September 2016 Newsletter

• Several manufacturers of construction materials we distribute, primarily those who use resins in their finished goods, either increased prices in September or announced future price increases and more are expected to announce price increases in October.

• On September 1^st Simpson Strong-Tie announced they will increase prices on their entire line of Connectors and Steel Shear Walls by 6% effective December 1, 2016 due to their increased costs for flat rolled steel. Anti-dumping duties placed on flat rolled steel coming in from China by the United States was cited by Simpson as the primary reason for their increased costs.

• The three manufacturers of extruded polystyrene insulations, The Dow Chemical Company (Styrofoam), Owens Corning (Foamular), and Kingspan (GreenGuard) announced that they will increase prices by 6% by November 1^st, due to higher resin cost. All will limit the amount of insulation that can be purchased by distributors from the date of their price increase announcements prior to November 1^st.  Orders must ship by mid-November in order to be billed at current prices. If you have projects which require extruded polystyrene insulation we urge you to buy out these projects no later than early October,

• Tremco, Incorporated, one of the premier manufacturers of waterproofing, joint sealants, and air barrier systems announced on September 1^st that they will increase prices by 2.2% on all products excluding extruded rubber products on November 1^st. If you have projects which require Tremco products we recommend you buy out these projects in October to avoid paying higher prices after October.

• Resin manufacturers were able to push through a $.04/LB price increase in September and have announced a $.05/LB price increase for October. As a result of the September resin price increase and the pending October price increase, some polyethylene sheeting manufacturers announced they will increase prices by 6 to 7% on October 1^st. If the October resin increase “sticks” polyethylene sheeting manufacturers have indicated they may increase prices again in November.

• Some polyolefin under slab vapor barrier manufacturers increased prices by approximately 6% in September due to the resin price increase and others are expected to increase prices in October.  As with polyethylene sheeting, polyolefin manufacturers have indicated they may increase prices again in November or December if the October resin price increase holds. If you have any projects which require polyolefin under slab vapor barriers consider buying out these jobs as soon as possible.

• Holcim / Lafarge announced on September 1^st that they will increase prices on their entire product offering on January 1^st as follows; Bulk Cements $20.00/short ton, NewCem $12.00/short ton, Fly Ash $12.00/short ton, Portland Cement bagged products by $1.00/bag, and bagged Masonry Mortar Mixes and Cements by $.75/bag. Due to the early announcement, they will not price protect any projects after January 1^st. As of the date of this newsletter neither Argos nor Giant have announced they will increase prices on January 1^st, but they are expected to announce a like price increase in the next few weeks.

• Prices for imported rebar slipped by a few points in September due to ample supply in US ports on the east coast and Gulf ports and because costs for scrap and billets in foreign markets moved down modestly in early September. Most analysts expect imported rebar prices to be flat through October and most of November and then begin to move up. This is due to the petition filed by US mills with the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission to conduct antidumping investigations into Japanese, Turkish, and Taiwanese imports of rebar on September 20^th. As early as September 21st, futures for late November/December delivery of imported rebar from these three countries increased by 3% and speculation is that the prices will increase more in the coming weeks. Prices for domestic rebar were basically unchanged in September although on multiple truckload orders, most domestic mills were willing to come off their standard price by a few points.

Click here for the latest update on the construction economy from Ken Simonson, the chief economist of the AGC.

Keith Batchelor

This month our associate spotlight is on Keith Batchelor, our waterproofing sales manager in Atlanta. Keith is an Atlanta native and a graduate of Stockbridge High School. He sold lumber to homebuilders for 10 years before switching over to commercial construction supply 14 years ago. He was with Georgia Construction Products from 2003-2016 and joined us last April. Keith is engaged to Ruth Engleberg and has a 15-year-old son, Justin. His hobbies are fishing, 5K mud runs, mountain biking, and BBQ competition cooking. Keith is widely known among contractors in the Atlanta market as one of the most knowledgeable people selling waterproofing products. Keith has been a great addition to our team.

Our management article this month is, The Little Things You Do and Say Matter. Many times when managers get busy they don’t take the time to choose their words carefully and inadvertently hurt morale in their company. Here are some good tips on how to not have that happen to you.

SEPTEMBER’S MANAGEMENT ARTICLE

The Little Things You Do and Say Matter
By Alan Utley

Dear Leader:

I’ve been thinking a lot, lately, about our time together – the good and the bad – and today I felt like writing you a letter.

No, not a letter of resignation. Rather, a letter of thanks. For all you’ve done for me, I want to say “way to go!”

You probably don’t hear it all that often, but you’ve made a huge impact on me. Both as a person and as a professional.

It all started on the very first day I came to work.

How? Simple. You made me feel welcome.

When I showed up, my work space was prepared and my supplies were laid out, ready for me to use. There was even a little note card from you that said, “welcome.”

And my favorite thing of all? You left a fancy mug with the company’s logo on my desk. So cool.

I know what you’re probably thinking – that’s silly, that’s basic stuff. But, you’d be surprised.

I had a boss at another company who didn’t say hello to me on my first day. She went as far as to pass me in the hallway without even a glance. I remember it well:

As I saw her approach from the other end of a long hallway, I straightened my back, cracked my best smile and readied my hand for a firm handshake, to be followed by a pleasant “good morning.”  But, nothing. She passed me and kept going.

I never forgot that.

So, please know what a huge impact you had on me that day you were ready for my arrival. I know you are incredibly busy, and it made me feel special and loyal to this company from the very start.

I could stop there, but that’s not all I want to give thanks for today.

There was another time when you pulled me into your office to tell me I wasn’t meeting your expectations. Do you remember that?

I remember, because you did it with such finesse and grace. I could have left that meeting feeling like a lesser person, but you made the exact opposite happen!

Instead, while I did leave your office feeling sad about how I had disappointed you, more importantly, I felt optimistic that I knew how to do better and could improve.

One thing you said to me really stood out:

“If you want to get to the next level, perform like you’re already there.”

A short time after that meeting, you caught me doing the very thing that you asked me to do, and you stopped me in the hall to tell me that I had nailed it.

You said: “That was perfect. Do more of that!”

So, I did.

Those were the early days of our time together, when I was green and needed your close guidance. But, somewhere along the way, things changed. For the better.

Like, just last year when you called a meeting with me to talk about your strategic five-year goals. I remember thinking, “This is very interesting, but why is she telling me all this?”

But, by the time you were done, it was all clear.

To my surprise, you were asking me to take the lead on one of your new initiatives. Yes, I was excited, but there was only one BIG problem. I had absolutely no idea how to do the thing you were asking of me. But, that didn’t seem to bother you. Not one bit.

To me, you said:

“No worries. I trust that you can do this. And, I’ll help.”

So we did it. And it was great.

I feel like I’m gushing, but I can’t end this letter without also acknowledging how well you’ve supported me personally, during some of the hardest times. Like, when I had a sick family member in the hospital. You didn’t make me feel bad for something I couldn’t control or guilty for not being at work.
Instead, you said:

“Go, take care of your family. We’ll handle things until you get back.”
I’ll never forget how that made me feel and how much you helped me and my family.

I hope you see that, from my perspective, things have been going well with us. You’re a great leader, and I never want that to change.

You asked me once to never hold back on giving YOU feedback. So, while I have your attention, I’ll just take this opportunity to share how I want you to continue to lead me.

Here are a few tips on the best ways to lead me:

• Continue trusting and pushing me, and giving me space to do my best work.
• Start spending more time with me. Your attention is invaluable for my development.
• Stop taking on too much work yourself. Use me. I’m up for the challenge!

In closing, one more time, I want to sincerely say thank you for all that you’ve done and will do for me. It is because of you that I continue to work for this company and enjoy what I get to do every day.

I look forward to what’s to come, whatever that may be.

From,

Your Follower