Page 42 - Lighting Magazine March 2020

hall of femme
Laurie and her father, Richard, in the early days of her lighting career.
what they want when they walk in the door. If I can get the homeowner in the store early enough in the process – and I express this to my builders – then it’s [a win-win for us both]. If the customer is sent in after the drywall is up, it’s too late.”
Construction has long been a male-dominated field, and it’s taken some perseverance to change builders’ and electricians’ minds about lighting. “It’s hard to get them to understand how lighting has changed. The best way I’ve found to get them on board is to work with them when they do a show- case home. I will donate all the recessed and install the [brands and types] that I want to use, and there is a better chance of upselling the customer when they see the result,” she explains. “There are some who only want to [spec] what they’ve already done for years – like six-inch incandescent cans – and then there are some who ‘get it’ that the market is changing and have a controls person on staff now; those are the ones who are ahead of the game.”
Evolving the business to meet today’s customer needs for one-stop-shopping has led the Gross family to expand into categories such as door and cabinet hardware when it acquired Buehler Deco- rative Hardware in 2012 and expanded into accent furniture shortly after. “The first time I went to High Point Market was five years ago and that has helped significantly with [our selection]. The designer mar- ket has become so important lately,” Gross notes. Showroom division manager Michele Ramer – who started part-time at Gross Electric when she was 18 years old – is the chief buyer, although final deci- sions are by committee. “When we come back from Market, we vet the selected products through our team and try to get as much input from everyone as possible,” Gross states.
advice fOr OtherS
To women who are just getting started in the light- ing industry, Gross suggests getting involved as much as possible. “The more you’re involved – with groups like the ALA or going to trade shows and markets – the more people you’ll meet who can help you in ways you don’t even know about,” she comments. “There are a lot of people who know more than I do and I’ve learned a lot from the people I’ve met through the industry. Vendors are also a great resource. Perhaps they’ve seen an- other showroom customer struggle with the same problem you’re facing and can put you in touch with them to discuss solutions.”
Gross believes the showroom channel is still viable. “There used to be a lot of talk that show- rooms would be going away. There’s a reason why etailers like Amazon and Wayfair are building brick-and-mortar stores now. My dad always used to say, “I don’t want to reinvent the wheel.’ Plenty of people already know how the wheel works,” she says. “Consumers of all age groups are beginning to come into stores [again] because they want to see and feel the product. There is also more of an interest in shopping local. There’s a reason Gross Electric has been here for this long – this year is our company’s 110th anniversary – customers are learn- ing to take advantage of our expertise.”
The goal for the next five years, according to Gross, is to “do what we do best and focus on driv- ing customers to the store. We want to keep the business healthy and look for new opportunities to grow the company.” 
38 enLIGHTenment Magazine | March 2020
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