Top Showrooms: Millard Lumber Inc. shines in Omaha
Both Millard Lumber Inc.’s locations in Nebraska feature full-scale lumberyards along with manufacturing facilities for trusses, wall panels, and engineered wood products at its Waverly location.
The prodealer’s flagship Omaha facility serves as its priority showroom, however. The location also features millwork operations including prehung doors, window assembly, and a custom cabinet shop.
Millard Lumber’s Vice President of Sales, Don Rowe, told HBSDealer that when the showroom was designed, the company wanted an authentic site where pros could bring their customers to touch and feel the products they would be using in the house. Nearly 15 years later, and the showroom remains up-to-date with a realistic approach to displaying products.
“We didn’t want to have freestanding displays - we actually built them into the walls,” Rowe says.
The vice president describes the showroom as having a “serpentine flow” to its arrangement.
“When you walk into the showroom, every time you take a few steps, there’s something new that will hit you,” Rowe explains.
The showroom features six cabinet vignettes along with Andersen Windows & Doors. Exterior and interior doors from Masonite in addition to windows from Weather Shield and Quaker are also part of the mix.
As the company celebrates its 75th anniversary, changing displays can be a significant investment at the 12,500-square-foot showroom as Millard Lumber keeps its showroom relevant. Remodelers are brought in to pull old products out and replace them with the latest designer trends, Rowe notes.
“The showroom is almost in a constant evolution,” Rowe says. “That keeps us fresh and current. In our contractors’ eyes, they want to see the latest and greatest.”
Along with four kitchen designers at the Omaha location, the company has three hardware specialists who work with contractors, interior designers, and homeowners. The company’s Waverly, Nebraska location also has four kitchen designers as well.
Entry handle sets, door hardware, cabinet pulls, towel bars, and decorative hardware are another major focus to Millard Lumber’s showroom presence in Omaha.
“We feature high-end hardware, but we also have all the price points on display,” Rowe says. “We keep them current.”
Click here to take a virtual tour of Millard Lumber’s Omaha showroom.
