MLA Lumber Industry News Express
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Here's the new issue of the Mid-America Lumbermens Association online newsletter. We'll send a new issue every two weeks to let you know what's happening in the industry, at your MLA, and in the world that affects your business. We welcome your opinions and ideas. If you have information you'd like to share with other members, we'd be happy to include it in our next issue. We welcome both personal and industry-related news - members would love to hear your news and views - so don't hesitate to email us with information.
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Learn about Protecting your Business from Cybercrime at the MLA/MSLBMDA Fall Conference!
Join us for the annual Mid-America and Mountain States Lumber Dealers Leadership Conference, October 4-5 at the Omni Interlocken Hotel in beautiful Broomfield, Colorado,
and see
Chris Rader
talk about “Protecting Your Business from Cybercrime.” Chris Rader grew up in the lumber industry, and has an all-encompassing understanding of what businesses in our industry need to succeed. In today’s environment, cyber security is of paramount importance. In this session, Chris will teach you what you need to know to protect your business, and to keep your data safe.
Why should you attend the MLA/MSLBMDA Leadership Conference?
Our industry is changing rapidly. Learn from industry experts on what trends are evident and developing, and how to focus your business to successfully navigate these changes. Educational sessions will cover many topics that concern our businesses today, including:
- Economic trends - present and emerging
- Leadership in today’s business climate - leadership skills for today
- The labor shortage and what to do about it - creating a culture for hiring, retention and promotion
- The LBM industry today - mergers and acquisitions, independent lumber dealer’s progression, the LBM “State of the Union” today and future trends
- Lumber pricing and tariffs - Is there hope for commodity pricing decreases?
- Cybersecurity - hackers are hitting the LBM industry with increasing frequency. Are you prepared? Learn how to protect your business.
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Q2 2018 Building Supply Index
BlueTarp Financial – the leading credit management company for B2B suppliers – released its Q2 2018
Building Supply Index
. The Q2 2018 12-month trailing average, which accounts for seasonality, hit an all-time high at 132.48, up from 130.92 in Q1 2018. The unadjusted view also remained high at 139.16.
To interpret the Index, values below 100 reflect recessionary or recovering performance. Values above 100 reflect healthy economic activity. Consumer confidence continues to be the main driver for the elevated Index level – a 7 percent increase over this time last year.
As a supplement to the
Building Supply Index
, BlueTarp conducts a quarterly survey of its contractors to gauge sentiment on the current and future state of the economy. Over half of respondents are seeing growing sales compared to this time last year. While optimism remains high, contractors are challenged to find quality employees with the labor shortage.
The report represents trends from 120,000 pro customers and more than 2,000 building material suppliers across the United States. It also incorporates macro-economic drivers including: building permits, construction spend and consumer confidence as reported monthly by the Census Bureau and The Conference Board.
Read more
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Source: BlueTarp, August 23, 2018
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Return Your Ballot Today!
Ballots to elect Board nominees were mailed to members in mid-August. MLA thanks those members who have already returned their ballots. If you haven’t sent yours to the MLA office, please do so today – and no later than September 17!
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The Five Most Common Freight Shipping Mistakes
PartnerShip, the company that manages the MLA Shipping Program, is here to save you money and make sure you're in the know on everything shipping related. That's why PartnerShip has developed
informational white papers
to help MLA members navigate through the world of transportation and logistics. One of the white papers PartnerShip has developed is designed to help proactively identify and correct commonly made freight shipping mistakes before they cost you valuable time and money.
Read more
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Source: PartnerShip – MLA’s endorsed provider of shipping services!
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Todd Gazaway Presents LuDPAC Check
… Last week, Todd Gazaway (left) presented a check on behalf of LuDPAC to Rep. Rick Crawford (right) at his store, Gazaway Ace Homecenter, in Paragould, Arkansas. The LuDPAC trustees voted unanimously to support Rep. Crawford in his reelection campaign because of his pro-industry voting record. LuDPAC is the only national political action committee devoted to lumber industry issues. To receive information from LuDPAC,
click here
to complete the no-obligation prior approval form.
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Time to Consider the MLA MEP
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MLA has offered a “group” MLA 401(k) plan for members for more than three years. 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
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Lumber News
Five Tips to Help with Employing Generation Z ...
If you're planning on employing
Generation Z
, the unofficial name for the generation now flooding the workplace, you might want to consider them as Generation E. This population born after 1997 and until 2010 is especially entrepreneurial in nature.
Read more
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Source: American Express Open Forum, August 27, 2018
Here are Six Reasons for Builders to Stay Bullish Through 2020...
Will the "best of times" – in economic terms – portend the "worst of times" for housing? Now, with an accelerating economy, astonishingly low unemployment, improving business and consumer confidence, and plenty of stimulus, is this the right moment to start taking chips off the table and shifting into a cautious mode about what's around the next corner, in 2020 or so?
Read more
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Source: Builder Online, August 31, 2018
Realtors Chief Economist Reflects on Past Recession & What's Ahead…
American financial and lending systems look vastly different nearly a decade after the defining moments of the Great Recession, thanks in part to safe and sound lending and regulatory policy reforms, strongly supported by the National Association of Realtors®. Today, home prices are at or approaching record highs in many markets, and mortgage default and foreclosure rates sit near historic lows.
Read more
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Source: National Association of Realtors, August 27, 2018
Early Bird Registration Open for ProDealer Industry Summit…
The ProDealer Industry Summit is an exclusive three-day educational and networking forum designed to promote the growth of lumber & building product dealers, distributors, wholesalers, and the manufacturers who supply them. LBM dealers will benefit from sharing insights and best practices from leaders in the industry in a relaxed format that encourages networking and personal interaction. The event is set for October 17-19 at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago.
Click here for early-bird registration
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Could There Be a Disaster in Your Future?
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People toss around the word “disaster” quite freely these days. Even relatively minor incidents are promoted to disaster status. A missed two-foot putt, a burned dinner, or an uncharged phone battery can all be considered disasters by those affected. But when a true disaster strikes, our reality changes — so does our concept of the word.
Read more
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This service provided courtesy of Federated Mutual Insurance Company, your association’s recommended insurer.
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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 1,000 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
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Updated Buyers Guide Now Available!
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.
Read more
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The Last Word
"
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
"
- Thomas A. Edison
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