J. D. Gould Company, Inc.

J. D. Gould Company, Inc., founded in 1951, is a proud manufacturer of American-made Solenoid Valves which are competitively priced for industrial and commercial applications. Our mission is to lead our industry in service and delivery through flexibility, a workforce of dedicated craftsmen, and an awareness of our customers’ needs.

1990s

During the 1990s, my emphasis was on sales. Believe it or not, an outside sales manager was hired for the first time. We encouaged distributors to keep an ample stock of valves and to have a well-educated sales force on the many uses of solenoid valves. My wife, Susie, helped implement a factory school for training sales people. Also, at the end of the 90′s we got our first ISO 9001 certification. Part of the ISO process was developing our Quality Policy which is: J. D. Gould Company, Inc. is committed to continuous improvement, producing quality products by a capable workforce using proven vendors to satisfy our customers’ needs.

Today

And now to the current decade. Like many companies, we have significantly reduced the size of our workforce. What with “Just-In-Time” inventory controls and overnight delivery service being commonplace, there has been a gradual deemphasis of stocking valves, servicing valves in the field and general “cold-calling” on users (no one has time to see you). These were normal distributor activities which have gone by the wayside with greater use of the internet and the number of “ordertaking” jobbers which seemed to have sprouted from the roll-ups of the 90′s (Fergusons, Hughes, Motion Industries, etc.). To counter all of that, we have increased our prescence on the internet and we are granting minimal resale discounts to “order takers” masquerading as distributors. Throughout our existence, we have had such venerable competitors as ASCO Valve, Skinner Valve (now Parker-Hannifin), Burkert, Magnatrol, etc.

How do we stay competitive with them? The short answer is flexibility. In the time it takes them to form a committee, we’ve got the problem solved. To maintain our competitve advantage, we better: 1. Sell a Quality Product and make sure it can be shipped 2. Have Super Order Turns – Currently averages a day and a half 3. Create Niches – How many companies make a 2″ 316 Stainless Steel SV? What does the future hold for J. D. Gould Company? As a small business, the company can react quickly to change. We have weathered the 2007-2009 storm and have our heads above water. Gould Solenoid Valves are rugged, dependable and durable. This is not an accident. Our products reflect our business. Every successful business has a foundation of intangibles. The backbone of our business is that you cannot teach people, inherit from family or expect: 1. LOYALTY 2. PASSION 3. INVENTIVENESS My company is here today because there are some of these traits in each of our employees, customers, suppliers, and, yes indeed, even our competitors.