November 2022 Newsletter

 

New South News

Dear Friends,


Happy Thanksgiving. At this time of the year, we give even more thanks to our customers and suppliers, without whom we wouldn’t exist. I hope you have a great holiday surrounded by friends and family.


Our big news this month is that we acquired Malone Steel in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida on November 10. Malone Steel is a 30-year-old rebar fabricator and they give us the capacity to sell fabricated rebar in North Florida over to Orlando. Jeff Malone will continue to manage this location which will now been known as New South Construction Supply – Ponte Vedra Beach. Welcome to the team, Malone!


Commodity pricing continues to be mostly stable. See below for more information.


Metal scrap posted down another $20 per ton to start off November which now results in a seventh month in a row of decline. This continued scrap softening continues to be reflected on metal commodities. The domestic rebar market continues to soften with lower priced import options and demand slowing down. In our region, imported rebar coming into the Texas and Florida market continues to eat into the domestic mills overall consumption. The pricing gap between import and domestic is at its greatest closest to the ports or origin, but the domino effect of more total tonnage available in the market is impacting domestic pricing farther away from the ports. Domestic mills have been able to slow the rate of price decreases but have not been able to halt them all together. Reduced winter scrap collections may help combat a significant short-term reduction, but expectations are for rebar to continue to soften over the coming months.


The wire mesh reinforcing market has also seen significant softening. Overall consumptions levels are off from earlier in the year and there is ample supply at the domestic mills available to the market. With the residential demand slowing, lighter gauge material is seeing the quickest reductions. Heavier gauge and structural mesh remains strong as the commercial side of the construction industry continues to grow. Positively, lead times for almost all mesh sizes has reduced down to under two weeks. Most loads of standard light gauge material are delivering about a week after purchase order submittal.


Polyethylene sheeting is trending much like wire mesh. The reduction in residential construction has allowed most mills to catch up on backlogs and begin building sitting inventory. Loads containing the standard mil and dimension size poly are shipping in about two weeks from order placement. While overall demand is down slightly, import material is also impacting poly pricing. A recent influx of import poly sheeting into the region has forced domestic manufacturers to reassess current pricing and concede pricing in some areas.


The lumber market has seen a slight resurgence over the past few weeks and feels poised to correct the recent bounce along the bottom. While there are no expectations for a rapid or substantial increase, mills have been able to control their recent pricing.  Prices are slightly elevating over what has been seen over the past few months. There is still a fair amount of available inventory and lead times are running two to three weeks depending on species, grade, and dimension.


Contractors’ input costs were mixed in October, as increases in fuel, cement, glass, and paint costs offset tumbling metals and lumber prices, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data posted on Tuesday. The producer price index (PPI) for material and service inputs to construction was unchanged for the month and up 10.0% y/y (vs. 11.2% from September 2021 to September 2022). The PPI for inputs to new nonresidential construction rose 0.2% for the month and 11.2% y/y, while inputs to new residential construction dipped 0.2% from September but rose 8.1% y/y. The PPI for diesel fuel leaped 9.8% and 61.5%, respectively; cement, 2.5% and 13.4%; flat glass, 1.4% and 10.0%; and architectural coatings, 1.1% and 27.5%. PPIs plunged for steel mill products, -6.6% and -22.9%; copper and brass mill shapes, -4.9% and -11.5%; aluminum mill shapes, -3.3% and -9.3%; and lumber and plywood, which fell -2.7% for the month but increased 1.3% y/y. The PPI for new nonresidential building construction—a measure of the price that contractors say they would bid to build a fixed set of buildings—rose 3.0% for the month and 20.2% y/y, down from the record 24.2% y/y rise in September. AGC posted tables of construction PPIs.


Click here for the latest update on the construction economy from Ken Simonson, the chief economist of the AGC.

CATCHING UP WITH OUR CUSTOMERS


This month, we are catching up with the team over at Hilcon, based out of Mooresville, North Carolina. Hilcon was established in North Carolina by brothers Brent and Eric Hildreth in 2019. They grew up in the construction industry and primarily focus on commercial projects. To learn more about them, click here.

FEATURED MANUFACTURERS

Owens Corning

Premier supplier of insulation, roofing, and fiberglass composites

Wire Bond

Innovation in Masonry Construction

Sika/Scofield

The #1 Ranked Brand Name in Decorative Concrete Color, Texture and Performance Systems

ASSOCIATE PROFILE

Craig Kennedy, Market President, North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, Columbia, and Greenville, SC

Our associate spotlight this month is on Craig Kennedy, Market President over our North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, Columbia, and Greenville SC branches. Craig was born in Nashua, New Hampshire and graduated from high school at the Gaston Day School, Gastonia, NC. He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BS in Civil Engineering and from North Carolina State University with an MS in Civil Engineering (Construction Management. Prior to joining us in August he was employed by CRH/Oldcastle – June 2015 – August 2022 , Turner Construction – June 2008 – June 2015, and the US Navy prior to Turner. ). He and his wife, Heather have two girls – 13 and 11 Years Old – Caroline and Ava. His hobbies include hiking, travel, cooking, skiing, and working out.  It’s been great to add someone to our team who has been a project manager on some major jobs. Welcome, Craig.

NEGOTIATION TIPS

Our management article this month is my recent column on negotiation in the Upstate Business Journal. Click here to read my negotiation tips.

In closing, thanks again for your business. I hope you and your loved ones have a great Thanksgiving holiday.

Best regards,

Jim Sobeck
President & CEO 864-263-4377 (Direct Line)
jim.sobeck@newsouthsupply.com

Main Office/Branch: Greenville, SC
Other Branches in:
Columbia | Charleston | Myrtle Beach | Hilton Head | Greensboro | Raleigh | Charlotte | Atlanta | Jacksonville

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Corporate Contact Information

9 N. Kings Rd

Greenville, SC 29605

Accounting Phone: 864.263.4376
Accounting Fax: 866.212.0640

President – Jim Sobeck 864.263.4377
Executive VP/COO – Abhi Singh 202.604.3270
Director of Purchasing – Peter Bemisderfer 864.650.5116
VP-CFO – Barrett Cooke 864.558.5385

Greenville Sales Office Contact Information

9 North Kings Rd
Greenville, SC 29605

Phone: 864.269.7007
Fax: 864.269.6004
Operations Manager – Dylan Logan

Sales Managers – Dexter Goodwin, Cory Nicks, Tyler Panagakos

Other Locations:

West Columbia, SC
951 Harbor Drive
West Columbia, SC 29169 Phone: 803.791.8700
Fax: 803.791.8191
Operations Manager – Jack Parker
Sales Manager – Jon Black

Raleigh, NC
1427 Mechanical Blvd
Garner, NC (Raleigh) 27529
Phone: 919.662.9012
Fax: 919.662.9412
Operations Manager – AJ Mozingo
Sales Managers – Corey Moser, Jim Morton

Lithonia, GA
5220 Minola Dr.
Lithonia, GA 30038
Phone: 404.844.2555
Operations Manager – Brian Krogg
Sales Managers – Kami Rogers, Phil Jones

Jacksonville, FL
9315 Old Kings Rd S
Jacksonville, FL 32257
Phone: 904.730.3008
Operations Manager – Buddy Jones
Sales Managers – Grant Denny, Jimmy Rhoads, Paul Mancinotti

Charleston, SC
4987 Banco Road
N. Charleston, SC 29418 Phone: 843.760.0780
Fax: 843.760.6127
Operations Manager – Joe Fulmer
Sales Managers – Joanie Allen, Lauren Gunter, Doug Pearl

Greensboro, NC
7207 Cessna Drive
Greensboro, NC 27409
Phone: 336.992.0237
Fax: 336.992.0839
Operations Manager – AJ Mozingo
Sales Manager – Angie Puckett, Corey Moser, Brian Brady

Myrtle Beach, SC
180 Rodeo Drive
Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
Phone: 843.236.6447
Fax: 843.236.6521
Operations Manager – Frank Crouse
Sales Manager – Clint Paul

Charlotte, NC
140 Dorton St
Charlotte, NC 28213
Phone: 704.358.9797
Fax: 704.358.9646
Operations Manager – Colby Ruel
Sales Managers – Chris Daleus, Jason Kenney

Hilton Head, SC
358 Industrial Park Rd
Hardeeville (Hilton Head), SC 29927
Phone: 843.784.1580
Fax: 843.784.1581
Operations Manager – Sheldon Barnes
Sales Manager – Steve Melton, Chandler McDonald

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