Hello, Sarah here. 😊 February 2nd will mark 25 years since Davis Distribution officially opened their doors. I was 4 years old when my father, Kevin Taliani, opened our first warehouse in Hurricane, WV. When I wasn’t in school, I was often at the warehouse. I can still remember the smell of the giant boxes of packing peanuts, that my brothers would playfully toss me into. As I would scribble on scrap paper, at a sales desk, I was truly unaware of what was being built right in front of me. Fortunately for me, there are several people that have been around here for decades. I decided to give good ol’ Robert Saddler a call, to hear his recap of Davis’s past 25 years.

Robert answered in his usual chipper style. I asked him for 20 minutes, of his precious time, to reminisce about Davis, and he graciously agreed. He began by talking about his early days here. He has been with Davis since the beginning, starting in August of 1998. Robert explained that he received news of a new distributor, opening near him, while he was employed at a nearby car audio retail shop. Despite having no prior experience in distribution, Robert saw this as an opportunity to take his passion for consumer electronics even further. My Father, Kevin, told Robert “I don’t know if we can hire you for 6 days or 6 months, but let’s take a shot.” I can truly imagine hearing my dad saying these exact words. It’s inspiring to me, that Robert took that chance, and is still here now, reflecting back on the success his decision brought.

Robert expressed that his first impression of Davis made him believe it was going to be a major learning experience for him. He switched from working with the general public, to working with fellow professionals, within the industry. It became his job to help installers grow their business, and he quickly began to love doing exactly that! Robert shared, “At Davis, we view our customers as our partners…not just another sale. That hasn’t changed to this day. Without them, we couldn’t be who we are.”  We always want to try to provide solutions that open up sales opportunities for us and our business partners.

Robert continued to recall the early days, where the sales desks were located directly in the warehouse, which made it convenient to look at our products in person. He explained, “Getting my hands on the product was one of the best ways to learn about it. I was able to share what I learned with our customers.” I loved his optimistic view of working in a sweltering hot warehouse during the summer. 😊

Moving along with the conversation, I asked Robert how he thought Davis has grown throughout the years.  He answered by saying, “In almost all aspects, including our line list, customer base and warehouses. Our marketing team has grown to be a huge asset, and I have to mention our sales force. The average sales person has been here for well over 10 years. We have a very knowledgeable and dedicated sales staff.”

After chatting about our growth, it sparked my curiosity, and I asked Robert how Davis has remained the same since the beginning. He thoughtfully stated, “We have always protected our territory and the brands. This makes our customers and brands more valuable, avoids price wars, and overall protects profit for everybody. Also, our commitment to shipping every order every day, hasn’t wavered. Customers literally use us as their warehouse. They order today for stuff they need tomorrow.” This personally put into perspective for me, that being able to rely on Davis to keep stock, eliminates a great deal of overhead for our customers. 

As our conversation began to wrap up, I asked Robert why he has stayed at Davis for so long. I was humbled with his answer: “Davis allows me to have a voice, and an opinion. They let me do my job. Having that feeling goes a long way…I couldn’t imagine giving that up.” Robert was quick to add “I really feel like I am a part of a family here, not just co-workers, but the customers too. Every single person is a friend. “ 

Being able to develop a connection with our customers and vendors is something Robert expressed often during our conversation, and I couldn’t agree with him more. Many of the co-workers, customers, and vendors at Davis have been in my life since I was just a young child. Customers approach me and say “I remember when you were thiiiiiiiiiiiis tall!” I always laugh, but those moments remind me that our relationships with these individuals have deep roots.  That dedication to the industry is truly inspiring.

After my talk with Robert, I felt a profound sense of pride for the industry we’re all blessed to be a part of. It was a wonderful reminder of why we each wake up and do what we do. When I first started in the Davis marketing department, in 2016, my father told me, “What we do is important. Not as serious as brain surgery, but…our future depends on our present efforts. How can we do better today, than we did yesterday?” The consumer electronic industry shapes the way the rest of the world lives. The technology we provide is helping the public in many ways, such as, support while raising their children, keeping their loved ones safe, enhancing the social experience, magnifying entertainment, and increasing productivity. That is pretty amazing when you really think about it. We love helping our partners be successful.

On behalf of everyone at Davis Distribution, I want to extend a sincere “thank you” to each person who has been apart of the journey thus far. Whether you are a customer, vendor, employee or supporter… you are the reason Davis Distribution is able to grow in an industry that we love. We will continue our dedication to your success as we move forward towards another 25 years together.

Our experienced sales force is here Monday – Friday, to get your orders out as soon as possible, so you can get the job done.