RAKS BUILDING SUPPLY’S
RAKS BUILDING SUPPLY’S GROWTH YIELDS NEW OPPORTUNITIES By Clare Adrian Albuquerque, NM–RAKS Building Supply, based here on 12th Street, along with three other RAKS locations, has not been waiting for a return to pre-recessionary status. They’ve seized the moment, watched the market for opportunities, and sharpened some of the already strong tools their stores offer, those of customer service, employee knowledge and lumber diversification. The 12th Street Albuquerque store, in the center of town and at the intersection of I-40 and I-25 has easy access to transport materials in any direction and staff have shown a willingness to oblige customers in any direction as well. The yard is stocked to serve the majority of its customers, ANCHORSEAL ® FOR SOFTWOOD Superior protection for fresh cut ends of softwood logs and lumber which are licensed contractors, said sales manager Wesley Young. “We don’t deal with national accounts, rather take care of local home builders first.” The seven major items stocked to service those builders are lumber, windows, trusses, concrete products, drywall, insulation and major components of the house. The 400,000 board feet of lumber purchased annually direct from sawmills, some through wholesalers and some through distribution centers, largely those located in the Northwest and Canada, arrive by rail car on one of the two rail spurs that traverse the company’s 7 1/2 acres. Young noted, “We have a lot of covered storage that consumes half of the acreage, a 40,000 square foot warehouse, and carry an inventory of 700,000 board feet of lumber.” Young reviews the species, picking the best match as each season unfolds. “Pine and Douglas Fir are good winter items; SPF, spring; and White Pine is good during summer and fall. We work with the temperature. In our climate, the temperature goes from 0 in the winter to 100 degrees in the summer. When dry, Spruce is used, in the summer, Hemlock Fir does well in the heat.” Young’s strategy is a concerted effort with the mills in the Northwest and Canada who harvest lumber in the winter when the ground is frozen for easy harvest in and out. They create log decks till spring when Continued on page 28 Richard Tabet (left) and Kenneth Trujillo (right) are the owners of RAKS Building Supply. They founded the company in 1986. “We have used Anchorseal for end sealing our cedar since 1994 and would not use any other product. With Anchorseal, we minimize checking and splitting by 3-5% for our high-end cedar products, less waste and better recovery. Thank you Anchorseal!” STOP END CHECKS NOW - Cedarsource Manufacturing, Inc. Portland, Oregon WOOD PROTECTION PRODUCTS ® 1-888-363-2628 sales@uccoatings.com We don’t deal with national accounts, rather take care of local home builders first. –Wesley Young, sales manager, RAKS Building Supply Page 16 Softwood Forest Products Buyer ■ May/June 2018
SFPA/SLMA Partner For Spring Meeting Dave Sondel, U-C Coatings LLC, Buffalo, NY; Jerry Hingle, SPC Consultant, New Orleans, LA; and Scott Vande Linde, West Fraser, Germantown, TN Tami Kessler, Southern Forest Products Assoc. (SFPA), Metairie, LA; recipient of the SFPA new Lumber Manufacturer Member plaque, Adam Lites, Conifex El Dorado Inc., El Dorado, AR; and Erin Graham, SFPA Bob Lane, The Timbermen Inc., Camak, GA; Yvan Rainville, Autolog Sawmil Automation, Blainville, QC; Bruce Kicklighter, Autolog Sawmill Automation, Evans, GA; Sammy McCorkle and Jim Hicks, The Timbermen Inc.; Gale Miller, Autolog Sawmill Automation, Tuscaloosa, AL; and Patrick Lunceford and Gene Gerlach, The Timbermen Inc. Kirk Forbes, Brunette Machinery Co. Inc., Vancouver, BC; Kim and Jim Olson, Coastal Forest Resources Co., Chapman, AL; and Patrick Browne, Brunette Machinery Co. Inc. Photos By Terry Miller Jeremy Pitts, BOLDesign Inc., Lenoir, NC; Roy Beall, Jasper Lumber Co. Inc., Jasper, AL; and Jeff Cowley, BOLDesign Inc., Jacksonville, FL Ferman Brodie, Charles Ingram Lumber Co. Inc., Effingham, SC; David Burns, Corley Manufacturing Co./Lewis Controls Inc., Chattanooga, TN; Will Lampe and Ross Lampe, Lampe & Malphrus Lumber Co., Smithfield, NC; and Bill Craig, Linck, Lufkin, TX Atlanta, GA–Approximately 200 registered attendees convened here recently at The Omni Hotel in the CNN Center for the spring joint meeting of the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) and the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (SLMA). The event opened with an evening fundraiser called “Wood. It’s Real.” Both SLMA and SFPA began the event with board of directors meetings, and after lunch was served, guest speakers took the stage for presentations prior to the opening of the event’s trade show, which featured more than three dozen exhibitors displaying their latest products and services. The guest speakers’ agenda included Mark Slupek, of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Services. Industry updates were given by the following speakers: Walter Gomel and David Watson, local lawyers; Robert Glowinski, of the American Wood Council; Jennifer Cover, of WoodWorks; and John Bradfield, of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The final morning of the event featured a networking breakfast followed by more industry updates. These included: a panel discussion led by the Softwood Continued on page 36 Jeriko Estate Resort & Winery Hopland, California REDWOOD & DOUGLAS-FIR Lumber. Timbers. Uppers. Construction spending and starts are poised to remain robust in 2018. That’s great news for yards like yours, especially if you are stocking Humboldt Redwood and Douglas-fir. Premium Humboldt Redwood and Douglas-fir dimensional lumber, timbers, and uppers give your customers everything they need — unmatched beauty, durability, strength, and Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC® C005200) certification. Get real. Get strong. Get ready for a great year. Contact Julie Wright at (707) 764-4450 or JWright@hrcllc.com for more information and to place your order for Humboldt Redwood and Douglas-fir dimensional lumber, timbers, and uppers. GetRedwood.com Jimmy Brewer and Jill Snider-Brewer, Snider Industries LLP, Marshall, TX; and Chad Smith, USNR, Hot Springs, AR Softwood Forest Products Buyer ■ May/June 2018 Page 17
