Amarillo: Faces, Places & Open Spaces

The diversity of Austin Distributing’s
product lines enables them to supply a
wide range of industries throughout the
region and the strategic location of regional
warehouses streamlines the delivery
process. The Amarillo warehouse provides
hose kits, wholesale items to resellers, and
supplies general industrial customers. In
addition, the Amarillo warehouse furnishes
the agricultural and oil and gas industries
with vital parts. The Wichita, Kansas,
warehouse is an original equipment manufacturer
or (OEM) center for agriculture
related hydraulic parts used in the production
of tractors and other machinery. It
is also a source of wholesale hose, couplings,
and fittings. The Odessa facility is ideally located
for supplying parts and accessories to
Permian Basin oil patch producers and the oilfield
service industry. The San Antonio warehouse
also distributes hydraulic equipment
and supplies to the oilfield. Additionally, the
San Antonio location supplies agricultural
customers in southern regions of Texas as well
as providing the construction industry with
various hoses and fittings.
Cramer and Clounch credit their experienced,
high caliber employees in all the
company’s locations with helping Austin
Distributing grow. They employ sixty-five people
throughout the company including corporate
and warehouse staff. Some long-term
employees have been with the company
between thirty and forty years and were instrumental
in facilitating the progression of the
company after it was purchased in 2004. Much
of Austin Distributing’s success can be attributed
to the leadership of the Chief Executive
Officer Tom Scherlen, and Chief Financial
Officer Bonnie Gwin. These two long term
executives give credit to their staff for the prosperous
business that Austin Distributing has
become. In addition to having the right people
in place, they say initial upgrades in rolling
stock and other equipment gave the company
a new look. New technology has been utilized
in the areas of inventory control and pricing
by installation of a state-of-the-art computer
upgrade. The upgrade, coupled with future
plans of implementing a bar-code system, has
increased efficiency and accuracy.
Ongoing reinvestment and capital improvements
are part of the long-term goal of Austin
Distributing to stay local. They feel very
blessed to be headquartered in Amarillo and
are committed to staying in Amarillo. Austin
Distributing is a Christian based business and
they believe Amarillo is the perfect location for
their values-driven company. Their Christian
principles guide their policies for interaction
with staff, vendors, and customers and they
attribute their success in part to being led by
those principles. They also believe their successes
to date and in the future are tied to
practicing sound stewardship. They contribute
monthly to a number of charities and as needed
to others. Amarillo has been good to Austin
Distributing and they feel a responsibility to
support the local community.
Above: Austin Distributing has a
comprehensive and substantial inventory
that enables them to provide exceptional
customer service.
Below: Austin Distributing warehouse
employees work to fill a customer’s order.
BUILDING A GREATER AMARILLO
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