Latest News

Scroll through the entire History of the The Certified Green Dealer® Program
The most recent news begins at the top

Lakeville, MN – January 14, 2010—The Certified Green Dealer® Program, the nation’s only program for certifying the nation’s green lumber and building material dealerships as qualified sources for information about green building, today announced that it has launched a new .Org website, with a user-friendly interface, updated content, and more rigorous testing requirements.

Now, Certified Green Dealer can be found at www.CertifiedGreenDealer.org, where visitors will see a new home page and hours of newly updated video content, as well as excellent reference materials on green building and products.

Even in the midst of the Great Recession, which has hit the lumber-and-builder-material dealer community especially hard, the Certified Green Dealer Program continues to grow, adding both users and sponsors in 2009 and 2010. Indeed, today, more than 5,000 registered users across more than 400 lumber dealers have visited the Program’s website 1.5 million times since the Program’s launch. Just two weeks into 2010, the Program already has a pipeline of new lumber dealers that exceeds 180 locations.

Additionally, 12 regional lumber dealer associations now back the Program. Accordingly, the Certified Green Dealer Program has more than half the nation’s “regionals” as marketing and certification partners.

“We have updated all our content to keep up with the changing landscape of green building, and we have also added tougher testing requirements. The launch on the .Org site was also done to clear up any confusion about the independence of the Program,” said John D. Wagner, a Program co-founder. “There was a misimpression that the Program was owned by LBM Journal magazine, which has never been the case. The Program has always been a fully independent company, but LBM Journal is a valued marketing partner.”

About the Certified Green Dealer® Program

A fully independent entity, The Certified Green Dealer Program is a distance-learning and testing system that certifies that lumber dealer personnel are trained in the basics of green building science and green product knowledge. A lumberyard or building material dealer location can become a Certified Green Dealer if 75% of its sales personnel view a series of web-based training videos (and take quizzes and pass a final exam) about building basics, green building, and green building products.
The Program is not affiliated with any particular national standards-setting organization, such as NAHB, USGBC’s LEED program, FSC, or SFI, though these programs are explained in the Certified Green Dealer online content.
The Certified Green Dealer Program is entirely web-based and can be accessed by visiting www.CertifedGreenDealer.org.
To participate in the Certified Green Dealer Program, lumber and building material dealers pay a first-year, per-yard tuition fee of $899 to certify all of their salespeople with the program training, and then a yearly $599 fee to access continuing-education programs and maintain certification in future years.

To learn more about the Certified Green Dealer Program, visit www.CertifiedGreenDealer.org or call 877-LBM-GREEN.

The Nation’s Only Green Certification Program for Lumber Dealers Now Has 4,600 Building Material Salespeople Pursuing Online Green Training

Lakeville, MN – June 30, 2009 -- The Certified Green Dealer® Program, the nation’s only program for certifying the nation’s green lumber and building material dealerships, just announced that it has crossed the 4,600-user threshold.

Today, 4,600 building material salespeople have pursued the Program’s online green training, and these people – all working in dealer locations that are either certified or pursuing certification – represent the best-trained green experts in America’s lumberyards today.

These dealers actively use the Certified Green Dealer online content for training and customer education. Indeed, the 4,600 users have already viewed the Program’s web-based content more than 405,000 times in 2009.

The Program has also recently signed two new sponsors. Dow has taken a Gold Sponsor position, and Simonton Windows has taken a Silver Sponsor position. With their sponsorships, these companies join other leading green corporations that sponsor the program, including Owens Corning, Masisa, ThermaTru, and Bostik.

More news…

Dow and Simonton Back the Nation’s Only Green Dealer Certification Program

Lakeville, MN – March 31, 2009 -- The Certified Green Dealer® Program, the nation’s only program for certifying the nation’s green lumber and building material dealerships, today announced that it has added two new sponsors.

Dow has taken a Gold Sponsor position, and Simonton Windows has taken a Silver Sponsor position.

These sponsors recognize the remarkable popularity of the The Certified Green Dealer® Program among the nation’s lumber dealers. With their sponsorships, they join other leading green companies that sponsor the program, including Owens Corning, Masisa, ThermaTru, and Bostik.

Sponsors of the Program directly reach the nation’s greenest lumber dealers, who are signing on at a record pace to access the green training, green certification, and green marketing opportunities the Program offers.

The Certified Green Dealer® Program is already on a pace to break its 2008 record of web “page views,” with more than 225,000 logged during 2009.

The Program also recently announced that it is experiencing 100% renewal rates among participating dealers who seek “Year-two” training and certification. (For dealers entering their second year in the Program, it is required that 75% of the sales personnel take four continuing-education modules to maintain their Certified Green Dealer status. The four new modules cover Certified Wood; Decking; Treated Lumber, and Adhesives, Caulks, & Sealants.)

With 12 regional lumber dealer associations backing the Program, The Certified Green Dealer® Program now has more than half the nation’s “regionals” as marketing and certification partners.

More news…

Lakeville, MN – Fall, 2009 -- The Certified Green Dealer® Program, the nation’s only program for certifying the nation’s green lumber and building material dealerships, today announced that it has the endorsements from 12 of the 20 regional dealer associations, as well as co-marketing agreements with co-op organizations ENAP (representing 539 yards) and Do-it-Best (representing an estimated 2,000 LBM yards.). These regional dealer associations include:

1. Lumbermen's Association of Texas
2. Louisiana Building Material Dealers Association
3. Michigan Lumber and Building Materials Association
4. Wisconsin Retail Lumber Association
5. Northwestern Lumber Association
6. Eastern Building Material Dealers Association
7. Mountain States Lumber & Bldg Material Dealers Assn.
8. Ohio Construction Supplier's Association
9. The Construction Suppliers Association
10. The Indiana Lumber & Builders’ Supply Association
11. Southern Building Material Association
12. Kentucky Lumber & Building Material Dealer Association

More news…

Ten Regional Lumber Dealer Associations Now Promote and Co-Market the Certified Green Dealer Program

Lakeville, MN – January 8, 2009 -- The Certified Green Dealer® Program, the nation’s only program for certifying the nation’s green lumber and building material dealerships, today announced that two more regional lumber dealer associations will co-market and exclusively endorse the Program to their members. The new associations, The Construction Suppliers Association and The Indiana Lumber & Builders’ Supply Association, join eight other regional lumber dealer associations in backing Certified Green Dealer.

The Construction Suppliers Association serves dealers in the Georgia and Alabama areas (www.gocsa.com), and the Indiana Lumber and Builders' Supply Association (www.ilbsa.org) serves dealers in its home state.

During a Historic Market Downturn, the Program Has Achieved Remarkable Success. More Than 4,000 Dealers Participate Today.

Lakeville, MN – November 18, 2008 -- The Certified Green Dealer® Program today announced that the Program’s Website has surpassed one million (1,000,000) page views so far in 2008. Since the Program was officially launched at the February 2008 International Builders Show, the “one-million-page-views” milestone have been achieved in just over 10 months.

93% of Participating Dealers Would Recommend CGD to Other Lumberyards. 94% Say Contents Are Relevant to Their Sales Efforts

Lakeville, MN – November 20, 2008— The Certified Green Dealer® Program, which certifies that building material dealer sales personnel have received green training—today announced results of a survey of the dealers in the Program, which was conducted by Propel Marketing Group, a North Carolina-based marketing agency.

The results show broad satisfaction with the Program and its contents. A remarkable 93% of participating dealers would recommend the Program to other lumberyards. An even greater number, 94%, say that the Program’s content is relevant to their sales efforts.

Additional survey results:
• More than 88% of dealers answered “Yes” when asked if they have been able to improve their customer service or capture more sales as a result of the Program’s green training.
• 93% believe that the Program’s content provides them with knowledge they have been able to use in their sales efforts and customer interactions.
• When asked: “What level of interest is there among your customers in green building and green products?” 68% said that interest was “significant” or “somewhat significant.”

4,000 Dealer Personnel Now Participate, and 1,013 Have Completed the Program. Program’s Website Gets 635,000 Views in Nine Months.

Lakeville, MN – September 17, 2008 -- The Certified Green Dealer® Program, which certifies that building material dealer sales personnel have received green training—today announced that the Program has quickly achieved national status as a leading green certification program. Even in a down housing market, the Certified Green Dealer® Program has grown at a remarkable rate. Today, more than 4,000 lumberyard/building-material-dealer personnel are enrolled in the Program. Already, 1,013 individuals have completed the entire Program. Moreover, since Jan. 1, 2008, when the Program formally launched, the Certified Green Dealer Program website has experienced 635,000 views.

Defying the down housing market, The Certified Green Dealer® Program has also experienced remarkable success with sponsors who want to associate with this fast-growing green Program. Today, Owens Corning, Masisa, ThermaTru, and Bostik are sponsors.

Additionally, eight regional lumber dealer associations now promote and co-market The Certified Green Dealer® Program. Do It Best Corporation and the ENAP buying co-op have both signed co-marketing agreements with Program and are actively promoting the Program to their members.

With no competition in the lumber and building material dealer sector, the “sales pipeline” for the Program now exceeds 700 dealer locations, and requests and sign-ups from new lumber dealers come in every day.

August 21, 2008

New Group Certifies Green Building Materials Retailers

The Certified Green Dealer® Program, launched in January 2008, educates and certifies retailers selling green building materials. To become certified, a retailer must have three-quarters of its salespeople watch eight online videos and pass a test on basic green building topics such as mold, insulation, and air-sealing.

According to John Wagner, who develops educational content for the program, more than 4,000 individual users have signed up for certification through 280 retailers that pay a fee to participate. Certified lumberyards are allowed to advertise the certification, and some, Wagner says, offer CGD materials to their contractor customers.

Affiliated with industry magazine LBM Journal, CGD is sponsored by manufacturers, whose logos appear on the program’s materials and whose product information is provided to dealers. According to Wagner, some companies have been rejected as sponsors and others asked to create a “subbrand” to distinguish their green products from their less environmentally friendly products....

More News...

August 1, 2008 (Dallas, TX) – Builders FirstSource, Inc. (NasdaqGS: BLDR) announced today that it has signed on to The Certified Green Dealer™ Program. Builders FirstSource will certify their retail distribution centers through the program.

The Certified Green Dealer® Program is a Web-based “distance learning” program that uses online multi-media training and printed resource materials to educate and certify building material dealers as sources of information about green building and green products.

Builders FirstSource has long served as a primary source of information about products and “best practices” for its contractor customers. Now Builders FirstSource will be able to brand its individual dealer locations as third-party certified sources of green building information.

“We’re thrilled to be in this program,” said Matt Liska, VP of Sales at Builders FirstSource, who will oversee the program’s implementation. “Green products and building practices is a sector that is rapidly growing in our markets. We are excited to be one of the first companies in our industry to train our entire sales force in the basics of green products and practices. Our builder customers look to us for more than just products and prices; they look to us for value-added solutions. Builders FirstSource is committed to having the most knowledgeable sales force in the industry. This program will allow us to provide our customers cutting edge green building solutions and will further differentiate us from others in our industry.”

About Builders FirstSource

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Builders FirstSource is a leading supplier and manufacturer of structural and related building products for residential new construction. The company operates in 13 states, principally in the southern and eastern United States, and has 66 distribution centers and 62 manufacturing facilities, many of which are located on the same premises as the distribution facilities. Manufacturing facilities include plants that manufacture roof and floor trusses, wall panels, stairs, aluminum and vinyl windows, custom millwork and pre-hung doors. Builders FirstSource also distributes windows, interior and exterior doors, engineered lumber products, dimensional lumber and lumber sheet goods, millwork and other building products. For more information about Builders FirstSource, visit the company's Web site at www.bldr.com.

More News...

May 13, 2008 - Owens Corning has announced it has become a sponsor of LBM Journal's The Certified Green Dealer® Program and renewed its sponsorship with Masco Home Services' Environments For Living(R) Certified Green program.

Owens Corning's partnership with these green building programs is intended to drive value for customers at all levels of the supply chain by providing the training they need to become fluent in green building practices and products. Meeting growing consumer demand for energy efficient products will help the environment by reducing CO2 emissions associated with greenhouse gas and also provide an advantage in today's difficult market. The announcements were made at this year's NAHB National Green Building Conference.

Owens Corning's support of The Certified Green Dealer® Program (www.certifiedgreendealer.com) helps provide the opportunity for dealers to understand and take advantage of today's hottest market driver.

The Certified Green Dealer® Program provides:
-- An easy and informative training process for dealer sales teams;
-- Online educational and instructional videos on green building practices and product choices;
-- Study guides, resource materials and an online certification exam; and
-- For certified dealers, the Certified Green Dealer logo for use in marketing materials to showcase program certification.

More News...

Lakeville, MN – February 27, 2008 -- LBM Journal—the nation’s leading editorial voice for lumber and building material dealers—announced that Do it Best Corp. will endorse and market the new “Certified Green Dealer™” Program to its member-owners.

With headquarters in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Do it Best Corp. is a $2.81 billion full-line, full-service buying cooperative for independent hardware, lumber, and building material dealers.

The Certified Green Dealer® Program will be promoted via member communications and at the 2008 Do it Best May Market™. Also, green building experts from The Certified Green Dealer® Program Program will introduce the program at a select number of Do it Best roundtables involving lumber and home center members during February and March.

More News...

ENAP Will Certify Its Employees and Sales Staff, as it Offers the “Certified Green Dealer™” Program to its Members at a Discount.

Lakeville, MN – February 18, 2008 -- LBM Journal—the nation’s leading editorial voice for lumber and building material dealers—today announced that ENAP, a lumber and building materials cooperative, will endorse and co-market the new Certified Green Dealer® Program to its 250 members.

ENAP will advocate for the Program in sales efforts, offer the “Certified Green Dealer®” Program to its members at a discount, and include the “Certified Green Dealer®” Program as an exhibitor at future ENAP events.

ENAP will also become a Certified Green Dealer by using the online Program to train and certify the Company’s employees and sales staff, so that they expand their expertise in green building.

More News...

Bradco Supply is the First National Chain to Commit to Train Its Sales Force and Certify its Dealerships for Green Building

Lakeville, MN – January 18, 2008 – The Certified Green Dealer® Program today announced that Bradco Supply, a national distributor of building materials with over 155 locations throughout the country, has committed to train its staff and certify all of their branches through the Certified Green Dealer Program®. Bradco Supply is the first large distributor to commit to a national rollout of the Program, which launched in late 2007.

More News...

LBM Journal’s New Program Uses Web-Based Videos and Testing to Certify Lumber Dealers

Lakeville, MN – November 27, 2007 -- LBM Journal—the nation’s leading editorial voice for lumber and building material dealers—today announced that it has launched The Certified Green Dealer™ Program

The Certified Green Dealer® Program is a new Web-based “distance learning” program that will certify the nation’s lumberyards and building material dealer locations as sources of information on green building and green products through online training and printed resource material. Lumber dealers are a primary source of information about products and “best practices” for builders and remodelers, and with this Program, dealers can now brand themselves as certified sources of information about good green building techniques and green products.

Created under the auspices of LBM Journal, certification of lumber dealer locations is not affiliated with any particular national standards-setting organization, such as NAHB or USGBC’s LEED program. Instead, the certification is based entirely on demonstrated mastery by the lumber dealer personnel of “best practices” building science and green building basics. The short-subject videos (each “lunch-and-learn” length of under 25 minutes) have been produced in partnership with Building Media, and any lumberyard or building material dealer location can access The Certified Green Dealer® Program with a browser and broadband connectivity to the Internet.