Meet Robert And Vickie Bruce | Veteran Business Owners

We had the good fortune of connecting with Robert And Vickie Bruce and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robert and Vickie, what is the most important factor behind your success?
In our view, the most important factor behind our success is the uncompromising standard of our product quality, which serves as the foundation for long-term customer satisfaction. We believe that a high quality product isn’t just a physical output; it’s a promise to the customer. When we deliver excellence consistantly, we build trust. That trust leads to customer loyalty, which is ultimately the engine that drives our growth and market reputation.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets us apart is that we don’t just sell a product; we represent a standard. We developed a “master’s eye” for quality. We learned how to evaluate the fine details that others miss. This means when we speak to a customer’ we are speaking from a place of deep product knowledge and integrity. We don’t just look for a transaction; we look to provide a solution that we personally stand behind.
We are most proud of building a business where customer satifaction is our primary marketing tool. It’s incredibly rewarding that people come to us because they trust our products. We’re excited about bringing this same energy to a new environment – taking everything we’ve learned about market positioning and high-end retail and applying it to help our company grow.
I got where I am today by combining entrepreneurial drive with the support of my wife. She and I, working hand in hand establishing the business, helped us to realize that the foundation of any successful sale is trust. Together we supported each other through the complexities of the industry, and with the belief in our vision we gained the confidence to build the brand from the ground up.
“Satisfaction is the goal, not the sale: A happy customer is a recurring partner.”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since we live in Texas, The Stockyards would have to be one of the first places we visited. We would have to show them an old fashioned cattle drive and where the west begins. We would introduce them to The Cattlemans Steakhouse where we would enjoy the best steaks in Texas. We could follow that up with a visit to the largest honky tonk in Texas, Billy Bobs, or a fun evening at a rodeo. Of course they would be wearing one of our Rugged Edge Blades.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
While our growth is measured by customer satisfaction and the quality of our knives, the true heartbeat of our success is the mentorship of my Uncle Bill Roberts. When we were first establishing the business, his support went far beyond technical advise. He poured his love and belief into us during the most challenging phases, providing the emotional resilience we needed to keep going. His mentorship taught us that our business will only be successful as long as we run it with integrity and dedication; he gave us the wisdom to never cut corners and to treat every customer as a family member. That standard of care ensures customer retention and honors the standard he set for us.

Website: https://ruggededgeblades.com

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