Do it Best CEO: Talent Needs Serve as Growth ‘Governor’
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe chief executive officer of Fort Wayne-based Do it Best Corp. says the co-op’s retailers are more concerned about talent attraction and retention than other issues, including competition from big box stores and e-commerce. Dan Starr says low unemployment is putting pressure at "all levels" for the second-largest home improvement retail co-op in the country and the industry as a whole. Do it Best was founded in 1945 and currently employs nearly 1,500 full-time workers throughout the United States.
In a Studio (i) interview with Inside INdiana Business host Gerry Dick, Starr said the challenge to find the right employees has become a "real governor" for growth. "We’ve got a lot of folks who are in the builder community, the contractor community — in the (economic) downturn — who left to do other things," he said, adding that sales and demand for home improvement goods are strong and growing.
Starr says Do it Best Corp. is on pace for a record year and he doesn’t expect sales to slow down over the next few years. The co-op reports 2017 fiscal sales of $3.2 billion, up from $3.02 billion in 2016. He characterizes the retail landscape as very competitive amid a "drastically changing" marketplace with evolving force from larger retailers and digital sellers.