Small company faces the big box store challenge

The Silverado Safe Company of Reno, owned by Ron and Toni Fansler, is a mom-andpop business facing a challenge common to moms and pops big-box stores.

The company started by accident in 1995.

"We both had full-time jobs and needed a gun safe, which we got from a friend who owned the Sun Welding Safe Company,"Toni Fansler said.

Deciding to retail the safes, the couple set up a part-time business in their garage.

Toni Fansler quit her full-time job and spent several years building the company.

Then the big box stores came to Reno.

"The last four years have been a struggle," she said.

Silverado Safe specializes in Americanmade safes for residential use and also sells some imports, the type most big-box stores retail.

In fire safety, both American and import safes are about the same, although imports often have a price advantage.

The big advantage of the American products, according to Fansler, is in security.

"In this case, you really get what you pay for," she said."The biggest difference is the locking mechanism.American safes have a re-locker mechanism and imports don't."

Rods that extend from the door's sides, and set behind the doorframe,make a safe secure.

Re-lockers are a set of spring-loaded plates that are released if a lock is either drilled or beaten on.

Once released, they prevent the rods from being retracted and keep the door from being opened.

"Many consumers don't know about the different locking systems, and we try to educate them,"Fansler said.

Besides thicker wall and doorframe construction, American safes have another advantage over their import rivals.

"You get what you see with an import but an American safe can have an interior that exactly fits the customer's needs,"Fansler said.

"Unlike the big-box stores,we try to match the customer with their needs.Once a customer is educated about the differences, about 90 percent of them buy from us."

Personal service is another advantage Fansler feels she has over big box stores.

One disadvantage, that won't change, is Silverado's location at 2095 Dickerson Road in a scruffy industrial district at the west edge of Reno's downtown.

While a move might gain a better location, the potential increase in sales can't justify the increase in rent.

Another challenge is a changing market.

Manufacturers are quitting, prices are rising due to increases in the cost of steel, and suppliers are dealing directly with the competition.

"Some of the big boys are mass producing safes and have contracts with the big box stores, which can retail the safes for less than I can buy them for," she said.

As to the future, Fansler isn't very optimistic.

"When Cabela's (the sporting goods giant) comes here I feel we'll be done," she said.

But not willing to give up, Fansler said the company's owners are looking to the Internet as a vehicle to promote sales.

And she and her husband have a backup plan.

"We started this business to give us extra that we could put away for retirement," she said.

"Thank God my husband has a real job and I've got a part-time one."

Although the changing marketplace and economy might overwhelm her, Fansler intends to stay in business as long as she can.

She feels customer education, as well as offering top quality products and superior service, might work in her favor.

If not, she's resigned to the inevitable and Silverado will become another casualty to the big box stores.