Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/446921
C o n s t r u c t i o n M a r k e t p l a c e 4 5 W e d n e s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 1 , 2 0 1 5 NEW DOMAINS MAKE IT EASY TO PROTECT YOUR BRAND ONLINE It may seem strange for an Internet addressing company to make its first big splash of 2015 at the International Builders Show, but for Donuts Inc., the opportunity to expose builders to a new breed of hyper-targeted Internet domains like .CONTRACTOR, .CONSTRUC- TION and .BUILDERS was too appeal- ing to pass up. One question asked often by small businesses and other brand owners is how they can protect their valuable intel- lectual property in a world of hundreds of new Internet domains. While most are excited about the opportunity to build and refine their online brands, some won- der if they'll be able to keep up with the profusion of new addressing options. The good news is that while new Internet domains are creating a lot of new online real estate, those new online "neighborhoods" are the safest ever cre- ated for brand and small business own- ers. In anticipation of intellectual proper- ty protection concerns, Internet address- ing authorities spent nearly half a decade baking powerful brand protection mecha- nisms into the contractual DNA of new Internet domains. In comparison to domains like .COM, the rules make it much harder to falsely register brands in new domains, while making it much easier (and cheap- er) for legitimate business owners to challenge false registrations. New domains also make it harder for scam- mers to obscure their identities and operate under the cover of anonymity. Donuts has gone beyond even those baseline protections by developing sever- al policies and tools aimed specifically at providing piece of mind and security to brand and small business owners. The most significant of these pro- tections is the Domains Protected Marks List (DPML), a tool that allows rights holders to protect marks across the entire universe of Donuts names with a single, inexpensive transaction. When an authorized mark holder places a DPML hold on a specific trade- marked term, that term cannot be regis- tered in any of Donuts domains (the company anticipates operating more than 200 gTLDs) by anyone other than the mark holder. By using DPML for key marks, brand owners can be confident in the con- trol of their own brand iden- tity, and decide to use Donuts domains to pursue opportunities, rather than mitigate risks. Response from the intellectual prop- erty community has been overwhelming- ly positive. A recent analysis by World Trademark Review found that 12 of the top 25 brands in last year's Brand Finance Global 500 had registered for DPML, before a single Donuts gTLD became available for sale to the general public. Whether you plan to register a new domain or wait awhile, you can proceed with confidence knowing that Donuts has the interest of your brand integrity in mind. Visit Donuts at booth #C2763. GENERAL SHALE: THE RIGHT PRODUCTS FOR ANY PROJECT An interview with Charles Smith, President and CEO, General Shale Brick. CM: Tell our readers about your back- ground with General Shale. CS: I was appointed President and CEO of General Shale (Johnson City, Tenn.) in April 2014. I succeeded Richard "Dick" Green as CEO when Dick decided to retire after a 40-year career with the com- pany. Previously, I was President and COO from February 2013, EVP opera- tions from 2007, and VP engineering and research from 2004. Before then, I held regional production manager, plant man- ager and assistant plant manager posi- tions; I joined the company as a plant supervisor in 1992. CM: General Shale is celebrating its 86th year as a company. How has the company changed to be relevant in today's market? CS: The company has always played an important role in building North America. Through the mid-2000s, our principle focus was on builders, contrac- tors and masons. Then, as the construc- tion industry slowed, we retooled our product mix to include renovation and outdoor living products. We opened new retail stores and remodeled existing ones. We also added a new target cus- tomer: the homeowner. Instead of con- sidering our products just as building materials, we recognized that brick and other hardscape products are also endur- ing components of home and commer- cial décor. Bringing a focus of our prod- ucts as an element of fashion has given General Shale a whole new position within the North American market. CM: Tell our readers about General Shale's current offerings. CS: We look at our business as a cus- tomer would look at our offer- ings. Our largest is certainly our building materials category, comprising everything from mortar and sand to concrete block and clay brick. Our reno- vation products include our thin veneer brick, rock and stone. Our Arriscraft™ products offer natural stone, and our outdoor living portfolio includes everything from pavers to complete outdoor kitchens. CM: What initiatives or goals of General Shale would you like to share for the near future? CS: I'd like to see us take a greater share of a growing market. We want our market share to increase by building relation- ships with new customers while fully serving our current customers. Today, our approach is to also sell more of our prod- ucts to each individual customer. For example, our thin veneers, including rock and stone, are great décor solutions for interiors and exteriors, and our outdoor living products, such as outdoor firepits, fireplaces, outdoor kitchens and pavers, add value by extending a home's living space to the outdoors. CM: How will this be achieved? CS: It all boils down to our hav- ing the right products for any project and in having a trusted relationship with our customers that adds value beyond price. Our strategy is driven by seven principles that will drive growth in a competitive environ- ment: being the most modern and future-oriented provider for masonry products; to add value beyond price; to produce quality products through tech- nology; to respect our environment, our suppliers and employees; to be very close to our customers and provide the support that they need; to be the market leader in energy-efficient construction; and to be the expert that building pro- fessionals turn to when they need help. We are living up to these principles, and it is paying off. For more information, go to www .generalshale.com or stop by booths #8833 and #8933.