Selling Fixtures: Start A New Cash Flow?

Eclipse’s Cohn says the fabricators carrying his line of sinks and faucets offer them in just about every way imaginable.

“We have hundreds of different accounts,” he says. “Some buy a sink for each job. Some stock the sinks and faucets. One item we offer is called Total Eclipse, and it has everything a fabricator needs to complete the job with the countertop. It comes with a sink and a faucet which has a matching finish to the sink.”

Click picture to enlargeAs with Adams’ experiences with Kohler, Cohn adds that Eclipse is happy to send its representatives to a shop to provide training on selling the product, and also assist with in-shop displays.

“A lot of people don’t want to make the investment, especially if they don’t know it’s going to work, or how hard it’s going to be,” he says. “We try to make the process as painless as possible. We know this isn’t for everyone, but once we get product in somebody’s hands, it sells itself.”

Kohler’s John Hansen, who works in this area of business development, agrees with Cohn that selling fixtures isn’t for every shop. However, it’s probably indicative that the idea is catching fire with more fabricators since Hansen was assigned three years ago to find better ways to reach stone shops.

Hansen says what his company is seeing is that consumers buy their plumbing supplies for their home projects from different channels, and selling the faucets can be a way for a fabricator to become more of an advisor to his countertop clients – especially since Kohler has different business models designed to fit just about any stone shop.

“It’s more a matter of business philosophies than size,” Hansen says. “It’s the people who are interested in differentiating themselves from the competition, who are interested in quality and what branded companies can bring to the table. I’ve had success working with guys who are doing two kitchens a day, all the way up to shops that are doing a considerable amount more – like Trindco.”

This article initially appeared in the March 2011 print edition of Stone Business. ©2011 Western Business Media Inc.

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