Industry: Construction, Professional Services

ROI Marketing is a manufacturer’s representative providing heating/air conditioning, plumbing and decorative products to engineers, builders, contractors and wholesalers throughout the Mid-Atlantic. The company began in 1970 by serving customers from Virginia through southern New Jersey.

Current owner Steve Kidwell joined the firm in 1997 and in 1998, the company’s name was changed to ROI Marketing. After working with the previous owner to build and grow the business, Steve purchased the firm in 2008. Since then, business has doubled as the firm has expanded to a team of 21 people. Today, ROI Marketing maintains a line card of more than 25 brands and serves customers ranging from small regional customers up to companies like Ferguson, one of the largest plumbing wholesalers in North America.

The construction products industry is extremely challenging as their customers consolidate (larger wholesalers are buying out smaller ones), and as technology creates new opportunities, as well as challenges in maintaining and strengthening in-person relationships. In response, ROI Marketing has worked to add value to its customers, expand and sharpen the lines it offers, and become even stronger.

One major change was to shift the company from a Pennsylvania S Corp. to a Maryland S Corp. In addition, Steve began seeking the services of a new accountant. Another BradyRenner client referred the firm to ROI Marketing. After interviewing BradyRenner and two other firms, ROI Marketing chose BradyRenner primarily because BradyRenner clearly understood their business and ‘got it’ in terms of what ROI was looking for in an accounting partner.

Steve Kidwell feels that Matt Brady and the BradyRenner team are incredibly talented partners, and their firm has done a lot to support ROI Marketing’s growth and success over the years. For example, BradyRenner assisted ROI in establishing a profit-sharing and cash balance plan for the business, and as BradyRenner has helped evaluate the Profit & Loss (P&L) statements and provided advice on two recent acquisitions the firm has closed.