Defining a Distributor

Dis·trib·u·tor: an agent who supplies goods to stores and other businesses that sell to consumers.

That is how the dictionary defines the role of a distributor. For the construction industry, this does not even begin to encapsulate the impact of the distributor role.

A distributor bridges the gap between the manufacturers and contractors. A quality distributor has vast knowledge about pricing trends, product function, competitive product alternatives, product availability and related issues. When contractors find a trusted distributor, they have found a partner to help keep a project on budget and schedule.

This relationship is being defined in Oklahoma at the Salina Health Center project built by the Cherokee Nation. The 106,000-square-foot center is replacing the existing 29,000-square-foot facility.

At the ground breaking, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said, “Building this new, two-story health center in Salina completes our work to have all new or expanded health centers for our citizens across the reservation. In my State of the Nation, I also promised to find other opportunities across the reservation to make physical wellness programs available. And here is Salina, we achieve that promise for more public health and wellness options for our people.”

Talon Commercial Services, Tulsa, Ok., is responsible for creating the curves at the Salina Health Center with multiple Flex-Ability Concepts products. Stay tuned for a future blog highlighting the curvy project details.

The person updating us about the progress of the center at this point is Anthony Eby, inside sales representative for L&W Supply in Broken Arrow, Ok. Eby is one of those distributors who indeed bridges the gap, connecting Flex-Ability Concepts’ product representatives to contractors in the area.

Here is some of what Eby has to say about the distributor role.

How did you get involved in the Salina Health Center project?

The contractor came to us knowing exactly what he was looking for. Bowie Skaggs with Talon has been doing business with us for years, even before he had his own company. He and his son, Hunter, are some of the best contractors to work with. He knew exactly what he needed, so we just had to put the order in. 

Have you done demos or education with the Flex-Ability Concepts’ product rep?

We have had some displays and brochures over the years. Anytime a contractor comes in, they are typically pretty knowledgeable, but we help them walk through the products and answer any questions.

How do you stay up to date about the different product options?

I’ve done everything here, starting out of high school and cleaning the yard. I have stocked materials, worked on cranes and trucks, and moved over to buying materials and working on purchases. I am pretty familiar with what we carry or with what our contractors need because of all of these experiences.

Is price a concern with curves?

When I was in the field, we stocked all of the Flex-Ability Concepts products. But we didn’t sell much, to be honest, in the early 2000s. Contractors did not want to give up their methods of creating curves by snipping tracks. A game changer in this area was building the Hard Rock in Catoosa.

We took massive amounts of Flex-C Trac to the jobsite, and once the guys started seeing the install, it changed their minds about the price. Contractors started questioning if the higher price point for Flex-C products could be made up for in time and labor savings. They realized the answer was yes. There were a lot of contractors and subs on this job, so it really had an impact to watch the curve installations. The framing on the Hard Rock was so amazing; the contractors all did a fantastic job.  

What do you want people to know about the distributor role?

The Tulsa market is 85% commercial. Most of the contractors are very familiar with what products they need. The spec conversations typically happen between the contractor and architect, but we sometimes have an architect reach out to ask us product questions.

We do have our contractor walk-ins who ask about how to build certain things. A lot of our walk-ins are more familiar with wood framing, and they need help with steel framing and certain applications. We are always available to walk them through the options. 

What do you want people to know about your branch?

We can do everything as the premier distributor in Tulsa. We provide a great service in part because our team has been with the company for so long. I have been with L&W Supply for 23 years, and there are others who have been here even longer. We take a team approach and want to make every job successful.