| "Service" is our business, since 1976. |
Send mail to onlinetech@southwestschool.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 1999 Southwest School & Office Supply
Last modified: August 7, 2008
Copyright © 1999 Southwest School & Office Supply
Last modified: August 7, 2008
In 1976, Southwest School Supply opened for business, in Culver City, California,
out of a walk-in closet; large enough for a desk, a typewriter, and a telephone. Our
secretary was Sande Stickler, who answered the phones, helped our customers and
wrote, "Thank you" notes for any orders that we received. Brent Stickler was our
sales representative, purchasing agent, order puller, and many times delivery
person. Together, they raised three children in the mix of all this.
Unfortunately, we didn't have the luxury of many things, such as, company
buildings, delivery trucks, inventory, or name brand products. We diligently tried
to find companies that had products unknown to most of our customers because
the competitors already sold name brands, and who were we? Most reputable
companies already had enough coverage in the California School market, and that
we probably would not be in business long enough anyway.
So we shopped even harder to find other Quality Products at quality prices to allow
the school market to have different choices, something they had little of because
our competition was already selling name brands.
As we were growing our home was too small for us and we decided to find a
warehouse, where we could bring in inventory, and now we hired our first employee
with a hopped up van to make deliveries for us in the afternoons. We continued in
the Los Angeles area for another 10 years. Wow, we had another person we had
added to our business family, we were on our way! Little did we know our first
employee would remain with us for 28 years.
After spending 10 years in the Los Angeles area, our business was really starting
to grow, so it was time to move to a bigger facility, although, after searching, Los
Angeles was too expensive to be able to expand to what we could afford, so we
found our next facility and moved our business to Ontario, California.
In Ontario, we added 5 more people to our staff. Our first accountant, who has
been with us for 25 years now, a customer service rep, 2 in our warehouse, a
manager who was with us for 22 years, and a driver, who has been with us for 18
years.
Wow, how times have changed in so many ways, since opening our doors. Today we
have two facilities in the state of California, one in Ontario, California, to service
our southern school base of customers and one in Tracy, California, to service our
northern California school base of customers. We have over 22 trucks on the road
daily. We employ over 100 employees who have their children and grandchildren
working for us, we have 3 grown children, who have gone off to college and now
work in this business. So, I guess you could say in many more ways than one, this
is really a “Business Family,” working to improve our company and to continue to
serve the State of California Schools.
The only goals we set back in 1976 were to be the “Best we could be,” and the
largest privately owned school supplier in the State of California. We have far
exceeded our goals, thanks to the many, many years of service from our dedicated
employees and satisfied customers we have continued to remain close through all
these years.
“Thank you”
out of a walk-in closet; large enough for a desk, a typewriter, and a telephone. Our
secretary was Sande Stickler, who answered the phones, helped our customers and
wrote, "Thank you" notes for any orders that we received. Brent Stickler was our
sales representative, purchasing agent, order puller, and many times delivery
person. Together, they raised three children in the mix of all this.
Unfortunately, we didn't have the luxury of many things, such as, company
buildings, delivery trucks, inventory, or name brand products. We diligently tried
to find companies that had products unknown to most of our customers because
the competitors already sold name brands, and who were we? Most reputable
companies already had enough coverage in the California School market, and that
we probably would not be in business long enough anyway.
So we shopped even harder to find other Quality Products at quality prices to allow
the school market to have different choices, something they had little of because
our competition was already selling name brands.
As we were growing our home was too small for us and we decided to find a
warehouse, where we could bring in inventory, and now we hired our first employee
with a hopped up van to make deliveries for us in the afternoons. We continued in
the Los Angeles area for another 10 years. Wow, we had another person we had
added to our business family, we were on our way! Little did we know our first
employee would remain with us for 28 years.
After spending 10 years in the Los Angeles area, our business was really starting
to grow, so it was time to move to a bigger facility, although, after searching, Los
Angeles was too expensive to be able to expand to what we could afford, so we
found our next facility and moved our business to Ontario, California.
In Ontario, we added 5 more people to our staff. Our first accountant, who has
been with us for 25 years now, a customer service rep, 2 in our warehouse, a
manager who was with us for 22 years, and a driver, who has been with us for 18
years.
Wow, how times have changed in so many ways, since opening our doors. Today we
have two facilities in the state of California, one in Ontario, California, to service
our southern school base of customers and one in Tracy, California, to service our
northern California school base of customers. We have over 22 trucks on the road
daily. We employ over 100 employees who have their children and grandchildren
working for us, we have 3 grown children, who have gone off to college and now
work in this business. So, I guess you could say in many more ways than one, this
is really a “Business Family,” working to improve our company and to continue to
serve the State of California Schools.
The only goals we set back in 1976 were to be the “Best we could be,” and the
largest privately owned school supplier in the State of California. We have far
exceeded our goals, thanks to the many, many years of service from our dedicated
employees and satisfied customers we have continued to remain close through all
these years.
“Thank you”
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
