Kim Guimond Dellarocca is Chief Marketing and Chief Administrative Officer for Modern Mill. Kim leads marketing, brand, lead generation, and sales enablement as well as key operations including Investor Relations, Human Resources, Customer Experience and Business Planning. Kim is an adaptable business leader with more than 25 years of marketing, strategy, and consulting expertise for Wall Street firms and consumer brands.
How have wood alternative products changed in recent years?
In the beginning, wood offered beauty and easy workability. Then, PVC and composites introduced durability and low maintenance. Wood alternatives were embraced for their longevity, less maintenance, and sustainability. Yet, full adoption was hampered by product realities: many remain difficult to work with, have limited color selection, and sub-par aesthetics. These limitations kept wood the “gold standard”—until now with technological breakthroughs like ACRE by Modern Mill.
ACRE offers the performance of traditional wood alternatives while bringing back the same warmth and workability as real wood. It’s a brand-new material engineered from upcycled rice hulls that combines convenience, durability, beauty and sustainability.
Considering the continued impact of diminished workforces, how can alternative wood products help builders and remodelers increase efficiency?
One of the best ways wood alternatives can help builders and remodelers be more efficient is that they are easy to install. Look at product through the installers’ eyes. Is this product easy to work with? Easy to install? Is it lightweight?
Does it require special tools or training?
Builders, remodelers, and installers are also looking for products that perform as promised, limiting callbacks and time spent managing unhappy homeowners.
Focusing on employee retention and keeping our teams engaged is another aspect of efficiency (beyond the job site).
Thinking about ways to help our teams find success, identify new business, learn on the job, work with products and partners they are proud to affiliate with, are other examples of activities that can drive employee retention and satisfaction and ultimately business efficiency and growth.
With sustainability becoming increasingly important to builders and homeowners, how do alternative products like those from Modern Mill relate?
The name ACRE comes from our North Star, and our desire to save acres of trees! ACRE is a practical, ready now, and exciting solution for deforestation offering unmatched sustainability. For example, ACRE is made from upcycled rice hulls that would normally sit in landfills. It’s 100% tree free, with no wood chips, saw dust, or fillers.
How can LBM dealers best position themselves to succeed in this segment?
Many builders and homeowners first approach a lumber dealer asking for a sustainable product. However, the winning product is not usually chosen by the product itself or by comparing lists of features and benefits. The story behind it (the product) matters too.
Today, consumers crave authentic companies that operate with a clear sense of purpose, and know how to make that story relevant for the person they’re talking to. ACRE’s value proposition contains many sub-narratives that can be fleshed out for maximum relevance. A green- minded designer may want to dig into the sustainability qualities of ACRE. A furniture maker or builder may be drawn more to the story of how ACRE is capable of fine craftmanship and its durability qualities. Others may be drawn to how Modern Mill operates and its commitment to quality job creation in rural America.
What can LBM dealers emphasize to overcome customer hesitancy to make the switch to a wood alternative product?
Overcoming resistance to wood alternatives can be achieved through a combination of education, demonstrations, and addressing concerns head on. Give customers the opportunity to see and touch the product, and share success stories by asking existing customers to speak with potential customers, providing references and testimonials. Educate and incentivize by emphasizing the durability, longevity, and lower maintenance requirements of wood alternatives. Provide cost comparisons of the wood alternative to a lifetime of wood maintenance. As well, engage the experts. Ask early adopters of wood alternatives to share their experiences. Stakeholders like these tend to be trusted advisors to homeowners and developers and can often guide a conversation in a thoughtful, non-salesy way.
