Some might say what makes a good salesperson is the results they deliver. In fact, I imagine this may be the most common response. I suppose I would have to agree, but I do think it matters greatly what results we are measuring. Are we merely considering revenue generated that can be directly...

The contemporary consolidations within the Lumber and Building Materials (LBM) business were prompted by consolidations within the home improvement retail industry. Home Depot started the movement in 1979, and its dramatic growth forced Lowes to follow it, converting its stores into mostly...

When the 52-page Webb Analytics’ 2022 Construction Supply 150 Report was released on May 3, the top headline was: Report Shows Lumberyards’ Revenues Soared Far Above Gains for Specialty Dealers, Big-Box Stores. Indeed, high-flying lumber prices helped drive a 19.2% revenue increase...

When looking for new opportunities for improvements in your operation, it is quite natural to ask for advisement from outside your company to give you a better perspective. Who you should trust to help you take your company to higher performance is not as clear cut as it may appear. Costly...

When we think of poverty, we think homelessness, food banks, and welfare. Chronic poverty was once compared to catching a grasshopper in a jar when we were kids. The jar had a lid with holes poked in it. For a while, the grasshopper jumped up and kept hitting his head against the lid. Then he...

Does this conversation sound familiar? “How fast can we reliably supply that component job to our customer?” asks the sales manager. “And don’t make us look like fools by telling me a date that will never be met or is too far out!” “I will tell you how...

Year after year, too many companies suffer needlessly with the same common problems. Even after making new equipment investments and receiving assurances that things will be different, the old issues keep rearing their heads. !  Even with the additional equipment investment, production...

I recently heard a talk by Bob Myers, General Manager of the Golden State Warriors, on leadership, values, and culture in winning teams. It was a great speech and there were many points he raised that made sense, and really resonated with me.   He also struck me as a thoughtful and...

Not by choice in 1989, I transitioned from being behind a CM’s desk around to the front of the desk as a supplier. My old company took me back, despite the “blemishes” on my record as a plant manager. On my first day in the field, I picked up a 1987 Ford Taurus from outside our...

Contrary to what we Boomers think, Millennials are no longer children. Born between 1981 and 1996, they are in their twenties, or even late thirties, and already entering the single family home market.  Millennials will outnumber Baby Boomers in 2020 and they’re a market segment...