Vol. 5, No. 24 – November 20, 2006 

 

 

 

DEALER ALERT!

 

A member dealer called this morning to report possible scam activity in the Central Kansas area and we wanted you to be aware.

 

The scenario is that the dealer receives a phone call asking to order a quantity of saws, which happen to be on a special from the Do-It Best buying group at this time. They advise that they will make payment via credit card and fax the credit card to the dealer. When pressed to provide additional information, they decline to do so. Local police advised that this is highly suspicious activity and under no circumstances should you move forward with such a transaction. There is a strong possibility the individual is using a stolen credit card.  

 

Another practice we’ve seen is long-distance transactions where the caller wants to send you a money order or cashier’s check in excess of the amount of the order. They want you to refund the difference and ship merchandise to an out-of-state address. Needless to say, the money order or cashier’s check is fraudulent, and you’ll be out the money you refunded and your merchandise.

 

This is an alert to continue to use due diligence in your daily business and be aware of these practices. As you’ve heard many times, if the deal is “too good to be true,” it probably is. Trust your instincts and have cash in hand before releasing merchandise to anyone unknown to you.

 

Contact Art Brown or Olivia Holcombe at MLA – 800-746-6529 – if you have questions or need additional details.

 

NEWS FROM NATIONAL

 

Election 2006
Election Day has come and gone, but the outcomes have far-reaching implications for American businesses. Democrats regained control of the U.S. House of Representatives by picking up 29 seats, resulting in a split of 230 Democrats and 196 Republicans in the House, with 9 seats remaining undecided. Control of the U.S. Senate also shifted – Democrats picked up six seats to split the Senate 49-49, with two Independents giving them the additional votes to control the chamber. No Democratic incumbents were defeated.

 

When the 110th Congress convenes in January 2007, the House of Representatives likely will take up several priorities from the Democrats’ campaign agenda, including an increase in the federal minimum wage, implementation of the remaining 9/11 Commission recommendations, energy policy, and education. Under Democratic Leadership, it is anticipated that several committees will conduct rigorous oversight of Bush Administration program and policies.

 

From an industry perspective, it is uncertain the degree to which the change in control will impact our pro-growth agenda. Democratic leaders have pledged to work in partnership with Republicans and President George W. Bush on issues important to the American people, and the election of several pro-business Democrats (including the so-called “Blue Dogs”) will present opportunities to continue advancing our issues. NLBMDA will reach out to Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to build consensus in furtherance of our industry’s goals.

 

ISFA Update

The Innocent Sellers Fairness Act (ISFA), sponsored by Congressman Ric Keller (R-FL), currently enjoys 22 additional cosponsors.  Unfortunately, five of ISFA’s supporters were defeated for reelection – Representatives Charles Bass (R-NH), Jeb Bradley (R-NH), Sue Kelly (R-NY), Anne Northup (R-KY), and Nancy Johnson (R-CT).  Two others – Congressmen Mark Green (R-WI) and Robert Ney (R-OH) – did not seek reelection to the House of Representatives.

 

NLBMDA is committed to advancing ISFA and will continue to do so in the 110th Congress and beyond, if necessary, to achieve our goal.  While we are sad to bid farewell to key supporters, we have a tremendous opportunity to make new friends and work with members of both political parties and both chambers of Congress to solicit support for ISFA. To be successful ultimately requires bipartisan endorsement, and we will continue to pursue new cosponsors and support in the upcoming weeks and months.

 

If you haven’t already done so and would like to find out how you can join the ISFA Team, go to www.buildthevote.org or contact Sarah Owen at sarah@dealer.org or at 800-634-8645. 

 

NLBMDA Accepting Applications for 2007 Blair Collings Internship

NLBMDA is looking for qualified candidates for the 2007 Blair Collings Internship in Government Affairs. To download a copy of the Blair Collings Internship Application, go to www.dealer.org or contact Sarah Owen at 800.634.8645 or at sarah@dealer.org. Applications due February 1, 2007.

 

NLBMDA Welcomes Sarah Owen

NLBMDA welcomes its newest staff member, Sarah Owen, who will serve as Director of Government Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy and the point person for NLBMDA’s Government Affairs Committee. Sarah is a native Hoosier, born and raised in Indiana. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Taylor University and a Master of Arts degree in Political Management from The George Washington University. Sarah worked as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill for nine years, most recently as Legislative Director for U.S. Representative Michael Bilirakis (R-FL). 

 

As a congressional staffer, Sarah worked on a variety of issues, including legal reform, labor, environment, tax, budget, and immigration policy. She is eager to use her knowledge and experience to serve NLBMDA and advance the interests of the industry through the political and legislative processes. She looks forward to meeting you and is excited to have this opportunity to serve you in Washington.

 

Issues in Brief

Softwood Lumber

The U.S. – Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement entered into force on October 12, 2006. Both countries currently are implementing their obligations under the agreement. This Agreement is designed to end most litigation over trade in softwood lumber and to promote unrestricted trade in favorable market conditions. 

 

Based on the current market prices for softwood lumber, Canada will collect an export tax.  The United States will be required to revoke the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on softwood lumber from Canada, end to the collection of duty deposits on imports of Canadian softwood lumber, and initiate the process to refund duty deposits currently held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

 

Final Rule Waiving Duties on Emergency Relief Imports

On October 30, the Department of Commerce published a final rule putting in place procedures for importing supplies free of antidumping and countervailing duties if they are used in emergency relief work related to a presidentially declared emergency. The rule does not list specific supplies that may be needed for emergency relief work; the Commerce Department believes the Secretary should have maximum flexibility to review duty waiver requests in the context of a specific disaster or emergency and make waiver determinations on a case-by-case basis.

 

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

 

Economy Shows More Signs of Slowing… The latest evidence of a slowing economy came Wednesday in reports showing a dip in the rate of growth in the manufacturing sector and a further decline in housing construction.   Also on Wednesday, Merrill Lynch warned clients that its "recession-risk indicator" is now pointing to a 51% chance of a recession in the next year, the highest such odds since the last recession in 2001.   Source: Builder On-Line Update citing USA Today article by Barbara Hagenbaugh, November 2, 2006   No End in Sight for Housing Market Downtrend, Say U.S. Homebuilders… Lowered consumer confidence and falling prices were blamed Tuesday when three of the nation's leading homebuilders declared that the recent downturn in the housing market continued into the latest quarter.   "Nobody wants to buy something that they think will cost less two weeks or two months later," said Robert Toll, Chief Executive of Toll Brothers.   Source: LBM Daily, November 8, 2006   Overheard at Industry Summit… Dealers seem more and more willing to admit that installed sales is becoming a necessity and, thankfully, they are starting to realize that it needs to be a separate business and be managed by a dedicated staff. More dealers seem willing to accept that builders are becoming developers and dealers general contractors. In the big builder panel, Walter Foxworth of Foxworth-Galbraith called installed sales "the future." Bill Myrick of 84 Lumber indicated that each of their markets has separate window installation training for installers and they have someone at each location in charge of IS, both of which are rare but necessary details.   Source: ProSales Business Update, November 11, 2006   What People Want… A survey of 4,100 people by Accenture found that 60% of today’s job applicants are looking for interesting and challenging work. This was followed by 58% wanting rewards and recognition for a job well done, 44% wanted a fast career track, 42% said a well-established organization, 42% also said a workplace that puts people first, and finally 41% wanted flexible scheduling.   Source: Bob Losyk, MEd., M.B.A., C.S.P. is a Certified Speaking Professional, master trainer, author, and President & CEO of Innovative Training Solutions, a Greensboro, NC consulting firm.  For more information on Bob’s keynotes, seminars, best practices facilitation, panel discussion leader, and products, please visit his web site at: www.boblosyk.com.   BlueLinx Partners with Hitachi Power Tools… BlueLinx Holdings, Inc. today announced a new distribution and product support partnership with Hitachi Power Tools that is intended to provide customers with consolidated building-product distribution and greater breadth of available products. In July 2006, BlueLinx announced the launch of SteelLinx, a comprehensive line of metal building products aimed at driving growth in the metals category. With partnerships such as Hitachi, BlueLinx continues its commitment to become a specialty product driven organization.   Source: PrimeZone Media Network, November 14, 2006.   NAHB: Home Builder Confidence Up Again… According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, home builder confidence is up for the second straight month. Rebounding confidence is indicative of stabilizing conditions within the single-family housing market.   "More and more builders are seeing light at the end of the tunnel," said NAHB President David Pressly, a home builder from Statesville, N.C. "Our members are telling us that the market is steadying after a significant downward correction.