Coleman's Hamilton Building Supply has opened up a new showroom in Newtown, Pa., that intentionally has less of a lumberyard feel and characteristics designed to make it attractive to a wider variety of customers.
Hamilton Building Supply already owns and operates a showroom and lumberyard across the Delaware River in Hamilton Township just outside Trenton, N.J. Owner Keith Coleman said the reason for the expansion was because the company was generating a lot of business in the Newtown area and there were no other independent lumberyards nearby.
"We were shipping more and more products to that area," Coleman said. "The demographics and lack of any real independent lumber dealer or millwork showroom presence led us to Newtown."
Coleman said the new 2,500-square-foot showroom, which opened on Nov. 22, features mostly windows and doors from Andersen and Marvin. He said the company has noticed a bit of a demand for cabinetry and may expand into that area in the future. But there won't be a lumberyard or storage facility on the site. Rather, all products will be shipped from the Hamilton location.
One of the unique characteristics of the showroom, Coleman pointed out, was that it was designed to be a "safe area" for all customers. Coleman said company officials wanted to make the showroom open to everyone, including women, architects, and interior designers.
A conference room with a big screen television and computer was built so architects, customers, and builders can meet and discuss their plans. Coleman said not having the lumberyard right there in Newtown also helps to create a more relaxed environment.
"We can completely dissociate ourselves from the lumberyard, but still remain connected to it," Coleman said.
The showroom will also be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the week and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Coleman said the change in hours was made so they could better serve customers who weren't contractors or builders.
