Greater Tulsa Home & Garden Show returns to Expo Square | Home & Garden
Whether you’re searching for the perfect outdoor living setup or need new indoor appliances, the Greater Tulsa Home & Garden Show is likely to have exactly what you need.
The event, put on by the Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa, will return to the SageNet Center at Expo Square for its 73rd year Thursday, March 10 and will run through Sunday, March 13. Guests can explore the offerings of 375 vendors, whose huge variety of products might help them complete the remodeling project of their dreams.
“Our motto is, ‘You can find anything from the mailbox to the back fence, and anything in between,’” said Jeffrey Smith, executive vice president and CEO of the HBA.
The Greater Tulsa Home & Garden Show has experienced massive growth since its beginnings back in 1949, Smith said.
“Over the almost 75-year history of the show, it’s grown into one of the largest home and garden shows in our region, and it’s the largest trade show managed by volunteers in the United States,” Smith said.
The group of volunteers is comprised of eager members of the HBA, who will handle ticketing, guiding guests at information booths, decorating and landscaping the event and managing vendor relations to help the show — which Smith said he expects to sell over 25,000 tickets for — run as smoothly as possible.
Smith said he feels confident that the Greater Tulsa Home & Garden Show will have something for everyone. In addition to the inventory from home improvement vendors, guests can enjoy the offerings of cash-and-carry vendors selling items like jams and honey, live performances from the Pompeyo Family’s dog show and talks from Marie Kondo organizing experts.
What makes the Greater Tulsa Home & Garden Show so popular is the fact that it allows customers to meet with vendors face-to-face, Smith said.
“Our theme this year is ‘Your home is your masterpiece,’ and that’s the truth — you’re inside of your home as much as you are anywhere else in the world, and you’re always looking at it, thinking ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if I could update this?’ or ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I could update that?’” Smith said. “When you go (to the show), you can compare products, you can talk to the professionals about what you’re looking for and you can get great values.”
Metro Appliances & More
Representatives from Metro Appliances & More have been coming to the Greater Tulsa Home & Garden Show since 1980, assistant general manager Tarah Duncan said. The company, which started with its founder selling appliances out of his garage to home builders, has now expanded across four states and is the largest appliance dealer of its kind in the United States. Metro Appliances & More has also been employee-owned for almost 20 years, meaning each employee has a stake in the company.
Despite the company’s growth and expansion, Duncan said the focus remains on the customer.
“We aren’t very aggressive salespeople because we started as a builder distributor — we’re really about taking care of the customer from beginning to end,” Duncan said. “So, it’s not just about selling — it’s about forming that relationship with all of our customers.”
Metro Appliances & More will have a variety of inventory on display, including refrigerators, washers and dryers as well as patio furniture, grills and more outdoor living accessories.
Duncan said that despite widespread supply chain issues bogging down their industry, all the items Metro Appliances & More will have on display at the show are in stock, available for immediate purchase.
Duncan said she and the team at Metro are excited to meet potential customers in person and help them begin their remodeling projects.
“It’s all about just getting out in front of the public and helping people with the process of selecting products for their new home or for their remodel,” Duncan said. “People are really excited to come out to the show, especially nowadays, when they’re spending more time at home than ever, people are really investing in their kitchens and outdoor areas.”
Jack Wills Outdoor Living
Jack Wills Outdoor Living is the definition of a family business. Started in 1939 with Jack Wills I at the helm, the company — now led by president Jack Wills III — has grown to be a leading distributor of outdoor furniture in both northeast Oklahoma and Arkansas.
“We’ve been a family-owned business for over 83 years, and that’s just not something you see very often anymore,” Wills said. “Being a family business that’s far from corporate, we can really give people the personal touch and one-on-one attention, which I think is important.”
The team at Jack Wills Outdoor Living has sold products at the Greater Tulsa Home & Garden Show for over 45 years. They will have three large booths displaying outdoor living furniture, outdoor kids’ play (trampolines, basketball goals and playsets), and barbecues, outdoor kitchens and grills.
“The best thing (about the show) is the face-to-face; it gives us an opportunity to meet new people who just moved to Tulsa or are building or remodeling a house,” Wills said. “When someone comes to the show, they can put a face to our product and check us out and see who we are.”
What sets Jack Wills Outdoor Living apart from bigger furniture brands is the caliber and longevity of their products.
“Our job is to show people that (our furniture is) an investment, and it’s usually going to be handed down to a kid or someone else,” Wills said. “A lot of the furniture you see today isn’t made to last a long time; the fabric starts ripping or breaking apart, and then it just ends up in a landfill. For years, we’ve focused on selling a higher-quality product — we call it quality that lasts.”
Burnett Home Improvement
The 2022 Platinum Sponsor of the Greater Tulsa Home & Garden Show is Burnett Home Improvement, a company that got its start in 1979, led by father-son duo Guy and Scott Burnett. After Guy’s untimely death just a year into the business, Scott Burnett — in his early twenties at the time — took the reins and has run the company ever since.
A Christian ethos provides the framework for how the company operates, marketing manager Eli Ferrell said.
“Scott is a very devoted Christian, and early on he made a vow that as long as this company exists, we’re going to follow the golden rule, even if it costs us money, which has led to a pretty spotless reputation,” Ferrell said. “Of course, we’re human and mistakes happen, but we always, always, always follow through and make sure that at the end of the day, the customer is left happy and satisfied, which drives our company culture.”
Burnett Home Improvement has made a name for itself across Tulsa as a reputable company for window, door and siding replacements, gutter guard systems, and bath and shower restoration. When a customer chooses to work with them, they’ll receive an unmatched customer experience, Ferrell said.
“In 43 years of business, we don’t have a single (Better Business Bureau) complaint, which really speaks for itself,” Ferrell said. “We have great customer communication and we try to be as transparent and honest with our pricing as possible.”
Ferrell said Burnett is a longtime vendor at the Greater Tulsa Home & Garden Show. What the team looks forward to most is meeting new customers and reconnecting with previous clients.
“We’re constantly having previous costumers come into our booth and telling us their stories, which is always really exciting for us,” Ferrell said. “We also love just educating customers on products. We really care about the details, getting to people’s questions and helping them get excited for the vision they have for their home.”
The show will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults, with discounts available for first responders, military and educators.
For more information or to purchase tickets, go to tulsahba.com.