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We are saddened to share the news of the passing of David Cutler, longtime editor of our flagship publication, The Merchant Magazine, and founder of Building Products Digest and Building-Products.com, on Dec. 4, 2022. He was 88.
David was owner of Cutler Publishing, publisher of The Merchant and BPD. During his ownership, the magazines won numerous Maggies and other media awards.
David Horton Cutler was born May 26, 1934, in Boston, Ma. He did not enjoy the cold winters of the Northeast and would head for warmer climates as soon as he could.
David served with the U.S. Army during the Korean War, then received a degree in journalism from the University of Nevada in 1959. He worked as an editor on Stars & Stripes, before joining the staff of the California Lumber Merchant in 1962, and in time purchased the company from A.D. Bell. David added a sister publication, Building Products Digest, in 1982, and industry news hub Building-Products.com in 1995.
Early on, David recognized that the most important component of the industry was the people and their relationships with each other. So he strove to build community through his magazines, introducing exhaustive photo coverage of as many events as possible and helping to form a weekly industry luncheon, the Lumbermen’s Information Exchange Society (LIES). He was also inventor of everyone’s favorite mythical lumber company, Mungus-Fungus Forest Products.
We thank David for everything he has made possible for us as a business, and for the honor of his friendship and mentorship. He is survived by sons, Geoff and Greg, and his lovely wife, Marti—today would have been their 63rd wedding anniversary.
