Big players flex their offers at IBS
Some of the lumber and building material industry’s heavyweights were on full display at the 2023 edition of the International Builders’ Show (IBS), while showcasing their latest offerings and shaking hands with their pro customers.
Big players, all situated in the Central Hall of IBS, included 84 Lumber, Builders FirstSource, Lowe’s, and Floor & Decor.
At the Lowe’s booth, the retailer placed emphasis on its program aimed at professional customers. This included the unveiling of a new collaboration with Sherwin-Williams’ Valspar paint brand.
The new premium Valspar interior paint was showcased and is aimed at commercial customers, particularly property management pros, according to Noel Ramirez, a national account manager representing both Lowe’s and Sherwin-Williams.
Amy Smiley, vice president of marketing and public relations at 84 Lumber said the company's IBS booth “has representation from across the nation.”
In addition to meeting both current and new customers, 84 Lumber’s booth told the story of the company's expansion strategy.
Smiley also noted that 84 Lumber continues to maintain a “strong relationship with the National Association of Home Builders” and enjoys maintaining a presence at IBS.
At the Builders FirstSource booth, digital tools and digital strategy were points of emphasis.
“We are a technology company that distributes building materials,” said Terry Schilmoeller, vice president of Ready Frame Solutions for the Dallas, Texas-based company.
Builders FirstSource’s Ready Frame pre-cut precision packages – both lumber packages for framing and pre-built component packages that are labeled and ready to install— bring time-saving efficiency to the job site.
Schilmoeller pointed to stats showing Ready Frame solutions bring a 39 percent increase in the square-foot production of framers, reducing build time, even as the industry struggles for skilled labor.
While Ready Frame has been a developing emphasis for years at Builders FirstSource, the booth in Las Vegas showcased new digital tools, including myBLDR.com, a comprehensive suite of digital services for customers.
According to Tim Page, executive VP of digital solutions for Builders FirstSource, myBLDR.com connects a homebuilder’s design, sales, procurement and construction processes. And it does in one easy-to-use and accurate platform.
The goal, as the slogan says, is to “take building from now to next.” And among the popular demonstrations in the booth were the 3D renderings of homes that are based on floor plans and procurement history. That kind of comprehensive and unified approach is a differentiator for myBLDR, Page says.
“Our digital tools provide homebuilders with greater transparency and control over their projects while accelerating the sales process,” said Page, “better engaging homebuyers and streamlining construction.”
In addition to catering to DIY customers, pro and commercial customers remain essential to rapidly rising retailer Floor & Decor.
The Atlanta, Georgia-based company’s commercial division caters to both large and small home builders along with multi-family projects.
Patrick Casey, director of marketing for pro services and commercial for Floor & Decor, points out that the company looks to assist and help grow its customers' businesses.
“A lot of pros are ultimately small businesses,” Casey said. “We take care of pro customers from one extreme to the other.’
