Recently our founder, Doug Slocum, loaned me several of the earliest copies of the Slippery Rock Gazette.  As I read the older copies I observed that many of the products have changed, there have been significant changes in the market, and this magazine has changed, but one of the things that has not changed is the philosophy of Braxton-Bragg. We have reprinted page six of the July 1996 issue. As you compare our commitment then and now you will see that we are still the only distributor that guarantees, in writing, the quality of our products. We still ship same day, we still have a 99% in-stock record, and we still offer the highest quality products available at the lowest price. The only change I see is that we have reduced the threshold to get free freight from $500 then to $250 now, and we also pick up the Hazmat fee!

Doug’s original principles created our company. Faithfully following them has enabled us to survive a humdinger of a recession and working every day to keep our focus on our principles will prepare us to serve you during the recovery. Hope you enjoy the read.

– Rich Hassert

Braxton Bragg Adheres To Principle That the Customer Is Always Right

Braxton Bragg Corp. is an industrial supply house based in Knoxville, Tennessee The company is in its second year of servicing the stone fabrication trades across the U. S.

The company breaks away from the industrial supply pack by offering customers value and service, which has come to be expected in the retail markets. Customers have always determined the direction retailers take by demanding quality service and expecting value.

The success of Braxton-Bragg has come from listening to its customers.  Jon D. Slocum, president of the company, points out that “the company is the only one in the stone fabrication supply business that unconditionally warranties all sales.

“Most other competitors have a stated policy of guarantees, but then they have pages of disclaimers stating that the guarantees depend on manufacturers’ inspections or that they depend on the circumstances or that restocking charges may apply,” he added.

Mr. Slocum, who prefers to be called Doug, says that at Braxton-Bragg, the only opinion that counts is that of the customer.  “If the customer is not satisfied with the performance of a product, then he will receive a full refund or exchange, whichever is requested.”

The other focus of the company is to provide as full a range of products for the fabricator as possible, at the lowest price possible.

Stone fabricators want true value and are wise shoppers.  They know the value of getting a job done properly and completed on time.  At the same time, they are mostly small independent businesses and are not prone to just throwing money away.  For this reason, Braxton-Bragg offers the best in name brand tools, abrasives, chemicals and other products at substantially less than most supply houses that typically look at the stone industry as a specialty market which can afford to pay higher prices.

The low prices offered by the company are not just a sales pitch, but are a commitment from the top of the organization to always offer value to the customer. The ability to keep prices under control is the second area of management where the company chooses to adhere to old business principles such as “keep it simple.”  

Braxton Bragg’s success at providing the right products, service, price, and building customer loyalty is not a secret. It’s the oldest principle of all:  The customer is always right.