Case Study, Suppliers

A Strategy for Growth from $2 to $10 million in 5 years

February 15, 2023

“Through PlanHub, we can automatically see who’s bidding on jobs in our area and connect with them. I’d recommend it to anyone! ” Roderick Hearn, Ironrod Steel Co

Summary

Challenges

Finding new customers in the greater Houston area
Access to the right contacts
Managing business growth to reach the rest of Texas and the US

Solution

Connect with general contractors and subcontractors to spur growth and create lasting business relationships.
Out-of-Network Directory tool allows access to a network of over 55,000 general contractors and 350,000 subcontractors in 397 key trades.

Results

Poised for expansion throughout the US.
Virtually unlimited upside with the ability to find the right projects and connect with the right people.
Plan to increase revenue from $2 to $10 million over the next 5 years.

Challenges

Roderick Hearn built Ironrod Steel Company, a thriving metal building materials supplier, from the ground up in just 6 years. Starting as a welders helper, he soon was taking jobs on his own. The scrap and metal leftover from his jobs began to fill up his garage. Soon, he began to sell the leftover products and invest that money back into buying surplus metal. Word of mouth spread and before he knew it, selling metal had become his full time job. That’s how Ironrod Steel was born. Roderick says,

“We kept growing steadily, so I started doing some manufacturing to supplement the raw materials we had started with.”

In just 6 years, the business expanded and grew to $2 million in revenue. Roderick realized that now his business had entered a new phase of growth. He needed to reach farther outside his traditional market in the greater Houston area. Hearn explains,

“I wanted to build a good system of making contact with companies and contractors that we didn’t know existed – and they didn’t know we existed!”

That meant finding a smart way to reach a larger network of general contractors and subcontractors to sell his products to support sales efforts in the rest of Texas and even throughout the United States.

Solution

“PlanHub gave me a demo. Immediately, I could see that this would be a great channel to find those subcontractors, and those general contractors that are very active in the construction industry. This gives us a way to target them”

After his free trial, Hearn says that he was hooked.

“We focus on providing rebar to concrete companies and structural steel to the subs for the steel work.”

PlanHub lets Hearn use keywords and filters to easily find projects in his targeted area.

“It’s quick to find a list of matching projects, I can immediately make contact with the general contractors and the subs bidding on it. It gives me a headstart with relationship building.”

As an active member of PlanHub, Hearn can access and search for keywords within the plan documents to identify how much of his products are needed, helping him prepare for discussions with contractors and to provide accurate quotes.

Results

PlanHub has changed the way Hearn manages keeping his new business pipeline filled. Before, he had to use a very indirect route to get a line on new projects. He used the grapevine and worked his connections – talking to general contractors he knew about what might be coming up. Yet, since general contractors weren’t usually the ones who purchased his supplies, this strategy was time-consuming and there was no guarantee it would pay off.

“I had to put in a lot of extra leg work. It was an added step in the process, since we usually sell materials to subcontractors.”

With PlanHub, he says that he can see who posted each project, immediately make contact, and start building a relationship. What’s more, he can view the subcontractors who are bidding on the trades that need his materials. Now he says,

“I log into PlanHub every day, it’s part of my strategy to expand my business’s reach. When asked if he would recommend PlanHub to others, he had this to say, “PlanHub is a great platform. I think anybody who tries it will find success.”

IRONROD Steel Co, visit their website for more information.