NLBMDA is continuing their popular teleconference series with a forklift review in December: 

• "Forklift Training and Triennial Review" on Thursday,       December 15, at 1 p.m. EST

You may go to their website that provides dealers with a complete list of upcoming teleconferences and downloadable registration forms http://www.dealer.org/

The dates for the 2006 teleconferences will be available soon. Call MLA at 800-747-6529 with questions.

Sales Tax Seminar – Oklahoma

On Monday, December 12, NACM will host a special Sales Tax education session at the State Capitol Building from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Lunch will be catered by Nancy's. Don't miss this important session if you have destination tax, NEXUS issues or other items our speaker can address.

Items to be discussed:

·         Sourcing of sales based upon destination

·         States that have adopted the Streamlined Sales Tax Act

·         Amnesty provisions

·         Nexus for sales tax and income tax purposes

MEMBER NEWS

Eiffert Named NFIB Chairman… Brad Eiffert, vice president of Boone County Lumber Co., has been appointed chairman of the board for the National Federation of Independent Business. The organization, with 600,000 members around the country, is the largest advocacy group for small businesses in the nation.

Eiffert has been a member of the federation since 1993. For the past three years, Eiffert has served on the federation board, two years of which he was chairman of the Finance and Investment Committee. The new chairman said he is honored to be appointed and is looking forward to the new position.

Source: Columbia Missourian, November 22, 2005

ENAP Selects New President… C. C. Snyder is retiring after a 12-year tenure, during which he led ENAP from a $200 million dollar lumber and building material cooperative to a highly diversified billion-dollar buying group. ENAP’s new president, Russell Kennedy, was selected from a full slate of leading candidates and possesses a strong background in the building materials industry. His earlier experiences include Director of Marketing and Sales with Black & Decker, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for GAF Corporation and his most recent position as Vice President and COO for TG Acquisitions.

Source: ENAP, Inc., New Windsor, NY

LUMBER NEWS – QUICK GLIMPSES

Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act of 2005 (HR 4200)… was introduced into the US House of Representatives on November 2. Its purpose is “to improve the ability of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to promptly implement recovery treatments in response to catastrophic events affecting federal lands under their jurisdiction, including the removal of dead and damaged trees and the implementation of reforestation treatments, to support the recovery of non-federal lands damaged by catastrophic events, to revitalize Forest Service experimental forests, and for other purposes.” More than 100 members of the House of Representatives have signed on as co-sponsors. If you would like to see the entire bill, please contact MLA. 

U.S. Drops Canadian Softwood Duties to Less Than 1%… The U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday it will comply with a NAFTA panel’s order to drastically cut U.S. duties on imports of Canadian softwood lumber from 18.8% to less than 1%.

“We have serious concerns about the panel’s decision. However, consistent with our NAFTA obligations, we have complied with the panel’s instructions,” said Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. “We will continue to enforce our trade laws to ensure that U.S. industry receives relief from unfair imports and we are reviewing all options to do so.”

Canadians, like Trade Minister Jim Peterson, see this compliance as an important step in what they call a final “resolution.”

Source: LBM Daily, November 23, 2005

Training Equals Profits… A recent study from the American Society of Training & Development found that an employer who spent an average of $1,600 per employee on training has a gross margin of profit that is 24 percent higher than those companies that spent only $128.  What is your budget for training per individual? What do you do after the training is over to be sure it transfers to the job and that it sticks?  How do you reward and recognize people who learn new skills and use them successfully on the job? Training is critical. Just ask all the customers who were lost because they dealt with untrained people. 

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 websites at www.boblosyk.com and www.getagriponstress.com or call 1-800-995-0344.

New U.N. Report Shows Crackdown On Illegal Logging Effective… A new report, released by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the U.N.-sponsored International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), highlights successful efforts to combat illegal logging in the following 11 countries: Bolivia, Cambodia, Cameroon, Ecuador, Honduras, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nicaragua and Peru.  

The forest industry loses an estimated $5 billion annually as a result of illegal logging, according to the World Bank.  

Source: LBM Daily, December 2, 2005

Canadian NDP Leader Criticizes Martin’s Handling of Softwood Dispute… Over the weekend while campaigning in British Columbia, the New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton said Prime Minister Martin had not been tough enough on the softwood lumber dispute.  

Layton pushed a plan that would slap export duties on energy exports to the U.S., in order to force an end to the softwood duty and recoup some of the softwood tariff. Canada is the top energy supplier to the U.S.  

However, the Conservative party leader, Stephan Harper called Layton’s plan “ridiculous,” saying it would only hurt Canadian energy suppliers.  

Source: LBM Daily, December 5, 2005 

Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act Now Effective… The MCSIA (Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act) has adopted more stringent penalties for CDL drivers who commit serious traffic violations in a non-CMV. This major change will only affect the CDL portion of driving privileges. 

As of October 1, 2005, any conviction for a serious traffic violation, regardless of the type of vehicle operated at the time, will result in dual penalties for the holder of a CDL. Examples of  covered violations include DWI conviction and following too close. 

Source:  New Jersey Lumber Dealers Association newsletter, November 2005

Real Estate Experts Discuss Possible Home Price Drops on East, West Coasts… Rising mortgage rates and construction costs will cool the red-hot residential market and home prices could actually fall on the East and West Coasts in the next 18 months, real estate experts told the fall meeting of the Urban Land Institute in early November.

Prices on the coasts could see a “5 to 10 percent decline… in the next year to year and a half,” Narim Behravesh, chief global economist at Global Insight in Lexington, Mass., told a gathering of members of the global research and education institute. … Commercial real estate opportunities were seen as cresting, though they will still offer better yields than stocks or bonds. Higher interest rates, possibly hitting 7 percent next year, won’t hold down the price of new construction housing because of soaring material costs.

Source: Chicago Tribune, quoted in the NAWLA Bulletin, November 15, 2005.

U.S. Spending on Existing Homes… Total expenditures for maintenance and improvements of existing homes had exceptionally strong gains of more than 12 percent in 2004. This year a more modest increase of about 3 percent is likely, as strong year-over-year increases will be difficult to achieve. For 2006, total expenditures should rise about 5 percent, while maintenance and repair spending should increase about 5.5 percent. The economy should continue to grow and consumer incomes are expected to rise. Strong levels of resales in the last few years should boost maintenance spending. 

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Building Materials Research Institute, as shown in Home Channel News, November 21, 2005.

“Home Improvement” at Our Site

Federated recently unveiled a redesigned Web site at www.federatedinsurance.com.  The new format offers easier navigation and more information about Federated’s products and services. And, it now provides Federated’s commercial clients secured access to valuable risk management information. The new shopping cart feature makes it easy to download necessary forms, order safety signs and brochures, and access other risk management material.

Improvements in the Web site now allow clients and visitors to:

·         Quickly locate the Federated representative serving their area

·         Request or download risk management materials through a secured area of the site (clients only)

·         Find detailed information on property and casualty insurance programs by industry

·         Get more specific information about Federated’s group health plans and life and disability income products

·         Access information about our relationships with affinity groups and trade associations

·         Learn more about career opportunities with Federated

·         Quickly search for specific topics

To register for the secured area of the Web site, you will need to provide information found only on your recent billing statements. Once you have registered a user name and password, you may request or download materials at no charge. Only insured clients may access the secured area.

Additional functionality is in the works to support our group health clients and members, which we will introduce in the near future.  In the meantime, we will continue to develop our Web site to enhance your experience as a Federated client. We invite you to visit us at federatedinsurance.com today!

This article is an excerpt from The SHIELD^sm  a periodic newsletter published by Federated Insurance Companies with the mission to inform readers on important risk management issues. ÓCopyright 2005, Federated Mutual Insurance Company. All rights reserved.

MLA is proud to endorse….

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 

“Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for.” – Will Rogers (1879 - 1935)