Brick, Stone, and Related Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of stone, cement, lime, construction sand, and gravel; brick; asphalt and concrete mixtures; and/or concrete, stone, and structural clay products.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 42 | Wholesale Trade 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Wholesale Trade sector comprises establishments engaged in wholesaling merchandise, generally without transformation, and rendering services incidental to the sale of merchandise. The merchandise described in this sector includes the outputs of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and certain information industries, such as publishing. The wholesaling process is an intermediate step in the distribution of merchandise. Wholesalers are organized to sell or arrange the purchase or sale of (a) goods for resale (i.e., goods sold to other wholesalers or retailers), (b) capital or durable nonconsumer goods, and (c) raw and intermediate materials and supplies used in production. Wholesalers sell merchandise to other businesses and normally operate from a warehouse or office. These warehouses and offices are characterized by having little or no display of merchandise. In addition, neither the design nor the location of the premises is intended to solicit walk-in traffic. Wholesalers do not normally use advertising directed to the general public. Customers are generally reached initially via telephone, in-person marketing, or by specialized advertising that may include Internet and other electronic means. Follow-up orders are either vendor-initiated or client-initiated, generally based on previous sales, and typically exhibit strong ties between sellers and buyers. In fact, transactions are often conducted between wholesalers and clients that have long-standing business relationships. This sector comprises two main types of wholesalers: merchant wholesalers that sell goods on their own account and agents and brokers that arrange sales and purchases for others generally for a commission or fee. (1) Establishments that sell goods on their own account are known as wholesale merchants, distributors, jobbers, drop shippers, and import/export merchants. Also included as wholesale merchants are sales offices and sales branches (but not retail stores) maintained by manufacturing, refining, or mining enterprises apart from their plants or mines for the purpose of marketing their products, and group purchasing organizations primarily purchasing and selling goods on their own account. Merchant wholesale establishments typically maintain their own warehouse, where they receive and handle goods for their customers. Goods are generally sold without transformation, but may include integral functions, such as sorting, packaging, labeling, and other marketing services. (2) Establishments arranging for the purchase or sale of goods owned by others or purchasing goods, generally on a commission basis are known as business-to-business electronic markets, agents and brokers, commission merchants, import/export agents and brokers, auction companies, group purchasing organizations (acting as agents), and manufacturers' representatives. These establishments operate from offices and generally do not own or handle the goods they sell. Some wholesale establishments may be connected with a single manufacturer and promote and sell the particular manufacturer's products to a wide range of other wholesalers or retailers. Other wholesalers may be connected to a retail chain, or limited number of retail chains, and only provide a variety of products needed by that particular retail operation(s). These wholesalers may obtain the products from a wide range of manufacturers. Still other wholesalers may not take title to the goods, but act as agents and brokers for a commission. Although, in general, wholesaling normally denotes sales in large volumes, durable nonconsumer goods may be sold in single units. Sales of capital or durable nonconsumer goods used in the production of goods and services, such as farm machinery, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and industrial machinery, are always included in wholesale trade. |
| 423 | Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods subsector sell capital or durable goods to other businesses. Merchant wholesalers generally take title to the goods that they sell; in other words, they buy and sell goods on their own account. Durable goods are new or used items generally with a normal life expectancy of three years or more. Durable goods merchant wholesale trade establishments are engaged in wholesaling products, such as motor vehicles, furniture, construction materials, machinery and equipment (including household-type appliances), metals and minerals (except petroleum), sporting goods, toys and hobby goods, recyclable materials, and parts. Agents and brokers primarily engaged in wholesaling durable goods, generally on a commission or fee basis, are classified in Subsector 425, Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers. |
| 4233 | Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of lumber, plywood, millwork, and wood panels; brick, stone, and related construction materials; roofing, siding, and insulation materials; and other construction materials, including manufactured homes (i.e., mobile homes) and/or prefabricated buildings. |
| 42332 | Brick, Stone, and Related Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 423320. |
| 423320 | Brick, Stone, and Related Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of stone, cement, lime, construction sand, and gravel; brick; asphalt and concrete mixtures; and/or concrete, stone, and structural clay products. |
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Classification References
- 01Merchant wholesale distribution of refractory brick and other refractory products or industrial sand--are classified in Industry 423840, Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers;
- 02Selling ready-mix concrete--are classified in Industry 327320, Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing; and
- 03Quarrying, dredging, and/or beneficiating construction sand and gravel--are classified in U.S. Industry 212321, Construction Sand and Gravel Mining.
Index Items
Asphalt and concrete mixtures merchant wholesalers
Bricks (except refractory) merchant wholesalers
Building blocks (e.g., cinder, concrete) merchant wholesalers
Building stone merchant wholesalers
Cement merchant wholesalers
Ceramic construction materials (except refractory and ceramic roofing tile) merchant wholesalers
Clay construction materials (except refractory and clay roofing tile) merchant wholesalers
Coal tar paving materials merchant wholesalers
Concrete building products merchant wholesalers
Concrete mixtures merchant wholesalers
Conduit and pipe, concrete, merchant wholesalers
Countertops, stone and concrete, merchant wholesalers
Crushed stone merchant wholesalers
Culvert pipe, concrete, merchant wholesalers
Drywall joint compounds merchant wholesalers
Fireplace linings merchant wholesalers
Flue pipe and linings merchant wholesalers
Gravel, construction, merchant wholesalers
Lime (except agricultural) merchant wholesalers
Mason's materials merchant wholesalers
Paving mixtures merchant wholesalers
Plaster merchant wholesalers
Sand (except industrial) merchant wholesalers
Septic tanks, concrete, merchant wholesalers
Sewer pipe, clay (except refractory), merchant wholesalers
Slate and slate products merchant wholesalers
Stone, building or crushed, merchant wholesalers
Structural clay tile (except refractory and clay roofing tile) merchant wholesalers
Stucco merchant wholesalers
Terra cotta merchant wholesalers
Tile, structural clay (except refractory and clay roofing tile) merchant wholesalers
How Item Can Help
The Warehouse Management System provides real-time inventory tracking for perishable materials like cut stone to prevent spoilage while optimizing shelf space for bulky bulk items.
Order Management Systems streamline complex order fulfillment processes by coordinating multiple fulfillment channels and enabling rapid reordering for seasonal material surges.
Data Intelligence tools analyze historical sales trends to predict inventory requirements for specific construction projects and identify slow-moving stock to reduce capital tied up in warehousing.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 423320.
National Association of Home Builders
A trade association providing resources for professionals in construction materials and building supply distribution.
NAICS.gov Industry Details
Official US Census Bureau data page for Brick, Stone, and Related Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers.
Bricklayer's Association of America
An industry organization dedicated to the profession and materials used in brick and stone construction.
