Staff Writer
When Holmes Stamp and Sign Company recently moved from its longtime San Marco office, owner Bryan Croft was worried. Croft thought people might think the lack of activity in the building or cars in the parking lot might lead people to believe the company was another victim of the economy.
It’s been just the opposite for the company that provides customized stamps, badges, tags, seals, signs, banners, awards and more to clients all across the country. Instead of struggling, Holmes has prospered.
“We’re blessed that this recession hasn’t affected us at all,” said Croft. “Each month has been better than the last .... we just ran out of room.”
Growth and cramped quarters for the more than 20 employees in the 3,000-square-foot office led Croft to pursue a 7,000-square-foot facility, with room to grow, less than two miles south.
Founded in 1954 by Owen Holmes Jr., the business was ultimately purchased by Croft’s father, Bob, who joined the company in 1975 and purchased it from Holmes Jr.’s son in 1985. Upon graduating with a degree in marketing from the University of North Florida, Bryan joined the company and brought with him a different marketing philosophy that’s helped the company succeed when competition has fallen. When Bob retired, Bryan purchased the company from him.
“It’s all about customer service,” said Bryan Croft. “It’s not sexy what we make, but companies need and use them.”
It’s not just local companies who have used their services. In 2009, Croft said the company shipped to 9,700 different ZIP codes across the U.S., with many of the companies being small- and medium-sized.
The broad array of clients comes from the aforementioned strategy Croft brought with him when he came aboard in the late 1990s when the Internet started to take a foothold in marketing strategies across the business world. Instead of focusing solely on local media methods to get their product to the masses, Croft lobbied for a greater Internet presence. It’s worked, as calls, faxes and e-mails come from across the country on a daily basis, with as short a turnaround as possible, he said, to help build clients for life. And, yes, he gets his share of e-mails and calls with a sense of panic or urgency for the 100 name tags needed for a convention by Friday or event banner when the event is just days away.
“Oh yeah, I get them all the time,” he said.
He credits the up-tempo customer service and ability to meet clients demands to his employees (“family” as he affectionately calls them), many of whom have been with the company for more than 30 years and have seen Croft grow up.
One of the more recent members to join the company has helped it grow since his arrival by bringing his experience with Fortune 500 companies to the small business atmosphere.
“It’s been great,” said Steve Fernandez, who acts as sort of a chief financial officer among other duties. “I like being involved in all parts of the business ... you can take more chances as a small business, more risk that you can’t often with larger ones.”
One of the focuses will be a continued presence on the Internet and keeping Holmes Stamps as one of the most viewed sites when business officials look for their office needs. Croft believes there’s still room to grow in that aspect, but he’s also looking to add to his workforce over the next several months as they settle into their new work home.
“We’re just putting out the small fires that come with a move, but we’re going to keep getting better,” said Croft. “It’s all about getting better.”
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