WMA Association & Industry News

MEMBER NEWS

Huttig Building Products, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2019 Results

Huttig Building Products, Inc. (“Huttig” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: HBP), a leading domestic distributor of millwork, building materials and wood products, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2019.

New RSL Representation

RSL, A Novatech Company, is pleased to make the following announcement. Jim and Craig Grow of JEG Sales and Randy Porter of RJ Porter and Associates are now representing RSL steel doors and doorglass. Craig and Jim’s territory will be Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. Randy’s territory will be Colorado and Utah. All three have decades of experience in the millwork industry.

INDUSTRY AND ECONOMIC NEWS

Tactics to Attract and Retain Skilled Labor

In a recent survey for our annual Builder 100 list, respondents selected from five strategies used to attract and retain talent.

ATA: Trucking Industry Was Short More Than 60,000 Drivers in Meeting Demand at End of 2018

More than 60,000 truck drivers were needed by the end of last year — the most ever — to meet the country’s demands for freight services, according to a new driver shortage report by American Trucking Associations.

Home Depot CFO Reveals the One Millennial Homeowner Habit That is ‘Music to Our Ears’

”[Millennials have] told us through our research, ‘We want to work on our house because we think it’s a good investment.’ So that’s music to our ears,” Home Depot CFO Carol Tomé says.

Builders Still Worried Even as New Home Sales Rise

According to recent data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau, new single-family home sales increased 7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 646,000 units in June.

Tariffs Are Throwing Punches, But Not Moving
the Needle

To date, although we and the Chinese are back negotiating, there hasn’t been much indication that we’ve “moved the needle” toward achieving our goal. According to a couple of recent articles, however, China is starting to
see a negative impact with Chinese manufacturers’ export sales
declining significantly.

GREEN BUILDING NEWS

Green Builder Media Reveals 3 Variables Consumers Most Associate With Authentic Green Building

Research released in July from Green Builder Media’s COGNITION Smart Data reveals that the top three variables most often associated with green and sustainable building practices are indoor air quality (IAQ), building and design practices, and quality construction. This trilogy is followed closely by variables that drive down ongoing operating costs (such as renewable energy, durability, and low maintenance).

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Replacing the ERP ‘One Piece at at Time’

As they invest heavily in eCommerce storefronts and strategies, B2B distributors are relying heavily on their enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. While the ERP is a vital piece of doing business today, the technology is incredibly old, with many systems dating to at least the 1990s.

Common Methods, Best Practices for IIoT Solidify

The only question now is how make it simple, effective and secure in process applications, as well as the HMI/SCADA, MES, ERP, cloud-computing and other functions that serve them.

SAFETY NEWS

Register for Safe + Sound Week 2019!

Safe + Sound Week is just around the corner!
From August 12-18, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor will join with workers and job creators across the country for Safe + Sound Week, a nationwide event that recognizes the successes of workplace safety and health programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep America’s workers safe.
Have you signed up?

Visit the Safe + Sound Week website to learn more about how you can participate.

ARTICLES OF INTEREST

An Effective Value Proposition is Life and Death for Distributors

With digital poised to reign as the dominant sales channel, and global competition on the rise, distributors can no longer view a value proposition as a luxury. In this market, a clear and actionable value proposition is critical
to survival.

Whatever Happens Next in 2019 and Beyond, Build on Trust

Through cyclical and structural pivots in the months and years ahead, a timeless value serves as a shining beacon in business strategy come hell or high water.

Distributors: Get Re-Bundling Flexible

When you quote a customer a “price”, what are the services that are bundled (“for free”) into that price? A typical distributor-bundle includes costs for: outside and inside reps, pick, pack, shipping, and trade credit. Bigger customers usually get extra services “for free”. Small ones may have a minimum order size requirement and/or an un-bundled freight charge. (A tough sell with Amazon’s free shipping policies.

PODCASTS

How Blockchain Will Redefine Supply Chain Management

When does blockchain become a significant technology in supply chain management? Only when it adds value by automating interactions and by building trust, notes Stefan Gstettner, partner and associate director at Boston Consulting Group. Gstettner expects blockchain to have the greatest impact in dispersed networks with many participants. “It will have most impact in complex environments and less impact in, say, one factory.” In a conversation with Knowledge@Wharton, Gstettner discusses how blockchain can transform supply chain management, and some of the myths and realities that
surround it.

Listen at Knowledge@Warton