HBS Dealer 2023 The Big Show

Welcome!

It’s a combination of letters that’s never been tried before — IBS, NHS an KBIS. All three sets of initials representing three giant industry trade events will be co-located in Las Vegas Jan. 31 to Feb. 2.

The idea of everything in home improvement under one roof is now officially turbocharged, with several clear implications. More crossover for the hardware and building supply industry. More valuable one-stop-shopping for industry buyers. And also, more important than ever to bring a comfortable pair of shoes.

IBS, NHS and KBIS, of course, are shorthand for, respectively, the International Builders’ Show, the National Hardware Show, and the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. KBIS and IBS have been exhibiting as a combined force for years under the banner of “Design & Construction Week.” The addition of the National Hardware Show takes the synergy to a new level.

The halls at all points of the compass will be humming, including the stunning, new West Hall, which will feature KBIS and IBS exhibits and activities.

A quick HBSDealer.com poll revealed significant support for the decision to co-locate the three brands in Las Vegas, a concept bolstered by a one-badge-works-for-all policy.

Among buyers, 78 percent of buyer respondents said they approve of the move.

Among Exhibitors, 56 percent of exhibitors approved (another 20 percent were “neutral” on the topic.)

Poll Results: A really big show in 2023

CLICK HERE TO VIEW RESULTS

Meanwhile, the event organizers are unanimous in their enthusiasm for the event. Here’s how some of the officials from the host organizations describe the power of the triple play

Jerry Howard, CEO of the National Association of Home Builders, host of IBS “NHS creates synergy with the International Builders’ Show and NKBA’s Kitchen and Bath Show. Co-locating NHS with IBS and KBIS will allow attendees to explore additional products and opportunities to grow their businesses and maintain a competitive edge in the market.”

Bill Darcy, Chief Executive Officer for the National Kitchen & Bath Association

The addition of the National Hardware Show “gives Design & Construction Week attendees more products and services to experience during their three days at the show. It’s also a great way

for all three associations to better serve their respective members as we look to the future.”

Beth Casson National Hardware Show Event Vice President

“Our customers benefit from more value and opportunity during their time in Las Vegas by aligning with two other industry leading events. NHS, IBS & KBIS events have complementary product offerings that will broaden buying and selling opportunities. NHS is the destination for uncovering trends and sourcing new products and suppliers. By hosting the show earlier in the year, this gives buyers an opportunity to kick off the year with discovery and connection, while allowing more time for critical decisions before big buying events. We’ve heard that this timing and an NHS collaboration with these events would be a great benefit to our customers, so we are thrilled to make this happen for our NHS Community.”

Hitting the Show Floors

The Las Vegas Convention Center Halls — and even the parking lots — will be buzzing with hardware and building supply activity. Click on each Map for a detailed version.

West

The NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) is the world’s largest annual residential construction show for professionals in the building industry while KBIS is owned by the NKBA. NHS is owned by RX Global, formerly known as Reed Exhibitions.

Beth Casson, lead vice president of the National Hardware Show describes what it means “to be in the business of building business.”

The heavy hand of tech around the house

By HBSDealer Staff

The initials ESL and BOPIC are just the tip of the ICE (Interactive Connectivity Establishment) when it comes to technology initiatives at retail.

And The National Hardware Show is putting an increased emphasis on retail technology, whether it’s behind the scenes or facing the consumer. At the 2023 event in Las Vegas, a new Retail Solutions Center will focus on evolving technologies and merchandising solutions.

The move by the show organizers (RX Global) comes as consumer demands and expectations are changing. One of the big drivers of change is the expectation for delivery. But not only, delivery: smooth and seamless delivery.

A study from Manhattan Associates — titled “Recalibrating for the Next Normal” — found that 82 percent of consumers responded that home delivery is the most important fulfilment service. Also, 65 percent said they wanted a choice of delivery dates and couriers; and more than half (55 percent) said they would abandon a digital shopping cart if they were required to pay a high delivery fee.

Manhattan Associates surveyed 3,500 adults to generate those stats.

“As the retail industry recalibrates for this next normal, the ability to navigate disruption, while enhancing the physical and digital customer experience will become increasingly important; as will the technologies that allow retailers to fulfil in-store and online orders in an agile, sustainable and profitable fashion,” said Ann Sung Ruckstuhl, Manhattan’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer, summing up the challenge that awaits.

There is no shortage of examples of retailers playing offense in the field of retail technology.

For instance, Plano, Texas-based At Home is

Omnichannel capabilities are on the rise At Home.

aggressively adding to its omnichannel capabilities.

The value home décor retailer is launching a new mobile app designed to let customers quickly obtain access to their orders, order status and check out. Consumers can also use the app to get inspiration along with personalized product recommendations.

Richard Armour, At Home chief digital officer, said the mobile app and same-day delivery options are “both key components of our continued journey to reduce friction for our customers across all our channels. We have a big focus on speed and are committed to providing customers with multiple ways to get what they need the same day, whether it be through buy-online pickup in stores or same-day delivery.”

Tractor Supply is looking for advantages through technology. The 2,000-plus-store farm-and-ranch retail chain recently announced a move, with technology partner Honeywell, to arm employees with mobile devices equipped with long-range scanning and other applications. According to Robert Mills, executive VP, chief technology, digital commerce and strategy officer at Tractor Supply, the move increases speed of service and enhances productivity.

One example of improvement: Tractor Supply says it has cut the duration of an average propane refill by 93%, from seven minutes to 30 seconds.

“These enhancements came at a critical time, helping us innovate and lead the retail industry in cutting-edge solutions that have helped us maintain our momentum in a very challenging retail environment,” Mills said.

Buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) and electronic shelf label (ESL) programs are riding a wave of retail momentum. Five Below, the 1,250 store discount retailer recently joined the BOPIS movement, offering customers nationwide the opportunity to buy online and pickup orders in-store. The move is an extension of the retailer’s partnership with Instacart.

And for electronic shelf labels, Pennsylvania’s Busy Beaver Building Centers became the home improvement

center in the U.S. to fully use Pricer electronic shelf labels, a system that provides greater pricing accuracy by electronically maintaining the price signage, said the company.

“Technology is a key imperative in our mission to be the favorite home improvement center in the communities we serve,” says Adam Gunnett, Busy Beaver’s director of IT and marketing. “We relentlessly look for innovative ways to increase efficiencies and empower our associates to provide legendary customer service.”

Much of technology boils down to profitably improving the customer experience. Manhattan Associate’s Rucksthul breaks it down: “Brands’ ability to create seamless shopping experiences across channels, and deliver on their customer promises, is more critical than ever.”

Busy Beaver’s ESL initiative brings groundbreaking efficiencies to its store in Delmont, Pa.

“We

—Adam Gunnett, director of IT, Busy Beaver

for remodeling

American homes are growing older, and that’s one of the major drivers of home improvement spending — especially remodeling.

Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison has done the math: “Roughly three million more homes built during the housing boom in the mid two thousands will be entering prime remodeling years by 2025, which is a key inflection point for big ticket repairs,” he said.

Aging housing stock is one of three key drives of home improvement spending, along with home price appreciation and disposable personal income. And readings from all three areas give the CEO confidence for continued consumer demand.

The topic of remodeling is receiving special emphasis at the International Builders’ Show in the form of Remodeling Central, a place for attendees to focus on renovation issues and trends. Think specialized seminars, workshops and networking.

Great networking. Dedicated remodeling experts and professionals share honest conversations and fresh perspectives

Organizers

Practical application at Remodeling Central. For instance, “how to conduct a home audit for an aging client is set for Tuesday Jan. 31 at 1:30 pm

Any registrant can attend. No education pass is needed

Top notch, customized education, including best practices, focus group insights, forecasts and predictions.

The PrimeSource Advantage

As the Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for PrimeSource Building Products, Scott Smith has a frontrow seat on trends affecting the building products business. Smith elaborated on the PrimeSource Advantage in a discussion with HBSDealer. Here are the highlights:

On PrimeSource Building Products: “We’re a specialty branded building products company, with a core deeply rooted in fasteners. We are laser focused on the professional contractor who naturally gravitates to our brand because we’ve earned their trust job after job, year after year. Generations of framers, roofers, installers and remodelers have grown up with the Grip-Rite brand.”

On the Grip-Rite brand: “Data shows that we’re the number one commercial fastener brand in the United States. But DIYers, hobbyists and those just getting started want the brand trusted by the pros. Just ask somebody to check the fasteners on their workbench or in their garage…and follow that with “What color is the box?” The answer is usually: “Oh yeah, that’s Grip-Rite.”…known for the smart black packaging and signature red parallelogram. When you go to the local lumberyard or hardware store, you’ll likely find Grip-Rite packaged screws and nails. “Our tagline is ‘We Build America’, which is what we help contractors and homeowners do…especially in the face of natural disasters, tornadoes, and hurricanes.”

PrimeSource Snapshot

Categories: Construction fasteners, building materials, fence and gate hardware, railing and perimeter security, among others.

Distribution network: 35 strategically located DCs across the U.S.A.

Web site: PrimeSourceBP.com

On the “PrimeSource Advantage”

“With 35 distribution centers across the U.S, we can service any customer, no matter how many locations they have. It could be Home Depot, Lowe’s or Builders FirstSource. It could be your local lumberyard or hardware store …a single store or a chain with multiple locations across states. At the end of the day, PrimeSource Building Products is a simple, single-source solution for customers to purchase any of the products in our warehouse, take delivery on one truck with one purchase order. Whether an order is 10 pallets, two pallets or even half a pallet…we give customers the ultimate flexibility to mix all products in one delivery. It’s not uncommon for a shipment to include GripRite along with Owens Corning, Master Builder Solutions, Mitek, GAF, Rockwool or GACO, among other leading building products brands. The PrimeSource Advantage is the simplicity we bring to our customers — one call gets it all.”

With a nationwide distribution network, the company is committed to growing their customers’ business, and is helping to accomplish this by adding complementary businesses under the PrimeSource Brands umbrella. Acquired by Clearlake Capital in late 2020, the company has made several acquisitions that have expanded its portfolio of high-quality brands and created an even broader product offering.

In the last year-and-a-half, PrimeSource Brands acquired Dimora Brands, a supplier of high-end hardware and home accessories, Nationwide Industries, LLC, maker of specialty fence and gate hardware and railing for outdoor living; Wolf Home Products, a leading supplier of kitchen cabinets and building products; and most recently, Axxis, provider of specialty collated products.

Ultimately, the growth of PrimeSource and Grip-Rite happens one-sale at a time, and one store at a time. Backed by a regionally based business-development team, independent sales representatives and regional managers,

Scott Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, PrimeSource

PrimeSource product managers are working hand-in-hand with the field team to bring its Advantage to the industry.

“We’re always looking for new customers,” Smith said. “Regardless if it’s a big box, a local lumberyard, a STAFDA dealer—we touch a lot of them already.”

Asked to sum up the message the team brings to new prospects, Smith responded this way:

“Basically, if you turn your business over to us, then we’re going to support your business for you. We’re going to take care of all of our products, we’re going to give it to you at a competitive price. We’re going to retail your product for you to make you more money. We’re going to manage this part of your business, so you can take care of other things.”

A new beginning in Las Vegas

By Allyson Horst

2023 marks the return of PrimeSource Building Products to the International Builder’s Show for the first time in almost a decade. While the core of the company is still solidly built on the foundation of the Grip-Rite and Pro-Twist brands and the nationwide network of distribution centers our customers depend on, this is the debut of the NEW PrimeSource Building Products. Starting with more brands living under the roof of PrimeSource Building Products to include Nationwide Industries, LLC., RailFX, LockeyUSA, Ultra-tec, Klinch-Pak and Complete…we have more brands to serve more customers and consumers in more industries than ever before. The Power of More has never been woven into the fabric of PrimeSource Building Products more than it is today.

PrimeSource Building Products has also launched more new products in the last several years than the decade prior… so swing by booth #C4548 to learn more about the whole suite of products for roofing, framing, drywall, interior finish, railing, perimeter security and fence/gate installation from Grip-Rite, RailFX, LockeyUSA and Nationwide Industries. We are also actively recruiting trade professionals interested in partnering to bring product innovation to the building products industry. If you would like to know more — visit us in the Central Hall any day of the show and we’ll tell you more about it!

We’re excited to announce a limited gallery engagement with students and faculty from the world-renowned Cleveland Institute of Art, as well as a partnership with brick & batten virtual exterior solutions to showcase what a little imagination can do to add more depth to the conversation about building products, enhanced design aesthetics and investing in the next generation of art, business and trade leaders.

Be prepared to stay a while. There’s a lot more to talk about.

Visit us online:

PrimeSource Building Products (www.primesourcebp.com)

Grip-Rite (www.grip-rite.com)

RailFX (www.railfx.net)

Nationwide Industries (www.nationwideindustries.com)

Featured new products

Grip-Rite Ninja Hidden Deck Fastener

The new Grip-Rite Ninja Hidden Deck Fastener brings strength, stability and most importantly speed to grooved deck board installations. Grip-Rite’s patent-pending design features Compression Fit levers that hold the clip in place, accelerating the installation of deck boards, while the serrated teeth hold boards in place after installation. And to top it all off - the universal fit of the Ninja Hidden Deck Clip means the same clip may be may be used to create multiple deck patterns — straight, diagonal or herringbone — with a seamless surface finish almost as beautiful as the quick, easy installation.

RailFX Express Mount Bracket

RailFX is thrilled to offer a DIY solution that saves both time and money with the Express Mount Bracket System — an installation accessory for cable railing that eliminates the need to drill holes through each deck post. Simply install this bracket to the outside of an end, corner or intermediate (inline) post, feed the cable through the bracket and tighten the cable to secure it. The brackets are only viewable from the outside of the deck, creating the illusion of “floating” cables and improving sightlines to the scenery beyond.

Grip-Rite ShingleLayment-HT

The most versatile all-in-one roofing product on the market today, Grip-Rite ShingleLayment-HT is a peel and stick, self-adhering synthetic roofing underlayment that is specifically designed to withstand extreme conditions. The ease of installation provides a time savings whether used solely for slope protection as an eave and valley style product or as an advanced ice, snow and rain barrier for full roof coverage.

Allyson Horst, VP, marketing, PrimeSource

The dark stains you see on roofs all over the U.S. and Canada are often caused by tiny cyanobacteria called Gloeocapsa magma — commonly known as blue-green algae.

It’s a bacteria that travels on the wind and thrives in moist environments — so if one house in a neighborhood has it, others have probably been exposed as well. The darkening effect can impact the appearance and resale value of a home, as well as the effectiveness of highly reflective cool roofs.

Across the U.S., blue-green algae growth is often just a matter of time. The GAF TimeRelease Algae-Fighting Technology used on shingles with a StainGuard Plus™Algae Protection Limited Warranty1 is formulated to put time back on your side.

The GAF StainGuard Plus™ Algae Protection Limited Warranty1 provides 25 years of coverage against blue-green algae discoloration. It now comes with many of the most popular GAF Shingles, as well as hip and ridge cap shingles and visible starter strips.

Algae protection is important to customers. In fact, when GAF asked homeowners about it, 87% said it was very-to-extremely important to protect their roof from bluegreen algae stains.2 89% said warranty length was very or extremely important when purchasing an algae protection product.2

GAF helps answer these customer needs. Shingles and roof accessories with a StainGuard Plus™Algae Protection Limited Warranty are covered for 25 years against

blue-green algae discoloration.1 They also provide long-lasting algae-fighting power thanks to GAF Time-Release Algae-Fighting Technology.

Proprietary GAF Time-Release Algae-Fighting Technology

At certain concentrations, metals like copper and zinc are toxic to blue-green algae, and can help prevent it from growing. In fact, on much older homes you may still see pitted copper and zinc strips tucked up under the ridge caps.

Using copper is also the idea behind traditional algae-prevention granules. They contain a layer of copper that leaches onto the roof. And that works for a while. But eventually, the granules degrade and release less copper, which makes them less effective at stopping algae growth.

GAF Time-Release Algae-Fighting Technology delivers the algae-fighting copper in a whole new way. Instead of a copper layer, speciallyengineered capsules are infused throughout with thousands of copper microsites, which release copper steadily over time, for long-lasting algae-fighting power. It’s algae resistance so powerful it allows us to offer the 25-year StainGuard Plus™Algae Protection Limited Warranty1 on many of our most popular products.

The long-lasting algae-fighting power and warranty coverage your customers want is now available from eave to ridge — only with GAF Time-Release Algae Fighting Technology and the 25-year StainGuard Plus™Algae Protection Limited Warranty.1

1 25-year StainGuard Plus™ Algae Protection Limited Warranty against blue-green algae discoloration is available only on products sold in

Shingle & Accessory Limited Warranty for complete coverage, restrictions and qualifying products.

2 Based on 2021 survey commissioned by GAF of 500 homeowners in areas with moderate to high amounts of blue-green algae.

3 15-year WindProven™ limited wind warranty on Timberline HDZ® Shingles requires the use of GAF starter strips, roof deck protection, ridge cap shingles, and leak barrier or attic ventilation. See GAF Roofing System Limited Warranty for complete coverage and restrictions. Visit gaf.com/LRS for qualifying GAF products. For installations not eligible for the WindProven limited wind warranty, see GAF Shingle & Accessory Limited Warranty for complete coverage and restrictions.

packages bearing the StainGuard Plus™ logo. See GAF

In 2020, GAF introduced Timberline HDZ® Shingles with LayerLock™ Technology and the StrikeZone™ Nailing Area. Now we’re making our most popular shingle even better — with the addition of a 25-year StainGuard Plus™ Algae Protection Limited Warranty1 against blue-green algae discoloration. Offer your customers Timberline HDZ ® — the shingle that just keeps getting better. Only from GAF. Find out more at gaf.com/StainGuardPlus

THE BIG SHOW E-BOOK

Timberline HDZ ® Technology and popular addition of a Protection blue-green customers that just GAF. Find gaf.com/StainGuardPlus on products sold in packages bearing the StainGuard Plus™ logo. See GAF

We protect what mat ter s most ™