Supply Chain Connections

Jan 26 2009 2:50PM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (3) |
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By Glenn Singer

Having just returned from the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas I am filled with new insight as well as confirmation for my old views of the market. Well, as you might guess the show’s attendance was way down. Some “experts” say that attendance was down about 40% and, from my vantage point; I would say that this was about right.

Needless to say, the senior officers and staff of the NAHB were concerned about how the manufacturer exhibitors would react to this decline in builder attendees. Will the manufacturers drop out next year or reduce there exhibit space? This remains to be seen, however, some of the manufacturers told me that although the number of builders was down, those builders that did attend will be the survivors and that they had good meetings with them.

Most of the pundits agree that the market is probably hitting bottom and that we can expect some market “uptick” latter this year and that the near future looks pretty good for housing because the new family formations will be on the increase in the future and this will help fuel new housing.

One of my favorite idols, Studs Terkel was quoted shortly before his death in October 2008 saying the following about how to deal with the current market conditions and here it is.

“The lessons of the Great Depression? Don’t blame yourself. Turn to others. The big boys are not that bright. Hope dies last! Without hope you can’t make it. And so long as we have that hope, we’ll be okay. Once you become active helping others, you feel alive. You don’t feel, 'it’s my fault'. You become a different person. And others are changed too."