The Role
Manage lumber purchasing, inventory planning, forecasting, supplier relationships, negotiation, and inbound transportation coordination to balance availability, cost, and customer demand while monitoring market conditions and supporting cross-functional teams.
Summary Generated by Built In
Lumber Buyer
Company: Ganahl LumberLocation: Anaheim, California
Employment Type: Full-time
Work Arrangement: In-person
Experience Level: Experienced
Position Summary
Ganahl Lumber is seeking an experienced Lumber Buyer to manage the purchasing, inventory planning, and supply-chain coordination of lumber and related building-material products. This role is responsible for maintaining the right product mix and inventory levels while balancing customer demand, product availability, quality, lead times, transportation costs, and market conditions.
The ideal candidate has strong knowledge of the lumber industry, established mill and supplier relationships, and demonstrated experience in forecasting demand, negotiating purchases, managing inventory, and coordinating transportation. This position requires sound commercial judgment, strong analytical skills, and the ability to build productive relationships with mills, vendors, sales teams, operations personnel, and transportation partners.
Key Responsibilities
- Purchase lumber and related products in accordance with sales forecasts, inventory targets, customer requirements, and company objectives.
- Manage inventory levels across assigned product categories, balancing product availability with inventory turns, carrying costs, and exposure to market fluctuations.
- Develop accurate demand forecasts using sales history, seasonal trends, current orders, market intelligence, and input from sales and operations teams.
- Build, maintain, and strengthen long-term relationships with lumber mills, wholesalers, manufacturers, brokers, and other supply partners.
- Negotiate pricing, purchase terms, freight arrangements, delivery schedules, product specifications, and volume commitments.
- Monitor lumber-market conditions, including pricing trends, mill production, availability, transportation constraints, regional demand, and other factors affecting supply and cost.
- Identify purchasing opportunities and supply risks, communicating recommendations to company leadership and other stakeholders.
- Coordinate inbound transportation with mills, carriers, brokers, distribution teams, and receiving locations to support timely and cost-effective delivery.
- Evaluate freight options and consolidate shipments when appropriate to reduce transportation costs and improve efficiency.
- Track open purchase orders, shipment schedules, backorders, lead times, and delivery performance.
- Work closely with receiving and operations teams to resolve shortages, overages, damaged materials, specification issues, and other discrepancies.
- Collaborate with sales teams to understand customer demand, upcoming projects, special-order requirements, and changing product needs.
- Analyze inventory performance, including stock levels, turns, aging, service levels, excess inventory, and slow-moving products.
- Recommend transfers, promotions, purchasing adjustments, or other actions to address inventory imbalances.
- Maintain accurate product, vendor, pricing, purchasing, and lead-time information within company systems.
- Review supplier performance based on product quality, pricing, reliability, responsiveness, delivery accuracy, and overall value.
- Support product-line reviews, vendor evaluations, annual planning, budgeting, and purchasing-strategy development.
- Ensure purchased materials meet applicable grades, dimensions, quality standards, and company requirements.
- Respond quickly and professionally to supply disruptions, transportation delays, urgent customer needs, and changing market conditions.
- Perform other purchasing, inventory-management, and supply-chain duties as assigned.
- Several years of professional buying or purchasing experience within the lumber, building-materials, forest-products, construction-supply, or a closely related industry.
- Strong working knowledge of lumber products, grades, dimensions, species, applications, pricing, and supply channels.
- Demonstrated experience managing inventories, forecasting demand, placing purchase orders, and coordinating inbound transportation.
- Proven ability to negotiate effectively with mills, suppliers, brokers, and freight providers.
- Established industry relationships and a strong understanding of mill operations and lumber-market dynamics.
- Ability to interpret sales, inventory, purchasing, and market data and translate it into sound buying decisions.
- Strong mathematical, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, vendors, and product categories in a fast-paced environment.
- High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Proficiency with purchasing, inventory, ERP, and spreadsheet applications.
- Ability to work collaboratively with sales, operations, accounting, receiving, and leadership teams.
- Ability to work full-time, in person at the Anaheim location.
- Five or more years of lumber-buying or closely related purchasing experience.
- Experience purchasing high volumes directly from mills and manufacturers.
- Familiarity with Western lumber markets and suppliers.
- Experience coordinating truck, rail, intermodal, or other freight arrangements.
- Knowledge of inventory-planning methods, margin management, replenishment practices, and supply-chain performance metrics.
- Experience supporting multiple yards, branches, or distribution locations.
- Bachelor’s degree in supply-chain management, business, finance, forestry, construction management, or a related discipline. Equivalent industry experience will also be considered.
- Commercial judgment and market awareness
- Inventory planning and demand forecasting
- Vendor and mill relationship management
- Negotiation and cost management
- Transportation and logistics coordination
- Data analysis and attention to detail
- Decisive problem-solving
- Accountability and follow-through
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Clear and professional communication
This is a full-time, in-person position based in Anaheim, California. The role operates primarily in a professional office environment and may require visits to lumberyards, mills, vendor facilities, or other company locations. Occasional travel may be required based on business needs.
Compensation and Benefits
Final compensation will depend on relevant experience, industry knowledge, qualifications, and other job-related factors. Our employees enjoy group medical benefits, an ESOP retirement plan, paid time off and paid holidays – subject to our employee handbook.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Ganahl Lumber is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants and employees. Employment decisions are made without unlawful discrimination or harassment based on any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
How to Apply
Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit a résumé outlining their lumber-industry experience, purchasing responsibilities, product knowledge, supplier relationships, and inventory-management background.
Skills Required
- Several years of professional buying or purchasing experience within lumber, building-materials, forest-products, construction-supply, or closely related industry
- Strong working knowledge of lumber products, grades, dimensions, species, applications, pricing, and supply channels
- Demonstrated experience managing inventories, forecasting demand, placing purchase orders, and coordinating inbound transportation
- Proven ability to negotiate effectively with mills, suppliers, brokers, and freight providers
- Established industry relationships and strong understanding of mill operations and lumber-market dynamics
- Ability to interpret sales, inventory, purchasing, and market data and translate it into sound buying decisions
- Strong mathematical, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, vendors, and product categories in a fast-paced environment
- High level of accuracy and attention to detail
- Proficiency with purchasing, inventory, ERP, and spreadsheet applications
- Ability to work collaboratively with sales, operations, accounting, receiving, and leadership teams
- Ability to work full-time, in person at the Anaheim location
- Five or more years of lumber-buying or closely related purchasing experience
- Experience purchasing high volumes directly from mills and manufacturers
- Familiarity with Western lumber markets and suppliers
- Experience coordinating truck, rail, intermodal, or other freight arrangements
- Knowledge of inventory-planning methods, margin management, replenishment practices, and supply-chain performance metrics
- Experience supporting multiple yards, branches, or distribution locations
- Bachelor's degree in supply-chain management, business, finance, forestry, construction management, or related discipline (or equivalent industry experience)
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The Company
What We Do
Since 1884, Ganahl Lumber has been a family- and employee-owned business providing top quality building supplies and hardware for professional contractors and DIY enthusiasts alike. As the oldest lumberyard in California, they provide a comprehensive range of products, including lumber, tools, paint, millwork, doors, and windows, serving customers throughout Southern California.
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