Podcast Summary: Owned and Operated, Episode #243

Title: Home Service Contractors: Stop Overpaying for Parts!
Host: John Wilson
Guest: Jen Laughlin (wesupplytrades.com)
Date: September 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, John Wilson welcomes Jen Laughlin from we Supply Trades, an online distributor specializing in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical supplies. The conversation dives into how contractors can stop overpaying for parts by exploring alternative suppliers, leveraging exclusive brands, and building strong wholesaler partnerships. The focus is on actionable strategies to improve margins, manage supply chain pain points, and thrive in a consolidating market.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to We Supply Trades

• What is We Supply Trades?
  • An online supply house offering HVAC, plumbing, and some electrical parts and tools (02:09).
  • Stocks both major OEM brands and exclusive proprietary brands, aiming for competitive pricing and broad availability.

“We Supply Trades is an online supply house. We've got HVAC parts and supplies, plumbing parts and supplies, some light electrical as well, and tools.”
– Jen Laughlin (02:09)

2. E-commerce Surprises and Fraud Prevention

• Unique E-commerce Challenges:
  • Rapid growth has highlighted the need for handling regional differences and fighting order fraud.
  • Fraud on tool orders is significant—10-15% of orders flag as suspicious and require manual review (05:43).

“Probably out of all of our orders, I would say maybe 15% of the orders. I would say 10 to 15%.”
– Jen Laughlin on fraud rates (05:43)

• How Fraud is Detected:
  • Mismatched billing/shipping, repeated payment attempts, and suspicious order patterns trigger reviews (05:05).

3. Solving Contractor Problems: Access & Savings

• Parts Availability:

  • We Supply Trades focuses on parts access for contractors nationwide, emphasizing stock levels and both branded and exclusive products (06:05).
  • Rapid SKU growth: Adding 1,200+ items to better serve contractors’ urgent needs (06:50).

• Margin Improvement through Exclusive Brands:

  • Proprietary brands (Stream33 for plumbing, Breeze33 for HVAC, Bright33 for lighting) deliver quality and substantial savings.
  • Switching common kit components to exclusive brands can reduce material costs dramatically (09:59).

“You can realize some big savings opportunities. …it was like 50, 60%. It was wild. And we're like, why are we paying for this?”
– John Wilson (09:59)

• Example: PEX piping from Stream33 offers broad compatibility, strong warranty, and price savings compared to leading brands (10:17).

4. Bulk Pricing & Pro Membership Details

• Pro Membership:
  • Free signup; 10-15% discount on day-to-day pricing, free shipping over $99, and custom bulk quotes (12:23).

“Our customer support team…literally do cartwheels and jump up and down and like yell when somebody inquires about hey, what if I ordered 15 or 20 or 50 of these?”
– Jen Laughlin (13:26)

• Order Types:
  • Shift from "onesie twosie" to more stock-up/inventory replacement orders, especially from facility management customers (13:49).

5. Exclusive Brands: Adoption and Use Cases

• High Adoption:
  • Contractors are open to exclusive brands, especially for registers, grills, whips, disconnects—where brand is secondary to price and availability (16:33).

“Registers and grills under our Breeze33 lineup…pretty much the same lineup of SKUs…very, very competitive price.”
– Jen Laughlin (16:58)

• Limitations:
  • Not currently shipping toilets (due to breakage), but strong in parts, rough/service plumbing, faucets, and HVAC supplies (18:10, 20:06).

6. Industry Consolidation & Relationship Building

• Consolidation Trends:

  • Both contractor and distributor sides are consolidating, challenging all to maintain differentiation (20:37).

• What Makes a Good Contractor Partnership:

  • Open communication and mutual trust are vital, especially as larger consolidators can lose the human touch (24:05).
  • Feedback on SKUs, pricing, and delivery feeds directly into service improvements.

“Trust is the foundation of any relationship, right? Whether it's personal or professional.”
– Jen Laughlin (24:05)

7. Operational Challenges: SKU Management & Prioritization

• Main Struggle:
  • Balancing SKU expansion against operational limits. Addition is driven by customer requests and market needs (25:42).
  • Contractors often have little visibility into their SKU usage, presenting opportunities for optimization (34:44).

“Contractors have no idea what their SKUs are. Like, how would they?”
– John Wilson (34:44)

• Advice:
  • Auditing top-purchased items and exploring alternatives for each line can yield major savings.

8. Geography, Delivery, and Rural Solutions

• Shipping:
  • Fast fulfillment: most orders ship same day if placed by 3pm EST; 1-2 day delivery typical in Midwest/East (30:55).
  • Ability to help contractors in rural or traffic-congested areas reduce their inventory burden and improve efficiency (28:02, 29:03).

“We ship same day. …In Ohio…it's basically one day shipping.”
– Jen Laughlin (30:55)

9. Advice for Contractors Managing Supply Chain

• Key Takeaway:
  • Diversification—try exclusive brands and evaluate alternative suppliers to improve competitiveness and save money (32:21).

“One of my big suggestions would be to start giving some opportunities to switch to those types of exclusive brands that again are going to give you a very quality product at a more competitive price point.”
– Jen Laughlin (32:29)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It adds up. …They had saved $100,000 in one year on Sawzall blades, which like blew my mind.”
  – John Wilson (12:22)

• “We're adding products to the site based on the conversations that we have with customers.”
  – Jen Laughlin (22:56)

• “We want to be your source for that. Yeah, we want to own that.”
  – Jen Laughlin, on hard-to-find SKUs (35:51)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:09 — Intro to We Supply Trades and product range
• 05:43 — Fraud in online tool orders
• 06:50 — SKU expansion plans
• 09:59 — Real-world savings by switching brands
• 12:23 — Pro membership details
• 16:33 — Adoption of exclusive brands by contractors
• 20:37 — Industry consolidation and relationship value
• 24:05 — Building successful partnerships
• 25:42 — Operational challenges: SKUs & prioritization
• 28:02 — Rural and logistics-driven inventory strategies
• 30:55 — Shipping, delivery times, and reducing inventory
• 32:21 — Closing advice: diversify supply chain
• 34:44 — SKU management for contractors
• 35:51 — Hard-to-find SKUs and customer rescue
• 36:01 — How to connect (wesupplytrades.com), target customers

Conclusion

This episode provides actionable advice and relatable stories for home service contractors looking to control supply costs and optimize procurement. Jen Laughlin’s insights into exclusive brands, e-commerce distribution, and building trust-filled wholesaler relationships offer a clear roadmap to greater profitability and efficiency. For those battling margin pressures, rural supply challenges, or the effects of market consolidation, We Supply Trades aims to be a modern, responsive partner.

Contact & Further Info:
Visit wesupplytrades.com (service everywhere except California, with plans to expand)
Target Audience: HVAC and plumbing contractors, facility managers, property managers, general contractors, light electrical trades