October 2022 Newsletter

 

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New South News

Dear Friends,


As I write this in late October residential construction has slowed a bit due to higher mortgage interest rates, but commercial and industrial construction remains strong. We’re also anticipating increased road and bridge construction in 2023 due the infrastructure bill passed by Congress a few months ago causing a lot of new road and bridge construction to start.


We have had several big wins lately so we’re not seeing any slowdown on the commercial side of our business.


As the market has flattened out a bit we are seeing price increases slowing and even going backwards  on some products. See below for more detail.


As metal scrap pricing slid slightly again in October, metal-based commodities are continuing to soften as well. Domestic rebar mills have resisted price reductions, but they have occurred. Ample stock coupled with softer demand, has pushed manufacturers and large-scale wholesalers to discount material to move inventory. Brokers are also having an impact on the marketplace by moving large volumes of rebar at aggressive prices to try and make a profit in volume sales. There are indicators that the rebar market may continue to slide through the winter months but does not appear to be at the same pace it increased over the past year.


The wire mesh reinforcing market has not done as well of a job solidifying a bottom. With mesh pricing tied so closely to scrap and wire rod pricing, any sequence of quick decreases in scrap or rod costs can send the market tumbling.  Manufacturers are sitting on high inventory levels and are looking to move product now before any future decreases. Wire mesh lead times are now more dependent on available trucking that actual sitting inventory. Loads of standard sizes and gauges are shipping within one or two weeks. There is not strong sentiment that the bottom of the mesh market will be found within the next months’ time.


There has not been much change in polyethylene sheeting prices in the past month. Inventory levels and production remain strong with lead times on most standard sizes being two weeks or less. There has been opportunity for savings when purchased in bulk quantities, but pricing on single truckload orders has not changed with any significance.


Lumber has had a slight rebound over the past few weeks. SYP pricing has strengthened with most mills claiming to be sold through the first week of November. Most sizes are being sold right at print or slightly higher, with the only exception really being 2×4’s, with those being sold slightly under print. SPF also appears to be in the rebound. One Canadian mill has already announced a curtailment of production for the remaining of the year effective immediately. This has pushed some buyers who may have been sitting idle back into activity and helped solidify the market.


Contractors’ input costs declined again on balance in September, while bid prices rose, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data posted on October 12. Specifically, the producer price index (PPI) for material and service inputs to new nonresidential construction dipped 0.2% for the month, while 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 0.4%. The bid-price index rose 24.1% year-over-year (y/y), while the input index climbed 12.6%. 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 Southeast Concrete Systems, based out of Alpharetta, Georgia. Southeast Concrete Systems was founded in 2014, after the joining of forces of CEO Adam Pearlman and President Ken Blumbek. They are a full-service commercial construction company specializing in tilt wall construction, foundations, slabs, decks, and concrete paving. To learn more about them, click here.

FEATURED MANUFACTURERS

Owens Corning

Premier supplier of insulation, roofing, and fiberglass composites

Nomaco

Nomaco is a leader in the design and extrusion of custom engineered foam products

Zurn

A worldwide leader in trench drain systems

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ASSOCIATE PROFILE

Jason Kenney, Sales Manager, Charlotte, NC

Our Associate Profile this month is of Jason Kenney, a Sales Manager in our Charlotte branch. Jason was born in North Hollywood, CA and graduated from Los Gatos High School. He and his wife Amanda, have one daughter, Adrianna. In his spare time, he likes golf, skiing, boating, camping in their RV, and fishing. Prior to joining us back in February, he was an account manager for a competitor for 20 years in San Francisco, CA. We were thrilled to get a salesperson with so much experience to add to our Charlotte team.

HIRING FOR ATTITUDE

Our management article this month is a chapter from my book on “Hiring for Attitude” as printed in the October issue of the Upstate Business Journal. The only thing you can’t teach is attitude, so we look for people with great attitudes when hiring. Click here to read how I try to ascertain if a candidate has the attitude we look for.

That’s all for this month. I hope the cooler fall weather is great for productivity and that your backlog is strong heading into 2023. As always, if we ever fail to meet your expectations, I’d consider it a personal favor if you would let me know about it. My contact info is below.

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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Author of The Real Business 101: Lessons From the TrenchesTo get your copy see below:

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For direct link to Amazon site (Kindle and print version) click here

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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