Company History
Branom Instrument Company was founded
on January 1, 1947 when the young accountant, Ray H. Branom
and his bride Vera Lee decided to take their life's savings
and instead of purchasing the coveted automobile, purchased
a 1/2 interest in a small industrial instrument company that
dabbled in war surplus and process instruments. The $ 2000
they had painstakingly saved over 10 years time was an enormous
amount of money in those days ( a new house cost $ 5000 or
less); yet, Mr. Branom was smitten with the entrepreneurial
spirit and decided to go for broke.
Mr. Branom was introduced to the Instrument
Field due to the requirements of World War II. After graduation
from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Mr. Branom had come
to Seattle to earn his Advanced Degree at the U of W. The
war, however, sent him to the shipyards, where he was placed
in the Instrument Test Engineering Group. After the war, Mr.
Branom decided that he liked the Instrument Business, and
acquired a job as a salesman for the Instrument Laboratory
in Seattle. He felt, however, that the corporate structure
of this company was too rigid and somewhat pompous, and that
he could do better.
The tiny company of Instrument Sales,
Inc. consisted of one individual who felt that Ray H. Branom
would be a major asset, and courted him. The asking price
of $ 2000 was astronomical, but he was a good salesman, and
Mr. Branom and his wife Vera, abandoned the steady job and
income and spent their life savings to take the jump toward
filling the needs of the business community with a company
having a purpose, and a destiny.
Mr. Branom, now a full partner, immediately
implemented his philosophy and sales strategy. Mr. Branom
has always said that the three most important aspects of any
business can be expressed simply: Service, Service, Service.
If you want people to buy your product, you must be there
in person to demonstrate the product, and the customer must
trust you as a helper. Your job as a salesman is to provide
the customer with the best possible product and the best possible
price and delivery; in so doing, you will be helping him get
a raise and helping him get promoted. If you can't do that,
then you are not much of a salesman.
Mr. Branom also introduced the concepts
of vertical marketing as well as geographic marketing. Prior
to his arrival, sales were conducted strictly on a geographical
basis. Mr. Branom, however, realized that special market segments,
for example the new burgeoning plastics market, the dairy
market , Pulp and Paper, etc., required special skills and
special training, and made sure that the salespeople he hired
were given either market segments or geographic territories.
To this day, this has proved to be the most successful sales
strategy.
In 1949, Mr. Branom's partner died suddenly,
and Mr. Branom become sole owner. In 1952, he brought in Mr.
Gene Leeland as a partner, and they changed the name of the
company to Branom and Leeland Instrument Company. Mr. Leeland
left the company in 1965 to run a subsidiary company known
as Northwest Filter Company as his compensation. Mr. Branom
then made the last change of the name of the company to Branom
Instrument Company.
Branom Instrument Company has also tried
to project the basic business philosophy of Fairness, whether
in dealing with employees or customers. Whatever else occurs,
Branom Instrument Company always tries to do what is right
and fair. This is not always the most profitable transaction
in the singular; but in the long run, this is the only profitable
way to do business in the Pacific Northwest. The customers
expect no less, yet are often disappointed by other suppliers.
Despite past downturns in business, Branom
Instrument Company has continued to make a profit while increasing
employment and market share. Branom's philosophy is to re-distribute
the wealth among the participants. The customer is to receive
the best product at the best price and the best delivery possible;
the employee is to be fairly compensated for his efforts,
and the owners are not to be overly compensated. In fact,
most of the profits of the company are routinely plowed back
into the company for raises, benefits and increased stock
and capabilities.
Branom has turned from a mostly pneumatic
and hydraulic mechanical instrument supplier to a state-of-the-art
electronic supplier; again, this is in answer to customer
needs. The future, although uncertain, brings no great worries
to the management of Branom. Branom has always been able to
flex, and to grow and to adapt to the situations presented.
There is no reason to doubt that this will ever change. You
see, Mr. Branom is there to make sure it does not.
|
