top of page
Webb Analytics
Spotting the trends, opportunities and threats that affect LBM dealer profits
Search


Behind the BFS-BMC Merger: CEO Changes, Covid Concerns, and a Rival 'Party X'
By Craig Webb Surprising as the news might have seemed at the time, the Aug. 27 merger announcement combining Builders FirstSource (BFS)...

Craig Webb
Oct 15, 20205 min read
Â
Â
Â


LBM Deals, Openings, and Closures Continue to Rise Through Mid-October
The LBM community has seen a total of 219 facilities involved in deals, greenfield openings, or closures since the start of 2020, Webb...

Craig Webb
Oct 15, 20202 min read
Â
Â
Â


LBM People in the News, Mid-October Edition
Dealers Kodiak Building Partners announced several job changes. Mark Garboski was promoted to COO. Mike Flood was promoted to Executive...

Craig Webb
Oct 14, 20205 min read
Â
Â
Â


With the BFS-BMC Merger, It Now Takes Two Maps to Track LBM Deals
This month's report on openings, closures, and acquisitions requires an awfully big asterisk. The map here shows the 193 locations that...

Craig Webb
Sep 15, 20202 min read
Â
Â
Â


Your Next To-Do Item: Review Your Policies About Politicking
Never let it be said that LBM people lack political opinions. Thus, this fall is likely to be the high season for partisan passions....

Craig Webb
Sep 15, 20206 min read
Â
Â
Â


LBM People in the News, Mid-September Edition
DEALERS L&W Supply selected Regi Shelley (right) to be district manager for the Triangle and Triad Districts of North Carolina. Carter...

Craig Webb
Sep 14, 20203 min read
Â
Â
Â


Their Leaders Call This Deal 'Transformational.' Here's How the BFS-BMC Merger May Affect You
The LBM industry woke up Aug. 27 to the biggest deal ever in construction supply: The merger of America's two biggest lumberyards,...

Craig Webb
Aug 31, 20206 min read
Â
Â
Â


Where Could Cuts in the BFS-BMC Deal Take Place? These Maps Show the Possibilities
Today's announced merger of Builders FirstSource (BFS) and BMC will shake up markets nationwide in lots of ways. For employees of both...

Craig Webb
Aug 27, 20201 min read
Â
Â
Â


BFS, BMC Both Look to Grow in Size After Weathering COVID's Shocks
Judging by what America's two biggest publicly traded lumberyards have been telling people lately, this quarter will be marked by...

Craig Webb
Aug 5, 20202 min read
Â
Â
Â


Between COVID and a Sales Boom, LBM Execs Need to Watch for Signs of Staff Burnout
Nobody ever said running a construction supply company was easy, but just about everyone will concede that working in LBM this year has...

Craig Webb
Aug 4, 20202 min read
Â
Â
Â


Names You're Used to Seeing Continue to Lead LBM's Deals and Openings
You'll see much that's familiar when you scan the list of who's involved in LBM deals and greenfield openings in July and early August....

Craig Webb
Aug 4, 20202 min read
Â
Â
Â


LBM People in the News, August Issue
Ace Hardware Corp. promoted Alison Dowell (right) to president and general manager of Emery Jensen Distribution, an Ace subsidiary. Her...

Craig Webb
Aug 4, 20204 min read
Â
Â
Â


$80K LBM Swindle, Shrinkage Report Show COVID Hasn't Stopped Criminals
An $80,000 swindling case in Minnesota and a new national report on retail shrinkage serve as reminders this month that construction...

Craig Webb
Jul 29, 20202 min read
Â
Â
Â


The West Moves to the Forefront in June-July's Deals Roundup
After months in which New England and the mid-Atlantic dominated the stage, several of the latest deals, openings, and closures involve...

Craig Webb
Jul 7, 20203 min read
Â
Â
Â


These LBM Dealers Got the Biggest PPP Payouts
The Small Business Administration (SBA) gave between $150,000 and $10 million to 3,345 home centers, hardware stores, lumberyards, and...

Craig Webb
Jul 7, 20202 min read
Â
Â
Â


LBM People in the News, July 2020 Edition
Robyn Pollina (right), the CFO at Palmer-Donavin for the past 23 years, will become CEO on Aug. 1 when Ron Calhoun retires. In addition,...

Craig Webb
Jul 7, 20204 min read
Â
Â
Â


Big Dealers' Ventures Into New Territories Highlight May's Openings/Closures/Deals Report
Two notable trends--one expected, the other a bit more eye-opening--mark LBM's M&A activity over the past month. The expected trend...

Craig Webb
Jun 3, 20202 min read
Â
Â
Â


Big Dealers Pile Up Cash and Credit to Prepare for the Downturn
In recessionary, coronavirus-tainted times like these, a company's balance sheet might well be a better indicator of its future prospects...

Craig Webb
May 6, 20202 min read
Â
Â
Â


Openings, Closures, Deals Pace Slowed Only Slightly by Coronavirus
Coronavirus news has pushed aside many of the usual headlines in LBM these past two months, but one announcement from back on March 16...

Craig Webb
May 6, 20204 min read
Â
Â
Â


LBM People in the News, Early May Edition
* The board of directors of The Lester Group elected Jay Dickens as president/CEO. His promotion follows the retirement of Jim O’Brien,...

Craig Webb
May 5, 20204 min read
Â
Â
Â
Blog: Blog2
bottom of page