Just when we finally see signs of relief after the longest and deepest recession of our careers, just when we should be breathing a little easier because of the positive indicators, what do we do? We start on a whole new worry path!

An improving market has people speculating that..Read More

February 8, 2013

7:30AM – 2:30 PM at the Shepley Showcase.

Earn continuing education credits toward the renewal of you Construction Supervisors License. Click here for details.

On January 24, 2013, from 9:00AM – 5:00PM, Architects can earn 7 continuing education credits. click here for details!

Cape Cod Healthcare Blood Drive

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

9:30 AM -3:30 PM

Shepley Showcase

75 Ben Franklin Way

Hyannis MA

Walk-ins Welcome! 

To call for an appointment,contact Leah at Shepley 508-862-6261 or lkosnack@shepleywood.com

As you drive around Cape Cod, admiring all the beautiful homes, have you noticed awful looking black stains on some of the roofs – even on fairly new houses? Welcome to the Cape…and black algae! Because we are surrounded by water and have high moisture levels, black algae loves..Read More

Anxieties of the “Fiscal Cliff” didn’t stop the homebuilding rush that started late in fourth quarter 2012 and carried right on into the New Year. The sudden increase in lumber sales triggered reactive buying amongst dealers and raised concerns about being able to fill inventory holes before the mills..Read More

We’ve outdone ourselves in 2012 conjuring up dire threats that have created a climate of fear. In some perverse way, we must enjoy this, because we continue sounding alarms with increased panic.

Fortunately, you just survived the end of the world!  The Mayan Calendar scare was supposed to happen on..Read More

Are you considering LEED Certification on your next building project? Or just wondering what the heck LEED stands for? The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design designation is managed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). This certification program requires the applicant follow a comprehensive checklist, from the..Read More

“Green” is a term we hear more and more, but what does it mean to the homebuilding industry? Read more here…

The LRU offers an economic alternative for htose applications requiring a sloped hanger for rafter-to-ridge connections.

Read the details here.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives.  It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”

Charles Darwin

“There is no education like adversity.”

Benjamin Disraeli

“The most dangerous strategy is to jump a chasm in two leaps.”

Bejamin Disraeli

“To his dog, every man is Napoleon, hence the constant popularity of dogs.”

Aldous Huxley

“What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.”

Abraham Lincoln

“The best index to a person’s character is: one, how he treats people who can’t do him any good and two, how he treats people who can’t fight back.”

Abigail VanBuren

“It’s not about how you feel, but how you act on how you feel.”

Tom Dennison, Shepley General Manager

“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.”

Nido Quebin

By Rob Taylor, Shepley Interior Trim Salesman

Supa Doors, Inc. has been manufacturing environmentally kind” stile and rail MDF doors for over 20 years in the USA. All doors are hand checked before they are shipped, ensuring product reliability. With two decades, and over a million doors of experience, Supa..Read More

Similar to what we experienced in 2011, lumber sales in 2012 came alive fairly late in the fall season resulting in a rush of sales that, at times, was difficult for some to manage. Business was quiet through September and into late October, and dealers intentionally kept their inventories..Read More

What produces electrical power without making a sound, with no moving parts, and with no impact on our environment except positive benefit? Solar panels!

With all the hot air being blown around about the pros and cons of wind turbines, photo voltaic solar arrays are quietly generating power. Solar panels..Read More

Construction Supervisors License Continuing Education Requirements:
For license renewals July 1, 2013 and after, you WILL need to provide proof of continuing education (credit hours) at the time of renewal in order to be granted a renewed license.
Note that taking any courses now will “count” toward the first time you..Read More

Nothing beats the classic look of stained Eastern White Cedar Shingles.  The durability of cedar siding has been proven for over a century. That’s why it’s so well suited for the environments of Cape Cod and the Islands. Left unfinished, cedar..Read More

Heroes’

Boy, did I unleash a firestorm of response to the article I recently wrote about customers wanting “More, more, more”. People have gone out of their way to tell me stories of how customers have put them through the wringer to quote a job six ways to Sunday, only..Read More

In what appears to be a repeat of Fall 2011, overall lumber sales in the New England region have been relatively quiet over the past two months. From a historical perspective, Spring and Fall have always been the “building” seasons (especially for Cape Cod) and suppliers try to plan..Read More

(Article courtesy of CapeCodToday.com October 4, 2012)Last month, the Hyannis Elks Club presented their “Citizen of the Year” award to Tony Shepley of Shepley Wood Products.

The award is given out annually to one person in Hyannis/Barnstable who demonstrates..Read More

In the 2012 Summer issue of Bay State Builder, Tony Shepley provides some of his insight in the article “Lessons for the Legends” by Melissa Wood. Click here to read the article…

When Is A Shortcut The Long Way Around?

I recently listened to a talk on diversity which offered insight on how stereotypes, pre-conceived beliefs and our impressions drive our behavior. It got me thinking about how we react to the world around us.

A lot of our behavior is likely based..Read More

Although September sales weren’t particularly strong for most New England dealers, the tepid demand didn’t have much of an effect on pricing. Unlike historical patterns, pricing remained relatively firm with the exception being panels (especially OSB) which, in some cases, gained in double digits. A certain prescient attitude has..Read More

MORE, MORE, MORE…

I listened to someone recently complaining about his customers. He told me that everyone is hard to satisfy and that all his customers seem to constantly want more. More attention, more response, more discounts, more hand holding and more innovation.

I found this interesting. I told him I..Read More

Unexpectedly strong demand has been reported by our building material suppliers as everything from pressure treated to roofing experienced an upsurge in sales in recent weeks. Lumber mills in particular, after being closed for several weeks for their annual shut-downs, re-opened to encounter full order files and busy phone..Read More

The summer months on Cape Cod generally lend to a lull in lumber sales as construction is typically limited in vacation communities, but this summer was off to relatively strong start as compared to recent years. The same can be said by New England dealers in general, as fill-in..Read More

IMAGINE IF AIRLINES SOLD LUMBER

I recently received an e-mail from a cousin of mine. He asked me to imagine what it would be like to buy lumber the way we buy airline tickets. He said the typical transaction might sound like this:

Customer: How much for a 2×10-14’ KD SPF?

Clerk:      ..Read More

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

If you ask a table full of businesspeople “How’s business been so far this year?” chances are 9 out of 10 will tell you that business is better this year than last.  We are emerging from the deepest recession of our lifetime, and it has..Read More

CONTRACTS – DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THEM!

Money will never make you happy, but no money is guaranteed to make you unhappy. The quickest way to lose money in business is to leave business details open ended and not pin them down in a legal document. Spelling out expectations clearly..Read More

DO UNTO OTHERS

I’ve always tried to follow a five word business philosophy, “Use common sense, no surprises”. Sounds simple doesn’t it? You know from running your own business that things look more complicated the deeper you get. The most important thing we must all remember is that it’s up..Read More

CHANGE

It certainly seems like we can’t resist a diet of stress, intrigue and suspense. Much like that Bavarian Crème donut just won’t stop beckoning when the only thing you came in for was a cup of coffee; we somehow get attracted to a lot of things that really aren’t..Read More

TURN DOOM AND GLOOM IN TO BOOM!

I realized, while sitting down to write this, that at least phonetically there isn’t a lot of difference between doom, gloom and boom. I think a lot of the difference is state of mind.

We have been wringing the last drop out of terrorism,..Read More

It certainly seems like we can’t resist a diet of stress, intrigue and suspense. Much like that Bavarian Crème donut just won’t stop beckoning when the only thing you came in for was a cup of coffee; we somehow get attracted to a lot of things that really aren’t..Read More

Lumber pricing is remaining firm as demand has been strong but production has been somewhat lacking due to lumber mills’ inability to keep up with order files. New England had a robust spring which left many dealers short on wood. Mixed tally demands stripped what was available in reloads..Read More

I’ve always tried to follow a five word business philosophy, “Use common sense, no surprises”. Sounds simple doesn’t it? You know from running your own business that things look more complicated the deeper you get. The most important thing we must all remember is that it’s up to us..Read More

Lumber sales were strong in May and they continue to hold steady as we roll into June. However, supply issues have worsened and created numerous headaches for dealers, traders and mills alike. Several unforeseen circumstances have tied into the lack of production, further pushing pricing up and instigating a..Read More

The lumber market remains in a state of balance as moderate sales are meeting an ample supply. Dealers are remaining on the sidelines, ordering just enough for prompt shipment to keep their inventory afloat and mills are producing only as much as they can justifiably estimate will turn. Threats..Read More

The sales momentum seen throughout first quarter 2012 has carried into April as demand on lumber has remained relatively firm across the region. However, many of us remain concerned that the business that we have been enjoying during this unusually mild winter was merely robbed from spring. This mindset..Read More

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR PROFITS BY CONTROLLING THE PROCESS

A builder’s job is not an easy one, with so many variables to control and decisions to be made.  Any job with this many component parts requires a good critical path plan to ensure successful results.  A..Read More

There is no doubt that there is a fresh optimism within our industry that business is improving. According to one trade magazine, Pulse Research has announced that consumer confidence for lumber consumption had increased a significant 28% from 4^th quarter 2011 to 1^st quarter 2012. At the local level,..Read More

February 2012

Very strong lumber sales in New England in December gave way to moderate demand in January. Thin inventories at the reload and dealer levels pushed an unanticipated demand on mills, and obtaining material was difficult even with the mild weather. As we’ve become accustomed to, a lack of..Read More

THE MAYONAISE JAR AND THE BEER

The piece below is a classic for our times. Never do we question the meaning of everything more than in times of challenge and these are certainly times that challenge everyone. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of the very basic elements that are..Read More

Lumber sales activity for 4^th quarter 2011 came much later than anyone had anticipated and, as a result, what would have been normal sales during the course of October and November was condensed into a few short and bustling weeks in December. As the habit for most has been..Read More