We take pride in offering the best products and service. We are dedicated to serving the needs of our customers each and every day.
The History of Who We Are:
Hoke Distributing Inc. was formed in 1985 by Gary Hoke and two of his brothers. The business consisted of a customer base developed originally by a prior ten-year relationship that Gary Hoke had with a retail chemical company. The customers were serviced by route trucks, which delivered paints and chemicals to automotive and industrial type accounts.
By 1990 the economy and general business strategies were changing rapidly due to computerization and new purchasing trends designed specifically at integrated supply, vendor consolidation, and just-in-time delivery for inventory control. It became apparent that Hoke Distributing Inc. was in a shrinking market with limited long-term growth potential due to the fact that their core product offering was almost entirely made up of paints and chemicals. Hoke discovered their main customer base moving to consolidate items on each purchase order and assigning those orders to a reducing list of approved vendors that could supply critical inventory items such as nuts, bolt, conveyor belts, etc which were essential to keeping their business up and running. It was during this time that Hoke Distributing Inc. began to evaluate it's position in the market place and explore how it would transition to best address the changes that were taking place.
The option that appeared best was to make alliances with a few of the key distributors of the more crucial products who were remaining as approved vendors within the larger end user accounts. This move proved to be beneficial for all involved. This option allowed the end user accounts to keep in place paints and chemicals that had already been approved for use in their system, proven to work in their facilities, while still allowing them to accomplish their integrated supply goals. The distributors gained additional line items on the purchase orders issued to them by the end user accounts, making them all the more valuable to each facility they serviced. Several distributors eventually gained completely new customers, to whom they were able to offer their complete product mix to as Hoke began turning over much of its customer base to them.
In 1995, after much thought and prayer, Gary Hoke bought out the remaining partnership with his brother and reduced the Hoke Distributing Inc. staff from nine to four in order to adjust for the new budget that wholesale margins would require. By 1996 Hoke Distributing Inc. had turned over most all of it's end user account base, evolved into a wholesale supplier supporting paints and chemicals to automotive, industrial, janitorial and hardware distributors, and a unique relationship with several manufacturers was just starting to unfold.
The Partnership:
H.D.I. Sales / Hoke Distributing Inc.
Today Hoke Distributing Inc. is being used solely as a distribution partner of the manufacturer's product lines that H.D.I. Sales represents and for the distributor relationships they are supporting. Unlike typical master wholesalers or re-distributors, Hoke Distributing Inc. only stocks the branded product lines of the manufacturers that H.D.I. Sales has agreements with, and the price structure is determined by the manufacturer's published wholesale price list or in honor of a pre-arranged special quote that has been given to a distributor account in the development of a customized distribution plan that includes the Hoke warehouse as necessary to carry out for that distributor's specific needs.
The one sure thing in today's business environment is change, and new challenges are constantly being uncovered. End user accounts of every size are stocking less essential inventory, hiring less personnel to operate their business, and looking to their distributor suppliers for a broader mix of products and services. All of this creates a burden for distributors to respond efficiently to their customers unplanned needs and many times short notice demands. At the same time many manufacturers that distributors rely on are seeking ways to increase their productivity and maximize their shipping by implementing higher minimum order requirements and service charges to process small or direct drop ship orders. Each of these circumstances stretches the ability of distributors to manage their inventory and provide complete product support to meet the their customer's request.
The partnership between H.D.I. Sales, the manufacturers we represent, Hoke Distributing Inc. and distributors just like you allows for greater opportunity and success in confronting many of the challenges today's market place forces us to meet head on. Communication is essential to all successful relationships and the key to building a sales, marketing, and distribution plan customized to work and meet each distributors individual needs. Open discussions allow us to explore and tailor a plan that will succeed.
Many times in customizing a plan the warehouse offered through Hoke Distributing Inc. becomes crucial. Distributors, regardless of the state they are located, can use the Hoke warehouse to help maximize their cash flow, increase inventory turns, cross dock between several manufacturer's product lines without committing to minimum required orders from each manufacturer, or simply to accommodate their own inventory space constraints. Factory direct distributors are using the Hoke warehouse for fill in orders between their factory required minimum orders, some use the warehouse for faster than factory processing on orders that are needed A.S.A.P. when Hoke has available inventory on a particular item. Specialty distributors including telemarketing companies use the warehouse to fill what are typically many smaller quantity orders drop shipped directly to their customers. For distributors who private label, the warehouse is being used to reduce freight cost in many cases. Distributor's private label orders can be shipped into the Hoke warehouse along with factory branded stock orders which arrive weekly and reshipped from the Statesville, NC location which is usually lower freight cost considering most manufacturers are located in the north. Regardless of the reason our goal is to support the growth of the manufacturer?s products through strong distributor relationships.
H.D.I. Sales is an independent manufacturer's representative agency responsible for developing, servicing, and supporting distributor relationships in NC, SC, VA, and TN through both private label and branded label sales for select manufacturer's product lines.
H.D.I. Sales is committed to working with distributors just like you to develop and maximize potential sales volume through the manufacturer's products that we represent. We offer outside sales support including end user sales calls with your sales people and in house product and sales training with regard to specific products or industry markets. Several times a year we hold training seminars for the purpose of educating distributors like yourself and providing you with usable information designed to help you build stronger relationships and loyalty with your customers.
We honestly believe that our "Partnering For Success" philosophy provides unique and alternative solutions to the challenges resulting from today's business climate. Hoke Distributing Inc./H.D.I. sales is committed to fully supporting the manufacturer's product lines and building strong relationships with the distributors who carry those products through unequaled sales, marketing, and distribution services. If you have a request or would simply like to discuss and explore a customized plan to meet your company's special needs, please call today so we can begin tailoring a program and let us start building a relationship to support your distributor business.
