WOLF Blog

Use Manufacturer Literature!

2011-08-02T10:57:39+00:00

In one of my recent blogs I talked about the importance of a clear and informational proposal package that can be enhanced with manufacturer literature. But before you get to that stage, you need to win over your prospective client. Manufacturer literature can help you do that too.

As important as a well-designed showroom is, your prospect can’t take it home with them. And since they’ve probably visited a number of showrooms as they plan their project, you need to be sure they remember you, your product and your showroom over the rest!

After understanding the needs of your potential client, showing them a line to fit those needs most times includes the use of brochures. But talking about features and benefits and simply handing them a couple brochures is sure to land them in a pile with the rest of literature they’ve collected. To help my brochures stand out, I arm myself with a red sharpie or highlighter and sticky notes. As I explain the options available, I’ll circle the information in the brochure that reinforces items on my client’s wish list. And the sticky notes? A great way to call out pages and an eye-catching place to jot down the hot points you want them to remember. Finally I staple my business card to the brochure and highlight my email and website addresses.

In this ever changing and extremely competitive market, this simple (and no-cost) practice can help you stand out -- an important first step toward winning the business.

Fashioning Kitchen Ensembles

2011-06-09T14:15:06+00:00

“What am I going to wear today?” As we pull together the day’s attire, do we think about who designed our shoes, our suit, our dress or our accessories? Does that really matter if all of the pieces work together to create a unique, cohesive look? If the elements of good design are present, your outfit will be a success.

When designing kitchens, do we incorporate the same theory, or, do we have a tendency to utilize only one cabinet line? Using only one cabinet line has its project management benefits, but are we short changing our clients? Benefits and limitations are present within each line. But, creating a design that incorporates different cabinet lines’ strengths can help to create a distinctive, custom look for your client.

The majority of clients are looking for very personalized spaces in regard to form and function. Fashioning a kitchen design that integrates more than one cabinet line will show your client your goal is to truly customize their space. This concept may not be the best fit for every client but it could be a great solution to meet the a client’s needs and give you greater design flexibility.

Here is an example of a design that partners both Aristokraft and Norcraft cabinetry. The perimeter cabinetry features Aristokraft, while Norcraft takes center stage through the island. An example of a great finish partnership would be the Aristokraft Sarsaparilla finish on Maple and Norcraft’s Antique White paint with Chocolate glaze for the island (see photo). The softness of the paint and glaze is a welcoming contrast to the dark, handsome Sarsaparilla stain.

Just imagine the number of possible combinations within WOLF’s offering. Aristokraft, Contractor’s Choice, WOLF Classic Cabinets, Norcraft and Europa are your artist’s palette through which you paint your client’s dream kitchen!

Not up to speed on all these products offer? Attending an upcoming WOLF University Product training can help increase product knowledge and expand your designs. Please check out the WOLF e-TOOLBOX for upcoming WOLF University Product trainings. Course dates and locations are included on the “Training” tab for each product line.

Just like accessorizing a great outfit, you can’t forget about the finishing touches. Recently, I read a great blog by REDesign which offers some great tips on hardware selection. But, no matter what products you use the best accessory for any kitchen is the homeowners’ smiles!

If you’re interested in any of the details included in this featured design, and you’re currently a WOLF customer, please email the WOLF Semi Custom team at: KBCSSemiCustom@wolfleader.com , or call at 1-800-234- 9653, Option 4. We’ll be more than happy to share and discuss this information with you.

The Battle for the Remodeling Professional

2012-02-20T12:16:20+00:00

In a recent survey conducted jointly by Qualified Remodeler, Residential Design & Build and LBM Journal, remodeling professionals were asked where they get their building materials and why. For the independent dealer channel, the good news is that 60% of these professionals run their buying through traditional lumberyards. The bad news is that 40% of them do not. As this survey suggests, a real battle is raging in the building products industry between the big box retailers and the independent dealer for the loyalty of the remodeling professional. And while the big box retailers have some important advantages, the independent dealer channel has all the attributes it needs to win a decisive victory in this important battle.

In a review of the survey, John Cashmore lends credence to this assertion by suggesting that “knowledgeable staff and long-standing relationships” play strong roles in bringing most professional remodelers to the independent dealer. One big reason why not all professional remodelers patronize independent dealers, he adds, is because they haven’t had the time or the ability to build such a relationship. Many of these remodelers, the survey suggests, “tend to have been in business for a shorter period of time or are unable to establish credit at traditional lumberyards.”

Lest independent dealers get too confident about their ability to attract professional remodelers, however, Cashmore points out that the big boxes also have some competitive advantages in this battle for the professional remodeler. Big box retailers generally “stand behind what they sell,” and the professionals place a high value on that. The fact that “some traditional lumberyards still struggle with returns and claims” does not win them fans among the professional remodeler community. Big boxes, the survey finds, have figured out how to handle returns and claims on a more consistent basis and this has turned out to be a real draw. Some remodelers also like the big boxes because of “their location and price.”

The survey does a good job of capturing the multiple buying motivations of professional remodelers and argues that the big boxes have some of what this important group of customers wants from suppliers. But, the survey also makes it clear that independent dealers have the potential to beat the boxes in the battle for the loyalty – and business – of this customer base.

To win this battle, independent dealers will have to convince the pros that they are uniquely qualified to serve their needs. This they should be able to do especially when it comes to big project remodeling jobs. Independents know how to provide the appropriate products for each job; their low overhead cost structures and efficient supply chains produce very competitive prices; and they typically stand behind the products they sell. This is what professionals want; this is what independent dealers do best; this is what will win the professionals’ loyalty; and this is what will secure the economic future of the independent channel.

Wolf’s Big Bet

2012-02-13T13:42:23+00:00

Wolf was the subject of a nice article recently in the York Daily Record, one of Pennsylvania’s leading daily newspapers. The article’s author, Lauren Boyer used the roll-out of Wolf’s new line of kitchen cabinets to illustrate its new strategy as a sourcing company. She also noted that Wolf will exclusively build this new strategy around the independent building materials dealer.

In a related blog posting, the editor of the York Daily Record, Jim McClure expanded on this theme applauding Wolf for its dedication to the independent dealer. He suggested that the strategy was a smart one because it was consistent with prevailing consumer sentiment. “Americans,” he suggested, “are tiring of browsing for kitchen cabinets and other home furnishings at impersonal big boxes,” and Wolf was therefore smart to build on this growing consumer search for shopping fulfillment in smaller and more local retail establishments.

Jim’s right, Americans are increasingly tired of shopping in impersonal big boxes. But I believe it is their persistent search for real value – not a nostalgic search for a good shopping experience – that will ultimately win the day for independent building materials dealers. That’s because when it comes to big project remodeling projects – projects like new kitchens, decks, or additions – consumers will consistently find the best advice, the best products and the best prices at those independent dealers. In other words, that’s where they’ll find the best value.

In fact, independent dealers can out-compete anybody when it comes to value. This stems in part from the key role they play in the most efficient supply chain in the building products universe. They have low overheads, low occupancy costs and even lower advertising and marketing costs. They also serve their customers incredibly well. They have experienced employees who know their customers, understand building products and who have far more than a passing familiarity with the construction business. Independent dealers also buy right. They manage their vendor relationships tightly, but they treat those vendors fairly, so that when it comes to big project building products, they know how to get the right products at great prices.

In sum, independent dealers offer a very compelling value proposition to big project remodeling customers – both professionals and do-it-yourselfers. The York Daily Record’s Jim McClure is absolutely right in suggesting that independent dealers are natural fits for anyone wanting to buy local; but that’s not what makes them great. They are great because of their high quality products, their competitive prices and their knowledgeable employees especially when it comes to big project products. These are the things that make the independent dealers’ value proposition so compelling. And that value proposition will continue to make the serious do-it-yourselfer or professional remodeler want to be a customer. It’s also the value proposition that will continue to make Wolf want to be a vendor.

The Independent Dealer and the New Normal

2012-02-06T13:53:38+00:00

Predictably, much of the chatter at the most recent Northeastern Retail Lumbermen’s Association (NRLA) Show revolved around the economy. While the weather in the northeastern part of the country has been very good to the residential construction industry so far this winter, no one believes that new construction will ever boost independent dealer sales like it did just a few years back. The channel will always remember with great affection the post World War II single family home construction boom that gave most independent dealers a sure – if sometimes lumpy – foundation for growth and success. But dealers know that there is a new normal out there. And the job now is to look for a new foundation for growth and success. Big project remodeling might be the answer.

Independent dealers have always dominated the residential – especially single family – new construction market. But they have also done a very good job serving the professionals and serious do-it-yourselfers tackling big remodeling projects. The problem has been that in many areas over the past few decades, the boom in new construction was so good that it led many independents to take their eyes off the remodeling portion of their customer base. The recent decline in new residential construction – and the increasing suspicion that it won’t come back soon – suggests that it’s time for independent dealers to take a fresh look at their old remodeling talents.

The independent dealer channel does indeed have some innate advantages here. Most independent dealers know their customers, they know a lot about the products they sell, they stay close to their vendors (some of whom cater exclusively to the independent dealer channel), and know how to serve them well. They have a lot to offer the big project customers out there.

Coincidentally, it turns out that right now there are a lot of people thinking about big project remodeling jobs like new kitchens, room additions and decks. These folks are looking for the kind of solutions independent dealers can best provide. No one knows more about the products they sell than independent dealers; no one offers better products; and – increasingly – no one has better prices on the kinds of products big remodeling projects require. There is no reason, in other words, why anyone taking on such a project should want to go anywhere else.

The progressive dealers at the NRLA Show were well aware that the steady stream of demand from new residential construction will not come back any time soon – if ever. This is the bad news. The good news is that the independent dealer still has great options. Big project remodeling customers present the best of these options. No one can give this customer – professional or serious do-it-yourselfer – the counsel, products or prices that efficient, well-run independent dealers can provide. That’s the truth. And that truth just might be the foundation for an exciting and profitable new future for the independent dealer channel.

Manufacturing America’s Future - In America

2012-01-30T13:39:34+00:00

Depending on whom you believe, manufacturing in the United States is either on the road to nowhere or it is making a neat little comeback. Based on our experience, it is the latter: manufacturing is coming back in the United States and that is a very good thing for our economy and our future, and it is a great thing for consumers throughout the world. I believe it would come back faster, however, if more of us discarded our reflexive belief that America’s best years as a manufacturing champion are behind us. The truth is American workers, working in plants located in the United States, can still produce goods that will compete favorably with anybody making anything anywhere in the world.

Of course there are plenty of persuasive reasons to discount America’s manufacturing prospects. After all, we have to compete against nations with lower labor costs, less stringent regulatory standards, devalued currencies and increasingly competent manufacturing expertise. This leads some to conclude that our only logical option is to raise the white flag. For example, Peter Dizikes, writing in the January/February 2012 issue of MIT’s Technology Review (pp. M15-16) cites an Op Ed piece written in the New York Times by Steven Rattner suggesting that manufacturing doesn’t have much of a future in the United States. In the article, Rattner characterizes efforts to justify or support the resurrection of American manufacturing as little more than “politically attractive happy talk.” He predicts that manufacturing jobs will go the same route as agricultural jobs.

In the same Technology Review article, however, MIT professor Suzanne Berger disagrees with Mr. Rattner. She argues that his analogy is a false one. “In the case of agriculture, we’re eating all the food we can eat in the United States . . . In the case of manufactured goods our appetite is vastly greater than our ability to produce this stuff (p. M16).” There is nothing inevitable, she concludes, about the decline of American manufacturing. This is true in the high tech sector where research, development and innovation have traditionally given the United States an edge; but it is also true in the lower tech sectors that Professor Berger characterizes as “workhorses.”

Our experience in sourcing and selling kitchen cabinets, PVC decking, and trim products suggests that Professor Berger is right. There really is nothing inevitable about the decline of American manufacturing in either the emerging technology sectors or the more traditional “workhorse” sectors like cabinet making. Smart entrepreneurs can still create viable manufacturing operations in the United States, American workers can still turn out products that will compete with the best of what the global economy has to offer, and the American consumer market remains one of the richest and most accessible in the world. All these things suggest that American made goods do in fact have a bright future.

Wolf Classic Cabinets are a case in point. They are made in the United States by American workers out of mostly American made components and they are successfully competing – on both price and quality – with imported cabinets. They are competing successfully because our customers like them better than the imports. They like the prices, they like the way they look, and they like the way they work. Installers like them too, especially their sturdy construction.

Wolf Cabinets are made in the United States because we decided to ignore the conventional wisdom that suggested that American manufacturing was dead. We challenged the idea that products made in the United States could not compete with the products coming out of nations with lower labor costs, looser regulatory standards and devalued currencies. So when we sent out our design and construction specifications to cabinet manufacturers all around the world, we included American manufacturers in our bid list. And we were pleased to find that a manufacturer located in the United States came back with the best proposal. The same thing happened with PVC decking and trim products.

We conclude, therefore, that American manufacturing has a bright future indeed. This isn’t happy talk. Nor is it wishful thinking. Our conclusion is based on real-world experience – our own experience. Our products are made in the United States because that is where we have found – after a thorough search – the best quality and the best prices to be.

Our goal in sourcing these products was to give our independent dealer customers the best values in some of the most important products they sell to serious do-it-yourselfers and professional contractors. We searched the whole world for these products and we found them right here at home. Conventional wisdom has it that we should not have been able to do that. It turns out conventional wisdom was wrong.

Big Projects, Great Prices and the Independent Dealer

2012-01-23T13:33:50+00:00

The independent building materials dealer channel is not considered by many industry observers to be the first place to look for supply chain efficiency. The big box channel is where the action is according to some of the smart folks in those well heeled consulting firms. The boxes are big, they tell us, they control large supply chains, and they have a ready demand in their retail customer base. In this brave new world of building materials, they confidently assure us, the traditional independent dealer is little more than an interesting throwback to a simpler time and a more fragmented localized economy – a romantic anomaly in a globalized, integrated, modern world – even when it comes to big projects.

I disagree. When it comes to good supply chain design, the smart money really ought to be on the independent building materials channel especially when it comes to the big projects serious do-it-yourselfers and professional contractors typically tackle. Kitchen remodeling jobs, room additions and decks require the kind of expertise, experience, quality products and good pricing which only independent dealers can provide. So despite the conventional wisdom, independent dealers in fact have a great advantage when it comes to supplying the right products at the right prices for a very important segment of the building industry.

There are three reasons why independent building materials dealers have tremendous relevance and clout in our industry: 1) independent dealers are very close to their customers – especially the professionals – and they do a better job than anyone else in understanding, anticipating and responding to the unique challenges big projects serve up to this very important segment of the industry; 2) independent dealers typically have low overhead costs in running their businesses; and 3) independent dealers typically have the scale (often through cooperative buying organizations) and the flexibility to make sure the system delivering their products is optimally efficient.

The first of these – proximity to their customers is clear. Independent dealers see many of their customers on a regular basis and they spend a lot of time trying to understand their needs and solve their problems. Independent dealers work hard to guide these serious customers to the right product for the job; they know how to procure these products efficiently; and they know how to deliver them to the right place at the right time. From the owner to the sales representatives to the warehouse workers, independent dealers exploit this proximity to the serious project customers to tailor their products and services to the needs of those unique and valuable customers.

Second, these independent dealers also tend to be good business operators. They understand how to survive the volatile building cycle by keeping their operating costs low and variable. They generally have modest occupancy costs since they are rarely located in the high rent section of town and they usually don’t spend a lot of money and effort on slick advertising and marketing campaigns. Instead, they rely on informative displays and experienced sales people to keep professionals and serious do-it-yourselfers tuned in to the constantly changing world of building products. These serious customers know that when they buy a product from an independent dealer, they are getting the right product for their job. They also know they are not paying for fancy frills or expensive overhead costs.

Finally, independent building materials dealers buy their products right. They know their vendors and they know how to keep their costs of goods as low as possible. They know how to build efficiency into their buying processes. In some cases, this efficiency comes from getting products direct from the mill or the factory; in some cases it comes from being part of a well organized cooperative buying group; and in some cases it comes from buying from an efficient distributor or sourcing company. Whatever the route, independent dealers have within their grasp the experience, skills and connections to adapt their buying decisions to the specific needs of each individual customer or job. They have an efficient and flexible supply chain and they know how to use it to satisfy their serious customers.

The point is that the independent dealer channel really does have the expertise, experience and clout to offer great prices to big project customers. They are closer to their customers than any big box can ever be; they don’t have to pad their prices to pay for nice stores, fancy locations, and slick advertising campaigns; and they know their vendors intimately. In sum, despite what conventional wisdom and some very expensive consultants tell us, independent dealers are at the heart of the most efficient supply chain in the industry.

So, you’re working on a big project? You want the right products at the best prices? Check out your local independent building materials dealer.

Value and Independence

2012-01-16T13:27:07+00:00

A friend recently told me a story that eloquently and simply underscored the fact that the independent dealer channel adds real value to the building products industry. His story demonstrates the strength of that channel and its ability to compete well with the largest and most aggressive of the big box retailers in delivering great products and equally great prices to building product consumers.

My friend was in the market for kitchen cabinets. He is a veteran of the construction industry, and he knows building products. He also understands the virtues of the independent dealer channel. Yet, even he was surprised to find that a local independent dealer could give him a great cabinet – the Wolf Classic Cabinet – at a price that was well below that of a competing brand of cabinet carried by one of the big box stores in the area. “The independent dealer gave me a better price,” he said. “It was also a better cabinet,” he added.

He asked me if this was a fluke. Was he just in the right place at the right time to get this value-laden deal? The answer was an emphatic “No!” Wolf is for real; its products, prices and quality are all for real; and the independent dealer channel as a competitive force is for real too. What my friend discovered – and what he reconfirmed for me – was that the independent dealer, with the right products and the right supply chain can out-compete anyone in the industry on both price and quality.

This is one more example of the new model of supply chain efficiency Wolf is bringing to the independent building materials channel. The combination of efficient manufacturers, a productive and innovative intermediary (like Wolf) and a low cost independent dealer channel all add up to a very efficient supply chain. And that adds up to an unbeatable value proposition for the consumer – especially the well informed consumers like professionals and serious diyers.

There are other stories involving other Wolf branded products from cabinets to pvc trim. The point is that the Wolf model applied to the independent dealer channel works – consistently. And that is what knowledgeable people like my kitchen-seeking friend keep finding out. When it comes to the independent building materials dealer, value really can go hand in hand with independence.

Branded Products: Differentiating the Independent Building Materials Channel

2012-01-09T13:42:03+00:00

Rabobank, an international food and agribusiness consultancy, recently released a report on the growth of private label brands in the food industry. The report’s authors make a number of good observations about the growth of private label brands in the food distribution network. In particular, they argue that private labeling gives retailers an attractive way of differentiating themselves in a very crowded marketplace.

Wolf products are designed to do the same thing for independent building material dealers. Wolf Classic Cabinets, Wolf PVC Trim Boards, Wolf Deck and Wolf Molding products are all high quality products priced very competitively. More to the point, they are manufactured exclusively for the independent building materials dealer channel. As such, they provide one more way for independent dealers to distinguish themselves from the big box retailers.

This differentiation is not an issue in the new construction arena. Independent dealers can typically run circles around the big boxes when it comes to serving the new construction industry. Differentiation is an issue, however, when it comes to big-ticket remodeling projects where quality, knowledge and price are big factors. And it is here that Wolf’s branded products can help the independent dealer make a clear distinction with the big boxes.

Because of its large buying power and robust connections with innovative manufacturers, Wolf has been able to create and sustain a uniquely streamlined and highly efficient supply chain dedicated to core building products. These Wolf branded products are as good as anything in the market and generally priced below the competition, which means that independent dealers can easily go head to head with the largest box retailers on any kitchen, decking or siding remodeling job out there. As such, these products also give independent dealers the ability to make very clear their distinctiveness in the marketplace.

The Rabobank study underscores the general utility of private labeling as a differentiation strategy for large-scale food retailers. Wolf branded products support the same sort of differentiation strategy for the independent building materials dealer. Selling great products that cannot be found in big box retailers is one more way for independent dealers to stay independent and successful.

Supply Chain Design; Supply Chain Execution

2012-01-04T19:08:48+00:00

Pro-Sales Magazine recently hosted an online webinar devoted to the issue of supply chain execution. The focus was on what they call “on-time and in-full” (OTIF) and the suggestion was that building materials dealers and their vendors must pay attention to making sure their customers get what they want, when they want it and in the condition they want it. It’s an excellent message and it suggests that supply chain management is not just about the design; it’s also about the execution. So as much as we believe our supply chain design is the best in the industry, we also understand that our big challenge lies in execution – in delivering the full promise of that great design.

Wolf is far from perfect when it comes to supply chain execution, but it works hard and continually to get better. It does this by asking three basic questions in the order/fulfillment process: 1) Did we know? 2) Did we have it? 3) Did the customer get it? On the one hand, these questions directly affect the implied bargain Wolf has with its customers and pretty much sums up the quality of its overall customer service. As the Pro Sales piece suggests, however, these questions also have a lot to do with the overall efficiency of the supply chain as well as the operational success of the constituent links in that chain.

The first question we ask of ourselves gets to the issue of the quality of the order entry process. When a customer gives us an order or asks a product-related question, we want to be able to respond in a knowledgeable and helpful way. We need to understand the products we sell; we need to be helpful when it comes to appropriate uses, specifications and even installation tips. We need to give the customer the confidence that we know what we’re talking about when it comes to the products we sell.

The second execution question gets to the first half of the OTIF issue raised in the Pro Sales webinar. That is, we need to be able to fulfill the customer’s need for a product or service when the customer wants it. Wolf has invested millions of dollars in implementing and continually updating its state-of-the-art SAP computer system and network in an effort to sustain the kind of fill rates all customers want and all good supply chains should provide. Despite this massive investment, it’s still hard to perform perfectly in this area even when demand is steady over a long stretch, and it’s even harder to offer perfect fill rates when demand is rapidly changing as is the case with Wolf’s new private label products. This does not, however, relieve us of the obligation to keep trying to satisfy this essential customer service need on a consistent basis.

The final execution question addresses the second half of the OTIF proposition: “Did the customer get it?” The goal, of course, is to make sure customers get the service or products they ordered when they wanted them and in the condition they specified. To a certain extent, this gets back to the fulfillment issue: “Did we have it?” But it also involves the issue of logistical competence. Did we pick or otherwise procure the products accurately? Did we make sure they were delivered on time and to the right place? And were the products in the condition our customers expected?

The point is that Wolf understands the importance of the OTIF proposition. We understand that we need to work continually to refine and improve the design of the supply chain of which we are a part. We also understand that we can get better; that we need to continually improve the actual working of that supply chain. We need to execute well. That is our industry’s biggest challenge, and it is Wolf’s biggest challenge. But while it is hard, we are doing everything we can to make sure we meet that challenge successfully and consistently.