Relationships are key to good business because learning and knowing the needs of customers over time leads to unmatched service and satisfaction. The Dunstan Group President and Founder Scott Dunstan has now brought one of these relationships full circle as the new branding and apparel source for ALLPRO Corporation, a business-to-business buying cooperative for the paint and decorating products industry.
“This is an exciting time for The Dunstan Group to bring our business back to the beginning like this, and renew relationships from our family,” says Dunstan. And by family, he means his own family business where he began his career.
Dunstan honed his branding skills with his uncle, owner of Jeff Brown & Company, the branding and apparel provider for ALLPRO since the new century began. The experience made him keenly familiar with the needs of the vendors and suppliers who are members of ALLPRO. Because of that, Dunstan can, from day one, bring his insights into how the cooperative nature of the industry group allows paint brands and independent paint stores, alike, to market themselves better when they work together.
“We understand their market and how to help members build their brands in their communities, especially through utilizing co-op dollars effectively,” says Dunstan. “We can hit the ground running, even in such a big group, because of our experience with them from our earlier generation of business with Jeff Brown & Co.”
And ALLPRO is all about family, with second and third generations now representing the smaller, independent paint stores or vendors that are its members — the so-called “Mom and Pop Shops.” Family businesses are the heart of ALLPRO, and carrying on the “family tradition” of providing them a powerful branding voice means a great deal to Dunstan.
That’s because when he left his uncle’s company, he didn’t take any of the family business with him. He wanted to create his own family with The Dunstan Group, but the ALLPRO Corporation remembered — and reached out when they needed a new supplier. The opportunity grew organically from a relationship that had always provided top-notch service, keen insights into how co-op dollars work, and a family feel to ethical behavior.
“We’ve had experience with this group, and know them well, and look forward to re-establishing those relationships,” says Dunstan.
As a preferred vendor, The Dunstan Group will provide the branding and apparel for both ALLPRO representatives and more than 250 member businesses and 1,700 retail locations. It sounds like a big job — but to Scott Dunstan, it’s just family.
