“Building is a trade that’s never going away, and we need smart, ingenious people who work well with their hands. We try to hire the best people possible.” ~ Ike Padgett, vice president of purchasing, Tindell’s Building Materials
Tindell’s Building Materials, located in Knoxville, TN, a locally-owned building materials supplier, was started as a sawmill operation by Fate Tindell in 1892. Fate was followed by his son, Francis Tindell, then Francis’s son, Carl Tindell. Tindell’s is now owned and operated by Johan van Tilburg, Carl’s son-in-law.
The Tindell Way exemplifies efficiency and service. It has led to expansion: five stores and warehouses in Knoxville, Maryville, Sevierville, Morristown and Cleveland. Tindell’s truss manufacturing plant is located in Karns, and the installed sales division and millwork shop are co-located with the company’s headquarters in Halls Crossroads in Knoxville, and the commodity distribution center is in east Knoxville. The storage yards and warehouses total a huge 926,810 square-feet of space. There is usually $9 million of inventory on hand in the five facilities.
Ike Padgett, vice president of purchasing, negotiates the contracts for panels and lumber through the Lumbermens Merchandising Corporation (LMC). This buying group allows Tindell’s to contract directly with sawmills. Tindell’s distributes a wide assortment of softwoods amounting to 24,107,793 board feet annually. Southern Yellow Pine including treated, in 2x material is available in No. 2, No. 1, No. 2 Prime, 4x and 6x Premium Grade, 5/4 Premium, I-45/Standard Decking and 1x material Standard Grade. The beautiful Spruce Pine Fir in 2x material comes in Stud Grade, Carrier Premium, No. 2 and Better and 1x material Premium Grade. The Eastern White Pine is offered in 1x Pattern Stock Standard Grade and the Ponderosa Pine comes in 2x Pattern Standard Grade.
Framing and decking lumber, panels, and components are a large part of the business, with Tindell’s offering customers every opportunity to “build strong!” Contractors will find Southern Yellow Pine lumber, Spruce Pine Fir lumber, treated lumber, engineered lumber, OSB sheathing and plywood sheathing in the lumber division. Tindell’s Log Shop in Sevierville manufactures heavy timber trusses out of White Pine beams, produces custom log work and makes false corners for a log cabin look.
A separate Commodity Distribution Center receives lumber from railroad cars, storing the bulk of the lumber, ready for distribution. The center has 2,804,306 board feet on hand and is strictly operational: receiving, storing and shipping. Most of Tindell’s large framing packages ship from there. The Commodity Center uses Tindell’s truck fleet to replenish each location with lumber and sheeting materials.
“This allows a unique strategy for efficiency,” said Padgett. Efficiency became a theme with Tindell operations after the building industry experienced lean times. “To survive, we had to do a lot more with a lot less people. Thinking outside the box, using different approaches and strategies, proved to be a better approach than throwing people at a problem,” he said.
Tindell’s has 240 employees, each important to the company. To forestall labor shortages, Tindell’s participates in the local Ride and Decide program, which introduces high school students to careers in the trades. “Building is a trade that’s never going away,” said Padgett, “and we need smart, ingenious people who work well with their hands. We try to hire the best people possible and we pay a little more to get them. We train them in the Tindell Way, which is to do things right the first time and to put the customer first.” Customers earn points with purchases in a customer loyalty program that offers rewards, such as last year’s contractor’s trip to Hawaii.
Ike Padgett was trained in the Tindell Way and managed several locations before becoming the vice president of purchasing. Every day custom work crosses his desk, among them orders from the U.S. government. “We have had contracts for over 30 years with the plants in Oak Ridge, TN, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to provide building materials. We have a gentleman who’s dedicated to that and he has to track down some very rare stuff,” said Padgett.
Tindell’s cultivates industry leadership by active participation in the Building Material Suppliers Association. Padgett and David Hunt, vice president of operations, served on its Board of Directors for several terms. This year Roger Bates, CFO, is a director, recommending the BMSA for networking and education. Padgett maintains a position on the BSA’s Audit Committee. Padgett is also a fan of the marketing services for members of LMC, creators of Tindell’s new website. Their improved presence online is bringing in new business from tech-savvy contractors and attracting potential employees.
Tindell’s has invested heavily in the millwork facility with a brand new and state of the art Kval door machine that consists of four pieces, the main one being the 994-X pre-hanging door system for hanging interior doors. A Norfield horizontal pre-hanger is used for preparing the exterior line of doors. The Hundegger Turbo-Drive TD-B160 (Basic Machine) at the Truss plant allows for PET (precision end trimming) of I-joists to within 1/16 of an inch as well as the capability to route HVAC holes, saving both time and money on the job site. The WizardPDS Roof Table is manufactured by EIDE Integrated Systems and improves efficiency by shortening set-up times between roof truss batches.
Tindell’s rececently completed a groundbreaking expansion to their truss plant, marking a significant milestone in its commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction. The multimillion-dollar investment, was spearheaded by Travis White, VP of truss operations, and has transformed the facility into a cutting-edge truss production powerhouse. The expansion included: two Enventek Retro C auto feeding component saws, paired with the lumber Pickline; automated material sorting, ensuring unparalleled efficiency and precision; a 25,000-square-feet addition to the Roof Shop; 10 computerized roof building stations equipped with MiTek Wizard automated tables; a new MiTek Finish Roller Press; dual 75-inch TV displays for paperless truss setup and build information; PlantOne color-coded truss setup and build information for enhanced efficiency; a new MiTek Floor Truss Machine.
In addition to the enhancements in the truss plant, Tindell’s has also been enhancing its Estimating and Design Departments with focused training, led by Cory Tindell, estimating lead. The company has successfully completed its Second Design Training Program, graduating three additional design/estimators.
Efficiency, service and personnel—Tindell’s is doing something right. “From 2012 to 2022, we have witnessed growth year-over-year,” said Padgett. Part of this is due to diversification. Tindell’s offers roof and cabinet design, custom fireplaces, and installation of insulation, garage doors, fireplaces, windows and exterior doors, countertops and cabinets.
Installed sales became a division over 20 years ago, when Tindell’s foresaw the industry moving in that direction. Their latest innovative product is the White Cedar SBR Railing (square but round railing), a complement to square porch posts. In the Tindell Way tradition, it’s an additional way to anticipate and serve their customers.
Besides Van Tilburg and Padgett, key personnel include Allan Burk, vice president of sales; David Hunt, vice president of operations; Roger Bates, CFO; Lori Ridings, vice president of human resources; Shawn Tindell, vice president of IT; and Travis White, vice president of truss.
More information is available at www.tindells.com.
