|
Save the Date!
|
Plan to Attend!!
January 6 - Missouri Winter Meeting
January 19-20 - Kansas Winter Meeting
February 21 - Arkansas Legislative Event
|
|
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)
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!
|
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect."
|
|
|
Still Time to Register for Fall Fling
 Register now to attend the 2016 Fall Fling! 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.
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.
You can make reservations now by calling the hotel at 417-243-3413.
|
States Ask for Preliminary Injunction on Overtime Rule
On October 12, Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction and Request for Expedited Consideration on behalf of the coalition of states. The motion was filed with the goal of urging the federal court to stop the Department of Labor's (DOL) Overtime Rule from going into effect on December 1, 2016. Last month, a coalition of 21 states filed suit in United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas, challenging the rule. The government is expected to respond to the motion by the end of the month.
In addition to the lawsuit filed by 21 states, more than 50 business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Retail Federation, and National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), have filed suit in federal court to block changes to the Overtime Rule. Both lawsuits state DOL abused its authority by increasing the salary threshold so drastically, and also failed to account for regional variations in the cost of living. The agency also violated federal law by indexing the salary threshold to the 40th percentile of income, with automatic increases every three years, the lawsuits claim.
NLBMDA members are asked to
contact their Senators
in support of the Overtime Reform and Review Act (S. 3464).
The legislation would phase-in the DOL's new salary threshold in four stages over five years, starting with a substantial salary threshold increase to approximately $36,000 on December 1, 2016, followed by a "pause year" in 2017 to allow employers to review and adjust for the consequences of this new rule. Further increases to the salary level would occur annually thereafter, until reaching the final rule's new threshold of $47,476 on December 1, 2020. Equally important is that the bill prohibits the final rule's automatic increases to the salary threshold, yet allows the DOL to propose changes to overtime regulations in the future through the customary notice and comment process. The motion filed by the states can be found
here
.
Source: NLBMDA E-Update, October 17, 2016
|
|
Time to Consider the MLA MEP
 MLA has offered a "group" 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 click here to learn more.
|
|
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.
|
Industry Update
Protect Your Profits When Big Customers Pay Late...
If your large prospect pays everyone else slowly, how will they pay you? You got it. They'll pay you slowly, too. Knowing this, factor it into your pricing upfront. Let's use an example: Say your average customer spends $100 and nets $25 in gross profit, or 25 percent. When you factor in warehouse, delivery, sales, administrative and financing expense, the net profit of the average customer is 4 percent.
Read more
.
Source: BlueTarp, October 24, 2016
What Managers Should Do About Those New Overtime Rules...
Starting Dec. 1, more employees will be eligible for overtime pay for hours worked in excess of 40 per week. Laura Vanderkam offers eight ways employers can minimize overtime pay, including re-evaluating work processes, offering flex time and tracking hours.
Read more
.
Source: Fast Company, October 18, 2016
U.S. and Canada Continue Talks on Softwood Lumber Agreement Past Deadline...
Trade representatives from the United States (U.S.) and Canada have publicly said they are continuing discussions toward a new Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA) despite the expiration of the one-year cooling off period on October 12. The end of the moratorium allows the U.S. to start imposing higher tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber. The last agreement, which was reached in 2006, expired last October.
The American lumber industry can petition for new tariffs. However, that process would likely take months. In a statement released last week following the expiration of the cooling off period, the U.S. Lumber Coalition, an alliance of American lumber producers, stated that it intends to move forward in initiating trade cases against what it views as "unfairly traded imports from Canada." Should a trade case be brought by U.S. lumber producers it is expected to be several years before the issue is resolved.
Source: NLBMDA E-Update, October 17, 2016
|
|
|
Could Your Employment Practices Cause You Trouble?
All businesses have a lot to consider with regard to human resources (HR) and risk management issues. On an average work day, a business may encounter dozens of HR-related issues. How the employer approaches those situations could put the business at risk for employment lawsuits and claims. Employers may approach personnel matters with the best intentions, but their efforts may be derailed by outdated policies or lack of best practices. Read more.
This article provided courtesy of Federated Mutual Insurance Company, your association's recommended insurer.
|
|
| |
|
|
