Action Gypsum
Independent success
As one of the industry’s few remaining independent distributors, Action Gypsum distinguishes itself through unparalleled customer service, and a diverse range of products
Founded on the shared vision of its Managing Partners, Terri King and Lenin Juarez, Action Gypsum (Action) is a proudly independent company that is known for offering comprehensive services with a depth of industry knowledge. From its first seven-acre facility in Houston, Texas, the company has become a national operation, supplying material for major medical, residential, entertainment, and hospitality projects. Whilst establishing new locations across Arizona, Las Vegas, and California, Action retains its innovative, solution-orientated, and collaborative approach to business.
The foundation of Action Gypsum is the partnership between Terri King and Lenin Juarez. As Managing Partners, the pair have worked for 18 years to build Action into an industry leader. “On May 1st 2003, myself and Lenin combined our 42 years’ worth of industry knowledge in order to create Action Gypsum, an independent drywall materials distributor that now has 12 locations across the Texas region,” states Terri.
Since its inception, the company has experienced considerable growth, as Terri continues: “We have grown rapidly over the last few years, and have opened a series of new locations; six in California, three in southern California, three in northern California, Denver, Phoenix and Las Vegas. Action Gypsum Supply continues to look for opportunities at new locations across the United States.
“The company has reached a number of major milestones in its time. When we first started Action, we had come from a large distributor in the same industry. They would put a lot of stumbling blocks in the way to prevent manufacturers selling to us, this made procuring drywall and metal studs a bit of a challenge, and it was probably the first major barrier to success that we had to make ourselves available in person all across the country; just last week Lenin was in California, Nevada, and Arizona.
“One of the other assets we have that sets us apart is the service we provide. Everyone is selling the same thing at around the same price point, so all we can really control is the service that we pride ourselves on offering. We serve our customers, personally, to the best of our ability.”
It is clear that Action’s customer service is one of its most important offerings, as Terri confirms: “We do everything from taking the orders to delivering the goods, and providing an accurate invoice. All of those services come together to add value, and ensure customers have a hassle-free experience.”
“It’s all about making sure the customers are getting their bills in a timely manner, that the material is showing up as promised, and that everyone is on the same page. We do this by remaining entirely transparent, and engaging in effective two-way communication,” Lenin adds.
Shifts in the broader industry culture have also supported Action Gypsum’s success over the past few years, as Terri observes: “Over the last two years we have benefitted from a lot of our competition being acquired by larger companies. When a smaller competitor becomes part of an acquisition, the avenue is opened up for us to go in and offer our unique services. Further, a lot of the people working for these smaller businesses don’t want to go and work for a large corporation, and so we get a lot of really informed and experienced people reaching out to us to become a part of Action. That’s how our San Diego location got off the ground, and it has also benefitted our Las Vegas network.”
Action’s community-focused working culture also helped it throughout the pandemic, as Terri and Lenin kept the company’s doors open throughout. “We left stores open, and allowed customers in as long as they felt safe, which allowed us to take some of the market share at that time,” Terri explains.
“We also allowed employees to make decisions for themselves in terms of what they felt comfortable with. A lot of our customers had to keep going in order to survive, and we were one of the only drywall distributors in the state of Texas that kept its doors open to them. I think people really appreciated that,” Lenin adds.
Maintaining an open-door policy in difficult times has helped Action Gypsum continue to grow by ten percent, year-on-year since overcome. Fortunately, we are a determined partnership, and we found some suppliers in the Houston area with which we could build strong relationships.”
Competing with much larger corporations meant that Action needed to develop a unique selling point. By offering personalized customer service, the company was able to offer something no one else could, as Lenin details: “What differentiates us from the big companies is our full service offering. We offer comprehensive stocking for residential, commercial and multi-family purposes. Alongside our range of dry wall, we provide metal stud framing, acoustical ceilings, fiberglass insulation, doors, frames, construction tools and plaster.
“Culturally, Action Gypsum is different from some of its larger competitors. Generally, our competition focusses solely on dry wall distribution, and the service is far less personal. In contrast, Action’s management team is very much involved with the customer base, especially around the Houston area where we are based. Both Terri and I are here every day, keeping a close eye on our services and meeting the customer’s needs.
“We make weekly journeys not only to the markets in Texas, but also to Action’s branches in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Colorado. We find that customers appreciate our uniquely personal touch, and many industry experts have moved from larger competitors to join Action for that same reason.
“The growth has been exponential, especially over the last seven years, but that hasn’t stopped Action keeping in touch with every single customer. This sense of openness is also reflected in our corporate office; we have glass-front offices and open-door policies to ensure people feel comfortable communicating openly with management. Many of our customers have known Terri for over 30 years, and they would feel comfortable just coming into her office for an informal chat. It definitely makes for strong relationships, and easy problem solving between us and the people we supply.”
Keeping the company connected is a big motivator for Terri and Lenin, as community is at the core of everything Action does. As Terri affirms: “We maintain that small company feel by being out in front, communicating with the customers. They know they can pick up the phone and talk to myself or Lenin with ease. Additionally, we make ourselves available in person all across the country; just last week Lenin was in California, Nevada, and Arizona.
“One of the other assets we have that sets us apart is the service we provide. Everyone is selling the same thing at around the same price point, so all we can really control is the service that we pride ourselves on offering. We serve our customers, personally, to the best of our ability.”
It is clear that Action’s customer service is one of its most important offerings, as Terri confirms: “We do everything from taking the orders to delivering the goods, and providing an accurate invoice. All of those services come together to add value, and ensure customers have a hassle-free experience.”
“It’s all about making sure the customers are getting their bills in a timely manner, that the material is showing up as promised, and that everyone is on the same page. We do this by remaining entirely transparent, and engaging in effective two-way communication,” Lenin adds.
Shifts in the broader industry culture have also supported Action Gypsum’s success over the past few years, as Terri observes: “Over the last two years we have benefitted from a lot of our competition being acquired by larger companies. When a smaller competitor becomes part of an acquisition, the avenue is opened up for us to go in and offer our unique services. Further, a lot of the people working for these smaller businesses don’t want to go and work for a large corporation, and so we get a lot of really informed and experienced people reaching out to us to become a part of Action. That’s how our San Diego location got off the ground, and it has also benefitted our Las Vegas network.”
Action’s community-focused working culture also helped it throughout the pandemic, as Terri and Lenin kept the company’s doors open throughout. “We left stores open, and allowed customers in as long as they felt safe, which allowed us to take some of the market share at that time,” Terri explains.
“We also allowed employees to make decisions for themselves in terms of what they felt comfortable with. A lot of our customers had to keep going in order to survive, and we were one of the only drywall distributors in the state of Texas that kept its doors open to them. I think people really appreciated that,” Lenin adds.
Maintaining an open-door policy in difficult times has helped Action Gypsum continue to grow by ten percent, year-on-year since 2020. Supporting the company’s expansion is its network of vendors and suppliers, as Terri enthuses: “Our vendors have been invaluable in managing such rapid growth. Our success is definitely in part thanks to the strong relationships we maintain, and we really appreciate having been able to work with such great partners for over a decade.
“They have grown with us, and enabled the company to continue expanding, without worrying about supply. Many of our suppliers have supported us when we have grown into new areas where we didn’t have an established location yet, and in return we have provided them with a steady flow of business, and a reliable partner.”
As an industry leader, Action Gypsum has become a go-to source for material on landmark projects. “One of the biggest projects we have been working on recently is the Tesla Gigafactory in Austin. We also worked on the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – California project at Disneyland, California, which was great fun.
“In terms of upcoming projects, we are now preparing to work on Fontainebleau Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV. This will be really key, as it is taking place in a newly emerging market for us,” Terri confirms.
For 18 years, Action Gypsum has successfully added value to its customer’s projects through comprehensive service, partnership, safety and dexterity. As it continues to grow, and establish itself in new markets, the company is determined to remain true to its original mission, as Terri concludes: “2022 is an important year for us, we will be establishing ourselves in the new markets, and continuing to build relationships with customers across the US. With everything going on, one of our primary goals is to remain independent, and continue offering unparalleled customer service.”
Action Gypsum
www.actiongypsum.com
Services: Drywall distribution