The Last Word: The Last Word on Steel Tariffs Joe Kannapell Buying a million pounds of U.S. steel for our company in Brazil taught me a good lesson on steel tariffs. While there were no apparent restrictions on imported steel, the Brazilian authorities used extraordinary means to prevent us from doing so, and we haven’t bought any since. I suspect... Read More April 2018 Issue #10225 Page 109
Good Bones Dave Pasolli If you enjoy watching any of the many home improvement shows where the hosts pick an older home to renovate, you notice they always talk about the “bones” of the house. In their opinion, this is one of the most important features of any potential renovation job. Typically, they... Read More March 2018 Issue #10224 Page 74
Lumber Briefs: What Could Go Wrong? vs. Nothing Could Go Wrong! Matt Layman “What is the lumber market going to do?” is a very important question and the answer is very simple. It is going to rise and fall. Brilliant, right? A better question might be, “How far will lumber prices rise and fall?” That answer requires an understanding of... Read More February 2018 Issue #10223 Page 81
Change Your Pricing Formula for 2018 and Make More Net Profit Todd Drummond Let us assume that you are having problems with a truck’s transmission and it must be repaired or replaced. The local mechanic explains the hourly rate for service and that the cost of any parts needed to fix the transmission is extra. The hourly charge he is billing is to cover his... Read More January 2018 Issue #10222 Page 30
Lumber Briefs: September has Surged; Now the October Ovation Matt Layman Perhaps the most important question in our lumber industry is: “What's next?” We are in the heat of the September Surge. That will soon be coming to an end, but the clock doesn't stand still. Lord willing, the sun will rise tomorrow. So, the question is, “What's... Read More October 2017 Issue #10219 Page 73
Lumber Briefs: Lumber Buying is Fun, But It Is No Joke Matt Layman Back in the day, when the lumber brokerage firm I worked for would not hesitate to take a 500 car position half a dozen times a year, I had this brilliant idea. I approached my four best customers, two wood preservers and two truss manufacturers, with a plan. Rather than profiting from my risk... Read More August 2017 Issue #10217 Page 65
Three Practical Ideas for Better Margins and Net Profits Todd Drummond Too often a repeated mantra within our industry is that everyone sells components at too-low margins. The blame is always on the other guy, meaning the competitor, for selling at a lower margin than what should be market pricing. Well, what can your company do to raise margin pricing? During... Read More June 2017 Issue #10215 Page 24
Lumber Briefs: Ideal Lumber Inventory Management Strategy...ELASTICITY Matt Layman A fellow lumberman asked me to describe my ideal style of inventory management, or buying strategies. So, here it is. The best way to describe it is “elasticity.” Imagine the lumber market like the waves and tides of the sea. The tide is predictable...it ebbs and flows with the... Read More June 2017 Issue #10215 Page 67
Lumber Briefs: Countervailing Duty Preliminary Ruling...19.88%...Bearish For Lumber Matt Layman Preliminary CVD announced at 19.88% The pieces are falling into place. Department of Commerce has issued its preliminary countervailing duty on Canadian softwood lumber exports destined for the U.S. The rate of 19.88% is lower than the anticipated 30%. In addition, the four largest producers... Read More May 2017 Issue #10214 Page 65
Lumber Briefs: Lumber Market Volatility About to Binge Matt Layman Have you heard the news? Lumber prices are up? Feel like punching me in the throat, don’t you? Over the past several months, we have been looking at ways to save money in the lumber market. Saving money adds money to your bank account, which means that saving money is part of our business... Read More March 2017 Issue #10212 Page 65