Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/559769
30 • SEPTEMBER 2015 • WORLD FENCE NEWS improve our customer service. We developed our own web-based quoting system called "Quote Master" which we think will be a future solu- tion for us and for the industry. We launched the first version last November to help our inside sales rep- resentatives to turn quotes faster to our fencing contractor customers. Our second version, which has been launched recently, is the "Quote Master Pro" which was developed to serve our contractor customers. This new quoting system will not only pro- vide 24/7 quoting service and live customer pricing, but it also allows contractors to make quotes to their customers. And since it is a web-based solu- tion, contractors can use it on their tablets at the jobsite if needed. We believe these new functions will provide advantages to our con- tractor customers over their peers. Luby: On a more personal level, what attracted you to the fence busi- ness in the first place? What do you most like about this industry? Yamamoto: I've been working A view from the supply side – Part 2 continued from page 26 in the building materials industry my whole career. And I was brought into the fence industry because Master Halco was one of the portfolio com- panies for our parent company. The more I learn about the fence industry the more I see the potential in the business. The U.S. building products indus- try will continue to grow with sup- port from the population and housing growth. Another important factor is the strategic position of the big box stores in the industry because of the huge in- fluence they have. There are many products in the building materials category that, as a distributor, it would be difficult to compete against the big box stores, having so much scale. The great thing about fence busi- ness is that there is clear separation in the function between the big box stores and fence distributors. We serve a different customer base. In that sense, fence is one of the rare product areas in which big box stores and distributors can co-exist. To me, that's another attractive part of the fence industry. Luby: What advice would you have for those getting into the fence business? Yamamoto: The fencing industry has excess capacity in manufacturing, distribution and installation. Until we see more consolidation of capacity, I feel it will be difficult to achieve a high return on investment. On the flip side it means that there are great opportunities when the in- dustry starts to consolidate excess ca- pacity. New players who can expedite this process are welcomed to the in- dustry. Of course, Master Halco is trying to take the leading role to make that happen. Luby: Where do you see the fence industry going in the future? Yamamoto: I don't see a big evo- lution on the product offering side, but I would like to see more changes in the way customers would be served in the future. Based on the development of in- formation technology, I see more op- portunities for all players to interact with homeowners through the internet and be able to educate them and pro- vide more information about the dif- ferent fencing options they have. Luby: After all is said and done, are you glad you chose this profession, and why? Yamamoto: As I mentioned ear- lier, it's a challenging industry at the moment, but I see lots of opportunities for growth. I have no doubt that this industry will continue to grow and there are lots of areas in the industry that we can operate more efficiently. I'm pleased to be here working on the challenges and hoping to be part of the bright future we have in the fence industry. Tom Luby, president of Profit Builders International (PBI), has de- veloped the Road- map to Success pro- gram, which offers business informa- tion necessary to successfully operate a fencing company. He has conducted seminars as part of the educational programs at the FenceTech and Jack- pot conventions. Tom's entire Road- map to Success program is available on CD, along with The Close and The Roadmap to Success user man- ual. Phone Tom at 941-981-3677 or e-mail him at tluby@profitbuilder. org. For additional information visit the PBI web site which may be found at www.profitbuilder.org.