THE LEADERBOARD ISSUE

ing at 2022 vs 2023, there are outside forces we can’t control such as lumber and panel indexes, housing starts, etc. We can control how we operate our stores, take care of our associates and our customers.”

Hardy says 2023 is about putting in hard work to develop new customers while gaining greater market share through the opening of new stores and panel plants. At the same time, the company is giving its employees the right tools to take care of its customers.

“We implemented several key technologies focused on better serving our customers,” Hardy said. “We have enhanced the integration between our operational systems at stores with the ordering systems of our customers.”

For its growing installed sales division, 84 Lumber has implemented a completely new platform to manage its end-to-end process with mobile on-the-job site technology for real-time updates of project status and task completion. In its components division, the company has moved several solutions that manage design and production to the cloud.

“Additionally, we implemented a new secure payment platform in all of our locations, which allows customers to pay securely and with new features such as tap to pay and Apple Pay,” Hardy noted. “What we do in 2023 will pay off in future years.”

According to Steve Swinney, CEO of Kodiak Building Partners in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, the biggest challenge the company faced in 2022 was having enough labor and materials to meet demand.

“In 2023, it’s managing expense levels while retaining your people to be ready for renewed growth that is coming in later 2023 and beyond,” Swinney says.

About The List

“In the past year alone, TAL’s significant growth presented its own set of opportunities and challenges,” says TAL Holdings CEO Jason Blair, who joined the company in January 2022. “We expanded our market presence and diversified our offerings, enabling us to remain resilient in the face of falling commodity prices. Yet, the increased scale also presented us with challenges in integrating new entities and cultures into the larger TAL organization, increasing the complexity of our operations.”

The 2023 Top 150 Industry Leaderboard tracks hardware and building supply dealers by sales.

To be included, the majority of a company’s sales must be in the home improvement or building supply space.

Information is gathered from several sources: corporate statements, original research and published reports. HBSDealer also relies on estimates, which are noted in the listings by an asterisk.

Swinney also said that Kodiak, with more than 110 locations in 25 states, is preparing for “beyond” with investments in technology. While the automation equipment has been brought on board for various aspects of the business, the dealer has implemented A.I. and new tech for back-office support, dispatch, and delivery, along with new warehouse tools.

Vancouver, Washington-based TAL Holdings has been extremely active in 2022 and 2023. The lumber, building supplies, and hardware dealer acquired seven companies since the start of 2022, including two moves this year.

When new housing demand began to slow, Blair said it gave the company an opportunity to streamline operations while focusing on efficiencies that will support future growth plans.

“This is an opportunity for us to show our adaptability and commitment to our customers.” said Blair. “And while it hasn’t been easy, we’re confident we have the right approach and team to keep moving forward.”

At TAL, the dealer is always looking for ways to improve our services and customer experiences.

“We have made significant enhancements and investments in technology, with an emphasis on BisTrack by Epicor,” Blair notes. “This will help enhance our ability to efficiently manage business processes, inventory, and customer service. The technology allows us to provide real-time data and streamline operations across all our divisions, enabling us to offer added value to our customers.”

With 32 locations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, TAL also continues improving communication with the right suite of tools. “Having clear and direct communication channels will help us work seamlessly as a team and provide a better customer and vendor experience,” Blair says.

And like many companies on this year’s leaderboard, TAL is not satisfied with business as usual.

“Our focus is not merely on overcoming immediate challenges, but on setting the foundation for long-term success,” Blair says. “We believe in the potential of our team and our ability to adapt to changing circumstances while always upholding our core values.”