In an industry where general contractors and specialized trades often compete for the same customers, Mason Jarvis has orchestrated a counterintuitive victory. The founder of Ironwood Floor Co. has transformed potential competitors into his most valuable clients, with business-to-business partnerships now accounting for approximately 30% of the company’s revenue stream.
“We’ve essentially repositioned ourselves as the specialists that other professionals turn to,” says Jarvis, who founded Ironwood Floor Co. after leaving his position as a senior process engineer at Intel. “It’s like being the orthopedic surgeon that general practitioners refer their patients to.”
How Specialization Creates Strategic B2B Flooring Partnerships
The key to this successful B2B strategy lies in Jarvis’s decision to focus exclusively on flooring solutions rather than offering comprehensive renovation services. While conventional wisdom might suggest that limiting services would restrict growth, the opposite has occurred.
“When we started out, we did full home renovations,” Jarvis explains. “But scaling requires juggling countless subcontractors and trades. We analyzed our operations and identified where we were creating the most value, then made the strategic decision to focus exclusively on flooring solutions.”
This hyper-specialization has resonated particularly well with general contractors and interior designers who previously handled flooring installation themselves or worked with less specialized providers. By positioning Ironwood Floor Co. as the flooring expert, Jarvis has created a value proposition that these professionals find compelling.
“General contractors are essentially project managers who coordinate various trades,” notes Jarvis. “When they find a specialist who consistently delivers quality results and makes their job easier, they become repeat customers. That’s exactly the role we’ve carved out for ourselves.”
The B2B partnerships are particularly valuable because they generate consistent, repeatable business without the customer acquisition costs associated with reaching individual homeowners. A single relationship with a busy general contractor can yield multiple projects each month, creating a reliable revenue stream.
Technology and Systems: Creating Contractor-Friendly Flooring Solutions
The company’s proprietary FloorLogic™ platform has played a crucial role in cementing these B2B relationships. The software provides real-time project tracking, automated customer communications, and streamlined scheduling—features that are particularly valuable to general contractors managing multiple projects simultaneously.
“Contractors need predictability and reliability above all else,” says Jarvis. “Our system gives them complete visibility into the progress of their flooring projects. When an installer is heading to a job site, both the homeowner and the general contractor receive automatic notifications. This level of transparency is game-changing in an industry notorious for communication gaps.”
This technological edge, combined with Ironwood’s singular focus on flooring, has helped the company stand out in a traditionally fragmented industry. The company maintains a 98% customer satisfaction rate across its franchise locations, a metric that speaks volumes to potential B2B partners.
Industry analyst James Morrison of Vector Capital observes, “What Jarvis has done is remarkable. By combining deep specialization with technological innovation, he’s created a hybrid business model that benefits from both direct-to-consumer and B2B revenue streams. It’s a sophisticated approach that’s increasingly valuable in home services.”
For entrepreneurs in other sectors, Ironwood’s B2B strategy offers valuable lessons about the power of strategic positioning. Rather than viewing other businesses in adjacent spaces as competitors, Jarvis identified ways to become an indispensable resource to them.
“The mistake many entrepreneurs make is trying to capture the entire value chain,” Jarvis reflects. “Sometimes the more powerful position is to own a critical link in that chain and become the absolute best at delivering it.”
As Ironwood Floor Co. continues its expansion to 200 locations over the next five years, Jarvis sees the B2B component growing even stronger. The company is developing specialized training modules for franchise owners specifically focused on cultivating and maintaining relationships with general contractors and designers.
“These partnerships aren’t just about revenue—they’re about creating a stable foundation for growth,” concludes Jarvis. “When you become an essential resource to other professionals in your industry, you’ve created something far more valuable than just another service business. You’ve built a true strategic advantage.”
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