Bob Heidenreich
Bob Heidenreich, owner of The Deck Store, in Apple Valley, Minn., has been selling decking and home improvement projects for 30 years. Follow Bob on Twitter: @TheDeckStore.
Build customer loyalty through in-store classes
As building material retailers, we spend a good part of our winter and early spring making sure our employees are up to speed on...
Make sure your deck components and accessories are quality-compatible
In the previous months' columns, we’ve talked about getting all of our inventory organized, and the planning of the new decking season that most...
Preseason prep for lumberyards
It's that time again—I’ve used this analogy in these columns before, but it’s worth repeating: Lumberyards need to treat the slow days of March...
Timing and distributor relationships matter when selecting new products
I mentioned in last month's column that I’m skipping this year’s local home and garden winter shows. I have a number of reasons for doing so,...
Why I’m skipping local home shows this year
In the past I’ve talked about how our team at The Deck Store has invested a lot of time and energy into making creative...
Wood is good for deck boards, but are manufactured surfaces better?
When I first started out as a deck builder in the 1990s, I created a business plan that said my focus was going to...
How to sell more lighting with your decking
Deck lighting is a largely untapped market for many of the lumber dealers I speak with. While most dealers are selling decking of some...
Make time for trade shows and industry events
Now is the time of the year that a lumber dealer can learn the most about his business. That’s because after a busy summer...
Independent lumber dealers need loyalty from distributors
The most common question distributor reps ask is how they can help me sell more of the products they carry. Here’s the deal: There...
High lumber prices can actually be good for business
With the cost of lumber rising due to the tariffs on Canadian softwoods, every lumber dealer you talk to is spending more for inventory....