PLUMBING e Continued from p 64
move to a new facility in Union, N.J., and later to Piscataway, N.J. In 1978, Jay R. Smith retired and the company moved to its present location in Montgomery. The plant is situated on a 33-acre site in Gunter Industrial Park; the plant contains over 250,000 square feet of office, manufacturing, and warehouse capacity, which, as a matter of fact, is expanding 50,000+ sq. ft. later this year.
Moving Forward Through a series of bold business
66
decisions and maneuvers, Smith has always stayed ahead of the game. One such maneuver took place last June when Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co., a division of Smith Industries, joined Acorn Family of Companies, making Acorn a 50% owner of Smith Industries. The vision of the new alliance of Acorn Family of Companies and Smith Industries was to create the foundation for an exceptionally strong company that will be competitively anchored in the industry. “The goal is to take the strength of
Acorn and its engineering excellence and combine it with Smith’s customer service and industry relationship strengths and build a better company moving forward,” said John Roberts, vice president of domestic sales, Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. Mutual dedication between
company and employee is unmatched with Smith, illustrated through its base of long-term employees. “The growth success relies on common vision, staying the task and reciprocating employee loyalty,” said Don Morris, CEO, Acorn Family of Companies. “It’s a seasoned team put together
with a new head coach; it’s business as usual,” says Morris.
Aligning with Acorn’s Family of Companies — strategic positioning in the marketplace
Although the companies
didn’t merge until recently, they have had a long- standing relationship throughout the years. Jay R. Smith and Earl L. Morris (Elmco Sales Inc. and Acorn Engineering), both modern-day industry pioneers, each developed strong companies and were partners and friends from 1954, when Elmco became a Jay R.
Smith Mfg. Co. representative. The instant relationship and personal bond transcends three generations and continues with the Smith and Morris families. In the early days, Acorn was a manufacturer’s rep for Smith. Working off a standard representative contract, “We signed a 30-day contract that has lasted nearly 60 years,” said Don Morris. Working together comes naturally
for Smith and Acorn in all areas. The Elmco group, Acorn’s representative organization, is a huge distribution arm for Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. The two companies also have 50 additional common reps besides the Elmco group. In addition to shared distribution, Smith and Acorn are working together operationally –
“Smith has already started doing a bit of machine work for Acorn — they do plastic molding for us, we are doing some R&D on one of their products, and we will be jointly marketing another. We are complementing each other, and we will continue to do even more,” says Chromey. Now this 85-year-old company has
a chance to reinvigorate and reinvent itself with the recent 2010 alignment with Acorn. “In the last seven years, Acorn has
doubled its business,” said Jim Widmer, vice president of sales, Acorn Engineering. Logistically, the merger just made sense. With Acorn’s leadership, the alliance features state-of-the art engineering, manufacturing, more of the “right people” and the ability to turn things around faster. Distribution is now much greater with major points in Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles,
Atlanta, Chicago and Union, N.J., in
A cleaout with the Acorn diamond.
addition to 46 Smith Service Centers across the U.S. The company
offers the same outstanding quality in products and is able to remain competitive with its low-cost
opponents. The alliance has afforded the two companies more buying power and more resources to meet the demands in the market. The key, then, is to provide consistent product reliability and on-time distribution. Also, Acorn’s successful alliance with Potter Roemer exemplified the
Jay R. Smith’s family of products has expanded upon its alignment with Acorn Engineering.
Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. recognizes the value of green construction and offers a line of drains geared toward green roofs.
strength of Acorn, making Potter Roemer a leader in the industry. Potter Roemer, a subsidiary of Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. since 1972, formed a partnership with Acorn Family of Companies in 2003, relocating to City of Industry, CA near the headquarters of Acorn. This partnership further demonstrated Acorn’s commitment to the industry and devotion to providing the best possible products and services. Operating from its new 110,000-
sq.-ft. headquarters and manufacturing facility, Potter Roemer remains dedicated to its core business of fire protection equipment, while changing dramatically from the company that was founded in the 1930s. Over the years, their product range has grown to cover a wide variety of fire protection equipment and accessories including fire extinguisher hose and valve cabinets, fire hose and accessories, fire extinguishers, fire department valves, connections, specialty equipment and
phc august 2011
www.phcnews.com
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