Texas home center uses design center to attract customers

11 San Antonio. Tx., building ma- terials retailer has established his firm as a leading supplier. of building components by creating an attractive home design center aimed at homebuyers, remodelers, builders and architects.

Fisher Millwork Inc. draws customers and prospects from a 100 mile radius to see their 8,000 sq. ft. design center with 20 product displays and exhibits. Since they opened the center in November, 1989, they have averaged 20 to 40 visitors per day. Homeowners want to see building and remodeling products first hand before initiating their own.

Owners Ian and Dave Fisher display a wide variety of building products including engineered wood products such as glulam beams which are widely used in the San Antonio area for headers, basement beams, ridge beams and other building applications.

"We hnd that many builders are using fewer solid sawn lumber beams and more glulam beams because of their predictable strength, stability, attractive appearance and ability to reduce on-site costs," Ian Fisher explained.

"About 700/o of the people who visit the design center are going to build or remodel their homes," he added. "They are usually referred by their contractors or designers. The remaining 300/o of the visitors are builders. architects. realtors and other building professionals."

"The center gives us a real plus factor over our competition, which is important because San Antonio has been a relatively slow construction market for some time." Fisher noted.

Story at a Glance

Twenty product displays and exhibits interest, educate the dealer's customers and his builders' customers. center is a plus in adding builder/contractor customers to d-Fy base.

Several open houses held for contractors and designers have spread the word about the completeness of the center and encouraged contractors and builders to use it.

A number of regional and national firms worked with the Fishers in developing the design center. Timber Tech in Cibolo, Tx., a San Antonio suburb, was one of those offering guidance. They were helpful in setting up the glulam displays which include Weyerhaeuser prod- ucts. Because they are made with kiln dried, machine stress rated lumber, they provide more predictable performance with reduced warp, twist and shrinkage, according to Fisher.

The Fisher Millwork home design center is an example of a growing trend in which retail dealers who had formerly stressed do-it-yourself business are diversifying to increase sales to contractors.