June 2005 Table of Contents

If you want to know what's coming down the supply channel in the next few years, a good place to start might be the 2003 International Building Code (IBC), the latest iteration of the so-called I-codes that will, in some form, ideally end up in the hands of every building official nationwide. Read more

Dealers that are jumping into the showroom game are finding success by emphasizing location, tapping vendors and distributors, and incorporating �wow� factor displays into design centers that ease the product selection dilemma for contractors and their homeowner clients alike. Read more

Extreme Measures / Spenard Builders Supply empowers employees and teams up with customers and suppliers to keep product moving from the pounding seas of the north Pacific to the icy expanses above the Arctic Circle. Read more

It's 4:45 a.m. in the city that never sleeps and, save for a few delivery trucks and cab drivers, the city is still. But down on Pier 3 in Brooklyn, a truck idles in front of the Strober Building Supply yard, and as the first steel shipment of the morning is unloaded, employees inside the warehouse are gearing up for another unpredictable day serving builders in and around New York City. Read more

Although the role of the lumber and building materials supplier is ingrained in the construction supply chain, if pro dealers fail to implement new competitive strategies, their profits will suffer long-term. To help you add value on a strategic level, there are three business models that, when rigorously applied, can enhance business success and value. Read more

Raleigh, N.C. Read more

For Salem Ore.-based Keith Brown Building Materials, the decision in March to start selling certified lumber with a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain of custody certificate was an easy one. With 11 full-service lumberyards on the Interstate 5 corridor in northern California and southern Oregon, Keith Brown is located in a traditional green building pocket, where environmental concerns play into the purchasing habits of homeowners and contractors alike. "We are concerned about our forests and want to educate and offer environmentally friendly [product] options," says Keith Brown vice president of operations Phil Cox. "We went with FSC because our customers were asking for it and our competitors were offering it." Read more

When it comes to design and product selection for the home, consumers are heavily influenced not just by shelter publications, Read more

Notoriously territorial, surfers offer surprising parallels to the pro dealer industry, including insight into how to penetrate new markets dominated by other local suppliers. Read more