Picture perfect: Raymond Building Supply's state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, lumberyard, and corporate headquarters exemplify a masterpiece of LBM supply

Prosales, Nov, 2003 by Chris Wood

When it comes to building materials, Raymond has made a commitment to getting inventory out of the rain and sun and directly under cover in 85,000 square feet of storage space. "We get approximately 95 percent of all lumber inventory under cover" says Babb. "We use first in, first out as our inventory guideline and turn our lumberyards 14-plus times a year."

On Exhibit

With this level of stellar performance in addition to state-of-the art manufacturing equipment and IT, Raymond has a lot to showcase these days.

"The whole facility is really slick," Babb admits, citing a win-as-a-team, lose-as-an-individual approach to combining manufacturing, corporate management, and traditional LBM distribution. "We've really tied everything together to make it work for us." In addition to housing administrative departments and computer hardware, for example, the on site corporate offices are the perfect staging area to bring in both customers and vendors to learn more about the company and its operations.

"We all take pride in our work environment as it relates to housekeeping and safety," says Babb. "We entertain many groups that want to see our facilities. Our salespeople and managers use our facilities as a dosing [venue] on most occasions. [Customers] realize we have made a serious investment in automation and efficiency, and they know we are committed to be the best."

No doubt, Raymond's dedication to manufacturing, inventory, and corporate upgrades will continue to paint a picture of LBM supply excellence throughout the southwest Florida landscape.--C.W.

Vital Statistics * Company: Raymond Building Supply Corp. * Year founded: 1957 * Headquarters: North Fort Myers, Fla. * Number of locations: 5 * Number of employees: 700 * 2002 gross sales: $122 million * Pro sales percentage: 99 percent