Was thinging about it for a while …. have picked up tile there for companies I’ve subbed for …. just picked up a ton of laminate flooring for a current customer .. since he outfitted his while huge house out of their stock … the manager bent the rules and let a homeowner join this trade only showroom …
I woulda too .. the guy bought a ton of flooring .. all thru them … and only very top dollar stuff …. so I ain;pt gonna blame the guy …
Anyways ….. I found out that’s a one in a million thing … normally … you have to be an established company to join …. costs $25/yr … a fee which is often waived if you have an active account …
Deal is … it’s a complete flooring showroom … carpet … wood … tile.
They have a staff of sales pros … You either walk the customer thru .. or call ahead and send the customer in to shop without ya … and they lead the way.
They claim they’ll out price anyone. Contractors get a decent discount … customers get a good discount too …. makes for an easier sale … and if you don’t have a carpet guy … they’ll help line one up. Or tile guy … or hardwood.
As it is … I was thinking about joining sooner or later … and a job I’m going to take over from a bankrupt company … 3/4 finished basement remodel … already has the customer picking out their carpet from Prosource .. so instead of using that no longer with us companies account … I just signed on for my own.
And …. as I was sitting there waiting for the computer to take all my info … I’m pretty sure I picked out some way expensive carpet for my living room … turns out I have the same taste as the White House … same carpet.
And for the life of me … I can’t remember the brand!
To me … this Prosource looks to be a good deal.
I’m in the carpet business now … with confidence.
Before I would just tell them to call my carpet guy and deal direct … now … I’ll tell them to go pick something out … and we’ll order it on my account.
Prosource has something like 145 showrooms around the country.
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
Replies
Ill have to check to see if there is a Prosource around anywhere .
Jeff , I like the deal if homeowners cant penetrate the system , but you said thay could buy ? If its another retail gig then I dont know bout it .
Others have wrapped their markets up . My carpet guy always puts pressure on me to buy from him , and he gets up set if customers dont . I dont like that . Call the city to get a drywall hanger and you get it finished too or you dont get their service . Painters buy from several distributors that will ship to their garage. I can do it . The drywall companies warehouse the rock and all supplies . They give you a set bid and they save rock to haul back. They call it cleaning up the job too to sell . They comeout and hang off a one ton and haul scrap off to a pulverizer for lime . Builders need to get smart because they get hardly any discount and thats disrespect in my opinion . Heat and air guys get to sell the units as no one can buy them with out a license here . Mechanic makes 30 percent off car parts or more . Carps need to smarten up , no offense to anyone . I can buy from the mill and anyone can but you have to take whole rolls. Green talks . I think Lowes trys every day to take the work away from us and we trade with them . There are a lot of companies that are selling out and taking what we buy somewhere else to make . Its all about getting a corner of the market. We shouldnt support those companies , but we do . No control on our part . Lowes and Home depot are both trying to do what Walmart has done . Is that going to benifit us ? Just the jobs lost to other countries. Yes Jeff , the American people need some control that we are losing very day. Geesh , that was a vent wasnt it ?
Tim Mooney
They have one in Little Rock which is a 100 miles. I was hoping for FT Smith , but it will do . Thanks for the link.
Tim Mooney
they're wholesale .. not retail.
My customer getting in was a one in a million deal.
Caught a nice manager who smelled a ton of cash ....
normally ... the customers can't get in w/o and invite ...
like when you're too busy to meet them there .. and you call ahead and arrange it.
They also have a "key club" ... for $100/yr. ... which get's you a key card to a side access door ... 24 hr access ... just pick the samples ya like and write it down...
You can bring customer in at 3am if ya need ... 7 days a week ... put the card in the slot and the door unlocks and all the lights come on.
I passed on that ... don't see a need ... yet.
Thay also said .. join one and your welcome nation wide ... and ... each one will ship anywhere else. IF the brother in LA wants new carpet .. I can arrange everything from my local ... and have him pick up and pay out there.
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
Nothing on my mind but ," COOL".
Tim Mooney
Not to change the subject on you Jeff but since you mention floors...
Have you ever heard of Colucci tile. They are in Pittsburgh. Know anything about them?
Yup ... they're here.
Have a coupla shops, I think. Think the one closet to me shut down(could be confusing them with someone else) ... but I know others are open.
Haven't really heard good or bad from them.
Whadda ya need?
I sub/install tile.
And ... back to the subject at hand ... Prosource looks to have a great selection of tile at what seemed to be good prices on quick glance. I do most of my tile purchasing thru Best Tile ... in Wexford. Or ... where ever the customer picked out one they fell in love with ... I'm flexible.
Colucci's been around for some time ... pretty good sized operation. Probably not a bad choice to shop.
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
I was just wondering how they were down there. They had a shop up here in Erie and it just closed down on Monday.
Seemed like it wasn't managed very well.
Don't know anything other than the name.
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
We have you here in Milwaukee, but its not in a good location, the small park that it is in is new & nice but is surrounded by a declining area.
My customers do not feel right about going there & I don't blame them. The one customer that did go found a better deal elsewhere.
My wife & I are in the market for new carpet in our house, Maybe we'll give another try.
PJE
BTW, I ordered the festool plungcut saw, it should be here soon, I'll let you know what I think of it.