2-J SUPPLY A Better Way of Doing Business

If 2-J Supply Co. Inc. was begun on “a wing and a prayer” by Jerry Trimbach and Jim Winget, according to Trimbach's son, Larry, nearly 50 years ago, it reflected what it took back then to succeed in the HVACR distribution business: hard work, perseverance and a little bit of luck. Today, Trimbach's sons run 2-J Supply, and their philosophy for success is not based on wings or prayers, but rather, as Larry puts it, a line from a Beatles song, “I get by with a little help from my friends.”

The New Js: Greg (left) and Larry Trimbach.

Certainly the folks at 2-J Supply still work hard, but brothers Larry and Greg Trimbach understand that it takes more than that to succeed in the wholesale distribution business today. Especially in difficult economic times, it takes an understanding of and an ability to act upon what's happening in both the local markets and the world — from managing your sales force to proactively planning for the future. Relying on the expertise and experience of their employees is key; the Trimbachs also count on a number of formal and informal networks to bounce around ideas and seek advice as well as a Board of Advisers to help guide them and keep the business running long into the future.

The original logo as it was designed by Jerry Trimbach and Jim Winget.

Trimbach and Winget founded 2-J Supply in Dayton, OH, in 1962, and the business has since expanded to eight locations in three states, built on “serving the customer, trying to determine their needs and fill those needs,” Greg says. The business first expanded in 1988, when it opened a location in Cincinnati. Larry moved from Dayton to Cincinnati to open the new location. Two years later, a third location opened in Columbus, and they moved one of their counter people from Dayton to open the new branch. Two years after that, its fourth location opened in Louisville, KY, with a local person hired to run that operation.

The next four locations opened by 2-J Supply between 1999 and 2002 were different in that the company purchased existing distributors rather than starting from scratch. Those branch locations are in Lexington, KY, Lima, OH, Piketon, OH, and Huntington, WV. Larry says they learned that transitioning to new markets was much easier when customers knew the employees rather than bringing in existing 2-J Supply people — once again demonstrating the power of relationships in the HVACR distribution business. “It's much more difficult if you don't know the customers,” Larry says.

2-J Supply is heavy on residential replacement, with some commercial replacement and a small percentage of new residential. The poor economic climate has hit the Midwest particularly hard, and Larry says business for the first half of 2009 was down 13 percent. Its sheet metal fabricating shops in Dayton and Cincinnati have taken a harder hit than the distribution side of the business.

While business is down, the Trimbachs say they had been preparing for the downturn since 2006, and they credit HARDI for much of this readiness. “What helped us tremendously is being part of HARDI and having resources like the Institute for Trend Research,” Larry says. Using forecasts and trend data that the Institute supplied through a partnership with HARDI, the Trimbachs were able to gradually pare down their work force over two years without resorting to the large-scale layoffs or reorganizations that have hit other businesses. “While being down from a sales standpoint, we've worked hard at controlling expenses and trying to retain as much profit as we could,” he adds.

Throughout its history, 2-J Supply has “had a real bond” with small to medium-sized contractors, says Greg, but now serves larger contractors, too. Part of this bond is rooted in its training programs. “We've always been out front in providing training to contractors,” he says. “We have a full-time trainer, and that's been a way to connect with small to medium contractors.” Ohio and Kentucky require contractor licensing, and 2-J Supply's training also allows its contractor customers there to receive continuing education credits through its programs.