Banks reducing lending to builders in an effort to improve their balance sheets edged out the Republican Party's election resurgence as the Top LBM Story of 2010, while US LBM president and CEO L.T. Gibson was chosen by voters as this year's Most Significant Person in LBM, according to the results of a vote held by ProSales.
The crackdown by banks received 494 votes of the 1,985 online ballots cast for top story over the past two weeks compared with 444 votes for the GOP's regaining control of the House of Representatives. The third- through fifth-place finishers received virtually the same support, with Apple's release of the iPad getting 289 votes, the government's tax break for new homes receiving 286 votes, and dealers closing facilities nationwide garnering 284 votes.
Participants were encouraged to vote as often as they wished, and they definitely did so in the voting for top individual. A total of 4,179 votes were cast in that race, and Gibson received 92.8% of them, or 3,880, plus 104 of the 122 write-in votes.
Trailing far behind in second place with 147 votes was Dan Tinker, chief operation officer of SRS Acquisitions, the fast-growing roofing dealer. ProBuild CEO Bill Myrick, Tart Lumber head Craig Fritsche, ABC Supply CEO David Luck, and President Barack Obama each received around 45 votes.
