Steeves Family Multi-Company Distribution

Multi-Company Management | Steeves Agencies

Specialty Hardware Depicting Steeves Distribution

Situation

Steeves Agencies, based in Winnipeg, Canada, is a wholesaler specializing in access hardware and adhesives. Established in 1980, it serves manufacturers and distributors across Western Canada, offering products like hinges, latches, handles, drawer slides, and gas springs. Their range includes top brands like Accuride, Southco, and GorillaPro Adhesives. With over 40 years of experience, the company provides design assistance and product expertise to enhance manufacturing solutions for clients in industries like marine, automotive, and farm machinery.

The company, run by founder Wilf Steeves’ son, Brian and grandson Eric, continues to honor its Canadian roots and uphold its legacy of exceptional customer service. Steeves Agencies emphasizes the importance of personalized customer relationships, a principle that has remained a cornerstone of the business since its inception. This dedication to customer satisfaction has helped Steeves Agencies thrive in an increasingly competitive market.

Steeves Agencies Logo

Challenge

In addition to their wholesale business, the Steeves family has a passion for outdoor adventures. During an annual get together, the family recognized the need for specialized equipment to navigate rugged terrains during activities like ice fishing. Sleds and snowmobiles were common solutions, but the family sought a more efficient, cost-effective option.

During their search, they discovered SnowDogs—a versatile utility transportation tool. SnowDogs offered a practical solution for transporting gear in all seasons, proving valuable for both recreational and professional outdoor activities. Seeing the potential of this under-utilized tool in the Canadian market, the family saw an opportunity to diversify their business.

This led to the creation of Recreation Revolution, a new business venture specializing in outdoor products, particularly SnowDog machines, parts, and accessories. Steeves Agencies wanted to act quickly before SnowDogs gained widespread popularity, aiming to be an early market leader in this niche segment. Recreation Revolution offers a variety of products for outdoor enthusiasts, including fire pits, batteries, and portable energy solutions. The company is committed to serving outdoor adventurers with innovative tools for efficient travel experiences.

Market Uncertainty: SnowDogs were relatively unknown in North America compared to ATVs and snowmobiles, making market acceptance a significant challenge.

Resource Allocation: Steeves Agencies was successful in its primary business, but expanding into a new market required careful resource management, especially in terms of personnel, inventory, and marketing efforts.

Market Penetration: Although SnowDogs were relatively unknown in the Canadian market, Recreation Revolution has carved out a niche for itself by offering unique outdoor products.

Diversify Product Lines: Offering a broader range of outdoor products, including portable energy solutions and fire pits, would enable Recreation Revolution to cater to a wider audience and mitigate risks associated with reliance on a single product category.

Blue Link ERP User Interface

Solution

To effectively manage both Steeves Agencies and the newly founded Recreation Revolution, the Steeves family turned to Blue Link ERP, already being used by Steeves Agencies. This allowed them to manage both Steeves Agencies and Recreation Revolution within a single system, enabling the two businesses to share key processes while operating independently.

Steeves contacted Blue Link to set up a new company database on their existing server. Since many operations remained consistent across both businesses, the Blue Link consulting team found it straightforward to establish the new company. Although Blue Link ERP allowed for the seamless addition of a new company database, the family needed to ensure that both businesses could share accounting and inventory systems without compromising operational efficiency. For instance, Steeves Agencies and Recreation Revolution now share the same General Ledger Configuration and Inventory Classes, simplifying accounting and inventory management processes.

Key Blue Link ERP features that facilitated this transition:

Effortless Intercompany Management

One of the standout features of Blue Link ERP is its ability to help businesses with effortless intercompany management, without the need for additional systems or downtime. Users can seamlessly access and operate across multiple companies from a single login, with permissions customized for each entity. This eliminates the need to create multiple user profiles while maintaining strict control over who can access what information within each company.

Easily Add New Companies

Blue Link allows you to easily add new company databases on the same server, ensuring that each company’s data remains separate while adhering to the same high-level security protocols. This streamlined approach makes it simple to scale operations without complicating system management.

Flexible Reporting

Blue Link ERP offers flexibility in reporting. Businesses can choose to view company data either separately or in a combined format, allowing for a clear, comprehensive snapshot of overall company health. Whether you’re looking at the performance of a single company or the collective performance of all your entities, reporting is both accessible and informative.

Growth Potential is Limitless

With Blue Link, there’s no limit to the number of companies you can manage, making it the ideal solution for businesses looking to expand.



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Results

By leveraging Blue Link ERP, Steeves Agencies was able to expand seamlessly into a new market while maintaining operational efficiency. With the ability to easily create a new company on their existing server, Steeves Agencies integrated Recreation Revolution while maintaining shared accounting systems and inventory management. Blue Link’s flexible ERP system enabled Steeves to diversify their product offerings without disruption, preserving operational efficiency across both businesses. This seamless expansion reflects both their entrepreneurial spirit and their commitment to customer satisfaction.

The Steeves family now operates two distinct websites: one for Steeves Agencies and another for Recreation Revolution. They take great pride in continuing Wilf’s legacy, all while infusing their work with a sense of fun and personal touch. Nearly 40 years on, while their product offerings have evolved slightly, their commitment to delivering exceptional customer service remains as strong as ever.

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