“You can’t sell out of an empty wagon—you can’t sell inventory you don’t have,” says RAKS Building Supply Co-owner Kenny Trujillo. That “have it all, all the time” philosophy has transformed RAKS from a small store in a converted roller rink to New Mexico’s largest independent building materials dealer.
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Desert Dynamo
“You can’t sell out of an empty wagon—you can’t sell inventory you don’t have,” says RAKS Building Supply Co-owner Kenny Trujillo. That “have it all, all the time” philosophy has transformed RAKS from a small store in a converted roller rink to New Mexico’s largest independent building materials dealer.
Now operating out of five locations, including a truss plant, Kenny and Co-owner Richie Tabet serve New Mexico’s year-round building industry with a bold promise: to deliver anywhere in the state’s 122,000 square miles—in most cases, within four hours.
Fulfilling this promise demands a logistical army. Four forklift-equipped semis, two boom trucks for drywall deliveries, 30 two-ton trucks, and 15 one-ton trucks carry lumber and building materials back and forth across the state. They even have a dedicated rail spur in Albuquerque, processing about 80 railcars every week.
Maintaining such a high volume of inventory is not an easy feat. The duo is constantly on the lookout for opportunities to buy smart, taking advantage of price breaks and availability.
“Kenny and I expand our vision as far as we can so we’re not limited,” says Richie. “Even when we occasionally have a shortage, we’ve been able to get ahead of it.”
Kenny and Richie owe a big part of that success to their third partner—Do it Best. All along the way, Do it Best has supported and fueled RAKS’ growth by providing the massive inventory they need at the best possible price.
Do it Best tracks RAKS railcar traffic using the company’s freight management system. Through the system, railcars arriving at the RAKS rail spur are coordinated with their trucks to expedite unloading and loading, sending the drivers on to their destinations as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Desert Dynamo
“You can’t sell out of an empty wagon—you can’t sell inventory you don’t have,” says RAKS Building Supply Co-owner Kenny Trujillo. That “have it all, all the time” philosophy has transformed RAKS from a small store in a converted roller rink to New Mexico’s largest independent building materials dealer.
Now operating out of five locations, including a truss plant, Kenny and Co-owner Richie Tabet serve New Mexico’s year-round building industry with a bold promise: to deliver anywhere in the state’s 122,000 square miles—in most cases, within four hours.
Fulfilling this promise demands a logistical army. Four forklift-equipped semis, two boom trucks for drywall deliveries, 30 two-ton trucks, and 15 one-ton trucks carry lumber and building materials back and forth across the state. They even have a dedicated rail spur in Albuquerque, processing about 80 railcars every week.
Maintaining such a high volume of inventory is not an easy feat. The duo is constantly on the lookout for opportunities to buy smart, taking advantage of price breaks and availability.
“Kenny and I expand our vision as far as we can so we’re not limited,” says Richie. “Even when we occasionally have a shortage, we’ve been able to get ahead of it.”
Kenny and Richie owe a big part of that success to their third partner—Do it Best. All along the way, Do it Best has supported and fueled RAKS’ growth by providing the massive inventory they need at the best possible price.
Do it Best tracks RAKS railcar traffic using the company’s freight management system. Through the system, railcars arriving at the RAKS rail spur are coordinated with their trucks to expedite unloading and loading, sending the drivers on to their destinations as quickly and efficiently as possible.
As a Do it Best member, RAKS is free to maintain inventory without unnecessarily tying up capital. “The Reserved Inventory Program lets members take advantage of seasonal price cycles and buy materials when demand and prices are lower,” explains Do it Best Building Materials Direct Trader Kevin Riley. “We negotiate with the manufacturer so members like Kenny and Richie can lock in the best price so they’re ready to go when demand increases.”
The tremendous buying power and logistical strength of Do it Best allow Kenny and Richie to explore new growth opportunities. For example, with the rapid expansion of the film and television industry across New Mexico, RAKS established relationships with the production companies, becoming a major supplier.
“When Richie takes you on a tour of their facilities, the first thing he’ll show you is their huge warehouse filled with specialty building materials that the production companies use on their sets,” says Do it Best Territory Sales Manager Mike Haynes. “One of their locations was even a major setting in an episode of Breaking Bad.”
As for the future, RAKS will continue to grow their big business, run by a big family. Parents, siblings, and relatives are all involved in the day-to-day operations. Their succession plan includes preparing the next generation to take ownership of the business.
RAKS is a great example of what can be accomplished when a co-op is fully committed to driving a member’s growth as far as they can dream it.
As a Do it Best member, RAKS is free to maintain inventory without unnecessarily tying up capital. “The Reserved Inventory Program lets members take advantage of seasonal price cycles and buy materials when demand and prices are lower,” explains Do it Best Building Materials Direct Trader Kevin Riley. “We negotiate with the manufacturer so members like Kenny and Richie can lock in the best price so they’re ready to go when demand increases.”
The tremendous buying power and logistical strength of Do it Best allow Kenny and Richie to explore new growth opportunities. For example, with the rapid expansion of the film and television industry across New Mexico, RAKS established relationships with the production companies, becoming a major supplier.
“When Richie takes you on a tour of their facilities, the first thing he’ll show you is their huge warehouse filled with specialty building materials that the production companies use on their sets,” says Do it Best Territory Sales Manager Mike Haynes. “One of their locations was even a major setting in an episode of Breaking Bad.”
As for the future, RAKS will continue to grow their big business, run by a big family. Parents, siblings, and relatives are all involved in the day-to-day operations. Their succession plan includes preparing the next generation to take ownership of the business.
RAKS is a great example of what can be accomplished when a co-op is fully committed to driving a member’s growth as far as they can dream it.
