Prosales articles from September 2006

Prosales archives from September 2006

Staying the course: one year later, pro dealers continue to respond to the needs of a Gulf Coast ravaged by natural disaster.(Editor's Notes)
September 1, 2006... On Aug. 3 at 8:08 p.m., my girlfriend and I were in our living room watching television when suddenly it felt like someone had grabbed the sofa from behind us and was trying to tip it over. All of the furniture began likewise pitching back and...

Calendar.(Returns)(Calendar)
September 1, 2006... Building Component Manufacturers Conference / Oct. 4-6 / Houston / Contact: 608.268.1161; www.bcmcshow.com... Ace Hardware Fall Convention and Exhibit / Oct. 6-9 / Philadelphia / Contact: 630.990.2706; www.acehardware.com... Mountain States...

Don't miss out!(Returns)
September 1, 2006... There's still plenty of time to register for the industry's premier conference, the NLBMDA/ProSales Industry Summit, Oct. 26-28 in Scottsdale, Ariz. Don't miss out on the opportunity to attend information-packed, idea-generating education...

PROSALES recognized.(Returns)
September 1, 2006... Congratulations to PROSALES executive editor Chris Wood, who was recognized by the American Society of Business Publication Editors with a national gold Award of Excellence for his Viewpoint column. To read this month's column, see page 116.

Award-winning advice: NARI Contractors of the Year sound off on their supply partnerships and what it takes to get the business of best-in-class remodelers.(ProWatch)
September 1, 2006... Peter Feinmann has some choice words for building material suppliers still locked into the view that remodeling contractors demand too much from the supply channel. "Who is too demanding?" counters the president of Arlington, Mass.-based...

Playing for keeps: the truth about employee retention.(ProWatch)
September 1, 2006... Of the many challenges facing LBM supply owners today, few are more imperative than employee retention. A constricted labor market feels all the more tight-and all the more costly--if you are constantly having to hire and retrain staff. To help...

It could happen to you: as many as 40 percent of small businesses don't recover from a disaster. Do you have a plan in place to beat the odds?(ProWatch)
September 1, 2006... What if... What if hackers break into your computer system and delete vital customer and employee data? What if an unexpected ice storm knocks out power to your office for a week? What if, late at night, an electrical fire...

Back to basics: fundamental tips for maximizing the profitability of your existing operations.(ProWatch)
September 1, 2006... Good pro dealers are always planning for growth. It seems anytime you read an article today about the building supply industry you see new acquisitions and plans for expansion. While buying a competitor and opening a new location are both great...

Strober purchases Rowley.(ProWatch: Yard Notables)
September 1, 2006... Strober Building Supply, the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based division of The Strober Organization, announced July 17 it has acquired Rowley Building Products, a Middletown, N.Y., millwork and kitchen specialist serving contractors in the Hudson Valley and...

BMHC acquires Davis Bros.(ProWatch: Yard Notables)
September 1, 2006... The SelectBuild Construction division of San Francisco-based Building Materials Holding Corp. (BMHC) completed its acquisition of Davis Bros. Framing on Aug. 1. Davis Bros., which provides turnkey framing services in Southern California's...

O.C. Cluss buys Fox Glass.(ProWatch: Yard Notables)
September 1, 2006... Uniontown, Pa.-based O.C. Cluss Lumber Co. has acquired Fox Glass Co., also of Uniontown, a commercial glass and glazing contractor. Founded in 1922, family-run Fox Glass has annual revenues of $3 million and a staff of 15. "Along with the...

Smitty's to acquire Shelter Systems.(ProWatch: Yard Notables)
September 1, 2006... Alexandria, Va.-based Smitty's Building Supply announced Aug. 9 its agreement to purchase Manassas, Va.-based Shelter Systems, a 12-year-old dealer with expertise in installation services. Smitty's president and CEO Rick Smith said the purchase...

Dura supreme cabinetry.(Editor's Product Pick)
September 1, 2006... The manufacturer's Boot Bench and Locker program provides specialized designs to organize and outfit mudrooms, entry halls, and any other catchall space. Boot Benches are available in widths from 18 inches to 96 inches and are outfitted with...

White Cap Construction Supply, a division of The Home Depot, announced it will acquire Texas Contractors Supply.
September 1, 2006... White Cap Construction Supply, a division of The Home Depot, announced it will acquire Texas Contractors Supply, a distributor of forming, concrete accessories, tilt-wall, and power tools based in Fort Worth, Texas. Texas Contractors Supply...

McCoy's Building Supply.
September 1, 2006... McCoy's Building Supply, which is based in San Marcos, Texas, and operates 84 stores, announced the following appointments: Brent Harrison was named store manager of the Laurel, Miss., location; Jorge Morales was appointed store manager of the...

Bison Building Materials.
September 1, 2006... Houston-based Bison Building Materials announced it has promoted Todd Bybee to Las Vegas-area general manager and Don Cook to facilities manager and purchasing assistant. Bison's Dale Besemer will be relocating to Las Vegas to serve as...

Beacon Roofing Supply.
September 1, 2006... Peabody Mass.-based distributor Beacon Roofing Supply has appointed Christopher Nelson to vice president and chief information officer. Nelson comes from a bedding product manufacturer where he served as vice president of information systems...

ORCO Construction Supply.
September 1, 2006... ORCO Construction Supply, headquartered in Livermore, Calif., celebrated the grand opening of a new location in El Centro, Calif., on July 28.

Atlanta-based building products distributor BlueLinx announced Aug. 9 the acquisition of Austin Hardwoods.
September 1, 2006... Atlanta-based building products distributor BlueLinx announced Aug. 9 the acquisition of Austin Hardwoods, a hardwood lumber distributor based in Austin, Texas, that has four facilities and had 2005 sales of more than $22 million.

Progressive Affiliated Lumbermen.
September 1, 2006... Coop Progressive Affiliated Lumbermen (PAL) opened its new headquarters office in Grand Rapids, Mich., on July 17. The 16,000-square-foot facility is 5 miles from the previous headquarters, which the co-op had outgrown. PAL also announced it...

Simpson Strong-Tie.
September 1, 2006... Pleasanton, Calif.-based structural building product manufacturer Simpson Strong-Tie has appointed 27-year company veteran Terry Kingsfather president and COO.

Royal Mouldings.
September 1, 2006... Tim Dykstra has been named vice president of sales, marketing, and distribution at Marion, Va.-based manufacturer Royal Mouldings.

BlueTarp Financial, a Charlotte, N.C.-based provider of commercial trade credit services, announced a partnership with the Independent Builders Supply Association.
September 1, 2006... BlueTarp Financial, a Charlotte, N.C.-based provider of commercial trade credit services, announced a partnership with the Independent Builders Supply Association (IBSA) to provide credit and financial services to IBSA's 230 members.

Immigration heats up in congress: NLBMDA is keeping an eye on how reform measures may impact the LBM supply industry.(NLBMDA Briefings)
September 1, 2006... The topic of immigration reform has stirred many passionate speeches over the past few months as Congress debates new reform measures. While there are many different opinions on what needs to be done to address this growing issue, the outcome...

The power of one: again and again, our industry proves how each individual can make a big difference.(NLBMDA Briefings)
September 1, 2006... Most of us know that one person or one vote really can make a difference. The point was brought home to me recently in a vivid and meaningful way. As pictured on the cover of last month's Advantage, a group of Illinois Lumber &...

Play it safe: to protect your employees and your company, have a formal safety program in place.(New Dimensions)
September 1, 2006... Almost everyone I talk to these days is concerned about and focused on issues related to jobsite safety, especially when it comes to installed sales. Even though the margins for installed sales can be quite attractive, all it takes is one...

Meet your match: if you spend more time in meetings than actually doing the work, it may be time to rein in your high-maintenance homeowner.(Firing Line)
September 1, 2006... "Thanks for the information on the windows," the homeowner told me. "But we need to meet to review a few more things... " The homeowner was having a major addition put onto his house. But while it had plenty of lumber and millwork in it,...

Silent partner: companies can best manage costs and customer needs throughout the LBM supply chain by sensibly integrating technology into all aspects of the business.(Dispatch)
September 1, 2006... A popular saying theorizes that success lies in the partner you choose to work alongside you. While this certainly applies to vendors and customers, experience has taught me that a company's ability to succeed in today's marketplace is...

In the lead: looking for new sales targets? Consider the profit-building possibilities of residential architects.(Sell Sheet)
September 1, 2006... Here is a trick question: Which would you rather have as a customer, a slow-paying, disorganized contractor who purchases $30,000 a year or a long-term, loyal customer who offers fair margins and purchases $250,000? If you think this is a dumb...

Law & order: Congress weighs legislation that could protect dealers against product liability suits.(Cover story)
September 1, 2006... Only in America. About a year ago, Chicago-based Lee Lumber sold a portable table saw to a customer who, according to Lee president Rick Baumgarten, removed the saw's safety guard, because it was in the way of what he was working on, and...

Support systems: top sellers in the industry prove that while great salespeople are often born, they also can be built, with the help of a team, technology, and tools to get the job done.
September 1, 2006... It's a question that's as old as the art of sales itself: Is a good salesperson born or made? "That's the first question I ask at all of my sales management boot camps," says Rick Davis, a PROSALES contributor and president of Building Leaders,...

Group effort: hard work and team spirit combine at Home Lumber into a simple but stellar sales strategy.(Support Systems)
September 1, 2006... Milton Johnson, president of San Bernardino, Calif.--based Home Lumber Co., a division of Raleigh, N.C.--based Stock Building Supply, doesn't have his own parking space. And with the firm's main plant running 20 hours a day and load builders...

Armed and ready: from cell phones to digital takeoffs, Roper Bros. arms its savvy sales staff with the tools to further boost customer relationships.(Support Systems)
September 1, 2006... Dwight Shenk, an outside salesman for Petersburg, Va.--based Roper Bros. Lumber Co., carries two cell phones. Working in the rolling Virginia horse country around Winchester, he sometimes gets caught in a dead spot between a mountaintop and a...

Step-by-step: VNS Corp. builds sales leaders from the ground up through careful stages of training, mentoring, and development.(Support Systems)
September 1, 2006... Woodie Bryan, sales development manager at Vidalia, Ga.--based VNS Corp., doesn't like making promises he can't keep. And he doesn't want his salespeople to do so, either. As the man responsible for training and mentoring new sales associates...

Just rewards: rewards and other incentive programs for pros have evolved into sophisticated offerings that recognize valuable customers and breed long-term loyalty.(Market Matters)
September 1, 2006... In December, Steve Miller and members of the Holmes Lumber sales staff will enjoy a weeklong vacation in the Bahamas. They'll have a good time, no doubt, but the trip is far from a boondoggle; in fact, it won't be considered a success unless...

Framing freedom: new introductions expand the market for hoseless framing nailers.(Product Monitor)
September 1, 2006... For about 20 years, Paslode was the only tool company with a viable gas-powered, hoseless framing nailer, and in that time many contractors have come to recognize the value of such a tool: freedom from compressors, generators, and hoses....

All the trimmings: cellular PVC trims now include more than just plain dimensional boards. Specialty items such as brickmolds, beadboard panels, column wraps, and thicker boards and sheets, as well as jobsite heat forming kits and factory-applied colors, help to round out product offerings.(Product Monitor)
September 1, 2006... Often lumped under the description composite trim, the category of cellular PVC trim continues to expand with new product lines, line extensions, and new finish offerings. Comers, sheets, beadboard, and column wraps abound, and factory-applied...

Expanko.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
September 1, 2006... A Expanko Vallarex cork flooring uses a sustainably harvested cork surface over a high-density fiberboard core for strength, supported by a cork underlayer. The glueless tongue-and-groove floating floor system comes in nine 12-inch-by-36-inch...

MNG Hardware.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
September 1, 2006... B MNG Hardware Oversized pulls, available in several of the maker's decorative hardware collections, are designed to enhance cabinets, pantry doors, passage doors, and popular appliance brands. Potato (shown), Quilt, and Vine collections...

Armstrong Hardwood Flooring.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
September 1, 2006... C Armstrong Hardwood Flooring Utilizing the manufacturer's NextGen installation system, the Locking Hardwood flooring line installs without glue, staples, or nails. Because it is manufactured with a cross-ply engineered construction that...

Architectural Products by Outwater.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
September 1, 2006... D Architectural Products by Outwater Wood Plus decorative moldings are manufactured with a premium-grade solid wood core fused to a smooth polymer surface that can be painted, glazed, or faux-finished without priming. A variety of simple and...

Hakatai Enterprises.(Hot Finds: Interior Products)
September 1, 2006... E Hakatai Enterprises Cartglass Luster Series glass mosaics are mesh-back-mounted in 1.15-square-foot sheets for easy installation and feature iridescent finishes available in 12 opaque colors. The glass tiles are ideal for installation on...

Rebooting the web: tech-savvy dealers will benefit from keeping pace with the next generation of online community-based networking and marketing opportunities.(Viewpoint)
September 1, 2006... Remember the Pro Dealer Exchange? In 2001, the conglomerate online effort of Builders FirstSource, 84 Lumber, BMHC, Payless Cashways, Lanoga, Wickes, and then--Carolina Holdings aimed to revolutionize the pro dealer industry by standardizing...