April 7, 2010

Advertisement

NEW EDITION: 21 WAYS TO A BETTER 2010, FROM BOISE CASCADE ENGINEERED WOOD PRODUCTS Now available for Boise EWP dealers to hand out, the 2010 Boise Cascade Builder Idea Book for green, more profitable homebuilding. Included are multiple ways for your builder customers to profit with more efficient design, accurate estimating, elimination of wasteful cutting errors, less framing time, even the ability to accommodate last-minute plan changes profitably. Plus green building with SFI-certified, NAHB Green Approved, sustainable Boise Cascade Engineered Wood Products. Click here to download the free booklet or call 800-232-0788 for a supply of brochures.

Carter Lumber Expands in Indianapolis

Carter Lumber will open a lumberyard and manufacturing facility in Franklin, Ind., south of Indianapolis, company COO Jeff Donley confirmed today. Donley told ProSales he expects Carter's facility will be open by June 1. Aside from selling building materials, the operation also will produce components, wall panels, and millwork, and will have a door shop, he said. The location is a plant that Stock Building Supply left last year when it reorganized decided to quit the Indiana market.
More

Advertisement
	I DO BUSINESS WITH AGILITY As the building products industry leader for more than 32 years, DMSi backs its Agility software with unparalleled service for peak performance, ease-of-use, and ROI. Learn how. Click Now.

Stock Completes National Home Centers Buyout

Stock Building Supply has acquired many of the assets of National Home Centers, the troubled Springdale, Ark.-based dealer that ranked 26th on last year's ProSales 100 and has spent the past few months in Chapter 11. Although terms of the deal were not disclosed, previous court documents showed that Stock had put in an opening bid of $15 million to acquire National and that National had current assets of $23.5 million.
Story

House Minority Leader Asks EPA To Revisit Lead Rule; NAHB Presses for Delay

House Minority Leader John Boehner has urged the Environmental Protection Agency administrator to look anew at a soon-to-be-enacted EPA rule designed to control the spread of dust from lead-based paint when old homes are renovated. While the Ohio Republican stopped short of requesting a delay in the rule's April 22 enforcement date, the National Association of Home Builders formally petitioned the EPA to delay action.
More
Remodeling Consultant Forecasts How the Lead Rule Will Affect LBMs

U.S. LBM Closes Deal To Buy Chicago's Hines Lumber

U.S. LBM Holdings LLC has completed its purchase of Edward Hines Lumber Co. of the Chicago area and Hines' Indianapolis area subsidiary, Hall & House, U.S. LBM president L.T. Gibson confirmed.
More

Advertisement

Expand your frame of reference Simpson Strong-Tie has nearly doubled its offering of Strong Frame™ ordinary moment frames. There are now 368 pre-engineered frame configurations to choose from, which saves designers hours of design time and provides contractors time and cost savings with the frame's weld-free, 100% bolted installation. Easy to store and deliver, learn more at www.strongtie.com/strongframe or call 800-999-5099.

Home Star Energy Retrofit Bill Introduced

Senate Finance Committee Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., and a pair of bipartisan co-sponsors have introduced the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010, legislation to create jobs by providing up to $6 billion worth of tax rebates for the installation of energy-efficient products.
More

Energy Star in Harsh Media Spotlight

The EPA's Energy Star program, for nearly two decades the nation's trusted label for energy-efficient products from washing machines to bath fans to computer monitors, has recently come under fire from the government and the media amid allegations of faulty certifications, lack of verifications, and potential decline in brand clout. (ECOHOME)
More

Bison Posts $759K Net Loss in February

Bison Building Materials, the Houston-based LBM dealer now in its ninth month of bankruptcy-law protection from creditors, reported a net loss of $759,000 in February. That brings to nearly $5 million Bison's losses since it made its Chapter 11 filing last June 28.
More

Feds: Rip Out Problem Chinese Drywall

The government isn’t quite done with its scientific investigation of metal-corroding, sulfuric-smelling Chinese-made drywall, but investigators say they know enough to recommend that the troublesome drywall, along with all the home’s electrical components, smoke and carbon dioxide alarms, and gas supply lines, should be ripped out and replaced. (BUILDER)
More

Don Magruder on Why We’re Nearing the Eve of Destruction

Capital shortages and the supply chain's slow disintegration make it likely even more dealers will die, Don Magruder believes.
Column

Touched by Lumber: Golfer Steve Stricker

LBM dealers have special reason to cheer for Steve Stricker tomorrow when he tees off for the first round of the Masters golf tournament. Before joining the PGA tour, Stricker worked at Nelson-Young Lumber in Edgerton, Wis. In an interview in 2008, he recalled a near-accident during a delivery that might have ended his pro golfing career before it even started. .Luckily, Stricker avoided serious injury and has gone on to win five PGA tournaments and more than $25 million in prize money since 2006.

Advertisement
	Times are tough. How do you KNOW you've done all you can do to cut expenses and grow revenue? How do you KNOW your salaries are in line? Building Material Operations Comparison program, presented by the Regional LBM Associations. Cost: $200. Value: Priceless. Contact your state or regional association to participate.

WebbThreads

• ProSales’ editor isn’t left speechless very often, but it occurred yesterday when he stumbled across “How to Start a Lumber Yard,” an article from a web service called eHow that aims to tell you how to do just about everything. In just 375 words, accompanied by a helpful “Things You’ll Need” list of 10 items, you’ll get a six-step guide to launching your own yard. And the difficulty level? “Moderately challenging,” the author declares.
• Seigle's Cabinet Center has opened a new showroom in the Chicago suburb of Elgin, and it plans to open two others in Wheaton and Yorkville, Ill. Seigle bought back these facilities last year after his family had sold the operations to Stock Building Supply several years ago.
• BMC Select has created a Millwork Best Practices Council to help the company run the best millwork operations possible. Dave Ondrasek, vice president and general manager of BMC Select’s Houston operations, will serve as chairman.
• Boise Materials Distribution opened a distribution facility in Pompano Beach, Fla., expanding Boise’s ability to serve south Florida.
• The Nebraska Lumber Dealers Association and Iowa Lumber Association selected new board members and officers at meetings last month. Story
• The Florida Wood Council has changed the name of its WoodSource seminars to “The Southern Design Symposium.” “The new name reflects the diverse educational presentations that we will offer during this year’s symposium as well as the region that most of our attendees come from,” Florida Wood Council president Brad Wanzenberg said.

• GAF Decking Systems launched DuraLife Natural Grain Collection, a new decking line made from a proprietary high density polyethelene (HDPE)/rice hull formulation.
• LG Hausys America promoted Michelle Rhee to North America marketing manager.
• Sto Corp. has redesigned its website.
• Timber Products Co. announced it has been approved by the California Air Resources Board as an ultra low-emitting formaldehyde resin manufacturer of wood products.
• Tarco announced LeakBarrier PS200 Ice and Water Armor, a self-adhesive, glass fiber reinforced, modified bituminous underlayment especially for metal roofing. It helps protect a building’s deck or internal structure against leaks caused by ice and water damming and wind-driven rain.
• The National Tile Contractors Association has selected MAPEI Group CEO Giorgio Squinzi as the 2010 recipient of its prestigious Joe A. Tarver Award for lifetime achievement. The award will be presented April 29 in Orlando during the Coverings trade show.
• CertainTeed plans to produce what it calls “sustainable insulation” at its manufacturing facility in Chowchilla, Calif. The insulation is designed to exceed California Air Resource Board indoor air quality regulationsand incorporates recycled materials, a plant-based organic binder and a low-impact manufacturing process.
.• CertainTeed also has introduced Bufftech Imperial and Baron vinyl fence products with Select Cedar Texture.

Advertisement
	Subscribe to ProSales Magazine – for free. Every issue of ProSales magazine is packed with profiles of LBM dealers and distributors like you, the latest new products, sales techniques that really work, plus in-depth news and industry analysis you won't find anywhere else. Don’t miss a single issue -- apply now for your free subscription.

And don't forget you can find previous ProSales Business Updates online!