Today we’d like to introduce you to Erwin Bejarano.
Erwin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Established in 2004, I was working out of my kitchen at home in Coral Springs, Fl. 3 months later, we rented our first office space in West Palm Beach, FL. (Belvedere blvd and I-95) being the company’s first official 1,000 sq ft. storefront. We here at Latux focus on providing quality diamond cutting products and equipment to contractors across the United States and Canada.
“Quality Inspires Loyalty!’ That’s what we believe in and that’s our mindset. Since this industry is not regulated, there are a lot of companies that get away with misleading and mistreating customers. We felt, from day one, that if we focused on providing customers with quality products and service, we would have the upper hand long term.
We’ve established great relationships with manufacturers around the world and hand-picked our product line. By doing so, we were able to negotiate the best possible price for the best possible quality, giving us the opportunity to get exclusivity on some of our most popular blades.
As of today, we are the longest established Diamond Blade Company in the entire state of Florida. We never take shortcuts, even when times get tough. Because of this, we have been able to keep our doors open since day one, much unlike all of our other competitors.
This year we have moved to our biggest location as of yet. A beautiful 7,000 sq ft. facility in Deerfield Beach, Fl. We are located on the corner of I-95 and S.W 10th street. Our new large facility will give us the opportunity to continue our growth and the ability to bring in more inventory for the purpose of providing our customers the best products and customer service possible.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting our business in 2004, I think our timing was great. The business was booming and everyone wanted to see what we were able to provide. Each year we grew over 100% but nothing lasts forever and nothing is perfect. Just like everyone else, when the economy took a dive, so did we.
At the time we had two warehouses. One for shipping and inventory, and the other for our 34 salesmen (over 5,000 sq ft total). Long story short, with the economy slowing down tremendously and our overhead expenses, we had to move back to a 1,000 sq ft. facility. We went from having 39 employees down to three. One secretary, one salesman (who is now our National Sales Manager) and myself. Most of our salesman wasn’t making the same kind of money they were used to and therefore decided to try other industries.
When the economy was struggling, we had two choices: Lower our quality by asking our manufacturers for cheaper blades or continue to stick to our game plan. By moving into a smaller facility, we were able to cut costs and keep providing our customers with the same quality they had learned to love. Thinking long term, we knew we had no choice but to do the right thing in hopes we could get through the downturn we were experiencing.
Looking back now, it was the best decision we made. A lot of our competition went different avenues by supplying cheaper diamond blades. Long term, they ended up losing a lot of their customers.
We were able to not only stay above water by providing the same great quality but our decision also helped us make a great name for ourselves in the industry. We built stronger relationships with all of our manufacturers by making sure everyone got paid, even if that meant it took a bit longer than usual.
Today we are approached by manufacturers all over the world looking to do business with us. Its a big industry but we’ve found everyone knows each other one way or the other. When you’re always trying to do the right thing, word gets out!
LATUX DIAMOND BLADE DISTRIBUTORS – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our company supplies diamond blades to contractors all over the United States and Canada. We supply blades for all types of applications from concrete, asphalt, brick, block, pavers, tile, granite and so on.
I think our specialty is the Hardscape industry. We believe we provide, dollar for dollar, the best blade in the industry for contractors who specialize in cutting pavers.
Our Hurricane Diamond Blade has a proven track record with contractors all throughout the industry, and it’s been our #1 Selling Blade for over 10 years! It provides not only a great speed of cut but the life they expect out of a supreme quality product. We have exclusivity and control the quality and technology that’s behind the Hurricane line. We are very proud to be able to set ourselves apart from the competition.
When you look at areas of South Florida, you will see many streets, sidewalks, and driveways covered in concrete pavers. A lot of the blades used to cut those pavers came from our company.
I think what sets us apart from most of the competition is the ability to think long-term, stay motivated, creative and take pride in what we do and how the industry looks at us. It’s about leaving a footprint for us. Always doing the right thing for all of our prospects and customers. Making sure when the word “Latux” comes out of someone’s mouth, it’s because they are saying nothing but great things about the company and what we have done for them.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I’ve participated in sports my entire life and still do. From playing Semi-Pro Soccer to becoming a two time World Jiu-Jitsu Champion. I know what it takes to put your head down and put in the work. Being able to apply what I’ve learned in my life from being disciplined, staying focus and working harder than the next guy. Planted the seeds needed to overcome some of the hardest times in the economy, and becoming a better company at the same time. Looking back, those moments and being able to apply them have to be some of my proudest moments in my career.
It’s nice to be shaken up a little from time to time and be reminded that not everything lasts forever. Pressure creates diamonds and there is a lot of pressure in making sure we make things happen. I believe in leading by example not only to my employees but my children as well. Being able to stay focus on the big picture is key to survival in any industry no matter how good or bad things are going. When it comes to business, I never take anything for granted.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1432 E. Newport Center Dr. suite #b
Deerfield Beach, FL. 33442 - Website: WWW.LATUXDBD.COM
- Phone: 800-413-1427
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @LATUX07
- Facebook: x Diamond Blade Distributors
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
