Component Manufacturing Should Not Be Operated as an LBM Supplier Todd Drummond As an industry veteran who has attended BCMC for many decades, I’m very pleased to be presenting an educational session on Tuesday, September 19th at 1:00 pm — Component Manufacturing Should Not Be Operated as an LBM Supplier. In this session, I will call upon my 20 years of... Read More September 2023 Issue #15290 Page 26
CS150 Shows Revenue Gains Dropped, Big Differences Persisted Between Lumberyards, Home Centers, Specialty Dealers Craig Webb Dramatic falls in lumber prices caused America’s biggest sellers of building materials to record in 2022 less than half the revenue gain they achieved the year before, Webb Analytics’ latest Construction Supply 150 (CS150) reveals. The group, which arguably accounts for two-thirds... Read More June 2023 Issue #15287 Page 86
Will ‘Too Little, Too Late’ Define Your Company? Todd Drummond Building history facts: Before the 2008 financial crash, there were about 2,100 wood truss and wall panel component manufacturing (CM) companies across North America. The vast majority of the locations were independently owned and operated. When the worst of the effects of the recession finally... Read More May 2023 Issue #15286 Page 27
A Message of Caution to New Component Manufacturers Todd Drummond This message is for the new component manufacturers (CM) who have recently and will shortly be entering the component manufacturing industry for wood trusses or wall panels. First, welcome to the industry – it is very rewarding, but I must caution you about this new endeavor. It is not for... Read More April 2023 Issue #15285 Page 25
How One Wood Truss Industry Leader Uses Industrial Engineering Practices of Work Minutes to Excel Todd Drummond We can always learn things from industry leaders, whether we work with them directly or simply appreciate what they have accomplished. A perfect example comes from A-1 Industries and their commitment to using industrial engineering practices and work minutes. Although TDC has not performed... Read More March 2023 Issue #15284 Page 25
Deals Report 2022: Tracking the Openings, Closings, and Acquisitions Craig Webb Where you wanted to be and what you wanted to sell both figured mightily as factors in construction supply’s acquisition, openings, and closures activity in 2022. Deals were almost as numerous as in 2021, but big deals were rarer. Meanwhile, greenfield openings were far more... Read More March 2023 Issue #15284 Page 90
Money Hides Many Sins (Waste) Todd Drummond A trending DIY post shows a long sequence of nail holes alongside a wall-mounted TV with a caption that says, “I knew that stud was in there somewhere.” Meant to be a humorous poke at the times when we’ve attempted new projects, it reveals how sometimes we might not have been... Read More February 2023 Issue #15283 Page 24
Dependability in an Uncertain Environment Tracy Roe The most popular outlook for 2023 that I have heard is uncertainty. Nobody has a clear picture of what the new year will bring for our industry. Large investments have been made in talent, equipment, and infrastructure to capitalize on the increased demand over the past two years. What about... Read More February 2023 Issue #15283 Page 42
TrueBuild® Batch – Time Is Money Tracy Roe Now more than ever, every process, every motion, literally every minute counts for a component manufacturer. The saying “Time Is Money” couldn’t be more true in our industry. Ultimately, a component manufacturer is simply selling time. They are selling the value they add to raw... Read More January 2023 Issue #15282 Page 19
Don’t Be Blind to Simple Truths for the 2023 Build Season Todd Drummond An article written and published by Russ Kathrein on LinkedIn, “The Eyes See What the Brain Believes,” struck a nerve for me. In summary, the statement “believe it when I see it” is more often than not false. As someone who has made a living assisting others for over... Read More January 2023 Issue #15282 Page 26