Episode 54 - What do Great Salespeople Do Differently? Insights from Blunier Builders

In this episode of Building with Metal, McElroy Metal welcomes Drew Bauman of Blunier Builders to explore what separates great salespeople from good ones in today’s construction industry. Drew shares practical lessons on building relationships, earning trust, and creating repeat customers — plus how integrity, communication, and follow-through turn a single project into lifelong partnerships. Whether you’re in sales, management, or project delivery, this one’s packed with takeaways you can use immediately.

  • 37 min

Episode 54: What do Great Salespeople Do Differently? Insights from Blunier Builders

The Building with Metal Podcast – Presented by McElroy Metal

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Notable Quotes

• Drew Bauman on post-frame versatility: "We used it as a showpiece to prove to everybody out there that you can do the same thing with post frame that you can with structural steel or any other type of stick frame construction."

• Drew Bauman on treating every lead equally:  "We treat every lead like a potential buyer. We don't like to qualify leads as an A lead or B lead. Some customers may come in and say price is the most important thing to them, and then by the time you get done with everything and explaining, they could turn into a buyer of quality."

• Drew Bauman on the McElroy partnership: "You can always go into a sales pitch feeling good about what you're saying and knowing that McElroy would stand behind any defects or anything if there ever were any down the road. That is unbeatable when it comes to customer service and service down the road after the sale."

What You'll Learn

• How Blunier Builders grew from rebuilding a tornado-damaged hog building into a premier post-frame general contractor
• Why the Goodfield State Bank project proves post-frame construction can match any commercial building method
• Sales strategies for handling price-focused buyers without compromising quality positioning
• How lunch-and-learns with architects and real estate agents open new lead channels
• Why repeat customers and referrals remain the most valuable source of new business
• The role pre-construction reviews play in reducing project stress and avoiding roadblocks
• How Blunier combines structural steel with post-frame to achieve 200-foot clear spans
• What Blunier's Missouri expansion strategy looks like and why local crew presence matters
• Which McElroy Metal products were used on the bank project, including 238T standing seam and FW panel
• How diversifying across commercial, residential, ag, and suburban markets protects against economic cycles

Key Timestamps

[00:00] — Kathy Miller introduces the episode and welcomes Drew Bauman, Sales Manager at Blunier Builders, to discuss what separates great salespeople from good ones in construction.

[02:30] — Drew describes his seven-and-a-half-year journey at Blunier, starting as a sales consultant and transitioning into managing a team of seven salespeople.

[05:15] — Overview of Blunier Builders: post-frame construction across commercial, residential, ag, equine, and suburban markets based in Washington, Illinois.

[09:00] — The Goodfield State Bank project origin story, inspired by a Starbucks design and built to showcase what post-frame construction can achieve.

[14:30] — Blunier Builders' founding story: Myron Blunier and sons Mike and John started after a tornado destroyed their hog building, and they couldn't find anyone to rebuild it.

[19:00] — Product details on the bank project including 238T standing seam roof, parapet walls with Max Rib, FW panel for modern aesthetics, stone and brick accents, and a custom-engineered drive-through canopy.

[26:00] — The Room Ready project in Bloomington: Blunier's largest build at 200 feet wide, combining structural steel I-beams with post-frame construction.

[31:00] — Lead generation strategies: social media, architect lunch-and-learns, real estate company partnerships, subcontractor relationships, and why referrals and repeat customers matter most.

[37:00] — Project timeline breakdown: footings in September 2024, shell dried in by the end of November, Blunier scope completed April 16, 2025, bank opened summer 2025.

[41:00] — Blunier's Missouri expansion plans near Warrenton, west of St. Louis, with a dedicated local crew, project manager, and sales representative.

Mentioned Resources

• Blunier Builders Website
• McElroy Metal Website
• Connect with the host Kathi Miller on LinkedIn

Episode Deep Dive

When Chad from Goodfield State Bank sent Drew Bauman a picture of a Starbucks store and said he wanted his new bank branch to look like that, most builders might have steered him toward structural steel. Drew saw an opportunity. "We used it as a showpiece to prove to everybody out there that you can do the same thing with post frame that you can with structural steel or any other type of stick frame construction," Drew says of the finished project in Roanoke, Illinois.

The result is striking. A monoslope roof clad in McElroy Metal's 238T standing seam sits behind parapet walls finished in Max Rib panels, giving the building clean commercial lines visible from the highway. The walls feature McElroy's FW panel in a vertical flat profile, delivering the modern aesthetic the owner wanted. Stone accents anchor a tall corner wall, brick detailing adds warmth, and commercial-grade windows and doors complete the picture. Drew actually drove to Champaign to photograph apartment buildings using the same FW panel so the client could see the finished look before committing.

The drive-through canopy required custom structural engineering and was designed to allow future expansion. Inside, the Blunier team coordinated with the bank's equipment suppliers to integrate drive-through slide-out trays, teller windows, and pneumatic canisters into the post-frame structure. It is the kind of coordination that separates a general contractor from a shell builder.

How Did Blunier Builders Get Started in Post-Frame Construction?

Blunier Builders was founded by a windstorm. In the early 2000s, Myron Blunier and his sons, Mike and John, were hog farmers in central Illinois when a tornado flattened one of their buildings. They could not find anyone to rebuild it, so they did it themselves. Neighbors noticed. Requests came in. Before long, the Bluniers were subcontracting to other post-frame companies, learning from each what worked and what did not. In 2002, they took the best elements from every builder they had worked with, assembled their own building package, and launched Blunier Builders.

Today, the company operates out of a new office between Washington and East Peoria, employs a growing team, and builds across commercial, residential, agricultural, equine, and suburban markets. That diversification is intentional. "When the commercial is strong, it seems like the game is a little bit slower," Drew explains. "And then when ag is strong, some of the other stuff is a little bit slower. So it works hand in hand."

How Does Blunier Sell Quality Post-Frame Buildings in a Price-Driven Market?

Drew spent six and a half years as a sales consultant before stepping into his current role as sales manager, where he now leads a team of seven. The transition taught him that great sales leadership is not about having all the answers. "I've never been in necessarily a leadership role before this one," he says. "I'm still learning every day, and I have great leadership above me walking me through everything."

His approach to price-sensitive buyers is refreshingly direct. Blunier is not the cheapest option, and the team does not pretend otherwise. But they also do not write off budget-conscious leads. "We treat every lead like a potential buyer," Drew says. "Some customers may come in and say price is the most important thing to them, and then by the time you get done with everything and explaining, they could turn into a buyer of quality."

The key distinction is understanding what the buyer actually needs. A farmer five years from retirement who just needs to keep equipment dry has different priorities than a family building a generational property. Blunier's sweet spot is the second group — owners who do not want wood in the ground where it will rot, who want a building that will outlast them. But the team respects both buyers and lets the conversation reveal which one they are talking to.

What Drives Lead Generation for a Post-Frame Building Company?

Referrals and repeat customers drive the majority of Blunier's new business. Drew is clear-eyed about why: "If you don't have happy customers at the end of the day, you're not gonna get referrals, and you're not gonna get repeat customers."

Beyond referrals, the company invests in architect lunch-and-learn sessions to educate designers on post-frame capabilities. They connect with real estate companies in growth markets, knowing that agents talk to land buyers who may want to build. And they nurture subcontractor relationships with the same care they give clients. Blunier has built new buildings for four or five of its subcontractors in recent years. Those concrete crews, HVAC contractors, and electricians become advocates who put the Blunier name in front of their own customers.

How Does Pre-Construction Planning Reduce Stress on Post-Frame Projects?

Construction will always have problems. Drew does not sugarcoat that reality. What Blunier controls is how many problems they catch before the first footing gets poured.

Their process brings together the sales team, the preliminary design team, and project management for reviews of complex projects before a contract is signed. They verify local building codes, energy codes, and permit requirements upfront so the crew does not hit roadblocks mid-build. Foremen are trained not just to execute but to teach, developing their crews rather than doing all the work themselves.

On the Goodfield State Bank project, that discipline showed. Footings went in during September 2024. Framing started mid-October. The shell was dried in by the end of November. Blunier's scope of work concluded on April 16, 2025, and the bank opened that summer—a roughly six- to seven-month build with minimal issues despite the project's complexity.

Why Does Blunier Builders Partner With McElroy Metal?

Blunier has partnered with McElroy Metal since the company first assembled its own building package, and Drew frames the relationship in terms that matter to a salesperson standing in front of a customer. "You can always go into a sales pitch feeling good about what you're saying and knowing that McElroy would stand behind any defects or anything if there ever were any down the road."

The combination of Kynar 500 paint and Galvalume substrate gives Blunier a quality story that aligns with their premium positioning. But Drew emphasizes that after-sales support seals the deal. When a customer has an issue years later, McElroy stands behind the product. For a company that lives and dies on referrals, that kind of backing is not a nice-to-have. It is essential.

What Are the Most Ambitious Post-Frame Building Projects Blunier Has Completed?

The bank project is impressive, but it is not Blunier's most ambitious build. That distinction goes to the Room Ready project in Bloomington, Illinois — a 200-foot-wide warehouse and assembly space paired with a 60-by-136-foot office featuring a flat roof with internal gutters. To span 200 feet, Blunier used structural steel I-beams and columns alongside post-frame construction, demonstrating that the two methods can work together seamlessly. They have achieved clear spans over 100 feet with wood trusses alone.

Coming soon is a resort for bass fishermen at Lake of the Ozarks — a combination of living quarters and shop space where anglers can pull their truck and boat inside, then head upstairs to a condo with pool tables, bars, and everything they need before hitting the water the next morning.

How Is Blunier Builders Expanding Into the Missouri Post-Frame Market?

Blunier is not content to dominate central Illinois. The company has established a crew near Warrenton, Missouri, just west of St. Louis, with a dedicated project manager and sales representative. This is not a travel operation. The crew lives and works in the market, building relationships and reputation the same way the company did in Illinois.

"We're trying to grow that area down there the same way we did up here," Drew says. With the Lake of the Ozarks projects on the horizon, plus a large commercial build already in the pipeline, the Missouri market is getting a fast introduction to Blunier quality.

What Is the Outlook for Post-Frame Construction in 2026?

Drew is optimistic about the year ahead. The backlog aligns with recent years, though the agricultural economy remains soft. Commercial and residential work continue to drive growth, and the Missouri expansion adds another growth vector. The construction economy may see a softer first half before strengthening in the second, but Blunier's diversified market approach and reputation for quality position them well regardless of where the cycle turns.

For builders, architects, or property owners considering post-frame construction, Goodfield State Bank serves as a proof of concept. What started as a Starbucks-inspired sketch became a fully functional, visually stunning bank branch that rivals anything built with conventional commercial methods — delivered on a six-month timeline by a company that started with a hog barn and a tornado.