How does Burkhart compare to other big distributors?

How does Burkhart compare to other big distributors? Henry Schein, Patterson, Benco.

 

They're tiny in comparison. Higher priced and have a virtually nonexistent technology offering. All they have is long tenured reps. Nothing really to offer. Average compensation with no real opportunity to advance.

 

Struggling for relevance, outdated sales comp model, no real tech/software offerings, and trying to at least get to “me too” compared to the big three.

 

Maybe outdated sales comp model but it seems like you get more pay based on that model. Gross margin (big 3, who I work for) vs overall sales number.

Awful ordering system for both accounts and reps. Lacking tech and software. Seems to be trying to catch up.

 

They don’t collude with the big 2 and wanna be big 3. So there’s that. At least they’ve got some integrity. But yeah outdated.

 

A few lawsuits from Benco and others has handicapped them severally. They where trying to make a move to become bigger but now are stuck tying to pay the bills. The unicorn is more like a donkey.

 

Burkhart sucks. The higher up management is all a bunch of politicians. They boast integrity but don't have any. They just cut commissions like crazy. They just hired a bunch of new reps this year only to let all of them go. Their financials are a mess. Everything's outdated.

 

How many reps have been let go? What area?

 

They told me 30ish reps were let go. Who knows though. Seems like they went on a massive hiring spree in 2019 and can't afford them anymore. This family owned business that they pride themselves in feels more and more like a publicly traded company where more and more people are just becoming numbers

 

Wow. I wonder if it was all the new hires?

 

ex Benco reps?

 

Yes

 

Private video message for each region is not corporate.

 

I’m hearing that there is 1 year hiring freeze.

 

You can cover a piece of $h!t in gold... But it's still just a really shiny piece of $h!t.

 

Pretty much what I heard too. Pretty irresponsible to hire 30+ reps then realize a year later you can't afford them.. Finance 101. Just because you get approved for a million dollar house doesn't mean you should buy a million dollar house. Upper management is a circus.

 

You're 100% right. They're not corporate. Nobody would even want to buy Burkhart. If they went public it would be a nightmare. All I said was it starting to FEEL corporate.

 

But Burkhart is loyal, Burkhart shows integrity, ha ya right. Their core values are a load of crap. Charging customers for shipping, screwing the comp plan. They can't even get decent CAD/CAM materials and accessories, manufacturers don't see any value in Burkhart. SSG is a bold face lie.. Branch managers change the numbers and percentages. Bait and switch. The only loyalty and integrity Burkhart has is to the pockets of anyone with the last name Burkhart. Avoid this company. They're a joke.

 

No the two account managers let go from branch were patterson. I did hear that the lawsuit from benco is partly why this happened though. Apparently Benco has been suing the crap out of Burkhart and some of those bigger guys who left to come here (who are still here by the way).

 

No not all new hires some were tenured reps who were close to retirement and some were let go from Tacoma