Napa, Calif. -- When the economy enters a recessionary period, businesses throughout the country must find different ways to survive. Herb Williams Jr., 48, the third-generation owner of Bert Williams & Sons Inc., (BWS) a wholesale warehouse parts distributor with two locations in Vallejo and Napa, said he is weathering the storm by expanding his product lines and constantly stressing customer service.
By adding product lines that offer midrange and lower-price alternatives to his customers, and by selling different types of products, Williams said he has been able to stay profitable.
"We've been doing this for a long time now and have been through slumps and other catastrophes before," he said. "The economy has had its ups and downs, and we were wiped out by a flood in 1986. But we're still here."
Being all things to all of its customers is the goal at BWS, Williams said.
"We're somewhat diverse and try to be a one-stop shop for cars, pickups, and semis," he said. "We carry everything from bearings to batteries, from tools and equipment to truck racks, utility boxes, and performance products. And if we don't have a particular item, we can always get it."
Carrying parts at different levels of price and quality is another way that BWS caters to a wide spectrum of customers, Williams said.
"Certain customers have certain needs, so we carry multiple levels of quality," he said. "A used-car dealership might want to spend a little less for a part than a fleet manager or a shop owner would. We need to sell to every price point."
According to the company's Web site, BWS has a history dating back to 1939, when Herbert "Bert" Williams started a one-man machine shop and garage in Napa that was located in the back of the P.M. Quien Auto Parts store.
When his sons came out of the Army after World War II, Williams said, his father purchased his own building in Napa and started BWS, initially as an auto parts store and machine shop.
When Bert Williams died in 1951, Herbert A.R. Williams, his eldest son, became the head of operations, and one of his other sons, Arthur E. Williams, came on as a machinist.
"During the '50s, BWS gradually moved into the sale of truck parts and also developed the reputation of being able to supply parts for everything from a small air-cooled engine to over-the-road-truck parts," Williams said.
Williams started working at BWS 34 years ago, he said.
"I came on board in 1974 and learned the business from the bottom up. I became a driver as soon as I got my license. I worked at the counter and in the warehouse, and in 1988 I became the GM."
That same year, BWS began the process of becoming a two-step warehouse distributor, Williams said.
"We started shifting from the three-step approach to the two-step method," he said. "We started buying directly from the manufacturers and selling directly to the end user, which allowed us to offer better pricing."
The business focus at BWS shifted in 1994 when the company became a Class 8 Western Star Truck Parts dealer, Williams said.
"We began purchasing and selling heavy-duty truck parts at the OEM level, drastically improving our buying power," he said.
"Pretty soon, we had gained a reputation for being a major player in the heavy-duty aftermarket."
Another significant milestone in the history of the company also happened in 1998 when BWS joined Independent Warehouse Distributors (IWD), a nationwide automotive and heavy duty buying group, Williams said.
"Being a member of IWD enables us to purchase products at lower prices and take advantage of rebates," he said. "It's proven to be invaluable to us because it allows us to offer very competitive prices on many products."
In 2000, Williams said, he bought out his father and his uncle and also acquired a Pro Line auto parts location in neighboring Vallejo.
"Opening the Vallejo location has allowed us to significantly increase our customer base, distribution, and buying power," he said. "We can service more customers faster and offer better prices."
BWS in Napa operates out of a 9,000-square-foot facility, which includes a parts warehouse, a complete automotive and heavy-duty machine shop, and a driveline shop, Williams said. BWS in Vallejo operates out of a 13,000-square-foot building that is strictly a parts warehouse, he said.
Between the two locations, BWS employs 42 people, including 14 parts people, 22 drivers, three outside sales reps and three office staff, Williams said. Combined, the two locations carry more than $2.5 million in automotive parts and supplies, manufactured by more than100 suppliers worldwide, he said.
Customer service has always been of paramount importance at BWS, Williams said.
"I tell my employees all the time that we aren't selling auto parts, we're selling service," he said. "We have relationships around here that are 20 years old, and they have all been built on service."
As his company has grown and evolved, Williams has changed his management style over the years as well, he said.
"I eventually learned that my employees don't want me down on the floor," he said. "So I let my people do their jobs. It was hard to accept after doing things my way for so long, but it works."
As for the future, Williams said he wants to spend more time with his family and do more of the two things he loves most -- traveling and lifting weights competitively. He said he recently broke the California state power lifting record for his age group and weight when he lifted 320 pounds.