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
Forecasting Inflation and Interest Rates Carl Villella The economic focus these days continues to be on inflation and interest rates. As business owners, we all grapple with the difficulties of trying to plan when you don’t know where prices will be, or how expensive it will be to borrow money. The Fed has already raised interest rates a... Read More February 2023 Issue #15283 Page 69
First Quarter Brings Hints of Later-Year Move Toward Recovery Lesko Financial Services Team The start of a new quarter and a new year bring with them a cautious glimmer of optimism that the economy is finally poised to begin a slow turn-around toward a gradual recovery. To be sure, many challenges remain for households that have been weathering inflation for more than 18 months. But... Read More February 2023 Issue #15283 Page 90
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
Proof That Even the Largest Wood Truss CMs are Not Immune to Losing Tens of Millions of Dollars with Outdated Reporting Todd Drummond Despite the fantastic profits these past few years, some of the largest wood truss component manufacturers (CM) are losing tens of millions of dollars hidden in plain sight. Talk to any of the executives at these CMs, and they will be able to rattle off the EBITA or other P/L results, yet they... Read More December 2022 Issue #14281 Page 26
About Those Rising Interest Rates… Carl Villella It’s true that interest rates have been rising. With inflation at its highest in decades, the Federal Reserve (“the Fed”) had few options but to raise interest rates in its attempt to cool the upward movement of prices. And yet the job market continues strong, indicating the... Read More December 2022 Issue #14281 Page 88
Labor Shortages Worse Than Most Understand and Automation is Not Going to Be the Cure-All Solution Todd Drummond Time and again, executives state they are having problems finding enough qualified people to staff all the needed positions within their company. The truth is that this problem will get much worse, and you need to understand why to fix it. TDC has found that companies with the best employee... Read More November 2022 Issue #14280 Page 24
Securing Funding in a Rising Interest Rate Economy Carl Villella With interest rates on the rise, it’s important to consider working with funders who are not as quick to increase rates. You need a lender who will help you not squeeze you, in this economic climate or any climate. You need a company that will work with you to do the best they can for... Read More November 2022 Issue #14280 Page 82
Fourth Quarter Arrives with More Questions and Challenges Ahead Lesko Financial Services Team The markets and the economy still face a number of challenges from lingering inflation, ongoing Fed rate hikes, and geopolitical instability. This is playing out within a context of a stock market that has declined—recent gains the exception—even if it has already priced-in a lot of... Read More November 2022 Issue #14280 Page 94
Including Meaningful Process Improvement on Your Capital Investment Checklist Todd Drummond Time and time again, TDC has witnessed too many companies spending millions on capital investments to achieve marginal improvements while others spend far less and achieve spectacular results. It may feel obvious that adding a saw or auto-puck table will significantly enhance output, but the... Read More October 2022 Issue #14279 Page 24