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Associate Members
Associate members are an important part of the MLA mission. Do business with these members that support your Association!
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 Software Do it Best Corporation East Side Lumberyard Supply
Epicor Software
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 Max USA
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.
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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.
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Vol. 13, No. 26, December 29, 2014
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Here's Your Mobile-Ready Newsletter!
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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.
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Happy New Year!
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 The entire staff of your Mid-America Lumbermens Association wishes you a Happy New Year! We're taking a few extra days to enjoy the holidays with our family and friends, and we hope you can do the same.
The office is currently closed, and we'll be back to regular hours on January 2, 2015.
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Winter Meetings Open to All Members
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Missouri - Join other Missouri lumber dealers in Columbia on January 9 for a brief but informative meeting. Updates provided on Missouri legislation and forecast for 2015, new Federated program, and MLA programs. See more information and registration form here.
Kansas - The annual Winter Meeting is set for January 22-23 in Junction City. This is always a great time with fellow dealers and Associate members.
Arkansas - MLA Past President Alan Clark, Arkansas State Senator, 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. Date to be set soon and 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 2015 winter meeting!
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How to Conduct an Effective Performance Evaluation
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 MLA, in conjunction with other LBM associations, is offering a series of webinars to help you up your game in the HR arena. The next webinar is set for January 15, at
1 p.m. CST, on "How to Conduct an Effective Performance Evaluation." There's still time to register! Click here to learn more. Or, click this link to register. |
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Making Delegation Work
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22nd in Series by Bill SharpYou may be emotionally able to turn over some responsibility or a piece of the responsibility with limitations. For example, you may be willing to delegate if the subordinate has a line of authority that limits losses to $100 if all does not go well. You may not be willing to delegate if the potential loss would be $200. 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.
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Other Articles of Interest
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New Standard Mileage Rates for 2015... The Internal Revenue Service has issued the 2015 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. Beginning on January 1, 2015, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car, van pickup or panel truck will be:
- 57.5 cents per mile for business miles driven, up from 56 cents in 2014.
- 23 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, down half a cent from 2014.
- 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations.
Source: Internal Revenue Service, December 10, 2014
ProBuild to Sell Company... The owner of ProBuild, the nation's largest full-service lumberyard, is taking formal steps to sell the company, numerous sources have told ProSales. Read more.
Source: ProSales Business Update, December 15, 2014
NLRB Issues Final Ambush Election Rule...On Friday, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a final rule authorizing "ambush elections," which would shorten significantly the time frame for a union organization election to take place. This is the NLRB's second attempt to change the rules for organization elections, which in February announced the proposed rule. Read more.
Source: NLBMDA E-Update, December 15, 2014
Ten Issues That May be Keeping You Up at Night... As we close out the year we thought we'd share observations from conversations we've had with manufacturers and distributors recently. These 10 issues are what is keeping them up at night. While we don't want you to think about them during your holidays, we think they are worthy of discussion in 2015. Read more.
Source: Electrical Trends, December 18, 2014
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Annual "Check-Ups" for Your Business
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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?
This article provided courtesy of Federated Mutual Insurance Company, your association's recommended insurer.
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"If you aren't making a difference in other people's lives, you shouldn't be in business - it's that simple. Companies have a responsibility to make a difference in the world: They owe this to their community, their staff, their customers, everyone. The amazing part is that doing good is also good for business - what are you waiting for?"
- Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group
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