Delivery obstacles dontt deflate LBM distributor

[r.lnllen rHIS yEAR. a tornado

I:struck the south side of La Crosse, Wi., and tore a two-block by seven-block-long swath, shearing roofs off buildings. downing power lines, and destroying homes.

Although nowhere near as devastating as the tornado that ripped through Joplin, Mo., 620 miles to the south, the tornado that hit La Crosse May 22 did nearly $10 million in damage and displaced about 30 families.

Building materials supplier Badger Comrgating Co. was based at ground zero. Despite sustaining a direct hit resulting in an estimated $ I million damage to 15 of its 17 buildings,

Badger still resumed operation the day after, supplying businesses and residences damaged by the storm.

Even though tire-puncturing debris littered the roads and streets in and around the company's West Avenue campus, none of the company's trailers in its main delivery fleet sustained a flat tire due to punctures, according to Badger transporation manager Kevin Hanson. "That's remarkable." Hanson said.

He credits high-tech tires and his local Goodyear dealer, Wingfoot Commercial Tire, for helping the company keep its fleet moving following the disaster.

"We're pleased with the perfor- mance of these tires," Hanson adds. "By using these tires on our trailers, our problems with flats have dropped dramatically. I'd say we've dropped our number of service calls by almost 95Vo;'

The La Crosse-based distributor has been led by the Sexauer family since its inception and is currently in its fourth generation of family ownership. Badger was founded in 1903 primarily as a fabricator of metal products, such as ventilators, stock tanks, and a variety of products for the heating and building trades. Over the past 100 years, Badger has evolved into a full-line distributor of lumber. interior millwork, exterior millwork, cabinets, fireplaces, roofing, and agricultural products. The company's customers include dealers, suppliers and contractors in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois.

The company operates a total of 22 straight trucks, boom trucks and tractors, and 19 trailers. Before Badger switched tires three years ago. its main delivery fleet of 10 tractor and trailer units suffered at least one flat tire per week, usually on the trailer position, Hanson reports.

He opted for Goodyear tires with DuraSeal Technology, a gel-like, solvent-free compound built into the inner liner of the tire. It can instantly and consistently seal punctures up to ll4-inch in the tread area, without the need to repair the tireuntil it is retreaded. This allows drivers to continue operating after a tire is punctured.

With the new tires on its trailers, the company now gets one flat tire every one to two months. Hanson also attributcs closc nronitoring ol thc tilc: wilh routinc l)r'c\surc cltceks b,r illivcrs ulrtl nronthll chceks br \\'inclirot C'onrnrerciul l'ilc tcchnieiurts lirr tltc conrplur\ gctting llorc nrilcs to rcmoval ll-orr its tircs. Plus. thc cortt prrrtl Irrr. itt.tilttt.'.1 r rllilinletlirrr\'\' pr1)Srillr tlrat has thc stccl tilcs bcirtg pullcd at bctu crn 51-l r- unrl (rill inch tre acl dcpth anrl r-cplaccrl. 'l'hc rlln c tircs alc pLrlJccl at bctuccn J'-ll arrcl 5/32-inch tleacl clcpth. Thc stecr untl clrive tilcs arc then retreaclccl Ltsing prc-cure ancl nrolcl-curc nrcthocls for thc drir,e positions.

Fcwcr flats mean molc nriles to removal plLrs Baclger saves thollsancls of dollals in tire-relatecl scrvice costs-uncl hclps the compun\ r'calizc ilr ott'tintt' tlclirelt |11r111irq'r l(r Lll\tonlers.

Each nrorning uroltnrl -l a.nr.. rlri\ ('t'\ lcil\ L' lllL' \'(tlrll)irll\ \ lll.ritl \\ itlr' housc in Ll Crossc loutlctl t ith lLrrrrbcr. corrugatcrl she ct ntctlLI. rooliltg supplics. irntl othcr builrlinc nlttct.iitls to rnakc rlclircrics to custonrcrs. I)r-ivcrs trsulrllr nurkc anr u hcrc lt'rtnr a hantllirl to |0 or. II stops. rlcpcnclinu on thc lcrrgth o1' thcil r()Lltcs. I)rir crs usirallv nrak'^ thcir l'irst dclir crics bv abor-rt 7 a.nr.

Hanson savs l'lats gcncntlll occurrecl aboLlt an hottr rl' t\\o irtto runs. That's because thc trailcr tires would -get punctr.rrccl bt nails. scrc\\ s. or other shalp objects in lunrbcrrards.

'flrct' w'ould rlcvclop slo"r' leuks olcrrright. which ri'oLt ltl not bc noticcd rrn(il thc ncxt rluv u hcn the tr-ailcr-s rvould sLrllcr- l'luts alicr gcttinc buck out on tlrc roarl.

"l'cl gcl l clll at -l u.nr. ll'ortt ttttr tlrivcl wl-ro was stttck rtrtt on tltc roltrl ri itlr li l'lat trailcr tilc." l lansort sat s. -l'his Ictl to clclrrys itt thc tlclivclr ol' nratcrials to kcy custontcrs.

Llansorr rcl)orts that an after-l'tout' se n icc cull cosls any'wlrerc ll'ont Sl00 to S8(X). clepencling on thc clistances involved. Plus. it means a delar in clclir,eries of builclin-c nraterials to l.tis cLlstomers. And that delaV affects their custorners.

"Pcrhaps one of their cr-rstourers \\'as a contri.rctor working on a house that nccclecl to closc latcr in thc- clur ut 2 p.rrr.." hc says. "ll'nc'rc att hour ot two latc in rrraking our tlclircrics in thc rlolning, that coulcl nicltn tlrc con tlrctor rvoulcln't gct his sLrltplics irt 1 i rnc i n orclcr to l'in ish h i s rr ork hc lirr.c thc 2 p.nr. closing. Ancl il' thc hot-tse docsn't closc.lltc clcal lalls thlough.

"l)cllrys on thc bi.tck cttcl can ullcct cvclvthing tlurt's lutppcning aJl thc rr a\ clou'n thc linc." Illrtson c()ntintucs. "Avoicling thosc kincl ol'clclavs. particularly in this rlitl'icult cconontr. is vcry inrpoltant.;\ll it takcs is to burn onc briclgc ancl lvurcl o1' nrouth is cnor.rqh 1o causc set'ious problcms lirr !'ou.'