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Basis of Presentation and Background
 12 Months Ended
Jan. 04, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation and Background
1. Basis of Presentation and Background
 
Basis of Presentation
 
BlueLinx Holdings Inc., operating through our wholly-owned subsidiary, BlueLinx Corporation (BlueLinx Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries are collectively referred to as “BlueLinx” or the “Company”), is a leading distributor of building products in North America, with approximately 1,700 employees as of January 4, 2014.  We offer approximately 10,000 products from over 750 suppliers to service approximately 11,500 customers nationwide, including dealers, industrial manufacturers, manufactured housing producers and home improvement retailers. We operate our distribution business from sales centers in Atlanta and Denver, and our current network of approximately 50 distribution centers.  The Consolidated Financial Statements include our accounts and those of our wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Fiscal 2013 contained 53 weeks. Fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011 each contained 52 weeks. Our fiscal quarters are quarters based on a 5-4-4 week period, with the exception of the fourth fiscal quarter of fiscal years containing 53 weeks, which are based on a 5-4-5 week period.
 
Nature of Operations
 
We are a wholesale supplier of building products in North America. We distribute products in two principal categories: structural products and specialty products. Structural products include plywood, oriented strand board (“OSB”), rebar and remesh, lumber and other wood products primarily used for structural support, walls and flooring in construction projects. Specialty products include roofing, insulation, moulding, engineered wood, vinyl products (used primarily in siding), outdoor living and metal products (excluding rebar and remesh). These products are sold to a diversified customer base, including independent building materials dealers, industrial and manufactured housing builders and home improvement centers. Net sales by product category are summarized below:
                         
   
Fiscal Year
Ended
January 4,
2014
    
Fiscal Year
Ended
December 29,
2012
    
Fiscal Year
Ended
December 31,
2011
  
   
(Dollars in millions)
  
Sales by category
                  
Structural products
   $ 968     $ 806     $ 705  
Specialty products
     1,200       1,114       1,068  
Unallocated allowances and adjustments
     (16 )     (12 )     (18 )
Total sales
   $ 2,152     $ 1,908     $ 1,755  
 
Suppliers
 
As of January 4, 2014, our vendor base included over 750 suppliers of both structural and specialty building products. In some cases, these products are branded. We have supply contracts in place with many of our vendors. Terms for these agreements frequently include prompt payment discounts and freight allowances and occasionally include volume discounts, growth incentives, marketing allowances, consigned inventory and extended payment terms.