Wolf

A Re-Declaration For Independents

Tom Wolf published this article on November 21, 2011 in Build your Business. No comments. | Comment

A little over a year ago, I wrote a “Declaration for Independents” in which I described Wolf’s dedication to the independent building material dealer.  I proclaimed to the world our unambiguous focus on serving the unique needs of the dealers who support the work of professional contractors and serious remodelers.  As I pointed out at the time, this declaration was not an empty gesture of faith, but a concrete recognition of the resilience, strength and importance of the independent dealer in the building products and construction industry.

That recognition of the importance of the independent dealer continues to be Wolf’s guiding principle.  We have the will and the resources to help the independent channel where it counts.  For one thing, we continue to serve as an efficient wholesale distributor to the industry and we continue to be a reliable and timely source of good branded products.  But, we have also become a source of high quality, high value privately labeled building products that have already made a vibrant professional dealer channel even more vibrant.

Wolf has turned its privately labeled products into a rich and targeted resource for the independent dealer in two ways.  First, as a result of our 168 year experience, we know the markets we serve and we know building products.  We have used that experience and knowledge to design and produce outstanding products for the residential construction industry.  And, we have used our size to source these products from some of the most innovative and productive manufacturers in the United States.  The combination of our knowledge of the industry, our size and distribution capabilities, and the efficiency and focus of our manufacturing partners has produced a streamlined, low-cost supply chain.  This, in turn, has allowed us to offer some of the best products at the best prices anywhere in the nation.  From kitchen cabinets to exterior building materials, Wolf branded products are well designed, well manufactured and very competitively priced.

Second, we have consciously chosen to place that efficient supply chain – along with the great products that this efficient supply chain produces – at the feet of the independent dealer.  You won’t find Wolf branded products in a big box retail store.  Knowledgeable building product customers will only be able to buy these high value products from the independent dealers we serve.  Given the quality of Wolf branded products and their competitive pricing, selling them should be a profitable mark of differentiation for the independent channel.

Wolf’s original “Declaration for Independents” is therefore more relevant than ever before.  In the past we offered those independent dealers the benefit of our efficient and robust distribution capabilities.  Today, we can also offer that channel our great products.  Our “Declaration for Independents” was a big deal when we first offered it.  It’s an even bigger deal today.