A look at the long-standing partnership between Gerber Plumbing Fixtures and Coburn’s
BY MARY JO MARTIN
Editorial director
In any relationship — whether it be business or personal — loyalty is among the most desired traits anyone could want in a partner. By definition, loyalty implies a sense of duty or of devoted attachment to something or someone. It ranks right up there with characteristics such as honesty and integrity.
But while loyalty might be simple to define and proclaim, it is not always easy to live it on a daily basis.
Up and down the phcp channel, companies boast of their loyalty to their trading partners. The relationship between Coburn Supply Company and Gerber Plumbing Fixtures llc beautifully illustrates loyalty at work. The two companies have done business together since at least the 1950s, and in many ways are very similar.
Both are family owned (Gerber was long owned by the Gerber family and now is under the direction of Globe Union, Inc. and Michael Werner who successfully led his family’s company for years; while Coburn’s has been owned by the Maloney family since its founding in 1934). Employee turnover is minimal and it is not unusual to find employees who have spent decades with either organization — or to have multiple generations of the same family at all levels of the companies.
Much of the reason for this is the active leadership and hands-on family atmosphere that is evident from the top of the management team on down. Both businesses approach the market, and their employees, in much the same way — with open communication and respect.
Coburn’s, based in Beaumont, Texas, has nearly 50 branches in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, and has a history of catering to small city markets. Its 27 showrooms, each of which is unique and reflects the market it is in and the personalities of its branch management, range between 1,500 to 5,000 square feet.
The majority of Coburn’s showroom sales are residential. Most of their home builder customers are small to medium sized - putting up less than 60 homes annually. The company’s long-term relationship with manufacturers such as Gerber is beneficial because of the personal service, flexibility and understanding they provide.
Russell Atchetee, a 31-year Coburn’s veteran as well as a licensed plumber, is the Kitchen and Bath manager. He oversees all of Coburn’s showrooms, and deals closely with Gerber national sales manager Tommy Price, as well as their local manufacturer’s representatives (Barbot-Woolf-Canale in Louisiana and Proline Marketing in South Texas).
“We know we have sold Gerber for more than 56 years because one of our current vp/general managers, Clodile Romero, has been working here that long and stated we had Gerber when he started as a truck driver,” Atchetee said. “When you have a relationship with a national plumbing vendor like Gerber and you are describing a situation you’re facing, you know that they truly understand your needs. It gives you a level of comfort because you feel you can put your cards on the table. They know you’re telling them the truth and that you’re not embellishing. It helps get the problems resolved right away.
“The showroom business is like anything else. You want to do your best for your vendors and your reps, especially when you have a good relationship with them. We’ll really go to the mat for vendors like Gerber to get results.”
According to Price, Coburn’s is “always receptive to any ideas that Gerber has about going to market. Coburn’s keeps the lines of communication open. We have meetings on a regular basis with open and candid conversations on how we can strategically grow this business together. We have a mutual trust with Coburn’s and continue to work hard to grow the line with them. It has always helped us find middle ground. Gerber is also fortunate to have great reps working that territory who ensure that we understand and support Coburn’s needs.”
In the rapidly changing world of showroom design, Coburn’s especially appreciates Gerber’s packaged showroom display suites. By having a package that includes both product and display, it enables Coburn’s to get it into their showrooms quickly — which means it is in front of their customers quickly and can start generating sales.
“Gerber has updated and upgraded their suites and come up with a stylish look,” said Atchetee. “The new suites are very timely, well done and stylish, with a display already constructed that was ready to show. In a showroom environment, you don’t have a lot of down time to design something to fit. So this new display package helps get product on the floor really fast. Gerber’s reps are very active in making sure the displays get put up. It really aids the process and speeds things up.”
Gerber has long had a solid reputation in the market for its quality products, and especially its loyalty to the trade.
However, it had often been thought of as more of a utilitarian line, than one of high style. That has begun to change in recent years.
“Gerber was acquired about five years ago by Globe Union and we totally revamped our product offering,” Price explained. “Since that time, we have created new products to the tune of about 800 skus. We’ve redesigned the look of our faucets, as well as developed new toilet technology. Gerber has taken a different approach in the market. It has allowed us to penetrate commercial, hospitality and residential markets. By diversifying our business in that way, we have been able to overcome the ups and downs that varying segments of the market experience.
“You have to sell your product to get good floor space. Gerber tries to position ourselves with our competitors in terms of price points but our products are just as stylish and functional. That really counts with consumers.”
Atchetee was especially complimentary of the performance of Gerber’s products. “Performance wise, Gerber’s products do real well,” he noted. “Their lower end expensive products have been made to function extremely well, which further helps us sell their upper end product. Gerber’s reps provide us with training on their high-performance products like the Avalanche and Viper toilets. In the toilet part of the business, the performance is what consumers and plumbers are most interested in.”
Despite the fact that the U.S. economy in general, and the housing market in particular, have been suffering a serious decline, the partnership between Gerber and Coburn’s has helped both companies weather the storm.
“Right now you hear that the market is off on average about 25% to 40%,” commented Price. “But we actually showed growth on the positive side last year and we’ve started off well this year. We’ve been in the right place at the right time and I think our product line and our partnership with the independent wholesalers like Coburn’s has really helped us. We’re also working with our buying group affiliations.”
Price reiterated Gerber’s commitment to wholesale-only distribution, saying that the company continues to believe it is the best way to go to market. “Selling through big boxes would be an easy avenue to get a quick sale, but our loyalty to the trade and wholesalers has been real and has sustained us over all these years. We all work hard within our industry, and the long-term strategy and decisions we make today will affect us years from now. It could be damaging to us if we ended up over-distributing our products. Instead, we continue to support those people and companies who have supported us. Coburn’s is prime example of that.
“As a manufacturer, it is a joy to work with a company like Coburn’s. Their approach to the marketplace is one of humility and graciousness. They believe in hard work and they are loyal to those who go to bat for them. They let their vendors and customers know they really appreciate doing business with them. That attitude has served them very well.
“On a business side, they are very smart. Coburn’s runs a tight ship and make decisions based on feedback and good communication. Gerber is proud to be a partner with Coburn’s and looks forward to many more solid, sales years ahead.”
For additional information, visit www.coburns.com or www.gerberonline.com.