Real Issues. Real Answers

To sell more (at lower margins) or sell less (at higher margins) is an age-old question facing LBM dealers.

This month’s question, from a dealer in Ohio, explores the idea of adjusting expected sales quotas, and possibly even commission tiers and percentages, in order to keep our top performers from jumping ship.

As COVID-19 vaccines became more widely available, an LBM dealer in Virginia reached out to LBM Journal asking whether or not companies in our industry were requiring employees to get vaccinated.

With lumber prices near record highs, and many other materials in short supply, it’s more important than ever that LBM dealers have smart return policies in place.

With extreme price spikes in commodity products, and ongoing product shortages, how are dealers handling the quoting process on potential new projects?

This month’s Real Issues survey question comes from a Wisconsin dealer who asks what will happen when (and if) a few large corporations control LBM distribution.

As we ended 2020 and the many challenges and opportunities the year brought to our industry, we wanted to know our readers’ recent experience in hiring for different positions, and their insights into attracting top talent. 

The question for this month’s Real Issue survey came from a dealer who is facing challenges as his business was no longer conducted strictly in a face-to-face manner.

With technology playing an ever-growing role for our companies, LBM dealers and distributors are looking to get the most from their ERP systems. The...

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s to prepare for the most likely outcome, but also anticipate exactly the opposite scenario, just in case. So by 2020 logic, that means record sales amidst a global pandemic, right? Go figure, but that’s what happened for many in the industry — resulting in serious materials shortages in some markets.