Three Do it Best Corp. members garnered awards from two leading industry publications.

Builders. named ProSales' Dealer of the Year

Nebraska-based operation hailed for successfully managing diverse businesses hundreds of miles apart

ProSales magazine named Builders., a diverse Kearney, NE-based LBM operation, as its latest Dealer of the Year. The ProSales Dealer of the Year Award honors outstanding achievements in construction supply operations, management and innovations, as well as meritorious service to the dealer's community and to the lumber and building material industry. Only one construction supply dealer is chosen per year.

"In some ways, Builders. is as plain as the way it spells its name--Builders, period," said Craig Webb, ProSales editor. "This building material dealer does the basics extremely well and is always striving to do better. But at the same time, it's quite a complicated operation, stretching across 450 miles and taking in five very different types of businesses."

Founded in Kearney in 1977 by Myron Andersen, Builders. now consists of building material dealerships in Kearney and Grand Island, NE, that serve a mix of professional and retail customers, a 100% pro-oriented yard in Denver, a countertop manufacturing facility in Kearney, and a truss plant in Grand Island.

While many dealers are seeing sales shrink, Builders.' sales rose 12.8% to $44 million in the fiscal year ended last Sept. 30, and it projects another 10% gain in sales this year.

Click below to read the article:
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hanleywood/prosales_201001/#/0

Click below to watch an interview with Myron by ProSales:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid51422340001

Two members honored by LBM Journal

Each year, LBM Journal’s Entrepreneur of the Year Awards recognize three companies of different sizes who epitomize the entrepreneurial spirit. The honorees excel at identifying underserved—or emerging —markets, satisfying customers, and constantly working to grow and improve its business. This year, Do it Best Corp. members earned two of the three awards. While they represent vastly different operations, their common thread is a fierce commitment to finding ever better ways to serve their customers and their communities.

Click here to read the story from the LBM Journal.

R.P. Lumber
Edwardsville, IL
Category: Sales of more than $50 million

Founded in 1977, R.P. Lumber operates 45 locations, and the recession hasn’t stopped its growth: the company plans to open store number 46 this spring. The company has also seen success by developing subdivisions—offering lots to builders or individual homeowners—as well as commercial and retail properties. Instead of focusing just on lumber, panels and millwork, the company’s salespeople succeed by working to selling the whole package.

Gordon White Lumber
Oklahoma City, OK
Category: Sales of under $10 million

An entrepreneurial attitude shared by its key people, and a mission statement that can be summed up in five words (Honor, Serve, Build, Grow, and Surpass) drives the company’s success. Operating six yards in smaller markets, they specialize on serving custom builders. Gordon White Lumber works to continuously enhance its personnel, products and pricing to keep profits growing even in a downturn.

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Based in Fort Wayne, Ind., Do it Best Corp. is the only U.S.-based, member-owned hardware, lumber and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry. With annual sales of $2.46 billion, Do it Best Corp. is the second largest co-op in the industry, serving 4,100 member-owned stores in the United States and in 46 foreign countries.