Key Southwest Buying Group Expanding To West Coast

Furniture World Magazine

Key Southwest, already the largest volume chapter of Key -America, announced today the acquisition of three new states to their territory. California, Arizona, and Nevada now Join Texas, Louisiana, Now Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Deryl Sewell, President/CE0 of Key Southwest says, " This is a great opportunity for us. We feel that every independent appliance, furniture and electronics dealer must belong to some buying group to survive for the future. Key Southwest offers all independent dealers. large or small a chance to compete in their marketplace at a reasonable cost. We truly feel that Key Southwest is the best buying group value out there today. We are a low cost, high value organization." With an existing membership of over 380 dealers, Key Southwest already has strong relationships with most vendors. Sewell added, "Our volumes in most categories allow us to negotiate very competitive programs for our members. But there is only so much you can do on price alone. We also concentrate on the "other" needed programs and services. Health insurance, extended warranties. installation supplies, long distance telephone rates, credit life and a/h insurance, delivery and service vehicle leasing, and many, other avenues that add dollars to the bottom line. That's what Key Southwest also can do for our members." Key Southwest has a very impressive communication system already in place that will allow all members to stay in touch on a daily basis. PO Box 2000, the buying group owned intranet e-mail system which was designed and implemented some twenty four months ago, keeps all Key Southwest dealers communicating with the office as well as with each other. There is no monthly access fee, no elaborate equipment needed. and no extended time spent trying to access the information. This system was designed with the independent dealer at heart. Key Southwest is a member owned, not for profit buying co-op, making it somewhat different in today's buying group world. Terry Callendar. Marketing Coordinator says, " We do business with our member in mind. And only our member in mind. It is our job to find the niche products, services, programs. and pricing that will keep all our dealers competitive and yet profitable in the years to come. That is why we are so dedicated to training. The vendors can't train our dealers like they, used to. They don't have the personnel. The Key Southwest Training Institute was inaugurated this year to try to help each of our dealers stay abreast of the industry and the trends." Callendar also added. " We are training our dealers to utilize retail credit card finance programs, sell credit life and A/H, close more extended warranty sales, get paid for the service they provide That's what will keep our members profitable." President Sewell agreed. " My Job is to keep our members in business. Not just to move boxes. but to make a profit, grow their businesses for the future. and to be able to compete at the same time. And that is a full time job." Dealers wishing to contact Key Southwest can phone 903-65 7-1992 for more information or e-mail to deryl@keyamerica.com.