By Donna Kreutz
Ron Heisler Jr. is laser-focused on customer service. He learned early on that customer care is what leads to business success. He got his start in contracting at a young age and worked with the Paddock Pool Equipment Company headed by Don Baker in Rock Hill, SC, which is approximately 25 miles (40 km) south of Charlotte and 70 miles (110 km) north of Columbia. (Rock Hill is the fifth largest city in South Carolina). By 2009, they branched out and together founded Commercial Industrial Supply. That company grew so rapidly that in 2015 Heisler established another one (Commercial Filtration Supply), which took off as well. In fact, CFS now serves customers throughout the United States and beyond; both companies are based in Rock Hill. Heisler is truly a man on the move.
“I grew up in the Paddock ‘family.’ This taught me to treat everyone fairly. We pride ourselves on offering outstanding service and the best quality to our customers. Our goal is to make our customers’ purchasing experience exceptional,” Heisler said. He also served as Vice President of PurAqua Products for a number of years. “I decided to get into the water treatment industry as a result of my other company growing at such a remarkable rate. Commercial Industrial Supply focuses more on industrial plastic (PVC pipe, fittings, valves, etc.). I wanted to offer more industrial products and have always had an interest in water filtration. Clean water is a must in the pool industry and in all types of industrial applications.”
CFS quickly grew to be a leading online distributor of filter housings used for a myriad of applications. “We carry both single- and multi-bag models to meet very specific application needs. We carry strainers, filter bags, housings, cartridges and replacement parts for facilities and industrial businesses, primarily in the US but we also cater to commercial and industrial customers around the world. Our products are typically used for industrial and wastewater needs.”
Serving small, medium and enterprise-level businesses
“At first, we exclusively offered Eaton filtration products and were initially known as EatonFiltrationOnline.com. Now we also carry other high-quality brands including Titan, NeoLogue, MAHLE, Spears and others. One of our challenges was rebranding our website after we expanded our product offering and became Commercial Filtration Supply.”
CFS provides liquid filtration products for industrial and commercial uses that span from chemical processing and food and beverage to automotive and manufacturing. “We help small, medium and enterprise-level businesses.” The core goal of both Commercial Industrial Supply and Commercial Filtration Supply is “to provide customers with the best quality at the best price without skimping on service.” The companies also share a vision to be “premier industrial suppliers by positively impacting the daily lives of our customers, employees and community.”
Intensive online marketing
One key to the rapid growth of Commercial Filtration Supply is intensive online marketing. Heisler works with Kashmer Interactive, another young firm in South Carolina, that specializes in a wide range of online marketing services. In addition, CFS benefits from “leveraging a manager who has deep roots in liquid filtration.” That would be Amanda Hill. “She knows PVC product inside and out. She’s an integral part of the team and can help customers solve complex filtration problems with multiple applications and setups.”
Key CFS selling points include deep-discount pricing; fastest delivery times; huge inventory of OEM products in stock; hard-to-find items; staff expertise and of course, absolute customer satisfaction. “Our five-year plan is to continue growing at a steady rate.” The company already has 20 employees. “For now, we are focusing on our current product offerings, but we will continue to add new products in the future.”