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International Builders’ Show Opens Today
Orlando, Fla.—Despite a weak housing market, the National Association of Home Builders expects more than 100,000 attendees once again this year at the International Builders’ Show, opening here today. Window and door exhibitors report they are fairly optimistic about the show, preparing for a busy four days at the Orange County Convention Center.
“While the attendance may be slightly less as far as total visitors, more decision-makers will be there in search of value-added products for future projects,” says Franco An, president of Plastpro Inc. “In light of the housing market's recent downturn, builders and contractors will be looking for better value in their materials and products to fit tighter budgets.”
Some exhibitors see continued strength in the high-end market as reason for optimism at IBS. “While we anticipate the show attendance may be down from previous years, we are eager to reconnect with our customers, builders and remodelers, and introduce our line-up of exciting architectural accessories for ’08,” says Jeff Williams, senior brand manager for Weather Shield Windows & Doors. “Our luxury market remains good in areas throughout the U.S. because builders, remodelers and homeowners have time to shop for quality products. We anticipate many custom builders in attendance will be shopping for new products and new manufacturers with which to partner. I think this puts us in a favorable position.”
Of course, window and door manufacturers are also pointing to their new products as a reason to expect a good show. “Hurd has a lot of good news to share at IBS this year, and, frankly, we’re expecting big things,” says Joe Herman, vice president of marketing for the window and door manufacturer. “We’re diversifying our presence in the light commercial market by unveiling the Hurd Architectural Services Group and the new Monument line of windows and doors. Beyond that, we’ll be helping builders and architects navigate through the thickening fog of environmental issues with our free brochure ‘A Simple Guide to Building Green.’”
GREEN DAY TOMORROW
Green is a big theme at this year’s IBS, with NAHB declaring tomorrow “Green Day” at the show. “NAHB has been preparing its members for the day that green building takes center stage in the marketplace,” explains association president Brian Catalde, a home builder in Southern California. “That day is almost here, and our builders are getting ready.”
As part of its Green Day plans, NAHB is celebrating the launch of its new National Green Building Program, as well as a new “Certified Green” professional designation program. Numerous exhibitors are also planning to emphasize “green.” At last count, more than 170 companies had added their products and services to the “green” category for IBS exhibitors, NAHB reports.
“We are also looking forward to the introduction of the NAHB’s new Green Program and understanding how we can support builders who plan to use this new system with our products such as Zo-e-shield glazing systems,” notes Weather Shield’s Williams. “With more builders and architects scouting for environmentally aware products for their clients, the buzz generated around Zo-e-shield gives us a real opportunity to build relationships.”
INDUSTRY SUPPLIERS
IBS exhibitors include a number of industry suppliers targeting window and door manufacturers, and they also see opportunities at this year’s event—particularly in remodeling and high-end markets. “Last year, 2007 was a difficult year for many manufacturers,” reports Chris Kenyon of Kenyon’s Stained Glass Factory. Remodeling and high end housing enabled his company’s decorative glass business to grow last year, however, and barring a recession, he expects that to happen again in 2008.
"This will be our fourth year attending the Builders Show,” Kenyon continues. “Even though they are forecasting attendance to be down at this event, we are expecting more traffic through our booth. People will be spending more time looking at the niche products to see what they can do to help themselves grow in this down market.”
Rudy Kessler, president of Winkhaus North America, also sees window and door manufacturers looking for ways to improve their offerings in the current market conditions. “We are not expecting the same quantity of visitors as in previous years, but we assume that the average quality of the meetings might be better,” the hardware supplier notes. “We were never able to schedule so many appointments with existing customers and potential customers than this year.”
Continued strength in the high-end market is one reason Centor Architectural Hardware is optimistic for the show, reports Paul Cornish. The supplier of folding door hardware is diversifying its line, and will be showcasing a new bottom-rolling system. Designed for applications where a load-bearing header is not feasible, the system will allow companies to bring wide-opening, folding doors to the remodeling market, he adds.
“HighMark Digital is excited to be exhibiting at IBS for the first time and to officially launch the One-Cut door replacement service here,” reports David Winter, the company’s vice president. “It’s a great venue to show and demonstrate the entire One-Cut system.”
Current market conditions translate into companies looking for new opportunities, he states. With its door replacement system, Highmark has received a tremendous response from some of the largest window replacement companies in the U.S, many of which are planning on attending the show, he reports. “As the window market is saturated and remodeling business is also down, these companies, who have serviced tens of thousands of customers over the years by offering replacement windows, are looking for natural product extensions.”
MISSING EXHIBITORS
Current market conditions have already impacted this year’s IBS, with a number of traditional IBS exhibitors passing on the 2008 event. The companies still there will benefit from their absence, a number of exhibitors note. “This creates a significant opportunity to set our company apart,” Plastpro’s An states.
“We expect more builders and contractors to visit us to find their entry door and moulding solutions.”
“In a time when our industry is struggling and companies are backing out of shows to cut costs, Visions Windows & Doors remains committed to builders, and is proud to participate in their biggest forum,” says Jim Flickinger, Visions brand manager. “We want to support builders and demonstrate how we can help them grow their business with strong performing products.”
“No doubt that 2008 will present challenges, but it’s in years like this that the market-share needle moves,” says John E. Anderson, national sales manager for Peachtree and Vetter Windows & Doors. One way his company plans to do that is by working even more closely with dealers and supporting their efforts. “Right now, our dealer customers are working aggressively to increase share and to upgrade the brand experience for their customers,” he reports. “As a manufacturer that partners with our dealers in pull-through promotional activities, this is a very desirable condition. Motivated and forward-thinking dealer customers equal potentially good business opportunities.”
WDweekly will highlight all the latest developments at the 2008 International Builders’ Show next week, with a full report to be featured in the March issue of Window & Door also. New products, options and related introductions from window and door manufacturers and suppliers of components and accessories can be found on Windowanddoor.net in our special IBS Products section. Look for expanded coverage here as exhibitors provide more details during and after the show.
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