MLA Logo
Vol. 16, No. 3, February 6, 2017 
MLA LINE
Lumber Industry News Express
Save the Date!
Our Sponsors




Blish Mize





Westfall GMC


GSWP-Yellawood

MLA Logo

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! 

________________________

The Last Word
"When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt."

-- Henry Kaiser
American Businessman

Register Now for Arkansas Winter Meeting!

Arkansas Capitol Bldg.
Plan now to attend the Arkansas Winter Meeting, February 21, in Little Rock. This year's meeting will focus on current legislative issues, including proposed lien legislation. All MLA members are invited to participate. Click here for complete information and a registration form.

It's a New Era in Washington

Registration is now open for NLBMDA's Spring Meeting and Legislative Conference, which will take place from March 27-29, 2017 at the Renaissance DuPont Hotel in Washington, D.C. This conference is a key opportunity for NLBMDA members to remind Congressional leaders of the importance of our industry and advance the advocacy agenda of NLBMDA.

The new Congress and Administration are already starting to move forward on their legislative agendas and this conference is your opportunity to make your voice heard on behalf of the industry. You are the best representative of your business and industry! Click here for more information.
Four Ways Your Credit Program Could Give you a Competitive Advantage

Your products, pricing, and customer relationships are likely the cornerstones of how you attract and keep your professional customers. But have you ever considered how your credit program could provide you with a strong competitive advantage?
 
If you are like most building material suppliers, your credit program probably doesn't make you think about growth and competitive advantage. In fact, it probably does the opposite - bringing on thoughts of restricted cash flow, investment constraints and the worries of uncollectible revenue. But it doesn't have to. Consider these four ways your credit program can deliver a competitive advantage.  Read more .

Source: Scott Simpson, Blue Tarp
Time to Consider the MLA MEP

piggy_bank_money.jpg
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 an example. If you like what you see, contact us for a one-week trial subscription to see the hundreds of available courses. Learn more
Lumber News - Quick Glimpses

LBM Advantage Announces Vendor Partners of the Year... 
LBM Advantage is marking their inaugural year with a multitude of achievements. Among them is the recognition of a few of the outstanding vendors within its Building Products Division. Advantage is pleased to announce their Vendor Partners of the Year for 2016.
Source: LBM Advantage, February 2, 2017
 
Check Your Negativity at the Door...  
You aren't fit to lead if your greatest strength is seeing weakness. Smart talented leaders find it easy to point out inadequacies, describe what's wrong, and explain disagreements.   Read more .
Source: LeadershipFreak, February 2, 2017
 
Zelman's Look at Multigen...
What's in store for multigenerational households, and how will their formation impact household formation, particularly as 55+ adults elect or are compelled for economic or health reasons to move in with their younger children? This is a question Ivy Zelman and her team of researchers and analysts at Zelman & Associates take on in the latest deployment of The Z Report, a twice-monthly compendium of smart, medium dives into events, developments, forces, and trends that impact the housing business. 
Source: BuilderOnline, January 31, 2017

Family Succession Planning
Tuesday, February 21, 2017 (1 p.m. CST)
45 min. - Registration Required

When most people hear "estate planning," they think of planning to avoid estate taxes. However, for more than 99 percent of people, the federal estate tax is no longer a concern (although state level estate taxes may still be an issue for some). There is a lot more to estate planning than taxes. That's why family succession planning better describes this process. Learn:
  • Which taxes may impact you and your family at your death.
  • What could happen if you don't do any planning.
  • The impact property ownership and beneficiary designations have on your plan.
  • Importance of planning for incapacity and end of life decisions. 
This article provided courtesy of Federated Mutual Insurance Company, your association's recommended insurer.