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Volume 12, No. 26
December 30, 2013
Lumber Industry News Express
You're receiving this online newsletter because you've subscribed through the MLA website (www.TheMLA.com) or you're an Association member. 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.
Winter Meetings Just Around the Corner 
Missouri - Join other Missouri lumber dealers in Columbia on January 10 for a brief but informative meeting. Updates provided on Missouri legislation for 2014, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and MLA activities and events. See more information and registration form here.

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Kansas  - The annual Winter Meeting is set for January 23-24 in Wichita. This is always a great time with fellow dealers and Associate members. See more information and registration form here.   

 

Arkansas - Our own Alan Clark, Arkansas State Senator and MLA Board Member, will host members at the Capitol. Get an insider's view of the inner-workings at your State Capitol and find out what you need to know about your state legislature and your MLA. New date: February 6 - more information to come!

 

In another state? Don't let that keep you from the closest MLA meeting - registration is open to any and all MLA members. Get to know your fellow dealers and be better informed. We'll see you at a 2014 winter meeting!

Holiday Hours 

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The entire staff of your Mid-America Lumbermens Association wishes you a Happy New Year! We're taking time to enjoy the holidays with our family and friends, and we hope you can do the same.

 

The office will close at noon on December 31, and we'll be back to regular hours on January 2, 2013.

NLBMDA Dealer Networking Breakfast   
NLBMDA Logo Join fellow LBM dealers from across the country for this first-ever networking event at the 2014 International Builders Show (IBS) in Las Vegas! The breakfast will be held Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at the LVH Hotel (next door to the Convention Center) from 7:00 to 8:45 a.m.

The Dealer Breakfast will be a terrific way to kick off your activities at IBS and learn the latest on issues impacting the lumber and building material industry. Plus, attendees will get the latest housing forecast from NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. For more information on the breakfast and to register, click here.
Members Save 20% = MLA Credit Card Program
Credit_Card We guarantee your savings - plus you receive a true Transparent Statement at month-end for quick and easy reconciliation along with experienced personal service 24/7.
 

Call Sam or Robert for more information

800-747-6529

Powered by:  
 

TriSource Solutions LLC is a registered MSP/ISO for Merrick Bank Corp., Woodbury, NY 11797  

Need Envelopes or Other Supplies?
MLA is your one-stop source for letterhead, envelopes, forms, and ad specialty items (such as yardsticks, aprons and pencils).

Contact De at 800-747-6529 to see how much you can save.
Other Articles of Interest 

NLBMDA Spring Meeting & Legislative Conference 

Two Building Material Associations Merge

Paint Companies Hit with Lead-Paint Ruling 

Housing Starts Hit Five-Year High in November 

Housing Outlook 2014: 10 Predictions 

Missouri's Minimum Wage Rises on January 1 

 

NLBMDA_Leg_ConNLBMDA Spring Meeting & Legislative Conference...Registration is now open for NLBMDA's Spring Meeting and Legislative Conference, which will take place from March 31-April 2, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency in Arlington, Va. Join us in Washington to make your voice heard! 

 

 

BMAs_MergeTwo Building Material Associations Merge...  Members of the Southern Building Material Association (SBMA) and the Ohio Construction Suppliers Association (OCSA) approved a merger of the two groups. The newly formed Building Material Suppliers Association will represent lumber dealers in Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. SBMA President Larry Adams will become president of BMSA, while Lynn Schwarz, currently OCSA's Executive Vice President, will be BMSA's Executive Director. The merger will take place in early 2014. 

 
Those with questions are invited to contact either OCSA's Lynn Schwarz at 614-267-7817 or SBMA's Larry Adams at 704-376-1503.

 

Paint_Companies_Hit_With_Lead_Paint_RulingPaint Companies Hit with Lead-Paint Ruling... The paint industry has proved generally successful in court, dodging expensive lead-paint related rulings. But not in California. Not Monday. A judge in Santa Clara County Superior Court ruled that paint companies must pay $1.1 billion to 10 California cities and counties - including Los Angeles County - as part of a lead removal program. Millions of older homes will be involved in the treatment. Read more. Source: Home Channel News, December 17, 2013

 

Housing_Starts_Hit_Five-Year_HighHousing Starts Hit Five-Year High in November... Single-family and multifamily housing starts reached their highest rates since 2008 in November, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Privately owned housing starts were at an adjusted rate of 1,091,000 in November, up 22.7 percent from the revised October rate of 889,000 and 29.6 percent above November 2012's 842,000. Single-family starts reached a rate of 727,000, up 20.8 percent from October. Multi-family starts rose 26.0 percent to 354,000. Read more. Source: Hardwood Floors Magazine, December 18, 2013

 

Housing_Outlook_2014Housing Outlook 2014: 10 Predictions... In 2013, the housing recovery was a welcome bright spot for the economy: prices were shooting up, fewer homeowners were underwater, and builder confidence was finally on the upswing. It's looking like 2014 should be another good year for housing-mostly. Here are ten things housing experts expect to see in 2014. Read more. Source: Builder Online/Forbes, December 23, 2013

 

Missouri_Minimum_Wage_RisesMissouri's Minimum Wage Rises on January 1... About 104,000 minimum wage workers in Missouri will get a 15-cents-an-hour raise on Jan. 1 to $7.50, thanks to an inflation adjustment built into state law. Read more. Source: Kansas City Star, December 25, 2013

Annual "Checkups" for Your Business 

Many of us make it a point to see our doctor for an annual medical checkup. This is an important opportunity to have a medical professional assess the current condition of our health. It also allows us to ask questions of our doctor about medical issues or concerns, and it is a chance to consider making changes to accommodate a healthier lifestyle.

 

When was the last time you turned to your insurance provider for a similar checkup of your business insurance and risk management programs? Read more.

 

This article provided courtesy of Federated Mutual Insurance Company, your association's recommended insurer.


Federated_Logo_Horiz  

The Last Word

"We cannot do great things unless we're willing to do the small things that make up the sum of greatness."

 

~Theodore Roosevelt  

In This Issue
MLA Winter Meetings
Holiday Hours
NLBMDA Dealer Networking Breakfast
MLA Credit Card Program
Need Envelopes or Other Supplies?
Other Articles of Interest
Annual "Checkups" for Business
Our Sponsors
Save the Date!
Do You Know a Retired Lumber Dealer? 
MLA provides membership to retired dealers at the nominal price of $10 per year. MLA sends the newsletter to Retired Members, and keeps them in the know.
Is OSHA a Mystery to You?
Take the mystery out of OSHA compliance. Call Robert Uhler, MLA Regional Manager, for a safety tune-up in 2013 - 800-747-6529.
Quick Links

Our Sponsors
Blish Mize

Westfall GMC
GSWP-Yellawood
 
Save the Date!
Jan. 9-10
Missouri Winter Meeting - Columbia

Jan. 23-24
Kansas Winter Meeting - Wichita

Feb. 6 - New Date!
Arkansas Winter Meeting - Little Rock

March 31-April 2
NLBMDA Legislative Conference
Go to the MLA Web Site
for more information.
MLA Logo
These Suppliers Support Your Industry Association!   
Please support them!

All Season Bldg. Supply
Allied Building Stores, Inc.
American Wholesale Corp.
Basys Processing
Blish-Mize Company
Bluelinx Corporation
BlueTarp Financial
Boise Cascade
BuilderLink, LLC
Builders Material Company
Cargotec USA - St. Louis
CCM Countertop & Cabinet Mfg.
Cedar Creek Wholesale, Inc.
Central States Insulation Wholesale, Inc.  
Central States Mfg., Inc.
Continental Divide Fence
Delden Mfg. Co., Inc.
Denver Southwest
DMSi
Do it Best Corporation - New member!
East Side Lumberyard Supply
Federated Insurance
Forest Products Supply Co.
Frontier Forest Products, Inc.
Great Southern Wood Preserving
Hardman Wholesale Company
Hixson Lumber Sales - New member!
Huttig Building Products
iLevel
Jack Morgan Construction
Lee Wayne
Lumberyard Supply
McCray Lumber Millwork
Mid-Am Building Supply
Midwest Low-E Insulation
Modern Equip. Co., Inc. (MECO)
Monarch Cement Company
Moulding & Millwork Inc.- Midwest
Neff Packaging Systems

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual
PrimeSource Building Products
PWD, Inc.
Roberts & Dybdahl, Inc.
Rollex Corp
Schutte Lumber Company

Service Partners dba Denver SouthWest

Shelter Distribution
Tamko Building Products
Tax Favored Benefits
Tennison Brothers, Inc.
Thomas Nielsen Wholesale
Timber Products, Inc.
Treeline Forest Products
USP Structural Connectors
Warrior Building Products
Westfall GMC Truck Center
Weyerhaeuser Co.

About Us

Mid-America Lumbermens Association (MLA) serves independent lumber and building material retailers in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. We offer a variety of services and products to our members, as well as events throughout the year to provide educational and networking opportunities. 

  

We're proud to be affiliated with the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA), which gives us a connection to the industry at large and provides representation in Washington, D.C. on federal legislation and regulatory issues.
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