Rep Spotlight: Rick Brill & Aaron Wood of The Kovacs Group

Rick Brill and Aaron Wood know that strong representation starts with strong relationships — and in Texas and Oklahoma, they've spent a decade building both. Together they own The Kovacs Group, a CEI Materials Authorized National Rep whose five-person team covers the whole of Texas and Oklahoma.

Their path to representation started from opposite ends of the industry. Rick spent his career as a superintendent and project manager for general contractors, learning how a building actually comes together in the field. Aaron spent ten years at Sherwin-Williams as a commercial territory representative, learning finishes and specification from the coatings side. Together they've owned The Kovacs Group for the last decade.

Their connection to CEI Materials came the way most good ones do — through a customer. A CEI customer in Texas told the company they needed a strong rep firm in the market. Kovacs called and asked for a shot.

Since then they've carried CEI through some of the more demanding work in their territory. At 415 Colorado Avenue in Austin, the team supplied the R4000 Drained/Rear-Ventilated Rainscreen System with ALUCOBOND® panels for a residential and office tower, working with Ziegler Cooper Architects, Harvey-Cleary Builders, and installer Baker Triangle.

At the Tanglewood Senior Living Facility in Houston, Kovacs supported the first-ever installation of CLADLOK — the modular single-skin system CEI developed after identifying a gap in the market. Corey Construction's team completed the installation in a week and a half, and CEI's shop drawings and elevation-based pre-packaging came up in every conversation afterward.

And at the Swedish Medical Center Tower, the scope called for CLADLOK Signature Series Tapered Panels in Anodic Clear Mica alongside Alucobond MCM in MZG Gray and West Pewter Mica, all on the R4000 system — a six-story vertical expansion spanning nearly 175,000 square feet and 90 patient rooms, built with HKS Architects, JE Dunn Construction, and Baker Triangle while the existing hospital stayed fully operational.

When asked what CEI strength is most valuable to them, Rick and Aaron point to purchasing. Competitive buying passed through as finished product is what lets them hold price in a market where everyone is chasing the same jobs. Just as important is CEI's willingness to develop panels outside its daily offerings — the creative options that let a design team get what they drew.

The biggest challenge they see is on the supply side: the number of CNC tables in the market that can produce manufactured panels. It keeps them sharp on what CEI offers beyond the panel itself.

The market is telling them something too. More and more, the ask is for perforated plate panels.

So what has helped make them successful as an independent rep firm? Supporting customers with product support and industry knowledge, bringing leads, and answering calls and emails on time. The Kovacs team has built its reputation on being reachable and useful long before the order is written.

What they enjoy most comes back to the work itself — being part of a lot of beautiful projects, and then seeing the finished building years later, still holding up.

Rick Brill and Aaron Wood represent the kind of market knowledge, customer commitment, and consistency that helps CEI Materials grow across Texas and Oklahoma. We're proud to spotlight them and the role they continue to play in bringing opportunities, insight, and long-term value to the CEI network.