Ready to outperform the competition?
LBM Strategies is the leading educational and networking conference in the industry, attracting more dealers and distributors by focusing on sales, business, and brand growth.
October 14-16
The Pfister Hotel Milwaukee
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
LBM Strategies Conference
Bringing together LBM pros to address and share practical, tactical solutions to today’s toughest business challenges. The educational sessions address the issues you’re facing, delivered by LBM pros who’ve faced down those challenges and found solutions that work.
Networking
We get it: The most valuable part of any industry conference is the opportunity to connect with fellow industry pros. That’s why your registration includes breakfasts, lunches, coffee breaks, and cocktail receptions. Quality, in-person time with other LBM pros leads to fresh connections that live on beyond the event.
Speakers
Presenters and panelists were carefully selected to address today’s top business challenges. Our lineup includes LBM industry veterans, up-and-comers, innovators and thought-leaders, all willing to share their strategies and successes to help you build your business. All presentations end with live Q&A.
Venue
For 130 years, The Pfister Hotel has stood as an icon of prestige, history, and timeless excellence in Milwaukee. Pfister associates strive to ensure that when guests arrive, they come to a warm and friendly place that is much more than a hotel – it’s an experience. As Milwaukee’s renowned luxury hotel, The Pfister has brought history, a celebration of art, and a philosophy of exceptional hospitality to locals and visitors alike. The Pfister Hotel is a member of Historic Hotels Worldwide®, which is dedicated to promoting heritage and cultural travel to prestigious historic treasures.
Speakers
Schedule
Schedule is subject to change.
6:00am - 8:30am
Registration Open for Tour Participants Only
7:30am - 8:30am
8:30am - 12:00pm
LUMBERYARD TOUR
Bliffert Lumber
Includes pre-tour breakfast and bus transportation.
Sponsored by Seljax
11:30am - 5:30pm
Conference Registration Open for all Attendees
12:00pm - 12:50pm
12:50pm - 1:00pm
1:00pm - 2:30pm
Real AI, No Hype: A Live Workshop for LBM Operators
Shane Soule, Protec Panel and Truss
Everyone’s talking about how AI will change this industry. Shane Soule is already living it. For two years, this LBM operator has built real AI infrastructure at ProTec Panel & Truss—an LBM 100 company two years running, with sales up more than 32% from 2024 to 2025—while orders keep shipping. No pilot. No proof of concept. In this live workshop, Shane opens the actual Claude workflows his team uses daily to slash hours off estimating, purchasing, and ERP-connected tasks—running them live on screen: what he types, what comes back, and what he does with the results. You’ll leave with exactly what Shane uses, ready to put to work the moment you’re back at your desk.2:30pm - 2:55pm
3:00pm - 4:30pm
CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE IN THE LBM COMMUNITY
Rick Schumacher, LBM Journal
Recognizing Dealers of the Year, LBM Century Club, 40 Under 40, and the LBM 100.5:00pm - 6:30pm
6:00am - 5:30pm
Registration Open
7:00am - 7:50am
7:50am - 8:00am
8:00am - 9:00am
KICK-OFF KEYNOTE: An Unusual Approach to Develop Uncommonly Effective Leaders
Levi Smith, Franklin Building Supply
What does it take to build uncommonly effective leaders? Levi Smith, CEO, President and Board Member of Franklin Building Supply, shares how he does just that by leveraging memorable stories, surprising restraint, and unreasonable amounts of one-on-one time. Franklin is a 100% employee-owned company of more than 700 people across Idaho and Nevada, spanning distribution, retail, manufacturing, and installation—and ranked #19 on the 2026 LBM 100 list. A former ranch kid from Texas, Levi is an optimizer at heart, relentlessly pursuing small improvements that compound into dramatic results. This keynote will leave you with a fresh vision and practical tools to build uncommonly effective leaders of your own.9:00am - 9:30am
Building Top Performers: A Blueprint to Develop the Next Generation of Sales Reps
Dan Efenecy, Carter Lumber
Great salespeople aren’t found, they’re developed. Dan Efenecy, market sales manager for Carter Lumber (#4 on the 2026 LBM100 and a 2026 LBM Dealer of the Year), will share the structured sales training program he built—and the simple question that sparked it: How do we develop the next generation of sales reps? It starts with hiring right—identifying the character traits, mindset, and coachability that predict long-term success. From there, Dan will walk through the framework behind this proven training program and the systems he uses to build product knowledge, sales skills, financial awareness, and accountability. You’ll walk away with a practical blueprint for developing high-performing sales professionals. Includes live Q&A.9:30am - 9:55am
10:00am - 10:30am
Built to Grow: How Hancock Lumber Turned Components into a Growth Engine
Mark Hopkins, Hancock Lumber Company
Join COO Mark Hopkins for an inside look at Hancock Lumber’s components growth journey—from a small wall panel shop in 1999 to the acquisition of Mainely Trusses in 2018 and the opening of a new 44,000-square-foot state-of-the-art component manufacturing facility in 2026. Mark will share how strategic investments, evolving customer needs, and advances in prefabrication and off-site construction have shaped the business. Attendees will gain practical insights on scaling operations, strengthening customer partnerships, and leveraging components to drive future growth in today’s challenging building market.10:30am - 11:00am
The Long Game: How Diversification Builds a Business That Lasts
Chad Amble, Issaquah Lumber
How do you keep a business relevant for 135 years—and know when it’s time to build something new? Chad Amble, 2025 LBM Journal Dealer of the Year and owner of Issaquah Lumber, has done both: growing a century-old lumberyard into a trusted resource, and launching a second company, Amble Wood, when opportunity outgrew his core business. In this session, Chad breaks down the strategy behind both moves—how deep expertise builds customer trust and pricing power, when to defend your core business versus diversify, and how to spot the next opportunity before it’s obvious. You’ll leave with a framework for evaluating your next move, whether that’s doubling down on what you do best or building something new alongside it.11:00am - 12:00pm
What the Market Is Telling You: Research-Backed Strategies to Win Pros in 2027
Beth PopNikolov, Venveo & Grant Farnsworth, The Farnsworth Group
Market shifts, tariffs, economic pressures, and AI are reshaping how customers think, buy, and stay loyal. In this fast-paced, data-packed session, Beth PopNikolov (CEO, Venveo) and Grant Farnsworth (President, The Farnsworth Group) translate the latest customer research into a clear picture of what matters to buyers now—and what doesn’t. You’ll learn exactly how buyer behavior is evolving, where the real, actionable opportunities for differentiation lie, and what your sales and marketing teams can do to win more business in the coming year. You’ll leave with tactical, practical insights you can put to work immediately to drive your business forward.12:00pm - 1:00pm
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Attracting Next Gen Pros: 40 Under 40 Panel Discussion
Sadie Hammond Berube, Hammond Lumber Company; Josh Beach, Lensing Building Specialties; Bryan Bardenett, Erie Materials Inc.; Ashley Elliott, SBSI Mountain Building Supply; Ethan Stahl, Beisser Lumber Company; Tania Swanson, 41 Lumber
What does it take to get today’s best young talent to choose—and stay with—an LBM company? Moderator Sadie Hammond Berube, a 40 Under 40 alumna, hosts several members of our 2026 40 Under 40 class for a candid conversation on what draws rising pros to this industry—and keeps them here. Panelists will get real about what they weigh when evaluating an employer, what keeps them engaged, and where they see themselves in this industry years from now. You’ll leave with a clearer picture of what next-gen talent values, plus practical ideas for making your company a place they’re eager to build a career. Live Q&A follows.2:00pm - 2:25pm
2:30pm - 3:30pm
M&A Insights: The Metrics that Drive LBM Company Value
John Wagner, Ted Rieple 1st West M&A
Despite a soft operating market driven by high interest rates, affordability pressure, and slower residential and commercial activity, LBM consolidation has not stopped. Well-capitalized strategic buyers and private acquirers are still pursuing quality companies. In this environment, what separates an ordinary LBM business from a premium acquisition target? This session will examine the attributes buyers pay up for—market position, margin quality, management depth, product mix, customer diversification, and operational discipline—and outline the performance ‘swim lanes’ for sales productivity, gross margin, operating expense, and EBITDA that help drive premium valuations.3:00pm - 5:00pm
Dealer to Dealer: Roundtable Discussions
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Unwind, Play & Connect: A Night Out at 3rd St. Market Hall
The learning’s done—now it’s time to relax. Join fellow attendees for a private evening at Milwaukee’s own 3rd St. Market Hall, where great food, drinks, and friendly competition await. Take your best swing at Top Golf, get strategic on the shuffleboard table, or bring your A-game to cornhole. Whether you’re catching up with old friends or meeting new ones, this is your chance to unwind and connect outside the conference room. No agendas, no pressure — just good food, good games, and good company. Come play, stay awhile, and end the day on a high note.
Sponsored by NAHB IBS
7:00am - 7:50am
7:50am - 8:00am
8:00am - 9:00am
KICK-OFF KEYNOTE: Old Guard & Young Guns: A Practical Framework for Sales Succession
Bradley Hartmann, Bradley Hartmann & Company
Every LBM company is facing the same challenge: Seasoned sales reps are retiring, and the institutional knowledge, customer relationships, and tribal wisdom they carry are walking out the door with them. This keynote by Bradley Hartmann reframes generational transition as a sales discipline—not simply a retirement plan. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for retaining accounts during handoffs, extracting wisdom before it disappears, and accelerating the next generation of sales leaders without sacrificing your positive culture that took decades to build. Succession doesn’t have to be a crisis. Handled well, it can be your next competitive advantage.9:00am - 10:00am
Builder Panel: Unfiltered: What Builders Really Need from Their Dealer Partners
Bradley Hartmann, Bradley Hartmann & Company
They’re on the jobsite every day—and they’re not pulling punches. In this unfiltered panel discussion led by Bradley Hartmann, a group of professional builders lays it all out: what makes a dealer partnership actually work, and what can kill it. Product availability, delivery reliability, communication, follow-through, trust—nothing is off limits. These builders will share real stories straight from the field: the wins, the breakdowns, and the moments that made or broke a relationship. You’ll leave with a builder’s-eye view of what truly matters on the jobsite, plus sharp, practical ways to strengthen partnerships, elevate service, and become the dealer every pro customer can’t afford to lose.
“It’s well worth the investment. Needs to be top of list for events you need to attend yearly.”
Sponsors
Platinum
Gold
Speaker Dinner
Welcome Reception
Thursday Reception
Silver
Sponsors
