The new 2021 build season is upon us, and everyone seems to be excited about the 2021 opportunities that seem apparent with the robust build economy. Many companies had their most profitable year in 2020, yet others struggled, stating that commodity pricing and covid were their major negative...

There are several companies both in and outside of our industry who really understand costs. It is not some academic classroom “let someone teach me from the boardroom” but hands-on experience in knowing what their costs are in their operation. In the building industry, we think we...

Theory of Constraints (TOC) is not often clearly understood, and it can be confused with Just in Time (JIT). Below is a simplified explanation with some examples about TOC that many should be able to relate to their operations. TOC is an offshoot of lean manufacturing principles. Every...

Our industry has been changing in a big way. Independents once dominated our industry, but now through mergers and acquisitions, that is no longer the case. Right now, some of the people reading this article are either contemplating or in actual talks about selling their business. From...

            Last month’s article, Change Impact, talks about what impact changes at your company will have this year. Well, after 2020 and the challenges we faced, especially for the operations-intensive companies in our industry, it...

Goodbye 2020 and Welcome to 2021!!! Our business world has been changing fast, especially this past year, and we continue to move forward through complex issues and how best to provide our goods and services to our customers within the building industry and beyond. But what...

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...

Think beyond the physical investment of trucks, equipment, and buildings when it comes to investments for improving the bottom line for 2021. If a company wants to improve the net profits, improving the project communication process can add serious dollars to the bottom line. Most companies...

The importance of making changes for Offsite Manufacturing For some it seems like this past year, 2020, has been either a waste or was put on pause. There have been numerous challenges in our businesses, politics, the economy, our homes, and many more all disrupted by the Covid pandemic that...

Many of us started 2020 with resolutions/goals both for ourselves and our businesses, but then our year was turned upside down with the Covid worldwide pandemic and other issues such as lumber prices topping highs we thought we would never see. While many LBM/component businesses are working at...