Culture, Challenges, and Opportunities: A Q&A with Jeff Malloch, VP of Building Materials
Eight months into his new role, Lumbermen’s VP of Building Materials Jeff Malloch discusses the company, market trends, and dealer opportunities.
Spring for Storm Doors—2 Great Options from Larson & Lumbermen’s
After a long, dark winter, Midwest homeowners are eager for fresh air and sunlight, making spring the perfect time to promote storm doors to your customers.Lumbermen’s proudly offers a comprehensive inventory of Larson Storm Doors, ensuring we are your go-to source for their products.
3 Strategies to Grow Your Decking Business
Growing your decking business requires more than just quality craftsmanship—it takes strategic planning and effective customer engagement. Whether you’re looking to attract new clients, improve your sales approach, or enhance your brand’s visibility, having the right tools and knowledge at your disposal is essential. Here we explore three key strategies to help you expand your reach and increase your success.
4 Reasons Dealers Should Use Email Marketing to Connect with Customers
When meeting with Dealers to talk about marketing, I usually ask if they are using email marketing. Often, they aren’t—despite having a decent list of names and email addresses. The truth is, email marketing is a powerful tool for strengthening relationships with customers.
4 Steps to Elevating Your Decking Sales
Decking season is upon us and if the forecasts are accurate, the opportunities will be immense. In this article, we’ll share actionable steps and valuable insights to help you elevate your sales game and drive success in 2025.
Q&A with Shawn Klysen, Senior Sales Advisor, Minnesota Door Division
As part of Lumbermen’s exciting expansion of Door Manufacturing and Distribution operations in Minnesota, we were thrilled to welcome Shawn Klysen to our team as Senior Sales Advisor in December.
In this Q&A, Shawn shares his insights on the industry, his plans for driving success in Minnesota, and what excites him most about joining the Lumbermen’s family.
Preventing Frost and Condensation: Tips for Homeowners with Therma-Tru Entry Doors
When temperatures drop to zero degrees or below, it’s common for door dealers to receive calls from homeowners concerned about condensation and frost forming on their windows and doors. Aluminum components like ADA sills and astragals are more likely to form frost during these conditions due to the transference of exterior cold, mixed with warm moist air in the home.
Rethinking Relationship Building: Creating Unique Experiences Beyond the Golf Course
Are the events you plan aligned with what your customers really want? It’s important that they genuinely enjoy their time with you, so why not ask them what they’d like to do? You might be surprised by their suggestions.
4 Strategies to Boost Storm Door Sales
As the weather cools and we prepare for what’s predicted will be a particularly cold winter, now is a great time to promote your storm door offerings. In this article, we share actionable steps and valuable tools to help you elevate your sales game and drive sales!
4 Simple Tips to Elevate Your Marketing
We asked the Lumbermen’s Marketing team members to each share one tip Dealers can consider when amping up their marketing efforts this fall.
Lumbermen’s & Therma-Tru Launch Social Media Campaign Aimed to Drive Leads to Dealer
Lumbermen’s and Therma-Tru have recently initiated a dynamic social media campaign with the goal of enhancing customer engagement and increasing sales leads for dealers. This approach uses digital marketing strategies to emphasize the distinctive qualities and benefits of their products.
Enhancing Your Showroom with Inspirational Product Displays
SHOW, don’t just Tell. This is a business slogan that resonates throughout our industry when it comes to selling building materials. Customers having the ability to handle a roof shingle, see the exact shade of brown on a deck board, or test the sturdiness of a piece of siding can make all the difference when it comes to their purchasing decision.
Navigating Your Business in Uncertain Times
While the ride in the building materials industry has been pretty incredible the past couple of years, the truth is that a potential slowdown is looming. We can hope for changes addressing inflation and high interest rates, but in the meantime the focus should be on what you can control. Choose to take this time to finally take a breath and reevaluate your business and strategy.
Unlocking Innovation: Door Industry Highlights from the International Builders Show 2024
Every year, Las Vegas welcomes members of the building industry to the International Builders Show, and Lumbermen’s was there, along with thousands of other folks from around the world! There is so much to see and do, it is hard to take it all in, so here are some highlights from our friends in the Door industry and what they are excited about in 2024.
6 Advantages of Storm Doors
Storm doors are often an overlooked feature in many homes, yet they offer a wide range of benefits that can enhance both the aesthetics and functionality of your living space. Here we explore the many advantages of storm doors, from energy efficiency and security to natural light and improving indoor comfort.
Featured Employee Owners
Ryan Hagan – Sales Consultant, Door Division
Ryan Hagan has grown significantly since joining Lumbermen’s, starting in the Door Division Service Department, and now moving to an Outside Sales role. His experience with the inner workings of operations has prepared him to be a problem-solver in the field.
Brandon Kitkowski – Sales Consultant, Building Materials
Brandon Kitkowski has seen his business card change in 2025, going from Field Sales Representative to now Outside Sales Representative. However, his commitment to service and our customers is his defining characteristic.
Cristina Wasel – Quality Management Supervisor, Door Division
Cristina Wasel leads our Door Division’s commitment to quality and getting things right. Her engineering expertise helps build tools and systems that work to prevent and solve issues on the production floor.
Thai Xiong – Commercial Vehicle Driver
Thai Xiong is part of a new group of Employee Owners in Minnesota, joining the company in April of 2024.
Lumbermen’s Inc Grows Building Materials Division Leadership Team
Lumbermen’s is excited to announce leadership growth within our Building Materials Division. Significant growth in sales, workforce, and expansion into new territories like Minnesota in 2024 has led us to make some changes to our leadership structure.
Terry Lynn – Facilities Manager
Terry Lynn joined Lumbermen’s in September of 2007, as a member of the Grand Rapids Building Materials division.
Steve Hanker – Customer Service – Grand Rapids Building Materials
Steve Hanker has been with Lumbermen’s since 1996, when he joined the company as a Customer Service Representative.
Donna Ritsema & John Rutkowski
On December 7, 2023 Lumbermen’s celebrated the careers of Donna Ritsema (43 years) and John Rutkowski (31 years). Employee Owners, vendor partners, dealer customers, friends and family all gathered to congratulate these two on the positive impacts they have made for the company.