By Nate F. Searing
There are two things about Taylor Made Water of Concord, CA that set it apart from other water dealers in California and around the nation. The first is that the Taylor Made name has been providing quality products and services to business customers for more than 30 years, despite being in the water business since only the late 1990s; the second is that the company is best known for its charitable works.
Owner Casey Taylor’s father (Barry) started Taylor Made as an office products company in 1972. Selling copiers, fax machines, telephone equipment and other office products, the company quickly established itself as the premier office products’ supplier in Northern California. With that success came the ability to give something back to their community and in the early 1990s the family established the Taylor Family Foundation
“My dad ran Taylor Made Office Systems for several decades but ultimately sold to a company that became IKON Office Solutions,” Taylor said. “Over time, his focus really changed and he used the visibility of the company and the benefits it had brought to our family to provide for others in need.”
The goal of the foundation is to enable terminally ill children and their families to get away from their stressful situations for a few weeks each summer. Through Camp Arroyo in Livermore, a partnership with the Easy Bay Regional Park District and the YMCA, the Taylor Family Foundation provides services to more than 1,000 kids each summer, as well as their families, plus additional visitors throughout the remainder of the year for weekend getaways.
“My Dad and his wife, Elaine, really just wanted to give something back to our community,” Taylor said.
From office equipment to office water
In 1998, the family left the office equipment industry.
“We knew we had an excellent ‘in’ with the local business owners because they knew our name, they new the quality of the Taylor Made services and, like everyone out there, they need to drink water,” Taylor said. Taylor Made Water Systems Inc., was born.
The company exclusively sells PHSI equipment, such as the new Pure Elegance system, to commercial clients. The overwhelming majority of their business comes from providing the company water cooler and its associated replacement and repair services. Though a small percentage of their business comes from residential customers, those who’ve been introduced to Taylor Made Water from their workplace cooler and liked the system so much that they wanted one in their home, the company designs and develops its marketing strategy specifically around the needs of small-to-large businesses in need of water at work.
“A hydrated workforce is a productive workforce,” Taylor says. “The PHSI equipment becomes a relatively easy sell because we have a selective clientele that are accustomed to the best and that is all that PHSI provides.”
Taylor Made Water also plays an active role in the charitable work of the Taylor Family Foundation, including installing all the water treatment equipment at Camp Arroyo, soliciting donations and charitable assistance from its extensive business clientele and working in a myriad of other ways to help the children associated with the camp and the foundation.
“It’s a great feeling to be able to build upon my family’s work in the community and to help these kids who really need it,” Taylor said.
Conclusion
A family affair, both Taylor Made Water and the Taylor Family Foundation have members of the Taylor Family in critical management roles. The two organizations work hand in hand, with Taylor Made Water introducing its customers to the work of the foundation and garnering additional support for local kids in need with every gallon of water sold.
“There’s a world of good that everyone can do if they just use their talents for a higher purpose,” Taylor said. “With Taylor Made Water, we’re able provide quality water for kids who are really in need and with the Taylor Family Foundation, we’re able to maintain a safe place for those kids and their families to get away from the daily routine of their illnesses. When we bring the two together, we help our water customers see the needs of the community and together we are all able to make a huge difference.”