Customer support high priority.

Firm specializes in distribution of boilers, pumps, fire pumps and heat-exchange systems

In 1956, Colin Kimble (Bud) Howard created CK Howard Sales Agency, a distributor of boilers, pumps, fire pumps and heat-exchange systems, as a small business operating from his home. Howard represented a small group of steam-product manufacturers - steam products being the predominant heating and power system for buildings at the time. He built his, business on a very personal level, developing close relationships with his clients. Business transactions in the 1950s essentially began with a face-to-face sales call and were finalized by a handshake across the dinner table. Howard himself excelled at this business approach.

By 1991, the year that CK Howard Sales Agency was purchased by the current owner, Gilles Leduc, some aspects of the business had changed drastically, while others remained the same.

Technology has changed the face, and pace, of business. The introduction of fax machines, e-mail and information technology and overnight couriers resulted in greater convenience and a faster pace for business transactions to be carried out.

Yet through the years and technological advancements, the concept of what makes a business successful remained intact, explains Leduc.

"It all comes back to service," says Leduc. "Service is the reason that we are successful. CK Howard is about always having personal service, no voice mail or automated attendants."

Leduc, along with his staff, works every day to continue the sense of old-fashioned, personal service that Bud Howard, now 82, established 45 years ago.

Today, CK Howard Sales Agency has five employees and operates as a manufacturer's representative for a large range of commercial and industrial boiler, pump and heat exchange companies. As a member of the Sudbury Construction Association, its technical sales representatives are always informed of the developments and construction projects underway and the product lines being implemented. In order to meet the constantly changing demands of the construction industry, they have also developed a subsidiary company, Electronic Controls Monitoring System (EOMS), specializing in building control automation systems.

CK Howard provides a liaison between contractors and manufacturers. By doing the background work for a project, working closely with project engineers, visiting the sites, discussing the requirements and the desired results of the completed building, the experts at CK Howard are able to recommend the most suitable product line for each job.

"We work closely with both engineers and manufacturers to resolve their needs in the most effective and efficient way," says Leduc. "But what sets us apart from other companies is our dedication to. personal service and after-the-sale technical support."

Individualized service plays an even more integral role today, despite the convenience of current communication technology, Leduc points out.

"People have changed," Leduc says. "Customers are better educated and want more information on their products and the products' efficiencies."

Clients have a greater level of satisfaction if provided with all the information they need to know in order to make a well-informed, educated decision, he adds. They need to know the product, how it works, its strengths and weaknesses and most importantly, the client needs to know the product can be serviced once in place. CK Howard provides that reassurance - ensuring lines of communication remain open even after a system has been implemented.

CK Howard Sales Agency is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. CK Howard has been operating under the leadership of Gilles Leduc for 10 years, while ECMS has been operating since 1990.