Article Number : 4862 |
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| Date | 9/21/2009 7:35:20 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=4862 |
| Abstract | BR-111 has been the premier exotic hardwood supplier for more than 20 years. The foundation of the company’s success has been built on providing quality products and excellent service; in fact, it has been... |
| Article | BR-111 has been the premier exotic hardwood supplier for more than 20 years. The foundation of the company’s success has been built on providing quality products and excellent service; in fact, it has been the consistency in both areas that has made the difference. BR-111 will continue to expand its product offering. That’s because the company’s goal has always been to offer the most comprehensive package of exotic hardwood flooring in the market. The product portfolio includes more than 25 species in multiple constructions to fit any application. This fall the company will introduce Antiquity Engineered, a hand-scraped line offered in seven SKUs. “We really took our time with this product,” said Jason Strong, executive vice president. “The edging and French bleed had to be perfect before we launched it.” Last year BR-111 made a decision to increase its already impressive service levels. To do that, it had to take more control in the manufacturing of its engineered products. This year the company is planning to up the service levels even further by inventorying more product here than in Brazil. Its stateside inventory in Miami coupled with its distributors’ inventories mean dealers will be able to get product even quicker than before. This is a major difference between BR-111 and most of its competitors, who do not have stateside inventory to back up their distribution. “At the end of the day, you can have great products, but if you can’t get them to the dealer when he needs them you really are missing the most important part of the equation.” BR-111 also attributes its success to partnering with some of the best distributors in the market. “During this recession, our distributors have only gotten stronger, and that’s good news for us,” Strong said. Aggressively marketing its products to the consumer has also been a priority. “We think it’s important to drive consumers into our dealers’ stores,” he said. Retail salespeople benefit as BR-111 has allocated a tremendous amount of marketing dollars in its Learn To Earn spiff program. Each month it grows exponentially. Typically, spiff programs are not overly successful. But Learn To Earn is based on simplicity. Since it is 100% Web-based, it’s easy to get registered and easy to enter a spiff. The program runs continuously, and all displayed products are eligible. Retail salespeople can go online to www.br111.com/learn2earn to register. Right now the company is offering an extra $100 to retail salespeople that sell at least 1,000 feet of BR-111 product in any given month. |