Campbell Fittings has built its business on introducing only the very best products of their kind — fittings, couplings, ferrules and sleeves for air, steam, chemical and multipurpose industrial hoses — to the market. BIC recently visited with President Tom Paff to learn how this became the company’s mantra and its role in the business.
Q: What led to your position at Campbell Fittings?
A: My grandfather bought this business from a gentleman named Campbell in the ’40s. My father joined in the ’60s and I joined in the early ’80s in sales. We had our foot in the door of the industrial hose industry with one product line and throughout the ’80s, it was my task to grow that product line. Around 1990, my father wanted to retire, so it was a natural progression within the family. I had built a team. We had manufacturers’ reps at the time, which I managed as well as a number of things within the office. Getting the title of president changed really how people viewed me more than how I viewed the situation.
Q: What is the most important part of your position?
A: Staying out of everyone’s way. I have good people doing what is good for the company and I am lucky in that sense. I like them to be able to do what they think is best wherever they may be. I sincerely do let people do what they want to do, but I admit I am very passionate about certain areas of the business. Sales and marketing and new product development are where I’ve enjoyed hanging my hat the most. I am learning from my people more than anything.
Q: What is the biggest news at Campbell Fittings right now?
A: We have been on a very nice growth path for the past six to eight years due to product lines we were presenting into the marketplace and changes in our sales force, including moving to direct sales people. We are more than doubling our footprint with a building across the street, allowing us to buy the equipment we need and to handle inventories. We are fine tuning our Lean program. We hired a vice president of manufacturing who came from a bigger company.
Our goal has always been to find better product, new ways and new designs. We are always looking to expand — not only in the markets we are in but also in newer markets.
Q: What has been the most pivotal moment of your career?
A: The recession of 1982. We had just invested significant money in new equipment to handle a growing oil market. We owed money and had no market to sell product to. When you are in a small business and owe the bank money and your market disappears, you really have to hunker down and figure out how to get out of it. It afforded me the opportunity to find new markets. My mantra has always been when you are facing a challenge you need to find an innovative method or product to get out of it. We said we are not going to try to be the cheapest and not necessarily the most expensive, but we are going to have the very best product of their kind in the world. We added one product line at a time to fill the needs of the marketplaces we saw. That remains our mantra — building products safer and better and offering whatever features and benefits we can to be the best.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote?
A: At a former job, a manager had a quote framed that said you can be on the right track but if you just sit there, you get run over. You can apply that in so many different ways whether it is the way you manufacture, the way you go to market or even the way you live your life. Fifty percent of what we are manufacturing right now, we didn’t even make five to seven years ago. We are always about the challenge of trying to find something new.
For more information, visit www.CampbellFittings.com or call (800) 367-3678.
