The Bostwick-Braun buying team will be holding their Buying Day on Wednesday, December 6th, 2017 to see new products & new vendors.
Bostwick-Braun is one of the oldest and largest wholesale hardware distributors in the midwest, supplying both retail and commercial/industrial customers through a 22-state region.
In spite of the grey and rainy skies outside, we had another very successful Buying Day at Menards on August 3rd, 2017.
Menards had their buyers in one room to meet with with new prospective suppliers at their headquarters in Eau Claire, Wisconsin last Thursday – our 10th successful Buying Day at Menards!
Menards is the third largest home improvement retailer in the U.S. with estimated annual sales at $8+ billion and over 270 retail stores.
No problem, we will hold another Menards Buying Day in August 2018. Stay tuned for more details.
Check out our upcoming Buying Days here.
You don’t expect it to be 94F in Germany. Life in a business suit can be uncomfortable without air conditioning. Not so for Germany’s DIY retailers this summer though. The low interest rates here are causing people to invest in their homes rather than putting money in the banks. Sales are strong.
Southern England today to introduce our Presidents Council member to the Kingfisher Group at the B&Q offices in Chandler’s Ford. Kingfisher is in the beginning stages of changing their purchasing from individual chain based to 90% group purchasing by 2020 for all the Kingfisher brands (B&Q, Castorama, etc.). All suppliers from Northern Europe and North America will be the responsibility of this U.K. office.
Just outside Dublin, Ireland today. We had a little time to play tourist after landing last night.
Just outside of Antwerp, Belgium today meeting with the Brico Alliance Group at the HUBO headquarters. Brico Alliance consists of 9 mid-size EUROPEAN DIY retailers from Iceland to Estonia and as far south as Morocco. Their combined annual sales are around 1.3 Billion Euro. Purchasing Directors from all the chains get together quarterly to discover new products and combine volume for more cost-efficient production runs from suppliers.
After a short morning flight, we find ourselves in Cologne, Germany today to meet with TOOM BAUMARKT after a quick bit of store research and a visit to the parking lot for an outstanding bratwurst. This woman had grill skills that could put the Lambeau Field tailgate to shame.
I’m in Berlin today at the 5th Annual Global DIY Summit. It looks to be around 1000 attendees mostly at the senior-level from companies across the supply chain from around the world (although heavily European). Topics include innovation and economic forecast but this year there is a new emphasis on political issues with the Brexit and US election receiving much attention.
Exclusive meetings by appointment only with Menards at their corporate headquarters in Eau Claire, WI
The entire Menards buying team will be available on Thursday, August 3, 2017 to see new products and new vendors. The meetings will take place at the Menards headquarters in Eau Claire, WI.
To find out more and guarantee YOUR individual 20 minute meeting with the appropriate buyer, simply click here.
We want to say Thank You to all the suppliers and buyers who participated in our Westlake Ace Hardware Buying Day on May 24th, 2017. With over 55 meetings happening at Westlake Ace Hardware headquarters in Lenexa, KS we call it a success!
Westlake Hardware is a chain of 98 neighborhood hardware stores operating in 8 states across the Midwest with a sales range of $280 – $300 million. Westlake Ace Hardware operates stores in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and North Carolina.
The company was started in 1905 in Huntsville, MO, when W.I. Westlake bought part ownership in a hardware store there. The company slowly expanded over the next few decades until Westlake joined the Ace Hardware distribution network in 1959 and eventually became the largest Ace dealer in America. Westlake’s average sales floor size is about 22,000 square feet.
No problem, we will hold another Westlake Ace Hardware in May 2018. Stay tuned for more details.
Check out our upcoming Buying Days here.
Thank you for joining us at our Advisory Board Meeting at the Las Vegas Convention Center today. We witnessed happy mingles, lots of conversation and promising handshakes. Special thanks to our speakers Francisco Torres and Flavio Albornoz from SODIMAC Chile & Michael Quesnel from BDX. See you next year!
Our True Value Buying Day event on March 9th was a huge success: over 125 meetings within 3 hours! All of the merchants in one room for a 1/2 day+, meeting with potential new suppliers in pre-scheduled, 20-minutes Face-To-Face meetings. Lots of happy hand shakes where witnessed. If you haven’t participated in a Buying Day event yet, it’s time!
Where In The World Is Steve?
We are in chilly Orlando, FL today to introduce a group of vendors to the buying team from SODIMAC.
SODIMAC is South America’s largest DIY retailer with headquarters in Chile and stores throughout South America. They will be opening stores in Mexico soon and are looking for new vendors from the US.
Your Presidents Council team wishes you Happy Holidays & a Fabulous 2017 with lots of chances for new opportunities and beginnings.
Where in the world is Steve?
It’s a three-country day. We began in Antwerp, Belgium visiting our friends at Brico Alliance at the Hubo offices to discuss which of the nine-member organizations (small to mid-size EUROPEAN DIY retailers) will participate in a test market for a new vendor.
From there we drove to Amsterdam to meet with one of the logistics solutions that have helped Council members and discuss how they may handle spare parts, less than container quantities, customer service calls and B2C shipments for this supplier. Afterward, we made the long drive to Germany for tomorrow’s meeting.
I’m in Chandlers Ford, England today at the Kingfisher “mothership”. They are the largest DIY Group in Europe with chains such as B&Q (UK) and Castorama (France) and annual sales north of $11 Billion.
Having recently made to decision to reorganize purchasing under the Kingfisher banner and bring the entire group to 90% corporate-wide suppliers by 2020, they asked us to talk to them about how we may help identify innovative suppliers from North America which will now be handled through the U.K. office.
From there Daniela and I drove to Toledo, OH for another Buying Day with one of the country’s largest and oldest DIY distributors, Bostwick-Braun. You may notice an upgrade in photography – that would be talent, which Daniela possesses and I do not. We were greeted with friendly faces and snow flurries and introduced 30 suppliers to their buyers. I am on my way back to South Florida to change out my bag and head out Saturday for the next Hardware-related “adventure”!
We are happy to announce:
SODIMAC Mexico & South America Product Pitch Summit on Monday January 9, 2017
Presidents Council offers exclusive meetings by appointment only with SODIMAC Product Import Decision Makers during the
NAHB International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Florida. Exhibitors ONLY.
WHO IS SODIMAC?
SODIMAC is the largest big-box, home improvement retail chain in Latin America specialized in home improvement.
SODIMAC has over 50 years in the business and more than 20,000 employees. With a presence in Chile, Colombia, Argentina and Peru and annual sales of more than $1.5 mil., it has truly become an icon as a company. SODIMAC is part of the Falabella Group, Chile’s largest retail group and one of the largest in South America.