ST. JOHN, New Brunswick - Phil Brewer, current president of Cox Electronics & Communications speaks almost reverently about New Brunswicker Reg Cox and the business he started more than six decades ago.

"It was a service business, primarily radio and record player repair with some sales," Brewer says. "We've grown and changed a lot over the years, but service excellence is still our focus."

Phil Brewer

HDTVS, home theatre systems, satellite dishes and products carrying names like Bose, Sony, Panasonic, Aliant, BellExpressVu, RCA and Motorola keep Brewer and his staff hopping these days.

"It was in the late 1940s that Cox began servicing and selling used TVs, and even then the focus remained on service," says Brewer, a trained electronics technician in his own right. "As the concept of TV caught on, we began to develop the sales side of the business."

Brewer, who purchased the company in late 1979, says Cox "never made a distinction, at any time, that we were going to be a sales organization primarily, although that was made possible by our company's reputation of service excellence."

Success is driven at Cox by giving the customer what he or she wants, and then supporting them "every step along their journey," Brewer says.

"Support enables our customers to get the most from whatever they buy here," he says. "In my mind, there is never a reason why the customer should not be happy."

Under Brewer's leadership, Cox began to expand its showroom and floor space from about 1983. The expansion and improvement of product presentation continues today, driven by exceptional lines of product, and a demanding consumer who is able to access a lot of information from sources such as the Internet.

"I'd say that a good 90 per cent of our customers are aware of the term HDTV, but that doesn't mean they understand what it is," Brewer says. "Today's customer is informed, yes; but they are also misinformed at the same time, and that's where developing a solid relationship with them results in increased sales."

"If we don't have a positive relationship with them, it's really unreasonable to expect our customers to hand over their hard-earned cash," he says. "We have to earn their trust, and keep their trust, and we're very good at doing that."

Custom installation is one area where Cox is experiencing double, sometimes triple growth year over year, Brewer says.  Much of that work is in the "basic" $10,000 to $15,000 range; but Cox does have customers in Atlantic Canada ... typically remnants of the ‘baby boomer' generation ... who spend $100,000 to $150,000 on home systems.

"(Custom installation) wasn't something that was even contemplated when I started in this business," Brewer says. "You know, a stereo was something to play music, and it was a long time before people began to connect stereo components to get a better sound.  Much the same can be said about today's high-definition TV systems."

"It was the digital revolution that changed things, and that's a good thing," he says.

The exterior of Cox Electronics’ flagship store in St. John, New Brunswick.

"Mega is a lot like ourselves, with a lot of customer focus and enthusiasm about the business," he says. "They are not there to sell for us. Mega is there to support us as an independent retailer, and they enhance what we do already."

The flagship store’s main showroom.