Illinois Brick Company, the family-owned, fourth generation distributor of masonry and other related construction materials, once again offered a totally focused day of business, fun and professional networking. The firm hosted its 12th Annual IBC Manufacturers Showcase on Tuesday, February 5th at the Drury Lane Conference Center in Oak Brook Terrace, Illinois.
With nearly 300 guests in attendance, “The Showcase” featured all the latest products in the masonry industry, including products from IBC’s new advanced cladding division focusing on rainscreen and precast products. Educational events included both AIA and non-AIA accredited seminars, product demonstrations and a highly spirited networking cocktail hour.
IBC’s President, Jordan Hanson declared, “This was IBC’s largest Showcase to date. We had over 50 vendors demonstrating their products and services, of which 10 were first-timers to this event. New products and programs were introduced, all strategically presented to the hundreds of people in attendance.”
Jeff Johnson, Summitville Tiles, Inc.’s Midwest Sales Representative commented, “This is our first time participating at The Showcase, as we are a fairly new partner with IBC. Clearly, it is much more than expected. IBC is a ‘powerhouse’ distributor with a very similar corporate structure, still family-owned, much like Summitville. We truly respect that aspect.”
Matt Pfotenhauer, Quikrete’s Spec Mix Product Specialist added, “As a sponsor of The Showcase since its inception in 2007, we believe in it and what it has to offer. There is such a wide variety of attendees including architects, contractors and engineers. It appeals to everyone in this industry, giving us opportunities to meet with our existing customers, as well as being able to connect with new ones.”
Jeff Moen, General Manager of CupaClad North America, a new IBC supplier and first-time exhibitor at The Showcase, stated, “This entire event couldn’t have been more professionally staged. From minute one, that was clearly evident to every attendee… with the scheduled educational seminars and well-populated vendor area.”
When asked “what most do you like about partnering with Illinois Brick,” most everyone’s answer was the same. “IBC seldom says ‘no.’ Rather, when asked questions about how best to proceed forward, the typical IBC response is, ‘Let’s see how take care of this for you.’ Without question, this old school philosophy still works at optimal levels.”
IBC’s Annual Manufacturers Showcase also included an extravagant lunch buffet with various industry clad raffle prizes, and a few flat screen televisions, awarded.
As employees, suppliers and customers began to leave, Nathan Karaway, IBC’s VP of Architectural Sales summed up the event. “Every year, our showcase is better than the previous year. As IBC continues to grow, so does this event. We know that next year, we must improve even more so… for our manufacturing partners as well as for our customers. All of us at IBC welcome that challenge!”
About IBC
As one of the largest independently-owned and operated brick, stone, tile, landscape and overall masonry supply companies in the U.S., Illinois Brick Company serves its customers by staying true to its core values—what they consider to be the building blocks for its customer’s success.
Illinois Brick Company. 8995 W. 95th Street, Palos Hills, IL 60465. Call: 708-237-5600 Email: info@illinoisbrick.com. www.IlllinoisBrick.com.