Builders Exchange

What Builders Exchange does

Builders Exchange of Rochester (ROBEX) is a not-for-profit membership trade association founded in 1888 and headquartered at 180 Linden Oaks, Suite 100, Rochester, NY. It serves over 550 member companies across all sectors of the commercial construction industry in New York State and Northern Pennsylvania. The organization is governed by a member-elected board and led by President and CEO Kim Gaylord, with a staff of 11-50 employees. Its core purpose is to aggregate construction-industry bid information, deliver member benefit programs, and advocate on legislative and regulatory matters affecting the building trades.

The organization's core product is its electronic Online Planroom, a member-facing information system providing real-time access to construction project bid data, specifications, and prebid information across New York State and Northern Pennsylvania. A companion Physical Planroom operates at the Rochester headquarters during business hours. The Online Planroom is offered in two annual subscription tiers: Regular Membership at $525 and Online Planroom Full Access at $1,362, with the latter including complete project documents and bundled estimating software. The technology stack is a closed member-facing portal — no public API, no developer documentation, and no documented third-party integrations are described.

Robex's business model rests on three revenue streams: (1) recurring annual membership dues, (2) tiered Partnership/Sponsorship packages ranging from $2,100 (Bronze) to $9,000 (Platinum), and (3) fee-based Job Postings ($75 per listing for members, $150 for non-members, 6-week duration). Adjacent services include the ROBEX Agency healthcare insurance consortium (24 firms, 3,200+ covered lives, brokered through Brown & Brown), workers compensation programs, discounted training and certification, fleet/vehicle programs, affinity discounts, and advocacy on industry legislation in Albany. The Junior Builders Exchange (JBX), launched in 2017, develops next-generation industry leaders. Customer acquisition is community-led via networking events (Golf Tournament, Clambake, Career Day), the annual ROBEX Magazine directory, workforce development outreach, and direct membership applications with a 24-hour response time.

Name

Builders Exchange

Legal name

Builders Exchange of Rochester

Website

https://robex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Builders Exchange of Rochester (ROBEX) is a not-for-profit construction industry trade association founded in 1888, serving 550+ member companies across New York State and Northern Pennsylvania through an electronic planroom, advocacy, insurance consortium, training, and networking programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Industry Trade Association Services

NAICS

Residential Building Construction (2361)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

ADU Project Management & General Contracting (HSAPAMAO)

Keywords

• Construction trade association
• Online planroom services
• Bid information network
• Construction industry advocacy
• Member benefit consortium

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to planroom services, training discounts, networking events, and member benefits. Regular Membership at $525 annually and Online Planroom Full Access at $1,362 annually.
2. Job Postings: Fee-based job posting service for member and non-member companies seeking to fill construction industry positions.
3. Sponsorship Packages: Revenue from Platinum ($9,000), Gold ($6,200), Silver ($4,300), and Bronze ($2,100) partnership and sponsorship packages offering event visibility, advertising, and marketing benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Builders Exchange of Rochester (ROBEX) is a not-for-profit trade association founded in 1888 that provides construction industry members with electronic access to project bid information through an Online Planroom covering New York State and Northern Pennsylvania. It bundles the planroom with a Physical Planroom, advocacy, networking events, training discounts, an insurance consortium, and member benefit programs for its 550+ member companies.

Product overview

Builders Exchange of Rochester (ROBEX) is a not-for-profit membership organization serving the construction industry since 1888, offering a portfolio of products and services organized around its core Online Planroom and Physical Planroom. The primary product is the Online Planroom, an electronic system providing real-time access to construction project bid information across New York State and Northern Pennsylvania, available in two tiers: Regular Membership ($525/year) for basic access, and Online Planroom Full Access ($1,362/year) which adds full document access and estimating software. Supporting services include a Physical Planroom for on-site plan review, a Member Directory for locating certified contractors, and member benefit programs for Healthcare, Workers Comp Insurance, Training, Vehicle Programs, and Affinity Programs. ROBEX also operates the Junior Builders Exchange (JBX) youth leadership program, provides Workforce Development resources connecting job seekers with trade schools, runs advocacy services on industry legislation, hosts Construction Career Day events, manages a Job Postings service, and coordinates the ROBEX Agency insurance consortium. The organization also publishes the ROBEX Magazine annual directory. The product architecture is membership-based rather than a software-as-a-service platform, with no public API.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ROBEX Agency: Insurance consortium offering healthcare and benefits programs for member companies with over 100 employees.
• JBX

Products and services

• Online Planroom

Quantifiable outcome

• 36% savings on healthcare compared to community/block increases over four years for ROBEX Agency consortium members
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ServiceMaster Recovery by ClosecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Partner providing sponsorship for ROBEX events including Golf Tournament, Clambake, with full page color ad in ROBEX Member Directory, 52-week newsletter ad placement, social media recognition, and logo on website.
• Altra RentalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Partner with event sponsorships, advertising placements, and website visibility through ROBEX partnership program.
• Laborers Local 435coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Partner representing labor organization within the construction industry ecosystem.
• Bonadio GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Partner providing professional services sponsorships and advertising through ROBEX events and publications.
• BBrown (Bouchard Brothers)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Partner with event sponsorships and marketing visibility through ROBEX partnership packages.
• ADMAR SupplycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Partner providing equipment/supplies industry representation within ROBEX partner ecosystem.
• Livingston AssociatesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Partner with event sponsorships and bi-weekly newsletter advertising placements.
• O'Connell ElectricminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Partner with event tickets and newsletter advertising.
• Villager ConstructionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Partner with foursome tickets and newsletter advertising.
• DCI (Design Construction Integration)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Partner with event sponsorship and advertising.
• Jaufmann-CentolaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Partner with event sponsorship and advertising.
• Lovell SafetyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Partner with event tickets and basic advertising.
• Brown & BrowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsurance broker serving as Broker of Record for the ROBEX Agency healthcare consortium. The consortium has 24 member firms with over 3,200 covered lives, providing strength in premium negotiations and group purchasing power for healthcare insurance.
• Flower City Habitat for HumanityminorOthersCommunity partnership for Habitat Build project at 226 Saxton Street, Rochester - a 1,720 sq ft house with 5 bedrooms. Exceeded $165,000 in donations from construction industry sponsors.
• Homesteads for HopeminorOthersCharitable beneficiary of JBX Bowling Tournament events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Builders Exchange of Central New York: A regional builders exchange serving central New York with similar planroom, membership, and advocacy services. Closest direct comparable in mission, member profile, and service mix within the same state.
• Builders Exchange of Buffalo: Another New York regional builders exchange providing planroom access, networking events, and member benefit programs. Directly comparable in scale, geography, and product offering.
• ConstructConnect: National construction project data and bid management platform. Directly competes with ROBEX's online planroom by aggregating commercial construction project leads at national scale with modern SaaS delivery.
• Dodge Construction Network: Long-standing construction information services provider offering project leads, market intelligence, and bid data. Directly comparable to ROBEX's planroom function but at national scope.

Broad incumbents

• Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC): National construction trade association offering advocacy, training, and member benefits. Competes with ROBEX for member mindshare and dues, but operates at much larger scale with federal-level influence.
• Associated General Contractors of America (AGC): National construction trade association providing advocacy, education, and networking. Overlaps with ROBEX mission but serves a broader geographic and segment footprint.

Emerging players

• BuildingConnected (Autodesk): Modern bid management platform acquired by Autodesk. Competes with traditional exchanges by digitizing the prequalification and bid invitation workflow with broader integration into construction management software.
• PlanHub: Cloud-based construction bid board and project management platform. Emerging competitor to traditional regional exchanges with a modern, mobile-first interface and nationwide project coverage.

Others

• McGraw Hill Construction (S&P Global): Construction information and analytics provider, now part of S&P Global. Adjacent ecosystem participant providing market intelligence that complements — rather than directly competes with — regional exchange planroom services.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/239535912884322
• Xx.com/RobexRochester

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Builders Exchange