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At Evanston Lumber Company, we are always focused on stocking quality building materials, as well as constantly bringing in new products that will make your job easier.  We encourage you and your associates to schedule a tour of our state-of-the-art lumber yard and design center, which will also include lunch!  The tour will focus on our best selling products, it will showcase our design center, and it will allow you to ask questions about any of the products we stock.

The tours are offered from 11:30pm-12:30pm with lunch served at 12:30pm at the Design Center.  We prefer groups between 3-6 people.  Dates are quickly filling up, so RESERVE A DATE NOW!

The tour dates available are as follows:
October 15th
November 12th
December 17th

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New Products

Weather Shield Windows
 

We are proud to announce that we have brought in Weather Shield Windows to our Design Center.

The Weather Shield window line includes the ProShield, Vision and Weather Shield brands.

Weather Shield - All-wood or aluminum-clad wood windows

ProShield - Vinyl-clad wood windows

Vision - Premium vinyl windows

Features and Benefits:
• Many custom options
• Rolling screens
• Pre-painted and pre-stained interior
• Large variety of wood species
• Up to 63 colors
• Zo-e insulated glass

*Be sure to send your customers into our Design Center to check out our new Weather Shield displays!

If you have any questions or would like more information, samples or pricing, please stop into Evanston Lumber Design Center (directions), give us a call at (847) 440-8700, or e-mail us!

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Five Deadly Sins of Financially Distressed Builders

Unless you are one of the few well-capitalized builders or developers who have been able to sit on the sidelines and ride out the worst of the recession and housing downturn, you've had to make some very difficult decisions to save your business. And you still have more to face.

Given today's economic climate - and because there are few, if any, good options out there - you should focus on achieving what we call the "least-worst" solutions that are available to you.

But first, you will have to steer clear of what we call the "Five Deadly Sins of Financially Distressed Builder/Developers." If any of them apply to you or your business, take action now to purge yourself of the applicable sins: 

Not Being Proactive
Doing nothing except waiting for the market to correct itself is a sure-fire strategy for achieving financial ruin. Every month that you wait wastes precious resources that you will need to create a real solution.

Putting Good Money After Bad
Your bank or lender will use every trick in the book to get you to commit what cash you have toward carrying their loans. Normally this is the right thing to do, but these aren't normal times. So, and this is crucial to your decision-making, if the "real" market value of the encumbered assets is less than the debt basis, then your bank owns the assets because your equity is gone. In this situation, if you accede to your lender's wishes and commit more cash toward the loan, you're just throwing your money away.

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Get to Know Your Customers Because Your Customers Know

Customers represent a company's best advisors - and its final authority. Their observations and insights are invaluable; their feedback is critical.

But all too often, the only time a business gathers information about its customers is when they switch to a competitor.

Too many companies don't have a follow-up customer service system that routinely asks its customers, "How did we do, and how could we do it better?"

The following are strategies you can use to reconnect with your customers and begin reaping the benefit of their wisdom.

Embrace the Belief That Customers Possess Good Ideas
Customers have fresh eyes and provide a unique perspective.  You spend a third of your life at your business, your customers don't. Because of all your day-to-day business routines, you've probably developed a few blind spots. Not so with your customers. Their antennae are out. They are sizing you up, evaluating, assessing and judging.

Your clients know what they like and dislike about doing business with you and, if you ask them, they'll probably tell you.

Gather Customer Feedback at Every Opportunity
Give customers multiple opportunities to let you know how you are doing. Avoid the trap of thinking that your customers are too busy to provide insights into your business. If they are too busy, they'll politely decline your request.
Read more...

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Closeout Lumber Items

2 x 2 x 12'
Trex Woodland Brown
Price: $1.05/L.F.
Qty - 10
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4 x 6 x 16'
Smooth Cedar with top bevel
Price: $3.00/L.F
Qty - 1
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4 x 6 x 14'
Smooth Cedar with top bevel
Price: $3.00/L.F.
Qty - 2

 To view our entire list of closeout items, visit our web site

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Employee Spotlight

Name: Nestor Landecho
Years of Service: 5
Position: Counter Sales

Q: What do you like best about working at Evanston Lumber Company?
A: I really like everyone that I work with here, and I like to help people, so I enjoy the customers.
  
Q: What do you enjoy doing when you aren't working?
A: Playing sports - basketball and softball
 
Q: Tell us about your family
A: I love kids, so I have a very large happy family!
  
Q: What is a little known fact about you?
A: I am an electrician

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