The pure mark-up method of making a profit has me baffled. I understand material suppliers only have one option. They buy from a manufacturer and then deliver to the contractor for a profit. I once worked for a manufacturer and got to see what price dealers actually paid for these materials I routinely used. I was surprised with the razor-thin profit margins they operated on. This was eye opening and more eye-opening events followed me through my career in the industry.
The CEO for that same manufacturer made another revelation. He announced that the corporate goal was to develop a product line that he called a strategic “value-added” product enhancement program. And when a new product was about to be launched, we learned exactly what he meant. He asked, “Is it idiot proof?” and went on to explain that he wanted the product to be so easy to install that any worker could put it in with no real training required.