In The News - HBH Prestain, Inc.

H.B.H. Prestain Expands, Poised for Economic Recovery

Opened in 1988 by brothers Rick and Edward Hawley, H.B.H. Prestain has been serving retailers in the Northeast with their prestaining lines of Olympic and Pittsburgh oil and latex-based primers, stains, and sealants. "Olympic was a tremendous help to us in getting started," notes Rick, president and former Union Carbide design mechanic. "They put us in touch with the right contacts to get our original staining equipment."

Originating in a 5,000 square foot building located on two acres, the company stained everything from cedar clapboards, decorative moulding, plywoods, fenceposts and balusters. They grew quickly, however, and found it necessary to expand.

"Our biggest problem was drying capacity," notes Edward, vice-president of the company and a house painter for ten years. "We would run the main line until all the drying racks were filled and the building was stuffed. Then, we'd shut everything down and wait until the next day before we could run again. It was very frustrating. We expanded the facility to 8,000 square feet, increasing our capacity from an average of 10,000 board feet per day to a high of 18,000 board feet per day."

Starting with no accounts and zero sales, H.B.H. Prestain has grown to approximately 150 accounts and in excess of $1 million in sales in 1993. Even the increased production capacity could not satisfy the company's growth requirements, however, and the decision was made to relocate to an abandoned furniture factory just miles away.

"We bought the property from Hale Furniture Co., a manufacturer of chairs which had just closed down last year," notes Rick, who lives a stone's throw from the facility. "It consists of 160,000 square feet of building located on 16 acres of land, more then enough to meet our needs. It also includes a separate office building and a storage shed, and a unique asset -- a drying kiln that offers special opportunities within the wood produces industry."

The plant itself was a 1940's-style manufacturing facility in relative disrepair. The Hawley's have been renovating, starting with 6,000 square feet which includes office space, a maintenance and stain mixing area, a lunchroom and a lounge for the employees. The production floor has been expanded 12,000 square feet and now contains two staining lines. The remained expanse will be renovated and leased out. Financing of the capital improvements has been accomplished primarily through the Chittenden National Bank and the Small Business Administration, both of which have been quite easy to work with. As Rick notes, "The numbers speak for themselves."

An initial concern about expansion surrounded ACT 250, a restrictive land use permitting process that is required in Vermont. "It didn't seem to be too much of an issue, as the original facility was used in the forest products industry, and we didn’t drift far from that classification. We'll see what happens when we refurbish the rest of the space for alternate applications," quips Rick.

The increased space now provides four times the production capacity as two staining line operate two shifts per day. The drying time problem has also been solved, due, in large part, to a unique forced air drying bin, designed by the Hawley's themselves. "The drying bin has helped decrease turnaround time to 10 hours, a far cry from the overnight drying time that was required previously," says Edward proudly.

Another unique characteristic of the H.B.H. Prestain production line is a high pressure air knife that concentrates a blast of air pressure across the face of the clapboard after the stain has been applied, producing a smooth, even surface and eliminating many of the roller marks commonly found on other staining lines. The air knife is yet another innovative concept that keeps H.B.H. Prestain at the forefront of the industry. They were the first in the Northeast to offer a 15-year, no maintenance warranty backed by Olympic Stain, and they introduced the "Pull To Length" concept of sorting and banding different length clapboards for a more uniform shipping bundle, now the industry standard. "We also hand brush the ends to eliminate dripping," says Edward.

Quality products and service have helped H.B.H. Prestain grow substantially with virtually no advertising. "The product speaks for itself," Rick is quick to point out. "The future of independent lumberyards includes pre-primed trim and beveled stock. Over 70 percent of our business is priming, sometimes up to two coats." Although the company is currently shipping product as far away as South Carolina, H.B.H. Prestain wants to remain a Northeast entity, servicing the retailers locally as best they can. "We're committed to the independent dealer. That's where our future lies," says Rick.

H.B.H. Prestain, Inc. joined NRLA in 1989 and has been a strong supporter of the organization, particularly the Vermont Retail Lumber Dealers Association as a gold sponsor.

Source: "The Lumber Co-Operator, August 1994 issue, by: Paul Dean.

Our Locations: Arlington, Vermont | Mapleville, Rhode Island