Smarter Building Materials Marketing

What does it look like to bring an entirely new product category into residential construction? On this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Beth talks with Brian Sheng, Co-Founder and CEO of Aquaria, about building a company that delivers clean water to homes by harvesting it from the air. Brian shares how Aquaria found its first customers, why they positioned alongside solar and back...

We're bringing this one back for the brand and strategy folks in our audience. Jenny Nail's conversation on how Oldcastle APG is balancing B2B partnerships with a direct-to-consumer push (and putting the homeowner at the center of all of it) has only gotten more relevant as that shift continues to play out across the industry. If you missed it, this is a good one to catch. Enjoy! What do...

We're pulling this one out of the archive for the sales folks in our audience. Bradley Hartmann's conversation on value-based selling has only gotten more relevant since it first aired — so we wanted to make sure it got in front of anyone who missed it, and give returning listeners a reason to come back to it. Enjoy! What happens when market conditions shift and your team has to learn ho...

We're bringing this one back. Karli Slocum's conversation with Beth on digital strategy, self-serve experiences, and brand consistency in the building materials space was packed with insights that hold up ... and then some. If you missed it the first time around, now's your shot. If you caught it already, it's worth a second listen. Enjoy! How do you serve a customer who wants...

In a product category where white is white and red is red, how does a manufacturer stand out? On this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Zach and Beth talk with Brandon Guthrie, Marketing Director at Durasein Solid Surface, about how the company invested in a full-scale rebrand, built a specification-first go-to-market strategy, and created a brand that architects and designers actua...

Trade shows are one of the biggest line items in a building products marketing budget, but too many manufacturers treat their booths like product showrooms instead of experiences. On this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Beth talks with Shaun Jennings, Senior Marketing Communications Manager at FastenMaster, about what it actually takes to make a trade show booth work. They cover h...

This week’s episode is a little different. Instead of a guest interview, Beth shares a field report from IBS 2026 in Orlando — breaking down what actually stood out on the show floor. From hidden products made visible, to gamified lead capture, to brands repositioning themselves around partnership instead of product, this episode unpacks the booth strategies that felt intentional and the ones that...

Acoustic products are technical, customizable, and often overlooked in commercial construction. So how does a manufacturer stand out in a category where performance matters more than aesthetics and complexity can overwhelm buyers? On this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Beth talks with Cody Martell, Marketing Director at Conwed, about simplifying complex product lines, segmenting...

Florida Paints has been around for decades, competing in a category where brand loyalty, regional trust, and contractor relationships matter just as much as price. But proving the impact of marketing in that environment isn’t simple. In this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Beth sits down with Santiago Quintero, Director of Marketing at Florida Paints, to talk about how the company...

AI is quickly changing how product imagery gets created, edited, and personalized in building materials. In this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Beth and Zach talk with Greg Weyman, Founder and Managing Partner at MarketThrive, about how manufacturers are blending AI and CGI to build scalable visual content libraries. Greg shares how these tools are helping brands visualize comple...

Garage doors are often an afterthought. But the right door can boost curb appeal, improve energy efficiency, and deliver one of the highest ROIs in home improvement. In this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Zach and Beth talk with Tina Mealer, Director of Marketing at Haas Door, about why this category deserves more attention. Tina shares how her team is helping builders and dealer...

INTUS Windows designs and manufactures high-performance windows and doors for commercial and multifamily projects. On this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Beth PopNikolov sits down with Kurtis Perdelwitz, INTUS’s Director of Marketing & Communications, to unpack how the brand has embraced alignment between sales, marketing, and customer service—and the surprising tech that’s h...

EuroCave invented the first wine cabinet nearly 50 years ago. Now the company is using market intelligence to launch Goguette, a design-forward brand built for modern wine lovers in the U.S. Camille Frey-Syren, Director of Brands at EuroCave Group, joins Beth to share how they turned French heritage into an accessible lifestyle brand and what every manufacturer can learn about entering and winning...

Marketing in the home improvement industry is evolving fast—but consumers still want what they’ve always wanted: speed, clarity, and convenience. On this episode of Smarter Building Materials Marketing, Beth PopNikolov sits down with Josh Churnick, Chief Marketing Officer at Express Flooring, to explore how his team is building a high-volume marketing engine that delivers real results in real time...

What does it take to create a brand-new product in the home building space — and scale it from idea to IPO? On this episode, Beth PopNikolov talks with Galiano Tiramani, co-founder of BOXABL, about the foldable casita that has generated over a billion social views and what it means to turn that attention into sales, distribution, and a long-term strategy for disrupting affordable housing.

Homebuyers don’t fall in love with square footage. They fall in love with moments. In this episode, we explore how one often-overlooked product category can help builders sell more homes. Kurt Stauffacher, Senior National Account Manager at Hearth & Home Technologies (Heat & Glo, Heatilator), shares how to turn fireplaces into model-home centerpieces, adapt to spec and attached housing tre...

How do you bring clarity, consistency, and energy to a category still fighting for mainstream adoption? In this episode, Beth and Zach sit down with Audree Grubesic—Offsite Construction ambassador and founder of Offsite Dirt Network—to talk about what’s really happening inside the modular movement. Audree shares how she went from builder to media creator, how modular has evolved over the past deca...

What does it take to lead growth inside one of the most recognizable names in building products? Beth sits down with Jenny Nail, Chief Revenue Officer at Oldcastle APG, to explore how the brand has evolved beyond masonry into a full outdoor living powerhouse. Jenny shares how Oldcastle APG is balancing B2B partnerships with a growing direct-to-consumer focus, how customer decision-making is shifti...

What do you get when you put four outspoken leaders from the modular world on one mic? A very honest, very unfiltered conversation about what actually works when it comes to social media, sales, and brand presence in construction. In this special episode, guest host Heather Wallace from Momentum Innovation Group leads a follow-up panel discussion with Steve Dubin of Rmax, Merrick Macomber of Modul...

How do you serve a customer who wants to be hands-on and self-serve—but still expects a high-touch experience when it counts? In this episode, Beth talks with Karli Slocum, Vice President of Marketing and Product at 3form, about building the digital tools designers actually want, translating online behavior into offline sales, and making sure the brand shows up consistently from product sample to...

What happens when market conditions shift and your team has to learn how to sell again? In this episode, Beth talks with Bradley Hartmann, CEO of Bradley Hartmann & Co., about how to train sales teams that have grown used to order-taking, how to clearly define sales activity, and why tightening the feedback loop between sales and marketing might be the most underrated growth lever in building...

What happens when a family-owned manufacturer known for its values decides to take on modern lead generation? In this episode, Beth sits down with Jake Calhoun, Vice President of Marketing at ProVia, to talk about navigating legacy, managing modern messaging, and bridging the gap between product and service in one of the industry’s most competitive categories.

What if being the first in your category made you the Kleenex of your market? And how do you turn that into a lasting advantage? In this episode, we talk to Dean McIntyre, president of Ayrsonics and CEO of the McIntyre Group, about building a brand that stands out in the competitive world of acoustic products. Dean shares why they diversified, how they pivoted during economic downturns, and how th...

Architects may be the ultimate influencers in the building process, but winning their specification is only the beginning—and one missed detail or a slow sample delivery can lose you the next project. In this episode, Beth PopNikolov and Zach Williams sit down with Benjamin Glunz, CEO of Anguleris (the company behind Swatchbox and other essential tools for architects and designers). Together, they...

Navigating today’s unpredictable job market requires more than great products—it demands smart, proactive hiring strategies and transparent leadership. In this episode, Cassie Fosher, President of SnapDragon Associates, shares what building materials manufacturers need to know about recruiting right now. From high-demand sales roles to shifting candidate expectations, you’ll learn what top talent...