By Megan Salzano
Two formidable players in the contract commercial space, Mr. David’s Flooring International and RD Weis Companies, have entered into a strategic partnership.
The primary goal, according to the parties, is to improve their diverse services while adding value to their vendor and specifier communities. The partnership is also designed to create new growth opportunities by leveraging advanced technology to deliver a superior commercial customer solution.
“Being able to combine our network and ability to service our customers is truly at the heart of what we’re doing,” Leonard Zmijewski, CEO of Mr. David’s Flooring, told FCNews.
Randy Weis, CEO of RD Weis Companies, said he hopes the larger, more competitive business can serve as the provider of the future. “We want to be the model for how business is conducted between flooring contractors and their client community—wherever they might be,” he explained. “We’ve always felt our greatest value to our customer base was providing good solutions and good information, and—for both organizations—that will continue to be a lot of what we stand for.”
At its core, the partnership brings greater access to a network of skilled installers, expertise in a broader range of commercial flooring materials and special performance conditions and technology that delivers greater project efficiency and effectiveness.
Weis added that while “doing good work” used to mean success, investments in technology are crucial for future growth. That investment is a key strategy when it comes to bringing added value to the expanded business and its partners. Zmijewski noted that Mr. David’s has already invested $1.5 million into technology systems that will benefit both the vendor and specifier communities.
When it comes to the vendor community, Weis said information technology will no doubt change the game. “I don’t think anyone else in our industry is going to have the kind of information database that we’re creating here,” he explained. “That will benefit our vendor partners. They are very much trying to do the same thing, and I see us doing it in more of a partnership going forward than ever before. With the path our businesses are on collectively, from a technology standpoint, we will distinguish ourselves and really become industry leaders beyond just doing great work.”
For the specifier community, Zmijewski said the group has the ability to look nationally rather than locally when it comes to product knowledge and installation issues. As such, investments in technology will help elevate the company’s value proposition. “There truly are differences from one part of the country to the next as far as how things are going to be installed,” he said. “There are some issues that you’ll run into. The ability to have that knowledge and talk intelligently about those issues is a huge value.”
Lastly, the partnership will look to support the industry into the future by investing in its people. Zmijewski noted the loss of skilled installers, RSAs and other members of the industry due to a lack of career path for most. Part of the long-term goal of the partnership is to provide new growth opportunities for its employees.
“There aren’t too many companies in our business that are truly investing in their employees or have the ability to hold onto the best and brightest that might start in our industry,” Zmijewski stated. “What I’ve seen, being a dealer, is we lose some of the brightest people in our industry because there is not any type of career path. When we decided to grow and expand geographically, our goal has been to advance our employees. We have some great people; they energized our company. It’s truly exciting to be able to do that.”
To read the full story, see the upcoming Oct. 21 print issue of FCNews.