DIXIE SALES
COMPANY HISTORY
In late 1913, two men from Ohio traveling on a southbound train were
talking about their desire to purchase a tire business in Florida. A
stranger, overhearing their conversation, suggested they get off the
train in Greensboro, NC because he knew there was a tire vulcanizing
(repair) business for sale there. In March of 1914, Leander H. (Jack)
Starmer and his father-in-law, Frank E. Snyder, bought Dixie Sales Company
from Joseph Leahy who had arrived in Greensboro in 1909 from Canada
to open a tire vulcanizing business.
As it grew and evolved over the years, the Company began selling automotive
parts and developed a reputation for outstanding automotive repair service.
The business continued to be owned by the Snyder and Starmer families.
In 1963, Ernest Starmer, one of Jack’s two sons, took over the
management of the business.
Ernest Starmer’s two sons soon joined the business: Jim in 1969
and Richard in 1973. During the early 1970’s, a decision was made
to focus on the sale of air-cooled engine and lawn and garden equipment
repair parts. The automobile service facility continued to be one of
the most skilled and reputable in the state.
In the early and mid 1980’s, the lawn and garden equipment parts
business grew rapidly and became the dominant focus of the Company.
In 1988 the Company moved its lawn and garden parts business to a new
40,000 sq. ft. distribution center in Brown’s Summit, NC. The
business continued to grow, and within a few years the Brown’s
Summit facility nearly tripled in size.
In January of 1993, the automotive parts and service business, still
located in downtown Greensboro, was sold to allow management to further
focus on the rapidly growing lawn and garden parts and equipment business.
In early 2000, Jim and Richard saw that the outdoor power equipment
industry was going to look quite different in the future. They began
looking for a business partner that could supply the skills, knowledge
and resources to allow Dixie Sales Company to meet the rapidly evolving
needs of their customers and suppliers and to reinvent the industry’s
model for great distribution.
They soon discovered Barrett Corporation, a large and diversified Canadian
company headquartered in Woodstock, New Brunswick, whose culture and
values mirrored their own. The Barrett distribution businesses serve
over 10,000 customers across Canada from five regional distribution
centers. In August of 2001, Jim and Richard sold Dixie Sales Company
to Barrett Corporation.
Today, Jim Starmer remains active in the Company as President and shareholder.
Peter Porteous is CEO and Laura Garrett CPA continues as CFO.
In addition to its corporate offices and primary distribution center
in Brown’s Summit, NC, Dixie Sales Company has three distribution
branches in Orlando, FL, Memphis, TN, and Allentown, PA. These four
locations, with nearly 250,000 square feet of distribution space, serve
over 11,000 customers in 24 states with exceptional service, products
and technical support.
Celebrating its 90th year in business in 2004, Dixie Sales Company has
embarked upon a journey to become the preferred source for our customers
and the preferred solution for our suppliers. Through the efforts of
its employees and its corporate focus on total customer satisfaction,
Dixie Sales Company is recognized nationally for providing the best
customer service in the lawn and garden and power tool industries, and
for providing our manufacturer-suppliers with exceptional sales, service
and marketing solutions.
