By Sarah Zimmerman
Moldings not only finish a room but can also complete a sale while accentuating dealers’ profits. Many retailers do not offer moldings and, therefore, customers are left searching for matching products elsewhere or taking their business down the street, said leading suppliers.

That’s why providing consumers with an array of finishing touches— moldings—will make you stand out from the pack while increasing ticket sales.

“Moldings are a necessity,” said Thilo Hessler, president of Versatrim. “It’s just that simple; carrying moldings can and will win a retailer jobs.”

Gary Hernandez, president of Empire Mouldings, Inc. (EMI), agreed, stating moldings should be addressed when flooring is being picked out rather than as an afterthought, which it is for most. “If a retailer can offer his consumers the complete flooring package, and that includes matching moldings, business and sales will improve,” he said.

Hessler noted, however, to really up the ante, dealers should stock only the best sellers, if any moldings at all. Versatrim allows retailers this leisure by providing same-day shipping if a product is ordered by noon. “We have high-quality moldings just like other domestic manufacturers, but what makes us different is the large in-stock availability of colors and the same-day shipping with very competitive pricing,” he said.

Versatrim also provides retailers with a handheld display featuring its standard colors, which makes the sell very easy, according to Hessler. “We also offer great customer service and online installation training, which can be found at www.installationadvice.com.”

Hernandez pointed out that the number one issue dealers face when it comes to moldings is sourcing matches. “Most moldings in the industry are made to ‘blend’ or ‘coordinate’ with wood flooring in most cases, and they’re usually way off.” He noted this as an area in which EMI differentiates itself. With an in-house coloring system, the mill offers all hardwood transition moldings in unfinished and pre-finished forms. “EMI’s number one incentive is that we produce molding with a true color and specie match.” The company also offers molding education to its distributors and dealers along with industry professional technical support to assist in sales and installation.

Professionals profit

Monica Briskley, store manager of Guhde Flooring America in Painesville, Ohio, said moldings provide a clean and polished looking edge as well as ease the transitions from one room to the next—they are a necessity. “Because of this,” she said, “moldings need to be offered in enough colors to coordinate with virtually any floor or décor and enough styles to cater to any situation—being able to go between two floors of varying heights.”

She said though moldings are a necessary part of a sale and therefore work great as an add-on, the most difficult aspect of selling them is being sure that all the different options—colors, styles, etc.—are readily available. So, to help dealers accentuate profits, suppliers need to be in constant communication with retailer partners; have a vast selection of moldings available quickly; and work with dealers on pricing, shipment and training/education, she said. Briskley cited Versatrim as a prime example of a productive partnership helping add to her business’ bottom line.

In agreement, Erik Purvis, CFO of Best Flooring in Indianapolis, said, “We couldn’t be happier with Versatrim’s line or its quick shipping program.” He, too, named backordered transitions— specifically for laminate flooring—as huge problems in his new residential business, saying Versatrim has eliminated this difficulty.

Phil Refinger, vice president of manufacturer and distributor Ark Floors, said molding sales are basically another profit opportunity as they represent an add-on sale for all dealers. He warned, however, moldings become a challenge when unrealistic expectations are created—color, style, availability, for example.

EMI, whose tagline is “The match you’ve been looking for,” covers this, focused on providing its dealers, and therefore consumers, with the complete package, Hernandez noted. “We stand out from our competition because we offer more than others— custom pre-finished, unfinished, flexible transitions, custom mill work or sample boards. We’ve got you covered.”

Looking to pricing, Paige Watts, owner of Knight Carpet & Flooring in Abilene, Tex., said she sells moldings as an add-on for all jobs. And, after recently partnering with Versatrim, she said her cost is about half of what she was previously paying, but she’s left her pricing the same—she now makes almost 65% profit on moldings.