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"Their representatives no longer make physical calls on customers but respond to their
customers' inquiries regarding product and service in other ways."
supply chain start to lessen. narrowing. Also, prices have gone solve supply and service issues. Brian
Moving into the spring and summer up with the recycled product but not suggested that the future will bring
season we're seeing an upsurge in at the same level of increase being about changes in the sales cycle and
the virus that will continue to affect experienced with lumber. Supply is how sales personnel will communicate
the ability of the economy to open. tightening with the composite/PVC to their customer base, with digital
Critical to moving forward is the decking products but again, nowhere and virtual platforms becoming a
ability to ensure that as many people near the demand and shortage of normal function of the sales call.
as possible receive at least the first wood! We are weathering the perfect
shot of the vaccine. Unfortunately, Brian along with Shawn Pilon, storm in supply management and
a sizeable cohort of the population Marketing Manager at Nicholson and will continue to have challenges in
are reluctant to take the vaccine for Cates, also expressed the need to product procurement. Challenging for
various reasons which will slow the change their tactics on sales calls. sure but we are also blessed to be in
recovery and keep the regions in Their representatives no longer a sector that is busy, providing good
various stages of lockdown. make physical calls on customers but jobs and profitability. Get Vaccinated!
Brendan Richards, Commodities respond to their customers' inquiries We all need to do our part!
Sales/Purchasing Manager at regarding product and service in other
Nicholson and Cates, expressed his ways. Their retail customers do not
frustration on timing the market on have the time to answer calls from
commodities and determining how sales representatives but prefer to
to price incoming product - in many have quick access to them to help
cases the fluctuation
in pricing is hourly!
His suppliers open
for sales first thing
in the morning and
the bidding begins,
with truckloads of
commodity lumber
being sold out in
a matter of a few
minutes if not
seconds! So, from
the supply side the
challenge is getting
the product to move
through to the retail
side. And from there,
how do you price a
house package, deck
package or any other
renovation requiring
wood products?
Brian Roger,
Director of Sales
and Marketing at
Nicholson and Cates,
suggested that their
sales in composite/
PVC decking products
have increased
significantly as the
price difference
between wood and
composite/PVC is Digital and virtual platforms may become the norm for sales personnel to communicate with their customers
www.lbmao.on.ca LBMAO Reporter - March-April 2021 21