Too often, the right people in the wrong jobs make it hard for builders to work efficiently and profitably. To run an effective team, managers need to examine the entire system by which they hire, train, manage and reward their players.

Home builders have always faced competition, but as the industry has increased in sophistication, the competition has increased significantly. It's easy to succeed against fly-by-night operators as long as you don't compete on price. It's muc

Satisfied customers need to be converted into loyal customers since loyalty can translate into a steady stream of customer referrals.

The entire company, starting at the top, needs to demonstrate consistent behaviors that will make difficult decisions easy for employees.

Materials include James Hardie fiber cement siding; Moen kitchen bridge faucet; Elk Prestique laminate shingles; Trane variable speed air conditioning unit; and Boise Build-Rite services.

Despite rising oil prices and a drop in consumer spending and income, indices closed in positive terrain for the month ending March 31, 2006. The Builders' Index added 12.32 points, or 0.98 percent, to end March at 1264.97.

Giants are using building science to differentiate themselves from regional competitors, increase market share for their divisions and to protect and increase their bottom line.

Builders with the majority of their operations in the Northeast, California, Arizona, Nevada and Florida where pricing surges were strongest made the biggest moves in this year's rankings.