LMC is a leading buying group for a network of independent family-owned building material companies across the US. As their buying group, LMC negotiates and facilitates procurement opportunities for the most desired brands in the lumber and building materials industry. We also work to provide operational support with focus on logistics, capital equipment, technology, and marketing. By leveraging the billion dollar buying power of our members, LMC ensures our members have a competitive edge to capture more of their local market share.

The Hardware Buyer interacts with LMC's members regarding their hardware program requirements. The incumbent identifies the best source to obtain the products and/or services, negotiating an optimal price while providing high quality customer service to the stockholder. The Hardware Buyer is responsible to ensure the purchase is made to the specifications of the member.

This position supports Stockholders with purchasing needs and is authorized to negotiate price and program enhancements with approved vendor sources. The Hardware Buyer is responsible to increase share of the member's business regarding their vendor program responsibility.

Description:

• Negotiates and manages his/her product categories with applicable vendors.
• Provides quality service to the stockholders and member staff personnel.
• Negotiates competitive pricing while meeting the customer’s inventory requirements.
• Establish and maintain good relations with key supplier partners.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• The Hardware Buyer engages our members with supplier programs, and fosters business growth opportunities between them.
• Proactively contacts members through both phone and electronic communication channels to build relationships, learn about business needs, promote programs and special offers designed to provide the best combination of price, quality and product availability.
• Maintains good relationships with the supplier base, striving for high level vendor connections on key vendor lines. 
• Develops and maintains knowledge of all product lines within area of responsibility. 
• Provides the highest level of support and customer service to LMC members and ensures dealer problems are solved in a timely manner.
• With assistance from management, develops a strategic plan to optimize sales for assigned product groups.  Executes the agreed upon strategic plan.
• Improves market penetration with LMC members for assigned product lines by professionally driving sales and servicing assigned accounts, meeting assigned volume targets.
• Identifies opportunities for competitive programs for new suppliers or product categories that meet LMC’s members’ needs.  With assistant from management conducts analysis and negotiates programs. 
• Implements, promotes and maintains purchasing programs designed to provide the best possible combination of price, quality and product availability at the best price.
• Solves and identifies solutions for routine problems.  Addresses issues and handles conversations with members and suppliers.  Elevates more complex problems and conversations to management.
• Analyzes purchase data for assigned dealers and possesses a solid understanding of dealer’s businesses. 
• Visits dealer and vendor locations with a manager or senior team member.  With assistance develops targeted plans for visits and follows-up with an overview of meeting results.
• Maintains frequent contact with members to ensure orders are accurately expedited and timely delivery is made.
• Examines bids and negotiates prices with dealers, ensuring the best procurement prices while meeting the delivery specifications. 
• Maintains current market knowledge of new products and developments in the field and ensures members are informed.
• Interacts with Regional Managers to provide consistent communication regarding Stockholder issues, including sales updates.
• Serves as a liaison with suppliers regarding quality issues, cost reduction efforts and overall performance of the business interaction.
• Participates in LMC sponsored events, such as trade shows.
• Maintains complete and accurate documentation for all quotations, orders, claims and any other significant transactions.
• Supports all programs designed to increase the sales and service to new dealers/customers.
• Provides timely prevailing market conditions and analysis, trends, prices and other appropriate information to ensure purchases are at the optimal price points and least cost.
• Keeps supervisor informed of the status of projects and purchasing/sales activities.
• Performs other duties as required and/or assigned.

Qualifications:

• Ideal candidate will possess a working knowledge and experience working with residential & commercial hardware applications. Examples: residential & commercial locks, deadbolts, hinges, thresholds, seals, door closers, panic bars, exit devices and builders hardware. 
• Door and Hardware Institute® (DHI) certifications / credentials preferred.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent industry experience is required.
• Previous purchasing or sales experience is preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and interpersonal skills with the confidence to initiate conversations, overcome objections and build rapport over the phone.
• Ability to proactively make outbound phone calls to engage LMC's members, follow up on leads, conduct surveys, perform outreach campaigns, etc.
• Ability to understand customer needs and industry trends.
• Ability to build and maintain strong professional relationships.
• Ability to learn LMC systems and reporting tools (CRM, LumberTrack, Purchasing Workbench, Power BI, etc.)
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to address customer issues.
• Ability to work in a collaborative team environment.
• Ability to complete required tasks with some regular supervision.
• Ability to travel to LMC events and/or member or supplier locations as needed.