Strategy and Positioning

The modern-day Boyle & Chase Inc. may not likely have aroused Norman Rockwell’s artistic sensibility, but its origin nearly 50 years ago as a neighborhood hardware storefront could easily have graced the famed painter’s canvas.

Operated by the late Tony Rotondi, the shop specialized in a homespun medley of paints, wallpapers, tools and other everyday life implements for its Hyde Park, Mass., neighbors.

Rotondi would eventually seize upon his customers’ growing inclination to secure their homes and workplaces, realizing the lock business was the place to be.

Indeed, it was. Rotondi and his son Michael, who for several years has served as company president, nurtured Boyle & Chase into its current position as a worldwide distributor of 20 major lines of commercial and decorative mechanical and electric hardware. To remain ahead of technological advances and customer demand, the company also places particular emphasis on electrified access control products.

Today, from its sole location in Hingham, Mass., Boyle & Chase staffs a main sales floor where 14 employees take orders by phone. A robust Web site is also available for purchases, inventory checks and other client services.

The successes Boyle & Chase has reaped since its storefront days haven’t caused it to detach from its roots as a neighborhood friend. Michael Rotondi, who often can be seen manning one of the 14 sales phones, is loathe to allow that fundamental connection to the past be forgotten, says Tom O’Donnell, a Boyle & Chase sales and purchasing manager.

“Michael tries to keep it as much of a family as possible; he treats everybody as one of his own,” O’Donnell says.

“By keeping his people happy and energetic, that is only going to reflect on the customer service going out the door.”

Company Name: Boyle & Chase Inc.

Year Founded: 1961

Headquarters: Hingham, Mass.

Contact Information: 72 Sharp St. 
Hingham, MA 02043

Phone: (800) 325-2530

Fax: (800) 205-3500

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.boyleandchase.com

Number of Employees: 75

President/CEO: Michael Rotondi
Technologies And Markets:
Sectors Served: Access Control,  Fire/Life Safety

Product Lines: More than 20 lines for residential and commercial mechanical and electrical hardware, plus electrified access control products, for various functions, voltage, finish and design.

Product Availability: Wholesale distribution

Reseller Value-Adds: Host dealer training sessions

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