In the past six months, the big suppliers have gone the way of the big builders in our area.
I am in Ft Collins, Northern Colorado. Alpine Lumber has shut down their North Store and consolidated to another location. Pro-Build is going away. BMC West is shutting down their main lumber yard here, as well as their door shop. One of the main custom door manufacturers in our area has shut down.
BMC will still have a sales office, where you can order material from their main Greeley Location. And their door shop will function out of Greeley.
I’m not going to miss BMC West, they’re prehung doors weren’t any better than Home Depot. I’ve gone to ordering my doors full and square, and assembling the jambs on site. Much better results.
Replies
BMC West has been through some dramatic downsizing out here in the Pacific Northwet, too.
A lot of companies, large and small, rode the wave in the 90s and into the early 2000s. Now we're in a different business climate. Some businesses will survive, some will not. Some will grow, some will sell off parts or sell out entirely.
Natural selection.
BMC screwed things up years ago. here in Boise, their home town.
In the beginning when they were split off from Boise Cascade and purchased by investors. At first they kept the store format the same and were centrally located. They catered to everyone, I could get things there no one else in town had. ( It was like a smaller version of Orchard supply store wise) A very friendly place to shop like an old fashion lumber yard.They decided that what they wanted was to sell only to builders and big ones. Most sales handled over the phone. They relocated to the outskirts of town. As a very small contractor I feel intimidated walking in there, No one is ever in the store the sales guys are behind desks on they phone, you get a can I help you like what are you doing in here you are supposed to call first.Unless they change their way of doing business and get in the weekend warrior they will be gone by the end of the year and deserve to.
Pro-Build is going away
Kinnda funny cause Probuild just bought a big supplier in New Jersey. Funny to see trucks with "Strober" on the headache rack and "ProBuild" on the doors
By going away, I mean they are closing the branch in our town, and moving the materials and some employees to the main location. I think they are consolidating their northern colorado operations to the longmont location.
FWIW, I'll miss ProBuild.
Think Chase lumber also bit the bullet, gettting thin out there!
Talk amoung the City building inspectors, they might even start laying off!