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$2,500 in Rebates Per Home Available From Manufacturers
In this year’s first quarter, Woodland Homes of Huntsville, Ala. was recognized by Builder Partnerships (BP) as the builder member most active in signing up for BP programs and in recording the greatest increase in manufacturer rebates.
“Through Builder Partnerships, I am able to deal with the manufacturer directly instead of them being shielded by the local vendor,” said Jeannie Samz, controller for Woodland Homes and an advisory board member for BP. She said that she also likes being able to submit homes for rebates on the Internet.
Builder Partnerships is an innovative organization aimed at changing how builders and manufacturers work together by promoting direct communication between the two. John Boersma, Jr., for example, who is the estimating and purchasing manager for Olthof Homes in St. John, Ind., was able to switch from Lennox to Trane products with help from Builder Partnerships. “I’m happy that we now get a rebate on something that we didn’t get before,” he said.
Builder Partnerships is more than just a rebate program with more than $2,500 in incentives available per home from leading manufacturers across more than 30 product groups. The company starts by working with manufacturers to offer competitive incentive programs that it manages for its builder members. It then uses this as a springboard to enhance relationships, share market intelligence and build positive interaction.
The company’s main focus has been on creating a strong network within its membership so builders feel they can just pick up the phone and call if they have any questions specific to product offerings or even relating to the purchasing managers’ responsibilities.
Builder Partnerships hosts monthly conference calls with its members to discuss hot topics and issues they are facing, resulted in great conversations and idea sharing among builders.
Builder Partnerships also focuses on training, for both manufacturers and builders. It helps builders develop sales strategies, provides in-depth training on effective sales and marketing, and conducts tailor-made market research to help builders improve their message. It has also developed training for manufacturers’ marketing and sales teams, providing a better understanding of the private builder, the total home building process and the role manufacturers can play in each stage of the building process.
Builder members see many other benefits in addition to a competitive, easy-to-use rebate program. They have increased collective bargaining strength by becoming part of a network of more than 85 builders who construct some 25,000 homes annually.
The manufacturers benefit from an extended sales team reaching out to builders on their behalf. The Builder Partnerships team works closely with manufacturers to create a sales strategy and provide feedback from the builders on manufacturer products, distribution and services that allow them to diversify away from public builders.
Each manufacturing company has its own dedicated Web page on the BP Web site that features incentive program details, products and a link to their corporate Web site.
Both sides benefit from a monthly newsletter distributed to more than 5,500 readers and from numerous opportunities to collaborate and interact with other leading, non-competitive manufacturers and builders in the industry — an interaction that is helping all involved improve their bottom line.
Based in Littleton, Colo., Builder Partnerships is a member of the National Council of the Housing Industry — The Leading Suppliers of NAHB. It is part of the Shinn Group of Companies, which has more than 114 years of combined experience and knowledge within the home building industry and access to more than 500 committed home builder clients.
To learn more, e-mail Glenn Singer, or call him at 610-745-7025.
This feature is solely for educational and informational purposes. Nothing on this page should be construed as policy, an endorsement, warranty or guaranty by the National Association of Home Builders of the featured product or the product manufacturer. The National Association of Home Builders expressly disclaims any responsibility for any damages arising from the use, application or reliance on any information contained on this page.
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