What's happening and what matters in construction supply, from Webb Analytics President Craig Webb.
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These 10 Significant Events in LBM During 2020 Are Most Likely to Affect You in 2021 |
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Hundreds of LBM headlines crossed your desk this year. Some were vitally important, some were trivial, and others didn't get the attention they deserved. Here's my list of the top 10 events that I believe will have long-lasting impact. Which made your list? More
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How Much Should You Push Workers to Take the Covid Vaccine? Consider These Factors |
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Construction supply executives who have grown accustomed to playing defense during this Covid pandemic soon will have an opportunity to go on the offense now that vaccines are arriving at communities nationwide. So long as you follow the rules, you can even go beyond encouragement and require most employees to get the shot. Should you do that? Here are some factors that could influence your plans. More
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Here's How BFS Will Be Organized and Who Its Leaders Will Be After Merging with BMC |
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Builders FirstSource and BMC have revealed the names and titles of executive and field leaders who will lead their combined operation once their merger is finalized, probably within the next few days. The companies also revealed how their combined business, which will carry the BFS name, will be organized regionally. More
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77 People, 63 Firms: The Latest LBM Hires |
Dave Anderson (left), has become the new president of Mead Lumber. There also are new bosses at Clyde Cos. (parent of Sunpro), Zuern Building Products, and Northeast Building Supply; a new VP of finance at Palmer-Donavin; two regional VPs at BlueLinx; and new store managers at 84 Lumber, Kellogg Supply, McCoy's Building Supply, and High Sierra Lumber. Also in the news: Alexander Lumber's former president has moved to Do it Best, there's a new SVP of national sales at Emery Jensen Distribution, and several LBM-related boards announced new members. Who else is on this issue's list? Check 'em out
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Deals Pace Gains Speed Heading Toward Year End |
M&A activity involving BMC and US LBM has dominated the deals news since late November, while SRS Distribution's Heritage Landscape Supply Group pushed its total location count to more than 100 in just 22 months of existence. All told, 38 facilities have been involved in acquisitions, greenfield openings, and closures just since Nov. 15. Here's the list. More
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I was honored to be asked by Corey Hiegel of Palmer-Donavin to join him for his Last Look Podcast, in which we reviewed the major events of 2020. Listen to it and then tell us if you agree with our assessment. |
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Want fresh, reliable data on how well small businesses in your state and metro area are dealing with the pandemic? Then bookmark this page from the Census Bureau. It features great graphics from a huge survey. |
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Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish |
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One of the stranger stories spotted this month involves "Shingle Mountain," a pile of discarded roofing shingles in south Dallas that has grown to six stories tall over the past two years. It was born in 2018 when company called Blue Star Recycling claimed it could avoid the landfill if the city would let it grind shingles into materials that would be used for paving and other projects. By December 2018, there were 54,000 tons of shingles on the site, and neighbors were calling it an environmental hazard. The city filed suit that month, calling Shingle Mountain an illegal dumping site. The state initiated an enforcement action, and the recycling company lost its license in March 2019. In April 2019, the site was closed and Blue Star was ordered to clean up the place within 90 days. Blue Star declared itself insolvent in June 2019, went through several CEOs, and filed for bankruptcy that Halloween. It has taken 14 more months but now trucks are set to arrive and move the shingles ... to the very landfill that Blue Star had promised to avoid. More
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Need LBM Research? Data? A Webinar Speaker? |
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If you want to run a better LBM company, Webb Analytics can help.
Webb Analytics was created by Craig Webb, who for 12 years served as editor-in-chief of ProSales, the nation's most-honored publication for construction supply executives. Webb Analytics alerts dealers to trends, threats, and opportunities from around the globe to help LBM insiders and investors make better decisions. He does it through personal (and online) visits, custom research, data, strategic consulting, speeches, roundtables, board work, and business development services.
Prior to joining ProSales, Webb worked as an editor and reporter at The Wall Street Journal in Brussels and New York. He served as chief economics reporter for United Press International, covered Congress and the White House for McGraw-Hill, was trade editor at the Journal of Commerce, and worked for other organizations in newsrooms from Indiana to Italy.
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Washington, DC, USA | www.webb-analytics.com
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