Excellence in Retail Program
A Showroom That Sells

Keim Lumber Makes Window and Door Selection an “Experience”

The Keim Lumber Co. has become a destination in Ohio’s Amish Country—an area known for its simplicity, strong religious ties and traditional family values. With ideals deeply rooted in an Amish-influenced “do right by your customer” philosophy, this family owned and operated establishment offers the service of a hometown lumber house, but offers an expansive product selection more accurately reflects that of a “big box” retailer.

Located in Charm, with nearly 635,000 square feet under its roof, Keim spans about 40 acres across rural Ohio and features a 120,000-square-foot specialty showroom, complete with lofty 36-foot ceilings, lustrous cherry trim and a grand winding staircase that generally leaves visitors awestruck, according to John Swaffer, Keim’s advertising manager.

Included in the showroom, is a 10,000-square-foot space exclusively dedicated to windows and doors, known as the Window and Door Selection Center. “Our showroom is designed to be an experience,” says Swaffer. “Our reputation precedes us, so customers travel from all parts of the United States to be able to touch, feel and even operate our windows and other products before making a purchase decision. This hands-on approach helps them to understand what they’re buying before they actually make the commitment.”

Paul Yoder, who works in sales for P&L Builders, says that most of his customers need to visually see something before they can make a decision about which product is right for them. To help them choose, he takes them to the Keim Window and Door Selection Center. “My customers are always impressed by the wide variety of styles and hardware that’s displayed at Keim, and by the showroom itself,” he says.

“Most people cannot choose their windows and doors from catalogues. Instead, they prefer to actually see and operate the products before making a choice. The showroom has been a great path for us.”

As a full service home improvement center, Keim offers a range of moldings and millwork, kitchen and bath products, home décor, tools and other building materials. So why allot such a vast amount of space for a window and door display?

Swaffer says it’s because the products play an integral role in almost any “system” a builder, contractor or homeowner chooses for a remodeling project or new construction job. It also contributes to the company’s “one-stop shop” identity. “We’re a single source supplier that’s able to satisfy all of our customers’ building product needs,” Swaffer explains.

Swaffer adds that while the year-round population of Charm is only about 100, Keim has nearly 300 employees. More than half of the company’s workforce is Amish, and another 30 percent is Mennonite. Both groups, known for their work ethic, instinctively understand how to be of service to their customers and meet their needs—a mentality that further defines Keim as a national company, with a local appeal.

A VALUE-ADDED EXPERIENCE
Within the confines of Keim’s massive showroom, the Window and Door Section Center is a supermarket in itself, showcasing a broad range of window and door styles, with various features and options, by manufacturers like Andersen, Precision Entry, and more.

Keim identifies itself as Ohio’s largest single location Andersen Circle of Excellence dealer—a claim that gives the company a major competitive advantage according to Swaffer. Keim receives a direct-from-the-factory shipment every week, and stocks more than 6,000 Andersen window and patio door units. They also carry genuine Andersen parts and offer “in house” window assembly for combination units, including custom bay and bow windows. Upon a customer’s request, a factory-trained Keim technician will even conduct a value-added “walk through” inspection to verify the proper installation of a window. And the service doesn’t stop there. “Because Precision is located only five miles away from our showroom, we have a special one-day delivery arrangement with them,” says Swaffer. “It’s a unique, value-added service that we’re able to extend on to our customers who are shopping for exterior doors.”

Brian Baughman, brand marketing for Precision, had a hand in helping Keim develop the Window and Door Selection Center. “We’ve created a door and window department oriented to the customer’s home style and buying preferences,” he explains. “Whether they’re remodeling or building, the buying process is improved when customers shop Keim’s expansive display of doors and windows.

“It was rewarding to create a flexible and innovative floor plan design that allows Keim’s door and window specialists to guide customers with ease through the department, while educating them on available options through excellent signage, graphics and samples. It’s great to see customers’ excitement in discovering products that can be customized to their specific needs and wants,” Baughman adds.

As a form of quality assurance, a representative from Andersen designates one day each week to come to the Keim showroom, work with the sales associates and answer specific questions for their customers. Additionally, Keim employs several associates who have received advanced training from suppliers like Andersen and Precision. Swaffer says that he is sure to place at least one of these extensively trained associates on the floor at all times throughout each day. “Keim is quite different from other showrooms because they actually invest in training their associates,” says Jim Gibb, a Precision sales representative. “My sales territory includes all of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, so I’ve seen a lot of showrooms. I’ve never seen anything like Keim.”

BETTER QUALITY, BETTER SERVICE
Quality, integrity and personal service are the cornerstones of the Keim business model. Mose J. Keim, who founded the company in 1911, often said, “cheap isn’t always the cheapest.” Today, third generation family member and acting president Bill Keim, whose son, Robbie, serves as vice president, follows his grandfather’s philosophy by selling only high quality goods, backed by financially responsible manufacturers, to his customers in an effort to avoid future problems.

While these quality products may cost the customer more initially, Bill Keim knows that they’re a better bet in the long run. “Having been raised in a community that’s primarily Amish, Bill is a man of his word,” says Swaffer. “He searches for the best products to offer to his customers and knows it’s important to assign the right price to each item. If a supplier doesn’t adhere to this principle, Bill won’t hesitate to discontinue the partnership.”

With quality products in stock, it’s important that Keim’s sales associates are knowledgeable. Before they are able to work on the showroom floor, associates are required to participate in a training process. “When they’re first hired, associates are required to work in the mill for a period of time,” Swaffer says. “They’ll progress to the yard, where they’ll learn to load lumber, and then move on to travel for a while with our delivery vehicles. This training is meant to teach them about every level of our business.”

The training process also requires that an associate assist in answering the 1,000 or so incoming phone calls that Keim receives in a given day. “It can take several months for an associate to complete our training process,” says Swaffer. “The result is a knowledgeable staff, and relatively little turnover.” He adds that Keim emphasizes the importance of teamwork by paying all of its sales associates an hourly, non-commission based wage.

From a delivery standpoint, Keim employs 22 truck drivers and offers free delivery within a 150-mile radius of Charm, extending its service through Ohio and into parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The company does service customers outside of this realm for a fee.

A CHANGE OF PACE
Innovative windows and doors, and outstanding service in a supermarket setting, aren’t the only things that make Keim Lumber a destination of Amish country. For weary customers who have spent the day experiencing the showroom, Keim features something a bit different. An actual in-house counter service café offers a place to sit, relax and enjoy a homestyle Amish meal. “Originally, we built the café as a place for our employees to have lunch,” Swaffer explains. “It has since become a perk for tourists and customers—offering what I describe as, “not fast food, but good food fast.’”

The in-house café isn’t the only thing that makes the company unique. Customers know that they can count on Keim to have whatever they need readily at hand. “We have a very large warehousing space, so we make it a point to have our products in stock,” Swaffer says. “Our sales associates like to be able to ask their customers if they would like to leave with the products that they are purchasing that day, or if they would prefer to have them delivered.”

Keim’s goals for the future include staying on the cutting edge of the building products and supply industry, so that their customers will continue to count on them. Swaffer says that Bill Keim and company aspire to expand and continue to add new products and services to their selection. And in the near future, Swaffer intends to grow the company’s Internet presence. “Mainly, we strive to stay ahead of the market with the products and services that we provide so that we’ll continue to be a leading supplier of building products and supplies,” says Swaffer.