Case Study: Winning With How to scale operations without sacrificing quality

Scaling operations while maintaining quality is the holy grail of growth—especially in the building supply industry, where timely delivery, order accuracy, and contractor trust are everything.

This case study highlights how StoneBridge Materials, a fast-growing regional building materials distributor, successfully scaled its operations to support a 40% increase in volume without compromising service quality or increasing headcount beyond sustainable levels.

The results?

98% order accuracy

93% on-time delivery rate

18% reduction in cost per order

25% increase in gross revenue in under 12 months

Here’s how they did it—and what your business can learn from their approach.

🏗️ Company Snapshot: StoneBridge Materials

HQ: Dallas, TX

Locations: 5 branches across Texas and Oklahoma

Products: Framing lumber, roofing, siding, fasteners, and general construction materials

Challenge: Rapid growth from new customers and geographic expansion—without losing the quality and responsiveness they were known for.

🎯 The Goal: Scale Smart, Serve Better

StoneBridge’s executive team set a bold objective:

“Double our order volume without damaging customer satisfaction or operational control.”

They knew scaling would only be successful if it protected what made their business special: speed, accuracy, and contractor relationships.

✅ Strategy 1: Standardize Core Operational Processes

The Challenge: Each branch had slightly different workflows—leading to inconsistent customer experience and training issues.

What They Did:

Conducted an operational audit across all branches

Standardized order entry, receiving, picking, and delivery procedures

Created a digital SOP library accessible to every team member

The Result:

📋 Fewer errors, faster onboarding, and improved handoffs across departments.

✅ Strategy 2: Invest in Scalable Technology

The Challenge: Manual processes and outdated systems slowed growth and created gaps in visibility.

What They Did:

Rolled out a cloud-based ERP and WMS system with real-time tracking

Automated purchase orders, delivery routing, and customer notifications

Used dashboards to monitor inventory turns, fulfillment speed, and order accuracy daily

The Result:

💻 18% labor time saved per order and 22% faster order-to-delivery cycle.

✅ Strategy 3: Cross-Train and Upskill the Workforce

The Challenge: With lean staffing, any callout or seasonal demand spike risked bottlenecks.

What They Did:

Created cross-functional training modules for warehouse and delivery staff

Incentivized learning with tiered performance bonuses

Promoted internal mobility to reduce turnover and increase engagement

The Result:

👷 Labor flexibility without burnout—and a 91% retention rate in high-turnover roles.

✅ Strategy 4: Expand Selectively With a Hub-and-Spoke Model

The Challenge: Scaling too fast or too wide would overwhelm their logistics and leadership capacity.

What They Did:

Opened one regional hub with satellite delivery nodes instead of multiple full-service branches

Centralized inventory at the hub and used spoke locations for local deliveries and customer pickups

Kept fixed costs low while expanding reach and delivery speed

The Result:

🚚 Increased delivery coverage by 38% with minimal capital investment.

✅ Strategy 5: Protect Customer Experience at Every Stage

The Challenge: Growth risked diluting the high-touch service that contractors loved.

What They Did:

Assigned account managers to top-tier contractor accounts

Introduced automated delivery ETAs and jobsite notifications

Added post-delivery feedback surveys to catch small issues early

The Result:

👷 Customer NPS rose from 68 to 81—and customer churn dropped by 15%.

📈 Results After 12 Months of Scalable Growth

KPIBefore ScalingAfter Scaling

Order Accuracy92%98%

On-Time Delivery84%93%

Cost Per Order$52$43

Revenue per Branch+10% YoY+25% YoY

Staff Turnover21%9%

🧠 Key Takeaways for Distributors Looking to Scale

Start with process consistency. Scaling chaos only multiplies chaos.

Invest in tech that makes your people more efficient—not just replaces them.

Train for flexibility. Cross-trained teams can flex with demand and keep quality high.

Don’t grow blindly. Strategic expansion models (like hub-and-spoke) reduce risk.

Quality is a competitive advantage. It’s what keeps your contractors coming back—especially at scale.

🧱 Conclusion: Scaling Smart Builds Long-Term Strength

StoneBridge Materials proved that growth doesn’t have to mean cutting corners. By combining structure, technology, and a people-first culture, they created a scalable model that protects performance, profitability, and trust.