JUNE 2026

June is when everything comes together. The planning we did over the winter, the preparation throughout the spring, and the incredible effort our teams put in every day are now translating into results. It’s exciting to see the momentum building across every part of the business.

The first part of the year certainly tested us. Between the salt shortage, challenging weather, and a slower than normal start, we knew we’d have to earn our way back. Thanks to the hard work across this company, that’s exactly what we’re doing.

While we still have work ahead of us, the momentum is undeniable. Sales continue to improve, we are outperforming budget, and the gap from the first quarter continues to shrink. Even more encouraging is that our outlook for the remainder of the year remains strong.

One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of this month has nothing to do with sales or profits. Kurtz Bros. was recently recognized as a Top Workplace, an honor based entirely on feedback from our employees. Awards like this aren’t earned through marketing campaigns or applications. They’re earned through the culture we build together every day. Thank you for making Kurtz Bros. a place where people want to work, grow, and build their careers.

Everywhere I look, I see positive signs. Our stores are delivering an outstanding customer experience. Commercial projects remain strong with a healthy backlog extending well into the year. Production and Transportation continue doing an incredible job keeping up with demand while maintaining the quality and service our customers expect. Our marketing efforts are expanding the Kurtz Bros. brand, our new website continues to gain traction, and our work in Painesville and other beneficial reuse projects demonstrates the innovation that continues to set us apart from our competition.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because of the commitment, teamwork, and pride each of you brings to work every day.

As business continues to accelerate, I want to remind everyone not to let the pace compromise our safety. The busiest months of the year are often when we are most vulnerable. Take the extra moment to think through the task, communicate with one another, and look out for your teammates. At the end of every day, the most important thing we deliver is each other home safely.

Thank you for everything you continue to do. The first half of the year has certainly tested us, but I believe we are positioned for a strong finish. Let’s continue building on our momentum, taking care of our customers, and proving why Kurtz Bros. remains the industry leader.

May Update

Although May Sales and Net Income trailed last year, both significantly outperformed budget. If fact, approximately half of our year-to-date loss in excess of budget is directly attributed to our efforts to close the Valley Belt Landfill.

Topsoil and Building Materials continue to outperform last year. Mulches and Patio made significant improvements during May. Excluding Salt, Product Sales are up a modest 4%.

Service Revenue down 33%; however, the Cliffs Project skews the numbers as it did not repeat this year. Excluding that project, our normalized Service Revenue is up 30%.

If June finishes as strong as it started, we will continue to close the gap to budget and further improve our outlook for the remainder of the year.

After a long wait we have finally started the soil cap project in Painesville. For this project the Kurtz team is providing 40K tons of sediment to a neighboring site to be used for cap of an old industrial site. The former Diamond Shamrock site will be converted into a multiuse park and solar field that sits along the shores of Lake Erie. Our portion of the project is being used to cap an old asbestos landfill. In roughly a month we will know the results of our geotech analysis that will determine if the site can use another 75k yards of topsoil for a solar project. Here our sediment based topsoil will be used as a vegetative material for a wildflower field. We are keeping our fingers crossed that everything moves forward accordingly.  

Painesville begins Ohio largest solar project to replace coal plant

As expected, May and June have been strong months for Commercial Project Sales. Our customers are in full stride, and despite occasional weather challenges, projects continue moving forward at a rapid pace. Demand for All Purpose Soil, CU Structural Soil, and Bio Retention Soil remains high among site work contractors and commercial landscapers, leading the way in sales activity.

Distributor sales continue to perform well, mirroring the strength and consistency seen at our retail stores. The combination of quality products, dependable service, and on-time deliveries has generated positive feedback from customers across the region. We continue to receive numerous compliments regarding our service, and that success would not be possible without the outstanding efforts of our Production and Transportation teams. Thank you for helping us deliver on our commitments every day.

Looking ahead, our Book of Business remains strong for the balance of 2026. Significant ODOT projects and large private developments are expected to keep activity at a high level well into the winter months. In addition, demand for our Infield Baseball Mixes continues to be strong as communities, schools, and athletic facilities invest in their fields.

Current projects we are proud to be supplying include:

• Metroparks projects across all locations, including the new E. 55th Street Marina and Irishtown Bend
• ODOT projects on I-90, I-490, I-480, and I-422 in Huntsburg
• Lakewood Bunts Road improvements
• Cleveland Clinic
• Cleveland Museum of Art
• Garfield Heights Chaincraft Drive
• Cuyahoga Falls Sheetz
• Kent Howe Road
• Painesville Parkside Hotel
• Wadsworth Country Meadow
• Akron Friars Road
• Hinckley developments
• Ryan Homes subdivisions in Amherst, Olmsted Falls, Chagrin Falls, Grafton and Sagamore Hills

The Sales Team remains extremely busy, with a steady flow of quote requests and new opportunities. As we continue building our pipeline, it is important to remember a phrase often used in sales: “Feed the Furnace.” Every quote, every customer interaction, and every opportunity contributes to future success.

At the end of the day, sales help keep everything moving. Thank you to everyone across the organization who plays a role in supporting our customers and driving our continued growth.

Our production teams continue to work hard across all locations to meet seasonal demand and maintain inventory levels.

Bridgeview is actively grinding, screening, and coloring mulch to keep pace with customer demand. The team is also screening topsoil to ensure a steady supply of quality material.

CDF is currently loading sand from the chutes and distributing it to production sites as needed. In addition, the team is producing topsoil to keep store inventories fully stocked.

Avon is focused on screening mulch and processing topsoil, helping to support both production needs and product availability throughout the season.

Broadview is preparing for increased processing capacity with the delivery of a grinder to handle on-site yard waste. Once processed, the material will be transported to designated locations for further use and distribution.

No Submission.

Sales Operations Update – June 2026

Merchandising Success: Willowick Leading the Way

The Willowick store continues to set the standard for our Pick Row merchandising strategy. By positioning our Natural Stone inventory so customers walk through the stone displays before reaching the hardscape area, we are maximizing product exposure and creating more opportunities for customers to discover additional items.

The concept is simple:

This layout encourages customers to browse products they may not have originally planned to purchase, increasing both engagement and sales opportunities. While Willowick is where we want to be today, we are looking for continued growth and expansion of this merchandising approach throughout our retail locations.

Inside Store Layout Delivering Results

The redesigned retail floor layouts are proving extremely successful.

Since January 1, 2026:

• Combined ancillary sales are up 9%
• Tool sales are up 75%
• Chemical sales are up 26%

These results reinforce the importance of strategic merchandising and product placement. When customers can easily see products, they are much more likely to purchase them.

SMART Goal Spotlight: Labor Management

One of our SMART goals is to maintain Labor % to Sales below 13%.

Our teams are doing an outstanding job managing this metric. Several locations are performing significantly below the target, demonstrating excellent operational discipline even while facing staffing challenges.

Thank you to every manager and team member for your commitment to balancing customer service, operational efficiency, and labor management.

Customer Service Excellence

Despite increased seasonal traffic and staffing challenges, our stores continue to deliver exceptional customer service.

Current Phone Performance (through June 15)

Overall Answer Rate: 93.1%

While our goal remains 95%, these results continue to be among the strongest in the industry.

And thanks to your efforts, our customers are seeing more than ever.

Industry Benchmarks

• 80–90% answer rate is considered a standard goal.
• 90%+ answer rate is considered high-performing.
• During busy seasonal periods, many retailers see answer rates fall into the 85–90% range due to increased call volume and staffing constraints.

Considering the increased call volume and longer customer interactions that come with our busy retail season, our performance remains exceptional. I am incredibly proud of every team and the service they continue to provide our customers.

Seasonal Hours Update

A reminder that:

• This will be the last Sunday open for the season.
• Beginning June 29, stores will move to the next phase of the seasonal schedule.
• We will see a slight reduction in weekday store hours while extending Saturday hours to better align with the original operating calendar.

Please communicate these changes to customers and ensure schedules are updated accordingly.

Leadership Development

We continue investing in the growth of our management teams through the training resources available in ADP.

This month’s focus was:

Holding Your Team Accountable

Strong accountability creates stronger teams, better customer experiences, improved operational performance, and more opportunities for employee development. Thank you to our managers who continue investing time in learning and leading effectively.

Thank You

As we move through the busiest part of the season, I want to thank every member of our retail teams. From merchandising and customer service to labor management and leadership development, the results speak for themselves.

Keep focusing on the fundamentals:

If They See It, They Buy It.

If you’ve driven across the 480 Bridge lately, you’ve probably noticed something new towering over the landscape… our billboard is officially live! 🚛🌱

After months of planning, designing, revising, and waiting (and waiting some more), it’s finally up and doing its job—putting the Kurtz Bros. name in front of thousands of potential customers every single day. Be sure to check it out and snap a photo if you see it in the wild!

The Numbers Are Looking Pretty Good Too…

While May let us down a bit, April’s strong performance, combined with an absolutely outstanding June, has us tracking at approximately 8% year-over-year growth for retail sales. That’s an incredible accomplishment when you consider all of the pricing challenges, market uncertainty, fuel fluctuations, and economic headwinds we’ve navigated this year.

Website Update: Less Traffic, More Buyers

One thing we expected after launching our new website platform was a temporary dip in traffic while search engines relearned where everything lives. That part happened exactly as anticipated.

The exciting news? The people who are finding us are buying.

Our website conversion rate has jumped from 1.54% to over 3%, meaning we’re converting visitors into online orders at nearly double the rate we were before. That’s a major win and a strong indicator that the new platform is creating a better customer experience.

As our organic search rankings continue to recover and traffic volumes increase, maintaining conversion rates at these levels could translate into significant future revenue growth.

Willowick Open House Success

Our Willowick Open House was another fantastic event. We welcomed a great crowd, connected with customers, showcased the updated location, and—thanks to Betty’s Bomb Ass Burgers—sent plenty of people home happy, full, and smiling.

A big thank you to everyone who helped organize, promote, and host the event.

A Few Other Wins Worth Celebrating

✅ Online customer adoption continues to grow as more customers place orders through our website.

✅ Our abandoned cart program is helping recover sales that previously would have been lost.

✅ Community partnerships and promotional campaigns continue to generate strong engagement and brand visibility across our markets.

✅ The new website continues to gain momentum, creating a stronger foundation for future marketing, customer self-service, and e-commerce growth.

As always, marketing is a team sport. Every delivery, every customer interaction, every load sold, every phone call answered, and every project completed helps strengthen the Kurtz Bros. brand.

Thanks for helping us keep the momentum rolling!