About Us

Senox Corporation
Leading the Seamless Gutter Industry
By James A. Bernsen
This article originally appeared in Builder/Architect Magazine c. 2005

“We service the seamless gutter industry,” said president A.B. Walters. “That’s all we do. If it has to do with gutters, we’re either doing it, thinking about doing it, or planning to do it. We’re thinking about gutters all the time.”

A lot of companies that supply the home building industry try to do it all. The superstore business model may have some advantages, but it often ends up being the proverbial “jack of all trades, master of none.” Senox Corporation, however, knows that when you want something done right, you go to a specialist. Most businesses that sell rain gutter systems do a lot of other things too, and Walters believes that holds them back, because they can’t focus their efforts. He tried that route once, and knows by experience that you can’t serve all these multiple masters and do it really well.

In 1972, Walters left his study of computer science to start his first business at age 19. Starting as only one of three seamless gutter companies in the state, Walters began as a rain gutter contractor for Sears, and he took pains to learn the business, inside and out.

The company manufacturers rain gutters in the two basic styles: K-style/O.G. and half-round. Early on, Walters began providing multiple colors for the gutters themselves, and expanded to match the colors on end caps, fittings and other parts that suppliers were not making in anything but standard color. As the company began to develop an integrated system, it worked its way backwards to the basic parts. Walters identified any commonality he could, from size to color. He soon learned that, in order to develop a complete line of products, he needed to do business differently. For example, to be able to make multiple parts out of the same colored sheet of material, he had to buy large quantities from an aluminum mill to get effective cost-savings.
But, having a complete line of products that all match is not easy. Every available type of end cap or elbow needs to be replicated in 24 colors, which means a company offering that must carry a large inventory. “It’s a major, major investment to make all these parts and pieces available in matching colors,” Walters said. “Other companies either don’t have the volume, or they are not as committed to the product line quality as we are.”

What he learned was that there was a better way of doing business, and the need for an expanded product line. Even with the limited color selection available at the time, no one offered a complete product line in every offered color. “I’d try to find suppliers for all the parts and pieces and colors, but nobody was willing to make the leap to the next step, he said. Gutter installers routinely had to spray paint parts to make them match the rest of the gutter. “I was faced with this problem of spray painting parts and realized that, when I drove by a job a year or two later, those spray-painted parts were fading terribly.” He realized that this industry accepted poor quality and needed to change.

The next step was to develop a full system of gutter parts and supplies, integrated and matching, providing contractors with a full range of options that could raise the business to new levels in quality. That’s how Senox Corporation was born. Now, that small business Walters started (he sold his contracting business in 1981) has bloomed to become the largest supplier of seamless gutter systems in Texas, with locations in Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Longview, Fort Worth and Dallas. Senox also has many distributors across the United States and in Canada. Because of its buying power, the company can be aggressive and continue to meet the increasing demands of the marketplace. It also keeps up with the trends and innovations in the industry. Additionally, the company also sells and repairs seamless gutter machines.

“A full product line, which only Senox can offer, means that there is no need to mix and match. A lot of contractors who do business with our competitors are still faced with spray painting a lot of the parts and pieces on the job site, because our competitors don’t have a full product line, so the corners will still fade, or an offset over a brick ledge will start fading over a year or so.” Walters said. “Senox parts have a baked-on enamel finish, which can have a life from 20-50 years (depending on how the gutters are maintained). All paints, of course, eventually fade as ultraviolet light attacks them. When a builder gets gutters installed with our competitors’ material, they are going to get some spray-painted parts on their house,” he said. “Spray-painted parts mean premature fading, unhappy homeowners and a possible warranty claim. Working with anything less than quality material up-front, “Walters says, “can mean a lot more heartache down the road for builders. Getting quality parts, and getting it right the first time, is even more important with the growing use of long-term warranties on houses,” he added.

Senox also works with their contractor/customers, training them in the basics of roof drainage, proper installation standards, including slope of the gutter, spacing of hanger brackets and how to install a system that will look good for years to come.

The tag line to the corporate logo reads “Serving the Seamless Gutter industry since 1972.” The importance of the word “Serving” to the company’s phenomenal success is not lost on Walters or his employees. In addition to its complete product line, Senox also offers a level of service unmatched by their competitors. Senox provides timely customer pickup service that allows the customers to get to the job quicker and not spend all their time in the supply house. Senox contractors can promise that they’ll have a job done within days or house, and they can fulfill that promise. “The contractor walks in with a grocer list that says, ‘Here’s what I need,’ and goes off and installs it. We provide the contractor the ability to do that,” Walters said. “Because Senox has such a huge inventory, the shelves are never empty. Ultimately, that keeps builders’ costs down by having inventory available and avoiding delays.”

Gutters are usually among the last things done before a house is finished, and often done at the last instant so a sale can close. Walters is constantly trying to educate builders, architects and home buyers about thinking about gutters from day one. “Gutters aren’t just for looks. Water infiltration in your home can be one of the most damaging things to the home, so why aren’t gutters included in the architects plan? Why aren’t they drafted in?” he said. “Gutters are an integral part of the system for drainage, foundation preservation, getting the water away from the building for all the mold issues that are out there nowadays. Builders and architects need to plan for the protection of the home, mold issues, drainage issues, quality of the home in terms of keeping it attractive,” he said. That’s what good rain gutters do. They protect the home.

The company’s Web site, www.senox.com, is packed with useful information about gutters and information on how to easily contact them for more information and a contractor near you.