Mitja Peterman
Owner / AL&M Do it Best Building Supplies / Sealy and Columbus, Texas
As a two-store operation, AL&M Building Supply keeps Mitja Peterman busy. “We are 50 miles west of Houston with one location and yes, we do have quite a bit of competition there,” Peterman says. “The other location is 75 miles west of Houston and there is significantly less competition.”
Being out in the country as we are, you never know when people are going to come and get all that oddball stuff, so we carry sufficient quantities. We did through the whole downturn in the economy.
Some of the products are really to comply with regulations–for example, a wind brace. There will always be products for the walls of new construction that is required for hurricane protection along the Gulf Coast. We bring things in as quickly as possible once they become something that will make it easier for the customers; for our builders and contractors to do their work.
We are continuously reviewing what products don’t sell. We’re proactive. When we see that volume has gone away, we’ll definitely consider discontinuing that product. [Sales] are No. 1, but sometimes we’ll look at how important the product is as part of the whole system. For example, some of the products that we sell to concrete people have had less volume, but we’re not going to discontinue it because we know there’s going to be someone who is going to need it.
I like vendors who keep me posted as far as what’s going on in the market. Vendors that are intellectually at a higher level, that are not just pushing the product, that inform me about what is happening, what’s triggering change in the market, so that I know what to expect and how to behave myself. The vendors that provide me with that, I definitely keep close contact with. Those that try to sell, sell, sell, sell, that’s not what I’m looking for. I will call them when I need them.
I always do comparison pricing. Even though I may go with one vendor more than others, I would definitely want to see what other vendors offer as far as pricing is concerned. It has a lot to do with the quality that vendor is providing us. I’m reluctant to go somewhere else for a lower price.
If it is a big commodity product, then the price is critical. If it is less competitive, say for something like treated lumber, I take a different approach. When it comes to specialty products, I’m not worried about the price because I know I will always be able to get my margin. It’s a secondary consideration.
We will definitely stay with Temple-Inland lumber and Temple products because of the quality. We have tried others, but we felt that Temple’s quality has been quite a bit better than what we had been offered or had gotten from other people.
Bev Hendrickson
Purchasing Manager / Crane Johnson Lumber / Fargo, N.D.
“You just have to be ready for anything. You can’t be set in your ways,” says Bev Hendrickson of what 16 years at Crane Johnson Lumber taught her. “You have to be able to change your thought process on a dime depending on what the market’s doing, what your customers want.” In the past two years especially, she orders smaller loads and does so more frequently.
It’s no secret in the industry: There are some quality issues with dimensional lumber right now and we’ve dropped some mills, not because they put out a poor product but because their quality wasn’t consistent. One time it will be great, next time not really. I’ll pay a little extra if the quality is there, but don’t tell me the quality is there and then send me something that’s iffy.
We’ve brought in ZIP panels, both the roofing and the wall sheathing, this last year and it really hasn’t picked up steam yet but I think it will. I’m excited about that one. Once this market turns around and people get busy again, it’s going to be a product that’s in demand. We wanted our contractors to get familiar with it, and unless you have it on the ground that’s hard to do.
There are some exciting products out there that might be in our future but it’s just going to be a matter of research. The tall wall systems seem to be coming into play more and more, and then there are some exciting changes in fiberglass insulation coming about. I think those are going to change the way people do things.
I talk to my vendors more than the guy who sits next to me. They have to be upfront as far as the quality, they have to stand behind their product, and they have to deliver what they say–that’s so important. If they let me down, I probably won’t be calling them back right away. It’s more of a performance issue rather ,than a personality issue. Do what you say you’re going to do, send me what you say you’re going to send me, do it on time and back me up.
I’ll tell you a fair price and you be fair with me. As long as you’re fair and consistent, you’re not going to get every order but I’ll be fair and consistent with you.
No two days are the same and the people I work with, not only in this company but also the vendors I work with, are just exceptional. I can’t say enough about them, they are so smart and so kind; they are really what make my job so enjoyable.
I wish things could be a little more consistent. When the market fluctuates like it has the past two years, when you have huge spikes and huge dips, it makes it challenging. But that’s part of the job. I really hate to see my competition and suppliers falling to the wayside.
AdvanTech would be a product I [can say I] really, really like. It has basically no problems. I put it out there and haven’t had any problems with the warranties. It performs about as good as anything could.
