Lumber Suppliers

I think part of the point of not paying retail is you are expected to have the resources of a professional, including buying in bulk, trucking and storage.

Team up with someone else locally to buy from afar, and share who drives.

Is your business registered or licensed in any way? I would think that would be sufficient to have them sell to you. I don’t see why shop location would have any bearing on it. Have you tried going up the chain of command at this dealer? If it is a local outfit, I’d want to talk to the owner.

On the other hand, if you are doing work more or less under the table from your home, I can understand their position. In that case, there is nothing to formally distinguish you from any other hobbyist who is trying to take advantage of wholesale pricing.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

If you have a tax id and are a licensed business I don’t see the problem. I have my shop on property and have never been asked either way. The only issue I have is getting deliveries, since I do not have a loading dock.
Ofcourse it is hard to be taken seriously if you are only buying small quantities of material. Two sheets of ply and 50 bdf of wood every other month doesn’t look very professional. The discount any tradesman recieves is in direct correlation to the amount of material being purchased. You could also be getting the “good ol boy” cold shoulder. Some suppliers, no matter the size, don’t like seeing new guys getting the business of their loyal customer base.
If you are planning to be taken seriously, you need to go in when you don’t need material and see about setting up an account and establishing a professional relationship with your suppliers. In todays market place I don’t know any business that doesn’t want customers.

-- http://www.efcabineture.com/ You can be tired, or you can be broke, but you should never be tired and broke.

I agree with all of you that it shouldn’t make any difference regarding my shop’s location. Yes, my business is registered and it is a professional cabinet shop, not a hobby shop. I may be a small one man show, but I should still be able to buy wholesale. My supplier 90 miles away will deliver on fridays, so it isn’t that big of a deal, I just was hoping to have a local source. Also, this local source has a better selection of product offerings.

-- JD - Sand Springs, OK - "You can't steer a car that isn't moving..." Unknown

All you should have to do is take your business license with you and register it with them. Even Sam’s club require to see either a business license or 2 docouments listed in your companies name, such as a telephone bill, electric bill, etc. A business card or a letterhead are not considered proof.
God bless

-- Gene, a Christian in Virginia