“THE PARTY WAS BEYOND OUR EXPECTATIONS,” Carolyn Jones states. “We didn't have enough chairs and tables, there were so many people, and all day long it was booming! I was just thinking of how proud my dad would have been.”
The party Carolyn refers to—catered food, games, prizes galore; new mascot Gordy the Water Drop debuted with kids’ photo ops—is the September bash that Gordon Brothers Water of Salem, Ohio, threw for, well, the whole city in celebration of their 80th anniversary. The dad of whom Carolyn spoke, Lloyd Gordon, was the founder of this family business, now proudly streaming into its fourth generation.
Headwaters 
An Army Air Force Major, Lloyd Gordon returned to his native Pittsburgh after World War II, eager to move forward. “He knew early on he wanted to have his own business, and he saw water was in its infancy and no one knew where it would go,” Carolyn states. Choosing Salem to launch the company and aided by his finance-minded son, Bruce Gordon, and marketing-savvy son-in-law, Ned Jones (Carolyn’s husband), Gordon Brothers Water grew exponentially based on their dedication and increased expertise.
Carolyn grew up in the business. “Even when I was in high school, I would do filing. I have always worked in the business. That's just what my brother Bruce and I did.” She eventually took over the credit department. “I was the collector and everybody said ‘this is never going to work!’” But of course, it did. “She'd kill them with kindness, and they’d pay us,” husband Ned quips. Bruce, who passed away in 2010, started out delivering tanks and ended up as the company accountant. With an easy smile and an earnest devotion to the family business and the region, Bruce is remembered fondly in Salem to this day.
The Gamechanger
In the 1970s, Kinetico® revolutionized the water industry with the inventing and patenting of their non-electric, twin-tank system providing a continuous supply of soft water. While one tank is being cleansed in an ion-exchange process (calcium and magnesium ions swapped out for clean sodium ions), the second takes over to ensure uninterrupted service.
In the 17-county region surrounding Salem, Gordon Brothers Water is the sole authorized Kinetico® dealer. “Kinetico® is the best,” Gordon Brothers Water President, Scott Jones, Carolyn and Ned’s son and Lloyd’s grandson, states. “Drinking water has become a lot more important. People are more educated, more concerned not only from a health perspective but also from taste.”
It’s Customized
Gordon Brothers Water dispatches six water specialists every day to potential clients. This initial site visit is crucial. “We bring a portable laboratory into their homes, attachable to their kitchen sink,” Scott says. “We have to test the water, because every situation is unique. That way, we can customize solutions to meet their needs and give them options. This is a customized industry, so you can't just buy something off the shelf and hope it's going to work.” On the topic of the advancing science, Ned adds, “Water-testing technology has improved to the point that contaminants like forever chemicals that could not be tested before are now being found.”
Gordon Brothers Water dispatches 15 service technicians every day. “They go out to perform service repairs, complete scheduled maintenance, and installations. We also have two big delivery trucks scheduled to deliver salt on a daily basis,” Scott states.
How successful have they been? Since the mid-1970s, they have sold and installed (and maintained) 14,000 Kinetico® water systems, and delivered four million pounds (100,000 40-pound bags) of salt. “Yeah, we stay busy,” Scott says.
A fourth-generation family member, Scott’s daughter Mallory, currently serves the company well in customer care.
The Jones family is quick to give credit where credit is due. In the course of a roving interview, they all made one point abundantly clear, “Just make certain you mention what a tremendous, dedicated staff we have. Couldn’t do it without them,” Ned states.
Farmers, Maintaining the Relationship
Chris Wood, Gordon Brothers Water office manager, is the main point of contact with Farmers National Bank. “Amanda Stewart [Small Business Lender] at Farmers helped provide us with a line of credit that has been in place for many years,” she states. “While it hasn’t been used recently, it’s there if need be.”
Michael Mariano, Assistant Vice President, Treasury Management, aids in the account. “I’ve helped Gordon Brothers Water with RDC (remote deposit capture), establishing an ICS sweep account to maximize their balances with us, and we are currently discussing Positive Pay options,” he states.
The relationship between the Gordon Brothers Water management and Farmers is warm and professional. As Michael Mariano states, “Chris, Ned and Scott are great to work with. Ned is semi-retired, but always makes time to sit down and learn about what we can do to maximize their relationship with Farmers. They are good people who care about their community and their customers.”
Membership Has Its Privileges
In their ongoing quest for innovation, Gordon Brothers Water began offering a unique Water Club program in 2014. Members annually receive considerable discounts on scheduled maintenance, service repair and parts and supplies. They also get a one-time, year-end complimentary system inspection, and free and express salt delivery. “We currently have nearly 6,000 Water Club members,” Scott states. “There is a tremendous amount of value here. It is the biggest breakthrough in our whole company history.”
Keeping Up with the Joneses
Commence a conversation with this Jones family, and sooner or later it loops back around to the company founder, Lloyd Gordon. If he could see Gordon Brothers Water today? “My goodness, my dad would be so proud! This was his baby, you know,” Carolyn states. “And with our son, Scott, running the day to day business, under his leadership, we are having our best year ever.” Husband Ned concurs. “It’s kind of funny because, if we’re away from the office, Carolyn will say, ‘Let's not talk about the business,’ and she, bless her heart, will probably be the first one to start talking! We just can't help ourselves, because this business is such a big part of us. We love what we do.”