Firm’s President Criticizes Story, Defends His Products
On Aug. 9, The Times published an article concerning my company, The Storage Solution, and me (“This Company Cleans Up With Messy Garages”). While I was initially gratified with the press coverage, I was shocked when I read the article. The story published vague and unsubstantiated innuendo by my competitors and implied that I had tried to mislead The Times reporter regarding my cabinet materials.
This assault on my good name continues to hurt me, both personally and professionally. Responding to the aforesaid article is awkward for me because my actions and business practices have always spoken for themselves.
There are factual errors in the article . . . my birthplace and age, for example. These inaccuracies are, however, immaterial and are only mentioned as illustrations of the lack of care with which this article was researched and written.
The most egregious falsehood in the article is the implication that I and/or my company make statements about our materials that are misleading and that we engage in “tactics” that are somehow improper. A competitor is quoted as saying: “He (Smith) also says he’s using real wood, did he tell you that? It’s fiberboard. We use the same product.” This is followed by: “Smith originally told a reporter that he uses hardwood. Asked about the competitor’s claim, he amended his statement.”
The Times published a correction on Aug. 20, acknowledging that the story reported incorrectly that I had “amended” my account of how my company makes cabinets. The correction also pointed out that I had, in fact, told the reporter that my cabinets are made of fiberboard, with hardwood face frames and that my company brochures also explain this.
Rather than misleading anyone about the materials or construction of our cabinets, The Storage Solution actually trumpets those facts.
Our cabinets feature hardwood face frames to provide structural strength and to hold hinge screws permanently. Our cabinets also feature MDF (or fiberboard) cases and shelving. MDF has twice the strength of particleboard and has greatly superior durability, stability and paintability. Why would we try to mislead anyone about our materials?
Our advertisements, our literature, our samples, and indeed our press release all clearly show what our materials and construction are. These were all provided to the reporter and she was shown around our factory, which was loaded with fiberboard and fiberboard cabinets with hardwood face frames.
In a different passage, another competitor is quoted as saying: “I welcome good competition, but I don’t like (Smith’s) tactics. He calls himself the ‘undisputed leader.’ I’m tired of people slinging mud out there.”
Who’s “slinging mud” here? Is calling ourselves “the undisputed leader” slinging mud? The fact is, we are the dominant player in our small industry.
A reputation is the most important business asset of any company, especially in the home improvement business. A reputation is built painstakingly, brick by brick, over a long period of time. It is more easily torn down than it is built. Over the past six years, The Storage Solution has built an exemplary reputation. Sloppy reporting has tarnished that reputation in the eyes of those who know nothing else about us. Those who know us, of course, know better.
BRADFORD SMITH
President
The Storage Solution, Inc.
Placentia
