By Steven Feldman
Temple, Texas—One year after launching its Synergy program, Wilsonart Flooring is experiencing significant gains with the more than 1,500 dealers who have signed up for the iniative.

According to Russ Rogg, vice president of sales, performance amongst Synergy dealers is significantly outpacing non-Synergy customer growth. “In the eight months after they had the display as compared to the eight months prior, Synergy dealers posted a double-digit increase in unit sales, which equated to an even greater increase in dollars because of an improved premium product mix,” he said. “In fact, we saw a doubling of our Red Label business among those dealers during this period.”

Specifically, Synergy is the vehicle for Wilsonart to create a greater degree of connectivity with its best customers. “It involves everything from marketing to merchandising to more constant contact,” Rogg said.

Merchandising entails the first unit developed by Wilsonart that contains every available SKU—104 in all, encompassing Red Label, Estate Plus, Classic Plank and Tile, and Styles—in one self-contained display measuring 13 feet wide by 2? feet deep. Retail price points range from $3.49 to $6.49.

The success of Synergy has vaulted Styles into one of the company’s most successful products. In fact, it now accounts for 15% of Wilsonart’s total business. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a year from now it was our top-selling product,” said Curt Thompson, president.

Synergy dealers also gain access to their own custom Web site, which includes benefits such as rapid sample replenishment at no cost. Other marketing tools include enhanced warranty programs and satisfaction guarantees strictly for Synergy dealers. Other benefits coming on line in 2008 include POP marketing tools to create in-store awareness.

“It’s a great program,” said Chuck Donaldson of Donaldson’s Flooring in Vacaville, Calif. “The finance buy down offer saves me significantly on financing,” adding that he uses those savings to create incentives for his customers.

The Synergy program, with a one-time enrollment fee of $5,000, also provides retailers with ways to educate and encourage their salespeople as well as customers. “The display is excellent with the different products separated so nicely,” said Bob Dauenhauer of Carpet World in Bismarck, N.D. “The feature and benefit graphics, along with the brochure, really shows the difference between DPL and HPL.”

Next steps

According to Thompson, 2007 was a year to establish the program and sign up its best customers. “Now that we have that foundation built, not only will we add dealers to the program, but our Web sites have already gone through enhancements, and we are developing a promotional calendar that will offer benefits to Synergy dealers throughout the year.”

With Wilsonart’s focus on its best customers, the company has chosen to not exhibit at Surfaces ’08. “Our strategy is to focus on our key customer base that has been readily identified with the propensity to sell better-end goods,” Thompson said. “Surfaces isn’t a required forum for us to connect to our best customers. Our connection with them isn’t built with a single trade show but rather across months and years of successful relationships.”

He added that Wilsonart will now redirect resources for increased sales presence in the field, enhanced marketing campaigns for its Synergy customers and more frequent launches of new products.