A look back at lumber prices in June reminded all participants of the volatility seen last year. In spite of recent gains, prices ended the month way below last year’s levels. The current volatility was driven by production curtailments and the convergence of better weather and seasonal demand. The supply[Read More…]
Columnists
Roseburg Hires Director of Reliability
Roseburg, a forest products company with timberland in Oregon, Virginia, and North Carolina, reports that Chris Metcalf has joined the company as Director of Reliability, effective July 22. In this newly created role, Metcalf will oversee the analysis of reliability and maintenance practices and needs across the company and implement solutions[Read More…]
Down the Drain (Part 1)
I knew I was in for it. Vance had sold a job that included tearing down an existing shed and rebuilding in its place. He had done a site visit or two to determine all the details and help the customer figure out exactly what they needed. After selling the[Read More…]
Southern Named Fastmarkets RISI 2019 North American CEO of the Year
LP Building Solutions Chief Executive Officer Brad Southern has been named as the 2019 North American CEO of the Year by Fastmarkets RISI. RISI is the leading information provider for the global forest products industry. The award will be presented at RISI’s North American Conference on October 29 in Boston.[Read More…]
Kramer Sheds Launches New Website
Kramer Sheds, a builder based in Pennsylvania, reports it launched a new website in June. The company says the website has new features for customers, highlighting the “Build Your Own” section. Visitors to the site can design their own pavilion, pergola, or gazebo. After picking the structure to design, customers[Read More…]
Invest in Your Dealers Online, Watch Business Grow
If you rely on a local or regional network of dealers to sell sheds directly to consumers, your goal should be to set your dealers up for success. When your dealers improve their online marketing efforts, their online visibility will grow, in-store traffic will increase, and you’ll sell more sheds. [Read More…]
RTO National Named Exclusive Financing Provider for Tuff Shed
RTO National, a provider of consumer lease purchase and installment contracts to the backyard products industry, reports it was recently named the exclusive provider of financing for Tuff Shed. Based out of Denver, Tuff Shed provides storage buildings and garages manufactured and installed locally with domestically produced materials through its[Read More…]
Take a Lesson from Horton
In Dr. Seuss’ classic children’s book Horton Hears a Who, the big-hearted Horton recites over and over that “a person is a person, no matter how small.” I was listening to a good friend and customer the other day who was expressing his discontent about the poor service he’d been[Read More…]
Increase Your Sales by Asking Customers for Referrals
“Ask and God shall give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 I had to turn to the Bible to[Read More…]
Increasing Capacity
When Mike Doherty first investigated frame building equipment, he knew that this type of equipment could improve operations for his Maine-based company, Shed Happens. That was almost 10 years ago, and this past winter he took a huge step and capital expenditure by adding a Diamond Quad framing table (Triad),[Read More…]
