Customer Champions of Retail and Building Supply

As the year comes to a close, it’s been our privilege to bring building supply and retail leaders, customers, and partners together for an Insights gathering focused on the needs, solutions, and innovation of our unique industries.  

One of the most rewarding experiences of this conference is the time we dedicate to celebrating those customers who have taken their business to new levels using Epicor solutions. The following winners have gone the extra mile for their employees and their customers, and their success mirrors their dedication. 

Building Supply Champion (BisTrack): Eikenhout  

A model of consistency, Eikenhout has been in the industry for over 128 years. Founded as a single roofing supply company, they have evolved into a highly regarded distributor of building supplies with 10 locations across Michigan.

As they continue to scale, the company uses Epicor solutions, including Epicor BisTrack, Epicor Warehouse Management System (WMS) at all ten of their locations, Epicor Commerce (about to launch) and Epicor Grow to harness vital business intelligence. For example, they’ve seen an 80% decrease in credit code releases since streamlining the process for managing customer credit changes.  

As Vice President of Operations Sean Scully Says, “We are an independent business going up against huge national chains, so we must leverage technology to stay competitive. Epicor has helped us tremendously with that.” For reducing customer pain points while dramatically increasing efficiency, Eikenhout is our Executive Building Supply Champion for BisTrack.  

Building Supply Champion (LumberTrack): J. Gibson McIlvain Company

J. Gibson McIlvain Company has been a trusted purveyor of high-quality domestic and imported lumber and architectural millwork since the early days of our nation. Founded in 1798, the company prides itself on having “total quality control throughout the entire supply chain, from the forest anywhere in the world all the way to your job site.” 

Providing their discerning customers with everything from single mouldings to lumber for high-end boat builds, the business uses Epicor solutions like LumberTrack and Epicor ECM to capture and store key documents, simplify processes, and manage any document from any location, on any device. These automated solutions reduce time, errors, and the risk of duplicate data, freeing them up to concentrate on exceeding customer expectations.

These businesses are thriving testimonials to the value of partnership, the importance of consistency, and the power of technology to help retailers and building suppliers make key decisions with confidence, clarity, and speed. For using Epicor solutions to simplify end-to-end supply chain management, J. Gibson McIlvain Company is our Building Supply Champion for LumberTrack.

Retail Champion (Eagle): Family Farm & Home

A family-owned business for 23 years, Family Farm & Home began in western Michigan. From two initial stores, they now have over 70 retail locations across Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.   

They pride themselves on supplying customers with a wide range of hardware and lifestyle products, offering everything from tools to pet supplies. When it came to their RMS, they quickly realized they needed a solution that would accommodate their continued growth while prioritizing convenience and in-stock inventory for customers, as well as ease of onboarding for employees.  

"We looked for a system that would handle every aspect of the business: accounts payable, general ledger, purchasing, point of sale, and inventory management," said CFO Bob Tarrant. "It needed to be a one-stop shop and we found Epicor to be the best solution for everything." For leveraging Epicor Eagle to support their significant expansion and ongoing community engagement, Family Farm & Home is our Executive Retail Champion for Eagle. 

Retail Champion (Propello): Madison Garden Center

As a 65-year-old, family-owned retailer, Madison Garden Center is a busy place that includes a nursery, a greenhouse, and a flower shop. To help the company grow as robustly as their plants, Madison Garden Center made a dramatic change from a very outdated system to cloud-based Epicor Propello.

Among the many advantages of Propello, Business Manager Kara Harris identifies their new points-based, Leaf Loot loyalty program as a game-changer. According to Harris, “Since its launch, over 8,000 customers have joined the program, with repeat purchase rates climbing to 55%. Even more exciting, members of the Leaf Loot program spend an average of 15-21% more than non-members, reflecting the power of exceptional customer service and engagement.”  For transforming how they do business and creatively developing customer loyalty, Madison Garden Center is our Retail Champion for Propello.  

Thank you to our hardworking winners.   We invite you to explore additional ways we’re collaborating with customers to showcase success stories through our Champion Circle reference program.