TASCO FEATURED IN PPG PAINT REPORTER MAGAZINE

THE RIGHT STUFF

Taken from PPG Repaint Reporter Magazine: Volume 65, Number 4:

What does it take to be PPG Platinum Distributor of the Year? To find out, take a close look at TASCO Auto Color.

TASCO Auto Color of Houston, Texas was named the PPG 2005 Platinum Distributor of the Year in February at the PPG Platinum Conference Awards banquet at Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

And while the award came as a suprise to Tom Ferguson, TASCO Auto Color president ("I was really excited!" he said), staffers, customers and PPG personnel knew it was only a matter of time before Tom and his company's achievements were recognized.

Tom and TASCO Auto Color are great examples of how to succeed in the automotive aftermarket industry. He knows exactly what it takes to be a winner. "We focus on a commitment to excellence," he says, "and everything else follows." The "everything else" refers to sales growth, increased market share and greater customer satisfaction.

It's a commitment Tom Ferguson has has for years - 53 years in the business to be exact. He started early, at the age of 17, helping out at an auto parts shop in Houston called Barrington & Son run by his mother and stepfather. When he graduated from high school in 1958, he went to work there full-time. In 1970, he started a small distribution company of his own in Splendora, Texas.

Then, in 1982, Tom and his brother, James, decided to combine the two businesses. When he was thinking about what to name the new company, a friend suggested Tom's Auto Supply Company which was quickly shortened to TASCO.

A turning point in TASCO history came in 1983 when PPG saw Tom's ability and asked to become a PPG distributor. He agreed and has never looked back. "I wanted to sell paint exclusively and I wanted to work with the leader in the industry. It was natural to team up with PPG". Thats when TASCO became TASCO Auto Color.

The relationship has grown over the years. Tom was one of the original 14 distributors who helped form the PPG Platinum Distributor network in 1994. He was also one of the first members to serve on the Platinum Council and, through his sales and marketing success, was an early Platinum Plus dealer.

Today, TASCO Auto Color has 12 stores across Central and Southeast Texas serving a region that covers the state from Austin to Waco to Metropolitan Houston and even into Louisiana. And Tom hasn't lost sight of what makes his organization successful: great products and great service.

Marc Murphy, a PPG territory manager, has been working with Tom for several years. "The company is completely service-driven," he says. "Tom is the hardest-working distributor I've ever known. He puts in 12 hours a day, makes preseentations to prospects and is committed to value-added service and being a fron-runner in technology. It translates into customer satisfaction which translates into success".

To make sure TASCO Auto Color stays on customers' minds and helps them thrive, Tom employs a full-time marketing manager, Chris Lange. Lange not only promotes TASCO Auto Color, he also helps customers develop their own print marketing programs and Web sites. TASCO Auto Color has its own site- www.tascoautocolor.com -that offers news and information about its products and services.

Tom is big on taking advantage of PPG technology and training, bringing in PPG representatives to train his people and participating in the various programs PPG offers to stay on top of industry advances and trends.

While Tom sets the pace for the company, he also has key supporting staff. In addition to brother James Ferguson, David Abrahams and Lee Martinez are also especially important. Abrahams oversees TASCO Auto Color's eastern stores while Martinez monitors western locations.

Abrahams has been with Tom since he was 15. To him, service is everything. "It pays off. We have an exceptionally high customer retention rate. We're committed to customer satisfaction!".

Martinez echoes that attitude, "We do more than drop off a can of paint. We work with our customers to give them what they need. We build partnerships and they know they can count on us".

More than 65 auto dealerships and 400 independent body repair shops apparently agree.

Ferguson treats his employees - all 89 of them - as family. Abrahams states, "We've got an open door policy here. No big titles. Everyone has a say. It sounds like a cliche, but we are one big happy family".

Tm emphasizes that although he is the one who accepted the award, it is his supporting staff that made the difference. "Our associates are the true winners of this recognition. From our sales staff to our managers to our delivery personnel, each and every person went the extra mile for our clientele. We have been blessed with an abundance of long-term quality people who understand dedication to our clients and our company".

"My business philosophy is very simple", he says. "We always try to overdeliver. We promise our customers that there are three things we will always do for them - we will help them improve their quality, increase their productivity and decrease their materials bills".

And by doing that, Tom and the TASCO Auto Color staff earned the award.