All Posts By

Sara Brown

May 19
0

A Letter from our C.E.O.

By | Uncategorized

To our valued customers:

I want to offer perspective on the unprecedented circumstances currently affecting the lumber and plywood markets nationwide, as we move into the heart of the season.

-When COVID first impacted the U.S., the lumber/plywood mills severely curtailed operations. This eliminated 50% of the production for 3 months. As demand picked back up, COVID restrictions further impacted the ability of the mills to ramp back up to normal levels.

-2020 demand not only picked back up, but increased due to stimulus monies, etc., so overall aggregate demand was greater than normal. Our projection is that 2021 demand levels will continue to rise.

-Housing starts are increasing, approaching pre “great recession” levels further impacting demand.

-Western lumber species SPF, Hem Fir, and Doug Fir have been severely impacted by Canadian provincial government restrictions on logging, resulting in billions less BFT being imported to the U.S. from Canada.

-Plywood and OSB shortages persist due to production problems that started last year, and have been exacerbated by shortages of plywood out of Brazil, which is a major supplier to the U.S. market.

-Freight has more than doubled in 2021. Trucking shortages are the reality in the lumber and building industry.

Global markets have entered a phase of commodity price increases for just about everything – some calling it a commodity super cycle. Lumber/plywood & many other commodities have seen huge price increases. Shortages of natural resources have developed across the world. Lumber is not exempt from this cycle. It is demanded worldwide and is increasingly competed for by other countries.

Flameproof Company is fortunate to have established relationships for both domestic and imported lumber/plywood. This has helped us to procure and produce consistently. While the prices continue to increase weekly, we are doing our best to offer both availability as well as pricing that lags current replacement costs for at least some period of time. We will continue to do everything in our power to ship product as quickly as possible. We suggest that precaution be taken to allow for added lead times, given the overall state of the market.

Flameproof Companies strongly encourage all of our customers to maintain contact with our offices and your sales representative in order to rid of issues regarding supply. We remain dedicated to doing our best to fill every order as promptly as possible and to communicate pricing in a transparent manner.

We thank each of you for your valued business and look forward to assisting you in any way possible.

Best regards,
Vince Mancini, C.E.O.
CHICAGO FLAMEPROOF
AND WOOD SPECIALTIES CORP.

Jun 10
0

Trending In Design (and Durability): ipe Wood

By | Uncategorized

Ipe is a hardwood from Brazil that’s very hard. It’s strength has been compared to that of steel, and most often it needs to be pre-drilled before pieces are connected.

Similar in appearance to rich, warm mahogany, ipe is popular for its beauty and durability. Ipe is FSC certified, making it a smart environmental choice for your outdoor living environment.

Other attributes of ipe wood include:

  • It can last more than 25 years outdoors.
  • Eco-friendly; 100 percent natural wood
  • Mold, fire, weather, and pest-resistant
  • Resists surface scratches
  • Three times harder than cedar
  • One of the densest hardwoods, it sinks in water.
  • It has the same fire rating as steel and concrete, making it a more fire-resistant choice than softwoods.
  • It has high concentrations of tannic acid, which makes it resistant to rot, insects, and fungi. Because of this, stainless fasteners are recommended.

Chicago Flameproof recently worked on a Chicago Riverwalk project that utilized ipe:

Feb 24
0

Commercial Materials Delivery – Meet Our Fleet

By | Fleet

We understand that safe, on-time job site delivery is one of the most important services we provide.

No matter the job site or storage conditions, our licensed delivery crews get your materials stocked and ready for the project at hand with the utmost professional and personalized customer service, and deliver them using our modern and efficient fleet.

Experienced Team Members, Modern Fleet

Our crews are fully trained to deliver to commercial sites and understand the demands of the environment. Each team member has all of the knowledge, equipment and safety materials needed to fully comply with commercial job site requirements. Our fleet is modern and efficient, and offers some of the most innovative material handling equipment available.

First Class Customer Service

Chicago Flameproof is committed to the highest standards of customer service. Our company works hard to make sure you have the exact quantity of materials you need, in exactly the right place, at exactly the right time. We regularly perform pre- and post-delivery inspections of job sites to check safety, stocking conditions, equipment, and quality control.

After Hours Delivery

Chicago Flameproof can accommodate before and after hours deliveries as requested. We are a company that is dedicated to going the extra mile in order to provide excellent customer service.

Click here to view a list of building materials available through Chicago Flameproof, or, contact us to request a quote for materials and delivery.

Dec 30
1

Meet the Sales Team: Tim Cole

By | Uncategorized
Inside Sales Manager

Tim Cole

Tim Cole has served as Chicago Flameproof’s Inside Sales Manager since March 2018. For more than a decade, Tim worked as a journeyman carpenter for a major general contractor in Chicago, and then in sales for a construction materials vendor, and it was during this time that he first became familiar with The Flameproof Companies. And while it was his past that Tim credits for his introduction to Chicago Flameproof, Tim will be the first to tell you that his reason for joining the company full time in 2018 was all about the future.

“What’s most exciting to me about the company is the future, the R&D side of the business,” says Tim. “Other companies seem to be good with the status quo. We’re not necessarily into changing things, but we are into finding ways to make them better, that will lower costs for customers, and solve challenges that they’re facing in the field through our product innovation.”

As Inside Sales Manager, Tim manages the Chicago area sales team, generating new business and fostering ongoing client relationships and projects. As a manufacturer of fire retardant and preservative treated lumber, as well as a supplier of building materials, Chicago Flameproof’s client base ranges from large distributors to individual local contractors.

“Chicago Flameproof is like a diamond: lots of different facets,” says Tim. “We manufacture fire retardant lumber, preservative treated lumber, we sell to big distributors, and we’re a supplier of building materials for all of our local contractors. Because we manufacture it, we’re able to give customers the best products, fast, and at a better price because we’ve cut out the middleman.”

He continues, “Some local suppliers have delivery hours from 7 am to 3 pm. At Chicago Flameproof, we ask, ‘What time do you want it there?’ We’ll deliver at 2, 3, 4 in the morning if that’s what the contractor needs. Our guys work hard, our guys believe in customer service, and they’ll do anything to make the customer happy.”

When he’s not at work, Tim enjoys golfing and camping, and renovation projects around the house. He also enjoys watching baseball and visiting different MLB parks around the country.  Tim and his family reside in Lasalle-Peru.

Contact Tim:

Tim Cole Chicago Flameproof