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Vol. 15, No. 15, July 25, 2016  
MLA LINE
Lumber Industry News Express
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Blish Mize



Westfall GMC

GSWP-Yellawood
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MLA Associate Members

All Season Bldg. Supply
Allied Building Stores, Inc.
American Wholesale Corp.
Biz Lender - New Member! 
Blish-Mize Company
Bluelinx Corporation
BlueTarp Financial Inc.
Boral Light Building Products
BPI - Lbr & Engineered Wood
Builders Material Company
CCM Countertop & Cabinet 
Cedar Creek LLC - St. Louis 
   New Member! 
Continental Divide Fence
Dealers Choice Distribution
Delden Mfg. Co., Inc.
Discovery-Based Retail
DMSi Software
Do It Best Corp
ECI Spruce Computer Systems - New Member! 
Epicor Software
Federated Insurance
Forest Products Supply Co.
Frontier Forest Products, Inc.
Great Southern Wood Pres.
Guardian Building Products
Hardman Wholesale Co.
Hawkeye Bldg Dist., Ltd
Hiab USA, Inc.
Hixson Lumber Sales
Huttig Building Products
James Hardie Bldg Products
Klauer Manufacturing Co.
MAX USA Corp.
Metal Sales Mfg. Corp.
Mid-Am Building Supply, Inc.
MiTek Builder Products   
Modern Equip. Co., Inc. (MECO Omaha)
Monarch Cement Company
Pennsylvania & Indiana Lumbermens Mutual Ins. Co. 
PrimeSource Bldg Products
PWD, Inc.
Rader Solutions - New Member! 
Rollex Corp
Schutte Lumber Company
Simpson Strong-tie Co Inc
Tamko Building Products, Inc.
Tax Favored Benefits
Tennison Brothers, Inc.
The Empire Company LLC
Thomas Nielsen Wholesale 
Timber Products, Inc.
Treeline Forest Products LLC
USP Structural Connectors
Warrior Building Products
Western Builders Supply, Inc.
Westfall GMC Truck Center
Wingate Sales Solutions, Inc.

Please patronize these companies that support your Association! 
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__________________

The Last Word

A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for it back when it begins to rain."
 
-- Robert Frost   
Here's your bi-weekly lumber industry newsletter. We hope you find this quick, responsive format helpful and entertaining. Anytime you have news or views to share with fellow dealers, please don't hesitate to contact us by replying to this newsletter.
Meet with Your Lawmakers over the Congressional Recess 
 
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Take action over the seven-week congressional break by meeting with your Members of Congress in the communities they represent. The Republican and Democratic National Conventions have added two weeks to the traditional summer recess. Both the Senate and House left Washington, D.C. on July 15 and will not return until after Labor Day on September 6.
 
Now is a great time to contact your local House and Senate offices and invite them to tour your lumberyard. NLBMDA staff and your regional association executive are happy to help in providing you with the tools you need to engage your elected officials during the extended break.
 
Contact Robert Uhler at your Association about ways to get involved.
Webinar: New Website Accessibility Laws
 
gotowebinar reg Your company's website is a vital way to keep in touch with your customers, but it can also get your company in trouble if it isn't designed correctly.  Around the country, plaintiff's lawyers are suing private companies for having websites that are inaccessible to people with disabilities.  Civil rights laws like the ADA require that businesses offer people with disabilities the same access to content and information as everyone else- and failing to do so can result in serious fines and penalties.  This webinar will arm participants with the information they need to avoid liability and prepare for the future, and is offered on July 27 at 1-2 p.m. EDT.  Click here to register.
 
Source: NLBMDA, July 25, 2016
MLA Member News
 
Help Wanted... We have two positions available in Union, Missouri: Estimator/Manager and Front Counter Sales. If you or someone you know is interested, please send resume or request application: Mark@hallbroslumber.com.
Time to Consider the MLA MEP 

MLA has offered a "group" MLA 401(k) plan for members for over a year. It is saving participating dealers on their fees and offering a great benefit to reward their loyal employees. If you haven't taken a serious look at this program, now would be a good time. Find out why smart dealers are making the move to the MLA program. Call the MLA Hotline at 800-747-6529, or
Have You Checked out the MLA Online Campus?
The MLA Online Campus provides you and your employees with high-impact, "real-world" training that develops your leaders, retains your best people and increases your customer loyalty. Each employee has a unique username to access the campus, which houses more than 700 courses on customer service, sales, leadership and more. Want to try a program for yourself? Click here to view another one of our popular courses. If you like what you see, contact us for a one-week trial subscription to see the hundreds of available courses.
Learn more .
Industry Update  
 
The Real Cost of Using Credit Cards...
You may find yourself in a catch-22 when your customers want to use a credit card to pay their in-house account balance. Accept credit cards and effectively pay a double fee to get payment (costs of an in-house account plus the credit card fee) or refuse to accept credit cards and risk losing customers. Look at the numbers and then consider how your own credit card policy is either costing you money or making you money. Read more.
Source: Scott Simpson, BlueTarp, July 12, 2016     

Rebound for Job Creation?
After May's soft report on job gains, June's report seemed like a refreshing tonic, revealing that employment growth had expanded by 287,000. The progress in June brings payroll growth back in line with the earlier, positive trend. The unemployment rate rose to 4.9% driven by a large - and much needed - increase in the labor force (414,000). Hovering near 5%, the unemployment rate is now in a range most economists consider normal.
Source: NAHB Eye on Housing, July 13, 2016
 
Could Brexit Affect Your Small Business?
With Brexit in the rearview mirror, seven experts share what they think small-business owner should keep in mind for the future of their business. Read more.
Source: American Express Open Forum, July 7, 2016
Unsatisfactory Performance Excused by Disability?

Question : Is an employee who reports a reading/writing disability covered under a protected class? Are there suggestions on how to handle if this employee reported this after receiving a written reminder for performance-related issues when no prior notice had been provided to HR either verbally or in writing? The employee in this instance has been employed by the company for 8 years. Click here for answer.
 
This article provided courtesy of Federated Mutual Insurance Company, your association's recommended insurer.