For more than 50 years, Keystone Sales & Associates has built its reputation on a simple philosophy, one many learn in kindergarten: treat others the way you want to be treated.

That mindset, under the leadership of Bob DellaSala, president and CEO of KSA, has grown the company from a territory just in great Philadelphia tri-state to the mid-Atlantic states (reaching as far as South Carolina). Now serving eight states, equipped with dedicated training facilities and warehouses, the company also has long-term succession plans in mind, building for the generations to come.

"It’s the basic blocking and tackling: treating people the way they want to be treated — returning phone calls, getting back to people, not making them wait — all those little things," said DellaSala. "In the business world today, I’ve found how difficult it is for people to just do those little things, and if we can just do those little things, everything else comes easy."

From Local Rep to Regional Leader

While the roots of the company date back to 1973, DellaSala’s mark didn’t start until 1996, when he joined TES Industrial Distribution Group under founder Joe Bisignaro’s leadership after working as a factory-direct sales representative for A.O. Smith water products.

A mere ten years later, DellaSala bought and acquired the business, changing the name of the PHVAC manufacturer’s representative company and in the words of the company’s director of marketing, Carly Grigsby, “took KSA to the next level.”

In the 20 years since DellaSala acquired the business, Keystone has expanded from a regional rep firm into an eight-state organization with 25 employees, dedicated training facilities, and a growing presence throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

Family Values Drive Company Culture

Though Keystone has seen exponential growth, some things have stayed the same. Like their culture which is built around responsiveness and customer service where customers are treated like family.

Their core purpose and mission statement being: “We exist to enhance the quality of life. We do this by providing high-quality products and solutions that bring comfort, improve efficiency, and meet our customers' needs."

According to DellaSala and Grigsby (who just so happens to be DellaSala’s daughter), the foundation of that mission remains customer service.

"We never want to be accused of being lazy or not getting back to people with just simple, easy asks or requests," DellaSala said.

And if there are times where someone at KSA just doesn’t have the answer or the solution, it’s never an immediate “no” but rather a, “let me see what we can do.”

“We may not be able to do exactly what they want, but we may be able to get close enough that they’d be satisfied with that,” DellaSala. “It's nothing out of [an ivy league] school of business. It's pretty simple stuff.”

And the family-first philosophy extends far beyond employees to distributors, contractors, and manufacturing partners.

“We want to provide people with what we want to receive as good customer service, and give the same type to everyone,” Grigsby said. “There’s only so few companies, businesses, and brands out there that really mean “my pleasure” when getting you whatever you need, and those are the type of brands that you strive to want to be like, because you never hear a negative thing about them, so that's just something that we really pride ourselves on.”

This type of culture has not only helped Keystone retain its customers and grow that base, but it’s helped with employee retention and talent acquisition.

"The word is out there," DellSala said. "People see what's going on, and so if they're looking for a new job, they're calling me and seeing if there's any opportunities or any positions, and that's a good feeling, because obviously we're doing something right."

Building A Training Advantage

One of the biggest investments KSA has made over the years has been training.

The company currently has two warehouses and is working on a third — operating primarily from a 15,000-square-foot facility in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where it conducts its hands-on training in-house, along with product demonstrations. More recently, they’ve established a facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, which is expected to become a dedicated southern training center.

The Charlotte facility grew out of customer demand and the company's desire to create a centralized training location in the Southeast.

“It was just an opportunity that we saw,” Grigsby said. “We saw the demand and the need for it, and our customers love being able to have a location for us where we have it all set up instead of [carting] things around.”

And Charlotte’s been a good hub, DellaSala said. There’s a big population in that area for people who want to come and train. So much so that eventually KSA is planning to expand the warehouse to be able to occupy both training and inventory.

“Right now, it's just a place for our employees to hang a hat and also to do the training … but eventually we're going to want to inventory product down there to service those customers,” DellaSala said.

Contractor education has become one of the biggest things that has set KSA apart from the rest.

“When you're selling equipment, you have to be able to train on live fire demonstrations,” DellaSala said. “It's the best way of training.”

To support its training efforts, Keystone invested in dedicated training personnel who focus on education and technical support.

“We've always had guys on our team who were sales guys and who knew the product and would train on it, but now we actually have two people within our organization (one a subcontractor, and one a full-time employee) who actually trains on our products, and that's their sole responsibility, as well as technical support," said Grigsby.

In-house trainers have made KSA self-reliant and given them more of the ability to respond quickly to customer requests.

“What’s great about having our own trainers is that we can kind of set our own schedule,” DellaSala said. “If someone wants to do a training with 15-20 contractors say, one day next week, we can make that happen, because we can move on the fly because we’re doing it ourselves. It really benefits us and when we talk to our customers, that’s one of the biggest attributes we get, is the ability to train quickly and get to a place quickly when asked. And also do a great job.”

Representing the Right Partners

Keystone’s first line and longest running line are Noble Company and Carlin/Hydrolevel. Both have been with KSA for over 25 years. Following closely behind is Bosch with almost 20 years.

"There's got to be a synergy between the two companies," DellaSala says. "If there's not a synergy between the two companies, then I won't even entertain it."

The company chooses the lines it represents based on the realm of PHVAC and what they are doing — they also need to believe in the product.

“Sometimes we don't get to choose lines, sometimes the lines choose us,” DellaSala said.

The company also seeks products that provide them with a competitive advantage.

"We're always looking for an edge, and sometimes we're looking for manufacturer that may have something a little bit different to give us that selling edge out there in the field,” DellaSala said.

That strategy has helped Keystone adapt as its business evolved from a primarily plumbing-focused organization into one with significant HVAC representation.

Looking Ahead

One of the biggest challenges facing manufacturer’s reps is the growing amount of private equity activity throughout the PHCP-PVF supply chain.

"The decision process is going to a central location, which could be out of our territory," DellaSala said. “We don't even get to meet or talk to the people that are actually making the decisions of products that they're selling in, in our particular territory."

DellaSala said private equity ownership often shifts purchasing decisions outside local markets, making it harder for manufacturers' representatives to demonstrate the value of the technical support and field expertise they provide.

“What's going to happen is they're not going to have anybody out in the field to help market and sell the product or service the product, you're gonna have to figure it out on your own, or go to your iPhone, or something like that, and look it up to see how to fix it,” DellaSala said.

At the same time, the technology of the products they represent continues to evolve at a rapid rate.

While Keystone continues to grow and expand its reach, DellaSala said the goal remains the same: provide the level of service and attention customers would expect from a small-town company.

Looking ahead, the company has invested heavily in organizational development, leadership planning, and infrastructure to ensure its future. Keystone recently added management positions, enhanced reporting and analytics capabilities, and brought in a third-party firm to help guide succession planning.

"I want to see this company continue to grow, and be around for a long time," DellaSala said.

And while DellaSala says he won't be around in another 10 years, the next generation already is.

After beginning her career in sports marketing and later working in healthcare marketing, Grigsby joined Keystone nearly five years ago. Today, she is part of that leadership team helping guide the next chapter of the business.

For a company built on relationships, service, and a commitment to growth without losing sight of the people who made that growth possible, that future feels bright.

“As a company we are growing together and working together to better the company, and it is just truly getting better, each week it’s better and better with the growth we have and the people coming on board,” Grigsby said. "I'm just really excited for what's to come. I feel the energy, I feel the excitement, and all the good things to come. I'm just really excited."