LMC hosts Dealer Exchange in Houston

LMC’s Dealer Exchange in Houston, Texas, served as a learning opportunity for members of the LBM buying group. It also served as one of the first post-Harvey LBM industry business meetings  in the city hard-hit by Hurricane Harvey and subsequent flooding.

One of the highlights of the exchange was a tour of The Detering Co., a Houston-market building material dealer since 1926. The dealer set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for some of its employees who suffered from hurricane damage. Separately, to support those effected by the hurricane, attendees donated several thousand dollars to Katy ISD Education Foundation, which supports the local Houston School Districts.

New to the Sept. 19-20 Dealer Exchange this year was a crossover day with the LMC Leadership Summit attendees.
This Summit brings together the next-generation of leaders in the LMC Dealer network to prepare them for the road ahead in their family businesses.

Other highlights of the Dealer Exchange were a tour of NASA facilities in Houston, and roundtable discussions. Topics focused primarily on overcoming challenges facing LBM dealers in the digital age. They included adapting to changing customer expectations, the need for personalized customer experiences to drive retention, and using technology for better reporting in yard management.

Glen Akins from Harper Chambers Lumber Company in Tuscaloosa, Ala., said: “This was my first Dealer Exchange and I thought it was great. Being able to sit and listen to other owners and managers open up about their business and concerns was refreshing, to say the least.”