Content about Washington

The great H.L. Mencken wrote: "A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar."

Is he right? I don't know, but it seems as if Washington, D.C., is quite a mess these days, with a mounting deficit and acrimonious factions.

Still, one of the highlights on the HCN calendar is the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. This year's event, in addition to several rounds of strategizing and lobbying, featured presentations from not one, but two politicians.

Federal Way, Wash.-based Weyerhaeuser introduced Hardwood Edge, an OSB floor panel specifically engineered for use under hardwood floors.

Senator Angus King of Maine has been added to the NLBMDA's lineup for its Spring Meeting and Legislative Conference.

The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) announced that Senator Angus King (I-Maine) will be a featured speaker during the Washington Briefing breakfast at the Spring Meeting and Legislative Conference.

The conference will take place March 18 to 20 at the Crystal City Marriott in Arlington, Va.

A veteran of the engineered wood product industry, Michael D. St. John died Nov. 29. He was 66.

St. John was integral to the founding of Pacific Woodtech in Burlington, Wash., and its business plan, heading up sales and marketing since 1999. He served as VP and director of the company. He is credited with originating private-labeling in the EWP market.

Voters in 38 states will consider 174 statewide ballot measures on Nov. 6, 2012, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). These proposals are wide-ranging, with a number of them having potential workplace implications.

Questions appear on the ballots in more than one state concerning:

• Medical marijuana use;
• Legalization of marijuana; and
• Same-sex marriage.

Fiberon, a manufacturer of PVC and composite decking, railing and fencing products, has announced a distribution partnership with Lumber Yard Supply Company, LYS, based in Great Falls, Mont. LYS has distribution centers in Great Falls and Billings, Mont., and Spokane Valley, Wash.

LYS will carry the full line of Fiberon decking, railing and fastener products to serve lumberyards and home centers throughout their markets.

Seattle, Wash.-based Dunn Lumber is now stocking a full line of Maze Nails, distributed by International Wood Products in all 10 Dunn stores.  

Maze Nails, based in Peru, Ill., is the largest manufacturer of specialty nails in the United States. Offerings include a full line of double hot dipped galvanized and stainless steel nails for fiber cement siding, decking, fencing, cedar shingles and shakes, cedar siding, post frame building, PVC trim products and other building applications. 

Channel analysis

From May 2011 through April 2012, dollar volume of trimmer sales increased 8.9% to around $845 million, compared with a relatively weak prior-year period, according to consumer research from The NPD Group, based in Port Washington, N.Y. According to the channel breakdown, hardware stores and home centers appear to be gaining at the expense of mass retailers and department stores.            

Federal Way, Wash.-based Weyerhaeuser Co. announced that Doyle Simons, 48, will join its board of directors, effective June 29.

Simons' appointment follows the departure of Arnold Langbo, who retired from Weyerhaeuser's board in 2011.

Pacific States Industries, a California-based forest products and building materials company, acquired the privately owned Hoquiam Plywood Co. of Hoquiam, Wash. 

The Hoquiam facility is known for its premium plywood sheathing. Operations at the western Washington facility will come under the direction of Pacific States Plywood (PSP), headquartered in Springfield, Ore.