Vol. 5, No. 22 – October 23, 2006 

 

 

deadline extended FOR fall FLING

 

The “Fall Fling” is the Annual meeting of MLA members and is set for Thursday and Friday, November 2-3, 2006. Again this year, we’ll have a casual yet highly informative and educational event that will be well worth your time. We’ve also brought back the dine-around, so you can enjoy dinner on Thursday evening at one of the exciting Plaza restaurants, compliments of one of our sponsoring suppliers.

 

The educational focus will be “Business Succession Planning – Where will your company be in five or ten years?” Without a roadmap, you could end up anywhere. It’s never too early to plan the future of your business. Will you grow, expand, become agile and merge with a larger dealer? All these options can be good ones if it’s the future you’ve planned and want for you and your business. MLA has brought together a team of experts so you can examine your options.

 

Sign up by Friday, October 27, to secure your place!

 

“Each one reach one” DEADLINE NEAR

 

There's still time to participate in the fall membership drive. Have you talked to anyone about MLA membership lately? The Mid-America Lumbermens Association (MLA) is sponsoring a membership contest to run from July 1 to October 31, 2006. The MLA Board unanimously approved plans to reward current members who recruit new members for the Association. 

 

All you have to do is talk with someone who isn't currently a member and recommend they join. We'll follow up and do the rest. The grand-prize winner will be awarded a trip to Las Vegas – all expenses paid – for recruiting the most new members for MLA. Cash prizes also will be awarded to the second and third place winners. Complete details are available from MLA at 800-747-6529.

 

 

MLA Offers Popular Estimating Workshops

 

MLA is pleased to announce that we have engaged Mike Butts, LBM Solutions, to provide our popular estimating training in 2007. Mike is one of the most recognized trainers in the lumber and building material industry. The training will be offered in Wichita, Kan. on Feb. 20-21 and in St. Louis, Mo. on March 6-7.

 

Day 1 leads participants through a typical blueprint format, scale and content. Students will develop an understanding of architectural symbols such as wood, concrete, insulation and electrical schedules, knee walls, wall sections and cantilevered joists. They’ll also learn about “specification and general notes” – their necessity, importance and how they relate to retail sales. In addition, the seminar teaches participants how to approach reading a blueprint to ensure thoroughness and accuracy when completing an estimate of materials.

 

Day 2 focuses on the skills necessary to calculate the framing lumber requirements of the complete shell of the house through comprehensive study of each construction item. Included in this is a review of contemporary “cut roofs” and their unique estimating requirements. Attendance at Day 1 is mandatory for attending Day 2 or the student must have proficiency at reading blueprints.

 

Mike Butts is the founder and President of LBM Solutions.  His abilities and experience have been called "unsurpassed by other consulting firms in the industry.”  His experience has been gained through extensive work in the field at "street level," implementing the programs and practices he teaches.

 

When/Where:

 

February 20-21 – Wichita at The Best Western Airport Inn & Conference Center

March 6-7 – St. Louis at the Embassy Suites Hotel St. Louis Airport

 

Member Pricing:

• Sign up for Day 1 or Day 2 separately at $225 per day.

• Two-day workshop package - $395 for the first person from a member firm -- $375 each for additional personnel.

• Sign up by February 1 – a $50 per person surcharge will be added for late registrants.

Nonmember pricing is available.

 

Complete information and registration forms are available upon request from MLA at 800-747-6529. Or, simply reply to this email and we’ll send complete information today! Information will be available at www.themla.com by November 1. 

 

Note: Attendance at Day 1 is mandatory for attending Day 2 unless person has proficiency at reading blueprints.

 

LUMBER NEWS – QUICK GLIMPSES

 

Visa to Go Public… Visa announced today it will restructure itself to become a global public corporation called Visa Inc. The new company would be created through merging Visa Canada, Visa USA and Visa International, which includes the operating regions for Asia-Pacific; Latin America and the Caribbean; Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. That organization will be a stock corporation owned by Visa's members. After the completion of those mergers, the company would begin the process of becoming a public company by conducting an initial public offering.

 

Visa reports its shares would be listed on a "major stock exchange" and that a majority of the shares would be sold to the public. Visa Europe, however, would not become part of the new corporation but remain a membership organization owned by its European member banks. Visa Europe would operate as a licensee of Visa Inc. Visa reports the boards of its six regions and Visa International unanimously approved the restructuring plan. Visa's members and regulators still must approve the plan.

 

Source: NOVA Information Systems, October 12, 2006

 

Canadian PM Assures Industry That Mill Closures Not a Consequence of Softwood Agreement… In the midst of a spate of mill closures, Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper attempted to divorce the softwood agreement from other causes of present crisis in the forestry industry. The primary cause cited by Canada's top politicians was the downturn in the housing market in Canada and the U.S.

 

"The softwood lumber deal is necessary to provide stability for our industry in the future, but it's not sufficient, and the government will be coming forward with additional measures to help," Harper assured Canadian citizens.

 

Source: LBM Daily, October 13, 2006

 

Softwood Lumber News… Ambassador Schwab announced plans for the disbursement of funds to advance meritorious initiatives in the United States as outlined by the agreement.  The three meritorious initiatives identified by the agreement include: (1) assistance for timber-reliant communities; (2) low-income housing and disaster relief and; (3) promotion of sustainable forest management practices. 

 

Of the $450 million provided for meritorious initiatives under the agreement, the United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Inc. was identified to receive $200 million, the American Forest Foundation was identified to receive $150 million, and Habitat for Humanity International was identified to receive $100 million. The $350 million allocated to the American Forest Foundation and United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Inc. will take the form of endowments. The $100 million allocated to Habitat for Humanity International will finance, for example, a revolving loan fund to purchase softwood lumber for homes for low-income families, especially those in timber-reliant communities and for families recovering from disasters.

 

Source: NLBMDA, October 16, 2006

 

NLBMDA Accepting Applications for 2007 Blair Collings Internship… The Blair Collings intern will have the opportunity to spend 8 weeks in the summer at NLBMDA’s headquarters, in Washington, DC, where he or she will receive a hands-on education in government affairs. To apply for this exciting opportunity contact Laura Levitan at 800.634.8645 or at laura@dealer.org.

 

Announcing 2007 Teacher Forestry Tours… Get more information and dates for the 2007 Temperate Forest Foundations Teacher Tours by going to the Temperate Forest Foundation website at www.forestinfo.org.

 

Source: NLBMDA, October 18, 2006

 

Baby Boomer Study Shows Changing Housing Needs, Uncertain Retirement… Baby boomers have a wide variety of housing needs in the future, depending on their retirement plans – or lack thereof – according to a study by the National Association of Realtors.

 

Most of the 78 million baby boomers are far from retirement, with diverse plans and timelines, resulting in different housing requirements and significant shifts from patterns established by earlier generations. The comprehensive study is based on a survey of nearly 2,000 American baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 – the largest generation in U.S. history; the survey was conducted for NAR by Harris Interactive.

 

David Lereah, NAR’s chief  economist, said most baby boomers are currently in the workforce, a good portion of them have children living at home, and boomers remain a driving force in the housing market. “Just over a quarter of the boomer generation is aged 55 to 60, which is when many people traditionally begin to focus on their retirement plans, but analysis of the survey suggests they are more likely to stay in the workforce longer and will be less likely to downsize than previous generations – the leading edge of the  boomer generation is the key to future housing impact.”

 

Source: National Association of Realtors, October 16, 2006

 

HSA Bill Advances… The House Ways and Means Committee approved a new bill aimed at expanding health savings accounts (HSAs). The “Health Opportunity Patient Empowerment Act” (HR 6134) would allow a one-time penalty-free transfer from health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) to HSAs until 2012, and increase the HSA contribution limits to the statutory maximums rather than peg the amounts to the health plan’s deductible.

 

Source: Milliman Monthly Benefit News and Developments, October 2006

 

A Vision for the Next Generation

Develop talent now for a successful future

 

Some business owners procrastinate or avoid communicating their succession plans because they fear how family members and employees might react. But, their silence may actually create more stress and cause harm to the business. Most employees, including family members, will feel more secure about the future if they know what to expect and how they will fit in.

 

It’s never too late to develop a business succession plan. But the earlier you start, the better. Estate planning experts agree that long-term plans to transfer businesses are generally much more successful than those “patched together” following the unexpected death or disability of an owner.

 

Business succession actually begins with each employee’s first day on the job.

 

Think about it, whether he or she is one of your children or a high school student working part-time, that young person could someday be the head of the company.

 

Experts agree: succession planning includes creating an environment that motivates employees to use their talents and skills to reach their full potential and contribute to the success of the business. Sounds simple, but how do you accomplish it?

 

Perhaps a mentor program or an apprenticeship is a good start. Talented young people are more likely to stay with the company if they feel involved in something bigger than their own job. It is wise to provide opportunities by matching experienced workers with newer employees to guide them as they grow in their jobs.

 

As employees gain experience, they become assets to your business and their value increases.  Providing key employees opportunities to gain well-rounded business experience through cross-functional training and experience is admirable. This no doubt helps them become dependable managers who can make good decisions and take initiatives to improve operations.

 

This article provided courtesy of Federated Mutual Insurance Company, your association’s recommended insurer.

MLA is proud to endorse….

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY