Get Our Email Newsletter

Corning Building Company

Corning Building Company-5With stores consolidated due to the flood in the 70s, CBC has a history of cross-training employees. CBC employs 52 full time and 24 part time or seasonal staff. “With that forced cross training, our customers are acknowledged by any staff member and they receive quality advice anywhere in the store,” Smith said.

Design work is also a focus of Smith’s model at CBC. Five designers work in the kitchen and bath center, four of whom have between 10 and 20 years’ experience. CBC focuses on high-end brands that the design staff pairs together with building and remodeling projects. “What we’re seeing is that people are staying home and entertaining more,” Smith said. “They’re redoing their kitchens and bathrooms and suiting them up with high-end appliances. That has been a growth category for us. Our competitors’ designers aren’t at our level and they don’t carry the high-end appliances.”

As Smith looks ahead to the future of his business, he said he will soon turn his attention to growing online sales. His store’s website, he noted, is something he can control and shape for the future. “I can’t control the property taxes in New York. I can’t control Obamacare and what that effect is going to be on small business,” he said. “What I can control is our own store.”

Get our free newsletter

Join thousands of other lumber and building material industry leaders and keep up with the companies, people, products and issues shaping the industry.

What's New

Digital Partners

Become a digital partner ...

Sales Comp Study

Download this 55-page, in-depth study by LBM Journal of industry trends in sales force compensation and benefits. See how your organization stacks up.

Webinars

- Advertisement -

White Papers

View all ...

- Advertisement -

Partner Content

View all ...

- Advertisement -

Registration is now open for the LBM Strategies 2024 Conference