LOUISVILLE, Ohio – May 12, 2015 – H-P Products, Inc., leading manufacturer of central vacuum systems, recently hosted its successful central vacuum Dealer Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. Top dealers from around the country gathered to network and hear from H-P about the state of the central vacuum market and what opportunities lie ahead. The event was filled with idea sharing, valuable educational sessions, discussions about emerging central vacuum trends and new dealer marketing and builder programs H-P is currently developing.
A major topic at the meeting was the state of the homebuilding industry and home buyer trends across different demographics, and how this is effecting sales of central vacuum systems. Since a large portion of central vacuum installations are driven by new construction, H-P cited several statistics from the Commerce Department and 2014 NAHB State of the Homebuilder Industry to paint a picture of the market for the dealers in attendance.
H-P highlighted several other positive market forces that are contributing to a resurgence in central vacuum sales. In addition to new housing starts, the company cited historically low interest rates, a looming housing shortage, increasing home values, and a huge number of buyers in the pipeline. In fact, H-P vice president Greg Calderone noted that Generation X and Y (those born after 1980), make up 61% of current new home buyers and that cultural trends make these connected generations more likely to understand the value of central vacuum systems.
“Across all generations, we’re seeing a trend towards quick-clean convenience, which makes sense since we eat faster, communicate faster and are more connected than at any other time in history,” said Greg Calderone. “The convenience trend correlates with a key central vacuum value proposition, so that’s a positive, but we as an industry can do a better job understanding the nuances of selling to a retired couple building their dream home versus a millennial buying his or her first home.”
To emphasize this point, H-P dedicated an entire session to generational selling and the most effective approaches when working with Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millenials. For instance, Baby Boomers are much more comfortable with a high-touch over high-tech approach and prefer face-to-face communication. Conversely, millennials are incredibly tech savvy, prefer visuals over text, and may actually avoid a business if the website is poorly executed.
“I was refreshed by H-P Products’ focus on generational demographics and how we need to consider selling to each generation differently. It was also encouraging to consider how the central vacuum market and the new housing market are so closely related,” said Kevin Bennett, sales and operations manager, CJ Miller Vacuum Center, Inc. “One area I am seeking to change internally is our own staff demographic to bring in more employees from the Millennial generation as we prepare for an influx of customers within their age group over the next few years.”
Rick Neufeld, Chattanooga Central Vacuums, also felt encouraged by those statistics and took away an arsenal of sales tips and best practices from fellow dealers at the summit. “As someone just breaking into the central vacuum industry, I was looking to network and really learn from dealers who have decades of experience to share,” Neufeld said. “I couldn’t have asked for a more productive first dealer meeting. I took in a great deal of relevant information and I feel confident moving forward in this business.”
In addition to the useful knowledge and industry perspective shared at the meeting, H-P treated dealers to some fun. Many dealers participated in offsite activities including a golf outing, shopping trip and desert botanical garden tour. H-P’s meeting sponsors also held a trade show for all the attending dealers, which allowed them to meet with some of the company’s vendor partners, including: Canplas Industries, Ametek/Lamb Electric, Plastiflex, Wessel-Werk, Flexaust, Electro Motor Inc., Hide-A-Hose, Jabat, Myraton and Sebo.
The H-P Products team ended the meeting with a crescendo by honoring the remarkable sales accomplishments of top dealers with an award ceremony and dinner that left attendees feeling motivated and prepared for the opportunities that lie ahead.
H-P Products is celebrating its 60th year of manufacturing central vacuums and the 2015 dealer meeting also represented an opportunity for dealers and executive leadership to reflect on the changes in the industry and the roller coaster ride it has been the last decade.
A confident Calderone said, “There’s a huge volume of young home buyers entering the market in the next five to ten years, which presents a tremendous opportunity for central vacuum dealers who understand their motivations and the new media channels they depend on every day. These are potential long-term customers who will get used to the benefits and quick-clean convenience of central vac early on and carry that later into life.”
For more information about H-P Products, please visit http://www.h-pproducts.com/.
About H-P Products
Since 1945, H-P Products (http://www.h-pproducts.com/) has been a customer-driven company that is committed to manufacturing high-quality catalog and custom fabricated tubular products and accessories for industrial and commercial applications. H-P Products also designs and manufactures built-in central vacuum systems for residences and RVs.
H-P Products distributes products to over 35 countries and continues to grow worldwide as a result of its diversified product line, flexible manufacturing capabilities, and by standing behind its products, services, values and people.
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