If you told Mike Hajec that his company would be one of the country’s top distributors of pool covers three years ago, he wouldn’t believe you. His disbelief wouldn’t be from lack of confidence in his company, but because pool covers are so far removed from the core products of the company.
Hajec is the director of operations and development at MFS Supply, a security hardware distribution center that sells locks, pad locks and lockboxes to contractors, real estate agents and property managers. Today, the company offers more than 500 different products related to the security hardware industry, because customers keep asking for more.
“That’s how we started, and within the last five years, we’ve grown to about 500 different products that all correlate within that industry and those security products,” Hajec says. “[Realtors] start because they need a lockbox and then there’s 10, 12, 15, 25 items that they may need eventually from signs to measuring devices. It’s the same thing for property managers. They come to us for locks and the next thing you know we’re selling them appliances.”
It has been the company’s ability to be agile and adaptable to the changes in its market and in customer needs that has driven its recent growth.
“We’ve done everything we can and still do to make it a one-stop shop,” Hajec says. “Anything that the customer asks us for, we pretty much look into carrying. That’s been a big part of our growth is starting from literally five to 10 products five years ago to 500 products today.”
MFS Supply operates in a pretty niche market, but it has been the company’s ability to expand that niche and appeal to customers needs that has allowed the business to blossom.
“A lot has to do with the customer,” Hajec says. “We value our customers like everyone does. However, we take it a step further and we become almost like friends to our customers. That has helped our customers come to us and tell us, ‘Hey, we’re having trouble finding this type of sump pump. Can you find it for us? Or we need this type of dehumidifier or these style tarps.’ That has really helped us grow our product line.”
Hajec credits the company’s success to its ability to focus on the customer.
“We can adapt to any customer preference,” he says. “Where the customers going we’re going with them and we’re leading the way in making sure we have what they need to do that.”
HOW TO REACH: MFS Supply, (440) 248-5300 or www.mfssupply.com
