Bello may be one of the newest names in the decorative plumbing landscape, but it arrives with the insight, experience and strategic clarity of a seasoned industry player. The company, officially launched in May 2024, is the brainchild of longtime industry veteran Eric T. Phelps, whose decades-long career—beginning at Kohler—helped shape his belief that independent plumbing showrooms deserve better margins, better support and better partners.

According to Phelps, the idea behind Bello has been years in the making, driven by a desire to bring strong profitability and a nimble sourcing model to independent showroom operators. “I launched Bello with the intent of bringing high profitability to the independent plumbing channel so that I can create good partnerships,” he says. That entrepreneurial mindset, combined with a sourcing-first model, has quickly made Bello an attractive newcomer—most notably to Luxury Products Group (LPG), which formalized a partnership with the brand in November 2024.

A Product Mix Built for Showrooms

Bello is entering the market with a curated lineup designed around the needs of decorative plumbing showrooms. “For the LPG membership, we’re focused on the fixture side of the business,” Phelps explains. That includes freestanding baths, mirrors (framed and frameless), medicine cabinets and—at the request of LPG—an expanding lineup of toilets.

This broad category coverage is intentional. Phelps notes that most competitors operate from a manufacturing lens, limiting them to the products they make themselves. Bello, however, is free to source from best-in-class factories around the world.

“Our sourcing capabilities allow us to be across fixture categories with an expertise that most manufacturers simply can’t match,” he says. “I’m not expanding my factory. I’m going and sourcing from the best guys.”

An Entrepreneurial Culture with Speed as Its Superpower

For Phelps, Bello’s culture is its greatest differentiator. “We are small and entrepreneurial, which aligns with the majority of the LPG customer base,” he says. Without layers of corporate bureaucracy, Bello can move quickly—and Phelps has already put that agility on display.

Immediately after joining LPG, Phelps realized that waiting for the April member conference to showcase Bello’s offerings would slow momentum. So he created a new plan—virtually overnight. “It was me and one other person,” he recalls. “Within 24 hours of the deal being done, we decided we were going to put a mobile showroom on the road.”

Within a week, Phelps purchased a transit van, arranged for branding and secured a buildout team. His goal: hit the road by January 12 to bring Bello’s products directly to LPG members. “We don’t wait for the first quarter or get the finance guy involved,” he says. “We look at good opportunities and react.”

That responsiveness, he believes, mirrors how small independent showrooms operate—and reflects what they expect in a vendor partner.

Standing Out from the Competition

Phelps believes Bello’s strength lies in its ability to deliver quality and profitability across multiple fixture

categories—a rarity in the marketplace. “When you really look at the market, the freestanding bath guys don’t sell medicine cabinets. The medicine cabinet guys might sell mirrors, but not vanities. The vanity guys don’t do the others,” he explains. Because Bello is sourcing-driven rather than manufacturingrestricted, it can assemble a well-rounded product line with consistently high quality.

The company’s long-term strategy is rooted in patience and partnership. “My partners and I believe in planting the seeds,” he says. “Seeds take longer to grow than a sapling, but that’s how you build a program that provides high value at a better price point.” The result: products with higher margins and a curated, categoryspanning assortment that showroom operators can rely on.

Short- and Long-Term Opportunity With LPG

Joining LPG, Phelps says, represents both an immediate opportunity and a long-range strategic win. “The short term is to enhance the brand and visibility of Bello,” he explains. The national exposure of LPG’s showroom network—some of the most beautifully designed stores in the country—gives Bello instant credibility.

Over the long term, Bello sees enormous potential in collaborating with LPG on product development and category expansion. “I’m going to be right way more than I’m wrong because I’ve got this incredible foundation of input,” he says. Having access to more than 300 luxury showrooms offers what Phelps describes as the best “focus group” in the business.

Why LPG Was the Right Fit

Phelps has worked with multiple brands in his career but has long viewed LPG as the most valuable showroom buying group in the industry. His decision to pursue an exclusive relationship stemmed from both strategic alignment and trusted relationships. “It really comes down to people,” he says.

“Eric and I first crossed paths at Kohler, and since then our careers have followed similar paths,” said Peter Ollestad, director of business development, LPG. “We’ve always made time to reconnect at industry gatherings like KBIS, ICFF and, of course, LPG. Being able to collaborate directly with Eric now— while bringing an exceptional exclusive brand to our members—feels especially meaningful.”

Phelps’ longstanding professional relationship with LPG’s leadership—including Ollestad and Executive Director Jeff McDowell—played a major role. “What Jeff has done on the training side for the LPG membership is incredible,” he says.

Equally important was Bello’s initial goal: to get into the top 300 showrooms in the market. “By aligning with LPG exclusively, there’s only a small handful of showrooms we won’t reach,” Phelps says. “That’s worth the reward.”

For Bello, the partnership is the realization of a vision set in motion the moment the company was born. “It was exactly what we were trying to do with the business,” he says. “And the fact that it’s coming to fruition about a year into building this brand—it’s the perfect opportunity.”

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