Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul and Connor McCann.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Paul and Connor. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Richard McCann, my dad, and I purchased the company (based in Woburn) from inventor Frank Graney in 1991. Richard ran the company in Hingham form 1991 to 1997 with son-in-law, Dan St Lawrence, and niece Lynn Sullivan. Upon Richards retirement, I moved the company to East Bridgewater and then to West Bridgewater in 2002. Richard desired to build the company through trade shows and traditional advertising methods which proved to be expensive and time-consuming. When I took over daily operation of the company, I slashed our advertising budget by 90% and relied solely on our website and social media via our customers. By controlling overhead and focusing on customer service, we have grown an average of 5% every year. In 2014 my son Connor took over as general manager of Supersplitter, and I now focus on our supply chain becoming more efficient and cost-effective. My wife Maureen works as office manager and our youngest children (twins) work weekends and summers as they finish college.
The product we manufacture is truly amazing. The simplicity of design coupled with its efficiency makes it an essential tool for anyone in the commercial firewood business as well as a growing number of homeowners that rely on wood as their primary heat source. With over 40 years on the market, a 2-3 second cycle time and its legendary durability, it has earned the premier place as the fastest, most durable log splitter available.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
When we purchased the company in 1991, the company was struggling. Sales were 60 units that year in comparison to 600 machines in 1980. At the time that we purchased the company, I was also the owner of a commercial construction company. From 1997 to 2005, I was on construction sites during the day and working at Supersplitter often until 10:00 at night. As the Dad of five children under nine years old, this was a very tough time.
In 2005 I left the construction business behind and committed myself solely to Supersplitter, Inc.
The last 15 years have been very challenging because the design patent had expired. We now had to contend with other companies who would copy our design. This, however, surprisingly seemed to benefit Supersplitter for two reasons. First, the copycats spend a lot in advertising; and when potential customers do their web research, they find us; and our reviews are always very positive. The second reason is that, unlike Supersplitter, most of the copycat machines are made in China and are of poor quality.
Please tell us about Supersplitter, Inc.
The Supersplit Logsplitter is all we do. Our two most valuable assets are a fantastic product that hasn’t changed in 40 years. These are not just lifetime machines, they are generational. We are dedicated to customer service. When you call Supersplitter, you get either Paul or Connor on the phone. If not, that means we are on the phone and will call you back shortly.
We have the best customers in the world; the salt of the earth! They sell the machine for us through word of mouth and their wonderful reviews. Customer service is a huge priority. We take great pride in our product and we want 100% satisfaction.
My favorite call this year was the fellow who said, “I’ve had my machine for 30 years and finally wore something out”. When I asked what he needed, he said… “a new hat”. Back in “the day” free hats came with new machines.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have committed all my time and energy to Supersplitter sooner. Seriously, time will tell. Most people in my position would outsource the components and focus on sales. I have chosen to keep most of the production in-house and hope the world beats a path to my door. So far this strategy has resulted in an excellent product and thousands of satisfied customers. We are banking on the hope that these values will be enough for the next generation of Supersplit owners as well as the next generation of McCanns.
Pricing:
- Prices range from $2,330 to $4,200
Contact Info:
- Address: 3 Bert Drive Ste 1
- Website: www.supersplit.com
- Phone: 508-427-5800
- Email: supersplitter@comcast.net
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