Why Market Makers Matter More Than Ever in Construction Procurement

The construction industry is entering an era defined by volatility. Tariffs are rising. Shipping lanes are unstable. Traditional supply chains are breaking down. Material lead times are no longer timelines—they’re guesswork. Pricing swings weekly, if not daily. And the once-reliable vendors of the past are now struggling to guarantee delivery—let alone cost certainty.

In this environment, procurement is no longer a back-office task. It’s a frontline strategic function. And in the middle of this shift stands a new kind of player: the market maker.

How Procurement Used to Work

Procurement once followed a predictable rhythm: identify a supplier, get a quote, place the order, receive the material. It was a linear, transactional process—manageable and mostly reliable.

That world is gone.

Today’s global construction material landscape is defined by:

  • Tariff volatility, reshaping cost structures across key categories—steel, aluminum, flooring, cabinetry, and glass are all under pressure.

  • Shipping constraints, with transpacific availability nearing COVID-era lows, creating delays and upward freight pressure.

  • Geopolitical instability, forcing manufacturers to prioritize certain regions, often leaving U.S. buyers out of production queues.

This isn’t a supply chain anymore. It’s a minefield.

What a Market Maker Actually Does

At Far Point Global, we don’t wait for material quotes. We don’t rely on catalog pricing. We actively create market access—bridging the gap between global production and real-time U.S. project demand.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

  • Cross-Border Arbitrage: We monitor FX rates, tariff shifts, commodity flows, and inland freight costs to uncover margin and savings others miss.

  • Production Slot Access: We negotiate directly with factories in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America—securing inventory before it bottlenecks in domestic markets.

  • Strategic Substitution: When a spec becomes nonviable due to price, policy, or supply constraints, we source alternate solutions that meet schedule and compliance.

  • Market Forecasting: We don’t just react to volatility—we help clients anticipate it and position themselves accordingly.

Our clients aren’t just sourcing materials. They’re securing certainty, leverage, and strategic insight.

Real-World Results: What Market Making Looks Like

This isn’t theory—it’s execution. Here are two recent examples of how Far Point Global delivered results in complex, shifting environments:

1. Glazing Package Reengineered for 50% Cost Savings

A developer required high-STC-rated aluminum windows for a large-scale project—but rising costs across trades forced a reevaluation, particularly under pressure from financing partners.

We spotted the opportunity: aluminum was heavily tariffed, while vinyl was not. By importing raw material from Canada and fabricating and testing the STC-rated units in the U.S., we delivered a compliant product that cut total glazing costs by more than 50%, with zero compromise on performance.

2. Door Supply Chain Re-Routed Midstream

A U.S. client had doors on order from a Chinese manufacturer—locked in before a major tariff hike. Once duties surged, the original sourcing plan became financially unsustainable.

Our solution: we placed a second order with a Vietnamese factory exempt from the new tariffs and redirected the original China-bound production to a different international customer.

Net result: the manufacturer preserved their margin, the U.S. client absorbed only a modest single-digit increase, and both projects remained on track.

These aren’t lucky breaks. They’re the result of strategy, flexibility, and foresight—the DNA of a market maker.

Why Far Point Global?

The examples above highlight a simple truth: we don’t just source—we shape the market. We’re not brokers. We’re partners. We don’t quote after the market moves—we see the shift coming and act before it hits. Our clients aren’t stuck in the queue—they get the call before the price jumps or the container ship gets overbooked. And in an industry where every delay cascades into lost capital, schedule overruns, and strained relationships, that kind of positioning isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.

Conclusion

This isn’t just a period of higher prices. It’s a period of structural fragmentation. Navigating this environment requires more than a purchasing manager—it requires a firm that understands global production, international finance, freight strategy, and U.S. construction.

Far Point Global is proud to operate at that intersection—as a true market maker helping developers, general contractors, and infrastructure players move with confidence through chaos.

Let the rest chase quotes.

We create the market.

Myles Alexander