Thanks Mike and each of you who responded to this thread. I absolutely care. This business is my baby. I lived on Top Ramen and canned tuna with ranch dressing in a 950 sq ft warehouse on the railroad track,s next to the 405 freeway for three years while starting this business. I'm not up to see Adam's be gimmicky, or low quality.
Stand by, we will continue to develop and launch new, quality products, and I certainly hope to continue to earn your trust, and your business. Realize, I'm no longer the only person launching new products, and if I was, I'd have 5 hours of things to focus on for each hour of the day. Tough for a detailer with OCD and ADD to do!
I've leaned on our entire team, as has our CEO, to bring excellent, high quality detailing products and accessories to the market.
Forgot to include a photo of our young family, this one from last week in McCall, Idaho, heaven on earth. Celebrating my wife, Melissa's birthday. Towel wrapped Luca, 11, Cristiano, 9, and Enzo, 6 with a LaCroix on his head:
Friends, thank you. Thank you for caring enough to post your thoughts, and taking time from your life to do so. Thank you for making your feelings known, and I can appreciate that you feel we have drifted from our core. Thank you for continuing to care about our company and brand, even though it's not the company and brand that you supported initially.
The reality: I understand your point. We have become a much larger enterprise. At the same time, our customer base has changed as well. Over 60% of our customers are under 30 today! We have a fantastic marketing department that turns out limited edition promotional products and Adam's branded apparel. While I certainly appreciate the sales, it's not something I had in mind when we started. Nor would I ever have thought old or limited edition products would sell for hundreds of dollars on eBay. Never in a million years, and our marketing team has created tremendous brand equity, and demand.
I started this business to offer great detailing chemicals, matched with premium application and removal tools, and easy to understand instructions. (Eventually, videos, to help the DIY enthusiast achieve incredible results at home, with ease.) Above all, I want our customers to be impressed with the quality, ease of use, and results achieved with everything that comes from Adam's.
The reality: The promotional stuff sells, and the new majority of our customers are young. I now have partners, a bank expecting us to meet goals, etc. It's not just me and my small team, boot strapping to make payroll, and kick out a few new products each year. Adam's Polishes has grown exponentially, and as a result, it has changed. While the changes at Adam's are good for some, they are not appreciated by all. Especially the original customers, those who remember us small, with nearly all American made products. Those who have supported our brand for a decade or even two.
As some of you are aware, our ownership group acquired our chemical manufacturer last year, and now have access to truly amazing chemistry. We have invested heavily in the business, updated the lab, and are now making products that are more advanced than the big players in our industry. Crazy enough, we now have 150 employees, plus another 25 part time show champions. While I'm humbled that we have established a much larger company, and are roughly 10X the size we were just a few years ago, I also miss the old days. I miss the days of taking our entire staff out to lunch daily. Miss indoor parking and a cross-fit gym at the HQ. I even miss the days of whacking payroll on a credit card, and living in my first warehouse. While those days were tough, doing whatever it took to survive was invigorating, exciting! It's hard to do things like that as a large company.
You asked about DVK? Dylan VonKleist is incredible at identifying and developing new products. He knows detailing as well or possibly better than I do, and has his thumb on the pulse of the detailing community. He was instrumental in starting this very forum! I also miss Ashley Wilson. She worked with us since high school, with her fantastic dad, Mike, one of our original team members. Ashley was amazing with our resellers, and everyone she came in contact with. When we moved the business to Colorado, she was unable to move with us, understood. We had an outstanding controller, Patti. She started with us in 2009, and helped us get through many, many hurdles. Her positivity and influence on both me, and the staff was awesome! She eventually moved on to work with a non-profit, which helps children. Understood, and she is missed by all of our employees that knew her, and was replaced by a super capable CFO and eventually, an accounting team of five that are much needed to keep this enterprise afloat. Great people, certainly needed, but a big company team is different feel than a small few person team. Realize, those people who are gone have moved up, and as our business grew, we had to make changes. We are friendly with each person that moved on, no bridges were burned in the making of Adam's Polishes!
I introduced Dylan to Cody, then the owner of Cyclo Tools, and he was hired there. Then, Cyclo was acquired by Rupes, which is how Dylan landed there. It was a good fit for him, the right move at the time. Truth: Dylan is one of the smartest, most OCD, focused detailers I've ever known. His focus on detailing products made our line better, and makes Rupes a better company today. We never replaced Dylan, and are still looking today. (If you know someone, please shoot me an email with a resume: Adam@AdamsPolishes.com.)
Today: Our customer service team is awesome. Our marketing team, led by Matt Butcher, is amazing. Our chemicals are outstanding, and our ceramic program is world class. Our towels and accessories are very good as well. As I always say, "VOTE WITH YOUR DOLLARS!" We are one of the only companies on earth that honors a 110% Satisfaction guarantee. Pleas, return any product you are dissatisfied with. Whining about products online doesn't solve a problem. Remember, you get 110% refund on products you are unimpressed with. Please, no whining, just contact us so we can make it right!
I gave 200% to Adam's Polishes for decades. (Gave 200% to detailing for the previous two decades as well. Been detailing for nearly 40 years now!) Today, I've shifted priorities, to a family man, and business man. In that order. I used to come home after work and get on AdamsForums, and on other social media platforms. Today, when I'm home, I'm a Dad, and husband. Today, I don't always get to the HQ, rather, I travel all over for business. I'm on a plane at least 4X a week, and while my United Airlines status is rocking, my absence is noted at home.
God has been incredibly good to me, and our business. I'm so blessed to have had the opportunity to start and grow this business from zero. Blessed with an incredible and dedicated team. Blessed to have met my wife, and blessed with our three healthy children. Blessed to live and work in Colorado. Blessed to have incredible customers who care enough to report your feelings on our direction!
Finally, I encourage everyone to VOTE WITH YOUR DOLLARS! Focus on the high quality products that keep your car shining, and your shine therapy soothing. I'm still detailing something every week, sometimes daily. It's my therapy. It's always been my therapy. Detailing is how I unwind and find clarity in this complicated world.
I'm here as the Chief Detailer, and Founder of Adam's Polishes. I'm not the CEO, not the marketing director, just the Chief Detailer. If you don't like a product, please, contact our customer service team, and we will make it right. (orders@adamspolishes.com, or 866-965-0400.) When I tune in to listen to people complain about our business, it certainly hits a nerve. If you have a product that has not impressed you, please contact us! Vote with your dollars, and you will see more products that you love from Adam's Polishes.
Thank you very, very much for your loyalty, and for your business.
Welcome. I’m in similar situation with the garage, wife’s vehicle keeps the garage pretty toasty in the summer so I picked up a metal cabinet (kobalt) and have it inside our home office just in from the garage.
TXRickC got a reaction from Dan@Adams in Forum Issues Fixed and Contest Giveaway!
TXRickC got a reaction from TheWolf in The Sticker Trading Thread
TXRickC reacted to Adam in Anyone else feel like Adam's has slipped from contender to pretender?
TXRickC got a reaction from RayS in What Did You Wash, Shine, and or Polish Today
TXRickC got a reaction from mc2hill in What Did You Wash, Shine, and or Polish Today
TXRickC got a reaction from AJagger in Newbie From Michigan
TXRickC got a reaction from Blackbeard2364 in New from El Paso
TXRickC got a reaction from Rochell59 in Hello from Austin! Help replacing current go-to’s with Adam’s!
TXRickC got a reaction from Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin in Adam's HQ Sticker Wall!
TXRickC got a reaction from falcaineer in Adam's HQ Sticker Wall!
TXRickC got a reaction from scott kelly in Leaning in saying hello.
