Company president combines creative expression with business savvy at Distinctive Kitchens & Baths
August 24th, 2006

For Scott Ballin, creative expression is as necessary as breathing.

As the owner of the successful Manhattan advertising agency B-12, Scott drew on his innovative talents and intuitions to attract top marketing professionals, and rapidly built an impressive client list. Now Ballin turns his creativity, along with his marketplace expertise, toward a new venture: Distinctive Kitchens & Baths, a complete design solution and renovation resource for developers, builders, and homeowners.

Headquartered in a 25,000-square-foot facility in Boca Raton, Distinctive fills a marketing alcove between high-end designers available only to the wealthy and big-box home improvement stores. Distinctive manufactures its own line of cabinetry onsite and distributes a variety of exclusive lines such as Omega.

Ballin grew interested in kitchen and bath design when he moved from New York to South Florida and bought a beachfront apartment. “I began renovating it myself, and found that the process filled a need for creative expression that was missing after I retired from advertising,” he said. “It allowed me to work with beautiful materials like fine woods and stones to produce a finished product that gave me great personal satisfaction.”

When a visitor offered to buy the apartment at a considerable profit, Ballin realized he could combine his newly discovered creative outlet with his affinity for business, and started his own design consulting company. Scott was confident he could create another successful brand.

“I know first-hand about renovation and design because I had done it for myself,” he said. “I can get the most value for a client’s investment because that is what I looked for. Whether you are designing a kitchen for a new home or doing a renovation, it is important to be keenly aware of the marketplace so you get a quality product without overspending.”

Distinctive offers the personalized service and attention to detail of an individual designer along with the strategic capabilities usually found in large, national corporations. “We provide organized, efficient management with the best client care and service,” he said.

Client care and service, combined with persistent innovation and fresh ideas has been Ballin’s secret for success. He began his marketing career in 1991 with the Milton Samuels Advertising Agency after successfully building and selling several self-owned companies.

MSA hired Ballin to launch an internal promotion division that provided clients with an integrated mix of marketing disciplines. Almost overnight, the department grew to include 10 promotions professionals and became the most profitable division in the agency.

In 1997, Ballin left MSA and introduced his own agency, B-12. Instead of opening an office in Manhattan, he chose downtown SoHo.
“I was convinced that although SoHo might be less convenient to vendors, clients, and even our own staff, it would give us a fresh injection of inspiration every day,” he said. “Unlike the concrete grid of Manhattan, SoHo is a land of narrow streets, some still paved in cobblestones, beautiful old brick and stone buildings, funky boutiques and galleries, vibrant restaurants and bars, and a deliciously eclectic collection of street life.”

In 2000, Aspen Marketing Group, the largest privately held promotional products company in the nation, approached and acquired B-12. Later that same year, Aspen merged another division with Ballin’s B-12 unit, putting him in charge of a 125-person strategy division. “It was great,” he said. “But I wanted to embark on a new set of challenges and experiences.”

Ballin enjoys his new role. “Distinctive Kitchens is a perfect fit for me. Our core brand value is flawless execution and I have never settled for less in any aspect of my business career,” he said. “We have the unique ability to offer a builder the security of total control with our own, locally-manufactured cabinetry, or a wide selection of brand name products. We can also fix, repair, or replace faster than almost anyone in the industry.”

Among Distinctive’s many clients are BRF Construction, WCI Communities, Transeastern Homes, and Dreamstar Custom Homes, as well as owners of private residences in communities such as the homes of St. Andrews, the Polo Club, Broken Sound, and Woodfield. “Whether a client is a large developer or an individual consumer, we will make sure he or she gets the best value and service,” Ballin said. “It is the way we do business.”