Buyer/Planner

Overview

First Supply, a fifth-generation family-owned company, has served the Upper Midwest for over 125 years. Guided by our Employee Value Proposition, Where Tradition Meets Innovation, we foster a workplace where people learn, grow, and contribute to a company that values its heritage while embracing progress. Our teams take pride in supporting customers and communities, creating meaningful work and rewarding careers every day. 

 

As our Planner/Buyer, you’ll be an integral part of the team managing and leading our forecasting needs for pipes, valves and fittings (PVF). You'll be able to flex your expertise and analysis focusing on cost management, inventory parameter development and maintenance, replenishment transactions and inventory performance. Your collaboration and communication skills will be needed as you work cross-functionally with Sales, Operations, Product and Supply to manage demand changes, new product transitions, promotional activity, vendor opportunity identification, and developing market trend analysis on product and customer forecasts for 60-100 suppliers. This position will be on-site at our Madison, WI branch. 

 

Key metrics will include product availability, inventory turns, supplier on-time delivery, supplier cost management, and supplier quality performance.  Additionally, the role will be tasked with helping to identify strategic opportunities that drive continuous improvement across internal processes and supplier performance.

Responsibilities

• Analyze market trends, demand patterns, and customer preferences to make informed purchasing decisions.
• Develop and implement procurement strategies that optimize inventory levels while minimizing costs and lead times.
• Maintain item attributes and configuration to drive replenishment (PO & transfer) activities in accordance with inventory and availability strategy.
• Identify and execute returns to supplier.
• Build supplier relationships and performance management strategies across defined supplier groups.
• Optimize total costs including freight, inventory, and purchase price.
• Perform annual review of supplier lines.
• Actively communicate and collaborate with cross-functional colleagues and supplier partners.
• Timely resolution of discrepancies associated with responsible supplier transactions.
• Develop product knowledge of assigned product lines.
• Grow competencies in negotiation, supplier evaluation, forecasting, and inventory planning.
• Other duties/responsibilities as assigned by the Director of Procurement.

Qualifications

• Three years of Supply Chain experience preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management or related field preferred.
• Fluency in Microsoft Excel required.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills to effectively interact with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Material Requirements Planning (MRP) and Distribution Requirements Planning (DRP) experience preferred.
• Plumbing and heating product knowledge preferred.
• Ability to read, speak, understand, and write English.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide all units of measure.

About First Supply

First Supply® is a leading main channel wholesale distributor providing industrial customers and building contractors with an extensive line of products and services. First Supply features manufacturer product lines in the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, builder, waterworks, pump/well & septic, industrial and municipal markets. Headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, First Supply has more than 700 employees in 29 operating facilities serving Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan UP. The company has over $100 million in inventory and over $400 million in annual sales. 

 

First Supply also owns and operates 18 Kitchen & Bath Stores in 5 midwestern states under the Gerhard's Kitchen & Bath and Kohler Signature Store brands. Gerhard's is the largest, most versatile kitchen & bath store in the upper Midwest. We offer a huge variety of kitchen and bath choices from contemporary to traditional styles, along with service you won't find anywhere else. The Kohler Signature Stores are a kitchen and bath showroom that provides a distinguished Kohler experience where designers and homeowners can get hands on with hundreds of products, exclusively from the Kohler brands!

 

First Supply LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.