The Best of Both Worlds

Mountain View Building Materials (MVBM) has come to understand the value of transitioning from a mom-and-pop store into a modernly-run business, complete with professional merchandising and a proper organizational structure.

However, it will never stray from its roots—the customer service-focused, alpine country vibe that intrinsically weaves such a business into the very fabric of smaller communities.

It’s the best of both worlds.

The western-based dealer—new to the Sexton Group—has locations in Kelowna, B.C., and Calgary, both of which are particularly strong on exterior home products.

While owner Joel Seibert wasn’t comfortable discussing the specific increases MVBM has made in its outdoor living segment, he did qualify it as “huge growth.”

A big part of that can be attributed to pandemic-related stresses that found house-bound

Growing western dealer combines alpine country vibe with modern merchandising techniques

By Rob Blackstien

homeowners taking money previously earmarked for social events like vacations and dining out and spending it on backyard improvements to make life at home more comfortable.

The other significant development that fueled the dealer’s dramatic growth was transitioning from a family type operation into something Seibert termed “more legitimate.”

Highlights of this transformation included enlisting Burlington Merchandising & Fixtures to create “more of a professional merchandising platform to work with,” an area Seibert admits the company did not have much experience with.

He also hired a business coach to help usher in more operational efficiencies. The coach encouraged Seibert and his partners (Brad Pettafor and Sheila Carr) to examine their own strengths and weaknesses with an eye towards revisiting their job descriptions and roles within the organization. As a result of this exercise, Seibert now focuses on business development, something he had precious little time for previously.

“A lot of the growth we can attribute to understanding our strengths,” building their new roles around their respective strengths, “and hiring for what we aren’t strong at,” he explains.

It took some time to get the right mix, but

Seibert is thrilled with the results: “The team we have now is unbelievable. I’d put them up against anybody.”

Seibert says one of the hotter pandemic-driven trends is enclosures, whether by closing in the walls of a pagoda or by using other forms of privacy screening. He explains that when people were stuck at home because of Covid-related restrictions, they could still get outside, yet retain some privacy “and not feel like they were constantly being peered on.”

These trends are continuing as higher interest rates make buying a new home problematic, prompting people to enhance the house they already own, he says.

As a result, the renovation market for his store remains hot as homeowners engage in projects such as exterior siding, soffit, and trim. “They’re giving their 10-to-15 year old home more of a modern facelift and upgrade.”

They’re also spending more to make their backyards and outdoor living spaces more comfortable. Seibert says customers crave interior creature comforts like backyard kitchens and outdoor living rooms. But no, don’t worry... the outhouse will not be making a comeback any time soon.

Looking forward, Seibert anticipates that these kinds of upgrades may soon be adopted by new home builders as standard fare. “I’m hoping builders are going to look at what people are doing to the footprint” of their yards, draw inspiration from that and offer it as a value-added package.

Such a scenario, of course, “would be massive” for his stores and similar retailers. And it would make sense for homeowners to add a landscaping package like this to their mortgage up front, before they’re cash strapped after completing the home purchase, he adds.

While the pandemic is not something anyone wants to relive, it did have some surprisingly positive effects for MVBM’s seasonal business. Knowing in advance that supply chain issues were going to be a factor, major contractors were buying large amounts of decking, treated lumber, and fence materials much earlier than before, and then repurchasing earlier and earlier.

This was a huge boon for the dealer’s cash flow and inventory turnover, Seibert explains. The LBM industry did quite well for a couple years there, he says. So well, in fact, that when doing longterm forecasting and assessing historical data, “you’ve got to throw those two years out.”

Going forward, MVBM plans to add locations in British Columbia and Alberta, seeking familyrun LBM stores that are the cornerstones of their communities, with owners who are ready to retire or offload their businesses.

But maintaining those ties to the community is paramount to MVBM’s vision, and something it clearly takes very seriously. “It’s our obligation to maintain their family legacy,” Seibert stresses.

In fact, that’s the appeal. Those businesses, their stories and their legacies within their respective communities—“that’s what everyone is emotionally tied to.”

For more of Seibert’s takes on current outdoor living trends, see “Top 10 ODL Trends” on page 107.

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