Concrete Accessories Training Module - BlueLinx

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Importing How does it get here? BlueLinx imported over 200 Concrete Accessory shipping containers in 2011. About 85% were 20' containers and the remainder were 40' containers. Our loads are booked through OOCL when we are importer of record, otherwise a broker handles the ocean freight. As importer of record we have visibility into and update the following information: • When container space is booked • vessel sail date and ETA to port • container number • ETA in transit Our expectations on import containers from time of booking should be +/- two weeks to account for booking, ocean travel and stateside travel. This gap certainly closes when we start to track a moving vessel. At time of departure, our systems are updated with the ETA to port information. Since there is disparity on shipments due to customs, rail and trucking, the date in our systems defaults to 7 days after port ETA. SALES ALERT: Not all customers or BlueLinx locations have the necessary equipment to unload containers. This can be a costly error when a container shows up and can take a profitable order and turn it to a loser. Please see Appendix pg. 29 for guidelines to determine if your customer or facility is capable of properly unloading a shipping container. 18
Importing Buyer Beware Brokers and competitors alike will play games with specifications to gain a competitive advantage. Most products are nominal so there is room for interpretation. Below are some common examples and how to overcome objections to put us on a level playing field. Anchor Bolts - Cutting corners on diameter is one way to gain advantage. Our spec is +/- 10%, so measure against that to make sure we are quoting apples to apples Bar Ties - skimming the gauge of the wire or shortening the length results in using less steel. Weigh a roll of our product vs. a roll of our competitor’s. Tie Wire - The rolls are called 3.5# rolls as a standard but we have seen all the way down to a 2.75# roll. Our SteelLinx rolls are 3.25# or our Premium at full 3.5#. Take a box of wire and put it on a scale. Does it weigh 55, 60 or 70 pounds? Nail Stakes - cheap items like this are sure to have spec games played. Customers are always looking for the best price on this item. The diamater is where you save cost on this item and it is easy to spot. Bar Supports - a bundle of bar supports, much less a pallet of bar supports is difficult to count. If you send 19 pieces per bundle as opposed to 20, you are already taking 5% out of your cost. Make sure we are quoting against full bundles. Here is a sample of two anchor bolts, the left one is from one of our top suppliers and passed our specifications. The bolt on the right came from a box a competitor sold to one of our customers. When placed side by side there is a visual difference in both the length and diameter of the anchor bolt. The diameter is in our tolerance at 10% of full diameter, however, this product our competitor supplied was de-spec'd This picture shows a visual difference in the diameter of nail stakes. These are both in spec but the one on the right is our ASTM spec, which is at about 1/16" on the diameter. The stake on the is our premium stake which is a full 3/4". We will see other product from our competition which is almost 5/8" and not up to ASTM tolerance. This can be spotted by measuring or with a side by side comparison like this example. 19
Page 1 and 2: Concrete Accessories Training Modul
Page 3 and 4: overview Types of Concrete Construc
Page 5 and 6: overview Concrete Accessories Produ
Page 7 and 8: product information Anchoring Produ
Page 9 and 10: product information Wire Products T
Page 11 and 12: product information Bar Supports De
Page 13 and 14: product information Plastic Bar Sup
Page 15 and 16: product information Lowes items / D
Page 17: Importing Import Sources Where Blue
Page 21 and 22: Selling Concrete Accessories When t
Page 23 and 24: Appendix Current Sets Current Lowe
Page 25 and 26: Appendix Packaging Note: all packin
Page 27 and 28: Appendix Containers Movable ramp at
Page 29: Appendix Do You Know The Capabiliti

Concrete Accessories Training Module - BlueLinx

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