The S.S.S Company Reaching Out To New Customers With New Products

In February 1985, Southern Pharmacy Journal featured S.S.S. Company. Our former president, Charles M. Bentley, is seen on the far left of the cover.

Back to the Future: A Look at S.S.S. Company's 1985 Vision

Step back in time with us to 1985! We're diving into our archives and revisiting a fascinating cover story from the Southern Pharmacy Journal that captured the ambitious spirit of the S.S.S. Company. Even at 159 years old, we weren't content with the status quo. This article unveils our forward-thinking strategies for growth and diversification in a changing market. Join us as we explore the insights from this piece that continue to resonate with our approach today.

---

Explore the full write-up from the magazine, below.

Cover Story - The S.S.S Company Looks to the Future With Confidence; Aims for Continued Growth

159-Year-Old Firm Expects to Diversify and Add New Product Lines to Meet Changing Consumer Needs

By MAX GINSBERG | Editor, Southern Pharmacy Journal

You might think that a company which has been in business for over a century and a half would want to pause and indulge in a bit of reminiscing about the good old days.

That is definitely not the scenario at the S.S.S. Company, observing its 159th Anniversary this year.

Certainly, this well-known firm can look back with justifiable pride on its long record of achievement. But as Charles M Bentley, President and Chief Executive Officer, said in a recent interview 'While 1984 was the best year in the history of the S.S.S. Company, the opportunities in front of us, along with the strong condition of the company, make our future extremely bullish.'

The S.S.S. Company, with offices and manufacturing facilities in Atlanta, expects to continue on its path of record-setting sales and earnings for three good reasons. These include (1) Modernization of existing product lines and distribution; (2) Diversification into growth health care categories through new product development and acquisitions; and (3) Expansion of the firm's already successful export business in the Caribbean, the Far East and Africa.

Loyal, Regular Consumers

There's hardly a retail drug outlet in America--and in a number of foreign countries--that hasn't displayed and sold the familiar S.S.S. Tonic or S.S.S. Tablets. Loyal, regular consumers of S.S.S. products number in the millions, and with the introduction in 1984 of S.S.S. 600's, the firm has substantially enlarged its consumer base. "Today's vitamin users are younger and more affluent," said Mr. Bentley. "Through a consistent advertising and promotional program, we are reaching more of these consumers."

The philosophy of the S.S.S. Company is to adapt formulas and product lines to meet changing market conditions. This is emphasized by Rease Inge, Chairman of the Board, who said: "The S.S.S. Company's mission in the vitamin and other mineral supplement area is clear. We offer only the highest quality, proven formulas for the three most prevalent needs of the public--stress formula, multi-purpose vitamin and mineral, and an iron supplement product.”

The S.S.S. executive said that the firm has not attempted to enter the specialty segments “where the market is small and the movement is too slow.” Furthermore, Mr. Inge said, “The formulas we market are carefully constructed to avoid overdosage and the inclusion of ingredients that have questionable and/or unknown benefits.

“That is of utmost importance to the S.S.S. Company.”

The Growing 20/20 Line

A few years ago, S.S.S. added 20/20, a line of vision care products for the growing eye care market. Formulated by a physician, 20/20 medicated eye drops are sterile, safe and non-staining. Utilizing the catchy “20/20” brand name, the line now includes contact lens solutions, eye glass cleaners, rewetting and lubricating solutions, and 20/20 Tears, offering soothing relief for dry eyes.

“Mother’s Friend” is another of the S.S.S. product lines which has enjoyed consistent sales growth. A cream and lotion formula for pregnant women and new mothers, it is ideal for relieving dryness and itching of tight, stretched skin. The firm is currently featuring Mother’s Friend in a new and improved emulsified lotion, thereby cashing in on an expanding market (the number of births is on the upswing, particularly in the more affluent, older career women group).

Mother’s Friend users don’t have to go far to obtain the product. According to Mr. Bentley, Mother’s Friend is on the shelves of 98% of all drugstores in the United States.

Watching Changing Trends

Keeping a close eye on marketing trends and “shifting gears” quickly if necessary to accommodate changing customer tastes and preferences is standard operation procedure at the S.S.S. headquarters on University Avenue in Atlanta. Firm officials are constantly studying and analyzing the consumer research conducted by its advertising agency, Van Winkle & Associates, Inc. S.S.S national consumer advertising, multi-media campaigns and profitable trade deals are carefully coordinated to give maximum support to distributors and retailers. Key ethnic markets get special attention, and the company hits hard with its promotions during heavy dosage seasons.

“But you don’t stand still in our highly competitive industry,” said Mr. Bentley. “We are committed to an aggressive growth path for the S.S.S. Company, and now have all of the resources to make it go.

“We’ll continue to change to meet the health care needs of people as their desires change, and we’ll continue to develop and promote new products. In other words, we are ‘consumer driven’ and that’s a good way to be.”

SOUTHERN PHARMACY JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 1985

Photos

S.S.S. Company - Officers and Board of Directors

Charles M. Bentley - President and Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Bentley received his BBA degree from Georgia State University in Atlanta with a major in Accounting and minor in Management.

After working with two multi-million dollar corporations, Armour Agricultural Chemical, Inc., and Associated Grocers, Inc., Mr. Bentley joined the S.S.S. Company as Treasurer in the early sixties. His managerial experience at S.S.S. includes responsibilities in the finance, operations and sales areas of business.

Mr. Bentley was named President and CEO of the S.S.S. Company in 1984.

Rease Inge - Chairman of the Board

Mr. Inge is a Texan by birth and attended Texas A & M and the University of Texas, where he was licensed as a registered pharmacist. His career spans 36 years with E. R. Squibb & Sons, with whom he served as territory representative, district manager, regional manager and Executive Vice-President of a Squibb subsidiary corporation.

Mr. Inge has served as a member of the S.S.S. Company Board of Directors for 10 years and remains active as a leader and director of numerous civic and corporate organizations.

John F. Rogers, Jr. - Director

Mr. Rogers, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and currently a resident of Macon, Georgia, is a cum laude graduate of Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

After the founding of Rogers Oil Company in 1960, Mr. Rogers diversified his retail gasoline business to include wholesale gasoline sales, convenience stores, car washes, and real estate development specializing in apartments.

These assets, with gross sales in excess of 130,000,000, were sold in 1982 and now Mr. Rogers is actively pursuing numerous civic and professional positions of leadership including service on the Board of Georgia Bank & Trust Company.

George M. Parks - Director

Dr. Parks is Dean of the School of Business Administration at Emory University in Atlanta. He was graduated from Princeton University, received his M.B.A. and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California at Berkeley.

Dr. Parks has served as a consultant to several business organizations on various aspects of industrial engineering, financial analysis, and management science. He currently serves as director of four other corporations.

Buren Baldwin - Director

Mr. Baldwin is a graduate of the Mercer School of Pharmacy and successful owner and operator of Oak Grove Pharmacy in Decatur, Georgia. He has served as President and Chairman of the Georgia Pharmaceutical Association as well as in advisory capacities with the National Association of Retail Druggists, and the American Pharmaceutical Association.

Closing Thoughts

Decades before today's rapid-fire market shifts, the 1985 Southern Pharmacy Journal article reveals a remarkably prescient S.S.S. Company. Several key insights emerge from Max Ginsberg's report:

• Embracing Evolution: The company's core philosophy centered on proactively adapting product lines and formulas to meet evolving consumer demands, exemplified by the modernization of existing products like S.S.S. Tonic and Tablets, and the strategic introduction of new lines like the 20/20 vision care products and the improved Mother's Friend lotion.
• Targeted Expansion: S.S.S. Company demonstrated a clear understanding of market segmentation, actively pursuing growth in specific healthcare categories such as vitamins for a younger, more affluent demographic and the expanding eye care market, while consciously avoiding niche segments deemed too small or slow-moving.
• Strategic Distribution and Marketing: The company recognized the critical role of widespread availability, boasting a near-universal presence in US drugstores for key products like Mother's Friend, and actively employed coordinated national advertising, multi-media campaigns, and trade deals to support their distribution network and reach target consumers, including specific ethnic markets during peak seasons.
• Confident Leadership and Future Focus: The bullish outlook expressed by President and CEO Charles M. Bentley underscored a company culture that valued progress over complacency, emphasizing a commitment to an "aggressive growth path" driven by understanding and meeting the evolving healthcare needs of consumers.