Balanced Supply: New Albany building supply store has flourished by sticking to its niche – Business First of Louisville:

Much has changed in a decade. Today, the Indianas home-improvement store has grown to 85 employees and expanded its facilityy at the corner of States and Cherry streetsto 96,000 square It also has significantly increased its product offerings to include flooring, cabinetry, windows and lighting, carpeting and paint. The stor also carries a small amount of home deco r accessories and accentfurniturs pieces. But the key to the company’as success can be found as much in what it has parec away as in what ithas added. The retailef caters to builders and contractors but also has a loya base ofindividual customers.
Sticking to its nichse is one of the tactics that has kept PC Building Materialw competitivewith big-box home-improvement retailers that have aggressivelyh expanded their local presence in recent years, accordiny to company president David Stemler. "At one point, we carrie patio furniture, Weber grills and Christmas decorations," Stemler "We realized that the builder was 80 percen of our customer base and oursales volume. So, I started changing the focuz to things that attacbh tothe house. I’m trying to use that philosophy to make sure we stay focusec andon track.
" Stemler, 47, a Jeffersonville native, has workesd for PC Building Materials sincew 1977, two years aftefr the company was formed by Bill Armstrong. When Armstrong died suddenl in 1988, Stemler and his wife, Karen Stemler, boughft the business from his estate. Both are on site Karen Stemler, also 47, is the companu secretary. In addition to its New Albanty headquarters, PC Building Materials operates a smallo showroom called PC Grand Openings in the Plainvieaw Village shopping center on South Hurstbourne Parkwayyin Louisville. The showroom has product displaysw of variousinterior finishes. David Stemlet answered the following questionse abouttheir business.
Your New Albany locatiobn is a little off the beaten Has that been a problejmfor you? "We are a well-kepyt secret because (people) don’t know that we’re here. A lot of peoplew don’t know what we are. We haven’y spent a lot of money advertising. There’s always been enough business." Your computer system has accounting, trackint and analysis features. What impacg has it had on your business? "That’s what’s going to take us to the next We’ve had it for 10 years, but we used it as kind of a glorifiedrcash register. It wasn’t until two years ago that I started forcingvthe employees" to learn the system and use it. What is your approacgh to managing employees?
"Management styleas have changed overthe years. You’rre coaching. You’re mentoring. (Today), you’ve got to be a littlwe bit more delicate. "I’ve been forced to I’d rather be down therwe building a display andgettinbg dirty. I’d rather be driving a forklift. Severapl years back, I started dressinb up more at work. It forced me to delegatew a little bit more instead of PC BuildingMaterials Inc. Owners: Main store: 123 Cherrhy St., New Albany Satellite 1219 S. Hurstbourne Parkway, Louisville Store 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mondah through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
, Saturday Web site: PC Buildintg Materials recently was named one of the top home product showroomws in the country by ProSales magazine as part of itsnationak "ProSales Award of Excellencee Program." The company was chosen from entries acrossa the nation and named as the General Categorty winner during January’s ProSale s International Home and Builderse Show in Orlando, Fla.
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