A Growing Outdoor Power Equipment Distributor
Smiths South-Central Sales Company, Inc., (formerly Smith Oil Company) was established in December of 1972 as the Mobil Oil Company gasoline and oil products distributor servicing service stations, commercial contractors, and farm accounts with Mobil branded products.
In 1977, Smiths Oil Company began blending and packaging chain saw chain oil and two-cycle mixing oils plus established a wholesale distribution business to sell the Smiths brand oil product line. To meet our customers needs, plus to expand the business, Smiths began to explore adding additional product lines. Initially, one sales representative was hired to work approximately 100 accounts in a 150 mile radius of Springhill, Louisiana. During 1979, Smiths Oil Company became an Oregon Saw Chain distributor and added other logging supply lines relating to our customers businesses as well as the outdoor power equipment business.
As the Smiths customer base expanded and product lines were added, 2 additional territory representatives were added to work the growing distribution area. During the period of 1979 through 1988, Smiths territory representatives operated large “box trucks” which inventoried the majority of the Smiths items while allowing the products sold to also be delivered at the same time as the sales call.
May 1986 marked the addition of the Shindaiwa Power Equipment line. Shindaiwa was the first power equipment product line distributed by Smith Oil Company. With the addition of Shindaiwa power equipment, Smiths anticipated becoming a major player in the region’s chain saw market, but the addition of Shindaiwa actually steered Smiths business and future emphasis more towards the lawn and garden/occasional user market. Since that time, the Smiths Shindaiwa territory has grown to include Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Texas.
Since 1995, Smiths South-Central’s major distribution line include Smiths Quality Oil Products, Oregon Saw Chain, Oregon Outdoor Equipment Parts, Shindaiwa, Troy-Bilt, White Outdoor, Little Wonder, Mantis, Trenchmaster, Walbo, Tillotson, Zama, and a full host of associated support product lines, tailored to the OPE/Lawn & Garden market.
Smiths South-Central Sales Company currently operates a 27,000 square-foot office and distribution facility located at 1802 South Arkansas Street in Springhill, Louisiana. Smiths has a total of 27 employees, which includes 6 outside territory managers who work all of the states in our designated distribution areas. These states include: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas.
In addition to the wholesale distribution business, Smiths South-Central Sales Company operates a retail store in Springhill, Louisiana which supplies logging hardware, automotive and commercial lubricants, liquefied petroleum gas and heater accessories. Gasoline and diesel products remain a part of Smiths South-Central’s retail business.
Smiths South-Central Sales Company is a “Service Distributor”. Smiths ability to provide top-quality, unmatched customer service is what separates our company from competitive firms in this industry. Since 1972, Smiths South-Central Sales Company has made every effort to remain true to its original company mission statement:
"To offer superior long-term customer service and support for the products represented by our company, to always exceed our customer's expectations as their preferred supplier, while being regarded as a reputable leader in our industry."
The Smiths South-Central
Competitive Advantage
- Dedicated, service oriented customer service and technical representatives
- Same Day Shipping on any order placed by 4:00PM
- Next Day UPS and motor freight service to most accounts
- “Key Dealer” preferred account status
- www.smithsadvantage.com Online Ordering
- 800 Phone and FAX order lines
- Paid freight on any backorder
- Courtesy Phone call on any back order prior to shipping
- One stop shopping for OPE parts and equipment
- Emergency Parts Locator Service
- Annual Dealer Sales and Technical Service meetings
Dedicated, service oriented customer service and technical representatives. Smiths South-Central employs a full staff of customer service and technical service representatives ready to assist our customers. Order lines are open from 7:00AM until 6:00PM, Monday through Friday. Customers are allowed to add to any order in process throughout the day without penalty or restriction. Internet orders may be placed 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.
Same Day Shipping On Any Order Placed By 4:00PM. We guarantee it! Smiths South-Central is committed to providing “same-day shipping”. Our shipping process is streamlined for maximum efficiency, and our warehouse is staffed to process orders. Any order placed by 4:00PM will be shipped the same day. Smaller packages ship primarily UPS. Larger parcels ship motor carrier. Each method provides next-day service to over 85% of Smiths customers. Customers, at their option, can choose guaranteed overnight shipping, customer drop shipment, or vendor direct shipping for emergency parts. Look for the highly visible “Same Day Shipment” and “100% Complete” labels on all Smiths South-Central packages.
Ordering From Smiths South-Central Is Easy! We are proud to provide all of our customers internet ordering and toll-free “800” phone and FAX access. All Smiths South-Central dealers have the ability to access their Smiths South-Central account via internet to not only place orders,but also access their account status, open order status or inquire on inventory availability. Smiths “Key Dealers” have access to a dedicated “Direct Service” 800 phone line that allows direct access to any employee at Smiths South-Central Sales Company.
Smiths South-Central “Key Dealer” Program. Smiths South-Central is proud to recognize select customers as “Key Dealers”. The Smiths South-Central Key Dealer Program is specifically designed to provide loyal customers with added value for choosing Smiths as the preferred supplier for many of their business’s products.
Exclusive Smiths South-Central Key Dealer benefits:
- Receive Best Volume Level Pricing on any purchase from Smiths.
- Guaranteed daily parts shipment. All orders receive priority same day shipping.
- 100 free-freight allowance on all Smiths South-Central parts and accessory orders.
- Receive product displays with minimum or no purchase at all.
- Emergency Parts Locator Service.
- Link your business PC directly to the Smiths South-Central Computer system for remote ordering, account access, and product information.
- All service training and service related materials supplied at no charge.
Ship All Orders Freight Allowed. That’s Our Goal. Smiths South-Central Key Dealers qualify for $100 freight-allowed ordering on all parts and accessories. Equipment orders may also qualify for freight allowances, but use a different schedule based upon the equipment line. With a qualifying “freight-allowed” order, Smiths customers may deduct the shipping charges from their invoices when paid within invoice terms. Qualifying for freight-allowance is easy at Smiths. Because of the number of different product lines distributed by Smiths South-Central, customers are able to accumulate numerous product types on one order to qualify for the freight-allowance.
The Best Order Fill Rates. Smiths South-Central is proud to have one of the highest order fill rates in the industry. Every effort is made to ship our customer’s order 100% complete. Because of the different lines we distribute, quite often we are able to make identical substitutions or near identical substitutions for many items.
Courtesy Phone Call On Backorder Items. Although backorders seldom occur, Smiths South-Central’s inside sales department personally call each customer on any backorder for a shipment authorization. Smiths realizes that customers’ parts needs may change; therefore, we make every effort to ship only the parts our customers need - when they need them.
Emergency Parts Locator Service. Our dealers’ ability to provide their customers prompt service is extremely important at Smiths South-Central Sales Company. Smiths offer all dealers the service of “tracking down” backordered parts for any down commercial unit. Smiths Key Dealers will receive priority second-day air shipping at no extra charge when necessary to secure a backordered part for any down commercial unit.
Annual Dealer Sales and Technical Service Meetings. Often referred to the Smiths Caravan, each year the Smiths sales team travels throughout the region to present upcoming new products and programs to all Smiths customers. We feel that by bringing our products, programs, and personnel directly to our customers, we can provide a better understanding and delivery of the ideals which drive our business.
Dealer service training is essential. Based upon the product line, annual and semi-annual product service meetings are conducted throughout the Smiths territory. Smiths technical representatives, sales management, and vendor representatives conduct in-depth service training meetings to ensure our customer’s service department is fully trained on our products as well as up-to-date on all current service information.
