Rick Schumacher
Rick Schumacher is the editor and publisher of LBM Journal, and has more than 25 years experience covering the industry. Rick@LBMJournal.com
Tough Call: Who’s afraid of the big (bad) box?
A national big box home center chain is going up right across the street from your store. What would you do?
Introducing the LBM Journal 100
Our list is constructed to provide you with exactly what we hope everything we produce provides: a comprehensive look at what other LBM pros are doing and how their experience may give you insights to help you build your sales, your business, and your brand.
Tough Call: Unmasked
A loyal, longtime customer refuses to wear a mask in your store. What would you do?
Let’s meet up in Boston
Mark your calendar to reconnect with your fellow LBM pros in Boston, October 13-15. Hope to see you there!
Tough Call: The very expensive competitive edge
Material shortages and record-high prices mean your policy of no restocking fees and free pickup of excess materials is costing you big. What would you do?
Consolidation and competition
Consolidation is disrupting and reshaping our industry, and there’s no question that it’s daunting to compete against larger competitors. But it’s not impossible.
Tough Call: The battle of Karen
Karen wants to speak to the manager. She wants a refund on her non-refundable custom order and says she'll raise a public ruckus until she gets her way. What would you do?
Lessons learned
It's said that experiences that don’t kill us make us stronger. If that’s true, then the death-defying rollercoaster that was 2020 has taken our strength training to whole new level.
Tough Call: Is Chuck worth it?
The leading salesperson at the company you've recently acquired is a major jerk, and others on your team want him gone, regardless of his sales volume. What would you do?
A fresh page
I like to think that we, our families and our companies begin each year with a fresh page…a clean start.