LBM Advantage gears up for Annual Buying Show

LBM Advantage, one of the nation’s largest lumber and building materials cooperatives will host its 2023 Annual Buying Show & Shareholders Meeting beginning Feb. 27 through March 1 at Disney’s Coronado Spring’s Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. 

This year’s theme, “Teaming Up for Success” celebrates the relationship between LBM Advantage, their vendor partners, and the strength of the 515 member/1,346 location cooperative that currently spans 44 states.

Monday will begin with a series of panel discussions on succession planning and credit policies featuring LBM Advantage executives and key personnel from LBM Advantage member yards.

In addition, Jim Gunther, director of sales at the CN Railway will offer an in-depth look at their plans and operations, and Kellianne Lundgren, director of human resources at LBM Advantage, will host a special NextGen workshop on performance coaching for new and up-and-coming leaders in the industry.

The show floor will open on Feb. 28 for vendor product presentations and at-show-only specials and will commence with an outdoor Hawaiian-themed cocktail event. 

Activities on March 1 will begin with a 2022 Vendor of the Year award ceremony and a dynamic keynote presentation by former naval commander, Mike Abrashoff. 

Abrashoff will expound on the show theme through his discussion on achieving breakthrough performance by building a solid team, LBM Advantage said.

Along with \show hours, the event will include LBM Advantage’s annual shareholder meeting, committee and pool group meetings, and extensive networking between LBM Advantage traders, members, and vendors.

This year marks the largest vendor and staff participation at an LBM Advantage Buying Show to date, and the largest representation of LBM Advantage member locations. 

LBM Advantage is a member-owned forest products and building materials cooperative comprised of the industry’s premier independent LBM retailers. Its mission is to provide a competitive advantage for its members by leveraging their collective power.

The cooperative operates four locations in New Windsor, New York; Grand Rapids, Michigan;  Smithfield, North Carolina; and Conroe, Texas.