WEBBLog, by Craig Webb, Editor, PROSALES

What's YOUR Credit Card Policy? Take the Survey and Learn From Your Peers
Do you take credit cards at your store? If so, which cards do you accept? For what kind of payments? And with what limits? Lots of dealers want to know what their peers are doing in this regard, so ProSales has created a survey to get a better idea of standard practices and how they've changed. Click here to take the five-minute, 20-question poll. We'll report the results, but your individual info will be kept private. Participants who give us their contact info (on the survey's final page) will get a copy of the full report before any of the aggregate info goes public. Please note that this is a survey of pro dealers only. Contact me should you have any questions. We'll report our findings in about two weeks.

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Lots More Opinions Over the Green Movement and Wood
Peter Ganahl's comments last week in ProSales Business Update urging against the politicization of construction as a result of the green movement prompted half a dozen letters from you. I've posted several of them in full on my blog (to see them, look here as well as here). Among the most notable quotes:

• "It's crucial for us to join the dialogue on green building to ensure that real science is at play. While it's very true that we can adapt to sell other types of building products (and have done so successfully), if the market moved significantly to cement, for example, the opportunity for us pro dealers might be significantly less than currently exists." —Paul Hylbert, CEO, Pro-Build, Englewood, Colo.
• "Choosing materials should be a balance of both good environmental stewardship and economics. … Our industry has to take the lead in educating architects, builders, and homeowners on how to choose the best materials for their building projects." —Ron Fragapane, partner/sales rep, RepMark Sales Inc., Cleveland
• "Around here, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a tree-hugger. I suspect that most of these little green men and women just like the bumper stickers. Tree-huggers don't want to change their lifestyle to save the planet; they want everyone else to change their lifestyle to save the planet. It's cool to be green right now. Kermit the Frog never had it so good. … But when it really comes down to it, where are you going to find a building product that is more environmentally friendly than those made from WOOD?" —Thom Gross, millwork specialist, Marvic Supply Co., Bucks County, Pa.
• "Re: ‘The Weight of Wood' editorial. I appreciate the history angle, but I think it is irrelevant for discussion of what's really green today. It's time to address the ignorance demonstrated by otherwise perceptive observers when it comes to what constitutes a green building product. What needs to be communicated is that, hands down, wood beats plastic, concrete, or steel as a green building product." —Dick Gauthier, vice president of marketing, Universal Forest Products Inc., Grand Rapids, Mich.
• "Truckee-Tahoe Lumber Co. has considered carrying an FSC-certified inventory, but concluded that the increased costs and lack of adequate supply would have too great an impact on our ability to fulfill our customers' needs on a consistent and affordable basis." —Breeze Cross. President, Truckee-Tahoe Lumber Co., Truckee, Calif.
• "The trend toward certified wood is laudable but often misguided. … To suggest that there is a significant environmental difference between a certified and noncertified piece of lumber produced in Canada or the western U.S. is just silly. …If someone develops a better alternative building product than wood, we will happily sell it. We are in the building materials business after all. We just don't want the choices to be driven by misinformation or by government bureaucrats using an emotional rather than scientific basis." —Rick Roberts, CEO, Sunnyvale Lumber Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif., and president, Lumber Association of California and Nevada
• "I have been selling building products for 28 years, and until recently had little understanding of green. While working for a national manufacturer of concrete roof tile, I met a builder that introduced me to a much higher understanding of green building. Conservation, reusable, sustainable, and hybrid are just a few of the green words he is using. This builder uses little to no wood in his structures, but builds to any style or specification. The efficiency of materials and energy usage for the homeowner is second to none. … I will continue to learn more about green each and every day. Hopefully, we all can learn enough not to be scared of what ‘thinking green' can mean to building homes in the future." —Brian Reid, territory manager, MI Windows and Doors, Weaverville, N.C.

What's your view? Send me your thoughts and join the discussion.

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Diversity, Language Skills and Plain Hard Work: One Reader's Opinion
ProSales reader Walter Wilhelmi, warehouse and buying manager at Dealers Building Supply in Salisbury, Md., saw reason to comment on articles in our July issue on diversity in the workplace and on whether some yard safety issues stem from Hispanic workers' problems with English. On the first article, he wrote: "We are finding a fairly large number of the younger generation that will not work hard to have a better life. When they finish schooling, if they haven't been promoted to the top with an inflated pay scale, they are not happy. This goes with any nationality. I have always disagreed with changing your standards to satisfy someone that elects not to help themselves. For instance, a local college decided to diversify by allowing minority students to have easier testing and curbed grading. Where is the education earned equally in that scenario? I think Karnell Steel at OrePac explained it fairly well: all we need is people to work hard for what they want and to be compensated in return, whether that be financially or through recognition." As for the second story, he said: "Rich Binsacca's article on a solution for non-English-speaking employees is, in my opinion (and others in the industry), going in the wrong direction. Last I looked, we live in America, an English-speaking country." What's your opinion? Tell me.

WebbThreads

Don Magruder (in photo at right), vice president and general manager of Ro-Mac Lumber & Supply, Leesburg, Fla., will become chairman of the Florida Building Material Association's board of directors for 2007-08, FBMA announced Monday. … Police now suspect criminals set a fire in Milwaukee July 11 that destroyed the Best Lumber Co. yard, leading the state's arson council to offer a reward for information regarding the blaze. … Jeld-Wen plans to build a new plant in Cass Township, Pa., to house production of its doors and door systems, according to press reports. … Elgin-Butler Co. will acquire Lone Star Ceramics of Dallas and move its operations to Elgin-Butler's property in Elgin, Texas. Lone Star makes unglazed porcelain dot-mounted mosaics.

Reminders

• Check out the latest edition of our exclusive Web column "Rader's Edge," in which industry consultant Chris Rader argues that one price definitely does NOT fit all.

• Take advantage of ProSales' new, free Webinar on installed sales, "Five Pillars to Installed Success," created for us by ProSales columnist Mike Butts.

• Can't find your July issue of ProSales? Click here for the online table of contents.

Do you have a question, a tip, or a sage piece of wisdom? Feel free to contact PROSALES' editor, Craig Webb, at cwebb@hanleywood.com.

And don't forget you can find previous WebbLogs now online!