Ware Group/Johnstone Supply Selling Customer Service

When customers of the Ware Group/Johnstone Supply call their local branch or walk into one of the 11 locations in north and central Florida, they expect that the parts will be in stock and they'll be able to have them in their trucks and on their way to the job site without hassle. It's a seamless process because the people of the Ware Group/Johnstone Supply focus on making those customers successful. With the local presence of their markets and the support of a large national company, the Ware Group/Johnstone Supply makes it happen.

The Ware family joined the Johnstone Supply Cooperative in 1981. Over the years, they have opened new branches through organic growth, with plans to expand in its existing market as well as potential acquisitions in both existing and contiguous markets. Being part of the national cooperative has allowed the Ware Group to remain an entrepreneurial regional company with the backing of Johnstone Supply Cooperative. As Chris Ware, CEO of the Ware Group/Johnstone Supply, puts it, "We can act locally and buy nationally."

Johnstone Supply Cooperative is the largest member-owned, HVACR buying group in the United States, with more than 350 locations in the nation and a total sales volume of its members in excess of $1.2 billion. The goal of the Portland, OR-based cooperative is to create value for its 120 individual members, which it does through group buying power and a corporate office that provides centralized services such as merchandising, warehousing, marketing, purchasing and financial reporting. The cooperative has allowed the Ware Group/Johnstone Supply to keep its eyes and ears on what its customers want. "Our focus is to make our customers successful," Ware says.

Five regional distribution centers located strategically around the United States service the Johnstone Supply Cooperative, including one in Jacksonville. The city also is the site of the Ware Group/Johnstone Supply headquarters and two branches. The distribution centers represent another important feature of being part of the cooperative — the warehouses and distribution network mean members can offer expanded product offerings, improved inventory availability and shipping accuracy — delivered within 24 hours.

Left to right: Don Livingston, VP Finance/IT; Mike Bell, VP Sales/Branch Ops; Chris Ware, CEO; Cameron Perkins, VP Marketing/Vendor Management; Henry Puente, President.

The Ware Group/Johnstone Supply branches still reflect a family feel, which represents the Ware family's imprint on each location. "We want our employees to feel like they're part of the Ware Group family," Ware says. For Ware to grow the business even more successfully, however, he felt the need to bring an outsider's perspective to the organization. In 2004, he turned to Henry Puente, CEO of an internationally owned, $1.4 billion wholesale natural food and vitamin business.

"I wanted to raise the bar," Ware says of his decision. "We needed a higher level of accountability, reporting and what we expected out of our people. I wanted an owner who didn't have my last name involved to show the industry that we're moving on from dad and the kids running the shop." As a partner in the business and president of the company, Puente has succeeded in raising the bar and bringing in best practices from the corporate world. "We're more professional and more accountable, and our employees appreciate that," he says.

So the business now relies on management methods as well as a strategic planning process to ensure that it runs efficiently. Yet, you'll still find Ware and Puente making sales calls and making decisions with customers over the lunch counter. The Ware Group/Johnstone Supply has managed to keep the personal touch that its customers have come to expect. "We can move quickly to respond to customers," Puente says. "Branch managers rarely need to call me when they're making decisions. We like to be fast. I love the word relentless because that describes us to a T. Our desire is to serve the customer."

Puente says the Ware Group/Johnstone Supply has been able to attract good talent to the organization — smart, fast-paced people who share the owners' desire to please customers. While a growing organization often experiences hiccups and growing pains, the Ware Group/Johnstone Supply has been able to avoid many of those issues because its people understand that the path to success is rarely a straight line, Puente says. "These are people who are willing to change and better the organization," adds Mike Bell, vice president of Sales. "We're like a battleship rather than an aircraft carrier. Stay the course, but we're willing to change quickly and ably if we need to."

Puente says that to focus on its customers, the company must first focus on meeting the needs of its employees. "We can't take care of our customers unless we take care of our employees," Puente says. "Our focus remains on giving them the proper training and the proper tools that will allow them to take care of our customers."