The Art of Cultivation
One distributor develops a talent for growing a business
By Laura Thill
David Surks was in the business of growing a business. So, in the late 1980s, when his
specialty aerosol solvent company, S & S Nonlimited Inc., was shaken by new environmental regulations, it made good sense to him and his wife, Linda, to find another company to nurture. And it made even better sense to Surks to purchase Freud Dental Supply, along with Linda and his business partner, Eddie Palardy. "Freud Dental Supply was a broken business," says Surks.
Today, the Flanders, N.J.-based distributorship is far from broken. It employs three telesales people and five field salespeople. "Our people are our strongest asset," he says. "Their willingness to persevere and change has moved our company forward." Freud Dental Supply’s original territories included New York City, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Three years ago, Surks added an equipment and service division, Freud Services Inc., which he delegated to his service manager, Niel Lester. In May, 2008, Freud Division of S & S Nonlimited purchased the assets of Carson Dental (Flowery Branch, Ga.). The merger of Freud Dental and Carson has given the company a national presence through Carson’s Web-based store, www.carsondental.com, which Carson CEO Charlie Holley continues to run, according to Surks. Then, in June, Surks created Freud Global, LLC, an international division, which will be run by Dr. Andrew Zeichner, president, with offices in Manhattan, N.Y.
Humble beginning
Surks began his career as an entrepreneur in the 1970s by selling a precision parts cleaner to such companies as M & M Mars, and heavy equipment companies like Clark, Caterpillar and Hyster. "Our precision solvent was designed to keep their machinery clean and in working [order]," says Surks. He named his company S & S Nonlimited Inc, because "it would allow us to diversify," he continues. For over a decade, the company flourished. However, as environmental awareness grew, and ozone depletion became an issue, Surks was forced to change gears. E.I. Dupont, the primary vendor he worked with at the time, developed the raw chemicals used to make his precision cleaner. Dupont was greatly affected by this development, which in turn forced Surks to diversify.
Service and value
As it turned out, purchasing Freud Dental Supply was a good fit for Surks. The company emerged from a humble beginning. In 1962, Austrian-born Henry Freud began peddling dental supplies out of his car. Earlier in his life, Freud had immigrated to America after
losing his family in Nazi Germany during World War II. He began work as a lab technician before starting his own business. "Henry Freud always offered personal and value-added service to his customers," says Surks. This was – and continues to be – "the hallmark of this company. In 1990, [when we purchased Freud Dental Supply], I became [just like] Henry Freud. It’s still about the customer. When I say I’ll call back with an answer for my customers, I get them that answer.
"I also [pay] close attention to detail and competitive pricing," he continues. "We [aim to] become a value-added part of the dental team." Indeed, Surks’ notable record of customer service has paid off. "In 1990, we had 60 clients," he says. "Today we have 400, and we’re still growing."
That’s not to say that growing a dental distributorship has been easy for Surks. "My wife thought I was nuts to buy it," he notes. It might have been more prudent to work for another dental distributor prior to purchasing his own company "to see how the industry ticks," he says. "Instead, I just dove in." Although Freud Dental Supply has thrived, Surks has found it challenging to be a small fish in a big pond. Becoming an ADC member in 2000 "helped dramatically by providing us with access to [more vendors]," he says. "If you’re not growing in this business, you’re dying."
This brings him back to the importance of service. "You can’t just be an order-taker in this business. When a dentist buys a curing light from us, [he or she] buys us as well. If the curing light breaks, we act as an advocate for our customer and get the issue resolved. And, when a dentist is building a new office and needs consultation, Freud Dental Supply provides that service as well, he adds.
Learn the ropes
The dental industry is in constant flux, notes Surks. As such, "it’s a difficult business to survive in," he says. "But, if you rely on smart individuals, and take advantage of networking opportunities and embrace new technology, you can succeed. Understanding our past [decisions] and using that to shape our future has been our key to success." And even though he jumped into the dental business head-first, he offers this advice to others: "Learn the ropes before you take the reins.
"Our team’s willingness to adapt to change has
enabled us to transition from an ordinary company to an extraordinary company," he adds.
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