Do it Best President Reaches Out to Vendor Partners

Do it Best Corp. President and CEO Dan Starr shared the following message with the co-op’s vendor partners on March 24.

To Our Valued Vendor Partners,

A week ago, I joined fellow wholesaler and distributor leaders in endorsing a letter from the North American Retail Hardware Association supporting the essential nature of independent home improvement businesses. I’ve also extended our support for the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association’s advocacy in pushing for recognition of lumberyards as essential businesses under Homeland Security/CISA guidelines. With the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus and many states issuing shelter-in-place policies and retail closures, we believe our country’s path to recovery lies in keeping our supply chain open and strong so our member-owners can serve their communities throughout the crisis. I have been heartened to see that in each state, our members’ operations have been clearly declared as essential.

I also stand with my peers in recognizing the essential role that you play in the prevention, containment and eventual rebuilding process. We’ve all had to plow through the pressures of disruptions, enhanced safety protocols, shortages, and concerns for staff health as we move forward. But it’s a challenge we have worked through together because I believe you understand what’s at stake and how important it is that we maintain a reliable flow of goods to independent dealers. In short, we are open for business.

I want to thank you for your commitment to keeping us in stock so our delivery trucks are filled with the products our store owners and their customers need. Already, our warehouse staff is working through the weekends to process the many shipments hitting the receiving dock as we set new records for product orders. Our LBM team is working with you to coordinate shipments and delivery to yards. The coming weeks will be even more critical for us to collaborate on further strengthening our supply chain so that we can continue to meet the increased demand. Your dedication to on-time and complete deliveries ensures everyone’s success now and in the months ahead.

I appreciate our partnership and the essential role we all play during this important time in our nation’s history. I’m confident we will succeed. We’re in this together!

Dan Starr, Do it Best Corp.