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Vol. 15, No. 18, September 6, 2016  
MLA LINE
Lumber Industry News Express
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Blish Mize



Westfall GMC

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MLA Associate Members

All Season Bldg. Supply
Allied Building Stores, Inc.
American Wholesale Corp.
Biz Lender
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 
Continental Divide Fence
Dealers Choice Distribution
Delden Mfg. Co., Inc.
Discovery-Based Retail
DMSi Software
Do It Best Corp
ECI Spruce Computer Systems
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.
Lumber Merchandising Corp. (LMC) - New Member!
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
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

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
-- Walt Disney
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.
Plan to Attend MLA Fall Fling
 
Planning is underway for the 2016 Fall Fling, and you're invited! The meeting is planned for Thursday-Friday, November 10-11, in Branson, Missouri, at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing. We'll have an all-star line-up of speakers so you can bring home ideas to implement right away.
 
The meetings are planned in a central location to minimize members' time away from their businesses. Starting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday and wrapping up around 1 p.m. on Friday means you can quickly travel there and back while gaining a lot from the interaction with other members. If you can stay and play, Branson offers golf and entertainment, the hotel rates we've secured are very favorable, and mid-November is a wonderful time in the Ozarks. They're already decorated for Christmas and it's a magical time to get away.
 
This year's featured presentations will be:  "Investing in Key Employees," "The Seven Deadly Sins in Credit and Finance Operations," "Becoming a True Growth Leader," and "OSHA's Top Ten List." You'll meet MLA's current leadership, and also get a glimpse into government affairs. The price couldn't be better - registration is complimentary for members (nonmembers pay $225 per person). Your suppliers support the event and defray most of the cost for members.
 
Watch for more information and a registration form. You can make reservations now by calling the hotel at 417-243-3413 and requesting the Mid-America Lumbermens rate. The cut-off date is October 14 - and until then, the rate is $142 per night. Click here for your hotel reservation.

 Click here for complete information. We look forward to seeing you there!
Updated MLA Buyers Guide Now Online
 
The Mid-America Lumbermens Association (MLA) has announced the exclusive MLA Buyers Guide (the Guide) - the premier resource of relevant products and services for lumber professionals - is now available with a more user-friendly interface on the MLA website at www.themla.com.

MLA partnered with Overland Park, Kansas-based Strategic Value Media, a leading nationwide provider of print and digital media solutions for national, state and local trade and membership associations, to produce the Guide. MLA is proud to provide its members with this useful and easily accessible year-round resource.   Read more.
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  
 
Existing-Home Sales Lose Steam in July...   Slowed by frustratingly low inventory levels in many parts of the country, existing-home sales lost momentum in July and decreased year-over-year for the first time since November 2015, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Only the West region saw a monthly increase in closings in July. Read more .
Source: Realtor.org, August 24, 2016

Why the Next President Needs a Housing Policy Director...    Nearly every U.S. presidential administration in recent history has viewed housing as a fundamental plank of its core domestic agenda for one clear reason: Access to safe, affordable housing, whether owned or rented, is critical to the economic success of every American.  Over our history, home ownership has proven to be a key component of wealth building, and for those who can't or don't want to own, having a sufficient supply of rental housing can provide shelter, community and a peace of mind allowing greater chance at upward mobility.  Read more .
Source: The Hill, August 30, 2016

Home Improvements Push Residential Construction Spending Up...   NAHB analysis of Census Construction Spending data shows that total private residential construction spending for July registered a seasonally adjusted rate of $445.5 billion, slightly up from the June downwardly revised estimate. Read more .
Source: NAHB, September 1, 2016

BlueLinx Sells Three Southern Facilities...   BlueLinx has sold its Jackson, Miss.; Little Rock, Ark.; and Shreveport, La., facilities, the company announced today in a press release. The aggregate net proceeds of the sale is $1.9 million. Read more.
Source: ProSales, September 5, 2016
Forces of Nature

Natural disasters can occur anytime, anywhere and can destroy years of hard work in an instant. With proper planning, their impact on your livelihood can be minimized. If you haven't developed a disaster plan for your business, or need to update your current plan, the following steps may help. Read more .

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