Brian Warren

I founded Preferred Exteriors to provide new custom-built homes and residential remodeling services directly to consumers in the Greater Rochester (NY) market. During our first year in business (2023), we closed on $1.1M of business and followed up with $1.6M in sales during our second year (2024). On a day-to-day basis, I meet regularly with clients to discuss project scope and budgets, and also collaborate with clients and architects to develop designs that meet clients’ objectives. In a project management role, I perform material take-offs, develop bills of materials, and order materials, as well as negotiating with suppliers and skilled trades to optimize materials and labor costs. I also establish project timelines and schedule materials deliveries and skilled trades work to maintain project flow. This includes providing direct jobsite supervision, conducting onsite meetings with clients to review project progress, and troubleshooting any issues as they arise. In addition, I coordinate with municipal inspectors to ensure that all building code requirements are fulfilled.

I was recruited by the owner and vice president to lead this home builder’s expansion in the Rochester, NY market. I hired and supervised site superintendents, project managers, design coordinators, and sales representatives with full P&L accountability for the Rochester office. Over a 15-month period, we grew sales by 86%, which resulted in an 180% increase in revenues. One major innovation was the creation of our Rochester design center, which allowed clients to meet directly with designers to select materials. In my General Manager role, I negotiated terms, discounts, and marketing support from suppliers and manufacturers; selected and hired contractors; and collaborated with site superintendents and project managers to schedule and supervise all skilled trades. In addition, I conducted production meetings on a weekly basis to address scheduling, quality control, and warranty issues. I was also responsible for identifying new business opportunities and analyzing pricing strategy for potential new communities.

Proampac is a global flexible packaging company headquartered in Cincinnati, OH with 33 offices across seven countries. I was recruited by the Vice President of the Rochester, NY office to grow existing accounts, identify new markets, and create a strategic plan to establish market presence and drive new business. I was able to create a comprehensive strategy that aligned our operations with the needs of our customers, which facilitated our business growth across multiple market segments. We developed sales growth plans and executed business strategies that delivered significant value for our customers. On a day-to-day basis, I managed client services, including supervising the sales team and leading projects.

Headquartered in Chicago, IL, James Hardie develops and manufactures fiber cement siding. I was referred to James Hardie by a Rochester (NY) area high-volume dealer and was hired to develop existing accounts and cultivate new business by promoting products to distributors, dealers, builders, and contractors. I secured 10+ new accounts within my first 12 months and achieved a two-fold increase in sales for new homes, multi-family homes, and remodeling conversions. I implemented a successful strategy that focused on two key dealers who accounted for 80% of our territory sales. I trained an array of builders, dealers, contractors, and distributors on the sales and installation of a variety of existing and new products.

Reidman is a real estate developer with interests across upstate New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. The company designs, builds, and manages an array of residential and commercial properties. I was recruited to grow the firm’s sales and market penetration in new, single-family home construction and to align brand identity across multiple platforms and product offerings. During my first year (2008), I doubled sales in the single-family home market segment during a down market, growing sales from $3M to $6M. By 2017, I had attained $15M in annual sales, representing a 500% increase in less than 10 years. By consolidating multiple websites and modifying web content, we substantially raised brand recognition. The introduction of a design studio improved the company’s profit margins by 20% - 30%. To aid sales and project management team members, I authored a manual for dealing with new home buyers from inception through project completion. I also collaborated on a cross-functional leadership team that identified process improvements and implemented positive changes on a continuous basis. By conferring with attorneys and lenders, I was able to ensure that approvals and funding were in place for a number of projects.

Camelbak is best known for its hydration packs and water bottles. Leveraging my earlier experience with Nalge Nunc, I was recruited to introduce Camelbak’s new product lines to the personal hydration market (individual water bottles). I achieved 145% year-over-year sales growth for that market segment, increasing the firm’s market share from 20% to 38%.

Nalge Nunc (now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific) is best known for its plastic “Nalgene” water bottles and other lab equipment. In this role, I spearheaded the introduction of new products to the consumer market. My contributions were key to the 10-fold growth of sales for these consumer product lines over a four-year period.

Capitalizing on my background as an elite hockey player at the college level, I represented major athletic brands (Bauer; CCM; Itech) to scholastic, collegiate, and professional teams in upstate New York and western Pennsylvania.