After dropping last fall, lumber prices are once again trending higher. Deb Hilmerson’s article in Construct America Magazine reveals strategies that will help protect your business against fluctuating lumber prices as well as material and labor shortages.
“If you’re still using 2x4s for construction safety rails and leading-edge fall protection, and didn’t plan for rising lumber prices, that’s a direct hit on your bottom line,” she writes. “Worse, most of the 2x4s you’re using for wood safety rails are for temporary purposes and discarded immediately after use. It’s not much different than tossing extra cash directly into the landfill at the end of each job.”
Even if you are not yet among the nation’s top construction companies, Hilmerson advises that you can take a page from their playbook. “Many leading contractors started moving away from using 2×4 safety rails years ago. Those that had the expendable income to invest in construction-grade, engineered safety systems are now saving money on costly disposal fees, extensive material and labor cost, OSHA fines and project delays due to material availability. And they are profiting from the reuse and re-renting opportunity this one-time investment offers.”
She also points out, “Now with the skyrocketing cost of lumber once again, the cost per linear foot of steel safety rail systems is almost equivalent to the cost of building 2×4 safety rails. Even better: Once you pay for the galvanized steel safety rail system, you make money reusing/re-renting them for subsequent jobs, and to top it off, the project lifespan of the safety rail is 15+ years!”
Affordable and made in America, the Hilmerson Safety Rail System™ gives you a quick ROI. It is OSHA compliant, easy to install, reusable and durable. Our guardrail kits make inventory, storage, inspection and shipping easy.
Your direct competition may now be switching to engineered safety systems. This will make their bids even more competitive moving forward and give them another revenue stream. Read what our customers are saying and act now to help protect your company’s financial future.
About Hilmerson Safety
Hilmerson Safety® is a full-service safety product design and manufacturing company serving the construction industry. Since 2001 Hilmerson Safety® has been working with construction industry leaders and contractors to develop safe, lean, construction-grade™ products and solutions that add to the company’s bottom line.
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