It’s a Pine-Scented March Issue of Building Products Digest

What’s one thing that is universally-recognized about Eastern White Pine?  How about it’s unique, unmistakable scent that typically triggers an abundance of positive, biophilic moments with individuals that encounter the smell.  This sensation is the rationale behind NELMA’s campaign to bring this scent to retailers as a reminder of what Eastern White Pine has to offer their customers.  What began in March of 2017 with the first “scratch & sniff” insert into Building Products Digest, continued with the March 2018 issue.  More than 14,000 packaged fresheners were inserted into the issue within a poly-bagged mailer that contained the magazine.  Printed on a high-resolution image of an Eastern White Pine Board, the 2-1/2” x 4” self-hanging freshener invites its users to “Smell the Difference Eastern White Pine Makes!”, with the reverse side listing how the species is “Grown for Modern Spaces”.  Inquiries from retailers and distributors on how to get more of the fresheners was almost instant.

And yet there’s more to the March issue that also features Eastern White Pine in a special 8-page section of editorial that further promotes the species. Articles on the use and success of NELMA’s online 1-hour continuing-education series with AEC Daily, a description of the new “Video Guide to the 5 Grades of Eastern White Pine”, an overview of the Pine-scent marketing campaign, and of course more of the “Skip & Wane” cartoon series are all part of the spotlight.  Click here to read the full set of articles!

“To be able to share NELMA’s unique marketing tools with the key customer group of retailers in such a broad-brush manner is exciting,” explained Jeff Easterling, NELMA President, “It’s certainly fun to see an idea born from the Association’s Marketing Committee come to life; one that should impact the recognition of Eastern White Pine in the marketplace.”

Something Extra from NELMA in the September Issue of Building Products Digest

Front of Poly-Bag
Front of Poly-Bag

Lumber retailer and wholesaler subscribers to the Building Products Digest (BPD) located east of the Mississippi River received something totally different in the mail this month.  Their September issue was delivered to them in a clear poly-bag for the first time ever that included the NELMA Map!  The Map is the “kitchen sink” publication that covers all aspects of both Eastern White Pine and SPFs in a colorful, 8-fold poster that also includes member mill locations and contact information.

And yes there’s more:  The September issue is also the annual Spotlight month for Eastern White Pine and NELMA.  This is the 13th year that the Digest has provided this opportunity for the Association to include editorial on NELMA’s marketing program & activities relevant to the recognition of the species.  This year’s 10-page special section covers a member mill’s use of the Grader Academy, a focus on the inserted “Map”, online tools available from NELMA, the Association’s Retailer Outreach Program start-up, Skip & Wane, and the Sustainable Versatility Design Award winners for 2016.

“This mega, attention-getting and economical combination format greatly extends NELMA’s marketing message to a huge segment of our retailer and wholesaler target audience in ways that a print advertisement could never do.” Explained Jeff Easterling, NELMA President.  “Subscribers cannot help but see the Map when they open the poly-bag, then curiosity will take over.”

Back of Poly-Bag
Back of Poly-Bag

NELMA would like to thank Patrick Adams, Publisher of BPD, for coming up with this unique approach and working with the Association’s design team to make it happen.  NELMA would also like to thank the members that placed an advertisement within the special section this year, which permitted the 10 pages of editorial.

To view/read the special section, follow this link.

Up Close: Eastern White Pine in BPD

Eastern White Pine and NELMA are prominently on display within the current issue of Building Products Digest2015 September Cover Since 2004, the magazine has provided the Association with a special section in September to highlight various programs and activities of interest to their readership.  The monthly Digest reaches approximately 16,000 dealers and distributors in 37 Midwest, Northeast and Southeast states, an area that mimics the marketing reach of the species.

This year’s edition, titled “Up Close: Eastern White Pine”, contains 10 full pages of editorial and member advertising.  Four areas of interest for this important targeted readership are featured this year, and include:

  • Honored Design – a recap of NELMA’s design and award program for student architects across the country and the 2015 winning design.
  • Grader Academy – introduces the newest learning module for Eastern White Pine, Series 300, in addition to the Academy’s one-year success story.
  • Introducing  the Adventures of Skip & Wane – a roll-out of this unique marketing tool and only forest products industry comic strip series.
  • 21st Century Marketing, Social Media – an emphasis on NELMA’s approach to using social media outlets to further the marketing message.  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn are featured.

To view the full special section beginning on page 38, go here to Building Product Digest’s online reader.

NELMA would like to thank the member advertisers that made this special feature possible for the 12th year in a row, in addition to a thank you to President & Publisher of the Digest, Patrick Adams, for providing this continued marketing opportunity for the Association.

Eastern Softwood Spotlight & NELMA Close-up

An added feature debuted in the March issue of Building Products Digest magazine, with the front-page headline spotlighting Eastern Softwoods. This special feature provided an opportunity for NELMA to zero in on the Association’s “other” half, namely Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF) lumber.  “We don’t often get a chance to fully discuss this important March 2015 SPF Article-webconstruction species grouping to the retailer/wholesaler audience,” stated Jeff Easterling, President of NELMA. “Confusion and 25 year-old misconceptions still exist with customer groups regarding lumber stamped SPF (produced from Canadian logs) and product stamped SPFs (produced from U.S. grown logs).”

The full page article goes into comparative information on the origins of the SPF nomenclature and how for most general “repetitive use” construction applications, lumber stamped with either designation provide adequate strength properties. Readers are also prompted to research more details on the SPFs-specific website developed by NELMA, www.sprucepinefir.com (under revision), including the LEED point advantage for buildings that use regionally-produced softwood lumber in construction. Good news for architects and builders from Maine to Pennsylvania!

The Digest’s Special Feature continues with another full page that details the ongoing additions within NELMA’s Grader Academy since its introduction to the masses in May of 2014.  The 100 Series Courseware for learning the grades of Spruce-Pine-Fir made its debut in March, available online 24/7/365 at www.graderacademy.org.   Meanwhile, the 300 Series Level for Eastern White Pine is also described as the latest, higher level to further the learning experience.

To view the NELMA Close-up articles in the March 2015 issue of Building Products Digest, follow this link and turn to pages 12-14.

Building Products Digest Publishes Eastern White Pine Special Issue

2014 Cover-web2014 marks the 11th consecutive year that Building Products Digest magazine has featured Eastern White Pine in their September issue.  What began as a 4-page news spread in 2004 has grown to a 12-page “Information-Central”, covering the latest from NELMA pertinent to the 16,000+ lumber retailers and distributors that receive the magazine. In addition, ten Association members took advantage of this unique marketing opportunity to advertise their Eastern White Pine product line to these potential customers located in the Eastern half of the U.S.

Articles provided by NELMA include details on the 2014 Sustainable Versatility Design Award, presented annually by the Association to the student architect with the winning project.  The newly-introduced “Wood Geeks” PR program was described, now online at www.easternwhitepine.org, along with NELMA’s new “Virtual Tour” online marketing tool that provides viewers with a 360 degree look at various ways to use Eastern White Pine in a home. The Association’s Grader Academy, with its ever-increasing educational content, was described within the special section, followed by an article highlighting the revamped www.nelma.org website and areas that may be of value to retailers and distributors as a reference information source.

NELMA would like to thank Building Products Digest for this annual opportunity along with the members of the Association that advertised within the September issue.

For a full read of the magazine and the Eastern White Pine Special Issue section, click here.

Eastern White Pine Showcased in September Building Products Digest

It all began 10 years ago with the 2004 issue of Building Products Digest (BPD)September13cover magazine. This was the debut of the annual “Eastern White Pine” special section within the publication, where NELMA and its lumber manufacturing and wholesaler members have an opportunity to entice the nearly 17,000 lumber and building material retail dealers readers that Eastern White Pine should be tops on their list.

From 4 pages of editorial and 4 advertisers from within the Association ranks in 2004, the spotlight section has more than doubled, with this year’s 10 pages of NELMA-provided editorial and 10 advertisers! Take a look here at the 2013 edition of this spotlight section.

Our informational and promotional inserts for the section begin with a note about shipment data from NELMA’s mills and their 6-year high through the first part of the year, followed by our early announcement and visual preview of “Above Board”, the interactive lumber grader training tool and affiliated game scheduled to go live later this year. This teaser was followed by a brief look at NELMA’s next White Pine Monograph that focuses on women in the Northeastern lumber industry and their key roles, both past and present. The revamp of www.easternwhitepine.org garners some words within this special section, in addition to a detailed release on the winner of NELMA’s 2013 Sustainable Versatility Design Award for collegiate architecture student, Benjamin Greer of Northeastern University.

“It is very exciting to see the development and evolution of this special Eastern White Pine section over the past 10 years. We want to thank Building Products Digest and its publisher, Alan Oakes, for giving us this broad platform to showcase the world of Eastern White Pine and the various and unique collateral support items the Association has available to assist lumber retailers and wholesalers in product sales.” NELMA would also like to thank this year’s member advertisers that also made this species spotlight possible; Durgin & Crowell Lumber Inc., Irving Forest Products, Hancock Lumber Co., Limington Lumber Co., Pleasant River Lumber Co., Robbins Lumber Co., Sandy Neck Traders, Seaboard International Forest Products LLC, and the Warren Trask Co.