MLA Logo
SAVE THE DATE!
Nov. 6-7MLA Fall Fling

January 9 - Missouri Winter Meeting - Columbia, Missouri

January 22-23 - Kansas Winter Meeting - Junction City, Kansas

March 23-25, 2015 - NLBMDA Spring Meeting & Legislative Conference - Washington, D.C.

Visit www.TheMLA.com for more information!


OUR SPONSORS



Blish Mize



Westfall GMC

GSWP-Yellawood
Associate Members

All Season Bldg. Supply
Allied Building Stores
American Wholesale Corp.
Basys Processing
BPI - Lumber & Engineered Wood
Blish-Mize Company
Bluelinx Corporation
BlueTarp Financial
Builders Material Company
CCM Countertop & Cabinet Mfg
Cedar Creek Wholesale
Central States Insulation Wholesale
Central Woodwork, Inc.
Continental Divide Fence
Dealers Choice Distribution
Delden Mfg.Co., Inc.
Denver Southwest
Discovery Based Retail
DMSi
Do it Best Corporation
East Side Lumberyard Supply
Federated Insurance
Forest Products Supply Co.
Georgia Pacific Wood Products, LLC
Great Southern Wood Preserving
Hardman Wholesale Co.
Hawkeye Building Distribution
HIAB USA, Inc.
Hixson Lumber Sales
Huttig Building Products
Jack Morgan Construction
James Hardie Building Products
Klauer Manufacturing Co.
Lee Wayne
Lumberyard Supply
McCray Lumber Millwork
Mid-Am Building Supply
Midwest Low-E Insulation
Modern Equip. Co., Inc. (MECO)
Monarch Cement Co.
Pennsylvania & Indiana Lumbermens 
        Mutual Insurance
PrimeSource Building Products
PWD, Inc.
Roberts & Dybdahl, Inc. - Now Cedar
        Creek!
Rollex Corp.
Schutte Lumber Company
Service Partners dba Denver SW
Simpson Strong-Tie
Tamko Building Products
Tax Favored Benefits
Tennison Brothers, Inc.
The Quikrete Company
Thomas Nielsen Wholesale
Timber Products, Inc.
Treeline Forest Products
USP Structural Connectors
Valspar
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.

The information in this newsletter is provided without any representations or warranties, expressed or implied. You must not rely on the information in this newsletter as an alternative to legal advice from your lawyer or other professional legal services provider. If you have any specific questions about any legal matter, please consult your lawyer or other professional legal services provider.
Vol. 13, No. 20, October 9, 2014
Welcome to the MLA mobile newsletter!
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.
Sign Up Today for MLA Fall Fling!
A conference can be a moment to escape. Or it can be an opportunity to gain invaluable insights that will literally change the trajectory of your life. Don't waste the experience. -Michael Hyatt 

 

Plan now to attend the MLA Fall Fling,  

November 6-7, at the Hilton Promenade in Branson. The convenient location enables members from all parts of our territory to attend.

 

We don't promise it will change your life - but you could make a connection, learn a new concept, have an experience that could change your perspective. We encourage ALL members to seize the opportunity to gather with other dealers, step back for a moment from your day-to-day activities, and return with ideas to improve your operations.

 

Complete information is on our website at www.TheMLA.com. Register today and plan to be with your fellow members in Branson on November 6-7.

Establishing a Minimum Wage for Contractors

On February 12, 2014, President Obama signed Executive Order 13658, "Establishing a Minimum Wage for Contractors," to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 for all workers on Federal construction and service contracts.  The Executive Order directed the Department of Labor to issue regulations to implement the new Federal contractor minimum wage. The Department has announced that it will publish a Final Rule implementing the provisions of Executive Order 13658.

 

Executive Order 13658 applies to new contracts and replacements for expiring contracts with the Federal Government that result from solicitations issued on or after January 1, 2015 or to contracts that are awarded outside the solicitation process on or after January 1, 2015. 

 

For more information, please visit the Wage and Hour Division's Executive Order 13658 web page.

Five New HR Webinars for Members

gotowebinar reg

MLA, in conjunction with other LBM associations, is offering a series of five webinars to help you up your game in the HR arena. The first webinar is set for Thursday, November 13, at 1 p.m. CST, on "How to Conduct a Legal Interview." Click here to learn more.  




94% of Customers Who Say, "I'm just looking" ... aren't!
16th in Series by Bill Sharp

Sometimes it is difficult to get customers to tell you what they need or want (sometimes because they don't know). Other customers know exactly what they want and tell you quickly. Customers can be classified into three rather broad categories. Read more. 


Bill is the author of an extended series of articles that will appear in our newsletter. He has been an independent consultant, speaker and friend of our association since 1981 and the only trainer ever to have been simultaneously endorsed by NBMDA, NLBMDA and 12 state and regional LBM dealer associations in the U.S. and Canada. 



Other Articles of Interest

ENAP and PAL Sign Letter of Intent... Lumber and building material buying cooperatives PAL and ENAP, Inc. today announced they have signed a non-binding Letter of Intent to merge. The companies enjoy strong dealer support in the Midwest and East markets, respectively. Read more. Source: PAL Coop, Grand Rapids, Michigan, October 8, 2914

 

Congress to Push Internet Sales Tax after Mid-Term Elections... Lawmakers have set up a lame-duck showdown over a long-stalled issue: whether to give states more authority to tax Internet sales. Read more.

Source: The Hill, September 23, 2014

 

Stoners on the Job: Nearly 10% of Americans Went to Work High... A new report has found nearly 1 in 10 Americans are showing up to work high on marijuana. Mashable.com conducted the survey in partnership with SurveyMonkey, and found 9.7 percent of Americans fessed up to smoking cannabis before showing up to the office. Read more.

Source: Kate Rogers at CNBC.com Small Business, September 18, 2014 

Slideshow: Seven Signs Your Rockstar Employee is Eyeing the Door... Time and money have gone into hiring the perfect employee for your business, but you may be missing the clues that they are "looking for new opportunities." Mindflash notes, "Even if they're looking around, it's not a sure thing that they're ready to leave you just yet." Talking to your employee before the decision is made can give you a higher advantage of retention. See slideshow.
Source: Employee Benefit News, October 3, 2014  

October is Fire Prevention Month
Fire Prevention Week was established to remember the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and destroyed most of the city by the next day. Because the fire did most of its damage on October 9, Fire Prevention Week always occurs in the week of October 9th. Over the years, the commemoration has evolved into the longest-running public health and safety campaign in the country. Read more.

 

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

the last word
"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often."

- Winston Churchill