“PlanHub provides matching leads that are still in the planning process – so I can get in front of people at the right time.” – Sara Rothenberg, FTECH Organization & Storage
Summary
FTECH is using PlanHub to find early-stage projects that match their product lines – and grow the business.
Challenges
- Making new contacts with architects, owners, and general contractors
- Generating leads from a wider range of sources
- Getting into projects at an early stage
Solutions
- Flexible search identifies projects in their service area and that match their needs
- Leadfinder allows FTECH to connect with project owners and architects while in the planning stage
Results
- Ramping up new business and making connections with the right people at the right time
Challenges
For over 10 years, FTECH Organization & Storage specializes in keeping commercial businesses of all types organized. The company has designed, installed and consulted filing and storage systems for businesses of all kinds, including the Detroit Institute of Art, Metropolitan Life Insurance, Comerica Bank, Detroit Board of Education, Henry Ford Hospital, Newaygo County Sheriff, and many more. Sara Rothenburg, says that while many companies are less reliant on paper these days, storage is still at the heart of most businesses.
The family-owned company has expanded from traditional filing systems to a wider range of storage systems over the last decade.
“We’re really starting to focus more on general storage, like property and evidence for police departments or the types of projects that have lots of bulky items, or everything is a different size and you need to find an efficient way to store them. Things that are not necessarily paper-based.”
One main focus of her job is new business. Sara explains,
“We have long established relationships with local architects and general contractors. We also look at construction journals to see what kinds of projects are happening.”
Finding new ways to generate leads is always a challenge.
“Getting in front of the right people, at the right time. It’s all about timing, really. The most frustrating thing is when you find out about a project, but it’s already been put out to bid.”
She continues,
“Finding the right person to speak to is hard. Is it owner-provided? Is the city bidding it out, is this county bidding it out? Did they already find somebody? Those pieces can be challenging.”
Finding early stage projects is also important because the impact of COVID on lead times is still lingering.
“Even post-COVID, we’re still seeing longer lead times. Before COVID, lead times were 6-8 weeks. They can still be as long as 12-14 weeks.”
Solution
As of March, Sara has been a PlanHub Premier member for three months – and she’s finding PlanHub extremely useful. One of her favorite features is Leadfinder which she uses to identify projects early in the planning stage, connect with more project owners and general contractors, build new relationships, and continue to grow her family business.
“I like the flexibility of the search. I can filter by type of construction or building — we do a lot of government work. I can narrow it down using keywords to find projects that call for our products like shelving, mobile shelving, and lockers. And I can find projects that are still in the planning phase.”
Results
Sara is excited to have a new way to drum up business,
“Leadfinder is valuable to my business. I can find projects early on and follow up from there. This gives me the ability to get in front of the right people at the right time.”
“I log into PlanHub multiple times a week,” she says, “I am going to continue to explore what it can do. This is just the beginning!”
Learn more about FTECH Organization & Storage
