By Aleasha Sandley, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer
ANDERSON — After 30 years in business, Surber’s Inc. has come full circle.
The window, door and sunroom sales company started in 1979 when Janet and Kenny Surber wanted to sell products that would make homes more efficient in the face of rising utility costs and the recession that gripped the early 1980s. They started selling wood-burning stoves, much like the one they had installed in their own home to help with utility costs.
Now, 30 years later, Janet Surber and her son, Charles Surber, run the family business and continue to sell energy-efficient products as yet another recession has settled over the United States.
“The primary focus (30 years ago) was thermal control for homeowners, Charles Surber said. “We’ve had to change with the times. We’ve had to adapt to what the housing market needs. Product lines have changed. The way we live is completely different.
“We are dedicated to lowering energy bills.”
Surber’s, at 2323 Raible Ave., sells and installs high-performance replacement windows, energy-efficient entry doors, steel security doors, insulated vinyl siding, all-vinyl sunrooms and bath enclosures. The store offers warranties on all its products.
Charles Surber said new products are added to the store when customers request them.
“We’ve looked more for green (products),” Janet Surber said. “We have tried to stay ahead of the pace for green. We’re staying about two years ahead of what the market is preparing for.
“I believe if it isn’t good enough for my home, it isn’t good enough for my customers.”
Surber’s started out on Mounds Road, but when Indiana 32 was widened several years ago, Janet Surber was forced to relocate. She chose to move the store to Anderson’s west side, where she had grown up, despite advice from others warning her of a poor business climate on the west side.
“We moved out here and the business jumped,” she said. “I’ve had banks and people tell me this is a bad move, but it’s been the best thing.”
Now, Surber’s has served more than 10,000 customers in the area, and 20 percent of Madison County homes contain a Surber product, Charles Surber said. More than 60 percent of the company’s business comes from customer referrals or word of mouth. He credits the supportive Anderson community for allowing the business to stay around for 30 years and continue to be successful.
“We wouldn’t be in this position without the people in this community,” he said. “There’s not a lot of businesses that stay 30 years in the same community. When a customer gives me a check, every penny they spend stays right here in the community. I think that’s got a lot to do with how we stayed around for the last 30 years.”
Having started the business after Janet Surber was laid off from General Motors and in the midst of a recession, the Surber’s didn’t have much up-front capital to get the company started. That caused them to grow the business little by little as they could afford it, leaving them debt-free today.
“I’ve never waited for the rapid uptake,” Charles Surber said. “It’s not about how much you can make, it’s about how much we can give back.”
Surber’s employs about 15 people in its Anderson showroom and base of operations and its 5-year-old Muncie showroom. Charles Surber hopes to expand the business into the Indianapolis market, ultimately reaching a total of five locations. He and Janet Surber still plan to keep their headquarters in Anderson, however.
“To grow the brand is what I want to do,” Charles Surber said. “This is a legacy that’s being created. Not many people get this.”
Contact Aleasha Sandley: 640-4805, aleasha.sandley @heraldbulletin.com
