Questions to Ask Your Building Materials Distributor

There’s no doubt about it. Choosing the right building materials distributor can make or break a construction business. That’s why it’s so important to find a trustworthy, reliable partner who can deliver on time and help you build your company.

But how do you know if a building materials distributor is right for your commercial construction firm?

Start by asking these seven questions to help you evaluate your choices.

1. How Many Years has the Distributor Been in Business?When it comes to finding the right supplier, experience counts. Look for suppliers and distributors that have been around for at least ten years or more. That way, you know they’ve made it through the challenging start-up years and have established the relationships and credit needed to provide your company with a
2. What is the Distributor’s Reputation in the Industry? Can They Supply References?The New York metro area is one of the biggest in the world, but it’s a tight-knit community when it comes to commercial contractors. That means that every supplier creates a reputation within the region, and you don’t have to ask too many people before you get a good idea of a distributor’s trustworthiness, their ability to deliver on time, and their expertise. So ask questions. Get references. Do your homework.
3. Do They Have Relationships With Leading Commercial Construction Brands?It’s one thing to carry leading brands, but it’s another to have good relationships with them. Your building materials distributor should not only offer the brands that contractors in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware want, but they should also be able to call in favors, talk to trusted reps for those brands, and get preferential deliveries based on a long, mutually beneficial history.
4. Does the Distributor Deliver on Time?It’s one thing to tell customers that you deliver on time. It’s another to actually do it on a consistent basis. At Metro, our unwavering commitment is to deliver 100% of orders on time. We know our customers are depending on us, so we aim to meet their expectations every day with every delivery.
5. What are Their Fill Rates and Lead Times for Special Orders?While it’s easy enough to deliver in-stock materials on time, special orders are another matter. If your building materials distributor doesn’t have good relationships with their brands, they won’t be able to demand priority deliveries. But when you work with a distributor who fosters close relationships with the reps for the products they carry, you can depend on getting preferential treatment. That means higher fill rates and shorter lead times.
6. Do They Offer Access to Experienced Sales Reps and Knowledgeable Customer Service?Have you ever called a building materials distributor about a product and found the salespeople couldn’t answer your questions? Every day at Metro, our experienced staff helps contractors with specs, details on how to use a product, the right materials to meet codes, and ways to minimize product and labor costs. In fact, our sales professionals have over a combined 60+ years of building materials and construction experience.
7. Can You Rely on Speedy Product Fulfillment?When it comes to deliveries, timing is everything. Nothing is more frustrating (and expensive) than having a crew ready to work and no delivery insight. In fact, Metro is so dedicated to timely fulfillment that we made it our slogan: Promises Kept, Commitments Delivered – Always!