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SAVE THE DATE!
March 23-25, 2015 - NLBMDA Spring Meeting & Legislative Conference - Washington, D.C.
April 30-May 1 - Missouri Swing-into-Spring and Show-Me Scramble June 12 - Kansas Sunflower Shoot-Out November 5-6 - MLA Fall Fling - Branson, Missouri
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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. 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. 14, No. 2, January 26, 2015
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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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Don't Fall for Yellow Group Scam
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  A member called this week inquiring about an invoice from American Yellow Group. It turned out this is part of an ongoing scam out of Bulgaria. The invoice will show a "pending invoice" from 9/2/13 for $496.95. Terms are "Payable Immediately" and say the invoice has been referred to Debt Collectors - General Credit Protection Inc./Credit Bureau Recovery. These are also scam companies.
Our online research showed that some people called the bogus collection agency and the "very nice people" who answered offered to reduce the debt and take their credit card number for payment of the lower balance. How thoughtful!
Because the familiar "walking fingers" symbol is not trademarked, scams of this type are rampant. Beware of this, and when in doubt, please call our hotline at 800-747-6529, and we'll check it out for you.
Thanks to Ryan Whitaker, Whitaker Building Materials, January 19, 2015
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MLA 401(k) Plan for Members -
It's Worth a Look!
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 Your MLA has offered a "group" MLA 401(k) plan for members for over a year. It is saving participating dealers on their fees and offering a great benefit to reward their loyal employees. Even though you would be part of a "multiple-employer plan," you can still tailor many of the details to suit your own needs and wishes.
If you haven't taken a serious look at this program, now would be a good time. Find out why smart dealers are making the move to the MLA program. Call the MLA Hotline at 800-747-6529, or click here to learn more.
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Sign Up for This Week's Webinar
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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 29, at
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NLBMDA Releases Policy Agenda
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The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) has released its national legislative and regulatory policy agenda for 2015. The document brings focus to the common interests of the industry and includes policy goals for continued growth in our nation's housing and building industry.
NLBMDA's 2015 National Policy Agenda will be distributed to members of Congress and key Administration officials and will be used by NLBMDA members when they visit their elected representatives during the NLBMDA Spring Meeting and Legislative Conference on March 23-25 in Washington, D.C.
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Other Articles of Interest
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U.S. Small Business Confidence at Eight-Year High... U.S. small business optimism jumped in December to its highest level in more than eight years, the latest sign of strength in the economy even as dark clouds settle over global growth. Read more.
Source: Reuters, January 13, 2015
ECi Acquires Spruce Computer Systems...ECi Software Solutions, a leader in industry-specific information technology solutions, today announced it has acquired Spruce Computer Systems Inc., an Albany, NY-based provider of software solutions for lumberyards, building materials suppliers and home centers. Read more.
Source: ECi Software Solutions, January 14, 2015
Good Signs for Housing in 2015...The National Association of Home Builders is forecasting 25 percent growth for single-family construction in 2015, which would represent single-family construction starts rising to a total of 804,000 for the year. Read more.
Source: U.S. News & World Report, January 14, 2015
ENAP and PAL Announce New Name... The lumber and building material buying cooperatives PAL and ENAP, Inc. today announced that pursuant to shareholder approval (scheduled February 19, 2015), the cooperative will be called LBM Advantage, Inc. Read more.
Source: ENAP/PAL, January 20, 2015
13 Takeaways from Ivy Zelman's Latest Market Forecast... At BMC, she says expect housing growth, easier credit, and troubles with first-timers. Read more.
Source: Craig Webb, ProSales Business Update, January 21, 2015
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Prevent Employee Fraud & Embezzlement
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According to recent national news reports, the average American currently carries about nine credit cards with a total balance approaching $10,000.
Consider this scenario. Unbeknownst to you, a bookkeeper you hired seven years ago has fallen behind on her credit card payments. She likes to visit casinos and is now spending more and more of her free time gambling. Her debt is building and she increasingly sees gambling as a way out of her financial situation. Following another run of "bad luck" this month, her monthly expenses far exceed her ability to make the payments.
So she turns to you-just not directly. Since she handles your payroll... Read more.
This article provided courtesy of Federated Mutual Insurance Company, your association's recommended insurer.
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"Rough diamonds may sometimes be mistaken for worthless pebbles."
- Thomas Browne, English Author
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