Kuiken Brothers gets social in Mahwah
Mahwah, N.J. — The parking lot was full at the Sheraton Crossroads Hotel for the Kuiken Brothers Product Expo, and contractor tracks with logos from builders parked neatly along the feeder roads.
The attendance was strong at the pro dealer’s 2016 Product Expo, though an official tally wasn’t available at press time, organizers felt comfortable that it was well ahead of the prior year’s attendance figure of 1,400 builders, architects and vendors.
Around the expo show floor, which spilled out into the lobby area and hallway of the hotel, builders were talking about the challenge of labor and inspiring the next generation — two issues also of great interest among pro dealers.
"Look around, and you see people who are meeting old friends,” said Ryan Mulkeen, director of marketing. "There's a lot of engagement, and a lot of interaction."
One of the reasons for the boost in attendance was the company’s ability to promote through social media — a topic that figured prominently in the expo’s educational offerings. A seminar titled “The Modern Craftsman and Social Media” promoted some best practices in the use of social media.
Among the takeaways: Instagram is where it’s at for the builder crowd. “It’s so easy to use that medium to share pictures, and that’s important to a builder or a contractor.” (The Instagram tag for the Kuiken Brothers Product Expo is: #KBExpo16 — see select posts below)
Also, the whole idea behind effective use social media for this industry: “to take pride in your work, and share that pride,” said Mulkeen.
While expanding its clicks, Kuiken Brothers is growing its footprint. The company announced in late October plans for a new location through the acquisition of a 10-acre site in Newark, N.J., on Newark Bay. Along with the expansion in Newark comes an effort within the company to reach more urban markets, where milenialls want to live and work, according to Kuiken Brothers president Doug Kuiken.
Kuiken said the company’s name reflects its broad approach to construction. It’s not Kuiken Brothers Lumber, he said, “It’s Kuiken Brothers Company, Residential and Commercial Building Materials.”
“I think of this event as a three legged-stool,” he added. “It’s Kuiken Brothers, our core vendors and our core customers.”
The attendance was strong at the pro dealer’s 2016 Product Expo, though an official tally wasn’t available at press time, organizers felt comfortable that it was well ahead of the prior year’s attendance figure of 1,400 builders, architects and vendors.
Around the expo show floor, which spilled out into the lobby area and hallway of the hotel, builders were talking about the challenge of labor and inspiring the next generation — two issues also of great interest among pro dealers.
"Look around, and you see people who are meeting old friends,” said Ryan Mulkeen, director of marketing. "There's a lot of engagement, and a lot of interaction."
One of the reasons for the boost in attendance was the company’s ability to promote through social media — a topic that figured prominently in the expo’s educational offerings. A seminar titled “The Modern Craftsman and Social Media” promoted some best practices in the use of social media.
Among the takeaways: Instagram is where it’s at for the builder crowd. “It’s so easy to use that medium to share pictures, and that’s important to a builder or a contractor.” (The Instagram tag for the Kuiken Brothers Product Expo is: #KBExpo16 — see select posts below)
Also, the whole idea behind effective use social media for this industry: “to take pride in your work, and share that pride,” said Mulkeen.
While expanding its clicks, Kuiken Brothers is growing its footprint. The company announced in late October plans for a new location through the acquisition of a 10-acre site in Newark, N.J., on Newark Bay. Along with the expansion in Newark comes an effort within the company to reach more urban markets, where milenialls want to live and work, according to Kuiken Brothers president Doug Kuiken.
Kuiken said the company’s name reflects its broad approach to construction. It’s not Kuiken Brothers Lumber, he said, “It’s Kuiken Brothers Company, Residential and Commercial Building Materials.”
“I think of this event as a three legged-stool,” he added. “It’s Kuiken Brothers, our core vendors and our core customers.”