Meet Jeff Dworetz of Tatco in Peachtree Corners

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Dworetz.

Jeff, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
We are a vendor (supplier) in the office products and janitorial industries selling to wholesalers and office supply dealers.

After having worked for another company in the industry, I began over 22 years ago by meeting with the (Atlanta based wholesaler) SP Richards Co, who I knew from my previous position. I showed the merchandise manager in the Safety area a handful of products, asked him if he thought we had enough to get started. When he said yes, I asked if they would need personal financial statement, to which he responded “No, it’s OK, we know you.” I laugh now thinking back to that simpler time when business was often done with a handshake. We started with just 5 products (happy to say we’re still selling 4 of them), w/ my office in the house and shipping out of a mom-and-pop public warehouse. While the business was profitable from the beginning, it was a struggle for several years building up enough sales volume to make reasonable living, and with 2 young children at home (whose names Tamara and Trevor comprise the acronym that Tatco is based on) it took about 6 years to feel like the business would really work. The first employee was hired 9 years after that initial meeting.

Since then we have added pretty dramatically to our ever-growing product line, selling through both large wholesalers as well as some of the largest dealers in the industry. We sell a variety of niche products for office, warehouse, lobby and even outside (one of newer product areas is dog waste bags and dispensers).

Has it been a smooth road?
Building sales volume was our biggest struggle. Also, at the time I began the business there were three wholesalers, and it appeared we would sell to all 3. However, two of the wholesalers merged that same year (becoming what is today Deerfield, IL based Essendant Co) and no new vendors were added. It wound up taking about 10 years to be able to sell to the combined company.

On occasion, for a variety of reasons, we have not been able to ship one or more of our products for an extended period. While we try our best to avoid these situations they do occur. We’ve always tried to be straight with our customers and I think the trust that is developed over time is a big help when these types of bumps arise.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I’d say we specialize in being a consolidator for major players in our industry and helping them out when headaches arise. Along with being a reliable supplier of quality products, I think this helps separate us from most others in the industry.

We are probably best known for our products in the Safety area, including our Wet Umbrella Bags and Stands, Crowd Control products, a variety of Safety Chimes and other products. But we will not limit ourselves product-wise, and also sell everything from Paper Tablecovers to Magnetic Label Holders to Pencil Cushions to Traffic Cones.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think the Atlanta area is as good a location as any for a company like ours due to the proximity of both Hartsfield-Jackson airport and S.P. Richards.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tatcoproducts.com

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