sept-2017

52 53 FCP EURO We’re over 50 employees, now, and this year,we’ll do about $30 million in annual revenue.” Of course, no business can succeed without stra- tegic partnerships. Drozd credits some of the other companies that have been crucial to FCP Euro’s suc- cess: “We have a very strong relationship with UPS for all supply chain logistics–bringing goods into the facility, shipping product out.American Express, as a vendor, has been very critical to our growth, as well, getting the cash flowmanagement resources. CRP Industries, out of New Jersey, has been a key strategic partner for us on the inventory side.And IntegrityMerchant Solutions is the easiest and most accessible merchant service provider I have worked with.They are always just a phone call or e-mail away and will work to solve any issues I have.As an operator of a large online business, they assisted me in improving the security of my website’s credit card transactions, and their understanding of PCI (a stan- dard for connecting computers and their peripher- als) is far superior to other processors.Their team is top notch and always looking for unique solutions to help my business grow.They’ve been instrumen- tal in helping us maximize our earning potential while minimizing risk to the business.” In a competitive environment,Drozd believes that FCP Euro can more than hold its own against some bigger players because of the quality of its products; its high level of customer service (its distribution model gives it the ability to ship out almost all orders within 24 hours); and its industry-leading, comprehensive Lifetime Replacement Promise. “So, if you buy brake pads from us, if you buy wiper blades, you can return them for a replacement at any time during the life of the ownership of the vehicle,”Drozd explains.“It’s a very unique differentiator.We go as far as replacing oil, as well. If you want to change the oil in your car, and you order an oil change kit from us,when you’re done–5,000, 7,000, 10,000 miles -you drain the oil, put it back into the containers that we sold you, send it back to us, and we ship you out nine or ten quarts, free of charge.That’s our lifetime replace- ment guarantee; it’s very unique in the marketplace.We’ve had it for six years, and people can’t seem to believe it, or wrap their heads around howwe actually can keep something at this scale. But there is the oppor- tunity to compete in a global mar- ketplace with commoditized goods if your differentiators are strong enough.The way that we compete against behemoths in our industry, with 20 to 30 percent annual growth,