[ILDA Series] How to Design Your Business’ Dream Efficiency

Announcer

Welcome to the Cyber Business podcast, where we feature top founders and entrepreneurs and share their inspiring stories. Now let's get started with the show.

Matthew

Matthew Connor here. Host of the Cyber Business podcast, where we feature successful business leaders. Top law firms, green energy companies and more. Today, we are fortunate enough to be joined by a legend in the independent lab distributor, space author, the vice president of e-commerce, eating and all around great guy, Jim Doyle.

Matthew

Jim, welcome to the show.

Jim

It's great to be here with you.

Matthew

All right. Before we get started, a quick word from our sponsors. This episode is brought to you by cyber links at Cyber l y an ex-con. Cyberlink's is a complete technology solution provider that ensures your business has the most reliable and professional i.t. Service and the only company that guarantees your safety and satisfaction. Hey, Jim, you're in the manufacturing biz, so I know you're familiar with this, but we have a client who who does manufacturing for the government, and they came to us because they needed to meet the cybersecurity requirements to do business with the government.

Matthew

And the interesting part is, as we got them up to speed on all of their cybersecurity, one of the eye opening things that we noticed was that they were being probed, if you will, from China, from addresses in China and Russia constantly. I mean, it was nonstop. We really couldn't couldn't believe it because they weren't a huge they're not a huge manufacturer.

Matthew

Most people haven't heard of them. They're very small. And yet, you know, the attacks were just nonstop, which we wouldn't have seen until we kind of put put this into place. But then as we continue to to look for this in other small businesses, we noticed it. It's just it's wildly prevalent just how nonstop the the probing is to look for for vulnerabilities.

Matthew

So so yeah. So what we do at Cyberlink's is, you know, we combine that exceptional cybersecurity with exceptional service to provide our clients with the best of both worlds and a good safe online experience. To find out more. Check out our website at Cyber links dot com that cyber buy an ex-con. And now back to our show. Hey, Jim.

Matthew

Okay. Hey, so you are the as we heard from the intro, the vice president at Ecomseating.

Jim

Yeah. I've been with the company now for about five and a half years.

Matthew

Fantastic. For those of our guests who are listeners, viewers who are not familiar with Ecomseating. Can you tell us a little bit about it, the background and what you guys specialize in?

Jim

Absolutely. So the company's been around. It's actually going to be 30 years. It's coming January. And all we do, it's quite simple. We make chairs and stools. The niche that we carved out is we serve a lot of the laboratory and medical research folks across the country. So the chairs and stools that we make end up in universities, research facilities, pharma.

Jim

We strictly sell through distribution. So we've got a handful of trusted distributors we work with and we build chairs for them. For many of our partners, the chairs that we make or private label. So we make them with their branding. And for a for a marketing person like myself, that's not always the easiest thing to do because I want to promote our brand.

Jim

But what we're pretty effective at doing that for our distribution partners, and that works out nicely.

Matthew

Wow, that's great. So now do you guys So if you've got a I guess would you call them a channel partner who so they then go and they can sell these chairs to, to their clients and do they put their branding on it or do they go can they go even one step further and put their their clients or their customers branding on it?

Jim

Thank you. And that's a great question. I mean, typically they use their distribution brand, but there's been a few instances where their customers large enough. Let's say it's a big pharmaceutical company, they could reach out to us and say, Hey, can you brand these chairs for them? And we've done that. So and the other thing we do, we don't just private label, but we also, for many of our partners, we create digital tools.

Jim

So we realize since a lot of our distributors are in the science space where their sales teams have very complex and technical related products, to learn that, we try to make the whole chair identification process as simple as we can. And one of the tools that we create for them is a chair building app. So for many of our distributors, we've got this little app in the middle of their website, and if somebody needs a chair for their facility, they can answer a few prompts and then probably less than 30 seconds, they've got a picture of a chair, they've got a part number, they can create a spec sheet that they can send to their

Jim

purchasing department for approval. So again, the process is made as simple as it possibly can.

Matthew

Now, that's great. I mean, I would imagine not a lot of other businesses kind of go that that far in that process, do they? I mean, that seems Yeah. Seems like you're really going the extra mile there.

Jim

Yeah. There's there's a couple of companies that have their version of an app. But the problem is you have to have some intelligence about that company and what they do. Whereas with our app you can go in and not know anything about our products. You know what you need, you answer the prompts, you can make changes as you go and as you make a change.

Jim

The picture of the chair changes the part number changes. You can go through this as many times as you want, and at the end of the process you've got exactly what it is you need. You don't have to know anything about it, but you've got the product. You can turn to your purchasing agent or your sales rep and say, Hey, I'd like a quote on this chair, and it couldn't be cleaner and neater.

Matthew

Yeah, that's fantastic. That's great. So they just plug that into their their existing website and they can they can offer that to their their customers right from their own website, huh?

Jim

Absolutely. We've also, you know, we're always looking for ways to make this better if we can. And so we've also got a mobile device version of the two that's fully scalable.

Matthew

Oh, nice.

Jim

Yeah. Whether they've got an Apple phone or an Android device, they can download this app and their reps can use this in the field. It's got their branding on it. So they can sit there in a research facility and say, Hey, you know, let's, let's build that chair that you need. And it's just it's pretty quick. We're proud of it.

Matthew

Yeah, no doubt. Now that that's slick. Yeah. I mean, yeah, you wouldn't expect that. I mean, you'd think that, Oh when I hear, you know about a, let's say a lab distributer, I'm thinking you got a catalog of products and you're flipping through and it's, you know, just kind of old school. But this is some good cutting edge stuff right?

Jim

There it is. The last few years, we've started working with more industrial distributors. That historic way. When that business was started, the niche that we carved out was research companies, scientific medical companies. And so for those companies in particular, as I mentioned, those reps, they have catalogs listed. So they've got hundreds, if not, you know, millions excuse to worry about thousands of vendors.

Jim

So from day one, we really focused on kind of dumbing down the process and make it as simple as possible. We like to think where your chair experts turn to us. We're going to give you tools and resources to make it so simple.

Matthew

That's great. And then on, let's say the the order end of that, how do you guys handle that? I mean, is it do you not only white label, but you are you also dropshipping as well, or do you generally send it to the to your channel partner. Is that that usually. Yeah.

Jim

Yeah. For the most part the chairs are shipped for some of the higher volume movers with some of the industrial distributors that do stock, some of them which is, which is a nice feeling for us that that some of the chairs and stools are so popular they have to keep them in their big facility and that's that's great but you know, we're flexible and we're easy to accommodate whatever makes sense for their business.

Jim

But typically, I'd say probably 90% of the orders that we send out or drop shipped.

Matthew

Wow. That's pretty cool. So they just get on there, build it. So let me ask you, if they're building a chair, to me, that sounds like you're going to have I mean, just thousands of potential combinations of of chairs. How do you guys how do you guys deal with that? That seems like it seems like a lot to deal with, right?

Matthew

I mean, what if a thousand, 10,000 SKUs, that's that's something.

Jim

Absolutely. So as it stands right now, believe it or not, there's 8000 different SKUs that we can build for folks. And despite the fact that there's so many options, they're very configurable. So in our facility, we don't have the shelves stocked with completed chairs, but rather we've got all the component parts and we kind of have a Burger King mentality that if you don't want a pickle on your burger, no pickle on your burgers.

Jim

So we wait for the orders to come in of it and we build the chairs exactly as their customer needs it. Yeah. Despite the fact that we operate that way, our typical lead times are, believe it or not, 3 to 4 days. Now, during these crazy COVID and post-COVID days where everybody's used to, whether it's a supermarket or, you know, Best Buy, we hear supply chain issues, supply chains broken, not not with us.

Jim

I mean, we've been managing to keep this so process moving just like this all the way through. We were lucky to a degree because we had the foresight to build an additional structure connected to our facility, and we use that to completely house component parts. So everybody else was backed up and waiting six months to get things in.

Jim

We were overloaded with parts that have served as well. So over the last two years we've had very few disruptions and and right now we treat every order like a quick shift. So every single order we get, we process it quickly. And it's funny, people are conditioned to have us say it's going to be eight weeks, it's going to be, you know, months.

Jim

And we say, oh, gosh, we're a little bit backed up. It's going to be five days this time, you know, So, you know, that's that's really one of our strengths, I think, corporately is that we realize customers say they need a chair, they've got a new facility, they've got 25 people that need somewhere to sit. And we want to get those chairs out, too.

Matthew

Wow. That's that's fantastic. That is no small feat right there. I mean, you know, I think Amazon. Did I just freeze?

Jim

Yeah.

Matthew

Well, that's nice. I you know, I think Amazon sets a pretty high bar. We just pause this one time. Okay. So, yeah, I think Amazon as kind of conditioned people to this whole two day delivery thing. And so the expectations that people have, I mean, are just really hard to keep up with. So the fact that you guys are doing I mean, three or four days to do a custom order like that, that's I mean, that is wild.

Matthew

That's that's fantastic.

Jim

Yeah, we're happy. We can do it that way. There's there's been a few instances that are kind of funny whereby it's a, a new university lab and they've got kids ready to come to school. It's three days before they've got 60 kids that don't have anything to sit on and they reach out to one of our distributors and distributor calls us and they fully expect us to say, you know, sorry, you're out of luck.

Jim

You know, we'll do the best we can, but you'll get them in a couple of weeks instead. Everybody stays late. They send a truck and you know, lo and behold, two days later they've got the chairs and the kids have something to sit on. You know, we can't do that every time. But we really aspire to get our products produced quickly and for the most part, we we succeed with that.

Matthew

And that that's really that that is that pretty spectacular. So you and I now, we met about a year ago, just a little over a year ago, I think, on a flight out of out of Tennessee. Right. And and it's because on that flight you told me about Elida and invited me to join it. Can you tell the can you talk a little bit about about what ILDA is and you know how in your history with them?

Jim

Yeah, it is a great organization that I've had the chance to see it grow over the years. I think I have been affiliated with it for probably close to 30 years now, and it stands for Independent Laboratory Distributors Association, and it's made up of not just distributors but also the manufacturers, the vendors, if you will, that work with them.

Jim

And I've been a member with different companies. I've seen the organization grow, I've watched them prosper. And it's really a great opportunity that you got to see firsthand where you have the distributors of scientific products meat a couple of times a year with the manufacturers, they have a chance to build relationships. The distributors kind of need to watch them work together to solve problems.

Jim

If one of them's having issues again, we'll go back to supply chain getting their hands on a particular item. They can say, Hey, have you worked out with these guys? Because this particular manufacturer, they've managed to solve the problems and they've got inventory. So it's really a great venue for us to get together and and also to as many years as I've been in this industry, you have relationships, you've got friends, and it's always fun to get together and see these folks and compare notes.

Jim

And I'm glad that you're part of it now.

Matthew

Yeah. No, I was I was really surprised by just how welcoming and friendly everybody was. I mean, it was kind of like being invited into a very, very friendly, big family. I mean, everybody was really nice. They were very, very friendly, which I don't think is it. That has not been my my experience with most organized, you know, professional organizations.

Matthew

They're perfectly fine, don't get me wrong. But there was just there's something about the folks that elder that they they were just I mean, it was great. It was like instant friends. It was it's really nice. Great, great group. I enjoyed, I guess I got to go. You got me to go down and actually give a little talk on cybersecurity.

Matthew

So I think it was the dark web and stuff we talked about and it was, yeah, great time. I think it was Sarasota. Was that that particular meeting? It's a shame I had to miss the the Las Vegas meeting, but, but next next meeting I should be there It's great group.

Jim

It was it was funny because the first meeting we had post-COVID when we hadn't seen each other, I mean, nobody had been in the field for a couple of years. It was like people had a chance to see their grandmother or their father again and there was hugs all around. So it just gives you an idea of the kind of closeness with this group.

Jim

It's funny, too, because there will be instances where there will be three or four competitors that manufacture the same product, and yet they're even on friendly terms. So I think that speaks volumes about the collection of folks that attend all the meetings.

Matthew

Yeah, and it's a pretty decent size now. I mean, it keeps growing and I mean, they've got groups that are, you know, these massive multibillion dollar, you know, international groups all the way down to two, very small, I think, you know, just a handful of employee type type businesses. So, yeah, cool collection of people that I really, really enjoy being a member of that.

Matthew

It's nice. So thank you for, for, for inviting me in That was.

Jim

Very well.

Matthew

Appreciate it. Yeah. So let's see, I don't want to take up too much of your time and but before we we wrap things up, I want to give people a chance to kind of direct them more to you, to your website. Where can they find out more about what you guys do?

Jim

Thank you very much Matthew it's e-comm seeding dot com and again we strictly work through distributors. We build industrial chairs and stools and the company has products that are ergonomic, which means it doesn't matter whether you work in a warehouse or in a laboratory setting. We build chairs that are going to allow you to make the adjustments to be comfortable.

Jim

And we kind of feature what we stress is easy ergonomics. You can spend $2,000 with a chair, and yet you need a manual to figure out how to raise it and lower it with our chairs right out of the box. It's really clear how you adjusted, and there's plenty of things you can do to make it more comfortable.

Jim

So, you know, we really strive to give customers a product that enables them to sit comfortably, but they can do it very easily.

Matthew

Now that's fantastic. And Jim, I so I know that you're a an avid writer and reader. So my my last question will be, you know, kind of a personal one, simply asking you if you have a book recommendation, it's something that you recommend people read.

Jim

Oh, gosh, you know, I can't even give you one of those right now because, you know, I've been occupying my time reading lately, as is screenplays. I since since I write them myself. I enjoy if there's a movie that I really like, I want to go back and see how the screenwriter captured it on paper. So. So it's something I've been doing a lot of.

Matthew

Yeah, well, great. Let's go with that. Is there can you give us a quick story? Because I actually read a, you know, one of your screenplays. You sent it to me and I absolutely loved it. And I think that's really I love that whole process of how they go from screenplay to movie and how, you know, vastly different.

Matthew

It it ends up being, you know, where that moviemaking magic comes in and to see what has changed. So I'm right there with you. I think that's that's a really fun, fascinating kind of art form where kind of commerce and, you know, business and art come together. And I like that thing. I like where any time where business comes in and makes something better and or, you know, kind of plays its part to keep it going.

Matthew

So I ask you this, then we'll pivot from books to can you give us a a screenplay where people could find it of of a movie that you liked and kind of that whole, you know, how it was different? How is the same kind of deal?

Jim

So there's one that I read recently, and again, I enjoyed the movie first, so I wanted to go back and see how the the story was described in paper, and it's as simple title. Nope, nope. It's a it's a science fiction. Jordan Peele, who's really he's had a number of films that have done very well at the box office.

Jim

And I don't want to give away too much about the movie, but he had an interesting take on the whole idea about UFOs, and I was curious to see how he put this on paper. But interesting movie and interesting screenplay. I think it's enjoyable.

Matthew

Nice. And would you say it was a pretty, pretty close approximation between the two or was there, you know.

Jim

Yeah, it was very close. I mean, that's the funny thing too, is I've read some screenplays and it's like, Oh my goodness, You know, when they actually went to produce this film, they made wholesale changes. And you'll see that sometimes if you notice in the big screen, it'll have three or four screenwriters or more. And that's usually a sign that there was lots of changes made.

Jim

The studio didn't like the version they had, and they brought in another writer to take it to the next stage.

Matthew

Yeah, that's. That's interesting. I didn't know that. Well, Jim, that's. That's awesome. I'm going to go check that out and I appreciate you being on the show today. And again, it's e-com seating E-Com, where people can find out more about you guys. And again, thanks for being on the show, Jim.

Jim

It's been a real pleasure. Matthew, always good to see you.

Matthew

Thank you.