TAB Retail Remodeling Inc.

TAB stands for The Absolute Best, because TAB Retail Remodeling Inc. (TAB) won’t stand for less. The company was founded in 2001 as TAB Merchandising and restructured to become its current designation in 2008. While its first year was one that marked a decline for most companies nationwide, TAB grew and logged an impressive $28 million in sales. The growing company encompasses 450 employees who can work on large-scale projects across the U.S.

With no direct sales team, TAB relies on its strong reputation to build its business servicing large retailers in home improvement, general merchandise and pharmacy segments. The company is able to garner new clients, such as Office Depot, and also maintain longtime partners, like Wal-Mart.

The executive team of Daniel Peck III and Andrew Rotunno, CEO and COO, respectively, work together to keep TAB delivering on its motto: Uncompromised service, unparalleled quality and unforgettable merchandising. The trio works from TAB’s headquarters in Gainesville, Ga., to ensure all runs smoothly.

Expert Team Servicing Large Customers

With hundreds of employees nationwide, TAB has the size and ability to build the right, experienced crew to meet a retailer’s need in all 50 states and even Puerto Rico. The company has worked repeatedly for large, big-box companies, including Lowes and Macys, as well as its biggest client, Wal-Mart. In particular, Wal-Mart relies heavily on the company for new store setup and remodels.

Historically, TAB has completed new store setups, big-box remodels, conversions and rollouts on a national scale. TAB is an expert in pallet racking, gondola/fixture installation, graphics, carpentry finishes, merchandising and layout.

The TAB team that arrives on the jobsite is directed by a knowledgeable and capable project manager who has the resources at hand to maximize the merchandising budget and ensure strict attention to detail throughout the project. Subsequently, successful completion of a project follows suit.

TAB can arrange even the most complicated of modular schematics. Rotunno, who has been with the company since 2007, says that TAB makes it a point to challenge itself and keep an eye on where the company can go and what it can do better. “We like to look forward,” he says. “We don’t like to look in the rearview.”

Staying Ahead of the Competition

It’s important to continue looking forward, as the competition increases by the year, and the market is ever-changing. “It is a specialty market, but there are a lot of other companies in the trade,” Rotunno explains. “The industry blew up about 10 years ago.”

What sets TAB apart is quality and initiative. “We were the first ones to ever do this for Wal-Mart,” says Rotunno. “We were able to show them what the benefit was of having a third-party provide this service.”

In 2012, TAB completed 16 new store set-ups for Wal-Mart, which required the setting up of all fixtures, all offices, all shelving and complete preparation for merchandise. “On jobs like these, there are many challenges,” says Rotunno. “There is so much going on at one time. There are a lot of moving parts and it requires working around construction teams on occasion and dealing with any scheduling changes.” Adding to the challenges is a new initiative by Wal-Mart to shorten TAB’s time span from 14 to seven days, something the company will take in stride.

In addition to ongoing work for Wal-Mart, 2014 brings remodels for Office Depot following its purchase of Office Max. Most often, TAB works directly for retailers without going through a contractor; however, on occasion the company is hired directly by a manufacturer or contractor. “We also recently acquired a contract with Publix and Rack Room Shoes,” explains Rotunno. “We are currently working through some of their stores.”

A Balancing Act Requiring Evolution

As a professionally minded organization, with 90 to 100 percent of its crew able to travel to where needed, TAB prides itself on using its expert in-house employees. Historically, the company has minimized its use of local and temp labor. Therefore, the large TAB team is able to juggle two to three new store set-ups and upward of a dozen remodels at one time. Each job requires between 35 and 50 employees, according to Rotunno.

Therefore, the TAB crew is trained to complete all aspects of remodeling and installations. Rotunno believes this is good for client relationships. “Our biggest thing is that we don’t rely on a sales team,” he adds. “All work comes from word of mouth referrals and repeat business from our clients. We’re dedicated as a partner.”

Rotunno believes in inspirational maxims. “One of my mottos is: You have to be better on Friday than you were on Monday,” he says. Rotunno also believes in employee success and works hard to help the people on his team improve their lives. He’s also a good example to guys who are just starting in the industry; after coming on board as a manager in training in 2007, Rotunno was promoted to field manager in 2009 and then to COO. “I happened upon the opportunity and I grew to love the business,” he says.

The family atmosphere at TAB is evident and Rotunno has faith in his people. “We have some of the best retail remodelers in the industry,” Rotunno details. In turn, the company retains great employees. As the industry changes, TAB Retail Remodeling Inc. looks to keep the integrity of its trusted traveling crew and also strike more of a balance in terms of hiring locally in order to meet lower price points as it works to best serve longtime and new clients alike.