Five Relocation Tips
Design for efficiency. Rick Hollenkamp of Kraus-Anderson talks about “orchestrating” a yard’s design so customers and inventory get in and out quicker. Rick Hogue of Krauter Storage Systems recommends that yards be at least 5 acres. Loading areas should be horseshoe-shaped so pickup and delivery trucks can maneuver.
Massage your neighbors. Some planners and homeowners will never be thrilled about having a lumberyard move into their neighborhoods. Consultants advise dealers to head off opposition by reaching out to the community to solicit their input. Some problems can be addressed by simple design changes.
Prepare employees. Even when a yard is only moving up the road, workers need to be ready for change. After it relocated in October 2003, Triple-A Building Center hired a consultant, Ken Wilbanks, who specializes in helping building product companies get their employees to work as a team.
Use your co-op. For years, buying groups have encouraged dealers to expand, and have set up departments within their organizations that provide help in areas such as real estate, store design and layout, construction, and remerchandising.
Know what you don’t know. Pride goeth before the fall when dealers take on too many responsibilities. Hollenkamp recalls one dealer who didn’t realize he needed a building permit to relocate, and wound up cutting off 6,000 square feet from his yard plan to abide by a setback.
–John Caulfield
