ALLPRO
INDEPENDENT M A Y / J U N E 2 018
Showtime!
Attendees build relationships at ALLPRO’s annual spring event
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• MIKE ’S MESSAGE
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OPEN FOR BUSINESS
15 0 YEARS OLD
A NEW ANDOVER
New members and an employee come aboard
History surrounds Baltimore’s Budeke’s
Learn more about ICP’s big changes
• SUPPLIER S P OT LI GH T • I N D U ST RY NEWS
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Big Show Highlights
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t’s been a couple of months since our spring show concluded in Orlando, and upon reflection it was a success by all measures. We broke another attendance record and enjoyed seeing many suppliers and members who were taking part for the first time. We held the trade show portion in a larger ballroom this year,
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The energy was great, and everyone seemed to enjoy the venue. The show has become a premier industry event, and we will continue to invest in it.
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so we were also able to make larger booth spaces available. The energy was great, and everyone seemed to enjoy the venue. The show has become a premier industry event, and we will continue to invest in it. The first day began with a member and supplier breakfast. The purpose of the breakfast was to update the
capacity crowd on the many ongoing ALLPRO initiatives. ALLPRO president Glen Morosohk of Ricciardi Brothers opened with great comments on the value of the personal relationships that can be developed through participation in the group. He shared how those relationships have helped him in business and enhanced his career, and stressed that the value of the group is as much knowledge sharing as it is buying programs—an important benefit of membership that cannot be overstated. To conclude his comments, he encouraged attendees to take advantage of the opportunity to build their own networks at the show. Following Glen, I updated the group on several initiatives. Purchases, for example, grew moderately in 2017, with the ALLPRO brand growing by 13 percent. This means we’re still on pace to reach our goal of hitting $1 billion in purchases by 2020. Also the addition of London Decorators Merchants (LDM) in London, England, means ALLPRO continues to grow as an international buying group. LDM joins retailers in Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and Ireland as members based outside the U.S. These global partners strengthen us by introducing our other members to a wide range of suppliers with access to new and unique products. It also gives our existing suppliers a chance to expand into new markets.
ALLPRO Independent
FROM US TO YOU
By Mike Beaudoin Executive Vice President
But the group did not only add companies from outside the U.S. Domestically, we add several new supplier partners and member companies in 2017, which will help fuel our growth and position us for future success. And investments we’ve made in the ALLPRO brand have helped improve sales by more than $2 million in (continued on p. 3)
• Volume 1 • Issue 3
ALLPRO Leadership
About ALLPRO Independent
How to Reach Us
President Glen Morosohk
We are a bimonthly publication dedicated to
Write us at ALLPRO Corporation
Executive Vice President Mike Beaudoin
strengthening the ALLPRO community with
4946 Joanne Kearney Blvd., Tampa, FL 33619
Director of Marketing Scott Morath
relevant stories and news. Your suggestions,
Or contact us at 813-628-4800 or by email at allpro@allprocorp.com.
Marketing Coordinator Susie Fontana
opinions and feedback are encouraged.
All publishing services provided by Stevens Editorial.
May/June 2018 ALLPRO Independent
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All Pro
SPRING BREAK
Members and suppliers met in Orlando for ALLPRO’s annual springtime show.
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n the surface, you wouldn’t think there are many similarities between the Academy Awards and the ALLPRO Spring Show, which took place March 8 through March 11 at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Florida. But just as some media companies use the Oscars as an excuse to throw big parties, some paint and decorating companies use the ALLPRO Spring Show as rationale for throwing parties of their own. “I look at our show as not just an ALLPRO show,” said ALLPRO’S executive vice president Mike Beaudoin. “In some ways, it’s an industry event. Various manufacturers hold their own parties peripherally with our show. Vendors large and small entertain our members there.” Beaudoin said ALLPRO does everything it can with these shows to encourage socializing and extracurricular activities, so to speak. “One of the reasons the show hours [are minimal] is so that vendors
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May/June 2018 ALLPRO Independent
do have that one-on-one time with our members.” The spring show was ALLPRO’s biggest yet, so the strategy seems to be paying off. “A big show for us in the past has meant we’d get about 900 people there,” Beaudoin said. “This year we had closer to 1,400 people.” He went on to say that ALLPRO used to have its shows in a 25,000-square-foot facility, but in recent years moved the show into a 35,000-square-foot venue. Now it’s ready for something larger. “This year’s show was definitely the largest we’ve had as far as the attendance of members and vendors,” said Jonathan Garrett, chief financial officer of ALLPRO. “We gave out considerably more incentives this year, and that's just a testament to the growth of this show." A challenge going forward will be to grow the show while preserving its quaintness. “Your natural instincts are ‘Let’s bring more. Let’s get bigger,’” Beaudoin said.
“But bigger is not necessarily better. When you move into a convention center, you lose some of that intimacy.” Eric Richard, president of Richard’s Paint in Rockledge, Florida, said the ALLPRO shows are the strongest that his paint manufacturing company is involved with. “They have the best of the best when it comes to independent paint retailers,” he said. “No other show out there even comes close to that.” Richard said the ALLPRO shows helped turn his regional company into a national one. Glen Morosohk, president of ALLPRO and general manager at Ricciardi Brothers, gave a speech at the event about the hidden value of the group. “[The hidden value is] the networking with fellow members and vendors,” he said. “The relationships that we build. How it helps us in our
business and beyond.” The people who gather at the ALLPRO shows aren’t mere acquaintances, Morosohk said. “These are true friendships that were developed here.” What makes an ALLPRO show different from other industry shows is that “we’re as much a cultural show as we are an actual selling show,” Beaudoin said. “That speaks to the venues that we pick, which are resort driven for the spring,” he said. “The hours, which I mentioned. It’s more like a working vacation, where our members can get out of the cold and converge on a really nice place.” The group of vendors and members who congregate at these shows are “as much an emotional or social group as a buying group,” Beaudoin said. “People are human. We’re driven by the dollar, but we’re also driven by emotions. You work harder for people you know.”
Our New Team Member Yolonda Neal
S
ay hello to Yolonda Neal, an account representative who started with ALLPRO in February. Yolonda’s duties include dealing with supplier invoices; managing accounts payable and receivable; offering customer service support; and processing payments. She began in a temporary capacity on February 26 and became a permanent employee on April 25. Originally from New Jersey, Yolonda has been in the Tampa area for about 24 years but her youth was peripatetic. “My mom was in the military, so we moved around quite a bit,” she said. Tagging along with her mother to a different city every few years had benefits and downsides, she added. “I made new friends all the time. When you get older, that kind of pays off because you can basically talk to anyone. It's easy to mingle.” One of Neal’s favorite places to live was in Fayetteville, North Carolina, when her mother was stationed at nearby Pope Air Force Base. Before she arrived at ALLPRO, Neal worked for six years as an inspections coordinator, where she managed the inspection process for properties owned by banks. She seems eager and excited by her new opportunities. “I enjoy the people around me and the work I’m doing is challenging.”
Big Show Highlights (continued from p. 1) the past year. Among those are the opening of a West Coast warehouse to help make the brand more accessible; the development of better warehouse websites; and the expansion of our line to include new categories and vendors. We also introduced an ALLPRO 401(k) program. This value-added benefit will help members compete for top talent by offering a competitive benefits package. The program is an MEP (multiple employer program) partnering with Transamerica. It combines the assets of all of our members while allowing them to operate a separate 401(k) using their existing payroll company. ALLPRO will pay for the auditing, 5500 forms filing and many of the administration fees. What’s more, ALLPRO’s website security protocols were upgraded to better protect buying program information on the site. While it does require regular password changes, the upgrade will help safeguard sensitive program information that’s exclusive to the membership. Last but not least, ALLPRO is now accepting payments using American Express. This feature was introduced late last year because many members have competitive programs with AmEx. Although there is a fee for its use, in many cases the benefits of points, cash back or the float make it a viable option. Following the breakfast, we spent three days enjoying an incredible show. We will continually look to enhance the value of the show as the group grows and opportunities are presented. We have already begun preparations for the November stockholder meeting and hope to see everyone there.
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May/June 2018 ALLPRO Independent
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CO R
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All Pro
Open for Business
We are pleased to announce that Colorall Home Fashions is a new member of the ALLPRO family. Colorall has seven locations in the greater Queens, New York City area and has been in business for more than 30 years. Join us in welcoming Colorize to the group. Colorize has two locations in the greater Albany, New York area. Congratulations to the Home DĂŠcor Group. The town of Wellesley, Massachusetts, will be home to their fifth location. Compliments to Kazalas Paint Supplies for adding a new warehouse location. Congratulations to Mountain Paint & Decorating. Their new location in Arden, North Carolina, will be their fourth. Congratulations to Spectrum Paint for opening a new location in Yukon, Oklahoma. Join us in welcoming The Paint Spot to the ALLPRO family. They have been in business since 1986 and have two stores in Placerville, California.
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May/June 2018 ALLPRO Independent
ALLPRO Supplier Wins Processor of the Year
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etoskey Plastics Inc. received the 2017 Processor of the Year Award at a dinner in Naples Beach, Florida, in March. The award is given out annually by Plastics News. The editorial staff of the publication evaluates candidates in seven categories: financial performance, quality, technology, customer relations, employee relations, environmental performance and industry/public service. None of the candidates know ahead of time whether they’ve won or not, and a company can only win the award once, said Pam Colby, marketing leader for Petoskey. The award is a validation that they’re “doing well in so many areas.” She described Petoskey Plastics as “an environmentally focused film, bag and resin manufacturer providing superior products and solutions.”
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May/June 2018 ALLPRO Independent
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MEMBER PROFILE
Budeke’s Paint
This ALLPRO member’s main store has done business from the same Baltimore building since the year Ulysses S. Grant was elected president.
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oogle the phrase “oldest paint store” and you’ll find independent businesses that are 85 years old and 107 years old. A 142-year-old paint store in Connecticut, opened in 1876, says it’s the “oldest paint store continuously owned by the same family in the country.” Baltimore’s Budeke’s Paints might just have them all beat. Here are the facts: Budeke’s Paints opened in 1868 and it
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May/June 2018 ALLPRO Independent
Current owner Bryan Koerber’s father, then-owner Louis Koerber (far left), at a 100th anniversary celebration in 1968.
is still operated 150 years later by relatives of the original owner, George H. Budeke. In fact, the main Budeke’s Paints location is in the same place as the original: 418 South Broadway in the city’s Fells Point section. “I sit over the top of the original store,” current owner Bryan Koerber said in a phone interview conducted from the business’s administrative offices. “I am probably sitting in a living room, bedroom or parlor that is 25 feet wide and 20 feet deep. It’s where they lived. Where my
great-great-grandparents lived and raised two boys. And they worked downstairs. The typical American dream.” In George H. Budeke’s day, Broadway was the main thoroughfare in Baltimore, a place where many immigrants launched their American dreams. And Budeke was a good businessman. “By good, I mean he was an honest businessperson,” Koerber said. He cared about his clients. He did a good job for the people he served. He was involved in the community.” An American spin-off of the British publication Who’s Who cited him as a prominent person in the late 19th century, according to Koerber. A lot has changed in the paint industry in the past 150 years, but Budeke’s Paints still embraces its founder’s values. “The standards that George H. Budeke established are summed up by our tenets: ‘Quality, service, value and
integrity,’” Koerber said. “These principles are part of our culture and have been passed down to each generation since the beginning.” In the intervening years, Budeke’s Paints’ main location
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One thing that’s been consistent across five generations is that we have not lost sight of the founder’s concept of quality, service, value and integrity.
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Left: Owner Bryan Koeber with managers Jamie Mullendore and Ronnie Quattrocche at a recent trade show. Bottom: Budeke’s storefront at its longtime Broadway location in Baltimore.
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expanded into six adjoining buildings, including a former church. Vestiges of the church remain. “One can see the original ceiling fresco with cherubs and the choir loft. I have the last stained glass window in my office.” The business was passed down to one of Budeke’s sons and then to a subsequent son-in-law named Robert Gardner. Gardner was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, and his Naval Reserves unit was the first to be called up to fight in World War II. “He left the business to fight for the free world for eight years,” Koerber said. “And when he came back, surprisingly, there was a business there.” In his absence, “longtime, trusted employees” ran the business. Budeke’s Paint and Decorating was eventually passed along to another son-inlaw, Koerber’s father, Louis “Lou” V. Koerber, who ran the company from 1965 to 1996. Bryan Koerber had worked in the store growing up, but taking over the family business wasn’t a foregone conclusion. He attended Johns Hopkins University, earning a degree in economics. Koerber was working his way up the corporate ladder at First National Bank of Maryland when he got a call from his dad. Koerber said it was a very similar call to the one his father had received roughly 30 years earlier from his grandfather. “It was, ‘Hey, there’s a salesman retiring. We have a vendor that has a program to help us with new sales guys. Would you want to come back to work for the company?’” Koerber had to think about it. “I thought about it for three months,” he said. “I accepted the offer. I took a cut in pay. I gave up my blue pinstriped suit.” In 1996, Koerber’s dad surprised everyone at a managers’ meeting when he said, “Well, I am going to retire next month. Bryan is going to be president, and Larry Horton is going to be vice president.”
Top left: Commercial and industrial contractors attending a spray school given by Budeke’s in conjunction with its 100th Anniversary celebration in 1968. Top: Founder George Budeke’s portrait. Bottom right: An invoice for items including paintbrushes and turpentine that Budeke’s sold to the city of Baltimore in September of 1880. Bottom left: The German Methodist church built circa 1855 that once surrounded Budeke’s original store.
So Koerber literally had 10 minutes of notice, but he was well-prepared. “I had worked for him in an official capacity for eight years. I had an eight-year training program, if you will. But really, I had a 35-year training program with him,” Koerber said. “He was a great man and a great person. People loved him. He was very successful in his life and his business. He was a very special person.” Over time, Budeke’s Paints has had a varying number of employees and a varying number of locations. At present, the business has two locations that are each unique in terms of business model. “One is more commercial-, industrial-, delivery-oriented,” Koerber said. “That’s the original location. Taking advantage of the renaissance Baltimore has seen and continues to see. Development in the city. The other location is in an affluent suburban area. That one has a much more retail and residential repaint clientele.” For a long time, Budeke’s has been comfortable with outside sales and with the industrial maintenance side of things—
aspects of the paint business that some independent retailers have only recently begun to acquaint themselves with. “The legacy is that we’re very used to having outside representation and delivery, which extends our reach probably 50 miles from our headquarters,” Koerber said. “We regularly deliver over a large area.” Budeke’s is one of the few strong independent retailers left in the Baltimore area, according to Koerber. “We are a survivor and thriver,” he said. “And we would not have been successful without hard working and talented employees who set the bar very high.” Koerber calls his employees “the first line of contact with our clients” and credits them with helping to develop and maintain long-term relationships. “One thing that’s been consistent across five generations— really six, because my kids have worked in these stores—is that we have not lost sight of the founder’s concept of quality, service, value and integrity,” Koerber said. “Those were words I heard my father say. I can still hear him saying them.”
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May/June 2018 ALLPRO Independent
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SUPPLIER PROFILE
ICP Construction
The Andover, Massachusetts, company has strengthened and enhanced its brands and programs to better serve independent retailers.
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about sales. It was more important to deliver the latest and t its National Dealer’s Meeting in late 2016, ICP best technology.” Construction Products announced a new strategy. Even so, some retailers were understandably reluctant The company would eliminate five of the nine to say goodbye to brands like Muralo and Graham, which brands in its portfolio of architectural coatings. had done well for them. “We knew it would be a challenge Executive vice president Dan Cohen said the nine for the first year, but we had to convince them that the brands were servicing the same community, so ICP heartburn felt by us and by them would be short term,” made the hard decision to drop some and enhance others. It marketing manager Daniele Martin said. “The transition was a bold move. would allow us to better market fewer brands and support So bold, in fact, that for a lot of suppliers, making a them more robustly in the future.” Any awkwardness is “all large-scale product change of that nature might be the in the past now,” she added. “Now we’re having dealer biggest project they ever tackle. But ICP has a strategy focus groups and having customers weigh in on our direction that goes beyond architectural coatings. Since 2015, the on a regular basis.” company has acquired brands from several Charlie Katis, owner of Nashua Wallpaper in categories—including industrial flooring, stone Nashua, New Hampshire, said he noticed the and masonry, and architectural—while making change. “They’ve definitely become a better technological improvements to its remediation source for the independent dealer. Their product and exterior stain products (see “What’s New” offering is just growing and growing. They’re graphic on page 12 for more details). Thanks to offering us a lot of niche products. It’s definitely these acquisitions, ICP has rapidly expanded its helping us.” Katis believes Nashua Wallpaper is brand portfolio and added new technologies to California Paints’ oldest customer and said the its research and development capabilities. All company has always provided great service. But of these efforts are part of an ongoing, focused with so many more product offerings, it can now strategy to deepen and broaden the product help in more ways than it could a few years ago. offerings for independents. “They used to be a regional manufacturer,” he Each element of ICP’s strategy has been ICP executive vice president said. “Now they’re becoming a national brand.” challenging in its own way, but reorganizing the Dan Cohen While that’s true, Martin said it’s also true company’s architectural coatings lineup was that ICP will stay focused on its customers. “We want to be one of the most expansive projects the company undertook. a retailer’s source for a variety of items,” said Martin. “We It eliminated the Progress, Progress Professional, Muralo, want to be a one-stop shop, and we believe the ALLPRO GraySeal and Graham lines; retained Storm System exterior members are our best candidates.” stains and Duralux Marine; and significantly enhanced Paul Berres, owner of Born Paint Company in Peoria, its California Paints and FixALL lines with improved Illinois, agreed that the current ICP team is now tuned formulations. California Paints, in fact, became ICP’s core into what he needs. “We’ve been a customer for nearly paint line. “We basically took all the best formulations that 20 years,” Berres said. “The past five years, they’ve gone we had from all nine brands and brought them down to the through a lot of changes. Just in the last year and a half, I four brands,” Cohen said. “We vetted all the formulas we would say, they really seemed to come up with a team that had, and we listened to our customers.” works hard for the dealers.” What ICP heard from customers is that they wanted a ICP’s mantra for the path forward is “Independence for simplified go-to-market strategy, so the company created good/ Independents,” and the company has done several things to better/best categories of its interior and exterior products support that idea. For one, it has created multitiered loyalty for both the consumer and professional markets. And Cohen programs for dealers and contractors. “What we wanted to do said they pulled out all the stops to do it. “We ended up with a was create a philosophy and program where everybody wins,” more robust and expansive product offering because we were Martin said. “This loyalty program provides our customers bringing in products and the best formulations from all of an opportunity to say, ‘Hey, if I am going to sell and support our existing lines. We weren’t concerned about margin, we these products, I am going to get rewarded for it.’ We built a weren’t concerned about cost, we weren’t even concerned
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growth program. We built a training program. It involves marketing, it involves sales, it involves lead generation, it involves web assistance. It’s comprehensive.” The company also made several acquisitions in the past year that have helped it develop a strong subset of brands for independent dealers. It acquired architectural specialty brands Scuffmaster and Zolatone, along with three industrial flooring coatings companies. It got into the decorative and protective stone and masonry field with two acquisitions, and its FixALL brand has become a line of specialty and solutions-based products that don’t require adding a tint machine to become a dealer. ICP also improved and broadened its remediation and exterior stain offerings. So the company is no longer just California Paints or Storm System stain products, and retailers are not required to be a California Paints dealer to get involved with the company. Harking back to ICP’s grand strategy to serve independents, Cohen reiterated that the myriad changes are not haphazard. There is a larger, unifying strategy at work. “We want dealers to be able to branch out into new areas, because our goal here is to help them grow their businesses. Retailers want to expand their offerings to include more than basic house painting products. If they want to become a strong flooring center, if they want to expand more into adhesives, if they want to get into marine products, we want to be the avenue that gets them there.” Cohen said there is an energy at ICP that he has never experienced. “Everyone at the company, from manufacturing to sales, is energized and excited. The results of the new strategy are already showing on the sales ledger. In my 30 years here, this is the most exciting time I can recall. I feel like we’re just firing on all cylinders.”
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What’s New
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lot has changed for ICP Construction Products since it was created in 2015 when a management firm bought California Products Corporation. The resultant .company implemented an ambitious strategy of acquisitions, reformulations and technological improvements, all aimed at better serving independent retailers. Here is a breakdown by product category of what the company did.
Industrial Flooring Coatings • Acquired Rock-Tred Polymer Coatings, Arizona Polymer Flooring and Super-Krete Products • Dedicated Rock-Tred for dealers who are heavily into specialized floor systems • Created the FixALL Flooring Solutions line of core floor systems with leveraged technologies
Stone & Masonry Coatings • Introduced the FixALL Solutions masonry offering • Acquired Dry-Treat world-leading stone and masonry sealers • Acquired Pli-Dek waterproofing solutions
Architectural Specialty Brands • Improved formulations for the California Paints line • Acquired Scuffmaster, Zolatone and ClearErase brands • Introduced the new RareForm line of pearl and stone finishes to the independent dealer market, using technology ICP attained through an acquisition
Remediation Tools • Introduced Storm System Mold and Mildew Solutions • Retained Fiberlock Technologies, abatement and remediation products for mold, mildew, lead, asbestos, odors, etc.
Exterior Stains • Retained Storm System Exterior Stains and Finishes including solid, semitransparent, semisolid, high-build and clear finishes, with nationally VOC-compliant formulations • Leveraged technology from acquisition to build Storm Protector, a new line of economical, lap resistant, readymixed semitransparent stains that are VOC compliant in all 50 states
Specialty Surfaces • Retained California Sports Surfaces: Provides sports surfaces for tennis, basketball, pickleball, running tracks, bike paths and other decorative surfaces. • Retained Duralux Marine Coatings: Marine-grade protection for boats, marine environments and offshore structures • Retained FixALL: Specialty coatings products including primers, enamels, spray paint, DTM, light industrial, floor, pool, athletic, traffic, spackle, clears, theatrical and more
May/June 2018 ALLPRO Independent
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2018 Spring
Show in
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P i c tures
May/June 2018 ALLPRO Independent
May/June 2018 ALLPRO Independent
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all in the Family
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At technology company Autologue, Jim Franco has turned a family atmosphere into good business. im Franco has been running businesses
opened Unlimited Auto Parts and built a large machine
since he was 18 years old, when he
shop, a service center, a warehouse and two additional
became the youngest Union 76 dealer
locations in the span of 22 years.
in the history of Union Oil with his
In 1985, Jim acquired Autologue, which dealt
Union 76 service station. This is
primarily in the automotive aftermarket industry. In 2011,
when he truly discovered the art of
Autologue acquired SBC Solutions, a Chicago company
quality customer service. After five
with software used in the paint and wall coverings market,
years with his service station, Jim
and has been involved in the industry ever since. Today,
Autologue software is used by some of ALLPRO’s largest members, such as Spectrum Paint and Diamond Vogel. With 17 acquisitions under his belt and more than 90 employees, Jim has a “family” culture with his employees and a “customer first” approach that has set him apart in the industry. As Jim says, “We hire for life,” and consequently, Autologue hires very few new employees. Most of the team
Jim has a “family” culture with his employees and a “customer first” approach that has set him apart in the industry.
has come from its acquisitions over the past 25 years. Jim believes in empowering his team to make good decisions and do whatever it takes to make customers happy.
company. “I feel very blessed by the Lord above to have
When asked about his succession plan, Jim says, “I
been given the knowledge, wisdom, drive and ability to
have been blessed with two daughters and a son-in-law
be forward thinking and to be a great leader,” he says.
who want to keep our great company going not only for
“The Lord guides my steps every day and shows me that
decades but for generations!”
the real value in business is being a blessing and making
Jim’s son-in-law Donny Krause earned a master’s degree
a positive difference in our team and with our customers.
in education but soon realized he wanted the challenge
It’s not all about the money! I challenge my team to
of working for Autologue. Donny is now the company’s
constantly learn and grow and be the best they can
COO and chief financial officer, and he was instrumental
personally be, which results in great team members.”
in the largest acquisition in Autologue’s history. Jim's daughter Tiffanie Krause spent 17 years in the medical field running two outpatient surgical centers with more
S p o n s o r e d
B y
than 50 employees. She is currently the executive assistant to the COO and Jim, and she also helps the marketing team. Jim’s daughter Jamie Picco is a registered nurse who managed a large emergency room in Anaheim, California, before deciding to join the family business as well. Today, Jamie manages the accounts receivable department. All three are on the board of directors and want to see Autologue exceed even the greatest of expectations. At the end of the day Jim says he feels very humbled and grateful for the honor of being able to run a great
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hen Autologue Data Systems was established in 1978, its primary product was an application software set for the automotive aftermarket. Today, Autologue offers management software packages that are used by some of the country’s largest independent dealers in the paint and decorating industry. And Autologue Central's March/April 2018 ALLPRO Independent 17 powerful offsite servers provide retailers with big advantages in productivity and profitability. Go to autologue.com for more information.
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SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Armstrong-Clark
Preserva Products
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General Finishes
Italtinto
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California President: Brian Carter armclark.com
California-based maker of wood stains, Armstrong-Clark is accustomed to manufacturing products that meet .what are perhaps the strictest VOC and environmental standards in the United States. And since founder Jake Clark’s grandfather founded Flood stains, the business might be in their blood. “We’re an independent company,” Clark said, adding that he likes selling to independent retailers. “It’s a different attitude among independents. They are part of the community, and they take care of their customers, just like we do.”
Wisconsin President: George C. Adams generalfinishes.com eorge Adams bought the now 90year-old company in 1984, selling products from a small storefront in West Allis, Wisconsin. Adams said the decision was made to manufacture waterbased finishes way back in 1992, when few producers were interested in the idea. “Four years later we won the first of three major water-based competitions against national manufacturers,” Adams said. Today, General Finishes serves independent retailers from its offices in East Troy, Wisconsin, with stains, paints and other products for DIYers and professionals.
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California President: Greg Riecks preservaproducts.com
reserva Products is a manufacturer of wood and concrete cleaners, stains and finishes and was established in California in the late 1970s by a building contractor with a background in organic chemistry. Since the company’s beginning, the Preserva brand has focused its research and development efforts on creating high-value, cost-efficient products, many of which use nontoxic organic components. Its wood care products are aimed at both DIYers and professionals who need to treat decks, fences, patios, docks, outdoor furniture and other exterior wood surfaces.
Ohio CEO: Tony Traub italtinto.com his manufacturer of dispensers, mixers and shakers started in Italy in 1974 and has grown to do business on four continents, with operations in Italy, India, North America and Brazil. CEO Tony Traub and vice president of North American sales Matt Docherty have brought their decades of experience in the coatings equipment industry to Italtinto. Traub said the company’s machines will embrace current technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Android systems and its leadership will be on the lookout for the future’s next, great technological innovation.
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M ar k etpla c e
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Shopping vs. Buying
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he difference between shopping and buying has taken center stage,” retail consultant Steve Dennis wrote in January on Forbes. com. “Buying is task-oriented, more chore than cherish,” as when people buy garbage bags or toilet paper. But “shopping” is different. “It’s experiential, social and tactile,” Dennis wrote. Retailers have to be both types since pro painters need to check off a chore, while DIYers want to have an experience.The trouble comes, Dennis wrote, when retailers don’t understand the distinction.
The Trouble With Facebook
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%
The portion of online traffic made up of “bad bots.”
FBI Warns of 4 Cyber Threats
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senior director in the FBI’s cyber division, Howard S. Marshall, cautioned Congress in -January that cyber attacks against small businesses are on the rise. Marshall identified the following four areas of concern: business email compromise, where a criminal may pose as a vendor or contact to trick the victim into paying an unauthorized invoice or transferring payroll records; ransomware, where documents and files are encrypted making them unreadable until a ransom is paid; criminal data breach activity, where cyber criminals break into a company’s network and steal financial information; internet of things, where criminals hack smart devices, such as locks and lights, in order to gain access to computer systems. Marshall explained in great detail how the FBI has dramatically increased its efforts over the past year to protect small business owners from cyber threats. Victims of cyber crime can report it to the FBI at ic3.gov.
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May/June 2018 ALLPRO Independent
* Bad bots are computer applications or scripts designed to hurt businesses by damaging their SEO rankings, copying and reusing their content, and stealing their financial information. - Source: SmallBusinessComputing.com
Sixteen Months of High Hopes
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mall business owners overall level of optimism has stayed remarkably bright for at least 16 consecutive months, according to a perennial survey from a small business research group. The survey’s results for each of those 16 months show readings that rank in the top five percent of all readings the index has recorded since it began in 1973. The survey is done by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Research Foundation, which collects data about small business economic trends.
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acebook has been embroiled in an ongoing scandal that could affect how effectively independent retailers can market themselves on the social media platform. The scandal emerged after a British political consulting firm was revealed to have collected private information on Facebook from about 50 million users without those users’ permission. A March report from NBC News speculated that fallout from the scandal could damage independent retailers since they and other small businesses rely so heavily on the data that Facebook collects. The Menlo Park, California, company could lose as many as 45 million users, according to a technology business consultant quoted in the report, and many of the ones who stay may tighten their privacy controls in a way that limits the benefits of advertising on Facebook for small businesses. CEO Mark Zuckerberg was called to testify before Congress in early April about this and other issues. Fines and regulations against Facebook could be forthcoming.
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