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Hi, my name is Mollie Thompson,
and welcome back to The ProSource Podcast.

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Today we have three incredible guests
on to talk about how to manage a home

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remodeling budget.

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First we have Anton Lauter
on from Greenville Kitchen and Bath.

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He is one of our trade pros
from Prosource of Greenville.

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Then we will welcome on Stephen Matlon.

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He is the Vice President of National
Accounts over at MasterBrand Cabinets.

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And then to finish off the episode
I am joined by Greg Payne,

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Director of Buying Groups
at Engineered Floors.

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As we know, a home

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remodel can be a huge investment
and budgets can range from small to large.

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No matter what your remodel is
and how much you are wanting

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to spend on it, Prosource
Wholesale has your back.

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As we have a variety of different products
at different price levels.

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Let's go ahead and dive into the episode.

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Today we have Anton Lotter here.

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He is a Prosource trade Pro member
from Prosource of Greenville

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and owner of Greenville Kitchen and Bath.

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Anton, thank you so much for joining.

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How are you doing today? Doing good.
Thanks for having me.

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I'm excited to be able to talk to you.

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Awesome. Yes, likewise.

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So today we're talking all about
managing a home remodeling budget.

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Just jumping right in.

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What are some things that homeowners
usually consider when they're setting a

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budget for their remodel?

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I'd say one of the biggest things
that people consider for

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their budget is actually how long
they're going to be staying in the home.

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Quite often we have homeowners
that are only going to be there for, say,

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like seven years
and they move into this house and,

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it's just not quite flowing
the way that they would like it.

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And they wanted to make it their own,
but they also don't want to necessarily

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like, you know,
pile a bunch of money into the house.

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Another thing, it's

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just the overall cost of the home,
the neighborhood that they're in.

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I'd say those are
those are probably the primary ones

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for sure.

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Yeah.

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You don't
want to dump a bunch of money into a place

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you're not going to be at for 20
or 30 years.

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Yeah, exactly.

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What are some ways
you have seen homeowners save money

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in order to afford the home remodel
that they're wanting?

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Quite often
it comes down to compromise on materials.

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That's a big one.

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But another thing that, you know,
I really like to do when I go in and

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and I talk to somebody,
just talk about the overall pain points

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or what they're looking to achieve as far
as esthetically and trying to come up

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with a version of that, that at least
kind of gets them in that ballpark.

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But I'd be able to cut their cost
down, say, 20 or 30%.

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Quite often

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it does come down to materials,
just line of materials, line of cabinetry.

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You know that it's selection items.

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But you know, when it comes to the labor,
it kind of is what it is.

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But I'd say those are probably
the biggest ones.

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And just curious.

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How long have you been working
with ProSource as a member?

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As a member myself?

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About a year and a half,
but I've worked with other companies

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where we use ProSource,
so I'm probably like

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about four years into,
like, relationship with ProSource.

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How long have you guys been working?

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Basically since the beginning.

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So about a year and a half now.

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Okay.

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We work with Ben primarily over here
at the Greenville location.

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How have you seen ProSource
help homeowners at different price points

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during the home remodeling process?

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So the way we use

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ProSource, I'd say primarily
for the most part is,

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with their cabinet lines
and they have quite a few.

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You know, cabinet options to choose from.

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So, we tend to sell

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quite a bit of waypoint cabinets,
which is a line that, you know,

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I don't know if waypoint is something
that's across the board,

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for all prosource locations, but,
definitely one here in Greenville.

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Is that.

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Are you familiar
with Waverly cabinets at all?

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Yes, yeah, I am, we do.

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It does vary across locations.

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I'd say it's a pretty popular one,
though, that.

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Yeah, I'd say most ProSource’s have it
if I'm if I'm not wrong.

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Very good quality cabinet.

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It's it's a good example for, you know,
it's a good meet in the middle, product.

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So, we kind of steer
a lot of the customers towards that.

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For example.

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Waypoint
also has, another line of cabinets

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that just like a step down that, you know,
it only comes in one color

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and one door style
that, people are as picky.

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They can go with that,
save quite a bit of money,

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and then they can even step up from there.

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There's a lot of full custom lines
as well, so they do a really good job

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as far as people coming in
and looking for different options

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and try to make their dreams
become a reality, but still stay within

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a certain price point.

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How do you help homeowners
determine the project's scope?

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Does the type of room they're remodeling
make a big difference in that process?

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Yeah, particularly if it's a kitchen.

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You know, the scope of work
for a kitchen often times

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bleeds into the rest of the house.

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And, you know, you're focusing on
the kitchen and all of a sudden, you know,

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you want to match

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certain trims in your house and you know,
your paint bleeds into the house

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and then you just get some more ideas.

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So with kitchens that that often times is
the case,

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bathrooms are a little bit different.

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And, you know,

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we have customers where you come in
and they know exactly what they want.

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And then some people
that need that guidance.

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And you know,
we're happy to do that as well.

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But I'd say, you know, just naturally
a bathroom is going to be more contained.

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And then, your kitchen's
it's easy, easy to get out of hand.

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We'll just say,

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yeah, for sure.

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And I know for bathrooms, it depends on if
it's like a guest facing bathroom versus

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if it's a bathroom that's connected
to, like a master bedroom.

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For example.

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It used to be a lot different
between the two.

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Yeah, absolutely.

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What specific costs do
home owners need to budget

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for when they're planning a kitchen
or a bathroom?

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Home remodel?

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Well, for a kitchen, I'd say,
you know, just naturally the,

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you know, your primary cost
is going to be at least 60% of the cost,

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at least is going to be, you know, just
within your cabinets and your countertops.

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And from there, obviously,
you have your backsplash,

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all your selections from your sinks,
your hardware faucets.

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You know, the list can go on
and on depending on what you're dealing.

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Particularly a big cost for a kitchen
can be

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if you're going to actually change
the floor plan itself, then you can start

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digging into flooring because now
the flooring is not going to match.

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If you're taken out walls getting,

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you know,
kind of from the previous question

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that's going to start bleeding and going,
you know, with bathrooms, you know,

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one of the biggest,
you know, your biggest cost

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factor is going to be
in your wet area in general.

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So your actual shower stall or your,
your, your tub,

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if you're going to be relocating anything,
your prices are going to be going up

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versus just sticking,
you know, staying with a natural footprint

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tile compared to an acrylic
shower is a huge, huge leap in costs. So,

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you know, homeowners

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will definitely have to take that
into consideration as far as the scope

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and cost and everything,
I've seen a lot of people dive into,

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when it comes to like,
showers, the stone look,

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for the bottom of the of a shower, that's,

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I would think, very expensive, right,
to put that into a home.

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Yeah.

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I mean, so if you're going to go with,
so you can have a tile shower,

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but an acrylic shower pan,
you know, you can save money

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by doing an acrylic shower pan.

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But if you want to pick your own shower,

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floor tile and have you, say,
linear drains or or drains that are,

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colored to match your fixtures
and stuff like that right off the bat?

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Yeah.

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You're you're going to be jumping up
in, in cost and scope of the project.

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And are you seeing a lot of people install
or put in, like islands in their kitchen

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or when they're taking away an island
is the cost and not also skyrocketing?

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The whole project where where it gets
out of hand, I guess, is just like

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flooring can always be something
that people don't take into consideration.

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So if you're if you're adding an island,
you have room for it.

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That's not too big of a deal.

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If it's just, two 30 inch, you know,
base cabinets and a countertop, sometimes

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you get creative, let's say like a butcher
block on there to save some money.

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But yeah, when you tend to start you
moving the layout

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and and exposing, raw floor
and having to tie that in.

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So you have a hardwood floor in your house
and you move it a little bit and you got

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a tie
and just two square feet of hardwood,

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but you got to sand and finish the entire
lower level to make it look good.

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So yeah.

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Yeah, that would be
that would be an entire project.

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If a homeowner is planning
to remodel their kitchen,

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they may not think about the fact that
their kitchen's going to be out of order

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for a period of time
while the remodeling is taking place.

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Do you see that homeowners are often
forgetting about the fact that their

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kitchen is going to be, like,
unable to be used,

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or they're not going to be able to cook
like they usually are? They're not.

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They're going to have to eat out
a little bit more.

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Are people factoring in those costs?

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So the cost
I think they think about it a little bit.

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And but, you know, reality doesn't hit
until, you know, it's actually happening.

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You know, like
we just went through a hurricane,

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and just being out of power
for a little bit, luckily we had running

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water, but, you know, and those luxuries
are taken away for a little bit.

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They seem to be manageable.

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And then, you know, as time goes
on, it can get it can get to be hard.

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So oftentimes, see, people just, set up,
you know, little, little tables

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and little microwaves and might
they might stock up on the freezer.

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So there's definitely
the consideration for, for eating out.

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I think the best way to mitigate that,
particularly for kitchen jobs,

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where it's
literally just swapping out the cabinets,

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the same footprint, new cabinets,
new countertop backsplash.

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Best thing to mitigate
that is to just be prepared.

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Having all your guys in line,
making sure everyone's on the same page

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with schedule,
and try to do it as quickly as possible.

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You know, ideally in a week
and a half two weeks scenario,

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it is possible to do a full kitchen.

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We'll call it a facelift,
you know, versus a remodel.

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But yeah, that is always, it can
it can be a pain to be a pain part of it.

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I'm sure people just don't
think about that until it's

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until they can't get into their kitchen
and make something

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and they're like, oh, shoot,
I didn't prepare for this.

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Yeah, it's probably fun at first.

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Like, oh, I guess we can.

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I guess we'll have to eat out tonight.

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But yeah, I was like,
I guess we got to eat out again.

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Geez, what is this going to be?

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Yeah. Exactly.

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How involved
are you and helping homeowners determine

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their needs in a home remodel versus
their wants?

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Needs versus wants?

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I think, it's a good opportunity
to sell a kitchen to somebody

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or sell a project and let them know
that you're actually care about

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what's going on.

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So, like, I love going into a

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I mean, I did it this morning
with a follow up consultation

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to a project that we looked at and,
you know,

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sometimes people get tunnel vision
and they think about something that they

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really, really like because it looks good
on Instagram or whatever.

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And you have to remind them or,
you know, you mentioned

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before that like,

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this was the problem, that you had
the biggest problem in your kitchen,

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but solve that problem and try to make it

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look really nice to, you know, you know,
there's there's a meat in the middle.

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But often when you when you show people
that you're actually

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conscious of their issues
versus their wants,

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you tend to win them over
and actually sell more projects that way.

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And people respect that.

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And, you know, realize that you're human,
trying to help them out.

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So I feel like we're
pretty involved in that.

230
00:11:12,571 --> 00:11:15,808
And I like when it comes up
in solving people's problems that way,

231
00:11:16,042 --> 00:11:19,111
because I'm sure it's easy
for them to get that tunnel vision.

232
00:11:19,111 --> 00:11:22,148
Like you said, seeing the nice,
pretty things.

233
00:11:22,148 --> 00:11:24,517
They don't think about the functionality
of their kitchen,

234
00:11:24,517 --> 00:11:28,254
and you're saving them in the long run
with issues that might come up

235
00:11:28,254 --> 00:11:30,189
if they're not thinking
about those things. Yeah.

236
00:11:30,189 --> 00:11:31,557
Yeah, exactly.

237
00:11:31,557 --> 00:11:35,161
How can the value in the home
and similar homes in the neighborhood

238
00:11:35,161 --> 00:11:38,097
influence a homeowner's desire
to remodel their home?

239
00:11:38,097 --> 00:11:39,765
This comes up quite a bit too,

240
00:11:39,765 --> 00:11:42,535
you know, almost touched on a little bit
in the first question

241
00:11:42,535 --> 00:11:45,938
or a first or second question
about, the neighborhood you're in.

242
00:11:46,038 --> 00:11:50,676
I think it's a lot easier pill to swallow
for people that are in, say, custom homes

243
00:11:51,310 --> 00:11:54,880
for one of a kind homes, say, homes
within city

244
00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:58,350
limits in downtown areas
where they're not here.

245
00:11:58,350 --> 00:12:01,320
Cookie cutter, tract style home.

246
00:12:01,420 --> 00:12:04,457
And also, if you're in a neighborhood
where people are,

247
00:12:04,457 --> 00:12:04,657
you know,

248
00:12:04,657 --> 00:12:07,660
it's an up and coming neighborhood
and things are changing around you,

249
00:12:08,260 --> 00:12:11,130
it's almost certainly
not to update at that point because,

250
00:12:11,130 --> 00:12:14,233
you know, you're
losing out on on value in your home.

251
00:12:14,233 --> 00:12:19,171
So I think it's a lot easier for people
to do that in those situations

252
00:12:19,171 --> 00:12:23,809
versus, say, somebody in a track home
or in a typical neighborhood.

253
00:12:23,809 --> 00:12:27,079
You know, I live in in the neighborhood
like that, and we would love

254
00:12:27,079 --> 00:12:31,951
to do a kitchen remodel, but, you know,
you just have to meet in the middle,

255
00:12:31,951 --> 00:12:33,352
you know, you can do some updates.

256
00:12:33,352 --> 00:12:36,222
It's kind of going back to those people
rolling and live here for seven years.

257
00:12:36,222 --> 00:12:37,556
So let's make it nice.

258
00:12:37,556 --> 00:12:40,760
Maybe not. You know, digging full into it.

259
00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:44,630
So are you seeing that
anyone be kind of annoyed

260
00:12:44,630 --> 00:12:49,101
at the fact that they feel a little bit
like pressure to update their home

261
00:12:49,101 --> 00:12:52,805
due to the other homes
around them being updated or exploding?

262
00:12:53,472 --> 00:12:55,875
I haven't seen that personally.

263
00:12:55,875 --> 00:12:59,812
Okay, I haven't really ran into that yet,
and I'm sure you know

264
00:12:59,812 --> 00:13:04,083
that is the situation like, you know,
hopefully it's somewhat of a gold mine

265
00:13:04,083 --> 00:13:06,085
and you're, you know, you,
you bought at the right time

266
00:13:06,085 --> 00:13:08,154
and now everyone's updating
and you might as well

267
00:13:08,154 --> 00:13:12,591
jump on the bandwagon and absolutely open
concept floor plans are popular.

268
00:13:12,591 --> 00:13:16,562
Now, we've talked a little bit
about someone redoing their flooring

269
00:13:16,862 --> 00:13:19,064
and what issues that could bring up.

270
00:13:19,064 --> 00:13:21,767
Have you seen the trend impact homeowners
remodeling

271
00:13:21,767 --> 00:13:25,404
budgets, trying to get into that open
concept floor plans?

272
00:13:25,571 --> 00:13:27,206
Yeah, I mean it definitely.

273
00:13:27,206 --> 00:13:32,578
It definitely digs into, you know,
more framing, large framing aspects

274
00:13:32,578 --> 00:13:36,282
and change the scope of the work
quite a bit in order to achieve that.

275
00:13:36,448 --> 00:13:38,284
And it's definitely more popular.

276
00:13:38,284 --> 00:13:42,321
I've seen a lot of dining rooms,
you know, unused dining rooms

277
00:13:42,321 --> 00:13:43,355
getting pushed aside.

278
00:13:43,355 --> 00:13:47,159
And, you know, if your dining room adjoins
your kitchen, it makes more sense

279
00:13:47,159 --> 00:13:50,763
now to turn that basically
into one big family space.

280
00:13:51,363 --> 00:13:52,965
So that's definitely more popular.

281
00:13:52,965 --> 00:13:55,367
And I let's look at that myself.

282
00:13:55,367 --> 00:13:58,370
So yeah, it makes it feel a little bit
more spacious.

283
00:13:58,470 --> 00:14:00,506
Definitely opens up the house
a little bit more

284
00:14:00,506 --> 00:14:03,509
to where it feels like there's more room,
I think.

285
00:14:03,542 --> 00:14:03,843
Yeah.

286
00:14:03,843 --> 00:14:07,213
What advice would you offer to homeowners
who are feeling overwhelmed

287
00:14:07,213 --> 00:14:09,615
when it comes to planning their budget
for a remodel?

288
00:14:09,615 --> 00:14:13,352
I mean, a good at least starting point
to get a rough idea

289
00:14:13,352 --> 00:14:16,722
you can kind of consider
anywhere from 15 to 20%.

290
00:14:17,723 --> 00:14:20,259
You know,
of course, that number can go up and down

291
00:14:20,259 --> 00:14:24,129
depending on the neighborhood and the
the quality home, let's call it that.

292
00:14:24,129 --> 00:14:28,200
You're in,
you know, 8 to 10% for bathrooms if you,

293
00:14:28,467 --> 00:14:31,737
if the overall cost of your house, it's
kind of like a rough starting point.

294
00:14:32,671 --> 00:14:36,275
But I think the best thing to do is
if if you're really considering it

295
00:14:36,275 --> 00:14:37,243
and you're in an area

296
00:14:37,243 --> 00:14:40,246
that you're going to be in for a while,
find a contractor that you like

297
00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:43,382
and see if they can give you a quote.

298
00:14:43,382 --> 00:14:47,019
Because, you know, we we're we're willing
to give people free quotes.

299
00:14:47,219 --> 00:14:50,556
If we don't use them at that time,
maybe we'll use them down the line,

300
00:14:50,556 --> 00:14:52,892
or maybe they'll use this
as a recommendation to their friends

301
00:14:52,892 --> 00:14:55,261
so it doesn't hurt out to at least
get out there.

302
00:14:55,261 --> 00:14:58,264
I mean, if you're
if you're really serious about it and,

303
00:14:58,430 --> 00:15:01,400
have somebody give you a quote
and just be honest with where you're at

304
00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:05,170
and your expectations, and I'm sure
there's plenty of contractors out there

305
00:15:05,170 --> 00:15:08,207
that are that are happy to help you
at least get an idea on there.

306
00:15:08,474 --> 00:15:11,477
And if you're in the Greenville area,
they can contact you.

307
00:15:11,977 --> 00:15:12,978
Yes please do.

308
00:15:12,978 --> 00:15:14,580
Greenville Kitchen and Bath.

309
00:15:14,580 --> 00:15:17,750
Yes, I yeah, I would think that people

310
00:15:17,750 --> 00:15:20,753
are very overwhelmed
until they outsource a professional

311
00:15:20,786 --> 00:15:23,522
and then it helps them
kind of take a deep breath

312
00:15:23,522 --> 00:15:26,492
and know that they're not in it
by themselves and they shouldn't be.

313
00:15:26,492 --> 00:15:26,792
Right.

314
00:15:26,792 --> 00:15:30,429
Like it's I imagine it's very difficult
to determine their budget

315
00:15:30,963 --> 00:15:34,233
not knowing the ins
and outs of remodeling their home.

316
00:15:34,667 --> 00:15:35,067
Yeah.

317
00:15:35,067 --> 00:15:37,703
It's a
and it's a big deal and it's overwhelming.

318
00:15:37,703 --> 00:15:41,907
And quite often it's people's you know
if it's a big kitchen or a big remodel,

319
00:15:41,907 --> 00:15:43,242
even a big master bathroom.

320
00:15:43,242 --> 00:15:46,378
I mean, they only make
so many big purchases in our life.

321
00:15:46,378 --> 00:15:48,447
And quite often remodels are one of them.

322
00:15:48,447 --> 00:15:53,252
So it's nice to be able to provide
that service, have that human quality

323
00:15:53,252 --> 00:15:58,590
with the person and, you know, hopefully
at least leave a good impact on them.

324
00:15:58,590 --> 00:16:02,561
So yeah, no hard feelings
if you decide, whoa, this is way

325
00:16:02,561 --> 00:16:03,729
this is way over my head.

326
00:16:03,729 --> 00:16:07,232
But yeah,
at least you're getting that clear answer.

327
00:16:07,599 --> 00:16:08,767
Yeah.

328
00:16:08,767 --> 00:16:11,403
How do you manage homeowner's expectations

329
00:16:11,403 --> 00:16:14,406
after the homeowner
presents their budget for a remodel?

330
00:16:14,807 --> 00:16:18,811
If they're clear and just let me know,
I can just basically tell them

331
00:16:18,811 --> 00:16:23,649
realistically where what we're looking at
and, an idea of what we could do

332
00:16:23,649 --> 00:16:28,020
in that budget, quite often the budget
is just so unrealistic that, you know,

333
00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:29,989
we just have that point blank say,

334
00:16:29,989 --> 00:16:32,024
you know, it's just not going to happen,
basically.

335
00:16:32,024 --> 00:16:33,425
But, you know, that's it.

336
00:16:33,425 --> 00:16:34,727
You know, you go into a house

337
00:16:34,727 --> 00:16:38,564
and they're looking to do a full kitchen
remodel for $10,000 kind of thing.

338
00:16:38,897 --> 00:16:41,400
But I'm pretty,
pretty clear and straightforward.

339
00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:45,137
I try to give them, you know,
and quite often we're trying to find,

340
00:16:45,137 --> 00:16:47,206
you know, a middle ground
because not everyone,

341
00:16:47,206 --> 00:16:49,174
you know, people want what they want.

342
00:16:49,174 --> 00:16:52,111
And we can find a way to make it work
where we both are obviously,

343
00:16:52,111 --> 00:16:53,612
you know, gaining from the experience.

344
00:16:53,612 --> 00:16:54,346
But, you know,

345
00:16:54,346 --> 00:16:56,882
I just try to be pretty straightforward
with them and let them know.

346
00:16:56,882 --> 00:16:58,751
Well, that is all I have for you today.

347
00:16:58,751 --> 00:17:01,153
Anton, thank you so much for joining.

348
00:17:01,153 --> 00:17:03,522
Thank you for taking time
out of your busy day.

349
00:17:03,522 --> 00:17:05,924
I know you're busy,
so I really appreciate it.

350
00:17:05,924 --> 00:17:09,094
No, I appreciate
it is my first, podcast experience.

351
00:17:09,828 --> 00:17:12,164
I think you're allowing me to be on.

352
00:17:16,802 --> 00:17:17,102
We are

353
00:17:17,102 --> 00:17:20,105
joined by Stephen Matlon from MasterBrand.

354
00:17:20,305 --> 00:17:23,942
He serves as their Senior Director
of Retail Sales,

355
00:17:23,942 --> 00:17:27,780
MasterBrand is one of the largest cabinet
manufacturers in North America.

356
00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,650
Their brands offer
both quality and versatility, fair prices

357
00:17:31,950 --> 00:17:36,488
and are backed by extensive networks
of cabinet dealers and manufacturers.

358
00:17:36,989 --> 00:17:42,528
Some of their brands include Schrock,
Diamond, Kemper, Decora, just to name

359
00:17:42,528 --> 00:17:43,595
a few.

360
00:17:43,595 --> 00:17:47,132
And Stephen, you've been with Master
Brand for 23 years.

361
00:17:47,132 --> 00:17:49,568
Is that credit right?
That is correct. Yep.

362
00:17:49,568 --> 00:17:53,872
That's a good amount of time to know
the ins and outs of Master Brand. Yes.

363
00:17:54,573 --> 00:17:58,444
Well, today's episode we're talking all
about managing a home remodeling budget.

364
00:17:58,444 --> 00:18:02,481
And I would say cabinets are definitely
at the forefront of that.

365
00:18:02,481 --> 00:18:06,285
Whenever homeowners or trade
pros are looking at doing a remodel.

366
00:18:06,285 --> 00:18:08,087
So MasterBrand offers cabinets

367
00:18:08,087 --> 00:18:11,323
at a range of prices
for both homeowners and professionals.

368
00:18:11,857 --> 00:18:14,493
Where did this commitment
to serve all budgets start,

369
00:18:14,493 --> 00:18:17,296
and how has it continued over the years
for MasterBrand?

370
00:18:17,296 --> 00:18:21,366
Well, Master Brand is a collection
of companies purchased over the last

371
00:18:21,366 --> 00:18:22,701
25 years.

372
00:18:22,701 --> 00:18:26,338
We started out in one price point,
and what we've done is we've acquired

373
00:18:26,338 --> 00:18:29,708
companies that are the best
at what they do at different price points.

374
00:18:30,109 --> 00:18:35,380
So today, 25 years later, through a series
of acquisitions, we offer everything

375
00:18:35,380 --> 00:18:39,585
from the most basic cabinetry,
put in a new construction home to,

376
00:18:40,018 --> 00:18:44,490
a set, super custom kitchen
for the most discerning homeowner.

377
00:18:44,723 --> 00:18:47,693
I was looking at the list
of all the brands you guys have,

378
00:18:47,693 --> 00:18:50,596
and I forget just how many.
Sometimes there are.

379
00:18:50,596 --> 00:18:54,399
There's a huge list of them,
and I was thinking about listing them all.

380
00:18:54,666 --> 00:18:57,669
But it was going to be a mouthful
for sure.

381
00:18:58,437 --> 00:18:58,737
Yeah.

382
00:18:58,737 --> 00:19:02,141
And the thing about the brands is, is
nobody would know our brand.

383
00:19:02,674 --> 00:19:05,310
Because if you think about it, you buy

384
00:19:05,310 --> 00:19:08,647
a car 8 to 12 times in your lifetime,

385
00:19:08,647 --> 00:19:12,751
you buy a kitchen
1.6 times in your lifetime on average.

386
00:19:12,751 --> 00:19:14,553
So for most people, it's a one and done.

387
00:19:14,553 --> 00:19:17,289
And so the names mean nothing to them.

388
00:19:17,289 --> 00:19:20,125
But to your point, it's all
about the price points and the features.

389
00:19:20,125 --> 00:19:23,829
Yeah, we were just talking about
you know that's usually a one once

390
00:19:23,829 --> 00:19:27,733
in a lifetime type of purchase
is doing a kitchen remodel.

391
00:19:28,467 --> 00:19:31,803
What have you heard from homeowners
about how they manage their budgets

392
00:19:31,870 --> 00:19:33,372
during such a big purchase?

393
00:19:33,372 --> 00:19:35,240
Well, I tell you, it's interesting.

394
00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:38,977
We do a lot of consumer research
on budgets.

395
00:19:39,378 --> 00:19:41,847
Most people, because they don't do this.

396
00:19:41,847 --> 00:19:47,085
But once in a lifetime they really have
no idea on what their budget should be.

397
00:19:47,786 --> 00:19:49,021
And this is the biggest thing.

398
00:19:49,021 --> 00:19:54,826
So we do extensive research
after someone has bought a kitchen. And

399
00:19:55,794 --> 00:19:59,731
the biggest comment that we get back
as a manufacturer

400
00:19:59,731 --> 00:20:03,168
is what we call reverse buyer's remorse,
meaning

401
00:20:03,869 --> 00:20:08,607
I didn't know how much to budget
my designer or the person that I dealt

402
00:20:08,607 --> 00:20:13,178
with tried to to give me a good deal,
but in the end,

403
00:20:13,445 --> 00:20:17,583
I didn't get everything I wanted
and I wish that I would have spent more.

404
00:20:17,583 --> 00:20:21,887
So, believe it or not, consumers are not
shocked by how much they have to spend.

405
00:20:22,354 --> 00:20:26,158
They're usually disappointed more shocked
in that they did not

406
00:20:26,158 --> 00:20:29,161
get educated on all the things
that they can add into their kitchen.

407
00:20:29,394 --> 00:20:32,464
Yeah, if you're going to spend
the amount of money that you're going to,

408
00:20:32,497 --> 00:20:35,667
you might as well get everything you want
instead of being disappointed

409
00:20:35,667 --> 00:20:36,535
at the end of that.

410
00:20:36,535 --> 00:20:37,502
Now that's interesting.

411
00:20:37,502 --> 00:20:38,604
How does Master

412
00:20:38,604 --> 00:20:42,307
Man show respect for homeowners
who are saving up for their dream remodel?

413
00:20:42,341 --> 00:20:43,875
Do you guys work with,

414
00:20:43,875 --> 00:20:47,779
I guess kind of dive a little bit deeper
into those consumer researching and,

415
00:20:48,547 --> 00:20:51,550
looking at budgets
for different price points.

416
00:20:51,750 --> 00:20:54,586
So of course we don't sell the kitchen.

417
00:20:54,586 --> 00:20:59,291
They buy it through through our friends
at Key Global Prosource or The keepers.

418
00:20:59,758 --> 00:21:02,127
And so what we do is
we educate the designers.

419
00:21:02,127 --> 00:21:06,331
And what what
if you walk into a prosource or a key bar,

420
00:21:06,398 --> 00:21:10,869
you have at least three different brands
for master brand, and they will cover a

421
00:21:10,902 --> 00:21:12,638
wide range of price points.

422
00:21:12,638 --> 00:21:16,608
So what we educate our designers on is

423
00:21:16,842 --> 00:21:20,679
make sure you spend a lot of time
with that customer, ask a lot of questions

424
00:21:20,679 --> 00:21:24,249
before you start diving into designs
or getting into budget.

425
00:21:24,616 --> 00:21:26,418
Find out what their lifestyle is like.

426
00:21:26,418 --> 00:21:28,420
What do they want
out of their kitchen remodel?

427
00:21:28,420 --> 00:21:31,423
What are they not happy with
in the current kitchen they have?

428
00:21:31,790 --> 00:21:34,793
And then when you start to explore
all those questions,

429
00:21:35,093 --> 00:21:38,230
you're going to put together
some nice options for them.

430
00:21:38,363 --> 00:21:41,833
And that's the beauty of Master Brand,
because we have a full

431
00:21:41,833 --> 00:21:45,070
portfolio of product,
not just high end, not just low end.

432
00:21:45,437 --> 00:21:49,107
You can pretty much give them,
you know, a good variety of options

433
00:21:49,107 --> 00:21:52,044
to choose from to meet their particular
needs.

434
00:21:52,044 --> 00:21:52,311
Yeah.

435
00:21:52,311 --> 00:21:55,681
And so when it comes to storage,
you mentioned,

436
00:21:56,114 --> 00:21:59,117
thinking about what you want,
what kind of lifestyle

437
00:21:59,351 --> 00:22:02,354
a homeowner is going to be pursuing
in their kitchen.

438
00:22:02,754 --> 00:22:05,357
How can homeowners
improve their ability to assess

439
00:22:05,357 --> 00:22:08,460
their storage needs prior
to purchasing a new cabinetry?

440
00:22:08,794 --> 00:22:09,428
Well, I'll tell you what.

441
00:22:09,428 --> 00:22:13,632
That's one of the the beauties
of of a large company like Master Brand.

442
00:22:13,632 --> 00:22:16,802
We have extensive websites
for all of our brands.

443
00:22:17,102 --> 00:22:20,105
And so what we actually do
is we encourage our,

444
00:22:20,105 --> 00:22:23,108
our customers to go out onto our websites,

445
00:22:23,308 --> 00:22:26,912
and all of our websites are set up where
you can look at the different things,

446
00:22:26,912 --> 00:22:29,014
and if you love it,
you can make it a favorite,

447
00:22:29,014 --> 00:22:33,085
put a nice hard on there and then you can
after you're done looking at that,

448
00:22:33,251 --> 00:22:36,722
you can actually save that
and then you can send that.

449
00:22:36,722 --> 00:22:39,324
You can either print it out
or save it as a PDF.

450
00:22:39,324 --> 00:22:42,427
Send that to your designer and say, hey,
when we come in and we talk about

451
00:22:42,427 --> 00:22:43,261
my kitchen,

452
00:22:43,261 --> 00:22:46,832
here are some of the things that I looked
at that I really liked, storage options

453
00:22:46,832 --> 00:22:47,432
and so forth.

454
00:22:47,432 --> 00:22:50,469
So we make it super easy for them to shop

455
00:22:50,669 --> 00:22:53,672
in the convenience of their home
whenever it's good for them.

456
00:22:53,705 --> 00:22:58,410
And as a result of that, they come in
as a much more educated consumer.

457
00:22:58,510 --> 00:23:01,513
I think initially,
they'll definitely have to think about

458
00:23:02,047 --> 00:23:04,249
what kind of storage they want

459
00:23:04,249 --> 00:23:06,418
and what they're going
to be using their kitchen for

460
00:23:06,418 --> 00:23:08,253
if they're big into cooking or not.

461
00:23:08,253 --> 00:23:09,921
That definitely probably plays a role in

462
00:23:09,921 --> 00:23:11,923
what kind of storage
they want in their cabinets.

463
00:23:11,923 --> 00:23:12,391
You bet.

464
00:23:12,391 --> 00:23:16,395
Yes, I what do homeowners often forget
when they're purchasing new cabinets,

465
00:23:16,695 --> 00:23:18,363
and how can they better prepare?

466
00:23:18,363 --> 00:23:21,666
Well, I think what happens is
they think about the cabinets themselves

467
00:23:22,067 --> 00:23:25,170
and then they forget that,
especially in the budgeting process.

468
00:23:25,203 --> 00:23:28,173
Well, if you get new cabinets,
you got to get a new countertop.

469
00:23:28,173 --> 00:23:31,243
If you get a new countertop, you've got
to get a new sink and a new closet.

470
00:23:31,576 --> 00:23:35,414
And so they forget about those purchases
or that when you buy cabinets,

471
00:23:35,580 --> 00:23:37,983
you're going to have to put new handles
on all those cabinets,

472
00:23:37,983 --> 00:23:40,585
and you need to count up
the number of doors and drawer

473
00:23:40,585 --> 00:23:43,054
had you have,
and figure out how many cabinets are in.

474
00:23:43,054 --> 00:23:45,290
Make sure
that that all gets in your budget.

475
00:23:45,290 --> 00:23:47,459
And same thing with flooring.

476
00:23:47,459 --> 00:23:49,861
Do you need new
flooring at the same time, or

477
00:23:49,861 --> 00:23:52,864
are you going to just put the cabinets in
and keep the existing going for a while?

478
00:23:52,864 --> 00:23:55,801
So what we again, we train our dealers.

479
00:23:56,868 --> 00:23:59,070
Make sure
you're selling the entire package.

480
00:23:59,070 --> 00:24:02,140
And the focus just just
is not on the cabinets.

481
00:24:02,340 --> 00:24:03,375
Some homeowners

482
00:24:03,375 --> 00:24:06,511
may be under the impression
that they might have to compromise style

483
00:24:06,511 --> 00:24:09,080
for their budget.
When purchasing cabinets.

484
00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:12,818
How does master brand offer style
and quality even at lower price points?

485
00:24:13,919 --> 00:24:16,521
That's a great question
because that's right.

486
00:24:16,521 --> 00:24:18,690
You know, when you purchase a new kitchen,
you want to make sure

487
00:24:18,690 --> 00:24:23,161
that it's an upgrade from what you have
and regardless of what your budget is.

488
00:24:23,628 --> 00:24:26,198
So there's a few things
that are common across

489
00:24:26,198 --> 00:24:29,267
all of our cabinet lines,
regardless of the price point.

490
00:24:30,001 --> 00:24:33,672
Number one is
it is a factory baked on finish.

491
00:24:33,672 --> 00:24:35,540
So it's going to last.

492
00:24:35,540 --> 00:24:40,111
Number two is all of our cabinets
have matching easy to clean interior.

493
00:24:40,278 --> 00:24:42,013
We see a lot of old kitchens coming out.

494
00:24:42,013 --> 00:24:44,282
People have contact paper
and everything on them

495
00:24:44,282 --> 00:24:46,551
because that's what you had to do
way back then.

496
00:24:46,551 --> 00:24:49,554
You don't need to do that
with any of our price points.

497
00:24:49,754 --> 00:24:54,092
All of our hardware meets strict
ICC testing certification.

498
00:24:54,092 --> 00:24:56,461
And what that is, is a company that,

499
00:24:57,696 --> 00:24:58,263
everyone's

500
00:24:58,263 --> 00:25:01,433
cabinets get tested
like they open and close the door.

501
00:25:01,533 --> 00:25:04,469
So many cycles to represent a lifetime.

502
00:25:04,469 --> 00:25:08,273
So we're able to offer, our,
our warranties

503
00:25:08,373 --> 00:25:11,376
run anywhere
from five years up to a lifetime.

504
00:25:12,244 --> 00:25:14,779
And on all of our hardware,
it is a lifetime warranty.

505
00:25:14,779 --> 00:25:17,349
So you're getting a durable kitchen
no matter what.

506
00:25:17,349 --> 00:25:20,352
And then as far as your question
on the styling,

507
00:25:22,020 --> 00:25:25,891
right now, white shaker
is the most popular style of kitchen.

508
00:25:25,891 --> 00:25:30,562
We have a ton of white cheaper options
across all the spectrums.

509
00:25:30,662 --> 00:25:33,098
You will always find something you like.

510
00:25:33,098 --> 00:25:35,433
The more you pay,
the more choices you get.

511
00:25:35,433 --> 00:25:39,304
But you even even at the value price
point, you're going to get a wide

512
00:25:39,304 --> 00:25:44,109
range of color choices, door style
choices, wood specie choices.

513
00:25:44,109 --> 00:25:47,612
So, we make it accessible to everyone

514
00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:50,782
from the beginning right up to the end.

515
00:25:50,782 --> 00:25:54,219
So yeah, again,
that's unique about Master Brand in that

516
00:25:54,686 --> 00:25:58,456
our competitors usually
I mean, they play in one price point.

517
00:25:58,590 --> 00:26:00,191
You should get the kitchen you want.

518
00:26:00,191 --> 00:26:04,863
And that's what we're able to do is
give you enough choices that you can find

519
00:26:04,863 --> 00:26:09,801
the style, the color and all the features
you want to fit your particular budget.

520
00:26:09,935 --> 00:26:13,672
What role have you seen your partners
at ProSource play in helping homeowners

521
00:26:13,672 --> 00:26:17,442
and trade pros purchasing cabinetry while
also navigating that search your budget

522
00:26:17,809 --> 00:26:20,712
pro sources is awesome
because what they do

523
00:26:20,712 --> 00:26:24,149
is they do a great job
of training their designers.

524
00:26:24,749 --> 00:26:27,686
Not only through the training
that we provide at Master Brand,

525
00:26:27,686 --> 00:26:28,853
but they've got their own

526
00:26:28,853 --> 00:26:32,490
dedicated team of kitchen and bath experts
there that train designers.

527
00:26:32,791 --> 00:26:35,660
And really, to make this the most positive

528
00:26:35,660 --> 00:26:38,663
experience, it is all about the designer.

529
00:26:38,663 --> 00:26:42,467
Our cabinets are great,
but if they're not sold by a well

530
00:26:42,467 --> 00:26:46,237
experienced designer,
we both fail the consumer in the end.

531
00:26:46,471 --> 00:26:50,742
So process has really shown
a dedication to this category

532
00:26:50,742 --> 00:26:55,113
as far as training their designers,
staffing their stores adequately

533
00:26:55,513 --> 00:26:58,450
and then, giving them
the brands that they need.

534
00:26:58,450 --> 00:27:02,320
And of course, what also is nice
about Prosource is Prosource.

535
00:27:03,188 --> 00:27:05,690
They sell at a competitive price point.

536
00:27:05,690 --> 00:27:09,961
People love to shop at Prosource
and they know that it's where the pros go.

537
00:27:09,961 --> 00:27:11,396
And so they know that they're

538
00:27:11,396 --> 00:27:14,399
they're going to get a competitive price
and walk out of there

539
00:27:14,399 --> 00:27:18,570
with the kitchen that they like at a
at a price that probably can't be beat.

540
00:27:18,603 --> 00:27:21,473
Yeah. There's a lot
that goes into picking a cabinet.

541
00:27:21,473 --> 00:27:26,544
And with there being so many options,
I couldn't imagine doing it like by myself

542
00:27:26,778 --> 00:27:30,482
without a team of experts
and like a designer like you mentioned,

543
00:27:31,082 --> 00:27:35,253
helping navigate what my budget is and
then what options I have with that budget.

544
00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:36,921
So I completely agree.

545
00:27:36,921 --> 00:27:39,190
It seems very overwhelming to do it alone.

546
00:27:39,190 --> 00:27:42,827
Amazon is great
for some for some products.

547
00:27:42,827 --> 00:27:44,763
Amazon is not great for cabinets.

548
00:27:44,763 --> 00:27:45,930
You absolutely.

549
00:27:45,930 --> 00:27:49,200
You it's critical
to have a designer in that process.

550
00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:52,170
And like I said,
ProSource does not try to skimp.

551
00:27:52,170 --> 00:27:53,605
They have plenty of

552
00:27:53,605 --> 00:27:57,308
of well-qualified designers
in every location across the country.

553
00:27:57,308 --> 00:28:00,145
And it it is an excellent place
to get that kitchen.

554
00:28:00,145 --> 00:28:03,181
And the other beauty
about buying at a pro sources.

555
00:28:03,181 --> 00:28:05,216
I talked about the other things
you need for that.

556
00:28:05,216 --> 00:28:07,652
You know you probably you're going
to replace your flooring.

557
00:28:07,652 --> 00:28:09,087
At the same time, you're probably going

558
00:28:09,087 --> 00:28:12,691
to replace your countertops,
your sinks, your closet at the same time.

559
00:28:13,291 --> 00:28:14,926
They have all of that.

560
00:28:14,926 --> 00:28:17,195
They literally are a one stop shop.

561
00:28:17,195 --> 00:28:20,699
You don't have to, go
shopping in multiple places.

562
00:28:21,032 --> 00:28:22,000
You can get it done.

563
00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,869
Your prosource designer
will put that all together for you.

564
00:28:24,869 --> 00:28:28,640
How have you seen trade
pros, specifically interior designers,

565
00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:32,444
be creative in their approach
with cabinet budgets during a project.

566
00:28:32,444 --> 00:28:35,380
It all comes down to
what does the consumer want is

567
00:28:35,380 --> 00:28:39,284
is asking those probing questions
and and showing up

568
00:28:39,317 --> 00:28:43,021
for a bunch of different options again
that the beauty and a pro sources

569
00:28:43,555 --> 00:28:46,558
they do have all those multiple price
points.

570
00:28:46,758 --> 00:28:50,962
A lot of the competitors out
there will just have 1 or 2 price points.

571
00:28:50,962 --> 00:28:52,764
So they either have something lower end

572
00:28:52,764 --> 00:28:55,967
or they have something higher end,
but not that covers the whole spectrum.

573
00:28:55,967 --> 00:28:59,170
And so again,
the bad part is you as a consumer,

574
00:28:59,537 --> 00:29:03,208
they're kind of just trying
to put you into a brand or a price point.

575
00:29:03,208 --> 00:29:05,443
Whatever they carry.
ProSource doesn't do that.

576
00:29:05,443 --> 00:29:09,013
They give those interior designers
will give you plenty of options,

577
00:29:09,247 --> 00:29:11,850
and they'll tell you
as you go up and price.

578
00:29:11,850 --> 00:29:13,718
Here's
what you get as you go down in price.

579
00:29:13,718 --> 00:29:15,787
Here's some of the things
that you got to give up.

580
00:29:15,787 --> 00:29:20,325
But you're going to make an informed
purchase at a pro center for anyone

581
00:29:20,325 --> 00:29:26,498
that is, looking into doing a kitchen
remodel, it can be kind of stressful.

582
00:29:26,498 --> 00:29:27,198
Absolutely.

583
00:29:27,198 --> 00:29:29,501
But what would you say to reassure
a homeowner

584
00:29:29,501 --> 00:29:32,504
that might be feeling overwhelmed
during the remodel?

585
00:29:32,570 --> 00:29:34,639
Well, that you're not in it alone.

586
00:29:34,639 --> 00:29:36,241
I mean, that's the thing.

587
00:29:36,241 --> 00:29:41,012
You you have that designer, they're there
to help you every step of the way.

588
00:29:41,346 --> 00:29:44,349
And when you feel confused,
they're overwhelmed.

589
00:29:44,349 --> 00:29:47,285
I mean, it's really
within your power to say, stop.

590
00:29:47,285 --> 00:29:49,621
Can you explain that
a little bit more here?

591
00:29:49,621 --> 00:29:52,223
Can you help me with this
or what about this?

592
00:29:52,223 --> 00:29:52,757
I've seen this.

593
00:29:52,757 --> 00:29:57,262
So that's why you really want
that trusted advisor with you every step.

594
00:29:57,562 --> 00:29:59,597
And to not have to do it on your own.

595
00:29:59,597 --> 00:30:01,733
There's a lot of places that you go,
you know,

596
00:30:01,733 --> 00:30:05,637
the big boxes that are out there,
you're pretty much left out to your own.

597
00:30:05,637 --> 00:30:06,871
Right.

598
00:30:06,871 --> 00:30:08,807
And Prosource does not take that approach.

599
00:30:08,807 --> 00:30:11,342
They want to hold your hand
through every step of that process

600
00:30:11,342 --> 00:30:12,510
and make you feel comfortable.

601
00:30:12,510 --> 00:30:14,946
And if you don't feel comfortable,
you stop.

602
00:30:14,946 --> 00:30:18,082
Go back and make sure you understand
everything before

603
00:30:18,082 --> 00:30:21,252
you're ever, you know,
before you make that purchase again.

604
00:30:21,252 --> 00:30:22,287
It's a once in a lifetime

605
00:30:22,287 --> 00:30:26,257
purchase in pro sources that there
that that's the other nice thing.

606
00:30:26,491 --> 00:30:28,860
This is not a high pressure
sales environment.

607
00:30:28,860 --> 00:30:30,662
It's an education environment.

608
00:30:30,662 --> 00:30:31,863
People love that.

609
00:30:31,863 --> 00:30:35,166
Is there anything exciting, happening
with MasterBrand

610
00:30:35,433 --> 00:30:38,269
going into 2025 that you'd want to share?

611
00:30:38,269 --> 00:30:40,905
Well,
I would tell you that I mean finishes

612
00:30:40,905 --> 00:30:43,908
continue to get more exotic.

613
00:30:43,942 --> 00:30:47,545
So what I mean by
that is we talked about the white kitchen.

614
00:30:48,246 --> 00:30:53,151
And the white kitchen has been really
popular for about the last 15, 20 years.

615
00:30:53,751 --> 00:30:56,955
And what we're starting to see is
you would buy

616
00:30:56,955 --> 00:30:58,857
just a white kitchen in the past.

617
00:30:58,857 --> 00:31:00,758
And now people are experimenting.

618
00:31:00,758 --> 00:31:03,728
They're putting in different colors
within the same kitchen.

619
00:31:03,728 --> 00:31:07,765
Maybe the base cabinets are one style
in the upper cabinets or another style,

620
00:31:07,999 --> 00:31:11,002
or the island is a
is a complementary style.

621
00:31:11,436 --> 00:31:14,873
So they're putting more than one
finish in these kitchens,

622
00:31:15,206 --> 00:31:17,775
and they're doing a whole heck
of a lot more with storage.

623
00:31:17,775 --> 00:31:22,680
And as a result of that, we're
building out more stains, more colors.

624
00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:25,416
We just introduced in one of our lines.

625
00:31:25,416 --> 00:31:29,287
You can take a Sherwin Williams
or Benjamin Moore colored paint deck,

626
00:31:29,654 --> 00:31:32,657
and you can literally get any color
you want in your cabinets.

627
00:31:32,891 --> 00:31:35,894
There, between the two of them,
there's like 5000 choices

628
00:31:36,060 --> 00:31:38,029
where before you might have only have,

629
00:31:38,029 --> 00:31:41,032
you know, four different whites
and a few beiges to choose from.

630
00:31:41,132 --> 00:31:44,669
You've got 5000 colors at your fingertips
where absolutely

631
00:31:44,669 --> 00:31:46,871
the consumer is, is more discerning.

632
00:31:46,871 --> 00:31:50,575
Again, still tight on a budget,
but we're able to offer these things

633
00:31:50,575 --> 00:31:52,844
still on a budget
just because of the technology.

634
00:31:52,844 --> 00:31:56,614
And we're able to provide more
without spending a lot more these days.

635
00:31:56,614 --> 00:31:57,782
And that's exciting.

636
00:31:57,782 --> 00:32:02,320
I've noticed that trend of bold colors
and just bold textures

637
00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:05,823
happening throughout all different product
categories, not just cabinets.

638
00:32:05,823 --> 00:32:09,761
So it's definitely not surprising
that it's happening with cabinets too.

639
00:32:09,794 --> 00:32:15,033
One of the surprising things
is, that navy blue or a dark blue?

640
00:32:15,967 --> 00:32:16,501
Yeah, we

641
00:32:16,501 --> 00:32:20,171
thought that that would be maybe something
people would just do a blue island.

642
00:32:20,338 --> 00:32:23,741
But we're finding people
doing blue kitchens and that's right.

643
00:32:23,741 --> 00:32:26,678
They're experimenting with these colors
more and more.

644
00:32:26,678 --> 00:32:29,414
And even if it's only
so many cabinets in the kitchen,

645
00:32:29,414 --> 00:32:32,850
like I said, that was always standard
to do one color in a kitchen.

646
00:32:32,850 --> 00:32:34,218
We don't see that anymore.

647
00:32:34,218 --> 00:32:37,221
And then there is exciting things
in lighting options.

648
00:32:37,288 --> 00:32:39,857
There's all kinds of built in LED lighting
and so forth

649
00:32:39,857 --> 00:32:43,127
that, you know,
you didn't have that five, ten years ago.

650
00:32:43,127 --> 00:32:44,162
You can get that now.

651
00:32:44,162 --> 00:32:46,664
So it's an exciting time to do kitchen
remodel.

652
00:32:46,664 --> 00:32:50,735
Yeah, industry is absolutely changing
and there's more options than ever.

653
00:32:50,935 --> 00:32:53,871
Absolutely I agree
that's all I have for you today Steve.

654
00:32:53,871 --> 00:32:56,240
Thank you so much for joining me today.

655
00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:57,542
My pleasure. Thank you.

656
00:33:01,045 --> 00:33:03,781
We have Greg Payne back on the podcast.

657
00:33:03,781 --> 00:33:07,318
He's the director of buying groups
over at Engineered Floors.

658
00:33:07,785 --> 00:33:10,688
And I think last time you were here,
Greg, was when you were here

659
00:33:10,688 --> 00:33:13,491
for our kitchen Design
episode, like earlier this year.

660
00:33:13,491 --> 00:33:14,225
That is correct.

661
00:33:14,225 --> 00:33:18,663
And strangely enough, Molly,
we are remodeling our kitchen as we speak.

662
00:33:18,663 --> 00:33:20,398
Wow, that inspired it.

663
00:33:20,398 --> 00:33:23,668
But yeah, just not into existence.

664
00:33:24,068 --> 00:33:27,238
Well, thank you for coming back
on, today we're talking about

665
00:33:27,538 --> 00:33:30,274
managing a home remodeling budget.

666
00:33:30,274 --> 00:33:32,510
Engineered floors
is perfect for this episode

667
00:33:32,510 --> 00:33:36,114
because you guys supply flooring
for all kinds of budget.

668
00:33:36,581 --> 00:33:38,983
And that's absolutely going to dive
into a little bit today.

669
00:33:38,983 --> 00:33:40,685
Engineered floors have served

670
00:33:40,685 --> 00:33:44,822
both homeowners and trade professionals
alike at a variety of price points.

671
00:33:44,889 --> 00:33:46,824
Where did that commitment come from.

672
00:33:46,824 --> 00:33:50,862
Was that the focus from the start, do you
think, or has that developed over time?

673
00:33:50,862 --> 00:33:53,865
Mr. shore had always felt like creating

674
00:33:53,898 --> 00:33:56,868
a flooring, for the masses, for everyone.

675
00:33:56,868 --> 00:33:57,301
Right.

676
00:33:57,301 --> 00:34:00,538
Giving everyone a chance
to buy high quality, high performance,

677
00:34:00,705 --> 00:34:05,176
high style product at a budget price,
whatever their budget price would be?

678
00:34:05,176 --> 00:34:06,744
Not the budget prices cheap?

679
00:34:06,744 --> 00:34:09,747
Are expensive,
wherever that budget may be.

680
00:34:09,747 --> 00:34:12,250
And that that's always been a,

681
00:34:12,250 --> 00:34:15,453
guiding influence of us,
I guess, kind of one of our,

682
00:34:16,454 --> 00:34:19,290
core, beliefs

683
00:34:19,290 --> 00:34:22,860
of creating products
that can work with anyone,

684
00:34:23,327 --> 00:34:27,899
and they can feel comfortable with our
products from performance and from style.

685
00:34:27,899 --> 00:34:32,737
And I think we've done some things even
with color, with tonal, with tri tones.

686
00:34:32,737 --> 00:34:36,574
And, some of the things that we've done
are creating the solution dyed,

687
00:34:36,874 --> 00:34:41,212
yarn system that we have that helps with
staining and, and all of those issues.

688
00:34:41,212 --> 00:34:46,017
So I think we've look at the consumer
a much like we look at ourselves,

689
00:34:46,017 --> 00:34:49,287
you know, what's you know,
what would I want to put in my house.

690
00:34:49,287 --> 00:34:49,520
Right.

691
00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:53,658
What would I want to see in my environment
and what are some of my concerns.

692
00:34:53,658 --> 00:34:58,262
And I think we really focus on that
for everyone, you know?

693
00:34:58,262 --> 00:35:01,265
And so,
that's always been a guiding principle.

694
00:35:01,299 --> 00:35:05,136
And what feedback have you heard from
homeowners about their forward budgets?

695
00:35:05,136 --> 00:35:07,472
Well, it's kind of interesting

696
00:35:07,472 --> 00:35:09,540
when you start talking to people
about flooring budgets.

697
00:35:09,540 --> 00:35:13,711
Number one,
no one's really sure how much it cost.

698
00:35:13,711 --> 00:35:17,048
I mean, you know, it's it's
the oddest thing because,

699
00:35:17,748 --> 00:35:21,686
you know, you,
you think about, the purchase cycle,

700
00:35:21,986 --> 00:35:24,922
you know, it's not something that happens
every other week

701
00:35:24,922 --> 00:35:28,126
or every other year or every ten years.

702
00:35:28,426 --> 00:35:32,430
That's kind of what,
you know, it's been used as an example

703
00:35:32,430 --> 00:35:36,267
of the turn of flooring, but it probably
is a little bit longer than that.

704
00:35:36,367 --> 00:35:38,903
And so, you know, that first time home

705
00:35:38,903 --> 00:35:42,607
buyer might not even have a choice
of selecting flooring.

706
00:35:42,607 --> 00:35:45,943
They want because it's already
in the budget for that home.

707
00:35:45,943 --> 00:35:48,379
And they just have a choice of style
or color.

708
00:35:48,379 --> 00:35:49,213
Right. Yeah.

709
00:35:49,213 --> 00:35:52,383
And so they don't even really know
because it's kind of built in to,

710
00:35:52,650 --> 00:35:53,518
the cost of the home.

711
00:35:53,518 --> 00:35:58,022
So it's really that's that secondary buy
or someone buying an existing home

712
00:35:58,022 --> 00:35:58,923
that wants to replace

713
00:35:58,923 --> 00:36:01,926
the flooring is probably the first time
they've ever been exposed to it.

714
00:36:02,126 --> 00:36:02,960
Right.

715
00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:08,232
And so their expectations on what flooring
cost, can vary dramatically.

716
00:36:08,399 --> 00:36:11,302
But one thing
that we've always found to research

717
00:36:11,302 --> 00:36:16,140
is the majority of these consumers,
very high percent of them

718
00:36:16,374 --> 00:36:19,343
always say they felt like they spent less
than they actually thought

719
00:36:19,343 --> 00:36:21,245
they would spend. Foreign.

720
00:36:21,245 --> 00:36:22,313
So that's good feedback.

721
00:36:22,313 --> 00:36:26,384
I think that just indicates
that we need to make sure they understand.

722
00:36:26,384 --> 00:36:29,453
You know what, you know their budget,
you know, if they come in and say,

723
00:36:29,453 --> 00:36:31,022
this is my budget, well,

724
00:36:31,022 --> 00:36:33,991
here's where you could be
and here's the reasons for it, right?

725
00:36:33,991 --> 00:36:39,397
I think that's a big part of of the rsas
responsibility, the,

726
00:36:39,931 --> 00:36:43,501
account managers responsibility,
whoever is dealing with that customer.

727
00:36:43,668 --> 00:36:46,037
A big part of that
you had a good point about.

728
00:36:46,037 --> 00:36:49,607
It's usually the second time, around
when a home buyer

729
00:36:49,607 --> 00:36:53,678
is really investing into a flooring
that's going to be there for a lot longer.

730
00:36:54,478 --> 00:36:58,416
Because thinking about home buyers from,
like around my age, for example,

731
00:36:58,416 --> 00:37:03,454
we probably don't have the money to put in
really nice, high quality, flooring.

732
00:37:03,454 --> 00:37:04,455
So maybe we're going to

733
00:37:04,455 --> 00:37:06,791
we're going to scale back the budget
a little bit with that. Right.

734
00:37:06,791 --> 00:37:09,126
If we do remodeling,
the thing that happens,

735
00:37:09,126 --> 00:37:11,762
you're sitting there,
you probably are doing a lot of research,

736
00:37:11,762 --> 00:37:14,298
trying to figure out, you know,
just how much I'm going to spend.

737
00:37:14,298 --> 00:37:15,032
Right.

738
00:37:15,032 --> 00:37:18,369
And, this is where, you know,
I'm really think Prosource

739
00:37:18,502 --> 00:37:21,606
really helps with that
from a design perspective,

740
00:37:21,939 --> 00:37:26,143
from helping people
find things that, do address their budget,

741
00:37:26,444 --> 00:37:30,047
but maybe giving them those options
of finding some additional things,

742
00:37:30,047 --> 00:37:32,116
you know, a lot of environments
is kind of pushing

743
00:37:32,116 --> 00:37:36,120
you toward a certain segment versus
kind of giving you the options.

744
00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:39,857
And I think that's a big benefit
of what Prosource provides.

745
00:37:40,391 --> 00:37:43,394
You know, the account managers
are very good about kind of directing,

746
00:37:43,894 --> 00:37:48,633
you know, people to kind of find an area
and then kind of decide

747
00:37:48,633 --> 00:37:50,534
what's going to work for them. Absolutely.

748
00:37:50,534 --> 00:37:54,272
So with when it comes to trade pros,
are you finding that you're hearing

749
00:37:54,272 --> 00:37:57,675
about the same kind of response
just through the trade Pro

750
00:37:57,942 --> 00:38:01,078
like they're getting that that information
from the home buyer and they're,

751
00:38:01,212 --> 00:38:04,282
you know, feeding that into engineered
floors or is that different at all.

752
00:38:04,415 --> 00:38:09,120
This kind of goes back to the experience
of what is your budget, right.

753
00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:11,155
Yeah. And a lot of people
don't want to share that.

754
00:38:12,189 --> 00:38:13,524
Yeah, absolutely.

755
00:38:13,524 --> 00:38:15,993
You know, oh it's kind of this range,
you know.

756
00:38:15,993 --> 00:38:19,764
You know they're never really
they're people that are specific,

757
00:38:20,197 --> 00:38:22,767
you know, but a lot of times
people are because

758
00:38:22,767 --> 00:38:26,871
maybe they haven't done their research
or maybe, you know, they're afraid

759
00:38:26,871 --> 00:38:30,608
to expose their true budget because,
you know, they're comfortable, right?

760
00:38:30,708 --> 00:38:31,042
Yeah.

761
00:38:31,042 --> 00:38:35,379
And, you know, I think this is where,
the trade pros really come in, is creating

762
00:38:35,379 --> 00:38:38,749
that level of comfort
because, you know, when you have people

763
00:38:38,749 --> 00:38:44,355
that are willing to spend money with you,
the one way to create a bond with them

764
00:38:44,355 --> 00:38:47,491
is to build trust, which means usually
people are more willing

765
00:38:47,491 --> 00:38:50,594
to spend more money
a ton more, but a little bit more.

766
00:38:50,628 --> 00:38:50,861
Right?

767
00:38:50,861 --> 00:38:53,698
If it makes sense
because you've built that trust factor.

768
00:38:53,698 --> 00:38:58,202
And and I think with any sale
and especially a big ticket items,

769
00:38:58,502 --> 00:39:01,505
you know, building
that trust factor is, is essential.

770
00:39:01,605 --> 00:39:04,742
You know, you know it that's going to help
you close the program.

771
00:39:05,276 --> 00:39:08,579
That's going to help you, increase
the budget slightly.

772
00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:11,916
Our, our steer them into something.

773
00:39:11,916 --> 00:39:16,921
You really for this, type of insulation,
you really budget a little too much.

774
00:39:16,921 --> 00:39:19,290
Maybe we can do something else

775
00:39:19,290 --> 00:39:21,726
to save you a little money here
and then do something else.

776
00:39:21,726 --> 00:39:24,395
It necessarily would be important to you.

777
00:39:24,395 --> 00:39:27,832
So I think all of that
is a matter of trust.

778
00:39:27,865 --> 00:39:31,802
You know, I think the trade pros
do a excellent job of of creating

779
00:39:31,802 --> 00:39:36,841
that bond of trust with the, customers
that are coming in with budget concerns.

780
00:39:36,841 --> 00:39:38,175
So why do you think flooring is

781
00:39:38,175 --> 00:39:41,612
one of the top things that homeowners
want to replace in their home?

782
00:39:41,612 --> 00:39:46,016
Well, you know, it's it's
kind of funny as a flooring person,

783
00:39:46,016 --> 00:39:49,019
I don't want to say flooring geek.

784
00:39:49,220 --> 00:39:51,389
You could say the same person.

785
00:39:51,389 --> 00:39:53,624
You know, it's a terrible habit.

786
00:39:53,624 --> 00:39:56,627
You know, you have people looking down
at the floor no matter where you're at.

787
00:39:57,061 --> 00:40:00,631
Yeah, but but the reality is,
you know, when you walk into a room,

788
00:40:00,865 --> 00:40:04,268
you know, it really is the,
you know, fourth wall, right?

789
00:40:04,268 --> 00:40:06,904
I mean, it's
something that pulls the room together.

790
00:40:06,904 --> 00:40:11,342
It's something that draws attention
and it's something that, you notice

791
00:40:11,675 --> 00:40:15,012
that maybe it's not kept up as nicely
as it should be.

792
00:40:15,312 --> 00:40:17,581
I mean, you just you notice things, right?

793
00:40:17,581 --> 00:40:19,850
But not necessarily look on the wall
unless

794
00:40:19,850 --> 00:40:21,452
some kid's written their name on it.

795
00:40:21,452 --> 00:40:23,387
You know, you see something on the wall.

796
00:40:23,387 --> 00:40:24,588
The weird thing is, you know,

797
00:40:24,588 --> 00:40:28,259
I don't think people
look at much at the ceiling either.

798
00:40:28,426 --> 00:40:30,928
I think it's really the floor
and the walls.

799
00:40:30,928 --> 00:40:34,832
And the reason I say that we just,
painted our kitchen ceiling blue.

800
00:40:34,965 --> 00:40:35,733
Oh, well.

801
00:40:35,733 --> 00:40:40,871
And so a kind of a light blue,
kind of a light sky, autumn sky.

802
00:40:41,572 --> 00:40:44,575
And it's funny
because people see the floor first.

803
00:40:44,675 --> 00:40:45,709
Yeah. Not kidding.

804
00:40:45,709 --> 00:40:48,345
And, then they, they kind of see the walls

805
00:40:48,345 --> 00:40:52,082
and it's like the last moment they go,
oh my God, ceiling is blue, you know.

806
00:40:52,116 --> 00:40:52,383
Yeah.

807
00:40:52,383 --> 00:40:57,388
So I mean people just focus on flooring,
even if they're not flooring geeks,

808
00:40:57,621 --> 00:41:02,393
there tends to be a focus on flooring,
especially if it's making a statement.

809
00:41:02,393 --> 00:41:04,295
And I think most flooring does
make a statement.

810
00:41:04,295 --> 00:41:05,996
I think that's one of the main things.

811
00:41:05,996 --> 00:41:08,365
It's just one of those things that,

812
00:41:08,365 --> 00:41:11,902
you know, someone walks
into an environment and you know, it's

813
00:41:11,902 --> 00:41:13,804
just one of those things
that jumps out at you.

814
00:41:13,804 --> 00:41:17,541
You know, it's it's kind of that high and,
you know, it's kind of the bow

815
00:41:17,708 --> 00:41:18,776
on your room.

816
00:41:18,776 --> 00:41:19,176
Right?

817
00:41:19,176 --> 00:41:21,812
And so,
you know, people have a pretty bar.

818
00:41:21,812 --> 00:41:23,848
All right. So yeah, absolutely.

819
00:41:23,848 --> 00:41:26,851
It can be it can make a statement
in a good way or that way.

820
00:41:26,851 --> 00:41:28,552
Right. Exactly right.

821
00:41:28,552 --> 00:41:30,454
And everyone's looking down
when they're walking.

822
00:41:30,454 --> 00:41:31,956
Everyone's
looking down to make sure they're not.

823
00:41:31,956 --> 00:41:32,990
Yeah. On anything.

824
00:41:32,990 --> 00:41:35,059
So that's a good point
I don't even think about.

825
00:41:35,059 --> 00:41:36,894
You have to look down or you'll fall.

826
00:41:36,894 --> 00:41:38,429
Exactly.

827
00:41:38,429 --> 00:41:38,863
Yeah.

828
00:41:38,863 --> 00:41:40,764
Realistically, thinking about it,

829
00:41:40,764 --> 00:41:43,667
how do you think homeowners
and trained professionals alike can better

830
00:41:43,667 --> 00:41:47,137
improve the preparation process
before their flooring is replaced?

831
00:41:47,137 --> 00:41:50,441
And this is just my outside opinion
looking in.

832
00:41:50,441 --> 00:41:55,479
I think, there's been a very good job
of training them to take those steps.

833
00:41:55,479 --> 00:41:57,548
It's like anything, if you're not prepared

834
00:41:57,548 --> 00:41:59,850
and you kind of stumble
and bumble around, right.

835
00:41:59,850 --> 00:42:03,487
And I think the trade pros
really want to be prepared.

836
00:42:03,721 --> 00:42:05,489
They want to show that professionalism.

837
00:42:05,489 --> 00:42:07,892
And that's the first step
of building trust,

838
00:42:07,892 --> 00:42:10,761
which eventually will help them
close the sale.

839
00:42:10,761 --> 00:42:14,398
So I think that preparation, is something

840
00:42:14,398 --> 00:42:18,602
that is apparent with,
every time I've been in a showroom.

841
00:42:18,736 --> 00:42:23,040
You see that immediately, on how people
respond, you know, the appointments

842
00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:26,877
that they make, you know, the phone calls
they make to, their members.

843
00:42:26,877 --> 00:42:28,913
And so I think there's a lot of,

844
00:42:28,913 --> 00:42:32,683
preparation that goes into that process,
which I think is essential.

845
00:42:32,750 --> 00:42:34,585
It's something that,

846
00:42:34,585 --> 00:42:37,655
you know, almost everything you want to do
and do successfully,

847
00:42:37,655 --> 00:42:39,456
you need to prepare. Absolutely.

848
00:42:39,456 --> 00:42:43,894
And so we talked a little bit about
quality and budget and that relationship.

849
00:42:43,994 --> 00:42:47,131
What would you say to homeowners
that are under the false impression

850
00:42:47,131 --> 00:42:50,367
that they have to compromise style
with a lower budget?

851
00:42:50,401 --> 00:42:54,038
This is where I think
engineer flaws really fits that niche.

852
00:42:54,772 --> 00:42:58,542
Being able to,
to offer, a lot of high style.

853
00:42:58,542 --> 00:43:01,545
So several reasons behind that one.

854
00:43:01,845 --> 00:43:02,413
A lot of our

855
00:43:02,413 --> 00:43:06,216
products are multiple weight products,
which are multiple price products.

856
00:43:06,417 --> 00:43:11,855
But I also think, we create
a true value story, with our products

857
00:43:12,122 --> 00:43:16,560
because of, of how they're built,
how they're manufactured by true value.

858
00:43:16,594 --> 00:43:20,130
I'm not only talking
from a price perspective, but of a design,

859
00:43:20,130 --> 00:43:24,935
a style and a performance perspective,
and we create high twist products.

860
00:43:24,935 --> 00:43:28,405
We create technologically advanced
products,

861
00:43:28,772 --> 00:43:31,642
that are unique, in the industry,

862
00:43:31,642 --> 00:43:36,547
for example, our high def product,
which is a carpet, product,

863
00:43:36,947 --> 00:43:40,851
we can use up to 24 colors
and creating one style.

864
00:43:40,851 --> 00:43:43,854
Do we use 24? No, but we can.

865
00:43:43,921 --> 00:43:48,359
Yeah, but it allows us to do
is use many multiple colors,

866
00:43:48,726 --> 00:43:52,596
which gives your trade pro
and the consumer

867
00:43:52,963 --> 00:43:55,966
the option of having a chameleon effect.

868
00:43:56,200 --> 00:43:57,601
And let me explain that.

869
00:43:57,601 --> 00:44:01,171
So if someone comes in and they have
these colors are looking for

870
00:44:01,171 --> 00:44:04,174
and they're finding warm
or they're finding cool

871
00:44:04,808 --> 00:44:07,645
and but they're looking they're like,
well, I'm not quite sure, you know,

872
00:44:07,645 --> 00:44:08,912
if this color works for me

873
00:44:09,880 --> 00:44:13,283
and you can lay down
products because of all of those colors

874
00:44:13,283 --> 00:44:16,920
blended into that style,
it will pull those colors out

875
00:44:17,221 --> 00:44:20,224
that reflect the main color
they're looking to match.

876
00:44:20,858 --> 00:44:23,394
So it makes it truly
a chameleon type effect,

877
00:44:23,394 --> 00:44:25,162
so it makes them
feel a lot more comfortable.

878
00:44:25,162 --> 00:44:28,766
In addition to that, at some point
I say, hey, we're,

879
00:44:28,999 --> 00:44:30,200
you know, going to redo our house,

880
00:44:30,200 --> 00:44:32,136
but we're probably going to sell it
in five years.

881
00:44:32,136 --> 00:44:32,703
Guess what?

882
00:44:32,703 --> 00:44:35,673
It works for the next customer
coming in, right?

883
00:44:35,806 --> 00:44:38,375
Yeah, maybe they don't have to change it,

884
00:44:38,375 --> 00:44:41,478
even though as an industry
we'd like for them to change it.

885
00:44:42,246 --> 00:44:46,717
Yeah, that's an additional sell
that, sold home where they're changing it,

886
00:44:46,717 --> 00:44:50,521
but they wouldn't have to because of that
chameleon effect of furniture.

887
00:44:50,654 --> 00:44:53,457
Our decor, our color scheme is different.

888
00:44:53,457 --> 00:44:57,528
Maybe they could pick up that color scheme
out of that so that that's one of the,

889
00:44:58,062 --> 00:45:00,931
I think unique benefits that we provide.

890
00:45:00,931 --> 00:45:03,634
We also do some things in the,

891
00:45:03,634 --> 00:45:09,339
twist ax, style, which is on your floors,
the loop product, but it's done with,

892
00:45:09,907 --> 00:45:13,210
instead of, two yarn systems combined.

893
00:45:13,744 --> 00:45:18,849
We have three, and we're now up to five,
which gives you a unique visual creates

894
00:45:18,882 --> 00:45:23,420
almost a more natural,
you know, seagrass, blue clay type one.

895
00:45:23,420 --> 00:45:27,991
But in a synthetic
with the same type of style from color

896
00:45:28,258 --> 00:45:30,060
of that chameleon type effect.

897
00:45:30,060 --> 00:45:34,398
But high performance, you know, makes
great stair runners, great wall

898
00:45:34,398 --> 00:45:39,203
to wall with high style,
giving you that, natural loop.

899
00:45:39,570 --> 00:45:42,573
Type visual
that's in the resist at three point.

900
00:45:42,606 --> 00:45:45,209
So those type products I think are,

901
00:45:45,209 --> 00:45:48,445
very beneficial,
for that type of a consumer.

902
00:45:48,512 --> 00:45:48,812
Yeah.

903
00:45:48,812 --> 00:45:52,583
And I think it also helps
prove the point of engineered floors.

904
00:45:52,583 --> 00:45:54,852
You guys are looking at the long run.

905
00:45:54,852 --> 00:45:57,521
You weren't just trying to make,
you know, like a quick sale.

906
00:45:57,521 --> 00:45:58,922
So that like you

907
00:45:58,922 --> 00:46:02,259
mentioned, when you're selling the home,
you can try to make another sale.

908
00:46:02,826 --> 00:46:06,563
You're looking at the long haul
and you're wanting to appease

909
00:46:06,563 --> 00:46:09,600
to where homeowners aren't having
to constantly change their flooring.

910
00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:13,270
So you're having that style
that's timeless and also the durability

911
00:46:13,437 --> 00:46:16,173
in your flooring as well.
So it's going to hold up a Molly.

912
00:46:16,173 --> 00:46:17,341
That's absolutely correct.

913
00:46:17,341 --> 00:46:20,711
I mean, even though our founder is
an older gentleman,

914
00:46:20,744 --> 00:46:23,547
his grandsons are younger.

915
00:46:23,547 --> 00:46:27,251
They're probably around your age
and they're looking for the long term

916
00:46:27,251 --> 00:46:31,588
viability of, of the industry and the long
term viability of our company.

917
00:46:31,855 --> 00:46:36,660
So, you know, that whole,
creating a timeless, classic environment,

918
00:46:36,660 --> 00:46:40,597
but creating something that that consumer
would want to come back to,

919
00:46:40,731 --> 00:46:41,932
you know, that repeat.

920
00:46:41,932 --> 00:46:44,668
You know, man, I've loved this product.
It performed great.

921
00:46:44,668 --> 00:46:45,769
It looked great.

922
00:46:45,769 --> 00:46:49,439
You know, everybody that stumbled
in, to my house and oh my God,

923
00:46:49,439 --> 00:46:52,743
this looks incredible and made them feel
really good about the purchase.

924
00:46:52,743 --> 00:46:54,778
Right. And that's what we want.

925
00:46:54,778 --> 00:46:57,080
Is that consumer coming back
in, that consumer

926
00:46:57,080 --> 00:47:00,284
also telling other people, hey,
you know, here's where you need to go.

927
00:47:00,317 --> 00:47:02,352
You know, number one, go to Prosource.

928
00:47:02,352 --> 00:47:05,222
Number two, you know,
look for engineered floors, right?

929
00:47:05,222 --> 00:47:05,589
Yeah.

930
00:47:05,589 --> 00:47:09,726
And so I think
all of that is what our ultimate goal is.

931
00:47:09,793 --> 00:47:11,161
You know, you're probably going to make

932
00:47:11,161 --> 00:47:14,631
maybe three flooring purchases
in a lifetime, maybe four.

933
00:47:14,631 --> 00:47:16,366
And I'm not talking about rooms.

934
00:47:16,366 --> 00:47:18,635
I'm talking about total flooring
purchases.

935
00:47:18,635 --> 00:47:21,972
You need that consumer, that customer
to come back

936
00:47:22,339 --> 00:47:23,974
and be excited about your product.

937
00:47:23,974 --> 00:47:26,944
So you have another opportunity
to, to help them.

938
00:47:26,944 --> 00:47:30,981
Have you heard any pricing
feedback on material costs from trade

939
00:47:30,981 --> 00:47:34,284
pros that have helped engineered floors
maintain that passionate passion

940
00:47:34,284 --> 00:47:37,020
for being budget
friendly? We always get, feedback on

941
00:47:38,388 --> 00:47:41,158
pricing from a lot of different angles
here.

942
00:47:41,158 --> 00:47:45,062
Yeah, but yes, we listen very closely to

943
00:47:45,262 --> 00:47:48,966
what's happening in the market,
what's happening with the trade pros,

944
00:47:48,966 --> 00:47:53,036
what they feel are our values,
what they feel are not values.

945
00:47:53,036 --> 00:47:57,407
And and that helps give us great direction
and gives us a chance

946
00:47:57,407 --> 00:48:00,811
to make sure that we are meeting
market demands.

947
00:48:01,478 --> 00:48:01,879
Absolutely.

948
00:48:01,879 --> 00:48:05,883
So yes, very much
so with craftsmanship and style

949
00:48:05,916 --> 00:48:10,120
being so available and every engineered
for selection offered at Prosource,

950
00:48:10,621 --> 00:48:14,391
what can you say that would reassure
any homeowner that might feel overwhelmed

951
00:48:14,391 --> 00:48:15,659
during the home remodel?

952
00:48:15,659 --> 00:48:18,929
Here's the whole thing
with, a home remodel that you're like,

953
00:48:18,929 --> 00:48:21,932
I understand experience, first firsthand.

954
00:48:21,932 --> 00:48:24,034
It is overwhelming, right? Yeah.

955
00:48:24,034 --> 00:48:26,603
It is something that you don't do
very often.

956
00:48:26,603 --> 00:48:29,740
And so when you do it,
you know, it's disruptive.

957
00:48:29,740 --> 00:48:30,841
I mean, there's no question.

958
00:48:30,841 --> 00:48:34,678
But but I think, you know,
with a trade pro being able to walk people

959
00:48:34,678 --> 00:48:39,416
through all of those things so that once
again, going back to the preparation,

960
00:48:40,350 --> 00:48:43,353
part of that is preparing that homeowner

961
00:48:43,420 --> 00:48:47,024
to be prepared,
you know, for this type of the disruption,

962
00:48:47,024 --> 00:48:50,761
because the more that you understand
that, the more comfortable you are.

963
00:48:50,827 --> 00:48:53,163
Maybe, you know, I shouldn't use comfort.

964
00:48:53,163 --> 00:48:55,532
Maybe the more understanding you are.

965
00:48:55,532 --> 00:48:57,301
Yeah. Of what happens.

966
00:48:57,301 --> 00:48:58,068
And I think,

967
00:48:58,068 --> 00:49:02,839
you know, staying with them on any delays,
any updates, you know, things like that.

968
00:49:02,839 --> 00:49:05,842
I think all of that helps alleviate

969
00:49:05,842 --> 00:49:09,246
some of the anxiety
they might feel through this process.

970
00:49:09,379 --> 00:49:13,617
Is there anything in 2025, that you're
looking forward to with Engineered Floors?

971
00:49:13,617 --> 00:49:17,721
I know last time we spoke,
we were focusing on 2024, so it's crazy

972
00:49:17,721 --> 00:49:19,656
to think
we're about to go into a new year.

973
00:49:19,656 --> 00:49:22,092
And anything you're excited about that
you want to share.

974
00:49:22,092 --> 00:49:24,361
Yeah. Yeah. There there is something,

975
00:49:25,829 --> 00:49:26,763
we, put

976
00:49:26,763 --> 00:49:29,766
together last year with Prosource was,

977
00:49:30,167 --> 00:49:33,270
our, new pure grain HD display,

978
00:49:34,137 --> 00:49:36,974
which was, the mystically,

979
00:49:36,974 --> 00:49:41,712
made and domestically sourced,
one of the first of its kind and using,

980
00:49:42,045 --> 00:49:46,383
state of the art equipment,
digital print, 35 plank, repeat.

981
00:49:46,383 --> 00:49:48,051
And believe it or not, Molly,

982
00:49:48,051 --> 00:49:51,888
it's been a year
since we've started in this category.

983
00:49:51,922 --> 00:49:52,923
Making it right.

984
00:49:52,923 --> 00:49:55,892
Not importing,
but actually, manufacturing it.

985
00:49:55,993 --> 00:49:58,061
We have learned a lot over that year.

986
00:49:58,061 --> 00:50:01,231
We have some, new advancements
that we're going to be bringing.

987
00:50:01,398 --> 00:50:05,602
One is, we're going
to have a, scratch warranty

988
00:50:05,802 --> 00:50:10,440
on all the products to,
we have, a new collection.

989
00:50:11,041 --> 00:50:13,877
We've learned some things about, printing,

990
00:50:13,877 --> 00:50:17,881
to create a bold and balanced
look that even makes it

991
00:50:17,881 --> 00:50:20,884
look more like a sand and finished
our real realistic.

992
00:50:21,451 --> 00:50:24,187
We've went into multiple species

993
00:50:24,187 --> 00:50:27,858
now we have some pine,
we have some hickory, we have ash.

994
00:50:28,492 --> 00:50:31,495
We have all of these different species
that we're featuring.

995
00:50:31,862 --> 00:50:34,865
So from, a hard surface perspective,

996
00:50:34,898 --> 00:50:37,968
we have some really,
really cool things on the way.

997
00:50:37,968 --> 00:50:41,638
And then on the carpet
side, we've always had solution dyed,

998
00:50:42,039 --> 00:50:44,975
but we've added some space dye
to a few of those.

999
00:50:44,975 --> 00:50:49,413
We actually have several products
now that are 100% space dyed.

1000
00:50:50,280 --> 00:50:53,717
And our 50% space stamp,
which adds even more color.

1001
00:50:53,717 --> 00:50:59,222
So you're going to see, some hints
of flesh tones of blues

1002
00:50:59,222 --> 00:51:03,994
of all of these unique colors,
some, emerald greens and greens

1003
00:51:03,994 --> 00:51:09,232
and all this stuff coming out
and some of this, new, spacetime

1004
00:51:09,266 --> 00:51:12,836
that we're using, which creates
just so it's subtle, understated.

1005
00:51:13,203 --> 00:51:15,672
But once again,
it's that chameleon type effect.

1006
00:51:15,672 --> 00:51:21,611
But you can really see, broadening
of the paintbrush on the palette of life,

1007
00:51:21,611 --> 00:51:25,515
right, with, with these new colors coming
in, which I think is important.

1008
00:51:25,515 --> 00:51:28,919
And I think today people
are looking for a little more color.

1009
00:51:29,219 --> 00:51:30,520
All right.

1010
00:51:30,520 --> 00:51:33,523
I mean, if you read the Vogue like I do
every day,

1011
00:51:33,523 --> 00:51:36,560
there was an article
that someone showed me out of Vogue

1012
00:51:36,560 --> 00:51:39,396
that talked about how color is
progressing and wall to Wall

1013
00:51:41,064 --> 00:51:41,832
Street Journal,

1014
00:51:41,832 --> 00:51:45,268
talking about the,
expansion of carpet again.

1015
00:51:45,635 --> 00:51:48,872
You know, not to say that it's
going to dominate the House again, but

1016
00:51:49,106 --> 00:51:52,876
there is a flavor of consumers coming back

1017
00:51:52,876 --> 00:51:55,946
to, more,
soft floor covering, in the home.

1018
00:51:55,946 --> 00:51:59,015
So my message,
I guess, for everyone, that there's

1019
00:51:59,015 --> 00:52:02,552
going to be some really good
opportunities, both hard surface from us,

1020
00:52:02,853 --> 00:52:07,290
some very advanced
technology, products and,

1021
00:52:07,591 --> 00:52:11,294
and carpeting the same thing,
some, some advancements in technology

1022
00:52:11,294 --> 00:52:14,731
that are helping us
create some, new colors and new styles.

1023
00:52:14,731 --> 00:52:16,032
That's awesome to hear.

1024
00:52:16,032 --> 00:52:19,669
Well, we're looking forward
to seeing it all unfold, in 2025.

1025
00:52:19,669 --> 00:52:22,038
And I want to thank you again
for coming on today

1026
00:52:22,038 --> 00:52:25,842
and just speaking about Engineered Floors
and sharing your expertise with us all.

1027
00:52:25,842 --> 00:52:27,844
Hey Molly, it was always great to see you.

1028
00:52:27,844 --> 00:52:29,646
Thank you so much for your time.

1029
00:52:29,646 --> 00:52:33,016
And, for all the ProSource members,
hopefully we'll see you soon.

1030
00:52:34,050 --> 00:52:36,753
Thank you for joining us today
on The ProSource Podcast.

1031
00:52:36,753 --> 00:52:39,990
Please like and subscribe to us
wherever you get your podcast.

1032
00:52:40,457 --> 00:52:42,692
Also follow us on social media,

1033
00:52:42,692 --> 00:52:46,263
check out our website
at prosourcewholesale.com and visit

1034
00:52:46,263 --> 00:52:50,300
your local Prosource Wholesale showroom
for all of your home remodeling needs.