Dick Conte isn’t a member of the family that founded and runs Jackson Lumber & Millwork, but he has worked with the company for over 40 years and owned a business installing and fabricating countertops.
Because of his construction industry knowledge, he became manager of the Jackson Kitchen Designs showroom while it was part of the yard in 1998, then guided the design of the new showroom in the Boston suburb of North Andover. It opened in 2008. Now Conte oversees the designers and ensures planning and implementation go smoothly.
“I know what works and what doesn’t,” he says. “Lead times can get up to 12 weeks, so you don’t want to have a customer wait that long and find something was missed or misordered.”
Role Playing Showrooms may be miles away from a building material dealer, but most folks say showrooms remain an extension of the parent firm.
“The showroom and the people there act as a resource to the other arms of Jaeger Lumber,” Bensen says. “People will walk in and ask us about garage doors, and we’ll point them to the right company experts.”
Jaeger’s showroom sells kitchen and bath cabinets, Marvin windows, and organization systems. For remodeling projects, the showroom becomes a place for customers to learn about products that can improve their homes, Bensen says.
The plethora of products–especially windows–can be confusing, he says. People who want to conserve energy typically want to build with the best materials possible, he says, so Jaeger people have learned enough to discuss that subject at length.
Mobile Lumber & Millwork uses its showroom to attract remodelers, upscale builders, and homeowners. The yard already had a strong builder base when it opened the showroom, but wanted a foothold in other markets.
“I came here and, for the first two or three years, ran the builder-direct division with a little bit of retail,” Casey says. “But we needed an upscale showroom to sell some of the big-ticket items.”
Bolyard Lumber’s showroom also concentrates on pricier projects, targeting upscale remodelers. In that market segment, “people need to see and feel and touch” products, Monigold says.
The most popular area of the showroom is a functional green kitchen. The company throws evening mixers there for architects.
“That’s been a game-changer for us,” Monigold says. “It’s really established us in the high-end cabinetry business.”
Fighting Back The struggling economy has hit different parts of the country with varying levels of severity. Most showrooms have had to make adjustments to their operations.
“Before the economy fell, I was more or less inside the showroom every day,” Bensen says. “What I’m doing now is I’m on the road a lot more, trying to chase down contractors, leveraging the showroom as a place, if cabinetry is involved, that contractors can come visit.”
He also encourages contractors to use his showroom as a networking resource. “Contractors come to me and say, ‘Do you know this architect?’ I make an introduction and put a meeting together,” he says.
Changing locations has helped other showrooms stay afloat.
Jackson Lumber & Millwork’s showroom started in its lumberyard in gritty, working-class Lawrence, Mass. In 2008, it moved to upscale North Andover.
“We’re only three or four miles apart, but in two different towns where the economic impact has been totally different,” says Pat Marcotte, Jackson’s marketing director.
Freeborn Lumber also benefited from shifting out of a community of 300 people to one with more than 19,000. “The new showroom in the new area has helped us a lot with everyday projects,” Miller says.
Meanwhile, simply introducing a showroom may have helped Mobile Lumber. A steady stream of customers has come to check out the recently opened store, and the company uses the showroom to attract higher-end clients. Casey also has started a monthly radio show that gives design and construction advice.
“Everybody can go to a big-box store and buy cabinets, but you’re just selling a product,” Casey declares. “People want to gain some knowledge before they make a purchase. I wanted to create a place where people knew that they could do their homework.”
