April 20, 20201

“Preserving the Past while Building the Future.”

Celebrating 136 Years of Service

A note from the Siewers Family…

Covid19 has certainly changed our world!  It appears that it has not peaked in Richmond and we are all hearing about more people that we know that have it or have had it.  We continue to keep all of our medical providers and those affected by this terrible virus in our thoughts and prayers. 

YES! We are open for business!  We have been deemed an “Essential Business” and are offering a Call-In / Curb Side Pick-up service as well as continuing our delivery service.  Construction may continue during the pandemic and we are here to provide you with materials that you need.  Although our showroom and warehouses are closed to the public we have been using any and all computer/cell phone devices to take pictures, face-time, reference websites, etc. to answer questions and solve our customer’s building needs! 

We have some upcoming events that most likely are going to be postponed.  We are not canceling any programs, just postponing them.  As this virus has appeared, we know that it will one day disappear and we can get back to business as usual.   We will be announcing dates for the following programs as soon as we are able.

In May or June, we will host our Founder’s Day/Deck Expo! We will have reps from Azek and FastenMaster on hand to answer all of your questions! In honor of our 136th Anniversary, we would like to treat you to a  barbecue lunch! 

Wednesday, May 20th NARI will be hosting Victoria Downing, president of The Remodelers Advantage. She will be presenting the seminar “How do you Compare? Performance Metrics of the High Performers”,  a seminar geared for remodelers. Victoria Downing has written several books as well as many articles for the remodeling industry

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and is recognized as one of the leading remodeling consultants in the country. Siewers will be hosting the 2-hour event here at our facility! 

Wednesday, May 27th – Therma Tru and OSI will be here for continuing education on both products.  The specific time of this event will be announced soon, but reserve the day!

Again, please know we are here to serve you during this difficult time.  Please keep in touch with us and let us know how we can help you and your business.  Enjoy this month’s newsletter.  This month we are focusing much of the content on “Safety”.  The newsletter begins with current information about Covid19 and the construction industry.  Please let us know if there is a future topic you would like us to cover – we always love to hear from our readers!   Stay safe and healthy!  

-The Siewers Family

Contractor News

VIRGINIA – Statewide stay-at-home order

How is “Construction” addressed in the order?The Governor's order does not address "construction," per se, nor does the state website or FAQs related to the order at this time, but news channels (see example) are widely reporting that construction businesses will not be affected by the order.

How are Building Material Suppliers addressed in the order?

The retail businesses that are exempt from the order listed on the state's website include

"home improvement, hardware, building material, and building supply retailers."

What we are hearing:

One Virginia home builder wrote JLC: “Our governor just announced a shelter in place

order but construction can continue. We had one client on a job we just started hit the

pause button and wants to wait to do anything else. Other than that we are hanging in

there with existing projects!”

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How To Plan For Jobsite Emergencies

1. Have pre-planned emergency plans by type

There are a couple of types of emergencies that might be worth having some pre-planning completed and in your company’s playbook. Consider just a few of the “types” that you might prepare for as presented below:

Employee accident Non-employee accident on Jobsite Utility accident (cut electrical line, break a gas pipe, etc.) Equipment/vehicle accident with/without injury Gun-toting or threatening individual Threatening weather change  (lightning, thundershowers, ice storm, tornado,

etc.)

While the list can certainly be endless it does pay to put in the effort to develop and document an Emergency Crisis Plan for your workers to embrace. Just having such plans available, and copies in each of the company trucks can prevent suddenly excitable leaders from directing the wrong things, adding to the stress felt by all involved.

2. Prioritize your emergency process steps

The very first priority in any emergency is certainly to seek the safest handling and leading of the people involved. Protecting your workers is critical, working to ensure that they are first safe and heading to a safer environment.

3. Identify the root cause of emergency

While our people’s safety is paramount to us, we must also be concerned with the root cause of the emergency. In some situations, the root cause is clear and present. If the cause is unknown you might be engaged in determining where the cause originated. If the problem were a utility cause, you should immediately contact the local authorities from the utility companies rather than try to fix the power lines that just went down.

4. Prepare safety precautions needed

This effort is to provide some additional precautions to prevent any further negative activity. For example, let’s replay the broken gas line. After evacuating workers from the immediate area and contacting the appropriate gas contacts, it might be wise to

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mark off a wide perimeter with orange tape to prevent others from innocently walking into the same dangerous area.

5. Account for all involved with emergency

Unfortunately, the size of some construction projects makes it difficult to just yell at one area and capture the attention and ensure the safe steps of everyone involved. This effort requires you to know who is working on your site and to take a quick inventory of those who have received the emergency alert and are acting appropriately. Workers who are not accounted for must be located. Certainly, our smartphones can be put to good use here.

6. Store emergency numbers and alerts on every smartphone

Speaking of smartphones, for every smartphone used by your workers be sure to provide a list of names and organizations that need to be contacted whenever an emergency erupts. This is a very doable effort on your part and can save time and lives in explosive situations.

7. Review and practice emergency plans several times a year

Because emergencies are not common (hopefully they’re not common) reaction to them will need to be rehearsed from time to time. Doing this can add some confidence and know-how to your workers so that they are better prepared when an emergency does occur…and it’s just a matter of time before that emergency will happen.

8. Assign emergency roles and responsibilities

If you have a crew working when an emergency happens, be sure that all crew members know just what to do and who will perform what tasks. While a job foreman will inherit a lot of responsibilities, every crew member needs to understand his or her role as well. It’s always a great idea to have a backup for every role, including for the foreman as he might be off the Jobsite when such an emergency takes place.

9. Prepare for Jobsite area conditions

This almost sounds like an admission here but it is wise to consider just where the jobs are located that your crews will be working. Depending on the geography, there might be some worksite areas that present more or less threatening situations. Your crews might be working near chemical plants, high-density retail areas and lower-income areas with a “tough reputation.” No matter where your workers will be, you can

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reassure your workers’ confidence by being honest and assertive in addressing their work environment.

10. Create an emergency public relations policy

This might sound like overkill for the smaller contractor, but the truth is that whenever an emergency happens, it’s amazing how many different viewpoints exist. You need to have a narrow vein of who communicates the “what, when and to whom” associated with a situation.

Should your emergency be on a very visible location, perhaps because of a lot of traffic, you can almost be sure that local reporters will be swooping down on the area in search of the scoop. You’ll be glad if you don’t allow your entire crew to be interviewed. Take this option away by clearly assigning only a few people to report what happened or at least what your company knows.

Hopefully, you will never be interrupted by a presidential “photo-op” emergency, but you still need to be prepared for emergencies that truly can be a threat to you and your workers. This is one of the most often overlooked policy efforts by many contractors. Take the initiative and create your emergency response plan now and sleep easier!

Five Must-Dos for Digital Success

1. Make the first impression with your website. Determine the purpose of your site. Meet visitor expectations. Use a simple and unique design. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly.

2. Monitor your online reputation. Set up a Google alert for your business so you know when new articles that mention your business are posted. Pay attention to your social channels and what users are saying about your business. Prepare a list of FAQs if you see similar inquiries or issues around your brand.

3. Master local search. Local search marketing consists of claiming and optimizing your business’s online listings so that you show up in relevant local searches.

4. Solicit reviews. Reviews matter. Eighty-six percent of people claim reviews affect their purchase decision. Customer reviews have become more trusted than descriptions from businesses. Make it easy. Provide a direct link on your website, social channels or incorporate a call to action in your emails for customers to leave a review.

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5. Define your social strategy. Leverage social media to build your email database, engage with prospects, network and share business updates. Make sure to use social media as a promotion channel to drive traffic to your website or physical location. Keep pages up to date and post regularly to stay active with followers.

Jobsites Most Universal Hazards: Personal Cellphones

The use of mobile phones for wireless streaming of music, podcasts or other entertainment is everywhere. Walk down any street in the country and you’ll often see more people wearing headphones than those that aren’t. Some of these listening devices even come equipped with sound-canceling features that completely block off noises from the outside world.

The growing use of headphones, especially among young Americans, has left some construction companies scrambling to formulate policies for their use on the Jobsite. 

At orientations and safety meetings on Miller & Long Concrete Construction Jobsites in the Washington, D.C. area, managers let employees know that earpods and headphones are not acceptable, said Frank Trujillo, vice president of the Bethesda, Maryland-based contracting company.

It's a never-ending battle, he said, because the use of listening devices is so prevalent that sometimes workers don’t even realize they have them in their ears when they enter the site.

“People are just used to it so that headphones and earpods are like a part of their body, so it's nothing for someone to come in off the Metro or from the parking area wearing them and walk onto the job, clock in, put on their protective gear and continue to work with them in their ears."

While there is no specific federal regulation that prohibits the use of headphones on a construction site, OSHA issued a letter of interpretation in September providing clarification on the matter. It said that headphone entertainment on a construction site is permissible at managerial discretion “unless such use creates or augments other hazards apart from the noise."

These hazards occur when the music masks environmental sounds that need to be heard, "especially on active construction sites where attention to moving equipment, heavy machinery, vehicle traffic, and safety warning signals may be compromised,” the agency said.

Despite the lack of formal OSHA regulation, no cellphone use of any kind should be allowed on active construction sites, Associated Builders and Contractors Vice President of Workforce Development Safety Health and Environmental Greg Sizemore told

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Construction Dive. Listening to music via personal headphones puts the employee and other workers in danger. 

“That employee over there jamming to Mötley Crüe can’t hear his coworker shouting to him for help,” Sizemore said. “It’s just not wise to allow something like this into an environment where it can create the condition for you or someone else to be injured.”

He urges his members to train their employees on the appropriate use of technology in and around the Jobsite. Workers might argue that they use music to help drown out extra loud construction noises, but an OSHA spokesperson said that it is a bad idea. The goal for construction-site ear protection is to minimize sound, not to eliminate it. 

OSHA standards require employers to protect employees’ ears over certain sound levels with ear protective devices, which does not include personal headphones or earbuds, according to an agency spokesperson.

“A portable music player is not a substitute for hearing protection,” the agency said in its recent letter.

Additionally, the agency noted, some manufacturers may claim that their products are “OSHA approved” or “100% OSHA compliant.” OSHA does not register, certify, approve, or otherwise endorse commercial or private sector entities, products, or services. Therefore, any such claims by a manufacturer are misleading, the spokesperson said.

The need to remind workers to unplug from their phones “is a daily effort,” Trujillo said and extends far beyond just listening to music.  He often has situations where employees tell him they are waiting for a call from a sick relative or daycare provider and “there’s an expectation that you should be able to address those concerns in real-time,” he said.

While the company has not had an accident stemming from cellphone use, Trujillo said there have been situations where employees were observed being exposed to hazards unnecessarily because they were distracted.

“I’ve seen people on their phone, standing there flipping through it, scrolling, while a load flies overhead,” he said. “Or standing in an area where they shouldn’t be standing just to get away and take a call.”

Although supervisors provide reminders, managers have never confiscated an employee's headphones or phone, Trujillo said, adding that trying to figure out all the management of cellphone use “a minefield."

“It’s not out of the realm of possibilities for employees and even supervisors to walk around on the Jobsite and be on Facebook or by texting or looking at the news,” he said. “There’s just so many ways to distract yourself and the question is how do you manage that?”

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The use of phones for photography also raises a red flag for Trujillo. His company has many clients like the U.S. Navy that require that no photos be taken on the Jobsite.

Cellphones have been used to document sensitive incidents or accidents by would-be whistleblowers or disgruntled employees. In a recent case, Trujillo said workers on his site received video footage of a fatal injury on a nearby project, even before the victim’s family was informed.

“This deceased person had their image all over the internet,” he said. “It was a terrible situation for the GC on that project, I had to call them and tell them what was going on as they weren’t even aware of it.”

He said if an employee is concerned about safety on the Jobsite there are better ways to get the word out. 

“To me, there’s plenty of mechanisms out there for an employee to report a concern to the authorities in the event they recognize something unsafe,” he said. For this reason, Miller & Long managers preface any talk about video recording on the Jobsite with information about the company’s reporting system.

Miller & Long safety leaders are still developing a formal policy but for now, managers tell employees that if they need to check their phones or take a call they must exit the Jobsite, clock out and "come back when they're ready to work," Trujillo said.

“If you’re in construction you need to pay attention to what you’re doing," he said.

NARINational Association of the Remodeling Industry

NARI Lunch and LearnMay 20, 2020 - 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

How Do You Compare? Performance Metrics of the High PerformersBy Victoria Downing – President, Remodelers Advantage

Hosted By: Siewers Lumber & Millwork, 1901 Ellen Road

More Information & Registration: www.naricentralva.org

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FROM THE SIEWERS CABINET DEPARTMENT

LUNCH & LEARN - Our Lunch & Learn events will continue when given the all-clear to reopen our showroom. Please stay tuned for dates and other details. We do post updates on the Siewers Lumber & Millwork Facebook page, so please follow us there!

We are hoping to reschedule the event focused on Outdoor Living. Other possible themes include: Under cabinet lighting, The cabinet design and ordering process, Installation tips, and more. If you have suggestions on cabinet related topics you would like for us to cover, please share with us and we will do all we can to make it happen. Contact Jamie Naab at 804-358-2103 or email to jamien@siewers.com.

NEWS

We would like to introduce the 3 remaining Custom colors from our Wall of Paint featuring our own Siewers Cabinetry line.

SMITTY GRAY - In Memory of Mark Smith – Loved the outdoors and all that nature had to provide

MONUMENT – Dedicated to historic Monument Avenue

SCOTTS ADDITION – Historic district since 1948. Close to Siewers current location

Have a great day and see you soon.

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April 20, 202010

Kellene Gordon kelleneg@siewers.com and Jamie Naab jamien@siewers.com

Feel Lucky!

Be sure and bring your business card next timeYou visit Siewers. Just drop it into the glass fishbowl on the counter to enter a monthly drawing.

Good Luck!!!

Congratulations to Frank Sanchez our April Winner!

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Sale Items This Month

* Free Pallets (Firewood, Tables, Partitions, Fence, etc) Up to 18’ long* Discounted bundles of culled lumber (gardens, farms, temporary projects, etc.)

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Remember Mother’s Day May 10 th By 1911 all the states observed the holiday. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation that the second Sunday of May, be the official Mother’s Day.

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April 20, 202011

Economy Snap Shot……….

Consumer Total HousingConfidence Starts/Seasonally

Unemployment (Indexed to value Adjusted AnnualRate – Entire U.S. of 100 in 1985) Rate

Mar. 2020 4.4% 120.0 1,216,000Prior Month –Feb. 2020 3.5% 130.7 1,564,000Prior Year – Mar. 2019 3.8% 124.2 1,199,000

Gallon ($) Existing Home National Avg. Of Gas Sales Mortgage Rate

Mar. 31, 2020 $1.96 N/A 3.45Prior Month – Feb. 2020 $2.47 5,770,000 3.47Prior Year – Mar. 2019 $2.69 5,210.000 4.27

Market Summary

April 17, 2020 1/01/20 3/31/19

DOW 24,242 28,538 25,928

NASDAQ 8,650 8,972 7,729

S&P 500 2,874 3,230 2,834

Market Minute / Mar. 2020Central Virginia / Richmond

New Listings 2,710 Average Sales Price $260,000

Units Sold 1,747 Days on Market 40

Sold vs. List Price 99.6% Months of Supply 2.1

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Company Mission

To serve the needs of contractors and remodelers.

“Preserving the Past while Building the Future.”

Siewers Lumber & Millwork1901 Ellen Road

Richmond, VA 23230Phone: (804) 358-2103 Fax: (804) 359-6986

Hours:Monday – Friday

7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Visit our website for product and general information atwww.siewers.com

&also on Facebook and Twitter at Siewers Lumber & Millwork

Share with others. . . . . . . If you know someone that would like to receive our “Siewers Newsletter”, have them email me at laurenf@siewers.com and we will add them to our distribution list.

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April 20, 202013

….Next issue May 20th

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