Fort Myers, FL — More than 20 years ago, when Jeff Brown cofounded Brinker Brown Fastener and Supply, he wanted to build a reputation for problem solving and exceptional service. He didn't know how soon he'd be tested or how far he'd come.
"What really put Brinker Brown on the map happened within the first 30 days of the business," Brown recalls. "One of the County Justice Center's walls delaminated (the facing fell off), and about 90 tons of debris fell on the sidewalk overnight. They came to us for a solution on how to properly refasten the walls.
"We needed to come up with a fastener that wouldn't corrode and one that had a large bearing surface. We took two different fasteners and married them together, actually creating a new anchor specifically for that project. And then we provided them with about 250,000 of them — they went around the entire building, covering a city block and five stories high, to make sure all the walls were reinforced.
"That was about 20 years ago and even with the hurricanes those walls are still standing. That pretty much established us as the 'go-to' guys in this area," he adds.
The list of similar situations where Brinker Brown has stepped in to solve a problem or save a project is lengthy and varied, and the organization has built on its slogan: No problems, just solutions.
"This approach has separated us from a lot of others, and we take pride in our ability to analyze and solve problems," Brown points out. "We are close to a group of engineers in this area, for example — regularly holding 'lunch and learn' sessions with them — and it isn't unusual for an engineer to call early on in a project to ask what we would recommend."
Knowledgeable people lead the way
Behind the scenes, the organization is built upon a philosophy that well-trained, knowledgeable people are the foundation of success, and that translates to a serious, formal training program. Sales manager Tom Barklow is in charge of the expanding training program.
