The adage “if you want something done right, do it yourself” is apt when talking to Kyle Van Boxel, founder and president of Van Boxel Building Supply. Not only has he filled what he perceived as gaps in the distribution industry, but he has also taken it a step further by manufacturing his own products.

The efforts have paid off. Van Boxel says his Ohio-based company has experienced year-over-year growth of between 40% and 50%. 

When asked what his secret is, Van Boxel — who is neither a marketing expert nor a salesman, as that’s his brother Andrew’s specialty, as vice president — says his forte is finding good products at reasonable prices. 

It’s an important skill to have in a time where price hikes, tariffs and economic uncertainty are shaking up building material prices. 

“My whole thing is do it ethically,” Kyle said. “That’s been our whole thing: bringing good products to the end user at great prices. And I mean, we’ve done great at it so far.”

A full-time distributor with a touch of manufacturing, Van Boxel Building Supply operates in both worlds, prioritizing doing right by customers when creating and delivering products.

Building a Hybrid Business

Van Boxel credits his mother, who raised three children on her own, for instilling a good work ethic in him. He recalls the family having money troubles, but his mother never let them know it, instead showing them the value of hard work.

After graduating from high school, Van Boxel applied this mindset to the building trades. Proudly boasting that he still has his union book from Iron Workers Local 17 in Cleveland, Van Boxel worked in the iron industry while roofing and flipping homes on the side.

In 2017, while working his main job, he sustained an injury that ruptured some of his spinal discs. Though he couldn’t physically work, he could concentrate on his side gig of flipping houses, hiring labor to do the work on his behalf. This opened his eyes to the supply industry.

“I found there was a giant need for quality products,” he said. “You go to the box stores; all anybody cares about is margins. They sell you crap, they expect you not to come back, which you know most people are not going to bring the products back. I knew there was a better way to do it.”

The following year, he founded Van Boxel Building Supply. Based on his knowledge of the industry, the supply business originally stocked items for remodeling, like flooring and cabinets. In 2020, his blue-collar roots resurfaced, and Van Boxel Building Supply expanded into the roofing side of distribution. In 2022, it committed to roofing and began shipping supplies nationally out of its main hubs in Ohio.

Van Boxel said it can be tough competing against the larger distributors, and initially, he thought they had to take business from them to survive. That mindset evolved when he realized they operate on different levels, which in turn led to beneficial alliances.

“There’s room for everybody in this business,” he said. “One of the biggest names out there? We work together with them daily. They actually refer clients to us. If we can’t help, we refer to them, and it’s a good mutual relationship.”

Synthetic Synergy

Not only did Van Boxel’s roofing knowledge work its way into the business, but so did his experience of purchasing subpar materials. When buying short rolls of synthetic felt to sell to customers, Van Boxel discovered some companies were shorting their customers.

“We had one customer in New York called me the one day, he's like, ‘Yeah, I'm doing this giant building and I'm short felt. I started measuring these rolls, none of these rolls are 250 [feet].’ And they weren't. Every role was 238 [feet],” Van Boxel said. “We went back to the manufacturer, they kind of laughed at us like, ‘Yeah, we're allowed to do that, it’s within specs.’”

Again, Van Boxel knew there was a better way of doing business, so his company purchased a factory to produce synthetic felt itself. Since then, Van Boxel Building Supply has sold directly to customers, proclaiming it hasn’t raised felt prices in years.

“I don’t think any of the competitors, even the big guys right now, can touch our costs on synthetic,” he said. “I know we’re definitely making waves on the new felt pricing.”

Most recently, the company announced it is now one of the first to print, convert and cut its synthetic felt entirely in the United States. By working with printers in Texas, customers can order private-label synthetic felt from Van Boxel and have it shipped to them within two weeks.

Being both a manufacturer and a distributor means that navigating tough economic times can be dicey. From navigating supply chain disruptions following the COVID-19 pandemic to managing economic uncertainty caused by tariffs, Van Boxel says he has had to put in the hours.

“The last four or five years have definitely been the most stressful in my life running a company,” he said with a chuckle. “You know how that goes. It's yawn Monday, you're broke Tuesday, you got a ton of money Thursday. You can't pay a bill. So you know, it’s just the way it goes.”

Despite the challenges, Van Boxel says that for every problem, there is a solution. The Trump administration’s tariffs, for instance, kicked off a renewed effort to source materials from the U.S. For example, its drip edge is 100% made in the U.S., as is its venting.

“I actually found a way to keep our price the same, if not lowered, with this tariff coming in,” he said. “If you do enough research out there, there’s always ethical ways of doing it, and it makes you think outside the box.”

This passion for looking out for customers shaped more recent efforts. For its new referral program, the distributor gives clients cashback deals, which Van Boxel said can be used on anything, as opposed to the typical practice of specific credits that only apply to Van Boxel Building Supply. 

“We haven’t really done a rebate program because I believe you should get the best price right away,” he said.

He said the company’s return customer rate is hovering around 97%, which he attributes not only to good pricing and service, but learning from mistakes. For instance, a negative review about the size of their pallets not fitting most pallet jacks prompted the company to invest in thicker, larger pallets. They also reacted to complaints about shipments tipping by heat-shrinking their pallets with extra bands.

As a distributor and manufacturer, Van Boxel Building Supply hasn’t been as big a target in the wave of mergers and acquisitions sweeping through the roofing industry. That doesn’t mean the company hasn’t received calls from interested parties; for now, Van Boxel Building Supply is not on the market.

“[An offer] would have to be something absolutely ridiculous,” he said. “I like it. I enjoy it right now. And you know, it's something I’m going to pass on to my kids later on.”

Making time for family has been a priority for Van Boxel. Outside of distribution, he stays busy; he and his wife own several other businesses, including a local restaurant and a salon. He admits that finding a work-life balance can be tricky, but he’s committed to turning off his phone on Sundays to spend time with those who may one day inherit his company.

“In Northeast Ohio, summer's only so long, you know, so definitely trying to spend family time together,” he said.

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Images courtesy of Van Boxel Roofing Supply