Your business is like a living, breathing entity that—similar to all living beings—is vulnerable to a variety of threats. Some threats are noticeable and slow-moving, while others are subtle and swift. Many are not exclusive to the residential construction industry, while others are. The purpose of ProSales magazine is not to simply identify the threats—that would be as helpful as describing the surrounding water to a drowning victim. Instead, our purpose is to identify the threats and offer lifelines in the form of ideas, analysis, and best practices. Additionally, we’ll identify opportunities and how you can make the most of them.
One way we’re addressing industry threats and opportunities in this issue is with our cover story, by Curtis Sprung, which features our 2019 Dealer of the Year (see page 26). We identify what makes Lansing Building Products, despite competing in a highly commoditized industry with various forces working against it, so successful and deserving of our highest honor. Spoiler alert: It’s not about the products.
It’s about its people—people like Kyle Watson, a branch manager at Lansing’s Lanham, Md., location, who helped one of his clients hit a deadline by hand delivering a hard-to-find product. And Matt Equinoa, manager of Lansing’s Portland, Ore., branch and one of the recipients of our Four Under 40 awards (see page 37), who stated to me in an email, “With respect to business success, everything falls back to integrity.”
It’s comforting to know that people like Kyle and Matt exist in this industry, and that companies like Lansing not only hire them but empower them to do what’s right. This is a significant competitive differentiator that will enable Lansing to stave off at least a few disruptive forces. Kudos to Lansing for focusing on its employees and for winning this year’s Dealer of the Year award. And, of course, congratulations to all of our 2019 Four Under 40 winners. All of these honors are well deserved.
