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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Thank You, Swing-into-Spring Sponsors!
The Swing-into-Spring event was held on May 3
rd
and 4
th
, and everyone had a great time! Watch for the quarterly newsletter,
News You Can Use
, for all the results. Mark your calendar now to attend the 2019 event on May 2-3. Many thanks to this year's sponsors:
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Championship Sponsors
Federated Insurance
BlueTarp Financial, Inc
Boise Cascade
Cedar Creek
Mid-Am Building Supply
MiTek Builder Products – USP
Schutte Lumber Company
Simpson Strong-Tie
Westfall GMC (Hole-in-One Sponsor)
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Big Hitter Sponsors
American Building Products
Blish-Mize Co.
Dealer’s Choice
Guardian Building Products
Great Southern Wood Preserving
Hixson Lumber Sales
Rollex
Tax Favored Benefits
Warrior Building Products
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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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Protect Yourself from the Four Most Disruptive Credit Risks
Underestimating credit risk can turn a healthy business upside down quickly, so there’s a lot riding on your ability to minimize your exposure. When it comes to assessing risk, looks can be deceiving. You’ve heard stories of customers who looked big and sounded solid but ended up being insolvent—causing a nightmare for the companies left holding their unpaid invoices.
Read more
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Source: BlueTarp
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Everything You Need to Know about Freight Claims
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Damaged freight is every shipper’s worst nightmare. To make it worse, filing freight claims is a complex and frustrating process. There is a lot you need to know about what to document, what to file, and what the Carmack Amendment covers. Before you find yourself in this mess, it’s best to learn some of the basics.
Read more
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Source: PartnerShip – MLA’s endorsed provider of shipping services.
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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
California Becomes First State to Mandate Solar on New Homes...
Bloomberg
's Mark Chediak and Prashant Gopal report that California Energy Commission unanimously decided on Wednesday that all new residential buildings, including apartments and condos that are three stories or fewer will be required to have rooftop solar panels starting in 2020 as part of new energy-efficiency standards. Most new homes built after Jan. 1, 2020, will be required to include solar systems. While that’s a boost for the solar industry, critics warned that it will also drive up the cost of buying a house by almost $10,000. Solar shares surged upon the decision, while home builders fell.
Read more
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Source: Builder Online, May 10, 2018
Cost of Residential Inputs Already up 4 Percent in 2018...
The prices of most building materials increased in April, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI)
release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Oriented strand board (OSB) led price increases, up 7.1% since March (not seasonally adjusted). The indexes for ready-mix concrete (+0.6%), gypsum products (+0.1%), and the aggregate index for goods inputs to residential construction (+0.9%) also edged higher. Softwood lumber prices fell 1.9% month-over-month, according to the report.
Read more
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Source: David Logan, NAHB, Eye on Housing, May 9, 2018
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
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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
"
When you come to a fork in the road, take it
."
- Yogi Berra
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Mid-America Lumbermens Association | 800-747-6529 | 816-561-1249 (fax)| ruhler@themla.com |
Website
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