Delivery charges, fuel surcharges, and restocking fees are a fact of a life and a big factor of business for the more than 900 respondents to ProSales latest online survey.
According to the survey, which took place in November, 67.3% of respondents charge a restocking fee and 65.6% have delivery charges. Also popular: fuel charges, which 39% use. The most popular rate: between $6 and $10 for 63% of respondents.
Of those that don't have a fuel surcharge, 58.2% said they don't raise margins to offset the added costs brought on by today's rising fuel prices.
More Laudable Lumber People
More industry associations have bestowed their annual honors upon businesses and people in their regions. Here are the honorees:
Bert McKee, President's Award, and Tom Von Moos, Associate of the Year Award, from the Lumber Association of California and Nevada. McKee is president of Valley Ace Lumber & Hardware, Barstow, Calif. Von Moos is vice president of Western Woods Inc., Chico, Calif.
Bob Lackman, Associate of the Year, from the Greater Iowa City Area Home Builders Association. Lackman is manager of Beisser Lumber Co.'s facility in Coralville, Iowa.
Kevin Harris, 2007 Long-Sullivan Award, from the Southern Pine Council. Harris is principal of Kevin Harris, Architect, LLC, in Baton Rouge, La.
People
Ken Southerland has been named CEO of PlyMart. He succeeds Randy Mahaffey, who becomes chairman of the Norcross, Ga., company. In addition, Rich Mahaffey, vice president for operations, has become vice chairman. ? Sara Ann Busby, owner of Sara Busby Design in Elk Rapids, Mich., is the 2008 president of the National Kitchen & Bath Association. Other executive committee members for 2008 are:Suzie Williford of Kiva Kitchen and Bath in Houston, renamed president-elect; Mark Karas of Adam's Kitchens in Stoneham, Mass., vice president; David Alderman of Dave's Cabinet Inc. in Chesapeake, Va., secretary; Maria Martina of Renovator's Resource in Fairfield, N.J., treasurer. Bob Garner ofMedallion Cabinetry Inc. in Waconia, Minn., is now immediate past president following his run as 2007 president. ? Therma-Tru Doors of Maumee, Ohio, named David Randich as president, succeeding Carl Hedlund, who was to retire Dec. 31 ? Fypon Ltd. of Archibold, Ohio, has promoted Rob Barnes to vice president of sales, where he'll oversee the nationwide sales team and distribution of Fypon's polyurethane and PVC product lines. He joined Fypon in 2004.
Milestones
Buford White, chairman and CEO of Buford White Lumber Co. in Shawnee, Okla., was honored as the grand marshal of the city's 2007 Christmas parade. ? 84 Lumber cut headquarters staff by at least 40 people. ? Gilman Home Center of Brookville, Ind., will open a new store in February in Richmond, Ind., in a building previously occupied by 84 Lumber. ? Blackhawk Lumber of Oregon, Ill., will open a second location in Morrison, Ill., where Spahn & Rose Lumber Co. used to have a branch. ? Mill Creek Lumber Co. will close its facility in Oxford, Kan., and serve contractors from its branch in Belle Plaine, Kan. It will no longer do retail operations from the Belle Plaine location. ? The Florida Building Material Associationand the American Pre-Hung Door Association have formed a strategic alliance to work on membership drives and educational forums. They'll also conduct the joint Expo in Orlando in August. ? About 90 Do it Best Corp. vendors recently donated more than $195,000 in products to 18 Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky. ? 84 Lumber Co. had a big day Nov. 27, with a store and component manufacturing plant opening in West Jordan, Utah, and stores opening in Redmond, Ore.; Pearl River, La.; and Sanford, Fla.
In Brief
Wheeler's Building Materials of Rome, Ga., closed several of its locations, including several sites in metro Atlanta plus Calhoun and Dalton, according to press reports, and is down to less than 500 employees from nearly 1,000. ? Stock Building Supply cut its workforce by another 1,500 people between August and October, leavingit with one-third fewer employees than it had at its peak, according to its British parent,Wolseley Plc. The staff cuts follow the axing of 3,500 other jobs in the fiscal year ended July 31. As of Nov. 27, Stock has 13,800 associates, a spokesperson said. Meanwhile, Stock made three acquisitions since Oct. 1. It picked up: Architectural Building Supply, which makes commercial doors, commercial hardware, and access control devices, and had $36 million in revenue in 2006; certain assets of Jacobi Hardware Co., also a maker of commercial doors, commercial hardware, and access control devices, which had $3.3 million in revenue in 2006; and KBC Construction LLC, a turnkey framer and wall panel manufacturer that had $16.6 million in revenue in 2006. ? Fiber Composites LLC of New London, N.C., finished its agreement to buy the WeatherBest composite decking and railing business from Louisiana-Pacific Corp., including a Meridian, Idaho, manufacturing facility and the WeatherBest brand. ? In Allied Building Products Corp.'s online promotion, five winners will get free gas for one year. Register atwww.alliedbuilding.com through Jan. 11.
224,000
The number of home foreclosures filed in October, an increase of 94% over October '06. SOURCE: RealtyTrac.com
44%
Respondents of a recent American Society of Landscape Architects survey who said their billable hours through the third quarter were well above or slightly above average. SOURCE: ASLA
16
The number of states that have passed or proposed new laws to stem the rising tide of copper thefts, spurred on by surging value in the metal.
SOURCE: Energy Department
4,080
Total in metric tons of recycled cement concrete sold or used in the United States in 2004.
SOURCE: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program
