One of the many challenges that LBM dealers face today is properly balancing inventory levels with demand and without sacrificing customer service. Sales have fallen so dramatically in some markets that they throw out the usefulness of any sales history. Other yards have been left hanging with inventory that was stocked specifically for certain customers that no longer exist.
Let's face it, in most cases around the country, the LBM industry is bad. Actually, bad may not be a harsh-enough term. Catastrophic might better describe today's environment. This housing downturn is, by far, the worst that most industry executives have ever seen. It is such a swing from just three years ago, when housing starts were unbelievable-unbelievable and unsustainable.
