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_______________ IT’S A WRAP: OFDA 2010 Dealer Strategies Conference
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A Challenge from OFDA
Frank Gutwein President Widmer Interiors Vice President OFDA Board
Last week’s OFDA annual conference was a huge success because of the value it offered each attendee. Every dealer I spoke with talked about how much they enjoyed and benefitted from the networking and speakers at this year’s conference in Bonita Springs Florida. Hat’s off to the staff and board of OFDA and a big thanks also to the great sponsors who made this conference possible. The keynote speakers alone made this conference well worth a dealership’s investment to attend this annual event. The variety and quality of educational sessions resonated with the dealer community. If you are reading this and didn’t attend this year’s conference, my question is, why not? I am so confident of the value of being part of OFDA and its annual conference that if you attend next year and don’t find value from our conferences, we will refund your conference fee – in full! OFDA is YOUR association so I encourage you to get involved, share your ideas and let us know how we can improve it.
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OFDA’s initiatives along with newly created task forces are focused on improving our industry as a whole: • Dealer Performance Benchmarking. We all learn from each other and improve our businesses • Education. In addition to our annual event and NeoCon seminars, with member input OFDA is now developing a training program to help every dealership acclimate new employees to our industry. • Website. If you haven’t been to the redesigned OFDA website, check it out at www.ofdanet.org and watch for further enhancements in the months ahead. • Advocacy. Working to ensure federal and state regulations don’t negatively impact our businesses. • Members-only discounts. Insurance, shipping, hiring, leasing, etc. As incoming OFDA Chair for 2011, my challenge to all of this year’s conference participants is to bring at least one other dealer, installer or other industry peer with you to next year’s conference. For those of you who haven’t yet attended, it’s time. Mark your calendar for September 24-27, 2011 and see you in Tucson!
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news YouTube Kudos for Office Environment Company, Louisville Dealer In Louisville, the brother and sister team of Kelly and Tricia Burke and the rest of the folks at Office Environment Company (OEC) are walking around with smiles that stretch from their home town clear across the Ohio River and into Indiana, after receiving the kind of glowing testimonial from a satisfied customer that every dealer dreams of. And to make it even more special, the happy customer posted the testimonial on YouTube! The customer in question was Regional Youth Services (RYS) of Jeffersonville, IN, a non-profit that provides specialized foster care services for children in need throughout southern Indiana.
The organization recently received a grant to furnish its new therapy and visitation space and programs and operations director Michelle Hendrickson turned to OEC for help.
ager Lorraine Ondera. “I wish you could see the children’s eyes light up when they come into a room and the familes who feel much more comfortable in our new office space,� she says.
“Staff at the Office Environment Company helped us to take our budget and get not only the things on our ‘musthave’ list, but the things on our wish list, as well,� Michelle reports on YouTube.
“Everyone at OEC was absolutely thrilled by the video,� says Tricia. “RYS is a relatively new account for us and the project—some meeting and training rooms and a children’s reception area— all went smoothly, thanks to the help of HON Basyx, Haworth and Groupe Lacasse. The testimonial itself was unsolicited and came to us totally out of the blue!�
“The space is warm and inviting and the staff at Office Environment Company worked so hard to try and get everything that we had asked for,� she continues. Other RYS staff added their own thank you’s on the video, including case man-
At a time when good news stories in the CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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DEALER NEWS ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 office furniture business are still not exactly easy to come by, we’d like to add our own thanks to OEC and their happy customers at RYS.
step in the continued growth of our business and allows us to expand our reach, both from a product offering as well as a geographic footprint.”
And if you’ve ever thought being a dealer is only about selling office furniture and not much more, point your web browser to www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6JNSvs8TGI and see for yourself how what you do can really make a difference for the folks you do it for!
“My top priority was to ensure that our staff was in good hands,” said Matt Parrott president Dave Buck. “I’ve known of Storey Kenworthy for over 30 years, and have always had respect for them as a competitor. They are a multi-faceted business and good community stewards. Their core values and business operations are a natural alignment with ours.”
Storey Kenworthy, Des Moines Dealer, Acquires Matt Parrott, Another Iowa Independent Last month saw two long-time Iowa dealers join forces as Des Moines-based Storey Kenworthy finalized an agreement to acquire Matt Parrott and Sons in Waterloo, about 120 miles to the northeast. Storey Kenworthy was founded in 1936 and is currently in the hands of the fourth generation of Kenworthy family members. Matt Parrott is one of the oldest dealers in the country, having first opened for business back in 1868. Both companies are Allsteel dealers. “Our environments and cultures are inherently very similar,” said company president Dave Kenworthy. “This is a strategic
No immediate changes in operations are anticipated, as the leadership of both companies work together on an integration plan.
Third Interior Solutions Location in Arizona Becomes Kimball Office Select Dealer Kimball Office announced last month that Interior Solutions’ newest location, in Tempe, AZ, has become a Kimball Office Select Dealer. The new Interior Solutions location serves Phoenix and the surrounding areas. Interior Solutions is a full-service dealership offering systems furniture, casegoods, and seating. Services include commercial relocation, project management, installation, asset manCONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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DEALER NEWS ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 agement, space planning, and office reconfigurations. “We’re excited to welcome the Arizona location of Interior Solutions onto our team; they have been a valued partner in their other markets, for many years. We look forward to working together to provide exceptional products and service to clients while expanding the market,” said Allen Parker, vice president of marketing and sales for Kimball Office.
Best Rendering Created Using CET Designer 1st place—Erin Valladares, Workplace Furnishings, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 2nd place—Julia Honshell, Young Office, Spartanburg, SC 3rd place—Shannon McKenzie, Young Office, Spartanburg, SC
Configura Announces Winners of Third Annual Awards Program Our congratulations go to designers at eight different dealerships who recently earned honors under design software company Configura’s third annual awards program recently.
Best Video Created Using CET Designer MovieStudio Extension
The awards were announced at Configura’s 2010 User Conference in Las Vegas last month. The winners included:
2nd place—Tara Hoffman, Office Environments, Inc., Bristol, PA 3rd place—Seana Turner, One Workplace, Oakland, CA
Best Client Success Story Using CET Designer 1st place—Jennifer Newton, NBS, Troy, MI 2nd place—Paul Riches, Heritage Office Furnishings, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 3rd place—Kaylie Tucker, Bank & Office, Seattle
OCTOBER 2010
1st place—Kristen McWethy, BKM, San Diego
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To see the winning videos, visit www.youtube.com/ConfiguraAB. For the winning renderings, visit www.facebook.com/cetdesigner.
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BIFMA AUGUST STATISTICS:
Orders Up 22%; Shipments Up 8% Earlier this month, the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) released its market statistics for August and for the sixth month in a row, incoming orders were ahead of the same month a year ago. According to BIFMA, August orders were up 22%, accelerating the pace compared to the 9% gain posted in July. August shipments increased 8% year-over-year, the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year shipment growth for the industry, though less than July’s 11% gain in shipments. “While August shipments were softer in comparison, the order increases are driving improved backlog (+13% year-over-year), providing a solid and
ECi Software Solutions (ECi) Earns National, Local Recognition for Technology Leadership
improving base for future shipments,” commented industry analyst Budd Bugatch of the Raymond James investment house. Bugatch also pointed to gains in the American Institute of Architects’ Architect’s Billing Index (ABI) as a positive indicator of industry trends. The index, which tends to lead non-residential construction by 9 to 12 months, improved to 48.2 in August for the third consecutive month of modest gains, Bugatch noted. While August represented the index’s 31st consecutive month below 50 (the line of demarcation between expansion and contraction), the index is significantly improved relative to its trough of 33.9 in January 2009, he added.
For the third year in a row, ECi Software Solutions (ECi), parent company of Team Design, DDMS and several other industry technology companies, has earned recognition as one of the country’s fastestgrowing private companies by Inc. magazine. ECi was ranked Number 2161, on the publication’s annual Inc. 5000, list for 2010. In addition to its Inc. 5000 honors, ECi also received several statewide and local area awards for technology leadership recently. They include:
n Recognition as one of fourteen 2010 “Tech Titans” by the Dallas‐Ft. Worth Metroplex Technology Business Council, an award that highlights the fastest growing technology companies in the DFW Metroplex. n Recognition by the Lead411 business research firm as one of the “Hottest Texas Companies” for 2010. n Inclusion in the Fort Worth Business Press’s annual Top 100 list. ECi was ranked Number 33 this year, up from Number 41 in 2009. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
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INDUSTRY NEWS ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 Configura Signs Inscape for New Extension Industry software provider Configura has announced that Inscape has selected the company to produce a CET Designer Extension for Inscape’s product lines. “We are excited by the opportunity to use Configura's parametric configuration software to capitalize on the extensive wall application knowledge that resides within our specification and engineering staff,” said Inscape CFO and general manager of Architectural Interiors Kent Smallwood. “By providing exact specifications, photo-realistic renderings and virtual flythrough video experiences—plus the ability to easily do changes on-the-fly— end-customer satisfaction is greatly increased,” Configura vice president Peter Brandinger added.
Kevin Smiertka to Lead Furniture Group Sales at Ghent At Ghent Manufacturing, Kevin Smiertka has been appointed sales manager for the company’s newly formed Furniture Products Group. Smiertka has been with Ghent for 15 years. In his previous role, he oversaw central region sales for all of the company’s furniture products and visual communication products. In his new role, Smiertka will manage sales for the Ghent Manufacturing Waddell Furniture division, as well as the organization’s recently acquired WoodWare Furniture division, which manufactures furnishings made for use with education and business equipment.
Herman Miller’s Kimberly Coffman Listed Among 2010 ‘Champions of Diversity’ DiversityPlus magazine recently released its 2010 Champions of Diversity award winners and Herman Miller’s Kimberly Coffman was among the 25 honorees. More than 15,000 women and minority suppliers across the country participated in the 2010 Champions of Diversity evaluation and selection process. Each of the women and minority owned OCTOBER 2010
businesses contacted were asked to complete a survey to nominate a supplier diversity executive as a Champion of Diversity. Nominees needed to serve in a managerial or director capacity and demonstrate leadership and skill in driving supplier diversity at their firm. Coffman, manager, supplier diversity at Herman Miller, has been leading Herman Miller’s Supplier Diversity initiative for the past six years. The program is designed to drive the inclusion of diverse suppliers to enhance Herman Miller’s supply chain and support corporate and customer diversity goals. “This recognition means a lot to me,” Coffman said, “especially since it’s coming from the diverse business community. They rely on me to help connect them to the right decision-makers within Herman Miller, and we rely on them for quality products, services, and performance.”
Restructuring for Jasper Group Jasper Group, parent company of JSI, Community and Klem brands, has announced several changes its sales and marketing divisions. After 14 years with Jasper Group, Cole Heichelbech has been named vice president of sales and marketing for the JSI and Community brands.
National Office Furniture Introduces New Mesh Seating Family and Hybrid Lounge/Guest Chair National Office Furniture recently introduced two seating lines: Acquaint and Mix-it Mesh Back.
Acquaint offers the lounge look and feel in a guest chair footprint. The hybrid lounge, guest chair is available in nine finishes as well as Designer White and Cinder paints. Acquaint features Antimicrobial Silver Ion Protection, which inhibits the growth and spread of harmful stain and odor causing bacteria and comes with level 1 and SCS Indoor Advantage certifications. It is available with FSC certified wood which can contribute to LEED points.
Heichelbech began his tenure with the company as director of marketing; followed by promotion to national sales manager, where he was tasked with launching the new JSI brand. In his new role, he will lead a restructured team tasked with driving sales, market growth and delivering a consistent brand message to the company’s entire customer base. Jasper’s sales team has also added new faces, including two regional sales managers. Jay Nix has joined the company to manage sales in the larger East Coast markets and Drew Daniel will manage the Southeast and Western markets. In addition, Jay Eubanks has been appointed corporate trainer, a new position, and Kathy Vonderheide will serve as contracts administrator in the government market. OFDEALER
Offering a contoured, cushioned frame wrapped with a supportive, breathable mesh fabric, Mix-it Mesh Back seating presents a slim profile with full ergonomic comfort. The mesh family also includes guest and stool models and boasts level 1 and SCS Indoor Advantage Gold certifications. It is also available with FSC certified wood.
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OFDA Dealer Strategies Conference Winds of Change: Wrap Up New realities New strategies
The winds of change blew into Florida’s Gulf Coast earlier this month as office furniture dealers, installers, manufacturers and service providers from across the United States descended on the Hyatt Coconut Point Resort in Bonita Springs for the annual OFDA Dealer Strategies Conference. Moving beyond the recession and economic woes that have forced many dealers to down-size and trim costs, this year’s conference, with the theme “New Realities, New Strategies,” focused on how to move forward given the dramatic changes that have reshaped our industry over the past two years. “Industry changes continue to accelerate,” OFDA president Chris Bates told attendees. “In order for dealers to succeed, they will need to make strategic adjustments to create agile, resilient business models that can thrive in this new environment.” OCTOBER 2010
Welcoming attendees, OFDA’s Board Chair Carlene Wilson recognized the tremendous support of OFDA Platinum Sponsors (The HON Company, Global The Total Office, and Merchandise Mart) and Gold Sponsors (ECi, Kimball Office, National Office Furniture, and Knoll) and the specific sponsorship of conference events and promotional items by several OFDA members, including 20-20 Technologies, ABF-USA/Kite, AIS, EasyKeys, ECi, National and Steelcase. Together with Vice-Chair Frank Gutwein, Wilson acknowledged OFDA’s aligned and unaligned manufacturers of the year and presented service awards to Knoll and ECi for their support of the dealer community.
Education Abounds Drawing on the success of last year’s event, this year’s conference kicked off with three half-day interactive business workshops and was followed over the next two days by 21 breakout sessions including nine dealer panels, a keynote and three general session discussions. The half-day sessions, hosted by Libby Wagner, Gil Cargill and Lynda Ward and Marina Van Overbeek, focused on creating a profit culture, how to recruit and hire novices and redefining workplace strategies. According to OFDA’s post-conference survey, 60% of those attending the halfday workshops reported them to be CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
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Itʼs a Wrap ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 excellent with another 36% saying they were good. The remaining 4% reported their class as average. During a mid-point break from Libby Wagner’s session, Ray Vogel, president of Contract Resource Inc. in Riverwoods, IL, commented, “I’ve only been here a few hours and the conference has already been worthwhile.” “Gil Cargill’s recruitment and management philosophies are right on the money,” said John Rafferty, sales manager at Capital Office Systems in Anchorage, AK. “There is a lot of information to take back and implement.” Breakout sessions were divided into a variety of educational tracks, including technology trends; strategic planning and organizational development; sales and marketing; financial management, and operations management.
r & Associates, ident of Libby Wagne es pr r, ne ag W by Lib st” “Leading Yourself Fir hosts a session on
Returning speakers and moderators—Gil Cargill, Jim Heilborn, Debbie Junge, Greg Nemchick and David Solomon—and panelists from last year (Sam Thacker, Bill Davies, John Gallen and Dean Williams, among others) were joined by a variety of new presenters and dealer panelists who shared their practical experiences and expertise. Of particular note were new speakers Wayne Breitbarth, principal of M&M Office Interiors, who outlined the “Top Ten Gotta CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
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Itʼs a Wrap ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 Do’s of LinkedIn”; Libby Wagner, president of Libby Wagner & Associates, who hosted a session on “Leading Yourself First”; and Ken Stiefler, president of eXITS, Inc., who discussed exit planning strategies and “business killer practices” to avoid. Panel sessions again proved to be a major hit and generated especially active dialog. Debbie Junge’s panel discussion on growing revenues and profits from business process improvement was extremely well received, as were Jim Heilborn’s panel on creating a sustainable dealership model; Brenda Brodt of Junge + Associates’ panel on outsourcing strategies; David Solomon’s panel on technology tools and a panel moderated by Jason Kirby of eBoost Consulting on how to turbo-charge sales through internet lead generation. Of all the attendees surveyed, 97% reported that breakout sessions were great, including 64% who said the sessions were excellent. “The conference was our first. As a new member I was very impressed with the speakers and the
topics covered in the workshops and sessions,” said Mike Baskett, president of Institutional Interiors in Raleigh, NC. “The chance to network and discuss best practices in this venue is valuable within our individual dealerships and collectively as an industry.” “I always tell myself that if I come away from a conference like this with one valuable, new idea…that it was worth the time,” said Kevin Baker, president of Florida Business Interiors – Tampa Bay. “I found the conference to be quite valuable and came away with some great ideas and new ‘litmus tests’ for interviewing new sales candidates.” This year’s keynote speaker, Jack Daly, got
Our keynote speake r, Jack Daily, was “Awesome, always awesome.”
the conference rolling on Monday morning with his sharp wit and interactive presentation. He challenged conference participants to create a winning culture, manage their leadership actions and attitude, and sustain a razor- sharp focus on mission, goals and high-payoff activities to achieve desired success. Lunch session speakers challenged attendees to look to the future. Roy Abernathy’s presentation about Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) served as a wakeup call to many dealers. He emphasized the major opportunity for dealers and manufacturers to become stronger resources to the A&D, facility management, commercial real estate and general contracting communities by embracing these new concepts and un
nities in Building sses dealer opportu Roy Abernathy discu ng (BIM) Information Modeli
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Itʼs a Wrap ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 derstanding how to integrate their product and service offerings into these new project management concepts and processes. He observed that this is the best way to earn a seat at the table, as these new building project management concepts spread and influence selection of office interior solutions and preferred vendors and service providers. Dan Sandlin, an Azure Solutions Specialist with Microsoft, addressed small business applications and the emergence of “cloud computing” as a way for dealers to improve their service to their customers.
wn Hall Meetds the first OFDA To lea on ils W ne rle Ca on are (l to r) OFDA Chair es. Shown with Wils tiv tia ini n tio cia so Jim Mills and ing on new as twein, Steve Lang, Gu k an Fr rs be em m OFDA board Richard Driscoll.
Mix-it
He highlighted the way these technologies help level the playing field for small and midsize businesses by offering opportunities to dramatically lower IT and other costs, improve productivity and customer service and thereby increase growth and profitability. Sandlin concluded that many of these technologies are being used effectively today or are on the immediate horizon, in many cases available within the next 18-24 months. For the first time in recent memory, OFDA held a breakfast “town hall” meeting to seek member feedback on several proposed new initiatives and provide an open forum for discussion of relevant topics. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
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Itʼs a Wrap ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 The meeting was moderated by OFDA Chair Wilson and included board members Richard Driscoll (Knoll), Frank Gutwein (Widmer Interiors), Steve Lang (Dancker, Sellew & Douglas) and Jim Mills (Office Interiors of Nova Scotia). These directors respectively chair OFDA’s newly created task forces to address development of the Association’s overall value proposition, website resources, a new training initiative and benchmarking programs. After a short description of what each task force plans for the future, panelists responded to questions and comments from the attendees.
d their Kite Tables an ABF USA displayed ion pt ce Re elcome hosted the OFDA W & blues band ck ro sh iti featuring Br Turning the Tables.
A discussion about OFDA’s value proposition and the need for membership growth and expanded participation of manufacturers led OFDA Vicechair Frank Gutwein to issue a challenge to every attendee to bring one other dealer with them next year; and spread the word about OFDA and its valuable, practical conference program. “We need to elevate the role of the dealer and collectively need to sell OFDA and what it represents,” said board member Steve Lang in support of Gutwein and OFDA’s new initiatives. “We need to leave our alignment issues behind and come together to support our association.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 15
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Itʼs a Wrap ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 Speaking of support, a variety of manufacturers and software and service providers hosted displays both in and around the central meeting area, which provided an informal environment that was highly conducive to learning and networking. During breaks and between sessions, dealers were free to peruse the displays, talk with manufacturers and service providers and learn about their latest products and services available to dealers. ABF USA was new to the conference this year and made their mark on attendees by not only showcasing their Kite Table products, but also hosting the Monday night welcome reception, complete with rock and blues band “Turning the Tables” straight from the England. Attendees enjoyed networking and some even put on their dancing shoes for some rockin’ fun! OFDA’s “Parrothead” poolside party was held on Tuesday evening and featured the songs of Jimmy Buffett, complete with signature margaritas, great snacks and Hawaiian leis. Attendees chatted well into the evening about business, families and the future of the office furniture industry.
ABOVE: Trevor Gruenewald (center left) COO of ECi and Richard Driscoll (center right) Dealer Distribution Manager of Knoll accept service awards for their companies from OFDA Chair Carlene Wilson and Vice Chair Frank Gutwein. BELOW: Steve Rosen, President of Mark Downs Office Furniture asks a question during OFDA's Town Hall Meeting.
Everyone agreed that this year’s conference was the best ever and provided ample opportunities for learning, networking and a little fun too. Next year’s conference will be held September 24-27 at the J.W. Marriott Starr Pass in Tucson, Arizona. OFDA encourages you to reserve those dates in your calendar now and to ensure that your 2011 budget makes provisions for this important annual investment in yourself and the future of your business. Stay tuned for more information on next year’s event and for posting of podcasts of key 2010 conference sessions in the near future.
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By Scott Cullen
You’d think by now corporate America has had its fill of green, but office furniture dealers are finding many customers still have an insatiable hunger for all things green, or at the very least, are receptive to a green message. Scott Cullen has been writing about the office products, office furniture, and office equipment industries since 1986. He has been working as an independent writer and editor since 1997, and is currently editorial director and managing editor of OfficeSolutions, OfficeDealer, and Practice Manager magazines. Scott also has written for various office equipment manufacturers and market research organizations, focusing primarily onproduct and dealer issues.
That green message has to sprout from somewhere and at All Makes Office Furniture in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, it began with its vendors. Gretchen Golter, design director, acknowledges that early on All Makes wasn’t as informed as they needed to be to promote the green message about their office furnishings. “We heard the green message from vendors and passed it along, but didn’t have the knowledge behind the message to really know what kind of a difference it could make when talking to a client about making better decisions on their longterm furniture purchases,” she says.
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COVER STORY ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 The All Makes team quickly starting getting smarter about green. “When we did that, both sales and design became very cognizant of reading the green message that our vendors were sending our way and deciding with our clients the importance of waterborne stain, no off gassing of products, the use of recycled fabrics and fibers in seating and panel fabrics and forest-certified woods,” says Golter, who is a LEED AP. Golter has also found it useful to talk up her manufacturers’ own internal efforts to be more environmentally responsible. “Most manufacturers understand the importance of communicating what they are doing to change their processes and procedures and their materials internally to make a greener statement,” she says. Golter acknowledges that some of the marketing materials from her manufacturers are changing to reflect this marketing strategy and illustrate how they’re not just talking the talk but walking the walk.
“They’re not just saying it, they really truly are talking about no-waste manufacturing, reclamation of water and reuse of raw materials in their manufacturing such as the sawdust that comes off a wood plant or recycled plastic parts that are brought back to an original state and reused again,” she points out. Golter feels customers today are more knowledgeable when it comes to some of the green terminology and what being green entails, but recognizes green knowledge remains quite superficial with a majority of customers. “But consumers are reading more and at least asking questions even if they don’t know the impact of making a selection,” she says. “They are asking questions about things that may impact the environment, so the green speak that’s out there is something that does trickle down and they do have a genuine yearning to find out if their decisions are really green based.”
For Golter, the biggest challenge of bringing the green message to the market is green fatigue, a syndrome that kicks in when customers are bombarded on a daily basis by green claims and labels on just about everything from laundry detergent to hair care products. Golter says many of All Makes’ clients will make the right decision on what kind of products they want because they want to be socially responsible. They also understand that if they make an environmentally and socially responsible decision, it can help with other internal initiatives such as recycling programs or carpooling. And does LEED AP make a difference for Golter herself? “Most smaller organizations won’t recognize it, but they are going to read in the paper again and again about the new YMCA being built and will eventually understand that’s a definite direction towards a very green, responsible, sustainable, enCONTINUED ON PAGE 19
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OCTOBER 2010
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COVER STORY ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 vironment,” she contends. Goodmans Interior Structures, with offices in Phoenix and Tuscon, Arizona and Albuquerque, New Mexico, takes this green stuff seriously, but they also make sure that whatever they’re doing is not misconstrued as green washing. “We’ve done a lot of preparation behind the scenes to make sure we’re proficient and implementing green services within our own facilities and walking the talk and not just offering a service to our clients,” says Rachel Dahl, marketing manager. Goodmans’ main corporate facility is LEED CI certified and also has a working showroom. “We did a renovation in 2004 and sought LEED certification, which is typically not how it’s done, concedes Dahl. “But the designer was thinking green concepts without thinking LEED and we were able to get LEED points because of how the renovation was done. We also have numerous
employees who are LEED APs and they’ve educated other employees about LEED.” Clearly there’s nothing like having a LEED CI-certified facility to take your green message to the market. And Dahl finds that customers tend to get it when it comes to LEED. “It’s hard to think about a new facility without thinking LEED and we don’t see that
decreasing by any means,” she says Getting around the green washing is a big part of Goodmans’ marketing efforts, as is continuing education about LEED. “A lot of companies out there are inquisitive and we educate them about what that means to their facility—not just on the preliminary design, but also as it relates to the CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
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COVER STORY ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19
furniture they place in it and LEED and green points that could possibly reduce their overall energy costs,” says Dahl. Goodmans spends a fair amount of time educating its own team members too about what LEED is and then talking about how to earn LEED credits for its projects and services. “Products and services do not earn LEED points, but they can help toward that credit achievement,” states Dahl. Goodman’s also works closely with its key business partners in getting the message across.
that shows clients and employees we’re dedicated to this.”
“Some of the projects Herman Miller is working on, like their Eco Scorecard, can calculate quickly how their furniture can help an end user with LEED certification points,” says Dahl.
The Elements IV Interiors showroom in Dayton, OH, is the hot spot in town for organizations looking to learn more about LEED CI certification. The showroom represents the pinnacle of Elements IV’s green marketing initiatives.
More often than not, it comes down to leading by example and making sure that Goodmans is doing themselves what they’re telling clients they can help them with. “We have an incredible recycling program for our warehouse that we track to see how much we save by recycling paper, cardboard and plastics and measure how much of the materials do not go to the landfill,” reports Dahl. “We also offer a furniture repurposing program for our clients, so any furniture they don’t use can go to a local non-profit instead of a landfill. That’s not really a LEED program, but a green tactic
“The biggest thing we’ve done is open our space up for people and show them how they can achieve certain criteria that goes into a green building and the process,” says Mark Williams, president and CEO. Elements IV does a nice job of relaying the green message via its website as well. There, visitors can view the progression from start to finish, along with the story of how Elements IV renovated its facility and achieved LEED CI certification. “That, from a collateral standpoint, is the biggest thing we’ve done,” says Williams.
The dealership’s advertising also helps spread the green message, with messaging that focuses on sustainability and adaptable interior products. Elements IV also maintains a high profile at green expos and other events. “We’ve got a strong group that we work with here locally that did the commissioning for our building,” says Williams. “They hold a green expo, we’ve sponsored those events, and we’re co-sponsors for other events that tie around a green, LEED or sustainability story, so we’re very visible from that standpoint.” More than anything, it’s still the showroom that’s Elements IV’s pride and joy. “We really put a blitz on getting A&D folks into our facility to see how we renovated it, the steps we took to go to a LEED facility,” reports Williams. “That really fed customers’ interest and they started asking CONTINUED ON PAGE 21
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COVER STORY ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20
their A&D folks about it. The answer they got back—and it was certainly one we wanted to hear—was, ‘Let’s take a trip over to Elements IV and see how they achieved this.’” What visitors see is the creative ways Elements IV reused furniture, movable wall products, and raised flooring. “In our partnership with A&D we got them excited about the space, and they got their customers excited about the space, and it started to take off from there,” beams Williams. Elements IV’s main furniture supplier is Haworth and it has played a key role in the dealership’s green effort overall. “Haworth has definitely supported us,” says Williams. “We offer various seminars with Continuing Education Units where Haworth will come in or sponsor speakers who serve as subject matter experts on all sorts of different topics related to sustainability and LEED and Green Building design.” Not all customers are interested in LEED CI certification, however, but that’s okay with Williams just as long as they’re doing business with Elements IV. “There are a lot of people who want to accomplish renovations or new construction OCTOBER 2010
the right way, but they don’t necessarily want to become a certified building,” he explains. “Our message to them is, ‘That’s okay and there are plenty of steps you can take to become more green without becoming a certified facility.’” Office Services in Savannah is another office furniture dealer that leverages its showroom to bring a strong green message to the marketplace. “In today’s environment it’s getting more difficult to ask CFOs to sign off on project type business unless they can touch or feel things,” says David Culverhouse, president. “We don’t have the luxury of taking a client to the HON showroom in Atlanta, but we can invite somebody into our own showroom.” Customers and prospects who visit Office Services Savannah’s showroom get a green message as soon as they walk in the door. “We did two things that really send a green message,” notes Culverhouse. “We put carpet squares in here made from recycled carpet and showcased HON’s Nature Core product.” Nature Core is a plant-based alternative to the synthetic materials traditionally used for acoustical control in office panels. Office Services applied it to an 8’ x 18’ wall and carved both the HON and OfOFDEALER
fice Services Savannah logos into it. For Culverhouse, green is increasingly important throughout his market. “If you’re not environmentally sensitive, you can’t get invited to the dance,” he says. His one concern is that the word, “green”, is becoming overused and he’d hate to see the same thing happen with it as did with “ergonomic,” which today shows up on almost everything. “It’s become a buzzword,” says Culverhouse. “I don’t think you get any points for it, but you have to dot your i’s and cross your t’s.” Office Images in Rockville, Md. has its own strategy for taking a green message to the marketplace. “We’re piggybacking onto the green messages of our factories because it’s the product that has the green value,” says Deb Horrworth, principal. “We also do networking and promotional events.” Office Images’ primary furniture vendor is Allsteel and the company leverages the testing results and certifications of their products when relaying the green message to customers. CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
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COVER STORY ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 Additionally, Office Images, in conjunction with Allsteel, sponsors LEED testing preparation for the A&D community at the Allsteel showroom, often with a LEED-certified individual. There are challenges to getting the green message across and Horrworth puts some of the onus on the furniture manufacturers. “We are dependent upon our factories to make sure their products are certified and that they supply us with all the information,” says Horrworth. The biggest problem she finds is in bid situations. For example, one recent prospect was looking for a green system and asked each supplier a series of questions and expected comparable responses. Instead, they received a litany of confusing responses from the suppliers. “They wanted to compare apples to apples, but they couldn’t,” says Horrworth. “Part of the difficulty is getting all the information about green and LEED certification so that it’s meaningful and comparable for end users and the A&D community.” “There’s no consistency because there are multiple testing entities,” laments Horrworth. “And there isn’t anyone willing to dig down and figure out whether or not the information is comparable.” Despite the coverage green buildings and sustainability issues are receiving in the press, Horrworth isn’t seeing as much interest out in the real world. “We’ve been inundated with bids lately but aren’t seeing a lot with green requirements,” she reveals. “Right now furniture doesn’t really offer a lot of points in the LEED certification process. Most of what’s available has to do with the more obvious things like lighting and other elements in a building besides furniture. They’re not as dependent on us to get them all their points for their LEED-certified buildings.”
OCTOBER 2010
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Clea Grimm, architecture and design leader for Storr Office Environments in Raleigh Durham, N.C., works hand in hand with the A&D community and spends a good portion of her time filling them in on the latest green products available from her manufacturers. “I’ve been talking about green initiatives for such a long time, but the honest truth is, in the last five years manufacturers are coming to market every day with green products,” she says. “They realize more and more there’s demand for it, and the prices are coming down.” Besides educating the A&D community, Storr is doing the same with customers and prospects. “If you can have a task chair with all the ergonomics and all the aesthetics, and in addition it has a good sustainability angle and at the end of its life can be recycled, those types of things tell a good story,” she contends. “We’re fortunate we’re a Steelcase dealership and have a lot of that information at our fingertips, but there are a lot of other good companies out there taking that same initiative.” As far as Grimm is concerned, it’s become a lot easier to bring the green message to the workplace because the younger generation is more receptive to the sustainability story and the social responsibility angle. “Those are their hot buttons,” she says. “It used to be I was only having conversations about LEED with architects and designers, and conversations with the client were few and far between,” she says. “Now, we talk about it with our clients every day.”
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PRODUCED BY
Comparative Benchmarking: How Do You Rate? By Bill Kuhn
Bill Kuhn, principal of William E. Kuhn & Associates, is a noted industry consultant, writer, and speaker with over 35 years of industry experience. He consults with dealer principals and their management teams in areas of strategic planning, leadership and organizational development, marketing, financial management, valuation and merger/ acquisition. For more information, contact Bill by phone: 303-322-8233, fax: 303-331-9032, or e-mail: BillKuhn1@cs.com.
In each of the last six years, I have devoted a column in OFDA’s official publication to a discussion of the association’s annual Dealer Financial Comparison and Benchmarking Guide. The recently released 2010 report should be carefully reviewed by dealer principals and their CFOs. (The numbers and ratios in the current guide reflect 2009 dealer financial results.) A careful review of the DFC report will enable dealers to focus on the most critical ratios of today and determine where their dealerships must be in order to be among the high profit— and financially strong—dealers tomorrow.
A Glance at the Past The Results Comparison table lists a few of the more significant ratios and percentages. The DFC report breaks out these numbers and hundreds of others for specific groups of dealers.
I’ve included the latest numbers and those of the prior year. A comparison of these results shows that even with a significant decline in sales growth, profits were only down slightly. Other areas, such as the debt-to-equity ratio, actually improved. In my October 2009 column, I went out on a limb and estimated what the current numbers would be. While growth took a more significant drop than I had forecast, expenses, profits, and other profitability and financial management measures such as ROA (return on assets), ROI (return on equity), and debtto-equity were better than I had forecast. I’m glad to be slightly off in these projections, because it means dealers generally managed their businesses better in 2009, even though revenue for the average dealer was off by over 20%. Even in terms of revenue, furniture dealers fared well, with a drop of 21.9% as compared to the CONTINUED ON PAGE 25
OCTOBER 2010
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BENCHMARKING: How do you rate? ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 BIFMA (Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association) statistics showing a drop in manufacturers’ ship-
ments of close to 30%. It does appear we are finally bottoming out. BIFMA forecasts a decline in rev-
OFDA ’09 DFC (’08 Results)
enue of 5.1% for 2010 with an 11.1% increase in 2011.
OFDA ’10 DFC (’09 Results)
High Profit
Middle Profit
High Profit
Middle Profit
Growth
20.7%
0.1%
-2.4%
-21.9%
Installed Gross Profit
21.4%
19.1%
22.5%
19.4%
Core Operating Expenses
15.7%
17.1%
16.6%
18.6%
6.2%
2.5%
5.7%
0.7%
Current Ratio
1.6
1.5
1.7
1.6
Debt-to-Equity
1.8
1.7
0.9
1.3
Return on Assets
26.2%
12.5%
22.5%
4.5%
Return on Equity
84.1%
35.3%
48.1%
10.5%
Net Profit Before Taxes
The key factors in recessionary periods relate to the balance sheet and liquidity, specifically current ratio, debt-to-equity, return on assets and return on equity.
and installed margins as a percent of total revenues. Focus on the comparatives that apply to your dealership.
While the income statement—revenue, gross margins, expenses and profits—is important, the balance sheet is the driver of financial strength.
2. Service revenue shares and installed margins as a percent of total revenues are two relatively new breakouts in the OFDA report. The figures reveal some interesting impacts on overall profitability measures.
The fact that dealers managed to maintain a reasonable ROA and ROI, and significantly improved their debt-to-equity ratio is most encouraging.
What’s Most Valuable in OFDA’s DFC Survey In a weekly OFDA newsletter in June, I wrote about five aspects of the DFC report that I find extremely valuable for dealers as they plan and manage the financial end of their business. They bear repeating: 1. The survey’s comprehensive analysis allows you to benchmark your figures to comparable dealers because the report breaks out information by aligned and nonaligned dealers, revenue volume size, profitability, market population, equivalent service revenue shares,
OCTOBER 2010
3. By comparing the numbers in the current report with the prior year, you can identify meaningful trends and then relate them to your own operation from one year to the next. In addition to financial actions you may take, these trend comparisons can suggest strategic changes, organizational shifts and staffing changes that might be required. 4. The report’s Executive Summary has 11 charts and tables that highlight the most important ratios or breakdowns as a way to make a quick comparison. I keep a running comparison of these charts year-byyear to identify changes and trends, and I use this information when I provide financial advice to a dealer.
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5. The survey includes critical ratios—not only profitability ratios, but the all-important asset management ratios from the balance sheet. In today’s economy, understanding the financial ratios that affect your organization—such as the current ratio, collection period, cash cycle data, debt-toequity, and ROA and ROI—are essential for managing your dealership effectively. Many of these ratios are strikingly different among the various profitability groups. They are also ratios that your lending institutions will review closely. Re-evaluate your financial position and take the time to study the information in the latest DFC report. Focus on the key ratios, determine where you are and where you will be financially at year end and learn what you must do to survive and prosper. The 2010 OFDA Dealer Financial Comparison and Benchmarking Guide is available for purchase at special discounted rates through the Online Store at www.odfanet.org or by calling OFDA at 703-549-9040.
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Get Off Your
Butt
and Out of The Office! by Tye Maner Recently I spoke at an annual meeting for an organization about the importance of top level executives and owners helping to generate exposure for their companies and drive business in today’s economy. The title of the presentation was, “Get Off Your Butts and Out of the Office to Drive Higher Profits Now!” Tye Maner is president of the Tye Maner Group, a national sales and leadership development firm based in Tampa, Florida. Tye can be reached at tye@tyemanergroup.com and 813-672-1040.
Immediately after I was introduced, I restated the title of my talk and explained that I was about to perform an exercise that could be challenging and difficult and needed two volunteers. Initially, no one raised their hands. “Not even two volunteers?” I asked. Finally, three volunteers raised their hands and after asking the first two volunteers to come forward, I asked them why they volunteered despite being told that the task they were about
to perform could be challenging and difficult. They both stated that they appreciated a challenge. At that point, I gave the first volunteer forty dollars and the second volunteer received twenty dollars and sent them back to their seats. The exercise was over and the audience was shocked. I explained that owners and executives who are willing to take a risk and do something that could be uncomfortable are the same ones that will be rewarded. I also pointed out that the rest of the individuals who sit on their butts like they just did will get what they just got—nothing!
CONTINUED ON PAGE 27
OCTOBER 2010
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GET OFF YOUR BUTT... ~ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26 Most organizations have exceptional employees that are loyal, hardworking and demonstrate tremendous dedication. However, no one in that organization has more at stake than the owners or top executives. Therefore, it is unrealistic and dangerous to place the success of your organization completely in the hands of your staff. You must also have the mindset, “If it is to be, it is up to me.” One of the primary objectives of any owner or top executive in an organization is to generate exposure and opportunities for your company. This may be challenging because not everyone who owns or manages a business may be an extrovert.
The following are some tips to help your networking activities be more successful: Have a goal for the number of new • contacts Envision yourself being successful • and well received at the event Get involved with industry • organizations up with new contacts within • 24Follow hours with an e-mail or phone call Conduct a quick interview by • asking the following questions:
4Ask about their firm or what they do
As a matter of fact, many of you may be introverts, however, you must do what is necessary to grow your business. Therefore, it’s time to employ some winning strategies and move to a higher level.
4Ask who is their ideal client
Many dealers have shared with me their fear of being social or in the limelight. First, you are going to have to embrace the fact that fear is all in your mind, therefore, it can be controlled and even eliminated.
4Mention that you will follow-
One way to generate the necessary motivation is by clearly imagining and putting in perspective just how significant the following two activities will be the success of your company:
• work in your community • toVolunteer contribute and give back Networking to make connections and build relationships
Networking Networking is an essential part of growing and sustaining a healthy and profitable business. It is critical to set a realistic goal for the number of events you will participate in or attend every month to maintain and enhance current connections and establish new business alliances. OCTOBER 2010
(you may have a referral for them)
4Ask what type of recreation they enjoy up to schedule an appointment shortly Keep in mind that a savvy networker is not trying to close business right away. The goal is to build relationships.
Volunteer Work There are few things you can do that can be more rewarding personally than giving back to your community. I’ve learned that when I have my hand open so my community can draw from it, my community heaps opportunities and profits back into my hand. The concept of sowing and reaping is alive and well. You will always get back far more than you give. The key is to contribute without the expectation of receiving anything.
For example, one of the organizations I worked on a volunteer basis encouraged “at risk” youth to rise above their circumstances. I was on a committee that developed a program titled “Focus on Success” for these youths. It proved to be very successful in changing the lives the participants were leading. One of my fellow volunteers was Mike, the CFO of a very large insurance company. Mike and I worked closely on the project for over ten months but while he knew something about my company, I never pursued his company to do business. My focus was to give back to the community. One day, Mike approached me and asked me if my organization did sales training and development. I told him that we did and he said that he wanted to discuss that with me. Four weeks later, his company approved a sizeable service agreement with me to develop their sales team. He didn’t consider any other companies. The fact that we worked together shoulder to shoulder on a volunteer project and he could see my commitment, integrity, passion and attention to detail was enough for him to make a decision. There is no greater ambassador for your company than you. Furthermore, it is unrealistic to expect your employees to care more about the success of your company than the owners or top executives of the company. Now more than ever, leading by example is a necessity, not a nicety. Your mindset will have to change or stretch to be successful today. I have only one suggestion for you if you aren’t pleased with your dealership’s current profits or performance: Get off your butt and out of the office!
It’s equally important to do volunteer work in an arena in which you are passionate. It actually won’t feel like work if you do this. OFDEALER
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