation, callback, and maintenance issues associated with wood, according to...

See the light.(Product Monitor)
September 1, 2005... Daylighting is becoming a more important consideration in both new home construction and light commercial applications, and one of the most common ways builders incorporate daylighting is by installing skylights. Here are just a few of the...

Panasonic.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
September 1, 2005... WhisperGreen bathroom ventilation fans are packed with a variety of energy-efficient features, including Custom Vent variable-speed control with a delayed-off timer and SmartFlow optimum CFM technology. The WhisperGreen premium ceiling-mounted...

Heat & Glo.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
September 1, 2005... With a sleek European design, the Paloma freestanding direct-vent gas fireplace is ideal for urban lofts and other multifamily homes. The curved firebox allows viewing of the fire from nearly any angle, and the double glass front is available...

Kronepol Marketing.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
September 1, 2005... Sonic Floor sound-deadening laminate flooring features an integrated underpad of felted rubber that eliminates the hollow sound typical of many laminate floors and is also shock-absorbent, the maker says. Its interior HDF core has a swelling...

Enkeboll Designs.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
September 1, 2005... Designed with the characteristic curves and bold lines of the Arts & Crafts movement, the American Arts & Crafts series of corbels is ideal for architectural applications where simplicity is key. Available in sizes ranging from 4 1/2 inches to...

Jeld Wen.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
September 1, 2005... The Premium Wood collection's interior Staved Panel doors, models 1023 and 1828, feature two simulated planked panels that complement rustic Shaker, Mediterranean, and Craftsman architecture. The doors' upper panels have enhanced detailing with...

Off and running: whether products are jumping off the shelves or not, there's always an opportunity for pro suppliers to apply their own branding power to transactions.(Viewpoint)
September 1, 2005... When it comes to new products, contractors want them all, and they want them now. But imagine a product so hot, so in demand, that your builders actually line up at the yard on a Saturday to place their orders, a product that requires virtually...