RAKS - Continued from
RAKS - Continued from page 16 they mill what is stored in wintertime, and work out of the inventory in spring, summer and fall. RAKS is the last hand before the house is built, said Young. Kiln-dried No. 2 or Better and Standard or Better are the most common grades purchased in 2x4, 2x6, 2x8, 2x10 and 2x12 lengths, separated and packaged in what could be 30 to 40 types of wood in the dimensions and lengths to build a particular house. Within the 60-mile radius of Albuquerque that RAKS services are two facilities for the sole purpose of housing movie sets, all built, used, and torn down under either roof. Over the past 10 years, movie industry activity has increased dramatically in New Mexico. Movie sets require a diverse mix of wood products and RAKS is at the ready. “We changed the product line to meet the needs of the film industry which uses a different mix,” recalled Young. “They use a lot of Pine in 1x3 and 1x4 and also Lauan plywood and engineered RAKS Building Supply carries an inventory of approximately 700,000 board feet of Pine and Douglas Fir in No. 2 or Better, 2x4, 2x6, 2x8, 2x10 and 2x12 dimensions. wood, most often LVL or I-joist. The construction companies do nothing but build the set and when the actors get there, whatever the dream is, put it together. It’s all temporary, built only for the duration of the movie. And it’s all facade, not a permanent structure. It’s lightweight and not connected to a foundation, rather suspended from rafters of the warehouses.” RAKS provided supplies for a variety of films, most recently, Transcen- With its own trucks RAKS can make customer deliveries. Continued on page 29 Additional photos on page 29 What are you up to now? The Softwood Forest Products Buyer would like to know so we can publish your news. Announcements can include: Crofton House School - Manrell Hall Cornerstone Architecture Photo: Bob Matheson YOU’RE INVITED TO The 15 th Annual Global Buyers Mission Attend an extraordinary event where you will find many sources of high quality, competitively priced wood products including mass-timber building products, high value-added wood products, specialty lumber & Western Red Cedar products, plus remanufacturing products from Canadian softwood and hardwood manufacturers. For more information visit: globalbuyersmission.com or call toll free 1-877-4BCWOOD • New salespeople, lumber buyers and upper management personnel, which includes CEO, CFO, president, vice president and general managers. • New locaons • New products and services. • Recent installaons of equipment and machinery, or other upgrades Send your news for consideration to: editor@millerwoodtradepub.com Page 28 Softwood Forest Products Buyer ■ May/June 2018
dence, and before that, Book of Eli, Terminator Salvation, and several smaller films. It’s been an adventure, said Young, describing the liaison with the construction coordinator for the film sets. “With the service we provide, we’ll source anything they desire. LA people compare us to Southland Lumber, which exists around the movie industry.” “The way we serve keeps us in business,” commented Young. “We outservice all our competition.” Until the housing debacle in recent years, the company grew steadily from the moment Richard Tabet and Kenneth Trujillo started it in 1986. Their parents both had owned lumber yards and they followed in the same vein. RAKS The company also carries a variety of other building materials to fill customer orders. now has five locations to serve customers across New Mexico. The company also has expanded its growth potential by moving beyond its retail supply focus and delving into manufacturing. A truss plant was opened at the Rio Bravo store in Albuquerque which, on 12 acres, is a bit larger than the 12th Street store. As a family-run business, the name says it all. RAKS is an acronym for the first names of the owners and their wives, respectively, Richie, Anna, Kenneth, and Sue. Tabet and Trujillo both continue to guide the company from the 12th Street store in Albuquerque, treating customers like family too, and in response, many have been loyal for nearly 30 years. Second generations from both families have come up with the store and the third is closing in also. Longevity is evident amongst employees starting with Young, who quit the teaching profession to work in the RAKS yard as a laborer. He approaches 30 years with the company, where the average length of employee retention is 20-plus years, and where the business is built to last. ■ For more information, visit www.raks.com. WASHINGTON SCENE - Continued from page 20 parent and accountable federal regulatory process supports efficient and sound government, promotes the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing and job creation and enhances societal wellbeing. These valuable principles can be reinforced through strong good guidance practices, more rigorous cost-benefit analysis and greater transparency of the information supporting regulatory decision making. We thank the committee for providing a platform to identify problems and discuss solutions to improve the federal regulatory process for the good of our nation, its economy and its citizens.” Omnibus Bill Update Includes Wildfire Funding Fix, Federal Forest Management Reform Recently, the U.S. House and Senate passed an omnibus spending package for fiscal year 2018 that included a wildfire funding fix for the Forest Service as well as federal forest management reforms. The bill the president signed into law establishes a fund of more than billion a year, which would increase over a 10-year period. The fund could be accessed by the Forest Service when wildfire suppression costs exceed the 10-year average of wildfires, which would be frozen at the 2015 level. Specifically, the disaster levels ramp up from .25 billion in FY2020 to .95 billion in FY2027. Because this provision does not take effect until 2020, current law would remain Continued on page 30 Softwood Forest Products Buyer ■ May/June 2018 Page 29
