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R

Rob Banks

Co-founder, BuildDirect

E-commerce

Rob Banks co-founded BuildDirect, the Vancouver building-materials e-commerce company, with Jeff Booth in 1999. Banks told the Homebuilders Association Vancouver in December 2021 that he ran BuildDirect for 18 years and had since co-founded Word of Mouth Floors, a flooring retailer. A BCIT finance graduate, Banks has made about 100 sourcing trips to China.

Rob hasn’t spoken on a TechTO, TechVancouver or TechWaterloo stage. This profile is here because Rob co-founded BuildDirect, which appears in 1 talk in the archive.

Around the web ×1

Interview
HAVAN Spotlight: Rob BanksHomebuilders Association Vancouver
2021

Quick answers

Who co-founded BuildDirect with Rob Banks?

Jeff Booth. The Globe and Mail on 2018-01-28 captioned a photo of Rob Banks and Jeff Booth as co-founders of BuildDirect, and a Stanford GSB case study (2014) says Booth and cofounder Robert Banks founded the company in 1999.

What was Rob Banks's background before BuildDirect?

A Startup Grind Vancouver event page for a 2014-01-23 talk describes Booth as having co-founded BuildDirect with financial consultant Rob Banks. Word of Mouth Floors' blog, on 2021-01-11, describes Rob as a BCIT finance graduate.

What has Rob Banks done since BuildDirect?

In a Homebuilders Association Vancouver spotlight published 2021-12-09, Banks described himself as co-founder of BuildDirect, which he ran for 18 years, and spoke for Word of Mouth Floors, a flooring company in Richmond, BC. Word of Mouth Floors' blog, on 2021-01-11, names its founders as James and Rob. His current role has not been verified since then.

Is Rob Banks from Vancouver?

Yes. Asked where he was born in the Homebuilders Association Vancouver spotlight published 2021-12-09, Banks answered Vancouver.

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Maintained by TechTO · facts sourced and dated · last reviewed Sep 18, 2026