CREBB Case Study: Build Pro

Any successful business will have times when they’re looking to grow, and navigating that expansion starts with clarity. In order to get where you want to go, you first have to know what you need. Often that means aligning with the right people who can help you get there.

 

For Kevin Wang, founder and CEO of Build Pro Warehouse, growth meant securing a commercial space that could support their inventory demands. He also wanted to find a location that would streamline operations and position the company for long-term scalability. Partnering with the team at Commercial Real Estate and Business Brokerage Group (CREBB) helped him make the best possible move. Through a collaborative process and key market insights, we were able to identify, negotiate, and secure a warehouse property that would be an ideal fit for his goals.

 

Meet the Client: Build Pro Warehouse in Cincinnati

 

Kevin Wang, thank you for speaking with us today! For those who may not know Build Pro Warehouse yet, can you tell us who you are and how the business started?

 

I’m the CEO of Build Pro Warehouse. I started the company in January 2024, but the idea had been forming long before that. I’ve been in real estate for years—renovating single-family homes, renting them out, and renovating apartments—so I was always in need of material.

 

Every house we bought had carpet, and every time we walked in, the first thing we did was pull it out. I really like LVP. I can’t stand carpet, especially with pets. But sourcing good-quality flooring at a fair price was always a struggle. As I became a developer, I needed more and more product. I wanted to minimize the cost of building new, and the only way was to take care of the material side of things. I started having conversations with people overseas and realized I could actually do this myself. 

 

What sets Build Pro apart from other building material suppliers?

 

In a lot of businesses I’m in, I am my own customer. I know what contractors deal with every day. If the material isn’t good, then it cracks, and you spend more time installing. We created different product levels so builders, contractors, and property managers can save and not worry about the quality of material. It’s also easy to install, which makes life a lot better.

 

You carry a lot of products—from flooring and stair treads to moldings, baseboards, and doors. How does that relate to the type of property you needed?

 

We were already operating and leasing warehouse space in Indianapolis, but it wasn’t ideal. We needed to find something that would actually support growth. We have a team of seven, all working on-site. No remote. Everything happens out of the warehouse. Right now, we’re shipping within about a two-and-a-half-hour radius, and that’s directly tied to having the right warehouse space.

 

How the Partnership Took Shape: Connecting with CREBB Group

 

How did you first hear about CREBB Group? What services did you need?

 

We met through a friend—someone working with Russ (Kitzberger) on the residential side at Keller Williams. Russ connected with us because my friend doesn’t do commercial work. We were looking for warehouse space, or possibly multiple buildings. The property we ended up with actually includes three parcels, with two connected warehouse buildings.

 

The company was moving from Indianapolis to Cincinnati. Did you have any concerns with CREBB going in?

 

Mostly just time and how long it would take. Or could we find a good match. I live right across the river in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, so location mattered. We looked at quite a few different places around Cincinnati. This wasn’t an everyday type of need. We didn’t need storefront visibility or signage—but it was something that’s hard to come by.

 

Getting Clear on What Mattered Most: Aligning Needs with Opportunity

 

You were probably looking for specific things as a warehouse. What did the property have to look like to make sense?

 

Right. We had an exact need to match. And pricing. Most warehouses around here are $4-5 million with this size, but Russ was confident that we’d find the right fit. We have all these different colors and qualities of flooring, so we needed the floorspace to set up racking wherever available. The colors are endless—we’re stacking things, but you can’t go very high and have all the different varieties.

 

We needed an expandable area to go into, because to do this well you have to house a lot of types for contractors. So it was about finding something that would ebb and flow with our quantities. Now we’re sitting around 50,000 to 60,000 square feet. It’s nowhere near the same space we had before.

 

How long did it take to find the right property?

 

It took about six months, somewhere in that ballpark. We weren’t set on having the 100% perfect place. Even if we built one, it wouldn’t be 100% perfect. But it was the location we needed. When we walked through we realized it could work. It hit all the important needs of warehousing the product itself. Plus, we’re in a nice area of town built for warehouses. We’re right in there with other businesses that have a similar need.

 

Were there any major challenges during the deal?

 

The deal was pretty straightforward. The previous owner was in the auto industry and had to sell because he went out of business and it happened that the price was in our range. There was work to do for it, but we have people on our crew who could do that. It all worked out. We had a standard turnaround time to close, and it was normal negotiations. We put in an offer that we felt comfortable with, they countered, we countered, and then we met where both of us were okay. We were actually able to lease the building while closing the paperwork.

 

A Foundation for Growth: Strategic Guidance for What Comes Next

 

How has owning this property changed your business?

 

Right now we’re just trying to perfect our process here before we copy and paste it throughout the United States. Where we were in Indy, we were just leasing space and it wasn’t big enough or what we needed to expand. So it’s been about both the size of the space and the location. We’ve really got a multi-use property. It’s a commercial industrial warehouse, but there’s also a corporate office section with the warehouse, plus storage.

 

So right now you’re doing everything out of Cincinnati. But one day you want to create different satellite warehouse spaces?

 

Exactly. This could be the mothership base for all locations going forward. And we have future plans in using Russ and CREBB for those commercial spaces. His team can help with that initial jump to the next cities.

 

What stood out working with Russ and CREBB during this search?

 

He has a really good finger on the pulse of commercial real estate—what’s available, what’s coming up, who’s looking to sell. He took the time to understand our needs and it paid off.

 

Any final thoughts on the journey so far?

 

Always have a game plan. Then find partners who can help you execute it.