Page 27 - LPG July 2018 Newsletter

Luxury Products Group
The Luxury Report July 2018
WaterPlace, a Leeps Supply Showroom in Crown Point, Ind., was one of the nalists in the “Revenue Under $2 Million” category. The nalists’ entries were reviewed by a panel of accomplished judges:
• Stacy Garcia, a renowned designer and founder of a textile supplier company and a design house with multiple lifestyle brands
• Greg O’Neal, CCO/Co-founder of CUR8, who has curated, designed and licensed products for the national and international home furnishings industry for 25+ years
• Richard Sexton, Chief Product Of cer for MicroD, which offers integrated online product presentation, websites and ecommerce for the home furnishings industry.
Nick Leep founded Leeps Supply in 1954
in Highland, Ind., and over the ensuing six decades, the company has made some very strategic moves that have been pivotal in
the company’s continued growth. Their rst showroom, called WaterPlace, opened in 2009 in New Buffalo, Mich. In 2015, Leeps acquired SouthPoint Supply in Valparaiso, Ind., which brought the facilities and opportunity for another WaterPlace showroom. And just two years ago, Leeps opened its newest WaterPlace showroom, this one in Crown Point, Ind. Leeps describes this 10,000-square-foot showroom as “something to be experienced.”
While they take their business very seriously, WaterPlace also enjoys incorporating some fun and playfulness during customer visits. Interactive displays teach customers about color temperatures and LED technology — and customers can even put on their bathing suits to try out a shower equipped with chromatherapy, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
WaterPlace also is strong proponent of continuing education for architects, designers and builders. Trade professionals can choose from a variety of courses hosted by WaterPlace, including the Impact of Lighting on Bathroom Design and Lighting Controls as a Component of Interior Design, to learn more about the products WaterPlace offers and to earn CEUs in a local setting.
The showroom uses its website, social media platforms and digital billboards to generate buzz about new lighting, kitchen and bath products, with the ultimate goal of enticing customers to come in and see it for themselves. There are beauty shots from top manufacturers, photos and boomerang demos of the coolest new products.
Van Der Weide commented, “To stand out from the crowd, our focus is on customer experience, design, education and quality luxury products. These days, luxury is less pretentious, more excellent in design, less indulgent and
with more attention to quality. So having a showroom where customers can be educated and experience the product and where the staff can help you put it all together is our secret to success.”
waterplaceshowroom @waterplaceshowroom
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