Within a seemingly outdated industry, Austin has always been a forward thinking company. Our investment in state-of-the-art technologies, innovative customer service initiatives, and ever-evolving production techniques illustrated that philosophy, but our original logo and overall branding identity, or lack thereof, did not. Please note the original, 50 year old logo that our CEO claimed was pointing backwards. Even so, my hiring was initially treated with some trepidation. I had to give my bosses a reason for creating my position.

My first, and arguably most important contribution was to update our ancient logo. After that initial success, we painstakingly revamped our entire image to illustrate what we do and why we do it. With that change, we successfully told our customers and our suppliers that we were looking to the future.

A short time later, during our 50th year in business, it was decided that our old name, Austin Distributing, failed to tell our customers what exactly we distributed. We settled on Austin Hose, but were determined to retain the new identity we’d built. Since then, we’ve continued to grow exponentially, earning record sales at multiple branches, opening 2 additional branches and launching a full-featured e-commerce site.

In our Odessa and San Antonio branches, the Oil & Gas industry was always one of our biggest sources of revenue. But early in my time at Austin, our status in the industry was stagnating. With that in mind, we tailored a program targeting the specific, day-to-day needs for the rigorous demands of life on the oil rig. Our Rig Package successfully identified and addressed the key issues facing the successful operations of oil extraction, by offering products and services that promote safety, longevity, loss-prevention, and efficiency.

The success of The Rig Package was directly tied to our efforts in building relationships from the ground up. Those efforts were certainly fruitful, leading to the most exponential growth in Austin Hose history. We built an entire division dedicated to the Oil & Gas industries, and continued building our relationship with the industry. We quickly expanded our reach to Oklahoma City and Corpus Christi, two markets with extensive histories in the industry.

The Oil & Gas division continues to grow, and our decision to reassess and rebuild our relationship with the industry has proved to be one of the most profitable decisions Austin Hose has ever made.

About a year into my tenure (and right around the time of our name change), Austin Hose celebrated 50 years of service. We knew it was important to thank those that helped us achieve the milestone.

Throughout the year, we hosted open-houses at each branch, inviting customers, vendors and communities to join the celebration with a free lunch and trade show. We produced more swag than you can shake a stick at, and continued to build our relationship with the communities and industries we serve.

Perhaps the largest bulk of my time at Austin Hose has been dedicated to promoting our latest product lines. We don’t just announce new products though. Working with customers who are hesitant to change, we know we have to go the extra mile, showing them how those new products can benefit their workflows and, in the long run, save them money.

One of the greatest opportunites to me, has been the chance to hone my video production skills. I shot, directed, and edited each video myself, with some initial input from my boss, and the help of a few skilled extras. I even write the scripts, animate the graphics and provide my impressive baritone for voiceovers.

We’ve also produced countless flyers, line sheets, posters and more; with art direction and copy provided by yours truly. Primary distribution is typically handled the old-fashioned way, with assists from the post office, our shop staff and our indispensable sales team, who are instrumental in building and maintaining strong relationships with our customers.

We also highlight our promos on our website, giving customers the chance to learn everything there is to know about the products at hand. Beyond that, I’ve created, managed, and distributed multiple email marketing campaigns with our sizable contact list, and have even dipped my toes in social media marketing.

Our old website was a relic, with good information presented badly. One of my first personal initiatives at Austin Hose was to completely redesign our website for modern audiences. With my relatively meager experience in web design, I built a bootstrap site nearly from scratch. I created the layout, graphics, copy and some additional features designed to help customers make informed decisions. Though it was primarily an informational site, it was a significant leap forward for our company. My efforts went a long way in cementing the importance of both my own role within the company, and of evolving our methods of reaching our target markets.

For a long time, due to the seemingly impenetrable nature of our database and product line, a full-featured e-Commerce site seemed like an impossible task. We eventually found an outside firm that specialized in building sites based on the archaic database we had tied ourselves to long ago. Although I didn’t build the new site myself, I’m heavily involved in the layout, design and content of the site. With hundreds of thousands of individual items, the site is still a work in progress, but I’ve lead the charge in producing in-house product photography and illustration wherever possible, and acquisition when more appropriate solutions exist.

AustinHose.com has proven to be yet another phenomenal success in building both our profits and our brand.

I love making swag, and thankfully Austin Hose shares in that sentiment. Throughout my tenure we’ve produced an endless supply of shirts, hats and other goodies to help us stand out from the crowd. This is where I feel most free to deviate from our established identity, try new things, and push my creativity.

Also seen further down the page are a handful of freelance designs I’ve done for clients in the recent past. Everyone loves a good t-shirt, and I believe the designs here only further illustrate my versatility as a graphic artist.

As a designer, I believe my greatest strength lies in my versatility. Over the years, I’ve done some freelance design work for some small upstarts, creative types, and local businesses, allowing me to distill the essence of their brands with unique images that are as simple or complex as needed.

I take pride in my ability to see things from my clients’ perspective so that I can tailor a design that not only meets their needs, but exceeds their vision.

Memories fade, but good photography provides a window to the histories that we cherish. By capturing those small moments that show who you truly are, I’ll help you see yourself and your loved ones in a new light. Give me the chance to document those moments, and you’ll walk away with memories made to last.

We all have stories, but how do you choose to tell yours? Life’s biggest celebrations can be stressful, but those milestones prove to be our greatest moments of love and honesty. Allow me to document your next event, and together we can tell your story.