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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Introducing the new MLA Shipping Program!
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In an ongoing effort to provide our members with the money-saving tools you need to be successful, MLA is pleased to offer an exciting new member benefit — the MLA Shipping Program, managed by PartnerShip
®
.
As a member of MLA, you can use this free shipping program to save on every shipment you
send
and
receive
— around the corner, around the country, or around the world — with world-class carriers and phenomenal customer service professionals.
Read more
.
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Swing into Spring - This Week!
It's time to get ready for the Missouri Swing-into-Spring event, set for May 3-4 at beautiful Lake of the Ozarks.
Call the MLA office at 816-747-6529 to register or for sponsorship information. We'll see you there!
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Sunflower Shootout - June 8!
Plan to attend the 30
th
annual Sunflower Shootout to benefit the Kansas Lumbermens scholarship program. We’ll play at the Hesston Golf Course, in Hesston, Kansas. Sponsorships are available and registration is open to all.
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What is the True Cost of a Customer?
You May be Surprised that Some Actually Cost You Money
Most suppliers precisely know their gross margins on a per-customer basis. Assume you’re a business with 40 percent gross profit margin. Of those 40 points, 25 are usually consumed by overhead, leaving you with a 15 percent net margin. Some suppliers are higher, some lower. Very few know their net margin on a per customer basis.
Read more
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Source: BlueTarp
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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 two 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
Early Registration Now 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
.
Lowe's Overhauls its Light Bulb Aisle...
Mooresville, N.C.-based Lowe’s is lighting up its U.S. stores with a new light bulb offering that intends to take advantage of an exclusive deal with GE Lighting. As part of an expanded relationship with GE Lighting that was announced Tuesday, Lowe’s will become “the only nationwide home center to offer GE light bulbs,” the retailer said. Additionally, GE Lighting will become the only nationwide supplier to Lowe’s U.S. consumer retail outlets for light bulbs, including GE’s reveal line.
Read more
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Source: HBS Dealer, April 24, 2018
Seventeen Percent of Adults plan to Buy a Home in the Next 12 Months...
Seventeen percent of poll respondents in the first quarter of 2018 said they are planning to buy a home within the next 12 months, and for 45 percent of those prospective home buyers, this would be the first time buying a home. In comparison, in the last quarter of 2017, 24 percent of respondents had plans to purchase a house within a year, and of those, 60 percent self-reported as first-time buyers.
Read more
.
S
ource: NAHB Eye on the Economy, April 25, 2018
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Registration Now Open for Risk Management Academy
Federated Insurance is offering complimentary risk management training for MLA members
on
August 14–16, 2018
. Through this valuable session, you will discover methods you can use immediately to help protect profits by reducing risk at your business.
Companies that are the most successful at controlling losses and protecting profits have integrated risk management into their overall company culture. Many have designated a key person as their risk manager. This person is supported by your company’s top management and is both responsible and accountable for identifying loss exposures and implementing risk management solutions.
This seminar’s objective is to help your risk manager learn the exposures specific to the your industry, connect with peers from across the country and apply these best practices within your business.
You can learn more by viewing a brief
video
about the Risk Management Academy. To reserve your spot in the upcoming session or for more information, please contact Royetta Spurgeon at
rlspurgeon@fedins.com
or (800)533-0472 Ext. 455-5604.
Or, visit
Federated's website
.
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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 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
.
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The Last Word
"
Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself
."
- William Faulkner
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Mid-America Lumbermens Association | 800-747-6529 | 816-561-1249 (fax)| ruhler@themla.com |
Website
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