How Ayrsonics Turned Product Innovation into a Competitive Moat

00:00 – Reinvention in Building Materials
03:45 – From Roofing to Acoustics
08:23 – How Ayrsonics Became the Kleenex of PET Acoustic Panels
13:57 – Owning the Supply Chain to Stay Ahead
18:20 – The Case for Bold Messaging in a Crowded Market
22:45 – Specifying with A&D
27:15 – E-Commerce Opportunity or Distraction
31:30 – Preparing for the Future

Dean McIntyre’s journey into the world of acoustic materials wasn’t exactly planned. He left high school at 17 to work for his stepfather’s roofing company, then pivoted into building maintenance before eventually founding the McIntyre Group and expanding into furniture, interiors, and acoustics. Ayrsonics is now one of his flagship brands, known for being first-to-market with PET acoustic panels in North America.

Dean’s story is a testament to the power of resilience, continuous reinvention, and a willingness to bet on bold ideas like onshoring manufacturing when everyone else was importing from China.

Beth and Dean dive deep into the challenge of brand identity in a product category that’s become crowded. Ayrsonics’ flagship brand, Easel Board, was the first PET acoustic panel in Canada, and in many cases, it became the product people asked for by name. Dean calls it their Kleenex moment, but with that came both opportunities and headaches.

When you become synonymous with your category, it’s easier to get in the door but harder to get credit for innovation. Copycats pop up quickly, and price wars can erode margins. To stay ahead, Ayrsonics doubled down on differentiation by launching Quiet Earth Moss, investing in dye-sublimation printing, and bringing PET manufacturing to North America.

One of Ayrsonics’ biggest strategic moves was investing in their own manufacturing. When competitors were relying on imports from China, Ayrsonics’ partner, Doug, invested in North American production of PET panels during the pandemic—an unexpected move that’s now paying off.

Dean explains how controlling more of the supply chain gave them better quality control, faster delivery, and a marketing edge in a market that’s increasingly focused on sustainability and local manufacturing.

Dean’s experience in multiple industries taught him a key lesson: don’t rely on just one revenue source. After surviving the 2008 financial crisis, he focused on diversification by adding new products, expanding into installation and logistics, and creating multiple revenue streams across Ayrsonics and the broader McIntyre Group.

While Ayrsonics has explored e-commerce, Dean’s strategy remains relationship-driven. For products like PET panels and biophilic moss, architects and designers need customization, technical support, and trust in the brand. That’s where Ayrsonics leans into its reps and in-house design team because, as Dean says, ultimately, it’s about people.

Dean’s advice for other building materials manufacturers

• People are everything. Empower your team to lead and innovate.
• Diversify your revenue streams. Don’t put all your eggs in one channel.
• Stay financially strong. Economic downturns happen.
• Market boldly. Don’t let competitors define your brand.
• Keep evolving. Being first means you’ll get copied, so innovate faster.

You can connect with Dean McIntyre on LinkedIn, where he shares insights on building materials, acoustics, and entrepreneurship. You can also visit the Ayrsonics website here: https://www.ayrsonics.com/. 

The Smarter Building Materials Marketing podcast helps sales and marketing professionals find better ways to grow leads, sales and outperform the competition. It gives insights, examples and shares stories about how to create a results-driven digital marketing strategy for building products and construction companies of any size. SBMM is co-hosted by Venveo’s Founder, Zach Williams and Venveo’s CEO, Beth PopNikolov.

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