P.C. Richard & Son Continues to Expand Builders Division

Walk into any major residential high-rise in the New York tri-state area, and there’s a good chance that the refrigerator, stove, dishwasher – or all three – came from P.C. Richard & Son.

Founded in Brooklyn in 1909, P.C. Richard is a household name when it comes to appliance and electronic sales with a reputation that spans generations of loyal customers. The company’s long history for delivering quality brands, low prices, and excellent customer service has helped position the firm as one of the top suppliers in the country for both consumers and residential builders. Across its retail and wholesale businesses, P.C. Richard is knocking on more than 5,000 doors every day to deliver, install or service the appliance, electronics and bedding products it sells. “That is just a tremendous number and really puts the scale of our business into perspective,” says Rick Torre, director of P.C. Richard & Son Builders Division.

On the retail side, its network of 65 stores in four states, competes with big box retailers such as Costco, Walmart, Home Depot and Best Buy. “When you look at the six or seven retailers that are larger than us in terms of sales volume, not one of them has less than 500 retail locations,” says Torre. “That gives you an idea of the breadth of who we compete against in the retail segment.”

On the wholesale side, P.C. Richard & Son Builders Division is recognized as the largest independent supplier of appliances to residential developers and owners in the country. The division is currently active in 13 states with a customer base that spans more than 7,000 accounts. Although the vast majority of family businesses fail after the second generation, P.C. Richard now has its fourth generation at the helm with Gregg Richard as CEO, and the company sees plenty of runway ahead for continued growth across both its retail and wholesale businesses. 

Family legacy of customer service

P.C. Richard & Son is a classic American Dream story. Peter Christian “P.C.” Richard came to America from Holland in the early 1900s and settled in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. He had a job delivering milk via horse and buggy. The delivery business turned into occasional requests to fix things from his customers. At the same time he was helping with odd jobs, P.C. was accumulating a small inventory of materials needed for those repairs, which led to the opening of a hardware store in Brooklyn in 1909 – P.C. Richard & Son.

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As technology advanced, the hardware store expanded its stock to carry a variety of electronics and appliances. Although there have been plenty of examples of local hardware stores, and even big-name chains, that have fallen by the wayside, P.C. Richard has not only survived, but thrived. Today, the company has 2,500 employees who provide sales, delivery, installation and service. 

The secret to success for both its retail and wholesale business stems from a laser focus on three key areas – its customers, its employees and the partnerships it has with top manufacturers. That “three-legged stool” philosophy has been handed down through the generations of the Richard family. Many credit A.J. – the son in P.C. Richard & Son – with company mottos such as “Richard IS Reliable” and “We Service What We Sell”. Alfred James or “A.J.” grew up working in the business and he had a passion for sales and customer service that has been ingrained into the company culture. “We truly believe service and taking care of our customers is the number one priority. We’re not looking for our next sale, we’re looking to make our next customer,” says Torre.

Builders Division  Creates Loyal Following

The same philosophy that has made the retail business so successful over the past 100+ years carries over to the Builders Division. Clients know they can pick up the phone and call any one of the 65 people on Builders Division team to get information on new products coming out, the latest appliance trends and advice on what products they should be putting in their units. “Some of our relationships are with the largest real estate developers in the country, and they’re relationships we have had for years,” says Mike Jahkhah, general manager of P.C. Richard & Son Builders Division. 

That customer loyalty is built on trust.

“They trust our expertise. They trust the reputation that we have, and they know they can rely on us,” says Torre.

During the pandemic, P.C. Richard & Son leveraged its relationships with manufacturers, and a strong balance sheet, to keep its warehouses stocked with products to serve both its retail and wholesale customers. “We did see delays here and there. But, at the end of the day, we were able to execute and fulfill our obligations, and that goes a long way in building trust and loyalty,” he says.

P.C. Richard also is devoted to making sure its people are knowledgeable and well-trained on the products it sells, installs and services. For example, the company has a 300-seat training facility, the A.J. Richard Training Center, that hosts sessions consistently throughout the year. “We feel very strongly about training, and we’re constantly engaging our people on training, whether they’re salespeople, installers or service technicians,” says Torre. Oftentimes, those sessions feature manufacturer reps who are leading training on their products.

Another hallmark of the company is that many of its employees have been with the company 10 to 15 years or even longer.

“People are not just coming in for a part-time job. They stay here, and we try to give everyone an opportunity to grow with the business,” says Jahkhah. “It’s a family-run business that treats every employee here like family.”

Despite its impressive history, P.C. Richard & Son is firmly focused on the future. What’s next for the company?  “We’re going to continue to grow this business. We’re going to enter markets. We’re going to dominate those markets as the number one appliance supplier to builders, developers and designers, and we’re going to be your friend at the same time,” says Torre. 

“We’re going to continue to grow this business the way we know how, by doing right by our customers and continuing to create fantastic relationships with builders, developers, and designers. We know we provide the best experience out there and it’s time for even more people to see how business gets done the P.C. Richard Way.”  

Click here to learn more about P.C. Richards Builders Divison and get in touch with Mike & Rick

This article was produced by The Real Deal’s Brand Studio Team in conjunction with PC Richards & Sons. For more information about working with our Brand Studio Team please click here.