November, 2006

This One’s For You

By Rick Schumacher

I’ve been in the industry for more than 16 years and you’d think I’d feel like I’ve seen everything.

Hardly. Every day is a discovery, and it never ceases to amaze me how much there is yet to learn. So much change rocks our ancient industry (I say “ancient” because we’ve been building houses since we left behind our webbed feet). From roofing shingles made of heat-reflective material to structural insulated panels; from fiber-cement siding to composite decking made from recycled materials—both practically impervious to the elements—lumber and building materials and the construction sophistication required to put them to good use are ever-changing. Building science is transforming new home construction techniques while builders work to change codes to reflect these new, better technologies. LBM dealers are in a race to source, stock and supply these materials to meet the growing demand, at the same time that you must serve the customers who continue to rely on you for the tried and true.

We’re in a dynamic business that requires constant education. If you’re like me, you scan your Google alerts every day to clue you in both to current “best practices” and to what’s going on at the cutting edge—in the United States and around the world. You talk to your customers and your suppliers. You read. You read LBM Journal especially because you expect us to bring it all home for you.

And so we do. Our cover story this month is a broad survey—one of the longest articles we’ve ever published—of the technologies created specifically to help you cut costs, increase your employees’ productivity and serve your customers better. Our “In Depth” article is all about the ever-growing variety of roofing options, with color and style choices and energy-efficiency ratings that make not choosing them expensive. We have a “Product Watch” article about two innovations that are less than a year old (one’s just launching) but are revolutionizing the installation of fiber-cement siding, making it go up faster, straighter and tighter all at once.

We have educator and craftsman Gary Katz discussing in great detail the strategies you should apply today to keep your employees safe on the job. And we have columnists Bill Lee and Tom Fife discussing point by point how you can lead your team to be their best.

We know our industry is dynamic; that’s one of the reasons we’re in it. With all you have to do and know, you can depend on us to bring it together for you every month. You’re why we’re here. If there’s anything more we can bring to your business, you just let us know.