Starrco President Bryan Carey Interview on "Business in Focus"

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Transcript of Starrco President Bryan Carey Interview on "Business in Focus"

Page 1: Starrco President Bryan Carey Interview on "Business in Focus"
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Starrco is a leading manufacturer of high-quality, efficient, easy to install and cost-

effective modular systems that create enclosures, rooms and offices. Starrco modular systems provide

solutions that streamline construction projects and simplify the end users’ day-to-day operations.

Written by Jessica Ferlaino

A commitment to customer service and quality products has been at the core of Starrco’s

success since its founding in 1965. “It was maybe twenty-five to twenty-eight years ago

that we got into interior systems, and that really kind of launched the growth of the

company,” said Starrco President Bryan Carey. The company originally served the parking industry

before it expanded to include interior systems and accessories.

The company designs and manufactures its products to address the needs of the eventual

users of the space. Starrco’s pre-assembled buildings and modular systems include administra-

tive offices, shipping and receiving offices, laboratories, cafeterias and break rooms, conference

rooms, sound, paint and dust enclosures, coordinate measuring machine rooms (CMM), modular

machine enclosures, plant foreman offices, computer and engineering labs, two-story offices

and cleanrooms.

Some of the features include tall walls and wide spans to house large equipment, load-bearing

capabilities, glass doors, sound, temperature and dust management, two-story options and

various configurations .

“Starting about twelve to fifteen years ago, we focused on our distribution networks related to our

different products,” he continued. “Then we got into the cleanroom business. We started the clean-

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room division six years ago, and we took another leap. That

product has really been a big focus of ours over the last couple

of years, and it has really paid off.”

Starrco’s modular systems come in a variety of materials, finishes

and configurations. The options help comply with unique stan-

dards and requirements. The products also meet all ASTM and

ANSI standards.

Starrco has undergone a recent rebranding to communi-

cate with its market. “We completed a rebranding effort.

We started internally by taking a look at the company right

now, asking who are we? What do we do? Who do we serve?

What’s important to us? And then we took that externally,”

Carey noted.

To better understand the needs of its end users, Starrco drafted

and distributed a survey to its distribution network and their

clients who use the interior systems.

“It’s easy for us to identify what we think we’re doing and the

problems that we think we are solving, but the truth of the

matter is, it’s our customers – our distributors – that really hold

the key to that. So, the first thing we did was a customer survey,”

Carey explained.

“It was five open-ended questions. It wasn’t yes or no answers;

they actually required a little bit of writing – not much but a little

bit of writing – and we sent that out to our customers and our

dealer base – the people that know us – the people who do

repeat business with us. We asked them to fill this out, and it was

totally anonymous, and we had an overwhelming response.”

Carey is very pleased with the response rate but even more

flattered by the nature of them. The company was credited

with superior manufacturing and quality standards, integ-

rity, loyalty and service of the highest level. One respondent

went as far as to say that Starrco is the best manufacturer they

have ever dealt with, not just in terms of modular systems,

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“The company designs and manufactures its products to

address the needs of the eventual users of the space.”

but manufacturing in general. The information provided the

foundation for its changes in branding and marketing.

Starrco depends on its over forty employees and satellite

offices across the US as well as its wide distribution network

to deliver its modular systems to customers around the world.

“We sell through distributor networks, but if you look at our

end users: it’s Intel; it’s Coca-Cola; it’s Sikorski. It’s really pretty

amazing the end users that we service. There’s a big effort in

the workplace for speed and flexibility and the fact that we

offer that in spades compared to permanent construction. In

fact, there are tax advantages – the fact that the product is

sustainable,” Carey said.

There are many benefits to Starrco’s modular solutions. The

use of recycled materials makes systems sustainable while

being of the highest quality. As well as the tax advantages,

easy install means less stress, less downtime, faster comple-

tion and flexibility for future reconfigurations.

“Construction projects are tough. Construction projects are

time-consuming from the speed to all the things that can go

wrong, so we’ve really created some modular solutions that

streamline construction. That’s what we do,” said Carey.

“We streamline construction, and we offer a way for the end

users to occupy their facilities faster. With speed and flexibility

they have the ability to change things when the situation calls

for change,” Carey added. “The reason that we’re in business is

exactly aligned with the problems that we are solving for our

customers in the workplace.”

Using Starrco systems avoids the messes associated with con-

struction and minimizes the downtime created by construc-

tion projects. Carefully labeled, precisely manufactured parts

are accompanied by CAD drawings for easy assembly and

installation. No finishing or painting is required.

“We’ve worked really hard on process and systems, and

we’ve come a long way for a small company. We are utiliz-

ing technology for processes and for systems, and we’ve

streamlined, and we’ve really improved at every turn, but

when it comes down to the employees, it comes down

to the people who are here – who make it happen. That’s

the bottom line. It’s Starrco folks executing at an amazingly

high level.”

More than just a manufacturer of choice, Starrco’s work culture

also makes it an employer of choice. “From the plant floor to

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Revolutionizing Interior Construction

PROUD PARTNER OF

Supplier of products tailored to themetal building industry since 1989

• Commercial Steel Doors• Builders Hardware• Aluminum Windows

• Roof Vents and Curbs• Wall Louvers and Fans• Canopies and Cupolas

P: (800) 284-9016 • F: (318) 397-1089 • [email protected]

www.ecommodityproducts.com

the front end, it’s amazing the longevity of the folks that have

been here that make it all happen,” said Carey.

“We can’t compete with the bigger companies in terms of

what we are able to pay our employees, but being small does

make it easier to compete with how well you treat people,

and we try to treat people very well,” Carey explained. “We’re

demanding. We expect people to show up while they are

here and crank it out with a smile on their face. But we treat

people the way they deserve to be treated, and that has been

key to our success.”

This success has been acknowledged industry-wide. Starrco was

named the most valuable supplier last year by Material Handling

Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA), one of the many

awards and recognitions it has received from its distribu-

tors. Though it is a small company, it is represented on several

industry boards, giving it a further impact on the industry.

For Starrco, it hasn’t been growth at any cost. “We have rela-

tionships with distributors that really got us to where we are

now. They can work in harmony and not take business away

from each other. That’s a beautiful thing for us,” said Carey

referring to the company’s plans for the future.

“We want to be able to handle all the demands that are on

us at this point, and then we’ll continue to look for the right

people to help us promote our products,” he said.

Carey sees potential in the cannabis industry as well as other

sectors. As word of Starrco’s capabilities continues to spread,

so too does its international reach. “We did a job not long ago

for a US Embassy in Africa. We did a complex for the Oracle

America’s Cup Racing Team in Bermuda,” Carey recalled.

For decades, Starrco has proven the value of its modular

systems. Customers continue to rely on the company for

flexible, efficient solutions that are time and cost effective.

Page 6: Starrco President Bryan Carey Interview on "Business in Focus"

PRO

JECT

SU

PPO

RTER

11700 Fairgrove Industrial Blvd

Maryland Heights, MO 63043

P: (800) 325-4259

E: [email protected]

www.starrco.com

As featured in February 2017

www.ecommodityproducts.com

Revolutionizing Interior Construction

PROUD PARTNER OF

Supplier of products tailored to themetal building industry since 1989

• Commercial Steel Doors• Builders Hardware• Aluminum Windows

• Roof Vents and Curbs• Wall Louvers and Fans• Canopies and Cupolas

P: (800) 284-9016 • F: (318) 397-1089 • [email protected]

www.ecommodityproducts.com