The Biden Administration and Democratic-controlled Congress have been working to implement several priorities related to COVID-19 relief, climate change, clean energy, infrastructure and more.  NLBMDA has already been heavily engaged in the legislative and regulatory arena on behalf of the lumber and building material dealer industry and this session will cover the latest updates on key issues affecting our members.  NLBMDA staff will provide an in-depth look at NLBMDA victories in COVID-19 relief legislation, ongoing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) implementation, infrastructure and energy proposals and possible legislation, affordable housing issues and more. In addition, the session will cover lobbying efforts at the regulatory level, ranging from an update on OSHA’s crane rule, recent fluctuations in the price of lumber and OSHA’s recent action on an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for COVID-19. 

Customer expectations have changed and it isn't letting up anytime soon. Whether B2B or B2C, the acceleration to a digital first economy is relentless and unstoppable. The Pandemic didn't change the course of society, it just accelerated the underlying trends. Our expectations of retailers and trade partners have increased and our becoming less negotiable. While the physical world of retail and distribution is not disappearing, its role is changing. The Digital First Experience is here to stay. Are you ready for a Digital First World? Are your business plans and resources in place to capitalize on the trend? Let's spend an hour together to find out if you and your business are ready for life in the Digital First Economy.

It's a well-worn idea that the LBM business lags behind most other industries in terms of digital innovation. But is that true? And is the perception changing? Evidence to challenge or support these ideas along with examples of lumberyard innovation will highlight this presentation featuring analysts and dealers on the forefront of business technology. 

You will not want to miss out on this opportunity, a new creative and fun way of strengthening the NLBMDA community by giving attendees a sense of togetherness online that they typically only experience in person. Imagine a digital world that brings us closer together instead of further apart - where people feel deeply connected to the communities that matter most to them. During this networking experience, attendees will be randomly paired with a different NLBMDA attendee each round for light-hearted, themed conversations designed to keep the fun flowing.

Ivy Zelman, CEO of Zelman & Associates, is widely considered the top Housing Analyst on Wall Street for the past two decades. She was recently named as one of the 100 most influential women in U.S. finance by Barron's. What sets her research firm apart is the amount of proprietary data utilized in its gathering process. Zelman's research platform relies on input from thousands of industry executives across the housing food chain, which has taken Ivy and her team  decades to build and refine. Hence, she's able to provide investible conclusions with more accuracy across  very fragmented end markets in a way that cannot be replicated. This highly sought presentation will touch on the key drivers for the housing market and its related sectors in 2021 & 2022.

It probably comes as no surprise that the lumber and building material industry is once again alive with activity from internal strategic buyers as well as a prime target for private equity investment. Over the last several months there have been several major mergers and acquisitions as well as numerous smaller acquisitions. Therefore, we are providing this session to summarize all of the M&A activity to date, discuss how this M&A activity impacts independent dealers' businesses, help independent dealers plan for the eventual ownership transition of their business, and discuss lessons learned.

Some of the critical topics we will discuss include, the real story behind the BMC and BFS deal, the emotional roller coaster of being involved in an M&A transaction, and the impact on the owner's family of the sale of an independent business. Panelists will also discuss important questions such as when and how should you react? Are there new business opportunities to explore?, and Do you truly understand your market and your “niche”? Finally, panelists will spend time providing advice on how to make your business more attractive to a prospective buyer, strategies for embracing change, and why you should be educating and empowering the next generation of industry leaders.

Join us for a conversation with LBM industry and non-industry stakeholders as we look at current and potential future impact of innovation and disruption.

As technology is applied to the LBM/Construction industry in new ways, innovation and potential disruption follow.  How we buy is changing in methods and materials.  Off-site construction is an innovation that continues to evolve and be applied in new ways.  3-D printing is developing and growing quickly.  How will developments in these areas unfold?  How will they impact traditional LBM retail and wholesale trade?  How will they impact manufacturing and construction?  And most importantly, where can we find opportunities to capitalize on the changes?

When it comes to solving payment challenges, small changes can have a high impact on your business growth. Let’s explore the challenges of unpaid invoices, delayed payments, and high-cost transactions to discuss how to overcome them and improve your cash flow. Learn more about new trends in payment and financing that your customers are requesting in order to help with their business, provide flexibility, and have them coming back for more.

The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association will install its new Chairman and recognize members that have made outstanding contributions to the association and the entire Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association.

In addition, the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association and HBSDealer are proud to recognize two high performing companies with a commitment to best practices, organizational excellence, and demonstrate core values of the industry.

Join us as we recognize Dakota Lumber as the Independent of the Year and McCray Lumber as the ProDealer of the Year.  Hear from this year’s award recipients as they discuss their thoughts on strategy for growth and success during.  

This session will include and interactive program with attendee Q&A with this year’s award recipients.

Congratulations to the 2021 ProDealer and Independent ProDealer of the Year!

As the housing market is evolving, due to changing demand drivers, supply constraints and more volatile input costs, many lumber companies are pivoting to providing a service versus selling a commodity. Offsite solutions including turnkey framing are growing in popularity and several strategic lumber companies have thoughtfully anticipated this change. Whelan Advisory has advised on many of the most transformational transactions in this space, from Louisiana Pacific’s investment in Entekra, to BFS’s acquisition of Raney and Pulte’s acquisition of ICG.

This panel will address the opportunity that offsite solutions provide and the bottlenecks they address, by increasing cost controls and value, while reducing improvisations at the job site that lead to waste and risk. The lumber yard of the future needs to be holistic and focus on a customer oriented solution. Join us to learn how, from this dynamic panel.

We all have shocking housing supply chain stories from the last year. In the coming months, the stories might change but headwinds remain. John Burns and Tim Seims will share the macro factors that got us here, building product category forecasts, what design shifts should be on your radar for the next 12 months, and how you can plan now to navigate tomorrow. Burns and Seims will also discuss the path to rising lumber and building material prices and what dealers should expect in the coming months.