Dot comedy: with a laugh or two along the way, Ply Mart transformed a static Web site into a next-generation e-commerce suite of sales and support systems - With Honors

Prosales, Dec, 2002 by Chris Wood

Like most companies in the mid-'90s, Norcross, Ga.-based Ply Mart found itself searching for a Web presence as 1,000 dot-com companies were promising easy, point-and-click profit. As Y2K and the dot-com bust rode off with the dream of an e-business revolution and the revenue it promised, Ply Mart opted to focus its technology efforts instead on a steady, in-house approach based on the simplicity of the existing dealer-builder relationship. Combining traditional LBM supplier entrepreneurialship and a healthy sense of humor, Ply Mart has leveraged company talent to deliver an A-list Internet and e-commerce package for under $250,000. Ply Mart senior vice president Bill Hoifus stops by (likely on the way back from a gig at the Improv) to shed some light on the project.

ProSales: Tell us about the inception of Ply Mart's Web site and Internet services?

Hoifus: Back in 1998, our president, Randy Mahaffey, thought it would be neat if we could put www.plymart.com on our business cards. All of his friends had Web sites on their business cards, and we didn't have the heart to tell him we did not have a Web site. So the race to catch up was on. The Internet was new territory and, Randy wanted us to be on the "bleeding edge" of technological innovation. So, we hired a firm to build our Web site, which turned out to be inspired by James Dean--it was a Web site without a cause.

Like many companies, we set up the site and quickly neglected it for about two years. Then it happened--the year 2000 arrived and we didn't all die or get abducted by aliens. There we were with the unfinished, obsolete Web site lingering by our side like a drunken uncle at a community social.

ProSales: Can you describe the post-Y2K development of plymart.com?

Hoifus: We decided to spare no expense in the re-creation of our Web site. After an exhaustive search for design talent, we decided to do the work in-house with a $12,000 budget. We are fortunate to have Tom Matula on staff, a driver turned purchasing agent with an interest in and talent for Web design. Tom was only working about 50 hours a week and needed something to do with his downtime. Management knew we had the right guy when we saw the dispatcher at Tom's branch had a better home page than Ply Mart corporate. Tom caught the essence of the company like no one else could.

ProSales: What were some of the applications that Ply Mart incorporated into the redesign?

Hoifus: With Tom's attractive and updated Web site in place, the time was right to put it to work. Our goal was to support our contractors with service that will have value and save them time and money. The initiative was to provide valuable information, current pricing for bids and quotes 24/7, online ordering and invoicing, and electronic payment capabilities. We supported those features with new and current product information and the most important requirement: a link to weatherchannel.com.

The site has evolved into a Web tool that supports our customers, our accounting department, our sales force, and our suppliers. Some of the products we now serve up on the Net are PlyMartExpress [electronic payment], Contractor Access [pricing and invoicing], Turbo Ticket [remote purchase ordering], and an electronic product catalog that is like no other. The catalog was my idea.

ProSales: Can you describe the catalog in more detail?

Hoifus: The catalog is a recent addition and is unique in that it brings together name recognition of a quality builder, a quality supplier, and a quality manufacturer all in one marketing effort. When a contractor creates a personalized, online product catalog for a home buyer or jobsite, he in effect creates a bond between his company, Ply Mart, and the manufacturer. This is what our suppliers always wanted, what we needed, and what the builder deserved. Our suppliers were very supportive of this venture and authorized marketing funds to be directed to this project. It sure beat spending our co-op and marketing funds on T-shirts and hats! We get a good builder's name, a quality supplier's name, and a known manufacturer name--three brand images staring at the home buyer--why would they want to go anyplace else?

ProSales: Why do you believe Ply Mart's online initiatives exemplify "excellence" in the industry?

Hoifus: Excellence is the quality of being the best of its kind, first class. To pursue excellence in our e-commerce endeavor we had to get a grip on technology in our industry. We knew that with the right people, we could create something great. There were plenty of offerings that provided technology for the sake of technology. All of these Internet providers had the image that building materials dealers were making money hand over fist and were eager to charge fees that would increase costs to our customers.

We were not willing to give up a large chunk of our pre-tax profits to some third-party, no-risk, no-sweat guy in a suit who spoke in acronyms. Luckily, we found [current MIS director] Chris Mahaffey looking for a challenge after earning his masters degree in finance. I'm sure there is a connection between finance and information technology, but I'm not sure what it is. But Chris understood that the building supply business is all about providing products and services to the construction industry. It has never been about getting rich through e-commerce transaction fees--our customers were not willing to pay extra for services that we already provided for free.