It was seven years ago today that we launched Baselodge Group as a manufacturers’ rep firm – May 1, 2006. As with any adventure worth experiencing, there was no way to predict all of the twists and turns of these past seven years. The surprises are what keep it interesting.

I want to mark this occasion with an overview of these years.

OUR CUSTOMERS

Where would any company be without customers? Answer: Out of business. Our customers are companies and individuals that design and outsource some or all of the manufacturing of their products. The tremendous diversity of the products we get to work on is truly exciting. We work with everyone from large firms that are producing consumer or industrial products to smaller firms doing complex medical devices to start-ups, inventors, and entrepreneurs creating the next big thing. We respect the product development cycle and feel honored to have the opportunity to compete for the manufacturing of these products. We do not win them all, but even when we lose out we gain from the experience of participating. Obviously, to those of you who have chosen us and our suppliers, we are grateful for your business.

Our home is a large geographical territory – Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico. We love living in this region of the United States, and we take seriously the challenge of getting to know as many of the firms in our territory as we can. It is fun for us to discover new companies and people and to begin the process of discovery to see if we are a fit for their needs.

OUR PRINCIPALS / SUPPLIERS

We are only as good as the principals we have the privilege of representing. We select manufacturers that have great quality systems, manufacturing capability, and excellent customer service. The first principal we signed to represent was South Bay Circuits. I am happy to say that we still represent South Bay for circuit board fab and assembly. A couple of suppliers have come and gone, but we value the long-term relationships we have with Fedcor Global, Chicago White Metal, and Caprock Manufacturing. We are excited about our two newest additions: Kluge Deisgn, Inc. and Webber Electronics.

At the time of this writing we are doing our due diligence with two excellent suppliers that we hope to bring on board shortly. Their manufacturing offerings will be attractive to many of our customers.

Thank you to each of our principals for providing great value to our customers.

OUR TEAM

We are a small company, but we have great people helping us.

• Margot Casey – Margot is not a Baselodge employee and is not involved in the daily operation of the business, but she is a continual encouragement to our efforts to build an excellent company that will stand the test of time. She is a software engineer for a large multinational firm, and as smart and bright as she is, she is an even nicer person.
• Sam Lockwood, M.D. – Sam invested in our company several years ago. He is one of the smartest people I know, and he brings a lot of experience in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing. He no longer lives in Texas, but he continues to have a big impact on our operation.
• Kellen Casey – We brought Kellen on in June 2012 to head up inside sales and to support our outside reps. She knew very little about our industry when she first began, but has learned an amazing amount in the past eleven months. Having her as part of our team has been a blessing, and it makes me feel confident about the future of our firm. She is now beginning to take on some outside sales account assignments.
• Homer Thomas – Homer and I met April 23, 2001. I know because I just looked this up. I was business development manager for KeyTronicEMS and his firm, T-Tec Sales, was our rep for Texas and bordering states. That meeting began an enduring friendship and working relationship that continues to this day. Homer continues to be a mentor to me, and he works with us as a rep covering select accounts in the Golden Triangle of Texas, the greater Houston area, and southwestern Louisiana. I cannot overstate how important Homer has been to me, and I am honored to have him on our team.
• Bernie & Melissa Sargent – The Sargents live in El Paso, TX. They were on Homer’s team for many years, and I worked with them during the KeyTronic/T-Tec years. I am very pleased that they are part of our Baselodge team covering accounts in far west Texas and New Mexico.

While he retired at the end of 2012, I have to mention Don Ott, another former T-Tec rep. Don lives in Oklahoma and is one of the truly nice people I have met in this business. We all wish Don the best as he and Seretha enjoy a well-deserved retirement.

I also want to thank our attorney, Kelly Latz, and our CPA, Tim Dowling. They are both excellent at what they do, and we consider them part of our extended Baselodge family.

A significant development for us in 2012 was becoming a member of MANA, the Manufacturers’ Agents National Association. MANA continues to provide great value to us, and we just wish we had found them earlier.

I am proud to be associated with all of these people, and I appreciate the work you all do on behalf of our company, our customers, and our suppliers. As we grow, we fully expect to grow our staff as well. In early 2014 we plan to add a sales rep to cover the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. We also have plans to add a dedicated rep for the Houston area.

CONCLUSION

We love being manufacturers’ representatives in this beautiful and diverse territory. We appreciate our customers, suppliers, and our team. Thank you for your contribution to our success in these first seven years. Please let us know how we can serve you in the next seven.

-Mark L. Casey mcasey@baselodge.com