Third-generation central New Yorker Steve Sweet started Braden in 1995 after another business he owned encountered a critical situation: someone forgot to order the tape to seal the shipping boxes. It was late in the day, and the customer needed the product the next day. Production supervisors and office management scoured the vicinity, buying the entire tape stock at every hardware store in the area. When they returned, employees manually applied the tape, instead of the automated systems in place. This oversight cost the company thousands of dollars and created an inconsistent packaging image, which violated the company’s quality control standards, although Sweet kept his company’s commitment to an on-time delivery.

Drawing from this lesson and vowing to never let a supply disaster happen again, Steve Sweet founded Braden Supply Co. to ensure that other local companies would always have items such as boxes, tape, pallet wrap, shrink film and poly bags in stock.

With a little bit of info from you on your company’s individual needs, Braden Supply is able to intuitively ensure stock is never low.

For those more specialized, or custom designed items, in which fulfillment times can be unruly, Braden inventories enough of that item to prevent fulfillment times that could present a problem.

After working in the corporate world and gaining valuable experience, Steve Sweet’s daughter Heather recently joined the Braden team to add to her father’s vision. She hopes to take the company to a new, modern level.