2016 Wholesale Distribution Magazine

DURABLE
B&D INDUSTRIAL
www.bdindustrial.com / Headquarters: Macon, Ga. / Employees: 315 / Specialty: Industrial products and services
/ Ben Nations, vice president: “We empower people. We celebrate their entrepreneurial spirit.”
WINTER 2016
Staying On Point
B&D Industrial stays true to its founder’s vision. BY BOB RAKOW
B&D Industrial’s simple yet
powerful corporate philosophy is
nothing more than a slight twist
on the golden rule. “We treat our customers
the way we want to be treated,” President
and CEO Andy Nations says.
Andy’s father, John Nations, founded
the company upon that axiom in 1947
when he started Bearings and Drives –
the oldest and original B&D Industrial
company. Today, B&D Industrial is the
corporate umbrella for three specialized
divisions: B&D Technologies, B&D Service
and Scale Systems. The company recently
celebrated a milestone with sales
topping the $100 million mark.
B&D Industrial aims to empower its people and
celebrate their entrepreneurial spirit.
The three divisions have more than 30
locations in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee,
South Carolina, North Carolina and
Louisiana. This allows B&D Industrial to
provide advantageous in-stock products
with inventories and repair services customized
to local industries.
COMPANY BEGINNINGS
John Nations grew up working in his father’s
sawmill business during the depression.
He opened Bearings and Drives
after purchasing a small business in
Griffin, Ga., for $9,000. He relocated the
business in 1950 to Macon, Ga., which remains
the corporate headquarters today.
The company expanded into Atlanta
in 1956. Andy Nations became president
of Bearings and Drives in 1983, and his father
served as chairman of the board until
he passed away in 2006.
Ben Nations and Brian Davis, Andy’s
nephews, joined the company in the early
2000s after spending many summers
working in the warehouse and inside
sales. Both held several positions before
becoming vice presidents.
Although both Nations and Davis did
not have the opportunity to work closely
with their grandfather, they understand
his goals for the company. “My grandfather
had a vision,” Nations says. “He
wanted to provide for families and help
people make a living. He wanted to provide
opportunities for people while providing
top-notch products and services
for area businesses and customers.”
B&D Industrial experienced steady
growth during the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.
Much of the expansion was the result of
a transition from being a bearings and
power transmission shop to providing
an extensive product line that features
electrical drives and controls, fluid power
equipment and conveyor systems.
The acquisition in 2007 of Simco Technologies
helped B&D Technologies further
round out its product offering by
adding top-quality automation lines, Nations
says. The acquisition gave the company
access to several automation lines
and equally important, “a lot of very good
technical people as well,” Nations recalls.
Another division, Scale Systems, provides
expert scales and service support
www.wdimagazine.com Winter 2016

B&D INDUSTRIAL
for a wide range of laboratory and industrial
weighing applications. “Our focus is
to provide and maintain timely, critical
weight information for our industrial
customers,” the company says.
SERVICE A DIFFERENTIATOR
The B&D service division was created in
1988 to provide large rotating equipment
repair, primarily gear reducers and detailed
gear inspections, to help customers
operate their plants more efficiently,
reduce downtime and increase bottom
lines. The division is organized to support
clients across all industry segments.
The creation of B&D Service illustrates
B&D Industrial’s commitment to its employees
and customers, Nations says. The
division was started when an employee
began doing service work for a single customer,
Nations recalls. The success and
demand for this industrial work ultimately
led to the creation of B&D Service.
“This employee saw a niche opportunity
through a customer’s problem that
he was able to solve,” Nations says. “We
empower people. We celebrate their entrepreneurial
spirit. He saw a valuable
opportunity to help a customer.”
The approach is the main reason the
company has so little turnover, Nations
says. “Many of our long-term employees
would say they’ve been supported
through new opportunities,” he says.
Davis has led B&D Service through a
tremendous growth phase. “What started
as a helpful service years ago has prospered
into a $20 million division that is
identified as a leader in its field,” Davis
says. “B&D Industrial is known as a company
that provides expertise and solutions
for its customers. It is with this spirit
that we will continue to evaluate the market
for other expansion opportunities.”
B&D Industrial competes against
much larger companies, but Nations
says the company maintains a competitive
advantage by offering quality service
and going the extra mile. “We are
focused on customer service,” he says.
That service includes the company’s Application
Engineer Group, a 12-member
team of engineers and product specialists
that supports both sales representatives
and customers with complex and leading-edge
technology solutions.
“They work in the field,” Nations says.
“What we can offer is commanding expertise
with local service.”
B&D Industrial engineers and specialists
work with sales and customer service
representatives to help them respond
more quickly to customers. The impressive
ratio is one engineer or specialist to
every three sales people.
“Everything is about speed and solution,”
Nations says. “How fast can you get
back to a customer and how fast can you
solve their problem?”
Nations learns about the needs of customers
and potential clients by spending
a significant amount of time meeting and
talking with them.
“I try to support the salespeople in the
field and it’s a good opportunity for me
to learn about our customers’ needs and
B&D Industrial has a reputation for providing
expertise and solutions to its customers.
identify possible future opportunities for
the company,” he says.
Additional growth is part of B&D Industrial’s
plans, Nations says. “We’re
looking to grow over the next few years,”
he says, adding that the company would
like to expand the service department
and the traditional distribution business.
But growth could be impeded by a
dearth of skilled employees. As more veteran
employees retire, he worries that
B&D Industrial will be challenged to find
equally skilled replacements. “The pool
of people is getting more limited,” Nations
explains. B&D Industrial is combating
the issue by promoting development
programs for prospering employees and
partnering with trade schools that have
agreed to help train new employees.
Despite the challenges, Nations is extremely
proud of the family-owned company
his grandfather founded nearly 70
years ago. “Our reputation in the field is
solid, it’s very good,” he says. “Creating it
took tireless work and dedication from so
many employees, and we will continue to
operate and grow with the same key principals
we began with in 1947.”
Published by Phoenix Media Corporation Tel: 312.676.1101 Fax: 312.676.1280
On behalf of B&D Industrial © 2016 Phoenix Media Corporation. All rights reserved.