Be inspired. Be wowed. Be different. Those are the promises of Western Nevada Supply’s newest showroom, INSPIRE. The 8,000-square-foot showroom located in the Greater Reno-Sparks Area, is the latest of Western Nevada Supply’s three showroom locations. 

Affectionately known as the “Blue Team,” since 1964 Western Nevada Supply has been offering home and commercial bath and kitchen décor from quality name brands in a variety of modern styles. Owned and operated by the Reviglio family, it is the people within the company who have helped the company to make a lasting impression on the community and the industry.

This past December marked one year since the showroom opened in 2016. The Wholesaler magazine recently caught up with Rick Reviglio, the co-owner, president and general manager of Western Nevada Supply. Following are the insights that he shared on what the first year in operation was like for INSPIRE and what may come for the showroom in the near future. 

Q: How did you dream this showroom up and what are you planning to accomplish that you could not do with the former showroom?

A: This dream was almost two decades in the making. We focused, first, on expanding our wholesale business’ into other markets such as Hydronics, Solar and Industrial. Just when we thought about pulling the trigger, we were hit with the Great Recession. Northern Nevada was the No. 1 hardest hit market in the country, according to a Wall Street Journal story released in September of 2009. This pushed things back until we recovered. Our goal since opening the new showroom is to attract people from the outlying areas we service, such as Truckee, Carson and Bishop, which our old showroom did not attract. Our goal is to give everyone the very best experience with a relaxing, spa-like, comfortable, clutter-free, spacious, hands-on showroom featuring operable showers and kitchen faucets. We want to have a showroom that showcases vignettes that people can see when driving by. We want to give them the very best experience and one that they would certainly promote to others. 

Q: In touring other showrooms for insights and inspiration, what lessons did you learn along the way? How did ideas from those showrooms play out in the new showroom?

A: We noticed many showrooms are very cluttered and filled with all kinds of marketing tools promoting all the brands that they sell. We wanted to make sure ours was not cluttered, instead it was spacious and well laid out. We followed the “less is more concept.” We also wanted no manufacturer’s brands promoted. We are a “non-branded” showroom. We want people to choose the product by the look and feel that they like, rather than the brand. We also noticed many showrooms did not have hands-on, working products, just a few did. We really liked the idea of the working products and moved forward in that direction.

Q: Can you talk about the designer of the showroom? What did they accomplish that you are proud of? What design aspects help your showroom stand apart?

A: We used everyone local, that was very important to us. Our architect was Don Mackey, who has won many local awards and is talented and progressive. We used a local builder, Dianda Construction, who are dear friends and a staple in our community. For the design, we used David Hawkins Design out of Ohio. The owner, David, has extensive experience in the showroom wholesale business across the country. He was outstanding and played a huge role in our layout, function, design and working products. He specifically designed the software for our 50 operable shower heads. This was an all-star team and you can see that in the finished product. The display case work is all the same color, so we are showcasing the product through a very nice, high-end design. The layout and flow of the showroom keeps the customer wanting to see what’s next around the corner. One of the showroom highlights is the display of 50 operable shower heads from a Crestron system. Customers can walk in the shower and feel the spray of the shower head. We have another Crestron system that runs our audio system. With four big screen TVs, we can show sports, HGTV, The Food Channel, and other channels in addition to having the option of using the TVs for product training in the showroom.

Q: Who do you consider your competitors? Other local PHCP wholesaler showrooms? Kitchen & Bath design stores? Home centers? 

A: All the above. We have a very competitive nationally branded wholesaler down the street who does a good job. And, the retailers are always nipping at us too, along with the internet getting stronger every day.

Q: What brands are featured in the showroom?

A: TOTO, DXV, American Standard, Hansgrohe, Wetstyle, Bainultra, ROHL, ELKAY, FRANKE, Mr. Steam, Moen, Dornbrackt, Fairmont Designs, Watermark, MAAX, Hydrosystems, Stone Forest, Phylrich, Lacava are just some of our featured brands.

Q: How is the showroom staffed? How is staff incentivized in terms of showroom sales?

A: We are one of the few non-commissioned wholesale houses in the country. No one in our company works on commission, nor does anyone in our showroom. We do not want this kind of pressure on our people or the customer. We all get paid on the bottom line and see bonus’ at year’s end. This drives a team approach and creates an atmosphere where everyone is working together for the customer.

Q: How do you work with contractors who send their customers to the showroom?

A: We are one of the few Kitchen & Bath showrooms who still sell most of our product through the plumbing contractors. The contractor sends the end user in and we show them price ranges. But, the plumber gives the final pricing. We also have strong relationships with the design community. It is a blessing having the design community refer us and rely on our showroom and team.

Q: How do you handle the retail customer who comes in? Do you sell directly to them? Or do you have a referral program?

A: We will sell to a retail end user only after we ascertain that there is no plumber involved or the plumber does not want to be involved.  We do get referrals from several tile and granite shops in town too.

Q: What is the estimated percentage breakdown of your showroom sales from professionals versus direct-to-consumer?

A: This probably falls into the good ‘ole 80/20 rule of 80 percent through the contractor and 20 percent through retail.

Q: Are you going after new construction, primarily, or remodeling? Or are both equally important?

A: Both are equally important, as well as the person looking for a toilet, new showerhead, or kitchen faucet. Whether it’s a single faucet sell or a complete custom home, we value every customer’s business.

Q: Do you offer online shopping for the showroom?

A: No, we have not ventured into this market. It is very intriguing, but we have focused on hands-on selling.

Q: Since opening the new showroom, what have you all learned so far?

A: Having a state of the art showroom gets people talking and wanting to come see what’s new. The showroom has high visibility from a busy street, with several window vignettes people get inspired to come in and spend money. The concept that “if you build it, they will come” has worked well for us.

Q: Are there any changes in the works for 2018 based on what you all have experienced to date?

A: We have added a couple new product lines, but no big changes planned for 2018.

Q: Is there anything about the showroom or your company that you would like to add? 

A: We are a second generation, family-owned, independent company. We love our business, the employees, the community and our customers. We learn each and every day from our customers and their daily experiences. Our goal is to every day find better ways to deliver products in a timelier and more competitive way. It is all about continuous improvement. We are 100% committed to helping our customers.

Visit www.inspireshowroom.com