Summer minisode series: Prioritizing quality with Kohler

Zach Wojtowicz (00:05):

What’s up everybody? Welcome to “The Building Code” minisode series. This summer we’re talking with our vendor partners all things construction, and what’s happening with our vendor partners in CBUSA and Buildertrend Purchasing. For this episode, we have Andrea of Kohler. Andrea, how are you doing today?

Andrea Kottas (00:20):

I’m excellent. How are you?

Zach Wojtowicz (00:20):

It’s so good to see you.

Andrea Kottas (00:22):

It’s nice to see you, too.

Zach Wojtowicz (00:24):

Good. Well, thank you so much for joining us today on “The Building Code” where we can talk all about Kohler. And Kohler is a brand name that everybody knows, and so, it’s a big thing for us to really make sure that we are talking about why Kohler and what separates Kohler. Big names have things that we want to know about. Tell me the story of Kohler, a little bit of overview of Kohler.

Andrea Kottas (00:46):

Kohler is a 150-year-old company that is in Kohler, Wisconsin. Started with a bathtub and has parlayed into being a holistic bathing brand internationally.

Zach Wojtowicz (00:58):

Yeah, they do everything.

Andrea Kottas (00:59):

They do everything. So, it’s really awesome. We have a solution for every part of construction.

Zach Wojtowicz (01:05):

And I know CBUSA and Buildertrend Purchasing are great partners of Kohler for obvious reasons, right?

Andrea Kottas (01:11):

Yes.

Zach Wojtowicz (01:12):

And I think CBUSA has been with Kohler for quite a while. We were kind of long time partners.

Andrea Kottas (01:17):

Long time. Since the inception.

Zach Wojtowicz (01:19):

That’s right. That’s what I thought. It was like one of CBUSA’s first partners, which is amazing. So, it’s great to kind of catch up with a veteran of the CBUSA network.

Andrea Kottas (01:28):

Thanks.

Zach Wojtowicz (01:28):

And what I really want to kind of get into is what is that relationship like between CBUSA and Buildertrend Purchasing?

Andrea Kottas (01:35):

It’s excellent. It’s been an evolution. CBUSA started and it partnered up with Kohler Company through relationships. So, Bill Smithers, who started CBUSA was really good friends with Wally Schwartz at Kohler Company.

Zach Wojtowicz (01:49):

Oh yeah, yeah, I’ve heard of Wally.

Andrea Kottas (01:51):

Yes. So, that relationship parlayed into Bill’s direction and focus on creating CBUSA. And he brought along partners that he had in the industry and created CBUSA, and it grew from there. So, we have been on the foresteps of the program, and now, we sit here today as a partner with you guys being 800 members strong and owning the exclusive plumbing category. And it’s been a really important and meaningful partnership for us.

Zach Wojtowicz (02:22):

Yeah, I think it’s one of those that even Bill was in the building today, and I think Kohler deserves a lot of credit for CBUSA’s long-term success and …

Andrea Kottas (02:23):

Absolutely.

Zach Wojtowicz (02:31):

Really working together. So, it’s great to see everybody here to discuss these things. Well, when it comes to Kohler and where Kohler’s at, 150-year-old company, we want to talk about growth and innovation. Kohler’s been there all along. What is going on right now with Kohler? What are some of the things that, when it comes to your products and expectation of builders, what is the design element of Kohler? What are they thinking about in the market today?

Andrea Kottas (02:53):

That’s a great question. We’re always thinking, we always have new ideas for things.

Zach Wojtowicz (02:54):

I love it.

Andrea Kottas (02:58):

But tapping consumer insights, understanding and listening to what is trending in the market has really been two foundational aspects of how we approach new products. There are categories right now that from whether it’s a result of the pandemic or just trends in how consumers want to experience things in their home that we’re really tapped into. So, watch for some new innovation in bidet toilets.

Zach Wojtowicz (03:24):

Interesting.

Andrea Kottas (03:24):

Yeah, we’ve expanded our lineup there and continued to have new products coming out there. And then also with bathing. So, the bathing experiences are evolving in the house. I think that there was a trend moving away from bathing for a little while, for showering, and now showering is so incredible with so many different options, it’s swinging back to bathing. So, both areas will be really …

Zach Wojtowicz (03:46):

The bathtub’s making a comeback.

Andrea Kottas (03:48):

The bathtub’s making a comeback.

Zach Wojtowicz (03:49):

A day in bathtubs sounds like a HGTV show.

Andrea Kottas (03:49):

It is.

Zach Wojtowicz (03:52):

Is it? Oh, see, look at that. Who knew? That’s really exciting to hear. I am a little curious, how do you guys get that feedback? What are the ways that you’re going and hearing from customers about those trends and themes that impact the way you guys make decisions and ideas?

Andrea Kottas (04:06):

Yeah, that’s a great question. Consumer insights. So, a lot of studies, a lot of research, and in fact, our partnership with CBUSA is really meaningful there. We see you guys as having relationships with some of the top builders across the United States, you’re national, we’re national. So, those builders and what they’re hearing from homeowners in different markets, that feedback’s really important to us and that we are addressing consumer trends and needs through our partners as well as consumers.

Zach Wojtowicz (04:37):

Kohler has got a reputation that we kind of touched on, well established in the construction market. Even in the retail market, you can find Kohler products in all the big stores everywhere. They’ve got their own retail locations. So, when it comes to the quality control process that Kohler’s using from a product mill standpoint, what are the standards and the way that you’re really making sure Kohler’s still able to keep that 150-year reputation?

Andrea Kottas (05:02):

Yeah, the standards come, obviously there’s codes and standards that are really important and some are national, some are state driven, et cetera. Kohler has a saying, David Kohler says this that, “We have one singular level of quality across all of our products.” And that doesn’t mean that the products are going to be the same at every price point. There’s obviously different materials in something that is a cost-driven product versus a luxury product. However, the singular level of quality is that it’s going to perform and meet the consumer’s experience needs and wants within the product.

Zach Wojtowicz (05:40):

So, when it comes to your CBUSA relationship and the longstanding Kohler partnership, how do you interact with CBUSA chapter members? What is that experience like? If you’re a CBUSA member or you’re interested in joining CBUSA, what kind of representation from Kohler could you expect when it comes to servicing and the actual elements of having that person that you can work with to decide which products and services are best for a house or a project?

Andrea Kottas (06:08):

Yeah. We have the best service. We really pride ourselves in that. So, being national, we have representation in every one of the key markets, and that representation really speaks to the relationship, they’re aware of the relationship. Communication’s really key, and that we are making sure that we are reaching out and partnering with you guys on opportunities. And the market relationship that you guys bring to us is your membership and commitment to being part of a builder group that has meaningful representation. So, partnering together to excel, essentially.

Zach Wojtowicz (06:46):

Yeah, this has been a theme in our minisodes that has come up again and again, and that’s all about that alignment. That customer focus, getting builders what they need, really bringing great products to consumers so that they can have the homes of their dreams live in a place that … And that is also part of why people continuously come back to these vendors, so that they can really be it part of not just one house, but multiple houses and over their families and things like that. So, when it comes to, we mentioned the bidets and the bathtubs, are there any other products or projects that Kohler’s working on that you’re really excited about that you can share with us today?

Andrea Kottas (07:26):

Well, those two are big ones.

Zach Wojtowicz (07:27):

Those are the big ones. Well, we can dive into that. Why the bidet? I’m curious, what were the market insights that led to that, and is it a trend from Europe or is it something that …

Andrea Kottas (07:37):

Yeah, actually it’s an international trend. Big in Europe, big in Southeast Asia, all over the world. And I really see, having been in the construction industry as long as I have, it’s finally taking off here in the United States.

Zach Wojtowicz (07:38):

Finally.

Andrea Kottas (07:51):

Finally.

Zach Wojtowicz (07:51):

Who knew?

Andrea Kottas (07:52):

We’re catching up. But we have a commitment to that product category, and along with function, we have to have innovation and experience there. And we try to hit that on every price point of bidet. We have bidet seats, bidet toilets, very important category.

Zach Wojtowicz (08:09):

And as far as the bathtub trends, you mentioned Kohler, that’s their origin story. So, it’s a little bit about going back to their roots a little bit. You see some of these photos and these high end homes, you’re like, “Wow, the claw tub.” It’s kind of interesting that the older school type bathing experiences are really reemerging in the market. Those trends, obviously, kind of come and go, but Kohler will always be there. So, I’m sure there’s other things that you guys are always cooking up and looking into to say, where are we going to be in the next few years?

Andrea Kottas (08:37):

Oh, absolutely. I mean, we’ve just really expanded our product categories. So, I mentioned bidets, bathtubs, but you’re also seeing new products from us in sinks. Workstation sinks are very popular. So, think your sink as your really main area where you’re prepping vegetables and prepping things to cook. So, workstations, cutting boards, colanders et cetera. So, we have a really great lineup there. But then we have lighting. We have a full family of lighting, so then it’s finished match to your faucets, which is really important. Mirrors, medicine cabinets are making a comeback.

Zach Wojtowicz (09:10):

Really?

Andrea Kottas (09:10):

Yes.

Zach Wojtowicz (09:11):

Andrea, see, whenever we do these episodes, I get jealous. I’m like …

Andrea Kottas (09:14):

Yeah, I know.

Zach Wojtowicz (09:15):

“I want to build a new house.”

Andrea Kottas (09:17):

Yeah, you should.

Zach Wojtowicz (09:18):

Yeah, that’d be fantastic. Put all the Kohler products in it. I’ve seen some crazy videos lately too, of syncs with Wi-Fi and all these bells and whistles. I mean, it’s just incredible where technology is going and a lot of these product lines. I bet it’s exciting to see what your company’s going to be able to do with the resources and these partnerships and bring this experience to people out in the market.

Andrea Kottas (09:37):

Yeah, absolutely. So, Kohler Connect is our technology that’s connected to Alexa. So, we have faucets and showering platforms that work off of that. So, you can set temperature, timing. For any tech focused homeowner, it’s a really great product solution.

Zach Wojtowicz (09:54):

That is literally blowing my mind just thinking about it. Just everything, just turn it on, turn it off. Fantastic. I mean, it’s just construction industry is always evolving and the technology integration. Buildertrend, obviously, we’ve got our partnership as well through Buildertrend purchasing. For our listeners out there, if you’re not in a CBUSA market, you’re able to reap the benefits of a Kohler rebate by shopping through Buildertrend to get those purchases. So, I’d really would like to maybe touch on that a little bit. Do you have any insight on the Buildertrend partnership side as well?

Andrea Kottas (10:24):

I do. You guys touch over 25,000 builders out there that aren’t part of CBUSA’s network. A lot of them run their own businesses and lean on the Buildertrend software for support in running those businesses and having a collaboration with a vendor just helps the builder find trusted vendor partners. And so, we’re on that platform as a trusted plumbing partner, excited to be there and help sort through all the products out there, so they can find a solution. And knowing that it’s Kohler, they should have a confidence in the product category at any price point.

Zach Wojtowicz (11:01):

Yeah, it’s really exciting to see such a big name at our national program here for Buildertrend. So, thank you so much to Kohler for being our partner and bringing us some great opportunities for all of us and really for all of our builders out there. You can find that in your Buildertrend account under the rebates tab. So, make sure you check it out and get enrolled. And if you have any questions, you can reach out to us. Andrea, we are about wrapped up. Before we let you go and get you out of the studio here and on with your day, for the College World Series experience and everything Omaha has to offer, where can our listeners find out more information about Kohler, and what’s the best way to kind of get questions answered or find support?

Andrea Kottas (11:37):

Kohler.com.

Zach Wojtowicz (11:38):

Easy, easy. That’s right. That’s right. Just like that. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being on “The Building Code.” We really appreciate you being here today.

Andrea Kottas (11:47):

Thank you so much for having me. We really value our partnership with you guys, and it’s an awesome experience.

Zach Wojtowicz (11:53):

Love it. Love it. Building Code nation, thank you so much for listening to our minisode episodes. It’s great to have you on. We had great partners. Kohler being one of the best. You can always find out more at kohler.com. Make sure you check out your Buildertrend account for the rebates program or you can call us, and we’ll let you know as well and walk you through how to do it. Reach out to your account manager support team. I’m Zach Wojtowicz, been a pleasure with you as always. We’ll check you out next time.