|
Industry Profile
Dedicated
to Excellence
With customer service as its ultimate goal, Unique Wholesale Distributors
is commited to quality and dependability.
D&WC: Please give a
detailed description of your company and its history.
Carol Bennett: Bringing his
work home was never a liability for Sam Pampenella, Jr., president
of Unique Wholesale Distributors, Inc. in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Rather,
it was where Unique Wholesale got its roots. Having grown up in
his family’s Ace Hardware business, Sam’s feel for success
began at age 20 when he joined his father on a full-time basis in
the family store. In between sales, he was busy making shades; a
venture, that would eventually outpace revenues generated by the
store’s hardware.
In 1972, flourishing sales prompted Sam’s father to sell the
hardware store and open Ace Window Shades in Sunrise, FL. Marked
by steadily increasing sales, the company was highly successful.
So successful, that in 1977, when Sam Sr. sold the business and
retired, Sam Jr. seized the opportunity to venture on his own. Joined
by wife Sandy, shades were made and sold in the back room of their
house. Six months later, Sam rented a small 1,500-square-foot warehouse
nearby to accommodate what the house couldn’t.
After several brainstorming sessions to determine the name of the
company, Sam thought of “Rainbow” while Sandy thought
of “Unique.” Little did she know her idea was years ahead
of its time.
Rainbow was a retail company with a shade line and vertical blinds,
which were manufactured and installed by Sam. In 1978, the retail
operation diversified to include several wholesale accounts. Two
years later, the latter dominated, hence Unique Wholesale Distributors,
Inc.
In 1980, Sam sold his retail store and opened Unique in a specially
designed 6,000-square-foot facility. Rapid growth prompted many
moves and expansions. Now upon its 25th anniversary, the company
operates in three buildings totaling nearly 60,000 square feet and
employs more than 160 people.
D&WC: What window coverings
products did you handle initially? What products do you handle today?
Bennett: Over the past 25 years
Unique has gone from fabricating a shade line and vertical blinds
to becoming a Graber-preferred fabricator manufacturing the following
Graber products:
CrystalPleat® Cellular Shades
FashionPleat® Pleated Shades
EvenPleat® Pleated Shades
Traditions™ Wood Blinds
Lake Forest™ Faux Wood Blinds
Vertical blinds
Aluminum and vinyl horizontal blinds
Unique is also a full-line distributor of the following:
Graber Traditions™ Shutters
Graber Tradewinds™ Natural Shades
Graber Synergy® Innovative Shadings
Graber drapery hardware
Graber LightWeaves™ Solar Shades
Conso trimmings
Comfortex Shangri-La Sheer Horizontal
Shadings
Kirsch drapery hardware
Fresco® Roman Shades
D&WC: Is your business computerized? Do you
have a company Web site, and how is it used to communicate with
customers?
Bennett: Unique Wholesale’s
Web site address is www.uniquewholesale.net
As well as having a Web site, Unique has an Online Customer Resource
Center for its customers. This system offers many benefits to customers
such as information including order status, product discounts, shipment
tracking information and accounting information 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. This Resource Center is offered at no cost to
Unique’s valued customers.
D&WC: Who are your customers?
What parts of the country do you service? How many salespeople do
you employ?
Bennett: The majority of Unique’s
customers are throughout the state of Florida. Unique also services
customers in the southcentral portion of the United States, primarily
Louisiana and Texas; as well as customers throughout the Southeast:
Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas.
Unique currently employs eight sales representatives.
D&WC: What distinguishes you
from the competition?
Bennett: Unique has remained one of the leaders in the
industry because of the commitment to three key ingredients: service,
quality and dependability. From our sales department through to
production, Unique’s entire staff is dedicated to excellence
with customer service being the ultimate goal.
Unique recognizes the need to have a dependable supplier. Unique
personally delivers products to customers throughout the entire
state of Florida, with the exception of the Panhandle. Seldom, if
ever, will a customer not receive an order on the requested date.
D&WC: Do you work through distributors
or only sell direct to the retailer? Do you offer any products other
than window coverings?
Bennett: Unique Wholesale sells
strictly to the retailer.
We do not offer any products other than window coverings and accessories,
nor does Unique provide any home furnishing services.
D&WC: Do you educate your customers?
Bennett: Unique’s customer
service, in addition to seminars often held, educates our customers.
Unique offers a friendly customer service department qualified to
assist our customers in any way. Several of the customer service
reps have been a part of Unique’s team for many years. As well,
all new employees receive extensive knowledge through our training
program.
Unique Wholesale Distributors Inc.
6811 N.W. 15th Ave.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
(954) 975-0227
(800) 824-1277
fax: (954) 975-0297
www.uniquewholesale.net
|
