Community Spotlight: Care Supply Co

IS BIGGER BUSINESS ALWAYS BETTER BUSINESS?

What is your experience? Take suppliers for example; if it is your responsibility to purchase materials, tools, or equipment for your shop or jobsite, who do you call? Do you call the big “box” stores? Do you call a giant nationally known supplier with locations in every zip code? Or do you call the locally known and respected company down the street?

Of course, there are many variables when making purchasing decisions – how much is needed, time frame, manufacturer specs, and cost. These and other variables can certainly steer a “PM” one way or another in a hurry. Perhaps one of your suppliers doesn’t have that many widgets on the shelf. Maybe the earliest another supplier can get your widgets is two weeks from now. And still another is not an authorized distributor for the widget you require. “Oh, and what’s my cost on that?”


Let’s imagine for a moment that none of the aforementioned variables existed; who would be your first call? Some choose to go for the biggest fish in the pond because they are a one-stop shop. They also have availability and good pricing. Well, that is an easy choice, or is it?

In my experience, I have found that the biggest, flashiest, and cheapest companies are not always the best choice. Many of these big companies offer cheap pricing, but what are you actually getting? Do you have the same confidence, for instance, in a less expensive foreign Grade 8 bolt as you do in a more expensive domestic Grade 8 bolt? Would you sacrifice the strength and safety of a piece of equipment for the sake of saving 4 cents per bolt?

Moving beyond strictly pricing is a frustration I have had with some of these big suppliers that perhaps you too have experienced. When I call for something, I want to talk to someone who knows as much or more than I do about that product, someone who doesn’t have to consult the same catalog I’m looking at, someone who actually knows the product they are selling, inside and out. Is that such a terrible thing to ask?

I think suppliers who hire fresh college grads to be the face of the company should refine their interview process to weed out the guy who just needs to have 2 years sales experience so he can land his big dream job. This dude will probably never understand the difference between a foreign and a domestic bolt, other than the prices on the computer screen.  Instead, they need to hire the kid who helped his dad run the local hardware store in Small town, USA until he went to a Tech school to learn a trade; this guy will get it! Will he be as refined as Thornton, the Ivy League grad? Will he have an MBA, a fancy dress shirt, or drive a Saab? Probably not, but this guy will actually be a better salesman in the long run. He may have experience using the product he is now selling, and he understands what the customer needs it to do.

Personally, I like to use good, respected and local suppliers whenever possible. For instance, in my area, Nashville, Tennessee, I rely on that good, respected and local supplier, Care Supply. The owner, Mr. Southard, has a great business strategy starting with his hiring choices. From the Counter and the Outside sales people, to the guys in the warehouse and the delivery drivers, all of Care Supply’s employees take ownership and an active interest in the company.

I think what I appreciate most is the active participation Care Supply has in familiarizing customers with what’s available and educating them how to get even better results out of the products they offer. Care Supply often opens their facility for “customer appreciation luncheons” (which are far more than just free lunches.) Generally, several vendors set up shop to explain and demonstrate existing and new products. These guys know more than I do about their products. As a customer, don’t you want to know what they know? This is good business.

These are just a few of the reasons why SwapaTool.com encourages me to highlight successful local suppliers just like Care Supply in Nashville, Tennessee. I am sure there are many more companies like Care Supply in your area. Please let us know who you think is an outstanding supplier or distributor in your area and why you choose them first.


Article written by Brandon Nodine for SwapaTool.com, September 22, 2009