| Dynamic Delivery is Part of the Price
Don’t blame the messenger—I just delivered it” are words that most of us dread. But at Siewers, the delivery team drivers and helpers are key players to ensuring that products arrive on time and in good shape. When drivers return from their last trip of the day, they still have work to do. The order— whether it con-tains sheet goods, mouldings, doors, windows, or other items—is pulled from stock and often loaded on one of Siewers’ seven vehicles so the drivers can leave promptly the next business day. Lee Meacham is the man with the plan. With a pencil stuck behind his ear, Lee coordinates all deliveries and puts together the job tickets that make up a “run,” where orders are prioritized by geography and in the order received. Underneath the tickets is a map which Lee has included for his drivers. “Not having good directions or not being familiar with a job site is tough,” said Lee, who often has to follow up with both customers and drivers via phone. Since he talks to his 4 drivers more than 25 times a day, and sometimes has to “climb a truck” himself, he knows how difficult it can be to “turn right about a half mile after the row of 8 mailboxes.” All of Siewers’ drivers have commer-cial drivers’ licenses (CDLs) so that they can drive any truck—from flatbed to a 22' panel van—in the fleet. Johnny Herring, Jr., who has been driving for Siewers for 14 years, says that “the right helper makes all the difference.” He often works with Derricott White, who (with 29 years of experience) is known as the “baby bull” because of his ability to lift almost any-thing— including heavy doors and col-umns— with ease. The job of loading and unloading the stock at muddy or wet job sites is espe-cially demanding. “We hate to tell a customer ‘no,’ but sometimes we have to because of insurance regulations,” said Brian Burns. “If we get our truck stuck then we couldn't keep up with the jobs,” he added, so drivers often make decisions about where to unload based on their experience and information from the customer. “We once had to make 7 trips to unload 15 pieces of sheetrock,” said Johnny Herring, Jr., who ended up parking half a block away on that delivery. So what’s the most important thing on the truck? The mobile phones, the plastic sheeting, the mirrors? The teams agree on one thing—their helpers. “We help each other,” says Joe Grove, who has ridden with Brian Burns for 4 years. “I trust him,” says Derricott about Johnny Herring, Jr. “He’s a good driver—very careful,” added Shorty Claiborne, who usually rides with Don Allison. And the newest member of the team, Tracy Henry, says “We have a lot of pride in what we do.” Next time you see a truck bearing the Siewers logo, think about the more than 100,000 miles those guys are logging each year—through the humidity, torrential rain, and bright sunshine—to safely and quickly deliver some of Richmond’s finest lumber and millwork to your door.
What’s New: Trim Talk Ornamental embossed trims are hotter than ever. Used for book-shelves,mantels, crown mouldings, casings, and chair rail, to name just a few uses, choices range from hand-carved to laser-cut composite products. “The depth of detail is unbelievable from the plaster of paris material,” said Michael Siewers, who also noted that the “strength of these trims comes from the attached wood member.” In addition to these interior mouldings, Siewers now carries several new PVC products which are ideal for exterior use. The popularity of PVC mould-ings and boards are growing as the manufacturers continue to produce more products. Furniture grade base-board, casing, crown, and chair rail is another area that’s experiencing rapid growth. Customers who want to coordi-nate their trim with their kitchen cabinets, for example, can find plenty of products in red oak, walnut, cherry, and maple. At www.siewers.com, click on the “our suppliers” button to learn more about what’s available in the ornamental trim lines. If you don’t see it on the showroom floor, ask us—we can order most anything for you!
Remodelers Unite for Higher Profits Although the housing industry has seen a recent slowdown, lower interest rates and the big stock of older homes should continue to fuel the remodeling industry. Remodeling projects, which are often financed through homeowner savings or investments, account for more than half of the total spending on housing. A small segment of the overall home building industry, most remodeling firms have only one or two employees on the payroll. They are running a business without the benefit of learning from other people's mistakes, and often do not consider the appropriate factors for overhead and other expenses. In Richmond, a local chapter of the National Association of Remodelers (NARI) has been formed in the last year. It includes craftsmen from the trades and business owners, and the primary purpose of the group is to improve the networking and information flow about the field in the Richmond area. For more information, contact Stuart Petke, membership chair of Central Virginia NARI, at petkeconstr@erols.com. On The Counter
Have questions about windows? Ask for our experts, because Siewers has several salesmen with loss of window and door experience. We’re also one of the largest dealers on the East Coast in Marvin windows, and we have access to many other brands, too. If you’re looking for quality or maybe something a bit different, you’re at the right place. Freddy Siewers is celebrating his 50th year of service in 2002—be sure to ask him about all of his different jobs over the years the next time you see him! In November, Richie Siewers and Michael Siewers were both recog-nized for their civic and professional achievements by being named to Richmond’s “Top 40 Under 40” by Inside Business. Congratulations, Richie and Michael! Tired of headaches and complaints about porch flooring? Siewers has an answer that’s coming soon…Tendura! This tongue and groove compos-ite product can span 16" on-center, offers minimal expansion and contraction, and is already primed and ready to receive a finish coat of paint. Tendura measures 7/8" x 3 1/8" and is available in 8', 10', and 12' lengths. When you’re facing porch repairs this spring and summer, ask us about Tendura. Custom orders are critical in construction, and Siewers specializes in custom orders. Let us know what you’re looking for and we’ll work with you (or your customer) to make the process easier. Selecting your own stock is simple at Siewers. We’ll pull the lengths for you or you can choose it by hand…just another difference based on customer service. If the material won’t fit in your vehicle, we can either trim it for you or deliver it promptly to your home or job site.
Decade of Service Employee anniversaries this quarter (10 or more years at Siewers):
Thank you for your hard work! The Way It Used to Be People of my generation recognized the sacrifices of their neighbors—we knew that if our troops didn’t stop Germany or Japan, they would take over the world. We felt like we were doing what we should be doing. Everyone had a vegetable garden and cooked meals at home. The best food went to feed the soldiers who were fighting in WWII, and we never ate steak because it wasn’t available. People didn't have much time for social activities because they were busy with work. Washers and dryers, for example, have helped people have more leisure time. One of the fun activities was taking a rail car from Richmond to the beach for a weekend, or putting cots on the porch and having about 20 people spend the night with your family. —printed courtesy of Johnny Siewers, Jr., and his recall of growing up in the 1940's and 1950's |
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