Company:  Barrett Outdoor 

Headquarters: 381 Highland St., West Haven CT 

Markets: Eastern Connecticut 

Phone: 203.932.4601

Email: sales@Barrettoutdoor.com

Barrett Outdoor operates a billboard plant in Eastern Connecticut along the I-95 corridor including Bridgeport, Stratford, Devon and Milford.  The Company was started in 1962 by Jack Barrett.  Billboard Insider talked with John Barrett company’s President.  Barrett is a member of the Outdoor Association of America (OAAA), Geopath and the Outdoor Advertising Association of Connecticut (OAAC).

How did Covid impact Barrett?

In the beginning, new business almost stopped.  Traffic was way down on the interstate highways  and many businesses were in trouble and needed to get out of their contracts.  We worked with everyone and treated them like the valued customers they were.  We credited some accounts for reduced traffic, we interrupted some contracts and intentionally left their copy up if the customers doors were open and in some cases we canceled the contract.  In all cases we stayed in touch with our clients like they were family.  In all we had about a 30% drop in revenues and stayed open with full employment.  Working from home was optional for sales and administration.  Some found it easier and safer to come to work.  Our operations crew came in everyday even though they knew they did not have to.  To our benefit, the governor declared that billboard operations personnel were essential workers.

As restrictions eased up business came roaring back to a level higher than before COVID.  All of our customers came back and all of them said they would not forget that we were there for them when they were in trouble and still remind us of that fact.

Supply chain shortages impacting you?

Not on routine operations.  That is a combination of not experiencing a shortage and the fact that we keep a good sized inventory of all critical parts and supplies.  When it comes to new construction and upgrades, steel is killing us.  In some cases we redesign projects to use steel sizes and types that are available and economical, in some cases we have had to bite the bullet and pay increases of up to 75% and in some cases the work is on hold with the hope that the prices will come back down.

What are your thoughts on the automated buying platforms like Blip, Adquick, Adomni and Vistar?

Most of our locations are static and we provide everyone with the necessary information to populate their data bases.  We use the Blip platform to run all of our digitals  and therefore have full automated sales with them and we are very pleased with that relationship.  I have always been and continue to be concerned that display space will become a commodity.  Smaller companies like ours, thrive in part on our ability to differentiate ourselves from the big companies through  flexibility, reliability, problem solving,  fast response, viewshed maintenance and a host of subtleties.  These distinctions are used by people when assigning value and obtaining brand loyalty.  This can all be lost in an automated buying system that only looks at numbers.

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