Navigating the shed industry in a post-pandemic world requires wisdom, strategy, and strong partnerships. In this revealing conversation, Jared Ledford welcomes Sheds Direct's dynamic duo – JW Rucker (District Sales Manager) and Mark Church (Business Development Director) – who bring decades of industry expertise and infectious enthusiasm to the discussion.
The conversation dives deep into how COVID fundamentally transformed the shed business, creating what Mark describes as a shift from being shed sellers to mere order takers during the pandemic boom. As JW explains, You could be bad at selling sheds and have a line out your door in 2020 or 2021. Now, as the market normalizes, quality and service have reemerged as crucial differentiators.
At the heart of their discussion is the price, quality, and service triangle – the industry principle that no manufacturer can truly excel in all three areas. This challenging reality forces strategic decisions about identity and market positioning. What's fascinating is that despite conventional wisdom suggesting price drives purchasing decisions, Mark reveals their value line represents just 10-15% of total sales, proving customers ultimately seek quality and value over rock-bottom pricing.
For dealers, the insights shared might fundamentally change how you approach manufacturer partnerships. The team candidly discusses how choosing partners solely on price often leads to spending countless hours addressing quality issues rather than selling more sheds. As Jared laments from experience, We are still getting negative reviews from other manufacturers just now, and it makes us look bad.
Whether you are a manufacturer, dealer, or industry supplier, this conversation provides critical market intelligence as we navigate 2025. The early winter challenges, the promising spring momentum, and the industrys overall trajectory offer valuable perspective for anyone invested in the portable building space. Their closing message resonates clearly: success lies not in racing to the bottom, but in delivering quality products that make customers proud and keep referrals flowing.
