Our PRIME Advisory Panel Weighs in on Supplier Relationships

This month we asked our PRIME advisory panel: How do you develop key partnerships with your suppliers? What would cause you to consider a change?

Help Us Serve Our Customers

Many suppliers drive their own metrics and brand, often to the detriment of remodelers and our customers. Wise supplier partners recognize that they win when we win. They create their products, marketing, services, and delivery to optimize how well our end-users get served. Great partners help us drive our brand, which expands our loyalty and increases their sales to us.

Scott Mosby, President
Mosby Building Arts, St. Louis

Responsiveness & Good Communication

We want suppliers who stand behind their products and who respond quickly when issues do arise. Cycle time is also important. We pride ourselves on quick installation, so we must have short cycle times and good communication about product availability.
Non-responsiveness and lack of communication are reasons we would look to change suppliers.

Holly Ollier, CEO
American Exteriors, Littleton, Colo.

Partners in Growth

To grow, I need good partners. In a good supplier partnership, we each depend on the success of the other. If I’m going to maybe pay a little more to a supplier, I insist that they help us by providing samples or showroom displays and by including us in their marketing and sales training. I would change suppliers if they started to take us for granted and didn’t help us grow.

Jay Cipriani, President
Cipriani Remodeling Solutions, Woodbury, N.J.

Equal Parts Give & Take

We greatly value our supplier partnerships. We establish a relationship that is equal in give and take—they provide top-quality products and we provide top-quality installations.
Communication is always key in any relationship. We don’t need to have someone take us to lunch once a week, but a monthly call, a quarterly visit, and an annual sit down makes for good communication.

Emily Lindus, Vice President
Lindus Construction, Baldwin, Wis.

The Professional remodeler PRIME Advisory Panel

PRIME brings together the best-of-the-best minds in the remodeling industry. This premier council of industry leaders sets the trends in today’s economy for tomorrow’s success.

2015 PRIME ADVISORY PANEL MEMBERS: Bill Baldwin, Hartman Baldwin Design/Build; Jay Cipriani, Cipriani Remodeling Solutions; Nick Cogliani, NEWPRO; Chris Edelen, Consultant; Sal Ferro, Alure Home Improvements; Tom Kelly, Neil Kelly; Joy Kilgore, EBA PRIME; Rob Levin, Statewide Remodeling; Emily Lindus, Lindus Construction; Gary Marrokal, Marrokal Design & Remodeling; Scott Mosby, Mosby Building Arts; Bill Simone, Custom Design & Construction; and Joe Smith, LeafGuard Exteriors of Central Iowa.