Hidden away in the vast maze that is the Earth City industrial complex thrives a company that would not exist were it not for an incredible culture of superior customer service.

Universal Business Supply is a commercial distributor of paper, toner cartridges, and paper cups, nothing you would consider unique.

Nor is there much difference in the thousands of other items Universal sells, from a package of pens to a suite of office furniture.

What sets this company apart is the treatment of its customers.

Only into its third year of spectacular growth, Universal Business Supply, like the company profiled elsewhere in this month's Bridge, is family centered.

Jerry Holschen, the company president, recruited his wife, brother, son, sister-in-law and two brothers-in-law, plus a tight circle of business supply veterans.

Representing some 300 years of business products experience, this cadre was determined to duplicate the success they achieved at their previous employer, American Loose Leaf/Business Products.

Universal is a commercial distributor in direct competition with the huge office products chains and the corner stationers.

Its "store-front" is a 27,000-item catalog displaying every conceivable item that might be used in an office and many that one would never expect.

Their customer-relations policy is uncluttered: treat every customer with kindness and respect, and when they order one item or a thousand items, before 5 p.m. today, it will be delivered tomorrow. To accomplish this mission requires the expected sophistication in computer expertise and a close relationship with a large wholesaler, United Stationers, a national distribution resource.

Universal needs this broad-based capability because although virtually all of its customers are St. Louis-based, many have affiliations from coast to coast. Theirs is a strong relationship.
United Stationers trucks deliver orders at 2:30 to 3 a.m. The drivers have keys to let themselves into the warehouse.

But computers, state-of-the-art software, warehousing and sound supplier relations are not unique to Universal.

People Set Firm Apart

What sets it apart is its people, who combine experience with an enviable work ethic. Of the five customer service representatives, the person with the least experience has been in the business eight years.

Each of the women has her own customer portfolio, and each is empowered far beyond the norm to resolve difficulties. The only management dictum is "Use common sense, and never antagonize the customer."

And one other thing: the only time voice mail is employed is when the customer service representative is busy and the customer requests voicemail.

High Morale Level

This freedom still does not explain the practices and procedures that guarantee one-day service or account for the high level of morale in the work force.

There are two reasons: first, and most obvious, is an all-employee bonus system based on net earnings.

Yes, there is a chart on the wall of the sales office that records new account acquisitions, but it's only there to whet competition.

The owners rotate their assignments; President Jerry Holschen's day is Wednesday, but he fills in when necessary. The five loaded trucks move out no later than 7:30 a.m.

Sales and marketing V.P. Dave Holschen works Mondays. When asked what he and the others do after the trucks leave, he said, "Oh, that's when we go out and sell."

Selling by co-owners Gene Bogucki, Sheri Accardi, and Bob Holschen is the traditional combination of opening new accounts and servicing their existing business.

They are aided in their servicing by various usage reports developed by co-owner Ken Venhaus. These customer status reports identify cost-saving opportunities and manage incentive offerings from suppliers.

Yet it is not all nose-to-the-grindstone. Each month there's a potluck lunch in the warehouse, and year-end profit sharing is celebrated at an all employee dinner with families.

Now in his early 50s, Jerry Holschen thrives on running a highly intense operation. One sees why when he says, "Our growth and success are built upon the unselfish work we do each day and the unconditional support of our customers, as well as each other - I'm privileged to be part of such a talented team."