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David beats Goliath
Exclusive survey says
contractors prefer to buy from local distributors rather than
national chains or big box stores.
by Rich Vurva
Contractors prefer doing
business with local distributors more than national distributors or
big box stores, according to a recent survey of end-users by
Progressive Distributor and its sister publication,
Contractor Tools and Supplies. Nearly 60 percent of the
contractors who responded to the exclusive survey said they prefer
to work with local distributors rather than regional or national
distributors or big box retailers. However, about 20 percent said it
doesn’t matter where they buy their tools and supplies.
Contractors indicated
they buy the majority of their construction supplies from local
distributors. Seventy-three percent of the respondents said they buy
more than 60 percent of the products used on the job site from local
distributors. Eighty-six percent said they purchase 41 percent or
more of their supplies from local distributors.
Those are just some of
the findings from an exclusive survey conducted by the two
publications. The results will be released at the Specialty Tools &
Fasteners Distributors Association (STAFDA) annual convention and
trade show in Las Vegas Nov. 13-15.
Other findings revealed
in the report include the factors that influence end-users’
decisions to purchase construction tools and supplies from a
specific distributor, and the acceptable amount of lead-time between
when an end-user orders a product and when it’s delivered to the job
site.
Survey findings suggest
that among the reasons contractors prefer doing business with local
distributors is because of their close proximity to job sites and
their product applications expertise. However, contractors believe
distributor salespeople should visit job sites more often.
Forty-three percent of respondents said distributor salespeople from
their most-used distributor visit their job sites once a month or
more. But more than half of the respondents (56 percent) said they’d
like salespeople to visit job sites at least on a monthly basis.
Attendees at the STAFDA
convention can pick up a summary of the survey findings by stopping
by the Progressive Distributor/ Contractor Tools and Supplies
display near the convention registration area. If you’d like to
reserve a copy of the free report but don’t plan to attend the
STAFDA convention, send an e-mail with “End-user survey” in the
subject line to
mktg@milomediapub.com.
What end-users are
saying
When it comes to doing business with distributors, end-users are
influenced by many factors. Some want to keep their money in the
local economy. Others believe local distributors can better
understand their specific needs. Below are comments from contractors
about why they prefer doing business with distributors.
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“When you need something fast, most
local distributors will have what you need to get the job done.”
Aubrey Westmoreland, Solutions General Contractors, Orlando,
Fla. |
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“If there is any problem with the tool, it is easier to deal
with local distributors.” Ken Calkins, B.C. Electric, Fargo, N.D. |
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“I like to keep my money local and keep their businesses going
too.” Mark Boetel, Handyman Ent., Nevada, Iowa |
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“I get personal service, and have good rapport with my supplier.
It works good for getting good service and prices also.”
Bob Pearcy, Don Chapin Co., Salinas, Calif. |
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“Keeps the money in the local economy, better knowledge of the
products, better selection of professional tools, will do what
it takes to keep your business and help you when you need them
to.” Bruce Gilmore, Gilmore Construction, Kenner, La. |
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“Service is available anytime, and exchange and repair is always
available.” Danilo T. Belisario, Vienna Glass Company, Manassas,
Va. |
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“They tend to understand my specific needs.”
Douglas Blechinger,
Douglas J. Blechinger Construction, Bruno, Minn. |
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“The local distributors are most familiar with the lay of the
land – geography as well as our local codes. They have the
products we need and usually go the extra mile when it comes to
getting the product in our hands.” Jason Macleod, MacLeod
Properties, Pasadena, Calif. |
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“One point on contact and the site knows where the supplies and
tools are coming from. There are no calls wanting to know where
to deliver the shipment everytime if one supplier is used.”
Steve Davis, Long Electric, Atlanta |
This article appeared in the
October 2006 STAFDA issue of
Progressive Distributor. Copyright 2006. back
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