How US LBM simplified its network and eliminated downtime
US LBM is one of the largest building materials distributors in the country, with more than 450 locations nationwide. As the company expanded, its IT team spent too much time managing an increasingly complex network. Outages and manual configurations were slowing them down.
Their story shows how simplifying network architecture can free IT teams to focus on growth instead of troubleshooting.
Cutting through network complexity
At one point, US LBM was running 14 virtual Meraki hubs across its environment. Each expansion made the setup more complicated to manage and introduced new disruption risks. The team needed a way to streamline connectivity while keeping pace with rapid growth and cloud adoption.
“Our journey was about simplicity,” said Ryan Wallace, Director of Network Operations. “Our previous network infrastructure did not allow for growth, resulting in time-consuming oversight from our IT team and frequent disruptions. Our goal was to build a seamless-,, flexible solution so we could refocus valuable time.”
A streamlined path forward
US LBM turned to Flexential for a network model that could scale without adding complexity. Strategic colocation deployments provided a solid foundation, while Flexential Cloud Fabric delivered direct 100 Gbps connections to Microsoft Azure and other major cloud providers.
“Since deploying, we’ve had zero interruptions or downtime. It’s the definition of rock-solid performance.” —Ryan Wallace, US LBM
The combination allowed US LBM to collapse its old hub structure into a more efficient design. Through an easy-to-use self-service portal, the team gained real-time visibility into circuit health, power use, and bandwidth, along with the ability to spin up new connections in minutes.
Reliability without interruptions
The results speak for themselves. Since the deployment, US LBM’s network has maintained 100% uptime across its nationwide operations. Application performance improved as latency dropped, and the IT team shifted focus from troubleshooting outages to more strategic initiatives.
“Moving to Flexential Cloud Fabric meant we could focus on more strategic work instead of getting bogged down in manual configurations and troubleshooting outages,” Wallace explained.
Built for ongoing growth
With a simplified, scalable network in place, US LBM has the confidence to continue expanding its footprint. Flexential end-to-end infrastructure helps support future growth by reducing complexity and improving connectivity reliability.
To see how US LBM eliminated network complexity and built a foundation for future growth, read the full customer story.
