Salem Distributing Co.

Salem Distributing Company traces its origin to 1934, when the Siewers Sales Agency was formed in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to service the furniture industry. The Siewers group soon concentrated on the needs of their customers relating to the working and protecting of glass. Several years later the company name was changed to Salem Distributing Company, and incorporation finally took place on July 1, 1972.

While furniture, mirror and other flat glass companies were the original customer base, Salem also began to serve companies in the ophthalmic industry as well as firms manufacturing precision optical devices and electro-optical components. Salem's focus continues to be the cutting and polishing of hard, glass-like materials. In just two words, the technology that has always been the specialty of Salem Distributing Company is surface preparation.

Late in 1979, Salem approached the well known Italian firm of Elettromeccanica Luigi Bovone with the intention of representing their line of diamond wheels. Within a short while Salem Distributing Company had the exclusive agency rights for all of the United States and Canada for the complete line of Bovone beveling machines, mirror fabrication lines, washing machines and insulating and laminated glass lines. At the same time, Salem became the agent for Zanetti (straight line edgers and shape beveling and edging machines). Zanetti went into bankruptcy in 1996 and Salem Distributing Company purchased the assets of the company, changing the name to Zanetti Macchine, under which it operates today. Salem also holds the exclusive agency for all of the equipment of the Italian firms of Deltaprogetti (double edgers and glass handling robots) and Pezza (sand blasting equipment).

With the addition of glass working equipment to the Salem Distributing Company line, there was the obvious necessity for carrying a complete line of spare parts for all of the machines, as well as a staff of trained installation and service technicians. Salem maintains the largest stock of spare parts of any American distributing company and with its staff of technicians is capable of servicing all of the machines that it sells.

Salem has supplied the highest quality products available. They have represented Transelco for over 25 years, and Cercoa since its founding. Both of these companies are leaders in the development and production of cerium oxide as well as plastic lens polishes. A few years ago Salem introduced a line of plastic lens polishes that quickly became the standards of the industry: "Pace," "Sprint," "Elite" and "Optima". For almost 20 years Salem has represented Cerium Optical Products, the most advanced and innovative manufacturer of ophthalmic fining and polishing pads, lens protection tapes and the "Shades" line of plastic lens dyes.

Until 1978, the main area covered by Salem Distributing Company was the Southeastern United States. A planned expansion program was begun which resulted in Salem being a truly national corporation. There are presently 26 field salesmen who live in strategic locations within their territories and who travel continuously throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. The field sales force is supported by 62 inside sales and staff personnel. In 1992, specific departments were established for Direct Marketing and Foreign Sales.

Warehouses are maintained in Los Angeles, California; Dallas, Texas; St. Cloud, Minnesota and Toronto, Canada. As shown in the photo on the Home Page, a new 50,000 square foot home office and warehouse facility was built in 1995 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. All purchasing and financial work is done at this location. (See photo on Home Page.)

Now in its 67th year, Salem Distributing Company is an international corporation, with extensive sales overseas. Salem continues to be a service oriented, full line supplier of quality products. In 2000, sales of supplies and parts were approximately $22.4 million and sales of machines were about $5.1 million for a total of $27.5 million.