They have a material that supplies electrons and a power source that lifts the energy level of those electrons.
VOA: special.2010.09.01
Not surprisingly, among the least profitable categories were two directly tied to the still-lagging real estate market: stores selling lawn and garden equipment and supplies, and building material and supplies dealers.
An analysis of financial statements from privately held building material and supplies dealers (NAICS 4441) shows that sales are rebounding a little after three back-to-back years of declines between 2007 and 2009.
After experiencing negative adjusted net profit margins in 2009, privately owned building-material and supplies dealers analyzed by Sageworks saw margins return to the black in 2010 and increase to between 2 and 3 percent in 2011.