For stock market advice, I always turn to my dad. He's not a stockbroker. But he has watched almost every episode of "Wall Street Week" since the mid-1970s. Now that he's retired, he sometimes watches the same episode of "Mad Money" twice in the same day. (The hands-down superiority of Louis Rukeyser over Jim Cramer will be discussed in a future editorial.)

Here's what my dad said about newly public Boise Cascade: "I like companies with tangible products — like building materials."

During a ceremony at the ProDealer Industry Conference in Savannah, Ga., Boise, Idaho-based BMC received the HCN Pro Dealer of the Year award. Here are the facts behind the award and the 2012 ceremony. 

The award criteria

The HCN Pro Dealer of the Year Award is presented annually to a lumber and building material dealer based on three main criteria: high performance, innovation and corporate behavior that reflects the values of the LBM industry.

Boise Cascade Holdings has announced sales of $587 million for its first fiscal quarter of 2012, a 21% increase over the same quarter a year ago. The wood products company reported first-quarter net income of $1.66 million, compared with a $19.0 million loss during the first quarter of 2011. 

As of March 31, Boise Cascade had total available liquidity of $371.9 million, with $164.4 million in cash and committed bank line availability of $207.5 million.

Boise Cascade announced Jan. 17 that it was adding 40 positions to its Western Oregon Region mills in Medford, White City and Willamina, according to an article in the Oregon Mail Tribune.

Company spokesman R.J. Roberts told the newspaper that the Idaho-based wood products supplier has increased market share for its plywood and engineered wood panels, both in domestic and Canadian markets.

Boise Cascade’s Building Materials Distribution has moved its Portsmouth, N.H., operation into an expanded distribution facility in Greenland, N.H., the company announced. The new facility, located four miles away, includes 15 acres of yard space, 120,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space and 9,000 sq. ft. of office space.

Boise Cascade’s Building Materials Distribution division has announced its expansion in Wayne, Mich., outside of Detroit, where it recently moved into larger facilities. The operation now includes an additional 80,000 sq. ft. of enclosed warehouse space, 6,500 sq. ft. of new office space, and 9,000 sq. ft. of covered truck loading area. In addition, the expansion provides an additional four acres of outside storage, as well as railcar unloading facilities. 

Boise Cascade has entered into a three-year retention agreement with its current CEO, Thomas Carlile, according to an Oct. 5 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission  (SEC). The employment agreement extends to Sept. 30, 2014.

The SEC filing also announced the retirement of David Gadda, the company's VP legal, effective Dec. 31, 2011.

Top 100 Distributors list


"Your decision to not include Boise Cascade's Building Materials operations on your list of top wholesale operations is inconsistent and misleading to a wide variety of audiences. Your reasoning for our deletion was apparently based on the fact that Boise Cascade is both a wholesaler of a broad line of building materials and a manufacturer of wood products. Clearly we do not understand this reasoning after having been on the list for decades.

Boise Cascade’s building materials distribution division has leased property to augment operations at its facility in Delanco, N.J. The new facility has 300,000 sq. ft. of inside storage and approximately 20 acres of usable yard space.  Rail service is also included. 

Scranton, Pa.-based AZEK Building Products announced its partnership with Boise Cascade branches in Lathrop and Riverside, Calif., which will provide full-service distribution of all AZEK product lines throughout the state.