Sprinkler shop revamps name, marketing plan

CHARDON, Ill. - After five years in business, a small, four-man sprinkler fabrication and installation shop here has revamped its company image with the introduction of a new name and some professional marketing materials to promote its new identity. Formerly known as Xena Fire Protection & Mechanical, the new name, SureFit Sprinkler Systems, projects a cleaner, more professional brand, said Jeff Brown, SureFit’s manager. “It’s better to have a name that is representing the type of services you offer,” Brown said. SureFit’s original name came from a joke between Brown and his former business partner, a female installer affectionately called Xena, the warrior pipe princess, after the popular television character, Xena - Warrior Princess, played by actress Lucy Lawless. Now, Brown said he is trying to use the SureFit name to make further inroads in the local building community by targeting contractors, developers and architects, pushing his company’s expertise in the small commercial, remodel and retrofit markets. “Last year was real tough, and I said if I am going to keep going, I have to throw some more into it,” Brown said. Because of SureFit’s small staff, the new marketing materials, which include a tri-fold brochure as well as a new logo and tagline, “Quality installation guaranteed,” serve almost as SureFit’s sales arm, as Brown is often out on jobs, supervising or assisting with an installation. Through some direct mail campaigns to the local building community here in suburban Cleveland, Brown will use the materials to highlight the company’s range of services, including FM 200 systems and fire pump work, as well as a wide range of testing and inspection services. Now SureFit’s income from testing and inspection work is about 25 percent of the company’s total revenue, a percentage which Brown hopes will grow substantially over the next year.