Today we’d like to introduce you to Jose and Hector Cantu.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jose and Hector. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As teenagers, my brother & I have always been mechanically inclined, a trait we both picked up from our dad who was a mechanic by trade. As college students, we’ve always embraced the entrepreneurial spirit. After working for an outdoor power equipment dealer for a couple years, we eventually saw an opportunity. My brother and I decided to purchase an acre lot, with aspirations of starting a business in the future. Hector and I felt the arborist & tree industry was being neglected, and we believed focusing exclusively on them would pay off in the long run. After much deliberation, we sat down with our parents, and decided we would occupy their 800-square-foot garage to service and sell chain saws. By 1999, we were fully operational, and strictly catering to the arborist tree industry. Our niche was quickly established in the Houston metro area by not only servicing equipment, but as well supplying climbing equipment such as saddles, ropes, spurs, and other climbing accessories. As a young start up business, we did not have the resources to pay a contractor to construct our building. So after a day’s work, we would take advantage of the late summer sunlight we had left, and would work on clearing the acre lot, prepping it for the next step in construction. We did not want to face debt, so we were forced to construct in stages over several years as we put our mark in the industry. 2008 was a pivotal year for us; Hurricane Ike wreaked havoc in the Texas area, Houston being hit forcefully. The day after the storm was hectic, and with no means of closing, we used generators to power up the shop. The majority of the “big box” stores sold out of equipment fast, and could not resupply quickly enough due to debris & flooding. We took advantage of this, and contacted our Texas STIHL distributor out of McKinney, TX and agreed meet them halfway to load up on chainsaws. In order to strategize a last minute guerilla marketing campaign, we drew a map of Houston, highlighted all the major big box stores in the metro area, and had 200 fluorescents 12” x 12” signs made with “CHAINSAWS” boldly visible. Once we knew where we wanted to target, we went out and posted signs near the entrance and exits of the stores. The following day, the phone ran off the hook with request for chainsaws.
Just under three weeks, we sold just fewer than 3,000 chainsaws. We finally had enough capital to finally complete construction on our building and Hector & I relocated in 2009. We soon realized our business had already outgrown the building before we even moved in. We now have a dedicated team of 12 employees, carry over a dozen different manufacturers, added an additional 6,400 square-foot warehouse, and continue to grow with the same drive and initiative that Hector & I founded Saw House with.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Theft and burglary is very prevalent in our industry, and we experienced it ourselves in July 2012. We received a phone call from the security company, informing us that our burglary alarm had gone off. A group of thieves had used a torch to make an opening in our warehouse’s roll door. The sparks from the torch had caused a chain reaction with the gas equipment, and set fire to roughly 80% of service department. There was no new equipment stolen, but over 200 different pieces of customer’s equipment was damaged in the fire. It was a long, meticulous and tedious recovery, but we were able to replace the damaged equipment. We also had to reconstruct the entire warehouse and that was a tremendous set back on its own.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Saw House – what should we know?
We are an outdoor power equipment company, who caters to arborists, landscapers, utility & homeowners.
We sell commercial lawn care equipment, chain saws, line trimmers, generators, etc. We also sell parts, accessories and offer service & repair on the equipment we sell. One of the biggest variables that we believe sets us apart is our belief in customer loyalty. We understand people buy from people, not companies. As cliché as it may sound, we strive to build relationship with each customer, not transactions. Without quality customer service, there is no customer loyalty.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Workmanship & attention to detail, passion and perseverance. With the many hardships we faced such as burglary, financial delays, and the fire, my brother & I had a vision that we never let out of our sight, and we knew we must fight for. This, and our commitment to never say “no” to our customers. We feel that when a customer comes to us with a problem, it is our job to try and find a solution..
Contact Info:
- Address: 9860 Aldine Westfield Rd
Houston, TX 77093 - Website: www.sawhouse.com
- Phone: (713) 697-3742
- Email: sales@sawhouse.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sawhouse/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sawhouse.online/
Image Credit:
Saw House Team
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