Vol. 5, No. 23 – November 6, 2006 

 

 

FALL FLING A HIT!

 

The MLA Fall Fling was held in Kansas City on Thursday and Friday, November 2-3, at Harrah’s North Kansas City. It was a time for learning and reconnecting with friends, new and old.

 

MLA gratefully acknowledges the involvement and support of several Associate members in this event:

 

Federated Insurance – Presenting Sponsor

 

Sterling Sponsors

Hiab, Inc. (A Cargotec Company)

Neff Packaging Systems

Westfall GMC Truck

 

Standard & Dine-Around Sponsors

America Building Products

Blish-Mize Company

BlueLinx Corp.

Cedar Creek Wholesale, Inc.

DMSi Software

ENAP, Inc.

Mid-Am Building Supply

Warrior Building Products

 

The education program focused on planning for the future. Three member dealers shared their stories about how they planned for the future of their companies:

 

Eldon Cleaver, Cleaver Farm & Home, Chanute, Kan.

Jon Davis, Star Lumber & Supply Co., Inc., Wichita, Kan.

Jeff Dunn, Mill Creek Lumber & Supply Co., Tulsa, Okla.

 

In addition, we had several industry experts on hand:

 

Shawn Conrad, NLBMDA – industry update

Jack Selzer, Seigfreid Bingham Levy Selzer & Gee – legal issues

David B. Wentz, Tax Favored Benefits – employee benefit transition issues

Curt Kleoppel, CPA, CVA – on business valuation services

 

Additional information will be mailed to MLA members. If you have questions or concerns in this area, please don’t hesitate to call the MLA office at 800-747-6529.

 

MLA ANNUAL MEETING

David Hendrix, CHIC Lumber, Elected President 2006-2007

 

The MLA Annual Meeting was held on Friday, November 3. MLA thanked Jeff Dunn, Mill Creek Lumber, for his service as president for 2006-07, as he “passed the gavel” to our new president, David Hendrix, CHIC Lumber & Hardware, St. Peters, Mo. The 2006-2007 Board of Directors was introduced:

 

President – Dave Hendrix, CHIC Lumber & Hardware, St. Peters, Mo.

1st Vice President – Alan Clark, Clarks Bldg & Decorating Center, Hot Springs, Ark.

2nd Vice President – John Duncan, Schmidt Builders Supply, Inc., Topeka, Kan.

3rd Vice President – Gary Smith, Smith & Sons Building Center, Inc., Anadarko, Okla.

Immediate Past President – Jeff Dunn, Mill Creek Lumber & Supply Co., Tulsa, Okla.

NLBMDA Representative – Woodie Acord, Acord’s Home Center, Eureka Springs, Ark.

Secretary/Treasurer – Pat Thorne, Pat Thorne Lumber, Chillicothe, Mo.

Missouri/Arkansas Director – Brad Isdell, Town & Country Lumber, Higginsville, Mo.

Kansas/Oklahoma Director – Kevin Rasure, Rasure Lumber Do It Center, Goodland, Kan.

AR State Cmte. Chairman – Ken Blackmon, Ken’s Discount Bldg. Materials, El Dorado, Ark.

KS State Committee Rep. – Alan Bontrager, Home Lumber & Hardware, Junction City, Kan.

MO State Committee Rep. – Lowell Littrell, Bethany Building Center, Bethany, Mo.

OK State Cmte. Chairman – Rich Bass, Mill Creek Lumber & Supply Co., Tulsa, Okla.

Associate Directors –

David Benner, BlueLinx Corp., Englewood, Colo.

Jim Harvey, America Building Products, Jefferson City, Mo.

Clark Wiens, Cedar Creek Wholesale, Broken Arrow, Okla.

 

NLBMDA Chair-Elect and MLA Past President Harold Baalmann provided an update on activities at the national association level. MLA is proud to have Baalmann representing us in a leadership position with NLBMDA. He will take the reins of NLBMDA at the Industry Summit in Las Vegas, Nev., October 4-6, 2007. Plan to attend!

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Register Today for the next NLBMDA Training without Travel Teleconference:

Ergonomics: What is OSHA Doing?                

Thursday November 16, 2006 1:00pm EST

 

In this teleconference you will learn how OSHA is handling the issue of ergonomics in the workplace. If you are interested in safeguarding yourself and your employees from ergonomic injuries or simply want to create ergonomic standards for your company, this teleconference is ideal for you. In this seminar we will discuss OSHA’s previous ergonomics standards, and what regulations the administration has in place today. We will also cover what job descriptions have higher rates of injury due to ergonomic issues and why these injuries are so problematic. Don’t leave your employees vulnerable to an ergonomic injury; register for this teleconference today!

 

For a registration form, go to: http://www.dealer.org/docs/ErgonomicsRegForm.pdf  Simply complete the registration form and fax it back to NLBMDA at 202-547-7640.

 

What Happens when someone calls osha with a complaint?

 

OSHA has published a new Directive for how the Agency will handle complaints relating to workplace safety and health conditions. It defines critical terms relevant to the complaint process, including complaint, formal complaint, and referral, and outlines the conditions a complaint or referral must meet to warrant an on-site inspection. An on-site inspection will result if at least one of the following occurs:

 

1. A valid formal complaint is submitted: In writing or on OSHA-7 form, signed by the employee, states the reason for inspection request, includes reasonable grounds that an OSHA Act has been violated or there is imminent danger of death or serious injury.

2. Information alleges that a disabling injury or illness has occurred as a result of the described hazard.

3. Information alleges that an imminent danger situation exists.

4. Information concerns an establishment and an alleged hazard covered by a local, regional, or national emphasis program.

5. Employer fails to provide an adequate response to an inquiry.

6. Establishment subject to the information has a history of egregious, willful, failure-to-abate, or repeat citations during the past three years.

7. A discrimination investigator requests an inspection for employee discrimination of complaining about a safety or health condition in the workplace.

8. If an inspection is scheduled or already begun, a complaint can be incorporated.

9. If the information involves a worker under the age of 18 being exposed to serious safety or health condition in construction, manufacturing, agriculture or other industry determined by the area director.

10. Information is a signed, written complaint from a current employee alleging recordkeeping deficiency that involves a serious safety or health violation.

 

A complaint that comes from the OSHA web site is becoming a more common method of filing complaints with the Agency. They are considered informal and may not result in on-site inspection of the employer unless the employee provides a signed copy of the information.

 

Some complaints that do not warrant an on-site visit will be addressed by OSHA to the employer via phone, fax or letter.

 

There is special consideration regarding complaints involving young workers. The agency says that if it receives “reasonable” information that a young worker (under age 18) is exposed to a serious hazard, an inspection will be conducted, if the information relates to construction, manufacturing, agriculture (or other industries as determined by the Area Director).

 

Source: RCI Safety Sentinel, published by Regulatory Consultants, Inc., July-August 2006

 

LUMBER NEWS – QUICK GLIMPSES

 

ENAP Announces Senior Management Selection Process… [Oct. 23, 2006] - ENAP, Inc. recently announced that the selection process is complete and they have assembled a senior management team that will drive their efforts to continue to be a leader in the cooperative segment of the industry.   Fred Ashman has accepted the position of Vice President of Forest Products.  Fred brings extensive experience in the lumber industry developing and tailoring programs geared for the cooperative segment.  He has first-hand knowledge of the ENAP membership and ENAP is pleased and excited to welcome him back.    Ken Jordan has been promoted to the position of Senior Director, Forest Products and will relocate from ENAP’s Midwest office in Grand Rapids, Mich., to the New Windsor, NY office.  Ken’s experience working with the mills and his years of co-op member involvement will bring tremendous expertise to the corporate headquarters. Ken is an industry veteran and his background will bring credibility to his new role and to ENAP’s efforts to be a major player in this business.    ENAP, Inc. is a lumber and building material cooperative located in New Windsor, N.Y., founded in 1967 and servicing premier independent dealers nationwide.   Legal Bill for Litigating Softwood Timber Dispute Sure to Be Stiff… Canada's federal and provincial governments confirmed that the cost of litigation was approximately $40 million for the years 2002-2006. When the cost to the timber industry is added, the grand total may exceed $300 million. Much of the legal fees went to American law firms.   Source: LBM Daily, October 30, 2006   Bankrate: Economic News Depresses Mortgage Rates… Concerns about slower economic growth and a surprising dip in consumer confidence helped push mortgage rates lower this week. Mortgage rates dropped back to levels last seen one month ago, with the average 30-year fixed rate retreating to 6.31 percent. According to Bankrate.com’s weekly national survey of large lenders, the 30-year fixed rate mortgages had an average of 0.25 discount and origination points.

The average 15-year fixed rate