Now that we've revealed the 2018 ProSales 100 list of the nation's biggest pro-oriented yards, the question becomes: Who's next? These 15 companies were the also-rans for this year's list, but it's not for lack of trying.
Collectively, this group grew revenues by 24.1% in 2017, putting them far ahead of the 15.1% increase recorded by the PS100. These 15 were just as robust in terms of facility growth, rising 12.8% vs. the PS100s' 2.9% climb, and employee count, growing 20.7% as compared with the PS100's 7.3% payroll increase.
TAL Holdings' overall revenue of $57.4 million beats 10 companies that did make the ProSales 100, but because we base our rankings on sales to pros and TAL gets 30% of its revenue from retail, the Vancouver, Wash.-based company fell just $100,000 short on the pro sales rankings. Acquisitions fueled much of its growth: In December 2016, the Pacific Northwest company formerly known only for Tum-A-Lum Lumber acquired Marson and Marson Lumber in Washington state. And then last August it acquired Brown Lumber Inc., parent company of Browne's Home Center in Friday Harbor, Wash.
Meanwhile, if PMC Building Materials gets onto a future ProSales 100 list, it would mark a return of sorts. PMC is the direct descendant of Ply Mart, a company we honored in our January 2017 issue as Dealer of the Year and then saw crash when the Great Recession hit the Atlanta area. PMC is a much different company, featuring among other things one of the largest displays of outdoor decking in the U.S.
One company you won't see again on the list in this fashion is H.L. Munn. That Iowa-based firm is set to become part of Mead Lumber, No. 29 on this year's list.
