LIVE from HAVEN 2022: Kristin Browne, TotalBoat (Organization Conversation, Episode 44)
A fellow exhibitor and colleague, Kristin Browne from TotalBoat was in the Wall Control booth at HAVEN 2022 chatting with Stephanie of Uncommon Outpost and Richard Grove. They discussed the parallels between their products that appeal to a variety of users and makers. Kristin talked about how makers use their epoxy products, serving customers with expert customer and technical support, how their business has evolved to serve makers, and much more.
This show was originally broadcast live from the 2022 HAVEN Conference held at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia.
Organization Conversation is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
TotalBoat
Since 2012, TotalBoat has been making the highest quality marine-grade products money can buy. What started out as a handful of durable repair products for hands-on DIY boaters has grown to include a range of expert solutions for makers of all kinds, from seascape artists to inland woodworkers. It’s been an evolution and education. One they wouldn’t trade for the world.
As boaters and DIYers, they understand you need projects to go smoothly. That’s why they are constantly finding ways to make TotalBoat’s original products better, easier to use, more sustainable, and less expensive. They even tinker with packaging from time to time to make it more user-friendly. Their real-world know-how is what separates them from the giant chemical conglomerates and sets their stuff apart.
Part of what they do is to craft, test, and refine to guarantee the durability, quality, and safety of everything they make. Once that’s been done, they then sell directly to consumers so they can deliver great value. The fact that TotalBoat’s homegrown products have won multiple awards and outperformed the competition several times over is proof that what they’re doing is working.
TotalBoat’s success is due entirely to its customers. As the ones getting their hands dirty using TotalBoat products, they’re best equipped to convey what problems they need solving and what needs to be improved. Their feedback is instrumental to the R&D process. In fact, some of the greatest innovations have come directly from listening to user suggestions, so thanks for the feedback. Please keep it coming.
About Organization Conversation
Organization Conversation is hosted by Richard Grove and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.
About Richard Grove
Richard Grove‘s background is in engineering but what he enjoys most is brand building through relationships and creative marketing. Richard began his career with the Department of Defense as an engineer on the C-5 Galaxy Engineering Team based out of Warner Robins. While Richard found this experience both rewarding and fulfilling, he always knew deep down that he wanted to return to the small family business that originally triggered his interest in engineering.
Richard came to work for the family business, Dekalb Tool & Die, in 2008 as a Mechanical Engineer. At the time Wall Control was little more than a small ‘side hustle’ for Dekalb Tool & Die to try to produce some incremental income. There were no “Wall Control” employees, just a small warehouse with a single tool and die maker that would double as an “order fulfillment associate” on the occasion that the original WallControl.com website, which Richard’s grandmother built, pulled in an order.
In 2008, it became apparent that for the family business to survive they were going to have to produce their own branded product at scale to ensure jobs remained in-house and for the business to continue to move forward. Richard then turned his attention from tool and die to Wall Control to attempt this necessary pivot and his story with Wall Control began. Since that time, Richard has led Wall Control to significant growth while navigating two recessions.
Outside of Richard’s work at Wall Control he enjoys helping other business owners, operators, and entrepreneurs along their own paths to success by offering personal business coaching and advising through his website ConsultantSmallBusiness.com. Richard has developed an expansive and unique skillset growing and scaling Wall Control through a multitude of challenges to the successful brand and company it is today. Richard is happy to share his knowledge and experience with others who are looking to do the same within their own businesses.
Connect with Richard:
Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Richard’s Website
About Wall Control
The Wall Control story began in 1968 in a small tool & die shop just outside Atlanta, Georgia. The first of three generations began their work in building a family-based US manufacturer with little more than hard work and the American Dream.
Over the past 50+ years, this family business has continued to grow and expand from what was once a small tool & die shop into an award-winning US manufacturer of products ranging from automobile components to satellite panels and now, the best wall-mounted tool storage system available today, Wall Control.
The Wall Control brand launched in 2003 and is a family-owned and operated business that not only produces a high-quality American Made product but sees the entire design, production, and distribution process happen under their own roof in Tucker, Georgia. Under that same roof, three generations of American Manufacturing are still hard at work creating the best tool storage products available today.
Connect with Wall Control:
Company website | Facebook | Instagram
