January 2008 Table of Contents

As the single-family market falls from grace, Paul Hutchinson's phone at Lane Realty Construction in Atlanta has begun to ring, ring, and ring with calls from lumber dealers that want his business. If only they had the slightest idea of how to service his $280 million worth of multifamily work under construction. Read more

There is no shortage of log-cabin-style homes and pancake houses in the tourist towns that surround Tennessee's portion of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, America's most visited national park. The growth of log-cabin properties in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Sevierville spawned an economy within the local economy--one that Knoxville, Tenn.-based Tindell's Lumber and Building Materials has latched onto while providing materials for new construction... Read more

Every year, 200,000 to 250,000 veterans leave the Armed Forces and re-enter civilian life, most of them as job seekers. More than 11 million vets are in the labor force, from cashiers to CEOs, but relatively few gravitate into the LBM business. Except for a handful of the industry's largest retail chains, pro dealers don't aggressively recruit or hire veterans, and some question whether a military background is even suited to their businesses. Read more

Most of Hollywood's dream factory might call southern California home, but pro dealers far removed from Beverly Hills have found their own piece of the dream. Dealers in locales synonymous with film shoots, particularly along the Atlantic seaboard, have raked in millions of dollars from movie crews eager to obtain materials, often on a cash-paid-upfront basis. Read more

Get even more ProSales by visiting our Web site, www.prosalesonline.com. Time for a House Call ProSales latest National Market Housing Update finds that traditional economic drivers suggest that the market should climb out of its rut. But the reality is no one can't tell for sure when it'll do that. Plus, the Market Spotlight feature puts the focus on the San Francisco area. Find Survey Data Go to www.prosalesonline.com/surveys to download summaries of our recent online surveys on non-compete agreements, fuel surcharges, accounts receivable, and credit cards. Read more

It's a rare lumberyard that posts pictures of drums and cigar humidors on its Web site, but Compton Lumber does. That's because customers created the products from exotic hardwoods that the lumberyard stocks. Compton also is popular with commercial, high-end retail, and custom home and condo builders; one contractor made the yard its source for executive office doors at Starbucks' world headquarters. Read more

ProSales Survey: Just Surcharge It Read more