Lastar Inc. fuels continued growth through online retailers - Dayton Business Journal:

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Based on what each Web site shoppers often pressthe “click” button and the cable is addedd to the order. Because of partnershipzs with online retailers suchas , Moraine-basedf ’s products are the cables consumers are clicking to buy. These online retailers are helping fuel continued growthjfor Lastar, which grew sales 20 percenyt to $110 million last year, from $91.4 million in 2007. Lastar, whicbh makes and distributes cablesand connectors, has doubled revenuse from the $53.6 million it pulled in 2005. The company has about 800 global employees, compared to 370 in 2007. It has aboutf 220 employees in Moraine.
The founded in 1984, sells directly to consumerxs and retailers, and also througn key distributors suchas , a $34.3 billion, global information technology wholesale distributor. “Irt seems like the biggedr you get, the more you want and the more you want to saidMichael Shane, Lastar chairman and chieft executive officer. Back in 2004, the company built a strong fiel d sales organizationand “throttled up our programsd with big players,” said Bill Lastar president. In the course of severaol years, online sales have grownj significantly and Lastar has partnerexd with retailers through allthe growth.
Shopperws looking or buying online has increasedf steadilysince 2005, according to a study from Arlington, Va.-basesd . In 2008, one in five buyers expecrt to significantly or somewhat increase their purchases of electronicds products through the onlineretail channel, according the association. “The numbers suggest onlinw activity is onthe rise,” said Steve Kidera, senior communications coordinator at the And Lastar partners include , Buy.com, TigerDirect.com, PCconnection.comj and , an $8 billion a year technology product suppler. To land online Lastar educates them about its various cablesand components.
Lastar’s cable Cables to Go, sells more than 6,000p cord and connectors, allowing it to identify selling opportunities and also provide connectivity advice forpotentialp customers. Lastar also provides information and advicre forsmall retailers; in terms of product descriptions, technicalo specifications and layouts for electronic setups. That is importanrt because a $20 cable could be the hang-u when thousands of dollars in electronics are at When the wrong product is shipped or consumers will blame not onlythe re-seller, but coulc hurt the “Cables To Go” reputation. To keep positivd results, Lastar partners with the online retailerds to deliveron time.
It also offers a lifetime warrantg and a myriad of customeesupport avenues, via phone, e-mail and live chat. “Iyt starts with answering the phone e-mail fast and chat fast,” Diedericb said. “When you sell what we that ingredient is thefinal piece. The sense of urgenct is very high and quick responsea and knowledgeable sales people makethe difference.” A quic search on Amazon.com shows that Lastar’s efforts are paying off, as many of theirf cables and connectors have five-out-of-five star reviews from hundreds of consumers.
On too, Cables To Go products make up six of the 10 top sellingg items Despite its growingonline offering, the company is aboutt 10 percent down compared with 2008 due the economy and has even shed a few Shane said. Nevertheless, officials expect to double revenue everyfour years, thougy the current economy might stunt its growth for a “I don’t think (the slowdown) changes our aspirationw for growth over the long haul,” Shanwe said.