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Wisconsin Retail Lumber Association (WRLA) is pleased to endorse Federated Mutual Insurance Company of Owatonna, Minnesota, as our exclusive carrier for your property/casualty and workers compensation needs, as well as financial protection services, including life & disability insurance, business continuation and estate planning. Federated is rated A+ by AM Best Company and is currently endorsed by more than 400 trade and professional associations such as ours.

Federated Insurance provides the following products:

wProperty, Casualty and Workers Compensation: Federated’s excellent coverage and commitment to risk management support are a powerful combination.

wFinancial Protection Services: Federated’s diverse strategies to help with business continuation and estate planning will provide your business needed solutions. They also provide qualified retirement plans, including 401(k)’s.

The most significant factor for our endorsing Federated Insurance is the excellent service and quality of coverage backed by a record of financial strength and commitment to association programs. They have excellent claims and risk management services, a large, professional sales staff and quality coverage backed by competitive pricing.

Your local Federated Marketing Representative will be in touch with you in the near future to discuss these programs. For more information, contact the WRLA office at 800-236-3534 or Federated’s home office in Owatonna, MN at 800-533-0472.!

Wisconsin Adds a Future Lumber Leaders Group By David L Rosenmeier

The Wisconsin Retail Lumber Association is in the planning stages of reviving the former WRLA Young Lumber Associates group by forming the new Northwestern Lumber Association Future Lumber Leaders Wisconsin Chapter.

The first meeting will be held, Thursday November 11, 2010 from 9:00 am to 4:00pm at the Holiday Inn, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. This meeting will include speakers, round table discussion and lunch.

Future meetings will be a mix of education, entertainment, networking, fun and making friends among the people who will lead the lumber industry for years to come.

The organization encourages men and women in both the retailer and supplier side of the field who want to further their careers and learn more about the industry and strengthening one’s knowledge. It encourages business growth by connecting with others to share ideas and gain support for dealing with the challenges that will face the next generation of leaders.

For a registration form or to receive more information on the upcoming meeting, call the WRLA Office at 800-236-3534.!

OSHA Releases Final Rule on Cranes and Derricks with NLBMDA Changes- Source: NLBMDA E-Update Aug 9, 2010

Freddie Mac, one of the nation’s largest backers of residential mortgages, has announced a new policy to help homeowners with toxic drywall get relief on their mortgage payments in order to help with the drywall remediation costs.

According to the announcement, Freddie Mac has instructed its “servicers” - banks and financial institutions—to suspend a borrower’s mortgage payments for up to three months or reduce payments up to six months. Servicers may recommend payment suspension for up to 12 months based on the borrower’s individual circumstances.

Each mortgage payment schedule adjustment is to be done on a case-by-case basis, at the bank’s discretion. Borrowers cannot be charged late fees as long as they abide by the payment relief agreement.!

Exhibit Space for 2011 WRLA Convention

The WRLA would like to offer you the opportunity to be part of the convention that promotes networking, education, and product knowledge.

The 121st Annual WRLA Convention Showcase will be Thursday, February 10, 2011 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

New for 2011:

§ a limited number of 8x10 exhibit booths for larger displays

§ extended show hours

§ additional morning seminars

§ No limit to number of workers per exhibit space

Information can be found at the WRLA website http://www.wrlamsi.com/convenpage.htm. Exhibit Space will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. For more information, contact the WRLA office at (800) 236-3534 or e-mail: wrla@wrlamsi.com!

Lead Training

You and your customers want to be able to keep bidding on all projects including those in pre-1978 housing and child occupied facilities. As you know the EPA has delayed enforcement of the Lead RRP regulations if remodelers, renovators and painters are enrolled in a training course by September 30, 2010.

WRLA members and their customers can take advantage of the opportunity offered by the Northwestern Lumber Association in conjunction with the ComplyAbility, to become EPA Lead RRP certified using the LeadSafeOnline system.

A Lead-Safe Training flyer is included with this newsletter. For more information contact either the WRLA office at 800-236-3534 or Suzanne at the NLA office at 800-469-8744.

Remember you must be registered for training by September 30, 2010.!

Safety & Risk Management - Concentrate on Safety Source: Federated Insurance

You know that running a successful business requires focus and concentration. One lapse in concentration—and a resulting bad business decision—can affect the profitability of your operation for years to come.

It is much the same for your employees who become distracted while driving company vehicles. One lapse in concentration while behind the wheel can lead to a serious accident, which can significantly disrupt or even threaten the existence of your business.

Sure, you buy insurance coverage to protect our business in case accidents like these happen. However, insurance can’t make up for the many hidden costs that result from accidents, which can add up to a potentially significant financial burden on your business.

Consider these costs:

§ Loss of productivity

§ Decreased quality of products and services

§ Hiring and training costs of replacement employees

§ Reduced employee morale

§ Loss of customers and goodwill

§ Increased insurance premiums

As a business owner, you are in the unique position to influence the habits and behaviors of drivers of company vehicles. Visit with your employees to increase their awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. Hold periodic safety meetings to instill and reinforce behaviors that can prevent accidents. Let your employees know that it is just as important for them to concentrate on their driving as it is for you to concentrate on running your business.

Federated Insurance is endorsed by WRLA for property & casualty needs and financial protection services. For more information, contact WRLA at 800-326-3534.!

Before the Exit Interview Source: JJ Keller

You conduct exit interviews. Over the years, you have come to understand some of the main reasons why employees leave your organization. As a result, you’ve counseled managers, offered more competitive pay, and allowed flexible schedules in an effort to keep employees from leaving. But there’s one major problem: while you know some of the reasons that your employees typically leave, you know very little about what makes your employees stay.

Interviews on the way out may not be enough

Exit interviews can be valuable, but by the time employees are on their way out the door, they may have little or no interest in helping you figure out how to improve your organization. Even if they do provide good information, it’s probably too late to make the kinds of changes that could convince individuals to stay.

Retention interviews (sometimes called stay interviews) are conducted while employees are still solidly with your organization, and they focus on what’s going right with individual’s jobs, rather than what’s going wrong. Some questions that might be part of a retention interview include:

§ What do you like about your work?

§ What types of things could we do to help you decide to stay with us?

§ What would you change about your job?

§ Do you feel that you are provided enough challenges and opportunities in your current role?

§ What would make your job more satisfying?

Some employers hold retention interviews concurrently with performance appraisals, while others conduct them separately. You may also choose to hold such interviews only with your top performers, since those are the employees you most want to retain. However, learning what makes low performers stay with your organization can be just as valuable.

How to get the fest feedback—For employees, a retention interview often gives a welcome opportunity to be heard, so it’s important to make sure you ask open-ended questions and really listen to the answers that are given. Remember that your purpose is to gather information that you can use to keep employees happy. While you may not be able to give employees everything they want, most employees will be flattered that you’re interested in making sure they stay with your organization and happy about any genuine efforts you make to improve their job satisfaction.

Don’t quit exit interviews—Exit interviews are not a bad idea, and by continuing to conduct them in conjunction with retention interviews, you can get feedback from two different perspectives. However, by conducting retention interviews and focusing on what employees enjoy about their jobs, you may be able to make the kinds of adjustments that will ultimately reduce the number of exit interviews you have to conduct.!

Thank you from WRLA Scholarship Winner

Dear Mr. Rosenmeier,

I would like to express my gratitude to the Wisconsin Retail Lumber Association for granting me the 2010 Scholarship Award. This award will certainly help offset the cost of schooling for me and I appreciate you choosing me as the recipient. I am very excited to be attending the University of Wisconsin-River Falls this fall as I feel it is the “right fit” for me.

Thank you again for your generosity.

Sincerely,

Charise Thideman

Names in the News

Marling Lumber announced they will expand its Humes Road location to include a lumberyard. Marling HomeWorks showroom will open in October and plans to add new employees. The lumberyard will make the location a one-stop destination for builders.

For Sale - Lumber Yard—All buildings and real estate

(11 city lots in downtown Wisconsin Dells)

Price $750,000.

Call the WRLA office if you would like more information.

Send Us Your News!

The information contained in this newsletter is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, legal advice. Don’t apply or interpret the law without the aid of a trained expert who knows the facts. Your particular situation may change the application of the law.

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