Event Sponsors
Includes pre-tour breakfast sponsored by UPG and transportation sponsored by ITW Construction and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The Tour is open to all attendees – space is limited to first 110 registrants.
Sponsored by Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual.
More information to follow. Open to all attendees.
Sponsored by Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual.
More information to follow. Open to all attendees.
Award-winning author and sixth-generation LBM dealer Kevin Hancock will discuss both the imperative and the opportunity for companies to elevate their mission by advancing humanity. Humanity, as it turns out, is advanced one human at a time–starting with yourself, then moving to the people right beside you. In his opening keynote, Kevin will share how companies can soar to unprecedented heights by putting themselves second and the humanity of the people who work there first. Kevin will share details that have helped Hancock Lumber earn recognition as a Best Place to Work in Maine for nine consecutive years—how to go about becoming “employee-centric,” how to give employees the gifts of voice, self-worth, freedom of expression, time, and much more. This presentation will effectively set the stage for LBM Strategies 2022 to help you and your company leverage the power of shared leadership to drive deep employee engagement and create genuine separation between you and your competition. BONUS: All attendees will receive a hard-cover copy of Kevin’s latest book, “48 Whispers.”
In this session, Steve Swinney will share his story of getting into the world of building products, and the approach that has helped Kodiak grow into one of the largest companies in the LBM industry. He’ll reveal leadership lessons learned from family-owned local businesses that will help you create value, whether your company is a 100-location national dealer, a single location yard, or anywhere in between. He’ll share the successes and failures as Kodiak has worked to “create a culture that empowers local leaders to succeed in the communities they serve.” With a focus on communication, investing in people, and servant leadership, Steve will also share his view of the future of our industry. Q&A will follow.
Imagine a workplace full of hyper-engaged employees—sharing ideas, creating solutions, and working with friends. Now imagine every applicant walking through your door has determined such a workplace is the only criteria they care about. The wave of that reality is swelling. Learn to ride that powerful wave in “5 Steps to a Kick-Butt Workplace” as Matt Ellis unveils the steps and tools used to help DW Distribution earn Gallup’s Exceptional Workplace Award. You’ll leave this session armed with practical tips and proven strategies to make your company a great place to work. Q&A will follow.
Think only big changes bring big results? Think again! Join Thea Dudley and Mike McDole as they lead a panel of innovative, established LBM pros from across the U.S. for a candid discussion of small changes that lead to big impacts. They’ll share examples of how seemingly minor tweaks to sales, credit, and operations often punch above their weight–delivering very real results to your compay’s cashflow. With Thea and Mike leading the way, this promises to be an entertaining and educational session with plenty of ideas you can take home and implement immediately. Bring your questions and prepare for a lively and interactive discussion!
In order to respond quickly and decisively to major business disruptions like destructive weather and fires, John Marshall committed to crafting a Crisis Management Plan for Wilson Lumber by the end of 2019. That plan was tested immediately with an unforeseeable global pandemic, supply chain emergencies, and more. Sharing his company’s Action Plan for Crisis Management, John will guide you through the steps, including identifying and actually declaring a crisis, defining crisis communications with Leadership, designating an Emergency Team, and outlining communications for the entire organization. You’ll leave this session with the insights to create a Crisis Management Plan to help your company successfully navigate serious business disruptions. Q&A will follow.
Faced with interest rates rising and many materials in short supply, LBM dealers looking for opportunities to grow their sales and margins may want to take a fresh look at installed sales. In this session, Rob Walker will discuss how the installed sales department he launched more than 15 years ago has grown to contribute significantly to Beisser Lumber’s bottom line. He will share the benefits that his company has enjoyed, like providing a cushion during slow times, and allowing you to standout to your customers and vendors. He’ll also share practical insights for navigating the challenges they’ve encountered as their program grew. Q&A will follow.
Liens and bond claims are critical elements of an LBM company’s credit and collection process. Unfortunately, due to poor job information, missed deadlines, or the lack of internal processes, even seasoned construction businesses can lose their rights. In this session, Ariela Wagner will share five clear steps that she’s identified in her role as president of SunRay Construction Solutions, that will help you secure your company’s rights. While lien laws vary widely from state-by-state, you’ll leave this session armed with fundamental, proven-in-the-real-world best practices to help you successfully navigate the process of protecting your lien rights, and to ending bad debt.
Ownership transitions typically come down to three options: family succession, selling to another company, or employee stock ownership plans. Ward Lumber, a 132-year old company in its fourth-generation of family ownership chose a different path, becoming a worker-owned cooperative. In this presentation, Jay Ward will share why Ward Lumber became a worker-owned co-op, what resources were involved in the ownership transition, and how the co-op is currently managed. He’ll also discuss what kind of companies can be a worker-owned co-op, what has changed and what has remained the same, what employee owners are saying, and what Jay is doing now. Live Q&A will follow.
“What’s my company worth now?” That’s a question being asked by owners who elected not to sell in the recent flurry of M&A activity. With today’s inflation, borrowing costs are higher for acquirers, while we’ve seen the “covid bump” settle down and lumber prices normalize. In this session, M&A gurus John Wagner and Ted Rieple will share how acquisition values have cooled for smaller companies, but there’s still an appetite among acquirers for premium companies with strong growth and earnings. They will discuss the multiples of EBITDA being paid today for companies of all sizes, and review how to position for acquisition if you’re waiting out this economic cycle. Live Q&A will follow.
For over a century, three metrics dominated the perceived performance and relative value assigned to baseball players: batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. That is, until Moneyball was published in 2003 and advanced analytics challenged long-standing underlying assumptions within the game. The Moneyball mindset is now upon us in lumber and building materials. In this engaging and interactive session, Bradley Hartmann and analytics expert Brock Lacy share insights, models, and tools to advance your understanding of sales performance analytics, well beyond the three metrics of sales, gross margin, and gross profit dollars.
