BOISE, Idaho, July 30, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Boise Cascade, L.L.C., headquartered in Boise, Idaho, announced today its selection as one of only eight national winners of the annual exalted "A,A" "Partners of Choice" Award for 2010 from David Weekley Homes, the second-largest for profit privately-owned homebuilder in the U.S. The celebrated "Partners of Choice" honor is awarded to winning suppliers, or "trading partners", that are chosen by the people of David Weekley Homes as their best performing suppliers of the past 12 months. Only Boise Cascade and seven other companies out of 150+ trading partners doing business with David Weekley Homes – about 5% -- were chosen for the illustrious "A,A" Award for 2010, the fifth consecutive year Boise Cascade has received this important honor.
These awards are the culmination of David Weekley Homes' pioneering Supply Evaluation System, a process that makes the homebuilder stand out not only among other homebuilders, but among U.S. industry in general. At the heart of the evaluation system is the National Trading Partner Survey. The awards are based on this survey, a running quarterly review of David Weekley Homes suppliers as assessed by about 600 team members from all levels within the Company. Suppliers are rated quarterly on a 1-10 scale in two areas: Quality and Service. The scores for each trading partner company are averaged and ranked with all other participants. Rankings are assigned in 20% increments from A to F, with 20% receiving an "A", 20% a "B", etc. Receiving an "A" for both quality and service in the same year is rare, with the "A,A" "Partners of Choice" Award being the highest ranking any trading partner can receive. "It's very difficult for any supplier to achieve an "A" rating in both quality and service for three months, then maintain it for the entire year", said Bill Justus, Vice President of Supply Chain Services for David Weekley Homes and master-mind behind this cutting edge evaluation system.
"To accomplish "A" ratings in both quality and service five years in a row, as Boise Cascade has done, requires strong, effective management of not only the business relationship with our company, but with all of Boise Cascade's channel partners. What separates "Partners of Choice" winners from non-winners is that the winners actively align and manage the channel in support of their customers' needs, allowing David Weekley Homes to concentrate on providing a superior experience to our customer, the homebuyer," Bill Justus added. "Today, more than ever, we need an efficient, effective supply chain: Buying direct to save a few dollars -- taking links out of the supply chain -- doesn't get the job done", he added. "Our process challenges our trading partners to actively manage the supply chain in support of their customer, David Weekley Homes. Over the last five years, as decided by over 5,000 rating opportunities, our team members have stated Boise Cascade is among the best of the best in doing just that." said Justus.
"The homebuilding industry has contracted more than anyone would have thought possible in recent years, and some suppliers have had to cut so deeply that they aren't able to manage the supply chain properly", Justus said. "And yet, through all of the changes that have occurred in the marketplace, Boise Cascade continues to do an excellent job of keeping key people in key positions overseeing the movement of their products," Justus added. "Aligning and properly managing the supply channel means delivering competitively-priced products on a consistent basis and having the commitment and people in place to overcome anything that threatens that consistency, regardless of where the problem occurs in the supply chain," said Justus.
With the National Trading Partners Survey, David Weekley Homes measures and compares trading partner performance across industry lines – countertops to windows, lighting fixtures to engineered wood. "Our team members undertake a comprehensive process of charting feedback quarterly to assure final ratings are representative of an entire year's working relationship," Justus said. The survey weighs response time, follow-through, communication, access, reliability, contact, and other areas important to the business relationship. "Boise Cascade remains among the very best of the best in both quality and service delivery as determined by team members throughout our company," he added.
"Thank you again to our good friends at David Weekley Homes for awarding this highly treasured honor to our people for the fifth straight year," said Denny Huston, Boise Cascade Engineered Wood Products general sales manager. "Our goal is to always provide the highest level of customer support by the most knowledgeable, service-driven staff in the industry", Huston said, "working to earn the highest marks in customer satisfaction."
About David Weekley Homes
David Weekley Homes, founded in 1976, is headquartered in Houston and operates in 14 cities across the United States. David Weekley Homes was the first builder in the United States to be awarded the Triple Crown of American Home Building, an honor which includes "America's Best Builder," "Builder of the Year," and the "National Housing Quality Award." Weekley has also appeared seven times on FORTUNE® magazine's coveted "100 Best Companies to Work For" list. Since inception, David Weekley Homes has closed more than 65,000 homes. For more information about David Weekley Homes, visit the Company's web site at http://www.davidweekleyhomes.com/">www.davidweekleyhomes.com.
About Boise Cascade
Boise Cascade, L.L.C., headquartered in Boise, Idaho, manufactures engineered wood products, plywood, lumber and particleboard and distributes a broad line of building materials, including wood products manufactured by the Company. Visit the Boise Cascade web site at www.bc.com.
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