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Industry Profile
No Matter What
Whatever it takes to run a retail store or make a customer happy,
CALHOOK-TMS is ready to do it.
D&WC: Please give a
detailed description of your company and its history.
Keith Lee, president: The CALHOOK
business, that of supplying CALHOOK Sample Management Products™
to the drapery, fabric and interiors trades, began in 1980. It was
originated by Marv Emerling, who continues to be a consultant out
of Los Altos, CA. The business was acquired by Thompson Merchandinsing
& Supply (TMS) in September 1997. The CALHOOK business had a
kinship with TMS’s business, and today we offer our specialized
products using the name CALHOOK-TMS™.
TMS began in 1970 supplying pricing equipment to the grocery industry
and diversified over the years to include a wider selection of items
for every kind of retailer and distributor including store and display
fixturing, point-of-sale (POS) equipment, shopping bags, gift wrapping
materials, personalized promotional items—most every type of
store equipment including the SmartRegister retail computer/ cash
register systems.
With 40 employees, TMS currently operates from its main location
in 50,000 square feet of space in Kent, WA, in the Seattle area;
Denver, CO; and Honolulu, HI, each with its own warehouse and showroom.
TMS is a privately-held company. Sales volume is not disclosed.
Gerri Norris is our vice president in charge of marketing.
D&WC: Is your business
computerized? Do you have a company Web site, and how is it used
to communicate with customers?
Lee: The company tracks accounting,
inventory, customer orders and accounts with a highly developed
computer system. Two Web sites are available: www.calhook.com shows
the sample management products and www.make youhappy.com (a primary
TMS company theme) illustrates the broader range of general retailer
products and services, which include store design products.
D&WC: Who are your customers?
What parts of the country do you service?
Lee: Customers for CALHOOK and
the broad range of TMS products are found throughout the United
States and Canada.
D&WC: How many salespeople
do you employ?
Lee: We have 16 trained sales
representatives to assist customers with orders.
D&WC: How has your segment
of the industry changed since you first began? Where do you see
yourself and your company five years from now? Are there additional
areas within the industry that you would like to get involved in?
Lee: For the CALHOOK business,
the customer base continues largely to be specialty designers and
retailers. However, as chain stores have entered the field they
have shown interest in these products as well.
TMS’s full product lines have always enjoyed success across
the board with every type of retailer. Products and services remain
fairly constant in the display and POS business but, of course,
computer system technology has surely become a necessity for survival
in the last 10 years, and so we as a company plan to continue to
play a leading role in supplying and educating retailers to its
benefits.
D&WC: What best describes your
niche in the marketplace? What are some of the key factors involved
in your growth and success?
Lee: Before CALHOOKs there was no fixturing made for displaying
and handling fabric samples. The CALHOOK special niche has always
been sample management, a concept the company fostered from its
beginning.
Today, the full line includes all kinds of floor racks, wall fixtures
and specialty hangers to make samples easier to display and use,
which complements TMS’s product lines that claims to be “everything
you need to run your store.”
D&WC: What advice would you
give to other window coverings professionals?
Lee: Diversification, exemplified by the way CALHOOK’s
product lines combine with TMS’s broader-based but related
product lines, has been very beneficial. That seems to be the main
theme in the company’s success that other suppliers and retailers
might emulate. Such a synergism helps to smooth the bumpy roads
that can occur in business.
The other theme employed by TMS is simple, but highly effective.
Each employee in the company is trained to ask, “What can I
do to make you happy?” They know it is their job to be sure
each customer is happy every time they contact TMS.
TMS newsletters, which are sent out to customers, lead off with
articles targeted to help them learn more about doing good business.
I publish a direct line telephone number in each newsletter so customers
can get my attention on any problem or question. It’s (253)
859-7310.
D&WC: What distinguishes you
from the competition?
Lee: We distinguish ourselves from competition by superb
service. To provide knowledgeable order taking and prompt shipment,
we make a point of keeping our sales reps well trained on our inventory
so that they can answer questions and give the customer accurate
information about the products, stock availability and shipping
dates.
We never debate customers when it comes to complaints. We do make
every one satisfied, no mater what. That may be our strong suit
and what distinguishes us.
D&WC: Do you offer any products
other than window coverings?
Lee: TMS has added a new retailer-oriented
promotional product line of advertising and marketing specialties
featuring name-on giveaway items such as mugs, calendars, T-shirts,
rulers, employee identity items and lots more.
TMS has a complete design service for stores available, but no other
home furnishing products.
D&WC: Do you educate your customers?
Lee: TMS regularly provides educational programs, and newsletters
often include helpful articles to aid the storeowner. The CALHOOK
line includes books and aids for that purpose, as well.
D&WC: Do you work through distributors
or sell direct to the retailer?
Lee: The CALHOOK line is primarily
sold direct to our customers, though there are some fabric distributors
who stock our items.
CALHOOK-TMS
6205 S. 231st St.
Kent, WA 98032
(800) 426-5708
Fax: (253) 859-7300
E-mail: info@calhook.com
www.calhook.com
www.makeyouhappy.com
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