Nearly every U.S. and Canadian metal plate connected wood truss manufacturer has one or more clients who either construct pole barns or sell kit packages. Not much excitement though in dealing with typical orders of usually anywhere from 4 to 10 trusses per building.
Money can certainly be made in post frame industry sales. My 1990s truss plant, based in Spokane, Washington, almost exclusively built pole barn trusses. It was not unusual for us to have backlogs of weeks, and, when it came to post frame trusses, we dominated Northwest U.S.
How We Did It
We tailored our inventory to best build to our client’s needs. By having 2x6 2850 MSR and 2400 MSR in wider widths, we could provide smaller dimension chords than our competitors, with lighter trusses. Considering jobsite manhandling involved, lighter weight trusses are an advantage! And let’s face it – those high grades have very few visual defects, resulting in some very pretty trusses!
Also in our inventory, for web stock, was 2x3 MSR. Many truss webs can be higher grade 2x3, rather than 2x4. Again, most 2x3 MSR was much prettier wood than 2x4 visually graded material others were using, not to mention saving truss weight.
Webs requiring lateral bracing were checked to see if a larger dimension or higher grade would eliminate bracing. Installing jobsite bracing takes both material and labor, reducing bracing for a minimal investment makes for happy clients.
Be a Consultant
Being able to be different in the post frame industry gives one a leg up, where virtually everyone does things alike. When a truss client can say, “I do things just like everyone else and also provide….” to their potential customer, it gives them an advantage.
Most post frame roof trusses will be 40 foot spans or less. Point out very small price differences to add 5 or 10 pounds per square foot (psf) of load to top chords. Many post frame trusses are designed with a bottom chord dead load of 1 or 2 psf. One of my most asked questions of my Ask The Pole Barn Guru™ advice column - how to add a ceiling to post frame buildings. A 5 psf bottom chord dead load would solve this dilemma. Both of these are points your client can use to sell why he has a better building than Brand X.
Offer More Stuff
Your delivery truck starts spinning dollar signs the instant a key gets close to an ignition switch. Since you are going to make a jobsite trip, why not add more product?
True glu-laminated post frame building columns are a wonderful thing – strong, lightweight, and straight. In most instances a product of 1650f three-ply 2x6 glulam will replace 6x6, 6x8, and in some cases 6x10. Downside of glu-lams – current lack of distribution, as manufacturers are primarily in South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Work with a manufacturer to bring in a ¼ or ½ of a truckload of 14 to 24 foot lengths, they might even help to floor some inventory. Once builders start using them, they will never go back to solid sawn columns. This provides another differentiation for your client and it helps to tie them to you as their supplier.
Sell Them MSR Lumber
With 2x6 1650 MSR being over 40% stronger than best commonly used visually graded #2, you can do your client some favors in helping to point out strength and quality benefits. Side benefit for you – quicker inventory turns. Buying more lumber gets better negotiating power with wholesalers and mills.
Glu-lam column and selling lumber margins are not going to be as high as your truss margins, expect maybe 20%, however, consider this a bonus profit you would never have otherwise had. I always felt 20% of something beat 100% of nothing every day.
Expand your post frame building industry view and increase your bottom line!
Mike Momb is Technical Director for Hansen Pole Buildings, LLC of Browns Valley, MN. His post-frame blog and “Ask the Pole Barn Guru” column can be followed at www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/.