Real Issues Real Answers

Many readers cite quality products as a defining difference that separates their company from the competition. So what to do when the lumber you’re...

The housing market is strong, which is great. And lumber prices are rising sharply, which is good for the bottom line, because 10% markup...

Conversations about employee training raise all kinds of questions: “What if we train them and they leave?” “What if we don’t and they stay?”...

Offering purchase discounts to pro customers is an accepted, long-standing strategy that many lumberyards use to encourage loyalty from pro customers. But given the...

Today’s strong housing and remodeling markets are a golden opportunity for all companies in the residential construction business. When a company decides to grow...

The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend has definitely reached the LBM world. With the vast majority of Americans owning cell phones (95%, according...

Should we or shouldn’t we? That is one of the questions companies wrestle with when determining what financial information—if any—to share with employees. On...

Today’s headlines are dominated by allegations of sexual harassment, often reaching the highest levels of government and business. Companies across all industries are taking...

The old saw, “You got to dance with them what brung you,” is a nice sentiment, but how valid is it in our business?...

Staffing our companies with quality people has become one of the most serious challenges facing many LBM dealers. Whether that’s due to the mass...